Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are super easy and make a nice small batch. Because having dozens of cookies around at the beginning of the New Year is never good. =) These made almost 2 dozen.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.

Use your hand mixer to cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well followed y the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir until well mixed.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes (depending on your oven) until lightly browned.

I was feeling fancy and use a mixture of white and semisweet chocolate chips today. Great combo!

December Birchbox

I've subscribed to a new service. It's called Birchbox. It is like a magazine subscription as it comes once a month. But you don't read it. It is full of beauty samples! For $10 a month you get a pretty box delivered via USPS full of surprises. It's like getting a Christmas gift each month!

This is my first box and here are the goodies I got:

• Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss - the color looks hot pink, but goes on much lighter. It works pretty well for me and I had planned on ordering it but they are back ordered!
• Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisable Volumizing Dry Shampoo - I am excited to try this one! I try not to wash my hair everyday if I don't have to to avoid all the extra heat styling. I like the dry shampoo I use now but I am looking forward to trying the professional dry shampoo.
• Huxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Shimmer - This is to be used in your hair on on your skin. I am not super excited about it but will save it and try it in the summer when my skin has a little more color to it (hopefully).
• Atelier Cologne Ambre Nue Cologn Absolue - not my style. Smells a little too much like an old lady for my taste.
• Showstoppers Designer Fashion Tape - I always like have double-sided fashion tape
• EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster - I am not a fan of energy drinks. They never dissolve all the way and they taste too much like Crystal Light. I'm going to give it a try and see if it is any different from previous ones I have tried, but I don't have high expectations.

When you sign up you fill out a beauty profile. They try and match up sample boxes that fit your profile. However, it is the luck of the draw. You may like all the products, some, or none. And you and your friend may end up with different boxes b/c of the way you answered the questions in your profile.

If this is something you'd like head on over to Birchbox and sign up! No contracts and you go month to month. You also earn points for reviewing the products in your box. Every review gets you 10 points. Every 100 points you accumulate get you $10 a full sized product order.

Let's Talk Lunch: Quinoa Greek Salad

I found a lunch idea on Pinterest called "Mason Jar Meals." The idea is that you assemble the meals at the beginning of the week and they stay fresh in the mason jars and are visually appealing, encouraging you to eat the fresh meals you prepared.

I found a recipe on the blog linked above that wasn't at all anything I would like, but something my husband would. So I tried it this week and he gave it an A+!

You will need:
Quinoa, prepared & cooled
Grape tomatoes
Feta cheese
Fresh basil
Vinaigrette

Clean and dry all fresh ingredients. Make sure you quinoa is cooled so you don't wilt the basil. Clean and dry pint sized mason jars.

Fill your in this order to prevent ingredients from being soggy or crushed:

• 2 Tbsp vinaigrette
• 8 to 9 grape tomatoes
• feta cheese - to your liking
• quinoa - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• 7 or 8 basil leaves

Amounts above are not exact. Use more or less or leave one out if you don't like it.

At meal time, just pour the contents into a bowl and you are ready to eat.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

I love pinterest. This recipe is from there and is so easy I am writing it from memory. So I don't even have a link.

4 cups cooked rice
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 lb fresh broccoli florets
2 cartons cream of mushroom soup
12 oz shredded Colby or cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a nonstick skillet saute the onion, celery, and broccoli florets until soft.

Combine the cooked vegetables, both cartons of cream soup, rice, and 8 oz of the cheese. Spread in a 3 qt casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover. Bake for 45 minutes or until hot. If your dish is deeper, rather than wider, it might take a bit longer to bake.

Remove cover and bake a few more minutes to brown the cheese.

If you use the Pacific Natural Foods brand of cream of mushroom and shred the cheese by hand this dish will be gluten free.

Also the Pacific Natural Foods brand doesn't use MSG in their cream soup. Needless to say, I've kicked Campbell's soup to the curb - a long time ago. 

A new cook in the house

This was the first Christmas that Colin really got into the Santa thing and opening presents.

This year he got a little kitchen. I was so excited to give ti to him! He always wants to help me cook. He also got a few Melissa & Doug food toys. So far he has made me cookies with icing and pizza with peppers. He cracks me up. I tried to organize his cooking toys and as he is making cookies he yells, "Mommy! Where's my baking sheet!?" And when he makes me pizza he says, "Coming right up!"

He needs a few more accessories to go with his kitchen: a little hand towel, a pretend hand soap (we always wash before cooking!!), and some plates.

A couple other super cute things he got: a cookies monster bathrobe and Woody PJs. He also got Buzz PJs but we started with Woody since he also got coordinating boots, hat, and even guitar.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Smoothies
• Waffles
• Fruit
• Yogurt

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Mac n Cheese
• Chicken Nuggets
• Mason Jar Meal (more to come on that!)
• PB&Js

Dinner

• Christmas Dinner - I made Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
• Three Bean Turkey Chili
• Chick-fil-a
• Red Beans & Rice
• Pasta Primavera
• White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

Breakfast with Santa

Yesterday I didn't have to make breakfast. We had reservations with the Murfreesboro Toy Company to have breakfast with Santa!

Upon arrival we were supposed to have photos taken with the man in red. It didn't go so well. Colin was afraid of him so we decided to try at the end. So we sat down at our table and made our craft. We made ornaments (clear plastic balls they filled with tinsel, white and blue sparkly balls, and red sparkly pipecleaner pieces.

Then it was time for breakfast. I'm pretty impressed. They had donuts holes on the table to snack on during crafts and then brought everyone a cup of fruit, a plate with a pancake and bacon, and had orange juice, milk and coffee. Santa walked around and talked to the kids during the craft and breakfast time.

Then Santa read Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Colin sat on my lap for most of it, but he did sit with Ben for a little part of it without me. Even though he knows Santa brings him gifts, he is still a little afraid of him.

We tried one more time with pictures and this time we asked Ben to be in them too. I was hoping if his best friend wasn't afraid and was willing to see Santa with him, he would like it better. He still resisted, but we did end up with two photos where Colin doesn't look completely terrified and in tears. =)

Overall I think they did a great job and I plan to take Colin back next year. Maybe he will be brave enough to meet Santa on his own next year!

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Donuts
• English Muffins
• Pancakes
• Bacon
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Burritos
• PB&Js
• Mac n Cheese

Dinner

• Pizza
• Haluski (may regret this...saw it on the food network and looked interesting...)
• Chicken Enchiladas
• White Chicken Chili
• Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce
• Leftover night
• Christmas Eve Dinner at the Granny and Papas

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I love the Small Thing blog for her hair tutorials, but also like a few of the recipes she has posted. I made her Cajun Chicken Pasta the other night with a few variations b/c of what I had on hand and what we preferred. Here is her recipe and here is how I made it:

8 oz linguine pasta
2 skinless, boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta according to package instructions.

Cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces and place in a large plastic bag with the Cajun seasoning. Shake to coat.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Add the peppers and onions and saute about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the cream (use more if you wish) and spices. Head through and add the cooked linguine. Heat through.

Sprinkle with some Parmesan and serve!

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Cereal
• Granola
• Bacon & Eggs
• Toast

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Office and School Parties!
• Pizza
• PB&J
• Salads
• Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

• Honey Cajun Pork Tenderloin with mashed potatoes and veggies
• Crispy Southwestern Chicken Wraps
• Breakfast: Omelets, sausage balls, fruit salad
• Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
• Leftovers
• Dinner Out
• Cajun Chicken Pasta

Mint Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 boxes Andes Mints (green ones)

Stir the butter, brown sugar, and water on the stove until just melted. Add the package of chocolate chips and stir in the warm pan until melted. Let cool. Add 2 beaten eggs and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Chill for 15 minutes.

Spoon out into balls the size of large gumballs. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Pull out and while still on the cookie sheet, put one Andes Mint on each cookies. Roll and swirls the candy until it is melted.

This makes 6 or 7 dozen cookies and they freeze really well.

Bread Sticks

Found an Olive Garden bread stick knockoff on pinterest and was very pleased!

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt (I use way way less of this)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast into the warm water. Let it sit about 10 minutes.

In your mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and butter to the flour and mix by using a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment on your mixer until fully combined.

Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth but dont' over knead it.

Grease a cookie sheet and pull of pieces of the dough and roll it into the bread stick shape. I ended up with 12 bread sticks.

Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400. Bake for 12 minutes, but brush on half this mixture after 7 minutes:

1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt

After they bake, brush the remaining half of the butter mixture on and allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.

*I didn't use all the butter mixture I actually cut it in half. That is just too much butter for us. Even half  that was a lot of butter...

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• English Muffins
• Waffles
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies

Lunch

• Chicken Nuggets
• Mac n Cheese
• BLTs
• Red Beans & Rice
• Left overs

Dinner

• Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers
• Fried Rice and homemade egg rolls at moms
• Paula Dean's Baked Spaghetti and homemade bread sticks
• Leftover Pasta
• Chicken Rollatini
• Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas with homemade tortillas

Goodies for Gifts

I think one the easiest and most thoughtful "small gifts" during the holiday season is baked goods.

There is no way we could ever afford to buy each one of Andrew's co-workers a Christmas gift. Not to mention, it would be a little over the top. But I am not a fan of a big box of food sent into the office. I am convinced that the big box of treats everyone sticks there hand in is how everyone will end up with a cold or flu during the holiday season. Maybe Andrew and I both over think this, but we don't usually partake of treats that are sitting on the break room table for anyone and everyone to grab.

So with a little help from Martha Stewart's small treat boxes, we will be giving them each there on little box of goodies.

I am planning to have three different kinds of goodies in each box. The thought of holiday baking might stress you out. And the thought of THREE different treats might add to it. Here is the tip: make 2 of the treats ones that will freeze and thaw out well. Make those two a couple weeks ahead of time and then thaw out the night before you assemble them with the last treat, which you bake fresh.

Here are some good cookies that freeze and thaw well:

• Snickerdoodles
• Scandinavian Almond Bars
• Mint Chocolate Cookies

Finish off with one of your favorite cookies recipes that taste the best when fresh. Or keep it simple and make a batch of Puppy Chow to add to your mix. I'm thinking a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe (found on Pinterest, posting recipe soon!) will finish off my treat boxes.

*Always make sure that your cookies are completely cool before freezing. I usually put the cookies in a gallon sized freezer bag. I don't pile them in the bag. I tend to only stack them 2 cookies high in each bag so that they stack evenly in the freezer. If I don't plan to use them all at once, I store them in smaller bags (quart sized freezer bags) so that I can thaw a bag as I need them.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Eggs
• English Muffins
• Smoothies
• Cereal Bars

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Soup
• PB&Js
• Mac n Cheese

Dinner

• Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken with Rice
• Crock Pot Swiss Chicken Casserole
• Mellow Mushroom Pizza
• Crock Pot Lasagna
• Thanksgiving Dinner: I'm making green bean casserole
• Pasta Primavera
• Pantry Night: maybe homemade pizza or spaghetti

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Bagel
• English Muffins
• Eggs
• Fruit
• Yogurt

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Spinach Salad
• Mac 'n Cheese
• Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
• Burritos

Dinner

• Pasta Fagioli
• Chicken Pesto Pasta
• Breakfast for dinner: Eggs, sausage balls, fresh fruit
• Turkey Burgers with fries & broccoli
• Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork with Rice
• Leftover Pork and Rice
• Dinner Out

Black Bean Soup

This is one of Hallie's recipes. We were talking about how I can't make beans. Like from dried beans. I always buy canned. She forwarded me three recipes that all use dry beans and this is the first one that I tried and it turned out terrific!

16 oz dry black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 box chicken broth
3 large carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 jar of salsa
1 envelope of taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp of this seasoning recipe)

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Drain beans and give them a rinse. Combine beans with remaining ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on LOW all day or on HIGH for 5 hours or until beans are tender. Add water during cook time if beans look like they are getting dry.

Once done, take 1/3 of the mixture and puree it in a blender. Make sure to vent the lid a tad since the mixture is hot. And hold onto the lid. (I once had a terrible mess after blending a corn soup that was really hot.) Just trust me on this.

Pour the puree back into the soup to thicken it. Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese, cilantro, diced avocado, and sour cream.

Make this Jalapeno Cornbread to go with it. Warm and filling soup for the fall season.

Jalapeno Cornbread

This recipe is straight of the package of Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Meal. I don't think I will ever make another corn bread. I only changed one thing and it was minor.

1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2-4 jalapeno peppers, chopped (this is what I changed - I like a little can of those fire roasted chili peppers better. But that's just me.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Saute your onion in the tsp of vegetable oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine the flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl combine the butter, honey, milk, and eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry and combine until just moistened.

Add the onions, 1 cup of the cheese, and the peppers. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is browned.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Waffles
• Eggs
• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Granola Bars
• English Muffins

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Pitas
• Mac n' Cheese
• Pasta
• PB&Js

Dinner

• Spaghetti and Homemade Marinara Sauce
• Black Bean Soup with Jalapeno Cornbread
• Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole
• Leftover Casserole
• Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets
• Grilled chicken salad on baby spinach
• Slow-cooker Creamy Chicken with rice

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a sauce pan on low-medium heat, melt and combine the butter, peanut butter, and honey. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, followed by the oats.

Let the mixture cool completely. If it is still warm during the next step, it will melt the chocolate.

Once cool, add the coconut and mini chocolate chips. Stir until evenly combined.

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with wax or parchment paper. Press granola bar mixture evenly into the pan and place in the fridge until firm (about an hour). Remove and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I place pieces of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking to each other.

Happy Halloween

I hope you had a fun Halloween and that your little trick-or-treater shared some of the their good candy with you (like the Snicker's bars and Reese's cups). My train conductor did.

Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole

I found this through Pinterest. I am loving that site for recipes! Click here to see the original recipe and and a photo.

1 lb ground turkey (or next time I am trying ground Italian sausage)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
16 oz bow tie pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown the ground turkey (or Italian sausage) with onion and garlic. Put in the crock pot and add the sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.

Add the thawed spinach, cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Combine and cook for 30 minutes on high. Add the last 1.2 cup of mozzarella on top and allow to melt before serving.

Zombie Buffet 5k

Saturday was a busy day. We got up and headed to Nashville to watch Andrew and Phil run in the Zombie Buffet 5k.

These boys are crazy fans of zombies so it was most likely a dream come true getting to run from them. We met up with Phil and Emily before lunch. The boys headed to Nashville to get signed in and the girls + Colin went to Starbucks to kill time until the race started.

I had Colin dressed in a Zombie shirt. He would growl at you, point to his shirt, and then say "I'm a zombie!"

Then we headed to the riverfront to find the boys. They were ready to go! Couple quick pictures before the race started and then Emily, Colin, and I went for a walk.

We walked over the pedestrian bridge b/c we knew the Zombies were over there and so were Granny and Papa. We knew a few Zombies: Daniel, Megan, and Lashlee. We never found Megan or Lashlee so I never got to see their Zombie attire. But as we were walking over the bridge, the first group of runners weren't far behind us. Which also meant zombies were coming out too. And that is when we got our first sighting of Daniel (Andrew's brother). He was a Zombie dressed in camo. A Marine Zombie.

Um, some of these Zombies were pretty scary. Check out this picture. Emily and I are the right side. And that lady Zombie was pretty creepy. Luckily, we were obviously spectators and no Zombies bothered us.

We had so much fun watching and the boys plan to do it again next year. Hopefully they dress up. We saw some great costumes. The best had to be Mario and Luigi. They brought with them banana peels and "turtle shells" (aka balls) just like in Mario Kart and used those against the Zombies. I heard some of the Zombies weren't too thrilled with that.

I have more pictures, but haven't had a chance to upload them yet. These pictures were some that Emily took and a couple I found on the Zombie Buffet 5k facebook page.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Waffles
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Cereal

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Frozen Burittos
• Bruitto Bowls
• Mac n' Cheese
• Fruit & Cheese
• PB Crackers

Dinner

• Pulled Pork Chili
• Spicy Chicken Tenders & Fries
• Breakfast for dinner
• Crockpot Lasagna
• Lefover Crockpot Lasagna
• Pantry meal

Let's talk lunch: PB&J

It's easy. It's a classic. It's Peanut Butter & Jelly.

Most kids like it and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry or fridge.

So what did I pair it with?

• Half a PB&J - spread the peanut butter on both halves of the bread and put the jelly in between. No jelly gets your bread soggy.
• Potato Chips - we like kettle cooked b/c they are nice and crispy
• Apple slices
• Apple-Strawberry Fruity Flakes (wishing I had some dark chocolate instead though)

Pretzels instead of chips? Cool. Strawberries instead of grapes? Awesome. Almost anything goes with PB&J.

For kids you can get creative. Colin isn't into PB&J, but loves peanut butter crackers. So I try to make these occasionally for him to see if he has come around. To entice him to try it I use different cookies cutters to make them into fun shapes. Most everyone will have a few basic cookies cutters: stars, trees, etc. But every so often pick up a new one just for the little guy/girl. I now have the letter "C" for Colin, dinosaur, football helmet, and Mickey Mouse. I saw a train one at the store the other day and I am kicking myself for not getting it. He would love it.

As for a picture - I think you know what a PB&J looks like so I didn't use my horrible food photography skills today.

Let's talk lunch: Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

What do we have for lunch today?

• Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
• Baby Carrots
• Fruit: peaches & grapes
• Apple-Strawberry Fruity Flakes (from Trader Joe's)

Obviously you don't have to do the same fruits, veggies, and dessert. But I am trying to include at least one fruit and veggie in each lunch, assuming that the main meal isn't a salad. Then I might switch out the veggie side for a bread.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

Easy easy easy!!

1 lb chicken breast
1 box (16 oz) whole wheat bow-tie pasta
7 oz pesto
Italian Seasoning
Pepper
Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in crockpot and season with Italian seasoning and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat the pesto in the microwave just until it is easy to stir. Remove cooked chicken from the crockpot and chop.

If pasta sticks, add a little bit of olive oil.

Combine the chicken, pasta and pesto. Serve warm with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

This is also great leftover and cold!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 whole medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of sugar (more to taste)
1 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped
1-1/2 lbs fettuccine

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Head butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Let's talk lunch: Turkey & Cheese on Wheat

Kicking it off with an easy one: Turkey & Cheese!

What makes up this meal?

• Half turkey & cheese sandwich - one slice of whole wheat bread, 2 oz Boar's Head turkey, 1/2 slice of Boar's Head Lacey Swiss Cheese
• 6 Yogurt covered pretzels
• Baby carrots (add ranch for dipping in a disposable souffle cup if you want)
• Fresh fruit: grapes and apple slices
• Chips

How to pack it? In your divided container, place the half sandwich and yogurt pretzels in the largest spot. In the smaller spaces place the carrots (with optional ranch) in one and the grapes and apple slices in the other. Your side of chips goes in a little baggie - don't forget to grabs those since they aren't in the main container.

This can easily be assembled the night before and placed in the refrigerator so you can just grab it and go in the morning.

I know this one is simple, but I have to start somewhere.

What did you take for lunch?

Let's talk lunch

I do a pretty good job of putting a super yummy meal on the table every night for dinner. But where do I have trouble? Lunch.

Lunch gets boring. Yes, leftovers are always an option. But I am not a huge leftovers fan. I don't really like to eat the same thing for the next meal. I don't mind eating it for dinner one night and then the next, but I don't really get excited about eating it for dinner and then lunch the very next day. Give me a 24 hour waiting period before I eat it again. Weird, I know.

On Pinterest this weekend I saw a link to this: Project Lunch Box.

If you work, you don't have the option of just walking to your fridge or pantry and whipping something up for lunch. Even if it is just a box of mac n' cheese on the stove top. We don't have a stove at my office. Buying lunch out gets to be expensive and is honestly not healthy. Don't get me wrong. We like to eat out. But we limit it. If I make the food I can control the sodium, fat, amount of whole grains, and choose all natural and organic ingredients. If done right, it can also save you money.

Now that I follow this blog, I plan on getting some new lunch ideas and posting them here. I want to follow her idea of using the reusable plastic containers that have three divided sections. I plan on making most of my lunch ideas cold so that nothing has to be removed before heating (like fresh fruit). And cold lunches are great for picnics. My plan is to also make these the night before while the kitchen is already a mess from dinner. Then we just have to grab them from the fridge in the morning.

(I'll add pictures of the lunches at some point. I am not so great at taking pictures of food. I don't know the tricks.)

So look for my "Let's talk lunch" posts for lunch ideas. Please leave me comments of your own lunch ideas so I can try them out.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These are Andrew's favorite cookie. Three kinds of chocolate - how can you go wrong?

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (cold)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate (chopped)
3/4 cup milk chocolate (chopped)
3/4 cup white chocolate (chopped)

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until the eggs are completely incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate and beat until distributed.

Place heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes 9until the top are lightly golden in the center).

Let cookies cook on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Waffles
• Smoothies
• Granola Bars
• English Muffins
• Fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers
• PB&Js
• Mac n' Cheese
• Cheese & Fruit

Dinner

• Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce (never got to it last week)
• Steamed seasoned veggies with rice
• Chick-fil-a
• Pantry Night (make something from what I have on hand)
• Macaroni Bake (new recipe from Pinterest)
• Leftover Macaroni Bake
• Giordano's Pizza - ordered and shipped from Chicago to celebrate Andrew's 30th birthday

Snacks

• Freeze Dried Fruit
• Gummy Bunnies
• Cheese Crackers
• Soy Nuts
• Almonds
• Fruit
• Applesauce

Sweet Treat: Snickerdoodles

Fall is here!

Thursday we had our first ever field trip. Colin was dressed in his school shirt and ready to go.

It was actually pretty cold so we had to cover his class shirt up. Last year we went to the pumpkin farm in shorts. So it was a nice change.

I now have three little pumpkins and I am doing a little Googling to see if they are they kind that would bake nicely so I could use the puree in some baked goods. Anyone have in insight on this?

Sorry for the mess!

Please excuse the mess as I try to update my blog a bit. Hopefully it won't take me forever, but I am not promising anything.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Smoothies
• Waffles
• Oatmeal
• Cereal Bar

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Mac & Cheese
• Fruit & Cheese
• Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

• Pizza
• Breakfast: eggs, biscuits, fruit
• Pasta with creamy tomato sauce
• Chicken Enchiladas, roasted corn, chips & salsa, Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies - birthday dinner for Andrew
• Chuck E Cheese for a little friend's birthday party
• Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
• Chicken Parm

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate

This recipe is in no way good for you. It takes a healthy snack (air popped popcorn) and covers it in a sweet sugary goodness. So if you are ready to up your sugar intake one day, make a batch of this. You will want to share.

12 cup popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)
1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour honey over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread onto a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

I took pictures but haven't uploaded them yet. Here is the original recipe and pictures. Your mouth will water. I am looking for good Christmas treats to make and pass out and this will be one of them.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• Waffles
• English Muffins
• Yogurt Fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers
• PB&Js
• Cheese & Fruit
• Mac n' Cheese

Dinner

• Breakfast for dinner: omelets with sausage, onions & peppers, toast, cinnamon rolls, yogurt
• Mexican Crock pot Chicken with Whole Wheat Tortillas
• Veggie Stir Fry & rice
• Homemade Mac and Cheese with veggies & fruit
• Crock pot Ravioli Casserole & veggies
• Leftover Crock pot Ravioli Casserole
• Maggiano's

Snacks

• Pretzels
• Popcorn
• Soy Nuts
• Fruity Flakes
• Fruit
• Applesauce
• Graham Crackers
• Cereal Bar

Whole Wheat Bread

3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water*
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
3 1/2 cups 100% Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 Tbsp of the water in the recipe
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hand, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. This dough should be soft, yest still firm enough to knead. Adjust the consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours or till the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190 on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lessesr amount in summer or a humid climate.

This recipe was found on the King Arthur Flour website.

Hallmark Card in Stores!

So I didn't win any new Hallmark Card contests this month but my one and only winning card is now in Wal-Marts stores!! I have been told it is in these Wal-marts:

• Murfreesboro (by MTSU), TN
• Hendersonville, TN
• Indianapolis, IN

If you shop at a Wal-Mart not listed above, please check for my card in the Hallmark section. Let me know if you see it!

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Waffles
• English Muffins
• Eggs
• Smoothies
• Fruit
• Cereal
• Cereal Bars
• Toast

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Mac 'n Cheese
• PB&Js
• Cheese & Fruit

Dinner

• Breakfast for dinner: waffles, omelets with sausage, peppers & cheese, fruit
• Crockpot Three Bean Turkey Chili
• Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets filled with broccoli & cheese
• Chuck E Cheese
• Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
• Crunchy Garlic Chicken & fries (new recipe found on Pinterest)
• Homemade chicken nuggets

Snacks

• Pretzels
• Nuts
• Fruity Flakes
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Fruit
• Applesauce
• Popcorn
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels (my secret treat...that I am not sharing)

He keeps me laughing

Now that Colin is talking more, he says some things that can get me really laughing.

He loves music. I know there will be plenty of music lessons in the future for him, and hopefully from his very talented Uncle Will. When I have music on in the car, he will tell me "I like this song!" or "I don't like this song." Sometimes his choices are what makes me laugh. For instance, he proclaimed that he like My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas one day and the next he said he liked the jingle from the insurance commercial. I will admit it makes my heart happy when he says he likes a song I like too.

My radio was out for a couple days b/c my battery died and I had to go to Honda to get it reset. It was the longest 2 days of driving ever. He yelled the whole time that he wanted music. I offered to sing.

If I am stopped at a red light and he is tired of not moving, he yells "go go go!" I explained to him that red means stop and green means go. One time I even eyeballed the lights going the other directions and told him to watch as I blew (like blowing out birthday candles) as the light turned green (from the movie Corrina, Corrina). The next time he yelled "go go go!" I told him again that the light was red and we couldn"t go until it turned green. He started blowing like I did the previous time, trying to get the light to turn green.

