Guest Recipe – Susan’s Pizza Boats

I love pizza! But, the crust doesn't really like me sometimes even if you overlook the calories. I've made pizza casseroles and pizza soups - each containing all my favorite pizza toppings, but just lacking a little something. When Susan sent me her latest recipe creation, I finally figured out what mine were missing. It's that lovely, slightly browned, gooey cheese topping. I love that she put these mini-casseroles in little 'boats'. Here's another winner from Susan.
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Susan's Pizza Boats
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1 pound sausage
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
50 (or several)slices of pepperoni - chopped
1 jar pizza sauce
any other pizza toppings (olives, banana peppers, etc)
2 cups mozzarella cheese - depending on how much you like on your pizza
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Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown sausage, onions, green peppers, pepperoni and whatever else you like on pizza- all this is to taste. Drain off the fat. Spray the dish with a cooking spray, cover bottom of the dish with a thin layer sauce, as you would for pizza pie, spoon on a healthy portion of the pizza topping mixture - then mozzarella cheese. I prefer a lot. Place in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese melts. I prefer my cheese to brown a little. Then serve w/extra sauce on the side.
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You can use an individual dish like I did or a pie pan.

Simple Baked Chicken and Rice

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I love simple, especially when it tastes so good! After a week of being 'under the weather' I wanted something other than soup, but just as easy. This dish has 3 ingredients and no measuring. It doesn't get much easier. I used split chicken breasts, but you could substitute boneless chicken breasts or even chicken tenderloins.
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Simple Baked Chicken and Rice
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2 split chicken breasts
1 package Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice, Fast Cook Recipe, 6.2-Ounce Box
1 can Low Sodium Chicken Broth, 14-Ounce
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Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In shallow casserole dish, combine uncooked rice, chicken broth, and 1/2 of rice seasoning packet. Place chicken breasts (skin side up) on top of rice mixture. Sprinkle remaining seasoning on top of chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Remove foil and place dish under broiler for 5-10 minutes to brown the skin.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

 

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I wanted to try making turkey meatballs, but in the oven rather than frying them. They turned out very tasty, but you definitely need to serve these with sauce. I used a simple jar sauce that I jazzed up a little with a few spices. Then, I topped them with grated parmesean cheese.
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Baked Turkey Meatballs
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1 pound ground turkey, all white
1 egg
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 tablespoons onion, minced
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Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Set out a cookie sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients together. Form into small balls about 1 & 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on cookie sheet. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Foodie News-2011 SeaPak Costal Getaway Sweepstakes

The 2011 SeaPak Costal Getaway Sweepstakes will give the winner a weekend escape to St. Simons Island, Georgia. Who couldn't use a vacation by the sea? Click here to enter. Contest ends 4/30/2011.

What does $10 buy?

What does $10 buy?  It buys quite a bit with coupons!  Here’s another success at using coupons at Walgreen’s.  The total cost of this trip was $10.37 including tax.  Total savings was $36.98.  I also used $5 in Register Rewards from a previous purchase.  Here’s a highlight of the goodies purchased:

Folgers Coffee 11.3 oz – 2/$6 (cost $4.50 after Register Reward $1 & 2/.25 cent coupons)

Jimmy Dean Breakfast Biscuit –2pk – 2/$4 (cost $2 after 2/$1 coupons)

Morton Salt .99 cents (cost .50 cents after coupon)

Baking Soda $1.29 (cost .50 cents after coupon)

Dawn Dishwashing Liquid 2 @ $1.99 each (cost .75 cents each after store and manufacturer coupons)

Aleve – 130 count $9.49 (cost $6.49 after coupons)

Nature Made Vitamin $4.99 (free with $5 coupon)

Nature Made Vitamin $4.99 (received $5 for purchasing product – used $5 coupon combined with Buy 1 Get 1 Free store sale)

Nature Made Vitamin $5.99 (cost .99 cents after $5 coupon)

What did you spend $10 on today?

Foodie News- Royal Wedding Cake Designs

I remember watching Princess Di’s wedding day, and dreamed of having a gown just like hers.  It seems like yesterday and now her son is getting married.  And, once again, the world will be watching the crowning of a new princess, Kate Middleton.  You might say she has a lot on her plate. From finding the right dress to finalizing the 3,000 person guest list, to selecting the perfect cake, it seems as if this bride could use a little help!

Betty Crocker decided to help the royal couple by offering four Royal Wedding Cake Designs to choose from for their special day. Inspired by the traditional British wedding saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," they’d like to know what you think of these magical cakes!

Help Kate by voting for your favorite Royal Wedding Cake at BettyCrocker.com. Voting ends March 18, with the winning cake to be announced on March 23.
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Why not bring a bit of royalty to your home? Check out these great recipes just in time to watch the Royal Wedding.
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Tea Sandwich Flats

Hibiscus Royale Champagne Cocktails

Royal Blue Velvet Cake

Simple Green Bean Casserole

Have you noticed how many Green Bean Casserole recipes are out there?  I’ve got several versions of the famous one that have been handed down from my Grandmothers.  Each one varies just a bit.  But, I ran across this great Green Bean Casserole recipe at atasteofdixie.blogspot.com.  I pretty much followed the recipe, but omitted the sugar & salt.  I also decided to top it with bacon bits and only a cup of cheese rather than Ritz crackers.  Sorry, but sometimes it’s just about what I have in the kitchen!  Everyone loved this dish!  (You’ll notice most of it was eaten before I could snap a picture!) I served it with oven baked chicken, but honestly, I think I could have just eaten the casserole.  I can’t imagine how delicious the original must be!

Coupons – Every Little Bit Helps

These days, every little bit helps.  I’m still amazed at some of the coupon deals that I’ve found.  And, to be honest, still feeling a little naive for having paid full price for so long.  I picked up these deals at Fred’s.  On Saturday’s, Fred’s will double coupons up to .70 cents.  I had six Ajax Dish Liquid coupons for fifty cents each.  So, that was a $1 off.  Well, the bottles only cost a $1 each.  The net was ten cents each bottle for the sales tax.  The Gain Fabric Softener Sheets, Original Fresh, 120-count were $4.30 each, but I had a $3 coupon.  The net cost was $1.70 each with sales tax. The whole trip cost $4 for a total savings of $12! In this week's sale flyer, the fabric sheets are on sale for $3 a box, so I could have gotten those for free if I had waited another week. But, I'm still happy with this shopping trip.
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How did you save money this week?$ 

Sliced Baked Potato

 

When I first saw this potato, I had to try it. I cannot say that this is a faster way to make a baked potato, but it definitely makes it more interesting. At least I thought so until my brother said they looked like bugs. But, if you have little one in your house, I suppose you could decorate these instead of just adding cheese. I changed this a little from the original recipe - click here to see the original.
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Sliced Baked Potato
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4 baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Seasoning Blend
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Pre-Heat oven to 450 degrees. Wash & scrub potatoes. Slice potatoes, but do not go all the way through - so that the potato looks like an accordion. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 450 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash and a tiny bit more olive oil. Bake another 10 minutes or until herbs begin to brown. Serve plain or add your favorite toppings.

Simple Curry Chicken

 

You’ll notice salt is not listed in the ingredients of this recipe.  I don’t normally add salt to this and just sprinkle a little on at the dinner table.  But, if you want, start by adding about a 1/4 teaspoon with the other spices.  Once this mixture cools and you re-heat it, the spices really seem to come alive and I find that salt really isn’t missed at all.  Oh, did I mention it’s great to make ahead of time?  It’s one of those dishes that just gets better with time. And, I see no reason why you could not use leftover chicken.

Simple Indian Curry

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 chicken breasts (boneless)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons Simply Organic Curry Powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger 
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup Coconut Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and set aside.  In large non-stick skillet, heat oil  over medium heat.   Sauté onion and chicken until onions are tender.  Add garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, ginger, cayenne pepper and sugar.  Continue to cook another minute, stirring constantly.  Stir  tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk together.  Add to skillet. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes.  Serve over Jasmine Rice.

 

Free ACCU-CHEK Aviva Meter Coupon

I have two coupons for a Free ACCU-CHEK Aviva meter with purchase of any ACCU-CHEK Aviva test strips (any size). The coupons expire 5/29/2011. If you're interested, please leave a comment below or e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com. I'd like to see these coupons go to someone who needs them rather than my trash can.
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Also, if you are interested in trading coupons, please contact me. I have several grocery/personal care products/pet food coupons that I'm not going to use.
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Thanks for the repsonse everyone - I've given out all the coupons and don't have any left.

Foodie News: Chopped All-Stars begins March 6th

CULINARY ‘ALL-STARS’ ENTER ‘CHOPPED’ KITCHEN FOR $50K CHARITY PRIZE

Five-Week Primetime Series Premieres on Sunday, March 6th at 9pm ET/PT

NEW YORK – February 1, 2011 – A Chopped event like no other, Chopped All-Stars features unbeatable drama, a $50,000 charitable cash prize and 16 celebrated chefs familiar to Food Network fans. In this fierce five-part competition hosted by Ted Allen, premiering Sunday, March 6th at 9pm ET/PT, four chefs go head-to-head in each round with an unthinkable array of mystery basket ingredients. The champion from each round advances to the finale for a chance at taking home the prize and coveted title. From teething biscuits and rabbit kidneys to dried hibiscus flowers and cobia, these chefs must crank up the heat and get creative to avoid the chopping block. Competitors include Food Network stars like Anne Burrell and Duff Goldman, former contestants from The Next Food Network Star, recurring Chopped judges, and renowned chefs like Anita Lo and Jacques Torres. Judges for this special series include Chopped favorites Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson, Marc Murphy, and Chris Santos. For more information visit: www.foodnetwork.com/chopped.


“This fierce ‘All-Stars’ competition will feature some of the country’s top celebrity chefs along with viewer favorites from shows like The Next Food Network Star and The Next Iron Chef,” said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming & Production, Food Network. “With the stakes so high, these chefs will do whatever it takes, and all for a good cause.”


Episodes include:


Part 1 (premieres Sunday, March 6th at 9pm) – Brad Sorenson, Debbie Lee, Lisa Garza, Michael Proietti

Part 2 (premieres Sunday, March 13th at 9pm) – Anne Burrell, Claire Robinson, Duff Goldman, Robert Irvine

Part 3 (premieres Sunday, March 20th at 9pm) – Anita Lo, Beau MacMillan, Jacques Torres, Nate Appleman

Part 4 (premieres Sunday, March 27th at 9pm) – Aaron Sanchez, Amanda Freitag, Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan

Part 5 (premieres Sunday, April 3rd at 9pm) – Final showdown featuring one winner from each round


Chopped premiered in January 2009 and returned for its sixth season in January 2011. Hosted by Ted Allen, the fast-paced reality series challenges four chefs to turn mystery basket ingredients into an impressive three-course meal. After each course, one contestant gets "chopped" until the last chef standing claims victory. With more than 65 episodes, Chopped consistently ranks as one of Food Network’s highest rated primetime series with a devoted fan following of more than 20 million viewers per month. Chopped and Chopped All-Stars are produced by Notional Entertainment.