Addendum to Tasty Tuesday

Okay, so I feel like an ass!  I was just scrolling through all the blogs I follow to see the latest posts, and to what do my wandering eyes appear?

Christy at Dearest Dreams already does Tasty Tuesday!  Boy, do I feel like an idiot!  Here I am, thinkin' I've come up with a brilliant idea, and secretly, someone else came up with a brilliant idea!  Duh!

So, my apologies to Christy for not giving credit where credit is due. ***blushing with embarassment***

Tasty Tuesday... Homemade "Hamburger Helper"

I've decided to start "Tasty" Tuesdays.  Everyone is so busy these days, running here and running there.  And I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I am so sick of food!  It seems like I make the same dishes day after day. 
  So, I thought it would be nice to share some recipes that are easy and quick enough to make on weeknights when you're running out the door.  Hence, "Tasty Tuesday" has been born.

  For our first installment, I am sharing my recipe for what my kids call "homemade hamburger helper".  I used to buy the boxed meal, but with two growing boys (a teen and a pre-teen), I found that one box didn't get us very far.  The homemade version tastes better and is more economical. 
  It's very easy to double the recipe.

Homemade Hamburger Helper

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup water

1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

salt & pepper, minced onion, garlic powder to taste

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Drain and return to skillet.  Add elbow macaroni, can of tomatoes, and water.  Add seasonings at this point.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cover, stirring occasionally.  When all the water is absorbed and the macaroni is cooked, add shredded cheese.  Remove from heat.  Cover until cheese is melted.

***this is supposed to serve 4, but for my crew, who are big eaters, I add more macaroni.  I usually do 2 cups of elbow macaroni, and increase the water to 2 cups!  When I do this, I use 2 cups of shredded cheese.

***you can use plain cheddar cheese instead of the colby-jack.

***I prefer to use petite diced tomatoes, but you can use regular, or italian seasoned.

As you can see, this is an easy, versatile dish.  Throw together a packaged salad and dinner is done.  With the seasonings, I don't like to say an exact amount to be used, because everyone's tastes are different.  You can omit the minced onion or garlic.  Or use Italian seasoning.  Play around and experiment. 

  This is an old stand-by in my house... I make it atleast twice a month.

New Award and Graphic To Show Book Blogging Solidarity

  First, I would like to thank Jeannie at Pine Cottage Books for this lovely award.

This is an award given to kind-hearted bloggers who contribute and post on a regular basis and make our blogs the successful and charming places that they are!

Next, I would like to share this awesome graphic, also from Jeannie at Pine Cottage Books!  She says:

It is really something special to be a part of such a diverse and caring book blog community. Each one of us endeavor to bring not only credibility and respect to what we are doing, but we add a good dose of fun and caring too

Totally agreed!