Pesto Fondue!

I love fondue! My absolute favorite was a Swiss one I had in Switzerland. I still have no idea what all was in it, but it was amazing! I've never had any kind of fondue other than cheese, though. At least, not that I remember. However, my boys and I are going to have a "fondue party" with my parents tonight. We're taking a cheese fondue, and my parents are having an oil fondue and a chocolate fondue. I'm excited! No guarantee my boys will eat any, but I think they'll at least eat some bread...

Pesto Fondue

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 jar sundried tomato pesto

Heat first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium low heat until cheese is melted, then stir in the pesto. Heat until slightly bubbly, then transfer to a fondue pot if you have one. Serve with Italian bread, pretzels, and/or sausages. Enjoy!

Snack Mix!

I LOVE snack mix. I think it very well may be one of my absolute favorite holiday snacks to make! Thankfully, my boys have all taken after me in that respect. Josh doesn't like it! I have no idea what's wrong with him (he doesn't like minty things or peanut butter, either!). I know you can buy Chex mix or Ghardetto's (I know I didn't spell that right...), but I think homemade just tastes so much better! It's this time of year that I especially miss my Grandma. Her Chex mix was the absolute best! 

Snack Mix

3 cups chex cereal (rice, corn, or wheat, take your pick)

2 cups cheerios

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup peanuts

1/2 cup goldfish crackers

1 cup pretzel sticks

1/2 cup toasted corn (we tossed some in - we'd gotten it from the nut kiosk at the mall)

1 stick butter, melted

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp seasoned salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 300. Mix the butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. In a large baking dish, mix all the other ingredients. Then pour the butter mixture over the cereal mixture. Bake 10 min., then shake a little more seasoned salt over and stir, then bake another 10 min. Let cool completely, then store in airtight-containers. Enjoy! :)

Smoky Corn Soup

So I am addicted to pinterest. I've found so many good recipes and craft ideas, great gift ideas, tips for everything! It's great! It has seriously helped save money on gifts this year. I found this recipe on there. I just added/subtracted some things, though. But I thought it sounded good. Josh & I have the Homestead Creamery deliver most of our groceries now, and one thing we tend to stock up on is frozen corn. They also have some really good cream. So why not try it? :) One thing I like doing is taking soup recipes and modifying them a bit for the slow-cooker. That's what I did with this one. So far, the little tastes I've had while stirring have turned out pretty tasty. We'll see! :)

Smoky Corn Soup

3 c corn (frozen, canned, any kind, really)

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1 c water

1 c heavy cream

1 can chicken broth

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 pkt Ranch mix

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 4-6 hours. When serving, top with cheddar cheese. Enjoy! :)

  

Red Velvet Fudge!

I LOVE holiday cooking! Josh laughs at me, though, because I love to make it and GIVE IT AWAY. Look at us: do we look like we need any sweets in the house? We taste some, then pass it on! And each year, I've always got new recipes to try. Yesterday we went to a Christmas party: what better time to try a new recipe? I made red velvet fudge yesterday, and it was such a hit, I made it again to take to our Life Group meeting tonight. I did have some trouble getting it out of the Christmas pan I used, but I won in the end. :) There's really no reason it's called red velvet fudge except the color - it does not taste like red velvet cake. Just FYI... :) But it is still pretty tasty.

Red Velvet Fudge

1 pkg. white chocolate chips (the smaller package, not the large one)

1 Tbsp. chocolate chips

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 small can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 tsp red food dye

1 tsp cocoa powder

Grease an 8" pan well, then set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix the white and chocolate chips along with the baking soda and salt, then add the sweetened condensed milk. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until melted and smooth. Mix in the cocoa, vanilla, and food dye. Pour into the greased pan and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours. Cut and store in airtight container in fridge.

  

Apple Water!

I can't believe it's been close to, what, a year since I've posted! I guess I should start my New Year's resolution early: to start posting new recipes! And I've got some pretty good ones, too. I just want to take some pictures of them before I post, so you can see how yummy they look! 

I do have one super-simple one that I'm going to post today. And when I say simple, I mean simple. It's really just flavored water. Why am I posting it? Well, because it's so simple I'm not sure anyone's really thought to do it. And also because today is Dec. 1! I am now HALF the size I was last Dec.! On the one hand, I'm really proud of that, but on the other hand, I think "Wow, how could I have been so huge?" But anyway, a lot of people have asked me how. Well, I started making this water this past week, and in that one week, it has helped me lost another 4 lbs. (I still had my cup of coffee in the morning, but then I drank only this for the rest of the day.) I'm not a huge fan of water, but I do like this! 

Apple Water

  1 apple, any flavor

1 cinnamon stick

water

Slice the apple and place it and the cinnamon stick in a pitcher. Fill the pitcher with water and ice (the ice isn't really necessary, but I think it helps keep the apple in when you're pouring lol). Let it sit in the fridge for a few minutes to allow the flavors to seep into the water. Then drink! You can refill the water up to 3 times before replacing the apple and cinnamon. Let me know what you guys think!

Zucchini Lasagna!

So since Josh has been diagnosed with diabetes, we've been slowly but surely trying to be healthier around here. I think he's most upset about having to cut back on bread - he says he can't stand low-carb bread. I think he's just going to have to get use to it! Anyway, one of his absolute favorite foods is lasagna. However, noodles are loaded with carbs, so that's on the no eat list. So last night, I tried a new recipe. I made lasagna with zucchini instead of lasagna noodles. The verdict? He likes it! PTL! (The boys wouldn't try it because it's green, but they're going to have to get use to it, too. Elijah is getting better about trying new food, at least. He sees Josh checking his blood each day, and Elijah sees that as a shot. So we just tell him if he's not careful with what he eats, he'll have to get a shot like that every day, too. LOL. Not nice, maybe, but it's working!)

Zucchini Lasagna

1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips and drained

1 jar spaghetti sauce

oregano 

Italian seasoning

16 oz. small curd cottage cheese

2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, coming mozzarella, Parmesan, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place a layer of zucchini strips in the baking dish. Spread some cottage cheese on it, then sprinkle with some of the cheese/seasoning mix. Spoon some spaghetti sauce over the cheese. Top with another layer of zucchini strips and continue with the previous layers, ending with cheese and a little sauce on top. Bake at 400 for 45 min. Enjoy!

Zucchini Muffins!

I planted a garden this year... We had broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, beans, and zucchini (I also planted peppers and eggplant, but they didn't do so well...). Our broccoli has come and gone, peaking actually when we were out of town. :( Our tomatoes have done pretty good - enough that I was able to make a big batch of salsa. (First attempt, well, it was a learning experience lol! I think it's a bit watery and not hot enough, but Josh likes it.) We had lettuce coming out our ears, and our beans have done well, too! But our zucchini! WOW. No exaggeration! They have been HUGE! From the one I cut today, I was able to make one zucchini lasagna (another first - I hope Josh likes it! Since he's been diagnosed with diabetes, we're all trying to eat healthier now), 1 dozen regular size muffins, and 2 dozen mini muffins. My kids usually eat anything in muffin form, so I figure it's worth a try!

Zucchini Muffins

1 c sugar 

1 c softened butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp all spice

1/2 tsp salt

2 c quick cooking oats

2 c DRAINED shredded zucchini (to drain, just dry with paper towels. Otherwise  very watery)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream together the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients until well blended. Add zucchini LAST. Spoon into sprayed muffin tins (makes 2 dozen regular size muffins) and bake in preheated oven 30-40 min., until golden on top. Enjoy! 

"Hunny" BBQ meatballs!

Again, another recipe from the shower. And again, INCREDIBLY simple! And pretty tasty! :)

Hunny BBQ Meatballs

1 pkg. frozen Homestyle Meatballs

1 bottle Honey BBQ sauce

Dump the meatballs in a slow cooker and pour the bbq sauce over top. Cover and cook on Low 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Enjoy! :)

Acorns!

My best friend's baby shower is tonight. I am so excited! Not just because she's my best friend, but she and her husband have struggled down a  l o n g  road to get here! Her nursery theme is Winnie the Pooh, so we just took that idea and used it for the shower as well. Hunny roasted peanuts, hunny bbq meatballs, Pooh bear cupcakes... you get the idea. So how about some acorn cookies, as well? SUPER easy, and pretty cute, too! :) 

1 pkg. MINI Nilla wafers (be warned - off size boxes of "bite size" vanilla wafers are not the same)
1 family size pkg. Hershey kisses
1 pkg. either butterscotch chips or peanut butter chips (I used Reeses peanut butter chips)
lg. tube of icing (the squirt kind) (any color - you see some green here because I used up all my "blue confetti" - the green was leftover from Isaiah's birthday)

Pretty simple: squirt a little icing on the back of a mini nilla wafer then stick the kiss on. On the top of the nilla wafer, squirt a little dot of icing and stick on the pb or butterscotch chip. And voila! An acorn! Enjoy! :)

Balsamic Roast!

So after many weeks (months?) of me not posting, I'm back! Anyone else ever find that life just gets in the way sometimes? :) It's always something! Now Josh is working on a kidney stone and Jonah has a double ear infection. But at least Jonah's on medication! And Josh's just has to work its way on out... So anyway, dinner tonight was a balsamic pot roast. My first time making it, a little experimentation, a little fun... Turned out pretty good! Josh actually said it was his favorite roast that I've made yet, and Isaiah ate about 4 helpings of it. (Elijah wouldn't even try it. But he's tired and crabby right now...) 

Balsamic Pot Roast

1 roast

2 Tbsp oil

1 beef bouillon cube 

1/2 c boiling water

8 oz. tomato sauce

3/4 c balsamic vinegar

2-3 onions, thickly sliced

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Then brown the roast on both sides. While roast is browning, mix together the bouillon, water, tomato sauce, and vinegar in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the onion in the slow cooker next, then place the roast on top. Spoon some of the sauce over the roast. Cover and cook low 6-8 hours. (If you're home, turn the roast a couple times while cooking. If not, no big deal!) Enjoy!

* Can also slice up some potatoes and carrots and toss them in, too.

Correction: ELIJAH LIKES THE ROAST!!! PTL!!! In our house, the rule is that it's fine if you don't like what I fix for dinner, but you have to at least try it before you get anything else. So Elijah knew that in order to get more mashed potatoes or a PBJ, he had to at least try it. And guess what? He likes it! Go figure. Lol. Although he doesn't want more because it's hard to chew, but he liked it! 

Pizza Crust!

Here's another recipe that sounds just plain gross. But you'll have to trust me - it was actually pretty good! Elijah & Josh both ate it, too, without complaining! So it's definitely something to at least consider. You ready? Here it is: Cauliflower Pizza Crust. I found the recipe on pinterest, and since we're trying to eat healthier, I thought I'd give it a try. I decided to modify it just a tad and see what happens. I'm glad I tried it! It was a bit time consuming, but that's just because you have to grate the cauliflower, and it didn't really like my grater. So make the crust, then add your own sauce, cheese, and toppings! When we make our own pizza, we always have half cheese and then half whatever Josh & I want (tonight Josh wanted onion, tomato, and mushroom). So seriously, give it a try! It's a great way to sneak some veggies in!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 12 oz. pkg. frozen cauliflower with garlic
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp parsley

Preheat oven to 450. Cook the cauliflower, drain, then shred. Mix the cauliflower, mozzarella, and egg. Grease a pizza pan or cookie sheet, and evenly spread the cauliflower mix on it. Evenly sprinkle the herbs over top. Cook at 450 for 15 min. or until golden.

Then just pour pizza sauce on it and top with cheese and your choice of toppings. Broil until golden and cheese melted. (Only a couple minutes.) Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Pasta!

I actually did really well with juicing last week. Now let's just see if I can keep it off! So my goal is to find good, healthy (or at least semi-healthy...) meals that my family will eat. Josh & Isaiah's favorite pizza at Cici's is the spinach alfredo pizza. And Isaiah, Josh & I all love spinach artichoke dips (Elijah use to love them, too, when he was younger. Sigh.) So I figured this had to be something most of us would like, right? I just pulled it out of the oven and had a bite - it's really good! I found this recipe on Pinterest, but I did modify it a bit. I thought it was really good! Elijah wouldn't touch it, but who's surprised about that? Isaiah enjoyed it, and Jonah enjoyed the tiny little bites I gave him, too. I think Josh will, too, but he's still at work. Anyway, here's the recipe! (I should have cooked mine a little longer, until it was golden, but with hungry boys, I didn't wait...)

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

14 oz. orecchietta pasta
1 Tbsp oil
1 small chopped onion
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 c sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp savory
1 tsp lemon juice
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
13.5 oz. can artichoke hearts, rinsed & finely chopped
1 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1/4 c of the pasta water before draining the pasta; set aside. Heat oil in a skillet & cook onions 8-10 min., until tender. Add garlic and cook another minute. In a large bowl, mix sour cream, cream cheese, Parmesan, lemon juice, onions, garlic, celery seed, and savory. Add the pasta and mix. Stir in spinach, artichokes, 1/4 c of reserved pasta water, salt, pepper, and 1/2 c mozzarella. Place in greased 3 qt. baking dish & top with remaining mozzarella. Place in oven and cook at 350 until golden brown on top, about 15 min. Enjoy!


I have made this again since posting this, and I added a jar of alfredo sauce. It was DELICIOUS! Even Elijah said he liked it! :) I know it makes the calorie count jump up, but it was pretty tasty! :)

Ratatouille!

Dinner tonight is the Garlic Ranch Chicken. And one of Josh's favorite side dishes is ratatouille! (If you want to get your kids to eat it, maybe try watching the Pixar movie Ratatouille before dinner?) When making this, I've always left out the eggplant. No, I had never tried it, but something about it just seemed repulsive to me. However, at my friend Megan's house, she made pizza out of eggplant! I'm always encouraging Elijah to try new things, and I really don't like being a hypocrite. So I tried it. And guess what? It was good! (I'll try to have the recipe for that on here before too long...) I do not have any eggplant right now, but that's because I'm just cooking for Josh & the boys, and I know they won't eat it. (I have to admit, this week, I've jumped on the juicing bandwagon lol.) Anyway, here's the recipe for Ratatouille. (For anyone who's trying to watch their weight by counting calories, there are 120 calories per cup... 12g carbs.)

Ratatouille

1 unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 in. slices
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into fourths
1/4 c veg. oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Stir all ingredients together in a skillet and cook over medium heat 12-15 min., stirring occasionally. Heat until zucchini is tender. Enjoy! :)

Pot Roast!

Dinner tonight is nothing special, just a pot roast. Pretty simple. No one in this house is a huge fan of pot roast, but when you're given roasts, what are you going to do? FIX THEM! Duh! :) This is an incredibly simple and pretty tasty recipe. If we'd had some zucchini, I would have fixed rattatouille to go with it. But that will just have to wait for another day! :)

Pot Roast

3 lb. roast
3 potatoes, cut into large chunks
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of potato soup
1 tsp soy sauce
1/8 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme

Line a baking sheet with foil, but make sure the foil will be long enough to wrap around the roast. Place the roast on the foil and place the onion and potato chunks around the roast. In a small bowl, combine the soups, soy sauce, and herbs. Spread over the roast. Seal in the foil and bake at 300 for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Quiche!

We've been living on leftovers lately... Buffalo chicken, taco soup, sandwiches... When you're looking for affordable meals, eggs are always a good option! (And in this house, a popular one - even Elijah loves eggs!) So for dinner tonight, we're going to be having roasted potatoes and quiche. The fun thing about quiche is you can always make it different - you never have to do the same thing twice! Leave out onion, add pepper, use bacon or sausage instead of ham... So experiment some!

Quiche

3 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 c butter, melted
1/2 c baking mix (bisquick)
dash pepper
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2 slices ham, chopped
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic

In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, and butter. Add the baking mix and pepper; cover and process 15 seconds. Pour into a greased pie plate. Add the bell pepper, onion, ham, and cheddar, and bake at 350 30-35 min. or until a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 10 min. before cutting. Enjoy! :)

Taco Soup!

This past week has been absolutely crazy. Josh's grandfather died this past Wed., and the viewing was Fri., the graveside service Sat. And my pregnant friend that I made the dinner for, she ended up losing her baby. The funeral for that was Fri. as well. It feels like it's just been one thing after another. And Elijah has an ear infection. And Jonah and Isaiah are both teething... Ever feel like things are coming at you from all sides? But it's a new week, and hopefully things will be calmer this week!
Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying the snow as much as we have! Elijah & Isaiah have had fun taking turns pulling each other in the sled, and they've been giving Jonah a ride as well. :)
On a cold, snowy day like today, what sounds better than a soup in the crockpot? Taco soup is one of my favorites! I got to use my new Pampered Chef products this morning when I was fixing it. I used the mix 'n chop when I was browning the meat and then the oven mitt is good for draining it, too. (Next on my list is the scoop 'n drain!)
Depending on where you get your canned foods, taco soup is a really affordable meal. I get most of our canned foods at the Super Dollar in Vinton, and most of the cans are around 40 cents each. If you go with the low-sodium cans, this can be a really healthy food as well!

