I received the May 2010 Food Network magazine last week and decided to use recipes from its contents to feed our family for the week.  I chose Meaty Quesadillas, Chicken Tandoori, Skillet White Fish With Feta, Green Onion and Basil Salad, Curried Salmon Cakes, Ham-Taleggio Grilled Cheese and Trail Mix with Honey-Oatmeal Clusters.  I also made Italian Sausage Lasagna from my Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook and Strawberry-Banana Milkshakes from a recipe I heard on Nick Jr.

The Food Network magazines have such great articles and recipes, but my favorite feature is the Recipe Index at the front of each issue.  As soon as I get the magazine, I grab a notepad and write down the five or six recipes I am going to make for the week.  I write down the recipe name, the book it comes from and the page it is on.  Doing this helps when I have more than one book I am working out of for that week.  I then go through and read the recipes to see how long they will take so I know when I will need to make them according to our schedule.  I also check to make sure I have the majority of ingredients.  I make my grocery list and try to use substitutes when possible.  I try to pick recipes that have some similar ingredients such as the arugula and feta that I bought for this week’s recipes.  I also dig through my pantry to find the items that have been in there for a while.  I look through the magazine to see if they have any recipes that include these ingredients. 

Most of this weeks meals I made to the recipe, but I did change some of the recipes slightly.  I changed the Curried Salmon Cakes to crab cakes which turned out wonderfully.  I used the Ham-Taleggio Grilled Cheese as a template for my own recipe that I think I’ll call the Chipotle, Ham & Arugula Grilled Cheese.  I would say that the family favorite this week ended up being the trail mix.  I filled a airtight plastic container with homemade trail mix and left it on the table. Everyone has been munching on it all week and I even took a few small containers to my coworkers.  Look for later posts about each of the recipes I chose and what changes, if any, I made to make it my own. Cheers!

The past few weeks my husband and I have been battling busy schedules, bad weather, common colds, an teething 18-month old not to mention pure laziness.  In the past I have made large meals such as lasagnas, pot pies, stir fry and other easy freeze meals so that we have them on hand for busy nights.  Unfortunately, we have munched through all of those meals and so I ventured through the freezer isle to try out some premade meals for our family.  I wanted to have some lunches and dinners that were healthy enough that we could take to the office or heat up for dinner when we are in a pinch.  This week was testament to that because we had Freezer Food almost every day this week.

Over the past two months we have tried a few different frozen pizzas.  DiGiorno’s was pretty tasty and so was California Pizza Kitchen but I must say that I didn’t mind the Wal-mart  version very much. I was surprised how well it was made and it was a couple of dollars cheaper than the other two brands.  And by the way, the Totinos pizza that I adored as a child, tastes pretty nasty as an adult. 

We have been trying out a bunch of frozen meals to take to the office for lunch.  We tried a bunch of the Hot Pockets products such as the HOT POCKETS SIDESHOTS – Mini Cheeseburgers 4 Pack, HOT POCKETS® Cheese Stuffed Crust Pizzeria – Pepperoni Pizza, HOT POCKETS® brand Bruschetta Chicken Panini, HOT POCKETS® brand Deli-Style Ham & Swiss Panini plus a bunch of the other hot pockets.  My personal favorite was the Chicken Panini.  The exterior was flaky and the interior was flavorful.  Not too bad.  We also tried the Boston Market® Beef Pot Roast which was pretty good and a more food than the typical meals.

For our “Little Bit” we bought a few of the Michelina’s products, in particular the Chicken Nuggets and Potato Fries which are shaped like smiley faces.  Her favorite freezer treats are Gorton’s fish sticks and Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage biscuits.  Of course, none of these items are particularly healthy, they do there duty when necessary.

While I was making the Fast & Easy Lemon Chicken last night, I decided we needed a succulent vegetable to accompany the savory lemon sauce and I thought baby spinach would be a good pairing.  However, while watching The Next Iron Chef on Food Network a few weeks ago I heard Jeffrey Steingarten mention that raw spinach does not have nearly the nutrition value that cooked spinach does. This intrigued me since I enjoy a spinach salad a couple times a week over traditional lettuce.  I knew that spinach was high in fiber and great for your eyes but I wanted to know more.  I called Popeye but he wasn’t unavailable so I plundered through the world wide web instead.

I did little research on NutritionalData.com and found that when comparing 1 cup of raw spinach to 1 cup of cooked spinach with no salt added the nutritional value of the cooked spinach is significantly higher. For instance, the Vitamin A in uncooked spinach is around 56% compared to the 377% in cooked spinach. Both versions are low in saturated fat and very low in Cholesterol.  That is not to negate the nutritional values of eating spinach raw.  It contains high quantities of vitamin C and other phytonutrients (nutrients that fight against disease). The Healthy Foodie,  Doug DiPasquale stated on the website ThatsFit that “raw spinach contains a substance which blocks the absorption of many minerals, including iodine, a mineral critical to the proper functioning of the thyroid. It also contains oxalic acid, a substance that interferes with the absorption of calcium, but which is destroyed in cooking. Raw spinach should therefore be avoided by those with thyroid issues, or those at high risk for osteoporosis, and should only be enjoyed on occasion by the rest of us (one spinach salad per week shouldn’t be an issue).”

