Tag: family-friendly meals

Recipes and Cooking

Creating Simplicity in a Working Mom’s Life

Brandi C

Creating Simplicity in a Working Mom's Life

Creating Simplicity in a Working Mom’s Life

In this season of life, I need things to be easy. While most of my children have “flown” from the nest and life is quieter, I’m busier than I have been in a long time—though it’s a different kind of busy. So, I have been Creating Simplicity in a Working Mom’s Life.

A Realization of My Reality

The other night, I was sitting in the living room, multitasking because if I don’t do something now, I’ll forget. I was cooking dinner, listening to H chatter, hearing about my husband’s day, answering emails, working on a grocery list, and planning the menu for the upcoming week.

In the midst of all this, I stopped working, looked at my husband, and said, “I have cooked, almost daily, for you and the children for almost 31 years.” Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook. When my kids were young, I would freezer cook for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for a month. I baked all the time—breads, cookies, and such.

I loved challenging recipes, shelf-cooking, freezer cooking, and experimenting. But now? I’m tired. T.I.R.E.D. I have no desire to plan, grocery shop, or cook. It is SO hard to go from cooking for 16 people to cooking for just a handful.

Not a fan.

My creative juices are drained by my job, exhaustion, lack of appetite, and zero desire to work harder than I absolutely have to. So, my wheels started turning, and I came up with a plan. We’ll see how long it lasts.

How My Mind Works

When I work on my list, I add to it as soon as I realize I’m out of something or need something. If I wait until a “normal” time to do it all at once, I’ll surely forget. One of the first things I do is call my son. He comes over during his lunch hour occasionally, and I want to make sure I have things that he likes when he’s here.

Next, I figure out who gets to pick the dinner menu for our Saturday meals. Once I know, they create the menu and I ask if anyone else wants something specific. I add that to my list, then order what my grandchildren need or want to make sure they have plenty of snacks and food they like when they are here. Finally, I work on the rest of the menu and order what I need. I’m very good at not wasting food.

Sundays, I don’t cook. Tuesdays, my husband makes me a pizza. Wednesdays, we eat out (most nights). Saturdays, a different person picks the menu each week. That leaves me with Monday, Thursday, and Friday to handle.

Here’s the Plan

I sat down and categorized the foods we like: soup, Mexican, Italian, chicken, miscellaneous things, and side dishes. From there, we all picked about 7 (or more) items in each category. I’ll use that list to rotate meals throughout the month. For each meal, I’ll make an editable grocery list. I’ll mark off what we don’t need and checkmark the items we do need. As I cook, I’ll post the recipes. Some are already posted, and I’ll link them back.

Does that make sense? It does in my mind. All we have to do is pick from this list, and the grocery list is already created. I just add it to the cart, and my husband picks it up. These are simple meals to make, and I’m still working on the chicken part. We love chicken, but I don’t usually write recipes down; I just make it up as I go. Most of these meals can be made by my husband if I’m tapped out, which makes it even better.

A “Mostly” List (with the Exception of Chicken)

Soups:

  • Chicken Noodle
  • Chili
  • White Chicken Chili
  • Potato
  • Lasagna
  • Cheeseburger
  • Broccoli and Cheese
  • Zuppa

Mexican:

  • Tacos
  • Mom’s Tacos
  • Taco Ring
  • Chili Cheese Dog Casserole
  • Fajita Casserole
  • Standing Baked Tacos
  • Sheet Pan Nachos

Italian:

  • Spaghetti
  • Baked Spaghetti
  • Lasagna
  • Cheesy Chicken Lasagna
  • Baked Pasta
  • Chicken Alfredo Lasagna with Ravioli
  • Coal Miner’s Pasta
  • Baked Tortellini

Chicken:

  • Alice’s Chicken
  • Pan Fried Chicken breasts
  • Baked Whole Chicken
  • Baked Thighs
  • Fried Chicken
  • 40 Clove Chicken

Side Dishes:

  • Rice (burnt, fried, plain, broccoli & cheese, Mexican style)
  • Green beans (plain or green bean casserole)
  • Corn (or corn casserole)
  • Rolls (cheesy bread, bread, bread sticks)
  • Potatoes (so many kids)
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Lima beans
  • Peas
  • Macaroni and Cheese
  • Buttered Noodles

Miscellaneous Foods:

  • Breakfast
  • Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches
  • Kielbasa, broccoli, onion, mushroom, potato, peppers sheet pan
  • Goulash
  • Steak
  • Hamburgers and hotdogs
  • Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
  • Pizza
  • Breaded Chops
  • Pork Tenderloin
  • Roast

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Recipes and Cooking

Twist on Frito Pie with Spanish Rice

Brandi C

Twist on Frito Pie with Spanish Rice

Twist on Frito Pie with Spanish Rice
Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Here is a Twist on Frito Pie with Spanish Rice. I had some leftover chili from the week prior. It was not enough to fill four bowls, so I stretched it with some extra ingredients and rice. This was a winner for my family. I hope I can remember everything I did. Honestly, I tend to find joy in reinventing leftovers so we aren’t eating the same thing over and over. The downsize is, I don’t remember how I made it.

Frito Pie

Chili (leftover)

Chili cheese fritos

That’s about it LOL. Have I ever written out my exciting chili recipe? I dunno. Should I add it? I dunno. Chili isn’t hard. You can even buy it in a can, which I never knew until recently. Who buys chili in a can when you can make more, with ingredients you are familiar with, and it is cheaper. Mind boggling.

Spanish Rice

I did this in the instant pot.

2 c. rice

1 can crushed tomatoes

GF Taco Seasoning

Seasoning

Cilantro (gross and didn’t use)

Minced garlic

4 c. water

Chicken bouillon

Cheddar

Green Onions (optional)

Sour cream (optional)

Jalapenos (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Directions for Spanish Rice

I put the instant pot on saute and threw in the rice and garlic (with a bit of butter to keep it from sticking). Whirl that around until the rice is sauteed up and then add in the crushed tomatoes and seasoning. Whirl more. Add in chicken bouillon and water. Turn it off and then put on the lid. The knob needs to be on the sealing function and I hit the rice button. Once it is done, I did a quick release.

Assembling the Frito Pie

Grease a 13×9 dish. On the bottom, add the rice and then the leftover chili. I crushed the bag of fritos and poured that over the top. I baked this at 350 for about 30 minutes. Then, I pulled it out and added some cheddar. I popped it back in the oven for another 15 minutes. Serve with the optional toppings above.

Recipes and Cooking

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brandi C

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

Brunzi Baseball Casserole

This is a super and quick meal that can be thrown together quite easily. Brunzi Baseball Casserole is a favorite around my household.

1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained

1 large onion, cooked

Seasoning

Cream of chicken, 2 cans

Chicken noodle soup, 2 cans (or you could make your own and use it)

2 c. uncooked rice

Brown meat, onion, and seasoning.  Drain.  Add in soups and rice.  Stir.  Bake, uncovered, in a greased 13×9 pan at 350 for 45 minutes.

Additions:

With this recipe, you can add spinach, kale, cheese, chopped-up peppers, or mushrooms; gracious, the world is your oyster. My kids love this recipe. I have been sprinkling a bit of cheese over the top lately, but it isn’t necessary.

With rice there, I choose not to make potatoes or other noodles as a side dish. My kids are happy with a salad and maybe some green beans. We are pretty simple in the side dish department around here. I guess I need to up that game because I know there are ways I can make veggies more fun.

I could make carrot muffins or bread (sugar, I know). There are a thousand and five ways to make zucchini or squash. Anytime I make that, my kids and husband approve. I like doing simple zucchini spears, drizzle some olive oil, seasoning mix, and parmesan. Then, I roast them in the oven until they are fork-tender.

Servings:  10-12

Calories per serving:  220

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Recipes and Cooking

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Brandi C

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are just that…easy.  I can whip these up fairly quickly on any given day.  You know those recipes that you just keep on hand because it is quick, easy, and filling.  This is one that you want to just keep the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients

Chicken (you can use drained canned chicken or chicken breasts)

Oil (or butter)

Minced onion

Seasoning

Jar of salsa

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

Sour cream (optional)

Green onions (optional)

Cheddar

Tortillas

Directions

If you are using canned chicken, eliminate this step.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Put enough oil to coat the bottom of your pan. Saute up the chicken with seasoning and minced onions.  Now, if you are using canned chicken, just put it all in a bowl with the seasoning and minced onion.

In a bowl, add the 2 cans of cheddar cheese soup and the salsa.  Also, add the “optional items or extra items if you want). I usually keep out about a 1/4 of a cup of this mixture to spread on top once the enchiladas are rolled.

Inside a tortilla, add a couple of tablespoons of the mixture.  Roll, place in dish.  Spread the remaining cheese mixture on top and sprinkle with cheddar.  Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with rice.

 

Recipes and Cooking

The Most Disturbing Recipe EVER

Brandi C

The Most Disturbing Recipe EVERThe Most Disturbing Recipe EVER

Oh. My.  Goodness. This is, hands down, The Most Disturbing Recipe EVER. I love cheese. Indeed, it is my friend, my best friend to be exact. I eat cheese almost daily. When stressed, I eat Parmesan with a spoon out of the container.

It’s a problem.

We all know that.

Life Changes

So, knowing that H now has to go gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and taste-free has upset me terribly. How am I going to make my soup? Seriously? How am I going to FUNCTION???

I am being dramatic, I know this…but oddly, I am serious.

To try, I stumbled upon the Minimalist Baker website. She has a beautiful site with simple vegan recipes. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and try the Vegan Parmesan recipe.

4 Ingredients.

That is just four ingredients and a food processor. I was blown away. Those who know and love Parmesan see that it has that nutty taste. This recipe tastes not exactly like it but pretty darn close.

How-To

3/4 c. unsalted cashews

3 T. Nutritional Yeast

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt (any can be used)

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor. If you pulse too long, you will release the oils of the cashews, and it can get clumpy. So, in order to prevent that, pulse then stop; pulse then stop type of thing until you get the desired consistency. Store in a container or a baggie.

Dude

I need a nap after this, for real. I’m making Chicken Parmesan tonight, and I will sprinkle this on top to see if anyone can tell the difference.