Father's Day

Father's Day was Sunday and it was great!

I'm married to the greatest husband and daddy in the world!! I'm a little partial. ; )  

 Here's the food from the day;

I whipped up this quick, simple, and very yummy chocolate trifle. 

Chocolate Trifle:

1 13x9 chocolate cake (I didn't have a cake mix so, I used a recipe out of my Betty Crocker Cook Book)

2 boxes of chocolate instant pudding

1 tub of cool whip

Start with the cake as the base (crumble it). Then, add a layer of pudding. Last, a layer of cool whip. Repeat until you reach the top.

I made mine sugar free for the guys at church that are diabetic. 

For supper we treated Daddy to one of his very favorite seafood dishes. I saw the original recipe on Rachael Ray but, I don't remember it so this is my concoction. I call it Shrimp Pasta. So original, I know.

Shrimp Pasta:

Shrimp medium or large in size

1 lemon or some lemon juice also works

4 Tbsp butter

onion

garlic

black pepper

cilantro or basil

Melt your butter in the saucepan. Add your chopped onion (just a little amount to taste), garlic (to taste), and lemon. Then, add your shrimp, black pepper, and cilantro or basil. Cook thoroughly. 

While this is cooking boil some pasta and drain.

Add the pasta to the shrimp mixture and toss it all together to coat the pasta.  

Serve and enjoy. The pasta is covered in this rich, buttery, lemony sauce. It melts in your mouth.

My husband says that it's very true at least for him that the way to his heart is through his stomach. I hope all the dads out there had a great Father's Day and got to enjoy some of their favorite dishes too.

Jell-o Fruit Snacks

My son is an absolute fruit snack fanatic. I think he would live on them if I would let him! I'm a really big make from scratch kind of girl. I like to know what's in our food. So, when I came across this on pinterest I thought it would be fun to do with the lil guy and it was!

I got the recipe from here. There's also a juice version but, I had Jell-o to spare.

Here's what they look like all ready to eat!

Setting up in the mold. Before I removed them I brushed a little cornstarch on the backs with a brush. It really helps them not stick together.

I just used a 3 oz box of mixed berry jell-o

2 envelopes of Knox gelatin (unflavored)

1/3 cup water

Put it all in a saucepan over med heat until all the jello dissolves. Poured it into the mold and popped it into the fridge. They were ready in about 30 minutes. I bought the candy mold at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon. This recipe fits this mold perfectly and makes 64 fruit snacks. They are really soft and I store them in an air tight container in my fridge. They don't have a long shelf life but we have no problem with that around here!

Tip: Immediately fill your saucepan with hot water after pouring the jello into the molds. If you don't it will stick pretty good to your pan.

I like this because it's fast, easy, and inexpensive. I bought the jell-o on sale + used a coupon= super cheap jello. They are also fun to make and lil man likes taking them out of the mold and popping them into his mouth!

Homemade Blueberry Ice Cream

This summer Aldi sold a Crofton Ice Cream Maker for $19.99. It does not require rock salt. You freeze the insert and that's it. Once the insert is frozen you place it in the maker and then add your cold ingredients and 20-30 minutes later you have delicious ice cream.

I bought blueberries when they were $1.66/pint. My husband loves blueberries so, I bought 3. With them I made this ice cream and 2 batches of blueberry pancakes. I have never had blueberry ice cream. I found the recipe when I googled, "blueberry recipes." I had all the ingredients and it sounded awesome. It tastes just as good. If you have an ice cream maker you will definitely want to try this one!

2 cups whole blueberries, washed

1 cup sugar or splenda, etc

1 Tbsp water

2 cups heavy cream or half and half

Boil blueberries, sugar, and water until sugar is dissolved and berries are soft. I used a potato masher to smash the berries. Strain mixture over a bowl. Discard the skin and seeds that are in the strainer. Next, stir in the cream. Refrigerate mixture over night.

Fill ice cream maker 2/3 full and turn it on until mixture is thick.

Place in freezer for 2-4 hours before serving. This allows it to be firm.

Serve in a waffle cone or bowl and enjoy! It's the perfect remedy for a hot summer day!



Enchiladas

My momma asked me for my recipe so, here it is;

1lb ground beef or chicken

onion

green pepper

Enchilada Sauce

Tortillas

Cheese, shredded

Brown your meat, onion, and pepper. Spoon it into a tortilla. Add a couple tablespoonfuls of the enchilada sauce. Roll it up and place it seam side down in your 9x13. Do this until your pan is full. Now, spoon the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tops of the tortillas. Top with shredded cheese. Now you can either bake it until the cheese melts and serve with sour cream or you can freeze them for later! Don't forget to line your 9x13 with foil if you are going to freeze them and they are great for a very easy clean up!

Cake Mix Cookies

Orange Cake Mix Cookies

1 box (18-19oz) Cake Mix any flavor

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 Tbsp of water

1/3 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine cake mix, egg, oil, and water. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar if desired.

Makes 3 Dozen

Lil Man giving his seal of approval!

Bread Machine- Whole Wheat Rolls/Buns

I found a recipe for homemade buns at http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/. They were easy and are awesome!

Makes 2 dozen.

1 1/2 Cups Water

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 - 1/3 cup honey

1 egg

2 tsp salt

4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 Tbsp yeast

Add these ingredient in order to your bread machine. Put it on the dough cycle. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. When handling the dough flour your hands. It is super sticky. Make balls of dough about the size of tangerines. Allow to rise 45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

They are super soft and good! The wheat is a little overpowering for my family so I do substitute in a little bread flour to calm the taste down.

Here's dinner that night. Cheeseburgers on the grill, oven fries, peas, and strawberries. Yum-O!

Try the buns! You won't buy another store bun again!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I don't know why I hadn't started doing this sooner. It was probably out of convenience. On sale I can get Spaghetti Sauce for $0.99. On sale I can get plain tomato sauce for way cheaper. So, now I buy the plain sauce and add my own chopped onions, green pepper, italian seasoning, basil, and some garlic powder. This way I am getting it my way and it tastes better. It's very versatile. You can add pretty much anything you want to this sauce; mushrooms, chunks of tomato, other veggies, etc.

This summer I am growing Roma tomatoes and I plan on making up tons of sauce to freeze and can.

Homemade Tortillas

To go along with your homemade taco seasoning why not some homemade tortillas? I found these really easy to make and they tasted the same as the ones in the store.

Flour               2 cups
Salt                 1/2 tsp
Shortening       1/4 cup (cold)
Water              1/2 cup (cold)

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in cold shortening. Add your cold water. Mix until just combined. Divide into 10 balls and roll out flat and thin on lightly floured surface. Place on hot griddle. Look for brown spots to turn. It takes less than a minute.

Store in airtight container or ziploc bag. Store in fridge and they freeze well.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

My friend, Angie, e-mailed me a great question and a couple of websites. She asked about making your own taco seasoning. I have a recipe but, I haven't tried it yet.

Chili Powder             6 tsp
Cumin                       4 1/2 tsp
Paprika                     5 tsp
Onion Powder          3 tsp
Garlic Powder          2 1/2 tsp
Cayenne Powder      1/8-1/4 tsp

Place in an airtight container to store. This is really powerful stuff so use very little until you get the right ratio and spice. I hope this is helpful.

Here are the websites Angie sent for you to check out:
http://thepeacefulhousewife.com/?p=526

http://www.greenyourdecor.com/7772/carpet-powder-reusable-dryer-sheets/

Thanks Angie!!

Bread Machine Wheat Bread

Cold Water                      1 1/3 cups
Oil                                   4 tsp
Honey                              1/3 cup
Salt                                  1 1/4 tsp
Whole Wheat Flour          3 1/4 cups
Bread Flour                      3/4 cup
Active Dry Yeast              4 tsp

Add ingredients in order from top to bottom. I altered this recipe. The original recipe calls for 4 cups of whole wheat flour. I found the flavor to be too overwhelming and my family didn't like it. So, I experimented with the ratio by adding bread flour. We like this version much, much better. It is very fillling.

Bread Machine White Bread

Cold Water            1 1/4 cups
Oil                          3 Tbsp
Sugar                      3Tbsp
Salt                          2 tsp
Bread Flour             4 cups
Active Dry Yeast     1 Tbsp

Add ingredients in order from top to bottom. This makes a 2 lb loaf.

