What's For Dinner {Just Ideas}

I want to grill so badly.

One small glitch....

We don't have a grill!!!!

But if we did....I would so have this rigged up for my husband.

We have a huge @$$ deck and no grill.

I am baffled.

Oh well.

This week was rough on figuring what to eat for dinner.  I asked the six year old daughter and her response was meatball subs and hot dogs (nope).  I asked the hubby and he was about some chowder and roast beef sandwiches.  I asked myself and thought Rice Krispies!

Yeah, I'm in my cereal addiction phase.  It hits me once a year.

So here's what we'll be eating around here this week:

Corn & Crab Chowder

Roast Beef Sandwiches (soooo easy)

Roasted Chicken Thighs & Vegetables

Pineapple Pork Chops & Rice

Our sweet treat:

Brownies (Fitting!)

What's For Dinner?

With the Super Bowl around the corner, NASCAR revving up in late February, and the boys of summer coming out of hibernation I figured I should share a brat recipe.

Yummy, fat hot dogs.  The pictures are bad because I'm using my stupid phone.

This is easy...

You need:

1 package of Hillshire Farms Brats (you pick your flavor, I go regular)

1 can of tomato sauce

1/2 a beer of your choice (dark is best)

1 - 2 onions diced 

1 - 2 green bell peppers

1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning

S&P to taste

On the stove top heat up a fairly large pan to medium heat, drop in a tablespoon or two of butter and sautee your onions and peppers.  This takes about five minutes.

Next throw your brats n beer in for about five minutes.

Next throw in your tomato sauce, seasonings, and S&P

Cover, reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes.

Serve it up....eat it up....oh my delicious!

***If you do not want to use beer just use some  1/4c water***

Happy eating!

What's For Dinner?

What are we eating on this week?  Hmm, good question.  Lets see what I've scoured the web and found.

1.  So as I was searching I learned that October 12th is National Gumbo Day.  Well shut my mouth!  My husband was saying a few weeks ago he wanted some gumbo and hey I love the stuff too so why not fix some....in the crock pot!

I found {this recipe} on a radio station website out of Houston, Texas.  Sounds pretty dang good ya'll.

Here's the pic that goes with it  --------->





2.  Next up is a soup.  Of course I have to have soup and you know this.  This soup is a new one to make in my kitchen and will hopefully be my fix when I am jonesin' for some TexMex food!  The link is to a pin, do not click the pin to go to a website because Pinterest says its a fishy site.  Instead read the directions written on the pin.  Oh yeah its for the crock pot too!  Ok 1, 2, 3 click this {link} to Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Here's the visual:




3.  Now I'm throwing you for a curve ball.  Here's a crock pot dish that you can have for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.  I like the ingredients and love the fact that it is versatile.  Ham & Brie Bread Pudding here's the {link}!









4.  Last up this week is an All American favorite that I have not made in years...and years....and years.  Pigs in a Blanket!  How much fun were those when you were a little kid (or in college)?  Tons!  I plan on serving them up with some cooked cabbage....yummy!

Whats for dinner?

Well guys and gals here's what I made last week and here are my thoughts -

Pizetti - I'm not making that again.

Crock Pot BBQ Chicken - Delicious as always!

Potato Soup - I think I have it on the agenda in a week or two to do again.  We LOVE that stuff!

So what is up for the upcoming week?  Here are a few dishes on my list!

1.  Did any of you check out that link to the blog {Making Our Marx}?  Oh man that post was loaded with great crock pot ideas.  Lately, I have been leaning on my crock pot like a person with a wrapped ankle!  I went back to their site today and decided to try another recipe they had up.  I mean that chicken was divine last week!  So here's what I picked:

Making Our Marx Photo - look for this when you click the link above and you'll see the recipe below it!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo!  Easy and we love some alfredo over here!

2.  Soup!  You know I love some soup and my most favorite must be....hmm, well that's a hard question!  One of my top faves is most definitely broccoli cheese soup.  Everyone has their own recipe for this classic winner.  I just yummed up on this one on {Yummly}!

Photo from Yummly.com - ready for a bowl of that!

3.  Southwest Chicken Calzones are the answer to my Tex Mex food this week.  I stumbled upon this recipe on a great blog called Mom On Time Out (love that name!)

4.  A classic - meat loaf.

My husband loves meatloaf and he loves it to have a sweet sauce over it.  I use a recipe from an old cookbook I have from our local Cooperative Extension Service.  I should have it memorized and maybe I do ....?

1 1/2 lbs of ground meat (beef or poultry)

1 can of tomato sauce + 1 can of water

5 tablespoons of ketchup

S&P as desired

12 saltines crushed

1 egg

1/2 cup of light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

As always take your meat and place it in a bowl, add in your crushed crackers, egg, S&P to taste - mash it all together with your hands.  Place it in a loaf pan (ungreased).

On the stove top combine your tomato sauce, water, ketchup, and light brown sugar stir and bring to a rolling boil. let it boil for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.

Poke some holes in the top of your meatloaf and drizzle all but one cup of the mixture over your meatloaf.  Reserve the rest of your liquid for after the loaf is baked.

Bake for 1 hour and five minutes.  When it is out of the oven pour the reserved liquid over it.

Serve up with some mashed potatoes and green beans....or black eyed peas!

What are you eating this week?  Share it!

What's For Dinner?

After a really bad case of lactose intolerance/allergy rearing its head I am steering clear of all things from the milk cow.  (Not the beef cow though!)  Many of my picks for this week do not mirror that choice but I am going to play with the recipes to cut the dairy at least in half.

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Well my mom has sent a sloppy joe recipe my way.  She claims it is similar to an old scratch recipe my late Mammaw made.  I believe my Mammaw used a canned version called Manwich but hey whatever!

Here's what she shared - some people would rather make their own sauce anyway.

1 tsp of salt

1 onion chopped

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp of vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 cup of ketchup

1/4 cup of water

cayenne pepper as you choose

Brown your ground meat of choice (we use turkey in Brownie Land) season with salt & pepper, cayenne.  Drain off the fat or water after its cooked.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.

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Last week I shared the following recipes that we would be having for the week:

{Ms. Donna's Chicken Chili}

Yes it was delicious and we will have it again.  My one year old killed it!  My six year old was down with the white chili.  My husband said he liked it. That's a freakin' kitchen score!  Next time I may add in some more seasonings.

Sloppy Joe's

Yep, finger licking good.  I love these because they are so fast to make.  Of course I just used Aldi's brand and it was great but you could so make your own sauce if you want to.

Baked Ravioli

Very yummy!  The whole family enjoyed it.  Next time I'll have to tone down the cheese considering mine consisted of ALL cheese and left me in a world of hurt. (As did the 2 PSL's I had and breakfasts that consisted of milk and cereal...)

Steak Fajitas

I haven't made these yet.  They are going to be tomorrow's dinner!

*******

Ideas for this week's dinners:

My Own Traditional Chili

Basically its my throw it together recipe that honestly is no recipe.  I just chili beans, black beans, some ground beef or turkey, corn, diced tomatoes, chili powder, a packet of ranch dressing mix, black pepper...and top it with cheese (if you wish).

--

Harvest Butternut Bowtie Pasta

Here's the Pin!

I like this because nothing screams fall to me like butternut squash.  Guess I'm weird like that though - owning it!  We won't be having this until I have my GI issues under control but it looked so good I had to share!

Chopped Taco Salad

Click here for this jewel from The Nest

I have to have something tex mex ya'll!

--

Vegetable Cheddar Chowder

Pin it here!

There is also a holy mother of our Lord recipe for some yummy dessert bread on this same pin!

Yumm-o!

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If you have a recipe you want to share with me and my readers feel free to pass it along!  I love new recipes!

Happy eating!

What's For Dinner?

This week we felt the hurt of a heart that has experienced loss.  Some friends of ours unexpectedly lost a loved one.  I don't know about you but when I think of those close loved ones I have lost in this life I am saddened but also reminded of some of the light moments that happened during those days of mourning.  Nearly all include something to do with food.

When my grandmother died we got the best food on earth delivered.  Including....five million ham biscuits.  Ok maybe it was more like 4.5 million.  Now when I say ham biscuits I am referring to country ham (you know the kind your doctor really wants you to stuff yourself with?)...

We ate these things for breakfast (alone).

We ate them for lunch (with tomato).

We ate them for snacks (alone or with tomato).

We ate them for dinner (as a side to the fried chicken that came by the masses).

Another food we got that we became territorial over?  Home made oatmeal cream pies.  HOLY SMOKES!  Those things are divine.  

We also got other well meaning dishes that could not be identified and therefore not put in our mouths.  Honestly, for fear we'd be joining our loved one if ingested.

I guess the moral of this little story is this:  The passing leaves a pain in your heart and worry in your mind.  But mixed into that bowl of sadness is a sprinkle of laughter, a few tablespoons of happy, and a cup of knowing that in time it will be okay.  

xoxo

*******

So what are we eating?

1.  I have a recipe to share from one of my blog readers.  

Ms. Donna sent me a recipe that I am so totally excited to share and eat up myself.  If you love chili then c'mon!

Ms. Donna says: 

Here's my "recipe" for the chicken chili 

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (boiled and diced)
3-4 cans of Great Northern Beans
1 can of Rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red onion diced
1/2 cup green pepper diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
Bag of Pepper Jack Cheese

Put it all in the crock pot and let 'er rip. I'm guessing low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. I can tell you Brownie's family is eating this up this week. She also said its good with nachos or corn bread.

2. Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas!

I have to have some Southwestern/Mexican food once a week or I may perish. I found {this} great recipe at Cafemom.com! Sorry no picture to share.

3.  {Baked Ravioli!}   

Only four ingredients!  YES!

And finally a super easy....super fast.....super non original go to for the week:

4.  SLOPPY JOES!

  Feel free to share with me your go to meal and I'll put your recipe on my blog as well!

Happy Eating (and game watching)!

GO PACK!

What's for Dinner?

Sup Saturday!

My beloved Wolfpack is playing the Richmond Spiders today - who?  Yeah that's what I said.  Go PACK!  We're birthday partying this weekend with friends.  But until we head out with presents in hand I'm scrubbing the house a bit.

Today's post is my new weekly:  What's For Dinner?

I do my grocery shopping on Fridays while the girl is in school.  It is kind of like me and the boy time.  We hit up Aldi and also get lunch.  I really enjoy our time even though he's tiny and he'll never remember it.

I base my grocery list solely around what we are eating for dinner and lunch.  Remember I am queen of the tightwads and that means I don't want to spend money on crap we don't need...at all.

Last week I posted some meals we were going to try.  Some of you who follow my blog may remember this post.  Well, I tried two of those recipes and here's the conclusion on each:

Chicken Fajita Pizza - probably not making it again.  It was basically a wannabe TexMex on a pizza crust and didn't make us go yumm-o.

Crock Pot Ranch Pork Chops - um I may try this again with a shorter cooking time in the crock pot.  I felt they were too dry.

So what's the plan for this week dinner wise?

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - probably using {my recipe} from this past winter

Shrimp n Rice - a southern fave!

Sketti - because it is a much needed staple with young kids

Chili - because according to mainstream everything fall started last week (yet the temps are still 80+)...

I'm also planning on sending some leftovers in the lunchbox with my Diva.  She has to be bored with sandwiches.

What are you cooking up next week?  Or this weekend?