Chicken Manicotti

I got this recipe from my friend Christine's Blog.

2 tbsp olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
6 tbsp butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
8 oz dried manicotti, cooked
2/3 cup freshly grated mozzarella

Marinade
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil

In a bowl, combine the vinegar, garlic, and olive oil for the marinade. Add the chicken and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet. Drain the chicken and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring, until no longer pink. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium-high heat. Add the cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir until thickened. Reduce the heat, then add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Remove from the heat. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, and herbs. Stir in the chicken. Stuff the manicotti with the chicken mixture. Pour half the sauce into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place the stuffed manicotti on top. Pour over the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Swedish Meatballs served over rice

Swedish Meatballs (Our Mom's Family Recipe)

Mix the following ingredients together…
2/3 cup milk
1tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Break up 4 slices of bread into small pieces into this mixture.

Add to this mixture to 1 lb. Ground beef and chopped onion. Stir together until mixed well. Wet your hands with water to form meat balls (so it won’t stick.) Fry and brown meatballs in a fry pan with a little oil on all sides.

Place meatballs in a casserole dish and top with 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup mixed with 1 cup milk. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve over rice.

I buy the frozen meatballs for a shortcut when I am short on time.

Ingredients; Frozen meatballs or milk, salt, baking powder, bread, ground beef, onion. And 2 cans cram of mushroom soup, rice.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken Noodle Soup


Place the following ingredients into your slow clooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

6-8 cans chicken broth (or you can use water and bouillon cubes)
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes (for extra flavor)
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup diced celery

During the last 1 to 1 1/2 hours add the following ingredients.

2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 bag ream's frozen noodles

Serve with crackers or french bread.

Ingredients; chicken broth, bouillon cubes, carrots, celery, ream's frozen noodles.

Turkey Burgers

1 lb Lean Ground Turkey
Season all salt
Garlic salt

Grill over medium-high to high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Sweet Potato Fries

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4-6
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut sweet potatoes into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side. Place the sweet potatoes into a sealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

Breakfast Casserole

Now I must admit, I now make one slight adjustment to this recipe. My mom always made this casserole and added SPAM as the meat. I really cannot stomach spam but this casserole is great with some diced ham as a substitute!
1 dozen eggs
lg. shredded onion
1-2 cups diced ham
grated cheese
shredded potatoes or hash browns

Layer in the following order; potatoes or hash browns, ham, cheese, scrambled eggs and then top with more cheese. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Eggs, hash browns, ham, cheese, onion

Tostadas

This yummy recipe comes from my brother-in-law Kevin.


Step #1
White Corn Tortillas
Bring a couple cups of cooking oil to a boil over medium-high heat. Place one white corn tortilla at a time into the oil and cook until lightly brown, then turn over and cook the other side until lightly brown. Store on paper towels until ready to serve.




Step #2
Saute ground beef with the following ingredients...
2 lbs Ground Beef
Season all to taste
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Onion powder to taste



Step #3
add the following ingredients
1 large can tomato sauce
Chilli powder to taste

Additional toppings
Refried Beans
Sour Cream
Tomatoes
Guacamole
Lettuce

Make your Tostada in the following order. Tortilla, Beans, Meat, and any additional toppings desired.

Mexican Pizza

Ground Beef Mixture:
1 lb of lean ground beef
diced onion
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
Dash of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 4 oz can of diced green chiles

Saute ground beef and break the meat into crumbles. Add the onion as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green chiles then stir until well combined. Set aside.


Other Ingredients:
Flour Tortillas
Refried beans
Cheddar cheese, grated
Salsa
Tomato, diced
Avocado, diced
Green onions, diced
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat. Layer a flour tortilla with refried beans then place on baking sheet; add a bit of the beef mixture then top with another tortilla.


Bake in the oven for 10 minutes; remove from oven and spoon a bit of salsa on top of the top tortilla then top with cheese. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and top with the tomatoes, avocado, green onions and fresh cilantro. Serve with more salsa and sour cream. Enjoy.

Ground Beef, Black Bean, and Cheddar Cheese Taquitos

Ground Beef, Black Bean, and Cheddar Cheese Taquitos:

1 lb of lean ground beef
diced onion
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
Dash of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Saute the ground beef and break the meat into crumbles. Add the onion as well as the seasonings then cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the drained and rinsed can of black beans to the beef mixture then stir until well combined. Set aside.

