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Menu Monday ~ October 23, 2017

October 23, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 1 Comment

Another week, another menu! If you follow me on Instagram you probably figured out that we were out of town a few days last week. That means last week’s menu wasn’t what we really ate. I knew we wouldn’t be eating at home much so I thought it would be fun to create a menu of Autumn-inspired dishes. Did you enjoy it? Every once in awhile I share a “theme” menu rather than what we are actually going to eat. I hope you enjoy these because I have a few more theme menus coming up. But for now, let’s take a look at what is truly on the Piercy menu this week.

Menu Monday

Dee’s Menu

Monday

I’m aiming to get back into the habit of “meatless Monday”, or at least “less meat Monday”. Ha!

  • smoked gouda potato soup with bacon
  • baked apples

Tuesday

Tuesday means tacos, right?

  • black bean tacos
  • lettuce, tomato, green onions, sour cream, cheese, hot sauce
  • chips and salsa

Wednesday

David will be out of town but I think I’ll go ahead and cook something to share with my parents.

  • spaghetti
  • salad
  • garlic bread

Thursday

David will still be out of town so I’ll either have leftovers or make a salad.

Friday

David will be back and we have an event to set up sound for which begins at 9:30 p.m. That means we have time to eat dinner at home if we do it relatively early. 

  • lemon pepper chicken
  • steamed rice
  • broccoli
  • salad

Saturday

This is going to be a busy, busy day. Between the two of us we have several events. We’ll just have to figure a way to squeeze in dinner somewhere. 

Sunday

I’m hopeful that we’ll have a warm day. If that’s the case I’d like to grill outdoors one more time. Then I’ll clean up the grill and cover it for the winter. 

  • grilled burgers or hot dogs
  • french fries
  • baked beans
  • fresh fruit

 

What’s cooking at your house this week?

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

 



I am loving my Instant Pot. Not only is it a pressure cooker but it can also be used as a slow cooker. The best part is that it also has a sauté feature so I can brown meat in it first then switch to slow cooker. That means one less pan to wash…always a good thing!

Instant Pot

 

 

Menu Monday

This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. Take a look for lots more menu ideas!

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Menu Monday

Menu Monday ~ Autumn Recipes

October 16, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 3 Comments

I thought it would be fun to create a weekly menu with a focus on Autumn-inspired recipes. Cabbage, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin and other cool weather favorites are featured this week. Enjoy!

Menu Monday Autumn Meals

Autumn-Inspired Meals

 

Monday

Mondays are busy days for me around the house as this is the day I wash bedding, catch up on laundry, tidy up after the weekend, water plants, etc. That’s a perfect time for a simple Instant Pot recipe. 

  • Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage (Instant Pot recipe)
  • Amish noodles
  • buttered baguette

Tuesday

Autumn is the perfect time for chili! There are as many ways to make chili as there are cooks. Here’s a vegan option. I’ve paired it with a delicious Tex-Mex cornbread but if you want a completely vegan meal I’ve included a vegan cornbread recipe, as well. 

  • Vegan Chili
  • Tex-Mex Cornbread

(or Vegan Cornbread)

Wednesday

I’m not much of a breakfast person but I do enjoy breakfast foods for dinner occasionally. Add some homemade Apple Cinnamon Muffins and you’ve got a nice mid-week treat. Tip: Make the muffins Tuesday when you are making the cornbread. Might as well just have one clean-up session and since they both bake at the same temperature you can make your oven do double duty. 

  • eggs (your choice of scrambled or fried)
  • bacon and/or sausage
  • Apple Cinnamon Muffins
  • coffee, tea, orange juice

Thursday

Risotto isn’t hard to make but it’s a bit time consuming. Unless you have an Instant Pot! Add a salad and a chilled bottle of wine and Thursday just became special. 

  • Butternut Squash Risotto
  • tossed green salad with dried cranberries and balsamic vinaigrette 
  • nice bottle of chilled white wine

Friday

Ahh…Friday. After a long week, dinner out may sound like a great idea. And sometimes that’s exactly what you need. But other times we want nothing more than to spend a quiet evening at home. Add a treat like this green bean casserole to a simple roast chicken and baked potato dinner and you’ve elevated boring to special. 

