Colie's Kitchen

Menu Plan Monday 6/4/-6/10/2012

2012-06-04T13:33:00.000-05:00

For the last few months I have been compiling a list of recipes that I would like to try. Many of them come from your blogs so keep your heads up to see them posted. My goal for the month of June is to make something we have never had before. It could be that it’s the main dish or possibly a side dish that is new either way we will be trying something new each night at dinner. If this works as I have planned this will continue on throughout the summer. If you have a recipe that you really love please post it here or drop me an email so that we can give it a try. My only restriction is no eggplant because I am highly allergic to it. Email me at colie@colieskitchen.com

Week Day	Main Course	Vegetable	Side Dish
Monday	Pizza	Salad	Breadsticks
Tuesday	Southwest chopped Chicken Salad
Wednesday	Honey Sauced Chicken	Roasted Carrots	Steamed Brown Rice
Thursday	Mini Meatloafs	Corn on the Cob	Cheesy Cauliflower Pancakes
Friday	Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta	Green Beans
Saturday	Homemade Egg Rolls		Steamed Cabbage
Sunday	Mexican Chicken and Rice		Steamed Broccoli

For More Menu Planning Ideas Visit www.OrgJunkie.com

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Day One Summer Sizzle Slimdown Challenge!! (Join Us!)

2012-06-03T12:58:00.001-05:00

I decided I wanted a fresh weigh loss challenge start. Today is the first day of the Summer Sizzle Challenge over at Does this Blog Make My Butt Look Fat. Tomorrow will be my first day because I thought we started on Monday. I have been looking forward to starting this challenge. I participated in one last summer and had great success. If you are interested in joining it’s not too late just head over to the Summer Sizzle Post and leave your information so that everyone can follow you and help cheer you on. I don’t know about you but I can always use all the support I can get.

I am excited to be doing this one with my friend Alison from Under the big oak tree. That always means a lot to me. Even if you only need to lose a few pounds please link up because we are all in this together and will help cheer you on to your goal.

What I am truly excited about is that the Summer Sizzle Challenge goes through the entire summer so you always have a constant go to for the summer time. September 2^nd would be your final weigh in for the challenge! Here are all the details to join

Goals this week:

Keep track of everything I eat on Myfitnesspal.com (User name: ReadytoShine Friend request me!!)
I am limiting myself to 1500 calories per day. Every bit of food I eat I will be measuring with my OXO 5lb scale.
110 ounces of water per day using my Bubba cup
When I leave the house my Brita water bottle will be going with me
1 hour (at least) of exercise per day
No eating out this week
My breakfast and lunches will all be low calorie because I will be preparing them just for me.
I will be weighing myself each Sunday morning and posting the results Sunday afternoon.
I will also be doing a midweek check in on Thursdays so look for all the good things to come there!!

*Although my Menu Plan Monday (posting tomorrow) will not show low calorie options, I will be eating small portions of what’s on the menu and incorporating a large salad with dinner. The rest of my family will be eating what’s on the menu (lucky bastards HAHHAA). I find that eating a giant salad and drinking a bottle of water helps me eat only a small portion of what’s on the menu for dinner. It’s amazing what a great filler a salad can be. Like a good restaurant my dinner will begin with a salad as a starter. *

Good Luck Everyone!!! Join in on the Sizzle and on MyfitnessPal!!!

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Philly Joe's

2012-06-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

I LOVED this recipe! It’s easy, quick and oh so simple! I love Philly Cheese steak sandwiches! The problem with making them is if you are going to use a good piece of meat to make them up it can cost you a small bundle, also taking the time to cut the meat thin enough can be very time consuming! I don’t want to have to deal with either one of those problems so I knew there had to be a compromise!

A lot of people use Steak-ums, but I saw the price on a box of those in the grocery store the other day and was utterly shocked. How it is that extra thin crappy meat can cost so much? I ended up buying a nice roast for cheaper and I got more for my money.

