New job, Training, and Recipes!

This week has been crazy crazy busy! I started training on monday for my new job! yay! Buuut... boy am I beat! I am on a computer for 5 hrs straight of web based training, then I have an additional 4 hrs of in class training. I am on massive information overload! It's fun though! I also have my school work I have to keep up with as well. I am having to miss these two weeks of class for training, but life is about sacrifices. I am so fortunate to have wonderful Professors that are understanding as well! I am truly blessed!

I feel so bad for our poor pooches! They are in their cages all day, till brian gets home at 330! =(

Brian just started his online classes to finish his Bachelors degree. From the moment he gets home from work, he is on the computer doing his school work. We are both busy busy. I know all of the sacrifices we make now will pay off in the future. It definitely is exhausting with both of us working full time and going to school full time. It's the moments like this that make you feel so fortunate to have eachother and to have the love of our Heavenly Father knowing our life is taking shape. I just hope our doggies understand! lol! You know it's bad when they hear my high heels clink on the floor and they run to their cages because they know I'm about to leave for work. lol They still love us! I guess we will just have to make it up to them by taking them to the dog park every weekend! haha!

With us being so busy with work and school, we are scrambling to have dinner on the table at a decent time. I get off at 5 pm everyday and by the time I get home it's roughly 530 so it's a race against the clock to have dinner ready by 6-630. If anyone has any fast and yummy recipes PLEASE SHARE! I'm running out of recipes... ah! lol

Here are some more recipes from my cookbook! Feel free to try them out!! :)

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Homemade Lasagna

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1 package Lasagna noodles

1 lb hamburger meat

2 jars spaghetti sauce (I use Prego Meat)

1/2 pint ricotta

1/2 pint cottage

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

grated parm cheese (Kraft)

Cook Lasagna noodles according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water. While noodles are cooking, brown hamburger meat in pan. Drain excess grease and add 1 jar spaghetti sauce. Stir to mix. Combine ricotta and cottage cheese together in bowl. In a 9x13 pan, pour 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan to cover. Layer: noodles (approx 3) to cover bottom, top with hamburger mixture, spoon about 4 tablespoons of ricotta mixture and spread flat. Sprinkle mozzarella and parm chesse on top. Continue this layering process until all ingredients are used or until you reach the top of the pan. The top layer should only consist of meat sauce and parm cheese. Cover with foil and cook in 350* oven for 1 hr or until bubbly!

Serve with Salad and garlic bread!

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Crawfish Etouffee

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1/3 c vegetable oil

1/3 c water

1/3 c margarine

1 c diced onion

1/2 c diced green bell pepper

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb peeled crawfish

1/2 lb peeled shrimp without tails

2 cans mushroom soup

2 stalks celery

1 can original rotel

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 tsp cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Melt margarine and oil in pot on stove. Saute onions, green peppers, and garlic until translucent. Add crawfish, shrimp, and water to onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Water can be added to thin as desired.

Serve over steamed rice.

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Caramelized Baked Chicken

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2 boneless/skinless Chicken Breast

3/4 c Ketsup

3/4 c Honey

1/2 c Soy Sauce

3-4 cloves of garlic- diced

Cook all ingredients, minus chicken, on stove top. Bring to a boil- reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until thick. Put chicken in a baking dish and pour half the sauce over chicken, set additional sauce to the side. Cook chicken 35-40 minutes at 350* until juices run clear.

Serve over steamed rice and pour heated remaining sauce over top.

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Texas Style Chili with BIG Flavor

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1.5 lb ground beef

1 can chilibeans in Medium sauce

1 can diced tomatoes w/oregano and basil

1 can original rotel

1/2 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1/2 large onion chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1 can green chiles- medium/hot

1 1/2 tsp bacon bits

2 cubes beef bouillon

1/4 c beer

2 Tbsp Chili powder

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp hot sauce (tabasco, etc)

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp white sugar

Cook in crockpot for 5-6 hrs

OR

Cook beef on stove, drain excess grease. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve with fritos and shredded sharp cheddar cheese

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