Cute and easy burp cloths!

In March, 2015, I'm going to be a great-aunt! Sounds crazy to me because it seems like my niece was just 2 years old yesterday and she's now a grown woman. Feel old much? Yes, I do, thank you very much.
I've been in baby stockpile mode for a few months, now and we just recently learned that it's a boy!
Boys are my favorite and they're so fun. I am partial to boys, I guess because I have 2 sons.
My niece is the only girl between my sister and I. Boys, boys, everywhere boys.
It's so hard sometimes to find cute and unique baby stuff that is good quality and made well.
So, I decided to start making burp cloths for the little man.

Also makes a fast, easy gift for a baby shower, etc... I was able to make 4 or 5 in less than an hour.

Here is what you need:
Cloth diapers, I used Gerber 6 ply, prefolds from Target. About $15 for a package of 10. They also sell 3 ply, but those felt cheap and flimsy to me.
A few fat quarters or another small-ish amount of fabric. I chose flannel, and I bought 1/2 of a yard of about 5 or 6 cute designs. Super cheap at joanns, especially if you wait for a sale and/or coupon.
Thread. I used white to match the diaper.
Directions:
Cut the fabric 5" wide and 18"long. You can also swap measurements depending on the pattern of the fabric and your preference.

The center space that I covered was 4-1/4" x 17-1/2. So that plus seam allowance.
Press fabric 1/2" on all 4 sides. Pin to center of prefold cloth diaper and stitch around all 4 sides. I used a small zigzag stitch.
Happy sewing!

Super yummy sweet and sour chicken

I am a total sweet and sour snob, I'll be the first to admit it. This recipe sounded a little odd to me at first but I figured I would give it a whirl. I was so pleased with the results. It was very, very good.

Sweet and sour chicken recipe

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 3/4 cup corn starch
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 1/2 cup canola oil

 

• Sweet and sour sauce:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 TB rice vinegar (distilled vinegar will work too)
• 1 TB soy sauce

 

 

Instructions

1. Place the chicken, corn starch, salt, pepper and garlic salt in a large ziploc bag and shake until the chicken is evenly coated.
2. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and place in the frying pan with a fork. I did half the batch first. Fry both sides of the chicken for about 2 minutes a piece. Line a baking sheet with foil and place chicken on the pan. Dispose of the burnt oil and then heat up the rest of the oil and finish the chicken.
3. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a medium size bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce.
5. Next you'll pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 20 minutes. Pull the chicken out and flip the chicken to evenly coat it with sauce. Then bake for an additional 15-20 minutes.
6. Serve with steamed rice and veggies.

Thanks Iheartnaptime

OMG! Chicken Pot Pie

Super yummy and oh so comforting. I've made this a handfull of times, possibly more. Everyone loves it. Score!

1 pound B/S chicken breast halves - cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
I have also made 4 Individual pot pies using the exact same amount ingredients, just cut the pie crust to fit 4 smaller containers instead of 1 big one and keep an eye on the baking time since they are smaller.

Good old Waikiki Meatballs

My Mama used to make this a lot when I was a kid and now I make it for my kids. It is a Betty Crocker Original and so yummy!

 

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (not as good with ground turkey, sorry health nuts! :) )

2/3 cup crushed saltine cracker crumbs

1/3 cup minced onion

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger (I use fresh that I keep in the freezer and I use a micro plane to finely grate it)

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon veg/canola oil

2 tablespoons corn starch

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks - drained, with juice reserved

1/3 cup white vinegar (sometimes this can be a bit much so feel free to use less and compensate with more pineapple juice)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper

 

Directions

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, milk, ginger and salt. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into meatballs.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place meatballs in skillet and cook until evenly brown, and meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, reserved pineapple juice, vinegar and soy sauce. Mix until smooth, then pour into the skillet with meatballs. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils, about 5 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and pineapple chunks. Heat through.
I Serve this over cooked white rice.

I have also heard some people cook the meatballs in the oven at 350 for 20 min. I haven't personally tried it but maybe I will next time.

Linguine with clam sauce

We just acquired a bunch of pasta at $0.22 a box with coupons. Normally, I don't like paying for it at all but hey, $0.22 isn't bad. So it inspired me to post a pasta recipe or two. 

 

 

 

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons dried parsley

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1/2 tablespoon dried basil

1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta

Extra clam juice as needed

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Combine clams with juice, butter, oil, minced garlic, parsley, basil, and pepper in a large saucepan. Place over medium heat until boiling. I usually thicken the sauce with 1T cornstarch and 1T cold water whisked together. Serve warm over pasta.

The Pioneer Woman's "The Best Macaroni Salad Ever'

 

I just adore The Pioneer Woman. She's so fun and down to earth and I can relate to her. I have been searching for a good, neutral macaroni salad recipe for years. This is the perfect compromise between my husbands taste preference and mine. He tends to lean towards what I affectionately call "bachelor mac salad"which pretty much consists of pasta, black olives, mayonnaise, sometimes cheese and salt and pepper. Nothing wrong with any of that but, I tend to lean towards more complicated recipes with a laundry list of ingredients. I know, I know, I'm mac salad high maintenance, lol.

 Ree ended our mac salad stand-off. Thanks, Ree! :)

Here is her wonderful recipe

Ingredients

4 cups Elbow Macaroni
3 whole Roasted Red Peppers, Chopped (more To Taste, Can Also Use Pimentos)
1/2 cup Black Olives, Chopped Fine
6 whole Sweet/spicy Pickle Slices, Diced (about 1/2 Cup Diced)-I used dill because my husband hates sweet in every ounce of his being.
3 whole Green Onions, Sliced (white And Dark Green Parts)
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Or Distilled Vinegar
3 teaspoons Sugar, More Or Less To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
Plenty Of Black Pepper
1/4 cup Milk (more If Needed)
Splash Of Pickle Juice (spicy Sweet Pickles)-yep, I used sweet pickle juice and he doesn't know!
Extra Pickle Juice To Taste

I wonder how adding diced hard boiled egg would taste in here.....? But why mess with perfection?

Preparation Instructions

Cook the macaroni in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
Mix together mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Splash in enough milk to make it pourable. Splash in pickle juice for extra flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Set aside.
Place cooled macaroni in a large bowl and pour 3/4 of the dressing. Toss and add more dressing if you'd like. (Dressing will seem a little thin, but it will thicken up as salad chills.)
Stir in olives, roasted red peppers (or pimentos), pickles, and green onions. Add more of any ingredient if you'd like more stuff going on! At the end, splash in a little more pickle juice and stir.
Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Sprinkle with sliced green onion to serve!

Worlds best Lasagna

This is my go-to Lasagna recipe. I've made it probably 100 times and it is SO wonderful! I figured it was time to reveal my secret..... *GASP!
 This recipe currently has 7,415 5 star ratings on Allrecipes.com. 7,415 people can't be wrong, right? Right!

Let's get down to business.
Here is your cast of characters:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

3/4 pound lean ground beef (I use a pound)

1/2 cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (I grind these with a mortar/pestle)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

 

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Awwwwwww Yeahhhhhhhh!

 

Country Style Fried Cabbage

Paula HAS to be my biological mother. I don’t care what anyone says about her, her food is (usually) out of this world good.
Since cabbage is currently .38/lb… Here’s a great alternative recipe. I served this with dinner tonight and it was delicious. We did add the bacon as the bottom of the recipe suggests.

Country Style Fried Cabbage
By An unknown fan, handed to Paula at a book signing
Ingredients:
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
6 slices bacon, cut into small chunks
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (I skipped this step to appeal to the little one’s)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Wash cabbage. For shredding begin by cutting cabbage into quarters. Cut by making thin slices across the cut sides of the cabbage. Discard core and any tough ribs. Heat bacon in a non stick skillet or cast iron pan/dutch oven. Add cabbage and stir just until glistening. Lower heat and add pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste and continue cooking and turning until cabbage is just tender.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes from the Paula Deen Test Kitchen: A fast and delicious side dish to your St. Patrick’s Day cornbeef recipes. We also loved it with 4 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled over the top before serving.

Not my picture, but I forgot to take a picture of it and it looks like this when done.

Hasselback Potatoes

 

I’ve been looking at this recipe on Pinterest for a while, so I figured I would give it a shot. Totally worth it. I added crumbled bacon and shredded cheese.

Here’s the recipe:
This recipe, adapted from one served at Stockholm’s popular old Restaurant Hasselbacken, proves just how easy and delicious potatoes can be.
For best results, choose oblong potatoes of uniform size and trim if needed so they’ll lie flat without wobbling as you cut into them.
Prep: 15 minutes, Bake: 55 minutes.
Ingredients:
4 medium all-purpose potatoes
1 Stick of butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooked, crumbled bacon
Grated cheese (whatever kind tickles your fancy)
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°. Slice each potato at 1/8-inch intervals, cutting to within 1/4 inch of the bottom.
2. Arrange potatoes spoke-fashion in a greased (I used Pam) 13×9 baking dish. I prefer glass but I’m sure any will be fine.
3.Tuck a half of a slice of butter between each section.
4.Sprinkle with salt and pepper
5.Bake potatoes at 425° on middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over potatoes, drizzle with remaining melted butter, and bake 20 more minutes.
6.Sprinkle cheese and bacon over potatoes, baste with butter in pan, and bake 5 more minutes or until potatoes are golden.
The result? These are awesome. Definitely making them again!