200 Recipes!!

I can't believe I've actually made and tried 200 new recipes in eight months.  I don't know if my family likes this or not because we are not eating many old (or favorite) meals anymore!  : ) 

I don't know if I should actually give myself a new goal or just continue to eat/try new things?  So, I'm open to suggestions....what should my new goal be?  300?  Should I focus on a particular food group (ie. main dishes, healthy meals, kid friendly, etc?)

#200: Cheesy Spinach and Bacon Dip

I can't believe I actually am going to post my 200th recipe!  (I make it sound like I came up with all of these don't I!?)  I made this dip for a girls night in last night and the company was fabulous and the dip was really yummy too!!  I'm happy that I was able to share this milestone recipe with such wonderful ladies! 

This was such an easy dip to make.  You just stick everything in a microwave safe bowl and melt it together.  I put it in a mini-crockpot to stay warm throughout the evening.  This is going into my "make again" pile!

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
16 oz Velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
10 oz Rotel, undrained (I used diced tomatoes w/green chilis--not rotel, so it waasn't as hot.  I also added a little picante sauce to give it more tomato flavor)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used real bacon bits)


Microwave ingredients in microwaveable bowl on high for 5 min. or until velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.   When serving this dip, pour the prepared dip into a small slow cooker set on low. This will keep the dip warm and at the ideal consistency for several hours. For best results, stir the dip occasionally to prevent hot spots.

#199: Olive Garden Breadsticks

Brian (and the girls for that matter!) loves Olive Garden breadsticks!  So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to try and make it for him.  (Love him!) 

This doesn't taste exactly like Olive Garden (you could taste the yeast a little too much), but I was so afraid these wouldn't rise, I MIGHT have added a little extra yeast.  :)  Here's a caution: if you go to take a nap, when you wake up several hours later, your breadsticks will be puffy and stuck together...so spread them out on your cookie sheet!!

These were good!  Brian proclaimed, "These DO taste like Olive Garden."  Success!!
Ingredients

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm
water (105 to 115 degrees F)
16 ounces bread flour (3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

On top:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (I used garlic powder)


Cooking Directions
Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, or until it becomes foamy on top.


Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to mix the softened butter into the flour. If you don't have a stand mixer, use a mixing spoon
to combine the butter with the flour. When the yeast mixture is foamy, pour it into the flour mixture and use a dough hook on your mixture to combine the ingredients and knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, combine the ingredients and then knead the dough by hand on a countertop for 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a covered container and let it sit for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it doubles in size. When the dough has doubled, measure out 2-ounce portions and roll the dough between your hands or on a countertop to form sticks that are 7 inches long. Place the dough on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, cover and set aside for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the dough doubles in size once again.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the breadsticks for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. When the breadsticks come out of the oven, immediately brush each one with melted butter and sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Makes 12-13 breadsticks.  (We got about 16 out of ours...and I measured them...they were all exactly 2 oz!)

#198: Stuffed Manicotti

I have some bulk pork sausage in my freezer and I was looking for recipes to use it up, when I came across this recipe.  I decided to use half of the amount of sausage to make it a little healthier though.  You could make this much easier too if you use bottled spaghetti sauce!  But I had everything on hand to make my own, so I did (with a few additions).

We really enjoyed this, and although the flavor of sausage is unexpected, it is quite good.  Although you could easily substitute ground beef/turkey in its place!

For Sauce:
2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/4 c. water
1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp dried basil (fresh would be best, but I didn't have any)
crushed red pepper (to taste)

For Filling:
1/2 lb. mild bulk pork sausage

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
3 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese (I used 1 3/4 c)
1 egg
1 tsp. parsley flakes

12 manicotti noodles, cooked, rinsed, drained
Grated Parmesan (I used 1/3 c mozzarella)


Brown sausage, drain. Set aside.
In a saucepan, stir tomato sauce, paste, water and brown sugar (and seasonings!).  Simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in bowl, combine sausage, ricotta, 2 cups Mozzarella, egg and parsley.
In 9x13x2 inch baking dish (I used two 8x8 pans--6 shells in each), pour 1/3 of sauce mixture. Stuff manicotti noodles with ricotta mixture and place on top of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed noodles. Top with remaining Mozzarella, sprinkle with Parmesan (I omitted). Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

I made two 8x8 pans: 1 for us to each for dinner tonight and one to freeze for later.  To freeze, prepare as directed, cover w/foil and freeze.  When ready to eat, let thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake covered for 45 minutes or until heated through.  Remove foil last 10 mintues of baking so the cheese can brown. 

