Two-Cheeses Macaroni

I do apologize for not posting last night, as I was sick in bed and did not make anything for dinner! JD reported that he ate chicken nuggets and a peanut butter sandwich, so I can imagine he would've been more than thrilled with anything I had cooked! 

Tonight's recipe will (hopefully) be to die for! 
It sounds SO good, I can't wait to test it out!

Since I'm home from work today, I'll post the recipe in case anyone might want to try it along with me! It sounds very easy and only requires a little over 2 hours to cook! There's still plenty of time!

Two-Cheeses Macaroni

from Fix-It and Forget-It magazine 5-ingredient slow-cooker recipes (2010)

Makes 6 servings.

4- to 5-quart slow cooker

• 1 stick (1/2 cup butter), cut into pieces
  2 cups uncooked macaroni
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 24 oz. small-curd cottage cheese
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water

Place butter in bottom of slow cooker.  Add uncooked macaroni, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese. Stir together, until well mixed.

Pour boiling water over all. DO NOT STIR.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.

Stir Well. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.

Let dish stand 10-15 minutes before serving, allowing sauce to thicken.

Easy, right?! I can't wait to see if it's any good!
Ok, so, I won't be trying it... My stomach still doesn't feel up to the challenge of dairy... but my parents will surely let me know how it turns out! Tonight, it's oatmeal and toast for this girl!

<8:30pm 9/30/2010>
I regret to inform you that I was unable to sample the mac n' cheese myself, but my parents absolutely raved about it! My Mom was thrilled-- she said it was "SO creamy!" and My Dad devoured what was served to him and went for not only 2nds but for 3rd helpings! Apparently, it was a hit!


<5:30pm 10/1/2010>
I just tried some of the leftovers, which is completely not like me at all... and I LOVED IT! I will definitely be making this recipe again! It was great! I am sad I didn't get to try it, hot, the first time around! 


Verdict: TOTALLY RECOMMENDED!

Pacific Chicken ...turned Shredded BBQ Chicken Sadwiches

So sorry for the late entry! The internet isn't working at my house :( We lost power for quite sometime yesterday! ...which is also why my Pacific Chicken recipe didn't turn out so well (or at least that's what I'm blaming it on!) I was, however, able to salvage it and turn it into a yummy meal! I'm getting good at this re-vamping stuff.  I'll post both the recipe and my additions later tonight (hopefully!) as long as the internet is back up and running! Stay tuned!

<11:32 am 9/30/2010>

I finally got the internet to work! I'm home sick from work today.  Stinks because I'm not feeling well, but it'll give me a minute to catch up with this blog! 

So, honestly, the Pacific Chicken was (would've been) a disaster!  The power outage turned off my crock pot for hours! Luckily, my Dad remembered it was on and was able to turn it back on once we had power again.  When I got home it didn't look very appetizing.  It was definitely cooked, and it smelled wonderful, but I was afraid it would be too dry since everything had sank to the bottom of the crockpot during the in-between time... So, I decide to alter the meal a bit.

I shredded the chicken using 2 forks, gently pulling it apart in the crock.  Then I tossed it around in the juices at the bottom.  Then I added 1/2 a bottle of Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, which we had in the fridge and stirred it all around.  I changed the setting to warm and let it sit for about an hour until we were ready to eat dinner.  I served the shredded BBQ Chicken on hamburger rolls and heated up the leftover soup from the night before.  Wasn't a bad meal, after all! The chicken was really yummy, and you could definitely taste the soy sauce and ginger.  I bet it would've been absolutely delicious Pacific Chicken had the power not failed me! Oh well, a recipe for another day!

I'll post the recipe here, just in case anyone else wants to try it (the correct way).

Recipe recap:

Pacific Chicken 

from Fix-It and Forget-It 5-ingredient slow-cooker recipes magazine (2010)

Makes 6 Servings

3- to 4-quart slow cooker

• 6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Wash and dry chicken, place in slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour over chicken.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to low and cook 6 to 7 hours.
Serve over cooked rice, with a fresh side salad.

...or if it comes out terribly wrong, shred chicken, add 1/2 a bottle of BBQ sauce and serve on hamburger buns with a bowl of soup--   :)

I have a feeling JD would not have liked the original recipe, but he would've loved the hot mess I was able to throw together! 

Verdict: Tabled until another attempt is made...

Beef Veggie Soup!

It's cold and damp out today, the perfect night for soup! I've decided I have far too much in the fridge, so I'm going to clean house and make my soup using leftovers! I am not a big "leftover eater", so this is huge for me... JD would be SO proud! 

Tonight's creation will be a Jes original!
Beef Veggie Soup! 

Here is what I've found to use:

• Leftover Steak (London Broil)
• 1 Bag frozen mixed veggies
• 1 Large container (48 oz.) College Inn® Beef Broth
• 48 oz. Water
• 1/2 box of Ronzoni® Rotelle Pasta 
• 1 Can (11.5 oz.) of V8® Tomato Juice
• 1 Can (10 oz.) of Campbell's® Tomato Soup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parsley
• Garlic -minced
• Onion -minced
• Celery Salt
• Basil
• Oregano

Well, here goes...

I cut up the London Broil into thin strips... that was probably the hardest part, to be honest.  Tossed it in a big pot, with the Large container of College Inn® Beef Broth, the frozen mixed veggies, and an equal amount of water and brought it to a boil.  Then I stirred in some Salt and Pepper to taste, sprinkled in some parsley, celery salt, basil, oregano and minced garlic, then poured in a can of V8® Tomato juice and 1 can of Campbell's Tomato Soup as well as 1/2 the box of pasta (that's all that was left!).  

I'll let this boil together until the pasta is el dente, then enjoy! (Hopefully!?) I'll report back later on!

<7:24pm>
Ok, in no way do I mean to toot my own horn, but... the soup was awesome!
I'm completely amazed that anything that good could come from (dreaded) leftovers!
I loved it! In fact, I loved it so much, I just may have some more later on! :)


Verdict: Highly recommended!

Grilled Tilapia & Roasted Red Potatoes

And, so, it begins! 
I am overly excited to be blogging!



Just me tonight.

...My first thought... 

Sunday's are for crockpot cooking and/or chicken wings! 

What else accompanies football that well?! 

...My second thought... Cruise. 22 days. YIKES! 

The devils advocate has been defeated tonight.

I'll be making something very healthy!



The catch of the day? Tilapia. 
Seeing the sign in the supermarket made me recall a recipe I once made when I was attempting to comply with Prevention Magazine's Flat Belly Diet.

Dinner tonight will be grilled Tilapia.  I made a small aluminum foil bed for my little piece of fish... and doused him with lemon juice! I've wrapped him all up, and he's on the grill until he's flaky!

In a separate tin foil bed, I've diced 4- small red potatoes, lightly drizzled with a little EVOO and sprinkled in some Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning.  They smell scrumptious! 

I'll also be steaming some fresh green beans.  

I'll be sure to check back after dinner!~ Anddd I'm off!

Recipe recap:

Grilled Tilapia
from Prevention's The Flat Belly Diet

• 4 oz. grilled tilapia
• 1 cup steamed green beans
• 1/2 cup roasted red potatoes lightly drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with Mrs. Dash®

<7:26pm>

I'm proud to report that my Tilapia was a success! I grilled it (on the medium heat setting) for about 6 minutes, give or take and it was flaky to perfection! The potatoes took quite a bit longer, so I would probably have started them about 5-7 minutes before hand, had I known.  My green beans steamed nicely within the same 6 minutes. 

JD would've loved it! :)

Verdict: Recommended! (Especially for a QUICK meal!)

Here goes nothing!

As you can tell by the title of my blog spot, my boyfriend says I can't cook and I'm setting out to prove him wrong!  I love learning to cook, and though some of my attempts haven't produced the best tasting meals... some have been pretty amazing, if I do say so myself! 

I love to bake... I've sure got that down pat.  I don't make anything from a pre-made/processed mix. However, learning to cook has been quite an adventure.  Just a few short years ago, while in college my idea of cooking consisted of using a (n illegal) hot pot in the room of my dormitory to make velveeta shells and cheese! I soon opted to go on the Special K diet and eat cereal twice a day... yikes!

So, here goes nothing!

I'll be posting my favorite recipes here, but please feel free to offer suggestions or substitutions if you happen to find something that tastes better! ...Trust me, my boyfriend will appreciate it! :)