It’s also time for our kids to go back to school. Monday is the magic day around here. In honor of that please leave us a comment telling us what you did or plan to do the day your kids go back to school. Are you going to get a pedicure? Are you going to lunch with a friend? Or are you cleaning house or spending the day at the office?

Leave us a comment and we will pick a winner Sunday evening. The winner will receive ...]]> It’s time for a giveaway!

It’s also time for our kids to go back to school. Monday is the magic day around here. In honor of that please leave us a comment telling us what you did or plan to do the day your kids go back to school. Are you going to get a pedicure? Are you going to lunch with a friend? Or are you cleaning house or spending the day at the office?

Leave us a comment and we will pick a winner Sunday evening. The winner will receive a brand new copy of Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. It’s full of great recipes! The best part is that they are grouped by week and Leanne provides you with a shopping list for the week. All the hard work is done for you!

We can’t wait to hear what everyone has planned for the first day of school! Maybe we’ll get some great ideas on how to celebrate enjoy the day!

Well, it’s Sandra Lee time again.  And, the title says it all.  I had big plans for this post.  I also had some pre-conceived notions about this meal.  My big plans were that I was going to let the little darlings help me cook.  They beg all the time to help me in the kitchen and I am just too darn Lazy to let them.  When they help in the kitchen, it makes a bigger mess for me to clean up.  ...]]>

Reprinted with permission by Hoffman Media, LLC. www.semihomemademag.com

Well, it’s Sandra Lee time again.  And, the title says it all.  I had big plans for this post.  I also had some pre-conceived notions about this meal.  My big plans were that I was going to let the little darlings help me cook.  They beg all the time to help me in the kitchen and I am just too darn Lazy to let them.  When they help in the kitchen, it makes a bigger mess for me to clean up.  I know you are all probably shaking your heads at me right now, but I’m just keeping it real.  I would rather “get in, get out and get on with my life”!

So, I invite the little darlings to help out in the kitchen and I get not one, not two, but three “nos”. (no’s?  nose?  knows?)  I couldn’t believe it.  This was going to be the bulk of my post.  I was to post cute pictures of them cooking and I would look like the perfect Mom as we prepared a delectable dinner. 

But, it didn’t happen!

In fact, two of them ditched me for dinner!

But, I picked up a neighbor friend!  Hooray!

I’m getting ahead of myself.  This month’s Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade meal is Sloppy Joes and Fast Spicy Fries. 

Reprinted with permission by Hoffman Media, LLC. www.semihomemademag.com

Sloppy Joes

Makes 4 servings

1 pound ground beef

1 cup water

4 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons barbecue sauce,

Bull’s Eye®

2 tablespoons onion soup mix, Lipton®

4 sesame seed hamburger buns

2 cups prepared coleslaw

1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and crumbly; drain. Stir in 1 cup water, tomato paste, barbecue sauce, and soup mix until combined. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until thickened.

2. To serve, spoon ground beef mixture evenly over bottom halves of buns. Top each with 1?2 cup coleslaw. Cover with top halves of buns. Serve immediately.

Here is the meat simmering while I wait on the fries to be finished:

While the meat was simmering the fries were cooking.  Here is the recipe for the fries:

Fast Spicy Fries

Makes 4 servings

5 cups frozen thin-cut french fries, Ore-Ida®

1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning, McCormick®

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 450?.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Spread fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes; stir. Spray fries with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with steak seasoning and salt. Bake 7 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Ok, girls.  This is the best tip ever!  In fact, it’s the tip of the day!  Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.  Brilliant!  After 7 minutes of cooking, take the fries out of the oven, spray with cooking spray and spread steak seasoning and salt evenly.  I used a brush to spread it on the fries.

Back into the oven they go for about another 7 minutes.  And, then this is what you get:

Can you say, “yum”?

So, here is my creation.  How does it look compared to Sandra’s?  That’s always the million dollar question around here!

I think it looks pretty darn good!  And, you know what else?  It tasted great!  So, I guess I can ‘fess up about my pre-conceived notions.  I just didn’t think this was going to go over well in my house!  Now, granted, I was missing two of my kids, but the neighbor’s kid ate over here.  Big D and Hannah even had seconds.  Simply delicious!!! I’m not pulling your leg!  You must try.  And then let me know what you think!  Enjoy!!!

What a great tip!  Thanks, Ivy.  I am going to try this!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway!  You have until Saturday night!

My confesssion…. I have 2 boys ages 12 and 8. I buy most foods that they can cook. I show them 1 time what to do, that tell them to read the directions. I het my dinner cooked for me at least 2 times a week. There is nothing better then being served dinner made by my sons. Lazy YES, Stress free even better!!!

Thanks, Diane!  Any tips or confessions that you ...]]> We received this Lazy Mom Confession from Diane Y. and thought it was worth passing along to you!

My confesssion…. I have 2 boys ages 12 and 8. I buy most foods that they can cook. I show them 1 time what to do, that tell them to read the directions. I het my dinner cooked for me at least 2 times a week. There is nothing better then being served dinner made by my sons. Lazy YES, Stress free even better!!!

Thanks, Diane!  Any tips or confessions that you want to share?  We have to help our fellow Lazy Moms out so we can all get more done so we can have more fun!!  Leave a comment with your best cooking tip or confession!

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-07-30 03:00:07 UTC

That means the winner is:

Kim Malone said:

Potato soup!

Congratulations, Kim.  Just send the Lazy Moms an e-mail with your mailing address and we will get your cookbook to you!  Thanks to Sandra Lee for the Money Saving Meals cookbook.  We ...]]> We love how many comments we received yesterday!  it was fun to see what everyone was having for dinner.  Some of you are much more gourmet than others.  We will have more giveaways soon so stay tuned if you weren’t the winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

20

Timestamp: 2009-07-30 03:00:07 UTC

That means the winner is:

Kim Malone said:

Potato soup!

Congratulations, Kim.  Just send the Lazy Moms an e-mail with your mailing address and we will get your cookbook to you!  Thanks to Sandra Lee for the Money Saving Meals cookbook.  We will be having another Sandra Lee day soon at Lazy Moms…maybe there’s another autographed cookbook giveaway in our future!?!?

Courtesy of Sandra Lee Semi Homemade Magazine; reprinted with permission from Hoffman Media, LLC

Oh, and just because we aren’t giving anything away today doesn’t mean you can’t leave us a comment!  Let’s keep this conversation going…talk amongst yourselves!

In honor of the fact that the Lazy Moms have been trying to save a little cash, we are giving away an autographed copy of Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals.  All you have to do to win is leave a comment telling us what you are making for dinner tonight.  It’s that easy!  Good luck!

Submitted by J.S.

My Mom’s recipe was actually hamburger stroganoff and it called for lots of things I’m too lazy to go get out of my pantry…it’s such a long 3 steps from my crockpot to the pantry.  ...]]> Beef Stroganoff was something that my Mom made  quite often when we were growing up.  I have only made it a few times and I’ve been trying to figure out why.  I’m torn between I forget about it and all that sour cream is not good for a girl’s figure, but, nonetheless I made it today.

My Mom’s recipe was actually hamburger stroganoff and it called for lots of things I’m too lazy to go get out of my pantry…it’s such a long 3 steps from my crockpot to the pantry.  I used beef tips, the kind you use in stew and I omitted things like onions (’cause my kids don’t like them) and paprika (’cause I wasn’t sure it was worth the 3 steps).  So, my recipe is truly a Lazy Mom’s recipe and my measurements aren’t precise.  You can’t go wrong here.

First, I browned 2 pounds of beef tips and put them in the crockpot.

Second, I sauteed 1 package of fresh sliced mushrooms.  My kids won’t be happy about this.  They will take a great big bite thinking that it is beef and then tell me the meat tastes funny.  You might want to leave these out, but I think it helps tremendously with the flavor.  Tell your kids to pick around them.  It’s good for their character! Go ahead, dump them in the crockpot.

Next I dumped about 12 oz. or so of sour cream on top along with 2 cans cream of chicken soup.  You could use cream of mushroom if you omit the fresh mushrooms.

Cook on low for 4 hours or so.

Serve over egg noodles. 

Throw some canned peaches next to them and you’ve got yourself a meal!!!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff