Hostess with the mostess.
Over Christmas break, while my Starlite college girls were home with their families, I spent quite a bit of time praying about this semester. One thing I specifically asked God was for Him to show me some practical ways I could serve my girls better. Almost immediately, one came to mind: cook dinner for them before our weekly Sunday night meetings.
This, of course, prompted the following prayer from me:
“NOOOOOOOOOOO! ANYTHING BUT THIS! I’LL DO ANYTHING ELSE!”
I hope each of you can learn from my example of submission and obedience to God.
The idea grew on me like a bad case of the chicken pox over the course of the break and so, earlier this week, I announced that last night’s meeting would be held at my house and that all 17 of them should come hungry since I would be fixing dinner for them. No one said anything which, frankly, didn’t come as a surprise seeing as they probably still remember what happened that time I tried to make pancakes.
I decided to start simply — spaghetti. After all, there is no way — NO WAY — that I could mess up noodles and sauce, right? I mean, right?
WRONG. WRONG, WRONG, A THOUSAND TIMES WRONG.
Observe:
Here we have some delicate pasta that I bought from aisle 9 at the grocery store made from scratch. You will notice that the pasta is burnt because YES, YES YOU CAN BURN PASTA.
Next we have some delicious brownies that basically refused to fully cook even though I left them in the over for ten additional minutes after their original cooking time. Try to look past the blurry picture to see if you can spot some mess that looks like an undercooked pile of brownie.
All was not lost, however: I did manage to have enough ice cubes on hand for the girls to each have approximately one cube per girl. Which went lovely in their glasses of tap water seeing as I forgot to buy drinks for the dinner.
This wasn’t a total failure, however, since the plumbing was messed up in my house preventing anyone from actually using the restroom during any point in our two hour meeting. Don’t worry, I put a roll of toilet paper out by the bushes in the backyard. Your girl ABB is always thinking ahead!
So, what I’m basically trying to say is that? Last night’s dinner? EPIC FAIL.
And that, my friends, is where you come in to save the day.
We have approximately 12 of these Sunday night dinner meetings left this semester AND YOU HAVE GOT TO HELP ME TURN THIS SHIP AROUND, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
What I meant to say was: pretty please would you oh so graciously help me (with a cherry on top, of course!) figure out what in the world I am going to fix for these girls for the next 12 weeks? I need meal suggestions, recipes, the whole nine yards. When you’re making your suggestions, please keep in mind that I need something that can be made for a large group, doesn’t cost a lot and could be made by someone that can’t even boil noodles without burning them.
Yep, I think that about covers it.
http://annaleeper.blogspot.com/2008/02/meat-cupcakes.html
These are SO easy and cheap and they taste DELICIOUS! I can honestly say that I have never seen burnt pasta. It is a gift Amy Beth, a gift.
The burnt pasta is quite the accomplishment.
I did a lot of cooking for fellow college students when I was in college (it’s a great way to minister to people who are always eating dorm food) – here are a few easy ideas: pizza (make it, don’t order it), lasagna, chili, tacos, any soup/chowder, grilled cheese sandwiches/tomato soup combo, any kind of chicken w/rice. If you have a grill, you could do burgers/hot dogs/brats pretty easily. Breakfast for dinner is always good too. If you are not a pancake maker, you could do a breakfast casserole. I have recipes if you need recipes, just thought I’d throw some ideas out there for now!
I don’t think you need 12 different menus – once you hit a few favorites, throw them back into the rotation more than once and you’ll get better and better at cooking them!
Bon Appetit!
I just sent a long e-mail with a couple of recipes and instructions. You can do it, Amy Beth!! =)
AB, Girls’ Group meets on the same night, and we just switched to a format where we eat together. I think a good thing for you would be to have someone in the kitchen with you. (If you need some help, let me know, and I’ll show you how to cook for a big group!!! (Last week, we had spaghetti. Last night, I made a delicious chicken bake, and in two weeks, I’m making tacos.)
