Chicken Fried Rice
2 egg whites
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen mixed veggies
2 cups diced cooked chicken breast
3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 cups cold cooked rice
In a small bowl, combine the egg whites, egg and 1/4 tsp salt. In a large nonstick skillet (or wok coated w/ cooking spray if you have one), cook the egg mixture over medium heat; when cooked thoroughly set aside & keep warm.
In the same pan, stir fry the onion and garlic until tender. Add vegetables; cover and cook over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until no longer frozen. Stir in the chicken, soy sauce and remaining salt; cook for 1 min. Add rice; stir fry for 4-5 min. or until heated through. Add eggs; heat through. Yield: 4 servings.
Personal Note: This recipe is great for re-creating a meal out of leftovers, using pre-cooked foods also helps it to be a very quick and easy meal to make if you're on a time crunch. Anytime we have regular rice as a side dish, I always freeze the leftovers for future use. Leftover cooked rice can be used later in soups, casseroles and stir frys such as this one. Leftover cooked chicken has almost endless possibilities...use in making chicken pot pies, add in soups, use as a pizza topping, add to casseroles or again...in recipes such as this!
Be creative and USE YOUR LEFTOVERS! Your pocketbook will thank you!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wintertime Beef Soup Recipe
Wintertime Beef Soup
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 celery ribs, diced (we use only 2)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced (we use only 1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
2 cups reduced sodium tomato juice
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp reduced sodium beef bouillon granules
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped cabbage (we use only 1 cup)
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the beef, celery, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato juice, tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon, chili powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 min.
Stir in kidney beans; return to a boil. Stir in cabbage. Reduce heat; cover and cook 12 min. longer or until cabbage is tender. Yield: 8 servings
Personal Note: The great things about recipes is...they're not carved in stone! You can adjust them to suit your families tastes however you'd like! I'm a soup fanatic...and I really enjoy this one. It's definitely hearty and goes perfect with a cold winter day. It's what's for dinner tonight!
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 celery ribs, diced (we use only 2)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced (we use only 1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
2 cups reduced sodium tomato juice
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp reduced sodium beef bouillon granules
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cans (15 oz. each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped cabbage (we use only 1 cup)
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook the beef, celery, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato juice, tomatoes, tomato sauce, bouillon, chili powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 min.
Stir in kidney beans; return to a boil. Stir in cabbage. Reduce heat; cover and cook 12 min. longer or until cabbage is tender. Yield: 8 servings
Personal Note: The great things about recipes is...they're not carved in stone! You can adjust them to suit your families tastes however you'd like! I'm a soup fanatic...and I really enjoy this one. It's definitely hearty and goes perfect with a cold winter day. It's what's for dinner tonight!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Breakfast Sausage Patties Recipe
Breakfast Sausage Patties
1 lb. ground turkey (typically come in 1.25 lb package, go ahead and use all of it)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil (or can use canola or olive oil)
In a large bowl, combine the turkey, salt, sage, thyme, nutmeg and cayenne. Shape into eight patties. In a large skillet, cook patties in oil over medium heat for approx. 5 min. each side or until juices run clear. Drain on paper towels. Yield: 4 servings
Personal Note: We typically have breakfast for dinner once a week...main reason is breakfast meals are usually lower in cost, but also helps bring a change of pace from the ol' meat & potatoes dinner routine. Tonight I'm serving this w/ fresh fruit and toast...quick and easy meal before basketball practice!
1 lb. ground turkey (typically come in 1.25 lb package, go ahead and use all of it)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil (or can use canola or olive oil)
In a large bowl, combine the turkey, salt, sage, thyme, nutmeg and cayenne. Shape into eight patties. In a large skillet, cook patties in oil over medium heat for approx. 5 min. each side or until juices run clear. Drain on paper towels. Yield: 4 servings
Personal Note: We typically have breakfast for dinner once a week...main reason is breakfast meals are usually lower in cost, but also helps bring a change of pace from the ol' meat & potatoes dinner routine. Tonight I'm serving this w/ fresh fruit and toast...quick and easy meal before basketball practice!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Budget Planning Process
This time of year I always start thinking about next year's family budget. Life is constantly changing, so to keep the exact same budget from year to year is impossible. Maybe new bills popped up during the year (like medical or auto repair)...maybe some of your current bills increased (credit card payments or utilities)...maybe you've added additional members to your family or the children you already have are getting bigger and have bigger appetites! Life's always changing...
For us, we've had a few changes that have affected our current budget in place and I want to make sure that for 2012, I have a budget that'll accept those changes and see where I can make cutbacks and plan ahead.
I've found that the best way to set a budget is to total the year's worth of each bill we have and divide it by 12 to find the average monthly cost. For bills that sometimes vary, sometimes you may be under budget and sometimes over budget. But if you keep that excess set aside for the months that you might be over...it won't matter because you'll essentially break even.
I break down our monthly budget into categories: fixed expenses and variable expenses. I know I can't do anything to change the fixed expenses, so if I can easily see what the variables are...I can see which categories I might be able to adjust if I need to. Examples of fixed expenses would be your mortgage, insurances, car payments, personal loan payments, etc. Examples of variable expenses would be groceries, medical bills, electricity (if you're not on set budget billing), gas/fuel, eating out, etc. If you don't already know, figure out your monthly NET income after taxes...add up your monthly expenses...subtract...are you in the black or in the red every month? Might be time to adjust how you spend your money...
I'd recommend every family set a monthly budget to follow.....if nothing else, just going through the past year's worth of expenses can sometimes be a real eye opener as to where your paycheck goes. It may surprise you!! Many of us live in denial as to how much we actually spend!
People who don't think they eat out that often, go back through your check register or credit card statements and add up every time you ate out at a restaurant, fast food, or got take-out pizza...it adds up quick!
For us, we've had a few changes that have affected our current budget in place and I want to make sure that for 2012, I have a budget that'll accept those changes and see where I can make cutbacks and plan ahead.
I've found that the best way to set a budget is to total the year's worth of each bill we have and divide it by 12 to find the average monthly cost. For bills that sometimes vary, sometimes you may be under budget and sometimes over budget. But if you keep that excess set aside for the months that you might be over...it won't matter because you'll essentially break even.
I break down our monthly budget into categories: fixed expenses and variable expenses. I know I can't do anything to change the fixed expenses, so if I can easily see what the variables are...I can see which categories I might be able to adjust if I need to. Examples of fixed expenses would be your mortgage, insurances, car payments, personal loan payments, etc. Examples of variable expenses would be groceries, medical bills, electricity (if you're not on set budget billing), gas/fuel, eating out, etc. If you don't already know, figure out your monthly NET income after taxes...add up your monthly expenses...subtract...are you in the black or in the red every month? Might be time to adjust how you spend your money...
I'd recommend every family set a monthly budget to follow.....if nothing else, just going through the past year's worth of expenses can sometimes be a real eye opener as to where your paycheck goes. It may surprise you!! Many of us live in denial as to how much we actually spend!
People who don't think they eat out that often, go back through your check register or credit card statements and add up every time you ate out at a restaurant, fast food, or got take-out pizza...it adds up quick!
Friday, December 2, 2011
Creamy Turkey and Biscuits Recipe
This was our "mosh posh" meal last night.....I substituted ground turkey for the cubed turkey because that's what I had on hand; it worked out just fine. Everyone in my family liked it, so it's a keeper! Always a fan of Taste of Home Cookbooks...
Creamy Turkey and Biscuits
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup biscuit/baking mix (Bisquick)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups cubed cooked turkey (or ground turkey)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
If you don't already have cooked turkey, start by doing that...quick and easy way is in a fryin' pan until no longer pink/juices are clear. Set aside. In a large saucepan, saute green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in biscuit mix until blended (makes a sort of rue). Gradually add milk and soup; stir until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. Stir in turkey and peas. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Separate biscuits and arrange over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 17-20 min. or until golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings
Creamy Turkey and Biscuits
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup biscuit/baking mix (Bisquick)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
2 cups cubed cooked turkey (or ground turkey)
1 cup frozen peas
1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
If you don't already have cooked turkey, start by doing that...quick and easy way is in a fryin' pan until no longer pink/juices are clear. Set aside. In a large saucepan, saute green pepper and onion in butter until tender. Stir in biscuit mix until blended (makes a sort of rue). Gradually add milk and soup; stir until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 min. Stir in turkey and peas. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Separate biscuits and arrange over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 17-20 min. or until golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings
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| Creamy Turkey and Biscuits |
Monday, November 28, 2011
Cornbread Recipes
Cornbread
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup fat free milk
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil
Grease bottom of a 9x9x2 square baking dish; set aside. In a medium size bowl stir together the dry ingredients; then add in the rest of the moist ingredients. Mix well but not too much! Poor batter into prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 425 for 20 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 9 servings.
Confetti Cornbread
Add : 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
Prepare batter as shown above for regular cornbread, except also add in the cheddar cheese, carrot and zucchini to the batter before baking.
Personal Note: The recipe for the cornbread is my own personal recipe that I developed after many attempts in tweaking the Better Homes & Gardens recipe. I perfected it to our liking a handful of years ago and my family really enjoys it...it's moist and has a mildly sweet flavor.
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup fat free milk
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil
Grease bottom of a 9x9x2 square baking dish; set aside. In a medium size bowl stir together the dry ingredients; then add in the rest of the moist ingredients. Mix well but not too much! Poor batter into prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 425 for 20 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 9 servings.
 |
| Regular Cornbread shown in pic |
Confetti Cornbread
Add : 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
Prepare batter as shown above for regular cornbread, except also add in the cheddar cheese, carrot and zucchini to the batter before baking.
Personal Note: The recipe for the cornbread is my own personal recipe that I developed after many attempts in tweaking the Better Homes & Gardens recipe. I perfected it to our liking a handful of years ago and my family really enjoys it...it's moist and has a mildly sweet flavor.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
2 Week Dinner Plan
Saturday December 3rd - Friday December 9th
Saturday - Bringing Sandwiches, Chips & Apple Slices with us to our family fun Christmas outing
Sunday - *Sweet & Sour Chops with Rice (make extra rice for Friday's meal)
Monday - *Italian Wedding Soup with Biscuits
Tuesday - *Breakfast Sausage Patties with Toast & Fruit
Wednesday - *Wintertime Beef Soup with Side Salad & *Garlic Bread
Thursday - Chicken Caesar Salad with *Smoked Cheddar Loaf (cook extra chicken for Friday's meal)
Friday - *Chicken Fried Rice
Special Treats of the Week: *Chocolate Dipped Phyllo Sticks, Rice Krispie Treats, *Granola Cereal Bars
Saturday December 10th - Friday December 16th
Saturday - *Homemade Turkey Chili with *Cornbread (save leftover cornbread for Sunday's meal)
Sunday - *Enchilada Meatballs with Homemade Nachos
Monday - Bacon & Eggs with *Homemade Bagels
Tuesday - Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwiches with Applesauce
Wednesday - *Beef Taco Lasagna (make extra taco meat for Friday's meal)
Thursday - *Coney Island Dogs with Homemade Fries
Friday - Taco Salad with Crispy Tortilla Strips
Special Treats of the Week: *Hazelnut Toffee, *Pumpkin Pie
* Denotes use of cookbook recipe
I will try and share as many recipes as I can...if you see something that sounds good to you, comment on the post and let me know what recipe you're wanting and I'll be sure to get it posted!
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