Wok's For Dinner: Taco Salad

This meal was sooo good. I love a good salad, and had been in the mood for a taco salad for several weeks. I had a coupon for Texas Toast Tortilla Strips (next to the croutons at the grocery store) and finally found a store that sells them. I knew that the tortilla strips would make a perfect topping to a taco salad, and I was finally able to use them tonight. Yummy!

Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey

1 med. green bell pepper, diced

1 med. red bell pepper, diced

1/2 med. onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced (seeds removed, of course, unless you like the heat!)

1 pkg taco seasoning

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 can pinto beans, drained

shredded or torn lettuce leaves (I just used a bag of garden salad)

Texas Toast Chily Lime Tortilla Strips

shredded cheese

cherry tomatoes, diced

salad dressing (I used sweet vidalia onion; hubs used ranch)

sour cream

Directions:

Brown ground turkey, bell peppers, onion & jalapeno in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir occasionally until meat is no longer pink. Reduce heat, then stir in taco seasoning and chicken broth. Stir in pinto beans. Let simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place lettuce on plate. Top with meat mixture, tortilla strips, cheese, tomatoes, some salad dressing, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Conversations With Children: The Nap

"Mommy, I fell asleep at Summer camp today."

"You did? How did you manage to do that?" (This is, after all, the YMCA Traditional Summer Camp, nonstop fun & entertainment.)

"We were playing a game and you had to lay on the floor and the person who was the stillest was the winner and that's when I fell asleep."

He didn't win, but I'll bet he was the stillest. Gotta love it!

Spectacular Sides: Cucumber & Onion Salad

So both our dryer and vacuum fried recently. I've turned our bathroom into a clothes line, hanging the clothes in there to dry. Fortunately, a friend has offered us a vacuum of hers, and we purchased a washer/dryer combo set today which we can pick up later this week. It's a matter of limping along for a few more days while we wait on everything. It's not too fun living without major appliances, believe you me. Maybe this is a way to prepare us for this years' hurricane season...?

Anyways...

This recipe came from my mother-in-law and is a favorite of my husband. I'll promise you'll love it, too. Even me, and I don't care for raw onion. There are no standard measurements to the ingredients--it all depend on how much you want to make. So I'll describe as est I can how much to make for 4 adults. Measurements are approximate and will mostly depend on your personal taste.

Cucumber Onion Salad

Ingredients:

3 medium cucumbers

1 medium onion

water

salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4-1/2 cup white distilled vinegar

1 tsp dried dill

Directions:

Day 1) Peel & slice cucumbers. Peel onion, cut in half, then cut both halves into thin slices. Place cucumber and onion slices in a large bowl; cover with water. Stir in lots of salt to make the water salty. No set amount of salt, maybe 1 Tbsp. I always just shake in a lot from the salt canister, then taste a small amount of the salt water to make sure it tastes salty enough. Allow the cucumbers & onions to sit in the salt water bath overnight. Day 2) Drain the salt water and rinse the cucumbers & onions thoroughly. The salt water cures the cucumbers & onions but is not parts of the actual salad ingredients, so make sure to rinse well. Put sour cream into a medium bowl. Stir in enough vinegar to thin out the sour cream so that it's liquidy instead of creamy, but not too liquidy...makes perfect sense, right? Stir dill into sour cream mixture. Add more dill if you feel like it needs it. Pour over cucumbers & onions, then stir mixture. Chill in refrigerator then serve and enjoy.

Conversations With Children: The Ride Back

Overheard at dinner this evening:

"I had lots of fun at the water park today. I farted on the bus the whole way back. It was disgusting!!"

Gotta love it!

Conversations With Children: The Wild West

Overheard at dinner this evening:

"When I grow up, I want to live in the Wild West in Texas so I can be a cowboy and ride horses and shoot bad guys."

Gotta love it!!

Spectacular Sides: Garlic Mashed Potatoes

So I returned to work this week after a very nice maternity leave. Our baby girl is absolutely adorable & we are so blessed. I am definitely worn out. She is sleeping through the night on most nights, but it's taking some time for me to get used to waking up (and staying up) early. Tonight's meal was the first real meal since I went back to work. And this side dish is sooooo good! I got lots of compliments from hubs.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and quartered

4 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup milk

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cool water. Bring to a boil over high heat; boil, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain. Place in large mixing bowl and add butter, garlic powder, parsley, salt & pepper. Beat with mixers until potatoes are nice & creamy and ingredients are mixed in well. Add milk and mix in until incorporated. Serve with a little dollop of butter on top.

Jennie-O Surprise

I thought when my husband opened that package of turkey burgers and I saw the long, ver-dark-brown hair strand that, perhaps, I might get a coupon as a sort of peace offering. Yeah, that's right. A long strand of hair. Longer than any strand of hair on any family member in our house. Definitely didn't match our hair color. And in the raw meat of a turkey burger I had bought.

So I contacted Jenni-O about their sanitation issue. Customer service immediately responded to my concern and emailed me back. Then this showed up in the mail:

They mailed me two coupons AND a check to reimburse me for the cost of the turkey burgers. Wow!

Thank you, Jenni-O, for going above & beyond to ensure my satisfaction as a customer!!

Wok's For Dinner: Cilantro Lime Chicken

I got the original recipe for this scrumptious meal from my friend Melissa at Melissa's Bargains a couple years ago. It's a great way to use up the last of a bag of tortilla chips, which always seem to go stale really fast in my house. Here is my version.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp lime juice (I was out of limes & used lemon juice instead)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp dried cilantro

4 b/s chicken breasts

1 cup crushed tortilla chips

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterrey-Jack cheese

Directions:

Combine lime juice, oil, honey & cilantro. Dip chicken in lime juice mixture then coat with crushed chips. Place in ungreased baking dish. Sprinkle tomato & bell pepper over the top. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear. Sprinkle cheese over the top, return to oven & bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve & enjoy!

If freezing: Place chicken in a freezer bag and cover with lime mixture before sealing and freezing. Thaw in refrigerator. The chicken will marinate in the lime mixture. You can then finish preparing the meal as directed once you're ready. :D

Spectacular Sides: Cheesy Corn Bake

This side dish is great for feeding a several people. It makes quite a lot! I like the taste and the texture, and my kids really ate it up well, too!

Cheesy Corn Bake

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1/4 cup flour

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

4 eggs

1 can cream-style corn

1 can corn kernels, drained

1 Tbsp prepared mustard

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

Using nonstick cooking spray, grease a 2-3 quart baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt 4 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in flour, salt & pepper until combined. Reduce heat to medium-low, then slowly stir in milk with a whisk. Continue cooking, stirring, until thick & bubbly. Stir in cheese until melted. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a fork. Stir in cream-style corn and corn kernels, mustard, and 1 cup breadcrumbs. Combine the cheese mixture with the corn mixture and pour into prepared baking dish. Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp butter and toss with 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over casserole. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

Wok's For Dinner: Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad

I've been in quite a "salad" kind of mood lately. We have had a tossed salad several times the past couple weeks, and I've been drooling at the thought of more & more types of salads that I can make. That & fresh fruits & veggies. It's been super hot lately, so the last thing I want to eat is a super hot & heavy type meal. This particular salad is one of my husband's favorite meals that I make. Paired up with some watermelon, it makes for a nice, refreshing dinner.

Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/3 lb cooked chicken, shredded

8 oz pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 pkg Ranch dressing mix

1/2-1 cup Ranch salad dressing (according to your taste)

1 Tbsp dill weed

ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Serve & enjoy.

Wok's For Dinner: Spaghetti Carbonara

Yes, it is me, and I--finally!--am posting a recipe. I've been on maternity leave for over 6 weeks now. You'd think that I would have had plenty of free time to get caught up on projects & the like, but that is definitely not the case. I'm as busy as when I was working, if not more! But I am definitely enjoying it. A few more days to go, and I'll be back at work doing the daily grind.

This particular recipe is one that I make about once a year. It is an easy way to use up leftover ham. In fact, that's what I did. I made a spiral-sliced ham in December 2010 and froze the leftovers, dividing them into several portions for future meals and also for lunch-meat for my husband's sandwiches.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti

3 Tbsp butter

6 oz diced ham

3 eggs

1 cup milk

2/3 cup grated Parmesan

salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 Tbsp dried or 2 Tbsp fresh parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet; add ham. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly browned. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk. Reduce burner heat to low and gently stir in egg mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken but not scramble, about 5 minutes. Stir in grated Parmesan. Season with salt & pepper; stir in parsley. Drain the pasta thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over pasta, then toss to combine. Serve immediately.

If freezing: I would not recommend freezing the dish after preparing it; however, you can use cooked ham that you stored in the freezer.

Alive & Well...and still pregnant

Yes, I know, it would seem as though I have completely abandoned the blog. And that's pretty much what happened. Not by choice, more by design. Too many work hours during the day that keep me busy, busy, busy, and not much personal time when I get home in the evenings. *sigh*

I am on maternity leave as of this week. We will be welcoming our 3rd child in a week & a half, that is, assuming she comes on her due date. I'm definitely excited but DEFINITELY cannot wait for her to come!

Sorry I am keeping this short. I am super worn out from some nesting that I've been dealing with the past couple days since the doctor released me from work. Trying to get all the last minute details finalized is wearing me out, not to mention my super swollen feet. :)

Wok's For Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry

Hubs and I are expecting a baby!!!!! #3 is due toward the end of April 2011. What an exciting event for us! It certainly explains how tired I've bee feeling, and how voracious my appetite has become lately.

I made this meal a few weeks ago. It was good!!!!! Several of the ingredients came straight out of our garden.

Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 handful fresh green beans, snapped into pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 handful English peas, pods removed & discarded
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup orange juice
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 lb cooked chicken, cut in pieces
4-5 kale leaves, torn into pieces & "stem" part of leaves discarded
2 cups cooked white rice

Directions:
Heat olive oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir in carrots, green beans, bell peper and peas. Stir-fry about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic, chicken broth, soy sauce and ginger. Reduce heat, stir, and cook until broth is reduced, about 4-5 minutes longer. Add orange juice, green onions, and chicken. Once heated through, stir in torn kale leaves. Kale will reach a very bright green color as you cook and stir. When it reaches this state, remove from heat and serve stir-fry mixture over cooked white rice.

Enjoy!

Wok's For Dinner: Grilled Steak Salad

This meal was really light & refreshing, not to mention quick & easy to make!

Grilled Steak Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 lb sirloin or ribeye, cut into strips

2 Tbsp vinagrette salad dressing (I used Balsamic Vinagrette)

Tossed salad

Directions:

Sear meat in a hot skillet until seared on all sides (I know, not exactly grilled but it worked for me!). Stir in vinagrette. Stir and cook for 4- minutes until meat is browned and cooked through and liquid evaporates. Serve over a tossed salad. Drizzle your favorite dressing on top.

Menu Plan Monday: 8/9-8/15

With hubs & the kids finally home, I can really dig into my cookbooks and menu plans and we can finally eat real meals again. I still have plenty of meals left from my July freezer menu that I can pull from. (There hasn't been a lot of cooking around the house for a few weeks since hubs & the kids took a vacay without me--had to work and couldn't take off at the last minute like they did).

Here's the menu plan for this week. I know it's a little late posting. Better late than never. ;)

Monday--Creamy Beef Over Noodles, Corn on the Cob

Tuesday--Creamy Enchiladas (I'm sensing a "creamy" theme), Apples

Wednesday--Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Mandarin Oranges

Thursday--Crispy Mustard Pork Chops, Lima Beans, Cucumbers

Friday--Chicken Stir Fry, White Rice

Saturday--Grilled Steak & Salad, Cantaloupe

Sunday--Chicken Apple Salad Sandwiches, Cantaloupe

Stop by Org Junkie for over 300 menu plan options each week!

Wok's For Dinner: Creamy Enchiladas

For a little over 2 weeks, I didn't do a whole lot of cooking. Hubs and the kids took a spur-of-the-moment trip to Minnesota to visit family, and I just wasn't in the mood to cook for one. I had a bit of a dilemma, trying to figure out if I should make a menu each week, but knowing that I wouldn't be doing a lot of cooking and didn't want to feel like I was lying to you. Nor did I want to advertise that I was flying solo on the homestead. As for the few meals that I did make, I wasn't even able to take a picture & post the recipe because my husband took the camera with him.

Suffice it to say, I survived the solitude (I never knew just how lonely it would get!). The family arrived home safely & soundly.

And hubs decided that he wanted enchiladas. He had some very specific instructions for me. No corn tortillas. No homemade tortillas. No fresh peppers from the garden (the weeds kind of took over while he was gone). Lots of cheese. And not having enchiladas was not an option.

Here's what I came up with:

Creamy Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1/2 lb cooked pork roast, shredded

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1/2 block (4 oz) cream cheese, softened

8 flour tortillas

1 cup shredded cheese, taco-flavored

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat shredded roast in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Rotel tomatoes; simmer and bring to a slow boil. Stir in cream cheese until melted and heated through. Spoon mixture evenly over tortillas and roll up enchilada-style, then spoon any remaining sauce over top of tortillas. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Hubs loved, I mean LOVED, these enchiladas! He commented over and over about how good they were. It definitely was a boost to my ego! :)

Tax Free Weekend Is Here

Each year, North Carolina recognizes a sales tax-free holiday that begins the first Friday in August. Thankfully, this year is no exception.

Most of the items that you can buy are in some way or shape school-related, but not all. Here are just a few of the highlights:

1. All clothing items $100 or less per item, including:

• aprons
• baby receiving blankets
• bandannas
• bathing suits
• belts & suspenders
• coats, jackets
• costumes (yes, Halloween costumes)
• diapers (children & adults, including disposables)
• earmuffs, gloves, mittens, hats, caps
• formal wear, wedding appearal (see what I mean by not all items being school-related?)
• garters, leotards, tights, pantyhose, socks, undies
• insoles for shoes
• neckties
• rainwear
• sandals, shoes, shoelaces, slippers
• uniforms (both athletic & nonathletic for nonbusiness use)

2. Sport or recreational equipment $50 or less per item:

• ballet & tap shoes
• cleats
• gloves
• goggles
• hand, elbow, mouth, shin guards; shoulder pads
• helmets
• life preservers
• skates
• wetsuits & fins

3. Computers $3500 or less per item:

• central processing unit
• monitor
• keyboard
• mouse
• speakers

Note: must puchase the monitor, keyboard, mouse & speakers with a CPU in order to be tax-exempt.

4. Computer supplies that are $250 or less per item:

• memory sticks, diskettes, CDs
• PDA's & hand-held electronic schedulers, except devices that are cell phones
• printers
• printer supplies, paper & ink

5. School supplies that are $100 or less per item:

• Binders, notebooks
• Chalk
• Backpacks
• Calculators
• Crayons
• Erasers
• Folders
• Glue, glue sticks
• Highlighters, markers, pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners, pencil boxes & other school supply boxes
• Index cards & boxes
• Legal pads, composition books, sketch & drawing pads, writing tablets
• Lunch boxes
• Paint & paintbrushes, watercolors
• Paper (loose leaf, copy, graph, tracing, manila, colored, poster board, & construction paper)
• Rulers
• Scissors

6. School instructional materials $300 or less per item (great for home-schoolers and college students!):

• Reference books
• Reference maps & globes
• Textbooks
• Workbooks

See you at the store--I'm going shopping after work!

For the complete list of items exempt during the sales tax holiday, visit the NC Department of Revenue here.

Carlie C's IGA Deals 7/19-7/25/10

So I'm a little late in the sales week posting the deals. I've had to spend the evenings working on other projects so it wasn't until tonight that I was able to get to this particular project. I haven't made it to the store yet either, so I don't have a picture to add this week.

Here are some of the deals for this week:

Starkist Tuna, 5oz in water, $0.39 (time to stockpile!)

Comet Long Grain Rice, 14-16oz, $0.79

IGA Instant Oatmeal, 10oz, 2/$3

IGA All Purpose or IGA Self Rising Flour, 5lb, 2/$3

Kellogg's Pop-Tarts, 22oz Family Pk, 2/$5

Print one $1/2 coupon (you can print two coupons)

Final price: 2/$4

Honey Nut Cheerios, 12.25oz, $2.78

Print one $1/2 coupon (you can print two coupons)

Final price: $2.28 ea

Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn, 10-ct, 2/$6

Print one $1.25 off coupon (good when you also buy M&Ms candy, 9.9z-42oz)

Final price: $1.75 ea

Chex Mix Snack Mix, 7-8.75oz, $2.18

Print one $0.55 off coupon (you can print two coupons)

Final price: $1.63

Pork Loin Chops, Family Pk, $1.58/lb

Trans Ocean Crab Classic Flake Style, 8oz, 2/$3

Print two $1 off coupons (link is in upper-right corner of website)

Final price: 2/$1

Valley Dale Old Fashioned Hot Dogs or Red Hot Dogs, 12oz, $0.69

Country Crock Spread, 15-16oz bowls or quarters, 4/$5 (or $1.25 each)

Use $0.40 coupon from All You magazine (I have a subscription but you can also get the magazine from Wal-mart)

or print two $0.40 off coupons

Final price: $0.85 ea

Yoplait GoGurt, 18oz 8-count, $2.59

Print one $0.75/2 coupon (you can print 2 copies)

Final price: $2.22 ea

Morning Fresh Farms Jumbo Biscuits, 10oz, 5/$5 (you can buy just 1 and pay just $1!)

Weight Watchers Yogurt, 6oz, 10/$6

Use one BOGO Free coupon from All You magazine

Final price: 2/$0.60

Rome Apples, 3lb bag, $2.59

I always weigh my apple bags and buy the heaviest bag so I can maximize my purchase

Colgate Toothpaste, 6-6.4oz, $1.88

print 1 $0.75 off coupon

Final price: $1.13

or save more when you buy

Aim Toothpaste, 6oz, $0.89

or save even more when you buy

Pepsodent Toothpaste, 6oz, $0.79

Click here for more Carlie C's IGA deals this week!

Wok's For Dinner: Spicy Tex-Mex Roast & Vegetables

We've had an absolute over-abundance of peppers in our garden this year. I don't mean the bell pepper variety either. My husband's father gave us two flats of hot & spicy varieties, and they are thriving! I had bought a huge roast and needed a way to cook it up, and the thought occurred to me to try out the spicy peppers with this roast. And it worked! The flavor was absolutely delicious. It packed heat, but not so spicy that you would burn your tongue off (and I do not like spicy-burn-your-tongue-'til-it-bursts-in-flames food) so it definitely received my stamp of approval. The roast and natural juices muted the spicy bite so you had the heat and tons of pure, delicious flavor.

Literally, it was delicious! And since it was a large roast, I have plenty of leftovers for another meal.

Spicy Tex-Mex Roast & Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 large beef roast, 6-8 lbs

4 med. potatoes, peeled & quartered

4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

4 hot banana peppers, seeded and chopped

2 sweet banana peppers, seeded and chopped

4 cayenne peppers, seeded and chopped

1 med. onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Directions:

Place potatoes on bottom of 6-qt slow cooker and add roast. Cover roast with remaining ingredients. Add lid and slow-cook for 8-10 hours.

If freezing: After slow-cooking the roast and vegetables, divide the roast up into meals. Serve roast for first meal, and place remaining meals in freezer bag or food saver, then freeze. I got 8 meals out of my roast. I probably would have gotten a 9th meal, but the roast was sooo good! We definitely ate our fair share. :)

Visit Dining With Debbie for lots of creative ideas for dinner!

July Monthly Menu

I've still been doing freezer meals, although on a smaller scale. I have not had a free Saturday to do a complete months' worth of meals, but I have created a menu to work with, and I have made several freezer meals. We went on vacation in June, and I even made freezer meals for that week, so we were able to avoid eating out the entire time, excluding one lunch trip to a seafood restaurant (we were, after all, in the Outer Banks of NC, so of course we had to go out for seafood).

Here are the meals that I have planned for July.

Chicken & Turkey (the turkey is leftover from a turkey I cooked earlier this year and froze the leftovers)
Grilled Chicken Salad
Turkey Mushroom Tetrazzini
Garden Ranch Chicken Pasta Salad
Chicken Apple Salad Sandwiches
Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Divan
Chicken Stir Fry
Herbed Chicken
Chicken in Sour Cream
Grilled Chicken
Honey BBQ Chicken Leg Quarters
Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken & Rice)
Chicken & Egg Noodles

Ground Turkey
Turkey & Bean Tostadas
Barbecues

Ground Beef
Meatballs & Gravy
Pizza Casserole (I made this for a church potluck and got rave reviews!!)

Ground Sausage
Sausage & Zucchini Skillet (over rice, not mashed potatoes as shown in the linked post for this recipe)

Seafood
Honey Garlic Shrimp
Pasta Scallop Casserole

Pork
Crispy Mustard Pork Chops
Apple Pork Kebabs
Mu Shu Pork
Family-Size Baked Burrito (with pulled pork instead of chicken)

Beef Roast
Spicy Tex-Mex Beef Roast
Slow-Cooked Beef Tacos
Beef Medallions
Creamy Beef Over Noodles
Pineapple Beef Kabobs
Grilled Steak Salad
Hungarian Goulash