This morning I was looking for something to have for breakfast. I typically have a protein smoothie but we just got a Keurig (for free!!) so I was trying a coffee concoction and I thought that would be too much liquid to do a smoothie for breakfast too. I always need high protein in the morning though or I get sick so what can I do but Pinterest about it!
I found this recipe but I only had 2 bananas on hand so I cut it in half.
So I did 2 bananas, 1/2 cup oats, 1 whole egg, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 scoop chocolate protein powder, 2 T baking powder, and 1/4 cup peanut butter. I mixed it all by hand since I still haven't been able to find my mixer (it's packed) but that actually went better than I expected. This made 6 muffins perfectly (I don't think the original poster ever mentioned how many muffins it makes). This was really good! I'm glad I added the chocolate powder too. I could even see this being good with other powders. I think you could change it up quite a bit and still get a good result!
If you're sharing it with kids, like I was, I recommend a plant based protein powder. It's gentler on their tummies :)
I will definitely make these again and it actually went really quick! (I'm always nervous to make something that requires bake time because I need to eat pretty soon after waking up but this wasn't so bad!)
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
10 Ways I Save Money
I would like to think I've always been money conscious but since moving out here, we've had to be a little more careful because we are buying our house supplies out of pocket (instead of with a loan or bigger mortgage on the house). We get a lot of our stuff from auctions, which is great because we can even get NEW, in the box items if we're super lucky. And we never pay more than 50% of what it's worth. In fact, we usually pay much less than that. For instance, I bought new knotty pine interior doors for our house and I got them for $16 a door! They are worth about $200 at Menards (our favorite shopping place!).
So auctions save us a lot of money but for the day to day savings, it takes a little effort. The following are in no order and I'm sure I'm forgetting some!
1. We very rarely buy something that isn't on sale. Even when we use coupons (which surprisingly isn't that often. Typically, generic is cheaper than name brand even with the name brand coupon!), we wait until the item is on sale. The only exceptions are things we need, like milk.
2. We shop at cheap places. For us, this means Menards, Walmart, and Aldi. I try to exclusively grocery shop at Aldi, Walmart is for household and presents. And Menards is for everything else. Menards runs an 11% off sale frequently throughout the year so if we need to buy something that we know doesn't really go on sale, we wait for one of these sales. They also give away lots of stuff for free after rebate.
3. We also shop at Amazon. We pay for Amazon Prime and it's definitely worth it for the free shipping (but we also like the Amazon Instant Video stuff too). We pair it with Honey and WikiBuy so we know we are always getting the best deal. These add ons tell you where the best price is. If you need more info, comment below. Here are our referral codes if you are interested:
http://wbuy.me/B9R2665
http://joinhoney.com/ref/vdypyd
4. We utilize the library! I can't believe how many people don't. This is SUCH a great resource. You get books, even brand new ones, for FREE to keep almost as long as you like (with renewals). They have DVDs, books, even toys for the kids to play with. It's such a family friendly place. We go here at LEAST once a week.
5. We cook. I'm not saying I'm a gourmet, 5 star chef or anything but cooking saves more money than going out. This is also healthier so technically, you are saving on medical costs too by doing this. Even if you are cooking with a pound of butter and 5 cups of sugar, it's not all the preservatives and additives in prepackaged food. We do go out sometimes. Actually, we still go out more than I wish we were but it's a work in progress. I totally get that sometimes you're on the go or in a hurry and those nights it seems so perfect to grab something from a drive thru but if you can prevent it, it's better. If you can't, you can't.
6. We keep our thermostat at 65 during the winter and 72 in the summer. This may seem extreme to some of you but our bodies easily adapt. We do usually go down a degree at night (in the summer) because I can't sleep if I'm too hot. We had a few years without air conditioning (and we don't have air conditioning here) but I just hate that miserable feeling. In winter, it's so easy to turn the thermostat down a little because we can add a sweatshirt or we're asleep under blankets anyway. An adjustable thermostat is great for this so you don't forget to change the temp at night. We use a Nest.
7. We typically shop once a week. This not only saves on gas, but it saves on impulse purchases. If you buy something not on your list every time you go out, the fewer times you go out = fewer impulse buys. We do sometimes end up getting milk at the gas station because that's usually what we run out of first. We tried shopping only once a month but then we weren't eating anything fresh (because what fruits and veggies just don't last all month) so that wasn't working out for us. But we aim for once a week (or less).
8. Back at our old house, we went to Ruby's Pantry once a month. This is SUCH a great organization. Anybody is eligible. You bring two boxes or laundry baskets and you leave with them filled (or even overflowing!) of a variety of food and sometimes household products. Since starting to go to Ruby's two years ago, I haven't had to buy toilet paper, bread, or chicken. They even give you fresh produce sometimes and they always give you at least one package of meat. Sometimes, during our lucky months, they would have so much bread that they would tell us to "take as much as we wanted"!!!! This is when having a chest freezer really comes in handy. Since moving, I haven't been able to go (although they do have one near me) because of my lack of storage space but as we get more settled and eat up more of the food we do have, we are planning on returning. When we were going frequently, i could go to Ruby's and the rest of the month, the only things I would have to buy would be fruit and veggies and maybe milk (they give milk away frequently too).
9. We love reusable products. Yes, you pay more initially but then you can stop buying that product for years and years and that is your savings. We use Norwex (comment below for more info) for lots of household things. I use reusable pads and a menstrual cup. We all have stainless steel water bottles. We use gift bags over and over again. We use reusable grocery bags. Our kids love silicone straws and I use stainless steel ones. You get the idea. We are always looking for more and more ways to have zero waste and less plastic in our lives.
10. This is probably my most important tip. We follow the old saying of "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". We try to use every last drop of something, we wear our clothes, towels, sheets, etc until they get holes or wear thin. Sometimes I even patch our clothes if they rip at a seam. I use the "make it do" part most in cooking. If I don't have a special ingredient, I find a way to make what I have work. And the do without part is the hardest. But with limited space and trying to downsize, it makes a lot of sense. We don't need so much stuff in our lives. Living in our camper over the summer really showed that. We lived in less than 175 square feet and we were HAPPY. We were getting by just fine. I need to remind myself of this all the time because sometimes, I think "stuff" makes us happier but it really doesn't. Kids don't need toys, toys, toys. Mine can play in a pile of sand for HOURS (yes, literally). And having less stuff, I really notice a decrease in stress levels, despite my current living conditions. It's really crazy. But the best way to save money is to not spend it in the first place.
So auctions save us a lot of money but for the day to day savings, it takes a little effort. The following are in no order and I'm sure I'm forgetting some!
1. We very rarely buy something that isn't on sale. Even when we use coupons (which surprisingly isn't that often. Typically, generic is cheaper than name brand even with the name brand coupon!), we wait until the item is on sale. The only exceptions are things we need, like milk.
2. We shop at cheap places. For us, this means Menards, Walmart, and Aldi. I try to exclusively grocery shop at Aldi, Walmart is for household and presents. And Menards is for everything else. Menards runs an 11% off sale frequently throughout the year so if we need to buy something that we know doesn't really go on sale, we wait for one of these sales. They also give away lots of stuff for free after rebate.
3. We also shop at Amazon. We pay for Amazon Prime and it's definitely worth it for the free shipping (but we also like the Amazon Instant Video stuff too). We pair it with Honey and WikiBuy so we know we are always getting the best deal. These add ons tell you where the best price is. If you need more info, comment below. Here are our referral codes if you are interested:
http://wbuy.me/B9R2665
http://joinhoney.com/ref/vdypyd
4. We utilize the library! I can't believe how many people don't. This is SUCH a great resource. You get books, even brand new ones, for FREE to keep almost as long as you like (with renewals). They have DVDs, books, even toys for the kids to play with. It's such a family friendly place. We go here at LEAST once a week.
5. We cook. I'm not saying I'm a gourmet, 5 star chef or anything but cooking saves more money than going out. This is also healthier so technically, you are saving on medical costs too by doing this. Even if you are cooking with a pound of butter and 5 cups of sugar, it's not all the preservatives and additives in prepackaged food. We do go out sometimes. Actually, we still go out more than I wish we were but it's a work in progress. I totally get that sometimes you're on the go or in a hurry and those nights it seems so perfect to grab something from a drive thru but if you can prevent it, it's better. If you can't, you can't.
6. We keep our thermostat at 65 during the winter and 72 in the summer. This may seem extreme to some of you but our bodies easily adapt. We do usually go down a degree at night (in the summer) because I can't sleep if I'm too hot. We had a few years without air conditioning (and we don't have air conditioning here) but I just hate that miserable feeling. In winter, it's so easy to turn the thermostat down a little because we can add a sweatshirt or we're asleep under blankets anyway. An adjustable thermostat is great for this so you don't forget to change the temp at night. We use a Nest.
7. We typically shop once a week. This not only saves on gas, but it saves on impulse purchases. If you buy something not on your list every time you go out, the fewer times you go out = fewer impulse buys. We do sometimes end up getting milk at the gas station because that's usually what we run out of first. We tried shopping only once a month but then we weren't eating anything fresh (because what fruits and veggies just don't last all month) so that wasn't working out for us. But we aim for once a week (or less).
