These next three were meals I made just this week and they were a HUGE hit and super easy! Perfect amount for 2-4 people, and made with ingredients most of you will have in your cupboards already.
Chicken Florentine (marinading chicken is recommended, so think ahead!)
1/4 c and 1 Tbsp Zesty Italian Dressing
4 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 slices shaved smoked ham
1 cup shredded or sliced swiss cheese
1) Marinade chicken breasts in 1/4 cup Italian Dressing overnight.
2) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tbsp of the dressing in a large ovenproof skillet on medium heat. Add spinach; cook and stir 1 min or just until spinach is wilted. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
3) Cover a cooking sheet in tin foil. Place raw chicken breasts on cooking sheet and bake chicken for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove chicken from oven and turn oven to broil and place oven rack in broiling position.
4) Place two slices of ham and shredded or sliced swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast. Place in oven to broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned.
5) Serve over cooked spinach. Serve with rice or steamed vegetables.
Crisp-and-Creamy Baked Chicken
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package of Shake 'N Bake Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 cup skim milk
1 cup Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese
1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Put Shake'N Bake in a ziploc bag. One at a time, place chicken breasts in bag and coat with Shake 'N Bake. Place coated chicken in a greased 13x9 in. baking dish.
2) Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
3) Mix soup and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Pour evenly over chicken; sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
*I serve this with Wild Rice Pilaf and steamed veggies...yummy!!!
Stove Top Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake
1 pkg Stove Top Stuffing Mix for chicken
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 bag (14 oz) frozen broccoli florets, thawed, drained
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 c. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package, set aside.
2) Mix chicken and broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish. Stir in soup, milk and cheese; top with the prepared stuffing.
3) Bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes because the sauce will thicken as it cools. Makes GREAT left-overs!!!
Family Pics
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Ooooohh so good!
This one is a little "pricey-er" but is ohhh so good, and so good for you! It's also very easy.
(before you get started, I'll tell you that you will need some kitchen string to tie the tenderloin together)
Spinach-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach leaves
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 whole beef tenderloin (about 3-1/2 pounds) trimmed
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1) In a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. Add half of the garlic; cook until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach, 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat; set aside
2) Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of tenderloin to within 3/4 in. of bottom. Open so meat lies flat. Spread with spinach stuffing. Fold one side of meat over stuffing; tie several times with kitchen string. Rub remaining oil over beef.
3) Combine the onion powder, pepper and remaining garlic and salt; rub over beef. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (I just place it on a rack on a cookie sheet cuz that's all I have and it works just fine)
4) Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 40-55 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness. (I cook it for 45minutes and it is PERFECT)
(before you get started, I'll tell you that you will need some kitchen string to tie the tenderloin together)
Spinach-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach leaves
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 whole beef tenderloin (about 3-1/2 pounds) trimmed
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1) In a large nonstick skillet, saute mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 minutes. Add half of the garlic; cook until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach, 1/2 tsp salt and cayenne. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat; set aside
2) Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of tenderloin to within 3/4 in. of bottom. Open so meat lies flat. Spread with spinach stuffing. Fold one side of meat over stuffing; tie several times with kitchen string. Rub remaining oil over beef.
3) Combine the onion powder, pepper and remaining garlic and salt; rub over beef. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (I just place it on a rack on a cookie sheet cuz that's all I have and it works just fine)
4) Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 40-55 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness. (I cook it for 45minutes and it is PERFECT)
Recipes
I used to REALLY enjoy cooking. In fact, I was a Family Home and Consumer Sciences major (Home-Ec) for 2 years before my mission. I took several cooking classes at BYU-Idaho and loved every one of them. (well, for the most part anyway) I don't really know WHY I stopped cooking and baking, but it's been a long time since I've done much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my husband is a WHIZ in the kitchen and loves to cook so why bother, right?
Well, this last semester was a really busy one for Austin and since I wasn't working or going to school (I was VERY pregnant and then busy with a new babe), I decided I better start cooking for my hard-working husband. Every Sunday I would have him look through some cook books and tell me what 3 meals he wanted me to make that week. That made my job much easier.
I figured I would share a few of those recipes with you guys. Sorry that these posts may be a little boring to some of you (with no pics and all) but I'll get around to a more "exciting" one soon.
Sweet-and-Sour Meat Loaf
(this is a microwave one. Yeah, I kinda grimmaced too, but it really is great!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons onion soup ix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound lean groud beef
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1) In a large bowl, combine the egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, dry soup mix, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into an oval loaf.
2) place in a shallow 1-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pinak and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees; drain.
3) Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the sugars, vinegar and remaining ketchup; drizzle over meat loaf. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
YIELDS 4 servings
We LOVE LOVE LOVE that recipe and it seriously takes me 30 minutes from start to finish! Okay, my baby is screaming so I'll be back with more in a little bit...
Well, this last semester was a really busy one for Austin and since I wasn't working or going to school (I was VERY pregnant and then busy with a new babe), I decided I better start cooking for my hard-working husband. Every Sunday I would have him look through some cook books and tell me what 3 meals he wanted me to make that week. That made my job much easier.
I figured I would share a few of those recipes with you guys. Sorry that these posts may be a little boring to some of you (with no pics and all) but I'll get around to a more "exciting" one soon.
Sweet-and-Sour Meat Loaf
(this is a microwave one. Yeah, I kinda grimmaced too, but it really is great!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons onion soup ix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound lean groud beef
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1) In a large bowl, combine the egg, 2 tablespoons ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, dry soup mix, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into an oval loaf.
2) place in a shallow 1-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes or until the meat is no longer pinak and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees; drain.
3) Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the sugars, vinegar and remaining ketchup; drizzle over meat loaf. Cover and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
YIELDS 4 servings
We LOVE LOVE LOVE that recipe and it seriously takes me 30 minutes from start to finish! Okay, my baby is screaming so I'll be back with more in a little bit...
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sedona's Blessing
Due to our big move to Texas, I have not had the time or the sufficient internet service to do a blogpost about Sedona's first big day. However, my wonderful husband got us hooked up with internet and TV today so I wanted to make sure to do a post about Sedona's Blessing Day.
This was my beautiful Princess on her first "big day." Her Grannie Teichert made her beautiful dress and it fit her perfectly! Thanks, Mom! (and thanks to my great friend Jennelle for taking the pics!) Also, I want to mention that the blanket Sedona is wrapped in was made for me, when I was a baby, by her Great-Grandma Teichert.
A picture of the whole dress:
All 7 of my parent's grandkids. This is the best one we got with ALL eyes facing forward...except Sedona's. Aren't they so stinkin' cute?! 
I just HAD to put this one in because it kinda catches all their sweet little personalities. They are the funniest group of kids...I just love them and I miss them a lot. (better pic of the beautiful blanket my Grandma made.)
This is my family, minus Sulli who is on his mission. Aren't they a beautiful group of people? I think so! I'm so glad they could all make it to spend this special day with us.
And another group of beautiful people who I love dearly...Austin's family also made the long drive to be with us on this special day. We were so blessed to have such a big group of people there for this special occasion. Thanks to all of you for being there. We love you!!
This was my beautiful Princess on her first "big day." Her Grannie Teichert made her beautiful dress and it fit her perfectly! Thanks, Mom! (and thanks to my great friend Jennelle for taking the pics!) Also, I want to mention that the blanket Sedona is wrapped in was made for me, when I was a baby, by her Great-Grandma Teichert.
A picture of the whole dress:
All 7 of my parent's grandkids. This is the best one we got with ALL eyes facing forward...except Sedona's. Aren't they so stinkin' cute?! 
I just HAD to put this one in because it kinda catches all their sweet little personalities. They are the funniest group of kids...I just love them and I miss them a lot. (better pic of the beautiful blanket my Grandma made.)
This is my family, minus Sulli who is on his mission. Aren't they a beautiful group of people? I think so! I'm so glad they could all make it to spend this special day with us.
And another group of beautiful people who I love dearly...Austin's family also made the long drive to be with us on this special day. We were so blessed to have such a big group of people there for this special occasion. Thanks to all of you for being there. We love you!!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Tillie Anne
Okay, this might get a little "heavy" and I appologize for that. I'm just giving you a fair warning so you don't have to keep reading it if you don't want to read "heavy" today...
