Showing posts with label ONCE A MONTH COOKING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ONCE A MONTH COOKING. Show all posts

Thursday, January 22, 2009

A RAFFLE, ONCE A MONTH COOKING and COPICS

Hello! I do not have a picture to share today because my husband has my camera. I, of course have the digital card safely tucked into my computer, so he will be disappointed when he tries to use it. (OOPS)
Yesterday, I worked on making some card boxes for a Fund Raiser for the Contenders of the Faith Boys Club my son is involved in. This was the photograph I was going to take and share with you today, it was very simple. I am donating a 10 boxes of 5 cards, a Child Of God stamp set and 2 - $10- gift certificates. If you are interested, the raffle tickets sell for $1.00 and 100% of the funds will go to the Boys Club If you are interested, please e-mail me at chrissyd723@gmail.com and I can let you know my paypal information.
NEW COPIC GROUP for SWEET 'n SASSY STAMPS
Here is a note from Korin...
Are you a Copic Junkie?
I sure am and so are many of the SNSS DT members. Chris, Faith, Deb and I will be Copic Certified soon and a few other DT gals already are. We'd like to offer helpful tutorials, tips and classes but we also want to make sure you can get your hands on these fabulous markers without breaking the bank. Soooooo, coming soon....the Copic Junkie Club!!! Many of you have been requesting this for some time, so we are thrilled to finally oblige :).
I have started a yahoo group for this club which will be a our sole means of communcation. Even if you are not ready to join a club just yet, you are welcome to join the group to see what it's all about. The address to join is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snsscopicjunkies/
More details will be coming soon, but for now, please vote in the poll to the right so I can get an idea of how many people are interested in joining and what their needs are.I can tell you that each club will run for 6 months and upon completion you will receive a FREE set (5) of markers! How awesome is that?? If you have any questions, please feel free to let either Chris (me) or myself know. ~Korin
ONCE A MONTH COOKING
For more information on this, click on the labeled section for Once a Month Cooking and scroll down. There are several posts with a variety of information on this subject.
I had a question the other day about our Once a Month Cooking. One of the first things you can do is pick the recipes you want to try. When choosing recipes, I try a couple of new recipes, but we also incorporate some of our families favorites. If your family really doesn't like a particular ingredient, then do not choose that recipe or try to think of an alternative ingredient to substitute.
Another thing to think about is, do you want to do this on your own or with some friends? When I did this by myself, I didn't necessarily cook 30 meals in a day, but I would take a recipe and multiply it x's 2-4 and then we would eat one in the evening and freeze the remaining.
Baked Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings.
3 bacon strips diced
1 small onoin chopped
1 clove garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatos peeled and cubed
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
minced fresh parsley
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1
tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic
in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper;
mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2
minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat
through but do not boil. (Note: Freezes well at this point. Can
be put in crock pot and cook on low all day – no need to thaw
if frozen) Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Basic Meatballs
Makes 12 servings.
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh parsley choped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cup beef broth
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup beef broth
3 egg
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds ground chuck
Combine meat with mixture, stir through rally with fork. Oven
at 450. Golf ball size meatballs. Don't touch. Bake for 25
minutes. Keep juices for sauce.
7 points

Beef & Chipolte Burritos
Makes 6 servings.
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak cut 3/4" thick
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup onion chopped
1 can chipolte peppers in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic minced
6 flour tortilla
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 6 pieces. Combine first 7
ingredients and put into ziplock bag to freeze. Thaw, remove
peppers. Place the rest into crock pot. Cover and heat on low
for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Remove meat from
cooker. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Place
meat in a large bowl. Stir in cooking liquid to reach desired
consistency. Divide meat amond warm tortillas, spoon it just
below the center. Top with cheese, salsa, roll up tortillas.

