I am a very busy wahm and one of my favorite things to make for dinner are soups and stews because I can slow cook them while I complete business work or do house work.

Today my good friend and business partner Chris is sharing with all of us one of her favorite recipes.

This is a wonderful light yet filling soup that I use as a filler before dinner or with a salad. It has extremely little fat and burns calories fast!

Tomato & Veggie Soup Recipe

2 cans 15 oz Veggie (or chicken) stock or 1-32 oz box
2 cans 15 oz Tomato Sauce or Chopped Tomatoes
1 Box frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1/2 bunch Bok Choi or Napa Cabbage, sliced thin
2 tsp good olive oil
salt to taste
Italian Seasoning or a pinch of thyme, basil, and marjoram, or whatever is in the cabinet
garlic powder or fresh garlic

In a large sauce pan combine all of the ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Chris is a work at home mom that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing information and tips with others. You can find her at her business site http://directsalestalk.com/ . She has also partnered with a friend on a product review site for small business owners at http://twoclassychics.blogspot.com/

I work at home and even though I work from home…my days are packed full with work and family related stuff so when it comes to dinner…I love making and serving a variety of hearty soups and stews to my family.

Today…my good friend and business partner Chris is sharing one of her favorite recipes with all of us. I don’t know about all of you…but I am looking forward to making her recipe very soon!

Classic Chicken Soup Recipe

2-3 Large pieces of Chicken, raw on the bone
Water
Chicken Soup Base, 2 bouillon cubes or your favorite chicken stock
½ -1 Carrot sliced
1-2 stalks celery with tops, diced
Salt & pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Maggi Seasoning to taste, at least 10 shots or more, depending on amount of liquid
Egg noodles or elbows, your choice

In a large soup pot, fill with water to the desired level. Bring to a boil. Add enough soup base/stock to get a good chicken flavor. Add Chicken, carrot and celery and all spices. Allow to cook 30-45 min until chicken is cooked through. Pull chicken out and let cool, shredding it after cooling. Return chicken to pot. Simmer.

In a separate pot, cook noodles to just al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add to soup and simmer for an additional 5-10 min. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve with crusty French bread, sandwiches or crackers.

Chris is a work at home mom that has made direct sales her business of choice and enjoys sharing information and tips with others. You can find her at her business site http://directsalestalk.com/ . She has also partnered with a friend on a product review site for small business owners at http://twoclassychics.blogspot.com/

When it comes to being a busy mom…we often struggle with finding the time to cook healthy home cooked meals for our family. We spend our days getting the kids to school, working in or outside of the home, running the kids to after school activities, running errands and then once we arrive home again, it’s dinner time.

In our busy lives it is easy to fall into the trap of purchasing take out or hitting a fast food joint and buying unhealthy food to feed to our families. As a mother you can solve this problem by investing in two very helpful must-have kitchen appliances.

If you want to prepare healthy meals at home and do so lickety split then I suggest that you invest in two quality kitchen appliances. Let’s take a look at those two appliances more in depth.

1. You should invest in a good quality crock pot. I suggest a 3 or 5 quart crock pot depending on the size of your family. The one that I own is 5 quart and made of stoneware which is super easy to clean because it can be placed into a dishwasher.

Slow Cooked Meal Suggestions: pork roast and sauerkraut, barbequed pulled-pork for sandwiches, beef stew, beef vegetable soup, chicken pot-pie, chicken corn soup, chili, short style spare ribs, chicken and pasta dishes, chicken and rice soup, chicken and dumplings and Salisbury steak and gravy are just a few delicious meals you can make in your crock pot.

2. You should invest in a high quality pressure cooker. In the old days I felt they were unsafe so I refused to use one. However…the past few years manufacturers have gotten with the program and now you can find very safe pressure cookers out in the marketplace. You can pressure cook your foods in half the time it takes to bake them and not only that…you will find that your meats will be more moist and taste delicious when pressure cooked.

You can do roasts, chicken, turkey, pork, venison and lamb in a pressure cooker in half the time of conventional baking.

If you are looking to get into crock pot and pressure cooking I suggest that you invest in a few good cookbooks that are geared towards each of those cooking methods.

Getting dinner onto your family’s table every night doesn’t mean that you have to spend hours in the kitchen making it. Invest in a crock pot and a pressure cooker and you will find that you can feed your family quickly and easily the healthy meals that they deserve.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking, baking and canning. You can visit Shelly’s online foodie and recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free cooking tips, cooking articles and recipes

Today I wanted to share a delicious recipe with all of our blog readers that makes for a great family dinner. Children and Adults love this dish and it’s easy to throw together.

Baked Spaghetti Casserole Recipe

8 oz. box spaghetti noodles
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrainded
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook spaghetti noodles, drain & set aside.

Fry the ground beef in a large frying pan with the chopped onion until the ground beef is fully cooked. Drain off the grease. Stir in the diced tomatoes and canned tomato soup. Sprinkle in the ground black pepper. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then turn down to low. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until cheese melts. Remove from heat and pour into a 3 quart casserole dish. Stir in the cooked pasta and toss until all ingredients are mixed together. Cover and bake for 20-30 minutes or until done.

If desired, you can sprinkle additional cheddar cheese on top of the casserole during the last 5 minutes of baking time.

When it comes to making Mexican-style dinners for my family’s dinner we love to use easy to prepare recipes that use readily available ingredients that are found in our normal grocery store. As a busy mother and wife…I just don’t have time to look for speciality ingredients.

The following two recipes will take 15-20 minutes to prepare and then while they bake you can do your other activities. The Tex-Mex Lasagna should be prepared 6-8 hours ahead of time so I like to prepare it early in the morning and refrigerate it for when I get home from work. I then just pop it into the oven. Each of these recipes will easily feed a family of 4-5 people.

Tex-Mex Lasagna Dinner Recipe

12 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked
3 cups spaghetti sauce (with meat or mushrooms works great)
1 cup water
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen yellow or white corn, thawed
1 packet chili seasoning mix
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups low fat Monterey Jack cheese, grated

In a large mixing bowl combine together the spaghetti sauce, water, red kidney beans, yellow corn and the packet of chili seasoning mix. In a 9″ x 13″ baking pan, spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture across the bottom. Arrange 4 pieces of the uncooked lasagna noodles on top of the spaghetti sauce layer. Pour 1 cup of the sauce mixture on top of the noodles. Pour half of the ricotta cheese on top and then another cup of the spaghetti sauce…working in layers as you go along. Gently spread the remaining ricotta cheese on top and then arrange the final 4 lasagna noodles on top. Finish up by pouring the remaining spaghetti sauce on top. Cover the baking dish and place into the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Cover your baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Remove aluminum foil from the pan and sprinkle the grated Monterey Jack cheese on top. Place baking dish back into the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

Fiesta Bake Casserole Recipe

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 (28 oz.) can baked beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large frying pan, brown your lean ground beef with the chopped onions and peppers. Drain off fat. Stir in the can of baked beans and the picante sauce and simmer for 2 minutes. Spoon the meat mixture into a 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Crush the tortilla chips and place on top of the meat mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top. Place back into the oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until all of the cheese has melted. Remove from oven and let casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Shelly Hill is a mother and wife living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking, baking and canning. Shelly is the owner of the popular online foodie blog called Shakin ‘N Bakin in the Kitchen at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com where you can find menu ideas, cooking articles, cooking tips and free recipes.

If you love the taste of homemade peanut butter cups but don’t want the fuss or mess of making them then I think you should try this easy bar recipe to make homemade peanut butter bars from my step grandmother. They are delicious but I will warn you…very sweet!

Homemade Peanut Butter Bars Recipe

1 3/4 cups crushed graham crackers (you want fine crumbs)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup melted margarine or butter (I use butter)
2 cups confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
1 1/2 cups melted chocolate chips

Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 13×9″ glass baking dish with margarine or butter. Press your graham cracker crumbs onto the bottom and about 1/4″ up the sides of the baking dish.

Mix together the smooth peanut butter, melted margarine and confectioners sugar and pour on top of the crumbs. Melt your chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove top and pour melted chocolate on top.

Cover baking dish and chill until firm. Cut into 2″ square sized mini bars or 4″ square full-sized bars. Store bars in an air tight container.

Family Dinner – Baked Chicken Mozzarella Recipe by Shelly Hill

As a busy mom and wife, I am always looking for easy and time saving chicken recipes, and this one fits all of those ‘mom’ requirements.

What I like about this recipe is the fact that it is made with every day ingredients that you most likely have on hand. To save time, I will make step 1 the day before and then refrigerate it in a container. The next day, I will reheat the step 1 ingredients in the microwave for 1-2 minutes and then proceed with step 2. I do this so that I am not spending an hour in my kitchen on a busy work or school night.

Chicken Mozzarella Recipe

Step 1 Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. of boneless, skinless, chicken breasts

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce

3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves

Cut chicken breasts in half and remove skin. In a small bowl, beat eggs. Dip meat into eggs and then dip into dried bread crumbs. Heat butter in a large 12″ round frying pan until melted. Place breasts in the frying pan over medium heat and simmer until it has browned on all sides. Stir in the tomato sauce and basil; reduce heat. Cover and cook over low heat until done, about 30-40 minutes.

Step 2 Ingredients:

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon paprika

In a small bowl, combine the Mozzarella cheese with the paprika until blended.

Arrange chicken pieces in an un-greased 9″ square baking dish along with the rest of the ingredients from step 1. Sprinkle the cheese mixture on top. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake in your oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and is bubbly around the edges.

Shelly enjoys cooking and baking for her friends and family. You can visit Shelly online at her recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for additional family-friendly recipes.

My husband loves cookies but his number 1 favorite cookie is a pumpkin cookie…especially ones that have a deliciously sweet frosting on top. Today I thought I would share my recipe on how to make them with all of our blog readers…especially since the holidays are just around the corner.

Shelly’s Frosted Pumpkin Cookies Recipe

1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 cup margerine or butter
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Option: If your family prefers, you can substitute the raisins with chocolate chips.

In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and the margerine using an electric mixer. Stir in the pumpkin puree, optional raisins and the vanilla extract until all wet ingredients are combined.

In a large bowl, combined together the all-purpose flour, baking soda and the baking powder. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingrediets and mix together until everything is well combined.

Drop cookies by the rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until they are done. Remove from oven and let them cool on a wire cooling rack.

Frosting Recipe

1 lb. box of powdered confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup margerine or butter, softened
1/4 cup milk (I use 2% milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium sized bowl, combine the above ingredients together until the mixture resembles frosting. You want to mix it until it is spreadable. Spread the frosting on top of each baked pumpkin cookie.

Store all of your frosted cookies in an air tight cookie canister for storage.

Cooking With Your Kids–Fun Ideas and Tips by Tammy Embrich

Cooking is much more enjoyable when you have your children around you. Making them a part of things in the kitchen is so very important. There’s just something very special about having your kids share in transforming favorite dishes into delightful, edible creations.

Younger children will be more eager to help you with preparing the family meals than the older ones, unless you have been involving your kids in the cooking activities from an early age…which is encouraged.

Let’s face it, what busy Mom couldn’t use a couple of extra set of hands in the kitchen? Special treats like chocolate chip cookies, rice crispy treats, and double-layer chocolate cake seems to magically turn out more delicious on the pallet when prepared by you and your children.

Below are some fun ideas to help encourage your children to want to help you in preparing daily meals and other special treasures. Get your children involved!

* If you have more than one child, give each child their very own special kitchen chore such as cleaning off the table, setting the table, or gathering ingredients.

* Younger children do better with one-step, uncomplicated chores

* Provide each child with their very own step stool high enough to reach the counter or table

* Purchase a small chef’s hat for each child (preferably with their name on it). Your children will really appreciate this and it will also help make them feel that they are a part of things and special.

* Purchase individual cooking tools such as brightly-colored, plastic utensils for measuring and mixing ingredients. Choose different colors for each child. This will help prevent fighting.

Take your children with you when you go to purchase these tools. Make it a fun outing and maybe go out for lunch afterwards.

* Prepare finger foods such as chicken nuggets. These are always a big hit with children. Make it a habit of always keeping a few batches in the freezer. Foods on a stick such as various types of skewers are also popular with kids as well as homemade pizza. Homemade pizza can be lots of fun using lots of variations of toppings and cheeses. Try and be creative and prepare fun foods that you think your children will find enjoyable.

* Assign each child clean-up tasks. A good idea for cleaning up the kitchen is using sticker charts. Make up a chart with each child’s name and chore. If your children does their special clean-up chore (without complaining or whining), award them with a special sticker. Make a sticker chart up for each day of the week.

Using the tips above will surely aid in getting your kids into the kitchen and happily helping you. Sharing cooking and baking activities will prove to be fun and rewarding for both parent and child. Plus, it’s a great learning experience for your children.

Article Written By Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. You can find more parenting and grandparenting articles, tips, and more at Grandma’s Home Blogger Place

Tammy also offers work at home articles, free job leads, work at home tips, recipes, and more at Work At Home Jobs

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Save Money By Making Your Own Condiment and Sauces

One of the most expensive things that add up quickly on your weekly grocery bill can be all of those prepared condiments and sauces that you buy. However…you can put a big dent into your grocery bill by making and serving your own condiment and sauces to your family.

All of the recipes here in this article are simple to prepare and you can easily find the ingredients at your local grocery store. You will always want to start out with the freshest ingredients that you can find. Your work service should be clean and the containers that you store your condiments and sauces in should be clean and sterilized.

Homemade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup Bleu Cheese, crumbled

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the low-fat yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, minced garlic and black pepper. Using a wire whisk, mix the ingredients until smooth. Using a spoon, stir in the crumbled Blue Cheese until all ingredients are well combined. This dressing will keep for 3-4 days refrigerated. Recipe makes 1 1/4 to 1 1/3 cups.

Homemade Barbeque Sauce

1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons minced onions
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a large saucepan, combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, water and vinegar. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir in granulated sugar, salt, black pepper, celery salt, minced onions and brown sugar. Simmer the sauce over low heat for 5 minutes. You can use it immediately on your favorite meats or cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Delicious Hot Fudge Chocolate Sauce

10 ounces marshmallow creme
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat marshmallows and evaporated milk in a double boiler until marshmallows melt, stirring constantly. Add the chocolate squares and stir until sauce is smooth. Blend in the salt and vanilla extract. Serve hot fudge sauce over ice cream.

Shelly Hill is a mother and grandmother living in Pennsylvania who enjoys cooking and baking. You can visit Shelly’s online cooking and recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com for free menu ideas, cooking tips and free recipes.