Creamy Corn and Potato Chowder with Bacon... YUM!

Here is the recipe.  Its in my crock pot currently and smells amazing... i'm assuming is will tast amazing too!

1 can corn
1 can cream corn
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
4 cups chopped potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled

put all ingredients into crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours..
i would top with more bacon and some shredded cheese!! even though the recipes doesn't call for that!
if you want to see a pic check out my facebook page! Emily Hill

Week of Jan 23-27 2012

Monday- NO dinner (insert your own meal here :) )

Tuesday-  Chicken Biscuit Bake (Recipe below)

Wednesday- Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork

Thursday- Sloppy Joes and FF

Friday-Steak

Chicken Biscuit Bake
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
pepper to taste
4 cups cooked chicken
1 bag frozen veggie mix
1 can biscuits
Preheat oven to 350.  In saucepan heat soup, milk, thyme, pepper, chicken and veggies to boiling.  Boil and stir 3-5 mins.  Spread in ungreased 13x9 baking dish.  Separate dough into 8 biscuits and place evenly over hot chicken mixture.  Bake 35-40 mins or until biscuits are golden brown and no longer doughy on the bottom.

a little slow.....

I had great intentions when I first started my blog.  Although as you can see... life has been more important than a blog.  One reason why I started this was for myself.  I thought that if I had to post a menu every week on here it would force me to make and stick to my menu here at home.  Again... that hasn't happened either.

This week this was my menu (which as you will see I didn't stick to, but that's because I got the flu... so I guess that's an ok excuse!):

Monday- Quick Meal- Chicken Pattie and French Fries
Tuesday- Chicken Tortilla Soup (Recipe below)
Wednesday- Honey Ham Slice, Burssel Sprouts, Buttered Noodles, and Baked Beans
Thursday- Burritos (kit in a box)
Friday- Pork and Sauerkraut with Mashed Potatoes

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
I found this in a recipe book a few years ago and have adapted it to my family's taste!! 
P.S. This is my husbands favorite meal!!

2 small cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 soup can of water
1 can of Black Beans, rinsed
1 bag frozen corn
1/2 jar Salsa, medium or mild (2-3 cups)
1 lb. chicken breast cut into small pieces
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Bag of Tortilla Chips

Add soup, water, beans, corn, salsa and chicken to crockpot on low for 4 hours or until chicken is cooked.  15 mins before serving stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese.  Portion out soup and sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with chips.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Turnovers... YUM!

Here is what I made last night. It's super easy and really good. Even my husband like it.

3 oz. Cream cheese , softened
4 TBS. butter
2 c cooked chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
A few crushed croutons
2 TBS. milk
1 TBS. chopped onion
8 oz. can crescent rolls ( I use garlic butter flavored!!)

Blend cream cheese with 3 TBS. of melted butter until smooth. Add chicken, salt, pepper, milk and onion. Mix well and chill. Separate cressent rolls into 4 rectangles. Spoon meat mixture evenly between all 4 cressents. Pull all four corners of each cressent to top center and twist slightly. Brush 1TBS. of melted butter on top of each cressent and sprinkle with crushed croutons.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 mins. Enjoy!!

I made green beans and instand brown rice to accompany this yummy dish!!

Menu for Monday Nov 14-19

Here is the Preview of Next weeks Menu. 

Monday- South of the Boarder Meatloaf with left over Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday-Cheesy Chicken and Noodles (Slow Cooker)

Wednesday- Homemade Hamburger BBQ with Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday- Ham Steak with Veggies

Friday-  Chicken Tortilla Soup with Grilled Cheese

Saturday-  I normally plan a meal for Sat, but sometimes we go out to eat.  This Saturday is my Birthday.  YAYY!! So that means no cooking for me!

The title is "Menus 4 Mamas"

Since this is my first time blogging, you'll have to be patient with me. I had a lot of great ideas as I was cooking tonight. One idea was to post my recipes a day after I make them so I can give helpful hints... ( there were quite a few tonight) and then I can take a picture. I personally only use recipes that have pictures. So with that said I am going to post my menu for next week tomorrow. Also I think it would be helpful if I added that I don't cook on Sundays.

I had other ideas too. Post by recipe title so it can easily be searched and when I post the menu I'll post my shopping list and coupons that I used to save money. I generally use about $20-$30 worth of coupons per grocery run every other week. I am certainly no "extreme" couponer but I try to do what is realistic and saves me money.

Ok. This is really exciting to me. I'm sure I'll have more ideas for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!! :)

My First Recipe

This is what is for dinner tonight.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops with Green Beans and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Pork Chops:
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
4 bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops about 1 1/2 inches thick
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1.  whisk cider, brown sugar, vinegar, garlic, mustard, hot sauce, and cornstarch in medium bowl.  Pat chops dry with paper towel.  Rub chops with oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle 1 side of each chop wth granulated sugar.

2.  Place chops, sugared side down in large nonstick skillet.  Place skillet over medium-low heat and cook until chops are lightly browned, 10-12 mins.  Flip chops, add cider mixture from step 1. and cook covered until center of meat is 145 degrees, about 8-10 mins.  Transfer chops to platter.  Increase heat to med-high and cook liquid uncovered until thick, about 5 mins.

3.  Return chops to skillet and coat with glaze.  Transfer to platter and top with remaining glaze.

Potatoes: 

4 lbs. potatoes peeled and quartered, rinsed
12 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup water
salt and pepper

1.  Melt 4 tbls butter in dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook garlic and sugar stirring often until sticky and straw colored about 3-4 mins.  Add rinsed potatoes 1 1/4 cups half-and-half, water, and 1 teaspoon salt to pot and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender amd most of the liquid is absobed, 25- 30 mins.

2.  Off heat, add remaining butter to pot and mash with potato masher until smooth.  Fold in remaining half-and-half until liquid is absorved and potatoes are creamy.  Season with salf ans pepper. Serve.

Green Beans: 

1 Bag frozen steamable green beans
4 tablespoons butter

1.  Cook green beans according to directions.
2. In small saucepan melt butter until brown and then cover green beans in brown butter

ENJOY!!