Spicy Chicken and Melon Kabobs

Recipe name: Spicy Chicken and Melon Kabobs
Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Servings: 4

Cookbook date: July 27

1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
dash ground red pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 skinles, boneless medium chicken breast halves
1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
16 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tbsp peach or apricot preserves

In a small saucepan heat oil. Add garlic, rosemary, cumin, salt, coriander and pepper. Heat and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in vinegar. Set aside. Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Cut each breast half into 1 inch pieces. On four 12-15 inch skewers, alternately thread chicken with cantaloupe and green onion. Brush all surfaces with vinegar mixture. Place skewers on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil kabobs 4-5 inches from heat for 5 minutes. Stir preserves into remaining vinegar mixture. Brush on kabobs; turn kabobos and brush again. Broil 3-5 minutes more or until chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Tim posting once again. I took the lead on this recipe and found it to be dishes heavy. Despite making the kitchen look like a bomb went off, I think the recipe turned out great. I made a few changes to the recipes. The first being that I substituted green peppers for green onion. I remembered making this once before and I swear that the recipe called for peppers not onions. Tiffany thought otherwise and eventually we just agreed to disagree. I made Tiffany's kabobs with green onions and mine with green peppers.

The other major change was that I didn't have the brush washed so I drizzled to cover the kabobs instead of brushing. I think this may have resulted in losing some of the flavor so next time I will make sure I have the brush cleaned and prepared. Overall, both Tiffany and I liked this meal. One thing I will say is that the leftovers are no good so only cook enough for one sitting. I think any meal where you get to layer things on a kabob is a good one and this recipe is no exception.

Pistachio Salad

Recipe name: Pistachio Salad
Source: Aunt Robyn
Servings: 4?
Cookbook date: July 28

12 oz cool-whip
15 oz crushed pineapple
1 small package pistachio pudding
1 cup mini marshmallows

Mix all ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate several hours before serving.

I would show you a picture of this, but I ate it all. I'm not even kidding.
This is a classic summer dessert. If you have never experienced it, though, go straight to the store and pick up the necessary ingredients. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. And do not tell me that it sounds weird!

New Feature Alert - Feed the Moose Calendar

We have added a new feature to Feed the Moose. A calendar tracking our recipes. We created it to keep track of our goal to have 365 days of recipes. Now we can see what dates have recipes and where there are gaps.

You can check out the calendar clicking here. We will be updating the calendar as we add recipes to the blog so be sure to check it out from time to time. If you are nerdy, you might want to subscribe to our ical calendar feed here. We have also placed a link to the calendar on the sidebar under "helpful information" so you can access it anytime you visit the blog.

As always we would love to hear feedback. Let us know what you think.

Curried chickpeas and black beans

Recipe name: Curried chickpeas and blackbeans
Source: Cheap, Healthy, Good
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: July 15
Date prepared: July 15

Curried Chickpeas and Black Beans

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
4 teaspoons curry powder
¼ tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and gingerroot; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder; cook an additional minute. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute or until mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add salt, black beans, and chickpeas; stir well. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice. Serve warm.

Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
277.5 calories, 4.4 g fat, $0.82


Please check out the awesome blog Cheap, Healthy, Good! I am a regular reader of this blog, and I was so excited to try my first recipe from their site this week.
Now, I have to admit, I didn't really think that this was going to be that filling. I was afraid that it was going to pretty much feel as though I was trying to fill up on a side dish. Not so, my friends! The beans in this meal are very filling. The flavor is also fantastic. And as you can tell from the recipe, it was crazy simple to make. Give it a try! It is easy on the wallet, the waistline, and the environment.

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too much of a good thing: lasagna casserole

Recipe name: crockpot lasagna casserole
Source: cookingcache.com
Servings: 8
Cookbook date: July 10
Date prepared:

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes, in thick tomato puree
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb bow-tie pasta or fettucine, freshly cooked
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed to remove excess moisture
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion and garlic, stirring often to break up lumps, until the meat loses its pink color, about 5 minutes. Tilt the pan to drain off excess fat, then transfer the beef mixture to a 3.5-qt slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes with their puree, the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and pepper, stirring to break up the tomatoes with the side of a spoon. Cover and slow cook for 7 to 8 hours on low.

