Food Networkers... My turn!

 Well thoughout the course of this challenge, I first thought everyone was just going to drop out, when it was MY turn, which made me upset, then everyone was just late posting blogs. All was good, I had thrown my tantrum and gotten my way. We did all agree we needed more time than 2 weeks and added an extra week, and then guess what little miss tantrum went and did??? I FORGOT! Totally FORGOT the last 2 recipes I Picked. I forgot to make the apples and I forgot to make the calzone.

 Steena, has since realized she just does not have time at all. Laurie has went on vacation and forgotten pictures, so I guess, gosh darnit, life somehow got in the way for ALL of us! I do however have my 2 recipes done, and I do plan on doing the other 2 this week sometime, and i will post that blog (late) and seperate.

 So here's my take on our recipes

 I wanted to choose things that were not hard to find, that were "normal" and had maybe a new twist. So EVERYONE likes burgers and fries right??? So I came up with

 This Burger Recipe, and Potatao Cakes. Both are by Rachel Ray. I love her, although I wish she'd stick her hands in her pockets or something!!!

 So first the burgers.

 Just like you would make a burger. Nothing new so much. It has taco like seasons it it and RICE and BEANS though. I used Refried beans to disguise them, since my kids do not like beans. Heidi actually gave me a chili recipe that uses refried beans and I tell my kids its "beanless" They believe me. Heh. Anyway

 So I mixed it all together and I was SO impressed with how well this burger formed into patties. EXCITED even over the fact. They looked like wonderful sticking together burger patties!!!

 So I popped them babies on my stove top grill with some oil and started cookin!

 I am not sure if it was because I used the grill... Or maybe I turned the burgers too soon... but I had a bit of a problem, and I ended up with this

After being SO pleased with how well they stayed together, they just fell apart. Totally. So I had another mini tantrum and just mashed it up, and cooked it through that way. Whatever.

The topping was good. Spicy. Some Jalapeno, avocado, sour cream... MMM MMM.

This would be my finished "Burger" Everyone enjoyed them, although with it being "loose meat" they kind of fell apart. We took our flat bread buns and folded them in half and this was almost like a chalupa!

 When I make them again, I will use the flat side of my grill and see if that helps. I wonder if Heidi or Laurie's stayed together??? Well and even though Steena is no longer challenging with us, she still blogs, so you can check on her too!

 The next time I may make them a bit more like a taco as well, adding some black olives for on top, a tomato and some cheese would be nice for sure. Except for falling apart, I enjoyed this recipe.

 Now Along with my "burger" I made the Mashed potato cakes. I had never made potato cakes before and It seemed like it went with a burger fairly well, since its like fries.

 It was easy to make, mashed up some potatoes with some cream cheese onion, lemon zest and an egg.  I for some reason skipped salt and pepper totally. Not sure where my head was while cooking today.

 Once its mashed up you add it to your pan of oil. My first  pan was very soggy. I used WAY to much oil, thinking they needed to almost fry. Nope. They too fell apart on me.

 By the second batch I had lowed the oil and they crisped up much better, they were turnable. Although they still were not crispy like I thought a potato cake would be... So while I made more, I put the done ones into the oven hoping to crisp them a bit more.

 By this point I was a little overwhelmed that my 2 recipes were a big flop. They did taste okay though. The potatoes the kids dipped into ranch which makes almost anything edible for them. I had to put a LOT of salt and pepper on them, because I had forgot to put it inside.

 I might try potato cakes again, but not this recipe. Maybe like a twice baked potato type or something. I think they could have been much better, for sure.

Involve your kids in the kitchen!!!

 I think it really makes an impact on them. Not to mention it helps to give them life lessons for when they are on their own. This way they do not live off of Top Ramen for the first 5 years after moving out!

 Last weekend the kids and I baked a few things. The chex stuff and perogies and things. I think it was a good memory for Hannah. Because today I seen her homework

 Assignment:

 What did you do this weekend?

 This made mommy All warm and fuzzy inside :)

 SOUP. The most wonderful fall time food. Its warm, its comforting, it can be good for you and it can be made in no time at all, or simmer all day long in a crock pot and be ready for you when you get home. Most soups are good reheated, frozen, and always go well with a grilled cheese!!!

 I was more than thrilled to come across the blog called 1000 soups she has a recipe (which I linked) that is called EGGROLL SOUP. Ok. First off. I LOVE eggrolls. So does my family. I normally get the stuck to make them and make like 200 at a time, freezing most. I do not fry my eggrolls I bake them, and I feel that the way I make them, they are pretty healthy. They beat the grocery stores frozen version ANY day. However they are time consuming (even if you do not make 200 at once) The rolling, that is the hard part.

 Well EGGROLL soup is all the goodness of an eggroll, but NO ROLLING! This is a recipe I will make again and again, and again and again! Hubby ate 2 bowls and did not even have any sesame chicken because it filled him up! I did however change the recipe some, to be like the eggrolls that I make at home.

 To make it the way its been posted again go HERE Yum. Look at that photo! I wish I had taken a picture of mine, but it looked nearly the same, just trust me! Here is how I made my very similar version. Again I am SO thankful for this idea!!!

 1TBS sesame oil

1 pound lean ground pork

4 garlic cloves - minced

1 small head cabbage - shredded (about 6 cups)

2 small carrots - shredded (about 1 cup)

1 small bunch green onions - sliced (about 1/2 cup)

5 cups chicken stock, 4 cups vegetable stock

1 TBS freshly grated ginger

1/4 cup soy sauce - plus more for serving

10 egg roll wrappers cut into thin strips

 

 Oh this is so simple your going to think its not good. But it is. Trust me. Its like an eggroll, but soup. Seriously!

 Ground up your pork meat in the sesame oil with the garlic and the grated ginger. Once your meat is cooked through and the garlic and ginger are smelling super good, add your cabbage carrots onions veggie stock and soy sauce, thats right just stuff everything into the pot. I also added some salt and pepper to this.

 I cooked this for about 30 min then realized I never started the rice to go with dinner, and so it simmered another 30 before being served. The cabbage was not crunchy at all which I Loved!

 About 10 min. before I was ready to serve the soup, I cut up some eggroll wrappers, into thin strips. I put them in the oven at 400 degrees sprayed with some spray oil over them, and on the pan. 

 Dish your soup into bowls and top with your now crunchy eggroll strips!

 Add ANYTHING you would like in an eggroll. Chicken, shrimps, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, you can make this your own recipe VERY easily. No need to limit yourself. 

 My hubby stated this was good today (the day after) reheated, even better, he said, than the first time! MMM. All of my kids ate this, and said they liked it. I will make it again, did I say that?

Banana Bread

 I did not take pictures or do any sort of step by step story board for the recipes, but they are none the less darn good recipes . Simple enough I am sure you can figure it out without pictures! I have the faith!

 My first recipe was banana banana bread. I got the recipe from All Recipes. Love that site!!

 I have used this and several other banana bread recipes before but this one is my favorite, of course I change things a bit. If you want the original recipe, click the link above, if you want my version of this same recipe, keep reading!

 First off I always double this. I have 4 kids. All love banana bread. It also freezes well and pretty much ANYONE would be happy with getting a loaf for no special reason! :)

 Tip: when I have bananas fixing to go back I stick them, peel on and all that into the freezer. The day before I want to make banana bread I take all the bananas and put them in a large bowl in the fridge to thaw. When you need the bananas you just squeeze and banana slips right out of its peel!

INGREDIENTS (this is not doubled)

• 1 cup flour, 1 cup wheat flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce INSTEAD  of butter!
  
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten (sometimes I use egg beaters to make it lower in fat, works fine)
  
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas ( never measure I just add lots of banana!)
• 1 Tsp vanilla
• 1tsp cinnamon
• walnuts or pecans can be added (1 cup)

       TOPPING (OPTIONAL)

        1/2 cup oats, 1tps cinnamon, 4 TBS packed brown sugar (mixed well)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together applesauce  and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas cinnamon and vanilla until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. If using topping, sprinkle on top of loaves now. You can also use muffin pans and make muffins!
   
4. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
   

SO then we still had chex mix left!

 After our muddy buddies, there was still a half box of corn chex left. Not to be mean, but I do not care for chex, with milk as a cereal. Not even with sugar. Ick. So I wanted to make something else with what we already had on hand with what was left.

 I found Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix

 I had everything needed, and we all like cheese, and ranch (who doesn't) so it was a go!

For this you need, chex mix (or generic) Cheddar crackers (or goldfish would have been yummy I think) Butter, parm cheese, ranch packet (I have a big deal like a parm shaker of ranch) and pretzels I used stick pretzels and just crunched them up a bit, because that is what we had on hand.

 This too is simple. You melt your butter, pour it over your chex, crackers and pretzels and then you sprinkle with the ranch and parm. you heat it up in the microwave for 3 min. Stopping every min. to stir. Lay out on wax paper to cool.

 We all agreed this needed more ranch, and so we added more! Super good, just as good as those 3.00 bags of chex mix you buy at the store!

 As you can see my hand model could not keep his hands out of it! 

Kooking with the Kids :OP

 So last weekend, I did a few snack foods things with the kiddos. They wanted to help and I told them if they cleaned their rooms, they could. So they DID! Go figure!

 Our first creation was Muddy Buddy's an old favorite

 Not hard at all to make. Although my camera is taking rather crappy pictures (or I am) today. So I apologize in advance for the blurry photos.

 You need

Chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, powder sugar, vanilla and of course, your chex mix (or off brand as we used since you can get the recipe online now)

 You will also need a spoon, microwave, BIG bowl, and gallon ziplock baggies.

 This is simple. You take your chips, butter and peanut butter, microwave until creamy. Add vanilla, pour over cereal in your giant bowl. Place mixed cereal into bags, add sugar and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE. Dance around a bit, shake some more....

 This part is fun. Just make sure you have ZIPLOCKED your bag. :)




 When I was a kid this was called Puppy Chow. I guess Purina sued them for the name, and so now its muddy buddies. Either way its GOOD!

We kept this in the bag, I made a double batch and froze one bags worth not sure why because the first bag was gone that same day! I did, however, learn its very tasty cold!!! :)

Trying a few new things!

 Besides my "Food Network Challenge" recipes this week, which by the way were doing every 3 weeks or monthly now, I am unsure of which. We are all busy moms who have run out of time so we gave ourselves more.... Anyway besides that, I am trying a few new dishes, and a few old favorites in the next 2 weeks.

 Since I had luck with home made rolls finally, I am being very adventurous, I bought Yeast in a little can even, and I plan on making french bread, crusty rolls, buttermilk biscuits, and also corn bread and pizza and perogi dough. Wish me luck there, that is a lot of meals to SCREW up if I do not do it correctly. But feel good knowing you will be there every step of the way with me, good or bad.

 What made me think of Perogies? Well I found THIS

 At a local thrift store for .75 cents and I thought heck, WHY NOT! You roll out your dough over the circle thing w/ all the holes, poke it down, fill, then roll  another sheet of dough over top and it cuts it AND presses it for you!!! Sounds simple right? Again you shall see. I think its funny it says "as seen on TV" because I HAVE NEVER even heard of one, let alone seen it on TV, then again I was not alive in the 70's which is when I think this was created. Heck its nearly antique!

 So wish me luck tomorrow. Busy day. Cleaning then baking and cooking and freezing. Hopefully this all works out and I really do save money!







 Fun things I am making that you can look forward to seeing a blog about:

 Perogies
 Pizza Rolls
 Granola, and granola bars
 Puppy chow (made with chex mix)
 Split pea and Ham soup
 Stretch a buck turkey and bean burrito burger


 Probably more as well, like rolls and french bread and pizza dough, which I still really hope turns out right!

 Stay tuned tomorrow!!!!

Simple, Easy, Cheap

 No I am not talking about what type of date I am....

 I'm talking about dinner!

 Sometimes you just don't have the time to go all out and make something extravagant. Sometimes you just simply shouldn't have too. That is when stuff like hamburger helper and the like come in handy. I try to stay away from the super processed crap (I mean food) like that. Although I do have to admit to having several boxes in my pantry, its not that we DONT use it, I think its good in a pinch and its better for you than McDonalds or Pizza delivery (cheaper too) but tonight Hamburger Helper was the plan.

 Today were having Sausage and Sauerkraut... 2 of 4 kids hate it. But that is okay, they just don't eat the sauerkraut. This is super simple and cheap to make. In fact I had coupons for the Kielbasa a while back so I stocked up (It was also on sale) and just froze them for later use!

 If you have a big family as I do, you will need this much, you can always half the recipe if you have less to feed!

 2 packages Kielbasa sausage (I get the skin free turkey kind)
 1 bag fresh sauerkraut (or 2 cans)
 3 cans new potatoes, whole or sliced you pick!
 1 onion, chopped (optional today I used onion powder)
 pepper
 Garlic powder (1tsp or so, just sprinkle some in)
 1-2 TBS butter or margarine

 So that is it. You take your ingredients, plop them out into a pan, Normally I cut up the sausage but it was still frozen so today it will be whole links! Heat this on low on your stove an hour or so, OR for even more flavor put this into your crock pot around 12 and heat on low 4-6 hours until dinner (this way works best if your adding fresh onion)

 Once its hot and the flavors have melded its ready to serve. We normally have it with bread and butter, tonight there will be some cranberry sauce (canned too lol) along the side. MMMM MMM good. Simple, cheap and easy! What more does a lazy (I mean busy) mom want?!