Category Archives: Easy

Honey Yogurt Waffles

I use my waffle maker all the time. My husband gave it to me for Christmas about three years ago. I didn’t use it a lot right away, but I use it at least 2-3 times a month now. We love having breakfast for dinner and that usually includes homemade waffles. These honey yogurt waffles were on the menu this week and they were a hit.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Maple syrup or honey-for serving

Instructions:
Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, honey, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Gently fold in the melted butter.

Preheat and lightly grease the waffle iron.

When the waffle iron is hot, pour batter into the wells of the waffle iron. (Fill according to the manufacturer’s instructions).

Close the lid and bake until the waffle is golden and set.

Carefully remove waffle from iron and serve warm with maple syrup or a drizzle of honey.

What did the family think? These were super tasty. We all loved them.

Where did this recipe come from? I got it from Two Peas and Their Pod and they got it from Williams-Sonoma.

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Vegetarian

Ravioli Lasagna

Yep, that’s right, another pasta dish. We do love our pasta around here and this one was no exception. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 package (25 ounces) frozen ravioli
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

In a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish, layer a third of the spaghetti sauce, half of the ravioli and beef and 1/2 cup cheese; repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.

Cover and bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.

What did the family think? They loved it and it made enough for lunches the next day, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Campbell Kitchen

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less

Clean Eating Fajitas

I came across this site recently and fell in love with so many of their recipes. This is the first one I have tried; I just tweaked it a bit to fit our family.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
1 large bell pepper, sliced thin lengthwise
1 lb.boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 large red onion, slice thin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
Flour tortillas
Garnish with shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, etc.

Instructions:
Heat olive oil over medium high heat and add chicken. When chicken is almost cooked through add peppers, onions and spices.

Serve on tortillas with garnishes.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked these. The boys usually have cheese quesadillas when we have fajitas.

Did I change anything? The recipe above is how I made it. I wish I would have added the juice of a lime to it though. Next time…

Where did this recipe come from? The Gracious Pantry

photo from Mexican Food Recipes

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Mexican

CrockPot Macaroni and Cheese

Full disclosure…this is NOT health food. As I was making this I was thinking to myself that this might be something that Paula Dean might make…butter, cheese, milk…and oh so good. Also, just a heads up, this makes a lot of mac and cheese.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter

Instructions:
Cook macaroni following package directions. Drain well.

Grease bottom and sides of 3 1/2 to 5-quart crockpot.

Toss hot macaroni in slow cooker with the vegetable oil then add all remaining ingredients. Stir gently to combine then cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.

What did the family think? Yum!

Where did this recipe come from About.com

photo from About.com

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Filed under Easy, Everybody Ate It, Lent, Make Ahead of Time, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

Easy Lasagna Skillet

Everyone in our house loved this recipe and I feel like that hasn’t happened in a really long time. This was also super, duper easy which was also awesome.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce
2 1/2 cups water
12 lasagna noodles, broken
1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Tomato & Basil Cooking Creme

Instructions:
Brown meat in a deep large nonstick skillet; drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 18 to 20 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in cooking creme. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 3 minutes.

What did the family think? Everyone loved this and most of us went back for seconds.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for some chopped green and red peppers. I left those out. Next time I might add some chopped zucchini or some spinach though. Also, I have a feeling that any sort of macaroni/penne-type noodle would probably work just fine.

Where did this recipe come from? The back of the carton of the tomato and basil cooking creme

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

Glazed Carrot Coins

I am always trying to think of ways to get my kids to eat more of a variety of veggies. They will eat salad day after day after day, and although that is awesome, a little variety would be nice, too. My kids are not totally opposed to carrots, although when they do eat them, they are usually raw. Cooked carrots have usually been met with a groan or two. That was not the case tonight.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add the carrots; cover and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.

What did the family think? 3/4 of our family liked these. My oldest even said, “Wow! These are really good!”

