Crispy Mix--Monday Mix Up

Crispy Mix


I've been totally MIA lately, but I have been cooking, and I have about 5 recipes to get on here soon. And I'll keep cooking! But it's Monday, and that means MONDAY MIX UP!!

I have something super easy here for you: Crispy Mix.

Shopping list: Corn flakes, ground flax seed (or wheat germ), salt, pepper, italian seasonings, paprika, onion salt (or dehydrated onion flakes) and whatever other seasonings you think would be tasty. Garlic powder would be great, I think cayanne pepper as well. Perhaps even a package of dry ranch dressing mix.


Crush the cornflakes up until you have about 3 cups. If you need to get some stress out, grab a rolling pin and beat the heck out of them. I just used my food processor.


A ziplock baggie is the best way to mix everything I think, but use what you'd like. A bowl and spoon are just fine.


Add your flax seed (or wheat germ)


and all your other spices.


Do a little shake-shake of the bag (after you seal it of course) and you're all done!!


CRISPY MIX
Recipe Courtesy of: recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com

• 3 cups crushed cornflakes
• 1 cup ground flax seed (or wheat germ)
• 3 Tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp salt (regular)
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  

Feel free to add/replace whatever other seasoning you think sounds good. Make it your own! Mix together all the ingredients in a baggie. Store in a container with a good lid (I used an old pasta sauce jar) Label the jar and use within two months.


Now, here's what I made with it. Crispy Chicken. Shopping list: CHicken breasts, milk, egg, and use your crispy mix.

we're getting to be dairy free here, because of our munchkin so we used soy milk. Use whatever you have on hand!


Mix together two eggs and a dash of your milk. And create an assembly line like so. Take your chicken, dip it in the egg mixture, then into a baggie with your crispy mix. Shake it up good! you want it to cover everything.


Place them into a greased pan and cook!


Uncover it for about the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, so it gets crispy.

Crispy Chicken

• 1 1/2 cups crispy mix
• 2 eggs
• dash of milk
• 3-4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 400degs. Grease a baking pan and set aside. Create an assembly line for your chicken, starting with chicken, your egg mixture, then a baggie with your crispy mix. Dip your chicken in the egg mixture, let the excess drain, then put it into the bag and shake it until all parts of the chicken are covered, then put in your pan. Throw away the extra mixture. To cook, cover with foil and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Uncover and cook for about 5-10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Valentines Day Special

HOMEMADE OREOS


Captain Jax is working the closing shift tomorrow night. *sigh* so it'll just be munchkin and I for a romantic dinner for two. I haven't posted many recipes lately because we're discovering that Munchkin is allergic to dairy products. We haven't had her officially tested yet, but we've cut it out of her diet completely and I've been searching for new dairy free recipes.

Yeah, I know, I might have to give up my cheese.

I almost cried.

Since Captain Jax won't be here for dinner, I'm sending him a pile of romantic oreos for his dinner. He'll love it. There's chocolate involved!


Shopping list: Devil's Food cake mix, 1 jar frosting (your choice!) eggs, and shortening. Preferably the butter flavored kind, but take whatever you have on hand.


Mix together 1 box of cake mix, 2 eggs, and 1/2 stick shortening. You can double this up too, your mixer can handle it.


See? Hardly any dough with just one mix.


Form them into balls about the size of a tablespoon. I didn't flatten mine down, but if you flatten them down, you'll get flatter cookies, which makes for better oreos.


Cook them for about 10 minutes, until they look like this.

And invest in a silicone baking mat if you don't have one yet. They totally rock my socks off. I love mine.


If you have just plain white icing, jazz it up with some food coloring. I used neon pink for valentines day, but you could do red, white, and blue for the fourth of July, or orange for Halloween.


Yeah for neon pink icing!


let your cookies cool completely.

Then size them up (so you don't have one large top and a small bottom) add your frosting inside and then refridgerate them in a sealed container. Eat, then sigh in contentment. Or send with your husband who's working a late shift since you'll be asleep before he comes home on Valentines night.

HOMEMADE OREOS
Recipe Courtesy of: recipesofacheapskat.blogspot.com

• 1 box Devils Food Cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 stick butter flavored shortening
• 1 jar frosting

Mix together all the ingredients. Form into small ball, flatten a littl bit and bake at 350degs for about 10 minutes. AFter the cookies are completely cooled, add frosting and create an oreo! Store in an airtight container in the fridge. This recipe can easily be doubled and will use a full can of frosting.

Pancake Mix--Monday Mix Up

Pancake mix

I decided to start a new feature here. Every monday, I'll be posting a new recipe for you. It's a different kind of recipe though, a mix recipe that you make in bulk and store, then you can make different recipes with them! yay for something new!! :)

This week, I've got a pancake mix for you. BUT, it makes more than just pancakes. it can make waffles, german pancakes (also known as puff pancakes). . . .and a few more that I'll save for later. Actually, I'm saving all but the pancakes for later. I have to make sure you will come back!!

And on that note, THANK YOU to all my new visitors who have stopped by!! I've loved reading your comments and checking out your blogs. :)

Now, let's get started on our Monday Mix Up.



You'll need flour, sugar, dry milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. The greatest thing about these mixes is that you can mix up a larger or smaller batch, depending on how much you'd like to have on hand.


dump all your ingredients in a LARGE bowl. Like the biggest you have. I have quite a few large bowls, because we LOVE popcorn in our house, and need the big popcorn bowls.


Then use a whisk and mix together everything good and well.


Pour it into a container and label it with the name of your mix and when it expires. This mix will last about 6 months. Make sure your store it in a cool, dry place.


Now, on to make the pancakes. In a bowl, put 1 egg, 2 Tbsp oil, and 1 cup water. You might need a litte before, depending on our thick the batter is.


Whisk it all together.


add and 1 1/2 cups of your pancake mix.
then mix all that together.


Grease up you skillet and get ready to cook your pancakes! This is my new cast-iron skillet my brother got me for Christmas. so far I love it!!


I poured about 1/2 cup of batter and it made a good size pancake.

And I stink at flipping pancakes, but that's besides the point!!

PANCAKE MIX
Courtsey of: recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup dry milk powder
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsps baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl. A whisk does well to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed. This will make about 5-6 cups dry mix. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid. Label the container with the mix name and the date it needs to be used by (6 months).

PANCAKES USING MIX
Recipe courtesy: recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com

• 1 beaten egg
• 1 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 cups pancake mix
• syrup and other desired toppings

Mix together egg, water, and oil. Add the pancake mix and blend it all up. Preheat a pan with oil and pour about 1/2 cup of batter per pancake. Cook for a few minutes, until bubbles form on the top. flip the pancake and cook for about 1 minute longer. Makes about 6-8 pancakes. Serve with toppings of your choice!

Baked Rigatoni

BAKED RIGATONI
I saw this recipe on The Food Network a few years ago. i can't even remember what show it was, all I remember was how cheesey it look, and well, I love my cheese!


It's basic too: rigatoni pasta (16oz) ham (I use the deli sliced kind) butter, flour, cheese, and your seasonings.

Start out by melting your butter in a pan and starting your water for the pasta to boil.

We'll be making a basic white sauce, so once your butter is melted, whisk in your flour

You need 4 cups of milk, and well, my larger measuring cup was in the dishwasher, so I used all the other ones I had. Whatever works, right?


Slice up your ham, bacon, whatever type of meat you'll want to put in. I love the ham. Grate up your cheese as well. You'll need about 2 cups total.

When your water is boiling, add your pasta. cook it just past the al dente stage. You want it to have a bite to it, but not be too hard. We'll be cooking this in the oven as well, but not too much.


Keep whisking your white sauce until it thickens up nicely.


Add your seasonings (I love onion salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper--just a dash) and your ham. By this time, you can switch to a spoon.


Then add your cheese. Make sure you leave enough to sprinkle on the top! (I'll let you decide how much is 'enough').


Mmmm, this is the cheesyness I love! Taste it too, make sure you have enough seasonings in here so it's not bland.

Go ahead and add your pasta to the mix, and stir it all together.



Once your pasta is all mixed in, spoon it into a greased dish, and sprinkle your cheese on top. Then put a little pads of butter on the top. This helps it get nice and brown.

Bake it until the cheese is all melty and gooey (about 25 minutes) and just starting to brown on top. I think this meal is freezable, but I haven't tried that yet. I'll let you know when I do!

BAKED RIGATONI
Courtsey of: recipeofacheapskate.blogspot.com

• 1 pkg (16 oz) rigatoni pasta
• 1 cube butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 qt milk (4 cups)
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• about 1/2 lb thinly sliced ham
• seasonings (onion salt, pepper, cayenne pepper)
• small pads of butter for top

Preheat oven to 425degs. Melt butter over meduim heat and start water boiling for pasta. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour. Add your milk, and continue to stir until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. When the water is boiling, add pasta and cook until just past the al-dente stage. Just starting to get soft. When the white sauce is done, add your seasoning, ham, and cheese. stir well, to get the cheese melted. Drain your pasta and add to the sauce. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, smooth the top and sprinkle with cheese. Dot the top with your pads of butter and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and brown.
If you're trying to freeze this recipe, let it cool completly after pouring it into the pan, then add your cheese on top and the butter. Cover securely and freeze. I'd say give it about 3-6 months in the freezer for it to stay good. If cooking it frozen, add about 30 minutes on the time, and check the center before you take it out.

Chocolate Pie

CHOCOLATE PIE


This was my first time making this pie, and boy howdy, it was good! and pretty easy too, my favorite combination's.


You'll need: 4 eggs, 1 cup of butter, 4 squares (1 oz each) of bakers chocolate, dash of vanilla, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 1 pie crust.


melt your chocolate in the microwave, just until it's stir-able. About 45 seconds to 1 minute should do you just fine.


cream together your softened butter and sugar.


and ready your pie crust for the oven. I had some problems with this crust, which was just another reminder to me why I'm not a baker, I'm more of a cook.


once the butter and sugar are creamed together, slowly drizzle in your chocolate. I made a HUGE mess when I did this. the side of my mixer was covered in chocolate. This is why you won't see that side in any pictures for this. It was a mess.

add about 1 tsp of vanilla too.


Turn your mixer on medium and add one egg. About five minutes later, add the second. Five more minutes, the third. Five more minutes, then add the fourth. Keep your mixture going this whole time.


and please don't forget about your pie crust in the oven. A softer crust is better. actually, I think a graham cracker crust would be the best. next time!

Pour the mixture into the crust and PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE!!! Don't slice right into it. Give it time to set up and do it's thing. AT LEAST two hours in there, but overnight was better. It was still pretty soft after two hours.

This was pretty rich too. That slice up there? I could only eat half of it, it was too much for me! Captain Jax on the other hand. . .ate half that pie!

CHOCOLATE PIE

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 oz baking chocolate
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 pie crust

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, until it's stir-able. Cream together your butter and sugar. Add the cooled, melted chocolate and vanilla. Turn your mixer to medium and add the 4 eggs, each 5 minutes apart and let your mixer run the whole time. Pour into your baked pie crust and let it set up in the fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours. Longer is better!