Wise Ideas

Christmas Trash

2009-12-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

Easy Christmas treat!

1/2 box or rice Chex
1/2 stick margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
powdered sugar

melt margarine
combine margarine peanut butter and chocolate
microwave 2 minutes or until melted
put cereal in white garbage bag
pour mixture over cereal
shake until cereal is covered
shake powdered sugar over it to keep it from sticking

Quick Nut Fudge

2009-12-07T18:08:00.000-05:00

1/2 lb powdered sugar (1/2 box)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

combine all ingredients into microwave safe bowl
heat in microwave 2 minutes and stir until mixed
repeat as necessary until melted
pour into greased baking dish
chill until firm

Chicken Soup

2009-11-30T18:20:00.000-05:00

Leftover chicken is perfect in some soup!

2 Cans chicken broth
Egg Noodles
Chicken, cooked and cut into pieces

put the broth in a saucepan and heat to boiling.
cook noodles normally, according to the directions on the box, but don't drain!
add the cut up chicken and serve warm

Cheese Balls

2009-11-17T18:20:00.002-05:00

This is great for a party! A simple and easy recipe!

8 oz soft cheddar cheese
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
chopped walnuts

mix the cheeses and the Worcestershire sauce thoroughly
rub butter on your hands and form a ball with the mixture
roll in chopped walnuts
refrigerate
serve with crackers

Snickers Salad

2009-11-13T18:23:00.000-05:00

8 oz cream cheese
1 small container cool whip
2 granny smith apples cut into wedges
5 frozen Snickers bars

crush frozen candy bars and mix with apple wedges
mix all other ingredients together with the candy bars and apple
refrigerate

Graham Cracker Snack

2009-11-06T18:25:00.000-05:00

3/4 package graham crackers
1 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
chopped nuts

line a cookie sheet with crackers
boil butter and sugar for 2 minutes
pour over crackers
sprinkle with chopped nuts
bake 10 minutes at 350
let cool and break apart

Strawberry Salad

2009-10-27T19:32:00.006-04:00

My Grandma and I love this salad. It's pretty easy to make and tastes great. Here's what you need:

Chicken
Lettuce
Sliced Almonds
Strawberries
Dried Cranberries
Poppyseed Dressing

1. Cook some chicken and cut it into smaller pieces. I made mine in a skillet, but you could bake them or buy the precooked chicken I used in the Taco recipe.

2. I used the lettuce that comes in the bags, Italian blend. Put it on your plate (or bowl).

3. Cut up the strawberries, and add them to the salad.

4. Add the almonds, and cranberries, then the chicken.

5. Warm up some of the dressing for a few seconds, and pour it over the salad.

There you go! Enjoy!

Rice

2009-10-23T18:22:00.001-04:00

Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. I tend to vary the method. :)

2 cups instant white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
angel hair spaghetti or vermicelli

melt butter in saucepan
break the spaghetti/vermicelli into smaller pieces
brown the rice and vermicelli
add the broth and water
cover and remove from heat
let stand until liquid id absorbed

Fudge Balls

2009-10-16T18:13:00.000-04:00

1/2 stick margarine
6 oz chocolate chips
6 oz butterscotch chips (optional)
10 oz miniature marshmallows
1 cup chopped nuts

melt together the margarine, chips, and marshmallows
stir in nuts
roll into balls
place on wax paper until firm

Meatballs

2009-10-09T17:40:00.001-04:00

This can go with the previous post if you want! Just cut down on the meat in the sauce or take it out completely.

What you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
bread crumbs
garlic salt
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese
Worcestershire sauce

Put the thawed meat into a large bowl and add bread crumbs a little bit at a time. Mix it up every little bit you add, because adding too much can ruin them! You don't want them to fall apart easily, but they shouldn't be real firm either.
Add the Worcestershire sauce if desired. I really like it so I add it, but not too much!
Season with the garlic salt, cheese, and Italian seasonings.
Now shape the meat into balls.
Boil some water.
Add the meatballs to the boiling water and cook until they're brown in color and float.
Drain the water
Add to sauce

Add spaghetti or make a hoagie. Good stuff!

Spaghetti

2009-10-02T17:26:00.001-04:00

Maybe it's just the way we did this growing up, but I cannot eat any other spaghetti sauce than the one my mom taught me to make. I just love it! To me nothing matches!

What you'll need:
1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
spaghetti noodles (or any kind you like, I used small shells)
Worcestershire sauce
garlic salt
pepper
Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese

Put some water on to cook the noodles. Add some salt or garlic salt if you'd like. By the time you need it it should be boiling.
Brown the ground beef in a saucepan.
Drain the excess fat
Put in 1 can each of tomato sauce and tomato paste.
Put in 1 can each of water as well.
Add some Worcestershire sauce. I just make a little puddle and mix it in.
Season with garlic salt (I put a lot in because I'm a garlic fan), pepper, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
Let that cook over low-medium heat.
Now the water should be boiling so you can add your pasta.
Follow cooking instructions on the box for that as well, and drain.

I like to add some butter to the noodles before I eat, but it's not neccesary. So there you go! Get some pasta on a plate and pour the sauce over. Oh I want some just writing about it! Enjoy!

Breakfast

2009-09-25T19:53:00.004-04:00

Here's an easy breakfast sandwich you can make quickly. You'll need:

ham (or other breakfast meat)
1 egg
1 slice of cheese
cooking spray
English muffins

1. spray the inside of a microwave-safe mug with non-stick spray.
2. crack the egg into the mug and beat it a bit until the yolk and white are mixed.
3. microwave the egg for 55 seconds.
4. cut the muffin and put the egg on it.
5. build the sandwich however you like it!
6. eat!

thanks to Jackie for some help. :)

Chicken Tenders (A Different Way)

2009-09-18T17:12:00.000-04:00

I saw this on a TV show once, and tweaked it a little so it was more to my liking. Not to mention easier.

Here's what you need:
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenderloins
Pancake Mix, the kind that comes in a box
Oil for Deep Frying

Cook the chicken however you like
Follow the directions on the box for the pancake mix. I find that the ones that turn out best just use the powder and water.
Heat the oil, as the chicken will go straight in.
Dip each piece of chicken into the pancake mix and cover.
Put each piece into the oil and cook until golden brown.

And that's it! Enjoy!

Chicken Tacos

2009-09-09T22:29:00.003-04:00

Hello all, and welcome back to my blog! This week I'm making a dorm room version of chicken tacos.

Here's what you need:

cheese
chicken (I used some Tyson diced chicken, already cooked)
taco seasoning (1/2 pouch)
lettuce
tomatoes (if you like them)
tortilla chips (I like to use Tostitos Scoops)

1.) Combine the chicken and taco seasoning with about 1/4-1/3 cup water.
2.) Heat that in the microwave for 4-5 minutes.
3.) Take it out and stir again, and microwave it for another 87 seconds
4.) Mix the chicken, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes in a bowl.
5.) Use the chips to eat it! Stir together.

It's really easy to make! Hope you enjoy!

Microwave Brownies

2009-05-05T15:23:00.003-04:00

I owe this one to my friend Abby, who gave me a recipe for microwaveable brownies. The original one she had only used yogurt and brownie mix, but I tweaked it a bit... Here's what I used:

4 Tbsp Brownie Mix
1 Tbsp Water
1/2 Tsp Fat-free Vanilla Yogurt

Chocolate Chips (I had some left from the candy blog, so if you have some on hand it's great!)

1.) Mix all the ingredients in a microwaveable mug or a small bowl.

2.) Microwave 44 seconds.

3.) If it's still wet on top, put it back in for another 11.

4.) Let it cool for a minute or so.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Wedges

2009-04-23T22:36:00.006-04:00

I seem to be very into potatoes right now... Anyway, this one is tasty and easy! Here's what you need:

3 potatoes
Cooking Spray
Seasonings

1. Bake the potatoes in the microwave for 15-20 minutes.

2. Set the broiler on high, 400 degrees or so.

3. Spray a baking pan or cookie sheet with the cooking spray.

4. When the potatoes finish baking, cut them into quarters.

5. Place them in the baking pan and spray them with cooking spray as well.

6. Season the potatoes, I used salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. We like to use steak seasoning at home, that tastes fantastic.

7. Broil the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they brown.

That's it! Good one to go with the wings or popcorn chicken. Enjoy!

Garlic & Butter Potatoes

2009-04-16T15:31:00.006-04:00

This week I’m going to do a simple recipe my mom taught me. All this one uses is a microwave. What you’ll need:

4 Potatoes (I use red potatoes)

3 tablespoons butter

Garlic salt to taste

Water, just enough to cover the potatoes

1. Cut the potatoes into small chunks. Try to leave some skin on each one.

2. Put them in a container and cover with cold water. The cold water will make sure they cook evenly whereas if you’d put hot water in, the potatoes would cook more on the outside.

3. Heat that up for 8-10 minutes. I usually judge when it’s done whenever I can smell it pretty good. You want them soft, but not mushy.

4. Drain the water.

5. Put in the butter and stir.

6. Now put in some garlic salt to your liking and stir some more.

Enjoy!

Chicken Wings

2009-04-08T23:46:00.008-04:00

My favorite thing for a special sporting event or something that doesn’t happen every day: chicken wings! It’s real easy to prep but the cook time is longer. Now for mine I’m just using seasoned salt, but you can use whatever seasonings you like. This is all you need:

1 package chicken wings

Seasoned salt or other seasonings.

1. Like I said, super fast prep time but a longer cooking time, so preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Take the chicken out and put them in a baking pan, lined with foil for easy cleanup if you prefer.

3. Season them to your liking.

4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, take them out and flip them over.

5. Season this side as well, and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

See? Simple but time consuming. I think it’s worth it though! Enjoy!

Chocolate And....

2009-03-29T01:54:00.017-04:00

marshmallows and popcorn! At least that’s what I used. I got the idea from my Grandma. She told me about her very first project in home economics class. She made chocolate covered peanuts, which I love and had every intention of making, but didn’t pick up peanuts when I went shopping. You use anything you want here, pretzels, cookies, Oreos, graham crackers… anything you like! But here’s what I have this week:

1 cup Chocolate Chips
Marshmallows
Popcorn

1. First step is to put the chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave them. Mine went in for 58 seconds, stirred it and put it back in for another 87 seconds. Anyone spot the pattern?

2. Get ready a pan or plate, and cover it with wax paper or aluminum foil.

3. Get ready the marshmallows and popcorn. What I did here was cut the marshmallows in half, but you can leave them whole if you prefer.

4. Cover them in chocolate and put them on the foil.

5. Take some small bowls and line them with foil as well. Put in some popcorn.

6. Drizzle this popcorn with chocolate.

7. Move these into a refrigerator and let the chocolate harden. I took mine out after 30 minutes, but I was a little impatient.

Candies! Great movie night snacks here as well! And the marshmallows do look a little bit like hockey pucks, so on your next hockey night you can make these too.

Enjoy!

Pizza Muffins!

2009-03-24T15:44:00.013-04:00

Here’s one my sisters and I used to make with my mom. I love it! Easy to do, and tasty! Pizza muffins, so you can use whatever you like on pizza. I used pepperoni. Here’s what you need:

English Muffins

Cheese (mozzarella, or provolone)

Pizza Sauce

Pepperoni

1. Cut the English muffins in half.

2. Add the pizza sauce.

3. Break up the cheese if you need to, or just use shredded cheese.

4. Add the pepperoni, or whatever topping you like.

Now you can either cook it for 30-45 seconds in the microwave, or cook it a little longer in the oven.

5. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

6. Cook the muffins for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese melts.

There you go! Pizza Muffins! Enjoy!

As Dana commented, this would be a great snack for a movie night!

Or maybe a hockey night.....

Popcorn Chicken

2009-03-15T15:01:00.013-04:00

Popcorn Chicken

This week I’m going to show you how to make popcorn chicken. Kind of a smaller version of the chicken tenders my Grandma makes for my sisters and me when we go over to her house. We love them. Because we’re working with raw chicken here, make sure you wash your hands before handling anything else, and thoroughly wash any surface or utensil the chicken touches. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 small/medium boneless skinless chicken breast

1 egg

Bread crumbs

Flour

½ cup milk

OPTIONAL

Seasoned salt

Cheese (Parmesan if you want to add it to the bread crumbs)

1. Start out with the boneless skinless chicken breast, almost fully thawed but not quite. Cut it into smaller chunks. Believe me it’s much easier if it’s still a little frozen. And less gross.

OPTIONAL:

Put the chicken in a plastic bag and sprinkle some seasoned salt in. Rub it in a bit and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours.

2. Next, put some flour into a plastic storage bag.

3. Put the chicken in the bag and shake it up to coat. Make sure it’s all coated.

4. Mix the egg and milk in a bowl.

5. Now is a good idea to get another bag ready with bread crumbs.

6. Take each piece of chicken from the flour and put it in the egg/milk mixture. Get it covered. This helps the bread crumbs to stick.

7. After putting the chicken in the egg mixture, put it in the bag with bread crumbs.

8. Shake, shake, a-shake it! Coat all the chicken with the bread crumbs (and cheese if you want).

9. Next coat the bottom of a pan with butter, or no-stick spray.

10. Take the chicken out of the bags and put it in a single layer in the pan.

11. Heat the oven to about 450 degrees. It’s a good idea to let the chicken sit while the oven is preheating. It helps the bread crumbs to set.

12. Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes, and flip them over.

OPTIONAL:

It’s really good if you sprinkle some cheese on top here. Mozzarella or provolone is great if you’re using Italian seasoned bread crumbs. My Grandma does it for us when we’re there and it’s fantastic. I didn’t have any…..

13. Put them back in for 15-20 more minutes.

14. It’s done when it turns a little brown, and there is no pink in thickest part of the biggest piece of chicken. But if you cut them up, it shouldn’t take too long.

That’s it! Enjoy!

Pass... The Macaroni

2009-02-26T14:27:00.012-05:00

This week, I’m going to make some microwaveable macaroni and cheese! There were four of us who ate this the way I have it described, to adjust the amounts to however many you’re cooking for. There are five major things you need for this meal. You’ll need:

4 cups of water (roughly)

Just a little less pasta, enough that it’s just under water

4 tablespoons butter/margarine

¾ cup milk

American cheese slices

First thing you need to do is put the water in the microwave for a bit. 10 minutes or so, so it reaches boiling or close to it. If you want to flavor the pasta a bit, add some salt or garlic salt to the water.

When that’s ready, add your pasta. I’m using cellentani (or cavatappi), a corkscrew shape, but whatever you like most is fine.

Microwave the pasta in the water for about 5 minutes.

Take it out and stir, then put it back in for another 5 minutes.

When that’s done, drain out the water. I think it’s easy if you have a lid to the container you’re using. Just leave it open enough to let the water out and keep the pasta in.

Once you’ve drained it, add the butter. At this pint you can put it back in the microwave to melt the butter a bit.

Add the milk. You can decide how much you want here. Keep in mind that the more milk you put in the thinner the sauce will be.

Now start adding the cheese. Put in a few slices at a time, breaking them up if you want, and stir it all together. After every little bit of cheese microwave it for a little while. I put mine in for 58 seconds every few slices of cheese.

So there you have it! Macaroni and cheese in the microwave!

But if you have an oven or toaster oven handy, you can go a little further if you want.

Put the macaroni and cheese in an oven-safe dish.

Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees. You can add a little extra cheese on top at this point if you have it.

Bake it for about 20 minutes or until the cheese on top melts and the top turns a little brown.

You’re done! Now all you need to do is eat it!