Pumpkin Chip and Banana Crumb Muffins

These muffins were DE-licious! The best part of course, they were super easy! You've gotta try them. Here's the link for the Banana Crumb muffins and here's the link for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip.
My little helper. I can tell this is going to be one of our past times!

Oregano-Lemon Chicken

I've been trying to have a new recipe every week. I get tired of the same old meals so I've been on a hunt for new favorites. When I look for recipes I make sure that it is simple and quick. Especially on the days that I work. This chicken recipe I really enjoyed. The family also said it was good. I think that next time I will rub the chicken and see if it changes anything.

Oregano-Lemon Chicken w/ Roasted Red Potatoes

Ingredients
4-6 chicken thighs on the bone (this time I used breast)
3 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs honey
1 tbs olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano, dried

Instructions
-Place chicken in baking dish.
-combine lemon juice, honey, oil, garlic and oregano.
-pour over chicken.
-bake uncovered at 350 for 45 mins

Roasted Red Potatoes
-cube potatoes, throw in plastic bag.
-add Lipton onion packet and 2 tbs of oil.
-bake at 450 for 40 mins

Ball Game = Hot Dogs

So Kenny's last game we were prepared to play two games back to back. Usually we just pick up some food or eat from the snack bar. Well I wanted something a little more filling. I saw this recipe on Rachael Ray's the other day and figured this was the best time to try it and it included a hot dog.
Frank n Stuffers


They were so yummy and perfect for a game. Next time I'm going to make them with pizza ingredients. I also chose to make my dough and bake 'em in the oven. We also added chili beans, oh Yeah! The kids had a blast helping me, especially Tina.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces
8 hot dogs, your favorite brand
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup relish
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Lightly dust a work surface with a little flour and roll out 1 piece of dough to about 4 inches wide and an inch longer than the hot dog on both ends. Spread a little of each condiment over the dough, leaving a small border around the edge to seal it up, and sprinkle a little cheese.
Lay the hot dog down the middle of the dough. Fold the two short ends over and then roll up the long ends to enclose the dog in the dough -- make sure none of your fillings ooze out! Pinch the dough together to seal it well. Set aside the Frank-n-Stuffer and repeat the process for the rest of the dogs.
When you’re ready to cook them up, drizzle a baking sheet or large dinner plate with about 2 tablespoons EVOO and some salt and pepper. Roll each Frank-n-Stuffer in the oil and seasonings to cover the outside. Place them on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until the outside dough is charred and cooked. If the Frank-n-Stuffers get too dark before the 10 minutes are up, move them to the upper level of the grill to finish cooking. Serve warm.

In A Stump!

I usually love planning meals but for some reason this past Sunday I had no appetite. Which made it really hard to decided what we would be having for the week. It also didn't help that I was looking forward to this weekend with my Hubby. We will be celebrating our "15th" wedding anniversary! I plan on eating a lot of great food that I won't be making!
So I had to research and dig to become motivated. Eventually, I came across some great ideas. This is what my week's meals looked like.
Monday- Chicken Fajitas
Tuesday- Satay noodles
Wednesday- Corn Chowder
Thursday- Tostadas
Friday- Eat Out!
Saturday- Pizza
Sunday- Salsbury steak

Satay noodles! They were so yummy and pretty easy to make. It just took a lot of prep work. I really liked this meal because you can change it up and add different things to it. I found the recipe from Rachael Ray's site. Here's the end product.

I added shrimp, spinach, radish and fish cake. Yum-O!
This coming week I'm gonna try Indian fry bread. I've watched my Sis-in-law make it and I think I can accomplish it. Wish me luck!

Gotta Try These Cookies!

I just found this recipe for Chocolate Mint Cookies and they were amazing! I've also seen this recipe made with Devil's Food cake mix.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
36 chocolate mint wafer candies (you can use Andes Mints or Mint Patties)

Directions
In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes (no more, no less). While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

I know that your family will love these!

You've Gotta Try This

Here's another new recipe. It went over well with the fam. It's just another twist on the chicken dinner. Hope you like it!
P.S. stay tuned for another recipe...Taco Casserole!

Cilantro Chicken

Ingredients
(I doubled everything)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon honey
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup finely crushed tortilla chips (I used lime flavor)
1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack chees
1 bunch of cilantro

In a shallow bowl, combine lime juice, oil, and honey.

Dip chicken in lime mixture, then coat with tortilla chips. Place in an ungreased baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Combine salsa and (cut)cilantro; pour over chicken.

Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

A Very Yummy Dinner!

Well tonight we had boring hamburgers BUT last night I tried another new dish. It was amazing! So I thought I'd share.

Heavenly Rice Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2 c cooked chicken
1 13 oz can drained pineapple tidbits
1 1/2 c cooked cooled rice
1/2 c celery
2 c grapes
1/2 c chopped cashews (optional)
1 tbsp reserved pineapple juice
(sauce):
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 c mayo
Directions:
Mix sauce together and add to everything else. Refrigerate. Serve with pita or favorite bread.

Awhile back we had an email swap going around for recipes. So I believe this recipe came from Shaina. She has some amazing recipes, you should check them out.

A Well Deserved Dinner

Yesterday I decided to make a new dinner. It was time for a new recipe. I went hunting through my favorite websites, books and saved recipes. This was the winner!

Bowtie Pasta Salad by Jen
16 ounces uncooked bow ties, rotini, ziti or other shaped pasta
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen mixed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
1 cup Italian, creamy Italian or favorite dressing
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted ripe olives, halved

Cook pasta and vegetables according to package directions; drain. Combine pasta and vegetables with remaining ingredients in large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
For variety, add sliced salami, cheese cubes, cooked chicken, turkey or cooked seafood to the salad.

I only used broccoli, cherry tomatoes, salami and cubed cheese (of course dressing). It was a big hit! Thank you Jen! This dish was so easy to throw together and that's a plus in my house.
Mateo loves fried eggplant. I decided since he's had a rough couple of days at school, mostly with the bus system. I would make him some for dinner. I really liked how it complimented the pasta.

Catch Up!

Well Facebook has been keeping me busy chatting with friends, I've totally ignored my blog. So much has happened that I haven't written about. I'll just back track as best I can.
First I wanted to share what I had for dinner last night. I found this recipe, Chicken Bruschetta on this site. You should really try it. It was yummy and easy! Especially since I had leftover chicken it only took a total of 20 minutes!

Recipe Time

Okay so I thought it's been awhile since I posted a recipe. So here ya go!
Tonight I made my Mexican Lasagna. This is a big hit at my house.
Everyone goes for 3rds.
I don't have the original recipe on hand anymore. I've been making it so long I just do it from memory.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients
shredded chicken (most times I use can of chicken)
can of black beans
shredded cheese
sour cream
1 jar of salsa
1 package of tortillas
1-2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp cumin powder

Directions
First pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Then I mix chicken, beans, salsa(all but 1/4cup) and spices together


Then I put a 1/4 cup of salsa at the bottom of a baking dish. You then layer tortillas, sour cream, meat mixture and cheese till you reach the top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. I like to garnish with tomatoes and lettuce. I usually serve with mexican rice.

Yum! Let me know if you try it!

FHE

So last night for family home evening we started working on our personal history books. It's important to have a journal (of some sort), pictures and written stories of your past so that one day your children and grand-children will have something to look at and read about. I was telling the boys that they're lucky to be growing up in the same town they were born. Myself and Ken were military brats, we moved a lot. All we have are memories.
So we made a list of important places in the kids lives (so far) and went to take pics of them there, like their school, hospital (born), etc...


Time was running short, due to the sun, so we'll have to make this a two parter. Next we'll finish the list and then print the pictures. We will then make a book for each of them. Then one day their kids can see where they went to school and where they spent most of their summer (baseball field). I think once a year we'll update the book with pictures.
After our drive we made those Monster Cookies

Here's the recipe
Pre-heat oven to 325. This is a very rich cookie. Their is an altered version if you want to cut back on the sugar/sweetness. Try both and then decide which you like best. (This makes a LARGE batch!
Ingredients
6 eggs
2 1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 stick butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbls karo syrup
4 tsp baking soda
3 cups peanut butter
mix together well until creamy. then add
9 cups quick cook oats (I only had 6 cups-it worked)
12oz chocolate chips
2-3 cups of plain m&ms
mix well (your gonna need a strong arm).
spoon onto greased/non-stick cookie sheet. Use back of spoon to flaten cookie. Cook for 12-15 minutes (until edges are brown). Let cool, then eat and enjoy!

Altered
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup of sugar
1/4 cup butter
keep everything else the same.

FHE

Hey so this is what we did the other day for Family Home Evening. We talked about the First Vision. Joseph Smith was looking for a church to join. He was visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. My friend, in our fhe group, made this box. The kids were able to act out the scene as it was told. It was a lot of fun! For treats (I forgot to take pics) we made Sacred Grove Trees.
Recipe:
4 cups Cheerios
3 cups marshmallows
3 tbs butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp (it's too much I would cut back)green food coloring

Make just like rice krispies. Melt butter & marshmallows. Then add vanilla and food coloring. Stir well. then form into trees on wax paper.
The kids loved eating these!

Wrangle a Kid Before Dinner!

So I'm making dinner and turn around to find this!

She really was enjoying it!


So I tried a new recipe today. I got it from this site. It was a hit so I'd thought I share. If you want step by step instructions see the site.

Mini Meatloafs
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 2 slices toast, 2 eggs, 1 tsp garlic powder,
1 tsp Tabasco (optional) , 1/4 cup picante sauce (use 1/2 cup if you don’t use antipasto), 1/4 cup antipasto (optional), 4 slices bacon

Mix everything together and put in a muffin tin. Place bacon on top of meat and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Voila, your done!

The Simplest Dinner Ever and Craft in Progress!

Well I still have sick kids at home!
I thought I would share this really EASY recipe

Chicken Pockets
Chicken breast (1 per person)
1 can of corn
1 can of green beans(optional)
salsa
1 can of pineapple(optional)
diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Tinfoil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear foil sheets (big enough to make pockets).
Center chicken in foil sheets. Spoon salsa, veggies and salt/pepper. Wrap and seal foil to make pocket. Bake 18 to 22 minutes.
That's it, I like to serve with rice!
This meal is so easy that even the kids can make it!

I also started working on a new project. You would not believe how many errors I've run into! Hopefully I'll have it done tomorrow.

Asian Meatballs and Noodles and Orange Island Chicken

Today I (my meals) are being featured on Meal Planning Mommies. I love this site! They have some awesome meals you should try out. I also love that they show everything step by step w/ pics! You know for us visual people!

Today I will be sharing two recipes with you. The first is
Asian Meatballs with Noodles


INGREDIENTS
Meatballs
1-2 lbs of hamburger meat
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (it calls for plain but I use Italian)
3/4 cup Honey bbq sauce
1 egg
1/4 tsp pepper
Noodle Toss
1 package of oriental veggie mix (today I used reg. veggie mix)
2 cups of water
2 packages of oriental ramen noodles
3 tbls honey bbq sauce

This recipe feeds 4. You'll see I doubled it for my large family!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup bbq sauce, egg and pepper.


Place mixture into muffin cups, press lightly; spread remaining bbq sauce over tops.

Bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink.
While the meatballs are cooking I begin the noodles.
Combine in skillet, veggies, water, noodles(broken), 2 seasoning packets; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Then stir in bbq sauce. The longer the noodles sit, the fatter they get!

Remove meatballs and serve with noodles.


Okay this is a repeat for my readers but with new pics!

I have tried 2 different recipes for orange/citrus chicken, they were not a hit with the fam. I gave it up for awhile and then decided to try this one. I found it at allrecipes.com. This one was a hit! Yeah!
Orange Island Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I leave whole till I serve)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
FOR MARINADE: In a zipper style bag, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, onion powder and orange peel. Mix well.

Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the marinade. (Do not discard the marinade). Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more.

I then made a gravy with the juice by adding cornstarch.


I also sauteed some carrots, onions and water chestnuts in orange juice and soy sauce. Serve over rice.


Well happy cooking!

Asian Meatballs with Noodles and Orange Island Chicken

Today I (my meals) are being featured on Meal Planning Mommies. I love this site! They have some awesome meals you should try out. I also love that they show everything step by step w/ pics! You know for us visual people!

Today I will be sharing two recipes with you. The first is
Asian Meatballs with Noodles


INGREDIENTS
Meatballs
1-2 lbs of hamburger meat
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (it calls for plain but I use Italian)
3/4 cup Honey bbq sauce
1 egg
1/4 tsp pepper
Noodle Toss
1 package of oriental veggie mix (today I used reg. veggie mix)
2 cups of water
2 packages of oriental ramen noodles
3 tbls honey bbq sauce

This recipe feeds 4. You'll see I doubled it for my large family!

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine beef, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup bbq sauce, egg and pepper.


Place mixture into muffin cups, press lightly; spread remaining bbq sauce over tops.

Bake 20 minutes or until no longer pink.
While the meatballs are cooking I begin the noodles.
Combine in skillet, veggies, water, noodles(broken), 2 seasoning packets; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Then stir in bbq sauce. The longer the noodles sit, the fatter they get!

Remove meatballs and serve with noodles.


Okay this is a repeat for my readers but with new pics!

I have tried 2 different recipes for orange/citrus chicken, they were not a hit with the fam. I gave it up for awhile and then decided to try this one. I found it at allrecipes.com. This one was a hit! Yeah!
Orange Island Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I leave whole till I serve)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
FOR MARINADE: In a zipper style bag, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, onion powder and orange peel. Mix well.

Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the marinade. (Do not discard the marinade). Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour remaining marinade over chicken. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more.

I then made a gravy with the juice by adding cornstarch.


I also sauteed some carrots, onions and water chestnuts in orange juice and soy sauce. Serve over rice.


Well happy cooking!