The latest ideas

Here are a few of the latest things I've been cookin' up (ok, more like throwing together) around here:

For the babies party we did BBQ Buffalo burgers and brats.  I love BBQ brats and it's perfect BBQ weather!  Just an idea.

Nachos 
I think Sarah and I had the same idea on the same day last week! :) Our nachos were pretty simple.  All I do is melt some cheese on tortilla chips, then I have cooked up hamburger (I don't use taco seasoning, but you can if you want), lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa out for people to fix up their nachos however they want.  The kids really like it and it's super easy - which I am all about!  My friend gave me this yummy guacamole recipe to use too - it's really good!
Guacamole
4-5 avacados
1/4 bunch cilantro
1-2 roma tomatoes
1/8-1/4 red onion
chop all and put in food processor
add juice from 1-2 limes (1-2 tbsp.)
1 tsp. cumen
1 tsp. salt
3-4 cut up jalapenos from jar/can
2 tbsp. juice from jalapeno jar/can
mix all together

Oriental Chicken Salad
I think some of you maybe have had this before, but I really love it for an easy quick meal - yes a salad can be a meal, although it took some convincing with my kids.
1/2 head green leaf lettuce
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
chicken (about one cooked and cut up breast or you can use the canned chicken)
1 can mandarin oranges
1 cup celery
chopped green onions (I usually omit this, my kids don't really like them and I hardly ever have them on hand)
1/2 c sliced sugared almonds (heat about 3 tbsp. sugar in pan over stove and mix in almonds, cool on wax paper)

• As I'm plating the salad, I also put chow mein noodles on top.  I don't mix them into the salad because they will get soggy if I have leftovers.

Dressing
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vinegar

• mix ingredients together and chill - can drizzle over whole salad before serving, or can put on individual servings

Chinese Sundaes
I think you all have this recipe except for Sarah.  It's an old stand by in my house, and the kids love it and eat tons of it!  Kris, don't be afraid to try it with the veggies next time. :)
Toppings:
diced cooked chicken (most of the time I use the canned chicken)
diced ham
corn (heated)
diced tomatoes
pineapple tidbits
manderine oranges
maraschino cherries
grated cheddar cheese

• on the stove mix either 2 cans cream of chicken soup with enough water to make it a saucy consistency, or can use 1 can cream of chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom - both ways taste good
• add whatever toppings you want over cooked rice, then top with soup

Monkey Bread
Ok, for years I have been looking for a good, easy monkey bread recipe.  I haven't really found one I like yet, but I found this and have been using it instead.  It is super yummy and really easy for a special breakfast.  I think mom made this for you guys at Christmas, but if you don't have the recipe, here it is.
2 cans Grands refrigerated cinnamon rolls
1 cup whipping cream (I just buy the pint size container and dump the whole thing in)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 med. Granny Smith apple peeled and chopped (I just use whatever apple I have)

• generously spray fluted cake pan with Pam
• mix whipping cream, cinnamon, apples, and brown sugar in large mixing bowl.  Separate both cans of dough into 10 rolls, cut each roll into quarters, stir into mixture until well coated. (set icing aside)
• spoon mixture into pan bake about 40-45 mins. at 350
• cool upside down on serving dish for mins. before removing pan
• heat icing for about 10 seconds in microwave and drizzle over cake

Ok, I think that is it for now, I have more recipes I will share later.  It's taken me all day to get this far and it's time to get off to bed.  Sorry I don't have any pictures to share, but by the time I think about it we've all already dug in, and the pictures at that point wouldn't look too appetizing. :)  I'll try harder next time. :)

A few recent successes

Hey, I'd love to do a more thorough job on this, but I thought I could at least put up a few pictures and descriptions to let you know what we've made of late that's been worth eating!
I like making chicken pot pies because they're easy and they allow you to sneak lots of vegetables into everyone's diet.  I used a normal pie crust recipe this time (I often use Bisquick and mix it up like I was making b

iscuits and use that, since it makes a lighter, fluffier crust) but this time, we did it the old-fashioned way.  We cooked up a little chicken, threw in some steamed and some frozen vegetables (this one included carrots, peas and corn, but it's easy to just use those frozen veggie mixes) and mixed it in with cream of mushroom soup, adding water/milk as needed to stir it, and baked it for about 35 minutes.  It was delicious.

We also had a nacho night, which was successful.  We found ground turkey that was already seasoned, though it's not hard to add taco seasoning to ground turkey or beef and get the same effect.  We cooked that with onions, melted cheese into it, added salsa and olives, and ate it with chips.  We had that along with a fruit salad that I made using just fruits, no filler.  That's my favorite way to do fruit salads.  I just add a little lemon or lime juice to keep the fruit as fresh as possible, and sometimes sugar (though if you get the right balance of sweeter fruits and include bananas, you really don't need it).

We've also made a couple of stir fries recently.  We just use beef or chicken cut into small pieces and cooked with onions, and add bok choy and stir fry mix and some seasoning (Don does that - I think he just adds soy sauce, some salt & pepper, garlic, and maybe a couple of other things) and eat it with rice. 

Also, we had a culinary emergency the other day when the pot roast wasn't done in time for the sister missionaries to eat it, so we had to improvise.  We made a light salad into a more substantial one by adding canned beans (black are the best, but kidney also work), corn, and cheese, in addition to the lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and green onions that it already included.  That meal works for people who've already had a big lunch (as they had) or who can be convinced that a salad really can constitute actual food if you add enough protein to it.  Then Don and I got to eat pot roast for days when it was finally done cooking.  Yum.

That's all for now.  If you avid bloggers want to tell me how to include pictures, I can add them of a couple of these dishes.

Let the fun begin!

Here we go girls!  We are up and running and ready for some cooking!