This is not a super exciting recipe, but it is easy and cheap and filling and both my guys ate it with me. So it's a winner!
Earlier this week I made baked potato soup. It was alright. I've made it before when it was super delicious but it just didn't hit the spot this time. I wanted to use the rest of it up in something to not waste it, so I decided to make shepard's pie. I got a pound of ground meat and a small bag of frozen veggies to add to what I already had on hand and whipped it right up.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground meat of your choice.
2 bags of frozen veggies of your choice (or if you just have a bunch of veggies on hand, use those!)
2-4 cups of mashed potatoes
shredded cheese
Directions:
Brown and crumble the meat and season as you go. I used onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. That's my go to seasoning set, but you can use whatever you think will taste good. I thought I had an onion, and I was going to chop that and cook it with the meat, but alas, I didn't have one tonight.
When the meat is cooked through, drain if necessary. Then add all the frozen veggies right to the skillet and stir through until everything is hot.
Put the meat and veggie mixture in a 9x13 pan.
Top with mashed potatoes.
(For tonight, I used the potato soup mixed with about two cups of instant mashed potatoes)
Top that with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 for about 20 min, until it's all heated through and the cheese is melted.
Serve!
Showing posts with label quick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label quick. Show all posts
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
the one where i cook spinach tortellini soup!
My favorite web site to get recipes from is budgetbytes.blogspot.com. The recipes are budget friendly, fairly healthy, and since there are step by step photos, never daunting. There's a huge variety of food to be found and some of our menu staples came from that site. I honestly have no idea how I initially found it, but the same can basically be said about all of my favorite blogs!
Anyway, today, the lovely author posted a recipe for spinach tortellini soup. I had a sneaking suspicion I had most of the ingredients on hand, and sure enough, I did! A grocery store trip was in order anyway, so I just picked up the tortellini and some garlic bread to go with it too.
You can find the recipe here, but also, here it is for your convience:
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
28 oz water
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
15-20 cranks fresh cracked pepper
1 12 oz package tortellini (check the dried pasta, frozen, and dairy/deli sections for the best deal)
1 10 oz box frozen spinach
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add to a large pot with the olive oil. Cook over medium low heat until the onions are transclucent.
2. Add the can of tomatoes, can of tomato sauce, and 1 can of water to the pot. Add the basil, oregano, and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat to bring the pot to a simmer.
3. Add the tortellini and spinach (no need to thaw if frozen). Cook until heated through, the spinach is full incorporated, and the tortellini is tender. Season to taste with salt.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Yummo!
I added about 2 cups of beef broth because I felt like it need a tiny bit more depth of flavor. I had a bowl with S (his had very little broth but he gobbled the tortellini and spinach right up!). I'm going to let the soup cool off and put half in freezer bags and in my new large-ish freezer. I'm so excited to be able to freeze meals as I go and make things a little easier and cheaper in the meal department of my life!
Anyway, today, the lovely author posted a recipe for spinach tortellini soup. I had a sneaking suspicion I had most of the ingredients on hand, and sure enough, I did! A grocery store trip was in order anyway, so I just picked up the tortellini and some garlic bread to go with it too.
You can find the recipe here, but also, here it is for your convience:
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
28 oz water
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
15-20 cranks fresh cracked pepper
1 12 oz package tortellini (check the dried pasta, frozen, and dairy/deli sections for the best deal)
1 10 oz box frozen spinach
salt to taste
Directions:
1. Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add to a large pot with the olive oil. Cook over medium low heat until the onions are transclucent.
2. Add the can of tomatoes, can of tomato sauce, and 1 can of water to the pot. Add the basil, oregano, and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat to bring the pot to a simmer.
3. Add the tortellini and spinach (no need to thaw if frozen). Cook until heated through, the spinach is full incorporated, and the tortellini is tender. Season to taste with salt.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese! Yummo!
I added about 2 cups of beef broth because I felt like it need a tiny bit more depth of flavor. I had a bowl with S (his had very little broth but he gobbled the tortellini and spinach right up!). I'm going to let the soup cool off and put half in freezer bags and in my new large-ish freezer. I'm so excited to be able to freeze meals as I go and make things a little easier and cheaper in the meal department of my life!
Monday, March 12, 2012
Yesterday, as we were driving home from our son's little birthday party, I asked K how old he was again. He looked at me strangely and said he was 33. I told him I kind of knew that but every so often I have to stop and think about how old each of us are. After I turned 25, I stopped keeping such arduous track. I love my birthday and have no problem getting older, but I think sometimes I think of us as the ages we were when we first met. I was 25 and he was 27. And now we are 31 and 33 and we will have a two year old son tomorrow.
Friday, March 9, 2012
...
Having a toddler is completely insane. Or he is insane. Or maybe I am. I'm not really sure anymore.
A trip to the grocery store is a freaking nightmare of wrestling a 31 pound kid amongst nasty stares from strangers as I leave with half or less of my list in my cart.
I am forever tripping over various blocks and toy cars. My car has a hodgepodge of mismatched socks, crayons, and goldfish crackers.
But then at night as we get ready for bed time for babies, he is the sweetest and most loving little guy I've ever seen. He's not always excited to go to bed, but he will walk to his room most of the time (albeit with slumped shoulders sometimes) and then blow me at least five kisses as I tell him I love him and to have sweet dreams.
And that sweetness goes a long way in me being able to go to bed knowing it's going to start all over again tomorrow.
I am so tired but I wouldn't trade this motherhood thing or my crazy son for anything in the world.
A trip to the grocery store is a freaking nightmare of wrestling a 31 pound kid amongst nasty stares from strangers as I leave with half or less of my list in my cart.
I am forever tripping over various blocks and toy cars. My car has a hodgepodge of mismatched socks, crayons, and goldfish crackers.
But then at night as we get ready for bed time for babies, he is the sweetest and most loving little guy I've ever seen. He's not always excited to go to bed, but he will walk to his room most of the time (albeit with slumped shoulders sometimes) and then blow me at least five kisses as I tell him I love him and to have sweet dreams.
And that sweetness goes a long way in me being able to go to bed knowing it's going to start all over again tomorrow.
I am so tired but I wouldn't trade this motherhood thing or my crazy son for anything in the world.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
these hands are small i know, but they're not yours, they are my own
hearing: the dishwasher running. finally
seeing: a slightly messy living room complete with a pile of uncapped markers because Samson wanted to sleep with the caps
tasting: the last homemade frozen burrito. yummo
smelling: a light lemon-y scent from just having cleaned the kitchen
feeling: the smooth keys of my laptop and an achey back
contemplating: taking a nap instead of folding clothes
contemplating: finding a job and daycare for the little guy. sigh.
imagining: a spotless house. a car that is my friend rather than a terse acquaintance. a freezer full of homemade goodness.
seeing: a slightly messy living room complete with a pile of uncapped markers because Samson wanted to sleep with the caps
tasting: the last homemade frozen burrito. yummo
smelling: a light lemon-y scent from just having cleaned the kitchen
feeling: the smooth keys of my laptop and an achey back
contemplating: taking a nap instead of folding clothes
contemplating: finding a job and daycare for the little guy. sigh.
imagining: a spotless house. a car that is my friend rather than a terse acquaintance. a freezer full of homemade goodness.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
good times, good times
I love my birthday.
I mean, I really love my birthday.
I think of August 28th as my new year. I used to make a big list of resolutions each year and try to get through them all, with varying degrees of success.
This year, I just have two.
