Hoppin' John? Delicious

There appears to be many versions of Hoppin' John, black eyed peas being the main ingredient.

The version I tried came from a can of Bush Beans, however, I think it was so delicious because I used this particular brand of canned black eyed peas:

(Purchased from my local IGA)

Anyway, it was easy and very, very good, but not kid friendly. This is what Kraft macaroni and cheese is for, feeding the kids so you can have dishes like Hoppin' John.

Hoppin' John with Sylvia's Black Eyed Peas

1 C chopped onion

1 sweet red pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 C cooked ham

2 T vegetable oil

2 cans Sylvia's Blackeye Peas

1/2 to 1 t hot sauce

3 cups cooked white rice

Salsa

Sour cream

Cook onion, peppers, and ham in oil for 4 minutes.

Drain peas, reserving 1/2 C liquid.

Add peas, reserved liquid and hot sauce to ham mixture; stir to combine.

Spoon over rice and top with salsa and sour cream, if desired.

(I didn't need the salsa and sour cream; it was tasty enough without it.)

This Week's Menu:

Monday: pancakes and sausage (using up leftover pancake batter)

Tuesday: leftover beef stroganoff (Loved the flavor but the meat was really tough. I am not good with meat. The recipe called for sliced chuck roast. Next time I will make it with ground beef. Problem solved.), leftover pasta, broccoli

Wednesday: lemon chicken, rice, green beans, salad

Thursday: chili, salad, corn bread

Friday: black bean quesadillas, salad

Saturday: chicken parmesan, pasta, salad

Sunday: peachy pork chops, parmesan potatoes, french cut green beans

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaned the kitchen and bathroom today.

It always amazes me how shiny everything looks when it's done.

We don't realize what a residue cleaners leave sometimes, let alone what we breathe in when we are using them. Meanwhile, my pores got a good cleaning!

I'd been wanting to try a steam cleaner, and then two years ago a bought this one:

(click here for information)

I don't know a lot about the other cleaners available, but the reason I bought this one was because it gets the water hot enough to kill mildew, and we have a mildew problem in our bathroom. (It does not clean the mildew, just stops it's growth, so I still have to use cleaner with bleach, yuck.)

The cons are it's expense and it's weight. Also, the attachments are difficult to take apart.

The pros are that it works very well on my counters and floors. I do not use all of the attachments, really I just use the floor brush and the single nozzle (for everything other than the floor, I just spray the steam and then wipe with a cloth).

I also have a Shark handheld steamer for quick cleanups, which is much more convenient, but does not do as good of a job.

I like using less chemicals in my house, and saving money too. (I do use distilled water because we have well water issues, but a gallon of distilled water costs $1, a much better price than a gallon of cleaner!)

Weekly Dinner Menu

For the rest of the week, anyway

Monday done

Tuesday Hoppin' John over rice (my MIL gave me a can of black-eyed peas - supposed to be good luck for the new year - and this recipe, so I'll give it a try. Want to try having beans once a week anyway. Will post recipe if I like it)

broccoli salad (steamed broccoli with black olives and Italian dressing)

Wednesday Store rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes, Stove Top stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, and salad (stuffing mix and cranberry sauce are left over from Thanksgiving).

Thursday leftovers/grilled cheese sandwiches/soup *leftovers for my husband, the rest for the rest of us

Friday beef stroganoff, noodles, peas, salad

Saturday beef tacos, corn, salad

Sunday Confetti chicken soup, rolls

Christy's Breakfast Cereal

I have tried to like oatmeal, but I just cannot stand the consistency of it.

(I even tried putting peanut butter and chocolate chips in it once. Yes, it was gross.)

I have also tried dieting many times and own numerous diet books.

Both of these factors lead to the discovery of my breakfast cereal.

One of my diet books (and if I could find it I would give proper credit)

had a recipe for homemade granola cereal, and this cereal stems from that idea:

@ 1/2 C rolled oats (I have quick cooking so that is what I use)

@1/4 cup dried fruit/fruit/nuts combo (I have a bag of trail mix leftover from something else and so that's what I am currently using)

skim milk

1/2 T maple syrup (not pancake syrup, but real maple syrup)

The oats are not cooked and they will soak up the milk so I use almost a whole cup of milk. Compared to other boxed cereals it is mushy. But, compared to cooked oatmeal, it so much better in my opinion. The maple syrup gives me the motivation to eat every last drop.

No Leftover Baked Ziti

The original recipe came from the Food Network but this is how I made it:

One pound ziti, cooked al dente

1 1/2 jars Testa's Marinara Sauce (this is made locally, so you will have to use 4 C of a really, really good marinara sauce)

1/4 C freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese

cut half of the mozzarella into small cubes and mix with 1/4 C parmesan and the rest of the ingredients

pour into a slightly oiled baking pan

slice rest of mozzarella into thin slices and lay over top of ziti

shake remainder of parmesan on top of all

bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned

* The key to this recipe is the quality of the ingredients. Yes, this would be yummy with regular cheeses and some other jarred sauce, but sometimes you want something really special. This is it.

Bean Soup That Smells Delicious While It Cooks

One pound dried beans, pre-soaked (used small white this time)

Ham bone or leftover ham

2 quarts water

One large onion, chopped

1 C chopped celery, more or less

1 tsp salt

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp rosemary

Simmer on stove about 2 hours or in crock pot on low for 8 hours