I know you just read the title and went...wha...Zucchini soup. Trust me it is delicious! Since it is the end of the season and I still have a several zucchini sitting around, I decided to make some soup. This is great soup to hide veggetables if your husband...errr...I mean kids don't like vegetables. This hearty soup is oustanding addition to a cool summer night!
Smokey Zucchini Soup
3 slices of pancetta, bacon or smoked meat
1 onion, minced
2-3 zucchini, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/4c feta
2/3c cream
1. Brown bacon until crispy and tehn remove from pot. Add onion and cook until translucent. Then, stir in the zucchini and potatoes. Cover and allow to cook down until softened (5-7 minutes).
2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender (about 20 minutes). Remove soup and puree. Then, retrun to pot and add cream and feta. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low until warmed all the way through. Garnish with panchetta (or bacon).
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Cinnamon pancakes
Why waste your money on those tasteless frozen pancakes. They are SO simple to make and can have so many different flavors. Today's flavor...cinnamon. A perfect pairing with my left over homemade applesauce.
Cinnamon Pancakes
Sift: 3 cups flour, 4-5t baking powder, 5T sugar, 4t cinnamon, 1t nutmeg
Combine: 2 1/2c milk, 3 eggs, 3T melted butter
Mix half the dry ingredients into the wet. Once combined mix in the remaingin dry mix. Allow to sit 15-20 mintes. Then, heat up the griddle and get to work!!!
This recipe made 25 large sand dollar pancakes. I place on cookie sheets or plastic cutting boards to freeze. The key is to make sure they do not overlap. Once frozen, remove from freezer and transfer to ziplock!
Cinnamon Pancakes
Sift: 3 cups flour, 4-5t baking powder, 5T sugar, 4t cinnamon, 1t nutmeg
Combine: 2 1/2c milk, 3 eggs, 3T melted butter
Mix half the dry ingredients into the wet. Once combined mix in the remaingin dry mix. Allow to sit 15-20 mintes. Then, heat up the griddle and get to work!!!
This recipe made 25 large sand dollar pancakes. I place on cookie sheets or plastic cutting boards to freeze. The key is to make sure they do not overlap. Once frozen, remove from freezer and transfer to ziplock!
Picky Eaters: Soup
My son is a very picky eater. Half the time I cannot even get him to taste what I am offering, but today I decided to play to his fancy...Letters!
Simple Alphabet Soup
Chicken stock (or a few cups of water and a few boullion cubes)
Alphabet pasta
Bring to a boil and cook until pasta is tender.
Normally I would recommend cuting up tiny carrot cuves, but I didn't want to push it! I was content that he even ate this!
Simple Alphabet Soup
Chicken stock (or a few cups of water and a few boullion cubes)
Alphabet pasta
Bring to a boil and cook until pasta is tender.
Normally I would recommend cuting up tiny carrot cuves, but I didn't want to push it! I was content that he even ate this!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Crunchy Buffulo Chicken Bites
My hubbie LOVE buffalo chicken wings, but I am not a big fan of chicken wings. So, I came up with this alternative!
Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Bites
1-2 Breasts of chicken, cut into 1-2" pieces
2 eggs
1T hot sauce
1 c flour
1.5 c corn flakes, crushed
Kebob sticks
1. Once chicken is cut into pieces, thread onto kebob sticks.
2. Dredge sticks in flour.
3. Coat in beaten eggs and hot sauce.
4. Roll in cruched corn flakes.
5. Fry in a pan with 2-3T oil. (I fryed at 340 degrees until golden brown on all sides).
Serve with ranch/blue cheese and celery!! Yummy!
Crunchy Buffalo Chicken Bites
1-2 Breasts of chicken, cut into 1-2" pieces
2 eggs
1T hot sauce
1 c flour
1.5 c corn flakes, crushed
Kebob sticks
1. Once chicken is cut into pieces, thread onto kebob sticks.
2. Dredge sticks in flour.
3. Coat in beaten eggs and hot sauce.
4. Roll in cruched corn flakes.
5. Fry in a pan with 2-3T oil. (I fryed at 340 degrees until golden brown on all sides).
Serve with ranch/blue cheese and celery!! Yummy!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Meal Plan Monday...on Tuesday..AGAIN!
Happy New Years! I can't believe another year has passed and oh so quickly! Things have been exceptionally busy lately...even for the holidays. I haven't had much time to think more than a day or so ahead so a meal plan rather low on my list of things to do...even though I find it exceptionally helpful. I also haven't really thought about resolutions because I don't think much of them! I will say one thing I have been focused on at the end of this year that I will continue to focus on with this new year and that is spending!
I have worked really hard to decrease my weekly grocery bill. My first goal was to increase the amount of groceries I was able to purchase with my weekly budget of $100. Then, the goal became to reduce my weekly grocery budget to $75. I have successfully accomplished both. I spend on average $75 a week and purchase between $150-$200+ worth of groceries. I have really struggled to lower my weekly bill below $75, but my goal over the next few months is to reduce it by another $15. Ultimately, I would love to spend about $50 a week on groceries. This is truly a challenge for me (esp. when my husband comes shopping with me), but it can be done! I know I can do it! So, that is my challenge/resolution for this year!
Monday and Tuesday: Bean Soup with Cornbread
Wednesday and Thursday: Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage...I can't wait!)
Friday: Chicken Chipolte Style burritos
Saturday: Marinated Chicken over Tortellini
Sunday: Homemade Pizza
Baking for the Week: Blueberry Streusel and a Birthday cake
The Sarma will be a lot of work..ok...not really a lot of work, but time consuming. Yet, it is SO WORTH THE EFFORT!!! The rest of the week will be really simple stuff! Should make for a really easy cooking week!
I have worked really hard to decrease my weekly grocery bill. My first goal was to increase the amount of groceries I was able to purchase with my weekly budget of $100. Then, the goal became to reduce my weekly grocery budget to $75. I have successfully accomplished both. I spend on average $75 a week and purchase between $150-$200+ worth of groceries. I have really struggled to lower my weekly bill below $75, but my goal over the next few months is to reduce it by another $15. Ultimately, I would love to spend about $50 a week on groceries. This is truly a challenge for me (esp. when my husband comes shopping with me), but it can be done! I know I can do it! So, that is my challenge/resolution for this year!
Monday and Tuesday: Bean Soup with Cornbread
Wednesday and Thursday: Sarma (Stuffed Cabbage...I can't wait!)
Friday: Chicken Chipolte Style burritos
Saturday: Marinated Chicken over Tortellini
Sunday: Homemade Pizza
Baking for the Week: Blueberry Streusel and a Birthday cake
The Sarma will be a lot of work..ok...not really a lot of work, but time consuming. Yet, it is SO WORTH THE EFFORT!!! The rest of the week will be really simple stuff! Should make for a really easy cooking week!
Pinto Bean Soup...Croatian Style
We STILL had ham left over and I needed to make something to use it ALL up. We are all a bit HAMMED OUT!! So, I thought it was time for some bean soup.
Pinto Bean Ham Soup
1 bag pinto beans
Left over bits of ham and the ham bone
(Or purchase a ham steak)
1 small bag sauerkraut, crained but NOT rinsed
1. Soak beans overnight OR use canned beans. Drain.
2. Place drained beans in the slow cooker along with all other ingredients. Cover with water and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Serve with yummy fresh bread or cornbread!
Pinto Bean Ham Soup
1 bag pinto beans
Left over bits of ham and the ham bone
(Or purchase a ham steak)
1 small bag sauerkraut, crained but NOT rinsed
1. Soak beans overnight OR use canned beans. Drain.
2. Place drained beans in the slow cooker along with all other ingredients. Cover with water and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Serve with yummy fresh bread or cornbread!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hot and Sweet Cornbread
We are going to a BBQ for the football games today and I wanted to bring something. Needless to say I have yet to go shopping, so my selection was rather slim. Hence, Hot and Sweet Cornbread to the rescue. This is slightly different from the cornbread I usually make, but I thought it basic cornbread just wouldn't do! Oh and the sweet thing about this cornbread is that you can make it using Jiffy mix if you don't want to go through the hassle of making truly homemade cornbread!
Cornbread
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
(OR, make Jiffy mix according to package and skip the above ingredients)
1/2 t salt
1 cup of sweet corn kernels (or about 1/2 a can)
1 jalapeno (sliced and chopped)
1. Mix everything together and pour into a baking dish. (You may want to grease). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (I made it in a loaf pan and it only needed about 12 minutes)
I also made an extra one for tonight to serve with my Pinto Bean Soup! Super yummy!
Cornbread
1/2 cup of butter
1/4 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 t baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
(OR, make Jiffy mix according to package and skip the above ingredients)
1/2 t salt
1 cup of sweet corn kernels (or about 1/2 a can)
1 jalapeno (sliced and chopped)
1. Mix everything together and pour into a baking dish. (You may want to grease). Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (I made it in a loaf pan and it only needed about 12 minutes)
I also made an extra one for tonight to serve with my Pinto Bean Soup! Super yummy!
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