Lemon Pepper Chicken

I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I promise I am going to try harder to keep this updated. I have lots and lots of recipes to get on here, so hopefully I can keep up on it.

We tried this recipe last night and it turned out so "Yummo!!!" Can you tell where i got the recipe from?? That's right.....Rachael Ray. I did tweak it a little bit to fit my personal taste.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 lemons, cut in half
3 tbsp. of minced garlic
3 tsp. lemon pepper
6 pieces of chicken breasts, about 3 to 4 pounds
fresh grated parmesan cheese (not the powder)

Squeeze two lemons into a large bowl. You can use a dash of zest if you want. Add the rest of the ingredients, besides cheese, and whisk together. Toss chicken into bowl and coat with sauce. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes but can do longer for more flavor.

Cook on the grill or roast in the oven. We prefer the grill during those hot summer months.

When ready to serve, squeeze a half of a lemon over chicken, and sprinkle with the cheese, lightly. Enjoy!!

You can always mix all ingredients in a freezer-safe bag, then thaw, and throw on the grill to save time.

Crunchy Bread

This recipe is from my friend, Diana. She says "I read on a blog somewhere about French Bread. We all love it but it is hard to use because you have to basically buy the day you are using it." Her solution via. this blog, buy it when it's really cheap and freeze it! That's right, you heard me! I tried this out and I loved the results!

Ingredients:
loaf of french bread
butter or margarine
garlic salt

Cut the bread into slices (like a loaf of bread). Butter the bread on both sides, sprinkle with garlic salt if you want. Then put in on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once it is frozen transfer to a ziploc bag. Then at dinner time anytime you want Bread with it, pull out number of slices you need and bake or broil until it is desired crunchy level. I did it at 350 for about ten minutes, turning over half way in between and then broiled it for a couple of minutes!


I was lazy and put the bread directly into ziploc bags and it worked fine. Also, I was a little light on the garlic salt, and it could have used more! I am sure you could add herbs of your choice as well.

This was a huge hit and super easy. Plus, if you want to go light on the butter or use something less fattening, you can fix it to your taste. No more wasted bread. Perfect!

Whole Wheat Pancakes/waffles

>

(This recipe is from my cousin, Lichelle, again! Yeah!! This is directly from her I just copied and pasted!! I will add my notes below!!)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4¼ tsp salt

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/4 cup applesauce and oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add egg, milk and applesauce/oil mixture. Beat and cook!

*Food storage idea* Use just under a 1/4 cup powdered milk and 1 cup water instead of milk.

*Time saver idea* Combine dry ingredients in several zip lock baggies, then when you make them, you just have to add wet stuff.

You could also double, triple, etc the recipe and freeze the extras. I like to have them for fast Sunday so I don't have to make breakfast when I am fasting!

I made these for my family on Saturday, and Doubled the recipe. I only had two pancakes left after they had their fair share. My dad doesn't really like pancakes and he gobbled them up. I also, did one batch with applesauce and one batch with oil, and I couldn't tell much of a difference, besides that the applesauce batch smelled better. This is definitely going in the recipe books.

I especially like this recipe because it gives you food storage and freezer idea options. That is something I am always looking for!!

Spaghetti, almost homemade!

I just made this last night and it fed six adults and four little children with lots to spare. I know everybody has a spaghetti recipe or they are just good with opening up a bottle of prego and pouring over hot pasta. Dinner is done, right? Well, I was the same way. Then my mom showed me how to make it semi-homemade and it doesn't require a lot of work. Yeah!

Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked ground beef
Spaghetti seasoning packet
Can of diced tomatoes
1 jar of spaghetti sauce

Pull ground beef out of the freezer and defrost in the microwave. Then add to a medium to large size pot. Sprinkle a tablespoon or so of seasoning onto the beef and mix it around and let it cook for a few minutes. You can add more or less depending on how strong you want the flavor. Then add the tomatoes and let that cook for a few minutes. Stir in the jar of spaghetti sauce and heat til it starts to bubble. Serve over pasta.


Pretty dang easy, right? The best part is it freezes really well, so you can use it as another rainy day dinner when you really don't have time to cook. Plus, it has a more homemade taste to it than the basic jar can do for you. Plus, it almost doubles the recipe. More bang for your buck!

Green, green, green onions!

I always have this problem with green onions. I buy a huge bundle and only use about three or four stalks, and then they go to waste in my fridge. I have also planned meals for a week and knowing that I am going to need green onions for one recipe, I plan the rest of the meals to fit around green onions!! I know it's crazy but I hate to waste them!! But never fail, my sister-in-law saved me one day with her tip.

When you cut up the green onions for a recipe, cut them all up. Place unused green onions in ziploc bags and throw them in the freezer. Next time you need them just pull them out of the freezer, measure how much you need and add them. You don't even need to defrost. Sweet, right? This is also nice when the green onions are super cheap. Stock up, slice them up and then put them away when you need them.

Second tip with green onions: If you cut off the green onions where the white starts, place unused bottoms in a cup. Add some water, give it a few days and they will regrow! Perfect for toppings or a little garnish! Plus, if you grow enough of them, you can cut them up and add to the freezer batches!!

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is a favorite recipe of mine and it is quick and easy!! Just what I love!!

6-8 pieces of skinless, boneless chicken
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
hamburger buns

Place chicken in the crockpot. Pour bbq sauce over the top. Place the lid on, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for at least 4 hours. The longer this cooks the more tender the chicken will become. Just before serving shred and mix until the shredded chicken is covered in sauce. Place on hamburger buns or serve as the main dish with potatoes.

This makes a lot so, of course, you can freeze half of it and save for a rainy day. Just my kind of recipe!!

Cafe Rio Pork

2-3 pds. Pork shoulder
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
2 tbs. dried onions

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup red enchilada sauce

Place pork in crock-pot. Mix the rest of the top half ingredients in a bowl. Pour over Pork. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. 1 hour before serving, drain juices and add bottom two ingredients.

Reserve remaining enchilada sauce and heat over the stove for extra sauce. I also make spanish rice to eat on the side or mixed in with everything!

You can use this meat for tacos/burritos, a salad, or as a main dish!


My friend, Tiffany, passed this on to me, and pretty sure a friend in our ward passed it on to her! It is super simple and makes a ton. It freezes really well, so you can save it for a busy day when you are short on time!

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 onions (diced) (can substitute for dried onions.)
2 cans pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can stewed tomatoes, loosely chopped
2 cans rotel
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. ranch dressing

Brown beef and onions in skillet. Drain Excess oil. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for twenty minutes.
-or-
Add all ingredients to crock-pot and stir together. Cook on low for three to four hours.
Serve with sour cream, chips, grated cheese, green onions, etc.


This recipe came in the mail on the back-side of a real estate ad! I know random, but it was a hit at a soup party. It makes a ton, so if you are feeding a small family of four you might want to half the recipe or plan on freezing half.