#197: Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe looked like it would be a very easy one to convert to a crockpot meal, so that's exactly what I did!  Why spend the time standing over the stove when you can dump it all into a pot and walk away for 6+ hours?!  If you want the real recipe, you can find it here.This is yummy!  Can't wait for lunch tomorrow...and the next day...and the next day....

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Onion, diced
1 Tsp Salt
1 Green Bell Pepper or Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Garlic clove, minced
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 32 oz Box Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Corn Kernels
1 15 oz Can Tomato, diced
1 Lb Chicken Breast, boneless and skinless
1 15 oz can black beans (I added for extra protein)
Juice of 1 Lime
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Top with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, cilantro, and/or green onion (if desired)


In a small pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and sauté the onions and peppers for about 3 minutes.

When they begin to brown and get a little softer, add them to your crockpot along with the salt, garlic, cumin, chicken broth, bay leaf, frozen corn, diced tomatoes, uncooked chicken breasts or tenders, a squirt of lime juice and black beans. 
Cover and cook on low for at 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pot and shred, using a two forks.  Return the shredded chicken back into the pot.  Add chopped cilantro and stir.  Remove bay leaf, pour soup into bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips.  Serve with desired toppings.

#196: Snap Pea Salad

My favorite way to eat vegetables right now is to roast them with a little olive oil.  But sometimes I just want a new way of eating them.  I LOVE snap peas (especially roasted!), so when I came across this recipe in my family circle magazine, I ripped it out and saved it...for today! 

Warning: Do not eat this while watching tv and sitting on your couch!  The juice from the snap peas squirt all over!!  :)  This was yummy.  The combo of mustard and vinegar is quite refreshing. 

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar (I was out of balsamic so I used rice wine vinegar)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (I used dried)
1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, strings removed
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella nuggets), drained (I used a little shredded mozzarella)
1 cup slivered baby carrots
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped (I omitted)
1/3 cup cup slivered red onion (I sauteed mine first)


Directions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. Stir in oregano. Cover and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add snap peas and simmer 4 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.

3. Place snap peas in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, bocconcini, carrots, olives and red onion. Toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing.

#195: Carrot-Pineapple Smoothie

If you don't subscribe to Real Simple Magazine, you really should consider it!  It is one of my favorite magazines to read.  This month, there were 10 new smoothie recipes (many of which I would love to try!) and since fruits and vegetables are 0 pts. on weight watchers, this is a recipe I hope to eat on a more regular basis. 

I was a little afraid of drinking carrots.  But I have to admit, I really liked this smoothie!!  I'm going to have to run to Sam's Club this week to stock up on pineapple and bananas!!

3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup ice (I omitted since my pineapple was frozen)
1/3 cup fresh orange juice (I actually squeezed my own!)
1/4 cup chopped carrot (I microwaved in a little water first so it would soften them up)
1/2 banana

Directions
1.Place the pineapple, ice, orange juice, carrot, and banana in a blender.
2.  Blend until smooth and frothy.

#194: Home made English Muffins

After I tried (and sort of failed) at making bagels last week, I was super reluctant to try this recipe.  Yet, I also thought this could be a little way of redeeming myself.  I am not a baker.  I love to bake, don't get me wrong, but you have to worry too much about measurements and precision....everything I am NOT when I cook. 


But I still wanted to give this recipe a try.  So I went out and got fresh, new yeast (in case that was the problem with the bagels!).  I even turned on the oven for 2 minutes to start warming up, so I could have the dough rest in a warm spot (literally!). 

These are a lot easier to make than bagels, but they take forever to bake!  (Okay, maybe not that long, but it takes several batches).  The original recipe said to cook for about 6 minutes on each side, but I ended up having to bake mine for over 10 minutes per side.  The first batch I made as I was supposed to, but they were a little too doughy for my liking.  And I must have rolled them out too thin, because I cannot cut/split them without them breaking. 

My second batch turned out much better!  They were more puffy, less doughy and actually looked like english muffins!!  If only I had a pan that they ALL fit in so I could make them quicker!!

