Ramen-- Fat Lady Style

 That's a lot prettier than those square packages of  sodium and preservatives you get 5 for $1 at WalMart, isn't it?? 

I, like most people I know, have run out of time.  There are not enough hours in the day to get done what all I feel needs to be done.  Even with a detailed planner, with pretty washi tape and bright colors, I fall behind in all the many things I want to accomplish so my life can be perfect. 

Stop laughing.  No seriously.  Stop laughing. 

I myself am not a fan of Ramen noodles.  I really do not like the taste all that much and they make me so thirsty (HELLO 9000000 mg of sodium!).  My kids and my husband love them.  And quite frankly, they are easy and cheap.  So I keep the pantry well stocked.

  I am obsessed with Mason jar foods.  And Mason jars.  I even bought those nifty lids that turn your soup jar into a sippy cup.  I have the little ones to put salad dressing in, huge for soup (or Mommy Juice), medium for quick salads or my hot tea.  It's so bad they have taken over 2/3 of my overstock pantry.  Sorry guys- no room for cereal or can goods, MY JARS ARE THERE! 

I am also obsessed with Pinterest.  A few weeks ago, I was busy at work and didn't have time to log in for 3 days and they send a doctor to my house to make sure I was OK.  

Pinterest has tons of ideas for Mason jars.  And also homemade Ramen jars.  Alas most of those are for vegan or gluten free people and we are not those people.  So I goofed around and looked at all the recipes and ideas and adapted something to fit our tastes.  There is still sodium and some preservatives BUT nothing like the original.  And there are Fresh veggies. 

Look right there- there is your sodium in a jar.    You can just use bouillon instead of the soup base but I found it gave it oodles of flavor.  These noodles held up the best in my opinion.  You can use rice stick but they degrade super fast and will have less shelf life and are not reheatable once you add the water.   My local Publix had 10 different types of noodle to chose from.

Shredded Nappa Cabbage and spinach.   

 The first batch I made with Nappa cabbage and it worked great.  The next batch, I was trying to cut down on prep work as much as possible and used bagged cole slaw mix.  I actually like that better. 

The 12 oz jars are a full meal for one of us.  Even the hubs who can eat his weight in food.  The larger jars were perfect for 2 to share and be full.  I prefer to pour almost boiling water in the jar and let it sit.  Hubs has less time for lunch at work so he microwaves his.  (be careful- it will boil over )Once full of water, give them a little shake to get all the base mixed in and it took about 3-5 minutes for the noodles to cook.  The veggies were still a little crisp the way I like them.  

Since these have perishable foods in them, obviously they are stored in the fridge but if you just did flavor base and noodles, you can stock pile them in a pantry.  I have had a few in the fridge for 2 weeks and they are still perfect. 


Flavor and Stock Base
2 tbsp stock starter or chicken bouillon (or beef or veggie or even miso starter)
2 tbsp onion flakes
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp wasabi powder
1/8 tsp powdered ginger
1 tbsp sugar
**2 tbsp red pepper flakes (this is optional but we like spicy foods)

Other stuff 
Mason Jars ( I used 12 oz and 20 oz)
Shredded carrots
cut spinach leaves
shredded cabbage
green onions
froz corn
shredded chicken
whatever you have handy you want to toss in there


Put the flavor base in first- @1 tbsp for the 12 oz jars- then layer your leafy greens, and other veggies, chicken, etc and cram the noodles on top.  The order doesn't really matter EXCEPT noodles are always last.  And you do not want to put a moist veggie right on top of the powdered soup base.  And seriously- cram the noodles in there. 
 

Yes, it costs more than $1 to make 5 of these, but they are still economical.  The soup base was the most expensive thing I purchased but it lasts- I have made 5 batches and have used about half the jar.  The noodles were less than $2 a pack and 1 pack made @ 4- 12oz jars. Bags of pre shredded carrots and cole slaw mix are less than $2 each if you want to cut down on prep work.  And use leftovers for the rest of it.  Got some chicken left over from last Wed?  Throw it in.  Green beans?  Yep.  In the jar.  Don't like wasabi?  Don't add it. 

Ale Braised Chicken

I have not been cooking too much lately for the family (my Dancing Diva has class 3-4 nights a week during dinner time) ... life has gotten in the way too often and when I do I forget to document it! I have a stack of recipes to make but have been finding it hard to actually make the time to DO it.

Last week I was determined to make a nice dinner on Friday night. And starting on Tuesday, one by one, we were all taken out by a stomach bug. But I was still determined to make it happen even if it sat in the fridge until we felt well enough to eat the leftovers.

It turned out even better than I imagined and even the Dancing Diva who had not eaten in 2 days had some. And the best part- it is a 1 Pot Meal- you only have 1 pan to clean up!





Ale Braised Chicken

1/2 slab of thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2 in pieces
@ 2 1/2 lbs chicken (I used half boneless skinless breasts and half skin on, bone in thighs)
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
1 tbsp olive oil
1 12 oz beer (I used Corona) **
1 cup sliced onion
@ 1/2 lb red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp rosemary
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

-Heat a large stew pot over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until browned. Remove with slotted spoon.

-Season chicken with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Add olive oil to the pot drippings. Add chicken in batches and cook over medium heat until golden on both sides, 3-4 minutes.

-Add the beer, onions, potatoes, mustard, sugar, rosemary and 1 cup water to the pot. Stir and make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. Stir in the bacon and parsley.


** I feel the beer is integral to the recipe- the alcohol does cook off and beer and wine are wonderful tenderizers for meat. Most grocery stores sell single normal sized beer so you would not need to buy an entire 6 pack.

Loaded Mashed Potatoe Pizza

I obviously have to like anything that I cook for my family but I have a few dishes that are my absolute favorites. I could eat this every single week and not get tired of it. And it couldn't be easier... in fact, my kids usually make it while I do something else!

Number one on the list is mashed potatoes- these can be left over from a meal earlier in the week (I make a double batch on purpose), instant or homemade, cheddar or ranch or plain- it makes no difference. After that, you can use whatever your heart desires.... Here is what I use:


1 refrigerated pizza crust (you can use homemade, or a Bobali as well)
@2 cups mashed potatoes
@ 1/2 lb of bacon, chopped and cooked crisp
@ 1/2 cup onions, chopped
@ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream for garnish


- Preheat oven to 375*
- Spread pizza crust on on greased cookie sheet or 13x11 baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Spread mashed potatoes evenly on top.

-Next sprinkle onions and bacon on top.

-Then toss on the cheese.


- Bake for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. I like mine with a thin layer of sour cream on top. Add a salad and you have a quick and easy meal!

NOT Wienie Casserole

This past Thursday, I had a casual little dinner for 2 of my best girlfriends. These are 2 gals that as soon as I said I signed a lease on a new place, had me moved in 4 days. And entire 1500 square foot house IN 4 DAYS! They showed up with a pickup truck and trailer before I had even packed a single box. Half my stuff was transfered "as is" in someone's back seat. THAT is a good friend!

The Coupon Queen had been begging for one of her favorites, Wienie Casserole. Which has no wienies WHAT SO EVER in it. I think she likes to see my head spin around when she calls it that... So I fed her and SweetFeet's Momma some casserole and French bread and they helped me hang my family pictures. I only wish we had pictures of the Coupon Queen standing in a chair on my stairs, yes you read that correctly (she says she doesn't drink but I am not so sure her Diet Coke hasn't been talking to Mike or George or Jack) while SweetFeet's Momma held the chair. I was too busy laughing as I sat and watched....

I love this recipe- it is super versatile. If you can't find a kind of bean or don't like one, just substitute one you do. It freezes well and is delicious and easy.

Best Ever Beans and Sausage

2 lbs bulk sausage ( I use 1lb spicy and 1 lb mild)

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (31 oz) pork and beans, slightly drained

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp ground mustard OR 2 tbsp regular mustard

**In a skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and drain.

**In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish. (if you are going to freeze any, now is the time to do so)

**Bake for 1 hour at 325*. Uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer until bubbly.

Makes 12-16 servings

The Blackberry Experiment

Last month when I was making the cupcakes for Heather's shower.... I had an idea... I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Strawberry Cake recipe. I love it for how it tastes and how easy it is, but I also love it because I created it for a dear friend of mine. A few years back she was pregnant with #3 and was experiencing some sugar problems. Nothing to be too worried about but she is a doctors wife and was trying to be very careful. This meant cutting out all the yummy stuff.. and let's face it, very few sugar free things are as good as the original. So I set out to find a way to make her a cake that she could eat without sending herself into a diabetic coma. I mixed and matched and messed around with a lot of recipes until I found something that tasted AMAZING and had no added sugar- it has sugar but it comes from the natural sweetness of the strawberries!

Where was I?? Oh yeah... making Heather's cupcakes... anyway... while I was mixing those up,my mind started wondering. Wondering what other fruit would be good to substitute for strawberries. And would it work as well??? Tonight I began experiment #1. Blackberry Cupcakes!!!

Same basic recipe but I tweaked it a little and did add some sugar since I find blackberries to be a little tart (at least for a cake with no sugar in it!). I topped them with a light cream cheese icing. YUMMY!

I think it turned out great. The only drawback I found is those dang blackberry seeds! Next time maybe I will see if I can find some seedless ones...

Ham and Potatoe Casserole

I made this last night at work... and we ran out of food!!!

Ham and Potato Casserole (12 servings)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 cup of shredded cheddar

1 medium onion, chopped

@ 3 lbs potatoes peeled and cubed

1 tsp garlic powder

dash of black pepper

1 lb of cooked ham, chopped

**Preheat oven to 350*

**Boil potatoes for about 8 minutes until slightly tender (they will finish cooking in the oven!) drain and set aside

**In a medium bowl, combine soup, cottage cheese, sour cream, onion and cheddar.

**In a large bowl, combine potatoes, garlic powder and pepper. Stir in ham and soup mixture.

**Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish.

**Bake uncovered for 45 minutes until bubbly. Let stand for 15 mins to thicken before serving.

There are so many ways you can alter this:

-substitute Canadian bacon for ham

-add some bacon (bacon makes everything good!)

-use frozen breakfast potatoes and omit the onion

-experiment with different cheeses... mozzarella or Colby jack

-use chicken instead of ham

-add some chopped green pepper

Hot Pink and Teal Bridal Shower

Miss Heather was the guest of honor not too long ago at a darling wedding shower thrown by her aunts and cousins. She is a very hip young lady and to reflect her tastes, she chose teal, hot pink and black as her colors (parts of the wedding party are wearing tutus! I cannot wait to see the pictures!) We wanted to do something fun yet elegant........

First- the invitations. Are they not darling!?? Just a little retro...

I wanted to do a cupcake tree with a small cake on top decorated in her flower of choice, Gerber daisies but was having a hard time finding something I liked to set it up on. I wanted it to be personalized... So a boring old Styrofoam server...

became an elegant centerpiece with the help of some scrap booking paper, ribbon and glue.

I was very pleased with how this turned out.

All set up and ready for guests!

I love the way the daisies just "pop" off the cake.

Yummy Strawberry cupcakes with French Vanilla icing. And cute little bows.

The beautiful Miss Heather.

The Wild Women! Heather, Kim, Alex, Brenda and Tammy.

This is the gift card box for the wedding.

I really enjoyed doing this shower. The ladies were a blast to work with and we laughed the whole time. I know Heather and Scooter are going to have a fabulous wedding and a wonderful life together!

Miss Sophie turns 2!

Every morning Sophie wakes up and immediately grabs the remote, saying "Manny Manny Manny" and usually smacking her mom in the head. So of course we had to do a Handy Manny birthday for her! Finding "girly" Handy Manny stuff was hard if not down right impossible. Pink just wasn't going to work with all the primary colors in the decorations so yellow won out....

Mr Manny

Butter cake with French Vanilla icing.

Sophie's Smasher Cake. She ended up using the toys like a spoon to scrape the icing off and eat it.

Just a simple little party.

NUMMY ICING!!

Kissing her mommy....

Scrambled Omelet

I grew up in a household where nothing went to waste. You used everything, be it leftover food or that piece of cardboard that comes with a new dress shirt. Thus I have learned to be creative in finding ways to reuse things.

Especially food. Mashed potatoes get new life when added to soup or made into patties and fried or my favorite, spread on pizza or biscuit dough and covered with cheese... mmmmm... If I can't use something in a timely manner, it goes into the freezer for later.

This morning, the Small People requested I actually cook breakfast instead of them fending for them selves like usual. Heaven forbid they eat cereal... AGAIN... We are leaving on vacation soon so we are running low on groceries and my options were limited. Enter The Scrambled Omelet.

This is a GREAT way to get rid of that 1 piece of sausage left from breakfast 2 days ago... or that little bit of shredded cheese left from Taco Night. But most especially... it keeps the kids from fighting over who gets what. I have 2 kids and myself. Today I had 5 pieces of bacon. Seriously? We can each eat a pound by ourselves. Face it.. NOBODY wants just a piece and a half of bacon.

I fried the bacon in a large pan until very crisp (we are crisp bacon people- none of that flimsy flappy stuff here!) and put on some paper towels to drain. I poured off the bacon grease and added about 1/2 cup of chopped onion to the hot pan (left over from last weeks hot dogs). While those sauted, I broke 6 eggs in a bowl, added a dash of milk, dash of pepper and whipped until frothy. Once the onion was slightly translucent, I poured the eggs in and sprinkled in about 1/2 cup shredded cheddar. I then crumbled the bacon on top of that.

It's not very pretty, but it tastes great, uses up leftovers and fills you up!

I had 2 biscuits left from earlier in the week so I warmed them up in the microwave. VOILA! Breakfast is served.

***I take all my egg shells and throw them in my flower beds. WASTE NOTHING!!

Chicken and Rice soup

Even though the weather here has turned warm, I still enjoy a good bowl of soup. And chicken soup seems to be a great comfort food. Serve this with a side of steamed broccoli and some yeast bread.... YUMMY!

The Fat Lady's Special Chicken Soup (serves 9)

@3 1/2 -4 lbs chicken, bone in or out (bone in makes better broth!)

3 quarts water

2 bay leaves

2 large onions chopped

4 celery ribs chopped

2 chicken boullion cubes

2 parsley sprigs

1 garlic clove

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups finely chopped carrots (grated works too)

3 cups cooked rice

Bring chicken and water to a boil. Add salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Boil until chicken is done. Remove chicken. Pour broth through a strainer to remove the white chicken "scum" and bay leaf (this part is optional- I like the clear look to the broth so I do this). Bring broth back to a boil and add onion, celery, bouillon, parsley, garlic and carrots. Turn down heat to simmer. While that cooks, debone and chop the cooked chicken. Add this to the broth. Continue cooking about 30 minutes. To serve, put about 1/3 cup rice in a bowl and ladle hot broth over.

Mexican Beef Soup over Rice

My Wednesday job requires me to cook for about 100 people. It's for a church so I need to stay within a strict budget. Which can sometimes be tricky. I want to cook dishes that are yummy and maybe something they wouldn't normally eat but those things can sometimes come with a higher price tag. I mean, hot dogs and chips are inexpensive, but they can easily make that themselves at home. And I like making things they have never tried before but I have to remember not to go too crazy or else no one will show up!! There is a darling older gentleman who acts all tough and turns his nose up and complains about what I make but you can guarantee he comes back for 3rds....

(If you have are one of my wonderful Wednesday night diners, I did *not* use the spicy peppers, cilantro or parsley. I do when I make it at home.)

Mexican Beef Soup with Rice (roughly 6 servings)

adapted from Rachel Ray's 2,4,6,8 cookbook

2 cups uncooked rice

1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning

@ 2 tbsp chili powder

@2 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp coriander

4 tbsp oil- divided

2- 2 1/2 lbs flank steak or other cut** (doesn't have to be expensive- cheap works great!)

1 large onion (red or white depending on your preference)

1 bell pepper, sliced thinly or chopped

2 jalenpeno or other spicy pepper (optional)

3 tbsp minced garlic

salt and pepper

6 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup lime juice

fresh cilantro and parley, @ a handful chopped of each

**I have never made this with chicken but I think it would be delicious. Use boneless skinless breasts in place of steak.

- Prepare rice according to package directions (this is usually 2 cups water for every 1 cup rice) and add lemon pepper seasoning to water.

-Mix chili powder, cumin and coriander in small bowl together.

-Rub onto steak. The more the better!

-As that sits, I usually chop my peppers and onions.

-In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp oil. Add garlic. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add onions and peppers. You only want to cook these until slightly limp. I also usually hit these with a little more chili powder and salt and black pepper.

-While that is cooking, in a frying pan or grill pan (you can also grill this on an outdoor grill), on med-high heat the other 2 tbsp oil. Add steak and cook until dark on each side. Meat will be pink on the inside- this is OK- it will finish cooking in the broth! Set meat aside for about 5 minutes.

-Add chicken stock to stock pot and onion mixture. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

-This is my kitchen set up at the church. A giant cook stove and 3, yes 3!!! ovens! There you see the steak cooking, 2 pots of broth and a big pot of rice.

-While the broth simmers, slice steak thinly and set aside. Its OK for this to cool completely- once again, the hot broth will warm it up. A good bit of meat juice will accumulate- I just pour this into the pot with the broth.

-Just before serving, add lime juice to broth.

-To serve, put a generous serving of rice in a soup bowl, top with sliced steak and ladle hot broth on top- make sure to serve broth from the bottom of the pot as the onion mixture will sink to the bottom. Garnish with parsley and cilantro.

YUMMY YUMMY

One of the many things I love about this dish is how easy it is. Add a salad and some bread or maybe some chips and salsa or guacamole and you have a very inexpensive meal that tastes wonderful. My family can eat off of this few a couple of days easily. I combine any leftover meat and broth and stick in the freezer. Later when I need a quick meal, all I have to do is make some rice and reheat the broth!

Cups. With legs.

A few years ago I discovered these amazing cups. They are so fun and full of character.

How can you look at those and not laugh???

This one is my favorite.

The other 3 are in mint condition, but this one... she has some crackles in her glaze which means she has been well used. And well loved. Sometimes I drink tea out of her so she knows someone still cares.....

From FavoriteCollectables.com:

"The first Walking Ware teaset was designed by Roger Michell in 1973 from the drawings of Danka Napiorkowska’s college sketchbook. The first eight teasets were hand-made studio pottery, thrown and turned by Roger and decorated by Danka. These are very rare and very difficult to find.

These teasets were a huge success when they exhibited in Christopher Strangeway’s shop, as nobody had seen anything like it and there was such demand that Roger and Christopher had to look for a manufacturer in order to fulfil the orders. Anthony Wood at Cartlton Ware was prepared to take the commission and they were prepared to use a differnt backstamp so that they could distinguish it from its other pottery.

The relationship worked well and for the next 13 years over 50 new designs were produced. Interesting from a collector’s point of view is the fact that they designs that were least popular when they were first made are the most desirable now."

Walking Ware by Carlton Ware. They also have Running Ware, with the legs in motion. And I recently discovered a tea pot with a peg leg. They are no longer in production so ebay or collector sites are about the only place you can find them. I had never bought any for myself... being the practical sort, I really couldn't justify the expenditure when the budget is tight. I happened to mention them to my boyfriend back in the late summer...... and guess what was in the big box I got at Christmas??!!! Totally frivolous. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. (He scored BIG points with that gift, let me tell you!!!)

Just a little family of cups, out for a stroll on a nice warm day..

Here, Fiona has been mountain climbing and stopped to take a rest.

I think its the little Mary Jane shoes that make me adore them.

Low Fat Yummy AMAZING Cake

I was minding my own business the other night, browsing my Facebook ( I am a Facebook junkie... I'll admit it..) when I saw an update from a site I had recently become a fan of. Mix Mingle and Glow. She said to take a box cake mix and to just add a can of diet soda and bake.

WHAT???

How in the heck.... She's a pretty big deal in the catering/party planning world so I felt she wouldn't put up something that was not worthwhile... but still... A cake mix and a diet soda??? Nothing else???

Today, armed with a box of Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake and a Diet Coke, I began the experiment. Dump cake mix in bowl...... Add 1 1/2 cups soda....... Stir....... Tasted batter.... yummy... still skeptical.

I used a mini cupcake pan and baked them on 325* for about 14 minutes. I took one out immediately to taste... and died on the spot. The taste was not as strong as if it had been made following the box directions but was still super yummy and moist... oh were they moist!!

And the best part.... LESS THAN 60 CALORIES EACH!!!

Here is the nutritional label. See there where it says calories from "Mix" and calories from "Baked". Well... all you have to count is the "Mix" because the soda had no calories... and the serving size quoted is 1/12 of the box and since I made 48 mini cupcakes.... add/divide/multiply/...eat another cupcake for brain fuel..... and even with a little icing the calorie count is still around 60 each!!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT???

I went a little Jackson Pollack on the icing... embracing my inner Rock Star- Artist...

And since there were 3 distinct different color combinations here, I had to try each one to make sure they all tasted the same... In the name of science, ya know.... The things I do for my readers to ensure good quality.....

I did some research (which is a fancy way to say I played on Google..) on this idea and apparently it has been around for a while. It is an old Weight Watcher's trick to make a yummy low fat lower calorie snack. Add raspberry soda to an angel food cake.... Diet Sprite to a lemon cake.... root beer to a chocolate cake... I thought they were amazing with no icing, but even with a little full sugar icing drizzled on top, they still have far less calories and fat than normal. Cool whip or powdered sugar, even little low fat fruited yogurt on top... yum...The possibilities are endless.

And you can BET I will be playing around with all the options. In the name of science of course....