Veggie Pita Pizzas

I've been sitting on this post for quite awhile but with getting ready to move and all, life has gotten in the way. But, no more excuses!

I saw several recipes for baked pitas and took what I liked from each of them and came up with this menu staple. This is a super easy and quick weeknight dinner item. It's also great when you have leftover fresh veggies you need to use up before they go bad!

Veggie Pita Pizzas

4 pitas, I like to use whole wheat
1 large chicken breast, diced
barbecue sauce
1-2 large carrots or several baby carrots, cut into strips
1/2 large green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 large red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 onion, cut into thin strips
shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°

Cut your chicken and place in a skillet with a little bit of oil, not too much though. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You could also add some other seasonings, I sometimes do, but there isn't too much of a need. Drizzle a little of your favorite barbecue sauce over the chicken so it is lightly coated. Cook thoroughly.

While the chicken is cooking, arrange your four pita breads on a large cookie sheet. Divide your vegetables evenly between the four breads.

Divide the chicken evenly between the pita breads. Drizzle more barbecue sauce over the chicken and veggie piles. I like to do it in a striped pattern to make sure it's covered.

Top each pita with a good amount of cheese. I use cheddar, but a Monterey Jack works well too.

Place in oven and back for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melty and bread is slightly crunchy.

These can be really messy to eat, so I suggest cutting in half or quarters with a pizza cutter.
Feel free to mix up based on the veggies you have on hand (I think tomatoes would be really yummy!) - these are just my typical ones!

Chicken Salad

I had some of the best chicken salad I've tasted a few months ago at a cute little bistro while we were out of town for a wedding. Since then, I've been trying to recreate it. It's not the exact same, but I'm satisfied with how close I came with this recipe!

Chicken Salad

1 chicken breast, boiled and shredded (mine yielded a loose 2 cups)
2 green onions, diced
1/2 C diced celery
1 Granny Smith Apple (about a cup)
1/3 C fat free mayonnaise
2 T light sour cream
1 t lemon juice
1/4 t celery salt
1/4 t black pepper

Combine the first four in a bowl. I waited until I was ready to combine with the sauce before I cut and added the apple so it wouldn't turn brown. I also used an apple slicer that cut my apple into 8 slices - I had one slice leftover which made a nice snack for the cook ;-)

Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir well until blended. Pour over the dry ingredients. I used a spatula to make sure I wiped the bowl clean and got all of the sauce.

Serve on fresh wheat bread for great summertime sandwiches!

Mastering the Green Onion

This is an easy tip shared with me quite a long time ago. Maybe everyone is smarter than I was when I first started in the kitchen, but if you're on my level, here ya go!

I love to make Mexican or Spanish dishes, which often call for green onions. There are quite a few other dishes, but when I menu plan, I try to use up all the ingredients I buy. Cutting and dicing up those slippery, slender onions can be cumbersome, but there is an easy solution!

Whip out those kitchen shears! There are so many uses for these things!

I love just grabbing my scissors and snipping away at my green onions. It makes preparing the onions such a breeze and is so much faster! I wish I could snip all my vegetables instead of cutting them!

BLT Wraps

This has been one of my favorite meals as of late. As soon as summer hits, I crave the freshness of sandwiches, wraps, veggies and fruit! I found a recipe with a sauce with additional ingredients, but I don't have a ton of options on hand right now since we're moving soon. So, this is my modified version.

To make about five wraps (the last was a little small) I used the following:

BLT Wraps

6 strips of turkey bacon
3 Roma Tomatoes
1 1/2 C Romaine lettuce (this is an estimate)
2 ounces cream cheese
1/3 C fat free mayonnaise
5 flour tortillas.


Since I wanted this done quickly, I cooked the bacon in the microwave while I shredded the lettuce and diced my tomatoes. I combined the three main ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you like.

In a small bowl, I mixed together the cream cheese and mayo until it was smooth. Pour over the BLT mixture.

Heat your tortilla in the microwave for just about 10 seconds so it's soft and more pliable to roll, but not too warm since this is a cold wrap. Spoon a portion of the BLT mixture onto the tortilla and roll it up. I think this would be great with a flavored wrap as well - I'm a fan of tomato basil wraps myself.

Enjoy your delicious summer meal, or just for a snack!

Easy Dump Taco Soup

This is another recipe from my mom. I made a huge batch of this for my husband's office at work awhile back and it went over really well. We also like to go camping, and making this ahead of time, freezing and heating in the dutch oven over a campfire makes for an easy camping meal.

This makes a really large amount, so you may want to scale it down, or just freeze the remainder. You can also make this on the stove or in your crock pot, the choice is yours!

Taco Soup

2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped (I used green onions this most recent time)
3 cans zesty diced tomatoes (I use a mixture of hot and mild)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can chili beans
1 can corn, drained
1 pkg or 3 T taco seasoning
1 pkg or 3 T ranch dressing mix


Brown the ground beef. Drain well. In a large pot combine the canned ingredients and spices. Add the hamburger and mix well. Cook on low for 30 minutes or longer until everything is hot and flavors are mixed.

With sour cream and cheddar cheese added!

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese and tortilla chips.


**A quick note if you are cutting this in half - chili beans generally are flavored pinto beans. Use half the can as chili beans and rinse the second half to use as your pinto beans. Saves you money and less waste trying to figure out how to use up the rest of those beans!

Pulled Pork Barbecue Sandwiches

Oh sweet, sweet summertime! I love sandwiches and summer and the two just go so great together. I also love this recipe since it's always a hit and is great to make for crowds. And did I mention it's a crock pot meal so the house doesn't get warm? The barbecue isn't spicy and actually errs on the side of sweet. All sorts of goodness about these great sandwiches!

Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches

~ 1.5 lb. pork roast
1 small chopped onion
1 garlic clove
2 T olive oil (or canola oil)
1 C ketchup
1/2 C water
1/4 packed brown sugar
3 T Worcestershire
1 t salt
2 t ground mustard
1/8 t ground thyme
few dashes of tabasco sauce (make as hot or as mild as you like)
~ 1 t lemon juice

Place pork roast in crock pot and cover with water. The meat cut is pretty flexible, so use what your family likes. I think I normally buy a loin roast or a shoulder roast. It also depends on the price for me.

Cook the pork as long as you can on low, but for at least 4-6 hours. This could vary if you get a larger roast and how you crock pot cooks.

Remove the roast from the crock pot and shred the meat. It will be very hot, so I usually start with two forks and work at it or let it sit for a few minutes.

Return the shredded pork to the crock pot.

You can make the sauce one of two ways -
1. Combine all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Pour over pork and stir.
2. Dump all remaining ingredients on top of shredded pork and mix well.
It's really up to you, but I don't like doing extra dishes :) The sauce gives the meat a reddish orange color.

Continue cooking on low for at least an hour, but if you can leave it longer, the flavors will continue to mix in for a great flavor.

If you're going for a more smoky barbecue flavor, you can always add a little liquid smoke if you have it on hand to the sauce. I often add a little more of the sauce ingredients depending on the size of my roast to make sure all of the meat is evenly coated. You don't want it too watery, but not completely thick so it's all a clump.

Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce, pickles, onions or even ketchup (which is how I used to eat these as a kid!)

Change of Plans...

I've inadvertently taken a break from blogging for a bit. We are attempting to switch up our diet so I am trying to find new recipes that fit into that plan and as such don't have many originals to share. Hopefully I will get the hang of this pretty soon and be able to share some of my new, healthy options with everyone!

I've also been steadily working on our move so once I figure out what I'm doing with that, I'll be sure to post my favorite moving/ PCS tips in a few posts. I will be inventoring our entire home and possessions soon so if that goes well and according to plan, I will share my tips for creating that document and ensuring a successful move.

Happy Spring everyone!

Grilled Chicken Packs

This is a super quick and easy recipe as we gear up for summertime. We love to grill out for the healthiness of it and for the ease of preparing a grilled meal. This super simple recipe was born out of using what I had left in the refrigerator and has since become a staple on the menu list. It's also a great way to use up any leftover pesto in the fridge (I talked about my love of pesto in this recipe.)

Another great thing about this recipe is it is great for camping! We love to go camping and I'm always looking for easy recipes to make over a campfire besides the general hash or soups/chilis. I've also found it hard to incorporate chicken recipes into camping, so I am thankful to have this one in my recipe box.

Grilled Chicken Packs

4 chicken breasts, thawed
salt and pepper
1/3 C pesto
1/2 onion, sliced
bell peppers


Trim the fat from your chicken breasts. Place toward the end of a long sheet of aluminum foil, leaving enough space to fold over the chicken fully one time.

Add a little bit of salt and pepper, or any other spices you like, to the chicken. Spoon a small amount of pesto on top of the chicken and spread so it covers the chicken in a thin layer. Top with onions and peppers.

Fold the foil around the chicken. Half way through wrapping, fold in the edges to create a better seal so the juices will not seep out while cooking. Continue to wrap until reaching the end. Fold over the edges one last time and press down firmly to minimize creating a large air bubble. See the folded packet below:

Grill on each side 10-15 minutes before flipping. I like to serve this with a baked potato, or you could do another type of vegetable.


What are some of your favorite summer grilling or camping recipes?

Cheesy Ham and Macaroni

This is a hearty warm dish that can also be a great use for leftover ham. I often remember my mom fixing mac and cheese on the side when we had ham for dinner, so this dish combines the two into a tasty casserole. This recipe is from my grandma.

Cheesy Ham and Macaroni

Yield: 8 servings

8 oz. macaroni
4 T butter
1/4 C flour
1/2 t salt
pepper
2 C milk
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 C cooked ham, diced
4 oz mushrooms (if desired)
1/2 C crushed crackers


Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain well and set aside in pot.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in flour as well as salt and pepper until smooth. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and add cheese. Heat until cheese is melted.

Add in ham and mushrooms if you are using them. Cook until ham is warmed.

Pour cheese and ham mixture over noodles and mix well. Pour into greased 9" x 13" baking dish. Top with crushed crackers - I've used Ritz or Keebler Club, just not saltines as you want the buttery taste.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350°.


I cut this recipe in half for the two of us for a meal and leftovers for lunch. I place it in an 8" x 8" pan and it works quite well. It also tastes great with steamed broccoli on the side for your veggie!

For this recipe I like to use a cheese block and shred the cheese myself. This makes it easier to melt and I think gives it a richer flavor than just a bag. Also, you get much more out of block of cheese than a bag of pre-shredded.

I'm thinking I might try and combine this recipe with my baked mac and cheese sauce recipe. I'm not sure yet as that may be a little more cheesier since it is for a side dish and for this main dish you want the meat to stand out a little bit more.

Indoor S'mores!

What do two Midwestern kids yearning for bonfire cookouts do on a rainy Southern night? - get out the blowtorch and make s'mores!

OK, so this isn't the safest idea in the world, but it served our purposes and made for some fun the other night. We set the blowtorch in the sink, so if it did fall over, it would still be contained. If you have pets or little ones around, be sure they are clear of the open flame!

These weren't as good as a bonfire s'more, but were definitely better than just microwaving the marshmallow. For me, that is almost sacrilegious! I'll get off my soapbox and let you be jealous of my ooey gooey goodness!

Have a great weekend and if you can, get outside and make a bonfire for me!

Converting to Crock Pot Cooking: Barbecue Chicken

This recipe came from a favorite baked chicken recipe I have. It turned out similar, and was definitely easier, but the sauce wasn't quite as thick as when it bakes so I think I may have to simmer it on the stove for a few minutes next time rather than mix and dump like I did!

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken

1 lb. chicken breast
2 t onion powder
3 T brown sugar
2 t ground mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 T worchestshire
1 t liquid smoke (you can omit this if you don't have it, but if you do, it adds a great flavor)
3/4 C ketchup
1/3 C vinegar
1/2 C water

Thaw the chicken breasts before placing in the slow cooker. Mine were mostly thawed before I started, but I would have preferred them completely thawed - just want you to know it's OK if they're not ;).

In a bowl, mix together all of the remaining ingredients. I like to use a whisk to break up the chunkier spices like the brown sugar.

Now this is the part I didn't do this time, but follows the baked recipe and what I will be doing next time. Heat a skillet (more surface area is better here) and pour in the mixed ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Once the sauce has thickened slightly after simmering, add to the slow cooker.

I cooked this on High for about 4 hours. I would recommend Low for 6-8 hours. This meal especially tastes great with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed veggies! I don't have a final picture as it fell apart quite a bit and we were hungry at this point and excited to try it!

If you try this, let me know what you think! I'm excited to be converting all the baked recipes and hoping that more turn out like this one did!

Stop Staining Your Plastic Storage!

I love spaghetti sauce or anything tomato based, but when it comes to storing it, I dread putting it in my nice new plastic storage containers. The inevitable redness turns the crisp clean clear to a perpetual dirty looking orange.

My wonderful engineer husband realized this one for me and I'm thankful my newer containers have been spared from the despicable orange hue stain!

Simply place plastic cling wrap over the container. You'll want to use two pieces, each one laying the opposite direction to make sure once filled, the whole container is protected. I only thought of this post after I had filled my container so you can enjoy my lovely paint diagram below:

The great thing about this is the clean up is much easier since there aren't chunks of sauce or stains to scrub! You can also easily grab both edges to lift the contents and move it to a bowl or pan for reheating, etc.!

I do caution you - this isn't full proof, you can have leaks, but hopefully it will still be minimized. Also, be sure the plastic does not rip and get into your food. I haven't had this happen yet, but it is worth a warning. And lastly, do NOT heat up the leftovers in the container with the plastic wrap! You do not want melted plastic in your food!

My container in these pictures has a slight hue from a melted cheeseburger - you can see the circle. :-( However, I wanted to use the actual container I stored this tomato sauce in and show how it worked!

Overall, I love saving my containers from the stain, and I hope this works for you too!

Alfredo Crab Stuffed Shells

I'm really not that big on seafood, but I know it's healthy so I try to work it into our diet as often as I can. Generally that ends up being with some sort of crab dish since I do like the taste of crab!

I found a rough recipe similar to this online that married crab and pasta - pasta being my absolute favorite so I was sold! It turned out pretty well and was easy to make earlier in the day and just stick in the oven when it came time for dinner.

Alfredo Crab Stuffed Shells

1 can of crab meat, drained very well
1 C ricotta cheese (you can be generous here)
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
2 T finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/3 C Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs
1 t Italian seasoning
8 oz Alfredo sauce plus a little more (you can make homemade, or use a jar sauce)
mozzarella cheese
14 Jumbo shells


Boil the shells according to the package.

Drain your crab in a small colander making sure to remove as much water as possible. Flake the crab meat with a fork to remove any small bone flakes. In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese. For the bread crumbs, you could use regular bread crumbs, but I like the crunch of the Panko kind, and they seem to be a little more versatile. Feel free to add additional Italian seasoning or others like basil, oregano and parsley for more flavor. Spoon a small amount of Alfredo sauce into the mix.

Drain the shells and rinse them in cool water to cool them off.

Prepare an 8" x 8" baking dish by coating it with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350°.

Spoon a generous portion of the mixture into each shells. Spread open the shell by holding it lengthwise to create a larger opening. Once you have placed the filling inside, gently squeeze the sides shut around the filling to hold the shape a little better.

Place the shells in the baking dish. Drizzle or spoon Alfredo sauce over the shells. Top with a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes.

I love the texture of baked noodles topped with browned cheese!

This meal went great with a salad on the side and was surprisingly filling. I ate three shells for a serving and my husband ate four, so we got dinner and leftovers out of this for the two of us.

Easy Chicken Leftovers

When it's just me at home for dinner, I don't like to cook, so I usually improvise with leftovers, sandwiches or wraps of somesort. We had a lot of leftovers in our fridge last week, so I was trying to use up as many as I could. I don't have any real specifics for this idea since I made it up as I went.

The basic of this idea was to use up the leftover shredded chicken breast. Since my go to when it's just me is sandwiches, but I was out of bread, I opted for a tortilla shell. What ended up happening was different flavored chicken tortilla wraps, and I was pleased!

What You'll Need

(This is what I used, but feel free to use different spices, toppings, etc!)

tortillas
shredded chicken, leftovers
cheddar cheese
tomato sauce
Italian flavor: basil, garlic, onion powder, oregano
Mexican flavor: chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion powder, sour cream


I spread tomato sauce on the first tortilla. I seasoned it by sprinkling some basil, garlic, onion powder and oregano for an Italian flavored. I added some chicken on top and added a little bit more sprinkling of basil. I topped the chicken with cheddar cheese (since we all know I love cheese!) and zapped it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

I rolled this up and enjoyed the warmness inside! It's definitely not packed full of flavor, but you could make it that way by amping up the seasonings and toppings. But like I said, I was going for quick, easy and use up what I had.


For my second roll up I decided to go with a chicken taco type feel. I again spread some tomato sauce on the tortilla but this time spiced it with cumin, chili powder, garlic and onion powder. I added the chicken, seasoned again, then topped with cheese before microwaving for 30 seconds. Once it was warm, I added some sour cream on top.

I think the best part of this idea is that if you wanted to make this into a family meal, everyone can make theirs according to what they want for dinner! I had both Italian and Mexican flavors in one meal! If you like Chinese, try it with some soy sauce and ginger. Love curry, use your imagination! Chicken can be flavored with just about anything, so take your favorite spices and go for it!

Decorative Pantry Storage Solutions

This is quite an old project. I was tired of all my spice packets falling through the gaps in my pantry shelving so I needed a storage solution. The second box for baggies and foil was really just to condense the amount of space these items took up in my pantry since I have very little drawer space to house these items.

We'll start with the spice box, since it is much more simple. To make this box I started with a deep cube box - mine was from bulk granola bars. I cut the box in half to make it a deep tray and allow for stacking if needed. You could really use a smaller box if you like - I could see Pop Tarts boxes working great to hold spice packets and other small pantry items.

I used white glue to wrap the sides of the box in leftover scrapbook paper, the size I used for my spare change jar also fit great around the sides of this box. You can also use wrapping paper if you like, but I would suggest to probably double layer it to prevent easy tearing. Lastly, I added a little tag made from scrap paper and used some stickers to make my label. (The "s" letters are made from two "c" stickers :-) )


The second box started out much larger, and honestly isn't what I originally pictured. That being said, it still functions how I intended for it. The notch in the middle is to allow the small baggie boxes to dispense straight from the storage box rather than have to take them out each time.

With this type of storage solution, you will want to check and see if your shelves are tall enough to house your aluminum foil, etc. vertical -- my shelves have an overhang so the box has to be tilted to fit under that but will fit on the shelf fine. I wrapped this box and labeled it in the same way as the first. Again, you could use wrapping paper if you like, but I found it easier to just stick some paper on each side rather than figure out where to fold to prevent bunched wrapping paper!

A large box like this might not be something you have on hand, but a large cereal box just might be! I remember doing this as a kid to store magazines and notebooks in my room. Make sure the foil containers will fit within the box first and if they do, cut a corner off of the box so it looks like a magazine holder, like the picture below.

Wrap your box in paper to cover up the cereal part and you've got your custom storage solution! Your pantry will be a lot less cluttered with so many tedious items taking up space!

Chicken Pesto Quesadillas

I found this recipe soon after I realized I love the flavor of pesto. I've found ways to integrate this delicious flavor into almost everything now! So, here's my take on pesto quesadillas! This is also a great week night meal because it can be made quickly, or even with leftover chicken.

Chicken Pesto Quesadillas

Yield: 4 quesadillas

2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
olive oil
4 burrito size tortillas
~ 1/2 C pesto
~1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack blend
butter or margarine


Cut the chicken breast into small pieces - about 1/2" or so since you won't want them to be too chunky in the quesadilla. Cook the chicken on the stove in a small amount of olive oil.

Spread an even amount of pesto on one half of each of the tortillas as seen below. Use more or less pesto depending on your love of pesto :)Divide the chicken evenly between the four tortillas, placing on top of the pesto. Top with cheese, a little or a lot, it's really up to you.

Fold the tortilla in half and butter the top. Place the buttered top onto a warm griddle or warm skillet to brown. While the butter side is down, butter the other side in preparation for flipping. Cook on one side between 3-5 (probably closer to five) minutes or until golden brown. Flip the tortillas over and continue cooking until the second side is brown.

Cut quesadilla into four triangles. Serve with sour cream.


What's the flavor you like to incorporate into everything?

