Family, Faith & Dinner

Chicken Soup (AKA Miracle Soup) & Electric Pressure Cooker

2013-03-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

This is an updated recipe for what my 8 year old fondly calls Miracle Soup. The change here is my new electric pressure cooker. It is a six in one appliance. If you have read past post, then you know that I have been using my rice cooker for all sorts of cooking. Now my pressure cooker takes the place and does the job all the better. Plus it is much quicker! My cooker is this one:

It is called "Instant Pot"

Miracle Soup

8 cups of water

2-3 chicken breast (cut into bite size pieces)

1 large carrot (about one cup)

1 cup slivered cabbage

2 sticks of celery cut into small pieces

1 small onion (slivered or rough chopped)

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons of cilantro

1 cup uncooked rice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Just throw everything together in the pressure cooker. Close the lid and choose the soup setting. Once the pressure cooker beeps, carefully release the steam and enjoy!!! It tastes like it has simmered for a couple hours.

We love this soup and it is so forgiving. You could add dried white beans, leave out some veggies and add others. The picture shows it when I added parsnips. Hope you enjoy during this cold and flu time!

New Adventure in Freezer Cooking

2013-01-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

I have finished my first freezer cooking adventure and loved it!!!! I used the "Big Book of Freezer Cooking" along with a trial of their software (found on their website) to do the planning. Honestly, it was very easy. The book is easy to read. Each recipe has it's own page with a chart so that you can easily multiply the recipe. Plus since it was developed for freezer cooking it is a great way to learn. I would highly recommend this book. The software made the list making so easy. Simply select your recipes and print! Again, excellent for a first-timer.

So on Wednesday I took my list and went to two grocery stores. First to Aldi, filling the cart with anything on my list that can be found there plus some other basics. Then to Walmart to finish the list. Following are the dishes that I made:

Traditional Egg Rolls

Breakfast Burritos

Swiss Steak

Wet Tacos (Double Recipe)

Oven Crisp Chicken Tenders

Smokey Boneless Ribs (Double Recipe)

Freezer Slaw

Pinto Beans in Crockpot

Thursday morning, I dressed in my workout pants and tennis shoes for comfort then added an apron. I was filled with a little trepidation even though I love to cook. Next I took the list of ingredients and took out everything that was not highly perishable. Moved my food processor to the island and started the shredded, slicing, dicing and chopping.

After that, I just stopped. I had no idea what I should do next. So I decided that picking something that I could easily finish and check off would be the best route. So I began with the Swiss steak. It truly was a simple recipe and it worked out great. Next, I did the Chicken Tenders since I was already breading.

At this point, I was getting excited. Being in the kitchen with everything all laid out really makes cooking fun. Plus I was starting to see my progress. The rest of the way was quiet simple but a tiring. I just went through each recipe one at a time until complete.

Things I learned

Since this was my first time, I wanted to stock my freezer with variety. However, using just one or two meats would make it much easier. I had to wash carefully to prevent cross contamination. Plus it really separated each recipe making more work.

Plan based on sales. Next time I will definitely plan based on sales. I am wanting to switch to pasture fed meats but meanwhile a lot of money could be saved with looking at meat sales first.

While I loved how easy it was to print out from the software, I would make my own list next time. First of all, I would better know ahead of time what I needed to do. Second, there were a few measurements incorrect or items left off. These were not a big deal and all things on hand. Just in the fatigue of the day I had to be careful. There are forms that you can copy from the book or print out on their website.

For the wet tacos, I forgot I was doubling it when making the sauces. Yikes! So I need extra notes or post-its reminding myself of that.

Extra Freezer. I have not purchased an extra freezer yet and mine is stuffed. It was getting harder and harder to flash freeze as the day went on. Room in the freezer was top dollar real estate.

Be careful of teenagers! My son was homeschooling at the kitchen table. You could tell that each new dish was making it harder for him to keep his hands away. But truly he was a huge help in washing some dishes and final clean-up.

This stack is a small portion of the fruit of labor from yesterday. I didn't want to take it all out of the freezer and is the only way I could get a picture of all of it. All the dishes look yummy and were simple to make. Nothing too hard for sure. We tasted the egg rolls and they were very good! Cannot wait to taste the rest and yet I kinda don't want to take it from the freezer (LOL).

I also cannot wait for the next round!!! It truly was fun.

PS - DON'T FORGET TO REGISTER FOR THE COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY! IF YOU WANT TO TRY FREEZER COOKING OR ALREADY DO THEN YOU WANT THIS BOOK!!!

Cookbook Giveaway ~ 30 Day Gourmet's Big Book of Freezer Cooking

2013-01-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

As I begin my freezer cooking expedition, I have ended up with two of these books. I ordered one from them directly and thinking it was not coming (since there was no confirmation or response to email) I ordered another from Amazon. Since I get free shipping from Amazon Prime, they cost almost the same. I ordered the Amazon book six days later and got them at the same time. So if you want it quickly, I would order it from Amazon. When I get a new cookbook, I read it cover to cover. . . and that is what I did. I drank in the details and imagined the possibilities. The recipes all seem simple and delicious. It is full of tons of pertinent freezer cooking information and forms. All in all. . .it seems very do-able and enjoyable. I am very excited to get going!

Now for the extra book! I felt like this is a wonderful time to do a give-away. Who doesn't like something for free? And for me this is a good opportunity to ask you to share the blog. So in order to enter, please do the following:

At the top right of this page, subscribe to the blog.

Then at the bottom of this post, share it on Facebook.

A drawing will be held on February 8th at noon (est) for the winner. Book must be shipped within the USA. I look forward to sharing my journey with all of you and a book with the winner.

Money & Time Savings

2013-01-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

One of the things I have learned in recent years is that I must prepare ahead. This saves time later but also saves lots of money. Today, I cut up six sweet peppers to freeze. Three of these were from Aldi. They have produce at really good prices and I have been very pleased with the quality. The others were from a produce coop (Noisy Rabbit) that we are part of. I date them and then place them flat in the freezer. When I need sweet peppers, I just reach in the bag and take out what I need. There are times when I need peppers that the price is just too high. This helps me always have them available.

I also do this with meat. I buy our ground beef at Sam's Club. They have huge tubes of meat that are around $25. It is better quality than what I usually find at the grocery store. I would love to take the leap to pasture feed beef but meanwhile this seems best. Once I get it home, I go ahead and divide it into quart freezer bags. Sometimes I patty some and sometimes I brown some before freezing. It saves money and keeps me from needing to buy at current price.

For chicken breast, I also buy the big packs and separate it. Once home, I put them in the rice cooker with celery, onion, carrots, salt and pepper. Put it on the brown rice setting. It goes through one cycle and I let it partially cool (learned this from Martha Stewart) before taking it out. It comes out so tender. Cut it into bite size pieces and put it into quart freezer bags. Soups, pastas, casseroles, etc are no problem and quick to make. I love knowing cooked chicken is in the freezer and hate the feeling it I run out.

Hope these tips help you!

Writing Lesson

2013-01-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

Chloe has beautiful handwriting. Yes, I know bad posture for writing. She loves doing school and most of it she doesn't even consider work. So I let her do school where she likes and thus she spends lots of extra time doing school out of enjoyment.

Today though was a beautiful lesson for both of us. She looked up and said that when she needed to improved on some part of handwriting she just focused on the letter until she knew it. Then she could write it just like the example. WOW!

I thought that is like our relationship with God. In order to be more like Jesus, we need to focus on Him. Then amazingly He begins to transform us to the person He desires. We do the focusing and He does the rest of the work! Praise God for the sweet words of a child.

Asparagus Soup

2013-01-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

Don't you love soup season! I certainly do. One of our favorites is Cream of "veggie soup". It is easy and comforting. We personally like any green vegetable best. Tonight is Asparagus Soup. Talk about yum!

Asparagus Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Medium Onion roughly chopped

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3 tablespoons freshly milled white wheat flour (or whatever you use)

12 ounces frozen asparagus

2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup of milk or light cream

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

fresh grated lemon peel

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper (preferably white)

1/4 cup Parmesan for garnishAdd butter, garlic and onion to a soup pot. Saute until the onion is soft on medium temp.

Add flour, salt and pepper stirring for a couple minutes.

Add broth and milk stirring to prevent lumps. Cut asparagus into smaller pieces (I do thirds) and add to pot. Keep close check and cook for about 5 minutes. Add nutmeg.

Put mixture in blender half at a time (it is important to not over fill the blender). Pulse it until it is a nice consistency.

Add lemon zest and fill bowls. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Hi there!

2013-01-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Life here has been busy, busy, busy! Added to that. . .I have used the time I did have to update my other blog. But it is time to get down to business. As I struggle day in and day out to keep up with my responsibilities, I realize that others do too. So my hope is that I can add some things here that will be helpful.

I still mill my own wheat. No regular flour in the house and I can't imagine going back. I would say we eat semi healthy. We are just a real family with a real budget and lots on our calendar. I have tried to do things to prep ahead for a long time but I am getting ready to try freezer cooking. I will post my adventures, hits and misses. My starting point is going to be information found in this book: 30

Day Gourmet. I have already done lots of research and ordered the book. Now to eagerly await it's arrival!

Meanwhile, here is a recipe for what my 8 year old fondly calls Miracle Soup.

Miracle Soup

I use a rice cooker when I make this soup. It is quicker and easier than stove top and quicker than the crock pot. If you want to use the rice cooker, than just use the brown rice setting. I also try to keep chicken in the freezer that is cooked in the rice cooker or crock pot with veggies and cut into bite size pieces. I stuff a quart bag which suffices for most meals.

8 cups of water

2-3 chicken breast (or a quart bag of pre-cooked chicken)

1 large carrot (about one cup)

1 cup slivered cabbage

2 sticks of celery cut into small pieces

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons of cilantro

1 cup uncooked rice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Just throw everything together and cook until it is all tender and rice done. Takes about 30 minutes if the chicken was pre-cooked. Give it 45 minutes if your chicken was not already cooked.

We love this soup and it is so forgiving. You could add white beans, leave out some veggies and add others. The picture shows it when I added parsnips. Hope you enjoy during this cold and flu time!

Spinach Breakfast Pizza

2012-04-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

Last night we enjoyed a delicious Spinach Breakfast Pizza for dinner. For the crust, I used the first recipe here: Breadbeckers

Spinach Breakfast Pizza

Pizza Crust

8 Eggs

Box of frozen Spinach, thawed & drained

Medium Onion

Shredded Cheddar and/or Mozzarella

Small amount of white gravy (I use flour made from white beans and milk) optional

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Tomatoes optional

Once the dough was prepared and on the pan, I went ahead and put it in the oven to lightly bake (pretty well done but not browned). Meanwhile, I sauteed 1 onion. Add spinach when onion begins to get soft. Be sure to add some salt and pepper to the spinach and onion. Beat eggs thoroughly and season them as well. Then pour the eggs into the spinach. Scramble until eggs begin to set.

I used a small amount of white gravy as the sauce. You could skip this or use gravy however you like to make it. If you have a grain mill, then just throw a couple tablespoons of whatever white dried beans you have in it to make a white bean flour. Mix it with cold milk and heat. Again season. This makes a great, simple and healthy white gravy.

So spread the gravy on the crust. Then spread the egg spinach mixture over the gravy. Then put the amount of cheese you like over that. I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella. Bake in a 400° oven until cheese melted and looking yummy. For a wonderful garnish, cut thin slices of fresh tomato and put on right before serving. I also served fresh ground grits in little bowls beside the pizza. It looked beautiful and was really good.

Major Changes

2012-04-12T05:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted here much the last couple weeks and there is a reason. About four weeks ago, my husband and I went to a seminar about making a simple change in our diet. Well, we thought it would be a simple change. The seminar was about whole wheat flour and why mill you own. As we listened, we were amazed at the health benefits and quickly decided that was for us. Besides it was a simple change that we could easily implement since I already cook "from scratch" meals most of the time.

So we brought home our mill and 50 lb bag of wheat berries so excited about adding this great tasting healthy treat to our diets. But it took us by surprise. In a couple days, I found I no longer wanted the diet drinks that I enjoyed all day long. I had made multiple unsuccessful attempts to stop drinking this so this was huge! Also, my energy was increasing and to my amazement I was loosing weight too (even though we were eating our fill of bread and muffins).

So after a couple of weeks, I decided it was time to clean out the pantry. I no longer used or wanted the highly processed flour or sugar in our home. I couldn't imagine going back to the way I had felt before. More and more our diets have changed over the last four weeks. Most of the recipes I have used have been new to me. I have enjoyed experimenting and we are learning to enjoy foods more the way God intended. It has radically changed what we keep in our pantry and refrigerator. Also, with such huge changes progressing it has made it a bit more difficult for me to plan out our meals. Needless to say, that adds stress and I am looking forward to getting that back on track.

