Sghetti and Meatballs.

So I hope no one thought that with this blog, they were going to witness some form of Julie and Julia transformation where I whipped up amazing meals for my children day after day? If you thought that...run away now.

My husband is currently out of town, I am almost 20 weeks pregnant and feeling quite exhausted. It really takes a toll on creativity in the kitchen. So today while out in town I bought 3 ingredients to make tonights dinner with.


#1 The Meatballs, Thanks Target!

#2 The Sauce

#3 The Noodles.

Very simple dinner, Put half the meatballs in all the sauce and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Boil water, cook the noodles.
Then mix the 3 together. I added a bit of salt to the sauce.

The funny thing is the verdict on this dinner HUGE success, gobbled up every last bite AND Princess Penelope ate the meatballs! not just the Noodles. 6 or as I shall now refer to him "energizer bunny" loved the meatballs and spaghetti and informed me it is now his favorite meal.

So here I was whipping up crazy concoctions to make the kids, when all it took was 3 premade foods....interesting.

Bruschetta 'n Cheese Stuffed-Chicken Breasts

WOW! This was a great recipie! I made a few changes because I couldn't find the dressing at the store and I already had the can of tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic.

I got the recipe from All Recipies: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bruschetta-n-Cheese-Stuffed-Chicken-Breasts-2/Detail.aspx. I used Kraft Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette dressing. It was very tastey!

Okay here's what the critics had to say:
Mom and dad loved it and would eat it again.
The 1 1/2 year old ate all the stuffing mix and asked for more. He even ate some of the chicken so I think it was a success with him too.
The 3 year old kept telling me "No like it!" and would not even take her courtesy bite. After making her take her courtesy bit before she could leave the table, she walked around the house with it in her mouth. She had that one small bite in her mouth for about 30 minutes! She wouldn't spit it out and she wouldn't swallow it either. While she had this bite in her mouth she would not talk. FINALLY she swallowed the bite and has not stopped talking since! Oh she is a stubborn 3 year old! LOL!

The final verdict is that it was a success (even though the 3 year old didn't like it) and we will make it again. I have decided that it is impossible to get the 3 year old to eat anything but spaghetti and pizza. I will keep searching for things the 3 year old will eat though!

The Amazing miracle of Grilled Cheese sandwiches

Tonight, we kicked it old school. We...okay *I* did not go grocery shopping today so it was slim pickens in our kitchen.

After searching for an hour for the plug on the electric skillet, I got started on the masterpieces that are Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

Ingredients

Butter

American Cheese slices

Bread

I even took pictures for you all tonight!

Step 1. Get Bread, and butter....butter one side of 2 pieces of bread.

Step 2. Open American cheese slices and place TWO slices of cheese on unbuttered side of bread.

Step 3. Place on skillet and place 2nd piece of bread down, butter up.

Step 4. Cook for a few minutes on the first side, then with a handy spatula flip.

Step 5. Cook on 2nd side for same amount of time, then perfection arrives.

step 6. Take a tasty bite.

(Thanks to my husband for modeling how to take a bite)

The verdict? Success! Who doesnt love melted cheese between two delicious slices of bread.

Spread the news.

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

BIG FAT FAIL for us! I thought we would try Nat's recipe tonight because dad is out of town for work and the kids USUALLY love pb&j. As the French toast was cooking the 3 year old walked up to the stove, took a big deep breath and said "that smells delicious Mama!" I cut her sandwich into 4 strips and ceremoniously placed it in front of her. She looked at it, then looked at me and said "Oh no! I need my sandwich!" I tried to tell her that is what she had infront of her but she refused to touch it. I guess it wasn't a complete fail since the 1 1/2 year old ate about a half of his sandwich and I loved it. I am still on the search for a meal the 3 year old will love!

Paula Deen is a rockstar, or is it Wayne?

Waynes Beef Macaroni and Cheese 

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon each dried basil, cumin, and dried oregano
Salt and pepper
3 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 lb lean ground beef
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 cup chopped onion
2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb box elbow macaroni
2-3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions

Cook the macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet; add the peppers, onion, and garlic, and saute until soft. Add the ground beef and saute until browned. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and the basil, cumin, and oregano. In a large bowl, combine the macaroni and the beef mixture. Spread this mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Top with the cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Im not sure who this "Wayne" character is, but this recipe is fantastic. Again, at first I was a little scared of this recipe...I find it weird when people put things like green peppers in ground beef with tomatos, but mmmmm. 

EVERY single person at the dinner table, 6 and 3 included had SECONDS!!!! Thats right, the impossible to please Princess Penelope had TWO plates of food. I would kiss Paula deen right now if I could.

The 6 year old loved it, and complimented his way through dinner. My husband and I gobbled it up as well. I recommend this one to every struggling mom out there. Feed it to your kids!!

Salad Bar

So we had a very hectic day yesterday and decided to go out to eat for dinner. We went to a restaurant called JBs. They have a great salad bar and the kids eat off it for free! They love the salad bar so of course it is a success. They eat cheese, ham, goldfish crackers, rolls, peaches, and pears. They also stole a few french fries from Dad's plate. He had an all you can eat seafood platter with the salad bar and mom had a chicken taco salad. Yay for something easy and that they devour.

Barbecued Turkey Joes

1 pound(s) lean ground turkey

1/2 medium bell pepper(s), chopped

1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped

1/2 medium onion(s), chopped

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup(s) barbecue sauce

4 medium mixed-grain hamburger roll(s), sliced in half

Directions:

Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off liquid. Add peppers and onion and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.

Add barbecue sauce and cayenne pepper; heat thoroughly, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.

Top bottom half of buns with turkey mixture; cover with top half of bun and serve.

We had these Sunday night and they were a BIG hit! The 3 year old kept calling it her "burger" and she ate almost half of her half a sandwich. The 1 1/2 year old ate his whole half in no time. We will definatly make this one again! Sundays are a little busy for us so we have to eat something quick. We served these with Cheddar Cheese Sun Chips. Great, quick meal!

Sigh....another fail.

However this time, NO ONE ate it to determine it was a big fat FAIL.

I tried a recipe called from http://cookingoncloverlane.blogspot.com/

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I cut mine in half or quarters)

2 TBS butter

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 onion finely chopped

2 packages of refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Place the chicken, butter, soup and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with just enough water to cover.

Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on High.  About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker.  Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Something went terribly wrong....it was supposed to look like this....

However, it looked like this....

Hard to tell from the pictures I got but mine was basically chicken floating in yellow water, there was no thickness to the sauce at all. OOPS! Just looking at it made me sick so into the sink it went.

Now we have bowtie noodles and butter, with Parmesan cheese coming up for 2nd dinner.

Saturday night, Pizza hut!

I can not be Martha Stewart everyday, so today I left the cooking up to Pizza Hut.

Guess what, SUCCESS! Who doesnt love pizza? especially a child. As long as I make sure and get a cheese pizza the 3 year old will take part in the entire meal. The 6 year old has recently branched out to toppings on pizza. His current favorite is Ham and Pineapple.

Gotta LOVE pizza!

Pan Fried Pork Chops

Last night I made Pan Fried Pork Chops. Another recipe from the Pioneer woman.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/simple-pan-fried-pork-chops/

Theres the recipe, I also made the potatos she suggested, DELICIOUS!

The 6 year old loved the Potato's and the 3 year old loved the pork chops....so I guess this was a success?

Sometimes I think I can guess whether they will like the food or not, I would have guessed the 3 year old wouldnt have liked any of it. I was shocked when she started devouring the pork. The 6 year old didnt hate the pork chops, he ate maybe 2 bites, then devoured all his potatos.

My husband and I really liked this meal, it was manly and GOOOOOOD.

Parmesan Chicken...SUCCESS!

Parmesan Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)

2 - 14 1/2 oz cans Italian stewed tomatoes

1/2 tsp oregano & basil

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Flatten chicken breasts, then brown in skillet.

