Simple Smoothies

In my efforts to provide my husband with some quick breakfasts (because I'm lazy like that), I thought I'd share his favorite. I take a bag like this from Sam's Club ($7.50)...

...and snack baggies like this ($1.50 Walmart)...

...and end up with roughly 18 baggies full of frozen fruit, that I promptly divide into two large gallon freezer bags.

So what right? Well here is where my hubby's independence comes in (he totally thinks I save him so much time, haha if he only knew). He uses one little baggie of fruit, a 6 oz container of yogurt (his favorites are blackberry pomegranate, blueberry acai, strawberry mango, or cherry pomegranate), and a 1/4 a cup of milk (but this varies depending on how thick you want it). Then blend! Easy, right?! And a happy husband to boot!

P.S. Who knew that ZIPLOC had some great recipes? I'm sorta glad I hopped onto their website to steal a picture from them!

Breakfast Sandwiches

While I was browning my meat for dinner last night I made 9 breakfast sandwiches. Yes friends, it's true. It took me 15 minutes to make and freeze these beauties!

Here's what I used (personal preference).

That cool egg contraption can be found at Walmart for about $3.50.

I toasted my English Muffins while my eggs cooked (1 egg + 1/2 tbls water + 1 minute in microwave). Then I layered sausage patty, egg, and cheese. When it cooled after a minute or so I put it in an individual ziplock baggie. At the end I put all the sandwiches into a big bag and wrote the instructions on the top.

P.S. Your cooking time may vary. Most microwaves it takes 90 seconds, our new one takes 60.

Spinach Poppy Seed Salad

Layer:

2 bags of spinach

1 (16 oz) container of small curd cottage cheese

1 (15 oz) can of mandrin oranges

1/2 pkg bacon, cooked well and crumbled

green onions

slivered almonds

Do not mix. Let chill with a lid. Mix and toss with poppy seed dressing at the very last minute.

Poppy Seed Dressing

3/4 cup sugar (can be substituted for splenda)

1 tsp dry ground mustard

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tbls poppy seeds

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbls onion

Blend well. Place in a container and chill.

Cafe Rio (Copy Cat Recipe)

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork

3 cans Coke (NOT diet)

1/4 cup brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 cup water

1 can sliced green chilies

1 can red enchilada sauce

1 ccup brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce, and remaining brown sugar. Put shredded pork and sauce in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 cup uncooked rice

1 tsp butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 tbls lime juice

2 tsp sugar

3 tbls fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp lime, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 tbls olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 cup tomato juice

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tbls fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

CILANTRO RANCH

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

1 tbls lime juice

1 jalapeno

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender.

To make the salads layer tortilla, beans, rice, pork, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, chips, parmesan cheese, and the cilantro ranch.

***You can buy the 'Cafe Rio' type tins at the dollar store***

***You can buy the chips for topping at your local grocery store where you find croutons***

***Don't forget to melt cheese on the tortilla***

Salsa Verde

1 1/2 lbs tomatillos

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1 Tbls lime juice

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 Jalapeno peppers

Salt to taste

Remove papery husks from tomatillos and rinse well. Cut in half and place cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place under a broiler for about 5-7 minutes to lightly blacken the skin.

Place tomatillos, lime juice, onions, cilantro, chili peppers, sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed. Season to taste with salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Serve with chips as a salsa or cook over chicken on low in a crock pot.

Creamy Chicken Burritos

Burritos:

3 chicken breasts

2 can {mild} Rotel

1/4 of a packet of taco seasoning

Throw all ingredients into a crockpot and cook on low for 3 hours. Take out chicken and shred. Return chicken to crockpot and mix. Make burritos by placing heaping spoonfuls of crockpot mixture onto a flour tortilla {the size doesn't matter}. Top with monterey jack cheese {this is crucial} and roll up {I used toothpicks to keep them together}. Spray a glass baking dish and line up burritos inside the pan.

Jalapeno Cream Sauce:

1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream

2 jalapenos {FINELY diced}

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup of monterey jack cheese

Heat in a saucepan until cheese is melted. Drizzle sauce over burritos and cook at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with Mexican/Spanish rice.

Enstrom Toffee

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a clean, dry, wooden spoon until butter is melted. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes. Immediately pour candy onto a foil lined baking sheet. Spread and cool completely.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat or in the microwave oven for 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is soft enough to stir smooth. Make sure to stir often so it does not burn. Spread chocolate mixture over cooled toffee and sprinkled with walnuts. Let cool until chocolate has hardened, then break into serving-size pieces.

Homemade Bread

1/2 cup potato pearls

1 cup hot water

2 1/4 cup warm water (120*)

1/2 cup sugar (or honey)

1/3 cup oil

6 cups bread flour

4 tsp instant dry yeast

1 tbl salt

Directions

Mix first 2 ingredients in a bowl and let stand about 5 minutes. Add remaining water, sugar, oil, and about 3 1/2 cups of flour. Mix. Add yeast and then salt. Add remaining flour. Knead for 10 minutes in mixer. Cover and let rise for 40-60 minutes or until doubled. Divide dough in half. Form and put into two greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise 35-50 minutes. Bake at 350* for 35 minutes.

Wheat

4 cups of whole wheat flour and 2 cups of white

Apple Crisp

10 granny smith apples

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbls flour

Cut and peel apples using an apple corer. Mix with other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into 13x9 glass baking dish.

Topping:

1/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup butter

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until apples are tender.

Zuppa Toscana

2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 medium russet potato

2 cups kale, chopped

1/2 lb spicy italian sausage

1 tbls bacon bits

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Combine broth and cream in a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Slice unpeeled potato into 1/4 inch slices, then quarter them. Add potatoes and kale to sauce. Cook sausage, and add. Mix in spices and simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

Andes Mint Cookies

Melt in sauce pan:

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 tbls water

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Let stand 10 minutes

Mix in a bowl:

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add chocolate sauce

Chill for 1 hour in the fridge. While waiting for dough to chill, unwrap Andes mints and layer cookie sheets with foil. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. When cookies come out immediately place an Andes mint on top of each cookie. After 2 minutes take the back of a small spoon and smear the mint around on top of the cookie.

Cajun Chicken Fettuccine

8 oz fettuccine noodles

1 onion, halved & sliced

1 green bell pepper, halved & sliced

1 red bell pepper, halved & sliced

2 tbls oil

2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed

2 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp minced garlic

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

2 cups Italian blend cheese

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. In a large skillet saute onions and peppers is oil until tender. Add chicken, cajun seasoning, and garlic; heat through. Stir in Alfredo and spaghetti sauces. Drain fettuccine and add to sauce mixture. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Bratwurst {Brats}

Topping Ideas:

Ketchup

Mustard

Onions

Cheese

Garlic

Sauerkraut

Spaghetti O's

8 oz elbow noodles

2 cans tomato soup

1/2 can milk (use soup can)

Salt

pepper

Cook noodles and drain water. Put back in pan and add remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Spicy Veggie Soup

Cut stewing beef or large round steak into small pieces. Cook until mostly done with a little olive oil in a frying pan. Season meat with pepper and Lawry’s garlic salt.

In a crock pot add:

Cooked meat

2 cans beef broth

1 can Original Rotel

1 can diced Tomatoes

1 bag of mixed vegetables

1/2 bag corn

2-3 potatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

2 bay leaves

2 small dried red chili pods

Cook all day. Remove bay leaves and chili pods before serving.

Serve with hot bread or rolls.