Sorry have been away

Well as you can see that I have been up to cooking lately. I have started cooking for the holidays. I made pumpkin/chocolate chip muffins for some neighbors. I also tried couscous with Tuscan chicken that I got the recipe from my new Robin Miller Take 5 book. I have been trying a lot new recipes. I got my kitchen Aid mixer at home so I have been making all kinds of things. We really enjoyed the Tuscan Chicken dish and will be making it again soon. I also got the new Baking Cooking Light book and have made the Chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal pancakes, and the whole wheat pancakes too. My family has been pretty happy with me being on this cooking stride. I have been having a lot of fun cooking for my family and my neighbors. I will take pictures and post the new things that I make, I haven't always remembered to take the pictures.

Robin Miller Take 5

Baking Cooking Light

I would recommend that you get these books. I will post the other things that I make. I would love some feedback on what you think I should make and if anything you would eat. Scotty my 14 year old likes the new things that I have been making and he is usually the one who doesn't like new things but he can't wait now when I make pancakes. I have other cookbooks that I have added and I will have to get the names to you when I write them down.

Planning Thanksgiving Dinner

This year I am making Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I have purchased a turkey breast to cook. So I am excited to see how it will turn out. I have been working with my oven to make sure that I can cook the breast at a low temperature.

The Menu
Oven baked turkey breast
Green beans
Mashed potatoes
Mac & cheese
Yeast Rolls
Stuffing

I am looking forward to making this meal since it will be for the three of us. This meal will be special for us. In years past, my mom usually would make dinner for the whole family but she is doing that the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I just wish that we would be in the new apartment by then but I don't think we will be. Our Thanksgiving dinner is at church on Wednesday night. I should be at church now but I didn't sleep and have been thinking about my plan for making the meal.

Good Morning New breakfast

Good morning to all in the blogging world. I tried a new recipe this morning and my family says it's a keeper. I found this recipe but I put my own spin on it.

Egg & Sausage Muffins

1/2 cup half & half

12 Large eggs

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 lb pork breakfast sausage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook sausage to no longer pink. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Spoon sausage 1/2 way up muffin pans. Mix other ingredients and top. Fill until almost full. Bake for 20 minutes.

We liked this but I put onions and mushrooms when I cooked the sausage but I forgot to add the half and half.

Getting ready for the holiday meals

Since I love to cook this year I think that I will make us a Thanksgiving meal after doing dinner with my parents. My thought is to buy a turkey breast since white meat is better for you. I try to encourage healthy eating all year long. I try to buy healthy snacks but they don't always eat them. I know that I want to do turkey breast but I don't know what to do for my sides since my son won't eat green beans. My son and I will eat sweet potatoes but my husband won't. I would like to do mashed potatoes with maybe half cauliflower. I know that I can make glazed carrots but use a lighter syrup.

My family loves to eat salad so I will have to have a salad made for them. My mom is the best at making stuffing so I don't think that I will make it. I thought about having my son make yeast rolls for us to eat. In years past I have purchased the meal from the store then just heated things up. I want this meal to be like future meals that are healthy for us to eat. In my family I grew up that we were all together for the holidays and that's what I want my son to know more than anything. My son turns 14 on Thanksgiving this year so it should be a good year for him.

Turkey Breast

Mashed Potatoes

Glazed Carrots

Yeast Rolls

Salad

Apple or Cherry Dessert

Since my son is homeschooled we have been working on the new plate of what we should be eating at each meal. I always try to make sure that each part of the plate is covered. Since he is a picky eater I try to make sure that he at least tries something new when I do something new.

Since my last doctor's visit I am going to do all I can to cut out fats and oil. I am trying to use less butter, margine, and oil. I try to encourage not purchasing fried foods. I will bake as much as I can and use cooking spray to cut out the fat.

On Monday my son is making up the grocery list and we are going to plan this week's meals together. I want him to know why it's so important to plan and budget out our meals. I am trying to give him the life skills he needs to lead a healthy lifestyle. I want him to know how to cook and to know how to take care of himself when he is on his own.

If there are any ideas that you would like me to try just leave a comment and I will attempt something new.

Dream Job in food

I am a die hard Food Network and Cooking Channel fanatic. If you were home with me most of the time that is what I am watching. In invy Guy Fieri because I would love to travel and try all kinds of food. I wasn't blessed to be rich and have the money to travel and try food. I love the show "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives". I have tried a couple of places in the area that he has been. I usually watch the show with my husband and we always plan to try new places to try.

Triple X, Lafayette, IN
I tried the "Duane Purvis All American" Burger. This is the buger that has the peanut butter on it and I loved it. I would go back there just to eat it again. My husband had the steak burger that Guy had on the show and liked it. We didn't like the root beer since it was way to much for both of it. The day we went Purdue football team was playing so we didn't have a long wait to get it to eat. Shortly after we sat down the game let out and people started coming in. When we were getting ready to leave a couple guys came in and only ordered what Guy had ordered to eat. We enjoyed our food and look forward to go back.

3 Sisters Cafe, Broad Ripple, Indiana
The first time we went we couldn't get a seat and the guy told us to come back another time since the wait was so long. So one day while we were out walking the Monon Trail we decided to go there and eat. We split the turkey club sandwich and we loved it. We were glad that we split it since it would have been too big for just one of us. Our experience was good that time when we were able to eat. The guy who waited on us kept track of us and talked to us. We said that next time that we would try more of the menu.

Steer Inn, Indianapolis
The first time we went in this place I loved the "twin steer" burger the moment that I took a bite. The service was great the first time but since then it hasn't been that great. The mom who is the owner is really nice when she talks to you. The food was really good and the only reason that I will go back. I would send people there and will go back.

Those are the places that we have been thanks to the show and will go to many more when we get the chance. We love food in our house and I think that we should all try new experiences. If you have never watched the food then you are missing something because Guy is funny.

Thanks for taking the time to read. I would love feedback.

A new recipe

This morning I know that I had to cook something for lunch for us but didn't know what to make. I got some veggies from my parent's garden on Sunday and this is what I used to start.

1 pound ground pork sausage, cooked, drained
15 ounces of pasta, cooked, drained

1/2 pasta cooking water

1/2 cup low sodium taco seasoning

1 small green pepper, deseeded, chopped

1 half of shallot, chopped

1 tsp oil

1/2 cup V8 low sodium

salt & pepper, season each layer

Start with cooking pasta but don't cook it all the way since you will let it cook on the stove for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, start by cooking veggies in the oil until just starting to have some color. Then add the pork sausage to the skillet to cook it all the way through. drain so that the end product isn't fatty. Combine pasta and sausage together adding the seasoning and V8. Let everything cook together for 20 minutes stiring on and off. Once the pasta is cooked all the way through and the liquid has thinkened up. Serve immediately or let cook down and serve later.

Favorite Chefs/Cooks

Most of you can probably guess that I am a die hard Food Network and Cooking Channel watcher. I thought this time I would tell you who I take inspiration from. I take recipes that I get from several online sites and magazines. AllYou and Kraft books are two of my favorites but I also get FoodNetwork and Rachael Ray magazines as well.

Chefs/Cooks
Guy Fieri
Kelsey Nixon
Ina Garten
Giada De Laurentis
Lisa Lillen
Chuck Hudges
Nigella Lawson
Ree Drummond
Sandra Lee
Claire Robinson
Rick Bayless

I love to cook and these people are the reason why the FoodNetwork is popular.

Update: Southwestern Quick Brown Rice recipe that I posted is the one that I am going with.
Note: the recipe turns out spicy so if you don't want it that spicy cut back on the taco seasoning

In the works- Southwestern Quick Brown Rice

Today I started a new recipe for something my family to eat. This morning I made a new dough so that I could make yeast rolls. The picture above is the tomato salad that I made for dinner. I have started eating this as my veggie for my meal. I love tomatoes and I love doing it really simple.

Southwestern Quick Brown Rice

2 cups Walmart 5 minute Brown Rice

1 cup water

1 cup salsa

1 tbsp Low sodium taco saesaoning

1 tbsp butter

Pinch of salt

Is what I have so far. I took a picture but it didn't upload to Facebook so that I could put it on here. I would combine what I have so far and cook it according to package directions. My husband likes what I have but I still want to make some changes.

New Start- Food

In the last year I have since started documenting what I make for dinner. I would like to show the world what I cook and the ideas that I have. I will now be showing all of you what I make and my food experiences. I love to cook for my family and in the proccess of teaching my 14 year old how to cook with yeast and I will be showing you what he has created. I would love to get feedback from everyone.
Right now I am in the proccess of making yeast rolls to go with dinner. Tonight's dinner is tuna cakes with a salad from Marsh and my yeast rolls. I won't lie that I do purchase salads from the store since I don't have the products to make the salad at home. I try to plan my meals in advance so that I can teach my son that if we plan we can make the most of the things that we have.
I get ideas and recipes from Kraft, Cooking Light, Taste of home, and Weight Watchers. I also take ideas and use them for my own. I will post pictures as I go along. Thank you in advance for all the feedback.