Meals at a Glance: Week Four

Taco Salad.  This is a family favorite.  Lots of veggies too!

Drunken Burgers (Rachael Ray recipe from her Book of Burger cook book) enjoyed with crispy crowns and a veggie side / salad. There isn't a link for this recipe but maybe you'll decide to invest in the cook book.

Chicken Apricot Paninis with fruit and cold veggies.  I'm thinking I might make my favorite spinach salad with fruit and poppy seed dressing.  The panini recipe is from the Pioneer Woman Cooks cook book.  Easy.  Delicious.  Definitely a family favorite.  The kiddos don't like the sage and onion so we delete that from their sandwiches.  If you haven't heard of The Pioneer Woman, you need to follow this link and check her out.  She has many amazing recipes that your family is sure to enjoy!

Toasted Ravioli (Rachael Ray recipe from the 2468 cook book) with a steamed veggie, bread and seasoned oil.

Quesadillas - I'm going to try the Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe - with fresh fruit, salsa, chips and veggies. The Pioneer Woman has multipe ideas for quesadillas.  If you don't like this one, check out her site for the many options she suggests.

This week we also celebrate Barber's birthday so that is a special night out with the family.

Of course we will also enjoy the Campbell Buffet one evening as well.  Those of you that are new to how we roll...that also means leftovers.  It just sounds nicer to call it a 'buffet'.

Recipe this week?  I was trying to decide what to do.  I make my own Taco Seasoning now so I thought I would give you that.

Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
2 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and store in a jar.  Shake before you use.  My mix is stored in a mason jar with a label that reminds me to use 3 Tbs per pound of ground meat.  Oh - and I add about 1/2 cup water for each pound of meat.  Simmer for about 5 minutes or until it thickens a bit.

Meals at a Glance: Week Three

Happy Easter everyone.  Hope you are all enjoying celebrating with your family!  You may be enjoying ham or turkey.  Our tradition is to have leg of lamb.

So how does your meal plan look after this? It might look something like this...

Sloppy Hot Wing Joes with smashed potato skins and veggie (Rachael Ray recipe in her orange cook book)

Chicken Parm Pizza (Rachael Ray recipe from her 2468 cook book).  My family really likes this.  I'll pair it with some veggie sticks and dip or a salad.

Croque Monsieurs (Rachael Ray recipe found in the May 2012 issue of her EveryDay magazine).  We'll add cold veggie sticks with apple slices.

Tilapia with rice and sauteed green beans.  My favorite and super easy recipe for tilapia is included in this post.  Yum!

Chicken Quesadilla Pinwheels (Rachael Ray recipe from the 2468 cook book)

What would my family eat without Rachael Ray?  Don't make me answer that.  I will say that it wouldn't be as good and my stress level would be much higher!


Tilapia

This recipe could also work with other whitefish similar to tilapia.

1 cup sliced almonds, divided (you can also use chopped pecans)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 (6 oz) tilapia fillets
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs olive oil

Finely chop 1/2 cup almonds in a food processor.  (I use my magic bullet for this) and combine with the flour in a shallow bowl

Sprinkle fish evenly with salt and coat with almond mixture

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add fish and cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden.  Remove fillets to a serving plate.

Add remaining 1/2 cup almonds (pecans are really good too!) to skillet and cook, stirring often, until golden (approximately one minute).  Remove almonds and sprinkle over fish.

The response from Barber the first time I served this was "Mom!  This is so good! I think we should eat this EVERY night!"

We haven't but it's so nice when you are trying new foods and recipes to gain such a positive response from your family.

I would love to hear how your kiddos are responding to your new recipes.  Please share.

Meals at a Glance: Week Two

How did your meals go last week?  Hopefully they were less stressful.  Need some ideas for the week ahead?  Here is what is on the menu in my home...

Breakfast for Dinner.  This is FUN and versatile.  You can go with what you feel like here.  Anything from omelets and potatoes to pancakes or crepes or waffles or eggs however you want them.  What's your favorite breakfast?  Maybe that should be one of your dinners tonight!

BLT Turkey Burger Clubs (Rachael Ray recipe found in her 2468 cook book).  I'm pairing that with veggies and maybe some fruit (apple slices, banana and strawberries, whatever suits us that night)

Honey Hoisin Chicken - this is a crock pot meal and I'm going to share the recipe with you.  My sister is the one who shared it with me.  It's great with rice and sauteed green beans but you can add whatever sides you want.

