Menu April 29

Ham Broccoli & Cheddar Roll: This was an unexpected huge hit! I thought it would be good but it was met with rave reviews, including my husband saying I should make more to keep in the freezer. Needless to say we will be enjoying this again. I think it was the ranch dressing that took it over the top.

I made homemade ricotta to go with Lasagna Soup. It was good and a fun experiment but we decided we like store bought cottage cheese with Lasagna Soup more.

Vodka Cream Pasta: We've gotten this recipe to a point where we really enjoy it. Two months removed from first tasting it at the restaurant who knows if it actually resembles their version but this is now our version and we like it. {Recipe coming soon}

 
On the Menu...
Soup-it's going to be an experiment of a combination of things such as leftover mexican rice {Meatless}
Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Pineapple Sandwiches in diced, combined form with Grandma's Potato Salad
Grown-Up Tater Tot Hotdish
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Fajita Pizza Brunch: French Toast
Muffins: Mix and Match Muffins with Cranberries & White Chocolate Chips {New}

Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.  

Corn & Bean Burgers

The first time I made these I was expecting a slightly leery reception by my family. After all, it's a "burger" with no meat. However, I think we were all pleasantly surprised by how well they turned out. The corn kernels add nice pops of sweetness and the BBQ sauce is a nice complement. This is a great meatless meal, albeit a little harder to disguise as meatless.
The key is making sure you don't form the patties too thick otherwise when you pick up your burger and take a bite it will smoosh out the sides.

Corn & Bean Burgers
 Print Recipe
Yields: 6 burgers
Source: Good Housekeeping

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pinto beans {~1 can}
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 cup corn
1/2 cup shredded cheese {we use a colby jack blend}
~1T flour
cooking spray
6 hamburger buns

Directions:
   1.  In a food processor, pulse beans, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and onion powder until ground.
   2.  Add corn and cheese; pulse until just combined.
   3.  Form into 6 patties, mashing together well, making sure to not make them too thick.
   4.  Lightly dust one side with flour; mist with cooking spray. Place in skillet over medium heat. Dust other side with flour, mist with cooking spray. Cook each side for ~7 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns with BBQ sauce.

Menu April 15

Frozen Bean & Cheese Burritos with KFC's Coleslaw: I tried and failed to get a decent picture of each of these. The burrito filling was good and the bag of them in the freezer is going to be handy. However, I didn't care for the tortilla recipe and likely won't try it again. The coleslaw was okay but didn't quite satisfy what I was looking for.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins: These were good, a basic peanut butter muffin with chocolate chips thrown in. I'm thinking of combining this recipe with another peanut butter muffin recipe we like to get the best of both.

On the Menu...
Lasagna Soup {I'm going to try making homemade ricotta} with Breadsticks with Garlic Butter
Ham Broccoli & Cheddar Roll {New}
Vodka Cream Chicken {Experiment, Take 2}
Snobby Joe's {New} {Meatless} 
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
Brunch: Pancakes
Muffins: Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.  

Friday Foreshadowing

Last time I did a Friday Foreshadowing it was all bread recipes. Today, it's sweets!

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars from Cookies & Cups: We've recently been rediscovering how wonderful snack pretzels are. Adding them to something sweet will most always be good, satisfying that delicious salty vs sweet desire.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars from Averie Cooks: Oh my! Peanut butter, chocolate, sugary sweetness all in an easy to bake bar form? Okay!

Mocha Frappuccino from Food.com: Really I think I marked this one in sheer desperation. Like everyone else I am done with winter and ready to move on. This makes me think of Starbucks' promotion of BOGO fraps they've done in May the past few years. I so hope they do it again this year {and that there isn't snow on the ground then!}

Yummy Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels from Life's Too Short to Skip Dessert: More pretzels, this time on their own with a sweet coating.

Triple Chocolate Cake with Crispy Bark Topping from An Oregon Cottage: I doubt I will be making this decadent cake anytime in the near future {but if someone else wants to bring me some, that'd be fine.} However, I couldn't resist marking it anyway because it simply looks so rich and pretty and the crispy element of the topping intrigues me.

All images are from the original recipe source.
This is linked to Friday Favorites.

Spiced Cranberry Muffins

 

I don't know how I never saw this muffin recipe before in my perusal of this cookbook {a wedding shower gift from my grandma} but now that I've found it I will not be forgetting it!
The method is different from most muffin recipes, as you boil the liquids then add the dry ingredients but I think that creates the most interesting texture. Even though you have to wait a short time for the liquids to cool down these muffins still don't take too long to make. And, bonus, there's no egg so it's a perfect recipe when eggs are running low in the house {or am I the only person that struggles with that?}

Spiced Cranberry Muffins
 Print Recipe
Yields: 12 muffins
Adapted from: St Paul's Lutheran Church, Fairmont, MN Cookbook

Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
   1.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cranberries, water, butter, applesauce, cinnamon and cloves; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool in fridge for ~10 minutes.
   2.  After 10 minutes, add flours, baking soda and salt; stir until just combined.
   3.  Fill 12 muffin cups; bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Menu April 8

Crescent Rolls: These were the bread I chose for our Easter dinner. While the size and looks of some of the rolls were questionable thanks to my learning curve the taste was spot on! The best part is I have a whole bag of them in the freezer still.

 

Corn & Bean Burgers: I've been making a very conscious effort to have at least one meatless meal each week. After a few trials I've gotten these burgers to be something we all like. {Recipe coming soon}

 

Spiced Cranberry Muffins: I found this recipe while flipping through my grandma's church cookbook. Since then we've enjoyed these a few times already. They're different than most muffins, resulting in a magnificent texture and deep flavor. {Recipe coming soon}

On the Menu...
Chicken & Noodle Soup {New}
Orange Chicken {Husband's request}
Frozen Bean & Cheese Burritos {Meatless}{New} with KFC's Coleslaw {New}
Ham & Peach Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 
Pepperoni Pizza
Brunch: Waffles
Muffins: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas.