Quickie - Crop Pot Chicken Fajitas

Here's a quick one for you to prep and let cook for an afternoon. Then all you have to do when you get home is shred the chicken and make up some fajitas!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 red bell pepper, cut julienne style
• 1 green bell pepper, cut julienne style
• 1 medium onion, cut in half, sliced and separated
• 1 packet fajita seasoning mixing
• A couple dashes of lime juice

Directions:

1. Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Place sliced vegetables on top. Sprinkle fajita seasoning over dish and add a few dashes of lime juice. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours, or until chicken is done and shreds easily.
2. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and mix all ingredients together.
3. Assemble fajitas with cheese and sour cream as desired.

Enjoy! :-)
~Melissa

Interesting Idea for Crescent Roll Dough

Quickie - Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad with Sautéed Scallops

I flew into town last night just in time for my Thursday Quickie.  So satisfying to be sure!!!

~MAW Steve

2 Cups of Spring Mix

2 pieces of Bacon Chopped (Cook these in a frying pan and save a tsp of the grease)

2 TBSP Blue Cheese Crumbles

1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar

4 -6 oz Scallops (Bay or Sea, up to you)

1 TBSP Soy Sauce

Salt and Pepper

1.  Combine Spring Mix, chopped bacon, blue cheese crumbles and balsamic vinegar in a bowl and stir to combine.  Add the tsp of hot bacon grease to the bowl and mix.  This will cause blue cheese to melt slightly.  

2.  Salt and Pepper both sides of the scallops.  In the same pan as bacon was cooked, sear them 4 minutes.  Add Soy Sauce and cook another 2 minutes or until cooked through.  Place both the salad and the scallops on a plate with a lemon wedge.  Enjoy!

Interesting Idea for Cranberries

A few weeks ago I bought a couple bags of fresh Ocean Spray cranberries just to have on hand, so when Steve picked cranberries as the ingredient, I was glad to have a reason to use them and not let them go to waste. When we lived back in Kansas, there was this winery that sold some cranberry jalapeno jelly and it is amazing! I looked up a couple jelly recipes, but it seemed like it wouldn't be ready in time to post for this week, so I decided on a different route. I got this recipe from the bag of cranberries itself, used dried orange peel because I had it on hand, and decided it needed a streusel topping to kind of balance everything out since cranberries can be kind of tart sometimes. So here is how it turned out! ~Melissa

Kitchen Tips - Saving Money on the Baking

~MAW Steve

I love to bake Christmas treats for the holidays, but the cost can be extraordinary.  This year, I am in the middle of a move and really can't afford to spend an exorbitant amount on flour, butter and all the specialty ingredients to make the perfect Pecan Balls and Frosted Snowmen.  To the internet I went and here is what I found.  8 ways to save money on your holiday baking.  Thanks to our friends at Canadian Living.  (Who knew?)

8 secrets to spending less on Christmas baking

By Signe Langford

Cookies for Santa blowing your budget? Follow these tips to have fun with holiday baking without spending a fortune on ingredients and supplies.Ah, Christmas cookies: buttery shortbread stars dotted with tiny, molar-shattering, silver balls; sugar cookies, expertly flooded in designer shades of Tiffany blue and eggshell; charming gingerbread people in little Charlie Brown sweaters -- and giant grocery bills from overindulging on expensive ingredients and baking supplies. But you can satisfy your inner Martha without maxing out the credit card. Here are eight easy dos and don'ts for inexpensive baking this Christmas. 

Do shop at the bulk food store. They have a great selection of baking supplies and generally lower prices, and you can buy just what you need and no more. 

Do bake with buddies. Have a baking bee where everyone chips in on the cost of ingredients and then goes home with a share of the goodies. Bonus: You aren't left at home with mountains of cookies and squares begging to be eaten. Put a pot of mulled wine or cider on the stove, crank up the cheesy Christmas tunes and you've got a party. 

Do use no-name ingredients where you can. OK, if chocolate is the star of the show, splash out on the good stuff. But for flour, butter, baking soda and so on, either go bulk or go cheap. 

Do search for wartime and Depression-era recipes. They were created in a time when people were being rationed or just going without, so they're naturally inexpensive to make. 

Don't buy premade icing, mixes or baking kits. Those little tubes of coloured icing look like fun, but the price (not to mention the ingredient list) is scary. Making icing is too easy for that. 

Do cut corners. Don't want to invest in a piping bag and tip set? Snip a tiny corner off a durable freezer bag -- it's instant decorating fun.

Do visit thrifts shops for fun, seasonal cookie jars, tins, baskets or mugs. They make cookie gifting affordable, individual and really special. You'll also be able to pick up cookie sheets and other bakeware for pennies. 

Do go rustic. A simple roll of butcher's or garden twine is lovely tied up around a gift of homemade cookies, and way cheaper than fancy ribbon. Same goes for paper or fabrics. Look for brown paper or little off cuts of funky fabrics, and skip the expensive packaging.

Food Story - A Different Kind of Cookie

MAW Steve

So, one thing about MAW Steve...he runs half marathons.  Yep, I do!  I have run 4 total of the past 13 months and I have about 4 more on my calendar over the next year or so.  I am not quite sure what got me into running except for the fact that I was slowly gaining weight and was close to 300 lbs at my heaviest.  The other thing reason was that as an Army Wife I got tired of one phrase that I used to hear from those lovely people who are not a part of the military community.  Tell me if you have heard it.  "I could NEVER be apart from my spouse for a WHOLE year."

My response to this statement is usually something like, "It's part of the life we live,"  or, "Thanks!"  But the truth is that I really want to say something else to them.  I want to say "How do you know?  How do you know, what you could or could not do, until you are actually put into a situation where it HAS to happen?"  The fact is that most of us military wives didn't think we could, would or should have survived our first deployments.  Not only did we survive, we powered through more.  My dear Soldier and I have gone through 2, but i know of families that are going through 3, 4, 5 or more.

