Fall Breakfasts

We had these yummy pumpkin pancakes for breakfast this morning. They were so yummy! Just make pancakes as you normally would and add 1 cup of packed pumpkin and 1/2 cup brown sugar. These came out full and fluffy. :)

What's Coming Ahead in October....

So, I've decided to make 

October 

all about 

Pumpkin!!

Get ready. I'm gathering a ton of delicious pumpkin recipes for your tasting pleasure and don't be surprised if one shows up at your place of business or home. 

-That is, if you participate:)

French Onion Soup

First I want to give a "shout out" to a follower from Poland who sent me a recipe to try yesterday. I can't wait to try it out and maybe even post it for everyone else. Thanks so much!! :)

• 
  
• Okay, so, I really like french onion soup, but I NEVER make it. Well, tonight that changes. Here goes something yummy! Let me know how it turns out for you and leave a comment telling me how you changed it to fit your personal taste.  (IE: jalapenos? lol) I really hope you enjoy it!

• French Onion Soup:
• 
  
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces                      2 tablespoons olive oil
•     2 large yellow onions sliced                                       2 cups water
•     2 cans low sodium chicken broth                             2 cans beef broth
•     1 teaspoon dried thyme & bay leaves (optional)       salt and pepper to taste                                   
•     4 slices or cubed French bread                                 4 slices provolone cheese
•     2 slices Swiss cheese, diced                                   1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  

1. Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. 3-5 minutes.
2. Add beef broth, chicken broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven broiler.
4. Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with a slice of provolone, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

Tuesday's Dinner Recipe! (On Wednesday) :)

• No Fry Chimichangas:
• Ingredients:
• 1 pound shredded beef/ pork or BBQ beef/ pork
• 1 16-ounce can re-fried beans
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 
• 3 8-ounce can tomato sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 12 large flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
• 1 4-ounce can chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1/4 cup oil in a spritzer bottle (or) nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cup(s) (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese 
• 
  
• Heat oven to 350 degrees
• FYI: You can use beef chuck roast and shred with a fork, but that is very time consuming and dirties one more dish. So I prefer to use beef/ pork already shredded from the frozen section at Sams. I get the BBQ pork and it comes in a disposable baking dish. Just put it in the fridge overnight the day before you want to use it and you're good to go.

1. Stir in all your ingredients(save the tortillas and cheese) with your meat.
2. Warm tortillas. Place a small handful of cheese and a good spoonful of ingredients in the middle of a tortilla. Be sure to use a slotted spoon and let most the juice drain out before adding it to the tortilla to prevent sogginess.
3. Fold the bottom, right, and left sides in toward the middle and roll over to close completely. Line all your little rolls up in a baking dish. Spray tops with butter or olive oil. 
4. Cover with foil and bake on middle rack for about 10 min. Uncover and continue to bake until tops are lightly browned. (5-10min.) If you prefer, you can turn them over and brown both sides.

It's Tuesday!

So here is the first of recipes for you to try at home and let me know how it goes.

One-Dish Lasagna

I really like to layer my lasagna because I am traditional and I like the pretty look of it, but when I need to get more done then just dinner, I like to exchange hands-on/ prep time for baking time. It will take 50 minutes for my lasagna to bake, but my oven will be busy, not me. 30 of those minutes would be spent waiting for water to boil and noodles to cook, if I didn't use oven-ready noodles. Not to mention the tedious task of getting them out without them sticking to each other or tearing. So, Let the oven do the work, right?  It doesn't look quite as pretty as the traditional way, but as my mom used to say, "It all goes down the same" and it tastes great!

These are the ingredients and recipe use, but be sure to scroll down and see some of the other options you might want to choose for your own lasagna. I've listed options for making your lasagna spicy, sweet, healthy, or just plain easy. 

My shopping list for this meal is as follows:

Non-sauce ingredients:
1 (9-12 oz) box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 (15oz) container of cottage or ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Parmesan
1 cup Colby-Jack (optional for extra topping)
2 eggs
1 lb. ground beef or turkey (see options below)
1 (15oz) jar sweet yellow & red roasted peppers 
1 small can sliced black olives
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6oz) tomato paste
1 yellow/white onion, diced (see options below
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. each of dried Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, & Oregano
1 Tsp. each of Sea salt and Black pepper
1/2 cup water

Tools you'll need: 
deep skillet, large bowl & spoon for mixing, baking or casserole dish, measuring cup, heavy duty foil

Preheat oven to 375
1. Brown the meat in skillet
2. Combine all ingredients, save a 1/2 cup each of your cheeses for topping, in your mixing bowl
3. Begin to layer your dish- ingredients first, then noodles. Repeat until you have about 3 layers finishing with ingredients. You want as much heat and steam in the dish while cooking as possible, so cover tightly with heavy duty foil.
4. Bake for 50 min. let rest for 10 min. Uncover and eat

What if I want it spicy or sweeter?

• For a spicy taste, use Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, or Cajun seasoning
• For a sweet taste, use the sweet peppers I listed above and 1/8 cup brown sugar

How can I make it healthier?

• Use vegetables rather than meat. Eggplant, broccoli, squash, or mixed veggies. The taste is easily disguised. My children didn't even know they were eating spinach!

How can I make it even easier?

• Use precooked, sliced chicken
• Use veggies rather than meat.
• Instead of chopping up an onion, go to your local grocery store and pick up a bottle of dried white/yellow onions in the Mexican/ International food isle. 2 tbsp = 1 med. onion. (This is what I use)

Happy Labor Day!!

We slept in, played on the computer, ran around the house, cooked some food, loved on our dogs and cats, and started planning the rest of our week. 

Oh! and I heard a Christmas song on the radio to kick off the official start of our fall season. It was "The Christmas Song" and I absolutely loved singing along to it. 

What did you do today? Did you hear any Christmas music? 

Delicious Dinner Ideas for You

Hi everyone!

Hooray for Labor Day!! It's been a busy season here in the Dixon home and I am thinking I am not the only one. Am I right?

Well, I've decided to start sharing some of my dishes for you busy moms in hopes that by cooking a little more on the weekends you can have more prepared for the week.

Every Tuesday evening I will post a new family dish or dinner idea for you and your family. Try them and let me know how they work out for your family and what you did differently.  I look forward to hearing your input!!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Ribs......Yum

These ribs are sweet and have absolutely no barbecue sauce whatsoever! They are so yummy that I have decided to offer them as part of a dinner special.

 Right now you can get 1 rack of ribs core on the cob and mashed potatoes for 6-8 people for $28.00 delivered straight to your door. So, how about it? Order up this delicious meal on the How to Order page. And, of course, if you have any questions you can email me at whatsfordinner.tulsa@gmail.com 

Click on the Seasonal page to check out the new 

Monthly Dinner Special!

Available from  May 17 to June 15

New Red Chicken Dinner

Chicken breast and a red wine and caramelized onion sauce served on a bed of whole grain rice with a side of mixed vegetables. Vegetable substitutions are allowed. 

Find it under the Home-cooked Meals tab.  Enjoy!!

Happy Easter!!!!

"It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me........"

Enjoy your Easter knowing that Jesus Christ is alive and He lives in you!!

Easter Special!

Main Course:

Sweet Orange Baked Ham

Sides:

Jessica's Easter Rolls filled with eggs, bacon and cheese & your choice of sweet or regular mashed potatoes

For Dessert:

Spring fruit trifle

You can order this meal on the "Seasonal" page

Seasons.... letting go and looking forward

     Seasons in our lives are interesting.  Clarity and strength both come at the strangest times. In the middle of our weakest times and seasons, the Bible says Jesus' strength is perfect in us.

     I know cooking is not the one thing I was born for. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy doing it and I love blessing others with it, but I know it is not what I was born to do. It's for a season and I am so glad that I am able to see that, because if I am not ready when change comes, I usually don't do very well with it. If I am not mindful of it, I tend to want to hold on to a good, but old time or place.

     Sometimes we get great ideas.  Some are put there by God's design in us. I am learning there is a difference between God's design in you and His design for you. God designed me a certain way. He put desires and wired me in a unique way, just like He wired you to be as unique.  I have things that I really like and desires for myself that are within the scope of God's design. Take my cooking for example. I had an idea to start cooking for friends and, well, friends. lol! It's a great idea and it is helping me and my family right now. I enjoy it. That's the way God made me, but in knowing my season will change before it does, I am prepared and able to let go of a good thing. In letting go of one season, I find an unexpected strength to embrace a new one.

     There are other desires that are rising in me with more of an urgency than just a "want to".  It's more evident with each day, week and month. While I have embraced the season I am in, I am aware that there is another season coming.  It's like my spirit is a large stock pot cooking up something great. As I seek the Lord, the ingredients heat up and some automatically rise to the top. I want to be sure to be mindful of the things that have yet to happen. I don't want to miss out on the new by being busy with the current.  I believe those things that automatically rise to the top of our "stock pot" are not just how we are designed, but what we are designed for and it is His wisdom alone that allows us to see the difference between the two. The season I am in now is only to prepare me for the next and when it comes, I will embrace it.

     I hope that this speaks to you and encourages you in your changing seasons. I pray that you have the wisdom of God in your decisions and as you go about your daily routine. For those of us who are making life decisions right now, I pray that we would hear Jesus clearly and know in our spirit which things we are free to do and which things we are called to do.

     I am glad the Bible says God will fulfill the desires of our hearts. I am glad that God loves us and we have the ability to branch out and do different and great things, but I never want to cling to something, just someOne- His name is Jesus.

LOVE CHALLENGE

     Valentines Day just passed not too long ago. Usually people spend that time thinking of our close relationships. You probably got a card, a gift, or planned a special time for those you love, but did you know that there are people around you that didn't do anything, get anything, or go anywhere? Not by choice. There are people around us who are going through such hard challenges right now and  have never said a word to anyone. They work with you and me. They go to church with you and me. They live near us. They are hurting badly and you would never know it. Tonight I started one post and it has turned into something totally different. This is on my heart and I feel that I need to tell others.  Maybe you are supposed to help someone, or maybe this is you- needing someone to step into your world.


     We trust God always, but Jesus said that storms will come to all. Things have been rough on many households lately.  Sometimes it's hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel. This post is for someone (maybe many) out there right now. You've come a long way. You've seen God move in your life. You've been close to Him and you love Him, but you feel as if you're just holding on. You are wondering "why?".  I want you to know that I've been where you are. My heart goes out to you, whoever you are. When you're in the thickest of the thick of it, there is no one who stands closer to you than Jesus. You are never alone, so don't give that thought any more energy.  Keep holding on. Look to God's word and pray it daily. He is the I AM. He is Jehovah. He is your All in All. Don't faint. You're not sunk. You are just rising up! You can't fail if you don't quit! 


So now what do we do to address the problems in our lives and in the lives of those around us? Well, I am challenging myself and anyone else who wants to make a change and be changed to join me in 2 simple steps I am calling The Love Challenge.

     First, find someone to talk to. Don't hold it all in. Hurt, disappointment, anger, and other feelings can drive you to think and do things you wouldn't normally do. Prayer time is good, but God didn't call us to walk solo. It helps when there is another person to counter bad thought patterns, point out the good, help us stay balanced and confirm God's word. Don't let pride keep you from connecting with others. If you're feeling alone already, thoughts that cause you to be further secluded are not right.


     Secondly, find someone to give to.  You might say, "What?! I can't afford what my family needs. I can't give!", but you can. Why? Because money doesn't flow from your heart, it flows from your pocketbook and that is not where we give from. We give from our hearts, where there is something much better and lasting that  flows-  Love.  You have gifts and talents that others enjoy and would love to have. You are unique. Give of your uniqueness. What is in your heart? Give that!  Maybe it's a nursing home full of people just longing for a visit or a song from someone who cares.  Maybe it's a child in the hospital who would love a cool drawing or a girl who would like her nails painted. Maybe your neighbor just can't push that mower or use that rake anymore. In giving to them, you'll find healing. You'll find that your mind has peace and rest from the usual tormenting thoughts you were meditating on. As you reach out you'll be happier and want to do more.


Part of this is for me, but this is for many others as well.  I dare you to take these 2 steps with me starting this week. Encourage others by posting what you are doing and how it is helping you. I can't wait to do this with anyone who will join.  Let's move up and out. Let's rise and shine together. Who's with me?! 

New-Mom Meal Package & Grocery Delivery Service!!!

New-Mom Meal Package:

Do you know a new mother or a soon-to-be new mother? Both mom's and dad's will appreciate a 5-dinner package for the whole family following their little blessing's arrival. Check out pricing on the "how to order" page or email me at whatsfordinner.tulsa@gmail.com

Grocery Service:

You make a list of all the specific grocery items you would like and I pick it up and deliver it to you or your loved one. Cost is by the hour and, as always, delivery is free!! Email me at whatsfordinner.tulsa@gmail.com for more info.

Bread Pudding with Only 300 Calories? Say What!

Here's a recipe from Cooking Light I think looks great. Just because it's 300 calories doesn't mean you can ignore all that sugar, but if you're going to have a dessert, this is a great option. So, now the only question is.....who wants to try some?

• Bread pudding:
• 5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed French bread (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
• 3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• Sauce:
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons bourbon
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons half-and-half, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cooking spray

Preparation:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. To prepare bread pudding, arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted.
3. 3. Combine evaporated milk and next 7 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add bread cubes. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to soak up milk.
4. 4. To prepare sauce, combine brown sugar, 3 tablespoons bourbon, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Simmer 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Stir in 5 tablespoons half-and-half; simmer 10 minutes or until reduced to about 1 cup. Remove pan from heat. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon half-and-half, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.
5. 5. Spoon half of bread mixture into a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle 3 tablespoons sauce over bread mixture. Spoon remaining half of bread mixture over sauce. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm sauce with bread pudding.

I encourage everyone to go see this!!

Kirk Cameron Presents:

Watch the Trailer

Click this link to help spread the word

Get 2 or more dinners delivered week for a discounted price!!

Dinner Subscriptions:

It's like a magazine subscription, but you get to eat it!! 

Options: 2 Dinners : $44.80 USD - weekly 3 Dinners : $67.20 USD - weekly 4 Dinners : $89.60 USD - weekly 5 Dinners : $96.00 USD - weekly  

  Special Instructions:

Subscribe for 2 or more weeks and receive a %20 discount on each meal.
No worries, no hassle and you can cancel anytime!

Mexican Bake Weekend Special

Layers of beans, black olives, tomatoes, corn, beef, tortillas and cheese. Topped with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Served with black beans & rice Use PayPal now or cash/check upon delivery. Choose Sizes

6-8 people $25.20 USD 8-10 people $28.00 USD 10-12 people $30.00 USD

Lasagna Weekend Special!!

Jessica’s Lasagna

Layered with Ground turkey, tomatoes, black olives, 4-cheese blend, sweet roasted peppers and served with mixed vegetables. 

All delivered to your door - $28.00

Order 3 dinners can get a 4th dinner free. That's $21.00 per meal and it's delivered right to your door.

All meals are fully-cooked and delivered in oven-safe containers straight to your door. All you have to do is heat, serve, and enjoy!

This is a great opportunity to try What's for Dinner and see how changing the way we do dinner can make a big difference.

Please email me with any questions at whatsfordinner.tulsa@gmail.com

Family Meal Deal:

How many servings?

6-8 $84.00 USD 8-10 $96.00 USD 10-12 $108.00 USD

Which 4 meals?

Special instuctions:

Made this pizza tonight for the family and got a 3 out of 3 thumbs up!!

Maybe I will add it to the menu!

What's for Dinner Special on Rotisserie Chicken

2 small rotisserie chickens seasoned and slowly cooked in a rotisserie cooker. Served with glazed carrots and green beans. Serves 6-8 adults for $18- Yum!!

This special ends Thursday!! :)

$18 Family Size Spaghetti and Meatballs!

Starting tomorrow I will be offering spaghetti and meatballs with my own marinara sauce for only $18. This is enough to feed 6-8 adults, so you might have leftovers and delivery is included of course! If you would like to take advantage of this special, click the PayPal button below or you may pay by check upon delivery. :)

Don't forget to add a delivery day and time in the notes box!  Thank you!!

Notes:

Mexican Bake

Recently I delivered a Mexican Bake to someones door and they complimented it so much I thought I would put up a picture of it for all to see.

The Mexican Bake is delivered with black beans and rice and topped with sour cream and guacamole.

Tamales!!

 It was pretty cool making the tamales. I decided to make chicken tamales with a red chili sauce as a starter. Since I only saw them made and ate them while growing up, I wanted to stay on the safe side.

The steps to make tamales are not complex and much of the time the meat was cooking or the husks were soaking I was able to go play with my daughter and son or just get some things done.  I love that!

I used a recipe that called for oil instead of lard.  Obviously this was to be healthy, but I think that the lard provides more moisture than the oil. So I did have to add more water to the masa than I think I would have had to with the lard.

Having said that, I think that my next batch will be a little more moist. This first time was fun and I am going to go for another bunch with a more juicy and flavorful taste.  

Who knows? I might even drive some around to some friends of mine and see what they think!

If you ever get the chance to make tamales (even if you are not 1/4 Mexican), you should definitely try. It's like Chef Gusto says in "Ratatouille" - Anyone can cook! 

I look forward to trying some different versions of tamales and experimenting with new flavors. You can put any meat you want on the inside of a tamale. You have room to be creative and that is what I love about cooking!!