Recipe for Disaster

Not every day is perfect. Some need serious work. The newest recipe for the month of Family Favorite Recipes is not one that I'm fond of....sorry. If I could have skipped it, I would have. Really.

Recipe for Disaster

1 busy lady running full tilt
1 handful children
8 expected dinner guests
1 messy house
1 very solid and immovable couch
1 medical insurance policy that can't be used because the deductible is through the roof

Mix all together and watch the poor lady laugh and cry on the floor while she holds her foot. Groan in sympathy as she attempts to put her dislocated pinky toe back in place (it worked) as the kids look on in fascination. Serve with sympathy and dash of compassion as she hobbles around the house for the next week.

May you never find yourself serving this meal.

~ Erin  =]

Tortilla Stew

If you like Taco Soup, you'll love this. It has a similar flavor but is thick and hearty and feels more substantial. My kids are not real soup fans. but they like this one. Maybe because it's not real soupy? For more kids friendly meals, check out 30 Family Favorite Recipes.

Savory chicken in a thick, slightly spicy stew, and garnished with tortillas, cheese, and cilantro, this dish is perfect for a cold winter night. 

The recipe is easy to double and freezes well. Portion out the soup to freeze before you add the tortillas. Package the tortillas separately in a Ziploc bag and add to the soup after reheating.

Tortilla Stew

2 qt chicken broth*

¼ c taco seasoning

1 c shredded chicken*

1 can corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Piquinto beans (small pink beans in a mild sauce) or any other variety

1 pt salsa

1 c flour mixed with 1 ½ c water

1 can black olives. Sliced

3 tortillas, cut or torn into 1-inch squares (I prefer flour, but corn is good, too)

Grated cheddar cheese to garnish

Cilantro, chopped (optional – but really, really good)

Combine broth, taco seasoning, chicken, corn, beans, and salsa. Bring to a boil. Stir in flour mixture to thicken like a stew. Add olives and stir.

If serving everything, then add tortilla pieces and stir as well. If there will be leftovers, offer tortillas as a topping. This keeps them from becoming a soggy mess the next day. Garnish with cheddar cheese and cilantro if desired.

Toilet Paper from Heaven

Sometimes blessings come from the most unlikely places.

I had an experience several years ago that will stay with me. It confirmed to me that our Heavenly Father hears us, He know our needs, and He will help us.

Once upon a time, I was sick as a dog. I couldn't do anything. It was bad. My husband had died the previous year and not one of my six kids was old enough to drive. And then the worst happened. We were on our last roll of toilet paper.

Source unknown

Low and behold, at about 11 PM that night, my boys got all excited and came running into my room. "Mom! Someone TP'd our house!" 

My reply? "Oh, thank you Heavenly Father for answering prayers! Boys, go roll it up. We're gonna make it. "

We have a big tree in our yard. Those kids didn't skimp, let me tell you. They used rolls and rolls and they must not have been pros because they left several of those rolls only half used. And it was the good stuff. I felt spoiled.

Lessons learned?

• Heavenly Father answers prayers.
• He has a sense of humor. Really.
• Blessings can come from unlikely sources.
• Sometime you have to look for those blessings in the gifts that are given.
• What you do today may be the answer to somebody's prayer.
• May we give of our best! =]

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are awesome. They're messy and full of flavor and give you an excuse to lick your fingers at the dinner table. Those qualities alone should gain them a place on the 30 Family Favorites list.

My mother-in-law made this meal for her eight kids for years. I talked her out of the recipe. The rest is history.

These joes are the perfect balance of tangy with a touch of sweet, inexpensive to make, can be made ahead of time, can be frozen, and can hide healthy things. I've substituted cracked wheat cereal or 9-grain cereal for up to half of the meat without getting caught.

I did make some changes to her original recipe to fit my family's needs. I believe in the make it in a hurry method whenever possible. Life is busy. Kids have sports. Sometimes I forget to start dinner....sigh.

Sloppy Joes

2 lb hamburger

2 c catsup

1 T lemon juice

½ c chopped celery

¼ c chopped green pepper

1 onion, chopped

2 T vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

¾ T Worcestershire sauce

2 T brown sugar

¼ c water

½ T dry mustard (or less)

Brown meat and drain. Add all ingredients and let cook on low heat for one hour or longer until sauce becomes thick.

My In a Hurry Method: Brown and drain the hamburger. While meat is cooking, sauté the celery, peppers, and onion in 1 T butter until tender, then add to the meat. Add all remaining ingredients, but omit the water. Simmer for 10 -15 minutes.

Healthy variation: I have also substituted up to 2 cups of cooked 9-grain or cracked wheat cereal for half of the hamburger. This was usually left-overs from breakfast. Kids never knew the difference.

