Shrimp Fried Rice

If the hustle and bustle of back to school, fall sports, and yikes HARVEST starting soon have you desperate for quick and easy dinner solutions this and I mean this is the perfect recipe for you! I literally had it done from start to finish in under 20 minutes last night! Score right?!?!?!

I also adore a meal that can it a basic process, but ingredients can be switched up to change it up and fit your likes and dislikes. Fried rice is becoming a favorite of my kids, well rice in general is the jam, this method keeps all of the meal in one pan and gets some veggies in their life.

If you guys are non-shrimp eaters just switch it up with chicken, strips of beef, even tofu (but that would make me sad), you also can switch up the veggies, add some broccoli, or water chestnuts, even pineapple would be awesome. Make it how you guys like it and let me know if you love it as much as me!

 

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 lb Shrimp (Peeled)

2.5 cups Minute Rice (prepared, and cooled down a bit)

1 cup Frozen Peas and Carrots

3 Eggs (beat)

Sauce-

¼ Cup Hosin Sauce

½ Cup Soy Sauce

1 tsp hot sauce

1 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Garlic

1 tsp Sesame Oil

Cook rice and set aside to cool a bit (this could even be done the night before and placed in the fridge). In a large skillet drizzle some EVOO and sauté shrimp until pink and cooked through, remove from skillet, and set aside. While shrimp is cooking mix together sauce ingredients. Once shrimp is out of the skillet return to heat and add the eggs scramble until done. Add in rice sauce and veggies cook until all are heated through and beginning to form some crispy edges, make sure to scrap the bottom of the skillet. Add shrimp back in and serve!

Pepperoni pizza chicken sandwich

I missed blogging yesterday, not just the fact that I didn't blog but I truly missed the process of blogging it's kind of a therapy for me. Crazy I know, it's ok though I excepted that fate long ago. Speaking of crazy...today's recipe is amazingly crazy easy!!! And yummy to boot! Do people still say that? To boot??? 

Oh yea back to the food. 

Sandwiches are a real love of mine, bread is life, but the real thing is I only love hot toasty cheesy sandwiches. I am not a fan at all of cold lunch meat sandwiches, my sister in law worked with me one summer and she brought cold sandwiches each day to this day I still have no idea how she did it. This particular sandwich checks all the boxes for me, toasty bread, gooey cheese, flavorful sauce, filling, easy and my kids eat it! 

Note this is not a recipe you make on school concert night. It's a tad messy. My mom always made my brothers or my favorite on concert nights well my fave happens to be spaghetti. To avoid the dropped noodle on the dress meltdown my mom would wrap a huge tea towel around my neck I always felt like the kings in the old cartoons with the giant napkin wrapped around them. Sorry I think I missed the point of my warning, these are messy, I let my kids eat with no shirt on, HA! 

Enjoy! Question what type of recipes would you guys like to see from me? 

6 Thin Sliced Chicken breasts (you can just slice 3 breast in half lengthwise)

2 TBSP EVOO

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Jar Marnaria Sauce

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

6 Italian Rolls (or hotdog buns because obviously that's what I had) 

3 TBSP Butter

Season chicken breasts on each side with salt and pepper. Heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat brown chicken breasts on each side they do not have to be cooked through that will happen in the sauce. Once chicken is browned pour sauce over chicken breasts and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through. While chicken is cooking butter each roll and toast in a 350 degree oven. Just before serving top each chicken breast with some mozzarella cheese allow it to melt. Place each chicken breast on a bun. Pour on some extra sauce if you'd like! I serve these with a nice garden salad I mean life is all about balance. 

Charlot's Famous Shrimp Pasta

My children LOVE shrimp is that strange? When asked what her favorite foods are out of Charlot's, top 10 because who doesn't have a top ten, at least four are shrimp of some kind. But this dish it takes the cake for number two spot on the little bits list...why isn't it number one because tacos are number one and truly I never question or doubt someone who keeps tacos so high on their priority list. 

The awesome thing about this dish is Charlot can make nearly all of it on her own with very little supervision from me! BONUS DAYS!!! She loves to cook and create in the kitchen and obviously by the below picture her brother has no problems being her assistant. If you are in the mood for a quick and easy yet delicious supper this should be on your radar!!! Get your kids involved as well you might be surprised just how much more they will try when they are helping to prepare the meal! Charlot created Conrad recommended! 

Shrimp and Spinach Pasta with Lemon Cream Sauce

1 lb Raw Shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 TBSP Butter (divided)

1 pint Heavy Cream

1 TBSP Minced Garlic

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1 Lemon (zest and juice)

2 Cups Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 bag fresh spinach

½ lb Fettuccine Noodles

Place shrimp in a large bowl and toss with Red Pepper Flakes. In a large pot boil water and salt it prior to adding noodles cook according to package directions and drain. While pasta is cooking in large non stick skillet melt 1 tbsp of butter add in the shrimp and cook until just pink. Remove shrimp from skillet in the same skillet melt additional butter add in cream and garlic and cook over a medium heat allow to reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir in lemon juice, zest and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add in spinach and allow the leaves to wilt. Toss the sauce with noodles and top with shrimp. Add additional cheese to the top.   

Here my celebrity chef is making her cooking publication debut, she reminded me she has been in the paper before for coloring contests. Well thank you sweet child I will try to remember just how famous and multi-talented you are. But in all honesty I couldn't be more proud of her and more excited for this love of cooking to continue to develop.

15 Go to Ground Beef Meals for the Slow Cooker

Hey friends and I do say friends because you are and because friends give one another some grace especially when it comes to the frequency or infrequency (cough, cough) of their blogs. That's ok I know you all will forgive me especially after you read this post. It could possibly change your life, well probably not but hey you can't say I didn't try. 

What in the world prompted me to finally post a blog again, ha! Well dears it was you guys! I saw several people over the past few weeks asking on their Facebook what some favorite crock pot meals were, especially those with ground beef. I kept commenting and then others would ask for recipes and finally light bulb!!! I needed to do a blog post, hahaha! 

So I will admit I wasn't all that in love with slow cooker cooking for very many dishes outside of roast and soup because so many things ended up mushy, is that a word??? Then I discovered programmable slow cookers, HOLY MOLY!!! If you don't have one and you are serious about adding more crock pot meals to your life add one to your life, Christmas is coming. Yes I ask for kitchen appliances for holiday presents, don't judge me. Here is a link to one I love. The thing about these is that you can select the cooking time then the machine goes to keep warm once that cooking time is over. Say what!!! I know! 

Another problem I had is even with the programmable pot I still felt like many recipes were mushy, still is this a word? Most people who know me know I am a HUGE texture person (hence my aversion to coconut), this didn't bode well for most slow cooking. Then I read a recipe that suggested throwing raw pasta into the cooker...I was nervous but man alive did it help! Most of the recipes I have included have instructions on what to do with the rice or pasta. 

Lastly it drove me crazy to read this delicious recipe that then required me to break out a skillet to cook the meat up ahead of time. Listen lady I really want to make this but for real I am putting this together before 6 am, remembering that I need to brown the meat then drain it is wayyy too much for that time of the morning. This all changed one day when I bought twenty plus pounds of ground beef in the store because it was a good deal, I roll like that. The thing was even though it was a good deal it still was a chunk of change, I was determined to not let this precious meat go to waste in my freezer. I went home and chopped up like 10 onions and began browning hamburger with some onions and salt and pepper. I drained it and cooled it then placed it in quart freezer bags. At this point was thought it would be ready for me to use for tacos, spaghetti sauce, soups whatever I was making for supper that night...then one fateful morning before 6 am I was mad because I forgot to get burger browned for a crock pot recipe I wanted to make. The heavens seemed to open and my deep freezer called my name reminding me of all that glorious burger meat that was pre-browned and waiting for me. 

Obviously a life changing day. HA! But seriously it does make life easier and I save a ton of money when I buy ground beef and can buy it on sale. 

Yes you read that, I am married to a man who raises not only hogs but cattle too and I buy meat but that is another story for another day! 

Below are some of my favorite recipes with links for both pre-cooked burger and using raw burger. If you have any questions please feel free to check in with me. 

 One last question...Do you guys actually enjoy my rambles??? Should the blog continue???

Using Pre-Cooked Burger 

Asian Lettuce Wraps- Below! (I just mix all ingredient in the crock pot and cook all day) 

Stuffed Pepper Skillet-Recipe Link (follow the directions except omit the rice until you get home, then stir in the rice and cook for 30-45 minutes)
Taco Lasagna- Recipe Link
Nacho Soup-Recipe Link
French Onion Beefy Noodles- Recipe Link
Pizza Pasta- Recipe Link (I do not pre-make this, I throw all in ingredients, minus the cheese and pasta and let it cook all day on low, then stir in pasta and let it cook for 30 more minutes, top with cheese.)
Tater Tot Casserole- Recipe Link
Shepard's Pie- Recipe Link
Cheeseburger Soup- Recipe Link (I skip the whole making a thickner in the skillet step and I put my hamburger in first thing in the morning.)
Stroganoff- Recipe Link
Pasta Fagiola- Recipe Link
Cheesy Tortellini- Recipe Link

Using Raw Burger
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Subs- Recipe Link (I just place a little cheese in the center of each Meatball as I am rolling them up and also add about 1 cup of water to the sauce)
Barbecue Meatballs- Recipe Link (I take these to the just past the browning step and use the crock pot to cook them in the sauce. 6 hours on low)
Stuffed Cabbage Rolls- Recipe Link (I omit the Rosemary because well I'm not a fan)

Copy Cat PF Chang Lettuce Wraps

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Onion diced

2 Cloves Garlic minced

¼ cup Hoisin Sauce

2 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 TBSP Rice Wine Vinegar

1 TSP Ginger

1 TBSP Asian Chili Paste (or Sriracha) 

1 TSP Teriyaki Sauce

1 TSP Sesame Oil

1 (8 oz) Can Water Chestnuts drained and diced

2 Green Onion Thinly Sliced

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Head Lettuce (Butter, Ice Berg, Romaine)

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add in beef, onion, and garlic cook until meat is browned. Make sure to break up the meat as you cook it. Drain off any excess fat.

In a small bowl mix Hoisin, Soy, Rice Wine Vinegar, Ginger, Chili Pasta, Teriyaki, and Sesame Oil. Return meat mixture to the skillet and add in the water chestnuts heat on medium. Pour sauce over the mixture and stir to combine, cook until heated through and sauce has reduced a bit. Add in green onion.

This mixture can now be served in lettuce cups or froze. To freeze allow mixture to cool slightly. Place in a gallon freezer bag.

Serving Day-

Thaw bag in fridge or a warm water bath (if your forgetful like me). Pour mixture into a skillet to warm through. Serve with lettuce. 

Pulled Pork Pizza

Ok so I know I have not been a good blogger basically in a long time. Please forgive me I seem to say that a lot to you guys but I really mean it. I have stories to tell and recipes to share I just need to be better about actually sitting down and typing them up. Plus with the impending arrival of the second child in our lives I need to be a better blogger. I want this child's early days and days/months/years to follow documented just as I did Charlot's. Anyway thanks for sticking with me coming back and continuing to read. Does any of this have to do with the above picture, NOPE. I needed to get that off my chest before I could present this amazingness. 

Today is Pi day 3.14 day, and many people like to celebrate by eating pie, I plan to make one tonight. But if you want a different type of "Pie" this will be for you, a pizza pie. A Pulled Pork Pizza Pie to be exact! Sounds a bit different yes, is it a bit different yes, does it taste amazing yes, so what do you need to do MAKE IT!