Chicken Paninis - make them up however you want.  That is what I love about panini's.  Jeter will want pesto and cheese.  Barber will want a mix of some jam and mayo with cheese.  I'll have some of the above with a sliver of red onion and maybe some sage sauteed in olive oil.  You can use chicken that is already cooked - maybe even some of the leftover Honey Hoisen Chicken or saute some in olive oil.

Of course we have a leftovers night aka Campbell Buffet.  This is also the week of Good Friday and then prepping for Easter.  I will admit right now, those nights are possibly a sandwich night (tuna melts/ham&cheese/egg/etc) and maybe another leftover/clean out the fridge night.  LOL.

Honey Hoisin Chicken

2-1/2 to 3 lbs chicken pieces
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs hoisin sauce
2 Tbs honey
2 Tbs dry white wine
1 Tbs grated ginger root
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbs corn starch
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Combine soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, wine, singer, salt and pepper

Dip each piece of chicken into the sauce then place into your crock pot

Pour remaining sauce over the chicken

Cover and cook on LOW for about 4-5 hours or until chicken is tender

Turn control on HIGH

Remove chicken from crock pot and keep warm

Dissolve corn starch in a small amount of cold water.  Stir mixture into juices in slow cooker.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened

Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Meals at a Glance: Week One

Soccer season officially began last week.  This spring we will be at the field every day except Friday and Sunday.  My sanity - really the preservation of it - required me to create a meal plan.  I didn't get the entire season covered yet but I do have the next eight weeks which makes me breathe much easier.

You may find yourself in a similar situation this spring.  Maybe you are tired of the same old recipes and just want some new ideas.  Whatever the reason, I've had quite a few people request a copy of my meal plan.  I really do not mind sharing - I've already done the work.  Why not allow many to benefit.  Besides, I'm sharing the plan...that doesn't mean I have to shop or cook for ALL of you!

Anyway - I plan to do a weekly posting here at the ole blog.  

Meals at a Glance: Week One

Chicken Enchiladas - I have my own recipe.  Maybe you have one too.  If not, there are many recipes available online. Just google it.  Or bing it.  Or you can use mine down below.  Actually, I got it from an amazing lady at our church.

Herbacious Burgers  (Rachael Ray recipe - this link may not be the same as mine but it sounds really yum.  I used a recipe from her Book of Burger cook book) with roasted potatoes and broccoli.  My favorite roasted potatoes recipe is on an old blog - Created & Called.

Pot Roast, egg noodles and veggie (your choice).  The original posting of the pot roast recipe was also placed on the Created & Called blog.  Super easy and it tastes good too.

Saucy BBQ Chicken Sammies (another Rachael Ray recipe - mine is from her 365 cook book but I found one online that you could use if you don't have that cook book) paired with apple sauce and salad.

Spaghetti & Meatballs with veggie, bread and seasoned oil.

We always have at least one night of leftovers aka Campbell Buffet and we happen to have a one-day tournament this week.  I am not going to even attempt to plan a meal for that evening.

Hope you all have a yummy week.  Please feel free to comment and tell me about meals that you have planned this week.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 Rotisserie Chicken - pull meat into strips - about 3 to 3-1/2 cups
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
dash black pepper
6 large flour tortillas
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Mexican Four Cheese (I use more)
1/4 cup chopped black olives
1 Tbs green chilies, chopped

Sauce: 1 can cream of chicken soup, 3/4 cup water and 1-10oz can enchilada sauce

To the chicken meat, add salt, garlic powder, ground cumin and black pepper. Toss to distribute evenly.

Whisk together the ingredients of the sauce and add 1/2 cup of the mixture to the chicken.

Put about 1/2 cup chicken in each tortilla and roll up.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the enchiladas.  Top with 1/2 cup cheese, black olives, green onions and chilies.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, take out of oven and sprinkle more cheese on top.  Enjoy!

Barber's Insect Project

Barber was required to create his own insect - including a 3-D image of it.  He decided that he wanted to make a cake so the whole class could enjoy his project as well.  Their guidelines were it had to have a head, thorax and abdomen.  Needed to have insect eyes, antennae and 6 legs from the thorax.  He went with his favorite team colors - red and blue for the NY Giants. Mommy was allowed to help as needed but I took more of the facilitator role.  This is his project and he was going to do it.

Pouring in the ingredients to mix - this cake wasn't from scratch.  I'll teach him that another day.

Three segments of his insect - chocolate is his favorite! 

I outlined the areas according to his sketch...then allowed him to begin icing

Blue is done.  Now he is preparing the red icing.