But please know that I hope you will see changes in the recipes here. I still will open a can of beans or tomatoes. I certainly don't use all healthy ingredients but I am doing much better. I also may not be able to post recipes as often. It might take me a little more time to come up with recipes to post since I am partly relying on new recipes. Some recipes aren't mine to post and frankly some just aren't worth posting (last night's dinner included). Now what I will do is take the recipe from last night and try to improve it. Once it is satisfactory I will add it here.

I am so excited about this journey and what God is teaching me. I hope you will join me and glean much from the morsels I hope to give.

BBQ Pizza with Homemade Crust

2012-03-24T10:39:00.000-07:00

[caption id="attachment_67" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="White Wheat Berries in hopper of Wheat Mill"][/caption]BBQ Pizza with fresh made Crust

First I start by making fresh bread. I use a grain mill to mill the wheat berries and

[caption id="attachment_74" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Beautiful fresh whole grain flour"][/caption]then use my Kitchenaid mixer to mix the dough.

First start milling the flour. While it is milling, place the oil, honey, water and yeast in the Kitchenaid bowl. The yeast should start foaming and bubbling.

1 ½ cups hot water

½ cup oil[caption id="attachment_68" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Yeast, Honey, Water, Olive Oil"][/caption]

¼ cup honey

4 ½ cups fresh milled flour

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. Lecithin

1 tsp. gluten

1 egg

1 Tbs. Yeast

[caption id="attachment_69" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Crust Spread rolled onto pan."][/caption]

Add your fresh milled flour and all the other ingredients (put salt in after flour or it will kill the yeast). Turn the mixer on and allow it to mix about 7 minutes. Take it out of the mixer and knead it into nice dough on lightly oiled (olive oil) surface. Pinch off the portion of dough needed for each pan and roll it out.

[caption id="attachment_72" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Sauteed Onion and Red/Yellow Peppers"][/caption]Then for the toppings. Saute an onion and sweet peppers (or any veggies of your choice) in small amount of olive oil. Add about two cups of precooked chicken (I cook chicken in my crock pot when I get home from the grocery store. Let it cool slightly and fill quart freezer bags. So I use one of these bags.)

Once this items are warmed through, add your favorite home-aide or store bought BBQ sauce.

[caption id="attachment_71" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Pizza Ready for Oven"][/caption]

Then simply pour mixture on top of pizza dough and top with mozzarella cheese.

You can change this up any way you like and make it new each time! Enjoy!

: Fresh out of oven! Yum!

What's for dinner?

2012-03-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Tonight we are going a bit German. Sauerkraut, sausages and mashed potatoes. It will be finished off with fresh made cinnamon rolls.

Bread

2012-03-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11

We have just returned from a three day homeschool conference and I am behind in posting. Rest assured we have enjoyed much eating and family time. However, over the past days something has significantly changed in what we eat. Growing up in the south, bread was always a big part of our meals. Then as an adult, I learned I had to limit myself as my waistline started showing my love for bread (and mashed potatoes). But our way of thinking has changed a bit. You will want to keep reading. You are going to have a great excuse to enjoy delicious bread.

Over time and little by little, God has introduced me to the idea (although I wasn't ready to buy it) of whole grains. But I had tried whole wheat flour purchased in bags from the grocery store and was just not convinced. The end products were dry, heavy and not very pleasing. But I wonder. . .have you ever tried bread made from freshly milled flour? Yum!!! It is divine and you will think there is no way it could be good for you. But it is! In fact, it is life giving and healing.

"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food." Isaiah 55:2

There is a wonderful website called The Bread Beckers. Their website is loaded with information. There is also a free cd you can request that I strongly suggest. If you live locally, we know of a wonderful family that sells the machines and grains. I would gladly put you in touch with them. With various health issues, I cannot express how much I wish I had paid attention to this sooner. Please take time to read about it.

Burrito Bake & Sauteed Corn

2012-03-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Dinner tonight was simple and a long time friend to our home. In fact, I first made Burrito Bake twenty-two years ago. It was the first time I cooked for my husband of twenty-one years and he burned the roof of his mouth on the gooey goodness of cheese topping. It is so simple that once you make it you will not even need a recipe. Begin by cooking 1.5 lbs ground beef (breaking into small bits). Add a small chopped onion about halfway through. Once the meat is done and the onion soft, drain. Add about 1 cup salsa and half of large can enchilada sauce. Mix well. Evenly separate the mix into burrito shells. Fold each one burrito style and place in a baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over burritos and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted and yummy. Top with lettuce, tomato and sour cream, if desired.

As a side, I chop a small onion and half of a red pepper. Sauteed them in about 2 tablespoons butter. When they start to soften, add frozen corn. Season with salt and pepper. This golden goodness finishes off any meal perfectly.

Dinner Table Devotions ~ Great Book

2012-03-09T10:48:00.000-08:00

I want to introduce a book to you that I think epitomizes what I hope this blog will do. It is called "Dinner Table Devotions & discussions starters". We have been using lately in our family and love it. There is one page for each day of the year. The devotion includes information from the Bible and real life comparisons. Most days really are something you can sink your teeth into (LOL). Then several verses are listed in the margin and discussion questions are at the bottom of the page. The Bible verses have been perfectly matched to the devotions. But one thing I really love is that it is interesting and challenging for ALL ages. If you are experiencing a devotion time as a family, then this might be just what you need. The first dinner is a little awkward as you try to figure out who reads and when they read. However, after the first one it just fell into place for us. I feel like the purpose and quality of mealtime has drastically improved.

Breakfast for Dinner

2012-03-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

My family frequently asks for breakfast for dinner. On my menu planning, I usually just put "Breakfast" in the dinner spot. For some heavy planners this would not be enough info. As far as specifics, I like to change it up. I usually do a breakfast casserole or quiche but I am not opposed to scrambled eggs (or western scrambled eggs with onion and green peppers). I usually do either grits or potatoes. The finishing touch will be fruit and possibly biscuits. One of our favorite breakfast casseroles is pretty much an all in one.

Breakfast Bake

1 package pork sausage (I use Ingles lower fat sausage. We think it tastes the best.)

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cups hash brown potatoes

1.5 cups chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen)

2 cups cheddar cheese

1 cup biscuit mix (Bisquick or any brand)

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

5 eggs

Heat oven to 400°. Spray 13"x9" baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook sausage adding onions and bell pepper during the last few minutes. Stir potatoes, broccoli and 1.5 cups cheese into meat mixture. Spread in baking dish.

In a bowl, mix biscuit mix, milk, salt, pepper and eggs until blended. Pour into baking dish. Bake uncovered for approximately 40 minutes. Knife inserted in the middle should come out clean. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer to melt cheese. Enjoy with some fresh fruit and maybe a biscuit.

For new post. . .

2012-03-07T05:34:00.001-08:00

I have moved my blog to www.familyfaithdinner.com. Please come by to enjoy the recipes and share ideas.

Easy Lasagna Recipe

2012-03-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Dinner last night was a very easy and delicious Lasagna. I hope you will make it and enjoy it.

1 lb ground beef

1 32-ounce jar of thick spaghetti sauce (I use two 24 ounce jars )

1 medium onion - chopped

1.5 cups water

2 cups ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (plus a little more for the top)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 chopped parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

24 lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef in 3-quart saucepan, stirring until crumbly. Near the end add the chopped onion to soften. Add sphaghetti sauce and water; mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl; mix well. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce in 11x15 inch (or close size) baking dish. Layer noodles on sauce. Then layer 1.5 cups meat sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top layer will be a layer of noodles, followed by meat sauce. Finish it with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese.

Bake 350° covered with foil for 55 minutes. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

This recipe comes together very easy and would be great served for company with a salad.

Vacation Meals

2012-03-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

This post is going to be a little different in that last week we were on vacation. We stayed right outside of Walt Disney World in a nice two bedroom condo resort for less than we could have done an onsite budget resort. One of the biggest budget breakers for vacation is meals and yet as the mom I still want to feel like I am on vacation. We spent 4 days in the Disney parks and one day at Holy Land Experience. My general plan was not to have more than one meal out per day. Here is what we did:

Breakfast was easy. I made Sausage Balls before the trip. I also took cereal and breakfast bars. Everyone just picked what they wanted for breakfast. It was quick, easy and had us in the parks at rope drop.

For lunches we did have a couple of meals planned. The days we didn't have plans, I just packed a lunch in a backpack cooler. We included sandwiches of everyone's choice (ham, turkey or peanut butter), apples, crackers (or chips) and drinks. Lots of parks do allow you to take food in now so just check before leaving home. We had no problems at any of the Disney parks. Once we got into the park, we put the cooler into a locker and were off for the day. When lunch time rolled around we avoided the crowds and found a nice place to sit. Not only did we not miss eating at the parks but it was very nice.

We had two dinners out but the other nights included simple fare at the condo. I had cooked ground beef with onions before leaving home. We needed three evening meals. We had Sloppy Joes and chips, Chili Cheese & Fritos and Hot Dogs.

Each day we did have a breakfast or lunch out so we really had too much food everyday. But we kept it simple which made it fun and budget friendly.

What's for Dinner?

2012-02-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

Today will be southern all the way. We will be having cube steak with gravy, rice and green beans. Please share your meal ideas if you like.

For valentines day, I got a great new kitchen appliance. It is a slow cooker. . .oh but wait this one is different. The insert is stovetop safe. That means that I can sear meat before slow cooking it in the same pot. I can also thicken sauces or gravies when I am finished slow cooking. It is a great new kitchen gadget that is getting lots of use in my home. Hamilton Beach Stovetop Slow Cooker

Low on left-overs. . .

2012-02-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

As I have said before, we typically have left-overs for lunch. It is easy and yummy. Today I was really low on left-overs. Eating out for Valentines plus some of the recipes yields just didn't leave lots. By Fridays, we are sometimes low. So I brought out a recipe that I don't typically make for lunch. Nonetheless, it is easy.

Crunchy Baked Chimichangas

1.5 cups chopped cooked chicken (I cook chicken in the slow cooker and have it stocked in the freezer for such occasions)

1/2 salsa or picante sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

6 flour tortillas

2 tbsp melted butter

Toppings - Salsa, Sour Cream, lettuce, tomato, cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first 10 ingredients. Divide mixture among tortillas evenly. Fold sides over filling and place folded sides down on a baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy this delight with whichever toppings you like. These are very flexible. I change up the filling often. Try beef or beans. Add some corn. Hope you love them!

For tonight's menu, it will be grilled hamburgers, sweet potato fries and sauteed zucchini. Followed by some nice family time with cards or a game. We have really been enjoying some triominoes lately. Hope to make some good memories.

Valentines and the day after. . .

2012-02-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Valentines Day. I really had not considered going out. You know crowds, sticking to the plan etc. Well, hubby called and asked about going out to eat so we did. It was such a sweet gesture and it was nice to have a day off. Still yet, I guess I have become a home body since starting this menu planning. I really like to eat at home. I think it truly shows that it is simply whatever we are accustomed to.

So tonight we are having the meal planned for yesterday. It will be tacos (recipe below), corn with some onion and red peppers, and refried beans. We will also be having a cake as a special surprise to my husband (hope he doesn't read this). It is a really simple meal but a family favorite. Love when it is that way.

Taco Meat Recipe

1.5 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 small onion, minced
3/4 cup water
4 oz tomato sauce (sometimes I use crushed tomatoes)

This seasoning works well anytime you might use Taco Meat. I use it for Taco Salads, soft shells, hard shells or lettuce shells (my favorite).

Making the plans. . .

2012-02-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

Currently, I make meal plans for two weeks at a time. I keep thinking about switching to monthly plans but,honestly, I like the two week plan. I usually have a pretty good idea of plans over the next two week period. Plus my refrigerator is stuffed at times even with a two week plan.

Are you wondering how to get started? Let me help. I use forms from Money Saving Mom. I like the vertical two week plan and the grocery shopping list. First off, I add to my shopping list staples like cereal, milk, butter, eggs, etc. Then I begin by filling in dinners that I know we will want onto the two week list. If I need more ideas, I have a couple of "go to" cookbooks and a notebook filled with recipes that I have printed from online. Usually a quick look through one of these will help me complete the dinners. I only plan for breakfast or lunch if there is something special going on. For breakfast, I just make sure I have an assortment on hand including oatmeal, cereal, frozen biscuits (Wal-mart brand is the best), bagels, eggs, and low fat sausage. Lunches are almost always leftovers. This works well for us since we homeschool.

Now I will say that many advocate plans that are much more specific for the overall. However, I have found that once I started planning dinners and being determined to stick to the plan everything else fell into place. My attitude changed. I honestly do not like eating out any more. Furthermore, at the end of the two weeks I feel like I have won a marathon by carrying out the plan.

I think with today's busy schedules it is so easy to think it is easier and perhaps quicker to grab something out. At this point, I would challenge that notion. Our family has so much more quality time since I started being diligent about our meal plans. There are no words to describe how much it has changed our family. I hope yours will enjoy the same changes as well.

By the way, tonight's dinner is Chicken Marsala, mashed potatoes, and green peas! Hum!

Rice Cookers & Dinner

2012-02-09T06:56:00.000-08:00

Back in November, my husband bought a rice cooker. I wasn't sure it was going to be worth the space that it would occupy. Boy was I wrong. First off, it makes the best rice. It has come out perfectly every time no matter which kind of rice I used but that is only the beginning. I use it about 3-4 times per week. It works beautifully for soups, stews, meats, oatmeal and the list goes on. I simply use the white rice setting for most things. It cooks quickly with the sealed lid and makes little mess. I am even thinking I might take it for the next vacation.

So tonight we will be having red beans and rice for dinner. The hardest thing was knowing I couldn't use the Rice Cooker for the beans since I need it for the rice. LOL! I look forward to finding more great things to make in my Rice Cooker.

Making the Plans

2012-02-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

It seems like I have known most of my married life that I should be planning out meals. However, for the most part I have not. Like so many, I would go to the grocery store and just fill the buggy with what I thought we would need or like. As a result, I would often find myself in the kitchen scrambling to decide what I could fix for dinner and then possibly making a quick run to the store. Assuming I did a good job of cooking most of the meals through a week, it would not be uncommon to make three or four trips to the store. Unfortunately, often it would end with "let's just get something out." I knew this was blowing our budget and our waistlines but felt powerless to change anything (admission: just didn't want to). Isn't that the case with most things we don't think we have time to do?

Now let me start by saying, I never on my own became motivated to change. I simply didn't want to. But one day when we were at Lifeway Christian Store there was a book on sale that caught our attention. It was this book: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. As I read the book, it inspired me. I already had Family Feasts for $75 a Week which is a wonderful book with lots of good cheap recipes.

So I set out on a mission and started planning our meals two weeks at a time (I would like to do four weeks but not there yet). I have to say it is amazing. The rewards have far outweighed anything I could imagine. Here are some benefits we have discovered:

1) We almost never eat out and don't even miss it. Thus helping our budget tremendously.
2) Our grocery bill has been slashed. I buy what is on my list and items that are on a huge sale that I am positive we will use. I spend less in a grocery trip than I did without planning the meals and have everything I need to actually make the meals.
3) We have exponentially more time together as a family.
4) We tend to stay home more in general since this is where our food will be and there is less reason to "go out anyway."
5) I am sooo much less stressed. Dinner no longer hangs over my head. It is so much more a treat to cook when there is a plan.

While all of these are amazing, number three is the greatest. I had no idea how much time we were wasting or what it would do to our family to get that time back. Last week we sat down as a family to play a game 4 or 5 times. I couldn't believe as much as we had going on that we found time to do that.

So I am thinking there is definitely a family lesson in this but what about a Bible lesson. Yep, there is. Hebrews 12:11 says, "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." So you know where this is going. . .apply that same lesson to quiet time!!! I already know that self-discipline brings peaceful fruit. God showed me a real life example but what about the fruit of righteousness? Now I can just be stubborn which obviously I am good at. How about you? Are you good at stubborn? If you are like me then let's choose to be stubbornly self disciplined. I think if we step in the right direction then God will show us the rewards. As I think about the meal planning example, I really think we will want more and more time with Him once we see the rewards.

"The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied" Proverbs 13:4

The supplies of my pantry will not even compare to what the Lord Jesus Christ has for me. What joy even this brings!

What's for Dinner tonight?

2012-02-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

It is Chicken Tortilla Soup. Already in the crock pot. I will add a picture later. Please comment and share what is for dinner for your family.Click Here!