Other Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Cheese, shredded
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit cheese in the center of the tortilla then top with a bit of ground beef mixture and roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Dips:
Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream
Serve the taquitos immediately. Enjoy.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

This Chicken and Rice Casserole is another family favorite.

Cook and season 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of chicken. Shred.

Add all the following ingredients together in a 9x13 glass Pyrex dish:
1 cup celery (optional)
1 T. minced onion
2 cups minute rice
1 T. lemon juice
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup mayonnaise

Combine the mixture with the cooked chicken. This may sit in the refrigerator overnight if you want. Top with ½ cup crushed corn flakes mixed together with 3 T. margarine. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees, covered.

Ingredients: celery, minute rice, cream of chicken soup, onion, lemon juice, mayonnaise, chicken, corn flakes and slivered almonds.

Homemade Pizza

Here is our Mom's famous homemade pizza recipe. This was always one of our favorite recipes when we were kids and still is now. It is super easy especially if you have a mixer. My mom's favorite topping is a pound of ground beef. My dad used to tell her that she could open up a pizza shoppe with this recipe.

One of our favorites is BBQ Chicken Pizza. For the BBQ pizza we add BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce and then marinate Chicken in BBQ Sauce and grill it.



My kids still love just plain cheese as well.



2 cups warm water
2 T. yeast
sprinkle of sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil
5 cups of flour (use 4 and if needed add another 1/2 to 1 additional cup)

Toppings;
toppings of your choice
cheese
pizza sauce

Dissolve yeast in warm water and mix with a spatula. Once dissolved, add oil and then a sprinkle of sugar. Pour into a mixer if you have one and then add; the salt and flour. If the dough is too sticky then you need more flour. Makes enough for 2 pizzas. If you like your dough thinner, then you can use 1 cookie sheet and 1 pizza pan. Form dough on pans and top with pizza sauce and toppings. Bake for 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes depending on your oven temp.

Ingredients... sugar, salt, oil, flour, yeast, meat toppings, cheese, pizza sauce

Chicken Croissants

Chicken Croissants

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/8 tsp. salt
2-4 cups shredded chicken
2 to 3 pkgs. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Pepperide Farm Stuffing
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 3 oz. can mushrooms (optional)

Mix cream cheese, salt, chicken and mushrooms together. Place about 1 TBSP mixture on roll. Roll, pinch sides together. Dip in melted butter and roll in stuffing and nuts. Bake on a cookie sheet @ 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until rolls look done.

Croissant Sauce: Bring 1 cup water to a boil with 2-3 chicken bouillon cubes and chicken drippings. Bring to a boil. Mix 2 Tbsp. Cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Slowly add to mixture to thicken sauce.

Ingredients: Chicken, Cream Cheese, Crescent Rolls, Pepperdige Farm Stuffing, Chicken Bouillon cubes.

Creamy White Chili

Creamy White Chili
Serves 6-8
**Next time I might double it for leftovers.**

Step 1 Cook
1 lb. chicken breasts or tenders with
onion
garlic and the
juice of 1 lime together. Dice chicken.

Step 2 Add the following ingredients to your crock pot with the chicken...

2-3 cans (15.5oz. each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano

Step 3 Mix flour and cold water to make a paste. Add to your soup...
¼ cup flour
¼ cup cold water

Simmer in Crock Pot on low. Last step- Just before serving add the following...
1 cup sour cream
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Ingredients: Chicken, onion, garlic, 1 lime, 3 cans great northern beans, chicken broth, 1 can chopped green chilies, cumin, oregano, sour cream, heavy whipping cream.

Apple Nachos

Ingredients
36 caramels
1 tablespoon water
30 large marshmallows
1/3 cup butter, cubed
4 medium tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons Halloween sprinkles
Directions
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt caramels with water; stir until smooth.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt marshmallows and butter. Arrange apple slices on a large platter. Drizzle with caramel; top with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts, chocolate chips and sprinkles. Serve immediately. Yield: 24 servings.

Burrito Pie

Burrito Pie

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 (2.25 oz) can black olives, sliced
1 (10.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup taco sauce (I used Taco Bell brand)
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
6 (8 in) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat. Mix in the olives, tomatoes, taco sauce, and refried beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 2-3 quart round casserole dish. Cover with 2 tortillas followed by 1/3 of meat mixture, then 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.
Serves 4-6

Ingredients: Ground Beef, Black Olives, Can Diced Tomatoes, Taco Sauce, Refried Beans, 6 Flour Tortillas, Shredded Cheese.

Tuna Melt

This is more of an idea than a recipe.
3 (5 oz) cans solid white tuna, well drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP lemon juice
Black pepper (to taste)
Sliced French bread (My personal favorite is The French Bread from Sam’s Club)
Tomato slices
Sliced Cheese (Your personal favorite)
Butter or margarine (for cooking)

1. In a bowl combine tuna fish, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Add seasoning salt and black pepper to taste, and mix well.

2. Heat your skillet on medium heat. Cook sandwich on both sides for a few minutes until nicely browned on both sides.

Ingredients: Tuna, French Bread, Mayonnaise, lemon juice, tomato, cheese

Lasagna

Lasagna noodles (cook until tender about 10 minutes *add salt and a little margarine to water)

Meat mixture
Brown 1 lb Ground Beef with finely chopped onion and then add
1 to 1 1/2 cans of your favorite pasta sauce

Cheese mixture (Mix the following ingredients together.)
1 lb. mozzarella cheese (reserve ¼ of cheese for topping)
1 lb. cottage cheese or Ricotta Cheese (or sometimes I use half and half)
1 to 2 eggs

Use a 9 x 13” glass baking pan. Put some pasta sauce on the bottom, so that your noodles don't stick and layer in the following order.
Noodles-Cheese-Meat. I do 4 layers and use 12 lasagna noodles.

Top with the remainder cheese

Bake covered for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees. If you prepare this early in the day and place your lasagna in the fride it will need to bake an hour.

Ingredients: 12 lasagna noodles, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese/ ricotta cheese, eggs, ground beef.

Chicken Enchiladas

1 to 2 lbs. cooked cubed chicken
1 pkg. Flour Tortillas
1/2 to 1 small can chopped green chilies (depending on how strong you like it)
8 oz. sour cream
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup chopped onions
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 Cup Milk
12 oz. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a saucepan melt butter, then sauté onion in butter. Add flour, salt and pepper to mixture. Add milk and cook until thick. Add Chilies to taste. Add Chicken bouillon cubes. Add 1/3 cup Monterey Jack Cheese. (Reserve rest for topping.) Add Chicken. Heat through. Add sour cream and remove from heat. Use a 13 x 9” pan. Spray the bottom of the pan with olive oil or a little hot sauce. Roll Meat mixture (approx. ½ cup) into each tortilla. Cover tortillas with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until hot. Serving size 8

Ingredients: chicken, tortillas, chilies, sour cream, bouillon cubes, monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

I got this recipe from my friend Christine's blog and it has turned into a family favorite. Thanks Christine.




Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

10-12 ounces egg noodles (Cooked)
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
8 ounces sour cream
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 box of chicken flavored stuffing
1 can (10oz) chicken broth
¾ stick butter or margarine

Cook noodles; drain and set aside. In a large bowl mix together chicken, sour cream, cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups. Stir in noodles. Spread mixture into bottom of 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle stuffing on top of chicken mixture. In medium bowl melt butter. Add the chicken broth to the melted butter; stir. Pour the chicken broth and melted butter over the top of the stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Egg noodles, chicken, sour cream, cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, box chicken stuffing, chicken broth, margarine

Beef Pot Pie

The Crust:
2 cups of flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup of canola oil
6 tbsp ice water
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced

Stir the flour, salt, canola oil, ice water, and chives together in a bowl; mix until flour is wet. Gather the dough into a ball (mixture will be crumbly) and place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; roll into an 1/8 inch thick oval crust (or square depending on your pan). Cover the dough with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

The Filling:
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb top sirloin steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used a 1 lb. package of diced lean stew meat)
1/2 onion, diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
6 small red potatoes, diced
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 tsp of thyme (more if desired)
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups of beef broth (divided)
1/3 -1/2 cup of cornstarch (depending on how thick you want it)
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the diced potatoes in a pot of water and boil for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add the beef and sear, stirring often for 1 minute; add the onions, mushrooms, and carrots then continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, stirring well then deglaze pot with 1/2 cup of broth, scraping up the bits. Add an additional 3 cups of broth along with the potatoes. While the mixture is simmering, whisk together the corn starch and the remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth; stir into the beef mixture until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley. Taste and re-season with salt, pepper, or thyme if needed. Ladle the filling into a large baking dish. (I used a large oval corelle baking dish.)

