New Recipes Adventure, first step...find a cookbook!

I am trying to be frugal, really like I think most people these days and am starting my adventure with a cookbook I already own. That way I am not taking up space on my shelf with books I don't use and I  am only spending money on the food, which face it we need anyways.

So I am picking a great cookbook my Grandma gave me almost 5 years ago as a bridal shower gift. I know I have used it but not to it's potential. I am starting my cooking adventure with Real Simple: Meals Made Easy. Which states most meals go from oven to table in less than 30 minutes and freeze well. Perfect for a house of two where number two comes home for dinner at odd times. Namine at The Clutter Box suggested I write the date as well as notes each time I make something so I remember whether we liked it or not. Great Idea! And better than my old use of sticky notes.

I decided to start at the beginning and think I should try EVERYTHING (unless it has shredded coconut, I HATE that). If we don't try new things what is the point of this adventure? So tomorrow is the day!

We are starting with the first section ONE POT MEALS! Sounds easy! I will fill you in with pictures and what my husband and I think, our first adventure is Roast Chicken and Vegetables which says it takes 30 minutes to prepare, 1 1/2 hours in the oven and makes 4 servings....pray my oven works tomorrow! Last night I was down to only one burner working again. I cant wait until next month when I get a new gas stove. :)

I have this really cool baking dish though from Pampered Chef (another great gift from my grandma :), which by the way is an AMAZING piece of kitchenware) that I can use to cook a chicken in the microwave....I think to keep the house cool and cut down time on the recipe I will use it instead. Last time I cooked a chicken in it, total cooking time =30 min. It is a toss up of one of my favorite kitchen items. Thanks Grandma for jump starting my adventure!

I can't wait! Not sure if I am more excited for a new meal or to use my baking dish because I am cheesy like that! :)

Quick Recipe that is delicious

I used to cook a lot! I made tons of recipes up in college using items I got on sale or from the farmers market. My best friend for instance says she uses recipes I made up all the time. Alas I don't cook fun things anymore as my husband is never home at a normal time. He calls me when he leaves work which gives me about 25 minutes to whip something up.

Right now I really like this recipe app from Campbell's Soup that I downloaded to my phone. It lets me send my hubby a few recipes I am thinking about making so he can pick what he wants to eat. Super Easy! So I thought I would share his new favorite recipe, Chicken Crunch. Below the recipe I have added some of my alterations.

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup milk

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing, crushed

2 tablespoons butter, melted

• Heat the oven to 400°F.  Stir 1/3 cup soup and 1/4 cup milk in a shallow dish.  Coat the chicken with the flour.  Dip the chicken in the soup mixture.  Coat the chicken with the stuffing.  Place the chicken onto a baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
• Heat the remaining soup and milk in a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture is hot and bubbling.  Serve the soup mixture with the chicken.

The above recipe isn't enough for many leftovers but is a great size for just a dinner of two people. We need leftovers in this house to save money on my husband eating out for lunch.

- I double the amount of chicken but use tenders because they are cheaper and don't get dried out cooking (sometimes I get ten pieces using the batter).

-I use two cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (one is not enough) and add 1 can full of milk into a pot with them. After mixing it up I pour about 1/2 cup in a bowl to use for the batter.

-Seasoned bread crumbs work just as well as stuffing and you don't have to crush them.

-I cut out the butter all together.

-I spray my glass baking dish before baking. I also have found that it needs to cook about 25 minutes but that may be my oven. Just cut into the center of a chicken tender to see if it is cooked. FYI don't let your color blind husband tell you if it's done, he will try and feed you partially raw chicken. :)

I may not be making many new recipes up these days but I am trying new ones out that are time efficient, budget friendly, and adhere to me not eating beef. Enjoy!

Ebelskiver's and Recipe Links

Have you ever heard of one of these? I always think they look pretty tasty on the pre-made mixes in Williams Sonoma. I have wanted one for quite awhile but wasn't going to pay $40 at the store just for the pan. The lucky girl I am had a bunch of free Amazon gift cards from doing surveys. I was saving them up to use for Christmas next year but I decided I would get our house a "breakfast gift" for under $20.

If you haven't ever seen one it is a pan for making stuffed pancake like balls. We love pancakes and I love to cook. I am not much of a breakfast person but I like to make breakfast for others.

Here are a few recipes that I found for it for free. They sell cookbooks but online recipe sites make my life easy.

Cinnamon Bun Filled Pancakes courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Bacon and Cheddar Filled Pancakes also courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Chocolate Filled Pancakes courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Apple Ebelskivers (stuffed apple pancakes) courtesy of Rachael Ray

Cinnamon Bun Filled Pancakes

These are a few of the recipes I plan on trying but if you want to see lots more go check out this page on Williams Sonoma. They have TONS of delicious recipes to try. My husband might get tired of this fast so come visit if you want to try them out.

I might have been able to resist this pan at Williams Sonoma but I always walk out with some kind of kitchen gadget. I only hope the pan I ordered is ok. I hate forking out the $$$ for Williams Sonoma but their products are usually worth the money. I love their colored cast iron pans, I think I need to save for one as they are out of my price range.