{recetas} Crock Pot Hot Cocoa

I've had a couple cans of sweetened condensed milk hanging out in the pantry for quite some time. I never really knew what to do with them, until I realized nobody was bringing dessert for the pot-luck Christmas party I hosted earlier this week.

I've totally gorged on Christmas cookies and treats, and didn't want to make another pie, cake, or cookies. Plus, I don't really know what to use sweetened condensed milk for. So I asked my mom.

Moms really are the best, aren't they? I swear, mine knows everything. And if she doesn't, she makes something up for me and it sure as hell sounds like she knows what she's talking about.

This crock pot recipe is super easy. Like, pour a few things, stir a few times, enjoy. Yep. That easy.

What you need:

• 12 cups of milk (I used skim)
• 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag of milk chocolate chips
• 1 bag of mint chocolate chips
• Reddi-whip (or the store brand, doesn't matter)

I did not say that this was a healthy cocoa recipe. It's not even a little bit healthy. Skim milk is low-fat, though. So maybe that kind of cancels out the sweetened condensed milk and the heavy whipping cream?

What you do:

• Pour everything into the crock pot, except the reddi-whip.
• Stir it up, turn it on high for an hour, or low for 2 hours.
• Be sure to stir every so often, so the chocolate chips melt and don't burn to the bottom of the crock pot.
• Ladle it into mugs when it's hot (or just warm, you decide) and top it with the reddi-whip.
• Yum, yum, yum. Throw in a candy cane if you want to get fancy, but it is super minty already.

{Recetas} Lasagna Soup

Friends, the soup from last week was DEEEEEE-VINE! I made it for my closest girlfriends, and everyone gobbled it up. So I thought I would share the recipe with y'all. You should make it tonight. I'm serious. It's that good!

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 packages mild Italian sausage
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms
• 2 medium zucchini
• 2 32 ounce cartons of chicken stock
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 can fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 3 tablespoons dried basil
• 3 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 package noodles of your choice
• Cheese, cheese, cheese

What you do:

• Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, then add and brown the Italian sausage. Bring a pot of water to boil for your noodles.
• Once the Italian sausage is browned, add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes to the pot. Turn the heat to low.
• While the soup is warming, slice the zucchini and mushrooms. Add both to the pot. Return the heat to medium-high.
• Add in the garlic, basil, oregano, and pepper. Stir it all together.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and allow it to simmer until the mushrooms and zucchini are done.
• When the pot of water boils, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. I used rotini noodles, but you can use whatever you'd like. I've made this with bow-tie pasta, and with mini lasagna noodles. Anything works!
• I keep the noodles separate. You can easily throw them in the soup, but I think they get a little too mushy. Especially if you make enough soup to freeze half.
• Place a scoop of noodles in a bowl, then pour your soup over the top. Finally, load on the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Then, devour the soup like nobody's watching. Because it is that good!

{Recetas} Chicken Pot Pie

Oh, goodness gracious. I typically write the plan knowing that the meals may shuffle days. That happened this week, when I just wanted to indulge in some comfort food.

Chicken pot pie is much more of a comfort food than what was originally planned, so I went for it. Since we had a change of plans on Sunday, I had all of the ingredients ready to go.

Ho. Lee. Cow. Holy cow, holy cow.

It was freaking delicious. Yum, yum, yum.

The little lady gobbled it up. Kid was a little hesitant. I've noticed that he has a very difficult time with new foods that are mixed together. It seems to be a new phase of his. Hopefully it doesn't last long. Hubs devoured it, and I was rather impressed with myself.

What you need:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1 bag frozen vegetables (mixed veggies, or whatever you'd like)
• 3 cups cubed chicken, cooked (or, use a rotisserie chicken)
• 2 pre-made pie crusts
• 1 egg

What you do:

• Check the directions on the pie crusts. Preheat your oven according to their directions. My refrigerated crusts called for the oven at 350 degrees.
• Prepare your chicken. I took the easy route and purchased a rotisserie chicken from Costco. I used all of the breast meat, and all of the thigh meat for the pie. Set the chicken aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Then, add 2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning. Stir in the 1/2 cup of flour. Stir until combined and lower the heat.
• Once combined, whisk in the chicken broth and milk. Stir FOREVER. Seriously, don't stop stirring. Bring it to a boil, while still stirring, and cook for a few minutes. Keep stirring until it thickens. What the what! You kinda just made cream of onion soup! No need for a can of the condensed stuff!
• Remove the sauce pan from heat and add in the frozen vegetables and the diced chicken. Stir it all together and look at how delightful your yummy pot pie filling looks.
• Put one crust down, fill it, add the other crust on top. Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk it all up. Brush it onto the top of the pie crust. Then, cut a few ventilation slits into the top crust and throw it in the oven.
• Now the hard part: follow the directions on the package of your refrigerated pie crusts. Mine called for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven. I left it in for 18 minutes. And it was absolutely perfect.

