Jay and Allison .COM

The following recipes are SOOO easy, you really can’t screw them up!  Feel free to add more or less vegetables, or even eliminate some!  Also, the amount of meat can vary-really, just add whatever you think will work for you and your family.

Crock-Pot Roast
I don’t really have a recipe for this-I just have always estimated-a little of this, a little of that.  My sweet sister-in-law, Kelly, told me how to make it over the phone, so I’ve always just estimated-you really can’t mess it up.  Kelly made it for Jay about 5 years ago and he loved the flavor of the gravy,  so I’ve been making it ever since.  I’m sure I don’t make it quite the same way she does, but regardless, it always turns out great!

2 lbs. Roast (arm, shoulder, anything is fine)
8 Red Potatoes, quartered
2 C. Baby Carrots (or a few to several regular carrots, sliced)
1 Onion, quartered
1 Package, dry Ranch mix
1 Can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1-2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet’s Browning and Seasoning Sauce
1/2 C. Water

In a skillet on medium heat, sear each side of the roast just until each side is browned-about 2 minutes on each side.  Place in Crock-Pot.  Cover with vegetables, soup, ranch mix, browning sauce, and water.  Cook on high 4-6 hours, or on low 6-8 hours.  (Low is better, but use high setting if you’re running out of time!)

Pork Chops and Apples
Whenever I make this recipe, I always think of Peter (or was it Bobby) from the Brady Bunch requesting “Pork Chops and Applesauce”  in his silly voice!  Grant likes this recipe because it is sweet.  It’s from my favorite cookbook, Betty Crocker’s Good & Easy Cookbook.  If you can’t find the rib chops, really, just about any kind of pork will do.

6 pork rib chops,  1/2 inch thick (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3 or 4 unpeeled apples, sliced (I like Granny Smith, but sometimes I’ll just use what I have, or combine varieties.)
1/4 C. firmly packed brown sugar (or 1/8 C. firmly packed Splenda brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter

1. Heat oven to 350.  Grease rectangular baking dish. (I actually use round Pyrex, just as long as you can place pork in single layer, it will work.)
2. Spray 10 inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray, heat over medium heat.  Cook pork in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown.
3. Place pork in baking dish, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon; dot with margarine.  Top with apples.  COVER and back about 1 hour or until pork is slightly pink in center and apples are tender.

Maple-Glazed Turkey
Another one from my Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Another one Grant likes, because it is sweet! 

1 Package (6 oz.) long grain and wild rice mix
1 & 1/2 C. water
1 pound turkey breast tenderloin
3 T. maple flavored syrup (I like the sugar-free version for calories’ sake)
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Mix rice mix with seasoning packet and water in ungreased square baking dish (again I use my round Pyrex dish, anything will work as long as turkey is in a single layer, doesn’t overlap).  Place turkey on rice mixture.  Drizzle with maple syrup.  Sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon.
3. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink in center and rice is tender.

Cavatini
I learned how to make this in Adult Living (aka, Home Ec.) in high school, and I’ve been making it ever since.  My brothers got sick of me making it, but I loved it so much, I craved it, like, every week!  Sorry, guys!  Great with Pepperidge Farm Four (or Five?) Cheese bread in the freezer section.  As always, add more vegetables/meat or less according to your taste!  Also, the ground beef is optional.  Jay and I aren’t huge ground beef fans, but we like Morningstar Farms’s meatless “ground beef” in the freezer section.  It’s already cooked, just thaw it out!  Also, it’s the healthier option, if you care about that sort of thing!  This is one of those recipes that always tastes better the day after as leftovers!

1 box (about 16 oz.) Rotini noodles
1 jar your favorite (mine’s Prego) spaghetti sauce
1 large can Tomato PASTE
1 small package (or about 2/3 large package) pepperoni, slice into quarters
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)
1/2 onion, diced (optional)
1 green pepper, diced (optional)
1 small can sliced onions, drained (optional)
1 small jar sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
1 T. (approx.) Italian seasoning
2 C. shredded mozzarella

1. Heat oven to 350.
2. In large pot, boil noodles according to directions on package.
3. While boiling noodles, in separate pot heat spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, and italian seasoning over low-medium heat.  Add all desired meat and vegetables.  Cook until thoroughly heated.
4. Drain cooked noodles, combine with sauce mixture, place in large baking dish.
5. Top with shredded cheese, cook in oven until cheese is melted.

Since just before Reed was born I started this new goal of trying one new recipe, to build up my menu index.  My 3 objectives tend to be: cheap, easy, & healthy. (I don’t always meet all 3!)  Below are some of my favorites.  I got them from a cookbook my sweet friend, Michel Ann, made for me, with some minor adjustments according to my personal taste.   Thanks, Michel Ann!  I’ll post new recipes periodically. (I know, I know, I’m terrible about keeping up with my blog!)