I was blessed with the most beautiful baby girl six weeks ago, yesterday. Every day she does something new that instantly becomes the "cutest thing EVER!" and I take about ten pics of it on my phone and immediately download to Facebook. Every day I wake up and thank the Lord for the gift of being a Mommy and for this beautiful little girl I call mine. I sing to her at night to put her to sleep and I sing songs that teach her about Jesus and about where she came from and who she is. I want her to grow up knowing those things from the get-go. I tell her hundreds of times a day how much I love her and I honestly FEEL it every time I say it. When she falls asleep in my arms, I don't ever want to put her down. I just want to soak it ALL in. I don't want to miss ONE. SINGLE. MOMENT. Sometimes, I find myself looking at her and getting emotional because I know where she came from and my BIGGEST FEAR is that she'll be going back too soon...
Tillie Anne came to the Teichert house 22 years ago, today. I was four years old. She was absolutely beautiful. Lots and lots of dark hair and chubby cheeks. She had such a beautiful smile, and I REMEMBER that smile. I don't remember a lot about her, but I do remember how happy our house felt to have this new little life with us. I do, however, remember EVERYTHING about the day she was called back Home. I will spare the details, because that's not the point of this post.
I always knew losing Tillie was painful for my parents but I never knew just HOW painful something like that could feel...until I became a parent myself. I do not know how my Mom and Dad managed to get through life the day after and the day after that or every day beyond. Everywhere I turn in my house, there's a binki or a spitty rag or a stuffed sheep, an empty bottle, her bathtub, blankets galore, even the HAND SANITIZER on the counter makes me think of Sedona. In other words, she's my world.
I can't imagine having to pick yourself up the next day and take care of your other four children (that's how many my parents had before Tillie) and simply...go on. I am amazed by the strength that must have required and how well they did it. There are so many emotions and moments you just don't "get" as a small child, and I totally didn't get any of these at four years old. Now that I'm older, I look back and can see HOW my parents dealt with their loss and helped us to be prepared for these same emotions. (Heaven forbid, any of us have to go through it.)
The Atonement. That's how my parents got through it. They KNEW and UNDERSTOOD the Plan our Heavenly Father has set out for each one of His children. They dealt with their pain by teaching their other children that we WILL see Tillie again. They taught us that she is in a far better place and it's up to the rest of us to live our lives in such a way that we can all be with her again. They taught us about Jesus and His life and His death and resurrection. They taught us about love and how powerful it is. They SHOWED us love and they healed in return.
I realize that death is something you can never "get over" but I do belive in healing. How thankful I am that Tillie's passing is no longer a painful memory for us. Tillie's birthday is celebrated every year in my parent's house. We sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles and eat Angel Food Cake, cuz she's OUR Angel. She brings joy into our lives even though she is not physically here. And I am certain that my children will have had the chance to meet her before coming to my home.
I realize that my fear of losing my own baby girl to something so sudden may seem a little "debilitating" to some. I deal with that fear every night when I finally make myself put her down. I struggle with that fear in the night when she hasn't woken up yet (she sleeps throught the night already). I check on her several times during a regular nap...so yes, some people could say I'm crazy. But do you blame me? I do, however, have Faith in our Heavenly Father's Plan and I am so thankful for it! Thank you, Dad and Mom, for teaching it to me and for being living examples of the faith it requires to be truly happy!
I was blessed with the most beautiful baby girl six weeks ago, yesterday. Every day she does something new that instantly becomes the "cutest thing EVER!" and I take about ten pics of it on my phone and immediately download to Facebook. Every day I wake up and thank the Lord for the gift of being a Mommy and for this beautiful little girl I call mine. I sing to her at night to put her to sleep and I sing songs that teach her about Jesus and about where she came from and who she is. I want her to grow up knowing those things from the get-go. I tell her hundreds of times a day how much I love her and I honestly FEEL it every time I say it. When she falls asleep in my arms, I don't ever want to put her down. I just want to soak it ALL in. I don't want to miss ONE. SINGLE. MOMENT. Sometimes, I find myself looking at her and getting emotional because I know where she came from and my BIGGEST FEAR is that she'll be going back too soon...
Tillie Anne came to the Teichert house 22 years ago, today. I was four years old. She was absolutely beautiful. Lots and lots of dark hair and chubby cheeks. She had such a beautiful smile, and I REMEMBER that smile. I don't remember a lot about her, but I do remember how happy our house felt to have this new little life with us. I do, however, remember EVERYTHING about the day she was called back Home. I will spare the details, because that's not the point of this post.
I always knew losing Tillie was painful for my parents but I never knew just HOW painful something like that could feel...until I became a parent myself. I do not know how my Mom and Dad managed to get through life the day after and the day after that or every day beyond. Everywhere I turn in my house, there's a binki or a spitty rag or a stuffed sheep, an empty bottle, her bathtub, blankets galore, even the HAND SANITIZER on the counter makes me think of Sedona. In other words, she's my world.
I can't imagine having to pick yourself up the next day and take care of your other four children (that's how many my parents had before Tillie) and simply...go on. I am amazed by the strength that must have required and how well they did it. There are so many emotions and moments you just don't "get" as a small child, and I totally didn't get any of these at four years old. Now that I'm older, I look back and can see HOW my parents dealt with their loss and helped us to be prepared for these same emotions. (Heaven forbid, any of us have to go through it.)
The Atonement. That's how my parents got through it. They KNEW and UNDERSTOOD the Plan our Heavenly Father has set out for each one of His children. They dealt with their pain by teaching their other children that we WILL see Tillie again. They taught us that she is in a far better place and it's up to the rest of us to live our lives in such a way that we can all be with her again. They taught us about Jesus and His life and His death and resurrection. They taught us about love and how powerful it is. They SHOWED us love and they healed in return.
I realize that death is something you can never "get over" but I do belive in healing. How thankful I am that Tillie's passing is no longer a painful memory for us. Tillie's birthday is celebrated every year in my parent's house. We sing Happy Birthday and blow out candles and eat Angel Food Cake, cuz she's OUR Angel. She brings joy into our lives even though she is not physically here. And I am certain that my children will have had the chance to meet her before coming to my home.
I realize that my fear of losing my own baby girl to something so sudden may seem a little "debilitating" to some. I deal with that fear every night when I finally make myself put her down. I struggle with that fear in the night when she hasn't woken up yet (she sleeps throught the night already). I check on her several times during a regular nap...so yes, some people could say I'm crazy. But do you blame me? I do, however, have Faith in our Heavenly Father's Plan and I am so thankful for it! Thank you, Dad and Mom, for teaching it to me and for being living examples of the faith it requires to be truly happy!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sedona Rose
Sedona Rose joined our family on Thursday,February 10, 2011. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 10 oz. and was 18 and 1/2 inches long. I will spare you the "birthing" story since I really lack the ability to make it sound funny or be entertaining...I will tell you that everything went very smooth and I am soooo very grateful for the wonderful medicine that comes in the form of an EPIDURAL!
You know, some people just LOVE pregnancy. They even miss certain things about pregnancy when the baby comes. Not me. No way. I can't really think of anything I liked about it except knowing that the end result was going to be MY BABY. I am so in love with this little girl and having her here makes pregnancy worth every minute! So, I guess what I'm saying is...YES, I would do it all again!
Sedona Rose and her Daddy not long after she was born.
Sedona just minutes old.
My family came and visited when we got home from the hospital on Saturday. In spite of all the efforts made to wake her up, Sedona slept through their ENTIRE visit. Sedona is grandchild #7 for my parents. She's the third niece and TESSA's "same-same" for any of you who know that Mylie is Olivia's "same-same."
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Baby
So, I know I'm not so good at updating my blog. Who wouldn't be if it took 2 1/2 hours just to do one post with pictures because of crummy internet? But, I did promise that I would at least do a post about what we're having! YEAH!!! We found out today that we are having a baby GIRL! We are really excited...especially for Tessa. Now SHE, too, will have a "same-same." February 9th is the due-date and everything looked great on the ultra sound today. She's a little small, they said she'd be in the low 7 pounds when she's born, but heck...I'm okay with that!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)