megan-you mentioned a while ago the lentil soup recipe that Carrie posted --and i cannot for the life of me find it on here. i've scoured it from beginning to end. so---can you please send me that recipe so i can try it?? thanks.

second--do any of you have any menus that require few ingredients... AKA....meals on a budget. :)

third--megan i forget what kind of meals you were asking for last time....but i'll check my email and try to respond to that too!

thanks and adios.

here's my fave party cake obsession...

BLACK RUSSIAN CAKE

1 package dark chocolate cake mix

1 cup vegetable oil

1 (3-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding

4 eggs

3/4 cup strong coffee

1/2 cup creme de cacao

1/4 cup Kahlua

topping:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons strong coffee

2 tablespoons creme de cacao

2 tablespoons Kahlua

For the cake, combine the cake mix, oil, pudding mix, eggs, coffee, creme de cacao and Kahlua in a large bowl. Beat 4 minutes until quite smooth. Pour into a well greased 10-inch tube pan until 3/4 full. (Save any remaining batter for cupcakes...) Bake 45 to 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from the pan and invert onto a serving plate. Punch holes throughout the cake with a skewer or ice pick. Prepare the topping by combining the confectioners' sugar, coffee, Kahlua and creme de cacao. Mix well and spoon over the warm cake.

I just tried Kristies Chicken Stew recipe tonight. Super yummy and really easy for a weeknight meal. We had it with a rustic bread and butter. Next time I may serve it with some garlic mashed potatoes as well and a salad.
~Megan

Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and White Beans:

For a one pot meal easy to make ahead, I like this Chicken Stew. It has Italian overtones so you could go with pasta and antipasti sides, or a tomato and fresh mozzerela salad.

Servings: 4 to 6 servings.

Ingredients:
4 bacon slices, chopped
6 chicken thighs with skin and bones (about 2 1/2 pounds)(my husband likes it w/o bones-- i like the flavor of the dark meat though)
All purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 14 1/2-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), drained

Preparation: Cook chopped bacon in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel. Sprinkle chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Add to drippings in pot and sauté until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add chopped onion and minced garlic to pot; sauté 4 minutes. Add bacon, stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, red wine, basil and oregano. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Add cannellini; simmer 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Okay ladies... I'm back in. Dedicated and here to stay! :) I'll try to post pictures next time. Love, Kristie

For anyone who likes fish, here's a Salmon BBQ sauce that's easy to make ahead and then cook last minute:
1/4 lb butter
1/3 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 1/2 T dry mustard or Grey Poupon
1 1/2 T soy sauce
3 T catsup

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add other ingredients, stir to mix. Spoon over salmon fillets (skin side down) and bbq over low heat until just done. (Or bake in oven at 350 degrees.)

Serve with rice and some veges and it's a great dinner!

Okay girls, first of all I have got to ask for all of your forgiveness. I have been TERRIBLE about posting on Gourmet Gals. Our life has been in complete chaos lately . . . transitionining from Thailand to the US, traveling and staying in different people's homes, and not even cooking my own meals. But I really love this blog and I check it often. Since I've started cooking some lately I promise to be better about posting. :)

And as soon as we move to Arkansas I will definitely be posting much much more (we move in a couple more months).

I made Thai food and this fruit pizza a couple nights ago for dessert when we had some friends over. I love this recipe and it usually turns out really yummy . . . this time I cut the pieces of fruit too big and the cookie was a little too done. But minus those mistakes its a GREAT easy dessert.

Fruit Pizza

1 18oz. package refrigerated cookie dough (or you can make your dough homemade, which is even yummier)
1 80z. package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
4 cups fresh fruit
1/4 cup orange marmalade or apricot/peach preserves
1 T. orange juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices; line 14" pizza pan with slices & press to form crust. Bake for 12 min. or until lightly browned; cool.

Blend cream cheese, sugar, & vanilla. Spread over cookie crust. Arrange fruit over cream cheese. Combine orange marmalade or preserves & orange juice & drizzle over fruit. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

enjoy. :)

Hi Ladies of the kitchen! I haven't been on the blog forever!!!!! We are still eating lots, of course, we'd never let ourselves go hungry:)
Hope you are all doing well. pass along any fun recipes. I know, I need to heed my own words and do the same.....
love,
Hannah

I am so proud of myself girls!! I actually created my own recipe based on a soup I had tried before. It turned out yummy!! I used leftover turkey from Thanksgiving but otherwise I guess I would just use chicken (cooked already and chopped up). No pics but it is a cream based soup.

Megan’s Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

1c. Onions chopped
1c. Finely chopped mushrooms (in food chopper/processor)
Oil

2-3T Flour
1 ½ c. cooked wild rice
2c. Vegetable stock or chicken stock
1c. Water or stock
Salt & pepper
1-1.5 cups heavy cream (or evaporated milk)

Saute onions and mushrooms in oil on low for till golden and carmelized-about 15 minutes. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and wild rice and boil on low for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 cup of water and continue to cook. Add cream, salt and pepper and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve with a nice crusty bread. Enjoy!

ginger molasses cookies & pumpkin dip

i've posted our family's amazing ginger molasses cookies before--the perfect combination of crunchy, chewy, soft, salty, spicy, & sweet. my absolute fave in the fall. the next best thing to chocolate!

ginger molasses cookies:

cream:
1 1/2 c. crisco

2 c. sugar

add:
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses

mix & add:
4 c. flour
2 t. salt
4 t. b. soda
2 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves

shape in balls, roll in white sugar, bake at 375.
i like to let them stay kind of puffy and not flatten out too much.
always seem to taste better the next day!

Elin's Pumpkin Dip
[great with gingersnap cookies!]

• 1/2 big can of pumpkin
• 8 oz. of cream cheese
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• cinnamon
• ginger

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in p. sugar, then pumpkin & spices to taste.
[An attractive way to serve this is to carve out a small pumpkin and place the dip inside it. Serve on a festive plate with the pumpkin in the middle and the gingersnaps around it.]

Happy T Day!

Megan's Thanksgiving Menu

Hey everyone! Here's whats cooking at the Smith house for Thanksgiving. Most things I am making atleast part of it ahead of time. Today I'll get the pies in the freezer, and make the ice cream. If you want any of the recipes I am using, let me know and I'll email them to you. What are you all cooking?

Maple Oat Dinner Rolls, Gravy,
Roast All Natural Turkey, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes,
Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing, Green beans with red peppers,
Sweet Potato Casserole, Homemade Pumpkin Pie,
Chocolate Mousse Cake, Pumpkin Ice Cream & Peppermint Ice Cream

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

1 lb. hot Italian sausage (or mild, if your family prefers ... we like spicy)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (I think some brands call this "Italian diced" -- check the can. Remember that tomatoes are a commonly contaminated crop and it's worth the effort to look for organic!)
1 qt. broth or stock of your favorite variety
1 cup small whole-grain pasta (such as macaroni or shells)
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

In a soup pot, brown sausage, using a spoon to break up. Add tomatoes, broth, and pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender. Add kale and simmer until bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with crusty bread, salad, and a garnish of shredded cheese and/or shredded fresh basil if you choose. (We always omit the garnishes.) Enjoy!

Hey Carrie--Here is a Mexican dish recipe that you could possibly use. It has veggies but maybe she'll go for them if they are diced up small :) I'll keep an eye out for more. Good luck, that has to be very tough!

Ingredients
chicken tenders or cut up chicken breast
onion, garlic, red bell pepper, oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1 can corn, drained (optional)
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained (optional)
1 lime
# Instructions
Saute chopped onion, garlic, and red pepper a few minutes in vegetable oil. Add chicken tenders or cut up chicken breast chunks. Saute until chicken is almost done, then add chili powder, ground cumin, and salt. Stir and simmer a few minutes.

If using, add drained corn and black beans.

Squeeze fresh lime juice and serve.

Hi Girls...
Any ideas for feeding a SUPER picky 2 year old. Ani has a lot of fruit and vege allergies, in additon to sugar and wheat. Recently she is refusing to eat vegetables or meat. She loves anything with dairy, ie: cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cheese and cheese. She will eat fruit, but is allergic to apples and pears so the fall season is challenging. Any ideas for getting more nutrients into her, especially veges?
Thanks!