This bread is light and fluffy and goes fast in our house.

Chocolate Syrup

I am really enjoying cooking from scratch. I have the time and I have the ingredients on hand and I am willing to try just about anything once. I got this recipe from the book; Miserly Moms. This is the second recipe I've tried for chocolate syrup and this is the one I'm sticking with!

Chocolate Syrup
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine cocoa and sugar in a medium saucepan and blend with a whisk until all the lumps of cocoa are gone. Add water and salt. Mix well while cooking over medium heat. Bring it to a boil. Remove pan from heat once it starts boiling. Let it cool completely and then add your vanilla.

This syrup makes the BEST chocolate milk and it's great poured over ice cream!

Pizza Dough

I quit buying premade pizzas a while ago and haven't missed them at all. I found out that the dough can be made ahead and frozen too. The dough is also very versatile. On the website; http://www.ourbestbites.com/ they talk about making homemade "hot pockets." This is ingenius and I wish I had thought of this. All you have to do is make up your dough, divide it into smaller pieces, roll it out, fill it, bake it then either eat it or freeze it. I made ones with scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. The other ones I filled with chicken, bacon, and ranch dressing. They turned out great! They froze really well too. Here is the recipe for the dough that I use all the time.

Pizza Dough
3 cups of flour
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup warm water

Combine flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Mix in oil and warm water. Spread out on large pizza pan. Top as desired. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

I like to brush the dough with olive oil and then sprinkle on italian and basil seasonings to give it more flavor. Sometimes I'll actually  mix the herbs directly into the dough. You can also make these into breadsticks or calzones. We roll out some dough, add pepperoni, and string cheese. Roll it up and pinch all the edges. Bake it and then dip it into marinara sauce. So good! Use your imagination. There are so many possibilities with this dough!

The Greatest Granola Bars

I have been exploring the web for some new recipes. I have a kid with peanut allergies and it seems like all labels say, "May contain peanuts." It is extremely frustrating as a parent because you don't want to take the risk of your child having a reaction. Even granola bar labels say this so, I have started making my own. I am now on my third recipe and it is the best one! It's easy, fast, and soooo good. They don't last in our house at all! My son thinks they are cookies and he thinks they are a special treat. He has no idea that they are good for him! I found the recipe at http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/. I am really liking her site. It is definitely one to check out!

Granola Bars
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup honey
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of add-ins

Butter your 9x13 pan. Combine the butter and honey in the pan. Then, add and combine all the other ingredients except the add-ins. Once combined stir in your add-ins. I find that a fork works best for mixing and pressing the mixture firmly in the pan. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool about 10 minutes and cut into bars. Let cool completely before removing and serving.

I must recommend butterscotch chips. They are soooo good!

Scratch Pancakes

One big thing that I've done to cut our food budget is cook from scratch more. I use to buy pancake mix from Aldi but, I found a recipe for the most delicious pancakes. It is in the Bridal Edition of the Betty Crocker Cookbook. The pancakes are so light and fluffy.

This recipe makes 18 4-inch pancakes

2 Large Eggs

2 cups flour or whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp sugar or packed brown sugar

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

6 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Beat eggs in medium bowl until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients until smooth. Cook until golden brown.

To make this easier and more convenient I place all the dry ingredients together in a canister. Now, when we want to eat pancakes I just have to add the wet ingredients. It makes it faster. Then, I just refill my canister with the dry ingredients.

Here's the batter all mixed up and ready to cook. I LOVE this bowl. The pour spout is perfect. Another neat way to make pancakes is by using a squeeze bottle. You can make shapes and letters this way. This idea is found at http://www.howdoesshe.com/. I've found that a whisk works best to stir the batter. I also use a rubber scraper to make sure I get every drop of the yummy goodness cooked.

Cooking. My little man was yelling "pantake!" at this point. He loves pancakes!

All golden brown and stacked with yumminess. Add your fav toppings and enjoy. These also freeze well. Make a double batch and freeze the others for later. Take out what you want and pop them in the toaster or microwave. Great for breakfast in a hurry.

Recipe keeper tip: I use a photo album to hold my family's fav recipes. I write out the recipe on a 4x6 notecard. This works great because the recipe stays clean inside the plastic cover and I can stand the book up while I cook. It's also a space saver. You can go through your cookbooks and just pull out the recipes you want and then donate some of those cookbook that are just sitting in the cabinet taking up space.

Happy Cooking

~Tabitha~



Chicken, Bacon, Ham, and Ranch Pockets

Having to cook every day is starting to bring out a more creative side. I really dislike making the same old things over and over again. It gets boring. Out of the blue this recipe popped into my head. I took the equivalent of Grands Biscuits and rolled them out flat. Then, I put mozzarella cheese, slice of turkey bacon, piece of thin sliced deli ham, cooked chicken pieces, ranch dressing (to taste), then more cheese, then took another rolled out biscuit and placed it over the toppings. I sealed the edges then baked it in the oven till the biscuits were golden brown. It makes 4 and they are EXTREMELY filling. Daddy and Peanut highly recommend them.

Chewy Granola Bars

I found a wonderful recipe for homemade granola bars at http://www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/. They are the best ones I have made. There are very few ingredients and they don't fall apart or super stick to the pan. They have the perfect amount of sweetness too. We love having them for snack.

Chewy Granola Bars

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup slivered almonds (I omitted these due to a nut allergy)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1-2 cups favorite add-ins (dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Mix all ingredients together and pour into the pan. Pat it out. Bake for 20-27 minutes.

Happy Snacking

~Tabitha~

P.S. I highly recommend dried cranberries with white chocolate chips.

Donut Muffins

Donut Muffins (http://www.oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/)

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Butter, melted

1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/2 cup Milk

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Flour

Topping

1/4 cup Butter, melted

1/2 cup Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Grease your muffin tin. Mix 1st 3 ingredients. Then add last 3 and mix until just combined. Bake 10-15 minutes  or until knife comes out clean. In one bowl have your melted butter. In your second bowl your cinnamon and sugar mixture. Dip your muffin in the butter and then roll it in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

These taste like donut holes! Very light and fluffy. This recipe only makes 6 regular sized muffins. So, if your family likes these as much as mine you will want to quadruple this recipe! These didn't even last an hour in our house. next time I am going to try substituting pumpkin pie spice for the nutmed and hopefully make them pumpkin flavored donuts.

Happy Baking!

~Tabitha~

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

I love fall! I love pulling out the jeans and long sleeved t-shirts. Time for snuggling by the fire outside while making  smores. Crunching the crispy falling leaves. Visiting the local pumpkin patch. Beautiful mums. It also puts me in the mood to bake. For some reason as the seasons change so do my tastes. Right now I only want to bake things with pumpkin or cinnamon and sugar or all three. While blog hopping I found 2 incredible recipes that have been added to my family's favs list. These are going to be baked a lot!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes (http://www.oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/)
2 cups Flour
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Butter, Melted
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

Topping
1 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare your muffin tin. In one bowl mix all the dry ingredients. In a second bowl combine the butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix lightly with a fork. Fill your muffin tins. Top each one with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. To make it even better mix a little of the sugar/cinnamon in with the batter. Bake for 15-20.

These are melt in your mouth yummy!

Happy Fall Baking!

~Tabitha~

Did someone say chocolate?

So, I was blog hopping the other day and stumbled upon a seriously good looking recipe. Tonight my hubby and I made it and it's soooooo good that I'm going to share it. These 5 little words are going to make your mouth water and send you into the kitchen to make these little babies......Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles. Need I say more? I found the recipe here; http://www.smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/ . Here is a copy of the recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles (makes about 5 1/2 dozen)
(Taste of Home)

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 bar chocolate candy coating

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, alternating with the sweetened condensed milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.

In a microwave-safe bowl melt your candy coating following package directions. Take out your cookie dough mixture and roll into 1 inch balls. Dip balls into coating, drip off excess and let dry on a sheet of waxed paper, about 15 minutes.

Don't forget to wash it down with an extremely large glass of MILK. These little things pack a huge sweetness. My hubby was only able to eat one and that's saying something.

Enjoy your Truffles!
~Tabitha~