Ranch Chicken

Recipe from  ~  The Sisters Cafe

¾ cup crushed cornflakes

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 pkg ranch salad dressing mix

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (or about 2 ½ lbs of frozen chicken tenderloins, thawed)

½ cup butter/margarine, melted (or for a low-fat version, use 2 egg whites, slightly beaten)

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes, parmesan cheese, and salad dressing mix.  Dip chicken in melted butter, then roll in cornflake mixture to coat.

Place chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.  (If using chicken tenders, check for doneness after 20 or 25 minutes.) Do not overbake. Makes 8 servings.
Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 7.5
Kiley: 7.5
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: good

Teriyaki Chicken and Noodle Bowl

Recipe and Photo from:
 www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
4 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless (I used 3 chicken breasts.)
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper

3 large carrots
1 red pepper       (I used a bag of frozen stir fry vegetables)
8 mushrooms
1/2 a red onion

1  16 oz package angel hair pasta or thin spaghetti noodles

Teriyaki Sauce:
1 1/2 C cold water
3/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C soy sauce
1 t garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
3 T corn starch
1 t sesame oil


1. Cut up your chicken  into strips. Heat a large skillet up of medium high heat. Add your oil and toss in chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let them cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. You want them to get nice and golden brown on each side. 
2.  Start the water boiling for your noodles, cook them according to package directions.
3. When the chicken is cooked through, remove it from the pan and let it hang out on a plate. Add the other Tablespoon of oil to your hot pan. Add the veggies and cook until they are crisp tender. 
4. While your veggies are cooking mix all Teriyaki Sauce ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.  
5. Once your veggies are cooked, remove them from the pan and let them hang out with the chicken. 
6. Pour your Teriyaki Sauce into the hot pan. Whisk it around until it thickens up. This should only take about 3 minutes. 
7. Serve it up! Place hot noodles in a bowl or on a plate. Put the chicken and veggies on top, pour the sauce over it.
Rate It!
Jen: 9
Kile: 9
Kiley: 8
Madee: 9.5
Destrie: good

Menu Planning Monday

I am not a fan of grocery shopping.  Once again, I spent the week trying to avoid the grocery store because I simply was not in the mood.  We didn't starve this week, as we ate from the freezer and the pantry.  I did have to pick up a couple items at the store, but I failed to keep my receipts.  Best guess on how much on how much I spent this past week is probably around $30.  My lack of desire to go grocery shopping is saving me lots of money!  Here is a look at what we are eating this week:

Red and White Pasta-Ya, we are having it again-the girls can't get enough!

Teriyaki Chicken Noodle Bowl

Chicken Strips/Tater Tots

Glazed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf/Potato Cakes/Veggies

Sausage and Pancake Strata

Potato Halves

Recipe from Family Favorite Recipes

6 small potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
1/4 cup butter
grated parmesan cheese
garlic powder
other seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash seasoning salt)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Melt butter and pour into a 9x13 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom.  Generously sprinkle parmesan cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings all over the butter.  Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings.  Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. (mine took a little longer.) Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.  Serve on a plate with a side of sour cream for dipping.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile:7
Kiley: didn't have any
Madee: 7
Destrie: good

New Food Finds-Carribean Grilled Steak

McCormick has a new product out called, Recipe Inspirations.  I grabbed a few of them at the store the other day and thought I would give them a try.

The packet comes with all the spices you need for your recipe and you add a few ingredients-that are listed on the back of the package.  This recipe was supposed to be served with grilled pineapple, but the other people who live here don't like cooked pineapple, so we just served it with pineapple from a can...fancy I know.

Rate It!
Jen: 5.5
Kile: 7
Kiley: didn't have any
Madee: 8
Destrie: good

Menu Planning Monday

Last week I never made it to the store to do an official shopping trip for the week.  I had most everything I needed at home to make my recipes.  I did make a couple quick trips to the store to grab milk and one or two other things that were on sale-Lee's had a meal deal coupon where you could get a pizza, carton of ice cream and a 2 liter of pop for $5.  We grabbed 3 of those to have on hand.  3 meal deals, milk, and a few various items put my spending for the week at $26.  Not bad!
I am on a money saving mission again this week, so I will be trying to use recipes that call for ingredients I already have on hand.  Here's a look at what we will be eating this week:

Chicken Enchiladas
Sandwiches/Chips/Veggies with Dip
Hamburgers/Potato Wedges
Caribbean Grilled Steak/Potato Halves
Breakfast for Dinner

Cashew Chicken

Recipe and photo from:

http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/

The ingredients:
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews, coarsely chopped (I used 3/4 cup)
Hot cooked rice


Directions:  Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag.  Add chicken  tenders.  Shake to coat with flour mixture. 
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side.  Place chicken in slow cooker.  Combine soy sauce, vinegar, water, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken.  Cook on LOW for 3-4  hours.  Add cashews just before serving.  Serve hot over rice.

