22 down, about 10 to go

It's been cook day all of October 11 in the Wesner house. For the first time, 3 of the girls helped me. Rose, Bug, and JB were all in on it. JB cracked us up with her hand-mashing of the meatloaf. Rose was completely grossed out.

Speaking of meatloaf, we tried doing it in muffin tins. They're little meatloaf muffins. Great for when just a couple of us are home and we only want a little.

Lots of soup and crock pot items this time as well. Beef Burgundy, Vegetable Soup, Taco Soup. It's fall and soups are great with bread.

Tomorrow is full of Chicken Enchiladas and several other chicken dishes, as well as a few beef. But the kitchen is clean tonight and the soups and crock pot are cooking. Never let it be said that there's nothing to eat at our house.

xoxoxox

Just a Couple of Quick Things

I was cooking dinner tonight -- Cashew Chicken -- and I realised that I am not a lover of cooking.

What I love is to create something pretty that everyone loves. Cashew chicken is a very pretty dish, and everyone at our table loves it. Interesting realisation.

I also thought about what makes cooking easier for me, and I thought I'd pass along a couple of things, in case you're a new wife or mom and are newish to the cooking thing:

1. Buy a rubber or silicone spatula. You'll be so glad you did. You'll be able to get the last little bit out of virtually everything.

2. Be careful when you're cooking over gas not to catch the potholder on fire. It's really easy to do.

3. Buy a really good chef's knife and learn how to use it. I have one of those santoku knives and I love it. But any kind of knife block will have a decent chef's knife in it.

4. Buy some of those kitchen tongs that caterers use. We call them "grabbers" at my house, and we have 3 different pairs. They're like salad grabbers (tongs). I was stir-frying the chicken tonight, and thought "these are so handy when you're cooking pieces of things." They really are; you can turn over individual pieces of things, toss a salad, even grab an oven rack when a potholder isn't handy.

5. Get a cutting board. I have about 4 in various sizes, but you really only need one. I use two small ones that have handles the most. Don't cut stuff on your countertop; you'll damage that and wreck your knife. Use a wooden cutting board, and then rinse it off with soap and water when you're done. I've had glass ones before, but again, they'll wreck your good knife. Just get a good wooden board and you'll use it forever.

Those are some of the most basic things that have made my life much easier in the kitchen. I hope they help you too -- you can always add them to the list of things your mom or Grandma gave you!

xoxox

On Couponing

Good grief, has it really been since mid-July that I've posted to this blog? For shame! I hang my head!

Well, let's have a word on couponing, shall we? It is the blessing and scourge of my life. I would love to be wealthy enough not to have to do it -- and yet I don't think I could resist saving all the money I do, so I'd still have to do it. Maybe I'd hire someone to cut them all out and file them.

Time consuming: yes. Worth it? Definitely yes. Here are a couple of blogs that I subscribe to, in case you need a coupon fix:

Clipper Girl's Saving Spot

It's Hip to Save

The Krazy Koupon Lady

I have the posts emailed to me -- and they are full of all kinds of ways to save. A virtual myriad of where to use the coupons you get, where to get them, where to get more, and how to best use them.

I have to try and limit myself, because I have a tendency to just go haywire. I only have so much room in my pantry, after all. I do try and get to Harris Teeter (my grocery store of choice) when they're doing either Super Doubles or Triples. I also try and pay attention to Target and WalMart, since I shop both those stores fairly often.

It can get overwhelming. And it's so tempting to buy everything that's a great deal, whether you need it or not. Fortunately, I have one Hunk O Man who commonly will say "Do you really have to grocery shop this week?"

He's right of course, and since Harris Teeter is about 35 minutes south of me, I usually wait.

On filing methods -- I've gone from an indexed box to a binder full of trading-card pages. It's still not perfect, but it's working for now. It's nice and portable and the best thing is that when you drop the binder, the coupons don't all fall out. Well, usually. It depends on whether or not I've gotten them into the little pockets in the pages instead of all stacked in the front of the alphabetical section.

We just can't all be obsessively perfect, you know. ; )

I do plan a cook day sometime this month. I've gone back to college with my two eldest -- we're all at the community college. Then there are three busy girls in high school -- so between jobs, school, high school tennis team matches, local theater productions, and Hunk O Man's job, it is a rare night we all have dinner together.

So I compensate by making something and leaving it on the stove for everyone. This is usually appreciated. In fact, Hunk O Man has been asking for Firecracker Cassarole lately --

xoxoxox

Firecracker Cassarole

This is your basic variation on a mexican-flavoured cassarole dish. But we loved it -- enjoy!

FIRECRACKER CASSAROLE

2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1-15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained

1-2 Tablespoons chili powder

2-3 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-7" flour tortillas

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1-10 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, cook the beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink. Drain.

Add the beans, chili powder, cumin, and salt.

Transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Arrange tortillas over the top.

Combine soup & tomatoes, pour over the tortillas.

Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.

8 servings.

Jen's notes:

1. I haven't made this in some time, but I do remember that we loved it when I did.

rating: 4 stars. A very good variation on the theme.

Graduation Cupcakes

We had two high school seniors graduate on Friday the 12th, so some celebrating was in order.

"Hello Cupcake's" blog has struck again. I found these adorable Graduation Cupcakes and had no trouble making them from Healthy Choice Devil's Food cookies, chocolate covered grahams, and a little yellow licorice.

I made the vanilla "from scratch" cupcakes, and they are amazingly delicious. Here's the recipe:

VANILLA CUPCAKES

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup milk (evaporated milk would be really good, or buttermilk)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1. Oven 350. Cream the butter and sugar; add the eggs.

2. Add the dry ingredients

3. Add the milk and oil, beat until smooth.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full, and bake about 20-23 minutes until golden.

To make the little diplomas, I just took a box of Golden Oreo "Fun Stix" and cut each one in half, wrapping a bit of licorice around it. Our school colours are black and gold, and honestly, the black licorice would have probably worked better. But the yellow was fine -- just a bit gooey in the middle, and we had to get creative with scissors.

I absolutely love Hello Cupcake in all its many forms. The blog, the book, it's all full of amazing designs that work with real ingredients -- and they work for those of us who are sewers and not chefs! Or bakers!

xoxoxox

Very Funny Stuff

I love British humour. I love spelling things the British way as well. I think my ancestors were British, although I'd have to live either in a British colony in the Caribbean or in Bermuda if I were to actually move to a British place. Can't take all that grey cloudy rain.

Anyway -- I found this on a blog called Cake Wrecks. It is very, very funny. Enjoy!



xoxox

Quick Tip

I make bread about every 2-3 days in our breadmaker. I've done this for years, since it appalls me that the cost of a loaf of bread is $1.00+.

Here's my basic recipe --

1 cup plus 2-3 T water -- enough to fill a one-cup liquid measure all the way to the top
2 eggs
2-3 T. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. instant mashed potatoes
1/4 - 1/2 c. instant dried milk
3 c. flour
2 tsp. yeast

The other night I was completely out of eggs AND bread. Instead of running to the store at 11PM, I decided to try and use mayonnaise.

I know. Mayonnaise IN bread? Not ON it?

Well, it worked! My philosophy was this: mayonnaise is basically just eggs and oil. So since these are two things I commonly use in my bread, they worked. In fact, the girls commented that it was really good bread -- and it was. Very moist and soft.

So there you go. If you're out of eggs and your recipe uses both eggs and oil, try using mayonnaise instead. It just might work.

xoxox

Gone, but not Forgotten

I'm still here. I've been crazy busy.

And in the meantime, my sweet, sweet friends here have blessed me again with some starter for Amish Friendship bread.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my sweet friends dearly. I also love their generosity and kindness.

But I'm am really tired of Amish Friendship bread and the goo in a ziplock that has to sit on my counter for a week.

So, this time, instead of making the sweet bread, I found a recipe for actual sourdough bread.

And it is delicious. Try this next time you get some of that starter --

AMISH SOURDOUGH BREAD

1 cup sourdough starter (follow your "Friendship Bread" directions)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

6 cups bread flour

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Oil a bowl and put the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap. Leave to rise overnight.

The next day, punch down and divide into 3 balls. Knead until smooth, and place into 3 oiled loaf pans. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Makes 3 loaves.

Jen's notes:

1. I divided the dough into 2 loaves instead of 3. I think this works better.

2. It may take this stuff awhile to rise. I'm used to the quick-rise yeast I always use; this really does take all night or 3-4 hours in a loaf pan.

3. You may need to bake 40-45 minutes; I baked for 35 and the center was doughy. But who cared -- the stuff was DIVINE!

4. I keep the starter in a plastic bowl with a lid instead of in a ziplock. You do have to stir it, but it looks a lot nicer on the counter.

rating: 5 stars. Absolutely delicious.

From "More" Magazine

I read this this morning and cracked up:

MIDLIFE STRESS-STUFFED CABBAGE

• 2 sets of aging parents, rapidly deteriorating
• 1-3 (or 5) wise!@# teenagers, or more in blended families, growing up alarmingly fast
• Escalating auto insurance rates
• Way too many college applications at any given time
• Inadequate college savings amounts
• Life-sucking jobs, yours, his, or both
• Enough wisdom to recognise all the mistakes you've made over the years
• Not enough wisdom to correct them
• Large cabbage leaves, as needed
• Olives, peppers, debt, and despair, for topping

1. Combine the first 8 problems (and you can use up any others that are rotting in your pantry). Pulverize into a pounding headache.

Stuff the cabbage leaves and, while performing this tedious task, think about doing rebellious things you did when you yourself were a wise!@# teenager, like getting some extra piercings or hitching a ride to Guatemala.

Top with olives, peppers, debt and despair and bake until everything and everyone has a complete meltdown. Serve with a flaming temper.

from "Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife," Fireside Publishing, copyright 2009 by Nava Atlas.

xoxox

Apple Sausage Quiche

This is a recipe I've adapted to my own use. I use the basics from a recipe I found online from the 1801 First Inn in Napa, CA:

Apple Sausage Quiche

One package chicken & apple sausage

2 Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsps. brown sugar

4 Tbsps. butter

1/2 chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix (Bisquick, Jiffy, or your own)

Cut up your sausage into bite-size pieces, and dice the two apples. You can leave the peel on if you like, or peel and core them and then dice them up.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sausage and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook it all together about 5 minutes. Add the apples and stir them around just to coat and pick up the flavours, about 2 minutes.

Spray the bottom of a quiche pan with nonstick spray. Place the cooked sausage, onions, and apples in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the whole thing.

In a blender (or in a bowl with a wire whisk), mix the milk, eggs, and baking mix. Whizz it up until smooth. Pour over the ingredients in the quiche pan.

Bake at 400 degrees until a toothpick or knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Jen's notes:

1. Use buttermilk if you want this really rich. Or skim if you don't need the calories.

2. I always get the chicken-apple sausage at Sam's Club, usually Emeril's or some other brand. Any kind of sausage will do, though.

3. You can use another kind of apple, but the Granny Smith will hold up to the baking the best.

4. If your kids don't like onion, you can use the dried minced variety, and just sprinkle it over the sausage as you cook it. Or add the minced dried onion to your milk and baking mix. Either way works and you still get the flavour without the texture of the actual onion.

rating: 4 stars. Bug loves this and Hunk O Man chows it down.

JB's Panda-monium BD

Birthdays are a VERY big deal around our house. Although gifts are optional, the singing and eating are not. Here's what happened in our kitchen yesterday --

I found this book while doing some grocery shopping last week at Sam's Club. I couldn't get over the photography, and even in frugal times, decided it was worth buying. Babydoll and I stood for probably 10 minutes marveling over each creation.

Everyone helped (except JB) with the making of some Panda cupcakes. I think the making of the cupcakes may have been exceptionally more fun than the eating of them! Malene, our Danish student, proved herself quite the expert at icing. Babydoll swiped her cheeks with icing warpaint, and GB tried to help without being too much of a perfectionist. My philosophy? Hey, it's food -- it's going to be eaten, so just do the best you can.

I highly recommend this book simply because of the fun we had doing it. And check out the Hello Cupcake blog, too -- it's worth it!

Lighting the pandas, who hold black and white candles

The guest of honor as she gets ready to blow them out

Our beloved Malene, Asbjorn, and Sun, Danish exchange-students who did a lot of the work

"This is the best birthday cake yet, Mom."

A reluctantly photographed Marco Polo





GB, who put aside his OCD to help add the ears and arms of the pandas

"Look, Ma, a panda"

Barbie: "OMG, I just ate a panda's head. Does this make me pandaniverous?"

GB has no qualms about definitely being pandaniverous, and babydoll shows off her icing war-paint.


A fabulous time was had by all. I think the best of life happens in the kitchen.

xoxox

Roast Beast

This is your typical Roast Beast. I always do it in a crock pot -- there are as many recipes for it as there are chili or chicken soup. But if you're new to cooking, here's an easy one to remember.

ROAST BEAST

One beef roast, any type -- rump, sirloin, etc. Any old big hunk o' beast.

2-3 onions, quartered

3-4 baking potatoes, quartered

1-2 cloves of garlic, smashed with your hand under a knife and skins removed

a small bag of mini carrots, or about half a bag of carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

salt

pepper

worcestershire sauce, a couple of good shakes around the pot

red wine, any type, enough to get it good and wet

Put all this into a crock pot and turn on for about 8 hours. If your beef is frozen, you'll need about 12 hours.

If you like gravy, you can take the drippings from the roast, put them in a sauce pan, add about a tablespoon of cornstarch to some water or beef broth (canned), and pour into the saucepan. Simmer until it thickens. Make sure your cornstarch is dissolved in the liquid before adding it to the saucepan.

Jen's notes:

1. I always make this for after church on Sunday, and Hunk O Man loves it.

2. Serve with rolls -- ready-to-serve, or a tube of crescent rolls do nicely.

3. Have the leftover beef on a sandwich the next day with a little mayo. Yummy!

rating: 4 stars. Loved by all.

Oven Fried Chicken

I know, I know -- I've been on a chicken roll lately. But this is some really good stuff, and easy to freeze -- lighter on the calories than regular fried chicken, too --

CRISPY COUNTRY CHICKEN

About 1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 zipper-top bag full of crushed cornflakes

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

chicken pieces, enough for your family

Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the cornflakes so everything is in the zipper-top bag.

Take your chicken pieces, and brush with Miracle Whip. Use your hands or a clean paintbrush.

Drop the "painted" piece of chicken into the bag of cornflake mixture and coat.

Place coated chicken pieces into a 13" x 9" baking dish, or on a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 45-60 minutes.

Jen's notes:

1. I usually use boneless chicken breast or breast tenders for this recipe, since I always have them on hand.

2. You can roll your pieces in a bowl of the cornflake mix if that's easier for you.

3. Mayonnaise also works for this recipe. It makes the chicken very juicy inside.

4. Feel free to add other seasonings to the cornflake mixture as you like --

rating: 4 stars. Everybody likes this unless we've had nothing but chicken all week.

Chicken Crescents

Barbie requests these specifically once in awhile, and if Rose doesn't get one, she's seriously upset. These are a favourite --

CHICKEN CRESCENTS

1 package cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed

1/4 teaspoon salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon chopped onion or minced dried onion flakes

1 tablespoon pimento

1 package of refrigerator crescent rolls

Preheat the oven to 350.

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, chicken, salt, pepper, milk, onion, and pimento to form a pasty filling.

Unroll the crescent roll dough and divide into four squares. Pinch the perforations together. Place a fourth of the chicken filling into each square of dough. Pinch the corners together so that it encloses the chicken mixture.

Bake 20 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet, or until dough is golden. Serves 4.

Jen's notes:

1. I always use at least two and sometimes three cans of dough for this recipe.

2. I usually use far more than two cups of chicken, too. This is a great recipe for whatever cooked chicken you have leftover from another recipe, no matter how it's flavoured.

3. You can omit the pimento if you don't have it around.

4. I generally add about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese on top of the filling before pinching up the dough corners.

rating: five stars. A Wesner Family fav.

Impossible Pie

Talk about quick and easy! I make this in a variety of ways depending on the veggies I have available. It's just a quiche -- found in virtually every Bisquick Recipe book.

IMPOSSIBLE PIE

1/2 package bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

1 cup cheese, any type

About 1 cup frozen veggie, your choice -- broccoli is good

1 small chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix, any type -- even pancake mix will work.

1/2 tsp pepper

Grease a generously sized pie plate by spraying nonstick spray on it.

Sprinkle the bacon, cheese, and frozen veggies in the bottom of the pie plate.

Beat (in a bowl with a whisk) or blend (in a blender) the eggs, onion, milk, eggs, and pepper. Pour over top of the veggies and bacon in the pie plate.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees until knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 6 servings.

Jen's notes:

1. I've stretched this easily to 8 servings.

2. Use whatever veggies you like -- stir fry, California or Italian blend, etc. Any frozen or fresh veggies will work. Also add in diced peppers or chilis if you like some spiciness.

3. Baking mix is extremely cheap to make yourself -- here's a link to a recipe for Baking Mix.

4. Try sprinkling a little cheese over the top if you like a browned, cheesy crust.

rating: 3 stars. Bug loves this.

Sloppy Joes

There is nothing like Sloppy Joes and tater tots and green beans for a quick run-out-the-door to sports practice/game dinner. This is so easy and good, nice and sweet.

SLOPPY JOES

1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons beef bouillon or 2 cubes

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mustard

In a skillet, brown the meat with pepper and onion. Pour off the fat.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered with a lid, for 15-20 minutes. Serve on buns. This makes enough for 4.

Jen's Notes:

1. Use less sugar and maybe a spicier mustard if you like your Joes a little less sweet.

2. When my green peppers start to go bad in the fridge, I dice them up and throw them in a ziplock in the freezer. That way I have them handy when I go to make this or other dishes that call for them.

3. Use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup for a nice spicy twist.

4. You can double this for a bigger family (I always do) or do the math and make enough for the whole football team or church.

5. When I've been out of buns, this also works served as an open sandwich over a piece of bread, or cornbread, with maybe a little cheese added on top!

rating: 4 stars. Liked by everyone but Rose, who thinks it's a little sweet.

Vegetable Soup

This is my Mom's recipe -- hand written on a piece of note paper from February 1993! I guess that's a kind of reminder for me as to just how long I've really be doing this . . .

VEGETABLE SOUP

Beef

onion

garlic

tomatoes

tomato or V8 juice

barley

lentils

mixed vegetables

4-5 medium potatoes

cabbage

water

seasonings

bay leaf

salt

pepper

Put it all in a pot and simmer for several hours.

Better the second day. Can be frozen and reheated.

Jen's notes:

1. Stew beef works best. But any kind will do, cut into bite-sized pieces and trimmed of fat.

2. She says "up to a whole onion chopped)

3. Minced garlic is all she notes on my recipe, but I would probably use 2 cloves chopped/minced.

4. Tomatoes can be canned or fresh; whole, diced, or crushed, and must be peeled. I usually use about 3 cans.

5. Yep, the whole can of tomato juice.

6. She says "a couple of handfuls" of barley and lentils.

7. The mixed veggies is any size bag you like, frozen.

8. The potatoes need to be cut into bite sized pieces. I never peel them.

9. She says "up to half a head of cabbage, cut-up"

10. For seasonings, she says "anything that adds flavour to soups." This means you can use fresh herbs if you have them, like basil or rosemary or sage. She also says allspice is good.

11. You add enough water to make it soupy. But remember, it will cook down, so don't feel bad if you end up adding more water later. You could also use beef broth.

rating: 3 stars. Hunk O Man loves it, the girls are pretty so-so. Great on a cold day with fresh bread or biscuits or rolls.

Inside-Out Bacon Cheeseburgers

I made these recently and they were a big hit. The trick to them is that you have to try and pick up those patty-maker thingys from Tupperware either at a garage sale, or a thrift store, or on Ebay. They make doing this go MUCH faster. I found mine at a garage sale some years ago and have been using it for all kinds of meat patties since.

INSIDE OUT BACON-CHEESEBURGERS

(from Kraft "Food & Family" magazine)

1 lb. ground beef

3 Tbsps. ranch dressing, divided

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (or use the salad bacon bits)

2 cheese slices, cut into quarters

Take your meat and put it into a bowl. Then mark it into quarters like Rachael Ray does.

Each quarter should make two patties.

Mix in 2 Tbsps. of the ranch dressing with the meat.

Shape the meat into 8 patties.

Mix the remaining 1 Tbsp. ranch dressing with the bacon. Spoon this mixture onto four of the patties. Top with two of the slices of cheese quarters.

Put another pattie on top, and seal the edges.

Makes 4 patties. Recipe can be doubled and tripled. Freeze in plastic containers and separate patties with wax paper, or in zipper-top freezer bags.

Jen's notes:

1. These are really good in the summer on the grill. Because the bacon is already cooked, you don't have to worry about the inside of the burger being raw.

2. You can put just about anything between two hamburger patties for a better burger. I'll post more of these types of recipes as time goes on.

rating: 3 stars. Great in the summertime.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I make a version of Crisco's Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie and it is fabulous. Seriously, I am not even kidding you. And it freezes well! But there are a couple of changes I make to it that make it fabulous. I'll note those below.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 cups butter blend ** (recipe is below)

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

3 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk, vanilla, soda, and salt; mix well. Add flour and mix just until the dough comes together.

Add the chocolate chips and stir just to blend. Drop by cookie or ice cream scoops onto an insulated baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 13 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes before loosening from pan.

Makes a big bunch.

To freeze, simply wash out a large orange juice container, keeping the metal lid. Spoon/squash the cookie dough into the container, and seal with the metal lid. Freeze until ready for use; then simply slice off discs and either bake or quarter the discs and bake.

Jen's notes:

1. **Recipe for butter blend above: 1 lb. butter plus 1 cup olive oil. Place this in your mixer and whip until well blended and creamy. The more you whip, the more air you put into the mix and the lighter it will be. Use this instead of a purchased margarine spread. DO NOT USE REAL BUTTER ALONE IN THIS RECIPE. You can substitute Butter-flavoured shortening if you like.

2. The baking time is really 10-14 minutes depending on your oven.

3. These will disappear fast, so it's good to have some dough on hand. Add nuts to the recipe if you like.

rating: one bazillion stars. Loved by everyone who tries them.

Calcutta Curry

When I was homeschooling everyone back in the mid-90's, we were part of a coop. We'd meet once a week and learn, chat, etc. One week there was a missionary coming to speak from India. So we were supposed to bring Indian food -- and I found out the night before! Fortunately I had this sitting in my freezer; when I made it I was totally unaware I was making "Indian" food -- but everyone loved it!

CALCUTTA CURRY

vegetable oil

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium red pepper, cut into strips (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger, or use fresh grated ginger if you like

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 can Campbell's Cream of Asparagus soup

2/3 cup milk

2 Tbsps. chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

hot cooked rice

1/4 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup chopped peanuts or cashews

Over medium-high heat, stir-fry the chicken in the vegetable oil until golden.

Reduce heat to medium and remove the chicken from the skillet or wok. In the remaining oil, stir-fry the red bell pepper, curry powder, ginger, crushed red pepper, and garlic powder until the bell pepper is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the soup, milk, and 1 Tbsp. cilantro (or parsley). Heat to boiling. Return chicken to the mixture, and reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over rice, and sprinkle with coconut and nuts.

Jen's Notes:

1. I always use more than 1 lb. of chicken, and the sauce is still enough.

2. You can substitute green pepper for the red and it still works.

3. You can also substitute fresh garlic and dried parsley, or just omit the cilantro/parsley all together. That will work fine too.

4. I always use cashews because I always have them on hand. But any nut you really like will work.

rating: 3 stars. Everyone likes it a lot.

Greek Salad

My favourite restaurant in Indianapolis, IN is Bravo. I always get the same thing, everytime I go: Penne Med with a chopped Mediterranean salad.

This is a variation on the salad -- not freezable, but definitely a great accompaniment to any Italian or Mediterranean meal --

GREEK SALAD

1-2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped with a knife (it's faster)

cherry or grape tomatoes, halved if you like

a can or two of sliced black olives

one cucumber, diced -- your choice to leave the skin on or off

Feta cheese

pine nuts

1 bottle of Italian Salad dressing, your favourite, or one cruet of Good Seasons dressing you made up yourself, Zesty Italian flavor.

Put all this into a bowl in the order listed. Then pour the dressing over the top. Take your salad grabbers and lift around the bowl so the dressing can drip down, and serve.

Gets better the day after.

rating: five stars. JB's favourite.

Cranberry Chicken

There are many variations of this dish -- but this is my favourite:

CRANBERRY CHICKEN

1 chicken, cut up, or chicken breasts, or whatever chicken pieces you like that will fit in a 9x13

pan

1 package onion soup mix

1 small bottle Kraft Catalina salad dressing

1 can whole berry or jellied cranberry sauce

Place the chicken in the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

Mix the sauce ingredients together, and pour over the chicken.

Bake for at least 1 hour 15 minutes at 325 degrees.

Serve with hot, cooked rice.

Jen's Notes:

1. If you're in a hurry, you can nuke the chicken first before baking. But it's necessary to bake this slowly at a lower temperature, because there's so much sugar in the sauce and it will burn quickly if you try to bake it faster at a higher temperature.

2. This freezes well whether you bake it first or not. But when you thaw it, keep it at the 325 degree temp to bake -- again, so it won't burn. Or you can bake it first before freezing, then nuke it to thaw.

3. You can use a generic Catalina or Russian dressing, but the Kraft works the best.

rating: 4 stars. A sweet favourite.

Beef Burgundy

BEEF BURGUNDY

2-4 lbs. beef cubes, commonly called "stew beef"
3 cans Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup
1 package onion soup mix
1 1/4 cup burgundy wine
2 cans of mushrooms, drained

Mix it all together and bake in a cassarole dish 4 hours at 325 degrees.

Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Jen's notes:

1. You can use regular mushroom soup with this but you might want to add a little worcestershire sauce to it.
2. You can also use fresh mushrooms if you like.
3. I always serve this over hot noodles. The rice just doesn't quite give it the umph it needs.
4. This also freezes very well. You can just mix it up and throw it in the freezer, and then take it out when you need it and bake it all day.
5. Also works in the crock pot.

rating: four stars. Loved by most everyone.

Chicken Enchiladas

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1 can condensed Cream of Chicken or Cream of Celery soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsps. butter or margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion, or equivalent of minced dried onion
1 tsp. chili powder
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced into small pieces
1-4 oz. can chopped or diced green chilis or jalapenos
8 flour tortillas
1 cup cheese, cheddar or monterey jack or combination

Preheat your oven to 375. Spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick spray.

In a small bowl, stir together the soup and sour cream until smooth. Set aside.

Make your filling:
In a large saucepan or medium skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine or butter. Add in the onion and chili powder and cook until onion is tender, stirring often. Add in the chilis and combine. Add in the chicken, and stir to season. Add in 2 tablespoons (or two good dollops) of the soup and sour cream mixture to make a pasty, gooey filling. Remove from heat.

Take a 1/4 cup measure and fill each tortilla in the center. Roll up and place in 9x13 pan. Be more generous with your filling if necessary to use each tortilla.

When the 9x13" pan is full of stuffed tortillas, spread the remaining soup and sour cream mixture over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the cheese over the soup mixture. Cover with foil, and bake about 15-20 minutes or until the cheese melts and everything is heated through

Serves about 4 with leftovers.

Jen's notes:

1. I always use more tortillas than just 8. Usually I have at least 12 in a pan. This is one of those recipes you can do by just using what you have, rather than paying a lot of attention to the amounts of the ingredients.
2. You can save some calories by just sprinkling less cheese over the top and using fat-free sour cream.
3. This works great with whatever chicken you might have leftover from another dish.

rating: 5 STARS! A FAV!