Diary of a Rather Crafty Girl

Chewy Gooey Granola Bars

Today we made these fabulous granola bars. I'm sure there are many more batches in my future. They are absolutely fabulous and so tasty! You could sneak all kinds of good for you things in these and tell your kids that they are candy bars. :) They really do taste like a candy bar. Or a fun way to get the kids involved is to make these with your kids and let them pick what they want in the 3 cups of nuts, fruit or seeds.

Thick, Chewy Granola Bars


The possibilities for the recipe are endless. Use your imagination and use what your kids like!

1 2/3 cups quick rolled oats 


1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar (more for sweeter bars, less for a more earthy bar)


1/3 cup whole wheat flour


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


2 to 3 cups dried fruits, seed & nuts (I used Sunflowers seeds, flax seeds, mini chocolate chips & walnuts)


1/3 cup peanut butter  (I use Smucker's All Natural PB with Honey)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or corn syrup
2 tablespoons light corn syrup 
1 tablespoon water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 9″ x 12″ pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment paper and the exposed pan with a non-stick spray.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, honey, corn syrup and water. Toss the wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly. Spread in the prepared pan, pressing them in firmly to ensure they are molded to the shape of the pan.

Bake the bars for 30 minutes, until they’re brown around the edges — don’t be afraid to get a little color on the tops too. They’ll still seem soft and almost underbaked when you press into the center of the pan but do not worry, they’ll set completely once completely cool.

Cool the bars in their pan completely on a cooling rack. (After about 20 minutes you can use your parchment to lift and remove the bars, and place them in their paper on the rack to cool the rest of the way. This can speed the process up.)

Once cool, a serrated knife (or bench knife) to cut the bars into squares. To store, wrap the bars individually in plastic or stack them in an airtight container. In humid weather, it’s best to store bars in the refrigerator. They also freeze well.
Suggestions: Dried cranberries, apricots, pecans, sunflower seeds, coconut, walnuts, sesame seeds, dried apples, flax seeds, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, mini m&ms, chocolate chips.

I went grocery shopping today and I had a random assortment of menu items that I bought for. I'm not sure anything really goes together but all sound quite tasty.

I got it in my head that I was going to make homemade granola for Tim for cereal. He didn't seem all that enthusiastic about the venture but I was sure that he was going to love it. I made it and unfortunately I think I wasted money on all of the ingredients. It was horrible so I'm not even going to post the recipe. I'm going to have to find a different recipe and try again. In the meantime, he'll have to keep on his Raisin Bran kick.

Here are the other items on my list...

Granola Yum Yums

2 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, stir together the rice cereal and oats. Set aside. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat just until boiling, then remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Pour over the cereal and oat mixture, and mix well.

Press into the prepared pan using the back of a large spoon. Allow to cool, then cut into squares.

NOTE: I made these and they are delicious and super easy to make. I can't stop eating them. They are chewy peanut butter granola bars. I modified the recipe a little. I only used 2 cups of rice crispies and i didn't add the raisins b/c I don't like them.

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Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi with steamed green beans and garlic mashed potatoes
Tim requested fish so I thought I would try this new Mahi Mahi recipe. Unfortunately I can't find Mahi Mahi anywhere. I don't understand how I can live not even an hour from the Gulf of Mexico and I can't get good seafood. I'm heading to the Vietnamese grocery store tomorrow in hopes that they will have Mahi Mahi.

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.

Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

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Quiche in a bag - {using all leftovers}

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Cream of Tomato Soup
Parmesan Couscous with Ham & Peas
The Cream of Tomato Soup and the Couscous are recipes out of my toddler cookbook. Lex has turned into a totally picky eater so I'm trying to find something he likes. He loves ketchup so I'm thinking maybe he will like the Tomato Soup and I can hide some other veggies in there. I tried the couscous tonight and it was fantastic. However, when I looked over at Lex he had dumped his bowl out and was picking all of the ham and peas out of it and leaving the couscous - so much for new recipes. I guess we're going to be sticking with chicken nuggets and cheese.

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Southwestern Salad
We had the Southwestern Chicken Salad last night and it was very good. A few notes for next time though... I had water chestnuts so I used them but I would definitely use the jicama next time. The chicken would definitely be better  if marinated and grilled then sliced. I sprinkled the tortillas with paprika and a little cayenne after spraying them.

2 (6 inch) flour tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 cups ready-to-serve salad greens
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped tomatoes, divided
1 medium green pepper, diced
1/2 cup cubed peeled jicama or sliced water chestnuts
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup fat-free ranch salad dressing
4 teaspoons barbecue sauce

Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet; spritz both sides of strips with butter-flavored cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 4-5 minutes or until crisp. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat until no longer pink; set aside.

Combine the salad greens, corn, beans, 1 cup tomatoes, green pepper, jicama and onions; arrange on a serving platter. Place chicken in center of salad; sprinkle with cheese and remaining tomatoes. Arrange tortilla strips around chicken. In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce; serve with salad.

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Tandoori Chicken with mashed sweet potatoes
This is my attempt at making us step out of our comfort zone and try something new. We both hate Indian food so hopefully this will go well. ;)

This is the recipe I had planned to use. However, when looking through the Indian section of our grocery store I found a prepackaged spice mix for Tandoori Chicken that I decided to try. Hopefully it won't taste prepackaged. I'm kind of a sucker for nice packaging and I thought this design was very nice.

2 pounds chicken, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon yellow food coloring
1 teaspoon red food coloring
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Remove skin from chicken pieces, and cut slits into them lengthwise. Place in a shallow dish. sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and lemon juice. Set aside 20 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, onion, garlic, ginger, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. Mix until smooth. Stir in yellow and red food coloring. Spread yogurt mixture over chicken. Cover, and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat, and lightly oil grate.

Cook chicken on grill until no longer pink and juices run clear. Garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

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Baked Potato Bread
Almond Poppy Bread
My grandmother gave me a new cookbook for my bread machine a while back and I haven't tried any of the recipes yet. These two sounded delicious.

 

Baked Potato Bread
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 Tbsp. Bacon Bits
2 Cups White Bread Flour
1 Tbsp. Dry Milk
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. Potato Flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dried Chives
1 tsp Fast Rise Yeast

Mix water and sour cream together and place in bread machine. Add all dry ingredients on top. Bake with Basic White Light cycle.

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Slow Cooker Lentils & Sausage
This is my new crockpot recipe. I have no idea if we like Lentils, but really How bad can they be? I'm already thinking these could use some spices though. The ingredients seem a little bland.

1 (16 ounce) package dry lentils
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
3 cups water
1 carrot, chopped
2 pounds kielbasa (Polish) sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped

Rinse and drain lentils, but do not soak. In a slow cooker, stir together the lentils, tomatoes, broth, water, carrot, sausage, and celery.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours, or Low for 6 to 7 hours. Stir well before serving.

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Cheesy Ham & Hashbrown Bake

I think I need to eat a more substantial breakfast now that I'm pregnant and running around chasing an 18 month old so I'm making this casserole for a breakfast option but I made these in individual serving sizes. I used fat free soup and sour cream and added a palm full of dried chives. I also sprinkled the tops with a little paprika.

1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Allow to cool. Cover with foil and freeze. On serving day, reheat until bubbly in oven.

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Lemon Chicken
Sweet & Spicy Chicken

These are both Dump Chicken recipes. {Take the ingredients for the recipe, place in a one-gallon freezer bag, then add your chicken and freeze. Then thaw before you cook. You can use 4-8 pieces of chicken, pieces or breasts and we always chose to use boneless and skinless. When cooking using boneless and skinless, only cook for 25-35 minutes or until no longer pink. When using full chicken pieces your cooking time will be around one hour. We always take the sauce and reduce it in a pan after the chicken is done, making some of the most DELICIOUS sauces!!! Enjoy!!}

Lemon Chicken
2/3 cup Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Minced Onion

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

1 Package Taco Seasoning
8 oz Apricot Jam
12 oz Salsa

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On another note, I have a super cute new paper pack in the store for Halloween.  Hope you'll stop by and pick it up.

I'm back

Ok I need to get off of my lazy b-hind and get busy. I've got tons of things that I've been wanting to do and I haven't been able to find the time to do them but I'm getting in gear this week and getting things accomplished.

Where has this year gone?? My baby is going to be turning one in just a few weeks. I finished his birthday party invitation tonight and I have to say I have been on a roll with the creativity this week. The darn thing turned out awesome. I can't say enough good things about Jacque Larsen's Birthday Bash kit at The Lily Pad. I used it and the elements are precious. In an effort to be more green I made the invite into a one page website and sent it out to family & friends. I have all kinds of cutesy, crafty things in store for his party.

 

I've been wanting to re-design my site for a long time and I've been doing that this week. Right now I've gone as far as I can go without updating zencart and we're having some issues with my host at the moment. So, the store is in a bit of disarray at the moment. Hopefully it will be finished by Saturday. Speaking of Saturday, be on the look out for our March Newsletter on Friday... I've got lots of great new products that will be available on Saturday.

Second, I haven't been doing much OAMC lately and my grocery budget is hurting because of it. So, I started again  with some great simple recipes that I could accomplish in the afternoon. I did the following:

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Calico Beans (I doubled the recipe and it made 3 8x8 casseroles)
*My friend Marc B. made these and they were great. I think they will freeze beautifully.

• 8 ounces bacon, about 10 to 12 slices
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. dry mustard
• 2 cans pork and beans
• 1 can lima beans or butter beans, drained
• 1 can kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. vinegar

Brown bacon, ground beef, and chopped onions.  Combine drained ground beef mixture in slow cooker with remaining ingredients; cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours. After this was cooked I transfered to 3 - 8x8 disposable aluminum pans, wrapped them in foil, labels then placed them in gallon ziplocs. To reheat, thaw and bake until bubbly at 350.

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Spaghetti Sauce (for Spaghetti, Pizza and a few other pasta dishes)
Turkey Tetrazzini

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Shepherd's Pie

Ok I saw a recipe similar to this in a magazine but then couldn't find it so I just made it up as I went. It turned out fantastic. I didn't really measure but just do everything to taste and it will turn out fantastic.

• 1 large batch of mashed potatoes - (boil potatoes then add a block of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, minced garlic, garlic salt & pepper, butter & milk.)
• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 bags of frozen mixed veggies
• 2 packages of brown gravy mix

Brown beef and onion (season with salt & pepper). Drain and return to pan. Add veggies and 1/4 water. Cook on medium until veggies are warm. (Do not overcook b/c theses will be reheated after being frozen). Add gravy mixes and 1 cup of water. Cook on medium high until gravy thickens. Ok now dish up the veggie meat mixture into the bottom of disposable 8x8 pans. My quantity made 3 pans. Cover the veggies with mashed potatoes so that no veggie meat mixture is showing. Now sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Cover with foil and place in gallon ziplocs. To reheat, thaw and bake until bubbly at 350.

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Nacho Casserole (This one isn't OAMC but it is super easy)

• 1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 8 ounces shredded Mexican-style cheese blend
• 1 (14.5 ounce) package crushed nacho cheese doritos

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Lay crescent dough flat on the bottom of a square cake pan and bake according to package directions.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the taco seasoning and stir together well. When dough is done, remove from oven and place meat mixture on top, then layer with sour cream and cheese, and then top off with the crushed nacho chips.

Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

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I can't believe I forgot to post this photo. I did the cake for my friends baby shower a few weeks ago. It turned out so pretty. It was a three layer yellow cake with chocolate buttercream icing - Chocolate Fudge icing drizzles on top with chocolate covered strawberries. The lavender is colored white chocolate.

OAMC Recipes

Here are a few recipes that I've been meaning to post and just haven't had a chance to do it. The are all from my favorite freezer cooking book... "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer". The first is for Chicken Enchiladas. I absolutely love these and these freeze wonderfully.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded
1 - 4 oz. can green chilis
3 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. ground coriander
salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) Monteray Jack cheese, shredded (use pepperjack if you want more spice)
12 - 6 inch flour tortillas

Cook onion and peppers in 2 T of butter until tender. Conbine onion mixture in a bowl with chicken and chili peppers. Set aside.

For sauce, melt 3 T butter and stir in flour, coriander and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken broth all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup of cheese. Stir 1/2 cup of sauce into chicken mixture.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of chicken mixture and roll up. Arrange rolls in a lined baking dish for freezing. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Freeze, using the foil and plastic wrap method... I like to put these in disposable 8x8 pans, cover with foil, label then place in a gallon ziploc.

On cooking day: Thaw. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

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This recipe sounded delicious. However, I never got to make it because I couldn't find the salad dressing mix in my area.

ORIENTAL SESAME CHICKEN STRIPS

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T. soy sauce
1 envelope Good Seasons Oriental Sesame Dressing Mix
1 1/4 lb chicken strip pieces

Mix honey, juice, soy sauce and dressing mix in large bowl until blended.  Place chicken strips in freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Freeze.

Cooking Day: Thaw. Thread chicken on skewers. Broil 4 inches from heat or grill over medium coals 8-10 minutes.

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I made this recipe this week. It was really good but for some reason the meat I bought was tough. I think I'll try a different cut of meat next time.

BAKED STEAK IN TANGY TOMATO SAUCE

2 lb round or sirloin steak, tenderized
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 T. shortening
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped
   <**I used 2/3 cup frozen seasoning mix instead of onions and celery>
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T. brown sugar
2 tsp. yellow mustard
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
Dash of tabasco
1 can tomato soup

Salt and Pepper steak. Brown meat, onion, celery and garlic in hot shortening. Add remaining ingredients and cover. Cook for 15-10 minutes. Freeze in plastic container or ziploc bags.

On cooking day: Thaw completely. Bake covered at 350 for 1 1/2 - 2 hours

6 month update

Lots, lots and lots more going on around Casa de Simmons. I really should update more often. I'm going to try to start blogging at least 2-4 times a week like I used to.

Our little tiger has started to crawl. Geez! He is just growing up too quick. He's only 6 months ... I thought I would have at least a few more months until we had to deal with baby proofing. He's also pulling up on all the furniture now too so I'm thinking he's probably going to be an early walker as well. Every day I just feel so blessed to have Tim and Lex. They both just fill my heart every day.

So, at 6 months Lex has so many new tricks...
• He's ticklish on the back of his neck.
• He can crawl super fast
• He laughs all the time
• He started eating meat and pasta
• He loves cereal puffs and gerber wagon wheels.
• He started going to Mother's Day Out at our church and he finger paints almost every day.
• He wears 12-18 month clothes
• He is 20 lbs 12 oz.
• He wears a size 4 shoe!
• He loves to bounce, bounce, bounce...

• and he still doesn't sleep through the night.....

While I haven't been doing much scrapbooking lately I have been making little girl outfits using recycled jeans and I'm taking orders for the holidays now. If you are interested in a Thanksgiving or Christmas themed outfit or just a cute little outfit let me know. (These frames are from Theres K at PolkaDotPotato).

I got my business cards/clothes tags for these and i am so excited about them. I think they are precious. The first image is of an outfit I made for a little girl's birthday outfit. She wore it to her 2nd birthday party.

I tried some cutesy little ponytail holders to use up some of my fabric scraps and I think they turned out great. I'm going to send them to my nieces. And I'll have matching ones for every custom ordered outfit as well.

Last weekend we went to a friends 60th birthday party. It was so much fun and the food was delicious. This is the only picture I had of us. Tim is looking at me like i'm crazy or something. The party was at the Spanish Flowers in the Heights.

I haven't done a lot of once a month cooking lately because it has just been too darn hot to use the oven much.
However, I made this the other day and it tasted great and is super quick and easy. It freezes great too.

LASAGNE CASSEROLE

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-16 oz. package pasta shells, cooked (I cooked it 2/3 of the way done.)
6 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
24 ounce cottage cheese, grated
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs
2 tbl. parsley
3-28 oz. jars spaghetti sauce

Assembly instructions:
Cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender; drain. Sprinkle with salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining pepper; stir gently. Combine with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce.

Package in quantities for your family. Freeze additional cheese in a ziplock bag and attach to casseroles. I made 4 - 8 inch round disposable pans full - covered the pans in foil then put them in a ziploc and froze.

To Serve: Thaw. Pour into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mom's Buttercream

1/2 C. Crisco
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp milk

Mix Crisco, butter and vanilla until there are no more lumps. Fold in powdered sugar. Add milk last to get correct consistency.

This recipe can be frozen until you need to use it.

•• This is the icing I use for cakes and cupcakes. It is simply fabulous.

We're Cookin' in the Kitchen

This has been a long week and I haven't had a chance to blog at all. Right now Tim is trying to get Lex to sleep so I thought I would take the opportunity to post an update.

Lex went for his 2 month checkup on Friday and he was a whopping 14 lbs 10 oz!! 95 percentile for weight - my little chunky monkey! He had his shots which was probably worse for me than it was for him. 3 in one leg and 2 in the other - he screamed like crazy but I held it together and didn't cry.

I've been being pretty darn crafty this week but I can't post pictures of most of the things yet b/c they are gifts for friends that may read my blog. However, I do want to show everyone my new "Rather Crafty" embroirdered gift tags. I got them in the mail today and I think they look awesome on the new burpies I ordered them from Name Maker.

YIPPEE! All of my cooking is done and my freezer is jam packed with yummy goodness that should last well over a month. I will have to apologize though b/c I didn't take a single picture. I don't have time to type all of the recipes tonight so I'll keep updating during the week.

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Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breast (3 - 2 person servings)

1 cup buttermilk
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T honey
1 T fresh rosemary chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
6 boneless skinless chicken breast

Mix everything but chicken breast in bowl. Place chicken in gallon freezer ziploc and pour marinade over it. Freeze.

On cooking Day:
Thaw chicken, discarding marinade. Grill over medium heat until chicken is teder adn juices run clear.

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Dijon Pork Loin Roast (1)

5 lb pork loin roast
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 T Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
2 T soy sauce
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T minced onion
2 T butter
1/2 tsp celery seed
salt & pepper

In large bowl mix together all marinade ingredients. Place pork roast in freezer bag. Pour marinade over roast and freeze.

On cooking Day: Allow roast to thaw. Drain and reserve marinade. Roast at 350 for 2 1/2 hours or to an internal temp of 155-160 degrees. Baste frequently with reserved marinade during last 45 minutes of roasting time

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Farmers Breakfast Casserole (2)

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar
1 cup diced ham or canadian-style bacon
1 - 4 oz. can green chilis
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
4 beaten eggs
1 - 12 oz. can evaporated milk
salt and pepper

Grease a 2 quart square baking dish. Ararnge potatoes evenly in botom of dish. Spinkle wiht cheeses, ham, green chilis, and green onions. In medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper and salt. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture in dish. Cover and freeze.

On cooking Day: Thaw completely. Bake 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. If you prefer, extra shredded cheese can be sprinkled on top during last 15 minutes of baking.

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Chicken Enchiladas (2)

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Colorado White Chili (2)
Chicken Pot Pie (2)
Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips
Beef & Hash Brown Casserole (1 large casserole)
Broccoli, Rice & Cheddar Casserole (2 - 8x8 pans)
Crockpot Mac & Cheese (6 - 2 cup packages)
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

My big cooking day

Well today Lex & I made a huge grocery shopping trip. I think I wore him out because he's been sleeping all afternoon. Praise the Lord! b/c I had lots to get done.

This is my first major cooking session since Lex arrived so I've been a little worried about getting it all done. Well, he has let me get over half of it done this afternoon! Here is a list of my recipes:

Buttermilk Herb Chicken Breast (3 - 2 person servings)
Dijon Pork Loin Roast (1)
Farmers Breakfast Casserole (2)
Chicken Enchiladas
Colorado White Chili (2)
Chicken Pot Pie
Oriental Sesame Chicken Strips
Beef & Hash Brown Casserole
Broccoli, Rice & Cheddar Casserole (3)
Crockpot Mac & Cheese
Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'll update with recipes a little later. =)

A very productive week

Not too much going on around the Simmons house this week. Tim had a board meeting at church last night and I took Lex to watch the YC softball game. The game was canceled but we had fun hanging out with everyone. I can't believe that Lex is almost the same size as Marc & Heather's little boy, Nathan. Nathan is 10 weeks older than Lex. I weighed him this morning and it said 14.6 pounds... but that is with clothes on so he's probably a little less. Geez, he's only 8 weeks old! My little chunky monkey is getting big. Here is a cute new picture of him.