8. Back at our old house, we went to Ruby's Pantry once a month. This is SUCH a great organization. Anybody is eligible. You bring two boxes or laundry baskets and you leave with them filled (or even overflowing!) of a variety of food and sometimes household products. Since starting to go to Ruby's two years ago, I haven't had to buy toilet paper, bread, or chicken. They even give you fresh produce sometimes and they always give you at least one package of meat. Sometimes, during our lucky months, they would have so much bread that they would tell us to "take as much as we wanted"!!!! This is when having a chest freezer really comes in handy. Since moving, I haven't been able to go (although they do have one near me) because of my lack of storage space but as we get more settled and eat up more of the food we do have, we are planning on returning. When we were going frequently, i could go to Ruby's and the rest of the month, the only things I would have to buy would be fruit and veggies and maybe milk (they give milk away frequently too).
9. We love reusable products. Yes, you pay more initially but then you can stop buying that product for years and years and that is your savings. We use Norwex (comment below for more info) for lots of household things. I use reusable pads and a menstrual cup. We all have stainless steel water bottles. We use gift bags over and over again. We use reusable grocery bags. Our kids love silicone straws and I use stainless steel ones. You get the idea. We are always looking for more and more ways to have zero waste and less plastic in our lives.
10. This is probably my most important tip. We follow the old saying of "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". We try to use every last drop of something, we wear our clothes, towels, sheets, etc until they get holes or wear thin. Sometimes I even patch our clothes if they rip at a seam. I use the "make it do" part most in cooking. If I don't have a special ingredient, I find a way to make what I have work. And the do without part is the hardest. But with limited space and trying to downsize, it makes a lot of sense. We don't need so much stuff in our lives. Living in our camper over the summer really showed that. We lived in less than 175 square feet and we were HAPPY. We were getting by just fine. I need to remind myself of this all the time because sometimes, I think "stuff" makes us happier but it really doesn't. Kids don't need toys, toys, toys. Mine can play in a pile of sand for HOURS (yes, literally). And having less stuff, I really notice a decrease in stress levels, despite my current living conditions. It's really crazy. But the best way to save money is to not spend it in the first place.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Homemade Mushroom Gravy with Salisbury Steak
I found some "ground beef steaks" in my freezer and had no idea what that was. Was it a hamburger patty? Was it a steak with a weird texture? I asked David and he goes "oh! That's for Salisbury steak!"
So tonight I was able to cook them from frozen but then I realized they probably didn't have any seasoning in them because the company expects you to put gravy with it. I've never made gravy (not from inside a turkey) before so I was definitely intimidated. I didn't think it was hard, I understood the basic concept but it was still uncharted territory for me.
I had mushrooms and no beef broth (or stock) so I looked up recipes for "mushroom gravy". I found this recipe and tweaked it just a bit.
First (in my electric skillet), I cooked the steaks. I set them on a plate but left the grease in the pan. Then, I sauteed some mushrooms and onions in the grease, until well cooked (the onions even got this nice almost char on them). I added 2 tablespoons of flour (the original recipe calls for 3 but I didn't want a ton of gravy. I only had 3 steaks).
Next mix it up well and make sure there's no flour bits anywhere. Then, I didn't have any broth but I did have a spare packet of chicken ramen seasoning. I added 1 1/2 cups of water (instead of two) and half of the packet of seasoning. Then I added some garlic powder, onion powder, a splash of liquid smoke, thyme, and sage. I stirred frequently, letting it bubble so it grew thicker.
After a couple minutes, I added the steaks back in the gravy so they could absorb some of the flavor of the gravy too. I let everything heat throughout and let it cook until my desired consistency (just another minute or two). Then I served!
I made this with mac and cheese because that's what my kids requested, French bread to soak up the gravy, and raw snow peas because I ran out of time to make anything else and I happened to find those in the fridge.
I was (am) SO giddy that I was able to make gravy! And it was all absolutely delicious. I honestly rate this a 10/10!
So tonight I was able to cook them from frozen but then I realized they probably didn't have any seasoning in them because the company expects you to put gravy with it. I've never made gravy (not from inside a turkey) before so I was definitely intimidated. I didn't think it was hard, I understood the basic concept but it was still uncharted territory for me.
I had mushrooms and no beef broth (or stock) so I looked up recipes for "mushroom gravy". I found this recipe and tweaked it just a bit.
First (in my electric skillet), I cooked the steaks. I set them on a plate but left the grease in the pan. Then, I sauteed some mushrooms and onions in the grease, until well cooked (the onions even got this nice almost char on them). I added 2 tablespoons of flour (the original recipe calls for 3 but I didn't want a ton of gravy. I only had 3 steaks).