{recetas} Beef Lo Mein

I've been experimenting more in the kitchen, and I have to say it has been really successful!

We had soup two nights in a row, and the hubs gave them both high marks. That Pioneer Woman is amazing. I, of course, followed her recipes for the two soups (this one and this one). They were wonderfully delightful.

But tonight, we went for a super simple dinner - lo mein. It was so easy to put together. From fridge to table in 30 minutes. It always takes me a little longer, though, because I can be rather disorganized in the kitchen. And there's that little toddler person always at my feet.

That little toddler person was really helpful tonight. Kid climbed up into his learning tower and stirred some Cheerios. He then added in some applesauce, and helped to "chop" the mushrooms. And by chop the mushrooms, I mean whack them with a wooden spoon. He was occupied and happy, which made dinner making so much easier!

Anyway...Beef Lo Mein.

What you need:

• 1 flank steak
• 1 cup of carrots, julienned
• 16 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
• 8 ounces of snow peas
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 package lo mein noodles (or thin spaghetti noodles)
• 6 tablespoons tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons sriracha
• 1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
• olive oil

What you do:

• Cook the noodles according the the package directions.
• Slice the flank steak into thin, bite-sized strips. Cook it through. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, mushrooms, and carrots. Stir frequently; cook until tender. This part only takes about 5 minutes. Probably less. Add the snow peas.
• While the veggies are cooking, mix together the remaining ingredients (tamari sauce through ground ginger) in a bowl.
• Add your noodles to the skillet with the veggies and meat. Pour the sauce over the top and stir to coat everything.
• Eat it up and smile because your husband says, "this is another top 5 meal!" I know, I know. I've said that a few different times. I think he says it far too frequently. But I don't care.

{recetas} Trail Mix

The first week back to school was a tough one. As a teacher, I know I am incredibly blessed with the schedule that I have. Summer. Winter Break. Spring Break. I am lucky, and I know it. But, that doesn't make the rest of the year any easier. The hours are long, and the demands are high. And it's easy to forget what it is like to wake up at 5 when you get a two week break from work!

But we made it through, and we're on to week 3 of being back at school. Thankfully, our sleep schedule has gotten back on track (thanks, Kid!) We are back into the routine of school and daycare and life is good. The yawns are plentiful, but life is good.

One of my goals this year is to be quite prepared in the food department. I'll be really good at meal and snack planning for a couple of weeks, and then we will fall off the wagon. Hubs will stop for lunch at McDonald's or Chipotle. I'll run to the gas station before work for some midday snacks. In hopes to eliminate my many gas station stops, I decided to make a huge (and I mean HUGE!) batch of trail mix.

We have a favorite mix from Target that includes peanut butter chips, and it's quite expensive for a small jar. I went to the local Mills' Fleet Farm to grab the supplies for cheap. If you don't know what Fleet Farm is, let me just tell you that it is an amazing store. You can find just about everything you need at Fleet Farm--shoes, clothes, office supplies, camping gear, farm supplies, the list goes on. It's one of the best places to get nuts and baking supplies, too.

What you need:

• 1 lb raisins
• 12 oz. chocolate chips (I got milk chocolate)
• 12 oz. peanut butter chips
• 1 lb peanuts
• 1 lb M&Ms (they're called Choco-Buttons at Fleet Farm)

What you do:

• Pour all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Use a spatula to stir. To be extra-fancy, pour the ingredients in a little at a time: half a bag of raisins, some chocolate chips, some M&Ms, etc. I just went for it. Dumped each bag in one at a time.
• Anyway. Stir. Again, to be fancy, use a funnel to pour your trail mix into your storage container. I got extra-large glass jars at Target a year ago that had been sitting empty. They were the perfect size.
• If you aren't fancy (like me) make a "funnel" out of a gallon freezer bag by cutting off one of the corners. Use that to pour the mix into the jars. Or, just store it in the freezer bag. Lots of options. It's up to you.
• Finally, enjoy the trail mix by the handful. It really is delicious.
• Oh! Another thing I did. Kid loves to eat whatever we eat, but I am a little nervous about him eating peanuts and M&Ms (choking hazards). I took a half cup of raisins, a quarter cup of peanut butter chips, and a quarter cup of chocolate chips and made him his own jar of "trail mix." He LOVES it, and he thinks he's pretty cool eating trail mix with mom and dad.

{recetas} Shrimp & Rice Noodle Soup

It's winter here in Minnesota. We finally have the snow to prove it. My crock pot and Dutch oven have been used enough to claim that winter is here in full force as well. They've been most frequented by soups, a true sign of fall and winter.

Today's soup is inspired by one of my favorite dishes. Pad Thai. I absolutely adore pad Thai. I found two local restaurants that serve a mean pad Thai. Sadly, they don't deliver. But the Shrimp & Rice Noodle soup is a good stand in.

I know I mentioned this exact thing in my last recipe, but the Hubs loves my Shrimp & Noodle Soup. He even said, "Not to say that your other stuff is bad, but the last three new recipes you've made have been amazing." Score one more for me! And, I had this delightful helper in the kitchen. Quite frankly, he is always in the kitchen with me.

What you need:

• 1 pound shrimp, raw
• 64 ounces chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1.25 teaspoons sriracha
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 0.5 cup peanuts, crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 0.5 cup julienne carrots
• 8 ounces rice noodles
• salt
• ground ginger

What you do:

• Melt one tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Crack the two eggs into the pan and scramble them. When they're done, set them aside in a small dish.
• Heat the olive oil in your soup pot and cook the minced garlic for a minute or two. Add the chicken broth, fish sauce, sriracha, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.
• While waiting for the broth to boil, prepare your shrimp by taking all of the tails off and placing the shrimp in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of salt, along with the ground ginger. Heat the last tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and cook the shrimp over medium heat.
• When the broth is boiling, add the rice noodles and carrots to the pot and cook according to package directions. The rice noodles I buy need to be stirred frequently and boiled for 4 to 6 minutes. I taste them around the 5 minute mark to make sure they're done to my liking.
• When the noodles are done, you can add the egg and shrimp to the pot and serve right away. Or, you can have a "build your own" soup bar, which is how it happens at my house. We use a salad tongs to place noodles in each bowl, then allow each person to add their own egg, shrimp, and crushed peanuts. Then, we use a ladle to add broth to the bowl.

{recetas} Beef & Broccoli

Oh. Em. Gee, folks. I made the best dinner last night.

Take-out worthy beef and broccoli. It was delicious! Kid gobbled it up and the Hubs said we should have it more often. Win-win, in my book.

This is kind of a multi-step process, but it's quick and all of the steps are easy.

First things first, the rice. This meal is best served over rice and I find it best to use the rice cooker. You could also use instant rice, but rice cooker rice is so much better!

What you need (for the rice):

• 2 cups rice
• chicken broth (enough to cover the rice, up to the first knuckle on your pointer finger...scientific, I know)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• OR! Instant white rice

What you do (for the rice):

• If you are like us, go to your ice cream bucket of frozen rice and scoop 2 cups into the rice cooker.
• Pour the chicken stock over the rice. Here comes the scientific part. Stick your pointer finger into the pot until you touch the bottom. If the stock comes up to the first knuckle joint, you're good to go!
• Sprinkle in your garlic powder and ground ginger. Both of these are in the beef and broccoli sauce if you want to omit them from your rice. I just like to add an extra little zip.
• Or, you can skip those three steps and make some instant rice. That's up to you.

Okay, part two. Multi-step, you know. We're gettin' fancy up in these parts!

What you need (for the beef and broocoli):

• a flank steak
• a head of broccoli
• 2/3 cup tamari sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (yep, I buy my garlic pre-minced)
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

What you do (for the beef and broccoli):

• Boil water in a medium-sized pot. While this is boiling, whisk together tamari sauce, honey, chicken stock, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and corn starch. I don't know about you, I like to measure all of the ingredients first and have them sitting in their own separate dishes (like a cooking show!) before I add them. Especially the dry ingredients. Once the honey is added to the mix, you'll need to whisk continuously. Otherwise, it gets stuck to the bottom of the bowl and takes longer. Just trying to save you some time!
• Slice your steak really thinly. Think about your favorite Chinese food restaurant. Their beef is sliced nice and thin. Do that. It makes it taste better. Well, probably not, but it looks more like take-out that way!
• Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and add your beef. Cook it through. Drain it.
• When your water boils, add the broccoli for just a few minutes, and then drain it. Pour some cold water over the top to stop the cooking process. I suppose you could have an ice bath ready. But we never have ice readily available. I like the texture of the broccoli when it has been boiled for a short time.
• Add the broccoli and sauce to the pan with the beef and bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer so the sauce has some time to thicken. I, personally, don't have much patience for this part and let the sauce thicken just a little bit. You can thicken it to your own needs and wants.
• Serve the beef and broccoli over rice. We like to have egg rolls on the side. Just a suggestion.