1. My yes be yes and my no be no.
2. Choose to be healthy more often than not.
I used to be known as someone who could absolutely be counted on. I don't think this is something I'm really known for anymore. I find myself meaning to do things and either doing them much later on than I meant to or just not doing them at all. I need to be that person who when I say I'm going to do something, everyone can count on it being taken care of. I have a lot of understanding people in my life, and of course having a kid can make it more difficult to try to schedule things out super specifically. But not impossible. And I need to not hide behind S when I say I'm going to do something and then flake out for whatever reason. I'm much harder on myself than I would dream of being on anyone else, but at the same time, I want to be completely dependable.
I have noticed recently that I must work out in order to lose weight and keep it off. I don't eat a lot of junk. I eat some junk, and I eat too much sometimes when I sit down for a meal. But I have noticed that regardless of how much of what I eat, if I'm not also at least walking for an hour three times a week, the scale will not budge. I need to keep making these kinds of observations and then actually following through on them. I want to have cute clothes and be strong and everything but I also just want to be taking care of myself. I don't think I can accurately say I am doing everything I can to take care of myself. So, that's my goal. Eat right. Eat better. Work out. Be strong.
And maybe write more.
I mean, I really love my birthday.
I think of August 28th as my new year. I used to make a big list of resolutions each year and try to get through them all, with varying degrees of success.
This year, I just have two.
1. My yes be yes and my no be no.
2. Choose to be healthy more often than not.
I used to be known as someone who could absolutely be counted on. I don't think this is something I'm really known for anymore. I find myself meaning to do things and either doing them much later on than I meant to or just not doing them at all. I need to be that person who when I say I'm going to do something, everyone can count on it being taken care of. I have a lot of understanding people in my life, and of course having a kid can make it more difficult to try to schedule things out super specifically. But not impossible. And I need to not hide behind S when I say I'm going to do something and then flake out for whatever reason. I'm much harder on myself than I would dream of being on anyone else, but at the same time, I want to be completely dependable.
I have noticed recently that I must work out in order to lose weight and keep it off. I don't eat a lot of junk. I eat some junk, and I eat too much sometimes when I sit down for a meal. But I have noticed that regardless of how much of what I eat, if I'm not also at least walking for an hour three times a week, the scale will not budge. I need to keep making these kinds of observations and then actually following through on them. I want to have cute clothes and be strong and everything but I also just want to be taking care of myself. I don't think I can accurately say I am doing everything I can to take care of myself. So, that's my goal. Eat right. Eat better. Work out. Be strong.
And maybe write more.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
you might be a mom if...
I have a movie review I forgot to finish, so I'll post it maybe tomorrow... Monday Movie Reviews may just be back! Yay!
And for my actual post today... Some things I was thinking about in regards to motherhood.
You know you're a mom when...
...you don't expect to be able to poop in peace.
...you REALLY enjoy watching Sesame Street.
...baby poop, drool, snot, spit up, pee, etc doesn't faze you.
...you go to the grocery store with your hair halfway combed and are just glad you got two matching shoes on.
...the idea of sleeping in makes you wistful for a moment.
...Little People are REALLY fun to play with.
...you cheer for really random things.
...you can do almost everything one handed without a second thought.
...you find yourself talking in the third person to someone who has a tenuous at best grasp on English.
...pictures from six months ago make you tear up.
More as I think of them!
And for my actual post today... Some things I was thinking about in regards to motherhood.
You know you're a mom when...
...you don't expect to be able to poop in peace.
...you REALLY enjoy watching Sesame Street.
...baby poop, drool, snot, spit up, pee, etc doesn't faze you.
...you go to the grocery store with your hair halfway combed and are just glad you got two matching shoes on.
...the idea of sleeping in makes you wistful for a moment.
...Little People are REALLY fun to play with.
...you cheer for really random things.
...you can do almost everything one handed without a second thought.
...you find yourself talking in the third person to someone who has a tenuous at best grasp on English.
...pictures from six months ago make you tear up.
More as I think of them!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
I went to my parent's house to watch the commercials during the Super Bowl. To be honest, I know a fair amount about football. I just don't care about it at all. I don't want S playing it because there is literally a national fund for paralyzed high school football players. That scares the crap out of me. A freak accident can happen at any time, but it's not as much of a FREAK accident if there's a national fund already set up to support victims. Basketball, soccer, track, golf, karate, whatever else he wants is totally fine by me. Except wrestling. Same exact issue.
Anyway, K had to work and S and I loaded up the car and went over to my parent's house and ate too much yummy food and played and talked and laughed and watched some tv. And the thing that was really great to me was watching my parents interact with S. They love him to pieces and he clearly adores them as well. He's a really smart little kid and he surprises my parents with the way he plays with toys sometimes. It's great.
I love my family very much. I feel really lucky to be able to see my parents pretty much whenever I want to and I'm hoping to eventually get to know K's family in a way that allows the same kind of interactions.
Good times, good times.
Anyway, K had to work and S and I loaded up the car and went over to my parent's house and ate too much yummy food and played and talked and laughed and watched some tv. And the thing that was really great to me was watching my parents interact with S. They love him to pieces and he clearly adores them as well. He's a really smart little kid and he surprises my parents with the way he plays with toys sometimes. It's great.
I love my family very much. I feel really lucky to be able to see my parents pretty much whenever I want to and I'm hoping to eventually get to know K's family in a way that allows the same kind of interactions.
Good times, good times.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
baby baby baby oh
Tentatively I want to post something every day this month.
Writing is very healing for me. I haven't been traumatized recently or anything like that, but writing helps me sort my head out and be able to let things go. It's been an intense year, eighteen months or so and a lot has happened. I think maybe if I can get back into posting on my blog, it'll also be easier to get back into my personal journaling.
I think this is going to be good.
Writing is very healing for me. I haven't been traumatized recently or anything like that, but writing helps me sort my head out and be able to let things go. It's been an intense year, eighteen months or so and a lot has happened. I think maybe if I can get back into posting on my blog, it'll also be easier to get back into my personal journaling.
I think this is going to be good.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
should old acquaintance be forgot?
Happy New Year!
I actually got to do almost exactly what I wanted to do this New Year's Eve. Everyone in my house was still a little sick, so we opted to skip any gathering and stay at home. Ki and I had a bottle of sparkling wine at midnight and since we miraculously had gotten S to sleep before midnight as well, we went outside and watched all the fireworks we could see from our porch before we got too cold and went back inside. S ended up waking up awhile later and then refusing to go right back to sleep but it was okay. Ki and I stayed up together with him and then talked way too late after he did finally go to sleep. It was nice to just be the three of us for a holiday gathering.
I love our families and I love that we have so many relatives that live right here in San Antonio. We're definitely blessed and I'm so excited that S gets to grow up with grandparents right here! He will most likely have a lovely cheering section at any event he participates in as he gets older. I got a little overwhelmed with all the holiday gatherings this year for some reason. I think that next year we will be able to strike a better balance between upholding my traditions, Ki's traditions, and creating our own traditions with S. Sometimes you have to do things the hard way before you see how you can do it a lot easier.
I think it's going to be a good year. We're really starting to get this three member family thing down and Ki and I are such a good team. I'm glad the shiny-ness of our marriage hasn't worn off yet. I suppose it will at some point, but for now, I still get a little thrill every time I hear him call me his wife or when I get to introduce him as my husband.
I have some resolutions, but I want to think about them a little more before I write about them here. But one is to definitely write more here. So, yay? :)
I actually got to do almost exactly what I wanted to do this New Year's Eve. Everyone in my house was still a little sick, so we opted to skip any gathering and stay at home. Ki and I had a bottle of sparkling wine at midnight and since we miraculously had gotten S to sleep before midnight as well, we went outside and watched all the fireworks we could see from our porch before we got too cold and went back inside. S ended up waking up awhile later and then refusing to go right back to sleep but it was okay. Ki and I stayed up together with him and then talked way too late after he did finally go to sleep. It was nice to just be the three of us for a holiday gathering.
I love our families and I love that we have so many relatives that live right here in San Antonio. We're definitely blessed and I'm so excited that S gets to grow up with grandparents right here! He will most likely have a lovely cheering section at any event he participates in as he gets older. I got a little overwhelmed with all the holiday gatherings this year for some reason. I think that next year we will be able to strike a better balance between upholding my traditions, Ki's traditions, and creating our own traditions with S. Sometimes you have to do things the hard way before you see how you can do it a lot easier.
I think it's going to be a good year. We're really starting to get this three member family thing down and Ki and I are such a good team. I'm glad the shiny-ness of our marriage hasn't worn off yet. I suppose it will at some point, but for now, I still get a little thrill every time I hear him call me his wife or when I get to introduce him as my husband.
I have some resolutions, but I want to think about them a little more before I write about them here. But one is to definitely write more here. So, yay? :)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
nephew break
And for a break from the serious:
My nephew went into my sister's room last night saying he couldn't sleep because Jesus was talking too much. She sent him back to bed and when he crawled back into bed, she heard his prayer bear say "Now I lay me down to sleep..." He threw his hands in the air and said "SEE?!" Jesus kept talking to him because he kept rolling over onto the prayer bear. My sister moved the bear to the dresser so all should be okay.
Little kid logic and explanations are the best, especially when you let them tell you the entire story and answer all your questions.
My nephew went into my sister's room last night saying he couldn't sleep because Jesus was talking too much. She sent him back to bed and when he crawled back into bed, she heard his prayer bear say "Now I lay me down to sleep..." He threw his hands in the air and said "SEE?!" Jesus kept talking to him because he kept rolling over onto the prayer bear. My sister moved the bear to the dresser so all should be okay.
Little kid logic and explanations are the best, especially when you let them tell you the entire story and answer all your questions.
Friday, March 6, 2009
shameless plug
I just started my own Mary Kay business and I need some help getting started!
First of all, if you want to just straight up buy some product, you can go to my web site at:
www.marykay.com/melissamcneil
If you live in the area, I will deliver it. If you do not live in the area, I will ship it to you, free of charge.
Secondly, if you live in the San Antonio area and you have skin and some time this weekend or next week, please call or email me. I would love to give you a free facial. If you have a few people who are interested, we can also set up a skin care class. In either case, you and your friends (as the case my be) will get to try out Mary Kay products and I'll give you some samples to take home. I am just trying to get some practice in my presentations. I absolutely love the Timewise skin care line and think everyone should just get a chance to try it for themselves. Don't worry about buying anything. I just need you and a little bit of time so I can get some more confidence!
Thirdly, if you do not live in the San Antonio area and would like a free catalog with some samples inside, contact me and give me your snail mail address. I'll get you on my list!
I'm excited about this venture! Please help me get off to a perfect start. :)
First of all, if you want to just straight up buy some product, you can go to my web site at:
www.marykay.com/melissamcneil
If you live in the area, I will deliver it. If you do not live in the area, I will ship it to you, free of charge.
Secondly, if you live in the San Antonio area and you have skin and some time this weekend or next week, please call or email me. I would love to give you a free facial. If you have a few people who are interested, we can also set up a skin care class. In either case, you and your friends (as the case my be) will get to try out Mary Kay products and I'll give you some samples to take home. I am just trying to get some practice in my presentations. I absolutely love the Timewise skin care line and think everyone should just get a chance to try it for themselves. Don't worry about buying anything. I just need you and a little bit of time so I can get some more confidence!
Thirdly, if you do not live in the San Antonio area and would like a free catalog with some samples inside, contact me and give me your snail mail address. I'll get you on my list!
I'm excited about this venture! Please help me get off to a perfect start. :)
Friday, February 27, 2009
ta-da!
I am now a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant. You can check out my web site at
www.marykay.com/melissamcneil! You should totally tell your friends. :)
www.marykay.com/melissamcneil! You should totally tell your friends. :)
Monday, February 9, 2009
lesson learned
Today I went to my yoga class. And as I was sitting in the parking lot waiting to go inside, my headache really came to full force. So trying all these poses that while I have gotten better at still frustrate me because I know my lines are not nearly as good (and therefore graceful) as my teacher's are. The headache just got worse and worse and I contemplated leaving because I wasn't sure if vomiting was going to be the next step. I made it through the whole class and then decided to just come home. An hour later, here I am. So basically, the thing I learned today is that if I can make it to yoga, I should simply stay for the rest of my school day because the headache is going to get way worse in traffic than it would have just staying for classes. Who knew?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
tmi
My yoga instructor told us that at the beginning, doing yoga can be like taking extra doses of fiber. All the twisting and holding poses you've either never done or haven't done in quite awhile can loosen up saturated fat stuck in your body and out it goes! I can only assume based on my experience yesterday and so far today that this can also happen with endometrial lining. So basically, I will be making a run to the store for more, um, supplies in a bit and then go back to spending most of the day in bed. I have not bled through underwear and pajama pants since I was thirteen. I declared I was never leaving the house that morning as my parents hid their smiles and saved their laughter until later, but today I have to say that thirteen year old girl was on to something.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
it's november, how did that happen?!?
In the spirit of NaNoWriMo (is that right?), I'm going to try to post a blog every day for this month. I don't know how well I will do, but I will try. K is doing the novel writing thing and based on his recent drawing attempts, I'm pretty excited to see the result. My man is this amazing artist who doesn't seem to be completely aware how impressive his drawings are. Especially when he insists they are just sketches. My mom wants one of his sketches, literally as is, in a frame for Christmas.
Here's my random news for this post. My sister is pregnant! She is having a rough bout of not being able to keep anything down for very long. She was throwing up at one point and my niece went into the bathroom crying. My sister told her she was okay and it wouldn't last too much longer but she was just a little sick. My niece kept crying and then told my sister "I just don't want you to throw the baby up!" Four year olds are seriously the best.
Don't forget to change your clocks! Just another reason why fall makes me happy, an extra hour of sleep. :)
Here's my random news for this post. My sister is pregnant! She is having a rough bout of not being able to keep anything down for very long. She was throwing up at one point and my niece went into the bathroom crying. My sister told her she was okay and it wouldn't last too much longer but she was just a little sick. My niece kept crying and then told my sister "I just don't want you to throw the baby up!" Four year olds are seriously the best.
Don't forget to change your clocks! Just another reason why fall makes me happy, an extra hour of sleep. :)
Monday, October 20, 2008
quick and dirty
I think the ants read my blog. I now have an ant bite IN BETWEEN TWO TOES. It looks like my toe is swollen because of the damn welt.
Also, I pulled a back muscle the other day and spent most of Sunday in misery in bed on top of a heating pad. I guess all the pain medicine caught up with my stomach and that twisting and turning just woke me up. I ate a little cereal (if you haven't had Cinnamon Toast Crunch any time recently, do yourself a favor and get a box. It's heaven) and some Rolaids. Basically, I'm a freaking mess. And today is probably the day where they will freak out if I try to be late or leave early from work.
Back to my warm bed...
Also, I pulled a back muscle the other day and spent most of Sunday in misery in bed on top of a heating pad. I guess all the pain medicine caught up with my stomach and that twisting and turning just woke me up. I ate a little cereal (if you haven't had Cinnamon Toast Crunch any time recently, do yourself a favor and get a box. It's heaven) and some Rolaids. Basically, I'm a freaking mess. And today is probably the day where they will freak out if I try to be late or leave early from work.
Back to my warm bed...
Sunday, August 17, 2008
...
I just want to say that I have been so wrapped up in a rotten work situation, thinking about my life as one big hot mess, and just generally living life that I haven't had the gumption to choose words carefully enough to publish for everyone to read. I'm sure I'll be back to posting a whole bunch again soon, but for now, probably not so much.
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