Ranch Burgers - Craving Fulfilled!

Well I'm pregnant and I have cravings from time to time. One of them lately has been a big, juicy hamburger! I don't care for burgers that often; if I have to choose between a burger and a hot dog, the hot dog always wins. But, the baby wants it so I found a recipe that sounded easy and yummy and went for it. It truly was easy and very quick. I cooked them on my George Foreman grill and they were perfect - but you can use your outdoor grill or even the stove top.

It's important for me to make meals that my whole family loves, so I'll usually tell you what my 2-year-old thinks of what I made. Just to give you an idea, she's been sick with a throat infection for a few days and hasn't wanted to eat anything. She's had next to nothing all day, but tonight, she ate (most) of the burger! I told her it was like a big meatball and I think that's how I sold it..haha. Good luck!

Ranch Burgers (from E-Mealz.com)

(makes 4-6 burgers, depending on how big or small you like them!)

1 lb ground round (or lean ground beef or ground turkey!)

1 packet ranch dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley)

2 T honey dijon mustard (I couldn't find honey dijon so I bought regular dijon and mixed in honey)

1 C mexican shredded cheese

Hamburger Buns

In medium bowl mix together ground meat, dressing mix, mustard & cheese. Shape into 4- 6 patties. Cook on stove or grill until juices run clear & center is no longer pink. Place patties on hamburger bun with desired condiments.

You can serve this with chips or fries and maybe even some cold fruit, like watermelon, if it's summer time.

Hi! And Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry

Wow, so a whole year went by! Well, I'm back and I've got a new recipe for you to try. It was a hit with my family tonight - even my 2-year-old ate it! I think it would be a good meal to make for a crowd - it's easy and delicious.

I got it from E-Mealz. It's a meal subscription web site that's super cheap. You pick the store you shop at, specify how many people you are feeding and sign up for a meal plan. E-Mealz will prepare a 5-day meal plan including ingredients and coupon deals. The best part is that they plan the meals around what's on sale at your grocery store that week. I've been a member for a while now and I mostly like this. I like that it's cheap ($5 a month) and that I'm saving money each week during my grocery shop. The meals we've tried have been really good. Sometimes I'll see a meal and know my family won't eat it, so I'll take some of the ingredients and make something I know we'll like. Check it out and see if it will work for your family!

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (from E-Mealz.com)

1 T cornstarch

1 T water

1⁄4 t garlic powder,

zip bag

1⁄2 lb boneless top sirloin steak, cut into 3" strips

1 T vegetable oil

2 c fresh broccoli florets (I used a frozen bag of microwave steam broccoli and added it after I cooked the onions)

1 c onion, cut into wedges

1 T vegetable oil

1⁄3 c soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 t ground ginger

1 T cornstarch

1⁄2 c water

1 bag egg noodles (or rice, your choice!)

In zip bag combine cornstarch, water & garlic powder. Add beef. Seal bag and turn to coat. In large skillet or wok over med-high heat, stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli & onion in oil for 4-5 min & return beef to pan. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, cornstarch, and water until smooth; add to pan. Cook and stir for 2 min until thickened. Serve over noodles.

Cook egg noodles according to pkg directions. Season w/ salt to taste.