The JMB Family

The past few weeks we have been without an oven so we had to get creative with meals for our family of six.. We only order food in twice in this time frame.. I am super proud of us. During our journey of stove top/grill/crockpot only cooking we (and by we I mean my wonderful hubby) made a delicious Spanish rice. He made some modifications based on what we had here at home (we hate running to the grocery store) and then our oldest teenager made her own modification when it was all done and on their plates. Keep reading for the recipe .... Best Spanish Rice 4 Tbsp butter 1/2 medium onion, chopped 3 C. uncooked white rice (NOT Minute/instant rice) 4 C chicken broth (Chicken stock if you want more flavor)  2 C chunky salsa (the hubby didn't have quite 2 C so he used a can of Ro*tel)  Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat Stir in onion, cook until tender Add in the rice, stirring often.  When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce he...

Whats new with the JMB crew? On January 9, 2018 I left being a stay-at-home mama to go back to the working world. It has not been easy. Dinners are not on the table at 5 o'clock anymore. The house is in shambles. Our schedules are busier than ever. Some days it kills us to be so busy but most days I wouldn't trade it for the world. We have a teenager that drives now. Wow is that a scary crazy thing! Her first car accident happened a few months after receiving her license and it was completely not her fault. Someone turned into her car. The car had a squished fender and a crooked tire. It could have been so much worse. We thank God it wasn't. Said teenager also works now. Oh and has a checking account. When did our baby grow up?! Graduation next spring! Time to start thinking long and hard about college and the future. This past fall our second born became a teenager too! ...how are we old enough for this crap?!... She shot trap last spring and loved it! She also shot ...

Ingredients 16 ounces whipped topping 1 package (3.4 ounce) instant pistachio pudding mix 2 cups miniature marshmallows 1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple, do not drain 1/2 cup chopped pistachios or walnuts Additional whipped topping (optional and for garnish) Instructions In a large bowl combine the whipped topping, pistachio pudding, marshmallows, and pineapple.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. (Can be chilled up to 48 hours prior to serving.) When you are ready to serve, top with additional whipped topping and sprinkle with chopped pistachio. (If you are like my grandma, you add one maraschino cherry on top!

6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped 1 ham steak cut into cubes 3 1/2 cups chicken stock 1 2 pound package frozen hash brown squares  1 onion peeled & sliced  1/3 cup flour 1/2 cup sour cream 1 cup shredded cheddar 1 12oz can evaporated milk 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Add bacon, ham, chicken stock, potatoes and onion to crockpot. Mix to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until potatoes are fully cooked and tender. Once it's cooked and ready to serve melt the butter in a small pan and gradually wish in the flour. When that is completely blended, whisk in the evaporated milk and whisk until completely smooth. Bring it to a simmer. It will get REALLY thick.  Immediately pour the mixture into the crockpot and stir to combine it with the potatoes, broth, onion, ham and bacon. Make sure it's completely blended together. Then add in your sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. ...

I love this salad it is a perfect summer pasta that is refreshing. Our neighbor made this for a side to our burgers last night and it was to die for. Hope you enjoy! Tarragon Chicken Pasta Recipe: 1 lb. Bow tie Pasta 1 C. Cooked shredded Chicken 1 1/4 C. Mayo 1/4 C. Lemon Juice 1 to 2 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Tbs. of Tarragon 2 Tbs Honey 1 C. Celery 1 C. Grapes (red seedless) Cook Pasta, set aside. Combine Mayo, Lemon Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Tarragon, and Honey in a separate bowl and whisk together until smooth. Now add half the dressing you've just mixed to the pasta. Put the pasta in the fridge for 3 hours to let the pasta soak up the dressing and really take in the flavors. Before bringing the pasta out of the fridge cut up about 1 C. of celery and wash off about a cup of grapes. Then Pull the pasta out of the fridge and add the rest of the dressing to the pasta. After you have incorporated all of the dressing now add the celery and grapes and mix it all toge...

This creamy, cheesy, chicken lasagna was a huge hit with my family. They couldn't get enough! I found this recipe on Better Than Burgers, a blog with tons of yummy recipes cooked up by a pretty mother-daughter team, Julie and Dayna. I knew that my family would eat this, because there's not one thing in here that they don't like, but I had no idea how much they would enjoy it. It was really simple to make too! I started by melting a couple of tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Then I added a pound of so of cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast and 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. I cooked the chicken just until it was no longer pink and removed it from the skillet. Then I combined 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, a block of light cream cheese, 2 cups of light sour cream, and skim milk in the skillet. Because I only had oven ready (no boil) noodles, I also stirred in around a cup of water to soften up those noodles. Stir the ingredients together and bring them to a boil. ...