Botox

Well, it has 1 week and 1 day since I had Botox injections in my head for migraines.  I had about 25+ injections.  The neurologist outlined my forehead and went close to my temples.  That was perfect because most of my migraines sit in my eyebrow line.  Then, I sat in a chair and he put injections in my shoulders and up the back of my neck. Most of my migraines start in the back of my neck from tension and stress, then move to my eyebrow line.  Sometimes they move to my temples and throb and pound.  When that happens, I usually have to go to the ER for shots of pain relievers, I also vomit from the pain and can't stand loud noises or lights.
Since the injections on April 20, I've only had a very slight headache from lack of sleep that Ibuprofen took care of.  Usually lack of sleep brings on a pretty heavy migraine.
The side effects just became noticeable to me yesterday.  I was putting on my makeup and thought my forehead looked larger... I was a little confused.  Then as I was putting my eye makeup on, I noticed that the room from my eyelid to my eyebrow was shorter and I had a roll of skin on my eyelid.  So, it is almost as if my eyebrows fell from lack of muscle control.  I also can't raise my eyebrows, that is very strange.  Even with these side effects, I would gladly deal with them to not have a migraine.  I'm very excited to see how things go and see if my pain free days are numbered or if it lasts the full 3 months.  My next injections are scheduled for July. So- here is to hoping.  I finally feel like I have my life back!! 

Crock Pot Thursday

Every Thursday, in our house, we have Crock Pot Thursday.  This is the one day a week that I work outside the home.  I only work from 8-1, but I usually visit with my mom after because she watches my girls.  So, to make my life easier, I start dinner in the crock pot before I leave and it is ready when I come home.  I usually just cook rice or noodles to go with it.  These recipes are healthier than most and packed with veggies.  At the beginning of the month I choose some or all of these recipes, compile a shopping list, and hit the store.  Then on Sundays, my husband and I chop, cook, and prepare all the recipes, place them into freezer friendly zip lock bags, and freeze away.  The day I want to make them, I thaw for 30 minutes, then drop it into the crock pot using a crock pot liner because they are AWESOME! I cook for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

I also included some make ahead meals that aren't for the crock pot.  They are great for days you don't feel like cooking.  Just thaw and toss in the oven.  I have found these recipes all over the internet and either keep them true or adjust to my family.  We hate mushrooms in this house, so we will never include those.  

Crock Pot Recipes

Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast

3-4 pound boneless chuck roast
Seasoning Salt

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder
black pepper to taste
1-2 T olive oil (depends on your pan)
1/4 cup water to deglaze pan
2-3 large onions, peeled and thickly sliced
1 cup beef stock, reduced to 1/2 cup (can use a can of beef broth, but be sure to reduce it)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Rub meat well with seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Heat heavy pan with small amount of olive oil and brown roast well on both sides. This will take a few minutes; don't rush the browning step.

While roast browns put 1 cup beef stock in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, then let cool slightly and mix in balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce. Peel onions and cut into thick slices. Deglaze pan with 1/4 cup water and add to sauce mixture.

Place onions in bottom of slow cooker. Put meat on top of onions and pour beef stock mixture over. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beef is tender. The meat might be partly submerged in liquid after this much time.

Remove meat from slow cooker and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain liquid from Crockpot and remove as much of the fat as you can with fat separator or skimmer. Cook down liquid by about 1/3, and serve sauce with meat and onions.

·         This is amazing. I didn’t put the normal potatoes and carrots in it.  I cooked just the meat, then as a side dish I made boiled potatoes and steamed veggies.  The leftovers were great for beef and noodles.

Healthy Mama Barbecue Chicken

3 medium unpeeled  sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 large green pepper, cut into strips
1 large red pepper, cut into strips
1 zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca
2 pounds chicken thighs, drumsticks, or boneless
1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard (I wasn't sure if this meant actual mustard or the spice so I did a little of both)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. On the day you want to cook it, Thaw for 30 minutes and then toss it into the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with rice or noodles.

