Chicken and Dumplings Soup

2-3 c cooked and shredded chicken, turkey or other poultry
3 ribs celery chopped
3/4 a large onion chopped
1 tbsp garlic
1-2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp thyme
2 c buiscut mix
2/3 c milk
celery seed, thyme and celery salt to mix into dumplings
2-4 tbsp butter
2-4 tbsp flour
6 c chicken broth
1/2 c wine

In a large pot melt butter over med high heat. Add onions and celery and sweat do not brown. When they have cooked down and begun to soften add the garlic until aromatic but not brown. stir in the flour. Allow the flour, vegg, butter mix to cook a bit over the heat and get a little bubbly and peanut colored. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pot. Slowly add the 6c chicken broth/stock. Bring to a boil adding the seasonings, salt, celery seed and thyme and chicken. Meanwhile mix the buiscut mix and milk with the seasonings until a dough forms. Mine was not wet at all and I just cut it into even portions. I don't remember how many, but it was quite a bit of dumpling goodness. After chicken has boiled for 10 minutes add the dumplings to the boiling mixture and allow to dip under the broth for a minute. Cook for 20 minutes covered, do not peak! Serve immediately! Yummy! I could eat about three bowls of this and the next day adding more broth stretches this into two meals s you can be sure I ate more than my fair share of servings!

Mom's Lemon Cookies

mom's version
One box lemon cake mix
One small bag of semi sweet choc chips or 1/2 bag of large
1 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/3 water

Add all together except chips, add mire water if dough is too stiff. Add chips

Bake at 350 on slightly greased cookie sheet until done, about 10 min

my sisters version:
I just made them for a bake sale last week 1 box cake mix 1/2 half a bag chips 1/4 cup oil and 2/3 cup or so of water and water as needed to mix w/o getting too sticky , needs to be drop cookie consistency, bake at 350 for 10 min or until the edges are set, lightly grease the cookie sheets first. and two eggs :)

Gonna make me some for a cookie exchange! Yummy!!

Beef and Potatoes Quickie Supper

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg hot italian sausage (caseings removed)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cooking wine
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
3/4- 1 cup sour cream
sauteed mushrooms (optional)
2 cans sliced potatoes or 2 russet potatoes par boiled and sliced
2 tbsp butter
3tbsp wozzy sauce

Brown beef and sausage over med-high heat. Meanwhile in separate pan saute onions in butter til translucent(if adding mushrooms, they go in now too!). When the onions are softened and the butter is beginning to brown, not the onions the butter, add the garlic and saute but do not allow to brown. In crock pot--you can also do this in a large pot (which is much quicker and I was really busy today so I was using what I had to save time and have a hot meal ready when we all got home!) mix together the 2 cans of mushroom soup, wozzy, wine, thyme, and sauteed onions and garlic. Add the browned meats to the mixture (after draining the oil off of them!) and stir it all up. Put on low and let it simmer for 3-4 hours. then add the sour cream and mix thoroughly. Then add the potatoes and mix. Turn pot up to high and heat for about 20-30 more minutes or until hot throughout. Serve with homemade rolls, and a green vegg.

Chicken and Potatoes with cumin and chipotle

2-3 tbsp butter
1-2 lrge russet potatoes, baked and cooled
1 c chopped cooked chicken (roasted or baked chicken is best)
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipolte chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. water
1/2 c cooking wine to deglaze the pan

melt butter in pan and add the chicken onions and potatoes. saute until browned on all sides. deglaze pan with white wine and water. add seasoning  and let simmer gentle for a few minutes until the flavors meld. this was SOO yummy! I love potatoes. I think you could also easily sub in bacon or ham for the chicken. A good green veg goes along perfectly!

Great Fab Find!!!

Original Recipe for Maple Glazed Pork Chops

But I tweaked it a little bit! Obviously!

8 boneless pork chops
3 tsps chili powder
1 tsp chipoltle chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 can chicken broth
1/2 c maple syrup (real!)
3 tbsps balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
about 3 lbs sweet potatoes
2-3 red onions chopped

I cut up the sweet potatoes and the onions and then got them to boiling on the stove. I then seasoned the chops with the chili powders and salt and then browned them in the oil. I then started the balsamic reducing. When the potatoes were done I mashed them with butter and some chicken broth. after the chops had browned I added some broth to the pan and covered and simmered for a bit. When they were done I removed the lind and drained the liquid off. I then finished the sauce with the maple, broth and a pat of butter. I then poured the sauce on the chops and served the chops and sauce over the mashed sweet potatoes/red onions, it was bangin'!!

Maple-Pretzle Pork

about 10 thin cut pork chops
1/3c - 1c pure maple syrup
1-2 c crushed pretzles or pretzle crackers (crush them very well)

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl place the pork chops and add the maple syrup until covered. In a pie plate or a dish place the pretzle crumbs. Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil. Take the maple coated chops one at the time and dip them into the pretzle crumbs until fully coated. Place on the sheet tray. Bake for 20 minutes and then turn up the oven to 425 for around 5 minutes.

Cabbage and Noodles

1 sm/med head cabbage, shredded salted and left for 10-15 minutes then squeezed of water
1 med red onion sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 c butter
1 lb bag of wide noodles, cooked to pkg directions

In a pot or large saute pan add the butter and melt. Add the onions and the cabbage, sauteing until browned and tender, like making carmelized onions, only its with cabbage. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked noodles and saute with the cabbage onion mixture until they mingle the flavors. Serve immeditately! YUMMY!!

Pork and Apples In The Crock Pot

This was yummy, kids and adults enjoyed alike.

8 boneless pork chops
1 onion sliced thin or chopped
4 granny smith apples, peeled cored and sliced thin like the onions
1 c chicken broth
1/3 c orange juice
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1/2-3/4 tsp ground mustard
1 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper (for seasoning chops before browning and seasoning the food throughout)
1-2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tbsp brown sugar

In a med saute pan, add the oil and half the butter and brown the chops in batches, about 2-3 minutes per side. Place in bottom of the crock pot. In the same pan add other half of butter and the apples and onions. saute until they begin to pick up some of the color of the pork. Add to the top of the chops in crock pot. To the saute pan add the oj, broth, mustard, brown sugar, and season to taste, scrape up any remaining brown bits and allow to mix thoroughly. Pour sauce over top of onions, apples, and chops mixture. Turn crock pot to high and cook 2-3 hours or until the chops are tender and cooked through. I added the cider vinegar at this time after tasting and also seasoned with salt and pepper. At this point I removed the chops and mixed a slurry of 1/4 c cold water to about 2-3 tbsp corn startch and added it to the pot. Stiring until thickened (happend fast). I added the chops back into the pot and then allowed to hang out and cool a bit. I served over mashed potatoes, this would go well with any veggie, but remember there are lots of apples in this. And it was yummy!

Mary's Chocolate Cake

This is not my recipe. I post this only for my own reference. This is Williams most favorite cake recipe and we love it more because we love the woman you made this for us for years! We miss you turner Fam!!

Chocolate Cake

Pre-heat oven 375 degrees.  Grease and flour a jelly roll pan.

