Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup With A Twist

Tired of plain 'ol grilled cheese and tomato soup?  Try this recipe to add some flavor!! 

For Soup:
1 Can Tomato soup
1 Soup Can full of Milk
1/2 tbsp Dried Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste

For Grilled Cheese:
100% Whole Wheat Bread
Colby Jack Cheese*
Butter
Garlic Salt

Add Soup ingredients to pot and heat to temperature, stirring occasionally.
Butter one side of bread and sprinkle a little garlic salt on each piece.  Put butter side down in skillet on med-heat.  Put slices of cheese on and other piece of bread butter side up.  Cook till browned on each side and cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!
*Some other cheese choices: Swiss, Colby, Cheddar, Smoked Swiss and Cheddar, Smoke Gouda, or whatever you prefer :)

Lemony Lemon Bars

This Lemon Bars are so yummy and if you like lemons, you'll love them!! 

2 c flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c cold butter
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c sugar
3 tbsp flour
1 Lemon
1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel from Lemon
3/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c half and half or light cream
Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13x9x2 inch baking dish.  Sift together flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Cube butter and add to flour mixture and mix with a pastry blended until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom of dish and bake for 15-20 mins until edges are lightly browned.  While that is baking, grate lemon for lemon peel and juice lemon in to liquid measuring cup.  Then add enough lemon juice to make 3/4 c from bottled lemon juice or if you prefer, more lemons.  Mix eggs, sugar, flour, lemon peel, lemon juice, and cream until well mixed.  Pour onto hot crust and bake for 15-20 mins until center is set.  Let cool on wire rack for about 3 hours then sift powdered sugar on top.  Make sure you refrigerate...if there is any left over :)  Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of this one but next time!!

Creamy Swiss Chicken Casserole

So, I know I haven't posted anything in awhile.  I apologize but since Greg is working out of town thru the week now, I'm not cooking as much.  I am going to try to at least keep baking yummy goodies!  Here is a casserole I whipped together and some Lemon Bars I made for Greg to take with him.

Creamy Swiss Chicken Casserole

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 White Wine
1 c Heavy Cream
1/2 c Sour Cream
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried bay leaf
2 tbsp Butter
2 c shredded swiss cheese
1 c diced onion
1 c diced celery
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
Salt and Pepper
Topping:
1 c plain bread crumbs
1/4 c chopped pecans
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven 375 degrees.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat skillet with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and cook chicken until done.  Remove chicken and drain oil from skillet.  Add wine and reduce by half.  Whisk in heavy cream, sour cream, cream of mushroom soup and herbs.  Cook until thick and bubbly then remove from heat and whisk in butter.  Pour in mixing bowl, shred chicken and add to bowl.  Add the rest of ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Put in 8x8 casserole dish.
Melt butter in another skillet and add bread crumbs and pecans.  Toast until lightly browned.  Add topping to casserole.  Bake for 30-45 mins until browned and bubbly.

Another 30 min. Meal

So, last night I made another quick meal in about 30 mins.  I know it prolly seems like a lot but I take so many shortcuts.  You don't have to make everything from scratch to have the best.  There  are so many things out there now that are quick and easy and taste just as good, if not better than what you could make home made.  So, I will take you thru this step by step to try to show you it can be done.

Pork Fried Cube Steak with Country Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies with Cheese and Crescent Rolls
First, I preheated my oven to 350 degrees for my crescent rolls.  Put about a 1/4in of vegetable oil in a skillet on med-high heat.  Bread cube steaks in a milk and egg mixture and then flour.  I only use 1 egg and about a 1/2 c of milk.  I put a good amount of salt and pepper in the flour.  I also use hot shot seasoning which is red and black pepper mixed, has a bit of a kick to it.  But you can put any seasoning you want in your flour depending on your taste.  Just make sure you put a liberal amount cause this is the only way your pork will be seasoned.  I say about a teaspoon per cup of flour.  Then when oil is hot enough to fry, put pork in and turn heat down to med heat and cover for about 8 mins on each side until center is no longer pink.  While pork is frying I heat up my sides in the microwave.  Yes, the microwave!  I buy Bob Evans pre-made Mashed Potatoes which take about 6 mins to cook in the microwave.  Then I buy the Steamers vegetable bags which take about 7-8 mins in the microwave.  Quick and easy!  And then once your oven is preheated, you will want to put in your crescent rolls.  They usually take about 13 mins.  So, then when your pork is done frying, drain the grease and make your gravy.  I just use a packaged gravy in which you just add 1c milk and 1c water.  Stir and let simmer till thickened.  And there you have it!

Now I do want to stress, my meals are made for 2.  So, it may take a little longer for larger portions.  But I'd say you can easily do it for 4 in about the same time.  Also, they are not for the health nut.  I don't worry about fat, carbs and such.  So, if you like to eat healthier, than these most likely won't meet your needs.  But I like to think they are well balanced.  :)

Quick Fixes

So, I know I haven't posted anything in a couple of days but I really haven't made much.  This past weekend Greg made some game day food for the Colts game Saturday night and he made chili on Sunday.  Every Sunday we always have chili or pulled pork BBQ.  So, on Saturday night he made hot wings and loaded cheese fries.  Very simple yet very yummy and for all you health nuts out there, this is not very healthy food.  But, it is good to make for parties and such!!

Loaded Cheese Fries:  Basically Greg just fried them, then he melted down some Velveeta with cayenne pepper.  He sauteed onions, green peppers and jalapenos and crisped up some bacon.  I, on the other hand made chili cheese fries with the cheese and a can of Hormel Chili, then topped with diced onions. 
Hot Wings:  We just cooked them according to the directions on the bag and choose the baking method.  Then put mild, hot and spicy garlic sauces on them.  You can really just get any sauce you want to put on them.  But next time, we definitely decided to fry the wings, as the skin on them were just too slimy!  Here are some pics!

Coconut Cream Pie

This pie turned out so yummy, I had some for breakfast :)  A favorite for many!

Coconut Cream Pie

1 Baked Pie Crust
4 eggs, yolks seperated
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c cornstarch
2 1/2 c Half and Half, or you can you Milk as well
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c Flaked Coconut

Prepare pie crust per box directions, or you can make your own...I cheat and just buy it b/c it just makes things a little easier.  Seperate egg yolks from whites, putting whites in a large mixing bowl and let them come to room temp. 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine sugar and cornstarch in large sauce pot and put on medium-high heat and gradually whisk in half and half.  Continuing stirring until mixture thickens and starts to bubble.  Let cook for a couple of minutes and KEEP stirring.  It is important to keep stirring so that the mixture doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.  Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, and coconut.  Pour filling into baked pie crust.
For meringue topping, take the four egg whites and add 1 tsp Vanilla and 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar.  Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.  Then gradually add 1/2 c sugar until stiff peaks form and sugar has dissolved.  *To check if sugar is dissolved, rub a little of the meringue between your fingers to see if it's grainy or not.
Spoon Meringue onto filling while its still hot.  This starts to cook meringue so it bonds to the filling and doesn't create a watery layer between the meringue and filling.  Make sure you push the meringue topping to the edges of the pie crust to seal it.  If you don't your meringue will shrink while cooling.  Sprinkle with 1/4 c coconut and bake for 30 mins. Let cool for 1 hour before refrigerating.  Refrigerate for 3-6 hrs before serving.
Serve and Enjoy!!

Home Made Lasagna

Tonight for dinner I made yummy Lasagna!  I know...sounds easy, but I made my own meat sauce which turned out amazing!  Actually, it was pretty easy...lol!  Here's the recipe if you're interested:

Tomato Meat Sauce

1 lb Ground Beef
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 Onion, small diced
1/2 Green Pepper, small diced
1 Celery Stalk, small diced
2 14.5oz cans Italian Diced Tomatoes,  (I bought the Great Value brand that already has the herbs in it)
1 12oz can Tomato Paste
2 Tbsp fresh Italian Parsley, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
1 1/2 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper

Brown beef in 4qt stock pot with garlic, onion, green pepper, and celery until beef is fully cooked.  Drain well.  Add the rest of ingredients and bring to a boil on med-high heat.  Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.  Remove cover and let simmer for another 15 mins or until desired consistency. 

For Lasagna

1 15oz Ricotta Cheese
1 egg
1/3 c freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 c Shredded Mozzarella
6-8 Lasagna Noodles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix Ricotta, egg, and Parmesan in small bowl, set aside.  Put a thin layer of sauce on bottom of 8x8 square glass casserole dish.  Put a layer of noodles, trimming to fit dish.  Then spread half Ricotta mixture, the a layer of sauce and 1 c of mozzarella.  Layer noodles then repeat other layers ending with mozzarella on top.  Sprinkle a little more grated Parmesan on top.  Put dish on baking sheet and bake for 35 mins.  Let sit for about 10 mins before serving.  Enjoy!!

Side Notes:
-This meat sauce is pretty chunky so if you would like it smoother you can let it cool and then put it in a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency.
-I made 3 layers of noodles which was kind of overflowing the dish so if you like you could use a 10x13 if you don't want it so thick or only do two layers
-My sauce was kind of watery so next time I will use a slotted spoon to put it in the dish so it drains a little
-Also, I had some sauce left over which i used as dipping sauce for my garlic bread but you can also store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months

Dinner in 30 mins...it can be done!!

Watch out Rachel Ray...this mommy is on the move!!  I'm here to tell you that you CAN have a nice cooked meal every night in 30 mins!  With a little planning and multi-tasking you too can do it!!  Last night I managed to make pork chops, mac and cheese, baked beans, and crescent rolls AND feed my baby boy in less than 45 mins.  Within an hour, I had dinner made and my whole family fed!  I also made those Rainbow Chip cupcakes yesterday to make up for my disastrous bread.  They were yummy but note to self:  don't make mini cupcakes unless you plan on taking them somewhere!  They are so easy to just pop into your mouth!  Also, has anyone ever wondered why the Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip icing is so runny??  It always just melts right off the cake!!  I don't understand it!!  Well, that's it for today.  I am planning on making coconut cream pie and a lasagna  tomorrow!  Here are some pics of dinner last night :)

Recipe #1: Disaster!

Okay...so after lots of flour and smoking up my kitchen, the first recipe I try, Cherry Cheese Bread, did not turn out :(  Not sure where I went wrong but my cream cheese mixture was runny and burned when I baked the breads.  The dough was good though and I think it would make a yummy yeast roll!!  Also, I forgot I'm not a big fan of cherries hence the fact that is prolly why I still had those bags of dried cherries in my cabinet...lol!!  So, off to my next one.  I think I'm gonna play it safe today...I have a Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip cake mix so I think i'm just going to make me some cupcakes for now!  Hopefully next week, I will be better prepared :)  But, for dinner tonight, I have marinated some pork chops in a spicy mango marinade and will be making one of those new Kraft Homestyle Mac and Cheese and baked beans...yummy!!  I'll post pics if it turns out good...so far I'm 0-1 today...lol!!

A little about myself

Hi!  My name is Amanda!  I just wanted to tell you a little about myself and why i'm starting this blog.  I recently had boy/girl twins which interupted my culinary education.  I was attending The Chefs Academy in Indianapolis, In and going into my internship when I found out.  I got to finish my internship but did not get to do my externship because I had my babies 11 weeks early and spent the first 3 months of their lives visiting them in the NICU.  Needeless to say I did not technically finish school but I did recieve all of my education.  In order to do my externship I would have to work a 40 hour job and that just doesn't work for us.  But I have a very wonderful, supportive fiance and get the luxery of staying home with my babies.  In order to continue my love of cooking/baking (and stay sane), I have decided to start this blog.  Taking care of twins is a difficult task but I wouldn't trade it in for anything else in the world!!  So to start, with the help of technolgy, I am goign to start baking/cooking something special every week, hoping that it will snowball into something I can turn into a career.  So, last night on FacebooknI decided to ask for suggestions on what to make for the upcoming week and hopefully have the chance to donate it or give it to someone in need.  So, this is my beginning and I hope everyone enjoys getting to watch my journey and gives my feedback I can use.  I would like to thank you ahead of time for your support and interest.