Oven Fries are a favorite with my family. The like all fries in any shape, size, or flavor. lol

 

I make mine by simply cutting the potatoes to the size I want. and placing them on cookie sheets. I then sprinkle with oil, and seasonings. I usually use chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper.

 

 

I use my hands to mix it all together, making sure to distribute all the seasonings well.

 

Bake until done. I usually take the pan out and flip them over halfway through the cooking time. They come out great every time. My family eats them all, anyway. lol

 

 

My daughter, 20, made Strawberry Shortcake the other day. It was so good!

 

 

Hopefully, we get a lot of strawberries in our garden this year!

 

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Fish filets, homemade tartar sauce, baked beans, asparagus from our garden

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Sandwiches – Roast beef and cheddar, turkey, BLT, all with the choice of white bread, onion rolls, pita pockets

Monday – chicken or turkey – Chicken strips, mac & cheese, peas & carrots, beets

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce, green beans or asparagus from our garden

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Alfredo Ham Pasta Skillet Dinner, asparagus from the garden or broccoli

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

This salad was my lunch one day last week. I had some homemade chicken salad left over from the day before. I had that with diced cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, lettuce tomatoes, and onions. It made a nice summer lunch. I know it’s only spring, but we have been having some warm weather here in Kentucky.

 

 

My major kitchen accomplishment last week was grinding and cooking 12 pounds of venison. I grind it in the food processor. The food processor works very well for grinding the meat.

 

I cooked 4 pounds at a time, making 3 different dishes. The first four pounds, I browned with beef bouillon. I froze it in meal size bags to be used for spaghetti.

 

 

I used four pounds to make sloppy joes, back right corner. (Secret! I used canned sloppy joe sauce!) I used the other 4 pounds to make venison guisado, front left corner. It’s a fancy name for taco meat! I got the recipe from a venison cookbook. The cooked, bagged hamburger is in the middle.

 

 

And all the finished meat bagged for the freezer. I love having meats like this in the freezer. They are my own convenience meals!

 

 

My family loved it when I made homemade venison breakfast sausage. So I hope to make a big batch, like 10 pounds worth, this week.

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- take out pizza

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Fish fillets, chicken strips, macaroni & cheese

Monday – chicken or turkey – Chicken Potato Skillet, sliced tomatoes

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce, peas, broccoli

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Slow cooker Mongolian Beef, rice, green beans

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

My mother finally came home from the hospital last week! So I’ve been able to stay home more. I got quite a bit of work done in the kitchen last week.

 

I cooked up 5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast. I baked them with some salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. I packaged them for the freezer with a little of the broth from the baking pan. I did bags of 1 and 2 pieces to make it easy to defrost just the amount I need. Some will be used for suppers, the 2 packs, some will be used for lunches, the single packs.

 

 

I cooked about 6 pounds of venison pieces in the slow cooker. I cooked them all night on low. The next day, I divided the meat into 4 freezer bags. Each bag holds enough meat for 2-3 lunches for my husband. He’ll either add this meat to rice or take as is along with a potato to bake in the microwave at work.

 

 

On Saturday, we had our first cook out of the season! We kicked off the season with packet meals. That’s where you put all your food in one foil packet and cook it in the camp fire. Beneath all the vegetables in the picture below, there is a hamburger patty. This is my packet meal.  🙂

 

 

We seasoned them with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, burger seasoning, bbq sauce, and hot sauce. Not all in one packet! lol

Everyone gets to make their own packet. So, you guessed it, the kids didn’t add as many vegetables.

Then the packet meals are place over the hot coals and turned a couple of times until done. To test for doneness, you have to open a packet & check it. It’s very hot! But there really is no other good way to test for doneness. For hamburger patties, potatoes & carrots, it only takes 20-30 minutes, depending on how hot the coals are.

 

 

My husband wanted to have corn on the cob, too.  He soaked the cobs, with the husks on, in a pan of water before placing over the fire. He turned them every couple of minutes for about 10 minutes. The time depends on how hot your coals are. So the time will vary each time.

 

 

All of our packet meals turned out great! This one is mine. Yum!

 

 

The corn on the cob came out great, too!

 

 

We are looking forward to many more cook outs this year! The next time we do packet meals I want to use chicken.

 

Have you cooked out yet this year?

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Cook out! Packet Meals with hamburgers, potatoes, carrots, onions, green peppers

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Fish fillets & tater tots, green beans

Monday – chicken or turkey – Baked Chicken, mashed potatoes, beets

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce, peas

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Skillet Sausage Pasta, salad

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

*This post contains affiliate links

 

I love skillet dinners! They are so quick & easy to make. All the ones that I have tried taste great, too!

 

I was looking for a way to use leftover Easter ham so I came up with this recipe.

 

This recipe, like all my skillet dinner recipes, is made in a 12″ cast iron skillet.

 

 

 

Alfredo Ham & Pasta Skillet Dinner Recipe

 

1 pound bite size pasta (my family prefers farfalle – bow tie pasta)

3 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

3 cups diced ham

1 12 oz bag frozen peas (no need to defrost first)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

4 oz cream cheese

 

Add everything to the skillet except the cream cheese.

 

 

Cover and bring to a boil. Stir and turn down to a simmer. Cook for 11-12 minutes until pasta is done.

 

 

Stir in cream cheese.

 

 

Serve with additional parmesan, if desired. I personally think you can’t have too much parmesan cheese!

 

 

I have served this Alfredo Ham & Pasta Skillet Dinner to my family twice now. Everyone loves it! Well, some of them don’t like the peas. lol You can leave the peas out if you prefer!

 

 

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

I managed to fit in some real cooking last week! Real as in no convenience foods!

 

I made pan roasted asparagus. So good! I am really looking forward to cooking with the asparagus from our garden. Hope it hurries up & grows! lol

 

 

I made Skillet Sausage Pasta again last week. This is so easy, and so good! My family loves it. So do I!

 

 

After discovering that I could grind venison meat in the food processor last week, I have been experimenting with it. I made venison breakfast sausage. I used the same recipe that I use for homemade turkey sausage. It came out great! It passed the family taste test, and they want more!

 

 

I also used some of the ground venison in spaghetti sauce. Again, it was good!

 

 

We also had taco salads with some of the venison taco meat I had made and put in the freezer last week.

 

 

My mother is out of the hospital now (she was there for almost 4 months), so I will have more time for cooking!

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Breakfast for dinner– eggs, venison breakfast sausage, toast, orange juice

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Fish fillets & tater tots

Monday – chicken or turkey – Chicken strips, macaroni & cheese, baked beans, corn

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti, venison steaks, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Alfredo Ham & Pasta Skillet Dinner, peas

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

I was actually quite busy in the kitchen over the last week.  One night last week, we had Venison Guisado for dinner, served on tortillas. It’s taco flavored meat with tomatoes and onions cooked with it. I made it in the slow cooker for the first time, and it came out great.

 

 

I was tired one might last week and didn’t feel like cooking what was on the menu. So I quickly made breakfast for supper. Eggs, turkey bacon, toast, and orange juice. The family didn’t mind that I cooked breakfast for dinner. They like it.

 

 

We usually do a big dinner for Easter with guests. This Easter, though, with my mother in the hospital, I didn’t invite anyone over. We quickly ate our meal then went to the hospital.

 

I put some Easter candy out as the centerpiece of our dinner table. The kids started eating it before I could take a picture. And before dinner! lol My daughter said I served the best appetizers anywhere. Better than any restaurant. lol

 

 

Dinner was a simple affair. Ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus, corn, and Resurrection rolls. I put a chocolate bunny on the plates of my three youngest kids. My daughter surprised me and put some chocolate candy on my plate! So sweet!

 

 

 

 

Did you see those Resurrection rolls? Those things are seriously dangerous! They are so good it is hard to stop eating them! They are a little tricky to make, but they are worth it! You dip a marshmallow in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar, then seal it inside a crescent roll. So good!

 

I lightly cooked the fresh asparagus and it came out perfect.

 

 

My dinner plate. And yes, I had a second Resurrection roll! It’s a good thing I only make them once a year on Easter! lol

 

 

My son brought an apple pie to contribute to dinner. We also had Strawberry Shortcake. That I didn’t get a picture of! I was to busy eating it! lol

 

 

I have decided to make Strawberry Shortcake our official Easter dinner dessert. It’s perfect after a big meal, and it just says spring.

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Dinner out

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Easter Dinner- Ham, mashed potatoes, corn, asparagus, Resurrection Rolls, Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake

Monday – chicken or turkey – Chicken strips, oven roasted potatoes, green beans

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Ham Alfredo Pasta – made with leftover Easter ham

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison taco salad

Thursday – pork or beef – Skillet Sausage Pasta, green beans

Friday – venison  – Old Fashioned Venison Steaks with Pan Gravy, mashed potatoes, corn

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

 

It was another busy week here. When is it NOT busy?! Apparently, busy is our new norm. I don’t like that, though. It will get better when my mother is discharged from the hospital. I think!

 

Anyway, we had a mix of homemade and convenience foods this week. My daughter and I tag teamed on Sausage Pasta Skillet one night. This is a family favorite.

 

 

Another night, we had frozen lasagna and garlic bread knots from the bread department. I much prefer homemade lasagna, but it is time consuming. With all the bad food in the freezer section these days, lasagna is not a bad choice.

 

 

One day while I was out, my daughter called and asked me to pick up brownie mix and ice cream on the way home.  So I did. Even though I prefer homemade brownies.

 

 

We had the brownies with ice cream for a snack that night. My daughter had 2 friends over, so it was a big hit with family and friends.

 

 

This week, I have all homemade meals on the menu (Monday thru Friday). Except for the meatballs. They are from the freezer section.

 

I guess time will tell if I can actually pull it off! lol

 

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Pizza

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Sandwiches for lunch, get your own for supper – I had salad and a chicken strip

Monday – chicken or turkey – Lemon Pepper Chicken, rice, broccoli

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti & meatballs, peas, salad

Wednesday – Taco Night- Venison tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Skillet Sausage Pasta, green beans

Friday – venison  – Old Fashioned Venison Steaks with Pan Gravy, mashed potatoes, corn

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday