I like to set goals. It’s my thing. Even if it’s tiny and insignificant, I’ll still try my hardest and do everything I can to achieve it. I’ve done it all my life, and I’m sure I’ll do it the rest of my days. Some big (really big!) goals I’ve set for myself over the years have been college (private school isn’t cheap, and my goal was to get as many scholarships as I could to help out), grad school, singing with Fort Worth Opera, Joel (probably the greatest achievement of my life!), and so many more! Nowadays, my goals tend to be more family-related, such as putting healthy, homemade meals on the table at least 5 nights a week. It’s a challenge, but it’s definitely doable! Especially with quick and easy meals like this one!
This is actually an old recipe from a few years back, but since it’s one of our favorites, I thought it could use some updating. This is as simple a dish as they come and comforting and hearty to boot. Like I said, it’s a family favorite and I make it all. the. time. Cassidy loves it.
Beefy Noodle Bake
1 1/2 pounds lean, ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup onion, chopped
8 ounces egg noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles until tender, about 6-8 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; drain fat. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar and black pepper; reduce to low heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Combine Greek yogurt (or sour cream) and cream cheese in a bowl; mix well and stir into the beef mixture.
Place the noodles in a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with the beef mixture. Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until bubbling. Serves 6.
Recipe source: heavily adapted from Gooseberry Patch ‘Best Ever Casseroles’
So…May is here. I don’t know how it happened but suddenly, out of nowhere, it’s almost mid-May. Which means…Mother’s Day is almost here! Yay! This holiday has a whole new life to it now that it applies to me and not just my mom and grandmothers (not that I didn’t love celebrating Mother’s Day before I had Cassidy…it’s just more fun now.) 😉 Now that I’m on “Team Mom” (golly, that just sounds lame, doesn’t it?), I realize just how important it is for mothers everywhere to have an entire day dedicated to them. A day to feel special and well-rested, pampered and praised, and tended TO instead of being the one doing all the tending. Moms are the hardest working people on the planet- we get spit-up on, pooped on, poked at, toes stomped on, pinched, bitten, screamed at, sat on, and food thrown on us all before 8 in the morning. I think we deserve a day of recognition for that, don’t you? 😉
And maybe a lovely batch of muffins to wake up to with a hot cup of coffee…sipped in silence and peace. Really, that’s all I could ever ask for for Mother’s Day. A little rest, some peace and quiet, and maybe a muffin or two. Sounds heavenly to me. These muffins are no-frills, quick and easy, and taste absolutely perfect warm out of the oven with a cup of coffee. I’ve tried lots of blueberry muffin recipes, but frankly, these are my favorite. They’re everything a blueberry muffin should be. Tender, slightly sweet, and full of juicy blueberries.
I certainly wouldn’t mind if someone were to make these for me on Mother’s Day weekend… (wink, wink!) 😉
Classic Blueberry Muffins
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for muffin tops
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line 8 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to any empty muffin cups (this helps to make sure the muffins bake evenly).
Whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, baking powder and the salt in a large bowl. In a large measuring cup, whisk the vegetable oil, egg, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Add milk mixture to the bowl with flour and sugar then use a fork to combine. Do not over mix. Batter will be thick. Carefully fold in blueberries with a wooden spoon.
Divide the batter between the 8 muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with the reserved tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Makes 8 muffins.
Recipe source: Inspired Taste
Cassidy liked them, too. 🙂
I’m going to level with you- the reason I haven’t paid much attention to this blog lately isn’t because I have a new blog, or because it’s the holiday season, or because I’m just “soooo busy! OMG, it’s just like, crazy how busy I am, you know?!” (p.s. don’t you hate people like that?). It’s because I’ve simply been having too much fun lately. My little stinker is 10 months old now and friends, that’s a FUN age! We play, we crawl, we tickle, we “cook”…we have fun. I’m loving every second of being a mommy!
Unfortunately, that doesn’t always go hand-in-hand with being a great blogger. I wish I were one of those super moms that has time to do it all plus blog about it. Oh well. Can I make it up to you with some yummy soup?? I know the pictures are downright embarrassing, but the soup is pretty freaking awesome. We LOVE stuffed peppers, but sometimes I just don’t feel like messing with the whole process. This soup is a WINNER because you throw all your favorite components of stuffed peppers into a big pot and you’re done. We were super blown away with how easy and delicious this was!
Stuffed Pepper Soup
2 large bell peppers, roughly chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
1 small can tomato sauce (8 ounces)
salt and pepper
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 pound lean ground beef
6 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sugar
cheddar cheese, for topping
In a large stockpot, brown the ground beef with the onion, carrots, and celery. Drain off grease. Add the chicken broth, peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf, sugar, and rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for at least 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and rice is fully cooked. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and serve. Serves approximately 6-8.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
Packing sucks. I think pretty much every person in the entire worlds knows this. For me, it’s not so much putting my things in boxes, but having a mess everywhere I turn and not being able to easily walk through my own house without tripping over a giant box. That’s the part I hate. Izzy hates it all. She hates us moving, she hates the packing, the boxes everywhere, and the general stress that goes along with moving. Poor doggie. I keep telling her she’s getting a huuuuge backyard upgrade, but I don’t think she cares at the moment.
Cassidy, on the other hand, is still happy as a clam. She doesn’t care that we have a ga-jillion more boxes to pack…when it’s playtime, it’s PLAYTIME, people! Hmm, maybe that’s why I don’t seem to have gotten anything done…. 😉
That’s where these simple pizzas come in. There is ZERO time for cooking when there are boxes to be packed. I just don’t have time to spare in the kitchen. Not to mention, all my pots and pans are packed. I used whole wheat bagel thins for these and they were really good- I like the bread-to-topping ratio. I can see a lot of these in our future once we move. There’s nothing easier, and they’re pretty darn tasty too!
Bagel Pizzas
2 whole wheat bagel thins (or regular bagels, if you prefer)
marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 a green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
black olives
thinly sliced button mushrooms
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lay the bagel halves in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast for 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
Spread bagel thins with marinara and top with the vegetables, salt and pepper, then the cheese, using as much of each ingredient as you like. Place back in the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serves 2.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I’m sure by now, you’ve all heard about the awesomeness of Pinterest. If you haven’t, get over there right now and discover for yourself how addicting and fun it is! I’ve discovered more fantastic ideas for recipes, decorating, baby stuff, and so much more from there! Among them, this nutella yogurt fruit dip. 2 ingredients. How awesome is that?! I try to eat as much fruit as possible and after discovering this dip, it’s a breeze! If you’re looking for a healthier way to get your kids eating more fruit, definitely try this- it comes together in 5 seconds and it’s really delicious! Your family will love it!
Nutella Yogurt Fruit Dip
1 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup nutella
Mix the two ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to serve. Serve with any fruit you like- my favorites are apples and oranges. Serves 4-6.
Recipe source: The Family Kitchen
It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for sloppy Tex-Mex. I love pretty much anything doused in enchilada sauce covered in cheese- it’s my weakness (well, one of ’em). The other night I was craving Mexican food pretty bad (it happens a lot lately) and I decided to whip up these burritos. They took no time to make and tasted awesome. You’ll have to excuse the fact that I had to photograph them on a paper plate…we’ve been in the middle of having some renovations done and I packed all my dishes up temporarily. If you’re in need of a quick, delicious meal, try these burritos- they won’t disappoint!
Smothered Burritos
1 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (4.5 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
half a (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
burrito-sized flour tortillas, warmed
shredded cheddar cheese
Garnishes:
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped green onions
sliced black olives
cilantro
avocado
Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat and drain. Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the green chiles and turn off heat; keep warm. Warm the refried beans in a small skillet over low heat.
In a saucepan, combine the tomato soup and enchilada sauce. Mix well, and cook over medium heat until heated through.
Place a warmed tortilla on a plate and spread some of the refried beans into the center; sprinkle with cheese, then spoon some of the ground beef mixture onto the center. Tuck in the ends of the tortilla and carefully fold into a burrito. Spoon some of the enchilada sauce over the burrito and top with additional cheese and garnishes. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serves 4-6
Recipe source: Adapted from allrecipes.com
As a new bride (5 years ago this month- yay!), I bought a soup cookbook from Williams-Sonoma so I could learn to make easy, delicious soups for my new husband. I bookmarked a ton of recipes from the book but this one always stood out to me; it claimed to be a 15-minute soup. Intriguing! I tried it and found that not only was it a quick and easy recipe, it was super scrumptious! Joel fell in love with it and I’ve been making it religiously for 5 years now. In fact, this was the very first recipe I ever blogged waaaay back in April 2008 (isn’t it cute? The pictures are just terrible!)! I thought I’d go ahead and re-blog it since it never really got the attention it so deserves. Joel never gets tired of it and as soon as soup season rolls around every year, Chicken Tortilla Soup is his first request! I’m happy to make it for him as often as he wants because I happen to love it too and like I said before- it’s EASY. This isn’t your typical high-fat, loaded with tons of ingredients chicken tortilla soup. It’s base is a flavor-packed broth seasoned with chili powder, cumin and lots of lime juice (my favorite part!), and the zucchini is an authentic addition suggested by my friend Amanda’s mother. It’s simple, full of tons of great flavor and extremely satisfying!
Chicken Tortilla Soup
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I like to roast or poach bone-in chicken breasts until tender, then shred the meat. Additionally, you could also use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
half an onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small-medium zucchinis, chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
juice from 2 large limes
salt and pepper to taste
Coat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and zucchini and sautee until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper and stir until fragrant. Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Add the shredded chicken, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is heated through. Add the lime juice and taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top with and desired garnishes. Serves 4.
Garnish ideas:
crushed tortilla chips
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sliced avocado
fresh cilantro
Recipe source: adapted from Williams-Sonoma’s Soup Made Fast
Hello friends! Guess what- I’m finally in my 2nd trimester and starting to feel a little better! I’m at 15 weeks now and the baby’s the size of a large navel orange- which means I’m starting to look….um, “plump”. Personally, I don’t really think I look pregnant- just fat. Oh well! 🙂
I made these tostadas for dinner awhile back and they tasted so good! And they’re insanely simple to make (plus, Joel grilled the chicken for me, which made it even easier)! They’re so versatile- you can use any meat you like and any toppings. A vegetarian version would be great too!
Easy Chicken Tostadas
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 can refried beans
sliced black olives
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
salsa
1 large avocado, sliced
4 flour tortillas
For the marinade:
juice of 3 large limes
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar
handful cilantro, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the chicken and marinade in a large ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill chicken pieces over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes, turning occasionally, until fully cooked.
Heat the refried beans in a small pan over medium heat until hot (I like to stir in a little liquid smoke and a splash of jarred jalapeno juice to jazz it up).
Spray the tortillas with a little cooking spray and place on a baking sheet; bake for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Spread each tortilla with a thin layer of beans then top with the cheese, black olives, salsa, chicken, lettuce and avocado. Serves 2.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original
I’ve been trying to broaden my horizons a bit in the kitchen lately. Ever since I made that delicious fish curry, I’ve wanted to delve deeper into curries and other ethnic flavors. That’s when my opera friend Meredith told me about one of her simple weeknight recipes she makes often that uses Thai red curry paste. I was totally intrigued, not only by the simplicity of the dish, but by how totally yummy it sounded. I’ve been waiting weeks for a free night to make this! Not only was it easy (and QUICK! It took less than 10 minutes!), it rocked!!! If you’ve never cooked with Thai red curry paste (or made your own), you’re missing out! If you’re looking for something different and simple for your weeknight dinner rotation, try this! You’ll love it!
Easy Weeknight Thai Stir Fry
1 package frozen stir fry vegetables (I used one with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas, water chestnuts and red peppers but you can use anything you want. Fresh veggies would be ideal, obviously, but when you’re short on time, this is too easy!)
1 package vermicelli or rice noodles (rice also works great)
1-2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste (depending on how hot you like it)
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
Cook the noodles according to the package. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the frozen vegetables in a little olive oil until thawed and hot. Whisk together the curry paste, coconut milk and water and pour over the vegetables. Add the cooked noodles and toss to coat.
Serves 2-4.
Recipe source: my friend Meredith
This is the time of year I crave simple, light, quick dishes that aren’t overly heavy and take hardly any time to prepare. Hence, my love for this dish. I had an abundance of fresh mushrooms and a couple of leftover grilled chicken breasts the other night, so I threw together my favorite pasta. Nothing fancy, just angel hair tossed with a little butter and olive oil and topped with grilled chicken and sauteed mushrooms. Ahhhh. I could seriously eat this every night. I know it sounds almost too simple, but it hits the spot every time! The next time you’ve had a busy, long day and need a quick, satisfying dinner- try this!
Pasta with Mushrooms and Grilled Chicken
1/2 pound angel hair pasta
2 boneless chicken breasts
7-8 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced (as much as you like, really)
olive oil
butter
salt and pepper
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions and drain. Season chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill on medium-high heat for about 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Slice the chicken into thin slices.
In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and saute the sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes, until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss the pasta with a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter (again, as much as you like- you don’t want to drown it in oil, just enough to give it some flavor), salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta between two plates and top with the mushrooms and chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2.
Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original (however, I’m sure I’m not the first person to think up pasta topped with chicken 😉 )
