Pulled pork hotpockets

Pulled Pork Hot pockets

Ingredients:



1 can (16.3 oz) Flaky canned biscuits (1 can makes 8 pockets)

Pulled or roasted pork, chopped

1 Egg white

1 tsp Water

Your favorite BBQ seasoning/rub

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350º.

2. Wisk the egg white and water together in a small bowl and set aside.

3. On a floured work surface, roll each biscuit into a six-inch round.

4. Place a few tablespoons of the pork on one half of each round.

5. Fold the exposed half of each round over the filling and pinch and roll to seal the edge

6. Arrange the pockets on a sheet pan leaving about an inch between each

7. Cut a one-inch slash in the top of each pocket

8. Brush the top and seams of each pocket with the egg wash and sprinkle with a little seasoning/rub. (we use salt for the kids)

9. Bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes)

Baked Chicken Ziti

Dinner last night was a yummy crock pot whole chicken. Of course even with the 4 of us we always seem to have chicken left over. Just enough to not want to throw it away but never enough to make a full meal out of it! So today I decied to make a Baked Chicken Ziti. Simple easy meal that everyone loves, and a good way to use the leftover chicken. I basically just replaced the ground beef in my normal ziti recipe with the left over shredded chicken. Yummy :)

Ingredients:

1-2 cups of leftover chicken (shredded)
1 jar meatless sauce 
½ cupchicken broth 
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta, cooked and drained 
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I use double the amount of cheese)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2 . Stir together spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, oregano, and chicken pieces. Cook until chicken is hot and tender again. Remove from heat and add in grated parmesan cheese.
3. Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles. 
4. The layer into 13x9x2 in baking dish as directed:  

½ of the ziti noodles 
½ of the mozzarella cheese
½ of the sauce
Remaining ziti mixture
Remaining sauce. 

7. Cover and bake 20 minutes. 
8. Remove and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. 
9. Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Served with a nice fresh salad and some yummy garlic bread, makes a great meal. Enjoy :)

Brazilian Carrot Cake = yummy!

     So I’ve been trying to find easy ways to add extra vegetable and fruit servings into our daily routine. Those who know me know that my husband’s mother is from Brazil. During our visits his grandmother always makes Bolo de Cenoura or Carrot Cake. Their version is very different than the carrot cake we are used to here in America. So here is the recipe for Brazilian Carrot Cake that is easy and has about 3 servings of carrots in it.

Ingredients
3 eggs
3 medium/large carrots grated
1 & ½ cup sugar
¾ cup oil
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ Tsp cinnamon (they don’t use this in Brazil but I like it)

1. Mix all ingredients together in blender (except the flour and baking powder.) 
2. Pour mixture into a bowl, sift 2 cups flour and the baking powder into the mixture, mix well for about 2 minutes.
3. Grease a pan and sprinkle with flour. Pour batter into pan
4. Bake 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until cake is golden brown. If a toothpick comes out clean and it is good.

Icing (easy way!) 
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup instant hot cocoa mix
3/4 cup milk

Make the icing by placing the butter, 1 cup sugar, instant hot chocolate drink mix, and milk in a pan. While stirring, heat to almost boiling over medium-high heat until mixture thickens. When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and spread the icing evenly over the top immediately.

Autumn/Fall crafts

Paper Pumpkins: Here are some paper pumpkins I just made. They are quick and easy to make. Just cut out eight(or more if you like) circles or ovals, fold them in half (with the pretty side inside) then glue the halves together, forming a sphere shape. Then you trim off the bottom so it stands up, and cut out a stem. You can have the kids color/paint the paper before cutting your circles. 

Soup can Ghosts/Pumpkins: Easy version: take a clean dry soup or coffee can and paint either white for a ghost or orange for a pumpkin. When they dry paint the face on with black paint or use permanent black marker like I do. Put a candle inside and your done. The longer version: First fill can with water and freeze (you can try it empty but be gentle so you don‘t dent the can). When frozen take a small nail and hammer and punch holes to outline the shape of the eyes and mouth. Then continue with the above directions. This lets the light shine thought the holes and looks great at night. Keep out of reach of little hands.

Cinnamon Ornaments: This is my favorite way to get into the holiday spirit! Candles can get expensive if your like me and light them every night! I make leaves in the fall holiday shapes in the winter. Mix 1 cup ground cinnamon, 1 cup applesauce, 1 Tbsp Elmer’s glue, and 1 tsp of allspice (optional) in bowl and stir until well blended. Work mixture in hands for three minutes to form a ball. If it is too dry, add applesauce, if too wet, add more cinnamon. Knead ball on cinnamon-sprinkled surface until it holds together well. Roll out keeping it about ¼ - ½ inch thickness then use cookie cutters for the shapes. I like to sit them in a decorative bowl but you can use a drinking straw to cut a hole in the top if you want to hang with a ribbon. These can be air dried for 24 to 48 hours, but if your impatient like me you can bake at 200 degrees for about 2 hours turning them every 30min.

This shake recipe was from Martha Stewart. Of course she does everything to perfection and the recipe calls for homemade whipped cream…obviously she does these things without children! So I cut that part out and use good old Reddi Wip.

Ghost Shakes
1 cup whole milk 
2 pints vanilla ice cream 
1 can whipped cream (original or chocolate)
A few Tbsp melted chocolate (choc chips are easy to use)

Directions 

1. Take melted chocolate and paint ghost face onto the inside of the clear glass.
2. Blend milk and 1 pint ice cream in a blender until smooth. With machine running, add remaining pint ice cream, one scoop at a time; blend until smooth. 
3.Pour milkshake into decorated glasses, filling them 3/4 full. Then add whipped cream to the top to finish them off. (Makes eight 6-ounce servings)

Homemade is the way to go!

     So I have been feeling very creative lately. I am starting to do more projects around the house in preparation for the Holidays. The kids and I will be making home-made pretzels tomorrow after the baseball game. This is the recipe I will also be using as gifts for the Holidays, along with our homemade Christmas cookies. 

     The recipe I use makes two 16oz jars that I will give as gifts for the holidays. I cover the lid with cloth and tie some ribbon around the lid, add the recipe card and done! The total cost for me to make 12 of these gifts is about $40. That includes buying the mason jars, the cloths and ribbons, and the cost of buying all new spices (most of which I already have plenty of). So my actual cost will be much lower since all I have to buy is the yeast and parmesan cheese…and maybe an extra bag of flour. 

     We are also making homemade crayons. it’s a great way to reuse all of the broken and wasted crayons that are found through out the house during the year. Holiday silicone molds are the best…and you can find them in so many different themes! First separate the crayons by color (reds, blues, greens, etc…) and cut them into small pieces(remove any paper). Put the crayon pieces into the molds. Bake in oven at 225 degrees until completely melted. Let it set for a few minute before transferring them into the refrigerator. After about 15 minute in the fridge they should just pop out of the molds like butter! Great homemade gift to give children!

     The last activity will be for my new nephew. I am making him a framed monogram made out of crayons. Its so easy to make and very cheap if you find a cute frame like I did at the dollar store. I may even make one for Conner’s teacher this year.

Beer Bottle Pretzel Mix In A Jar 

3 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
1 tbs. sugar
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Stir together flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Stir together oregano, basil, garlic, onion, and cheese in another. Divide ingredients equally among two 16 ounce beer bottles or jars, layering if bottles are clear. This recipe makes 2 separate jars. If giving as gifts, tie a ribbon around the jars, and make sure to attach the directions below to the gift.
Beer Bottle Pretzels 

1. Empty 1 jar into a medium mixing bowl. Add 1/2 of a 12 oz can or bottle of beer (3/4 cup). Stir to combine. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth. Cover and let rest in a warm area until doubled. (About 45 min.) 

2. Roll out on lightly floured surface into a 10'x6' rectangle and cut lengthwise into 6 strips. (Shape if desired or leave as strips.) Cover and let rise again until nearly doubled; about 30 min. Spritz with water and add sea salt or other topping *alternative option below.

3. Bake on the top rack of a 400 degrees F oven for about 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

* Alternative option: If you want to boil them first, bring a pot of water to a boil. Dunk each of the pretzels into the boiling water for 5 seconds, then place them onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt or other toppings. Use a pair of spatulas to hold the pretzel in place while holding it under water. This option makes better pretzels!　

Babies & French Toast

     Today I became an Aunt for the first time. I am the oldest of 5 children and my husband is the oldest of 7 children…it’s a big family! We were the first ones to marry and to have children. Until today when my little brother had his first baby, a son. On Saturday October 9, 2010 at 9:51am Trevor James Keith Hartzell came into the world! He is a perfect little pumpkin.

     Now that I've had my chance to show off my perfect new nephew, I'll move on. This past week was very busy. I have been busy meal planning, and trying to find some new extra ways to be more productive. This week I bought 2 ½ dozen eggs on sale for $3.49 and a loaf of bread for .99 cents. I bought them specifically to make French toast sticks for weekday breakfast. This way even if we are running behind in the morning my son can still get a hot healthy breakfast before school.

     So 12 eggs and 18 slices of bread later we have 18 yummy slices of French toast. I like to use the pizza cutter to cut each slice into 4 strips. The end result…72 French toast sticks for morning breakfasts during the school week. They keep well in the freezer, are easy enough for my son to prepare, costs less than buying them in the store, and I know what ingredients my kids are eating!

     So maybe now that I have a few extra minutes in the mornings I'll be able to make myself a cup of coffee before heading out for the bus.

Meatloaf attempt!

     So I’m making meatloaf for the first time in over a year. My husband is not a big fan of meatloaf but I have always enjoyed it. I’m using an old recipe that I have never made for him so maybe he will enjoy this one…we’ll have to wait and see! I do know that the sauce on this meatloaf is sweeter than most others, so my children will love it. I’ll let you know the verdict tomorrow…

Meatloaf Ingredients: 
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs or boxed stuffing mix (ground into crumbs)
1 egg
1 small sweet onion finely chopped 
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup whole milk (may need less)

Sauce 
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar packed firm (to taste) 
1/2 cup ketchup

Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce and set aside. Combine all the meatloaf ingredients together and place into loaf baking dish. Smooth out the top of the loaf. Pour the sauce on the top and sides on the meatloaf. 

Bake at 350°F about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until done.

Anyone else out there have a good meatloaf recipe I can try?