So anyway how do you come up with a Philly Joe? Well, a Philly Joe is the combination of a Philly cheese steak sandwich and a sloppy Joe = Philly Joe! They are excellent and make a great week night meal. You can even make the meat ahead of time and freeze it!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
2 garlic cloves minced
4 oz. can of mushroom pieces drained
½ pack Lipton dry onion soup (if you can find it Beefy mushroom its even better)
8 slices of smoked provolone
Salt and pepper
8 rolls or burger buns

Directions:

In a skillet brown ground beef and drain well of excess grease
Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic cook until vegetables are tender
Add dry soup, and mushroom , then cook another 10-15 minutes on medium giving the soup time to season the meat well
Add salt and pepper as desired
Place a large spoon full on a bun and top with provolone

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Toasted Sesame Seed Salad Dressing

2012-05-31T12:00:00.012-05:00

Lately I have been experimenting making my own salad dressings. It’s amazing how much better salad dressing is when you make it fresh. The bottled dressing is great and quick and easy, but you can certainly tell the difference when it’s homemade. I loved this dressing, but then again I like sesame seeds. Yummy! You don’t want to look at the calorie count, but it’s a great dressing!

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic cloves, minced very fine
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon parsley, freeze-dried and crushed

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until all the ingredients are blended well. Chill and serve when ready!

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Pepper Jack Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

2012-05-31T00:16:00.000-05:00

Pepper Jack Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños

This is a guest post by Elana Birnbaum.

Cheese Stuffed Jalapeños are an easy appetizer or snack that will please picky palettes. Simple yet spicy, they can be prepared in about 25 minutes and provide friends, guests or yourself with a quick burst of flavor.

You will only need a few ingredients for this recipe and they are ¼ cup of plain dried breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of minced red bell pepper, 1 egg, 6 large jalepeno chili peppers between 2 and 3 inches long and 1 cup (4 oz.) of ChefStyle Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese. This spicy cheese adds a kick to any dish and really livens up the stuffed jalapeños.

To prepare this recipe, begin by combining your cheese, your breadcrumbs, the bell pepper and the egg in a medium bowl and mix these ingredients well. Then, while wearing rubber gloves, cut each chili pepper in half lengthwise trough the stem. Discard the seeds and mound your cheese mixture evenly into the pepper halves. Place the halves on a foil lined baking sheet and preheat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven is ready, put in your pepper halves and bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the cheese mix is brown and bubbly. This dish is best served warm, but room temperature will work as well. This recipe serves six, but if you’re making multiple plates for a party, you can prepare and stuff your pepper halves and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, put several pans in the oven and in less than fifteen minutes, you’re done.

These stuffed peppers are only about 100 calories per serving and you’ll get an entire day’s worth of calcium as well as additional vitamin A, vitamin C and Protein. This filling recipe is versatile enough to be served at a sports party or a dinner party and anything in between. It looks and tastes special, but the bold flavor is much better than the standard chips and dip. It’s fun, fancy and a whole lot of flavor, so be prepared for these amazing, anything but mild munchies.

Meatball Nirvana

2012-05-29T12:00:00.003-05:00

I have to say I love the name of these meatballs almost as much as I love these meatballs. They turned out fantastic! I was actually able to get 20 1oz meatballs out of this recipe. Yes, I measured them all on my scale! I am anal about a few things and things like this are when anal Colie takes over! I wasn’t sure what to expect with these meatball but I loved them so much. Talk about easy I stuck everything in my KitchenAid Mixing bowl turned it on and BOOM they were ready to be rolled! LOVE that! I highly recommend giving these a try. The next time I make them I am going to make meatball subs with them. I know they will be fantastic!

Ingredients:

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 dash hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Place the beef into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs, and place onto a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.
If you are making a sauce like I did just stick them in the sauce, but don't stir them for 20 minutes so that the meatballs can set (if you stir them before they start firming up they will break to pieces). After 20 minutes you can stir them, then they should be completely cooked within another 10-15 minutes.

Recipe Source

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Happy Memorial Day

2012-05-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

Happy Memorial Day!! Thank you to all the current and former soldiers that have served our country. You are the reason for our freedoms. And a big special thank you to my husband, my Papa, Pawpaw Papaw, Uncle Floyd, Uncle Al, Uncle Carl, Kenneth, Colin, Scott, Stephenie, Janice, Chris, Eric, Josh for severing our country, and being our heroes!

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Menu Plan Monday 5/28-6/3/2012

2012-05-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Week Day	Main Course	Vegetable	Side Dish
Monday	BBQ Brisket Sandwiches	Salad	Potato Salad
Tuesday	Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad		Beer Battered Onion Rings
Wednesday	Quaker Barley Chicken Chili		Cornbread
Thursday	Bacon Chopped Salad Wraps		Potato Patties
Friday	Jalopeno Popper Quiche	Salad
Saturday	Ranch Chicken	Steamed Carrots	Mac-n-cheese
Sunday	Mini Tamale Pies		Spanish Rice and Borracho beans

For More Menu Planning Ideas Visit www.OrgJunkie.com

Chicken Crescent Roll Casserole

2012-05-27T12:00:00.001-05:00

We all really enjoyed this recipe. It’s very easy to make and would be easy to make ahead. The only complaint that I have read on this recipe is that some people said that the crescent rolls were too doughy. If you cook them long enough this will not be a problem. I cooked them for 40 minutes and they were perfect. I suggest watching for the rolls to rise up. When they have risen they are ready! Like I said this is a great recipe. The filling reminds me of chicken salad. If you have left over chicken salad this would be a great way to use it up!

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) cans Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/2 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup 18% table cream (or use whipping cream)

Filling:

2 ounces cream cheese (very soft)
2 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped (can use green onions)
1 small can of chicken breasts
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or whipping cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (for topping)

Directions:

Set oven to 350°F.
Butter a casserole dish (any size to hold crescent rolls).
In a saucepan, mix half and half cream, 3/4 cup grated cheese (can use more cheese if desired) and undiluted chicken soup (can season with black pepper if desired).
Heat just until the cheese melts (do not boil).
For the filling --- (make certain that the cream cheese and butter are very soft) in a bowl, mix the soft cream cheese with butter until very smooth, then add in garlic powder (if using).
Add in the chopped chicken, onion and cheddar cheese; mix well until combined.
Add in 2 tablespoons whipping cream or mayonnaise; mix to combine (add in a little more if the mixture seems too dry).
Season with seasoned salt or white and black pepper to taste.
Unroll the crescent rolls.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end.
Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom of the dish.
Then place the crescent rolls seam-side down on top of the creamed mixture in the casserole.
Drizzle the remaining sauce on top (you don't have to use the full amount of cream sauce, just use as much as desired) and sprinkle with 1 cup (or more) grated cheese, or amount desired.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes.

Recipe Source

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Mushroom Sugar Snap Peas

2012-05-26T12:00:00.001-05:00

This recipe is delicious, very flavorful and so easy to make. It certainly makes a nice presentation because of the color! I have been trying and trying to find a good recipe that uses sugar snap peas. I found a recipe (see bottom) that sent my recipe juices flowing. My recipe is similar with a few (ok maybe a lot) changes. We all really enjoyed this and my sugar snap peas didn’t go to waste. I was afraid they would go bad before I could find a recipe to use them up in.

Ingredients:

1 4oz can of sliced mushrooms
1 tbs. margarine
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 pound fresh or frozen sugar snaps peas
3/4 cup water
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

In a skillet Sauté sliced onion in margarine until onion becomes soft.
To the sautéed onion add drained can of mushrooms, sesame oil, sugar snap peas, water beef bouillon cube, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Cover your skillet and steam on a medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has mostly evaporated and sugar snap peas are tender.

Adapted From Original Recipe

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Tampico Shrimp Quesadillas

2012-05-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 poblano chili pepper sliced and diced
2 cups of pre-cooked salad shrimp
12 flour tortillas
8 ounces of mozzarellas cheese
½ teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sautee onion, garlic, and poblano chili once the vegetables are tender add shrimp and cook until the shrimp are warm. If you are using fresh shrimp cook until they turn pink.

Add chipotle, salt, and pepper and cook for an additional few minutes

To a flour tortilla add a tablespoon of the vegetables and a few shrimp then top with grated mozzarella cheese

Fold over the tortilla and place on a warm skillet and turn when needed until the cheese is well melted.

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Coconut Crusted Chicken

2012-05-24T11:50:00.001-05:00

My family and I love coconut crusted shrimp so when I found this recipe I knew we were going to love it. Not only is it fantastic it’s earth shaking! I had this horrible feeling that the recipe would be sweet since you use sweetened coconut flakes, but frying it takes away the sweetness of the coconut. You are left with a little sweet, but nothing to be concerned with. I absolutely love this recipe and so did everyone else in my family. YUMM-O!

