Menu Plan Monday ~ Mar. 28th!

It's Monday again so you know what that means!

Yes! Menu Plan Monday!

When you are done seeing what my family is having for dinner this week, click on the button below to see what others are cooking up this week!

Anything in Green letters is a link to the recipe!

Monday - Chicken Noodle Soup

Tuesday - Sloppy Joes with Homemade Fries (Allison's request) and Green Beans.

Wednesday - Mesquite Marinated Pork Chops, Scalloped Potatoes and Lima Beans.

Thursday - Pizza Pasta (didn't have this yesterday so I moved it to this week), Tossed Salad and Rolls.

Friday - It's Good Friday so we are heading to the Fish Fry at the local Fire Hall with my parents, sister and niece and nephew.

Saturday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup.

Sunday - Easter Dinners with my family around Noon and in the evening with Curtis's family.
I'll be taking Pistachio Pudding Cake with me!

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Allison's Baked White Fish!

Allison is quite the creative cook and this is one of her creations. I should say one of her best creations yet. It was really flavorful and yummy!

She created it because . . . well, SHE sat on a bag of potato chips and didn't want to eat broken chips.

Yes, that's right. I told her she was going to eat the crushed chips because she wasn't paying attention and sat on the bag. I told her didn't care if she had to eat them with a spoon but we weren't throwing them out. I know. . . it was one of my mean moments.

Well if you read my other blog and know anything about my daughter, she is a problem solver. Yes, that she is. I believe that when she grows up, she's going to make an amazing contribution to society. Hey! I'm her Mom. I'm allowed to dream about her future!

Okay, let's get to the recipe. I guess it's not really a recipe but more of a method so I'll just try my best to write it up.

Allison's Baked White Fish

Ingredients:
White fish fillets, Flounder, Haddock, Cod, Halibut, Orange Roughy, etc.
Potato chips, almost a full regular bag
1 egg
milk, just a little to loosen up the egg
pepper
Cajun seasoning
dried chopped parsley

Directions:
1. Place potato chips in a zippered bag and crush to crumbs with a rolling pin.
2. In a bowl, beat egg and add a little milk to loosen the egg. Season with pepper. There is enough salt in the potato chips so you won't need it.
3. Dip fish fillets into egg/milk mixture and then cover with potato chip crumbs.
4. Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Sprinkle desired amount of Cajun seasoning and a little parsley for color on top of fillets.
6. Bake in a 375 degree oven until done. This will depend on how thick your fillets are. I cooked them until they were almost done and then raised the oven to 400 degrees to crisp the breading.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Menu Plan Monday ~ Mar. 22nd!

Hey Friends!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my cooking blog to see what we are having for dinner this week.

When you are finished here, you can click below and head on over to the Organizing Junkie's site to see what others are having for dinner this week too.

Remember, you can click on any of the dinner items in color and it will take you to the recipe.

Monday - Slow cooker Beef Stroganoff

Tuesday - Chicken Divan

Wednesday - Pierogi Skillet Dinner

Thursday - Pork Tenderloin, Baked Potatoes and Corn (This was moved from last week's menu since Curtis surprised us one night and took us out to dinner and this Mom didn't have to cook!)

Friday - Baked Lemon Pepper Fish, Buttered Parmesan Noodles and Green Beans

Saturday - Pizza Pasta with Tossed Salad and Fresh Baked Rolls

Sunday - Dinner at Grandma's

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff!

Several weeks ago my blogging friend, Darlene of Darlene's Days tried a Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff recipe. Her family loved it and after reading her rave reviews on her blog, I decided to make it for dinner that night.

I didn't have any stew meat or the right canned soup so I made a few adjustments and incorporated some of Darlene's suggestions and it came out PERFECT!

