View From Our Table

This recipe is adjusted from a Taste of Home cookbook issue I picked up at the grocery years back.  (click here for original) This hearty and delicious meal is a favorite for everyone in my house. Ingredients 2-7.5oz box Kraft Macaroni & Cheese 1 lb ground beef 1/2 small onion (diced) 1 green pepper (diced) 1- 10.75oz can condensed tomato soup, undiluted 2 Tablespoons water 2 Tablespoons ketchup 2 teaspoons mustard 1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon dried oregano 1¼ teaspoon ground cumin Salt & pepper to taste 1- 15oz can corn 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup butter 1¼ cup milk Directions Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions; set cheese packet aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the soup, water, ketchup, mustard, seasonings, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes. Drain...

Spring is here!! I just wish it wasn’t so cold still. The kids requested dirt cake. Perfect for spring, family time, and dreaming of warmer tomorrows. Ingredients 5.9oz Instant Chocolate Pudding 2 Cups Milk 16 Oreos 8oz Cool Whip 8oz Gummy Worms   Directions Separate Oreo cream into a large bowl and cookie ends into a smaller bowl (or Ziploc bag depending on preferred method for crushing). Crumble cream between fingers, and crush cookies with the back of a spoon (or rolling pin in bag). Add milk, then pudding mix, to bowl with the cream. Stir until well blended for 2 minutes. Mix in Cool Whip until just blended. Spread out pudding mixture in 9×13 pan. Cover with crushed Oreo cookies. Place gummy worms in dirt. Alternatively, for individual servings, layer the pudding and Oreo in small clear cups. Add a surprise worm at the bottom of the cup to start. I always do the individual cups with the kids, so they can each make their own. We made 10-...

2 Peeled Garlic Cloves, diced 2 Green Peppers 13 ounce Polish Kielbasa 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce Slice peppers and kielbasa.  Sautee over Medium heat in Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Cook until the peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.  We served with mashed potatoes.

Ingredients: 1 package Onion Soup Mix ½ cup Bread Crumbs ½ tsp Salt ¼ tsp Pepper 1 Tbsp. Parsley 2 pounds Ground Beef 2/3 cup Milk 1 large Egg Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. In a 9x13 pan form the mixture into a loaf shape, roughly 2 inches thick. Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes. (Pending thickness. No pink left inside, internal temp of 165) Meatloaf was one of the first meals I learned to cook as a young adult & I'm happy it's one of the few things my kids will eat with no complaints. When the kids are away (a very rare occasion) I like to add two tablespoons of diced jalapenos. On a regular day we serve them on the side, along with a 50/50 mix of Barbeque sauce and ketchup. Suggested sides: always mashed potatoes and veggies of choice. Peas and carrots are a classic, but we also love corn.

What is a smoothie bowl? After some research here is what I got: -It's not just a smoothie in a bowl... It's a thick smoothie in a bowl😏 -It feels more like a meal than a traditional smoothie. -It's pretty. -It's fun. Use mostly frozen fruit and not as much liquid to get the thicker consistency. I fill my personal size blender with my fruits and then add only enough liquid to just cover the fruit. Then comes the toppings: frozen fruit is hard to chew so you can add it, but I throw fresh fruits on top if I have them on hand. I also like to add a sprinkle of granola (specifically Kind Healthy Grains Vanilla Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds). Really whatever makes you happy. I love food! I need to feel like I'm eating a full meal or food is all I think about, so drinking a smoothie just doesn't do it for me. I feel like I need a sandwich or eggs too. This has fixed that for me. I've been doing smoothie bowl...

I always want to buy fresh fruit, then when I get it out to feed it to the kids... just kidding it went bad already😅 Child A loved blueberries, but child B hates them and only wants Pineapple, and who has the time or remembers to pull out all the different containers of fruit when sitting down to a meal. We had a left over fruit tray from our New Years Eve party and I would pull it out at ever meal till it was gone. It was the best! I added a fruit tray to my shopping list right then. On my next trip I found a Rubbermaid tray at Wal-Mart. I go grocery shopping every Sunday, and my fruit buys usually last me two trips. I will buy 3 to 4 different kinds depending on what's in season (I think anymore than 4 our family of 5 wouldn't finish before it goes bad). When I get home I cut them all up and fill our tray. The fruits that don't fit into the tray go in Ziplocs and are replenished through the week when needed. I'm so thankful for this l...