Beef Chimichangas
Makes 8 servings.
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons oregano crushed
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup butter melted
9 7" flour tortillas
1/2 cup canned green chilis
Cooking Day:
Sprinkle salt in medium skillet. Place over medium heat. Add
beef, garlic, and spices. Cook until meat losses pinkness. Stir
in remaining ingredients. Remove from heat and cool. Freeze
meat mixture, using freezer bag.
Serving Day Instructions:
In skillet, melt butter. Dip both sides of 1 tortilla into butter,
drain off excess. Mount 1/3 cup filling on center of tortilla. Fold
tortilla in envelope fashion. Place seam side down in
ungreased 11x17 baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas
and filling.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crispy, about 15
minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and return for a few seconds.
top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and aditional
sour cream.
14 points

Betsy's Chicken Enchiliadas
Makes 8 servings.
3 cups chicken cooked
1 can green chiles
1 7oz jar salsa
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 dozen corn tortillas
2 cups monterey jack cheese grated
vegetable oil
Preaheat oven 350 degrees. Mix chicken, chilis and salsa. In
separate bowl, mix cream and salt. Heat about 1" oil in fry
pan. Dip each tortilla in hot oil for 3 sec to soften. Drain on
paper towel and lay into bowl of cream to coat with cream. Fill
each tortilla with chicken mixture and roll them up. Lay in
greased bake dish. Pour extra cream over the top and
sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 min.

Bird's Nest Pie
Makes 8 servings.
8 ounces spaghetti
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons margerine or butter
8 ounces sour cream
1 pound Italian sausage (bulk)
6 ounces tomato paste
1 cup water
4 ounces mozzarella cheese (sliced)
Break spaghetti in half and cook as directed on package until
al dente, drain. While spaghetti is warm, combine with eggs
and parmesan cheese. Use a spoon to press spaghetti into
bottom and up sides of a well greased 10 inchpie plate. Saute
onion in margerine, mix with sour cream, and spread over
crust.
At the same time, brown sausage in a large skillet; drain fat.
Stir in tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat.
Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionaly. Spoon
over sour cream mixture. Cover dish with foil and freeze. put
cheese slices in a 1 quart bag; attach to side of dish.
To preparefor serving, thaw pie and cheese and preheat oven
to 350. Bake pie, uncovered for 25 minutes. Arrange
mozzarella slices on top; return pie to oven until cheese melts.
4 points

Cajun Chicken Strips
Makes 4 servings.
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
In a large plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add
chicken, one half at a time. Shake to coat. In a large skillet,
cook chicken in butter 8-10 minutes or until done.
Serving suggestions:
Over lettuce or salad w/ salsa
Tacos
Roll-ups

Chicken Breast Piquant
Makes 8 servings.
8 chicken breast
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup salad oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Mix all ingredients; add chicken, put in large gallon baggy and
freeze. To prepare, put in large baking dish. Bake at 375 for
1 hr or until chicken is done.

Chicken Broccoli Divan
Makes 6 servings.
4 chicken breast cooked, shredded
1 pound broccoli cooked and drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 package cheddar cheese shredded
1/2 cup milk
1 box seasoned croutons
Combine all ingredients except croutons in 2 quart baking
dish. Add extra cheese on top if desired. Cook at 350 for 25
minutes, adding croutons to the top 10 minutes before
removing from oven.

Chicken Cheese Lasagna
Makes 8 servings.
3 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese fresh, grated
1 medium onion chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 lasagna noodles
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups chicken cooked, shredded
1 package frozen spinach thawed and drained
Melt butter and garlic stir in flour and salt cook constantly until
bubbly remove from heat stir in milk and broth. Bring to boil
stirring constantly boil stir 1 minute. Stir in Mozzarella, 1/2 cup
parmesan, onion, basil, oregano, pepper cook over low heat
stir constantly until cheese is melted. In ungreased dish place
1/4 cheese sauce, 3 or 4 uncooked noodles, then 1/2 of
cottage cheese then repeat this once. Top with chicken
spinach and 1/4 of remaining cheese sauce, the remaining
noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan bake
at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes (until noodles are done) let set for
15 minutes.
Several of you asked about my husband's job. I added it to that same days post, but will let you know we are PRAISING GOD that his job was spared (for now). At this time, we are also saddened by the many friends who were let go. Please keep this in your prayers - the company he is working for has been GREATLY impacted by the auto industry and our economic state. There is a trickle affect going on - the company he works for builds radiators, conductors and other parts and when Chrysler laid off their employees - this trickled down to other facilities and affected their work volume too.
On a positive note, we serve an ALL POWERFUL GOD who is in control of all of these things. HE does NOT promise that things will be easy or pleasant for us in our daily lives, but He does promise that He will never leave nor forsake us. He is ALWAYS here to give us the strength we need to get through each day. All we need to do is trust in Him.
If you read your Bible, God's Word tells us in various places that you are LOVED, BLESSED, CHOSEN, ADOPTED, ACCEPTED, REDEEMED and FORGIVEN. (taken from Beth Moore's study, I'm Believing God.)
There is no such thing as trust and faith unless you have some unanswered questions in your life. If you know everything there is nothing to trust God about. That is where FAITH comes in.
I hope you have a blessed day! Thank you for stopping by.
God Bless You-
Chrissy D

Friday, January 16, 2009

My Family... Along with some Recipes for ONCE A MONTH COOKING!

I didn't have much time to prepare a project on Friday for Saturday. I was running some errands and went out to dinner with some friends.
Today I am ONCE A MONTH COOKING so below these family pictures is some recipes...





















These two just got glasses this week! I think they both look GREAT!

I liked the second picture of Grace better but Adam looks like he is squinting...

Stove Top BBQ Chicken
Makes 4 servings.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup catsup
1/3 cup water
4 teaspoons white vinegar
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon crushed celery seed
2 pounds skinless chicken pieces
8 ounces egg noodles
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet; saute onion until tender.
Stir in catsup, water, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire
sauce, chili powder, and celery seed. Bring sauce to a boil.
Add the chicken to the skillet, placing the side down that has
the skin removed; spoon sauce over the pieces. Bring to a
boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Turn
chicken pieces, and simmer covered for about 20 more or until
chicken is cooked through. Cool and freeze chicken and
sauce.
To prepare for serving, thaw chicken and sauce; put in a large
skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until
bubbly. Cook package of noodles according to package
directions; serve chicken over noodles.

Taco Spaghetti
Makes 6 servings.
5 ounces dried spaghetti, linguine or fetuccine broken
1 pound ground meat
1 onion chopped
3/4 cup water
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
1 can corn mixed with chopped peppers drained
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (or mexican blend) shredded
1 cup salsa
1 can diced green chili peppers drained
2 cups lettuce shredded
1 medium tomato chopped
Cook pasta according to pkg directions, drain.
Meanwhile, cook ground meat and onion until meat is brown.
Drain off fat.
Stir in water and taco seasoning mix.
Bring to boiling and reduce heat.
Simmer, uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in cooked pasta, corn, 1 cup of the shredded cheese,
salsa and chili peppers place in lightly greased 2 qt casserole.
Package up, lable and freeze up to 3 months.
To Serve:
To serve the 2nd casserole, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Bake, covered in a 375F oven for 1 hour or until heated
through, stirring once about halfway through baking time.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese.
Top with lettuce and chopped tomato.
If desired, pass broken tortilla chips and dairy sour cream as
additional toppings.

Taco Stuffed Shells
Makes 12 servings.
2 pounds ground beef
2 envelopes taco seasoning mix
8 ounces cream cheese cubed
24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1/4 cup butter melted
Additional Ingredients for each casserole
1 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream
3 green onions chopped
In a skillet, cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Add taco
seasoning; prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese;
cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until melted. Transfer to a bowl
and chill for an hour. Cook pasta according to package directions;
drain. Gently toss with butter. Fill each shell with about 3 T. meat mixture.
Please 12 shells in a greased 9 in. square baking dish.
(Sometimes, I freeze them on a cookie sheet in individual servings – and
then transfer frozen shells into a gallon size freezer bag. Cover and freeze
for up to 3 months. To prepare remaining shells, spoon salsa into a
greased 9 in baking dish. Top with stuffed shells and taco sauce. Cover and
bake for 30 minutes at 350. Uncover, sprinkle with cheeses and chips.
Bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with sour cream
and onions.
To use Frozen shells: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours
(shells will be partially frozen.) Remove from dish. Add salsa to dish; top
with shells and taco sauce. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Uncover; continue as above.
Tater Tot Casserole
Makes 6 servings.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
1 can french cut green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 bag tater tots
Brown ground beef, drain. Cook with onion until onion is
transparent. Put onion/beef mixture into casserole dish.
Beans on top of beef. Spread cream soup on top of beans.
Top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken in BBQ
Makes 6 servings.
6 chicken breast halves
1 bottle bbq sauce
1/2 cup italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl mix 1/2 the
barbeque sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and
worcestshire sauce. Pour over chicken.
Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 on low. When
finished pour over the rest of the sauce.
9 points

Stuffed Peppers
Makes 4 servings.
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup rice
1 can tomato soup
1 can tomato paste
4 green pepper
Cook ground beef w/ onion. Combine all ingredients except
for pepper.
Cut top of pepper off, stuff with stuffing.
Bake in oven in 9x13 pan w/ little water, covered.
350 degrees, 1hr.

I am not sur eof which ones I have shared, but we are doing MORE cooking this weekend with a whole new grouping of recipes. I will be sharing those over the course of the next few weeks.
If you would have time, would you please keep us in your prayers? GOD is good and I have complete peace over this situation, but my husband does have some concerns. The company he works for is doing a 30% Lay Off on Monday. His job may be affected. GOD is ultimately in control of these things and will definitely provide our needs, but I ask that you would pray for those families involved, including ours. If my dear husband gets laid off next week, I may need to take a few days off of blogging... I will keep you updated.
1 Peter 1:6 (NKJV) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
I hope you have a nice weekend!
Chrissy D

Monday, January 12, 2009

ONCE A MONTH COOKING - RECIPES

Come back in a few hours for a stamping post!
As I wake up here this morning with my coffee, I thought I would share some more recipes. We have our Once a Month cooking coming up again. With the holildays and occassional eating out in between the past 45ish days, I still have some meals left in my freezer. So this week, I am trying to use up some of these meals so I have more room in my freezer!
We each threw a few recipes out for ideas and here is our menu for the month.

Baked Potato Soup
Makes 4 servings.
3 bacon strips diced
1 small onoin chopped
1 clove garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatos peeled and cubed
1 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
minced fresh parsley
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1
tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic
in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper;
mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2
minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat
through but do not boil. (Note: Freezes well at this point. Can
be put in crock pot and cook on low all day – no need to thaw
if frozen) Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Roast - we used the roast in the Garden Fresh Soup
Makes 8 servings.
2 pounds roast (shoulder is best)
1 package onion soup mix
1/3 cup red wine
1 can golden mushroom soup
Salt and pepper roast and brown. Then put in crock pot and
cook on low 6 hours. Save drippings and part of meat for
garden fresh soup.

Garden Fresh Soup
Makes 8 servings.
1 1/2 pounds roast cooked
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup carrot diced
1 cup celery chopped
1 potato diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 can kitchen sliced green beans
Add drippings from roast recipe
8 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves
1 can tomato sauce (medium can)
2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped
2/3 cup ditalini pasta
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients but not the pasta and simmer for 30
minutes. Then put in freezer containers and label. Save
pasta for day of cooking then cook them and add to soup.
Quick Cassoulet - this is one of our family favorites!
Makes 4 servings.
1 can Condensed Creamy Onion Soup
1 can tomato soup
1 cup water
16 ounces small white beans drained
3/4 pound kielbasa cut into 1/2" pieces
4 small potato washed and quartered
3 medium carrot cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
4 qt sauce pan, combine soup and water and mix, add
remaining
ingredients. Heat on medium heat to a boil. Reduce to low and
cover cook
20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Makes 4 servings.
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons sherry
1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pinch garlic powder
2 3/4 pound pork tenderloins
Place soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, dried onion, cinnamon,
olive oil and a touch of garlic powder in a large resealable
plastic bag. Seal and shake to mix. Place pork in bag with
marinade, seal and refrigerate for 6-12 hours.
Preheat grill for high heat.
Lightly oil grate. Place tenderloins on grill and discard
marinade. Cook 20 minutes or to desired doneness. Slice
into medallions and serve.

It's Chili, by George!
Makes 10 servings.
2 pounds ground beef
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (28 oz)
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can pinto beans drained
1 1/2 cups onion chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup chili powder
1 can tomato paste
1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over
medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef,
tomatos, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions,
bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black
pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then
reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a
slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.

Mary Pat's Chicken
Makes 6 servings.
6 chicken breast
1/2 pound bacon
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk or Marsala wine
salt to taste
parsley flakes
French fried onion rings (optional)
Slivered almonds (optional)
Roll chicken breasts and wrap in bacon. Mix together woup,
sour cream and milk or wine. Pour over chicken. Season
lightly with salt and parsley flakes. Bake at 275 uncovered for
3 hours. you can increase temp for faster baking. Sprinkle
with french fried onion rings or slivered almonds.

Shredded French Dip
Makes 8 servings.
3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast trimmed
1 can french onion soup (condensed)
1 can beef consomme
1 can beef broth
1 teaspoon beef bouillon grnaules
8 french or italian rolls split
Halve roast and place in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the
soup, consomme, broth and boullion; pour over the roast.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove meat and shred with two forks. Serve on rolls. Skim
fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganauf
Makes 4 servings.
1 pound beef stew meat
1 can golden mushroom soup
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 cup beef broth
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1/2 package onion soup mix
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, seasongins,
Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Cook on low setting for
8 hours, or on high for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese &
sour cream just before serving

Smothered Meatloaf
Makes 6 servings.
4 cups potatoes Obrien
1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 pounds ground pork
1 box Garlic Herb Shake and Bake
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 jar/can 4.5oz sliced mushrooms
1 egg
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 onion sliced thin
1 package fresh mushrooms sliced
Place potatoes in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, shake and
bake, onion soup mix, sliced mushrooms, and egg. Set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup Cheddar soup and
evaporated milk. Add to meat mixture. Using a wooden spoon
or clean hands mix thoroughly and form into a loaf. Place in
slow cooker on top of the potatoes. Make sure meatloaf does
not touch the sides of the slow cooker.
Stir together remaining cheddar soup with cream of mushroom
soup. Pour over meatloaf. Top with onions and mushrooms.
Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour. Reduce the
temperature to LOW setting and cook for an additional 5 to 6
hours.
A few people had questions for the Once a Month questions...
Someone asked about whether it would be better to cook on your own or with someone else. I have the largest family in our group with 6 members, every one else had 4 family members. For a few of our meals, there was only one serving for each person, unless our eldest was missing. However, I often make a garden salad, a side dish and maybe dinner rolls to help fill them up.
For several years, when cooking, I would multiply my recipes and freeze 3-4 dishes of whatever I made, so we would have dinner that night, and a few in the freezer. If you have people to cook with, it definitely makes it more fun and helps cultivate that friendship. If you do not have someone to cook with and you have young children, I would say when you cook a meal try multiplying it and freezing it to get started.
Enjoy! I will post more recipes for our Once a Month next week!
Don't forget today is MAIL CALL MONDAY! I will have a project by lunchtime. Today is the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps Design Team Challenges!
Have a great day!
Chrissy D

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

MORE RECIPES FROM ONCE A MONTH COOKING

I have had several people ask for some recipes from my Once a Month Cooking!


Cheeseburger Soup
Makes 8 servings.
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup onion chopped
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups potato peeled and diced
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces american cheese cubed
1/2 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
In pan brown beef, drain and set aside. In same sauce pan,
saute onions, carrots, celery, basil, parsley, and 1 tbsp butter
until vegetables are tender. Add broth, potatoes, and beef,
bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, simmer 10-12 minutes.
Meanwhile in small skillet, melt remaining butter, add flour,
cook and stir five minutes.
Add to soup, bring to boil, cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce
heat to low, add cheese, millk, salt and pepper.
Blend in sour cream at end.
8 points



