Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 1/2 pounds Chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can (14oz) stewed Tomatoes
1 can (14oz) Green Enchilada Sauce
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 pkg frozen Corn (10oz bag)
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 can (14oz) diced green chilies
1 can (14.5) Chicken Broth
2 cups water
1 tsp Chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 clove Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.
Top with Tortilla chips, Cheese, Avocado and Sour Cream.

Enjoy!

Cafe` Rio Tomatillo Salad Dressing

2 cups Mayonnaise
2 cups Sour Cream
10 sprigs of Cilantro
3 Tomatillos
3 Green Onions
2 cloves Garlic
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon Salt

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  Dressing will last 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Homemade Bread

Kitchen Aide or Bosch
7 cups flour (wheat or white) - plus 5 more cups
2 Tablespoons of yeast (sprinkle over the flour)
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 Tablespoons salt (I use sea salt and do not eliminate salt)
5-6 cups of water

Put 7 cups of flour and 2 Tablespoons of yeast in your Kitchen Aide or Bosch.  Turn on and add water, mix for about 30 seconds, just to make sure flour and yeast are mixed well with the water.  Turn off and cover with towel for 20 minutes.

In a measuring cup put oil and honey together.  Once the 20 minutes are up, turn machine back on and add the honey/oil mixture, salt and remainder of flour. Mix for 8 minutes.  Once you start the timer for the 8 minutes turn your oven on to its lowest setting (mine is 170 degrees). 

After the 8 minutes turn machine off and put into a metal or glass bowl that you have sprayed with Pam and cover with towel(s).  Place in oven and turn oven off. Leave bowl in oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes take out and put in 4 bread pans that have been sprayed with Pam and cover them with towel(s) and put back in oven for 15 minutes.  Once the 15 minutes are up, take loaves out and leave covered, turn oven on to 350 degrees.  When oven is ready take towel(s) off and put pans bake in oven and cook for 24 minutes.  Take out and  Enjoy!

Spinach Dish

Penne Pasta (or any kind of pasta works)
Fresh Spinach
Tomatoes
Red Onions
Mushrooms
Chicken Breast

Cut Chicken breast into bit size and cook in a little olive oil and your favorite seasoning.  In the meantime, cook the pasta and drain.  Add to the Chicken the veggies until tender and then add the Spinach until it is wilted.  Put over pasta and sprinkle a little Parmesan or Mozzarella or Pepper Jack cheese over the top.

Enjoy!

Brown Rice Dish

Brown Rice
Mexican Squash
Mexican Zucchini
Cherry Tomatoes
Green Pepper
Yellow Pepper
Red Pepper
Avocado

Chop up all the vegetables.  Cook the rice as directed on package.  Once rice is finished cooking, mix vegetables in and eat.  I also add fresh jalapenos and cilantro at times for a change and a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon.

Enjoy!

Bacon Chicken Bites

Boneless-skinless Chicken Breast
1 pkg Center-Cut Bacon

Turn oven on to Broil

Cut chicken breast in chunks.
Cut bacon strips in half

Wrap a strip of bacon around a chunk of chicken and place on greased (sprayed with pam) cookie sheet so that the ends of bacon are on the bottom (touching the pan).  Repeat until all the bacon is gone, it makes a lot.

Season with whatever seasoning you like to use.  I use Emril Essence Original and Dried Italian Herbs.  Broil for about 5-7 minutes and take pan out and flip over chicken.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes to see if bacon is crisp like you like it.  Take out and let cool.

I usually serve it with mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad.

Enjoy!

Pampered Chef Caramel-Banana Dessert

These are so yummy and the kids love to help make them.

2 Firm Bananas
3 Rolls of Rolo's
2 pkg Refridgerated Crescent Rolls
1 TBSP Sugar
1/3 cup Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Slice banana's, open rolo's and crescent rolls and rolls out crescents.
Put a slice of banana and one rolo on on crescent roll and roll up the crescent.
Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Let cool and drizzle top with caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

Found Recipe

I found this recipe and have used it several times.  It is yummy and easy to make, but not sure what it is called.

Top:

3 medium Tomatoes
2 TBSP Fresh chopped Basil
1 TBSP Olive Oil
8 oz Mozzarella Cheese
Ground Pepper

Crust:

1 tsp plus 1 TBSP Olive Oil
1 pkg. Refrigerated Pizza Crust
1 Garlic clove pressed
1 oz Parmesan Cheese grated

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Cut tomatoes and sprinkle with salt
Roll out dough and brush with olive oil
Mix oil and garlic together and brush on to dough
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over dough

Bake for 11-12 minutes

Once dough is finished cooking:

Mix chopped up basil with olive oil (don't use until after you bake tomatoes and mozz. cheese)
Arrange tomatoes on and cover with sliced mozzarella cheese
Bake for 4-5 minutes

Brush with basil oil and sprinkle with ground pepper

Enjoy!

Cheater's Toffee

Saltine crackers
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 1/4 C butter
12 oz. package milk chocolate chips (or whatever ya like)
chopped pecans

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet that has sides(about 13x18")with tin foil, over the edges, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Cover the cookie sheet with Saltines, close together. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and let cook without stirring for 3 minutes. Pour mixture over the crackers and spread to cover. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee/crackers. Let sit for several minutes while the toffee hardens and the chocolate melts. Spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cool slightly and put in the refrigerator to chill. When it has hardened, break into pieces and store in an airtight, sneak proof, impenetrable, container in the freezer.

Banana Muffins

4 (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) ripe bananas,
**plus 1 for garnish (more if making mini muffins)
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

*optional to add walnuts or pecans
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan, regular or mini, with paper liners.

2. Peel four bananas, and place them in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until mashed, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar, oil, and egg; beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until combined.

3. Fill muffin liners three-quarters full. Slice remaining banana into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; place a slice on each muffin. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes for regular muffins and 20 for mini, rotating pan halfway through. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Makes 12 Muffins or 36 Mini muffins

Dutch Oven Potatoes

26-30       Barbeque Briquettes

8-10  lbs.  Peeled and Sliced Potatoes

2-3    lbs.  Finely Chopped Yellow Onions (I usually only use 2 good sized onions)

1-1/2 lbs.  Bacon (Oscar Meyer Center Cut)

2        lbs. Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Salt

Pepper

Use about 12 barbeque briquettes on the bottom.  Space them out evenly beneath the oven.  Then use about 14 briquettes on the lid, also evenly spaced. You may have to replace some of the briquettes as they burn down throughout the process.

Cut up the bacon into 1-2 inch sections and place in the oven.  Cook the bacon until it will be crispy when it cools.  This can be a time consuming part of the process.

Pull the bacon out and set it aside to use later.

Alternate layers of onions and potatoes into the oven.  Salt and pepper the potatoes on each layer.  You will have to use more salt and pepper than you think.  Be fairly generous with both.  Start with a layer of onions (they don’t burn to the bottom of the oven as easily as potatoes do).  Each layer of potatoes should be about an inch thick.

Place the lid on the oven and cook for around 45 minutes.  Don’t keep checking the potatoes.  This will let heat out of the oven and increase the cooking time.  After 45 minutes test the potatoes in the middle of the oven and see that they are soft and not crunchy. 

Stir the bacon back into the potatoes and place the cheese on top.  Return the lid to the oven and melt the cheese for about 10 minutes. 

Serve. 

Any leftovers are great reheated in the microwave.

Peach Cobbler

2 sticks of butter (1 c.)

½ bag brown sugar (1 lb.)

½ box Bisquick (60 oz. box)

3 large cans of peaches

cinnamon (too your liking)

1. In a separate bowl, drain peaches and set aside.
2. Mix Bisquick into peach juice.
3. In a 12 in. dutch oven, melt butter and sugar.  Let bubble until it looks carmelized.
4. Add peaches.  (DO NOT STIR)
5. Spoon Bisquick over peaches followed by a sprinkle of cinnamon.
6. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and cover.

Dutch oven: cook with 5 briquettes on top until the Bisquick in browned on top and is done all the way through.

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

1 cup old fashion rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup non-fat milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 egg whites

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. sugar

Raisins or nuts (optional)

Soak the oats in milk for about one hour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray

Combine the oat mixture with the applesauce and egg whites, mix until combined

In a separate bowl measure and whisk the dry ingredients together

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until just combined.  Add nuts or raisins if desired.

Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough.  Spoon muffin mixture into muffin pan

Combine cinnamon and sugar and top each muffin with some of the mixture

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done

Remove from pan and cool

These can be frozen and reheated in the microwave for a quick breakfast.

Serves 12

Tri-tip Marinade

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder

Combine all ingredients the day before using to marinate your tri tip. Store in the refrigerator.

Bubble Pizza

Bisquick or biscuits in a pop can

Spaghetti sauce

Pizza toppings

Cheese

9 x 13 pan

Mix Bisquick according to directions for biscuits.  Spray pan with Pam and blop biscuits into pan pour sauce over and add pizza toppings cover with cheese and bake according to biscuit directions.

Cakesters

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 tsp mint extract

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

Powder sugar

Mix everything but powder sugar together.  Roll into balls and roll into powder sugar.  Place on cookie sheet, bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes.  Take out and cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet than cool on racks.  Once cooled put frosting on the bottom of one cookie and make a sandwich out of it. Place in dish and put in freezer to chill or place in Zip lock bag and freeze until ready to eat.

Swedish Meatballs

2 slices of white bread (I have used wheat)

¼ cup milk ( I use soy milk)

3 Tablespoons butter

½ cup onion, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt (I use sea salt)

1 lb hamburger

1 lb pork sausage

2 large egg yolks

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp all spice

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ cup flour

3 cups beef broth

¼ cup heavy cream

Tear bread in pieces in mixer with milk

In sauté pan sweat onion with 1 tblsp butter

Pour onions into mixer than add hamburger, pork, egg yolks, salt pepper, allspice and nutmeg.  Mix well.

Roll into 1 oz meatballs

Heat remaining butter in large pan and add meatballs.  Cook on all sides until cooked through.  Remove to a dish and place in oven

Decrease heat and add flour, whisk for about 1 minute and slowly add broth then cream until gravy reaches desired consistency.

I make a few changes to this recipe.  I use soy, rice or almond milk and I also use it in the pan when making gravy instead of the heavy cream.  I also take some of the meat mixture and cook it in the pan for the gravy.  I broil the meatballs instead of cooking them in butter in a frying pan and it takes about 10 minutes per cookie sheet

Baked Chimi's

1 can refried beans

1 pkg taco seasoning

Monterey Jack cheese

Tortillas

1 can diced green chili’s

Meat (steak cut thin or chicken you can shred or canned chicken)

Mix beans and chili’s together.  Cut cheese into ¼ inch think sticks.  Cook meat with seasoning (I like to add onions and I only use 1/3 pkg of taco seasoning).  Take tortilla and put bean mix than a stick of cheese, add meat and wrap up than individually wrap each chimi in tin foil. 

If you bake once made, bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes than take off tin foil place on cookie sheet and turn oven to broil.  Broil chimi’s until crispy and remove.  On a plate lay a bed of lettuce, chimi and cover with tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese.

If you wrap them in tin foil and freeze.  Take out frozen and cook for 1 hour than broil them until crispy.

Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Tenders

Bisquick

Seasoning

Eggs

Cheese (shredded)

Melted butter

Mix cheese, seasoning and bisquick together in a Gallon zip lock bag.  Beat eggs and than dip chicken into egg and than into mix.  Close bag and shake.

Put tin foil on a cookie sheet and spray with pam.  Lay chicken on to pan, drizzle chicken with butter.  Place in oven at 425 for 15 minutes, turn chicken over and drizzle butter on chicken.  Cook for 15 minutes and than remove and eat

Pound Cake

2 sticks butter (soft)

3 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and butter and add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Put in pan and cook at 350 for 1 hour and 20 minutes

This is a Paula Deen recipe and it is so YUMMY, that I seriously can not make it very often.  I have used fresh peaches on the top with a little cool whip, YUM!!

Zucchini Casserole

¼ c. chopped onion

6 cups sliced zucchini (you can use yellow or green)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheese

1 pkg. herb stuffing mix crushed

2/3 to 1 cube butter melted

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed, optional

Cook onion and zucchini in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain. Combine soup, sour cream, shredded cheese.  Add drained stuffing mix and melted butter.  Spread half stuffing mix on bottom of casserole and then add zucchini mixture and top with stuffing mix.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes

Vegetable Pizza

2 pkg. crescent rolls

2 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayo

¾ pkg. dry ranch mix

Veggies

Shredded cheese

Spray cookie sheet with pam.  Lay rolls flat in pan and press to attach seams.  Bake 375 for 13 minutes.  (You only want it lightly browned.)  Mix cream cheese and may.  Stir in dry ranch mix.  Mix until combined well.  Spread evenly over rolls.  Layer chopped veggies on top.  (your choice of veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, green onion, cucumber or olives.)  Top with shredded Monterey or cheddar cheese.

Lime Cupcakes

Lime Cupcakes:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Lemon cake mix
1 box (4-serving size) Lime-flavored gelatin
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup Key Lime juice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
2-3 drops green food color

Glaze:

1 cup powder sugar
2-2 1/2 tablespoons key Lime juice

Frosting:

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
powder sugar (to desired consistency)
grated lime peel, if desired

Heat oven to 350.  Place paper baking cup in each mini muffin cup.  In large bowl, beat cake mix, lime gelatin with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add remaining cupcake ingredients.  Beat with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl as necessary.  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each on about 2/3 full.

Bake 10 minutes or until tooth[pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Carefully remove from pan to cooling rack.  With toothpick, pierce tops of cupcakes in several places.

In small bowl, mix glaze together (make thin enough to drizzle), drizzle over tops of cupcakes.  Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Then frost with frosting and garnish with grated lime peel.  Store in fridge.

You can make ahead of time with glaze on the cupcakes and freeze until ready to use and frost.

Strawberry Salsa

Strawberries
Green Apples
Kiwi
Raspberries

Cut fruit into tiny pieces, soak apples once cut into tiny pieces in lemon juice so they do not turn brown. Once all the fruit is cut up, combine and add 1/4 cup Strawberry Jam and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar.  Mix well.

Tortilla's

Butter tortillas and sprinkle cinnamon/sugar over the top.  Bake until crispy and use them to dip into Salsa.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

15 clean pint jars
15 lids and rings
8 cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (canned tomatoes work also)
4 cups Chopped onion
2 cans pineapple tidbits
2 cans mandarin oranges
4 cups chopped green peppers
7 cups sugar
8 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 cups vinegar

Combine ingredients and put into jars, put lids and rings on jars and hot bath bottles for 35 minutes.

Microwave Carmel Popcorn

Microwave a bag of popcorn

1 cube of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of karol syrup

Combine butter, sugar and syrup in a microwaveable container and microwave for 2 minutes and stir, then microwave for 2 more minutes. Pour over popcorn and cook for 3 minutes, while stirring every minute.

Chicken Bundles

2-3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
8 ozs cream cheese, softened
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cans pillsbury crescent rolls

Heat oven as directed on roll can
Combine chicken, cream cheese, onions, salt and pepper
Unroll crescent rolls and seperate
Put a tablespoon or just a little larger portion onto center of triangle, roll dough over chicken mixture
Place on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake bundles for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and filling is hot

You can also use ham or turkey
These can be made and refrigerated ahead of time until ready to bake

The Start

So here is the start of the recipe blog I keep talking about.  Just for an FYI, the recipes that I post will be ones that I have made up, been given or found and I believe to be super yummy.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I.

Happy Cooking!!