So, in the same vain of How Do You Know, I started running.  I signed up for races I started losing some weight.  And it was the best thing I have ever done.  Now, I must add a new diet to my list of changes.  With all of the processed food out there and with the different ways our supposedly natural food is raised, grown and produced it is more important than ever to figure out a healthy diet.  But I don't want to give up sweets and I may not have too.

Let me explain.  Last weekend was the Walt Disney World Epcot 2012 Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  My Soldier and I signed up and decided to attend the expo for the event on Friday afternoon.  During the expo we met Erin McKenna, owner of Babycakes NYC in Manhattan.  She is a Vegan and makes her living finding ways to make classic desserts in a way that people with any allergies could still eat.  For those of us at the expo, she made Chocolate Chip Cookies, and with her permission, I am sharing the recipe here.

This recipe can be found in Erin's cookbook, "BabyCakes Covers the Classics.  It is gluten free, lactose free, soy free, low calorie, low carb and vegan. AND BEFORE YOU SAY NO....I WENT BACK FOR 3 MORE because they were great!

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups GLUTEN FREE WG OAT FLOUR
• 1 cup GLUTEN FREE ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
• 1 cup Organic Sugar 
• 1/4 cup FLAXSEED MEAL
• 1/4 cup ARROWROOT STARCH FLOUR
• 1-1/2 tsp XANTHAN GUM
• 1 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tb melted, refined Coconut Oil
• 6 Tbsp unsweetened Applesauce
• 2 Tbsp gluten free Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup gluten free, dairy free Chocolate Chips

Directions

Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2 In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, flaxseed meal, arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula until a thick dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Step 3 Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart.

Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and bake for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are golden brown and firm. Let stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before eating.

Makes 36 cookies.

Another thought about these.  For those of us who love sending baked goods to our Soldiers, this might be a way for Soldiers with allergies to also get some home baked love.  Give them a chance...you will be happy you do.  I know I was.  

For more information on Vegan Baking visit Erin's website at www.babycakesnyc.com

Quickie - Panini

It seems as if I never leave the kitchen.  I am always cooking, cleaning, prepping, making snacks. Because of this, I LOVE an meal that can be accomplished quickly.  One of our family favorites is a panini.

I do not have a fancy press so no need to add that to the shopping list.  Check this out...

Sourdough bread, sliced
or ANY favorite bread, just keep in mind bread has flavor to and you want it to compliment your other ingredients.
Sliced turkey
Sliced ham
French dressing
Provolone cheese.

Make your sandwich just as you would do if it was cold. Use french dressing instead of mayo or mustard. Place sandwich in a heated saute pan medium heat. If you do not have an iron press, use a large spatula to press sandwich.  Flip when toasted. Cover after flipped to make sure cheese completely melts. Serve hot!

There are many combinations for this square deliciousness.  Try this one...

Sourdough
Pepperoni
Light smear of maranara
Mozzarella cheese
Grated parmesan

Enjoy your quickie and let me know if you come up with a fantastic new combination of ingredients.

...daphne

Interesting Ideas for Brown Sugar

Challenge Brown Sugar ~ Melissa

So we were supposed to make something with brown sugar and not make it a dessert. It took me a little online searching for inspiration, but I found it! This turned out quite tasty, and not too sweet at all. Next time, however, I would make a rue with the sauteed veggies before adding the liquid, as the sauce would be better a little thicker. I also think a pan fried chicken breast would add a nice crunch to this, but I was pretty tired today so I went with baking it lol. It still turned out delicious! Hubby gave it a perfect score too! :-)

Tuesday Tip : Stress Free Thanks

This time of year I feel more concerned about peoples emotional well-being than I do about what goes in their stomach. It's a given that we will be well fed! More importantly, will we actually enjoy our Thanksgiving season, or will we stress out about perfection, in-laws, house guests or wine stains on the new carpet. Here area few tips to remember as a very busy season approaches...

1. Give yourself time-out or alone time each day. Even 5 minutes can help you refocus and keep perspective.
2.  Purpose to give time or a meal to a family that is less fortunate than you are. The humbleness you'll find in this gift will change you forever.
3. Don't expect perfection from yourself.
4. Have fun. If you cannot enjoy this season, it has no purpose.
5. Always remember to thank God for the privilege to celebrate with our families. Freedom is a gift.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours...daphne

Thursday Quickie - BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

Here's a pretty quick dinner, or lunch, for you today. Got leftover cooked chicken? Great! Now all you need are a few more things to make some yummy BBQ chicken quesadillas!

Ingredients:
1-2 tortillas
Cooked chicken, cubed or shredded it doesn't matter
Your favorite BBQ sauce
2 slices cooked bacon
Small amount of diced onion
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet over medium-low heat, place a tortilla and heat until slightly browned. Flip over and on half of the tortilla, layer your ingredients. I like to start with cheese, then onions, bacon, chicken, BBQ sauce and more cheese. Fold the empty half on top of the stuffing, and flip one more time to melt the extra cheese. You can either eat like a really giant taco, or cut it into more manageable pieces. If you like, have with sour cream as well. Enjoy!

~Melissa

Challenge French's Fried Onions ...daphne

Jalepeno Poppers

My goal in challenges is always to create something spicy.  I love poppers and this ingredient adds great flavor to the filling and the topping of one of my favorite appetizers!

Challenge French's Fried Onions ~ MAW Steve

Tuesday Tip - Wakey Wakey Eggs 'n Bakey!!

My husband and I almost always have bacon (or sausage) and eggs for breakfast. The eggs are usually over medium. (On a side note on this, this used to be over easy....and then over easy somewhere along the lines of my life changed to some white still liquid too...GROSS! So now I have to remember to say over medium at restaurants so I don't end up with a nasty white mucus-like egg substance on my plate!) Anyway, I occasionally appreciate a nice scrambled egg too. I've noticed some people (ahem my father) have issues with curling bacon when they pan fry it. And others (sometimes my hubby) tend to way overcook the eggs and then there is no liquid yolk. The perfect fried egg is solid white, with liquid yolk. And the perfect bacon has a nice light crisp, while still being a bit chewy. I realize these are my opinions and others' perfect eggs and bacon may be much different. But if you're like me and enjoy this variation, here are a couple tips for the eggs and bacon.

