My challenge for the week was to make, or create in a few cases, a new recipe a day for seven days. It could be a meal, dessert, snack, or drink. After gathering some ideas from Pinterest, this is what I came up with:
Day 1 (Monday): Chicken and cheesy rice in the crock pot. Recipe can be found here: http://www.southernplate.com/2010/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-and-rice-the-downside-of-being-a-swan-princess.html
Day 2 (Tuesday): Frankenstein's Snack-green jello with gummy worms. I wasn't quite sure how the kids would actually like this, but much to my surprise they actually ate it. They kept saying it was "Frankenstein's brain treat."
Day 3 (Wednesday): Breakfast Casserole Bites: Hash browns, eggs, whatever fillings one would want (we used turkey bacon, cheese, and green peppers), and then cooked in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. I made lots and they kept in the refrigerator and heated up nicely. Perfect for the cold mornings this week.
Day 4 (Thursday): Apple nachos. Sliced apples with chocolate syrup, caramel, and marshmallows drizzled lightly over the apples, and topped with chocolate chips. Sweet toppings make these apples even more delicious!
Day 5 (Friday): Coffee Drink. I found a recipe on Pinterest, but since it's not really iced coffee weather, I took the recipe and made it my own. 1 K-cup regular coffee, 1 tbsp. cocoa powder, 1 packet Splenda, dab of Cool Whip on the top. Chocolaty but not as many calories since I used cocoa powder instead of a chocolate syrup. Delightfully caffeinated.
Day 6 (Saturday): Grown up grilled cheese. Recipe found: in my head. Whole grain bread, mozzarella cheese, oregano, and spinach. I bake my grilled cheese (no butter) at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges are crisp and cheese is melted. Dip in marina sauce or tomato soup.
Day 7 (Sunday): Potato and bacon soup. Recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Creamy-Potato-Soup/Detail.aspx It was a hit with the adults, but the kids didn't love it. Top it with cheddar cheese and not only is it creamy, but cheesy too. Thank goodness for leftovers!
My family is not too keen on my experiments like this, but I'd say we all benefited from this one!