Well, after 1 year I am back! This is my outlet! I love to cook, and especially trying things that are difficult for me to figure out. Find below a few of my comfort foods:
Snickerdoodles (Mom Anderson's Recipe)
1 C. Butter
2 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Milk
1 t. Vanilla
3 3/4 Flour
1/2 t. Soda
1/2 t. Cream of Tartar
1/2 t. Salt
Bake 375 for 10-12 minutes

The BEST Cookie Mix Ever!
1 1/2 C. Sugar
2 C. Brown Sugar
1 lb. Butter (4 Sticks)
3 Eggs
2 T. Vanilla
(Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl)
5 1/2 C. Flour
1 1/2 t. Salt
1 1/2 T. Baking Soda
*Add a couple spoons of flour until it doesn't stick. Then mix with wet. At the end, add 1 bag Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches
2-4 Chicken Breasts
3 Stocks of Celery
4 Stocks of Green Onions
2 C. Grapes- Red
1 C. Pineapple
3 C. Mayo
4 T. Lemon Juice
1 t. Dry Mustard
Salt & Pepper
Serve on a crossiant! These are great!!!

Shredded Beef Sandwiches (Robyn Metler)
RUB for a nice size Roast:
1 1/2 t. Salt
1 t. Garlic Salt
1 t. Onion Salt
2 t. Celery Salt
2 t. Pepper
3 t. Worcestershire Sauce
Bake at 225 over night.
Shred & let it sit for the day. Add a couple squirts of Russian Dressing & 1 Bottle Hickory BBQ Sauce.
Serve on nice Hamburger Buns! Love this one if we are in a Hurry for Soccer Games. :)

2nd Post- Weeks 2-4:
Here are a couple ideas for Breakfast!

German Pancakes-
1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Evaporated Milk
1/4 t. Salt
4 Eggs (Whipped)
In an 9x13 pan melt 2 T. Butter while oven is pre-heating at 425.
Mix the above ingredients and after butter is melted, pour batter in pan and bake 12-15 min.

Panckaes: I have found that the two best mixes for pancakes are Honeyville & Lehi Roller Mills. Just add water!

Waffels: Use the above mixes and either add oil or egg whites.

Eggs: we like them scrambled, hard boiled, poached, etc.

Toast: The best made toast is the Wheat bread from Costco! Boys love it!

Swedish Pancakes (Crepes):
3 C. Milk
3 T. Butter/ Margarine
Combine and cook in microwave for 5 minutes.
In a blender combine:
3 Eggs
1 t. salt
2 t. sugar
1 1/2 C. Flour
As soon as milk & butter are melted, pour into blender and blend until smooth.
Cook in a round 8 or 12" round frying pan. (Depends on how big you want it!)

Dinner!

Here is another 2 weeks you can add to your menu.
Monday- Angel Hair Chicken Pasta
Tuesday-Polynesian Pork Chops
Wednesday-Country Fried Steak
Thursday-Tostadas
Friday-Grilled Cheese
Saturday-Baked Chicken
Sunday- On your own!

Monday- Potato Soup
Tuesday-Chicken Haystacks
Wednesday-Steak Dinner
Thursday-Ham (Crock-pot style)
Friday-Corndogs & Nuggets
Saturday-Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Sunday- On your own!

Monday- Angel Hair Chicken Pasta (Eileen Workman)
1 Box Barilla ANGEL hair pasta
1 or 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
1/4 C. Butter
1/2 of 8 oz. tub of Chive & Onion cream cheese
1/2 C. White grape juice (you mix the concentrate with 3 cans of water)
(she dilutes the white grape juice a little so it's not so strong)
1 Package Good Seasons Zesty Italian Seasoning (either 6 or 7 oz.)

Put all ingredients (except chicken & pasta) in a saucepan: melt, stir & blend. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and put in a 9x13 pan (larger if doubled). Pour sauce over chicken. Cober with foil. Bake 1 hour at 325

Tuesday- Polynesian Pork Chops

Use 6 boneless Pork chops and sprinkle with 1 t. Garlic Powder. Heat 1 T. Oil in a skillet and add chops. Cook 7 minutes on each side until browned. Remove to platter. Add 1/2 an onion, sliced and 1/2 green pepper, sliced. Cook for 2 minutes.

Combine:
1 Cup Pineapple chunks
3 T. Soy Sauce
1 T. Honey
1 can Mushroom soup

Stir above ingredients into skillet. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Add chops and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Wednesday- Country Fried Steak

Heat 2 T. Oil in skillet.
Mix together:
3 T. Flour
Salt & Pepper

Dip steaks in 1/2 C. Milk and then coat wit flour. Brown in hot oil for 5 minutes on each side. Place in baking dish. Pour 2 C. water into skillet and bring to boil, scraping any crusts off bottom of pan. Add 1 pkg. Brown Gravy Mix and whisk until smooth and bubbly. Pour over steaks, cover and bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

*I like to serve this with red potatoes, and salad!

Thursday- Tostadas

Crumble 1 lb. ground beef into skillet. Cook on hight heat until browned. Add 1 t. garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Drain off excess fat. heat 1 can Refried Beans. Spread beans over tostada shells. Spoon beef over beans.

Top with:
Green Onion
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Tomato, Chopped
Salsa
Sour Cream
ETC.

Friday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Bryan and I have an electric sandwich maker. This comes in handy when you want dinner really fast.
2 pieces of bread
Cheese in the Middle!

*I actually like my grilled cheese a little softer, so I like to cook it on a skillet or frying pan. They tend to be much cheesier. We usually serve this with fruit salad or chips.

Saturday- Baked Chicken

You can buy a chicken pre-cooked at grocery stores, Costco, Sam's Club, etc. This makes dinner a little faster. But if you would like to cook your own here is how:

1 medium whole chicken
Thaw and make sure chicken is hallowed out. No neck, etc in the middle!
Place in a baking dish and season with All Season Spices, Chicken Tenderizer, Salt & Pepper.
Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

*We like to serve the chicken with rice (Rice a Roni- chicken flavor is great) or baked potatoes, etc.

Sunday- You are on your own!

Monday- Potato Soup
Peel & Cut (cubed) up 4 potatoes & boil until tender.
In a frying pan, cook 4-6 pieces of bacon, and crumble
Slice 2-3 stalks of celery and add to bacon the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.
In another pot, melt 1 cube butter
Add: 1/2 C. flour and whisk into butter until smooth and bubbly.
Add: 4-6 C. milk or as much as you need for soup consistency. Add Salt, Pepper & onion salt to taste in the soup mixture. As soon as it thickens, add potaotes (drained) and bacon & celery.
Cook an additional 10 minutes over low heat.

*We like to serve this with cornbread! (Marie Callendars) Honey butter makes a great addition:
4 cubes butter & 4 heaping scoops of creamed honey. Whip in mixer or by a hand mixer until light and fluffy.

Tuesday- Haystacks
Bring 2 C. Water to a boil. Add 2 t. bouillon & dissolve. Stir in 1 can cream of chicken soup until smooth. If gravy is too thin, make a paste with cold water and cornstarch. Stir gradually into gravy until desired consistency. Stir in 2 C. cooked chicken, cubed.
Cook rice and serve gravy over rice. Top with the following:
Chow Mein Noodles
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions
Pineapple
Celery, chopped
Water Chestnuts
Slivered Almonds
Olives
& More...

Wednesday- Steak Dinner
*Bryan and I like to get a good size T-bone or Serloin Steak and BBQ it on the grill. If it is big enough, it may even feed the whole family. I like to keep it in the refrigerator a couple of days after buying it. "They say, the longer it sits after buying it, the better in may be..." Not too long or it will go bad! :) We just season it a little bit and cook it on the grill. Remember cooking a steak on the grill needs to be on Medium or Medium-High heat. Depends on what and how you want to cook your steak.
*We like to eat baked potaotoes or a nice salad with our steak.

Thursday- Ham (Crock- Pot Style)
Get the sice of ham that you would like to cook (not too big or it won't fit in the crock pot!)
Cover the ham with:
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 Can Crushed Pineapple & Juice
A little bit of Ground Mustard
Cook on Medium or Low heat for 6-8 hours. The longer and slower, the better.

Serve with Scalloped Potatoes, Rolls, etc.

Friday- Corndogs and Nuggets
Today is an easy day. Buy some corndogs or Nuggets and take it easy!

Saturday- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
( I got this recipe from my Mom- Carolyn Metler)
2-3 Cooked Chicken Breasts (boneless)
2-3 stocks of Celery- sliced
2-3 Green Onion - sliced
2 C. Grapes
1 C. Pineapple (crushed is best!)
1- 1 1/2 C. Mayo (Not miracle whip)
2 T. Lemon Juice
1/2 t. Dry Mustard
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Mix it all together and refrigerate at least 1 hour before eating. (you don't have too, but it is better.)
*Bryan and I like to eat these on crossants. They are an Anderson favorite! Serve with chips, fruit salad or more.