You can click here for the original recipe and the recipe I am listing below is the one I've adjusted and will continue to use.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1 pound of sirloin steak (2 steaks), fat trimmed off and cut into strips
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil or just enough to cover the bottom of the pan
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
1 packed of French onion soup mix
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 oz. cream cheese
Sour cream for top, optional
egg noodles or white rice

Directions:
1. In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil on an almost high setting. When the oil is hot and rippling, add the steak and onions. Sear the steak on all sides to give it a dark brown color on the outside. Do not cook it through. You just want to seal in the juices.
2. After the meat and onions are seared, place them in a slow cooker and add the soup, mushrooms, package of soup mix, Worcestershire sauce and water. Stir well to combine.
3. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or high setting for 5 hours.
4. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.
5. Serve over cooked egg noodles or white rice.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Menu Plan Monday ~ March 15th!

If you are a regular visitor to this blog, I'm starting a new feature this week. I'll be sharing my weekly menu every week by joining Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie! Click here to see what others are having for dinner this week!

If you usually follow my other blog, welcome to my cooking blog! I hope you take a look around and enjoy some of my recipes. I'll be adding more this week so be sure and become a follower so you won't miss them! Most of them are easy, quick with not a lot of ingredients but high on taste because this Mom doesn't have time to spend hours in the kitchen or doesn't want to get out 20 ingredients to make dinner!

You an click on any of the items in red to take you to the recipe.

Monday - Crock Pot Chili and dinner rolls (which I put together last night while I was cleaning up the dinner dishes! We eat late on Mondays since Allison goes to gymnastics and if she eats before, she is sluggish and not focused. So I try to do either a slow cooker recipe or a casserole so it cooks while we are there.)

Tuesday - Chicken Fajitas

Wednesday - Scalloped Potatoes & Ham with Green Beans

Thursday - Spaghetti & Meatballs with Salad and Italian Bread

Friday - Shrimp Kabobs, Rice Pilaf and Broccoli

Saturday - Pork Tenderloin, Baked Potatoes & Corn

Sunday - Dinner at Grandma's.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Braided Loaf!

Oh my goodness!!! This is amazing. I saw it last week on Rhoda's Southern Hospitality Blog and KNEW I had to make it!

I made it yesterday and now I can't walk into the kitchen without wanting another piece! It is truly delicious!

If you don't like blueberries, don't sweat it. It would be just as good with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, canned drained peaches...well, you get the idea.

You can click on the link above in purple to see the recipe on Rhoda's blog. She made a couple of adjustments and the recipe below reflect those adjustments. This recipe is SUPER easy and I hope you try it!

Blueberry Cream Cheese Braided Loaf

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large egg, separated
1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar, divided
1 (11 oz.) refrigerated breadstick dough
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, rinsed, drained and dried
2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Beat cream cheese in a mixing bowl at med. speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg yolk and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Beat until well mixed. Set aside.
3. Remove breadstick dough from can. Unroll and separate dough into rectangle. Place dough horizontally on baking sheet. Press seams together to seal.
4. Spoon cream cheese mixture onto center third of dough.
5. Sprinkle blueberries over cream cheese mixture.
6. Separate dough at perforations up to cream-cheese mixture slightly stretching dough strips. Beginning at top edge of dough, braid strips to cover filling (this makes more sense as you are doing it). Tuck last 2 ends under at bottom of loaf.
7. In a small bowl, beat egg white and water with fork until blended to form an egg wash. Brush egg wash over braided loaf.
8. Bake until golden brown, approx. 20 minutes. Cool for at least 45 min.
9. In another small bowl, combine remaining 1 cup confectioners sugar and orange juice, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over braided loaf before serving. Slice with bread knife.
10. Enjoy and try not to each too much!

Rhoda's braid was prettier than mine but you get the idea. Also, please don't comment on the condition of my baking sheet. I LOVE my old seasoned sheets! They work the best!

I know this looks a little brown but it's not that brown in real life. Just be sure to watch yours in the oven. My oven is a little hotter than it should be so I baked mine for 17 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Hash Brown Casserole!

I've seen this recipe called everything from party potatoes to funeral potatoes but we call it Hash Brown Casserole here in Western Pennsylvania.

Of course, it's another easy recipe...just my style.

I generally use store brands for everything in this recipe and it works just fine. I've also mixed in ham cut up in cubes and added green beans on the side to make it a complete meal. I don't make it very often because it makes a lot for my little family. I usually save it for family get togethers. My favorite thing to serve this with is barbecued chicken and lima beans. I don't know why, all the flavors just blend for me.

My family loves the topping and the original recipe wasn't enough for them so I double it. The recipe below reflects that change.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lbs. frozen hash browns
16 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 sticks of melted butter (1 stick for base and 1 for topping so keep them separate)
4 cups corn flakes

Directions:
~Mix the first 4 ingredients and 1 stick of melted butter together well in a very big bowl.
~Add the hash browns to the mixture.
~Put the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish.
~Crush the corn flakes in a Ziploc bag.
~Add 1 stick of melted butter to the crushed corn flakes.
~Put corn flake mixture on top of base.
~Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. 15 min.
~Let sit for 10 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Chilled French Apple Dessert!

Since I've been posting all those calorie rich recipes lately, I thought it's time that I slim things down.

This recipe is a Weight Watchers dessert and has a POINTS® Value of 4 per serving.

I wasn't too sure about it but it was surprisingly delicious. Curtis and Allison both gave it a thumbs up.

Chilled French Apple Dessert

Ingredients:
27 average cinnamon graham crackers squares
2 1/2 cups canned sweetened chunky applesauce
6 oz. light artificially sweetened vanilla yogurt
1 cup lite whipped topping
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions:
1. Line bottom of an 8-inch square pan with nine graham crackers.
2. In a small bowl, combine applesauce and yogurt.
3. Pour half of mixture onto graham crackers, layer with nine more crackers and repeat. Top with remaining nine squares.
4. Spread whipped topping over top and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Chill 2 hours. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Calico Baked Beans!

Don't you just love great baked beans? I know I do!

This recipe come from my BFF's Mom, Sandy. She's like my second Mom and graciously passed this recipe to me when I fell in love with it.

:::WARNING!::: This recipe makes a lot! Really! I mean it! So if you only have a few people in your family, you will be eating it for days or you can freeze half of it for another time. I always make it for a party because I'm afraid that if I have it for days at a time, I'll not like it anymore. You know. Too much of a good thing isn't always a good thing.

Calico Baked Beans

Ingredients:
1 lb. bacon
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 medium can of Campbell's Pork and Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Lima Beans (drained)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard

Directions:
~Cook off 1 pound of bacon, drain and when cooled, crumble.
~Brown 1 pound of ground meat with chopped onion. Drain grease.
~Add all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together well.
~Bake at 350 degrees covered in oven safe cookware for 45 minutes.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Almond-Orange-Peach Crescents!

A few years ago I saw Rachael Ray make Almond-Orange-Apricot Crescent Rolls on her 30 Minute Meals show. I liked the idea but I didn't have apricot or sesame seeds so I improvised and used what I had on hand.

These have now become a favorite with the Farmer's Breakfast Casserole in our family. See previous post for that recipe.

Almond-Orange-Peach Crescents

Ingredients:

1 package of Pillsbury crescent roll dough

3 Tbsp. orange marmalade

3 Tbsp. peach preserves

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

~Preheat oven to the instructions on your crescent roll package.

~Roll dough out on a cookie sheet and break apart triangles.

~Combine orange marmalade and peach preserves in a bowl and stir well with a teaspoon to break down the preserves to a spreadable consistency.

~Using the back of the teaspoon, spread a thin layer onto the crescent dough and roll it up per the package directions.

~Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on top of the rolled crescent and sprinkle sliced almonds on top.

~Bake per package instructions until done or lightly golden. Serve warm.

Note:

~Substitute apricot, pineapple, cherry, red raspberry, strawberry or blueberry preserves for the peach. Yum! You are only limited by your imagination.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!