Homemade Baked Beans

Add the following in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours
1 1/2 cups of dry beans (I used 1 cup kidney and 1/2 cup black because that is what I had)
3 cups of water (I also added 1/2 cup pork stock cause I had it-- completely optional)
1/2 onion grated
1/2 green pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic grated

The Flavorings: I searched a lot of recipes and sort of made my own up, feel free to adjust to suite your tastes. After you add these ingredients let them meld together for about another hour and then enjoy.
1/4 cup brown sugar (some recipes used white sugar, molasses, or honey)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (some recipes used 2 tbsp, but I cut it to just one to keep it sweeter)
dash of salt
2 tbsp mustard (I used Dijon)
5 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled (again, just added cause we had it)
Splash of Honey Jack Daniels... yummmm

I'd take a picture, but honestly they just look like baked beans. Getting to play around with the flavorings was the fun part of this recipe :)

Really really really easy homemade pizza

This pizza dough is easy to make, very versatile, and delicious. Don't be scared if you don't know too much about yeast and dough rising, I promise it's not that tough.

1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
3/4 cup WARM water
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour

Dissolve the yeast into the warm water (not boiling water, you want to wake the yeast up from it's dried state not kill it!) Add oil and salt to the mixture, next add the flours, and mix together/knead till combined (maybe 5 minutes). Put dough into a safe place so it can rise for 30-40 minutes, I've let mine rise for much longer and that's fine. I usually put it in the microwave to rise just so it's off the counter.

After the dough has risen roll it out with a rolling pin or just use your hands till it's the size/crust thickness that you want. Put the crust on a baking sheet/pizza pan/baking stone/whatever you have on hand that is oven safe and add your toppings. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is crisp. I usually make thin crust so it's done in about 15 minutes. Call me if you have any problems (like eating the leftovers, hehe).

Pizza Topping Combo Ideas:
- red sauce, mozz. cheese, sun dried tomatoes, sauteed onions and peppers, pepperoni, parm. cheese
- red sauce, mozz/Cheddar cheese, ham, onions, pineapple
- barbecue sauce, Cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, garlic
- ranch dressing, mozz cheese, shredded baked chicken, red onions, diced tomatoes, peppers

Asparagus!

Jason and I love asparagus. I typically chop it up and stir fry it with any seasonings we have on hand or roast it in the oven with some olive oil. It's great! This weekend I was in the mood for something different and found a recipe for Asparagus Herb Lasagna! I didn't have the time to make lasagna (haha), but used the recipe I found to create a similar recipe-- it's more like Asparagus Herb Zitti :)

(Ingredients can be adjusted for how many people you'd like to feed, also depending on if the recipe is a side dish or main course, these proportions made about 4 main dish servings)

1/2 box of pasta (we used penne) cooked al dente
1 lb of asparagus (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
2 links of Italian sausage sliced (completely optional, just threw it in because we had it)
2 cloves chopped garlic
olive oil
6 sliced scallions
Any other herbs you have on hand/like (we used some basil, oregano, and parsley)

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan and add in scallions and garlic. Once that gets sizzling add in chopped asparagus, sausage (if you're using it), and herbs. Stir fry until asparagus is getting tender and all the flavors are combined (maybe 10 minutes). Toss with cooked pasta and put in a oven safe dish.

Place aside and now for the sauce!

2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of flour
2 cups of milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan heat up olive oil and than add in the 2 tablespoons of flour, stir and let the flour 'cook' for a minute or two. Add in milk and stir until mixture begins to simmer. Lower heat so it stays at a simmer and keep stirring until the sauce begins to thicken up. Once sauce starts to thicken add in Parmesan cheese and stir for about 5 more minutes. Pour sauce over pasta/asparagus mixture and mix so everything gets a coating of sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 20 minutes and then 10 more minutes uncovered. Enjoy!

Easy Quiche

This was a great quiche we made for a quick dinner, the best thing is that they are easy to make and can have endless combinations. Enjoy!

1 frozen pie crust thawed

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups dairy (most recipes use heavy cream or half and half but I used 1% milk and it was great)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated

2 cups or so of fillings (for the one in the picture we used a large sauteed onion, Swiss cheese, and American Cheese)

salt and pepper to taste (and a spur of the moment decision to add in some garlic powder)

In a mixing bowl beat eggs, parm cheese, and milk together, add in salt, pepper, and any other seasonings. Lay out the pie crust in the dish, place any fillings in the crust. I usually put meat at the bottom (if we use any), then vegis, then diced up cheese. Pour the egg and milk mixture over the fillings and bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Keep an eye towards the end of the time because you don't want the top to burn, but you want it to be cooked all the way through (test by inserting a fork and see if it comes out clean). Now some people put the cheese on top of the quiche and then bake it but I find that then sometimes the cheese burns before the egg is cooked through. Check out my golden crust... :)

Yummy Quiche Fillings

Meats- ham, bacon, steak-ums, sausage, tuna, ground beef

Vegis (I usually cook them a little first)- onions, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, zucchini, cauliflower,

Cheese- basically any... Swiss, American, cheddar, jack, Parmesan, goat, Gouda, cream cheese, Munster

Seasonings- salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, thyme, basil, parsley, cumin, nutmeg, hot sauce, mustard, salsa,

Some people also add in home fries or breakfast potatoes!

Experiment with what you have on hand and post if you come up with anything good!

Baked Ziti with Meatballs

Source:

We made this ziti recipe last weekend (plus 1/4 meatball pieces throughout half of it- yum!) and it's been absolutely delicious. If you like a lot of cheese, the recipe is PERFECT. If you like a little less, I'd use 15 oz. of ricotta instead of 24 and a little less mozzarella. I think next time I may tone down the cheesiness. Here goes..

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package Ziti pasta
24 oz. Ricotta Cheese
1 lb. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1 (32 oz.) jar Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
* We also made 5-10 Mama Lucia frozen meatballs on the stove in some sauce, cut them in smaller pieces and added them to 1/2 of the ziti before placing in oven. (Note: If you're making meatballs this way, you may want to have some extra sauce on hand.)

Kitchen Needs:
- large pot (big enough to cook a whole box of pasta)
- large spoon/slotted spoon
- colander
- bowl (we suggest a large one- you have to mix all of the ziti and almost all of the other ingredients in it.)
- 13x9 dish or pan
- oven & stove

Recipe:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce. (Note: A medium bowl was not big enough for all of these ingredients- use a big one!)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

We served our ziti with cucumber and ranch dressing- yum! If we were really thinking ahead, garlic bread would have been a nice addition. Do you do something unique with your ziti/lasagna/italian dishes?

Shrimp Stir Fry

This is a very simple recipe I learned from a friend a couple summers ago. You can easily shake up the ingredients to customize it to your palate. Basic ingredients are vegetables, a meat product, dressing/flavoring and some rice.

For the pictured dish, I used:

Broccoli

Red & Yellow Peppers

Onions

Mushrooms

Other veggies I typically use or have tried include Carrots, Boc Choy, Green Peppers, Zucchini, Snap Peas.

Shrimp

Other meats I have used are Chicken, Beef.

Italian Dressing

Other flavoring I have used includes Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce.

Prepare the meat the night/day before by deveining the shrimp (if necessary), or cutting up the chicken/beef to bite-size morsels. Marinate the meat overnight in your flavoring, you want the meat super saturated so be generous with the dressing. I will either put the shrimp/meat & dressing in a large plastic bag or in a large bowl. The next day, when it's dinnertime, cut up your vegetables, again into morsels. Peppers work better if you employ the "box cut" technique for vertical strips, as opposed to cross-section slices. Carrots you can julienne if you have skill or ambition, otherwise cross-sections are swell.

Now you can cook. Begin with the meat, either on the grill (tastes best), or cook it before the vegetables in your fry pan/wok. Once the meat is cooked, start dropping in your vegetables, being cautionary to cook speed (onions go in first, then carrots, then broccoli, save peppers and mushrooms for last). Basically it's just stir frying 101. Drop in some dressing/flavor whenever you feel it's drying up or needs some more sizzle. This veggie/meat combo is best over some white rice, so you can fire up a cup or two in the microwave or stovetop when you're starting the meat.

For portioning, I usually gauge it something like, 1 carrot per person, 1 pepper per person, a decent clump of broccoli per person. So a 6-person meal involves 6 carrots, 6 peppers and so on.

I will say this is an excellent dish to reactivate some leftover meats or vegetables. Also, if the meal produces leftovers they are an easy lunch the next day at work.

Crescent Roll Pizza- a favorite for all ages!

I'll post pictures the next time we make these (made them this weekend, but they were eaten too fast to get a good snapshot)! I've been making crescent roll pizza with kids while babysitting since high school and have recently decided to share it's awesomeness (and easy-ness) with family, friends, and all of you. Here's what you'll need:

1 jar tomato sauce
2-4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 or 2 tubes of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (each will make 8 rolls, people tend to eat between 2-4)
Optional: toppings- pepperoni, sausage, pineapple, pepper, anchovies, extra cheese, etc.

Roll out crescent roll triangles. Put on sauce, cheese, and toppings. Roll up. Follow baking instructions (usually 11-13 minutes in oven) and enjoy!

A fun idea: get lots of different toppings and have a crescent roll pizza party! Each person can create their own pizza rolls and enjoy in just a few minutes.