Showing posts with label Yummy Mummy Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yummy Mummy Recipes. Show all posts

Friday, January 29, 2010

Game day favorites

YUMMY MUMMY RECIPE
Guest Blogger
Amy
Mom of three

I have recently switched from stay at home mom to working mom, but I still love to cook and make yummy things for my friends and family. Now that I work I am always on the look for things that I can make without hours in the kitchen but still taste homemade. There is never a reason to sacrifice taste.

With the Super Bowel approaching I thought it would be fun share a couple of my easy crowd pleasing recipes.
Oreo Yums-

1 pkg of Oreos

1 - 8oz pkg of cream cheese

1 – pkg chocolate or white chocolate Almond Bark

Crush the entire package of Oreos with potato masher or food processer (Mashing is a kid friendly job if you have help in the kitchen). Add the entire package of cream cheese and mix into the crushed Oreos. The mix will start out looking like dirt and then as the cream cheese mixes in it will start to look wet and sticky. After it is fully mixed roll into quarter size balls. For the best results freeze the balls for at least an hour before dipping. Melt Almond Bark in the microwave or by using a double boiler on the stove top. Remember to lay out wax paper to set the balls on after they have been dipped. The easiest way to dip the balls in the chocolate is by using toothpicks. After dipped set on wax paper and allow Oreo Yums to dry.


This recipe is versatile feel free to try different things with it. During Christmas I bought candy cane flavored Oreos and it tasted delicious. You can really use any flavor Oreo or sandwich cookie. If you want to use for a Valentines or Super Bowel party one could use the white Almond Bark and add your favorite food coloring.

I made this recipe for my daughter and her friends and they ate them before the chocolate could even dry. My husband, who doesn’t usually like chocolate, loves them too.

Sly’s Bean Dip
My family loves Mexican food or anything closely related. My grandmother-in-law always made a yummy bean dip that quickly disappeared. I was surprised when I finally watched her make it, what a simple recipe it was. I have added a few things to make it my own over the years but it is still delicious and simple as ever.

1 can refried beans
2 big tablespoons of Miracle Whip
¼ cup Picante Sauce
¼ shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium size bowl mix the first three ingredients. Pour into small baking dish and bake for 10-15 min. Remove and add cheese, place back in oven until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with tortilla chips.
This recipe can be spicy or mild depending on your family’s taste. You can add Tabasco or jalapeños if you have a taste for the spicy. If you like it milder, forget the picante and add extra cheese. My grandmother-in-law usually warmed it up in the microwave, which is great if you have hungry unexpected friends or family.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Sick Food

Not all food is created equal when your sick. For example I make chicken noodle and wassail when we have the cold or a flu. I did however make the mistake of making wassail when one of my kids had a stomach virus. Big mistake. Citrus doesn’t sit well on an upset stomach we both suffered for that one.
I am giving our family sick food recipes. Usually by this time a year at the end of sick season someone says, “I never want to eat chicken noodle again.” But when the next sick season rolls around their ready and it’s the only thing they want.
COLD or FLU
Listen Family Wassail
1 qt apple cider
2 cups OJ
2 #2 cans pineapple juice
1 stick cinnamon
1 tsp whole cloves
Sweeten to taste with honey or sugar.
Bring to boil then let simmer for 30 minutes.
The pineapple cans are the big cans usually on the bottom shelf at the store. I play with the recipe a bit because we like more of the sweet cider taste. Wassail is loaded with Vitamin C and great no matter what.

Chicken noodle soup
2 10 1/2 oz cans cream of chicken soup
8 cups water
1 lb bag of Amish Country Chicken Homestyle noodles
1 tbsp onion powder
1/2 cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste
8 Chicken flavor cubes
Directions
Pour soup and water into pot on high.
Add chopped celery, onion powder, and cubes. Bring to a boil.
Add noodles and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer until noodles are softened.
You can add more water if you enjoy more broth in your noodles. Remember to add 1 chicken cube for every 1 cup water added.

STOMACH VIRUS
I usually do the B.R.A.T. diet when the kids have this type of sickness. Bananas, Rice, Apple Sauce, and Toast is what the letters stand for. We start with one and see how the kids handle it and move on from there. Not real glamorous but after all I did say I learned my lesson with the wassail.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Jeannie's Mess

YUMMY MUMMY RECIPE
posted by guest blogger Jacqueline Schwenke
Door County, Wisconsin 4 kids (3 girls 1 boy)
Penny Savvy Dollar Wise on Facebook

In 1982, we moved to the country. I had the pleasure and privilege to meet and become good friends with a lady named Jeannie, whose quick wit constantly kept me in stitches. One day we were visiting in her home, she telling me a story about how her youngest (2 yr old) daughter suddenly ran from the yard and rushed down toward the creek. She was talking her usual mile-a-minute and asked me to follow her to the kitchen- she didn't want to interrupt her own chatter, but needed to tend to something on the stove.

The minute I stepped into the kitchen I could see (and smell) the serious cooking going on. She had many prepared vegetables sitting on the counter, and something simmering in a skillet on the stove. She took the lid off and I could see the concoction was chopped green pepper and onion plus rope sausage that had been sliced into what she called 'pennies'. The aroma was heavenly! I stood and watched as she began to layer the prepared veggies into the pan, on top of the sausage mixture. When she was finished she set the lid on top and said, 'There!'. I looked at the lid, which was sitting on top of a mountain of veggies, about two inches higher than the top of the pan. I gave out a short laugh, and Jeannie being 'Jeannie' grinned at me showing the deep dimples in her cheeks, then flew off into an explanation about how as the veggies simmer they shrink, and the moisture from the veggies will keep the bottom of the pan moist so that the sausage mixture does not stick- and how the weight of the lid would help to compact the whole thing.

After further discussion she told me she came up with this recipe (which I found out later was a variation of another one floating around the USA at the time) because she always had 'a mess of veggies' from their large garden to use and she did not want them to spoil. So for her, the idea was to throw in anything from the garden- as long as it was a veggie. That day, she had put in a layer of potatoes, then yellow squash, white squash, zucchini, and more onion. Later that evening she brought some over for us to taste. She had added fresh tomatoes on top with a thin layer of melted cheese, so it was not only absolutely delicious but colorful as well. The recipe became a standard in our home, and affectionately known as "Jeannie's Mess".

Over the years I have had to adjust the recipe for different brands of sausage, types of potatoes, etc. My advice is to start with the veggies you and your family love the best. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out perfectly the first time you make it. I haven't met a kid yet who doesn't love this recipe and I think a lot of it has to do with being able to smell it while it's cooking. The heavenly aroma gets the taste buds dancing!

Ingredients
(I am not giving amounts here- make as little or much as you wish)

Good quality rope sausage, such as Hillshire Farm
At least 4 different vegetables (our favorite is: Onion, potato, yellow and green squash)
Shredded Cheddar cheese (not the fine shred)
Tomato (can be omitted)
Cooking Oil or Butter (which burns easily)

Directions

Chop onion (green pepper, hot peppers- anything in that 'family') to small pieces. Place in hot skillet to which enough butter or oil has been added so that the bottom is covered completely. Let simmer while you cut the sausage.

Cut rope sausage into 1/2 inch thick 'pennies', and add to skillet. Lower the heat to a slow simmer (low) and cover.

Starting with the potatoes, prepare remaining vegetables by washing and slicing into round pieces. You can use small chunks, but they do not layer as well. Stir skillet mixture often and lower heat if it seems to be cooking too quickly or the mixture begins to stick. You want to soften the onion and any peppers while giving the sausage a nice glaze.

After potatoes are sliced, add them to the skillet in layers and put the lid back on. (This is a good time to sprinkle in black pepper, a bit of garlic powder, or any other spice you'd like. I have used Morton Nature Seasoning as well.) Continue preparing the other vegetables. Each time you finish slicing one type of vegetable, add it to the pan, lid on. Don't be alarmed if your stack of veggies is not taller than the pan.

Working quickly to slice is a good idea, once the potatoes are in the pan. If your pan seems to be cooking dry, add a little beef broth- just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. If you are not an experienced cook, you can prepare the vegetables ahead of time.

After all layers are in the pan, put the lid on top and keep simmering on low, checking often to make sure it's not too dry. Do not stir or toss. At this point, when it's done is up to you. Some people like their veggies a little crisp, some like them cooked completely limp. When yours are done to your liking, remove the lid and simmer out any extra liquid at the bottom of the pan. Extra means you don't want soup. One way to do this is to increase the heat until the liquid is at a fast simmer. Add 1 TBL butter, (real butter), and it will help disperse the liquid. Don't panic if you have too much liquid, even after simmering. You can always use a slotted spoon to serve.

At this point you can throw some diced tomato on top, and add the cheese, allowing it to melt before you serve. You don't need any other vegetables with this meal- in fact we've never even served it with rolls, but I guess you could. My choice would be a whole grain roll.

P.S. The ending to that story about her daughter was that she went running after her, catching her by the seat of her overalls just before she stepped into the creek- and all that was to say how fast her daughter could run, plus explain why I had to go through a chain-linked fence before getting to the front door. :)

Friday, January 8, 2010

SUPER BOWL SLOSH

YUMMY MUMMY RECIPE
posted by guest blogger Jacqueline Schwenke
Door County, Wisconsin 4 kids (3 girls 1 boy)
Penny Savvy Dollar Wise on Facebook


This recipe comes from my own kitchen, but my husband is the one who is the brains behind it. He has some sort of weird, secret talent for putting meat dishes together that are outstanding. Here's a bonus- if your kids are picky eaters, they may clamor for second helpings.

Know what attracts kids? Sugar..every time. Being the evil Mom that I am, I can add just a teaspoon of Molasses to just about any recipe and it won't end up making it sweet enough for a non-sweet eater to detect. Reason being: Molasses is a 'dark' sweetener. To some it tastes nearly burnt. Add it to recipes and you have not only a great seasoning, but it adds an attraction most people can't pinpoint, especially kids. Think it's terrible to add sweetener to dishes just so the kids will eat it? Check out the nutrient facts of molasses: It's a good source of B6, Potassium, Magnesium and Manganese. One tablespoon has 5% Iron and 4% Calcium. It's low in saturated fat, cholesterol and Sodium. You'll also find a little bit of Niacin and Selenium. There are 10.0 mg of Omega-6 fatty acid in one tablespoon as well. It gives pan browned (not fried) chicken strips a caramel flavor, puts a lovely browning on beef and is inexpensive. So, try Molasses next time you want to 'lure' your kids to eat well. I have mixed it with a little honey and real vanilla to make a delicious topping for carrots. When creating recipes of your own, or using recipes created by others, keep in mind that you can add or subtract as you wish. Just make sure you don't tamper with the integrity of the recipe (don't take out baking powder, etc)

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef (such as ground sirloin- organic if possible)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (can be omitted)
1/2 teaspoon Morton Nature Seasoning (in spice area)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper (can be omitted)
1 carton Beef Broth (you can buy low sodium if you'd like but buy it in the carton..not can)
1 16 or 24 ounce stewed tomatoes (if you wish use the seasoned type)
OR
1 can of Manwich
• lb Velveeta loaf (use Pepper Jack, Mexican Mild or regular. If you use the flavored leave out the red pepper above)
• Tostitos Plain Chips

Directions
Brown ground beef in skillet, drain grease if necessary. Add spices and 1 cup of beef broth. Simmer for 7 minutes. While beef is simmering cut Velveeta into small cubes. Add the tomatoes or Manwich to the beef, bring to a simmer. Turn heat off and add cheese cubes, stirring well. If mixture seems too thick, add more beef broth. Stir until all of the cheese has mixed with the hamburger and liquid. If you prefer, you can heat the tomatoes or Manwich in a large measuring cup and then add the cheese to that to melt and mix it, then add it to the beef.
Serve with Tostitos Chips (we use no salt) or it may be poured on top of Fritos with a dollop of sour crème added on top. If you have kids who can't manage the chips, this can be thickened with more cheese and spread on tortillas.
Go to www.kraftfoods.com for possible coupons for the Velveeta. While you are there, sign up for the email newsletter they send out- it’s great! ConAgra Foods (Manwich) doesn’t share coupons as often as other food companies, but they usually do have some on their site. www.conagrafoods.com