21 Aug 2018

Dinner for Dinos

by | posted in: Books | 7

Meal times at our house aren’t where I want them – but nor are they are bad as they once were.

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I remember when our older was little, we’d spend every night sweeping up the crumbs on the floor thinking this season would last forever.  Then we had a second little boy.  So, the season stretched on.

But, then you know what, they learn how to eat.  Now, we seldom have to sweep the floor, though my husband is gracious and sweeps our eating area!

Now, we don’t have to deal with messes all the time, but instead we are teaching our boys how to have conversation at the table, no burping at the table, not to try to be silly and make the other one laugh at the table, how to sit and wait for everyone to finish or not start until every one sits down, not to bring toys to the table.

Instead, we want our table to be a life-giving spot. A spot to talk, enjoy good food, talk about our days, share life together.  We’ll get there.  Its not where I want it to be – but we can take steps every meal to get there, right?

Do you have any tips on how to make meal times

better with young school age kids?

Tommy Nelson sent me this book about dinosaurs and dinner.  Yes, I thought it was a perfect book for our family because sometimes we have dinosaurs at the dinner table with us.  In this book the author talks about shopping for food, the health benefits of certain foods, eating foods you may not like, setting the table, eating everything and not burping, and enjoying the food.

So, if your kids love dinosaurs and you want a book about how to eat at the dinner table – then this book is for you.  You can win a copy of this book for yourself.  Just tell me

What is your child’s favorite meal? 

What meal will they gobble up and ask for seconds and want every meal?

17 Oct 2017

Lavish Hospitality 15

by | posted in: 31days, food, lavish hospitality, Uncategorized | 0

We are halfway there.  Thanks so much for reading.  Can’t wait to finish out the month with yall.

Since becoming a mom, I think I’ve cooked less and less. I prefer simple meals or take out or Publix rotisserie chickens.  I’m tried throughout the day.  When my husband is home I want to do other things other than just stand in the kitchen and crank out a week’s worth of food.

I know cooking is healthier and easier on the budget for the family – but goodness, tough to get in the kitchen and do.  Especially when half of my people around the table may not even eat it.

But, part of my responsibility (in our family) is to cook and make sure we have food to eat.  My mister will cook but he is usually at work until dinner time, but he always gets up with the boys and gets them breakfast.  I’m extremely blessed – also, with a nearby Publix or Trader Joes.

So, how do I welcome my misters with food?  I thought I would be a wife and a mom who always had a homecooked meal on the table.  Usually I was that kind of wife, but I’m not that type of mom.  I mean, we eat every night.  But only a few days a week is it a fresh homecooked meal.

Here are my tips:

Little Caesars Pizza.

Publix: bagged salad mixes, chicken tenders or rotisserie from the deli.

Dollar menu items.

Bagged veggies with sweet potatoes

Instant Pot

Crock Pot

A local food delivery or pick up service (we found a local place that has freezer meals on hand you can pick up.  And a friend of mine does this as well).

Cereal.

Eggs, fruit, grits

Trader Joes freezer section.

Hope these items help you offer hospitality to your family by getting food on the table.  What are your quick go-to food helps?

Quote from Karen Ehman A Life That Says Welcome

 

22 Jul 2015

Easiest Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Easiest Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I’ve mentioned already this month that we are on a very tight grocery budget so I’m making the most of it by using what I already have.  So, I was rummaging through my freezer – and for this meal I only needed to be 1 can of cream of chicken soup.  How effecient is that?

I love comfort food.  My mister finds that strange.  Do you love comfort food?  I’m talking about mostly foods that you can eat with a spoon: my Granny’s chicken and rice, pie, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, cereal, mashed potatoes, guacamole.  The list could go on.  My mister knows that I have a relationship with food because I’ll sit down on the couch with a big bowl in my hand and sometimes sigh as I dig into my favorite dessert or pasta goodness (I don’t do that as often but the relationship still exists.

The biscuits I used were leftover from a 4th of July cookout I went to.  I just saved some of the biscuits in the freezer and used them here.

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Easiest Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
A homemade comfort food staple in short time
Ingredients
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • ½ bag of frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
  • 3 cups shredded chicken (I had some in the freezer)
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 Leftover Joy the Baker biscuits
Instructions
  1. Saute your onions in the butter.
  2. Add the mixed vegetables and cook until thawed.
  3. Add everything else (not the biscuits) and stir until combined
  4. Pour into a shallow baking dish.
  5. Top with thawed biscuits.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are warmed.
So, if you need a quick comfort food meal to put on the table in less than 30 minutes, here is one for you.

10 Apr 2015

Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen, Uncategorized | 0

Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese

My husband would quickly tell you that my favorite meal would either consist entirely of macaroni and cheese or maybe just throw a good medium steak topped with onion and mushrooms on the side for some more protein.

So, since my younger son is teething and longs for soft foods, I decided today would be the day to make some homemade cheesy goodness for their dinner – and to have as a side to some leftover bbq sliders for my husbands dinner.

 

 

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Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Pasta
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6-8
 
Southern, baked, double the cheese, heavy cream - how delicious!
Ingredients
  • 1 box elbow pasta, cooked to al dente according to directions
  • ½ stick unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 T dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper
  • 1½ cup heavy cream
  • 1½ cup whole milk
  • 7 oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup italian bread crumbs
  • 2 T cold unsalted butter
  • 2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to directions. Cook with oil and salted water - so your pasta doesn't clump together.
  2. In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together until no clumps remain.
  3. Add in milk and cream and spices.
  4. Add in sharp cheddar.
  5. When all is blended together, fold in pasta.
  6. When pasta is all coated, sprinkle on Italian bread crumbs.
  7. Cut the butter in tiny pieces and place on top of the pasta.
  8. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
  9. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until cheese on top is melted and browned.
15 Sep 2014

Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen | 0

Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Mexican Food.  Easily my favorite comfort food.  Give me a big bowl of fresh guacamole and some tortilla chips and I’m a happy camper.  You can’t go wrong with anything Mexican.  I do like making it at home, but don’t usually – I guess I would rather go out and get it.

We had a date the other night – and I love cooking for our babysitters.  I decided to make homemade enchiladas and hoped the recipe turned out well since I didn’t even try it before we left the house. Half the pan was gone by the time we arrived home – great amount for a meal’s worth of leftovers for us the next day.

Rotisserie chickens are good and all from grocery stores, but I also like making my own roasted chicken.  Especially for recipes like that – because I usually can’t find a tex-mex flavor rotisserie chicken in the deli.  This one was so easy and I did it the night before while the mister and I were watching one of the our favorite summer shows.

You can serve this with red or green enchilada sauce and whatever side dish you want – we chose black beans (which I doctored up with lime juice and some avocado)

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Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Author: 
Recipe type: Casserole
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Mexican comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken
  • taco seasoning
  • 6 whole wheat tortillas (medium size)
  • 1½ cans red enchilada sauce)
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1 onion
  • ½ cup canned corn, drained
  • ½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 small can chopped green chilis, drained
  • 3 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. Rinse and pat dry a whole chicken. Remove inner parts of chicken if any. Put in a pan and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle (ok, a lot) of taco seasoning on top.
  3. Cook for about an hour or until done. (depends on the size of your chicken)
  4. Let rest and cool then shred the chicken.
  5. In a pan on stove, heat more oil.
  6. Cook onion for about 3 minutes, then add corn, chilis, and beans to heat through - about 3 more minutes.
  7. In a 2 quart casserole, start layering with enchilada sauce, then tortillas (I tore mine to fit the pan I used),
  8. Then refried beans, chicken, onion mixture, cheese.
  9. Repeat layer one more time for a total of two layers.
  10. Top with tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
  11. Bake for about 35 minutes on 350 until all the cheese is melted.
  12. Enjoy!
 

27 Mar 2014

Eat This: Baked Pizza Chicken

by | posted in: food | 0

baked pizza chicken

Garlic.  Tomato.  Cheese.  Crust.  Italian Sausage.  Onions.  Gooey-stringy.  Texture.  Taste.  Comfort.

All of the above give you a snapshot into why I love pizza.  What I don’t love about pizza: the way it makes me feel.  I can’t eat it as much anymore and I will save the rarities for grace pizza.

I still love the flavors of pizza so I want to incorporate those flavors into a more healthy dish for my family.  This was gobbled up by my men and me one evening for dinner.

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Baked Pizza Chicken
Author: 
Recipe type: Dinner
Cuisine: Chicken
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
An easy baked chicken dish with all the flavors of pizza.
Ingredients
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 10 slices pepperoni
  • ½ cup full fat ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup Italian cheese
  • 1 T Italian seasonings
  • 8 oz angel hair pasta
Instructions
  1. In an oven-safe dish, spray or grease the bottom.
  2. Place your chicken in it.
  3. Season both sides of your chicken with salt and pepper and italan seasonings.
  4. Smear ricotta cheese over both pieces of chicken.
  5. Layer the pepperoni over the top of the ricotta cheese.
  6. Pour the pizza sauce over the top of the entire dish.
  7. Top with the Italian cheese.
  8. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until chicken is done (will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are).
  9. In the meantime, cook angel hair (or any other pasta) according to package directions.
  10. When chicken is done, slice on the diagonal and layer on top of the noodles.
  11. Serve with salad or garlic bread.
 

16 Mar 2014

Eat This: Spicy 3 Cheese Macaroni and Cheese

by | posted in: food | 0

3 cheese mac

Macaroni and Cheese will live on in my taste buds as one of the best foods in the world.  Blue box or baked – if there is mac and cheese at a table, you can assure yourself that I will have some on my plate.

So, looking through my pantry and fridge this afternoon, I made up this one to take to community group tonight.  Enjoy it – and long live macaroni and cheese!

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Spicy 3 Cheese Mac
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Comfort, Pasta
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Creamy macaroni and cheese sure to please
Ingredients
  • 8 oz elbow macaroni
  • 6 T unsalted butter
  • 3 T flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 block cream cheese
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 T stone ground mustard
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • ½ cup uncooked oats or wheat bread crumbs,
  • ¼ tsp sage
  • ¼ tsp oregano
  • ¾ cup Italian cheese blend
  • 2 T butter, chopped
Instructions
  1. Bring water to boil for pasta - include olive oil and salt to flavor water. Cook until done - about 8 minutes.
  2. In another pan, heat butter until melted. Add in flour and stir until combined about 2 minutes. Add in milk and bring to a boil.
  3. Stir in cream cheese and cheddar cheese and mustard. Then add in cooked pasta.
  4. Place in greased casserole.
  5. Top with Italian cheese.
  6. Top with oats (crushed in food processor) and seasonings.
  7. Dot with butter.
  8. Cook uncovered at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until brown and melted gooeyness.