Chef Mama

Honey Leg of Lamb by ChefMama Jill

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Here is a great recipe for Easter. Elegant yet simple...

Ingredients:

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup onion finely chopped and cooked

1/2 cup fresh mint finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 lbs. boneless leg of lamb

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Place leg of lamb and marinade in plastic bag and seal tightly. Let maraniate in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place lamb on rack in baking pan, saving leftover marinade.Lightly salt and pepper lamb and bake 40-45 minutes, bushing occasionally with the marinade. When lamb gets to a temperature of 145 degrees, remove from oven, cover and let rest for 15 minutes before serveing with all of your favorite Easter side dishes.

noreply@blogger.com (Rock Star Mommy) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 04:00:00 -0800

*** Sunday ***

Crock Pot Chicken with egg noodles

Prep. Time 10 minutes Cook time 6-8 hours.

Ingredients

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 large carrots sliced into chunks

2 cans cream of chicken and mushroom soup

1 cup water

Egg noodles

Directions

Add chicken breast to crock pot.
Mix soup with water and pour over chicken.
Place carrots on top.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
Just before serving prepare egg noodles by placing them in boiling water and continue to boil for 10 minutes or until done.
Drain noodles and top with creamy chicken.
Serve

Special Notes:

I usually prepare one more chicken breast than needed for my family to assure I have leftovers for tomorrow's recipe.

*** Monday ***

Chef Mama's Chicken noodle soup

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 2-4 hours

Ingredients

Leftover chicken and noodles from sun.

2 cans chicken broth

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

Directions

Add last night's left over creamy chicken and noodles to crock pot.
Break up chicken with fork.
Add 2 cans chicken broth and one cup water.
Add Italian seasoning and stir.
Cook low 2-4 hours. 20 minutes before serving add in frozen peas.
Serve with fresh baked Pillsbury rolls.

*** Tuesday***

Beef Broccoli with brown rice

Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 25 minutes

Ingredients

1-2 lb. flank steak sliced thinly

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups fresh broccoli florets

1 small onion cut in wedges

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Hot cooked rice (I prefer brown rice)

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
Stir in beef until well coated.
Add beef to large skillet or wok and stir-fry over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until it reaches desired doneness.
Remove beef from pan and cover to keep warm.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and stir-fry broccoli and onion for about 5 minutes.
In mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch ginger and 1/2 cup water until smooth.
Add the mixture and beef to the pan.
Stir and cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes.
Serve over warm rice.

Special Notes:

If your kids will not eat the onion you may omit it. You can also leave some plain beef and broccoli aside before adding soy sauce mixture for very picky eaters. I now there are a few out there!

***Wednesday***

Happy New Year! Go out and Celebrate! No cooking tonight!
***Thursday***

Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna

Prep time 15 minutes Cook time 3-4 hours

Ingredients

1lb lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 package frozen cheese filled tortellini (25 ounces)

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef and onion over medium heat.
Drain and add spaghetti sauce.
Heat thoroughly.
Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
Add thin layer of sauce to cooker.
Add single layer of FROZEN ravioli.
Cover with sauce and cheese.
Repeat in layers finishing with cheese on top.
Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours.
Serve with garlic bread and fresh green salad.

*** Friday ***

Cheddar Chicken Rolls and sliced parmesan potatoes

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 30 minutes

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or you can use breasts if they are thin)

1 cup frozen broccoli (thawed and chopped)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 pouch shake and bake seasoning mix

4 medium potatoes sliced

Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place chicken thighs on wax paper with the smooth side down and pound to 1/2 inch thickness with meat mallet.
Top with broccoli and cheese Roll up each chicken thigh tightly starting at one of the short ends.
Use wooden toothpicks to hold roll together.
Place shake and bake seasoning in a shallow bowl.
Roll each chicken roll in shake and bake to coat.
Place rolls seam side down on foil lined baking pan.
Add sliced potatoes on another foil lines baking sheet.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake both for 30 minutes.
Remove toothpicks before serving.

*** Sat***

Personal pizzas

Prep. Time Hmmm... Shouldn't take too long, but could turn into a major production depending on the kids. Cook time 7-10 minutes

Ingredients

4 mini Boboli pizza crusts

1 jar Ragu Pizza Quick Sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Pepperoni

Mushrooms, onion, peppers... All optional

Directions

Ok chef mamas, this is one for the kids to help with.
Give each person their own crust or two can share one if children are very young.
Let them spoon on sauce and add toppings of choice.
Then bake for 7-10 minutes.
Sounds easy right?
However, with children you never know when the unexpected will happen...(Pizza on the floor anybody? or maybe something added that shouldn't be?)
So have your favorite pizza delivery number on hand just in case!
Also keep the camera nearby... we would love to see pics of you cooking with your kids.