This little jewel was born out of necessity...the hubs decided he needed to try his hand at smoking an entire pork shoulder, delicious yes but also tons of meat. We had eaten it with baked beans and slaw we had prepared it with potatoes, green beans, and cornbread, we had had our fill of pulled pork sandwiches. And when I say we had had our fill I'm really meaning me, I'm pretty sure the hubs could have continued the trend eaten a few hundred more sandwiches. But I was ready for something else, and I was craving pizza. I won and let's face it the hubs won too because he loved this pizza! 

If you happen to be like me and need an idea of what the heck to do with your leftover pulled pork here ya go! The slight creaminess of the sauce plays in really nicely with the spice of the pork. Then the cheese well you just can't have pizza with out ooey gooey cheese. Lastly my favorite part was the pork got kind of crispy on the edges like bacon and its saltiness combined with the brininess of the banana peppers perfection. But when you got the perfect bit it was absolutely incredible. Oh now I wish I had some more pulled pork at home! YUM!

Pulled Pork Pizza

1 Recipe of Pizza Dough (your favorite, frozen, or the kind in the tube will be fine)

1/4 cup Mayo (the real deal NOT Miracle Whip)

3/4 cup BBQ Sauce (I used Gates because I love the spice and the vinegar in it)

2 Cups Pulled pork 

1 8oz block Cheddar Jack Cheese (grated)

Jarred Banana Peppers to Taste

Heat oven to 400. Prepare your pan (I always use rimmed cookies sheets) by spraying it and sprinkling it with a bit of cornmeal, spread your dough out in the pan. In a small bowl combine mayo and BBQ Sauce, spread over your crust. Top with Pulled Pork, then Cheese, and last the Banana Peppers. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and pork is crisping up! Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before slicing. ENJOY! 

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

Do you ever just need a simple quick meal that is satisfying and a bit out of your typical routine? Well I seem to gravitate towards these types of meals all the time. I want quick and easy but I don’t want to be eating the exact same meal each and every week, my meal planning has helped with this. But recipes like this one have also helped. I mean 5 ingredients plus some seasonings, 30 minutes and supper is on the table I think that is a win win win!

These quesadillas are the perfect mix of spicy, smokey, and sweet plus the crunch from the pan seared tortilla I can hardly resist!

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

1 large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (seasoned how you wish, I did salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika)

1 Pineapple (fresh or canned) cut into rings

2 cups Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)

Baby Spinach (if you like)

8 Flour Tortillas

Heat your grill pan or outdoor grill and cook chicken until done. Place pineapple on the grill as well just to get some good char marks. Once these are both done slice chicken breast into thin pieces and cut pineapple in half. Heat a non-stick skillet with a bit of cooking spray. Assemble tortilla then cheese, then chicken and pineapple, plus spinach and more cheese top with second tortilla. Sear in pan on both sides until golden. 

Stuffed Pepper Skillet...

I have shared with you guys many times my love for a one pot or one skillet. One dish to clean up YES PLEASE! Today’s recipe fits right into that skillet stuffed peppers, I guess it would be like unstuffed peppers, or stuffed peppers unstuffed or well let’s not worry about the naming of this. Let’s just talk about flavor, flavor, and ease of getting to eat! 

A long time ago I shared my first experience with you guys about making traditional stuffed peppers, you can read about it here . I love my version of stuffed peppers but at times they can be a bit daunting with scraping out the pepper and having to parboil it then stuffing it, just a lot of steps. Steps that Monday through Friday I don’t really have time for. But getting the same flavor without the steps I've got time for that! Let’s do this!

Stuffed Pepper Skillet

Ingredients

1 lb ground Pork, Beef, Turkey (whatever suits you)

½ onion diced

2 bell peppers diced (any color we used red and green Charlot’s choice)

1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice (the kind that takes 20 minutes or so)

1 can Tomato Sauce

1 TBSP Butter

2 Cups Chicken Stock (or Vegetable)

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

Directions

In a large skillet brown your meat with the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper. Drain. Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese. Allow mixture to set for 5 minutes or so to thicken. Serve with crusty bread YUMMY! Enjoy! 

