Chicken-in-a-Packet (or in the crock pot)

This has been such a favorite for a long time, it deserves a post on the blog.  It's one of Tyler's favorite recipes and he always requests it when I ask him his dinner ideas for the week.  As you can tell by the name of the recipe, it actually calls for the chicken and veggies to be cooked in individual foil 'packets,' kind of like a tinfoil dinner, but in the oven.  While it was fun to cook this that way the first couple times, it gets daunting separating everything into packets.  Now that my kids are older, it might be fun to have everyone make their own instead of me having to do them all.  But before I just realized that my kids can help, I looked for easier ways to make one of our favorite dishes.  I have made this is a covered baking dish in the oven as well as the crock pot.  All three ways have produced a successful result.  Just decide which way you like best.  My kids like to have the rice with it.  Tyler and I like it either way, rice or not.  I am not sure why we still call it "Chicken in a Packet" since we don't really cook it in the packet anymore, but none-the-less, we do.

Lasagna

Tyler has a list of recipes he keeps requesting I write down.  In case I die.  Romantic, right?  I think he is only half joking when he says it, but he says it a lot.  

Broccoli Salad

I realized the other day that I warned everyone on Facebook that I was most likely done posting until after Christmas, but I failed to mention it on my blog.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.   We changed plans at the last minute (which I should have expected) and ended up doing massive amounts of driving.  I think it was all worth it in the end.  Everyone had a great time together and there weren't any massive catastrophes.  I just wish we could come up with a way to teleport places.  The 14 hours of driving home with our 2 kids about killed us all.  They were actually really good considering they were in such a confined space for practically the whole day, and I was too.  I didn't tantrum once.  I was really trying to be adult about it.  

Crêpes with Strawberries and Nutella

(updated photo: 2/14/2013)

My family has a tradition involving these crêpes.  If you ask any of them they might say they came up with the idea.  But seriously, don't listen to them.  It was all me.  I was in San Francisco for a work conference a billion years ago (it sounds better for the story that way but it was really probably 9 years ago) and we went to an outdoor mall with a bunch of little shops; including a crêpe shop.  I wish I could remember the name of it.  That place changed my life.  

Teriyaki Chicken

This might be one of the easiest recipes I make and it might also be Tyler's favorite.  When I first started making Teriyaki Chicken, there were quite a few ingredients that went into the teriaki sauce.  I have since realized that it's so much more simple than I was making it and we like it better.  For 2 1/2 years my son was on a gluten free diet and it's hard to find gluten free teriyaki sauce (sometimes it's also hard to find gluten free soy sauce).  This was a recipe we could all eat and we all like it.

Healthier Chicken and Dumplings

{Photos updated 3/10/2013}

I originally saw a version of this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and then got on the Internet to find it.  I made it the original way a few times and it certainly was delicious.  It just seemed like a little too much.  Too much time, too much fat.  The original recipe calls for bone in, skin on, chicken thighs.  Okay, that is something I never have on hand.  I really like to keep recipes down to things I would normally buy and use, so I didn't love having to buy skin-on thighs for this.  You brown the skin on the chicken in batches and then wait for them to cool, remove the skin and then cook them in the stew for an hour and then take them out and get all the meat off the bone, and on and on.  Don't get me wrong, I am totally willing to spend my life in the kitchen if it's necessary.  In this case, I just wasn't sure it was.  I decided I still liked the taste of the dish and the idea of it; I just wanted it to be a bit more streamlined and healthy. (That way I can have dessert too.Ü)  I still recommend the full version because it is really good, but this is the version we make most often.  It can be on the table in about 30 minutes and is much easier to execute.

Mashed Potatoes

 {Photo updated 3/10/2013}

I love mashed potatoes.  If you ask Hadlee, I love everything and I always say everything is delicious (Hence, the blog name!).  But that's not really true, I just usually don't make things I don't like.  Every now and then, it's kind of nice to be the adult.  And as the adult, I pair mashed potatoes with everything I possibly can.  Luckily, my family likes them as much as I do. :)  I really don't peel potatoes because I spent a childhood being a potato slave, but feel free.  Sometimes I use regular russet potatoes but red are my favorite.

Hamburger Soup

This is a great soup and in our rotation of favorites.   It's really quick, easy and inexpensive.  The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I usually substitute ground turkey.  The recipe is intended to use garden vegetables but I rarely have since we haven't really had a garden.  If you have garden-fresh corn and tomatoes I bet it would be even better.

Hamburger Harvest Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 med onion, chopped
6 cups water
8 beef bullion cubes (or tsps bullion, or substitute water and bullion for beef broth)
2 carrots, chopped
14.5 oz can stewed, diced Italian style tomatoes (or 1.5 cups fresh tomatoes, diced)
2 cups frozen (or fresh) corn
3-4 diced potatoes
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
Serve with mozzarella or Mexican-style cheese.

Directions
Over med-high heat, brown turkey and onion until turkey is done and onion is tender.  Add remaining ingredients and cook until potatoes are tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 8

Great served with Dinner Rolls.

Adapted from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Fajitas

I am not a huge Mexican food fan.  There are a couple things I do like and this is one of them.  But let's face it, I would eat just about anything if you put cheese, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo on it.  And when you go somewhere to eat and ask for guacamole, they usually give you about a teaspoon.  When you make it at home, you can have as much sour cream and guacamole as you want with out feeling criminal. :)

Guacamole

I have been on the biggest Avocado kick the past little while.  I am obsessed with putting avocado or guacamole on everything.  I think it's because avocados are so good for you and I only eat things that are healthy. (I can't even type that without laughing)  It does make me feel good that something I am eating is healthy.  It's good and easy and we know I like that.  I just put everything in my food processor and push the button.  I make this guacamole recipe for a lot of things, some of which are coming soon....

Pico de Gallo

I didn't know it was spelled like that, I just educated myself the other day when I emailed this recipe to a friend.  Now I wonder if I am saying it right.....

If you had a garden and you have tonz of tomatoes lying around then I am so jealous of you. 
I wish I did, I love tomatoes. 
This is an easy recipe for fresh salsa.  I have some recipes I want to post later that this goes really well with but we also just eat it sometimes with chips. 
I really wish someone could send some garden tomatoes to me!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

 {Photos updated 4/6/2013}

I can safely say that cookies are a big weakness of mine.  I keep posting about them, I can't stop making them, isn't it obvious?  I have tried A LOT of chocolate chip cookie recipes.  Why?  Probably because I am some kind of freak.  I have a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes that I like, but this one is my favorite.  I found it about 3 years ago and ever since, it's been very reliable.  It seems like everywhere we have lived, humid or not, these cookies turn out just how I want them every time. (Unless I do something ridiculous, like forget part of the recipe.)  If you like your cookies soft on the inside with a bit of texture on the outside, you might like these cookies as much as I do, if that's even possible.

Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

One of our favorite morning breakfasts is pancakes with buttermilk syrup.  Both recipes call for buttermilk but that's not something I usually have on hand.  I have substituted sour milk (1 T vinegar or lemon juice and add milk to 1 cup) and both recipes do well with the substitution.  I usually add a little water to my batter because I don't like really thick pancakes, but that's just a personal preference.

Dinner Rolls

This is my favorite roll recipe.  I had to quit making them for a while because I just eat too many when they are done.  Well, I have to try one before I serve them to anyone else, right?  And then I have to have a couple with dinner and before you know it, I am being rolled out of the dinning room.  I really should just call it the table area, dinning room is a stretch.

Spaghetti

Spaghetti is always a big hit at our house.  It's one of my comfort foods and I think I have forced everyone else to love it, like it or not.  I used to buy 3 different kinds of tomatoes and would make sure I simmered the sauce for at least an hour.  While it was good, I realized I didn't have to spend all that extra time or money.