·         This is delicious and healthy.

Goulash
3 cups chopped onions
2.5 cups coarsely chopped green sweet peppers
4 large beets, peeled and diced
2 cups of carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into one inch cubes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
4 teaspoons Hungarian paprika or regular paprika (I used regular)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups hot cooked noodles (Optional, can be added the day you cook instead)
1/2 dairy sour cream

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. EXCEPT the sour cream, that is for garnish after the meal is cooked. On the day you want to cook it, Thaw for 30 minutes and then toss it into the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

·        *  This is my favorite!!  I will never feel the same about regular goulash.  This is packed full of veggies and so much healthier than regular goulash.  Since I am dairy free right now, I do not serve with sour cream, I usually add Everglades right before I serve or just salt and pepper.  Jon said it is also good with a little parmesan cheese.

Chicken Curry
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons curry powder
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups chopped peeled sweet potatoes
2.5 cups baby carrots
2 cup coarsely chopped mango
1 cup chopped onion
1 zucchini chopped 
2 cloves garlic, minced
chicken bouillon
.5 cup raisins (for garnish)
.5 cup peanuts or cashews (for garnish)

Dump everything into two gallon freezer bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer.To cook, take out of freezer and set on counter for about 30 minutes, then dump contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.

·        *  If you like curry this is good.  We tried it but realized we don’t like curry.  I bought the mild curry seasoning so it wasn’t spicy at all.  Serve this with rice and tortillas.

Apple Pie Pork Chops

8    cups    apples, peeled & sliced

¾ cups sugar

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground allspice

1 ½ pounds pork chops

Directions:

Place pork chops in the bottom of a slow cooker. In a separate gallon zippered bag place all of the ingredients except the pork chops. Mix. Once mixed, dump on top of pork chops in the slow cooker. Cook on LOW 6-8 hour or HIGH 3-4 hours.

Freezing Directions:

Add all ingredients except the pork chops to a ziploc bag. Squish this around so that the apples get coated and the spices get mixed around. Add pork chops to the mix (1.5 lbs per bag) or freeze them in a separate gallon bag. Then put this in the freezer.  To serve: Thaw both bags (apples and pork chops). Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on LOW 6-8 hour or HIGH 3-4 hours.

* I haven’t made this, but my mom did and said it was great.  I was thinking of making it with chicken.

Cranberry Chicken
2 medium apples, cut into wedges
1 medium onion, chopped
2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
2 lemons cut into wedges
2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
2 tablespoons honey
1 can of cranberry sauce (or you can use fresh cranberries if they are in season)

Dump everything into gallon freezer bag and label.  When ready to cook, dump into slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours.  Serve with rice or couscous.

* Yum! I made this with fresh cranberries when they were in season. I haven’t tried it with cranberry sauce.

Teriyaki Chicken (2 Bags)

Split a large bag of Baby Carrots between the 2 bags

Cut Red Onion into Large Chunks and split between the 2 bags

(1) 20oz can pineapple in each bag (undrained)

(2) Garlic Cloves chopped per bag

(2) Chicken Breasts in each bag

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce in each bag

*Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce to mixture. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Serve over Rice.

·         This is amazing!!  I have never liked teriyaki before but I figured I’d give it a try.  It is delicious.

Savory Vegetable Beef Soup (2 Bags)

Chop (1) Onion and Chop (2) Cloves of Garlic- Brown in Pan with the Ground Beef- once cool divide mixture between bags

(2) whole carrots chopped per bag

(2) celery stalks chopped per bag

(3) Red Potatoes chopped per bag

(1) can v8 split between bags

(1) 28oz can diced tomatoes SPLIT between bags

(1) cup frozen green beans in each bag

(1/2)TBSP Worcestershire per bag

(1/2) cup Beef Broth per bag

(1) TBSP Parsley per bag

(1) tsp Basil per bag

1/2 tsp Thyme per bag

(1/2) tsp salt per bag

(1/2) tsp pepper per bag

(1) TBSP Sugar per bag

*Place in Crockpot with 1.5 cups of water and 15 oz Beef Broth. Cook on LOW 8 Hours.

·         Very yummy soup

World’s Easiest Make-Ahead Marinated Chicken Recipe

One bottle of your favorite Italian salad dressing

6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put the chicken in a freezer bag. Pour the Italian dressing over the chicken. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal it up. Freeze.

To thaw and bake:

·         Quick Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

·         Longer Marinating Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer, stick the bag in a bowl and let it thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Pour all the contents of the bag into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

·         Crock Pot Method: Pull frozen chicken out of the freezer and run the freezer bag under hot water to thaw slightly. Pour all the contents of the bag into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours, until thoroughly cooked through.

·         This is delicious served over rice with steamed vegetables on the side. Serves 4-6.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (from 12-oz bag), thawed
1 medium stalk celery, diced (1/2 cup)
1 carton (32-oz) Progresso® chicken broth
1 cup water
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 bag (8 oz) shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (2 cups)
1/4 cup real bacon pieces (from 2.8-oz package)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
3. In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

These are make ahead meals but not crock pot.

Breakfast Burritos
12 eggs
2 cups cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup chopped veggie trio (red, peppers, green peppers, onions)
1/2 cup milk
salt & pepper to taste
24 medium flour tortillas OR 12 large flour tortillas
salsa

Make-Ahead Preparation:
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk and salt and pepper. 

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring constantly, being careful not to brown the eggs, until cooked through. 

While the eggs are cooking, place your tortillas on a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap. Heat for 30 to 45 seconds or until tortillas are just slightly warm. (Warming the tortillas makes them more pliable. If your tortillas are already soft enough to roll, you can omit this step.)

When the eggs are cooked through, stir veggies. 

Place ½ cup egg mixture into each tortilla (more if using larger tortillas); sprinkle with cheese and top with some salsa. Roll them up burrito-style. 

Wrap each tortilla in tin foil, place on a large baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen through, transfer the burritos in batches to ziploc bags. Freeze for up to one month.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove burritos from ziploc bags and heat in the tin foil for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

Jon takes these to work. They thaw for about 1-2 hours then he tosses it unwrapped into the microwave. He loves these.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1/2 lb. mushrooms, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt & pepper, to taste

1 t. Italian seasoning

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. beef stock

2 t. red wine vinegar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 lb. egg noodles, cooked and drained

1. In a large skillet, add ground beef, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until ground beef is completely browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, and Italian seasoning.

2. Stir in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly add beef stock and red wine vinegar. Stir, bring to a boil, and let simmer until thickened.

3. Stir in sour cream until combined. Add noodles; mix well. Remove from heat.

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole

Makes 2 9×13 pans – one for tonight and one for another day!

2 medium onions, chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

6 garlic cloves, minced

3 1/2 cups (about two 15.5 oz or one 28 oz can) gluten free tomato sauce

3 1/2 cups (about two 15.5 oz or one 28 oz can) diced tomatoes (fire roasted, optional)

2 small cans (5.5 oz) tomato paste

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 2 to 3 Tablespoons honey)

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

4 cups cooked brown rice or quinoa

18-20 cups thinly sliced cabbage (about a 3 pound cabbage)

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions until translucent.  Add ground beef, pork and garlic, continuing to cook until meat is browned and cooked through.  Drain any grease and set aside.

In another bowl combine the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, dill weed, nutmeg, and chili powder.  Stir until well blended.

In the bottom of two oiled 9×13 pans, divide the rice or quinoa evenly into the pans. Pat the grain into an even layer on the bottom of the pans, using clean wet hands if it is too sticky.  On top of the rice layer add a layer half of the cabbage, half of the meat and half of the tomato sauce.  Repeat the layers of cabbage, meat and sauce, using a large spoon if needed to compress the layers so there is less air pockets in the casserole.

Cover pan with foil (or with parchment and then foil, if you prefer).

To freeze: Make sure the dish is wrapped well.  Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw.  Keep covered and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and cooked through.

Laundry Detergent

I love this laundry detergent!  I just made my second batch.  The first batch was made on October 1, 2011.  So this detergent lasts about 6 months and is only around $20!

4 pound box of Borax

4 pound box of Baking Soda

3 pound box of Super Washing Soda

5 pound box of Oxyclean 

3 bars of Fels Naptha Soap (shredded)

You use only 1-3 Tbsp per load depending on how dirty the clothes are.  This is pretty safe for people who are allergic to a lot of soaps (like me).  I also use this to wash my cloth diapers and baby clothes.  If I have a stubborn stain, I do pre-treat it like normal.

Crock pot beans and rice

I got the original recipe from here: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/06/crockpot-beans-and-rice-recipe.html
She has wonderful recipes.  This is another Meatless Monday dish I made that we just loved.  I will post the original recipe and then how I customized it with what I had on hand.
The Ingredients:
-1 can of black beans --1 can of pinto beans
--1 cup of rice 
--1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
--1 T olive oil
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1 t Italian seasoning
--1/2 T dried onion flakes

The Directions.

--put the 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot, and add the rice. Swirl the rice around in the olive oil, until it is coated nicely.

--drain and rinse the beans, and add them

--drain the tomatoes, but reserve the liquid in a measuring cup. I got a little under a cup of tomato juice. Add the tomatoes.

--add water to the measuring cup with tomato juice. You need 2 cups of liquid.

--add seasonings stir well, and cover. 

Cook on low for about 6 hours, or on high for 3-4. My beans and rice cooked in an oval 6qt Smart Pot for 3.5 hours. It is done when the rice is tender. Brown rice or wild rice will take longer to cook than white rice

I used dried pinto beans that I had and didn't know what to do with.  Of course I prepared them before throwing them in (soak overnight) and a can of red kidney beans that I had from making chili over the winter. I used brown rice, the real kind that you have to cook forever.  I didn't have diced tomatoes so I used 1 tomato, 1 cup of tomato juice, and 1 cup of water.  I also didn't use Italian seasoning because I'm out, so I added garlic powder and everglades seasoning.  This is one recipe that you can play with for whatever you have on hand.  I love that kind of cooking.  This was a very filling, cheap, and easy meal!

Banana Bread

I have tried many recipes for banana bread and I finally perfected a recipe in my opinion.  My husband has tasted many of them and with this last try, my husband, my parents, and some friends have raved about it.  So here it is, I hope you enjoy it.

Amanda's Banana Bread

Ingredients
4 ripe bananas, smashed  (the blacker the better)
1/3 C melted smart balance lite butter
1 C Stevia sugar alternative
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 C quick cook Oats
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

Directions
There is no need for a mixer, but of course I used my new Kitchen Aid. :)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)
Mix butter into mashed bananas in a large bowl.  Mix in sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla.  Sprinkle in the baking soda and salt and mix thoroughly. Add the oats and mix.  Lastly add the flour and mix, batter will be lumpy.  Pour the mixture into a well oiled/buttered/Pam'd loaf pan.
Bake for 60 minutes
Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

Are Kitchen Aid Stand Mixers really worth the price?  

OMG!!! They are awesome!  I received a mixer as a gift from my Mom and Dad, it was totally unexpected and the best surprise ever.  I have been wanting one since I realized the wonderful things it could do.  It mixes and kneads the dough for bread within minutes. Once I found that out, I fell in love and had to have one.  My husband is bread's biggest fan.  Any type of bread will make my husband a very happy man, if it is homemade, he is ecstatic.  I have been trying to be much more conscious about what I feed my family.  Making my own bread for sandwiches is one of the things I have been doing.  I love the way the smell of homemade bread fills my house.  Eating a slice of warm bread out of the oven is delicious. Of course now I will be posting bread recipes.  I believe my first one will be Banana Bread, a favorite in our house.