Homemade Pizza Crust

In the last week, we've had homemade pizza twice.  Last Sunday I made a pizza for our Sunday night dinner at my mother-in-law's house.  We then had it for supper on Saturday night.  I tried two new crust recipes and enjoyed the second one.  In fact, Hubby told me that the pizza was great on Saturday night.  Coming from a man who works in the pizza business that is a compliment.

The only problem with having homemade pizza is the Imaginative One does not like pizza.  He likes a few kinds but overall will not eat pizza at all.  He is allowed to eat something else for dinner when we have pizza.  It's usually a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

The Wee One loves pizza and could have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if allowed.  We had gone to the Home Depot for a DIY project for the kids earlier on Saturday.  They gave him an apron to wear when he's doing projects.  He's decided it's his cooking apron.  He put it on to help me put the sauce, pepperoni, and cheese on the pizza.  We had strawberries for dessert and he put on the apron to help me prepare the strawberries.

While the pizza was baking, he watched the timer and would give me updates that were usually "2 minutes until 7 minutes."  So cute and funny!

Onto the recipe:

Pizza Crust

Brown Sugar Toast

That's the Wee One's hand - He was fake cutting the pizza.

Stars of the Recipe:

• 1 c. warm water (105 -115 degrees)
• 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
• 2-1/2 c. flour
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. sugar

Steps:

1. Make sure the water is 105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit so the yeast can dissolve.  Add the yeast to the water.
2. After the yeast is dissolved, add the rest of the ingredients to your mixing bowl.
3. Using either your mixer or with a spoon, mix the ingredients.
4. Knead your dough either using a mixer or with your hands on a clean floured surface for about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Place dough in greased bowl covered with a damp towel.  Allow it to rise in a warm place.  (This is the first time I've tried using my oven.  Turn it onto the lowest temperature.  Mine was 170 degrees.  Then turn it off and allow the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Spread out on a cooking pan or pizza stone.  Top with sauce and your favorite toppings.
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
8. Enjoy!

If you don't have enough time you can do steps 1 through 4.  Skip step 5.  Then do steps 6 - 8.

Pork and Sauerkraut (A Slow Cooker Recipe)

It's a family tradition to have pork and sauerkraut for our New Year's dinner.  My father-in-law would make a big pot of it and family members would eat the sauerkraut so that they would have good luck for the new year.  Since he died two weeks ago, I offered to make it this year.

I made some changes to how it was cooked.  First of all I made it in my slow cooker instead of in a big stock pot.  I also roasted potatoes instead of cooking the potatoes in the slow cooker with the meat and sauerkraut.  Hubby loved it and was impressed because it didn't have the bitter/sour taste you usually associate with sauerkraut.  He even took some to work with him to share with his co-workers.

The boys did taste the sauerkraut so they would have good luck but being kids didn't really like it.  At least they tried it which is better than on New Year's Eve.  I made fish for supper.  The fish was cooked with olive oil and a seasoning mix from one of my Foodie Pen Pals.  Hubby loved it but the boys wanted to give me excuses on why they could not eat it.  They still had to eat it but it was interesting on what excuses they came up with.  The best one is their brain was going to explode since I told them fish is brain food.

Now onto the recipe:

Pork and Sauerkraut in the Slow Cooker

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 -2 lbs. pork roast


• 16 - 32 oz. of sauerkraut (depending on how much pork you have)


• 1 big carrot or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces


• 1 apple, peeled and cut into small pieces


• 1 - 2 Tbsp. brown sugar


• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Drain and rinse the sauerkraut several times to remove the brine.


2. Place the pork roast in the bottom of the slow cooker.  (Mine is 5 qt.)  Sprinkle salt and pepper on the pork roast.


3. In a small mixing bowl, combine the rinsed sauerkraut, apple pieces, carrot pieces, and brown sugar.


4. Place the sauerkraut mixture on the pork roast.


5. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.


6. Shred the pork and combine with the sauerkraut.


7. Enjoy with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes (just serving suggestions)!

Smells Like Grandma's House Soup

We had a turkey for Christmas dinner.  The left-overs were shared between my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and my family.  I decided to use the turkey to make a soup for the next day's dinner.

When the Wee One walked into the kitchen for dinner, he sniffed the air.  Then he remarked "It smells like grandma's house."  He was given a bowl and ended up devouring it.  While he was eating, he sang about Kookaburra birds which is a Girl Scouts' song.  My mother-in-law is a Girl Scouts' leader so this was an appropriate song to be singing.

The other fan of the soup was my Hubby.

So if you have any turkey or even chicken left over from your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even just dinner, make this soup.

Smells Like Grandma's House Soup

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 c. chopped or shredded chicken or turkey


• 1 c. left over veggies or frozen mixed veggies (We had left over mixed veggies and corn.  That's what was in our soup.)


• 4 c. chicken broth


• 1 - 2 c. water


• 1/4 to 1/2 box of small pasta (I used whole grain shells.)


• 1 bay leaf


• Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

Steps:

1. Combine the chicken or turkey, veggies, broth, water, bay leaf, and spices in a dutch oven or big soup pot.


2. Turn the burner to high and allow the broth/water to boil.


3. Once the broth/water is boiling, add the pasta.


4. Follow the directions on the pasta box for how long to cook the pasta.  (Mine took about 7 minutes.)


5. After the pasta is cooked, discard the bay leaf.


6. Taste and if necessary, add more spices to taste.


7. Ladle into bowls.


8. Enjoy with pretzel rolls, a slice of bread, crackers, or a biscuit.

Lemon Chicken

My husband loves getting food from the Chinese food restaurants in our local mall's food court.  So I decided to recreate one of the dishes he might purchase there.  This dish was healthier than what you get at the food court.  

When it was cooking in the oven, he thought it was a sweet and sour dish.  So he was super excited for dinner last night.

The only issue with the dinner was super lemony but it's an easy fix.  If you really love a lemon flavor, add the lemon zest and additional lemon juice.

[gallery ids="4377,4376"]

Lemon Chicken

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 lb. thinly cut chicken breast, chicken breasts pounded thinly, or chicken thighs pounded thin (If you are going to pound out the chicken, place wax paper on a cutting board and then the chicken.  Place another piece of wax paper on top of the chicken.  Using a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it's about a 1/2 inch thick.  Hint:  An inch is from the tip of your thumb to the knuckle.  So a 1/2 inch would be to the end of your thumbnail.)


• 1/4 c, lemon juice


• 1/4 to 1/2 c, bread crumbs or panko


• Optional:  1 Tbsp. lemon zest and additional lemon juice


• 8 x 8 square dish sprayed with cooking spary

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. In a bowl big enough to dredge the chicken in, place the lemon juice. In another bowl big enough to dredge the chicken in, place the bread crumbs or panko.


3. First dredge the chicken in lemon juice and then dredge the chicken in the bread crumbs or panko.


4. Place in the cooking dish.


5. Continue with the remainder of the chicken pieces.  If you want it really lemony, top with more lemon juice and lemon zest.


6. Bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes.


7. Enjoy with rice!

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Mmm!  Comfort food makes you feel good inside.  Pot roast is one of those foods.  As I was coming up with this week's menu, I decided pot roast should be one of our dinners.  The interesting thing was we had pot roast for our dinner at my in-laws last night.  The difference was how we prepared the roast.  The side dishes were different also.

I've made this recipe for over 10 years.  It is super easy and delicious.  After we have roast for dinner, another night during the week I make a hash (minus eggs) with the left over roast.  Yum!

Even though I like making baked potatoes cooked in the slow cooker, I'm not a fan of potatoes cooked with the roast.  We had buttered noodles with our roast.

 

Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast

[gallery ids="4352,4350,4351"]

Stars of the recipe:

• roast (size depends on the needs of your family)


• 30 oz. can of tomato sauce


• optional:  russet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks, onions cut into chunks, carrots peeled and cut into strips

Steps:

1. Place roast into the bottom of the slow cooker.


2. If placing vegetables, place them on top of the roast.


3. Pour tomato sauce over the roast.


4. Cook for 3 to 5 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low.


5. Enjoy!

Sausage and Sauerkraut

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 package of smoked sausage


• 1 jar or bag of sauerkraut, drained and rinsed off


• 3 Tbsp. of brown sugar


• 3 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard

Steps:

1. Cut the sausage into rings.


2. In a bowl, mix the sauerkraut, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard together.


3. Place sausage and sauerkraut into the crockpot.


4. Cook on low for 4 hours.


5. Enjoy with mashed potatoes or roasted red potatoes.  (I also had corn and baked apples with it.)

Crockpot Pizza

 



 

 

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups browned ground beef (I omitted this.)


