Party Snack Mix

Just in time for New Years, this recipe makes an awesome snack mix.  The salty/sweet combination is addictive!

1 box Kix or Corn Pops cereal
1 large bag original Fritos corn chips
12-14 cups popped popcorn (butter flavor or plain)
32 oz (2 1/2 small bags) white/vanilla chips (find by the chocolate chips)
~ 2 tablespoons butter
Half n half or cream (just a little)

Stir together cereal, Fritos, and popcorn in several large bowls. Melt vanilla chips on the stove over medium-low heat (using a double boiler is perfect); be careful not to burn! Stir frequently.  While vanilla chips are slowly melting, slice up butter into small pieces and melt along with the chips.  Once it's all melted, stir in a little cream (start with like a tablespoon) to thin it down just a little so it's not like a paste. Pour over snack mix in bowls and stir well immediately. Spread in several large pans to cool. Store in ziplock bags. Yum!

Kielbasa Potato Bake

This super tasty dish is perfect for a chilly fall/winter day!  It features one of my favorites, marinated artichoke hearts.  Prep time is about 45 minutes (but most of that is bake time).  You'll need:

6 large red potatoes

1 kielbasa

10 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts

½ cup lowfat sour cream

2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 425.  Scrub potatoes and cut into larger bite-size pieces.  Spread potatoes in the bottom part of a broiler pan, and drizzle lightly with oil.  Bake 15 minutes.  Slice the kielbasa into bite-size pieces and add to the pan.  Stir well and return to the oven for 10 minutes.  Chop artichoke hearts and add to the pan.  Stir again and return to the oven for 10 more minutes or until potatoes are tender (test with a fork).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Let cool in pan a few minutes before serving.

Stir together sour cream and Dijon in a small bowl.  Put a dollop on each plate (to be used as a condiment/dip).   Delicious!  Add a green salad and you've got an awesome dinner!

Easy Crockpot Meatballs & Pasta

This is about the easiest dinner ever!  It’s pretty much a crockpot version of basic spaghetti-with-meatballs, except that my husband isn’t a fan of “long stringy pasta” so I use a short pasta like ziti or lately rigatoni (which is ridiculously inexpensive at Wegman’s, like 69cents a box!) I love how tender and flavorful the meatballs get in the crockpot! 

Here’s what you need:

~12 frozen meatballs, any variety

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup water

Slightly more than ½ a box rigatoni or other pasta

Shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese, optional

Place meatballs in crockpot.  Cover with spaghetti sauce and water.  Cook on low for about 4 hours (or if you forgot to get started until 3:00 in the afternoon, start it on high for an hour or two!)

About 20 minutes before dinnertime, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and add to the crockpot.  Stir well.  I like to top servings generously with shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese – yummy!

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Rice

Somebody brought me dinner kind of like this after my first baby was born, and I LOVED it!  That was more than three years ago now, but for some reason when I was making my grocery list the other day I thought I should try to figure out how to make that chicken dish with the asparagus and rice and lemon…  So I gave it a run tonight, and it was DELICIOUS! 

It’s pretty much a complete meal right in one dish, and plenty fancy for company.  And it was surprisingly easy and quick to put together!  Here’s how I made it:

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus and Rice

4 bone-in chicken thighs

1 small box Uncle Ben’s wild rice

1 bunch (or large handful) fresh asparagus

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line an appropriate-sized pan with aluminum foil (or you can spray with non-stick spray, but I think the foil is so much easier.  No scrubbing!)  Place chicken thighs in pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.  (You will cook it more later.)

Meanwhile, cook rice on the stove according to package directions.  While that’s cooking, wash asparagus and cut into 2-inch lengths (kitchen scissors make this super easy!).  Use a serrated knife to slice the lemon in half, and then each half into three pieces (leave the peel on, but take out any seeds you notice). 

Once chicken is finished with the first 30 minutes of cooking, use a fork to transfer chicken temporarily to a plate.  Spread cooked rice in chicken pan.  (If there’s a lot of chicken drippings in the pan, you may want to drain off some of that first, but leave a bit in the pan for flavoring.)  Layer asparagus over the rice.  Return chicken to the pan, on top of the asparagus.  Arrange lemon slices (with peel facing up) around the chicken pieces.  Return to the oven and bake for 25 more minutes.  Before serving remove at least two or three of the baked lemon slices, and squeeze the juice all over the chicken.  SO YUMMY!

Easy Crockpot Chili

This chili is delicious and only takes a few minutes to prepare.  It’s the perfect dinner for a cold winter evening!  I like to make it using ground turkey, although ground beef works fine as well.  And all the ingredients can be found at Aldi!

Suggested menu: Easy Crockpot Chili, cornbread muffins (Jiffy is fine!), green salad OR microwaved frozen vegetables.

1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef

2 cans chili beans

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 envelope chili seasoning

Chopped green pepper, celery, and/or onion (optional)

Brown ground turkey and drain.  (The easiest way I think is to cook it in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for 2-minute intervals, draining and stirring after each, until browned).  Crumble and place in slow cooker.  Add chili beans, diced tomatoes, and one can full of water.  Add chili seasoning and veggies and stir.  Cook on low at least 5 hours.  Yum!

Healthy Pancakes

These pancakes are AMAZING!  They are whole wheat, sugar-free, and easy to make.   They don’t have a weird “healthfood” taste or texture.  And my kids love them!  (So do I.)  I’ve made these twice just in the last week, and am really enjoying giving my picky eaters a super healthy breakfast that makes them happy.  Pancakes also make a great toddler snack!  These are sweet enough that my 2-year-old does not require syrup on top - so she can eat these with her hands. 

Make a batch and let me know what you think!  You’ll need:

3 eggs

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ¼ cup milk (reconstituted powdered milk works fine)

2 tablespoons honey

½ cup apple juice (or more)

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt
 Edited to add:  Blueberries or mini chocolate chips are fun to add, too!

Beat eggs lightly with a fork.  Add oil, milk, honey, and ½ cup apple juice; mix well.  Stir in dry ingredients until lumps are gone.  You can add a bit more apple juice if the batter seems too thick.  Spray griddle or frying pan with non-stick spray (for the first batch only).  I don’t have a griddle so I just use my largest frying pan and cook three pancakes at a time over medium-high heat.  I think it’s handy to use a ¼ cup measure to scoop the batter for each pancake.  This recipe makes about 20 pancakes.  Store extras in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator.  Yum!

Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup

I came up with this easy recipe today, and it turned out great!  It’s a yummy and super-affordable dinner that allows you to use up random vegetables in your refrigerator that might otherwise go to waste.  Just start with some ground beef and a can of tomatoes and then use up whatever veggies, pasta, random bit of spaghetti sauce, etc. you have on hand. :)

Suggested Menu: Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup, Cornbread (yes, “Jiffy” is totally allowed :), Microwave Steamed Spinach 

½ lb ground beef

~ 1 ½ to 2 cups chopped vegetables (I used a combination of green peppers and carrots, but the recipe is easily adaptable, so use up whatever veggies you have on hand!)

1 can stewed tomatoes (diced tomatoes would work as well)

~ 4 cups broth (or just use water and add a couple of bouillon cubes or some seasoned salt)

1 T dehydrated onion

Seasoned salt to taste

2 handfuls macaroni or other pasta

Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

Brown the ground beef; the easiest way, I think, is to cook it in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave for 2-minute intervals, draining and stirring after each, until browned.  Crumble and place in slow cooker.  Add veggies, tomatoes, broth, and onion.  (Add more broth if it looks like it needs it.)  Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low all day.  15-20 minutes before serving, taste the soup and add a bit of seasoned salt if desired.  Stir in uncooked pasta and cook on high until pasta is done.  Serve up into bowls.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.  Serves 4.

For Microwaved Steamed Spinach, put ¼ cup water in the bottom of casserole dish (must have a lid).  Pack in as much fresh washed spinach as you can cram into the casserole dish (it will shrink WAY down as it cooks).  Put the lid on, and microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Drain and press excess water out.  Serve plain or lightly salted.