June Dinners

1- dutch oven chicken and potatoes-good-bye chad party

2- ham pineapple rice

3- frozen pizza-babysitter brought pizza

4- french bread-with butter and garlic dipped in spaghetti sauce

5- meatball sandwich

6- hamburgers on rolls

7- ham potato casserole

8- stir fry

9- rice and bean quesadillas

10- chili dogs

11- hamburgers at Nana and Papa's

12- chicken pot pie casserole

13- chicken sandwiches and salad

14 - rice and bean casserole -

15 - leftovers

16 - black bean salad

17- pasta alfredo

18- homemade pizza

19- father's day - kabobs and tabbouleh

20- sesame noodles w/ broccoli

21- cobb salad

22-30 - out of town

french bread - Have I mentioned how I love Wal-mart's day old bread? :) Of course I have, and that's because you get some awesome meals and deals with them. It was a Friday night, nobody was very hungry so I cut the bread, lathered with butter, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Broiled a little so it was nice and toasy and served with some heated spaghetti sauce. Easy, light, delicious!

meatball sandwich - You will know when I get my day old bread because all of my meals for the next 2 days have to use up what I get. Tonight- those amazing costco meatballs cooked in the oven, placed on top of a roll, lathered in spaghetti sauce and a little melted mozerella on top. Easy and delicious! Just like most of my recipes! ;)

hamburgers - I wanted to try this southwestern sloppy joe recipe with these, but we were out of ground beef, had some leftover hamburgers in the fridge so used those with the rolls. I cut mine in half and tried 2 varieties. 1) bbq sauce, cheddar cheese, red onion, bacon bits, lettuce and 2.) guacamole, ranch, red onion, lettuce, bacon bits, tomato. It's fun to make your hamburgers a little different than the traditional mayo, ketchup and mustard sometimes!

chili dogs - I like to cook my hot dog, cut in half lengthwise and put a slice on each side of an open bun. Top with chili, cheese, ketchup and onion then eat with a fork. Jack made fun of me the first time he saw the way I make them, but I think he likes it like that now and then :)

chicken sandwiches - I've mentioned my chicken sandwiches in May Dinners post. Tonight I mixed up some Franks red hot and butter, poured it on my chicken with a little ranch on the bun, good stuff!

pasta alfredo - I've made a good chicken alfredo that I'll post the recipe here soon, but on those days where you don't really feel like cooking-open an alfredo seasoning packet and cook some noodles. Serve with garlic bread.

Chicken Cordon Bleu & Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

COMING SOON

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Costco meatballs are da-bomb! Haha. Really, any frozen pre-cooked meatball saves SO much time and tastes just as good, dare I say better, so I love using them if I don't want to spend a lot of time cooking that night.

Simply throw some meatballs in the oven, while they are cooking start a pot of rice and make a sweet and sour sauce, throw your meatballs in the sauce and serve over the rice with a can of pineapple. Yum Yum!

I have yet to find a sweet and sour sauce I love. I can't even find the one I used last time, but I guess that's okay since I didn't love it. When I was eating I noticed the recipe didn't call for any vinegar...kinda a must. It was pineapple juice and brown sugar and lemon juice I think. Either way, here are a couple maybe I can try in the future!

1.) Found here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/sweet-and-sour-sauce-i/Detail.aspx

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

1. Place the sugar, vinegar, water, soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

2.) Found here - - http://chinesefood.about.com/od/sauces/r/sweetandsour.htm

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Preparation:

Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)

Crockpot Pizza

A truly simple meal. Most recipes you see online tell you to cook your noodles before. I don't think it's necessary. I've made this a few times and always cook them before, but when eating remember I wanted to try it without doing that because I think the noodles get too soft and I like them a little chewy.

So you need-

spaghetti sauce

noodles

pepperoni

cheese. (I usually do a little mozerella and a little cheddar unless I don't have them both on hand)

Just do a couple of these layers in your crockpot and cook on low for a couple hours. Waa-lah, you're done and you have a meal your kids will love! I've used egg noodles and the spiral rotini ones. You can add ground beef, peppers, really anything you want. I don't think you can go wrong with crockpot meals!

Chicken Taquitos

I got the recipe from here - http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas (and actually, flour ones are really good as well)
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Makes 12-16

I thought these were Delicious!! I'm a sucker for mexican food though. I served these with a taco salad, just some lettuce, black beans, corn, cheese, crushed corn chips, and ranch. sour cream and salsa too if you're in the mood.

I made these black beans, and my family SCARFED them. Definitely better than a plain 'ol can.

Found the recipe here - http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/07/quick-and-easy-black-beans/

Quick and Easy Black Beans

2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth (or water, I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon to smoosh some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. I like mine on the thicker side so I smoosh quite a bit. They will thicken more upon standing.

If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth.

Ham Potato Soup

I found this recipe here - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/delicious-ham-and-potato-soup/Detail.aspx

• 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• sliced carrots
• broccoli
• corn
• 1/3 cup diced celery (I used celery seed)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, or more
• 1 cup diced cooked ham
• 4 cups water
• 2 1/2 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• shredded cheddar cheese, optional

1. Saute onion in a little butter in large stockpot
2. Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, ham and water. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
3. Add whatever else sounds good-broccoli and corn
4. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.
6. Serve with a little cheese sprinkled on top

Another solid soup recipe you can't go wrong with!

Chicken Cacciatore

I found this recipe here- http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/02/chicken-cacciatore/

2 small chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil. I'll be honest, used vegetable :)

1 onion, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 can tomato sauce

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

1/3 green bell pepper, chopped

1/3 red bell pepper, chopped

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don’t have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

While chicken is draining, add water, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the chopped peppers. Cook until tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta. (we used fettucini)

I don't think I'd call this exceptional, but good. And worth making again.

Sausage Stew

Used recipe found here - http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Italian-Sausage-Stew-3

• 1/2 chub of sausage, added italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 can Italian diced tomatoes
• 4 small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh carrots
• 1 tsp basil
• salt
• pepper
• -I put in some celery seed since I didn't have any celery
• -I also added frozen green beans and some leftover pasta
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

• In a large saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Combine the cornstarch and broth until smooth; stir into sausage mixture. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and basil. Bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat. Add beans and pasta

It was great. I don't think you can really mess up a stew like this. You add whatever you want or have and add onion powder, more italian seasoning, salt and pepper until you're happy with it. I'd like to try this one next time - http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Italian-Sausage-Stew-2

May Dinners

Because I didn't get ham on easter and I saw an awesome price for the pre-cooked ham I decided to buy that. Now it isn't as good as the spiral sliced when eating it on its own, but it's pretty good and has had about 1000 uses for us. I still think I can get a couple more dinners out of it! Plus it is awesome fried with some eggs for delicious breakfasts!

14 - pasta ham salad

15 - pork leftovers

16 - chicken sandwiches

17 - sausage stew

18 - chicken cacciatore

19 - fajitas

20 - ham and rolls

21 - ham potato soup

22 - leftover night

23 - ribs

24 - chicken taquitos and taco salad

25 - crockpot pizza

26 - sweet and sour meatballs

27 - tostadas

28 - chicken strips & pasta roni

29 - chicken cordon bleu & c.d.b casserole

30 - burgers and hot dogs - memorial day!

31 - sesame noodles with broccoli

I will do separate posts for the ones I would like to keep links to, but some of these either weren't very good, or are basic, basic and I don't need much help. However, if there are any family members wanting to know how we do it, I'll do a quick run-down of things I won't highlight later.

pasta ham salad - okay, maybe this would be okay as a side dish, but let's face it, can't really hold its own except for a 17 month old kid that gladly ate leftovers. :)

pork leftovers - we had a pork roast for dinner earlier that month so I re-heated it and made some roasted potatoes and carrots. very good.

chicken sandwiches - one of my favorite easy, don't feel like cooking meals are chicken patties on hamburger buns. There are a thousand different sandwiches you can make. This night I put some ham and swiss cheese, toasted in the toaster oven with bbq sauce. a no fail meal

fajitas - fry some red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onions. take out and set aside. throw in the sliced chicken , add the fajita seasoning and water, simmer, then throw in your veggies. serve on flour tortilla with sour cream.

ham and rolls - fry some ham, serve with day old bakery hard rolls with mayo and mustard. It's a Friday night and we were out late shopping :) doesn't make it any less delicious-definitely beats that store bought pre-packaged meat

ribs - boneless country style ribs thrown in a crockpot with bbq sauce. serve on day-old bakery rolls and coleslaw!

TIP - If you get a bag of day old rolls you need to use them fairly quick. Plan meals using them up- these 2 above uses are great ways; we also had them with soup.

tostadas-I normally fry my own corn tortillas, but I had some of those flat crunchy ones pre-packaged that I think are awesome! Put some refried beans with a little taco seasoning mixed in, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream!

chicken strips and pasta roni - another weekend night I didn't feel like cooking. Costco's chicken strips are pretty good and served with the white cheddar shells pasta-roni. I opted to put my chicken in a salad with a little cheese and croutons.

Welcome

Jack designed a really awesome budget on excel that helps us keep track of all our expenditures every month. It's divided in categories like electric bill, gas bill, phone bill, internet bill, gas for the car, misc needs (and wants), and of course, food. So we have a proposed amount for each that will allow us to get a certain amount into savings every month. Anything we stay under in goes to mortgage. I love it and it is super helpful.

So what does this all have to do with a food blog? This month since a lot of our food cost was stuff going into our food storage, I was trying to stay low so put together the last half of the month's menu early using stuff I knew we had, just needing to buy a few things. It has worked out great, but I decided a blog would be a much easier way to keep track of meal plans and menus. I usually post links on a word document, but it's hard for me to keep track of it all and find things I'm looking for, so this will be a compilation of dinner ideas and recipes we have tried-An easy go-to for me in providing meals for my family!