Final product (without the labels) - front view

Final product (without the labels) - side view

He had a lot of fun - and the class enjoyed it too.  Pictures provide evidence of his work and we don't have to worry about storing anything.  Love that too!

He called it The Llebpamc Split.  Can you figure out how he came up with that name?

Lasagna...need I say more?

Lasagna.  Yum.  This is definitely one of my most favorite dinners.  My Aunt was the first one to teach me how to make lasagna.  Believe it or not it wasn't my Italian Aunt either.  If you are from Long Island, you probably should know how to make a lasagna.  Just sayin'...

I've tweaked the recipe a bit and it still changes - depending on the mood I'm in.  Sometimes it's meatless, other times some meat is added.  Ground and browned.  And when I want to add a little extra something, some sweet Italian sausage hits the spot.

So how do you make this yumminess?

Here is what you will need...

Flat (don't like the ridges) lasagna noodles / pasta - I get Barilla.  

Sauce.  It can be homemade or store bought.  This is your choice

Ricotta cheese (pronounced ri-gawt) - the large one

Mozzarella cheese, shredded (pronounced mootz-a-thell) 3-4 cups

Eggs - 2 to 3

Salt and pepper to taste

Meat of your choice - ground beef or turkey, sweet Italian sausage, etc.

Brown the meat and season as desired.  Add sauce to the meat and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the ricotta and mix in the eggs, salt and pepper.  Then add the shredded cheese and mix.

Spoon some sauce over the bottom of the dish.

Line the lasagna sheets on top of the sauce.

Cover the lasagna with the cheese mixture - spoon it on top and then smooth it out.

Spoon the sauce mixture over the cheese mixture and smooth it over top.

Repeat the layers - pasta, cheese mixture, sauce - at least two more times.

After the last layer of sauce mixture, cover with lasagna and spoon meatless sauce on top (just like you did on the bottom of the pan) and then sprinkle with more of the shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for about an hour.  Serve with a salad, bread and seasoned oil.  Enjoy!

Just look at that yumminess.  It looks so good, here's another slice to enjoy!

Grammie's Chocolate Cream Pie

Holidays meant hanging out with family, having a great meal together and then enjoying yummy desserts.  My Mom was typically the one that baked the desserts and pies were one of her specialties.  Thanksgiving was marked by apple pie, pecan pie and pumpkin pie.  At Easter, we typically enjoyed Banana Cream Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie and then usually a Cream Cheese Pie that my Gramma would bake.

If you know my Mom - or stories about her, then you are aware that everything is made from scratch.  No short cuts...ever.  This included the pudding that would be used in both of her cream pies.  In our youth, we observed Mom stirring her creation in the double boiler.  When we got older, this was something that we could help with - and even volunteered for.  After many minutes of constant stirring - which had a pattern by the way so scorching was not a possibility - our arms would tire but we kept it up because that was our job. I remember asking "is this thick enough yet?" and "how much longer do I have to stir this?".  It always seemed to take a really long time.

Ultimately it was worth it.  Obviously.  Stirring the mixture to make the pudding is still my least favorite step but Mom is right, nothing tastes quite like homemade.

You can choose to make your own pie crust or use a store bought.  After you get it into the pie plate, prick it with a fork and bake it for 10 minutes.

Now for the chocolate...

1.  Melt 1-1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate and 1-1/2 cups milk in a double boiler.

2.  Mix the following together in a bowl: 3/4 cup sugar, 3 Tbs flour, 1 Tbs corn starch, and 1/4 tsp salt.  Add melted mixture (from #1) slowly with a spoon so it doesn't get lumpy.  Once it's combined, pour it back into the double boiler.

3.  Gradually add 3 egg yolks that have been beaten.  Then add 1 Tbs butter.  Start boiling the water and cook until thick and smooth, constantly stirring.

4.  Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp vanilla.  Stir and add to cooked pie shell.

5.  Cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature.  After it's cool, refrigerate.  Once it is very cold, you can add whipped cream.

If you want to stay true to my Mom's recipe then you will also make your own whipped cream.  Simply beat 1 cup heavy cream with 1 tsp of sugar.  You can omit the sugar if you want.  It's still good.  One caution - don't beat too long or it will start to turn into butter.

I believe I'll be enjoying a bite of this in the near future.  Now, you can too!

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

I know I said I would post about my Mom's Chocolate Cream Pie but that is going to have to wait...maybe next week.  Meanwhile, I found the pics of the Valentine's Day treats we made this year.  Yes, it's the end of March but these are still worth writing about.  Change the color of the decorations on top and this can work for any holiday or celebration.

Simply put - these are chocolate covered chocolate sandwich cookies.  You can use Oreos or the generic brand of cookie.  Whatever your preference.  Then dip them into melted chocolate and cool on parchment or wax paper.  Be sure to sprinkle your decorative sprinkles or candies on top before the chocolate sets.

They were a huge hit at school and I'm trying to decide if I should make a version of this for the upcoming birthday treats for my kiddos or try something else...we'll see.

What's Your 'go-to' Recipe?

The picture isn't the best...just looks like a casserole.  But this has become one of my family's favorite meals - and it's easy.  I actually got the recipe from one of my roommates in college.

Aside from tasting great and being easy to put together, it's also something that can be put together ahead of time,  It's also the first meal that I have taught Jeter how to make from start to finish.

Creamy Chicken

Anyway, here is the recipe for our favorite Creamy Chicken...

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenders - 4-6 (more for tenders)

Swiss cheese - I use the Heidi Ann Swiss.  4-6 slices

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup - you can also use cream of chicken or celery.

1/4 cup white wine

4 Tbs. butter, melted

1 cup crushed herb stuffing mix - I use Pepperidge Farms - the blue bag

In baking dish, coat bottom with cooking spray and place the chicken in the dish.  Cover the chicken with the slices of cheese.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the soup and wine.  Spoon over the chicken.

Sprinkle the crushed stuffing mix over the soup mixture and drizzle with the melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes.

Serve with rice and green veggie.

Just think...this could be your dinner tonight.

Roasted Vegetable Mini Meatloaves

1-1/2 lbs meatloaf mix
1-1/2 cups chopped leftover roasted vegetables
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
1/3 cup tomato-based chili sauce (I use Heinz)
4 strips bacon, halved crosswise

Mix meat, vegetables and eggs; season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Form into 4 oval loaves and place on foil-lined baking sheet.
Top each with some chili sauce and 2 crisscrossed strips bacon.

Bake at 425 until cooked through - 20-25 minutes.

I made a total of 8 mini meatloafs - the boys did not have the roasted veggies in  theirs.

YUM - I cannot believe I am going to admit that I like meatloaf...this kind anyway.

If you haven't guessed - it's another Rachael Ray recipe.  Her cookbooks, website, and magazines give such an array of recipes.  There is just ALWAYS something new to try.  Barber didn't want his bacon and Jeter gladly accepted the offering.  Other than that, they enjoyed it.  For me, the fact that it doesn't look like a rectangular slice of something make it more palatable.

Just think - this could be your dinner tonight.

Inside-Out Pizza-dilla Margerita

You got it...another Rachael Ray recipe.  This one can be found in her Express Lane Meals cookbook.  Most of the ingredients are probably already in your home - except maybe the smoked mozzarella cheese and the fresh basil.

I loved the ease of the preparation as well as the reward of how good it tasted.  It's always a plus when everyone else enjoys it too.  It reminds me of a quesadilla which can easily be adapted to your families likes / tastes.

Want to try this recipe yourself?  This is what you will need...

1 Tbs EVOO
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
1/4 tsp dried oregano
salt and black pepper
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1 lb ball smoked mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil - about 20 leaves, torn or shredded

Slicing the cheese - this took me the most amount of time.

Doesn't this sauce look delish?

One pizza-dilla cooking away.

Close up of the yumminess.

Due to cooking one at a time, I placed a tray in the oven on warm and then kept the completed pizza-dillas on that tray until they were all complete.  They cook quickly enough that it doesn't take too long.  

How would you adapt this?  What kind of -dilla would you create?

Chicken Parm Pizza

Ready for a different twist to pizza?  This is a fun recipe to try and the boys liked it.  Granted, they had the pieces without the basil.  I desire to stretch their palates but I also attempt to set them up for success.

Prepping the pizza...

Chicken Parm Pizza ready to eat...YUM!

Want to give this recipe a try?  It's from the Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8 cookbook.  Check it out for more great recipes.  Meanwhile, plan to try this in the next week or so...

Cornmeal or flour, to handle dough

1 pizza dough - store bought or your favorite recipe (pizzerias sometimes sell dough too)

2 Tbs EVOO

1 lb ground chicken

3 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and black pepper

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

A couple pinches of red pepper flakes

A couple pinches of dried oregano

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce - or homemade

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1-1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese

5-6 fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn

Preheat the oven to 425. (note - directions that follow are paraphrased from the original text)

Coat your hands and the work surface with a little cornmeal or flour. Form a 14-inch round pizza with the dough and place it on a stone or baking tray (I just form the dough directly on the stone with a little EVOO).  Prick the dough with a fork in several places.  Drizzle some EVOO over the dough and bake it for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the EVOO in a deep skillet over medium-high heat.  Brown and break up the meat.  To the browned meat, add the garlic, onions and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, then add the parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, and tomato sauce.  Heat through.

Remove the pizza dough from the oven after 10 minutes and top with the meat sauce and then with the cheeses.  Return it to the oven and bake until it's golden and bubbly - about 10-12 minutes.  Top the pizza with shredded basil, cut and serve.

Enjoy!

This was the first time that I ever pre-baked the pizza dough and it turned out great.  I have since applied this technique to all of our pizza creations.

What is your favorite pizza topping?  Do you make your own or always order out?

Building Blocks to Freezer to YUM

I cannot believe it's already Friday again!  This week has gone by very quickly.  Before the weekend arrives, I wanted to finish up my posting of the 5 building blocks.  If you need a refresher, read this and then this.

I felt good about the prep I completed on Day #1 - now I was prepared to finish the last two building blocks and freeze it all.

The first building block I tackled was the pulled pork.  The pork in my picture doesn't look as good as Rachael's but I'm not afraid to tell you this was the first time I've ever cooked pork this way so I really had no idea what I was doing - if I was cutting the chunks correctly or not.  It was clearly an experiment for me on many levels.  In retrospect, I would have longer cuts of the meat but Simms didn't care.  He loved the smell and taste and I caught him a few times snitching some bites as he passed through the kitchen.  Even if I don't utilize these recipes again, I will definitely consider preparing pork in this manner and freezing it for future recipes.  I'll do the same with the chicken as well.

Pulled Pork...tasted great just like this!

Finally I was ready to complete the last building block - the rice pilaf.  Again, I wasn't sure about this either. There are so many different versions of rice pilaf and I was hoping this was one that I would like.  Good news - I love it!  And once again, even if I didn't do all of these building blocks, I would consider paring this recipe down for an evening meal.  Truly delicious.  This was the one that I taste tested a couple of times myself.
.

Final building block - rice pilaf

Once everything was cooled, it was time to freeze it.  The instructions on how to do this (portions put in the sandwich bags for each recipe) can be found on the links provided.  Essentially, you break the portions down and store them in regular sandwich bags - that zip.  Close the bags and keep as much air out of them as possible.  Then, all of the little bags are placed into one big 2 gallon freezer bag.  So many positives from this - a few I've experienced are the lack of freezer burn and this can fit in ANY freezer.  Even if you aren't crazy and have a full stand up freezer in your garage, you can store the means for 20 meals in your freezer.  Not sure about that?  I took pictures of my freezer to show you.

The first is a picture of the portion of my top shelf.  The bags are lying on top of one another horizontally.  Later I moved them to vertical once everything was clearly frozen flat.  It was easier for me to access what I needed that way.  To the left you see the containers with the tomato sauce.

And to show you just how little space it took up, I took a larger picture of my freezer.  Everything for those meals is in the upper left portion of it.  

So now you have the building blocks.  Where do you begin?  That's really up to you...and your family.  At first I thought I would start with Meal #1 and work my way through to Meal #20.  Good plan.  Just didn't work for us and Jeter's low tolerance to butternut squash.  

Some of the meals have been a "don't lose that recipe Mom, it was really good" and others were "okay, we got through that but please don't make us do that again".  Honestly, I have enjoyed everything so far but I too, have my favorites.

This is also a great way to get your "feet wet" so to speak if you are venturing into preparing more meals for your family on your own.  Stop reaching for the Hot Pockets or frozen pizzas.  These meals really are simple, time savers that are healthy and delicious.

Okay...so here are some of our favorites:

Spanish Rice with Shrimp - everyone enjoyed it but the boys didn't go for the leftovers.  Too spicy for them.  That was okay though because Poppy and Grammie gobbled it up.

Mango, Pork and Watercress Salad - I did change the greens up a bit and added romaine to it.  The boys had a no thank you helping but Simms and I really enjoyed this.  It is definitely a "make it again" meal.

Fusilli with Chicken and Tomato Sauce - sooooooo quick and easy to make - tasty too!  If your kiddos can get past the fact that the pasta is a different shape from spaghetti then they'll LOVE it.  My boys favorite pasta is angel hair.  I could just make it with that but I am determined to broaden them so I used rotini which is a lot like fusilli.

