Ground Beef Pie

Whenever we have ground beef, I like to jazz it up a little, instead of just cheeseburgers or hamburger helper (don't get me wrong, I love myself some burgers and hamburger helper! Stroganoff hamburger helper anyone? Yummm) but sometimes I just want to try other things with ground beef. I have had this recipe in my dancing teddy bear recipe book for a while now, and have surprisingly never made it.

Just by first glance at the recipe, I knew it was going to need some... jazz. haha. Ground beef is generally sort of flavorless, so are eggs, and so is biscuit mix. Cheese was pretty much the only flavor redeemer here. So I added a few spices and I could have probably added even more.

Let's gather our ingredients:
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (I used sharp cheddar)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup biscuit/baking mix
• (Optional) Frank's Red Hot sauce. We put it on before we ate the pie and it gave it a nice kick in the pants. :)

You'll also want:
• A glass pie plate
• A colander for draining the grease off the beef.
• Measuring utensils are a plus too. ;)
• Some Pam spray. I made it without, and let's just say that the pie plate is soaking now... :(

You might want:
• Some onions or onion powder
• Some chili powder cooked in with the beef

I say this as I could have probably added even more spice to the pie to kick the flavor up even more. Maybe a chili or taco packet added to the ground beef would be good.

First, brown your ground beef. Drain the fat. Spray your pie plate and press your ground beef into the bottom of the glass pie plate. Sprinkle the salt, pepper and oregano over the beef. I didn't mix the spices in, but rather did them as a layer. While you're at it, preheat your oven to 400.

Then, sprinkle your cheese over the beef.


In a separate bowl, mix your eggs, milk and biscuit/baking mix.

Try to get as much baking mix to mix in. I had a little ways to go when I took this picture.

Now, pour that goodness over the cheese/meat.

At this point, you have a plate full of liquid, meat and cheese and you'll think you added too much milk (that's what I thought at least!). Don't worry, it actually cooks in pretty well... just be careful when putting in the oven, it'll want to slosh all over. Before you go putting it in the oven though, take your garlic powder and sprinkle over the top, not mixing it in. This gives this crust a super yummy garlic bread type flavor when it's done. Your oven should be to 400 at this point, so go ahead and put it in for 35 minutes.

After 35 yummy smelling minutes... we've got a ground beef pie on our hands. Do let it cool a bit before gnawing into it - it'll help it set and you'll get better shaped pieces when you go to serve it.

It was pretty good, especially with a little Frank's Red Hot on top of it, and it tasted even better as it cooled. I think I'll be giving this recipe another go, but with sage pork sausage crumbled in the bottom, and maybe a sausage gravy on top! (That'll make it healthy, I'm sure.) ;)

Thanks for following along!

Ground Beef PieOriginal Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup biscuit/baking mix
• (Optional) Frank's Red Hot sauce

Directions
1) In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Press into an ungreased (or lightly greased, if you want an easier clean up) 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, oregano and cheese.
2) In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk and biscuit mix just until combined. Pour over cheese.
3) Sprinkle garlic powder over the mixture.
4) Bake at 400° for 35 minutes. Let cool before serving and enjoy! Add a few dashes of hot sauce to kick up the flavor.

It's Pinspired Friday! {Fancy Pearl Earrings Tutorial}

Hi all! It's Pinspired Friday! Today I'm going to showcase these cute earrings:

Sorry about the quality of these pictures! My camera was just not cooperating that day.

and how easy they are to make!

It all started when I pinned these earrings about 2 months ago:

I thought they were very cute and would be great for any occasion, so I decided to make some of my own and share how to make them with you!

I picked out smaller pearls and made my posts a little longer. Looking back, I would probably make my posts a little shorter (I still like the dainty pearl size) as they are super long but they're still fun and I'll probably wear them anyway.

So let's gather our supplies. We'll need:

• 6 posts with flat bottoms
• 6 "pearls"
• two french hooks

You'll also need:
• a pair of wire cutters
• a pair of earring pliers. They have rounded prongs so we can get the circles just right (needle nose won't work.)
• Possibly another pair of pliers to open the circles.
• A ruler or other measuring device

 My measuring device was a piece of paper that was an inch long. Ha! I measured each post to be an inch long where I bent and made the loop. Not sure how to make earring loops? I don't want to beat a dead horse (there are so many great tutorials out there!), so I'll link to a tutorial on making a earring loop.

I made each beginning post.

And then I put my next pin through that loop.

And proceeded to make another loop, and then another pin through that loop. Then, I simply attached my french hooks to the three step earrings...

And it's as easy as that!

Cute, can be dressed up or dressed down earrings for cheap! I had all of the materials already, so I had no cost on these, but posts, pliers and "pearls" can be bought for very cheap at Joann's or even Walmart.

Thanks for following along!

P.S. Where was I last Friday?
I was out of town last Friday and I unfortunately missed last Friday's post! Usually I schedule something if I'm going to be OOT but I had nothing and time crept up on me. Sorry about that guys! 

Paper Heart Banner

Paper + Cricut + Sewing Machine = sweet and easy Valentine's Day banner!

I made this banner a few days ago so that I could add some color to my Valentine's Day vignette. I wanted to make something easy, cheap and cute - I already had all of the materials for this!

Want to make one? You'll need:

• Some fancy scrapbook paper in "Valentine's colors" - I think all of these came from one of those big paper "stacks" - I want to say it was stack #7.
• Cricut cutting machine, or a paper cutting machine of some sort (Silhouette, die cutter, etc) or a steady hand - if you're going to use a Cricut, I used the George and Basic Shapes cartridge, size 2 on "paper saver", and on my 6" Cricut.
• Thread and sewing machine

Get your paper ready to cut. I used three different colors, one is red with stripes, the other red with pink circles, and pink snake skin (ooo, fancy). Since they all came from the same stack, they matched pretty well.

Then, cut out four size 2/paper saver per piece of paper. If you're not using a Cricut, the hearts are about 2" wide.

Once you've got 12 hearts cut out, figure out the pattern you'd like them to hang in.

Before you start sewing, pull a fair amount of bobbin and top thread so you'll have a good tail to hang your banner from. I did not need to change my tension or anything when sewing the paper - I have a Singer Heavy Duty 4423 and my tension was set to "3" and thread width was "3" - which is a pretty normal tension, nothing high or low.

Then, just begin sewing and feeding the next heart as you go along! Simple! When you get to the last of your hearts, pull another fair amount of bobbin and thread to make another tail on this side of the banner.

That's it! Now you've got a super cute banner for Valentine's Day! You could use the same idea for other holidays too!

Add it to your holiday vignettes! :)

Hope you enjoyed this little tutorial!

I'm linking up to these linky parties!

It's Pinspired Friday {Southwest Eggroll Turned Burrito}

Good morning all and Happy Friday!

Well, I've got an interesting one for you all today. It's not a Pinterest Fail, because it actually tasted pretty good, but it didn't turn at all into what I thought it was going to. I think I identified the problem though... read on for my "Pinspired" Southwest Eggroll... turned burrito".

It happened when I came across this pin for Southwest Egg-rolls on Pinterest.

From Mrs Happy Homemaker: Southwestern Egg Rolls

I was looking for something yummy but relatively healthy, or something that I could make more healthy, and this fit the bill. Around these parts, I'm going to be featuring more healthy meals! All part of that new years resolution, you know. :)

So anyway, mine turned out slightly differently. Not so much eggroll, but burrito.

Other than mine being completely the wrong size and not crisping up at all, these were actually very yummy and low-cal.

Let's gather our ingredients. I'm including my "altered for low calorie" version, and my differences are in parentheses.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 medium/large sized frozen chicken breasts, thawed.
• 1 can of corn. (15.25 size)
• 1 (14.5)oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 2.5 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 jalapenos, seeded & minced (I used slightly less than that as I'm not a big jalapeno fan)
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder (The original used actual onions... not a fan)
• 1 cup cheese (the original recommended 2.5 cups of pepper jack, all I had was Monterrey and cheddar, they were good.)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4-6 burrito tortilla shells. I used 100-calorie wheat shells.**
  
  ** This is where I went wrong - the original called for 10 flour taco-sized shells. I think that part of the reason why they didn't crisp up as nicely as the original recipe, is because they were wheat and not flour. So, if you're looking for crispier shells (and more egg roll size) use flour taco sized shells. I was aiming for lower calorie.

You'll also want: A dutch oven, cutting board, a basting brush, an extra bowl, a cookie sheet.

My frozen jalapeno thawing - it's from this past summers' garden. :)

 Preparation is very easy. Preheat your oven to 350. Start boiling some water so you can cook your chicken breast and shred it. Mince your jalapenos as the water boils.

Boil your chicken breast for about 15 minutes. Remove from boiling water (be careful) and shred it on a plate or cutting board. Empty your boiling water and place the pan back on the stove. Add your now-shredded chicken.

Turn down the heat on that burner now to about medium. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the chicken. Add your spices to the chicken and stir. Add your black beans, corn, jalapenos and spinach to the pot. Stir to get some of the spices and oil on the rest of the ingredients. Place lid on pot and let the ingredients cook together. You want the spinach to be wilted completely. Stir often so it doesn't burn.

Once the spinach is wilted, grab your cookie sheet and your tortillas. Using a generous amount of filling, fill the burritos and roll them tightly. Empty a little bit of olive oil into the extra little bowl, and use your basting brush to coat the burritos generously in olive oil.

Fancy, eh?

I do love the 100-calorie tortillas. They are sometimes not nearly as pliable (hence the not-super-tight burrito wrap), but they taste pretty good and have sometimes more than 100-calories less than traditional tortillas, so I'm going to love them. ;)

Stick the pan in the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes. You may be able to broil the tops of these to get them a little crispier on top. Mine were crispy on bottom but not top.

Either way, they were pretty yummy for being lower-calorie (I promise you won't miss that extra 1 1/2 cups of cheese). It's a great reminder that we should be inspired by Pinterest and follow what sounds good and right to us! Hope you enjoy and thank you Mrs. Happy Homemaker for the original recipe.

Southwest Egg-rolls Turned Burritos

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 2 medium/large sized frozen chicken breasts, thawed.
• 1 can of corn. (15.25 size)
• 1 (14.5)oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
• 2.5 cups fresh baby spinach
• 2 jalapenos, seeded & minced
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 cup cheese (Monterrey and cheddar were good)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4-6 burrito tortilla shells

 Preheat your oven to 350. Boil enough water in a pot on the stovetop to cover two thawed chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in the boiling water and boil chicken until cooked through (about 15 minutes). During this time, chop your jalapenos. Remove chicken, and shred the chicken. Empty water from pot, and place shredded chicken back in pot.

Turn down the heat on that burner now to about medium. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the chicken. Add your spices to the chicken and stir. Add your black beans, corn, jalapenos and spinach to the pot. Stir to get some of the spices and oil on the rest of the ingredients. Place lid on pot and let the ingredients cook together. Cook until spinach is wilted.
Once the spinach is wilted, grab your cookie sheet and your tortillas. Using a generous amount of filling, fill the burritos and roll them tightly. Empty a little bit of olive oil into the extra little bowl, and use your basting brush to coat the burritos generously in olive oil.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Low-Calorie, Low Cost, 2 Ingredients - Pumpkin Muffins!

Okay everyone, I've got a good one for you all today. It's low calorie, low cost, and there are only TWO (main) ingredients! Sounds too good to be true eh? May I present...

Pumpkin Muffins!

I'm trying to start the new year out by seriously watching my calorie intake (doesn't everyone at about this time of the year?) so when I ran across this recipe I knew I would have to give it a try. I thought these might be a good, quick and ready to grab-and-go breakfast replacement or a good snack!

Ready? Let's assemble all two of our ingredients.

• A box of yellow cake mix (I used Jiffy brand. Is Jiffy brand available throughout the United States? If so, take advantage of the low price... my 9 oz box of yellow cake mix was $.74!)
• A can of Libby's pumpkin filling. 15 oz can.

Optional ingredients: cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. I added a dash of each but you may exclude them if you want! I just found that these spices add a bit of "pop" to the pumpkin taste.

You'll also want: Pam spray or cupcake liners, a spatula, a large mixing bowl, and a muffin tin.

Preheat your oven to 350, and line your muffin tin with either cupcake liners or Pam spray/Crisco/whatever you prefer. I used Pam spray and they turned out great and came out easily.

Open your cake mix pouch and empty the contents into the bowl. Open your pumpkin can and add to the bowl. If you are going to add some spices, add a dash of each (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves) in this step. Watch your nutmeg though... too much and it becomes very overpowering. I added more cinnamon than nutmeg and cloves.

Mix thoroughly until it looks a bit like this:

Then fill your muffin tins 3/4 of the way up. I was able to make 10 smallish (2.5" across, 1" tall) muffins this way. A spatula is helpful for getting every last bit out of the bowl.

Your oven should be close to preheated by this point... these are so quick to assemble I had to wait for my oven to be completely preheated when I was done with all of the above steps! haha. Once it's preheated, place the muffin tin in and bake for 25-30 minutes. I baked mine for 25 and they were slightly gooey on the inside... which was pretty yummy. :) But I had to eat it with a fork... if you're aiming for the grab-and-go idea, I'd cook them at least 30 minutes.

With a larger cake mix (remember, I used only a 9oz. cake mix), you could probably get even more muffins out of this recipe.

Cost breakdown: My can of pumpkin filling was $1.41 (on sale! woo hoo!), and my box of cake mix was $.74. = $2.15 for 10 muffins! If you eat one a day, that's ten breakfasts at roughly 22¢ a piece! Better for you and cheaper than a drive-thru breakfast sandwich any day.

You can add a little powdered sugar on top, or if you are not watching the calories right now, you can add chocolate chips, make a glaze, or put cream cheese frosting on top for a truly divine treat.

Thanks for following along! Hope you find success in these yummy little treats. Let me know if these worked for you!

Edit: I've added the nutrition facts for these pumpkin muffins! They are an awesome source of vitamin A, and at 119 calories and less than 3 grams of fat they make a great breakfast, dessert or snack! :)

Courtesy of FatSecret.com

It's Pinspired Friday! {One Pan Fajitas}

Hey everyone! It's Friday so that means only one thing...

It's Pinspired Friday! Hooray! I'm featuring an amazing recipe today. How does this sound to you:
• 1 pan
• Inexpensive ingredients
• Not ridiculously bad for you
• Something the whole family will enjoy
• Makes great leftovers
• Easy to prepare
• You really can't screw up this recipe - modify it to your tastes!
• Did I mention... 1 pan?!

I was inspired by this pin:

Six Sisters' Stuff: Baked Chicken Fajitas

Looked pretty yummy! I decided to modify the original recipe to better fit mine and Mr. LOC's tastes. I'm not a fan of onions, canned tomatoes or canned chiles, but I love black beans and corn. I'm all about easy, inexpensive recipes and this one fits the bill. I am trying to use less pans and dishes when I prepare dinner - it's no fun having to clean up a billion dishes after dinner or loading your dishwasher full after just one meal.

Let's gather our ingredients:
• Fresh peppers (I used some orange, yellow and red ones.)
• 1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz)
• 1 can black beans (15 oz)
• 2 medium to large boneless chicken breasts, thawed
• 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (I like the taste, just not the crunch! ;)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Tortillas

You'll also want to grab:
• Pam spray
• 1 large dish (I believe I used my 1 1/2 or 2 qt french white corningware dish. A glass pyrex dish [9x9 or something like that] would work good too.)
• Cutting board and knife
• A colander
• Oven

First, preheat your oven to 400. Take your Pam spray and spray your dish. Then, cut up your peppers. I cut about 1 cup or so total. You can cut more or less based on your preference. Place the cut peppers into your dish. Then, cut your thawed chicken into thinner strips or pieces. Once that's complete, toss the chicken in with the peppers too.

In another bowl, mix your spices.

Add the two tablespoons of vegetable oil to the bowl.

Mix the oil until your spices and oil mixture looks like the above picture. Set aside for a moment.

Open the can of corn and drain, add to dish. Rinse off your black beans in a colander and cold water, then add to the dish.

Use a spoon and mix up the ingredients (I used the same one I used to mix up the spices and oil - might as well not make more dishes eh?) Then, take your bowl with the spices and oil and mix thoroughly. Your oven should be preheated at this point, so go ahead and place your dish in the oven and bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Cut up a few pieces of chicken at the end to ensure the chicken is completely cooked through. Place mixture in tortillas and enjoy! I added some sour cream to mine and it was divine!

And there you have it! A "dump-in" recipe... doesn't require any stirring during cooking either! I ended up making this for dinner one night and making it again the next day for my brother and his girlfriend! It's so easy and everyone loved it.

My brother added white rice, cheese and jalapenos to his! That's the best part of recipe - it's completely customizable to your liking and what's in your pantry. ;)

Thanks for following along! Have a great weekend!

One Pan Fajitas
Ingredients:
• Fresh peppers (I used some orange, yellow and red ones.)
• 1 can whole kernel corn (15 oz)
• 1 can black beans (15 oz)
• 2 medium to large boneless chicken breasts, thawed
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400. 
1) Chop your peppers until you have about a cup of chopped peppers. You can add more or less if you want. Spray your dish (9x9 glass pan, or 1 1/2-2 qt oven safe dish) with Pam spray and add your chopped peppers.
2) Chop your thawed chicken into strips or cubes and add to the dish.
3) Mix all spices in seperate bowl and add the oil. Mix until oil and spices are combined. Set aside.
4) Open your canned corn and canned black beans. Rinse the beans and drain the corn. Add to the dish. Mix chicken, beans, corn, and peppers.
5) Add oiled spices and mix until all pieces are coated well.
6) Bake at 400 for 25-30 minutes. Ensure chicken is cooked through before consuming. Place in tortillas and enjoy!

I'm linking up to: