You may remember last week when I posted about my “Perfect Portion Pizzas”…. that disappeared. Thankfully they were delicious enough that no one complained about me making them again so soon.
Crockpot Italian Chicken Pasta
October 12, 2012 By 3 Comments
I love cooking in my Crockpot. Especially during the cooler months, it makes life so much easier to throw a couple ingredients into the Crockpot and let it roll. The best part about Crockpot Cooking – the best ingredients are usually stuff you have on hand.
This week has been particularly trying, so when I was staring into the refrigerator this morning – with zero desire to be creative – I saw that I had thawed chicken breasts and cream cheese. In the pantry – pasta, cream of chicken, and an Italian dressing seasoning packet.
Six hours later – dinner was served.
Step Aside Chef Ramsay – New Bertolli Risotto
September 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment
If you have ever had good risotto, it is easy to understand why Gordon Ramsay, World Renowned Chef and creator of Hell’s Kitchen, insists on keeping the dish on the menu at his restaurant. It is amazing. BUT – week after week you watch amazing chefs with unimaginable palettes who can cook things I cant even pronounce, stumble on making the infamous mushroom risotto.
Bottom line - this is no easy dish to make.
Breakfast Casserole Muffins Recipe
July 30, 2012 By 13 Comments
Every Sunday at church we have breakfast during Life Group after the service. Last week I wanted to contribute with something MADE… instead of just running by the grocery store on the way to snag something from the bakery like I normally do. I wanted something hot and nutritious… not just sugary. I hopped online but could not find exactly what I was looking for. So I just threw everything I wanted together and hoped for the best. Thankfully, it was.
Our Life Group has about 30 people each week, so this recipe will yield exactly 36 muffins. However, even if you are just cooking for your family, you can still make this recipe, as it is quick and easy, and they freeze and reheat perfectly! This is another recipe that I will make over and over to give my girls a great nutritious breakfast before school!
Breakfast Casserole Muffins
Ingredients:
- 12 eggs
- 1 bag frozen hashbrowns, thawed
- 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- fresh cooked bacon, crumbled
Scramble eggs in a bowl. Add other ingredients, saving a handful of cheese to top with, and mix well. Spoon into heavily greased muffin tins and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 375* for 20 minutes or until eggs are done and potatoes and cheese are starting to brown. Serve hot.
This recipe was a HUGE hit at Life Group and just about everyone asked for the recipe. I love the idea of having a “breakfast muffin” with more substance than sugary bread. It is the perfect size to heat up and take on the go, and is not messy like all of these ingredients would be on their own.
I am making breakfast for our Life Group again tomorrow… this time a little bit differently, but the same concept. There was one thing missing from making this the “perfect all inclusive breakfast muffin”… check back tomorrow and see what it is! 
Do You Really KNOW Hunger? #TysonBreakfast
April 17, 2012 By 4 Comments
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Last week I was asked to participate in a Shopper Insight Study with Collective Bias for the new #TysonBreakfast Bread Bowls available at my local Sam’s Club. (and others of course – check the list here) The second part of this campaign however is one that I will not soon forget. I have loved Tyson for years, but learning about the Tyson KNOW Hunger campaign has me loving (and respecting) them on a whole new level.
Even with knowing the economy in the state that it is in, some of these numbers dumbfounded me.
- More than 25 million Americans—including 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors—receive emergency food assistance each year from the Feeding America Network.
- About 70% of the clients seeking emergency food assistance are living below the federal poverty line, and nearly 40% have at least one adult working in their household.
- 30-40% of the clients served report having to make choices between paying their rent/utilities/heat/medical bills… or eating.
- Nearly one in four (24%) Americans worries about not having enough money to put food on the table at some point in the next year.
Simply reading through this report put me in tears. Growing up in an affluent family in Florida made me very naive to how things really are. Even our very own home state is suffering.
The numbers nationwide are staggering and it is hard for me to even imagine this is really happening – IN AMERICA. I am baffled that it isnt on the news more – I think people are “blissfully unaware” in most cases. But it just adds to why I respect when huge organizations like Tyson join together to do their part in helping out. I’ve always had a soft spot for those less fortunate, so I was happy to do even what little I did to help someone in need. Just imagine if we ALL did that.
I have said for months that I wanted to take the Tween to our local Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen to volunteer. I think it is an incredible learning experience for an overly spoiled Tween to get a look at just how fortunate she is when I am “ruining her life” by taking her cell phone away. Sadly, I have kept her very sheltered from some of the harsh realities of the real World. Our church goes on Tuesday nights to volunteer for the dinner service, and sadly I have conference calls every Tuesday night so I have been unable to go… that is until now.
As part of my mission for the Tyson KNOW Hunger campaign I was asked to buy an extra box of the #TysonBreakfast Bread Bowls to share with someone less fortunate who might KNOW hunger in a way that I pray I never will. This seemed like the perfect opportunity – especially since I just wrapped my Conference Call Series – to take a Tuesday night to volunteer at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen.
We have begun collecting items to take when we go along with the Tyson Bread Bowls and have had many talks about hunger and people who are less fortunate and choices people make in life and such. Its been quite an experience already and we haven’t even gone. I even overheard the Tween telling her friend on the phone that she wasnt going to waste food in the lunchroom anymore because she realized she was taking it for granted. Talk about a Proud Mommy Moment.
You can see more about Tyson Foods Hunger Relief and see how you can get involved by checking out http://www.tysonhungerrelief.com/, following them on Twitter, Liking their Facebook Page, or simply by volunteering at your local homeless food shelter. And get your children involved – it will not only be a great experience for them, but a very humbling experience for you as well.
Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are 100% my own.
