#1,279: Easy Garlic Snap Peas

Here's another super easy side dish that I made for my family over the 4th of July weekend.  It too was a recipe I enjoyed (a lot) but wasn't totally and utterly in love with.  It's really good, but nothing super special.  Would I make this again though?  Definitely.  Would I make this for company coming over?  Probably not.  

2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cups sugar snap peas

3 garlic cloves, minced

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl around the pan. When oil is shimmering, add sugar snap peas. Stir frequently for 3-4 minutes or until peas are starting to soften but are still crisp-tender. Add garlic and stir constantly for one minute. Season well with salt & pepper and serve.

#1,278: Green Bean and Mushroom Medley

Although I liked this green bean recipe and yes, I would eat it again, I didn't love this recipe.  It was good, but it wasn't special or wonderful.  It's a recipe that I think I would forget about when thinking back to recipes I enjoyed and want to eat again soon.  Don't get me wrong, I do love sauteed mushrooms and it definitely adds to this dish, but eh, that's about it. 

1⁄2 lb fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths (nah, I left them whole)

2 carrot, cut into thick strips (I omitted)

1⁄4 cup butter

1 onion, sliced

1⁄2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp seasoning salt

1⁄4 tsp garlic salt

1⁄4 tsp white pepper

Place green beans and carrots in 1 inch of boiling water. Cover, and cook until tender but still firm. Drain.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and mushrooms until almost tender. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in green beans, carrots, salt, seasoned salt, garlic salt, and white pepper. Cover, and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

#1,277: Caramelized Broccoli with Garlic

Let me tell you how much I loved this broccoli!  Normally I like my broccoli roasted in the oven, but I loved it cooked this way.  High heat makes this brown up pretty quickly and easily.  I loved this so much, it's already on my menu again for this week.  Delish! 

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 heads of broccoli (1 1/4 pounds total), stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise

1/2 cup water

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the broccoli, cut side down, cover and cook over moderate heat until richly browned on the bottom, about 8 minutes. Add the water, cover and cook until the broccoli is just tender and the water has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with the garlic and the crushed red pepper and cook uncovered until the garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Season the broccoli with salt and black pepper, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.

Family Bucket List: Spotted Cow

So I found a recipe to make "Spotted Cows" which are very similiar to a root beer float.  Except the ingredients are slightly different.  To make a spotted cow you fill a glass with chocolate chip ice cream, add a little seltzer water (instead of the root beer) and top with some chocolate syrup.  My kids at first weren't sure about the seltzer water, but they all ended up finishing their dessert.  I'd say this was a successful bucket list item.  :)  (Excuse A's hair...she just came back from swimming lessons!)

Spotted Cow Recipe

#1,276: Pizza Burger

My family absolutely loved these pizza burgers.  They were so simple to make and really require very minimal ingredients, and most you probably already have on hand.  I ended up eating mine on top of shredded kale and cabbage and more like a salad.  I think we will be eating these again very soon!  

1 lb. lean ground turkey or ground beef

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher or sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
6 Whole Wheat Buns

Cook ground turkey, onion and garlic in a large skillet, breaking up meat with a fork up as it cooks.

Drain ground turkey thoroughly and add remaining ingredients, mix well. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve on toasted 100% whole wheat buns or small rolls.

Update 01/18: I made these again, and this time we toasted our rolls and added some mozzarella to it prior to toasting (so it got all melty).  I liked this version even more (tastes more like "pizza" that way too. 

Staples Deals

Staples has some amazing back to school deals for school supplies right now. This is a great time to stock up for you kids, your own classroom (like I do!) or to donate!

Although the deal I got was not as good as some of the deals I've seen online, I ended up getting only things my kids or I would use.

I spent $32 out of pocket (plus free shipping), but got over $112 worth of supplies.  And if you go through shopathome.com, you can get an additional 2% back.

This is what we ordered (49 items):

1 Subject Notebook, Wide Ruled, 8" x 10-1/2", Black (6)BIC® Mechanical Pencils, 0.7mm, 5/Pack (1)Staples® Composition Book, Assorted Colors, 9-3/4" x 7-1/2" (6)Staples® #2 Yellow Pencils, Dozen (6)Staples® Pink Wedge Erasers, 3/Pack (7)Westcott® 12" Wood Ruler, Beveled Edge (6)Staples® School Glue, 4 oz. (6)
Staples® Washable Glue Sticks, Clear, .26 oz., 4/Pack (3)Crayola® Classic Markers, Fine Line, 10/Box (6)Crayola® Classic Markers, Broad Line, 10/Box (2)


So what did you get??

#1,275: Crockpot Taco Meat

Although taco meat is definitely an easy meat/meal to create, I have to admit I was super intrigued when I saw a recipe for making it in the crockpot.  Although it was easy, and fairly good, and my family enjoyed it, I definitely enjoy taco meat sauteed in a pan instead.  HOWEVER, this would be a great recipe to make if you are making a large batch or you really don't have time and just want to throw it all together and sit.  I felt like the meat got a little soft so keep that in mind if you make this recipe.

Would I make this again?  Yes.  Do I think it's the best taco meat ever?  No.

1 lb ground beef
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

In a small bowl combine all of the spices.  In a separate bowl add the ground beef, tomato paste and spices.  Use a spoon to mix together and break up the meat.  Place in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.  (After about 2 1/2 hours I stirred/broke up the meat as much as possible).

#1,274: Zucchini Noodles with Basil Pesto

I have been putting off making this recipe out of fear.  As I've mentioned before I have a love hate with spaghetti squash.  Some people think it's just like spaghetti noodles...I do not.  So when I saw that I could use zucchini as a noodle, I was leery.  But I finally gave in and gave it a try.  I'm glad I did...I loved it.  I've eaten a form of zucchini noodles twice now.  

This recipe was supposed to be served with chicken as well, but I wanted to eat this more like a pasta with just a pesto.  This is a recipe worth trying.

Disclaimer...I do not (yet) own a veggie noodle maker so I just thew this in my food processor.  :) 

I also did not make 5 cups worth of zucchini noodles...so adapt the amounts as needed.

5 c zucchini noodles
pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil

For Pesto:
1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 c hemp seeds

Place zucchini noodles in a large strainer in the sink and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Set aside.

To make pesto: place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add zucchini noodles and sautee for 2-3 minutes.  Turn off heat, add pesto and stir to combine. 

Family Bucket List: Grow a Garden

In the past, I've grown tomatoes, but I really wanted to attempt growing more veggies that I buy/eat regularly.  So we decided to make this a family affair and start a raised bed garden.  I got some non-GMO seeds, Brian made the raised bed, and the kids help water and run to the garden to get ingredients I want/need.  I planted 10 different types of veggies and herbs, but my butternut squash and tomatoes are totally overtaking this garden.  We are already planning on making at least one more raised bed for next summer.  :)


In case you are curious, I planted: Kale, butternut squash, spinach, radish, green onion, eggplant, tomatoes, cilantro, carrots and basil.

Grow a Garden

#1,273: Grilled Eggplant Bruschetta

Mmmmmm....doesn't that photo look delicious?!  I hope you think so because it was so fresh and so good!  I was supposed to cut the eggplant a little thicker and serve it individually as bruchetta.  But I like my eggplant grilled really thinly, so I ate this more like a salad.  I loved it so much I may have eaten the entire eggplant.  Yum, yum, yum. 

Topping:
2 c diced fresh tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped basil
2-4 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic and olive oil in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Let topping sit for flavors to meld.

Eggplant:
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive olil
pepper to taste
Lay slices in a single layer and sprinkle with salt.  Let sit for 30 min.  Preheat grill to medium.  Grill eggplant until tender and lightly charred, about 5-7 min per side. Remove and brush with oil, then sprinkle with pepper.  Top each eggplant slice with tomato mixture topping. 

#1,272: Lemon Ice

This is actually an item on our summer bucket list, but since it's a recipe I figure I can count it as a new recipe as well.  My kids were super excited to try this lemon ice and begged me to keep checking to see if it was frozen yet.  They loved this.  It's sweet, is cold, it's sour, .... it's perfect for a summer day.  

3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

Mix water and sugar in a 2-qt saucepan; bring to boil over high heat. Boil uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and lemon zest.

Pour into a 13 x 9-in. baking pan. Freeze 1 hour; stir. Cover; freeze 2 hours or overnight until firm. Take your prepared lemon “cups” and then fill them with the frozen lemon ice.

