More Breakfast on the Go: Pineapple Pumpkin Muffins

Have a mentioned I have a lot of pumpkin puree in my freezer?

Well I do.

Have I mentioned that we are not "morning people" at my house. Well The BF is but he gets up really early and often doesn't have a good breakfast.

So when I found a recipe for breakfast muffins that include muffins, I thought why not. When I realized I had all the ingredients to make it even with the changes I made, I thought hell ya.

They are super easy and super good.

Pineapple Pumpkin Muffins

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup oats
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 Tablespoon ground flax seed
• 2 large egg
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 Tablespoons oil
• 2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, flax seed in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree and pineapple.
4. Add the "wet" ingredients to the "dry" ones. Stir until they are barely mixed together.
5. Scope evenly into 24 lined muffins tins.
6. Bake for 14 minutes.
7. Cool and place in freezer bags, then freeze.

This recipe was inspired by Mother Rimmey's Cooking Light Done Right

Breakfast on the Go

I am not a morning person. I am the type to hit snooze three or four times before dragging my butt out of bed, which means I am always in a hurry to get out the door. The BF gets up when his alarm goes off the first time, gets ready and goes...of course its 4 in the morning when he gets up. So breakfast in our house is usually a grab and go affair.

So I am always trying to find a new prepare in advance breakfast for the two of us that isn't full of sugar and is moderately good for us.

With that in mind I was searching through my recipes and came across a hand written recipe that I have no idea where it came from but its in my hand writing so I decided to do a little baking and try the recipe...after all I had all the ingredients in my pantry.

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins  

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoon ground flax seed 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon, clove and nutmeg*
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 medium overripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups skim milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix flour, oats, baking powder, flax seed, salt, and cinnamon, clove and nutmeg*
2. Add the mixed dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and stir. In a separate bowl, smash bananas and mix in peanut butter and eggs. Then add brown sugar and milk. Stir until well blended.
3. Fill greased or lined muffin pan with batter, these are not cupcakes you can fill them to the top.
4. Bake 18 minutes at 375 degrees
5. Let muffins cool completely. Place 2 in a freezer bag and freeze. Take out a bag the night before and you have breakfast for two.

Makes 24 Muffins

*This is a little less precises then most baking but I just took a teaspoon and dumped some cinnamon, clove and nutmeg until the teaspoon was filled. Then I repeated the process with the second teaspoon. A little odd I know but this way you can add more of the flavor you like and you get to feel all rebellious while baking.

Have Tomatoes? Make Spaghetti Sauce

If you have been following my mad cap adventures these last few weeks on Facebook you may have noticed my Health Nut Sister and I have been doing a lot of canning. We are obsessed with food preservation all of the sudden. And since she and I already canned tomato sauce (more on that later I promise) I decided to make spaghetti sauce with all the tomatoes, onions and peppers from my garden and freeze it. I may have canned it but my mom has all the canning equipment and it doesn't sound like as much fun all by myself.

And believe it or not but canning with family is lots of fun. Or at least it is with my family. But we are very odd people.

1. I started out by collecting all the goodies from the garden and washing them. When I say I collected them I mean The BF went and got all the goodies including some things for dinner that night.

2. After washing them I cut them in to large pieces and placed them into my handy dandy Ninja. This is apparently controversial because I don't blanch and peel the skins off the tomatoes. When I freeze or can whole tomatoes or diced tomatoes I always peel them but when I am making sauce I don't...mostly because I am lazy and that's an extra step. I have never had any complaints. Back to the ninja, I puree the vegetables. You can leave it chunky if you like but I am trying to hide the vegetables the kids don't like.


Ingredients*: 

• 19 cups of tomatoes after you have pulsed them in the blender
• 3 medium onions
• 2 green peppers 
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 tablespoons garlic (I like the already chopped kind)
• 3 -12 oz cans tomato paste
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning of your choice (I used Pinch Perfect Tuscan and Sicilian seasoning)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice

3. After all the vegetables are purred I add them and all the other ingredients to a big stock pan and bring to a boil.

4. Once the mixture is at a boil reduce the heat and cook for at least two hours, I usually cook it 3 hours but two is the minimum, stirring often.

5. Remove from heat and let cool completely or start the canning process if you are not freezing.

6. To freeze the sauce place 2 cups in freezer sandwich bags. Push as much air out as possible, seal the bags and lay flat.

7. Put on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. Once they are completely frozen stack in freezer.

Now you have some homemade spaghetti sauce in your freezer.

Check out my homemade tomato sauce.

* I modified this recipe from My Crazy Life as a Farmers Wife. 

Ham and Potato Chowder

Today I thought I would share one of my family's favorite recipes. Its inspired by two other favorite recipes: Chicken Pot Pie and Swiss and Ham Potatoes.

This recipe follows two of my favorite cooking rules...fast and easy (that's what she said). Plus I almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry/fridge. Its a great meal for unexpected company. I will usually double the recipe because it freezes wonderfully. And if that wasn't enough with a little modification you can just throw everything into the slow cooker for even easier dinner prep.

Are you loving this recipe as much as I do yet?

Ham and Potato Chowder

•  4 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 med Onion, chopped
• 4-5 med carrots, sliced
• 4-5 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• 1.5 cups diced Ham
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups milk
• 4 med Potatoes, chopped
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Tablespoon Ms. Dash Original seasoning
• 5-6 Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• 1 cup Peas

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a stock pan.
2. Add onions and carrots to oil cook for 4 minutes. 
3. Then add garlic cook for additional 1 to 2 minute.
4. Add Ham and saute for 2-3 minutes.
5. Mix in flour and cook for a few minutes, then slowly stir in milk until mixture starts to thicken up.
6. Stir in chicken stock, potatoes, Ms. Dash and red pepper flakes.
7. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add peas and cook and additional 10 minutes.
9. Top with Swiss cheese  (I was out of Swiss so I used Colby Jack, Swiss is better) and sour cream.

We like to serve it with a slice of french bread drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with Ms. Dash then toasted.

Cooking Tip:

1. Be sure to wash vegetables well. I mention this because I once forgot and it let to a gritty dinner.
2. After cutting potatoes rinse in cold water to make them less starchy. 

To Freeze:

Let soup cool and place in large freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer. To reheat place in large sauce pan with a 1/2 cup chicken stock over low heat until it starts to boil. Stir often.

To Cook in Slow Cooker:

Add all the ingredients except Peas, Olive Oil, Flour and Milk to slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. In a sauce pan add 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat, once melted add 4 Tablespoons flour and cook for a few minutes. Slowly stir in 2 cups milk until it thickens. Add mixture and peas to slow cooker and cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour on low.

Casserole Freezer Meals...The Not So Lazy Freezer Meals

I have expressed several times that I a lazy cook and that my favorite kitchen appliance is my slow cooker. I feel that if I have to spend longer than 30 minutes preparing and cooking dinner its wasting my time. But I like to think I am also a nice person and try to make things my family likes and my family LOVES lasagna but I never make it because it is a bit time consuming. (although a friend recently told me about a slow cooker lasagna recipe I really want to try).

In what was a moment of brilliance, "I thought I will do a few casserole freezer meals to treat the family." Apparently I need my head examined this was not a good idea and did not follow my lazy philosophy of quick dinner meals. It wasn't even quick freezer meal prep....it took for ever. 

I was very frustrated the whole time...I kept thinking I could prepare a whole month of slow cooker freezer meals in the amount of time this is taking. First you have to cook the food, then assemble it, then freeze it, then thaw it and then bake it....just thinking about all the steps involved are making me feel exhausted.

With all that being said the "pseudo" step-kids were very excited to see lasagna on the menu and ate every bite with no complaints. I am not sure if I will do it again but with that kind of response....its possible.

Since this is the first time I have done this I have only one tip...it doesn't make it easier but will help protect your food against freezer burn. Be sure to get tin foil pans with lids. After assembling your dish but a layer of press n'seal wrap followed by tin foil and then the lid for the pan. Just don't forget to remove the extra layers before cooking...trust me that does not end well and you end up ordering pizza for dinner.

Oh yea...when defrosting its best to get the pan out the at least the day before and let it defrost in the fridge until you are ready to cook. You can cook everything when its frozen but this will dramatically change cook times.

I decided to make lasagna, chicken pot pie and chicken enchilada. I made 2 pans of all three so I doubled each recipe...might as well stock up a little.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• rosemary, thyme, marjoram and basil, powdered or fresh (I used a poultry fresh herb blend)
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 cups chicken, cut into cubes
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 2 frozen pie crusts thawed

Directions:

1. Cook chicken in a large frying pan with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Once completely cooked remove from pan and set aside*. I skipped this step by cooking all the chicken in the slow cooker the night before.
2. Heat chicken stock and milk in a sauce pan. Simmer over medium-low heat then cover to keep warm.
3. Melt butter in the same pan you used to cook chicken. Add carrots and celery and cook until they start to get soft.
4. Add onions, garlic and herbs/seasoning to the pan. Cook until onions start to turn transparent. Add salt and pepper, peas and corn and cook until vegetables are no longer frozen.
5. Add the chicken to the vegetables and stir. 
6. Sprinkle the flour over the chicken and vegetables and stir until well combined.
7. Pour in the chicken and milk mixture. Stir until flour has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
8. Take one pie crust and place in a the bottom of a tin foil pan with lid. This will require you to do a little "mushing to make it fit". Just make sure the bottom is covered.
9. Place chicken and vegetable mixture in pan on top of pie crust.
10. Roll out the second pie crust and place on top of the mixture tucking the edge of the crust around the chicken and vegetable mixture...be careful you don't want to burn yourself like I do every time I make it.

Cook:

1. Thaw casserole.
2. Beat an egg and brush over the top of your pie crust. Cut a few slits into the top crust to help with "venting"
3. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove lid and cook another 20 minutes.
4. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies 
• 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
• 12 tortilla shells
• 1 can enchilada sauce (I used mild so The "pseudo" step kids will eat it).

Directions:

1. Mix chicken, diced tomatoes with chilies and 1.5 cups of cheese in bowl 
2. Place a spoonful of the mixture on a tortilla shell, roll and place in a tin foil pan with lid.
3. Repeat step 2 until pan is full or mixture is gone.
4. Evenly pour enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas.
5. Top with remaining cheese.

Cook

1. Thaw enchiladas.
2. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Lasagna

• 6 oz Turkey Burger
• 6 oz Italian Turkey Sausage
• 1 med chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• lasagna noodles 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook meat, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is done; drain off fat. Add spaghetti sauce and bring to a boil.
2. Cook lasagna noodles. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside.
3. Combine egg, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
4. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in tin foil pan. Layer noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, meat sauce and Parmesan cheese. Repeat until ingredients are gone.

Cook:

1. Thaw Lasagna.
2. Bake at 375 degrees covered for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 20 more minutes.
3. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.