Baked Cheez-It Chicken Strips

What could be better chicken wrapped in buttery cheesy Cheez-its? Hum I can’t think of much.  Ok I am sure there are many things but apparently not to my lovely little child. You see I am dealing with a bit of a picky eater, a bit might not really cover it. Getting her to eat used to be one of my least favorite things to do, but starting right after Christmas we enacted a new rule that she had to try at least one bite of everything on her plate. You see my kid wouldn’t ask for something else to eat she just would not eat, grrrr. It was like she was on a hunger strike. With the new rule the first few weeks were rough, I mean ROUGH. Today we are so far from where we were, thank goodness!

Last night I made this dish, with the help of my sous chef Charlot. And they were a hit! I had made it several times before as a whole chicken breast but I thought maybe a strip would go over better for her and boy oh boy was I right! This was what she said as she finished her plate , “Momma could you save some of this chicken for me, I really really liked it.” Hum yes I can!

This is a super easy weeknight supper to prepare for your family. These strips stay really moist on the outside while the crust gets really crunchy, perfect for dipping! I served mine with oven fries, and peas (Charlot’s choice), I bit of a weird combo but hey she was happy. Please enjoy with your family, and let me know what you think! 

Cheez-it Chicken Strips

4 boneless skinless Chicken Breast, sliced into strips

½ box of Cheez-its, Crushed (I use the regular ones but you could switch it up to any flavor)

½ cup Flour

1 Egg

½ cup Milk

5-10 dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil, spray with pam. Set up three shallow dishes (I use pie plates). In the first add your flour, season flour with salt and pepper. Beat egg, milk and hot sauce together in the second dish season with salt and pepper. In the third the crushed cheez-its. Take chicken coat in flour then egg and finally cheez-its, place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken, as you are placing on the baking sheet leave room between strips for optimal crunchiness! Bake for 15 minutes then flip and bake 10-15 minutes more. Enjoy! 

One Pot Wednesday...Quinoa Taco Bowls

Not exactly one pot more like one pan but still one piece to clean up! Can I get an AMEN! We love and I mean LOVE Mexican style food in our house. Tacos especially! In an effort to expand our food horizons and continue on my journey towards a healthier me I decided that we needed to check out this whole Quinoa thing! I know it has been around and popular forever but as usual I am last to jump on the cool train! So my thought was why not make one of our favorite foods into a healthy hearty simple supper?

This is the kind I bought just for reference

Quinoa Taco Bowls

(serves 6)

1 lb Hamburger

1/2 Onion (diced)

1/2 Bell Pepper (dices)

1 TBSP Cumin

1 TBSP Chile Powder

1/4 TSP Red Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 can Black Beans (rinsed and drained)

1 can Diced Tomatoes ( I used fire roasted)

1 Pkg Roasted Garlic Quinoa 

1 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

Taco Toppings-

Lettuce

Tomato

Cheese

Avocado

Sour Cream 

Brown Hamburger with onion and bell pepper, cook until no longer brown, and drain. Return hamburger to the same skillet turn heat to medium add seasonings, stir to coat the meat. Add in beans, tomatoes, quinoa, and stock bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with taco toppings, serve how you would like just serve and enjoy!

Harvest Salad

Holy Halloween! The candy bug bit me big time I could not seem to stop eating it on Friday. So in an effort to hit the reset button on Saturday I really had a hankering for a nice salad. But it was extremely cold Saturday so I knew a nice hearty salad is all that would do. I couldn’t get the idea of fall flavors in a salad out of my head that is where this beauty was born. 

Ingredients could easily be switched out to change up the flavor a bit, pecans for almonds, parmesan for blue cheese, oh and turkey for chicken (I’m thinking thanksgiving leftovers). But I would highly recommend leaving the apples in there, their sweetness combined with the sharpness from the vinaigrette is awesome. Give this a try. Oh you could easily leave out the meat and eat it as a starter to a meal! Hope you all enjoy! 

Before adding the chicken and apples

After, YUMMY

Harvest Salad

Makes 4

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 pieces of bacon (cooked and diced)

1 bag fresh spinach 

1 bag of an artisan blend of lettuce (I prefer the artisan blend that has four small heads of lettuce that you have to chop)

2 Gala apples (sliced)

1 small package Dried Cranberries

1 small package sliced Almonds (toasted)

2-3 oz blue cheese

Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with a bit of EVOO and butter, season chicken with salt and pepper. Add whole chicken breasts and sear until cooked through usually 3-5 minutes/side. Allow to rest for 5 minutes prior to slicing thin. I like to plate these salads individually but the same thing can be done in a large bowl. Start with spinach and lettuce blend, top with almonds, cranberries, and cheese. Lastly add warm chicken and apples. 

Plum vinaigrette 

 ¼ cup plum preserves

½ cup EVOO

1 TBSP Dijon Mustard

1 tsp apple cider vinegar 

Salt and pepper to taste

Wisk all ingredients together until well combined. Drizzle over salad and toss. 

Chicken Taco Skillet

Well here I am finally back to some sort of normalcy hopefully there will more frequent blog posts! I made this one night last week and got some awesome reviews from husband, child and father-in-law. I found this to be a perfect week night recipe done start to finish in thirty minutes flat. I loved the fact that it had all the flavors of a taco without the mess of shells and assembling. Plus an added bonus is that it is loaded with lots of good healthy proteins and is pretty darn figure friendly.

So if you are stuck on what to feed the fam one night this week give this bad boy a try!

Chicken Taco Skillet (Serves 5-6)

4 boneless skinless chicken breast (diced)

1 onion (diced)

2 cups minute brown rice

1 can diced tomatoes (I like the cilantro lime flavor)

1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 small can sliced olives (drained)

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 tbsp cumin

¼ red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings:

Shredded Lettuce

Diced Tomato

Avocado

Lime Wedges

Salsa

In an oven proof skillet brown your chicken breast and onion. Once cooked through add all remaining ingredients except cheese and toppings. Reduce Heat to Medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Once rice is puffed top with cheese and brown in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Serve in bowls and top as you please! Enjoy!

Squash Boats

Each summer my momma, my co-workers, and just about anyone I know become overwhelmed with zucchini and yellow squash. It seems that one plant will produce 1000, not really but lots. I love these little summer treasures and I am always looking for new ways to prepare them. Hint the blog will have several recipes featuring these soon. Any who a great friend of mine was talking about these stuffed zucchini’s that she make and shared this recipe with me. Well boy oh boy where these good, I loved using them with the yellow squash while the hubs preferred the zucchini. On top of that they were super easy and I was able to do most of the prep work the night before and just assemble before baking!

Give this recipe and try I am sure it will become one of your summer faves. I am thinking about making these again this week and switching up the fillings, stay tuned for that! Thank you again to Cheri for opening my eyes to this simple supper.

Here are my beautiful boats pre-roast

Post roast

Stuffed with cheese added on top.

Squash Boats

3-4 zucchini or yellow summer squash

1 lb pork sausage

1 box of stuffing (prepared)

6-8 slices of cheese (I prefer provolone)

EVOO

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut your squash in half length wise and scrape out the center creating a vessel for your stuffing. Place squash on a foil lined pan cut side up and drizzle with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your squash. In the meantime brown your sausage and prepare the stuffing according to the package directions, or you could make your own but I took the easy way out! Once the squash is nice and tender remove from oven and lower oven temp to 350. Fill squash with sausage then cover with stuffing. Drizzle the tops with a bit more EVOO and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, just make sure the filling has gotten good and hot. In the last two minutes top each squash with a slice of the cheese. Allow cheese to melt and brown slightly. Last step ENJOY!

