Drowning the Demon

I love my children. I love my children. I love my children even when they are monkey carrying, germ infested, snotting, coughing, hacking little people that they share their gooey, infectious loves with me.

YES.

I should have known that they would pass the junk onto me. So for the last week I have fought to not succumb to the whining pathetic little girl that grown men usually turn into. But I did. I turned into a jaded, pissy, crawl into my cave, I am not good as someone who is ill type of person. Basically, I slept. I slept like I haven't slept in years. Oh wait....yes, I have not slept in years.

Then came the hacking and the fever and the bitterness again of how to drown out this demonic illness. Ah yes. Fight fire with fire. What you ask? Fire with fire?

I learned while living my entire life in the southwest that the best cure to anything is Mexican food, well the best cure to the common cold and drowning the demon is Green Chile Stew. I love green chile. I could have just about every meal with green chile if I could, especially Hatch green chile. The hotter the better too!

So I sucked it up, got off my arse and made from scratch while sweating a fever, hacking a lung, and a nose that as running like a faucet my favorite Green Chile Stew recipe. Now I want to share it with you and share my poor woes of how I have missed you all and I missed a local Tweet-up with my friends on Twitter that live here in Arizona and I missed, I missed, I missed. I know right....cry me a river Linda....but seriously wanted to say I missed you all and I am glad I am feeling better so I can get back to reading blogs and writing again. Being sick sucks a goat's ear you know!?

Green Chile Stew
4-6 4oz cans Green Chile (the hotter the better people!)
2 tomatoes (diced) or 1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 diced onion
2 garlic cloves diced
1/4 c. finely chopped cilantro
2 T. cumin
1 t. Corriander
4 potatoes cut into cubes or 1/2 bag of frozen cubed hashbrowns
3 chicken breasts shredded or 1lb shredded pork
2 T. Olive Oil
3 C beef (or chicken) stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot heat oil adding cumin, corriander, cilantro, garlic, and onions until onions are slightly browned. Add potatoes to toss into spices, then add in meat. Coat the meat lightly with seasoning and oil then add in the tomatoes and green chile. Stir slowly and add in stock. Cover and simmer for a minimum of one hour for potatoes to soften and for the green chile flavor to infuse. Serve hot with warm tortillas

Morsel Monday

I love this dish. Simple. Exquisite. Full flavor and with a bit of flair and panache! Sounds like me minus the bad language. As you know I am an Arizona native but Arizona is not known for her food. So with this recipe I bring the flavor of New Mexico. Who doesn't love grilled cheese sndwiches right? Great comfort food and just perfect for rainy days with a bowl of tomato soup. Here is my spin on an old favorite; I call her....The New Mexican.

2 slices Jewish Rye bread (marbled is my favorite)
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese or enough to cover the bread
1/2 of a 4oz can of green chiles (diced or whole works)
1T butter for bread
1 avocado sliced
1 tomato sliced

Butter each slice of bread as if making a traditional grilled cheese. Adding cheese and then add green chile on top of cheese and place final slice of bread for grilling. Slice an avocado and tomato to be served with the sandwich.

VOILA!

Jewish Rye bread has about 60 calories per slice* and less than 9g of carbs* per slice as well making the bread a healthier alternative to traditional white. I also love the flavor of rye coupled with the cheddar.

*May vary per baker and ingredients. My bakery claims these on their nutritional information.

Morsel Monday

Food is such a fun project and you know the best way to save money nowadays is to make things at home from scratch. Plus you can control your ingredients so if you are health conscious (like me sometimes) this is the best bet. You can avoid all the pre-packaged food and all the garbage that is inside. I am a huge grilling fan too. I LOVE TO GRILL. With grilling comes favorites like burgers, chicken and my famous smoked brisket. Want to know what to serve with those as a side? Good old fashioned Slaw!

1/2 head cabbage
1/4-1/2 head of purple cabbage (or radicchio for a nice pepperly flavor)
1/4 c. shredded carrots
1T. finely diced onion
1 T sugar
1 T vinegar
6 T cream
1 T Mustard dressing

Shred the cabbage very finely, add in the onion and carrots. In a separate bowl add the sugar, vinegar, cream, and mustard dressing, mix well, drizzle over cabbage and toss. Serve chilled or immediately

Morsel Monday and NutraSalt Giveaway :: CLOSED

If you haven't already please partake in the Extraordinary Mothers Morsel Monday link up! Participating is a lot of fun and a great way to find new dining delights for the family and hey, linky love!

This week I am "spicing" up the post with a review and giveaway of a product I received to try from the fabulous folks at NutraSalt. You are probably wondering what NutraSalt is and how nutra and salt can be combined together and not be an oxymoron. The NutraSalt product is a balanced product of sodium and potassium, 66% less sodium, to be exact, compared to common table salt. The proprietary product in NutraSalt's recipe is the harvesting of Red Sea and Dead Sea salts from the Mediterranean.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the extra pinch of salt here and there can add up resulting in excessive sodium intake based on levels of sodium in processed foods, natural sources, and the extra shake during food preparation and at meal time.

Excessive sodium intake lead to conditions such as high blood pressure, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease which results in hundreds of thousands of deaths a year if not lifetime treatments such as dialysis for kidney disease. NutraSalt helps to replace the use of common salt in a healthier alternative to traditional table salt, allowing for the flavor but not the health risks often associated with excess salt intake.

NutraSalt comes in a variety salts and seasonings to "spice" up any recipe:

• Low Sodium Sea Salt
• Seasoned Salt
• Texas BBQ
• Savory Garlic
• Zesty Italian
• Lemon Dill
• Lemon Herbs
• Robusto Adobo
• Spicy Cajun
• Bold Chipotle
• African Medley
• Asian Fusion
• Classic Curry

I received to try in my home the Low Sodium Sea Salt, Savory Garlic Lemon Dill, Bold Chipotle, Asian Fusion and the African Medley. I used every single one on some of my favorite meals. The Asian Fusion is absolutely divine on chicken and pork, I used them both on the grill and they added just that extra kick of spice to the flavor. Savory Garlic, I used that on my spaghetti dish when making garlic bread. Finally, my favorite is the African Medley which I used to make my Turkey Chili. The African Medley has flavors of cinnamon, peppers, ginger, and again the right balance of sodium and potassium. I know you are thinking "cinnamon? In my Chili?" YES!

How can you enjoy a 4-pack of your choice of NutraSalt and make this a staple in your home?  Go to the NutraSalt site and tell me ONE fact in a comment (that I did not mention above. As a recap I mentioned it is derived from Sea Salt, is 66% lower in sodium, is rich in potassium).

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog or tell me you do
• Follow me on Twitter or tell me you do
• Tweet another fact about NutraSalt making sure to use @KariewithaK, the link to this giveaway, so I see your tweets. Daily RT's are available!
• Subscribe to The Fish in a Reader or via email (at the top)
• Blog this Giveaway! (worth 10 entries if you mention a fact, link to NutraSalt and this giveaway!)
• Email this giveaway to a friend (worth 3 entries)
• Fan The Fish on Facebook

CONTEST ENDS JANUARY 30TH 

@ 11:59PM ARIZONA TIME

Best of luck!

Turkey Chili:

1.5lbs ground Turkey

1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Black Beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 can of corn

1/4 cup onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

2 T. finely chopped Italian Parsley

2 T. finely chopped Cilantro

2 T. Olive Oil

1/4 c. Nutra Salt African Medley, divided (can be substituted with  2 tsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. cumin, 2 tsp. ground corriander, 1 T. chili powder, 1 tsp red peppers, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp onion powder)

I used my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker but a stove top cook pot works well too. Pour Olive oil into pan heating over medium heat, sautee onions and garlic until almost translucent add in ground turkey, parsley, cilantro, and 1/8 c. of NutraSalt African Medley (or the above substitutes halved). Cook until meat is browned and spices are mixed well. Add the can of tomatoes, beans, corn and remaining spices. Bring to a boil (add water if needed, but the canned juices should provide enough), stirring well, reduce to a simmer for at least an hour to let all the flavors mix. Serve with cornbread.

VOILA!

Morsel Monday

Are you looking for some great recipes? If so link yours up and find a new one every Monday over at Extraordinary Mothers where my friend Casey hosts Morsel Mondays!

Last week I did some desserts so this week let's do some favorite dinner recipes, and my favorite, southern or cold weather recipe is Chicken and Dumplings. I actually did my recipe in my Cuisinart Multi-Cooker and it was EASY, no hassle, no fuss. Here are your ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts, cooked, diced and or shredded

Mixed vegetables (potatoes, corn, green beans, carrots, celery), you can also use a frozen bag of mixed vegetables.

Chicken broth (generally about 3-4 cups depending on how many people you are feeding)

Cream of Chicken soup, or you can use plain cream

Salt and pepper to flavor
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 c. Bisquick (or other baking mix)
2/3 c. milk

In a large pot, crock pot, or Cuisinart Multi-Cooker like mine, simmer chicken, broth, vegetables, until vegetables are tender maybe an hour or more depending on how much flaror you want your vegetables to absorb. Slowly add cream of chicken (or cream) and stir gently ever careful not to boil. Add bay leaf and let simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering mix the Bisquick and milk until a dough forms and slowly drop into soup mixture, cover and let cook for 10 minutes or until dough rises like bread and biscuits form. Remove from heat and ladel out into a bowl, serve with butter and pepper.

For more tasty morsels, visit Extraordinary Mothers.

Morsel Monday

Be sure to link up your recipes each and every Monday over @ Extraordinary Mothers!

While these recipes may be a bit out of "season" now as we have moved past Thanksgiving and Christmas pumpkin pie is always a favorite, especially because it is so easy....when not from a can. Plus more likely the pumpkin pie is cheaper with a fresh pumpkin than one out of the can. Plus I shared I made a cake size Swiss roll, well here is that recipe. The Swiss roll may be a bit bitter as it is a Turkish chocolate style recipe, but still sweet and delish!

Pumpkin Pie

1 pumpkin
6 c. water for boiling

2 c. flour (for crust, obviously)
1/2 c. water (for crust)
1 c. shortening
 Heat oven to 425*
1 3/4 c. mashed pumpkin
1 3/4 c. milk
2 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves (be sure to ONLY use a 1/4 tsp or your pie will be very SPICY and the cloves will be overbearing)

Gut the pumpkin and all seeds. Cut into two inch cubes leaving skin on the meat during boiling. The boil time for an average size to a small pumpkin is roughly 25-35 minutes. Remove from water and allow to cool somewhat before removing skin to avoid burning. Once all skin is removed, mash or puree until desired consistency. Allow the mashed pumpkin to be completely cool before adding to pie mixture.

While pumpkin is cooling, mix flour, water, shortening together until dough forms. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Add to pie pan and flute edges. Fluting can be done with fingers, fork, or a spoon.

Mix together sugar and eggs until a creamed consistency, adding in mashed pumpkin. Mix thoroughly slowly adding milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and the cloves. By following these steps your pie will have a smooth consistency allowing all the ingredients to blend well together. Cook for 45-55 minutes using a toothpick to determine if the center is done. The pie will have a rich golden hue as will the crust.




Swiss Cake Roll

Preheat oven to 400*
2 eggs (separate yolks from whites)
3 T. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 T. warm water (I used day old warm coffee, adds a bitterness and a wonderful rich sweet taste)
1 oz cube of melted Bakers Semi-Sweet baking chocolate (or 2T melted chocolate chips)
 Filling:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 T. confectioners sugar (or 1/4 c. sugar)
May add fresh fruit or flavor or your choice, almond, etc.

I also apologize for the poor picture quality....the cake was being eaten so fast to take when it was at it's "prettiest."

