Beer Bread - Broke Food

Beer bread is an excellent quick bread that has just a few ingredients.  Bake it, allow it to cool, and it is great to have with sandwiches or make an egg batter and turn it into French toast.  We like this as just a bread to snack on with real butter and honey.  It also is a great budget stretcher if you're coming up on the end of the week and need bread to go with meals or make sandwiches. 

The recipe calls for Bisquick, but you can also use a substitute for that, which I will list below.  There are only 3 ingredients (my favorite kind!), and it's easy to whip up a batch and have it ready for your next meal.  

Beer Bread 

4 cups Bisquick (this equals one 20 oz. box)*

4 teaspoons sugar 

1 12 oz. can of beer

*If you do not have Bisquick, use 4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt.  

Mix ingredients in a  mixing bowl until it forms a sticky batter. 

Pour into a loaf pan and allow to set for approximately 30 minutes.  This may or may not rise.  Your mileage may vary.  

Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30-40 minutes or until loaf has risen and turned a golden brown.   

Allow to cool for approximately 10-15 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely before slicing. 

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love broccoli cheese soup.  It's warm, it's comforting, it's tasty, and it makes a great lunch.  I have seen so many recipes that call for an elaborate cooking process for making this yummy soup.  Upon examining the ingredients, I discovered that it was a cream soup base with broccoli, cheese, and other spices added in.  It didn't take me long to figure out there was an easier way!  So here it is.  My "recipe" for easy broccoli cheese soup. 

And it has only two pre-packaged ingredients! Actually three if you include the milk. 

Here's how it you make it. You use the two items shown above. Yes, that's really it!  It's so easy, and it tastes wonderful. 

EASY BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

1 box frozen broccoli and cheese sauce (10 oz.)

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz.) 

1 can milk 

Milk to thin to desired consistency 

Microwave broccoli and cheese sauce as directed on package.  While that is cooking, in a medium saucepan over low heat, begin preparing cream of chicken soup.  I recommend using milk because water will make the cheese and cream separate.  Whisk soup in sauce pan until thoroughly mixed.  Once broccoli and cheese are finished cooking, open the plastic package and add broccoli and cheese sauce to soup.  Stir thoroughly to combine.  Thin with more milk to desired consistency.  Serve with bacon bits, fresh ground pepper, salt, and crusty bread. 

If you would like to make this a little more homemade tasting, prior to making soup, you can sautee about 1 tablespoon minced onion in butter.  Then add soup and prepare as usual. 

That is it.  The easiest broccoli-cheese soup you will ever make!

Easy Kitchen Cleanup while Cooking

Some friends and I were having a discussion recently about whether or not we like to cook.  A couple said they wouldn't mind cooking if it didn't make such a mess.  I piped up because one thing that I learned, when I was learning to cook, was how to clean as you go. 

Now, let's get one thing straight.  I... AM... A.. SLOB.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  I would rather do anything that clean, my house is a disaster, and a scatter bomb going off would be an improvement.  As someone once said, "A lazy person will find the fastest way to do something."  That would be me.  

However, one thing I'm weird about is my kitchen.  While there might be clutter around, the kitchen itself will be clean.  I cannot start cooking unless the kitchen is clean first.  Weird, huh? 

I told them my tips for cleaning as I go while I cook, and a friend suggested a blog post.  So here we go! 

Steps to Cleaning while Cooking: 

• Put away any clean dishes in the dishwasher.
• Empty the sink and counter spaces and put all dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
• Plug the sink and squirt in a little dish soap.  Run the sink about half full of soapy water. 
• As you cook and use bowls, utensils, etc., put them in either the sink or the dishwasher.
• Hang a Walmart sack or trash sack over either a cabinet drawer or cabinet door to secure it.  Hang it near where you are cooking. Dump empty cans, packaging, or scraps in as you cook so that you are not moving back and forth between the trash can. 
• Open any cans needed for a recipe.  Drain, if needed.
• Save an empty can into which you can pour drippings from cooked meat, such as hamburger meat. Toss the can when contents are cool. 
• Chop any veggies that need to be chopped.
• Cut up and/or rinse any meat needed in the recipes. 
• Use a spoon rest or folded up dampened paper towel on which to lay any utensils while you cook to prevent drips and spots.  
• As you use something, put it either in the soapy water in the sink, or put larger items in the dishwasher.
• When finished cooking and serving your meal, you can empty the sink and either place soaked items in the dishwasher or give them a quick scrub, rinse, and dry to put them away.  
• Collect trash sack full of items and discard. 
• Wipe down stove/oven, counters, let water out of sink and scour. 

You're done! 

Chipotle Lime Chicken - Freezer to Crock Pot

Chipotle lime chicken is a zesty dish with bold flavors that compliment one another well.  Tomato sauce, cilantro, vegetables, and spices kick this up a notch beyond ordinary.  

Put this in the crock pot in the morning, and come home to a flavorful and satisfying meal without a lot of effort. 

Chipotle Lime Chicken

**This recipe makes two meals.  Cut ingredients in half to make just one recipe.**

8 boneless skinless chicken breasts 
Canadian/Montreal steak seasoning
2 cups diced onion

2 cups chopped celery

2 cups chopped carrots

2  14 oz. cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup lime juice

2 tbsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

4 garlic cloves

3 Tablespoons dried cilantro

Divide chicken breasts into two 1 gallon zippered freezer bags.  Season both sides of each chicken breast liberally with steak seasoning.  Add remaining ingredients, squeeze air from bags, and seal.  When ready to cook, place frozen chunk in crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low 8-9 hours.  Serve over rice or noodles.   

Fifteen Minutes or Less, Frump to Fab

My eldest brother was a stylist and cosmetologist.  When he was still alive, he frequently did fashion shows and passed on quick-fix ideas to me.  He had to make people fabulous with only minutes to spare and developed techniques that he depended upon to make it happen.  He passed these ideas on long ago, but I've found most of them to be rather timeless, and I've used them repeatedly to make my life easier. 

This is one that I've passed on numerous times, and with the holidays coming up, it's time for me to post this one yet again.  So here it is, the 15 minute Frump to Fab routine for when you MUST get out the door quickly and look fantastic. 

Clothing:

• Crisp/starched white shirt  that is on the longish side to come over hips; leave untucked (You can even snag one of hubby’s button-downs, but leave the collar unbuttoned; any other solid-colored shirt will do in a pinch.) 
• If no white shirt, try a button-up shirt over a tank top or camisole. Leave the shirt unbuttoned. 
• Dark jeans or pants  (Boot cut or straight leg is preferable)
• Heels (any type; boots, high heeled sandals, or pumps)

Jewelry:

• Chandelier/dangle/hoop earrings
• Delicate necklace to peek out of shirt at neckline or, conversely, very long, flamboyant necklace to wear outside of collar with more understated dangle/post earrings....or no necklace at all.  Remember, less is more.

Hair:

• Piled up, sleeked back in a ponytail, or if not long enough for that, swept back away from the face with a headband or styled up and back away from the face.
• Tip:  If your hair looks oily/greasy and you don't have time to shampoo try back combing near the hairline then spritzing with hair spray.  Most hair looks dirty because it separates into strings.  Back combing separates the strands and gives the illusion of fullness.  Hairspray usually contains alcohol and will serve to dry out/mop up some of the oil.  

Makeup:  This is the 3-minute makeup routine.  It assumes that each item is the correct shade for your complexion and is of good quality.  It doesn't have to be expensive.  It just needs to be in good condition.  You will need:

• Foundation/powder
• Blush
• Eyeliner (black or brown; brown for daytime, black for night)
• Mascara (black)
• Lip Gloss/tinted gloss (you can use a dot of sparkly eye shadow in the middle of the lower lip along with Vaseline or even Crisco in a pinch)
• If there is time, groom brows and shape them with a brow pencil or brow brush. 

Makeup instructions:   Dot foundation on forehead, both cheeks, tip of nose and chin.  Using both hands, blend over entire face, including eyelids and under eyes. Now’s not the time to be delicate; you’re in a hurry.  If you’re prone to circles under your eyes, use the slightly thickened foundation that is usually under the cap for concealer.  Lightly dust face with powder, if needed.  Next, apply blush to apples of cheeks, then lightly sweep blush over brow bones, toward outer corner of eye.  Line upper eye lids with liner at base of lashes and smudge slightly.  Line halfway under lower lid or omit.  Apply two coats of mascara.  Finish with lip gloss.   This gives a fresh-faced look and can be done in no time, but looks great.

Easy updo:   Pull hair up into a ponytail on top of head, and secure with an elastic band.  Apply mousse, a little gel, or even hairspray (in a pinch) to hair, even if it’s already dry.  Give it a short blast with a blow dryer if it’s still damp.  Use a small-barrel curling iron or the tiniest hot rollers you can find to make numerous curls.  Then, finger fluff curls, and grab chunks and pin into place around ponytail.  If middle part is short, leave curls to hang down in a cascade.  If no curling iron available, finger curl hair under in sections and pin in place around ponytail. 

The reason why this works is that it is a rather timeless, classic look.  A white or light-colored shirt over dark pants is  elegant, simple, and chic.  Leaving the shirt untucked covers any bumps, bulges, or things we'd rather hide, and gives a flowy look.  Piling hair up, and then using dangly/hoop earrings draws the attention upward.  If you use a long, flamboyant necklace, this elongates the look of the body and draws the eye up and down and provides a visually slimming effect.  Dark pants hide any lumps or bumps, and with wearing the shirt out, it can cover a waist band that might not fit so well at the top and provides, again, a visually elongated appearance.  The reason any heel works is that when we wear heels, we are forced to walk with our shoulders back, chest up, and head held up.  You can't slump in heels!  Our carriage and presentation can provide as much appeal as the rest of our appearance.  Ever seen someone walk into a room and immediately draw attention?  More than likely what attracted your attention is the way they carried and presented themselves, not necessarily flamboyant dress or makeup.... although some people have been known to draw a few gasps with a wild outfit!

As far as hair and makeup, here are the reasons for an updo:  Hair that is up and away from our face is more elegant and sophisticated than hair worn down.  You can hide a lot of hair flaws with an up-do.  It also reveals more of your face, which is important during a social event.  

The makeup routine above is fast and simple, and focuses on the main facial elements:  Eyes and lips. 

This is not the mega routine that's going to make you look like a fashion model.  It does, however, bring out your best attributes.  I try to keep basic elements around at all times because they're quick to pull together.  This method is just a way to be able to get going, have fun, and look fabulous without spending a lot of time.  

Now, go out and have a great time! 

Broke Food - Microwave Scrambled Eggs with Veggies or Heuvos Rancheros

A couple of mornings ago, I was starving, and there wasn't a whole lot in the fridge that was ready to eat.  I hadn't been to the grocery store in a while, and it looked like it was going to be a couple of days before I could make a trip.  

I spotted a carton of eggs and some salsa and knew what I wanted.  I just didn't want to have to take the time to get out a bunch of pots and pans and get them dirty.  

Microwave to the rescue!  I quickly gathered my supplies, and within 5 minutes had a hearty breakfast that was flavorful, spicy, and easy. Normally, any self-respecting southern girl would gasp at not cooking your eggs in butter and a cast iron skillet.  However, I just needed to get to work and fast, without having to listen to a growling belly.  

On a side note, I know that most huevos rancheros are made with fried eggs sunny side up; however, since we're doing this quickly, we had all the components, just a slightly different technique.  

I don't care for tortillas in the morning (yes, I'm weird), so I usually pop a couple of slices of toast in the toaster while I'm microwaving the eggs.  And yes, that's a foam plate.  Did I mention I was in a hurry and didn't want to get dishes dirty?  Ha!   This is also a great way to use up those little tiny packets or containers of salsa you receive with fast food and stick in your fridge!

Microwave Scrambled Eggs with Veggies/Huevos Rancheros 

Pam or other oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of milk 

Salt and Pepper 

Spray the inside of a large coffee mug with Pam or lightly grease it with oil.  Crack the 2 eggs into the mug and add the milk, salt, and pepper.  Using a fork, scramble the eggs well.  Microwave on high for approximately 45 seconds.  Remove, stir eggs well, and return to microwave and cook for another 1 minute of time.  Remove the mug from the microwave and immediately dump eggs onto a plate.  Use a fork to break up and distribute scrambled eggs. 

For omelet style scrambled eggs, top with chopped onion, peppers, bits of bacon or ham, cheese, and other goodies.  Use what you have in the fridge.  Leftover stir fried veggies are great heated up and spooned over these eggs.

For huevos rancheros style, top the eggs with shredded cheese and spicy salsa.  Roll into flour tortilla or serve alongside buttered toast.  You could even add refried beans or chili, if you can stomach it first thing in the morning.  Otherwise, it also makes a great evening meal. 

There you have it!  Easy, quick, inexpensive, and satisfying! 

Freezer to Crockpot – Taco Soup

There are a million variations on taco soup. It’s easy, it’s tasty, it’s filling, and you can often ad-lib the ingredients to compensate for items you don’t have or use variations to suit your taste if there are ingredients you don’t like.   

Most recipes I have seen say to use a specific type of meat.  Realistically, you can use anything that you have or omit the meat completely  I like either browned ground beef or browned steak pieces/stew meat, but you can also use chicken and even kielbasa that’s been cooked prior to adding it to the pot.

Here’s the recipe. 

Taco Soup

DO NOT DRAIN CANS OF INGREDIENTS. 

1  to 1.5 lb. meat of choice (if fatty meat such as hamburger meat, cook beforehand)

1 small chopped onion

1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes (or other diced tomatoes with green chiles)

1 can plain diced stewed tomatoes

1 can kernel corn (not cream corn)

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black beans

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. taco seasoning

(These are all the regular small-sized cans (around 14-17 oz.), not the large cans.)

Again, do not drain cans of ingredients. Combine all ingredients in 1 gallon zippered bag and freeze.  When ready to eat, add to crock pot and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. 

Stovetop variation:  Combine all ingredients in 5 qt pan, adding dry ingredients last.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Serve with crackers, tortillas, or Indian fry bread. 

 

SUBSTITUTIONS: 

Vegetarian:  Omit meat completely or substitute cooked lentils, tofu, or TVP.   

Meat:  Use browned hamburger meat, stew meat, or cut up pieces of round steak, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or even cooked shrimp.  You may also use thinly sliced and browned Kielbasa or smoked sausage alone or added with the other meats for an interesting taste combination.  Just make sure when using any fatty meat, such as hamburger meat or sausage, that it’s browned and drained before adding it to the recipe.

Beans/corn:  My hubby isn’t a fan of corn but will eat it in stews.  I sometimes substitute navy beans, garbanzo beans, or black-eyed peas. 

Tomatoes:  Use any canned tomato combination that suits you based on what you have.  I like Ro-Tel tomatoes because they already have peppers in them, and we tend to like our food very spicy.  However, you may substitute tomatoes with chipotle peppers for an interesting combination or even tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic.  If you do not have tomatoes with chiles in them, you can use regular diced stewed tomatoes and add a couple of tablespoons of chopped canned green chiles.  I have also used fresh tomatoes but added a small can of tomato paste to thicken up the soup, as fresh tomatoes tend to have more liquid.  

Homemade Fabric Refresher Spray Like Febreze

I love deodorizing sprays like Febreze, particularly for those days when you walk in the house and can smell everything that just happened in the last 24 hours and some that were even further back than that.

What I don't like is the price!  Depending on where you shop and whether you have coupons, the price is between $3.00 and $5.00 for one bottle.  

There's a much less expensive alternative that works just as well, and you can make it from ingredients you probably have sitting around.  I love using these homemade versions to spray around the house, on the carpets, couches, bedding, and to just randomly squirt throughout a room.

Here are my two versions.  

Homemade Febreze

1 part liquid fabric softener (I like Gain) 

1 part isopropyl or rubbing alcohol  

2 parts water 

Homemade Febreze Recipe #2 

1 part liquid fabric softener  

1 part isopropyl or rubbing alcohol 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

2 parts water 

I use 1/2 cup Gain, 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol, and 1 cup water, but I have made a larger quantity using the same ratios.

Mix well and pour into spray bottle, then spritz wherever odors are evident.

NOTES:
The rubbing alcohol is needed to perform two functions.  The first is to act as an antibacterial.  The second is that it allows the water in the solution to evaporate faster so that splotches of water, resulting in  water circles, are not left on items sprayed.

For the second recipe, the baking soda is, again, optional.  In my experience, it can leave a white, powdery residue on items when dry, but it does help with deodorizing properties.

I hope this economical version is pleasing, and I'd love to know what has worked for you. 

Nutella Hot Chocolate

This was perfect for today because it is cold, rainy, and blustery.  Hot chocolate sounded so good.

I stumbled on this recipe and couldn't believe it.  Nutella hot chocolate?  Seriously?  I could eat Nutella straight from the jar, but making hot chocolate with it?  Swoon!! And, it is a 2-ingredient recipe.  I had to try it! 

I found this recipe here at The Heavenly Hearth.

Nutella Hot Chocolate:
1 cup hot milk
2 tablespoons Nutella*

I warmed the milk in the microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes (you want to make sure it doesn't boil), then stirred in the Nutella a tablespoon at a time.  I tasted it to see if it needed any sugar, and it was just right.  No additional sugar was needed. 

This definitely rates high on the wow factor!

*I've heard you can substitute the Jif Chocolate PB, but I have not tried it. 

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Bread

The leaves are beginning to change, and temperatures are cooling.  That means it's time for pumpkins!  What better way to usher in fall than with a little pumpkin spice bread? 

I'm usually skeptical when it comes to certain recipes, particularly when it comes to baking.  Lately, however, I've been fascinated with recipes that contain only 2-3 ingredients.   I love to cook, and I love simple recipes, but some are a bit too simple.  Sometimes taste or consistency is sacrificed for ease.  Well, not with this one!   It was moist, tasty, and oh so easy! 

Pumpkin Spice Bread:
1 Package spice cake mix
1 Large (29 oz.) can of pumpkin*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix ingredients well, until all lumps of cake mix are smoothed out.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.   Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely, then slice and serve with powdered sugar or cream cheese frosting. 


*I've seen some recipes that say to use the smaller can of pumpkin.  I tried it and did not care for it at all.  The batter was more like clay or putty, and it was nearly impossible to spread in the pan.  In my opinion, the larger can yielded better results.