Plastic bag dispenser

I do my best to always take reusable bags so I don't have plastic bags everywhere (plus-it's bad for the environment). However, every once in awhile I stop on my way home and don't have the bags with me. Instead of just throwing them away, I usually just throw them in another bag, and then we use them for garbage.

I've seen this plastic bag dispenser idea on Pinterest for awhile now. I honestly don't remember which website I found the instructions for, so I don't have anything to credit at the moment. If I find it again, I'll be sure to update.

The longest part of this is getting the bags flattened out and folded. Rolling everything up to go in the jar is quick and easy!

Plastic bag dispenser

• Jar or empty disposable wipes container
• As many plastic bags as you want to put in the dispinser

Take each plastic bag and fold in half, making sure all the air is out. Lay on a flat surface. Repeat with remaining bags. Line up the bags, but the only overlapping part should be the handles. When all bags are flattened, start at the last one and roll tightly. Once you get to the next bag in line, roll in the bag. For the first one the handle will be what sticks out. Place rolled up bags into a jar or empty container.

Eggplant Parmesan

Disclaimer: This recipe doesn't have any Parmesan cheese in it. None....what so ever. This recipe has feta instead, which is one of my favorite cheeses! It's super easy to put together and delicious to eat! This is a slow cooker recipe that doesn't take very long to cook!

Eggplant Parmesan-adapted from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea
Total time: 4 hours
Serves 4

• 26 ounce jar pasta sauce
• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Spray a 5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the crock. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Drizzle each piece of eggplant with the oil on both sides

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Dredge each slice of eggplant and place on top of the pasta sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and top with feta cheese. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until eggplant is tender.

Slow cooker turkey breast

Do you get freaked out when you see a recipe for a turkey or whole chicken? I was nervous about these for awhile too. But now, I've realized, they're usually the easiest recipes there are! This was awesome to not have to buy an entire turkey, especially because it fit in the slow cooker. The gravy package that comes with the turkey was delicious as always!

Slow cooker turkey breast-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals by Betty Crocker
Total time: 8 hours
Serves 10

• 6 1/2 pound turkey breast, thawed if frozen
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup water

Remove gravy packet from the turkey. Place onion, celery and bay leaf in the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey in a 5 quart greased slow cooker.

Sprinkle turkey with salt, pepper and bouillon granules. Cover with water. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours or until turkey is tender. 

Shred turkey from the bones. Meanwhile, follow directions on the gravy packet for gravy. Use the liquid in the slow cooker as the drippings. Serve with turkey.

Freezer meal: Sausage and cheese egg muffins

Recipe number two made for my friends! They've already tried these and love them. I've made a few egg muffins before (here and here). Being able to make something for breakfast that is easy to freeze and reheat. They also taste delicious, even though I know some people think that reheated eggs aren't great.

Sausage and cheese egg muffins-adapted from Fabulessly Frugal
Total time: 15 minutes
Makes 12 muffins

• 10 eggs
• 1/3 cup low fat milk
• 4 ounces precooked breakfast sausage, diced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk together, then gradually add in sausage and cheese. Pour into well greased muffin tins to about 3/4 full. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tops are set. Let cool slightly and remove gently with a spoon.

If you wish to freeze: Place the muffins in a gallon freezer bag. To reheat, cook in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.

Roasted asparagus

I've finally figured out how to make the perfect asparagus. This is super simple, and you just need to season it however you wish.

If you don't know how to trim asparagus, it's really easy. Just take the end between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it snaps! It's perfect for those days you just want to snap something! It always breaks the wooden end off at the right spot-no more second guessing!

Roasted asparagus

Total time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus spears in a 9x13 inch baking dish, doing you best to only have one layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, and toss the spears so they are well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add more to taste if you wish.

Roast in oven for about 7 minutes, then toss the spears with tongs. Cook for the remaining 7-8 minutes or until tender.

Black eyed pea salsa

We were having my sister-in-law Angie over for dinner last night. My go to appetizer/snack is guacamole. I went to the store yesterday, but all the avocados weren't ripe enough or were way past ripe. I then decided to try this salsa instead. Scott was very upset when I told him I was substituting a bean dip for our favorite guacamole.

In the end, we really liked this salsa. It was fresh and a nice change. The apple cider vinegar really added an extra kick to the salsa flavor. This sits well overnight too!

Black eyed pea salsa-adapted from The New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 1 15-ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Tortilla chips for serving

In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips.

Lemon chicken

I received this cookbook as part of a gift bag for going to the Taste of Home Cooking School. It's a kind of weird book, and I don't know that I agree with the premise of it, but that doesn't mean I won't try the food!

Lemon chicken is a chicken recipe that my dad used to make a lot when I was a child. We used to have chicken 3-4 times a week. To the point that I used to hate eating chicken. Lemon chicken, parmesan chicken, teryiaki chicken, and then chicken casserole with the leftovers. Now that I cook my own food, I don't know what I did without chicken so much in my life. It's delicious and so versatile!

This recipe was great because it was baked. Because I baked it in chicken broth, it stayed incredibly moist. The lemon juice and kalamata olives gave it just that extra kick.

Lemon chicken-adapted from Heartbreak Recovery Kitchen by Jeanne Ambrose & Lindsey Ambrose
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 6

• Vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle a little bit of oil in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Place chicken in the pan and top with remaining ingredients. 

Roast for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is 180 degrees with an instant read thermometer.

Fish with tangy tomatoes

Using tomatoes with chiles in this recipe was such a wonderful surprise. We tend to use swai filets because they're inexpensive, but you could use any white fish for this recipe. There was a ton of flavor in this entire recipe.

Fish with tangy tomatoes-adapted from Health Cooking Recipe Cards by Taste of Home
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves 3

• 3/4 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 swai fillets
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with chiles
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the lemon pepper and salt and sprinkle over both sides of the fish fillets. Place in an 11 x 7 inch baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, parsley and celery seed and spoon over the fish. Cover with tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken noodle soup

Every once in awhile, having a good chicken noodle soup is awesome. It's still pretty cold here in Milwaukee, so it definitely hit the spot last week. This recipe only takes 30 minutes, so it isn't a fantasic soup (I find really good ones take a few hours), but it still tastes great! It was also fantastic for leftovers!

I love to do what I can to prep my meals. I try to tell myself I'm going to prep for the whole week after I get home from the store, but sometimes, that just doesn't happen. This picture is from the night we made the Caprese lasagna roll ups. I had 30 minutes while they were in the oven, so took the time to prep the chicken and veggies so I could just throw together the soup when we got home the next day as we were going to be very busy.

The final product!

Chicken noodle soup-adapted from 5 Ingredient, 15 Minutes Recipes by Weight Watchers

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/3 cup celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked pasta of your choice (I used medium shells)

Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add chicken, celery, carrots, onion, and black pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes or until chicken begins to brown and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8 minutes or until pasta is done.

Chili

This was a chili that surprised me. It takes less than an hour to make, and I'm always skeptical of those. It was actually quite tasty, and I think it was the tomato basil soup! I liked that this was a recipe that had a lot of already prepped ingredients for nights where I just don't feel like doing it all!

Chili-adapted from Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 6

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can condensed tomato rice soup
• 1 can tomato basil soup
• 1 can kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Cheddar cheese and sour cream for garnish

In a 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat cook the ground beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned. Pour off fat.

Stir in soups, beans, chili powder, and red wine vinegar. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and sour cream.

Heat's Homemade: Vanilla extract

I had always wanted to learn to make my own vanilla extract. New flash: It's incredibly easy! Vanilla beans are a bit expensive, but it makes a ton of vanilla extract so will be well worth it. Also, you can continue to add vanilla beans and vodka if you start to run low. In a weird way, it's self sustaining.

Vanilla extract-adapted from Simply Recipes
Total time: Store for at least two months
Makes 1 cup vanilla

• 3 vanila beans
• 1 cup vodka
• Large mason jar

With a small paring knife, slice the vanilla beans almost all the way down the center, leaving them together at the end. Place in the mason jar, cover completely with vodka and shake. Store for at least 2 months before using, shaking occassionally. You can continue to top off with vodka if desired. Lasts for years.

BBQ Shredded Beef

Using honey chipotle barbecue sauce may be my new favorite thing for shredded beef. It adds a bit of heat, but not too much that I don't like it. I did cook the beef on high for about 4 hours and it was very tough where it really didn't get shredded, but I had to slice it instead.

I know I don't normally post specific brands in my ingredient listings. You can certainly trade them out, but Sweet Baby Ray's is the only way to go for shredded beef in my opinion!

BBQ Shredded Beef-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 8

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• Garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste
• 1-16 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
• 1 12-ounce can beer (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
• 1-22 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Traditional BBQ Sauce
• Rolls and cheese for serving

Rub the roast with garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste. Place roast in a greased 5-quart slow cooker and cover with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Take out beef and shred or slice. Return to slow cooker and serve with rolls.

Herbed rib roast

As part of one of our Christmas presents, Scott's dad bought us a giant rib roast! I was so excited to make it, and it gave us a great reason to try out our rotisserie (don't worry, I have instructions if you don't have a rotisserie too). It was absolutely phenomenal, and I can't wait to make it again as we had to cut the roast in half it was so big!

Herbed rib roast-adapated from Taste of Home
Total time: 1 hour 30 miniutes (rotisserie), 2 hours (oven)
Serves 8-10

• 1 beef ribeye roast (4-5 pounds)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried majoram

Cut slits into the roast and insert the slices of garlic. Rub the roast with the seasonings. If making in a rotisserie: follow rotisserie instructions for loading and cook times. Ours took about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

If making in the oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place roast on a roasting pan fat side up. Bake uncovered for 2-2 1/2 hours or until cooked to desired doneness. (Medium rare is 145 degrees).

Steakhouse potatoes

Oh. Em. Gee. Let me tell you about these potatoes. I think I'm pretty good at making mashed potatoes but these were something else. I couldn't. Stop. Eating them. You won't be sorry making these.

Steakhouse potatoes-adapted from Ree on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

• 5 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup french fried onions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes as if you are making mashed potatoes-about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Smash with a potato masher and add in all other ingredients, mixing well. Top with additional cheese and french friend onions, if desired.

Cheesy Biscuits

These were very quick and easy to make. Less than 15 minutes and you have some yummy dinner rolls!

Cheesy Biscuits-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 10

• 2 cups Bisquick mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese in a large bowl until a dough forms. Spoon 10 balls of the dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Oven Baked Chicken

I have a confession. I definitely didn't get out of bed until after 11am this morning. Which is unheard of for me. I took today off as I have some extra PTO to burn, and we were at an epic wedding this weekend (congrats Schwais!). Two of our best friends tied the knot and lets just say I was a little of out it.

This is a super simple, but very hearty chicken recipe. The flavor and crunch was awesome and it didn't take me forever to put together. I bet this would be delicious with some mashed potatoes, but I just made some rice and green beans on the side. The perfect meal to make on a day where I didn't do anything.

Oven Baked Chicken-Cheap & Easy Recipes by Gooseberry Patch
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 5

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chicken in half, like you would butterfly them, but cut through. Place bread crumbs, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on a large plate and mix thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine garlic and oil.

Dip the chicken pieces in oil, then cover in bread crumbs, then place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes. 

Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers

Any recipe with 'brown butter' in the name is likely one I will make. It just makes food absolutely delicious! This recipe was no different and super easy.

I used Penzey's Florida Seasoned Pepper and Trinidad Garlic Marinade instead of regular salt and pepper. This was done in less than 30 minutes from start to finish (including dicing the cucumber) and is done in one dish. Pretty much the perfect weeknight meal!

Seared Salmon with Brown Butter Cucumbers-adapted from Cook This Now by Melissa Clark
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 2

• 2 salmon filets
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Season the salmon with salt a pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Cook until the foam subsides and the butter turns deep gold in color, about 2 minutes.

Add the salmon to the pan skin side up. Cook, without turning, for 2 minutes. Add the cucumbers and pinch of salt to the salmon turning to coat cucumbers with butter. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes or until underside of fish is golden brown. Turn the fish, add the garlic and cook for 2-4 minutes longer or until fish is cooked and flaky.

Greek Chicken Stew

As you may have noticed, we've been on a bit of a Greek kick lately. This made really moist chicken that was super tasty! If you don't have a Dutch oven, you can use a sauce pan and then transfer it to a deep casserole dish to put in the oven.

Greek Chicken Stew-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

• 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (I use Penzey's)
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
• Feta cheese and cauliflower rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with Greek seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 3 minutes on one side, flip, add onion, garlic, lemon juice, and orgeano and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add chicken stock, olives, capers and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven, serve with cauliflower rice or potatoes, and top with crumbled feta cheese.

Rotel Chicken Casserole

I can't remember the last time I bought Velveeta. To me, it's like American cheese, I'd just rather not have it. Now I have quite the brick of it to use, but at least this casserole was pretty darn good to make up for it! I found a kind that had jalapenos mixed in and bought that for the extra kick, but you can use plain as well.

Add about 20 minutes to the cooking time if you also need to cook the rice.

Rotel Chicken Casserole-adapted from Cook'n is Fun
Total time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 3 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons Velveeta with jalapenos
• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 10 ounce can Rotel
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2/3 cup cooked rice
• 15 ounces kidney beans
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 11x7 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients except for shredded cheese. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and chicken is cooked through.

Greek Pita Pizzas

My dad used to work for a company that had its own cafeteria. One of his favorite meals was the pita pizzas they would make. Take a small pita, and top it with any and all the toppings you'd like. He then brought this home to us. It was so much fun! You could cut up your favorite veggies, meats and add as much cheese as you want!

This recipe brought that memory back to me. A bit different though with hummus instead of sauce, feta instead of mozzarella. The original recipe recommends tzatziki sauce, but we didn't use it on ours! A simple way to use up extra ingredients (whether you go Greek or not!)

Greek Pita Pizzas-adapted from Annie's Eats
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 4, 8-inch, pitas
• 1 tablespoon red vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of each pita with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, red vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Whisk to blend. Then stir in onion, olives and tomato and toss to coat.

Top each pita with about 2 tablespoons hummus, quarter of the mozzarella cheese, quarter of the vegetable mixture, and finally a quarter of the feta cheese. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese is melted.