Cilantro Chicken

I remember when I first moved here.  I ate a lot of chicken. 

At that time chicken was super cheap.

This has to be another favorite recipe of mine....

Cilantro Chicken.

It is supposed to be grilled but you can bake it in the oven on a wire rack. 

I don't remember how long I cooked it in the oven. 

Maybe 350 degrees for 40-45 mintutes?

Cilantro Chicken
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless thighs or I do 5-6 small chicken breasts
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
swee chili sauce to baste at the end.

1.  Place chicken in a large zip baggie
2.  Place olive oil, garlic, cilantro in a blender or food prcessor.  Process until the mixture is combined and smooth.  Scoop the marinade into the bag with the chicken, press the air out of the bag and zip it closed.  Knead the marinade into the chicken until it is evenly distributed.  Marinate overnight or all day long.
3.  Cook the chicken until done.
4.  At the very end baste the chicken with the sweet chil sauce and cook a few minutes more. 

I do mine in the oven and turn it on low broil at the end to make the sauce cook a little on the chicken.  Yum!

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

I am slowly turning into a Zucchini Fan.  Who knew?

I found these on Pinterest Web-site and decided to try it last night.  I only used one small zucchini with the recipe because I honestly didn't think my kids would like them.  They gobbled them up!  My youngest son kept going back into the kitchen begging for more.  I couldn't help but laugh as I knew he had no idea he was really eating a vegetable which he had stop eating long ago.

One note:  parmesan all ready has a salty taste so use salt sparingly.  I added salt to mine but next time I think I will leave it out.  Since I liked a lot of crumbs on my zucchini, I may double the parmesan and panko next time and use 2 zucchinis with it.  Also use your baking stone....  it turns out extra crispy this way! 

Enjoy!

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. zucchini or squash (about 2 medium-sized)
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan (heaping)
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (heaping)  I used Italian Style Panko
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with vegetable spray.

Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch-thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil, coating well.

In a wide bowl or plate, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper.

Place rounds in parmesan-breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides of each round, pressing to adhere. The mixture will not completely cover each round, but provides a light coating on each side.

Place rounds in a single layer on baking sheets. Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture over the rounds.

Bake for about 22 to 27 minutes, until golden brown. (There is no need to flip them during baking -- they crisp up on both sides as is.)

Source: http://bakehouse.squarespace.com/home/2011/7/20/zucchini-parmesan-crisps.html

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

 Who would have thought chocolate and zucchini would be a good combination?  I have always had a hard time finding a good chocolate muffin recipe just by themselves, but these are wonderful!  I might actually grind the zucchini next time, but I couldn't tell it was grated into the recipe at all.  My kids ate it up!  They loved them.   Shhh!  Don't tell them there is a vegetable in there!

What's your favorite Zucchini Recipe?

Recipe compliments from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Zucchini-Muffins/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=87945295&prop26=DailyDish&prop27=2012-07-08&prop28=RecipeOption&prop29=FullRecipe&me=1

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease or line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom. Mix until just moist.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack. Store loosely covered.

Zucchini Relish

Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable.  I grew up detesting any squash like substance, but over the last several years I have been experimenting with them.  Trying to find that perfect fit for each vegetable so that it's texture, taste and smell suits me isn't too hard when you have the internet.

Isn't it funny how Zucchini will produce so much on just one or two plants?  You definitely don't want to plant too many.  I am fortunate that my mother-n-law shared her garden with me.  I have to say I have really enjoyed it this year. 

One item that a must have in our house is Zucchini Relish.  I no longer had my mom's zucchini relish on stock in my cubbord so I knew I need to at least try and make it myself so that I would always have it.  I know that there are a lot of recipes out there for zucchini relish, but don't forget this one tip...   The more zucchini you add to your recipe the more watered down it will become.  Zucchini holds so much water that even after you feel like you have squeezed it out, there is still more.  With this recipe I have added 1cup more to make 6 cups and it turned out fine.  In fact, a friend of mine said the jar I gave her was the best she ever had!  Not bad for a first time maker!

So stick to the ingredients.  Follow the directions and you will have the best tasting relish ever!  The jalapeno is optional, but if you take the seeds out, you can't even tell its in there.  I don't have a grinder, but I grate my zucchini and then use my chopper to make it small as possible.  It still works great.

I would encourage you to take the time and do some of the things our mothers did when they were our age.  If we don't do it, these recipes and traditions will be lost forever.  Look for more Zucchini Recipes to come!

Zucchini Relish
Ingredients:
5 cups peeled, ground zucchini
4 cups ground onion
5 tbsp canning salt
1 red pepper, ground
1 green pepper, ground
2 cloves garlic, ground
1-2 whole jalapeño, ground, optional
2 1/2 cups vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp nutmeg
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp dry mustard
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp celery seed
5 cups sugar
Directions:
Put canning salt on the zucchini and onions and let it stand overnight. Place a plate on this and weigh it down and cover it.  The next morning drain and rinse, then drain again. (just run water over it and use your hads to loosen it up a little to let water drain off.)  Add vinegar, red pepper, green pepper, jalapeño and cloves and spices, cornstarch, and sugar.  Mix together, bring this to boil and then add to zucchini mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let stand for 3 hours, reheat and then can.

Sterilize jars in hot water bath 20 minutes. Put mixture into pint or half pint jars and put their lids on.  Screw tight and put into boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Healthy Living

If you have read any previous post, you will know I have started a journey of Healthier Living in my home....  and yes it is a journey.  I didn't clean out my pantry of all the bad stuff, but I am try new things and substituting BETTER things when I run out of the things in my pantry.  While I want to be healthier, I don't think that all that I have in my pantry should be wasted either.  Plus, I am not a big pre-packaged person anyway so my pantry isn't too bad.  Sure there are cake mixes for the "surprise, I have to take something to work tomorrow honey." type of situations...

Today, I want to share with you some ingredient conversions that you can do in your current baking.  I love making things from scratch, but my one down fall is using an ingredient when you don't know how it will turn out!  That scares me, but I have taken baby steps in trying these healthier solutions out and yes they are working!  Yes they tast good!  Very important!!

Butter
Yum...  
Butter is high in calories. 
Why not try these substitutions?

1.  Unsweetened applesauce:
  replace about half the amount of the called for butter with applesauce.  So if you end up needing 1 cup butter use 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup butter.  This works best in cakes.

2.  Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree:
Use the same as applesauce.

3.  Prune Puree:
Using Prune puree works well in chocolate treats and with goodies that have spices.
Use equal amounts of ingredient called for with the same amount of prue puree.

4.  Mashed Bananas:
Using mashed bananas works best with recipes that call for using OIL.  I wouldn't try using them in baked goods that are light and fluffy though.  Quick breads, coffee cakes and pancakes would work well with bananas.
How do you use it?  1 Cup of Oil= 1/2 cup of mashed banana.

How about Substitutions for Eggs?

1.  Unsweetened Applesauce:
1 egg = 1/4 cup of applesauce

2.  Vinegar and Baking Soda
For 1 egg = 1 tsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3.  Ground Flaxseed  { i love this one}
For 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 Tbsp of water = 1 egg

4.  Mashed Bananas
1 egg = 1/2 cup mashed banana

5.  Silken tofu
I probably won't ever use this one, but who knows...
Great for baking goods.
1 egg = 1/4 cup of whipped or pureed silken tofu

Sugar Substitues:

1.  Artificial sweeteners {I prefer to stay away from these}

2.  Molasses
1 1/3 cup of molasses = 1 cup sugar.
Recommend only replacing 1/2 of the called for sugar with this as molasses is a very strong flavor. 

3.  Honey
1 cup sugar = 3/4 cup honey + 1 Tbsp

One thing to consider is this:  If you are afraid to try these, just try replacing half of the ingredient to test it out before cutting the high calories out completely.  A little here and a little there will add up.  You will be surprised how they taste and knowing it is better for you will do us all good!

Through all this I am learning to be more self disciplined in my life.  Remember our physical health will often affect our spiritual health and emotional health.

Here's to more Healthy Living!

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

I recently went to the doctor and had my blood work done again.  Once again my LDL levels were borderline high and I was told to start using fish oil twice a day and have it recheck in 3 months.  Fish Oil?  Yuck, I hate fish and seafood.  I do know there is a good flavored fish oil out there but it is expensive. 

So once again I am revisiting the oatmeal options.  I like oatmeal, but detest eating it as a cereal.  I know they have oatmeal cookies in the store, but I have tried them and they are as hard as can be and not very tasty.  So I decided yesterday to look on-line and see if I could come up with something that would be a little more desireable.  I found the perfect match!  It is ALL good for you.  Every ingredient!  I decided that since I had all the ingredients that it was worth a shot to find a new breakfast item for me.  When they came out of the oven, I was really eager to try one.  I didn't wait long before I took my first bite.  Do you want to know if they are good?  Why yes they are!  So I am very excited to share with you a very HEALTHY oatmeal breakfast cookie that is soft and moist.  If you don't like the craisins, leave them out.  I find they add a nice touch to them! 

I was also a little nervous about using flax seed, but I did it anyway and found that it is great in foods.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 mashed banana (I used 1 large)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or non peanut)
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed (or an add’l 1/4c flour)
1/4 cup nonfat milk or vanilla protein powder (+2TB of water if dough is too thick)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, ground flax, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.
Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries.
Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula dipped in water, flatten and spread each mound of dough to a 2¾-inch round, about ½ inch thick.
Bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months; thaw before serving.

Oatmeal Muffin Remake

This last month, a good friend of mine has been encouraging to get back into shape.  She passed her Personal Trainer's Test and now is licensed to help other people.  To get her started she asked for some friends to help her get some practice in and I volunteered.

I have really been encourage by her.  She gave me some tools to get started. 
1)  Drink a lot of water-96 oz was recommend.
2)  Increase your fiber
3) Work out 3 times a week and a couple times a week do some strength training exercises.
4)  Use Loseit.com to start having an awareness of how many calories I was actually taking in.  It's not really calorie counting, but building an awareness or calorie consumption and portion control.  Two things I was horrible at.
5)  She has also educated me about using more natural ingredients, not processed sugars etc....  So I have started sloooowwwwly changing ingredients out in my home and experimenting with healthier ways to make things.  She also mentioned that natural sugars and ingredients will burn off quicker then the processed sugars.  I thought that was pretty interesting.

So I hit a low point this week with just being busy the last two weeks, Thanksgiving food etc.  I was at the doctor's office in the middle of the week and they weighed me.  I expected some good things, but was disappointed.  Mainly because I didn't weigh myself to begin with and I have no idea of where I started.  I did notice a change in me but I was still frustrated.  Until today.  I had another session with my friend today and she measured me.  I have actually lost a couple inches around the waist and some more elsewhere.  I guess I did make progress!  Since she brought her scale with her, I decided to weigh myself and was pleased that it was less then it was a few days ago.

So as I continue my journey to get into better physical shape.....  I will leave you will a remake of my Oatmeal Muffin Recipe.  It was a decent recipe before, but now I LOVE IT!!!  I couldn't believe how substituting ingredients would make a difference.

Oatmeal Muffins {BEFORE Makeover}
1 Egg
1 Cup buttermilk {1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 Cup Milk}
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar Packed
1/3 Cup Shortening {Crisco}
1 Cup Cooking Oats
1 Cup Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray with cooking spray and bake 20 minutes.

Oatmeal Muffins {AFTER Makeover}
1 Egg
1 Cup buttermilk {1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 Cup Milk}
Instead of 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar Packed Used: 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 Cup Molasses + 2 teaspoons
Instead of 1/3 Cup Shortening {Crisco}= USE:  2 1/2 Tablespoons Crisco and 2 1/2 Tablespoons All Natural Applesauce
1 Cup Cooking Oats
1 Cup Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray with cooking spray and bake 20 minutes.  Makes 1 dozen.  Approximate calorie per muffin is 140 Calories.

Notes: 
1)  Changes of ingredients were made in Red. 
2)  I didn't try to change the flour to some wheat as I wanted to see how the other changes turned out. 
3)  The batter may appear a little runny, just make sure and scrape your bowl good before scooping out.  These turned out more moist then they used to.
4)  Since molasses is used they will bake darker in color so don't worry.  They have a great flavor!!
5)  When substituting applesauce for the shortening, they recommend that you only replace half of the ingredient with applesauce and using shortening for the rest.
6)  You can substitute up to 3/4 the sugar content amount with molasses, but they don't recommend any more past that.  I just did half to start out with.

I've always been the type of person who was afraid to try new things.  Yes, I'm the one that orders the same thing over and over and over again when I go out to a restaurant because I know I won't be disappointed.  Over the years I have been a little more adventurous in trying new foods and many of them I found out I love!

My brother-n-law on my husband's side of the family is Hungarian and he is a very good cook.  His family came from Hungary a generation or two ago and he has learned the language but also the knowledge of Hungarian food.  He introduced us a couple years or so ago to a awesome Hungarian Sausage.  It is wonderful and a must have at family gatherings.  One Christmas, he cooked a meal for us that was very good.

I don't remember what that meal was, but I did find a recipe that has Hungarian Roots so I thought I would try it.  We absolutely loved it!  It has dumplings in it, and I have not made those before so the one main bit of advice for this recipe would be for you to make the dumplings very small when cooking them because they get big when you boil them in the water.  Also, you might want to cook it for longer too.  Test one to see if it is done, the first time around.  Then again, if you don't like dumplings, just substitute a thick noodle instead and it will taste just as good!

Chicken Paprikash

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
•  
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, with skin {I used boneless skinless chicken breast}
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 cup of water. Gradually stir in 2 1/2 cups of flour to make a stiff batter. Using two spoons, scoop out some batter with one spoon and use the second to scrap off the spoonful of batter into the boiling water. Repeat until several dumplings are cooking. Cook dumplings for 10 minutes or until they float to the top; then lift from the water and drain in a colander or sieve. Rinse with warm water.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add chicken; cook until lightly browned, turning once. Add onion to skillet and cook 5 to 8 minutes more. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of water, and season with paprika, salt, and pepper; cook 10 minutes more, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm.
3. Stir 2 tablespoons of flour into sour cream; then slowly stir into the onion mixture remaining in the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened.
4. To serve, add dumplings to the sour cream/onion mixture, then spoon onto dinner plates adding a piece of chicken.

Instant Lemon Bread

I have always enjoyed eating candies that are sweet and sour. 
Makes me think about Lemon Drops. 
A little pop of sweet and a lot of sour. 
Yum.

This week we had to make something for my husband's goody day at work and he pulled this recipe out.  At first I thought, what?  Don't you want to make something else?  But we made it anyway. Then he left me a few pieces.  From the first bite, I remembered very quickly how much I enjoy this recipe!  The other pieces of bread quickly disappeared.  I did however share a few bites with my one year old!

So if you are looking for a recipe that is easy to make, cost effective, etc...  Maybe you just need to take someone a meal but also would like have a dessert for yourself!  You are in luck!  This recipe will make two loaves.  Make one for yourself and one for someone else.  It's easy and quick!  Oh yeah, don't let the poppy seeds scare you.  At first it turned me off, but I actually like them in there!

So for a few dollars, you can have an easy dessert and share part of it with a friend.

Instant Lemon Bread
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 pkg instant lemon pudding
1/2 cup oil
1 cup water
4 eggs
1 tsp poppy seeds

After baking:
1/2 cup sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add 1 tsp poppy seeds.  Beat 4-5 minutes.  Bake in two loaf pans at 350F about 40 minutes.  Before removing from pans and while still hot, pour over loaves 1/2 cup sugar mixed with juice of 2 lemons.  (you can also bake in smaller loaf pans and get three  small loaves out of this recipe.)

Enjoy!

Comforting Chicken

I love it when you can look at a recipe and just know that it will be a keeper!  The flavors in this recipe post are absolutely perfect together!  Comforting Chicken.  It is what it says! 

I did have a couple minor things I changed on it though:

1.  I used all ready cooked chicken from a previous time and it still turn out great!
2.  Add a little extra water to the mixture so the rice will cook all the way through.  I used brown rice and it needs a little more to cook thoroughly.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup water {add maybe an extra 1/4 or 1/3 cup?}
• 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat oil and butter. Add chicken, onion and green pepper; cook and stir until the chicken is lightly browned and vegetables are tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer to a lightly greased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Chicken Italian

Today of all days I was feeling down in the dumps.  I knew in my heart I just needed to pray, but sometimes just stopping and praying and thinking about what to say is hard for me.  So I decided to just write God what I was feeling today. 

Have you ever stopped and written God a letter?  I figure it is just as good as saying a prayer, but with your eyes open.  I had several things on my mind today and I just couldn't seem to get it out anyother way.  So I wrote about 2 pages.  Maybe all in all it was not much, but it had a lot in it.  Then God did  something wonderful...  I felt comforted.  I felt more secure.  I felt much happier.  I realized that God does not care how we communicate with him, as long as we do.  Sometimes with writing I get it out better then I do in saying things.  I've never been good at that.  My thoughts go unspoken.

So as I sit here tonight realizing how things have fallen into place today, I feel more content then I did this morning.  Maybe it is because I didn't have to cook.  We ate leftovers which took the pressure off cleaning up tonight.  Then I realized how long it was since I posted a recipe on my blog.  I have tried a few good ones of late and one that I will not mention.  {who puts basil together with chili powder and brown sugar?!  Yuck! so I will skip that one!}

But as I think about comfort and how God does that in ways I don't understand, I think about one of my favorite dishes, Chicken Parmesan.  While this dish is not quite as rich as the real deal, it has it's wonderful features too.  Chicken Parmesan can be kind of heavy, but this dish, Chicken Italian, is light and wonderful for a summer dish.  The flavors are incredible and tasty and super easy to make by the way!  I did not change one thing!  In fact I really enjoyed how the chicken tasted prior to adding the sauce.  I never thought about adding crushed garlic to the oil and just frying it in the pan with a little salt and pepper.  It's very tasty!

Picture and Recipe is taken from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) package boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (19 ounce) can Progresso® Vegetable Classics hearty tomato soup
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook garlic and chicken in oil 3 to 4 minutes on each side until chicken is light brown.
3. Sprinkle basil and pepper flakes on chicken. Pour soup over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Smart Savings: Homemade Yogurt

I cringe when I start looking at all the flavored yogurts and how much sugar they have in one small container!  Did you know that almost 4 grams of sugar equals 1 tsp sugar? That means most yogurts have at least 3-4 teaspoons sugar per serving!  Since we have had our first son, yogurt has been a staple in our home.  My son has probably had it everyday since I can remember.  In fact, we are so blessed because he doesn't mind eating plain yogurt. {gross I know!} At least he likes it!

Recently though our number 2 son has been eating yogurt and we go through a bunch of it during the week!  When I was home visiting my family a month ago, my mother was making her own yogurt.  I thought, "hmmm that is interesting.  Do I dare try it?"  Well, I decided to.  The cost of making your yogurt is significant!  One carton yogurt is anywhere between $2.50 to $3.00.  For approximately +/-$5, one can make about +1 gallon yogurt.  Yes, I realize that is a lot of yogurt, we cut the recipe in half.  But for those that love smoothies, this is a great savings.

What does it cost?

The cost of milk:  approximate $3.60 depending on where you live.

Knox Gelatin {clear/plain}{cheap}

8 oz of start up yogurt

I half my recipe so for me it is the cost of 1/2 gallon of milk,

gelatin and start up yogurt

The recipe will make approximately more

then the amount of milk you started with.

What items do you need:

Stainless Steel pan

Glass bowl

Plastic Spoon

Temperature gauge

{recommend instant read thermometer}

sterilized glass jars and lids to store in

{washed in hot dishwasher or boiled before use}

How long does it last?

I will last about 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Additional Uses:

Smoothies:  Freeze your fruit.

Use about the same amount of yogurt as you do frozen fruit. 

Add to your blender a dash of almond flavoring,

and sweetener {sugar, truvia or honey}.  Yum!

• Substitute yogurt in place of sour cream.
  This will cut your calories.

The recipe is specific about what to use or your yogurt will not turn out.

Put 1 gallon milk in stainless steel pan.

Heat slowly to 180 degrees.

Take 1/4 cup cold milk

and add 4 teaspoons Knox Gelatin

in glass bowl to soften.

Once Milk has been heated to 180 degrees,

add softened gelatin to pan and stir with plastic spoon.

When cooled to 120-130 degrees,

place 2 cups of milk into a glass bowl
and add 8 oz of your bought {starter} plain yogurt.

Stir gently and blend in.

Pour back into stainless pan. 

Stir to blend.

Pour into sterilized jars.

Place jars on baking sheet
and place into cool oven with the light on.

Leave for 8 hours.

Refrigerate over night and enjoy!

Can experiment with the yogurt before sitting it in the oven.

Next time, I may add vanilla bean to the mix before pouring into the jars.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Nothing is better....

then Rich chocolate ......

and fluffy peanut butter goodness....

 

I copied this recipe off A Wise Woman Builds Her Home Blog.

You can click on the link above and it will take you directly to their web page so you can see what I am talking about.  They are very yummy.  The pictures posted on there are so good you could almost eat the photo!

 

I am usually not a huge fan of home made brownies.  I don't know if I cooked it a tad too long or not, but I do rate the recipe as fabulous!  Next time, I might try my favorite box brownie mix from Aldis.

 

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

For the Brownies:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For the Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 teaspoons milk

For the Ganache Topping:

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up two sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir to combine. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add flour and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a cooling rack.
3. While the brownies are cooling, make the peanut butter filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients and beat until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make it spreadable. Spread in an even layer over the brownies. Place in the refrigerator until filling is set, about 30 minutes.
4. While the filling is setting, make the ganache, combine the ingredients in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl. Melt together and combine. Pour the ganache over the top and spread gently. Return to the fridge until set.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Over a year ago....

I decided to start a monthly menu plan and start becoming more organized with all the meals I was planning.  Then recently I started seeing a need to provide a wider variety of meals throughout the week so that my family would get a better variety of the food groups we need.  {Plus cutting our meal costs} One source I read mentioned that we should try having red meat only once a week.  The focus behind this was to incorporate other meats into our diet.   Having a different theme for each night could be:  Fish once a week, then pork, then a red meat, then beans/rice, chicken, breakfast...  you get the idea.  So I have been trying to do this better.  Giving my family something different.

One of the meatless nights we had Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas.  I think we were all a little surprised at how we were not hungry by having just beans one night.  The recipe was utterly fantastic!!  In fact I have another Quesadilla recipe that has chicken in it, but I far prefer this recipe to that one.

I made the recipe exactly as stated.  What I really liked about this recipe was that by using butter to fry the quesadilla on our griddle, it tasted amazing.  You could use a little olive oil, but I'll leave that up to you.

Do you have any money saving ideas for meal planning?  I am reading a book about some.  Maybe if I get through it I can share a little about what I am learning.

Ingredients {recipe and picture from allrecipes.com}

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup salsa
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
2. Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Melt more butter as needed, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 363 | Total Fat: 14.5g | Cholesterol: 26mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Nutritional Information

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 363

• Total Fat: 14.5g
• Cholesterol: 26mg
• Sodium: 732mg
• Total Carbs: 45.6g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.3g
• Protein: 13.9g

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About: Nutrition Info

Chicken and Biscuit Pie

Growing Up we had a lot of Chicken and Biscuit Casseroles....

I can't say that I was a big fan of it either.  Maybe we just had it too much, just like having a Sunday Roast with carrots and potatoes.  Yes, every Sunday... almost.  But isn't that memories are for?  Not to repeat them?

No, I think not.  I am realizing more and more to search the Internet for what I like to call a "re-do".  You can find so many tantalizing recipes of things you make all ready.  They just vamped it up a little.  So I want to introduce my "re-do" of Chicken and Biscuit.  It is Chicken and Biscuit Pie.  I give this recipe a A++++++.  Simply delicious!

Check out what I did: 

• Cooked a whole chicken in crock pot with onions and baby carrots.
• Added some chicken broth to the crock pot.
• Used the onions and carrots that were all ready cooked all day to the recipe.
• Used the broth from the crock pot to the recipe.
• Used corn instead of the peas.
• Added garlic powder and Rosemary {Simply yummy!}
• Baked the dish on 375 degrees for 40 minutes and it turned out perfect.   Reviews on the dish stated that cooking it too high for a short time did not cook the biscuit on the bottom well.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 cup frozen diced carrots
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a large saucepan, saute chopped onion in the butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add frozen peas and carrots and cooked chicken. Pour into buttered 2 quart casserole dish.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk just until dough is moistened, then drop by spoonfuls onto chicken mixture.
4. Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown, and cooked on the bottom. This tends to bubble over so I place a piece of aluminum foil under the pan to catch the drips.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 615 | Total Fat: 29.7g | Cholesterol: 86mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Nutritional Information

Chicken Biscuit Pie

Servings Per Recipe: 5

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 615

• Total Fat: 29.7g
• Cholesterol: 86mg
• Sodium: 1264mg
• Total Carbs: 57g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.1g
• Protein: 29.3g

VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info