 

Bring these ingredients to a boil, then add to flour and sugar mixture:

 

1 cup water

1 stick margarine

4 tablespoons of cocoa

 

Flour / Sugar mixture:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

 

Mix well, then add:

 

½ cup butter milk or sour milk (to make sour milk, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to milk and let set for a few minutes)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon soda

 

 

Pour into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes.  Cake will look moist on top.  Let cool and frost.

New Recommends

Company Chicken****

This was as good as I remember it being, but this recipe amped it up a bit. I follow this pretty close, excet I browned the bacon after cutting it in half so one piece of bacon topped one piece of chicken. Then I browned the breasts in the bacon drippings (just about tbsps worth). Then I put them in the baking dish. This is SUCH a yummy dinner or lunch, which is what we had. Must try, but remember its not very figure friendly.

Cheddar Beer Soup **

This was just pretty good. I did add a sauted group of celery, onion and carrots and also boiled some potatoes and added the potatoe water to thicken the soup, it just was very bland. I don't know if I will make this again, but maybe. Need a TON more salt and thats kinda not too cool to me when I cook, I don't want to add gallons of salt to a recipe! :D

Bangers and Mash ***

I Loved the Mash on this one and will continue to make it. The bangers were okay, but not like the real thing, although the gravy was tasty. I will tweak it again next time like I did this time. But I don't want to do the exact same thing again. But I want a more beefy sauce with the flavor of carmelized onions and such. For the mash I sauteed some slaw mix and then added it to the salted and peppered mash with a little butter and milk, just a touch, it was YUMMMY.. so the bangers get ** and the mash gets ****!

Mac and Cheese with Onions and Bacon****

This was straight up comfort bonanza! WOWIE! I carmelized the onions while the other things cooked and mixed them with the bacon and stired them into the finished pasta and then baked it all with panko sprinkled on top with some parm! Just fabulous! WOWOWOWOW!!!

Buffalo Chicken Bites ***

Yum! Good easy comfort food. I have either been in a comfort food zone lately or a light and tasty mood. So this had fit the bill well! Enjoy it!!!

Glazed Carrots ***

I made this for a friend a couple of months ago, and tried a bite, don't tell her I did. it was really good. I wanted to make it for my own fam, but didn't get around to it yet! :D

Sweet and Savory Apple Pancake Bake

Here is the original recipe that inspired my version of this meal:

2 apples chopped into small bites
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 pound of bacon (frozen for a bit and then sliced into thin bits for browning)
1 1/2 c baking mix
1 1/2 c milk
1 c. liquid eggs
4 tbsp brown sugar (divided)
4 tbsp real maple sugar (divided)
2 c. shredded cheddar
2 apples peeled and then diced

Spray two pie pans with baking spray and preheat oven to 375. Place the diced apples into the pie plates, one apple per plate. add the brown sugar to the apples and mix until well coated. In a separate bowl mix the eggs, baking mix and milk until  together, may be a bit lumpy. pour the baking mixture over the apples adding an equal amout to each pie plate. meanwhile brown the bacon in a pan, rending as much fat as possible (this means you brown on a low setting). Drain the bacon on towels and add the red onion to the hot oil and slowly carmelize the onion in the bacon drippings. Then add two tbsps each of the maple syrup to the pie pans of apple mixture. When the onions are browned and tender sprinkle half into each pie plate. Do the same with the bacon. I stirred each pie plate at this point to make sure everything was evenly distributed and that the maple syrup didn't just sink to the bottom. Then add the cheddar (half in each pie plate) and press it until it sinks under the batter. Bake in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is golden and a tooth pick or knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Slice into eight pieces each and serve warm with more real maple syrup.

This is like a big apple/bacon/cheddar pancake...We enjoyed it!

Pasta with Carmelized Onions, Parmesan and a Balsamic glaze

1/2 pkg angle hair pasta cooked to pkg directions
1-2 onions slices in half and then thinly slices into half moons
1-2 tbsps brown sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
butter
Parmesan cheese

In a skillet melt several tbsp butter and add the onions, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Allow to brown slowly on med/low heat, stirring often until they turn a carmel color and are sweet and gooey. Meanwhile in a small skillet add the balsamic vinegar and simmer until reduced by half and becoming a syrup like substance. When the onions are done add to the pasta (which you have added a little butter to stop from sticking to each other) with a generous amount of parm. Finish the balsamic sauce with a touch of butter and pour over all the pasta/onions. Serve immediately. YUMMMY!!!!!

Bake Marinated Chicken Fingers

equal parts of a vinegar and an oil (I usually use olive oil and have tried both cider and balsamic vinegar)
salt and pepper
1 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
Other dried spices as your tastes prefer (I have done celery seed, poultry seasoning, etc)
1-2 tbsp mustard (dijon, grainy, or other mustard you prefer)
1 pkg chicken breasts or tenderloins
ziplock or other pkg to marinate in

mix the first 6 ingreds until well blended. Add the chicken and turn to coat each piece. Place in fridge for 8 hours or over night. Preheat oven to 375 and place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until chix is golden and tender and cooked through. Eat and enjoy!

Chicken Noodle Soup

This is my version.

2 large chix breasts cut into small bites
5 med-large carrots chopped
1-1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 large onion chopped
1 1/2-2 c. pasta (something swirled or twisted)
3-4 tbsp butter
3-4 tbsp flour (wheat flour works great here)
Cayenne pepper to flavor the meat
Garlic salt to flavor the meat
1/2 -1 tsp thyme
1/2-1 tsp celery seed
4 c broth
2 c water

In large pot melt butter until it sizzles. Add chix and allow to brown. Add th cayenne and garlic salt to taste. Add the flour stirring and scraping up te brown bits. Allow it to cook some and brown a bit more. Add the veggies and stir t coat them a little with the flour mix. Add the seasoning until aromatic. Add the water and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the pasta and bring back to a boil. Cook 10-15 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked. I season this by smell and so often have to check the flavor near the end. It is good the next day too, but you usually have to add some water to thin it out some!

Company Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
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1 small jar dried beef shopping list
8 Skinless, Boneless chicken breasts shopping list
4 strips bacon shopping list
1 small onion, chopped shopping list
1 - 12 oz. can mushrooms, or 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced shopping list
1/2 tsp. thyme shopping list
2 cans cream of mushroom soup shopping list
1 ½ c. sour cream shopping list
¼ cup sherry or white wine, optional shopping list
paprika shopping list
hot buttered egg noodles or hot cooked rice, for serving shopping list
How to make it
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease 9” x 13” pan.
Rinse dried beef very well and pat dry (removes some of the salt). Line bottom of pan with dried beef.
Fry bacon in large pot (yes, I said pot) until just beginning to crisp. Reserve drippings. Remove from pan and cut bacon strips in half crossways. Set aside.
In reserved bacon drippings, on medium heat, saute chicken breasts until brown on both sides; no need to cook through. Remove from pan and lay over dried beef in casserole dish. Lay ½ strip bacon over each piece of chicken.
In same pot, saute onions and mushrooms until onions are transluscent and mushrooms have softened.
To sauteed vegetables, add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and wine (if using); heat over medium heat until bubbly. Spread over chicken. Sprinkle paprika on top.
Bake uncovered for 1 - 1 ½ hours until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.
Serve with hot buttered egg noodles or hot cooked rice and a nice green vegetable

Green Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 large can baked maple flavored beans
1 jar green salsa 16 or more ounces
2 cups beef broth
assorted veggies chopped to bit size (tomatoes, carrots, onions, corn)

brown beef and drain. add beef and remaining ingredients to crock pot and turn on low for 8 ours or hign for 2-3 hours. Serve with a side of corn bread. Yummy and easy!

Chicken Flautas

I made chicken flautas for dinner the other night from a food network recipe and they were really good, VERY filling (I only ate one and Will only ate two). Here is what I did and where I got my inspiration!

Shredded Chicken Breast:
placed 3 chix breats in a crock pot and then in a bowl I mixed about 1 c of water with garlic powder, galic salt, chopped garlic, and some boullion mix (not much) and some pepper. I then poured that over top and cooked on high for 3 hours, shredded it and used it in place of rotisseri chix called for in the following recipe.

Chicken Flautas with Avocado creme


These made ALOT of food and we ate this for three days!! Seriously! They were good though. I don't think I will make them often as it is just so much, unless I made them for a party or something.

Yummy Pot Pie

Just made a fab pot pie recipe for the fam. It was super yummy. Here is where I got my inspiration and then this is what I actually did.

Wine Poached Chicken

Chicken Tarragon Pot Pie


4 small leeks
3 carrots
heart of celery
1/2 onion
2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
4 boneless skinless chick breast
1 c white cooking wine
2 c chicken broth from bouillon
1 tsp dried thyme
2 ready made pie crusts
1 c half and half
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour

In a large pot I added the veggies, which had been sliced about 3 inches long. I obviously clean the leeks after slicing them down the middle as they are very gritty between the leaves. I added the chicken on top of the veg and then topped with thyme and fresh tarragon. Then I added the broth and the wine to just cover the chicken mixture. I brought it gently to a boil and covered it and lowered the heat and simmered for 25 mins. I then separated the broth from the veg/chix and reserved the liquid. I chopped the veg/chix into bite sized pieces and divided between to round pie plates. Then in the pot I cooked the chick/veg in I melted 3 tbsp of butter and added the flour. I let the flour cook a bit and gradually added two cups of the reserved liquid from the poaching. I then added the cup of half and half making a creamy sauce. Season to taste at this time with salt and pepper. I poured the sauce over the two pies and then used the already made pie crusts and topped them. Giving several air holes for the mixture to breath. I placed in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes and then lowered the heat to 375 for 20 minutes until the pies were bubbly. I baked the pies on a cookie sheet to keep messes to a minimum. These were really good and two pies really did feed our whole family without any left overs. If I was making this for a crowd it would be much more pies, probably four. But it was only 4 chicken breasts to begin with and if I had used more chix I would have probably had more pie as I could easily have made the sauce more. I have 4 c. of broth left over which I froze to use another time. YUMMY!!!

Stuffed Pepper Soup

2 pounds ground beef
2 quarts hot water
1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c -3/4 c uncooked quick barley
2 cups chopped green peppers (I do a large chop, 3/4 inch pieces)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
Salt to taste (I don't add any more at this point)
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Directions
In a large pot, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until peppers are tender. Yield: 10 servings.


The original Recipe.

Recommended Recipes

Sausage Potato Salad****

This was really YUMMY and the kids enjoyed it! The taste was fresh and not heavy, only changes I made was using russet potatoes in place of red one! This is a "gotta try"!

Thai Chicken Curry Soup****

This soup was SOO good!! We obviously didn't serve this to the kids as it was just too spicy, but I am sure with some minor adjustments we could very easily share with the kids, this is not a lot of food either. But the broth is DELICIOUS!! I didn't use store bought roast chicken, I roasted my own in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper and then shredded it and chopped it. I froze the left overs which I KNOW will make a great lunch for me or a snack for the hubs!

Sauteed Peppers and Onions****

We use these on sweet sausage and hogie rolls. They are simply YUMMMMMY! Only difference I can add is using balsamic vinegar in place of red wine vinegar! We will def keep this one as a staple for quick easy dinner that everyone LOVES and eats right up!!

Herb Quick Bread***

Made this for CG one night to go with the stuffed pepper soup I made. I also baked a garlic loaf, which I didn't really like as much although it seemed to be a hit too. This had that sweet and herby taste that I think goes so well with yummy warm soup recipes! I will def use this again. I didn't use caraway seed, I subbed in anise and it was really good! My only complaint is that this was made by being dipable! If it was stand alone it might be a bit dry, but I didn't try an herbed butter or anything to go along with it so that might made it less dense!

Easter Menu Change...

After planing my menu for Easter dinner we figured the scheduled plan would not be enough and decided to make a caserole of the sweet potatoes instead of roasting them. Here is the recipe we found which I made some changes to.

Ingredients
8 sweet potato, baked until soft and then flesh removed to a bowl
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Mash sweet potato flesh first.
2.In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, greased baking dish.
3.In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour and pecans. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4.Bake in the preheated oven 30-40 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

My Easter Menu

Slow Cooker Cider Glazed Ham

Prep time: 10 Min. Cook time: 480 Min. Serves: 6
Ingredients

4 lb. fully cooked boneless ham
1 cup Apple Cider (or Apple Juice)
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard, country style
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
Instructions

Place ham in slow cooker. Pour apple cider over ham into slow cooker. In medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, mustard, honey and liquid smoke. Spoon sauce over enture ham. Cover and cook for 8-10 hours.


Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Ingredients Add to grocery list
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into wedges
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cinnamon. Add the potato wedges and toss to combine. Season with the salt and pepper.

Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast the potatoes, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Serve hot.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups finely shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

FROSTING:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Dash salt
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the sugars, eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in carrots and walnuts.
Pour into a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and vanilla until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and salt; beat until smooth. Spread over top of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 24 servings.


Garlic Cheese Biscuits2 cups Original Bisquick® mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat oven to 450ºF.
Stir Bisquick mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir together butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

Black Bean Enchilada Lasagna

Here is the recipe that inspired this meal, but it simply added some inspiration.

But here's what I did...


Enchilada Sauce:
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 can of cream of chicken soup
3 tsp chopped fresh garlic
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt

Black Ben Filling
1 tbsp jarred jalapenos
1 half large onion chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt or less( I didn't measure, just spinkled some)

12-13 corn tortillas
1-2 cups shredded cheese

What I did:

I put all the ingreds for the sauce in a large pot and brought it to a boil. I let my son Kace help me with this since it was pretty easy and he was able to measure and pour most of this and stir, so you know if my five-year-old can its easy. Then in a large skillet I heated the oil for the filling and added the onions, jalapenos and also the garlic and sauted on med until the onions were translucent, but not brown. I then added the salt and oregano until the oil was able to make the spice aromatic. Then the beans. I let them hang out with the other veggies until they were pipping hot and smelled yummy. Then I put a large spoonfull of the sauce into a greased 9x13 pan and then layered the first corn tortillas on, them layered sauce on top of them. The half the bean mixture and then someof the cheese. I repeated this and ended with tortillas and topped that with the reamining sauce. I baked in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the sauce was nicely absorbed. It was really YUMMY!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Here is a GREAT new recipe I found for some boneless skinless chicken thighs that I had and some chicken breast that I addded to make a full meal.

and here is what I actually did with it!

1 c soy sauce
1/2 -3/4 c white sugar
1/3-1/2 cider vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
3 tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp cold water

In a sauce pan over med/low heat I heated these ingreds. And then when they had thickened and darkened and tasted right. I coated the thighs and breats that I had already put in a greased 9x13. I simply poured enough over to cover both sides of the chicken, which wasn't too much. I then covered it with foil and placed it in a 425 oven for 30 minutes. I then removed the cover and baked another 20 minutes after turning the chicken over. I then shredded it and served it with some pasta I had made with some of the left over sauce! This was SOOO good and even had a ton extra! We could also have kept the teriyaki sauce in the fridge for prob a week or so, serving over just about anything. Such a versitile sauce! Remember this is not super sweet, but if you are uncomfortable with that much sugar make it with splenda, I bet it would be just as good, although you will probably have to up the corn starch amount. Happy eating!

Chicken Alfredo/Tomato Bake

2-3 boneless skinless chick breast sliced into thin strips
1-2 tbps olive oil
1-2 tsp chopped garlic
1 green, red or yellow pepper cut into strips (or a mix of all)
1/4 c. chopped procuito or ham
2 cups large egg noodles (cooked to package directions)
1 jar tomato pasta sauce or equivalent in homemade (about 15 or more ounces)
1 jar Alfredo or homemade Alfredo sauce ( about 15 ounces)
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Brown chicken in oil until cooked through. Add garlic and ham/prosciutto. Cook until garlic is tender but not burned and the prosciutto is a little browned. Then add the peppers, cook until tender, but still crisp. Add half the tomato sauce to the pan mixture. grease a 9x13 baking pan and then dump the skillet mixture into it. Top with the remaining tomato sauce. Add the jar of Alfredo sauce, drizzling on the top in lines, it will not cover the top totally. Add the cheese on top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Serve immediately with garlic bread and salad! YUMMY! This is one of our favorite recipes, easy to fix and definitely comfort food. The kids love it. We don't eat it too often, but when we do we rarely have leftovers.

Tried and Enjoyed

Tried This recently and really enjoyed them! We Hope you do too! It's not my recipe, but I cannot find the link to the recipe. I am not trying to steal the credit at all!

Crock pot pork with red cabbage

Ingredients:

• 4 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 3 pound boneless pork shoulder roast

Preparation:

Combine cabbage, onion, brown sugar, and vinegar in 4 to 4 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper and brown in heavy skilllet, about 5-6 minutes total, turning until browned on all sides. Place pork in slow cooker; cover, and cook on Low for 7-8 hours. Serves 6.

New Recipe: Penne with Ricotta and Bacon

1 pound penne
8 slices bacon (about 1/2 pound)
½ large onion, sliced
15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh garic or one garlic clove chopped
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes

1.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Reserve one ladle of cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer to a serving bowl. In a medium skillet, fry the bacon until crisp and transfer to a plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir the onions and ricotta into the pasta along with the reserved pasta cooking water. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the pasta, here I would actually add an additional step, I would pour everything except the basil into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until it is nice and hot. I would even top it with a little parm or mozzarella. After taking it from the oven I would top with the basil then.

I tried this first exactly to the specification on the web page, but after sitting down and it getting cold I was ready to make a few changes. I woud also not mind subbing in dried basil flakes into the ricotta instead of fresh. My kids didn't like the wilted salad in their pasta and picked all of it out, which is not usual for them. This recipe is very filling, we had left overs and everyone was stuffed after one serving, I even ate less than I thought I would, not because it wasn't good. I also WOULD NOT add any extra salt.

Here's the original recipe!

Recommended Recipes That Aren't Mine

We try to keep our meals shaking up some, although we have lots of favorite that we fall back to often, here are links to some recipes we tried and LOVED! Enjoy trying some of these even though they aren't mine!! :D

BUFFALO CHICKEN POT PIE ****

While we all enjoyed this one dish meal we thought it could have used less corn bread mix, one package would have been more than enough in our opinion, we also are able to adjust the spicyness of this dish as my youngest son DOESN'T do spicy.  We have had it twice already, over several months and while it's not a staple recipe its certainly a good meal that we all like to shake it up with periodically!

MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS ***1/2

The kids loved this couscous and I personally thought the nuttiness of the grain paired excellently with this chicken! It was very YUMMY, but also kinda work intensive, unless you get boneless skinless chicken thighs, next time I will as I don't really enjoy handling raw chicken. I subed in raisens, that was a little too sweet for my taste next time I go all out and do the dates they would have made this 4 to 4 1/2 stars.

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE ****

My only change to this would be cooking the brisket longer in the water before roasting it at the end. I cooked it 2 1/4 hrs and it wasn't as tender as I would have liked, but it was so YUMMY! Carrots and Cabbage were perfect and so flavorful! Totally a redo! The kids loved it too, although we rarely have issues over kids wanting to eat any more. They are all pretty open to just about anything lately, praise the Lord!

BAKED POTATO SKINS *****

YUM, YUM, YUM, YUM, YUM! Horrible for you, but oh so goooooooddd! Give her a try and see if you don't think so too! Just remember it's a bazillion calories! :D

Tomato and Celery Salad

8- 10 small vine grown tomatoes or 1 large garden fresh tomato
heart of the celery stalk (the yellowish interior with a sweeter taste) or 1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground garlic powder

cut tomatoes into quarters and add to bowl. Mix in celery (leaves don't matter if you are usuing the heart of the celery. Stir this up to mix. Add salt and other seasonings, mix well and serve immediately. makes 2-3 servings. This is great as a snack for one person too, but it would def be too much for me to eat so I would cut it down a bit. You could also double if you have more of everything, it would probably be good with a little red onion too, or a shallot or two. Just some ideas that are rolling around in my head. Easy and good compliment to a pasta/meatless meal without a tomato sauce (which gives me serious indigestion--hate to admit it, but tomato sauce and me disagree).

White Wine Vinaigrette Dressing

1/3 c White wine vinegar
1/3 c. Olive Oil
1/2 tsp groud garlic powder
2 tsp white sugar (or splenda)
ground coarse salt
ground black pepper

Made this last night for a salad dressing. It was a hit. So here is my version of the recipe I found online (which is basically where I find my recipes for stuff I have when I need to make something specific). You just dump all this into a container which you can shake up and then enjoy over salad or pasta or whatever.

Oatmeal Shortbread

Ingreds:


1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats




In a medium mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in rolled oats. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.

To make shortbread wedges: On an ungreased cookie sheet pat or roll the dough into an 8-inch circle. Make a scalloped edge. Cut circle into 16 wedges. Leave wedges in the circle. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until bottom just starts to brown and center is set. Cut circle into wedges again while warm. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 16 wedges.

I got this easy and tasty recipe at this site:
Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/oatmeal-shortbread-144880/#ixzz1EXAw54LU

Roasted Potatoes

2 russet Potatoes, sliced into wedges (thin)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp celery salt

Preheat oven to 425. In a med bowl mix the seasonings and oil until well incorporated. Add potatoes and mix until they are completely covered. On a non stick baking sheet add the potatoes (it is important that you DO NOT crowd the pan!) and spread out so they are not touching one another, you want them to be crisp when they are done. Back 20-25 minutes or until they are browned and tender. Serve warm. Be careful when you get them off the pan or you will leave all the good bits and miss the taste entirely. 

These are better than Chips! Seriously! I would eat them every day if I could! Plus, russet potatoes are really good for you, important that you do not peel them or much of the flavor will be lost!

Beef Boogie Woogie (beef stew)

this is a modified recipe for beef boogie woogie, not sure why it is called that, it is basically beef stew. We LOVE stew especially in the winter and fall.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c sherry cooking wine
1 to 2 tbsp emeril's essence
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2lbs stew meat
1 c. quartered mushrooms
1 c carrots rough chopped
2 bay leaves
how ever many different veggies you want to include
just enough beef broth or water to barely cover eveything in the pot

Brown beef in oil. Add wine to deglaze the pan scrapping up the brown bits. add the soup, thyme, veggies, other seasonings, bay leaves, extra water/broth and cook 2-3 hours or until veggies and beef are tender. I usually only add the veggies and extra broth after about an hour of cooking otherwise they get too mushy and I like them to be a bit crisp. I cook the beef and the seasonings and soup for awhile alone to let the flavors merge and the meat to tender up. This is very yummy! We love it.

Greek Style Corn

Now I don't know why this is called this and I don't even remember where I first saw this recipe. But it is quick and very tasty and super easy to make.

3-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp thyme
2 c. fresh, frozen or canned corn (if frozen you don't need to defrost, if canned drain well!)

Heat oil in skillet over med/high heat. add the thyme and toast until it becomes aromatic, do not let it burn. add the corn and saute until the corn is fried slightly. serve hot. You can add whatever you like to this, but we enjoy it just like this.

Brown Rice Porridge

1 c brown rice cooked to package directions
1 c milk
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp butter or margarine

After rice is cooked (leftover brown rice works great too) heat the milk, sugar vanilla and butter/marg in a med sauce pan of med heat until it is mixed well. Add rice. Be careful not to over heat the milk or it will spoil. Heat until it becomes thick and creamy. Serve warm.

My kids loved this, could be a great breakfast or a dessert, which is what I served it as this afternoon. They seriously gobbled it up!

Carrots Side Dish

Tonight while looking for something to serve my family I was stumped as to what to serve along side our twice stuffed potatoes. I had carrots though so I just improvised and everyone wanted more, so I would say this is easy and a great recipe for us.

1 tbsp Butter
4 carrots cut thin on the bias
coarse salt
ground black pepper

In a med saute pan melt butter. Add the carrots and saute until tender and sightly carmelized. Add salt and pepper near end of cooking. Serve hot. Makes enough for our family to have a good sized portion. Remember not too hot on the saute or you will burn the carrots (which have alot of natural sugars) and not cook them through.

Lemon Blueberry cake

1 box lemon cake mix
20 oz can crushed pineapple, do not drain
20 oz can blueberry pie filling

Mix dry cake mix with pineapple. Pour into a 13x9 inch greased baking dish. Spoon blueberry filling over mix. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350. Serve with ice cream. 10 servings

When New Recipes Are A Hit

Whenever I made something new I always wonder "Will this be good?" "Will they all (and I mean all) like it?" and it warms a momma's heart when it makes a HIT!

I made Sweet and Sour Chicken this week as a trial recipe, it needs some tweaking, but the kids all loved it!

Welsh Rarebit

6 tbsp butter
3 tbsp bacon grease
3/4 c beer
20 oz shredded sharp cheddar
salt and white pepper to taste

Heat butter, bacon grease and beer over med heat until bubbles appear. Reduce heat slightly and stir in the cheese until just melted. Add slat and pepper. Serve with toasted bread slices.

This is obviously TERRIBLE for you! But it is GOOOOOODDDD!! So don't indulge too often! Our whole family like this recipe for a meal. Obviously this isn't all we eat! I would like to find a good recipe for onion sandwhiches and then we can really emulate an early 20th century family!

Fiesta Rice With Queso

about 4 c. prepared rice
1 lb ground beef or sausage
1 can seasoned pinto beans (dont drain)
1 can 10 oz mild diced tomatoes and chilis (don't drain)
8 oz american cheese product with mild jalapenos

In a med skillet brown beef or sausage. Drain fat. Then fold in beans, tomatoes, and cheese. Simmer 10 minutes. Fold in rice and heat through. Can add cilantro for garnish if you want.

My Chili Standby Recipe

I make chili pretty often, not always using the same recipe, will like his chili without beans so sometimes I do that. This is the quicky version when I am in a time crunch and don't want to think to hard about making chili but want something warm and satisfying.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (or other ground meat)
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 can beans, drained
1 1/2 c water
1 8oz can tomato sauce
4 tsp chili powder

Brown meat in skillet. Add the next 5 ingreds when done browning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occationally, 20 minutes. Serve hot!

Cheesy Obrien egg casserole

1 28 oz pkg obrien frozen potatoes
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled (I don't usually use that much bacon unless I am serving more than just my family!)
12 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
2 c shredded cheddar

In large skillet cook hashbrowns how you like them, we like 'em crispy. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Place in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Top with soup. Sprinkle with 1/2 bacon. In another skillet or the same one (your preference) scramble eggs in butter until nearly set. Spoon over bacon. Spinkled with shredded cheese and remaining bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and eggs are done.

Cheddar Broccoli Tart

1 1/2 c milt
3 eggs
1 pkg soup mix of your flavor preference
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
9 inch pie crust (or I often just grease the pie plate and serve this without a crust)

Heat oven to 375. In large bowl beat eggs milt and soup mix. Stir in broccoli and cheese. Spoon into pie crust. Bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. let stand 10 minutes and then slice into pie pieces.

Cajun Chicken Lasagna

Several Years ago I found this awesome recipe in BHAG. It is a great alternative to tomato lasagna, which I am not to hep on but my hubbyy loves....so we compromise with this!


Cajun Chicken Lasagne Recipe.

Try it out and see if you don't love it too!!

Ingredients
16 dried lasagna noodles
1 pound andouille sausage or smoked pork sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 10-ounce containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse. Combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning, and sage. In a large skillet cook meat mixture 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in skillet. Set meat mixture aside; keep warm. In same skillet cook onion, celery, sweet pepper, and garlic in drippings until vegetables are tender. Stir in meat mixture, one container of the Alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

2. Lightly coat a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 noodles in bottom of dish. Spread with 2 cups of the meat-vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Carefully spread remaining Alfredo sauce over the top (if sauce is too thick, heat slightly). Cover; bake 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carefully cutting. Makes 12 servings.

Egg Casserole

2 C croutons or bread (wheat works fine, if using homemade you could make the bread into croutons)
1/2 c shredded cheddar
4 slices bacon, crumbled or 1/2 c sausage crumbled (if I don't have this I use whateve I have sauted veggies or extra cheese)
2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder

in a greased 8x8 in pan. add the croutons and the cheese to the pan. In a bowl cobine the eggs, milk, and seasonings and mix until blended. Pour egg mix over croutons and cheese. top with bacon, sausage or your choice of topping. Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes. serve immediately!

Peanut Chicken Wraps

Chicken cooked, sliced thin or shredded
rice
flour tortillas (I make homemade, they are so much better!)
Shredded cabbage
cilantro, chopped
green onions chopped
Peanut sauce

You just pile them on and enjoy! Our family was visiting some friends from seminary when they served this meal (well she did) and I loved how easy and fresh it was. I started making my own tortillas and it made this all the better. You really cannot mess this one up! We don't give the kids this with the peanut sauce, unless they like spicy, we use terriaki for them!

Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon and Blackberry Syrup

While looking for a way to use up my frozen blackberries, which I LOVE btw, and not just doing the same ole thing again. I found this fantastic recipe for waffles and syrup. I did some tweeking and obviously doubled the recipe, which gave everyone 2 apeice plus a couple extra squares. I also purred the berries as I don't really like lumpy syrup, it came out really smooth, I also added a little brown sugar to thicken the syrup a bit. I didn't have any buttermilk either so I just added 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 c milk and stirred it well. I also didn't use as much bacon grease, the recipe calls for 1/4 c per recipe, I used maybe two tbsps until it looked like the right consistency. They came out beautiful. I would definately make this a special treat meal we enjoy time after time! Well worth the time, even though this really didn't take too much extra effort.

Meatloaf With Chili Sauce

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
2/3 c dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 chili sauce
1 tbsp wozzy sauce
extra chili sauce for topping loaf

Combine first 6 ingreds well and form a loaf in a shallow baking pan. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. Spread top with extra chili sauce and bake 15 minutes more. let cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 6, with no second or leftovers.

Quick Coconut Cream Pie

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 c cold milk
1 carton frozen whipped topping
1 c. flaked coconut toasted, divided
1 graham cracker crust

In a bowl, beat pudding and milk on low, 2 mins. Fold in half of the whipped topping and 1/2-3/4 c coconut. Pour into crust. Top with rest of the whipped topping and the 1/4 c coconut. Chill until totally set.

Will loves this and you can get everything, save the coconut, fat free, so this is definately a keeper recipe!

Roasting Turkey or Other Poultry

Brining the turkey or other Poultry first:

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. maple syrup
3/4 c coarse salt
4 whole heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled or bruised
1 c. chopped fresh ginger
3 tsps dried chili flakes
2 c soy sauce
3 qts water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, large enough to hold turkey (or other foul) and brine. Bring the mixture, minus poultry to a boil, remove from heat and cool completely.  Place turkey in brine and add enough water to cover the bird. refridgerate 2-4 days, turning 2-3 times a day. If you are using smaller birds can half or quarter this recipe easily and use just enough for what you are making. This is a recipe for a large turkey.

Roasting Turkey or other Poultry

Heat oven to 425. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil. put on rack in oven and let go for 30 minutes. lower heat to 350 and continue roasting. Baste every 30 minutes until thermometer reads 160. After taking from oven let stand for 15 minutes to cool and finish cooking. Enjoy the most lucious turkey ever!

Quick Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mush soup
1/2 sour cream
3 tbsp wozzy
1/3 c water

Brown beef, drain. Add other ingredients until bubbly, serve over noodles or potatoes. This is obviously our quickie recipe! But it tastes great and we all enjoy it in a pinch.

Fiesta Salad

1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c cooked chicken chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped green onion
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 c chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp seasoned salt (I use MUCH less)
1 tsp garlic salt (Never use this much!)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 c sour cream

combine the last 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well incorporated. Add the other chopped chicken, rice and veggies and lemon juice and mix well. Serve with corn chips if you desire, or can serve as a salad, or rolled up in a tortilla.

Chicken FIngers

These are easy and very tasty. The kids obviously love them.

skinless boneless chicken breast
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 c. milk
1 c canola oil for frying

cut chicken into 2 inch strips. mix flour salt and peper in a shallow bowl. dip chicken in milk ( usually just dump the chicken in the milk after cutting in strips) and then roll in flour to coat well. place on a plate or pan before frying (I usually just do this in batches, but I have prepped every thing before I started frying). Pour oil in frying pan and heat over med high heat. Fry chicken in heated oil until brown an crisp, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

BLT Soup

This is SUPER Delish!

8 bacon slices cooked
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c chicken broth
1 can navy beans
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 c shredded lettuce (optional)

Crumble Bacon and set aside. In large sauce pan or pot, stir together tomatoes, broth, beans, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer and stir in vinegar. Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon and lettuce(optional). Enjoy!

Green Chili Stew

2 lbs ground meat (pork, beef, turkey)
3 cans chopped green chilis or 8-10 anaheim chilis roasted, peeled and chopped I bet pablanos would be delish in this too!)
4 russet potatoes diced (or two bigguns)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c. water
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp coriander

In large pot cook beef until no longer pink, drain. Add the remaining ingredients cover and simmer for 45 mins or until potatoes are done.

Fall-Back Minestrone Soup

1 can beans drained, rinsed
1 can tomatoes
1 c broken egg noodles
celery chopped
4 c broth chicken or beef
carrots chopped

dump all ingredients in a pot. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve warm.

Onion Soup

1/4 c butter
2 lbs onions (6 medium)
1 tsp sugar
8 tsp flour
8 c beef broth
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp wozzy sauce
1/4 c cooking sherry or a few drops lemon jiuce
shredded jack or swiss cheese and parm
croutons, opt

in large pot melt butter, add oinions, spinkle with sugar and saute over low heat, stirring occationally about 1 hour or until golden brown. Stir in flour. Stir in broth, mustard, wozzy and summer 30 minutes. Add sherry. Ladle into oven proof casserole dished with croutons and cheese and bake in 325 oven for 15 minutes.

Beef Lettuce Wraps

1 1/2 very lean ground beef
1/2 c hoisen sauce
1/2 c asian peanut sauce
1 med cucumber seeded and chopped
1/2 c shredded carrot
12 large boston lettuce leaves

Brown beef in large skillet  over med heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in hoisin sauce and peanut sauce. add the cucumber and carrots just before serving. Toss gently. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Don't have hoisin sauce on hand heres a quick sub that tastes just the same, only a little bit less thick:

Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Soy sauce - dark/light/usual
2 tablespoons Peanut butter - or black bean paste
1 tablespoon Honey - or molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Potato Pancakes

left over mashed potatoes
1 egg
5-6 tbsp flour
5-6 tbsp milk
seasoning salt to taste
pepper to taste
oil for frying

In a bowl mix together first six ingredients together until it has a real pancake consistency. Heat a large skillet over med heat add oil and then fry the pancakes until they are crisp. Serve them warm. We often serve this with a homemade gravy or sausage (polish sausage) and even a chicken pecan thing that we like a lot! This is very versatile.

Chili Rellenos Casserole

This is one of my hubs favorite meals, he loves chili rellenos and this is an easy sub for that. I would like to try it with some poblano peppers that have been roasted in the oven, peeled and then diced! SO YUMMY!

1 can whole green chilis (7oz) or you can roast and peel your own, I like to get chopped green chilis or chop my own.
1 1/2 c shredded coby jack cheese
3/4 lb ground beed
1/4 c chopped onion
1 c. milk
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Split the chilis you are using, if you are using chopped canned drain well. Arrange the chilis on the bottom of a greased 2 qt baking dish. Top with cheese. In a skillet brown beef and onion, drain. Spoon over cheese. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk flour and seasonings until smooth. Pour over beef/pepper mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Salsa and Guacamole

Salsa:
1/2 jalapeno
1/4 small red onion
1 small garlic clove
2 tbsp cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1 can diced tomatoes or 2 ripe tomatoes cut into eighths

chop in blender or food processor.

Guacamole:
2 small avacadoes
1 tbsp red onion minced
1 small garlic clove minced
1/2 jalapeno
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

mix in a bowl, mushing and stiring until ready.

Chicken Spaghetti

Cook chicken in water on stove and then remove and chop. Cook 1 lb spaghetti and 1 chopped onion in broth made by the boiled chicken until done, Drain off only the left over water. Add 2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken and 1 small can chopped pimentos and chicken. Mix throughly. Serve warm.

Chicken with Creamy Sauce

2 tbsp butter or olive oil
4 boneless chick breasts
1 c water
1 pkg onion soup mix or other favorite mix
1/2 c sour cream

In skillet heat oil over med heat.  Brown chicken turning once. Stir in water and recipe mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chick and keep warm. Add sour cream and mix until creamy. Add chicken and juices back into skillet. Serve over cooked noodles. Very taste meal!

Roasted Peppered Chicken

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 whole chicken

blend together 1st 6 ingeds. Brush over surface of chicken. Bake at 375, uncovered on roasting pan. 1 hour or until done. And its GOOD! I felt like martha the first time I made this easy and TASTY meal! Its fab!

Parmesan Almond Pasta Toss

1 lb pasta of your chice, I like mostacholi in this one or other tubal pasta
1/2 sliced almonds
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c shredded parm

Cook pasta according to box directions, drain. In large skillet, lightly brown almonds in olive oil over med heat, stiring often. Add italian seasoning and garlic. stir until garlic is translucent. add drained pasta to oil/almond mix. Toss to coat. Add cheese  and toss. Serve warm. For a heartier dish use whole wheat pasta. serves 4.

Manicotti

1 box jumbo shells (I don't like using the actual manicotti shells as they are seriously hard to stuff and rather large for my little'uns to eat.)
16 oz tub ricotta (I try to use the part skim)
2-4 c shredded mozzarella
1-2 tsp dried basil
Large Jar Pasta Sauce or homemade pasta sauce 4-5 cups worth
Couple handfuls of shredded parmesan cheese

Begin by cooking the shells according to box directions, but make sure to under cook them a little or they will fall apart and not absorb some of the tomato sauce. While pasta is cooking mix in a large bowl the mozz, ricotta and basil. When the shells are done and you have cooled them and dried them on paper towels, spray one or two 13x9 inch baking pans and add about 1/4 cup of sauce to each and spread on the bottom of the pan! Start by filling each shell with 2-3 tbsps of mix, you can shove them as full as you want to or as little as you want. Line them pretty close in the pan. When you have filled them all, pour the remaining sauce over all the shells and then top with shredded parm. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 350 oven or until the cheese is melted and the sauce hot. Serve with a salad and garlic bread! Yummy!!! I never have complaints when serving this one!

Cheerio Snack

My mom always made this for us when we were kids and I still like it today, so do my kiddos.

3-4 tbsps unsalted butter (I always use unsalted)
2 tbsp wozzy sauce
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste
ground red pepper (cayenne) to taste
3-6 cups cheerios (plain not flavors, just good ole bland cheerios)

melt butter in large skillet. Add wozzy, garlic, onion, and red pepper, cook until it is aromatic and smells right to you. I do a lot of cooking by smell, adding until it smells right you can also taste here I know all the big wig cooks say too! Add the cherrios when the butter wozzy mix begins to slightly bubble. Saute/toast the cheerios in the pan until they begin to dry out and crisp up, you want these crunchy but not burned. Serve warm or store in an air tight container and serve later. They are good for a couple of days, but not over 3 I would say.

Celery and Carrot Soup

1 onion minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin
2 celery ribs sliced thin
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 c chicken broth
1/2 c. dry white cooking wine or more broth

melt butter in sauce pan and cook onion until tender. add celery carrots and tarragon. add broth and wine. bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. serve immediately. this recipe only makes 2 servings, so you will need to double or triple it for a larger crowd, you probably wont need to double up on the butter though.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 c. sugar (no subs)
1/2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. peanut butter
1 jar ( 7oz) marshmellow creme

In a sauce pan, bring sugar and milk to a boil, boil for 3 mins. Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme. Mix well. Quickly pour into a buttered 8x8 inch square pan. Chill until set. Cut when fully set and cool.

Parmesan Crusted Canned Biscuit Rounds

2/3 c parm cheese
1/2 mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dried oregano
dash onion powder
1 tube refrigerator canned biscuits

in a bowl mix the first 6 ingredients until making a smooth spread. The on a baking sheet layered with non-stick foil flatten the biscuits until about 4 inches around (about as big as you can get them!). Then spread with the mixture about 1 tbsp on eat biscuit. Make at 400 for 10-13 minutes or until golden! Serve warm!

These are very tasty!

Great Sauce For Fish

When you have fish that you have sauted or broiled in the oven and don't want it to be too boring or too fishy tasting this is a fabulous sauce that we really enjoy!

1 tbsp sugar or splenda
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
dash pepper
1/2 c. orange juice (or a mix of lemon and orange which is my preference)
1/8 tsp tarragon

After you have decided to fix the fish they way you like, either grilled or broiled or sauted. Place first 5 ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir. Cook 1 minute longer or until thickened. Add tarragon, stir and serve! Super simple and very tasty!

Broccoli Twice Stuffed Potatoes

4 russet potatoes
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 small onion chopped
1 10 ounce pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bake potatoes in foil or on a pan in oven at 400 for one hour. after they are done, allow to cool and then cut them in half and scoop out the pulp from each side keeping skins intact. Mash pulp in bowl. Heat small skillet over medium heat, add butter. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 mins. Add onions, broccoli, salad dressing to potato pulp and mix well. Sometimes I add some cheddar cheese at this point, but it isn't necessary. Brush outsides of skins with oil and then sprinkle with the cracked pepper and coarse salt. Spoon the pulp mixture into the shells, dividing evenly. Bake potatoes until heated through, about 15 minutes at 425.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce and Pasta

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3tbsp flour
1 1/4 c milk (I use skim)
pepper and salt to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder or to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder or to taste
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 lb pasta of choice (I use was I have on hand sometimes spaghetti, sometimes linguine)

Heat to boiling a large pot to cook the pasta in. Add salt to taste. When the water is boiling and you have added the pasta and gotten that going, melt butter over med-med/high heat in a med size skillet. Add the flour to make a roue (sp?)  cook until light brown and the flour taste has been cooked out. Add the seasonings, salt pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. stir to combine. Slowly add the milk while whisking the mixture and allowing all the lumps to disappear. Cook the sauce about a minute more until it thickens, then add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until it melts. If the sauce is too thick, I use some of the pasta water to thin it a bit, but go easy. When the pasta is cooked add it directly from the pot into the sauce , don't shake too much of the pasta water off. Use a fork and spoon to mix the sauce with the pasta. I serve this warm with the canned parm that is basically hated in the culinary world, but my family likes it and rarely uses it for anything so we shake some on top of this and everyone eats it up. Can be easily pared with just about any side you can think of. I would go with a quick salad to make this super quick and some garlic bread sure couldn't hurt right?

Note: you can also double this recipe (minus the pasta) and use it to sub into stuff that calls for a jar of alfredo, I bet this is WAY healthier than the store brands!

Onion Meatball Stew

Meatballs (either make your own for your favorite recipe or use frozen, your preference--if using your own make sure you brown them well before continuing on with the steps)
1can condensed french onion soup (campbells)
2/3 c. water
3 carrots, rough chopped
2 potatoes, rough chopped (similar size to the carrots)
1 onion rough chopped
3 ribs celery, rough chopped

In a large pot add all ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve with biscuts or crusty homemade bread.

Corn bread Stuffing

This is a favorite for our family on holidays and sometimes when I am feeling like making a giant meal with roast chicken and all the fixin's I will make this to accompany.

1 pan 8x8 of baked and cooled cornbread
1 c chopped celery with leaves
1/2 chopped onions
1 stick butter
1/4 c chicken broth or stock

break corn bread into small pieces, I just leave it in the pan it baked in until I need to add it to the veggies. Cook celery and onion in the butter until soft, but not browned (I often add some celery seed or thyme at this point and allow the heat of the butter to release some of the good stuff in the herbs, but it isn't necessary). Add broth and mix well, then add the corn bread to the pan (I use a huge skillet that I have) and toss lightly. Pour into another baking pan and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden. I don't stuff turkeys or chickens (I don't like my stuffing that way) but if you like it you can skip the baking and just stuff your bird.

Sausage Barley and Bean Soup

1 lb sausage cut into coins
4 c water
1 can great norther beans or navy beans drained and rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 med onion chopped
1/2 c. celery sliced
1/2 c. carrots sliced
1/2 c quick cooking barley
2 tsps wozzy sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
hot pepper sauce or crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Place all ingredients except hot sauce in a large pot and bring to boil, cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are tender and season with hot sauce. Serve hot with a crusty bread.

West African Peanut Soup

veggies...veggies...yum!

All done!

4 c. Chicken broth or stock
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped scallions
3/4 c. peanut butter, smooth or chunky (your preference)
1 c. milk
1/4 c. instant mashed potato flakes
if you like hot sauce to taste

Bring broth tomatoes carrots and scallions to  a boil in a large sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 -6 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir in peanut butter until blended, then milk and potato flakes. Simmer 1-2 minutes to heat. makes four servings, you can imagine that it might be good to double this recipe for a larger crowd.

My Mom's Coffee Cake

2 c. busciut mix
2/3c milk or water (if you are suddenly out!)
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp canola oil

Topping:
1/3 c. biscut mix
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Mix first first ingredients and pour into a greased 8x8 inch glass baking dish.  Mix topping and then sprinkle over top. Slice cold butter (not margarine) over the top, about 1 tbsp. The place in a preheated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Mom has made this coffee cake since I was little and we always loved it. We still do love it!

Pot Roast

3 lb Pot Roast
2 bay leaves
2 tsp wozzy sauce
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1/2 c. red cooking wine (this can be easily ommitted, but if you like another layer of flavor go for it!)
1 can cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup
mashed potatoes for serving

Put roast in the crock pot. Throw everything else, except the potatoes, on top. Cook low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and serve over the mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice

2 c. chopped ham
1 small onion chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can red beans rinsed and drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp red pepper sauce (I prefer franks, Will prefers tobasco)
1 bell pepper chopped
2 tsps cajun seasoning
1 lb smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces
4-6 servings of rice (I don't used instant rice ever, it doesn't taste good to me at all!)

Place first seven ingredients in the crock pot in order listed. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours About 3o minutes before serving start making your rice and also add the cajun seasoning and sausage and then also turn up the heat to high for the last 15 minutes of cooking, until the sausage is heated through. Serve with the red beans piled on the rice in bowls. Yum!

Yummy Breakfast Sandwiches

Whole Wheat English muffins, split
Canadian bacon slices
Swiss Cheese Slices
1-2 tomatoes sliced to your desired thickness
Coarse salt and fresh round pepper


heat oven to 400 degrees. Place however many muffins on a baking sheet as you are making (we usually do alot since as previously mentioned we have a lot of people to feed)and toast until the tops are slightly browned. Spread bottom halves of muffins with a touch of butter (only a touch, not much at all or it gets soggy). Then layer on 2 slices of bacon, 1 slice of cheese and 1 tomato slice (in that order). Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tomato is beginning to pucker and is heated through. I usually allow the tops of the muffins to go through this second toasting because then the tops are nice and crispy, my preference, but you do whatever you like best!

These are so yummy, but can be a bit pricey for a large fam, so we usually don't do this to often or only when tomatoes are in season because my former gardening hubby hates hydroponic tomatoes.

Salsa Rice

1 1/2 cups rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup mild salsa

1 tablespoons olive  oil

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Add in broth and salsa (Slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!) Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.


This rice is fabulous!! LOVE IT!

Taco Pork Chops

6-8 1/2 inch lean and boneless pork chops
1 pkg taco seasoning
1-2 tbsps olive oil

Place the chops in a ziplock bag with the taco seasoning (can make your own, we love a kind we found only in kansas city we still have some on hand and I am not above asking a friend to mail it to me!) shake the bag to coat the chops evenly. Heat the oil on a griddle or a large skillet, when hot place the chops on the heat. Cook the chops for 5-6 minutes per side, watch them to make sure they brown but do not burn. Serve hot with a side of salsa rice. Makes 6-8 servings (we have a big family!)

Leftovers are good too, and can be easily reheated for lunch or dinner the next day.

yes, i use my kids plate to serve food sometimes ;D

Baked Beans

This recipe is the best for baked beans that we have found. Everytime I have served it everyone loves it! Definately a fix for any barbaque!

1/2 green pepper cut in 1 inch chunks
1/2 red onion cut in 1 inch chunks
1 small can large pinapple chunks, don't use the juice so if you want to save it for something else, go ahead
1-2 tbsps spicy/grainy mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar
2-3 small cans baked beans, or one large one

Preheat oven to 350. Chop veggies and add them to a 8x8 baking pan you have sprayed with cooking spray. Add the baked beans to the pan and then the sugar and mustard. Mixx everything well. Place in the heated oven for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thickened, do not cover pan. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in oven.