Dinner for one...Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Do you ever have times when you have a crazy night that you need to get many things done and everyone in your home seems to be eating at different times? No, oh so it really is only us. Well occasionally I find our house in those moments. For instance the gate opening night, Charlot and I took the hubs supper, got home I quickly fed her supper and got some laundry done before my parents were supposed to be at our house for our nightly walk. Then when we got home from the walk it was bath time, story time, pray time and bed time for Charlot. And about 8:45 I still hadn’t eaten. I understand it isn’t great on your body to eat so late but I was STARVING! So this little throw together is one I go to in a pinch regularly! Sometimes I add leftover grilled chicken to it, but on this night I ate it straight up like this just noodles, veggies and sauce! If you ever find yourself starving late at night, and need a meal in under 10 minutes flat here is your go to!


Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

1 handful of Angel hair pasta (depends on how much you want)

A couple handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp Butter

1tbsp EVOO

1/8 cup Milk (I use whole)

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

1 Roma Tomato (seeded and diced)

½ Lemon (zest and juice)

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, druing the last minute or two of cooking throw in your spinach. Drain and set aside. In the same pot you cooked your pasta in melt butter and EVOO. Turn heat down a bit stir in your milk. Season with salt and pepper. Grate in the parmesan cheese and stir quickly add pasta and spinach back to the pot. Stir to combine everything add in tomatoes and lemon juice and zest stir to incorporate. Top with a bit more cheese. ENJOY!

BLT Ranch Chicken Wraps

This is a long story that does end with a yummy supper! So please bear with me!


As with a lot of Saturday mornings I put a ton of chicken breasts in a crock pot with seasoning and broth to cook so I can shred them and freeze them for future suppers. This past Saturday was no different except for I got on Pintrest just before starting batch of chicken and I saw a picture of a ranch chicken wrap. I didn’t look at the recipe or anything I just saw the picture and could not get the thought of it out of my head.

Off to the kitchen I headed to make some ranch chicken. Basically I threw a large pack of fresh chicken breasts and added one packet of ranch for every four breasts. Then topped it all with some chicken broth a cup or so, the crockpot did the rest. I was so excited because those chicken ranch wraps were happening for supper that evening!

The hubs, Charlot and I headed out to run a few errands that morning before I dropped him off to bale some hay (yes it is hay season, rain is currently in a love/hate relationship with the hubs). The longer we were out that morning the more quiet and clingy Charlot became. Once she and I got home I thought she felt pretty warm and her cheeks were really red. I took her temp 103.2 YIKES! She seemed fine that morning, seriously. I called our pediatric after hours hotline, which the Dr. on call said get her to an urgent care. Great! Here is a trip to Columbia I wasn’t planning on.

Charlot and I headed out right before noon and got to urgent care an hour or so later to find out she has STREP! Yuck! They sent us home with antibiotics and a Popsicle. It was late in the afternoon by the time we got back home and I was starving! Oh thankfully that lovely chicken was waiting on me!

I started to prepare dinner for us, Charlot said she wanted noodles (I figured soft on her throat) and bacon (no clue but if she was eating it I was feeding it). But the bacon made a lovely addition to the wraps I was planning for dinner. I also added making the dressing basically because it is much more figure friendly. Feel free to use whatever ranch you may like!

These puppies were awesome! They are on the menu for supper again tonight! Nice and filling while still being cool and light for the summer. These were great served warm but would be delish cool as well to throw in a lunch box, the hubs may or may not find one in his supper box for hay baling tonight!

Give them a try!

BLT Ranch Chicken Wraps (makes 4 wraps)

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I cooked a whole crockpot with ranch seasoning and a bit of stock, I shredded them all used what I needed then froze the rest)

½ head Shredded Romaine Lettuce

1 tomato halved then sliced

6 pieces for bacon cut in half and cooked

4 spinach wraps

1 Cup Greek Yogurt ranch (recipe below)

Mix about half of the dressing with the shredded chicken, set aside. Now it is time for assembly. Place a wrap on your cutting board, spread about a tablespoon of the ranch in the middle of the wrap spreading it out nice and thin. Top with ¼ of the shredded chicken. Next lettuce, followed by tomato, and finally 3 pieces of BACON, you could add some more dressing at this point if you would like. Fold the sides in and tightly roll, keeping sides tucked in. Slice the wrap in half and Enjoy!

Greek Yogurt Ranch

1 pkg of dry ranch dressing mix

1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

2-4 TBSP Milk (depending on desired consistency)

Juice of half a lemon

Place all ingredients in a Mason jar close the lid and shake add more milk for a thinner consistency.

Slimmed down Chicken Pot Pie

A week or so ago we had a bit of a cold snap here, thankfully we have enjoyed a few days of really nice weather. But this week we are forecasted to only have day time highs in the low 60’s. This meal is great for those types of days. Not super heavy but warm and comforting all at the same time.

This bad boy also is perfect because it makes two pies at once, so you have one to share or freeze. We shared our extra one. Charlot and I delivered it to a family in town that momma is on bed rest trying to keep her baby girl in just a bit longer. As I was making the meal I kept thinking how hard it would be to be on bed rest have a little one and try to get supper on the table. Light bulb! Deliver them the extra pie!

On my mission to lead a healthier lifestyle I refuse to give up some of my favorite dishes. Chicken Pot Pie happens to be one of them! So to make this a bit more figure friendly I have first and foremost gotten rid of the bottom crust, it really isn’t that necessary. I also replaced most of the cream that you would use in a normal preparation with veggie stock and just did a splash of cream at the end. Lastly I made four chicken breast stretch between two pies and bumped up the veggies!

If you are looking for a warm comforting meal that will satisfy your need for rich hearty food without all the guilt check this puppy out!

Slimmed Down Chicken Pot Pie

1 basic pie crust recipe link Here (or you can use the store bought kind in the refrigerator section)

1 large onion (diced)

5 stalks of celery (diced)

5 Carrots (diced)

2 cups frozen corn

1 cup frozen peas

1 ½ tbsp. flour

2-2 ½ cups of vegetable stock

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (poached and diced)

Salt and pepper to taste

Splash of Cream

Pre heat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat some evoo add in the onion, celery, carrots cook until softened usually takes about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the veggies, continue stirring to cook out the raw flour taste. Gradually add the stock, stirring and adding until you have reached your desired consistency. Add in your chicken, corn, and peas. Stir to coat. You may need to add more broth at this point. Finish with just a splash of heavy cream. Split the mixture evenly between two pie pans. Top each pan with one crust. Cut a slit in the curst, and brush some extra cream on the top and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown!

Quick and Easy Calzones

I love a meal that I can come home from work and have ready to go in less tha 45 minutes...it makes this girl happy happy happy! These bad boys are perfect for a family on the go! You can bake them and freeze them for future meals, you can customize them according to each persons preferences, and you can make them from scratch or use some helpers from the store!

A calzone is a huge hit at our house because Charlot and the hubs are huge fans of pepperoni while I am not so much! And Charlot doesn't really like sauce so she can dip as much as she does or doesn't want too! Have these and a nice fresh salad and you have a complete meal! Or if you are like me stick some spinach inside and you have your whole meal all wrapped up and ready to go! 

Since I currently have an abundance of ground pork in my freezer the night I made these I decided it was a good use for it! Oh and I didn't have any pepperoni in the house! But seriously use this basic recipe to change and adapt. Also on a challenge from a friend I made my own crust for these, but feel free to use the can stuff! I am happy to say I made it though making my own pizza dough. I used The Pioneer Woman's recipe check it out if you want! Here's the link!

 Easy Calzones makes 4-6

1 ball pizza dough 

1 lb of ground pork

1 onion diced

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flake

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 

1 ball fresh Monzzarella Cheese (sliced)

1 jar pizza sauce (I made the crust that night I figured that was enough homemade) 

Brown the pork with the onion and seasons and drain. Allow it to cool for a bit while you cut out your dough circles. Cut out or roll out circles of dough that are around 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Add some meat mixture in center in a line, top with some cheese. Fold the dough over and crimp the edges. Place on a tray, drizzle with some evoo and sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt. Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.  Warm the sauce while the calzones are baking and serve for dipping!!! 

Enjoy!