Carrots. Really. Just carrots.

I know.  I was going for main dishes here, but just feel in a vegetable kind of mood.  Carrots.  My kids love them.  Raw, steamed, and in dishes.  I used the whole "They're good for your night vision" that Snopes says is false as a back-up when they were younger, but now they just like 'em.

Microwave Carrots:

Glass dish (or for an individual portion, a coffee mug)
Carrots (yes, I grab the baby carrots that are ready to go)
Water (I hate precision - just put some water in, maybe up to half an inch)

Microwave on high for about 3 minutes or until a fork will go in with a little bit of resistance.

Drain water and (if desired) add a Tablespoon or two of butter, a Tablespoon or two of brown sugar, and a dash of salt.  Stir and microwave another 30-45 seconds.

Stovetop Carrots:

Same thing, but on a stove with a covered pan.  Did you really think it would be much different?  LOL

Cheers ~
Cheryl

Crockpot Italian Chicken

I am not good at making up titles, but this is a dish I made recently that was a big hit with my family.  It was thrown together in my crockpot out of a desperate need to create dinner on a day I wasn't feeling well.  We are big on one-dish meals around here, combining our protein, vegetable, and starch (almost always whole grain).  One daughter is not a fan of green vegetables, so she begged off her broccoli and had carrots instead.  Substitute out whatever you like or have on hand.

Frozen chicken tenders
1 can spaghetti sauce
Frozen mixed vegetables
Pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
Parmesan cheese

In crock pot, add enough pieces of chicken for your family.  Cover with spaghetti sauce.  Cook on low 3-4 hours.  Steam vegetables, cook pasta, and add both to chicken and sauce mixture.  Stir well.  Top with parmesan cheese and allow cheese to melt, then serve.

Cheers~
Cheryl

Beef Stroganoff

Disclaimer:  I have made beef stroganoff exactly two times in my adult life.  Why?  I hate mushrooms, including cream of mushroom soup, and without fungi mushrooms, you don't have stroganoff, you just have a noodle dish.  Disclaimer aside, this is a fast budget recipe that most people enjoy.  (And if you're a shroom hater like me, use cream of celery soup.)

1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Egg noodles or rice

Brown ground beef with onion.  Drain grease.  Add cream of mushroom soup and ½ soup can of water.  Heat until hot and bubbly.  Add cooked pasta, or serve over rice.

Cheers ~
Cheryl

Broccoli Cheese Soup

A two month lapse?  Inexcusable.  I won't make excuses to those of you who don't read my blog and haven't noticed.  LOL  Life's been busy.  As I said earlier, I created this blog to give my girls (especially the two who live out of the house and will both be married this year) some good, basic, EASY (and usually CHEAP) recipes to start them off with.

It's winter and I've been cold since November.  I'm craving creamy, rich comfort foods.  Last week daughter #2 brought me broccoli cheese soup in a bread bowl from Panera.  I'm 46 and I have to admit that this was my first bread bowl.  No, I'm not one of those people who goes to Pismo and has to go to Splash Cafe for a clam chowder (yuck) bread bowl.  And, being on a diet, creamy soups in bread bowls aren't very friendly for the scale, but it was yummy anyway.  My version of the soup was almost as good as Panera's, a whole lot cheaper, and ready in about 20 minutes.

Frozen broccoli (3-4 cups)
Grated cheddar cheese (1/2 cup)
Milk (1 cup)
Butter (2 Tbsp)
Flour (2 Tbsp)

Steam broccoli in small amount of water in microwave or on stove.  Set aside and chop finely.  In medium size pan, melt butter over medium high heat, stirring constantly.  Add flour and continue to stir, making a roux ("roo"...because I know my girls would find a way to pronounce the "X"!).  Add milk slowly and continue to stir.  Turn heat down to medium and add broccoli, stirring often so soup does not scorch.  If you prefer soup more smooth, use a Braun immersion mixer to cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cheers~
Cheryl