2 awesome Pampered Chef recipes...

Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops
1 small red onion
2 plum tomatoes
3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef (I used a bit over a pound)
1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles
1 TBS yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice bun tops into 1/4 inch strips. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet; bake 8 - 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Cool completely.

*Cut onion in half crosswise. Slice half of the onion crosswise into thin rings. Cut tomatoes into quarters lengthwise & slice crosswise (or do what I did and just dice them up as you would for anything else..LOL). Set both onion and tomato aside.

*Cook ground beef in pan over med. - high heat for 5 - 7 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into small crumbles as it cooks. Meanwhile, chop the rest of the onion into small pieces. Finely dice the pickle. Combine chopped onion, pickle, ketchup and mustard in a med. size bowl. Add been and mix well.

*To serve, arrange sliced lettuce on large platter. Spoon beef mixture over lettuce. Top with cheese, tomato and onion slices. Arrange hamburger bun croutons around platter. Serve immediately.

Serves 6

California Club Pizza

1 tsp vegetable oil
1 pkg refrigerated pizza crust
2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken (breast is best)
2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese blend
2 plum tomatoes
1/4 medium red onion
1 medium avocado
1 lemon
6 slices cooked bacon, thinly sliced

*Heat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly brush baking sheet with oil. Unroll dough flatten and spread with hands. Top crust with chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 16 - 18 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove to cooling rack.

*Slice tomatoes in half and scrape out seeds then dice. Thinly slice onion. remove avocado from skin then dice. Add to bowl with tomato and onion. Juice lemon to measure 2 TBS and add to bowl. Stir gently. Cut pizza into squares and serve.

8 servings

3/21 - 3/27

I did it...another menu for this week! I would have posted it before now, but I couldn't get on the site to update. So, here you have it.....recipes to follow later today or tomorrow.

Sat 3/21 ~ Chicken Viola (this was quick, easy and Kate loved it!)

Sun. 3/22 ~ Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad (this is a yummy recipe out of the latest Pampered Chef Seasons Best cookbook. Will post recipe later)

Mon. 3/23 ~ Macaroni and cheese w/ canned tomatoes

Tues. 3/24 ~ California Club Pizza (another recipe out of the PC Seasons Best cookbook...will post recipe later)

Wed. 3/25 ~ Steak, baked potatoes and veggie trio

Thurs. 3/26 ~ tacos

Fri. 3/27 ~ pork roast, mashed potatoes and veggies

I did it..a menu for this week!!! FINALLY

Ok folks, I'm trying to get back on track here as far as our meals. I have to clean out the freezers and start fresh, so this week's menu may not be all that appealing to you. I'm not really planning anything that's really home made and there's no new recipes this week. Sorry. Once Kate and I use up what we have on hand I will make up a better game plan. I do have a few recipes that I'm dying to try! For now...here's the plan for this week:

Sun ~ Grilled cheese

Mon ~ Pierogies w/ grilled onions and peas

Tues ~ Salsa baked chicken, home made Spanish style rice (I'm sure we'll have some sort of veggie, too)

Wed ~ Cheesy macaroni and beef bake

Thurs ~ I'm teaching a class so I'm thinking Kate will fend for herself

Fri ~ Our tentative plans include going to the play at the school so dinner will be something quick, I'm sure

No Bake Cookies...recipe from Erin

These cookies are super easy and so yummy! I made them again yesterday afternoon so Gene would have a fresh batch to come home to. Enjoy!

No Bake Cookies

2c sugar
1/3 c butter
½ c milk

Heat until it boils, boil 1-1/2 minutes (I boiled mine a bit longer...3 minutes, I beleive).
Remove from heat and add:
¼ c cocoa
½ c peanut butter
½ tsp vanilla
3c oatmeal

When well mixed, drop by TBS onto wax paper to harden and cool. Store in an air tight container.

March 1st - 8th

Gene will be home for a week so I've got things somewhat planned as far as meals go. I don't have set days or anything, but do have an idea of a few dishes that I will be making. My poor hubby has been living off of sandwiches, cheap microwave dinners and canned chili for the past 2 months (well, almost 2 months)...he needs some good home cookin'!

*Stuffed green bell peppers

*Herb rubbed grilled chicken w/ steamed veggies and noodles

*Lasagna w/ garlic bread sticks and a salad

*Roast cooked in the crock pot w/ mashed potatoes, gravy and veggie of choice

That's what I have so far. There will be a night that we go to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Next Saturday Gene and Kate are on their own for dinner because I will be with Erin at the All Day Crop For A Cure.

**Here is a GREAT little "recipe" for doing your roast in the crock pot. My good friend, Michelle gave it to me about a year ago and I've used it every time I've made a roast since.

1 packet Zesty Italian dressing mix
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy mix

Add roast to crock pot. Sprinkle mixes over roast. Add enough water to cover roast. Put lid on and cook until done. I usually put mine on low in the morning and let it cook all day long. YUM!

Chicken Feed recipe

This recipe, I believe, is intended to be a salad or a side dish. My sister in law, who is a vegetarian, made this about 3 or 4 years ago one Thanksgiving so she would have a little more variety. We all fell in love with it! Not as a salad, but as a salsa! It is delicious with tortilla chips! I've also used it to "beef" up taco meat, on top of grilled chicken and in salads. The name, Chicken Feed, is made up...I don't think any of us recall what it is REALLY called. One year over the holidays when my in laws were visiting us, Gene's gram saw it and said "Ewe that stuff looks like chicken feed!" Since then, we've all called it Chick Feed or Chicken Feed.

Now, I'm posting this recipe by memory. I lost the printed version long ago. Feel free to tweak it to your liking. I would love to hear feedback if anyone tries it!

Chicken Feed

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 cups whole kernel corn (if using frozen, thaw before adding)
2 TBS finely chopped cilantro
1 - 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, finely diced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly minced garlic
approx. 1/4 cup olive oil
approx. 3TBS lime juice (fresh is best, but I have used the store bought and it's fine)
1/2 tsp honey
salt to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lime juice, garlic and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until coated. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Slacking here..I know....

Hi everyone! I am ready for work pretty early today, so thought I'd take a minute to update this a bit. I honestly have not been pre-planning our meals since Gene left. Kate announced that she wanted to eat healthier, actually, she said that she wants to "live" healthier and I also have been trying to do so. Since Gene has been gone, I haven't really cooked many big meals. We've been eating lots of fresh fruit, salads, low cal. soups...and...Kashi's Go Lean Crunch cereal has become one of my favorites. We've been making a lot of high fiber, low fat things..like "Chicken Feed," which is a recipe that we got from Gene's sister a few years back. It has become a favorite here in our house (I'll find and post the recipe some day soon). Though, most often, we eat it with chips, kind of like a salsa, I've discovered that it is extremely yummy mixed in with salads, over chicken and mixed in with taco meat.

Kate and I discovered a new side dish the other night. We both absolutely LOVE the loaded baked sweet potatoes at Texas Roadhouse..but they are truly loaded with fat...butter, sugar, etc. So, on Sunday I grilled us up some steaks and tried my own version of the loaded sweet potato. I peeled and cut up 3 average sized sweet potatoes. Boiled them until fork tender and then drained them. Put them back in the hot pot and let them sit for a few minutes. Then I added about a tablespoon of low fat butter, a teaspoon of orange marmalade (thanks to Rachel Ray for that tip) and a splash of skim milk and mashed them up by hand. I sprinkled in some cinnamon then spread in a baking disk. Then, i sprinkled a little brown sugar on top and THEN...threw on a handful of mini marshmallows! I baked it at 425 until the marshmallows were golden brown. I believe Kate and I enjoyed that MORE than the loaded sweet potatoes at Texas Roadhouse. If ya'll try it, let me know what you think!

Gene will be home for a week before he has to leave for CA, so I will get to work on the menu for that week soon and post it when I can. I know there is a nice roast in the freezer just begging me to throw it in the crock pot! LOL