I Give Up

Obviously my brilliant idea hasn't worked out like I hoped. Seriously though, working 35 hours a week (and spending 1.5 hours/day playing in traffic), wrangling a toddler, cleaning the house (sorta), giving the hubby some attention (occasionally), and keeping up with 2 dogs... Among a million other things I've got going on... I just can't seem to manage finding time to take pics of the food I'm cooking AND get them posted, along with instructions, here.
I think what I'm saying is... I quit. :( I may be back, and I'm gonna leave this blog up a little longer just in case anyone actually wants some of the recipes, but I think this is the end.
Goodnight & farewell.

Hobo Packs on the Grill

12 Simple Ingredients:

3 small/medium Squash (zucchini if you prefer) (diced)

A heaping handful (or 2) of cherry or grape tomatoes (cut in half)
A handful of grapes (cut in half)
3 ears of corn (cut in 4 pieces)
1 onion (large dice)
1 bell pepper (large dice)
1 meatless patty and/or 1 boneless chicken breast

Olive Oil (a dash)

Seasoned Salt
Italian Seasoning and/or Chili Powder
(Salt & Pepper to taste)
(This will easily feed 2 adults, a picky toddler, and still provide left-overs for lunch the next day!)

Prepping the Goodies:
(You will probably just want to stick with one version, unless you're an over-achiever like me. ha!)
Combine squash, tomatoes, grapes, corn, onion, & bell pepper in a bowl.
Add about 2 tbsp olive oil.

Add 1 tbsp of seasoned salt.
Add 1 tbsp of either Italian seasoning, or chili powder.

Add salt & pepper to your liking.
Combine well.

Meanwhile, place the chicken (if you're using chicken) in a Ziploc bag & pound it with a meat mallet, rolling pin, spoon, your hand... Whatever you got! (The Ziploc will keep the juice & bits o' meat from flying all over your kitchen. Feel free not to use it, I just prefer a salmonella-free home. lol) I prefer *really* thin meat. It cooks faster & seems to absorb flavor better. And, when I say that I prefer really thin meat, I of course mean that I prefer to serve it really thin, I'm not eating the stuff. ;)

Making the Packs:
Cut 2 longish pieces of aluminum foil. (Or, if you're doing 2 meals, like I did, cut 4 pieces.)
Lay 1 piece of the foil out on the counter.
Pile the veggie mixture on the foil, spreading it out a bit.
Place the meat on top of the veggies.

Take the 2nd piece of foil & lay it on top of the mixture.
Fold the edges on all 4 sides up really well. Make sure there is no place for steam to escape!
Now, On To the Cooking!:
Place the packs on the grill, over medium-high heat.
Cook for about 40 minutes - no peeking or you lose your steam!
(You can cook it in the oven if a grill isn't available. My guess would be 35 min at 350*.)

How to Eat:
You can serve it straight out of the pack. (Great for outdoor parties or camping!)
Or, you can be a bit fancier & serve it on a plate, like I did. ('Cause I'm REAL fancy.)
Serve it with some bread that you butter & grill... Yumm-o!

Luke's response? Heck, I made this like a month ago, I don't remember. (Yes, I know, I've been busy. Toddler people - toddler. -and if you've never had one, then no, that word doesn't mean anything to you.) I want to say he actually skipped the BBQ sauce this night though - that says A LOT. I remember the chicken was soooo moist, it was just falling apart. Steam really is a great thing. I really think fish is the best meat for hobo packs, but there's not a lot of fish eating in my house.

Meat-lover Variation:

Um, what? You got meat this time. Duh. ;) Really though, if you like fish, this is the perfect kind of recipe for it!

2 more dinners...

Coming soon. I promise. I know, it's been waaaay too long. I suck. Get over it. ;)

Mexican Lasagna

One of the staples in our house. This is sooooo easy & very yummy!

6 Simple Ingredients:
Rice (any kind you like. You can even use 90 Second Rice or another pre-flavored kind, just skip the canned tomatoes then!) Make 4 servings' worth.
Mexican Stewed Tomatoes
Corn Tortillas (white or yellow will work the same) Don't know how many, just keep the bag handy!
Enchilada Sauce (I prefer Old El Paso Medium or Mild) 1 can
Refried Beans (you can make your own if you have the time) 1 can
Shredded Cheese (cheddar, Mexican mix, or whatever floats your boat) 2 cups (more if you like)

Prepping the Goodies:
Start the rice cooking (according to the directions on the package). *Use the liquid from the tomatoes as part of the water you use to cook the rice!*
Meanwhile, throw the tomatoes in either a blender or food processor & chop 'em up.

Once the rice is finished cooking completely (after it has set), add the tomatoes.
Now, start layering the lasagna:
Spray the bottom of the dish you're using.
Spread tortillas to completely cover the bottom.

Then spread all of the beans on.
Cover in 1/3 of the enchilada sauce.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese.

Cover all that with another layer of tortillas.
Then all the rice.
Then 1/3 of the enchilada sauce.
Then 1/3 of the cheese.

For the last layer...
Spread more tortillas out.
Then pour on the remaining enchilada sauce.
Then cover with the last of the cheese.
Now, on to the Cooking!:
Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. That's it. Easy, huh?
How to Eat:
Really, you need sour cream. Guacamole & some pico would be a great addition too. But, if you're like me, you're throwing this together 'cause it's what you have left when you're realllly needing to make a run to the grocery store but keep putting it off. ;) I promise, it's yummy without the extras, but it's beyond yummy with them. We did at least add a beer for him & a Parrot Bay something-or-other for me. 'Cause what's good Mexican food without alcohol?
Luke always love this. Even when I switch the recipe up & don't think it's as good as usual, he loves it. It's cheese & beans & spicy rice - what's not to love?
Meat-lover Variation:
Brown some ground beef (or turkey, or chicken) & add some taco seasoning. Then mix the beans in with the meat & use that as the first layer.

Easy Spicy Grilled Dinner

I'm baaaaaack. At least for now. ;) Here's a quick, easy, flavorful dinner idea for you.

13 Simple Ingredients:
Olive Oil (as needed)
Lime Juice
Garlic Salt
Cayenne Pepper (optional - not recommended for kiddos)
Chili Pepper
Paprika
4 tbsp Butter

Chicken breasts (or other parts) - 1 portion per diner
2 Ears of Corn on the Cob (halved & cooked in boiling water for about 8 min)
2 Squash (cut in equally thick pieces, long ways)
1 Zucchini (cut in equally thick pieces, long ways)

1/4 Large Red Onion (cut in equally thick pieces)
Flat Bread (1/2 piece per person)

Prepping the Goodies:
Marinate the chicken over night in a mix of chicken broth & lime juice. If you're like me & decide to make this at the last minute, splash 2 tbsp of lime juice on the chicken & defrost it in the microwave. :)
Then beat the crap out of it. Okay, let's just say - flatten it out pretty well, being careful not to tear it into a million pieces.
Now, sprinkle both sides of the chicken with garlic salt (LOTS of it!), cayenne (Go easy on it, I've seen bad things happen with ppl & too much cayenne - think hospital trip. Seriously.), chili powder, and paprika.
Brush the veggies all with enough olive oil to keep 'em from sticking.

For the butter:
(You will need to make more if you're serving more than 4 people.)
Soften (NOT melt), 4 tbsp of butter.
Add 1/2 tsp lemon juice,
1/2 tsp garlic salt,
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 paprika
(Throw in a pinch of cayenne for heat if you want to.)
Mix all of that up really well.

Now, on to the Cooking!
Now, put it ALL on the grill. It will all stay there on medium heat for about 20 min. Be sure to turn it after about 10 min.

(Once everything is cooked, throw the flat bread on the grill for a few minutes to warm it up.)

How to eat:
Cut the squash, zucchini, & onion into bite sized chunks.
Throw them in a serving bowl.
Add 1/2 of the butter mixture.
Stir.

Take remaining butter & spread on corn & 1 side of each piece of flatbread.
I added a dollop of sour cream for the chicken 'cause... well, why not?

Luke's response: it's pretty good. When asked if I could make it again ('cause it's SO easy) he said yes. That's a good sign from a man that wants BBQ sauce on all chicken. haha!
My thoughts? The veggies are wonderful! I didn't add cayenne to the butter 'cause I really hoped the kiddo would eat some. He didn't & I would've liked more spicy flavor on the corn personally. (The veggie mix was fine 'cause the onions added a kick.)

Meat-lover Variation:
You have got to be kidding me. That's more than enough meat for anyone! ;) But, some crumbled bacon would add a good dimension to the veggie mix.

Veggie Lasagna

My intentions were good... But man it's hard to find time to update this blog in between working & having a toddler to chase around! Anyway... I'm finally back on to share a veggie lasagna recipe with you. It's easier than you think!

15 Simple Ingredients:
1 egg (not pictured, lol) beaten
1 small tub of Ricotta
1 salad dressing seasoning packet (I used Good Seasons Garlic & Herb)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion - chopped fairly fine

1 green bell pepper - chopped fairly fine

1 orange bell pepper - chopped fairly fine

2 zucchini - cut in half, then sliced
2 squash - cut in half, then sliced
1.5 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp dry basil
1 jar of tomato sauce (I chose Prego)

1 package of lasagna noodles (or make your own if you have the time)
8 oz mozzarella

Prepping the Goodies:
1st - mix the ricotta, egg, & salad dressing mix together & set aside.

Next, add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat.
Once it is warmed up, add the onion & bell peppers.

Cook until the onions start to get clear (but not totally clear yet!).
Then add the squash & zucchini.
Add the oregano, basil, & garlic at this point also.

Once the squash & zucchini start to get "done" (kinda squishy like), add the jar of tomato sauce.

Let the veggie/sauce simmer about 10 minutes on low.

Spray your dish w/cooking spray (or rub w/oil).
Pour 1/3 of the veggie/sauce in the pan.
Top with 1/3 of the noodles.
Add 1/3 of the ricotta & about 1/4 of the mozzarella.
Pour 1/3 of the veggie/sauce next.
Top with 1/3 of the noodles again.

Add 1/3 of the ricotta & about 1/4 of the mozzarella.

Next, add another layer of noodles.
Then the remaining ricotta.
Next, the last of the veggie/sauce.
And top off with all the remaining mozzarella.

Now, on to the Cooking!:
Cover with foil & bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
Take the foil off & bake an additional 20 minutes, until the cheese is nice & bubbly.

How to eat:
Just dig in! :)

The response? "It's okay." I think most ppl feel lasagna "has" to have meat in it, so Luke wasn't head-over-heels about it. I think it was pretty dang yummy! If I had artichokes to add to it, I would've - that would've been sooooo good.

Meat-lover Variation:
Brown some ground beef or sausage, then add the bell peppers & onions & follow along from there. You probably want to skip the squash & zucchini though, that would just be weird. ;)

Yummy Burrito Casserole

I was searching for a recipe that was "different" and came across something close to this. It was different for sure, and wonderfully yummy!

8 Simple Ingredients:
1 cup Bisquick
1/4 cup water
1 can refried beans
1# ground beef or ground beef alternative - browned
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup cheddar - shredded
Tomatoes (as desired) - chopped
Onions (as desired) - chopped
((Jalapenos if desired also))

Prepping the Goodies:
Mix the Bisquick, water, & refried beans together thoroughly.

Then, spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a casserole dish or pie pan that has been coated w/oil or cooking spray.

Next, evenly spread the ground beef (or alternative) on top.

Add the salsa on top of that.

And, finally, the cheese on the very top!

Now, on to the Cooking!:
Bake for 30 minutes @ 375 degrees.

How to Eat:
Top with the tomato & onion (& jalapenos if you want 'em).
Open mouth, insert yumminess! ;)


Luke's response: this is GOOD! When I asked if it were better than our stand-by Mexican casserole (I'll add that one soon), he said YES! My opinion? OMGosh it's amazing! If you added some guacamole and sour cream I'd be in heaven. So, so, so simple, yet so, so, so yummy!

Meat-lover Variation:
Hey, I did a ground beef version for you guys. You couldn't need MORE meat, could you? It would be pretty good w/chicken if you prefer though.

Beanie Burgers

Or, I suppose you could make them beanie weenies. haha Yummy alternative to ground beef burgers... Here we go!

9 Simple Ingredients:
2 tbsp Basil (I like the paste stuff!)
1 tbsp garlic (I like the pre-minced stuff so my hands don't get stinky.)
1 can of kidney beans - rinsed & drained
1 cup of bread crumbs
1/2 cup of walnuts - chopped pretty finely
1 cup black olives - chopped
1/4 yellow or white onion - chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

4 hamburger buns
(And, of course, any fixins' you want!)

Prepping the Goodies:
In a food processor, add the basil, garlic, kidney beans, 1/2 of the bread crumbs, walnuts, olives, & onion & combine until all ingredients are chopped & blended & they begin to stick together really well.

Then form 4 equal patties, that should be about 1/2" thick. Rub olive oil over both sides & coat both sides with remaining bread crumbs.

Now, on to the Cooking!:
Cover grill with foil. Make sure you poke holes in the foil to allow the heat to escape (spraying the foil would be helpful too - just do it before turning the flame on please!).
Cook the patties over medium heat.
Grills are all a bit different, so I'll say you need to cook it about 5-8 minutes per side.
You'll have to just watch it, and make sure it's firming up, but not burning.
I prefer to cook with the cover closed. I'm no grilling expert though.

Here's what you'll have when the patties are done:

How to it eat:
Like any other burger. :) I made a basil/garlic mayo by mixing 2 tbsp mayo with 1 tsp basil paste, 1/2 tsp garlic, and 1/4 tsp dry mustard. We had grilled broccoli & mac-n-cheese with our burgers. Yummm!Luke's response was: pretty good. I'm sure he would've preferred something more spicy on there, and I should've thought to add cheese to his (I'm not a cheeseburger eater).



Meat-lover variation:
Throw some bacon on there if you must.

No Yeast Pizza

You know those days where you are just really wanting pizza? (Come on, we all have those days!) Well, I was having one. I wasn't in the mood to waste money on pizza delivery, but I had no yeast. What's a girl to do? Make some dough w/out the yeast of course. This pizza had a second benefit to our family that I didn't think of 'til it was time to eat... A baby lacking in the teeth department can eat this pizza 'cause it crumbles up in their mouth. Yay!

8 Simple Ingredients (for crust):
2c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
2/3 c milk
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp olive oil
Prepping the Goodies:
Sooooooo easy!
Throw all the ingredients into a food processor until combined. (Or, you can stir it all up w/some old fashioned elbow grease if you don't have a food processor.)
Knead a little until the dough is well combined. Don't over do the mixing r kneading or your doguh is gonna be realy tough!
Form (or roll ) into 1 large pizza or 2 small pizzas. (I used a dinner plate as my guide, see below.)

Now, on to the cooking!:
Spray the pan with cooking spray.
I chose to sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan also, but it's not necessary.
Rub a very small amount of olive oil on the top of the dough.
Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.
Making the crust a PIZZA:
Add the toppings of your choice.
(I did one ricotta, spinach, and tomato & the other tomato sauce & cheese.)
Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until the toppings look "done" to your satisfaction.

How to eat it:
Well, duh, it's pizza. Eat it as is, or add ranch or Tabasco or whatever it is that you add to pizza.

Not as good (IMHO) as the yeasty dough, but if you're craving some pizza & don't have yeast, or don't have the time for to make "real" dough, this fills in wonderfully!

Meat-lover variation:
Use meaty toppings. :)