Romano Buns

If you are looking for a quick sandwich type dinner, this is it!  These are perfect baked in the oven and even better cooked on the grill or right on the side of a bonfire.  These are a must for our camping trips and as a dinner when we are cooking on the bonfire.

They are like a melted ham and cheese with a buttery rich mustard flavor.

I don’t really measure anything but it’s simple ingredients:

Sliced deli ham (use a good one)
Swiss Cheese
Mustard (any kind you like)
Butter softened
Chopped Onion
Poppy Seeds
Sandwich or Hamburger rolls

Mix mustard, softened butter, and onion in a bowl
Place 2 slices of ham and a slice and 1/2 of swiss cheese on the roll
Place a tablespoon of the mustard mixture on the inside of the roll
Close the roll and spread a little extra mustard mixture on top and sprinkle with poppy seeds
Wrap loosely in tent style in aluminum foil

If baking bake at 350 for 10 minutes to let the cheese melt and the roll get crusty.
If cooking in the fire set on hot coals for about 8 minutes

The roll gets crusty, the cheese and buttery mixture melt into the roll and you have a delicious quick lunch or dinner!

Easy Breakfast

I know they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s just not my favorite.  I am not a huge breakfast foods person and this is going to anger some, but I do not like bacon.  Yes, I know that’s horrible, but I can’t help it.  Funny thing is, pork is my favorite meat.  Give me a pork chop for breakfast and I am happy. Pork chops, pork medallions, pork tenderloin, ground pork, pork shoulder, pork butt, anything but bacon!

While it’s not practical for me to gnaw on a pork chop at my desk, these oatmeal yogurt jars are a perfect grab and go breakfast!  They also make a great lunch for the kids.

There is no “real” recipe for these.  I make them many different ways layering a small handful of oatmeal on the bottom, a layer of any flavor or plain greek yogurt on top, another layer of chopped fruit, some fresh cherry juice from our canned cherries if we have a jar open.  Keep layering until you reach the desired amount you want to eat making sure to end with the yogurt on top of the oatmeal.

Store in the refrigerator overnight.

And when it’s finally the time you feel like eating breakfast (or the kids have lunch) you have a very filling, healthy meal at your fingertips!

Lunch Tip

A small bowl of colorful berries is a great way to get those extra vitamins into the kids during their busy day.

The reusable containers help to keep “green” and fit perfectly into lunch boxes.

Some homemade soup, favorite snack, and nutritious dessert to compensate for the sugar drink make for a very kid friendly lunch packed full of vitamins and the energy they need!

Ham Salad

I always try to keep a few chunks of ham when we have it for dinner to make ham salad.  I made this for lunches today with some of the leftover ham from the Split Pea soup I made last week.  It’s a great lunch or snack!!

You can see how I make our ham salad on my facebook page here:  Ham Salad

Being Green 2

These sandwich wraps are a great investment and a great way to get rid of all those pesky sandwich bags!!  I have used the first set I purchased for 2 years.  My son recently “lost” his, as in probably threw it in the garbage at school in a rush to get outside to play after lunch, so I had to purchase a new set.

I have seen these all over in supermarkets and department stores.  However, I believe these are the best around.  They are a little pricier from here but when you factor in my first set is over 2 years old, these are a worthwhile purchase.

I bought them from:   One Step Ahead.

When they get dirty they can easily be wiped off and once a week I soak them in hot soapy water and scrub the outside with a sponge as needed.  When done, I hang them to dry.

I have used them for sandwiches, buttered bread, and rolls and never had a problem with them drying out.  The food is always fresh!!

Caprese Salad

A nice light salad is perfect for lunch or dinner on warm days.  Tonight I decided to make a caprese salad.  Most places leave the tomatoes whole, but I like to chop it all into nice size chunks and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.   This was a great side to serve with our leftover Pork Roast (recipe here). 

Tomato season is right now so get those tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar and give this is a try.  Chop it all or slice it and drizzle with the balsamic.  You can add some fresh ground pepper if you like.  You can also chop it very fine and serve as bruschetta on crusty bread.  It’s a great summer food 🙂

Egg Salad

Egg salad is a favorite of the boy in our home.  I try to steer clear of processed lunch meats as much as possible.  He does not eat eggs unless they are in egg salad or deviled eggs.

Yesterday he asked me to make some egg salad for his lunch after collecting eggs from the chicken coop. 

Here is our recipe:

Hard boil your eggs (I hard boil them by placing them in a pot with cold water and a teaspoon of salt making sure the eggs are covered.  Bring the pot to a boil and turn the heat down so they are simmering setting the timer for 12 minutes.  Remove from the heat and immediately run cold water into the pot until the pot is cold.  Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 5 minutes and then peel).

5 hard boiled eggs

1/4 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise

1/8 tsp. salt/pepper & garlic powder

dash of yellow mustard

Mash all

Refrigerate for an hour until it’s cold

Then you can add whatever you like.  Some of our favorites include:  green olives, pimento, shredded cheddar cheese, lettuce or tomato. 

This is a yummy sandwich on warm summer days and in the winter in a lunch box!!

Homemade Chicken Salad

There are many ways to make chicken salad.  Tonight it was very humid and warm outside so I decided to use leftover chicken and make a plain chicken salad.  Picked a few of our homegrown Romaine lettuce leaves and some fresh rolls and dinner was done!!  I grow lettuce in planters all around the house.  Tonight I harvested some from the cute little deer planter by our side door.  Everyone does this don’t they???

I used my small chopper to make a finer “less chunky” chicken salad. 

2 bone in chicken breasts, with the meat taken off and chopped

2 Tablespoons salad dressing/1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise

salt/pepper/garlic powder to taste

Optionals are unlimited for a fancier salad.  I have used raisins, craisins, walnuts, grapes, celery, onion, pecans, sunflower seeds etc.  You see you can add just about anything to this and it’s a fabulous lunch, dinner, snack, appetizer.

Please send some positive thoughts, prayers, feelings, energy to one of our fellow bloggers, Of Kids and Cows, who is dealing with a very severe sickness with one of her children.  She can use all the strength of our blogging team to help her and her family as her daughter slowly recovers!!

Multi-Task Cooking

In the past few posts of recipes I have used the phrase “multi-task cooking”.  In our crazy busy life this is one of the ways I keep my sanity.  I thought I would briefly explain how I do it and show how a quick few minutes of planning can really help you stay organized and efficient!!  I look through the freezer and plan which meats I will be cooking for dinner for 4 days.  I move them to the front of the freezer or place them in the fridge to thaw.

The picture above is from last night.  I marinated chicken in dressing for a 1/2 hour.  During that time, I par boiled Italian sausage to grill for tonight’s dinner, cooked the pasta for the chicken meal and made a quick fruit salad.  After 20 minutes the sausage was done and ready to cool to store until today for dinner.  I then put a pot of water in it’s place to boil the corn on the cob and lit the grill to preheat for the chicken.  Ten minutes later I cooked the chicken and seasoned the pasta with butter, garlic powder, salt and pepper while the corn was boiling away.  The chicken and corn were finished at the same time and dinner was served.

Later I set up the above before heading to bed.  The kids lunch boxes and the hot meals they will have instead of a sandwich and the crockpot with all the seasonings ready next to it for the Italian Sausage to be put in before heading out to work the next morning.  While making their lunch choices I will be seasoning the sausage and getting it slow cooking.

I have hot dogs thawing and while cooking the onions and peppers for the Italian Sausage tonight I will boil potatoes to make potato salad to go with our hot dogs for Wednesday evening.

It’s like a game pre-planning and multi-task cooking.  But it’s a game I like to play because it helps me make wise food choices for our dinners, offer a homemade meal to my family, and helps me utilize my time effectively so I have more free time for my kids, gardening, riding, walking or whatever else I choose.

 

Homemade Chicken Fingers (teaching kids to cook)

I was raised helping at mealtime.  Whether it was setting the table, getting the napkins out, making the salad, or cooking.  There was always work to be done and no reason why a child should not help.  I firmly believe it’s a LIFE skill every child should be taught and asked to participate in from the moment they can walk and comprehend.  The skills I learned are invaluable to me.  They taught me responsibility, organization, accountability and most importantly pride.  I was proud to put something on the table I helped make or made on my own.  I remember at a family party when I was around 7 years old at my grandparents asking if I could make a “carrot” salad.  My grandmother said go ahead but don’t waste anything.  So I peeled those carrots, sliced them into thin rounds, put a little oil on them (vegetable as that’s what we used back then), a dash of vinegar, salt, pepper, and sprinkle of sugar.  They were hard, oily and not that great but everyone tried them and my grandmother said over and over again how wonderful they looked and how pretty the salad made the table and how happy she was that she could rinse the leftovers in water and steam them for another dinner.   I was proud!!

My kids are expected to help in the kitchen (girl loves it, son I have to force most of the time), especially if I am making something they love.  Chicken Fingers is one of those foods. 

not sure why the bird face but whatever

My daughter (yes the one who just turned 12 and is posing like a freak) had the job of breading the chicken.

I cooked them in light grapeseed oil

looking good

sons job to put hot sauce mixed with melted butter on and set table

I like my chicken fingers “Buffalo” style which is Franks hot sauce heated with a little melted butter and shaken or drizzled onto the chicken.  Man of the house, son and myself eat them that way dipped in blue cheese.  Daughter eats them plain.

A little side of garlic butter noodles and raw carrots and it’s a go!!  Everyone’s happy.

 

Chicken Fingers

6 – 8 thin sliced chicken tenders (you can use thin breasts or pound down regular breasts and cut them into slices

Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Panko bread crumbs (any style)

Oil for frying (you don’t need to submerge them just enough oil to cook both sides and keep the pan lubricated)

egg

milk

Dip the chicken strips into the egg and then milk and then coat with bread crumbs.  Cook approximately 4 minutes on each side or until they are cooked through.  Lay on papertowels and cover with tin foil while making hot sauce.

HOT SAUCE

Depending on how hot you like your sauce you can adjust the amounts.  I use approximately 1/3 cup of hot sauce and 3 tablespoons butter.  You can add more butter if it’s too hot or less if you want them spicy.

Serve with celery and carrots sticks and a side starch.

**Chicken fingers are expensive in a restaurant.  This meal is a money saver when you make it at home!!**