Iced Coffee and Creamer (cheap&easy)

So, I love iced coffee and hate paying $3+ for a glass of it. I've come across a few sites of how to make it and my favorite so far is this:

You'll need a pitch or a bowl with a pourer, coffee grounds (the coarser, the better), water, brown sugar, cinnamon (you could even do some pumpkin pie spice), and vanilla extract. Put about 2-3 cups of coffee grounds, 4-6 cups of water, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp of cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice (if you do both, I'd do about 1 tsp of each), and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir it up, cover it and let it sit overnight. This is called "cold brewing" I think?

Now for the fun part (sarcasm)... Get a mesh strainer, coffee filters and a bowl that the strainer will sit on/in (but not too far in). Stir the coffee mix up and put a filter or 2 into your strainer, pour coffee mix into filter and wait for it to go through. I use a new filter each time it drains through to help not clog them and make it a super slow process. This takes a little while- but it's worth it!

Store it in the fridge in mason jars, a pitcher, milk jug- whatever you'd like. I wouldn't keep it longer than a week or 2 (I wouldn't go longer than a week- but mine never lasts that long anyways).

To drink- put ice in a glass, pour some cold coffee in and either drink it black or add your favorite creamer and sugar.


Also a super easy and less artificial ingredient creamer is a can of sweetened condensed milk and a can of evaporated milk mixed up and stored in the fridge. I use a blender (the sweetened is difficult to work with) and add some vanilla extract. I've also made it with cocoa powder, cinnamon, and coconut cream-- not all together of course!! I'm sure there's other things to use to add more flavor!

It's so cheap, easy, and it tastes pretty dang good! I'll try to remember to take pictures and post them next time I make some!

Stuffed Chicken

Last night I was watching Chopped on the Food Network and it made me want to create something without going to the store- soo I decided on stuffed chicken. I've never made stuffed chicken (other than buying them already stuffed and baking them).

All I had was frozen chicken breasts, probably not the best kind to use- but it worked.

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tbsp hummus (I used regular)
1/4 large white onion finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp dill (the dried seasoning)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped mushroom
1/2 cup finely chopped steamed broccoli
1/2 Roma tomato chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350
Cut chicken breasts almost in half (leave them together at the ends- like a sub sandwich)
Place chicken on a cutting board and put wax/parchment paper on top of chicken and pound them so they're thinner
Lightly salt/pepper each side of chicken
Mix stuffing ingredients
Spoon ingredients onto bottom half of chicken (I can't give you a measurement because all pieces are diff sizes) fill about 3/4 of bottom part
Fold top over, use toothpicks to "seal"
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, then I flipped them over and broiled them for about 7-10 minutes (keep an eye on them so they don't burn).
Remove toothpicks and enjoy!

We had these with some sautéed veggies!

This also made MORE than enough for 2 chicken breasts- so last night, I used it as a filling in some croissant rolls with some chicken added. YUM.

It could've had more flavor and I'm trying to figure out what would be good to use without adding more salt... If you think of anything- let me know!

Pina Colada: My Version

INGREDIENTS:

1 shot coconut rum

1 shot light rum

1 shot dark rum

coconut cream

pineapple juice & some pineapple chunks if you want

splash grenadine (optional)

orange juice (optional)

ice

DIRECTIONS:

Pour all into a blender, blend up, ENJOY. 

As for measurements on the non-liquor ingredients, I don't have any- use as much or as little as you want... Make this recipe yours- pour a little, blend, taste and see how much of each you like. 

Seriously- this is SO much better than the mixes you just add liquor into (I learned how to make these on our honeymoon in Antigua). The grenadine and orange juice were my own ideas- it makes a pretty good taste. 

Be careful- you can't taste the liquor! :)

Chorizo Queso

INGREDIENTS: 

1 pkg chorizo

1/2 onion chopped 

1 poblano pepper chopped

2-3 sweet mini peppers chopped

1 1/2 cups of milk

2 TBS flour

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese 

salt

DIRECTIONS:

- heat up onions and peppers until softened

- add chorizo, cook until done

- let sit in pan on low heat while doing cheese sauce

- in sauce pan, warm 1 cup of milk on medium heat until heat tendrils come out

- meanwhile whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk and 2 TBS flour until smooth

- WHEN milk is warmed slowly whisk in milk/flour mix

- slowly add in cheese (i think you're supposed to turn the heat to a medium/low but i didn't)

- add a pinch of salt

- add in chorizo mix

- transfer to crock pot on low to keep it heated up

You can add corn, black beans, cilantro, salsa... whatever sounds good to you with this. You can also make some elbow/penne/whatever noodles and use this as a chorizo mac & cheese (we did that when I discovered this would be a good dip). 

Mooooore Meatballs!

So, we enjoyed the meatballs and spaghetti so much that we decided to have another round... Meatballs used to intimidate me- for some reason, I imagined that they were hard to make. SO false! They are so simple and you can make ANY kind.