Place chicken breasts in 9x13 baking dish. Mix cornstarch, tomatoes, and spices, heat in skillet and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30-45 minutes.

YUMMY! This is what I finally heard from the 3 year old! We served this over spaghetti noodles and had buttered toast as well. The 3 year old devoured her whole plate of food and said that it was "so so good!" The 1 1/2 year old ate almost everything on his plate as well. Overall this was a BIG hit! YAY! We finally found something that they both liked.

Mexican Casserole...FAIL!

Mexican Casserole

1 can dark kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can Rotel

1 pound ground beef

2 tbsp taco season

10 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger in skillet. Add season, beans, corn, and rotel. Heat through. Cut tortillas into 8 pieces. Layer tortillas, 1/3 mixture, 1/4 cheese, repeat and end with a layer of tortillas and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream if desired.

The mixture

The layers

The final yummy goodness

Last night we had Mexican Casserole for dinner. Mom and Dad loved it...the kids on the other hand did not! The 3 year old ran from the table when she was called for dinner. She kept saying "No! No! YUCKY!!!" When her plate was placed in front of her she made a face and pushed it away. She did finally take a courtesy bite but refused to chew and swallow. She must have held that bite in her mouth for 10 minutes before giving in. The 1 1/2 year old was a little bit better, he at least ran TO the table when he was called for dinner. He sat in his seat and was presented with his plate. He shook his head and said "NO NO NO!" He turned away everytime I went to give him a bite. He took his courtesy bite, gagged, almost lost it, and finally chewed and swallowed. This was a big fat FAIL with the kids. On to look for more recipies that the kids will eat!

I really shouldn't even post this!

Have you ever had one of those days where you just don't want to cook? Well that day was today for me! Dad was gone overnight for business so it was just the kids and I. Well I was going to make spaghetti but chose an easier thing. I affectionately call it "can of crap."

Well that said can was a huge hit, like always! The 3 year old ate the whole bowl and even asked for more. Shocking! The 1 1/2 year old devoured his bowl too. Not my favorite thing to serve but oh well.

Since the kids were eating that and it is not quite on my weight watchers diet, I settled for a frozen macaroni and cheese meal. Good thing dad comes home tomorrow!

Still on the search for healthy things my two munchkins will eat!

PB&J French Toast

Tonights dinner came out of Rachael Ray's yum-o cookbook. (yes I gave her another chance) This recipe didn't have tons of shallots in it so I deemed it safe.

Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

Ingredients:

8 slices whole grain bread

4tbs peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

4tbs Jelly

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2tsps pure vanilla extract

4tbs butter (1/2 stick)

1/2 cup pure maple syrup, warm.

Instructions:

 Spread 4 slices of the bread with peanut butter and the other 4 with jelly to make four PB&J sandwiches. Beat the eggs, milk, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 2tbs of the butter. When the butter is almost melted, dunk two of the sammies into the egg batter and let the excess drip off. Place in the pan. Fry the sandwiches until golden brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining 2 sanwiches. Cut the french toast sandwiches into 4 sticks apiece and serve with warm maple syrup.

Serves 4.

Browning the sandwiches

 

One Side all done!

  

The finished product.

This smelt REALLY good when it was cooking. I figured you cant really go wrong with PB&J sandwiches and peanut butter warm is just delicious.

Unfortunately 3 year old gave it the immediate upon entry "YUCK" and then spit it out. She of course then walked around the house for 5 minutes proclaiming its nastiness. So this recipe got a big fat FAIL from her.

The 6 year old gobbled the whole thing up,and gave it plenty of compliments along the way, he even stole a stick from 3's plate. So all in all its a good recipe, I thought it was pretty good. The 3 year old just wants to make sure this blog goes on for a long time.

S-u-c-c-e-s-s, thats the way we spell tonights dinner!

Tonight we ventured into Pioneer country, to "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" blog. My friend recommended this recipe and boy was she right!

Here is a link http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/chicken-parmigiana  She does step by step instructions which get you more and more excited to eat.

Here is a photo of my brewing sauce and then with the added chicken and Parmesan cheese.

I wasnt sure how this dinner would do with the kids, Yes they usually love pasta but it also had quite a bit of red sauce on it.

I nervously set out the food as I do every night, weary of if my efforts were worthy. Mr. 6 was the first to dig in tonight and he said "THIS IS THE BEST DINNER EVER!!!!!" and proceeded to shove food in his mouth to where he literally almost choked on his linguine.

The 3 year old sat cautiously eyeballing her prey, and watching all of us dig in and say MMMMMM this is so good! Which we usually do so of course she doesn't trust us. Finally after a few minutes she took a cautious bite of a noodle, then all of a sudden she took another bite and another and ANOTHER! I almost forgot what she looked like eating a meal. She ate more than half her plate, SUCCESS!

We will be making this one again. Even though it takes about an hour and 15 minutes to make, it was rather fun and totally worth it.

Spicy Chicken Rotini...Success/Fail!

Spicy Chicken Rotini

4 cups Normandy-Style Vegetable Blend (Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Carrots)

1/2 box Rotini pasta

1 can Rotel (Diced tomatoes and green chilies)

8 oz Velveeta

2 cans diced Chicken breast (can also use 2 cooked chicken breasts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 9x9 pan with non-stick spray.

Cook pasta according to box instructions.

Chop veggies.

Cut velveeta into small cubes.

Mix chicken, rotel, veggies, pasta, and velveeta together and dump into 9x9 pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Take pan out and stir mixture. Bake for additional 7-10 minutes.

The ingredients:

The final product:

The reviews:

Mom and dad enjoyed this dish. It is easy to make and "hides" the veggies for the kids. Dad even had a second helping!

The 1 1/2 year old LOVED it! He ate everything on his plate! He is starting to get very picky so this is a big accomplishment for him. He kept saying "mmmmm!" as he was eating so I took that as he loved it.

The 3 year old however said "Mmmmm it smell de-yish-ish." Then when I placed it infront of her she said "No! I don't like it!" She took her courtesy bite (that was forced upon her) and she was done. She will not be eating this again anytime soon.

So, overall this was a success since 3 out of 4 of us liked it. The search is still on for dishes that the 3 year old will eat without a fight.

Penne-Wise Pumpkin pasta FAIL.

Out of my Rachael Ray cookbook today I came across this recipe. Yes the name is a bit strange, kind of makes you want to run from the recipe...always trust your instincts.
I decided to make it anyway, I thought maybe my kids are a little weird and will like this dish?

Here is the recipe from the Rachael Ray Yum-O book.
For a picture click here http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/rachael-ray-30-minute-meals/Penne-Wise-Pumpkin-Pasta

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound whole-wheat penne pasta

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

3 to 4 garlic cloves, grated.

2 cups chicken stock

1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon hot sauce

2 pinches of ground cinnamon

Freshly ground black pepper

7 to 8 fresh sage leaves

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Add salt and the pasta and cook al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, twice around the pan, over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, pumpkin, and cream, then season the sauce with thte hot sauce, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Reduce the head to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes longer to thicken. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce a bit. Stir in the sage, then toss in the drained pasta and grated cheese.

When cooking I found the combination of ingredients a little strange, hot sauce and pumpkin? okay, I went on and it started to smell really good. Once finish the final product looked quite appetizing.

Now for the final test, "Dinners ready!" the three year old is the first to the table, she takes one look at her plate and says "This is beesgusting" Okay little girl, just try it! She took one tiny bite and the look of disgust radiated from her eyes....she proceeded to take off running yelling "Thats beesgusting! beesgusting dinner! eeeewww!!!" definite FAIL in her eyes.  Next comes the 6 year old who is usually a giant pasta lover. He ate a noodle and said it was good, took a second bite and here comes the look of disgust again. "What is this orange stuff? its nasty!" spits it into the trash can and says "Dont ever try this one again mom."

For second dinner we had microwave chicken nuggets, goldfish crackers and ketchup....sigh. The three year old only ate the ketchup.

The quest continues....