It's time for APPLES!

Fall is here!  I know some of you see more color than we do down in TX, but we're finally feeling fall weather here.  With fall comes some fabulous fruits and vegetables.  Apples seem to be at their peak as well as pumpkin, squash and gourds.  Enjoy these fantastic foods this fall with some recipes from Homemade Gourmet.

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Serves: 16
Serving Size: 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 stick butter/margarine, melted
1- 21oz can apple pie filling
1 Homemade Gourmet Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Mix (w/o nut package)
1 16oz loaf apple swirl bread (with or w/o raisins )**
1- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. rum extract or flavoring

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9x2 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2.  In a bowl, combine eggs, milk, butter, and pie filling and stir until mixed thoroughly.  Cut entire loaf of bread into squares and add to bowl.  Mix bread and mixture until bread is coated.  Let set 5 minutes allowing bread to soak in mixture.
3.  Pour mixture into baking pan and bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk and rum extract. 
4.  Serve bread pudding with desired amount of sauce. 

**May substitute 2- 10oz bags of cake donuts or cinnamon sugar cake donuts.

Game Time Quick and Easy

Sorry gang, I've been under the weather for the past week.  It's been rough, but I have a fantastic "are you ready for some football" recipe for you! 


Season 'n' Steam Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches


Recipe Yields: 6

Recipe Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Servings Per Recipe: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 slices Provolone or Mozzarella cheese, optional

1-1/2 pounds of either sirloin steak, tenderized round steak or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Homemade Gourmet® Season 'n' Steam Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Mix

1/2 cup water

1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 6-count package hoagie rolls

Directions

1. Trim excess fat from meat of choice and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips. Place meat, mix and water into the steamer bag and stir until well combined; seal bag.



2. Place in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes*. Using an oven mitt, remove bag from microwave and open carefully; stir, reseal bag and return to microwave. Cook on high for an additional 3 minutes*. Again, using an oven mitt, remove bag from microwave and open carefully; add bell pepper and onion and stir; reseal bag and return to microwave. Cook on high for 4 additional minutes*. Once again, using an oven mitt, remove bag from microwave and let stand for 1-2 minutes or until meal is ready to serve.



3. Divide meat, onion and peppers evenly onto hoagie rolls just before ready to serve (bread will become soggy if prepared too far in advance). Top with 2-3 tablespoons of juice and optional cheese. Close the buns and serve immediately.



*Cooking times are based on a 1000 watt microwave.



Note: Occasionally steamer bags will open during cooking. If this happens, proceed as directed. It will not alter the cooking process.



IMPORTANT MESSAGE:



This recipe is labeled ‘diabetic friendly’ but is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment If you have a medical condition (including, without limitation, diabetes or diabetic symptoms), consult with and seek the approval of a physician or other qualified health provider before consuming any recipes found at recipes.homemadegourmet.com (the “Recipes”). The (i) use of the information above and/or, (ii) preparation of any food pursuant to the Recipes is/are at your own risk, and Homemade Gourmet expressly disclaims any liability related thereto or resulting therefrom. Neither the information set forth herein (including, without limitation, the use of the term “diabetic-friendly”), has been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Diabetes Association or any other health-related governing body.

Sunday's Coming

I meant to get this out earlier today, but here's a great Sunday roast! 


Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast


Recipe Yields: 6

Recipe Serving Size: 4 ounces

Recipe has been resized from 12 servings.

Please use professional judgement when changing ingredient amounts.

Servings Per Recipe: 6 servings


Ingredients

1 10.75 ounce cans of cream of mushroom soup

1-1/2 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet® Sunday Roast Seasoning

2/3 cups water

3 pound pot roast



Directions

1. In a bowl, mix soup, seasoning and water. Place pot roast in greased 4- quart slow cooker. Pour soup mixture over roast.

2. Cook on high setting for 3-4 hours, or on low setting for 8-9 hours.

Recipe from Homemade Gourmet

So, you like quick and easy?

Ok, so I've had the most hits on my Quick and Easy back to school post.  Here's another quick and easy meal you can make for your family.  Don't have the Homemade Gourmet mix that it calls for?  Just shoot me an email or leave me a comment and we can get that ordered for you!  By the way, all of the recipes featured here can be found on my Homemade Gourmet website.  Don't order directly from the website yet, though...just contact me and I'll get it to you asap!  www.homemadegourmet.com/fastmealsformoms.

Season ‘n’ Steam Fajitas




Resize to Serve:

Recipe Yields: 6

Recipe Serving Size: 1 fajita

Servings Per Recipe: 6 servings



Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds of either sirloin steak, tenderized round steak or boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Homemade Gourmet® Season 'n' Steam Fajita Mix ($6.75)

1 medium green bell pepper, very thinly sliced

1/2 medium white onion, very thinly sliced

6 large flour tortillas

shredded cheddar cheese, optional

shredded lettuce, optional

sour cream, optional

guacamole, optional

sliced jalapenos, optional



Directions

*When cutting beef make sure you cut it on the bias. Hold your knife at a 45-degree angle to the meat and thinly slice it across the

grain. This will make the cooked beef more tender.



**For those who are sensitive to spicy foods, you may want to start by using half the seasoning and adjust to your liking or increasing
the amount of meat by up to 1 pound.



Alternate Slow Cooker Directions: Place meat, seasoning, bell pepper and onion into the steamer bag. Stir to blend and close bag.

Place bag in a slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Proceed to step #3 below.



1. Trim excess fat from meat of choice and cut into 1/4 inch thick strips. Place meat and mix into the steamer bag and stir to coat

meat evenly with seasoning. Seal bag and remove orange strip in the direction indicated.



2. Place in microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes*. Using an oven mitt, remove bag from microwave and open carefully; stir,

reseal bag and return to microwave. Cook on high for an additional 3 minutes*. Again, using an oven mitt, remove bag from

microwave and open carefully; stir, add bell pepper and onion, if desired; reseal bag and return to microwave. Cook on high for 2

additional minutes*. Once again, using an oven mitt, remove bag from microwave and let stand sealed for 5 minutes or until meal

is ready to serve.


3. Place meat, bell pepper and onion on the flour tortillas. Add optional toppings of your choice. Roll up fajitas and serve.


*Cooking times are based on a 1000 watt microwave.

Note: Occasionally steamer bags will open during cooking. If this happens, proceed as directed. It will not alter the cooking process.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE:


This recipe is labeled ‘diabetic friendly’ but is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

If you have a medical condition (including, without limitation, diabetes or diabetic symptoms), consult with and seek the approval of a physician or other qualified health provider before consuming any recipes found at recipes.homemadegourmet.com (the “Recipes”).

The (i) use of the information above and/or, (ii) preparation of any food pursuant to the Recipes is/are at your own risk, and Homemade Gourmet expressly disclaims any liability related thereto or resulting therefrom. Neither the information set forth herein (including, without limitation, the use of the term “diabetic-friendly”), has been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Diabetes Association or any other health-related governing body.


Nutrition Facts


Serving size: 1 fajita

Servings per container: 6

Amount/Serving

Calories 540 Calories From Fat 130

% Daily value*

Total Fat 14g 22 %

Saturated Fat 4g 20 %

Cholesterol 70mg 23 %

Sodium 1240mg 52 %

Total Carbohydrate 66g 22 %

Dietary Fiber 5g 20 %

Sugars 4g

Protein 35g

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Percent Daily Value (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


Important: This information is accurate only if nothing has been added (e.g. egg wash, icing, etc.)

Another one...for the road

Another NEW and DELICIOUS mix to try!  The Caramel Apple Cheesecake mix is $5.50 and a great mix to take for Labor Day!  Call me now!!!  Here's another recipe you can use with the mix.  See, our mixes are so versitile!  We have a database on our website www.homemadegourmet.com/fastmealsformoms where you can search for recipes that use our mixes!   Dessert anyone???

Panko Parmesan...MMMMMMM!

Here's another recipe!  This one uses one of our new mixes for the fall!  Want to know how to get it for free?  Email me!  markitemb (at) yahoo (dot) com. 

I made tacos the other night with a HG mix and let me tell you, the meat was SOOO tender and juicy!  Can you imagine how tasty the chicken in this mix will be.....mouth watering yet?



Panko Crusted Parmesan Casserole


Recipe Yields: 6

Recipe Serving Size: 8 ounce

Servings Per Recipe: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 Homemade Gourmet® Panko Parmesan Casserole Mix with packet

1 15-ounce diced tomatoes, undrained

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx. 3 pounds)*

2 to 4 tablespoons canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1 to 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove packet and set bread crumb portion of mix aside. In a bowl, combine contents of packet, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce; set aside. Place bread crumb mix onto a plate. Pat chicken breasts dry. If you prefer thinner breasts, pound them out at this time.



2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. (Oil is hot when the tip of a wooden spoon is placed into the oil and bubbles form around the edge.)



3. Place egg in a small bowl and dip a chicken breast into the egg, coating both sides. Dip coated breast into crumb mixture, coating both sides. Place breaded chicken into pan of hot oil. Repeat with remaining breasts.



4. Brown each side of the chicken breasts to a golden color, creating a crisp sear on each side (chicken will not be cooked all the way through at this time). Place browned breasts into a 13x9 baking dish and **cover with prepared tomato mixture. Top with 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes and serve warm.



*Dipper Option:

Use chicken tenderloins instead of breasts. Follow the crispier option directions below and serve as chicken strips to be dipped into heated sauce mixture; omit cheese.



**Crispier Option:

After placing the browned breasts in baking pan, bake immediately, without the sauce. While breasts bake, heat the sauce on the stove top. When breasts are done (about 30 minutes), serve with sauce over top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Quick and Easy Back to School Recipe

Don't blink, you'll miss it.  This recipe would probably feed my family for 2 meals and maybe a lunch.  My oldest would probably flip to have this in his luch box!  He LOVES orange chicken! 






Orange BBQ Chicken

Recipe Yields: 6

Recipe Serving Size: 5 ounces

Servings Per Recipe: 6 serving

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4 tablespoons Homemade Gourmet® Kansas City Rub

2 cups orange juice

1 gallon zipper freezer bag


Directions

1. Place all ingredients into a gallon sized ziptop freezer bag and SMOOSH. After labeling, Orange BBQ Chicken, freeze until the day of cooking. This is a 4 meals in 4 minutes™ recipe, so your cooking options are:


BAKE: Thaw meat and marinade. Preaheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour entire contents of bag into baking dish and cover. Bake approximately 40 minutes or until steak has reached desired doneness.


SLOW COOKER: Thaw until meal can slide out of bag. Place entire contents of bag into slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low 6-8 hours.


GRILL: Thaw and discard marinade. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place meat on grill and cook about 3-5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.

 + You may substitute the chicken with 3 pounds pork chops for a variation on this recipe… Make both and fill your freezer quick and easy!

Nutrition Facts



Serving size: 5 ounces


Servings per container: 6


Amount/Serving


Calories 190 Calories From Fat 30


% Daily value*


Total Fat 3.5g 5 %
Cholesterol 75mg 25 %
Sodium 370mg 15 %
Total Carbohydrate 10g 3 %
Dietary Fiber 0g 0 %
Sugars 7g
Protein 27g

* Percent Daily Value (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet


Important: This information is accurate only if nothing has been added (e.g. egg wash, icing, etc.)

Something to leave behind

As we think about sending our kiddos to school and packing their lunches, we strive to send healthy things for them to eat.  However, the grocery store is packed with fast and easy snacks that aren't so healthy for our kids.  My goal this year was to pack fresh and healthy things for my kids.  We were able to catch some of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution last year and I was really convicted about what I packed in my oldest child's lunch.  As I started to look at healthy alternatives, I stumbled on an article by Dr. Joseph Mercola about High-Fructose Corn Syrup.  I read the article in horror as it described how dangerous for us HFCS is.  You can read it here http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/highfructose-corn-syrup-alters-human-metabolism.aspx. 
So, I started looking at EVERYTHING to see what had HFCS in it.....well just about everything has it!  All of the convenience packaged snacks, ketchup, sodas, PEANUT BUTTER....arghhh.  So, the first thing we gave up was those little 'fruit' snacks.  Kids don't miss them...they'd rather have fresh fruit.  Then, soda...I changed some brands of some other things that I bought...such as spaghetti sauce and started buying goldfish instead of cookies and snack cakes.  We don't eat much cereal anymore and I love to buy from Cascadian Farms or Kashi when I do.  So, that wasn't a big deal. 
All that to say that Homemade Gourmet strives to put healthy meals on your table.  That is why we offer low sodium, diabetic friendly, and gluten free options.  When I say that we offer that, I don't mean we offer a few choices either....our gluten free list is around 75 items...our diabetic friendly items, 79 items...low sodium...56 under 140mg.  We don't put preservatives in our mixes and there is no MSG! 
So, if you are striving for a healthier lifestyle, Homemade Gourmet provides lots of options.  Leave behind the HFCS and all those nasty preservatives and put something better in your body!

Coming soon, recipes for the busy school year!!!!

It Starts....

I took the plunge last night!  I signed with Homemade Gourmet.  Now, I wait....for my kit that is.  If you are reading this, you're important to me and I want to share with you how easy and stress free dinner can be! 
I set a goal to have my first $400 order in before the 1st of September.  I know that's quick, but I also know that there isn't another HG consultant in my town and there might be some people out there who already know what they need, they just need a way to get it!  So, if that's you, email or call me and let's get this thing rolling!!!! 
If you know nothing about HG and would like to go with me to a party or have one of your own call me and let me know.  Oh, and browse through my website, www.homemadegourmet.com/fastmealsformoms then call me and let me know what you want!  You can't order on the website until I place that initial order.
I am excited about this!  It's called Simplifying.....

Meridith- markitemb@yahoo.com
940-595-0546

The Age-Old Delimma

Mom!  What's for dinner?  The kids come from all sides of the house and yard famished from a day of play or school.  There you are, standing in front of the freezer wondering why in the world you didn't take something out to defrost this morning.  You give up and order a pizza or run to the local fast food joint.  Dinner Fail, again.  I've been there, you've been there....more times than we can count.  Our family's expanding waistlines concern us, but we still repeat the same old cycle.  OR we make the same thing every week, week after week.  The family is getting bored and refusing to eat beans and cornbread again. 
I met a lady about a year ago at the North Texas State Fair who worked for Homemade Gourmet.  I had seen their mixes and tried a few, but knew little about the company.  Kim was faithful to call me every few months to see if I wanted to come to one of her shows or have one of my own.  I was really kind of busy with 3 kids and work of my own, so I would politely decline every time.  I wanted to go, but it seemed that there was something every time she called.  Such is life.  Kim caught back up with me a couple of months ago when we started our Farmer's Market in Pilot Point.  She had signed up to be there and I was excited to finally get to talk to her.  The first month, something came up for her and she couldn't be there.  The next month a lady from her team came, but she couldn't make it that month either.  I did buy some mixes and some tea that I was very happy with.  I finally met Kim in person again at the market in August.  It was hot and my kids were running around like crazy monkeys, but I did get to talk to her for a little bit.  It was there that she introduced me to the meals in minutes.  I am so excited about these products.  You mix their seasonings with the called for liquid and put in some meat and you have a meal.  They have a box that comes with enough seasonings to make 19 meals....WHAT?!!  You mean I can easily make meals ahead to throw in the crockpot or have already prepared when I get home?  This rocked my world!!!  I bought a pasta salad mix and said I'd get back to her on the box.  I was really excited about it. 
Later that day, James and I headed out on a 6 hour car ride to his Grandmother's 90th birthday party.  I pulled out the catalog and started going over what Kim had shared with me.  See, I may be going back to school in January and I thought this would be the perfect thing to not only have HEALTHY meals ready for my family, but cut my food bill down as well.  James got excited about it to and said, "Why don't you just sell it?"  We're going to need to supplement my income when I go back to school and I had thought about it, but didn't know how he would feel about it.  I had some questions about the company and how everything worked, so we agreed that I would talk to Kim some more. 
I emailed Kim on Monday and that night we were talking Homemade Gourmet.  She was so kind to answer all of my questions and even invited me to a show.  I plan on going to the show.  James and I talked about it and have pretty much decided that this would be a good fit for us.  So, here I am, blogging my journey to food freedom!  I hope to loose weight and share with as many women like me as possible how to make the kitchen a whole lot less scary and boring.  
I hope you will join me on my journey and when I become a consultant, I hope you will take the opportunity to find out what it's all about! 
Away we go...