Beans and Rice

I have this cook book that I love, it is called Feeding the Kids its a Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family.
This recipe falls under the "smart" meals. Smart or not it is delicious! 

Here is what you will need:

3 cups brown rice (leftover or make instant)
1 16oz jar salsa (mild,medium or hot- your choice)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup sour cream
1 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, diced

Mix rice, salsa, beans and corn together in large bowl.

Transfer to a microwavable dish with a lid.  Cover and heat about 6 minutes, or until hot.
Sprinkle with cheese and microwave 1-2 minutes more to melt the cheese. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and diced avocado!

Yum Yum. Definitely something I will make again, would be great for weekend lunch. Very Easy and Tasty!  :)

Mari's Turkey Burgers

I am not usually a turkey burger kind of girl. Even though they aren't the healthiest I am an angus beef burger kind of girl  :)
 However, when my friend Mari posted these Cheddar Pepper Turkey Burgers  I knew I had to try them! And the did NOT disappoint! They were SO good!

Here is what you will need:

3/4 cup chopped roasted red or yellow peppers (I used both and I found these @ Kroger)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( I had a block of cheddar so I shredded that)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic salt
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large egg
NOT PICTURED: 1 lb. 85/15 ground turkey
              1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey
Preheat the broiler to high(We will also be doing these on the grill when hubby gets it out). In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands.

Divide the mixture into 10 patties. Wrap the extra patties in plastic wrap and freeze them for later.
 Put the amount of patties you want on a sheet pan (one with a lip on the side) and broil for 10-12 minutes (or until they are browned and the internal temperature is at 165 degrees F).
Remove from the oven and cool.

I had mine with half of a avocodo, peppered. It was Mmm mmm Good  :)

Y'all try these out soon, I know you will love them too! And if you haven't been over to MARI NOT SO BLAND. What are you waiting on?? She has some great recipes to try out!

Homemade Granola

I have been looking for a good Granola recipe forever! I found this one on AllRecipes.com. I DO like this but I am still looking for an over the top recipe!

What you will need:

8 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp ground Cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325. Line two baking pans with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl.

Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan.

 Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat.

Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through.
Cool, then stir in the raisins or chocolate chips before storing in an airtight container.

Lunch 2-15-11

Sissy loved her lunch today! YAY! This box was almost empty when she came home.

Here is what she has from the top left:

Pirate Puff (like pirate booty)
Valentines Candy + 2 extra pieces for friends
Ham...Again
Carrots w/ ranch in the HK
Apples
She also took a bottle of water

And here is what this box looks like closed up

You can sometimes find these kind of boxes at the Disney store. They cost anywhere from $2-$6 and they are perfect for bentos!!  :)

Ham

I had an extra ham in freezer that I had bought on sale over the holidays. I am so glad I waited to cook it b/c yesterday was the perfect day for it. Not too hot or cold here in East TN. And the perfect Sunday Supper!
This recipe I got from a friend a few years ago and it's the main one I use.

What you will need:

Ham(this one is about 6lbs)
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp whole cloves
NOT PICTURED :  2 Tbsp pineapple juice
                                Pepper
Mix brown sugar, mustard, cloves and juice together in a small bowl. Rub on ham.
Pepper to your taste.

Wrap entire ham in foil. Place in pan with 2 inches water.

Bake at 350- 20 minutes per pound

YUM-O!!

Valentines Lunch

Big Daddy packed Sissys lunch today. We had Ham and rolls for dinner last night and she decided she wanted those in her lunch.

So she has from top left:

Dinner roll and Valentine marshmallow
Peanut Butter
Apples
Ham
Babybel cheese
She also had pink milk to go with this!

Menu Feb 14-20

We have A LOT going on this week as far as appointments and plans.
Looking forward to Valentines/Anniversary Dinner with Hubby! Together for 8 years and married for 5 :)

I am hoping to have some time here and there this week to do some extras, instead of doing one big cooking day.(I'm not ready for one of those right now!)

Here is what we are having this week:

Monday:
Breakfast Cookies
Bento
L.O.s

Tuesday:
Yogurt
Bento
Anniversary Dinner

Wednesday:
Banana w/ toast
Eat @ School
Mari's Turkey Burgers w/ Avocado and Baked BBQ chips

Thursday:
Cereal
Bento
Italian Chicken and Potatoes

Friday:
Muffins w/ fruit
Bento
Beans and Rice w/Chips and Avocado

Saturday:
Biscuits and Gravy w/ Sausage and Eggs
Tuna Cheese Burgers w/ raw veggies
Pork Chops and Veggies w/ Corn bread

Sunday:
Hashbrowns, Turkey Bacon, and Eggs
L.O.s
Lasagna w/ Greenbeans and Toast

Extras:

Homemade Granola
Homemade Bean Dip
Beef Jerky
Boiled Eggs
Pizza Cups (to put in freezer for lunches)
Stromboli ( put in freezer for quick meals)
Boil Whole Chicken (freeze for quick meals)