Sweet and Sour Salad

Soooo...to be honest, my kids can live without this recipe. It has green stuff in it. With that said, tough luck. It's my pick. I win.

To see the other recipes in my 30 Family Favorite Recipe series, clicky here.

I love a good salad, and this one is one of my favorites. My cousin gave me this recipe years ago and I had the sense to hold onto it. You'll want to, too.

The lettuce is crispy and the dressing has a sweet/tangy flavor. What makes it fantastic, though, is the addition of buttery, toasted Ramen noodles and walnuts. Oh. My.

I'll post a picture when I can actually find my camera. =]

Sweet and Sour Salad

1 c vegetable oil

¾ c sugar

½ c red wine vinegar (or regular)

3 t soy sauce

1 c chopped walnuts

1 – 3oz pkg Ramen noodles, dry and broken into small pieces

4 T butter

1 head romaine lettuce – rinsed, dried, and chopped

1 head fresh broccoli, chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

Whisk together oil, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce. Best to make a day ahead but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. It’ll be delicious anyway.

Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add crushed ramen noodles and walnuts; toast til golden brown.

Combine the Romaine, broccoli, and green onions. Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with ramen mixture before serving.

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

Keeping to the 30 Family Favorite Recipes theme...

I'm posting one of my favorite simple recipes today because I have a million things to get done. I'm working on getting my first ever passport today!

As some of you know, I am a nursing student. This semester, over winter break, actually, I have the chance to travel to Ecuador for nearly a month as part of a cultural nursing course. I am excited and a bit nervous, but mostly in a panic to get the paperwork in order.

Sooooo...with that said, Ultimate Grilled Cheese it is. Probably for dinner tonight, too.

We all pretty much know how to make grilled cheese, right? Butter the outside of the bread and slap a piece of cheese inside, then fry it up.

What makes it really good is....drumroll, please...shredded Parmesan cheese toasted up to golden, crispy deliciousness on the outside.

The Parmesan can make even standard American cheese slices taste amazing.

Think Sizzler's Cheese Toast made into a sandwich.

For the record, the stuff in the plastic container will work in a pinch, but it tends to be saltier and isn't nearly as good.

Step it up and try Swiss cheese slices (yep, Kraft, in the wrapper).

Wanna get wild?

Use pepperjack cheese. On sourdough bread. With Parmesan on the outside.

Or slice a big, fat loaf of sweet French bread into a two-inch thick slice, from the bottom, cut a little pocket into the center of it (almost like you're trying to cut it into two slices but leaving the sides intact), stuff it with a slice of mozzarella cheese, and dip the outside in shredded Parmesan.

Notice how everything comes back to Parmesan?

Try it. You'll thank me. =]

Ultimate Grilled Cheese

2 slices bread of choice
1 slice cheese of choice to cover bread
Butter
Shredded Parmesan cheese

       Butter one side of each piece of bread. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on a small plate. Press bread, buttered side down on the Parmesan. This makes the cheese stick a bit better than if you just sprinkled directly onto the bread. Place cheese between non buttered sides of bread.
       Grill in a non-stick pan at medium heat, flipping when the first side becomes golden brown. You know the routine. Don't wander away to be efficient and do something else, because it can burn fast. Especially if you think you have a minute to go check Facebook. I know.

Brown Sugar Sausage-Bacon Appetizers

I think I've told you that my mother-in-law is a fantastic cook. She has a recipe stash to envy. She makes everything, and lots of it. She revels in family parties, and food has always been a central part of those parties.

This is one of her recipes. The first time I saw these babies one Christmas morning, I thought yuck. Bacon and sugar?

But it was Christmas and I was a new addition to the family, so I was brave and tried them anyway. And then I tried another, and another. Little pieces of sausage, wrapped in bacon, coated with caramelized brown sugar, hot and sweet and salty...I about died.

This is one of those recipes that I recommend making infrequently. It does not go in the healthy section. It goes in the spoil me silly section and should be used accordingly. 

Christmas morning is a good time. Preferably when you have lots of company and have to share. 

I can't remember if this recipe was on my list of 30 Family Favorites to share with you guys. If it wasn't, it is now. There's no way I could pass on it. I'd feel like I was hoarding a family treasure, and I did promise to share.

I know my picture is dorky. Bear with me.

Brown Sugar Sausage-Bacon Appetizers

24 links uncooked sausage, cut in half

1 lb bacon, cut in half

1/2-1 lb lt brown sugar

toothpicks

Wrap each sausage piece with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Arrange in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle sausage with brown sugar. You can make these up the night before, cover and stick in the fridge at this point.

Bake at 350° for 1 to 1-1/2 hours to desired doneness.  Baste occasionally with drippings and break up any lumps in the sugar. Sugar will caramelize while cooking.