I second the breakfast casserole. Did God say anything about delivery pizza or frozen lasanga?
$5 Little Caesars Pizza’s – that is what I do when I have people over….
Bless your heart!
I have a great and pretty simple Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I posted here. It could be doubled – or it may stretch, depending on how big of eaters they are.
And this Brownie Trifle is To.Die.For. And easy-breezy to make. And it’s very rich so it will serve all of you.
Did you get a Siesta Fiesta Cookbook?
A for effort baby, A for effort!!!
Here is what happens when I try to cook … for MY FAMILY!!!
http://beckyjomama.blogspot.com/2008/09/caution-shes-cooking.html
Yeah, U.G.L.Y!!!
AB, you’re hilarious!
OK, coming from a girl who has burned her share of pasta (you are NOT alone in this endeavor, trust me), the first thing I would recommend is switching to a non-stick or hard-anodized (i.e. black not silver) pot. Ever time I use my stainless for some sort of pasta cooking, it always, always burns. Save the stainless for browning meat, making sauces from said meat drippings, and steaming veggies.
Secondly, do you own a crock pot? If not I suggest you run to Walmart, nay, TARGET, and get a cheapy (this is what I have and it’s great and only $25 right now: http://www.target.com/Rival-5-5-qt-Oval-Smart-Crock/dp/B000E653HA/sr=1-4/qid=1232377437/ref=sr_1_4/184-4445171-5359428?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Acrock%20pot&page=1). As busy as you and if you are going to start cooking regularly for your girls, this needs to become your best friend. You just throw everything in in the morning, let it cook all day, and when you get home you have a great dinner with little to no effort. I use my ALL THE TIME (I work 30 mins away from my home and never get home before 5:30, so it’s hard to cook a full meal when I get in). If you are interested in this I can send you some super easy delicious recipes.
Good luck! I know you can do it!!!
I’m workin’ on a whole folder for you, my friend, with in-person lessons. It’s coming soon, you just hold on…
As I said last night, CALL ME!! I can volunteer my time, we both know I want to. Tell me what you want, and I’ll fix it…promise….I LOVE TO COOK!!! seriously… much love and cookie dough
Amy Beth, do you have a crock pot? I have a really good, quick & easy chili recipe that I’ll Email you. What I like about it is you can start it around noon and let it cook while you go about your business – I’m prone to scorching pots and burning things as well, and I haven’t managed to mess this one up yet.
Here’s something to try:
Ritz Chicken Casserole (also known as “cracker pie” at my house)
You need:
2 cans of chicken (drained) (you can bake your own and shred it, but after the burnt pasta, I bet you want to cans… lol)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 whole sleeve of ritz crackers, crumbled up
1 cup sour cream
salt, pepper, garlic
Here’s what you do:
1. Drain the chicken. This is important.
2. Dump the chicken into a big mixing bowl.
3. Stir in the soup, sour cream, and crackers.
4. Add some salt, pepper, and garlic.
5. Stir it all together until it’s a mushy mess.
6. Pour it in a baking dish (9×9 square)
7. Then bake it on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
8. You can’t undercook it – the canned chicken is already cooked. You’re just letting it all blend together and get good and hot.
9. I serve this with either bagged salad or canned green beans.
My mother-in-law who cooks better than Betty Crocker thought this was the best chicken casserole she’d ever tasted. Ha! If she only knew how easy it was… shhh!!
This was such a funny post! I have burned pasta too. In fact, I am old and have much experience, and my last burned pasta was just a couple of months ago. It is because we have creative minds and cannot focus on something as mundane as boiling pasta!
Mexican Stacks are pretty easy. You can do a lot of it from cans. You need tortilla chips, then you can get canned chilli, canned beans, your famous PNC (can skip this), shredded cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc. Some people also make rice to go on these, but it can be burned. :p Everyone makes their own, so it is more fool-proof.
It is great that you are doing this. You know about these girls’ schedules, but would it be bad to have a couple of them help you each time? It might be fun for them. I would hate to make dinner for 12 with no help.
Amy Beth, I think this is a great idea. I wonder if maybe you can still serve God by making dinner, but taking it a step further and having the girls take turns helping you out. By doing simple dishes, you can get the hang of the kitchen basics but then you can also spend some good quality time with a few of the girls each time you meet?
Do you have a crockpot, AB? If so, it will REVOLUTIONIZE your cooking skillz.
I have a recipe that is cheap and fab.
http://www.recipezaar.com/Crock-Pot-Potato-Chowder-50144
The only adjustments to the recipe are you can cook it on high for 3 1/2 hours if you are like me and forget to plan 8 hours ahead. And I top mine with bacon, CHEESE, and seasoning salt. SO YUM. Good luck AB, I can’t wait to hear of your cooking adventures.
Chilli. Two cans of tomatoes, half an onion, three cans of beans. Don’t drain, just pour everything in the crock pot. Shake chili powered across the top of the contents in the crockpot. Stir and taste. Add pepper in the same way. Stir and taste. Get crackers and shredded cheese and scoops. Viva la one-dish-wonder.
Sweetie – I think you’re going to need them to bring something or buy something…or am I just being pessimistic??? (Sloppy joe’s and french fries are good and easy)
Just a couple of comments about, um, your comments.
1. I do not own a crockpot nor have I ever used one. I will look into this suggestion during my next trip to Target which, you know, should be today.
2. I have never had chili. Should you really cook something you’ve never actually eaten before?
Oh Amy Beth, you poor thing. I’ve got a ton of fab recipes and would never mind coming over and giving you a little tutorial. Going from full time employee to part time and full time stay at home mom and cook and housekeeper and school vounteer and…. I had to teach myself to cook. A quick go-to: Taco Soup. Let me know if you want the recipe, it’s easy, in a crockpot, and oh-so-yummy!
Frito pie! Fritos, chili, cheese. Onion if you like it. Buy a few of the big cans of chili, probably about 4-5 bags of fritos, and several bags of cheese. Then they can each make their own, depending on how much they want!
sister…forget grand recipes or meals from scratch…for now…let’s turn to our good friends…hot dogs (boil in water or cook in the microwave) and, of course, my bosom friend, Kraft Mac-n-Cheese OR better yet…my even closer friends…the deli tray and a variety of chips, veggies with lots of dips followed up with cookies and/or cupcakes purchased at the deli.
plus, you’ve been so blinded by the PNC at Sam’s that you haven’t spent enough time in their deli/bakery department… it is glorious!
providing a meal and being the hostess with the mostess doesn’t always mean turning on the stove…baby steps sister…
You already have some great ideas!! I agree with some of the other gals, the CROC Pot is essential to a no-fuss dinner:)
Croc pot-place these ingredients in said order:)
1 small bag frozen corn
3 skinless boneless chicken breast(can still be frozen)
2 packages taco mix
2 cans DRAINED black beans
2 cups Salsa
(if you want or need more of the above ingredients, you can add it)
Low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4
Serve with shredded sourcream, cheese and tortilla chips
yummmo!
This is a Weight Watch recipe and is less than 6 points per serving!
OK AB…here’s the deal. When you are weak, He is made strong! And NOTHING is impossible for God! So now that we have some tools to defeat the negative self-talk, let’s look at some kitchen tricks.
Becoming a good cook is really the result of confidence-building successes, and risk-taking failures. You’ve done the risk-taking, so it’s time to do the confidence-building. I grew up with a home ec teacher for a mama, so I learned to cook at her side, but I started with easy recipes using pre-packaged products. You might look into The Dinner Doctor cookbook, which uses pre-made items (my coworkers swear by it) http://tinyurl.com/97evbw. Also, you might look for this book: (and don’t be offended by the name…they’re simple and yummy recipes!) http://tinyurl.com/a7ytz7.
I think the crock-pot is a great suggestion. There are lots of simple recipes to try with a crock-pot, and they’re generally economical. Check out this website, with real-life reviews: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/.
One of my favorite crock-pot recipes (or it can also be done on the stove in a large pot) is Can-Can Soup. It feed a crowd, and you can add crackers and salad, if you wish. Here’s the recipe:
1 can cream style corn
1 can Ranch-Style beans
1 can diced tomatoes (can use Ro-tel for extra spice)
1 can minestrone soup
1 can vegetable soup
You can also add a can of regular corn, an extra can of any variety of beans, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of chicken broth to thin it, etc. Basically, add any cans that sound good to you! You can double or even triple this in the crockpot. No extra seasonings are necessary, as the ranch-style beans (and Ro-tel tomatoes) add a lot of flavor. Turn your crockpot on low in the morning, dump all the cans in, and walk out the door.
It’s also great with cornbread, which isn’t hard to make…or you could stop by the CB for some. If you decide to make it, here’s a quick and easy way: 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix. 1 egg. 1/3 can evaporated milk, 1/3 stick butter, chopped. Mix together and pour into sprayed muffin tin. Bake according to package. If you triple the recipe (using the whole stick of butter, 3 eggs, and the whole can of milk), you’ll get 18 muffins…perfect for your crowd, and fairly cheap!
This is great! I know it’s discouraging but Lordy Lordy, God is preparing you to cook for future husband (hopefully future hubby can cook too) and giving you the confidence to cook healthy meals!!! That Lord of ours is SO SMART isn’t He?!
I understand burning stuff. Every time I do it’s because I don’t have the patience to stay in the kitchen and wait for things to boil, or rise to the right temperature. I’m in the other room on the computer until I’m distracted by the sound of boiling over! I’m able to identify the sound earlier now and get there just in time to pull the pot off before it all spills.
As a 38 year old single woman who cooks less often than she gets the oil in her car changed – Two hints… the crockpot is a great idea.
and suggestions to go simple are right on for right now. Build your confidence with something easy.
Here are two of my standby recipies from when I was your age.
yummy sloppy joes (we call ‘em tavern sanwiches)
Brown some ground beef (one pound or even a pound& a half is a good start and is what the recipie is based on. Double from there)
Once you’ve browned the beef, pour in a can of chicken gumbo soup. Simmer.
Serve on buns.
This goes a long way for a group of girls. Serve with baked potatoes or something. easy breezy.
tater tot casserole.
Again, brown your ground beef. add a can of cream of mushroom soup and a package of frozen veggies like broccoli or something. (I used to substitute a can of vegetable beef soup – cuz I figured, more meat and a VARIETY of vegetables — how can I go wrong?)
Mix that all together and spread it into a casserole pan. Arrange tater tots over the top of the casserole. (you’ll enjoy that part) Cook at 350 for about 40 minutes.
And other suggestions were right. Until you are comfortable in the kitchen, ask one or two girls to come early and help you. It’s another chance to minister to them one-on-one.
Taco Soup..easiest recipe ever. It feeds a crowd, everyone loves it, and it could not be easier.
Get 2 lbs. of hamburger. Brown it and drain it. Throw it in a pot.
Add the entire contents of 2 cans of whole kernel corn, 2 cans of ranch style beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and 1 can of Rotel (diced green chiles and tomatoes).
Get a package of dry taco seasoning mix and a package of dry ranch dressing mix. Open packages, and throw into the pot.
Simmer for 2-how ever many hours it takes for you to get ready to eat.
Throw cheese, sour cream, smashed chips on top.
I have taken this to church, served it to picky eaters, and given it away. Everyone loves it and eats it in a slightly different way. It makes a TON of it–and the leftovers are still good.
ABB- here’s a no fail recipe… and even better, there’s little cooking involved- just your trusty crockpot.
Taco Soup
Brown 1lb ground beef (the only real cooking) (you can add onions if you’re feeling sassy, but it tastes fine without.)
Now, dump beef and the following in the crock pot.
-2 cans pinto or black beans ( I rinse these, but you don’t have to)
- 2 cans corn
- 2 cans diced tomatoes (you can also use Ro-Tel for more spice)
- 1 package powdered Ranch Dip
- 1 package Taco Seasoning
Cook on High for 1 hour or low for six or so hours. Serve with chips and cheese. Yum-o!
It serves at least eight people.
BBQ Chicken
Preheat your oven to 350
Place some chicken legs in a 9×13 casserole dish (probably 2 9x13s for that many people)
Pour your favourite BBQ sauce all over them legs
Bake for 1 hour.
I DARE you to try to wreck this recipe!
Taco salads would be easy, and the girls could put them together themselves the way they want it. You would just have to brown a couple pounds of beef and maybe heat up some beans, and provide things like cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa, black olives, sour cream, and tortilla chips (my friends also like to use cheesy doritos).
Amy Beth don’t worry about those brownies…I use to have the same problem…just hang in there and keep trying!!!!
Well, on the pasta… I’d say you didn’t have enough water in your pot for the amount of noodles you were trying to cook… and you HAVE to stir it occasionally. Also, you might try adding a splash of olive oil (virgin, not light is healthier) to the water to keep it from sticking.
Here’s my recipe for spaghetti:
1 30oz can of tomato sauce
2 6oz cans of tomato paste
1 15oz can of diced tomatoes (no spices added)
1lb of ground beef – browned
3 or 4 cloves of garlic – or 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1/4 of an onion chopped – or 1-2 teaspoons of onion powder (not onion salt!)
2 or more teaspoons of oregano
2 or more teaspoons of basil
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar (cuts the acid from all the tomato)
Options: a can or two of sliced black olives and/or mushrooms
Brown your beef and drain. While cooking you can add the garlic and onion if you’re using them fresh. Otherwise add the spices to the sauce.
In a large pot mix together all the tomato products, browned beef, spices, and olives or mushrooms. Mix well and bring to a boil WHILE STIRRING! Lower heat to simmer. Let simmer for at least a half an hour, but up to 2 or 3 hours. Remember to stir every half hour or so!
When you’re ready to eat boil a LARGE pot of water. Add one package of spaghetti noodles.
You can easily double this recipe. And if you are unsure of all the spices on doubling just don’t add as much and taste test. If it needs more keep adding. Just don’t add too much garlic, that can be bad!
Hope this helps! Serve with deli fresh french or garlic bread, green salad, and don’t forget the parmesan cheese!
Oh, and you might check out Campbells Kitchen (just Google it), they have a ton of super easy recipes that are mostly made with packaged/canned food!
AB – Good for you for trying to do this!!
This isn’t a meal in itself, but I just want to share one tip that may save you some burnage in the future. The thing I always burn on the stovetop is rice – somehow I always turn it up too high; just impatient, I guess. But my husband revolutionized my rice cooking by telling me you can make it in the microwave. Just put in the same proportions of rice and water that you would on the stove (it tells you what those are on the bag), and put it (covered, with lots of room in the dish – don’t fill it too full) in the microwave on high for 15 minutes. That’s it! No burning – I promise. Rice is good under stir fry, under chili, in burritos… lots of options. and it’s cheap!
I would also really recommend lasagna. The simplest version just involves lasagna noodles, sauce in a jar, and pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (if you are feeling adventurous, add ricotta too). It is easy to make enough for lots of people. Just layer ingredients in this order: pasta, cheese, pasta, sauce (and repeat for more layers). If you want to avoid potential pasta burning, you can use the no-boil pasta and just put it in raw (just make sure your sauce is moist enough and that you keep it in the oven long enough).
Good luck!
AB,
Are you familiar with the Duggar Family? They are a family of 20! They have a website, duggarfamily.com, where there are lots of easy recipes that make large quantities. Hope this helps! Liz in NC
Advice: None of it should involve PNC. I think they would prefer burnt noodles over PNC and nachos.
A wonderful meal is Pizza spaghetti (don’t know if I spelled that right). All you do is boil regular spaghetti (angel hair is great!) and put that in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Put pizza sauce (from the jar), mozzarella cheese and pepperoni on top. Put it in the oven on 350 for a few minutes (WATCH IT!), just until the pizza sauce is hot and the cheese is melted. If you felt daring, you could do two layers of it (Just put half of the spaghetti in the pan, then do the sauce/cheese/pepperoni and do it again! It’s wonderful and super easy!
Another idea that doesn’t involve cooking (YAY!) is sandwiches. You can buy regular bread or croissant bread – and just have ham and/or turkey, lettuce, etc… putting it on croissant bread makes it a little fancier.
Bon Apetite!
Sister, I am going to have nightmares about this tonight. Cooking/hostessing makes me feel very inadequate. One semester I did soup for my girls every week. Scratch that – I made it twice and we all took turns bringing a different soup every week. We had a blast with that.
Let me also add that sometimes I would get bitter when I made stuff for the girls but they all said they weren’t hungry. Trying to “under eat” each other. Holy cow, that drove me nuts!
I think we should have a cooking withamy beth segment on the reality show that i think you should have. ok… seriously you can do this. YOU CAN! I’ve gone through the comments and anything I would have suggested seems as though someone else has already suggested it.
You must get a crock pot though because… really you can throw everything in raw, turn a dial, watch the clock, and voila!
XOXOXO
AB,
The crockpot is the miracle machine. You can find endless combinations of things to make that do not require you to stand there and cook it. I LOVE IT! Spend $35 at Target and pick one up… it will revolutionize your life. Plus it is very hard to “ruin” a crockpot meal. The nice thing about chili is that you can add things to the base. If you want to spice it up, add salsa. Want to play with your food, add cheese and eat it with scoops corn chips. Want to be childish, add goldfish. Want more veggies or meat, you can add that too. It’s a good wintery dish too. I also recommend the Wooden Spoon cookbook. I went to Mennonite school during high school, and this was the book we used in home ec. It doesn’t have an elaborate ingredients, and yet walks you through basic techniques. It’s like $10 on BN.com. Also, if you want to come for a weekend in Ohio, I’d be happy to cook for you.
Okay Amy Beth! My favorite recipe is cream cheese chicken. It looks all fancy like and stuff but is really easy.
Here are the ingredients you will need to buy:
1 bag boneless frozen chicken breasts
1 box angel hair pasta
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet of Italian seasoning (dry mix (Good Seasons), found above the usual salad dressings)
1 cream cheese
Put chicken, italian seasoning, and 2 tablespoons of butter in crockpot. Cook on low all day (approx. 6-8 hours)
45 minutes before serving, shred the chicken with a fork while still in crockpot and add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese that has been cut into cubes. Turn the crockpot to high.
While the cream cheese is melting, boil water for pasta. Once water has come to full boil, add pasta, bring to boil once again, cook for 3 minutes.
Drain Pasta.
Stir chicken mix, cream cheese should be melted and should look like a sauce. Serve over pasta.
I add salad and bread and presto a fancy meal for you and your friends!
P.S.- this sounded a whole lot easier before I wrote it all out!
P.P.S.- seriously the crock pot is your best friend!!!
Okay I forgot to say add 6 of the chicken breasts, not the whole bag!
See I almost set you up for failure immediately! What a bad bloggy mistake!!
Hey … love your blog! Here’s an easy meal … put chicken breasts in a greased pan. Cover with a mixture of one large sour cream and one large cream of mushroom soup. Bake for about 30 minutes. 30 minutes before you put them in, wrap 17 potatoes in foil and start those on 350. Add your chicken dish and all will be done at the same time. If you really want to be balanced, cook a green or make a salad. This is easy for large groups!
- hamburgers – at least you are only cooking the meat all you have to do is chop up the fillings
- buritos – same deal
- baked potatoes with fillings
- pre-made lasagne and garlic bread… i know this is kind of cheating but seriously if it makes you stress less and it’s easy then go for it
Okay… I am seriously not giving you any ideas or recipes. What I am giving you is me, one meeting a month where I will come to you and actually teach you to cook for these girls. I will bring all the groceries. In the end, you will present them with a fabulous home-cooked meal and they will be none the wiser. Just let me know when your meetings are and we will pool our calendars and you will be the next Betty Crocker by summer.
Do girls need anything more for supper than cookie dough?
TACO SOUP
Brown 2 lb HB meat. After browned, Add 1/4 cup of picante sauce, can of Ranch Style Beans, 2 cans of whole peeled tomatoes (mash/shred the tomatoes when you get them in the pot), about half a packet of Ranch Style dressing dry packet, about half to 3/4 of a packet of dry Taco Seasoning, one can of hominy. Good. Easy. Filling.
Good luck!
Two words: Cereal Party!!!
That’s absolutely hilarious Honour Annekins Harris!
a. cookie dough is a fabulous stand in for real dinner, and i am not even kidding.
b. i know everyone already said it, but LITERALLY GET A CROCKPOT. i am not a bad cook, i just don’t really like to take a lot of time to do it. and i have left stuff for WAY longer than it was supposed to or left stuff out of recipes and every single thing i have ever made tastes awesome. (through no fault of my own)
such a good idea though! they will appreciate your hard work so much!
I’m won’t send you a recipe since several above already have, but as some one who has a Home Ec Degree (yes, I really do and I’m under 65 years old!) here are some (hopefully) helpful hints:
1. start early – only Rachel Ray can cook in 30 min – everyone else needs more time
2. read the recipe all the way through BEFORE you start to cook.
3. gather your supplies – get EVERYTHING out that you’ll need – including pot, pans , and spoons
4.take your time – when we rush, we make mistakes
5. don’t mulit-task – that’s where you’ll burn your pasta again.
6. use a timer – if the recipe says to stir for 5 minutes, use a timer to you’ll be on track
7. Drinks: they can be pricey, so I always stick with tea (sweet, of course) and lemonade and water(from the tap most of the time – just place some in a pitcher in the fridge to get cold)- soda is bad for you and exspensive
7. relax and keep your sense of humor- and see this as God’s way of getting you ready for your own family one day!
PS – you probably burned your pasta by not having enough water – remember pasta likes to swim – always use a huge pot full of water.
I’m a little late with these, but hopefully they will help. Yes, a crockpot is a wonderful thing!
CROCK POT CHICKEN
2-3 slices bacon
1 small onion, chopped
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (quartered or in strips)
garlic salt to taste
1-2 Tbs. margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
black pepper to taste
1 16-oz. carton sour cream
Place chicken in bottom of crock pot. Cut bacon into 1” pieces and scatter over top of chicken. Place butter pats on top of chicken. In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, onion, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Pour soup mixture over chicken; cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Good served over rice or mashed potatoes. Serves 15-20.
This dessert is simple, simple. You don’t cook anything!
Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert
19 ice cream sandwiches
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 jar (11-3/4 ounces) hot fudge ice cream topping
1 cup salted peanuts
Cut one ice cream sandwich in half. Place one whole and one half sandwich along short side of an ungreased 13” x 9” x 2” pan. Arrange eight sandwiches in opposite direction in the pan. Spread with half of the whipped topping. Spoon fudge topping by teaspoonfuls onto whipped topping. Sprinkle with ½ cup peanuts. Repeat layers with remaining ice cream sandwiches, whipped topping and peanuts (pan will be full). Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from the freezer 20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares. Yield: 12-15 servings.
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