Category: Recipes

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but IT’S OKAY IF YOU HAVEN’T YET PAINTED YOUR MASTERPIECE OR COMPOSED YOUR MAGNUM OPUS.

Sometimes when you feel things more deeply, you need more time to process. Your friends who ARE running marathons and writing best sellers during quarantine are NO BETTER OR WORSE THAN YOU, they just handle things differently. We are not all built the same, which is a WONDERFUL TRUTH when you embrace it!

Did you shower today? Yes? Awesome job! No? Run and do that. It’ll take ten minutes.

Did you and your children survive the day together up until now? Yes? That’s a win!

Giving power to the guilt over not being where you thought you should be at this stage in life can only hold you back further. Set small goals and just put one foot in front of the other.

A few days into quarantine, I realized I was stuck, like so many others- afraid to plan for next week, when I was unsure of what tomorrow would bring.

One day, I decided it was okay to slow down and smell the roses. I gave myself a break and started to look for forward momentum again. I started to try recipes I hadn’t made in a while, I started a garden. Slowly, but surely, I’m coming back to life. It’s been almost two years since I’ve blogged, so trust me, I get being stuck, but I’m celebrating the small victories.

I thought a nice comfort food would be a fun recipe. Since many of us are stuck with what we have on hand, or what we can find buried in the freezer, I chose Nestle’s Oatmeal Scotchies recipe (butterscotch chips were buried).

I used to hate oatmeal cookies, but these were pretty good and I’ve already reached my quarantine fifteen (still can be an overachiever!). I can pretend these are healthy because, duh, OATMEAL.

To those who have asked, here’s the recipe and to those who need a small step forward, here’s a tasty one. Enjoy!

NESTLE’S OATMEAL SCOTCHIES RECIPE

INGREDIENTS
– 1 1/4 cups All purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon Baking soda
– 1/2 teaspoon Salt
– 1/2 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
– 1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted butter ; softened
– 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
– 3/4 cup Brown sugar ; packed
– 2 large Eggs
– 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
– 3 cups Old-fashioned oats
– 1 & 2/3 cups (11 oz package) Butterscotch morsels

48 Servings

INSTRUCTIONS

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees
2. COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes (chewy) or 9 to 10 minutes (crisp). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Prepping for the super bowl in our house usually goes like this:

Me: “What do you guys want for our football, finger food this year?”

The crew: “Creamy taco dip, baked taco dip (another time) and a veggie tray!”

Me: “Seriously, guys, don’t you want something different this year?  Spinach artichoke dip?  The big sandwich?”

The crew: “Nope!”

Without further ado, I give you crazy easy to make…

Creamy Taco Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened at room temp
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1, 1 oz packet taco seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar jack or Colby jack mix
• 1 cup  lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• sliced or diced olives
• chopped onion (optional)
• Chips for dipping

Directions:

1. Blend the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
2. Spread mixture onto a 9 x 13 cookie sheet, then top with the shredded cheese (IMPORTANT: the shredded cheese will absorb moisture and prevent the vegetables from making a watery mess of the creamy mixture, so definitely sprinkle cheese before veggies).
3. Sprinkle evenly with the lettuce, tomato, olives, etc.
4. Chill for 30 minutes, if desired, and serve with chips.

Super easy and delicious!

Alternatives for healthier dip that still tastes great:

• Use reduced or fat free dairy.
• Use low sodium taco seasoning or make your own.
• Serve with homemade, baked tortilla chips.

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On a personal note, I’m sorry for the long hiatus.  I’ve been helping a friend whose home flooded last August rebuild one room at a time and I’ve been down with sinus issues…a lot.  I’m hoping to get back on track, but I thank you for your patience and loyalty!

It’s that time, for many of you at least- the time to start making comfort, cool weather food- soups, chili, gumbo, etc.  Here in Louisiana, it’s still hotter than Hades and just as humid, but I decided to defy logic and go for a hearty meal last week when the temperature dipped down to a frigid 85 degrees (sadly, it only lasted for a couple of hours).  Also, now that school is in full swing again and the boys and I are taking some martial arts classes (I’m sore in places I didn’t know existed), I have rediscovered my slow cooker.  It has been a huge relief to come home to a meal already prepared on those later school nights.   This was a ridiculously easy, successful experiment and was a great way to clear a sliced ham out of my freezer.

Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes                              Serves: 4 (with leftovers for the next night)-8

Ingredients

• About a pound of cubed ham, or hocks
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TBSP garlic powder
• 1 lb great northern beans, rinsed and picked through*
• 7-8 cups chicken broth
• salt, pepper and Tony’s to taste
• Optional- a dash of thyme

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to the crock pot, stir and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for about 4 hours.
2. Discard bay leaves and serve.

I mean, really, it doesn’t get much easier than this.  It was a huge hit!

Notes:

For a fun twist, you can layer canned, uncooked biscuits on top a few hours into cooking for easy dumplings.

I added a little extra broth for more liquid comfort.

*If you live with all males, as I do, be sure to implement the “take it outside rule” not long after serving.  You’ve been warned.

Good morning, world!  I am happy to announce that I awoke feeling vaguely human today!  I may have have overdone it a bit and am starting to regress a little, but I am taking a break and clinging to the hope that tomorrow will find me totally human again.

Luckily, I was given this easy, and I do mean easy, recipe by my amazing mother-in-law a couple of years ago and it has quickly become a favorite.  My youngest was sick with me for a few days, but managed to avoid the sinus infection, so we have done a lot of Ramen over the last week and a half.  I finally dragged myself out of bed and showed the boys this simple, yet delicious gem.

I like to serve it with olive oil and garlic sprinkled french bread or naan and celery, but I suppose that tortilla chips would work nicely as well.  I used 2 cans of cooked chicken (I know, a crime) because I didn’t have it in me to cook my own, and it was still fantastic.  Doesn’t get much easier than that!  The vultures descended so quickly that I was unable to get a picture of the finished, baked dish, so I hope these shots will suffice.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, or 2 cans cooked chicken, drained
• 1/2-3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce or Cajun Chef hot sauce
• 1/3 cup blue cheese dressing
• 8 oz cream cheese

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together and bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
2. Serve with chunks of a good bread and enjoy.

Well, it’s about to get really crazy around these parts.  A miracle has happened and I finally found a contractor to do the three big jobs we need done!  I can’t even explain the joy after almost a year of searching (with brief breaks when Jamie says he’ll just do it himself).  I promise to post at least once a week during the chaos!

Anyhoo, last night I was feeling lazy and in the mood for Oriental food without the work.  This is a really easy recipe, though it may not seem so with the long ingredient list, and my kids love it.  It’s also a great way for me to sneak mushrooms into a dish unnoticed.  I make a big batch because they love it so much and once in a blue moon, we get leftovers.  If you are cooking for light eaters, halve this recipe.

Chicken Lo Mein with Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 package linguine
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 TBSP rice vinegar
• 2 TBSP honey
• 1/8 cup soy sauce (you may want to add more to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
• 3 TBSP sesame oil
• 3 medium carrots, sliced or grated
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 3-4 cups baby spinach, chopped, if desired

Directions

1. Boil water and cook linguine.  Drain very well and set aside.
2. In a bowl combine cornstarch, broth, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, salt and ginger and whisk until smooth.  Set aside.
3. In a wok, or large skillet, stir fry chicken pieces in 1 TBSP sesame oil for 4-6 minutes, or until no longer pink.  Remove from heat and keep warm.
4. Stir fry the carrots and onion in the remaining sesame oil for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until veggies are crisp tender and spinach is wilted.
5. Slowly, stir in the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil, stirring for 1-2 minutes until thickened.
6. Add chicken and linguine to pan, stirring to coat everything and heat through.

I have a secret to share.  This may heap much criticism on my head, but I can’t lie.  I loathe shredded coconut.  I mean, I cannot stand it.  I can cut up a whole coconut and eat myself into a coma off of the chunks of yummy goodness, but shred that stuff and my gag reflex kicks in.  I wish I was kidding and this may not be the best way to sell this recipe, but…where was I going with this?

Oh, yeah, so this recipe calls for shredded coconut, but thankfully my mother had a solution for me and this became a fondly remembered staple of my childhood.  If you’ve never made curry because it seems (and very well can be) difficult, this is the recipe for you.  I put off making it sometimes because I forget how incredibly easy it is to throw this delicacy together.  There are very few adjustments needed here, so rest assured, it’s tough to screw up and so delicious!

Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1/2 – 1 lb raw, peeled, deveined shrimp
• 1 can coconut paste or milk
• 1 cup unsweetened (pahtooie!) coconut flakes, or 1 cup sweetened and rinsed coconut flakes (sweetened, rinse tend to puree better)
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 TBSP ground coriander
• 1/2 + 1/2 tsp tumeric
• 1/2 tsp + 1 pinch salt
• 1 & 1/2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2-3 TBSP oil
• cooked rice

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the coconut flakes and coconut milk or paste until smooth.  I mean really smooth.  No chunks of flakes to be had.
2. Saute onion and coriander in 1-2 TBSP olive oil in a large pot for about 5 minutes on medium high heat.  Remove from heat, wait 1 minute, then add 1/2 tsp tumeric, cayenne pepper and a bit of water to prevent burning and cook an additional 1 minute on medium heat.  Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. and cook 1 minute.
3. In a skillet cook shrimp with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp tumeric in 1-2 TBSP oil for 5 minutes or until pink.
4. Add chopped jalapeno, shrimp and coconut mix to the onion mix, stirring well and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
5. Serve over rice.

Last night I once again I found myself in a panic, tearing myself away from a project at 5:30 pm, and realizing I had not planned anything for dinner.  Thankfully, I dug up some chicken breasts and threw together this easy crowd pleaser before 6:15.  I promise you that I am not above throwing on some hot dogs in this situation, but I’m trying to be good.

Add a can of mushrooms to jazz it up a little.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 package spaghetti or egg noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened slightly with a meat mallet
• 1-2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-4 TBSP olive oil
• 1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce

Directions

1. Mix the flour, bread crumbs, garlic salt and parmesan cheese in a resealable plastic bag.  Shake flattened chicken breasts in the mixture to coat completely.
2. In a 12 inch skillet on medium high heat, cook the chicken breasts in the olive oil until browned- 6-8 minutes, turning once.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, any remaining bread crumb mixture and the mozzarella cheese to the chicken.  Cook 5-8 minutes then serve over prepared noodles.

For an easy twist to save dishes, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and serve in bowls.

When I was younger, I was convinced that I could cook like my mom even though I’d had very little practice or instruction.  I must have thought that it was an inherited trait, like patience or blue eyes, which one gets from their parents.  Sadly, I fail regularly at patience, but I like my brown eyes and have practiced a lot to get a palatable meal on the table.  Anyway, this was the one easy recipe that even I couldn’t screw up.  Better than fried lettuce and bologna surprise, right Mom?

Anyway, this is a basic “throw it in the oven and go” recipe, which is even better.  Normally, I use cream of mushroom, celery or chicken for the sauce, but I had this recipe starter can I didn’t know what to do with, so I tried it.  It was pretty darn tasty and the boys loved the cheesy rice.  

You don’t have to brown the chops first, you can add cooking time, but I like to shave a few minutes off of baking time by browning.

Oven Pork Chop Bake

Ingredients

• 4 pork chops
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 can cream of mushroom or other soup or recipe starter
• 1 cup+ water
• Salt, pepper, Tony’s to taste

Directions

1. Grease a non stick pan and brown the chops on medium high for 4 minutes per side (I season with Tony’s and Garlic before browning).  Transfer to a baking dish and top with onions, then layer uncooked rice in the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Mix water, soup and seasoning then pour over rice and chops, making sure all is covered.  Add water, if needed to insure you have at least twice as much liquid as rice.
3. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes until chops are tender.