Meatball Sandwiches... Where Have You Been All My Life?

I have been wanting meatball sandwiches for awhile now. I have not made them in a year or more and well, they sounded REALLY good. Today, after being able to go and get groceries ALL.BY.MYSELF, because of my wonderful mother offering to keep the girls for me, I got caught up on my crap tv. Then, it was time to get the yard mowed, since I had not done that yet. Ick! With a majority of the yard mowed, that meant MEATBALL TIME!

Meatballs (approx. 24 meatballs)

1-1/4 lbs. ground beef

2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. Italian Gluten Free bread crumbs
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
1/4 C. finely diced onion (I used frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. I use my Kitchen Aide mixer for this job, because I have issues with touching raw meat with my hands. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch meatballs (or do like I do and use my cookie dough scoop!!!) and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink. 

For sandwiches, warm marinara sauce in sauce pan, place 3-4 meatballs in buns (I used Udi's gluten free hotdog buns), top with warm marinara sauce, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars... A Little Piece of Heaven On Earth!

Today is only the second day of summer break and I have this desire to achieve something and, well, looking around my house, there is a lot to be achieved. This past week has been insanely busy. So, I have been very neglectful in the cooking department and the cleaning department, and every other department that there is. The To Do List is growing... 

So, after cleaning the kitchen, emptying the dishwasher, reloading it, picking up the living room, cleaning off the coffee table and end tables, running Dave, and some laundry, I decided something sweet was in order.

I love Rice Krispy treats as much as anyone, but I REALLY love peanut butter Rice Krispy treats. 

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats
4 Tbsp. Butter
5 C. mini marshmallows
1/2 C. peanut butter
5-3/4 C. Rice Krispy cereal

Spray a 9x13 pan. Melt butter in a large sauce pan, add marshmallows. Stur until melted. Add peanut butter. Stir constantly, until the marshmallows and peanut butter are all melted and mixed together, approx. 5 minutes. Turn off heat and remove pan. Add Rice Krispies, stir until coated. Dump into pan. Spray hands with cooking spray and pat mixture down in the 9x13 pan. Allow 30-45 minutes to cool. Cut and serve!
Original Recipe: CountryCook

Chicken, Rice, and Mushroom Bake

Today was another beautiful day! We barely broke 60 degrees, so it was a little on the cool side this morning, for my taste. But, overall, it was a really nice day. My project today was to get my plants put in my pots on the front step and the patio. All of the plants that I picked out are ones that are suppose to repel mosquitos. We seem to have an abundance of the little boogers around here. I will post pics and what plants I used in a later post.

Supper tonight is Chicken, Rice, and Mushroom Bake. The original recipe was an Emeals recipe, but I made some changes to it, based on what I had already on hand, etc.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Rice, and Mushroom Bake

1-1⁄2 C. uncooked rice 

2 (141⁄2-oz) cans chicken broth 

2 (8-oz) packages sliced fresh mushrooms 

1⁄2 C. onion, minced 

1/2 tsp. dried thyme 

1-2 Tbsp. olive oil 

2 Tbsp. butter 

7 bone-in, chicken thighs, can use bone-in breasts

1⁄2 tsp. salt 

1⁄2 tsp. ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine rice, broth, mushrooms, onion, thyme, and butter in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover dish with lid or foil. Bake 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and brown in hot oil 3-4 minutes per side. Add chicken to rice mixture in baking dish; cover. Bake 45 minutes longer or until chicken is done and rice is tender.

Original Recipe from: Emeals

Baked Gluten Free Spaghetti Pie... Mmmmm...

Tonight was such a pretty evening. While the sun was still up, it was pretty nice out, but as the sun was setting behind the hill to the west of the house, it started to get chilly out. I had wanted some planters to put at the end of the rock walkway. I had pictured in my head what I wanted, but could not find them anywhere... Well, at least not for a price I was willing to pay. I had some old landscaping timbers lying around and decided to have some made from those. They turned out to be perfect, for what I am wanting right now.

On to supper!!!

Baked Spaghetti Pie (gluten free)
1 (8-oz) box gluten-free spaghetti 
2 tablespoons olive oil 

2 eggs, beaten 

1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

1 cup ricotta cheese (I used cottage cheese)
1 (24-oz) jar tomato pasta sauce 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; toss with oil, eggs, and Parmesan. Pour spaghetti mixture into a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate to form a crust. Spread ricotta cheese over spaghetti mixture. Top with pasta sauce, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer; cool 5 minutes.
Original recipe from: Emeals

Sausage and Apples with Bacon-Cider Cabbage

The number of days left in the school year are dwindling, but it seems to be dragging on and on. At the same time, somehow, it seems like it should NOT already be time for school to be out. I keep wondering how it is possible to already be half-way through May. I am ready, in many ways, for the school year to come to an end. But, I am also not looking forward to the summer break for various reasons. 

Being tired and worn out, this momma wanted an easy supper that didn't take much prep work. I took a recipe that I had and modified it to meet my needs.

Sausage and Apples with Bacon-Cider Cabbage

6 slices thick-cut bacon 

2 (12-oz) packages kielbasa sausage, sliced

1-1⁄2 cups apple cider 

3 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard 

3⁄4 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed 

1⁄2 tsp. salt 

1⁄2 tsp. pepper 

8 C. thinly sliced green cabbage 

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

Cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add sausage to drippings; cook 5 minutes over medium. Remove from the pan; set aside. Slowly stir apple cider into pan drippings. Stir in mustard, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Add cabbage and sausage; top with sliced apples. Cover skillet, and simmer 10 minutes or until apples are tender. Sprinkle with bacon.

The original recipe called for 3⁄4 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed, and 8 c. thinly sliced green cabbage. I omitted the caraway seeds and made it quicker and easier, by using the bagged cole slaw mix.

Original recipe from: Emeals

Chicken and Green Chili Pasta- Something Comforting For a Rainy Day!

It started raining mid-day today and I was very happy to see it raining and to hear the thunder. I love it when it rains. The only thing that I would have changed, would have been for me to be at home, curled up with my kitty, Oscar, and reading a good book. 

I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest... Isn't that where EVERYONE finds their recipes? It had my attention from the first time I read the name of it and saw a picture. It looked so creamy, and cheesy, and yummy. Tonight when I bought groceries, I decided to get the stuff to try it out. I did modify it so that it would be gluten free. Enjoy!

Chicken and Green Chili Pasta

1 lb. penne pasta
2 chicken thighs, cooked and shredded (2 cups)
1/2 C. chopped onion
2 C. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour (I used gluten free AP flour)
2 C. chicken broth
1 C. sour cream
4 oz. diced green chilies
1 tsp. cumin 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta acoording to package, drain and set aside. Spray 9X13 baking pan or casserole dish. In a mixing bowl, stir together chicken and cheese. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour to make a roux and let bubble for 1 minute. Slowly add in chicken broth and stir constantly. Let bubble and thicken for 10-15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream, green chilies, and cumin. This does not have a strong cumin flavor. If you like cumin, you could easily add another 1/2 tsp. and if you are really brave, a full teaspoon more. Stir until well combined. In 9×13 baking dish, layer pasta, chicken and cheese mixture, two times. Then pour sauce over top. Do not stir. Bake for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.
Original recipe from: JoyfulMommasKitchen

Mother's Day Blueberry Peach Cobbler! YUM!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mommas out there!! If you are a momma, I hope someone has told you "Happy Mother's Day," and done something nice for you today. If you are not a momma, make you tell you mom, or a mom-like person in your life, how special she is to you.

Yesterday, we celebrated Mother's Day with my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and grandparent-in-laws. We had a delicious lunch at Jack Stack in KC and then went hog wild at Suburban Lawn and Garden. I love that place! They have so many flowers, plants, pots, trees, fountains, etc. It is amazing!! Last year, I got all of my flowers for my front flower beds there. They have done great!! But, I was also short a few day lilies, so I picked up the ones I needed this year. I also got plants to fill my flower pots that are on the front steps and the back patio. They are all plants that are suppose to help repel mosquitos. We seem to have them really bad. Imagine that... living in the country, and having mosquitos!

The girls and I went to see my mom for a bit today. The weather was beautiful most of the day.

Supper tonight... grilled steaks, baked potato, and salad. I have been craving peach cobbler, so I decided to make a blueberry peach cobbler for dessert! YUM!

Gluten Free Blueberry Peach Cobbler

1/4 c. butter

1 c. Gluten Free Bisquick
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1-15 oz. can sliced peaches (1 c. frozen)
1 c. blueberries

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Place butter in 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch dish. Place in oven to melt the butter. Drain the juice from the peaches into a small bowl. Mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla together. Add peach juice and mix. Add bisquick and mix well. Pour the batter into hot melted butter. Drop spoonfuls of peaches and blueberries evenly onto the batter. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with vanilla ice cream or cool whip. Enjoy!

Original recipe from: ThriftyFun

Homemade Laundry Detergent... Works great and is WAY cheaper!

About a year ago, I had heard people buzzing about making their own laundry detergent. At that time, I was thinking that was too much work and it was WAY easier to just buy it at the store and be done with it. I hate doing laundry more than just about any other chore around the house. 

Well, a couple months ago, I decided to give it a try. Why not? If it didn't work, I wasn't out much and then, I would know... Well... I love it. It works so good, is super easy to make, and saves a TON of money. So, today, I was due to make another batch... The container that I store it in was E-M-P-T-Y!! 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 Bar Fels Naptha Soap-Grated
1 C. 20 MuleTeam Borax
1 C. Arm&Hammer Washing Soda-Not baking soda
3 C. Water
Canning jars with lids (I used 3 pint jars)

Place all ingredients in a dutch oven and simmer until dissolved. Be careful not to allow it to boil over. It would definite give you incentive to clean off your stove top, but it makes a horrible mess!

Evenly divide soap mixture between the jars. Fill half to 3/4 full. Top off with water and stir to combine. Let set up for 24 hours. It will separate into two layers; a thick white substance and yellow liquid. Use a butter knife to cut through the thick white layer, and pour into a blender or food processor. I used my Kitchen Aide mixer and poured all 3 pint jars into the bowl. 

