Oatmeal in a Jar

So I finally tried that oatmeal, yogurt and chia seed mixture that's been going around. I loved it! Here's the recipe I used:\

1/2 cup Oatmeal (the real stuff)

1/3 cup milk (It says to use almond, but I used 2% because I didn't have any almond)

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (All the recipes call for Greek. They say to use vanilla. I used plain but I'd recommend getting vanilla for added flavor. However, the plain tasted fine too.)

2 teaspoons chia seeds 

Fruit (I cut up strawberries and bananas. You can add any kind of fruit you like)

2 Tablespoons of honey (You can put any kind of sweetener you like. The 2 Tablespoons of honey was perfect for me.)

Put everything in a jar, put the lid on and shake it up. Then stick it in the fridge for a day or two. According to my husband it's better at room temperature.

P.S. I got the basis for this recipe off of a website but I can't remember which one. 

Facebook Recipes

So Many recipes pop up on facebook, and I just need a place to keep track of them all. Here seemed like a good spot :)

COOKIES AND CREAM~ 

EVERY TIME I SERVE THIS AT A COOKOUT IT IS DEVOURED AND THEN EVERYONE WANTS THE RECIPE~SO SO GOOOOD~~~Oreo goodness 1 bag Oreos, crushed 8oz cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter 1 cup powdered sugar 3 cups milk 2 sm boxes instant vanilla pudding 1/2 tsp vanilla 12 oz Cool Whip, thawed Cream together cream cheese, butter & powered sugar & vanilla. In separate bowl mix milk & pudding chill until set. fold in cool whip after pudding has set. add cream cheese mixture. layer with Oreos... Chill until ready to serve

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Spinach and Pepper Jack Cheese

Timeline Photos Perfect for low carb, pair this with a salad and your have a great low carb meal! Ingredients 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded (you can use up to 6 oz) 1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you can also use fresh cooked spinach) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp breadcrumbs (I use Italian style) Sea salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Lots of toothpicks Directions Preheat oven to 180 (350 degreesf ). Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, salt and pepper. Combine the Cajun seasoning and breadcrumbs together in a small bowl. Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach mixture onto each chicken breast. Roll each chicken breast tightly and fasten the seams with several toothpicks. This part requires a tiny bit of skill and I typically use about 8 toothpicks in each roll to ensure none of the filling seeps out. Be sure to count how many total toothpicks were used! Brush each chicken breast with the olive oil. Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning mixture evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken (optional). Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the toothpicks before serving. Count to make sure you have removed every last toothpick. Serve whole or slice into medallians

Oriental Ramen Broccoli Cole Slaw

2 (3 ounce) packages beef-flavor ramen noodles
2 (8 1/2 ounce) packages broccoli coleslaw mix
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seed
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
1/3 cup white vinegar
Directions:

1
Before opening noodles, crush into 1 inch pieces. Open packages and set aside flavor packets.
2
Place noodles in bottom of large serving bowl. Top noodles with broccoli slaw, then sprinkle with almonds and sunflower kernels, and green onions.
3
In a separate bowl combine sugar, oil, vinegar, and flavor packets from noodles. Pour over slaw, cover and chill up to 24 hours.
4
Toss before serving.

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

6 regular size Snickers Candy Bar
6 apples I used Red Delicious... Granny Smith would also be great
1 (5 oz.) package Vanilla Instant Pudding dry, do not prepare
1/2 cup milk
1 (12 oz.) tub cool whip
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

Whisk vanilla pudding packet, 1/2 cup milk and cool whip together until well combined.
Chop up apples and Snickers.
Stir chopped apples and Snickers into pudding mixture.
Place in a large bowl and drizzle with caramel ice cream topping.
Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipes! Crockpot Beef and Broccoli 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, sliced into thin strips 1 cup beef consumme 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon sesame oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons cooled sauce from the crock pot after being cooked Fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired) Hot cooked rice Directions 1. Place beef in a crock pot. 2. In a small bowl, combine consomme, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic. Pour over beef. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 3. In a cup, stir cornstarch and sauce form the crock pot until smooth. Add to crock pot. Stir well to combine. (If your sauce is not thickening, try bringing your sauce to a boil on the stovetop with the corn starch mixture. Boil until your desired consistency is reached). 4. Add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine. 5. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken). 6. Serve over hot cooked rice. Timeline Photos SHARE TO KEEP ON FILE :) Sugar cookie dough rolled out and baked. Cool completely. Topping 8 oz. cream cheese, softened ½ cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 container Cool Whip, thawed Assorted Fresh Fruit For topping, blend cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread cream cheese mixture over crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese mixture. Store in refrigerator.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

So I did something totally amazing and out of character for me-- two somethings actually. My Dad gave me a bunch of tomatoes, and I didn't want to see them go to waste. Around here fresh produce doesn't seem to last long, and that's not because we eat it. I didn't see the story of these tomatoes ending any differently since we now have a 3 week old baby in our house, and anything that takes more effort than pushing some buttons on a microwave has been out of the question as far as food goes.

Well needing to use tomatoes, my Mom's suggestion to make things and freeze them, the desire to attempt making my own spaghetti sauce and an unexplained burst of will and energy led me to doing something extraordinary-- in my book at least. Not only did I make sauce with fresh tomatoes and onions, I made a couple batches. And not only did I make a couple batches I-- are you ready for it-- split the batches and froze them!
It was amazing!

So here is my spaghetti sauce recipe:

Dice 1 and a half onions-- I used white onions.

Put the onions in a pot with 4 tablespoons of butter.

Cook the onions in the butter until they are transparent.

I then added 4-5 tomatoes diced.

Then came 5 cans of tomato sauce. I think they were the 15 oz size.

I stirred everything together and added some seasonings.

I added, to taste:

Garlic powder
Italian seasonings
Parsley
Salt and pepper

I cooked it for a good hour, let it cool, split it equally into good serving sizes and stuck it in the freezer.

My husband loved it so much he excitedly licked the pan after I had split it all up.

Some Stuffing for Thanksgiving!

I found this recipe on the internet. It is DELICIOUS!!!

Cornbread Stuffing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

mix together:

2 (8.5 ounce) packages of cornbread muffin mix
1 (8 ounce) can of cream-style corn
2 eggs
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 cup of milk

Do not over mix. Just mix until it is moistened. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

* I should note that this cornbread recipe is delicious. I was licking the bowl in a frenzy. I have never tasted cornbread batter that was so good!

In a skillet:

Melt 1/2 cup of butter

Then add:

1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery
1 green bell pepper finely chopped
4 cloves of minced garlic, or about 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder

Saute in butter, over medium heat.

When onion is tender, add:

2 teaspoons of Thyme
1 teaspoon of dried Basil
2 teaspoons of dried Oregano
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Crumble the baked cornbread and put combine with other ingredients from the skillet

Then add:

1 to 2 (14.5 ounce) cans of chicken broth-- add until stuffing is to desired consistency.

Other Thanksgiving recipes!

Breakfast to Chicken Breast

Yet another recipe my husband wanted me to share. This one is very basic and simple.

Prep

Take a chicken breast. Cut it into strips. Crack an egg or two-- you'd be surprised how far one egg can go in this situation. Scramble with a fork a little-- do not cook. Take your favorite breakfast cereal,-- I'd avoid the tooty fruity one's and stick with ones like regular captain crunch, or possibly frosted flakes-- we chose Honey Bunches of Oats, and crunch it up somehow. You can stick it in the blender or just use a rolling pin if you like. After you have crunched it up place it in bowl.

Make

Now take your uncooked chicken strips and dip them in the eggs. Then dip them in the cereal until they are covered.

Bake

Bake at 350 or higher, or broil, until fully cooked. Serve any way you like-- on a sandwich, with dipping sauces, as a main course to a fancy meal, etc.

Suggestions

Having the chicken fully thawed may make it easier to get it fully covered in egg and cereal. You can just prepare the whole chicken breast this way, without cutting it into strips, but I recommend cutting it because it cooks a little better.

*I just learned a new secret for making chicken like this. Give the chicken a light coating of flour before you dip it in the egg. The flour will help the egg stick better.

Crepes

This recipe came from my best friends family. It is indeed delicious. I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Crepes

Combine in a large bowl:

2 cups of flower
1/4 teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
2 and 1/4 of milk
1/4 cup of melted butter

Beat well and refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat a 6 inch skillet over medium heat and brush with butter or oil. Pour about 2 tablespoons of batter into the pan and quickly tap so batter is all over the pan. Cook 1 minute, flip and repeat. Repeat until all of the batter is cooked.

Filling

In a separate bowl combine:

2 cups of cottage cheese
3 oz of softened cream cheese
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 tablespoons of butter

Blend ingredients together. Spread 2 tablespoons of mix in the center of crepes . Fold crepes and then lightly brown each side in a skillet. Top with fruits, caramel or chocolate sauce or whatever else you desire.

Sweet Bean Soup

An inventive lunch indeed. It was so simple I thought nothing of it, but my husband requested I share it.

Sweet Bean Soup

In a sauce pan combine

1 can of pinto beans (undrained)
1 can of black beans (undrained)
1/2 a tomato diced
1/2 a red onion diced
2-4 tablespoons of sugar or sweetener

Bring to a boil. Let simmer if desired and serve.