Friday's Fare - Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that I think came from a magazine ad for Campbells soups. Of course, I've tweaked it a bit! Isn't that one of the best parts of learning new recipes? You do it exactly as it says the first time, but then make it your own from then on out!

Cheesy Chicken Casserole
1 can of chicken or 3 chicken breasts (cut in bite size pieces)
1 can of condensed soup (see my note below!)
1 1/3 c. water
3/4 c. uncooked rice
garlic powder & pepper, to taste
8 oz. pkg. shredded cheese (colby jack is great, but others can be used instead)

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Place rice (still uncooked) in 9x11 size baking dish. Mix in water & soup. Spread chicken evenly over top, then sprinkle w/ garlic powder & pepper to taste. Bake for 45 minutes. When done, sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Let it melt some, then serve.

Note on condensed cream soups: This recipe originally called for cream of chicken soup. I've found most of them to be interchangeable, which is esp. good when a recipe calls for cream of mushroom (BLECH!) My favorite is cream of celery & it really makes this dish taste great.

As you can see, this recipe is very versatile. If you're wanting a Mexican flair to it, you could add some chili powder & pepper jack cheese. I've never tried it w/ tuna, but it would probably be good too. The possibilities are endless. Be creative & enjoy!

Friday's Fare - Beef or Turkey Noodle Casserole

This is a recipe a friend gave me over the phone one evening many years ago when I couldn't come up w/ an idea for dinner. She asked if I had the following ingredients on hand & told me what to do. It quickly became a favorite dish!

Beef or Turkey Noodle Casserole
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced (opt.)
1 can condensed cream of celery soup (I guess you can use mushroom...if you like it!)
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. egg noodles

Brown the ground meat in a skillet w/ the optional garlic. While doing this, cook egg noodles as directed on package, then drain. Once the meat is browned, add soup & sour cream. Bring to a light boil then turn down heat & let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After you've drained the noodles, serve the meat mix over the noodles. Add a salad, veggies, &/or fruit & you've got a complete meal!

Friday's Fare - Parsnips

"Parsnips?" you say. Why yes, indeed! They are a new discovery for me & depending on how they are prepared, they can be quite delicious! They are similar to carrots, but have a bit of a bite to them...great flavor, IMHO! Here are three recipes I use. All make great side dishes.

1) Parsnip Mash (I found this recipe in a recent copy of Prevention magazine.)
Cut 1 lb of parsnips into small pieces. Cook in boiling water until tender (about 20 minutes). Mash to desired consistency with 1 1/2 tablespoons each of olive oil & grainy mustard. (I used stone ground.)

2) Roasted Parsnips & Carrots
Cut desired amount of parsnips & carrots into matchstick-type pieces. Coat w/ olive oil, salt, pepper, & any other seasonings of preference. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until tender.

3) This last recipe is my favorite of all three, another roasted parsnips recipe. To save space, I'm just going to link to the recipe on Simply Recipes' website. I love, love, LOVE this recipe!

Roasted Parsnips

Enjoy!

Friday's Fare - Chicken Enchiladas

This is a recipe from my sister years ago. It is a bit time consuming, but not hard & the results are delicious. It's also flexible in some of the ingredients (can use beef or pork if you prefer). Enjoy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 c. water
2-3 T. cornstarch
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce, green chile or red (I prefer green, but both are good)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend, but any would work)
2 large chicken breast halves, cooked & diced OR 2 cans (8 oz.) chicken
1 pkg. (8-10/pkg.) tortillas
sour cream (optional)

Boil water, then add bouillon cubes. Once they are dissolved, pour into a med. saucepan with corn starch. Stir constantly until thickened. Add taco seasoning, enchilada sauce, 1/3 cheese, & all chicken. Heat 5 minutes. Heat tortillas until pliable. Lightly grease or spray 9x13 in pan. Fill each tortilla w/ about 2 T. chicken mix & some cheese. Roll up & place in pan. Top w/ remaining cheese & sauce. Bake uncovered @ 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Sour cream can be spread lightly on top before baking or dolloped when served.

Friday's Fare - New Orleans Beef & Bourbon

This is a recipe HelpfulGrammy used to make when I was younger. The flavor & tenderness of the beef is just incredible & delicious! I made it a couple of weeks ago & it was a hit.

New Orleans Beef & Bourbon
3 lb. pot roast
salt & pepper to taste
2 celery chunks
1/3 c. bourbon
2 cans (10 1/2 oz) condensed chicken gumbo soup

Sprinkle pot roast w/ salt & pepper; put into Crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover & cook on High 9-10 hours or on Low 16-18 hours. Remove meat, slice, & keep warm. Skim off excess fat from top of juices. Spoon juices over meat to serve w/ rice or potatoes & a salad. Makes 6-8 servings.

Friday's Fare - Cincinnati Chili Over Pasta

I've had some requests for recipes of dishes I've mentioned lately, so I thought I'd start a new meme here. So, without further ado, the first recipe for "Friday's Fare" is...

Cincinnati Chili Over Pasta

1 med. onion, chopped in small pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, peeled & sliced
1 lb. ground meat (beef is better, but I used turkey)
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
3/4 c. beef broth
1 T. chili powder
2 T. honey
1 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. oregano
1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained
water
8 oz. thin spaghetti
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat skillet for 2 minutes on med-high heat. Add beef, onions, celery, & garlic, stirring until beef is brown & vegetables are tender. Drain fat.

Stir in tomato sauce, paste, beef broth, chili powder, honey, cumin, cloves, & oregano. Bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, cover, & cook 30 minutes...stirring occasionally.

Add kidney beans & cook 15 minutes more. While beans are cooking in the chili, fill a stockpot 2/3 with water & bring to a boil. Add spaghetti & boil according to package directions. When done, drain.

Divide spaghetti on plates or bowls. Top with chili & shredded cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Note: This recipe is a a modified version of one I found in the book, The United States Cookbook by Joan D'Amico & Karen Eich Drummond.

A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings

My dear blogging friend, Judy, over at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, hosts this meme every Wednesday. Simply list five things (or a prayer or any thoughts) for which you are truly thankful this week. Voicing my thanks helps put my life in perspective & realize that, no matter how bad things might be, there is still MUCH good surrounding me.

1) I'm thankful for the return of our internet! Last Friday's storm fried our modem & it was replaced today.

2) I'm thankful that, because I wasn't distracted by the internet, I was able to read quite a bit & get a lot done around the house. (Stay tuned for Small Successes to read what I accomplished!)

3) I'm thankful our neighbor was able to repair the munchkins' bathroom & w/out having to cut into the wall. We now have three functioning bathrooms again...the first time in at least 2 years!

4) I'm thankful for the beauty & magnificence God created during the storm on Friday. That electrical light display was incredible. (I even wrote up a post on it HERE.)

5) I'm thankful for homemade sherbet! I found a recipe that I used when I was a young'n & decided to try it out on the munchkins. They LOVED it & it is SUPER EASY!

Homemade Sherbert
1 Kool-Aid packet
1 cup sugar (I use a closer to 3/4 c.)
2 cups milk
Blend for 5 minutes.
Freeze or drink as a smoothie (it's great either way!)

Recipe for Michaelmas

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael. A few years ago, I came across this recipe on the All Recipes website to make for the feast day & it was a hit w/ my family. I thought I'd share it w/ you, but before I do, I wanted to share why we're making this particular cake. The following is taken from Catholic Culture's web page about the Feast of the Archangels:

Folklore in the British Isles suggests that Michaelmas day is the last day that blackberries can be picked. It is said that when St. Michael expelled Lucifer, the devil, from heaven, he fell from the skies and landed in a prickly blackberry bush. Satan cursed the fruit, scorched them with his fiery breath, and stamped and spat on them, so that they would be unfit for eating. A Traditional Irish proverb says: On Michaelmas Day the devil puts his foot on the blackberries. If you have access to blackberries, make this the last picking and eating. Perhaps make a blackberry pie?

Or in our case... Blackberry Wine Cake!

1 (18.25 oz.) pkg white cake mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg blackberry gelatin ***
4 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. blackberry wine (I used the Manischewitz Kosher Blackberry...delicious!)
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease & flour a 9 or 10 inch tube pan. (I just used a regular rectangular Pyrex cake pan.) Put chopped pecans in bottom of pan.

Combine the cake mix, blackberry gelatin, eggs, oil, & 1 c. of blackberry wine. Beat for 2 minutes, then pour batter over top of pecans.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Pour 1/2 of blackberry wine glaze (see recipe below) over top of cake while still warm. Let set for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan. Allow cake to coof fully before pouring remaining glaze on top.

Blackberry Wine Glaze: Mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 c. blackberry wine, & softened butter or margarine. Beat until smooth.

* Obviously the alcohol is cooked out of the wine used in the cake mix, but not in the glaze. So, use your judgment in giving this cake to your kids or leaving the glaze off of the recipe.

*** NOTE: The first time I made this, I couldn't find blackberry gelatin so I used black cherry. This time, all I found was Jell-O Blackberry Fusion (blackberry & raspberry).

Small Successes

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1) Still working on the kitchen (it's taking a lot longer than I expected - basically I'm just plain lazy at times!) Anyway, I'm still keeping up on the dishes each night, cleared off most of the island (that is the worst part as we always just dump stuff there), & sorted through a stack of recipes that have been sitting by the fridge for months. Maybe I'll actually use some of them!

2) I created a five week meal plan (yes, I said five week & only 3 meals are doubled w/in that time). All seven days of the week are included & I even gave thought to the evenings we have plans (my Small Church Community gatherings every other Wed. & Cub Scouts on Thursdays). I planned stuff that Casinodad can't have (due to his GIRD) for nights that he works later. Now to create the shopping list - perhaps a success for next week?!?!

3) Finally started reading my newest book to review for The Catholic Company. My goal is to finish it w/in the next month, if not sooner!

What are your successes? Inquiring minds at Faith and Family Live would love to know!

Small Successes

Recognizing my "Small Successes" each week is a wonderful tool to find the positives in my life instead of dwelling on the negatives. So, in joining w/ other ladies at Faith & Family Live, here is what I accomplished/did this past week:

1) While waiting for the munchkins to get themselves ready yesterday morning & instead of constantly prodding them, I took that extra bit of time to organize my spice cabinet. Did you know that home dried rosemary smells much better than the bottled kind you find in the store? I had a several bottles of my dad's rosemary & one store bought. Even the munchkins could tell the difference between the two!

2) I've been working on our front room which will be used for school this year. It's still no where near my vision, but I have done the following: set up the K12 computer, including wireless from our own computer w/ the help of Casinodad's best friend; decided where all the furniture will be placed (only had to move the desk to make room for the cabinet); & prepped the cabinet. The cabinet is part of my college loft bed. I sanded & painted it to match the room. Now I'm just waiting for my dad to make some shelves for the inside. (I used it as a wardrobe in college.)

3) I made Mexican rice that came very close to Casinodad's aunt's. It will never be just like hers, as no one can compete w/ her rice, but it was pretty darn close! See the recipe here in this post.

So, what have you accomplished this past week?

Mexican Rice Recipe

Casinodad's aunt makes the best Mexican rice & numerous times, she's told me how to do it. I never attempted to do it because I thought it would be too much work & I wouldn't be able to get the ingredients just right. Well, I happened to pull out a Latino cookbook one of Casinodad's cousins gave us for our wedding. Low & behold, there is a Mexican Rice recipe. I tried it last weekend w/ a few variations I knew his aunt used & it turned out very close to hers, although a little on the bland side. Here is the recipe & below I listed my variations & what I'll do next time. It's a lot easier than I thought it would be!

Mexican Rice

1 med. white onion, chopped coarse
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 c. whole tomatoes
3 ½ c. water or chicken broth
3 T. vegetable oil
2 c. long-grain rice, rinsed
2 extra-large chicken bouillon cubes (if using water)
½ t. salt
1 c. frozen peas & carrots

In a blender, puree the onion, garlic, tomatoes w/ their juice, & ½ c. broth until smooth. In a skillet, heat the oil over med-high heat. Saute the rice, stirring constantly, until golden brown (about 8 minutes). Stir in the blended tomato mixture, remaining broth, bouillon, & salt. Bring to a boil; cover & simmer undisturbed for 25 minutes. Add vegetables, cover, & remove from heat. Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving.

My variations: I just used water & 2 standard size bouillon cubes, olive oil, & 1 c. V-8 juice instead of the tomatoes.

Next time: I’ll used 1 c. tomatoes & 1 c. V-8 juice, then add some cumin. The rice was just a bit bland when I made it. I also think I'll simmer it a bit longer to absorb more flavor.

Small Successes

Every success, no matter how big or small, is important! So here I am, once again, sharing those successes of mine from the past week. The first two are actually our family's successes.

1) On Good Friday, we did the Stations of the Cross box. I put together a box of items representing each station. Casinodad & I took turns reading from "The Way of the Cross for Children" while each munchkin took turns finding the specific item from the box for each station. This was a great way for all of them to understand the Stations & they want to do it next year too!

2) We made Easter Story Cookies the night before Easter. Each ingredient & step represents a part of the Passion (ex. the beating of the pecans represents the beating of Jesus by soldiers). There is also a Bible passage to go along w/ each step. The cookies are left in the pre-heated oven overnight (the oven gets turned off) & in the morning they are hollow, to represent Jesus' Resurrection & the empty tomb.

3) You've heard the expression - "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" In my case, when life hands you eggs, make egg salad! My MIL asked me to make deviled eggs for Easter Sunday's dinner. Well, the eggs had some separation issues! They didn't want to come apart from the shell, no matter what I tried. So, I made egg salad!

To see more Small Successes, go to www.faithandfamilylive.com. And, have a blessed Easter season!

Small Successes

This has been a pretty good week, despite another round of colds in the house!

1) I read a mystery novel! I'm not usually a mystery person, but I saw a series at the library about a spunky nun in a cloistered monastery. She's one of the two extern nuns who are the monastery's connection to the outside world. This first book, Bad Faith, has her helping the sheriff to solve a mysterious death that occured at the monastery.

2) I've been "Susie Homemaker" the past couple of days! For dinner the other night, I made pizza - I took a refrigerater roll of biscuits, squished them together & spread them on a quiche dish, topped w/ spaghetti sauce (we didn't have any pizza sauce), black olives, & shredded cheese. The munchkins loved it. I also made oatmeal no-bake cookies & last night I made granola cereal. That didn't last long, so next time I'll make a bigger batch. All the munchkins loved it, even The Archangel who doesn't like oatmeal. It was quite easy. I'll post the recipe soon.

3) Casinodad & I watched a movie in one night! Usually it takes us 2-3 nights to watch a DVD in the evenings, but we couldn't stop. We watched Fireproof - what an excellent movie! The only complaint I had was the Kirk Cameron seemed to overact at times, mostly during the scenes when he was arguing w/ his wife & complaining to others about her. I think that must have been tough for him to do. I've noticed that Casinodad & I have been nicer to each other since watching the movie. I have caught myself thinking twice before saying something that might come across as rude or snippy. Is it something I really need to say or would it only start an argument? I've even been doing better w/ the munchkins & not yelling so much at them. It's amazing how much peace can fill a home when you let go of certain things & pick your battles.

So, what are your Small Success this week? Check out www.faithandfamilylive.com for more.

Turkish Delight!

I forgot to add Turkish Delight to the previous post. A couple weeks ago, I finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to The Prophet. He loved it. He asked what Turkish Delight was & I had no idea. I did a search online & now we know! There were several recipes. I chose the one that looked the easiest to make. It calls for lemon, orange, or raspberry extract, but I didn't have either one. I thought of using almond, but didn't have enough, so we used vanilla. Also, we didn't have any nuts on hand (other than the munchkins, but I didn't think they'd taste too good in it!), so I didn't put any in. It turned out really well & tasted great!

I found this recipe at www.recipezaar.com/recipe/print?id=60694.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Okay - I just couldn't wait until after dinner. I had to sneak a taste & they are delicious!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BARS
1 c. butter, melted
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 c. confectioner's sugar
1 c. & 4 T. peanut butter, divided
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a medium bow., mix together butter, graham crackers, sugar & 1 c. peanut butter. Press evenly into bottom of 9x13 in. pan.

Microwave chocolate chips w/ 4 T. peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving & stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread over prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares. Store bars in airtight container in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Chicken Recipe - Follow Up

The leftovers were just as good as the first day! For dinner on Thurs., I put some of the chicken in flour tortillas, topped it w/ some cheese & heated it in the microwave. Then I added just a small dollop (I love that word!) of sour cream. Add a side of Mexican rice & dinner was delicious. I was going to try to make some rice like Casinodad's aunt does, but we still had some of hers from our recent visit.

Casinodad really liked his lunch leftovers on Wed. - when I put the chicken in with some egg noodles.

This is definitely a recipe I will be using again. It's effortless, delicious, & goes a long way! And I can't say enough about Target's Archer Farms Peach Pineapple Salsa. What a wonderful combination!

Chicken Recipe

These days, most people are looking for cheap & easy meals. Our local grocery store had whole roasting chickens on sale last week - buy one, get one free. What a great deal! It just so happened that I came across an easy slow cooker recipe the other day, too. Put the chicken & a jar of salsa in. Cook 6-8 hours on low & voila!

I made this for dinner tonight & it was delicious. The chicken was so tender, it fell right off the bone. I used a large jar of Archer Farms (Target's brand) Peach Pineapple salsa. I poured a light coating into the Crockpot, poured a little into the chicken, placed the chicken in, & poured the rest of the salsa over it. It was a hit for Casinodad, The Princess & me. The other munchkins are too picky! Casinodad is taking leftovers mixed w/ egg noodles to work tomorrow. For dinner Thursday, I'll use the rest of the leftovers w/ tortillas.

Variations: use any flavor salsa; add a packet of taco seasoning mix; use other chicken parts if you don't like whole ones; the possibilities are endless!

Enjoy!