Taco Soup

1 lb. lean ground meat, browned (I use venison, but you can use chicken, turkey, or beef)
1 small chopped onion
1 can UNdrained chili beans
1 can UNdrained kidney beans
1 can UNdrained corn
1 small can tomato sauce
1 c water
1 large can UNdrained petite diced tomatoes
1 can DRAINED diced green chilies
1 pkg. taco seasoning

Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix and cover. Cook low 8 hours. Serve with sour cream, Mexican blend shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. (All optional, but makes it especially delicious!)

Brownies (Grain-Free & actually Healthy)!

WARNING! This recipe sounds completely and totally DISGUSTING! Now. I've gotten the warning out of the way! (And when you read the ingredients, remember, I warned you!) Josh's cousin actually passed this recipe along to me. I've been wanting to try it, but to be honest, it sounds so incredibly gross, I've put it off! But one of my friends is pregnant and bedridden, so the boys & I are taking dinner to her tonight. I would make regular brownies or cookies, but she's diabetic, and the last thing I want is to load a pregnant diabetic with sugar! So what better time to try these? Besides, what mom doesn't want to get her kids to eat more protein? I can't wait to see if Elijah will eat these! I've already tried a taste of the batter, and it was surprisingly good. I included a picture of the batter going in, so you can see that the texture actually is like normal, sugary brownies... Please, if you try these, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! :) (I'll let you know what I think, too!)

Brownies

1 can black beans (yeah... told you... disgusting!)
1/3 c melted butter
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c honey (or artificial sweetener)
3 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 c finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 pan. Place all ingredients except the eggs, chocolate chips, and nuts in a blender and blend until smooth. Fold in the eggs, chocolate chips, and nuts. Pour into pan and bake about 30 min. Let cool. Enjoy!







They actually aren't too bad. They're definitely not sweet, but since there's no sugar added, that's pretty much a given. The texture is just like normal brownies, and they taste more like they've got dark chocolate than milk chocolate. But Josh & Isaiah both like them (Elijah heard me talking about them, so he won't try them.) But PLEASE DON'T TELL JOSH WHAT IS IN THEM! If he knows, he won't eat them anymore! :)

Slow Cooked Venison!

I'm sure I've said before that we eat a lot of deer in this house. I will use the ground venison in just about anything, but I'm a lot slower to use the roasts. I'm just not that big a fan of deer roast because I think it tends to taste really gamey, no matter how much onion you use. But I found this recipe for venison that you cook in the crock pot, which is even better! I know there are a ton of venison roast recipes out there, but this is my favorite because it honestly does not taste like deer. It doesn't have any gamey taste, at least, when this is cooked right. If I don't measure the ingredients, I don't use as much, and it tastes gamey. But when I follow it, it turns out pretty well! I double the original recipe, so if you want to try the original yourself, cut everything in half. Also, the original calls for chile-garlic sauce, but I use the sweet chile sauce instead because it's less spicy (both are found in with Asian foods).

Slow-Cooked Venison

1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 lb. venison roast
1 c ketchup
1/2 c Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c sweet chile sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2/3 c water
3 tsp salt
2 Tbsp pepper

Place venison roast in a slow cooker and sprinkle with the onion and minced garlic. In a medium bowl, stir together all other ingredients. Pour over the venison. Cover & cook on low until tender and no longer pink, about 4-5 hours.

Garlic Rolls!

I haven't made it to the grocery store yet for this week. Not really a problem, since we've still got meals for the next few days. But that means that I'm not making anything from scratch today - I'm just pulling out one of those dinners in a box - the lasagna kit for tonight. But I will be making garlic bread. The frozen stuff's good, but this is one of my favorite recipes! If you like cheesy garlic bread, I think you'll like this! :) The original recipe calls for a loaf of French bread, but we usually use rolls instead (Josh thinks it tastes better on rolls).

Garlic Rolls

1 c mayonnaise
2/3 c grated Parmesan
1 Tbsp milk
8 dinner rolls, halved
minced garlic
1/4 c shredded cheddar
1/4 c shredded mozzarella
1/4 tsp paprika
garlic powder

Turn oven to broil. In a small bowl, mix mayo and Parmesan cheese. In a sauce pan, stir together the cheddar, mozzarella, milk, and paprika, stirring constantly until cheeses are melted. Add the mayo mixture to the cheddar mixture, again stirring until the Parmesan is melted. Lightly toast the dinner rolls in the oven, then spread the cheese mixture on the rolls. Sprinkle with minced garlic and garlic powder. Broil in oven 2-3 min., until golden. Store any unused mixture in the fridge in an airtight container. Enjoy! :)

Baked Pineapple!

Dinner tonight is a pretty simple meal. Ranch chicken (recipe already on this blog), bowties in alfredo sauce, green bean casserole, and baked pineapple. I have to admit, we don't eat like this every night! Usually we have a main dish & maybe one side. But the good thing about slow cooker meals is when you want to make some for a friend, too, you can just add some more in! And since we're already taking some friends some chicken, I figured we may as well make a whole meal out of it tonight! (I know Josh & Isaiah will at least be glad!) This is my first time making baked pinapple. I've had it before, but never made it. Still, though, it's a simple recipe. Surely it can't be bad, right?

Baked Pineapple

2 (20 oz.) cans undrained crushed pinapple

2 c sugar (although I ran out of sugar, so mine's going to be 1 c sugar, 1 c splenda)

4 eggs, beaten

4 Tbsp cornstarch

butter

cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 4 ingredients and then pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for approximately 1 hour, until golden. Enjoy! :)

Meatloaf!

So who out there's a fan of MEATLOAF?! Yeah, I know. I'm not that big a fan, either. But you do what you've got to do when you're trying to cut back on your grocery bill. Meatloaf's a really affordable and filling meal to make! And this is actually a pretty good recipe for it, too. Early in our marriage, Josh asked if I could fix his mom's meatloaf. So I got the recipe, and that's the kind I've been making ever since. Elijah won't touch it, surprise surprise. (He actually gags when I make him try new foods. Anyone else have that trouble with their kids??) It's been a while since I've fixed this, but I think Isaiah will eat it as long as I give him ketchup, too. (Ketchup. Sigh. Messy anyway, but much more so with a cast!!!)

MeatLoaf and Sauce

Meatloaf Sauce:

1 small onion

1 can tomato soup

1 can water

3 Tbsp brown sugar

5 Tbsp ketchup

salt & pepper to taste

Mix sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 min.

Meatloaf:

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (we usually use venison, though)

1 c bread crumbs

1 chopped green pepper

1 small can tomato paste

1 egg

Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients in a baking dish, and add about 1/4 c of the sauce as well. Mix well. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 and serve with remaining sauce. Enjoy! :)

Elijah stuck to his peanut butter sandwich. But Isaiah enjoyed it so much, he had 3 slices! :)

Chicken Pot Pie!

My goal was to be better and more consistent with posting on this blog. HOWEVER... where would I even start? Jonah's had bronchiolitis and we were having to do breathing treatments. Jonah, Isaiah, and Elijah all had ear infections, one after the other... Isaiah had been super sick, ear infections, sinus infection, virus... and now he's got a broken arm. So consistency? Not even close! I'm sorry about that! But what can I say? Family first!
Anyway, all that aside, dinner tonight is Chicken Pot Pie! Josh's response? "I don't like chicken pot pie." That's the first I've heard about it! But I've made this before, and he liked it. I told him he can like it or not, but he's going to eat it! So we'll see how that goes. :)
This recipe is from my friend Kim, and it's super easy. It's also really yummy! Let me know what you think! Two quick side notes about the chicken... First, if you're pressed for time, you can always just use a can or two of chunk chicken. Also, if you're going to go ahead and boil/chop chicken anyway, if you want, you can just go ahead and double it and save it for another chicken recipe. We're trying to cut back on our grocery bill some, and one way we're doing that is by eating a LOT of chicken...

Chicken Pot Pie

3-4 chicken breasts

1 1/3 c chicken broth
1 c self-rising flour
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c milk
can(s) peas, carrots, corn, etc.
medium onion, chopped
2/3 stick butter

Boil & chop chicken. Combine chicken, broth, cream of celery soup, veggies, and onion, and place in 11x7 or 9x9 baking dish. Mix flour and milk and pour over chicken mixture. Dot with butter. Bake at 400 for 45 min. or until dough is browning. Enjoy!