To enter more contests..... My first one with a voting element! Check out my recipe Butternut Bowties with Brown Butter Sage & Pecans at Wolfgang Puck's website. Voting is only until Thursday - you can vote once a day and tell all your friends!
Welcome to 2011! I haven't been much in the meal planning mode through the holidays - just finding recipes and making them. I have 2 major food related resolutions for 2011 and I'm happy to report at least one of them has to do with more blogging!
Last year for Christmas (2009) my Chickies gave me the "The Pioneer Woman Cooks". I made the Macaroni and Cheese as written in the cookbook and lots of her recipes from the website.... but for this year I've decided that I will make every single recipe in her cookbook, take a picture and blog about it! YEA!
So, if you are a regular reading here at the Hick Chick, I know you know that I really dig The Pioneer Woman. She is having a nifty little printer giveaway on the cooking section of her blog..... check it out and enter yourself!
So, who doesn't love chocolate?!??! I mean, it's creamy and delicious and for me it rings a "comfort" bell that nothing else can satisfy. And you know the saying "everything in moderation", right!
Well, Hershey's believes that motto too and have launched a new website devoted to that purpose called Hershey's Moderation Nation. This is the coolest website ever - on how to enjoy chocolate AND a healthy lifestyle!
It is full of great ideas, tools, and great recipes! There is an app for your phone that lets you track activity called the "Snack Activity". Check it out to get motivated! Also, this website is full about how to do food journal, menu plans, and portion information to get you the help have "everything in moderation". Pretty cool, huh?
The nice people at MyBlogSpark have provided me with prize pack and we are going to have our first ever giveaway here at Hick Chick! Are you as excited as I am???
I would show you everything that was in my package of information, but I'm afraid we already ate the York's Peppermint Patties! And KK snagged the Hershey T-shirt and I haven't seen it since! LOL
But we are giving away this nifty little journal for YOU to keep track of your very own journey into the Moderation Nation!
Fall is really upon us..... we had our first frosts this week, it's dark by 6:30. It's fall for sure. I'm expecting some fujis to show up on my door step any minute (I have connections from working at an apple orchard for 20 years). I can't wait to make some applesauce and apple pie filling for the freezer. I also have an idea for an apple dessert (yes, a dessert from me! I know - hard to believe! LOL)
Our week is pretty much just normal. SS got really sick last weekend spent this whole past week home from school with pneumonia! She had to get a big ol' painful shot and has been on antibiotics all week too. I'm happy to report the coughing has subsided, the fever is gone, and she will be at school this week! I'm sad to report that the extra time momma spent with her sick baby this week, is going to translate to extra nights at work this week. :( Such is the way of the world.
MONDAY
Since some of the week was spent getting our baby better - I never got around to trying out my idea for the Newman's Own contest.
TUESDAY
It's volleyball tonight. Our game is here - that means we turn to the crockpot. I found this Simple Roast Chicken that will translate very well to a crockpot application. Dinner when we get home, my idea of a good day!
WEDNESDAY
I'm hopeful we will have enough chicken leftover from Tuesday to make this Chicken Spaghetti. This version is different from most I've seen with the addition of the bacon, which happens to be in my fridge needing to be used! Sounds like a good idea to me!
THURSDAY
No game tonight, but piano lessons instead. Piano lessons make me so happy.... I love listening to the girls play! I bet Christmas songs are going to be starting any week for the recital planned in December. Last year I was so totally "Jingle Bells"-ed out! :) Dinner needs to be easy, and my cooking friends are all recommending this wonderful looking (and easy) Cheeseburger Chowder. (Scroll down for the chowder).
FRIDAY
I stink at making dinner on Friday nights. I'm tired, it feels like a long week. Easy - easy is what I always need. Hopefully my fujis will be here by then and we can make this easy Baked Stuffed Pork Chops with the fried apples. This is one pork chop dish I know that is Chickie approved and I don't get sad puppy eyes asking "why aren't they shake n baked?". LOL
SATURDAY
Every week I ask the Chickies what they want on the meal plan. Sometimes they get a "uh-not so much from me"... I mean, I not making KK's favorite stroganoff every week. Or making SS spaghetti every week. But this week KK surprised me.... apparently she read a story at school and wanted something they were talking about Welsh Rarebit. I've heard of Welsh Rarebit..... I remember looking at a recipe in my mom's old, old Betty Crocker cookbook and thinking - what a weird name for cheese sauce on toast! Here is what Wiki says about its origins. More recently, PW made Welsh Rarebit - I think we will try her version.
SUNDAY
SS asked for "STEAK" this week. What a great kid. LOL How about a nice marinated London Broil? The forecast is calling for rain right now next Sunday and since I am definitely only a fair weather griller, I think this would translate well to the broiler if needed.
Everybody have a great week.
It happens. Not everything I put on my meal plan gets made. Sometimes I'm too tired, sometimes I forget to take out the ingredients, sometimes we get better offers. LOL So.... here is a the new week - with a little bit of last week!
MONDAY
I didn't make the Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers two weeks ago. I know, I know..... they are my recipe after all, but I've made them so many times. LOL But the Chickies are so begging me to make them. I bought all the ingredients - I guess I have no excuses!
TUESDAY
We are going on a favorite route with Shake N Bake pork chops, but going for a different side dish. Squash season has hit my local fruit stand.... and even though they had lots of different kinds, I went old school with a couple of acorn. I thought this recipe with apples would go really well with the pork chops. I'm going to take one of the reviewers advice and slice in half and roast with the apple mixture in the middle rather than the whole boiling and peeling route.
WEDNESDAY
So, I have been entering a few contests lately. I'm not as prolific as some people, but I have a few ideas swirling around in my head. Today - I'm trying out an idea I had for Newman's Own Fall Into Flavor contest. This is my second try.... let's just say the first try - nobody rated it over 3-stars! I'm hopeful this renovated version goes over better!
THURSDAY.
KK is off to a volleyball game tonight (out of town), the only game we have this week. SS and I will have some chicken noodle soup from the freezer.
FRIDAY
I never go the tilapia made last week. Good thing I wanted to try this Broiled Sweet and Tangy Tilapia instead of the regular recipe.
SATURDAY
I think we should have a fair amount of leftovers roaming around for Saturday.
SUNDAY
I have never made Cincinnati Chili before. I thought we'd give it a try and at least try for a 3 or 4-way. :)
So, a couple of people have asked lately if I would continue to post up my weekly meal plans. So to that end, we are going to jump back in! If you are new to Hick Chick - then you'll soon realize that my meal plans are full of what is going on in my life, because that has a direct effect on how "culinary" I am feeling.
MONDAY
September payroll is finished at work. YEA! I finished last Thursday so I could spend Friday at the hospital with KK. She had a cyst in her right sinus that had to be drained and removed (GROSS, right? LOL) She is doing very well and she be back to 100% in a week or so. This week at work I should get to leave at normal time and cooking dinner can be a priority instead of an "here eat these cup o' noodles" or "here eat this sandwich". Since cooking has been a little weak around here lately, I hadn't been keeping up with The Pioneer Woman very much, but a quick tour of the cooking section found these Fried Round Steaks which I thought would go so good with my friend Cookin' Mama's Grilled Potato Casserole. I won't grill them, but do them in the oven. I found some great yellow peppers at my local fruit stand that I will use instead of the green peppers.
TUESDAY
KK is playing volleyball again this year and she has an away game Tuesday night, it will be just SS & I. And what better way to make SS happy than some Easy-Peasy Chicken Legs! She will tell me I'm the best momma in the whole world!
WEDNESDAY
We are doing piano lessons again this year. SS loves it so much! Her teacher says she practices more than any of her other students. I love to hear how much she has improved the past two years. AND this year, the teacher has decided to do some later evening lessons - so that the older kids who have sports can continue, or in our case, start lessons. Yep, that's right KK is taking lessons now too. Our lessons are from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm - so that means we have to leave the house at 6:45 and that means there is plenty of time to make a good dinner before we have to leave. That makes the momma happy too. :) I think there will be plenty of time to make Lasagna Roll Ups. Isn't that the prettiest picture that is on Allrecipes?
THURSDAY
More volleyball - but here tonight. So, we will have a yummy quick dinner of my potato soup (no recipe, just the simple version my momma always made) and grilled cheese. If we have any fresh tomatoes left, you can bet that I'll be having a slice on mine sandwich!
FRIDAY
One of my cooking friends shared this Chicken Curry awhile back. It was so delicious with this homemade Mango Chutney. I scaled it to 1 cup and used it all - it was sooooooooo good. If you aren't on Facebook (you should be so that you can "like" Hick Chick!! LOL) here is the recipe for the curry:
I guess you can tell, I haven't been much about blogging lately. :( I just keep feeling like..... you guys don't want to here about our same-o, same-o recipes of Shake N' Bake pork chops. Or that we are having corn on the cob. Yes, just corn on the cob. But - September payroll is finished and KK is in volleyball and I"m feeling the need to be "culinary" again - so you might be seeing more of me around these parts. :)
A few weeks ago I entered the Better Recipe Easy Week Night Meals Weekly Contest and I WON WEEK #4! How cool is that???!?!?! I'd love for you to make my Tuscan Chicken Penne Skillet and let me know how you liked it. It is hearty, low-fat, and DELICIOUS! It is even Chickie approved!
