Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

Here's a great recipe that you can give to your husband and say "It's your night to cook."

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups cashews
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup sliced celery
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preparations:

1. Combine all ingredients in Crock pot slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours or until done.

The New Look

I'm back from my self imposed hiatus and sitting in a very quiet house. I should be working on my novel - I told myself I'd work on my novel but the sad thing is that inspiration comes and goes. And right now I'm waiting for it to come again.

Here's a new template that has nothing to do with cooking. It's a nod to the rainy years I spent growing up in Washington state. (If you ever seen the Hand that Rocks the Crandle or Ten Things I Hate About You then you've seen my neighborhood!)

Hopefully, it doesn't put anyone off. :)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese in a Crockpot

Ingredients:

6 cups cooked macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups evaporated milk
6 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparations:

1. In large mixing bowl, toss macaroni with butter.
2. Stir in milk, cheese, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour into crock pot.
4. Cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours

I've gone on strike

If you actually follow this blog, you'll notice no new posts this week. This week started off with a root canal that was so painful I missed a couple of days of work and slept with an ice pack on my jaw. When I finally got a grip, I realized that not only was I sick of dental work but I'm also sick of cooking and CLEANING up the mess.

I don't ask for much but I made a deal with my husband that if I would cook, he'd clean up the dishes.

Sadly, this rarely happens so while I continue to recover, I'm making a stand! No more cooking unless I get some help!!!

If you're interested, I'll let you know how well it works. :)

Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe is from Better Homes and Garden's cookbook with one twist - I made it into a sandwich so my husband could eat while watching Wipeout.

Ingredients:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick (1 pound total)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
1/4 cup of Olive oil

Preparations:

1. Mix flour and pepper.
   
2. Dip sliced eggplant in beaten egg and then in flour mixture. Until all eggplant are covered.
   
3. Fry eggplant in oil until softened.
4. Mix sauce with oregano and parsley.
5. Place eggplant in nonstick pan, cover with sauce and mozzarella. Bake at 375 until melted.
   
6. If you want it as a sandwich. lightly toast bun and top with eggplant Parmesan.
   

Betty Crocker's Cream Cheese Brownies

If there's such a thing as a klutzy cook - I'm it. I'll confess, my versions of these tasty recipes frequently do not match the picture on the author's website or the cookbook. I blame that fact on my lack of attention span and inability to read directions line by line. (Note my picture doesn't match the beautiful confection on Betty Crocker's website.)

Ingredients:

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
2 eggs or 3 eggs
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray.
3. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, oil, water and 2 eggs for fudgelike brownies (or 3 eggs for cakelike brownies), using spoon, until well blended. Spread in pan.
4. In another medium bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in vanilla and 1 egg just until blended.
5. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan; cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.
6. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
7. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture begins to brown and toothpick inserted in brownie 2 inches from side of pan comes out clean or almost clean.
8. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

As a side note, I took these to church to feed a bunch of teenage boys but I tipped the pan and seeing as how they were still warm - they ended up in a chocolate cream cheese lump at one end of the pan. Oh, well, I did try.

Easy Family Lasagna

I didn't read the fine print when it came to becoming a wife and mother. If I had, I probably would have had a better understanding of the guilt that comes with not being able to keep the kitchen clean and wanting to order take out instead of slaving away in the kitchen on a hot summer night.

I bought this cookbook called Super Suppers and it helps me make good meals in less time. It even offers recipes that you can make ahead of time. On those hot summer nights when it's 90 plus degrees outside, I can make dinner ahead of time and just pop it in the oven. Talk about a stress reliever....

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried Italian mixed herbs, crushed
2 jars of Pasta sauce (if each jar is 1lb 10 oz)
1/2 cup water
6 dried lasagna noodles
1 16 ounce container of cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparations:

Brown ground beef. Add Italian seasoning and onion. Saute.

Add pasta sauce and water, bring to a boil and then simmer for five minutes.

Take 1 cup of this mixture and spread it across the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Layer 3 uncooked noodles over it. Add 2 cups of meat mixture on top of it.

Mix cottage cheese, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Layer evenly over meat mixture.

Add 3 more uncooked noodles over it.

Cover with remaining meat mixture. Top with mozzarella.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Servings: 12

Brownies and Cream

Ever had Oreo Cakesters? If you haven't - they are so good!!! Eating one is like biting into a piece of surgary heaven.

If you want to make your own versions of these tasty treats - it's really easy!

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix
1 egg
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of water
1 container of vanilla frosting

Preparations:

1. Combine brownie mix, egg, and oil.
2. Make equal size round balls of the dough and bake at 375 for approximately 12 minutes.
3. Let cookies cool.
4. Frost one cookie and top with another. Repeat until all cookies are used.