Welcome to the Final Countdown!

It is less than two weeks until I leave for the Pillsbury Bake-off Contest!  I also have my very first TV interview with KEPR-TV from Pasco, WA this Friday.  I'm so excited - my TV debut! :)  But, as you know, dinner must still get on the table and my need to make new recipes is never-ending! It is spring break - so that eases all the activities somewhat - but there is all the pesky housecleaning that must be down in anticipation of a TV crew!


Monday - Did you see this Lemon-Pepper Shrimp?  Doesn't it look amazing?!!?  Lady has so might fine stuff over there!  I bought shrimp just in anticipation of making this lemony-shrimpy-peppery goodness! 


Tuesday - Did you see this Crockpot Swiss Steak?  Doesn't it look like comfort food at it's best?  Colleen is veritable fountain of amazing recipes!  I bought some round steak just for this tomato-y goodness!


Wednesday - Did you see this Easy Baked Stuffed Pork Chops? Isn't that an ingenious way to "stuff" pork chops?  Katy really is the sweetest soul and some wonderful stories & recipes.  I am risking the wrath of the Chickies in doing something besides Shake N' Bake for pork chops to try this recipe!


Thursday - I've decided to enter a couple of other recipe contests.  Let's just say tonight's dinner is a test run of an idea I have.  I'll have to keep to it to myself for now....... It's sorta ruining the theme of my week, but you'll have to forgive me!

Friday - Did you see this Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burger?  Are you tired of seeing it on my blog yet?  Well, Hick Chick must practice!  And feed her Chickies.  And today - prepare it for a TV crew!  So, here it is again! :)

Saturday - My shoe quest to wear to Florida has gone awry.  A mall must enter my life.  And if have to drive 70 miles to find shoes, I think I deserve a nice dinner out too!

Sunday - Happy Easter!!  My Chickies love ham.  I'm pretty "eh" about plain cooked ham.  But to make them happy..... I bought one.  However, potatoes & cheese make ME happy, so this Cheesy Potato Casserole will also be in attendance as well as this Pineapple Casserole which is a wonderful complement to ham.  Mrs. S. declared it a necessary compliment to the Easter ham dinner last year.

It's Exciting & Busy!

It is getting closer to the Bake-off Contest, 3 weeks tomorrow to the actual contest and less than that until I leave for Orlando!  Things around here are getting busy too, as I prepare to go along with the start of spring.  KK has softball games, I'm still giving an Excel class and I have gotta do something about all the gray hair running amok!  LOL


Monday - A pretty easy day in the 'hood.  No after work/school activities planned.  :)  I didn't get the Oven-Fried Catfish made last week - since it as easy night it shouldn't be a problem!


Tuesday - Let the busy begin!  I should have enough time between getting home and having to go get KK from practice and getting back for the Excel class to make this simple Chicken with Mushrooms & Balsamic Cream Sauce.  Does that look yummy!?!?!  


Wednesday - I'm off to get my hair done!  It has been months since I had my hair done - I am so beyond ready! LOL When I asked KK what they wanted to have - she said "salad".  So - they are having salad.  With whatever they want on it.


Thursday - KK has her first middle school softball game tonight!  I hope the weather is nice (i.e. not windy) and we can enjoy the game!  I am going to bring out the good 'ol crockpot and make one of the easiest recipes ever from A Year of Slow Cooking - Lazy Chicken.  It is good (I'll use my homemade marinara) and easy.  I usually melt a little mozzarella over the top and serve over whatever pasta is hanging out in the pantry.


Friday - I'm taking Friday and Monday off work to hang a little with the Chickies during spring break and get ready for the Pillsbury.  And that means Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers!  Also, a chocolate mousse has been requested.  I have a mix I got from a Dove Chocolate party - but I might get crazy and look for a recipe since I'm gonna be home!


Saturday - SS had an assignment in class that required her to right a letter for product or business.  She decided to write her letter to our favorite sushi place - Tsunami Sushi. We love that place and all the staff and they have moved to super-star status with us because SS received a $25 gift certificate in response to her letter! Way to go SS!  So, we are off to the movies and to use our gift certificate!  YUM!


Sunday - At this point, less than 2 weeks to go! Guess what I'm making AGAIN! 


Have a great first week of spring!

Let's Be Healthier!

With only a month to go until the Pillsbury Bake-off contest - I'm thinking about the clothes I need/want to wear for the festivities.  I have gained a few pounds since my diligence of counting points through the spring/summer/fall of last year.  I wanted this week to be a little lighter/healthier to try to get a couple of those pounds back off!

Monday - I really liked the Chicken Tikka Masala. It was super tasty and a little spicy.  I think we will have it will some roasted asparagus and white rice.

Tuesday - I am going to be giving an Excel class at the high school for the next couple of weeks on Tuesday nights.  I have a short window of time to get home, make dinner, go pick-up KK from softball, bring her home, and get back to the school by 6:00 pm.  But, if I don't eat before 7:30 - I know I'm going to be way too hungry.  Here's my answer tonight:  Taco Salad.  I'm going to make up a batch of homemade taco seasoning from my cooking friend Lady, brown some ground beef, slice and avocado.  Serve up with some green salsa and light sour cream, plus some homemade chips (just sliced tortillas baked with some kosher salt), drained black beans, and black olives.  I think the Chickies will even dig it!

Wednesday - I'm very lucky that my Chickies aren't that picky really.  They love seafood, including fish.  One of their favorites is Oven-Fried Catfish, and I've been meaning to try Lady's Homemade Tartar Sauce too.  I originally intended to have Quinoa with Mushrooms and Spinach, but couldn't find the Quinoa.  :(  Maybe we'll have some baked sweet potato fries instead.

Thursday - One of my old favorites that I haven't made in a long time is Chicken Bruschetta Bake from Kraft foods.  I was resistant to try the recipe for a long time - because I was leery of what tomatoes would do to the stuffing mix - but is is really good and tasty.   I struggle at sides for dishes like this though.... probably the ever popular Lemon Garlic Broccoli and I've been on a big cottage cheese kick too lately.

Friday - Last Friday I didn't make the casserole made, but the Chickies weren't home - but in all honesty, by the time Friday gets here..... it has to be Chicken Thighs all Puttanesca.  It is so easy and so good. 

Saturday - I didn't get the Caramelized Red-Onion Feta Burgers made last week either.  I need to make them!!! I need to practice! 

Sunday - I'm going to be all culinary today...... after a busy week, this sounds like it will be so good on a Sunday afternoon.  Southern Pulled Pork mixed up with a homemade BBQ sauce (I have yet to find a homemade sauce I like as much as a store bought cheap brand - but I keep questing!) served over baked potatoes.  If I'm feeling extra ambitious some coleslaw too.... probably not the Best Coleslaw Ever 'cuz it makes a lot.  We'll see what the day brings us.

Have great week and if you haven't already make sure to skip over to Facebook and become a fan of HICK CHICK WA - we have a "Dinner Ideas" post every day, drop by and tell us what's cooking in your kitchen! 

Spring is Coming!

The past few days have been beautiful around here!  Over on my Facebook Fan page people are pulling out the grill for making dinner all over the country.  Everyday on HICK CHICK WA on Facebook we will be having a dinner post.  Skip on over there, become a fan, and post what you are making.  Also, if you are looking for a recipe for something in particular - I'd be happy to help out if I can!  Just post what you are looking for and I'll see if I can't find a few recipes.

Now... on to our week. KK is starting softball this week.  It just seems like we finished basketball!  SS is going to be in the talent show on Thursday - it will be a busy week around here, but what else is new right? :)

Monday - I found this Roasted Salmon with Balsamic Glaze.  Doesn't it sound good - I have some nice salmon fillets and I love balsamic.  I'm hoping to find some asparagus on sale.  mmmmmmmmm......

Tuesday - This Inside Out Ravioli has been in my AR recipe box for eons!  It looks easy & yummy - time it gets to be made!

Wednesday - KK's request of the week. Any guesses?  Nope, not stroganoff this time.... you guessed it - shake 'n bake pork chops.  We had this Green Beans with Cherry Tomatoes for our Christmas Eve dinner.  It was so good.... I hope I can find some reasonable green beans and not outrageously priced cherry tomatoes!

Thursday - I am going to try PW's version of chicken fried steak and gravy.  It isn't up on her website - but is in her cookbook (which my chickies gave me for Christmas!).  I'll post the recipe when I do a review.

Friday - You know my Friday story, right.  It has to be easy and I have to love it or chances are I'm going to be a loser and not get it made.  I really enjoyed the Greek Chicken Casserole from Paula Deen.  Since I have all the ingredients on hand (and my feta needs to goooooooooooo) it seems a good time to redo.

Saturday - SS's request this week:  Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers (you gotta love that kid!).  And it is less than a month away - I need to practice, practice, practice!

Sunday - If you haven't been to Grumpy's Honeybunch's blog.  You are missing out!  Shelby is a great cook AND baker (unlike yours truly who isn't such a great baker!).  Did you see her photo for Ground Beef with Beijing Sauce?  It was enough to send me scurrying over to the Steamy Kitchen for the recipe. I'm hopeful to find the ground bean sauce so I can make it.  It looks so yummy!

I hope each of you find a piece of spring this week!

Taste of Home Cooking

Back when I was just starting to love cooking - I subscribed to the some of the Taste of Home cooking magazines.  I learned lots of different tips & cooking ideas from real people.  The photos are always lovely.  I finally had to quit subscribing when all the magazines & cookbooks threatened to take over my life!

Saturday morning when I was thinking about making my grocery list and meal planning for the week, I didn't feel like sitting up at my desk to do the planning and since our laptop is sick right now (the battery charger broken and we are waiting for a new one to arrive)...... I said to "KK bring me a cookbook, anyone - I don't care which one."  She said which one has "lemony chicken" in it?  That would be "Best of Country Cooking 1998", one her favorite chicken recipes.  I decided to do a recipe from the cookbook for every night this week!

Monday - Baked Lemon Chicken has been a favorite of KK's since I first made it 2-3 years ago.  She loves lemon chicken and the sauce on this is very good.  I usually use thighs and legs with this instead of breasts - cooking time is longer but ohhhh.... soo... juicy! I will serve it with our new super favorite rice dish.

Tuesday - This Mexican Chili Pie caught my eye.  It looks simple for a random Tuesday night along with a good salad.

Wednesday - I still have a couple of my little boneless pork roasts from Costco in the freezer and this little rendition of Herbed Pork Roast sounds like a good use of it.  I will cook it in my fancy new crockpot with the temperature gauge to instead of roasting in the oven.  I hope it works!

Thursday - I love a good casserole - but sadly I think I ignore side-dish casseroles way too much. I think this Carrot Casserole will go pretty good with some baked tilipia.

Friday - Usually by the time Friday's roll around - I have to really really really like what I have on the meal plan or it is has to be super-duper easy or we end up eating random things.  I am hoping this Pantry Shelf Salmon Chowder is going to fit both of my needs for Friday dinner!

Saturday - KK is going to be gone all day to a field trip for young woman to a nearby college about different career choices.  She is looking forward to the astrology, pre-flight (navigation & flight plans), and design your dream house seminars.  I hope she has a great day and comes back full of ideas of what she might like to do someday!  While she is gone, SS will hold down the fort and make some roasted chickens and Orange Rice Pilaf .

Sunday - To finish off our week from the Taste of Home cookbook from 1998 (when KK was only 1 and SS was still a few months away from making her appearance) I decided I need a good white chicken chili in my repertoire - I've tried a few in the past, but nothing memorable.  Maybe this Spicy White Chili will be the one to become my favorite!

I hope everybody is has a great week - whatever the world is bringing your way!

My Bad

I just wasn't feeling the meal plan love this past weekend.  Which, as we cruise into Thursday, I highly regret!  I've learned my lesson - no more just "winging" (and not the good kind dipped in spicy sauce!) it for me.  I'll be back on Sunday with a great new plan of action for next week.

Time Flies!

WOW.... February is zipping by!  I am going to be really busy this week at work, so we are keeping it simply and easy this week, plus maybe a little healthier?  I'm feel the effects of the potato chips I've been buying lately - we need a little more veggies with our dinners!

Monday - I didn't get to town with the chickies yesterday, but made it today.  All of our belly's are full of sushi and we are a happy family.  :)

Tuesday - Back to reality.  KK has her last basketball game of the season and I hope we are going to be having a victory dinner!  She loves just a plain chicken breast grilled up with a ton 'o garlic, some boxed noodles, and some broccoli.  To up that veggie intake we might have some canned peas too. ;)

Wednesday - Piano lessons per usual.  SS is going to ask her piano teacher if she can learn the "Star Spangled Banner".   She loves the piano and I love hearing her progress!  We never got to those potatoes that are their last stand last week, so it is potato soup and grilled cheese.  SS was really happy to see this and said "We REALLY get to have it this week, right?"  LOL

Thursday- Another quick and easy favorite for us... Sloppy Joe's.  SS's request this week.... she loves her some joes.  :)

Friday - I am happy to report that I'm a proud new of owner of a slow cooker (whew!).  It's that a fancy looking thing?  I had a coupon for 15% off at overstock so it made the total price with shipping less than $50!  The one that just quit working, only after 3 years, was close to $100!!  I hope we are going to have a happy, long life together.  LOL It's inaugural voyage will be with Italian Beef in Bucket.  Usually skip the mixed veggies and just go for pepperocini rings (that way you don't have to dig out stems!!).  PW had a similar recipe around for her Superbowl eats, but I think I will stick to the one with the dressing mix.  I love me some italian dressing mix!  LOL

Saturday - Okay.  I really, really, really have to make spaghetti sauce.  I am totally out.  The chicken are so ohhhhh very lonely without their saucy pals to hang out with in freezer!

Sunday - I'm sure we are going have ton 'o pepperocini beef left from Friday (after all.... it was a 5 lb. roast I got for only $10 - score!).  You know what the best use of that leftover beef is...... burritos!  I will cook up a big batch of pintos, mix in the leftover beef, put in a tortilla, a little shredded cheddar, wrap the whole thing up and call us a happy!  YUM!  That roast is so big - I bet we will have leftovers of this too.  I'll just throw this in the freezer with the spaghetti sauce and chickens for some random Wednesday night to come!

I hope all my friends who are suppose to live in a warmer climate than me finally get some good weather!

Mid-Winter Break!

YEA!!  It's a four-day week for me this week, and only a 3-day school week for the Chickies.  PLUS, a four-day weekend!  YEA!

Monday - I have some cube steaks that need to be eaten and instead of just the same old chicken-fried steak, I thought something different for us like Cube Steak Parmigiana might be good.  I'll use my homemade sauce instead of what is listed.  I think the Chickies will like it!

Tuesday - KK requested the Hamburger Stroganoff.  It is her favorite thing currently.  I'm not sure how it replaced the shake n' bake pork chops, but she loves this stuff!

Wednesday - Piano lesson day!  I have a few potatoes that are starting to go south, so I figured potato soup and grilled cheese.  Simple and easy and well-loved by all!

Thursday - I found a bag of chicken hind quarters on sale for $4.99 (a ten-lb. bag).... I need an intervention for buying chicken on sale!  I swear I have 6 or 7 whole chickens, these hindquarters, PLUS a huge bag of boneless, skinless breasts.  At any rate, Simply Great Chicken will be a great use of those hindquarters.  I'm also in lurrrrrrrvvvvvveeeeee with Dishy's Herbed Rice Pilaf. I've made it a few times, added different veggies on their last stand in the fridge and the Chickies love it too!  A very nice side dish to any meal.

Friday - I thought we'd try something different for us..... PIZZA!  I'm not a huge fan of pizza.  GASP! SHOCK! HORROR!  I will be home on Friday and might try my hand a making a pizza dough.... recommendations on a easy yeast dough would be appreciated.  I will make Easy Pizza Sauce and have go for basic pepperoni.

Saturday - Shamefully hanging my head.  I still haven't made tilapia with baked lemon pasta.  I need to make it or the lemons I bought specifically for this will have had a wasted life.  Poor lemons, we can't do that to them!

Sunday - Valentine's Day!  I don't know what we are gonna do - I thought and thought and thought about what I wanted to make - nothing was jumping out of me.  I might just take my Chickies out for dinner.  :)

Ohhh... NOOO!!

I am so very very sad!  My favorite crockpot with the stoneware insert and timer that switches to warm has died!  What is a busy mom to do????  Sigh....I have another crockpot, but it doesn't have the little switch-to-warm feature and tends to over cook most things - we'll just have to do other stuff until I can get a new one!

Monday - KK has a basketball game, then afterward she and SS will be heading to spend the night with their dad.  He has been gone for a few weeks and they have been a missin' him.  I think I'll make Red Lentil Curry in their absence.  More for me!  :)

Tuesday - Another basketball game for KK, so that leaves SS in charge of her favorite - baked potatoes and I'll have a dish of shake n' bake pork chops ready she can just pop in the oven too. Everybody will be happy when we get home!

Wednesday - I found some salmon on sale, and my cooking friend, Dishy has some really great salmon dishes, including this Lemon Dill number plus a couple of great chowders you need to check out!  We will be having the Lemon Dill with some broccoli.  YUM!

Thursday - I have a couple of big T-bones laying around in the freezer that need to be eaten.  I have a slab o' goat cheese in the fridge that needs to be eaten.  So, I'm going to use the idea from PW's Grilled Ribeye's with Onion Blue Cheese Sauce  and shake it up!  I'll use my t-bones and give them the seasonings from this AR recipe, broil them up and top them with the onion sauce from PW, but made with a touch of goat cheese rather than blue cheese.  I'll report the results for sure!

Friday - It worked last week to have something I really loved and that is totally easy for dinner of Friday.  I am sad to report that my giant Costco jar of kalamata olives is empty - so I guess Chicken Thighs alla Puttenseca will have to wait a couple of weeks until a can get another jar.  LOL I think this week we'll have Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers - I have all the ingredients except for cucumbers and I could use the practice on burger shaping!

Saturday - It's time to make another batch of the THE spaghetti sauce.  I'm down to just want bag in the freezer!  As you know, I love this sauce.  This time I'm gonna do something just a little bit difference to see what happens - instead of just chopping the veggies, I'm going to chop them and take them for a little whirl in my food processor to see if I can up the thickness factor and reduce the chunk factor.  I have nothing at all against chunks, I just want to see what it does to the texture.

Sunday - It's Superbowl Sunday.  I like football.... I don't really watch football much anymore - but do usually try to tune it for the big one and all the fun and festivities involved.  What's football's biggest game without wings???  I don't know which I'm going to make, but here are some of my favorites from years past:
Restaurant Style Buffalo Wings  *****
My personal favorite.  Crispy, spicy, and yummy!
Caramelized Baked Chicken Wings *** 1/2
It was on okay honey-soy wing.
Fantastic Hot N' Spicy Wings No Rating
I haven't made these, but I have them in my 'Zaar recipe box and Kittencal rarely steers you wrong (afterall, it is her spaghetti sauce recipe I love!)

Have a great week!

Gray, Gray, Go Away.....

Wowsa... these gray days of January are startin' to wear pretty thin on my psyche!  I'm ready for some sunshine around here!  The only thing saving me is that little widget over there ----------------------------->
saying there are only 77 days to go!  YEA!  Our week is pretty ordinary.  LOL
Monday - Comfort food to the max.... chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and mushroom gravy.  I got a giant package of cubed steak on sale awhile back and there are still hangin' in the freezer (with the whole chickens - I think I have a problem with buying whole chicken, I have no less then 5 in my freezer right now.  ???  I just can't resist them when they are on sale for $.77/lb!).  I think we will go Weight Watcher friendly and do the fake fry bake.  They are still pretty good that way.
Tuesday - Tina from Mommy's Kitchen  did a post about the Spaghetti a la Philly and it sounded just like she said, a nice change from regular spaghetti.  I will use THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE   and reduced fat cream cheese.  I bought a big bag 'o salad.  More veggies are the way around here!! KK has an away basketball again - so I'm not sure if she'll be able to partake, but more for SS & I... bwahhahahaahah
Wednesday - I bought some cabbage when I made PW's Asian Noodle Salad (which I'll review soon and try to see if any of the 5000000000 pictures I took of ait turned out!) and I discovered that the chickies really like cooked cabbage!  Who knew?  I sauteed the leftovers up with  little butter, salt, and pepper and they both licked the bowls clean!  SS even wanted more!  So, I went searching for cabbage recipes ('cuz it was even on sale at my store this week!!) and found this Cabbage  & Noodles which sounded perfect.  I have some pepper bacon in the freezer that I will probably add too.
Thursday - This is our busy day this week.  I have appointments in Moses Lake (maybe Quincy too if I can get in to get my filling fixed!), Daisy is getting "beautified", and KK has another basketball game - this time here.  Ya'll know what happens when I get busy, right???  CROCKPOT!  And since I have all those whole chickens, I will go the roast chicken route.  Here is my method - I will give it The Famous Dave's treatment for spices (the chickies love lemony chicken), perch it on potatoes wrapped in tin foil, and let it go all day.  If it has gone to far fall-of-the-bone, I might try to throw it in the oven to crisp the skin a bit.   But usually I don't - it isn't a beautiful presentation, but it is juicy and delicious - a winner in my book.
Friday - I have realized something.  I don't make what I put on my meal-plans on Fridays.  I guess I'm tired by the time it rolls around.  We eat leftovers or random things.  I decided the way to change that - put something I LOVE on the plan for Friday!  And I love Chicken Thighs alla Puttenseca.  The bonus - it is so stinkin' easy.  If you can open a can of tomatoes you can make this recipe!
Saturday - So, two Friday's a said we were going to have tilapia and baked lemon pasta.  It didn't happen.  Let's give it a try for Saturday!
Sunday - I also found some short ribs on-sale, so it is definitely PW's Brasied Short Ribs again. Last time I made the polenta but without the goat cheese (I couldn't find it around here), but it wasn't a huge hit with the chickies.  This time I have goat cheese, but think I'll try some in the mashed potatoes.  mmmmmmm.. making my mouth water just thinking about it!
I hope everybody has a great week filled with much sunshine!