This time of year can get crazy with the Chickies.... trying to finish up year-end activities, little league, and longing for summer vacation just to get here! I was extremely busy at work last week, and again regretted not having a meal plan! Here's to a better week!
Monday - I found some cube steaks in my freezer, but really wasn't feeling the Chicken Fried Steak love - these Easy Minute Steaks seemed like a good choice for something different - I will probably do a can of cream of mushroom too ('cuz I"m a sucker for a creamy-ish gravy), mashed potatoes, will make a perfect comfort food dinner!
Tuesday - We are starting into have little league games every Tuesday and Thursday through the end of June - so my crockpot will be getting a work-out! I scored some of those little pork roasts at Costco - they are 2-3 lbs. each and you get for for $16 or so! I use them for everything.... I also have a jar of La Victoria Salsa Verde in my fridge that is only missing a couple of tablespoons - it seemed like the perfect use called for in this Chile Verde recipe plus I do have a giant pack of Costco tortillas that need to be used up too! (I will do it in the crockpot even though the recipe doesn't say to do that.)
Wednesday - I'm hoping that the weather is wrong and Wednesday will be a good grilling night! I've been wanting to try this Tandoori Chicken for awhile
Thursday - Crockpot is out again tonight. I really like the sounds of Tuscan Pasta Chicken Crock Pot. I'll do the spaghetti separately when we get home.
Friday- As I've said before, I really have to have easy and yummy on Fridays or I never get it made. So, I'm turning to the Chickies favorite Sloppy Joes. They always earn me lots of "Momma - you are the bestest cook!" comments! :)
Saturday - I still have a couple (or um... like 5) whole chickens in the freezer. And again... I'm hoping for a good grill day - but if not a good all just do a beer-butt chicken in the oven instead.
Sunday - KK said we haven't had meatloaf in a really long time. So, we will try out this recipe that is next on my list (quest) for the world's perfect meatloaf. :) If I'm feeling extra culinary - I might make PW's Basic Macaroni and Cheese too!
Have a great week!
My meal plan is peppered with things you might have seen before on my meal plans, but they have never actually gotten made due to various reasons. (Mostly life! LOL)
Monday- This is a new recipe/food for me. I have never been a big fan of hotdogs.... but everybody seems to love brats. I found some and this recipe for Beer Brats on AR. It seems like a pretty standard recipe. I'll report back if we are brat fans or not!
Tuesday - You saw these Thai Noodles just last week on the meal plan. But Wednesday turned out to be a crazy night in our world and my friend, "Gem" offered me posole! She makes the best posole and since Mrs. S. had dental work anyway - I didn't want to make it and her not to enjoy it! It was the point! LOL
Wednesday - I found some leftover Southern Pulled Pork from a few weeks ago in the freezer. I really liked that BBQ sauce a lot
Thursday - I had this Red Lentil Curry on the meal plan awhile back but couldn't find the curry paste. I finally found some and my prized red lentils are going to be so good!
Friday - Shelby aka Grumpy's Honeybunch is a tad bit obsessed with Steamy Kitchen Ground Beef with Bejing Sauce. I made it before and while it is VERY GOOD and I'm making it again (which does say a lot in my world), it is mostly because I have the black bean sauce that I want to use up! LOL
Saturday - I had this groovy looking stuffed pork chop casserole on the meal plan a few weeks ago, but it never got made and looks to good to give up on!
Sunday - I was hanging out over on Eating Ect. (she has so many gorgeous pics and great ideas!) and saw this unique looking Braised BBQ Chicken recipe that starts on the grill and ends in the even. All I can say is I can't wait to try this with those chicken thighs in my freezer!
Everybody have a great week!
Well, here are are - back into the swing.... almost literally as KK is in the thick of her middle school softball season! The weather has gotten warmer (I have the watery eyes, drippy nose, and sneezes to prove it!).
So, when this posts - I will be in the middle of all the wonderfulness in Orlando. As a special treat, I asked my friend - Gina Ventola, if you she'd like to do a guest post on her experience in feeding her family vegan over Lent this year. I hope you enjoy this and give her recipes a try! xxoo Susie aka Hick Chick
I was on the KHQ-6 Saturday morning news with another Pillsbury Bake-off Finalist Joan Cossette. It was great FUN, if not a little nerve-wracking for two minutes of time! LOL Here are few photos of the fun:
Here I was standing outside the studio waiting for the security to let us in.... we had to push a little button and wait for them to answer. It was all very "James Bond". Okay... not really - but you couldn't just open the door and go in!