#1,271: 7-Up Biscuits

This is a recipe I've seen going around (and being shared) on Facebook.  I think I happened to see this one from my Aunt Patti.  :)   So when I needed a quick biscuit recipe to make, and some 7-up sitting in the garage, I knew it would be a recipe to use up some ingredients.  Bad news: I ate FOUR (yes four!) of these biscuits...and I'm on a no-carb diet.  The kids didn't love these as much as I did but I thought they were really, really good.  They are a little sweet, and mine crumbled quite a bit (so I wouldn't serve this for company) but for our family, it worked out.  I will definitely make these again.....maybe in a few months!  :)

2 c Bisquick mix
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c 7up
1/4 c melted butter

Original directions: Preheat oven to 450º.  Mix bisquick, sour cream and 7 up. Now sprinkle your counter with a little Bisquick mix then add dough and pat it out.  Melt butter and pour it into a 9" square baking pan. Cut your biscuits up and arrange them in pan on top of melted butter.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

My directions: Patting out the STICKY dough was nearly impossible so here’s what I did: Mix bisquick, sour cream and 7 up.  Melt butter and pour it into a 9" square baking pan.  Pour the bisquick mixture into the pan, on top of the melted butter.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Cut into squares and serve.  

#1,270: Easy Drop Biscuits

Since I have an abundance of Bisquick always in my pantry, I've been making different bread side dishes to go with our dinner this week.  I figured a biscuit and some fruit and my meal prep for the family is done!  Bad news...I love biscuits and can't eat them right now so it's more of a form of torture for me!

These biscuits were so, so easy to make and the family enjoyed them.  I would definitely make this again.  

2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk (I used skim)
I also added a little bit of garlic powder

Heat oven to 400° F. In a food processor (I used a stand mixer), combine the flour, butter, baking powder, and salt; pulse until pea-size clumps form. Add the milk and pulse just until moistened.

Drop 6 large mounds of the dough (about ½ cup each) onto a baking sheet. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.  (I baked mine just about as long but I got 10 biscuits out of my mix).

#1,269: Slow Cooker Beef Gyros

Well this was a recipe I LOVED even though I omitted the pita and greek yogurt dip.  I wasn't sure I was going to love this as much as I did, but i honestly couldn't get enough of it.  It was SO easy to make and so flavorful. I will definitely be making this again...soon.  Maybe for an easy dinner over the 4th of July with my family.  I wonder if they will enjoy it as much as I did?!

1/3 cup olive oil

4 Tbs. lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 3/4 tsp. dried mint
1 3/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. think cut sirloin steak, cut in strips
1 cucumber, diced
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. dried mint
pita bread

Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, mint, oregano, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Use a fork or small whisk to combine. Place steak in slow cooker. Pour dressing over the top and stir to combine. Cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours.

Stir cucumber, yogurt and mint together. Serve meat in pita bread, topped with cucumber sauce.

#1,268: Herb Marinated Grilled Pork Chops

I totally forgot to take a picture of this so I grabbed a shot at the very last second...with my phone.  It sure could have been a much better picture.  I was certain my kids would think this was pretty good but Brian would not like it.  I got that totally backwards!  Brian and I loved this, but the kids were not big fans. I would definitely make this again, especially if I was the one eating it for lunch or something.  I may need to go defrost some more pork chops since I have so many herbs left over!

In order to speed up the process of making these (and I was not going to use a mortar and pestle like instructed), I threw all of the ingredients except the pork chops into my mini food processor and ground it up as small as it would go.  That works for me! I didn’t pre-chop any of the ingredients…just throw it in and puree it together. 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

10 medium cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 Tablespoon finely chopped sage leaves (about 8 leaves)

¾ teaspoon finely chopped thyme

¾ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

1½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns, crushed

4 Center Cut Pork Loin Chops, about 2" thick (I used thin cut pork chops…as you can tell from the photo)

Finely chop parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Smash and finely chop garlic. Crush whole black peppercorns with heel of a small saucepan (alternately use a meat pounder, mortar and pestle or pulse a couple times in a spice grinder.)

In a small bowl, combine chopped herbs, garlic and cracked peppercorns with olive oil, salt and crushed red pepper.

Place pork chops in a casserole dish in one layer and spoon about 1 teaspoon of the marinade over each Pork Chop. Use your fingers to evenly spread distribute the marinade on the meat.  Flip pork chops over repeat with remaining marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to between 350F and 400F. Place pork chops on grill, leave lid open and cook for 2 minutes.  Close and cook for 8 minutes. Open lid, turn Chops over and repeat (leave lid up for 2 minutes and then continue cooking with lid closed for 8 minutes.)

To finish, open lid, flip one more time, cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes or until internal temperature of 145F is reached. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Family Bucket List: Outdoor Waterbed

This was the only shot I got of this outdoor waterbed, but it's better than nothing.  Although this was fun to lay in, I had to keep reminding the kids (especially Matthew) that it wasn't for jumping on.  I was afraid he would pop it.  This took quite a while to fill and the duct tape was leaking.  Shortly after this got put together it was time for naps....then a storm came in.  By the next morning it was completely flat...and it killed the grass underneath very quickly.  Was it fun?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Probably not.  Pinterest...sort of fail.  

Outdoor Waterbed

Family Bucket List: Adler Planetarium

What do you do when you wake up with no plans for the day...cross off another item from your summer bucket list!  We went to the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.  We've been there before, so it wasn't a totally new experience for them, but it's been a few years so Allison was the only one that remembered anything about going there.  The kids had a great time and we are glad we went back.

Adler Planetarium

#1,267: (Tacos with) Sweet Chili Slaw and Avocado Cilantro Lime Cream

So I originally found a recipe for Pulled Pork Tacos with Sweet Chili Slaw.  I still completely intend to make it for my family (they'll only eat the pulled pork part).  But a pork roast is expensive so I decided to try this recipe with ground turkey taco meat first, to see if I even liked the slaw or cream that is supposed to top it.  Um, yep, I loved it.  It was so easy to make too!!  Will my family like this recipe, no way...but I sure as heck did!

I omitted the following ingredients and used 1 lb ground turkey seasoned taco meat instead.  Omitted:
4 pounds pork roast (I used 1 lb ground turkey seasoned taco meat)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon pepper1 teaspoon smoked paprika1 teaspoon onion powder1/2 teaspoon garlic powder2 tablespoons olive oil8 ounces beer

2 cups sliced green cabbage
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 lime, juiced
a bunch of (4-inch) tortillas, for serving (I omitted and ate this like a salad)
cotija cheese, for crumbling

cilantro avocado cream
1 avocado, chopped
1 lime, juiced + zested
3 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

I was able to skip this step: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Cover the pork with the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder. Sear the pork on all sides just until it is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the pork and place it in the crockpot. Pour your favorite beer over top, cover and cook for 8 hours on low. After 8 hours, remove the top and pull the pork apart with tongs or forks. I toss it well with the beer and then cover it and let it cook for another 15 minutes or so. You have to really toss the meat with the juice to combine everything. Taste the pork and season it additionally if desired.

To make the slaw, add the cabbage to a large bowl. Toss it with the sweet chili sauce and the lime juice, adding in a pinch of salt. You can make this a few hours ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if desired.

To make the avocado cream, add the avocado, lime juice and zest, sour cream or yogurt and the cilantro to a food processor. Blend until pureed and creamy.

Assemble the tacos by adding some pork to each tortilla and covering it with a drizzle of the avocado cream. Add the slaw on top and crumble on a bit of cheese.

Family Bucket List: Homemade Baked Long Johns

Yes, another recipe was on our family bucket list.  I figured this would be a great time to start making some of those recipes that are kid-friendly that I've been putting off and have been sitting on my Pinterest boards for a while.  This was one of those recipes. 

Although this is more of a dense bread recipe, the kids (and my husband) loved these "long johns."  They were really easy to make too.  If you love long johns, these are not the same texture/consistency...they are much heavier, but they are still good. 

Homemade Baked Long Johns

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• GLAZE:
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4-1/2 teaspoons fat-free milk
• 
  

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
• 
  
• Transfer to eight 4-1/2-in. x 2-1/2-in. x 1-1/2-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
• 
  
• In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and butter. Add milk; stir until smooth. Dip tops of doughnuts in glaze. Return to wire rack; let stand until set. 

Family Bucket List: Grilled Banana Boats

I know that I took a picture of this recipe/project, but I cannot find it anywhere!  I found this recipe and thought the kids would enjoy making it since they could pretty much put whatever they want in their banana boats, but the girls both picked to make S'mores so we made them all the same.  

Here's what I learned about this recipe, if you want a sturdier banana when cooked, use a fresh banana.  If you use a banana that's starting to brown it gets very soft and mushy.  Depends on the type of texture you like, as my kids each liked a different one.  Plus, if you use a mushier banana, it gives off a lot of liquid so your toppings get more incorporated, and a little diluted.  I personally think fresher bananas are a better idea, but to each his own.  

Ingredients needed for a S'more Banana Boat:
Bananas (unpeeled, 1 per person)
mini chocolate chips
mini marshmallows
aluminum foil

To start, split your banana down the middle. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the skin on the underside. Press the ends of the banana to create the "boat"
  
Next fill the boats with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows....or whatever ingredients your heart desires! 
Wrap each banana in foil. To make over the campfire, place them on the grate over the fire for 5-10 minutes, or in the oven or grill at 300 for about 15 minutes.