Recipes for the Week of December 21

noreply@blogger.com (Rock Star Mommy) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:43:00 -0800

Grocery List

Meat & Fish

1-2 racks baby back ribs
1-2 lbs. lean ground beef
8 chicken legs
2 lbs. round cube steak
1 lb. salmon fillets
4 chicken breast halves

Produce

2 small onions
1 lemon
4 medium baking potatoes or sweet potatoes
1 tomato
Lettuce
Asparagus
Green beans
New potatoes

Dairy

Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Heavy whipping cream (1 cup)
Fresh Parmesan cheese (1 cup)

Helpers

1 package taco seasoning
1 packet Lipton rice sides Mexican rice
1 cans Pillsbury biscuits
Fortune cookies
1 package tostado shells

Spices & Baking

Vegetable oil
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
Flour
Pepper
Butter
Light brown sugar
Seasoning salt

Cans

1 jar BBQ sauce
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 12 0z. Jars of home-style beef gravy

Frozen

1 bag frozen peas
1 bag frozen Chinese vegetables
1 bag frozen corn

Pastas

Brown rice
Whole wheat fettuccini noodles
Egg noodles

Misc

Aluminum foil
Cooking spray

Recipes

*** Sunday ***

Crock pot BBQ Ribs

Prep. Time 10 minutes Cook time 8-10 hours.

Ingredients

1-2 racks baby back ribs

1 jar BBQ sauce

Olive oil

Seasoning salt

4 medium potatoes

1 can or one package frozen corn

Directions

Spray crock pot.
Place ribs in crock pot.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Pour BBQ sauce over ribs.
Cook on low 8-10 hours.
After done, place ribs in baking dish and spoon sauce over top.
Broil at 350 degrees in oven for 5 -10 minutes.
Serve with baked potatoes and corn.

*** Monday ***

Beef Tostados

Prep. Time 15 minutes Cook time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1-2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 package of tostado shells

1 package of taco seasoning

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Sour cream salsa

Lipton Rice Sides Packet of Mexican rice or plain rice

Directions

Brown ground beef in skillet over medium heat.
Drain and add taco seasoning and prepare according to package.
Spoon beef mixture onto shells and top with the toppings of your choice.
Serve with Mexican rice or plain rice and veggie of choice.

Special Notes:

This is a great recipe to let the kids help out with. They have fun making their own tostados. I put all toppings in little bowls and place on table and let everyone make their own. This is also a favorite recipe of our two pug dogs because they wait under the table for the kids to drop something.

*** Tuesday ***

Slow cooker Italian Chicken

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 6-7 hours

Ingredients

8 chicken legs, skins removed

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 of a small onion (optional)

Fresh green beans

New potatoes

Directions

Spray slow cooker for easy clean up.
Place chicken legs in slow cooker.
Place chicken legs in slow cooker.
Spoon mixture over chicken.
If using onion (I use it), cut onion into thirds, separate the sections and place over the chicken.
Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.
Spoon sauce over chicken when serving.
Serve with steamed green beans and new potatoes.

Special Notes:

Just wanted to let you know about a chefmama quick tip. I love to use Ziploc steam bags to steam veggies. Just place veggies in bag and steam in microwave! It is so easy!

*** Wednesday ***

Fettuccini Alfredo with Broccoli

Prep time 20 minutes Cook time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 package whole wheat Fettuccini noodles

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Place butter, cream, Parmesan and pepper in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low 45 min. or until all ingredients are melted.
Meanwhile, steam broccoli and prepare noodles according to package.
Add noodles and broccoli to slow cooker.
Stir until mixed well.
Serve immediately or cover and keep warm till ready.

*** Thursday ***

Easy Smothered Steak with egg noodles

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 25 minutes

Ingredients

2 lbs. round cube steak

2 (12 ounce) jars home-style beef gravy

Egg noodles

Flour

Vegetable oil

Pillsbury biscuits

Frozen peas

Directions

Lightly flour cubed steak and brown in large skillet with vegetable oil.
Drain and add gravy.
Simmer over low for 20 minutes.
Serve over warm egg noodles with peas and biscuits.

Special Notes:

This recipe can also be served over mashed potatoes or rice instead of noodles if your family prefers.

*** Friday ***

Salmon and Asparagus

Prep time 10 minutes Cook time 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb. salmon fillet

Olive oil

Lemon

Seasoning salt

Onion

1/2 lb. asparagus tips

Directions

Rinse salmon and place on aluminum foil.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Squeeze juice from half lemon on top salmon and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
Top with onion slices.
Place asparagus on sides of salmon.
Roll up foil to make a packet around fish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Special note:

If your children will not eat salmon, make extra fettuccini on Wednesday for them to have instead.

*** Saturday ***

Asian Glazed Chicken

Prep. Time 10 minutes Cook time 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Brown rice

One package frozen mixed Chinese vegetables

Directions

Line a shallow baking pan with foil and place chicken on foil skin side up.
Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl.
Brush mixture over chicken and bake 30 minutes.
Serve with brown rice and veggies.

Special note:

I like to pick up some fortune cookies for the kids when I make this.

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:19:00 -0700

Wow what a busy week I had. For all of you who don't know, Samantha graduated this year! There have been non stop grad parties to attend and now I am working on her party. There are so many details that go into planning a party... even I ( the queen of party planning) have a hard time keeping up with it all. I am trying to plan an event that will be unique.. unlike all the other parties we have attended. One thing I did was a slide show of her life which turned out great! I highly recommend doing that! If any of you moms have any great ideas please share!

Working Full time

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:32:00 -0700

I have been working full time now for about 6 weeks. I guess I should say working outside the home full time. As a mom, our job as mom, cook, cleaner, taxi driver, scheduler, social leader, shopper and of course bather is more than full time. Then we throw ourselves into a full time job in addition to all that. Some may say "I don't want to hire a MOM, she will be too distracted and will not be productive." Well let me tell you something...I would only want moms! Why you may ask? We are the most amazing multi-taskers you will ever come in contact with...hands down, no questions asked. The amount of things a mom can accomplish in one day is absolutely mind-boggling. For example, Jill, Judy and I are organizing the 2009 Mamapalooza again this year..only to be bigger and better than this year. Jill is a full time mom to two, an incredible party thrower and goer, volunteer at school, always available to help others out and is by far the most organized person I have ever met. Judy works full time outside the house, is an amazing interior decorator, is in a Mom rock band, writes for a couple of papers and still never misses a soccer game! I just started back to work full time...I am still not sure I have the hang of it and am thinking seriously about getting someone to clean my house! But I am still so passionate about moms and connecting them. I spend all my spare time doing that. So no matter who you are or what your situation...never, never give up. Find yourself a fellow mom to support you and build you up and the sky will be the limit. Please share with us you experiences and successes as a mom or entrepreneur. Can't wait to read about them!

Chefmama Corn Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:10:00 -0700

Cute Cupcakes from the files of Chefmama.com. Perfect for picnics and barbeques.

MASHIE IS FOUND

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:44:00 -0700

Mashie was found! She was gone from Friday night to Tuesday evening. I was starting to really loose hope. But we went out yet again, the kids and I with two of their friends. We put small notices in a bunch of mailboxes and then went to 4 different subdivisions and posted signs at the exits. Mashie had been found a couple of days prior and they had taken her to the shelter Monday afternoon. They were the sweetest couple ever. He even gave $$ for the shelter to take good care of her and they kept calling to check on her! If she was not found by us, they were going to keep her. They loved her! When she got home, she ran around the outside of the house two times as fast as she could. Almost like saying "I'm Home!"

grilling with kids

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 08:46:00 -0700

I just made a great dinner last night, Curry Pork Kebobs. Since they they got the thumbs up from my family of taste- testers, they will be features in next weeks recipes on www.chefmama.com. As I was making them, Sydney wanted to help and had a blast placing the things she wanted on her skewer. It made me realize that this could be a fun family project. So, the next time you are making kebobs, let each family member customize their own with what ever veggies ( or in Syd's case, no veggies) they like. Just make sure that everyone washes their hands before and after! Keep on cookin' !

ChefMama's Summer Treats E-book

noreply@blogger.com (Rock Star Mommy) — Mon, 7 Jul 2008 08:13:00 -0700

When the weather gets hot, the kitchen gets hotter. We've taken the heat off coming up with kool summer treats for your family with our latest e-book titled "Summer Treats". Order a downloadable copy today and get easy-peasy recipes for :

Roasted Marshmallow Bananas
No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Mini Frozen Smores
Granny Smith-Snicker Salad
Pine-Apple Grilled Dessert and more!

Order your copy at: Summer Treats!

