Bumblebee Soup

Loved the name of this and the questions from the kids;)  After being assured no bumblebees were harmed they liked it!  I didn't mash at the end but it'd be good that way too for sure!

Bumblebee Soup - A Bacon, Black Bean and Corn Chowder

Makes about 10 cups

4 strips bacon, sliced in 1/4" pieces
1 diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth
2 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained
2 cups fresh corn, or frozen sweet corn, thawed
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder, optional
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Add bacon to a cold saucepan, and over medium heat, cook until the bacon is
crisp. Reserve bacon, and leave 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the pan. Over
medium heat sauté the onions with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, or
until it becomes translucent.

Add the garlic, sauté for 2 minutes, and then pour in the broth, and half
the reserved bacon. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer,
stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 20 minutes.

If a thicker soup is desired, take a potato masher and carefully mash some
of the black beans against the bottom of the pan. This will thicken the
soup. The more you mash, the thicker the soup will get. After mashing some
of the black beans, let it simmer for another 10 minutes to achieve the
desired texture.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with the remaining bacon over the
top as a garnish.

Sausage and beans with potatoes

I was in a huge hurry putting this together and totally forgot the onions...think it would have helped keep the potatoes white but they did okay anyways and all cooked well.  I think a sauce would have pulled it together even better but I liked this...the kids didn't complain:)

Serving Size  : 4  

1 pound Smoked sausage
6 Potatoes
2 Onions
1 1/2  pounds  Green beans -- fresh

      Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. (Similar to the chunks you would
  place in stew).   Put the potatoes into the bottom of your crockpot.
  Peel and slice the onion and lay onions on top of  potatoes.   Wash and
  prepare the fresh green beans.  Place on top of the  onion.  Add
  approximately 1 cup of water to the crockpot.  Slice the  smoked sausage
  into slices or four large portions and place on top of  green beans.  Turn
  the crockpot on a medium setting and cook all day.   Approximately 8
  hours.  This turns into a delicious one pot meal for a  busy day.

Black bean soup

This came from the food network site and is SO good!  It made a good sized pot and I am totally happy to have some leftovers:)  I loved the cilantro flavor in it!

Ingredients
10 slices bacon, finely chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed (I cook a pound of dry beans overnight)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish
Directions
Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

Whole Wheat Bread 2

This is another whole wheat bread recipe but this one is supposed to hold up better in a lunchbox.  Hunter's only complaint with the last loaf was it crumbled before he got to lunch.   It sunk in the middle so next time I'll be decreasing the yeast to 1 1/4 tsp but that is all in the brand of bread machine(this worked perfectly!).  Once cut you really can't tell how much it actually sunk so it won't affect sandwiches thankfully.

1 1/4 cup warmish water

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp Vital Wheat Gluten(this is supposed to help it not be crumbly)

2 Tbsp powdered milk

1 tsp salt

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast

Put into bread machine in the order listed.  Choose whole wheat setting.

Yeast Cornbread

This was one of Mandi's recipes for her week on recipechallenge and it originally came from here.  I decided to do it in the breadmaker...put in all the ingredients called for (liquids first, yeast last) and put it on the quick setting.  It came out perfectly!  Now to make this by hand would NOT be hard but I'm lucky if the kids give me enough time to thrown ingredients in the breadmaker:)  I'd like to add a little more sugar or maybe some jalapenos next time!

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cups warm water, divided
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk powder
3 Tbs. butter, softened
2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 – 2 3/4 cups flour
Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water in a mixing bowl.  Add all the other ingredients, except the flour and beat until smooth.  Gradually mix in enough flour to form a soft dough.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 6-8 minutes.  Work in extra flour if needed.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning it to bring up the oiled side.  Cover lightly with a clean towel and let rise about an hour.
Punch the dough down and shape it into a loaf.  Put it in a greased loaf pan and cover it with the towel again.  Let it rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Pitas

Over three years ago I made hummus and said I needed to find a recipe for pita to make my favorite snack/meal inexpensive.  Well I found it and it is fantastic!  No more expensive cardboard from the store(with the name pita on the package).  I will be trying 1/3 whole wheat flour next.  It's too bad I can't double this recipe because the kids were all over these and *poof* gone!

This recipe came from momgrind.com

1-1/4 cups whole milk. Warm it for about 30 seconds in the microwave.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups bread flour. Bread flour...not all purpose flour(although you can add vital wheat gluten...I don't remember the quantities though)

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Bread Machine Yeast

Throw all ingredients into breadmaker on dough setting.

On a lightly floured surface divide into 8-12 portions depending on how big you want them.  I made 8.

Shape in smooth balls.

Use a rolling pin to flatten.

Cover dough and let rise about 30 minutes or until slightly puffed.  I turned on my oven for a minute then turned it off and popped them in there since it's not warm in my house right now.

Bake in 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.  

Cool on a wire rack.  I'm including this step but I didn't do it...just grab one up and tear off small pieces as tossing hand to hand so to not burn yourself.  

Whole Wheat Bread

I made this for Hunter's school lunches.   All bread at the store has things in it that I can't pronounce and Hunter needs the least amount of added chemicals possible.  Plus this will be super cheap compared to buying bread at the store!  I threw in some flax and sesame seeds too.

I got this recipe from about.com

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 4-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Preparation:

Place ingredients in bread pan in order listed or according to manufacturer's directions. When adding the yeast last, make a small well with your finger to place the yeast. This will insure the proper timing of the yeast reaction. Use Whole Wheat or Timed Cycle, or according to manufacturer's directions.

Mint Chocolate Delight Cookies

These reminded me of girl scout thin mints...sooo good!  And we packed some up for Hunter to take in his lunch this week too:)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Dark Chocolate & Mint Morsels
Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 325° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

FOR MINI MINT CHOCOLATE DELIGHT COOKIES: Prepare dough as above. Drop by well-rounded measuring teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Makes about 7 dozen mini cookies.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

These were a yummy cookie and the kids didn't know they had zucchini in them...I could definitely pick out the shreds but I knew they were there:)  They are a soft muffiny type cookie.  Got this recipe off the 'zaar and didn't use nuts.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 small zucchini, grated (you want it to measure approximately 2 cups of grated zucchini)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2-2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

1. First you will want to preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with Parchment paper.
3. Next you want to cream your butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Then you want to add the egg, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the butter mixture, gradually; mix well.
5. Stir in the zucchini.
6. Fold in your walnuts (optional), and chocolate chips.
7. Drop by teaspoonfuls with two (2) inches between each cookie-- onto the cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
9. Do not over-bake, or you will not enjoy your cookies.
10. Let stand to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and place on wire racks to allow to cook completely.
11. This recipe makes a lot but is easily halved to make 4 dozen instead of 8!

Menu Sunday

Sunday: Roast with Potatoes, Fruit with Cream

Monday: Chicken and Dumplings, Buttermilk Bakery Bread

Tuesday: Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Salad

Wednesday: Cheese Quesadillas with Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

Thursday: Beef Sour Cream Enchiladas, Homemade Refried Beans, LatinRice

Friday: Barbecue Pulled Roast Sandwiches, French Fries w/ Cheddar cheese and bacon bits

Saturday: Turkey, Dressing, Veggies

Lunches:
PB&J sandwiches
Ramens
Leftovers
Grilled cheese
Quesadillas
Hummus

Snacks:
Cuties
Crackers 
Jello
Cereal...maybe into bars

And to bake:
Persimmon cake
Pumpkin muffins

Banana Cake

Potato Salmon Patties

These were so good!  I made a double batch and there were no complaints just requests for more:)

INGREDIENTS:
1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained and
flaked
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup garlic and herb seasoned dry bread
crumbs
1/4 cup dry potato flakes1 medium onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a medium bowl, mix salmon, eggs, garlic and herb seasoned dry bread crumbs, dry potato flakes, onion, garlic, dill weed, celery salt, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 2 inch balls, and flatten into patties about 1/2 inch thick.
2.Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. In batches, cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

New Menu

We're eating from the pantry/freezer this week...little more than a week actually:)
Wednesday: Turkey salad sandwiches and green beans
Thursday: Potato salmon patties and canned fruit
Thursday night: velveeta rotel dip, butternut brownie pie
Friday: Blackeyed peas, cornbread, cabbage
Saturday: Pork chops, rice cups, corn
Sunday: Bubble pizza--sausage and bell pepper
Monday: Turkey Pot Pie
Tuesday: Taco lentils and rice  (add to my blog...woulda sworn it was on here for cheap eats)
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner(bacon, hashbrowns, eggs...)
Thursday: Bean burritos w/ rice and salsa
Friday: Easy chili and cornbread


Lunches:
PB&J sandwiches
Ramens
Leftovers
Grilled cheese
Quesadillas
Hummus


Snacks:
Apples
Cuties
Crackers 
Jello
Cereal(we don't eat it for breakfast)


And to bake:
Zucchini bread
Pumpkin muffins

Barbecue pork and beans

2 tsp oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic(2 cloves)

2 cans (16 oz each) baked beans

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp each cider vinegar and mustard

1/2 tsp each chili powder and ground cumin

3 1/2-4 inch thick chunk reserved pork loin(I made in last post but any chunk of pork would work)

Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet or saucepan.  Saute onion and garlic 3 minutes.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except pork.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and over, simmer 15 minutes

Stir in chopped pork, cover and simmer 5 minutes more or until pork is heated through.  Serve with coleslaw and cornbread.