Wow, It's Been Awhile ~ A Chicken Soup Recipe

It's been quite a while since I've posted a recipe. I find it kind of hard to do, since I am such a recipe follower myself. I'm not often coming up with my own "new" recipes. But I think I've come pretty close to
the best chicken soup recipe ever.

What you need:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cartons of chicken broth (64 ounces, total)
• 8 to 10 carrots peeled and sliced (no need to peel if they're organic)
• 2 ribs of celery sliced
• 1 onion chopped (I only use half of a really small onion)
• salt & pepper to taste
• one ... leaf? stem? of kale (unless you're anti-kale)
• egg noodles (because my husband doesn't like kale)

What you do:

• Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips and place in a soup pot. Add the chicken broth, carrots, onion, and celery. Add some salt and pepper as you see fit. I tend to go light on these ingredients and allow each person to add them to their own taste.
• Heat the soup over high heat for about 25 minutes. At 25 minutes, check the "done-ness" of your chicken and veggies. The chicken is done when it's no longer pink inside and easily shredded with two forks.
• While the soup is cooking, chop your kale. I only use one stem because my husband doesn't like it and Kid can't yet chew it enough to swallow it. I also remove the main stem/rib of the kale and only use the leafy part. Anyway. Chop it into bite-sized pieces.
• If your husband protests kale, and you don't feel like making an entire pot of chicken noodle soup, boil water in another pot and cook your egg noodles according to the package directions. If you're going for chicken noodle soup, you can add the noodles straight to the soup and cook for 8-ish minutes.
• To serve, place some kale and/or egg noodles in a bowl and ladle the chicken soup over the top. Give it a stir and enjoy!

I threw in this old picture because .. well, soup weather also means shoveling weather... And, I keep forgetting to take pictures of the soup. I'll become a true picture-taking foodie someday!

Quick tips:

• Cook your noodles separately, even if nobody is having kale (or you want both!). I usually double this recipe to freeze and I do not care for the taste of cooked, frozen, and then reheated noodles. I'll freeze a hefty portion of soup and then am prepared to cook noodles the day I decide to reheat the soup.
• Don't be bummed if your husband doesn't like kale. I was. And then I got over it. Because, really? It takes 15 minutes to boil water and make noodles.
• Go light on the salt and pepper to start. Once the soup is boiling, you can taste the broth and add more as needed. People can also add their own once they've tasted the soup and broth.

{recetas} Kid's Breakfast

I have a big, giant confession to make.

I do not like cereal.

I think it's gross. It gets soggy when you add the milk. Unless you gobble it up in 2.4 minutes. But who can eat cereal that quickly?

I try to avoid cereal at all costs. The last time I ate cereal was the day I went into labor with Kid. I ate cereal every day while I was pregnant to ensure I ate breakfast. But since then, no thank you to cereal!

I have gotten into the habit of making an egg bake for breakfasts during the week. This has made mornings so unbelievably easy, especially with Kid now devouring human food.

(the kid can eat)

The best part about an egg bake is that you can add whatever you'd like.

And the other best part? After baking, you can cut it into pieces and freeze them for a super easy morning breakfast! I've included the recipe for this week's breakfast egg bake.

Easy Egg Bake

What you need:

12 eggs

1 and a half cups milk

1 lb sausage

1 and a half cups frozen peas

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, plus an extra sprinkle

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, plus an extra sprinkle

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 black pepper

olive oil

What you do:

First, brown the sausage in a pan with a bit of olive oil and the extra sprinkles of basil and oregano. Also, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

While the meat is cooking away, slice the mushrooms and chop the broccoli. I like to blanch the broccoli for a few moments, and then throwing it into a bowl of ice water. This makes the broccoli extra delicious in the final product.

Crack and beat all of the eggs in a glass bowl. Add the milk (this can be omitted if you have a dairy sensitivity) and keep beating. Toss in the veggies, add the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. And, if you're feeling extra zippy, add some red pepper flakes.

Finally, line a 9" x 13" glass baking dish with parchment paper. Use some butter to grease the paper. Pour the egg and veggie mixture into the prepared pan. Place the baking dish in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the egg bake from the oven and allow it to cool. Cut it into individual pieces and place them onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Back up a minute. Place the pieces you plan to eat tomorrow morning in some sort of Tupperware container. Stick those in the fridge. Place the baking sheet with the other pieces of egg bake into the freezer. Once frozen, you can wrap them individually.

I typically take 2 (well, I guess 3 since Kid enjoys them!) from the freezer and allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge. You can either warm the individual slices in the microwave or quickly on the stove/in the oven.

(can you tell I've had a few issues with taking pictures while cooking lately?)

{recetas} Leftover Stir Fry

I made this recipe a few weeks ago. Another one of those times when the meal plan had to be modified a bit due to schedule changes.

That's life, right?

I had a round steak that needed to be used, and used fast. I cannot handle food spoiling in my fridge or freezer. It makes me go absolutely batty. Especially after reading an article that the average family loses over $1500 in a year because of spoiled food.

(that is a LOT of money!)

So I made a quick stir fry from the some veggies that hadn't been used. And it was good! I even got an amazing compliment from the hubs!

Super Delicious, Last Minute, Leftover Stir Fry

What you need:

1 round steak

1 cup beef stock

2 or 3 shakes crushed red pepper flakes

garlic powder

sea salt

pepper

butter

6 tbsp. rice vinegar

3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

5 tbsp. tamari sauce (or soy sauce)

3 tbsp. sriracha

coconut oil

an assortment of veggies (frozen, or fresh)

What you do:

First, pour half of the beef stock into a Ziploc bag, along with 2 tablespoons of the rice vinegar, 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp. tamari (or soy) sauce, 1 tablespoon sriracha, and 2 shakes of the red pepper flakes. Close and shake the bag to combine all of the ingredients. Put the steak into the bag, seal, and place in the refrigerator for a few hours.

After the steak has soaked up some of the lovely flavors (okay, you really should let it marinate for 6 hours (or over night) but this is called "Last Minute" for a reason), sear the it over medium high heat in a pan of hot coconut oil. Leave the steak to cook on each side for about 5 minutes. While the steak is in the pan, grind some salt and pepper on each side. Feel free to add some red pepper flakes at this time, as well.

Remove the steak to a cutting board, and allow it to rest. In the meantime, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in your pan. Add your assortment of vegetables. I added frozen broccoli, frozen peas, fresh sliced mushrooms, and fresh sliced carrots. Add some salt to taste, and about 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Stir the vegetables occasionally. After the vegetables have cooked for a few minutes, add the remaining sauce ingredients (rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tamari sauce, sriracha). Stir it all around, and taste. If needed, add some more garlic and/or salt. You could even add more sriracha (we like our food on the hot end of things).

That's it. Super simple. Serve over cauliflower rice, white rice, or fried rice.

Enjoy!

{recetas} Venison & Asparagus Burgers

Last week, we had to stray a bit from the ::Dinner Plans:: because the dinner plans with Mootzie & Pa fell through. I had to whip something up pretty quickly!

And what I came up with was a HUGE success. The hubs, the guy that does not like asparagus, gobbled it up and went for seconds. I would have to say that is the best dinner time compliment there is. That, and saying, "This is better than my mom's." 

Mom always is the best cook, right?

(wrong...it totally depends on the mom!)

Venison & Asparagus

What you need:

1 lb ground venison (or ground whatever meat you want)

1 lb fresh asparagus

1 or 2 cloves minced garlic

minced onion flakes

4 tablespoons butter

sea salt

oregano

basil

4 eggs

What you do:

First, wash the asparagus and cut off the ends. Hold up. I have to back up already. First, start the grill (or ask the hubs to, because he likes to grill so much). Put your pound of meat into a glass bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Not too much, or it will burn, burn, burn on the grill. Sprinkle in some dried onion flakes (maybe 2 teaspoons) and basil (2 teaspoons). Knead it all together and form your burger patties (we make 4 burgers from 1 lb of meat).

Now, wash and cut off the ends of the asparagus. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the asparagus. As it is cooking over medium heat, add sea salt (1 teaspoon) and oregano (2 teaspoons). Stir the asparagus around occasionally. It's done when it is tender-crisp. Okay, really. It's done when you want it to be. Taste it and see if it is cooked to your liking. When the asparagus is done, put it on a plate in a warm oven. Leave the butter/garlic residue in the pan for the eggs.

Grill the burgers. We grill our burgers for about 7 minutes. A few minutes after starting the burgers, crack the eggs into the warm pan (keep the heat around medium). When the eggs are ready, flip them.

Place a bed of asparagus on each plate. Place the venison burger on top of the lettuce, and finally, add the egg. Okay. I got creative and added a few asparagus tops to the egg.

Have you ever watched Chopped? I was playing Chopped while "plating" so I had to add the asparagus.

{recetas} Venison Soup

Aah, soup.

Nothing beats soup on a cold winter day. Especially hot soup. And I mean hot. My husband usually lets an ice cube melt in his bowl of soup because I like it so hot. A meal that warms and comforts. That is what winter is about.

And since it seems like winter will be here forever, I may as well embrace it. Right?

Venison Soup

What you need:

1 pound ground venison

3 bell peppers (I got the stoplight), diced

1 package mushrooms, chopped

4 carrots, peeled & chopped

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

32 ounces beef broth

1/2 can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

What you do:

First, wash and chop the veggies. Well, dice the onion and the peppers. I like to keep the onion pieces a little large so that I can easily avoid them while eating. I don't know to eat onion, but I enjoy the flavor that it adds to a recipe.

Put the onion and venison into a frying pan with a small amount of olive oil. Brown the meat and cook the onions until they are translucent. There isn't much fat with venison, so don't worry about draining. Instead, transfer the onions and beef to a large stock pot or dutch oven. I wish I had a dutch oven (don't worry, I put it on my birthday list).

Add everything else to the pot and let it simmer. I like to let my soups simmer for about 30 minutes. This is to make sure all of the vegetables are done, but also to allow the flavors to meld.

And when I'm feeling extra fancy, I add a few slices of avocado on top.

{recetas} "Breaded" Chicken Tenders

I made these the other day for our lunches, and my husband had a good laugh. And then he said, "okay, mom. I'll go do my homework." Which says to me that chicken tenders, to him, are kid food.

But, I'll let you in on a little secret.

It's kind of the hubby's fault.

I had planned to make "breaded" chicken breasts for dinner with the chicken breasts from Costco. The hubs and I took a big run to Costco last weekend. One of our purchases was chicken. I told hubs that I would get the chicken thighs. He was in charge of getting the chicken breasts.

And what did I find when I opened the freezer? Chicken breast tenderloins. AKA chicken tenders.

Chicken tenders for lunch it is!

What you need:

1 bag of pork rinds

Seasonings of your choice (I used herbes de provence)

Freshly ground black pepper

Chicken breast tenderloins

What you do:

Preheat your oven to 325. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet (okay, I call them cookie sheets).

Empty the bag of pork rinds into your food processor (or into a Ziploc bag). Add a fair amount of your seasonings and a bit of black pepper. Turn on the food processor (or roll over the bag with a rolling pin) until the pork rinds become crumbs (think bread crumbs). Pour the pork crumbs into a bowl.

Coat the chicken breast tenderloins in pork crumbs. I suppose, if you put yours in a Ziploc bag, you could add your chicken to the bag and shake it up. Like Shake 'N' Bake! Do you remember Shake 'N' Bake!?

"It's Shake 'N' Bake, 'n' I helped!"

Once the chicken is coated, pace it on a wire rack over a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees. My chicken, in my oven, was done in 25 minutes. Cooking times vary. Adjust your times accordingly.

Serve with your choice of dipping sauce. The hubs prefers Cholula sauce. I like them plain.

Enjoy the Pork "Breaded" Chicken Tenders!

{recetas} Veggie & Beef Stew

Two recipes in one week!? What!? I'm on a roll!

I finally made the beef stew that has been on my menu for the last couple of weeks. I looked for a couple of different recipes, and finally settled on combining a couple. I'm just a little bit picky about things. My husband, on the other hand, is not. He will eat whatever I put in front of him.

Of course, that doesn't mean he likes it! But this stew-this stew!-he devoured! It was so delicious the hubs asked for it to be put on next week's menu. That, my friends, is a success!

What you need:

• 1.5 or 2 pounds of stew meat (go with 2 pounds-nice and meaty!)
• half of 1 rutabaga
• 3 carrots
• 1 package (8 oz) baby bella mushrooms (or white button if you prefer)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1.5 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• salt
• pepper
• 16 oz. beef broth
• 1 tbsp. arrowroot starch (or cornstarch, if you're not concerned with paleo)

What you do:

• Cut the stew meat into smaller pieces if necessary. The kind I always buy is in such huge chunks.
• Mix together the tomato paste, minced garlic, dried thyme, and tamari. I did this in a separate bowl and simply mixed with a spoon. Easy.
• Chop all of your vegetables. I only chopped the mushrooms in half, since the cooking time is so long. That way they won't taste gross in the stew. As mentioned above, use your choice of mushrooms. I prefer the baby bellas...they're just so delicious! Be sure to peel and chop the carrots and the rutabaga (did you know rutabaga comes with a waxy layer on it to keep in moisture? I didn't...). Anyway. Chop all of your vegetables.
• Place the stew meat in the bottom of the crock pot, then add the tomato/tamari paste/sauce on top of that. Add your vegetables, pour in the beef broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. I suggest using the salt and pepper from a grinder. It's delicious, and it's fun to add to the pot.
• Cover the crock pot, and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Keep in mind that all crock pots cook differently. Serve your stew when the meat is tender and the vegetables are cooked through. When it's done and ready to serve, scoop out a bit of the beef broth and whisk it together with your starch (arrowroot or cornstarch). When this mixture is lump free, stir it back into the crock pot until well blended. This will thicken the broth and give you the "stew" texture.
• Eat it up and enjoy!

{recetas} Garlic Pepper Venison

We love venison around here. I had a secret dream for this year. Unfortunately, the dream didn't come true. The goal of the dream will not be achieved, as the venison in our freezer is almost gone.

Last week, we made venison chops using the following extremely easy recipe.

What you need:

• 1 pound venison chops
• sea salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• butter

What you do:

• Place the chops on a plate, and brush each side with a small amount of olive oil. Grind both salt and pepper over the top of each chop. Then, sprinkle with some garlic powder.
• Melt the butter in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the chops to the pan with the seasoned side down.
• While cooking, grind the salt and pepper and sprinkle the garlic powder over the unseasoned side of the chop. Allow to cook on one side for five minutes. Flip, and brown the other side for another five minutes. Cooking times, of course, can be different. Test your meat with a thermometer to ensure it has been cooked. Since the hubs and I prefer our meat medium-rare, ten minutes was the perfect amount of cooking time. The recommended minimum temperature for venison is 145 degrees F.
• Serve with sauteed mushrooms and "faux-tatoes" (pureed cualiflower).

{recetas} Stoplight Chili

I had to play around with the name of this recipe a little bit. Part of me wanted to call it "But the Kitchen Sink Chili" because you can throw just about anything into the pot and it will taste good (except, of course, the kitchen sink).

Then, I wanted to name it "Expiration Date Chili." Does anyone watch The Middle? There was an episode about how they have "Expiration Date Soup." SO funny.

Okay, quick side note. I always read the blog Simply Anchored, (she's great, go read her blog! and, she has a babe about the same age as mine...) and she always mentions how she has a glass of wine while blogging or perusing the internet at night. Since the birth of my little man, I just haven't felt relaxed slash organized enough

to sit down and blog with a glass of wine. It's in a juice glass though. The wine glasses are up really high (above the fridge-yes, I'm short) and I didn't feel like getting out the step stool. Wine in a juice glass it is!

BUT! I am doing it now (and folding laundry, as you can see by the socks on the coffee table).

Oh yeah. The recipe. And it's name. I decided upon Stoplight Chili because I had a green and yellow pepper that needed to be used. So I chopped them and added them to the pot. And since chili is red, I had a stoplight in a pot (plus mushrooms. I love mushrooms). Mushrooms, though, turn a lot of people off, so you can definitely leave them out!

What you need:

• 1 package of mushrooms (optional)
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
• 2 (10 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 can of mild chili ready beans
• minced onion
• chili powder
• cayenne pepper
• garlic powder
• sour cream (optional)
• cheese (optional)

What you do:

• This is really hard, so pay close attention.
• First, chop the vegetables and add them to a pot.
• Next, brown some ground beef in a frying pan. While it is browning, add a sprinkle or two of the cayenne pepper and a bit (about half a teaspoon) of the minced onion. Continue to cook the meat through.

• Next, open your cans of tomatoes, beans, and tomatoes with chilies. Add these to the same pot as the chopped vegetables.
• When the meat is cooked, add it to the pot as well (do you see how easy this is?). Place the pot on the stove over medium heat. Sprinkle in some garlic powder (about half a teaspoon), some cayenne pepper (half a teaspoon), and some chili powder (one teaspoon). The problem is that I don't measure my seasonings/spices very often. I sprinkle a little bit, stir, and taste. It seems to work.
• Soon, the chili will boil. Allow it to continue until the vegetables are soft, or cooked to your liking. My dad doesn't like soft (or "mushy" according to him) vegetables, so there is always a little crunch to his chili.
• Serve and enjoy! I always include sour cream and cheese for my husband. I don't particularly care for either, so I leave them out. And, I usually forget to buy them. So the hubs doesn't have them all the time either (like tonight). Whoops.

{recetas} Ginger Chicken & Veggies

Finally, another recipe!

I've started to get a little bit creative with my cooking. I'm not always following recipes to a T anymore. In fact, sometimes I don't follow a recipe at all. I have to admit, I am proud of myself for that.

But, I must admit. My dinner experiments do not always work out. The flavors don't always meld. The hubs, though, eats it all up (even if it's horrible). Part of it is that he's not a picky eater (at all). Part of it is because he hates wasting food. Me too.

