Hobos from the Heart

So, as you all have heard..... Mr. Biggs says I never cook.  But it is funny he didn't get as big as he is from no where!  I try to find stuff easy, fast, healthy, and something my girls will like.  Last week I had hamburger meat and couldn't think of anything different to cook with it until I remember my Mama's Hobos! My mama used to make these when she would haul food to the field for my Dad and the workers because it was easy to deliver.  

Start off with hamburger meat, potatoes, carrots, onion

I use ground round meat because I like the leanness of it, but you can use whatever! I bought baby carrots because they are small and easy! 

All you need is tin foil, Lawry's season-all salt, salt, and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees 

Make out you Hamburger meat into patties.  Make these a little bit larger than your normal hamburger patties. Season with salt, pepper, and Lawry's

Wash and cut up your potatoes and onion.  Size or shape doesn't matter

 Take a large piece of tin foil and in the middle place a hamburger patty and top with carrots, onions, and potatoes.  Be generous on your additions.  

 Now wrap the sides of the tin foil up and roll the top down.  This way all the ingredients will cook together inside the tin foil.

Place each wrap on a baking tray and place them in the oven at 400 degrees.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  Depending on your oven.  

The Best Part!!!  When you open it up and all that steam and aroma comes out!

Yum, Yum!

Now you hand out plates and throw one wrapped tin foil on each plate!  That way if you  have girls like my they can't fight over which hobo they get... they are all just a like.  Serve with Ketchup and you are ready to go.  Now do you see where the name Hobo comes from?????

Couscous...is it any good?

The answer is YES!  I watch a lot of food network and cooking shows and they always serve or cook with couscous.  I have been wanting to try it for a long time because I have never eaten it before.  I bought it in our local grocery store...I think I found it by the rice.

This is the roasted garlic and olive oil couscous.  We had it tonight for dinner and it was fabulous!  I loved it!  I can't wait to eat it again.  


What is couscous?


Wheat Food Council, states that "couscous (pronounced "koos-koos"), a staple of North African cooking, is now widely available in packaged form in most supermarkets. Couscous is granules of semolina made from durum wheat, the ideal pasta wheat, which are precooked and then dried. Actually, the word can mean the pasta itself, as well as North African stews ("tanginess") traditionally served over it."  This statement was found from http://www.wheatfoods.org/What-is-couscous.21.10.htm.  


The top 5 reasons to eat couscous:
1.) It's super fast to make.  It only takes 5 minutes.
2.) It tastes like rice. 
3.) It can be made in the microwave.
4.) It's a side dish that goes great with almost anything. 
5.) It supports wheat farmers!  :)  

I think it is really cute too.  It is made up of tiny circles.  Some people may not like couscous because of the texture of the food.

So, take a bite of couscous and introduce a new, fun food to your family.

Do you like couscous?  Does anyone have any great recipes for couscous?


Try it!
Ash

Couscous...is it any good?

The answer is YES!  I watch a lot of food network and cooking shows and they always serve or cook with couscous.  I have been wanting to try it for a long time because I have never eaten it before.  I bought it in our local grocery store...I think I found it by the rice.

This is the roasted garlic and olive oil couscous.  We had it tonight for dinner and it was fabulous!  I loved it!  I can't wait to eat it again.  


What is couscous?


Wheat Food Council, states that "couscous (pronounced "koos-koos"), a staple of North African cooking, is now widely available in packaged form in most supermarkets. Couscous is granules of semolina made from durum wheat, the ideal pasta wheat, which are precooked and then dried. Actually, the word can mean the pasta itself, as well as North African stews ("tanginess") traditionally served over it."  This statement was found from http://www.wheatfoods.org/What-is-couscous.21.10.htm.  


The top 5 reasons to eat couscous:
1.) It's super fast to make.  It only takes 5 minutes.
2.) It tastes like rice. 
3.) It can be made in the microwave.
4.) It's a side dish that goes great with almost anything. 
5.) It supports wheat farmers!  :)  

I think it is really cute too.  It is made up of tiny circles.  Some people may not like couscous because of the texture of the food.

So, take a bite of couscous and introduce a new, fun food to your family.

Do you like couscous?  Does anyone have any great recipes for couscous?


Try it!
Ash

Mama's Tassels

 Here is my Baby!
Mary-Richard is my 3rd little girl who is 8 months old.  She got her name from her Daddy and Granddaddy.  Being the 3rd and last little girl my husband and I wanted  to pass on his family name.
So, in turn Mary-Richard it is!  She is an easy going baby, a happy baby, a very loud baby, and one of my angels!

 But last week Mama's angel started moving!
Which is not good!  Having 3 ,under the age of 6 yrs old, all  moving made my job even harder. It was hard before, but now that I can't sit her somewhere and she stays is really challenging. While cooking dinner today (which regardless of what Mr. Biggs says I do cook and I think I do a pretty good job of it )  I put Mary-Richard on a blanket on the floor with her toys.  Which she loves to do!  A few minutes later I heard her screaming. Now let me tell you, Mary-Richard has some lungs.  I guess it is being the 3rd child that if you don't have a big mouth you aren't heard???  Well, believe me we can't miss her.  You hear her before you see her!  She had gotten herself stuck under the couch.  Her wonderful oldest sister Maddie moved her back to her blanket and toys on the floor. Maddie could be her second mother for all the help she gives me!
And poor Maelee (my middle child) that is another blog!
Then she made her way over there again and the 2nd time she crawled to the couch this is what she found......

Mama's tassels... And boy did she have a good time!
I think she played with them for about 10 minutes, which in baby time that is a while!  She had the best time and with her being my LAST BABY  I couldn't even get on to her.  She look so sweet and precious!  We will just let her tear Mama's beautiful sofa apart.        
No big deal!
Well that is until NoNo found her (aka...... MAELEE)

But like I said.... NoNo needs a blog all to herself!
-Dia_

Chicken Parmesan

In honor of Valentine's Day, I made chicken parmesan.  Mainly because for some reason I associate Valentine's Day with Italian food.  So....chicken parmesan it was!  We also had garlic breadsticks (bought from the grocery store) and a wedge salad with Pioneer Woman's homemade ranch dressing (delish).

In our family, all we do is think about food.  It should be a sin for how much we eat and think about food.  Food is the center of all our social gatherings.  We enjoy eating, cooking, and talking about food! All in all, we LOVE food.  Throughout our moves from Georgia to Arkansas and Arkansas to Texas, we have acquired many different recipes.  Most of the recipes are southern recipes, which are my favorite.  I hope these recipes bring smiles to your family's faces and a full belly.  

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients: 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese                    1 egg

                   1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs                          4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

                   1 jar of spaghetti sauce                                  2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella, parmesan)

                   1/2 package angel hair noodles

Pictured: 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (already washed), 1 egg, 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix together 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese with 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs in shallow dish. 

Take one chicken breast at a time and coat it in the egg.  

After chicken is put into egg mixture, coat both sides of the chicken in the Italian breadcrumb and Parmesan cheese mixture.  

The chicken should be heavily breaded on both sides.  

Spray a cooking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Then take each chicken breast and spray cooking spray on each side of the chicken before putting it into the pan.  

So, you may be thinking "What in the world?"  Because I am not frying the chicken breasts, the cooking spray creates a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken while baking.  

Place chicken in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.

In the meantime, boil your spaghetti noodles.  I hope most of you know how to boil water but just in case you are a beginner, I don't mind helping you out.  There will be a pop quiz at the end on how to boil water!  HAHA...not really!  

Fill a saucepan with water but make sure it is not filled to the top.  

Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water to give the noodles flavor.  Actually, I'm not 100% sure why you add salt to water.  I think it has something to do with flavor?!?!

I'll give away a free set of cooking spoons for the first person that gives me the correct answer to the question.  Well, maybe when we get to more than just two followers we will start giving away gifts.  

Add a little olive oil to the water so the noodles won't stick.  I saw this little trick on Food Network! 

I like to use angel hair pasta over spaghetti noodles but it's totally up to you what kind you use.  I just prefer angel hair over spaghetti noodles.  Since I'm cooking 4 chicken breasts, I only use half of the package of noodles.  

The water is boiling!  It's ready!

  I add half of the package of noodles to the boiling water.  

When the noodles are tender, they are ready to come out of the boiling water.  Don't they look yummy!

  

Drain the noodles in a colander and then put them in a pretty dish or the pot you just boiled them in.  Whatever floats your boat!  I usually use the same pot so I have less dishes to wash.  

When the chicken has about 5-10 minutes left and it is done on the inside, pick your favorite spaghetti sauce and pour it on top of the chicken.  

We like lots of sauce.  You might want to add more or less.  It's completely up to you!

The best part of all....CHEESE!  I love cheese!  I used an Italian mix and mozzarella cheese.  Put it back into the oven and let the sauce get hot and the cheese become a melty, delicious, piece of heaven!  YUM! 

This is what your chicken parmesan will look like after it's finished baking!  

Now, LET'S EAT!  First, put a generous amount of noodles on your plate. 

Then, add your beautiful piece of chicken on top.  

If you love cheese like I do, add more cheese!  :)  I like to put grated parmesan cheese on top!

Enjoy! 

Cook this for your loved ones on a weeknight, special occasion, or just because .  It's easy and fast for any day of the week. 

God Heals All.......

Day by Day my middle child still seems to amaze.  As the kids were getting ready for their private Christian school this morning,  Maelee (my 4 yr old) began playing with a flash light.  She would point it in her eyes, then in her older sister's eyes, and then in my eyes.  I guess at 7:00 a.m. this morning she was bored and just thought it would be fun??  I told her to quit that!  That by pointing the light into someones eyes could make them go blind. She then began to ask me what that meant???  After a 10 minute explanation of what blind is, she gave me that look.  The look she always gives when her brain is turning and she is getting ready to argue what I said  is not true.  Then she looked up at me with those big blue eyes and says "Mom, but my teacher says that God can heal all. Right?  So, So, He can just give me and my sister a news eyes."  As the tears filled my eyes, I just gave up and told her to ask her teacher to explain. God Love her.....
-Dia-