1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) milk, warm (I used powdered milk)
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 to 4 1/4 cups flour {I used whole wheat}
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder

Combine the warm milk, sugar and yeast, allowing the yeast to proof for a few minutes, until bubbly. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly, for about 5 minutes. Do not add more flour, the dough will be very sticky. Once mixed, scrape dough from bowl onto a lightly floured counter top. Fold dough over a few times, until you make a nice, smooth ball. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and lay out on a surface sprinkled with corn meal. Roll out to desired thickness. the muffins rise somewhat, so roll them out about 1/4" thinner than what you would like the final product to be. Cut out circles with a floured 3-inch cutter. Re-roll and cut out the leftover dough. Cover the muffins with a damp cloth and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or griddle to very low heat. Do not grease, but sprinkle with cornmeal. Cover pan and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side.

#193: Green Beans With Bacon Vinaigrette

I can eat bacon in just about anything.  I love it in dips, sprinkle it on my salads, and always have several bags of real bacon bits on hand.  For this recipe, I decided to actually buy and make real bacon strips (turkey bacon).  The bacon definitely added something to these green beans!  I think I made a little too much dressing though because my beans got soggy, but none-the-less, this was still a yummy side dish. 

kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
6 slices bacon (I used turkey bacon)
2 shallots, sliced (I used a yellow onion)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard (I used honey mustard)
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.


2.Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, then break into pieces.


3.Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar, mustard, oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to the green beans, along with the bacon, and toss to combine.

#192: Chicky Chicky Parm

Dinner got mixed reviews tonight!  Allison and I both enjoyed this meal, but I definitely don't think it's as good as baked (or fried) Chicken Parmesan.  I love the crispy chicken, and this was a little soft.  BUT....it was ridiculously easy to prepare so that gives it an extra "star" in my opinion!  Brian however was not a fan of this.  Not sure why! 

As this cooked throughout the day, the sauce around the edges of the crockpot were beginning to burn a little.  I didn't stir it though because if I was making this while at work, it would burn anyways, so I wanted to see how bad it would get.  Thankfully it wasn't too bad!  And personally, I liked the overcooked pieces!  This is a recipe that you definitely need to use crockpot liners with!  Clean-up could have been a nightmare without them!!

4 raw skinless boneless chicken breasts (I used 7 chicken tenders)
1 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I forgot to add!!)
Fresh parsley or basil for garnish (I omitted)


Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. (I used a crockpot liner AND sprayed the inside of the liner w/cooking spray).  Next, set up three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place the flour and half of the salt and pepper. In the second bowl, place the lightly beaten egg. In the third bowl, place the panko bread crumbs, the parmigiano reggiano, the rest of the salt and pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Take your chicken breasts one at a time, and dip them first in the flour, coating completely. Next coat with the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the panko mixture. Then place the chicken breast in the bottom of your crock pot. Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

Pour your marinara sauce around the sides of the chicken breasts. (Around, not on top – this will keep the tops crispy.) (Okay this is impossible to do!  So, pour some sauce on the bottom before adding chicken, then as you layer the chicken, pour a little more around the edges, and finish by pouring the rest over the sides of the top layer).  Sprinkle a few more tablespoons of the parmigiano reggiano cheese on top of the breasts. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. During the last hour of cooking, top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella cheese so that it can melt and get nice and bubbly. Garnish each serving with fresh parsley or basil. Serve with spaghetti or angel-hair pasta.

#191: Ham and Cheese Muffins

I was a little leery of making these muffins.  1.  Ham in a muffin is a little weird.  2.  The recipe got mixed reviews.  But I had some ham that needed to get used up, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try making a half-batch and seeing what we thought of these. 

Actually though, we enjoyed this one.  Allison had two as soon as they came out of the oven and Chloe snuck one off the cooling rack...can you consider it "sneaking" though, when she grabs one and yells "YEAH!"  And in fact, as I write this, Chloe is running around the house (naked) with a muffin in each hand. 

It looks like I'll have to make another batch of these before Monday so the girls can take them to school and share with their friends.

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour (I used 2 1/2 cups)
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour (I omitted)
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk (I made my own)
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey (I used syrup)
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 Cup Ham, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the first 5 dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, oil and maple syrup and stir to combine.  Add the buttermilk to the egg mixture and stir.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and stir until just combined.  Fold in the cheese and ham.  Scoop the batter 2/3 of the way up into greased muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes (15 minutes if using mini muffin cups).  Cool on a wire rack and serve.
(PS...this would be fabulous served with freshly whipped butter)

#190: Banana Cream Cheese Sammie

I've had this recipe book marked for a little while and figured it would make an easy, quick, different breakfast for the girls today.  I wasn't sure Allison would eat this one though.  Of course, they surprised me, and Allison ate two of these and Chloe barely finished her first one.  : )  Chloe just wanted the bananas! 
2 Sandwiches
4 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
1/4 Cup Cream Cheese, divided (I used reduced fat)
1 Banana (sliced into thin pieces)

If using cookie cutters to cut the sandwich into fun shapes, cut the bread before spreading the cream cheese. 

I put cream cheese on both the top and bottom slices of bread and laid the bananas so they were not overlapping. 

#189: Kielbasa Apple Kabobs

I loved this dinner!!!  The only thing that would have made it better, would have been if I had pepper (like the recipe calls for) and red onions!  Definitely making this one again!!  Brian ate plain, grilled kielbasa for dinner, but the girls ate it and enjoyed it as well!  The glaze is very mild, and if you aren't a fan of cranberry juice, you can barely taste it.  Had I not known it was in there, I don't know if I would have been able to guess that's what the liquid was!


1/4 cup sugar (I used splenda)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup cranberry juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pound smoked turkey kielbasa, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
2 medium tart apples, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (I ran out so I had to omit)
1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (I omitted)


In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in cranberry juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.


On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread sausage, apples and peppers. Grill, uncovered, over indirect heat for 8 minutes or until heated through, turning and brushing with glaze occasionally. Yield: 8 servings.

#188: Egg and Potato Quesadilla

I don't really like eggs.  I WANT to like eggs and I can tolerate them if they have cheese on them, but it's not a breakfast food I regularly eat.  When I asked Brian what he wanted on our dinner menu this month he said, "Pizza, Spaghetti and Breakfast."  Breakfast to him and the girls = waffles.  Breakfast to me is some sort of sausage and biscuit casserole.  :)  And since I love trying new recipes, I knew I would not just have waffles or pancakes that night.  So I started googling easy, healthy breakfast recipes and found one for Egg and Potato Burritos.  Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of flour tortillas, but I LOVE corn tortillas (which do not work well with burritos--they break!).  So I turned this recipe into a quesadilla instead!

I loved this breakfast.  I can't wait to eat it again! (The recipe below serves 1 and include all of the changes/alterations I made to the original recipe from Taste of Home)
1/4 cup frozen potatoes
1/3 green onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/8 c diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, drained
salt and pepper to taste
2 corn tortillas
1/8 c shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese


In a large nonstick skillet, cook potatoes and onions in oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.


In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Pour over potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir until eggs are completely set. Remove from the heat.


Place 1 tortilla in a heated pan, sprinkle with cheese.  Top with potato and egg mixture.  Place a second tortilla on top.  Bake over low-medium heat for about 3 minutes.  Flip over and continue warming/browning other side.  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. 

#187: Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

This isn't very pretty, but it is quite yummy!  I will definitely make this again, but next time I'll make just a few changes/additions.
I ended up shredding my chicken because it was so moist and just falling apart as I tried to get it out of the crockpot.  I added the shredded chicken right on top of the brown rice.  Next time I will add some water chestnuts, a few sliced green onions, and crispy chinese noodles.  The original recipe was good, but it needed a little texture in my opinion.  The above additions should solve that problem!!  This chicken would also be great in a salad. 

**Update 5/27: I made this again for dinner last night but to my bowl of chicken and rice I added sliced water chestnuts, sliced green onion and crispy Chinese noodles....OH MY GOODNESS I LOVED this!  I even ate it again for lunch reheated today and I do NOT eat reheated chicken.  I am already looking forward to lunch again tomorrow.  For my lunch, I also added sauteed orange peppers...even better.  MAKE THIS!**

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 1.25 lbs of chicken tenders)
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp. ginger (I omitted only b/c I didn't have any on hand)

Combine in saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened. Put over chicken tenders or chicken breasts in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

I wanted to freeze this recipe so I made the sauce and let cool.  Then I combined it with the chicken and froze.  When I was ready to use it, I stuck it in the fridge to defrost overnight and then stuck it in my crockpot still mainly frozen in the morning and let it cook on low all day.

#186: Homemade Bagels

Our bagels were dipped in cinnamon sugar before baking

When I came across this recipe, I knew I really wanted to try it for my family and for the girls to take to school with them.   I am not a baker...not by any means!  As you notice I don't like measuring or taking great care with my recipes.  I'll do anything to make it faster and taste just as good.  Baking requires too much patience and precision.  That's not me!!  But when I watched the video of the guy rolling out and cutting/preparing the bagels, it didn't look difficult at all, so I figured I'd give it a try.  Of course we ate these as a post-breakfast snack since it took a while to make these. 

I think my yeast was either bad (expired in April but I've had it for a while) or I have the wrong kind.  These got larger but didn't rise at all.  They are a little dense and Brian thinks they taste more like a pretzel than they do a bagel.  Regardless, these are definitely better than the store bought kind and taste more like ones you would get from a bagel shop.  I don't think I would take the time to make these on a regular basis, but I will definitely try these again, and if they turn out will freeze and see what we think of them.  If you try this recipe, let me know if it turns out better for you and what you think of them!


4 cups bread flour
1 Tbls sugar
1 1/2 tsps salt
1 Tbls vegetable oil
2 tsps instant yeast
1-1/4- 1-1/2 cups of warm water.


Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. You don't have to worry about soaking the yeast when you use instant yeast (most yeast sold these days is instant yeast). The dough should feel stiff, but add the extra water if it's really stiff, or you can't get all the dry flour incorporated.


Plop the dough down onto the counter, and knead for about ten minutes, or until the dough is uniform and smooth.  Cut the dough into 8 equal sized balls (I got 16 smaller bagels--all weighing 2 oz pre-baked and they are quite a good size), and let rest for 10-20 minutes.  Pre heat your oven to 425.  (You don't bake for a while, so I'd wait to turn your oven on!)


Now, take each of the dough balls and using two hands, roll it into a little snake on the counter. When the snake is longer than the width of your two hands, wrap it around your dominant roiling hand. The dough rope should be wrapped so the overlapping ends are together at your palm, near the start of your fingers. Now take the two overlapping ends, and use your palm to squish/roll these two ends together. Once the dough is fused, you should have a perfectly circular bagel-to-be! This is the only part of the process that can take a little practice before your bagels will look really professional. Don't get discouraged if they don't look perfect, it just takes practice!


Let your bagels rest on the counter for about 20 minutes, and meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil, and grease a large baking tray lightly. You can just rub a splash of vegetable oil and rub it around.  (Definitely grease w/vegetable oil and not non-stick cooking spray.  These need the oil so it doesn't stick to the cookie sheet!)
After the 20 minute wait, your bagels will start to look puffy, and it's time to get them boiling! Add them as many at a time as you can to your boiling water without crowding them. Boil for about a minute, turn them over, and boil for another minute. Take them out a let dry for a minute and then place them on your oiled baking tray. Repeat until all the bagels are boiled.  (For adding toppings, see below)


Add the tray to the oven, and after 10 minutes, flip the bagels over, bake for another ten minutes; and they're done!  Let them cool for at least 20 minutes, get the cream cheese ready, and feast on what's got to be one of the best weekend brunch treats possible!


You can add any toppings you like to these. To make sesame, onions, poppy seed, caraway etc. etc. bagels just have a dry plate ready with the seed or spice topping spread out on it. After the bagels have come out of the boiling water, place them face down onto the seeds, and then place the seed side up onto the baking tray. Bake and flip as for plain bagels.

March Freezer Cooking Menu

I missed posting February's Dinner Menu because we ended up moving a lot of meals around and ate leftovers (or partial freezer meals) for a big portion of the month.  The new recipes we tried were posted, you just didn't get a monthly outlook...not like anyone else cares what we're eating though! 

You'll notice this month that pizza and spaghetti make it onto the menu multiple times.  1.  That's because Brian requests this as his "dinner picks."  2.  My friend Jenny gave me several premade pizza crusts so we are graciously using those up!  I also am only doing my menu up to spring break, because I know I'll have the time to freezer cook again then (hopefully will finish up March and April at that time).  We have 16 new meals/recipes on our menu so far for March so stay tuned as we eat, share and rate these meals!

#185: Crockpot Thyme Chicken

I love the crockpot for ease of preparation and moistness of the meat we are cooking.  I do NOT like the crockpot because it doesn't brown up the meat (i.e. CHICKEN!).  Every time I make chicken in the crockpot, I assume I'm not going to enjoy it because it's just white and boring looking.  Then I eat it and am pleasantly surprised how moist and tender it is and usually enjoy it anyways.  So not visually stimulating though!  This recipe is exactly everything I love and hate about my crock. 

This was happily very moist and tender and I ended up chopping up some of the chicken and throwing it in my salad I was eating.  I would definitely make this recipe again (for taste not looks).  The "juice" the chicken was cooking in worked great as a broth to cook our brown rice in.  You can see from all of the red text below that I made some changes to the original recipe.  :)

2 cup chicken stock
½ cup white wine (I used another 1/2 c of chicken broth)
½ tbsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 lemon, cut in half (I didn't have that so I used some lemon juice)
3 lbs Chicken Pieces (I used about 1.25 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts)


1. Place everything except the lemon and chicken in the Crock Pot.  (Of course I didn't listen to this and threw it all in together.  Then I froze it.  I defrosted in the fridge for about 24 hours and stuck it in the crockpot still partially frozen.)

2. Give the lemon a bit of a squeeze into the crock and then add the entire lemon (yes the entire thing).  (I skipped this step)


3. Mix it all together.

4. Add the chicken and stir around as best you can to coat all in the liquid. (Skipped this step too)

5. Cook on low for 7-8 hours (I cooked mine for about 9).

6. To serve I poured out some of the liquid into a saucepan, added about a tablespoon of corn starch that was dissolved in water and brought it to the boil for a thick, thyme gravy.  (That would have been a fantastic idea...who has the extra time?  I just need to get dinner on the table.  By this point Chloe was following me around the kitchen repeating "eat."  We were able to squeak a few extra minutes by giving her some bread to chew on). 

Serves 4-6 Serve with rice or mashed potato.

#184: Strombolli

When I came across this recipe I knew I could make this a little healthier and that I really wanted to try it.  And boy am I glad I did...this was good!


2 loaves italian bread
1 c pizza sauce (I used about 1 1/2 c)
1 lb bulk sausage (I used 3/4 lb ground turkey), cooked, crumbled and drained
20 slices pepperoni (I used about 8 pieces and chopped it up)
1/4 c sliced black olives (I omitted)
1/4 c sliced mushrooms (I omitted)
I added 1 tsp italian seasoning and 3 shakes of garlic powder
1/2 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced
(I also snuck in orange puree --sweet potato and carrots-- to mine!)


Here are the real directions:  Cut the loaves of bread in half horizontally without cutting all the way through.  Spread 1/2 c of pizza sauce on the bottom of each loaf.  Next layer the remaining ingredients: cooked sausage, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms then cheese.  Partially close the sandwiches and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat is heated through.

Here's mine:
Cook the sausage.  Chop the pepperoni into bite size pieces.  In a small bowl combine the cooked ground meat, pepperoni, 1 cup of the pizza sauce (more or less is fine), seasonings and orange puree.  Add in any chopped vegetables as desired: mushrooms, black olives, chopped peppers, etc.  Mix to combine.  FREEZE until ready to use.

When ready to cook defrost in the fridge over night.  Pop in the microwave for about 2 minutes to heat through. 

Cut the loaves of bread in half horizontally without cutting all the way through.  Spread 1/2 c (or so) of pizza sauce on the bottom of each loaf.  Close the bread so it spreads onto both the top and the bottom.  (No reason to dirty a knife!).  Open the bread and top w/meat mixture.  Next, add mozzarella cheese (I used shredded).  Partially close the sandwiches and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and meat is heated through.  About 10 minutes into baking place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the bread so it doesn't over bake. 

#183: Layered Pizza Dip

I found this recipe from Betty Crocker and decided to make it for book club tonight since I pretty much had all of the ingredients on hand.  This was super yummy and was completely eaten!!  Make this one!!!


1 (8-oz.) container soft cream cheese with chives and onions (I missed the chives and onion part, so I used plain neufchatel cream cheese)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped pepperoni
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese


Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 9-inch pie pan or 1 to 1 1/2-quart baking dish, layer all ingredients in order listed.  Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 15 minutes or until dip is hot and cheese is melted. Serve warm with bagel crisps, bagel chips or crackers. (I served mine w/toasted baguette pieces)