Jan 27, 2013 |
I write this with a downcast keyboard.
I have failed my January Meal Plan. I cheated. I strayed. And I failed.
But not completely. And, looking at making lemonade out of these lemons… now I have that much more in my freezer to get us through the month of February. So, you know… there’s that.
Fresh!
In a nutshell, my Meal Plan was waylaid by a broken furnace, leftovers at Mom’s, and a funeral. With all of these happenings I had little need to keep up with my Meal Plan.
Twice more I found myself at a local drive-thru, but I made better choices than I used to. For instance, instead of a full meal, I ordered the cheaper cheeseburger and instead of a soda I took an iced tea or smoothie. I needed something warm to offset the chill in the air.
I did make my Slow Cooker Turkey Chili on the 16th and that’s held us for a few days. There’s even some left, still, for February’s freezer selection.
Bowl of Chili
In the midst of a colder house and little motivation, we opted for the ease of one of our “extra” meals. My favorite stand-by, La Choy Chow Mein.
January Extras
And a few days later on the 22nd, I brought home a treat: a DiGiorno’s self-rising frozen pizza. Hey. It was the last episode of my beloved FLASHPOINT. I needed something special for the occasion. I also came home that evening to a very sick Dot.
What with the cold house (again) and the inclement weather and the back-and-forth of staying intermittently at Mom’s house… my poor Dot ended up with a virus. The good news is that while she was down for the count, it was a short count. 24 hours later she was ready for the world again.
A new furnace has been ordered, which conversely adds to my stress level because… well, did you know furnace units are expensive? Like I wasn’t having enough problems with the budget… At least I’ll be warm in my worries. But because in SoCal, furnace units either go on the roof or on the side of the house it can’t be installed until the current round of winter rains stop. Which should be in another 2 or 3 days.
In the meantime, have I mentioned how I love living so close to my Mom? Yup. We’ve invaded her home, her kitchen, her life.
She has the most amazing tea shelf. Today’s all about the chamomile.
Cozy Chamomile
So if you’ll excuse me now… I have some popcorn to eat and a movie to watch. Oh, and some new recipes to write.
Possible 2nd Edition Additions
Happy Eating!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Help me to reach my funding goal before February 1st!
Just click on the photo below and click “BACK THIS PROJECT” to pre-order YOUR copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition!
Jan 16, 2013 |
Slow Cooker Turkey Chili
I love chili. I especially love chili when I can just put it in the Slow Cooker and come home to a wonderfully aromatic kitchen. Sometimes, I prefer overnight cooking. Talk about your sweet dreams! Let’s face it, a Cooking Girl’s favorite perfume is onion, right?
My Slow Cooker Turkey Chili is an extremely easy, inexpensive combination of meat, canned goods and a chopped onion. It’s also one of my favorite recipes, and the reason I included it in The Unemployment Cookbook.
For less than $10, this fills my 4-quart Slow Cooker and offers up bowlful after bowlful of hearty, hot, and healthy eating.
Bowlful of Goodness
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lbs. ground turkey
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 can white or Great Northern beans, drained
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 can kidney or chili beans, with liquid
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 can crushed or diced tomatoes, with puree
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- Seasonings (1/2 TBS chili powder, 2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp paprika, salt and pepper to taste)
DIRECTIONS:
- Put 2 lbs of ground turkey in the bottom of the Slow Cooker. Break apart.
- Separately, mix together the canned goods and chopped onion.
- Separately, mix together the seasonings.
- Add 1/2 seasonings mix to the canned goods mixture.
- Top ground beef with canned goods mixture.
- Top with remaining seasonings.
- Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours, or on high for 3 hours.
The best part is that you can change this recipe anyway your taste buds want. For a meatier dish, change the kidney beans to a can of chili with beans and meat. Or add diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic and onion. Through in a packet of taco seasoning mix. Omit the corn or replace with a can of mixed veggies.
However you like your chili, let the Slow Cooker do the cooking for you. You’ll have more time with your family, your favorite book, or just your favorite chair.
