Lemon Poppy Seed Strawberry "shortcake"

I am always looking for an excuse to eat strawberries and whip cream- what better time than early spring!

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookie

2 1/2 C All- Purpose Flour

1 t Baking powder

1/2 t Salt

1/2 C Butter, softened

2/3 C Sugar

1 egg

2 t Lemon Zest- I like more

2 T Lemon Juice

2 T Poppy Seeds

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside

Beat butter and sugar until smooth, beat in egg, zest, and juice until fluffy, 1 minute.

Gradually beat in flour mixture on low, just until combined.

Add in poppy seeds, stir to combine.

Divide dough in half. Flatten each into square, wrap in plastic.

Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Let stand at room temp for 15 min, before rolling out.

Heat oven to 350.

Bake 8-10 min.

Remove from pan immediately and cool on rack

Do with the strawberries and cream as you wish!!!

Roast Chicken- Crock pot

Similar recipe I use for a beef roast. We love this with chicken for Sunday dinner!

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
1 pkt lipton onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup (can use Cream of Mushroom instead)
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
1 onion thinly sliced
*potatoes and carrots

Place potatoes and carrots and half sliced onion in bottom of crock pot. Mix together water, soup mix, and Cream soup together. Place chicken breasts on top. Cover with soup mix and other half of onions.
Cook on low 4-6 hours

Highly Recommended Freezer Bag method:Place trimmed chicken breasts in freezer bag. Stir all ing. together except the potatoes and carrots. Add to bag. Lay bag flat to release air. Put in freezer until ready to use. I place the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of crockpot then pour the freezer bag contents on top! You can also shred chicken and serve over rice!

Balsamic Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Fabulous low-fat crock-pot chicken, and taste amazing. This really brings in the great fall flavors! I found it on Simplify Supper, and changed it to work in the crockpot.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 onion thinly sliced
4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried or fresh rosemarry
1-2 TBS butter

Put sweet potatoes in bottom of greased crock pot. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and a few pats of butter. Now layer most of the sliced onions over poatoes, add a dash of salt and pepper. Drizzle half the balsamic vinegar over potatoes and onions.Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts and place in crock pot, ontop of potatoes and onions. Drizzle olive oil, the other half of the basalmic vinegar on top along with a handful of sliced onions and rosemarry. Cook on Low for 4-6 hours. Your home will smell like fall in a few hours!

Crock pot Chicken Cacciatore

We have had this too many times to count. A family favorite, the chicken is SO good, and we love it over pasta. This recipe comes from the Fiber 35 book. It is Super healthy and just plain good! Looks like alot of ingredients, but it really is super easy, and most ingredients you may already have in the pantry!

Ingredients:
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp black pepper
4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless or thighs
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cups Sliced mushrooms- I often use canned b/c I have it on hand
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 1/2 cups green bell pepper strips
1 cup thin sliced onion
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp Basalmic vinegar

Mix first five ingredients. Dredge chicken in these spices, set aside, Put 1 tablepoon olive oil in bottom of Crock Pot. Add muschrooms, peppers, and onion. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, and vinegar. Add spiced chicken and any remaining spice mixture. Cook on Low 7-9 hours. Serve over pasta!

Creamy Peanut Butter Chicken- Crock-pot

This is a fabulous recipe a friend gave me. We just love it! My kids kept asking for more. This is a great recipe for the Freezer Bag method. We love it with fried rice! These are ingredients you probably always have on hand, which makes this recipe great to add to your 3 months supply list!


-Creamy Peanut Butter Chicken
4 chicken breasts
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 Cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons orange juice

Add all ing. except chicken and stir, it will take a minute or two for all ing. to incorporate. Pour over chicken in crock-pot. Cook on low 4 hours.6 hours was a little to long in my crock pot, just keep an eye on it. You can keep the chicken breasts whole or shred a bit. It will just fall apart, so we love to eat it in little pieces as it falls apart.

Freezer bag method
Add chicken breasts to Ziploc baggie. In bowl mix all other ingredients together. Pour into Ziploc baggie and seal tight. Freeze. When ready to cook, unthaw bag in refrigerator overnight and pour into crock pot in the morning. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

More Freezer bag cooking!