First, I cook the bacon. Place the bacon in the pan, then turn the heat on to medium low. Reduce heat slightly if your bacon starts to curl. Keep the heat lower and be sure to flip the bacon several times during the cooking process. This helps with even cooking and helps you keep track of how done it is without burning it. When it's to your liking, remove to paper towels and pat excess grease off. Pour the grease out of the pan into whatever container you use. Cooking the bacon over higher heat causes it to curl, and burn more easily. Wipe the pan out of the extra bits, unless you enjoy eggs cooked in bacon grease, then by all means leave it! Make sure your pan has time to cool a little, or use a new pan if desired. The pan will be hotter than you want for the eggs immediately after cooking the bacon. For the eggs, again, your pan will be over medium-low to low heat to cook. If you're good at cracking eggs without breaking them, then feel free to crack them directly into the pan. If you're not, then crack them into a bowl first, and pour the bowl contents into the pan. Let the eggs cook until the bottom white layer is cooked through, and the clear layer that surrounds the yolk just begins to look cooked. Then gently flip them over and cook only an additional minute or two. You can use your spatula to test around the yolk; you will be able to feel when the white is fully cooked and the yolk is still liquid.

Here is a picture to show what the egg looks like right before I flip it. You can see the bottom white is fully cooked through and the clear that surrounds the yolk is just beginning to look cooked.

Enjoy!
~Melissa

The Dinner Party

I love to cook!  That is a given though, because why would I be a part of a cooking blog if I didn't.  One of the reasons I love to cook is because of the creativity it affords me.  I can think of nothing better than putting new flavors together and thinking of new ways to serve the dishes.  This was the case this week when I invited some of my friends over for dinner.

It was Halloween night and those of us without kids who didn't feel the desire to pass out candy decided to get together.  (For the record, I left a huge bowl of the sugary treats outside for kids to take.  I'm not heartless.)  I told them to come after dark and to bring nothing but their senses.  Little did they know, I would be taking one of those senses away.  We did Dinner in the Dark.

That's right.  I took away their sense of sight for the meal.  I had heard about a restaurant that does every day.  Everyone is served in a completely darkened room.  I loved the idea and thought that it would work if I did little tasting bites of food.  So I came up with 10 dishes, made them bite size and served them to my guest who had been blindfolded.  My wife served as the table captain helping people find the food on their plate and not spill their wine. Stemless wine glasses are a good idea here.

Here are a few of the dishes I served.  Proscuitto wrapped Melon,  Tomato Soup and a 3 Cheese Grilled Cheese, and a Steak, Potato and Asparagus Bite.  There were a couple desserts too including a Candy Corn crispy rice treat in honor of the holiday.  Everyone was impressed with the food and all in all the dishes were a success.

Here is the funny thing though.  As much as we think we know what food tastes like, this dinner party proved that our eyes have a lot to do with that.  One girl at the party thought that the tomato soup was French Onion.  Another thought that chocolate chips were mince meat.  These things could never be confused by sight, but without that sense we become accostomed to we aren't as sure of things as we once were.  Thankfully, everyone knew what the steak and potatoes were.

Next time you want to have a dinner party, think about how you will present the dishes and be creative with how you serve everything.  Life is an experience, and that includes everything that happens in the kitchen as well.

Thursday Quickie

Salsa Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 jar favorite salsa
2 cups mexican blend shredded cheese


Preheat oven to 350*
Season chicken well with taco seasoning and place in sprayed baking dish.
Pour salsa evenly over chicken.
Top with cheese.

Bake for 70 minutes.

Serve with black beans and rice for a yummy, easy prep meal!

Challenge Candy Corn ~ Melissa

When I made this up in my mind, it was supposed to be the bottom layer crust, then a layer of slightly melted candy corn, topped with the cheesecake. What actually happened was the candy corn completely melted and seeped into the crust, and by the time it cools, it basically hardens so much you can't really even cut it. I was hoping the cheesecake batter would help prevent the candy corn from doing this, but it didn't. Oh well, the filling is still quite delicious! And next time, I would reduce the butter used in the crust and melt some candy corn to prepare the crust (less than a cup for sure or it would be just as hard!). And the presentation picture was taken with my new awesome camera....I love it! :-) <3 Melissa

Challenge Candy Corn ...daphne

Friday Food Story ~ Halloween Candy

Halloween is less than a week away, and that means....LOTS of candy! Candy everywhere you look! But remember back when you were a kid and you went Trick-or-Treating and there was always a house or two that handed out terrible candy, or only gave out one piece?!? Seriously, what was that about? As a kid, we love this holiday for all the yummy, good candy we get one night a year, so why do the adults have to go get the cheapest possible candy they can find? Yes, I realize candy is expensive (quite ridiculously in fact), but think back to when you were a kid....did you really want that mystery candy in the waxy paper wrapper? Who really knew what that was anyway? It always got thrown away from my sack of loot. And the no name lolly pops? Forget it! They had a party in the trash can with the mystery candy. So now that my hubby and I are *mostly* adults, we have to make sure it is done right! No "child molester candy" as we call it. We get the good stuff, the stuff WE want to eat when we have more candy leftover than Trick-or-Treaters that visit our home. And we aren't stingy either...big handfuls get dumped into the kiddies' bags. We like to be the "good house" that the kids remember later that night, the house they look forward to going to again next year. And whenever we have kids, we will be the best house in the neighborhood in their eyes!

Happy Halloween everyone! Wishing you a safe and spooktacular holiday!

