Oaty Eggy Blueberry Pancakey Goodness

Hello everyone! I realize it has been close to a million years since my last post, but I was making breakfast this morning and wanted to share this awesome recipie with the world...or at least the 12 people who will read this :) So, here ya go!

The ingredient roundup:

Quick oats, 3 eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, brown sugar, flax seed, milk, and blueberries. However, this is only one possible combination. Apple slices with pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon would also be delish.

About a cup of oats.

I put mine in the food processor for about 30 seconds just to make the texture a little smoother. Also, anytime I can aggressively grind anything on a Sunday morning, I tend to have a lot less stress and frustration in the rest of my day. Suck it, anger management.

Nice mealy texture.

Get cracking

Flax seed! If you have never used them before, start slow. You'll understand why if you don't. Tip: don't make chili for dinner with this, ok? I share because I care.

Add milk (about a cup, maybe more for thinner cakes) and blue berries. Whisk. Revel in being a domestic goddess while ignoring your screaming children.

This recipe makes about 5 pancakes using a soup ladle. If you have a way of pouring them onto the griddle or using a smaller spoon you could probably still get 6 good sized pancakes.

Because they are so dense, they don't bubble like normal pancakes when ready to flip. When your spatula can slide all the way under without sticking, gets to flippin'.

Obligatory final shot before they get destroyed with hungry abandon.

To borrow Kix's line, "Kid tested, mother approved"! Enjoy!!

Not your Momma's Lasagna.

This meal is not my creation.  This is my dear friend Leslie's brain child and I am stealing it.  Thanks, Les =)

 The ingredient roundup
Spaghetti sauce
1 can of mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can of corn
1 can of refried beans
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 bag of cheddar or mexican cheese
1 box of lasagna noodles.  ( I used whole wheat because I like the texture.  Les uses soft shell tortillas instead of pasta and it is really good that way, too.  It also uses one less pan, so that is definitely a bonus.)
1 lb of ground beef, turkey (shown here), or veggie crumbles if you are vegetarian.

 Mutiltasking at it's finest.  Browning the meat, and softening the noodles in warm water.  The goal is not to cook the pasta fully because then it gets all, well, noodle-y.  Spreading refried beans on cooked noodles?  Not fun. Slippery Noodle.  Sounds like an adult beverage.

 When the turkey is done, add the can of corn, the jar of spaghetti sauce, the stewed tomatoes and the taco seasoning.

 Build like a traditional lasagna.

 Layer the beans on first.

 Beans and noodles, meet turkey and cheese.

Layer, layer, layer.

I don't have a final picture of this one, because I finished cooking it at Leslie's house.  As I found out, it is ok to invite yourself, your hubby, and your 2 kids over to a good friends house on a Saturday night....as long as you bring food ;)  Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes. Slop sloppy joes.

You don't have to be a man to love Manwich. You also don't have to eat Manwich out of a can. I make a pretty bomb diggity sloppy joe sauce from scratch, and it only takes about 15 minutes to do so. I realize that no one has said bomb diggity since 1998, but it's my blog and I will use old '90s phrases if I want to.

The ingredient round up
Ground beef, turkey, or in this case, veggie crumbles
Olive oil to coat the pan and the sweet potatoes later
Worcestershire sauce
Green pepper and white onion
Brown sugar.  Why DO you taste so good? ( C'mon. You were thinking it too.)
1/2 jar or regular pizza sauce
Cheese to melt into the pan later
Buns or rolls
Notice all my markdown stickers?  I love me some clearance items.
3 medium sized sweet potatoes

Chop up the sweet potatoes into cubes.  Lightly coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake at 425 while making the sloppy joes, because you can't have joes without sweet potater tots.

Chop up the green pepper and onion.

Sweat them in the ban with some olive oil until soft.

Add your meat ( or meat substitute) and the pizza sauce.  Also add enough Worcestershire sauce to give it a brownish color, and add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  The sweetness cuts down the bitterness of the tomatoes, and also adds a nice carmel color.

 Finally, melt some cheese into the mix.  My name is Kendra, and I am a cheese-a-holic.

 Look at that plate.  Who's drooling?

Even the munchkins love this one!  Enjoy!

Some Like it Hot

This is one of my all time favorite, go-to dinners. It literally takes 5 minutes to assemble and can either be cooked on the stove top or all day in a crock pot, like I did here. I made it with chicken this time, but you can easily leave out the meat and it is just as tasty as a vegetarian dish. It is spicy and satisfying, and perfect for those nights when the last thing you want to do is make a big elaborate dinner. It is also made of almost all canned goods, so it is also super convenient, especially when you really need to go to the grocery store....my family knows it's time to go shopping when I bust out the taco soup because it usually means we don't have anything fresh left in the house!

The ingredient roundup
1 box of stock, chicken or veggie makes the best choices
1 can of Rotel ( this is where the spice comes from. They also make 'mild' flavored if you don't care for the heat)
I can of corn, or 1/2 bag of frozen corn. In the summer, I make it with fresh corn off the cob and it is amazing!
2 cans of chicken. If this is disgusting to you, as it kind of is to me, you can get a rotisserie chicken and shred it.
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 packet of dry ranch salad dressing mix ( not pictured). Make sure it isn't the ranch dip mix. Tried that once. The memory still haunts me.
1 can of red beans, 1 can of black beans
2 handfuls of dry pasta....any more than that and it is no longer a soup. I use whole wheat pasta, because I think the texture holds up better.
Also, I use Reynolds crock pot liners. They are the best invention EVER. They are essentially your Grandma's plastic couch cover, but for your crock pot.

Drain and rinse the beans. Leave the juice on everything else though, like the tomatoes and the corn.

Add the stock and stir.

Cook until the pasta is tender, usually about 4 hours in a crock pot or 20 minutes on the stove top.

The finished product! This has about 8 servings, but if you wanted to make it for a family get together or football game, just double it up. Usually I serve it with shredded cheddar, crunched up tortilla chips, and a dollop of guacamole. In this case, Momma needs to grocery shop. Sooooo, no toppings. However, still one of the best soups I make. Hope everyone loves it as much as I do! Feel free to comment or ask for specific recipe ideas too. Yum yum goodness from me to you!

Actually, it is easy being cheesy.

I have been sick forever.  For close to a month now, I've either had a cold, a cough, or an ear infection.  I am sick of being sick.  I'd like to think I'm just ahead of the game, trendsetting for the upcoming cold and flu season.  The problem with being sick, aside from it just generally sucking, is that all I want to do is eat junk.  The only kinds of things that sound good are baked goods, grilled cheese, and anything starchy mashed up with butter in it.  I'm sure that the poor diet isn't helping to speed up my recovery at all, so tonight's meal was inspired by my lame-ass immune system, laziness, and a desire for melted cheese.

  

 The ingredient roundup:
-2 cups stock ( I used the stock I had left over from last night's chili)
-2 cups of microwaveable brown rice.
-1 pepper, any color, 1/2 a head of broccoli and 1/2 a head of cauliflower are the fresh ingredients in this meal
-copious amounts of cheese
-Salt and Peppa. ( I know it's spelled pepper.  I just think peppa is more fun. )

 Add 2 cups of rice to 2 cups of stock and microwave for about 5 minutes.

 Chopped up veggie deliciousness.

 After the rice has been zapped for 5 minutes, add the raw vegetables into the dish.  Add salt and pippa ( still more fun). Put the lid back on.

 Zap again for 5 more minutes.

 While all of this steaming is going on, turn the broiler on high. Or, 'HI' as my oven says.  It is so friendly.

B.C. ( before cheese)

 A.D. ( added deliciousness)

 Broil until the cheese gets all brown and yummy.

 *drool*

Frank's Hot Sauce, Killian's, and a plate of hot cheesy goodness.  *sigh*  I'm feeling better already.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter....Chili. Say What?

This chili recipe may be unconventional, but trust me, it is delish.  It is also super easy, vegetarian friendly, thick and satisfying.  I am always trying out new flavor combos when it comes to this fall staple, and this has got to be my favorite so far!  So, enjoy.  And don't be scurred....it's just a little peanut butter.

 Ingredient roundup:
-Chili Powder.  As you can see, we take our chili powder seriously around here.  Industrial sized tub of seasoning purchased at Sam's Club.
-Green pepper, half a white onion, two stalks of celery and one clove of garlic are the fresh ingredients in this meal.  Dried onions and garlic powder will work too if that is all you have on hand, or if you cringe at the thought of the dreaded 'onion finger'. (Tip on avoiding that after cooking aroma on your hands: tinfoil.  Seriously. After you wash your hands with soap and water, rub your hands on foil or anything metal for that matter.  Sometimes I use the faucet.  I'm no scientist but this is clearly magic. You can thank me later).
-2 cans or half a box of your favorite stock.  I used veggie stock, but beef or chicken will work just as well if you are feeling a little carnivorous.
-1/2 cup of raw quick oats.  These do an amazing job of thickening the chili.  They are also a great meat substitute for their chewy texture.  They also add an extra punch of fiber.  Which brings me to....
-3 cans of whatever kinds of beans you like.  I personally like a mix of light and dark red, but black beans would be good in this too.  I am aware that this is a very bean-tastic dish.  Not everyone is as, ahem, tolerant of quite so many at one time.  Feel free to use one can less if necessary for your gastrointestinal comfort. =)
-2 small cans of tomato sauce.
-Splash of extra virgin olive oil ( shown later)
-Generous scoop of peanut butter (also shown later)

 Chop those veggies.

 Put them in a pot on medium heat with a little extra virgin olive oil, and let it sweat for a few minutes.  When the onions look a little waxy, add the next round of ingredients.

 Chili powder goes in next.  Season to your own taste.  We like a lot of chili powder. A lot. A LOT.

 Trust me.  You want to do this.

 Don't be a chicken.  Just plop a big spoonful in.  First of all, it will not taste like a cookie or breakfast dish, I promise.  Secondly, you will not believe the depth of flavor and creaminess this little pb adds.  It adds a surprisingly 'meaty' taste as well.  As a quasi-part-time-wanna-be-vegetarian, this really helps it to retain that classic meat chili texture.

 1/2 cup of oats.  That's all it needs.  Any more and this chili will become a casserole.  Hmmmm.....maybe a new idea is forming here.

 Yummy, yummy.

Simmer down now.  Let this cook on a low heat for about 30 minutes.  Taste often and re-season if necessary.  I find that the oats absorb a lot of the flavor so some extra salt and pepper may be just the ticket.

I like to top mine with a little shredded cheddar and serve it right away, but this is just as good if not better as leftovers the next day.  I love comments, so let me know what you think!