Next mix it up well and make sure there's no flour bits anywhere. Then, I didn't have any broth but I did have a spare packet of chicken ramen seasoning. I added 1 1/2 cups of water (instead of two) and half of the packet of seasoning. Then I added some garlic powder, onion powder, a splash of liquid smoke, thyme, and sage. I stirred frequently, letting it bubble so it grew thicker.
After a couple minutes, I added the steaks back in the gravy so they could absorb some of the flavor of the gravy too. I let everything heat throughout and let it cook until my desired consistency (just another minute or two). Then I served!
I made this with mac and cheese because that's what my kids requested, French bread to soak up the gravy, and raw snow peas because I ran out of time to make anything else and I happened to find those in the fridge.
I was (am) SO giddy that I was able to make gravy! And it was all absolutely delicious. I honestly rate this a 10/10!
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Skillet "Cheeseburger" With Cauliflower
My whole family is sick with a cold so I will have to make this recipe again when we feel better to see if it still tastes good! Ha!
This is my last week of fresh CSA veggies (but I have plenty frozen!). So this recipe was just about using up the fridge. I also had thawed a pound of ground beef for a different recipe, but with being sick I didn't want to go into all the effort of that one.
So here's what I did. I had 2 small heads of cauliflower that I chopped (pretty small, like kid bite size) and put in a bowl with a splash of water. I microwaved them for 10 minutes. While that cooked, I chopped an onion, the other half of a red pepper, and some baby bella mushrooms.
Because I can't use my electric skillet and my microwave at the same time, I had to wait til my microwave was done before I could start browning the beef. I threw in the onions at the same time too. Next, you should drain it. I ALWAYS forget this step and my gut pays for it later.
When the meat is mostly browned, add in your cauliflower. After that seems to be cooked up, add in your peppers and mushrooms. As those start to cook, season with garlic. I also added salt in at this point, not remembering I had planned to add a little salsa later.
So now everything is just about done. Add in a splash of salsa (third of a cup maybe? half a cup?) and stir to combine. I also added in some cheddar cheese (1/3 of a block but more definitely wouldn't be bad!). When the cheese is melted, it's ready!
My kids even ate this! They have been picking things out of my dinners for weeks now and this one was just gobbled up. They didn't even seem to notice the mushrooms or the cauliflower. The one thing my daughter did notice was the peppers, but not the ones I had added in, the ones from the salsa! How funny is that? Ha!
Ingredient list for ease of future use:
ground beef
onion
bell pepper
mushrooms
cauliflower
salsa
garlic powder
cheddar cheese
You could very easily omit the salsa and add in whatever seasoning you want. Even the veggies could probably be swapped out. I would leave the cauliflower though, because it's kind of like rice (although my pieces weren't that fine) but your choice! I love use-up-the-fridge recipes!
This is my last week of fresh CSA veggies (but I have plenty frozen!). So this recipe was just about using up the fridge. I also had thawed a pound of ground beef for a different recipe, but with being sick I didn't want to go into all the effort of that one.
So here's what I did. I had 2 small heads of cauliflower that I chopped (pretty small, like kid bite size) and put in a bowl with a splash of water. I microwaved them for 10 minutes. While that cooked, I chopped an onion, the other half of a red pepper, and some baby bella mushrooms.
Because I can't use my electric skillet and my microwave at the same time, I had to wait til my microwave was done before I could start browning the beef. I threw in the onions at the same time too. Next, you should drain it. I ALWAYS forget this step and my gut pays for it later.
When the meat is mostly browned, add in your cauliflower. After that seems to be cooked up, add in your peppers and mushrooms. As those start to cook, season with garlic. I also added salt in at this point, not remembering I had planned to add a little salsa later.
So now everything is just about done. Add in a splash of salsa (third of a cup maybe? half a cup?) and stir to combine. I also added in some cheddar cheese (1/3 of a block but more definitely wouldn't be bad!). When the cheese is melted, it's ready!
My kids even ate this! They have been picking things out of my dinners for weeks now and this one was just gobbled up. They didn't even seem to notice the mushrooms or the cauliflower. The one thing my daughter did notice was the peppers, but not the ones I had added in, the ones from the salsa! How funny is that? Ha!
Ingredient list for ease of future use:
ground beef
onion
bell pepper
mushrooms
cauliflower
salsa
garlic powder
cheddar cheese
You could very easily omit the salsa and add in whatever seasoning you want. Even the veggies could probably be swapped out. I would leave the cauliflower though, because it's kind of like rice (although my pieces weren't that fine) but your choice! I love use-up-the-fridge recipes!
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Saucy Pork Chops
So I recently had a recipe that only needed a quarter cup of tomato sauce so when I opened up the can, I obviously had a lot left. I knew I could make pasta with it but that seemed so boring. Plus, I did have pork chops to use too. (Does anyone else ever thaw anything and then realize you don't have a recipe picked out to go with it? It can't just be me!)
I did a little looking around online and apparently, pork chops with pasta sauce is really delicious! Some people serve it with noodles but I served mine with Brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower.
It's a really simple recipe. On high heat, cook your pork chops until browned on each side. Add your pasta sauce (I had four chops and almost a whole can of sauce), turn down the heat, and cover until pork is cooked through. The end! Isn't that easy?? And it's SO good too! I know people do a similar thing with chicken parmesan but I never even thought to do it with pork!
My kids and husband gobbled this up! I will definitely make it again. I think it could be good served with noodles or rice too because I did have a little extra sauce. I suppose it'd also be a similar effect if you cut up your pork chops and just served them on top of your spaghetti.
I did a little looking around online and apparently, pork chops with pasta sauce is really delicious! Some people serve it with noodles but I served mine with Brussels sprouts and mashed cauliflower.
It's a really simple recipe. On high heat, cook your pork chops until browned on each side. Add your pasta sauce (I had four chops and almost a whole can of sauce), turn down the heat, and cover until pork is cooked through. The end! Isn't that easy?? And it's SO good too! I know people do a similar thing with chicken parmesan but I never even thought to do it with pork!
My kids and husband gobbled this up! I will definitely make it again. I think it could be good served with noodles or rice too because I did have a little extra sauce. I suppose it'd also be a similar effect if you cut up your pork chops and just served them on top of your spaghetti.
Friday, September 29, 2017
Using Up CSA Veggies
I am going to preface this with an apology. My computer keyboard is acting up and it randomly doubles or even triples letters and spaces. It has done this before but I don't remember how to fix it. I will try to catch all the typos but it is a pain. Please bear with me.
I almost always add veggies to sloppy joes, usually peppers and sometimes carrots. I've added corn before too but that was a little strange. This week, I had a lot of miscellaneous CSA veggies to use up so I just chopped them up and added them to the ground turkey. I used red onion (that was a great choice! Red onion is one of my favorites), turnips, spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. It was surprisingly really good. I don't know why I'm always surprised when something with so many veggies tastes good.
I will also mention that I used canned sloppy joe sauce that was bold. I think the bold really makes a difference. Some day, I will make my own sauce but right now I don't have enough burners.
Another good thing to add veggies to is tuna salad. Celery is a good addition but I didn't have any this time. So for crunch, I added raw red bell pepper. I also added lots of red onion, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. In the past, I have also added white beans to it without much taste difference.
In both recipes (sloppy joes and tuna), my kids gobbled them up and couldn't get enough! Sometimes I try to hide the veggies from the kids but I am also a huge advocate of having them try everything too.
By posting this, I hope it will encourage you to add more veggies to recipes you already love. Plus, I have had some requests for what veggies I add to some kid favorites. Basically, since belonging to the CSA, I have added veggies to everything--whatever I have on hand.
I almost always add veggies to sloppy joes, usually peppers and sometimes carrots. I've added corn before too but that was a little strange. This week, I had a lot of miscellaneous CSA veggies to use up so I just chopped them up and added them to the ground turkey. I used red onion (that was a great choice! Red onion is one of my favorites), turnips, spinach, carrots, and bell peppers. It was surprisingly really good. I don't know why I'm always surprised when something with so many veggies tastes good.
I will also mention that I used canned sloppy joe sauce that was bold. I think the bold really makes a difference. Some day, I will make my own sauce but right now I don't have enough burners.
Another good thing to add veggies to is tuna salad. Celery is a good addition but I didn't have any this time. So for crunch, I added raw red bell pepper. I also added lots of red onion, spinach, and cherry tomatoes. In the past, I have also added white beans to it without much taste difference.
In both recipes (sloppy joes and tuna), my kids gobbled them up and couldn't get enough! Sometimes I try to hide the veggies from the kids but I am also a huge advocate of having them try everything too.
By posting this, I hope it will encourage you to add more veggies to recipes you already love. Plus, I have had some requests for what veggies I add to some kid favorites. Basically, since belonging to the CSA, I have added veggies to everything--whatever I have on hand.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Cream Cheese Wontons
Every time I get Chinese food, I get wontons. They can be crab rangoon, cream cheese, or even those dessert-y cinnamon ones some places have. But no matter what, I have to have them. They're addicting. Even my kids love them!
Since moving (different story for a different day), we have been very consciously trying to eat out less. It's actually not all that difficult because the only place to eat within a 25 minute radius is pizza from a gas station (now, I am not dissing that pizza. It is actually AWESOME. And we do go there about once a month to treat ourselves). So I have to recreate some of our favorites at home. Most things are a little difficult when you only have one burner (think hot plate--it can't boil a pot of water if the pot is big) and no oven (but yes, a toaster oven. A very old, very small toaster oven!)