Spiced Pork Roast

I don't do much with roasts but the feed a family for $99 a week in Womans Day for August had this and I wanted to try it.

1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp each chili powder and paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 lb boneless center cut pork loin(mom gave me a roast so that's what I used)

Heat oven to 375.  Mix all ingredients and rub mixture over pork.  Place in small roasting pan.
Roast 50 minutes or until instant thermometer registers 150F.  Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before cutting to serve.

Mac n Cheese with ham

Great way to use up leftover ham.  We had leftover cheese cubes from a cheese tray too so I used those in this also...love using up everything with no waste!!  This came from about.com originally.

6 tbsp butter
4 tbsps. flour
1 3/4 cups of half and half
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used half swiss and half cheddar to use up what I had but I wanna use all cheddar next time!)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3 cups of diced ham
5 cups cooked macaroni
1 cup bread crumbs - half for the inside crunch and half for a topping
1/4 cup scallions, diced
pepper to taste

Using a large saucepan melt the butter and add the flour – stir and gradually stir in your half and half making sure to keep stirring as the entire mixture thickens.

Pour in your cooked macaroni. Add your shredded cheese and your Parmesan to the mixture - add half the bread crumbs and scallions, and add the cubes of ham.

Stir well and pour into a well greased casserole or baking dish.

Put the last of the bread crumbs on the top for a nice crunchy top layer. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes or until the top is crisp.

Peanut Butter Cup cookies

I've made these many times before but can't find them on my blog so I'm adding them.  I doubled this recipe and have been baking all day!  But the neighbors will have their gifts =)

• 
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.

Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Bagels...yes homemade bagels

Mmmmm the house smells like fresh bagels. It's heavenly!   And now I'm missing many bagels from the pan...the nerve!  ;o)

So now I'm thinking about what I can add in...cheddar, little chopped up onions...definitely will put in more salt.  And they're cheeeeeap to make yourself!

Okay I used the bread machine and this may not end up being my "go to" recipe for bagels but it's the first and therefore the best(so far).  This recipe is off allrecipes.com and some reviews said they needed 1 1/8 cup of water.  I did not...but all areas are different so look at the dough when it's all mixed together and make sure it's a ball...not too sticky and not too dry with flour still sitting around in the bread pan.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons white sugar 3 cups bread flour 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

3 quarts boiling water 3 tablespoons white sugar 1 tablespoon cornmeal 1 egg white 3 tablespoons poppy seeds

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place water, salt, sugar, flour and yeast in the bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough setting.
2.	When cycle is complete, let dough rest on a lightly floured surface. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar.
3.	Cut dough into 9 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a small ball. Flatten balls. Poke a hole in the middle of each with your thumb. Twirl the dough on your finger or thumb to enlarge the hole, and to even out the dough around the hole. Cover bagels with a clean cloth, and let rest for 10 minutes.
4.	Sprinkle an ungreased baking sheet with cornmeal. Carefully transfer bagels to boiling water. Boil for 1 minute, turning half way through. Drain briefly on clean towel. Arrange boiled bagels on baking sheet. Glaze tops with egg white, and sprinkle with your choice of toppings.
5.	Bake in a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until well browned.

Menu Monday

We are back on a tight budget to pay down bills so this week I printed out this menu so I could plan breakfasts and lunches too. Shopping list with prices added below.

Monday:
Breakfast: Eggs
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Homemade pizza

Tuesday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with honey
Lunch: Corrine-chicken burrito The rest of us pasta with sauce and homemade bagels
Dinner: Spiced pork roast, cornbread and cole slaw

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Malt o Meal
Lunch: Leftovers and pudding
Dinner: Breakfast for dinner(bacon, eggs etc)

Thursday:
Breakfast: Egg and cheese breakfast tacos
Lunch: PB&Js & prunes
Dinner: Pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans, zucchini bread

Friday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: Chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes
Dinner: Beans w/ ham bone and cornbread

Saturday:
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Pot pies
Dinner: Grape leaves, hummus w/ tortilla chips

Sunday:
Breakfast: Malt o Meal
Lunch: Burritos
Dinner: Turkey pot pies and jello

Walmart:  (34.72)
Funyons 88cents(Justin and I were starving...bad planning on my part but such is life)
Flour--unbleached 1.78
Pot pies-4 at .58 each
Frozen peas 1.94
Frozen carrots .96
Chicken nugget 4.98
2 bread(some new wheat stuff...totally cheap but not going to be our usual since it's not 100% whole wheat) .75
Burritos-2 at .35 each
6 Ramens .15
dark chocolate and mint chocolate chips 1.78(okay I know I didn't need this at all but mint...and dark chocolate!)
Chicken lunch meat 2.94
1 pound cheddar cheese 3.78
Clementines 3.25
Kosher salt 1.34
Popping corn $4(didn't realize it was so much actually!)
Bleach 1.52

Kroger
I used coupons here and with their receipt I have no idea what the cost per item was...total was $38.61
2 boxes cheez-its
2 boxes club crackers
Minute rice-big box white rice
2 Minute rice chicken ready to serve
2 tubs Betty Crocker frosting
4 Adolphus latin rice pouches
2.5# granny smith apples
1.5 # ground chuck
4 medicated chapsticks
2 boxes 24 ct family size tea
Shaving cream
2 gallons milk
4 cans Grands biscuits
4 small sweet rolls(Pillsbury)
Coffee creamer

Grand total for the week $72.34 and a lot of this was just "stock" :)

Peanut Butter Honey Fudge

Found this one the Heavenly Homemakers blog.  Since I had all the ingredients I had to make it.

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips(I used extra)

Put all in a small saucepan and heat until the chocolate chips are melted.  Cool completely, cut and serve.

Grape leaves

I absolutely LOVE grape leaves(dolmades)!  I've bought them occasionally and they just have rice. This is the recipe I've had since high school and I much prefer them with beef.  I expected the rest of the family to complain and was happily thinking I'd get them all to myself for the next few days but it turned out they loved them too and I had to share :o)
1 jar grape leaves
1 lb 80-90% lean beef
3/4 cup rice(long grain)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix meat with rice, salt and pepper.  I do this with my hands until it's well mixed.

Drain grape leaves and cut off small stem area.

 Put 1 tablespoon meat mixture onto ribbed side of grape leaf.  I used more than that here but 1 tablespoon each will use the entire jar of grape leaves.

Put meat on the stem side and roll over past meat then fold the ends in and continue rolling.

 Put rolled grape leaves in a large pot in a layer.

 To start the second layer turn the grape leaves 90 degrees.  Cover the grape leaves with water(pot about 3/4 full), add salt and cook 30 minutes on medium heat until rice is cooked.  Add 1/4 cup lemon juice and cook 5 more minutes.  Serve with plain yogurt or tzatziki(yogurt/sour milk, lemon and cucumber--I don't measure but there are good recipes at recipezaar).

Persimmon Cookies

These are such good cookies!  A soft muffin-y cookie with a mild but delicious spice flavor!  A recipe that Mandi ran across and shared with me:)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/it-must-be-thanksgiving-persimmon-cookies-2/
Ingredients


•½ cups Butter, Room Temperature

•1 cup Granulated Sugar

•1 whole Egg Beaten

•1 teaspoon Vanilla

•1 cup Persimmon Pulp

•½ teaspoons Lemon Juice

•2 cups Flour

•1 teaspoon Baking Powder

•1 teaspoon Baking Soda

•1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

•½ teaspoons Ground Cloves

•½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg

•1 cup Chopped Walnuts

•1 cup Raisins Or Chopped Dates

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and vanilla. Mix persimmon pulp with lemon juice and add to mixture. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices, mixing well. Add dates and nuts and stir together. Drop onto a cookie sheet by heaping teaspoonfuls. Bake for 10- 15 minutes. Cover unbaked batter in the bowl with waxed paper so that it does not turn dark.

Menu Monday

I'm posting it early just because it was fairly easy this time to get together:)  We fried five turkeys and have frozen most of it now so the main ingredient this week is not surprising...this starts after we've had our fill of regular leftovers and the sides are all gone....I love Thanksgiving!

