Snowflake Quesadillas

One of my kids favorite things to do in Winter is make paper snowflakes.  They make them by the hundreds and hang them everywhere.  For lunch the other day we decided that we would try making our quesadillas into snowflakes and it worked!

I don't know why my computer, or maybe it's blogger, keeps flipping my images.  I have tried everything.  Does anybody know how to fix this?

Here's what we did.  First clean a pair of kid friendly scissors (or kitchen shears if you have them) so that they are nice and sanitary.  Give each child a FRESH tortilla.  Stale ones will just break into pieces.  Fold into half and then half again.  Have the kids cut large shapes out of the sides, leaving some connecting pieces. (If you are not familiar with making paper snowflakes, you may want to practice with paper first.)

Butter another tortilla that hasn't been cut and place it butter side down on a heated skillet.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese and top with the cut snowflake tortilla.  Toast for a couple of minutes until the cheese is melty.  You can then flip the quesadilla over and the cheese shouldn't fall out on the skillet if it melted enough, then toast for a couple of seconds until browned.

Serve with salsa and sour cream!

Ready to flip.

THEN, here is the best part.  Take all of the cut out pieces and put them in a ziplock back and toss with melted butter, then lay them out on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and broil for a couple of minutes until browned.  And now you have yourself a nice dessert!

Mini Meatloafs (Meatloaves?)

The very word "Meatloaf" could bring my sister A to tears growing up, she just hated it that much!  But not me, I love it!  I think it is a great wintertime comfort food and I wanted to make it for my family tonight.  It has been a long time since I have made it for the kiddos and I didn't want them to hate it like A does, so I brainstormed a way to give them kid-appeal and this is what I came up with...

I got this pan from Z for Christmas and have been dying to try it out, but haven't known what to make with it yet, until now...

I made my meatloaf base, divided it into 12 equal portions and smooshed them down into my pan.  If you don't have a rockin' awesome square pan like me, I bet that you could use a cupcake pan, or if you want to be more traditional, you can pat the whole loaf down into a bread pan.

Next, I put 1 tbsp of my sauce mix on each portion of meatloaf and spread it around with the back of the spoon and then bake at 350 for one hour!  And be sure to serve with some hot mashed potatoes.

The mini-loaves made the perfect portion size for the kids and I liked having them smaller because it gave them a better sauce to meat ratio.  My biggest surprise was how much Charli loved them!  She is only 11 months and she ate two mini-meatloaves all by herself.

Mom's Meatloaf

Base:

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup soft bread crumbs (I buy my bread crumbs in a can at the store, but you could also grind up some stuffing mix, or dry out your own bread crumbs earlier in the day.)

1 tsp pepper

Sauce:

1/4 cup ketchup

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp mustard

Mix all ingredients for base together with your hands.  This is a really fun project for the kids because the texture is so gooey and slimy, they love mixing it.  (Just make sure they wash their hands before and after they are done.)

In a cupcake (or square cupcake pan, if you're awesome), portion your meatloaf into twelve equal portions.  Smash down with your hand.  You can also pat the whole base mixture into a regular bread loaf pan.  Top with 1 tbsp of sauce mixture and spread sauce with the back of the spoon.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.  (I baked mine for 45 min. and it was a little too much and they got crisp on the bottom.  Next time, I think I will check them after 30 min.) 
*If you bake it in an actual loaf, you will need to bake for one hour!

Italian Turkey Sliders

 It is so funny how when I sit down once a month to create my menu, I think that I am creating such a diverse list of meals, but then when I start cooking I find that I have a common theme for the month, such as "Everything on a Tortilla", or "Anything you can serve on or with rice".  Well, this month apparently, my theme is "Food you eat on a roll, bun, or croissant!"  Next time I make these, I will make two batches of rolls, because everyone just wanted to eat the rolls with butter and jam and I had a hard time saving rolls for the actual sliders.  These were really good.  Even Buddy ate his without me prodding him to eat 10 more bites... 5 more bites... 3 more bites...