Blend until smooth-like mayonnaise. Rinse out canning jars (there may be some borax crystals in the bottom), and scrape the detergent back into the canning jar. Store in your laundry room. Use one tablespoon per regular load (1/2 tablespoon for HE).

Potato, Sausage, and Cabbage Soup

Yes, I know it is 80 degrees outside today. Yes, I know that is a little warm to be having soup. But! But! But! I want soup!!! So, I am going to have soup! I searched around on Pinterest and found one that sounded quick and super easy. Just what I like!! So, I modified it to meet my desire and viola! Oh! And, it is Thursday!! Woo hooo! Only one more work day left for this week! I think I will survive...


Potato, Sausage, and Cabbage Soup

1 lb sausage or Italian sausage
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups potatoes, chopped bite-size
8 cups chicken stock or 8 cups water, plus 2 tablespoons chicken base
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pkg. cole slaw (cabbage/carrot) mix
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Cook and crumble the sausage in a large pot, over medium high heat. Add the garlic and the onions and saute until softened and fragrant. Add the potatoes, chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil for 10-15 minutes. When the potatoes are almost tender, add the cabbage and the thyme and stir. Let it soften for a minute or two before serving. Enjoy!

Original recipe from: barefeetinthekitchen

Crunchy Tortilla Ranch Chicken Thighs

Today was a long and stressful today. One of the lovely ladies that I work closely with knows me well and apparently loves me dearly (or just wants me to get fat, but we will go with the love thing). When she came in my classroom this morning, the threw a package of 12 Reese's peanut butter cups on my desk! Mmmm... peanut butter cups... Anyway, so, she must have known that I will need them to get through the next 10 1/2 days. I will admit, through out the day I ate a few... Ok, I had 3! So shoot me! Now, I have moved on to vodka and Dr. Pepper. 

Supper tonight is a recipe that I kind of threw together and "invented," based on what I had in the fridge and pantry. I worried about this turning out decent... Ok, this turned out AMAZING!!! Sooo good!! 

Crunchy Tortilla Ranch Chicken Thighs

6-8 chicken thighs

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cup tortilla chips
2-3 T melted butter or spray butter
1 package dry Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put tortilla chips in a food processor or blender and blend them up until they are broken up into pea size pieces or a little smaller. Put ground up tortilla chips, shredded Parmesan cheese, and dry Ranch dressing mix into a large ziplock bag. Coat chicken with melted butter or butter spray. Put into ziplock bag and shake to coat. Remove chicken piece and put into sprayed 9x13 pan. Repeat with other chicken thighs. Sprinkle remaining coating on top of chicken thighs. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Breakfast Quesadillas!!

So, I am not really a morning person, nor am I really a breakfast person. At least not if I am the one having to cook it. And, usually what I want for breakfast, I am not suppose to have.  I love biscuits and gravy.... YUM! Can be done gluten free, but takes some time and effort to make/find good gluten free biscuits and make the gravy, etc. Pancakes... Mmmm.... Hashbrowns... Mmmmm... Bacon and sausage... Mmmmm MMm MMMmmmmm... Hungry yet?

Ok, so the other night, I was wanting breakfast food. And, Mexican... Soo... Well... I decided to make some breakfast quesadillas. They turned out SOOOO yummy!!! Pretty easy too. This is a recipe that could easily have the ingredients swapped out for stuff that you like, or make a variety of quesadillas to please everyone!


Breakfast Quesadillas (makes approx. 6-8 quesadillas)
1/2 lb. ground sausage, browned
6+ eggs
2 c. shredded cheese
Package corn tortillas
Coconut oil

Scramble eggs in skillet or pan. Add ground sausage to scrambled eggs. In separate skillet, add approximately 2 T. coconut oil, on medium heat. Let melt oil melt. Assemble quesadillas by putting one tortilla in the skillet, add about 1/2 c. of scrambled eggs/sausage to tortilla, sprinkle on some shredded cheese, top with another tortilla. Flatten gently. When bottom tortilla is browned, flip, allow other side to brown. Remove from skillet, cook remaining quesadillas.

Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops! Sooo Good!!!

After a busy weekend, I was happy to be home last night. I think I was in bed before 9:00 or 9:30. That is NOT normal for me. I am usually crawling into bed around 10 or 10:30 during the week and even later on the weekends.  I plan on having another early meeting with my bed tonight.

Ok, so, I have been craving grilled pineapple. I LOVE grilled pineapple. It is so sweet and tasty. The grilling process seems to take away most of the acidity and also somewhat caramelize the sugars in the pineapple. It is so amazingly yummy!!!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!!

Grilled Pineapple Pork Chops

6-8 pork chops
8 oz can sliced pineapple in juice
1/3 Cup honey
1 T. prepared mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce

Prepare marinade, using pineapple juice, combine with honey, mustard, curry powder, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Mix well. Set aside about 2+ T. of marinade. Add pork chops to the marinade, and allow to sit for a minimum of 30 minutes, turning to coat. Grill chops about 4-6 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade. Add pineapple slices to grill in the last 5-10 minutes.

Original recipe: mommyimhungry