As always… Happy Eating!
Bowl of Chili
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Help me to reach my funding goal before February 1st!
Just click on the photo below and click “BACK THIS PROJECT” to pre-order YOUR copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition!
Jul 22, 2012 |
I’ve heard people say things like “I don’t know how I ever got along without one for so long.” Or, “It’s so easy, so simple, so effortless.” And, “Delicious. Hearty. Healthy.”
Most of the time I chalk it up to hype. Someone, somewhere is exaggerating.
And then I bought my Aroma Houseware’s 6-Cup Rice Cooker.
It’s small. Convenient. And on a day like today when the outside temperature reached over 100 degrees, I didn’t have to turn my oven or stove on to feed my family a healthy, hearty, warm meal.
The rice comes out moist and full every time. I’ve steamed vegetables, chicken, and fish as well. The steam basket is small, allowing for just two servings of either meat or vegetables. But for those times when Dot’s out with her friends, I’m able to make a serving of each for myself.
I love that this versatile cooker lets me cook rice and steam at the same time. Or I can opt to do just one task. I also like that I can make as little as 2 cups of rice or as much as 6 cups. What’s better than fresh rice under a steamed salmon or lemon peppered vegetables? Having more for later!
The cooker/steamer averages a 20 minute wait time. It depends on what you’re preparing. The Cooker has an inner spring that, once the cooking is done, gently pushes the inner pot off the heating coils. It can keep your food warm for up to 12 hours without scorching!
It’s incredibly easy to use, clean, and store. I don’t know how I ever got along without one for so long.
And I want you to have one, too. So much so that I contacted Aroma Housewares and they agreed to sponsor this giveaway. This is a big deal. A really big deal! Because who doesn’t love giveaways? Even if you have a rice cooker, you can always use another one for those smaller servings. Or maybe you know someone getting ready to go away to college or move out on their own. It’s also a big deal, because [super shout out to Chris at Aroma Housewares], this is my very first sponsored giveaway. I couldn’t be happier that it’s for a product I really believe in.
Aroma even let me use their Green Chili Chicken & Rice recipe (it comes both on the product box and in their instruction manual).
Aroma's Green Chili Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup rice
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can (10 oz.) chicken breast
- 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chilies with liquid
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into inner cooking pot.
- Stir until evenly distributed.
- Place the inner cooking pot into the rice cooker.
- Place the lid securely onto the rice cooker.
- Press the COOK switch.
- Allow rice to cook until the rice cooker switches to "Warm".
- Stir and serve immediately.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2012/07/22/recipe-giveaway-green-chili-chicken-rice/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
Can’t you just smell the steamy aroma of chilies, chicken and rice? My house smelled so delicious, and the flavor did not disappoint!
We served it up with a corn tortilla and a glass of my berry-infused water. What a refreshing meal!
[The opinions in this review are my own, and not affected by any sponsor, entity or other person. For more information, please see our Disclosure Policy.]
And now we’ve come to the really fun part: The Giveaway!
1. MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment on this post: What do you like to serve with rice? This entry is mandatory. If you don’t answer this question, all other entries are void.
2. ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: You can earn up to four additional entries (for five entries total) by doing each of the following then leaving a comment here telling me you’ve done so. If you already do any of these things, that counts as an entry only if you post it in the comments. (Additional entries will be verified):
a. Follow me on Facebook and share this giveaway.
b. Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway.
c. Follow me on Pinterest and pin this giveaway.
d. Share this giveaway on your own blog and leave the link in the comments below.
BONUS ENTRIES ONLY COUNT IF YOU LEAVE A COMMENT AND I VERIFY.
Here’s the fine print:
- This giveaway is solely through Molly Jo and the blog Frankly, My Dear…. It is sponsored by Aroma Housewares. There are no other corporate sponsors. This giveaway is in no way endorsed by any other person, business or entity.
- Relatives, employees or persons affiliated with Aroma Housewares, New Inklings Press, or Frankly, My Dear… are ineligible.
- Only legal citizens of the United States aged 18 years and older are eligible to win.
- This giveaway begins at 5:30 a.m. PST on Sunday, July 22, 2012 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, July 31, 2012.
- Winner will be selected from all eligible comments on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 through Random.org.
- Winner will be notified by email and will have 120 hours (five full days) from the time email is sent to respond. Should winner not respond in a timely manner, prize will subsequently be re-awarded to another Reader. Not more than three (3) subsequent winners will be picked. After that, prize will be forfeited and no winner will be chosen.
- One prize pack [$20.00 value] consisting of Aroma Housewares 6-Cup Rice Cooker [Product No. ARC-743] will be given. No substitutions or transfers allowed.
- Aroma Housewares, Molly Jo and Frankly, My Dear… are not responsible for any lost or misdirected shipments, or damages that may occur during shipping.
- You may comment as much as you like, but any comment that does not meet the requirements will not be considered for this Giveaway.
- By leaving your comment on this post, you agree to be bound by the rules of this giveaway in their entirety.
As I always like to say, Happy Eating!
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Feb 5, 2012 |
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?
Be honest.
You thought you’d seen the last of my food posts, didncha?
Puh-leeeze. Like that could happen! I wouldn’t forget something as important as food!
Today’s the Big Day. The day when the Commercials are (almost) more important than the Show (certainly some will be more controversial!). The day when some people will love the Half-Time Show while others loathe it.
Today is Football.
And while my favorite team won’t be playing this year [I’m a Cheesehead!], my favorite foods will be on the table.
To start things off, I admit I’m going the semi-homemade route. Since I knew I wouldn’t have time to prepare all the snackage that I wanted to enjoy, I bought two appetizers from Schwans: their breaded Mozarrella sticks and their Cheddar and bacon stuffed potato skins. I really enjoy the ease of Schwans’ foods; straight from freezer to oven. And super delicious tastes! So it was a no-brainer to let them “cater” part of the Big Meal.
To add my own touch, I’m making a hearty amount of my Slow Cooker Turkey Chili to eat by itself and to also use as a topping for my Crescent Dogs.
Throw in some chips, dips, and maybe a few sliced and diced raw veggies, and it’s a par-tay!
There will be brownie bites and cookies for dessert, and the typical beverage options of water, juice, coffee, tea, and maybe a soda pop or two.
Will you be at a Super Bowl party? What’s on your menu?
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Nov 10, 2011 |
It’s that time of year. Time when you need to feed your family but don’t have time to cook. Time when you have so many parties to attend, and you need to bring a hearty food that will leave people talking for weeks (in a good way, of course!). Time when your money is better spent on the Big Meals and Family Gatherings.
Here’s a great get-through-the-holidays (and any other time) recipe. I call it a “dump” recipe, because that’s basically what it is. Made mostly with inexpensive canned goods, you open, drain, dump, mix. Okay, there’s a little more to it than that… but not much.
Set aside:
2 lbs. ground turkey, raw
Mix Together:
1 can (15 oz) kernel corn, drained
1 can (15 oz) Great Northern ( or white) beans, drained
1 can (28 oz) black beans, drained
1 can (28 oz) chili beans, DO NOT DRAIN
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes with added puree
1 medium onion, chopped
Mix Together:
1/2 (or more, to taste) TBSP chili powder
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp paprika
(*If you don’t have these spices, or you’re looking for a little extra kick to your chili, you can substitute one envelope of taco seasoning mix.)
Reserve 1/4 of spice mixture. Add remaining spices to canned mixture; mix well.
Put ground turkey in bottom of slow cooker, breaking apart.
Cover with bean mixture. Sprinkle with remaining spice mixture.
Cook on low 6-8 hours. Mix well.
Serve with shredded cheese or sour cream. Can also be used as a topping for turkey hotdogs.
*For hot & spicy chili, add chili peppers to taste.
This recipe has been entered in the 2011 Holiday Recipe Exchange – Soups, Stews and Chilis – giveaway. “Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and Good Life Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Pacific Natural Foods.“
