Cucumber and Tomato salad

I've got a Joy of Cooking cookbook that my aunt got when she married back in 1985. I seriously hope they've updated the book since then because it's a pain in the butt to read and there are very few pictures so I never really know if the recipe actually turned out looking like it's supposed to. This recipe is adaption of one their "hard to read ones". This recipe can be high in calories or low, depending on whether you use the full fat sour cream. I chose to use fat free sour cream which is 20 calories per serving. It's really light and the taste is subtle. It's an awesome choice for a light salad on a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

• 1 long cucumber, sliced
• 1 large tomato (cut in four pieces and then slice)
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 teaspoon of dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon shredded onion
• 1 tablespoon green pepper, chopped

Preparations:

1. Mix sour cream, dill weed, salt, onion and green pepper.
2. Combine tomatoes and cucumbers in a bowl.
3. Either add sauce to tomatoes and cucumbers or dish up vegetables and dip into sauce.

Easy Roasted Asparagus

It's the week of vegetables. Why? Because I don't eat enough of them and I watched this documentary about a guy who put himself on a juice/vegetable fast and it made me feel really guilty about all the Oreos I've consumed in my life. Turns out there are plenty of easy recipes to make vegetables as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of Asparagus, trimmed
• 8 ounces of whole mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed (I only had cooked ones on hand)
• 2 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.
2. Arrange asparagus and mushrooms in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with rosemary, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Toss gently to coat bake until asparagus is crisp. (approximately 10 minutes)

Artichokes with Butter Sauce

I'm beginning to think the best vegetables are the ones that come with a super easy recipe that can be made while a baby sits on your hip and screams in your ear. Seriously, my kid doesn't cry much but he sure does yell at the worst times. Like at the checkout counter when everyone in the grocery store has suddenly gone quiet...I actually think it'll be a relief when he can form words. :)

Ingredients:

• 2 artichokes (Artichokes aren't cheap so I didn't buy more than 2)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (or tarragon or oregano), crushed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparations:

1. Wash artichokes, trim stems and remove loose outer leaves.
2. Cut off 1 inch from each top, snip off the sharp leaf tips.
3. Brush the cut off tips with lemon juice
4. In a large pot, bring 5 cups of salted water to a boil. Add artichokes.
5. Reduce heat, simmer with cover for 20 -30 minutes or until leaf pulls out easily. 
6. Drain artichokes upside down on a paper towel.
7. Melt butter, add herb and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. 
8. Turn artichokes right side up. Serve with butter.

Couponing 101

I have to admit I enjoy watching TLC's Extreme Couponing. It's awesome to see these die-hard couponers saving money. While I love to save money, I'm never going to use coupons to stock up on soda and candy bars. I'll use them to cut my grocery bill (hopefully down by at least a 1/3) but not to buy things that I don't need or want. (No one needs 200 candy bars!)

So if you're just looking to cut the grocery bill down, check out this good article at Couponing 101.

Spicy Summer Vegetables

This recipe comes courtesy of the very nice lady that Ken works with. If you like spicy and you want to add flavor to your vegetables, using Creole seasoning is an easy way to do it. I made this as a side dish to go with my easy beef enchiladas.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup summer squash, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 small bag of frozen broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil
• Creole seasoning (Zatarain's makes it)

Preparations:

1. Cook broccoli in large skillet or electric fry pan until no longer frozen. (I'm a huge fan of electric fry pan's because they are deeper than any skillet I own and contain the mess I make - better.)
2. Add oil and sliced vegetables.
3. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
4. Season with Creole spice. The more you add, the spicier it will be so test first and then add more seasoning.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

I like this recipe because it's easy and everyone who tried it said it was really good. If you like beef enchiladas but don't have the time to make shredded beef, this is a great alternative.

Ingredients:

• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup salsa
• 10 medium sized four tortillas
• 1 1lb of lean ground beef
• 1 can refried beans (one small can)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cummin
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Preparations:

1. Mix tomato sauce and salsa. Set aside.
2. Cook beef in skillet until it's brown. Drain fat. (Keep meat in skillet)
3. Add refried beans and 1/4 cup of water to meat. Mix well. 
4. Add chili powder and cummin to meat mixture. Let simmer.
5. Coat both sides of each tortilla with tomato sauce/salsa mixture.
6. Fill each tortilla with an equal amount of meat mixture. Roll tortilla close.
7. Place tortillas in 13x9 pan that's been sprayed with non-stick spray.
8. Top tortillas with cheese. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
9. Serve with salsa or sour cream or guacamole.

