tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65084573159255802602024-02-19T01:24:25.758-08:00I ♥ OAMCOne girl's adventures with Once-A-Month-Cooking.Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-87080485518997687842012-10-15T14:32:00.000-07:002012-10-15T14:32:25.900-07:00Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I found this recipe over at <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/01/peperoncini-beef-sandwiches-slow-cooker.html" target="_blank">Crockpot365</a>, and Stephanie really nailed it with this one. Oh.my.goodness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you are looking for a seriously flavorful and ridiculously easy entree to bring to a tailgate, pot luck, or just to eat with your family, look no further!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This recipe is one of my favorites for both of those reasons. It is bursting with flavor and requires all of 2 ingredients. YES! It really doesn't get much easier.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It is a great OAMC candidate because it's so simple. One of those that you toss into the bag and forget about until you decide to cook it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And when you DO choose to make it, be prepared for some tantalizing, aromatic smells coming from your crockpot. If you're like me, it will take a considerable amount of self-control to wait the full 8 hours to dig in to this one. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2-2.5 lb chuck roast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 (12-16 oz.) jar banana pepper or pepperoncini rings</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For Today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Trim fat off of roast. Place roast in crockpot. Pour contents of jar over the roast. Cook on low 8 hours. (You probably could cook it on high for about half the time, but for tender, juicy, fall-apart meat, slow and low is the winning combination)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Shred meat with two forks. Serve over crusty Italian bread, top with your choice of white cheese (mozzarella, provolone, swiss, pepper jack, whatever you like!... but only if you want to...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*I like to pour a little of the flavorful juice over the meat too. Some people don't like soggy sandwiches and I totally get that, but if you want extra flavor, give it a try!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">**Also, to melt the cheese and make the bread extra crispy, you can broil it in the oven for a minute or two. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the Freezer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Trim fat off of roast and place in gallon-size freezer bag. Pour contents of jar over roast, seal bag and place in freezer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Place frozen contents of bag in crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred with 2 forks and serve as called for above.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So easy and SO good! I love it! It may be that I've been on a banana pepper kick lately, but still... Try it, it'll be worth it!</span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-41618998566652222272012-10-11T18:41:00.001-07:002012-10-11T18:44:51.421-07:00Cheesy Chicken and Rotini<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<img alt="Cheesy Chicken and Rotini Casserole" height="300" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/80c2293d-a855-4bfd-9d6d-3fecac5cf37e.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Soo... this picture is courtesy of BettyCrocker.com. If you haven't noticed yet, I'm not super great with a camera. I'm hoping I'll get better... we'll see. :)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you feel the need to break up the OAMC rotation with some non-crockpot meals, this little recipe just might come in handy. It comes together quickly with a frozen mix of veggies and precooked chicken. This casserole is nice and light, the perfect Summertime pasta dish... I realize Summer is officially over, I'm just trying to appropriately convey the level of richness of this meal. :) So yes, it is a pasta, but it's not one of those where you feel like you might need to loosen your belt after eating it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The flavor is fresh! Especially with those delicious Roma tomato wedges on top.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Quick, light and fresh - I know I'm not the only person who finds those qualities attractive! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here goes:</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheesy-chicken-and-rotini-casserole/8cc6d6ad-eb85-40f8-a8dd-a07317d18a36?src=SH" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cheesy Chicken and Rotini</span></a></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8 oz cooked rotini pasta</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 cups cooked chicken</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup frozen onions, celery, bell pepper and parsley seasoning blend. (I have a hard time finding this sometimes. The brand is Pictsweet, but not everybody carries it... so you may substitute it with another veggie/seasoning blend. I think I've tried it with a gumbo mix and it worked out pretty well!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 can cream of chicken soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 Roma tomatoes cut into 6 wedges each</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 green onions, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup cheddar cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For Today:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Remove from oven, top with tomatoes, onions and cheese and return to oven for a few minutes, just until the cheese is melty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the Freezer:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Combine first 5 ingredients in 8x8 foil pan. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil and place in freezer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*As for the remaining ingredients, usually I'll put the cheese in a small bag and duct tape it to the top of the pan, just so I know I have it on hand when I decide to make this dish. However, I've never tried freezing the green onions or tomatoes, so I can't recommend it. You may just need to have a note on your recipe list to have those items handy when you want to use this particular freezer meal. It may seem like a hassle, but the tomatoes really make this dish...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Allow the casserole to thaw in your fridge overnight, or on the counter for a few hours. The cooking time and temperature should be the same as above - 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, then add the tomatoes, onions and cheese and return to the oven for a few more minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I like to serve it with my go-to <a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/easy-yummy-bread.html" target="_blank">Italian bread</a> recipe... YUM!</span></div>
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-68221848824840994172012-10-10T05:33:00.000-07:002012-10-10T05:33:00.542-07:00October Cook<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I really enjoy cooking with friends, so we've got a pretty good little group going... BUT... we all go through our meals at different rates. 16 meals lasts my family about a month, but it tends to last my cooking buddies 2 months. So we cook as a group every other month and I do a little cook on my own in between.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With company coming to town right as my freezer meals ran out, I didn't have much time to put into planning for my individual cook, so I reverted to a lot of family favorites and just doubled up on several of them. They almost all ended up being crockpot meals, which stinks when it comes to washing your crockpot every other day, but really awesome in regards to the cooking day - you really just throw everything into their bags and then you're finished!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So here's my list of recipes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cheesy Potato Soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salsa, Chicken and Black Bean Soup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/surprise.html" target="_blank">Red Beans and Rice</a> (2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Chicken Chili</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Creamy Chicken and Broccoli (2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Crockpot Ravioli Casserole (2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/lazy-chicken.html" target="_blank">Lazy BBQ Chicken</a> (2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">BBQ Pulled Pork</span><br />
<a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/honey-garlic-chicken.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honey Garlic Chicken</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">World's Best Chicken (2)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited about the change of seasons and the addition of soups and chili to my recipe list! Yay for Fall!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, with not a lot of time to prepare myself for this cook, I literally threw together my recipe and ingredient lists within an hour and headed out to the grocery store with my 6-month-old in tow. I wouldn't normally recommend doing that, but it really wasn't so bad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Also being rushed to do my monthly cooking, I hadn't put a day aside to do it all, so I broke it up a little bit. I planned and shopped on Tuesday afternoon/evening. Wednesday morning, with the 2 year old eating his cereal in the high chair, and the baby taking a little morning nap, I labeled all of my bags then cut up all the chicken and sorted it into the appropriate places. At that time I also poured the BBQ sauce in with the lazy chicken recipes and threw those in the freezer. That was all I had time for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I picked up from there at nap time. I cooked the ground beef for ravioli casserole and chopped the sausage for red beans and rice. I assembled those and threw them in the freezer. Then worked on the Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches and BBQ Pulled Pork. Sliced off fat, added one or two ingredients to each of those, then put them in the freezer. (This part really moved quickly! I LOVE crockpot freezer meals!!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">From there I worked on some of the chicken meals, doing what I could before the baby woke up. I managed to get Honey Garlic Chicken and World's Best Chicken put together and in the freezer, leaving just 4 more recipes to throw together the next morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That is a busy mom's poorly planned variation of OAMC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">AND just to sweeten this post a little bit AND to celebrate Fall, I'd like to throw in a souper (haha - lame, I know, but I couldn't resist...) recipe!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salsa, Chicken and Black Bean Soup</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now I hope you didn't just get disappointed. I tried this recipe on a whim. Normally I don't think it's something I'd be interested in... at all, but I knew my husband loved black bean soup from his teenage years working in a Mexican/Cuban restaurant, and the rest of the ingredients sounded pretty good, AND it looked way easy... so naturally, I decided to try it out. And it was delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lRvnW_G9O2JnFRXqyFd-vRmsQHkvLb2kW0sKhQNbA75WC7wNMNjBxkYa871_sdV38MkD1lc5_XiRu3XZH1g8NZG7R237LtAz-bWQTAptuob1RwY_maubZ2pQYtnhaPMbnZB1vm5Dg2p3/s400/IMG_0348.JPG" width="400" /></span></h4>