Place the dough on top of the filling. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Make a small slice in the center of the crust with a knife. Place the pie on top of a baking sheet covered with tin foil then place in the oven and bake for 38-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (I found that it baked a lot faster, so be sure to check it often.)

Remove the pie from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the filling to cool and thicken.

Ingredients: stew meat, mushrooms, carrots, red potatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, garlic, thyme, parsley, canola oil, fresh chives, cornstarch, flour

Original recipe in the April 2010 issue of Cuisine at Home. I adapted and made a few changes from the original recipe.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

My family all really loved this recipe. It had great flavor.


1 tsp of olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced (I used celery flakes since I was out of celery)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
5 cups chicken stock
1-2 bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp dried basil
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (more if you like)
1/2 cup long grain rice
1 cup of frozen corn, thawed
2 tbsp corn starch
1 12 oz can evaporated milk

Heat olive oil and add the onion, carrots and celery once hot. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds. Add the chicken stock, diced chicken, rice, bouillon, basil, sea salt, black pepper and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Turn the soup up until it boils. Mix the corn starch and evaporated milk thoroughly in a bowl. Add the milk mixture to the boiling soup and stir. Lower the heat and add the corn. Mix thoroughly and simmer for a few more minutes. The soup will thicken as it sits.

Ingredients: carrots, celery, garlic, onion, dried basil, bay leaf, corn starch, chicken stock, bouillon cubes, chicken, long grain rice, corn, evaporated milk, olive oil.

I found this recipe off of the internet.

Texas Almond Sheet Cake

I absolutely love this version of texas sheet cake.

1 cup of butter
1 cup of water

Place both in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then set aside and let cool.

Combine

2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. of almond extract (no imitation)
1 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of baking soda

After ingredients mixed add the butter water mixture to batter. Spray jelly roll pan and then pour batter into pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, just until lightly brown. Let cool for 30 minutes prior to frosting.

Frosting:

Combine and bring to a boil:
1 cup butter
1/4 cup of milk
4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp. of almond extract

Frost cake and eat!

Ingredients: Butter, water, sugar, flour, sour cream, eggs, milk, powdered sugar, almond extract, salt, baking soda

Homemade Strawberry Freezer Jam

I have always loved my mom's strawberry freezer jam but have never been adventurous enough to make it myself. I decided to try it and was shocked at how easy it was. I have been eating peanut butter sandwiches all week just because it reminds me of home and my mom.

4 cups of pureed strawberries
3 cups sugar
1 box of pectin
1 cup of water

Puree strawberries and set to the side. Boil the sugar, pectin and water. Once at a full boil let boil for 1 minute. Combine sugar mixture and strawberries and then pour into containers for freezing.

Breakfast Pizza

This has become a favorite in our house for holiday mornings! Very easy to throw together as long as you have all the ingredients on hand!
1 can crescent rolls
1 pkg. premium sausage or Canadian bacon
1 cup frozen hash browns
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
3 large eggs, well beaten
1/4 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Shape or press rolls on pizza pan. Layer on meat, hash browns, and cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Ingredients: cresent rolls, sausage, hash browns, eggs, shredded cheese, milk

Banana, Blueberry and Raspberry Muffins

I got this muffin recipe off of the Internet and made them for my family tonight. They were really good and my family really liked them. They had a different taste with the whole wheat flour and vanilla yogurt, but were very good and I will definitely make them again. The recipe only made a dozen, so next time I might double the batch.

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 very ripe banana
1 cup fresh blueberries
3/4 cup fresh raspberries (make sure after you rinse off your berries, that they are completely dry)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined. In another bowl, mix the egg, oil, yogurt, vanilla, white sugar, brown sugar and mushed banana until mixed thoroughly. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients without over mixing. Add half of the blueberries and fold them into the batter.

Spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into the muffin tray then top each muffin with the raspberries and remaining blueberries - really push them inside the batter so the are stuffed. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the muffin comes out clean.

Taco Soup

I am always looking for new soup recipes. I found a Taco Soup recipe and made some minor changes to suit my families tastes. You could use a packet of taco seasoning instead of the combination of spices, but add the ranch dressing mix it really did add a nice zing to the flavor of the soup. My family all really loved this recipe. The sour cream on top with the Frito Chips really made this soup taste good.

Taco Seasoning:
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp of paprika
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of onion powder
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Soup:
1 lb of lean ground beef

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups of frozen corn
1 large (28 oz. can) crushed or petite diced tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes or rotel (I like the Red Gold Brand of Petite Diced Tomatoes with Chipotle)
1/2 oz of package of ranch salad dressing mix (half a packet)

Cook ground beef mixed with the diced onion and garlic over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add all the taco seasonings and mix into the ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes and ranch dressing packet, mix well then cover and simmer on low for 2 hours, stir occasionally. Taste and re-season with sea salt or pepper if needed. I actually mix this together and place in the crock pot on low for 4 hours.

Toppings:
Corn tortilla strips or fritos

Sour cream
Cheese, shredded

Homemade Corn Dogs

Homemade Corn Dogs is another family favorite recipe.
*This recipe makes 8 to 16 corn dogs*

Here is a list of equipment I used:
Fry-daddy
A wide mouthed quart jar (works great to cover the whole corn dog)
Tongs
Wooden popsicle sticks

Ingredients:

1 cup sifted flour
2 T. sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup corn meal
2 t. shortening
1 egg
¾ cup milk

In a medium bowl: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal together with shortening. Then add egg and milk. Pour into a wide mouth quart jar. Place the hot dogs on sticks (popsicle sticks work great). Insert the sticks in the hot dogs until half the stick is still showing.

Dip the hot dogs into the batter, twirling as you lift them out to prevent the sticks from coming out and to evenly remove excess batter.

(note: if you take too long and the batter starts to thicken, just add more milk)
Make sure that the hot dogs are completely dry (I cannot stress this enough - it's the key to getting the batter to stick to the hot dogs).

Directions
Heat oil in a fryer to about 350 degrees. Place 2 or 3 corn dogs into the hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. If your oil is too hot, the outsides will burn and the batter closest to the hot dogs will remain doughy. Remove with tongs.

Ingredients: popsicle sticks, hot dogs, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, corn meal, shortening, egg and milk.

Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a great recipe and easy to throw together. My hubbie did a fantastic job cooking the chicken...a great sunday meal!

1/2 cup of miracle whip
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. honey

Mix together. Baste on grilled chicken.

Ingredients: Miracle whip, Dijon mustard, honey

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies have long since been a tradition in my house, especially at Christmas time. My favorite past time was getting to help my mother ice and decorate then entire counter full of beautiful cookies. As I have grown I have enjoyed carrying on this past time to my children and have even enjoyed getting together with my sister and her children and doing this together! It seems like quite a project but is always SO SO worth it. I love this recipe! It makes the most incredible soft cookies and (my sister will laugh) makes the "nicest" dough! I always double this so we have plenty for the holidays to share. They freeze really good as well! Enjoy!

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Mix and chill. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Icing:

1/2 stick butter
1 oz. cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. milk/evaporated milk

Mix all three and add vanilla and evaporated milk.

Ingredients: shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, flour, sour cream, baking soda, butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, evaporated milk

French Silk Pie

I can recall a certain thanksgiving where I had the most incredible pies and I wanted to be sure and record the recipe for these pies! This is a very strong and rich chocolate pie. No cooking and quick to assemble!

4 (1oz) sq. unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 (8 inch) crust
Whipped cream and chopped nuts

Melt chocolate; let cool. In small mixer bowel, cream butter. Add sugar, melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. (don't worry if mixture is still a little gritty with undissolved sugar). Add eggs. Beat about 3 minutes until smooth and thick. Pour into baked shell. Chill thoroughly. Trim with whipped cream and nuts.

Ingredients: Unsweetened chocolate, butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, crust, whipped cream and nuts

Poppy Seed Bread

I have enjoyed baking lots of breads lately and remember this bread as one of my favorites. I thought I would post it!

3 cups flour
2 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cooking oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Put all ingredients in mixer and blend thoroughly. Grease and flour bread loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 325 for 2 reguar size loaf pans or bake 40-45 min at 325 for 5 small loaf pans.

Icing:
1/4 cup orange juice (after made)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

Cook in microwave to dissolve and pour over cooked bread.

Ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, eggs, milk, cooking oil, vanilla, butter flavoring, almond extract, poppy seeds, orange juice

Chicken Pot Pie

This is an easy recipe to prep early in the day and pop it right in the oven just before dinner time. I did not have celery seed so I added some garlic and season all in the chicken. I also used a frozen bag of vegetables to save time rather than the fresh. I also added a couple bouillon cubes to give it all a little more flavor. A great and easy recipe that my family loved!

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and cubed
2 cups mixed vegetables
2 cups diced cooked potatoes
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) pillsbury unbaked pie crusts

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2.In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3.In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients: Pie crust, chicken, carrots, celery, peas, butter, onion, milk, chicken broth, flour, salt, pepper, celery seed

Best Banana Bread

I got this recipe from a lady I serve in the Primary presidency with. It makes a wonderful banana bread and is SO SO easy!

1/2 cup margarine
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
Optional: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix liquid ingedients together. Beat in the dry ingredients. Grease bread pans. Bake 375 degrees 55-65 minutes for large 9X5 loaf pans or 25-30 minutes for mini loaf pans. You can also double the recipe which makes 3 really big loaves or lots of mini loaves.

Ingredients: margarine or butter, bananas, eggs, sour cream, sugar, flour, soda, salt and walnuts

Strawberry Cake *Happy Mother's Day*

I am especially grateful this Mother’s Day for my little Payton’s good health. My little helper helped me make this super easy Strawberry Cake. We got this recipe from a friend.

1 Strawberry flavored cake mix
3 eggs
One can of strawberry pie filling
*Top with fresh strawberries

That's right, No water, No oil. I said it was really easy. Just mix the cake mix, eggs and pie filling until moist-I use my mixer. Pour batter into well greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees- approx 40-45 minutes (use knife blade stick into cake and when blade comes out cake is done. If knife is a little doughy bake 10 more minutes and test again)

Frost with Strawberry canned frosting already mixed and ready to go. You can also use this same recipe with different flavors-whatever pie filling (say lemon and lemon cake mix with lemon frosting)

Baking note: Cake doesn't rise much since it is more of a dense cake.

cake mix, pie filling, icing, eggs

Hawaiin Haystacks

Hawaiian Haystacks has always been a family favorite. I have great memories of making this recipe as a family at our Grandpa's Cabin.

Step 1. Cook the chicken in either a crock pot or presto cooker. Shred chicken. The amount of chicken depends on how large of group you are feeding. My family size of 4 I usually make about 2 lbs of chicken so that we can have leftovers.

Add the following to the chicken and let simmer:
1-2 cans chicken broth
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 to 1 cup of water if needed to extend the amount of liquid.
1 to 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup if you need to thicken (optional)

Step 2. Prepare a large pot of white rice (not minute rice)

Step 3. Prep for the following toppings of your choice. Here are some different ideas....

Chow Mein noodles
Pineapple chunks
Water chestnuts
Green peppers
Regular or green onions
Tomatoes
Mushrooms
Bean sprouts
Boiled eggs
Coconut
Shredded Cheese

Serve in the following order, rice on the bottom, chicken with broth and then, toppings of your choice.

Ingredients: chicken, chicken broth, chow mein noodles, pineapple, water chestnuts, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, bean sprouts, eggs, coconut, cheese

Fruit Tray

I took a fruit tray to the school today for Teacher Appreciation Week. I used:
1 Pineapple (reserving the bottom for the dip)
2 lbs Strawberries
3 Mango's
1 Watermelon
Green Grapes
Red Grapes
2 Large Oranges
4 Kiwi's

Dip: 1 pkg cream cheese mixed with 1 jar marshmallow creme and a couple Tbsp's of juice from the pineapple mixed with red food coloring.

Grilled Chicken Salad and Grilled Chicken with Rice

*1 to 2 lbs Chicken Breasts or Tenders
*1 pkg of McCormick Grill Mates Tomato, Garlic and Basil(mixed with: Dijon mustard, lemon juice, water, olive oil)
*Lettuce
*Veggies of your choice to top
*Dressing of your choice

Here is another meal idea that my family likes Grilled Chicken Salad. I like to marinate chicken prior to grilling it. Our favorite is the McCormick Grill Mates; Tomato, Garlic and Basil. I use the alternative suggestion of adding the Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice, as well as the called for 1/4 cup water, and 1/4cup olive oil. The longer that you marinate it the better flavor it has. I marinate in a large Ziploc bag in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.

After marinating, grill the chicken and serve over your favorite lettuce. Top with your favorite veggies and dressings. My personal favorite is Brianna's Poppy seed.

I usually make the salad for my husband and myself and for the kids serve the chicken with rice as another meal option.




Ingredients: McCormick Grill Mates, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, lettuce, veggies, dressing, chicken