Mini BAM quiche (Bacon, Asparagus, Mushroom)

Ok...So this is not a recipe from my grandmother's cookbook, I actually just wrote it! But it is very yummy!!
I made the tiny cute quiche individual so I can freeze them and make it easy to just defrost individual servings!
To make the Mini BAM Quiche you will need...

5 strips of bacon (crispy)
half of a yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
diced mushrooms (I used white button)
asparagus
shredded cheddar
chives
6 eggs
half and half
1 refrigerator pie crust

Here is what I did..
After frying the bacon and pouring off the grease, add 2 tbsp of butter to the same pan and saute the garlic, onions, and mushrooms until slightly caramelized, about 10 min. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 
While the mushrooms were cooking I cut the pie crust into 12 circles. Place the circles into a muffin pan. Like so...

 After placing all of the crust in each muffin cup I placed the pan in the refrigerator until I was ready to fill them.

Next add the cut up asparagus to the mushroom mixture and cook for about 2-3 more minutes. Then add the bacon and I also added fresh chives.YUM YUM!!!!

 Then just add the mix to the muffin pan and top with shredded cheddar.

Next step is to whisk 6 eggs with a splash of half and half and pour over each quiche. Fill it to the top!! Then I added an asparagus tip in each one...to make it purdy!

Bake at 375 for 25 min. I let them cool and froze them, but how cute would these be for a brunch!!?? Everyone can have their own little quiche! Love it!!
Hope you do too!

Been gone too long!!!

Welcome back Dana!
I was extremely excited when I first started my cooking blog...but then life got busy and well...I don't really have much time for anything besides kids and work most of the time! BUT, I got 2 Christmas presents this year that got me very pumped and ready to start blogging again!!!
I got my grandmothers cookbook and a new camera!
 I always remember my father cooking recipes (mainly on the holidays) from this old handwritten, yellowed notebook! He would always tell me stories about his mother and how she cooked so many things from scratch every day! When I was younger it did not mean much to me, but now that I am older and found my love for cooking I really cherish these old recipes and love to just look through and read her handwriting! It's like a history book of my family heritage spoken in the true language I love and understand...FOOD!!!
So I thought I would try out some of these recipes and maybe remake a few giving them an updated spin...like, not too sure how often I will be using "bacon drippings" or "lard" BUT I will remember my grandmother and hopefully find some new/old family favorites along the way!

Oh..and I also got a new camera for Christmas so I will be able to document all of the successes and failures (true to lumpy potato style) to share with you!!

Veg out!

Today was a brutal day! Just brutal!!! If it could go wrong...it did! Traffic jam on the way to work...harassing e-mails from a psycho ex...new student with extended family members in tow in the middle of an important lesson...meetings after work....deadlines....need I go on??? OK>>> Well it's not that bad! Hey..I just read that and it sounds like just a normal day!??!!
SO maybe I was being dramatic, but the point is I felt very stressed today and wanted to just come home and veg out!
So I did!!!!

Vegetable soup with grilled cheese
(one of my boys favs)

Hit the GS for a few items. Guess I am back to my old habits of daily shopping! Damn it!

2 baking potatoes
2 carrots
2 zucchini
2 ribs celery
2 yellow squash
2 cloves garlic
1 red bell
5 cups chicken broth/stock (homemade would be best but let's not get crazy!)
2 bay leaves
s&p
evoo
2 tbsp butter

I just noticed a little 2222 trend! Cute!


So I saute the celery and garlic in evoo and butter and add the bay leaves.

Then chop and add the potatoes and carrots. I add s&p at EACH step. I think it makes a big difference rather than trying to add it all at the end.

YUM YUM!!!

Then chop and add the zucchini and yellow squash, and the red bell pepper. I try to chop it all around the same size just cuz I like that! :)

We are officially sideways...

Then add the broth or stock, whatevs you are using. Tonight it is the "broth in a box" and it tastes good! You can let it simmer as long as you like. Sauting the veg makes it cook fast! I just let it simmer while I make the sandwiches...and oh yeh.. write the blog!

I just use really good bakery bread and a couple of different kinds of cheese to make a super delicious grilled cheese to go with it! My boys love this dinner!!! Which is great because it is good for them and I love cooking it!
So at the end of a long, stressful, crappy, grueling, ..ok...ok... day, This is how I VEG OUT!!!
C-ya! Wouldn't wanna...

Not so savory chicken

Tonight was busy at work with meetings, etc. so I got Jake (my 15 year old self proclaimed gamer) to put one of my highly anticipated crock pot dinners into the well....crock pot! :0
I have to say... uh, really? I hope this is not a foreshadowing of what is to come with all of my hard work! Just to say it in the words of my boys...it looks like vomit??? Not sure if I did something wrong in the prep work or Jake had an extreme accident while getting it from the freezer to the crock pot???
But... to say the least it was not savory! It was a bit curdled. I know, right????
So I put in the broccoli that it called for during the last 30 min thinking it might help...knowing it couldn't hurt! The broccoli was maybe the best part of the dinner!
We still have high hopes for the other 7 dinners ready and waiting the freezer! I will NOT give up that easy! Savory chicken....You will not get the best of me! :)

Crockpot Quickies

Well I tried my hand at the "make ahead frozen" crock pot dinners. Being a busy teacher and mother of two teenage boys I thought it might save me some time! Eventhough getting home from a busy day and cooking dinner is my FAV thing in the world...SERIOUSLY!!! No.. I really mean it is!
So... my good ol' friend Pinterest led me to many options! I spent a Sunday afternoon shopping, prepping, storing, drinking, and freezing meals! Oops! Did I say drinking??? Yeh...Wine WAS involved!
It was very productive and I felt very good about myself! It was also pretty cheap considering I made dinners for 8 seperate nights for less than 140$ when I usually go the GS (grocery store) daily....YES daily!! Spending at least $30-$40 per visit! Crazy right??? Now I am just not sure to do when I get off work???
Anyway....