Cajun Chicken Strips
Makes 4 servings.
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
In a large plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add
chicken, one half at a time. Shake to coat. In a large skillet,
cook chicken in butter 8-10 minutes or until done.
Serving suggestions:
Over lettuce or salad w/ salsa
Tacos
Roll-ups


Chicken & Corn Chowder
Makes 8 servings.
10 bacon slices chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3 medium onion chopped
2 cups red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
9 cups chicken broth
4 cups 1/2" cubed peeled seeded butter nut squash
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
2 16-oz bags frozen corn kernals
1 cup whipping cream
4 cups diced skinned roasted chicken
2 cups chopped green onions
1/2 cup plus 2T chopped fresh cilantro
Cook bacon in large pot over medium high heat until crisp.
Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from pot. Add butter to pot;
melt over medium-high heat. Add onions and 1 cup bell
peppers. Saute until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add
flour; stir 2 minutes. Mix in broth, then squash, potatoes, and
thyme; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer
uncovered until squash and potatoes are tender, about 12
minutes. Add bacon, corn, cream, and 1 cup bell peppers.
Simmer until corn is tender, about 10 minutes. ( Can be made
1 day ahead. Cool. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and
keep chilled. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Add chicken,
1cup green onions, and 1/2 cup cilantro; simmer 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Ladle chowder into bowls; sprinkle with remaining 1cup
green onions and 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Chicken A la King
Makes 7 servings.
1 can mushroom drained, save liquid
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
1 1/2 cups milk
4 chicken breast chopped
4 ounces chopped pimento
1. Cook and stir drained mushrooms and green pepper in
butter or margarine over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove
from heat.
2. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat,
stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in instant bouillon, milk, water, and reserved
mushroom liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and
stir for 1 minute.
4. Stir in chicken and pimiento. Heat through.


Chicken Pesto Paninis
Makes 4 servings.
1 foccacia bread, quartered
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup green pepper diced
1/4 cup red onion diced
1 cup monterey jack cheese
1. Preheat a panini grill.
2. Slice each quarter of focaccia bread in half horizontally.
Spread each half with pesto. Layer bottom halves with equal
amounts chicken, bell pepper, onion, and cheese. Top with
remaining focaccia halves, forming 4 sandwiches.
3. Grill paninis 5 minutes in the preheated grill, or until
focaccia bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Chicken Pot Pie
Makes 6 servings.
1 1/2 cups chicken cooked and chopped
1/2 cup carrot sliced
1/2 cup green beans
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
Combine all ingredients. Place in a freezer bag.
Cooking day: Place mixture inside pie crust. Place top crust on
pie. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

Chicken Tetrazzini
Makes 12 servings.
8 ounces spaghetti
1 1/4 cups onion finely chopped
3 tablespoons margerine
1 cup green bell pepper chopped
5 1/2 cups chicken cooked and chopped
4 cups monterey jack cheese grated
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 ounces milk (soup can full)
Break spaghetti in half and cook as directed on package until
al dente; drain. Saute onion in margerine. Thoroughly mix
onion and remaining ingredients with spaghetti in large bowl.
Put spaghetti mixture in 2 containers and freeze.
To prepare for serving, thaw tetrazzini and preheat oven to
350 degrees. Put mixture in a baking dish that has been
treated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake uncovered until
bubbly, about 30 to 40 minutes
10 points.

I will post more next week! More to be posted in an hour or so! Have a great day!
Chrissy D

Saturday, November 29, 2008

ONCE A MONTH COOKING!

HELLO! It is Saturday night and I just arrived home from cooking all day. 3 of my friends and I and my dd, Ariel cooked up a storm today. We made 120 meals total - 30 meals for each family to take home.
These are "MOST" (refrigerator items and a lot of meat not pictured!) of our groceries at the beginning of the day.






















Some people asked how this worked and this is how we work it out -























1. A few weeks before hand we pick a cooking date and select 30 recipes. This month's recipes include: Taco Stuffed Shells, Tater Tot Casserole, Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken inBBQ, Stuffed Peppers, Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff, Slow Cooker Chickenand DUmplings, Smothered Meatloaf, Stove Top BBQ Chicken, TacoSpaghetti, Lasagne, Marinated Pork tenderloin, Mary Pat's Chiecjen,Quick Cassoulet, Shredded French Dip, Sloppy Joes, Easy tunaCasserole, Fajitas, Roast, Garden Fresh Soup, Chili, Chicken a laKing, Chicken Pesto Paninis, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Tetrazzini,Crock Pot Saucy Pork Chops, Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad, BasicMeatballs, Beef Enchiladas, Cajun Chicken Strips, Cheeseburger Soup,Chicken & Corn Chowder.
2. We prepare the grocery list, breaking down amounts, etc.
3. watch for sales, and start shopping
4. A few days before, all of our husbands have a night out and do the BIG grocery shopping for things we need.
5. Each person does some prep work of chopping vegetables, cooking meat, etc. at home the day before cooking day.
This works great for Karen, she just had a baby six weeks ago. Doesn't she look great?
Melisa is so faithful. She ended up at the hospital at 2:30 a.m. with her mom, who is having health problems. Left the hospital around 6:30 to stop at home and come make meals with us. She is so faithful!





Ariel was such a trooper. She came to help us out since Karen and Betsy had to leave for a a few hours to attend a meeting.



Betsy is the FABULOUS host! She provided the home and helped organize this to make it all happen.
Here I am, looking kind of scary! LOL I did not sleep well, so just woke up showered and showed up to cook. By the end of the day, I had spaghetti sauce spilled all over my shirt!
COOKING DAY!!!! Bring all of your freezable cooking dishes, Ziploc bags, Ziploc containers etc., we are blessed because the SC Johnson Company (Johnson Wax) is here in Racine and they have an employee discount store for those wonderful freezer containers.

We start between 7:30-8 a.m. and cook and clean until we are finished. Each person takes a recipe and multiplies it as many times we have decided before hand.

This months groceries for our once a month cooking costed each family $218- AND we have 8 packages of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts and 4 turkeys (80 pounds) remaining to be cooked up for meals next month and several other groceries remaining! That means next months groceries will cost us less, because we will not need to buy any poultry.
Here are a few of our recipes... If you would like more, please let me know and I would be happy to share them.

Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad
Makes 6 servings.
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup chow mein noodles
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
chicken strips
Lettuce
Combine first 5 ingredients for dressing

Basic Meatballs
Makes 12 servings.
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup fresh parsley choped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 pinch nutmeg
1 cup beef broth
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup beef broth
3 egg
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds ground chuck
Combine meat with mixture, stir through rally with fork. Oven
at 450. Golf ball size meatballs. Don't touch. Bake for 25
minutes. Keep juices for sauce.

Beef Enchiladas
Makes 8 servings.
1 pound taco meat
1 can kidney beans
1 1/2 cups corn (canned or frozen)
1 can Rotel drained
1 can diced tomato drained
1 can sliced black olives
10 flour tortilla
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese
Combine first 6 ingredients, along with 1/2 cup cheese. Put
about 1/2 cup of mixture onto each tortilla, roll up and place
seam side down in a greased 9X13 inch pan. Put any
remaining mixture over the top, pour the enchilada sauce on it
and then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for
about 30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Bombers
Makes 6 servings.
Italian sausage
Onion
Green pepper
spaghetti sauce
Bomber buns
Brown sausage. Combine with onion, green pepper and
sauce, cook on low in slow cooker.

Cajun Chicken Strips
Makes 4 servings.
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
In a large plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients. Add
chicken, one half at a time. Shake to coat. In a large skillet,
cook chicken in butter 8-10 minutes or until done.
Serving suggestions:
Over lettuce or salad w/ salsa
Tacos
Roll-ups

Now, I have 30 meals for the month and will be able to take my meals out of the freezer to defrost the night before. It really helps save time and eliminates the process of WHAT to make for dinner every night. The other great thing about this is you can freeze them in sizes that suit your family.

If you have any other questions, please let me know. I am posting this when I am quite tired, so I can look this over and see if I am missing anything when I have more energy!
Have a great night!
Chrissy D