Hi guys!

Hey y'all! No, I haven't forgotten about you. I went to Michigan a couple weeks ago for my little sisters Commissioning and college graduation coupled with camera technical difficulties and I just really haven't gotten back into the swing of things yet.

But don't worry! I have some new recipes to share and a post planned about making basic sauces. Keep an eye open!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Aside from my canned veggies that never made it into my cart last week, another item evaded my grasp. I forgot to look at the first grocery store. At the second, I stood in the refrigerator section staring at different kinds of doughs for a good 10 minutes before giving up. Same thing at the next store; and by the time I reached the fourth I'd decided to just go with regular old pizza dough. So, where the heck do you find phyllo dough?!

This BBQ chicken pizza I made last night was actually supposed to be BBQ Chicken Pasagna. I ended up purchasing the Pillsbury pizza dough, thinking perhaps I could make it work the way the phyllo would have. After rolling it out onto the cookie sheet, however, I realized it wasn't possible. So, pizza it was! And for the record... thin crust pizza roll is absolutely terrible to work with! I couldn't get it rolled out right. Maybe next time I'll try making my own?

Here's what you'll need:
1 can pizza dough
1/3 bottle of bbq sauce
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1/4 onion, diced
2c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
2tbsp evoo
1 tbsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste



Prepare dough according to package instructions. This one had me pre-bake at 5 minutes at 400 degrees.



Dice up chicken breast. If you find yourself struggling with slippery chicken, pop it into the freezer for 3 minutes or so. It'll come out firmer and easier to cut. Add to pan with 2 tbsp EVOO and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.



Dice up the onion as well and once the chicken is starting to brown, toss it into the pan. Cook until chicken is cooked through and onion is tender. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper, and bbq sauce.



Spread chicken mixture on top of pre-baked pizza crust. Top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes (or per package instructions).







Servings 6; Calories 578.5; Fat 17g; Carbs 61.5g; Fiber 4.1g; Protein 44.8g


This girl is headed home to Michigan to visit some friends and family for the next couple days, so don't expect much in the way of blog updates. If you have any yummy recipes you'd like for me to modify or give a try, go ahead and mail them to me at made_to_order_recipes@yahoo.com. I'm always up for a challenge. Happy Cooking!

Amish Casserole

I absolutely hate the question, "What's for dinner?" Every time one of them asks me, I want to punch them in the face. I'm not quite sure why. It's kind of like them saying, "I'm hungry, so get your butt in the kitchen and cook." And if you know me, you know I don't take orders very well. I like to do my own thing on my own time.

So, after dealing with it and keeping my mouth shut for 8 months, I found this nifty little weekly menu planner calendar online. When I went grocery shopping last week, I sat down with it and planned out the meals for the nights we'd be home for the next two weeks. I was quite pleased with myself, putting together entrees and side dishes and displaying it prominently on the cork board in the kitchen... I still get asked what's for dinner every day. At this point, however, I've deviated from it and switched meals around. Can't win can I? =)

I'm not sure where this dish got it's name. I found it on a website a couple months ago and it sounded good so I made it. I think I enjoy it more than the guys do, but there's nothing wrong with that, right?

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
1 package pasta, cooked and drained
10 oz cream of chicken soup
15 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp sugar
4 slices American cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheese



Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and return to pot. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain.



Coat noodles with cream of chicken soup. Add tomato sauce and sugar to ground beef and stir.





The size of the pan you use doesn't really matter. I actually normally would use a pie dish, but I used different noodles this time and I didn't figure they'd fit in there nicely. Put half the noodles in the bottom of the pan. Add half the beef mixture, then top with the 4 slices of American cheese.







Cover with the rest of the noodles, beef, and top with the shredded cheese.



Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is heated through.


Servings 6; Calories 538.3; Fat 27.3 g; Carbs 43.7 g; Fiber 4.6g; Protein 29.3g

Subbing ground turkey will cut down on the fat content if you're concerned there. This dish is hearty and very satisfying. I will say I used the rotini this time instead of the egg noodles and I didn't drain them enough, so it still tastes a bit wet. Be careful. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

One day about three years ago or so, I was sitting at home bored to tears. I'm not really sure what put the idea in my head, but I decided to make cinnamon rolls. I did some searching online and found a recipe for mini ones and lucky for me I had all the ingredients sitting in my kitchen. Now, I am by no means a baker. That requires exact measuring and science. I'm more of a dump things in til it tastes right kind of girl. Those cinnamon rolls were awful... cardboard and tasted like flour. My husband, however, loved them. Wierdo.

Ever since then, he'll bug me maybe once a month or so to make cinnamon rolls again. It's a long long process and if everything's not done exactly right, they don't turn out and it's frustrating. I got this really nifty bread machine as a wedding gift last year and I've been wanting to use it, but it's a little intimidating. Finally, I decided to get it out and use it to make cinnamon rolls. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from it. The instructions said to dump all the ingredients in and let it go. So that's what I did and about 3 hours later we had cinnamon rolls. Well, I wish it were that easy! Anyway, here's my journey from flour to tastey sugary goodness.

Here's what you'll need for the rolls (I doubled the recipe, so there are more ingredients in photos than what is necessary):
1/2c milk
1/2c water
2 tbsp butter
3/4 tbsp salt
2 1/4 tbsp active dry yeast
1/4c white sugar
1 egg


In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water, and 2 tablespoons butter until very warm.



Place milk mixture, salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. Press Start. Now on my machine this process takes about an hour and a half.





While the dough is preparing, you can make the filling:

3 tbsp butter softened
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3c white sugar

Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. I might use a bit more cinnamon, honestly. They tasted more sugary to me than cinnamon-y.

Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine and punch down to remove air pockets. My dough came out very very sticky. Make sure your hands and your counter top are generously floured or you will have a sticky mess. Roll the dough into a rectangle with a rolling pin.






Smear the rectangle with the 3 tbsp of softened butter. Make sure it goes all the way to the edges. It'll help it stay rolled and keep the cinnamon flavor to the very end. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture as evenly as possible over the dough. I used a spoonula to help me spread it out.





Roll the dough up into a log starting at the long side. Cut into 12 slices. Place the rolls cut side down into a 9x13-inch greased baking pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. It really will take 30 minutes. While you're waiting, go ahead and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.





Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Now, I left mine in for 23 minutes and it was too long, so pay close attention. 20 minutes if probably more than enough. I'm using a gas oven if that makes a difference. Remove and let cool about 10 minutes. If they're stuck to the pan, warm them up again and remove them while hot.



While they are baking, prepare your frosting. I used cream cheese frosting because, well, it's just delightful. This is one of the best recipes I've found and it makes A LOT... 20 servings. I wasn't thinking and doubled this recipe as well so I have a bunch in my freezer for next time.

Here's what you'll need:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/2c butter
1 1/3 tbsp vanilla almond milk
3c confectioner's sugar



Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.





Now, you may be reading this going, "Vanilla almond milk? WTF?" Trust me. It is SO good. I can't drink regular milk. It makes me feel icky and sick to my stomach. But this stuff has all the benefits of milk without making me sick. It's nice and sweet too... makes a nice treat that's low in calories. I used it because I didn't have any vanilla extract and was blown away at the way the frosting turned out. Trust me trust me trust me!

Once your rolls are cool, frost them and you're ready to eat. My husband took them to work and his coworkers loved them. Enjoy!

Nacho Bake

I finally made it to the grocery store tonight... not just one, but 4! Two days ago I went around to all the local stores and picked up their sale ads. I then planned our meals for the next two weeks around what I could get on sale. We're on a tight budget and I like to come in under if I can. So, I thought hopping store to store would help.

Well, I'm not really sure that I saved any more than I would have only going to one store, but I did get some great deals on meat which is usually the most expensive thing in my cart. I am, however, extremely exhausted from driving all over town and frustrated because I went to the local Cub specifically to buy canned veggies... and I didn't end up buying any. Rawr!

Tonight's recipe is not only one my boys absolutely adore, it's also quick and easy. It's a little high in fat, but you can make substitutions to fix that and I'll show you where.

Here's what you'll need:
2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp cheez whiz
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
2 cups tortilla chips
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup of water
1 can corn


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground turkey in skillet and drain excess fat.



Return ground turkey to the pan and add corn, taco seasoning, and water. Let cook according to directions on seasoning. Once it's simmering, add the 2 tbsp of Cheez whiz and stir until melted.

In a 9X13 baking dish, lightly cover the bottom of the pan with broken tortilla chips.


Add 1/3 of the turkey mixture to the chips, then cover sparingly with cheese. Repeat until mixture is gone. Your last layer will be meat topped with remaining cheese.



Bake at 350 degrees for about 13 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is heated through.



Servings 6; Calories 452; Fat 25.8g; Carbs 8.1g; Fiber 0.6g; Protein 41.0g


The original recipe for this dish has canned tomatoes and sour cream instead of corn and Cheez Whiz. My boys don't eat tomatoes or most veggies for that matter. So I subbed in corn. They also hate sour cream. The first time I made this I just left out the sour cream and it was very dry. Cheez whiz probably isn't the best solution but it tastes great. You can also used reduced fat shredded cheese. It doesn't melt quite as well, but there's no real flavor difference. Nacho Bake reheats well for leftovers the next day.

One size doesn't fit all after all

In sometimes direct conflict with my extreme love of cooking is my extreme desire to save money and spend on a budget. If anything in the household expenses could be unlimited, I would choose to have an unlimited food budget. However, that's not always possible. So, at least one night a week I force the dreaded L word on my boys... leftovers!

This isn't usually a problem for me. I find that pasta dishes, especially, taste better after a night in the refrigerator. Neither of them were accustomed to leftovers growing up it seems, and this whole concept of actually eating food for lunch or dinner the next day has taken some getting used to. It was a struggle for awhile to convince my husband that saving that $10-$15 on one meal a week really adds up, and no food doesn't go bad in the refrigerator overnight. He still chooses to eat cereal from time to time, but that's all right. He still eats and we have an extra $40 or so at the end of the month. That's a tank of gas, folks!

So, tonight is the dreaded leftover night in my home. Instead of offering a new recipe tonight, I thought I'd share some new information I just discovered. I was surfing the internet, looking for information to post about nutrient breakdown in food. Instead, I came across the US Department of Agriculture website.

Remember in elementary school when they first started teaching you about nutrition and health, they always had that nifty little pyramid? And then you looked at it and realized all the sugary sweet goodness was the teeniest little bit at the top? I was disappointed.


It seems now that the USDA has realized that one size doesn't really fit all! I think that's been my biggest issue with diet and weight loss programs. Each person's body is different. It reacts differently to exercise, calorie intake, carb intake, everything. If you don't know your own body it leads to frustration and heartbreak when that scale just won't move even though you're doing everything according to plan.

Well, check this out! http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html
You plug in your age, weight, height, and activity level and it gives you basic guidelines to follow for a healthier you! Here's what mine looks like:


There's all sorts of other neat things on the website. There's a pyramid just for moms, a menu planner, food tracker, and all kinds of other stuff. Go check it out! See if you learn something new =) And thank you USDA for realizing that not everyone is exactly the same!

More pasta?

Well, I still haven't been to the grocery store, go figure. After tonight's concoction, I have no choice. My pantry and refrigerator is officially void of anything useful in creating an edible meal. Both the brother and the husband were at work tonight, so this worked out quite well for me. Tonight's pasta dish consists of tuna, artichoke hearts, and spinach in a lemon butter sauce. I'll admit at first I was a little weary of tuna and artichoke, but the resulting dinner was actually very tastey.

Lemon juice is an amazing flavor additive. It gives just about anything a light and refreshing taste. I've been known to cook rice in it and use it to make my own salad dressings. I definitely recommend having it on hand.

Here's what you'll need:
1 box pasta, cooked and drained
2 cans tuna in water, drained
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup lemon juice
sea salt
pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp EVOO


Cook pasta according to directions. Chop artichoke hearts and spinach. Add to pan with EVOO and cook until spinach wilts.


Add tuna to pan with artichokes and spinach and cook til heated through.

In another pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add 1/3 cup of lemon juice and stir. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Warm through.

Add tuna mixture and lemon mixture to pasta and toss to coat.


Servings 6;Calories 333; Fat 6.9g; Carbs 46.9; Fiber 2.5g; Protein 22.2g

I was pleasantly surprised with the way this turned out. Let me know what you think!

Lemon Pasta

Have you ever gone to cook dinner only to realize you haven't been to the grocery store in a month and your stock is running insanely low? There's a couple cans of tuna and a box of pasta in the pantry with more crystal light than anyone could possibly ever drink. Then you open the refrigerator and laugh because normally your household would go through 2 gallons of milk in a week, except the week you actually bought a second one to have on hand and now it's gone bad. This is where I'm at this week.

So, today's entree is one of my "Oh crap we have no food" meals I'm famous for putting together. I really strongly dislike grocery shopping so I try to put it off as long as possible inbetween trips.

What you'll need:
1 box whole wheat pasta (I used spaghetti noodles)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup snow peas
1 tsp nutmeg (so the sauce isn't *too* bitter)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning


Boil pasta according to instructions. Throw the snow peas in for the last 3 minutes or so.
In a small sauce pan combine lemon juice, EVOO, nutmeg, salt, and lemon pepper. Warm over low heat til heated through. Pour over pasta/snow peas and toss until coated.

Servings: 6; Calories 159g; Fat 9.2g; Carbs 16.3g; Fiber 2.8g; Protein 3.2g


Now obviously this dish is missing some protein. Throw a piece of chicken on the George Foreman and add it. I bet tuna would even taste good (except my boys don't eat fish, hah!). You could also pair with a nice side salad with hard-boiled eggs or tuna. All in all this took 15 minutes to put together and tastes great