Barbecue Stir Fry

This is a great way to get a whole lot of vegetables in one serving. We often made this in college, one of my roommates was from India and perfected this combination. In that time, we'd mix up the different flavors to go with our vegetables, but my husband most prefers barbecue flavor, which works for me because it is so simple!

Stir fry may seem like a lot of work, but it really doesn't have to be that way. You can use frozen vegetables and instant rice to cut down your cooking time a lot. I usually use a combination of frozen and fresh vegetables. I've listed first the vegetables I always use and then some I have used before. I don't really remember how much of those last few vegetables to use since it's not as often I have them on hand.

Barbecue Stir fry

1 T olive oil
Assorted vegetables or package of frozen vegetable medley, thawed:
   carrots, usually about three (I also use my peeler to shave off small, thin pieces)
   green bell pepper, about one full cut into strips
   red bell pepper, one small or less, cut into strips; you can also omit
   potatoes, 1-2 cut into chunks
   onion, 1/2 to 1 medium sized onion, in strips
   broccoli, to your taste
   sugar snap peas, to your taste
   zucchini, to your taste
1/2 to 1 t spicy pepper blend (or use a blend of black pepper, cayenne pepper and chili powder)
pineapple chunks - if desired
barbecue sauce, about 1 to 2 T (you won't measure this out, but will put on top)
1 package of instant rice (I often use the Knorr Rice sides and it gives additional flavor)


Chop your vegetables into strips or in the case of the potato, bite-sized pieces. Cut your potatoes first since they will take the longest to cook and you can get them started while you finish your prep work.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok type pan.

While the olive oil is heating, start preparing your rice according to package instructions. The rice always seems to take a little longer than the vegetables.

Add your vegetables to the oiled skillet and stir-fry until crisp tender. Sprinkle with seasonings and mix well. If you are using frozen, be sure to watch the water content of your skillet so the vegetables do not become soggy. To avoid this, drain the vegetables thoroughly and use a slightly higher heat, stirring so not to burn or stick.

Once the vegetables are crisp tender, add your pineapple if you have chosen to do so and stir to heat through.

For lack of a better way to describe it, squeeze the barbecue sauce in a drizzle over the top of the vegetables. Stir until all vegetables are coated. Start with a small amount and add more if you think the mixture needs it, but note the flavor is usually stronger than it appears.

You can serve this one of two ways:
1. add the rice to the vegetable mixture and mix well. or
2. serve with rice on the side, spooning vegetables on top

This recipe is especially great too if your family isn't the biggest fan of Asian cuisine since this is definitely an "Americanized" version of stir-fry. Enjoy!

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter celebrating our Risen Savior!

Potatoes were always a staple at home for me growing up. This ham and potatoes dish made it onto the dinner table quite often as well. It's a great comfort food dish for a cold day and you can also make it using leftover ham - great for after Easter! My mom always made a much larger dish than the measurements I have below, but you can easily double the four serving dish to eight and just enlarge your baking dish.

Just a warning - I don't measure any of these ingredients out, I completely go by looks on what I remember from growing up. I know my mom always made it this way too - I asked once I was out on my own and she didn't have any measurements to give me! If anything, I've erred on the side of not enough so you can always add more.

Ham and Scalloped Potatoes

1 C ham, diced (great to use leftover ham)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (this last time I used a roasted garlic flavor which worked well)
1/2 to 3/4 can of milk (use the soup can to measure)
1/2 to 3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 to 3 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 medium onion, diced
salt
pepper

In a bowl, combine the soup and milk. Mix until you have a smooth consistency. Add in the cheese, salt and pepper to taste and any other seasonings that your family enjoys - I think a little cayenne pepper might spice it up a bit!

Add your ham and onion to the mixture and combine. Add in the sliced potatoes - the thinner they are sliced the easier they will bake and cook.

Pour mixture into an 8" x 8" baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for about 1 hour 15 minutes. You can check it at about an hour to see how the potatoes are doing or if they need longer. At this point you can also top with extra cheese if you so desire.


I hope this gives you another alternative to use up that leftover Easter ham!

Sewing Project - Door curtain strap to Velcro strip

I don't really sew. I mean, I know how to sew and mend and whatnot, but I don't have a sewing machine nor do I generally take on projects that involve cutting fabric. All of this is slightly ironic since all throughout high school I was in the drama costume department where we had to mend or make costumes, but mostly mend.

So, needless to say I was quite pleased that this little idea of mine turned out as well as it did. You see, our backdoor is slightly awkward in our living room. During the evening, cars turning down the street shine directly into our living room through the backdoor.

Once we discovered the door was magnetic, we quickly bought two magnetic curtain rods and the door curtain, which came with a strap to pinch in the sides, to let some light in. The only problem with the strap is that you have to completely take the curtain off the rod, slide the strap down, put the curtain back on the rod and then rehang and position the curtain on the door. PAIN IN THE BUTT if I do say so myself. So, we just stuck with it being completely covered most of the time.

But still, it bugged me that we couldn't let some light in, especially on these great sunshiny days. So began my idea of taking the strap apart and making it a strip with Velcro instead of a strap. If you're in a similar situation, please read on and let me show you what I did...

1. This is the strap as it was before I did anything.
 

When I inspected it, I realized one end was tucked into the other, meaning I didn't have to cut the strap (great since I can't cut a straight line!). I was able to rip out the seam between the two sections to create my one long strap.

2. The only problem was now I had raw edges. Not to worry, I sewed the "open" end closed.

And I essentially hemmed the "tucked" end over itself to create a smooth edge.

See both my "clean" edges ready to go! (I know it's not completely straight, but it will be hidden)

3. Next came attaching the Velcro. Let me say, this would have been so much easier with a machine. It was pretty tough to stick the needle through all those layers, especially on the hemmed side, and not to get the thread caught in the teeth of the Velcro. It is doable if you need to do so, but just a warning.

 

4. Once I had both the Velcro sides attached, I was ready to go!

The best part is, I only lost about half an inch in my overall length in adding the Velcro - pretty good I thought since the Velcro was wider than that!

Looks pretty similar to original if I do say so!

I realize not everyone has a door curtain like this that needs fixing, but for those of you who are struggling with the slip on strap, try this and see the possibilities!

Fresh Greek Salad

I think I've shared on here before that I'm not exactly the best with side dishes. Needless to say, when there is a potluck and everyone needs to bring a side or salad, I'm usually at a loss. That was until I found a recipe card from my wedding shower hidden in my box.

This is a great, fresh salad that is perfect for potlucks. My husband's work does a potluck every few weeks so I made this the most recent time. There is quite a bit to the salad, so it can feed a decent size crowd. And of course my favorite requirement in a recipe - you can easily change it to your tastes!

Greek Salad

2 cucumbers
1 zucchini
2 green peppers
1 onion
grape tomatoes (I used almost all the container)
1 C sugar
1/2 C vinegar
1/2 C olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Chop all of your vegetables into bite-sized pieces and combine in a large bowl. This can be a time consuming task - which is one reason I like to use grape tomatoes since you can really just wash and throw in the bowl if you like! You can always add different vegetables you prefer; I would suggest maybe trying cauliflower or broccoli.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the sugar, vinegar and olive oil. Whisk or combine with a fork until the sugar has dissolved in the liquid. Add your salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. I also like to sprinkle my veggies with some of the seasoning as well.

Pour the dressing over your vegetables and stir it up. Refrigerate the salad. It may need to be stirred occasionally as it can get a little soupy, but I think it has the great balance between sweet and freshness I crave in a salad.


With spring supposedly here and summer around the corner, I hope this gives some of you another option for all those potlucks and picnics!

Not every one is a winner...

I tried my hand at converting one of my simple baked chicken recipes to the crock pot this weekend. Needless to say it did not turn out very well! But, I feel the need to be honest that it was a failure, and offer the encouragement I'm giving to myself - to not give up!

In the devotional I'm reading, the Bible passages I've been reading and the verses I've seen lately have all dealt with not giving up and pursuing your dream. Our sermon yesterday was about having faith in all situations, the good and the bad, and I think this really applies to not giving up in your circumstance; and definitely something of which I need reminding!

While a new recipe idea not working out is minutely small compared to the big stuff, I think it's an easy example we can use to relate the big idea to every area of our lives. Because as long as you're working toward something and doing it with the right purpose in mind, you can have success.


Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the LORD, not for human masters

Colossians 3:23

Starting this blog was a big step of faith for me, as is working freelance full time. I've been feeling afraid of failure lately but I'm realizing these constant reminders are letting me know that I'll never know unless I try. The best part is I have my loving Savior to back me up for He will never leave me nor forsake me!

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but fives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

So for anyone out there reading, I sincerely hope you feel encouraged and remember to not give up!

Snack Time: Popcorn my way

We love popcorn around here at our house. Both of us grew up with this as a constant snack in the home and we can down a bag in nothing flat! I know it's not the healthiest, but I love the taste and the convenience of microwave popcorn. I've had other types, but honestly we don't have room for another appliance for popcorn. I remember as a kid making popcorn with my grandpa on one of these:

But anyway, we don't just make popcorn, we like to add a little something extra. Our favorite is M&Ms - peanut for my husband and plain for me (but we both will eat both types). This gives for the perfect sweet and salty I'm always craving.

What do you like to add to your popcorn, or do you prefer it plain?

Lasagna Rollups

This is a great freezer meal, which is great this week since I've been sick and we just got over hosting family, so I've really not been in the mood to cook. I combined a recipe I was given and a picture of a recipe on Pinterest (I didn't pin it or look at the link, so not really sure how close mine is to it).

The other great thing about this recipe was it was completely made from leftovers - I didn't buy anything new for this one! I made these a few weeks back, froze them and we enjoyed them this week. Since I was using leftovers only, I was able to make just four rollups but you can easily make this expand with more ingredients.

Lasagna Rollups

5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (as much as you can =) )
1 C. ricotta cheese
3/4 C. mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
1/2 t. garlic powder
4 lasagna noodles
~1/2 C. spaghetti or marinara sauce (more or less depending on your taste)

Boil the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Try and use a large pot if possible since it's imperative the noodles don't break, and I have the worst time with lasagna noodles. I generally use no-boil noodles now, which is why I had just a few regular leftover for this meal. Lay the noodles out flat to allow them to cool, flipping them so they don't stick to the counter or cutting board.

In a small bowl, combine the cheeses, spinach, egg and garlic powder. Mix well and ensure the egg is completely beaten within the mix.

Carefully spoon the cheese mixture along the length of a noodle, leaving a little space on the sides and at the opposite end from which you plan to start rolling (the filling will press down the length of the noodle, so leaving a little space will avoid mess and using too much filling).

Roll up the noodles with the filling inside. Carefully place the rollups in a freezer bag until you are ready to use.

When you are ready to eat your rollups, preheat your oven to 350°. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the frozen rollups in the dish. Cover with the sauce and sprinkle with a little mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish and bake for about an hour. I cooked mine for 45 minutes per the first recipe I was adjusting and they weren't very warm, so be sure to check them before serving.


You can always make this recipe with a meaty filling instead of spinach; I think I might try and make it that way next time around.

Puppy Chow

This sweet snack is so tempting and never lasts long around our house! I made a batch a bit back for our group and it's too easy to just keep eating and eating until it's gone, but it's so yummy that way!

I realize the recipe is on the box of Chex cereal, but the recipe I use is different. I got it from a friend of mine's mom who I've known since kindergarten. Oh, and it's most definitely called Puppy Chow, not Muddy Buddies ;)

Puppy Chow

9 Cups Chex cereal (I like to use corn or rice)
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C butterscotch chips
1/4 C butter
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 C powdered sugar (plus extra if you want to add)


Melt the peanut butter, butter and chips in a saucepan on the stove. You can do this in the microwave, but I have such bad luck melting chocolate in there I prefer to watch it on the stove. My trick is to constantly stir the mixture and keep it on low heat. This prevents the chocolate from sticking and burning to the pan.

Add the vanilla to the melted mixture and mix well. Pour the mixture over the cereal and mix/stir/use your hands until it is coated well.

Pour the powdered sugar into a gallon size zipped bag. Add the cereal mixture. Seal well and shake it! This was my favorite part as a kid, and probably still is! Add more powdered sugar if you would like it to be coated more.

Enjoy your snack and reminisce about childhood :)