Monday, October 5, 2009

Happy Birthday to my son!










Yesterday was my son's 10th birthday!
Rather than go to Walmart and buy cupcakes, I made my own.
I colored some homemade buttercream icing blue and piped it on
using a Wilton tip 22 and added blue sprinkles. His fave color is
black but I wasnt making black cupcakes. LOL







My meal plan for the next 2 weeks



Organizing Blog


So, below this post, all the posts in October are the ones that I've made the past 2 weeks. Any gaps were filled in by leftovers or "clear the freezer" night. lol

Here is my meal plan for the next 2 weeks!

Lasagna and garlic bread
greek chicken w/ penne pasta (recipe is in this blog)
hearty meatball soup
slow cooker enchiladas
beef and cheese quesadillas
mini meatloaves
taco soup
homemade pizza
leftovers from our party 10/10

Recipes to follow!

Potato and Corn Chowder

Super easy crock pot meal!! Now that the weather is getting chilly, fill your tummies with something thick and hearty! This would be great paired up w/ a good crusty bread!

16 oz bag frozen hashbrowns (I used the shredded, but the squared would work too)
15 oz can corn
15 oz can creamed corn
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used my dried minced, just about a palm full. I typically just eyeball and don't measure)
12 oz can evaporated milk
1 lb smoked sausage ring (like Ecrich), sliced)
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together; place in a slow cooker. Heat on low for 7 hours. Serves about 6.

Scalloped Sausage & Potatoes

4 cups potatoes, peeled, sliced and divided
1/4 cup all purpose flour, divided
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1 lb ground pork sausage or italian sausage, browned and divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups milk

Place half the potatoes in a 2 qt casserole dish; sprinkle w/ half the flour. Top with 1/2 the salt, half the sausage and 1/2 the cheese; repeat with remaining potatoes, flour, salt, sausage and cheese. Pour milk over the top; cover. Bake at 350 for 50 mins to one hour; uncover. Bake for another 8-10 min or until potatoes are tender. Serves 4-6.

Tortilla Beef Bake

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips, divided
1 16 oz jar salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink, drain, stir in soup. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups tortilla chips into a shallow 2 1/2 qt baking dish. Top with beef mixture, salsa and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 25-30 mins or until bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining chips. Bake 3 mins longer or until chips are lightly toasted.

I serve this up with spanish rice!

3 step stroganoff

This is a great wholesome meal that you can make in a flash!

1 1/2 lbs boneless round steak, thinly sliced
1 tbsp veg. oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/2 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1/2 cup sour cream

In a large skillet, stir fry the beef in oil until no longer pink. Stir in soup, water and onion soup mix. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 mins. Stir in sour cream, heat through (do not boil) Serve over egg noodles. Makes about 6 servings.

Corn Dog Muffins












This is a huge hit w/ my family. A little spin on the typical corn dog. Much cheaper too!

2 pkgs (8.5 oz each) corn bread/muffin mix
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 11 oz can whole kernel corn, drained
5 hot dogs, chopped

In a bowl combine corn bread mix and brown sugar. Combine eggs and milk. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Stir in corn and hot dogs (batter will be thin). Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 400 for 14-18 mins or until golden brown. Serve immediately or refridgerate. Makes around 18 muffins.

I like to serve with french fries! It already has the veggie in it. My older son doesn't like veggies and even he will eat these eventhough there is corn in it!

Chocolate Chip Cake Bars

This is soooo easy and my kids loved it. I always have these ingredients on hand, so I decided to do something with them!

1 pkg yellow cake mix (I suppose chocolate would do as well)
2 eggs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 tbsp shortening

In a bowl, combine the 1st 5 ingredients. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chips. Spread into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out from the center clean. Cool on a wire rack. Melt the shortening w/ the reamining chips and drizzle over the top. Cut into bars. Makes about 3 dozen.

**Note**
You can also add in 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Ham Potato Scallop

1 pkg (5 oz) scalloped potatoes
2 cups boiling water
2 tbsp butter or margarine
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fully cooked ham
1 pkg (10 oz) frozen cut green beans
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3 qt ungreased casserole dish, combine potatoes w/ sauce mix, boiling water and butter. Stir in milk, ham and green beans. Bake uncovered around 35 mins at 400 or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally so that the potatoes don't brown. Sprinkle w/ cheese and bake 5 more mins until cheese is melted. Let stand about 5 mins before serving.
Yields 4-6 servings.