American Tiaramisu January 9, 2010

I love the Italians. So tonight we are going to a dinner at a friends house where they also love the Italians, so we usually celebrate the Italians by having an Italian dish. I usually get to bring the dessert, so tonight it is Tiaramisu. Just as I finished making it, the kids, all screaming at once (there are 3 at home 5 and under) needed to eat lunch. (This is Tracies Husband and she is playing referee she gets interupted 4-5 times in the span of time it takes her to type one of these, all this and she can cook!) After heating up chicken tacos and beans, and cleaning up the mess from the tiaramisu, I couldn’t bear to throw out the kahlua, espresso and brown sugar mixture so I added some hot water and cream. 1pm isn’t too early to have a “treat” on a Friday afternoon do you think?

Tiaramisu
18 lady fingers (found at any Italian specialty store, or you can make your own by finding the recipe on line)
8oz. pkg cream cheese softened
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 T brown sugar
1/2 cup espresso
1/4 cup kahlua
cocoa powder
chopped chocolate

Lay 9 lady fingers in the bottom of an 8″ square pan. beat all of the whipping cream to stiff peaks. Remove half of the whipping cream and set aside. Add 8 oz pkg of cream cheese and whip until the mixture is fluffy. Let it sit. Now prepare the coffee by combining the espresso with the kahlua and brown sugar. brush each lady finger with the coffee. spread half of the cream cheese mixture over the lady fingers. spread the remaining lady fingers over the cream cheese and repeat with the coffee. Spread the rest of the remaining cream cheese over this second layer of lady fingers. Let it all chill until stiff 2-3 hours or over night. Now top with the remaining whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder and sprinkle with chocolate. yum – yum this is worth the wait if you enjoy cream and coffee and a hint of chocolate.

Apple chicken stir fry January 7, 2010

I recently read in a magazine that adding fruit to stir fry adds to the flavor. I like the flavor of sweet with salty, especially in a saucy dish to go over rice. The addition of apple juice to this recipe is so subtle. It makes the dish.

You will need:
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 chicken breasts or 5 chicken breast tenderloins
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
2 T butter
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4-1/2 cup water
2 cups prepared brown rice

Start the rice in a rice cooker or a pan.
lightly poach the chicken in the pan you will use to make the stir fry. Dice the chicken and set aside. Drain the pan and add the butter and all of the vegetables along with the spices. Saute until the mushrooms are soft. Add the chicken and toss. Now add the apple juice and chicken broth. Let it all simmer and taste it. You may need to add salt and pepper at this time. Now you will want to thicken the sauce with the prepared cornstarch and let simmer.

An addition that is great in this is sweet chili sauce. Serves 4-6. i served this in bowls.

Man Meatballs January 5, 2010

Yesterday was shopping day and a chance for me to get out of the house by myself. Always a welcome opportunity without all of the children in tow. He graciously offered to make dinner and called me to make sure I was bringing linguini noodles home. When I walked in the door all the boys announced that “Dad made man meatballs” What are these you ask? Hamburger cut in to bite sized chunks and well seasoned with garlic salt, pepper, and basil sizzling on the flat top. And prepared pizza sauce in the pot. After the noodles were done, he tossed the “man meatballs” into the pizza sauce and served it over the noodles. The boys loved them. and I have to admit, I thought they were great. without all of the hassle of real meatballs. Bon Appetite

Happy New Year January 1, 2010

The holidays are over, the wrapping paper has been thrown away and it is time to think about what you will change in the New Year. I know resolutions only survive for about 1-2 weeks, but sometimes getting started can inspire life change.

I am excited about food in the New Year and am looking forward to sharing the recipes I’ve tried successfully in my family with you. (successfully means my kids ate what I made).

Here is my first entry.

Spicy Mushroom Enchiladas
You will need:
10 6 inch flour tortillas
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (sub crimini or portabellafor more flavor)
1 can diced green chilis
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated cheddar or Jack cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can green enchilada sauce

Saute mushrooms and green chilis in skillet until the mushrooms are soft. Turn the heat off and add the sour cream and spices. Set aside. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Heat tortillas so they are pliable. Fill each tortilla with a serving spoon size portion of the filling and a pinch of cheese (you determine how much you want, I do about an eighth of a cup). Roll the enchiladas and put them rolled seam down into the pan. Top with green enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.
I serve this with rice and beans.

Come to the Table October 20, 2009

We just had our fourth child and I am realizing more and more how great it is to have my meals planned out. When I take all of my children shopping and I follow the outline of the grocery lists from my book, I am still in and out of the grocery store in 30 minutes. My 5 year old counts the groceries as they go in to the cart and it keeps him from grabbing things that don’t belong (one time we came home with a bag of dried chili mix and some donuts). while I’m running them to and from their activites, I don’t have to call my husband to meet us out because dinner is either already prepared and in the crock pot, or it is thawed and the vegetables are cut and all are ready to be assembled. Dinner time then is peaceful.

Comfort food – Good ‘Ol Chicken Pot Pie October 20, 2009

When it is raining and cold outside, I often make comfort food for my family. This recipe is easy and start to on the table takes about an hour.
Chicken Pot Pie
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
First make the crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 cup butter chilled and chopped
You’ll want to cut the butter in to the flour mixture until is is pea sizec then add 3 Tbsp water or vodka or vinegar, one Tbsp at a time. Form into a ball and let chill while you get your filling ready.
Filling:
4 small red potatoes cubed
2 medium sized carrots sliced
1/4 cup diced onion
2 stalks celery
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 T butter
3 chicken brests grilled and cubed
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, combine onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and butter and saute’ until onions are opaque. Add corn, peas and chicken. Add soup and refill can of water. let simmer while you form your crust. I put the crust only on the top of my pie, so you’ll have left over dough. Divide your dough in half and roll flat to fit your 9″ deep dish pie plate. Fill pie dish and cover with your crust. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve in bowls

Fall is finally here!! October 18, 2009

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I love Fall. The crisp air, the crunchy leaves, the cool beezes. I love Fall. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes for fall:
Baked Apples;
Core out the apples and stuff them with cinnamon, brown sugar, and red hot candies and butter. Place them in a 350 degree oven and bake for 45 minutes. Take them out and let them cool so you can touch them. Sever with Vanilla ice cream and drizzle with carmel ice cream topping. MMM so Good
this next one sounds so good but I haven’t tried it. I’d love to get feed back on it.
Baked pumpkins
Using small pie pumpkins, cut off the top with handle and set aside. hollow out the inside. Combine 2 T butter, 1/2 t ginger, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t pepper, 1/4 t cinnamon, 1/4 t onion powder and 1/4 t garlic. stuff the combination into the inside of the pumpkin. Replace the lid to the top of the pumpkin and Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve the whole pumpkin and eat like a baked potato.

The introduction to Come to the Table, my family meal planner/cookbook! October 5, 2009

Hi everyone.

Here is the introduction video for “Come to the Table.” I talk about the purpose behind the meal planner and why it is great for busy moms and families that still appreciate dinner time together. It serves a family of 3 to 6 for 7 weeks with no repeated recipes! Some of the proceeds go to needy families and you can check it out, see a grocery list (they are included for every week) and at least one family recipe at any time.

Video introducing Come to the Table – the family meal planner and cookbook that is designed to get your family to “come to the table:”

http://busymomsguidetogreateats.com/

Recipes for newest post Fall Recipes September 8, 2009

Vegetable beef pot roast
1 pkg turkey bacon
2 lbs chuck roast
4 long carrots cut and peeled into 2 inch pieces
1/2 medium sized Walla Walla sweet onion
4 Garden fresh tomatoes (campari tomatoes are great if you didn’t grow your own)
1 orange juiced and peels sliced
2 cups red wine
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic minced
salt and pepper
1 cup beef broth
Yukon Gold potatoes or Whole Wheat Pasta

Cube the beef and marinate in a mixture of orange juice, wine, thyme, bayleaf, and garlic for about two hours. In dutch oven or heavy 3 quart pan brown the bacon, letting the juices sit. Remove the bacon. Sautee’ the carrots and onions in the juice until the onions are opaque. Add the beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Strain the marinade and add it to the beef. Add 1 cup of beef broth. Cut the tomatoes in quarters and mix them in with the beef. Cover the pot and put in the oven at 350 dregrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Check the liquid periodically to be sure the beef isn’t getting dry. Serve over potatoes or noodles. We use Whole wheat pasta.

This recipe is modified from a great recipe found in Cuisine at Home magazine

Fall Recipes September 8, 2009

I love the Fall, the smell in the air, the cool evenings, and all of the produce from the harvest. This week we are using some of that great produce to round out our meals.
1. Vegetable beef pot roast
2. Stuffed zucchini
3. Crockpot beef and potatoes
4. Sweet Chili Flank Steak salad (from the Come to the Table cookbook)
5. Spaghetti and meatballs (from the Come to the Table cookbook)
6. Stuffed chicken breast (from the Come to the Table cookbook)
See the recipes category for the recipes for the first three entries

Enjoy the harvest. If you haven’t harvested your own, the farmer’s markets are a great way to support your local growers and still get the fresh ingredients you enjoy. Most of the ones around here go unto the end of September.