Mama's Pizza Kitchen

Mmmm….  Can you smell that?  Welcome to Mama's Pizza Kitchen.   I wish the internet had smell-a-vision because this kitchen smells absolutely scrumptious!! 

It’s Saturday night, Pizza Night around here.  The flavorful aroma of cheesy pepperoni pizza just fills the air.  Everyone’s tummy is grumbling, and kids are repeatedly crying out, "Is it ready yet?"   A movie is ready to be played, the sodas are chilling in the fridge, and the obligatory salad has been made.

I say obligatory, because every good Mama should have fresh veggies prepped for the meal…  but we all know that when there’s fresh homemade pizza coming out of the oven, the salad might just go untouched.  Consider it great planning to have tomorrow’s salad already made!  Yeah, that’s right…  Act like you planned it that way!

Making the pizza dough isn’t very hard at all.  I haven’t purchased a premade pizza crust in years, because these are just so easy to make.  You can even freeze the dough if you parbake it for 10 minutes or so, cool it, then wrap it well. 

Don’t let all the steps in this tutorial scare you.  I really broke it down, so you could get a good look at the whole process.

If you don’t have a mixer, then mix it up by hand.  It will only take you a few minutes longer, and you can get an arm work out too!!!

As for the toppings, do what you like.  Anchovies, pineapple, ham, sliced tomatoes, cheddar cheese, taco meat, jalapenos…  the sky’s the limit here!

Are you ready to make some pie?   If the answer is yes, then gather the following ingredients:

Ingredient List

3-1/2 Cups flour

2 teaspoons yeast or 1 packet yeast

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

STEP #1:  Dissolve the yeast in warm water

 Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of WARM water.

You can do this in a cup or in your mixing bowl.

If you dissolve the yeast in warm water in a cup,

transfer it to your mixing bowl when you are done.

You can see that the yeast it completely dissolved.  It's even a bit bubbly after mixing and sitting for a bit.

STEP 2: Add the rest of the ingredients

Add 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons olive oil to the bowl.

We're ready to start mixing now....

READY

SET

GO!!!!!

STEP 3: Mix the dough (Make a mess)

On medium speed, mix until the dough is pulling from the side of the bowl.

Did you read that little post script on the photo?  It says, "P.S.  You are going to make a mess.  It's okay."

And if you're doing this by hand in a large bowl, you can read that out loud twice.  And smile while you're doing it.

Don't forget...  the kids can clean this up.  What did we have them for anyway???

STEP 4:  Add flour and knead your dough

Mix that dough up, then when you see it pulling away from the side of the bowl, it's time to start adding flour.

Add 1/2 cup of flour, then mix.  Then start adding flour 1/4 cup at a time until a ball forms.  When you have a nice ball that isn't sticky, STOP adding flour. 

Kneed your dough in your mixer for 2 minutes. Your dough should be soft like Play Dough.  Don't make it stiff.

If you're not using a stand mixer, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get a work out!  Knead your dough by hand for 5 minutes.

STEP 5: Roll the dough into a ball

When you are done kneading your dough in the mixer or in a bowl, take it out and form a large ball.

Pretty, isn't it?  

STEP 6: Grease your bowl

It's just about time to put our little dough ball down for a nap, but first we need to give the bowl a quick spray with non-stick cooking spray.  You can oil it with some olive oil instead if you like.  Just make sure the bowl has been greased so the dough doesn't stick.

STEP 7: Put the dough in a greased bowl and cover

Put the dough ball in the bowl and say goodnight!

Cover your dough with plastic wrap or a plate.  The goal is to keep the air out.  We want our dough to stay slightly warm and we don't want air to dry it out.

STEP 8: 
Oops....  looks like miscounted my photos!!!  Go on to #9.  Don't tell anyone that I'm not perfect.

STEP 9: Get the dough out of the bowl

After about an hour,  your dough should be much larger, smooth, and puffy looking.  It smells good too!

Take it out of the bowl and place it on a floured surface.  I use a roulpat, which is a flexible rolling mat.  That keeps my counter clean.

You can leave your dough ball all intact so a large pizza can be made, or you can cut it into smaller chunks of dough. 

As you can see, we are having individual personal pizzas tonight!

STEP 10: Sprinkle cornmeal in a pan

Whether you are using a pizza stone or a cookie sheet, if you sprinkle some cornmeal on the pan, your pizza won't stick.  The dough sort of rides on top of the cornmeal. 

