Food, Yum

So, I can finally say I am getting a little better with the blog stuff.  I'm not done with this page so please don't think it's gonna stay like this.  I am just too lazy to revert back to the original while I play around with the building of the page.

Ok then.  This week I tried out a couple new recipes on the fam.  Other than those we had some WoodsFam staples.  Here's what our menu looked like:


Monday:  Chili Mac
Tuesday:  *Turkey Fried Rice
Wednesday:  *Cabbage Burger Casserole
Thursday:  *Sweet Potato Chili
Friday:  Soft Tacos

*Denotes a new or altered recipe

Sweet Potato Chili

Unfortunately, I cannot locate the pics of the Cabbage Burger Casserole,  Sorry.

Reviews:

~The Chili Mac is always a winner.  Macaroni &Canned Chili topped to your liking.  I like adding ketchup, cheese and diced onion...the rest of the Fam omits the onion.

~The Turkey Fried Rice was just an alteration of meat.  Rice, Frozen Mixed Veggies, Sliced Water Chestnuts, Ground Turkey, Eggs and seasonings.  It received the thumbs up.

~The Cabbage Burger Casserole was also a hit.  I found this recipe @ allrecipes.com.  I altered it by cooking a few strips of peppered bacon (I crumbled this over the cabbage in the dish), using only 1 1/2lbs of ground beef (browned in the bacon grease) and baking it in a casserole dish.  I used regular (cheap) canned dinner rolls to top it off.  I was skeptical at first but the more I ate, the more I wanted.  It's def. a dish to warm you on those cold Nebraska (Montana) days and nights.

~What can I say about the Sweet Potato Chili?  Well, it's a bit different.  It's another from allrecipes.com.  I do not like sweet potatoes but having received two rather large ones in our Bountiful Basket, I couldn't waste them.  I would say I could make this again but it would definitely need some Ash Tweaks.  I would use less cinnamon and dice the potatoes much smaller to be much less noticeable.  I would also contemplate trying it on the stove instead of in the crock pot, simply because there are times the dinner plans need to be altered.  So, I give this one a hmmmm, maaaybe....

~Soft Tacos are soft tacos, a WoodsFam Staple and all around winner.  Last night I added a can of black beans to the meat to stretch it a bit, we had two extra mouths here.  Once again, I was a glutton and ate waaaaay too much.  I have a tendency to overdue it every time.  But they are just SOOOOOO good!!!

This coming week will be a little easier to plan.  With Ash Wednesday there's one less dinner...lol  However, so begins the abstinence of meat on Fridays.  Veggies Here We Come!  And pancakes, children demand pancakes, ugh.  I'll be on a bunny diet those days.  No Problem!

Maybe this will inspire someone to try a new dish, venture into uncharted culinary territory.  Whatever you may choose I hope you choose well.  Feed yourselves well and feel better to boot!

Have a wonderful weekend.

~Ash

Fun Friday

Good Evening Everyone and TGIF.

Tonight we had a Lucy original, Lucy Casserole.  She came up with this idea on her own and we've tweaked it a bit.  Tonight's turned out fabulous and we're sharing this recipe below.  Big hit with the fam and her friend who's staying over.  We had ours with spinach, a Lucy favorite.  Obviously any vegetable would be good on the side.  Let me know if any of you try it.

Have a Great Weekend.

~Ash

Lucy Casserole

Ingredients:

1 Box of Penne Pasta
½-3/4 Cup each; Pepperoni, Deli Ham
2 Cups Diced Cheddar Cheese, reserve ⅓ cup
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Butter
Flour
Milk
1/2 Packet Ranch Seasoning (I used the dip version)

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 350*F
Cook pasta according to package directions.  While the pasta cooks, dice/chop pepperoni, ham and cheddar cheese.  Combine these three ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  

After draining the pasta, use butter, flour and milk to make a simple white sauce.  Once the sauce comes together, add the ranch seasoning and about ⅓ cup of diced cheese and cook until cheese melts and sauce is smooth, stirring frequently.  

Combine pasta with meats and cheese and place in a 9X13 casserole dish.  (Sometimes I even remember to spray the dish before I add the goodies...)  Pour the sauce over the pasta mix and then top with shredded cheddar cheese.  I cover mine with foil and bake for. about half an hour.  Remove cover and cook until brown on top, about 15 minutes, and serve.

Tech Tuesday

Helllloooooo Out There...

Today is Tech Tuesday for me.  I've spent the better part of the morning working on this blog business.  I am about cross eyed at this point.  It's a slow progression but if you look closely, you just might see some changes going on.  Then again, maybe not.  Not all changes are on the blog page.  There's quite a bit of admin going on here.  I started out on a whim and I guess it's time to get a little more serious.

I haven't been on here for several days.  I know, boring, but I haven't really had much to share.  We've done more work downstairs but I'm not ready to post any pics yet.  It's just not at the point in which to share.  Laundry and cleaning is only so fun and I'm sure no one cares about mine.  I've made a few things and I'm testing them out to see if any are worth sharing with you all.  I'm hoping to post some new recipes, organizational ideas, renovation progress and maybe even some animal fun.  It's supposed to be a bit on the warmer (above freezing) side of things this week.  Yay!

So here's a a picture describing my life, indefinitely...lol

Have a wonderful week.  I hope to be more entertaining this week.

~Ash

KFC and Kraft KopyKats

Good Afternoon.

I figured I would post a quick note about last night's dinner.  Turned out fabulous!  And yes, while eating we found a PBS show highlighting "Soul Food."  Yep, not the most healthful but everything in moderation, right?  LOL I found a few recipes on Pinterest and figured it was time to try them out.  This is where the recipes are posted.  We had the "KFC Chicken" and the "Kraft Mac & Cheese."  I also made a quick cole slaw to complete the meal.

The cole slaw was simple.  I used red/green cabbage, carrots, spinach (yes) and dill pickles.  I ran everything through the shredder then added the "dressing."  I used mayo, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and a few hits of cayenne.  I had a few substitutions/changes to the chicken and mac.  Our grocery store didn't have tomato cup of soup so I used a tomato bullion.  I soaked the chicken in a salt water bath before breading, as well.  I also added heavy whipping cream, pepper and seasoning salt to the mac.  It was a big hit!  The boys took it for lunch today, what was left of it after the hubbs inhaled four pieces of chicken.  You read that right. FOUR!  The reviews on the leftover lunch, "fantastic."  Go figure.  Next time I am definitely adding the collards to the menu and some biscuits, but last night was last minute dinner decision.

Hope to hear from anyone who tried these or other recipes on the link.  There are several I would like to try.  Have a relaxing evening.  

~Ash