Spring is approaching and the last thing I want to be doing is slaving over a hot stove every night! Just another reason why I LOVE Freezer Bag Cooking! ITs not just for the crock pot! Here are some of my favorites for the BBQ. Just defrost and throw on your indoor or outdoor grill! Have frozen veggies, potatoes for a potato salad, fruit for a fruit salad on hand and you can have weeks of meals all ready to go!


I take one day out of the month and make about 20 freezer bag meals so my freezer is always full of ready to go dinners!

Here are some of my easy grilling favorites:
Thai Chicken- Click for great recipe
Italian Chicken- your favorite bottle of Italian dressing
BBQ chicken- Your favorite BBQ chicken
Teryaki Chicken- Add your favorite teryaki sauce to the chicken

Some of my other favorite Freezer Bag Meals:

PB chicken- Delicious! My kids just love it!
Southwest chicken
Cafe Rio Chicken
Roast Chicken
Sweet Pork
Plain Chicken Breasts- I love to fill 3-4 bags with already trimmed and pounded chicken breasts. I label the bag for the dinner I have in mind. My favorites to have chicken ready for are Chicken Caccetori, Coconut Chicken(new revised recipe) and Balsamic chicken and sweet potatoes.

I hope this will help you simplify your life, while continueing to save money and eat heathy home cooked meals! It has really helped me to do this! Buy your chicken on sale! Use this method with your own favorites! Good Luck!

Peanut Butter Muffins

These muffins use wheat flour and they are so delicious! My kids love them! I like to make some in mini muffin tins. Great for snacks and lunches! They freeze great too. They are soft and chewy, and the combo of chocolate and PB is soooo good!


1 Cup PB
1 egg
1/3C white sugar
1/3C brown sugar
1C milk
3/4C wheat flour
3/4C all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt

1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips

Combine peanut butter, egg, and sugars in mixer with whisk. Slowly add milk while whisking. In small bowl whisk together dry ingredients, then stir into wet ingredients in mixer by hand just until combined- no more. Stir in chocolate chips (giving them a rough chop makes them distribute and taste better throughout) Bake at 350 degrees about 12-13 minutes for mini muffins, 15-17 for regular- dont overcook, they will be lightly browned, and when they cool nice and chewy.

Foil Packet Tilapia

This is so easy, and the flavor is divine! You can use this method with any fish or chicken. Tilapia is so good for you, super high in protien and low in fat. You can get it frozen or fresh, and often for a great price. I threw this recipe together and LOVE it! Often a strong taste comes through with frozen talapia, but with this recipe, it was masked perfectly.

Ingredients:
2-4 Tilapia portions
Aluminum Foil
1 Bell pepper cut into thin strips
1/2 onion cut into thin strips
olive oil- to taste
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Capers- optional, but tons of flavor
1 lemon, sliced thin, reserve some juice too



Rinse and pat Tilapia portions dry with paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides. Put Tilapia in large piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with basil, garlic powder and capers, layer on the pepper and onion strips. Top with lemon slices. Wrap up in a rectangular packet shape, place in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes and is solid white in color. Yummy! Serve with steamed broccoli and rice!

Freezer Bag Meals!

Simplify your life by making Freezer Bag Meals!

For me, this method of freezer meals is a life saver! There are a few days out of the week that are the hardest, due to our schedule, for meals to get on the table. So, I needed something always ready to pull from the freezer and put in the crock pot. NO prep mess, EASY clean up!I take one day in the beginning of the month to do my freezer bag meals. I put together anywhere from 5-8 meals in only a few hours. Get your meat on sale, chicken or chuck roast, and save for your freezer meals.


All you do is trim meat, rinse and pat dry with paper towel, then place in a freezer bag. Add all your ingredients (except cheese, beans, corn, etc.) Anything you want cooked the full amount of time in the crockpot will do.
Place bags laying flat into the freezer. Take bag out of freezer the night before and let it defrost in the fridge. The next morning dump contents into crock pot, or place on grill, or in casserole dish for the oven! Some of these recipes you can use for grilling or baking as well. Thats the great part about it, you can use whatever method of cooking you want, or that your recipe can work for.


Here are some of my favorite recipes. Just prep your meat the way you want it to be in your crockpot or grill etc. Depending, I will sometimes cut mine up in chunks,for beef stroganoff, or Creamy italian chicken) or leave chicken the way it is for other recipes, like grilling.




Make sure you label your bags with the date and recipe, you could also add any other special cooking instructions.

Italian crock pot chicken- (Add all ingredients to bag, just dice up cream cheese and butter into cubes)-serve over rice or noodles-
Creamy Southwestern chicken -(just salsa and chicken, add black beans and corn later!) Use leftovers for tacos,burritos, tortilla chicken soup, quesadillias
Cafe Rio Chicken- (Mix together all ingredients, then pour overn chicken in the freezer bag)- Burritos, nachos, quesadillas, soups
Cheesy crock pot chicken- (Mix all ingredients together, then pour over chicken in freezer bag)Over rice or noodles
Roast chicken- Along side baked or roasted potatoes
Beef Stroganoff or Roast- (Mix all ingredients together, then pour over chicken in freezer bag)- Serve Along side mashed potatoes or over rice or noodles
BBQ Chicken- serve with rice or potatoes
Thai BBQ chicken (Mix all ingredients together, pour over chicken, I love this one for an all ready to grill chicken dinner!)

Click here for Grilling Freezer Bag meals and more recipes!

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This is very good version of Chicken Noodle that I got from my friend, yum-o and of course its the best with my homemade rolls!

Ingredients:

6 Chicken bouillon cubes
4 Cups chicken stock

1-2 Bay Leaves
2 Cups chopped carrots
2 Cups chopped celery
3/4 Cup chopped onion
2 Cans cream of chicken soup
1 Cup milk
2 Cups cooked chicken cubed
2 1/2 oz Cooked noodles - thick Amish kind

*For Food storage use 2 cans chicken and dehydrated veggies.

Directions:

* you can add all ingredients and leave it in crock pot all day!

OR:

Boil Noodles and set aside.

Put veggies with stock and boil until soft. Add bouillon. Whisk in soup until creamy.
Add milk and bay leaf. Add chicken and noodles. Simmer at least 30 minutes. Add more broth if
wanted for consistency.
Salt and Pepper to taste

BLT Salad

Looks like more work than it really is. Just assemble all the ingredients according to directions, then when ready to start putting together- it will go very fast. It's Heaven!

Ingredients:

8 Slices of Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned

1/2 C Buttermilk (or just add 1T vinegar to you milk and let sit 10 min!)

1/4 C Chopped red onion

2 tsp Lime Juice

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 C Cornmeal

1/3 C All-Purpose Flour

1 Egg, lightly beaten

2 Med-size firm, unripened tomatoes (about 3/4 pound), cored and cut 1/2 inch slices

2 T Canola oil

3 Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook Bacon in a large skillet and over med heat until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel-lined plate. Wipe out skillet.

2. While cooking bacon, prepare dressing; place avocado, buttermilk, onion, lime juice, 1/4 tsp each of salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a blender and puree until smooth; set aside

3. Stir together cornmeal, remaining 1.2 tsp salt and 1/4tsp each black pepper and cayenne pepper in a shallow dish; place flour and egg in their own separate shallow dish as well

4. Dip tomato slices in flour, then egg, then cornmeal mixture to coat

5. Heat Canola oil and 1T of the reserved bacon drippings in a skillet over high heat. Fry tomatoes in a single layer for about 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

6. Place Romaine lettuce in a large bowl and toss with bacon and 2/3 C of the avocado dressing; place about 2 cups salad on each plate and top with 2 or 3 fries tomato slices, Dollop with a little of the remaining dressing and serve.

P.F. Changs Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Pickett Family Favorite! I had to find a recipe that was exactly like it. This one is amazingly close if not just as dang good! Looks like a lot of work, but really not much at all. Just do your prep and then it will take 10 minutes to cook and serve!

Ingredients:

3 T. E.V.O.O

13-15 Chicken Tenderloins (Or you can use 2 large Boneless Chicken breast)

1 C Water Chestnuts

2/3 C Mushrooms

1 T. Chopped Onions

1 tsp. Garlic, minced

Ice burg Lettuce Leaves (Take apart and let soak in cold water while you prep this meal. It will get them real crisp)

Special Sauce

1/4 C Sugar

1/2 C Water

2 T Soy Sauce

2 T Ketsup

2 T Rice Wine Vinegar

1 T Lemon Juice

1/8 tsp Sesame oil

1 T Water

1 T Hot Mustard (I leave this out for my kids sake)

2 tsp Water

1-2 tsp garlic and red chile paste (also leave out for the kidos)

Stir Fry Sauce

2 T Soy Sauce

2 T Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar

Directions:

1. Make special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.

2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, Ketchup, Lemon Juice and sesame oil

3. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you are ready to serve

4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well

5. Eventually add your mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture when your ready to serve.

6. Chop water chestnut, mushrooms, and onions into small pea sizes. Set aside.

7. Mince garlic, set aide. Have the stir fry sauce mixed and set aside.

8. Now place the Chicken, Water Chestnuts, Mushrooms, Garlic and Stir Fry Sauce in the Wok. Add the T of Oil, let flavors combine

9. Place this mixture in the lettuce and top with special sauce. YUMMO

Left over sauce- We never have any left over chicken but the special sauce makes more than we eat. So I make brown rice and place in romain lettuce, drizzle the special sauce over it and roll it up. It fills me up and makes great lunch for the next day!

Fruit Pizza

A classic must have dessert!

Easy way is to use store bought sugar cookie dough, roll it out and bake. I have to use my own sugar cookie recipe, just can't do store bought. So it takes a little longer but you know what they day about those who wait? I don't remember, what do they say?heehee

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookie Dough

8oz package of Cream cheese

1/3 C Sugar

1tsp Vanilla

Fresh fruit in season

Directions:

Roll out cookie dough onto pie shape stone. (obviously you can do this on a cookie sheet as well)

Bake at 350 and take out a little before done, just like you would regular cookies.

Let cookie cool.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until nice and smmoooth!

Slice up your fruit

Once Cookie is cooled off spread mixture and then top with your yummy fruit

I like to chill mine before serving.

Cut into pizza slices and watch them disappear.

Low- Fat Banana Bread Is The Bomb!

I L-O-V-E this recipe. Just tried it out and I can't stop eating it. It is low in fat so, I can eat double right?

Ingredients:

4-5 Large Ripe Bananas

2T. Applesauce

2T Butter, softened

1 Egg

1 1/2tsp. Vanilla

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/4 C White Sugar

1 C All Purpose Flour

1/2 C Whole Wheat or White Wheat Flour- I used my hard white wheat that I ground up.

(if you don't have either, just substitute with other flour)

1tsp Baking Soda

1/2tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Salt

Directions

Combine all the wet ingredients except the bananas. Don't over mix.

Add dry ingredients just until combined.

Mash up bananas in separate bowl, then add to your mixture. Mix one minute.

I baked it in an 8x8 glass pan.

Bake 350 /50-60 min

Tortilla Chip Casserole

I got this recipe off Utahdealdiva.com
We loved it! Everything was on hand in our panrty, it was delicious.... its a keeper for us! This recipe comes to about 4 dollars for the whole casserole!

Jessica's Chicken Tortilla Chip Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes
about 1 cup diced cooked chicken- I used 1 can costco chicken
1 small can green chilies
1 can beans- pinto, kidney, black- whatever you have
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
2 cups crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp taco seasoning
salt to taste

Directions:

Pour tomatoes in casserole dish, add can green chilies and seasonings. Crush tortilla chips and layer over tomato mixture. Mix together chicken, soup, beans, milk and sour cream. Spread over chip layer. Bake in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Top with cheese, cilantro, avacado etc. Bake for 5-10 more minutes Enjoy!