Don't forget to do this part!

STEP 11: Roll it out

Roll out the dough on your floured surface and transfer to your pan!

The traditional way to prepare pizza dough is to pat it out, and the fun way to do it is to throw it up in the air... but I like to roll it. 

I've tried throwing it, but ended up tossing it to the floor.  The 10-second rule does not apply to dough landing on the floor.  You pretty much have to chunk it and call Dominos.

STEP 12:  Add your toppings!

This is where the real creativity begins.  We have pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, freshly sauteed mushrooms, cooked sausage, green bell pepper, freshly grated parmesan cheese, sliced onions, sliced olives.

Put your favorites on your pizza.  Go crazy! 

 Load it up and try new stuff.  Be wild and have fun!

STEP 13:  Bake and serve!

That's it!  Although I broke it into a lot of tiny steps, it really is super easy and you'll never want a store-bought pizza again.  Have a blast making pizza memories with your family!

Peace to you all,

The Menu Maker Mom

Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time

The Yummiest Fish EVER!

Summertime, sweet summertime!  We just love summertime in South Texas.  A few of the BEST things about living down south near the Gulf of Mexico are the beach, the fishing, and the seafood.  Having friends who own a boat and lodge is always a benefit too!   

On a recent vacation to the gulf coast, we were lucky enough to be invited to the Horn, Fin, and Feather Lodge, operated by the parents of some dear friends of ours, and part of the El Sauz Ranch, which is located near Port Mansfield, a cute fishing spot.  On the first evening of our visit, we drove to a bay-area waterway where we fished off the bank.  Holy Moly!!!   The kids would cast their line and within MINUTES there would be a huge tug! 

Here I am reeling in something...  I'm sure it was an alligator gar.  We caught lots of those prehistoric-looking fish that have a head like an alligator.  They are really ugly, and have a face that only an alligator gar Mama would love!! 

We caught a channel cat or two... 

We also caught several BEAUTIFUL redfish, one that was somewhat of a prize.  Little did I know that lots of spots on a fish are a prize to reel in.  And little did I know that a 32” redfish was a big fish to catch!  Beginner’s luck, I guess!  We all had so much fun that evening, we weighed and tagged “The Big One”, and the men filleted and bagged the fishy for the next day’s dinner.

And in true South Texas fashion, we made a new friend. 

YIKES!!!

NOW FOR THE YUMMIEST FISH EVER::::

Let me introduce you to Bob.  Here he is with his beautiful daughter and the 48" alligator gar they just rescued from the bay water.  Bob is a rancher, fisherman, farmer of “chuckers”  (that’s a story for later!), AND Bob’s a fireman.  (Firemen like to cook, or so I’ve heard.)  Bob had a recipe for cooking the redfish that did not disappoint us at all.  So yummy!!!

Here’s what he did: 

Bob took the redfish and laid it skin down on heavy duty foil.  Using a sharp knife, he scored the fish all the way to the skin, but not through the skin, leaving it intact.  He smeared butter all over the fish, even down into the cuts he had just made.  Then he topped the fish with Pico de gallo with chopped avocado.  (Pico de gallo a mixture of tomato, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, with a shake of salt.  Bob added lots finely diced avocado to his pico.) Finally he took the foil with fish on top and put it on the grill over hot coals, cooking it until it was flaky and cooked through.

I’m not a true fan of redfish, but this stuff was over-the-top delicious.  Even my picky “I don’t like fish” teenager thought it was some good chow!

I can’t wait to visit El Sauz ranch again.  It was a piece of South Texas heaven. 

I also want to share this beautiful photo of a plant I found growing on the property.  I was told this is called a “Love Vine”.  I have to have one.  I'm going to start hunting for one today, so I can look at it and think of the day we reeled in the yummiest fish ever!

And finally, I leave you with these photos.  Sunsets and nights on the coast are just amazing.  Can't wait to experience this again!

Peace and Joy!

The Menu Maker Mom

Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time

Missie's Cake-In-A-Mug Recipe

Menu Maker Mom Twin, Missie, loves to cook.  She especially loves to make cakes-in-a-cup.  Cakes -in-a-cup are so great for kids with a sweet tooth (which ones don't have a sweet tooth 24 hours a day???), for college students, or for anyone who likes to have a bite of cake now and then without breaking out the cake pans.  You can also add your own flavors.  We love to add a packet of instant coffee, or a quarter teaspoon of rum extract, a few tablespoons of chocolate chips, some nuts, or even a couple tablespoons of mashed banana or raspberries.... Be creative!!!