Pulled Pork-and-Slaw Sandwiches - YUM!  Modifications were made on the addition of the slaw.  It was optional in our home.  I'm already stretching them a lot.  Give me a break!  There was enough left over for sandwiches the next day.  Jeter really liked this a lot.

Pork Fried Rice - this is the one meal where there were not any leftovers.  All the boys went back for seconds.  Wow!  Simms commented that it was better than any he's had at a restaurant and he would rather have this at home.  

Cheesy Spinach-and-Pepper Calzones - another one that I adapted a bit.  I made two calzones according to the recipe and then I made two without the veggies (peppers that is - the spinach was still there) - one included pepperoni and the other ham (leftovers from a baked ham).  YUM!  And now I know how to make my own calzones.  

I could go on and on but the point is to peak your interest so that you too can enjoy these meals with your family.  Hopefully that has been accomplished.

Building Blocks #1, #2 and #3

Last Friday I wrote about Rachael Ray's building blocks to 20 meals.  Depending on how many distractions you are able to eliminate, it is possible to cook all 5 building blocks in one day.  However, not in my world.  I broke it up into two days.  Depending on how quickly you wanted to start preparing the meals, you could even complete one building block each night of the work week and take the weekend off!

Not only did I break the rules of timing (two days vs. one), I also didn't exactly follow the suggested cooking order.  Day #1 consisted of tomato sauce, veggies and chicken.

I love the fact that I now have a basic sauce recipe - and not just for these 20 recipes but essentially whenever I want a red sauce, this can be the foundation that I build upon.  I'm so proud of the fact that I made my own sauce from scratch I had to take a picture.

Tomato Sauce

What you don't see is all the yummy ingredients that went into it.  I'm trying to remember to get the camera out while I'm gathering all of the ingredients.

The second building block I tackled was the veggies.  First the peppers and onions.  I love all of the colors.  They look so good!  Yum.  I'm getting hungry just writing this post.

Peppers...prepare to be roasted.

Getting them chopped...they are just so pretty.

Tray # 1 of peppers

Tray #2 of peppers

I filled two 8x11 with the pepper / onion mixture.  I thought they would be more evenly roasted.

The final product...voila!

Next was the butternut squash.  Not a favorite of any of the boys in my family.  I decided they were going to have to try it.  Simms has actually liked the recipes that I've made with it and has even gone back for seconds.  Jeter has attempted not to gag and be polite.  Barber eats his "no thank you helping" but does not want any more.  Me?  I really like butternut squash.  I don't take seconds but enjoy every single bite at every single meal.

Chopping the Squash

Squash is roasted...you either love it or you don't.

Veggies are now complete.  The final building block for my day was the chicken.

Chicken...before.  Not very appetizing yet.

Chicken...after.  Now we're talking!

These recipes continue to deepen my level of thanks for Rachael Ray.  The food is fun and relatively easy to make and it tastes great!  Next Friday I'll talk about the other two building blocks and show you how easy it is to store them in your freezer.

Building Blocks

Building blocks can be likened to your ABC's or 123's.  How about when it comes to cooking?  Are there basics to know there?

I've done the freezer cooking thing but didn't like some of the limitations and feeling like there was a lack of "freshly" made food on our table. The time saved and the lack of fast food made it worthwhile but I wasn't running to do it again.  Then EveryDay with Rachael Ray came out with a plan to make enough meals for a month.  She combined the concepts of freezer cooking with freshness and I knew I had to try this.

How is it accomplished?  Building blocks - 5 of them to be exact.  Pork, tomato sauce, veggies, chicken and rice.  Ingredients that ultimately could turn into 20 different meals.  How to get 20 different meals from 5 items?  The key is what is added.  This is what gives it the "fresh" that I was yearning.  Fresh greens, cheeses, pasta, spices, etc individualized the meal.

Easy and fresh...I couldn't wait to try this.  You're salivating at the concept as well, aren't you?

Think you can't do it or you don't have enough space in your freezer?  Then stay posted.  I have pictures and tales to tell about the building blocks and even of the meals that follow...

Citrus Pleasing Yumminess

Orange balsamic glazed chicken and lemon risotto.  It's even fun to say.  With any kind of accent you want to pretend to have.  Seriously.  You should try it.  For those of you that may want to try it (the recipe that is) - it's in Rachael Ray's Look + Cook.

A friend of mine told me that she wanted to see some pics.  I'm good at taking pictures...just a little slow at downloading them.  These are definitely unedited...just straight out of the camera.  But I figured, why not?

Everyone needs a good cutting board.  Do you see that Chef knife?  Oh yes...that's the one that had been waiting almost 17 years for me to use.  Now I use that knife 4-5 times each week.  We're best buds.

My stove top has also received a lot more love from me.  I dream about someday replacing the stove top with one that has six burners.  That would be absolutely fantabulous!  Meanwhile, I make it work with these four.

So this was the first time I made this recipe and it took me about an hour from start to finish.  If you do the prep work earlier in the day, it will definitely go together quickly later on.

This was also my first with making risotto and I now know what arborio rice is.  Not that it is going to come up in the everyday conversations I have while volunteering in my sons classroom or supporting them on the sidelines of the soccer field.  But just in case, I now know.

That chicken looks good, no?  Trust me, it smells good too.

Lemon risotto is now ready to be served.  New experience for all of us!

The final product...ta da!

The boys didn't really care for the arugula but I liked it.  The taste exploded when I paired it with a piece of the chicken.  They really liked the chicken a lot - especially my youngest.  I was pleasantly surprised because it definitely had a nice kick to it.  The one complaint from the wee ones was that the risotto was "too spicy".  It wasn't really due to spice.  His "too spicy" was in reference to the strong lemon flavor which you get more of when you use fresh lemons rather then the store bought lemon juice.  In spite of their lack of love for the arugula and risotto, my family gave a definitely thumbs up to having this meal again.  Unfortunately, I don't know when that will be.  I already have the next 5-6 weeks planned.  New flavors.  Definitely not bored.  I'm loving this!

Chopping, Shredding, Zesting...it's just a part of my life now.

Rachael Ray's non-pretentious persona continues beyond her show.  It is evident throughout her cookbook(s)...oh yes, I have since purchase quite a few.  One of the things I love is the fact that the titles of her recipes actually give you a clue as to what you are going to make.  Love that.

I picked out a few recipes that sounded good and it was time for me to start cooking

Honey Nut Chicken Sticks 
This recipe wasn't too scary...I've breaded chicken before.  It was fun to realize that I was seasoning it myself.  The boys loved it! Yippee.

Salsa Stoup and Double Decker Quesadillas 
In the past I've avoided making soups, stews, and anything else that would require the use of a deep pot.  I don't know if it is because my mom made a chili that was like a bean stew.  This is one meal that I did not like at all.  So why would I finally cave and try a stoup (kind of like a stew and a soup)?  Maybe it was the fact that I was going to learn how to make quesadillas and I really like salsa.  Result?  Simms and I liked it.  The boys tried it - thought is was kind of like a more spiced up and thicker tomato soup.  My Dad LOVED it and told me that he would be happy to help me with leftovers whenever I make it again.

Chicken with Sweet Raisins and Apricots 
This recipe took a little more time but it was worth it.  The entire family enjoyed it.  This was one that we labeled as a keeper and everyone wants me to make it again.  I've just had too many other recipes to try first that I have not had the time to go back and make it again...yet.

Rosemary-Orange Pork Chops and Lemon Butter Broccolini
Is it too repetitive to say that my family liked this?  Well it's true.  They did.  The boys weren't thrilled about the broccolini but they are not huge broccoli fans to begin with.  Point is - they still tried it like they try all of the other veggies.

It has been over a year since I began this new journey.  Have you ever seen the movie Julie and Julia?  Well, I'm living my own version of me and Rachael - by the way, I totally love the way she spells her name.  Random.  I know.  But true.

I actually enjoy cooking.  And I'm not getting bored.  So far, I have only repeated a handful of her recipes.  Not because the others haven't been good - quite the opposite - they are so enjoyable that I cannot help but look forward to trying out another yummy-sounding recipe.

You may not be a fan of Rachael Ray.  I guess I am.  She catalyzed the opening of a whole new world to me.  One filled with flavor and lacking in boredom.  Exactly what I was looking for.

And that is why I couldn't help but smile when Jeter said that his Momma was an expert in cooking.  And when I take a bite of something new and comment "mmm...this is really good" I am not offended when Simms replies "I'm sorry but you just don't surprise me anymore".  That is truly a compliment.

Turning the Corner...No Looking Back

Rachael Ray had me intrigued.  The big change for me came when the show had a guest featured who was an everyday lady and had purchased her 365: No Repeats cookbook.  This woman was determined to try out every single recipe in the book for an entire year.  I heard terms like 'successful', 'easy', 'delicious' and 'fun'.

