Sunday, April 20, 2008

The weather outside....

We are getting dumped on up here in Alberta. The snow is coming down so what will make me feel better??? The one thing that I consider my comfort food....it so reminds me of being a kid. It has the hot and cold element that I my soul so craves. Lucky for me we had some ice cream in the freezer!

Brownie Pudding
1 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 T cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. milk
2 T. oil
1 tsp vanilla

Pudding:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 3/4 c. hot water

Mix the dry ingredients together. In seperate bowl combine the milk, oil and vanilla. Mix into the dry ingredients and spread into a sprayed 8x8 cake pan. Mix the pudding ingredients together and pour over top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let sit for 10 -15 minutes to let the pudding thicken. Serve with ice cream. Don't ask me how the pudding ends up on the bottom and the cake on the top.....it's magic!!

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Slowcooker Chicken

No this is not soup that you are looking at. We ate and then I realized that I hadn't taken a picture so these are the two lonely chicken breasts that were left over. I made this dish several years ago and I found it in my recipe box the other day.
Slowcooker Chicken
8 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 small onion, sliced
8 garlic cloves, diced (yes, I used dehydrated!!)
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. white vinegar
Put chicken and onion in crockpot. Combine the remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook 2 hours on high or 4 on low. Serve with rice.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

French Toast


So, maybe it's the Scottish in me but I couldn't bring myself to throw out the leftover evaporated milk I used to make the meatballs. I always put those type of things into the fridge and then find it weeks later and THEN throw it out...I always have the intention of using it. For some strange reason I was thinking of this and struggling with the decision of throwing it out now, when I had a brainstorm - use it in some french toast. It was yummy and I even wrote down the amounts I use...don't we all just dump in the eggs and milk until it looks right???


My French Toast
4 eggs
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. milk
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Mix together and dip bread into it. Fry in a pan that you have added equal amounts oil and butter. Enjoy.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Mmm, meatballs


So I'm baking these as we speak and then I'm going to freeze them for use at a later date. I'm all about taking a day to cook hamburger and freeze it in 1/2 lb. ziplocs to make easy tacos and spaghetti sauce, etc...it's a real time saver on the weekdays when I'm about ready to check out and the kids are alittle, how shall I say, CRAZY!!! Well, I was cooking up the hamburger that I stocked up on (super sale) and Patrick asked if I was going to make meatballs ever again. Well, guess what my sweet? Mama made them - let's just see if I can get them past you and into the freezer! My fab sis also makes the recipe into a KILLER meatloaf, and I mean killer because I don't normally like meatloaf, but this one is as good as my Dad's (that's saying alot). She also has made these meatballs for numerous baby showers, and they are usually one of the first things gone.

Cocktail Meatballs:
1 lb sausage (I used italian today, just because I had it but any kind will do)
2 lbs. lean hamburger
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 c. catsup
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs (about 2 slices)
1 c. evaporated milk

Sauce:
1 - 14 oz bottle catsup
1/2 bottle chili sauce
3 T. prepared mustard
1 1/2 t. dry mustard
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T pepper
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 bottle A1 sauce
2 T worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 T salad oil
dash of Tabasco

Mix meatball ingredients in large bowl. Shape into 1 inch meatballs (I used my small cookie scoop) Place on cookie sheet and bake at 40o for 15 minutes. (These can be made and frozen ahead of time) To serve: Make sauce in crockpot and bring to boil. Add meatballs and heat through or let simmer until you want to serve them. Make about 80 meatballs.

My comments: I actually baked them for 25 minutes - we like them alittle more browned because we don't normally eat them with the cocktail sauce. Also, remember to make it easy on yourself and bake them on a sheet covered in FOIL!!! I use the meatballs in spaghetti sauce, Craig loves them in cream of mushroom soup served over rice or mashed potatoes and sometimes we just eat them as they are.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Pizza

My kids all like different kinds of pizza. SHOCKED??? Me too, so we make our own individual pizzas and everybody is happy and mom doesn't hear protests of what they don't like on their dinner. I buy the big mother blocks of mozzarella cheese and then grate it with the help of my handy dandy food processor and freeze it in big Ziplocs so I always have it on hand (I also find the cheese aspect the most expensive part of homemade pizza, so this helps me out). I also short cut it with Pilsbury pizza crust and cut it up into smaller individual ones for the kiddies.


Kid Made Pizza

2 rolls of Pilsbury Pizza dough, cut into individual pieces
pizza sauce
cheese (what ever kind you like)
toppings your kids enjoy (my always includes olives, I know Ainsley is weird for 5 :).....mine include ham, onions, peppers, pineapple, etc

Cut up all the toppings and put in a muffin tin or bowls, whatever you want. Call the kids and put them to work making their dinner. Bake according to directions. I promise you won't hear any complaints!

This is one of my "back-up" meals. I always have 2 of the pizza doughs in the fridge because they have a good expiry date on them. I try to always have on hand: pizza sauce (buy the one in the squeeze bottle for easy storage), a can of pineapple, I always have ham for lunches (I buy the kind in the containers that is also sealed in the meat dept...so it doesn't go bad) and I already talked about the cheese.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

This one's for Jordana!!


I received this recipe from my fab cousin Jill many years ago and it was an instant family fave. Thanx Jillie!! I'm sharing it with everyone now because I gave it to a friend a few weeks ago, she loved it and inspired me to make it this week so I could share. I serve it with rice (obviously) and we would eat the sauce with a spoon like soup if we could!! It is fast, uses ingredients I always have on hand and the easiest clean up ever...


Jill's Chicken

2 lbs chicken (I use boneless, skinless)
1 small onion
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. chunky salsa

Arrange chicken in a casserole dish. Chop up onion and mix with ketchup, sugar and salsa. Pour over top of chicken and bake uncovered at 375 for 45-50 minutes.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Warning: objects in picture may appear larger than in real life


Mama's Cookin in the Bedroom!!!

I'm just kidding....this has nothing to do with food or recipes or anything but I had a LIFE CHANGING experience yesterday that I just had to share. I bit the bullet and went for a professional bra fitting at a fabulous little store here named Victoria's Attic. Holy crap, I've never been so in love with my ladies!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Garlic Green Beans

This is Patrick's absolute favorite vegetable dish. He actually requests it and the other kids like it too.

3 c. frozen french cut green beans
1/4 c. water
2 T. litehouse freeze dried garlic
1 tsp. chicken boullion

In a frying pan combine all ingredients and simmer until the beans are cooked according to your taste.