Here are a couple of her FAVE recipes:

Chocolate Cake:
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 teaspoon chocolate pudding mix
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)
3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil (or applesauce)
1/2 tsp. vanilla 

1.  Greast a large coffee cup by using non-stick cooking spray or butter.
2.  Put the dry ingredients in a ceramic mug,  mixing well with a fork.
3.  Pour in the milk, vanilla and oil, and mix well.
4.  Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
5.  Add the chocolate chips (if using) and mix again.
6.  Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug and look like an erupting volcano, but don't freak out and turn the microwave off.  It's okay!!!
7.  Allow to cool a little, then EAT!   This is best eaten warm.

To make life easier for mom (and a whole lot cleaner!), make several packets of dry ingredients ahead of time.  Young cooks will have a few less items to throw around the kitchen!

NOTES: 
1. Don't forget to get the inside of your cup greasy with cooking spray or butter before you start!
2. Use a full-size cup!

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Here's a way to make a bunch of cake mix packets from boxed cake mix:

1 box cake mix, any flavor
1 box instant pudding mix in a complimentary flavor(3 1/2 ounce )

Place dry cake mix and pudding mix in a large mixing bowl and stir well to blend.
Measure out 1/2 cup portions and place each in a plastic sealable snack bag.

To cook:
1. spray inside of coffee cup with non-stick vegetable spray. 
2. Empty contents of cake mix bag into cup and add one egg, one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon water. 3. Mix well.
4. Microwave on high for 2 minutes at 1000 watts.

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Glaze for cakes-in-a-cup:

1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of one of the following:  powdered creamer (for vanilla cake, etc.), hot cocoa mix (for chocolate cake), Crystal Light flavor (for fruit flavor cake like orange and lemon), strawberry milk flavor (for strawberry or funfetti cake), etc.

Put the glaze mix into additional snack bags.

While cake is baking, place glaze mix into a small bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoons water.  Pour glaze over warm cake-in-a-cup and enjoy!


You can also use fudge topping, Carmel topping, marshmallows, or chocolate chips on top of cake before microwaving.

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By the way, cake mix and glaze mix packets tucked into mugs make GREAT gifts and party favors!  Just don't forget to include the directions!!

Menu-a-Menu Mixes

Mmmmm….. Can you smell it? It’s the smell of comfort and love. It’s supper bubbling in a skillet on the stove or a roast slow cooking in the oven, full of beefy oniony aroma. Growing up, my mother always seemed to make the most flavorful, scrumptious meals using a small set of spices, along with fresh items such as onion, garlic, green peppers. She still cooks with her basic set of flavors, and I’ve never once seen her pull a package of taco seasoning or onion soup mix out of the pantry.

I have such good memories of Mom’s cooking. I remember my friends saying my mom cooked the best, but I remember ungratefully wishing my mom would cook Hamburger Helper like my friend’s moms did!   I was so jealous of their boxed food!  Can you believe it??? We still laugh about that.

Mom still cooks with her spice list, making her cooking long and slow. Everyone knows that my mom still cooks the best!  Her grandchildren and their friends are absolutely spoiled on her specialty, old fashioned tex-mex cooking.

In my kitchen, on the other hand, I am always looking for a fast and healthy way to get the same result, but in less time. I love the idea of packaged seasonings, but hate the idea of strange unpronounceable ingredients and mega doses of salt and msg. I'm not sure what "natural flavorings" are, and I'm not sure about "artificial colors or flavors" either.  I want to do what my Mama did, only faster! My mixes taste “almost” like Mom’s, are as fast as a package mix, are void of most harmful chemicals, and while they do have salt, it is much less than in a typical package. Give them a try! 

Tip #1: I buy the large containers of minced dried onion, sea salt, and beef or chicken-flavored bouillon at a wholesale warehouse such as Costco’s or Sam’s. Buying tiny bottles would definitely add up quickly and destroy your budget!

Tip #2:  Don't throw out those small jars from pickles, picante sauce, etc.  They are perfect for storing your mixes!  You can almost see (sorry this is a photo taken with a Blackberry) that I am using a former olive jar, a small pickle jar, and a Smuckers ice cream topping jar.

Here are a few mixes to get you started.  Use them just like you would a store-bought packaged mix. 

Onion Soup Mix

¾ cup dried minced onion

1/3 cup beef-flavored instant bouillon

4 tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. celery seed, ground

¼ tsp. sugar
Mix all items together and store in a jar.  5 Tbsp = 1 package of onion soup mix

Shake-n-Bake
2 cups flour
2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. paprika
¼ c. vegetable oil
Stir up very well until the ingredients appear mixed and the vegetable oil is completely mixed in.  Store in a jar, indefinitely in the refrigerator.

Italian Dressing Mix
5 tsp. dried minced onion
5 Tbsp. dried parsley leaves
1-¼ tsp. ground dried oregano, ground
2-½ tsp. dried basil leaves, ground
1-¼ tsp. dried thyme, ground
1-¼ tsp. dried marjoram, ground
2-½ tsp. celery seeds, crushed
1-¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried mustard
1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of pepper
Mix everything well in a bowl. Store in a jar for up to 6 months in your pantry. Makes 5 recipes of Italian Dressing.
To make dressing: Mix 4 tablespoons of the mix with 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, and ¾ cup canola oil.

Chili Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup chili powder
2 Tbsp. paprika
3 Tbsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
2-1/2 tsp. black pepper
2-½ tsp. red pepper, crushed
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1-½ Tbsp. ground oregano
1-½ Tbsp. onion powder
1/3 cup flour
Mix very well and store in a jar in your pantry. Use 5-1/2 Tbsp. per chili recipe of 1.5 pounds of meat.

Taco Seasoning Mix
5 Tbsp. Chili powder
3 Tbsp. onion powder
2 Tbsp. salt
1-1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
1-1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1-1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 Tbsp. paprika
Store in a jar in your pantry. Use 5 tablespoons per taco recipe of 1 to 1-1.2 pounds of meat.. Makes 5 recipes.

Peace to you all!
The Menu Maker Mom
Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time

The Menu Maker Mom Blogs Again!!!

Welcome back to The Menu Maker Mom blog!  Actually, maybe I should be looking in the mirror when I say that, since I'm the one who'se been away for so long.  I couldn't believe how long it's been until I looked at the date of my last post.  Wow!  A year has gone by quickly!

To get this blog started again, I'm sharing my menu for August. With the busy schedule that is just starting up, it's time to pull out the slow cooker for a meal here and there.  If you're interested in the recipes, I'll be sharing some throughout the month, and I have something fun that I'll be sharing, so please check back often!!!

For daily tips and recipes, please visit my page on Facebook. You can find me at www.facebook.com/themenumakermom. Hope to see you there, and I'd love to find out what's on your menu.


1 – Mexican frijoles and Iron Skillet Cornbread, tomato and avocado salad
2 – Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, garden salad
3 – 7-Layer Bean Dip, tostadas (sewing party night!!)
4 – Take-out pizza
5 – Grilled T-Bone steaks, green salad with avocado dressing, grilled onions, steamed asparagus, smashed new potatoes, chocolate sheet cake and homemade vanilla ice cream!
6 – Cowboy Calzones (Pioneer Woman), green salad
7 – Cherry tomato and chicken pasta toss, garlic bread
8 – Bean chalupas
9 – Beef Bourguignon, steamed rice, steamed green beans
10 – Salmon patty sliders, buttery corn on the cob, Karen’s cole slaw
11 – Cast Iron Skillet Chicken, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots
12 – Lasagna, tossed salad, garlic toast, angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream
13 – Freezer surprise night!!
14 – Taco salad
15 – Omelets, biscuits, fruit salad
16 – Chicken spaghetti, roasted broccoli, garlic bread
17 – Hot Dog Bar!!
18 – MMM’s homemade pizza pie, salad, root beer floats
19 – Slow cooker swiss steak, butter-parsley noodles, steamed broccoli and carrots
20 – Freezer surprise night!!
21 – Picadillo, freshly made tortillas
22 – Oven fritatta, fruit salad, green salad, crescents
23 – Bacon-wrapped chicken thighs, pasta salad, relish tray, fresh melon
24 – Hamburgers, chips
25 – MMM’s deli!! (dried sausage, deli meats and cheeses, hoagie rolls… the works!!)
26 – Fried chicken, potato salad,
27 – {{BACK TO SCHOOL!!}} Steak manwiches, veggie dippers
28 – Slow cooker meatballs, spaghetti, green salad
29 – Migas, green salad, fresh fruit cups
30 – Kielbasa with onions, potatoes and green beans
31 – Subway sandwiches (Friday night football game!  Go Indians!!!)

