Kendi's Kitchen: No Guilt Brownies

This recipe comes right from my mom.  She eats these all the time.  If she eats them and doesn't feel bad about it, I know they are good.

They are also just about the easiest thing in the world to make.  Two ingredients and around 30 minutes.

Cheers!

No Guilt Brownies

1 box Devils Food cake mix
8 oz. club soda

Pre-heat oven to 365.  In a bowl, mix the devil's food cake mix with 8 oz. of club soda.  Make sure to mix well so there are no hunks of powder left.  Pour into a glass square dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes (I usually just check it a couple times using the old toothpick trick).  Let cool and eat.  If you can eat just one, then I applaud you.  

Stats:
Time:  30-40 minutes
Cost:  Less than $2
Leftovers:  yes
Servings:  Depends on how you cut them

 

Kendi's Kitchen: Crock Pot Potato Soup

I tried a crock pot potato soup recipe I found on pinterest once before.  It did not go well.  It actually killed my stick blender, well, Kevin's stick blender.  So when my BFF, Kimmy, posted a picture of the soup she had just made on IG, I immediately sent her a message asking for the recipe.  She sent it to me and I set out making it for dinner Sunday night.  It. was. FABULOUS!  Just like the kind you buy in the restaurant.  And it was super easy.  Be warned, it's not healthy.  But its nice comfort food.  Now if I can just make a bread bowl...


Crock Pot Potato Soup (original recipe here)

1 bag frozen hash browns (30oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth (I use the powdered bouillon)
1 diced onion
1 pkg softened cream cheese (8oz)
1/2 tbsp of pepper 

Optional:  green onions, bacon, shredded cheese

In your crock pot, mix cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, onion, pepper and hash browns (use the whole bag!).  Cook on low for 5hrs.  

Here's what I used.  I'm a "no-name brand" girl

It should look like this when you start to cook

After 5hrs, stir in the whole block of cream cheese.  Stir it enough to see it melt pretty well.  Continue cooking on low for another 30 minutes.  Here's a Kendi tip: I only added the equivelent of one can of broth for the 5 hrs by mistake, so I had to quickly add the second.  Since it was bowling hot when I poured it in, I think it helped melt the cream cheese and really make the consistency what you see in the picture.  I will probably keep making it that way.

It should look like this when you are finished cooking.  Nice and creamy!

Now, you can eat it just like this, which is very good.  Or you can get restaurant fancy with green onions, shredded cheese and bacon and make it "loaded baked potato soup".  :-D

Mmmm...fancy...

Cheers!

Stats:
Time: 6 hrs
Cost:  around $7
Servings:  4+
Leftovers:  yes

Kendi's Kitchen: One Pan Sausage and Veggies

This is another recipe found on Pinterest.  The picture is what sold me.  It's pretty straight forward but a little time consuming.  I recommend making this as a nice Sunday dinner.  I tried it again during the week for dinner and it was a little stressful.  We ate kinda late that night.

Cheers!

One Pan Sausage and Veggies

4 sausages (beef or pork - we use mild Italian)
1 pound potatoes
1/2 pound carrots
1/2 bell pepper
1 large onion
1 fennel bulb
2 garlic cloves (I use like 5)
2 tbsp oil
freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
1/2 cup chicken broth (we used the powdered bouillon)
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I added some more after the first 45 minutes)

**Note:  You can use what ever veggies you like.  The original recipe lists the veggies I have hear and I followed what she did.  But I'm sure you could switch it up with different stuff and it would taste just as good.**

Chop and peel all the veggies and garlic.  Put all the veggies in a roasting pan.  Make sure they are mixed up.  In a bowl, mix oil, garlic, chicken broth and Italian herbs.  Pour mixture over veggies and toss them a little.  Try to coat as many as possible, but don't be too serious about it.  Salt and pepper the top.  Cover with foil and bake in oven for 45 minutes at 450.  While veggies are cooking, brown the sausage in a pan.  You don't have to cook them completely, just get them brown.  Cut the sausages in half.  After 45 minutes, the veggies should be fork tender.  If not, put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.  Place sausage on top of veggies and drizzle the balsamic vinegar over everything.  Put back in over, uncovered for 25-30 minutes.  After 15 minutes, flip sausage and get some of the juices in the bottom of pan and pour over everything again (I just grab the balsamic again and drizzle everything again).  Cook for remaining time.  

To me, this is Fall in a pan.  And it makes the most amazing leftovers.  Enjoy!

Stats:
Time: 2 hrs
Cost:  around $8 depending on veggie prices and what you like
Servings:  4
Leftovers:  yes

Ingredients

Adding the sausage to the cooked veggies

Kendi's Kitchen: Shrimp Scampi pasta

One of the blogs I look at every day has amazing recipes on it.  I think those girls really love to cook.  I haven't had the guts to try anything until they posted a pasta with shrimp.  To be honest, cooking shrimp intimidates me.  But the ladies at A Beautiful Mess gave good instructions on how to cook the frozen stuff, so when Kevin called and asked "what do you want for dinner?", I emailed him the link.  He said he could do it so we were off and running to our first meal using shrimp.  It came out great!  Now, the possibilities are endless...

Cheers!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta via A Beautiful Mess

1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon EVOO
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 lb. cooked, frozen shrimp
salt + pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan
linguine
1/4 cup chopped parsley (fresh is best but dried works too)
1 lemon

In a large pan melt the butter and oil together. Add the onions and red pepper, cook.  Add in the garlic and let cook another minute or two. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced slightly.
Cook the pasta.  Drain and set aside.  Add the shrimp to the veggie pan (thaw it first).  Add red pepper flakes and lightly salt and pepper everything. Once everything is warmed through but there is still plenty of liquid in the pan add in the cooked pasta and Parmesan. Toss so everything gets lightly coated in the cheese.  Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle on the parsley.

Really good.  An easy recipe to try cooking shrimp.  If you use a whole box of pasta, you get a couple meals out of it.

Stats
Time:  30 min
Servings:  4
Leftovers:  yes
Cost:  $6

Fourth of July

Since I wasn't on call for the fourth, we decided to head up to Chattanooga, TN to visit Kevin's friend Shawn.  We had a BBQ, traded recipes and told stories.  I even tried out a new pin.  It was a great evening.  

Oh, and we made a new friend.

Cheers!

This is Chewy.  He's was such a little wiggler!

 I found "Firecracker Cookies" on Pinterest.  They seemed pretty easy so I gave them a try.  I made some sugar cookies, frosted them with white and blue frosting and sprinkled red Pop Rocks on top.  Well, didn't know that the moisture in frosting was enough to set the Pop Rocks off.  They starting popping right away.  By the time it was ready to eat them, the Pop Rocks were all melted and gross looking.  Next time, I will add the Pop Rocks right before I serve them.

70's Pop Rocks

Energy Balls

My Dad turned us on to this VERY simple recipe when we were home a while ago.  We call them energy balls.  They are all over pinterest and are the easiest, most filling snack I have ever had.  And they don't taste like you're being good, which is always a plus.  I highly recommend making a batch.  I grab two for breakfast as I'm running out the door and they hold me over until lunch.  And bonus: they are totally customizable.  :)  Here's the recipe we use. 

Cheers!

Energy Balls

1 cup dry oatmeal (oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Toast coconut flakes in a small pan at medium heat on stove top.  Keep moving the flakes around so they don't get burned.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl.  I try to put the chocolate chips on the bottom so the coconut doesn't melt them until I stir everything in.  Let it sit in the fridge for a bit to harden up.  Make into balls.  Store in the fridge.

If you don't like chocolate, try dried fruit or nuts.  And you can make these without including the flaxseed if you want. 

DIY Fabric Softener

I'm really excited about this one.  I waited MONTHS for my Sam's Club sized container of fabric softener to run out so I could make my own.  I found the recipe via Pinterest (where all awesome things are found...) and finally made my own version a couple weeks ago.  It was super easy and super cheap, I had all but one ingredient.  I've been using it for a little over a week now and it seems to be fine.  Can't really smell it, but I never smelled the store bought stuff either.  Looks like this ones a keeper!


Here's what you'll need to make your own batch:

6 cups HOT water
3 cups white vinegar
2 cups hair conditioner (I used Suave because its cheap and good)

First, I measured out the conditioner.  Then I microwaved the six cups of water to make it REALLY hot.  I wanted to make sure that all the conditioner was dissolved.  Then I added the vinegar.  I mixed it all up in an empty water jug. 

Shake it!

Then you just shake, shake, shake!  That's it.  Once the bubbles settle, it's ready to use.  I use it in a Downy ball.  Never buying fabric softener again!

Cheers!

Shepard's Pie

When my mom visits, she always brings a stack of magazines that's she's saved for me.  Most of the time I don't find that much in them, but it's nice to have something new to look at...

In one of the issues of Country Living she brought me, I saw a recipe for shepard's pie (here).  The picture looked amazing and it seemed pretty easy enough.  I ran it by Kevin and he thought it was do-able, so we gave it a go.  O. M. G.  It was AMAZING!  And so easy!  It's now a regular in our recipe rotation.  If you have some left over mashed potatoes, some veggies and ground turkey, you should totally try this.

Cheers!

Shepard's Pie

2 tablespoons EVOO

3 small carrots, chopped

1 cup frozen pearl onions (we just chop up an onion)

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup frozen peas

2 1/2 teaspoons of rosemary

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (we make this using the powder)

3 cups mashed potatoes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots and onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add turkey and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in peas and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and stir. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper. Transfer to a 9- to 10-inch deep-dish pie pan. Spread mashed potatoes atop turkey mixture. Bake until golden on top and heated through, about 25 minutes.

*Kendi Haus suggestion:  use a bigger dish than you'll think you'll need.  Cooking this can get messy and if you have a bigger dish, you'll lose less.

Stats:
Servings:  4+
Leftovers:  yes
Time:  ~ one hour
Cost:  ~ $5

Taco Chicken

I have to share this with you.  It was a pin that lasted three days.  It was also the easiest pin I think that we've tried.  I'm calling it Taco Chicken, or Chicken Tacos.  Enjoy!

Taco Chicken

2-6 chicken breasts (we used 4)
16 oz. jar of salsa
package of taco seasoning

Pour the whole jar of salsa into a slow cooker.  Mix in the package of taco seasoning.  Add the chicken breasts on top of the salsa.  You can spoon some of the salsa on top of the chicken to cover them.  Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.  That's is.  After it's done cooking, the chicken will shred apart.  It should look like this:

Then, you just make tacos like you normally would.  We made soft tacos with wheat tortillas, added some cheese and lettuce and went to town.  They were really good.

Because we made the chicken with four pieces, we had a LOT left over.  Kevin ended up using some of the chicken the next day to make a quick quesadilla for lunch.  Way easy.  For dinner, we altered the "8 Can Taco Soup" recipe.  It's also really easy and filling and makes great leftovers.

8 Can Taco Soup

1  15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1  15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1  14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1  15.25 oz can sweet corn, drained
1  12.5 oz can white chicken breast, drained (we used our leftover taco chicken)
1  10.75 oz can cream of chicken soup
1  10 oz can green enchilada sauce
1  14 oz can chicken broth (we make this from powdered bouillon.  WAY cheaper...)
1 packet taco seasoning

There you have it!  The second meal with the Taco Chicken.  The soup was just as good as the first time we made it.  Sprinkle some cheese on the top and break up a taco shell to add some crunchies and you're good to go!

The last meal we made with the taco chicken was oven baked tacos.  Got the idea from this pin.  We didn't follow it exactly, basically just used the oven idea.  We got some hard shells, lined them up in a baking dish, put the taco chicken on the bottom and added cheese.  Baked them in the oven and topped them with lettuce and sour cream when they came out.  Very easy and so nice eating a taco that doesn't fall apart with the first bite.  We will definitely try her whole recipe some time in the future.

So, if you're keeping track, we made 3 dinners and 7 lunches from 4 chicken breasts.  All for less than $15.  Not bad.  Not bad at all.  :)

Cheers!

Stats:
Time: prep- 5 mins, slow cooker- 6-8 hrs
Servings: 13
Leftovers:  Definitely
Cost: less than $15 

Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

If you invite my mom to your wedding, and you register for a Crock-Pot, she will buy it for you.  The Crock-Pot is my mom's go-to gift.  She swears by them.  Because of this, the Haus of Kendi has three.  Mom says you need more than one. :)

There has been a Crock-Pot resurgence in the Kendi Haus as of late.  Pinterest has given me a bunch of new recipes to try and something about colder weather just screams "Crock-Pot"!  Here is our latest culinary venture...

Cheers!

Crock-Pot Italian Chicken

 

You can find the complete recipe here.  I found that using the suggested amount of salad dressing was just too overpowering of a taste.  I would suggest going half dressing, half water.  This would probably make it healthier too.  

Stats

Time: prep = 20 min.  cook = 6 hrs

Servings: 4

Cost: about $5

Leftovers:  yes

Dijon Fish Cakes

Real Simple magazine taught us how to cook fish.  This recipe has become a staple in the Kendi Haus because of its reliability and speed.  Now, Real Simple has taught us how to make fish cakes!  If you have ever been to a restaurant and wanted crab cakes, you probably saw the price and was like, DANG!  They aren't cheap.  Well, Real Simple has a great alternative and you can't beat the cost.  I present, Dijon Fish Cakes!  They taste amazing and I think I like them better than crab (I never liked how crustaceans were cooked...).

Cheers!

Frying up the fish cakes!!

They got a touch darker than they should have, but they aren't burnt and taste really good!

Stats:
Cost:  about $3
Servings:  4 (two cakes a serving)
Leftovers:  Yes
Time:  1 hr

Beef Stir Fry

Every now and then, Kohls does their Kohls Cares promotional merchandise.  One round included a "weekend" meals cookbook by Good House Keeping.  It caught Kevin's eye on the bookshelf last week and he dog-eared a bunch of recipes that were quick and easy.  The first one we tried was Beef Stir Fry.  We had always made chicken stir fry so beef was a nice switch.  The streak continues, Kevin nailed it.  :)

You can find the recipe here at GoodHouseKeeping.com  (We added baby corns because they we on sale at Kroger.  They are NEVER on sale!)

Cheers!

I always eat stir fry with chopsticks.  It's just faster.  :)



Here's the money shot...

 Stats:
Cost:  about $8
Servings: 4-5
Leftovers:  Yes
Time:  15 min

Summer Ravioli

Over here in the Kendi Haus, Kevin and I have a system for meals.  He enjoys cooking them, I enjoy eating them.  I am very fortunate to have a husband that is a really good cook.  Lately, we have established a pattern of me finding recipes to try, and Kevin trying them.  So far, it has worked out pretty well with a bunch of new dishes to add into dinner rotation.  Here was a keeper that we tried last night.

Summer Ravioli (originally found here) with our modifications:

1 package frozen ravioli
1 large, ripe tomato, washed, stem removed, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
¼ cup Italian parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sweet butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup water
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat to boiling, 5-6 quarts of water salted with kosher salt. Drop in the fresh pasta, being careful to separate the ravioli. Cook 4-5 minutes until al dente.
2. Heat the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan, add the cooked ravioli, tomato pieces and garlic. Season with sea salt and pepper. Toss and stir 5 minutes.
3. Raise the heat, add ¼ cup water. Simmer and reduce the sauce.
4. Serve on a plate, topped with a sprinkle of Italian parsley and grated cheese.

We changed the recipe on accident (note the use of pasta water in the original), but it still came out great.  Next time we try it, we'll cut back on the butter to make it a little bit healthier.  We try to only have one pasta dish a week, and this one is filling and gives you good left-overs for lunch (a must for any Kendi meal).  Highly recommended.

Cheers!

Stats
cost:  less than $6
servings:  4
leftovers:  yes
time:  35 minutes