  • oven roasted whole chicken
  • Creamy Parmesan Green Bean Casserole
  • baked potatoes
  • tossed green salad

Saturday

As the days get chilly, comfort food becomes all the more appealing. Use the leftover bits of chicken from Friday night’s dinner and make a tasty chicken pot pie. Add homemade cranberry sauce and a salad for delicious, cozy autumn meal. 

  • chicken pot pie (using leftover chicken from last night)
  • homemade cranberry sauce
  • tossed green salad

Sunday

Invite friends or family over for a “Taste of Autumn” meal. Light some candles, open a bottle of wine, turn on some music and celebrate a week done well. 

  • Ham 
  • Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole with Streusel Topping 
  • leftover cranberry sauce
  • tossed green salad
  • homemade rolls
  • Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

 

 

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!



I am loving my Instant Pot. Not only is it a pressure cooker but it can also be used as a slow cooker. The best part is that it also has a sauté feature so I can brown meat in it first then switch to slow cooker. That means one less pan to wash…always a good thing!

Instant Pot

 

Autumn Inspired Meals

This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. Take a look for lots more menu ideas!

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Menu Monday

Moroccan Chicken ~ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

October 11, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Years ago I came up with this recipe which my clever son named “Croc Moroc”. I made it in my Crockpot, hence the name. These days I use the slow cook setting on my Instant Pot. But any way you cook it, Moroccan Chicken is a winner.

Moroccan Chicken

Moroccan Chicken 

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Moroccan Chicken ~ Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 bell peppers (red, green, orange or any combination) - cut in 1-inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
  • 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup raisins

Instructions

  1. Season chicken with garlic salt and black pepper.
  2. Brown chicken in Instant Pot on sauté setting.
  3. Move chicken to side or put on plate and lightly brown onions.
  4. Place chicken over onions and scatter bell peppers and garlic on top.
  5. Sprinkle with cinnamon, ginger, cumin and cayenne.
  6. Pour tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth and water over chicken and vegetables.
  7. Sprinkle raisins on top.
  8. Cook for 4 hours on slow cooker setting of Instant Pot.
  9. Serve over steamed rice.
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I serve this over steamed rice with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. You could also serve it “as is” or over potatoes or other grains.

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!



Moroccan Chicken

 

Other Instant Pot recipes:

 

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

Cabbage Leek Diet Soup

Brazilian Black Beans

Butternut Squash Risotto

Easy Jambalaya

Low Calorie Vegetable Soup

Lentil Tacos

Cabbage, Potatoes and Sausage

 

 

~~~~~

This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday:

Full Plate Thursday

 

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Instant Pot, Recipes, Slow Cooker

Menu Monday ~ October 9, 2017

October 9, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 5 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends! I’m pretty happy to be starting a new week and I have high hopes that it will be a great improvement over the past couple of weeks. At least I have a really fun event to look forward to on Friday. So let’s take a look at what’s on my menu for the upcoming week:

Menu Monday

Dee’s Menu

Monday

I have a meeting at 5:15 so I’ll want something that can be ready when I get home. Slow cooker to the rescue!

  • Crockpot Chicken Creole (I’ll take pictures and share in a blog post soon.)
  • steamed rice
  • salad

Tuesday

We have a food and music event this evening. 

Wednesday

I have choir at 7 p.m. I like to cook something with minimal cleanup on these nights, as well as something I can easily make extra of to take to my parents. 

  • spaghetti
  • salad
  • broccoli
  • garlic bread

Thursday

Believe it or not, we don’t have anything planned this evening. Sounds like a good night for a special meal. 

  • Skillet Creamy French Mustard Chicken
  • mashed potatoes
  • glazed carrots
  • salad
  • crusty, homemade artisan bread

Friday

We are going to a Steely Dan concert (yay!!) and will spend the night afterwards since the show gets out pretty late. We’ll eat dinner somewhere before the show. 

Saturday

We will be attending a dinner for the volunteer fire department David serves on. The hosts are providing hamburgers and hot dogs. Someone else is bringing dessert. I’ll probably make potato salad and/or baked beans. 

Sunday

The usual – Mexican food after church. Our “Music in the Park” events are over for the season so we can eat dinner at home at a normal hour. If we have leftovers from lunch we’ll eat those. Otherwise I’ll do something simple like sandwiches or quesadillas. 

 

What’s cooking at YOUR house this week? 

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!


MEAL PLANNING RESOURCES:

Menu Planning Simplified

 

Menu Planning Simplified

How to Save Money With Your Grocery Shopping List

Once a Month Grocery Shopping 

How to Create a Weekly Menu Plan

 

Do you want to eat a healthy, organic, grass fed diet but don’t think you can afford it? My friend, Victoria of A Modern Homestead, explains how they do it on less than $200 a month. Click here to find out how:

 

Menu Monday

This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. You can find lots of menu inspiration there!

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Menu Monday

Chicken and Waffles With Maple Whiskey Cream Gravy

October 4, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

Do you love chicken and waffles as much as I do? There is just something about that combination of sweet and savory. And when you add a little maple flavored whiskey to the gravy? Well, it just takes chicken and waffles to a whole new level.

Chicken and Waffles with Maple Whiskey Cream Gravy

Recipe update: Crown Royal Maple Whiskey has sadly been discontinued. If you are fortunate enough to run across a bottle – buy it! Otherwise you can substitute Crown Royal Vanilla Whiskey. Perhaps use a bit less whiskey and a bit more maple syrup. 

Print
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Chicken and Waffles With Maple Whiskey Cream Gravy

Ingredients

  • 8-10 chicken tenders
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (or whatever you like to fry with)
  • For Gravy
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons seasoned flour (leftover from dredging chicken)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup maple flavored whiskey
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Instructions

  1. Use your favorite waffle batter recipe but substitute brown sugar for white, increase vanilla to one teaspoon, and add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  2. Cook waffles and keep warm.
  3. Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium high heat.
  4. Mix 1/2 cup flour with garlic salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
  5. Dredge chicken tenders in flour mixture and place in skillet.
  6. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside.
  7. Remove from skillet and keep warm.
  8. In the same skillet over medium heat melt butter.
  9. Add 2 tablespoons of the seasoned flour leftover from dredging chicken.
  10. Cook about 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.
  11. Slowly add chicken broth while stirring.
  12. Add heavy cream and stir to combine.
  13. Add whiskey, stirring well and cook until gravy has thickened.
  14. Add maple syrup.
  15. Taste and add salt, pepper and/or cayenne if needed to suit your taste.
  16. Place chicken tenders on waffles, pour gravy over, and drizzle with more maple syrup.
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I like to use my cast iron skillet but you can use any heavy skillet.

Chicken and Waffles

 

I meant to make a fruit salad to go with this but by the time I got everything ready I changed my mind. I had a few blackberries and some orange juice in the fridge. Along with a cup of freshly brewed coffee, I decided that was good enough.

 

Chicken and Waffles

 

Here’s a closeup of the deliciousness:

Chicken and Waffles

 

We aren’t going to discuss the calorie count. Just think of it as dinner and dessert all in one.

Chicken and Waffles with Maple Whiskey Cream Gravy

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

 


Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Recipes

Menu Monday ~ October 2, 2017

October 2, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 2 Comments

We’ve got a difficult week ahead so I’m keeping our menu simple this week.

Menu Monday

Dee’s Menu

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

Monday

We are attending a candlelight vigil at 7:30 for a friend who died this past week. We’ll need to eat early so I’m keeping it simple.

  • Sweet Italian chicken sausages in marinara over pasta
  • tossed green salad
  • steamed broccoli

Tuesday

I’m attending the preview of the used book sale at our local public library at 6 p.m. We’ll eat after I get back. I’ll cook the lentils in my Instant Pot before I leave and then set it to keep warm. If I have everything else prepped before I go then all I will have to do is fry the tortillas when I get home. 

Important note: At the time of this posting, the Instant Pot is a “deal of the day” on Amazon. You can get it for only $69.99 which is a great deal!

  • lentil tacos
  • lettuce, tomato, cheese, green onions, etc. 
  • Mexican rice

Wednesday

We have a very, very sad funeral to attend about 2 hours away. Right now I don’t know what our dinner plans will be. 

Thursday

It’s the final “East End Eats” music and food truck event for the season. We’ll eat there. 

Friday

I think David and I may go to a nearby town for dinner and live music (something WE don’t have to plan or set up the sound for – ha!). 

Saturday

I want to take advantage of our nice weather so I think we’ll grill some burgers and if the mosquitos aren’t too bad we may eat on the patio.

  • grilled cheeseburgers
  • French fries
  • baked beans
  • coleslaw

Sunday

We’ll eat lunch at a Mexican restaurant after church and save half for dinner. 

 

WHAT’S COOKING AT YOUR HOUSE THIS WEEK?

~~~~~

 


MEAL PLANNING RESOURCES:

How to Save Money With Your Grocery Shopping List

Once a Month Grocery Shopping 

How to Create a Weekly Menu Plan

 

Do you want to eat a healthy, organic, grass fed diet but don’t think you can afford it? My friend, Victoria of A Modern Homestead, explains how they do it on less than $200 a month. Click here to find out how:

 

Menu Monday

This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. You can find lots of menu inspiration there!

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Menu Monday

Sour Cream Green Chile Enchiladas

September 27, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 7 Comments

These delicious sour cream and green chili enchiladas are a family favorite. If you are vegetarian or just trying to add a few meatless meals to your repertoire, give this recipe a try. I’m willing to bet this will become a favorite in your house, too.

Sour Cream and Green Chile Enchiladas

 

Sour Cream and Green Chile Enchiladas

Several years ago we decided to become vegetarian. A friend was struggling with the vegan diet he had been prescribed for his cancer diagnosis (stage 4) so we did this in solidarity with him. We didn’t go vegan but just vegetarian. We ended up doing this for a year and surprisingly, didn’t find it that difficult.

I took on the challenge of finding delicious recipes as well as altering old family favorites.

For many years, one of our favorites was chicken enchiladas made with cream of chicken soup. I’m no fan of canned soups but this was one I still used, for convenience sake.

Our new vegetarian diet required a new approach to this recipe. I experimented a bit and came up with an alternative which is SO MUCH better than the original, even without the chicken. In fact, it’s so flavorful we all agreed we didn’t miss the chicken one little bit.

We are no longer eating a vegetarian diet so theoretically I could put chicken in these enchiladas. But there is honestly no reason to do so. I still like to cook meatless meals fairly often and this one is a keeper.

Print
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Sour Cream Green Chile Enchiladas

Ingredients

  • 1 dozen flour tortillas
  • 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese - softened
  • 8 oz. sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1-2 (4 oz.) cans of diced green chiles
  • 1 (16 oz.) jar green enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • salt, pepper and Creole seasoning (or cayenne pepper) to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt butter over medium high heat in large skillet.
  3. Add flour and stir constantly a couple of minutes.
  4. Add green chiles, undrained, and stir to combine.
  5. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt, pepper and Creole seasoning to taste (or a pinch of cayenne).
  6. Stir and cook one minute.
  7. Lower heat to medium and add softened cream cheese, stirring until combined.
  8. Add heavy cream, stir to combine and remove from heat.
  9. Stir in sour cream.
  10. Warm tortillas in microwave or low oven to make more pliable.
  11. Pour a few tablespoons of green enchilada sauce in bottom of greased, 9x11 baking dish.
  12. In each tortilla, spoon a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.
  13. Roll and place seam side down in baking dish.
  14. Repeat until all tortillas are filled.
  15. Pour any remaining sour cream sauce evenly over the enchiladas.
  16. Pour green sauce over, making sure enchiladas are well covered.
  17. Sprinkle with remaining grated cheese and bake until bubbly and the cheese is lightly browned - about 35-40 minutes.
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Even though I’m normally just feeding three, I usually still make the full recipe. The leftovers are still really tasty heated up the next day or two for lunches.

Sometimes, though, I just make half. This picture was from the last time I made them and I just used 6 tortillas (because that’s all I had). Even so, I was able to take half of this dish to my parents and they still had leftovers. These enchiladas are very rich so you won’t need a large portion. Oh, and please excuse my old, chipped baking dish. Just keeping it real, y’all!

Sour Cream Green Chili Enchiladas

 

This is what you want it to look like after baking. That is, unless you don’t like your cheese to be this browned. I’ve heard some don’t. Personally, I loved it this way.

Sour Cream Green Chili Enchiladas

 

I often serve these enchiladas with rice, salad, chips and salsa. Or sometimes refried beans. You could serve with a dollop of sour cream on top (calories, be damned!) and maybe a few black olives. For company I would likely do that to dress it up a bit.

