Sorry!

Please excuse these reviews and posts that have nothing to do with  food on this site.  These are supposed to be posting on my home site.

Sorry for the inconvenience and I will work on getting this changed!

Valentine's Day Getaway

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away and I've just found out about two hotels in Branson, MO, that are offering romantic packages.  Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are each offering romance packages for the Valentine's Day holiday.  I have never been to Branson but I have heard that there is so much to do and see.  Wonder if I can talk the hubby into taking me?

As part of the romance package, Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are each offering early check-in. I love being able to drop the bags off and head out to explore the area.  The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is close to waterfront shopping and dining while the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is in the heart of downtown Branson.

The package includes in-room sparkling wine (where prohibited by law) or cider upon arrival.  What a way to  set the mood by starting off with a toast in your own room.

 

The package also includes:

• Access to hotel club, pool, and spa (where available)

 

• Full American breakfast for two in the room (where available) or in the hotel's restaurant
• If you decide to stay more than one night, buy one entree and get the second entree of equal or lesser value for free
• Late check-out available upon request

The romance package has also taken care of the "Where should we eat?" question.  Level 2 Steakhouse is offering a special Valentine's Day menu that includes a Chateaubriand Wagyu Beef Tenderloin that sounds amazing along with Askinosie Chocolate Butter Cake with a Grand Marnier Infused Whipped Cream.  Can you say luxurious?

The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are offering the romance package for the entire month of February.  Two great places to celebrate a birthday, wedding anniversary, brand new pregnancy, and, of course, Valentine's Day.

Weekly Menu

Crockpot Ziti
La Bamba Casserole
Cheeseburger Soup
Chicken Milanese (with Spring greens)

Here is a shopping list for all of the recipes and then broken down at the end . . . I don't promise to do this every week.  LOL  I just had a free night.

Produce

2 Lemons
Shallots or green onions
Mixed green salads
1 small bag fresh spinach
2 Onions
1 garlic head
1 large tomato
1 bunch green onions
1 small container or bunch of carrots
1 small container or bunch of celery
1 small bag potatoes

Meat
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1lb ground turkey breast
1.5lbs of ground beef

Groceries
White wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Sugar
Breadcrumbs
Flour
1 Jar spaghetti sauce
Whole wheat penne pasta
1 (5.25oz) whole green chilies
Chili powder
Cumin
Dried basil
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can fat-free black beans
2 cans chicken broth

Frozen
1 bag frozen whole-kernal corn
Dairy
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Egg
1 tub cottage cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
1 small block Velveeta
1 container sour cream

Chicken Milanese with Spring greens
3/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Dash of sugar
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups packed spring mix salad greens
2 lemon wedges

Crockpot Ziti
2 C homemade spaghetti sauce
8oz whole wheat penne pasta
12 oz cottage cheese
4-5 oz spinach6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2-3 T Parmesan cheese

LaBamba Casserole
1 (5.25-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
½ cup chopped green onions

Cheeseburger Soup
1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (1-3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (8 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta)
1-1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Greek-Style Chicken Skillet

A couple of weeks ago I was at a grocery store and they were sampling foods.  They had a Greek-style chicken with couscous and I knew I wanted to try it at home.  This isn't the exact recipe but is very close.

Greek-Style Chicken Skillet from Shine
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 pounds total)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
1-1/2 cups sliced zucchini (1 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 medium)
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup water
1 10.75-ounce can condensed tomato soup
2 cups hot cooked couscous*
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)
Lemon wedges

Directions:  Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. In a 12-inch skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken registers 170F on an instant-read thermometer, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Add zucchini, sweet pepper, onion, garlic, and the 1/8 teaspoon black pepper to skillet. Add the water; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in soup. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes more, stirring once.

To serve, divide couscous among dinner plates. Place chicken on couscous. Spoon vegetable mixture over chicken and couscous. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve with lemon wedges. Makes 4 servings.
*Note: For 2 cups cooked couscous, in a 1-quart saucepan bring 1 cup water and a dash of salt to boiling. Stir in 2/3 cup quick-cooking couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Nutrition Facts * Servings Per Recipe 4 servings * Calories401, * Total Fat (g)10, * Saturated Fat (g)4, * Monounsaturated Fat (g)4, * Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, * Cholesterol (mg)99, * Sodium (mg)827, * Carbohydrate (g)36, * Total Sugar (g)9, * Fiber (g)4, * Protein (g)41, * Vitamin C (DV%)50, * Calcium (DV%)14, * Iron (DV%)12, * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Here's what you'll need:

Cut up the veggies and garlic

Cook the chicken.

Once fully cooked, pull the chicken out of the pan and throw the veggies in.

Veggies with 1/4 cup of water

Add the can of tomato soup, cover and cook for another 5 minutes

I put the chicken back in the pan.

Serve over the couscous.  Here's what you'll end up with:

Here it is with some feta cheese on top:

I served this with this parmesan couscous and this new homestyle macaroni and cheese.

Our Thoughts:

I knew I would like this dish.  It has 4 of my favorite foods:  garlic, peppers, onions, and feta cheese.  The tomato soup added a sweetness but I think you could probably also just use diced tomatoes.

In my opinion, though, the couscous made this dish.  If you've never had couscous, it is kind of like rice or a bulgur wheat.  It doesn't have a lot of flavor on its own but with the chicken, veggies, and sauce spooned over it, it was fantastic.  The feta on top was the "icing on the cake."  I could not believe how much my kids loved the couscous.  They each ate 2 big helpings.

I wanted to take a picture of the kind of couscous and macaroni and cheese that I served (along with green beans).  This macaroni and cheese was very cheesy and I thought the kids would love it but they were too worried about eating the couscous.

By the way, Scott is NOT flipping everyone the bird.  I had him hold up the packages and didn't realize his middle finger was out until I posted it.  We both had a good laugh out of it.  LOL

Hope you enjoy!

April

Mom's Snow Cream

We woke up this morning to 10+ inches of snow.  I know to some of you that may not be very much but we never see that much snow here.  While on Facebook I saw quite a few people from my hometown talking about snow cream.  I haven't had snow cream since I was a child.  Snow cream is just like it sounds, "ice" cream made out of snow. 

Mom's Snow Cream

2 cups sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanila

1 egg

8 cups snow

Directions:  Beat egg until you can no longer see white.  Add sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Go out into clean snow (we NEVER did the first snow of the year) and gather a bunch of snow.  Pour the mixture over the snow.  May have to add a bit of milk to reach the consistency you desire.

Here's what you'll need (plus 8 cups snow):

Beat egg until no longer see white.

Add 2 cups sweet condensed milk

Add 1 cup sugar

Add 2 tsp vanilla

Get your snow

Pour the mixture over the snow and stir.

Here's what you'll end up with:

Our Thoughts:

Snow cream is definitely a country thing.  When I told Scott that I was going to make snow cream he had no idea what I was talking about.

The kids loved it.  They had a lot of fun helping to make it and I think they were just surprised at how much it tasted like ice cream.  Scott took a bite and said, "tastes just like ice cream" but I still think he was freaked out to eat snow because he only had that one bite and that is not like him at all.

It did remind me of growing up but I will say it was way too sweet for me, which is probably why the kids loved it so much.  I think the sweet condensed milk and the sugar just put it over the top for me.  LOL

I'm glad to have done this with the kids.  I hope it made a memory for them.

Hope you enjoy!

April

****(4 Stars)--This dish was good.

Taco Soup

Despite the sickness going on in the house, I decided to go ahead with my plan to make taco soup today.  It really took next to no effort because all I did was brown some meat, cut up some onion, open some cans, throw in a crockpot and walk away.  A perfect meal when you don't feel like cooking!

Taco Soup Adapted from Paula Deen

Serves 12 to 16

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish
Pickled jalapenos, for garnish

Directions:  Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Modifications:
-I cut this recipe in half.  There was still more than enough.
-I elminated the stewed tomatoes.


Here's what you'll need:

Diced up one onion.

Brown the ground beef and add the onions.

Once cooked, transfer the drained meat and onions to a crockpot.

Add the beans.

Drain and add the corn.

Add the tomatoes.

Add the green chilies and the black olives.

Add the taco seasoning and the ranch seasoning.

Cook for 6-8 hours and here's what you'll end up with:

Garnish with chips, sour cream, green onions, jalapenos, guacamole, lettuce . . . taco stuff.

Our Thoughts:

We thought this dish was pretty good.  It reminded me of just a chunky chili (except I didn't add any chili powder).  The whole time I was eating it, I kept thinking that it would make great nachos or even a "chili/taco" dog.

Scott said that he really enjoyed it and that it would be great football food.  I think that I will actually make this for my next football party instead of chili to see how it goes over.

Hope you enjoy!

April

Product Review: Hannah Taboule

This is NOT a paid endorsement.  I received NO compensation or did NO products for writing this.

On Saturday I was busy taking care of sick babies and I had to run to the Costco pharmacy.  Have you ever been to Costco on a Saturday?  It is our favorite day to go because of all of the free samples.  While whisking through some jalapeno artichoke dip (fantastic), I saw a stand that had this taboule.  They were serving it on top of a wheat cracker with a little cream cheese.  OMG, it was awesome so I snatched one up and could not wait to get home to eat more of it!

I bought a box taboule a while back and I did not like it at all. 

I don't know if it was the particular brand I bought or maybe they have individual flavors but the boxed one had a lot of mint in it and I am definitely not a fresh mint fan. 

This one, though, is made of bulgur wheat (my fave), tomatoes, parsley, onions, garlic and some other spices. 

Taboule is a classic Middle Eastern wheat salad.  It is eaten cold and it is a fantastic side but

since buying this on Saturday, I have been putting it on all of my turkey sandwiches.  The fresh parsley adds so much flavor and I love that I am getting a healthy grain and vegetable, as well.  I've tried to think of other ways to use it and here is what I've come up with:

on a grilled or baked chicken

mixed with some garbanzo beans and feta cheese

on top of crusty bread with some olive oil

I bought this container for right around $5.00. 

For 1/2 cup, is it 3 WW points.