This week I bought a pair of boots. Kind of coyboy-ish boots. A new buy for me. I am trying to get brave enough to wear them out - maybe tomorrow. I was trying them on with a couple dresses/jeans Saturday morning and Colin walks into my room and says, "Boots! Are you a cowboy?"

He melts my heart every single day.

Cinnamon Rolls

Here is the original recipe. I went with more whole wheat flour and skipped the icing in favor of a dusting of powdered sugar.

1/2 cup very warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup warm milk
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more for flouring surface)
2 cups all purpose flour
butter
brown sugar
sugar
cinnamon

Combine water, 1 Tbsp sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes to activate.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs and salt. Add yeast mixture.

Stir in warm milk.

Add 5 cups flour, 1-2 cups at a time.

Knead dough on well-floured surface, adding flour as necessary, until dough isn't sticky.

Let rise until doubled in a clean, oiled bowl.

Punch down risen dough. Separate into two pieces.

Roll out dough in a large rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon

Roll dough. Floss dough into about 12 1-inch rolls. Place in a 9x13 pan. Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Makes 24 rolls.

Tips:
Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature (NOT COLD!). You don't want to shock the yeast. Place the eggs in a cup of warm tap water to help bring them to room temp.

Don't need 24 rolls? Me neither. After flossing the rolls, place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Place in the freezer. Once frozen toss them into a Ziploc freezer bag and pull them out as you need them. Take out the number you need the night before and place them in the baking dish on the counter. Cover with saran wrap. Allow to thaw and rise while you sleep. Pop them in the oven the next morning for fresh warm cinnamon rolls.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• English Muffins
• Cinnamon Rolls
• Cereal
• Cereal Bars
• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Homemade Freezer Meals
• Mac 'n Cheese
• PB&Js
• Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

• Smoothies
• Pasta Primavera
• Pork Roast with carrots, potatos and peas, and whole wheat rolls
• Dinner at Grandma's
• Turkey Meatballs with spaghetti and veggies
• Frozen Pizza Pockets
• Pantry Meal  - see what I can make with what I have left in the fridge/pantry/freezer

Snacks

• Fruity Flakes
• Raisins
• Soy Nuts
• Pretzels
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Fruit

A Soldier's Child

Please watch this video and read this article from the Daily News Journal's website.



If this is something that you think you could help with please follow this link over to their website to donate.

The children this organization gives to gave a great gift: their mom or dad. Although this doesn't bring them back it lets them know that they are not forgotten.

Without more donations they will have to turn away new children signing up for the program. If you have a little money to give this month, consider giving some to A Soldier's Child.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• Oatmeal
• English Muffins
• Fruit
• Waffles
• Eggs

Lunch

• Left overs
• PB&Js
• Chicken Nuggets
• Homemade Freezer Meals

Dinner

• Turkey Burgers & Fries
• Freezer Lasagna & veggies
• Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken & rice
• Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili & cornbread
• Homemade Veggie Pizza
• Baked Chicken breast, rice, & veggies
• Chicken Enchiladas

Snacks

• Soy Nuts
• Almonds
• Fruity Flakes
• Raisins
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Applesauce
• Fruit
• Pretzels/Yogurt Pretzels
• Popcorn

Harvest Pumpkin Cookies

My friend, Cassie, gave me this recipe a few years ago and now I always make several time in the fall. It is such a great way to kick off fall.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and all spice.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light & fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well-blended. Stir in Chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These cookies already have a cake like texture to them. Today I decided to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry flour and used mini chocolate chips. This batch actually came out more like muffin tops than cookies. So if you are into those, you might want to try that little switch.

New Blog Name

With a new fall background I also roll out a new blog name:

Home is where the cookies are

Why? Because although my cute little guy does make his appearances on here, I typically am posting recipes and meal plans. So with that I decided to give the blog a name that is a little more fitting.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

I think I made this one day too early - today is perfect chicken & dumpling weather. No worries as I will be making this again during the cold months!

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used two boxes of these instead of the usual Campbell's and it turned out great)
1 can chicken broth
1 onion diced
1 Tbsp dried parsley
5 refrigerated biscuits (I used the Immaculate Baking Co Buttermilk variety)

Put the chicken, butter, cream of chicken, chicken broth, parsley and onions in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break it up with a spoon or fork.

Get your biscuits and cut them into nine pieces. Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another hour.

Add chicken broth, if necessary, to thin out.

Please keep in mind, every crock pot is different. With this recipe I only cooked it for 6 hours on low and then added the biscuit dough. One of my crock pots cook very high even on the low setting. The other does not. I have to watch new recipes closely to figure out what works for each one.

Spot Cleaning the Carpet

I had these spots on my carpet. They were in the play room. It almost looked like someone (not naming names) had dropped milk or juice from the spout of their sippy. And now those spot had turned a a shade of grey. My little green machine spot cleaner didn't get them out.

I stumbled on this link on Pinterest the other day and although I pinned it, I kind of avoided it because it used vinegar. And I hate vinegar. The smell makes me want to vomit.

But I finally gave in. And I am so glad I did. Those spot are gone!

She gives quite a few steps, but honestly, all I did was mix it up, dab the stain with the solution, blot it, and then repeated with clean cold water.

Here is what you mix:

1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp clear dish soap
2 cups warm water

Hope that is helpful to someone!

Whole-Wheat Pizza Pockets

Found this on the 100 Day of Real Food blog. It was a huge hit with Andrew (Colin likes his pizza in slice form. He wasn't so sure of this pocket version) and I will be making it again!

1 cup water
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups whole-wheat flour
Filling: mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sausage, onion, green pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

In a glass measuring cup heat 1 cup water until warm. Drop in 2 tsp yeast and let rest for a minutes

After the yeast foams up a bit add the salt and olive oil to the water mixture and gently stir if necessary.

In a food processor or mixer with a dough blade/hook add 3 cups flour. Pour in the water mixture and process until a dough ball forms.

Coat a large bowl with olive oil, add the pizza dough ball, and cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the other fillings. Let the dough rise on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal sized pieces. Shape each on into a ball and then flatten it out with a rolling pin. Don't roll it too thin.

Add the filling and fold up the edges of the dough with your fingers to seal as best you can. Flip it over so seam side is down on a greased baking sheet. Make a couple of holes with a fork in the top and top with raw sesame seeds if desired.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes and once done let cook for a few minutes.

Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping and enjoy!

For the filling, I cooked up the sausage in a skilled wtih the diced peppers and onion.

Next time I make this, I am doubling the recipes and getting creative with my fillings. I want to freeze them so we have something quick and easy to take to work for lunch or even a breakfast pocket.

My ideas so far are: scrambled eggs with onions and red pepper, ham, pineapple, and cheese; broccolii and cheese, BBQ chicken with caramelized onions, cheese, and cilantro.

Have any ideas for me?

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• English Muffins
• Cereal Bars
• Oatmeal
• Cereal
• Smoothies
• Fruit

Lunch

• Homemade freezer meals (trying our own version of a lean cuisine)
• Leftovers
• PB&Js

Dinner

• Breakfast for Dinner: Oatmeal Waffles, eggs, fruit
• Veggie Quesadillas (homemade tortillas), salsa, and fruit
• Pizza Pockets with sausage, peppers, and onions, marinara sauce for dipping, and veggies
• Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
• Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
• Pasta Bake
• Dinner Out

Snacks

• Fruit
• Raisins
• Yogurt Pretzels/Plain Pretzels
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Fruity Flakes
• Freeze Dried Peaches (pretty good!)
• String Cheese
• Applesauce
• Graham Crackers
• Soy Nuts
• Almonds

Cincinnati Chili Mac

1 Tbsp light olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 small fresh hot chili, mined, or one 4-oz can chopped mild green chilies
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups cooked kidney or red beans or 2 16 oz cans kidney or red beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 to 16 oz spaghetti

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stir-fry pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent. Add the green and red bell peppers and continue to saute until the onion is golden.

Stir in the remaining ingredients except the spaghetti and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the vegetable are tender and the flavorings completely blended.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of rapidly boiling water until al dente, then drain.

For each serving, place a small amount of spaghetti in a wide shallow bowl and top with some of the chili. If desired, top with any or all of the following:

• Diced ripe tomatoes
• Chopped onion or thinly sliced scallions
• Grated cheddar cheese

Pulled Pork Chili

I would call this more of a stew than a chili, but I think it is because it called for "chili-ready diced tomatoes." I didn't find that (and I am not sure what that is) but next time I am going to dice up some hot peppers or something and add it to this recipe. Give it a little heat.

It made a TON! We had it for dinner tonight - put some aside for left overs tomorrow night - and then  froze three more portions for easy lunches or quick dinners.

2 cans (14.5 oz each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chili-ready diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15.5 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 boneless pork shoulder (2.5 lbs)
Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping

Combine all ingredients except meat, cheese and sour cream in slow cooker. Add meat; cover with lid. Cook on low 10-12 hour (or on high 7 hours).

Remove meat from slow cooker. Shred meat; return to slow cooker. Stir

Spoon into bowls; top with cheese and sour cream.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Oatmeal Waffles
• English Muffins
• Eggs
• Toast
• Cereal
• Banana Bread
• Oatmeal
• Fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers
• PB&Js
• Ham and Cheese
• Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

• Pulled Pork Chili with corn bread
• Leftover chili
• Ravioli with marinara sauce and veggies
• Taco Salad
• Slick Pig BBQ and Wings, homemade sides
• Frozen portions of Veggies Cincinnati Spaghetti (will post recipe this week)

Snacks

• Fruit
• Smoothies
• Soy Nuts
• Cheddar Bunnies
• Yogurt
• Pumpkin Bread

Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe was found over at Skinny Taste.

Make them even yummier: make your tortillas for this recipe!

For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken:
1 tsp vegetable oil
8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup diced onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and saute garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it.

Place on baking dish same side down, top with sauce. Then top with cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with sour cream or scallions if you wish.


Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole

This dish used a can of cream of mushroom soup. I found a recipe to make homemade cream of mushroom soup, and if it turns out well I will come back and link it up to this recipe. We avoid cream of such-and-such soups b/c of the MSG and the sodium. But this recipe is excellent and I can't wait to make it a few times in the fall.

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted

Lightly grease crock pot (or use a liner!). Place chicken breasts in crock pot and top with sliced Swiss cheese.

Combine the soup and milk, stirring well.

Spoon over cheese.

Sprinkle with stuffing mix.

Drizzle melted butter over stuffing mix.

Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

I made my own tortillas. This recipe is from the 100 Days of Real Food blog.

It wasn't difficult, just time consuming. When I get a chance, I am going to make a big batch and freeze some for future use.

And, Andrew said they were awesome. And he is picky about Mexican and tortillas. So I feel confident in posting this recipe.

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I might try the white whole-wheat next time)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (heat in the microwave for 1 minute)

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with a dough hook, those can be used as well.

With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.

Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.

On a lightly floured board or counter top, roll each ball into an 8 to 10 inch circle. Be careful not to use more than a tsp or 2 of flour when rolling out each ball of dough because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.

My little guy wants to help me cook so baldy. I let him roll out some dough while I did the the actual cooking.

The month of August

We have been busy this month. Here are a few pictures from what has been going on.

We enjoyed the Wilson County fair with Granny & Papa. Colin's favorite part was the chicken/rabbit coupe. He loves birds (yuck) and loved walking around and looking at all of them. We also saw lots of dogs and even got to touch pigs, chickens, and goats. He loved the tractors and even got to play in a pit full of packing peanuts!!

The fair isn't for me, but I am glad I got to go with Colin his first time. I also enjoyed the fresh roasted corn on the cob. =)

We also went to the Taste of Stones River. This year, along with tasting some good food, Colin got a special wrist band and was able to go inside a fire truck and play on inflatables. He had a blast. It was incredibly hot so he drank more water than ate food, but he left a happy boy!

And last weekend Colin attended his first football game with his best buddy Ben. Ben's daddy is one of the coaches for the Blackman Football team and they go watch the game every week. When we first moved into our house we always talked about going over to watch a game. We can hear the band and the crowd from our house when we are outside. It always sounded like fun.

Colin loves playing with Ben and asks for him constantly during the week. I am so glad God has already sent Colin a buddy and that his mom and I have become good friends too.

My boy loves music and the marching band mesmerized him. When we went home I told him to tell Daddy was we saw. He said, "I see drums!!"

Summer is over but we are ready for fall. Bring on the cooler weather!

Oatmeal Waffles

This is a recipe Hallie sent me. She told me she makes them with LF buttermilk and egg whites and they turn out great. I stuck to the recipe except I used 100% whole wheat flour instead of white. She was right - the are delicious!! I froze the extras between wax paper and threw them in the toaster this morning for a quick breakfast. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
6 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and brown sugar. Add to flour mixture; sir until blended.

Pour batter onto grids of preheated, lightly greased waffle iron (amount will vary with size of waffle iron). Close lid quickly; do not open during baking. Use fork to remove baked waffle.

Top with fruit, yogurt, or syrup.

Whole-Wheat Banana Bread

After reading Becky's post about clean eating, I decided it was time to get serious about cleaning up our eating too. We do OK but can do better. We are trying to eat more organic and natural produce and products and I am trying to make most things myself when possible. The only down side is that I love to bake. I love to bake treats. So we are still going to have our occasional sweet fix, but much less often.

I found this blog Friday and have been reading it whenever I have a free moment. The first recipe I made from here is banana bread. After I baked it I let it cool and then sliced it and put it between pieces of wax paper and then a freezer bag so I could pop a piece into the toaster for a quick breakfast.

2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and grease pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.

Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake large loaf for 40-50 minutes or until it comes out clean with a toothpick.

Weekly Meal Plan

Breakfast

• Cereal
• English Muffins
• Steel Cut Oats
• Waffles
• Banana Bread (new recipe)
• Yogurt/Fruit

Lunch

• Leftovers
• Cold Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Sandwiches
• Soup
• Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (Trying a thermos to send hot meals with Colin to school. This is one of his favorites.)

Dinner

• Breakfast for Dinner: Oatmeal Waffles (new recipe), eggs, bacon, yogurt
• Sandwiches, chips, fruit
• Lasagna, veggies, bread
• Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole (new recipe)
• French Onion Soup (or leftover night)
• Chicken Enchiladas (new recipe)
• Homemade Veggie Pizza

Snacks

• String Cheese
• Fresh Fruit
• Freeze Dried Fruit
• Soy Nuts
• Yogurt Pretzels
• Pretzels
• Cheddar Bunnies

Weekly Meal Plan

Lunch

• Sandwiches
• Cold Tortellini Salad
• Leftovers

Dinner

• Grilled Chicken Salad
• Crockpot Mexican Chicken
• Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken (didn't get to it last week)
• Veggie Cincinnati Spaghetti
• Dinner at Grandma's
• Pasta Bake
• SpicyChicken Sandwiches

Tin Roof Bars

I found this recipe over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. This blog is filled with goodies and I check it every.single.day. This is the first recipe I have tried to make and will be trying many more soon!

For the brownie layer:
1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 or 7x11 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together until fully combined. Pat evenly into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until it puffs up and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place on a rack until completely cool.

For vanilla layer:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate covered peanuts, coarsely chopped

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, milk, and vanilla on medium-low speed until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until just barely mixed in. Increase speed to high and beat for about a minute, until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled brownies and top with chocolate covered peanuts and marshmallows, pressing in gently. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate.

For the chocolate:
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add cocoa powder and milk and stir until just boiling and thick. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove brownies from refrigerator and pout chocolate frosting over the top.

I didn't take any pictures but jump over to see her original recipe and drool over that photo. =)

**I need to mention that my brownie layer took a bit longer to cook. I blame it on my crappy oven. I think I should move a new oven from the "want" list to the "need" list.