Anyway. This was a recipe that worked.

What you need:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 package frozen stir-fry blend vegetables
• Tamari sauce
• Fish sauce
• ground ginger
• coconut oil (for cooking)
• sea salt

What you do:

• First, mix 5 tbsp. tamari sauce and 3 tbsp. fish sauce in a bowl. Allow the chicken breasts to marinate for at least 1 hour. After marinating, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
• Heat the coconut oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the pan and cook through. While cooking, add a few tablespoons of the tamari and fish sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon ground ginger over the chicken while it cooks.
• When heated through, remove the chicken from the pan. Pour in the frozen and vegetables and heat. One done, add the chicken back to the pan. Mix the chicken and vegetables together. Sprinkle a few cranks of the salt grinder over the veggies and chicken.
• Have yourself a little taste tests. More ginger? Add it! More salt? Add that, too.
• Serve. You could serve the chicken and vegetables over rice. Or over warmed broccoli slaw. Or, just on a plate.

Weekly Meal Plan

I can hardly believe that it is already Sunday! The weekends fly by so quickly. The babe and I have had a weekend filled with crafting and family. And the hubs? He had a wonderful weekend of hunting. Heading out on Friday night, he made his way north to spend time sitting in a tree in hopes of spotting a deer. I spent some time cleaning out the basement freezer, in hopes of filling it with venison.

Breakfast:

I've decided to include breakfast in the meal plan, as it is the most important meal of the day. And because I have realized that breakfast has been skipped more often than not. Or, it has been eaten in the car on the way to daycare.

Sunday: Fried eggs & bacon
Monday through Friday: Crust-less Garden Quiche
Saturday: Spinach Frittata

The best part about breakfast during the week is that I make the quiche on Sunday, cut and freeze it, then have servings ready to go each morning. Super easy! Especially since I sleep as late as possible, and then have to rush around the house to get ready and leave on time. You'd think I'd learn...

Now, on to dinner.

Sunday: Chicken Thighs with Peppery Pesto
Monday: Cumin Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Cauliflower
Tuesday: Chili
Wednesday: Steak Hash with Avocado Red Pepper Spread
Thursday: Pot Roast
Friday: Hot Pepper Stir Fry
Saturday: Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ooh. My mouth is watering already!

On a completely different note, check out this side-by-side of the little boy:

I know it's a little old, as Kid is now 7.5 months old, but isn't that cute? He has gotten SO. BIG. He almost looks like an old man in the picture of him at two months. He still has those big blue eyes, though!

{recetas} White Wine Chicken Thighs

The experimentation finally paid off.

Okay. That makes it sound like I tried a million times.

I only attempted this recipe twice. The first time was an epic fail. Super bland, not good chicken. I still ate it, so it wasn't horrible. But it wasn't worth sharing (or making again).

But this time! This time, it all worked out!

White Wine Chicken Thighs

What you need:

• 4 chicken thighs (or legs, or breasts)
• 2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup white wine

What you do:

• In a medium sized bowl, combine the olive oil, white wine and garlic.
• In a small preparation dish, mix the basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Combine the seasoning mix with the wine and oil mixture.
• Add the chicken to the bowl. Agitate to cover the chicken pieces with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (I did 5). Or all day. Or overnight. Do what works for you!
• When the mood strikes you, or it's dinner time, preheat the oven to 350. Place all four chicken thighs in a baking dish. Pour the marinade over the top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for an hour--but check the internal temperature to be sure it's done.

{recetas} Hot Pepper Stir Fry

Okay, technically, this isn't stir fry as it wasn't made over super high heat. I suppose I should call it Hot Pepper Sautée. Either way, it was delicious and I can't wait to make it again!

What you need:

1 family sized steak (sliced)

1 broccoli crown (chopped into small pieces)

1 package baby Bella mushrooms (sliced)

4 or 5 hot red peppers

Minced garlic

3 tbsp. fish sauce

Butter

Another cooking fat (I used bacon drippings)

Shredded cabbage (I used the prebagged coleslaw mix)

What you do:

Mix together the fish sauce, 3 to 4 teaspoons minced garlic, and the hot peppers (finely chopped, seeds and ribs removed).

Thinly slice the steak, mix in eith marinade. Allow to marinate for a few hours.

After marinating, heat your cooking fat over medium-high heat and cook your steak. Set aside. 

Add butter to the same pan and sautée broccoli and mushrooms. I added a splash or two of fish sauce here, too. Once complete, add the meat back to the pan and mix together.

In another pan, warm the cabbage for a few minutes (warm and crunchy).

Serve the stir fry over a bed of warmed cabbage. Enjoy!