Getting back into the swing

Wow, it’s been almost a year since I’ve touched my blog! I’ve been thinking about it. I really enjoyed tracking what we ate and what we thought of each recipe. Documenting the various parties that we put together. It created a nice little summary of our lives. When my Grandfather got the blood clot, I took over the responsibility of driving him to doctor’s visits and hospitals, just so he had someone with him. I can say I greatly enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with him. The boys really enjoyed seeing him more too. However, it also threw off what little routine I had going.

Now he’s doing better and is routinely being monitored, so I only need to check in with him now and again to make sure he’s feeling well and field the doctor’s calls because he can’t hear them on the phone. 

So, now I’ve been thinking about getting back into the swing of things. Since I last blogged on here, we’ve been through a lot of recipes. I realize there is no hope of catching up, though I did try for awhile. I also learned that my storage for images is not very large on WordPress and therefore I need to come up with a new way to host images. I’ll likely go with Photobucket, it just means rerouting all my images.

In the past year we’ve hosting several get-togethers and parties. Lots of DIY involved with those. My portrait photography picked up. My son bought his first and second car (long story) even though he doesn’t begin driving until this year. I have one boy in high school (big change), one in middle school, and two in elementary. For the next three years this will be the scenario with at least one in each school building. That makes for lots of events, conferences, papers and parental homework on my end! We also began a big remodel project to help the boys spread out some. We are converting the attic into a bedroom area for the younger two so the older two can have the own bedrooms. 

I also began major organizational projects. One is to catalog and scan old photos. I’m hoping to one day create year books for contain all the images in one place. The scanning is done, now I need to figure out when they were taken. We have several more revamping projects going on, but I haven’t quite worked all the kinks out of them yet. My mission to simplify and reduce is ongoing. 

Another major change is the babysitting. It wasn’t something I was looking for. It just sort of happened. One friend was in a pinch and I was asked if I could help. She was working part time at that time and it wasn’t a major adjustment. Then another friend asked if I could help out a couple that finally found work and now needed child care immediately. Now I’m watching a 10 month old and an 8 month old during the week. It’s been a long time since I had babies. My body is telling me that as I am constantly sore from bending and lifting. The are pleasant though and make great practice models when I get new props for my photography. 

There you have it. I’ve been busy and life’s been chaotic to say the least. I missed the blogging though. When you are a stay-at-home mom, sometimes you need to feel like you are a part of the big adult world that is at there. Look for new recipes, flashback recipes, DIY crafts and projects. 

Ultimate Breakfast Casserole

★★★★

3 eggs, beaten 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 16 ounces sour cream 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed 2 cups cooked ham, cubed 1 onion, chopped ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese ¼ cup butter, melted Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 9×13 inch baking dish. Season beaten eggs with pepper; pour into baking dish. In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, hash browns, ham, onion and cheese. Mix thoroughly and pour over eggs. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and drizzle butter over top of casserole. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden. Makes 8 servings Source: Allrecipes /LyShanya Davis

This casserole was a quick and simple fix that the boys loved. I did not alter the original recipe.

197 down : 168 to go

Bubble Pizza

★★★

• 1 lb. ground beef
• ¼ lb. sliced pepperoni sausage
• 14 ounce can pizza sauce
• 2 (12 ounce) packages refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough (I do not recommend Grand’s Biscuits)
• ½ onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Stir in pepperoni, and cook until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in pizza sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Cut biscuits into quarters, and place in the bottom of baking dish. Spread meat mixture evenly over the biscuits. Sprinkle top with onion. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle top with mozzarella and Cheddar cheese. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Source: Allrecipes/NEUJERZE

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Easy to make. I do not recommend using Grand’s biscuits as I think they are too big. The end result (using the Grand’s) was just too much bread for me. Go with a regular size dinner biscuit. The original recipe used olives and mushrooms, I do not like either, so the went. The boys and hubby all seemed to really like it.

196 down : 169 to go

Heavenly Potatoes and Ham

★★★★★

• 5 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
• 16 ounce container sour cream
• ½ cup butter
• 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 8 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup chopped green onion
• 2 cups cooked, chopped ham
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated
• ¼ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Place potatoes in a large pot of water, and bring to a boil. Boil until slightly tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.

Mix sour cream, butter, cream of chicken soup, Cheddar cheese, green onions, ham, salt and pepper with the potatoes. Spread mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan, and drizzle with butter.

Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven.

Makes 12 servings

Source : Allrecipes.com/TLM41870

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This really was heavenly. The dish was so creamy, the sauce it creates it so good you want to lick out the pan. The original called for 1½ cups of Parmesan flavored bread crumbs, I didn’t have these, but I did have seasoned crumbs and fresh Parmesan. It really doesn’t get much better than a recipe like this one, you mix it in a bowl, dump it in a pan, and bake.

195 down : 170 to go

Sausage Brunch Casserole

★★★★

• 1 ½ lbs. ground pork sausage
• 8 ounce tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 4 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 °.

Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Lay crescent rolls flat in the bottom of the pan. Combine cooked sausage, cheese, eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over crescent rolls.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until bubbly and rolls are baked.

Makes 8 servings

Source : Allrecipes.com/JENNISELLERS

194 down : 171 to go

Pasta Rustica

★★★★

• 2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 cup Marsala
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, fresh is best!
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 cups cream, I used heavy cream
• 3 boxes penne pasta
• ½ package Bacon, thick
• 12 ounces chicken breast, grilled
• 2 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon paprika

Sauté garlic in butter in large pan.

Add marsala wine, mustard, salt, rosemary, cayenne pepper, and heavy cream.

In large pot, cook pasta according to directions. In a separate skillet, cook bacon. drain well.

Slice chicken into medium-bite size pieces.

Combine sauce, cooked pasta, diced chicken, cooked bacon, bell peppers, parmesan cheese, and paprika and mix thoroughly. Spread in pans. Top with chopped rosemary and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 475° for 10 minutes. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator the day of. Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 1 hour. Remove foil during the last 15 minutes.

Makes 20 servings

Source : kitchenmonki.com/vtgirlie

193 down : 172 to go

Mac & Cheese Lasagna

★★★★

• 7 ¼ ounces macaroni and cheese pasta mix
• ½ lb. lean ground beef
• 12 ounce bottle spaghetti sauce
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

Heat oven to 350°F

Prepare mac & cheese using directions on package

Brown meat in skillet; drain.

Spoon half of the Mac & Cheese into lightly greased 8-inch square baking dish; top with layers of half each sauce, meat and shredded cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 12 servings

Source : kitchenmonki.com/Elizabeth Sullivan

192 down : 173 to go

Italian Shepherd’s Pie

★★★★

• 1 pie crust, unbaked
• 1 lb. italian sausage
• 8 ounces cottage cheese, cream-style
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ cups mashed potatoes
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove foil; set aside. Reduce heat to 350°. In a skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain well on paper towels. Place cottage cheese and egg in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in potatoes, sour cream, oregano, salt and pepper. Place sausage in pastry shell; top with potato mixture. Drizzle with butter. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with cheese; let stand for a few minutes until cheese is melted.

Makes 8 servings

Source : kitchenmonki.com/Megan Wilson

191 down : 174 to go

Bacon & Maple Scalloped Potatoes

★★★★

• 1 red onion , thinly sliced
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1 ¼ cups fat free reduced sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup milk
• 3 slices fully cooked bacon, chopped
• ¼ cup maple flavored or pancake syrup
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6)
• 1 cup Kraft Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese with a Touch of Philadelphia

Heat oven to 400ºF

Cook onions in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring frequently. Remove onions from skillet.

Add cream cheese, broth and milk to skillet; cook and stir on medium-low heat 5 minutes or until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat; stir in bacon and syrup.

Place half the potatoes in 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover wiht layers of onions and shredded cheese. Top with remaining potatoes and cream cheese sauce; cover.

Bake 1 hour 5 minutes or until potatoes are tender and top is golden brown, uncovering after 50 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Source : kraftrecipes.com

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I don’t know that the preshredded cheese with the touch of cream cheese was worth the expense to me. On the other hand, the real maple syrup is always worth the expense. These were pretty straight forward and simple to make. As is typical for me, potatoes never cook in the allotted time in my oven. I had to leave them in somewhat longer.

190 down : 175 to go

Grilled Chicken Pizza

★★★★

• 2 cooked skinless chicken breasts, shredded (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil, or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 (8-ounce) loaf whole wheat French bread, halved lengthwise
• 3 ounces thinly sliced smoked mozzarella

Preheat broiler.

Toss chicken, basil, oil, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl. Place bread halves cut side up; scatter chicken mixture evenly over them and top with mozzarella.

Place bread halves on baking sheet, broil 5 inches away from heat, until cheese is fully melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes 6 servings

Source : Weight Watchers Magazine July/August 2005

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This was so simple to make! It was also very, very good. I highly recommend using the smoked mozzarella, it really adds a tremendous element to the pizza. The original recipe calls for grilling the pizza, it was however November and while my husband will gladly grill in the cold, this was just as easy to put in the oven. Just heat it up until is warm.

I think this would be even tastier if you had leftover grilled chicken you could shred for the topping. Likely we will try this again next summer on the grill since we liked it so much.