Chicken

Neither of my kids are big meat eaters. So we eat a lot of chicken. Here are several chicken recipes for you. I fyou are a dark meat eater, substitute thighs or legs for the chicken breasts.

Cranberry Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 - 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1 large apple, peeled and chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon curry powder

Place chicken in baking pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Combine remaning ingredients and spoon over chicke. Bake until chicken is done.

Lemonade Chicken

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 - 6 ounce can frozen lemonade, thawed
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine lemonade, soy sauce and garlic powder. Place chicken in baking pan and cover with sauce. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover, pour sauce over chicken and bake 10 more minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 - 11 ounce jar chunky salsa
1 cup peach preserves

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch cubes. Place chicken in Ziploc bag. Add taco seasoning, shake and coat chicken.

In a skillet, bronw the chicken in a bit of oil. Combine salsa and preserves, add to skillet and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until juices run clear. Serve over rice.

Oven Fried Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a small bowl, combine breadcrubms, cheese and garlic salt. Dip chicken in salad dressing, then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Place in baking pan and bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

For Bread Lovers

I am a bread lover. One of my favorite parts of going out to dinner are the many breads I've been served over the years. A few of our favorites are the biscuits at Red Lobster and the garlic bread at Elephant Bar. Here are a few very simple bread recipes:


Gingerbread Muffins

1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup boiling water
Sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin cups.In a medium bowl, beat egg, applesauce, oil, molasses and sugar, mixing well. Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl; add to egg mixture. Stir in water, mixing well. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full, then sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Ranch French Bread

1 loaf of french bread (uncut)
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tablespoon dry ranch salad dressing mix

Cut bread in half horizontally. Blend the butter and dressing mix. Spread on bread. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lemonade Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1 - 6 ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix dry ingredients. Combine egg, 1/2 cup lemonade concentrate, milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Gently stir in nuts. Fill greased muffin cups and bake 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until done. While hot, brush with remaining lemonade concentrate and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Chile-Cheese Bread

1 loaf of french bread (uncut)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 - 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
3/4 cup grated monterey jack cheese

Slice bread into 1-inch slices. Do not cut all the way through. Mix the butter, chiles and cheese. Spread between sliced. Wrap in foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.


Apple Roquefort Bread (bread machine)

3/4 cup apple juice
1/3 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese
1 tablespoon shortening
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup bread flour
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast

Add the ingredients to the bread machine as directed by the manufacturer. Add the cheese and juice together. If possible, use the light crust setting for best results.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Appetizers & Dips

I am an appetizer lover. I can not count over the years how many times we've gone out to eat and I've ordered appetizers. No main course, just appetizers. I found a whole slew of very easy dip recipes that I wanted to share. You can serve these with crackers, cut up bread, bread sticks, vegetables or tortilla chips:

Taco Dip

1 pound ground beef
2 - 16 ounce packages cubed processed cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
several drops of hot sauce

Brown the ground beef and drain. In a seperate saucepan, heat the cheese and salsa until the cheese melts. Add the hot sauce. Add the cooked meat and mix well. Serve warm.

Taco Dip with Beans

1 - 15 ounce cans of bean dip
1 pound ground beef
1 - 4 ounce can green chiles
1 cup salsa
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain. Layer the bean dip, ground beef, chiles and salsa in a 3 quart baking dish. Top with cheese. Bake 350 degrees until cheese melts, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Veggie Dip

1 - 10 ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 - 16 ounce container of sour cream
1 package of dry vegetable soup mix
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Chill to blend flavors.

Spinach Dip

1 - 10 ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 package of dry vegetable soup mix
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl. Chill to blend flavors.

Avocado-Onion Dip

1 package dry onion soup mix
1 - 8 ounce container of sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 ripe avocados, mashed
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients. Chill and serve.

Crunchy Asparagus Dip

1 - 14 ounce can asparagus spears, drained and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix all ingredients and chill.

Hot Broccoli Dip

2 - 16 ounce packages cubed mexican processes cheese
1 - 10 ounce can mushroom soup
1 - 10 ounce package chopped broccoli, thawed and drained

In a saucepan, melt cheese with soup. Stir in broccoli. Heat through and serve warm.

Cucumber Dip

2 medium cucumbers
2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 package dry ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
several drops of hot sauce

Peel and seed cucumbers. Grate cucumbers. In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, hot sauce, salad dressing and garlic powder. Beat until creamy. Add cucumbers and mix well.

Artichoke Bacon Dip

1 - 14 ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Pour into sprayed 8 inch casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Serve warm.

Shrimp Dip

2 - 6 ounce cans tiny cooked shrimp, drained
2 cups mayonnaise
6 green onions, finely chopped
3/4 cup chunky salsa

Crumble shrimp. Stir in mayonnaise, onion and salsa. Chill several hours.

Hope you enjoy these very easy to prepare dips.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Create a Budget For Your Home Based Business

Reading message boards, one of the things I see regularly is “I don’t have any money to invest” or “I have very little money to invest”.

I believe you need to create a budget before you ever begin a business. Without a budget, you are setting yourself up for failure.

I know you can find ads that say “no money required” or “free to join”. However, money can only be made if something somewhere is bought and sold. In order for you to buy and sell whatever it is you are now in business with will require money to invest.

To begin with, whatever you are selling, you need to try yourself. While it might be free to “join a program”, there will be a fee to try the service or product.

Now consider the actual business aspect of your venture. There are fees to purchase a domain and fees to host your domain. “But the program gives me a free website” you might be thinking. There’s not a lot you can do with an affiliate site URL. If you want to advertise, write articles etc, you’re going to need your own domain. Free websites give you what you pay for. They are loaded with ads and try to find 10 people, just 10 people who have made purchases from a free web site.

To put up a website will also take an investment. You’ll either need to purchase a site building program or you’ll need to hire someone to build the site for you. Either way, this too is a financial investment.

What about marketing? How are you going to market whatever it is you are selling? Again, you might be thinking “but I know you can advertise for free”. Yes, there are forms of advertising that are free, such as article marketing, plug boards and message boards. However, these methods of marketing need to be combined with paid advertising. You’ll need to place classified ads, place banner ads and put ads into ezines. This all costs money.

Are there any supplies you’ll need? Often folks will buy a software program to help keep track of inventory, or help them keep track of customers. Sometimes folks will buy an accounting program to help them keep track of money in and money out. What about your work space? Do you have everything you need at home for your work space?

Often in business, you’ll need a long distance service for your phone. I use a combination of the free long distance on my cell phone and a phone card that I pay only a couple of cents per minute on.

I believe one of the first things you’ll need when considering a home business is a realistic budget of how much this business will cost to get off the ground. There really is no such thing as a “free business”

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Cake Anyone?

I believe cake is one of the few foods that can be eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've had coffee cakes many times in the morning, I've also had pound cake in the morning. Lunch and dinner, I say bring on the chocolate!! I love the Tupperware Cake Takers. They make transporting cakes a breeze. No more ruined frosting, lopsided cakes etc. In fact, the rectangular Cake Taker even reverses and holds cupcakes. So, for all those that love cake as I do, here are some yummy cake recipes to try:

Pinapple Angel Cake

1 - 4 ounce package Jell-O vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 - 20 ounce can crushed pineapple in juice (undrained)
1 cup thawed Cool Whip
1 box angel food cake

Prepare cake according to package directions. In a bowl, mix the dry pudding and pineapple. Gently mix in whipped topping. Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Place 1/3 of pudding mixture inbetween each layer. Place remaining 1/3 on top of cake. Chill at least 60 minutes. Top with fresh fruit and serve.

Notes: Use the low calorie cool whip and the sugar free pudding. You'll cut calories without taste. You can create this either as a round cake or a rectangular cake.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake

1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanuts or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or two 8-inch round pans.
In a mixer bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs, and peanut butter; mix on slow 1 minute; scrape bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 minutes if using round pans, 35 minutes if using rectangular pan.

Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating after each addition.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, stir in half of the flour mixture, add milk and vanilla, then stir in remaining flour mixture. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

Banana Cake

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups bananas, overripe, mashed
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine (optional)
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the bananas, nuts and vanilla. Prepare the sour milk by stirring the lemon juice into the milk. Sift the dry ingredients and add them to the banana mixture. Mix in the sour milk gently. Pour into a prepared 9 x 12" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until firm in the center).

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

What Can You Do With Hamburger Meat?

I was recently involved in a discussion about all the things you can do with hamburger meat. So I thought it would be fun to post some recipes here.

Hamburger and Potatoe Casserole

3 potatoes, sliced thin
1 pound hamburger (you can also use ground turkey)
1 small onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 - 16 ounce can green beans, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 can of milk
4 ounces grated Cheddar cheese

Place sliced potatoes in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Brown hamburger and onion (drain). Put on top of potatoes. Add garlic salt. Next add green beans. Mix celery soup and 1/2 can of milk and pour over beans. Top with grated cheese. Bake, uncovered, in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Cover for last 10 minutes of baking.

Note: Play with flavors here. Try cream or broccoli or cream of mushroom soup. Try swiss cheese.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

1 1/2 pouns ground beef
1 cup tomato sauce seasonings for sloppy joes
2 teaspoons chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans crescent dinner rolls
2 cups shredded cheese

Brown ground beef and tomato sauce in skillet. Add seasonings, onion and salt.

Separate each can of crescent rolls into two large rectangles. Press two into a large 9 by 13 pan.
Spoon on meat mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top. Place two remaining rectangles of dough on top of meat and cheese. Pinch edges and brush top with milk. Bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Easy Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
3 1/2 c. (32 oz.) thick spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 c. water
2 c. (15 oz.) Ricotta cheese
3 c. (15 oz.) shredded Mozzarella
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
8 oz. lasagna, uncooked

Brown beef in 3-quart saucepan; drain off excess fat. Add sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes. Combine remaining ingredients, except lasagna, for filling. Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

Layer 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna over sauce; cover with about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Spread half of cheese filling over sauce. Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce and cheese filling. Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove foil; bake about 10 minutes longer. Allow to stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

2 pounds ground beef
1 can El Paso enchilada sauce
1 small can chopped green chives
5 ounces Longhorn cheese
1 medium onion
1 can mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pound Velveeta cheese
2 dozen tortilla chips

Cook beef and onion together until beef is done. In skillet, add enchilada sauce, mushroom soup, chicken soup, chopped chives, Velveeta and Longhorn cheese. Layer all the sauce and tortilla into pan and then cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a 13 x 10 inch pan lightly greased.

Beef Noodle Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 - 46 ounce V8 juice
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 package ramen noodles, beef flavor
1 - 16 ounce package frozen vegetables

In a large saucepan, on medium heat, cook beef until pink is gone. Drain. Stir in the onion soup mix, V8 juice, seasoning packet from the ramen and the vegetables. (do not add noodles yet)

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 minutes uncovered. Return to a boil and add noodles. Cook for 3-4 more minutes. Noodles should be tender.


Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Layway in Direct Sales

Have you ever had a potential customer say “oh I’d love to buy that but I can’t afford it?” Most of us are taught to overcome that objection, to prove the worth or value of the product. However if the buyer truly can not afford the product, then no matter how convincing we are, a sale is not going to be made.

Have you considered offering a layaway option to those customers who can not afford the item right now? Many years ago, most major retail chains offered a layaway plan. Due to the cost of maintaining these programs, most stores did away with the layaway option. This is your chance to offer what the retailers don’t.

Write up the receipt for the product (s) that your customer wants and then set out the terms. Perhaps their order is $100 and they want to pay $20 per month, over 5 months. Why not accept this? In the end, you’ll have your $100 sale, they’ll have their products, and you’ll have a customer.

Remember, you are not a bank. If the customer comes to you wanting their money back, you are not a bank. When you write up your receipt be very clear there will be a $20 fee for any cancelled transaction.

Depending on the product (s) you sell, you may be able to order the product (s) 5 months down the road, once they are paid for. If you do have to order the product (s) up front, then again, on your receipt be very clear that if a payment is missed, the items will be sold and no money will be returned.

Usually customers are grateful for this service and you’ll get the $20 each month as promised.
Offering layaway to customers is a wonderful way to make yourself stand out as being different and unique.

Try advertising this service and watch your customer base grow.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka