Another Baby Shower!

One of my best friends is having her 2nd child, another little girl, and we couldn't be more excited.  I pressed her into another shower because her first daughter is 4 now and she needed a few things.  It was rather low key, just close friends, but we had a wonderful time.  The new thing now is "couples" baby showers or diaper parties, where we include the men.  I will say, I've done a lot of baby showers here in the last few years and I think that works best for everyone. You do have to buy some beer and tailor it a bit to the guys, but everyone has fun together. 

The photos leave a little to be desired, but I was a tad bit rushed.  I work best under pressure. 

The menu:
Mini Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Mini Meatball Subs
Italian Spirals (see previous post)
Cheesy, Bacon Potatoes
Bean Dip (Made previously)
Ranch Dressing (I didn't measure, just figure it out)
Carrot Ooey Gooey Cookies
Lemon Ooey Gooey Cookies
Brownie Trifle
Broccoli and Carrots were served with the Ranch. 

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

7 large, BLSL chicken breast
Bottle of Franks Wing Sauce (or whatever hot sauce you like)
1 TBS of Garlic Powder

Boil the chicken until cooked through.
Cool chicken, it's best if you can do this the night before, but I'm always racing against the clock so I have 2nd degree burns on my thumps. 
Shred into a crock pot, add your hot sauce and roll.  On the side I served, ranch , Mozzarella cheese and lettuce.  Lemme tell ya, the ranch went well before the lettuce with a bunch of guys!

 Mini Meatball Subs:

1 package of regular meat balls, I don't like the Italian ones. (about 40 meatballs)
I put them in the crock pot add whatever spaghetti sauce you use (see recipe for spicy spaghetti)
Start that in the AM.  Needs to be on high for about 4 hours or low for 6.
I served this with Mozzarella cheese, too!

That's half eaten in the crock pot.  I almost made 2 bags, but 40 seemed to be perfect for the amount of people I had.  2-3 meatballs per sub. 

I bought the mini sub rolls at the bakery at Walmart and it worked perfectly!

Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies:

1 Stick of butter, melted
1 block of cream cheese, softened
Splash of extract
1 Egg
1 cake mix

Slow Cooker BBQ chicken sandwiches

4 BLSL chicken breasts
1 12 oz bottle of good BBQ sauce
1/2 cup of Italian Dressing
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
6 Hamburger buns
Pickles
6 slices of cheese

Add Chicken, BBQ, dressing, brown sugar and garlic powder in the crock pot.  With a Liner! You use a crock pot because it makes preparing the meal easy....it's not easy if you have to scrub the damn thing all night.  Go get liners.  Right now.

I cooked on high for 4 hours and it came out perfect.  Shredd and set back in sauce.

Toast the buns and top with chicken, cheese and pickles.  I love bread and butter pickles, but you use whatever you like.

We really enjoyed this.  Simple, easy and was great for lunch the next day!

Potato Scramble

Happy Saturday Morning!  My husband is rather cranky this morning and now he and my neighbor are mowing the lawn.  I am here alone, all peaceful and starving!

Nothing here that is going to set the world on fire or be featured in Bon Apetit magazine, but it was tasty.

1 left over baked potato (or cook one real quick, I'm not waiting.  You can catch up later)
Sprinkle of Cajun seasoning, I use Badia
Salt and Pepper
2 Eggs
4 strips of bacon, crumbled (Make 6, ur going to eat 2)
Pinch of cheese

Now grab your handle dandy, most favorite pan and put that bad boy on high heat.

I just baked some bacon for something else in the oven so I had the left over bacon grease.  If not, use butter or a little oil, whatever tickles your fancy.

Scoop potato flesh out of the skin and plop in the pan and allow to brown.  Break up the potato with your spoon into big chunks. Sprinkle cajun seasoning. When potato is mostly browned, scoot to one side.

Add 2 eggs to the other side of the pan and scramble.  Once eggs are cooked, stir in with the potatoes and salt and pepper to taste.  Crumble in bacon and stir to combine.

Top with a pinch of cheese.  People.  A "pinch" is three fingers, not a half cup.  The cheese is not the star.  Don't over do it.

Add some onions, peppers, sausage, whatever you prefer!  I was not in the mood for all that jazz.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Chicken Marsala

Well hello!  So this didn't turn out exactly how I planned, but it was still pretty good.  I will probably make some changes next time.  The sauce wasn't as brown and I felt it should have been and it didn't thicken as well either.  I had to add a little corn starch. 

5 thin chicken cutlets
2/3 cup of flour
Salt and Pepper
3 TBS Olive Oil
5 TBS butter
1/2 shallot, minced                                                           This is what I
5 cloves of garlic, minced                                                 mean when I
1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms                                            say "minced"
1/2 cup of Marsala
1/4 cup of Sherry
2 cups of chicken stock
1/4 cup of half and half
Sprinkle of Parsley
 Hot cooked pasta

The chicken I used was already very thin, but if you buy regular chicken then just slice in half, lengthwise, and pound the hell out of it until its about 1/4 inch thick.  Or, be lazy and buy it already like that.

Heat heavy pan on med high

Trim chicken and season with salt and pepper, dredge in flour.  Shake off any excess.

Add 2 TBS of butter and 1 TBS of olive oil.  Add chicken in batches, don't over crowd.  Cook a few minutes on each side until cooked through.  Set aside on paper towed lined plate.

Once all chicken is done, add another TBS of butter and the mushrooms.  Cook 1-2 mins until they start to brown, add the shallots and garlic.  Cook about 2 more minutes. 

Deglaze with Marsala and Sherry and allow to cook until reduced by almost half.

Add the chicken broth to the mix and turn down to med low heat.  Add chicken back in for a few minutes to heat through. 

Add about 1/4 cup of half and half and stir.  Top with parsley and serve over hot cooked pasta.

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I sprinkled a little cayenne pepper on top.  That's how I roll. 

Chicken Makhanish

I researched a bunch of different recipes and then threw this together.  My first attempt at Indian food and it wasn't a total failure. 

3 TBS olive oil
1 lb of chicken, cut into small pieces
1 shallot, minced
1/4 onion, minced
1 inch of garlic, grated
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 TBS butter
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/4 plain yogurt
1 cup half and half
1 can of tomato sauce (you can use puree or crushed, I don't do chunks)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup of water, 1 TBS cornstarch

You need to prep this stuff first, because once you get going, it goes fast.  I'm more of a shake-as-you-go kinda girl.  But there a lot of stuff so do yourself a favor. 

Cut your chicken into pieces, set aside
I used my little hand chopper thing and minced (again, no chunks) the shallot, onion and garlic, set aside
Grate your ginger, set aside
Mix all the spices in a bowl, including the bay leaf, set aside

Ok, lets go.

Heat 2 TBS of oil and sauté chicken over high heat.  Just get a little brown on it and remove w a slotted spoon. It doesn't have to be done yet, just a little brown.

Add another TBS of oil and bring heat back up, med-high.  Add the shallot/onion/garlic mixture and stir.  Don't let it burn.  Add the butter.

Once the butter is melted add the lemon juice and your spices and let the heavenly scent fill your nostrils and take you to the, IDK, hot streets of India?  What's awesome in Indian?  It's not like they have majestic mountains, babbling brooks or rolling hills. Or do they? Whatever, it smells amazing.  Stir about for literally like 30 seconds. 

Add the can of tomato sauce.  Add the chicken back to the party.  I put on medium heat and allowed the chicken to finish cooking.  About 15 minutes or so.  Clean your mess up, you have time now.

Turn down to low then add the half-and-half and the yogurt.  Add slowly so it doesn't curdle. 

