Category Archives: Food

Food

Bargain Peanut Butter Cookies

2 Comments

I love peanut butter cookies with chocolate in the middle. But that chocolate is pricey! So for years I have always bought Hershey Kisses on holiday clearance. No one can taste the price difference.

But I have been faced with a problem. Hershey Kisses are getting harder and harder to find on clearance. At least the normal flavors that my husband will eat (he just won’t do things like raspberry filled;). So in the after Christmas sales I decided to branch out. These are the Butterfinger bells that I found on a huge clearance and then used a Walgreens coupon on;). So I paid less than a dollar for a bag.
But I was hesitant to make them for other people because I thought it would look to much like Christmas and Butterfingers aren’t traditional. Well, I don’t care anymore. These were super yummy!!! And, frankly, I think they look great for any time of the year!
So the lesson: Buy that clearance candy! Use it in your cookies and where people will see it! You will save $$ and come up with a new, great tasting combo!
(This is listed in Kitchen Tip Tuesday)

Food

Lunch Combo Meals

Leave a comment

Usually lunches around here consist of the ever imaginative peanut butter and jelly. But 1 afternoon, I think I was out of bread, I just threw a bunch of things on the plate. My kids loved it. My guide is a little protein, fruit, veggie and carbohydrate. Here I have our most popular mix. It is baby carrots (with either ketchup or ranch), apple, pastrami lunch meat, havarti cheese, and naan.

One of the fun aspects of this type of thing is that the kids can really help. One can count out the carrots, one can use a kid’s knife
to cut the apple. One can even use scissors to cut the lunch meat or the naan. The kids are also more likely to eat whatever is on the plate because they helped. So this is a great time to try a new food!
For me this accomplishes 2 main goals. It cleans out the frig and gets lunch on the table quick!

Food

Potato Mashers and Kids

1 Comment

Potato mashers and kids may seem like an odd combination but they are a match made in heaven.

I have been wanting to get my kids into the kitchen with me more. And I don’t mean in the teaching way but a way that might actually help. Well, it appears all I needed was to be making recipes that need a potato masher!
Monday I got my 6 year old in the kitchen and she had a ball! First, we made guacamole. I cut them open, took out the pits and showed her how to scoop out the meat with a big spoon. Then she mashed! And mashed! Then I took the masher from her, sprinkled in the mix and handed her a spoon (yes, I said mix;). Then we made banana bread. I had 2 hands of bananas that were perfectly dark brown! So I dumped them into 2 big bowls and she mashed them all up for me while I did dishes!
This was a great success! If you are looking for a way to get your kid into the kitchen try a recipe that needs something mashed!

Food

Bacon Wrapped Tri Tip

2 Comments

Ok so the wrapping wasn’t perfect but it tasted great!!! And it was so easy to do!

I just got an unseasoned trip-tip. I rubbed it with Pappy’s seasoning. Then I wrapped it in thick cut bacon. I placed it on a cooking sheet (with a silicon liner). I then inserted a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat (it is on an alarm) and set it to Medium Rare. Then I roasted it in a 375 degree oven. Take it out and then let it rest 15 minutes. Then slice it up!
Everything is better with bacon!

Food

Meal Plan Monday

Leave a comment

Can you believe that February is almost over? I can’t. Well, here we meet again for this week’s food. There were some great meat sales this weekend at Von’s so I am planning on doing a little freezer cooking this week in conjunction with the normal food;).

Monday: Pasta Bake with Pork Shoulder, Spinach and Alfredo
Tuesday: Bacon Wrapped London Broil, Sweet Corn Muffins, Broccoli
Wednesday: My twist on an Eggplant Pasta (I will post my version if we like it;)
Thursday: Crispy Chicken Thighs (this time I will measure so I can post the recipe;)
Friday: Tuna Pasta

Food

Chocolate Cream Pie in Minutes

3 Comments

When I was a kid Lyons restaurant had a chocolate cream pie that my family loved! You could go in an order out a whole pie (like Marie Callendar’s or Baker’s Square before I had heard them) and my family did for all major holidays or treats. Then we discovered a Dream Pie Recipe on the Dream Whip box! Dream Whip is a powdered whipped topping. You can change it up by adding different types of extracts (like orange, peppermint, or almond) but NerdDad likes it plain. I love that I keep most of these ingredients in the pantry. It is super easy, super quick!

Ingredients:
2 packets Dream Whip (half a box)
1 tsp Vanilla
2 small boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding
1 3/4 cups Milk
Chocolate Shavings (as desired)
1 prepared crust (I use graham cracker crusts or oreo crusts, premade)
Process:
Put vanilla, Dream Whip and 1 cup of milk into a mixing bowl. Mix on high for 6 minutes or use a whisk attachment on a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes. You are looking for peaks. Then add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of milk, pudding and some of the shavings. Start blending on slow until mixed. Then beat on high for 2 minutes (scrapping down the sides as needed). You need to make sure that you see an even color. Then turn out the filling into the pie shell. Sprinkle the remaining shavings on top. Then place the pie in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.
That is it! I told you it was super easy!

Food

Meal Plan Monday

Leave a comment

I hope everyone had a delightful Valentine’s Day! NerdDad and I aren’t big on the Valentine’s Day but it is fun none the less. Let us get to this week’s food plan!!!

Monday: Bacon Wrapped Tri Tip steaks, Beer Bread, Broccoli
Tuesday: Pork Shoulder Roast, Zucchini Corn Cakes, Broccoli
Wednesday: Beef, Asparagus and Pasta in a Butter Garlic Sauce
Thursday: Spaghetti with Spinach, Garlic Parmesan Bread
Friday: Boboli Pizza, Broccoli

Food

Burritos: The Delightful Leftover

Leave a comment

I know, I know, burritos aren’t glamorous but they are yummy and cheap! I made about a pound of pinto beans in my crockpot and a few cups of rice in my rice maker to go with enchiladas one night. The I take the leftover beans, throw them in a pan with a touch of oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Then I take an immersion blender to them and Voila! Refried Beans!

Then get tortillas from the bread store ($2 for 30), shredded cheese, and taco sauce in a squeeze bottle (50 cents for 1 from the Dollar Store). Make an assembly line with these, the beans, the rice and either a saute pan or griddle (to heat the tortillas to make them bendable).
Then assemble! To fold the burritos first fold the edge in, then the 2 sides like a present. Then continue to roll. All my kids eat these and they don’t leak! But don’t over stuff!
That is it! You can even make a ton and freeze them!

Food

Freezer Cooking Update!!!

Leave a comment

After finishing up the Pantry and Freezer challenge in January my freezer was literally empty. After throwing away copious amounts of meat I decided that I needed to be more stream line in what goes into my freezer. I also am now keeping a log of everything in it too so nothing gets lost or forgotten.

To fill our freezers many bloggers (me included) did some bulk cooking. My cooking spanned over 3 or 4 days and this is what I ended with.
4 trays of Pasta Bakes with Turkey (one with Broccoli and 3 with spinach)
2 trays of Pork Enchiladas
8 packages of cooked chicken
3 packages of shredded zucchini to be used in Zucchini Corn Cakes
So how is that for a weekly Tackle;)?