Stuffed Shells

Here's what I'm bringing to Terre Haute to visit you Ryan!

Stuffed Shells

12 oz package jumbo pasta shells
1 lb lean ground beef
1 T. dehydrated minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 c. cottage cheese
1 jar Prego marinara sauce

Boil shells until done. Combine ground beef, onion, garlic, & salt and pepper to taste and brown in a skillet until done.

Mix cottage cheese and diced tomatoes until well combined. Spread a small amount of the marinara sauce in the bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Stuff shells with cottage cheese mixture. Top with ground beef. Pour remaining marinara sauce over the shells and beef.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes until bubbly. Cover with foil.

Happy Birthday Maverick

Guess who hatched 3 years ago today?





These were taken during his first week at home when he was only 6 months old. Time sure flies.

No-Sides Casserole

You don't need sides with this because it's got all your sides in it!



No-Sides Casserole

1-2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips
8 oz. egg noodles
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
1/2 soup can-full of water
1 c. frozen vegetables
1 c. potato chips, crushed

Cook chicken breast strips until done. Boil egg noodles until done.

In a large pot, combine egg noodles, chicken, soups, & water. Stir until well blended. Add in vegetables.

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass pan. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips.

Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ryan's going to be so excited when he comes to Columbus this weekend! We always do cinnamon rolls when I come visit!



Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 c. hot water
1 c. buttermilk, scalded
3 T. granulated sugar
1 T. salt
4 c. bread flour
4 egg yolks
1 c. butter, softened
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted

Dissolve yeast in water. (Run faucet on hottest setting, should be about 120F). Add buttermilk, 3 T. sugar, salt, flour, egg yolks, & softened butter. Combine until it forms a dough and all ingredients are well incorporated. Wrap dough up in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangular shape, about 1/2 in. thick. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the dough.

Start at the end and roll the dough up like you would a jelly roll. Place seam-side down and cut 2 inch slices. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rise until rolls are double in size.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Frost with icing.

ICING

1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1/4 c. melted butter
2 T. water
1 T. vanilla

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth.

I froze my rolls. I'll ice them when we eat them this weekend. :) Since these rolls are so huge, just freeze them in batches if you aren't going to eat them all at once. Also, cut or double the icing recipe if you want more or less. I thought the original recipe for the icing would make too much, so I cut it in half so we waste less. :)

Cinnamon Baked Apples

I found a recipe for these in one of my Gooseberry patch cookbooks but after trying it, I've totally rewritten it. It was very good, but I think next time around I want something a little healthier.

Cinnamon Baked Apples

2-2 1/2 lbs Golden Delicious apples.
1/2 c. Splenda
1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash and thinly slice the apples. I left the peels on. I think it gives the apples more texture, plus that's where all the nutrients are.

Put the apples in a large bowl. Mix the Splenda, confectioners' sugar, & cinnamon in a small bowl. Add to apples. Stir well to coat.

Brush a little bit of the margarine in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Add apples and pour the rest of the margarine over the apples.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Increase temperature to 375 and bake an additional 10 minutes until apples are tender

Sesame Chicken Wingettes

Finally some time to sit down and post today! I've been studying, listing things for sale on eBay, trying to clean up my room, and play with Cheeko. Maverick's been bouncing off the walls tonight like a little kid that just ate a bunch of sugar. He will NOT settle down! In the meantime, enjoy this recipe!

Sesame Chicken Wingettes

2 packages of chicken wingettes
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. Italian-style breadcrumbs
1/2 package Toasted's sesame crackers, crushed (you can use what's leftover from my Chicken Nuggets recipe! Check earlier posts)
1 1/2 t. paprika
Dash cayenne pepper
1 c. milk
1 egg
Salt & pepper to taste

You'll need 2 baking dishes for this. Use a couple 9 x 13's or 7 x 11. Doesn't matter what size really as long as you can get all your wingettes in the oven.

Divide the melted butter evenly between the 2 baking dishes. Pour 1/4 c. in each dish.

Mix the breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, paprika, & cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl.

Whisk the milk & egg together in a separate shallow bowl.

Remove chicken wingettes from the package. Dip in the egg wash, roll in the breadcrumb mixture to coat, and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper to taste.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until juices run clear and no pink remains. They will be nice and tender! Enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Coins

My version of a recipe in a cooking magazine I get. Enjoy!

Spicy Carrot Coins

1 1/2-2 lbs. whole carrots, peeled & sliced into 1/2 in. slices
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground paprika
Dash of cayenne pepper
Salt
1 Splenda (or 1 T. white sugar)

Bring water to a boil. Add carrots & spices. Reduce heat and simmer. Once carrots start to begin to get tender, add in Splenda. Simmer until juice thickens and no more remains. It creates a nice sauce on the carrots. No need to drain. Serve.

Zesty Cheeseburger Soup

This was one where I changed a lot around to suit our tastes. Can't go wrong with soup!

Zesty Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb. lean ground beef
salt & pepper
onion powder
1 clove garlic, finely minced
4 small-medium size potatoes, peeled & cubed (I used Russet potatoes)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced.
1 1/2 c. water
2 t. beef flavoring
6-8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
2 1/2 c. milk, divided
3 T. all purpose flour
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Garnish-chopped green onion, crumbled bacon

Combine ground beef and garlic in a skillet. Season with salt, pepper, & onion powder. Drain and keep warm if you are still working on the next step.

Combine potatoes, carrots, water, and beef flavoring in a large saucepan. Add a little salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add in crumbled bacon. Stir in 2 cups of milk.

In a small bowl, whisk flour and remaining 1/2 c. of milk. Add to soup SLOWLY.

Bring to a boil and let boil for just a couple minutes, until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat.

Add Velveeta and stir until melted. Add cayenne pepper.

Garnish with crumbled bacon and green onions.

TIP: You can omit the cayenne pepper if you wish. I hate anything terribly spicy and I found the 1/2 t. of it worked well for me. You can also add more if you like hot stuff.

TIP: I use Dairy Ease lactose free milk. I wouldn't use soy milk in this. It's too sweet-the soup would be nasty.

Apparently, this little guy likes fries with his cheeseburgers...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Who says you can only eat pumpkin in the fall?? I like it year round!!



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. packed light brown sugar
15 oz can pumpkin (be sure you get canned pumpkin NOT canned pumpkin pie filling)
1 c. oil
2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
a SMALL pinch of ground cloves (be very careful, too much will make the muffins really nasty)
1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, and oil. Beat well with a mixer until well combined and smooth. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, & cloves. Add to the pumpkin mixture slowly, about 1/2 c. at a time. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Line muffin tins with paper liners. Fill 2/3 the way full. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen muffins.

Spring Cleaning

I jumped on the Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour bandwagon and decided it's time to de-clutter my messy bathroom. It was bad. There's no before pictures because it's too embarrassing! All together, I hauled out 4 garbage bags of stuff out to the trash! I'm so embarrassed to admit that. I found some stuff that had to be over 10 years old. YIKES!

This is how bad it was:

Remember when Bath and Body Works used to have that Chuckleberry scent years and years ago? Yea, I found a half used bottle of Chuckleberry hand lotion I never knew I had.

Now I finally have room for all my things now instead of piling things up and digging through everything in the mornings to find everything.

Now my bathroom is clean but my room is really bad. When I moved out of my apartment, I gave a ton of stuff away to Goodwill but I still feel like I have NO room in my closet. And I just cleaned it out last spring/summer. Ugh. I'll get around to that.

But I'm so proud of my AFTER!

Playtime

Playtime is always fun! Never the same day twice.

Oooh, which colors should I play with?




Happy Hut! He loves anything soft & cuddly.




HI MOMMY!



Look out! Here I come!



Goodnight. I'm all tuckered out.

Peanut Butter Criss Cross Cookies

These are Ryan's favorite! He's going to be so excited. There's plenty in the freezer for you!

Peanut Butter Criss Cross Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. creamy peanut butter
3 c. all purpose flour, sifted
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in peanut butter with a wooden spoon. Add dry ingredients gradually, stirring well after each addition.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.

Have a little dish of water & a fork handy. Dip the fork into the water and press the back onto the cookies, making a crisscross pattern. Be sure to dip in the water several times. I usually do about 3 cookies and dip again.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Cheeko Bird

Well, Cheeko's now found a new, fun activity...taking baths under the faucet! He usually rides around on my shoulder when I'm folding clothes or doing things upstairs. I had gone in the bathroom to wash my hands and he got all excited about the running water. So he decides he has to go check it out. He was splashing it everywhere, trying to drink out of the faucet, and just having so much fun. He's one of those weird parrots that isn't fond of bathtime, so this is wonderful to me! He just thinks he's having fun and not taking a bath. I'll have to add some pictures.





Cheeko's also one of those birds that's so finicky about new toys. It takes me forever to pick out toys for him because he's SO picky and there's certain things that freak him out. I typically know anything with leather or seashells is a safe bet. I got this toy for him at a bird show a while back. He loves trying to untie the knots of leather. He'll get it halfway untied, and not pull the strip through the loop, get frustrated and walk away from it. He's so much like a little kid.



Oh back to bath time! If your bird has dry skin, try this stuff, it's really amazing. Cheeko tends to get dry skin from time to time and his feathers look rough between bathings. So after baths, I add this to his tail & flight feathers and they look really great. Natra Pet Bird Bath (Foster & Smith $6.00)

Strawberry Fluff Icebox Pie

Springtime is ALMOST here. I can't wait. This pie is so pink & fluffy & pretty. And the strawberries that dot it make it so cute. Reminds me of Easter time.



Strawberry Fluff Icebox Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker crust pie shell (We use Fifty-Fifty brand-sugar free)
8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz container Cool Whip
1 package strawberry-banana sugar-free Jell-o
1/2-3/4 c. chopped fresh strawberries

TIP: You can let your cream cheese soften at room temperature, or do what I do, and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds on LOW power, microwaving a few seconds longer if needed. Allow to cool to room temperature before working with it though.

Cream the cream cheese with a mixer. Add in Jell-o. Beat well until well combined. Whisk in Cool Whip. Fold in strawberries. Spoon into pie shell. Refrigerate for several hours until set.

Serve with fresh strawberries.

TIP: How did I slice the strawberries for this pie? I quartered them lengthwise, then cut the quarters in half.

Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

Speaking of muffins, I want to share these pics with you!

This was my budgie, Muffin. He passed away 2 years ago (we think he had a stroke). I loved this little guy more than anything. I got him when I was only 11 or 12. He lived quite a long time! The best part of my day was coming home from school and he'd be waiting on me to play with him. Ryan asks me quite a bit if I want another budgie, but I don't know...maybe down the road. Doubt I'd ever find a budgie as sweet as he was. I miss you so much Muffin!







Nutty Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. veggie oil
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. miniature chocolate chips (BE SURE you use miniature for these!!)
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Combine oats & milk. Allow to set for 15 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge & stir in egg, vanilla, oil, brown sugar, chocolate chips, & pecans. Combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Stir well until everything is nice and moistened.

Line 2 muffin pans and spoon filling in the cups, filling 2/3 the way full. Sprinkle with a little brown sugar.

Bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes or until done in the center.

TIP: For a healthier substitute or if you are low on oil (like I was), you can substitute yogurt. I used 1/4 c. + 1 T. vanilla yogurt and the remaining oil together to give me 1/2 c.

TIP: Chocolate chips & walnuts are a classic combo. Use them instead of pecans in the recipe if you wish. I always use pecans or almonds, can't eat walnuts.

TIP: Muffins freeze so well, so I always freeze what I don't use and set out enough for a couple days worth of breakfast. They stay fresher that way and you don't end up throwing so much away.

Chicken Nuggets

I'm SOOO excited. Mom got her annual recipe 2009 cookbook from Taste of Home! I had to try this recipe right away, I couldn't wait!

There's so many other good recipes in there I'm so anxious to cook. Check back for fried chicken, sweet & spicy ribs, tuna veggie macaroni, beer battered potato wedges, watermelon bombe (the cutest thing ever!), crab crescents, & more!

These chicken nuggets are great because they're so much healthier (and tastier!) than the fast food kind. I love the cumin in these. Makes them really tasty. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Nuggets

1/2 c. mayonnaise
3 T. milk
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. paprika (original recipe calls for 1/4 t. cayenne pepper)
Box of Toasted's sesame crackers
1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

Cut up chicken breast into small bite size cubes. I prefer the thin chicken breasts because they don't take as long to cook. If you can't find the thin ones, just buy the regular ones and pound them thin.

Open your box of Toasted's crackers. There's 2 packages of crackers inside. Put one package and half of the other in a gallon size freezer bag. Crush well with a rolling pin.

Combine mayonnaise, milk, & spices in a shallow bowl. (I prefer to use a 9 inch pie plate when making chicken...they work perfect.) Whisk together until nice & smooth.

Pour your crackers from the bag into a separate pie pan.

Set up a little assembly line. Just coat in the mayo mixture, toss in the crackers, & place on a baking sheet. (TIP: Line baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. I also sprayed the foil with a little cooking spray.)



Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, turning once at 10 minutes.

Pics to share & Nutella

Hi everyone!! Well Maverick's doing a little better today than yesterday! He was even feeling up to eating some treats out of his favorite spoon. Cheeko is still eating as usual!






Yum! Beans!


On another note, I bought some of that Betty Crocker dark chocolate brownie mix. I
was in the mood for brownies but I didn't have time to make them from scratch. You know they're REALLY good when you spread a little Nutella on top of them? They taste a little more homemade that way! Try it! Nutella's great.

Food & Beak update

Well I haven't been cooking much. I've been really busy lately with stuff...plus Maverick's really been a handful the past day or so.

I contacted the vet today and it seems as if the problem is just a little bit of a sore jaw. He tends to get pretty wound up during his vet visits. Dr. said if he's not eating the hard food by Monday, he'd need some pain medicine...but

GOOD NEWS!

He's eating his Zupreem again! And he's been so hungry for it.

Along with the baby bird formula, I fixed him some sweet potato baby food mixed with some peanut butter and he ate that. He also liked the bananas baby food. And of course he couldn't resist a little hunk of cheese. ;) I'll still keep him on a little bit of his soft food until he gets back to his normal eating schedule. Cheeko is still my little piggy tho!

I'll have more posts later when I have time to cook!

Glad things have settled down a bit. :)

My beak hurts Mommy!

Guess who got to go out and enjoy the nice weather? Cheeko and Maverick did! I took advantage of the warm day yesterday and took them to the vet to get their beaks & nails trimmed. And since the vet's office is out in Hope, they got to enjoy a little car ride!

They're beaks can be sore a day or so afterward, so Cheeko's been dunking his food in water to soften it a little, but Maverick tends to be the baby of the two haha, so I've made him a little something to drink that's a little easier than Zupreem.

Just slice up a banana and set aside 4 slices. Blend together with a little bit of orange juice and wa-la! You get a smoothie for Birdie! I also froze the banana I didn't use. Maybe I'll get some strawberries and make them a straw-nana orange smoothie!

This is a good way too to get the finicky eaters to try new food especially if they're Juice-a-holics like Maverick. If I can work it in to something orange, he'll try it. They are perpetual 2 year olds!


Stealing a sip of Mommy's crystal light

Wanna go to Russia?

I'm on the hunt for a good Russian cookbook now. Ryan and I went to his sister's birthday party, which they did more of a Ukrainian flare with the food. It was all so yummy. I swear if I were allowed to eat that everyday, I'd look like a blimp!!

The Russian salami is the best I've ever had. It's a lot thicker and different and definitely much tastier than our salami here. His mom said that they use a lot of garlic (maybe why I like it so much! haha)

They also have these little dumplings that are filled with pork I think? I don't know the name of them, I just know they were delicious and I can't wait to eat them again.

I'm excited to find a cookbook and a Russian grocery store & eat more!

Deviled Eggs

Mom wanted deviled eggs today. I only made 4 since we're the only ones that will eat them. Ryan's been complaining about the smell. Haha! So here's my recipe. We're under a tornado watch here today (gotta love springtime in Indiana). Better get this done so I can charge my computer in case the power goes out!

Deviled Eggs

6 eggs
1/4 c. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!!)
1-2 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. relish
Good size pinch of onion powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Paprika

Hard boil eggs. Bring to a roaring boil, turn down and let boil for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to salt your water so the shells are easy to remove. Cool and peel.

Slice eggs in half, lengthwise. (TIP: I wet my knife when slicing through my eggs. Wet once, slice, wipe off, repeat. That way, no yolk gets on the pretty white.)

Using a small teaspoon, remove yolk from eggs. Crumble with a fork so that the yolks now resemble coarse crumbs. Add mayonnaise, mustard, & relish. Mix well until well combined. Add salt, pepper, & onion powder to taste.

Spoon filling into a zip-top gallon size freezer bag. Cut a piece of the end off and pipe filling into empty egg shell. You can use a piping bag and use one of your fancy tips, but those things are a mess to clean up. You can just throw the freezer bag away when you're done.

Sprinkle with paprika to garnish. Enjoy!

TIP: When I make deviled eggs, I never measure anything, I typically just eyeball it. So just play around with it a little bit and add more or less of whatever to suit your taste. I usually just go by a pinch of this, a spoonful of that, etc.

Mayrene's Pie!

My mom's gonna love this post!




This is from a series of books we read over the summer. They have recipes at the end. One of the recipes is called "Mayrene's Wedges." I made it over the summer. It's pretty good. Kind of wanted it to be more of a pie, so I made a few changes and a new name!

Mayrene's Pie

1 9 inch pie crust (regular size pie crust is OK-but use a deep dish pie pan)
2 large eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325.

Beat eggs in a large bowl on high until foamy. Beat in flour & sugars. Beat in butter. Fold in chocolate chips, nuts, & coconut. It should have a rather thick consistency. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake 55-60 minutes or until done in the center. Cool & serve with Cool Whip! Or if you're Ryan, have a big cup of black coffee! haha

PS-This pie is really easy and has minimal clean up- you only dirty up one bowl, 2 beaters, a wooden spoon, & 1 measuring cup.

Guess Who's Excited?

Maverick's coming tomorrow! He's going to be so excited because Grandma bought fresh fruit cups with his favorite-Honeydew melon!

Plus, he hasn't seen his brother in about 2 months!