Did I change anything? I used baby carrots instead of carrots coins. I already had them in the refrigerator so there was no need to buy even more carrots.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from food.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

White Bean and Sausage Soup

It has been beautiful here the past couple of days, but the nights are still chilly. I was worried it might be too warm outside to make this soup, but it turned out to be the perfect weather and this soup went beautifully with a green salad and and the yummy baguette I picked up from the bakery.

Ingredients:
15 oz white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
32 oz chicken broth
15 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 lb Italian sausage
2 oz fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan, to taste

Instructions:
Cook Italian sausage in a large pot. When cooked through, add all other ingredients. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

What did the family think? Hubby and I thought this was great. Our kids are not soup people unless it’s miso, so I knew they wouldn’t like this.

Where did this recipe come from? The Girl Who Ate Everything

Photo from My Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Italian, Stew/Soup, Super Easy to Make

Almond Coconut Granola

The awesome thing about granola is that even if you don’t have everything the recipe calls for, it’s probably okay. Don’t have any raisins? Leave them our or add some other dried fruit. Don’t have any almonds? No worries. Try some pecans. Just ran out of nutmeg? Leave it out and add a little extra cinnamon. It may not come out tasting the same, but it will still probably be very good and a very good start to your day.

Ingredients:
4 cups organic rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped or slivered almonds
2 T flax seeds
1 cup shredded coconut
3 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup good honey
1/3 cup apple juice or apple cider
1 cup raisins

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almonds, flax seeds, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk the oil, honey, and apple juice in measuring cup.

Pour the liquid mixture over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Spread onto a large sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, around 20 minutes, depending on oven.

Remove granola from the oven and allow to cool completely, stirring occasionally. Add raisins. Store cooled granola in an airtight container.

What did the family think? I am the granola eater in our family. My hubby does a version of granola that he likes, but this one isn’t it.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for hazelnuts, but I didn’t have any so I just added for almonds.

Where did this recipe come from? Originally it came from Barefoot Contessa. My version was adapted from Kiss My Spatula.

photo from my recipes.com

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Filed under Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

Sausage, Onion and Roasted Potato Skillet

This was so perfect with our rainy, nasty, cold weather we were having last night. It was warm and cozy and perfect with a green salad and a glass of red wine.

Ingredients:
1 package pre-cooked sausages, sliced into thin coins
*I used Trader Joe’s Spinach, Fontina & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage
Olive oil
1 medium onion sliced thinly
1 pound small potatoes, chopped into quarters
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Microwave potatoes for 5 to 8 minutes to par-cook them. This will greatly reduce the time required to roast them.

Arrange par-cooked potatoes on a cookie sheet and spray or brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt (course salt if you have it). Put in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes start to turn golden.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil in pan and add onions and sausages. Cook until onions are soft and sausages are heated and preferably a little crispy on the outside.

Grind pepper over sausages and onions.

When potatoes are done, toss all ingredients together and serve.

What did the family think? I picked this recipe because I figured, if nothing else, the kids would like the sausage. WRONG!!! They did finally eat some drowned in ketchup, which is a shame because this recipe was DELISH!!!

Where did this recipe come from? Half-Assed Kitchen

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Six Ingredients or Less

One-Minute Brownie Sundaes

Okay, so these actually take maybe more like two minutes, but that’s because you have to let them cool off for a bit before you add the ice cream. These are (reportedly) super yummy and can be made at a moment’s notice.

Ingredients:
1 T cocoa powder
1 T flour
1 T brown sugar
1 T water
1 T vegetable oil
1 scoop of your favorite ice cream

Instructions:
Put everything but the ice cream in a microwaveable mug, stir and microwave for one minute.

Let if cool off just a bit and add the ice cream. Stir up for a cold and warm and creamy treat.

What did the family think? I didn’t have one, but I made them for the hubs and the kids and they LOVED them.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from a recipe from Food Network

image from On the Table

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian