The Pantry Door

I have been seeing a lot of ideas lately on Pinterest and on several of the organizing blogs that I follow about organizing your pantry.  These ideas jump out at me because my pantry needs some TLC.  One thing that I do have organized--for the most part--is all those little things that end up getting shoved to the back of the shelves or fall off because there is no way it will stay propped up in front of the balsamic vinegar bottle, especially since the shelf is only 4" deep.  Really.  I found this idea in a catalog that I received in the mail.  They had this great idea of hanging an organizer on the back of your pantry door to put all those "little ones" in.  That was a great idea, but the price for that puppy was not so great.  My take on this organizer was to head out to Walmart and buy a clear over-the-door shoe organizer for at least half the price.  When I finally get around to organizing the rest of the pantry (you are probably thinking it doesn't need it.  I know.  But visually it is very cluttered to me.  I want a more streamlined look.  It's just too busy), shown here...

...I am going to label my door organizer so that  others in our house will return things to the right place.  Yeah, said no homemaker EVER!  By the way, I have another organizer in my linen closet for all those items like sunscreen, cotton swabs, hotel soap/shampoo/conditioner, bedroom door "keys", extra toothbrushes, etc.  You get the idea.  It is wonderful there as well.

Spanish Rice Salad

Ingredients:

2 c. cooked white rice
2 (11 oz.) cans Mexicorn, drained
1/2 c. chopped red onion
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing

3/4 c. chunky salsa
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder

Directions:

Put salad ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients.  Add to salad and toss to coat.  Chill.

Source:  Melva Burke

3 Ingredient White Bean Chicken Chili

I love a quick, yummy meal, and this is definitely one of them!

One day I watched my friend dump some things in a pot, stir a bit, and then call her kids down for dinner. I was truly impressed because it took 5 minutes from start to finish, and it looked so delicious and healthy too!

3 Ingredient White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
A few cans of white beans, drained
1 can of chicken 
A cup or two of your favorite salsa

I am not going to give an exact recipe, well, because there isn't one and I have made it differently every time depending on how many I needed to feed and what I had on hand. But basically you just dump those ingredients into a pot, in whatever quantities you want, add a little water if needed, and maybe some black pepper. If you want to get fancy, you can add a can of corn! Let it simmer for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips!

A delicious and quick meal! I hope you enjoy! 

PS - You could also make this in a crock pot.

Source: My amazing friend Kim Jones

Broccoli & Cheese Quinoa

I'm in LOVE with quinoa! It's been so nice having something new and so versatile in my diet. Have you tried cooking with it yet? You really should give it a shot. My kids gobbled this right up. We served it with some chicken and carrots on the side. Made for a tasty dinner. Plus, it cooks up so quickly!

Broccoli & Cheese Quinoa

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
1 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
1. Put quinoa, broth and broccoli to a pot and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender,about 15-20 minutes.
2. Mix in the cheese, let it melt.
3. Enjoy!

Want some more Quinoa Recipes? Check these out...
Quinoa Primavera
Moni's Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Nigella's Breakfast Bars

Mr. Blue Eyes' parents gave us a Nigella Lawson cookbook a few years ago and there are some fabulous recipes in it. I mean, c'mon. It's Nigella we're talking about. These granola bars are so easy and so good that we eat them morning, noon, and night!

Ingredients:

1 14 oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2.5 Cups of Rolled Oats (not instant!)
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Dried Cranberries
1 Cup Mixed seeds* (Nigella suggests pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)
1 Cup Natural Unsalted Peanuts

1. Preheat the oven 250 degrees F and spray a 9x13" pan.
2. Warm the Sweetened Condensed Milk in a sauce pan. Ms. Lawson suggests a Large one; I used a small one. Tomato, Tah-mah-toe.
3. In a Large mixing bowl, mix all the other ingredients together. Pour the warmed milk over the top and fold it over until everything is looking gooey and good!
4. Press the mixture into your greased pan. At Nigella's suggestion I used a latex (or non-latex for all you latex-sensitive people) glove. Make sure you press down fairly firmly and pack it well. We had trouble with crumbling. Not that that makes it taste any less delicious!
5. Bake for 1 hour. After it's cooled about 10 minutes, cut 4x4 length to width and remove from pan to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container. Makes 16.

*Notes:
1. We have used Unsalted Cashews (1/3 Cup); Salted, shelled pistachios--pictured above (1/3+ Cup); Sunflower Seeds (1/3- Cup). They turned out great!
2. When she says natural, unsalted, she means it. Unsalted just seems to turn out better.

Source: Nigella Express:130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast

Easy 7-layer Bean Dip

This is my go-to recipe when I need to bring a side dish to a gathering and don't have a lot of time.  This dip is little different than traditional 7-layer dip but I always get requests for the recipe and compliments when I bring it.

The Seven Layers:

1 Can of Refried Beans

1 1/2 Cups Plain Yogurt

1 Packet of Taco Seasoning

1 Bunch of Cilantro

1 Bunch Green Onions

3-4 Roma Tomatoes

Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1-Spread the can of refried beans on the bottom of the serving dish.

2-Mix the packet of taco seasoning with the yogurt and spread on top of the beans.

3- Chop up the cilantro, tomatoes, and green onions and layer on top of the yogurt.

4-Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese on top of the veggies.

5-Serve with tortilla chips.

The dip is really easy but also very tasty!

Chicken & Wild Rice

 

My family really liked this. Its a recipe I found in my 4 ingredient cookbook.  I changed it up a bit,

and voila! It was SUPER simple and cooked itself! The mandarin oranges add just a bit of sweetness to this dish that really makes it great! By-the -way, this is pretty healthy.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 bag of chicken, boneless & skinless

1 box of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, original flavor

1 box of Uncle Ben'sWild Rice, Herb Roasted Chicken Flavor

1 big can of Mandarin Oranges   

salt

pepper

2 1/2 cups of water, according to rice directions

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Using a roasting pan, layer the bottom with both boxes of rice.  Then sprinkle one of the seasoning packets over the rice.  Cut all the fatty parts off of the chicken and cut each breast into thirds. Layer the chicken over the rice. Sprinkle the second seasoning packet over the chicken and the rice. Lightly sprinkle salt and over the entire dish.  Pour the can of mandarin oranges over the chicken. Spread them out a bit so all of the sweetness goes everywhere instead of on  just one spot of the dish. Add the water carefully. Cover your roasting pan with tinfoil if you don't have a lid. Then bake for 2 hours.  So, put this on just before you go to get the kiddos from school and it will be ready for dinner!

 

original recipe from 4 Ingredient Cookbook.