HELPFUL HINTS – Page 33 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

Menu Plan Monday

MONDAY ~ Chicken Chili & Salad
TUESDAY ~ Seafood Salad & Parmesan rolls
WEDNESDAY ~ grilled Bourbon & Brown Sugar marinaded steaks & Salad
THURSDAY ~ grilled Mahi Mahi in Lemon Sauce & rice pilaf
FRIDAY ~ Sweet & Sour Meatballs & Rice Chutney
SATURDAY ~ Spinach Salad & Sunflower Rolls
SUNDAY ~ ABC Pork Roast and rice pilaf

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Meatloaf with a Kick – Great new perspective & Yummy too!

2 pounds hamburger
4 ounces Gorgonzola Cheese Crumbles
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
2 teaspoons minced garlic (jar)
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 Tablespoon creamy horseradish
1 sleeve Townhouse crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly
Use a tall loaf pan
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and crisp
Immediately pour off excess grease
Enjoy

Favorite Ingredients Friday ~ Apple Bread

Favorite Ingredient Friday
hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

even Memorial Day needs a great dessert!

APPLE BREAD

1 cup vegetable oil
2 jumbo eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour + 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups diced apple pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl pour the orange juice over the raisins and set aside to soak.
Cream together the oil, eggs and sugar.
Add the vanilla and blend smooth.
Sift together the dry ingredients.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the cream mixture and blend until smooth.
Drain raisins.
Fold in the apples, raisins and nuts.
Pour into prepared loaf* pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes.
Cool 15 minutes and then frost OR glaze.

*Thanks to a great tip from sis-in-law I sometimes make this in the mini loaf pans or a Texas muffin pan and freeze many to save for snacks.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Blend all together until smooth.

GLAZE

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
pinch of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Heat butter and milk together in microwave until butter is melted.
Blend in cinnamon and powdered sugar until smooth and the consistency of maple syrup.

Slow Cooking Thursday ~ Chicken Chili

Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

CHICKEN CHILI

4 chicken breasts
2 cups water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil**
1 teaspoon minced garlic (jar)
2 large onions, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
4 ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
1 cup shredded jack cheese

Cook chicken in broth and drain reserving liquid.*
Shred the chicken and set aside.*
In the olive oil, saute the garlic and onion until carmelized.*
Place chicken, garlic and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker.
In the reserved broth stir in the lime juice, seasonings and chilies.
Pour over the chicken mixture.
Cook on low for 2-4 hours.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.
Enjoy!

*If you’re in a hurry you can skip these steps, cut the chicken into small chunks and increase cooking time to 6-8 hours. We prefer the carmelized flavor of the garlic and onions and shredded chicken versus chunks.

**Omit if not sauteing.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by aura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday – Homemade Macaroni and Cheese & Broccoli
Tuesday – French Onion Soup & Asparagus
Wednesday – Lemon Pepper Chicken & Salad with Creamy Bacon Dressing
Thursday – Ham Steaks in Maple orange marmalade & glazed carrots
Friday – Home made pizza
Saturday – Fried Chicken & Scalloped Corn
Sunday – Spinach Salad and Pork Roast

Scrumptious Sunday – Layered Guacamole Dip

hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks

2 large RIPE avocados (room temperature)
1 lemon (room temperature)
1 lime (room temperature)
salt and pepper
16 ounces sour cream
16 ounces chunky salsa
8 ounces shredded Mexican blend Sargento cheese
Large bag tortilla strips
Chopped black olives (optional)

Drain Salsa well.
Roll avocados, lemon and lime along counter top to loosen and prepare insides.
Juice lemon and lime.
Mash avocado meat until smooth.
Add lemon and lime juice to avocado meat. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add half the salsa to the avocado mash and mix well.
Add enough of the sour cream to create a smooth mixture.
On a large platter layer the avocado mixture, the remaining sour cream, the remaining salsa, the cheese and then the olives.
Chill all together several hours before serving.
Dig in and enjoy.

This is always a big hit with our family and a staple at Memorial Day BBQs.

Freezer Foods Friday

hosted by mjpuzzlemom

I’m still on vacation and will be back next week!

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Beef Stroganoff

This is supposed to be Weight Watchers week,
but I had already pre-posted this recipe while on vacation – so enjoy!

hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy

2 bunches green onions, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons butter
1 pound sirloin steak, cubed*
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons red wine
14 oz. beef consomme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 cups egg noodles (4 oz. dry)
1 cup sour cream
Kitchen Bouquet

Whisk together the egg white and cornstarch.
Toss meat in egg mixture and let sit for 1 hour.
Melt butter in skillet.
Over medium heat quickly stir fry meat pieces, remove and set aside.
In the same pan saute’ the onions, mushrooms and garlic until lightly browned.
Scrape bottom to loosen and add meat back in.
Add the red wine, consomme, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
Stir in noodles, cover and cook until noodles are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Add enough Kitchen Bouquet to attain desired color.
Add sour cream and mix well. Heat quickly , but DO NOT BOIL! Sour cream will curdle if you cook it too quickly.
Garnish with parsley.
Serve immediately!

*stew meat works, but tends to be tougher

Slow Cooking Thursday

Slow Cooking Thursday is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

I’m on vacation and will be back next week!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday ~ sis-in-law’s choice
Tuesday ~ Train dining car
Wednesday ~ Train dining car
Thursday ~ Out ~ need to do the shopping to restock the fridge
Friday ~ Grilled BBQ chicken & Potato Salad
Saturday ~ Hamburgers & Baked Beans
Sunday ~ Chicken Marsala & Salad

Freezer Food Friday~Macaroni & Cheese Spicy Style

hosted by mjpuzzlemom

1 package cheese and garlic croutons, coarsely ground (2 cups ground)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups dry elbow macaroni
3 cups whole milk, room temperature
1/2 cup butter
1 small onion, minced
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons Frank’s Hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 cups extra, extra, extra sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz. block), grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toss crouton crumbs with melted butter and set aside.
Prepare macaroni and drain.
In large skillet melt 1/2 cup butter.
Add onions and saute’ until tender and slightly browned.
Whisk in flour until smooth.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thick.
Stir in hot sauce, salt and peppers.
Stir in cheese until blended.
Toss together the macaroni and 3/4 of the bread crumbs.
Stir in cheese mixture until smooth.
Pour into lightly sprayed 9×9 stoneware.
Top with remaining crumbs.
Bake 30 minutes.

We have it for dinner that night and then I put the leftovers in 1 quart freezer containers for future meals.

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Devil's Food Orange Cake & Orange Butter frosting

CAKE

4 medium navel oranges, room temperature
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 Jumbo eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Generously grease a Bundt pan (I like a decorative Nordicware or Wilton pan)
Squeeze oranges, saving pulp
Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Then add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the orange juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Mix the baking soda into 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening with 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
Alternate the milk and flour, sifting the flour into the cream mixture and blend until smooth.
Add the baking soda mixture and blend well.
Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend well.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Level pan by dropping on counter top to remove air bubbles.
Bake until springy 55-60 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto platter.
Cool before frosting.

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, pulp and all
2 teaspoon orange zest

Beat butter until fluffy.
Beat in 1/2 of the powdered sugar until smooth.
Add orange juice, vanilla and orange peel. Blend until smooth.
Slowly add the remaining sugar and blend until silky.
Adjust sugar and orange juice until desired consistency and flavor is reached.

If you don’t have this mess in the end,
you did it wrong!

Category: HELPFUL HINTS