Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup (and Chicken Too)

SO you're in the kitchen, chopping your potatoes and onions when you realize you are missing a key ingredient, cream of mushroom soup. What to do? What to do?

Why, you can whip some up! I did this when making my husband's favorite roast. And he loved it.

What you'll need:

2 tbsp butter - you can use margarine if you're that kind of person. ;)

2 tbsp flour

2 tbsp milk (or sour cream)

2 cups mushrooms

And 12 ounces of water

In a pan melt your butter, then whisk your flour in, add your milk (or sour cream) and mushrooms, then water to get it the right consistency.

I then dropped in onions, potatoes and a roast. It was amazing.

You can easily make homemade cream of chicken by subbing out the butter for a couple tbsp chicken broth.

Baked Oatmeal Chocolate Banana Muffins

I love, love, love oatmeal. When I was pregnant it was one of the few foods I could tolerate. My husband on the other hand hates it. 

But I am not willing to buy two sets of breakfast food every week. So I tasked myself with coming up with a way to make him love oatmeal. 

"Have you tried baked oatmeal?" my sister asked. I was interested. However, a lot of the recipes amounted to dessert. I am all about dessert, but not for breakfast... everyday. ;)

So I scoured the internet and I found a recipe, that with very little tweaking, I loved. And it was enough to make 12 muffins now, and have enough left in a pan to freeze for company. 

 Note: I used palm sugar in this recipe. It comes from the coconut and is believed to have a lower glycemic index, so it is a smidgen better for you than refined cane sugar. Who knows... it falls under the category of sexy ingredients. So if you don't feel like paying $.18 an ounce for it from Amazon, just use brown sugar. 

What you'll need:

5 cup old fashioned oats (not quick cook!)

3 eggs

1 cup palm sugar (or brown sugar)

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce and 1/3 cup butter melted)

1 cup chocolate chips 

1 small banana cut up into pieces 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup ground flaxseed (this is surprisingly cheap when purchased in your grocer's bulk section - $1.99 a pound at Publix)

1 Tablespoon cinnamon or more. I really like cinnamon

2 1/2 cups skim milk 

Preheat oven to 350 and get your muffin pan ready. 

Mix your apple sauce (and butter if your using butter) and sugar, eggs and banana. Mix, mix, mix. 

Stir in your oats, flaxseed, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add in your milk and chocolate chips and stir, stir, stir. 

Once everything is all melded together fill your muffin cups and slide into the oven. This will make either 2 dozen muffins or one dozen and enough to freeze in a 9 by 13 pan. 

(If your freezing you will need to thaw it completely before baking later.)

Homemade Taco Seasoning

This one sounds like a no brainer, it takes no time to make homemade taco seasoning, and you can do it with ingredients you already have. But how many times have I purchased taco seasoning in that little envelope at the supermarket?

Last night I was making this recipe, but with beef and I thought, hey I can just make my own seasoning, right? Yes!

What you'll need:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin - or more

1 teaspoon black or garlic pepper

Dump everything in a bowl, mix together and you are done, girl!

Just add to your meat to flavor while you are cooking it.

Focaccia Bread: World's Easiest Bread Recipe

I have already expressed to you my love for baking bread. But it is a long process and I don't have a lot of time.

There is the kneading and the waiting, the bulking and the punching. I don't have time for that mess. Do you?

But, I have discovered Focaccia Bread! It isn't just for snobby little downtown bistros. It does require a little kneading and a little waiting, but it takes a fraction of the time a loaf of bread would take. 

It is so simple and you use few ingredients and it makes a delicious bread. 

What you'll need:

1 teaspoon honey (or sugar)

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast 

1/3 cup warm water 

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

In a small bowl dissolve your yeast in the warm water and add in your honey and let sit for 2-3 minutes. 

In a larger bowl combine the yeast mixture with your flour. 

Flour a clean surface and knead for about 2 minutes. 

Spray a bowl with cooking spray and place your dough in the bowl. Roll it around to make sure it is coated with Pam. Cover with a dark, wet cloth and let sit for about 30 minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 375. Roll the dough out onto a floured pan and poke little dents in the top of the dough with the handle of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and dried onion, herbs or garlic salt. 

Bake 10 - 20 minutes

Mama and Baby Cook: Chicken Tortilla Bake

Again, it is hot here in Alabama. It is hot and it is only May and the days are getting busier and the baby boy is getting cuter and cuter and I don't want to stand around in a kitchen for an hour. I want to play. 

Do you ever feel that way? Well here is a recipe that will have you darting in the kitchen for a brief minute and then gives you lots of time to play, fold clothes or sit in a closet and cry during nap time. (Just kidding on that last part.... maybe.)

This is Chicken Tortilla bake and at just $6 it is a quick, easy and cheap meal. 

What you'll need:

Two cups chopped chicken, cooked (this is great for leftovers)

1/2 bag frozen corn

8 tortillas cut in strips

1 can black beans drained and rinsed

1 jar salsa

2 cups cheese

One pan greased

Preheat your oven to 350

Place a few tortilla strips in the bottom of the pan. 

Cover in chicken, beans, corn, salsa and cheese. Mix together. Add more tortilla strips and more cheese. 

Place in oven for 30 minutes. Voila!

Chicken Tortilla bake. Just $6. This is a quick, easy and cheap meal. What you'll need:Two cups chopped chicken, cooked1/2 bag frozen corn8 tortillas cut in strips1 can black beans drained and rinsed1 jar salsa2 cups cheeseOne pan greased
Preheat your oven to 350Place a few tortilla strips in the bottom of the pan. Cover in chicken, beans, corn, salsa and cheese. Mix together. Add more tortilla strips and more cheese. Place in oven for 30 minutes. Voila!