Melting BBQ Ribs

These things literally melt off the bone… Good luck trying to eat them before they fall apart :)
And yes, I cooked them in the crock pot.

Honey BBQ Ribs

3lbs pork baby back ribs
salt and pepper
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup (the real kind… not Aunt Jemima)
1/4 cup apple sauce (I use the cinnamon kind)
1 tablespoon hot sauce

1. Generously salt and pepper the ribs and lay them in the crock pot (I curled mine into a C shape around the edged with the meaty side on the outside.
2. mix all other ingredients together and pour on ribs, completely covering them
3. cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat is done (mine cooked for 7 hours and by then you could see the meat falling off the bone).
4. Remove from crock pot and let set for 5 minutes before eating.
5. Don't forget the napkins and baby wipes :)

*If you want more sauce to stick on the ribs, you can mix either 1/4 cup brown sugar or 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the sauce mixture before pouring it over the ribs*

(Open-Faced Roast) Beef (Sandwiches): It's what's for dinner.

This recipe works for just wanting to cook a beef roast…or if you want to dress it up as a southern favorite :) 

Ingredients: 
Beef roast (whatever size you think will fit in your crock pot)
1 container Campbell's Sweet Onion Soup
1 packet of brown gravy mix
1 packet of powdered ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 cups water
Salt and Pepper


1. Place beef roast in crock pot.
2. Generously season with salt and pepper. (Season to your own taste)
3. Pour onion soup over top of roast.
4. Mix gravy and ranch powders in bowl.
5. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of water into gravy powder mixture.
6. Pour over roast in crock pot.
7. Lightly whisk gravy mix and onion soup around roast.
8. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. (I cook mine for 10 and the meat falls apart)
9. Serve on toasted bread topped with mashed potatoes.

Bourbon Chicken...without the bourbon

All you need is:

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar

1 lb chicken

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Or stove top it and its ready in about 30 minutes :)

Stove top directions:

1. Turn skillet on medium high heat

2. Place chicken in skillet (maybe with a teaspoon of oil so it doesn't stick)

3. After 2 minutes, flip chicken.

4. After another 2 minutes, add other ingredients.

5. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on medium low.

Crockpot BBQ chicken

Ok...so I'm not a big fan of BBQ, but I promise this chicken was delicious :)

What you need:
1 can cherry coke
1 bottle BBQ sauce (I love sweet bubba rays, and garland's)
1 lb chicken breast

What to do:
Mix all together in crockpot and cook
A. High for 2-3 hours
B. low for 5-6 hours

I cooked potatoes, corn, and green beans with ours tonight. I wanted to shred some and make sandwiches it was so good...but Nathan didn't leave any leftovers lol

Easy Peasy Shrimp Scampie

Which of course...I don't eat shrimp. So Nathan is beyond thrilled that I am cooking this for him. (Figured I could since I'm on a fruit only diet today)

Shrimp Scampie

What you need:

1 lb raw shrimp (I found a bag that was peeled, de-tailed and de-veined for $5 at Kroger)

1 regular bottle Italian dressing

2 lemons

2 Tablespoons honey

1/2 cup melted butter

your favorite pasta (I made enough for 2 people to eat)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon parsley

splash of balsamic vinaigrette 

1 teaspoon sugar

salt and pepper

Two ways to cook it though....

What to do for baking/ stove top cooking:

1. Mix 3/4 italian dressing, honey, and shrimp in a bag and let marinade for at least 1 hour.

2. Slice lemons and layer them on baking pan (save 1/4 of one lemon and set to side)

3. Remove shrimp from marinade and layer them on top of lemons in pan

4. Pour melted butter on top of shrimp in pan

5. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on top and bake at 350* for about 10-15 minutes (or until shrimp is done)

6. While shrimp is in oven, boil and cook pasta.

7. While pasta is boiling, pour remaining italian dressing into separate pan on stove.

8. Add olive oil, parsley, vinaigrette, and sugar and bring to boil

9. Let boil for about 5 minutes

10. Drain pasta

11. Pour sauce into pasta and stir to coat the noodles and set to side

12. Remove shrimp from oven (when done cooking) and place on top of pasta

What to do for.....Crockpot!! (yes, you can believe it)

1. Mix italian dressing, parsley, 1/4 cup butter, vinaigrette, sugar, salt and pepper into crock pot

2. Add noodles

3. Add shrimp

4. Squeeze 1 1/2 lemons on top

5. Mix it all together

6. Slice the other 1/2 lemon and layer on top of all

7. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours (if cooking on high, stir every 30 to 45 minutes)

Enjoy :)

 

Homemade Cheese Manicotti

Better than any I have ever bought in restaurant or store

What you need:

1 small container ricotta cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 small container pesto

1 cup italian blend shredded cheese

1 box manicotti noodles

1 jar alfredo sauce (or marinara sauce if you like it better)

What you do:

1. Boil you manicotti noodles until they are half way done or so (bendable without breaking but still firm)

2. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, pesto, and most (hold out a small sprinkle handful) of shredded cheese

3. Pour some of the alfredo sauce in a cassarole dish (or in bottom of crockpot if going that route)

4. Drain noodles

5. Stuff noodles with cheese mixture and lay in alfredo sauce

6. Cover with remaining alfredo sauce and small sprinkle handful of shredded cheese from earlier

7. Bake in oven at 375* for 20-30 minutes (until top starts to brown)

     or cook in crock pot on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 1-2 hours until sides start to brown and sauce 

     is bubbly

Healthy options:

1. Forget the cream cheese, use skim milk ricotta cheese, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese (you wont taste a difference but it takes more to fill the noodles)

2. add veggies (I don't think I need to list them again lol)

3. marinara sauce instead of alfredo sauce (alfredo does taste better)

4. whole wheat noodles instead of regular ones

5. Forget the noodles all together and mix veggies and make a casserole (crockpot casserole) with the shredded cheeses, pesto and veggies (the pesto makes things taste unbelievably delicious)

It's Raining Meatballs!

Ok, it wasn't raining when I made them, but it did start later that night...and these are good for comfort food :)

What you need:

1. 1 lb ground meat

2. 1 egg

3. 1/4 cup milk

4. 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

5. 1 teaspoon oregano

6. 1 teaspoon onion powder

7. 1 teaspoon garlic powder

8. salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl

2. Roll out 1 1/2 inch size balls and place on roaster pan (I like it better because the grease drains away)

3. Make a decision:

            A. bake in oven at 350* for 35-45 minutes (after finished, plate with marinara sauce)

            B. cook in crock pot with marinara sauce on low for 6 hours

Serve with pasta, broccoli and cheese, or eat on a sandwich. (These are great grilled too!)

*These are pretty healthy on their own, just watch what you serve them with and how much salt you add to them. Instead of beef you can use turkey too!*

Crockpot Chicken

Set it and forget it dinner...always turns out great :)

What you need:

3 cups rice 

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can cream of chicken

1 lb cubed chicken breast

1 cup water

Mix all in crockpot and set on low for 8 hours 

Alternate options:

Instead of white or brown rice, use the flavored rice sides (usually like $1 at Kroger). I love the chicken and broccoli and the mushroom rice together

Add veggies into it like carrots, broccoli, peas, green beans, mushrooms, and asparagus (wait and add the asparagus when it has about 2 more hours to cook so you don't over cook it)

If you use the flavored rice packets, you can just add water (add what package calls for) and the chicken and that cuts out some of the sodium

Crockpot Cube Steak and Gravy

And it's as delicious as it sounds :)

What you need:

1. Cube steaks

2. 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix

3. 2 cans cream of mushroom soup

4. 1 cup water

Mix all together and cook in crock pot for:

High: 3 hours

Low: 6 hours

Or oven at 350* for 20 minutes :)

Serve with rice, veggies, potatoes or remove steaks from gravy and make a sandwich (just add mushrooms!)

Healthy options:

1. Don't use the cream of mushroom soup, use either the heart healthy kind or the golden mushroom (less sodium)

2. Add veggies in it while it cooks like peppers, onions, broccoli, carrots and snap peas

Southern Fried Chicken

This is definitely not on the diet...

But what you need:

1 lb chicken

1 cup oil (I used wesson vegetable oil)

1 Tablespoon bacon grease (because Nanny said so)

1 cup flour

2 eggs

salt and pepper to taste

1. heat grease and oil in skillet on medium heat

2. crack eggs into bowl and mix until smooth 

3. wash chicken with water

4. put flour in separate bowl, add chicken

5. after chicken is covered in flour, dip into egg wash

6. re-cover with flour

7. when oil is hot (drop a little bit of flour into oil and if it bubbles away it is ready), drop chicken into it 

8. wait until the edges are brown and top is more white than pink, then flip

9. wait until edges start turning a reddish-brown and remove from oil

10. salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy :)

Because I know we did :)

Chicken Eggrolls

Up first: Bring on the buffalo

What you need:

1 lb chicken boiled and shredded (or 20 oz can shredded chicken)

1 regular bottle Frank's redhot sauce

1 package eggroll wraps (found in produce section beside the tofu)

1 package broccoli slaw (optional, but it gives it a nice crunch and you can't taste it)

1 8 oz sour cream tub

1 packet hidden valley ranch powder

2 Tablespoons olive oil

What to do:

1. mix chicken with bottle of hot sauce

2. mix sour cream and ranch packet in separate bowl

3. lay flat one eggroll wrap

4. spread the ranch mixture on to middle of wrap (how much depends on your taste)

5. spread some of the broccoli slaw in the middle (I use about 1 Tablespoon per roll)

6. add some chicken mixture (I use 1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons, but again, it depends on your taste)

7. roll according to package (it says to bring on corner to the middle but mostly over the stuffing, bring in the corners on the side to make it look like an envelope, and then finish rolling up. To seal, dip your finger in water and rub the edges of exposed corner like you are wetting the fold of the envelope.)

8. paint with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown

9. serve with remaining ranch dip (if you mix 1/4 cup milk to already mixed dip it will thin it out and be more salad dressing like)

Bring on the BBQ

What you need:

1 lb chicken boiled and shredded (or 20 oz can shredded chicken)

1 small bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

1 cup shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar)

1 package eggroll wraps

Made same as above, mix chicken and sauce, layer on eggroll wrap, add cheese, roll up, paint with olive oil and bake until golden brown

Sorry no pics...we ate before I could take one at the super bowl party :) enjoy

Another roast beef...

Roast beef with mashed potatoes, salad and peaches

What you need:

1. Beef roast (I always use angus shoulder roast)

2. 1 cup water

3. 1 packet Lipton Onion soup mix

1. 3 baking potatoes

2. 1 teaspoon sour cream

3. 1/4 cup milk

4. 1 Tablespoon butter

1. 1 head lettuce

2. 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3. 1/2 cup bacon pieces

4. 1/4 cup ranch dressing (or any dressing, that's just my favorite)

Peaches were canned; open, drain, enjoy.

What you do:

1. Put roast into crock pot

2. Add water

3. Add soup mix

4. Set to low and cook for 6-8 hours

1. Cut potatoes in quarters

2. Boil potatoes until soft

3. Peel skin (or leave it on, but I don't eat it)

4. Mix with milk, sour cream, and butter

5. Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut up lettuce

2. Add other ingredients.

Healthy choices:

1. No sour cream, butter, or ranch dressing. Substitute it with milk, pepper, and vinaigrette dressings.

2. Eat extra salad instead of potatoes.

Grilled Chicken with corn and carrots

Long days for me means Nathan cooks dinner :)

On the menu: Grilled Chicken with corn and sweet carrots

What you need:

1. Chicken

2. 1 bottle Italian dressing

3. Lime

4. 3 Tablespoons of Honey

1. Mix all ingredients in bag and set for at least an hour (the longer the better)

2. Grill chicken and toss marinade.

3. Enjoy :)

Corn and carrots:

1. Remove from can

2. Heat on medium until hot

3. Enjoy :)

It's pretty healthy the way it is, but you could always sub the veggies for something green :)

Baked tastes-like-fried chicken

The only way to describe this chicken is delicious...if you have eaten at chic-fil-a, you already know what it taste like :)

What you need:

4 chicken breast (either whole, striped for tenders, or cubed for nuggets)

1 cup pickle juice 

2 eggs

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon msg (Accent, leave it out if you prefer)

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1. Marinate your chicken in the pickle juice for one hour.
2. While you are waiting, in a separate bowl, mix flour with all spices
3. In a third bowl, beat both eggs together
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
5. Remove chicken from pickle juice and place in egg wash bath
6. One at a time, roll in flour-spice mixture and place in a greased casserole dish
7. Bake until golden brown (I like mine extra crispy so it will have a reddish look to it)
8. Enjoy with ketchup :)

Tonight I served the chicken with baked potatoes and cheddar broccoli wild rice  

Healthy options:

1. Instead of sugar, add 1 teaspoon of honey to egg wash bath

2. Forget the salt, the other seasonings will more than make up the flavor

3. Forget the flour. Mix the seasonings together and sprinkle it on the chicken in the casserole dish. 

And you can always fry it :) 

they use peanut oil, 

I use extra virgin olive oil 

My better-than-honeybaked- Ham Recipe

Crockpot and Oven...still just as good :)

What you need:

Ham roast (i bought one at kroger, pre wrapped, and they opened it and cut it in thin slices for me)

2 Tablespoons of soy sauce

2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

Oven Version

1. Cook ham about half way through

2. Mix all other ingredients in bowl

3. Pour over ham and return to oven

4. Finish cooking

5. When removed from oven, spoon glaze from bottom of pan back on top of ham (glaze will be really thin but it will soak into the ham while it cools

Crockpot Version

1. Put ham in crockpot

2. Mix all ingredients in bowl

3. Pour over ham

4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 8-9 hours

If you are short on time, the pre-cooked hams work just as good...its all in the glaze, I promise :) 

Just put your ham in a roaster and pour glaze over and heat in oven...maybe 15 minutes later its delicious :)

Ps... serve on rolls for parties, breakfast or get togethers! I like Kings Hawaiian Rolls personally :)

Healthy Options:

1. Instead of brown sugar, add 1/3 cup honey with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

2. Use low sodium soy sauce

3. Brown spicy mustard works too, and gives it a different flavor (still just as good)

Per Nathan's Request...White Bean Chicken Chili

Yes, it's cold. And yes, I had a work dinner tonight I could not miss...so Nathan HAD to choose what he wanted for dinner.

White Bean Chicken Chili with sweet cornbread 

(and I have to make it all on my lunch, of course)

What you need:

1 large onion (or small if you don't like a lot of onion)

4 cloves garlic

2 T olive oil

2 lbs chicken breast (I went ahead and cut my into tender-like strips)

1 t salt

2 T cummin

1 T oregano

2 T chili powder

1/2 cup flour

30 oz white beans (I used great northern beans, drained and rinsed)

1 1/2 cup frozen corn

4 cup chicken stock (i used chicken broth)

What to do:

First, put your oil in a skillet on medium-high and add your onions. Cook for about 5 minutes and add your garlic (minced, chopped, smashed...however you like to do it. just not whole). After 1 minute, add your chicken and cook until mostly done. Add salt, cumin, oregano, and chili powder and shred chicken while mixing it all together. Then you have 2 choices:

A. Add flour, stock (broth) and corn to skillet and turn down to medium heat. Let simmer for 30-45 minutes or until it thickens.

B. Move everything from pot into crockpot and add flour, stock (broth) and corn. Turn on high for it to be ready in 3 hours, or low for 5-6 hours. 

And the sweet cornbread...

Open jiffy cornbread mix. Mix according to package. Add tablespoon of honey. Cook according to package. Enjoy with chili!

And this was all done during my lunch break today...which is about 30-35 minutes once I get home, and I ate lunch too!

Warning: Recipe makes enough to feed an army...I have extra at my house. First come, first serve. Just call before coming over. Our house is gun friendly and the door is for your protection...not ours :)

Aloooooha! Pizza

Let the healthy pizza...be eaten!

First, the crust:

2 1/2 c. flour
2 3/4 tsp. baking powder (if using baking soda use half and omit salt)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. oil
3/4 to 1 c. water

Mix dry ingredients. add 3/4 cup water and oil. Stir until it forms a ball. If dough is stiff, add more water.The dough will be soft, not sticky. Knead on a floured surface for 3-4 minutes.

Add some toppings:

I put a few drops of extra virgin olive oil (the only kind of oil I use) on the crust, then layer it with thinly sliced roma tomatoes. Then I sprinkle oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder all over it. Then I put ham bits and pineapple tid bits and top with cheese. 

I've done this same recipe with pepperoni, chopped onions and peppers, mushrooms, sausage, bacon and margarita style (with tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese). My next adventure with it is stuffed crust :)

Now throw it in the oven at 350 until edges of crust are golden brown...and cheese is ooey gooey melty deliciousness.

Ritz chicken

Ok, ok...I know I am starting to eat healthy BUT....tonight is a little different. It's cold, it's raining, and the state has declared a state of emergency (LOL). And, if it does get bad, my last meal will be delicious lol.

Yay for Ritz Chicken!

What you need:
1 lb chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz sour cream
24 ritz cracker (crushed)
1/2 cup melted butter (optional)

What to do:
1. Boil chicken until done
2. Cut, shred, tear apart chicken and place in casserole dish
3. Mix soup and sour cream and pour over chicken
4. Top with crackers evenly
5. Add melted butter (if you want)
6. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until crackers are brown (darker lol)

Healthy options:
1. Cook chicken, roll in an egg/sour cream mixture (low fat sour cream) and then roll in crackers and bake
2. Add veggies like mushrooms, carrots, celery, or spinach (which is great in this, taste like a spinach dip with chicken!)

Enjoy!

It's cold...chicken and dumplins sound warm

Ok...so I didn't cook this weekend, but after cooking all week, I think I deserve a break. And family time lol.

Bring it on Monday...and Chicken and Dumplins

What you need:

1 lb chicken breast

1 large container chicken broth

2 T chicken boullion

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1 t onion powder

1 can honey butter flakey layer biscuits (8 biscuits)

1 can butter tastin' flakey layer biscuits (8 biscuits)

What to do:

1. Boil your chicken until fully cooked. Remove from pot and rinse. Set it to the side.

2. Pour in your broth, bouillon, pepper, onion powder (and sometimes I add a little butter or milk 

    depending on the flavor I want that night).

3. Open your biscuits and separate 3 from each pack. Pull them into 3 pieces (into what looks like 3 

    separate biscuits) and add into the pot with broth mixture.

4. Turn pot on high heat and bring to boil. Stir while boiling for 5 minutes.

5. Turn heat down to medium and pull remaining biscuits into 2 separate pieces.

6. Add to pot.

7. Pull chicken apart into shreds/ bite-sized pieces and add to pot.

8. Let cook for about 10 more minutes, or until dumplins aren't stringy when pulled apart.

Then enjoy :)

Healthy alternatives:

1. Don't add the bouillon to cut out some of the sodium

2. Instead of can biscuits, mix and add some gluten free biscuits (available in the organic section of 

     any grocery store)

3. Only use half or a quarter of the biscuits and add carrots, celery, mushrooms, green beans and 

    snap peas.

4. If not using any biscuits, add a little milk to the broth to make it thicker and coat your veggies 

Beef...it's what's for dinner

And carrots, potatoes, and okra...for something sweet, spicy and salty :)

So tonight's dinner does take a little more work than I normally like to do after work, but with Nate working all this overtime, he deserves it.  Menu tonight:

Roast beef

carrots

boiled okra

skillet potatoes

honey biscuits

First: The Beef

1 beef roast (i used an angus shoulder roast...it was on sale )

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce

a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary

A splash of balsamic vinegar

1. I always poke my beef as much as i can with a fork to tenderize it (I don't know if it really does but it helps the beef to soak up the moisture too)

2. Mix all ingredients from above and pour on top of beef

3. Soak for at least 30 minutes

4. Heat stove top pan to medium heat and sear both sides of beef for about 1 minute each while preheating your oven to 375 degrees (hold juices out for the oven side of the cooking)

5. Remove beef from stove top and put in clean pan with juices from marinade earlier and sprinkle with rosemary

6. Cook until desired (We like ours about medium which takes about 30 minutes in my oven)

7. Remove from oven when done and put in new dish (the heat from the other will continue to cook meat, which is good if the rest of your meal isn't ready and your meat still needs a little more heat)

8. Cut in thin strips and let soak in juices while waiting to be eaten

Carrots, Potatoes, and Okra

Carrots:

1. Open can

2. Heat on medium until simmering

3. Reduce heat to low

(Yes, I cheated I guess lol but they were still delicious...I did add a little honey to them :)  )

Potatoes:

1. Quarter potatoes

2. Heat pan on stove to medium heat, add potatoes with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil (or some butter). 

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper

(I added garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne red pepper)

4. Cook for about 15 minutes until tender

Okra:

1. Add okra to a pan with a little water, butter, and piece of uncooked bacon

2. Bring it all to a boil

3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes

4. Remove bacon and continue to simmer

5. Add salt, pepper, oregano and a pinch of sugar (doesn't make it sweet but helps pull the flavor out more)

And finally...honey biscuits

1. Buy pillsbury honey butter biscuits

2. Cook according to package 

Sweet, Salty, spicy and beefy all in one dinner...with a biscuit :)

Life doesn't get much better