Mixed Berry Cobbler in a Crock pot

Making desserts in the crock pot is easily one of the best inventions ever! Well, maybe it's not that great but I seriously love being able to mix some ingredients together and dump it all in a crock pot. You can check on this dish once an hour versus having to check it every twenty minutes. (It also eliminates having the oven on during a hot summer day.) I had company for dinner and they loved this dessert. Ken even said it was the best cobbler he had ever had.

My cobbler is a little on the runny side because I was distracted at the grocery store and forgot the tapioca.

Ingredients:

• 1 package (15 ounces) frozen mixed berries
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• Cool whip or vanilla ice cream

Preparations:

1. Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Mix berries, sugar, tapioca and lemon peel.
3. Pour mixture into crock pot.
4. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and nutmeg. Mix well.
5. Add milk and butter to flour mixture.
6. Pour flour mixture over berries. 
7. Cook on low for four hours or until cobber topping is cooked.
8. Top with Cool Whip or serve with vanilla ice cream.

Why You Should Teach Your Child to Cook

Yesterday I was at the gym and nearly had a heart attack on the elliptical machine. While you'd think that my Oreo obsession had finally caught up with me, it was actually a talk show that shocked the endorphins right out of me. What could be so shocking that I'd nearly go into cardiac arrest in the middle of Gold's gym? -

It was what young girls today know about sex.

Read more of this article...

Joy of Baking's Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I was thinking the other day about the summer when we had so much zucchini that I had zucchini bread coming out my ears. (Not literally of course because that would just be weird!) Then I got a text from my dear neighbor asking me if I'd like some zucchini from her garden that same day. (As I'm writing this, I'm getting kicked by a giant six-month-old baby and wishing for some free time to blog. Could anyone give me some of that too?)

Here's an easy recipe for making a vegetable taste pretty good. I split the mixture in half and made two small loaves. Basically, I didn't have the time to wait for a HUGE loaf to bake. I'm too busy with babyzilla.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded raw zucchini (about 1/2 pound or 227 grams)
• 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (45 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (not Dutch-processed)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) safflower or canola oil
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (125 grams) semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Fold in the grated zucchini. 
3. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips. 
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 65 minutes. 
5. Place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan and cool completely.

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/ChocolateZucchiniBread.html#ixzz1VLIxwZQA

Betty Crocker's Lemonade Party Cake

Kess and Kali went back to California for the school year and I guess I chose this cake to cheer myself up. The house isn't the same without those two comedians going at it. In fact, the place is a bit cheerless. If I wasn't on the "lose the baby weight so I get into the jeans I bought in a fit of hormones while pregnant" diet, I'd eat a piece of this cake just to cheer myself up.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of lemon or yellow cake mix
• water, vegetable oil and eggs (as called for on the cake mix box)
• 1 can (6 fluid oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 container of white or lemon frosting

Preparations:

1. Heat oven and mix cake according directions. Bake according to box directions.
2. Mix thawed lemonade with powdered sugar. 
3. Pierce top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with long-tine fork.
4. Drizzle lemonade evenly over the top of cake. Run knife along edges to loosen cake. 
5. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. 



The powdered sugar didn't mix all that well. This is the unfrosted view.

6. Frost cake and serve.

Paula Deen's New Potato and Green Been Salad

When I'm not on a diet, I'm a fan of Paula Deen's food. I meant to make a potato salad this summer but I never got the chance. So if you're interested, here's Paula and how to make her deli potato salad.

(P.S. - Happy Birthday to Big Al if he sees this!)

Taste of Home's Berry Chicken Salad

I had Wendy's berry almond chicken salad with raspberry vinaigrette last week and it was so good that I decided to make it for a potluck. This recipe is very similar to what I had.

There's one shortcut you can take with this recipe. Instead of using chicken breasts, I used Oscar Mayer's Carving Board meat. I had a coupon for $1.00 off one package and a Target coupon for $1.00 off two.  I figured why not save some money and time and just use that instead of cooking chicken.

This recipe comes from Taste of Home and is great for a hot summer day.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup halved fresh strawberries
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
3 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup prepared fat-free raspberry vinaigrette

Preparations:

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 4-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, raspberries, strawberries, cheese and pecans. Divide among four serving plates. Slice chicken and arrange over spinach mixture; drizzle with vinaigrette. 

Yield: 4 servings.

Free Cookbook from Chef Jeff

Happy Saturday!

Chef Jeff is giving away a free cookbook. "Dinner Revolution" includes family-friendly recipes, with 10 ingredients or less that are easy to prepare.

So if you're looking for new ideas on what to feed the family, check Chef Jeff's new book -  http://www.dinnerevolution.com/free-offer

Baked Barbeque Chicken Drumsticks from AmericanFood.com

There's a story behind this recipe. I took the girls to Chili's on August 10th because they ate for free. (I spent $23 for two adult entrees and one soda.) While we were there, they hit me up for Coke and Diet Coke to go with their meals. I said yes and even though I know that stuff is not good for them. So to balance out one bad parenting decision, I consoled myself by prepping this meal so they could have a decent lunch the following day. (As opposed to the chicken strips and a bologna sandwiches they've been having.)

I need a brush for barbeque dishes....

The girls actually worked with me on this and I hear from their babysitter that they loved this recipe. WARNING: if you have kids that HATE spicy food - leave out the hot sauce. (See the original recipe and it's awesome reviews.)

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken drumsticks, about 3 1/2 pounds
• 1 cup barbecue sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• vegetable oil to grease pan

Preparations:

1. With a sharp knife, make 2 slashes, about 1-inch apart into the thickest part of the drumstick, cutting to the bone. Transfer the chicken to a large sealable plastic freezer bag.
2. In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce with the rest of the ingredients. Pour into the bag of chicken, press out most of the air, and seal tightly. Shake the bag gently to distribute the sauce evenly. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Line a baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the bag with tongs and space evenly on the pan. 
5. Brush both sides of the drumsticks with barbecue sauce.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, remove, and brush generously with more sauce. Return to the oven, and repeat this brushing process 3 more times, for a total cooking time of about 50-60 minutes.
7. Chicken will be fork tender, when it's done.

Other Ideas for Dinner

I was driving home yesterday, on the freeway in summer heat (Yay!) while racking my brain as for what to do about dinner. I try to be organized plan ahead, but I'm running on fumes these days and I just can't seem to keep it together. I knew we had at least 11b of hamburger and some Hamburger Helper mixes. Hamburger Helper seems to be the one meal that every kid I know, seems to like. My dad was a picky eater and even he liked it. The idea of cooking though (I'd been awake since 3 a.m.) didn't sound like fun. It's hard to cook when you have a toddler-sized baby that does all his eating in the evenings.

This 5 1/2 month old weighs almost as much as my 4 year old niece.

Then hit me - Kess is ten and I was cooking real food when I was ten so why not supervise and see how she does with making Hamburger Helper? She did awesome! And it was so easy that I just had to help a little. Getting the kids to cook is an awesome idea! (As long as your kids aren't crazy and don't enjoy starting fires. :)

I have one more suggestion for those nights that you are too tired to argue with the picky eaters or don't feel like standing over a hot stove. Try signing up for the email lists for your favorite chain restaurants. Chili's, for example, has certain days where kids under 12 eat for free as long as you buy one adult entree. So tonight, we're going out with friends and we're headed there. I've got two coupons and I'm hoping to feed the family for a pretty sweet deal. As I tell the kids - why pay for something that you can get for free?

Banana Crumb Muffins from Allrecipes dot com

I messed up this recipe. I had trouble reading the computer screen and I left my glasses at the office so I did not put the crumb topping on until after they were baked. Also, I pulled these muffins out at 15 minutes. I wouldn't leave them in for 18. (Use ripe bananas!)

Photo by Kess L. Dilley

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Chili Cheeseburgers - an easy weeknight dinner

If you read this blog, you know that I struggle to feed picky eaters. I could tell them to eat whatever I make and they would (cause they're that cool), but I don't want to be that kind of mom. I'd rather they enjoy mealtime than fear it. Here's an impromptu meal that I came up with as a means of feeding the family. I only got one complaint and that was there needed to be salt added to it. So I'm adding that in.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
• 1/2 of a green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup of onion, chopped
• 1 can of Chili (I prefer Nalley) 
• 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 large hamburger buns
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Preparations:

1. Mix beef, onion, green pepper and salt. Mix well and form into four large patties.
2. Fry or grill patties until meat is done. (You decide if you like it well done, medium rare, etc)
3. Cook chili over medium heat until bubbly.
4. Place patty on bun, cover with 1/4 cup of chili and top with cheese and top part of bun.

Makes 4 servings. 

Pesto Party Dip

Need an easy dip to take to a party or barbeque? Want your kids to eat some raw vegetables instead of throwing them at you in disgust?

Here's an easy dip with just three ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 package pesto mix

Preparations:

1. Mix all ingredients well. Chill before serving.
2. Serve with potato chips or raw sliced vegetables.

Easy Oven Barbecued Chicken Wings from Food.com

Our kids are a little weird. Kali ate leftover pull beef for breakfast two days this week. I don't know another 9-year-old on this planet who loves meat as much as she does. She received $20 as a present and spent it all on beef jerky. I asked her why and she said, "Because it's meat, it's chewy and it makes my teeth happy!".

Kess, on the other hand, is the pickiest 10-year-old around. (I'm sure there are worse but she's the only picky eater I know!) Every day, there's a new dish that she says she doesn't like. Lately, she's on a "I hate red meat in any form" kick. So imagine my happiness when this easy dish satisfied them both. At first, Kess resisted but after one piece of chicken, she wanted more and Kali insisted that she be able to eat the leftovers for breakfast. (Seriously - when did kids stop wanting Lucky Charms for breakfast?)

On that note, I give you easy chicken for a weeknight. 

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs chicken wings
• salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 cups tangy barbecue sauce

Preparations:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.2 Bend the wings and tuck the tips under the large joint to form a triangle.
2. Season the chicken wings on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Set wings in a single layer in a large roasting or baking pan. Use two pans if you have to.
4. Bake the chicken wings, turning once, until browned, about 45 minutes.
5. Remove the wings from the oven. Pour off all the fat from the pan. If necessary, blot the wings with paper towels. Return the wings to the pan.
6. Pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken wings and return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Turn the wings over and bake 10 minutes longer. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.

Better Homes & Garden's Carrot Cake

Sorry, no picture because I made this for a bbq and never got a chance to take a picture of it. I can tell you that my friend Elena, who does not like Carrot Cake, ate three pieces. I'm working out (as much as I can with kids, a baby and a job) so I only took a bite of this cake. It was good. If you don't want to serve it with cream cheese frosting, vanilla is a good alternative.

Tip: Use a food processor instead of a grater. It's much easier and less time consuming.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. carrots, cut up
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 an 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
• 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple (juice pack), drained
• 1 Recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
  Fresh pineapple slices, drained
  
  

Preparations:

1. Allow eggs, butter, and cream cheese to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease the bottoms and 1 inch up the sides of two 8x4x2-inch loaf pans. Set pans aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt; set aside.
3. In a food processor bowl* process carrots with on-off turns until finely chopped. Add pecans and 12 cup of sugar; process until pecans are finely chopped.
4. In extra-large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds; beat in remaining 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined.

Kid Friendly Recipes

Have picky eaters? Want to feed your kids healthier foods? Check out some useful websites that will help you keep your sanity and answer the familiar question of - "What's for dinner?"

• Healthy Child Recipes 
• Kid Friendly and Family Recipes at Allrecipes.com
• Kid Friendly Food at myrecipes.com (Kid tested and kid approved)
• Recipes and Fun at familyfun
• Healthy baby, child and kid recipes at parenting.com

Joy of Baking's Carrot Cupcake Recipe

This recipe is so good that I honestly don't think the cupcakes need frosting. However, if you would like to top this yummy treats, check out Joy of Baking's website for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon  
• 4 large eggs  
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar  
• 1 cup (240 ml) safflower, corn, or canola oil  
• 2 cups (210 grams) finely grated raw carrots  
• 1 cup grated apple (approximately 2 large) 
• 1/2 cup (55 grams) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

 Preparations:

1. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. 
2. In another large bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, and oil until slightly thickened. Fold in the flour mixture until incorporated. With a large rubber spatula fold in the grated carrots, grated apple, chopped nuts, and raisins. Evenly divide the batter between the 20 muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  
3. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Pipe or with a knife or small metal spatula spread the cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake. Cover and refrigerate the cupcakes until serving time.

Makes 20 cupcakes

Rick Stein's Pecorino cheese & pancetta spaghetti carbonara

I'm not a huge fan of Italian food. Partly because I really don't like noodles with a lot of sauce. I'd much rather either them plain. This recipe is awesome because there's no heavy sauce and it's light, which is great because it's hot outside and light food sounds way better than heavy, rich food! Ken actually made this recipe and did a great job. It's the best pasta dish I've ever had.

Ingredients:

• Garlic
• parsley
• pancetta
• eggs
• pecorino
• spaghetti

Check out the video for preparations: