This hearty Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup is like a warm hug by the fire on a cold day. Loaded with potatoes, veggies and ham -- pure comfort food. It’s also quick and easy to prepare and is ready to eat in about half an hour. I buy ham after major holidays at a reduced price just for delicious treats like this throughout the year. I slice, dice and cube chunks of the ham and freeze them in quart sized zipper bags in 2 cup portions. It only takes a quick trip to the freezer when the mood strikes for a super hearty – omlet, casserole or whatever. An unexpected early – early – fall snow was the inspiration for this wonderful soup. Thaw the ham before cooking, either by setting it in the refrigerator overnight, putting it in a pan of hot water for a couple of hours, or a 1-2 minutes in ... [Read More]
Quick and easy
Skinny Chocolate Cake
Super moist Skinny Chocolate Cake is a quick to make decadent dessert. Five minutes and it is in the oven and twenty five minutes later the cake is cooling on the rack. That's the longest part of the process -- waiting for it to cool down. You can pass the time by stirring up the frosting -- another couple of minutes -- and setting it in the refrigerator until the cake is room temperature to touch and you can spread the frosting without making it separate into liquid and less liquid. Most recipes say the cake should be cool -- but this is a cake that was in a hot oven and is setting in a room that is somewhere in the 70 degree range. It's not gonna be cool! :-) I used a dark chocolate cake mix with 24 carbs per serving, water is zero carbs. Dump both in your mixing bowl, Add ... [Read More]
Crispy Ritz Cheesy Chicken
The whole family loves this cheesy baked chicken! And it is quick and easy to put together with a 45 minutes bake time so perfect for a quick dinner after work. 10 minutes of prep time and use the 45 minutes of bake time to do whatever else is priority. Keep one of the kids busy by letting them crush the butter crackers while you pull the rest of the ingredients out of the refrigerator and set up the prep station. I used Ritz crackers, but other brands of similar crackers will also work. I smashed mine in the sleeve itself, just squeezing the wrapped crackers until they were crumbly. You might need to use a heavy glass or other object to finish the job. You want to leave the crumbs small enough to stick, but large enough to provide some texture. A balancing act like so much of ... [Read More]
Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake
A dense moist cake with the slight tang of buttermilk topped by decadent fudgy frosting, Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake is also quick and easy to make and feeds a crowd. Perfect qualifications for contribution to a potluck dinner. Like our recent family reunion. We are usually a creamy concoction and all kinds of pie for dessert bunch. I wanted something a little different and definitely chocolate. I remembered a big sheet cake that was a signature contribution to Ohio church potlucks and went looking for a recipe. In my mother in laws handwritten file was this chocolate sensation. Bonus – delicious, plus quick and easy to make!! Like most baking projects, this one goes faster if you gather all the ingredients in one spot before starting. Dairy products are available in so ... [Read More]
Creamy Parmesan Baked Turkey Tenderloins
Creamy parmesan crust with a kick blankets turkey tenderloins for a quick and easy baked meal. Serve with a salad, brown rice and vegetable of your choice for a healthy dinner. A rice and pasta combination also makes a good side dish and you can pick a flavor to complement the zing of the creamy parmesan crust. Mix together the sauce ingredients. The seasoned salt provides the kick. You know I am a wimp so the half teaspoon is plenty for me, but you can add up to a teaspoon if you like. Slather the sauce evenly over the two turkey tenderloins and bake for about 45 minutes. Have a glass of iced tea and unwind after your busy workday and then for the 15 minutes before serving make the rest of the dinner. Prepare rice accompaniment according to directions. Toss a salad -- or pull ... [Read More]
Lemon Pepper Pork Chops
Lemon Pepper Pork Chops are tender, delightfully flavored and a great company dish. They are so quick and easy to make you’ll add them to the family menu, too. I am always surprised at how quickly this meal comes together. Serve with colorful vegetables or brown rice and a crunchy salad. Yummy delicious!! Even when you don’t put the sauce on because you’re in a hurry to catch the last bit of light for photos before dinner and nightfall. Mix the dry ingredients together while the butter melts. If you are wondering what it means to dredge the pork chops, it is simply coating the meat evenly with flour and/ or crumbs. Usually the mixture includes seasonings like the brown sugar, lemon peel and salt and pepper above. Paprika, garlic powder, or herbs are also used. Besides ... [Read More]