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I made an appetizer this weekend from Robert St. John's cookbook. I think his recipes are brilliant. If you don't own his cookbook you should get one or all of them. My favorites are Deep South Staples and Deep South Parties. I made this one and put it in the freezer. I baked a few for Tim & I and they are fabulous! I can't wait to make the Hot Pepper Jelly Sauce to go with them. I just know they are going to be to die for with it.

BAKED SHRIMP TOAST
1 qt water
1 tsp crab boil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups small shrimp
1 eight-oz. package cream cheese (i used reduced fat)
1 Tbl onion, finely minced
1/2 cup homemade mayo or top quality store bought
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
1 tsp Creole mustard
2 Tbl green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp hot sauce
1/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 small loaf French Bread, cut into 1 inch rounds

Note: I skipped step 1 and used leftover shrimp from a shrimp boil that we had.

1. In a saucepan, bring the water, crab boil, and salt to a boil. Cook the shrimp thoroughly, drain and cool. When shrimp has cooled, rough chop into small pieces.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients except the French Bread. Add shrimp.

3. Spread a thick layer of the shrimp mixture onto the French bread rounds. Place rounds on a baking sheet and freeze. When completely frozen, transfer to an airtight plastic bag.

4. To cook: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove from freezer. Place on baking sheet and cook 15 minutes.

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PEPPER JELLY DIPPING SAUCE

1 Cup water
1/4 cup red chili pepper flakes
1 large red bell pepper, seeds removed
1 Tbl garlic, minced
1/2 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
2 Tbl water
2 Tbl corn starch

1. Bring water to boil in small saucepan. Stir in the chili flakes and simmer 5 minutes. Strain flakes, set aside, and discard water.

2. Place the bell pepper and the garlic in a small, stainless-steel sauce pan with the vinegars and simmer 5-6 minutes. Allow mixture to cool slightly, then puree in a blender. Return pureed mixture to the saucepan and add the sugar and the corn syrup. Bring the mixture back to a simmer.

3. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and blend into the bell pepper mixture. Once it returns to a simmer, remove from heat. Stir in the red chili-pepper flakes and chill.

4. May be made a week in advance.

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I haven't really done a cooking sessions since Lex arrived so today is my planning day. We've still got a bit in the freezer but I've got to reorganize and figure out a plan and I've got to get a menu together for Lex's Baptism party. Yippee. I'm doing a really cute cake for him and I can't wait.

Speaking of cakes... I'm doing a Lamb cake for the Breaux's baby shower on the 2nd. They are doing farm animals in the nursery so I think this is going to be so cute. I hope they like it. My mom was getting rid of all of her cake pans so she let me have them. My brother is coming this week and bringing them and I am so excited. She has tons of shaped cake pans ... bunnies, puppies, hearts, scarecrows, etc. Now I just have to clean out my kitchen and find a place to put all of them. (as if i need any more kitchen paraphernalia)

I've had a little time lately to be crafty lately. I found a pattern for the baby sling and decided to try my hand at it. I think it turned out super cute and it actually fits better than the ones that i bought. I of course made burpies with matching fabric also.

Well, I'm sure I'm forgetting to post something. If I remember I'll try to post again soon. =)

 

Update

Well, the store is back up but probably not for long. We're having major problems with our server and are going to be switching over soon to something more zencart friendly.

In the meantime I did upload a new product to the store. I'm really liking these flowers even though I normally am not a floral kind of gal. I've had my eye on lots of ephemera pieces so I just think these are the cutest!

Also, I found a quite divine foodie blog yesterday that has me wanting to bake poppy seed bread in glass jars... The site is called Delicious Days and is absolutely fantastic.

Also, a friend let me know that Food Network has a special section this week on freezer cooking... They have some great recipes that are freezer friendly.