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<a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/salsa-chicken-and-black-bean-soup.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Salsa, Chicken and Black Bean Soup</span></a></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup dry black beans (or 2 15 oz cans, rinsed and drained)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4 cups chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup frozen corn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 16 oz jar prepared salsa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp cumin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 cup sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">shredded cheese, avocado slices, etc...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To Prepare Today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*If you are using dry black beans, you'll need to soak them overnight in enough water to cover them plus 2 more inches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Drain and rinse the black beans and place them in the crockpot. Add chicken, chicken broth, salsa, corn and cumin. Stir ingredients without moving the beans - they need to stay where it's hottest. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-5 hours. If you want it to be thicker, use an immersible blender to mash up some of those beans (or be like me and just mash them with a spoon!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Mix in sour cream before serving. Garnish with desired ingredients.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To Freeze:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*Use canned black beans, rinsed and drained.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Place first 7 ingredients in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Freeze.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Empty bag into crockpot. Cook on low 8 hours or on high 5 hours. Mash beans for a thicker broth. Stir in sour cream before serving. Garnish as desired!</span></div>
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-35065713538370437432012-10-08T07:00:00.000-07:002012-10-08T07:00:07.392-07:00Creamy Chicken and Broccoli<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ok, so in our cooking group all of us have our favorite OAMC meals, and while mine switches up every now and then, it is usually <a href="http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=634" target="_blank">Creamy Chicken and Broccoli</a>.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmbOxhyphenhyphenG0ySGznFMB9KsRhzFdSmkQrKsEGtezKtCpVr0ukHS5X82acBPxBwINgW986hF865k-sWEeKliN_zrvYF0kJtMp9i4yXpLnnRTSz0v-cObmrQheQtW6T55FDLUWiIUrPpFPKyYh/s1600/creamy+chicken+and+broccoli.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmbOxhyphenhyphenG0ySGznFMB9KsRhzFdSmkQrKsEGtezKtCpVr0ukHS5X82acBPxBwINgW986hF865k-sWEeKliN_zrvYF0kJtMp9i4yXpLnnRTSz0v-cObmrQheQtW6T55FDLUWiIUrPpFPKyYh/s320/creamy+chicken+and+broccoli.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cheesy and delicious... This dish seriously has "comfort food" written alllllll over it! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This recipe was a fabulous Pinterest find that I just HAD to try! And when it turned out to be delicious... I decided to give it a go as a freezer meal. And it worked! You seriously wouldn't even know it was frozen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In fact, I made it for a friend and her family this past week and they LOVED it! So much so that she even asked for the recipe (that's the real test - whether or not they ask for the recipe...). YES! Little did they know that that particular meal had been in my freezer for just about a month. Hooray for freezer meals!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With no more ado, here's this wonderful little recipe -</span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Creamy Chicken and Broccoli</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">10 3/4 oz. can cheddar cheese soup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">14 oz. can chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp. salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. Cajun seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp. garlic salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">6 cups frozen broccoli (florets or cuts, it's up to you!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 cup shredded cheddar cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For Today: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. place chicken breasts in the crockpot. Combine soups and broth and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with seasonings and cook on low 6 hours, or on high 3 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. With 30 minutes left in cooking time, use 2 forks to shred the chicken breasts. Stir in the broccoli and sour cream. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the Freezer:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Place chicken breasts in gallon-size freezer bag. Pour in soups and broth. Sprinkle on seasonings. Measure 1 cup of shredded cheese into a quart-size freezer bag. Use duct tape, or some other means to hold the cheese and broccoli to the main bag. (see picture!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. Place frozen contents or main bag into crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours, high for 3-5 hours. With 30 minutes left, shred the chicken and add sour cream and broccoli. Serve over steamed rice and sprinkle with cheese.</span></div>
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Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-42832707441266054992012-10-06T07:38:00.000-07:002012-10-06T07:40:56.710-07:00The Second P.<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Prep Work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This "P" always turns out to be more involved and more time consuming than I anticipate. This is where I REALLY get my cooking game plan all figured out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At some point after getting home from shopping and putting all of the cold stuff away, I pull out my little list of recipes and write a different list. This time I'm going through and looking at which recipes call for cooked chicken, chicken pieces, full chicken breasts, cooked ground beef, sliced beef, raw beef, chopped veggies, you get the idea... Basically, making a list of everything that needs to be done before I can start assembling the meals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cooked chicken is usually where I start. I throw as much of it as possible into the crockpot and let it do it's thing on high for 4 hours. [You can boil yours if you prefer, I just love my crockpot, as I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before... ;)] Then I shred it, put it in some sort of container, throw a sticky label on it, letting me know which recipe it's intended for, and put it in the fridge. Then, if needed, I'll get another batch of chicken going.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After throwing the initial batch of chicken in, I'll print out my handy dandy labels and slap on the ones that will be used with recipes that are stored in freezer bags. The labels that are for casseroles, or other recipes that are prepared in foil pans won't go on until after the fact.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since I'm working with the chicken already, I'll work on slicing off the fat, cutting it up for various recipes and portioning it out, putting the right amounts in their various bags. Sometimes this prep work only requires cutting the fat off of a chicken breast and putting it in its appropriate bag, sometimes I have to do a bit more cutting, depending on the recipe, but it's not too bad.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbHwIcusC_wQtt-dSKa0ZUvxVNH_82W8ad_CKuic-gBnBsqDDV8VmkMB6JjKBjBwhDhdFuCv2qTIghB-w82B1B7C1K_MoLikjagy4yzVwtbJycu0xFEaaWK0sMAu_T_mBA-0DZjRG6gk3/s1600/IMG_0530%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHbHwIcusC_wQtt-dSKa0ZUvxVNH_82W8ad_CKuic-gBnBsqDDV8VmkMB6JjKBjBwhDhdFuCv2qTIghB-w82B1B7C1K_MoLikjagy4yzVwtbJycu0xFEaaWK0sMAu_T_mBA-0DZjRG6gk3/s320/IMG_0530%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All of the chicken recipes, after cutting it up and portioning into the appropriate bags <br />*Note: This was for a cook that I was doing just for my own family. I didn't use labels this time, so disregard the sloppy handwriting</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFIJN992704LdcNXFND2-pKl5nwjyqaDbF0ZU-9coEgWEbFQUiQn8kDDRHacUOgB5XXSWZPROiBmlq-VE1tqdH_bA3V3RHzCBiAcOjHW86Q6KvYe47hVs_RB8t0cmyC5Zcf6bPKjOUYcZ/s1600/IMG_0532%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFIJN992704LdcNXFND2-pKl5nwjyqaDbF0ZU-9coEgWEbFQUiQn8kDDRHacUOgB5XXSWZPROiBmlq-VE1tqdH_bA3V3RHzCBiAcOjHW86Q6KvYe47hVs_RB8t0cmyC5Zcf6bPKjOUYcZ/s320/IMG_0532%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I usually cut the BBQ chicken into similar portion-sized pieces so they'll all cook at about the same rate.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4DXEzpecWUrRIrGbY6v9j4RTcVUSKrNqq94WKuVm04WHNqOOiOpVbk8uLbQ4BzsBJYzYav7OXP8kiG4jiaNLRlpcZ3UFOro3RZsBlojF4oeJSkAdRKiWqEoEqGX8Y3fAd3-W0IhV77E3/s1600/IMG_0533%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4DXEzpecWUrRIrGbY6v9j4RTcVUSKrNqq94WKuVm04WHNqOOiOpVbk8uLbQ4BzsBJYzYav7OXP8kiG4jiaNLRlpcZ3UFOro3RZsBlojF4oeJSkAdRKiWqEoEqGX8Y3fAd3-W0IhV77E3/s320/IMG_0533%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is an example of a recipe where I simply cut off the fat and set the chicken into it's bag.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">*I almost always have a little bit of chicken left over. I buy the 5-6 lb packages that you find at Sam's or Wal Mart and I tend to overestimate - better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, when I do have leftovers, I portion it out into 1 lb increments, dice it up and wrap it in tinfoil. I write "Chicken" and the date on it and put it in the freezer... and voila! Pair that with a box of Velveeta Cheesy Skillets (or chicken helper, or a stir fry, etc...) and you've got another freezer meal! Yes!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once the chicken is done, I'll clean up and move on to the next meat. I'll cook what needs to be cooked and then label it and put it in the fridge to use when I'm ready to assemble the rest of the meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For the meats that don't need to be cooked, I'll slice off fat, cut it up as the recipes call for, and place them in their bags, just as I did with the chicken.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once all the meats are done I move on to vegetables. Usually this doesn't take too long. I tend to buy the frozen, chopped veggies to save myself time. Who really wants to bawl their eyes out cutting up onions? Not me... so I buy LOTS of frozen, chopped onions. The bags cost $1 at Kroger and I think that's totally a worthwhile investment. I also buy frozen, chopped celery if I can, and sliced peppers and onions for crockpot fajitas, etc...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Occasionally I'll have potatoes to cut up, but I try to keep them to a minimum - potatoes don't freeze particularly well. FYI</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once all of that is done, if you still have any energy left, you may want to organize your plethora of ingredients into little piles based on the recipe you'll be using them for. This isn't really necessary, but if you can't handle the huge pile of dry goods hanging out in your kitchen, it may ease your mind to have some sense of order. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And one final note - if you are cooking as a group, you'll probably want to divide recipes evenly and have things set up in little stations for each group member. That tends to make things run a bit more smoothly, with less confusion and people bumping into each other as you put everything together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OK.... So, this P was pretty involved, but basically you're:</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">1. Cutting, cooking and portioning out the meats as needed for recipes.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2. Applying labels and organizing freezer bags and meats for quick use the next day.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Cutting up vegetables, if needed.</span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">4. Organizing the various other ingredients as needed.</span></h4>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">[Doesn't sound too complicated when you look at it like that, eh? ;)]</span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-16457085300680737812012-09-27T05:40:00.000-07:002012-10-11T18:48:03.829-07:00Pesto Chicken Penne<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/77/25/772515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/77/25/772515.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that delicious, crispy spinach! Throw in some cheese, tomatoes and a creamy alfredo-pesto sauce, and I'm SURE you'll find some excuse to make this sometime soon. :)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You know what I said about overlapping ingredients? Well, I really like to do that. So every time I decide to do a cook that involves Spinach Pesto Manicotti, it has to include Pesto Chicken Penne as well - they both use about half of a 7.5 oz bottle of pesto, so that keeps things much easier for me. I know that I'll need 1 full bottle of pesto, rather than storing a half-used bottle in my fridge and waiting for another opportunity to use it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The original recipe comes from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pesto-chicken-penne-casserole/detail.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>, but the proportions are ALL KINDS of crazy. So I have made a lot of modifications and have finally tweaked it into a recipe that our family enjoys. It's one of those recipes that sneaks in some vegetables - YES!! :) Yummy spinach...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pesto Chicken Penne</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 cup bread crumbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1/4 cup parmesan cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 TBSP Olive Oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8 oz cooked penne pasta</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 cups cooked chicken (I always use shredded)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 cups Italian blend cheese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2 cups baby spinach leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">15 oz can diced tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4 oz prepared pesto sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">7.5 oz prepared alfredo sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3/4 cup milk</span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and olive oil in a small bowl, just until moistened. Set aside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain Well.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Combine chicken, Italian cheese blend, spinach, tomatoes, pesto sauce, alfredo sauce and milk in a bowl. Add pasta, when done, and spoon mixture into baking pan. Top with bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>To prepare immediately:</b> Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>To freeze:</b> use foil pan, and double wrap the top with tinfoil. Place in freezer. When you decide to cook it, allow PLENTY of time to thaw. I recommend putting it in your fridge the night before, then moving it to your kitchen counter a few hours before you plan to bake it, just to be sure it's not a solid brick of food. Baking times will still vary. Bake at 350 for at least 45 minutes, it may take a bit longer, though.</span><br />
<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-53352177408041955042012-09-25T06:50:00.000-07:002012-09-25T06:50:00.314-07:00Rocky Road Cookies<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, ok... I know my blog is supposed to be about once a month cooking, but as much as I love my crockpot and the ease of freezing all of our meals... baking is still my favorite thing to do in the kitcen. :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have the biggest sweet tooth of anyone that I know and I've been able to deal with that by baking fabulous desserts... for myself! hahaha yes, I probably should weigh 300 lbs, but for some magical reason I don't. Yet. Maybe in a few years... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, I have recently become a licensed real estate agent. What does that have to do with baking, you ask? Well... I've decided to incorporate my love for sweets with my new career path. What?! So, in my ambitious efforts to find leads and get my first listings I decided to bake cookies for prospective clients. My DH and I searched for the perfect recipients (8 households, to be exact), then I baked the cookies, made them look cute and set off on my adventure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now the cookie recipe I chose had to be amazing - I'm trying to persuade people to entrust the biggest asset that they own to my care. And THIS recipe is the one that I chose. Just look at them... </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZgPB0E8eA04PBSm_hiczrfS2y5w4XsLfImnSlTG4YfAEufWP9MMUKjYQnLK89bvIgrwVo7shBusjXF8sYAZbKnpDYSk76ZyohmWewquc0B-iflrvANQgIiOhuo3OLVbsZIh4Tj6brH_Q/s1600/IMG_0472%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAZgPB0E8eA04PBSm_hiczrfS2y5w4XsLfImnSlTG4YfAEufWP9MMUKjYQnLK89bvIgrwVo7shBusjXF8sYAZbKnpDYSk76ZyohmWewquc0B-iflrvANQgIiOhuo3OLVbsZIh4Tj6brH_Q/s320/IMG_0472%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mmmm... those gooey, melty marshmallows. That crispy, chocolatey outside paired with the warm and rich center. Yes, these may throw others into a diabetic coma, but for those of us with sugar constantly coursing through our veins, they are a fabulous little chocolate fix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And get this - they are gluten free! Yeah! And easy! This recipe is a winner all across the board! Go ahead, give them a try. You KNOW you want to. :)</span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ooey, Gooey Rocky Road Cookies (isn't that the most perfect name for them?)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 cups powdered sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 large egg whites</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 TBSP vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.5 oz toasted sliced almonds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">mini marshmallows</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (or use silpat). In a large bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in the salt. Add egg whites and vanilla and whisk until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and the almonds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**How easy is that? No waiting for butter to soften... no need to cream the butter and sugar... no need to get your mixer dirty... lol being impatient about my sweets, this is a perfect recipe for when I'm craving chocolate RIGHT NOW. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Use a tablespoon to portion cookie dough onto baking sheets. Top with desired number of marshmallows - I used 3-4, next time I'll probably do 5. :) Also, waiting until this point to add the marshmallows keeps them from becoming a transparent, goopy mess. I've used mini marshmallows in another cookie recipe (that I'll have to share later!) and when mixed into the cookie dough, they always just completely melted onto the tray. While they were still totally delicious, they were terribly messy and a pain to clean off of the cookie sheets - this is a MUCH better method!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the marshmallows are a beautiful golden-brown. Let them set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy them with a cold glass of milk. It'll be heaven!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDYiNsXdUSSuy0ZpAGcBiV97hNYIotU4UHX3YJmHA8o-nDV5f9gkLdgt5bbS41CSMbEcvBOGDH1OwN7p1PozXnB_XECH3TBHxSrckOErEwK5jccMGQfWErbVjqOeqRFvs3Q0-EHMyiPVN/s1600/cookies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCDYiNsXdUSSuy0ZpAGcBiV97hNYIotU4UHX3YJmHA8o-nDV5f9gkLdgt5bbS41CSMbEcvBOGDH1OwN7p1PozXnB_XECH3TBHxSrckOErEwK5jccMGQfWErbVjqOeqRFvs3Q0-EHMyiPVN/s200/cookies.png" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And THAT is my kind of marketing. :) Surely someone will take me up on such a sweet deal, right?!</span></div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-11050732702873840342012-09-24T05:37:00.000-07:002012-10-11T18:47:10.886-07:00The 3 P's of OAMC<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, I started writing a post about the ENTIRE OAMC experience... but decided it was way, way, WAY too long! I mentioned it to Chris, my DH, and he suggested that I break it up into 3 segments. So obvious, right? But he even named them for me! Planning, Prep Work and Process. And the 3 P's of OAMC are born! Thanks, Chris!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Logically, this post is going to be about the first P - Planning. This mostly consists of finding recipes and making a shopping list, with just a couple of other minor details.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ok, so OAMC is a wonderful concept!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But then you start thinking about all of the little things that have to magically come together to make it a successful experience and it starts to look a little less appealing and a lot more overwhelming....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At least, that's how it was for me. I LOVED the idea, but didn't have the courage to jump right in. I was concerned about the grocery bill. YIKES! I was sure it would be astronomical. I couldn't figure out how I could make it work with a toddler running around and a husband at work. I was hesitant to actually FREEZE my food. Would it really taste as good when I cooked it? And what about recipes? What could I freeze and how should I reheat/cook it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A lot of these concerns were things that I wouldn't be able to address until I actually got into it, so I researched what a could and decided I'd just go for it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My favorite part, by FAR, is searching for recipes. :) I will browse recipes forever! I've never sat down and read a cookbook from cover-to-cover, but I've gotten close... A lot of recipes never make the cut. I feel like I'm somewhat adventurous in the kitchen but only to a degree. I know what my family likes and tend to stick with recipes that I know will get eaten. Who wants to waste time and money on a meal that nobody will eat?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That was one of the obstacles I had to tackle with OAMC. There are several great blogs out there about the process but some of them use recipes that my family would never eat... No offense, <a href="http://mamaandbabylove.com/" target="_blank">Mama and Baby love</a> (and all of the other super nutritional bloggers, for that matter), but a lot of your recipes just would not work in my house. I'll do one of those wonderful steamed veggies you can make in the microwave in 5 minutes as an easy side dish, and sometimes I can get them to eat spinach or broccoli hidden in an entree... but that's about it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I'm always impressed by women who can get their children to eat all 5 veggies everyday... Mine take vitamins. That counts for something, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Anyway, for my first go at OAMC I chose a variety of recipes - some for the crockpot, some casseroles, some that you just assembled that day, etc... (I think I'd do ALL crockpot recipes, just for the ease of it, but I only have one crockpot and I do NOT want to have to wash it every single day!). I found some recipes on OAMC websites, but most were my own variation of recipes I knew we liked already, and honestly, I think that's why it worked out so well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">By switching to OAMC I didn't change the way my family eats, just the way that I prepare it and that's EXACTLY what I needed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Here's a list of the recipes we made at the most recent cook:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-love-food.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Spinach Pesto Manicotti</span></a><br />
<a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/cilantro-lime-chicken.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Cilantro-Lime Chicken</span></a><br />
<a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/surprise.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Red Beans & Rice</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6508457315925580260#editor/target=post;postID=9041159030938317162" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lazy Chicken</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Fauxtisserie Chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Sour Cream and Bacon Chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3 Packet Pot Roast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Crockpot Ravioli Casserole</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Creamy Turkey Dinner</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Teriyaki Chicken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Slow Cooker Fajitas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/10/cheesy-chicken-and-rotini.html" target="_blank">Cheesy Chicken and Rotini</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/pesto-chicken-penne.html" target="_blank">Pesto Chicken Penne</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lasagna</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Honey Sesame Pork Chops</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/10/creamy-chicken-and-broccoli.html" target="_blank">Creamy Chicken and Broccoli</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">16 total meals. We cooked on August 28, just almost weeks ago, and my family still has 3 meals left in the freezer. So although 16 doesn't sound like that many meals, they always last longer than you anticipate. Eating leftovers or having a pizza night each week really seems to help stretch them out over a looong period of time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first time I cooked I made 23 recipes. They lasted us WELL over 2 months. That's just another thing to factor in as you decide to take the plunge. How many meals will you reasonably make each week? How often do you cook now? Do you eat leftovers pretty regularly? Do you have a date night? Oh, and while we had plenty to eat, there really wasn't any room leftover in our small freezer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ok, so you've chosen your recipes and now you're ready to start making your shopping list. Something I like to consider in choosing recipes is whether or not certain ingredients overlap - can I save money buying a larger size of a particular ingredient and split it between recipes? Take note of that as you make your list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Go through each recipe and mark the amounts that you need - the number of cups of shredded cheese, or the number of ounces of a canned good, etc... That will keep you from overbuying at the grocery store and help you to remember if certain ingredients need to be used for multiple recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It also helps if you organize your list in a way that is familiar to you. Personally, I organize it by product location in the store. I start in the back and make my way forward. This way you don't spend all day weaving back and forth through aisles looking for items that you forgot. To each his own, do what works for you! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As far as saving money... I mentioned before that couponing is not my thing, and I don't pay much attention to sales fliers. On our most recent group cooking day, we attempted to really use weekly specials and various grocery stores to our advantage, but it turned out that the online ad and the store ad were different and we ended up wasting a lot of time driving between 5 separate stores and a lot of money because we got frustrated and just bought the items we were missing at unusually high prices because we did not have the time or patience to go back to the first store.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I realize that my experience is not typical, and I should take it in stride as a learning experience and only look at the in-store ad from now on.... but I'm pretty disillusioned and probably won't exert the effort on that the next time around. However, if you are a bargain shopper and pay attention to that sort of thing, I'm sure you will save TONS of money using those skills for OAMC. Maybe you should start cooking with me and let me benefit from that specialized skill set... ;)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One last thing that you will absolutely need to include on your shopping list is the freezer bags or foil baking pans that you will be needing. And when I say "freezer" bag, I mean it. You want to be able to count on the food lasting all month, and if it's NOT in a freezer bag... well, there's no guarantee. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ok, so those are the things to consider as you plan your OAMC cooking day - </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Decide how many recipes you and your family will reasonably use in a month.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Choose recipes that your family likes or would be likely to eat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Choose a variety of recipes with different cooking methods.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Try to find recipes with similar ingredients - this isn't entirely necessary, but would make shopping somewhat easier and less expensive.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Create your shopping list in an organized way that makes sense to you and will keep you from running all over the store.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And remember to include your freezing supplies - foil pans, freezer bags, sticky labels (if you'd like), duct tape (to keep ingredients that are added later with the rest of the ingredients, see picture) - when making your shopping list.</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JQoPU0pZwJenh9mR7pZx_OQ4A07RcVPBGMGIKRegNhUWn1cq-IRFuDQ4oJXtEebbE6dIds5d1jKo6wlgQo2z6gzOLPnm729fE94oQG9Ogl-APT5ts1KFQHdH_-sAKteG_5b-KXaUppu3/s1600/IMG_2943%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-JQoPU0pZwJenh9mR7pZx_OQ4A07RcVPBGMGIKRegNhUWn1cq-IRFuDQ4oJXtEebbE6dIds5d1jKo6wlgQo2z6gzOLPnm729fE94oQG9Ogl-APT5ts1KFQHdH_-sAKteG_5b-KXaUppu3/s320/IMG_2943%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is an example of how to use duct tape with OAMC.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaATiJnGgJr-yVnfGQ1wOeTdl7QlYLbihesBf97yKshk-U9XBkVknjN5nQnG7OBU6JO6uPAbd1kRqcBssYyVRJYbMoDX379QO9aigPRPUkYkw1404QUi43aPyQ__ZqdUwOJ2QPu1zHVaza/s1600/IMG_2944%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaATiJnGgJr-yVnfGQ1wOeTdl7QlYLbihesBf97yKshk-U9XBkVknjN5nQnG7OBU6JO6uPAbd1kRqcBssYyVRJYbMoDX379QO9aigPRPUkYkw1404QUi43aPyQ__ZqdUwOJ2QPu1zHVaza/s320/IMG_2944%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Creamy Chicken and Broccoli is cooked in the crockpot and has a few ingredients that are added in the last half hour of cooking. In order to keep the broccoli and cheese with the recipe, I like to duct tape them together. Really fancy... :)</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhnWJ0pMemtj-T6TTXW2SKjWJgOL2lrT6cPWtSBCrrAff_UbP7l_VVuV6Fz07k6ZJXOQjwTH3ttiGgNj-VY78tDoKryljXl7WGXo4CIQGQYYiJEcnYIT3nIu3Ym8eiWu6xT3YX2VTCqF4/s1600/IMG_2945%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWhnWJ0pMemtj-T6TTXW2SKjWJgOL2lrT6cPWtSBCrrAff_UbP7l_VVuV6Fz07k6ZJXOQjwTH3ttiGgNj-VY78tDoKryljXl7WGXo4CIQGQYYiJEcnYIT3nIu3Ym8eiWu6xT3YX2VTCqF4/s320/IMG_2945%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It does take up a lot of space, but it ensures that you will definitely have your ingredients on hand and where you can find them when it's time to cook.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">And THAT is your first P of OAMC.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Pretty straightforward, right?</span></div>
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-46629069282190491192012-09-21T08:30:00.000-07:002012-09-21T08:30:00.278-07:00Old Bananas...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I really like bananas. But apparently I'm the only one in my family. (Chris will eat them but only if they're still really green and bitter. Weird, I know) So I'll buy a few with really great intentions of eating them in an attempt to be healthy.... but I'll eat one, maybe two and then forget about the rest. And then I end up with this:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xZje4Prl3zIGj2C3eiRZcNhzlQVHtzU-VrFhw06c4zXAgGucdlctbusLBs4H_hz6jC2qQqFAMRN4WmRhn-OasyZu_FyiwgFnW3vqxEfz-ldaTWJIYy1-vOE7ulcdrG25MZF3rPM0wclj/s1600/D61B0410-821A-4D99-84C5-70A1C0C9D745.JPG" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xZje4Prl3zIGj2C3eiRZcNhzlQVHtzU-VrFhw06c4zXAgGucdlctbusLBs4H_hz6jC2qQqFAMRN4WmRhn-OasyZu_FyiwgFnW3vqxEfz-ldaTWJIYy1-vOE7ulcdrG25MZF3rPM0wclj/s320/D61B0410-821A-4D99-84C5-70A1C0C9D745.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How frustrating is that? :(</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(the one in the back had been in my freezer for about a week...) </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I am not one to just throw things away, so I had to come up with another solution. As I was perusing through some lovely bread recipes I came across <a href="http://www.thesisterscafe.com/2009/05/double-chocolate-banana-bread" target="_blank">this recipe</a> and decided it was the perfect opportunity to put these little guys to good use.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Double Chocolate Banana Bread</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/3 cup vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cups mashed bananas (about 3) * I didn't even bother mashing them before I threw them in, I let the mixer do all the work... and saved myself from washing another bowl. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup cocoa</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup chocolate chips (I used semisweet, but I'm thinking next time I'll try white chocolate chips... )</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Preheat the oven to 350* and coat an 8x4in pan with cooking spray</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Combine sugar, eggs and oil in a medium bowl. Mix until combined. Add bananas and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Mix in at a low speed (you don't want a big mess!). Stir in chocolate chips.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_76z0NOVD7-wkAgBg-y7EVzPEuLu1KB0-NEbNlkQafaQBHp7VxnJR4J2wj1sYUK5Xta1ejiqD_d6zB6TD8zcPlX9V_s0jDYA9iiNyO-KziATOIdU6iF8dXF5z5v2N2qK4ONWKOfC5fye/s1600/6AD813A1-864F-40C2-8181-FFC2DDCD36E1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt_76z0NOVD7-wkAgBg-y7EVzPEuLu1KB0-NEbNlkQafaQBHp7VxnJR4J2wj1sYUK5Xta1ejiqD_d6zB6TD8zcPlX9V_s0jDYA9iiNyO-KziATOIdU6iF8dXF5z5v2N2qK4ONWKOfC5fye/s320/6AD813A1-864F-40C2-8181-FFC2DDCD36E1.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simple enough, right? And honestly, I'm not the best breadmaker around, but this turned out QUITE nicely! The neighbors enjoyed it and so did I. I had a hard time getting my boys to dig in, though... I guess it's a guy thing. I'm pretty sure you could bake just about anything and as long as there was chocolate involved I would jump in line to give it a try!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3lADQ8KBhrrTWBuEySUoTjZFQuV3yNOMt-MSzcg3akYdUCxf34Q0d3cj87_cFL6UMUWCmey4akXHnsDUqIpXnV44P8bRMjLvOHpCCJ5EHcIIEY1vYp8xZxkhpfmz9s5KAQ24QEcWN_8O/s1600/8BE759EC-D36A-42B7-9BDE-171E46715A2C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf3lADQ8KBhrrTWBuEySUoTjZFQuV3yNOMt-MSzcg3akYdUCxf34Q0d3cj87_cFL6UMUWCmey4akXHnsDUqIpXnV44P8bRMjLvOHpCCJ5EHcIIEY1vYp8xZxkhpfmz9s5KAQ24QEcWN_8O/s320/8BE759EC-D36A-42B7-9BDE-171E46715A2C.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The perfect little snack. It's even healthy... kind of. ;)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfBQq-28f4bbUoVhSvhQF1qR5TCjPA1fEbdYIMtu5sFbo3g05otecDEsxQSeuZvTwGlrFj5-j19yCNxdqQubnrFgNADZCxyLYgRmB3-Ux_RqgvYD9ulDsmTN6v4Ltge0DbWdwpdhsCbXm/s1600/385BFC64-3C27-4913-A19C-0DAC82CCD18C.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfBQq-28f4bbUoVhSvhQF1qR5TCjPA1fEbdYIMtu5sFbo3g05otecDEsxQSeuZvTwGlrFj5-j19yCNxdqQubnrFgNADZCxyLYgRmB3-Ux_RqgvYD9ulDsmTN6v4Ltge0DbWdwpdhsCbXm/s320/385BFC64-3C27-4913-A19C-0DAC82CCD18C.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just look at those gooey/melty/wonderful chocolate chips! Oh yeah...</span></div>
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<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-90411590309383171622012-09-19T14:02:00.000-07:002012-09-20T10:33:52.284-07:00Lazy Chicken<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So I'm kind of curious as to how you will react to this recipe... It could go two very different ways. Either you'll be disappointed because it's so ridiculously simple OR you'll feel like you've hit the jackpot. Either way, I'm just glad you're reading. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Lazy Chicken is a recipe I picked up <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/01/lazy-chicken-crockpot-recipe.html" target="_blank">here</a>, at my favorite crockpot recipe destination! This recipe is so amazingly easy and the possibilities really are endless! All you do is throw some chicken in the crockpot (I usually use 2 or 3 big chicken breasts), add a jar/bottle of your favorite sauce and cook on low all day. Then you use two forks to shred it and serve it however your heart desires. In the original recipe she uses chicken and red pasta sauce... as delicious as that probably is, I have never actually done it that way. Our favorite is bbq sauce, but we'll mix it up from time to time using various other bottles of Lawry's sauces or marinades. We probably should give that pasta sauce a try though...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maybe that doesn't sound that exciting to you, but wait, there's more! :) You could follow those directions and cook it in the crockpot all day... OR you could thaw it and cook it on the grill... OR you could thaw it and bake it. How's THAT for versatile? Not only can you use whatever sauce tickles your fancy, you can cook it pretty much however you want as well! Oh, and then you can serve it in a variety of ways too - over pasta or rice, on a sandwich, by itself, etc....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like I said before, our favorite is bbq sauce. I'll take it out and let it thaw in the fridge during the day, then Chris will grill it and we'll add some lettuce and tomato and eat it as bbq chicken sandwiches on those delicious <a href="http://iheartoamc.blogspot.com/2012/09/easy-yummy-bread.html" target="_blank">40-minute rolls</a>. Oh yeah! I seriously need to make a couple of these each month...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
Lazy Chicken</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ypKFEV1I1_cxVoGX2yig6avbBA0h_v3X9ibVWcmpeqRoHiAON39EeQdsNwn10ah7HNR-0Pft1rta6UXrrp8J7o-vTlcj0_XIlU6HOfAQCFzT0hXlC2objejR2kA7fibpIn8eOvhUinc/s400/IMG_8777.JPG" width="400" />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2-3 large chicken breasts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1 bottle/jar of your favorite sauce/marinade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To make immediately: place chicken in crockpot, add sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred with two forks, serve as desired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To Freeze: place chicken in gallon-size freezer safe bag, add sauce. Freeze. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When ready to prepare, either follow directions above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OR thaw and grill.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">OR thaw and place in 8x8 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-ish minutes. I'm not so good with times, just check to make sure it's not pink in the center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">and Voila! Tell me that's not the easiest recipe ever...</span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-15358783257850889792012-09-18T05:53:00.001-07:002012-09-18T05:53:09.506-07:00Cilantro-Lime Chicken<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mexican food is basically a staple in our household. During our first couple of years of marriage, before I really had this cooking thing figured out, we ate fajitas and quesadillas several times a week. I actually kind of miss it - we would make some pretty amazing fajita quesadillas! Maybe we should make some soon...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, I've found a couple of recipes to incorporate our love of mexican food into our OAMC rotation. They're both equally delicious and they're both made in the crockpot, so the effort is minimal. YAY!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll go ahead and share one now, but save the other for later to keep you coming back for more. :) Prepare yourself for some DELICIOUS tacos! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeCXWlMH0H3ZbPHTyx1svNSfDICYFMU9OkZY1RMCufHbwvAwAC8bZ-5JyQdtP9kvewsKgXhD9i2t61mTAtfdH11pE7Wz3431nZoK5QfDv5OsX-UuRC25b6jbQ_2ntytPUXGY3X3Pm3_FD/s1600/IMG_2836%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeCXWlMH0H3ZbPHTyx1svNSfDICYFMU9OkZY1RMCufHbwvAwAC8bZ-5JyQdtP9kvewsKgXhD9i2t61mTAtfdH11pE7Wz3431nZoK5QfDv5OsX-UuRC25b6jbQ_2ntytPUXGY3X3Pm3_FD/s320/IMG_2836%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Yes, there is an excessive amount of salsa on this taco... but that's how I like it! </span></div>
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=cilantro-lime%20chicken&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=%2fmy%2frecipebox%2fdefault.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cilantro-Lime Chicken</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups prepared Salsa (the beauty of this is that you can choose whatever level of spice you like!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 (1.25 oz) package taco seasoning</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 lime</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Prepare for today:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Place chicken breasts in the crockpot, combine salsa, taco seasoning and cilantro in a small bowl and pour over chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture. (I usually squeeze out all of the lime juice, then throw the lime halves into the crockpot too, just to add a little extra lime-y flavor.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Shred with two forks and serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, etc...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Freeze:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Place all ingredients in freezer safe bag. Squeeze lime juice on top, then throw in those empty halves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Cook and serve just as you would in the directions above!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This really is wonderfully juicy and delicious! And so easy too, right? Not very many ingredients, but they all come together beautifully! I always serve it as tacos, but you could definitely serve it over rice too - they're seriously that juicy! Or make some rice and beans and use it for burritos! There are lots of options and I highly doubt that you'll be disappointed with any of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The other beautiful part of this recipe is the speed with which it comes together on the day that we do our big cook. All you do is dump the ingredients in the bag and put it in the freezer! So quick and easy! I've been using this in our rotation since my very first try at OAMC and I imagine that won't be changing any time in the foreseeable future!</span><br />
<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-37006245653335483222012-09-17T05:34:00.000-07:002012-09-17T05:34:01.301-07:00Easy, yummy bread.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am a bread enthusiast. I love it. A lot. With OAMC, it's often the only element of our meal that I actually make each day and I have a few different recipes that we rotate through with some regularity. There's one in particular that we come back to a bit more often, but all in all, these are some awesome recipes. Try one or all of them and let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/40-Minute-Hamburger-Buns#.T7UQfKGuSYo.pinterest" target="_blank">40-minute rolls</a></span></h3>
<img alt="40-Minute Hamburger Buns Recipe" height="400" src="http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/expsi15221_W101973175B07_07_1b.jpg" width="400" />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now these are probably our favorite. As a matter of fact, I woke up to my husband and 2-year-old making them to eat for breakfast this morning. :) Aren't they cute? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWQstnV_RdF_sU2HikRJkNfZk3tfdAgIOs69MHoufbnx0nF1HbfOY6j_HKbZQBptDs_ipFdUm4nvP2E6sQLAEIzlFnqAlqQZzsRvTkQkd4G9zrz2UVZOAkAGBqbfEnnbyg54zJV0mejZM/s1600/IMG_2755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWQstnV_RdF_sU2HikRJkNfZk3tfdAgIOs69MHoufbnx0nF1HbfOY6j_HKbZQBptDs_ipFdUm4nvP2E6sQLAEIzlFnqAlqQZzsRvTkQkd4G9zrz2UVZOAkAGBqbfEnnbyg54zJV0mejZM/s320/IMG_2755.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9odPf6vz6JBVDEt1r3_FGBBbxYK_eQkqPSwJ7OPaNRXErnUGfC_lGjecBYm58c5zguEmAyovNek3rjUfcdnlY8NuFjhKeprmUiV3OoKl5C1nXS7Yj8t3XPTzI_b42rfOF5c-Dh6iY1ML/s1600/IMG_2757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9odPf6vz6JBVDEt1r3_FGBBbxYK_eQkqPSwJ7OPaNRXErnUGfC_lGjecBYm58c5zguEmAyovNek3rjUfcdnlY8NuFjhKeprmUiV3OoKl5C1nXS7Yj8t3XPTzI_b42rfOF5c-Dh6iY1ML/s320/IMG_2757.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve6y3DO2FuJYFw_MqMEy4pKk7bE7gjyO7Hu2HmzT0WQi_xw7VIibxkIn2eLyvpMYwW7Fgtk3_p1H6werMbIQ0Ue8lW_CBgCDQk5pk4tP2O6aa2wXmktjrnowLO4yERYUcmfAkW9rbmLpA/s1600/IMG_2760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjve6y3DO2FuJYFw_MqMEy4pKk7bE7gjyO7Hu2HmzT0WQi_xw7VIibxkIn2eLyvpMYwW7Fgtk3_p1H6werMbIQ0Ue8lW_CBgCDQk5pk4tP2O6aa2wXmktjrnowLO4yERYUcmfAkW9rbmLpA/s320/IMG_2760.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I literally make these at least twice a week and we have no trouble getting through a batch before they start getting stale and rock-like. These are easy and quick and even better than that, they're delicious! I dare you to find an easier/faster/yummier roll recipe... :) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 TBSP Active Dry Yeast</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 cup plus 2 TBSP warm water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/3 cup vegetable oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/4 cup sugar (Chris likes it when I add a little bit more...)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3 - 3 1/2 cups flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to make a soft dough.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Turn onto floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes). Divide into rolls - the original recipe says to make 12, but we usually make between 16 and 20. Place on greased baking sheet, cover and let stand 10 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425*. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden-brown. </span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://steamykitchen.com/168-no-knead-bread-revisited.html" target="_blank">No-Knead bread</a></span></h3>
<img alt="No Knead Bread Recipe" src="http://steamykitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/no-knead-bread-revisited.jpg" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh man, is this stuff good! It's pretty simple, it only requires 4 ingredients - and one of those is water so I don't even know if that counts... and as the name suggests, you don't have to knead it. Woohoo! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The only problem is that you really have to plan ahead. From start to finish the process takes from about 15 to 23 hours. Yeah, basically forever when you're waiting for some delicious, warm and fluffy bread... I accidentally stumbled upon this recipe when I was looking for a quick recipe to make with dinner one night. I got started before reading the FULL recipe and ended up being really disappointed to find out that I wouldn't be able to enjoy it until the next day. :( Where was that 40-minute roll recipe when I needed it?!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Obviously it was totally and completely worth the wait and that is why I'm passing it along now. Get this started for tomorrow night's dinner right after you make the 40-minute rolls to eat with dinner tonight. :) I promise you'll be glad you did!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 11.55pt; margin-bottom: 6.8pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.75pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">3</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> cups bread flour<br />
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast<br />
1 teaspoon fine table salt (or 3/4 tablespoon of kosher salt)<br />
1 1/2 cups warm water<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 11.55pt; margin-bottom: 6.8pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.75pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Covered pot (five-quart or larger cast iron,
Pyrex, ceramic, enamel...something that can go into a 450F oven.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 11.55pt; margin-bottom: 6.8pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Mix dough:
The night before, combine all ingredients in a big bowl with a wooden spoon
until the dough just comes together. It will be a shaggy, doughy mess. Cover
with plastic wrap and let sit 12-20 hours on countertop.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 11.55pt; margin-bottom: 6.8pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.75pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Shape
& preheat: The dough will now be wet, sticky and bubbly. With a wet
spatula, dump the dough on a floured surface. Fold ends of dough over a few
times with the spatula and nudge it into a ball shape. You can use your hands
if you like, just keep your hands wet so that the dough does not stick. Generously
dust a cotton towel (not terrycloth) with flour. Set dough seam side down on
top of towel. Fold towel over the dough. Let it nap for 2 hours. When you've
got about a half hour left, slip your covered pot into the oven and preheat to
450F.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 4.75pt 0in 6.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Bake: Your dough should have doubled in size.
Remove pot from oven. Holding towel, turn over and dump wobbly dough into pot,
using your hands to get the dough off the towel. Doesn't matter which way it
lands. Shake to even dough out. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake another
15-20 minutes or until the crust is beautifully golden and middle of loaf is
210F. Remove and let cool on wired rack. If not eating right away, you can
re-crisp crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 4.75pt 0in 6.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 4.75pt 0in 6.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 4.75pt 0in 6.8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 11.55pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bread-machine-rolls/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=bread%20machine%20rolls&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page" target="_blank">Bread Machine Rolls</a></span></h3>
<div>
<img height="400" src="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/07/15/71596.jpg" width="400" />
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now these ones were our go-to bread recipe for a LOOONG time. Like for years, I think... They're light and fluffy and you can eat like 6 without even realizing it! We still love them, just not quite as much as the 40-minute rolls. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think the prep time plays a big role in that...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These are pretty simple because you just throw the ingredients in your bread maker and let it do all the work. Then you shape them, let them rise, and throw them in the oven. Really not bad, but it still takes like 2 1/2 hours versus the 40 minutes that the other ones take.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My personal favorite perk about these ones would be their freezer capabilities. I was in charge of bringing the rolls for Thanksgiving last year and there were a LOT of people coming. I knew I wanted to use this recipe, but the bread machine can only make so many rolls at a single time. SO... the week of Thanksgiving I made a batch a day. I'd put them in the bread machine and let it do it's thing, then shaped the dough into rolls. Rather than letting them rise, I placed the little dough balls on a baking sheet and set that in the freezer. Once they were completely frozen, I popped them in a freezer bag. On Thanksgiving day I pulled out my now very full bag of dough balls and placed each ball on cookie sheets to rise (just like the recipe says). It worked like a charm! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, for those of you interested in bread recipes to use with your OAMC lists, this would be an excellent candidate! Enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">3
cups bread flour</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">3
tablespoons white sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">1
teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">1
cup warm milk</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">2
tablespoons butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">1
(.25 ounce or 2 1/4 tsp) package active dry yeast</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">1
egg white</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: 0.25in;">2
tablespoons water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. Place the bread flour, sugar, salt, milk
powder, water, butter, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order
recommended by the manufacturer. Set on Dough cycle; press Start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Remove
risen dough from the machine, deflate, and turn out onto a lightly floured
surface. Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces, and form into rounds. Place
the rounds on lightly greased baking sheets.** Cover the rolls with a damp cloth,
and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven
to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. In a small bowl, mix together the egg white
and 2 tablespoons water; brush lightly onto the rolls. Bake in the preheated
oven for 15 minutes, or until the rolls </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">** This would be the point where you'd freeze them! Then follow the rest of the directions when you decide to bake them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-bread-using-a-bread-machine/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=italian%20bread%20using%20a%20bread%20machine&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe" target="_blank">Italian Bread</a></span></h3>
<div>
<img height="400" src="http://images.media-allrecipes.com/userphotos/250x250/00/07/38/73819.jpg" width="400" />
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This recipe is also for use with your bread machine. It too takes about 2 1/2 hours from start to finish. We like this one a lot, but don't make it very often. It's great when served with Italian dishes. I made it last night to go along with our OAMC lasagna and it was perfect! Nice and dense with a crispy crust, it was a great vehicle to carry that tangy tomato sauce from my plate to my mouth. :) I think I may go eat leftovers right this second...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4 cups all-purpose flour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon light brown sugar<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/3 cups warm watter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 ½ teaspoons salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 ½ teaspoons olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tablespoon water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 tablespoons cornmeal<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">1. Place flour,
brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the pan of the bread
machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press
start.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">2. Deflate the dough
and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves.
Place the loaves seam side down on a cutting board generously sprinkled with
cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise, until doubled in
volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375*F.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">3. In a small bowl,
beat together egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the risen loaves with egg
mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a
sharp knife. Gently shake the cutting board to make sure that the loaves are
not sticking. If they stick, use a spatula or pastry knife to loosen. Slide the
loaves onto a baking sheet with one quick but careful motion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">4. Bake in preheated
oven for 30-35 minutes, or until loaves sounds hollow when tapped on the
bottom.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Well there you have it! Surely you'll be able to put one of these beauties to work this week! :) Let me know what you think!</span></h3>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-25710497682378539382012-09-14T10:13:00.000-07:002012-09-14T10:13:00.354-07:00Honey Garlic Chicken<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure we all have our go-to resource for recipes, right? I know I do... When I'm looking for a crockpot recipe (which happens QUITE often), the first place I peruse is this little <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/">blog.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've used TONS of her recipes! I love the way she writes, I love her honesty (she'll tell you if it just did NOT work out), and I simply love her recipes (because I, too, love my crockpot... even if it does run too hot). Another plus is that all of her recipes are gluten free! Not that I need that... but you know, if I had to cook something for someone with a gluten allergy I totally could!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few of the recipes from her site have made their way into my OAMC rotation, including <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/08/crockpot-3-packet-pot-roast-recipe.html" target="_blank">3 packet pot roast</a>, <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/salsa-chicken-and-black-bean-soup.html" target="_blank">Salsa, chicken and black bean soup</a>, <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/01/peperoncini-beef-sandwiches-slow-cooker.html" target="_blank">Pepperoncini beef sandwiches</a>, and plenty of others... my personal favorite being the <a href="http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/09/honey-garlic-chicken-slow-cooker-recipe.html" target="_blank">Honey Garlic Chicken</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<img height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwEXJyp5WKwC7Hg9k8OvY5Tsg6MstTyAhlk5H5z7c1G2wWPounXkSn_AtzPI3zi7N6rk9ATSz6f2wS9aSFMuvn93xp0sXwTzQB5pbJkXVjNg83VqAoo391RyVE5zhYvFve6ApowaO7-X9/s400/stephanie+o%2527dea+honey+garlic+chicken.JPG" width="400" />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This was the first recipe (and still the only recipe, I believe) with which I use chicken thighs, and Oh.My.Goodness are they good! I don't have an aversion to dark meat, I've just always used chicken breasts. They're cheap, they're easy to use and they come in big quantities. All of which are big pluses in my book. So obviously, I was a little bit hesitant to follow the directions... but, being the obedient girl that I am and trusting Stephanie's judgment, I gave it a shot. And I'm totally glad that I did!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This chicken always turns out so moist and flavorful, and the sauce is AWESOME! I always spoon a bunch over my chicken and rice.... yeah, these leftovers don't last long. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the recipe almost exactly as it's found on her blog - one of the few recipes I haven't tweaked, it's just that good!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Honey Garlic Chicken</span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken thighs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/2 tsp minced garlic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 tsp dried basil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup ketchup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/3 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To make immediately, place the chicken in the crockpot. Combine the other ingredients in a bowl. Mix well, then pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 5-7 hours. Serve over rice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To Freeze: Throw all ingredients into a gallon-sized freezer bag and pop that bag right into the freezer. When you decide to cook it, just put the contents into the crockpot and cook as directed above. :) It's that simple!</span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-8984239313133213202012-09-12T14:58:00.000-07:002012-09-12T14:58:18.289-07:00Surprise!<h2>
</h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have you ever gone out on a limb and tried a brand new recipe just out of curiosity? I most definitely have. And while a lot of the times my high hopes end up being deflated by my crock pot's tendency to cook things WAY too fast, or my lack of culinary expertise, there is occasionally a recipe that makes being adventurous TOTALLY worth it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I had an experience like this not too long ago... I found a recipe for red beans and rice and decided to check it out. I was REALLY hesitant - as I said before, my hubby's a little on the picky side, so I didn't think it would be something he'd be into... but I was willing to take that chance (it sounded WAY good to me! haha).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now this is not a recipe that I'd ever even considered before because we're not really into soups and stews in our house (there are a few exceptions, of course). But this particular recipe is for the crockpot and I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for new/delicious/easy crockpot recipes, so I figured - why not?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The list of ingredients is pretty basic, and really inexpensive too (that's always a plus, right?). So even if my husband hated it, we could go pick up some Wendy's afterwards and still not have spent much on dinner. :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, as the heading obviously suggests, we absolutely LOVED it! Like really loved it... like my DH has bragged about it to friends and family, and asked to have it every WEEK kind of loved it! YES! It's moments like those that make me feel like a hero of my little home - like I've accomplished an amazing feat, or created a priceless work of art. Oh, the simple joys of being a stay-at-home-mom... :) and then I do the dishes... haha</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyway, <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/02/red-beans-and-rice/" target="_blank">here</a> is the recipe. Go ahead and try it - take a risk and enjoy the wonderful rewards!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="[Final+red+beans.JPG]" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qdPXC-9Mgp4/SYkHAFRFiTI/AAAAAAAAB8k/kTix88Qtuig/s400/Final%2Bred%2Bbeans.JPG" width="400" />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ONLY adjustment I made, per my DH's request, was to leave out the cinnamon. The first few times I made it I left he cinnamon in. The change in flavor is very slight, so it may not make a difference for you either way, but that's the way we usually do it now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Also, this is a staple on our OAMC list and it's super easy to convert to a freezer meal. You just throw everything except the water into a gallon-sized freezer bag. The day that you decide to cook it, pour the ingredients into the crockpot, measure 6 cups of water into the bag and then pour that in over the other ingredients (I do this because seasonings ALWAYS end up getting stuck to the insides of the bag and this way they all make it into the pot. AND who wants to make 6 trips back and forth between the sink and the crockpot? Not this girl...) Then simply cook as directed, serve over rice and enjoy! I hope this recipe is as successful in your home as it was in mine!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-85748585552427457202012-09-10T11:56:00.000-07:002012-09-10T11:56:25.357-07:00Football Food<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Football Food!</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being new to this, I'm still trying to figure out what qualifies a food as being "blog-worthy"... and I'm coming to realize that that might mean something different for everybody. With that in mind, I decided to blog about any recipe new/old, good/amazing (because who wants the bad ones??) and just see what happens. :) So here goes:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Football season is a magical time in our house. My husband is the BIGGEST college football fan that I know. He's not the crazy/in your face/paint my entire body kind of fan, but he's the kind of fan who can tell you about every single team, their players, their strengths and weaknesses, their scores from every game of the season, etc... Because of this, we spend our Saturdays during the fall watching college football (he's lucky I became a football fan during college, otherwise he might not get this luxury).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well this past Saturday we got an invitation from a couple from church that we don't know particularly well, to come over to watch THE game. My husband was very hesitant to leave his throne - his multi-view tv screen and freedom to flip back and forth between as many games as his heart desires, to watch a single game with a guy that he didn't know much about. So I did what any normal, logical, food-loving wife would do: I bribed him with food! Everyone else does that too, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was asked to bring a side dish and dessert... and I had a REALLY hard time coming up with a side dish. I knew we were having pulled pork so I wanted to bring something simple but delicious. I searched and searched for ideas and finally narrowed it down to potato wedges or homemade mac 'n' cheese. I had potatoes in the pantry, so of course the potato wedges ended up being the winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I found the recipe <a href="http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=543" target="_blank">here</a> and figured it would be worth a shot. Now these aren't just any potato wedges - these are soaked in cream then smothered in cheese. Who doesn't love cheese? And they are pretty amazing (if I may say so myself!). But here's the recipe, so you decide!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">8-10 potatoes cut lengthwise into 1-inch wedges <span style="font-size: x-small;">(the original recipe says to peel the potatoes, but I've never seen potato wedges like that and we kind of like the skin over here, but the choice is yours!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3/4 cup half and half</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1 1/4 cup milk <span style="font-size: x-small;">(the original call for 2 cups half and half, but honestly, that sounds WAY fattening to me and we just didn't have that much in our fridge, so I substituted a bit of skim milk for what I lacked in half and half)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 teaspoons salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 cups shredded cheese <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I used an Italian blend)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup shredded parmesan <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I just used the powdery stuff you put on Spaghetti...)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2 Tablespoons chopped parsley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1/2 cup crumbled bacon <span style="font-size: x-small;">(I omitted these last two, not because they didn't sound great, but because I didn't have them on hand and was not interested in making a trip to the store...)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">* I also added a generous sprinkle of Cajun seasoning over the top just to give it an extra little kick, but like most other ingredients, that's totally up to you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sooo... you'll start with a whole pile of potatoes, scrub them well then slice them up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img alt="Photo" height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q_s_Y6FWa8U/UEz_vVpvAdI/AAAAAAAAABs/bBbmKMYTCOE/w729-h547-p-k/12%2B-%2B1" width="400" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then you'll throw them in a pan. The recipe said to use a 9x13 pan, but mine didn't really fit in there, so I used a jelly roll pan instead (11x15, I think?). Then you pour the milky mixture over it and sprinkle it with the salt.**</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now you put it in the oven at 350* and bake for 45 minutes. Take it out, add the cheeses and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until your preferred doneness - whether you like them crispy or soft... Serve warm. These would be pretty amazing with Ranch dressing. And I am a little disappointed that I didn't add the bacon or parsley just because I'm sure it would look so much prettier, but here they are - and they are delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**Now I must say, I was VERY hesitant about the milk/cream mixture. It sounded weird and kind of gross to me, but I went along with it anyway... It smelled interesting as it baked and when I took it out after 45 minutes it even had kind of a crusty milk skin on it. (Yeah, sounds terrible, right?) But I was already in way too far to back out at that point, so I covered it with the cheeses (I sprinkled on the parmesan first, then covered that with the shredded Italian cheese blend), and put it back in for another 20 minutes, trying to ignore the crusty-ness of the milk mixture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And you know what? It totally paid off!! I've made potato wedges once before and while they were pretty tasty, they were also pretty dry. These ones were creamy and flavorful - kind of like mashed potatoes but with a little crispy-ness from the baked cheese. Mmmmmhmmmmm. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh, and if you're interested in what I made for dessert (and you should be, it was AWESOME!), you can find it <a href="http://www.hpj.com/HomeCookin/RecordView.cfm?RecordID=811" target="_blank">here!</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Needless to say, as bored as he may have been with the other guy, he was perfectly happy with the spoils of our visit... happy enough that he might even be willing to do it again. :)</span>Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6508457315925580260.post-82733468999898454092012-09-05T14:11:00.002-07:002012-10-11T18:48:28.137-07:00I love food.I do. I really, really do. I love to eat it. I love the social nature of it - I mean, seriously, when you're coming up with things to do with a group of friends, eating is ALWAYS at the top of the list. Right:? Or is it just me? I even love to cook. Sometimes. As a mother of two very young children, there's not always a whole lot of time to slave over a delicious home-cooked meal. That is why I came to embrace once-a-month-cooking.<br />
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I was really nervous to give it a shot at first. The concept REALLY intrigued me but it seemed like so much work and it seemed like the grocery bill would be HUGE! But as the arrival of my second little one got closer and we decided we should try to move right before her grand entrance, I sucked it up and took the plunge.<br />
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That first time around I very ambitiously decided to make 23 meals! (WHAT?) Yes, that's right. I have since scaled back a bit, realizing that 23 meals lasts WAY longer than a month. But I was pregnant and moving and wanted to be overly prepared, just in case. While it was a ton of food and required lots of strategic planning and skillful arrangement within the freezer, it worked out beautifully! So beautifully, in fact, that I have been completely converted to the ways of OAMC.<br />
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While I can't confidently say that it is saving me tons and tons of money (we still make weekly trips to the grocery store for milk, bread, etc... and if the husband goes, there's no telling how much money he'll spend or what interesting treats he'll come home with - am I the only girl with this problem?!), I can assure you that dishes sometimit is saving us money because we aren't going out to eat... as often... (a girl still needs a break from doing the dishes!), and it is saving me time - which is SUPER valuable with little ones hanging around.<br />
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And THAT is precisely why I want to share this concept with other moms like me. I know it's nothing new - there are TONS of blogs around that give great insight into the world of OAMC, and while I've gotten a lot of great information from them, I have learned some things on my own that I think are worth sharing.<br />
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With a picky 2-year-old and almost-as-picky husband I've had to come up with my own recipes to attempt as freezer meals. It has been a lot of trial and error as I continue to perfect our ideal monthly menu, so what I will gladly pass along to you is what I have found to work best. With this first post, I wanted to include my family's all-time FAVORITE recipe for OAMC, Spinach Pesto Manicotti. (We've got several favorites and I'll pass them all along too, but I think my husband would dub this one his ULTIMATE favorite recipe.) I found it shortly after we got married and have making it at least once a month ever since. The original recipe is found <a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/spinach-pesto-manicotti/6fc575f8-a6eb-4758-a8fd-a9cf04cec651?src=SH" target="_blank">here</a> and I've really only made some minor changes...<br />
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Spinach Pesto Manicotti</div>
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<a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/cba0a9f0-9151-4bbb-b9e8-2ffa727ae22b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/gmi-digital-library/cba0a9f0-9151-4bbb-b9e8-2ffa727ae22b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Prep Time: 35 mins Bake Time: 45 mins Servings: 6</div>
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Ingredients:<br />
8 oz. uncooked manicotti<br />
1 lb extra lean ground beef (I like to use turkey!)<br />
9 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained<br />
4 oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella<br />
1/2 cup purchased pesto (I use Classico)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 jar tomato pasta sauce<br />
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Directions:<br />
Spray foil pan with cooking spray. Cook manicotti according to instructions on package until desired doneness. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain well.<br />
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In a large bowl, combine ground beef (or turkey), spinach, mozzarella, pesto, and egg. Fill each manicotti with meat/cheese mixture. (I usually open each manicotti shell along one side, add the filling, then fold the top back over... nobody ever notices and it's WAY easier than trying to get all that filling into that little tube!) Place each filled manicotti in pan. Pour tomato sauce over the filled pasta. Cover with two layers of foil and place in the freezer.<br />
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Heating directions:<br />
Thaw manicotti in fridge that day. Preheat oven to 400*. Bake covered for 40-45 minutes or until filling is no longer pink in the center. (The cooking time can really vary, so please check the center before digging in... it may require some self-control, but I don't want anybody getting sick!)<br />
<br />Jessiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05912382014236040973noreply@blogger.com0