From Scratch/Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Cheesy Mac & Cheese Burger

My husband and kids love this! To make it Veg'n you just need to add a meat alternative. Super quick and easy to make. I had all the spices, milk already on hand, meat in freezer. 

From Scratch/Homemade "Hamburger Helper" Cheesy Mac & Cheese Burger

Prep Time: 2 minutesCook Time: 15 minutesTotal Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef

• 2 1/2 cups milk

• 1 1/2 cups hot water

• 2 cups macaroni (I use Trader Joe's Elbow Noodles)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon chili powder /caynenne pepper *Optional (I don't use it)

• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, brown until cooked thoroughly. Drain any fat. Add the pasta, milk, water and spices and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is Al Dente. Add the cheese and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Until Later...

Vanilla Coffee Creamer...

My husband loves the International Delights French Vanilla Coffee creamer, but boy is that stuff expensive! So I set out to make him some. I asked him do you like it milk consistency or thicker. He said thicker, eyeing me and says "Are you making me creamer?!" I told him I was because he was out and didn't want to go to the store. I mean come on how hard can this be? I make all our own bread, buns, instant oatmeal packs, etc.

Vanilla Coffee Creamer

1 qt mason jar
1 1/2 cups milk or half and half or whipping cream (use combinations of one or the other depending on the consistency you like!)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbls vanilla *if you don't want vanilla you could use other flavorings*

Put all the ingredients into the mason jar and shake very well! Every time you use it shake it. Lasts two weeks in the fridge!

Watching your weight or calorie intake, use skim milk, and low fat sweetened condensed milk (green wrapper on the can).

Until later...

Chicken Salad Wraps

Kids are always complaining they don't want the same things over and over, well OK sometimes they do. I am not the adventurous type when it comes to eating. I was and am the PICKY eater. That being said, I have always encouraged my children to do the two bite rule or even just try something new. 

I came up with these Kid approved Chicken Salad Wraps (hubby approved too). I give a variety of options in the recipe. What I used this time was apples, cranberries  and celery. I put chips, pickles and carrots on the side. I also gave them a fruit snack. My kids are healthy eaters, and if they didn't SEE veggies (not just mixed in, oh and lots of them) they would have been griping! 

Chicken Salad Wraps

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded/cut up, cooked chicken

1/3 cup "something crunchy" (celery, apple, radishes, pickle slices or a combo)

1/4 cup mayonnaise/Veganaise (or plain yogurt)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Wraps (you can use tortillas, buns, rolls, or whatever you have on hand)

Optional - Onions - 1 scallion or 1/4 small red onion, chopped

Directions:

Mix shredded/cut up chicken, the "something crunchy," and mayonnaise/Veganaise (or yogurt) together until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Evenly fill the wraps (can use buns, rolls, or whatever you have on hand) with the salad mix.

PB Banana Smoothie

I was looking for something to snazz up the lunches for the kids on Fridays. We are really tired of the hum drum same things. I came across a recipe for a PB Banana smoothie, personally I hate PB but my kids and hubby love it! I thought OK we shall see. While I was on her site, I came across smoothie frozen pop molds that are reusable! I was super excited! They look like the ones from the Jolly Llama my favorite frozen pop (which I am making on my own...in another post that will be coming up we will go over it). Kids and hubby enjoyed it immensely! (It went too fast, no pic right now. LOL)

Without further ado...

Ingredients:

1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup apple juice
1/3 cup peanut butter
1-2 bananas
1 cup frozen (or fresh**) berries (I used frozen strawberries)
**If using fresh berries use 1 to 1 1/2 cups of ice

(Optional) For fun you can add 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream.

Instructions:

Use the smoothie option on your blender or blend up until mixed if you don't.

Serve cold!

Original Post: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/06/11/recipe-pbj-smoothie/

To use the frozen pop molds, or any pop mold just pour it in and freeze!



Frozen pop molds:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036B9KHO/?tag=100dayofreafo-20

Chicken Enchilada Chili

I was looking for something new to cook for the family. I don't eat meat and I am super picky, so I went to the best website for crock pot recipes "A Year of Slow Cooking". I stumbled upon Chicken Enchilada Chili, the mere sound of it to the family made their mouths drop and water! They said "YES! THAT!"

The only thing I did was change the cooking style...I used a pressure cooker on high for 9 mins (also used it to cook the chicken prior). Pictured below is recipe I made.

I topped it with cheese (was going to use sour cream but it was frozen, thanks to the back of the fridge), you could top with olives too. I just used what I had.

Man and kids approved!

Here is a link to the original post:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/01/enchilada-chicken-chili.html

Busy Baking Home Day!

Whew what a busy baking day! Best memories for me...watching the people I love fawn and fight over my baked goods!!

Here is a picture of the bread....mmmmm (no sorry I don't share the recipe!). I will update with a photo of it sliced later. 

If you live in West Texas or Austin, TX we could hook you up with bread! My mom bakes too...

I also baked up some pretzels (cinnamon & sugar and Butter and salt), Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies, Oatmeal Cinnamon Muffins (those were last weekend though, also no recipe being given out for those). I might post the recipes later for those so keep an eye out here. 

Not sure what I will be making next but as always I am sure it will be kid and husband approved!

Until later...

Yummy chewy and soft granola bars

I wanted something tasty for the whole family, something that wouldn't break the bank! I think this recipe is so versatile! You can literally come up with all kinds of combinations!

Husband & Kid Tested and Approved!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c of old fashioned oats
1/2 c fine or coarsely chopped nut - your choice (I used pecans this time, could use peanuts, walnuts, almonds or no nuts - I like mine finely chopped)
1/3 c honey (liquid)
1/4 c unsalted butter, cut up
1/4 c light brown sugar (packed tightly)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I might try maple next time)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c fine or coarsely chopped dried fruit (I like mine finely chopped)
1/4 c chocolate chips chopped up (you can use mini - I prefer bits to minis)

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the pan, bottom and sides of an 8" square pan with parchment paper (I use parchment rather than aluminum foil and spray - use what you have on hand).
2. Toast oats and nuts (if you used any) for 5 minutes in the oven, stir then toast for another 5 minutes.
3. Put oats and nuts in large bowl and set aside.
4. Combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla extract and the salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until butter melts and the sugar completely dissolves.
5. Pour butter mixture in to bowl with toasted oats and nuts (if you used any). Mix well. 
6. Let cool about 5 minutes then add fruits of choice and a 1/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Stir to combine. (The chocolate chips will most likely melt a little. They act as glue and help to hold the bars together).
7. Transfer oat, nut, fruit mixture to lined pan then use a rubber spatula or damp finger tips to firmly press the mixture into the pan. Press hard for about 1 minute.
8. Optional - Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over pressed granola mixture then use a rubber spatula to gently press them into the top. 
9. Cover then refrigerate at least 2 hours.
10. Remove granola mixture and parchment paper from pan. Cut into 12 bars. Serve and enjoy!

**Bars can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container. For firmer bars, store in fridge otherwise room temp counter will be just fine.**

Until later...