My Big Fatgeek Recipes!

Don’t those pics just make you want to run out a grocery shop?

So I took about 2-3 lbs small red potatoes and quartered them, then I put them in cold water while I did the rest of my prep. 

1 red bell pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped

1 orange bell pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped

about 1-2 cups frozen green beans, defrosted

1/2 a large onion chopped

1-2 tbsp minced garlic (I used the stuff in the jar this time)

2-3 tbsp olive oil

about 1 tbsp Italian herb blend

about 1-2 tsp salt

and a bunch of fresh ground black pepper (to your taste)

2-3 tomatoes cut into wedges

I put all my chopped veggies into a bowl with the olive oil and seasonings while the oven preheated (400°F). Lined my baking sheets with foil and popped them into the oven for 30-40 minutes. I just poked the potatoes with a fork to test for doneness. 

Though my family thinks veggies are evil (yes, even my Hubby) my missionaries just loved this. As did I.

I think next time I’d love it with some asparagus, bok choy cabbage, carrots and squash. I think I’m going t experiment allot more with oven roasted veggies. Its also a great side dish my best friend will love that just happens to be gluten free.

It is soooo hot here. I’m trying to save money like always and cook at home, but I’m also trying to not add extra heat to the interior of my house in the process. So looking around online I found a crockpot recipe for baked potatoes.

Unfortunately the directions say, “Wrap in foil” and  ”if you want a crispier skin, pop into the oven for 5 minutes”. My Hubby loves the skin on his potatoes to be crispy. And turning the oven on for 5 minutes defeats the purpose of “crockpot baked potatoes” so I’m thinking to myself the foil makes for a softer skin, keeps the moisture fm the potato next to the skins. Then I’m thinking if the potatoes are on the bottom of the crockpot without the foil the steam will collect on the lid (as it does in a crockpot) and it will drip down and the potatoes will be sitting in their own water (making for a soggy potato skin). The solution is still foil with the addition of a steam rack. I only had a small rack so I needed the foil too.

See the rack? And the ring of foil I used to keep the potatoes up off the bottom of the crock?

They are washed and poked (to release steam) set to high, cover with lid. Cook 4-5 hours.

Now we found “high” for 4 + hours to be a bit over done. Next time I’m going to try them on low and see how long it takes to cook through. But! The skins were crisp on the outside and everything was soft and delicious on the inside. We served this with a Rotisserie Chicken I made in the neat rotisserie gadget my MIL gave me, and with fresh sliced vine ripened tomatoes and quartered english cucumbers. 

Tonight I’m going to try making “roasted veggies” in the crockpot. Wish me luck!

So my best friend’s family has had to switch to a gluten free diet for health reasons. Gluten free meals planned on my calendar are for the nights I am expecting her and her children to come over for dinner.

Monday

Chicken and Veggie Pasta

Tuesday

Gluten free dinner: BBQ Lentils and Rice, mandarine oranges and corn

Wednesday

Banana Pancakes, no sugar added applesauce and Turkey Bacon

Thursday

Grocery shopping day: Gluten Free Nachos: Beans cooked in the crockpot, Corn Chips, shredded cheese, olives, tomatoes, sour cream, home made salsa, avocado etc.

Friday

Skillet Salmon, baked potato, green beans and biscuits

Saturday

mac and cheese, hotdogs, fruits and veggies are kids choice

Sunday

Soup! Very likely chicken and/or lentil served over rice

Quick Blender Salsa

Don’t those pics look SUPER YUMMY?!

So I had some boneless skinless chicken leftover from the missionaries fried chicken dinner. (I’m late posting this) And so I decided to use it up. I heated a bit of olive oil in a frying pan and when it was all cooked through and starting to brown I pulled it form the pan, added a bit more olive oil and then some diced onion and green pepper and a large carrot shredded.I let those cook until soft and added the cans of tomatoes. Then adding about a tablespoon of minced garlic and about a teaspoon of dried oregano. (At this point your whole house smells great!) I re-added the chicken and let it all simmer while I boil the water for the pasta. I used macaroni but you can use what you like. I love macaroni, rotini and seashell pastas. I cook the pasta about 8-10 minutes. I don’t like them over-done. Before draining the pasta I a a couple cooking spoons of pasta water. (they always say on the cook shows that it helps the sauce stick to the pasta. I think it gives the sauce a pretty look, lol)

Monday

Pot Pie made from my leftover chicken soup

Tuesday

Cheesy Rice and Broccoli

Wednesday

Pita experiments. Kids choice sides: fruits and veggies

Thursday

Pasta with chicken (experimental. we’ll see what happens) kids choice side: fruits and veggies

Friday

Mac and cheese with hotdogs kids choice sides: fruits and veggies

Saturday

Dinner at my Mother-in-laws

Sunday

Having the Missionaries over for dinner again.

Crockpot chili verde, home made tortillas, rice, back beans and salad

Monday

Skillet Salmon, mac and cheese and peaches

Tuesday

Breakfast for dinner

Pancakes or french toast (leftovers to go in the freezer for breakfasts), scrambled eggs and fruit

Wednesday

Spaghetti with meatball, home made french bread, salad, green beans, and applesauce

Thursday

Black bean enchilada and salad

Friday

I’m making Shepherd’s Pie and My BFF is bringing corned beef and cabbage cause our missionaries have two very different tastes, and while I will eat corned beef my family will not. I make shepherd’s pie with diced skillet chicken, gravy, corn or green beans and potatoes. My DH and children won’t eat it with tomato sauce, cheese or beef.

Saturday

Nachos;oven baked tortilla chips (considering making these myself), black beans, shredded cheese, olives, rotel tomatoes with chilies, shredded carrots and lettuce. Served with various hot sauces and sour cream

Sunday

Chicken Soup, home made bread and salad (we really crave salads now that spring is here)

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I used a recipe from “Tammy’s Recipes” Blog and we loved it!! Only change I made was adding half a bag of thawed frozen blueberries.

Home Made Bagels

To-Die-For Brownies!!!

Recipe from Jonnie McCoy’s “Misery +
Meals” Cookbook

6 eggs

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

 3 cups flour

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder

2 teaspoons salt

In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, butter, oil sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended.

Spread the batter evenly in a greased 9X13 pan

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do Not Over Bake!!

Note: the batter is very thick. VERY! If you have a stand mixer I would use it. If you have a hand mixer, don’t. It will burn it out!

So my BFF made a wonderful dish. It looks delicious. I hope you like it too!!

~Amanda

Festive Blueberry French Toast Casserole

1 1/2 hours / 20 min prep

3 slices of bread cut up into quarters
2 slices of bread (whole)
4 oz of cream cheese (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
1 can of blueberry pie filling
2 eggs
1 cup eggnog
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

optional

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of wheat germ
a dollop of  homemade whipped cream

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray or butter baking dish.

Arrange all the quarter pieces of bread in dish and top with blueberry filling add cubes of cream cheese on top.

Using cookie a cutter cut out some fun shapes with the 2 reaming slices of bread. Arrange cut out bread on top of blueberry / cream cheese.

Whisk together the eggs, eggnog, vanilla and spices. Pour mixture over bread, blueberries and cream cheese in dish.

Optional sprinkle wheat germ over casserole.

Cook at 350 degrees covered for 30 minutes then uncovered for another 25 to 30 min until center is firmed and lightly brown

Serve with warm with a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy

Chelle