Betty Crocker-Cheeseburger Pie

Is anyone thinking of what they are going to plant in the garden yet? I have been....I know, it's not quite time yet, but I can't help it! I want to get in that dirt! I like to plant atleast one new food each season.  Last year I did sugar snap peas, they were time consuming, but very worth the sweet and tender taste. I'm not sure what the new food will be this year.  We have a garden spot, but I also like to plant in containers.  Containers are perfect for garden beginners, or city folk with not much room, or for people like me, who just want "even more" room!  If you have never tried gardening, or container gardening, you should try it, it so fun to grow your own food and kids love to get involved.  I plant rows of carrots, etc just for my kids to water and pick.  They love seeing the results come up out of the ground!  Containers are really good for kids too.   Today I'm listing a "classic." It is from Betty Crocker and it's seen on many bisquick boxes, but this is for those of you who may have seen it and never tried it.  It is quick and easy and oh so good! Kids love it and it is so simple. I enjoy making this on those really busy nights, or on those days where I have nothing in my fridge to feed my family! It would be easy to make two at the same time if you have a bigger family, or if you want leftovers the next day.  I don't usually care for leftovers, but this reheats great.  You could even add in corn or green beans to give it a veggie.
Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie
1pd ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (optional)
1/2t salt
1C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2C bisquick mix
1C milk
2 eggs
Heat oven to 400. Spray a 9inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.  Cook beef and onion until done;drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.  In a small bowl, stir rest of ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.  Bake about 25min or until knife come out clean.  High altitude (3500-6500 Bake 30-35min)

Cherry Cola Jello Salad

I'm not sure I should have even attempted a picture of this dish! I guess it is red and cheerful, but I just couldn't get a picture of this dish that made it look appealing! But, it is yummy and so easy and kids love it.  This is a version of my MIL's recipe.


Cherry Cola Jello Salad
2small pkgs of cherry jello
1(20oz)can crushed pineapple, drained
1can cherry pie filling
1/2C water
3/4C cola
Drain pineapple very well...that stuff seems like it will drain for days! Place the reserved juice in a saucepan along with the water and bring to a boil. Set the pineapple aside.  Once it boils, add the jello powder and stir until dissolved, like 2minutes. Take off of the heat and stir in the cola and the cherry pie filling until combined.  Place in a serving bowl, or a 13x9 dish and refrigerate until slightly set. Then stir in the pineapple to combine and refrigerate until set.  I had to leave the house and the jello was set before I added in the pineapple, so I just stirred it in, not as pretty, but it still works! This jello can be tart for some people, so you could tone it down by layering it with a tub of cool whip, use light to make it healthier.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches

Sorry about the bad picture...I need a better camera! But, these sandwiches really are awesome, the picture doesn't do them justice.  What is really nice is they cook in the crockpot all day...BONUS!
My kids love these and they like when I reserve the juice and put it in a bowl so they can "dip" the sandwich in it...so, it's kind of like an italian/french dip! The secret to these sandwiches is to use real cheese, not the imitation stuff and to use a good italian bread....I know, I said I don't eat white flour, but this is one exception and I don't use wheat on this.  Very easy meal and it makes a lot of meat! This would work great to put on low before bed on a Saturday night and let it cook during church and when you get home it would be ready to shred and eat for lunch!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Sandwiches
11/2C beef broth(I boil water and add 2beef bouillon cubes)
1C water
1t salt
1t pepper
1t garlic powder
1(.7)pkg dry italian seasoning mix
1 5pd roast(use lean) I have also used a 2pd with the same amount of seasoning
Combine water and beef broth and seasonings and stir to combine.  Place roast in the crockpot and pour the seasoning over the top.  Cook on low 10-12hours, less if it's a smaller roast. Or cook on high 4-5hours. My crockpot is a beast and I cook it on high and it's done in 3 hours, so just check on it after 4hours on high to see if it shreds easily or not.  When done cooking, take two forks and shred the meat, ridding any fat.  This is why you want to use a lean roast, it makes this part much quicker and easier. Take your hoagie rolls and open them flat on a cookie sheet, butter the top side and place drained meat on the other side. Place swiss cheese on top of the meat and leave laying open and broil for 3-5minutes or until cheese is melted and the buttered side is browning....watch closely! Those broilers are sneaky things and can burn bread quickly!  I usually have lots of shredded meat left over and I freeze it for another meal. 

Jello Pies

What is going on? A week ago it was in the 70s and today it is snowing! I guess I should not be surprised, that is just Kansas weather...and I have seen it do this in a day's time!  But, rats!  For some reason(maybe the snow outside) the cleaning bug bit me this morning, which my husband and I have both been wandering when it would bite me again, so thank goodness!  I have been cleaning those places that don't see daylight...you know, the basement storage room, the cabinets under the sinks, the linen closet! Boy, was that ever needed and I am glad it is done!  How does so much stuff accumulate so quickly? 
Since Spring is in the air(although not today!) I started craving jello salad, pasta salad, all those food items that you eat at picnics and when you are grilling.  Many of you have probably made this before, but it is so simple and so good and low in fat and kids love it and it just helps me feel like warm weather is coming, so I thought I'd spread the sunshine to you too!
Jello Pie
1 graham cracker crust
1C boiling water
1C ice water
1tub cool whip,light
1small pkg strawberry jello(or fav)
1C.fresh sliced strawberries(optional)
Boil 1C water and pour into jello powder and stir until dissolved.  Add 1C cold water and stir until thickened. Add cool whip and stir well.  Refrigerate 15min or until somewhat set up and then spoon into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.  If adding in fresh strawberries add them in before adding in cool whip. Note: this does make extra, it won't all fit into the crust...bonus!
*Another recipe that is so easy and yummy is pudding pie. Use 1small package of your favorite instant  pudding, we use chocolate, and stir in 1 3/4C milk and pour into chocolate graham cracker crust.  Let set up in refrigerator and before serving spread with a tub of light cool whip.