I bought wonton wrappers the other day to use up the crab that the kids stopped eating. By the time the wrappers made it home, the kids ate up the crab. How does that happen??
So I got a little more basic and did cream cheese wontons.
1/2 pack of wonton wrappers (I believe it was a 48 wrapper pack)
a couple dashes of garlic
a couple dashes onion powder (if I had them on hand, I would've used green onions or chives)
2 packs of (softened) cream cheese
Mix the garlic, onion powder, and cream cheese until well combined. Add a dollop of mixture into center of wonton wrapper. Dip your fingertip in a little bowl of water and wet the edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold as you wish (I made little envelopes, some people do triangles, and some people can master the true wonton shape).
Put in toaster oven at 350 until browning (ten minutes? I kind of lost track of time doing these). Let cool (because they will be CRAZY hot!) and enjoy!
Huge hit with myself, kids ate them, husband tolerated them (but in his defense, he doesn't really like wontons anyway). I personally think they were better than the take-out ones (but isn't homemade stuff usually better anyway?)
Since moving (different story for a different day), we have been very consciously trying to eat out less. It's actually not all that difficult because the only place to eat within a 25 minute radius is pizza from a gas station (now, I am not dissing that pizza. It is actually AWESOME. And we do go there about once a month to treat ourselves). So I have to recreate some of our favorites at home. Most things are a little difficult when you only have one burner (think hot plate--it can't boil a pot of water if the pot is big) and no oven (but yes, a toaster oven. A very old, very small toaster oven!)
I bought wonton wrappers the other day to use up the crab that the kids stopped eating. By the time the wrappers made it home, the kids ate up the crab. How does that happen??
So I got a little more basic and did cream cheese wontons.
1/2 pack of wonton wrappers (I believe it was a 48 wrapper pack)
a couple dashes of garlic
a couple dashes onion powder (if I had them on hand, I would've used green onions or chives)
2 packs of (softened) cream cheese
Mix the garlic, onion powder, and cream cheese until well combined. Add a dollop of mixture into center of wonton wrapper. Dip your fingertip in a little bowl of water and wet the edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold as you wish (I made little envelopes, some people do triangles, and some people can master the true wonton shape).
Put in toaster oven at 350 until browning (ten minutes? I kind of lost track of time doing these). Let cool (because they will be CRAZY hot!) and enjoy!
Huge hit with myself, kids ate them, husband tolerated them (but in his defense, he doesn't really like wontons anyway). I personally think they were better than the take-out ones (but isn't homemade stuff usually better anyway?)
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Chia Seeds and Instant Pot Pancake
Everybody is all crazy for two things these days: chia seeds and the Instant Pot. I recently started using both! I got the chia seeds at Aldi's (great deal!) and the Instant Pot for my birthday.
My favorite way to use the chia seeds is in my daughter's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It adds protein and fiber and she has no idea they're even in there! I sprinkle them on the jelly side because they blend in with the strawberry seeds then. The peanut butter side makes them a little more obvious and she did ask about them once then. But honestly, she doesn't even taste them but she's getting added nutrition! Isn't that awesome?
I also throw them in my smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods too. They're very versatile!
Now for the Instant Pot. I've only made a handful of things in it so far. I have never owned a pressure cooker before and this does so much more than that! For those of you who haven't heard of this, it's an electronic pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice maker, saute-er, steamer, yogurt maker! This thing does it all. It can easily replace your microwave and all the appliances listed above.
One thing to keep in mind is when a recipe says it'll take 5 minutes of cook time, if you are using the pressure cooker feature, add in about 10 extra minutes because it'll need to come up to pressure and then you'll have to slowly release the pressure. Both of these things take time. However, even with that extra time, this thing can cook so fast!
For Mother's Day, my husband used it (yes! It'll get your husband to cook for you!!) to make one giant pancake that served our family of 4 plus leftovers. This pancake is huge! It has a slightly crunchy top. I loved it but if you don't, you can easily peel it off. It's about as thick as cornbread or a cake! It tastes a little bit like cornbread too but I'm not sure why. I wouldn't call it a pancake so if you are expecting regular pancakes, you probably won't like this but it is good nonetheless! Start to finish, including gathering ingredients, took about 1 hour.
Now if you're like me you're probably thinking an hour????? Are you nuts?? It's just a pancake! I can make the regular kind in half that time (or less!). But let me ask you this. How much of that 20 minutes is spent slaving over the hot stove top, away from your family? You're totally stuck in the kitchen aren't you? With the instant pot, you measure out ingredients and set the pot. It takes 5 minutes or less and then you are free to go do whatever you want, like keeping an eye on the kids. It beeps and breakfast is done!
