Mom's EASY One Bowl Homemade Fudge

I used to be so much better about making all kinds of fun treats at Christmas time.  I would carefully package my homemade goodies in very festive containers and deliver them to friends, family and neighbors.  I now have three extremely helpful baking assistants that liven things up and severely slow things down during my little holiday bake-a-thons.  The festive containers never make it off the shelf in the basement these days.  Not that I'm complaining!  Nothing makes me happier than to see my girls wearing head to toe flour and eating giant hunks of cookie dough!

Nowadays, I stick to easy recipes like this fudge my mom used to make when I was little.  I love that all of the ingredients can be mixed in one bowl and then microwaved!  I think the whole process takes less than five minutes!  So simple.

Fudge

Ingredients:
6 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips (Using semi sweet will result in a dark chocolate flavored fudge.  Use milk chocolate chips or a combo of both if you prefer!)
2 (14 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 stick of butter (cut into chunks for easier melting)
a little pad of butter for greasing the pan
(1/2 cup of nuts is optional!)

Directions:
1.  Butter a 9 X 13 baking dish.*
2.  Place all ingredients in a bowl.
3.  Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals, removing the bowl after each and stirring.  Be very careful not to microwave it for longer than those intervals.  The chocolate can burn very easily.  The whole melting process should take a total of 3-5 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is.
4.  Pour the melted mixture into the buttered dish, cover and refrigerate until set (about an hour).  Top with sprinkles or other fun edible decorations!!  Slice with a pizza cutter.

*You could also line the pan with foil and then butter the foil.  When the fudge is set, you can turn over the pan and the fudge will come right out.

Enjoy and happy holidays everyone!!

homemade hot chocolate mix

Viewer discretion advised...After reading this post you will be tempted to mix up a batch of this deliciously rich and chocolaty hot cocoa mix.  Your children will slurp down a mug of it and NEVER be able to drink ANY other store bought packet or keurig k-cup on he market EVER again.  I promise. 

This is now our third year making our own hot cocoa mix.  Last year, I linked up the original recipe from Alton Brown on the Food Network.  After a few inquiries, I have decided to repost my adaptation!  We love to give this mix as a gift to friends and teachers.  It looks super festive in a mason jar topped with some holiday fabric.  See the post HERE to view pictures of our cocoa all dressed up!  

It is also absolutely fabulous with a couple splashes of Baileys.  Please try!!!

Prep Ahead Plan:  I quadruple this recipe and store it in giant mason jars.  

Hot Cocoa Mix

adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa 
• 2 1/2 cups non-dairy creamer 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly.

2.  To make cocoa:  Use about 2 tablespoons of mix per 1 cup of hot milk.  Top with marshmallows and whipped cream!!!!

Lasagna Soup...A MUST TRY!!!

I love the smell of a giant pot of soup simmering on the stove on a Sunday afternoon!  I often make a pot of soup on the weekend to have a few days later on a busy weeknight.  Sometimes I get stuck, rotating the same soup recipes from week to week.  It’s easy, familiar and I already know what my critics have to say.  I branched out a couple weeks ago and made this Paula Dean soup and was NOT disappointed!  The taste of lasagna without having to assemble the layers and create lots of dirty dishes.  Genius!!!  Simple, delicious and a hit for sure!  Broiling the cheese on top is a MUST.  

Prep Ahead Plan:  As with most soups, this soup only gets better as it sits in the fridge.  Make over the weekend and have during the week for dinner (and probably a few lunches as it makes a ton). 

Lasagna Soup

adapted from Paula Dean

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (or ½ lb ground beef and ½ lb Italian sausage)

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 ½ cartons (32-ounce) box chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups broken lasagna noodles (about 4-5 noodles)

1 (5-ounce) package grated Parmesan cheese

shredded mozzarella cheese for topping

Directions

1.  Combine beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic in a soup pot. Cook until beef is browned. Drain well.

2.  Stir in brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

3.  Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese. 

4.  When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Ladle soup into until cheese is browned and bubbly.  Enjoy!!!! 

Oven Baked Salsa Chicken

Can you tell we eat a lot of Mexican inspired dishes in our house?  Here is a GREAT weeknight recipe I came across on Allrecipes.  I adapted it slightly and served it over rice!  It was a huge hit and it is ridiculously easy!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Prepare recipe in a 9 X 13 baking dish the night before and leave it in the fridge until ready to bake.


Ingredients
1 packet of taco seasoning  OR I used the recipe found HERE!)
1 jar of salsa (16oz)
6 thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar (I like to use the Mexican blend they sell in the store)
Chipotle flavored tabasco (optional)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray.
2.  Rub the chicken breasts with the taco seasoning.
3.  Pour a little salsa on the bottom of the pan and spread it around.  Place the chicken in the pan and top with more salsa.  (You can use as much or as little as you want).
4.  Top with a few splashes of tabasco (if using) and then with the cheese.  Bake for 40 minutes or longer for thicker chicken breasts!  Serve over rice!

This Week's Menu

Every once in a while I receive an email asking about menu planning.  Generally people want to know if I have tried any of the menu planning software on the market.  Although I am curious about how they work and have heard great things about programs such as MacGourmet Deluxe and Living Cookbook, I haven't tried them.  Generally I sit down sometime between Thursday night and Saturday morning to make a menu and shopping list for the coming week. Before I decide on the menu, I take into account what I can use that's frozen, sales and coupons, work days and after school activities that don't land us home until six o'clock.  Here's this week's menu complete with links and a shopping list!

Saturday:  Chicken Enchiladas, served with rice, carrots sticks and a salad

Sunday:  Michigan Pot Roast, PW mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday:  Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, sauteed spinach (I've never made this recipe before, but it gets good reviews.  I'm going to read the reviews and adapt the recipe accordingly!)

Tuesday: Autumn Pork Chops, cous cous, steamed broccoli

Wednesday:  Paula Dean's Lasagna Soup, salad

Thursday:  Oven Baked Shrimp Scampi, roasted zuchini with olive oil and garlic

Friday:  Make Your Own Pizza, salad


Shopping List:
Lots of these items may be in your kitchen cabinets and fridge already.  I wanted to include everything that would be needed for the recipes in case my pantry staples are not yours!

2 packages (10 count)  flour tortillas
(2)8 ounce cream cheese
shredded mexican cheese blend
salsa
rotisserie chicken
brown rice
carrots
lettuce
4 pound chuck roast
onion soup mix
beef broth
corn starch
5 lb bag russet potatoes
green beans
butter
half and half
6 center cut pork chops
brown sugar
4 apples
cooking sherry
cinnamon
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can biscuit dough
onion
5 boneless chicken breast
spinach
garlic
olive oil
green pepper
1 pound ground beef
2-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
lasagna noodles
15 ounce can tomato sauce
2 -16 ounce bags mozzarella
2 pounds frozen, raw shrimp
2 shallots
white wine
lemon
parsley
rosemary
crushed red pepper
panko bread crumbs
egg
zucchini
5- 7 inch pizza crust
jar of tomato sauce
lettuce and salad fixings

A different kind of pizza night...

I should preface this post by explaining that providing my family with homemade, all natural and organic food is of utmost importance to me.  However, a weekly shopping trip to Whole Foods where I can easily spend upwards of $600 on groceries to feed our family of five, simply isn't realistic.  I shop farmers markets and store brand organics to save money but fall and winter are seasons where I am looking to save even more.  Quite frankly, back to school clothes, shoes, fleeces, backpacks and more have us spending a ton.  It seems like as soon as we're done with that long list of must-haves, it's time to Christmas shop.  Ugh.

This post is a little different than my other "prep ahead" posts in that I'm sharing more of a food budget strategy than an actual recipe.  In all honesty, I've never been a great sale shopper.  I get a 40% off code for Gap and spend 5 times as much as I normally would because of the "sale." Retailers love people like me.  My lack of money saving abilities is one reason why I'm particularly proud of my most recent pizza night revelation!

For as long as I can remember, Friday night has been pizza night in our house.  Most weeks, we order out.  On average we spend about $35 on two large pizzas.  This adds up to about $1820 a year!  Crazy, right!?  In an effort to save money, we have started "make your own pizza Fridays." The concept of making your own pizza is not new to us, my girls LOVE it and we do it often.  It was only a few weeks ago, that I calculated the savings.  In order to mimic the convenience and simplicity of ordering pizza, I buy pre-made crusts, jarred or canned sauce and store brand cheese totaling  $13.47 per week or $700.44 per year.  That's a savings of $1119.56 per year.  Not bad, right?  If you're looking to save even more, make your own dough!  Chances are if you're ordering pizza it's because you're looking for a quick and easy dinner.  If I do have the time, I use my bread machine and make my own crust using the recipe found in my Oster bread machine book found HERE!!!

Even better than the savings, was the excitement and pride amongst my little girlies as they enjoyed their delicious creations made with their own two hands.   No cheese was picked off, crusts were eaten and plates were EMPTY at the end of the meal.  Impressive for my kids. 

The shopping list and prices from my local Stop and Shop:

Mama Mary's Traditional 7" Crusts / 3count - (2 packs)  ($4.49 each):   $8.98

26.5 oz can of Hunts Traditional Sauce:  $1

Store Brand Mozzarella (16oz):  $3.49

TOTAL:  $13.47 per week

(Feeds 5-6 People)

****Just follow the baking instructions on the pizza crust package!

Often, you can find coupons for these items in your local paper and HERE!  Last week I found a Ragu coupon online that I could print twice and found the same one in the paper.  After cashing both in, I got the sauce for free!  

I hope you find this post useful!  Happy pizza night!!!

Chicken Tortilla Casserole

My quest to find casseroles my family will actually eat continues!  Personally, I love the idea of a casserole.  Having your protein, vegetables, dairy and grain all neatly packaged in one 9 X 13 baking dish simplifies those chaotic hours before dinner needs to be on the table.  I especially like serving casserole type dishes on Mondays.  I feel like it helps me ease into the week.  We tried this recipe from Southern Living last week and it was a huge hit!  I adapted it slightly and prepared it last Sunday night. On Monday night, I took it straight out of the fridge and threw it in the oven.  Definitely give it a try!

Prep Ahead Plan:  Make the casserole up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red pepper, diced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
meat from one rotisserie chicken, diced
12 flour tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar and monterey jack blend cheeses

Directions
1.  Saute pepper, onion and garlic in oil until tender (about 5 minutes).
2.  Stir in cumin and flour and cook about 3 minutes.
3.  Add chicken broth and sour cream and simmer 5 minutes, stirring often.
4.  Add in chicken and stir to blend.
5.  Spray a 9 X 13 dish with cooking spray.
6.  Arrange 4 tortillas in the bottom of the pan.  Top with 1/3 chicken mixture and then one cup of cheese.  Repeat tortilla, chicken mixture, cheese layers 2 more times (ending with cheese).
7.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees fro 45 minutes.  Serve with salsa!

****FREEZE IT****
Follow the make ahead directions and freeze the pan after preparing.  When you're ready to bake it, remove it from freezer and bake (covered) for one hour and 15 minutes.