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09 June 2009

South of the Border Chicken & Pasta Skillet

Today's Menu
South of the Border Chicken & Pasta Skillet

Another one pot wonder that I got from KraftFoods.com
I used pasta I had on hand and added a dollop of sour cream
and everyone asked for seconds.

Photobucket
The Recipe
  • 2 cups medium-size pasta, uncooked (pantry)
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-size pieces ($2)
  • 1 jar (16 oz.) Chunky Salsa ($1.50)
  • 1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen corn (96¢)
  • 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed ($1)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (pantry)
  • 1c Fiesta/Mexican cheese blend , divided & softened in microwave. (50¢)
  1. Cook pasta as directed on package (I used elbow macaroni because that is what we had).
  2. Sprinkle cumin on chicken.
  3. Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat until done.
  4. Add salsa, corn, & cream cheese simmer on medium-low until cream cheese is melted.
  5. Stir occasionally.
  6. Drain pasta.
  7. Add to skillet with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
  8. Heat through.
  9. Top servings with cheese and we added dollop of sour cream!
Total $6 and we have lunch for all of us tomorrow, not just him!

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08 June 2009

My Cheater Spaghetti :)

Today's Menu
Spaghetti and Garlic breadPhotobucket
I broke a rule and started my spaghetti with a jar of sauce, but this came out SOOO good so it was worth it on a tired day..I think the flavor came from my new find $1 pre-seasoned turkey burger.. Italian flavored!


The Recipe
  • 1 lb italian seasoned turkey burger ($1)
  • 1 can (23 oz?) garlic & onion spaghetti sauce ($1)
  • 1 can italian seasoned diced tomatoes (45¢)
  • 1 lb angel hair pasta ($1)
  • 1 loaf french bread ($1)
  • 1/4 softened butter (pennies)
  • salt free garlic & herb seasoning (pennies)
  • pinch of Italian seasonings (pennies)
  • Parmesan cheese (to top both) (50¢)
  1. Start a large pot of water boiling.
  2. Brown turkey burger in large sauce pan and drain, if necessary.
  3. Add sauce and tomatoes (lightly crush by hand or spoon before adding)
  4. Season and simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile salt the boiled water and time the addition of pasta properly.
  6. Slice loaf of bread to create two long halves, mix butter and seasonings and spread onto loaf.
  7. Sprinkle with Parmesan
  8. Bake in oven at 400 degrees until cheese is browned.
  9. Boil angel hair for about 4 minutes for al dente.. THAT'S IT! angel hair is a thin pasta and overcooks easily.
I mix my pasta and sauce together. To me it gives it a better evenness of sauce and it makes the sauce last as long as the pasta. I hate running out of sauce!
Total $5.00. We all had seconds and he has lunch tomorrow.


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Chicken Patty Cakes

The Menu
Chicken Patty Cakes
Original recipe was for tuna, but
I made them with canned chicken
(hubby has tuna allergy).
YUMMYYYY!!!!
He had it for lunch today and has been begging me
all day to make it again soon!

I forgot to take pictures :(
The Recipe
  1. 1 12 oz can of chicken- drained, flaked ($2)
  2. 1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stuffing Mix for Chicken ($1)
  3. 1 cup Shredded Cheese (I used colby/jack) (50¢)
  4. 3/4 cup water (FREE)
  5. 1 carrot, shredded (pennies)
  6. 1/3 cup Mayonnaise (pennies) 2 Tbsp. Sweet Pickle Relish (pennies)
  • Mix it all together
  • Divide into 8 equal patties
  • Brown in non stick skillet on both sides.
Served on buns lightly mayo'd and a dab of sweet relish
and curly fries ($1.55) on the side.

Total: $5 including the side and a 2 patty lunch the next day!


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05 June 2009

Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up


Trying to catch-up on what I've missed so I'll make it simple.

This one was suprisingly easy and SOOOOO tasty.
It's already been requested for another menu.


Today's Menu
Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up
add a loaded baked potato for extra YUM!



The Recipe
  • 1 lb. lean ground beef
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) american cheese
  • 1 pkg. (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust
(about $7 total with spare bacon and cheese)

Directions:
  1. Heat oven to 400°F.
  2. Brown ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat and drain.
  3. Return meat mixture to skillet.
  4. Add cheese; cook until melted, stirring frequently.
  5. Cool 10 min.
  6. Unroll dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
  7. Press into 15x8-inch rectangle
  8. Top with meat mixture
  9. Roll up, starting at one of the long sides.
  10. Rearrange if necessary so roll is seam-side down.
  11. Bake 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.



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Pizza!!


Today's Menu

PIZZA!!!!!

Our family loves pizza and we like to make it at home. This dough recipe is my never fail... doughs are not my strong point! This one has never gone wrong. We have taken a portion and made garlic bread sticks, and numerous varieties of pizza flavors. I am going to use this next time I make the Bacon Cheeseburger Roll-up.


The Recipe

E-A-S-Y Pizza Dough
Note: never make yeast dough in a metal bowl or with metal utensils. It retards the yeast growth.
  • 1 pk active dry yeast
  • 1/2 c warm water and 1 c water - separated (105-115 degree, no more)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 T light oil, plus extra to coat rising bowl.
Directions:
  1. Dissolve sugar in 1/2 c water and add yeast while warm.
  2. Set Aside for 5 minutes. It will "grow".
  3. Sift flour and salt together into large bowl.
  4. Make a well in center of the dry mixture and pour the additional water, oil, and yeast mixture into the well.
  5. Stir until it begins to form a ball, then turn onto a clean light;y floured surface.
  6. Knead for 4-5 minuted turning repeatedly.
  7. Lightly oil the dough and inside of a clean glass bowl.
  8. Put dough ball inside the bowl,cover with a warm towel, and set in a warm place until doubled. About an hour.
  9. You can use the dough at this point, but for a more developed texture and flavor, punch it down, reshape into a ball, and let it rise again.
  10. You can refrigerate or freeze the dough at this point.
  11. Divide into 1-3 balls depending on the size of your pizza and the thickness you want the crust.
  12. Sprinkle pizza sheets with corn meal for a little crunch and roll out your dough onto the pan. "Pock" and pre-bake for 5-7 minutes. Add your choice of pre-cooked toppings and cheese and bake again until cheese is bubbly and browned.

This meal we made a 4 cheese (colby, jack, mozzarella, and cheddar with Italian seasoning blend over sauce) and it was YUMMY! And also a Chicken Bacon Alfredo (cut up chicken and bacon, browned/drained, and a partial jar of store bought Alfredo sauce lightly simmered till it thickens.. top with above cheese blend.)

Sorry I didn't get any pics.. 4 adults, 5 kids, and 2 dogs here that night.. it was a madhouse, lol!


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02 June 2009

random updates

Hubby mentioned that I hadn't updated this in a while so I thought I would take a moment today. It is hard to update a WTC (waiting to conceive) blog when all you are doing is... waiting.

So let's blog about how I feel....

I feel like each day of waiting is only accomplishing one thing... bringing me 1 day closer to the cut off date that I have had to set... I need to be pregnant before my college graduation.

I did this because I DO have two others to worry about. If I am trying to establish a career I can't expect any potential employer to accept "I know I have only been here for 3 months, but in 3 months I have to take 3 months maternity leave." or "I know you just hired me, but..." or walking into an interview roundly pregnant.. yeah they are not supposed to discriminate, but who is going to want to hire a paralegal that will need to walk out in a few months no matter how big the case you are working on?

I have three years, but I do have a lot of obstacles and I've already been told that it will not be easy. As it is i only have about 6 possible months out the year to catch an egg, because I only have one tube... so cut the 3 years to 18 months. Subtract the 15 % chance of ectopic and you can essentially strike off another month if you consider that "time". Add in thyroid problems, over weight, and "advanced maternal age" and seriously, it doesn't look good. My last pregnancy took a year to accomplish, and that was only with thyroid problems.

I wish I could say I was closer to accomplishing my goal of getting my license so we could start trying, but really I am not. I haven't been able to spend anytime driving because of prior commitments of one or the other of us, plus the weather that stinks right now. I know I will have to get used to it but it is no way to start learning.

I just feel that a little more time runs out every second...

Until next time...

post signature

Long weekend

To all the faithful..

I had a long weekend with a much needed visit from my friend, her DH, and their daughters. they were in town for a funeral and even though I was glad to see her I wish it had been under other circumstances. We made yummy pizza, and they treated us to a dinner out one night. I wasn't online much because I was enjoying the short time I had with them.

Tomorrow I will get Thursday's "Bacon Cheeseburger Roll Up" online and Saturday's pizza's - cheese and Chicken Bacon Alfredo. I will also put a recipe up for Mt. Dew Cake that we made as Ice Cream Cone cupcakes for the girls to have a mini birthday party with my daughter, Kaelyn, who will be three in 46 minutes.. sigh... they grow too fast. Today we had simple chili dogs.

Until tomorrow...
...
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