The recipe I'm about to list here isn't my own recipe. My family has used it for years and you can find it all over the internet with little variations here and there. And to top it off, I've included my own variation to make myself feel healthier.
In a small bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit (blueberries, sliced peaches/strawberries/pineapple/whatever). Heat 6oz of water with 3tsp sugar on the stove or in the microwave and pour over fruit.
Preheat oven to 350, put 1/2 stick butter in a 9x13 glass pan, and let it sit in the oven while preheating. The oven is usually heated when the butter is completely melted.
While the butter is melting, mix 1/2c all-purpose flour, 1/2c whole wheat flour, 1c sugar, 2tsp baking powder, and 1c milk in a medium bowl. Once the butter is melted, pour the batter into the pan and then pour the fruit (including all of the juice) on top of that. I try to pour it so that the fruit is evenly distributed, but you don't need to worry about it too much. At this point, it will look like a complete mess, but that is okay, pop it back in the oven for 25-30 min or until the top is starting to turn golden brown.
PS- you can use 1c white flour, but I always feel a little better about eating this when I do half and half. You can also use a can of fruit instead of making your own.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Old World Chicken
I don't know why I call it this, but I do :-) There isn't anything difficult or special about this meal and lots of people do it. I still want to write it down.
- Preheat oven to 350
- Take a whole chicken (don't forget the guts!), rinse it, pat it dry.
- Quarter an onion and mince some garlic cloves, then stuff it in the chicken
- Place chicken breast-side down in a roasting pan. Loosen the skin and put some butter between the meat and the skin (There's usually an opening on the tail area and the neck)
Bake (uncovered) upside down for 1 1/2 hours, then turn it breast-side-up and bake until it's done! I use a meat thermometer- I *think* it's supposed to read 160? Oh and you can periodically baste your chicken with the juices.
PS- Sometimes I sprinkle Montreal Chicken seasoning on the skin for extra flavors. You can also add Rosemary when you're stuffing :-)
I serve it with whatever sides I have in the pantry. Tonight it's wild rice and garbonzo beans!
- Preheat oven to 350
- Take a whole chicken (don't forget the guts!), rinse it, pat it dry.
- Quarter an onion and mince some garlic cloves, then stuff it in the chicken
- Place chicken breast-side down in a roasting pan. Loosen the skin and put some butter between the meat and the skin (There's usually an opening on the tail area and the neck)
Bake (uncovered) upside down for 1 1/2 hours, then turn it breast-side-up and bake until it's done! I use a meat thermometer- I *think* it's supposed to read 160? Oh and you can periodically baste your chicken with the juices.
PS- Sometimes I sprinkle Montreal Chicken seasoning on the skin for extra flavors. You can also add Rosemary when you're stuffing :-)
I serve it with whatever sides I have in the pantry. Tonight it's wild rice and garbonzo beans!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
BBQ chicken
I'm a southern kind of girl with relatives from FL, GA, NC, and WV. No yankee here! By nature, I love canned veggies, slow cooking, and BBQ.
Last night I made some BBQ chicken in my crockpot. It's a favorite and an easy one. The only problem was that I forgot to thaw my chicken (that I got for .69/lb at publix!!). If you like chicken and want to save money, please don't waste your money buying boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Learn how to cut it off the bone and the skinning part is a no-brainer. As I've said before, if you can't butcher a chicken, you shouldn't eat it! lol Plus cooking with bones adds flavor. Every try boneless/skinless chicken without seasoning? Yeah, yuck.
I hate using the microwave but it was 12:30 and I was running out of options! I cooked the chicken in the microwave, then put it in the crockpot on high with a can of coke for 4 hours. Then I put it on a plate to get the meat out and shredded. I scooped almost all of the coke/chicken juice out of the pot, put the meat back in, added some BBQ sauce, and cooked it on low for an hour.
If you're really good, you could use the bones for broth and save the coke/juice for next time, but I'm not that good. Plus, I don't have a second fridge or deep freezer.
Last night was a lazy night since we were still recovering from being sick. We just took a beach towel outside and had a picnic on the driveway. Silas likes being outside and it's great weather right now.
Oh and did I mention it freezes well? Cook a lot and you'll have freezer meals ready!
ps- idk what it is about BBQ, but corn is a must for me.
Last night I made some BBQ chicken in my crockpot. It's a favorite and an easy one. The only problem was that I forgot to thaw my chicken (that I got for .69/lb at publix!!). If you like chicken and want to save money, please don't waste your money buying boneless/skinless chicken breasts. Learn how to cut it off the bone and the skinning part is a no-brainer. As I've said before, if you can't butcher a chicken, you shouldn't eat it! lol Plus cooking with bones adds flavor. Every try boneless/skinless chicken without seasoning? Yeah, yuck.
I hate using the microwave but it was 12:30 and I was running out of options! I cooked the chicken in the microwave, then put it in the crockpot on high with a can of coke for 4 hours. Then I put it on a plate to get the meat out and shredded. I scooped almost all of the coke/chicken juice out of the pot, put the meat back in, added some BBQ sauce, and cooked it on low for an hour.
If you're really good, you could use the bones for broth and save the coke/juice for next time, but I'm not that good. Plus, I don't have a second fridge or deep freezer.
Last night was a lazy night since we were still recovering from being sick. We just took a beach towel outside and had a picnic on the driveway. Silas likes being outside and it's great weather right now.
Oh and did I mention it freezes well? Cook a lot and you'll have freezer meals ready!
ps- idk what it is about BBQ, but corn is a must for me.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Whoopie cream cheese pie
Don't hate me for sharing this one. You might gain weight when you make these, not my fault. I don't like most icing. The only kind I really like is chocolate or cream cheese. The problem is that sometimes it doesn't taste like the flavor. I've found my own amount of cream cheese to make it taste more like cream cheese than sugar or butter.
Use a box of chocolate cake mix (like devil's food). Mix in 1 egg, 1/4 c water, 1/4 c oil. Roll 1-inch balls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. You have to be careful because chocolate cookies need to be chewy. I take mine out when they firm to a gentle touch on the edges. Don't let them cook until they are firm in the center. They will end up rock hard!
For the icing...
1 package of cream cheese softened
1/2 stick of butter softened (1/4 cup)
1/2 c powdered sugar
Stick the icing in a ziploc bag, squeeze the icing down to the bottom, cut a small hole in the corner, and you've got an easy, cheap icing thingy. I start in the center of the cookie and go in circles until I hit the edges. Top with another cookie and then squeeze another tiny swirl of icing on the top because it looks pretty and cream cheese is yummy.
ps- you can use any cake mix and any icing to change it up!
Use a box of chocolate cake mix (like devil's food). Mix in 1 egg, 1/4 c water, 1/4 c oil. Roll 1-inch balls of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. You have to be careful because chocolate cookies need to be chewy. I take mine out when they firm to a gentle touch on the edges. Don't let them cook until they are firm in the center. They will end up rock hard!
For the icing...
1 package of cream cheese softened
1/2 stick of butter softened (1/4 cup)
1/2 c powdered sugar
Stick the icing in a ziploc bag, squeeze the icing down to the bottom, cut a small hole in the corner, and you've got an easy, cheap icing thingy. I start in the center of the cookie and go in circles until I hit the edges. Top with another cookie and then squeeze another tiny swirl of icing on the top because it looks pretty and cream cheese is yummy.
ps- you can use any cake mix and any icing to change it up!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Breakfast (and my sugar addiction)
This might sound too boring to some people, but we eat oatmeal for breakfast nearly every day. My argument is that people think it's dull, yet they'll get the same thing every morning from Burger King on their way to work. Oatmeal gets a bad reputation and I think that's unfair. Oatmeal is very versatile and healthy. Plus, it's cheap and easy.
I get the old fashion or steel cut oats, throw it in the rice cooker, and get ready for the day. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook, but that's how long it takes me to shower and get dressed! It's perfect and too simple. Plus, even if you get organic oatmeal, it's so inexpensive.
Cook the oatmeal the same way you'd cook rice (I use a smidge less water). One "cup" of rice for the cooker is actually 3/4 cup which is coincidentally the same portion as what is considered heart healthy. Some people recommend soaking the steel cut oats overnight for easier digestion (plus you only have to turn the cooker on in the morning). I bought regular oats when they were BOGO, so I haven't tried it out. Add a boiled egg or a spoonful of peanut butter and some fruit on the side to complete it. The result is an easy, healthy, filling breakfast that will get your day started the right way with plenty of energy.
I'm trying to get away from sugar in my oatmeal. It's preset in my mind to dump in brown sugar for that ooey gooey yummy sweetness. I used to also add butter, but I've broken that habit. It's simply that, a habit to add sugar. It's totally not necessary though. I eat lots of food without sugar and oatmeal should be one of them. Blueberries or banana mixed in should be enough. A huge reduction in sugar is a big goal I'm working towards right now. It's hard though. I've found that I don't even count how much sugar I consume. Sugar SHOULD be a rare occasion kind of food- only 1-2 times a week. Instead, we dump it in everything from coffee to oatmeal to dessert.
When I went to Spain, I dropped 15 pounds and I wasn't dieting. In fact, I was eating more. They simply don't eat the sugar we eat over here and their biggest meal is lunch. Dessert is a piece of fruit. Their sensitivity to sugar is much higher than a typical USA-er. When we had a German exchange student for a few weeks, she couldn't button her pants after a few weeks. I felt so bad for her, especially since she wasn't actually eating very much food. She said our food was greasy, processed, and filled with salt. Dairy queen vanilla cones were the only thing she enjoyed and she asked for them every day. I guess that shows how strong a human's disposition for sugar really is? My german sister came back to visit several times and she always went home with tight pants.
In the end, eliminating sugar from foods like oatmeal is my current goal. I used to start the day with coke. I'm a hardcore addict trying to recover. One step at a time...
I get the old fashion or steel cut oats, throw it in the rice cooker, and get ready for the day. It takes about 15-20 minutes to cook, but that's how long it takes me to shower and get dressed! It's perfect and too simple. Plus, even if you get organic oatmeal, it's so inexpensive.
Cook the oatmeal the same way you'd cook rice (I use a smidge less water). One "cup" of rice for the cooker is actually 3/4 cup which is coincidentally the same portion as what is considered heart healthy. Some people recommend soaking the steel cut oats overnight for easier digestion (plus you only have to turn the cooker on in the morning). I bought regular oats when they were BOGO, so I haven't tried it out. Add a boiled egg or a spoonful of peanut butter and some fruit on the side to complete it. The result is an easy, healthy, filling breakfast that will get your day started the right way with plenty of energy.
I'm trying to get away from sugar in my oatmeal. It's preset in my mind to dump in brown sugar for that ooey gooey yummy sweetness. I used to also add butter, but I've broken that habit. It's simply that, a habit to add sugar. It's totally not necessary though. I eat lots of food without sugar and oatmeal should be one of them. Blueberries or banana mixed in should be enough. A huge reduction in sugar is a big goal I'm working towards right now. It's hard though. I've found that I don't even count how much sugar I consume. Sugar SHOULD be a rare occasion kind of food- only 1-2 times a week. Instead, we dump it in everything from coffee to oatmeal to dessert.
When I went to Spain, I dropped 15 pounds and I wasn't dieting. In fact, I was eating more. They simply don't eat the sugar we eat over here and their biggest meal is lunch. Dessert is a piece of fruit. Their sensitivity to sugar is much higher than a typical USA-er. When we had a German exchange student for a few weeks, she couldn't button her pants after a few weeks. I felt so bad for her, especially since she wasn't actually eating very much food. She said our food was greasy, processed, and filled with salt. Dairy queen vanilla cones were the only thing she enjoyed and she asked for them every day. I guess that shows how strong a human's disposition for sugar really is? My german sister came back to visit several times and she always went home with tight pants.
In the end, eliminating sugar from foods like oatmeal is my current goal. I used to start the day with coke. I'm a hardcore addict trying to recover. One step at a time...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Chick'n patties
I must warn you, this was a complete cop-out kind of meal. It was Thursday night and I felt dead. This is one of those times that I'm glad to have stuff in the freezer.
-English muffin and chick'n sandwich
-Green beans
The chick'n is tofu, but oh-so-satisfying! We bought the Publix Greenwise ones in the freezer section.
This meal was around $1.75/person, mainly because of the chick'n. I'm going to try some recipes at home for these and bean "burgers" to bring down the cost. Some nights, you need something to just throw together without much effort. Much healthier than fast food :)
-English muffin and chick'n sandwich
-Green beans
The chick'n is tofu, but oh-so-satisfying! We bought the Publix Greenwise ones in the freezer section.
This meal was around $1.75/person, mainly because of the chick'n. I'm going to try some recipes at home for these and bean "burgers" to bring down the cost. Some nights, you need something to just throw together without much effort. Much healthier than fast food :)
Burritos with enchilada sauce
This one is pretty simple.
- burrito
- rice
- black beans
- salsa
- cheese
Wrap it up, put it in a baking dish, pour enchilada sauce and sprinkle some cheese, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes (or so). Oh, and I like sour cream on the side :-)
I got my veggies and fruits in earlier in the day, so I didn't feel bad about dinner. Stacking 2 burritos on my plate, I quickly re-thought my judgment about halfway through. It was still quite delicioso and CHEAP!!! Around $1.14/burrito to be exact.
That ain't bad folks!
- burrito
- rice
- black beans
- salsa
- cheese
Wrap it up, put it in a baking dish, pour enchilada sauce and sprinkle some cheese, and bake at 375 for 20 minutes (or so). Oh, and I like sour cream on the side :-)
I got my veggies and fruits in earlier in the day, so I didn't feel bad about dinner. Stacking 2 burritos on my plate, I quickly re-thought my judgment about halfway through. It was still quite delicioso and CHEAP!!! Around $1.14/burrito to be exact.
That ain't bad folks!
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