Beef and Broccoli Pepper Steak I love the flavors in this-you’d swear it called for much more time and ingredients than it does!

1 TBSP. Margarine of butter
1 Lb. Well-trimmed top round steak, cut into thin strips
1 Pkg. (6.8 oz.) Rice-a-roni Beef flavor
2 C. Broccoli crowns
1/2 C. Red or green bell pepper strips
1 Small onion, thinly sliced

1. In large skilled, melt margarine over medium heat.  Add meat; saute just until browned.
2. Remove from skillet; set aside.  Keep warm.
3. In same skillet, prepare Rice-a-Roni mix as package directs; simmer 10 minutes (rice will not be fully cooked yet).  Add meat and remaining ingredients; simmer additional 10 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed and vegetables are crisp-tender.

* Makes 4 servings

Poppy Seed Chicken Jay loves this one.  This would be great to take to a friend who’s just had a baby.  You can cook it for them, or simply prepare it and let them store it until they’re ready to cook it themselves.  (Those were my fave after Reed was born!) Or you can prepare it, cook half, and freeze the other half if this is too much for your family! E-Z!

6 Chicken breasts, boneless
1/4 C. Chicken broth
8 Oz. Sour Cream (I use light)
1 Tube Ritz Crackers, crushed
1 1/2 TBSP Poppy seed
1 Can cream of chicken soup
Salt & pepper to taste
1 Stick of butter, melted

1. Mix soup, sour cream, salt and pepper, and chicken broth.
2. Dip chicken breast in cream mix and place in 9 x 13 pan.  Pour remaining mix over chicken.
3. Mix crackers, butter, and poppy seeds and spoon on top.
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

San Antonio Chicken with Picante Black Bean Sauce This recipe is as spicy as you want to make it, according to the hotness of the picante sauce you use.  I really like the Picante Black Bean Sauce that goes over the chicken.  Alone, it would make a great dip!

4 Chicken breast
2 tsp. Ground cumin
1 tsp. Garlic salt (I use garlic powder-is that the same thing?)
4 tsp. Vegetable oil (I use olive oil-for my health!)
8 oz. Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 C. Canned whole kernel corn, drained
2/3 C. Picante sauce
1/2 C. Diced red bell pepper
2 TBSP. Chopped cilantro (optional-I usually leave this out)

1. Sprinkle chicken w/ 1 tsp. cumin and the garlic salt.
2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add chicken, cook 3 minutes.
3. In medium bowl, combine beans, corn, picante sauce, red pepper and remaining cumin.  (If desired, add cilantro)
4. Turn chicken; spoon bean mixture over chicken.  Cook 5-7 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked
5. Push bean mixture off chicken into skillet.  Transfer chicken to serving platter; keep warm.
6. Cook and stir bean mixture over hight heat 2 minutes or until thickened.
7. Spoon bean mixture over chicken.  (Optional-sprinkle with cilantro, serve with additional picante sauce or sour cream.)

Grant, Reed, and I had a fun week in Louisville with Uncle Stuart, Aunt Amanda, and Cousin Grayson (Jay flew to Denver).  We even made it to Lexington to spend some time with Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Chuck, Jonathan, & Uncle Stephen (thanks Stephen, for fixing my car!  )  Amanda and I had quite a time driving our 3 babies and 2 strollers around Louisville in my minivan to various shopping places (see pics of all three of them asleep in the car after our accidental “detour” to Oldham County!).  Thanks, Aunt Lisa, for driving to come see us!  You’ll notice Grant has found a new favorite sleep position!  Also, notice the massive amount of used diapers we kept finding lying around!  HAH!  I wish we could could do it all over again.  Miss you guys! 

Our final night, Grant, Reed, & I stayed with one of my dearest friends, Audrey, in Gallatin.  So sad we only see each other about once a year!  I think our boys would be great friends.  (Note the pic of them all trying to “comfort” Reed!)  We met Mom & Jay in Nashville the next morning, and we headed back to the GREAT state of Texas!  What a wonderful two weeks!  I was sad to leave, but fortunately having Mom return with us helped ease my pain!  

We had so many broken crayons it was starting to get overwhelming!  We decided to get all “green” and recycle them last Sunday.  (Al Gore, eat your heart out-literally.)  Grant LOVES coloring with these!  They actually turned out to be really beautiful!  So if you’re looking for something fun that keeps your kids entertained for a while….remember, it lasts longer if you make your kids peel off the paper wrapper themselves! P.S. Pay no attention to the “I’ve got TWO kids now” kitchen!!  HAHA!