Mini Chicken Pot Pies

2/3 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup carrots chopped small
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

2 cups shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken)
3/4 cup frozen green peas
4 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425.
Measure out buttermilk and broth.  Combine the two into a two cup liquid measuring cup (It will be very full).  Set aside.

In a skillet melt butter. Saute carrots, onions, and celery for about 5 mintues or until carrots are tender. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Whisk till all is incorporated. Slowly stir in broth mixture while whisking. Be careful in tends to slosh. Continue stirring until thick. Add chicken and peas, stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Roll out dough so that it is thinner. Cut out large circles from 2 of the pie crusts to put in the muffin tins. The circles should be larger than the hole. Put the scraps of dough together and roll out. Keep cutting and repeating till all the dough is used up. Will make about 15-18 Texas sized cupcakes.

Using a large ice cream scoop place one scoop of chicken mixture in each cup.

Cut out circles that will be the size of the top of the mini pies (about a 1/2 cup measurer size).

Cover the tops with the circles.

Seal edges pinching crusts together slightly

Make 3 small slits in the top with a knife to allow steam to escape in the form of a Y.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Rotate in oven and cook for 3-5 more minutes or until crust is a golden brown.

Banana Slush

4 cups Sugar
6 cups Water
5 very ripe bananas, smashed
1 (46 oz.) can Pineapple Juice
1 can Frozen Orange Juice concentrate
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
2 liter Sprite

In a saucepan, boil sugar and water for 3 minutes. Cool.

In a very large bowl, mix bananas, pineapple juice, orange juice concentrate, and lemon juice together. Combine banana mixture and sugar mixture.

Pour into a large freezable container leaving 1/2 inch from top so it can expand when freezing.

When ready to serve stab frozen slush with fork to break it up.

Dish into individual cups leaving room for Sprite to be added and slushed.

Hoisin Beef Skewers

2 pounds flank steak
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 limes juice
1 tablespoon honey
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 inch ginger, shredded 
1 teaspoon sesame oil 
1 teaspoon Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
~20 (8 inch) bamboo skewers

Thinly slice the flank steak across the grain and at an angle, creating slices 1 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick.  Place in a gallon size ziplock bag.

Whisk together the hoisin sauce, lime juice, honey, garlic, salt, sesame oil, Frank's, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a bowl; pour over meat in plastic bag and coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag.

Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 12 hours.

You need to soak the skewers for 20 minutes before threading meat onto them.  It will take some time to thread the meat onto the skewers so take into account about 1 hour before grilling to soak and thread.   

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.  Fold a piece of tin foil the length of the grate to lay the skewer ends on so that turning them will not be too hot and the skewers do not burn.  WEAR heavy duty baking GLOVES when turning skewers.

Cook the skewers on the preheated grill until cooked to your desired degree of doneness, ~3 minutes per side for well done.

Baked Potato Casserole

2 1/2 pounds red potatoes
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups cubed sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon green onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Wash and scrub the potatoes.  Cube into bite size pieces.  Put in a large pot and fill with water to half the depth of the potatoes.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Once it comes to a boil reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes.  Drain.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add to potatoes and toss gently to coat. Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Pepperoni Pizzazz

8 oz. Spiral Pasta
28 oz. Spaghetti Sauce
1 can sliced Mushrooms, drained
8 oz. (~100 slices) sliced Pepperoni cut in half
1/2 cup Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Onion, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to keep from cooking any longer.

In a large bowl combine 2 1/3 cups spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, pepperoni, green pepper, onion, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Add pasta, mix well. Pour into greased casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce with 1 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce. Pour over casserole.

Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake another 10 minutes.

Pepperoni Rolls

2 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Yeast
1/2 cup oil
6 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
150 slices Pepperoni

Heat milk in microwave for two minutes.  Pour liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.  Sprinkle yeast over liquid.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  

Add the oil and 2 cups flour, and salt.  Mix at low speed with a dough hook while scraping sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber scrapper, just until well mixed, about 1-2 minutes.

Gradually add the rest of the flour while mixer is on speed 2 over about 1-2 minute total time period. Continue beating on speed 2 for 10 minutes while every once in a while scrapping sides with rubber scrapper. The mixture will be soupy.

Increase speed to 4 and mix for 2 minutes. Mixture will be runny and thin.

Scrap dough off of dough hook and spray top of dough in the bowl with a little Pam. Cover and place in an oven. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and place it on a rack under the dough. Let dough 
rise for 1 hour.

Shape the dough into 30 little 2 inch balls and place on 2 air bake cookie sheets. You will need to coat your palms with oil for each dough ball to keep from sticking to your hands. I put about 1/4 cup of oil in a dish and keep dipping my fingers and rubbing my hands.

I like to set out sets of 5 pepperonis along side of each dough ball. Flatten each dough ball out to cover the palm of your hand. I like to think of making little pizzas starting from the center with my thumbs and working my way out to the edges to make small pizza shapes. Layer the 5 pepperonis down the center. Fold over the sides of the dough and then the top and bottom. Pinch seams so no pepperoni is showing. Lay seam side down on a baking tray. Spread oil over the tops of the rolls and cover with a cloth.

Let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack for about 15 minutes to cool. Store in a zip lock bag.

Chicken and Noodles

3 bags Chicken Flavored Noodles
1 rotisserie Chicken shredded
1 large dollop Sour Cream
1 can Rotel, undrained

Prepare chicken flavored noodles according to package directions. When noodles are done add remaining ingredients.

Note: You can substitute one large diced tomato or a can of diced tomatoes for the can of Rotel so it is not so spicy.

Note: my kids like it when I just add the sour cream and rotel to my dish.  I mix both in a bowl and spoon it over my individual bowl.

Kielbasa Sandwiches

1 lb. Kielbasa Sausage (beef)
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Onion, sliced
1 Bell Pepper, sliced
4 Hoagies
Grey Poupon
Bbq Sauce
8 slices Provolone Cheese

Cut Kielbasa into 6-8 sections. Then slice each section lengthwise. Grill sausage.

In a skillet melt butter. Add onions and bell peppers and saute till desired doneness.

Split Hoagies in half lengthwise if they have not come pre-cut. Lay them on a baking sheet with middles facing up. Spread Grey Poupon on the bread. Then go back over them and spread the bbq sauce. Divide the cheese in half and put two halves on each slice of bread.

Turn oven on to Broil and bake bread till the bread starts to turn crispy and cheese is melted.

Put 3-4 grilled sausages on an open faced sandwich. Top with the saute veggies.

You can either put the other piece of bread on your sandwich and eat it like a sandwich or you can grab a sharp knife and fork and eat it open faced.

Chicken Ravioli Alfredo

1 package of frozen Cheese Ravioli
1 jar Alfredo Sauce
3-4 Tablespoons Pesto
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded
Sun Dried Tomatoes if desired

Cook ravioli according to package directions.

In a large skillet heat up alfredo sauce, pesto, and Parmesan cheese over medium heat. When you see the cheese get stringy add the chicken to the sauce and sun dried tomatoes if desired.

Place ravioli into individual bowls and cover with sauce.

Eat with garlic bread.

Note: Also is really good substituting the chicken, pesto, and sun dried tomatoes for grilled Kielbasa (beef) slices.  I just saute slices in a skillet turning with tongs.  Serve on the side.  

Week 3 Goals

THIS week                                Week 1
Weight: 148.6 lbs                      150.4 lbs
bust: 38.5 in                               39.5 in
waist: 32.75 in                           33.5 in
tummy: 38 in                             40 in
hips: 42 in                                  43 in

Goals:
3x TKD
3x Hapkido
3x run 5 min

eat breakfast lunch and dinner
no snacking unless fruits or veggies raw
only water to drink

Kids goals:
brush teeth 2x a day
flush!

(Note: I feel like a am cheating a little bit because I only drink water to begin with, but that is healthy and I want to salitify that I will go 3x a week to TKD and Hapkido.  The hard part about this week is running, Ughhhhh)

Week 2 observations

It was so much easier to do the 3x taekwondo and hapkido this week.  There were no other commitments that got in the way.  I guess I just have to make sure that I don't schedule too much on M, W, and F so that I will not feel too overwhelmed to get them in.  I have to decide if exercise is a priority that I will put above other activities.  I would say that in most cases I will be able to make up a class on Sat if I get busy on one day.  But I need to get into the mindset that TKD is not something to be missed or else I will find that I am willing to skip it.

Eating 3 meals a day still was a struggle.  I found myself missing a breakfast and one day I missed a lunch.  That made it so I ate at 6 am but didn't eat again till after 9 pm that night.  That cannot be healthy.  Also there was one day when I chaparoned a field trip that lasted from 8:30 am till after 3 am the next day.  That was not a good day for 3 meals.  I packed a lunch which I ate around 10 am.  Then bought Bojangles chicken strips and fries at the concession stand and then ate chips and teddy grahams at midnight as a snack on the bus.

The kids only brush their teeth when I remind them.  No habits forming there.  I do though think that I will continue reminding them and add on that they need to flush.  The punishment for not flushing has not been determined.  They get ice cream or dessert of whatever kind we are having that night if they have done both throughout the day.  I guess we will see how this will work and how will I know which of the minions didn't flush!