Annie's Pasta Carbonara with Chicken
Ingredients:
2/3 box whole grain Pasta, cooked al dente
½ lb. thick bacon Bacon cooked in micro and broken up
1 bag 12 oz. Frozen Peas, cooked
4 oz. Cream Cheese
6 oz. Parmesan Cheese
16 T. Heavy cream
3 T. butter
2-3 chicken breasts, cooked in pan with olive oil, S&P, cut into small pieces
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
Directions:
Combine the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and butter. In pan that chicken is cooked in, add onions, bacon and peas. Add the cheese mixture to coat the chicken pan items. Add the cooked pasta and coat with sauce.
Verdict:
On taste, we'll call it 8.5/9. About 1/2 hour after eating it, Chris said he wasn't feeling great. I feel fine. It is a bit heavy, but delicious.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Another Christmas under our belts
Not truly because we haven't given the kids ours gifts. This year Deane is getting some preschool type decorations for the theatre room which we will put up one of these nights. Since he doesn't understand it, it's not really a problem to wait. And of course, Kate has no idea. But...they understand that we love them and we do....A LOT!
Frye Christmas was a week ago. The night before Christmas Eve was at Joe's Trattoria and the kids were wild. There were too many of us. We left a bit earlier than most and after getting the kids down, Chris and I drank some wine and talked about the future with Dad. This is certainly a time of transition for all of us, but we have so much to look forward to. We all have potential on our own, but it seems it should be limitless as a group.
Christmas Eve was very laid back. We spent the day with Mom, Dad, and Nicole at their house, just hanging out. Deane loved all of the time with family. Lee family Christmas Eve was at the church hall this year as we've just outgrown Mom's house. There were about 60 of us. A highlight for me was that Garrett and Alicia came back so we got to meet Baby Eden and see Bodhi. Deane was a bit aggressive, but he has some Lee cousins that can take it up a notch. We didn't escape without a head injury, but it turned out ok. We played a little cards later that night, but were tired. Kate is sleeping like a champ 6.5, 7, & 8 hours each night at Mom's house.
Christmas Day included egg casserole (Mary's recipe), Mass, visiting with Lee's, Harry & David Chicken Pie for lunch, and prepping for dinner. Jen and Andy got there about 3 and we snacked, opened gifts, ate our dinner and relaxed. Nicole was preparing to leave for London. She leave tomorrow from Chicago and thus we didn't do much after the kids were down and Andy and Jen left. Chris and I went to bed by 10.
Having a bonus weekend day for this holiday was great and gave us the opportunity to leisurely get up and pack up and get home. I finished the book I was reading, The Dissapearance of Katharina Linden. We unpacked, assembled toys, act yummy leftovers, and are now watching TV and relaxing. ....Another Christmas is a memory.
Frye Christmas was a week ago. The night before Christmas Eve was at Joe's Trattoria and the kids were wild. There were too many of us. We left a bit earlier than most and after getting the kids down, Chris and I drank some wine and talked about the future with Dad. This is certainly a time of transition for all of us, but we have so much to look forward to. We all have potential on our own, but it seems it should be limitless as a group.
Christmas Eve was very laid back. We spent the day with Mom, Dad, and Nicole at their house, just hanging out. Deane loved all of the time with family. Lee family Christmas Eve was at the church hall this year as we've just outgrown Mom's house. There were about 60 of us. A highlight for me was that Garrett and Alicia came back so we got to meet Baby Eden and see Bodhi. Deane was a bit aggressive, but he has some Lee cousins that can take it up a notch. We didn't escape without a head injury, but it turned out ok. We played a little cards later that night, but were tired. Kate is sleeping like a champ 6.5, 7, & 8 hours each night at Mom's house.
Christmas Day included egg casserole (Mary's recipe), Mass, visiting with Lee's, Harry & David Chicken Pie for lunch, and prepping for dinner. Jen and Andy got there about 3 and we snacked, opened gifts, ate our dinner and relaxed. Nicole was preparing to leave for London. She leave tomorrow from Chicago and thus we didn't do much after the kids were down and Andy and Jen left. Chris and I went to bed by 10.