 

This particular night we were eating early and we’d all had late lunches so I skipped the rice.

Sour Cream Green Chili Enchiladas

 

Do you like enchiladas? If you try this recipe I’d love to hear what you think. Leave me a comment!

Note: I use this brand of organic green enchilada sauce:
green enchilada sauce

However, one of these days I plan to make my own and freeze in recipe-size batches. Here is a recipe that looks good:

Homemade Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!



Sour Cream and Green Chile Enchiladas

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Recipes, Vegetarian

Giant Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

September 26, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 10 Comments

It’s officially fall which means it’s pumpkin season. If the first thing that comes to mind is a pumpkin spice latte you might not realize that pumpkins are actually rather nutritious. They are high in fiber and several other nutrients. But I’ll be the first to admit that many pumpkin recipes negate much of that with the addition of loads of sugar. Still, as part of a balanced diet, there’s no reason not to include a few pumpkin recipe treats this fall. And if you still feel a bit guilty, be sure to check out the smoothie recipe I’ve included.

Giant Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

Giant Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

 

Last week as I was linking up my latest recipe on Miz Helen’s Full Plate Thursday link up, I scrolled through the other submissions as I always do. I quickly noticed a theme this week – PUMPKIN! There were so many pumpkin recipes and many sounded absolutely delicious. I wanted to try them all.

That’s when I got the idea to gather them up in one place and share them with y’all. Plus, it will make it easier for me to find them whenever I’m in the mood to make something with pumpkin. By the way, that’s part of the reason I started my old Dee’s Kitchen blog years ago. I figured it was a handy way to have my recipes in one place. Plus, people were always asking for certain recipes and I could then just direct them to the blog. Good idea, right?

So anyway, if you’re looking for a pumpkin recipe, look no further. You’re sure to find something tasty here.

 

A Giant Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

 

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Vanilla Butter Sauce

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Bars

Pumpkin Spice Latte Protein Bars

 

Homemade Pumpkin Granola

Homemade Pumpkin Granola

 

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Pumpkin Bread

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pillow Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pillow Cookies

 

Bakery Style Pumpkin Muffins

Bakery Style Pumpkin Muffins

 

Homemade Pumpkin Waffles

Homemade Pumpkin Waffles

 

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake (vegan, allergy-free)

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

 

Velvety Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Velvety Pumpkin Crumb Cake

 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Muffins

 

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

Easy Pumpkin Cookies

 

Easy Pumpkin Hummus

Pumpkin Hummus

 

Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta

Bacon and Pumpkin Pasta

 

Spiced Pumpkin Green Smoothie

Spiced Pumpkin Green Smoothie

 

Don’t those sound yummy? Which one sounds the best?

 

Giant Pumpkin Recipe Roundup

 

I also have a few pumpkin recipes here on Life With Dee in case you need more.

Life With Dee pumpkin recipes:

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies (guest post recipe)

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cookies

 

Iced Pumpkin Cookies (a guest post recipe)

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

 

 

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

 

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies

 

 

Molasses Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting (from my old blog – no picture!)

 

If you try any of these I’d love to hear what you thought. Or if you have a favorite pumpkin recipe please share!

~~~~~

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!


Other posts you may enjoy:

 

Pre-Autumn Roundup 
Pre-Autumn Roundup

 

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

10 Ways to Embrace Autumn

 

How to Make Your Home Cozy For Fall

How to Make Your Home Cozy For Fall

 

 

 

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Recipes

Menu Monday ~ September 25, 2017

September 25, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 3 Comments

Every Sunday I sit down with my calendar and plan a menu for the upcoming week. I try to plan easier meals for busy nights. I take into account the food I have on hand, especially perishables. I also try to plan a variety of tastes, textures and nutrients. Some weeks are better than others, of course, but over time I aim for delicious and relatively healthy dinners.

One thing I should mention is that for the past month or so, I have been making smoothies for us for breakfast each weekday. I’m still experimenting but there will soon be a post about getting started with green smoothies. My goal is to give us a healthy dose of fruits and veggies every morning to start off our days. I’ve recently started making myself a second smoothie for lunch. As we enter cold and flu season I’m determined to cram as much nutrition into my daily meals as possible. As an asthmatic, a cold is never “just a cold” for me. It always leads to at least one round of steroids, something I try to avoid.

So if this week’s dinners seem a bit skimpy on produce keep in mind we’ve had several servings of fruits and veggies earlier in the day.

 

Menu Monday

Dee’s Menu

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

Monday

We have a music event to attend at 7. David has to be there about an hour early to set up the sound system. They have great food at this location but we’ve eaten out a lot lately. I’m going to prepare a simple meal at home before we go and then we might share a plate of their wonderful black bean quesadillas or nachos later that night. 

  • fettucini alfredo – I make my sauce from scratch. It’s simple and tastes so much better than from a jar.
  • tossed green salad

Tuesday

David and I have a meeting in town at noon and we plan to have lunch together afterwards – a nice little treat! And speaking of treats, I think tacos always fall into that category. I grew up eating tacos often – it’s one of my mom’s specialties. While we also love lentil tacos or black bean tacos, tonight I’ll be frying up some grass fed beef which I have in the freezer. It’s very lean so there’s virtually no fat to drain off. I season it with garlic salt, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, a dash of cumin and of course…Creole seasoning. Or mix up some Homemade Taco Seasoning. I like to season at least twice during the cooking process because it adds to the flavor profile. So I start with just a little of each of these seasonings when I put the meat in the pan then add more when almost done. And do I need to mention that at our house tacos are made with corn tortillas I fry one at a time in coconut oil? None of those hard shells from a box in my house!

  • tacos 
  • refried beans
  • lettuce, tomato, green onions, grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce – all the usual taco toppings!
  • corn relish 

To make corn relish, heat a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet. When hot, add two cups of fresh or frozen corn and cook for a couple of minutes. Add one clove of garlic (minced) and one jalapeno (finely diced). Cook for another minute and remove from heat. Add one medium tomato, seeded and diced, and the juice of one lime. Salt and pepper to taste. This is delicious on tacos or with any Mexican dish.

Wednesday

I have choir rehearsal at 7 p.m. These are the nights when it’s awfully nice to have a slow cooker meal. I can toss in the ingredients early in the day and then relax knowing dinner is taken care of. Plus, there are fewer dishes to deal with. 

  • “Croc Moroc” – This is an Moroccan-inspired slow cooker recipe I came up with years ago and ran across in my files this past weekend. My son gave it this name – ha! I’ll take pictures and share it in a blog post sometime soon.
  • rice – Even though I have an Instant Pot which will cook rice, I kept my old rice cooker. So often I’ll want rice along with whatever I’m cooking in the IP. In fact, I’ll be using the slow cooker setting of the Instant Pot for the “Croc Moroc” this night.
  • salad

Thursday

I hesitate to say this because it seems something always comes up but it looks like we don’t have anywhere to go this evening. Sounds like a good time to make a favorite of mine:

  • chicken and waffles
  • fresh fruit salad

Friday

My mom used to make sweet and sour pork chops often when I was growing up. It was a huge favorite for the whole family, as well as a family friend or two who weren’t averse to a last minute invitation to join us for pork chops. I can recall her making two big baking pans full of them and there were never any left over. She used Contadina brand sweet and sour sauce which I really like but am unable to find here in Oklahoma. I’ve been known to bring several cans home in my suitcase when visiting relatives in California. TSA always ends up searching my bags when I do this. Go figure. Since I can’t get that brand here, I make my own sauce. (Note: I shared the link for the Contadina sauce simply so you can see what I’m referring to in case it’s available in your area. It’s WAY too expensive to buy on Amazon – $11.45 for shipping!)

  • sweet and sour pork chops
  • rice
  • steamed broccoli
  • salad

Saturday

We are attending baby shower barbecue this evening. They are providing the hamburgers and hot dogs. I will ask if they’d like me to bring homemade potato salad. I haven’t made any in quite awhile and it’s a good excuse to make a big batch of it. 

Sunday

This is World Communion Sunday and I’ve been asked to bake challah bread for it, as I have for a number of years. My recipe makes two huge loaves so we have one for ourselves. It makes delicious French toast so I think I’ll make some for a light supper. As usual, we will eat out at our favorite Mexican restaurant after church.

I’ll be baking the challah bread Saturday. If I’m on the ball, I may go ahead and bake some pumpkin bread while I’m at it!

 

What’s cooking at YOUR house this week?

~~~~~


MEAL PLANNING RESOURCES:

Menu Planning Simplified

 

Menu Planning Simplified

How to Save Money With Your Grocery Shopping List

Once a Month Grocery Shopping 

How to Create a Weekly Menu Plan

 

Do you want to eat a healthy, organic, grass fed diet but don’t think you can afford it? My friend, Victoria of A Modern Homestead, explains how they do it on less than $200 a month. Click here to find out how:

 

Menu Monday

This post is linked up at I’m an Organizing Junkie. You can find lots of menu inspiration there!

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Menu Monday

How to Cook a Frozen Ham in the Instant Pot

September 21, 2017 By Deanna Piercy 17 Comments

Do you ever find yourself in need of an easy meal but forgot to thaw something? What about when unexpected guests show up? If you have an Instant Pot and make a point of keeping a small ham in the freezer, you’re in business. That’s right. You can cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot!

 

How to cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot

How to cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot

 

I’ve told the story of my Aunt Hazel’s hospitality here before:

What Would Aunt Hazel Do? ~ Southern Hospitality

Southern Hospitality

No matter how many people showed up at her house, she was always able to feed them. It was probably not going to be anything fancy but no one left her house hungry. One of her secrets was that she always seemed to have a small ham in her refrigerator. She would heat up the ham, open a can or two of baked beans and mix up some coleslaw. Along with a pitcher of sweet tea, dinner was served!

I don’t have anything like the amount of drop-in company that she did but I still like to be prepared. And of course, there are always those nights when you need an easy meal with minimal prep time.

That’s one reason I love my Instant Pot. I can pull a frozen ham from the freezer, put it in the Instant Pot with just three ingredients and with almost no effort, have dinner on the table.

Print
Yum
How to Cook a Frozen Ham in the Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 1 small frozen ham
  • 1 can of crushed pineapple (16 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Place frozen ham on trivet in Instant Pot.
  2. Pour crushed pineapple over ham.
  3. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
  4. Drizzle with maple syrup.
  5. Secure lid on Instant Pot with vent closed.
  6. Cook for 35 minutes (Manual button) and allow pressure to release on its own.
  7. To thicken juices remove ham and trivet.
  8. Set Instant Pot on sauté setting.
  9. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a couple of tablespoons of cold water until smooth.
  10. Stir into liquid in pot.
  11. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened.
  12. Pour over ham slices on plate or over rice.
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I can usually pick up a small, sliced ham at Aldi for just a few dollars. I try to always keep at least one in my freezer. I also usually keep a can or two of crushed pineapple in the pantry but you could certainly skip that and just add some type of liquid (chicken or vegetable broth would work well).

Frozen ham in Instant Pot

 

I love the pre-sliced hams because it makes this meal even easier. No need to dirty a cutting board in order to slice it up.

Frozen ham in the Instant Pot

 

Ham goes really well with baked beans and coleslaw like my Aunt Hazel so often served, but you could certainly serve it with different side dishes. Some possibilities include applesauce, macaroni and cheese, steamed frozen peas, tossed green salad, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes or rice.

 

The night I took these photos I happened to have fresh corn on the cob and a baguette on hand. Yum!

Frozen ham in the Instant Pot

 

You’re likely to have a lot of the pineapple liquid/sauce leftover. You can refrigerate it then use it to make homemade sweet and sour sauce a night or two later. One of these days I’ll share a more exact “recipe” but basically you add more brown sugar, a splash of vinegar, a little soy sauce, some ground ginger and a bit of garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Mix a tablespoon or so of cornstarch in a little cold water until smooth then add to the boiling mixture. Cook until thickened. This is really good over fried rice or with homemade egg rolls.

 

Do you have a go-to meal for unexpected guests or an easy meal for busy nights? I’m always on the lookout for more ideas so leave me a comment with your favorite.

 

~~~~~

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Life With Dee!

 

 



how to cook a frozen ham in the Instant Pot

 

This post is linked up at Miz Helen’s “Full Plate Thursday”. Check it out!

Full Plate Thursday

Filed Under: Dee's Kitchen, Instant Pot, Recipes

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Welcome to Life With Dee! I'm a Francophile with a hippie heart, trying to create a beautiful life in the country while dreaming of Paris. Join me as I share inspiration to help you create your own "beautiful life".

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