Kitchen Tip: Make Ready-to-Use Frozen Pie Fillings From Scratch

Today’s kitchen tip will show you how to make fruit pie fillings from scratch that are frozen, space-saving, and ready to be used as needed.

If you’ve ever found a really good sale in the produce section, you know how tempting it can be to stock up.  Apples, raspberries, as well as many other fruits and berries, make fantastic pie fillings but can be tricky to use up before they go bad.  This especially holds true when purchased in large quantity.  

The steps below are really quite easy, and you can make as many pie fillings as you need without using a lot of space in your freezer (these frozen pie fillings will stack inside each other to save space).

To Make the Frozen Pie Fillings:

1.  Using your favorite fruits and/or berries, make the pie filling from your ingredients as you normally would.

2.  Get out a pie plate and roll of plastic food wrap.

3.  Cut a section of plastic wrap long enough to completely line the pie plate and have extra hanging off both sides that will double over and seal the top as well. 

4.  Center the plastic wrap in the pie plate and press it in to conform to the shape of the glass or metal.

5.  Pretending that the plastic wrap is actually the bottom of your pie crust, pour your pie filling into the pan just as you would when making the actual pie.

6.  Leaving the top of the pie unwrapped, place the pan in the freezer until the fruit mixture has frozen solid (usually a couple of hours).

7. Once the fruit pie filling is completely frozen, take the pan out of the freezer.

8.  Using the extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides of the pan,  lift the frozen filling up and out of the pan.

9.  Set the filling down on the counter.  Completely cover the top of the filling with the extra plastic wrap that is hanging over the sides.  The goal is to make sure that the fruit filling is completely sealed to protect it while in the freezer.

10.  Place the frozen, plastic-wrapped pie filling into the freezer to be used when needed. Repeat this process for as many pie fillings as you need to make.  All the frozen fillings will stack into each other in one tall tower, saving you tons of freezer space.

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To Use the Frozen Pie Fillings:

1.  When ready to bake a pie, make a pie crust as you normally would.

2.  Line the bottom of a pie pan with the bottom crust.

3.  Remove a frozen ready-to-use fruit filling from the freezer.  Unwrap completely and discard the plastic wrap.

4.  Place the frozen filling into the pie pan on top of the crust.

5.  Continue making pie by adding the top crust and finishing the edges.

6.  Bake according to your regular recipe, but keep in mind that cooking time may have to be adjusted to compensate for the fruit being frozen.  An easy way around this is to let the uncooked pie sit out until the fruit has defrosted before baking.

7.  Cool, serve, and enjoy!

Originally published February 16, 2009. 

Thanks to Kitchen Tip Tuesday for having us over!  Apple pie photo (top) by dailyinvention.  Berry pie photo by Caitlinator.  Apple pie photo (with logo) by L. Marie.

How to Freeze Homemade DIY Pie Fillings is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

I just went through the book The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book by Camilla Saulsbury and can’t wait to share about this great time-saving treasury.   A fan of baking (and especially holiday baking), you can imagine how thrilled I was to receive a new cookbook in the mail dedicated completely to quick and easy dessert baking!

The idea of The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book cookbook: easy recipes great for any homemaker or aspiring baker who wants to turn out quality baked goods but is short on time.  All 700+ recipes in the cookbook start with ingredients that are ready made to speed up the process. 

There are really creative recipes in this collection, as well as tried and true recipes which you may have baked before.  However, all the recipes are the quicker version which starts with a ready-made ingredient, such as refrigerated cookie dough, brownie mix, boxed cereal, or cake mix.  Not having to mix up all the ingredients can help you to make up  cookie batches quicker than ever!

What Could Be Improved

Everyone loves cookbooks with full-color pictures, because it’s nice to see a photo of the food you’ll be cooking from the recipe.  The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book only has 2 full color sections of photos, 1 in the middle and 1 at the end of the book.

About the Author

Camilla V. Saulsbury is an award winning food writer who has been published in both Better Homes and Gardens magazine and Southern Living magazine.  Her recipes have also populated 9 of her other books, listed below.

Other books by this author include:

• Enlightened Soups: More Than 135 Light, Healthy, Delicious and Beautiful Soups in 60 Minutes or Less
• Puff Pastry Perfection: More Than 175 Recipes for Appetizers, Entrees and Sweets Made with Refrigerated Puff Pastry Dough
• Enlightened Cakes: More Than 100 Decadently Light Layer Cakes, Bundt Cakes, Cupcakes, Cheesecakes, and More, All with Less Fat and Fewer Calories
• Enlightened Chocolate: More Than 200 Decadently Light, Lowfat, and Inspired Recipes Using Dark Chocolate and Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Cookie Dough Delights: More Than 150 Foolproof Recipes for Cookies, Bars and Other Treats Made with Refrigerated Cookie Dough
• No-bake Cookies: More Than 150 Fun, Easy & Delicious Recipes for Cookies, Bars, And Other Cool Treats Made Without Baking
• Brownie Mix Bliss: More Than 175 Very Chocolate Recipes for Brownies, Bars, Cookies and Other Decadent Desserts Made with Boxed Brownie Mix
• Cake Mix Cookies: More Than 175 Delectable Cookie Recipes That Begin With a Box of Cake Mix
• Panna Cotta: Italy’s Elegant Custard Made Easy

The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book:
745 Scrumptious Recipes That Start with Refrigerated Cookie Dough, Cake Mix, Brownie Mix, or Ready-to-Eat Cereal
by Camilla Saulsbury.
Publisher: Cumberland House
404 pages
Buy at Amazon for $16.49.

Where to Buy This Book

You can buy The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book by Camilla Saulsbury at Amazon for only $16.49 plus free super saver shipping.

–

Danelle Ice is a problogger and is the founder and editor of Home Ever After.  She’s a married mom of three, a Purex Insider, mommy blogger for Oscar Mayer, and Walmart More Than 11 Moms.  Also check out Danelle on Twitter at @HomeEverAfter.

Disclaimer:  In compliance with the FTC Guides, updated 10/5/09, this article has material connections.  This post is not paid content and no fee was received for the writing or publication.  This article is a book review written about the cookbook, The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book.  A copy of The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book was provided to IS World Media (ISWM) at no cost by Sourcebooks on behalf of the author to facilitate the review process.  This review is the honest opinion of our reviewer.

Holiday Baking Made Easy – Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

When I was growing up, my Nanny made certain foods every year. The ones that stand out most in my mind are her mouth watering desserts. Unfortunately, Nanny passed away before I ever got copies of these traditional family recipes. I’ve spent countless hours searching, cooking, and trying to come close to recreating the wonderful dishes from my childhood.

Today, I finally found the last recipe I was searching for and I know it is exactly the recipe Nanny used. So, I wanted to share with you the goodies that my Nanny cooked up every December. These goodies will be served when I entertain this holiday season.

German Chocolate Pound Cake – This is my favorite cake ever. It is moist, packed with chocolate flavor, and has a great texture. My eyes lit up when Nanny started baking this cake.

Date and Nut Roll – I remember making this as a child, delighted to be able to squish the ingredients together with my hands. It is decadently rich and oh so delicious. This candy is an excellent addition to holiday candy platters and makes an excellent gift.

Orange Slice Cake Recipe

This was one of my Papaw’s favorites. It is so good, having to let it sit overnight is torture!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pound chopped dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 pound chopped orange slice candy, you can chop them or not, whichever you prefer
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 1/4 cups flaked coconut, optional
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Cream softened butter and sugar together until well blended and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well before adding another.
3. Place buttermilk in small bowl, add baking soda, and mix with a fork until soda dissolves.
4. Add buttermilk mixture to creamed mixture and mix well.
5. In a large bowl, stir flour, orange slice candy, dates, and nuts until the flour coats all the fruit and nut pieces.
6. Add fruit and nut mixture to the creamed mixture.
7. If using coconut, add it at this time.
8. Mix well. The batter will be quite stiff and thick, don’t worry, that’s how it is supposed to be. I advise mixing with a sturdy wooden spoon.
9. Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan at 250 degrees for 2 to 3 hours. I would test the cake with a toothpick or butter knife every 15 minutes after the 2 hour mark.
10. While the cake is cooking, combine orange juice and powdered sugar and mix well.
11. As soon as the cake is done, remove from oven, then pour orange juice mixture all over the top of the cake.
12. Cover with a towel or wax paper, then let sit in pan overnight.
13. Grab a cool glass of milk and enjoy!

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read Dinner Party Menu.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Family Holiday Recipes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

The only time my family gets to sit down and have breakfast together is during the weekend. Week day mornings are just too hectic. So, on Saturday morning, we all look forward to a large breakfast or brunch, depending on when everyone wakes up.

The following menu is one of our favorites. The main dish is a filling entree that everyone loves. Pair it with the creamy orange beverage and you have a breakfast winner!

Cowboy Brunch Recipe

This is excellent topped with salsa and served with sliced avocado. A fruit salad is a great accompaniment as well.

Ingredients:

• 6 strips bacon or 1/2 lb. breakfast sausage
• 4 large potatoes, diced
• 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 6 medium eggs
• 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. If using sausage, cook until well done.
2. Remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.
3. Drain skillet, reserving about 2 Tablespoons of drippings.
4. Add potatoes, green pepper, onion, salt, and pepper to the drippings in the skillet.
5. Cook and stir for two minutes, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender and beginning to brown. This should take 15 minutes or so.
6. Make six wells in the potato mixture.
7. Break one egg into each of the wells, then cover and reduce heat to low, cooking for 10 minutes or until the eggs are completely set.
8. Remove from heat.
9. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon or sausage before serving.

A variation on serving this dish is to stir it really well once the eggs are set, then serve on warm tortillas as breakfast burritos.

Toast or Biscuits 

Orange Delight Recipe

A favorite breakfast beverage around here. This recipe makes between 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:

• 6oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 10 to 12 ice cubes
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:  Add all ingredients to blender and blend until creamy and smooth.

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read Family Holiday Recipes.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Cowboy Brunch Recipes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

How to Cook a Turkey

Everyone should know how to cook a turkey.  The teaching of this basic skill, however, is often neglected in our upbringing! This step-by-step tutorial on how to cook a turkey is designed for cooks of all levels.  Even if you’ve never attempted any major cooking projects before, this will allow you to produce a beautiful bird for your family’s holiday meal.

We have also included a video tutorial for the visual learners: How to Cook a Turkey. The video even includes some helpful hints about cooking times, temperatures, stuffing, and more. (Subscribers will have to click through to HomeEverAfter.com to view the video.)

How to Cook a Turkey: Step by Step

1.  Start with a defrosted turkey.  Thaw a frozen turkey in your refrigerator for 3-4 days before cooking.

2.  Take the plastic off the turkey. 

3.  Take the neck out of the body cavity.  You can save the turkey neck if you like to eat it or throw it away.

4.  Remove the giblets from the neck cavity.  If you want to make gravy out of the giblets, set them aside for later.  Otherwise, throw them away.

5.  Rinse the outside of the turkey with water.  The goal is to remove any plastic pieces left on the turkey from the packaging or debris that may have picked up at the packaging plant.

6.  Rinse the inside of the turkey with water.  Make sure the inside of the turkey is clean by running water from the faucet into the empty body cavity, then dumping the water back out.

7.  Pull the wings over the breasts. As if the turkey is doing a yoga pose, bend the wings up and over the breasts to keep them from burning during cooking.

8.  Put the turkey in a roasting pan. If cooking the turkey neck, add it to the pan as well.  Follow the directions below, depending on if your roasting pan has a lid or not.

When Using a Roasting Pan with a Lid

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Bake the turkey covered for approximately 1 hour per 5 pounds of turkey.
• When the time is up, check the temperature with the meat thermometer.  The goal is to reach 170°.
• When 170° is reached, raise the oven temperature to 450°.
• Put back into the oven uncovered for 15 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven when it is golden brown.  Check the temperature again to make sure it has reached 185°. 
• Let sit, covered, for 15 minutes to seal in the juices.

When Using a Disposable Pan (or Pan with No Lid)

• Preheat the oven to 325°.
• Mold aluminum foil over the front half of the turkey, covering the breasts.
• Make a handle on the foil over the turkey’s neck area.
• Take the foil shield off the turkey.
• Cook the turkey uncovered for approximately 1 hour per 5 pounds of turkey.
• When the time is up, check the temperature with the meat thermometer.  The goal is to reach 185°.
• If the turkey is as golden brown as you want, then put the breast shield on over the breasts to keep them from getting too dark.
• Continue cooking the turkey with the foil shield in place until it is the desired color.  Make sure the internal temperature is 185°.
• Remove from oven.
• Cover loosely with tin foil for 15 minutes to seal in the juices.

The final step is to serve a wonderful, golden brown turkey on your holiday table.  Wasn’t that easy? Great work!

Turkey photo courtesy of stock.xchng. Video courtesy of IS World Media.

How to Cook a Turkey: Recipe is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful day of food, family, and fellowship. The day after is often the day of turkey leftovers. So, I decided to share some of my favorite ways to use up all those delicious bits you have left after the big meal is done.

There are so many things you can do with cooked turkey! A good rule of thumb is that if you can use chicken, you can most likely use turkey instead. I’ve done everything from turkey salad to turkey enchiladas with great results. Here are a few more ideas for you. Enjoy!

King Ranch Turkey – Leftover turkey is fabulous in place of the traditional chicken in this Texas casserole favorite.

Turkey Tetrazzini – This is a great dish that my family loves when it’s cold outside. There are lots of good recipes available on the web for this. I make mine by making a simple white gravy with lots of onions, garlic, and black pepper.  This casserole is great when topped with bread crumbs and/ or cheese before baking.

1. Cook a pot of pasta while you are making the gravy.
2. Add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables to the pasta right before you drain it, the heat from the pasta will help defrost the veggies.
3. Add shredded up turkey tot he gravy once it’s done, then mix it into the pasta veggie mixture.
4. Pour all into a greased casserole and bake at 350 degrees until heated through.

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read Cowboy Brunch.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

The Day After Thanksgiving – Recipes to Use Turkey Leftovers is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Spills and drizzles on the edges of a muffin pan will burn, turn black, smoke and smell bad while baking.  To top it off, baked on burnt batter is hard to clean and often leads to scraping off by hand or soaking.  Avoid the mess altogether and make cupcake and muffin baking clean and easy, the no-mess way.

Muffin Pan   +    Ice Cream Scoop=

No Mess Cupcake Bake!

The easiest way to fill a muffin pan filled with cupcake papers (or without) is to use an ice cream scoop.  This versatile kitchen tool’s shape will ensure that there are no spills around the edges.  As an added bonus, an ice cream scoop allows you to pour exactly the same amount into each muffin cup or paper.  Choose one scoop for cupcakes or 2 scoops for giant muffins (or for baking muffin tops).  All of your cupcakes or muffins will be exactly the same size, for a professional appearance without the messy cleanup!

This article is linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays.  Originally published July 8, 2008.

Kitchen Tip: No Mess Cupcake and Muffin Baking is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife  and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Quick Comfort Food Recipes

The cooler months seem to make me crave comfort foods. Casseroles and soups are my comfort foods of choice. Unfortunately, there are times when I crave slow cooked comfort but only have minutes to spend in the kitchen.

That’s when I turn to these quick, tasty meals. They satisfy my craving for comfort food, without me spending all day in the kitchen.

Farmhouse Chicken Dinner – This tastes like something grandma would make. Kids and adults alike love it and it is requested often in my home. You can have it on the table in just under an hour, which I love. This is a great fall/winter dish.

Classic Macaroni and Cheese – We all love macaroni and cheese around here. I adore the baked variety, like my Nanny made. Dan loves the Velveeta variety like his mama makes. The kids pretty much don’t care as long as it’s cheesy. This recipe has become our family favorite, as it’s creamy, cheesy, and baked. We all love it and it is ready in a snap.

Italian Sirloin Stew – We love stew and this recipe is a delightfully different beef stew. Full of Italian flavor and topped with yummy cheese, it’s sure to be a hit at your house as well.

Enchilada Soup – A wonderful Tex Mex soup for chilly days. Make it as mild or as spicy as you like.

One of our favorite comfort meals is breakfast for dinner. French toast, waffles, pancakes, muffins, and more can be whipped up quickly. Pair them with fluffy scrambled eggs, juice, and maybe some bacon and you have a yummy, quick meal. Maybe try a breakfast casserole instead of your traditional breakfast for a nice change of pace.

These are just a few of my quick, comforting favorites. I love that they can be put on the table quite quickly. The family loves that they taste amazing. So, it’s a winning situation all the way around.

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to find creative ways to use your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Winter Recipes: Quick Comfort Foods is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

5 Guilt-Free Holiday Treat Recipes

The approach of the holiday season has many of us returning to our kitchens. Now that the heat of summer is a thing of the past, we look toward preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

Usually the holidays are filled with good food, but food that is not necessarily good for you. I set out to find some seasonal dishes to satisfy my family’s sweet tooth without packing on the fat and excess calories. I was pleased with the recipes I found and hope you will be too.

1.  Pumpkin-Bourbon Pudding – Pumpkin is one of my very favorite things and this recipe is a delicious way to prepare it. You get all the rich taste of your favorite pumpkin dessert for only 169 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

2.  Heavenly Baked Apples – These warm, spicy apples are a treat that is easy enough to whip up for a week night after-dinner treat. The addition of dried fruit makes this recipe a nice change from your everyday baked apple recipe. These have just 142 calories per serving and are fat free.

3.  Orange Angel Food Cake with Fruit Compote – I love angel food cake and I adore orange anything, but to me it is the fruit compote that makes this recipe a star. It is such a luscious blend of apricots and cranberries and a wonderful compliment to the citrus flavor of the cake. This is a dessert that will wow your holiday guests.

4.  Cinnamon Sugar Snickerdoodles – This is a wonderful cookie to have on hand for after school snacks, bake sales, or even your holiday cookie platters. The cinnamon flavor is just the thing for fall. This recipe makes 24 cookies that are only 63 calories each.

5.  Irish Coffee Meringues – Meringues are one of my favorite treats and since they are very low in fat you can have a few without feeling guilty. These Irish Coffee meringues taste like a decadent indulgence, when truly they are not full of fat and calories. Topped with chocolate covered coffee beans, these are great on a cookie platter or as a gift.

These recipes can help you to make sweet treats for your family during the holidays without all the excess calories, sugar, and fats. They are great for all those watching their weight or just trying to make healthier choices when it come to eating. I hope you enjoy them!

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read Quick Comfort Foods.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.  Snickerdoodle photo by jimw.

5 Holiday Treat Recipes You Don’t Have to Feel Guilty About is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Sometimes the tastiest meals are invented by just perusing your pantry shelves. Some of my best creations have been the result of what I call pantry raids.

Although I do love trying new recipes, it is usually much more budget friendly, and often just as luscious, to cook out of your own kitchen rather than rushing out to buy all the ingredients for that extravagant new recipe you just found. That was exactly the case with the dish I threw together tonight.

My family loves a tasty crock pot recipe using chicken breast, cream cheese, and a few Tex Mex ingredients. I wanted to do something along those lines, but we had no chicken breast. So, I thawed out two pounds of beef stew meat and created a scrumptious dish.
 

This would be fabulous over noodles or rice or served with Spanish rice. We had broccoli and cheese pasta and some crescent rolls with ours, and it made a lovely meal. It’s rich, creamy, and very satisfying. Using the peach salsa gave ours a sweet flavor that was lovely, but I imagine it would be wonderful with a spicy salsa. Experimenting with the salsa you use could make this a very different dish each time you make it. I think it is a perfect, no fuss meal for the cool days of fall.

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read Five Holiday Treats.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles or recipes!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Crockpot Cooking: Creamy Salsa Beef Recipe is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Eggs are one of my very favorite foods. I love them poached, fried, boiled, in omelets, quiches, pretty much anyway you make them. I can eat them for pretty much any meal. They are such a versatile ingredient and quite frugal too. Eggs are one of my very favorite ingredients to cook with. 

