Hey! What's For Dinner?

Waxed Paper In The Kitchen...

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:15:00 +0000

Moms, one question, where do you keep the waxed paper? Is it in a drawer somewhere? Or is it in a cabinet? Do you even have waxed paper in your kitchen? Well hold on to your hats, I am going to give you some very good reasons to break out the waxed paper or to go buy some. It doesn't cost to much and the ways that it can save you time is invaluable.

Saves time-by cutting down on clean-up. You can use waxed paper to roll out pastry, cookies, biscuits, pie crusts, and noodles. Place the waxed paper on your work surface and lightly dust it with flour before you roll out whatever it is you are making. Your dough won't stick to the paper like it does to a counter or table. When you are done rolling and cutting you can just fold up the paper and toss it. No more trying to scrape dough off the table or getting your sponge or dishcloth all gooey, yuck.
Saves energy-instead of dirtying mixing bowls to sift your dry ingredients, lay down a sheet of waxed paper on your work space and sift the dry ingredients onto it. If you have a lot of spices to use in your recipes use small pieces of waxed paper instead of ramekins to put measured spices on, then when you need to add them to your recipes you have them handy, and you don't have a lot of dirty dishes.
Saves money-when you don't have all the dishes to wash you save money because you are not using so much hot water or electricity doing dishes.

There are a lot more ways that you can save time and money around your house just by changing the way that you do small things.

For more tips for around the house: Click Here

Tasty Apple Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Today I made a trip to an Apple Orchard with my family and I got some great apples to eat and to bake with. The trip itself was really great, we got to see the leaves changing. The trees are so pretty this time of year. I live in Central/Northern Indiana, usually this time of year it is pretty cool weather. Today was really warm, something like 88 degrees.
We had an awesome time at the Apple Orchard even though I didn't get to pick any apples. I guess they don't let you pick apples now because it could cause damage to next years fruit which is already forming.
That was something new that I learned. I always thought that the new fruit formed in the spring.
Well, anyways, I bought some golden delicious apples to bake with and a starkrimson red delicious variety to eat. I have a simple apple crisp recipe that is very tasty and I thought I would share it with you today.

Simple Apple Crisp:

5 cups sliced apples
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of oatmeal
1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
4 Tb of stick margarine
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place fruit in a 2-quart baking dish. Stir in the sugar.

2. To make the topping, in a medium bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the margarine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the apples.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender and the topping is golden. Cool slightly and serve warm with ice cream.

Awesome Recipes and Ideas for Dinner

Easy Beef and Noodles

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:19:00 +0000

One of the most versatile and tasty dishes you can prepare for your loved ones on a weekly basis is Beef Noodle Dishes. Beef noodles are absolutely delicious, easy to create and can be cooked in many to keep every member of your family satisfied at dinner time. Here is an easy recipe for you to try.

Beef and Noodles:

1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 beefsteak tomatoes (diced)
1 med onion finely chopped
16 ounces of noodles (cooked according to package directions and buttered to taste).
Salt and Pepper - season to taste

In a skillet brown your ground beef with the chopped onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain fat off of the meat. Add can of mushroom soup, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.
Simmer in skillet for about 20 minutes until it is heated thru.

Serve over your cooked noodles.

This is a very simple meal but most everyone will be pleased with it.

Try it today! Let me know if your family enjoyed it..

For more simple meal recipes and tips click here.

Living Gluten Free....

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:37:00 +0000

This post is dedicated to Eathan. Eathan is a fantastic 5 year-old, he is in kindergarten this year. Number #1 on the soccer field and a little firecracker. Eathan is my neighbor. He has an older brother and a baby brother. Eathan is just like any other little boy except that he is a seliac. He can't have gluten proteins in his body or he gets really sick. I was talking to Eathan's dad this morning at the bus stop. Dad was telling me that he has all of these different type of ingredients and he didn't know what to do with them. I let him know that I had found some really great recipes for him. It is really frustrating to find things for Eathan to eat that won't make Eathan feel so different from all of the other kids.
I have found some really great gluten-free recipes and I would like to share a couple of them with you today.

Gluten Free Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are an easy and quick dish to prepare
.
Ingredients:1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery,
finely chopped1 cup gluten free tomato sauce
1/4 cup gluten free ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high in a skillet. Brown the hamburger, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. After meat is brown, add the green pepper, onion, and celery to the skillet and cook for an additional five minutes. Your next step is to make the sauce. For this, add the rest of the ingredients. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and simmer everything together for twenty minutes, leaving the skillet uncovered unless too much of the water is evaporating.

Mashed Potato Bread

This interesting bread has a moist texture. It uses mashed potatoes to give it extra depth and flavor.

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice flour
2 tablespoons soy flour
3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup sugar
6 eggs with the yolks and whites separated
½ cup mashed potatoes
¾ cup milk

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make sure the mashed potatoes are lump free. After you do that, warm them up in the microwave.
In a medium bowl, mix the butter and sugar together on high until creamed. Put the mixer on medium and add the egg yolks in one at a time. Add mashed potatoes and beat until well combined.
In another bowl, sift all of the dried ingredients together. Add a small amount of dry ingredients to the butter and sugar. Beat on medium until combined. Add some milk. Beat on medium until combined. Continue pattern until all of the dry ingredients and all of the milk is gone.
Beat the egg whites on high using a fresh set of beaters in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the rest of the mixture using a rubber spatula.
Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan. Pour batter in pan. Bake in center of oven for 60 minutes, or until bread is golden and an inserted toothpick comes up clean.

Contributed by Angie Halten

Angie Halten has a fantastic site: http://www.glutenfreeclub.com
You can get all different types of recipes, support and tips for living gluten free.
Thanks Angie

Easy dinner recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:54:00 +0000

I am a twitter mom- Join in the fun. A great bunch of moms.

Easy Kids Meals

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:06:00 +0000

With dance practice, choir, cub scouts, and tae kwon do, who has time to prepare an appetizing meal for the kids after school? You do! You can have time if you serve an easy to cook kids' meal.
Of course it's a no-brainer to throw a hotdog in the microwave or set a tortilla in a pan on top of the stove, add some cheese and 90 seconds later have a simple quesadilla, but what's the excitement in that? Instead experiment with Casseroles or one-pot meals which in most cases go over well with the kids; and are simple to whip together.

Try this quick kids meal:
1 – lb. ground beef
1 - 16 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 - cup water
1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 - cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Crumble beef in a three-qrt glass baking dish and microwave for 4-5 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink. Mix & rotate part way through cooking time. Drain Beef. Stir in sauce, water and macaroni. Microwave another 12 minutes, stirring part way through. Sprinkle cheese on top and allow to stand covered approximately 5 minutes before serving.
Serves a couple hungry kids.

There are many meals you can cook with hamburger. Any recipe that asks for hamburger will work just fine replaced with ground turkey, chicken or venison instead. The simple recipe below uses ground meat. It takes nearly an hour to bake but merely a blink to prepare.

Combine together:
2 pounds ground meat
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Crinkle Cut French Fries

Brown ground beef and drain the grease. Add both soups to strained ground beef and spoon into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Top off with cut French fries and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until French fries are light brown.

Taco salads are very quick and easy to prepare. Begin with lettuce. Add tomato, onion and cheese (if your kids will approve of it.) Fry up some meat and toss in an envelope of taco seasoning – or just incorporate some taco sauce to the meat. Next add crushed tortilla chips or Fritos. Finish off with salsa or Ranch salad dressing. Remember the sour cream and guacamole too! Kids love this meal!

For a fast, on the go, healthy, cold meal try:
A head of lettuce (not bagged lettuce)Ham or Roast Beef slicesCheese slicesCondiments
Step 1: Peel off a medium lettuce leaf.
Step 2: Assemble meat, cheese, and condiments.
Step 3: Roll up and stick a toothpick in the middle.
Step 4: Gobble Up.
Step 5: Wipe your face, there is a trace of mayo. on your cheek
.
How about an interesting twist to the normal macaroni and cheese kids recipe?
1 (16 ounce) box macaroni (elbow, seashell, bowtie – doesn't matter, just not spaghetti)
1 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. cinnamon

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.2. Stir in cottage cheese, sugar, and cinnamon with drained macaroni.3. Taste and add sugar or cinnamon, if required.4. Serve right away. Delicious!

Incorporate a bit of creativity to incorporate a twist on a tried and true recipe and even with the chaotic after school activities you will find time to cook a nourishing meal for your kids evening meal.
----------Desire More Quick & Easy Kid Approved Meals? Visit Kid Approved Meals

Hey! What's for Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Cora) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 01:37:00 +0000

This blog is dedicated to the age old questions that have plagued women forever.. (ok, some men too). The first thing my son says to me in the morning when he wakes up is "What's for Breakfast?" then he wants to know what we are going to have for lunch and dinner. He just turned 7 years old. My husband calls from work around 9:00-9:30 a.m. and he wants to know what my dinner plans are. It used to be a hassel. I love to cook, that's not the issue. I am just not real great at meal-planning. I have found some great meal-planning programs and tips that have really helped me out. I would like to use this blog to share them with you. Especially you busy mom's that just don't have a lot of time.