Is this what I have been looking for?

I decided it was worth a try and went online to order the cookbook.  I received it within a week and for the first time in my life I decided to read the introduction.  I think it's because I liked her thank you notes that preceded it.

The following is a smattering of what continued to draw me in...and has kept me coming back:

• 30-Minute Meals.  I have since learned that this does not include the prep time needed which for me was much longer in the beginning as I finally braved learning how to use of my Chef Knife.
• Her promise that you'll never get bored and that every night can be full of new flavors!  I felt like this cookbook was written specifically for me.  
• Measuring shortcuts.  I know they exist.  My Aunt does this all the time.  But I just didn't get it and have always been concerned about inconsistencies.  Somehow Rachael's explanation of how to accomplish these shortcuts (palmful, handful, stream around the pan) gave me the courage to take the plunge

I was definitely interested.  Now I just needed to get cooking.

What or who has inspired you in the kitchen?  Is it a family member or a friend?  Maybe a special cookbook that is your 'go-to' resource.  Please share!

Is That Spatula Orange? Hmmm...I Like Orange.

Enjoy cooking?

I knew people that enjoyed it.  I read magazines of those that were adorned with honors regarding how well they cooked. I even read blogs that would feature various styles of cooking.  And I tried quite a few new recipes.  We even enjoyed some of the meals.  But I still didn't like cooking.  I was searching for anything that would make this necessary task more bearable.  Crock-pot meals, freezer cooking, casseroles...they all kind of worked in the short term but then I would get bored and not feel like doing that anymore.  But my family still needed to eat.

Now I'm not a person that watches a lot of TV during the day.  Sure, I'm a stay-at-home mom but I don't have time to sit and waste time.  At least that's how I see it.  The laundry, cleaning, volunteering, and other responsibilities keep me going all day.  Oh yes...and I didn't even talk about the subject at hand...cooking.  And if I want to sit and relax, I'd rather chat with friends or catch up on a few of the blogs I've subscribed to or read a book.

But there was this day that I was just spent.  It was 2:45 and I knew I would be getting the boys from the bus stop in about 45 minutes.  So I decided to sit and flip through the channels to see what might be on.  Lo and behold I came across The Rachael Ray Show.  It was in the last segment of the show where Rachael was cooking.  I don't know what held my attention.  Maybe it was the brightly colored pots and gadgets that drew me in.  Maybe it was her everyone-can-do-this delivery as she whisked and browned and measured and poured.  Anyway, in that 15 minutes I decided that I liked this down-to-earth lady and considered tuning in again.

You know what?  I did.  At about 2:40-2:45 for a few days here and there, in the weeks that followed, I would take a break until 3:00 with a cup of coffee in hand and check out what Rachael was making for dinner that night.

She had certainly caught my attention.  I just had no idea (yet) what an impact she was going to have on me and my family.

Rachael Ray's Spoonula's

   

Baking vs. Cooking

"Grammie you are the baking expert.  Mom is the expert at cooking."

Image: Michelle Meiklejohn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Jeter had no idea when he uttered this statement, how much it would mean to me.  You probably don't either.  He is definitely spot on regarding my mom aka 'Grammie'.  She has always had a reputation of an excellent baker.  Family get-togethers and holidays were incomplete without one of my Mom's pies or a dish of her baked goodies.  Chocolate cream pie, banana cream pie, apple pie, pecan pie, brownies, cookies, breads, etc. Everything was made from scratch and that is how we were taught.  I never saw a boxed mix in my parents house in the 40+ years of my life and I strongly suspect that it will never happen.

Mom taught us well.  For the last 17 years of my marriage, I was always comfortable with baking - cookies, brownies, breads, pies (although I have 'cheated' and used the store-bought pie crusts), tarts, bars, puddings, etc.  I even broadened my scope and got into making candies around the holidays - chocolate covered nuts, pretzels, marshmallows, and peanut butter balls and truffles.  The boys loved it and enjoyed being my official taste-testers. Our waist lines didn't. But this is where I excelled at in the kitchen.

Cooking?  I did it.  It was important. People do need to eat.  Or they will die. That is why they gave me pots and pans at my bridal shower.  We definitely weren't a family that ate fast food or frequented restaurants on a regular basis so I didn't have any other options but to figure out this cooking thing.  I tried to find recipes that seemed simple and easy.  But my dinners were becoming predictable and boring.  Something had to change but I didn't know how to do it...not yet anyway.