Monday: Turkey vegetable soup w/ fresh made bread
Tuesday: Turkey spaghetti, green beans and fruit salad
Wednesday: Turkey enchiladas and beans
Thursday: Turkey bacon sandwiches w/ corn on the cob
Friday: Turkey pot pie
Saturday: Chinese turkey over rice
Sunday: Beef tips with rice

Other things to cook this week:
Pumpkin muffins
Persimmon cookies

Nanaimo bars

I made these for Thanksgiving.  The custard got soft really fast after coming out of the refrigerator and this time I used a chocolate mint cookie in the crust because I thought I was out of graham cracker crumbs(but wasn't...).  I much prefer the regular because the chocolate mint made them SO rich!  Good but rich.

http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/nanaimo-bars-89644.aspx

6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided 3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter, softened, divided 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Crumbs 1 cup flaked coconut 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 2 Tbsp. BIRD'S Custard Powder 3 Tbsp. milk 2 cups icing sugar Make It!


MELT 2 chocolate squares as directed on package; pour into medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup butter; stir until melted. Blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press onto bottom of 9-inch square pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.



MIX custard powder and milk with whisk in separate medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the remaining butter; beat until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Spread onto crust. Refrigerate 15 min.



MICROWAVE remaining chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 2 to 3 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Spread over custard layer. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled before cutting into bars.

Meatless Monday

This was really good!  If you're not used to vegetarian meals or don't like them then I wouldn't try this but if you pay the price for vegetarian premade meals this is really good!  I didn't measure spices and am sure I added more of everything it called for and recommend doing the same.  I realize it looks like cat food but meatloaf never looks beautiful...I put ketchup on top for the fam and the boys even went back for seconds!

This came from Rhonda -frugal mommies group- on cafemom.


REALLY GOOD VEGETARIAN "MEAT"LOAF

2 cups water (I needed more than this)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lentils

1 small onion, diced

1 cup quick-cooking oats

3/4 cup grated cheese (cheddar, swiss, jack or american)

1 egg, beaten

4 1/2 ounces barbecue sauce or tomato sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Add salt to water and boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer covered 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of water is evaporated. Remove from heat. Drain and partially mash lentils. Scrape into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Stir in onion, oats and cheese until mixed. Add egg, tomato sauce, garlic, basil, parsley, seasoning salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon into loaf pan that has been generously sprayed with Pam (non-stick cooking spray) or well-greased. Smooth top with back of spoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30- 45 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and golden brown. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of pan then turn out loaf onto serving platter.

Menu Monday

Monday: Vegetarian "meatloaf", mashed potatoes, string beans
Tuesday: Quesadillas w/ taco meat
Wednesday: Tuna Casserole
Thursday: Frenc onion soup
Friday: Meatball subs
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Beans and cornbread

Pancake Saturday

Since the kids started back to school I've made warm pancakes(or waffles) every Saturday morning.  These are the best so far...shoulda known to trust Ree:)  Still not IHOP(my ultimate goal is to never pay those insane prices to get my fix again) but light and fluffy and yummy!

Light and fluffy enough that 7 month old Willow got a whole one herself and Justin ate three!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/05/perfect-pancakes/
Ingredients


3 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cake Flour

½ teaspoons Salt

3 Tablespoons Baking Powder

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 cups Milk

2 whole Large Eggs

3 teaspoons Vanilla

4 Tablespoons Butter

Extra Butter

Maple Or Pancake Syrup(Mrs. Butterworths here...nothing like all those chemicals to wake up!!)

Preparation Instructions

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined. Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.

Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.

Velveeta Tex-Mex Beef and Potatoes

I was looking for something different to make on my last menu and Tee sent this a few months ago.  It was really good and different!  There weren't any complaints from the kids(Justin did scoot all his red bell pepper pieces to the side).

VELVEETA Tex-Mex Beef and Potatoes


Prep Time:

10 min

Total Time:

45 min

Makes:

6 servings, about 1-1/3 cups each

What You Need!

1 lb. ground beef

1 red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup water

4 cups frozen Southern-style hash browns (cubed not shredded variety)

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn

1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Make It!

HEAT oven to 350°F.

BROWN meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.

STIR in taco mix and water. Add potatoes, corn and VELVEETA; mix well. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish; cover.

BAKE 20 min.; stir. Bake, uncovered, 15 min. or until heated through.

TACO BELL® and HOME ORIGINALS® are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Use Your Stove

Brown meat with peppers and onions in large skillet; drain and return to skillet. Stir in taco mix, water, potatoes and corn; cover. Cook 5 to 7 min. or until potatoes are tender. Stir in VELVEETA; cook, uncovered, until VELVEETA is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring occasionally.

Persimmon bundt cake

This is the first thing I've baked with persimmon pulp this year--straight off recipezaar.com   With mom having such a bumper crop(501 on ONE tree!) I am happy to say all persimmons are off my counters now and this winter will be full of persimmon baking!

I did not use raisins because I didn't have any on hand but this cake still turned out great.  Very good spice cake!!

Persimmon Bundt Cake Recipe #86897


Got a lot of persimmons you don't know what to do with? Or have you always wanted to make something using this little-known fruit. Here's your chance to make a wonderful, flavourful Bundt cake that not only has luscious persimmons in it, but warm spices that make it extra-special.

by evelyn/athens

1¼ hours
20 min prep



SERVES 10



4 large ripe persimmons

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3 extra large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

3/4 cup dried currant

confectioners' sugar

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter and flour Bundt pan.

Peel persimmons.

Press pulp through coarse sieve into medium bowl.

Measure 1 1/3 cups persimmon puree into small bowl.

Mix baking soda into puree and set aside.

Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until blended (mixture will be grainy).

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Mix in vanilla.

Sift flour, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves into butter mixture; blend well using rubber spatula.

Mix in persimmon mixture, walnuts and currants.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Cook cake in pan on rack 5 minutes.

Turn out cake onto rack; cool completely.

Sift confectioners’ sugar over cake.

Mom's chili

Made this for the 1st time this week and it was a huge hit.  Will be a staple meal...served it over rice but crackers were really good too.

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
Gephart's chili powder
2 cans Ranch style beans, partly smashed with potato masher

Cook beef with onion, drain, add a little water and half bottle of chili powder.  Cook until meat has gotten the flavor color throughout.  Add beans and water(to your liking/thickness).  You can heat through and serve or let simmer as long as you'd like.

Menu Monday

The pantry is overflowing so I've made a list and am trying to use it up. I have managed to use up everything in the deep freeze, defrost it, clean it and put it back to use:)

Our menu for this week.

Banana Zucchini bread

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup grated zucchini

2 bananas, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread loaf pans.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow and frothy.

Add oil, brown sugar, white sugar, grated zucchini, bananas, and vanilla; blend together until well combined.

Stir in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the loaf pans on a wire rack before removing and serving.

Italian Herb Bread

This is out of my breadmaker recipe book and was really good. It smelled awesome baking:)

All ingredients at room temperature(70-80 degrees F)

9-11 ounces water

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsps active dry yeast

Select French setting.

Homemade Black Bean Burgers

For a vegetarian burger these were so good! I've tried a bunch of frozen ones and these blow them out of the water:)

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and
rinsed
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 egg
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce
3/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

**(After washing/draining beans let sit in the colander and after washing bell pepper and onion also let them sit awhile to drain completely so your burgers will stick together while grilling)**

If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.

In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.

In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.

Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6.
If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

These make 24 but I made 12 to fit our burgers:) They were sooo soft and nice!

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls Recipe #65340

2¼ hours 10 min prep
24 rolls
1 cup warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F.)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
In bread machine pan, put all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer.
Select dough setting.
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide dough into 24 portions.
Shape dough into balls.
Place in a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 minutes.
Bake at 375 degrees for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown.

Tofu Chili

This was a pretty good recipe. I still don't love tofu but this was definitely better than anything else I've tried. I cubed the tofu instead of crumbling it but crumbling is better.

Ingredients:
1/2 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (15.25 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes,
undrained
1 quart water
Directions:
1.
In a medium bowl, crumble the tofu and toss with the chili powder and garlic.
2.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion and celery until tender. Stir in the tofu mixture. Continue cooking about 5 minutes over low heat.
3.
Mix in the beans and stewed tomatoes. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 50 minutes.

Lentils and Spinach

This started as a recipe on allrecipes and after reading the reviews I decided to do a few things differently. Served this over diced potatoes(Justin's went over rice). If you don't already like Mediterranean food I wouldn't recommend this:)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced into 1/2 rings
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup lentils
4 cups water

2 (10 ounce) packages fresh spinach
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, crushed

sour cream

lemon juice

Heat oil in a heavy pan over medium heat. Saute onion for 10 minutes or so, until it begins to turn golden. Add minced garlic and saute for another minute or so.
Add lentils and water to the saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer about 35 minutes, until lentils are soft ( this may take less time, depending on your water and the lentils).
Add spinach, tomatoes, salt and cumin to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until all is heated, about ten minutes. Grind in plenty of pepper and press in extra garlic to taste.

Right before serving put on a dollop of sour cream and some lemon juice.