LOST DOG

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 5 Jul 2008 22:27:00 -0700

Happy end of the weekend. Boy did it go fast! And the weather sure did change and finally stop raining. It seems thats all it did the whole month of June. I am actually writing to tell everyone that we lost our dog this weekend. She was so scared of the fireworks, that we think she just ran. We have had her for 12 years, needless to say she is like one of the family. Each of us miss her in a different way. My daughter misses her jumping up on her bed as soon as she went to bed, she was yelling out the window "Mashie!" this afternoon still. My oldest has been very quiet over this whole thing, but I know he is hurting...Mashie slept with him every night. She would literally not move when he tried to role in bed, and he would have to roll her over just so he could get covered up! I miss the way you would be in a room and the door would just open and in she would walk! We have contacted the Sheriff, checked the shelter and have her listed on http://www.fidofinder.com/. She is a Shih-Tzu/Maltese Mix, mostly blackish grey with white on her face and will come to "Mashie" or "Want a treat?" COME HOME MASHIE DOG!!!
http://www.fidofinder.com/dog.php?id=128749

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 4 Jul 2008 10:02:00 -0700

Last Sunday we had a fantastic church service honoring our US Military that was entitled "REMEMBER ME." Every military type was represented. It was a very emotional and proud service, we sang, we cried, we laughed and we saw 169 pictures of Michigan men and women that have died in the current war. Really bringing it home to each of us that were sitting in the audience. But the moment that was the most inspirational and memorable for me was at the end of the service. As we all exited the service, all the service people were outside and some of us were in a line to shake their hands. My 11 year old was in front of me a few people, I touched his shoulder and said "if you are going to shake their hands, you say THANK YOU to each and every one of them." He simply nodded and turned back around. I was not able to keep an eye on him as I was going through the line myself, but when I got to the end...my son turned around and was red-faced and crying very hard. The emotion and meaning of what he had just done came out all at once. I hugged him and told him how proud I was of him and we then cried together! It is today that we all need to be thankful for our freedom and protection. Make it a priority to do something positive to show you support our soldiers; tie yellow ribbons outside your house or get more involved and gather items to send overseas. Either way, you will feel good about the support and opportunity to teach your children. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

Cool Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Rock Star Mommy) — Thu, 3 Jul 2008 08:42:00 -0700

Each week ChefMama introduces you to some of our favorite websites. This week it's http://www.womenforhire.com/.

Women for Hire was founded in 1999 as the first and only company devoted to a comprehensive array of recruitment services for women. Women For Hire offers signature career expos, inspiring speeches and seminars, a popular career-focused magazine, customized marketing programs, and an online job board that helps leading employers connect with top-notch professional women in all fields.

This user friendly site is full of videos and interviews about women who inspire. I always enjoy reading their "Be Gutsy" blog.

You can check out my video at http://womenforhire.tv/judy-davids-author-rock-star-mommy/.

Sweet Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 11:22:00 -0700

So there we were winding down a busy weekend with a late sunday night swim when Sydney asks me, "Can we bake brownies?" A thousand reasons to say no cross my mind.... I am tired, it is too late, too hot, we are still in our swimming suits, there are too many other things that need to be done, ect.... But instead I said "sure, why not?"

And am I glad I did! How else would I have gotten this cute picture of her there with brownie batter on her nose. It is sweet moments like this when you realize how simple it is to make a child happy. I am sure when she is older and no longer wants to bake with me, I will look back at this photo and laugh and be glad I took the time to just stop what I was doing and spend time with her. What a sweet moment!

My first camping trip!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:41:00 -0700

OK, I just went on my first camping trip. 12 years of marriage and 3 kids later, my husband, brother and sister in law talked me into it! I have to admit I was not excited about the endeavor AND we had a 9 X 9 tent from my husbands bachelor days that all 5 of us crammed into.....BUT I have to admit, it was actually an awesome "family time" trip. No phone, no computer, no housework, no worrying about food or dinner, no work, no LAUNDRY!!! I have to say you need to get yourself into "camping-mode" and know that being clean, showering and having good hair days will not be a part of the camping experience. But the kids LOVE that! I had one on one time with my 11 year old son as we walked around the park and talked. My daughter met some new friends and we talked about the idea of a pen pal, something kids do not do anymore. And then my 3 year old...he was simply in heaven the whole weekend. Playing outside for 2 whole days! Now I will be honest about something....I hated sleeping in a tent. I am a very light sleeper and just couldn't do it. So we have decided to try and find an actual camper so we can continue our new "family time" activity. But no more tents for this Mama! Please let me know about your experience with camping and how you feel. Would love to hear!

Welcome to Chefmama Chat

noreply@blogger.com (Chefmama Jill) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 09:22:00 -0700