Lemon Chick Pea Dip (not quite hummus)

Lemon Chick Pea Dip (not quite hummus)
Rachel Ray

Mix in food processor :

1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
Lemon and juice of one lemon
2 large thyme stalks (pull the leaves off backwards)
1 large garlic clove minced
Hot sauce or pepper flakes to taste
pinch of salt

While processor is on, drizzle in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil until hummus consistency is achieved.


* I have made this multiple times and it is delicious! the lemon flavor is there but not overpowering, it also works well as a sandwich spread. Light enough for appetizer, also good as a side dish.

It is not quite hummus because there is no tahini. I don't like the gritty texture of tahini so I don't add it. Also, if you're trying to watch your fat intake this is a good recipe because tahini has a high fat content

Crispy Seasoned French Fries

We're having dinner guests over and these are on the menu. I haven't made them before but Dan wanted fries with our "one bad meal". We get one bad meal a week these days and tonight is it! I didn't have a recipe for fries so I went searching and I liked this one the most out of what I saw.




INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup water, or as needed
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Slice potatoes into French fries, and place into cold water so they won't turn brown while you prepare the oil.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.
Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.



Side Note: You can also bake these at 350 for 45 mintues and get the same thing but healthier.

It's Working!

I am loving planning weekly meals. Not only was my shopping last week fast and frugal, but there was at least one, maybe two, days this week where I was not feeling creative or homemake-y and in normal circumstances dinner probably would have been something frozen. But since my list was right there on the fridge, I already knew what I was doing that evening. Even if that meal did not particularly appeal to me, I made it anyway. And it just feels good to be serving in this way.

I scheduled a leftovers night this week, as I will continue to do It avoids wasting food and gives me a break in the kitchen. Tonight was easy too. We're having hamburgers, so I made a side dish. Italian Pasta Salad. It's fun to get to make a side dish here and there, too.

I'm getting my list ready for next week. Shopping tomorrow!

Corn on the cob

The season for fresh corn is fast approaching! In our house it has already begun. We had some delicious corn on the cob on Saturday, and I just scraped the leftovers off the cob today for a quick snack. So good.

Now I really want one of these!

:o)

P.S. So far the meal planning and making is going quite well. Dinner for tonight is the crockpot as I type. I made this once before and really enjoyed it. This time I tried slicing the sausage into coin shaped pieces. I'm anxious to eat it. It smells so good!

One more thing: if you want a very easy, make ahead, crowd pleaser be sure to give the Italian Beef Sandwiches a try. Everyone raved. My dad told me about three different times how delicious they were. Guess what I'm eating for lunch this week?!

Rebounding

It always seems to take me awhile to rebound from morning sickness. I've been feeling fine for a number of weeks now, but am I back to planning meals? No. Do I have a decent dinner on the table for my husband every night? No.

I think even though morning sickness is over, with little ones life is ever-changing. Now I have to figure out how to have a meal hot and ready to go when Peter gets home at 7 o'clock while Charles is winding down for bed, coveting my attention. He seems to especially "need" me whenever I'm in the kitchen...curious. :)

I also have to be sure not to get my feelings hurt if Peter is not particularly hungry some night. It seems to be a pattern that if I make the effort to get a meal on the table and Peter doesn't eat it or much of it, then I lose my enthusiasm for making a meal the next day. But the fact is, it's my job. And really, I'm no gourmet chef over here. At all. I really can't expect Peter to get too fired up about dinner after a 2 hour commute home.

So I am going to do much like well-organized Barbara. I am going to make a list of dinners for a whole week, and I'm going to write my grocery list based on the dinner list. Then I'm going to post our dinners for the week on the fridge or somewhere around here so Peter will know what's for dinner each night and I'll know what I'm making without having to think about it!

I'm starting today as I'll make a trip to the food market tomorrow. And boy it's harder than I remember it being to make a weekly menu. I think it's because food doesn't really appeal that much to me right now, even though I'm not nauseous. So I'm scouring all of our blog links looking for those good meals!

One Year

So we're having a gathering of family this Sunday to celebrate Charles. Because it will be his first birthday. So this is the menu we're planning.

Slower Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
rolls
Potato Salad
Cucumber Salad
chips
soda
some sort of jello-fruity dish
Eclair Dessert

I'm responsible for the sandwiches, cucumber salad, and dessert. So here are a few of the recipes.

Slower Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
3 lb round or shoulder roast
8 oz jar of pepperoncini with juice - no stems
3 cloves garlic
2 t oregano
1 can beef broth
1 can beer (optional)
S&P to taste

Place in slow cooker on low until done. I don't remember how long it takes and the recipe doesn't specify, so I'll try to come back and let you know. I'm going to check it at 5 hours. Shred beef and serve on (sweet italian) rolls with provlone cheese.

Eclair Dessert
my grandma's recipe
2 pkgs graham crackers
2 pkgs instant french vanilla pudding
8 oz cool whip
frosting:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 T butter
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
4 T milk

Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk and beat. Add cool whip. Line a 9x13 pan with whole graham crackers. Pour 1/2 pudding mixture over crackers. Add another layer of crackers. Add remaining pudding mixture. Top off with a final layer of crackers.
Melt butter and chocolate together. Add sugar and milk, beat until smooth. Spread on top layer of crackers.
Keep refrigerated after preparation until serving, at least about 2 hours.

Pictures!

I made this yesterday. And then I took a picture of it upside down. Because the top got a little burnt. But it still tasted really good, even if it was too hot to be baking in the oven. I love the taste of warm freshly made bread and butter. Yum-ee!
Oh, and also I finally mopped my floor - hey it's in the kitchen!

Dinner Last Night

It was too hot for a pot pie, but I made one anyway. We are using up what we have around here this week. So I just happened to have all that I needed for this dish. It turned out really well as it was my first time. And aside from making the pie crusts, there is virtually no prep time involved!!

Chicken Pot Pie
1 can cream of potato soup
2-3 cups of frozen mixed veggies
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped
1/2 c milk
2 9-inch pie crusts (I used Barbara's)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix filling ingredients together. Pour into pie crust. Top with remaining pie crust. Seal edges with fork. Slit the top crust. Bakes for 40 minutes.

edited: I had some leftovers for lunch and it was a bit too dry. The orignial recipe calls for 2 cans of soup...maybe that would fix the problem, I only had one. Or add some more milk. I'm not sure but if you're going to be using leftovers, you need more liquid!

Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya

I've made this twice since we've been married. I made it for Daniel the first week back from our honeymoon and then we had our first dinner guests last night, my parents, and they requested it. This dish has all the right seasonings with it not being too hot. I did some adjusting with the ingredients but I'm sure it would be just as tasty as it's listed below.

I highly recommend this dish. It's sure to please.

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes (I only used 3)
• 1/2 lb Kielbasa sausage, sliced (I used a whole pound)
• 1 can 14oz tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped (I used a whole pepper)
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning

Put everything in the crockpot on low for 7 hours. Serve over rice with a side of corn bead and you'll have a delicious dinner! Depending on your crockpot size the time may vary. Mine is a decent size so I only cook it for 6 hours and it turned out perfect both times.

Serves 6

If Only I had Pictures...

...then I'd feel really good about myself. But I never have pictures. Oh well! This delicious cobbler I most recently made as payment to my grandparents for watching Charles. Grandma loves fruit cobblers.

Peach Cobbler from Sweet and Simple, Gooseberry Patch
4 c peaches, pitted, peeled and sliced (I use canned or frozen)
2 T butter
1 1/2 c sugar, divided (you do not need this much, trust me)
1/2 c milk
1/8 t salt
1 c flour
1 t vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/2 c water

Preheat oven to 350. Cover bottom of greased 9x9 baking pan with peaches. Cream butter 1/2 sugar, milk and salt together. Add flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Spread batter over peaches; sprinkle with remaining sugar (you REALLY don't need to use an entire cup of sugar here - I usually use about 1/2 c). Pour water over top. Bake until golden about 45-50 minutes.
Served best with vanilla ice cream, of course!