*We all agreed we should double the sauce next time.
Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 8
Kiley: 7
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: ok

Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cheddar

Recipe adapted from Kraftrecipes.com

Ingredients

1/4 cup minced onion flakes
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

 1/2 cup Hormel Real bacon bits

2 lb potatoes (about 6), thinly sliced

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

6 tbsp Sour Cream

Coat skillet with olive oil, add onions to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. Stir in potatoes; cover. Cook on medium-low heat 20 to 25 min. or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Top with cheese and bacon; cook, covered, 1 to 2 min. or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream.

Rate It!
Jen: 8.5
Kile: 8.5
Kiley: 7 (I don't like potatoes)
Madee: 8
Destrie: ok

Vegetable Chicken and Corn Chowder

Recipe from Whats Cookin'

Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon
6 red potatoes
2 stalks celery-diced
1 carrot-diced
1 onion-diced (I used minced onion flakes)
4 chicken breasts-cooked and cut (I used rotisserie chicken)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans corn
1 stalk broccoli florets
2 cups Velveeta-cubed
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups milk

Directions:
After cooking bacon, save a couple of tsp of grease to add potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until tender (20 minutes). When tender add the broccoli, corn, chicken, soup and milk. Stir until smooth and warm, then add sour cream and cheese. Stir on low heat until cheese is melted.

Rate It!
Jen: 8.5
Kile: 8.5
Kiley: 7
Madee: 7.5
Destrie: good

Menu Planning Monday

 Last weeks budget goal was close...I spent $99 on groceries for the week.  We were out of several staples so that made the amount higher.  I am hoping to pull a much lower number this upcoming week...we will see how things go.  Have a great week!

Here's a look at what we will be eating this week:

South of the Border Casserole

Hamburger Pie

Vegetable Chicken and Corn Chowder

Steak/Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cheddar/Tossed Salad

And something else...I can't decide yet what else I want to make. Check back later to see - I'm sure it will be exciting!!!

Cinnamon Syrup

Recipe and Photo from  yourhomebasedmom.com/

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup whipping cream

In medium saucepan, stir all ingredients together EXCEPT cream.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cream.  Cool 30 minutes.  Syrup will thicken as it cools.  Serve warm.

Rate It!
Jen: 7.5
Kile: 6
Kiley: 7.5
Madee:7
Destrie: good

Menu Planning Monday

So, last week my goal of spending $100 on groceries was pretty easy.  I had most of the ingredients for the meals I had planned.  I ended up spending  $51.64 on groceries.  There were also two meals and treats that I didn't have a chance to make...  those I will save for another time.

This week on the blog is going to be Breakfast for Dinner week. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals and the people in my family are not morning time eaters. Hence, Breakfast for Dinner  =  problem solved!
What's your favorite thing to eat for Breakfast?

Check back next week, to see if I  stayed within my $100 budget for the week.

Here's a look at what we are eating this week:

Ham and Cheese Omelets/Toast/Fruit Soup

Bacon/Egg and Cheese Biscuits/ Hashbrown Casserole

Waffles with Cinnamon Syrup/Scrambled Eggs/Fruit

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Pizza

Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe came from Make It and Love It- who did a guest post on Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast (grilled and chopped)
1/2 head of lettuce
2 stalks of celery
1 stalk of green onion
2 8 oz. cans of mandarin oranges
1 8 oz. can of water chestnuts
4 oz. of slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 cup of sugar

Dressing:
1 cup of canola oil
2/3 cup rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:
Heat almonds and sugar at medium heat in a small pan. Stir continuously until the sugar has heated through and coated the almonds with a nice caramelized coating. (Don't worry if the sugar gets all clumpy and seems to not be working. Just keep stirring.....it will melt.) Then spread over foil and let cool completely. Chop up all of the remaining salad ingredients and mix together in bowl. In a cruet, mix in all the ingredients for the dressing. Shake until completely blended. The dressing isn't soluble so you'll have to shake again right before pouring over your salad.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 6.5
Kiley: 8
Madee: 7.5
Destrie:-he wouldn't have any

Strawberry Bread

Recipe from Studio5ksl.com

Ingredients:

• 3 c. flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. salt
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/4 c. vegetable oil
• 2 c. fresh, sliced strawberries

Method:

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, oil and strawberries and mix just until moistened. Spoon into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool in the pans for several minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Rate It! (I forgot to get ratings...)
Jen: 7.5
Kile: -
Kiley: 8
Madee: -
Destrie: -