Frozen Grasshopper Squares

28 oreos, divided
1 1/2 qt. mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping, thawed
hot fudge sauce

Line a 13x9"pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Crush 20 cookies, spread crumbs into bottom of pan. Spread ice cream evenly over crumbs in pan. Top with whipped topping. Freeze 3 hrs. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Lift dessert from pan with foil handles. Cut into 16 squares. Cut remaining oreos into halves and place on half on top of each square.


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Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

1/2 c. butter
8 oz cream cheese
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

Topping:
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. finely chopped pecans

Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture a little at a time, until smooth. Mix in milk. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spoon mixture into a greased bundt pan or 2 greased loaf pans. Sprinkle topping on top. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in center is almost completely dry.


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Almond Glazed Sugar Cookies

Cookies:

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp almond extract
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract
4-5 tsp water

sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 400. Cream butter, sugar, and almond extract in a large bowl. Reduce mixer speed to low and add remaining cookie ingredients. Beat for 2 mins or until well mixed.

Roll dough into 1" balls, place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass, buttered and dipped in sugar. Bake 7-9 mins or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool 1 min on pan, then remove to wire baking rack to cool completely.

Whisk glaze ingredients together. Spread or drizzle glaze over cooled cookies, and garnish with sliced almonds (icing will set quickly so it is a good idea to put almonds on each cookie immediately after glaze.


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Meatball Subs

Prepare Saucy Meatballs, except substitute 1 (26 oz) can spaghetti sauce, or 2 c. homemade marinara.

Immediately after cooking meatballs, place 3-4 meatballs on a long roll, spooning additional sauce from the pan on top. Top meatballs with shredded mozzarella or sliced provolone cheese and grated parmesan cheese. Allow to sit for a few mins to melt the cheese, then serve.


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Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

1 c. mayo
1 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely chopped

Whisk all ingredients together.


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Menu Plan Monday

Menu Plan 8/16-8/22

Monday:
breakfast~bagels
lunch~chicken tortilla soup
dinner~pork stir fry

Tuesday:
breakfast~oatmeal
lunch~chicken nuggets and french fries
dinner~fish, fried potatoes, biscuits, salad

Wednesday:
breakfast~blueberry muffins
lunch~sandwiches
dinner~meatball subs

Thursday:
breakfast~mini quiche
lunch~pasta
dinner~breakfast

Friday:
breakfast~chocolate chip coffee cake
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~supreme pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~french toast
lunch~leftovers
dinner~chicken alfredo

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~tacos


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Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Prepare favorite brownie batter. Pour into greased 13x9 pan.

Beat the following:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Spoon cream cheese mixture over brownie batter and swirl into batter with a toothpick or knife. Bake brownies as directed, possibly adding another 3-5 minutes to the cook time.


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Chicken Salad

My hubby and I absolutely LOVE chicken salad. There are so many ways to make it, but this is my favorite:

2 1/2 c. cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 c. mayo
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp-1/4 c. each of the following:
(I don't measure, I just throw it all together)
diced pickles (or relish)
chopped celery
chopped dried cranberries
chopped pecans or slivered almonds

Stir in some salt and pepper. Taste and add more of any desired ingredient.

Serve on bread, pita pockets, tortillas, croissants, rolls, or on top of a bed of lettuce.


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Saucy Meatballs

OMG! Talk about comfort food! These are so delicious, and are unbelievably easy to make.

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 c. bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
salt and pepper

Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar



Stir meatball ingredients together until well combined. Form into golf ball size balls and place in a 13x9 baking dish, seperated. Place baking dish in freezer for 15 mins.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Roll meatballs in flour seasoned with seasoned salt. Place meatballs in oil and heat until they begin to brown. Remove back to baking dish. Top with sauce and place in oven at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.


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Smothered Stuffing Pork Chops

I saw something similar to this on a cooking show and while theirs was dry and boring, my daughter and I agreed that we could make something similar that would be moist and tasty. Boy, were we right! This is yummy, yet easy to make, especially if you use planned-overs and use leftover stuffing from earlier in the week.

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over med-high heat. Finely chop one apple and saute in butter until soft. Remove apples from pan. Add 2 tbsp more butter into skillet. Season 6-8 pork chops with seasoned salt. Place chops in butter and heat about 7 mins on each side, until cooked to minimum internal temperature of 160. (cooking time will vary depending on thickness of chops) While chops are cooking, heat up 2 c. of leftover stuffing (or prepare packaged stuffing according to directions). Stir cooked apple pieces into stuffing and set aside. Remove chops from pan to a plate. Scoop stuffing onto chops and cover with paper towels to keep warm. Scrape up the browned bits in the pan. If grease is reduced drastically, add a small amount of butter to equal about 2 tbsp total. Sprinkle 2 tbsp flour into grease remaining in the pan and stir until smooth to make a roux. Gradually stir in 1 c. chicken broth and 1/4 c. whipping cream. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to med and stir continuously until thickened. Pour over stuffing and chops. Serve immediately.


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Marinara Sauce

Every year, my daddy gives me a whole bunch of tomatoes from his garden. I love tomatoes, and marinara sauce is one of my favorite uses for them. I will make up big batches of this and freeze them so I can enjoy the fresh tomato taste all year.

Marinara Sauce
To peel tomatoes:
Using a long handled fork or tongs, hold tomato directly over flame on stovetop (do not place into flame). Rotate and continue to hold over flame until the peel begins to bubble evenly around surface. Remove from heat and cut a slit in the peel. From there it will be easy to remove the peel from the tomato with your hands. (this is a messy job) If the peel does not remove easily, it needs to stay on top of the flame longer.
Once peeled, cut tomatoes in very small pieces. This recipe calls for 5 tomatoes, but you can easily alter the ingredient amounts to fit however many tomatoes you want to do.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp minced garlic in a skillet over med-high heat. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 c. water, and 1 tbsp fresh chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to med-low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until flavors are well blended and tomatoes are tender. Stir often and smash up some of the tomatoes as you stir.


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Menu Plan Monday--Ethnic Foods

You may have noticed that a lot of the foods on my menu are foods that would be considered "ethnic". Yes, America does have it's own culture of traditional foods, like fried chicken, meatloaf and hamburgers. But the great thing about this melting pot of a country is that it is made up of such a variety of influences from other countries. Just taking a 15 minute drive through my town I see Mexican, Italian, Chinese, and Greek food restaurants. These and many other influences have helped me to bring a lot of variety to our menu. I wish I could visit one of these restaurants each day of the week, but it simply isn't in the budget. I can, however dream about what I would order and recreate these wonderful dishes at home. The last couple years we did a unit study with each unit being a different country. One of my favorite things was trying all the varying foods that went with each country. Glance through my previous Menu Plan Mondays and you will find plenty of ideas for "out of this country" meals. I promise there will be plenty in the future as well. ;)

Menu Plan 8/9-8/15

Monday:
breakfast~scones
lunch~baked potato soup
dinner~chicken tostadas

Tuesday:
breakfast~maple and brown sugar oatmeal
lunch~blt wraps
dinner~pasta with fresh marinara sauce and parmesan cheese

Wednesday:
breakfast~strawberry muffins
lunch~sandwiches, grapes, chips
dinner~smothered stuffing pork chops

Thursday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~saucy meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday:
breakfast~cinnamon toast
lunch~chicken salad
dinner~4 cheese pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~blueberry pancakes
lunch~leftovers
dinner~burritos

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~polish sausage, mac and cheese, and corn


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Fluffy Peanut Butter Dip

1/2 c. peanut butter
1 c. vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. whipped cream
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Use a dip for fruit or graham crackers.


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Raspberry Jello Dessert

"Fast Fruity Delight"

3/4 c. boiling water
1 pkg rapsberry flavored gelatin
2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
1 c. whipped topping

Add boiling water to gelatin in a large bowl. Stir 2 min or until completely dissolved. Add berries, stir until gelatin starts to thicken. Stir 1/2 c. gelatin mixture into whipped topping with whisk until blended. Spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Cover with remaining gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until set.

*recipe courtesy of Kraft Foods


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Crock Pot Chicken and Veggies

2 c. white sauce
1 1/2 lb. BLSL chicken breasts, cut into fourths
4 red potatoes, cut into small pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small "matchstick" pieces
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dill

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours. To serve, remove a piece of chicken and spoon a large amount of veggies and sauce on top.


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BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Place a 3-4 lb. pork roast in the slow cooker with an entire bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook all day on low. When ready to serve, pull pork apart with a couple forks and stir up to make sure all the meat gets soaked with sauce. Serve on rolls with coleslaw and other desired side dishes.


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Crock Pot Taco Casserole

1 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (great pre-make project for food prep day)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c. beef broth
10 oz can red enchilada sauce (or 1 c. homemade)
15 oz can beans (pinto, black, or kidney), drained
4.5 oz can green chiles
1 c. corn
9 corn tortillas, ripped into small pieces

Combine all ingredients in a large crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Serve each portion with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.


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Menu Plan Monday--Summer Cooking

One of the things about the summer heat that gets to us day to day cooks is that it is just way too hot to cook! It is easy to get that lazy feeling from the heat, or dread turning on the oven, and end up going through the drive thru or ordering pizza. But there are ways to beat the heat and use it to your advantage. Here are few things that have helped me be able to get dinner on the table, even when the temperature is in triple digits.

Slow Cooker/Crockpot:
Crockpot cooking has a lot more benefits than just helping to save time. If you want a great meal without having to heat up the kitchen, you can't beat the crock pot. You can throw the ingredients in first thing in the morning and let them cook slowly all day, resulting in a homestyle meal and a cool kitchen. These wonderful kitchen appliances also use a relatively little electricity, which is nice when trying to keep that bill high enough.

Grill:
Using a propane or charcoal grill outside is the perfect option for a hot summer day. Not only can you avoid heating up the kitchen, but grilled food by definition is lighter and lower maintenance that a creamy casserole or hearty homecooked meal. Some marinated grilled chicken or steak, a few potatoes pre-baked in the microwave, and some corn on the cob and you have an entire healthy meal that can be made outside.

Lighter options:
Consider a few days a week that you can prepare lighter summer foods that are still family-filling choices. Soup, sandwiches, and salads of course are great options. Bring picnic foods to the table with side dishes like potato salad, macaroni salad, fresh fruit, etc. Not only do most of these foods require little heat to prepare, but they are also less "heavy" which is very important when you feel like you are melting from the summer weather.

Stay cool!

Menu Plan 8/2-8/8

Monday:
breakfast~croissants
lunch~spicy black bean soup
dinner~chicken cacciatore

Tuesday:
breakfast~cream of wheat
lunch~pasta
dinner~crock pot taco casserole

Wednesday:
breakfast~scrambled eggs with ham and cheese
lunch~mac n cheese
dinner~bbq pork sandwiches, coleslaw, macaroni salad

Thursday:
breakfast~banana bread
lunch~quesadillas
dinner~crock pot chicken and veggies

Friday:
breakfast~crumb cake
lunch~topped french fries
dinner~pizza, salad, breadsticks

Saturday:
breakfast~parfaits
lunch~leftovers
dinner~french toast

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~roasted chickens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn


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