New Gadgets and New Ideas

So, I have a new idea for this blog. I haven't posted in a while... years, even! So, I've been trying out menu planning lately. I'm not perfect at it, and half the time I don't do what I plan, but it's a good guideline for me on those nights when I have no idea what to make for dinner. So, maybe from time to time, I could share my menu plans here to make it more fun and maybe motivate me to make one. We'll see...

So far, I have only made plans for dinner time. Breakfast is usually whatever Lydia is in the mood for (cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, toast, etc.) Lunch is usually either leftovers, soup, or sandwiches (Lydia's favorite). On weekends when the hubby is home, we'll go a little crazy and have pasta for lunch sometimes, but nothing too extravagant. It's dinner where I spend my efforts.

I recently made some Black Friday (online) purchases to help me make dinner faster/easier. I got an immersion blender, a food processor, and an electric pressure cooker.

The immersion blender is mostly for me to blend up my soups. I make soup that needs to be blended quite often, so I feel like this was a good purchase for me. Maybe your family doesn't eat soup very often. If that's the case, then this gadget isn't for you. For my family, we have soup about once a week when it's cool outside, and some of our favorites require blending, so I figured it was time we got one so I didn't have to transfer boiling hot soup from the pan to the blender and back. It's doable, but not very fun. I've used it twice already, and I LOVE it!

I haven't tried out our food processor yet. I hope to use it for purees, cutting vegetables (probably for soups), and whatever else I can use it for. I have high hopes for this one.

The electric pressure cooker makes me a little nervous. You hear about pressure cookers blowing up when used because of all the pressure, but I'm hoping that the electric ones don't... I will definitely follow recipes really well until I'm comfortable with using it. I have used it once, and it cooked five chicken breasts nicely. It took about ten minutes to pressurize, 12 minutes to cook, and about ten minutes to de-pressurize. That seems like a lot of time to me, but that whole time, I didn't have to stir, flip, or anything. I just put the stuff in, set the timer, and was able to prepare the rest of dinner and get some cleaning in the kitchen done. I also have high hopes for this gadget.

These gadgets have already helped me with my menu planning. I plan to use them each at least one time a week. It's not really a menu plan, but it's a guideline to start with, and that's a big step for me, who before, used to make dinner with starving, hangry children screaming and wreaking havoc until they sat down to the dinner table. My kids become holy terrors when they're hungry. With a menu plan, I can usually have dinner ready before their tantrums start, because the part for me that takes the most time is actually deciding what to have.

I hope to share some of my favorite recipes here soon. Until then, happy menu planning!

Lemon Pie Bars

 
Have you ever heard of mix and match when buying and wearing clothes?  Well, the same works for recipes, too.  I had some egg yolks that I needed to use up.  I already used the whites for another recipe for cake.  I just needed to use the yolks, so I remembered that the lemon meringue pie recipe uses egg yolks in the filling, so I used that recipe for the filling, and since I didn't want to make a pie crust and get my whole kitchen floury, I decided to make the crust as a lemon bar crust.  I've used this crust for other recipes as well, and figured it would work for this concoction.  It did!  These were great!  Both of these recipes are from my Pillsbury cookbook.

Lemon Bar Crust

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup margarine or butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  In large bowl, combine ingredients; beat at low speed until crumbly.  Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until light golden brown.

Lemon Meringue Pie Filling

1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cold water
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

In medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar, cornstarch, and salt; mix well.  Gradually stir in cold water until smooth.  Cook over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly.  Boil 1 minute or longer, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.

Pour filling over heated crust.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over top if desired.  Cool and store in refrigerator.

Salad Switch-Ups

Hi everyone!  Lance and I have made it a goal to eat healthier.  Don't worry, we still love our treats.  Our eating healthier just means more fruits and veggies.  Something we have been eating a lot of lately is green salad.  I love green salad!  It is a perfect compliment for any meal, or it can be a meal in and of itself.  I like to switch up what I put in my salads.  I'm a girl that likes a little variety in her life.  I get really bored with the same old thing.  So, here is a list of some ingredients you could put in your salad to spice it up a little.  These are just simply ideas.  You can go wild with it yourself.  Just remember that the base is lettuce or spinach.  That is the most important part of a green salad.