Peace to you all!

The Menu Maker Mom
Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time!

"Houston, we have liftoff..."

My girls have done it!  They've become egg layers!  We waited and waited.  I fed them, talked to them, and hoped that one day they would start doing what chickens are made to do... LAY EGGS!

I think we'll be enjoying pound cake, frittatas, huevos rancheros, deviled eggs, and more in the coming weeks.  All I can say is, "YUMMM!!!"

Time to take control!!!!!

Hi y'all!!!   Have you ever gotten so crazy-busy that you feel like a little hamster running round and round, working feverishly but never seeing any progress?

That’s how I’ve been in my kitchen for the last two months…

So what happened, you might ask???  Well, high school started, and I feel like someone hit me over the head with my favorite big cast iron frying pan!  I walk around seeing stars all the time, wondering what the heck happened???!!!

Life with teenagers who love being involved in EVERYTHING has been a little hectic, to say the least...  We seem to go from activity to activity, from sun up to sun down!!   On top of working full time, my extra-curricular activities include driving kids to and from athletics, marching band, and FFA animal duties, FFA judging contest practices, and so on and so on....  Then there’s out of town volleyball games and Friday football games…. 

In case I didn’t have enough to do, I also became an officer in our Band Boosters club and was put in charge of a very busy concession stand, AND I signed up for a BOOT CAMP at my favorite gym!!!!  (www.nessasgym.com)

  

Thank goodness for Menu Maker Mom’s Make-a-Menu System, which has kept my family fed with yummy, budget friendly, healthy food!

This system is so easy, and anytime you make this Mama's job easy, it makes this Mama happy!  And everybody around here knows that  IF MAMA AIN’T HAPPY, AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY!!!

So without further adieu, I give you …..  {{{drumroll, please}}}

MY MENU  (for the next 2 weeks)

Oct. 3 - Monday -  Crockpot night - EASY Sirloin tips in savory brown gravy with roasted carrots and potatoes, pear crisp for dessert

Oct. 4 - Tuesday - Crockpot night - Spaghetti and homemade meatballs, salad, garlic bread sticks

Oct. 5 - Wednesday - Crockpot night - Mexican frijoles with cast iron skillet cornbread

Oct. 6 - Thursday  - Grilled chicken fajitas (thanks, HEB, for marinating these and pricing them at $1.00/lb. through Tuesday!), guacamole, and all the fixin's, tortillas (corn and flour), chopped salad

Oct. 7 - Friday - FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!! - Will be looking for some burgers in Natalia, Texas!

Oct. 8 - Saturday - Menu Maker Mama's Pizzaria!!!, soda and ice cream floats

Oct. 9 - Sunday - Annual FFA bbq fundraiser!  YUMMM!!!!

 
Oct. 10 - Monday - Herbed oven roasted chicken with gravy, steamed rice, sauteed green beans, angel fruit salad

Oct. 11 - Tuesday - Crockpot night - Mama's chicken and rice soup

Oct. 12 - Wednesday - Roasted pork loin with fresh sage and root vegetables, baked apples with raising and cinnamon

Oct. 13 - Thursday - SUPER EASY Southwest chicken, rice, and black bean tortilla wraps.  YUMMM!!!

Oct. 14 - Friday - VOLLEYBALL AND FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!! - Concession stand hot dogs!

Oct. 15 - Saturday - AREA BAND MARCHING COMPETITION! - Out to eat at a local steakhouse, Hermann Sons Steakhouse, with a fab reputation for good old fashioned yummy food!  

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Please drop me a line and let me know how your cookin' is coming along!

Love y'all!

Menu Maker Mom

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Can't believe our summer has gone from full-speed ahead to a skreeeeching HALT!  Of courses, this halt is on the eve of a school schedule that starts BEFORE school, and this new schedule is also FULL-SPEED AHEAD.  We just don't know "slow" around here!!!

This week we're keeping it simple.  I'll pick up the Menu Maker Mom pace next week!  Check back often!

MONDAY :: Pan-fried kielbasa with potatoes and onions, fresh spinach and romaine salad

TUESDAY :: EASY beef tips with mushroom gravy over steamed white rice with parsely, steamed green beans

WEDNESDAY :: Frijoles borrachos (drunk beans), cornbread, fresh salsa

THURSDAY :: Asian stir fry of chicken, broccoli, and carrots and whatever else we can find in the fridge!

FRIDAY :: Bean and cheese tacos on fresh tortillas

SATURDAY :: Shopping day!  After a long, hard day of shopping, we'll arrive home to a fresh crockpot of Taco Soup.  I don't care if it's 105 degrees outside...  We still love Taco Soup!!!

SUNDAY :: Finger-lickin', slow bar-b-que'd pork ribs with a huge garden salad and au gratin potatoes.  Will be so good it'll bring tears to our eyes!

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI - TEENAGE STYLE

   

8 ounces dry spaghetti
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 cups frozen vegetable mix, thawed (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot)
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
1-1/2 cup chicken broth (not pictured)
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, paprika

 1.  Before you start cooking, please wash your hands!!!  Turn on the oven and set to 350F.  Get out a casserole dish and butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

  

 2.  Boil spaghetti until al dente, drain, and place in the greased casserole dish.  Teenagers love to throw spaghetti at the wall to see if it's done.  If it sticks, it's done!  (Please ask the owners of the walls before throwing food!)

3.  While the spaghetti is boiling, saute the chicken breasts in 2 tbsp. olive oil  until completely cooked through.

  

4.  When the chicken is completely cooked,  turn off the heat and add the mushroom soup to the pan.  Add pepper and paprika to taste, about 1/2 tsp. of each.  Be careful when adding salt, as the soup and cheeses have plenty of sodium.

5.  Add the thawed vegetables to the casserole dish, along with 1 cup of cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  

 6.  Now it's time to add the chicken and sauce.  Mix it all together.  Don't eat it yet!

7.  Top the dish with  1/2 cup each of cheddar cheese and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  

Be careful not to add shredded knuckles or fingernails to the recipe!!!  Eeeewwww!! 

8.  Bake for about 30 minutes and get ready to dive in to the cheesy, gooey, yummy mess!

The Chicken Spaghetti Story

It was 10:45 in the morning.  My cell phone vibrated in my hand and I saw that one of my daughters was calling.  My motherly instinct said, “Worry”!  After all, my 14-year-old twin daughters and their best friend rode their bikes across town to feed and care for their FFA animal projects at the school’s agricultural barn.  It was a short ride, but one that took them across a small highway.  Well, as you know, we Mamas like to worry, and I’m an expert at it!

“What’s wrong?”, I abruptly answered.

“Mom do we have any chicken?”, asked Baby B

“Chicken?” I curiously replied.

“Yes, Mom.  We want to make chicken spaghetti, but don’t worry.  We’re going to ride our bikes to the grocery store to buy the other stuff.”

Let’s park here for a moment.   My kids were offering to shop and cook.  While my girls like to cook, they have never wanted to shop for the food, much less ride a bike to the store and spend their own money on said food.  Were my girls abducted by aliens while they were bike riding?  Were these industrious shopping and cooking teenagers really just extraterrestrial replacements? 

I granted permission, promised to thaw the chicken, and started a litany of worried mother’s advisories:  “Just be careful crossing the highway.  Use the crosswalk.  Don’t talk to strangers.   Remember, bad people don't always look weird.  Don’t ride against traffic.  Stop at the stop signs.  Call me when you get to the store.  And…”

“We’ll be fine, Mom.  Thanks!  See ya later!” Baby B sang to me.

By the time the shoppers arrived home, I discovered that they had decided to do some additional shopping by first taking a detour to a feed store to buy a $15.00 can of  fly spray.   Apparently the barn had flies of biblical proportions, and they needed the expensive stuff to get rid of the infestation.  After that, they rode their bikes to the grocery store and purchased all the ingredients for their lunch.  Before riding home, they went back to the ag barn to spray those pesky flies. 

Finally, about an hour after that phone call, they arrived home hot, thirsty, and hungry.  Amazingly, I was never asked to cook the casserole dish that they had planned.  (I just helped a bit here and there.)  And about an hour after their arrival, we were all eating delicious Teenage Style Chicken Spaghetti.  YUMMM!!!

The Weekender Menu

Menu making in the summer has been totally unplanned and haphazard around here.  As a die-hard list maker and menu maker, I’m surprised that it hasn’t bothered me in the least bit!   We’ve pretty much made sure to have a variety of ingredients on hand, then we made whatever we were hungry for at the time that we were hungry!!

We've had LOTS of cooking fun around our house, and we made lots of happy foods like:

LOTS of cupcakes

Tex-Mex Ceviche

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

 

We enjoyed the fruits of our garden by making loaves and loaves of zucchini bread

 and salads with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers

And we grilled out as much as possible.

Now that the calendar page is turning to a new month, those lazy, unplanned summer dinners are being thrown out along with our previously uncluttered summer schedule!  As of August 1^st, I head back to the office, and my kiddos start athletic 2-a-days, marching band practice, and they start training a new batch of FFA animal projects.  Kitchen play time is over!

To get us back into the swing of things, I’ve put together a mini-menu just for the next few days.  We’ll pick up the pace next week with our regular menu planning. 

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Here’s what’s on tap at Kitchen a la Menu Maker Mom for the next few days:

Friday:

Lunch prepared by 3 teenagers – Their version of chicken spaghetti!!!  (recipe to follow)

Dinner – Grilled ranch-style hamburger patties, herb crusted oven fries, garden salad, iced tea

Saturday:

Breakfast – Omelets made with fresh eggs, freezer biscuits

Lunch – Grilled cheese sandwiches, Claussen pickles, carrot dippers, Quinoa salad

Dinner – Roasted sticky chicken, rosemary oven potatoes, fresh steamed green beans

Sunday:

Breakfast – quick cinnamon rolls from the can, make peach cobbler to take to church.

Lunch – Fellowship potluck dinner after church service.  I just love this!

Make-ahead – Chicken salad, quinoa salad, chocolate chip cookies

Dinner - Homemade pizzeria pizza and side salads

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Please visit me again over the next few days.  I’ll be sharing a few of my recipes like the teenage version of chicken spaghetti, money-saving freezer biscuits, flavorful and nutritious quinoa salad, my delicious chicken salad, the totally homemade Menu Maker Mom’s Easy Pizzeria Pizza, Rosemary Oven Potatoes, and Krystal’s Peach Cobbler.

Happy Cookin'!!

CHICKENS!!

Hello Blogland Friends!  It's been such a long time since we've visited.  I'm sure your life has been busy, as has ours... which is why I haven't posted a single thing in such a long time!!!  My year has been full of animals, children (sometimes I think they are one and the same!!), my job, hubby's job, vacations, sports, family, and pretty much the busy business that makes up family life.  Wouldn't have it any other way!

With all the busy activities, I've found a new hobby that brings calm to my life:  Backyard Chickens!!! 

Here's a photo of one of the girls.  She's pretty spunky and has lots of personality.  Kind of bossy too.  Reminds me of... ME!!

I love my chickens, and I owe my newfound joy to my friend Laura.  On a Saturday early in June, Laura showed up at my house with a pen full of five hens.  I was so excited, as I have ALWAYS wanted chickens. 

Growing up in the city, I would never have considered having a clucking chicken in my citified backyard.  After marrying my farm-raised husband, chickens were first on my list of country acquisitions.  Hubby, who as I just said had grown up in a farming family and always had backyard birds, wanted NOTHING to do with any type of poultry, unless it was fried and on his plate!  Since I needed his help, and he wasn't offering any in the chicken department, I put my backyard bird plans on the back burner.

Fast forward through 24 years of marriage, and hubby finally found it in his heart to build me a chicken coop!  I absolutely love my little chicken castle, which is a remodel of my children's playscape.  Hubby built that for them when they were 3 years old, and since they've become teenagers, it has sat lonely and forgotten in our backyard.  He removed the slide and swings, covered the place in chicken wire and fencing, surrounded it with a bit of electric fencing (dogs think chicken tasted good!!), built the birds a perch, and put nesting boxes inside.  I quickly added a little herb garden and decorations to the front.

Having backyard chickens is strangley relaxing and entertaining.  Have you ever watched a bunch of hens chasing a grasshopper or getting all clucky and excited about a handful of weeds?  Talk about funny!!!  It's like watching me in the store when there's a sale on shoes. Crazy!!!  

Waiting 25 years for a few chickens has made me appreciate the girls.  Now my mornings are filled with happy clucks and chicken scratch!  I'm learning all I can about the little egg makers, and I'm anxiously waiting for those first little eggs.  Can't wait!!!