Now this isn't the kind of recipe I'd make for breakfast all the time because I don't want to wait an hour to eat ( but since my husband let me sleep in while the pancake cooked, it worked out perfectly). But for dinner?? Set it and forget it? It's great! It doesn't heat up your kitchen on hot summer days, it doesn't have you stuck in the kitchen all afternoon, and when it's all done, it's super easy clean up (the pot part can go in the dishwasher. Spot clean the housing and lid as needed).
I will also definitely be making the pancake again, maybe for brunch!
My favorite way to use the chia seeds is in my daughter's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It adds protein and fiber and she has no idea they're even in there! I sprinkle them on the jelly side because they blend in with the strawberry seeds then. The peanut butter side makes them a little more obvious and she did ask about them once then. But honestly, she doesn't even taste them but she's getting added nutrition! Isn't that awesome?
I also throw them in my smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods too. They're very versatile!
Now for the Instant Pot. I've only made a handful of things in it so far. I have never owned a pressure cooker before and this does so much more than that! For those of you who haven't heard of this, it's an electronic pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice maker, saute-er, steamer, yogurt maker! This thing does it all. It can easily replace your microwave and all the appliances listed above.
One thing to keep in mind is when a recipe says it'll take 5 minutes of cook time, if you are using the pressure cooker feature, add in about 10 extra minutes because it'll need to come up to pressure and then you'll have to slowly release the pressure. Both of these things take time. However, even with that extra time, this thing can cook so fast!
For Mother's Day, my husband used it (yes! It'll get your husband to cook for you!!) to make one giant pancake that served our family of 4 plus leftovers. This pancake is huge! It has a slightly crunchy top. I loved it but if you don't, you can easily peel it off. It's about as thick as cornbread or a cake! It tastes a little bit like cornbread too but I'm not sure why. I wouldn't call it a pancake so if you are expecting regular pancakes, you probably won't like this but it is good nonetheless! Start to finish, including gathering ingredients, took about 1 hour.
Now if you're like me you're probably thinking an hour????? Are you nuts?? It's just a pancake! I can make the regular kind in half that time (or less!). But let me ask you this. How much of that 20 minutes is spent slaving over the hot stove top, away from your family? You're totally stuck in the kitchen aren't you? With the instant pot, you measure out ingredients and set the pot. It takes 5 minutes or less and then you are free to go do whatever you want, like keeping an eye on the kids. It beeps and breakfast is done!
Now this isn't the kind of recipe I'd make for breakfast all the time because I don't want to wait an hour to eat ( but since my husband let me sleep in while the pancake cooked, it worked out perfectly). But for dinner?? Set it and forget it? It's great! It doesn't heat up your kitchen on hot summer days, it doesn't have you stuck in the kitchen all afternoon, and when it's all done, it's super easy clean up (the pot part can go in the dishwasher. Spot clean the housing and lid as needed).
I will also definitely be making the pancake again, maybe for brunch!
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Hidden Kraut Spinach Burgers and Roasted Veggies
Tonight I made hidden spinach and kraut burgers that were awesome! The blogger talks about paleo and AIP but I don't follow that. I don't even know what AIP is. So I did change a couple of the ingredients. I also didn't serve them on those butternut squash roll things but they do look good!
This is what I made:
2 pounds ground beef
2 handfuls spinach
~2 cups sauerkraut
3/4 cup milk
~1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I would've used a little more too but I ran out. Next time, I might just do oats)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
parsley
Then I followed the instructions (blend spinach, sauerkraut, milk in blender til smooth. Dump in bowl, add spices. Mix. Add meat and breadcrumbs. Mix. Make patties and bake at 400 for 25 minutes).
The original poster got 5-6 patties out of this but those must've been HUGE because I made what I thought were huge and I still got 9.
I will also mention that the end result is not green! There are tiny flecks of green (that could be the parsley) and it leaks out a little green but if you don't tell anyone, there is no way they could guess that there is spinach and sauerkraut in there! I was truly amazed!!
I served this with roasted radishes and brussels sprouts. These turned out great too. I tossed with oil, seasoned with a little salt and thyme and then baked at 400 (because the burgers were 400) for 20ish minutes. I don't even normally like radishes but roasting them makes them so much better (and not spicy!).
The meal tonight was fantastic! I will definitely be making both of these dishes again and again!!
This is what I made:
2 pounds ground beef
2 handfuls spinach
~2 cups sauerkraut
3/4 cup milk
~1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I would've used a little more too but I ran out. Next time, I might just do oats)
onion powder
garlic powder
salt
parsley
Then I followed the instructions (blend spinach, sauerkraut, milk in blender til smooth. Dump in bowl, add spices. Mix. Add meat and breadcrumbs. Mix. Make patties and bake at 400 for 25 minutes).