Skim the fat from the surface of the meat sauce. Stir in the cooked pasta, spinach, and ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, and slow cook for 5 more minutes.

Like (almost) always, we used ground turkey for this recipe. Believe it or not, that is the only thing I changed about the recipe (except the name, which was originally ravioli casserole, but there's no ravioli in this dish!).

Aside from the Italian seasoning being a bit too strong, this was a B+ meal. It was filling, it was tasty, and it has spinach in it so you can pretend that it is good for you. We really did enjoy it... until the 4th time we were each eating it. By that point, we hated it. The recipe itself didn't state how many servings this made, and frankly, I just wasn't thinking about it when I made it. If you have a large family or are going to a potluck and need a main dish, this is a good way to go. If there are only 2 or 3 of you in your family, you've been warned that you'll be eating this for days.

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taco salad

Recipe name: taco salad
Source: made it up
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: July 12
Date prepared: July 13

Ingredients:
1 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups hot pepper or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 pound ground turkey
bag of corn tortilla chips
salsa
Ranch salad dressing (optional)

Brown the turkey and onions in a large skilled over med-high heat. Meanwhile, prepare each plate by putting down a layer of tortilla chips, lettuce and tomatoes. Drain the turkey. Add the meat to the top of the salad. Top with desired amount of cheese. Add salsa on top, and ranch dressing.

This was so easy and SO tasty. I got some low fat Ranch dressing to go with it and it was so yummy! It totally brought me back to the days of eating at Effie's Cantina in Enterprise, Alabama with my Memaw and Aunt Gail. I will totally make this again. I may add some sort of spice to the meat next time, although it really tasted great as is since we used hot pepper cheese.

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Hyperbole Burgers

Recipe name: Best Burgers Ever
Source: Susan @ allrecipes.com
Servings: 6 Burgers
Cookbook date: July 18
Date prepared: July 15

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium high heat and lightly oil grate. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix together. Shape into 6 patties. Grill patties over medium high heat for 10 to 20 minutes.

Tim here. Well as the title suggests the dish didn't quite deliver. To be fair it was a lot to live up to "best burger ever" and I've had a few burgers in my 27 years. While it isn't the best burger it was a good burger, I would even say a tasty burger. Now for the substitutes. The only thing I changed in the ingredients was that I halved the Tabasco sauce. Looking back I think I could have added the amount suggested but Tiffany tends to like the food to be not hot so I played it safe.

Instead of cooking the burger on the outdoor grill we cooked it on the George Foreman. Overall we both liked this dish and will definitively be cooking it again.

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Homemade "Pam"

Recipe name: Homemade "Pam"
Source: Gayle from The Grocery Cart Challenge

Gayle over at The Grocery Cart Challenge recently did a post on how to make your own Pam. I finally got around to making my own. I've used it once and it works wonderfully well. You have to use a pastry brush, so the risk here is that you overdo it. But that's a risk I'll take in order to further cut some costs on my grocery bill each month and also eliminate another product from my life that has funky chemicals in it!

Recipe:
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup flour

Beat with mixer until it becomes white and fluffy. Store in an airtight container in your cupboard until ready to use. Brush onto your pan with a pastry or silicone brush.

Chicken Crescent Rolls

Recipe name: Chicken Crescent Rolls
Source: unknown cookbook
Servings: 4
Cookbook date: July 9
Date prepared: July 9

chicken Crescent Rolls

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsp milk
1/2 chopped onion
uncooked refrigerated crescent roll dough

Mix together cream cheese, milk, and salt & pepper. Add chicken and onion.
Separate crescent rolls into 4 rectangles and seal perforations.
Put 1/2 cup chicken mixture in center of each rectangle.
Bring 4 corners of dough to center and seal.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Substitutions: I didn't have crescent rolls, but I did have my favorite biscuit in a can, Grands! So I just made 8 smaller pockets instead of 4. I also completely forgot to add the onion. I didn't miss it, though!

This dish was cute and tasty, but it isn't anything to write home about. I found it to be a bit heavy. I don't know, it just tasted Southern! I did like it (Tim barely liked it) and I would eat it once a year. I would definitely serve this to kids, though, because it makes for a great hand-held meal.

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taste: **

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Recipe name: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies
Source: Jenny at Picky Palate
Servings: depends on how piggy you are!
Cookbook date: July 4
Date prepared: July 4

Please head straight over to this post by Jenny at Picky Palate! This is for chocolate chip oreo cookies. This recipe is completely indulgent, but SO WORTH IT! I would suggest making these to take to a party, otherwise you may just eat them all and get sick (but again, that would be SO WORTH IT!).

Just FYI, these come out looking a bit pale (I suppose because of the oreo cream).

value: worth it
time: worth it
taste: OMG

Chimichangas

Recipe name: Chimichangas
source: made it up with inspiration from a Weight Watchers Recipe (and of course, this dish is NOT low calorie!)
servings:
Cookbook date: July 7th
Date prepared: July 7th


Ingredients:
12 oz ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup salsa (I used Emeril's medium Southwestern salsa)
1/8 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried cilantro
8 (6 inch) flour tortillas
3/4 can of refried beans
1 mounded cup of cheese (prefer monterey jack or pepper jack)

1. Preheat oven to 475º F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large skillet brown meat and onion. Stir in garlic, salsa, chili powder and cilantro. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread a tablespoon of refried beans in each tortilla. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture into center of each tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of meat mixture. Wrap up the tortilla like a burrito. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4 (2 each)

These were totally simple and very delicious. They also make great leftovers for work. I found that these could be eaten without a knife and fork if given enough time to cool off. Definitely give these a try (that means you, Natalie! I promise you will like this recipe!)

The next time I make these, I'm going to make a large batch and stash several in the freezer for last minute lunches to take to work.

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Pepper and Onion Relish Dip

Recipe name:Pepper and Onion Relish Dip
Source: Harry and David (and Natalie!)
Servings:?
Cookbook date: July 4
Date prepared: July 4

We are back from our trip to Tulsa to visit our friend Natalie. We had a fabulous time! In fact, we were so worn out from our trip that when we got home with just threw together a hodgepodge of food, and therefore, I don't have a new recipe to share with you. However, we ate a few things over the weekend that were so good that I want to tell you about them.

Natalie made this pepper and onion relish dip by using the following ingredients:
1/2 jar Pepper and Onion Relish Dip by Harry and David
1 package cream cheese, softened

Directions: Dump ingredients into a bowl. Blend with a hand mixer. That's it!

The final product is pink in color, which didn't make it the prettiest dish on the buffet line at the family party. But I can tell you with certainty that it was the first dish to be eaten in its entirety.

We don't have a Harry and David's nearby, but the next time I go to one, I will definitely be picking up their relish. I suggest you do the same! This is a foolproof party dip and can be made at the very last minute or even during the party if you start to run low on prepared foods.

Baked Stuffed Peaches

Recipe name:Baked Stuffed Peaches
Source: somewhere online
Servings: 8
Cookbook date: June 28

4 firm, but ripe, peaches
7 large graham crackers, crushed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cut peaches in half from stem to root end, then twist gently to free fruit from pit. Gently twist pit from peach half and discard. Arrange peach halves, cut sides up, in a lightly buttered, shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, egg, nuts, brown sugar and vanilla. Mound about 2 tsp cookie mixture in each peach cavity. When baked, the cookie filling will resemble a peach pit.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or until topping is cooked through and lightly browned and peaches are soft but not mushy and still hold their shape. Serve with ice cream.

We recently were driving through Clanton, Alabama and we stopped at a roadside stand for 4 pounds of fresh peaches, hence having 2 peach recipes this week.

This was a really easy dessert that I would serve to company if I could ever get my act together and invite some people over for dinner!
We even ate these the following day at our jobs by heating them up just to room temperature. Having them with ice cream is best, but I didn't have any ice cream in the fridge at work, so this had to do.

Sorry that the picture quality is so bad. Now that we have a reason to take pictures regularly, we are looking for a quality camera. If you love the camera you have, tell us about it!

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