Well, you did not hear from me yesterday simply because I did not eat HG.  It was church night and work went late…so burgers from Dairy Palace was our solution.  Hey…this is all about being real…so this is real life meal times with the VanHoys! 

However, last night was YUMMY!  In fact, this meal caused my sweet hubby to say ‘this is so good…I love this!’ AND sent all 4 of my kids back for seconds.  So what was on the VanHoy dinner table last night?

 Skillet Burritos!  I had put the mix and canned goods on the counter with every intention of being home by 6:30 so I could make and serve that meal no later than 7.  Well, I saw the clock strike 7 from my desk at the office, so I picked up the phone and instructed my daughter to get our last bag of cooked ground beef from the fridge and to follow the instructions on the Skillet Burrito bag so we could have dinner when I arrived home. I had a homeshow to call to give away a toaster and then I would be out the door and home by 7:30.  “No problem Mom” she said.  Sure enough, I walk in the door and dinner smells fabulous.  I get to the kitchen and see our skillet burritos cooked in a soup pot, thus a little soupy (cooking in the skillet allows for more of the liquids to cook out).  As we sat down to eat she asked ” are these supposed to be this soupy?” and I explained to her the issue with using a soup pot.  She said “well, the instructions need to be more clear” to which my son said “how much clearer can it be…they are called SKILLET burritos”.  She laughed and we enjoyed our soupy burritos with sliced veggies to dip in the dipping sauce that comes with them. 

Loving your comments…so keep up the meal time chatter!

 God Bless and Keep You,

Tami

Ok…I said yesterday I would try to keep you informed of my meal time moments…so here is last night’s menu.  I put a Tejano Pork Tenderloin in the slow cooker (that’s chicken enchilada soup mix, orange juice and diced chilis…smooshed!), so I came home to that being ready to go.  I served it with steamed red potatoes seasoned with Garlic Basil Seasoning (yes…I used the microwaveable steamer bags again!) and salad.  The family consumed the potatoes, raving about how great they were!!!  You will hear more about those steamer bags in the future! 

 My daughter insisted on adding another starch to the menu because she wanted rice to mix with the sauce that came from the tenderloin.  It was a good idea cause the sauce was great! 

That’s it!  Nothing profound…just dinner for a family of 6 that was easy and delicious!  What are you making????

God Bless and Keep You

Tami

Ok…I see that Cindy has gone MAD with meal trails!  Quite amusing I must say and I look forward to seeing all of the comments and who will ultimately win.  I may toss in a trail here and there myself! For example…a week ago it was Gumbo pork chops from the slow cooker with mashed potatoes.  The next night it was left over pork, diced and mixed with bbq sauce and served warm on a bun.  The next night it was shepherd’s pie with precooked ground beef and the first night’s leftover potatoes.  So this will be fun for us all to chat about. 

But I actually got online to write because I had an ah-ha moment the other day and decided that I would start sharing my mealtime moments with you on a regular basis.  I have always looked at the blog as a place to only post profound statements, ideas or commentary…but I realize that it is actually the perfect forum for sharing how Homemade Gourmet is Everyday Gourmet for me and many others.  Would you like to know what I am having for dinner each night?  Here’s a glimpse at the VanHoy dinner table last night…

Chicken breasts that had been marinated in KC rub and orange juice (as featured in the 4 meals in 4 minutes planner in the January Kitchen Connection Magazine).  I grilled them on my George Foreman grill and served some veggies that had been steamed in the new microwaveable steamer bags that are so popular.  I served sliced carrots steamed with some Spiced Dip Mix, Broccolli steamed with some Garlic Basil and sliced apples steamed with some Spiced Dip Mix.  Ya…that is a lot of sides, but I got a little carried away last night!  BEST PART…my picky eater was heard saying “mom…I LOVE THIS CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI” as he made his way to the kitchen for a second serving. 

By the way…lunch yesterday was Hearty Beef and Vegetable soup with Basic Bread made as muffins. However…the picky eater wanted taco soup but has an issue with the tomatoes.  SO…I put the diced tomatoes in the blender and hit puree.  I then made a second pot of soup for little Micah and we were all happy.  Micah gave me a hug and said “thanks for making my soup without tomatoes”.  (PS…we are not telling him the secret!!!)  I just love that the soups are soooooo easy I could accomodate his request.  Afterall…I had been out of town for 5 days and I was needing to score some mommy points to make up for being gone.  Thank You Homemade Gourmet!!

So…I am inspired to keep sharing.  And God willing that I can get onto the computer on a daily basis to type out a quick blurb…I will keep telling what I had for dinner. 

By the way…What are You Having????

God Bless and Keep You,

Tami

I am noted in my family for not letting food go to waste.  Even if we went out to dinner and had great steaks, I bring home the doggy bag of meat and cut it up for Steak and Eggs for breakfast.  Left over Chinese rice gets dumped into soups and casseroles.  I am forever making “Clean out the Fridge” Soup - what ever is in those little plastic bowls from the week gets dumped into the pot!

But I thought I would try a new game on you for those interested.  I am even willing to post a little prize for the best Meal Trail Madness.  The prize will depend on what mixes your Meal Trail includes.

Here is my example.

Monday is Garlic Lemon Chicken, rice and broccoli, Tuesday is Chicken Taco Salad with remaining G.L. chicken, greens, olives, tomatoes, chips and topped with Catalina Dressing (saving half of dressing in fridge).  Wednesday is Catalina Pork Chops (using other half of dressing), hash browned potatoes, corn and fruit.  Thursday is soup day using remaining pork chops (diced) and the left over rice, broccoli, potatoes, corn, water, can of diced tomatoes and some Sunday Roast seasoning.  Friday I take what is left of the soup, drain off all the liquid and mix with a can a cream of chicken soup and put that into a prepared pie crust, topping with another for a great pot pie.

That’s my Meal Trail Madness week.  Can you top it??

I am always on the lookout for new and different side dishes.  Rice, pasta, potatoes and cous cous revolve constantly in my house (yes, there are veggies as well, but we must have our starches here!).

Susie Bohanan, our new staff Nutritionist, suggested that I try Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa).  I had never heard of the stuff, but off to the grocery store I went.  It took me a while to find it, but I did over by the cous cous.  I have read that while it is most commonly referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.

I’m reading off the package now and even before I cook the stuff, I am impressed.  These are the benefits that the package touts: 1.  The National Academy of Sciences calls Quinoa one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom.  2.  Quinoa provides all the essential amino acids in a balanced patter, set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.  3.  Quinoa is a delicate grain which is less filling that other grains or pasta making it light, tasty and easy to digest.  4.  Quinoa has a variety of cooking options - side dish, in soups, in salads, as a pilaf or GET THIS even as a nutritional breakfast cereal.  5.Quinoa is 100% whole grain, so is good for people who follow a wheat-free/gluten free diet.  6.  Quinoa has a lower sodium content and is hight in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley or corn.

All of the above sounds good and well, but I will tell you that it could be the healthiest food in the world able to cure all my ills, aches and pains and if it doesn’t taste good, my family will firmly reject it.  Tonight we are having Grilled Round Steak Spirals, Quinoa with Sunday Roast Seasoning and I am making a large pot of greens (combination turnip, mustard and collard).  The Grilled Round Steak Spirals are an experiment.  I mixed feta cheese, cream cheese and Garlic Basil Seasoning and spread it on the Round Steaks and then rolled them up like a jelly roll and sliced them into spirals for the grill (I secured them with toothpicks).

I’ll let you know how it turns out.  But in the meantime, do you have some new food that you would like me to try?

I know that eating a particular food on a particular day will in no way effect your life, love life and your finances for the remainder of the year.  Yet, tradition required me to hit the grocery store today and purchase fresh black eyed peas, a head of cabbage, potatoes and corned beef.  When I was growing up, New Year’s Day could not proceed without the above mentioned meal.  With great emotion, Mother would say “At least one bite of everything or you won’t have any luck, love or money.”  This may be a totally southern thing to do, I have no idea, BUT I am not tempting the tradition.

Lucky for me, my husband and kids all love the traditional New Year’s Day menu.  When the kids were a little younger, I could buy one corned beef and we would have plenty of meat left over for Rueben sandwiches the next day.  Now, there is never any meat left over for even a midnight snack run.  This year I bought two packages of corned beef.

What is corned beef?  It is a cut of beef, usually brisket, cured or pickled in a seasoned brine.  The “corn” refers to the corns or grains of coarse salts used to cure it.  Wow, learning something from the blog . . . cool.  I suddenly feel like Alton Brown.

You didn’t ask, but here is my recipes for my New Year’s Day meal.  If this menu is totally foreign to you and you attempt it and you love it or hate it, thanks for being adventurous.  By the way, I am technologically inept and cannot figure out how to program this blog to make it actually look like a recipe, so you’ll have to read it in paragraph form.  Sorry.

Corned Beef - Ingredients are 1 corned beef, 1 bag of crab boil (don’t cut open the netted bag, use it whole otherwise, big mess), 4 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Grandmother’s Sunday Roast and enough water to cover.  You can cook it in your slow cooker on low for 8 hours or in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours.  Make sure you have a tight fitting cover on your pot in the oven.  Oh, and one more thing . . . Once it is done, let it set on your cutting board for about 10 minutes before you slice and slice diagonally across the grain of the meat, not with the grain.

Black Eyed Peas with a Punch (get the humor, hee hee):  I use 24 ounces of fresh black eyed peas from the produce section, but you can use frozen.  Heck, you can use canned, it would be much quicker!  (If you use dried, you are on your own.) 1 can of tomatoes with green chilies, 2 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Southwest Seasoning (though I have also used the Kansas City Rub Seasoning and it is good too), about a cup of chopped onions (I use frozen already chopped because I am lazy and it is available) and two slices of bacon (cut up).  I put a little oil, the bacon and onion in a large stock pot (soup pot) and saute until the bacon is done and the onions are clear.  Then dump everything else in the pot with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cover.  I cook them about an hour.

Cabbage (This is the money meal):  Ingredients- 1 head of cabbage, diced (make sure you cut out the core, it is nasty, and you can either dice the cabbage or cut in larger strips), 1 cup diced or sliced onions, 2 slices of bacon, 2 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet Grandmother’s Sunday Roast Seasoning and about 1-2 cups of water.  (This is the tricky recipe because of timing and most people hate cabbage because most people overcook it into this white, slimy mess.) In a large skillet (with a lid nearby), on medium high heat, saute a little oil, bacon and onion until bacon is no longer raw and onions are clear.  Now, add the cut up cabbage, the sunday roast seasoning and a cup of water.  Don’t worry about stirring just yet because it will look like all the cabbage will not fit in the skillet,  Put the lid on the skillet for about five minutes, now give it a good stir and decide if you need a bit more liquid or not (In other words, did you buy the smallest head of cabbage they had or the big mama cabbage??).  Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes.  This is the tricky part . . . the cabbage should still have some firmness and some color.  Most people boil, instead of steam their cabbage leaving a gloppy mess.  If you love gloppy mess cabbage and that is the way your Mother made cabbage, my apologies, please enjoy your gloppy mess cabbage.

The last thing I made is fried potatoes and onions.  I am not writing down this recipe, because HELLO you simply fry potaotes and onions.

Happy New Year and Lots of Luck, Love and Money to you All!

Cindy

What do people who don’t have 4 meals in 4 minutes meals in the freezer do at this time of year???

I have been running around like a chicken with it’s head . . . . you know what I mean.  Between work and the kid’s Christmas programs and end of the semester parties, holiday parties at the church and my husband’s office, Christmas concerts, gift purchasing and wrapping and OH YEA, did I mention I have family coming in from out of town this week?  EEEKKKK!

4 meals in 4 minutes . . . .TAKE ME AWAY! (I wouldn’t mind that long relaxing bath from the old commercial, but frankly at my house that just isn’t going to happen any time soon.)

In the last two weeks, we have had Burgundy Beef Tips with Egg Noodles, Southwest Chicken (and then 2 nights later, BLT roll ups), Dream Spaghetti, Quick Chicken and Chips, Roast (and the next night Minestrone with the remaining meat) and Asian Pork Tenderloin (wraps for later on).

I hope that you have had an ample amount of great tasting Homemade Gourmet meals during this busy and hectic season!  Remember the true reason for the season and spend some quality time with your family.

From my family (and everyone at Homemade Gourmet) to yours, Merry Christmas and may your stocking be filled with lots of sparkles!

Cindy

Happy Holidays!

If you are a Homemade Gourmet distributor, you are smack dab in the middle of craft show season.  The time of year where you are meeting tons of new people, some familiar and some new to the great taste of Homemade Gourmet.  How exciting!

If you are a Homemade Gourmet customer, this may be the time of year when you haunt the craft shows looking for that familiar Homemade Gourmet heart so you can stock up on Pecan Pie Muffins, Chicken Enchilada Soup and Texas Cornbread!  Take heart, the good food is right around the corner, ready for you to add a few simple ingredients and serve your family a little bit of Homemade goodness.

The only sad thing about craft show season is those customers who have to wait until the end of the year to refill their pantries with Homemade Gourmet yummies! 

I hope that all the distributors are spreading the fantastic news about Homemade Gourmet Preferred.  How great to have menues, recipes, mixes and grocery lists delivered to your home once a month!  Talk about an awesome de-stresser!

Do you have any stories to share about people who have benefitted from having meals planned and not having to worry about, “What’s for dinner?”  Share the good news!

Cindy

Not a long post today.  I am sure that you are busy getting ready for your family and the big Thanksgiving holiday.  I have already started cooking, since Homemade Gourmet allows me to do tons of stuff ahead of time, so that on Thursday, I’ll be putting in dishes to simply heat up and will actually get to spend some quality time with my family.  Yippee!

I am so thankful that God has blessed me with a beautiful family and a great job.  I am grateful that we have so many distributors that are helping families around America to gather around the dinner table for a meal together.  Making memories and sharing great conversation.

Try not to “overstuff” the turkey or yourself and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Cindy

What a great feeling…a freezer full of choices!  Last time I posted on the blog I was out of choices and suffering the consequences.  Since then I have done something about it!  Now…if I had waited till I had it all figured out, I’d still be looking at an empty freezer.  Instead…I took action without a plan, but with Homemade Gourmet that is not a problem. 

First action step was the grocery store.  With my busy schedule, I had not been able to sit down and figure out which meals I wanted to put into my freezer…but the freezer was in a state of emergency and I needed to take action immediately.  I took a quick inventory of my pantry using my handy Homemade Gourmet grocery list copied from a past cookbook.  I noted on the list that I needed to restock a few basic items and canned goods and then I threw that list in my purse so I would be ready for the first time I could squeeze in a grocery trip. 

On Saturday that opportunity arose and I seized the moment.  After shopping from the list I went to the meat section.  Without a clue of what meals I was going to stock my freezer with, I just filled my cart with what was on sale and what I know my family likes…a roast, some stew meat, 10 pounds of ground beef, chicken breasts, a couple of pork tenderloins and some pork chops.  I put it all in the fridge that day so it would be ready for a quick 4m4m session on Sunday. 

Sunday evening, I pulled out all of the 4m4m planners that I have collected over the last year and started making choices.  Going through the planners, I pulled HG mixes and canned goods from my pantry and matched them with the meat of choice…and the result was over a dozen meals bagged in the freezer.  What a difference choices make!  It truly feels good to be full of them again! 

What’s in your freezer?

God Bless,

Tami