The original poster got 5-6 patties out of this but those must've been HUGE because I made what I thought were huge and I still got 9.
I will also mention that the end result is not green! There are tiny flecks of green (that could be the parsley) and it leaks out a little green but if you don't tell anyone, there is no way they could guess that there is spinach and sauerkraut in there! I was truly amazed!!
I served this with roasted radishes and brussels sprouts. These turned out great too. I tossed with oil, seasoned with a little salt and thyme and then baked at 400 (because the burgers were 400) for 20ish minutes. I don't even normally like radishes but roasting them makes them so much better (and not spicy!).
The meal tonight was fantastic! I will definitely be making both of these dishes again and again!!
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Kielbasa Sauerkraut Noodle Casserole
For dinner tonight, I made this recipe with a few changes. I've actually been making a lot of sauerkraut recipes lately because even though it isn't my favorite, we got 3 94 serving cans of it from Ruby's Pantry. That's a lot of servings! It does last a long long time but we have to eat it eventually. Besides, sauerkraut is actually good for you. Some people even put it on their list of "super foods".
So here are the modifications I made:
1 box of bow tie noodles (although the shape of noodle doesn't seem to matter)
4-5 cups of sauerkraut, drained
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups cheese (I wanted to use the cheddar but all I had was mozzarella)
2 tablespoons cream cheese
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
couple squirts of mustard (I actually used this weird mustard relish stuff. The relish is very minimal but the flavor is there)
ring of Kielbasa
Then I followed the directions but since I had so many more noodles and sauerkraut, I used a 5 qt casserole dish. I also added the spices to the cheese sauce, when the cheese was starting to melt. I was very generous in adding the seasonings also, because some of the commentators from the original said it was a little bland.
I thought it still needed something (salt? I never add salt to my cooking it seems) but David rated this a 9 or 10. I also wonder how much of a difference the cheddar cheese would have made. I'll definitely make it again though and this is a very reasonable way to eat sauerkraut, even if you don't like sauerkraut!
So here are the modifications I made:
1 box of bow tie noodles (although the shape of noodle doesn't seem to matter)
4-5 cups of sauerkraut, drained
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups cheese (I wanted to use the cheddar but all I had was mozzarella)
2 tablespoons cream cheese
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
couple squirts of mustard (I actually used this weird mustard relish stuff. The relish is very minimal but the flavor is there)
ring of Kielbasa
Then I followed the directions but since I had so many more noodles and sauerkraut, I used a 5 qt casserole dish. I also added the spices to the cheese sauce, when the cheese was starting to melt. I was very generous in adding the seasonings also, because some of the commentators from the original said it was a little bland.
I thought it still needed something (salt? I never add salt to my cooking it seems) but David rated this a 9 or 10. I also wonder how much of a difference the cheddar cheese would have made. I'll definitely make it again though and this is a very reasonable way to eat sauerkraut, even if you don't like sauerkraut!
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Fluffy, Tofu Pancakes
A while back from Ruby's Pantry we were given Nigari tofu. It's a super soft, sweet tofu that is pretty much useless in a stir fry. I don't know about you but when I think tofu, I think stir fries. So I had to do a little more research. I had previously used one package in a chocolate mousse kind of thing and that turned out really good. I froze the rest of the tofu and kind of forgot about it.
Then I found this recipe and it was amazing! Since I had to look up the conversions for all the ingredients, I'll list them here:
1 block of nigari tofu
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk (could use soy milk to make these vegan)
1/4 cup sugar
a couple drops of vanilla extract
Mix the tofu, milk, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Then make pancakes as normal (heat up your pan, add pancake batter, cook until bubbles pop, flip).
These turned out really super good. They were easy with a quick prep (cooking pancakes always takes me FOREVER. I got 15 pancakes out of this, made two at a time, and it still took almost 40 minutes to get them all cooked). I will definitely make again if I ever have more tofu to use up!
Then I found this recipe and it was amazing! Since I had to look up the conversions for all the ingredients, I'll list them here:
1 block of nigari tofu
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk (could use soy milk to make these vegan)
1/4 cup sugar
a couple drops of vanilla extract
Mix the tofu, milk, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet until combined. Then make pancakes as normal (heat up your pan, add pancake batter, cook until bubbles pop, flip).
These turned out really super good. They were easy with a quick prep (cooking pancakes always takes me FOREVER. I got 15 pancakes out of this, made two at a time, and it still took almost 40 minutes to get them all cooked). I will definitely make again if I ever have more tofu to use up!
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