Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings

I have a story for this quick and easy chicken and dumplings recipe, because I have a story for everything. Yes, I'm going to be one of those old ladies one day.

When I first started making chicken and dumplings, my older boys were small and I originally used a whole chicken for this recipe. That's what the recipe called for.

The recipe that I was following also called for homemade dumplings completely from scratch. Can't tell you how many times I epically failed at my homemade dumplings no matter how hard I tried!!

And I grew tired of removing bone from everything after cooking, because all I wanted to do was quickly serve my children. I just didn't have time for it. So I came up with this...

Quick and Easy Chicken and Dumplings

Prep Time: About 10-15 minutes 

Cook Time:  About 1 Hour

Ingredients:

• Boneless Chicken Breast (as many as you need)
• 4-6 Stalks of Celery Chopped
• 1 Small-to-Medium Onion Chopped and Diced
• Bisquick
• 2-3 tbsp. of Cornstarch or Flour (for gravy)
• Sprinkle of Cilantro
• Sprinkle of Oregeno
• Sprinkle of Basil
• Sprinkle of Garlic Powder
• Sprinkle of Salt
• Sprinkle of Pepper

Directions:

1. Chop up the onion and celery. Add the onion, celery, chicken and seasonings to a Dutch oven pot. Fill the Dutch oven with just enough water to cover the chicken. You're not going to fill the pot entirely. Simmer on medium-low heat for 1 hour.
2. When the chicken is finished cooking, remove the chicken and quickly begin mixing up your Bisquick dumplings. Follow the directions on the Bisquick box. It's easy. The dumplings have to cook for 10 minutes uncovered and then for 10 minutes covered. You have to do both or else it won't come out right. Trust me, I know.
3. When the dumplings are done, remove them and start working on your gravy. Mix 2-3 tbsp. of flour or cornstarch in a cup with one cup of cold water. Stir well, then mix into the Dutch oven of what's left of your chicken mixture. Allow to thicken on very low heat and stir well.

This is the easiest and least complicated way to make chicken and dumplings. Serve with homemade mashed potatoes and a veggie. If you can peel potatoes quick (I can), then homemade potatoes won't take long. I just can't imagine my life without homemade potatoes. I've tried the boxed potatoes before and the refrigerated kind that you heat up in the microwave when I was really crunched for time, just not the same. Not bad; just not the same.

Enjoy!

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Life is not a race...

Slow down and enjoy the ride

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Go Easy on the Angry Ones...

When People Appear the Angriest...

...maybe they're just hurting the deepest on the inside. Go easy, because often times anger is used as a shield from pain. It is easier to judge and harder to understand. Judge less, understand more, and Love.

How often should you water potted flowers?

Lovely day, eh? :)

I was searching for the answer to this question and had a difficult time finding an answer, so I decided to write about it and share what's working for me with my potted flowers.

If you're also trying to find out how often to water your new potted flowers, then hopefully this will help a little. 

Last year I invested in some potted flowers for the porches of my home for the first time in my life and I killed the flowers...and very quickly if I might add.

Why? Didn't water them enough, apparently. I killed them with death-by-no-water. My first problem was that I couldn't reach them to keep them watered. They were up too high, even with a chair.

The second problem? I didn't use a chain to bring the pot down lower. I was still new to all of this, so I didn't realize I had that option. The flowers were just hanging from a hook and the sad little things were dried up in no time...

What did I do to make sure I didn't kill my flowers this year?

This year I did things differently. The first thing I did was my research about how often to water my flowers. What I learned is that there is no definitive answer as to how often to water your flowers. The answer to that question lays in the weather in your region and how much water you use when you water the flowers. 

According to gardening experts you do not necessarily have to water your potted flowers every day, but you should check the soil everyday. If the soil feels moist the flowers do not need to be watered. I also had a local farm family advise me on this matter and they told me to check the soil. If it's moist don't water, if it's dry then add water. This has worked and no more dead flowers. 

How much water should you use to water potted flowers? 

Depends upon the pot size. What you don't want to do is soak your flowers. Soaking them is just as bad as not watering them at all. You don't want to drown the poor dears - I did this too. Fill a watering can with water and water the flowers carefully, making sure to wet the entire pot of flowers.

What temperature water should I use to water my potted flowers?

The temperature of the water should be about room temperature. However, it should be noted that different outdoor flower types require different temperatures of water. 

What is the best time of day to water outdoor flowers?

Many gardening experts agree that it's best to water outdoor flowers early in the morning or early in the evening. I personally prefer to water mine early in the morning between 6-8 a.m..

Hopefully these tips on how often to water your potted flowers will provide you with the answers that you're searching for, so your flowers grow beautifully. Good luck!

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Family First...

In This House It's Always Family First...

2021 - My sons all have this tattooed on them, and my niece, Family First. 

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: When it rains it pours...

It Will Always Rain...

Rain is part of life. Your umbrella is your inner strength. Dark moments make us who we are, stronger or weaker people. Let your dark moments make you stronger, the person you really are, and not weaker. Take that rain as a lesson and nothing more. Sometimes rain is painful but how would we learn without a little rain? Sometimes the biggest storms bring the brightest most beautiful rainbows...keep moving. 

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Spaghetti with Chicken

If you're looking for quick and easy dinner ideas you'll love this spaghetti with chicken recipe. I've been making this since my older two boys were toddlers.

They're now 19 and almost 18. I came up with it on my own, but I'm sure other people have thought to do this as well.

I used to use jar spaghetti sauce, specifically Prego, but several years ago started making my own sauce. I felt like it was sort of cheaper and tastes better too.

My mother started doing this and I quickly followed soon thereafter. One day I'll try actual from scratch, scratch with tomatoes, one day. I just prefer a different brand of crushed tomatoes than her. I like the brand she uses, but the brand I love is my favorite of the two. Before I go into the recipe I want to share what quick and easy mean to me.

When I label a recipe as "quick and easy," it either cooks quick and easy, or it is quick and easy to put together, but then cooks itself basically. This is one of those recipes that is a cinch to put together and then you just allow it to simmer. Three minute angel hair pasta makes it a breeze... 

Okay, so here is your quick and easy spaghetti with chicken recipe...

Quick and Easy Spaghetti with Chicken

 

 

Prep Time: None, unless you choose to use fresh onion and garlic.

Cook Time: 45 minutes to one hour

Ingredients: 

• 8-10 Boneless Chicken Thighs
• 1 Box of Angel Hair Pasta (takes 3 minutes to cook!)
• 2-28oz Cans of Crushed Tomatoes (My favorite is Contadina, but my mother loves her Tuttorosso.)
• 1-28oz Can of Petite Diced Tomatoes (any brand)
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 tsp. of Onion Powder (or 1 onion chopped and diced)
• 1/4 tsp. of Garlic Powder (or a little bit of fresh garlic)
• 1/4 tsp. of Basil
• 1/4 tsp. of Oregano
• Sprinkle of Salt
• Sprinkle of Pepper

Directions:

1. Put the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, chicken thighs, Parmesan cheese, and seasonings into a Dutch oven pot and allow to simmer for 45 minutes to one hour on medium-low heat.
2. When your sauce is almost finished cooking, boil the water for the 3 minute angel hair pasta. Drain and serve.

And that's it! This is quick, easy, and tastes so yummy!! Serve with a veggie, Italian bread, bread and butter, salad, dinner rolls...whatever!

Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Love Will Always Find a Way

True love always finds its way

If it's meant to be it will be...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: You were destined for great things...

Make a Difference

Carmen's inspirational Creations: Speak the Truth...

Always speak the truth no matter what.

Beautiful Videos and Songs: A Beautiful Video with a lesson about Patience and Love

Very sad and very beautiful message... The video is in another language, but there are English captions. It's definitely worth watching. It didn't make me cry, but it touched my heart deeply...
Video Credits:   shahji216

Edited to add that seven years later watching this again with adult children of my own now and my mother aging in her 70s, this made me cry like a baby...4/20/2021. Definitely hits different when you're in your 40s.

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: You're beautiful just the way you are...

Stop Comparing Yourself to Everyone Else

What a boring world it would be if everyone looked the same...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Always believe in yourself...

Believe in Yourself...

...even when you feel like no one else does...

Carmen's Favorite Recipes: The Best Easter Ham Glaze EVER

Easy Ham Glaze

I know that Easter just passed, but this is a recipe that you could always tuck away for next year, or give it a try the next time you make ham. 

I love making ham because it's quick and easy. You don't need a glaze for ham, but they're great for adding more flavor. My mother always glazed ham, so I glaze ham.

I usually only make ham on New Year's and for Easter, but sometimes if I'm in the mood I'll make it in-between. I love making ham because of the quick and easy factors. In this house Easter dinner is the easiest of holiday meals to prepare and it's one of my favorites. 

And this year I forgot to buy biscuits (are we surprised here?), so I ended up making Bisquick biscuits from scratch. But, you know what? They were sooo much better than store bought! Sorry Pillsbury...I love my Pillsbury biscuits, too, but I really liked the way my Bisquick biscuits came out. 

So, back to the glaze... Every year, I always experiment with various ways to glaze the ham and yesterday I came up with a ham glaze masterpiece concoction. The ingredients to this glaze are simple to put together and the ham tasted beyond amazing. 

I'm not one to boast. If my cooking sucks I'll be the first to admit it, but everyone agreed that this was amazing. :D My cooking rarely sucks, but we do have the occasional epic fail or two. In the words of my 17-year-old, the ham looked "sexy," lol. I guess that means it looked good. Tasted as good as it looked too!

Carmen's Easy Ham Glaze Recipe

Prep Time:  5-10 minutes

Cook Time:  The glaze itself only needs 20-30 minutes to cook after being added to ham. Cooking time for ham will vary depending upon the ham type and the pounds.

Ingredients:

• Pineapple Juice from a Can of Pineapple Slices (I put the slices into a bowl to serve with dinner.)
• 1/2 Cup of Orange Juice
• 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar
• Sprinkle of Ground Nutmeg
• Sprinkle of Ground Cinnamon
• Sprinkle of Thyme Leaves
• Sprinkle of Ground Cloves
• A Dash of Rosemary Leaves

Cooking Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a very small cooking pot and stir on low-heat. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add to ham for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.

I can guarantee you'll love this easy ham glaze!! I may try another concoction in the future, but for now this is my all time favorite!

Enjoy!

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: When life knocks you down...

Fight harder...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: When Someone Doesn't Appreciate You...

Then wait for the one who will...

You deserve the best.

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Don't Let the Past Keep You from your Future

Keep the Past in the Past

When you live in the past you're not living in the present and your future is waiting for you.

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Don't Let Your Pride and Ego Ruin a Good Thing

Love

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Can't Have a Rainbow without a Little Rain

Everyone wants happiness. No one wants pain. But can't have a rainbow without a little rain and isn't this so true? I've experienced so much "rain" in my life but I've also experienced many beautiful rainbows, a few double rainbows. It gets better. Hang on and never give up...

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Easy Cheesy Beefaroni Recipe

My Latest Concoction

This is a recipe that will appeal to anyone looking for something quick, looking for a way to switch up the traditional beefaroni, or anyone just looking for something different to try. If you love anything with pasta, cheese and meat, you'll love this!!

Beefaroni is something I love to make for dinner for several reasons. It's quick, it tastes good, and I can get a second night out of it where I don't have to cook. 

I don't make it all the time, but when I do one of my boys just doesn't care for it. It's not my cooking. He loves his mama's cooking and eats everything I cook. 

He just doesn't care for beefaroni. Now this is tough for me because when I make a pot of this we get a lot and could easily have it for a second night, which is another reason I love to make it. So in order to make it work I needed to find a way to get this boy to enjoy beefaroni. 

I thought of adding in a variety of cheeses and some Italian sausage. I added cheeses that I've used for other Italian recipes of mine that I'll share another time. Bottom line...the boy loved it. In the words of my two older teenage sons and a friend of theirs...my beefaroni was "bangin." Lol.

Easy Cheesy Beefaroni

 

Prep Time:  10-20 minutes

Cook Time:  This depends. If you add the sausage it will take a little longer. With the sausage it takes about 45 minutes-to-an-hour. Without the sausage and just the cheeses, not counting prep time, 20 minutes.

Servings:  10-12 or more

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 4-6 sweet Italian sausage links 
• 1-8oz box of macaroni elbows
• 2-28oz cans of crushed tomatoes (I use Contadina or Tuttorosso)
• 1 28oz can of petite diced tomatoes (any brand)
• 1 small onion chopped and diced (or onion powder if you're really crunched for time)
• 1 tbsp. of garlic powder (or 2-3 fresh cloves of garlic if you have time)
• 1 tbsp. oregano
• 1 tbsp. basil
• sprinkle of salt
• sprinkle of pepper
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup of cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Boil a pot of water to start your macaroni elbows. While you wait for the water to boil chop up your onion. Add the onion and ground beef to one frying pan to brown while you brown your sausage links in a separate frying pan. Brown the ground beef and sausages on medium-low heat for 10-20 minutes until no longer pink. Sprinkle a little bit of your favorite seasonings on the ground beef. It's okay if the sausage is a little pink cause you're going to finish cooking it in the sauce anyway. While doing all of this your water should have started to boil and you'll have started and finished your elbows by the time the sausage and ground beef are done browning. Drain the ground beef and sausage links on paper towels when finished.
2. Slice and quarter your pieces of Italian sausage.
3. Put the crushed tomatoes, petite diced tomatoes, garlic powder (if used), onion powder (if used), basil, oregano, and parmesan cheese into a large Dutch oven. Add in your ground beef and quartered sausage links. Cook on low heat for 45 minutes.
4. After 45 minutes, stir in 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 cup of mozzarella, and your elbows. Stir well, allow to cool, and serve!

Enjoy!

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: When you have Love you have everything

Love

...is everything and real love is unconditional and infinite...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: When You Make a Mistake Own It

When You Make a Mistake own it...

...learn from it and move on from it.

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Easy Oven Baked Chicken with Butter and Herbs

Before going in the oven.

A Quick and Easy Way to Make Chicken

When I was growing up, my mother made chicken like this a lot, so it's one of my favorite ways to make chicken and it's quick. 

She would serve either a couple of those packets of Lipton Knorr flavored rice with it, usually something chicken flavored, or some mashed potatoes. And a veggie of course. 

Lipton rices are really quick and easy to make and only take 7-10 minutes. I personally prefer homemade mashed potatoes when I make baked chicken but sometimes like to make the beef flavored rice with burgers. 

Scalloped potatoes are good with burgers, too. Oh, and roasted potatoes go great with this chicken recipe as well. Okay, I'm making myself hungry  now, lol. Back to the recipe...

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Recipe

 

Ingredients:  

• Chicken breast on the bone (as many as you need for your family size)
• 2 tbsp. of butter or olive oil (I use Imperial. That's what I was raised on.)
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Cilantro
• Basil
• Oregeno
• Ground Black Pepper
• Salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the stick of butter in a small frying pan on low heat.
3. Place the chicken breast on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Pierce each piece of chicken with a fork several times. Take a spoon and drizzle the butter over each piece of chicken. Then carefully and slowly (unless you're a seasoning pro!) sprinkle a little of each seasoning above. Adding too much will make the chicken over-spiced. 
4. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

I like to serve this with a little ranch dressing on the side. My teenagers and I love to dip the chicken in ranch dressing. You can remove the breast meat from the bone before serving or serve as-is. I always remove the meat for the smaller kids, obviously, and cut it up for my daughters. My older boys like it as-is.

So yummy!

 Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: Every Day is a New Beginning

Every Day is a Chance to Start Over

Every day that you wake up is a chance to start over. It's a new beginning. A fresh start. No matter how bad the day before was you are now blessed with this wonderful opportunity to start over.

Make the most of it... I know I will.

Carmen's Inspirational Creations: If you love something set it free...

If You Love Something Set it Free...

Okay, so I felt like adding TWO inspirational photos today. This is my own little creation that I literally just made. I'm gonna start making my own to add here!! But back to the quote... If you find yourself in this situation remember that God has big plans for you no matter how sad you may feel. 

And although letting go of someone you love is painful and hard it's sometimes for the best. If someone doesn't feel the same way as you do, what can you do? Nothing, but move on and grow from the experience. All you can do is live your life and move on. 

he more you move and smile, the better you'll feel in time. Time heals most broken hearts. I say "most," because there are some things that just never heal completely, like the loss of a loved one. You learn to live your life and to cope, but you'll obviously never heal completely. 

It's just a new way of living...and you can do anything you put your mind to. Mind over matter...

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe - Project Meatloaf

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf - So Yummy

Still in the pan.

So I'm starting a new project, project meatloaf, and I have actually come up with many ways to make a meatloaf. It started with growing bored with traditional meatloaf. 

This was actually not my first meatloaf concoction but it's the first I'll share. I thought that putting bacon and cheese on top would be so yummy and I was right. 

This is a quick and easy dinner to make, too. You can make a meatloaf with any side dish you like, but I prefer good 'ol mashed potatoes with a veggie.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf Recipe

 

Prep Time:  5-10 Minutes

Cook Time:  1 Hour

Servings:  7-8

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds of Ground Beef
• 1 Small Onion Chopped and Diced
• 7-9 Slices of American Cheese 
• 7 Slices of Cooked Bacon
• 1/2 tsp of Oregano
• 1/2 tsp of Basil
• 1/2 tsp of Garlic Powder
• 2 Eggs (or 4 tbsp. of mayonnaise)
• 2 Cups of Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 Cup of Water
• Optional:  1/2 tsp of Onion Powder Instead of 1 Small Onion)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix all of your ingredients, except for the cheese and bacon, in a large bowl. 
3. Place the ground beef in a baking pan with 1/2 cup of water in the pan to keep the bottom of the meatloaf from getting too dark. Shape the meatloaf. I like to make mine in the shape of a flat oval that way it cooks through good. Have a meat thermometer on hand to verify that you meatloaf is cooked through if you make a rounder shaped meatloaf.
4. Bake for 45 minutes and then take out of the oven to add your bacon and cheese.
5. I started with three slices of cheese, but you can top the cheese whatever way you like. I just found that it covered the meatloaf better by doing it this way, because I have tried other methods. What I do is I take three slices of cheese and place them one on the left side, in the middle and on the right in the shape of a diamond. Then I melt the cheese in the oven for maybe five minutes.
6. Strategically place your bacon on the meatloaf and add the remainder of cheese slices to cover the meatloaf. Return to the oven for another five minutes.

Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Substitutes for Eggs: Can you make meatloaf without eggs?

How to Make Meatloaf without Eggs

Substitutes for Eggs in Meatloaf

Yes, you can! And, guess what? There really isn't much of a difference. In fact, I found myself wondering if it tasted better? The appearance was a little different. It almost looked "lighter." 

Either way, whether you're using eggs or the substitute that I used, your meatloaf will taste amazing. And, yes, with the right seasonings meatloaf can taste mouth wateringly amazing. 

Okay, so as usual I went to make something and was missing an ingredient, which is typical of my life. I've learned to wing it in these situations, though, so I did one of the things I do best and I winged it. 

I found a few substitutes for eggs and decided to go with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Since I made 2 pounds of ground beef for my meatloaf with 2 cups of breadcrumbs, I decided to use 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise. Because once upon a time I used to make 1-pound of ground beef for a meatloaf with 1 cup of breadcrumbs and 1 egg. Now, with our family size I make a 2-pounder, and sometimes three if we have extra company for dinner. 

I was a little leery of using mayonnaise, but to my delight it tasted sooo good!! It was so good that from now on in the future when deciding which I would rather clog my arteries with...mayonnaise or eggs...that very well may be a hard decision to make. 😂 I guess I'll go with whatever is easiest and that I'm in the mood for. But at least I know what to use now in case this ever happens again!

Other Common Substitutes for Eggs in Meatloaf 

Other common substitutes include:

• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 2 tbsp. Ketchup
• 1/2 Cup of Barbecue Sauce mixed with 2-3 tbsp. Brown Sugar

When measuring any of the above for your meatloaf you can always add more if you feel that the meatloaf needs a little more. It's good to know that if you're out of eggs, you have options! If you're out of eggs and want to make a meatloaf, hopefully you have at least one of these items on hand! Good luck!!

With Love,

Carmen

Carmen's Random Tips: What type of string do you use to hang plastic Easter eggs outside?

How to Hang Plastic Easter Eggs Outside

What do you use to hang plastic Easter eggs outside?

If you're trying to find out what type of string to use to hang plastic Easter eggs outside, then hopefully this will help. So I decided to decorate for Easter outside of my home this year and wanted to know what type of string you use to hang plastic Easter eggs with, because there's a few places I want to place them.

I bought three big bags of these things and have over 160 plastic Easter eggs to disburse, lol, so I wanted to make sure they're not going to go flying down the road when they catch a good wind. 

Would be just my luck - so I'm thinking ahead!! After a little bit of research and not a whole lot of information out there about this topic, I decided to go with "floss." When I read about floss, I thought to myself, "Hmm, seems like it might be strong enough."

And, yup, it is! I realized just how strong it was when I began to attach the floss to the eggs and tie it. Not only is it strong, but it's also easy to cut and easy to fit through the eggs ready-made holes. Yes, I bought the eggs with the ready-made holes. I was not up for poking holes in these things. I'm not that crafty! Hanging them up is work enough. 😂

When I decided to do this, my first thought was to use "thread," but for some reason I doubted the strength of the thread. I also imagined my frustration trying to fit fraying thread ends through tiny egg holes - eh, eh, so not happening. I didn't see anything about using thread in my search anyway, so I decided not to use thread as to save myself some stress later when they go flying down the street and I have to pick them all up.

Attaching the String to the Plastic Easter Eggs

This is the fun part, not. Especially if you have a lot of eggs, this is so not fun, lol! But it's fun later when you get to hang them and see how cute they look outside of your home! So I was game to do this and I got 'er done. Okay, cutting the floss is easy because the little floss container has it's own cutter mechanism 😂 as we all know.

This little mechanism slices the floss string perfectly so you have no frayed or strayed string edges to slide through the mini egg holes. We have ourselves a win, win situation here. But if you have a lot of eggs, it's time consuming at most, so be ready to set aside some time to do this. If you have a lot of eggs, you should allow maybe an hour or so.

Slide the string through the holes and tie a knot. Tie the knot close to the edges of the string to give yourself room to hang the string outdoors or indoors, and you may also wish to leave some string ahead of the knot if you would rather tie the string onto any small tree branches, etc. See below for an example of what I mean:

Other types of string to hang Easter eggs with include:

• Fishing Line - Its strength abilities are tied with floss.
• Yarn - Eh, probably more for indoors, but you never know! It's also probably a pain in the neck to fit through the little holes in the egg.
• Thread - Could work outdoors, but I don't know if I would trust it.

The type of string that you use to hang plastic Easter eggs with will depend upon your personal preference and use of the eggs. If you're hanging them outdoors you want something strong and durable. Something that will not send the eggs flying down the street. If you're hanging them indoors you also want something strong so they don't come apart, but strength isn't as important. And last but not least you want something that's easy to use! Have fun and have a Happy Easter!!

P.S. Check out Part 2 for a new idea.

With Love,

Carmen

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kielbasa

Quick and Easy Dinner Idea

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kielbasa

So long time no see again. I've been really busy working and with my kids, etc. that I have neglected my blog and website once again. I enjoy adding recipes but got tired of having to link to other people's food photos because I was waiting on a new camera phone, lol. 

I have finally reentered modern civilization and have left the stone ages with my new camera phone that I've had for about a month now. Yay! So now I can excitedly add my favorite recipes, maybe restart project pancake and add my own pictures to recipes that I've already added. 

Most of my recipes have my own photos, but not all. There is just one quick update since I've last posted other than my ability to finally post pictures again. For anyone that has followed, I had been interested in going back to school this past January for Legal Studies. 

Some paperwork was holding up my start date for January, so I ended up switching to a fall start date, changing my major to Criminal Justice AND changing my school of choice in New York's SUNY college campus network. My placement test is in April and I'm excited! This will work out better for me with my youngest - my girls. They'll be starting preschool in September, so I can use the time that they're at preschool to study. 

I make my own work schedule, so I can juggle my work before everyone gets up, throughout the day and at night before I get some zzzzzzz. Can't wait! Okay. So back to my homemade baked mac and cheese with kielbasa recipe! This recipe here is the best if you love homemade baked mac and cheese. I've made kielbasa on the side with mac and cheese, and thought it would be cool to sort of make a casserole with it. It's quick, easy, cheesy and YUM!

Quick and Easy Homemade Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Kielbasa Recipe

Prep Time:  5-10 Minutes

Cook Time:   30 Minutes Total

Servings:  9-10 (Smaller families can reheat for leftovers.)

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion chopped and diced
• 8oz box of macaroni elbows
• 8oz package of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 10 slices of yellow American cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package of Kielbasa, cooked and sliced
• 1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs (or non-seasoned - depending upon preference)
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Boil a large pot of water to cook your macaroni elbows for 10 minutes, while cooking the kielbasa in a separate large pot of water for the same length of time. You'll follow the directions per your package of kielbasa, but 10 minutes is basic cooking time. You'll only fill the pan with just enough water to cover the kielbasa as you cook it on medium heat.
3. While the elbows and kielbasa are cooking, you'll chop and dice your onion, and gather your supplies.
4. Drain the elbows and place the kielbasa on a cutting board. Slice the kielbasa. Depending upon how small your children are, you may wish to quarter the slices into smaller pieces to avoid a choking hazard.
5. Take one of the large pots that you already used (to save yourself some dishes!), rinse it out and use it to mix the cheese. Saute the onion with the butter in the rinsed out large pot.
6. Once the onion has been sauteed, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour into the onion and butter mixture. Mix well.
7. Slowly stir in the 2 cups of milk on medium to low heat. Mix well.
8. Carefully pour the package of shredded cheddar cheese into the mixture and stir until mixed well.
9. Begin adding your slices of American cheese until completely melted. I usually do 2 slices at a time and just keep folding them in, then stir. Once everything is mixed well, turn off the heat.
10. Take a casserole dish and pour the elbows into the casserole dish. Then slowly and carefully pour in the cheese mixture into the casserole dish of elbows. Stir well. Add a little bit of salt and pepper. 
11. Mix in the carrots and peas. Pour bread crumbs on top.
12. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Chicken Shepherd's Pie

A Little Taste of Heaven

I love shepherd's pie and I actually make a few versions of it, but this time I decided to add chicken. Wow...this came out so good and my very first thought as I was enjoying this meal was that it reminded me of Thanksgiving dinner!! 

Only, much easier, obviously. My second thought was that something would go perfect with this meal...cranberry sauce! So the next time I make it I'm gonna buy cranberry sauce and everyone will get a slice or two of cranberry sauce on their plates. 

Anything cranberry would go good with this...because it really does remind you of Thanksgiving. Definitely an enjoyable meal that's easy to make. If you like shepherd's pie you'll love this.

Chicken Shepherd's Pie Recipe

 

Prep Time:  20-30 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1-2 lbs. chicken tenderloins 
• (2) 12oz jars of chicken gravy 
• (1) 15.25oz can of corn
• 5lb bag of potatoes (I use russet or Idaho. If you don't feel like making them from scratch, then you could always use a full box of instant potatoes. I just really like homemade potatoes.)
• 2 packets of stuffing (This was my first time making this little concoction and I only used one packet. Next time I plan on using two.)
• sprinkle of salt
• sprinkle of pepper
• 1/4 tsp of oregano
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  
• Optional:  small chopped onion
  

Chicken Shepherd's Pie Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Peel potatoes and place inside of a large saucepan or Dutch-oven pot. Cover the potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Once the water begins to boil lower heat and cook on medium until soft.
3. While the potatoes are cooking place the chicken inside of a large saucepan or Dutch-oven pot, then fill the pot with just enough water to cover the chicken. Add seasonings and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the water begins to boil lower heat to medium for 15 minutes.
4. Drain potatoes and mash in a large bowl. I add butter, milk, salt and pepper to my mashed potatoes. 
5. Drain chicken onto a plate. Now that your chicken is done you could add the chicken "as is" or you can break it or shred it into smaller pieces.
6. Now you're going to make your stuffing. Instant stuffing only takes about five minutes, so it'll be done quick. Once the stuffing is done layer the stuffing into an oven-safe casserole dish.
7. Next take a medium-large mixing bowl and combine your chicken, gravy and corn. Layer this mixture inside of the casserole dish on top of the stuffing. Make sure to set aside about 1/2 cup of gravy for step eight.
8. Layer the mashed potatoes on top of the chicken mixture. Drizzle 1/2 cup of gravy on the mashed potatoes and carefully spread with a spoon, so the gravy is lightly covering all of the potato mixture.
9. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Serve with:  Dinner Rolls; Bread and Butter; Cranberry Sauce (or anything with cranberry); Salad, etc.

Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas: Easy Chili con Carne with Cheese and Rice

Chili is a great meal during the colder months of the year and it's also cheap, easy and quick.  Not to mention you definitely get leftovers out of it, which is a win-win when you're busy. If you don't have much time to cook or chop things up there are quicker methods of making a great chili.

Chili is also versatile, so on nights when you do have more time or do feel like chopping extra things up, then you can add in various things. You can also make it less spicy, or more spicy depending on your personal preference. I like mine spicy.

First, I'll share the easiest way that I make chili in my home, then I'll share optional things that you can add into your chili to make it even yummier. And, of course, serve that baby over some white rice with sour cream and shredded cheddar on top, so yummy.

Quick and Easy Chili Recipe

 

Prep Time:  None, unless you've decided to add ingredients from the 'Optional' section below.

Cook Time:  40-60 minutes

Servings:  10-12 depending on serving size

Ingredients:

•  (1) 28 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes (I like to use Contadina or Tuttorosso for my diced and crushed tomatoes.)
• (1) 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
• (2) 15.5oz. Cans Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Basil
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 2-3 tsp. Chili Powder (I don't measure my chili powder anymore. I just keep sprinkling it until it has the taste that I want.)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• (1) 8 oz. Package of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 1 - 1-1/2 Ground Beef
• 2-3 Cups of Medium-grained White Rice
• Sour Cream 

Optional:

If you have a night where you have more time, then these are some things that you can do differently with your chili.

• Use a small-medium, chopped and diced onion instead of onion powder.
• Use 2-3 crushed cloves of garlic instead of garlic powder.
• Add any of these extra ingredients:  green pepper, red pepper, red hot chili pepper.
• Add 1-2 cans of corn, or 1-2 cups of frozen corn to your chili. (I've personally never added corn, but many people do add it. I like to stick with chunky tomatoes, onion and peppers.)

Quick and Easy Chili Directions:

1. Brown the ground beef in a medium-sized frying pan on medium-low heat until no longer pink. If you've opted to use fresh onion you'll saute your onion with your ground beef.
2. Drain the ground beef onto a plate with a paper towel. Take another paper towel to soak up extra grease from the ground beef.
3. Place the ground beef into a Dutch oven or a large saucepan. Add in your crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and chili powder. If you decided to add in corn put the corn into the chili for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time. Cook for 30-40 minutes on low heat.
4. While your chili is cooking bring a large saucepan or Dutch oven half-filled with lightly-salted water to a boil. Once the water begins boiling add your rice. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low (I use setting 4 on my gas stove) and cook for 20 minutes.
5. Once everything's finished cooking add a little bit of rice to each plate and top the rice with some chili. Finish arranging your plates by topping each plate of chili with a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese and a spoon of sour cream.

Serve with any of these:  dinner rolls, bread and butter, salad, your veggie of choice, etc.

With a little shredded cheddar and sour cream on top. Yum!

 Enjoy! Nom, nom...

Beautiful Videos and Songs: Father's Love Letter

 Video Credits:  Marcelo Castelo  

This is one of my favorite videos ever and made me cry like a baby the first time I saw it, because my own father abandoned me and my little brother when I was two months away from turning 12. I was in the 6th grade. My little brother had just turned 10 that October. He left that November. And he didn't just stop seeing us...he left the country with his new family back to his home country, sent us a Christmas card the next month with no return address and that was the last time we ever heard from him. 

I'll never forget how my birthday was January 1st after Christmas, and not even one last birthday card for his first daughter whom he named after his mother who passed when he was 12 of Leukemia. Before he left, he was in and out of our lives from the time that I was age four, including time he spent in prison. Then we saw him every other weekend until he lost visitation. 

I struggled for many years with abandonment issues and tried to find my father at age 17 by paying a private investigator, but it turned out that since he was not born in this country the social security number I had for him was useless in "his country." This was devastating for me. Later in life, however, around the time that I first saw this video I was beginning to heal from many different past traumas and sad life events from my upbringing, including the abandonment of my father. 

So that's why this video really hit home and reminded me that even though I do not have my earth father I will always have my heavenly father...and no one can take that from me ever. I hope that this video touches your heart like it has touched mine...