Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes

You know when the pancake is so good you don't even need syrup?  Yeah.  Mmm

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes
1 c. uncooked rolled oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. dry milk powder
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2 c. milk
2 T vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 banana, mashed

This is how I did it.  Mix all the dry stuff together in a mixing bowl.  Put in the wet stuff.  Mix it all together and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Heat up your griddle like you would normally for pancakes and cook same as usual...cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry.  Flip, and cook until browned on the other side.

Overnight Blueberry (or Strawberry) French Toast

mmm mmm good. The original recipe calls for blueberries, but I use strawberries instead because I'm not a fan of the antioxidant packed blueberry. Oh well.

Ok, so this is Meals 'N Deals. Where does the deal come in? Well, hmmm I had to think about this one because I really wanted to share it, but ya know, I wanted to stick with the Meals 'N Deals idea. This isn't just a recipe blog right? We're more over here at Meals 'N Deals. So, I thought, and truly, this meal cost me about $6 for the whole crew -- which was 6 adults and 2 kids this morning.

Bread -- on sale, but you could even make it (which would be so yummy and hearty in this)
Eggs -- dozen eggs were about $2
Cream cheese -- ok, this was more expensive...$2.56
Strawberries -- on sale in bulk...I'd say it was, oh, maybe about $2.
Other ingredients -- I have on hand
Total: Ok, maybe more like $8. Not super cheap, but for a special occassion, which it is this weekend...feeding so many hungry adults, I thought it was good. My father-in-law liked it so much he kept calling it dessert for breakfast. That was nice to hear.


Makes 8-10 servings

12 slices day old bread
8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
12 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. maple syrup or honey (I use honey)

Sauce:
1 c. white sugar
1 c. water
1 c. strawberries
1 T. butter

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Place half into a greased baking dish (9x13). Cut cream cheese into small pieces and place over bread. Top with strawberries (now the recipe says 1c. but I usually take a handful of cleaned and cut up strawberries and sprinkle it over to my heart's content) and remining bread crumbs. Beat eggs in large bowl; add milk, vanilla, and honey (or syrup). Mix well; pour over bread crubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning (Good Morning by the way!) remove from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 25-30 minutos or until center is set and is golden in color.

Prepare the sauce in a saucepan by combining the sugar and cornstarch. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly and boil for 3-4 minutes. Stir in strawberries and reduce heat; cook for 10 minutes or until strawberries start to fall apart a bit (if you are using blueberries, the blueberries will begin to pop). Stir in the butter and pour over the french toast.

I just doubled the sauce and am saving the left overs. I'm going to make some flapjacks for the girls this week and will use the remainder of the sauce as the syrup. mmmmm

How to Cook Beans

Sort through 1 lb of beans and remove rocks or broken beans. Rinse beans in cold water. Put beans in large pot and add 6-8 cups of water. Boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let soak for 1 hour. Drain beans. Add 6-8 cups of water and 2 tsp of salt. Cook beans, covered, for about 2 hours or until tender. Add a little more water if necessary. Boil beans gently and stir very little to prevent breaking of skins. After beans are cooled, you can put them in freezer bags and freeze until you need them for soups, chilis, crockpot recipes, etc.

Taco Salad

1 bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, crushed
1 lb ground beef, cooked, drained and cooled
1 white/sweet onion chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and dried
1 1/2 - 2 heads of iceberg lettuce chopped
1 bottle of Catalina dressing
2-3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2-3 tomatoes, chopped

Mix everything in a large bowl. Add dressing to taste (I usually use the whole bottle).

Pot Pie

Another one from my mom. She just trows this together so it was hard to get exact amounts. This is comfort food to me. And just to gross you all out, I like to put a little ketchup on top when I eat it (you should see the look Brent gives me).

1 can chicken, turkey or beef chunks
½ onion, diced
3 diced potatoes
4 carrots, diced
1 can of corn or peas (I like both)
Salt to taste

Put all ingredients except peas and corn in a saucepan and add a little water and cook until vegetables are almost tender. Add peas and corn.

Sauce:
¼ c. butter, melted
¼ - ½ c. flour
1 ½ -2 c. milk.

Put all in a blender and when smooth add to vegetable mixture and stir until smooth and thickened. Pour into a casserole dish or 9x13 oblong pan and carefully put crust on top.

Crust:
1 ½ c. flour
½ t salt
½ c. shortening
4-5 T water

Make dough and roll out. Place on top of casserole and prick several areas with a fork. Bake until crust is browned at 375.

Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe comes from my dad who served his mission in Japan. He got it from a local RS President in trade for his banana cream pie recipe. It is a family favorite often served with a Japanese curry over rice and Yakisoba (I have the recipe for this also, but is too complicated to post here, I'd have to show you in person).

2 c. Soy sauce
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. Aji Mirin (sweet rice wine, found in Asian markets. 1 T. Lemon Juice can be substituted)
1-1/2 t. minced garlic
1 t ground ginger (fresh minced ginger gives a bolder flavor)

Stir until syrupy and sugar is dissolved. Pour over chicken and cook skin side down for 1-1½ hour at 350. Turn skin side up and cook for an additional 15 minutes. This makes enough sauce for a 9x13 pan. You can reserve some of the sauce to serve with rice, otherwise discard it.

White Chicken Chili

This is so yummy and is a great chili for those who do not like kidney beans or other beans (like my husband). A wonderful dinner to make for a family get-together. I serve this with bread or rolls on the side – yummy!

1. Soak 2lbs. of Great White Northern beans over night.
2. Pan Sear (I used my grill pan) 1 lb. of (salt & Peppered chicken tenders or breasts) Set aside, let cool, and then slice into small bite size pieces. To save time you could just add the pieces to the beans and boil them together (but I prefer the grilled flavor of the chicken)
3. In Stock pot, Boil 8 cups of water, and soaked beans for 45 mins.( or until soft)
4. When beans are soft, add 4 tablespoons of chicken base, a 7 oz. can of fire roasted diced green chili peppers,1 tablespoon of Adobo Sauce (a Mexican condiment – this ingredient is optional) ½ teaspoon of cumin, basil, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Add diced chicken. Continue to simmer on low for another 45 minutes.
5. Add 1/2 cup of cream cheese when simmering (I substitute half a package of neufchatel).