<3 Melissa

Thursday Quickie - 3 Cheese Grilled Cheese

Simple is the name of the game when it comes to the Thursday Quickie and there is nothing more simple than ramping up the flavors and textures of an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich.  So, here is how I make my grilled cheese and I hope you enjoy it.

2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
1 TBSP Margarine or soft Butter
1 Slice Cheddar Cheese
1 Slice Monteray Jack cheese
1 TBSP Goat Cheese
2 Slices Tomato
Oregano

Instructions

1.  Heat Skillet to medium heat.  Butter both slices of bread.
2.  On the unbuttered side of the bread, place cheddar cheese, goat cheese, tomato slices, oregano and jack cheese in that order.  Add other slice of bread, butter side up.
3.  Place on skillet.  After 2 minutes check bottom for brownness, once bread is browned, flip sandwich.  Cook on bottom side for another 2-4 minutes or until both sides are golden brown and delicious.

Personally, I like to smush the sandwich with my spatula a little to get that cheese melting closer to the cooking surface.

Enjoy...~MAW Steve

Challenge Pumpkin ~ MAW Steve

Challenge Pumpkin ~ Melissa

So the ingredient this week was pumpkin, and it was supposed to be a whole pumpkin and not canned. Well, I did NOT have the patience to use a whole one for this recipe. I even started to cut one up but it was taking forever and I had stuff to do. Besides, this recipe already has enough prep for a slow cooker recipe, and I didn't want to add even more work. Then what would be the point of the slow cooker??? However, I do think this would be really good using whole pumpkin chunks, either added in with the other ingredients, or cooked separately and added at the end. So feel free to use whichever! :-) <3Melissa

Tuesday Tip

It seems like there are dozens of ways to cook eggs, but one of my favorite is in an omelet.  It is probably my love for stuffed food that makes me look at an omelet with complete and utter awe.  Of course, the omelet bar at my local buffet is a favorite, but it has been said, that I can make a pretty mean one at home as well.  You can too by following this one simple step.

Bring your eggs to room temperature before cracking them and scrambling them.

Why, you ask?  I am not exactly sure of the science behind this but I think it has to do with the fact that by allowing the eggs to come to room temperature, you are loosening the whites which will give you a fluffier product when scrambled.  Personally, I have noticed that the eggs seem to come out of the shells a little quicker once cracked.  Believe me it works.

To bring eggs to room temperature you can do one of two things.  First, you can leave them sitting on the counter for about an hour.  (Who has time for that?)  The other way is better.  Submerge the eggs in warm water (WARM NOT HOT) for five minutes, or just enough time to allow your skillet to heat up. Once the eggs have come to room temperature, crack, scramble, cook in your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Friday Food Story

One of my favorite food memories as a child was when my family gathered once a year for our annual family reunion. It was an occasion we all looked forward to as it gave us an opportunity to see aunts, uncles and cousins who lived far away. There is a state park in our hometown so it was always the ideal place for this gathering to occur.

The second best thing about this day was the food! (Family has to be first) If it was southern cuisine, we had it. Black-eyes peas with ham, collard greens, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, and my all time favorite, Aunt Minnie's chicken and dumplings. They were the best! I cannot even remember if I ever ate any of the chicken, I just liked the dumplings! I never had the privilege to watch her make them, or even get her recipe, but they were indeed the best dumplings east of the Mississippi.

Another nice treat at these reunions was that there was always some kind of wild game. There were a few hunters in the family so it wasn't uncommon to have deer, gator tail, soft shelled turtle or squirrel. The fun part of having surprises like this is that you always tell the new people that it's fried steak.  They eat it, like it and want more....THEN you tell them what they are eating.  Works every time!  It's quite amusing how something they were eating so quickly can immediately cause them to choke.

I like the thought that most of my childhood memories are focused around food. There is something very special about a home cooked meal, especially when you can share it with those you love. Food is a balm that can heal, a mood-mender, a face-lifter and a friend to many. Have you blessed someone lately with a home-cooked treat? Our family was full of cooks, some of them professional, but it wasn't the skill that made the difference, it was the loves in which it was served.  LOVE on somebody today!

Thursday Quickie ~ Dirty Rice with Peppers

I came across this recipes years ago online, from a website called sparkpeople.com. At the time, I was using it to help lose weight and they have tons of recipes that are healthier than regular versions, changes to favorites, etc. This one I don't feel counts as a healthier recipe necessarily, but it sure is tasty and quick and easy to prepare! I've made a few little changes, but it's mostly to add more peppers and onions, and definitely more garlic (I love garlic!). The directions below are for the quick and easy version, but feel free to use all fresh ingredients and dice it all up yourself too! 

Dirty Rice with Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage (or links if you can't find ground)
• 1 bag frozen julienned bell peppers
• 1/2 bag frozen diced onions
• 6 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 box Zatarain's Lower Sodium Dirty Rice Mix
• 2 1/2 cups water
• Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Directions:

1. Brown sausage in a large pan. If it is in links, remove from the casings and crumble. Drain and return to pan.
2. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender.
3. Add peppers and continue to saute until soft and most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add water and dirty rice mix, bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat, stir, cover and simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff and serve with Parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy! <3 Melissa

Challenge Eggs ~MAW Steve

Challenge Eggs ...daphne

I am not a big egg fan, but there is nothing that completes a BBQ or picnic better than a large platter of deviled eggs.  Below is a recipe we like to use at our family gatherings. The lingering heat adds to the greatness of this little devil!

For the perfect hard boiled egg check out this Tuesday Tip from -Melissa <3

http://www.armywivesdoitinthekitchen.com/2012/09/hard-boiled-eggs.html

www.evergladesseasoning.com

Tuesday Tip

Care Package Packing!

I know a lot of us have had our soldier deploy at least once, but most likely more. We love to send them little things from home, some homemade cookies, treats, etc. But how do you send stuff and still have them taste good and not dry out en route? I have a figured out a few different tricks for this, one of which is my hubby's grandmother's.

I sent him cookies a lot last deployment, and I wanted to make sure they were still nice and moist by the time they reached him. So I used Glad Press 'N Seal wrap, sealing it around each cookie in kind of "sheets" of 6-9 depending on the cookie size. Then I put several sheets into gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags and sealed those up. My hubby said they still tasted great! But this takes some time to do. If you have less time and don't want to go through all that, there is another way. Put the cookies in a Ziploc and add a slice of bread to the bag. The bread will dry out leaving the cookies nice and moist. My hubby's grandmother has also used popped popcorn! It worked just fine as well, except you get popcorn crumbs all over the treats. But it would work in a bind.

Do you have any tips or tricks when you send your soldier care packages?

~Melissa

Friday Food Story

Ah, a chill in the air has come to Florida, which basically means that instead of 75 degrees at 6 am it is now 68 degrees.  This doesn't change the fact that by noon it still be in the 90s, but for those brief couple of hours we are reminded that fall is here and the holidays are soon approaching.  What does this mean to me?  It means that it's time for Chili, and if ever there was a food that deserves its own story, it's Chili.

I am proud to say that my Chili has won contests.  It is probably the one recipe I am not willing to share yet, because I am so darn happy with it, and really still want the accolades that come with serving this wonderful dish.  But, as great as it is, and it is great...it almost didn't happen.  This chili, started as an accident, but some of the best dishes are.

You see, back when Heather and I were stationed in Korea, we were coming toward the end of our time there.  I had a bunch of food in the freezer and in the cupboards and was quickly running out of time to use them.  Then our unit, AFN-Korea, decided to have their own chili cook-off.  Perfect!  Most of the things I had in my kitchen would work in a chili.  So, armed with a crock pot and a knife, I went to work chopping, measuring, and pouring everything I had until it was simmering to perfection.

Luckily, most of the ingredients were traditional to chili.  I will give away this secret because it is an easy way to add to almost any chili recipe.  I use two meats, ground beef and ground pork sausage.  Yum!  there was tomato sauce, spices, onion (of course) and I think I even had a jalapeno.  But some of the ingredients were not as traditional.  They were just a part of what I had used over the 3 years we had been in Korea, and I didn't feel like lugging them to the states or throwing them away.

The chili became known as "Cupboard Chili" because everything in the cupboard went into it.  When we went into the competition, I was confident that it could compete, although I didn't know if it could win.  There were some tough competitors, including a couple of 20 year Army Veterans who had seemingly spent their entire careers perfecting their chili recipes.  Was I in over my head, or did I have something?

Turns out, I had something.  The heat level and taste gave me the edge and I ended up winning 2nd place that day.  Apparently, my chili was a little too thick, or I would have won.  It was a nice $15 gift card to the PX.  I can't remember if there were other prizes, or who beat me.

Over the years, I have made some adjustments to the recipe, and a couple years ago I won our churches chili cook off.  It is still "Cupboard Chili," but now it is much more precise.  I even serve it with a Cilantro Sour Cream and Cornbread Crackers just for that little extra.

I tell that story, basically to say this...creativity is in your kitchen.  When you find yourself with nothing to eat, but a lot of ingredients, just start throwing things together.  You never know what you might come up with.  It might be award winning.  It may become your signature dish.  It might taste disgusting.  It doesn't matter.  Dominos is only a phone call away!

Challenge Stove Top Stuffing ~ Melissa

When Steve thought up Stove Top Stuffing as the ingredient, I really had no idea what to do that would be both good and not just serving as a side or on top of a casserole. I basically never use this stuff. So I started thinking of other breading type dishes, and came up with my chicken and dumplings crock pot recipe. Instead of making "normal" dumplings, I'd incorporate the stuffing into it. The directions below are how I would make them next time. This time they were too moist and kind of became one giant blob in the crock pot. It still tasted good though! You could definitely taste the Stove Top stuffing flavor, and I thought it was a nice addition to chicken and dumplings. That's why my hubby gave it only 4 stars, since they didn't turn out as well as we had hoped for. But other than that, pretty good, easy, and delicious on a cool fall day like we have been having a lot of recently! :-)

Tuesday Tip

Bargain Spices!

written by ...daphne

One of the most frustrating parts of cooking for me, is paying the prices for the ingredients I need for the recipes. For instance, herbs and spices! McCormick is a MILLIONAIRE!  Cooking from scratch usually means creating your own seasoning blends and you must have a plethora of herbs and spices to make it work.

One of the secrets I have learned in cost cutting is shopping where they sell products in bulk. A tub of oregano is much more affordable than a case of finely wrapped and printed bottles of oregano. In my area we use Central Market. I have bought bulk at Whole Foods and also Fresh Market.  It makes perfect sense to save money where you can!

Check out a few of the pictures below.  My favorite bargain is always dill weed.  We use this a lot at home and I cannot bring myself to pay between 3.50 (small bottle) and 5.89 (larger bottle) for a bottle!! If you look close to the label, notice it is $16.99/lb. The bag I FILLED is a 4 x 5 ziplock and I PACKED it in there. The price...$1.19. Look again...almost a pound of sea salt for $.73!! I have actually bought bags of spices that weighed so little it would not register on the scale.  If you can't weigh it, you don't pay it!

Let's wrap up...the picture with 8 bags of spices/herbs/blends/salt...total price?? $5.47  I dare you to get that bargain at Walmart!

Friday Food Story

Food makes an impression. It can make an impression in all aspects of life. From your day to day activities, to your work, and even your spouse's work. This last one is often the case for me, since the Army tends to have many social gatherings. And I always like to bring something homemade and delicious. I like to know about events well in advance so I can come up with the perfect dish to take. Is it a picnic or outdoor BBQ? How about a nice refreshing gazpacho salad. Indoors and at the holidays? Mmmm....meatballs in a spicy sweet sauce sauce kept warm in my crock pot. I like to not only associate the food with the event, but also the time of year and weather. But I always make sure it is scrumptious. People will always ask who made it, that it must have taken forever to make (usually this is not the case, which is nice!), and sometimes even ask for the recipe. I like them to remember me for bringing something that wasn't store-bought, that I took the time and effort to make.

This has recently happened to us. About a month ago, some higher ups from my husband's unit were in town for some meetings and such (his brigade is spread out over several posts). So while they were here, his commander hosted a BBQ at their house. I wanted to try out a new dessert recipe since we wouldn't have to eat it all ourselves. So I made some red velvet cake pops dipped in chocolate. First try ever at any cake pops, and they weren't perfectly shaped by any means, but tasted dang yummy! Well needless to say, everyone was talking about them and kept telling others to try them. One of whom was one of these higher ups. A couple weeks later, this same person returned to the area, and rather than remembering my hubby's name, she remembered him as the guy whose wife makes awesome desserts! I certainly appreciate this, and I guess my hubby could be remembered for something worse then dessert. :-)

I find it so interesting how much impact a great dish can have on people's impressions of others. So like I said, I prefer to be the one who brings homemade deliciousness and not store-bought, so the next time I run into someone who was there, they will remember me, even if it is just for the meatballs. :-)

~Melissa

Thursday Quickie....Oh Yeah!!!

It's time for my first Thursday Quickie, and I am loving it.  I have to get my Soldier off to school this afternoon, so before she leaves, this will be the perfect dish for both of us to have.  Plus, if she is hungry when school is over, I will still be sitting on the stove with flavors marrying even more.  With October and the Fall season, comes a chill in the air, and a perfect time for soup.  This is one of the easiest soups to make and oh so yummy!  Plus it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare!

Easy Tomato and Pasta Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar marinara sauce (choose your favorite)
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini  or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tsp cumin
3/4 cup small pasta (I use mini shells)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, beans, pasta and spices. Simmer for 10-20 minutes, or until pasta is cooked.
Ladle into bowls and serve. 

Orange Juice Challenge ~ Melissa

Orange Juice Challenge ~MAW Steve

Tuesday Tip

written by ~MAW Steve

I am not a crier.  Nope, I just don't do it.  I don't cry during the sad parts of movies.  I don't cry when I attend weddings or funerals. I didn't even cry when I got punched in the face so hard I could barely breathe.  I don't know why  Idon't cry, but I don't.  And I am ok with that.

Of course, there is one time that I cry.  That's whenever I cut onions. That sweet, yet spicy vegetable can get the tears flowing faster than "The Notebook" can turn my wife into a pile of goo.  And red onions are the worst.  For some reason, they just make me start bawling.  It happened just the other day when I had a rerun of Saved By the Bell on tv.  I was blubbering like a baby, right as Zach, Screech and the gang got their diplomas.  Sure a tearjerker moment, but for me it was all about the onions.

There are several theories on how to stop yourself from crying while cutting onions.  You can wash your hands and face really well.  You can eat a piece of lemon.  You can wear a mask.  I am here to tell you that none of those has worked for me.  Only one thing has stopped the tears from flowing.  Goggles.

That's right, Goggles.  I prefer the type swimmers wear when in the pool, but there are several other kinds you can use.  The idea is that a suction around your eyes protects them from the mist, or wisp or whatever it is that an onion gives off that makes you cry.  It works.  And since they are perfectly see through, they allow you to complete the chore without those nasty blind cuts to the fingers.

So the next time you are at the grocery store and pick up an onion, make sure you stop and get some goggles as well.  It just might stop your tears from being wasted so you will have them the next time Titanic comes on.

Friday Food Story

Where Shall I Dine?

written by ...daphne

Since my entire life is focused on food, writing these Friday stories is quite fun! Although usually very random! I often joke with my "skinny" friends that I live to eat and they simply eat to live.  Funny how life pairs you up with people who are opposite in personality. I guess if we all liked to eat as much as I do, there would be longer lines at Carraba's!

One thing that my husband and I do on road trips, to make sure we hit all the "hot" spots....no, I do not mean tourist traps...I mean AMAZING food joints...we check out the Diner's Drive In's and Dives map on their website. This map gives you all of the locations that are featured on the show, featuring Guy Fieri.  It also gives you a review on the dish that was prepared specifically for Guy's visit. Usually, it is a house special or top selling menu item. We have NEVER been disappointed.

On our last trip, we stopped in Chattanooga for burgers, Memphis for BBQ and once we made it home to DFW, we hit up another burger joint in Roanoke, TX. That specific restaurant happens to be a favorite of ours and a eatery in which all of our house guests will enjoy. If you are ever in the Ft. Worth area, make sure to try out Twisted Root Burger. (I think they have more than one location)

Our trips are defined by food.  We stay in hotels that are close to the restaurants where we want to eat.  We take day trips to try out a restaurant we read about....it goes on and on. Some of our favorites have been The Blue Marlin in Columbia, SC. Ossorios in Cocoa Village, FL. Mae Lee's Deli in Sebring, FL, The Dish in Hartford, CT, Veritable Quandry in Portland, OR, Urban Stack in Chattanooga, TN. Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, TX...I could go on and on.  Loving GOOD food is just what we do. Make sure to let us know if you find a hot spot and we'll make sure to check it out on one of our journeys.  Happy eating and living!

Thursday Quickie ~ Slow Cooker Pot Roast

I grew up on this recipe.  My mom used to make it often in the fall and winter, when you wanted to come home to something savory, hot and delicious.  I've only adjusted it a little, but the changes are minimal, just to add some actual veggies to it.  You can prep the onions and mushrooms the night before, then just throw it all in the crock pot in the morning!  It makes a fantastic gravy, and can make a lot, so I recommend a larger crock pot, and definitely a liner will be helpful for cleanup!  And it's a two for one recipe!  I always make the leftovers into something entirely different from the original pot roast meal.  See below for what I do! ;-)

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb roast
• 1 Family size can of Cream of Mushroom soup, or 3 small cans if you can't find the large one
• 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
• 1/2-1 onion, cut into 1/4 circles and separated
• 8 oz package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

1. Place liner in large crock pot (4-6 quart size).  Pour just a little soup on the bottom to cover, then place roast in the crock pot.  Pour remaining soup on top of the roast.  Do NOT add any water.
2. Sprinkle onion soup mix on top of roast evenly, then place sliced mushrooms and onions on top.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until roast easily falls apart.  
3. Serve with mashed potatoes and veggies of your choice. Be sure to serve some of that delicious gravy on the meat and potatoes!!
4. Before storing leftovers, shred the remaining of the meat and mix back in with the gravy.  Refrigerate.

With the leftovers....

With the leftovers, heat the meat/gravy mixture in a sauce pan.  Cook large egg noodles according to package directions.  Serve gravy mixture over egg noodles and top with parmesan cheese for a delicious version of beef stroganoff!! :-)

Mushroom Challenge ...daphne

Mushroom Challenge ~MAW Steve

Mushrooms are a wonderful ingredient, so when I heard that it would be the challenge ingredient of the week, I was excited.  I also knew that I would need something for lunch because a large dinner party had already been planned for later that evening and so I had to do something quick and easy that wouldn't make too big a mess.  This recipe fit all the criteria, and my Soldier absolutely loved it!

Tuesday Tip

I generally prefer to use fresh veggies in recipes when I can.  But they can get pretty expensive out of season, and sometimes I just don't feel like dicing them all up.  So, for those times when it's cheaper, or easier, I buy them frozen.  Green bell peppers are sold chopped, as are onions, frozen.  There is also a three bell pepper blend in the freezer section that is julienne cut.  The selection can vary by store, but generally you can find them.  Take a closer look at the veggies in your freezer section....you might be surprised! <3 Melissa

Friday Food Story - The Meal Train

written by ~MAW Steve

There is nothing like a meal train.  You know, that train of meals that come to a person's home after a major life event like the birth of a child or the death of a loved one.  Casserole after casserole are prepared and dropped off by those who care to make life a little easier for those who are having to make big adjustments in their lives.  As a military spouse, I have had no shortage of opportunities to prepare meals for families.  I do it proudly.  I have several different go to meals that I can make.  Most of the time I include some cookies.  Who doesn't like cookies?

Last week, the occasion presented itself to prepare a meal for a family struggling through a difficult time.  A drunk driver slammed into a car driven by an 8 1/2 month pregnant friend.  After an emergency C-Section, and 4 days of the best medical care, the baby passed away.  The mother suffered some chipped vertebrae, and other injuries, but survived.  This child was her first baby, and she and her husband were super excited to become parents.  The impact this event had on the family, their church, and their community was evident from the moment the accident happened.  I love this family, and preparing a meal was the least I could do for them.


While I was getting the meal ready, it occurred to me that this is one of those things that most of us do without really thinking about it. If someone in our military Family Readiness Group or in our church gives us a call and asks us for a meal, we are happy to oblige.  Why is that?  Why is it, that something that could take a couple hours out of our already busy days is so easy to say yes too?  The answer is quite simple.  We don't live in a bubble.  We live in a community!

Look at the casserole I made for this family.  It had onions, beef, tomato sauce, cheese and several other ingredients that make it downright tasty.  Each ingredient has to be prepared the right way, and combined in the right order to optimize flavor.  When it is taken out of the oven, it is a delicious combination of awesomeness all rolled into one dish.  That casserole is a community, and without each ingredient doing its part, it just wouldn't taste right.

Our communities are like that as well.  Each of us have an important role to play in the lives of the other people in our circles.  We prepare meals for those going through life changing events because it allows us to, in some small way, make their lives a little easier.  We know, that if they aren't right, then the community isn't right, and we will do whatever needs to be done to bring that recipe back into perfection. 

Our participation in the meal train allows those of us in a certain community the opportunity to celebrate with those who celebrate, to grieve with those who grieve, and to act in a real, tangible way.  We cook because we care.  We feed because we feel.  We bake because believe in the responsibility we have to bear at least some of the burden for those who need a little take off of their shoulders.  And food is a great way to do that.

Next time you have the opportunity...GET ON THE TRAIN.  I promise, it's a great ride.

In memory of JLH 6 Sept 2012 - 10 Sept 2012. 

Thursday Quickie

This recipe was passed to me from another Army wife several years ago. I have tweaked it a bit and even tried it with peach jam instead of apricot.  Every time I serve it to guests it is a HUGE hit. This is a very easy and QUICK recipe that is perfect for the upcoming holidays!


Cranberry Chicken

4 med-large chicken breasts
Salt and Pepper
1/2 bottle french dressing
1 jar apricot jam
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 can cranberry sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Preheat oven to 350*

Place chicken in sprayed glass pan. Salt and Pepper chicken. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix dressing, jam, soup mix, cranberries and garlic. Pour over chicken.

Bake 350* for 40 minutes. Serve over white rice.

Sweet Potato Challenge ...daphne

Sweet Potato Challenge ~ Melissa

Even though you get the soldier's review on the recipe, here's what I think about this dish!  When Steve chose sweet potatoes, he said we couldn't use brown sugar or marshmallows, which was fine by me because I never make them that way.  Something weird about using marshmallows, I dunno.  But anyway, there aren't too many things made with sweet potatoes, so I started thinking of what is made with regular potatoes I could use sweet potatoes instead.  I came up with gnocchi!  After doing a little online inspiration searching, I realized my idea is not original, there are many recipes out there for sweet potato gnocchi.  So I found one that sounded pretty easy for a first-timer, and then tweaked it for the flavors I wanted to use.  I also found the sauce recipe online, again tweaking it for my flavors.  I must say this turned out pretty dang good!  I think all the flavors worked well, and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes brings it to another level, not just pasta with a yummy sauce.  I can probably use some more practice on my actual gnocchi making, but they weren't too rubbery, and weren't undercooked, so I think it was a nice first time success!  We'll be making this again for sure!  Fair warning though, this takes a long time to make, so make sure you have a few hours to devote to it before you start! :-)

Prep Time = Less Time

I love "Good Eats."  I am not talking about different foods that can be qualified as worthy of consuming.  Nope, I am talking about the TV show hosted by the one and only Mr. Alton Brown.  It is a staple of the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, and while they are no longer making new episodes, it is one of those shows that I can watch over and over again, learning new recipes and tips that help me each and everyday I am in the kitchen.  Some of those hints come straight from the mouth of Alton Brown, but some don't.  One of the tips I gleaned from Alton was never talked about on the show, but it has become a huge time saver for me.

Here it is...Prep, prep, prep.   When I first started cooking I would just go after and recipe in the order it was written without thinking about organizing the recipe first.  Therefore, I made multiple trips to the pantry, to the refrigerator and on some occasions the grocery store because I didn't think to do a simple thing like lay out all my ingredients first.  Now, I am an expert at prep work, because I want to make the actual dish in as little time as possible.  Therefore, I take these simple 5 steps to make sure the amount of time from the fridge to the table is as little as possible.

1.  Take meat out of fridge first, open and add salt and pepper to both sides.  This does two things.  First, it allows the meat to come closer to room temperature so that cook time is reduced.  Second, by salting, the meat will release some of the water content which you can pat off with a paper towel.  Less water equals more flavor.

2.  Clean and chop veggies all at one time.  Check the recipe and prep whatever veggies are called for before starting to cook.  This will ensure they are ready for the pan, when the pan is ready for them.

3.  Measure out everything before you start. I have 3 sets of measuring cups.  Why?  Because they are cheap, take up very little space, and because sometimes recipes call for 3 different 1/2 cup measurements.  I want them to be ready so I am not constantly leaving my dish to get more ingredients.

4.  Combine like ingredients that will be added together anyway.  Spices can be measured and combined.  Usually liquids can as well.  Heck, for most cakes, this is how it is done anyway.  This can save some serious time.

5.  Place ingredients on the side of your dominant hand in the order they will be used.  For me that is on the right side of my pots.  This will make sure you add the right ingredients in the right order in the most efficient way.  Like I said it is all about the prep.

I leave you with this one last piece of advice that was probably never meant as a cooking reference, but it fits.  "When you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail."  Don't let your recipe lack for more when you can prevent it.  I bid you Good Eating.

~MAW Steve

Friday Food Story

I have to tell you more about my family! When I think about my food "foundations", it always causes me to look back as far as I can remember and reminisce about the foods my mom made that we all LOVED. This story is particularly special because I would NEVER allow myself to eat it today.  Instant 5 lbs right to the tummy!

written by ...daphne

My mom used a pressure cooker, A LOT. One of our favorite meals she used this for was a beef roast. We were a family of five, on one income and so I'm sure it was not the best cut of beef, but Mom made it work. When it was finished cooking, she would make a wonderful brown gravy with the drippings and have an extra loaf of white bread on hand to serve with dinner. There is NOT ONE recipe that I remember as much as I do this one...my brothers and I fought over the gravy. Forget the meat...give me gravy! We would pour this delicious brown goodness all over the white bread. Now I'm not a fan of soggy bread, but for this, I always made the exception. I cannot imagine how many calories are in a piece of Merita white bread and a 1/2 cup of gravy. I ate as many as I could until the gravy bowl was swiped clean by the final piece of bread. More often than not, we ran out of gravy before we did bread.

Today, I would give anything to be able to sit at my moms table and enjoy a home cooked meal from a happy kitchen. I'd even eat the white bread. Time has passed, people have changed and the kitchen has been closed for quite some time. I can go there in my mind and for now, that will have to do. Memories are something we always have and can count on to bring a smile to our face.  Enjoy the gravy while you can!

Thursday Quickie - Chicken with Broccoli and Potatoes

This dish is pretty easy, and very versatile.  You can sub anything you want really, like cauliflower for broccoli, chicken broth for butter, other seasoning flavors, etc.  It's very quick to prepare, and while it all bakes, you can get some other stuff done.  You can also make as mush, or as little, as you want.  So you could make it for a family of 6, or if your soldier is away and it's just you, just put enough in for you!  For easy clean up, line with foil as well.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
1-2 bunches of broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
2-3 red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
Italian seasoning to taste
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*.

Line a large baking dish with foil.  Place chicken at one end of the dish, broccoli in the center, and potatoes at the other end.  Cover with Italian seasoning and melted butter.  Cover entire dish with foil.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken and potatoes are done. 

Jalapeno Challenge ~ Melissa

Challenge Jalapeno - ~MAW Steve

Convenience

It's quite amusing that my Tuesday Tip is going to fall right in line with the question asked yesterday. I LIKE to have go-to ingredients in my house, and I also like to have FRESH ingredients in the house.  One of the easiest ways to do this is called...."throw a chicken in the crockpot before you go to work"!

Seriously...a whole chicken, water and whatever else you want in there to flavor it. Rosemary, orange wedges, pepper, thyme, garlic, onions....and never forget to salt it well.  When you get home, not only does your home smell DELISH, you have several lunches on their way to completion. Debone the chicken and use freezer bags to store. Now, I like to take it a step further. STRAIN your broth and put it in freezer bags to use when making soups, stews...and the holidays are FAST approaching and you will be well stocked when it's time to make the stuffing! There are no preservatives and YOU control the flavor.

Yesterday, my friend Sandy shared on Facebook that she ALWAYS has fresh chicken in her fridge for the kids to have quick meals.  Perfect plan for a mom on the move! Thanks Sandy!