We ventured to the store last night to get more ground turkey and an onion (we had everything else we needed). Low and behold, they were out of ground turkey, just had ground turkey breast- being on a budget, $5.99 was too expensive for a pound of meat. We decided on some 80/20 ground beef (it was only .95 lb- close enough) and got a large white onion.

Following the same directions- I added 1 whole carrot, about 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, and 2 handfuls of kale (if you don't have/don't like/don't know what it is, use spinach... or don't use either),... I threw EVERYTHING (except egg, meat, and breadcrumbs) into the processor. OH! and instead of shredding the parm this time I just cut it into chunks and when it went through the processor it was small chunks, which created melted cheese bits in the cooked meatball!

Mix (by hand is best) and it made 20 large meatballs. I thawed and reheated some sauce and cooked up some whole grain noodles- yum!

Y'all- it is SO easy to incorporate more veggies into your meals and sneakily (trust me, I do not like mushrooms- but I use them to cook with A LOT), too! The meatballs ended up being so juicy and flavorful!

We froze about 8 of the meatballs to have next time we have the rest of our spaghetti sauce (we had 2 large tupperware bowls full to freeze after the initial meal).

Here they are! Happy eating! 

**Caution: be CAREFUL when putting food into/taking food out of the oven... I got about a 2 inch burn on my arm... 

Homemade Cheesy Veggie Spaghetti Sauce and Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 whole carrots
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 white onion
½ green bell pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
½ tbsp dried bay leaves
½ tbsp rosemary
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used Hunts no salt added with basil, garlic, and oregano)
3 cups tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar (to combat acidity in tomatoes)
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp pepper
1 cup water
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
If you do not have a food processor- finely chop your veggies
Cut carrots, onion, bell pepper, mushrooms into about 1-2 inch pieces (NO need to be precise) and throw into your processor
Add garlic, seasonings (NOT the sugar), and 1 tbsp olive oil
Process until it’s all finely chopped (however big you want the veggie chunks)
In a large sauce pan (I’m using a stock pot) add remaining olive oil and your veggie/spice mix and let the veggies get soft
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, spinach, and water
Let cook on medium/low for about 30 minutes then simmer for additional 30 minutes
After the hour of cooking add parmesan and ricotta cheese
**I cooked this on low for probably close to 3 hours because it sat there while I made meatballs, spaghetti squash, and a loaf of bread.
AND I BET YOU CAN PUT THIS IN A CROCKPOT TO COOK! (I'd put the core veggies in a skillet to get soft or whatnot and then put everything (not cheese, yet) into the crockpot and stir and do high for a few hours or low for about 6-8- then add cheese to melt in - might work better if it's hot? I don't know- if you try it, let me know!)

(I add the dried seasonings to the processor with veggies to bring their flavors back out- they’ve been sitting in the jar not moving)
When I read recipes people use fresh herbs- I don’t use them enough to buy them fresh. People also leave certain herbs out until closer to the end of cooking… I don’t do that either quite frankly because I don’t know why you need to (I’m sure if I took classes, I would know- but the overall flavor is always good to me, so I don’t worry about it). 

Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground turkey
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
½ tbsp oregano
½ tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
½ tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
½ onion finely chopped
½ tbsp Worcestershire
¼ cup parmesan cheese (I like it fresh better than the bottled kind)

*I didn’t have breadcrumbs, so I crushed saltine crackers and some quick oats with a bit of Italian seasoning*

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425
Mix everything but turkey, egg, and Worcestershire
Mix turkey, Worcestershire, and egg together
Mix ALL together
Lightly spray baking sheet with oil (Pam)
Shape into balls (about 1 ½ inch)
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until done
Add to spaghetti sauce

I am putting this on spaghetti squash (a lovely, healthier way to make spaghetti). To cook this, I heat the oven to 375, cut the squash in half length ways (beware- difficult) and scoop out the seeded part with a spoon, and use 2 glass baking dishes that each halved squash will fit into.  I fill each dish about ¼ way full of water and bake about 25 minutes on each side (personally, I put them inside down and then flip after 25 minutes). When it's done, allow to cool, then use a fork to "shred" it- it's really easy. Or just use normal spaghetti noodles; just remember that whole grain/wheat are better for you (unless you need to be gluten free).

Butternut Squash, Kale, Brisket Quesadillas

Tonight I made quesadillas! Hubby liked them!

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed butternut squash
a few slices of onion chopped
a few slices of poblano pepper diced
2 handfuls of kale chopped up
1 cup finely chopped/shredded brisket (cooked)
lots of shredded cheese (go with laughing cow or something healthier if you wish)
butter (I love land o lakes with olive oil-- only 3 ingredients)
olive oil
tortillas (we used wheat)
sliced jalepenos (if you like them)
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
salt/pepper

(you can add any veggies you like, you can also OMIT brisket and make it a veggie quesadilla)

Directions:
Put your butternut squash, onion, poblano pepper, jalepeno and seasonings into a saute pan with olive oil and saute until they're tender
Add kale, brisket and saute until kale is soft and brisket is heated up
Put butter on your tortillas and add butter to the pan (a clean pan would be easiest), when butter is melted put a tortilla (butter side down), add cheese and your mix (I topped off with a little more cheese) and cook until brown
Flip-- have fun with that part!!
Slice into 4
Repeat for however many you want to make (we made 4 and have lunch tomorrow)
ENJOY!

You can make rice, beans, sautéed zucchini/squash/onions, or whatever you favorite "mexican" side dish is. Dip them in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, barbeque sauce (to bring out the brisket).

Once upon a baby (shower pot luck food)

So, some awesome friends came to town to have a Beer and Diaper Baby Shower Pot Luck... you tell a girl that likes to cook and show off her "skills", she brings 3 dishes. It's what I do. ha. So, I scoured the internet for all sorts of recipes and couldn't figure out what to make... I came across this chicken fajita casserole recipe. Sounded good- who doesn't like chicken fajitas or casseroles? I basically followed the recipe, but ADDED sliced poblano pepper, black beans, corn, and rice. I also added garlic to the saute, then added the shredded chicken and put fajita seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and a little cayenne (I told you, I cannot follow a recipe).

If you want to make this, follow it exactly or make some changes, I like my way better because I am big on using seasonings- I don't do bland food, I want it to "burst" with flavor! Try plain non fat greek yogurt instead of the sour cream and no chips for a little bit healthier version.

Second dish I made was a loaded baked potato salad (I was on the way to the store when I found out they were making ribs, so I decided that I HAD to make a side dish for that... why? Because). Again, I google, google, google and found 2 different recipes that I mixed together (and I don't feel like finding them). When I cook something I haven't made I typically look at a BUNCH of recipes for it to figure out the ingredients and go from there to make it how I would want it- in case you care how I figure out my recipes. Thank God for Pinterest!

Loaded Baked Potato Salad:
INGREDIENTS:
5 lbs russet potatoes
1 ranch packet of your choice (I went regular)
1 cup of mayo
1 1/2 cups sour cream
bacon - your call on how much, I was in a time crunch so I got a biggish pack of REAL bacon bits
shredded cheese... maybe 1 cup?
green onions/chives- put as much as you'd like (I only had pre-dried kind)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 425, wash potatoes, poke with a fork (generally I would've sprinkled with salt and olive oil, but I forgot)
Put them all onto a baking sheet and bake for about 1 1/2-2 hours until tender
(fun part) Let them cool and then peel and cube
If you opt to cook bacon- do that and crumble it
Mix mayo, sour cream, chives, bacon, ranch packet, and 1/2 cup cheese
Carefully add into the potatoes (so you don't make it mashed)
Sprinkle with remaining cheese
Let it sit in the fridge for awhile to absorb flavors
Serve chilled

To make this "healthier" use plain non fat greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and make a homemade mayo, like this one, or do 1/2 greek yogurt 1/2 mayo. There are also recipes online for homemade ranch seasoning mix.
(If you find that it's not enough wet ingredients add a little more mayo/sour cream and mix)

Third dish was Trix Krispies... I'll spare you the boring directions. Just use 1/4 cup butter, 1 pack of small marshmallows, 10 cups of trix and make them exactly like you would rice krispies.


ENJOY

Quinoa Beef Stew

So, here goes nothing. I am going to attempt this blogging thing. The ONLY way I can imagine myself actually keeping this going is by sharing my recipes.

First one? How about what I made for dinner tonight? Let's go...

I went to the store to return a redbox movie and get dog food, so what did I leave with? Beef stew meat, a can of diced tomatoes, a small bag of red potatoes, and dog food (of course). I've never made beef stew, so I did what I always do if I am not completely sure of how to make something.... Google search it. I stumbled across some that sounded terribly bland and just not up to par. I then found Paula Dean's recipe- anything she makes is good, so I thought i'd give it a shot. I CANNOT manage to "follow" a recipe to save my life- I always add/omit things.

Here goes MY version:

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb beef stew meat
1 TBS canola oil
1/2 yellow onion sliced
2 whole carrots cut up
1 clove garlic minced
1 can diced tomatoes (I used one with sweet onions added)
2 cups water
1 TBS worcestershire
1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (I had some left over that was seasoned with garlic/italian seasonings)
1/2 cup black beans (cooked)
2 small red potatoes cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar (I used granulated, but next time I'll use brown)
dash ground cloves
dash cinnamon
AND 1/4 cup coke (I had pepsi)

to thicken at the END:
1/4 cup water
2 TBS cornstarch
1/2 - 1 cup hot liquid from beef stew that is cooking

DIRECTIONS:
(per Paula Dean's recipe)
Brown meat in hot oil, add water, worcestershire, onion, garlic, tomatoes, ALL seasonings, and coke. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours (I did for about an hour). Add potatoes, carrots, quinoa, black beans, cover and simmer for an additional 30-40 minutes. THEN mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, add hot liquid - pour into stew and mix, let it boil and serve.

I think it tastes really good, if you make it- let me know what you think!