Easy Oven Nachos

This has to be the worlds easiest recipe, and I'm pretty positive everyone already knows it or at least has their own version! However, Everyone does things a little different, so I thought I'd share my way! We love eating this while watching movies, or as a quick dinner!

 

1 bag of corn tortilla chips

1 can of olives

1 can of yellow corn (drained)

1 can of refried beans

3-4 cups of shredded cheese

jalapeno slices

Toppings: salsa, sour cream, guacamole etc.

 

In a large casserole dish, add a layer of chips to just cover the bottom. Dollop refried beans all over, sprinkle sliced olives and some corn. Repeat with 2 MORE layers. Top with jalapeno slices.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Top with toppings and serve immediately.



Menu Monday

 

Monday: Crock Pot French Dips with pasta salad

Tuesday: Creamy Pesto Pasta with garlic bread

Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner - Cinnamon Wheat Pancakes with bacon

Thursday: Taco Chili with Cornbread

Friday: Chicken Artichoke Pasta with breadsticks

Saturday: Date Night

Sunday: Beef and Bean Chimichangas with chips & salsa

 

Lunches:

Ham sandwiches

Hot dogs

grilled cheese and tomato soup

Wingers Quesedillas



Sweet Corn and Chicken Enchiladas

These are the Enchiladas I made when I used the previous enchilada sauce recipe. They were SO good! the corn was a great addition! I'll definetly be making these again!

 

6 corn tortillas

1 cup shredded chicken

1 cup sweet prozen corn

2 cups shredded cheese (divided)

2 cups (or 1 can) enchilada sauce

sour cream (for topping)

 

In a bowl, mix chicken, corn and 1 cup of cheese.

Spoon a few ladels of enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish to prevent sticking, and pur the rest of your enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl or a pie plate.

Wrap tortialls in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Once they are softened, one by one, dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce, coating completely, then fill with chicken and corn mixture and rolld up, placing seam side down in the casserole dish. It's messy, but SO worth it! Repeat with all tortillas. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, then remove and top with cheese and bake until cheese it melted.

Easy Pumpkin Pie

Just in time for Thanksgiving! However, I definetly do not think pumpkin pie should only be researved for holidays! It's my very favorite pie, but somehow I got the impression that it would be really hard. Guess what... it isn't! In fact it's super easy!

(I got the recipe off of the Libby's pumpkin can)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Pour into pie shell.
Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Menu Monday

Monday: Meatloaf, peas and mashed potatoes

Tuesday: Sausage and mushroom pizza

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti (making a huge batch of homemade sauce)

Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday: Date Night

Saturday: Sloppy Joes and green salad

Sunday: Lasagna, green salad and breadsticks

 

Lunches:

Chicken Pesto sandwiches

Quesedillas

Potstickers

Thanksgiving leftovers

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Usually when we go out to a Mexican resturant for dinner, more times than not, I'll order enchiladas. They are by far my favortie. Mostly for the sauce, I love resturant enchilada sauce so much more than the canned stuff! I had never tried making it homemade, but after researching a little I decided it didn't look too hard, and it wasn't! In fact, I may never use canned again!

 

recipe adapted from Budget Bytes

 

 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup chili powder

4 cups chicken broth (or water)

6 oz can of tomato paste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1 TBS franks red hot sauce (optional)

 

Add the vegetable oil, flour, and chili powder to a medium pot. Turn the heat on to medium and whisk the ingredients together. Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to bubble. Whisk and cook the mixture for one minute once it begins bubbling.

After one minute, whisk in the broth, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmer it will begin to thicken slightly.

Starting with a 1/2 teaspoon, add salt to taste. The sauce is now ready to use!
 

I used this sauce over Sweet Corn and Chicken Enchiladas (recipe to come), but you can use it over anything! Burritos, Chimichangas, salads... the options are endless!


Bella Comfy Spot by Crypton {Product Review}

Lets face it, kids are messy. Well, at least my kid. Another fact, kids love to have a 'spot'. You know, their spot, whether it be a mini chair, a designated floor space, orr.... one of these!

 I was so excited when Crypton offered to send me on of these pillows for my little boy to review! I knew he would love it before it even came! And I was right! I can't get him off of it! It's his favorite napping spot, his favorite movie seat, and the best part is, it's 100%....

Stain Resistance

Moisture Resistance

Microbial Resistance

Odor Resistance

so you dont have to worry about the snacks or the sippies on the pad! It's like a dream come true for moms with a 2 year old! :) No worries about if they are spilling or wiping, you just send them to their spot, and... voila! total peace of mind! It repells liquids, sticky messes or anything else your little one throws at it, they are amazing!

 

They don't just stop at these pads either! They have fabric, furniture, blankets, pillows and so much more! Go check them out!

These comfy spots would make amazing Christmas gifts for all the little ones on your list! I am definetly keeping them in mind for the next little one!

Planning Christmas 2012 {Free Printables}

Last year I made a Christmas planning folder with free printables and you all went crazy for it! Well, here is the updates 2012 version you all asked for! The only things that really have changed is the calendar and the dates, but I hope you like it and use it again this year!! I know I will! Here's the post with the NEW links!

The first printable is Santa's Survey!

I had been wanting to do a page like this for a few years now, for my husband mostly! It is SO hard to just come out and ask him what he wants! This way you are able to have your spouse write everything down, or have your kids fill it out for you, and there's no more guess work! You will always have everything you need to know at your fingertips! I also filled it out for my little boy, so that whenever I get an idea of something to get him for Christmas, I can jot it down. I keep mine all together in a binder, so I can just grab it whenever I go out Christmas shopping and I have all my ideas right there!

Santa's Survey Download

Next up... A fun December calendar! I know you all probably have a calendar on your wall, but I'm using this one for all things HOLIDAY! what days I'm going to make Neighbor treats, what nights we're going to pass them out, things like that!

 

 

December Calendar Download

Next up... FOOD list! I love food. This list keeps you reminded on what neighbors you are giving treats to, and what food you agreed to bring to what party!

Christmas Food Download

This next one will replace your 50 cent notebook that has random gift ideas for your family scribbled all over it. Just fill in the name, and whenever you get a genius gift idea for your grandma, jot it down and it will be with you when you go out shopping!

Christmas Gift List Download

And what would a download list be without a cover!?

download cover

 Merry Christmas and Happy Planning!

Menu Monday

Woohoo! Back on track! I really have to say I've been slacking on sticking to my menu, most nights, when I was supposed to be making yummy, healthy meals, I was making grilled cheese or Ramen noodles. But now, I am back on it!

 

Monday: Crispy Chicken Rancheros

Tuesday: Hot Dogs and Maccaroni Salad

Wednesday: Ginger Chicken Noodle Bowls

Thursday: Wingers Sticky Finger Quesedillas with green salad

Friday: Skinny Buffalo Tacos

Saturday: Date Night

Sunday: Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken with white rice and steamed veggies

Sandwich Bread {in the bread machine}

I love homemade bread! Especially on a cold day, with a big bowl of beef stew. Which, ironically, is exactly what we ate this with!

Original recipe from Heather Drive Blog.

1 1/3 cups very warm water
1/3 cup olive oil (do not substitute with vegetable oil–use olive oil!)
2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
2 tbsp. and 2 tsp. white sugar
3 tsp. yeast

In the breadmaker pan, combine water, oil, and salt.
Add the flour on top of the liquids. Pour sugar into one corner of the breadmaker pan. Make a well (a dent) in the center of the flour and pour the yeast into it.
Set the breadmaker for a “basic” loaf and press start. Walk away… in three hours, you’ll have delicious fresh bread!

** I started by baking this in the breadmaker, but I didn't realize I'd spilled flour in the bottom and is started to smoke, so I ended up baking it in the oven at 350 for around 20-25 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

Lately, for every meal I've had family favorites on my mind! This pregnancy is making me nostalgic ;)

This is a meal that I remember having often at home, it was how my family actually did enchiladas! No stuffing and rolling for us! My mom stacked ours! So, I had never really heard it called Mexican Lasagna until I joined the blog world! But it really is the best description! This is a great family style dish, and you can make a TON depending on how high you stack it!  

This amount of ingredients feeds 4-5 people

Corn tortillas-start with 10, but you may need more

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can corn

1 can black or kidney beans

2 cups ground beef- precooked and seasoned with taco seasoning

2 cups shredded cheese

In a bowl, mix your ground beef, beans, corn and 1 cup of the cheese.

In the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish, spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and layer tortillas until mostly covered. Spread about 1 cup of meat/bean mixture, and the repeat... enchilada sauce, meat/beans, tortillas. Once you have as many layers as you want, or have enough food for, (I usually do 3) top with any remaining enchilada sauce, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Remove and top with cheese, return to oven and continue to bake until cheese is melted.

Top with sour cream.