Having a bonus weekend day for this holiday was great and gave us the opportunity to leisurely get up and pack up and get home. I finished the book I was reading, The Dissapearance of Katharina Linden. We unpacked, assembled toys, act yummy leftovers, and are now watching TV and relaxing. ....Another Christmas is a memory.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
BEST breakfast casserole EVER
Mary Cleary’s Breakfast Casserole (slight modification of amounts by Annie)
6 ounces Italian sausage
1/3 Cup white wine
3 green onions chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 (1lb.) loaf day old French bread, in pieces
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
1 ½ Cup whole milk
10 eggs
Cook sausage until browned, drain grease. Spread bread pieces in 9x13 pan. Drizzle melted butter over it. Sprinkle with cooked sausage. Cover with shredded cheese.
Whisk eggs, milk, white wine, mustard and green onions. Season with peppers. Pour on top of ingredients in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate over night.
Remove 30 minutes prior to baking at 325 degrees. Cover dish and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with sour cream…sprinkle with parmesan. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown.
Verdict: 10!
6 ounces Italian sausage
1/3 Cup white wine
3 green onions chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 (1lb.) loaf day old French bread, in pieces
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
1 ½ Cup whole milk
10 eggs
Cook sausage until browned, drain grease. Spread bread pieces in 9x13 pan. Drizzle melted butter over it. Sprinkle with cooked sausage. Cover with shredded cheese.
Whisk eggs, milk, white wine, mustard and green onions. Season with peppers. Pour on top of ingredients in baking dish. Cover and refrigerate over night.
Remove 30 minutes prior to baking at 325 degrees. Cover dish and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with sour cream…sprinkle with parmesan. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is slightly brown.
Verdict: 10!
Crockpot Fun
Crock pot Swiss Chicken (cousin Tina Tippett's recipe) Ingredients:
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6-7 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
Box of stuffing mix
2 sticks melted margarine
Directions:
Lightly grease crock pot with cooking spray.
Brown chicken. Place breasts on bottom.
Top with cheese.
Stir together soup with milk; pour over cheese.
Sprinkle stuffing mix over soup layer.
Drizzle melted butter on top layer.
Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.
Verdict: This was delicious and quite rich. We gave it a 9.
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Verdict: We ate this on a football Sunday with my brother Andy. The boys LOVED it. I think I would try it with crumbled bleu cheese next time and we have to experiment with various wing sauces. I used Hy-Vee brand this time. We also lightly toasted the buttered rolls. The boys give it a 10.
Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Verdict: We ate this for one of our Christmas meals. I'm not a roast person. After it was cooked I threw in some red potatoes and carrots and put it on low for two hours. We ate it with horseradish sauce too. I would call it a 6, but the guys seemed to like it quite a bit.
5-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6-7 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
Box of stuffing mix
2 sticks melted margarine
Directions:
Lightly grease crock pot with cooking spray.
Brown chicken. Place breasts on bottom.
Top with cheese.
Stir together soup with milk; pour over cheese.
Sprinkle stuffing mix over soup layer.
Drizzle melted butter on top layer.
Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.
Verdict: This was delicious and quite rich. We gave it a 9.
Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Verdict: We ate this on a football Sunday with my brother Andy. The boys LOVED it. I think I would try it with crumbled bleu cheese next time and we have to experiment with various wing sauces. I used Hy-Vee brand this time. We also lightly toasted the buttered rolls. The boys give it a 10.
Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Verdict: We ate this for one of our Christmas meals. I'm not a roast person. After it was cooked I threw in some red potatoes and carrots and put it on low for two hours. We ate it with horseradish sauce too. I would call it a 6, but the guys seemed to like it quite a bit.
Some made up recipes
Annie's Chicken Pot Pie:
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chicken Breast, cubed
Herbed Cream Cheese (chive and onion)
Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I used a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in a butter sauce)
Crescent Rolls
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown chicken in olive oil in sauté pan. Mixed cream cheese and frozen vegetables into pan. Pour mixture into a pie plate and cover with crescent rolls. Place in oven until crescent rolls are done.
Verdict: Really yummy! We gave it a 9.
Annie's Crusted Chicken with Creamy Sauce
Ingredients:
4-5 Chicken Breast halves
Herbed Cream Cheese (chive and onion)
Crackers (used Ritz reduced fat, crumbled)
Parmesan Cheese (approx. 1/3 cup)
Egg or Water for pre-coat
Olive oil
Directions: Coat chicken with water or egg and dip in mix of broken crackers and parmesan cheese. Cook in olive oil on high heat in pan; brown and cook. Liquefy cream cheese in pan with stock.
Verdict: I forgot I was going to use the stock and just did the cream cheese alone. I want to try it the other way, but we still thought it was an 8.
Annie's California Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2-3 Chicken Breast, cubed
2 Avocados
1/4 c. Walnut
1/2 white Onion
1 T. minced Garlic
2-3 ribs Celery
1/2 Tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Cook chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Combine with other ingredient.
Verdict: We ate it both on bread and with tortilla chips. The chips were better. You could add salsa or feta to get it a couple different twists. We gave it an 8. Remember if you have leftovers to add lemon juice or something to preserve your avocado.
Annie's Chicken Pear Bleu Bites
Ingredients:
Chicken breast strips, cut to bite size 16 pieces (1 large breast or 2 smaller)
1 pear
3 oz. Cream cheese
1/4 c. pecans or walnuts
1 tube Crescent Rolls
1 c. Bleu cheese
Directions: Cook chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix cream cheese, bleu cheese, nuts. Cut pear into 16 thin slices. Cut the each roll into two triangles. Spread cheese mixture onto rolls and wrap chicken and pear inside and roll up. Cook rolls according to package.
Verdict: We love these as a meal or appetizer. We gave it a 9.
If it's not obvious, I have been in love cream cheese lately!
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chicken Breast, cubed
Herbed Cream Cheese (chive and onion)
Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I used a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in a butter sauce)
Crescent Rolls
Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown chicken in olive oil in sauté pan. Mixed cream cheese and frozen vegetables into pan. Pour mixture into a pie plate and cover with crescent rolls. Place in oven until crescent rolls are done.
Verdict: Really yummy! We gave it a 9.
Annie's Crusted Chicken with Creamy Sauce
Ingredients:
4-5 Chicken Breast halves
Herbed Cream Cheese (chive and onion)
Crackers (used Ritz reduced fat, crumbled)
Parmesan Cheese (approx. 1/3 cup)
Egg or Water for pre-coat
Olive oil
Directions: Coat chicken with water or egg and dip in mix of broken crackers and parmesan cheese. Cook in olive oil on high heat in pan; brown and cook. Liquefy cream cheese in pan with stock.
Verdict: I forgot I was going to use the stock and just did the cream cheese alone. I want to try it the other way, but we still thought it was an 8.
Annie's California Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
2-3 Chicken Breast, cubed
2 Avocados
1/4 c. Walnut
1/2 white Onion
1 T. minced Garlic
2-3 ribs Celery
1/2 Tomato
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Cook chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Combine with other ingredient.
Verdict: We ate it both on bread and with tortilla chips. The chips were better. You could add salsa or feta to get it a couple different twists. We gave it an 8. Remember if you have leftovers to add lemon juice or something to preserve your avocado.
Annie's Chicken Pear Bleu Bites
Ingredients:
Chicken breast strips, cut to bite size 16 pieces (1 large breast or 2 smaller)
1 pear
3 oz. Cream cheese
1/4 c. pecans or walnuts
1 tube Crescent Rolls
1 c. Bleu cheese
Directions: Cook chicken with olive oil and salt and pepper. Mix cream cheese, bleu cheese, nuts. Cut pear into 16 thin slices. Cut the each roll into two triangles. Spread cheese mixture onto rolls and wrap chicken and pear inside and roll up. Cook rolls according to package.
Verdict: We love these as a meal or appetizer. We gave it a 9.
If it's not obvious, I have been in love cream cheese lately!
Catching up on Eating
This month I've returned to cooking and want to record what I've made and what we thought of it.
Tonight was a Tortilla Cake:
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
• 4 whole heads garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•
For the Tortilla Cake:
•
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 cups finely chopped red onions (about 5 medium)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 12 large flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
Prepare the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top 1/2 inch off the garlic heads and discard. Place the heads on a large piece of foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Wrap up foil tightly; place the package in a small baking dish. Roast until the garlic is soft and lightly browned, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the tortilla cake: Combine the canola oil and onions in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring (don't over brown). Add the butter and sugar; cook, stirring to caramelize. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Once cooled, mix the onions with the parmesan, mayonnaise and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and stir into the onion mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Set aside 1/3 of the onion mixture in the refrigerator for the dipping sauce. Spread 2 tablespoons of the remaining mixture on top of a tortilla and cover with another tortilla. Repeat, spreading and stacking the tortillas; finish with a tortilla with no mixture on top. Wrap the tortilla stack in plastic wrap and let set up for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
After the stack has set up, cut into 16 wedges. Preheat a grill or grill pan; warm wedges over medium heat until both sides are marked. Combine the reserved onion mixture with the balsamic vinegar to make the dipping sauce.
Verdict: We thought it was too sweet and actually tossed the two remaining pieces (we cut into 8). I think I would try it without carmelizing the onions and maybe add very tenderized grilled chicken or beef. Chris said 6.5; I say 3 or 4.
Tonight was a Tortilla Cake:
Ingredients
For the Roasted Garlic:
• 4 whole heads garlic
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•
For the Tortilla Cake:
•
• 1 cup canola oil
• 4 cups finely chopped red onions (about 5 medium)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 12 large flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
Prepare the roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the top 1/2 inch off the garlic heads and discard. Place the heads on a large piece of foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Wrap up foil tightly; place the package in a small baking dish. Roast until the garlic is soft and lightly browned, 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the tortilla cake: Combine the canola oil and onions in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring (don't over brown). Add the butter and sugar; cook, stirring to caramelize. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Once cooled, mix the onions with the parmesan, mayonnaise and cilantro in a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their skins and stir into the onion mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Set aside 1/3 of the onion mixture in the refrigerator for the dipping sauce. Spread 2 tablespoons of the remaining mixture on top of a tortilla and cover with another tortilla. Repeat, spreading and stacking the tortillas; finish with a tortilla with no mixture on top. Wrap the tortilla stack in plastic wrap and let set up for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
After the stack has set up, cut into 16 wedges. Preheat a grill or grill pan; warm wedges over medium heat until both sides are marked. Combine the reserved onion mixture with the balsamic vinegar to make the dipping sauce.
Verdict: We thought it was too sweet and actually tossed the two remaining pieces (we cut into 8). I think I would try it without carmelizing the onions and maybe add very tenderized grilled chicken or beef. Chris said 6.5; I say 3 or 4.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Today was a long one
As stay at home days go. There wasn't much new to do - no new dinner recipe, no visits, nowhere to go. We all slept a LOT last night. Deane actually slept from 4PM to 5:40AM with a couple of short wake ups. We went to bed at 8:45PM, but we all woke up tired. So, today with little to break up the day, it seemed to drag on. Deane tested all boundaries as he's done a lot lately. He's into throwing things and today it was balls at me and his sister. Tonight it was his sippy cup at the wall. Chris has been asleep on the couch since about 8:15PM and it looks like I'll be reading in the bath tonight. Tomorrow we're going to visit Santa. I expect Kate will actually sit on his lap and Deane will not, but we shall see.
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