Tater Tot Casserole

When my sisters and I were little our Mom made this casserole for us very often. We loved it (with TONS of ketchup ;) ) every time.
It is a very simple dish to prepare and takes half an hour to bake, which makes for a perfect week night meal.

The recipe is: 1 lb of hamburger
                     2 cans green beans
                     1 can cream of mushroom soup
                     1 bag frozen potato puffs

Brown hamburger and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I added a bit of chopped onion as well.) Mix cream of mushroom soup with half a cup of milk and half a cup of water. Mix green beans and hamburger in a baking dish and pour soup mixture over the top. Cover hamburger mixture with potato puffs.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until potato puffs are golden brown and casserole is piping hot. Drizzle ketchup over the top, if you like, before serving.

Thanks to my husband you all will have very clear pictures from now on. He put my camera on the correct setting for me so it does not focus on the floor :)
Now I am off to work and then to teach a sewing class! Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

We finally have some rain, actually lots of rain. These past two days it has been pouring nonstop out of the sky. Why rainy weather makes me feel an urge to bake I do not know, but yesterday, because of the rainy day, these cookies were put on my table an hour after I got home from work. The house smelled absolutely wonderful!
This recipe is super simple and, if there are only a couple people at home, it is the perfect one dozen cookies.

The recipe is as follows: 1/2 C butter, softened
                                     3/4 C sugar
                                     1 egg
                                     1/2 tsp coconut extract
                                     1 C plus 2 T flour
                                     1/2 tsp baking soda
                                     1/2 tsp salt
                                     1 C (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
                                     1/2 C flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugar in bowl. Add egg and coconut extract; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips and coconut.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 1 dozen delicious cookies!

Blueberry Pancakes

This weekend I didn't do much cooking. Between grocery shopping and our cousin's wedding reception we just were not home much. Sunday morning I did make these blueberry pancakes for breakfast. They were very moist! I thought I put too many blueberries, as I used the whole little carton, but it turned out very well.
Just add a cup of blueberries to your favorite pancake mix and cook on a griddle for 3 minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Kefir Smoothie

I have always been the type of person to skip breakfast totally and just drink coffee all morning. Everyone,especially my Mom, told me how unhealthy that is etc. but it took forever to sink in my thick skull. Well, I think I found my new breakfast addiction...Kefir smoothies! Oh my goodness! Delicious!!!
When I was making Jeph one before he left for work this morning I did have some doubts, but they disappeared with the first sip. It is a little bitter (which I personally love), but a tad more honey should fix that.

Here is the simple recipe: 1 cup Kefir cultured milk smoothie
                                       1 cup fresh or frozen berries
                                       1-2 tsp. honey

Blend it all together and enjoy!

As soon as I am off work today I am heading straight to the grocery store for more berries so we can have these again for breakfast tomorrow! Have a wonderful Thursday!

Salmon Salad

Don't you just love when you find the most super quaint shops? My mom and I went grocery shopping last Saturday and stopped at an adorable little fresh fish shop in Topeka. Without thinking twice I purchased a pound of shrimp and a pound of salmon. (Just the smell of the place reminded me of Jeph and my honeymoon in St. Croix last month!)

The salmon we ate yesterday and the leftovers went into this salad of lettuce, onion, green pepper and tomato. Even in salad it was super delicious!

The shrimp might stay in the freezer a little longer. I need to get the nerve up to cook them since I realized, after I brought them home, that they need to be cleaned before they are cooked. There is just something about those tiny feet that grosses me out.

Anyway, I am off to finish some sewing and then bed! Hope you all have a great night!

Chicken....again!

It seems like we eat a LOT of chicken in this house! It is probably on the table at least three times a week...
Today was chicken with Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning and steamed carrots. It turned out very good (despite the fact that I let all the water boil out of the carrots and burned some of them. I am getting to be a pro at burning things...don't know what is the matter with me.)

Yes, sadly that looks like a meager meal, but neither of us were too hungry so it was fine. (I found batteries for my camera so you get pictures again!)

Well, I am off to have coffee with a dear friend and possibly attend a Mary Kay meeting this evening!
Have a great Tuesday!

Sunday Burgers

So, my camera ran out of batteries a while ago and of course, every time I go shopping, I forget to buy more. Sorry in advance, but the next few posts will be without a picture. I will attach links whenever possible though.

Today we made hamburgers. Big, huge ones with tomato, cheese, onion, mustard, ketchup and a side of potato salad. A very summer time meal!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!!!

Kiwi Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This smoothie was absolutely delicious and super easy to make! Blend together 15 strawberries, a kiwi, half a banana, 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk and a few ice cubes.

Okay now I am off to get rid of these awful allergies so I can go thrift shopping with a couple of dear friends tonight!!! Have a great weekend!!!

Mini pizzas and a smoothie

Sitting at home with horrible allergies I have not had much energy to cook these past few days. Easy meals are turning into an everyday thing. These mini pizzas were super yum and took just a few minutes to prepare. Just top half an English muffin with pizza sauce, your favorite veggies, meats and cheese and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden. Enjoy! ( I will post the smoothies recipe tomorrow).

Bad, bad, bad

Yes, I have been being bad lately and not cooking very much. First my excuse was allergies and then work. Today is a month since my husband and my wedding so I should probably stop being lazy and cook again...
I promise to have a recipe for you all tomorrow! Have a great Monday!!

Grilled Vegetable Sandwich

Thinking of meatless meals is something I find very difficult. So, when I found this sandwich recipe I was super happy...except for the fact that Jeph might not care for it.

It turned out to be super good (Jeph thought so also). I have a little stove top grill I used instead of using the outside grill. It turned out quite well. A panini press would work well for the veggies also.

1/4 C mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
1 T lemon juice
1/8 C olive oil
1 C sliced red bell pepper
1 sliced zucchini
1 sliced red onion
1 sliced yellow squash
2-  4"x 6" focaccia bread pieces split horizontally (I used a loaf of Italian bread)
1/2 C crumbled feta cheese

Mix mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice in bowl and set in refrigerator.

Preheat grill to high heat.

Brush veggies with olive oil on both sides. Brush grate with oil. Place peppers and zucchini close to center of grill, with onions and squash around them. Cook 3 minutes on each side (peppers may take a little longer to soften). Remove from grill.

Spread mayonnaise mixture on cut sides of bread, and then sprinkle them with feta cheese. Place cheese side up on grill, and cover with lid, cooking for 2-3 minutes. This warms the bread and slightly melts the cheese. (Watch so bottom of bread does not burn). Remove from grill and layer with veggies.

And voila! Open faced grilled sandwiches are ready to be eaten! (In the picture below the sandwich does not have grill lines since I used the little one in the kitchen and my oven.)