Sunday- You're on your own!

Here are a few of my favorite recipes you might like to try.

Yummy Yeast Rolls (Taste of Home Book)
*These are fast & easy to make!
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 C. Flour, 3 T. Sugar, 1/2 t. salt, 2 T. Melted Butter. In a separate bowl or cup, combine 3/4 C. Water and 1 T. Yeast or 1 pkg yeast. Let rise a bit. Combine water & yeast with all other ingredients and mix 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead until smooth. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough out to 3/8" thickness; cut with a cup or biscuit cutter. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled. Bake 375 for 11-14 minutes.

Gingersnaps (Kimberlee Reiske's Cookies)
3/4 C. Shortening
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 C. Molasses
Cream until smooth and fluffy.
Add:
2 C. Flour
2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Ginger
1/2 t. Cloves
1/4 t. Salt
Chill dough 1 hour. Roll in Sugar & Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Candied Chex (Candied Popcorn)- (Leslie Anderson)
2 Cubes Butter (Melt in pot)
Add: 1 1/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Karo Syrup
Whisk together and stir until boiling. Let boil for 2 minutes exact!
Pour candy mixture over Chex (corn or rice) or you can use Popcorn.
In my Chex mix I like to cool it a little and then add colored marshmallows to spunk it up a bit! My kids absolutly love this recipe!

That's All for Now~ We'll see you soon!
Jerilyn
P.S. For comments, email me at jmetler23@yahoo.com or to share a recipe!

2 Week Meal- First Post!!!

Week 1
Monday- Stir Fry & Rice
Tuesday- Meat Loaf, Sweet Potatoes & Lime Jello
Wednesday-Cheese Soup & Muffins
Thursday-Scones with Honey or Navajo Style
Friday- Honey Chicken
Saturday-Spaghetti & Meatballs
Sunday- On your own

Week 2
Monday-Vegi-Soup
Tuesday- Swiss Chicken
Wednesday-Pot Roast (Crock Pot Style)
Thursday- Chicken Pot Pie
Friday-Pizza
Saturday-Lasagna
Sunday-On your own

Here are the recipes:
Stir Fry- They have mix at the store in the salad section. This is cheaper than buying all the ingredients separate. Approximately $3.29 a bag. Add Chicken, Pork, Steak, etc. Use your stir fry sauce with it. Makes for a great meal. You can also buy noodles to go with it our just cook rice.
Meat Loaf-
My boys love this meal. Also my Father in law.
Thaw 1 lb hamburger. Put in a bowl and mix in 2 slices of bread, 2 eggs, 1/2 c. katchup, a little bit of Worchestershire sauce, 1 C. Salsa & mix together good. Place in a loaf pan lined with tinfoil. (This is so it is easier to clean up!) Make a well in the middle and you can either put katchup in it or I like to mix 2 T. Honey a little mustard and 1 T. brown sugar. It makes a great taste on top of the loaf. Cook on 350 for 45 minutes.
Sweet Potatoes- While the meat loaf is cooking I peel, cut up and boil 2 sweet potatoes until tender. Drain. Sauce- Melt 1 cube butter and then add about 1 C. Brown Sugar and boil for 2 minutes. Drizzle over potatoes in a 8x8 pan. Place in oven and sprinkle marshmallows over the top. Cook until marshmallows are brown. (Do this the last 15 minutes of Meatloaf cooking).
Green Jello- Boil 1 C. Water & pour into blender. Sprinkle 3 oz. gelatin & process until dissolved. Add 3 oz. Cream Cheese and blend until smooth. Add 7 ice cubes and blend until ice is dissolved. Stir in 1 cup crushed pineapple and pour into mold. Top with Whipped topping.

Cheese Soup- 2 C. Chopped Carrots, 1 C. Chopped Celery, 1/2 C. Chopped Onion. Boil 2 C. water and add the above ingredients and boil. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl add 6 C. Water & 2 t. Chicken Bouillon & dissolve. In another pot, add 1/2 c. Butter, melt, and then add 1/2 c. Flour and whisk until thick & bubbly. Gradually stir in bouillon water. Cook until mixture begins to boil and thickens. Add 16 oz. Cheese Whiz and whisk until smooth. Drain vegis and add to cheese sauce. (This tastes like something you would get in a restaraunt!)

Scones- I buy the Honeyville scone mix at the store (Macey's) and just add water and yeast!

Honey Chicken-1/3 C. Dijon mustard, 1/3 C. Honey. Combine in a small bowl. Stir in 1 t. orange peel, and 1 T. dill. Place chicken on baking sheet lined will foil. Brush sauce on both sides of chicken. Bake at 400 for 20-30 min or until no longer pink. (We like to BBQ it!)

Vegi Soup- Cook vegis: 1 C. Cut carrots, 1 C. cubed potatoes, & 1 C. Celery. Melt 4 T. butter in saucepan. Add 1/2 C. flour & stir until smooth. Gradually stir in 6 C. Milk and cook until thickened. Stir in vegis. Add 1/2 t. Tarragon, 1 T. Parsley, 1 t. Salt, & 1/4 t. pepper.

Swiss Chicken- Arrange 6 chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Place 1 slice Swiss cheese on each chicken. Stir 2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup & 1/4 water together and cover chicken. Spread crushed seasoned stuffiing mix over top. Approximately 2 Cups. Melt 1/3 C. butter and drizzle over the top of the stuffing. Bake uncovered 350 for 45-50 minutes. I like to cook it 15-20 minutes longer to make sure my chicken is not pink!!!

Pot Roast (Crock-Pot)- I buy a roast and put it in the crock pot and cook it for 6-8 hours. I will add 4 Cups water, 1 pkg. Onion Soup and then add carrots & Potatoes. (sometimes it seems like 1 full package of Onion soup is too much so I reduce the amount.)

Pot Pie- Buy a packet of Chicken Gravy mix at the store. Make gravy. Add 2 t. chicken bouillon and 1 C. extra water. Mix 1/2 C cold water and 3 T. Flour together until smooth. Gradually pour into chicken gravy. Cook until thick. Stir in 2 C. Chicken, cubed, 1/2 C. frozen peas & carrots and anything else you like in your pot pie. Pour into unbaked pie crusts (from the store or pre-made) Cover the top with pie crust. Slit holes for venting. Bake at 400 on lower rack for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza- I bought the Jiffy Mix that makes pizza dough. It turns out great! Add pizza sauce, cheese and any toppings you can think of! This is fun for the kids to do and make.

Lasagna (Leslie Anderson's recipe) 2 cans Tomato soup, 2 cans Tomato sauce, 2 cans Tomato paste, 1 can stewed tomatoes (in the blender). Boil water and cook 1 package of egg noodles (not the lasagna noodles!) After cooked, add to the tomato mixture. Layer noodles, then add 1 small layer of cottage cheese, 1 layer of mozarella cheese and then noodles again. Top with cheese. Bake 350 for 45 minutes or until heated. (YOU CAN ADD HAMBURGER TO IT TOO!) This recipe is easy and you can also make extra and freeze it for another meal!

The following are two of my most requested recipes for desserts:
The best Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix Ever!!!
1 1/2 C. Sugar
2 C. Brown Sugar
4 Sticks of BUTTER :)
3 Eggs
2 TBSP Vanilla
Mix the wet ingredients first.
Then in a separate bowl combine the following:
5 1/2 C. Flour
1 1/2 t. Salt
1 1/2 T. Baking Soda
Then mix with wet. Add a couple of spoons of flour until it doesn't stick. Add Chocolate chips or whatever you want to this mix. We like Choc. Chips or M & M's
Bake at 350 for 8-10 min (first batch) and then 12-14 min. other batches.

Banana Bread (this recipe comes from the Taste of Home cook book)
1/4 C. Butter, softened
3/4 C. Sugar
cream until light and fluffy. Add
3 Eggs (1 at a time) beating well after each addition.
3/4 C. Banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 C. Sour Cream. Mix well.
Combine:
2 1/4 C. Flour
1 t. Cinnamon
3/4 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt
Stir into banana mixture just until moistened.
Cook in a loaf pan. (Here is the key!) Instead of flouring my pan, I spray it with cooking spray and then sprinkle a cinnamon/sugar mixture inside the pan (all over.) Add Bread mixture. Sprinkle the top of the dough with cinnamon & sugar too. Cook at 350 for 50 min-1 hour. *Mini loaves cook much less time. Check loaf with a tooth pick.


Hope you enjoy the first two weeks of recipes & ideas! Check back frequently for more recipes and ideas from all those that follow.
Jerilyn

What's for Dinner?

January 11, 2011
I am starting this blog because people are always asking ideas for dinner. Well, I am doing the same thing all the time. It is time to share! To save money, time, and snacking I like to create 2 week meal plans. So, I am going to start to share ideas and recipes. Hope you enjoy!!!
Jerilyn
P.S. Please feel free to share and we'll post your great ideas too!