Menu and a Recipe Too!

Here is a stew recipe that is perfect for all you people who are stuck indoors freezing (even though we had the stew last week and it was a beautiful 70 degrees all week ha ha!) This is a variation of a stew my mom used to make on the stove top. Ryan loves it, Tommy will actually eat it and it makes enough to last at least 2 meals.

In crockpot add:
1 small roast (or stew meat, but it isn't as flavorful)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 small can tomoto sauce (or can of diced tomotoes if you like them)
1 can of french style green beans (drained)
1 small can of corn (drained)
2 large potatoes (chopped)
2 large carrots (chopped)
half of yellow onion diced
about a tsp. of minced garlic
beef boullion cube
pepper
Once everything is in the crockpot add enough water so that it barely covers the top of the food and cook on low for 8 hours or until roast is done. Take the roast out and shred then mix back together. This is really great served with cornbread or homemade bread.

Here is are latest menu- let me know if you have any good meal ideas or recipes you would like to share!

pizza- homemade with bacon on top- yum!
stew- 2 nights
peanut butter chicken- 2 nights
go out- Saturday we decided to try a Columbian restaurant near our house and regretted it.
After wasting $20 there we stopped at McD's after!
baked cod and 3 cheese bread

For the cod I tried a recipe I read on-line and we ending up really liking it. I didn't get the exact measurements... For 2 6 oz. pieces of cod I mixed approximately 3/4 cup lite mayo, 1/4 cup lite sour cream, 1 tbls. lemon juice, 1-2 tsp. dill weed and pepper. Pour over top of fish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Ok- some yummy recipes!

Cran-Apple Bread
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. applesauce
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. soda
3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. fresh cranberries chopped
2 c. peeled/diced Granny Smith apples
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix wet ingredients, sift dry ingredients and add to wet. Then add fruit and vanilla. Grease 8 in. bread pans and bake 50-60 min. at 350 degrees. I thought this was a good way to use some fresh cranberries I got for cheap!


Black Bean Salsa Dip
We had this at a bbq a while back and LOVED it!
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can white corn
2 large tomotoes, diced
2-3 avacadoes, diced
1 bunch of cilantro chopped
1/2 red onion diced
1 packet of Zesty Italian dressing prepared as directed.
Mix everything together and enjoy with tortilla chips. This recipe makes a lot, it was too much for me and Ryan, but would probably be good for a party or a larger family.

Apple Pie
This is the best apple pie ever!! I orginally got this recipe from my friend, Heather, but I altered it a little.
Pie crust:
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. flour
dash of salt
1/4 c. cold water
Cut flour and salt into shortening then add water and knead. Roll out and place in bottom of pie pan.

Filling:
4 c. Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (approx. 4 apples)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
2 Tbl. flour
Mix and pour into crust

Topping:
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
Mix and sprinkle on top.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour 45 min. with cookie sheet underneath.

Thanksgiving and new dinners!

First, I was going to mention that we have tried most of meat we received from Omaha Steaks. The steaks had a great texture and hardly any fat on them. The steak burgers are really good. They cook more like steak than hamburgers and have a great flavor and texture. The twice baked potatoes were good as far as frozen food goes and the carmel apple tarts were good, but I would have liked them bigger. I think if you can get the sales price they are worth the money and great gift ideas.
For Thanksgiving we tried a couple of new things this year. It is a Martin tradition to appetizers before Thanksgiving dinner. Most people don't like it because they are saving room for dinner. But I feel the appetizers keep your stomach nice a ready for the big meal and they distract you in case the turkey isn't done on time.
-Most people have heard of or tried the cranberry juice mixed with Sprite or GingerAle.
I decided this drink would taste better if the cranberry was a slush. So I mixed cran-
berry juice and real cranberries then froze it, unthawed it enough to break it up, then
froze it again. Ryan and I liked it better.
-Some new appetizers we tried were black bean salsa and cranberry apple bread. I will
post the recipes soon.
Pretty much everything else I made was generic (other than the apple pie, but I willpost that recipe later too).
Also, here is a new menu (most of the stuff has leftovers and our schedule is a little out of wack, so I won't post days):
Stroganoff
Chicken Parmesan
Tacos
Yorkshire pudding with roast and gravy
Fish/bread/salad - I bought some cod- does anyone have recommendations on the best way to cook it?