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When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs









Saturday, January 29, 2011

Super Bowl Sunday Recipes

Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it.  ~Heywood Hale Brown
Seems that every year, I get more into football....Not sure why! 
Even though our Tennessee Titans didn't make it to the Super Bowl, we will still be watching: my hubby for the Packers, and me for the Steelers! 

I thought I would start on some recipes that I have for parties such as this!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 pkg (8oz) softened Cream Cheese
2 cups cooked, shredded Chicken
1/2 cup of your favorite Hot Sauce
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Mix all ingredients together and place in a baking dish. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Optional: add a thin layer of cheddar cheese and place into the oven for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with toasted Pita Chips, Veggies, or Corn Chips.




Another of my favorite dip recipes:
1 pkg (8oz) Light or Fat Free Cream Cheese
1 Jar Salsa

Cube cream cheese and add to microwave safe bowl with salsa.
Cook in 1 minute intervals until hot and bubbly! Serve with Tortilla Chips! 

And One More!


Cheesy Nacho Bake:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup water
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix, Or you can make your own here.
3/4 cup Sour Cream, divided
6 oz (7 cups) Tortilla Chips
1-1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 green onion (optional)


Heat oven to 350. Brown meat in large skillet, drain fat is necessary. Return meat to skillet and add seasoning mix, tomatoes and water, stir well. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream. Remove from heat.
Place half the chips in a 13x9 inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with onions and remaining sour cream.




As far as our plans go, as of right now, we are partying alone...not such a bad thing! We may invite some friends over. Whatever we do, it will be a day of pending time with family. Whoever wins, wins...GO STEELERS!!!


Coming up soon: Enchilada-Zagna!


What are your plans for the Super Bowl and who will you be cheering for? Leave a comment below and link up!




~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta

This is one of my "comfort" foods that I LOVE!! And, its one of the few seafood dishes that I can get my hubby to eat!

Aldi has a brand of Shrimp (not sure of the name) that is peeled, de-veined and cooked.  And Frozen...

I thaw them out by putting them under cool running water for about 2-3 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, I place 1/2 stick of butter (unsalted) and 1 1/2 cups Chicken stock (low sodium). Bring to a simmer and add 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

Meanwhile, cook about 2 cups noodles. Any kind you like. We like to eat it with Angel Hair, or Penne.

Add your Shrimp to the sauce and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the juice of 2 lemons and 2 T Parmesan Cheese, simmer 2-3 minutes. 

Add cooked noodles. Mix together well and serve!!

It is so delicious!! Hope you enjoy!!
 



~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Yet.....Another Snow Day!

Is it really that obvious? Can you sense the sarcasm in my writing?

Another Snow Day.....

Now they will have to start making the days up for snow....On our 5th round of snow storms this year, though this one wasn't as bad. 
Don't get me wrong, I love having my kids home! But, I am going to hate them having to go longer than expected. 

Enough!
How has your week started off so far?

Mine has been great! 
Sticking to the 1500 calorie diet is much easier than I thought. I am eating more filling, low calorie foods and I am eating the right portions! Even though is has only been a couple of days I already feel better! 

It's amazing what eating right can do for your moods!
As far as a meal plan goes this week, there is not one! Well, there is but i just made it today and its not completely filled out...

So far this week we have had:
Monday:
Tilapia, Green Beans, and Salad
Tuesday:
Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, and Steamed Mixed Veggies with Cheese sauce
Tonight we are having Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, Cheesy Potato and Turkey Bacon Hash, Green Beans and Salads!! And yes, it will fit all into my calorie points!! 
Thursday:
 Homemade Pizza Night (Per Dillon's request)

Friday:
Dinner at my mom's to celebrate a daddy's birthday! No matter how old I get, I will always call him, daddy!!

Saturday:
We have a Leadership Dinner with our church and its a ?Semi-Formal?. Better break out those Semi-Fancy clothes...you know the ones you only wear once a year! 

Sunday:
???? Another place I hadn't finished!

Needless to say, I need to do some searching in my pantry and freezer to see what I can scrounge up! 

Monday, I purchased a book....Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn. It is 754 pages long and as of right now, I am on page 525....nearing the end! I had not seen any of the other movies until a couple of weeks ago. I did however, spend a weekend watching all 3 movies with my hubby! He likes them too, but he doesn't like to admit it! What man, in his right mind, wants to admit they have a softer side and occasionally likes a good Love Story?!!?!  

The release for the 4th movie, in case you wanted to know, is 11.18.11 and the one for the 5th is 11.??.12!! Don't really remember the date on that one.
Onto another subject....

I promised a recipe for the Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! 

You will get that recipe soon....




~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Monday, January 24, 2011

Running Time!

Monday, Monday!!!

So, this weekend was great!! We had some of our best friends over Saturday and enjoyed a wonderful meal, competitive game of Mad Gab, and settled down to watch a movie! 

Sunday, we woke up late and had to go to the 2nd service at church! Afterward, we really didn't feel like going out to lunch so we came home and I fixed Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! It was Amazing and I promise that I will post a recipe this week!! 

A conversation that we had with our 4 year old son on the way to church went a little something like this:

Dillon: "Dad, when we get home, can you build me a monster truck?"

Dad: "We will see"...most common answer in our household!

Dillon: "OK...sissy, dads gonna make a monster truck"


Few minutes later....

Dillon: "Tomorrow, can I get my drivers lessons?"

Dad: "I think you have to be 16 to do that son"

Dillon: " Ah MAN!"

I love those little conversations!!



No menu plan made out today...Will post hopefully tonight!

I finished the Pantry Challenge and I must say, it was easy!! I might even do it every 6 weeks or so!! How did you do on it?? At the end of the blog there is a Mister Linky so link up!!
Today I started the running program! Week 1...OH MY! 
I might be on this week for a couple of weeks! LOL!!

Its hard, but I can do it!!
I am also going to be counting my calories. I was doing Weight Watchers. Don't get me wrong, I like Weight Watchers, but with the new points plus system, I feel I get too many points. I haven't lost anything. What I am going to do is eat 1500 calories a day...for some that may be too many but for me its not! I purchased last year for my birthday, a Mio watch! It keeps up with your calories in/out, heart rate, and so on... I love it! If you burn 500 calories or eat 500 less calories each day, you can loose up to a pound a week. Hopefully I can loose more than a pound a week! According to my watch, I have burned 556 calories in 1 1/2 hours! Not too bad!!

Our local Kroger is having a major sale going on again!! I will be stocking up on some pantry items this week! More to come on this! 
What are your plans for this week? Link up below!!

Hope you have a Blessed day!!!









~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~