But, I was a little thrown off the first time I ate with my husband’s family and they served up a big plate of chili and eggs. One bite though and I was hooked. I know this sounds weird, but it is one of those meals that you will love once you try it. It can be whipped up super quickly, is very filling, and is especially good on cool autumn or winter nights.

The best accompaniment to this dish is garlic toast. It is also good on tortillas as chili and egg burritos. 

This is one of our favorite week night dinners. It is also great for brunch. It is very hearty and will fill up even the largest appetites. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chili and Eggs Recipe

The chili and eggs recipe below will feed 6 to 8 people, but this is an easy recipe to increase or decrease.

Ingredients:

• 2 – 15oz. cans chili without beans, we prefer Wolf Brand (I highly suggest not substituting chili with beans, as it completely changes the flavor of the dish)
• 10 to 12 eggs

 

Directions:

1.  Simply whisk the eggs or prefer like you normally would when making scrambled eggs. Do not season them, it is unnecessary.

2.  Scramble the eggs over medium low heat, stirring often.

3.  When the eggs are almost completely done, yet still a bit damp, add the two cans of chili.

4.  Cook until the chili is heated through.

5.  Serve hot with garlic toast. Salsa and/or sour cream can be used as toppings if desired.

Stay tuned next Monday for In the Kitchen with Nessa to read her Creamy Salsa Beef Recipe.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Chili and Eggs Recipe is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Quick Weekday Morning Breakfast Recipes

We all know that breakfast is an  important meal. Some say the most important meal of the day. Kids and adults alike are much more irritable, tired, and tend to gain more weight when breakfast is skipped.  I know in our house that the beginning of the school year brings on some crazy mornings, which often means the kids eat cereal for breakfast.

I much prefer to feed them meals with a touch more nutritional value, yet cannot spend hours every morning in the kitchen. So, here are some solutions I have found. With a little preplanning, we now have several quick yet delicious breakfast options around the house. Everyone leaves the house with a full tummy, ready to start the day! I hope these recipes help make mornings a little less rushed at your house.

Yogurt Fruit Bars – These have been a hit with the kids. You can use whatever fruit your family prefers and even use different flavored yogurts. It’s one of those recipes that you can really adapt to your own tastes. I really like them because they can be eaten on the go, for those really hectic mornings. Plus, you can freeze them, then set them out the night before to thaw. Freezer recipes are some of my favorites because I love to have a stockpile of easy options on hand. This recipe is really a great one to try.

Easy Morning Smoothies – My whole family loves the combination of flavors in this quick smoothie. It’s easy to put together and makes enough to serve two hungry kids.

Breakfast Banana Splits – While this isn’t a grab and go breakfast, it is super quick and easy to put together. Kids love it because it seems to be a treat rather than a breakfast!

MockDonald Breakfast Sandwich – These can be made ahead of time and kept in the freezer, then microwaved in the mornings. They taste just as good as the real thing, but are so much more budget friendly when made at home.

Pumpkin Cranberry Breakfast Cookies – I love pumpkin anything, so I originally made these thinking I was the only one who would eat them. Boy was I wrong! The kids love them with a tall glass of milk. I think they are the perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee. Not just for breakfast, they are lovely packed away in a lunch box, or as an afternoon snack. I’ve found that these freeze wonderfully as well.

Did you like this In the Kitchen with Nessa article?  Stay tuned next Monday for Nessa’s new column, Halloween Treats.  Make sure you subscribe to our free updates so you don’t miss any of her great kitchen how to articles!

Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Quick Weekday Morning Breakfast Recipes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

One of the challenges that comes with back to school season is packing school lunches. Bologna and cheese sandwiches getting boring pretty fast. Here are four ideas to liven up the kids’ lunch boxes a bit.

4 Unique Back to School Lunch Ideas

1.  Pancake Wraps: All you need is a pancake, either store bought or homemade, then the fillings of your choice. A favorite around here is peanut butter on the pancake, with a banana rolled up in it. Peanut butter and nutella with banana is great as well. Strawberries and cream cheese is great. Use your imagination and the possibilities are endless.

2.  Geometric Lunch:  The idea here is all about shapes. Try to come up with as many combination as you can for a varied menu. Ideas Include:

• cheese cubes
• carrot sticks and carrot coins
• grapes
• blueberries
• cherries
• ham cubes
• circular slices of cucumber
• crackers- square, round, rectangles
• meat and/or cheese cut into triangles, circles, etc.

Just think of all the different shapes and foods you can come up with. Little kids love this one!

3.  Jack be Nimble Salad (pictured at right) 

4.  Wraps: This is another one where you can dream up all sorts of possibilities. You can wrap with tortillas or the flat bread type sandwich wraps. A favorite around here is a spinach flat bread spread with onion and chive or garden vegetable cream cheese, cheese, meat, lettuce, and tomatoes. Any type of wrap is a nice change from the ordinary sandwich.

These are some of the things my kids really like to see in their lunch boxes. I hope your kids enjoy them as well!

Find more cooking articles at Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Out of the Box Back to School Lunch Ideas is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Our menu plan this week features celebrity recipes from Tom Cruise, Dale Earnhardt, Ricky Martin, Susan Sarandon and more. 

What we noticed the most about this collection of celebrity recipes is that they call for mostly vegetables, a medium amount of proteins, and little carbohydrates.

Our free printable Take and Make Menu Plans contain everything you need for an entire week’s dinners and all you have to do is the shopping and cooking!  Print out the menu plan each Sunday, which includes:

• A printable grocery shopping list of ingredients.  Print out the list, check off what you already have on hand, then take your shopping list to the store.
• A dinner meal for each day. Click the name of the meal to print the recipe and directions.  (After the week is over, add the recipes to your cookbook for future use.) 

Take And Make Menu Plan:

Celebrity Recipes

Menu is planned for a family of 4.  Please adjust ingredients and recipes up to accommodate extra people.

Printable Grocery Shopping List:  Click here to view, download or print the shopping list.

Menu Plan with Recipes:

Monday

Dinner: Daryl Hannah’s Curry.  “When Daryl Hannah was on a low-fat diet for an upcoming role, chef Andy Ennis whipped up lighter, super-spicy versions of her favorite vegetarian foods, including this flavorful curry.” -Meatless Monday

Tuesday

Dinner: Casey Kasem’s Vegetable Soup.  At only 102 calories per serving, this celebrity recipe is healthy and slimming.  Serves 6.

Wednesday

Dinner: Dale Earnhardt’s Fish and Vegetable Rolls. Makes 4 servings.

Thursday

Dinner: Ricky Martin’s Rice & Beans recipe.  This celebrity recipe delivers plenty of energy to shake and shimmy just like Ricky Martin!  Serves 4.

Friday

Dinner: Tom Cruise’s recipe for Linguine with Zesty Red Clam Sauce.  Makes 6 servings.

Saturday

Dinner: Susan Sarandon’s Risotto with Scallops & Asparagus.  Makes 4 servings.

Sunday

Dinner: Leftover Love. Spread out a buffet table of all the leftovers from the week’s meals.  This means a day off for the chef!

Menu Plan: Celebrity Recipes is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.

Nessa is a full time wife and mother of two, living the small town life in rural Texas. She loves cooking everything from tried and true recipes to her own wonderful creations. Catch her blogging at Ramblings of a Texas Housewife and on Twitter @Nessa_TX.

Jack Be Nimble Salad Recipe

Jack Be Nimble Salad is a variation of a classic salad that kids love to build! It looks like a candle stick when put together. Pack all the components separately, include a Popsicle stick to spread the peanut butter, and let the kids create at the lunch table.

That’s all there is to it. A meal in one that kids get to build. Kids seem to enjoy the hands on prep with this meal.

Did you like this In the Kitchen with Nessa article?  Stay tuned next Monday for Nessa’s new column, Out of the Box Lunch Ideas. Find more cooking articles at Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays, and Homemaker Mondays.

Kids’ Recipes: Jack Be Nimble Salad is an article from Home Ever After.
Copyright 2007-2009 HomeEverAfter.com by Danelle Ice/IS World Media. All rights reserved. Reproduction of content in this feed is prohibited.