Category: What I Make

Serves: 9

Ingredients:
7 cups multi-grain cereal that is made with whole grains, not enriched flour
1 cup pretzel sticks that are not made with enriched flour
1 cup lightly salted cocktail peanuts
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put cereal, pretzels, and peanuts in a 9 x 13 pan. Melt butter and mix with Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Pour butter mixture over cereal, pretzels, and nuts. Stir. Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. When cool, store in an airtight container. Keep serving size to 1 cup to stay under 10g sugar. Have with 4 oz. of milk or a glass of water.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
Roast, any cut (I buy whatever looks good, is priced around $12 at my local grocery store, and fits in my crock pot.)
1 cup water
season all seasoned salt, to taste
12 Klondike Gourmet Petite Potatoes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup whole milk
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
4 carrots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions:
Put roast in crock pot. Pour 1 cup water over the top of it and generously season with season all seasoned salt. Cover and cook on high for a minimum of four hours. The meat should be so tender, it falls apart when you try to cut it. About 30 minutes before the roast is done, put the potatoes in a pan of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Peel and slice carrots. Bring another pan of water to a boil. Add carrots and cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft. When the potatoes are done, drain and put them back in the pan. With the skins still on the potatoes, mash with a potato masher. Add 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter is melted, mix in milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. When the carrots are done, drain and put them back in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. When the butter is melted, season with salt and pepper and gently stir to combine. Have with a glass of water.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 cups water
1-7.25 oz. box macaroni & cheese dinner that comes with a powdered cheese packet (I like the brand in the blue box that claims it’s “the cheesiest”.)
2 cups frozen corn, carrots, and peas
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups organic chicken stock
1 1/2 cups skim milk

Directions:
Bring water to a boil. Cook pasta only in boiling water for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally so pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Do not overcook. When done, drain. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and powdered cheese and whisk together. Add chicken stock and milk. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil. Add vegetables. When vegetables are soft, stir in the cooked pasta and serve. Have with a glass of water.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef (I buy 93% lean/7% fat)
1 packet taco seasoning mix* and the ingredients to make it, such as water
1 can refried beans
shredded iceberg lettuce, to taste
Mexican shredded cheese blend, such as: Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Queso Quesadilla cheese, to taste
diced tomatoes, to taste
tortilla chips that aren’t made with an enriched flour, such as corn

*I like to buy a popular restaurant brand of dry seasoning mix. If I buy one that makes a sauce, the tortilla chips get soggy. I also take 1 teaspoon of seasoning out of the packet before mixing it into the meat with 1/2 cup water so it is not too spicy.

Directions:
Crumble ground beef while browning it until it is no longer pink in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoning according to the directions on the packet. Heat refried beans in the microwave. Count out one serving size (according to nutrition label) of tortilla chips per person. Each person can spread the beans on their chips and top with seasoned meat, lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes. Have with a glass of water.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 New York Strip steaks that are about the same size
salt, to taste
onion powder, to taste
garlic powder, to taste
paprika, to taste
1 large or 2 small russet potatoes
3 carrots
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon pepper
10 blades chives
¼ cup shredded Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano cheese

Directions:
Place steaks on a broiler pan. Sprinkle with salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Place in the oven and broil on high, flipping occasionally, until done. (I like mine well done, so there is no pink in the center.) While the steak is in the oven, wash and peel carrots and potatoes. Cut into matchstick strips. Put 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet and heat on medium-high heat for one minute. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook, stirring for one minute. Stir in water. Cover and steam shaking the pan occasionally for 6 minutes or until the water has evaporated. If the carrots and potatoes aren’t soft, add more water and continue cooking. If there is still water in the skillet when the carrots and potatoes are soft, drain the water out of the skillet. Stir in butter and pepper. When the butter has melted, sprinkle with chives and cheese and stir until combined. Have with a glass of water.