Co-op Goodies!

I took part this week in a grocery co-op. The co-op is out of St. Louis, but they have started at drop in Olney! We got lots of good stuff, so I thought I would do some recipes with the co-op stuff for the other people that ordered. Here's a shot of what all we got this week.

My plan is to blog some recipes this week so that some of the other lovely ladies that participated can get some new ideas. Ladies, please comment to tell me if you like the recipes!

New Year.

Happy 2012!
I'm hoping that this year will be the year I get back into the swing of blogging.

2011 brought us some changes. Our exchange student, Lisanne, went back home early. Boo!!
Then in the fall, we received our new student, Peter. He'll be with us until May of this year.

We had some weddings, and rightfully so, will be getting lots of new babies this year :) In fact, we will be getting 2 nephews, 1 niece and 1 unknown at this time. Hopefully I can get my butt in gear and get some freezer meals made up for my new mamas!

Amelia is in 1st grade this year, and loving it. Her reading skills have gone through the roof.

My plan for the blog this year is to blog about food. Whether it be about something I cook or an amazing meal that we have out, an informative article or a new gadget that I love, that's the plan! Here's hoping I can stick to it!!

Day 176: Bruschetta

Day 176.

Bruschetta is one of my favorite summer dishes. It tastes so fresh and summery. There are a bajillion different ways to make it, but this is my favorite.

Here's what you'll need.

French bread (Walmart will slice it for you. Just ask)
2 roma tomatoes
garlic
olive oil
basil


Begin by dicing the tomatoes.


And placing them into a bowl.


Add in a couple of garlic cloves and a healthy sprinkle of basil. I don't measure, just go by taste.


Add in about a teaspoon of olive oil and give it a good stir. Set aside. This can actually be made up a day ahead of serving. Just keep it in the fridge.


Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and place onto a grill over medium heat.


I like a bit of char on my bread. It won't take long to toast up.


Once it's toasty, take it off of the heat.


To serve, place one toast onto a plate.


And top with tomatoes. Yum. Summer on a plate :)

Day 175: Crockpot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Day 175.

We love mashed potatoes, but I find it tiring to stand over a huge pot of boiling water, especially in the summer when it is so darn hot! This recipe is my fix for that! The potatoes cook in the crockpot, then you just whip them with your mixer. Kurt thinks they taste like restaurant mashed potatoes. :)

Here's what you'll need.

2 - 2 1/2 lb. potatoes, scrubbed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 to 1 cup milk


Dice the potatoes into 1 inch pieces.


Place all the potatoes into the crockpot.


Cut the butter into small pieces.


Place the butter in the crockpot with the potatoes.


Add the spices. I sprinkled in a little black pepper too.


Pour the water in.


Cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 4.


Place the potatoes into mixing bowl.


Oh, man. This smells amazing...


Using your whisk attachment (if you have one), give the potatoes a good whip.


Mmmm.


Now here's my secret to cut down on lumps in the potatoes. Heat your milk before adding it. Think about it. Cold milk into hot potatoes? Not such a good idea...


Add the milk to the potatoes.


Turn the mixer on. Low at first, the gradually crank it up.


Whoa, baby.

Day 174: Skillet Chicken Mac and Parmesan

Day 174.

I found this recipe and thought it sounded nice and simple. It was, plus it was really good!!

Here's what you'll need.

1 26 oz. jar pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 1/2 cups macaroni pasta
1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese


Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook pasta as package directs.


Drain well.


Combine the chicken and hot pasta into a large skillet with a lid.


Add in the pasta sauce.


And the Parmesan.


Stir well.


Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, until the mixture is hot and bubbly, stirring occasionally.


Sprinkle the Mozzarella over the top. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.


As so.

Day 173: 5 Minute Microwave Granola

Day 173.

I love granola, but it can be a bit pricey to buy at the grocery. I was super excited to come across this recipe because it has common ingredients and it quick to make.

Here's what you'll need.

2 cups oats
2/3 cup chopped nuts (any kind)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla


Place oats into the bottom of a greased 9x13 glass pan.


Add the nuts. I used walnuts and pecans.


Crumble the brown sugar over the top.


Drizzle the honey and vanilla over the mixture.


Stir well. Cook for 2.5 minutes.


Stir and cook for another 2.5 minutes.


Let it cool.


Stir well to crumble, and store in an airtight container.

Day 172: Crockpot Wild Rice Casserole

Day 172.

This recipe was awesome! Rice in the crockpot? Yes, please!

Here's what you'll need.

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup uncooked wild rice
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
4 cups water
3-4 green onions
1/4 cup butter
Dried parsley


Place the rice into the slow cooker.


Add the onion soup mix to the water.


Stir well.


Add to the rice.


Throw in some dried parsley. I used a couple teaspoons worth.


Dice the green onions.


Add those to the crockpot.


Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish.


Add that to the pot as well and stir.


Cook on HIGH for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.


It should look something like this.


We had some leftover chicken that needed used up, so I heated it in a skillet and threw it in with the rice.


Ta-da!

***********************************
I really liked the flavor of this dish. My only issue was that some of the rice was a bit crunchy. Next time, I may not add the wild rice and just use white, as it seemed the wild rice was what was not quite finished.