These are how little my cute little sliders were.  I fit 16 on a cookie sheet.

Italian Turkey Sliders
Recipe Courtesy of: Family Fun

20 ounce lean ground turkey

2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese grated

1 clove garlic - minced

1/2 teaspoon basil, dried

1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

16 dinner or slider rolls

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard

Directions

1.     Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well.

2.     Shape turkey into 16 small patties.

3.     Place patties on a greased baking sheet.

4.     Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out. (I actually baked mine for twice that time, I wanted to be sure that they were good and cooked through and 16-20 minutes worked well).

5.     Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended.

6.     Place on rolls and top with honey Dijon mayo. (We also added cheese to ours.)

Brown Sugar Chicken

This is my chicken after sitting in the crockpot all day for 8 hours at low.  If you don't want it to shred, you should probably cook it at a higher temperature for less time.  Shredded was fine with me though, we ate it on hot croissants out of the oven.  It was so yummy, I can't wait for the leftovers at lunchtime!

Brown Sugar Chicken

From: Poppies at Play

6 boneless, skinless breast halves
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda
2/3 cup vinegar
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic (I was lazy and used garlic powder, you can substitute 1/8 tsp. garlic powder per clove of garlic, according to the Better Homes and Garden’s cookbook, which we all know is the Mecca of all cooking knowledge!)
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper

Use a 5-6 quart crockpot for this recipe.

Plop the chicken into your crockpot. Cover with the brown sugar, pepper, chopped garlic, and soy sauce. Add the vinegar, and pour in the soda. It will bubble!

Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. The chicken is done when it is cooked through and has reached desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will be.

Weekly Menu

I am getting off from my original menu, so I apologize if I am slow to post the recipes for the week.  Sometimes, when Z goes out of town I get lazy and we have hot dogs, or mac 'n cheese, and then when Z gets back, I back track on the menu!

WEEK 3:

Sunday: Mini Meatloaves

Monday: Valentine’s Pizza

Tuesday: Tilapia

Wednesday: Chicken Chive Roll Ups

Thursday: Mac and Cheese Night

Friday:  Crescent Roll Casserole

Saturday: Leftovers

Pizza Bites

 These were so stinking good and easy to make too, I don't think I will ever make homemade pizza again!  The pictures don't do these justice.  Someday, I will learn to be a food photographer.

Pizza Bites
Recipe Courtesy of: Food, Folks, and Fun, check out her food blog, it is amazing!

1 tube of pizza dough (found in your grocer’s refrigerator section)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
Sliced pepperoni

For topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Pizza sauce for dipping

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan.  Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces.  Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni.  Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed.  Place seam-side down in the baking dish.  Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.

Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.  Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired. 

My little kitchen tip of the day:  Sauce Cups

At Easter time, I always buy the Easter egg dye kits that come with the dye cups.  Then after Easter, I wash them out really good and use them for EVERYTHING!  Mainly, we use them for snack cups, but they also come in handy for dinners that require dipping sauce.  Then I can give each kid their own cute little dipping sauce cup!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

These enchiladas were so unbelievably good that I couldn't help but say "mmmm!" every time I took a bite.  When Z got home from work and saw what I made he said, "Yay! You made the good kind of enchiladas!"  And then when he took a bite I got an audible, "Wow!"  This recipe is definately a keeper.  I got it from my sweet friend Holly's food blog.  She has some awesome dinner ideas.  You can see her blog HERE.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 5 small chicken breasts)
1/4-1/2 cup minced onions
1 clove garlic minced (I didn't have a clove of garlic, so used a small dash of garlic salt)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (Holly says, to lighten them up, she substituted sour cream.  I went with the cream and it was stupendous!)

Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan.

Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, minced onion & garlic, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top

Weekly Menu

WEEK 2:

Sunday:  Super Bowl Snacks and Ritz Bakeoff Trial

Monday:  Honey Lime Enchiladas

Tuesday: Pizza Bites

Wednesday:  Bajio Pork

Thursday: Italian Turkey Sliders

Friday:  Brown Sugar Chicken

Saturday:  Leftovers

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner & A Month Supply of Fruit Snacks!

I just found out a couple of weeks ago that I was one of ten runners-up in the Welch's Fruit Snacks Lunch Box Notes contest.  The prize is a $200 gift certificate to the restaurant of my choice and a month supply of fruit snacks!  We are super excited!  Thank you Welch's.

To see the entries for the grand prize winner and the other nine runners-up, click HERE.

Here is the picture of my entry and this is what my lunchbox note said:

Did you ever have one of those days so boring and plain,

Then you opened your lunch and found a sock you couldn’t explain?

And you think to yourself, “By cracky,”

“This Wednesday is sure turning out to be Wacky!”

Just open your lunch sack and I have a hunch,

Things will go back to normal if you find ten things wrong with your lunch.

Just remember on days that are wacky, boring, or fun,

Your mother always loves you and thinks you are number one!

Apple Bacon Chicken

We tried this recipe in January in an effort to find more carb-friendly meals.  It was delicious!  We will definately make this again.

Apple Bacon Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, either whole or cut into pieces (see below)

1 small apple, cut into ¼ inch slices

¼ cup apple juice

¼ cup chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons oil plus one more of oil, butter, or bacon grease

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

salt and pepper

Preparation:

The chicken breasts can be either left whole, cut in half, or cut into bite-sized pieces. I like the bite-sized pieces for taste, but use the larger pieces when looks are more important. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.

Heat 1 to 2 Tablespoons fat in pan. I don't like to use more than half bacon grease, as it burns. Lightly brown apple slices in pan. You don't want them to be too soft, just to the point where you can start to easily put a fork in them. Remove apples.

Add another Tablespoon of oil, and brown chicken on both sides. The chicken probably won't be cooked through at this point, which is OK. Push chicken to one side or to the edges. Add the wine, which should deglaze the pan. Add the rest of the liquids and herbs and simmer until reduced and chicken is cooked through.

Serve with bacon bits sprinkled over the top.

*As I actually clipped this recipe years ago, I cannot remember where I got it. :(

Chicken Salad on Croissants

Chicken Salad Recipe:
From: Mom I'm Hungry (check out her blog here).

2 cups boiled chicken, diced
1 cup sliced red grapes
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup salted cashews (optional)
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp Ranch dressing powder

Mix all ingredients until blended, but do not over mix. Chill.

Bake two cans of refrigerator croissants according to package directions, split and fill with about 1/2 cup chicken salad.

Weekly and Monthly Menus

I'm trying something new this month.  On the right hand side of my blog, you may notice that I have added some page links.  I moved my "about me" section and a "featured on" section to different pages on my blog.  This month, I have also added a "monthly menu" section.  I will post my monthly menu here and then every week, I will try to post the recipes for the week on a blog post. 

So to kick things off, here is my weekly menu for February 1-5:

WEEK 1:

Tuesday: Chicken Patty Sandwiches

Wednesday: Pizza Hut Book It Night

Thursday: (Pillsbury Bakeoff Trial)

Friday: Chicken Salad Croissants

Saturday: Leftovers

The recipes for this week are pretty self explanatory:
For our chicken patty sandwiches, we buy frozen breaded chicken patties and bake them in the oven according to package directions.  Then we put them on hamburger buns that have been toasted.  Some of my favorite garnishes are swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, and a good honey dijon mustard, but of course the kids would have different opinions about their favorite add-ons.

On Wednesday, it worked out to be a good night for us to redeem the kids Pizza Hut Book It coupons.

Thursday, I will be trying out my idea for the Pillsbury Million Dollar Bakeoff, if you are interested in entering, click on THIS LINK for the rules and contest information.

I will follow with another blog post with the recipe for Friday's meal.

And Saturday at our house is always my day off, we clean up the leftovers from the week out of the fridge.