Salisbury Steak

I am overhauling a TV Dinner classic with Rachael Ray's help:-)

So, I am including this in my menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. Here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! This week, they have ground meat on sale for $1.99 lb. (normally $2.93/lb.). I grabbed a bunch to make my featured recipe today:

Salisbury Steak
Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce, plus 2 tablespoons for sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup saltine crumbs
3 Tbs grated onion and juice grate directly over meat
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp ground or rubbed sage, half a palmful
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 cups beef stock

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Put the meat in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire, the egg, cracker crumbs, grated onion, salt and pepper, to taste. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix meat to combine and form into 4 oval shaped loaves, no more than 1 1/2 inches thick and arrange them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and bake for 20 minutes.
3. While meat is in oven, in a medium skillet over medium heat add the butter and melt, then add the onions and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for 15 minutes, then add the garlic and sage and cook for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute, then whisk in the stock, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire and season liberally with black pepper, to taste. Cook for 1 minute to thicken the sauce.

4. Serve the steaks, on individual plates, whole or sliced with gravy on top.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (10.6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 627.69
Calories From Fat (52%) 326.18
% Daily Value
Total Fat 35.79g 55%
Saturated Fat 13.56g 68%
Cholesterol 149.32mg 50%
Sodium 865.03mg 36%
Potassium 812.04mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 46.98g 16%
Fiber 2.77g 11%
Sugar 4.89g
Protein 29.44g 59%

Recipe Type
Beef, Main Course, Simple Supper

Source
Author: Rachael Ray
Source: The Food Netwrok
Web Page: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/salisbury-steak-with-mashed-potatoes-and-parsnips-and-cress-recipe/index.html

Recipe Cost: $5.52 (on sale $4.58)
Serving Cost: $1.38 (on sale $1.15)



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Weeks Like These?

Mother never said that there would be weeks like these:-( Check this out:

Monday: Recovery from the Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee Challenge was topped off by having to wait a third week for my daughter's glasses to be done. No offer at all to compensate us for their inferior product or their mistake for putting in the wrong prescription. Frustrating.

Tuesday: A trip to Urgent Care. Did you know that antibiotics and/or virsus can render you temporarily lactose intolerant? Me neither.

Wednesday and Thursday: A break from the maddness. However, we were still struggling to get money refunded on car repairs. Again, another world-wide corporation who are not standing behind their products.

Friday: All hell breaks loose. My youngest falls over in her chair at school at the exact same time my oldest loses her brakes in her car. Youngest is fine and so is the oldest's car but what a nightmare!!

Saturday: Singing and tummy aches. My youngest sang the National Anthem for the Milwaukee Wave game. It was awesome to see her on the field with her choir however, we were not able to stay for the game because her stomache hurt so bad we had to take her home.

Sunday: Party, fever and puking. We went to my inlaws to celebrate February birthdays. That went well but the evening ended in my youngest fever and vomitting. Nice way to stay up all night.

Monday: No school and doctor. My youngest is fine. Just a bug going around. Nightmare!

Today: Nothing to do? I had planned to attend a PTO meeting and/or take my mom to BINGO however, snow and ice have derailed all those plans. So, I am sitting here now wondering what other thing on my To Do List I can get done. Perhaps after the week I have had, a nap is on the top of that list?

This was definitely NOT a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Chicken Breasts Filled with Onion Jam

Savory stuff chicken breast...what could be better?

So, I am including this in my menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. Here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! This week, they have chicken breast on sale for $2.49 lb. (normally $4.79/lb.). I grabbed a bunch to make my featured recipe today:

Chicken Breasts Filled with Onion Jam
Ingredients:
3 Spanish onions
2 tbs sugar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 spray cooking spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken-breast
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 3/4 cups low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 spray cooking spray

Directions:
1. Cut onions in half lengthwise; peel. Cut off ends; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick pieces.

2. Coat a 13-inch skillet with cooking spray, and set over medium heat. Add onions, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 15 minutes.

3. Add sugar; re-cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are deep golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; stir with a wooden spoon to dislodge any brown bits.

4. Cover, and cook until dark brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and another 1/4 cup water. Continue cooking until liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container up to 1 week.

5. Place each piece of chicken between two 12-inch squares of plastic wrap. Using a meat pounder, pound to a 1/4-inch thickness.

6. Spread 1/4 cup onion jam over each breast, and fold breast in half. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

7. Coat a saute pan with cooking spray, and set over medium-high heat. Place chicken in pan; cook until golden on bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn, and cook until the other side is golden, about 3 minutes.

8. Add wine, and cook 1 minute. Add stock; reduce heat to medium. Cover; cook until chicken has cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (16.7 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 354.19
Calories From Fat (10%) 33.89
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3.85g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 131.54mg 44%
Sodium 183.4mg 8%
Potassium 836.86mg 24%
Total Carbohydrates 17.8g 6%
Fiber 1.28g 5%
Sugar 10.23g
Protein 55.34g 111%

Recipe Type
Chicken, Main Course

Source
Author: Martha Stewart
Web Page: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chicken-breasts-filled-with-onion-jam

Recipe Cost: $11.87 (on sale $7.27)
Serving Cost: $2.97 (on sale $1.82)



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Have You Started Sowing?

With all my baking these last couple months, I haven't even started thinking about my outdoor garden!! Yikes!!! I had better get going!

Pro Cupcake Clash Winners

This is what I am up against people!!

That's all cake and gum paste people! Erin and Melissa are amazing and definitely deserved the win:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Pro/Am Cupcake Clash!

Oh my gosh you guys!! This challenge was Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee on crack!!! 2000 people came through the doors this Sunday to sample the best that Milwaukee has to offer in "Perfect Pair" cupcakes. I mean, look at this crowd!!!



Of course, I was there with my submission: Titanic Cupcakes:

When I first heard the theme of Perfect Pairs, this idea of doing the love story from the movie hit me like a ton of bricks. I wasn't going to do the challenge. After all, it was 500 cupcakes. That's a lot of work. But, when I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about telling the story in cupcakes on a 6-foot boat display, I knew I had to do it. So Sunday was my exorcism of this idea.

The story of Jack and Rose was the center of my theme. Jack was represented in Cracker Jack Cupcakes:

These were peanut butter cheesecake on a popcorn crust with caramel topping and garnished with a single piece of popcorn.

And Rose was Heart of the Ocean Cupcakes:

They were blue velvet cupcakes with sea foam frosting.

I didn't win but, I did get to meet Duff Goldman from Ace of Cakes:

A HUGE thank-you going out to Sandy Ploy who put this enormous event! This is definitely one to remember:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Menu Planning

Busy weekend nets no new recipe this week but, I am menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. Here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! This week, they have ground beef on sale for $1.99 lb. (normally $2.79/lb.). I grabbed a bunch to include in my menu plan this week:-)

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Congrats Packers!!

It really sneaked up on me this year and before I knew it, my favorite team not only played in the Super Bowl this year but they won too!! Way to go guys! Way to bring that trophy home where it belongs!!!

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Birthday Bowling Cake

This weekend, I tackled a birthday cake for my youngest. Her party was at a bowling alley so of course, I had to attempt a bowling ball and pin cakes.


These were my first carved cakes so, they are very rough. If I was doing these for a paying customer, I would have redone them. But, the kids didn't mind the horrible work:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Bake

Classic chicken and cheesy bake for a cold winter's night:-) It's a little more expensive but if you get the stuffing and the cheese on sale, it is much more affordable:-)

So, I am including this in my menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie. Here is my menu this week:



Also, $5 Dinners inspires us all to make low cost dinners. In that spirit, I am taking what Pick N Save has on sale, pairing it with coupons and coming up with the tastiest money saving around! This week, they have chicken breast on sale for $1.96 lb. (normally $4.79/lb.). I grabbed a bunch to make my featured recipe today:

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Bake
Ingredients:
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2- chunks

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside.

2. Combine remaining ingredients; spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with stuffing.

3. Bake 40 min. or until chicken is done.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (8 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 311.36
Calories From Fat (21%) 64.29
% Daily Value
Total Fat 7.21g 11%
Saturated Fat 2.64g 13%
Cholesterol 76.79mg 26%
Sodium 988.33mg 41%
Potassium 466.82mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 27.29g 9%
Fiber 1.69g 7%
Sugar 3.51g
Protein 32.6g 65%

Recipe Type
Chicken, Main Course, Simple Supper

Source
Author: Kraft Foods
Recipe Cost: $14.76 (on sale $10.51)
Serving Cost: $2.46(on sale $1.75)



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Holy Blizzard Batman!!

That's from inside my garage!! You can't even tell that fence hold pots of beautiful flowers in the summer. Where are they?!!!

Thank Goodness the Snow...

...didn't get Crazy Hair Day:-)

Playing along with Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

There is nothing wrong with that title:-)

It is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !