Triple Rush Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 dash hot chili powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup cold milk

Directions:
1. Combine the chocolate chips and milk in a glass or plastic dish, and microwave on high, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Mix in the coffee, cinnamon, and hot chili powder until the instant coffee has dissolved. Stir in the cold milk. Strain into 2 mugs. Thin with additional milk, if desired.

Adam - ***
Melanie - ***

(We found it was a lot better if warmed up again before drinking!)

Black Forest Cake

I'm behind! We didn't do 'dinner and a movie' night this past week - we're a little short on time around here lately. So, I'm posting one of my all-time favorite recipes. (Oh and I never bother with the cherries as noted here - I just use a can of cherry pie filling!). =)

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 cups sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla; beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely.
4. Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
5. Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. With long serrated knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. Tear one split layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake.

Chicken melts

No movie tonight, but we tried chicken melts from allrecipes.com. Didn't use the red wine, but did everything else as noted. It was ok. Nothing spectacular, but nothing to run from either. =)

Chicken Melts:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, sliced into thin rings
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 English muffins, split and toasted

Directions:
1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the onion slices in the skillet, sprinkle with garlic powder, and saute until onions are translucent. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the chicken breast halves on the grill, and sprinkle with wine, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for about 8 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking 8 minutes, or until juices run clear. Place a slice of cheese on each breast half, and top with onions. Cook until cheese starts to melt. Serve on toasted English muffins.

Adam: ***
Melanie: **1/2

Chicken pot pie and The Office

Turkey Pot Pie

Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups water
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used one can of sliced potatoes)
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch pie pan, and set aside.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.

3. In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Cool slightly, then pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

(Notes: This recipe took a lot of pots and pans (though we didn't have leftover chicken, so I did cook that too) - it felt like most of the contents of the kitchen were in the sink, on the stove or in the dishwasher by the time everything was made. Oh - and there was a lot more filling than would actually fit in the pie crust, so I would probably would use a little less of everything next time.)

We didn't watch a movie along with this, but we did watch The Office - which was a pretty good episode this week.

Pot Pie Ratings:
Adam - ***1/2 (he just doesn't understand how good it is)
Melanie - ****1/2

English muffin pizzas and Wall-E

We didn't do 'dinner and a movie night' this week (and haven't really done that lately... though we're going to start again!), but over the past weekend, we did a 'family dinner and a movie night'. Addy helped make the pizza and then we all watched Wall-E for the first time. It was a lot of fun - and a great movie too (on par with Monsters Inc. even!). Anyway, I would highly recommend a repeat of the evening at your own home!

English Muffin Pizza

Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serving Size: 6
Ingredients 6 English muffins, split in half
14 ounces pizza sauce
12 ounces pepperoni, sliced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking pan or baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange muffin halves in baking pan and spread 2 to 3 tablespoons pizza sauce on each. Cover with pepperoni slices. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot.

Pizzas (out of 5):
Adam - ***1/2
Melanie - ***1/2

Wall-E (out of 5):
Adam - ****
Melanie - ****

Orange chicken and The Business of Being Born

We've tried a number of new recipes since I last posted... I don't know where to start! I guess we'll start with orange chicken. I'm a huge fan of Panda Express' orange chicken, but Panda Express no longer exists anywhere near us anymore, so I thought that I would try making my own. The recipe really does get pretty close and is pretty good. It will definitely hold me over until we get to a place where Panda Expresses exist!!

As for the movie, we didn't watch this movie while we tried this recipe, but we can pretend, right? =)

The Business of Being Born - hmmm... I was really excited to see it. It's a documentary about the way that we give birth. It's produced by Ricki Lake and is very pro-natural birth and pro-midwife. The topic is one in which I'm very interested and I thought that this movie would be right up my alley. I told Adam numerous times that he really didn't have to watch it with me if he didn't want to, but he said he was game and so we watched it. I had been concerned about the graphic nature of it all, but that part was actually handled pretty tastefully. (Having said that, I still wouldn't watch the movie on a first date or anything like that...). However, I was still rather disappointed with the movie. It did a lot of handwaving when talking about specific problems in the doctor-driven birth system today and hard numbers were rarely given to support most of the statements made. I was left wondering if the picture that was presented was really accurate and I questioned some of the over-arching statements that were made. Still, it's probably worth watching if you're interested in the labor process... but I wouldn't expect to be won over by it's convincing arguments. Anyway, ratings (out of 5) follow below.

Orange Chicken
Prep Time: 40 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
Sauce:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Chicken:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour 1 1/2 cups water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, and cool 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable plastic bag. When contents of saucepan have cooled, pour 1 cup of sauce into bag. Reserve the remaining sauce. Seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

3. In another resealable plastic bag, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the marinated chicken pieces, seal the bag, and shake to coat.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken into the skillet, and brown on both sides. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels, and cover with aluminum foil.

5. Wipe out the skillet, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Mix together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; stir into the sauce. Reduce heat to medium low, add the chicken pieces, and simmer, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ratings:
Movie - Adam **1/2, Melanie **1/2
Chicken - Adam ***1/2, Melanie ****
Note: The chicken is very orange-y. I think that next time I would reduce the orange juice and zest by half. I think doing that would make this recipe a solid **** for Adam.

BBQ Ribs and Charlie Wilson's War

We did dinner and movie again last night - two weeks in a row for us... we may actually get back into the routine! =)

We ate BBQ ribs (from the crockpot, which is super cool). I have noted the changes that I made below.

BBQ Ribs in the Crock Pot
Pork, Baby Back or Spareribs w/ bone
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hickory salt or garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can of Coke
1 bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Hot and Spicy)

Spray crock pot w/ cooking spray. Cut ribs so they fit into cooker. Mix brown sugar, hickory or garlic salt and pepper together. Rub mixture onto all sides of ribs. Place ribs in the crock and pour cola around ribs. Cook on low for 7-8 hrs. Drain liquid from cooker. Brush ribs w/ BBQ sauce. Pour remaining sauce in cooker. Cook on low for about 1 hr.

I didn't use the brown sugar at all. I also used garlic powder instead of garlic salt. I added some seasoned salt and minced onion (from the spice rack - not fresh) too. Any type of rub would work, I'm sure. Finished out the meal with (fresh!) corn on the cob (I'm so glad that it's available again), green salad and corn bread. Oh and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

Though Adam is getting a cold and his tasters aren't as great as they normally are, this meal still got pretty good reviews. Too bad I can't say the same for Charlie Wilson. We gave up on it about 1/2 hour in. I'm sure that we'll still finish it, but it was not what we were expecting from Aaron Sorkin (the (in our house at least) esteemed and amazing writer and director from The West Wing).

Reviews (out of 5):
Adam - Ribs - ****, Movie - the jury is still out
Melanie - Ribs - ****, Movie - * blech. I'm not as optimistic as Adam is. I'll post again about it if I change my mind after watching the whole thing.

(I think that it's also worthy of note that though ribs can often be messy, these weren't - the meat just fell off the bones as I removed it from the crock pot.)

Oh, also, I've decided to start posting the cost of the meals from our Dinner and a Movie night, just because I'm often comparing the price of meals to the quality of the dinner. Of course, I'm also always looking for good and cheap food too (though this one wasn't even close in the 'cheap' category - I think we'll keep this for future special occasions).

Ribs - $9.42
Corn - $1.75
Corn bread - $2.35
Salad - $2.99
Strawberries - $3.00
Chocolate - $1.29
Total = $20.80

This is more than we usually spend on dinner at home. The strawberries (and of course, the meat) were some of that. However, we had leftover ribs, corn bread and salad - enough for another meal. We also could have had strawberries left over, but they were just so darn good (if I do say so myself!).

Dinner and a movie - revived

We've not been doing our 'dinner and a movie' Wednesdays lately. But last night, we started them again. We watched Michael Clayton and ate Pasta Pascal - ratings are below: =)

Pasta Pascal
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
4 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute garlic in oil 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in onion and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Toss hot pasta with tomato mixture. Serve.

Ratings:
Adam - Pasta: ***; Movie: ****
Melanie - Pasta: *** (would have been better with a little crushed red pepper and not nearly as much pasta - maybe only 1/2 a pound); Movie: *** (This is based only on the first hour - I fell asleep and plan to watch the rest this weekend!) =)

Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese

So Kraft has this pretty cool idea here. Basically Kraft lays out your weekly menu for you - gives you the recipes and the shopping list and all you have to do is buy the needed items and then cook dinner! Oh, and all of the ingredients from the store are supposed to fit in one grocery bag, so it's usually pretty cheap too. We've had mixed reviews with them, but we found one that was really great this week. So, without further ado...

Spaghetti with Zesty Bolognese
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
12 oz. spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOK onions in dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Increase heat to medium-high. Add meat; cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Stir in tomato sauce and tomatoes. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 min. Remove from heat. Stir in Neufchatel cheese until well blended.

MEANWHILE, cook pasta as directed on package.

SPOON sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Ratings (out of five):
Adam ***1/2
Melanie ****

Amazing Chicken

We tried the below recipe last week - it's super simple and yummy too!

Amazing Chicken
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
2. Coat chicken breasts on all sides with mayonnaise, and roll in bread crumbs until coated. Place coated breasts into the prepared pan.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and the juices run clear.

Ratings:
Adam - ****
Melanie - ****

Christmas Dinner

My parents came to Seattle for Christmas this year! So, since it was just the five of us (and I could mess up a little in front of the 'rents, Adam and Addy), I decided to try a completely new menu for Christmas dinner. I've included some of the recipes below. We had prime rib (which was something that I was completely intimidated about), the sides below and rounded the whole thing out with a green salad. The meat took a little longer to cook than anticipated, but other than that, I think that it was an ok menu. =)


Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
4 large baking potatoes
8 slices bacon
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar
cheese, divided
8 green onions, sliced, divided

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Ratings: Adam ****, Melanie ****1/2


Oriental Green Bean Salad
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices fresh ginger root, minced
1 dried red chile pepper
3/4 pound chopped fresh green beans
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pan or wok, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and chile pepper. As the garlic and ginger begin to sweat, add beans, toss to mix, cover and reduce heat. Steam for 5-8 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water if necessary.
2. Remove cover, increase heat to high; add soy and oyster sauce and stir for two minutes more or until sauce thickens. Serve warm.

Ratings: Adam **1/2, Melanie ** (though the beans were a little over cooked because of the meat not being done on time. We may try this recipe later - without the overdone-ness and then re-rate.)


Skillet Rolls
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 24 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
1 cup warm buttermilk* (110 to 115 degrees F)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

DIRECTIONS:
In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the buttermilk, butter, sugar, salt, baking soda and egg. Beat until blended. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 5 minutes. Divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Grease a 12-in. ovenproof skillet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place rolls in prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Drizzle butter over rolls. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet to a wire rack to cool.

Ratings: Adam ****, Melanie *****

Tomato enchilada bake

This is another favorite. Hmmm... I bet that it would be pretty good with leftover turkey too.

Tomato Enchilada Bake
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 4 large servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups cooked chicken meat
1 cup sour cream
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 (6.5 ounce) can canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup salsa
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, sour cream, canned diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, chopped onion, green onion, and fresh diced tomato. Mix well and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan combine tomato sauce, salsa, 2 teaspoons chili powder, oregano and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and fold together, laying snugly in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour simmered sauce over the top, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Ratings (out of 5):
Adam - **** (with jalapenos added)
Melanie - **** 1/2 (as written)

Favorite Salad

So, we didn't do our weekly 'dinner and a movie' night this week, but I thought that I would post my favorite salad recipe. It's one that my Mom often would serve at Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and I would always look forward to eating it. Truly, I know that it sounds a little icky with the sour cream, but trust me, it's wonderful!!

Raspberry Marble Salad:

Makes 8 servings

2 packages raspberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 package (10 oz) frozen raspberries
1 small can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
8 ounce box dairy sour cream

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add raspberries, stirring to thaw. Chill until partially set. Add pineapple and walnuts. Put half of mixture into 11 x 7-in pan or casserole dish. Spread sour cream over this and add second half of gelatin mixture over sour cream layer. Chill until set.

French Dips and Weeds

This past Wednesday, for our weekly 'dinner and a movie' night, we tried a sandwich recipe - (the official recipe title is just a long way to say 'French Dip' if you ask me...) and finished the last couple episodes in the first season of Weeds. The sandwiches weren't spectacular, but they were pretty good, and Weeds (if you suspend reality a little) is a pretty good show - though it takes a little while to get into. 'Official' ratings follow below.

Beef and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (1 ounce) packet dry au jus mix
1 pound thinly sliced roast beef
garlic powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
8 ounces sliced extra sharp provolone cheese
4 torpedo rolls, split

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat broiler. Prepare the au jus mix according to package directions. Add the sliced roast beef, and simmer until heated through.
2. Slice the rolls open, and place sliced side up on a baking sheet. Divide the beef between the rolls evenly, placing a portion on each slice of roll. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Top with a single layer of roasted red peppers, then cover with slices of provolone cheese.
3. Place under the broiler, about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil until the cheese melts, and the edges of the rolls are lightly toasted. Place roll halves together to make sandwiches.
4. Pour leftover au jus into small cups for each person. Serve with sandwiches for dipping.

Ratings (out of 5)
Adam: French Dip ***; Weeds ****
Melanie: French Dip***1/2; Weeds ****

Garlic Chicken and Caffeine

Not a high rating night. Ah well.

Easy Garlic Chicken

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder

DIRECTIONS:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Saute about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Ratings: (out of 5)
Adam - Garlic chicken **, Caffeine **1/2 (with Mena Suvari's rated a *)
Melanie - Garlic chicken *1/2, Caffeine **1/2

Breakfast for dinner

We had breakfast for dinner on Wednesday. Didn't get to a movie, as Adam was fixing our intermittent internet issues. YAY!! Having a consistent signal is worth missing a movie.

The casserole is a Seattle Smith favorite and the breakfast lasagna was the new recipe. We had juice and bacon too because breakfast is always a great excuse for those things. All in all, I think that the meal was a success.

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 (32 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes (I use southern style)
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish.
3. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.


Fresh Fruit Breakfast Lasagna
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. To make the crepes, whisk together the milk, flour, eggs, oil, almond extract, and sugar in a bowl until you have a smooth batter. Lightly grease a small skillet and place over medium heat. Spoon in 2 tablespoons of batter and gently tilt the skillet to spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Cook until brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the crepe and cook the other side until brown. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter until it is all used.
2. To make the filling, whisk together the pudding mix, orange juice, and sour cream in a bowl. Gently fold the strawberries, bananas and blueberries into the sour cream mixture.
3. Lightly grease the bottom of a baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the crepes. Spoon 1/2 of the fruit mixture over the crepes. Repeat with remaining fruit and crepes, finishing with the crepes as the top layer. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Allow to sit 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with whipped cream.

Adam - Casserole ****; Fruit lasagna ***1/2
Melanie - Casserole ****; Fruit lasagna ***

Margaret's Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Adam I have resumed our 'dinner and a movie' nights! We tried this recipe from Adam's aunt Margaret last night. (FWIW, she says that it's from allrecipes.com, but it will be under her name in my recipe box!) Ours turned out as more of a chili than a soup, which actually was perfect for us. Oh and yeah, it was really good!

1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can chili beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (12 fl oz) can or bottle beer (used a can of chicken broth)
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasonings

3 – whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Shredded Cheddar cheese, Sour cream & Crushed Tortilla chips

A) Place first 8 items in slow cooker, stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts
on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other
ingredients. Keep covered & cook at LOW heat, 5 hours.

B) Remove chicken, allow to cool slightly. Using a fork, pull chicken
apart, into small shreds. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker for
at least another 2 hours.

Serve, topped with a dollop of sour cream, cheddar choose and crushed
tortilla chips. Enjoy!

What makes this recipe even better is that the chicken can be frozen - no thawing needed. I don't know why, but I hate thawing meat... so this is just perfect!!

The movie last night was Knocked Up. We got a rather late start so we'll finish the movie tonight, but so far it's actually an ok movie.

Ratings:
Adam - Soup ****; Movie - ***
Melanie Soup ****1/2; Movie ***1/2

Nachos

We're really falling behind! I'm posting an oldie but a goodie (and an easy!!). =)

This one is a family favorite for a fall dinner or for Sunday afternoon football!
1.5 lb ground beef, browned
1 C medium salsa
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips OR 4 baked potatoes

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet and drain fat. Add salsa to meat, bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low and cover. Simmer for ten minutes.
2. Pour meat mixture over tortilla chips (for game day) or over baked potatoes (for dinner) and sprinkle cheese on top.
3. Enjoy!!

Adam: Nachos - "when served with a side of football **** 1/2"
Melanie: Nachos **** 1/2

Lasagna and Ballykissangel

On Wednesday, we had lasagna and watched a couple episodes of an old favorite, Ballykissangel - which actually was the reason for our visit to Ireland a couple years back.

Maybe someday soon, we'll get back to actually watching movies on movie night.

Easy Lasagna
Yields: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
32 ounces cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef. Drain the grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, half of the grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, salt and ground black pepper.
3. To assemble, in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish evenly spread 3/4 cup of the sauce mixture. Cover with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 3/4 cup of the cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with 3 noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add 1/2 water to the edges of the pan. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F(175 degrees C) oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Ratings (out of 5):
Adam - Lasagna ***; Ballykissangel *****
Melanie - Lasagna ** 1/2; Ballykissangel ****

Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers

So, we didn't watch a movie and we didn't try a new recipe last night. I guess we're slacking. However, over the weekend, we tried these new hamburgers. They were wonderful!!

Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup real bacon bits
1 egg
splash of A-1 Steak Sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, Cheddar cheese, horseradish, salt, pepper, garlic powder, bacon bits, egg and A-1 using your hands. Shape the mixture into 4 hamburger patties.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place hamburger patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

Adam - ****
Melanie - *****