Jambalaya

 Have you tried to make Jambayla? I'm not talking about the zatarian's box mix either. If you have not its a must recipe to bring to your family's table! This is the recipe that has become my go to recipe to take new moms. I just wanted to find something different and delicious that people will remember. I realized after I took my friend the meal last week and she was requesting the recipe and I didn't have it. The reason being, I was using two different recipes and modifying it so much that I was having a hard time texting her the recipe. Finally I told her to check out my blog this week and I will be sure to feature it. So here I am; I finally wrote it all out so you can have it on hand. Remember you can add or modify how you wish, usually for new moms I do the less spicy version & not put as much hot sauce. That is what cooking is all about having fun and trying new things and sharing your favorite recipes for others to enjoy! Have you taken a meal to someone lately or invited others over to share a meal on your table?

Weekly Dinner Plans

Monday – Jambalaya & Corn Bread & Honey    

Tuesday – Burgers on the Grill & Cucumber Salad

Wednesday – Fettuccini Alfredo & Broccoli   

Thursday – Left Overs

Friday – Homemade Mac & Cheese   

Saturday – EAT OUT!!!

Sunday – Philly Sandwhich & French Onion Soup

Grocery List

Check your List before you go to the store, you may already have some of these items!!!

·        2 lb Ground Beef

·        Polish Sausage

·        Chicken Breast or Tyson Frozen Chicken Breasts Diced up

·        Cucumber

·        Onion

·        Tomato

·        2 bags Frozen Fajita peppers (Red pepper, onion, green and yellow pepper bag)

·        Pepper Jacks Philly Meat

·        Frozen bag of oriental veggies

·        Frozen bag of broccoli

·        Alfredo Sauce

·        Alfredo Noodles

·        Favorite Pasta noodles for Mac and Cheese (I used Cavatini)

·        2 Boxes of Jiffy Corn bread Mix & Honey

·        Jar of Sun Dried Tomato’s

·        Box of Rice

·        Chinese Package of seasoning (stir fry)

·        Large Can of Diced Tomato

·        Can of Chicken stock or Bouillon cubes

·        Small can of tomato juice

·        Vinegar

·        Ranch

·        Velveeta Cheese

·        Shredded cheddar Cheese

·        ½ lb Smoked Gouda sliced deli Cheese

·        Hamburger Buns

·        Hoagie Buns

RECIPES

Monday – Jambalaya & Corn Bread   

            One Bag of Frozen Fajita Veggies (red pepper, onion, yellow & green peppers)

            Ring of Polish Sausage

            Large can of diced tomatoes

            1 Cup Rice

            1 garlic clove

            ½ tomato juice

            2 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp (or more!) of hot sauce

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp garlic salt

1 bay leaf
           

Throw your bag of the frozen fajita veggies in the skillet with a little oil. 5-7 minutes or so. Preheat over for jiffy corn bread. While that is cooking cut up the polish sausage into small pieces, toss the meat into the skillet with the veggies by this time they should be soft. Open your can of diced tomatoes throw in un-drained. Add one garlic clove. (I use a garlic press).  Then add your seasonings & rice and cover and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes. While this is simmering mix up your jiffy and put into muffin tins and bake! (set out your frozen hamburger for tomorrows meal.)

 Tuesday – Burgers on the Grill & Cucumber Salad   

Tuesday is supposed to be really nice! Get your grill on! Make your patties. Grill the burgers. Use some of the smoked gouda cheese to top! For the cucumber Salad, just cut up the cucumber, Slice up a little onion, tomato. ½ cup or so of vinegar, T. of sugar, and ½ or so of ranch. Refrigerate until dinner is ready.

Wednesday – Fettuccini Alfredo & Broccoli

Honestly I cheat and buy the Tyson frozen chicken breast in strips. Its so easy you just throw it in the skillet to heat. Boil your water. Once water is boiling put your noodles & broccoli in at set the timer for how long they need to cook. Put your jar of alfredo sauce with the chicken along with some sun dried tomatoes. BAAM!

Thursday – Left Overs

Eat up some leftovers in the fridge!!

Friday – Homemade Mac & Cheese

Cavatini Noodles

Half Stick of Butter

2 cups milk

¼ C Flour

8 Oz Velveeta Cheese

4 Oz Shredded Cheese

Couple slices broken up of the gouda cheese

Boil your noodles. In sauce pan heat the butter on Low/Medium. Then add the flour while stirring with a wooden spoon until you get a thickened consistency. Then you can very slowly add the milk stir and add very slow this should take about 3 minutes you will start to see it thicken, keep stirring to reduce the clumps. Then add all your cheeses. Stir very frequently.

Saturday – EAT OUT

Sunday – Philly’s &  French Onion Soup

            Philly Meat

            Hoagie buns

            French onion soup

            Gouda Cheese

Heat up your philly meat on stove top as direct on package, once completed. Place hoagie buns on baking sheet, butter the bread, scoop meat on bun along with cheese. Heat oven to boil. Put in oven but watch closely shouldn’t take but a few minutes. As bread is heating, put your French onion soup in cups (I like to use little tea cups) with a little mozzarella cheese and microwave for a couple minutes. Cut your sandwiches and place French onion soup on plate. Garnish with pickles. Don’t forget to dip your sandwich in soup!! So yummy!!

Happy March

Anyone ready for spring yet? Well Happy March, the month that welcomes spring has finally sprung! The long hard winter will soon come to an end & the sunshine, longer days, green grasses, blooming trees, and flowers will soon bud. The smell of fresh air will breeze through our kitchen windows & grace us with happiness. Spring gives you a feeling of excitement and renewal. As we sit indoors and wait for the warm to welcome us, this is a great time to clean out those cabinets! See what you have in stock, throw away old expired food, or give away to the needy if you have extra. I challenge you to plan some meals with the food you have lingering in your stock pile. Save some money and plan ahead! Ok friends, we are off to the grocery store!

 

Weekly Dinner Plans

Monday – Baked Cavatini & Corn  

Tuesday – Runza Casserole   

Wednesday –   Left Overs

Thursday – Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry

Friday – Fish Tacos  

Saturday – EAT OUT!!!

Sunday - Hamburger Mashed Potato's & Gravy

Grocery List

Check your List before you go to the store, you may already have some of these items!!!

·         3lb Ground Beef

·         Chicken Breast

·         Pepperoni

·         Spaghetti Sauce

·         Pizza Sauce

·         2 Pillsbury Dough Mix

·         Gravy Mix packet

·         Bag of coleslaw

·         Onion

·         Lemon

·         Ginger

·         Garlic Clove

·         Coleslaw in Bag

·         Asparagus

·         Crescent Rolls

·         Cream of Mushroom Soup

·         Couple different Noodles (macaroni & rotini)

·         Cream of Mushroom soup

·         Chicken Broth

·         Soy Sauce

·         Pepperoni

·         Pico De Gallo Salsa

·         Frozen fish sticks

·         1 Cans of Green Beans

·         1 can of corn

·         1 small can of diced black olives

·         2 Moz Shredded Cheese

·         Swiss Shredded Cheese

·         Shredded Cheddar Cheese

·         Sour cream

·         Mayo

·         Soft Taco Shells

·         Taco Seasoning

·         Rice

RECIPES

Monday – Cavatini & Corn

 

                Spaghetti Sauce

                Cavatini noodles

                Ground Beef

                Pepperoni

                Onion/Garlic

                Moz Cheese

                Corn

Brown 2 lbs of meat. Reserve a little over half of the meat mixture. Put the one half in fridge for tomorrow’s meal, and about a cup extra into another container to throw in freezer for pizza night Saturday. Boil noodles. Preheat oven 350. Once meat is done, saute onion and garlic. Add the sauce to the meat, onion, and garlic mix it up. Once the noodles are done. Throw everything into a casserole dish. Top with Moz cheese and put in oven for 30 mins or so. Microwave the corn and you are all set.

 Tuesday – Runza Casserole   

 

Left over hamburger meat in fridge

½ Bag of Coleslaw

Crescent rolls

Swiss cheese

                Cream Mushroom soup

Throw the meat in heated skillet with & 1/2 bag of the coleslaw, cook on medium to cook the  slaw. Maybe 5-7 minutes or so. Then add your soup and mix. Pan spray casserole dish. Put first layer of crescent rolls at the bottom of the pan. Then layer the meat mixture. Spread some cheese on top. Then add the last layer of crescent rolls to the top. Bake 40 minutes.

Wednesday – Left Overs

Eat up some leftovers in the fridge!! Its swim night for us so usually pretty busy after work and its nice to come home and all you have to do is heat up left overs in the microwave!!

 Thursday – Chicken & Asparagus Lemon Stir Fry 

 

This recipe I found online; its only around 268 calories per www.skinnytaste.com I’m excited to plan some healthier recipes!

1 lb Chicken Breasts cut into small cubes

                ½ C. Chicken Broth

                1 bunch of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces

                2 T. Soy Sauce

                2 t. cornstarch

                2 T. Water

                1 t oil

                Garlic

                1 t fresh ginger

                Lemon juice

                Salt/Pepper

Season Chicken with salt. In bowl combine chicken broth & soy. In another bowl combine cornstarch & water and mix well. Heat oil in skillet. Then add the asparagus medium heat, cook 3-4 mins. Add the garlic & ginger cook around 1 min. Set aside in separate bowl to save and add later. Increase the skillet to high add some oil, then chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Put chicken in bowl with asparagus mixture to save for later. Add the sauce to heated skillet bring to boil for a couple minutes. Add splash of lemon juice and cornstarch mix and stir well. When it simmers add the chicken and asparagus.  I made some rice to bed the chicken on top!

Friday – Fish Tacos

Frozen Fish Tacos (10 in a box)

Use the left over bag of coleslaw

½ C sour cream

½ C Mayo

Taco Seasoning

Cheddar Cheese

Taco Shells

Pico Salsa

Cook the fish sticks as directed. Mix the sour cream, mayo, & taco seasoning. Once the sticks are baked cut them in half. Layer your tacos with mix, fish, cabbage, cheese and pico!! Thank you Cassie for this great recipe!!

Saturday – Homemade Pizza Night

 

Prep your Pillsbury Pizza dough follow directions. (two packages is usually what I use but you can get away with a thinner crust with one.) Then roll out on pizza pan. Add your sauce, meat from fridge. Cut a little onion, add Cheese, pepperoni, black olives. Kids love helping with pizza night!

Sunday- Ground Hot Beef
Ground beef with some onions. Drain the grease. Peel & cut up 5 large potatoes, microwave on high for about 15 minutes or so. Make the gravy as directed. Once potatoes are done, mix with your mixer with a splash of milk and butter. On plate lay some mashed potatoes, then the meat mixture and cover with gravy on top. Add some salt & pepper.
 

Lent

How's everyone doing this week. My house we are happy & healthy & our freezer is finally stocked with 1/4 beef which means we have been eating hearty. Lots of home-cooked meals here. Therefore my menu for the week is stocked with beef, hope you like it. Maybe we have gained a few pounds but it was Fat Tuesday remember. Lent began this week, I am Catholic so it started on Wednesday "Ash Wednesday" Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert, he was tempted by satan. Lent began as a mirroring of this and to prepare for Easter. So even if you are not Catholic or Christian. Just ask yourself......How can I prepare to be a better person, whether that is giving up something that we do not need in our lives, fasting, praying more, or giving back to those in need. What are you going to change in yourself or in the world for the better? It could be something as simple as smiling to a stranger.

Weekly Dinner Plans

Sunday – Eat Out

Monday – Meatballs & Mashed Potato's  with Green beans

Tuesday – Roast & Corn

Wednesday –   Roast Beef Sandwiches & Steamer Bag Veggies

Thursday –  Spanish Hamburger Rice

Friday – Breakfast for Dinner

Saturday – Lasagna, Garlic Bread, & Salad 

Grocery List

Check your List before you go to the store, you may already have some of these items!!!

·          3 lb Ground Beef

·         Beef Roast

·         Onion

·         Lettuce

·         Bag Potato's

·         Bag of Frozen Fajita Peppers

·         Steamer Bag Broccoli & Mac and Cheese

·         Corn

·         Hamburger Buns

·         Rice

·         Jar of Salsa

·         Lasagna Noodles no bake

·         Shredded Moz

·         Spaghetti Sauce (If you haven't tried Sorriso's its amazing and made in NE!)  

·         Cottage Cheese

·         Evaporated Milk

·         Eggs

·         Pancake Mix

·         Maple Syrup (if you find the peacon butter get it its amazing)

·         Oatmeal (Cooking quick oats)

 

Monday – Meatballs

Monday is bachelor night so I always like to treat us to something a little more special and down home cooking! Tonight Meatloaf balls are on the menu, my family just loves these and they are so easy to make!

                Meat Mixture: 1 lb hamburger (Leave remaining 2 lb in fridge for tomorrows meal, sometimes if the meal is days out I will wrap it in a freezer package and throw it in the freezer)

 

                1 Cup Oatmeal

                1 egg

                ½ t. pepper, ½ t. garlic powder, ½ t. salt, ½ t. chili powder

                Chopped Onion

                ½ Cup evaporated milk

                SAUCE: 2 Cup ketchup, 1 ½ Brown Sugar, 2 Tbsp. liquid smoke, chopped onion, garlic powder

Mix the meat ingredients. Shape into balls, place in dish. Pour sauce on top. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. Cut up 6 potatoes and put in microwave for 13 minutes, add butter, salt pepper & dill. Heat up beans with some butter on the stovetop. Remember to take the Roast out of the freezer!

Tuesday – Roast, Corn & left over Mashed Potatoes.  

You will want to make sure your roast is thawed out. Right away in the morning get your crockpot out and put your roast in along with about 2 cups of water. I just purchased "Onion Onion" Seasoning from tastefully simple so I sprinkled some of that and chopped an onion quick and set for 8 hours on low. When you get home from work. Remember you have some of the mashed potatoes saved from the night before so you can microwave those. So all you need to do is heat the corn and cut the meat.

If you feel ambitious you can make gravy with some of the juices. All you need is: 2 T butter, 2 T flour, and take 2 C stock. Melt butter in sauce pan, whisk in flour for about 1 min. Then slowly add your stock and whisk to desired thickness. Make sure to save and shred up the remaining meat for tomorrows meal and put with the juices from the crock into the fridge once cooled.

 

Wednesday – RB Sand and Steamer Bag

You will take out the meat from the fridge, there will be a hard white overlay of fat, remove that and discard. Then you will heat the meat and juices in the microwave. I like to put mayo on the buns, layer with your meat, get a little dish for your dipping juice and throw your steamer bag in the microwave. And Done!

 

Thursday – Spanish Hamburger Rice

Folks this is so easy! Its very similar to the jambalaya recipe I have if you have tried that. Brown about 1 lb of the hamburger. Drain. Put meat back in stir fry pan. Add can of salsa. Around 2 cups of water. 1 cup rice. Half a bag of frozen peppers. Then you can add some seasonings. (Salt, pepper, chili powder, a little hot sauce & Worcestershire. We layered with some cheese and ranch!

 

Friday – Breakfast for Dinner  

So if you are Catholic like myself you will practice fasting on Friday & abstaining from meat. My family loves pancakes so what a perfect choice for a Friday night & who doesn't love breakfast for dinner!!  Just follow the recipe on the box and baam!

 

Saturday – Lasagna, Salad and Garlic Bread  

Preheat oven 350. Brown your hamburger with a little onion and garlic. Drain pour sauce in. Mix in separate bowl, 2 C cottage cheese, one egg, 1 C parmesan cheese with some Italian seasoning. Spray your pan. Start to layer: Meat Mixture, Noodles, Meat sauce, Cheese Mixture, Sprinkle a little moz cheese. Then repeat. Finish with layer of noodles, meat and moz cheese.  Bake for 50-60 minutes covered with foil.

 

Sunday – EAT OUT!!!