Mexican for Dinner!

I know the last time I blogged was Thursday.  Sorry I was going to make something then found out how much leftovers we had.  We also had a very busy weekend with our Anniversary, a Soccer game, a trip to see my Aunt and Uncle, and my Sister we have been busy.  So tonight with Halloween I wanted something easy and fast  but still good.  So I made this.

Ground Beef, Black Bean, and Cheddar Cheese Taquitos:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 lb of lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and break the meat into crumbles. Add the onion as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained and rinsed can of black beans to the beef mixture then stir until well combined. Set aside.

Other Ingredients:

Corn tortillas (I ended up using two different kinds to use up what I had)

Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit cheese in the center of the tortilla then top with a bit of ground beef mixture and roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Dips:

Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream

I felt that mine taquitos did not get that hard.  The next time I would make it I might fry them.  I know that this would make them fatter but they might stay together better.  Serve the taquitos immediately. Enjoy.

Book Review!!

Well I finally finished the book The Help.  It took me a while to get used to the way the book was written as a African-American Maid telling the story.  But once I got past that I liked it.  Some of the stories gave me chills and some made me so happy. 

The Help is set in the early 1960s in Jackson, Mississippi and told from the perspective of three women: Aibileen, Minny, and Skeeter. Aibileen is an African-American maid who cleans houses and cares for the young children of various white families. Her first job since her own 24-year-old son was killed on his job, is caring for toddler Mae Mobley Leefolt. Minny is Aibileen's confrontational friend who frequently tells her employers what she thinks of them. Her actions have led to her being fired from 19 jobs. Minny's most recent employer was Mrs. Walters, mother of Hilly Holbrook. Hilly is the social leader of the community, and head of the Junior League. She is the nemesis of all three main characters.
Miss Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is the daughter of a prominent white family whose cotton farm employs many African-Americans in the fields, as well as in the household. Skeeter has just finished college and comes home with big dreams of becoming a writer; her mother's big dream for her is to get her married, although Skeeter is not interested. What does interest her is that Constantine, the maid who raised her, is nowhere to be found: Skeeter's family tells her that Constantine abruptly quit and went to live with relatives in Chicago. Constantine had been writing to Skeeter the whole time she was away at college and the most recent letter had promised her a surprise upon her homecoming. Skeeter does not consider Constantine's unexplained absence a good surprise and wonders what happened, but nobody will discuss Constantine.
During the weekly bridge club that Skeeter attends with Hilly, Mrs. Walters, and Elizabeth Leefolt, Hilly discusses her belief that all homes should have separate bathrooms for the "colored" help. This discussion awakens Skeeter to the realization that her friends' maids are treated very differently from how white people are treated. She decides that she wants to reveal the truth to the world from the maids' perspectives by writing a book about it. Written in the first person from the perspective of Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter, the struggles Skeeter experiences to communicate with the maids and gain their trust is revealed, as well as the issues of overcoming long-standing barriers in customs and laws by all of the characters. The daily lives of Southern homemakers and their maids during the early 1960s in Mississippi are explored. The dangers of undertaking writing a book about African-Americans speaking out in the South during the early '60s hover constantly over the three women.

One of the things that I liked about the book was to find out that the author of the book had a maid.  I also liked how she wished she could go back and talk to her and ask her all the questions she wants to know now. 

One of the things that I hated about the book is it kind of left you hanging.  I really would have liked to know what happened after with many of the characters.  I really wanted to read this book before I saw the movie.  I now think I will have to wait to watch it because it is not at the movies and not out to watch at home now.  But I am also very happy that I read this book before seeing it at the movies. 

I really enjoyed this book.  This is Kathryn Stockett's first book.  It took her five years to make this book.  She also had a lot of trouble getting this book published.  I really enjoyed this book and hope she make more soon. 



My next book is going to be Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp.  I have heard a lot of good things about this book so am excited to read it.  Will post a review when I get it done.

Do your kids like meatloaf?

Well one of the things that I know the kids will eat in this house is meatloaf!!!  I was amazed when I found out that the kids like meatloaf.  Growing up my Dad used to make meatloaf all the time.  I remember when I was in college I call my Dad and told him that when I came home that weekend I wanted meatloaf.  To me meatloaf is such a comfort food.  I love meatloaf but have to have ketchup to put on top of it.  I found the recipe of Crock Pot Girl's and had to try it.  I also made some little Cheddar disks with some mash potatoes.  The meal was great.  The Cheddar disks where different.  Scott also hates caraway so I used rosemary instead. 

Meatloaf

1 Lg. Onion chopped
1 Lg. Bell Pepper Chopped
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 Cup of Milk
3/4 Cup dry bread crumbs or cracker crumbs (I used crackers)
1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
2-3 lbs ground beef

Line Crock Pot with foil
Mix together the Eggs…Milk…Dry Crumbs…& Onion Soup Mix… then add meat and Onions and Peppers… mix all thoroughly… shape into loaf… put in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8hrs….
http://crockpotgirls.com/recipes/main-dishes/beef/meatloaf/





Caraway-Cheddar Cheese Crisps

3 cups extrasharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425F.
In large bowl, with hand, knead Cheddar, flour, butter, caraway seeds and salt until blended
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces

Place all 3 rolls in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then take them out and cut into 1/2-inch thick discs

With fingers, flatten the disks to 1/4-inch thickness and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake until lightly browned, 10-12 minutes. Transfer cheese crisps to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough

A little about us!!

Well when I started this blog I did not want it to just be about cooking or about the kids. I wanted it to be a mixture of both. As you know I am a stay at home mom of two amazing kids. Lately I have noticed that I am doing a lot of cooking and not a lot of other things. One of the reason's why I am doing so much cooking is because we love food and I love to cook.

 I guess I could say that cooking is one of my hobbies. When I think of a hobby I think of it as something you do in your spare time that you enjoy. I don't really have a lot of spare time without my kids. So I guess cooking has become something that I can do with the kids and we all have to eat right!!! If you look back at my blog you most be thinking well all she is going is cooking!! But you are wrong. Here are some of the fun things that Scott, the kids , and I have done this last month.

The Kids and the neighbor Girl's.

Kenton finding new ways to sleep.

Kenton with his friends at the Community Center.

Madison trying on Kenton's shoes. 

Making Pancakes in the morning.

Having fun playing at home.

Kenton at the Dairy Farm.

Madison at the Dairy Farm.

The kids at the pumpkin patch.

Scott and the kids at the pool in Yankton.

Kenton at the riverfron park in Yankton.

Madison at the riverfront park in Yankton.

Kenton dancing with the Bride.

Madison dancing with the Groom.

All of us at a wedding in Yankton.

The kids painting there pumpkins.

Kenton at the zoo.

Madison at the zoo

Hope you enjoy some of the fun things that we did this month.  We also have a fun filled weekend so we will post more pictures at the end of the month. 

This was a hit at our house!

So after going to the zoo today with a friend I did not feel very good so was happy that what I had planned for supper tonight was easy.  I got a bad headache on my way home from the zoo so was glad that Scott helped make this meal a little.  Another things that I liked about the meal was that the kids loved it.  I did add a little bit of garlic to the cheese mixture but other then that I followed the recipe.  Hope your kids love this as much as my kids did.

Manicotti with Cheese Filling Recipe
8 oz. manicotti shells, uncooked
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce ( I used homemade sauce.)
On the stove, cook the manicotti according to the package directions; drain. Allow to cool in a single layer on a piece of wax paper to keep the manicotti from sticking together. In a bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta cheese. Add the parsley, salt and pepper and mix well. Fill the manicotti noodles by spooning the cheese mixture into the manicotti noodles. In a 9×13 baking pan add a layer of spaghetti sauce and then lay the manicotti in a single layer over the sauce. Cover with the remaining sauce. Using aluminum foil, cover the dish. Bake at 350 degrees F. for about 40 minutes. You can sprinkle more Mozzarella over the top and allow to heat for an additional 2-4 minutes.

http://dailydishrecipes.com/manicotti-with-cheese-filling-recipe/

Scott's Pick

So most of the time when I ask Scott my husband what he wants for supper he never has an answer.  That is one of the reason's why I started doing this blog.  Before doing this blog I made a lot of the same things all the time for our family.  From taco's, lasagna, spaghetti, and meatloaf.  Now that I started this sight I have expanded our meal collections.  I have also found something that I never thought that the kids would eat!  So this is what Scott sent me from work one night.

 Taco Soup

Recipe By: Paula Deen
Serving Size: 12


Ingredients:  - Jalapenos
- Chopped green onions
- Grated cheese
- Sour cream
- Corn chips
- 1 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix
- 1 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix
- 1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
- 1 can small black olives, drained and sliced (optional)
- 2 cans 4 1/2-ounce diced green chilies
- 1 can 14 1/2-ounce tomatoes with chilies
- 1 can 14 1/2-ounce diced tomatoes
- 1 can 14 1/2-ounce Mexican tomatoes
- 1 can 15 1/4-ounce whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 cans 15 1/2-ounce pink kidney beans
- 2 cans 15-1/2 ounce pinto beans
- 2 cup diced onions
- 2 lbs. ground beef

Directions: 
Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large crackpot or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, green onions, tomatoes, chilies, olives, and seasonings, and cook on low setting all day (6 to 8 hours) if using a crock pot, or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a stockpot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, and jalapenos.

So this is what I made him today.  I tasted this and it tasted pretty good but a little spicy for the kids and me. 

Five Item Meal!!

So who wouldn't enjoy a recipe that only has five ingredents!!  This meal had just that.  This was also a very easy recipe to get together.  The longest part of the meal was cutting up the all the ingredents.  One of the reason's why I wanted to make this meal is becuase my kids really like ham.  I did add some salt and pepper and then a little bit more cheese.  I think cheese make everything better.  Well I hope you enjoy this easy crock pot meal. 

Here is the blog that I got this recipe from.

http://tamiskitchentabletalk.blogspot.com/search/label/crockpot


Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Ham - I used a ham steak
8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 onions, diced-
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Peel potatoes and dice up the ham.

Layer half of the potatoes, ham and onions into the crockpot. Top with half of the cheese.
Repeat for a second layer. Spoon the soup on top of the cheese on the second layer.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Yesterday's Supper

Well this meal was defiantly something that we had never had before.  On the menu for tonight was Pecan Crusted Chicken and Cheesy Mash potatoes.  Once a month my Mommy's group has Girl's Night Out and tonight was our October Girl's Night out.  My Mother in Law agreed to watch  the kids so there was still four people eating this meal.  I really wanted try the chicken so Scott and I sampled it before supper.  I thought it was really good, but to be honest to you it looked nothing like the picture where I got the recipe.  Scott got to take this meal to work for supper and he told me that he liked it better the second time around. 

One of the things that I would do differently the second time around is not chop the pecan's as much as I did.  I used my Magic Bullet to turn the pecan's into crumbs. But, I found out that if you do it to long it almost becomes a paste.  So next time I think I will chop smaller amounts at a time.  Well other then that I really liked this recipe and enjoyed the lemon zest in the coating.  The kids also ate the chicken which was a good thing.  I will defiantly make this again soon and hope you do to!!!

**  Also on the recipe it did not have a temp for the oven.  So I preheated my oven on 350 and ended up cooking my chicken for about 25 minutes.  I also cut my chicken into strips so it would be easier for the kids.  If you don't do this it might take longer to cook. 

Here is the blog where I got this recipe from.  http://picturesofaprincess.blogspot.com/2011/09/pecan-crusted-chicken-src.html

Pecan Crusted Chicken

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 c. Roughly chopped pecans
4 Tbs. Butter
1 Shallot, minced
1 c. Panko
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
3 Eggs
3 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. Ground black pepper
1 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1 c. All-purpose flour

"Using a fork to prick chicken several times then sprinkle with salt. Place on wire rack set over baking sheet, refrigerate while preparing coating.

In a food processor, chop nuts until they resemble a coarse meal. Over medium heat, melt butter, swirling pan constantly until butter is golden brown. Add shallot and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook shallots until light brown, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, add Panko and nuts. Stirring frequently cook until golden brown about 10-12 minutes. Transfer mixture to shallow dish or coating plate. Add lemon zest, thyme and cayenne, stir to combine.

In second shallow dish beat eggs, mustard and black pepper.

In third shallow dish mix together flour and seasoned salt.

Remove chicken from refrigerator, pat dry with a paper towel. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, then egg mixture, allow extra to drip off. Coat each side of chicken in panko nut mixture, pressing gently so crumbs adhere. Transfer coated chicken to wire rack, set in baking sheet. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until thickest part of the chicken reads 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. "

This is what we had for lunch today.

So the plan for today was another crock pot dinner.  As you all can see I am loving the Crock Pot Girl web site.  These ladies have created a wonderful web site for busy mom's like me.  If you need a new recipe that is fast you should look at there web site. http://crockpotgirls.com/   This meal was intended to be for supper but I got asked to join her bible study so we ate it for lunch.  One of the things that I liked about this meal is that the kids ate it.  I really liked this meal and even thought it was kind of spicy.  Scott on the other hand thought it was kind of bland.  I know it was a little spicy because Maddy and Kenton both thought it was.

Well doing the recipe I did change some thing thing make it better for my family.  One of the thing that my family likes is cheese.  So I added a little bit of cheese on top of the meat and bean mixture.  I really enjoyed this meal and hope you like it too. 


Slow Cooker Enchiladas


1 Pound lean Ground Beef
1 C Chopped Onion
1/2 C Chopped Green Pepper
1 Can (16oz) Pinto or Kidney Beans-rinse and drain
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1 Sm Can Tomato Sauce
1 package Enchilada Sauce (Dry)
1/3 C Water
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Pepper
1 C shredded Lowfat Cheese
6 flour tortilla (or Low Fat Flour Tortillas)

In a skillet cook beef, onion and green peppers until beef is browned, drain. In a bowl add all other ingredients except tortillas and stir. In crockpot layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, then a flour tortilla, repeat layers for all 6 tortillas. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours.
Makes 6 servings

This is the book that I just finished reading.

This book a friend let me borrow.  I was telling her how I wanted to read a good book about being a Mom.  Wow I will really have to thank my friend.  I am a very slow reader and try to only read when the kids are asleep.  If it says anything I read this book in less then a month and loved it.

Jill Savage is the author of this book.  One of the things that I loved about this book is how she put her everyday life into it.  She brought Jesus' words into everyday activities. She shows us ways to better take care of ourselves and our family. She also reminds us of how to see Jesus' hand in our daily lives. Some of her stories gave me chills and made me cry (IN A GOOD WAY)!! Every mom should read this book.

 

One of the things I liked about this book is that it was meant to be a bible study for mom's.  So at the end of the book every chapter was outlined and had questions to make you think more about what Jill said.  I would highly recommend this for a bible study group and would have loved to have other mom's read it with me. 

 

The author of the book Jill Savage is the founder and executive director of Hearts at Home, an organization committed to helping moms love their life. She and her husband, Mark, a senior pastor, have been married for over two decades and have five children, one of whom is married. Here is the web site for her organization.  http://www.hearts-at-home.org/

 

I now can't wait to read another motivational book like this.  If anyone has any suggestions I would love to know.  Thanks

Greek For Supper tonight!!

So thanks to one of Scott's coworkers suggestion we had Greek for supper tonight.  I really liked them and think Scott did too.  The one thing that I can say is it took a little time for the preparation.  They say that it should only take twenty minutes but it took me a lot longer then that.  I don't think that they had two kids around there feet the whole time like I did.  Another thing is that I think that this meal was kind of expensive.  One of the reasons why it was expensive was because it was a lot of ingredients that we don't have on hand at all time. 

Even though it took a long time to make and cost a little more then I would normally spend I still liked it.  Hope you try it with your family.





Greek Taco's

Ingredients

Lamb:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 pounds ground lamb
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine

Feta Mint Tzatziki:

• 1 English cucumber
• Salt
• 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

Cucumber Tomato Relish:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 firm tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• Freshly ground black pepper

Sandwich Build:

• 4 non-pocket pitas, oiled and lightly griddled on each side

Directions

For the lamb: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the lamb and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions in the lamb juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant. Season. Add the tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any bits up that have adhered to the pan. Add the lamb back in, stir and set aside.

For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a fine-meshed strainer or cheese cloth fitted over a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess moisture. Add the strained cucumber into a bowl with the yogurt, feta, garlic and mint. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

For the cucumber tomato relish: Toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let sit at least 1 hour to marry the flavors.

For the sandwich build: Schmear the tzatziki on the pitas, then place on the lamb and top with cucumber tomato relish.

Pumpkin Fun!

Well every year we get pumpkins from my Mother and Father in Law.  The pumpkins that they give us are usually great for carving pumpkins.  We plan a day before Halloween to go there and sit in Grandpa's garden with all of his pumpkins.  This is Kenton's third year and he loves to get pumpkins from Grandpa and Grandma.  This will be Madison's second time.  I first time she still could not even sit up.  This time I was lucky to get a picture of them together. 

Along with getting big pumpkins we like to get little pumpkins.  To get these I usually go to a pumpkin patch.  This year the place that I usually go did not have a good crop.  So we had heard a lot about Pooley's Pumpkin Patch and that is where we went. 

The one thing that I liked about this place was that the cost was not bad. It cost me $6.00 to get Kenton and I in.  Madison was free because she was under two.  I also spent a little extra to have Kenton ride a pony.  Madison is not big into that now(kind of scares her).  Then a little extra to get their face painted. 

We had a lot of fun.  We started off at the petting zoo area.  Kenton even got to hold a rabbit.  Madison liked the little baby chicks.  I liked the little pigs.  There was a lot of animals.  Then we went to the corn maze. Next we played on some hay stacks.  Then we did the pony ride and talked to some cows.  Then we got to take a hayride to go get our pumpkins.  We had a lot of fun and could have stayed a lot longer but got hungry.  The next time I go I will bring a lunch and make it a longer day. 

This was a really good place.  I would highly recommend it.  It was also a lot cheaper then some of the other pumpkin patches around here.  I hope you take a look at the web site and then take your kids there.  Another good thing is that it was really close to home.  Here is the web site and some pictures.

pooleyspumpkinpatch.com

Got Milk!!!

Well as most of you know when Kenton was about 6 months old I joined a mommy group.  At first I was a little worry about going to some one's home that I did not know.  I soon found out that it was a amazing group of ladies and was so happy to be a part of it.  One of the things that I liked about it was that most of the mommy's in the group had kids that where the same age as Kenton.  As time went on most of the mom's also had there second or third the same time I had Madison. 

I have now been with the group for a year and a half and love it.  Some of the things that I love is being about to get advice from another mom going through the things that I am going through.  When I was pregnant with Madison there was a couple mom's when where pregnant as well and I loved talking to them about all the crazy things that goes on to you when you are pregnant.  

The Mommy's group is not just for the mom's too.  Kenton and Madison both really enjoy playing and spending time with there friends.  Kenton even asked when he is getting to see some of the kids.  As a group we met once a week or sometimes twice.  We either met at a mom's house or somewhere around the community.  Kenton loves going to the zoo and going to his friends house to play with their toys.  Madison loves to play dolls with some of her girl friends.  Since Kenton has grown up with these guys it is so fun to see how he pretend plays with them and just interact.

This week we decided to go out of town and go to a local dairy farm in Firth Nebraska.  It was a little drive but worth it to see how much fun the kids had.  Some of the things that Kenton and Madison really liked was to see the baby cow that was a day old, they also loved to see the big cows eating hay, and they both loved the fresh chocolate milk.  Here is the website if you would like info.  It was only two dollars a person.  http://www.prairielanddairy.com/

Here is also some pictures of the field trip.  I tried to get only pictures of my kids because I did not ask any of the other mom's if I could post there kids.  It was lots of fun..

Kenton looking at the cows.

It was cold and windy.  Wish I would have brought gloves and hats.

If you look behind Kenton you can see all of the cows.  This is where the cows where milked. 

Madison was in a sling on my back.  She was cold and still tired from the drive. 

Look at all those cows!

These where the cows that where eating and waiting for there turn to give milk.  Wow where they big.

MOO

Madison did not want her picture taken.  The little cow in the background is only a day old.  Hard to get a pictures without any other kid in it.

Kenton having fun.

Madison was cold and wanted to be held not get her picture taken.