Menu Plan - Soupy Week!

It's a short work week, but I have lots to accomplish which might mean a late night or two - plus we have piano lessons for SS and KK has her 1st basketball game (away) on Thursday.  My M-O this is going to be fairly simple!

Monday -A quick batch of chicken noodle soup - not the kind that takes me 2 days to make, just a quick and easy broth with veggies, chicken, and noodles.

Tuesday - My BFF, Mrs S., got me a subscription to Paula Deen Cooking where I found this yummy looking casserole (I couldn't find a link online - darn!):

Greek Chicken Casserole
Makes 6 to 8 Servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 (3.5-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned.  Add bell pepper and onions; cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in olives, oregano, basil, and red pepper tossing gently to coat.  Add broth and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until combined.  Stir in rice and Parmesan cheese.  Spoon mixture into prepared dish.  Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese.  Bake for 25 to  30 minutes, or until heated through.  Serve immediately.


Wednesday - I guess I'm in a soup mood, cuz this Tomato Barley Soup looks really good and KK loves barley, so I'm hopin' she like this too.  SS loves a good cheesy quesedilla, so that will be awesome with tomato soup!

Thursday - Since KK won't be home until late, I think SS and I will just wing it!

Friday - Ya know what I realized, it has been a few weeks since shake n' bake pork chops!  Wrong, wrong, or so wrong!  LOL For an interesting side, I have a head of cauliflower and thought I'd give Company Cauliflower a try.

Saturday - My red lentils are still just hanging around in my pantry.  I didn't make the soup last week (or was it two weeks ago), but I remembered this Chole recipe my friend Carrie from Vegan Deliciousness recommended.

Sunday - SS said when I asked if there was anything special anybody wanted this week "Can we have YOUR burger?"  Awwww..... So, since I haven't made it about 6 weeks we will be having Caramelized Red Onion-Feta Burgers.  'Cuz practice never hurts!

Wintertime Blues

I am not really a fan of winter.  It's cold, it's dark, it can be wet or like today it can be gray & foggy.  I have to pull myself up by my bootstraps (that is if I had bootstraps! LOL) and get all things I need to get done - DONE! It's hard, because all I want to do is snuggle down and wait for spring to arrive.  So in an effort to accomplish a lot - let's start with a meal plan, shall we?  I wasn't feeling very well last week either - my tummy decided it hated me and not everything got made last week, so we there are a couple of repeats.

Monday  - Let's ease into things with some basic cheese quesedillas and homemade potato soup.  I make a very plain potato soup with just celery, onions, and potatoes with milk & butter.  Sometimes the simplest things can be the best~!
Tuesday - Hey, guess what?  I'm going to be 42 on Tuesday!  I usually LOVE my birthday, am excited days before hand, and never complain about getting older.  I'm not really feelin' it this year though.  Must be that stupid fog.  I think some Chicken Thighs all Puttenseca will go a long ways to cheering me up!  I love this stuff and I have that huge Costco jar of kalamata olives to use up!
Wednesday - Coleen just posted up this awesome looking Green Chile Pork Roast.  I have all the ingredients and I think I'll just throw it in the crockpot since it is piano lesson day for us..... mmmmmmmm... my house is gonna smell so good when we get home!
Thursday - Since I'm on an easy kick this week - let's make everybody happy and have Spaghetti & Meatballs.  It is guaranteed to make everybody in my house smile wide when they ask "What's for dinner?"  
Friday - I didn't get the tilapia or baked lemon pasta made last Friday - let's try again shall we?
Saturday - I have everything all geared up for the mega-chopping marathon that is PW's Asian Noodle Salad.  I made it once before and loved it - KK wasn't a fan at that time, and I couldn't figure out why - she likes everything in it (she loves cabbage!).  We'll have to see if anything has changed and I thought maybe all the veggies would cheer me up and help bring me off of the holiday sugar high!
Sunday - So, everything this week has been pretty easy and unimaginative, right?  We might as well end the week on an easy comfort food adventure with Chicken & Dumplings.  I made this awhile back during my comfort food extravaganza.  They were excellent and we gobbled down a double batch no problem - my mouth started watering when I decided that I was going to make them!  It's the happiest I've been all day!  LOL

I wish you all the best week - and lots 'o sunshine where ever you may be!

Welcome to 2010!

Is it twenty-ten or two thousand ten?  LOL At any rate, it is my first meal plan of the new year..... and we had our last hurrah today with PW's mac & cheese (which will have its own separate post), t-bone steaks (momma sprang for the good stuff!), and candy.... because I've gained 5 lbs. in the last 2 weeks and I because I don't want it to stay around until April (can you say airline seats???) we are going to have a few more vegetables this week.  
Monday - work.................... whoa.  I'm not sure I'm prepared for the reality of working for 8 hours a day.  LOL How about a nice Asian dish to cheer me up?  Pork, Apple and Ginger Stir-fry looks like it is just screaming out for more veggies than just the broccoli....I have some peppers, mushrooms, and some bamboo shoots.  White rice will make the chickies happy too!   Plus, I have all the stuff in the pantry - BONUS
Tuesday - I bought a bunch of greens..... mustard & collard.  This Southern slow-cooker version looks like it might fill the ticket with a Spicy Rapid Roast Chicken.
Wednesday - I still have some of my prized red lentils, but the last soup I made didn't do them justice.  I'm hoping this Lebanese-Style Red Lentil Soup fits the ticket!  In a multi-cultural fair, we'll have some quesadillas too! LOL  I know we have SS's piano lessons tonight, so this looks like a quick and easy way to go. 
Thursday - I've made this Simply Great Chicken before - and it lived up to its name!  SS asked for baked potatoes to be on the meal plan this week - this looks like a great dish to pair with that! 
Friday - We haven't had enough seafood lately - I found some nice tilapia and I thought it would go well with PW's Baked Lemon Pasta which got two big thumbs up from the chickies when I made it before. 
Saturday - SS is really into this piano thing.  We are going to a piano concert in Moses Lake.  Maybe I'll get some SUSHI from my favorite little place - Tsunami Sushi.  They are so nice there - last time the little old sushi chef, who KK refers to as "Sushi Grandpa" came to our table because he had a saved a copy of the Moses Lake paper that had the article about the Bake-off Contest.  It was tooooo sweet.
Sunday - I have been dying to make this Maghogany Beef Stew ever since Katy @ Food for a Hungry Soul made it a few weeks ago.  I love cooking with red wine!  YUM!
There we have it.... 1st week of 2010.  Twenty-ten.  Two thousand ten.  Whatever you want to call it - I hope its great for you!

Pantry Cooking or I Need to Use the Food I Have

I have decided that Christmas has made me broke.  LOL I'm just finished sketching out the meal plan for the week, and I only have two things on the grocery list - well, if you don't count the copious amounts of milk and cereal I'm required to buy each week.  I'm not sure how two little girls eat so much cereal!!  LOL


Monday - Back to work... sigh.... We still have quite a bit of ham left from the Christmas Eve dinner the chickies and I had.  And since you can never, ever go wrong with potatoes and this recipe has been in my allrecipes.com recipe box for about 6 years, I figured the time was right for Heavenly Potatoes & Ham.

Tuesday -  I freely admit that sometimes I make a meal-plan and life gets in the way and everything doesn't always happen according to "plan" and that's what happened to Creamy Chicken Lasagna from a couple of weeks ago, but I really like the looks of this - so it is making its second appearance.


Wednesday - It does seem like "pantry cooking" is comfort cooking for me.  I love this Chow Mein Noodle Casserole, but don't make it very often.  I even know why, it is kinda high in fat & calories - even if I use low fat ingredients, but I've decided given the amount of Christmas "cheer" I have ingested over the past month - this week isn't the week to start showing restraint.... that's next week!  LOL


Thursday - I'm not exactly sure what our New Years Eve plans are yet.  Maybe the movies?  Maybe staying home and playing board games with the chickies?  Maybe an all night Wii marathon?  Maybe all of the above.  At any rate, it will be all about cheese and chips in some form or another!  


Friday - I know the traditional thing for New Years Day is black-eyed peas, but I don't really like black-eyed peas that much.  I've only made them a couple of times, but I'd rather have some Southern Ham & Brown Beans.  I know I love these guys with the best cornbread ever!


Saturday - As with my quest for the best spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, and macaroni and cheese - I long quested for the perfect roast chicken, until this Famous Dave's Country Roasted Chicken knock-off happened across my radar.  This is pretty much chicken perfection - KK loves her chicken all lemony and well SS... she always happy if she gets a leg!


Saturday - I received The Pioneer Woman Cooks from the chickies for Christmas.  THEY WERE LISTENING!  I'm not sure how I missed the basic macaroni and cheese on the website, but I thought all her mac & cheese recipes there were different and unique versions, not just plain ol' creaminess.  I saw it in the cookbook and thought... "Is this the answer to my macaroni and cheese prayers?" I've been searching for something that rivals that red box blazen with "Stouffers".  We'll have to see if PW's version can stand up to my scrutiny.  I don't recall having made a version that has both a roux and an egg.  Maybe it will be "it".  


Thanks everybody for stopping by my little corner of the web.  I would love if you would leave comments/feedback.  


HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Merry Christmas to All!

I don't really have a plan to share this week.............. I'm just gonna "wing it" and regroup after Christmas.

I wish each and everyone of you who visit my blog the very Happiest of Holidays and a Jolly New Year!

It Was Crazy ....

...in my life last week!  Thing happened to way-lay my meal plan - some were good, some not so much.  I lost water one day (not do to the cold, but due to a faulty electrical something-or-another in my control box for my pump) and I lost power to half the house another day, again due to electrical issues.

The other good stuff had to do with Pillsbury and as soon as it is available I'll share.  Trust me, it is super cool!  This week we are again filled with much holiday merriment and activities.

Monday - I'm trying to "perfect" my chicken noodle soup recipe. The chickies are willing recipients of all the trying.  :)

Tuesday - This Slower Cooker Cranberry Roast looks interesting.  I would think that cranberries would go better with a pork roast and some of the reviews even suggest that, but I'm going to try it as written with a chuck roast.

Wednesday - We might be going out and about Wednesday depending on the weather.  So, we will have leftovers.

Thursday - We have been invited to a Mother-Daughter Christmas party.  I'm sure it will be tons of fun and KK is very excited.  In addition, today is SS's Christmas concert at school.  She will be full of Christmas cheer and song.  I love it!

Friday - KK has declared (very publicly in fact) that this Simple Hamburger Stroganoff is her favorite thing I make.  I can't believe it dethroned the ever-popular shake n' bake pork chops!! 

Saturday - I want to give this Creamy Chicken Lasagna a try.  It seems pretty basic, I'll use my marinara instead of jarred sauce.

Sunday - I'm still want a terrific meatloaf.  Tasty, slice-able, the kind that melts in your mouth.  I thought this Boston Market Copycat looked pretty good.

Tis the Season......

to be totally overwhelmed and crazy! LOL  I'm have an extra busy week at work - payroll has to be done 12 days earlier than normal.  Plus, I want to go to a cookie exchange.  I see lots of late nights this week, but the meal plan is gonna save me!

Monday - I wish I had PW's Cookbook 'cuz I saw a picture of a chicken fried steak that look extra yummy, but I'll just make my momma's recipe (basic breading with saltine crackers), mashed potatoes and a cream gravy.  YUMMY!

Tuesday - Crockpot day - I had everything on hand for this Slow Cooker Pineapple Pork Roast.  I love it when I like a recipe that doesn't require any grocery shopping!

Wednesday - This is the day of the Cookie Exchange.  Since I'm not a baker, I'm contributing fudge.

Thursday - Poor SS.... we haven't had spaghetti and meatballs for at least two weeks!  LOL I'll make her happy tonight.

Friday - I'm so in love with that Chicken Alla Puttenseca, here is another recipe that is reminiscent of that with spanish olives and capers.   This one comes via my cooking friend and all round sweetie pie, Dishy.

Famous Puerto Rican Chicken

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 sweet bell peppers, any color, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 TBS fresh)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
12 oz. canned tomato paste
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes, or 2-3 teaspoons Better than Bouillon, chicken flavor
2 large potatoes, unpeeled, cut in bite-size pieces
2-3 cups water

1/2 cup (more or less) Spanish olives, drained
2-3 TBS. capers, drained

Place chicken in large shallow baking dish (I just used a 9x13; if you use a larger baking pan you could use more chicken). Spread chopped bell peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, cumin seeds, ground cumin, and tomato paste over chicken. Then add the chicken bouillon (dissolved in the water), and potatoes over this mixture. Bake at 400 F for 90 minutes. Add the olives and capers after the chicken has baked for 45 minutes. Serve with rice.

Saturday - We HAVE to go Christmas shopping.  We will brave the crazies and go to a "real mall" and I think we will go to Famous Dave's BBQ, 'cuz when I went before they gave me a coupon for my next visit.  I'm a sucker for a coupon!

Sunday - Two weeks ago I made a double batch of chicken noodle soup and froze the leftovers.  As of now, IT IS ALL GONE!  My chickies are lurve my chicken noodle soup (which makes my heart sing with happiness!).  So, we are gonna make another giant batch. :)

.........zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

My meal plan this week is sorta dull. No new recipes at all - just a few revisited and a couple pulled from the freezer.


Monday - The stew I made a few weeks ago made enough for two meals for us. I don't want things to get too lost in there, so I want to have it while I still remember it!

Tuesday - Shake n bake pork chops. ...........zzzzzzzzzz.............  Maybe someday the chickies will let me make something else with pork chops.  MAYBE!

Wednesday - Way last spring I posted a Coconut Shrimp recipe up, but it never actually happened... I found a random bag of coconut in my cupboard and that along with the bag 'o shrimp I got at Costco = a match made in heaven.

Thursday - I enjoyed the Chicken Thighs alla Puttenseca so much, I making them again this soon! That says great things about that recipe, because as you can see by my meal plans, that doesn't happen very often!

Friday - I posted this Red Beans & Rice awhile ago, but got side-tracked by this version, but I found a turkey kielbasa on sale, and have bacon leftover from my Thanksgiving appetizer recipes, so I decided to revisit this recipe. I also will use dried/soaked red beans.

Saturday - Back to the depths of the freezer for the chicken noodle soup. The chickies loooooooooovvvvvvvveeeeee my chicken noodle soup. I expect lots of slurping and "this is yummy" during dinner tonight!

Sunday - Also leftover from my Turkey day goodies where some anaheim chilies that I roasted up and made some of these green chile enchilada sauce that I will use for Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas. Last time I made them, with even with canned sauce KK declared them her favorite, even more so than an enchilada with red sauce.

BONUS:
I didn't get a meal plan up last week, but on Sunday (11/29) I am making a recipe I saw a few weeks ago on The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I know that some people dis The Pioneer Woman for "going commercial" or "arbitrary use of butter" - but I dig the The Pioneer Woman. She speaks to my 40-year old self. She is funny, self-deprecating, takes beautiful photos, and cooks up a storm. I usually drop by her website during my lunch time and say wistfully, "The Pioneer Woman is giving away a really cool knife today." My office mate said recently, "I think you want to be The Pioneer Woman". Yeah. So? LOL

At any rate, I saw this little short rib number and the kicker was it was served on polenta which I have been dying to make for a long time. YUMMY

Go With the Flow

My menu plan didn't quite work as I "planned" last week, but that is the beauty of the meal plan. If your plans change, you just can go with the flow - knowing that a new week is just ahead!

Monday - We went to Costco and were able to get a few random yummies, one being a jar of oysters. We love fried oysters (yes, the chickies too!). I just drain them, dip them in a little beaten egg, and dredge them in a little Krusteaz Bake & Fry. Because the banner says "A Northwest Tradition since 1932", I'm thinking this a regional thing. I'm very sad for you if you can't get it, as it a nice seasoned coating mix.

Tuesday - KK reminded me "it has been forever since we've had shake 'n bake pork chops". So, if you read my blog on a semi-regular basis you know that this is not acceptable! :)

Wednesday - I have a couple of packages of turkey bacon lurking in my freezer. I thought I would try a Spaghetti Carbonara. It isn't something that is in my regular meal rotation, but I think the chickies will like it. It seems pretty speedy too, since it is my turn to drive for piano lessons.

Thursday - I've had a hankering for some beef stew for a couple of weeks and it just missed getting on to my comfort week food fest. I found a nice little chuck roast on sale, so I will cut it up and make a variation of this allrecipes version.

Friday - I still haven't made that catfish and tartar sauce, from last week. I really want some sweet potato fries too!!!

Saturday & Sunday - So, last weekend I was very busy. I had my cooking demo (which went great and was so much fun!) and my picture for Pillsbury, I didn't get a chance to be very culinary last weekend. As my freezer is low or empty of my staples, I want to make up for it this weekend. I definitely need to make a big batch of my favorite marinara (I got a BIG can of tomatoes at Costco!). We also need some chicken soup base using the weird-named soup, then freeze with and add noodles. And it looks like the crockpot is empty, we better make a big batch of refried beans!

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm giving my sides a lot of thought - Mrs. S and family haven't gotten the same couple of recipes the past couple of years! I think my contribution of appetizers and sides need to be shaken up a bit! ;)

WHEW! Thank Goodness!

I really, really missed making a meal plan last week. I didn't even have one just sketched out on a piece of paper... and it wasn't a good week, culinarily speaking! That week sent me straight into planning the coming week!

Monday - Requested by KK, meatloaf. Sometimes I use a recipe for meatloaf - sometimes I just throw some stuff together and hope for the best. Sometimes I make Stove Top Muffins. This week we are going for Savory Meatloaf from AR. I'm looking for something which will cut nice and make some good sandwiches.

Tuesday - I've been eyeing this recipe chicken recipe since my friend, Cookin' Mama brought it to my attention. I found some capers hiding in my fridge, so today is the day.

Chicken Thighs alla Puttanesca

Chicken thighs have a richer flavor than breasts and are better able to stand up to the bold sauce. If you can't find boneless thighs, use bone in thighs increasing the cooking time to 40 minutes, but do not use chicken breasts.

8 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp. pepper
20 pitted kalamata olives
1 (14 1/2- ounce crushed fire-roasted tomatoes in puree
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon coarsley chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Put chicken in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish, season with pepper and scatter olives on top.

2. Combine tomatoes, garlic, and oregano in tomato can. Spoon over chicken to cover. Bake until chicken is just cooked through, about 25 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken and sauce to a platter, sprinkle with capers and serve.

Wednesday - All this week is only 1/2 day of school for the chickies because of Parent/Teacher conferences. Wednesday is NO SCHOOL (and no work!!! YIPEE!), I think they are going to spend part of the day with their dad so I can go and get my hair done in the evening. Pillsbury is requiring that I get a professional business photo and I can't let my picture by thrown all over the place (hheeeeheeehhee) with all these gray hairs running amuck! So, I thought I'd make a nice lunch instead of dinner with the Simple Stroganoff the mini-chicks are very fond of.

Thursday - When was the last time I used the crockpot?? Way toooooooo long. How about a roast chicken on tin foil balls. Except, I'll put some potatoes in those tin foil balls. :)

Friday - I scored some catfish on a shopping expedition and we were all big fans of the Oven Fried Catfish. I still haven't tried the best lookin' tartar sauce, but I'm going to!

Saturday - I'm going to be doing another cooking demonstration at Harvest Foods. This time it is "Easy Candy" or "Don't be Intimidated by the Candy Thermometer". I'm going to be making a couple versions of a no-cook fudge and a microwave peanut brittle. If you are around, stop by Harvest Foods at 12:00 on November 14 and enjoy a piece of candy, throw me questions about candy-making and just generally harass me to give me practice cooking for an audience!

Sunday - We are going to run off to the big city (relatively speaking compared to Royal City!) and get my picture taken. I am hopin' for some sushi to be somewhere on the agenda too!

It feels so good to have this here. Typed out. Ready to go!!