Wow, I cannot believe this is my 100th post! I knew it was coming, but now it is here! I do not have a big, fancy giveaway, but I do have a little, plain one for you. :) I am giving away a copy of Chicago Magazine, so please leave a comment before Monday and you will be entered to win! It will be very scientific, we'll be putting your names in a hat and my daughter will draw one. Good luck! And be sure to check back here to see if you won!
It is Friday so we are having pizza. Tonight we ordered a party-size pizza, half extra cheese and half pepperoni from LaVilla. As I (think) I have said before, LaVilla is a restaurant/pizzeria and also has a lovely banquet hall, which is where we had our wedding reception. My FiL got us a gift card to the restaurant for our anniversary, which I thought was very sweet of him (and apt!).
The goulash last night was really good, but a little overwhelming with the 3 bay leaves. Maybe I'll only use one next time. While I was eating it my daughter looked in my bowl and asked if it was chili. I told her "No, it's goulash". She wrinkled her nose with a confused look on her cute little face and said "I thought you wore those on your feet?". LOL
Happy eating!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Lemon Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting & Bobby's Goulash
Tomorrow my daughter is Star Of The Day at school and we have to bring the snack. We are supposed to bring healthy snacks, but because her birthday is on Sunday the teacher said I could bring homemade cupcakes! I had to check about the homemade part because at the public schools here you have to bring store-bought only. The only warning I got was that they could not contain any peanut product, so I thoroughly checked the boxes and I am safe. I am using Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme cake mix for the cupcakes and making the frosting myself. Here is the recipe I use:
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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 sticks butter, softened
1 - 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
With hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. SIFT the powdered sugar into the mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, beating well in between each addition.
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Sifting the powdered sugar will give you a nice smooth frosting. I also use food coloring to tint the frosting, usually pink since that is my daughters favorite color. I also have colorful flower shaped sprinkles and the cupcake liners have Disney Princesses on them. She is definitely a girly-girl! I make these every year for her birthday. I have a cool, chrome 3-tiered tray from the 1950's that I got from my great aunt's estate that I serve them on every year, but I won't be bringing that to school.
Dinner last night was leftovers. My husband didn't get home from work until 6:45pm and I was not in the mood to cook. Tonight I am going to make Bobby Deen's Goulash. My husband is going to have another long day at work, but this recipe can sit for awhile and still be good. I am only making half this recipe; it says it makes 8 servings and that is way too much for us.
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BOBBY DEEN'S GOULASH
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 lg. yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
2 - 15oz. cans tomato sauce
2 - 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Italian seasonings
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp. Paula Deen House Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder & pepper)
1 tbsp. Paula Deen Seasoned Salt (or your favorite brand)
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (or your favorite small noodle)
In a 6-quart Dutch oven, cook ground beef on medium-high heat until no pink remains, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a spoon. Drain off fat. Add onions and garlic to beef, and cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, House Seasoning, and Seasoned Salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir elbow mac into beef mixture and simmer on low, covered, for 25 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent macaroni from sticking.
Remove Dutch oven from heat. Discard bay leaves and allow beef mixture to sit about 30 minutes before serving.
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They suggest serving this with garlic bread and a tossed salad, which I will do, except I have garlic breadsticks. I will also be using little shells ILO the elbow mac. It's a bit warm here to be making such a hearty dish, but I have to use the ground beef. Last week, when I planned this meal, it was much cooler here. Oh well! I'll just crank up the AC - haha!
Happy eating!
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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
2 sticks butter, softened
1 - 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
With hand mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla. SIFT the powdered sugar into the mixture about 1/2 cup at a time, beating well in between each addition.
************************************************************************************
Sifting the powdered sugar will give you a nice smooth frosting. I also use food coloring to tint the frosting, usually pink since that is my daughters favorite color. I also have colorful flower shaped sprinkles and the cupcake liners have Disney Princesses on them. She is definitely a girly-girl! I make these every year for her birthday. I have a cool, chrome 3-tiered tray from the 1950's that I got from my great aunt's estate that I serve them on every year, but I won't be bringing that to school.
Dinner last night was leftovers. My husband didn't get home from work until 6:45pm and I was not in the mood to cook. Tonight I am going to make Bobby Deen's Goulash. My husband is going to have another long day at work, but this recipe can sit for awhile and still be good. I am only making half this recipe; it says it makes 8 servings and that is way too much for us.
************************************************************************************
BOBBY DEEN'S GOULASH
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 lg. yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups water
2 - 15oz. cans tomato sauce
2 - 14.5oz. cans diced tomatoes
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Italian seasonings
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp. Paula Deen House Seasoning (or 1/2 tsp. each garlic powder & pepper)
1 tbsp. Paula Deen Seasoned Salt (or your favorite brand)
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (or your favorite small noodle)
In a 6-quart Dutch oven, cook ground beef on medium-high heat until no pink remains, stirring occasionally and breaking up meat with a spoon. Drain off fat. Add onions and garlic to beef, and cook until onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
Stir in water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, House Seasoning, and Seasoned Salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir elbow mac into beef mixture and simmer on low, covered, for 25 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally to prevent macaroni from sticking.
Remove Dutch oven from heat. Discard bay leaves and allow beef mixture to sit about 30 minutes before serving.
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They suggest serving this with garlic bread and a tossed salad, which I will do, except I have garlic breadsticks. I will also be using little shells ILO the elbow mac. It's a bit warm here to be making such a hearty dish, but I have to use the ground beef. Last week, when I planned this meal, it was much cooler here. Oh well! I'll just crank up the AC - haha!
Happy eating!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Dirty Rice
Tonight's meal is going to be Dirty Rice. I do not make it from scratch, I use Zatarain's Dirty Rice mix and a pound of ground beef. First you brown the beef and drain off the fat, then add 2 1/2 cups of water and the rice/seasoning mix and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes. It is not a super-fast meal, but you can walk away from it while it is simmering to do other things. It is on the spicy side, but not too spicy. I am not a big fan of spicy - my mouth has a tolerable burn after eating a bowl of this stuff and it's perfect with a cold glass of milk.
Today was picture day at school and I hope the picture is nice. Sometimes my daughter does that 'robot smile', all kids have their own version of it, you know what I mean. It's more like they are trying to show you their teeth rather than a true smile. Anyway, she didn't have to wear her uniform for the picture, so I tried to pick a shirt that was not to 'busy' with stripes or a pattern, but that also went with a bottom that worked for the weather and the dress code. It was no small feat, but I found an acceptable yet cute ensemble and of course my daughter did not want to wear it. After cajoling then yelling then threatening, she finally put it on. >sigh< Thank goodness she has to wear a uniform 99% of the time!
Happy eating!
Today was picture day at school and I hope the picture is nice. Sometimes my daughter does that 'robot smile', all kids have their own version of it, you know what I mean. It's more like they are trying to show you their teeth rather than a true smile. Anyway, she didn't have to wear her uniform for the picture, so I tried to pick a shirt that was not to 'busy' with stripes or a pattern, but that also went with a bottom that worked for the weather and the dress code. It was no small feat, but I found an acceptable yet cute ensemble and of course my daughter did not want to wear it. After cajoling then yelling then threatening, she finally put it on. >sigh< Thank goodness she has to wear a uniform 99% of the time!
Happy eating!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Happy Labor Day Weekend
We have been enjoying a lovely long weekend and I hope that you have been doing the same! In fact, you are all having so much fun that you haven't noticed I haven't been posting, right? You are all too busy doing fun things outside that you haven't even turned on your computers! Ha ha!
Friday night we had pizza as usual. We had another Tombstone Garlic Bread cheese pizza; I really love those. I threw on some extra shredded cheddar and it was delicious. Even my picky daughter who will usually only eat pizzeria pizza will eat this one.
Saturday we got up and out early and went down to Lincoln Park and just strolled around. We went to a toy store and picked out some things for our daughters birthday. They won't be a 'surprise', but she doesn't care. Then we stopped in Starbucks for coffee and croissants. We wandered around a little more and admired the architecture, and then hopped in the car and drove over to Wicker Park where we let our daughter run around and play. Then it was back in the car for a trip up to the northern suburbs where we had lunch at Al's Beef. I found out that they are discontinuing their subs, but will still do the veggie sub since they still have all those ingredients - yea!. Then we went to Menard's for home project supplies and checked out all the fun Halloween decor that they have set up (already). We also got a new swing and a set of rings to hang from the backyard tree for our daughter.
On Sunday I got some work done around the house upstairs, while my husband got some projects done in the basement. Then we went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays; I had the top sirloin with broccoli and mashed potatoes and salad bar - yum! I also had the strawberry lemonade, but it was very tart - I won't order it again. My daughter ordered the grilled cheese and it was made with hamburger buns - very disappointing. Can't they even use real bread for cryin' out loud? It just seemed very cheap to me. My husband had a burger and salad bar and was very happy with it. When we got home our daughter played outside on her new swing and rings until it was dark.
This morning I let my husband sleep late and I kept our kid occupied with coloring, breakfast, and a new TV show on PBS called Dinosaur Train. Then our neighbor J. called and asked if our kid could come over and play with her kid for an hour or so. Woo-hoo! The husband and I spent some quality time together! The rest of the day was spent being lazy. For dinner I made Cajun Chicken Sandwiches, which are just chicken breasts sprinkled with Cajun seasoning and cooked in a skillet. I served them with sliced onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo on french bread. I meant to make a cold pasta salad to go with it, but I forgot. My daughter, who loves spicy things, even ate the chicken - cut up in pieces, not in a sandwich. Her top two front teeth are loose and can be painful when she bites into things, like sandwiches.
Now I am finally posting and plan to check all the blogs I read and check some other websites while enjoying a glass of wine! It was a great weekend, but I look forward to getting back to our routine. I hope you all had wonderful long holiday weekends too!
Happy eating!
Friday night we had pizza as usual. We had another Tombstone Garlic Bread cheese pizza; I really love those. I threw on some extra shredded cheddar and it was delicious. Even my picky daughter who will usually only eat pizzeria pizza will eat this one.
Saturday we got up and out early and went down to Lincoln Park and just strolled around. We went to a toy store and picked out some things for our daughters birthday. They won't be a 'surprise', but she doesn't care. Then we stopped in Starbucks for coffee and croissants. We wandered around a little more and admired the architecture, and then hopped in the car and drove over to Wicker Park where we let our daughter run around and play. Then it was back in the car for a trip up to the northern suburbs where we had lunch at Al's Beef. I found out that they are discontinuing their subs, but will still do the veggie sub since they still have all those ingredients - yea!. Then we went to Menard's for home project supplies and checked out all the fun Halloween decor that they have set up (already). We also got a new swing and a set of rings to hang from the backyard tree for our daughter.
On Sunday I got some work done around the house upstairs, while my husband got some projects done in the basement. Then we went to dinner at Ruby Tuesdays; I had the top sirloin with broccoli and mashed potatoes and salad bar - yum! I also had the strawberry lemonade, but it was very tart - I won't order it again. My daughter ordered the grilled cheese and it was made with hamburger buns - very disappointing. Can't they even use real bread for cryin' out loud? It just seemed very cheap to me. My husband had a burger and salad bar and was very happy with it. When we got home our daughter played outside on her new swing and rings until it was dark.
This morning I let my husband sleep late and I kept our kid occupied with coloring, breakfast, and a new TV show on PBS called Dinosaur Train. Then our neighbor J. called and asked if our kid could come over and play with her kid for an hour or so. Woo-hoo! The husband and I spent some quality time together! The rest of the day was spent being lazy. For dinner I made Cajun Chicken Sandwiches, which are just chicken breasts sprinkled with Cajun seasoning and cooked in a skillet. I served them with sliced onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo on french bread. I meant to make a cold pasta salad to go with it, but I forgot. My daughter, who loves spicy things, even ate the chicken - cut up in pieces, not in a sandwich. Her top two front teeth are loose and can be painful when she bites into things, like sandwiches.
Now I am finally posting and plan to check all the blogs I read and check some other websites while enjoying a glass of wine! It was a great weekend, but I look forward to getting back to our routine. I hope you all had wonderful long holiday weekends too!
Happy eating!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Thank You
Thank you all so much for the anniversary wishes - you are too sweet! My wonderful husband brought me chocolate and roses and a silly sweet card. Smart man! He also got me a book full of Mom-isms like "No means no!" and "This hurts me more than it hurts you" with little explanations of each -ism and it is pretty funny, I laughed out loud more than once.
He also said "let's order a pizza, you shouldn't have to cook", so needless to say the meatloaf didn't get made. However it will be made tonight.
Happy eating!
He also said "let's order a pizza, you shouldn't have to cook", so needless to say the meatloaf didn't get made. However it will be made tonight.
Happy eating!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
Since Lissaloo voted for Cheeseburger Meatloaf and I actually remembered to defrost the meat and it is another of my husbands favorite meals and it is our 8th wedding anniversary... I will make Cheeseburger Meatloaf tonight! I would also like to send a big Happy Birthday to my wonderful neighbor J.!
This meatloaf recipe comes from Paula Deen over at the Food Network and comes with a sauce, but I never make the sauce. I just spread about 1/4 cup ketchup over the meatloaf before baking and call it done.
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CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. garlic pepper salt seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 slices bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together, except bread slices. Shape into a loaf. Line a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan with the bread slices, place the meatloaf on top. Bake for 45 minutes. The bread absorbs the grease and should be discarded after loaf is removed from oven.
SAUCE
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
chopped onions, optional
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Heat the soup and milk over medium heat; add the cheese. Add the chopped onion and parsley to the sauce, if desired. Pour sauce over the meatloaf or pass at the table.
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I really like this recipe better than the Lipton Onion Soup one, which I used to make. First of all, it is smaller using only 1 lb. of meat, second it doesn't have the overpowering onion flavor, and third it has a nice crunch from the onion and green pepper. I will serve this with mashed potatoes and a salad.
Happy eating!
This meatloaf recipe comes from Paula Deen over at the Food Network and comes with a sauce, but I never make the sauce. I just spread about 1/4 cup ketchup over the meatloaf before baking and call it done.
*************************************************************************************
CHEESEBURGER MEATLOAF
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. garlic pepper salt seasoning
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup crushed crackers (recommended: Ritz)
1 tsp. seasoned salt
2 slices bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together, except bread slices. Shape into a loaf. Line a 1 1/2 quart loaf pan with the bread slices, place the meatloaf on top. Bake for 45 minutes. The bread absorbs the grease and should be discarded after loaf is removed from oven.
SAUCE
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
chopped onions, optional
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Heat the soup and milk over medium heat; add the cheese. Add the chopped onion and parsley to the sauce, if desired. Pour sauce over the meatloaf or pass at the table.
************************************************************************************
I really like this recipe better than the Lipton Onion Soup one, which I used to make. First of all, it is smaller using only 1 lb. of meat, second it doesn't have the overpowering onion flavor, and third it has a nice crunch from the onion and green pepper. I will serve this with mashed potatoes and a salad.
Happy eating!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Cheesy Hamburger Hash
This is one of my husband's favorite meals; I really like it too. I posted this recipe once before and you can find it here. I am looking forward to the fall weather and trying new recipes for casseroles and stews and cookies and pies. Lately I have been doing the same old thing and simply adding links to the originally posted recipe. It feels like cheating! Tomorrow's recipe will be new, I promise. Either Cheeseburger Meatloaf or Blackened Chicken Sandwiches.
My daughter was feeling better today and went to school, but she has come home very grouchy! She said she wasn't hungry, but I am forcing her to eat lunch now and hopefully that will help. I have to get her birthday party invites into the mail tomorrow - she will be 6 soon! Our dear friend T. is loaning us her bouncy castle for the party so I am praying for nice weather. I don't care if it's chilly as long as it doesn't rain.
My computer was acting up earlier; it kept crashing while I was trying to download First Day Of School photos to my Facebook page. Thank goodness it is behaving now - gotta get my blogging done! haha! I was thinking of doing my own 5 year Timeline at the suggestion of This Stop Willoughby; a few others have done theirs and it is a great idea. But as I was writing out a rough draft on paper I realized that a lot of sad things have happened in my life exactly 5 years apart and I really don't want to depress you all, so maybe I'll wait until next year to start it. :)
Happy eating!
My daughter was feeling better today and went to school, but she has come home very grouchy! She said she wasn't hungry, but I am forcing her to eat lunch now and hopefully that will help. I have to get her birthday party invites into the mail tomorrow - she will be 6 soon! Our dear friend T. is loaning us her bouncy castle for the party so I am praying for nice weather. I don't care if it's chilly as long as it doesn't rain.
My computer was acting up earlier; it kept crashing while I was trying to download First Day Of School photos to my Facebook page. Thank goodness it is behaving now - gotta get my blogging done! haha! I was thinking of doing my own 5 year Timeline at the suggestion of This Stop Willoughby; a few others have done theirs and it is a great idea. But as I was writing out a rough draft on paper I realized that a lot of sad things have happened in my life exactly 5 years apart and I really don't want to depress you all, so maybe I'll wait until next year to start it. :)
Happy eating!
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