January 9th through January 12th

01/12/10:
I made another one of my personal favorites tonight, vegetable soup.

2-2 1/2 lbs. of a beef roast, cooked and cut in bite size peices
1 lg. can vegetable juice
3-4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into large bite size pieces
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced or half bag of baby carrots
1 med. onion, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 can green beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c. frozen corn
1 c. frozen peas
half head of cabbage (I hate cabbage so I don't add it)

I usually will cook my meat in a crock pot the day before and then shred into large bite size chunks.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and cook at a low boil until potatoes and carrots are soft. Simmer until ready to serve.

01/11/10:
I went easy tonight and fried up some pork chops and made a mushroom gravy and served with stuffing and peas.

01/10/10:
I made chicken and noodles and mashed potatoes tonight which is one of my favorite meals.

I cook 1 young fryer chicken in enough water to cover and add 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk, 1/2 an onion, 1 stick butter and kosher salt and pepper. After cooking, run through a colander with a bowl underneath to save the broth. Remove vegetables. Let chicken cool before handling.

After it's cooled remove all meat from bones and discard. Depending on the size of the chicken, I'll usually save some for another meal. Return chicken to pan along with about 4 cups of the broth. Add 1 can of (Campbell's) Cream of Chicken soup and some wide egg noodles (approx. 2 cups) I used to make my own noodles before I had kids and it's one of the things I'd like to start making again. If it seems a little dry, add more broth. I freeze the additional broth in 1 cup portions.

Simmer for about an hour before serving. I've learned that this is one dish that tastes better the next day.
01/09/10:
I made biscuits and sausage gravy and fried potatoes tonight. It's one of the few foods that everyone eats without complaint. I will usually make this when I have milk that's about to expire.

1/2 roll mild sausage (I fry up it all and use half for another dish)
couple tablespoons of flour (I do half flour and half Kentucky Kernel's seasoned flour)
couple tablespoons of vegetable oil
enough milk to reach desired consistancy (usually around 1/2 gallon for me at room temp)
about 5-6 russet potatoes, peeled and either sliced or cubed (to save cooking time on the potatoes, I will usually cook them on the potato setting in the microwave before peeling)
salt & pepper to taste

Fry up the sausage. I usually make mine a little crispy so that it gives some color to the gravy and gives it a deeper flavor. After it is fully brown, divide and set half aside. I then add a little bit of vegetable oil if there isn't much fat from the sausage. Add in enough flour until all oil is absorbed and then start adding milk. I was taught to remove the sausage before starting the gravy, but after many tries, I've found that adding the flour to the sausage makes it better.

Let the gravy reach a soft boil and then reduce heat and make sure you're stirring often. Meanwhile, I've got my potatoes frying in a bit of vegetable oil until browned. We like ours a little crunchy.

I will use the left over sausage for either breakfast or lunch the next day. I will combine it with 3 or 4 cooked scrambled eggs, the leftover potatoes and cheese and heat through.

January 1st through 8th

01/01/10:
Tonight I made cube steak with gravy, fried potatoes, peas and biscuits. This is the first time I've made cube steak myself and tried it because my mother had made it a couple of weeks ago. I was scared at the idea of it because I was reminded of my grandmother's when I was a kid. Chewy and tasting like Worcestershire sauce. I was pleasantly surprised on how good mine turned out though and can see this being on the menu more regularly

When I cook, I tend to just throw things in without measuring. When posting recipes, I'll try to give an approximate amount, but sometimes it's just personal preference.

2-4 cube steaks (I bought mine from Meijer and the quality of meat was good)
Kentucky Kernels seasoned flour (love this stuff)
1 can evaporated milk
1-2 c. milk
2-3 T. vegetable oil

Coat the meat with the seasoned flour and fry in a couple tablespoons of oil until cooked through. Remove meat from skillet and set aside.

T make gravy, mix in enough flour to absorb the oil and start whisking in the milk. I used a can of evaporated first and then add whole milk to reach the desired consistency. I always have milk at room temperature while making gravies.

01/02/10:
I went easy tonight and made tacos. I went ahead and fried up enough ground round for later on in the week.

Usually the kids end up with something more like a quesadillas with just meat, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream to dip it in.

01/03/10:
I tried a new recipe tonight that was a bigger hit than I anticipated. I made crunchy chicken tenders with apricot dipping sauce. I found this recipe on the Family Fun website. Here's the link to the full recipe.

I didn't have an corn flakes so I substituted with Rice Krispies. I also didn't have any rice vinegar so I added a little bit of apple cider vinegar, tasting as I added. When I make this again, I'm going to omit the dijon mustard when coating the chicken. It was a little too tart for me, but everyone else ate it.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken tenders, or breasts sliced into strips
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 6 cups cornflakes

• SAUCE:
• 3/4 cup apricot preserves
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1. Heat the oven to 450º. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, salt, pepper, mustard, and mayonnaise.

2. To make the coating, pulse the cornflakes in a food processor about 10 times, or place the flakes in a sealed bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Transfer the crushed flakes to a large, shallow bowl.

3. Dredge the chicken in the cornflakes and arrange the pieces on a rack over a baking sheet. Be sure to space the pieces an inch or so apart for even cooking and browning.

4. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until the tenders are cooked through and crispy on the outside (they will crisp up even more as they cool). Let them cool on the rack before packing them for travel.

5. For the sauce, combine the preserves, mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar in a small bowl. Serve it with the chicken.

01/04/10:

Tonight I made chili using the leftover ground round from the 2nd. This is a household favorite and the kids both love the beans. I need to start making more bean dishes. It's one of those foods I didn't care for growing up so I tend not to make much with them.

Sarah's Basic Chili
1 1/2 lbs. ground round
1 lg. can tomato juice or vegetable juice
1 can light kidney beans (drained)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained)
1 can tomatoes (whichever you prefer)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg. McCormick Chili seasoning
1/2-1 pkg. McCormick taco seasoning
shredded cheese to serve

In a large pan, brown meat and onion. Drain out grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for a couple of hours.

01/05/10:
I tried another recipe from the Family Fun website and I do believe it's one of the best soups I've ever made. The rest of my family wasn't nearly as crazy for it, but I ate several bowls of it.

I did omit the squash because I didn't have any on hand. If I make this again, I'm going to put less broth in it. It was a little too watery for me. I would also add a few more potatoes which probably would've helped thicken it up.

Creamy Mushroom & Chicken Soup

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup sliced celery

• 3/4 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups quartered baby red potatoes
• 1 cup chopped yellow squash
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 cups light cream
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish if desired
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper and mix until smooth. Gradually add the broth, then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Add the mushrooms, celery, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn, and thyme. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Add the cream, Parmesan, and chicken. Heat the soup for an additional 10 minutes, but do not let it boil.

3. To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and sprinkle it with more Parmesan, if desired. Makes about 15 cups.

01/06/10:

My kids spent the night with grandma so I had leftovers.

01/07/10:
Another free for all night. We had a snowstorm and I couldn't get my kids.

01/08/10:
I tried going easy and made the Ortega Enchilada boxed kit. I was really disappointed. It was kind of bland and nobody really ate any. I ended up making the kids ramen noodles to eat.

Welcome!

If you're a personal friend of mine or happen to stumble upon this little old blog, Welcome! I started 2010 with the idea to document what my family eats for an entire year. In the process of doing this, I'm hoping to improve our eating habits and expand our food horizons. I'm a little late in the year starting, but have managed to track everything down the old fashion way with pen and paper.

This blog is going to serve kind of like a food journal for me. I plan on sharing recipes, tips and recommendations on what I would of done differently or what I might try next time. I'm hoping to get organized enough to start meal planning and actually shopping from a list and saving money at the grocery store.

A little background on my family. I have a one and two year old so most of the meals I make will be toddler friendly. We generally eat what we are served in our house and I'm not one to take special orders. There are no diet restrictions, but I'm trying to do away with as many processed foods as I possibly can.

Please feel free to comment on my posts and offer suggestions. I'm always willing to try a new recipe!