Faith, Food and Family

I don't usually have allergies but last week, something knocked me down hard. I know it was allergy based because of my symptoms but I think it also went to my sinuses. I was miserable for several days. I'm feeling better but still can't taste or smell 100%. I was very excited to look through the newest cookbook in my collection while I was sick though. It's called Pure Food by Veronica Bosgraaf. Her cookbook is all about eating clean with seasonal, plant-based recipes. She has actually laid her book out in chapters of the months of the year. So it gives you a good idea of what to fix during those months with the seasonal produce that will be available at that time. This book has many yummy sounding recipes with several pictures of the recipes situated right in the middle of the book. I do wish the pictures accompanied each recipe and that there were more pictures, but I am a picture lover when it comes to cookbooks. I feel with a cookbook, you never can hav...

I've mentioned that we have been trying to eat healthier. It's been baby steps but my ultimate goal is very little, if any processed foods. I'm not sure that I will be able to eliminate them completely but the fewer processed items we eat, the better. One idea that has completely intrigued me, is making noodles out of veggies. I'm sure many of you have seen them around in recipes online or cookbooks. The most common seems to be using zucchini as "zoodles" as some refer to them. My youngest won't eat many veggies and I am looking forward to trying zucchini noodles in his spaghetti. If he will eat them, I think most picky eaters will. I will definitely report back when I am able to make them. With my interest in veggie noodles, I was excited to receive the Inspiralized cookbook by Ali Maffucci. Ms. Maffucci goes into all the ins and outs of spiralizing your veggies. She gives some great pointers and lots of information on what veggies to use. The book...

I decided to use Rocket Boy's Texas plate. :) The best meatloaf recipe I have tried (I haven't tried many yet because I like this one so much) is using Hunt's Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf. It always turns out perfect for me. It's super simple and super tasty! I served it with boxed potatoes (ran out of time to do fresh) and fried cabbage (well not really fried but wasn't fully steamed either LOL). Hunt's Meatloaf Recipe 1 can (15.25oz) Hunt's Family Favorites Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf 2 pounds of lean ground beef 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup of quick cooking oats, bread crumbs or crushed crackers (I used half crackers, half oats) Preheat oven 400 F. Combine half of Hunt's Seasoned Tomato Sauce for Meatloaf with the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs, onions; mix well. Place mixture in loaf pan. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Remove from oven; drain. Top meatloaf with remaining sauce. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before s...

I love squash casserole! I've actually never made it but have had it before. I had some squash in the freezer and decided to make it tonight for dinner. We're still living out of the pantry, turns out I won't get to go grocery shopping until Saturday or maybe Sunday. This recipe turned out absolutely yummy! I will definitely make it again! Squash Casserole 2 1/2 pounds of yellow squash, sliced 1/2 stick of butter plus 2 tablespoons 1 small onion, diced 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup of mayonnaise 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese about 3/4 of a sleeve of buttery crackers (I used the generic ritz kind), crushed Cook squash, covered, in a small amount of water. Cook until tender, then drain well. I used a colander to drain them and then pressed on them with some paper towels to get as much water out as I could. Return squash to the pot. Combine with 1/2 stick of butter and mash well. Add onion, eggs, mayo, sugar, salt and cheese. Pour into a greased 8x8 b...

When I made the pork fried won tons , I had bought a whole pork loin because they were on sale for $1.49 a pound. I put two meals of chops in the freezer. Then used one pound and had them grind it for the won tons. Then I roasted the rest in the crockpot. We had it for dinner that night and then ate it for lunch a couple of times. Then one night for dinner, my husband wanted quesadillas. Now my husband is the king of picky with our youngest son coming in right behind him. So he just had chicken and cheese on his. Our 6 year old had his that way too. But my daughter and I decided to do something different. Why not use pork? Pork and sauteed onion quesadillas leftover pork (I used probably 1/2 a cup or so, shredded or chunked one vidalia onion, quartered and sliced 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp fajita seasoning (I use McCormick) colby and monterey jack shredded cheese 4 tortillas butter Start heating pan over medium heat. Add about a tablespoon or two of butter in the pan. I always try to use as lit...

One of our favorite meals at Disney World last year was 'Ohana. It was at the Polynesian Resort and it was very yummy. We had a wonderful seat right next to the window that night and had a great view of the nightly fireworks. It was really awesome. So we decided to recreate that meal at home. First up we have Terryaki Chicken and steak tips. Now at 'Ohana, they serve everything off these skewers and everything is grilled but we don't have a grill right now. I cooked the chicken in the oven with bottled marinade on it. They don't have terryiaki chicken but I thought since we weren't grilling it would add additional flavor. For the steak tips, I put a little oil in the pan and dry the tips, then flip them over. I let them cook for a bit and then I add about a cup of beef stock and let them simmer until the liquid has evaporated. I used eye of round because it was on sale and it turned out very tender! Next up is the Pork Fried Wontons. They were so yummy! It was my fi...

Click on the image to go find your Bargain Meal of the Week! Welcome to the Bargain Meal of the Week. I am enjoying this and hope you all are too. Check out even more great recipes and bargains at $5 Dinners ! Food Lion's ad is available online so be sure to check your local ad. Using chicken breasts on sale for $2.45/lb Bird's Eye frozen Veggies B1G1F (broccoli) ($1.25 a bag) yellow onions 3lb bag $1.99 Kraft shredded cheese 8oz for $1.99 Chicken Divan Chicken Divan 3-4 cups cooked chicken, cubed 20 oz frozen broccoli 7 oz fresh mushrooms 8 oz cheddar, shredded 2 Tbsp onion, minced (I use dry minced) 2 Tbsp butter 1 cup chicken broth 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup parmesan cheese Cook broccoli according to directions. In cooking pan, saute mushrooms and onions with butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and boil on med high heat and gradually whisk in mayo. Let it cook for about 4-5 mins until t...

I made a double recipe of this for our Ladies Home Fellowship last night. We get together once a month and usually have a themed get together. Last night it was hawaiian cruise. Our host, Wendy, did an awesome job turning her back deck into a cruise deck for us. The slight breeze made me really feel like we were in Hawaii. Well, at least I can pretend! :) Once the sun went down it was totally awesome with lights and candles. Had a great time! Here's how to make this yummy recipe. Fiesta Salad 2 cups of corn (last night I used fresh and sauteed it a bit, you can use canned, frozen, etc.) 1 avocado, diced 4 roma tomatoes, diced 1 small vidalia or red onion diced 1/2 tsp lime zest juice of half a lime handful of cilantro, chopped 4-6 tbsp of ranch dressing (just use what you want for your desired creaminess) can of black beans, rinsed and drained salt and pepper to taste Just combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together well. This yummy and simple recipe definitely Works For Me ...

These are so yummy and filling. I love quesadillas! I should have taken pictures while I made it. I will try to remember to do that next time. I was in a hurry last night because I still had to run to the store after dinner. Chicken Quesadillas 2 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded or chunked 2 cups of cheese of your choice (I used the rest of a bag of a mexican mix and also come colby jack) 3 peppers, sliced (I used red and yellow) 1 onion (sliced in half and then in thin slices on each half) 1-2 tsp of McCormick fajita seasoning 1 can of green chiles butter and oil to saute peppers and onions 8 count package of flour tortillas. I like the homestyle kind. I think they're made by aztec. Heat a nonstick skillet (I used a 10") on medium heat with a bit of butter and oil. I try to use as little as possible so probably about a tablespoon of each or so. When the skillet has heated add the peppers and onions. Saute until nice and soft and caramelized. Add the can of green chiles, t...

I made Country Casserole for dinner last night. It was really yummy. I did leave the onions off the top but put them inside. The kids never knew. LOL I also got too much pasta in there. I was aiming to not measure and just poured half the box only more than I wanted to came out. I think it would have been creamier if I hadn't done that so make sure you measure your pasta. This was super easy to put together since I already had cooked chicken in the fridge. Country Casserole from Southern Plate 2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided One can French fried onions, divided 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use canned chicken) 1 can cream of chicken soup ¼ cup milk 1 tsp pepper 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the onions for topping later. Spoon into 9×13 casserole dish. Bake for twenty five mi...

Click on the image to go find your Bargain Meal of the Week! Welcome to the sixth installment of the Bargain Meal of the Week. I am enjoying this and hope you all are too. Check out even more great recipes and bargains at $5 Dinners ! Food Lion had some great things on sale. I definitely would encourage you to check your local ad. Some of the highlights are: chuck roast $1.89/lb bone-in assorted pork chops $1.79/lb ground beef $1.79/lb whole chicken fryers .89/lb butterball turkey smoked sausage 2/$5 tilapia fillets $3.99/lb green seedless grapes .99/lb sweet potatoes .69/lb celery .99 italian bread B1G1F (I think these are usually close to $2.00 so it'd be $1.00) sara lee bread B1G1F 8ct hamburger and hot dog buns B1G1F yoplait yogurt 20/$10 16oz sour cream 4/$5 food lion shredded cheese 3/$5 20-32 oz food lion frozen fries or tots 2/$4 Food lion salad dressing B1G1F Kellogs cereals 3/$5 ragu pasta sauce 4/$6 lysol wipes B1G1F Meal #1 Using the ground beef on sale for 1.79/lb ta...

I forgot to take the picture before I cut the roast up so this is after I've already cut it into peieces. :) Here's what I did: Beef Pot Roast 2.5 pound sirloin roast a few red and gold potatoes (I was kind of using up what I had left in the bags) about 1 pound of carrots 1 can of french onion soup (this one was not condensed it said not to add water) 1/2 can of water (to make sure I have enough juice, we like a lot) salt and pepper to taste I just sliced the poatatoes and carrots and put them in the bottom. Then salted it. I actually didn't use pepper because my 5 year old doesn't really like it. Then I sat the roast on top. I poured the soup and water and a bit of salt on top. Then covered and baked at 350 for about 2.5-3 hours. I just kept checking it every so often after 2 hours to see when it was nice and tender. If I had any I would have added some beef base to this but I am out. I can't wait to get my soup bases delivered. They will probably be here early nex...

Okay, I already messed with the menu. :) I didn't get to get to the store in time to get the potatoes for mashed potatoes to have with the meatloaf. So I had to make the lo mein instead of the meatloaf yesterday. I kind of did my own thing but with help from this Chicken Chow Mein recipe and this Vegetable Lo Mein recipe. First I boiled the noodles. Then fried them in the skillet in a bit of oil. This really helped them not stick together. And I'm sure gives it more flavor. I took the noodles out of the pan and put them in a dish until it was time to add them back. I then started stir frying the veggies. Mushrooms, onions first. Then a bag of coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots), some bean sprouts. I microwaved a small bowlful of broccoli and added that. I also added a can of sliced water chestnuts. I mixed one cup of chicken broth and a tablespoon of cornstarch and added that to the veggies. Then added a tablespoon of reduced sodium soy sauce and a tablespoon or so of oyster f...

Click on the image to go find your Bargain Meal of the Week! Welcome to the fourth installment of the Bargain Meal of the Week. I am enjoying this and hope you all are too. Check out even more great recipes and bargains at 5Dollar Dinners ! Food Lion had some great things on sale. Especially the 3 day sale. I definitely would encourage you to check your local ad. 10 pound bag of chicken leg quarters .79 a pound ($7.90) This will make at least 2 meals if not more. Meal #1 Huli Huli Chicken Dottie (hokiesmom) from Cooking for your family on babycenter.com 5 lbs chicken pieces 1/3 cup ketchup 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 tablespoons sherry 1 piece ginger root, crushed 1 clove garlic, crushed Arrange chicken, skin side up, on rack of broiler pan. Broil 6 to 8 inches from unit in electric oven for 10 minutes on each side. Combine remaining ingredients; baste chicken and continue broiling for 10 more minutes on each side, basting frequently with sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings. Se...