Olive Garden Fettucini Alfredo

Note to self: next time you are going to make fettucini alfredo, make sure you have the fettucini! Tonight we had penne alfredo! This is a great copycat version of Olive Garden, but I have changed it a bit.  Do you live in a town where they show t.v. commercials from the big city and you have none of those yummy restaurants even close? I do and the closest Olive Garden I know about is almost 5 hours away! It isn't fair to have to watch those delicious commercials, so when I came across this yummy copycate recipe I gave it a try. It is very good!  I add mushrooms and fresh spinach and grilled chicken.  Start by melting one stick of butter. When this is melted add 2T cream cheese and let this soften.  Then add 1pt of heavy cream and simmer for 10-12minutes while stirring so it will thicken.  Add 1tsp of garlic powder and 1/2C parmesan cheese and stir until heated. 

Now, my version is this: After melting the butter add in mushrooms and saute with minced garlic.  Then add fresh spinach and cook down.  Add heavy cream and pepper and 1tsp garlic powder.  Stir and cook on medium heat for 10-12minutes or until thickened. After thickened, add 1/4C parmesan cheese and stir to heat.  Add in fully cooked grilled chicken chunks.

Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

Today is cold again, and it's a Monday, UGH! Oh well, I've got a lot of house cleaning to do, so it's a good day to be inside.  My allergies have already started so I think that may be a good sign that Spring is in the air...I recently found out I am allergic to all weeds and all grasses and sunflowers and a couple trees.  Can you believe it? A Kansas girl, allergic to sunflowers?! I didn't know it was possible! That should be like against the rules or something.  That's almost as bad if I were allergic to wheat...which thankfully I am not.  And go figure, sunflowers and daisies are my absolute favorite flowers!  I guess my hubby won't have to sneak into a farmer's sunflower field anymore to pick me some wild ones!  He does do that with lilacs, he usually asks first though.  I love wildflowers that you see in the ditches and many fields around here and he will often stop while he is out working in the country and pick me some and bring them home and surprise me!  I love fresh flowers inside, it makes me smile.  Growing up every time I went to my grandma's house she would have flowers, or even branches from her forsythia bush and lilac bush and have them in almost every room in her house....it smelled so good and it was so pretty!  She is very artistic and has a great eye for simple beauty and how to turn something boring into something special.      Today I am posting a recipe I have not tried yet, but recently found in a Taste of Home magazine...I love those magazines and cookbooks! So, if you try it let me know what you think of it...it sounds really good...although I'm not sure my kiddos are going to like it.  It says to cook your chicken while making this, but right now I have some fully cooked grilled and season chicken breasts that I am going to use instead.  One step easier for me. Enjoy!
Spinach and Mushroom Chicken
3C fresh spinach
2C sliced fresh mushrooms
3 green onions, sliced
2T chopped pecans
11/2t olive oil
4 boneless,skinless chicken breasts (4oz each)
seasoning
2 slices provolone cheese, halved
In a large skillet, saute the spinach, mushrooms, onions and pecans in the oil until mushrooms are tender.  Set aside and keep warm.  Sprinkle chicken with seasoning. Spray grill rack if grilling and grill chicken covered over med heat or broil 4in from the heat for 4-5min on each side or until done.  Top with cheese. Cover and grill 2-3min longer. To serve, top each chicken breast with reserved spinach mixture.

Beef and Cheese Stuffed Bread

TGIF!! We have a weekend of 4H bbgun shooting this weekend with my 11yr old son, he is really good at it and we are so proud of him.  He is one of those boys who is naturally good at stuff, but some days he could care less and some days he cares...and on those days that he cares, watch out! I wish he knew that if he tried his hardest each time that he would only get better and better, especially since the natural talent is already there. We are teaching him how important attitude is in life and how far the right attitude can take a person in life. I guess it all comes in time and with maturing and teaching......and lots of praying!  It's funny as a parent, how often you look at your children and see yourself in them and you want them to avoid your mistakes, but you want them to do it right now, not realizing and remembering that we too had to learn and that they are still only children and they will learn too.... hopefully only sooner than what we did!!             Today I'm posting a really easy and yummy recipe that is nice for busy nights or a weekend meal.  I've been making it for 12 years now and it never gets old.  Enjoy!
Beef and Cheese Stuffed Bread
1pd ground beef, cook and drain
1pkg taco seasoning
1 can nacho cheese soup
2C shredded cheese
1 loaf french bread
Brown beef. Cut off top of the bread and pull out inside of the loaf, leaving the bottom in place(to make a shell). While beef is warm, stir in taco seasoning, soup, and bread crumbs(from inside the loaf).  This will be thick. Pour this back into the shell of the bread and spread it evenly.  Top with shredded cheese and put the top of the bread back on. Wrap the entire loaf in foil and bake at 350 for 20min.