And We're Back!

Well hello. It's been awhile. And I've missed you. A lot. Seems like it was just yesterday I was posting regularly...

Yeah, like 7 months ago. And even then I wasn't regular.

So sorry!

But I bring you good tidings in the form of another contributor to the wonderful blog. She's an awesome mother of 5, yes FIVE, girls. And she homeschools, which makes her even more awesome. Plus she loves to cook, and she is really good at it. Trust me, we've been lucky enough to have been invited over on quite a few occasions. Which also means she is patient and kind. Let's all hope she posts her world famous (well, in my world) potato salad recipe. Because it ROCKS!

Her name is Tonia. She, like Karen and me, lives in Texas. Her husband smokes a mean brisket (and chicken). And she'll be coming to you regularly on "There's No Cookin' Like Snow Cookin" which probably needs a new name, because she's not a Snow... hmmm. Any suggestions?

Now, onto why y'all come to this amazing blog. Recipes!

We just had Thanksgiving. I made nothing new - stuck to two kinds of sweet potatoes and the normal pies (cherry, pumpkin, chocolate, and apple/cranberry). But they were delicious as always.

However, I love new recipes, and I found some delicious looking ones in the most surprising of places...The Walmart ad. Yes, you read that right. And I don't apologize for that either.

I don't have pictures because:
1. I haven't even made these yet, they just look good.
2. We are in the middle of a kitchen remodel and not living at my house right now, so I'm kind of out of my element.
3. I'm feeling rebellious today.

So please, enjoy these festive Thanksgiving-ish, Christmas-ish recipes this holiday season!

TURKEY CASSEROLE:

4 cups leftover prepared stuffing, divided
4 cups coarsely chopped leftover cooked turkey
3/4 cup mayonnaise, divided
1/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray 8" baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Spoon in 2 cups stuffing; top with turkey, combine 1/4 cup mayonnaise with cranberry sauce; spread evenly over turkey. Combine remaining mayonnaise, potatoes, and cheese in large bowl. Spread on turkey; top with remaining stuffing. Bake 40 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

PUMPKIN, SPICE and EVERYTHING NICE MUFFINS

1 pkg. spice or carrot cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
1/3 cup water

Combine cake mix, pumpkin, egg and water in large bowl and mix until moistened. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store muffins in covered container.

Mmmm...PUMPKIN MOUSSE

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding & pie filling mix
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
2/3 cup (5 oz. can) evaporated milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen whipped topping

Combine pudding mix and pie spice in medium bowl. With whisk, add evaporated milk; mix until well blended. Add pumpkin; mix well. Gently fold whipped topping into pudding mixture. Spoon into serving dishes. Top with additional whipped topping and pie spice, if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Makes 6 servings.

PUNCH UP YOUR PARTY
24 oz. 7UP
32 oz. Hawaiian Punch
1/4 cup 100% lemon juice
16 oz. Ginger Ale
12 oz. Orange Juice
1 pint raspberry sorbet

Strombolli

You can't get buch easier than this recipe.
You can even use canned or frozen bread dough if you do not want to make your own.

STOMBOLLI
1 lb bread dough (half of this link's recipe)
1/2 lb salami
1/2 lb ham
1/2 pkg pepperoni
1/2 lb grated cheese
1/4 cup grated parm cheese
italian seasoning
pizza sauce

Roll out dough in rectangle shape.
Layer meats in row down the long side.
Add cheese and sprinkle seasoning on top.
Roll up dough into log shape, sealing edges.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
Wait about 5 minutes before cutting.  Serve with sauce for dipping.

That's it!  I sometimes add turkey or pastrami as well, really whatever I have on hand.

Healthier Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe is from eatbetteramerica.

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 can (8 oz) pineapple chunks in unsweetened juice, drained and liquid reserved

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 cups hot cooked instant brown rice

1 In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

 

2 In same skillet, cook bell peppers and onion over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Return chicken to skillet.

3 In small bowl, mix broth, reserved pineapple liquid, vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch and crushed red pepper flakes; stir into chicken mixture. Add pineapple; heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice.

Eggs-travaganza

So, anyone need a tutorial on hard boiling eggs? We are rapidly approaching Easter and potato salad season, plus we've had to have our annual Green Eggs and Ham St. Patty's Day dinner this week. I've been boiling eggs like crazy around here.

Seems simple enough, right? Unless you're like me and you're always a little unsure what the best method really is.

There are three main methods. Cold water method, hot water method and the newly discovered (and thoroughly disliked by me) baked method. You can also steam them, but I couldn't find enough information to feel good enough about passing on that information, and since I've never done it...

Obviously the concept is the same, cook the eggs, then cool immediately for easier peeling. I like to prepare an ice water bath to put the eggs in once I pull them out of the water. It's so much easier than running cold water over the hot eggs, cools them more quickly and evenly and since we don't have cold tap water in the summer, it's the only way I can do it.

A few hints: 

Fresh eggs are harder to peel. Seriously, they are. I thought this was just an old wives' tale until the last batch that I did, and the three fresh laid eggs in the batch were a beast to peel. Take my word for it, store bought eggs are fine, freshly laid eggs should wait a few days before being hard boiled and peeled.

The ice water bath also makes it immensely easier to peel the eggs. If you fail to cool the eggs well they continue to cook, and they are hard to peel.

Of the three methods described below I always do the hot water method. Why? Because I can multi-task more without worrying about forgetting something. You only have to time the eggs while in the water, instead of watching the water reach a boil, then timing. For busy brains like mine, the hot water method is the way to go, but remember....place the eggs in the hot water GENTLY, or you will have something that looks like egg-drop soup. Only nastier.

I've only tried the baked method once, and I'll never go back. The eggs were harder to peel, and the eggs had little brown marks from the racks which made my kids think they were gross...I know, it is probably just my kids...

COLD WATER METHOD: Place the eggs in a suitable pan with cold water to cover about 1/2 inch over the tops. Place on the burner and cook until the water reaches the boiling point. Turn off the heat and cover. Let stand for 15 minutes and then cool quickly under cold running water.

HOT WATER METHOD: Place enough water in a suitable saucepan to cover the eggs 1/2 inch over their tops. Bring the water to a rolling boil and then add the eggs by gently placing hem in the water with a spoon. Turn the heat back to just below simmering, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Place the eggs under cold running water immediately.

BAKED METHOD: Preheat oven to 325°. Place eggs in oven situated so they won't roll around, without touching other eggs. Bake for 30 minutes. Place immediately under cold water.

Playtime!

I have tried several different play dough recipes and have a new favorite!

It's soft and squishy and doesn't dry out fast like the last one I tried.

Play Dough

1 cup flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 Tbls. vegetable oil

food coloring (I used 4-6 drops)

Just dump all the ingredients into your pot and mix.

Put your pot on the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms into a still ball.

Remove from heat and dump it onto wax paper.

Wait for it to cool, then knead it a few times until it is nice and soft.

Priorities

This blog has obviously been a little neglected lately. It's pretty much been the lowest of my priorities lately, with my new found love of crocheting edging it out. But just barely.

I do have some exciting news though, which does have to do with the blog. I've been working on some new and fun recipes, that will work for the freezer. Not necessarily Once a month cooking, but recipes that are still freezer safe. You see, I've been hired to cook a few meals a month for a family, which is allowing me to work on new recipes that are family friendly and freezer safe.

I guess crocheting and meal planning (Oh, and Pinterest...) have been pushing out blogging.

However, all excuses aside, I owe you a recipe. It's well overdue...so here goes...

BAKED FRENCH TOAST

Because if you've read this blog at all you know we eat a hot breakfast every single morning, and I'm not a morning person, and if I can simplify the process at all I will. And you can, with this recipe.

BAKED FRENCH TOAST


1 loaf of french bread cut into cubes (trust me, you want a crusty thick bread or it will be mushy)
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup cream or half and half
1 1/4 cups syrup (I used buttermilk syrup because I have a love/hate relationship with maple, but it would work too)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar


Grease 9x13 in. baking pan. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs, mixing well. Stir in milk, cream, 1/2 cup syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Pour cream mixture over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.


Next morning, pull baking dish out and let stand for 15-20 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Pour remaining syrup over dish and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Square Dance

My kids get to take turns picking the treat for our weekly Family Night. It's kind of funny to see what they choose when no one else can influence their decision. We've covered most of the favorites, ie: Tres Leches cake, ice cream, pink cake with pink frosting, brownies, and the funniest (at least to me) M&M's.

This week the request was Lemon Squares.

I don't make my Lemon Squares very often, because they're probably my biggest weakness. They're light enough to taste calorie free, but they're not... I got the recipe in a Bisquick recipe book years and years ago. If you don't have Bisquick I don't recommend substituting, this is pretty much the only reason I have Bisquick in my pantry...but it's worth it.

GLAZED LEMON SQUARES

1 cup Bisquick baking mix
2 tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. firm butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup flaked coconut, if desired
1 tbsp. Bisquick baking mix
2 eggs
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
Glaze (see below)

Heat oven to 350°. Mix 1 cup baking mix and the powdered sugar. Cut in butter. Press in ungreased square baking dish, 8x8x2. Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes.

Mix remaining ingredients, except Glaze; pour over baked layer. Bake until set, about 25 minutes. Loosen edges from sides of pan while warm. Spread with Glaze. Cool completely; cut into 1-inch squares.

GLAZE: Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tbsp. lemon juice until smooth.

Salsa!

I think I could eat chips and salsa every day. Totally not kidding. But I'm kind of picky about my salsas. I like tangy, and fresh, sometimes sweet. My mom brought us some mango salsa, pineapple salsa and peach salsa. They're really good, but I can eat only a little because they're pretty sweet.

I decided to make some Salsa Verde (that's green salsa to you non-Spainglish speaking people...) the other day. I had some cilantro, tomatillos, and jalapenos on hand, so it was perfect. I made up the recipe, without measuring, like normal, so here's some approximate measurements...sorry.

SALSA VERDE

1 bunch cilantro, chopped
6 jalapenos, seeded
6 tomatillos, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
lime juice
salt
black pepper

Blend all ingredients together.

I also love just regular tomato salsa. I received this recipe a year or so, and it's delicious!

FRESH TOMATO SALSA

1 yellow onion
2-3 jalapenos (seed them if you want to reduce the heat)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1- 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (or just slice up some ripe tomatoes)
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. white vinegar

Chop all ingredients up, or just dump into a blender and blend.

I Eats My Spinach

Shane is a finicky salad eater. We both dislike iceberg lettuce, but he's not even a fan of some of the more substantial lettuces, like romaine, butter or leaf. However, he does like spinach salads, so....I buy big containers of baby spinach at Sam's Club. Then, sometimes I don't feel like eating spinach salads every night, and I need to use the spinach up before it goes bad, so we eat something like this...

RIGATONI FLORENTINE

Sounds kind of fancy, right? It's delicious, the kids liked it, and it had hidden (well, sort of) nutrients for the kids.

I found it here on Allrecipes.com by using their ingredient search. I love that I can put whatever ingredients I have on hand, or that I need to use, and recipes will come up every single time.

PASTA FLORENTINE (because I didn't use Rigatoni, I used bowtie...)

1 (16-oz.) package of pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 pounds boneless chicken, cubed (I only used 1 pound, my kids don't really eat meat)
3 cloves garlic, chopped (I minced it)
1 pint heavy cream
26 ounces spaghetti sauce
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed and chopped (I didn't chop mine, I missed that step)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I didn't use it, I was out, didn't want to go to the store...it worked ok without it, but I'll bet it's even better with it)

1. Bring water to boil and cook pasta to al dente, approximately 8-10 minutes.

2. In a large skilled, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add garlic to skillet; saute until golden. Add cream and spaghetti sauce to skillet; cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until sauce thickens.

3. Add cooked chicken and spinach and cook until spinach reduces. Then add pasta; toss with cheese and serve.

Feeling Our Oats

I think I've mentioned a time or two, that we've been diligent about having a prepared breakfast with the kids before school each morning this year. Yes, this is a new thing. We used to do "hot" breakfasts only on the weekends, because our school provides a breakfast each morning and I just didn't want to get up any earlier.


Yes, I love my sleep. And I love my kids happy, which comes from them getting more sleep.


And yes, I love how this year is going, it's so much better, even with the lack of sleep. I love knowing what is going into my kids stomachs for every single meal. We try to eat pretty healthy, and relatively package free, I can't say the same thing about school food.


However, with the introduction of another meal to prepare each day came a whole new obstacle. Not getting stuck in the breakfast rut, like I sometimes get bogged down in for lunch menus. I spent a long time preparing a list of foods that were our old stand-bys and I've done some fun research since then to find variations to the same things.


Today, we're going to address oatmeal. Oatmeal can be sooo good, and it can be sooo bad. I am not a fan of slimy, gooey oatmeal. I want the oats to still have some bite, and not resemble something you would encounter when you have a cold. I know, gross. So is slimy oatmeal.


We've tried three oatmeal recipes since school started. One was something I had in my recipe box from who knows where, then we tried this one, and then this morning we tried this one. All of them were tasty, all of them were relatively healthy (think fiber, dairy and vitamins), but one was a clear winner in our household.


Let's countdown from #3 to #1...


#3 comes to us from a package of quick oats from the Church storehouse. It's the easiest recipe of the three, and also the fastest to prepare. It's not bad, particularly if you add brown sugar, or maple syrup, or fruit. It's an easy standby for a rushed, cold morning.


CREAMY OATMEAL


4 1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups uncooked oats
1 tbsp. powdered milk
1 tbsp. sugar


Bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in oats and reduce heat. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase or decrease water for thinner or thicker oatmeal. Add powdered milk and sugar and stir well.  Makes 4 cups of cereal.


#2 was one of the first things I found on Pinterest (yes, I'm now part of one more time-sucking social network). I'm giving it number two because it has the potential to be so much better than it was this morning. It's easy, because it's a crockpot recipe. It's tasty enough. However, because I thought about doing this late last night, I used regular oats, instead of steel cut oats. I'm hoping it's a little less slimy with steel cut oats... If not it's still easy, tasty and filling.


APPLE PIE BREAKFAST
Originally found at http://www.cookingwithjax.com/2011/01/apple-pie-breakfast.html


1 cup steel cut oats *
3 diced apples
1 cup apple juice
3 cups water


For best results: Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low until it reaches the consistency that you like. Be sure to stir every hour or so.


You can also cook longer without stirring as often, but you have to add more water liquid and it does come out a bit mushier. Add an extra cup of liquid for 7-8 hours in slow cooker. (btw, I cooked it for 6 hours on low, it sat for 2 hours on warm and I added no extra liquid but I also used regular oats, not steel cut...)


* It must be steel cut oats, regular oats get very soggy when cooked this way. You can find steel cut oats in your local grocery store (sometimes they are called "Irish oats" or "pinhead oats").


#1 is the clear winner at our house. It's a little less healthy, a little more time consuming, but it's match has not been found here at the Snow house. It provides grains, dairy and protein and Cael will eat it without complaint (which is huge). I wake up, prepare it, but it in the oven to bake and then go wake the kids up, by the time they're ready for school the food is ready to eat. Simple, right?!? 


I'm a huge fan of Our Best Bites, and this is indicative of the quality of recipes you'll find on their site.


BAKED OATMEAL
Originally found at http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/02/baked-oatmeal/


3 cups regular oats (though in a pinch I've used quick oats and it was still really good)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup craisins, raisins, etc.
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (1/4 cup can be replaced with applesauce)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and craisins.


In a smaller bowl, mix together the milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir to combine. Pour into an 8x8-in. baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with warm milk. Serves 8.