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July 2008

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May 19, 2008

Ragu Fresh and Simple Packets

Freshsimple_mealideas

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love pasta.  I have probably tried nearly every single variety of jarred sauce out there.  But, my favorite is Ragu with Super Chunky Mushrooms.  I was so pleased to receive two types of Ragu's Fresh and Simple Packets in the mail.  What a cool idea!  It's a pasta sauce that comes in a ninety second microwavable pouch.  It was already so simple to heat on the stove to begin with, but now you'll have one less pot to clean after dinner.  Also, this product does not contain any added sugar, artificial additives, or preservatives.  I'm all about making simple, healthy, delicious meals, so Ragu will continue to be a staple in our household!

December 27, 2007

Poll #9: The Results Are In!

Eggnog Well, I suppose I'm really outnumbered on this one. Egg nog was the clear winner of the survey, receiving eight votes. I can't stand the stuff!  Chris likes to drink it in front of me just to get a reaction.  And then my mom even made egg nog pie this year....eck!  Hot cocoa came in second with six votes.  My personal favorite is hot apple cider, and I see that two of you agree with me.  Finally, two of you chose soft drinks as your favorite.  But come one, you can drink those anytime! (I guess you could actually choose to drink any of these at any time though.) : )  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I'm wishing everyone a safe, healthy and fantastic New Year in 2008!

42.1%
Egg Nog

15.8%
Hot Apple Cider

31.6%
Hot Cocoa

10.5%
Soft Drinks

December 05, 2007

Something Different

I have been trying to think of some new ideas for dinner. We tend to eat the same things every few weeks.  Oh well, I guess we know what we like.  I found a great recipe for paella but I'm missing some of the ingredients.  It looks delicious. I love almost anything made with Olive oil.  I'm going to try and make it with shrimp this weekend. 

November 14, 2007

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving This Thanksgiving, we're having dinner at my mom's house.  This year, it's just going to be my parents, Chris, Cameron, and I, and my brother's family. I'm going to make the dressing, because Chris really likes his mom's recipe.  It's a Cajun version of cornbread dressing, and honestly it really is good.

When I was growing up, we would have all the holidays at our house, which I loved.  But, it was so much work for my mom and dad.  I am looking forward to a low-key Thanksgiving this year.  Cameron has fun with his baby girl cousin, and we'll probably end up playing Trivial Pursuit or Spades.  I can see Chris shuddering at this thought already.  Whenever my brother and I get together, we love to play board games.  What can I say, we're both trivia nerds. 

What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year?  Please share!

October 14, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Cheese Enchiladas

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Hamburgers

Thursday: Chicken Fajitas

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Eat at Carabbas?  [Hopefully : ) ] 

Sunday: Almost Homemade Pizza

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

October 08, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Mexican Cornbread

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Twice Baked Potatoes

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Order Pizza

Saturday: Parmesan Chicken with Corn Casserole

Sunday: Homemade Bread with Fig Preserves

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

September 30, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Baked Chicken Parmesan with Green Bean Casserole

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Order Pizza

Saturday: Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

September 24, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Cajun Shrimp Stew (click here for recipe)

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: King Crab Legs dipped in butter with French Bread

Thursday: Beef Fajitas

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Almost Homemade Pizza

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

September 17, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Cheese Enchiladas

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Cajun Stuffed Crabs (click here for recipe)

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Almost Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Twice Baked Potatoes with a  salad

Sunday: Eating at in-laws house

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

September 10, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Here We Geaux: 

Monday: Cajun Shrimp Stew (click here for recipe)

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Cajun Chicken Salad Sandwiches (see next post for recipe) on Hoagie Rolls

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday:  Almost Homemade Pizza

Saturday:  Twice Baked Potatoes with a salad

Sunday:  Breakfast for Dinner

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

Cajun Recipes #4

Cajun Chicken Salad

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts, 2 thighs, 3 boiled eggs, 1/2 stalk celery, 1/2 small onion, 1/2 small bell pepper, 2 TB diced pimento, 2 TB parsley flakes, 3/4 cup mayonnaise, 3 TB Miracle Whip, 2 TB mustard, 3 TB sweet relish, salt, pepper, and red (cayenne) pepper to taste.

Directions: Boil the chicken for about an hour. Let it cool,  then cut it into pieces and run it through the food processor. (Some people like it really fine, but I like mine chunky.) Put it in a bowl.  Run the boiled eggs in the food processor, and put them into a separate bowl.  Run the celery, onions, bell pepper, and pimento (all together) until pureed.  Add all the other ingredients, then the chicken in a large mixing bowl.  Season well with salt, pepper, and red pepper.  *Remember to be careful when adding red pepper....you can always add more but you can't take it out.*  Refrigerate and enjoy! 

September 03, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Here We Geaux:

Monday: Cajun Stuffed Crabs (see next post for recipe)

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Mexican Cornbread and Baby Carrots with Ranch Dressing

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday:  Parmesan Chicken Breasts

Saturday:  Almost Homemade Pizza

Sunday:  Homemade Bread with Fig Preserves

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

September 01, 2007

Cajun Recipes #3

Now here is my favorite Cajun Recipe of the moment.  It is not necessary to have crab shells to make stuffed crabs....although it would be fun to try it that way!

Here we geaux:

Cajun Stuffed Crabs

Ingredients:  1 lb. white crabmeat, 4 stale hamburger buns or 5 slices stale bread (just leave it out for a couple of hours), 1/4 lb. butter, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup chopped green onions, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper, 2 minced cloves garlic, 1 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1/2 tsp.Worcestershire Sauce, plain breadcrumbs, foil (to make "crab shells") or actual crab shells, salt, red pepper, and black pepper to taste.

Directions: 

***In a separate dish, combine the evaporated milk and eggs, and then soak the buns (or bread) in this mixture.

Using a 3 inch deep casserole pan, saute your onions, celery, garlic, and bell pepper in the butter until wilted.  Add in the Worcestershire sauce and the crabmeat, and then season to taste with the salt, red, and black pepper.  Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.  Now, add the green onions and the parsley.  Then, add the buns(or bread) which have been soaking in the milk and eggs.  Mix well.  Stuff the crab shells (or "foil crabs") with this mixture.  Sprinkle the tops with plain bread crumbs (I used packaged bread crumbs).  Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until brown.

August 27, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Here we go:

Monday: Twice Baked Potatoes

Tuesday: Hamburgers

Wednesday: Cheese Enchiladas

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Almost Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Breakfast for Dinner

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

August 20, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

OK...Here's what we're having at our house this week:

Monday:  Crab legs with French Bread (we get them from HEB....mmmmm)

Tuesday:  Lasagna

Wednesday:  Leftovers

Thursday:  Beef Fajitas

Friday:  Leftovers

Saturday:  Parmesan Chicken with Mexicorn and Green Beans

Sunday:  Almost Homemade Pizza

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

August 13, 2007

Cajun Recipes #2

My Monday Menu Plan includes Cajun Shrimp Stew.  I wanted to also share the recipe. 

Critical ingredient:  Pat's Roux  - You can get it at Pat's Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant in Henderson, Louisiana.  I've tried using other brands, but this is by far the best.

Cajun Shrimp Stew

Ingredients:3 heaping serving spoons of Pat's Roux, 3 cups water, 1 chopped rib of celery, 1 cup chopped onions, 1/2 bell pepper (chopped), 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp, salt, pepper, and red (cayenne) pepper to taste.

First: If you are using roux from a jar, pour out the oil which will sit on top.  Then, in a medium pot of your water, add the roux.  You will need to cook the roux at medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring constantly.  Now, add all the vegetables.  Season to taste.  You will want to add quite a bit of salt and black pepper.  Be careful with the red pepper.  Remember: you can always add more - but you can't take it out!  (I've learned that the hard way LOL) Cook for about 30 more minutes, stirring frequently.  Now you can add your shrimp!  Continue to cook at medium to medium-low for about 30 minutes, stirring often. 

Now just serve over rice and with brown-n-serve rolls.......C'est Ce Bon!

August 12, 2007

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my first Menu Plan Monday.  My awesome, great, and loving husband likes to do does the grocery shopping (I know, I'm lucky) so I actually do plan the list every week.  It has really saved us money to shop with detailed lists. 

Monday:  Cajun Shrimp Stew with rice and rolls    [See recipe above]               

Tuesday:  (Leftovers)

Wednesday:  Grilled Bacon Wrapped Filets with Green Beans and Corn

Thursday:  Hamburgers and Salad

Friday:  Almost Homemade Pizza

Sat: Twice Baked Potatoes

Sun:  Salad and Homemade Bread

Head on over to orgjunkie to share your menu plan for the week!

July 19, 2007

Cajun Recipes #1

I am going to start posting some of my favorite recipes.  I have several Cajun seafood recipes that are so good they'll "make you wanna slap yo' mama."  My husband is the true Cajun, from Southern Louisiana....so I can't take credit for these.  They have been passed down to me by my mother-in-law.  Here is one the best:

CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

Ingredients:  3 TB oil, 1/2 cup flour, 3 garlic pods, 1 onion, 1 celery rib, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1 lb. crawfish tails, 1/2 cup parsley, 1/2 cup green onions, 2 TB butter, celery salt, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper.

Directions:     Before you begin, get everything ready to go.  Chop all your vegetables.  I put the garlic, onion, and the green and red bell peppers, all into the food processor at one time.  The parsley can also be run in the food processor, but you will want to keep the parsley separate from the other vegetables.  Finely chop the celery and green onions by hand. 

Heat your frying pan (I use a three inch deep non-stick pan) on medium-high.   Heat the oil for a few minutes, then add the flour.  This is your roux.  Lower the head to medium.  You will need to stir it constantly until it turns the color of a brown paper bag (approx. 3 or 4 minutes).

Now add the garlic, onion, green and red bell peppers, and the celery.  Stir very well for about 4 minutes.

At this time you can go ahead and season your vegetables with salt, celery salt, pepper, and red (Cayenne) pepper.  I use about 4 tsp. salt, 2tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. red pepper, and 1 tsp. celery salt.  But if you like things that are spicy, you may want to add more red pepper.  It is all a matter of taste.

Now add your crawfish.  Here in Texas, we are able to buy a pound of frozen crawfish already peeled and in a bag.  If you are also able to find this in your local grocery store, you can just poor the thawed crawfish into the pan (including the juice).  Stir well for about five minutes. 

Now add the parsley, green onions, and then the butter.  Continue to stir well. 

This will need to cook uncovered for about 35 minutes.  You will need to continue stirring your etouffee very often.  I usually keep the heat at medium low (3 or 4 on an electric stove).   

Serve over rice and enjoy!   We like to eat brown-n-serve rolls with ours!

This recipe will serve at least four people.  My husband and I usually eat it two nights in a row....and we're big eaters when it comes to Cajun food!

June 26, 2007

Lunch Fun

Red_lobster_logo This weekend my husband and I were craving a great seafood meal, but we didn't want to go all the way to Kemah or Galveston.   We thought about different places, and decided we'd try Red Lobster.  We hadn't been there in years.  We were pleasantly surprised to find so many new things to try on the menu.  I had the shrimp and lobster pasta with alfredo sauce.  My husband had blackened tilapia.  Add the cheese biscuits and the salad, and what a meal for the price!  I must also add that we had an excellent waiter.  Sometimes an old favorite can really hit the spot!

DAILY CARTOON click to enlarge