Marinated Beef Ribs w/ Glazed Carrots

 

   Since I'm a mom of 3, I don't always have time to fire up the grill and barbecue some ribs. This meal is a nice alternative and can be made using the oven. The carrots are a very simple to make side item that goes nicely with the ribs. I would also recommend serving these with a coleslaw or potato salad. As for the critics: Critic B and Critic A both agree that the ribs are delicious. They also never leave a carrot on their plates! They love the carrots because they are a little sweet and taste "yummy". Critic D loves the whole meal hands down. He loves it even more because he also doesn't have to mess with the grill.

All Over Rating: ****

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

   These cookies are delicious! They were made with bread flour by accident but they still turned out fantastic! They were light and fluffy and great with a glass of Milk! The Critics for once all agree that this was the best Cookie recipe that I have ever made.

All Over Rating: *****

Taco Balls

   I am not a big fan of this recipe, however, the critics seemed to love it so I thought I would share it with you. These Taco Balls are best served with a crisp salad and some Spanish rice. Critic B ate about 8 of these. He really enjoyed them and had fun helping make them. Critic A only ate 3 but he did like them (I think he liked the salad and rice better). Critic D liked them but said they were a little dry and maybe missing something.

All Over Rating: ***

 



Eat @ Your Own Risk

Teriyaki Chicken w/ Fried Rice & Homemade Egg Rolls

   This Dinner has always been one of our favorites! Its a lot cheaper than dining out or even ordering from your local Chinese restaurant. Plus its fun to make too! For this meal we always have a theme night. We serve Fortune Cookies for dessert and watch a "Chinese themed" movie like Kung Fu Panda, or Mulan. As for the critics, well, Critic B loves this dinner because one of his favorite "fast foods" is teriyaki chicken. He doesn't like the fried rice too much though but loves the egg rolls! Critic A is not a big fan of the egg rolls, but he does like the chicken and fried rice. Critic D usually has 2 or 3 helpings of this because it is so good! I enjoy this dish but I never seem to make enough egg rolls, they are always gone in seconds.

All Over Rating: **** 

Zuchini Patties

 

   There is nothing better than fried food! Its always good and this recipe is no exception. One of our family favorites is the fried Zuchini Patties. All the critics agree hands down that this recipe is excellent. Whenever I make these they are gone within minutes. These are best served warm and can be eaten as a snack, an appetizer, or even as a side to a delicious meal.

 

All over rating: *****

 

B's Famous Pasta Bake

This is Critic B's Famous Pasta Bake recipe. B is only 7 but loves to cook (Just like his Mama). One night we were making pasta w/ sauce for dinner. B took over the kitchen and started throwing things in the pot. He asked if we could bake it like a lasagna and then the Pasta Bake was born. Critic B loves this recipe of course because he made it. He always asks for seconds on this one and sometimes even thirds!! Critic A is also a big fan of this one. Bread sticks might just be the only bread I can get him to eat. Critic D loves it too. The sides are optional of course but I think this meal always goes good with Salad and Bread sticks. The parsley on top was for the picture, it had my kids asking me why I put leaves on the pasta!

All over rating: *****

 

A rare glimpse of Critic A eating bread.

 

Now check out the recipe and try it for yourself.

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Creamy Stuffed Mushrooms

  

   This is one of my favorite recipes. (Mostly because when I make them I get to eat most of them) This dish would make an excellent appetizer or for a hearty snack. The critics are not very fond of these. Critic D loves them. Critic B likes to eat the stuffing part but leaves the mushrooms behind. Critic A loves the mushrooms but not so much the stuffing. I love them all around. This is definitely not a healthy recipe but it is at the top of the list for comfort foods. A few of these is good for the soul! All over rating: ***

Now check out the recipe and try it for yourself.

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Andouille Sausage w/ Rice & Beans

 

This turned out to be one of my favorite dishes. Very wholesome and delicious. The spices from the sausage really combine well with the beans and rice. The peppers and onions add color and flare to this dish. As for my critics ---> Critic B ate all the meat but didn't like the beans, Critic A cleaned his plate and loved every bite, Critic D liked everything but the red kidney beans.

All over rating: ****

 

Now check out the recipe and try it for yourself.

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Healthy Turkey & Cheese Sandwich

This week we decided to get a little healthier, So we thought we'd try some Organic & Healthy Meals. This was one of them. Although all of the ingredients I used were Organic, you can always make these sandwiches with any ingredients you have on hand. *Warning* I did learn with this recipe that Organic, gluten free bread is an acquired taste. You may want to substitute for some regular deli style bread. As for my critics ---> Critic B really enjoyed this meal. He said the sandwich was delicious but wasn't very fond of the cheese. Critic A loved the food but about 2 bites in he discarded the bread and ate the rest. He wasn't very fond of the chips though. Critic D liked the whole meal and thought it was the best sandwich ever. As for me, the bread was not that great. With some different bread this sandwich would rock!

All over rating: ****

 

This was before he took away the bread.

 

 

 

Now check out the recipe and try it for yourself.

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Eating Organic Is Not Cheap

  

   We had a theme going this week with a plan to eat healthier. We decided to try out some Organic products from the local supermarket. Now I know why more than ⅓ of Americans are obese. Eating healthy (especially organic) is not cheap! During our shopping trip we got lots of fresh veggies, deli meats, and deli cheeses. Then we went to the organic isle and our budget went out the window. Things like oatmeal and cereals were 8$ a box, items that were gluten free were 5$ and up. I was in over my head. We ended up only buying a few items (enough to make our Healthy Turkey & Cheese Sandwiches) and a few extra things like oatmeal, real maple syrup, mother's milk tea, and some kids juice boxes. Our total for this shopping trip was $105.00. This is what I would spend for a weeks worth of groceries not 1 or 2 days! Now the food was mostly good but I don't think it was all worth the amount spent. My food may not always be healthy but it sure does taste good, so I will stick with our usual brands for now. I don't think we will be going Organic again any time soon.

 

If you eat Organic foods on a budget please leave a comment

and let me know how you do it!