Tuesday, February 27, 2018

What's for Dinner Essentials

This week is a little wonky- my husband has a couple of late night meetings and combined with school activities I am not really cooking. We love hot pockets, Auntie Annie's Pretzel Dogs, and popcorn shrimp on weeks like this!

Instead, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite kitchen supplies with you! Everything is linked, but I'm in no way paid or supported if you purchase.

Herb Scissors
These are like 5 scissors in one. So after you wash your herbs, you can just cut away and it keeps the pieces really small. I hated using fresh herbs until I got these.

This thing is the best- it cuts it open, takes the pit out and then slices it. Perfect for getting all of the meat of the fruit out! I use it to make guacamole whenever we have Mexican food.



Eighth Jelly Roll Pan
These pans are perfect for heating up a handful of small things. I would say they are half of a cookie sheet, maybe a little smaller. They are great for 4 slices of garlic bread, two hot pockets, a handful of sausage balls. They are by far the most used pans in our kitchen! We have four of them and one is always in the sink!


8x8 Square Pyrex
Because we are a family of three, I take most recipes and cut them in half. So what would normally go in a 13x9, I make in two 8x8 dishes. So, we cook one and freeze the other. These are perfect for casseroles to bake or freeze.

Now these next few are pricier, but I swear by them! I've received them as Christmas gifts (from my own wish list) or bought them with bonus checks from work. They are all used often!

I love to bake and I use this for baking always; however, more often than cookie dough, this thing is filled with boiled chicken breasts to shred! The paddle attachment shreds chicken in under a minute. I love it for that reason alone!


Le Creuset Braiser
I added this to my kitchen a few years ago at an outlet mall sale. The cashier told me it was her most used Le Creuset pan in her kitchen. I can see why! It is a giant skillet- it is perfect for the one pan meals where you brown meat, drain it and then add a bunch of stuff in. It can do 4 pounds of taco meat- huge! It can go right from the stove top to the oven and the lid is perfect for keeping everything warm if your side dish timing is off. I love this pan!

Le Creuset Dutch Oven
The other Le Creuset that I own and love is my dutch oven. We cook all soups, stews and roasts in here. I went bigger than I thought I needed and don't regret it! I first bought the inexpensive HEB version of this to see how often I'd use it. The HEB version was great if you want to spend less. I found that the Le Cresuet version held a much tighter seal with the lid on which helped with moisture. If you can find a good deal on a Staub, they are almost the same! I own a smaller Staub version. It is black on the inside instead of cream, but I can't tell you another difference in the brands.




See you next week with some yummy meals!

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

What's for Dinner #7

Here are four dinners we are having this week:

Meal #1
Creamy Chicken and Rice
Garden Salad
Homemade Garlic Knots

Growing up, chicken and rice included cream of mushroom soup and I hated it. It was brown and mushy and never my favorite dinner. This one has no mushrooms, but is colorful, cheesy and really delicious! It makes a really big pot and tastes great as leftovers.

Homemade Garlic Knots
These come from Amy of Euna Mae's and they are fun to make and always a hit!

Pillsbury Pizza Crust
1/2 stick butter
1 clove garlic
oregano
Parmesan cheese

Roll out pizza crush on cutting board and cut into 12 strips. I use a tool like this. Make knots with each strip and place on a cookie sheet spread out like you would cookies. Bake on 425 for 10 minutes.

While it is baking, melt butter and garlic in small saucepan. Add a few shakes of oregano and spread on garlic knots. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Meal #2
Copycat Lettuce Wraps
Trader Joe's Veggie Fried Rice
Edamame

I've never made lettuce wraps at home, but am excited to give these a try this week!

Meal #3
Healthy Chicken Potato Soup

We were in Las Vegas most of last week and all of the food was so rich and portions were so big! We ate a big breakfast and early dinner each day because we just weren't hungry for lunch. Coming home, Marcus said, "I just want a simple bowl of soup for dinner". So, soup is on the menu this week!

Meal #4
Crispy Tacos
Chips and Guacamole

Sweet Treat
Our church has DNOW for our youth this weekend and I'm bringing these cookies. They look amazing and different!

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies


Tuesday, February 6, 2018

What's for Dinner #6

Here are four dinners we are having this week:

MEAL #1
Chicken Parm Sliders- these are super easy with rotisserie chicken, jar marinara and sliced cheese. We have them with tater tots and strawberries sweetened with a little sugar and whipped cream.


MEAL #2
Euna Mae's Chicken Noodle soup
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

We love this soup and it's perfect for a cold wet day! I make a half portion since it makes so much or make it all and have yummy leftovers. It is super easy to make and this time around I'm using the other half of the rotisserie chicken for the sliders above.

My favorite food in all the world is a grilled cheese. I order it out and make it at home often. I had a yummy one at my friend Kristin's house and I make mine at home just like she did now. Use sourdough bread, mozzarella cheese and put a little Lawry's Seasoned Salt in the melted butter as your spread it on for grilling. It's so good!

MEAL #3
Steak Burrito Bowls
Chips and Guacamole

I had these with my other Kristen friend and they were easy to make and everyone was happy building their own bowl. Here is what I include:

Steak Fajita Meat or Grilled Chicken (I bought pre-seasoned steak fajita meat this time)
Chipotle Copycat Cilantro Lime Rice
Beans- canned black or pinto rinsed really well
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Guacamole- I mash up avocados and add the store made pico de gallo, garlic salt and lime juice

MEAL #4
Cheesy Baked Meatballs
Pasta Side Dish, like Pasta-Roni
Fresh Green Beans



These meatballs are really easy and really good! We make them and freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and once frozen, throw them in a baggie for future meals. When you go to make them the second time, you can thaw them and follow the directions to pour sauce and cheese on them. It makes 16 meatballs and 8 is enough for us. My daughter LOVES these meatballs!

NOTE: Both of these photos aren't mine and come from the same source as the recipe.