Fruits
mandarin oranges
navel orange pieces
diced apples
pomegranate seeds
strawberries
blueberries
raspberries
blackberries
pineapple
tomatoes
olives

Vegetables
corn
diced or shredded carrots
sliced or diced cucumbers
diced  zucchini
beans
sugar peas
peas
water chestnuts
onions
red onions
raddishes
red cabbage
red or green peppers

Nuts/Seeds
walnuts
almonds
cashews
sunflower seeds

Meats
chicken, diced or in strips, grilled or fried
bacon
hard boiled eggs, sliced
ham, diced

Other
shredded or diced cheese
cottage cheese
crunchy chow mein noodles
goldfish crackers
oyster saltine crackers
croutons

As a side note, there are many different salad dressings available.  Most people think it's safe with ranch.  Yes, ranch is delicious, but it's a super safe and boring choice!  Next time try a vinaigrette or an exotic dressing like cilantro lime or poppyseed.  Seriously, if you try it, you just might like it!  If you're apprehensive to buy or make an entire bottle of different dressings like this, the next time you're at a buffet like Chuck a Rama, look at the dressings they have there.  You might just find out that the salad bar is your new favorite area . . . other than the desserts, of course.

Toasted Cucumber Sandwich

I didn't have much hope for this one, I'll be honest.  I got an idea online for this, but I didn't write down the recipe.  I just did it how I wanted to.  I wasn't expecting much, because it's pretty healthy.  Healthy food and my taste buds aren't the best of friends.  But this was REALLY good!  I was surprised at how good it tasted.  So, healthy, tasty, and it's surprisingly easy to make!  Score!

Toasted Cucumber Sandwich

-bread (whatever kind of bread you want: sandwich, baguette, French bread, hoagie, hot dog bun, etc.)
-cucumber, cut up in round slices
-sliced cheese
-mayonnaise
-salt

Spread mayonnaise on bread.  Place slices of cucumber on.  Lightly salt (if desired).  Top with cheese.  Broil approximately 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Beans, Rice, and Tomatoes

I know, it's such a creative title.  But I didn't know what else to name it, and really, the picture speaks for itself.  Doesn't it look delicious?  Lance and I have this for dinner very often.  It's extremely easy, and healthy, too.  The only thing that would make it healthier would be if the tomatoes and black beans weren't canned . . . and if I didn't add so much salt for flavor (I'm a salt-o-holic).  It's also a great dinner for a tight budget.


Beans, Rice, and Tomatoes

2 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
grated cheese
lemon juice (optional)
salt (optional)

Cook the rice.  Drain beans.  Microwave tomatoes in microwave safe container for two minutes.  Pour beans in microwave safe container and add lemon juice and salt to taste.  Microwave beans for two minutes.  Layer ingredients as desired.  Top with cheese.

You could add more ingredients if desired.  Avocados, onions, sour cream, etc are a few ideas.

It couldn't be easier!

Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

These little bars are seriously a little piece of heaven.  They actually taste a lot like cheesecake.  It doesn't have the classic graham cracker crust.  It's made out of a cake mix, but I like this crust even better.  That could be the new excitement talking. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert, and this made it even better!  I sampled some when it was fresh out of the oven, which you're not really supposed to do, but I was too excited about them!  I liked it better hot.  It's amazing after it's chilled too, but there's something about warm cheesecake that melts your insides. Mmmm!  I promise you'll love every luscious bite.  And it's pretty easy, too!  I got the recipe online.


Lemon Cream Cheese Bars

1 box lemon cake mix (I used white, and it was wonderful)
1/2 cup oil
8 oz (1 package) cream cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs

Mix cake mix, oil, and one egg.  Hold out 3/4 cup of mix.  Put the rest in an ungreased 9x13 pan.  Pat all over the bottom.  Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

While this cooks mix cream cheese, sugar, egg, and lemon juice with mixer.  Spread over cooked portion in pan.  Sprinkle reserved 3/4 cup of cake mix over the top.  Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Cut into pieces and serve.

Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

I love these brownies!!! They're fun to make, but I had to wait until cream cheese went on sale to make them. I got the recipe online.
Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Filling:
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 package)
1 egg
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Brownies:
Brownie mix and all that goes with it

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of 9-inch square pan. beat filling ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Make brownie batter as directed on box. Spread 3/4 of batter in pan. Spoon filling onto batter. Add remaining batter. Cut through mixture with a knife for marbled design. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if desired.
Bake 40-44 minutes. Cool. Store in fridge.