Baby Food - Pears

For those of you who want a more detailed set of instructions to apply for most foods (produce) if you're looking to make your own baby food, here's what I do:

1. Wash

Wash the food well, even if you're going to peel it - those germs can spread through the knife or peeler!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you're thinking: everyone knows how to bake chocolate chip cookies! Well, in case your batches are hit or miss (like mine usually are) here's my fool-proof cookie recipe! Seriously - perfectly soft, but not too mushy cookies every time! Without fail!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I omit this because I hate nuts)

Macaroni and Cheese

If you love mac 'n cheese but want something a little fancier, then this is the recipe for you! I have nothing against Kraft mac 'n cheese, but this one fills me up a little more. 

The original recipe doesn't call for it, but I usually add chopped hot dogs just so I can get some meat with my meal. You can also add frozen peas, which I have done many times with this recipe.

Oven Hamburgers

I don't know about you, but I hate watching things on the stove. That's what makes this recipe so easy! I love, love, love this recipe because I get to have delicious burgers without slaving over a stove and without having to scrub the pot afterwards! Hubby says even after reheating these burgers the next day, they still taste like restaurant-style!

Ingredients

1 lb of ground beef

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

half an onion

(if desired) lettuce leaves, cheese slices

Chicken and Gravy

Easy, easy, easy!! Aside from just putting chicken by itself into the slow cooker, this is the easiest recipe I've used.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts

2 packets dry chicken gravy mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 3/4 cups water

1 dash freshly ground black pepper

Baby Food - Broccoli

If you've read my first post about making baby food, you can pretty much apply it to any food you want to purée for your little one. But in case you like step-by-step instructions like I do, here's a recipe for making broccoli.

I don't have a specific measured amount of broccoli I use - I just keep a few florets leftover from a dinner recipe and purée it in the blender.

1. Steam broccoli

If your broccoli isn't already cooked, here's how I do it: Put about 1 cup of water (or 2, if using a lot of broccoli) in a small pot and bring to a boil with the broccoli in the steamer. Cover for 5-10 mins, depending on how much broccoli you use. Test with a fork. When it is soft enough to come apart with the fork, it's ready.

Microwave Fudge

When you've had as crappy a day as I have, you really don't want to slave over the stove to get your rich, delicious pick-me-up. Everything seemed to go wrong today, and I thought it was the perfect excuse to pull out this fudge recipe. A tasty treat for me, a valuable recipe for you! Everyone wins :)

I found this recipe in college when I was too lazy and tired to bake but too stressed to resist the urge of an unhealthy and delectable dessert. It's great for when you need something rich and chocolatey in the next five minutes and can't waste the energy watching the oven or stove. And, because it's so rich, it lasts a while, too! I keep the container in the fridge for days and just snack on the fudge throughout the week.

Ingredients

1 lb powdered sugar (I usually measure 4 cups and it works out perfectly)

2/3 cup cocoa (tip: use Hershey's special dark cocoa!!)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup nuts (optional - I hate nuts, so I always omit)