Mushroom Soup + Stew Beef + Pasta Ribbons = YUM

Rainy, cooler, lazy Saturday here. Crock-pot? I think so!

Stew Beef in Mushroom Soup x3:

1 1/2- 2 lbs stew beef
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet onion & mushroom dry soup mix
2 soup cans water

**Mix ingredients well in crock. Cook on low 6-7 hours, stirring every hour or so."

Pasta Ribbons:

I went to buy egg noodles at W-Mart (commissary got closed early), and found 'pasta ribbons'. They worked just fine! After cooking as directed and draining, we added them to the crock-pot mix.

Skillet Cooked Frozen Green Beans:

2 TBS butter or margarine
1 16 oz bag frozen cut green beans
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp of minced (marinated) garlic
1/2 tsp minced dehydated onion

**Cook until green beans are tender.**

Made more rye bread today. Yes, it's just that good!

My Favorite Home Made (Rye) Bread

My Favorite Home Made (Rye) Bread:

1 cup warm water
1 1/2 TBS vegetable oil
1 egg
1tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup rye flour
2 cups white bread flour
3 TBS gluten
1 TBS caraway seeds
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Add ingredients in order to bread machine.

Set to *dough* cycle.

Walk away.

After cycle is complete, transfer to baking stone or pan of your choosing. We use a 4 well mini-loaf stone - just personal preference.

Let rise, covered for 1 hour.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Bread is solid and sounds solid when thumped. Yes, I'm telling you to thump the bread to check for doneness :)

Cheeseburger Pizza

1st - 1 seamless crescent roll

2nd - ketchup



3rd - Add some yellow mustard and smear - yes smear - around to all the edges with a big spoon

4th - top with cooked & drained ground beef



5th - a full 8 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese...you can add more if you like, I'll understand

(We sprinkle the cheese with garlic & herb seasoning too!)




6th - on top of the cheese some sliced red onion and...



7th - pickle slices

This is an ingredient I'm picky about. Must be good pickles, and we love the vlasic. I bought these instead of the hamburger slices last time so we cut 'em up. That works!



Ready for the oven!

375 degrees for no less than 25 minutes. We leave ours in the oven til the cheese is brown and the crust is brown around the edges. Burned? Not quite, just well done :)

Buffalo Chicken Legs, Spicey Baked Beans, Rigatoni & Peas-n-Carrots

Yes, I made the plates so they could come get them and join Dad in watching the ballgame...it was worth it! Buffaol Chicken legs (mom cooked), Rigatoni pasta (Levi cooked), Spicey Baked Beans (mom & Evan cooked) with a side of Peas-N-Carrots (Levi cooked). While we were cooking, Christopher was assisting getting ingredients and throwing trash away. Teamwork, lots of teamwork (:



Spicey Baked Beans:

2 cans pork and beans
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1 TBS worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 pack dry onion soup mix
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika


Combine and cook in a oven safe casserole dish in a preheated oven, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

(We prepared the chicken legs first tonight, then mixed the beans and added them to the oven so the chicken legs and beans would be finished at the same time.)



Buffalo Chicken Legs:

**One packet of Buffalo Wing seasoning + 1 family size pack of chicken legs**

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until juices run clear and the internal meat temperature is 165 degrees minimum.



Rigatoni Pasta Salad:

8 oz dry Rigatoni pasta
2 TBS chili & lime seasoning (use your favorite seasoning)
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS cider vinegar
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt - if desired

Prepare pasta as directed on package.

Drain pasta and return to pot, removed from heat. Add seasoning, oil, vinegar, and sugar. Add salt to taste if desired. Mix pasta continuously while seasoning to make sure spices are well distributed.

Breakfast at IHOP, I ain't cookin....

This month IHOP is doing all you can eat pancakes for $4.99. For an upcharge you can make them Pumpkin Pancakes. I tried them this morning and they were GOOD! I passed on the whipped topping, but then I always do (:

Have a military ID? IHOP also offers a military discount.

Go.

Eat Pancakes.

Enjoy!!

Lunch At Mutti's

Retirement was NOT on the agenda for our family last year, but it happened anyway.

One of the joys of being retired has become lunch dates. Today we visited a German Restaurant...and we WILL be going back! It was soooo good!!



Fresh bread...smelled like beer bread...with a fresh salad, including marinated green beans.



HER lunch...Zigeuner Schnitzel w/paprika gravy, sauteed onions, & bell peppers.
Complete with a side of german potato salad.



HIS lunch...Jaeger Schnitzel w/sauteed mushroom gravy and a side of home fries.

Now I want to learn how to cook these dishes - they were divine!

Monday Meet & Tweet

Getting Rid of the Bananas

Finished off the bananas today. Took the banana-nut muffin mix and made made pancakes, topping with extra crunchy peanut-butter and sliced bananas. After the boys were safely to school - we used the leftover banana and made banana cream pudding mixed with a handful of mini-chocolate chip morsels.

FYI: Did you know that if you are counting carbs...1 regular size banana counts as 2 carb servings?? And if PMS or menopause are a problem, the potassium in those bananas might help to take the edge off muscle cramps and spasms.

Chicken and Dumplings (in the crock-pot)

There's chicken and dumplings in our crock-pot today. Easy, easy, easy....

1 1/2-2 lbs. boneless-skinless chicken breast tenders
1 small onion, halved & sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced
... 1 LF can cream of chicken soup
1 LF can cream of mushroom soup
1 onion soup mix
3 soup cans water
2-3 TBS chicken base (boullion)
1/3 package of Mary B's frozen dumplings

**Combine all ingredients in crock, except for frozen dumplings and cook for 4-6 hours.

**During last 2 hours of cooking, break dumplings into smaller pieces (I try to make mine into thirds or fourths) and add to crock-pot mix.

**Stir frequently until ready to serve.

On low, this should cook 6-8 hours - or on high, 4-5 hours.