Category Archives: Easy

January 20, 2012 · 4:08 pm

Slow Roasted CrockPot Chicken

I have several roasted chicken recipes on this blog, but this one is a little different. First of all, anything with butter rubbed all over the top is going to be good and I love how it comes out all crispy and golden after being broiled in the oven for just a few minutes at the end.

Ingredients:
1 whole roasting chicken (3 1/2 – 4 1/2 pounds)
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound baby Yukon Gold potatoes
4 whole peeled carrots, chopped
1 whole lemon (reserve zest)
4 Tablespoons room temperature butter
2 cloves minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
Place onions, potatoes, and carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.

Clean and dry chicken. Zest lemon and reserve. Quarter lemon, and place in the cavity. Place chicken on top of vegetables.

In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the chicken with the butter mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook chicken on LOW for 4-8 hours. The cooking time depends on how large your chicken is. Cook until an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees in the leg and the juices run clear.

Take the chicken out of the slow cooker and place in an oven proof 9×13 pan. Brown the chicken under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.

What did the family think? 3/4 of us liked it. 1/4 of the family just doesn’t do chicken. Period. He tried it though (drowned in ketchup).

Did I change anything? I used dried herbs instead of fresh. It turned out great. I just didn’t use as much.

Where did this recipe come from? Tablespoon.com

photo from Tablespoon.com

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Super Easy to Make

January 18, 2012 · 10:53 am

Blueberry, Flax and Spinach Smoothie

STOP! Don’t give up on this smoothie just because it has spinach in it. I PROMISE you that you will not only not see the spinach once you get it all blended up, but you won’t taste it either and with a combo of all of these powerhouse foods in one smoothie you KNOW it’s going to be good for you. What else is awesome is that you can keep some frozen spinach and frozen blueberries on hand so that you can make this anytime. This is so good for you and it tastes good too. Try it, just once for me, pretty please.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/2 cup milk (soy, skim…whatever you’ve got)
1/2 cup fresh spinach (small handful, sub 1/8-1/4 cup frozen)
1 banana
1 teaspoon flax seed meal

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pulse on the ice crush option until the berries are mostly blended, then put on puree for about 2 minutes or until smooth.

What did the family think? I am the only one who has had this, but it was SO good! I know the boys will like it too if I don’t tell them about the spinach because who really wants to drink spinach.

Where did this recipe come from? Food.com

photo from Brandy Gerard

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

January 16, 2012 · 8:19 am

Lemony Green Beans

We eat a LOT of salad around here because it’s the only veggie that everyone in our house will eat without a whole lotta crying and whining. Last week our oldest was begging for a different veggie, so he was very happy to find these on his plate last night.

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb green beans, trimmed (frozen or fresh)

Instructions:
Zest the lemon into a large bowl using a fine grater or zester. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice from one half. Add in the extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

Put a pan of water on to boil. Boil beans until tender. Drain well, then put the cooked beans into the bowl with your dressing and toss everything together, making sure all the beans get coated.

We had this with salmon, a baguette and fruit salad.

What did the family think? 3/4 of us liked them.

Where did this recipe come from? jamieoliver.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

January 13, 2012 · 12:40 pm

Super Easy Carrot Bread

This recipe was actually supposed to be a carrot cake, but cake implies there will be icing involved and in an effort to reduce the amount of sugar my children eat I decided to make it into carrot bread instead.

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 jars (jr. baby food) carrots
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:
Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix sugar and oil together. To this sugar and oil mixture add applesauce, carrots, eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Bake in an ungreased standard-sized loaf pan for about 45 minutes (or until done) in a 350 degree oven.

What did the family think? Everyone who has had some so far loves it.

Did I change anything? I reduced the amount of sugar and oil. I also had run out of cinnamon so I used apple pie spice instead. It worked just fine. All of the changes I made are reflected in the recipe above except for the apple pie spice part.

Where did this recipe come from? Cooks.com

photo from Food People Want

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

January 12, 2012 · 12:31 pm

Homemade Maple Cinnamon Granola

I love making my own homemade granola. It’s great to eat like cereal and it’s a great addition to yogurt as well.

Ingredients:
3 cups oatmeal (uncooked)
1 cup chopped or slivered almonds
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pure maple syrup

Instructions:
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Transfer onto a large baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 325°F for 35 minutes (stirring once halfway through cooking time). Allow to cool completely on tray.

Store in airtight jars or containers.

What did the family think? I am the only granola eater in the family. I liked it. It was a lot crunchier than other granolas I have made.

Where did this recipe come from? Cooking on the Side

photo from thekitchn.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

January 2, 2012 · 10:11 am

Baked Spaghetti

The other day my good friend, Candy, had said that she was going to make baked spaghetti and chocolate chip cookies for dinner. That just sounded so good to me, so I went searching for a baked spaghetti recipe. This is an adapted version of Paula Deen’s baked spaghetti.

Ingredients:
4 cups pasta sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, turkey or chicken
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1 cup grated cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Heat pasta sauce over medium heat in a medium sauce pan.

Crumble the ground beef in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the ground beef to the sauce.

Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce/meat mixture. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese, return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.

Did I change anything? This recipe has been greatly simplified by using jarred pasta sauce.

What did the family think? They really liked it. I thought it might be a bit disappointing because I thought it might taste too much just like plain spaghetti, but it was different enough to be interesting.

Where did this recipe come from? adapted from Paula Deen

photo from about.com

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

December 22, 2011 · 10:16 am

Crock Pot BBQ Brisket

This is the first brisket I have ever made and it turned out perfect! It was moist and flavorful and it was SO easy! The only trick is remembering to put it in your CrockPot in the morning because it has to cook for at least 9 hours. This would be perfect for a Christmas or New Year’s dinner, too. Happy eating!

Ingredients:
5 1/2 pounds beef brisket
1 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoons garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients, coating the brisket well. Marinate overnight.

Place brisket and marinade in in crock-pot on low for 9 to 10 hours.

Slice into thin strips, across the grain and serve on rolls or buns.

We had this with applesauce, creamed corn and 7-Up biscuits. We also had some extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.

Did I change anything? Well, I forgot to marinate it overnight. Oops. It still turned out perfect. We also didn’t have ours on rolls.

What did the family think? Husband and I thought it was FABULOUS. The kids were less impressed.

Where did this recipe come from? About.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Sandwich, Super Easy to Make

December 20, 2011 · 10:36 am

Crock Pot Apple Butter Pork Loin

Anything that has apple butter in it has got to be good and this is no exception.

Ingredients:
2 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 cups apple juice
1/2 cup apple butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Ingredients:
Put pork loin in Crock Pot. Pour the rest of the ingredients on top of the pork loin and cook on high for 6 hours.

We had this served on potato buns with BBQ sauce with a green salad and fruit salad on the side. If I could do it over though, I would have added a little cornstarch and water to the broth that was left over from cooking and put it all in a saucepan to make some gravy to serve over mashed potatoes. Yum!

What did the family think? Everybody ate it! The kids just didn’t have it with the BBQ sauce.

Where did this recipe come from? Allrecipes.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Pork, Super Easy to Make

December 18, 2011 · 11:39 am

Cinnamon Apple Granola

Now that I’ve discovered that granola is actually very easy to make, I have been trying all kinds of different varieties and variations. I made this one yesterday and it turned out great.

Ingredients:
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
2 medium apples , chopped
1 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 8×10 pan with aluminum foil and lightly oil.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Evenly spread oat mixture on pan.

Bake 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

If you like crunchier granola, cook an extra 5 minutes.

Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Did I change anything? I added the wheat germ and the flax seed. Those can be left out if you don’t have them.

What did the family think? No one eat the granola in this house except me.

Where did this recipe come from? Adapted from a recipe from Food.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Vegetarian

December 6, 2011 · 11:15 am

Creole Salmon

A little bit spicy, but it can definitely be tweaked so it’s not so spicy.

Ingredients:
4 teaspoons creole seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dried.)

Instructions:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first three ingredients. Add salmon; shake to coat.

Place salmon on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Broil 6 in. from the heat for 10-14 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley.

Did I change anything? I left out the ground pepper that was in the original recipe.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it and it was a good departure from how I have been making salmon lately.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

Photo from Taste of Home

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make