Now – on to the nom, nom food.  This recipe combines the flavors of spinach and carrots with a dash of lemon zest that will help break down the iron for easier absorption into the body.  The pecans and bacon are just added flare.

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 carrot peeled
• 12 ounces baby spinach, washed
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of pecans
• 2 tbsp. crumbled bacon pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Using a potato peeler, shave the carrot into thin, one-inch long pieces.  Zest the lemon to make 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. In a dry sauté pan over medium heat, warm the pecans for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Remove pecans from pan and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.  Add the shredded carrot and the spinach leaves along with a dash of salt and pepper.  Toss spinach and carrots in pan until the spinach leaves are wilted and the shredded carrots are just al dente. Remove from heat and add the lemon zest and the crumbled bacon and toss to incorporate.  Plate and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Most at-home chefs search for  quick, easy and refreshing meals to make their families on week nights.  This recipe delivers a simple twist to your standard chicken that is both simplistic in execution but delivers huge in flavor.  This tangy dish is served best over rice or orzo pasta paired with your favorite vegetables such as the Bacon, Spinach, Carrot and Pecan Sauté.

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth or fresh chicken stock
• 1 green onion (scallion)
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Place each chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the chicken so the breasts are an even thickness.  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken evenly. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the chicken breasts smooth side down but do not crowd the pan.  Cook the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes on the 1st side and then turn the chicken and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, grate the lemon zest to make at least 1 teaspoon.  Note: If you have additional lemon zest try adding it with a little dried dill to fresh sautéed vegetables such as asparagus or zucchini to form you vegetable side dish. Then juice the lemons and collect 1/4 cup of juice.  Be sure to strain the lemon juice to remove the pulp and/or seeds. Next pour the chicken broth or stock in a small bowl and add the corn starch whisking until it dissolves and the liquid thickens.  Add both the reserved lemon juice and zest to the corn starch mixture. Thinly slice the green onion.

Once the chicken is fully cooked, move it to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.  Pour any remaining oil out of the pan.  Add the whisked cornstarch mixture to the pan as well as any juices that have accumulated with your resting chicken.  Whisk the mixture in the pan until the sauce looks thick and glossy, roughly two minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and add the 2 tablespoons of butter.  Lightly salt and pepper the mixture to taste.  If you have white pepper use that as it will keep your sauce looking opaque and glossy without the black speckles.  Lastly, spoon the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the sliced green onion.

*This recipe is a variation I created over the years from a recipe found in Monday to Friday Chicken by Michele Urvater © 1998.

I entered this recipe into the Pillsbury Bake-Off competition this year but unfortunately it didn’t make it to the top 100.  I do love the recipe even though there are a lot of steps.  You should try it and tell me what you think.  Does it make it into your top 100? Notice the awesome BACON BOW on top!

• 1 can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ Refrigerated Flaky Dough Sheet 8-oz
• 4 slices of bacon
• 2 maple syrup and brown sugar sausage patties
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen shredded hash browns 
• 4 Eggland’s Best Large Brown Eggs
• ¼ cup of milk
• Dash salt
• Dash pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 2 Ham Slices
• ½ shredded Mexican blend cheese 
• 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil with extra foil exceeding the top of the loaf pan to help with removal later.  Unroll Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ Refrigerated Flaky Dough Sheet 8-oz on a cutting board.  Cut a piece of crescent recipe creation large enough to fit in the bottom of a loaf pan.  Place the loaf pan in the oven and cook for 8 minutes.  Once the crescent rolls are slightly browned, remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, place 4 slices of bacon on baking sheet and place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.  After ten minutes, add the two maple syrup and brown sugar sausage patties to the baking sheet and turn the bacon.  Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake an additional 7 minutes.  Once bacon and sausage is finished cooking, set bacon on paper towels to drain and dice sausage patties.

While meat is cooking, place 1/4 cup of vegetable oil in a medium sized frying pan on medium high heat.  Once the oil is to temperature, add the frozen hash browns and cover pan with lid.  Cook the hash browns for 7 minutes on one side and flip.  Cook an additional 7 minutes or until they are brown and crispy.  Once the hash browns are done, season with salt and set aside.

Beat 4 eggs with ¼ cup milk and season with salt, pepper and ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning.  Spray a frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to medium.  Add the beaten eggs and cook slowly on medium heat stirring occasionally.  Remove the eggs and set aside.  Brown the ham slices in the same frying pan until slightly browned. 

Once all items are cooked, begin layering into loaf pan.  Place 4 slices of bacon on top of cooking crescent roll bottom.  Add 1/3 of the scrambled eggs and cover with ¼ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend.  Add ½ of the crispy, shredded hash browns and then cover with the 2 slices of ham.  Add another 1/3 of the scrambled eggs and another ¼ cup of shredded Mexican cheese blend.  Follow with diced sausage, the remaining ½ of the shredded hash browns, the remaining eggs, and then the remaining cheese.  Top finally with 2 tablespoon of parmesan cheese.   Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning on the uncooked crescent rolls along with 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese.

Cut the uncooked crescent rolls into 4 strips.   Twist the strips in to a spiral.  Add the strips to the loaf pan around the outer edge.  Bake the breakfast meatloaf for 15 minutes or until the top crescent are lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

After the Breakfast Meatloaf has cooled slightly, use the aluminum foil to remove the loaf from the pan and place on serving platter.

To bring in the new year, we are offering our friends and family a chance to win two movie passes to Rave Motion Pictures.  All you have to do is donate $1 or more to Hope for McKenna between January 1st – 31st, 2010 and your name will be entered for a chance to win.   A name will be chosen on February 1st and the winner will be contacted via email.  That individual will receive two gift certificate movie passes valid at any Rave Motion Picture nationwide. To find a theater near you please visit Rave’s theater location finder. All proceeds during our “Who’s Up for a Movie?” fundraiser will go to benefit Hope for McKenna. Click the Donate button below to make a secure donation online.

The tickets are valued up to $10.50 and have no movie restrictions. Though we appreciate your enthusiastic participation you are only eligible to enter the drawing one time.  All individuals that donate to Hope for McKenna in January will be entered into the drawing unless they specifically request exclusion. Any donation amounts exceeding $1, though much appreciated, do not qualify applicant(s) for multiple entries into this contest. If you have any further questions regarding this fundraiser, please click here.

Wow! Thank you to those of you who participated in the bake sale. Not only did we sell all the goodies but some of my wonderful co-workers also made monetary donations to Hope for McKenna. The first day we made $151! To make the day even better, I had requests for more cookies.  I spent Wednesday evening making 8 dozen cookies to take to the office the following day.  I made Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Reese’s Chewy Chocolate Cookies. Only downfall was that the plastic Christmas containers were smaller than the 1st round so I could  only fit 8 to 12 cookies in each depending on the size of the cookies. I did make some cute “thank you” labels for each container. We had the potential of making about $80.  I thought it would go well because while I was baking, my friend, Beth called and her husband insisted she buy the Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies right then and there.  I hoped the rest of the items would sell well but figured whatever didn’t sell could be gifted to family and friends.

Well guess what, between sales and monetary donations made by family and friends, we made a whopping $310 overall!

At the end of the day that is quite a significant amount of donations for only two days of work.  I look forward to finding other ways of raising money for Ms. McKenna. Both my sisters, McKenna’s mom, Tracy and our older sister Danielle are working hard to try to raise money over the next year.  We have hand crafted paper products, hand-made clothing accessories and raffles ongoing.  Look for future posts on these items.

***If you know of any great fundraising ideas, please send them our way.  It is so easy to just ask, ask, ask but it is more fulfilling to give something heartfelt in return for the donations.***

Thank you again to all that support Hope for McKenna.  Hopefully, in the near future, we can spread the kindness our family and friends have shown us to another family in need. 

Thanks,

Aunt Brandy

December 22nd, we held a bake sale fundraiser at my office to help raise additional funds for Hope for McKenna.

We sold three tubs of Chocolate Chunk & Pecan Cookies (18 count)  as well as three take-out boxes  of the Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies (6 count). I made them all with Nestle brand chocolate chips.  I also had a tree-shaped, glass candy canister filled with various Christmas candy such as Snickers, Whoppers, Chocolate Crisps, Hershey’s chocolates and cherry cordial Hershey’s kisses.  We also sold a coffee mug filled with Hershey’s candy and some chocolate angels.

Thank you for all your support during our efforts to raise money for McKenna.  Our goal is to help alleviate the financial burden that her 6 surgeries in the past two years have created.  Any money  that we raise above and beyond her medical expenses will be donated to a cleft palate association chosen by the Conrad family. 

Thank you again for your support.

Brandy Pate

Another wonderful, food-related page by Danielle.  She writes: Despite having just given birth two weeks earlier nothing can keep Aunt Brandy out of the kitchen. So when Maxx and Lexy came to visit, that was the perfect excuse for her to get in the kitchen and make brownies! And of course, the kids happily obliged! August 2, 2008.”

I love this scrapbooking page by Danielle.  She wrote: “Will someone please tell me what I did to piss off the cake gods? Last year, the kids’ cake was left on the radiator and melted. For Maxx’s birthday this year, they raked their fingers through the icing and for Lexy’s birthday, I put the ice cream cake in the refrigerator instead of the freezer, and it too melted into a big pile of goop.  It’s a damn good thing they still taste good.”