Teriyaki Chicken

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (or the fake stuff- it works fine!)
2 garlic cloves, minced

Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine remaining ingredients, and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

I serve this with rice and mixed veggies. Not all mixed together of course. That would make my hubby crazy to have his food all mixed together. So, he eats his as 3 seperate piles of chicken, rice, and veggies. I mix mine all together and pour some extra sauce over the top. :)

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

4 cups pasta, uncooked
1/4 c tomato paste
1/4 c parsley (I use way less, but that's my preference)
1 lb ground pork sausage
1/4 c sun dried tomato dressing (see note below)
Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese (Rice Shreds)

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Brown sausage; drain. Stir in tomato paste and dressing. Toss pasta with sausage mixture. Top with parsley and cheese.

Notes:

• I think the recipe "as is" is a little light on the sauce and heavy on the sausage. I use a little more dressing and about 1/2 lb of sausage. Just keep adding equal parts tomato paste and dressing until you get it just right for you.
• After the fact, I discovered that the dressing had milk in it. It doesn't seem to bother Shawn. I have yet to find a brand without milk, but if I do, I'll be sure to post it.

Cake Mix Cookies

1 box dry cake mix (Read labels! Some varieties/brands contain milk.)
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
powdered sugar

Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil. Roll into 1 inch balls, and coat with powdered sugar. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Note: I always use a chocolate cake mix. I'm a big fan of chocolate, plus it looks "pretty" with the powdered sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

When I saw this recipe, I thought it would be AMAZING! And, don't get me wrong-- it was good. But, I'd almost rather have a plain cookie. I think I'll try it again sometime, just to make sure I didn't mess anything up the first time.

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (I used a store bought crust)
2 large eggs
1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c real butter, softened (Was this my problem? I did use margarine.)
1 c chocolate chips (see note on the ABCs page)
1 c chopped pecans (I skipped those)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour and sugars. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts (optional). Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55-60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. (See notes on ABCs page about both ice cream and whipped cream.)

Parmesan Pork Cutlets

With a 1 year old, I decided there was no way we were going to fight the crowds to eat out on Valentine's Day. So, after she went to bed, we had a nice dinner ALONE. I decided to make something a little more time consuming so we could have a nice meal.

Note: I'm usually a big fan of leftovers. These, however, don't make the best leftovers. I always forget that and make enough for leftovers. Then, as I'm eating the leftovers, I remember that it was SO much better the night before.

1 lb pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 c flour
1 c bread crumbs (Watch out! Many brands contain milk!)
1/4 c grated Parmesan (only for milk consumers)

Heat oven to 400. Pound tenderloin to 1/4 inch slices. Place the flour on a plate. Place the eggs in a bowl and beat slightly. In a seperate bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, and Parmesan (optional). Coat cutlets in flour, then egg, and then in bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add cutlets, and cook until golden . Place cutlets on a baking sheet. Transfer to oven and heat until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

Here's how I make them for us- I mix the bread crumbs and salt and make a couple of tenderloins for my hubby. Then I add the Parmesan and make some for me. :) The best of both worlds!

Coca-Cola Ham

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not a huge fan of ham. Never really have been. But, my hubby LOVES ham. This is one of the only ways I make ham, and I actually like it. It's just a little sweet, and super juicy.

I buy a boneless ham and cut it into thirds. That seems to A) be the right amount for a meal and leftovers for us and B) fit into my small-ish crockpot.

Place the ham in slow cooker. Pour Coke (or Pepsi or generic cola... but the real deal, not diet!) into the crockpot so that there's about 1/4-1/2 inch of liquid on the bottom. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

Slice, serve, and enjoy! We had ours with sweet potatoes and green beans for a nice (easy) Sunday dinner.

P.S.- I used some of the leftover ham to make breakfast burritos the next night for dinner. Scrambled eggs, ham, and cheese (rice cheese) in a tortilla.

Sausage, Potatoes, and Green Beans

If this is not in your meal repertoire, it should be! I remember this meal from my childhood, and love it just as much now. And the best part- it's SOOO easy, and I typically have everything on hand.

Smoked sausage (I use turkey sausage)
Potatoes
Green Beans

(For 3-4 servings, I use one large sausage link-- half of the pack, 1 can of green beans, and 3-4 potatoes. You can adjust for your family.)

Slice sausage. Scrub and cut potatoes into chunks. Place all ingredients (including the juice from the green beans) in a skillet. I also add about half a can of water- otherwise the liquid all cooks off and sticks to the pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

I top mine with a little butter and serve with dinner rolls.

So easy!

South of the Border Chicken Soup

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 jar salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken falls apart.

Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with forks. Return to slow cooker.

Top soup with tortilla chips, sour cream (optional), and shredded cheddar cheese (rice shreds).

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Catalina dressing
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken in baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Bake 50 minutes.

Or, my favorite way: Dump it all in the crockpot. :) Cook on high 4-5 hours. (I do mix everything but the chicken together first.)

Tonight, we're having this with a rice pilaf and a veggie. Yeah for easy dinners! :)