Search Results for: 365 easy recipes

365 Easy Recipes

Food
February 12, 2015

Have you seen the movie Julie and Julia? The movie is based on two true stories; one about Julia Childs, and the other about a blogger Julie Powell. I remember watching this movie when it first came out in 2011. We watched it again the other night. What a delightful movie.

I must say I was inspired as a blogger. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be Julia Childs, or even learn French cooking. I just think it was cool the way Julie decided to got through Julia Childs’ cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 365 days, and I think it was 400 and some odd number of recipes.

Here is where the inspiration took me: I like to cook. I do! I just don’t cook a lot anymore, now that I am busier with work, and now that the kids are adults and are in and out and not always home for dinner. I am also a collector of cookbooks. Well, I’m a collector of all books, but I do have a collection of cookbooks gathering dust on our shelves. So here’s the deal; I am going to start cooking again! (Can you hear the sound of my family profusely applauding in the background?) I am going to dust off those old cookbooks and Taste of Home Magazines that are piled by my desk, and start cooking again!

Here’s the thing, I’m not just going to start cooking again but cooking and providing you with these easy to make, tasty (hopefully) recipes that I will be whipping up for the next 365 days. Does it sound like I bit off more than I can chew (pun kind of intended)? Maybe.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

There is a disclaimer I feel I need to make. I’m a wing-it kind of cook. I don’t always follow every recipe to the T. I sometimes leave things out if I’m not a fan. And…AND, sometimes the things I cook, well they flop. Usually they are still edible, but just not that great to look at.

So I think every one is in for a treat, but like I said before, we’ll just have to wait and see.

365 Easy Recipes coming soon!

Easy Lasagna

Food
April 13, 2015

I haven’t posted my 365 easy recipes here for awhile. I have one today; Easy Lasagna. I’m not saying I will be able to post one every day just yet but I made it on this day.

I have been making this Easy Lasagna dish for more years than I can remember. We received a cookbook with the purchase of our first microwave ever. This recipe came from that cookbook. I have made a few modifications over the years. I actually turned it into a conventional oven recipe. I didn’t like the way the microwave recipe turned out but I liked how it tasted, so I had to make the change, right?

I made this recipe again just the other day. I don’t make it often and when I do I usually anticipate having enough for another meal. This time…WRONG! My boys, those man-children that live in the house, had a friend over to watch the NCAA championship game and they almost finished it off. There were three pieces left, only enough for someone’s lunch. I didn’t even get anything more than a bite or two! The life of a mom, I guess.

Here is the recipe!

EASY LASAGNA

1 (6 oz) can tomato juice

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon oregano

2 teaspoons basil

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb sausage

1/2 lb lasagna noodles

2 cups ricotta cheese

2 pkg (6 oz) mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown beef and sausage in a skillet. Drain. In a large bowl mix together tomato products, seasonings, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in cooked and drained meats.

Spread 1/3 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a greased 12 x 2 inch dish. Place a layer of noodles over the sauce; top with ricotta cheese; then mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350º for 30-45 minutes.

Place remaining mozzarella on top and let stand until cheese melts.

My alterations:

I don’t use onions. I use onion powder instead. If I don’t have garlic gloves on hand I use garlic powder. The rest remains the same!

I serve with a salad and bread.

Things Change

children
March 6, 2016

As I mentioned in Missing Jan, I am helping my youngest son raise funds for his internship and then two year staff member stint for Josiah Venture. He leaves for his internship in Europe in May.

Things change.

And they’re starting to change now.

Last night I received a text from my oldest son who still lives at home while working two jobs to put himself through school. He got a job offer which will require a move out of state. Okay, so the state is just across the river, but the point is: things are changing and doing so soon. He will move when he graduates in May.

These are good things. These things are supposed to happen…but wow…they are happening now…

When I texted a friend to tell her about this newest development in my mothering journey, she texted this: ” Wow! Excited? Scared? Sad?” I texted back: “Yes”.

She’s been there so she knows…

It’s the end of an era…again. No more wall-to-wall sports on television on the weekends. No more boys hanging at my house, eating my food…calling me “Adopted Mom” or “Mama Lyons”, no more late nights; sleeping but listening for the front door to open…no more preparing food for the troops.

I’m not the first mother who has ever experienced her chicks leaving the nest, and I won’t be the last. I’m just the mother who is experiencing it now…for the first time…with MY chicks…

Am I happy for them? Yes, yes I am!

Will I miss them? You bet I will!

This is life, happening the way it is supposed to happen.

I try to combat these overwhelming waves of emotions with reasoning. I talk to moms who have been through it before. We kick around the positives. We come up with all the pros these changes will bring. We look at all the negative things others are experiencing with their kids, but here’s the deal…those are all true, those things we came up with. Life could be worse. This is normal. This is good. This is positive…but…BUT…those are head things and this…well, this is definitely a heart thing.

I can deal with the intellect by reasoning, but I have to deal with the emotions with my heart and the tears that follow.

My boys are moving and life is changing again…just the way it is supposed to. They will grow. I will grow too.

There’s not much more to say.

Things change.

Life happens.

And that’s just what I’m experiencing now…again.

Kentucky Derby and Pie

Food
May 2, 2015

Today is the Kentucky Derby. Events have been leading up to this day for the past three weeks. It is always a special time here in the Bluegrass. It lets you know that summer is truly coming, it’s time to plant the garden and prepare for the numerous outdoor projects that are on your to-do list but for today, I give you Kentucky Derby and pie.

There is something magical that happens when you mix chocolate and bourbon. That taste…

I’ve published this Derby Pie-My Version post before, but I made one again today (it’s the spring-like weather we’re having) and I wanted to include it in my 365 easy recipes challenge.

This Derby Pie-My Version is definitely easy to make. Derby Pie is a trademark by Kern’s Kitchen.

Derby Pie-My Version

1/2 cup butter melted and cooled

2 eggs

1cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups pecans

2Tbls. bourbon

Cool Whip (optional)

Beat eggs with butter. Add flour and sugar. Beat until mixed. Stir in chocolate chips, pecans and bourbon. Pour into a frozen pie shell. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Cool. Top with Cool Whip when serving.

My alterations to Derby Pie-My Version :): I don’t cool the butter. Sue me. I don’t add all the chocolate chips or pecans. Maybe half, and I only use 1 tablespoon of bourbon. The lesser amounts of chips and pecans makes for a gooier pie. However you choose to make it, this pie doesn’t last long!

Sunny Vegetable Salad

Food
April 24, 2015

When I was a kid I hated vegetables. There, I said it out loud. I did. I was probably not that much out of the ordinary, but I existed on meat, bread and potatoes. Oh yeah, and sugar. Did I mention sugar? It’s a wonder I’m still alive.

But today, as an adult women who has lived the better part of half of her life, I am here to tell you…I like veggies. All kinds of veggies. Raw veggies, cooked veggies, common veggies, and some that are not so common. So there is hope for that picky little eater who sits at the dining room table with you. Hold that thought close.

Today, for my 365 easy recipes, is a vegetable salad. It’s one of my favorites because of the sweet and salty taste, and it is easy to make. I have taken this sunny vegetable salad to many occasions. I am often asked if I will share the recipe. I am sharing the recipe today with you.

Sunny Vegetable Salad

5 cups broccoli florets

5 cups cauliflowerets (is that even a word?)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup mayonaise

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cider or red wine vinegar

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

In a large salad bowl, toss broccoli, cauliflower, cheese, onion and reaisins. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Sprinkle with the bacon and sunflower seeds before serving.

And there you have it, easy peasy. This vegetable salad really is easy to assemble and a tasty side dish to any meal.

As always, I have altered the recipe to fit the tastes of well…me!

I omitted the chopped onion and the raisins. I’m not a fan of raisins. I like the crunchyness of the veggies and the chewyness of the bacon. No raisins needed. But hey, don’t let me stop you. Put the raisins in if you want.

Happy eating!

Slow-Cooker Enchiladas

Food
April 22, 2015

I’m back with another recipe for my 365 easy recipes. Today I am sharing Slow-Cooker Enchiladas. Here’s the deal, I’m not really reaching my 365 easy recipe goal, unless, of course, I just post 356 easy recipes but not every day. That just made sense, right?

Whatever it is I am doing, I have recipes to share. And this is another favorite that I have made on several occasions. I must admit, however, I’m not sure the recipe was aptly named. It seems more like a burrito to me, but I’ll let you be the judge.

On with the recipe!

SLOW-COOKER ENCHILADAS

1 pound ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (16 oz) pinto or kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 flour tortillas (6 or 7 inches)

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and pepper until beef is browned and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the next 8 ingredients; bringing to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Combine cheeses. In a 5-qt. slow-cooker, layer about 3/4 cup beef mixture, one tortilla and about 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers. cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until heated through.

As usual, I made a few adjustments to the recipe. As funny as this may sound, I didn’t have time for the crock pot. I know, I know, crock pots are time-savers, right? Well, I didn’t get the dish assembled early enough to let it cook in the slow-cooker. Kind of defeats the purpose, I know. But, I decided to adapt it to a skillet-type dish, and BAM, it worked just fine!

There were a few leftovers, but not because it didn’t taste yummy! I added a salad and the meal was complete.

The adjustments I made:

I NEVER use onions in anything I make, just onion powder. I do, however, use green onions when the recipe calls for them. Don’t ask me why. I’m just funny like that.

I did not have diced tomatoes or green chilies. I instead used tomato sauce and a little bit of taco sauce. I didn’t have any cumin. No harm, no foul. And lastly, I always have a variety of shredded cheeses on hand. I use whatever I have.

It really is an easy and tasty meal, no matter how you decide to cook it!

Shrimp Scampi

Food
March 19, 2015

Shrimp Scampi is my chosen dish for my 365 easy recipes today. As you may have noticed, I’ve been missing in action. I have been on a learning curve with my new position, and we are experiencing internet issues which doesn’t help AT ALL! Hopefully all will be resolved in that area tomorrow.

On with the recipe!

365 easy recipes, Louisville Food Blogger, foodie, dinner, shrimp

Shrimp Scampi

3 to 4 garlic gloves, minced

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup olive oil

1 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1regano

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Hot cooked angel hair pasta

In a 10-in. oven[proof skillet, sauté garlic in butter and olive until tender. Stir in the shrimp, lemon juice, pepper and oregano; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and parsley. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 2-3 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Serve over pasta.

Here are the changes I made. I always make changes, it seems. Even when I don’t plan on it!

I forgot to buy garlic gloves so I used garlic powder. I think the gloves would have been way better, just saying. I also didn’t have any lemon juice but I had lime so I used it instead. Again, I think it may have altered the taste considerably but it was pretty good anyway. I think I might want to try it the correct way next time. 🙂 I added a salad and we were good to go!

No-Bake Cereal Bars

Food
March 11, 2015

I have a confession to make…I love chocolate. I wish I didn’t oftentimes, but I do. So whenever I make dessert it usually includes some type of chocolate. I also love to bake, however, when I’m running short on time, a no-bake kind of dessert is a great go-to choice.

I am doing a 365 easy recipes challenge and this recipe for No-Bake Cereal Bars fits the bill to a tee. Plus, it’s made with cereal, so it’s health food, right? One of the great things about this recipe is that I usually have most of the ingredients in the pantry.

No-Bake Cereal Bars

6 cups Special K

1-1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Place cereal in a large heatproof bowl; set aside. In a saucepan, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup and sugar. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour over cereal and stir until well coated.

Spread into a greased 13-in. x 2-in. pan. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips; stir until smooth. Spread over bars. Cool completely before cutting.

This recipe is so simple one would think I didn’t have enough things to mess with, right? WRONG! I did. Not much but I definitely did.

I didn’t have any Special K cereal but I did have corn flakes left over from Hash Brown Pork Casserole so that’s what I used! And…AND I didn’t have one cup of corn syrup on hand either so I cut the recipe in half and botta bing, botta boom we have a dessert that fits in nicely with my 365 easy recipes challenge.

Chili Spaghetti

Food
March 10, 2015

I tried a recipe; Chili Spaghetti, that I’ve been intending to make for years. This recipe is a part of my 365 easy recipes event. This recipe came from Taste of Home’s 2000 Annual Recipe Cookbook. I have always loved their magazine and often purchase the cookbooks for the year. I’ve made many a dish form their publications.

My family liked this dish and it was big enough that we will have leftovers, which means, at my house anyway, the boys (ages 18 and 22) will eat it for lunch, snack or any ole time!

Chili Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups tomato juice

1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

6 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2-qt baking dish; stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover an bake at 350º for 65-70 minutes or until spaghetti is just tender. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Here are my alterations: I don’t use onions, EVER! Actually, I do cook with onions occasionally. I put slices on top of my meatloaf along with green peppers, and in my spaghetti sauce, which is an old recipe that my mom used when I was growing up.

I didn’t have any kidney beans so I used black beans instead. I also didn’t really have time to bake the dish for an hour or longer so I cooked the spaghetti in boiling water until it was done to an el dente state, and I baked for about an hour. Other than that, I think I left the recipe in tact. I have mentioned before that I never follow a recipe verbatim, right? That’s just the way I roll!

Appetizer Meatballs

Food
March 9, 2015

I am cooking again! Well, actually I’ve been cooking all along, but I’m posting the recipes again. I wanted to share these meatballs as a part of my 365 easy recipes. They really are easy and better than the frozen ones you buy at the store!

These delicious Appetizer Meatballs are quite tasty and I’ve been making them for years. Contrary to the name of this dish; Appetizer Meatballs, I use them as an entrée. They are always a hit, however you choose to serve them!

Appetizer Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

365 easy recipes, Louisville Food Blogger, foodie, dinner, meatballs

Sauce:

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/8 pepper

Combine the first seven ingredients; mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. In a skillet over medium heat, brown meatballs; drain Place in a 1-1/2 quart baking dish. Combine sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Bake, uncovered, at 350º for 50-60 minutes or until meatballs are done.

Of course, I made a few changes. There are always changes! I don’t particularly like the texture of onions but I do like the taste, so I omit the actual onion and use onion powder instead. I never add salt or pepper to any recipe. This time, instead of browning the meatballs in a skillet, I put them in the over at 400º for approximately 20 minutes. As far as the sauce goes, I found that more is needed. I don’t double the recipe, but instead add another half recipe to the one listed above. I hope that makes sense

I always serve these Appetizer Meatballs with mashed potatoes and either corn or green beans.

Search Results for: 365 easy recipes

EASY LASAGNA

Derby Pie-My Version

Sunny Vegetable Salad

SLOW-COOKER ENCHILADAS

Shrimp Scampi

No-Bake Cereal Bars

Chili Spaghetti

I am cooking again! Well, actually I’ve been cooking all along, but I’m posting the recipes again. I wanted to share these meatballs as a part of my 365 easy recipes. They really are easy and better than the frozen ones you buy at the store!

These delicious Appetizer Meatballs are quite tasty and I’ve been making them for years. Contrary to the name of this dish; Appetizer Meatballs, I use them as an entrée. They are always a hit, however you choose to serve them!

Appetizer Meatballs

Sauce:

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