Mix the water and corn starch and add to the mix.  Heat another few minutes to thicken.  Serve with rice. 

It was good.  Not my favorite dinner in the whole world.  I will say, it was better the next day at lunch.  Husband loved it! 

Pictures?  Yeah, so about that.  I forgot. 

Lazy Beef Stroganoff

S

Good evening!  Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorite meals, however, I'm lazy.  And tired, and busy and and and...u get the idea. 


1 package of thin sliced beef (I used the precut stir fry beef in the meat section) Sliced into 3 strips.  You need it very thin, we don't have all day here
1 Large jar of beef gravy (I know, I'm going to culinary hell)
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp parsley
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 cup of light sour cream
Package of hot cooked egg noodles (I used whole wheat)

Heat heavy pan on high heat and add olive oil
Add beef to the pan and fry on high heat for a min or so, just to brown a bit.  Season with salt and pepper.  I like a lot of pepper, but go easy on the salt.  The gravy will be salty enough.  Process demons trying to kill us with sodium intake. 
It released a lot of juice so I put a lid on it and allowed it to cook for about 10 minutes until most of it was absorbed.  Remove lid and add Worcestershire sauce, stir to combine.
Add remaining spices and jar of beef gravy.  Reduce to med heat and put a lid on it.  I let it simmer for about 20 minutes or so and unloaded the dishwasher.  Unloading of the dishwasher is optional. 
When your just about ready to serve add the sour cream.  Stir to combine and allow to heat through, make sure it's on low so it doesn't start to curdle.
Serve on top of your egg noodles in your most presentable Rubbermaid container. 

Before you think I'm total white trash, feeding my family out of Rubbermaid containers, I forgot to take a photo until I was packing up for lunches the next day.  Don't be so judgy!   

Brocccoli Bites with Tiger Sauce

If you've ever been to Copeland's and not tried their Bayou Broccoli with Tiger sauce, then you haven't lived!  These are in no way as delicious as Copeland's, but they are a slightly healthier version that will work.   

1 package of frozen broccoli in a steam bag (1.5 cups)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt and Pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup of cheese (I used cheddar)
3 TSB of parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups of panko bread crumbs

Cook broccoli in microwave according to package directions
Drain broccoli and blend in a blender until mush
Add spices, egg, both cheeses and 1/4 cup of panko (mix and if too soupy add more panko)
Roll into balls and then roll in remaining panko to coat outside.
Arrange on a baking sheet and bake at 375 until brown.  I did about 15 minutes and then turned and did another 10. 
Serve this delicately on a paper plate

Tiger Sauce:
1/2 cup of Mayonnaise
1/4 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1/2 TBS Cajun seasoning
1 TBS white vinegar
2 TBS prepared horseradish

Mix to combine, chill until ready to use. 

Cheeseburger Slop

I was rather tired, annoyed and not in the mood to think.  I also kinda wanted a burger, but was too lazy to fire up the grill so I threw this "slop" together.  I joke because my husband said it was one of the best dinners I'd made in a long time.  So here is where you have to choose to accept the compliment and say thank you, or be a bitch (wtf are you talking about, I just made ur favorite dinner last night). 

Well I stuttered for a moment and then went with a gargled Thanks. 

How it is it that a compliment can also be a gab?  I think it's because I'm a woman.  Anyways, you don't want to hear me ramble about, here's how I made it:







Small bag of yellow potatoes (the tiny baby kind) washed and sliced into quarters.
(If you feel real lazy, use 4 cups of southern hash browns)
Olive oil
Cajun seasoning
1 LB of ground beef
1 TSB Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp steak seasoning (I use Penzeys Montreal)
Liberal dashes of Cayenne Pepper.  We like spicy, adjust to ur taste
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of Ketchup
1/4-1/2 cup of regular yellow mustard
3/4 cup of cheese (estimate)
Serve with extra ketchup, mustard and pickles

Preheat to 400 degrees.
Mix potatoes with olive oil, arrange in a single layer in a deep 13x9 in basking dish.  Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning, about 1/2 tsp or so.  Throw it in the oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, brown the ground beef (I use lean, so there isn't any fat)
Add Worcestershire sauce and spices.  Sitr to combine. 
Reduce heat and add ketchup and mustard.  Taste and add mustard as needed. 
Remove potatoes and loosen from the bottom with a spatula, but keep in a single layer.
Pour ground beef mixture on top of potatoes and top with cheese. The cheese is not the star, don't over do it.  Just a little cheese. 
Serve with ketchup, mustard and pickles. 
Add bacon, it would be delicious, but I didn't have any. 

It was rather delicious, if I do say so myself.

Sesame Crock Pot Chicken

So this is kind of an experimental recipe.  Let's see how it goes.

3 BLSL chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 onion (I popped the thing in whole)
1/2 red bell pepper (sliced big)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBS onion powder
1/2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS ketchup
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
Sesame seeds

Line your crock pot with one of those crock pot liners.  Don't have one?  Go buy one, I'll wait.

Put onion and red pepper on bottom of crock pot. Add chicken, then top with sauce.  (I guess I should have told you to combine everything else, except sesame seeds in a bowl and whisk)

Cook on low for 4 hours (high for 1-2) or until chicken is done. 

Remove chicken from crock pot.  Combine 2 TBS of corn starch and 3 TBS of water. Add to pot to thicken.

************yeah don't make this.  It needs a lot of work.  Something to make it sour, fish sauce?
Also, ditch the crock pot.  It wasn't bad when I put it in a real pot on the stove.  Reduced and then thickened with the slurry.  We'll try again. 

Beef Stew

Fall is here!!!  My favorite time of year, well, it's mostly wishful thinking.  Florida's fall is 5 cooler days with a breeze and then it's hot again until January.  Nonetheless, the fall cooking comes out! 

I've made beef stew before and will probably make it different every time, but this is the way it went this time:

2 lbs of stew meat
3 lbs of yellow potatoes (the smaller ones, leave whole, scrub skins)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 in pieces
1 mack daddy sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 onion, quartered
3/4 cup of red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
1-2 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 carton of reduced sodium beef stock
2 cups of water
cupish of flour
olive oil
3 springs of thyme
1 TBS garlic powder
1/2 TBS smoky paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 Bay leaf
salt and pepper
1 TBS chopped fresh parsley


Heat a dutch oven to med high heat.  Salt and pepper the beef and dredge in flour, shake off excess.

Add olive oil and heat until it just barely smokes, add the beef in batches, don't over crowd.  Don't over brown either!  Set meat aside (add more oil if needed) 

Add onion and brown just a tad, don't over do it!  (I leave the onions as big as I can. I love the flavor, but hate biting into an onion.  Yuck!)

Deglaze pan with red wine, stirring to get the brown bits off the bottom.  Add Worcestershire sauce, I may have done more like 2 TBS, but whatever tickles your fancy.  I love Worcestershire!!  Keep stirring and add tomato paste.  Stir until reduced and starts to bubble a bit.

Add beef stock and water.  Add veggies and remaining spices.  Turn to low and cook 1.5-2 hours. 

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf.  Service with rice and cornbread! 

If it needs a little thickening add a corn starch slurry....I know, stone me. 


****My husband bought me a dutch oven for Christmas last year and I love that thing!  I don't know how I've lived this much with out it.  Someone put it in the dishwasher, by mistake, and when I found it I very loudly GASPED and my hubs ran into the kitchen asking what was wrong.  Then, swore 6 ways to Sunday that he didn't put it in there.  Obviously, I didn't think he knew we had a dishwasher, much less put something in there! If you don't have a Dutch oven, go get one.  Right now.  I'll wait. 

Happy Sunday!

I forgot to take a picture all pretty on a dinner plate, so this is the packed for lunch version.