Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 2% milk)

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening and mix. Add milk. Flour surface and knead dough, adding flour if dough is too sticky. Roll out dough to about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Cut out with biscuit cutter or small cup. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield: 8 biscuits (depending on how thin you roll them out).

Best served warm with butter and jelly or honey. OR topped with gravy! Yummmmm!!

Mexican Chicken Cornbread Stuff

2 chicken breasts, browned and chopped into small pieces
taco seasoning (I use about 2 Tbsp. each of ground chili powder, ground garlic powder and 1 Tbsp of ground cumin)
1 medium onion, chopped and browned
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (plus egg and milk to make cornbread)
black olives, sliced (optional)
grated cheddar cheese
salsa (optional, good alternative to onions and taco seasoning or as a garnish)
sour cream (optional garnish)

Options for this dish are endless! Use as much of the various ingredients as your family will enjoy.

Mix all desired ingredients, except cornbread, in medium bowl. Mix cornbread separately in small bowl.

Option 1: Spoon meat into muffin tins. Top with cornbread batter and bake.
Option 2: Spoon meat into small casserole dish. Top with cornbread batter and bake.

Cheese can be added to the meat, or as a layer on top of the meat, or mixed into the cornbread.

Bake at 350 until cornbread is browned, about 30-40 minutes.

Serves: 4-5 generous portions.

Cheddar Bread

*** Original recipe came from my friend, Amy, and was titled "Savory Cheddar Bread."

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Combine egg, milk, and butter; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spread batter in greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Yield: 1 loaf.

*** My notes: According to personal taste, I leave out the oregano and increase the ground mustard to 3/4 tsp. Also, I use 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. onion powder because I don't usually buy onion salt. I usually put in more shredded cheese (we like a lot of cheese around here!). I have dropped the dough onto a sheet pan for biscuits rather than loaf bread. This is a very flexible quick bread and will allow for a lot of play in the recipe.

Chicken and Cornbread Dressing

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (plus milk and egg for cornbread)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tblsp. poultry seasoning (amount is to taste)
1 egg
milk
fresh chopped and sauted mushrooms (optional)
fresh chopped and sauted onion (optional)

Brown chicken breasts. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Bake cornbread according to directions. Saute onion and mushrooms. Allow everything to cool enough to handle.

In a small bowl combine mushroom soup, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, egg, mushrooms, onion, and cut up chicken. In a large bowl break up cornbread into crumb size pieces. Pour soup mixture into cornbread crumbs and combine well. Add enough milk to make mixture moist but not wet.

Spoon into baking pan or casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. For brown top remove aluminum foil or casserole cover during last 15 minutes.

Feeds: 4-6 generous portions.

*** This started out as an "official" recipe my sister-in-law made for Thanksgiving on year. It has evolved to what you see above. The amounts are guesstimates based on what my family likes. You might add more or less chicken, use left over cornbread, use canned mushrooms, or onion powder.

Mix - and - Match Quick Bread

*** I found this recipe at By Sun and Candlelight blog.

Mix-and-Match Quick Bread (Frozen Assets)

3 cups flour (whole wheat and white make a nice blend)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (you can this down and see very little difference)
2 cups Mix-N-Match (see list below)
3 teaspoons vanilla (use pure vanilla not imitation)
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds

Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together. Stir in Mix-N-Match and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spoon into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour. When cool, wrap bread in foil; label and freeze. Makes 2 loaves.

Mix-N-Match (one of more of the following to equal 2 cups)

Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries
Coconut
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit one cup sugar)
Mincemeat
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped (peach butter)
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped (pearsauce)
Pineapple
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned (fresh, cooked and mashed too)
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well drained (dice them)
Sweet potato or yams, cooked and mashed or grated
Zucchini, grated and well drained

Basic Menu Plan for August 08

I'm working really hard this month to stay within our grocery/food budget -$300. I'll keep you posted on whether or not I make it. As part of my efforts I have designed a "basic" menu for this month which includes a lot of ingredients all ready in my pantry. By basic I mean few ingredients, kid-friendly (for the most part), and easy to make. I'm sure what is basic for one person is NOT for another.

You'll notice we have grilled steak every week and lots of chicken. That's because my local supermarket had a great sale recently and I stocked up!

Since I'm always looking for ideas, what are some of your basic recipes or meal plans? By the way, if you use any of "my" recipes I'd love to hear how it turns out!

Week One
Chicken & Cornbread Dressing, Salad
Library Night: Chicken Nuggets, French Fries, Fruit
Roast Beef, Potatoes, Carrots, Gravy, Yeast Rolls
Grilled Chicken w/ Peanut Sauce, Steamed Broccoli, Steamed Carrots, Rice
Spaghetti, Salad, Cheddar Bread, Fruit
Mexican Chicken Cornbread Stuff, Sour Cream, Black Olives, Fruit

Week Two
Lunch @ Mall? Leftovers?
BBQ Chicken, Baked Potato, Corn, Cheddar Bread
Grilled Steak, Baked Potato, Fruit
Zoo Member Night: PB & J, Apples, Zoo Ice Cream
Curry Chicken Salad, Apple, Flour Tortilla
Homemade Pizza, Pineapple Slices
Bacon, Fried Potatoes, Scrambled Eggs, Homemade Biscuits

Week Three
Taco Salad, Fruit, Ice Cream
Easy Breaded Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Steamed Carrots, Rice
Extra Easy Lasagna, Salad, Cheddar Bread, Fruit
Grilled Steak, Baked Potato, Fruit
Leftovers? Eat out? Something Easy!
Drive to NY
Jess & Andy Wedding in NY

Week Four
Tortilla Stack, Sour Cream, Corn, Fruit
Sloppy Toms/Joes, Buns, Cheese, Raw Carrots, Fruit
Grilled Ham & Cheese Sandwich, Raw Carrots, Fruit
Zesty Baked Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, Steamed Carrots, Rice
Grilled Steak, Baked Potato, Fruit
Ellie turns 2!! Homemade Pizza, Pineapple Slices, Birthday Cake
Grilled Hamburgers, Buns, Cheese, Fruit