• 2/3 box of rigatoni (I used rotini.)


• 1 large onion chopped


• 4 cups of mozzarella cheese (I used 2 cups.)


• 2 jars of pizza sauce (I used 1 jar and added some water.)


• 1 package of pepperoni (I used 1/2 package. Next time I'm going to cut the pepperoni into smaller pieces.)


• salt and pepper taste

Steps:

1. Place all items in a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I used a 3 quart crockpot.)


2. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. (Mine was done in about 3.5 hours.)


3. Enjoy

 

BBQ chicken sandwiches

On Saturday, I got a rotisserie chicken at Sam's Club.  We ate it for dinner on Saturday evening.  Since we had some left over, I needed  to figure out what I could make with it.  I decided to make BBQ chicken sandwiches.  

It's an easy meal that Hubby really liked.  

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Stars of the recipe:

• Left over rotisserie chicken or crockpot chicken


• 1/2 bottle of favorite bbq sauce - (I used Garland Jack's Country Honey Barbecue sauce.  It has no high fructose corn syrup :).)


• Optional:  Diced onions

Steps:

1. Shred up the left over chicken and onions if using them.  Place in a medium sized pot.


2. Cover the chicken with the bbq sauce.


3. Cook over medium heat until the chicken is warmed up.


4. Enjoy on a bun with cheese and maybe some lettuce!

Beenie Weenies

I had another cooking blog on website.  I'm going to transfer some of the posts from there.

This is an easy meal to put into the crockpot.  It made more than enough food for my family of four that I put half of it in the freezer for another meal.:)

 Beanie Weenies

Stars of the recipe:

• 2 small cans of pork and beans or one large can


• 1 small can of Great Northern beans, drained


• 1 16 oz. package of hot dogs, sliced


• 1 lrg onion, chopped


• 1/4 cup of ketchup


• 3 Tbsp. of mustard (or more to taste)


• 2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce (or more to taste)


• 1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed


• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Steps:

1. Place all the items in the crockpot.  (I gave it a stir.)


2. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.


3. Enjoy!  I served mine with green beans and biscuits with apple butter.

Ham and pineapple fried rice

Day 2 of using up ham left-overs was a success. In fact, Hubby told me that it was better than Bd's Mongolian Grill. Score!

A few weeks ago, we went to Bd's for supper. He loves the fact you can pick your own ingredients and then they grill it up. So this was saying a lot when he liked my version better.

Oh, I know there are a lot of versions of this recipe floating around. However this is my creation based on the concept.

Ham and Pineapple Fried Rice

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 tsp. sesame seed oil


• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 1/2 onion diced


• 1-2 carrots, peeled and diced


• 1 c. Broccoli cut into small pieces


• 1-1/2 c. Ham diced into medium sized pieces


• 1 sm. can of diced pineapple, juice drained and set aside (8 oz.)


• 1 lrg. Egg, beaten


• 1 c. Cooked brown rice, cooled


• 2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce


• 1 Tbsp. ground ginger


• 1 Tbsp. hot sauce

Steps:

1. Heat oils in a skillet. (Medium heat)


2. Add veggies to the skillet. Cook until tender.


3. Add ham and pineapple. to skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until warmed through.


4. While the ham and pineapple are cooking, combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, hot sauce, and ginger in a separate bowl.


5. Push all veggies, ham, and pineapple to side of skillet.


6. Add the beaten egg. Stirring the egg until it's cooked.


7. Add the rice. Pour the pineapple juice, soy sauce, and ginger mixture over the food in the skillet.


8. Cook for about 5 minutes longer.


9. Enjoy!

I knew we were going to have pork chops for dinner but I did not know how I was going to fix them.  As I was driving home that night, a light bulb went off in my head.  "Why don't I make them like the baked chicken nuggets we had a few weeks prior?"

I like the simplicity of the recipe and how it is healthy for you. My husband raved about it so I'll say it was a success!!!

Breaded Baked Pork Chops

Skinny Taste

Stars of the recipe:

• 4 boneless pork chops, cut in half


• salt and pepper to taste


• 2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil


• 6 Tbsp. whole wheat bread crumbs (I got mine at Whole Foods.  Use regular if you can't find the whole wheat or make your own.)


• 2 Tbsp. panko


• 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese


• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning


• olive oil spray

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.


2. Spray a baking dish with olive oil spray. (9 by 13 rectangular)


3. Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil in one bowl and breadcrumbs, panko, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning in another bowl.


4. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.  Dip in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil making sure to get all sides evenly coated.


5. Dip in the breadcrumb mixture until it's coated.  Place in the baking dish.


6. Repeat with the other pieces of pork chops.


7. Spray the top with olive oil spray.


8. Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.  (Turn once while baking)


9. Enjoy!  (We had ours with baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli.)

My family doesn't like shrimp so traditional shrimp scampi is a no go at my house.  So I decided to make scampi with chicken instead.  You know a meal is a winner when hubby, the Wee One, and Imaginative One all love the meal.  There was no complaints about the meal.  

About five years ago, I got a spaghetti pot that cooks the spaghetti whole.  The boys loved eating the whole pieces of linguine.  They loved slurping up the pieces.  It made the meal fun for them.

Chicken Scampi

Stars of the recipe:

• 1/2 box of linguine, cooked (reserve 1 cup of the cooking water) - I used whole wheat pasta.


• 1 lb. of chicken, cubed


• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 5 Tbsp. butter (seperate into a 2 Tbsp. piece and a 3 Tbsp. piece)


• 1/2 onion, diced


• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic


• 1 c. white wine


• 2 lemons, juiced (microwave them for 10 seconds before juicing them)


• 1 Tbsp. dried parsley or 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

Steps:

1. Cook the linguine, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.


2. In a skillet, heat the oil and 2 Tbsp. of the butter over medium heat.


3. When the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic.  Cook until the chicken is cooked.  (5 to 10 minutes)


4. Remove the chicken, onions, and garlic.  Tent a piece of foil over the chicken to keep it warm.


5. Place the skillet over high heat.  Add the lemon juice and white wine.  Deglaze the bottom of the skillet and then cook until boiling.  Add the cooking water and 3 Tbsp. butter.


6. Lower the heat.  Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, onions, and garlic.  Cook for about 3-5 more minutes until the sauce is thickened.


7. Add the parsley and remove from heat.


8. Pour over the cooked linguine and combine.


9. Serve and enjoy!

My husband loves Chinese food and had been craving some when I had planned to make stir fry.  So he was excited when I told him that was for dinner.  

Since I don't have much time to cook dinner before I need to have it on the table, I cut the pieces smaller especially the broccoli.  My husband does not like broccoli but ate it when I cut it into smaller pieces.

During dinner, the Wee One made chopsticks out of two spoons so he could scoop up the food better.  It as so funny!  (I wish I got a picture of how he was eating dinner.)

This meal can be adapted to your likes.

Pork (or Chicken) Stir Fry

Stars of the recipe: 

• 1 lb. pork chops or chicken, chopped into smaller pieces


• 3 c. vegetables, diced into smaller pieces (Examples:  celery, carrots (peeled first), onions, peas (do not dice), broccoli) - Use your imagination and clean out your vegetable drawers


• 1/4 c. soy sauce (I used low sodium.)


• 2 Tbsp. ground ginger


• 1 Tbsp. granulated garlic or 2 Tbsp. minced garlic


• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Steps:

1. Heat up 1 Tbsp. of oil in a saute pan on medium heat.


2. Once the oil is heated up, add the pork or chicken.  Cook the pork or chicken until no longer pink.  (5 to 10 minutes)


3. Once the pork or chicken is cooked, remove from the pan.  Tent a piece of foil over it to keep it warm.


4. Add another 1 Tbsp. of oil to pan.  Add the diced veggies except for the peas.  Cook until softened. (5ish minutes)


5. Place the pork or chicken back in the pan with the veggies.  Add the peas, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes longer.


6. Serve over rice.


7. Enjoy with a fortune cookie!

Healthier Mac and Cheese

What is it about comfort food that warms your soul? The day after Christmas brought us lots of snow. We were under a winter storm warning but the counties around us were under a blizzard warning. The day after the storm, I decided to go grocery shopping. I still have to walk around snow piles to bring the groceries in. So I was craving some comfort food.

This macaroni and cheese warms your soul and is also healthier then the boxed stuff. So I was happy to serve it to my family. :)

The Imaginative One said it was good. Hubby went and took a second helping so that must mean he loved it.

Healthier Mac and Cheese

Skinny Taste

Stars of the recipe:

• 
  
  12 oz. high fiber pasta (I used Ronzoni Smart Taste rotini. You can use whole wheat pasta if you want.)


• 2 tbsp. butter


• 1/4 c. flour (I used white whole wheat.)


• 1/4 c. minced onion


• 2 c. skim milk


• 1 c. chicken broth (I used 1 c. water with a chicken bullion cube.)


• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, reduced fat


• salt and pepper


• 2 c. baby spinach


• 1/4 c. panko bread

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.


3. Meanwhile spray a baking dish with butter flavor cooking spray.


4. In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter.


5. Add flour and cook over low heat stirring with a whisk. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes.


6. Add milk and chicken broth and continuing whisking. Raise the heat to medium heat until it begins to boil and becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.


7. Once the milk mixture becomes thick, remove the skillet fro the the heat, add the cheese and mix until cheese is melted.


8. Drain the macaroni and put back in the pot. Add the spinach and cheese sauce. Stir to combine.


9. Pour into baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs.


10. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.


11. Take the dish out, spray with a little more butter flavored cooking spray on the top.


12. Broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.


13. Enjoy!

Top Clicks of 2012

According to my stats counter, these are the top 10 recipes that were clicked on.

Taco Crescent Bake was #1 - It was published in February of  2011.

Sloppy Joe Pizza was #2 - It was also published in February of 2011.

Watermelon Cookies was #3.  These continue to be my kids and students favorite cookies.  It was published in July of 2010.

[caption id="attachment_2286" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Watermelon Cookies[/caption]

Makes It Own Crust Apple Pie was #4.  It was published in November of 2011.

[caption id="attachment_1692" align="aligncenter" width="228"] Makes It Own Crust Apple Pie[/caption]

Baked Spaghetti was #5.  It was published in January of 2012.

[caption id="attachment_1790" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Baked Spaghetti[/caption]

Homemade hamburger helper was #6.  It was published in October 2010.

[caption id="attachment_1185" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Homemade Hamburger helper[/caption]

Charleston Cheese Dip was #7.  It was published in January 2012.

[caption id="attachment_1787" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Charleston Cheese Dip[/caption]

Ranch Chicken Legs was #8.  It was published in March 2011.

Peanut Butter Blossoms was #9.  It was published in October 2010.

[caption id="attachment_1656" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Peanut butter blossoms[/caption]

Green beans, potatoes, and ham was #10.  It was published in April of 2012.

[caption id="attachment_2037" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Green beans, ham, and potatoes[/caption]

Here's to a successful 2013!

Reader's Favorites

I went to my stats' summary page to find the recipes that get the most clicks.  This is the top post of 2012.
Baked Spaghetti

Here's the 2nd to 5th top posts of 2012:

Charleston Cheese Dip

Green beans, potatoes and ham

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Peanut Butter Blossoms Redone

Best Main Dishes

Italian Chicken

Green Beans and Ham

Paprika Chicken

Baked Spaghetti

This has been linked to Finding Joy in My Kitchen's countdown to 2013 - Best Main Dishes of 2012.

One of my favorite blogs is Eat at Home. I've been following Tiffany's blog for the past 2 years. Each week she provides free weekly menus featuring recipes she has posted. The majority of her recipes are fuss free or little fuss recipes. The recipes are also delicious.

I got this recipe from the blog. She named it Skillet Chicken with Peppers and Tomatoes. I renamed it Italian chicken because my boys would have told me they didn't like it because it had peppers and tomatoes. When they did their daily ritual of asking me what was for supper, I told them Italian chicken.

I was lucky to find thin chicken breasts on sale when I did my weekly shopping. They were in a family pack for $10 and some change. I was going to be able to use the pack for 3 meals. That is a deal! Even though I told the Imaginative One that I spent a lot on the chicken and he needed to eat all of his serving. LOL!

The chicken needs to marinate overnight so plan ahead.

Italian Chicken

Based on a recipe from Eat at Home

Stars of the recipe:

Chicken marinade:

• Chicken tenders or chicken breasts thinly pounded (pounded between two pieces of wax paper - take all of frustrations out on the chicken)


• 1/2 bottle of Italian dressing


• 1/4 c. of soy sauce

Italian Chicken:

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil


• 3 to 4 pieces of marinated chicken


• 1-2 Tbsp. minced garlic


• 1/2 package of frozen onion and pepper mix


• 1 15 oz. can of crushed tomateos


• 1/2 box of penne pasta

Steps:

1. Cook the penne pasta, drain, and set aside. (This can be done while the chicken is cooking.)


2. Put the olive oil in the skillet. Heat it on med. heat.


3. Place the chicken in the skillet. Cook on both sides until browned. (Discard the left over marinade.)


4. Add the garlic and onion and pepper mix to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes.


5. Add the can of crushed tomatoes.


6. Simmer over med. low heat for 10 minutes.


7. Serve with the penne pasta.


8. Enjoy!

Green beans, potatoes, and ham

I lived with my grandparents, mom, and sister as a teenager. On most nights, we would sit down as a family for dinner. One of the meals, my grandma would prepare is green beans, potatoes, and ham in the crockpot.

I can still see the kitchen and her round crockpot full of the green beans, potatoes, and ham. We would either have it with bread and butter or a simple salad.

Whenever I cook something from my childhood, I try to tell my boys about it. The Imaginative One was five when my grandma died. During the last year of her life, they became so close. This is a way for him to have memories of her.

When I made this, the potatoes were at the bottom of the crock. So when Hubby looked into the crock all he saw was green beans and 1 piece of ham. He was nervous about what we were having. Once he saw the potatoes, he was relieved. He enjoyed the meal.





Stars of the recipe:
1 lb. fresh green beans, ends snipped off and snapped in half or 2 cans green beans drained
1 lb. baby red potatoes, quartered or halved, depending on size
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 lb. chopped ham
2 chicken bouillon cubes, unwrapped
Water
Seasoned salt, to taste

Steps:
1. Place potatoes, onions, green beans, onions, ham, seasoned salt, and bouillon cubes in crockpot. (I use a 4 quart crockpot.)
2. Place enough water in the crockpot to cover the food.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

Bacon cheeseburger soup

Yum! This soup is so good. Last weekend I was checking out meals matter. I hadn't been on that site in forever. Anyway I found this recipe in my personal cookbook on that site. I decided it would be a good dinner. So I put it on our meal plan.

Both the Imaginative One and hubby loved it! It was also easy to make especially if you have already browned hamburger in the freezer.

Oh and the flavors will remind you of a cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, and pickle.

Bacon cheeseburger soup
Cooking During Stolen Moments

Stars of the recipe:

•  5 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces


• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces


• a sm. onion, cut into small pieces


• 1 pound of ground beef


• 6 cups chicken broth


• 2 cups of milk


• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese


• 1 slice of bacon, cooked and chopped into small pieces


• 1-2 Tbsp. Ketchup


• 1-2 Tbsp. mustard


• 1-2 Tbsp. pickle relish

Steps:

1. Brown ground beef and then drain. (Or use frozen browned ground beef from freezer).


2. Add veggies and ground beef into big stockpot. Pour chicken stock over veggies and ground beef.


3. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Reduce heat and them let simmer until carrots and potatoes are cooked and soft. About 15 minutes.


4. Take off the heat. Add milk and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.


5. Add mustard, relish, ketchup, and bacon. Stir.


6. Serve.