I must admit that I wasn't sure about the Spicy Apricot Sauce I tried it right after I made it and I didn't think it was that great. When I tried it was the chicken I loved it. Everyone else admitted that they were unsure about the sauce also until they tried it and everyone thought it was fantastic!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine grind black pepper
3 large egg whites
2 cups (possibly more) shredded sweetened coconut
1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
vegetable oil (for frying)

Directions:

Mix cornstarch, salt, Cayenne Pepper and Black Pepper in shallow bowl; set aside.
Beat egg whites in medium size mixing bowl until frothy.
Place coconut in a shallow bowl.
Dredge chicken tenders in cornstarch mixture; shake off excess.
Dip chicken in egg whites, then press chicken into coconut.
Turn over and press into coconut again to coat both sides.
Heat oil in heavy skillet (oil should be about 2 inches deep - add more oil if needed) or deep fat fryer to 350º F.
Add chicken to the hot oil in batches.
Deep fry until cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Drain. Serve hot with Spicy Apricot Dipping Sauce.

Spicy Apricot Sauce:

1 cup Apricot Preserves.
2 tablespoons cider vinegar.
1-2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce.
1 teaspoon chili powder.
1 clove garlic, minced.

For Spicy Apricot Sauce Mix all ingredients together

Original Source

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Classic Baked Ziti Using @Mezzetta_Foods

2012-05-23T14:34:00.001-05:00

I can’t even begin to tell you just how amazing this is! The key ingredient in this recipe is Napa Valley Bistro - Porcini Mushroom Pasta Sauces! I strongly encourage you to use this pasta sauce because it really does make this dish. I will admit this sauce is a little pricey but it’s well worth it. This is a quick and easy recipe to put together and makes a great freezer recipe. This is only a half recipe the full recipe which would require you to double everything below would be cooked in a 13X9 pan.

Ingredients:

1/4 lb. lean ground beef
¼ lb. Italian sausage
½ onion, chopped
½ bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 (32 ounce) Jar Napa Valley Bistro - Porcini Mushroom Pasta Sauces
½ cup chicken broth
8 ounces package ziti pasta, cooked and drained
Shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Small can of mushrooms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, cook ground beef, sausage, bell pepper onions, and garlic over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until meat is browned and the vegetables are tender; stirring frequently.
Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles.
Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a pie plate or a medium size baking dish.
Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
Top with 2 cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture and remaining sauce.
Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

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Bacon Dressing

2012-05-22T10:00:00.016-05:00

This recipe is ridiculously fantastic! If you love dressing and you love (naughty) cream dressing you will love this masterpiece!

The creamy bacon is just wonderful. Even better than the flavor is the ease of the recipe. It is sooooo super easy. I put everything in the magic bullet and gave it a few whirls and it was ready to go. No doubt you could use a blender or Ninja too. I can’t wait to make it again!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of bacon bits (NOT Bacos) I used Hormel
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small onion, finely grated (I Just stuck the half in the blender)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (I used Pecan)
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend thoroughly. I added this to a fresh spinach salad topped with sliced boiled eggs and it was perfection. I can't tell you how many recipes were requested that night! Remember that this is a mayo based recipe so it must be refrigerated.

Original Recipe Source

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Menu Plan Monday 5/21-5/27/2012

2012-05-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

We had to put our not eating out for a month on pause for one night. As I explained to my family when we began this journey is that sometimes life happens and we can't always control what goes on. On Sunday our air conditioner went out. Yes! Ugh during a Texas summer you don't want that to happen. So I suppose while it's in the 80's we can handle it in the 100's not so much. No one can fix it until today. Anyway after spending the entire day dealing with the heat I decided that we would not be cooking dinner, but we would be eating out. I knew we all needed a break, and I knew it was just too hot to cook then house didn't need anymore heat added to it, and I knew everyone was in need of a good meal, not sandwiches. Today our challenge goes forward, but I am still proud of my family because I could tell that everyone felt bad about breaking our challenge which is a HUGE victory for us! Normally no one would care or think twice about eating out.

I can’t tell you how proud I am of my family. As for MPM we are doing great with that too. I feel like control and order is finally being restored in our house. Last week we ate a lot of great meals we have never eaten before. I will start posting the recipes tomorrow. There is a lot of great goodies out there!! What’s on your menu this week?

Week Day	Main Course	Vegetable	Side Dish
Monday	Chicken Bacon Ranch	Green Beans	Steamed Carrots
Tuesday	Veggy Wraps		Spinach Salad
Wednesday	Jalapeno Popper Quiche		Salad
Thursday	Crockpot Beef Enchiladas	Corn	Spanish Rice
Friday	Braided Spaghetti Bread	Asparagus	Spinach Salad
Saturday	Teriyaki Wraps		Beer Battered Onion Rings
Sunday	Perfect Sesame Chicken		Steamed Brown Rice and Egg Roll

For More Menu Planning Ideas Visit www.OrgJunkie.com

Easy Cheesesteak Sandwiches

2012-05-20T10:00:00.005-05:00

We have this recipe quite a bit in our house. If I can find a roast on sale that is small enough I like to make the cheesesteaks for a week night meal. The whole process goes very quickly. You could probably cut the meat up over the weekend then freeze it until you need it. That would make the entire process go supper fast.

We really love these sandwiches they are easy and fantastic!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Chuck Roast (or any roast you choose)
Meat tenderizer
1 large onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 large bell pepper sliced
1 large can of mushroom or fresh mushrooms
1 package of dry Lipton Beefy Mushroom Soup or Beef or Onion Soup
6 rolls
Grated mozzarella or provolone cheese

Directions:

Slice roast into ½ inch slices until the entire roast is sliced. Lightly coat roast in meat tenderizer. Allow to rest at least 10 minutes.
To a skillet add sliced, onions, bell pepper, and garlic and begin to sauté add roast and mix well.
Cook until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are tender
Add mushroom and beefy mushroom soup mix well
Cook for 15 minutes until the mixture is heated through
Stuff rolls with meat and cheese
Heat in oven to melt cheese if you desire

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Shrimp and Mushroom Pad Thai Noodles

2012-05-19T10:00:00.008-05:00

A few days ago we had our water off for most of the day because of a broken pipe that was being fixed. I had one dinner planned, but at the last minute I changed it up for something a little easier like frozen egg rolls. I needed to make something that didn’t require the use of water. I had enough bottled water to wash my hands, but not enough to cook with. I didn’t want to pick anything up for dinner because we are still doing our “no eating out for a month” challenge. Frozen egg rolls would be perfect!

I needed something to go with the egg rolls, but I didn’t have a clue what to make. I remembered that we had a box of rice noodles in the pantry that I had been meaning to use. I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I received the box in the mail to try. After looking online for a while at a few different recipes I decided to take what I liked and what I had on hand and put them all together.

Everyone in our house loved this. Actually raved about it! This was the first time I have ever had rice noodles and I must say I love them, and I love this recipe!!

Ingredients:

1 cup salad shrimp cooked or precooked
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
½ medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
8 oz. box Pad Thai Rice Noodles (such as Annie Chuns)
4oz can of mushrooms drained
1 teaspoon pure black sesame oil
3 + tablespoons of soy sauce adjust to taste (you may want to use reduced salt)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg

Directions:

In a large bowl soak rice noodles for 10 minutes in extremely hot water. If your tap water doesn’t get very hot you may want to soak them in water than has been boiled.
As the noodles are soaking sauté chopped onion in oil in a large skillet until it starts getting a golden hue, then add the garlic. Sauté until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add mushroom, shrimp, sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce cook for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked then add drained rice noodles
Mix well so that the noodles and the other ingredients are well blended together. This can be a challenge because initially the rice noodles are not very cooperative! Cook an additional for 5 minutes or so making sure that the dish is well heated, then add additional soy sauce if needed.

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Dad's Stuffed Peppers

2012-05-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

When I was a kid my Dad would make my Mom stuffed peppers occasionally because she loved them so much. Unfortunately when my Dad passed away his stuffed pepper recipe went with him. I have never found any place he had written it down. After a lot of looking around and my Mom and I putting our heads together we think we have come up with my Dads recipe.

Like I said before they are my Mom’s favorite so I decided to surprise her with an early Mother’s Day dinner of stuffed peppers. She was so surprised and so happy. She said they were fantastic and just like my Dad’s.

Ingredients:

4 medium green bell peppers
1 lb ground round
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup cooked rice
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash bell peppers then cut them in half. Bring to a boil a large pot of water and place the pepper halfs into the water. Steam the peppers in the water for 15 minutes until the peppers are soft.
After the peppers are soft remove them from the water and allow them to dry off.
Place a skillet on a medium high and brown your ground beef. Once the meat is browned drain, then add the onion, and cook until the onion is tender.
Next add corn, rice, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper . Mix together well and heat for an additional five minutes.
Remove your skillet from the heat
Place each of your pepper halves in a baking pan and being to stuff peppers. Fill each pepper half to the top, and then top with cheddar cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 or until heated through

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Have You Tried The New Jam Jar Moscato 2011?

2012-05-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

I love wine! My passion was exposed the day I found Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. I was initially attracted to the bottle because it looked like an old fashion jam jar lid. I know that sounds corny, but that's the truth.

Right away my husband and I knew we had to try Jam Jar! Since them Jam Jar is our go to wine. Over the Christmas holiday we had a white elephant gift exchange at our family Christmas Eve Party. My aunt was the lucky recipient of the Jam Jar... lucky lady!

Last night she called to say how much she loved the Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz! My aunt has become quite a connoisseur of wine so I wasn't sure what she was going to think to hear how much she loved it was exciting. To say I am a connoisseur would be a lie, but I do love Jam Jar! I cannot wait to try their new Moscato 2011.

My aunt told me she ordered a case from wine.com and received 1 cent shipping. That price is for a limited time, but if you are interested check it out, and don't forget to order your Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz. BTW Jam Jar is not endorsing this I just love their wine and wanted to share!!

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

Presented By Wine.com, Purveyors of fine green Wine

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Wordless Wednesday -Piggy Hill

2012-05-16T16:38:00.000-05:00

Our long hair blue lynx Siamese

Piggy Hill named after Peggy Hill from King of the Hill. She is more of a Piggy than a Peggy!

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OXO 5 Pound Food Scale with Pull-Out Display Giveaway!!

2012-05-15T10:00:00.005-05:00

Kevin and I just started back on the weight loss and lifestyle change summer challenge. We did this last year and had a lot of luck with it. One thing I believe helped me lose so much weight last summer was weighing out every single thing I ate. My weighing my food I was able to get the most accurate calorie count on what I was eating. I knew exactly what I was putting into my body at all times.

The only problem I had was that I couldn’t find a scale that could keep up with the demand I required out of it. Like I said I used it for everything. By the end of the summer I had gone through three kitchen scales. It was ridiculous! I was so frustrated! I needed something this summer that would be completely reliable that would not let me down.

A few months ago I was given the opportunity to try the OXO 5 Pound Food Scale with Pull-Out Display. This is the best scale that I have ever used. I am absolutely in love with it. So far I have used it longer than any other kitchen scale I have owned with no problems at all. I use it constantly!

OXO’s user-friendly Food Scale with Pull-Out Display is perfect for weighing all ingredients. Weigh items directly on the platform, on a plate or in a bowl, and pull the display away from the base to prevent shadowing from large plates and bowls. I can’t tell you how great the pull out display is! It works fantastic for anything oversized!

Accurately measure ingredients when cooking and baking or stick to a diet by weighing portions. A weight indicator shows the capacity left on the Scale before maximum capacity is reached.

Press the zero buttons to offset the weight of a container or to set the weight back to zero so you can add additional ingredients. The display features large, easy-to-read numbers which measure in 1/8-ounce (imperial) and 1-gram (metric) increments. The plastic platform can be removed for cleaning which is one of my favorite parts! None of the other scales I have own had removable plates. I found that very dirty!

The OXO Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/OXO

The OXO Pinterest Page: www.pinterest.com/OXO

The OXO Twitter Account: www.twitter.com/OXO

OXO has generous offered to giveaway one of their 5 Pound Food Scale with Pull-Out Display to one lucky reader!! Get ready to win!

OXO 5 Pound Food Scale with

Pull-Out Display
Giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by OXO to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion. *

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Menu Plan Monday 5/13-5/20/2012

2012-05-14T10:09:00.001-05:00

We have now gone two whole weeks without eating out for any meal, not even Mother’s Day!! Everyone in my house has been so supportive of this new challenge. I am always up for a challenge, but I rarely do well with the follow through. I am really proud of everyone. We haven’t had too much whining the last two weeks so that is another big deal!

We did really great with MPM again. We didn’t stick to the menu that well, but we certainly didn’t do any eating out. I am already accomplishing exactly what I was hoping for which is just feeling better without all the fast food in my body. I was hoping I would feel a difference and you better believe I am.

So here is our MPM for the week. What’s on your menu?

Week Day	Main Course	Vegetable	Side Dish
Monday	BLT's		Homemade Fries
Tuesday	Meatloaf	Green beans	Roasted Carrots
Wednesday	Taco Salad
Thursday	Soup		Sandwiches
Friday	Poblano Pepper		Spanish Rice
Saturday	Strawberry Festival
Sunday	Coconut Crusted Chicken	Asparagus	Broccoli

For More Menu Planning Ideas Visit www.OrgJunkie.com

Club Size Cheerios Prize Pack Giveaway (4 Boxes)

2012-05-13T17:57:00.000-05:00

I am a big fan of shopping at club stores. My favorite is Sam’s Club. As a savvy Club member, I can recognize the value of buying Cheerios® cereal at places like Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s. While buying Cheerios at Club stores is already easy and affordable, new 2 box Cheerios packaging format makes Cheerios an even better purchase! You can cheer on the value by purchasing the new 2 box Cheerios packages in Club!

What’s so exciting?

New 2 box Cheerios contains two individual boxes, making them easier to store and easier to pour!

Not to mention…

By reducing the amount of air in each individual bag, these enhanced containers fit 10% more cereal than before and use less packaging. While each box contains more cereal, packaging material has been reduced by over 200,000 lbs, saving 1,000 trees and taking 130 Cheerios trucks of the road, decreasing CO2 emissions

You don’t have to take my word for it, check out all the benefits of new 2 box Cheerios packaging! CLICK HERE

New and improved 2 box Cheerios are now available on the shelves of Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s nationwide.

www.Cheerios.com/Club2Boxes

Cheerios on Facebook

Cheerios Prize Pack
Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As required by the Federal Trade Commission: The prize pack, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills Through Myblogspark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-13T14:42:00.002-05:00

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UnitedHealthcare Mother's Day Recipes

2012-05-12T15:00:00.045-05:00

From offering a constant source of love and support to always being there when you need her, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the mother figure in your life! With Mother´s Day drawing near, it's the perfect time to start planning how to make your favorite lady feel special.

As a kid, the perfect Mother's Day surprise was breakfast in bed, so why not continue the tradition of cooking breakfast (lunch or dinner) this Mother´s Day? Check out these recipes and ideas from UnitedHealthcare to help make this Mother's Day unforgettable!

A Healthy Twist on Breakfast in Bed

Fix her a healthy morning meal that she can enjoy from the comfort of her bed:

Friends and Family Brunch

Spice up brunch with these delicious new dishes:

Delicious Dinner

Give her a break from kitchen duty and end the day with these tasty dinner options:

Long Distance Grocery Shopping

Live too far away to visit? Send a gift card for a home delivery grocery store. She'll be thrilled to have food delivered to her door, courtesy of you.

Now that you're feeling inspired for Mother's Day, visit the Solutions for Caregivers website to download these recipes, find more tips, and learn about providing care for a loved one.

It's also important to take charge of your health and look out for your loved ones. Dr. Reed Tuckson explains how to keep yourself and your family healthy in his new book, Dr. In The Mirror.

As required by the Federal Trade Commission: This information has been provided by United Healthcare Through Myblogspark to Colie's Kitchen at no cost to Colie's Kitchen, nor is Colie's Kitchen being paid to endorse this product. All that was asked of Colie's Kitchen was to review the product, and give our honestly opinion.

Check Out Our Online Recipe Book: www.CafeChatterbox.com