Chicken Cacciatore

I try to make this often because it is very tasty and my hubby really likes it. I am still hoping that Son #1 and #2 will grow out of their aversion to dishes that have "red sauce" in them. Time will tell. It just leaves more for my hubby and I!

Chicken Cacciatore

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. basil

1 medium onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 28 ox. can crushed tomatoes in puree

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. basil

Parmesan cheese

Wide egg noodles , cooked and drained

Season chicken with 1 tsp. basil. Saute chicken in oil until no longer pink in center. Remove and saute onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic in same skillet until onion is transparent. Add chicken to vegetables and add all remaining ingredients except cheese and noodles. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over noodles and top with cheese.

This is also great when you serve it over hot cooked rice in place of the noodles. Just depends on your mood.
I am linking this recipe to the Grocery Cart Challenge's Recipe swap. I always love finding new recipes to serve my family. Don't you?

Stroganoff

My mother-in-law is one of those cooks who cook by feel. "A few shakes here, a little bit of that . . " Those terms pepper their cooking instructions. Bear with those in this recipe. It is truly a homey, comfort food type of dish. Perfect for a cold winter evening. It makes my honey very happy when he gets to eat his mom's recipes. This one is one of my favorites as well.

Stroganoff

1 pkg. Trimmed Stew meat

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Few Shakes Worcestershire sauce

Quite a few shakes Kikoman Terriyaki sauce

small container sour cream

1 Bag of Wide egg noodles

Coat meat with flour and brown in butter in large sauce pan. Add enough water to cover meat. Add all ingredients except sour cream and noodles. Simmer on top of stove with top slightly ajar for 3 hours. Add water if meat is not always covered. Keep at low boil. Strain liquid into smaller sauce pan and add sour cream and some flour. Keep on stirring. If sauce has any lumps in it, strain into meat. Otherwise just pour sauce over meat. In meantime, cook the noodles. Serve noodles under meat with sauce.

The Grocery Cart Challenge hosts a recipe swap every Friday here. Check out all the yummy eats !

Lemon Pepper Shrimp

My third son LOVES shrimp. For his birthday dinner this week, he requested this simple easy dinner that he could eat every night. As a side note- I "created" this recipe so all measurements are to your taste.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp

1 pkg cooked shrimp- we use the small size, not the cocktail size, but the next size up.

1/2 stick of butter, divided

Olive oil

2 Lemons- zested and juiced

Lemon pepper to taste

Kosher Salt

1-2 cloves garlic minced

Angel Hair pasta, cooked and drained

In a large skillet heat the Olive oil- I usually dump in 2 TBSP or so. Throw in butter and melt. Toss in shrimp, garlic, lemon juice and zest, salt and lemon pepper. Since the shrimp is already cooked, all you are doing is heating the sauce and the shrimp up. When it is bubbly and looks hot, toss with pasta and serve.

Head on over to the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for other recipes

Frozen Creamed Corn

The past 8 months have really flown by. This little fella has changed so much! We are so blessed to have this sweet boy in our family.
When we brought home Baby boy#4 home from the hospital, our amazing church family showered their love on us with meals and visits. A very dear lady brought us this recipe, and I have been waiting for the super sweet summer corn to be on sale to stock my freezer. This was so delicious. My tummy is growling as I sit here and think about it!

Frozen Creamed Corn

22 cups of corn

2 cups 1/2+1/2

1 1/2 cups butter

Bake for one hour, covered at 350°. Stir frequently (every 15 minutes).

These were the notes that she wrote on the back of the recipe card: I get about four batches from 150 ears of corn. We use an electric knife. I put 2 1/2 cups in bag to serve our family of 5. Once bagged, lay flat on cookie sheets and stack in freezer. After frozen flat, they will take up less room and stack well in a shoe box in freezer. We like to husk corn first (keep covered in bags), then cut off the cob and start baking. I use big roasters to cook. It keeps frozen for well over a year.

For more recipes check out the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Red Potatoes and Green Bean Foil Packets

My latest thing is cooking with foil. It really has some great advantages. The best advantage is the clean up. You just throw the used foil away! This is a recipe that I threw together to go with my Lemon Pepper Tilapia foil packet.

Red Potatoes and Green Bean Foil Packet

Slice red potatoes and green beans into small bite sized pieces. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, pepper and chopped fresh rosemary. Dot with butter. Place on the center of two large pieces of foil. Wrap up into a packet. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Go check out more wonderful recipes at Grocery Cart Challenge here.

Kettle Corn and an outdoor movie!

Every summer, our town hosts outdoor movie events. I have not been able to make it to one in all the years that we have lived here, but this year is the year. It is free and sounds very fun- you bring your lawn chairs and your own refreshments (they have some for sale, of course) and enjoy the evening. Tonight, weather permitting, we will hopefully be able to go see Kung Fu Panda. If we go I will be bringing this yummy and very easy treat along to much on.

Kettle Corn

3 Tbsp. oil (we use canola)

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

3 Tbsp sugar

Salt to taste

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven type of pan, over medium heat. Place one kernel in the oil. Wait until it pops before you pour in the rest of the kernels. Once you pour in the kernels, sprinkle the sugar over the top . Put your lid on, and shake while still keeping the pan on the stove, back and forth until the popping sounds have stopped (about 3 minutes or so). You must keep the kernels moving or the sugar will burn! When all popping has ceased remove the lid and pour into a large bowl to cool, sprinkle lightly with salt. Enjoy!

This recipe makes enough for 5 eaters- but we quickly ran out and had to make a second batch- it is that good! You do get a very good arm work out with all the shaking, but I can not stress how important that part is!

Check out Gayle at Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap for great recipes and awesome frugal tips.