HERE ARE SOME RECIPES I FOUND ON WILD OATS WEBSITE FOR MEALS $15 OR UNDER TO MAKE:

Crockpot Braised Sage Chicken with Stuffing
Crockpot Chicken

Set this meal to cook early in the day and you won't have much to do for dinner in a hurry. Sage and stuffing satisfy that craving for holiday flavors any time during the season.

* 1 organic yellow onion, halved lengthwise and sliced
* 3 cups Whole Fields™ Organic Petite Carrots
* 1/2 cup organic chicken broth
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 clove organic garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
* 6–8 (1 1/2–1 3/4 pounds) bone-in, skinned chicken thighs
* 1 tsp 365 Everyday Value™ Paprika
* sea salt, to taste
* freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1 package (10-oz) 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Stuffing Mix with Cranberries

Place onion in a lightly greased 6-quart crock pot/slow cooker and top with carrots. Combine broth, wine, garlic and sage and pour over vegetables. Generous season chicken thighs with paprika, salt and pepper and arrange on top of vegetables. Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 8 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Prepare stuffing according to package directions and serve.


Hearty Turkey Noodle Soup

Dairy-Free
Hearty Turkey Noodle Soup
An after-Thanksgiving tradition in some homes, this is a smart and satisfying way to use leftover turkey. Our version is loaded with antioxidant-rich ingredients to help keep you healthy during this stressful season.

* 1 organic yellow onion, chopped
* 2 cloves organic garlic, sliced
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 3 1/2–4 cups 365 Organic Everyday Value™ Chicken Broth
* 1 (14.5-oz) can 365 Everyday Value™ Sliced Carrots, drained
* 1 (15-oz) can 365 Everyday Value™ Cannellini Beans
* 2 cups fresh organic baby spinach
* 2 cups (1/2–3/4 lb) cubed leftover turkey meat*
* 1 1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
* sea salt, to taste
* freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a sauce pot over medium-high heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil 3 minutes. Add thyme and stir to blend. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Check seasoning and serve.
*Okay to substitute leftover chicken, or season and bake about 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast at 375º for 20–25 minutes until cooked through.


Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

Vegetarian
Spinach and Cheese Lasagna

This recipe serves 6–8 for when you need to serve more than four or want leftovers for lunch the next day. It's sure to become a family favorite.

* 2 cups (15–16 oz) ricotta cheese
* 1 cup grated 365 Everyday Value™ Mozzarella Cheese, divided
* 1 cup Whole Creamery™ 3-Cheese Blend, divided
* 1 egg
* 1 (16-oz) bag frozen 365 Everyday Value™ Spinach, thawed, chopped and well drained
* sea salt, to taste
* ground pepper, to taste
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1 (25-oz) jar organic pasta sauce
* 9–12 no boil lasagna noodles, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl mix ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup 3-cheese blend, egg, spinach, salt, pepper and oregano. In another bowl, combine the remaining cheeses. In a 9x13" non-reactive baking pan, layer one cup sauce, then a layer of noodles, layer of ricotta/spinach mixture and repeat. Top with sauce then sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Pour 1 cup water around the edges of pan. Cover with parchment paper, then very tightly with foil and bake 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for inviting me Megan to this blog. I'm excited about sharing recipes. I love to cook, especially new recipes. Here is a great coffee cake recipe Justin and I found online at allrecipes.com. I wanted a coffee cake for my birthday and Justin was making it. His first cake ever! :) This recipe is so easy and very delicious. He did a fabulous job! My mother-n-law is making it for me again this weekend :)

Cinnamon Coffee Cake II

INGREDIENTS

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix (Duncan Hines or cake mix without pudding in ingredients)
2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup of applesauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, vanilla pudding mix, Add the eggs, oil,applesauce, and water, mix until well blended. In another bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Pour half of the batter into the pan, spread evenly. Sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Cover with the rest of the batter, and sprinkle with the rest of the nut mixture.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 35 minutes. Check the oven though to not overcook.

Creamy Broccoli Soup:
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced zuccini and or squash
1/2 cup diced onion
3 tbs oil
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup instant white rice
2 cup milk
4 1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup parmesian cheese

Sautee vegetables(not broccoli) in oil. Add broth and pepper, bring to a boil. Add broccoli and rice cook until broccoli is tender. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend together. (I use a hand mixer, I like to leave some chunks of vegetables). Return to pot, add milk and cheese. Cook until heated through.

Great whole-wheat pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting.
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz can pumpkin
2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350'. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add all dry ingredients. Mix together. Add chocolate chips. Drop onto cookie sheet with spoon.
Frosting: Cream together 3oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup butter. Stir in 1tsp vanilla. Slowly add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating until creamy. (I like to add a little almond extract to my frosting-great flavor)

Cold Noodle Salad

1/2lb. to 1lb. - Linguine or thick Spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 large to medium - Cucumber, seeded and cut into strips
2-4 carrot stalks - Carrots, peeled and cut into strips
2 tbsp. - Sesame Seeds, toasted

Sauce:
Whisk the following together in a bowl or pour into blender to blend:
1 cup - Vegetable Oil
¼ cup - Rice Vinegar
1/3 cup - Soy Sauce
1 ½ tbsp. - Sesame Oil
1 tbsp. - Honey (optional)
¼ cup - Brown Sugar
2 cloves - Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. - Ginger, grated
1/2 cup - Peanut Butter
1 tsp. - Salt
1 tsp. - Black Pepper

Pour sauce over noodles and gently stir in vegetables.
Top with Sesame Seeds.
Serve cold or room temperature.
Great dish for a potluck.

- - -
the recipe above came from my co-worker's mother-in-law, who is Chinese and a very good cook! it's delish.

sorry i haven't been posting, but i no longer have a kitchen. B & I are living with my parents, while I finish a dreadful grad school semester. we are so grateful God gave us a place to live while we are rent our primary residence, plus our 3 investment residences, during this real estate market meltdown. in a nutshell, right now my mom is my gourmet cook, so i just print recipes like these out and request them!

Well girls, haven't been blogging since I lost my paper with passwords on it. But, since Megan is growling at us I thought it would be easier to just get a new password than to hear her complain! HA! Just giving you a hard time Megan! You know I love you! Hey, you get no pictures with my bloggs so hope you have good imaginations.

Megan called me for this recipe so I thought I would just share it with all.

Granny Mag's Stack Cake
3 1/2 C. flour (or more) 1/2 Tsp soda
1/2 C. Lard or shortening 1/2 Tsp salt
2 eggs 1/2Tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. buttermilk 1 1/2 Tsp. ginger (or more according to taste)
2 Tsp baking powder 1 1/2 C. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture alternating with buttermilk. Mix well. This should be a stiff dough like cookie dough. If not gradually add flour until it is. Knead in a container of flour or on a floured board until smooth. Pat into 3- 9in round cake pans or iron skillets and bake until who knows how long, my granny just says,'until it's done hunny'. You should probably go with about 30 minutes just so that it is starting to brown and completely firm. Just watch them closely and you should be able to tell. It's just like cooking a big gingerbread cookie, which is in essence what you are doing. Back to the recipe: Once the cakes have baked, let them cool...completely... I would dare to say overnight even, if at all possible. Then, stack them with either cooked dried apples or apple butter(this is what my Granny Mag used).

Let me share with you my screw ups when attempting this recipe so that you don't do the same. First of all, when the batter started getting thick, I stopped adding flour, thinking the batter should look like cake batter instead of cookie dough. Mistake! Second of all, I did it in a rush, as I do most things. So, I took the cakes out of the oven when they were cooked as a moist cake would be, not a cookie. Finally, I did not let the cakes cool enough because I wanted them for dinner that night and didn't start them until probably 5:00. Ha! My result was a cake that tasted great but was about the ugliest thing that you have ever seen. It completely fell in the middle and I couldn't cut it but had to scoop it out like a pudding. Rather interesting!!! Well, good luck Megan. Learn from my mistakes and let me know the results. A picture would be nice too, since you are a bit more computer savvy than I.

Go Hannah--way to try to keep this thing going :)
Now that we are headed into fall, I'd love to start getting some ideas for meals from everyone. We went apple picking last weekend and I have been making homemade applesauce in the slow cooker. No sugar. Just apples, a bit of water, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. It is so yummy!
We've been eating alot of beans and rice lately. Tonight I am making homemade chicken pot pie since it is 50 degrees outside and I am in need of some warming up!
I'll try to be more faithful at posting. I am in the kitchen all the time with the boys but just have been slacking when it comes to sharing our food ideas with you all.