Everyday Mom's Meals
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Saturday, July 21, 2012

Weekend Company {Guest Blogger Alison}

Welcome to the weekend! Was the week good to you? Ours was yet another busy one, but good. In fact, we even fit in a day trip on Friday. We went with Adam's aunt and uncle to Chicago and took a tour of Wrigley Field, ate at the Hard Rock Cafe and shopped on Michigan Avenue til we dropped! It was an early birthday celebration for someone very special! We have some celebrating to do because today is an extra fun day in our house. A BIG Happy Birthday from my heart to my favorite guy in the world...Mr. Everyday!! That's right Adam turns 38 today and we're going to try to make it a GREAT day for him! You know, growing up I always knew there would be dates in my life that would hold significance, but little did I know that one of the most important dates, actually came 7 years before I was even on this earth. Because I give thanks that on 07-21-74 God created my soul mate, the love of my life, and his birthday is one of my favorite days because the day I met him, 23 years later, is the day my life began. So, Happy Birthday to my husband and best friend! I love you more now than the first time you said those 3 words to me, and there is nobody else I can imagine sharing my life with!

Today's guest is a fellow blogger whom I met through Facebook. I'm excited to have her with us today, so grab a cup of coffee and join us. Please welcome Alison from Under the Big Oak Tree...

Hello, Everyday Mom's Meals readers!  I'm so happy to be posting here today!  Thanks so much, Krista for allowing me to be your guest here today!


My name is Alison.  I'm a former city-girl now enjoying life in the country as a stay at home mom.  Our small family consists of me (of course), my husband, our 3 year old daughter Grace, and our spoiled dog Remmy. After becoming a single-income family, we've had to alter our spending habits.  While I'm not an extreme coupon-er, we do shop sales, enjoy low-cost (or even free) family activities, and prepare frugal and healthy meals through out the week.  I also enjoy sharing recipes, tips, family stories, and even my weight loss struggles on my blog, Under the Big Oak Tree!



Since the birth of our daughter, we rarely go out to eat.  It's just easier, cheaper, and most times, healthier to eat at home.  But, that can start to get a bit boring if I'm not careful.  So, I like to try new recipes here and there to help switch things up a bit.  I don't get too fancy though, since I don't want the meal to get too pricey.

I like to use a lot of fresh vegetables when I cook and try to use ingredients that are currently in-season, this helps keep our grocery bill low.

Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite vegetable dishes.  It's relatively new to our family, but was a hit right away (with the adults anyway)!  In fact, I'm planning on preparing it again this weekend!  The recipe below is for a large single portion or 2 smaller portions and can be served over rice or noodles or even on it's own!



Vegetable Stir Fry


Ingredients:
  • 1Tbs. Olive Oil
  • 1/4 head cabbage, sliced
  • 1/2 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 large onion
  • few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tbs. La Choy Original Stir Fry Sauce
  • 85grams frozen broccoli*
  • 2-4 Tbs. water
Directions: 
  • In a hot pan or wok, heat oil.  
  • Add cabbage, carrots and onion.  
  • Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring often. 
  • Stir in a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes.  (more or less depending on if you like some heat added to your stir fry)
  • When vegetables are just about tender, add stir fry sauce. Stir to combine. 
  • Add broccoli and water, stirring to scrape browned bits from bottom/sides of wok.  
  • Cook until broccoli is heated through.  
  • Serve over cooked rice or noodles for a heartier meal, or serve alone as a low-calorie meal.  
Notes:  
  • Since I'm counting calories, I weighed the broccoli before adding it to my stir fry.  The bag stated that one serving of broccoli was 4 florets (85 grams) but the size of the florets in the bag varied, so I weighed it to be more accurate.  If you're not counting calories, just add as much as you want.  
  • The first time I made this, I ate the entire pan full as a single serving!  I was really hungry!!!  This works well as 2 smaller portions, especially if serving over rice or noodles.    
  • I liked keeping the cabbage in longer slices rather than chopping.  Since I wasn't planning on serving over rice or noodles, the slices of cabbage made me feel like I was eating noodles.  
  • When I made this a second time, I added some peas that were leftover from a previous meal.  About a 1/4 cup (34 additional calories).  Yum!  
  • Be sure to add calories if serving over rice or noodles or adding additional vegetables.  
  • If you don't think an all-vegetable dinner would go over well with you or your family, check out my recipe for Cabbage Chicken Stir Fry.  

Total calories:  326* 
Calories if divided into 2 servings:  163*


There you go!  A healthy, low-calorie and low-cost meal that is quick and easy, too!  I hope you'll try it and enjoy it as much as we do!  I also hope you'll stop by and visit me over at Under the Big Oak Tree!









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Menu Plan July 22- 28

* New Recipe
Links to Recipes on Blog

Sunday
We are celebrating Adam's bday w/ his family. I'm taking a new salad:
Asparagus Salad*

Monday
Grilled Steak
Twice Baked Potato Casserole*
Fresh Pineapple

Tuesday
Ham and Cheese Sliders*
Mac n Cheese
Baked Beans

Wednesday
Soft Beef Tacos
Chips n Salsa
Fiesta Rice

Thursday
I'm having dinner w/ a friend.
The boys will have leftovers

Friday
Goulash
Garlic Bread

Saturday
We're going to Swiss Days- a local festival :)



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Friday, July 20, 2012

Soup Okay For Summer

I will be the first to admit soups are not a prevalent item on our dinner table during the dog days of summer. I think most of us would agree that when it's 100+ degrees outside, about the last thing we want to dig into at the end of a long day is a big bowl of hot and steamy soup. This being said though, if I find a soup recipe that makes my mouth water I'm not waiting for the temperature to drop to try it out. That was the case when I found this on Pinterest. The moment I saw it I knew it had to be a copy cat, or close to it, of the soup we love at our favorite sushi restaurant. We never enjoy our favorite maki roll without the house salad and "clear soup". In fact, back in February when Alex was incredibly sick with bronchitis and strep throat, their soup was the only thing he requested to eat!! (And I can't say I blame him, b/c the next week when he had shared his germs with me, I too asked "Daddy" to bring some home! So warm and cozy when you're not feeling well.)  Made with a broth of veggies and some flavorings, this soup is incredibly simple, but bursting with flavor. Not to mention the addition of mushrooms, which we love! I'm so glad I "broke" my own rule about soups in the summer so we could try this one because it is now something I can make at home any time we want it! After all, rules were meant to be broken! Especially when delicious food is involved!

Clear Soup Adapted From Carries Cooking and Recipes
5 ribs celery, chopped into large chunks
1 small onion, chopped into large chunks
2 carrots, chopped into large chunks
2 TBS fresh ginger, peeled and chopped in large chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBS chicken bouillon granules
3 TBS beef bouillon granules
1 lb. thinly sliced mushrooms
8 c. water
1/2 c. green onions, finely chopped

In a large pot or dutch oven combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes. If too much water evaporates, add more and continue to simmer. After it's cooking for at least 45 minutes strain the cooked soup and discard all of the vegetables, leaving the broth. In individual serving bowls, place 1/4 c. sliced mushrooms. Gently ladle hot broth over top. Sprinkle with chopped green onions.
*NOTE* To easily peel fresh ginger, use the side of a small teaspoon. Gently rub outer layer with spoon and it will peel. Place leftover ginger root in freezer to store. It will keep for a long time.


Shared on The Country Cook July 21, 2012
Shared on Make Ahead Meals July 22, 2012 
Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen July 23, 2012 
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box July 24, 2012

Soup at Very Good Recipes
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For Your Next Project

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After school chore chart
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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Virtual Summer Barbecue With PCC

PCC you ask? Why I'm talking about Philadelphia Cooking Cream! Ya'll know how much I love these cooking creams, and if you recall, I've used different varieties in a number of recipes. So you can imagine my excitement when my dear foodie friend Brandie aka The Country Cook asked me to team up with her, Kraft and some other terrific bloggers for a Virtual Summer Barbecue using Philadelphia Cooking Cream!



To me summer time has it's very own menu of foods that can taste good year round, but taste OH SO MUCH better in the warmth of the summer sun. From grilled classics, to cool desserts to cool you down, we wait all year to enjoy some of our favorites during the summer months. And for our family one of these foods is the classic BLT sandwich. Why? Well, first off, we love bacon. That would be reason enough alone. But also because they are simple and quick for a busy summer night (don't we all get busier in the summer time?) and they are also fairly light, yet still satisfying, on those extremely hot nights when you do not want to cook! Plus, what tastes better than a BLT with fresh tomatoes and lettuce picked straight from your summer garden?

But we're having a barbecue folks, and I needed to take our favorite summer sandwich and make it party/backyard barbecue friendly. Well, first off, they need to be some what bite sized because when I'm entertaining outside, I love for my guests to be able to eat with their fingers! Plus, while the BLT is an All-American Classic, that doesn't mean I can't jazz it up a little for a party and give it a fun twist and new look using Philadelphia Cooking Cream!

For us, the perfect BLT consists of a few essential ingredients~ bacon, lettuce, tomato, (of course), mayo, and crispy toasted bread. Taking these as a starting point, I've come up with something super fun and easy for your next backyard barbecue!  I left the bacon and tomato alone, but instead of mayo, that's where the Cooking Cream came in! And instead of leaf lettuce, how about serving the creamy mixture in an endive cup? And finally, so I still get the crunch of some toast, a little sprinkling of toasted crouton on top! Super cute, right??!!

A big platter of these would be a huge hit next to all those other summer favorites! And your guests will love how unique and fun they are!

Now here is the BEST part of this Virtual Barbecue. You have a chance to vote for your Everyday Mom! Alongside some other amazing bloggers, I am trying to win this recipe contest for a cash prize and year's supply of Philadelphia Cooking Cream!! To vote, *Please leave a comment on this post*. Each comment counts as one vote and the blog with the most comments wins!! And I really want to!! Voting only lasts 24 hours, so don't wait! Thanks so much!!! (VOTING IS CLOSED)

Creamy BLT Cups Makes Approx 20 cups
1 tub Philadelphia Cooking Cream- Savory Garlic
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (2.1oz / 15 slices) package pre-cooked bacon
2 heads Belgian endive
1 c. croutons, crushed
Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut ends off each head of endive and separate leaves. Trim any tough ends. Wipe gently with damp paper towel to remove excess dirt. Lay on kitchen towel to air dry. In a medium skillet, cook bacon in batches until crisp. Drain on paper towels and chop. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, chopped bacon, cooking cream, salt and pepper. Mix well. Spoon about 2 TBS of tomato mixture into each endive leave. (Some leaves will be smaller, so adjust amount) Sprinkle each "cup" with crushed croutons. Chill until serving, at least 1 hour.


Shared on The Country Cook July 21, 2012
Shared on Make Ahead Meals July 22, 2012 
Shared on Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen July 23, 2012


Please visit these other blogs who are barbecuing with me, and see what yummy things they are cooking up:







Disclaimer: I received free Philadelphia Cooking Cream to participate. This is not a paid post. All thoughts and opinions are mine.


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