Beat together egg yolks and sugar until creamy, slowly adding the chocolate (be sure not too hot or will cook the eggs) and warm water. Then beat until foamy the egg whites, slowly adding in the flour, baking powder mix. Once the eggs and flour, baking powder are completely combined, slowly begin to add in the chocolate mixture. Once completely blended pour into waxed lined baking pan (13X9, buttered or greased then lined with wax paper or freezer paper for best results and lightly greased again). Bake for 12 minutes, remove immediately and place face down on freezer paper (or wax paper) dusted with powdered sugar. Place damp cloth on top to ease cooling time and allow cake to be easily rolled while warm, removing hard or rough edges, unroll after completely cooled and add cream filling.

Beat together sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until a creamy, comes to a bit of a peak consistency. Do not over beat...filling will be ruined. Slowly spread along inside of cake, roll again and serve dusted with confectioners sugar or topped with drizzled chocolate or fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

Morsel Mondays

Have you all checked out Extraordinary Mothers and the Extraordinary Morsel Mondays? Well you ought to!

I decided I needed to get all of these fabulous homemade recipes out of me brain and ready to share with you all and tis the season for some FABULOUS cooking and recipes. However, I will never share my secret to the perfect pecan pie....that recipe will probably die with me I know MANY gluttons who would kill for the recipe.

But for the gluttons in all of us and especially those who pine over the great beverage that is egg nog, this recipe is for you and is a GREAT and easy recipe to be enjoyed by the entire family, especially on Christmas morning.

Egg Nog Pancakes & Egg Nog French Toast

For pancakes:

2c. Bisquick
1 1/2 c. Egg nog
1 egg
1T milk
3t. cinnamon or nutmeg (for extra kick and the taste is DIVINE!)

Lightly beat egg, add eggnog and slowly add and stir in the Bisquick and spice. Mix until a creamy batter is reached. Pour onto medium heat griddle. Recipe should yield 18 pancakes

French Toast:

2 eggs whipped
1/2c Egg Nog
2T milk
2T Cinnamon
1T Splenda (since the egg nog is rather sweet)
10 slices of bread

Mix together all wet and dry ingredients in bowl. Slowly dip in bread as to coat each side with egg and cinnamon mix, cook over medium heat in pan until a golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar or with butter and syrup. The taste is truly rich and the spices are enhanced by the egg nog.

Gifts for Her or Him: Cookware.com CSN Stores

Christmas should be fun and practical. I for one am not a fan of bad gifts or gifts that can only be used for not so everyday activities or moments in life. I mean if you get me a knit sweater with the ugly Christmas trees I can only wear it during the holidays. Um, negative. Not a good gift.

A good gift should be used for greatness, for everyday maybe, or for a specialty that everyone loves. Well my family loves pancakes. And my husband used to live in California and visit Solvang when they lived on the base in Vandenberg. You have never heard of Solvang? COME ON PEOPLE. Solvang is the Dutch US, if you could ever visit any one place, Solvang is a MUST!

While visiting there he had the taste of Ebelskivers, phonetically ay-bell-skee-vurs. They are round pancakes that are about the size of a silver dollar and are to DIE FOR! Seriously these little puppies can be stuffed with all sorts of goodies like jelly, preserves, cheese, meats, whatever you want to put in them.

Cookware.com, a CSN Store, allowed me to review their Nordicware International Specialties Danish ebelskiver pan and I was and AM in cookware heaven. The pan has a Teflon, non-stick coating, riveted handled, and retails for $27.99.  I too love ebelskivers and have been requesting an ebelskiver pan for YEARS. Yes, YEARS people and the wonderful staff at Cookware.com, a CSN Store fulfilled my unanswered family gift request for an ebelskiver pan. The day I got it...I planned Brinner. (Breakfast + Dinner = Brinner!)

The use of the pan is simple, like any other pan but the divots in the pan allow for the batter to be poured in about half-way up to allow for rising and you add your fillings before the ebelskiver cooks too much and you have to turn. The batter I used was your standard pancake batter with Bisquick or whatever brand you prefer. I made a sweet cream cheese filling using Neufschatel cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, a few drops of maple syrup and my kids gobbled the perfect, hand sized treats like they were going out of style. I also sprinkled a little powdered sugar on them to really pretty them up.

Needless to say I am happy with my ebelskiver pan and with Cookware.com and CSN. In fact, CSN has over 200+ stores online from Cookware.com to bed linens, to home improvement, baby, you name it, they have a store! In fact you can buy your new dining room furniture from the furniture superstore Dining Rooms Direct. How is that for one stop shopping! They ship anywhere in the US and Canada, have a great return policy and on selected items they have guaranteed delivery by December 24th just in time for your gift to be wrapped from "Santa."

Check out CSN Stores and find that perfect gift and they have an offering of 100 gifts under $100!

Happy Holidays and big thanks to Cookware.com and CSN Stores.

I Said I Got Sauce

If you watched my Mingle on Monday you saw that I had a billow of steam behind me. Some quite literally thought I might torch my kitchen, behold.....the power of the Fish! Okay, so I am kidding, but the steam was much, probably from the fact I had the hood on trying to suck all of that steam away.

So I promised my winning recipe from these lovely items that I share in my Friday post about how I Heart my CSA. If you did not read, go back, gaze upon the fruits of the Earth! Because I ate almost everything in that photo. Not alone! Dear GAWD NO! I had help. Again, the fruits:

Okay quite a bit in this photo, but feast your eyes on those BEAUTIFUL organic tomatoes! YUM! And just to the left of those juicy, perfectly delectable tomatoes is a bushel (not a true metric measurement bushel) of Licorice basil. Just absolutely beautiful as well, the smell is intoxicating, and the taste, OH SO SWEET!

My recipe for some Grrrrrreat sauce:

1/2 c. Vodka (any Vodka will do, set aside a little extra for you with a lime and ice)
4 c. diced tomatoes (if you don't have enough fresh tomatoes......canned works AWESOME!)
1 can tomato paste (I bought organic since it was as cheap as the regular stuff, but again, any type will do!)
1 T. onion power
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/4 Purple bell pepper for a bit of zing
2 basil stalks (my stalks are huge and I love Basil, but use it to your liking an taste)
1/2 t. Oregano
1/2 t. Parsley
Salt/pepper to taste
(For a bit more of a biting sauce, add 1 t. crushed red pepper, I pulverized mine so it mixes well, you can do the same with the back of a spoon and a Ziploc bag)

In a large skillet or deep pot, add tomatoes and dry ingredients (onion powder, oregano, parsley, salt/pepper, basil, bell pepper) bring to a low boil. Slowly add vodka and return to a boil. Add in can of tomato paste and stir, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for as long as your desired taste and thickness (I simmered mine for most of the day), the vodka brings out a very rich taste in the tomatoes. Be sure to add garlic 20 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to maintain the garlic flavor and taste, otherwise if you are not a garlic fan, add at the beginning with all dry ingredients.

I also like to add sausage to my sauce, Italian sausage, Jimmy Dean Breakfast sausage, or ground beef all works WONDERFULLY!  I also LOVE a sweet Italian ground turkey meat as well. YUM!

Remove from heat and serve over spaghetti, angel hair, or any desired pasta. VOILA!

BTW - I think you will find there is LESS sugar and LESS calories in this homemade recipe than a standard jar of sauce. Plus, I think it tastes better. But I am a food snob too!

Sloppy Joes

The messy, saucy, warm, crumbly, meaty goodness in a warm, fluffy bun. The beloved Sloppy Joe.

Now I am a classy broad of sorts, I love my fish, my filet, my Faux Grois, something you use a knife and fork to eat, but I really love me my Sloppy Joe. This is a meal where I can really dig in and let loose. Last night, was a Sloppy Joe night. I don't mean the open a can of Manwich type of Sloppy Joe night. I mean the real flavor, the taste, the ultimate mess of a homemade Sloppy Joe that guess what? You can make too! No can. No bullshit. Just open your pantry or your fridge to the loads of condiments in your door. Here are the deets for the easiest, tastiest, Sloppy Joe's you will ever sink your teeth into.....ergo.....the rest will land in your lap....or like me....on my boobs.

1-2 pounds of ground beef or Turkey (if you are a dieting type person...like moi)

NOW, these ingredients all depend on the amount of meat AND how Sloppy you want that Joe.

1-2 cups of Ketchup

3T - 1/4 c of Yellow Mustard

1/2 - 1 cup of BBQ Sauce if you like that zippety sweet taste in your Joes

1/4 - 1/2 c of brown sugar

2-4T of Vinegar

1/4 c. Diced onions (optional)

1/4 c. Diced Bell pepper (optional)

BUNS (mmmmm.....buns)

1.  Brown all meat with optional vegetable, while meat is browning mix together the vinegar and brown sugar to dissolve.
2. Add sugar mixture to ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce, mixing throughly so that a smooth creamy consistency is reached.
3. Drain meat of any fats and liquids and return to pan
4. Add sauce, stir thoroughly until all meat is coated. 
5. Cook for 2 more minutes

VOILA!

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie. Sloppy Joes in a snap. Really who doesn't love a Sloppy Joe?

My Big G...who doesn't like anything that doesn't rhyme or sound like chicken told me this:

"Mom, this is the bestest meal ever. It makes my stomach feel real good! Oh! SO! DELISH!"

I know buddy.....I rock as a lazy chef.

NECCO SweetHearts: Red, White, and YOU!

In honor of the Fourth of July and the American and Foreign Military Troops serving abroad, NECCO, New England Confectionery Company, parent company of our favorite Sweethearts candy (normally seen at Valentine's) has created a new line to celebrate our wonderful country and the military men and women who serve to protect our country!

For the first time in 140 years NECCO expanded the traditional Valentine candy line and Valentine sentiments to include patriotic sentiments in honor of our troops and military families for their service. These sentiments have great lines like "Proud of U", "Home Safe", "Miss You." Sweethearts, is also sending these great candies in packages for our troops which is in partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO).

I for one was not a fan of Sweethearts (traditional Valentine) candy because of the flavors, but I can tell you that these new Red, White, and YOU flavors are fantastic and epitomize American summers and stereotypes. I was eating them like they were going out of style. Seriously, and I am not a candy fan. I would eat hard candy like Jolly Ranchers every now and again. The flavors are so yummy! The blue tastes like a rich blueberry pie, the red like a sweet and sticky cherry pie, and I haven't quite nailed the white, but man are they good!

Not only are they tasty little snacks, but they make great craft and recipe ideas. My favorite was the Red, White, and You Flag Cake! So yummy and perfect for the 4th of July BBQ!

Is that cake not scrumptious looking or not!? I would say so! Click on her to get a closer look at the easy peasy directions and make one of your own.

Remember to stay safe this Fourth of July and try to remember the reason why we celebrate this holiday past all the BBQ's, fireworks, and fun. Be sure to thank our troops, veterans, soldiers for their service to protect our freedoms!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Mrs. Fish's Thursday Tips and Tricks

Meal time is always the worst part of my day. Any meal. Any time of the day. HORRIBLE!

I have four people who have no idea what they want to eat, stand with the fridge door wide open saying "What do we have to eat" when the fridge is full, and no one can agree on the same thing.

So I have learned to set out a ton of meats, fish, and chicken during the week and basically whip up either favorites, new dishes, a little gourmet, or a little of "Not sure what this is....but it's freaking good!"

My tips and tricks are with food....I truly hate food. Food and meals are my demons. But here is how we fish survive in the tank when someone else isn't feeding us (aka takeout):

• Casseroles. You can't go wrong with any sort of casserole type dish. Lasagna, enchiladas, anything that you can make in a single dish and toss in the oven. Plus if it is simple to whip up, dinner and clean up are a breeze.
• Grill. I personally love to grill. The food has a flavor that cannot be replaced. Plus less energy usage. So when I grill I throw my whole meats on the grill FROZEN, this keeps them nice and juicy and you never (ok hardly ever) have to worry about burning or overcooking where the food is so nasty dry. You can grill anything and everything...give it a whirl! Grill lots of extras too! This way you have extras for the week for dinners, lunch, whatever.
  
• Menus. I love a menu, this way everyone in the family can participate in what foods they want to eat during the week and makes meal time a breeze. Especially because if dinner is not served at FIVE O'CLOCK SHARP at my house.....demons invade. Seriously its like that moment where Spike from the Gremlins movie takes over the house. YIKES!
  
• The Crock Pot can be your friend. I really hate the crock pot because it is ugly and takes up precious storage space. However, I have created many a meals, very tasty ones at that, in my ugly plug her in machine.
• Forget the rules. Who says you have to have breakfast at breakfast and dinner for dinner. We call it "Brinner." Who doesn't love a belgian waffle smothered in fresh fruit, a side of (turkey) bacon, and maybe some scrambled egg whites for dinner or breakfast! Go nuts!
  
• Avoid pre-packaged dinner meals. Like the ones where the rice and everything is in it you just add your own meat. HELLO CALORIES!! HELLO CHEESE TO MY ASS! Yeah I made that same "dinner" with brown rice, fresh cheese, frozen broccoli, and chicken. About 400 less calories than the box dinner and everyone wanted and had seconds! Super easy to do as well.
• Salads. Yes the dreaded greens! But the greens can be fun I have a great taco salad dish that my kids eat because they are involved in the process. Plus if you tell them they can smother it with ranch...they are total game, oh and it has Doritos (I know shame on me).
  
• Colors, lots of colors. I tried to have a lot of color in my food. Part of my OCD I think, but I hate when my food looks tan.....all of it. I love vibrant colors and flavors I am a true food whore about that because I have such odd tastes in food.

I would love to hear what your tricks are when making meals, keeping the family happy, trying not to serve the same old "slop" night in and night out, and what helps you save time? I also have lots of yummy recipes for everything from breakfast to dessert that are super easy peasy and totally fool proof! Quite a few are posted on the blog my sister's and I share and I hope to post some here real soon. Happy Thursday everyone....and stay tuned! I have some great reviews and fun giveaways!!

Easy BBQ Potatoe Salad

The Herring's (Us) had a fantastic BBQ get together with the Greer 5 and the 'Rents on Sunday. I took my first stab at Potatoe Salad to which DH said I should have bought it. Only because he thinks I show off by cooking everything from scratch.....to which I do! So here is my super simple, super tasty, easy peasy Potatoe Salad:

10-12 medium Russett, Gold, or Red Potatoes (all depends on your taste buds)
1/2 c. Mayo
1/2 c. Miracle Whip (or Yogurt for a lowered fat alternative)
3 T. Yellow Mustard
1/3 c. Dijon, Horseradish
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 branches fresh Rosemary, or 1 T. Rosemary
2 green onion sticks
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut potatoes in half and boil in water for 15-20 minutes. Be sure to blanch (dump in ice water)the potatoes as they will continue to cook even after being removed from the boiling water.

2. While potatoes are boiling in a large bowl, mix mayo, Miracle Whip and Yellow Mustard. Begin to dice onions and celery.

3. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove from skin as best as possible, dice into bite size squares add to bowl with wet mix and begin to slowly churn. While churning, slowly add onions and celery.

4. Continue to stir and add Dijon horseradish while adding spices to taste.

5. Serve immediately or put in fridge until ready to serve.

Serves 10, 136 calories per serving!

Cure for the Common Cold

While I lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico (yes, New Mexico is a State, the 48th state to the Union I believe and in between Texas and Arizona.....you'd be surprised how many people do not know this), anyway off on a tangent there.

While living in Albuquerque I would thrive, drive for miles, beg, steal, cheat, scrap, slap, bum, cry, and whine for this sacred cure for the common cold. What could be so sacred? What could be the ultimate cure for the common cold?

GREEN CHILE STEW

Ah, yes, green chile stew is the end all, be all, hotter than hell, or milder than mild, open your airways and pump you full of vitamin C while being a tasty Southwestern alternative to chicken noodle. I for one and am not a fan favorite of the boring, old red canned version of chicken noodle. So I opt for the green chile stew. And now with the family down with the sickness, I reached into the depths of my pantry to find the oh so tasty ingredients to make my very own version of a New Mexican favorite. Mind you this is the lazy white lady version of a New Mexican favorite, so I will include the original ingredients in parentheses:


3 chicken breasts (1lb pork), diced or shredded

4 (4oz)cans green chile, hot or mild or both (6-8 large fresh, large roasted Hatch green chiles)

1 Large can of stewed tomatoes, or 1 10oz can of diced tomatoes

4 c. beef or chicken broth or 5 bouillon cubes, chicken or beef

3 garlic cloves

1/2 red onion

2 T. EVOO

3 T. Cumin

1 T oregano

1/2 bag, of cubed frozen hashbrowns

1/4 c. (about a handful) of cilantro

1 dutch oven or large kitchen pot


1. Grill and or brown the meat of your choosing, adding cilantro before completely browned. If browning meat instead of grilling, use dutch oven or kitchen pot to brown, remove meat after browing and cooking thoroughly making sure to keep pot warm.

2. Add EVOO, finely chopped garlic, and chopped onions, sautee, and brown onions until almost carmelized, then returning meat to the pot.

3. Cook for 3-5 minutes in sautee mix of garlic, onions, and EVOO.

4. Add 2 cans (or half the chopped roasted Hatch green chile), being sure to stir and reduce heat to medium, medium-low.

5. Add can of tomatoes, stirring slowly, and during this time add bouillon cubes and or slowly add stock and or broth 1/2 c. at a time, cover and stir slowly from time to time.

6. Add remaining cans of green chile (or remainder of chopped Hatch chiles), add cumin, oregano and stir thoroughly. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes.

7. Finally, add half bag of frozen, cubed hashbrowns, stir thoroughly, cook for another 3-5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warm tortillas.




Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 272 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 137
Calories from Fat 23
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2.6g 4%
Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%
Cholesterol 30mg 10%
Sodium 500mg 21%
Total Carbohydrates 13.0g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13%
Sugars 2.0g
Protein 15.0g

Vitamin A 7%
Vitamin C 27%
Calcium 7%
Iron 15%

Last Minute Valentines

For those of you who have procrastinated and are not sure what to give as a gift....I have a solution. My DH HATES and I mean HATES Valentine's but he plays into the whole holiday for me....even though I truly don't care for it. But I love the holiday only because he proposed on this day 9 years ago and not over dessert but in the desert! Yup, in the desert, in front of a jeep, at the base of the Sandia Mountains over looking the twinkling lights of the city. He did this just when I thought that the whole night was over and he was never going to propose. I was wrong.





THERE! I said it.....I was wrong. He will be so pleased. Anyway, off on a tangent, back to the gift idea. FOOD! Yes, food is the best gift when you can't afford to go out and spend a fortune and you can't spend a fortune to get a unique gift so here is the gift idea....ready for it.........

Chocolate covered fruit! Strawberries always come to mind, but hey, oranges are great, blueberries, bananas, just about any dang fruit out there is FABULOUS in chocolate! So here is you pantry list:

Fruit: Strawberries, bananas, anything listed above

Chocolate chips or Hershey Kisses

Toothpicks

Wax paper

Cookie sheet or 13X9 baking pan

1. Pour 6 ounces (3/4 cup) chocolate chips or kisses into a mirowave safe bowl and melt for 1 minute on HIGH. Stir, and reheat if consistency is still chunky.

2. While chocolate is melting, prick all your fruit with toothpicks. This makes dipping and placing a breeze and cleanup is a snap! Line sheet/pan with wax paper.

3. Start dipping fruit and place carefully on sheet/pan.

*If you want to get creative use a couple different chocolates like semi-sweet and white for fancy designs or different flavors like the picture posted below.

4. Place fruit into fridge for 2-4 hours for chilling and setup (overnight preferred) and VOILA! You have now created a loving gift of food for your Honey Bunny without breaking the bank and who doesn't just love chocolate on Valentine's and chocolate covered fruit to boot!

For more last minute foodie ideas that won't break your bank or require an extra trip to the store feel free to email me at karieherring@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to provide some fantastic recipe ideas. Also to see more of my recipes The Greer 5 have been posting some...but I need to start posting them here for all to enjoy! Bet you didn't have any idea I was a chef!