Taco Soup

This is a staple recipe at our house and one that is so quick and easy to throw together. We prefer this over Chili any day of the week.
I dump all the canned food in a pot with the seasoning and while that heats through, I brown my hamburger, drain it and then dump it in the soup pot, by then it is heated through and ready to eat. You can also change this up a bit how ever you like. Some like pinto beans or black beans , some like to just stick with the kidney beans. YOu can even do it vegetarian and replace more beans and corn in place of the meat.
You can also use chili beans if you want more of a chili like flavor. (You can use the tomatoes with diced chilis and onions but it will be spicy!)
This is a family favorite and also a favorite of many of my friends. Hope you enjoy it!


Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped (optional)
Brown together and drain off grease

Add to the following in a soup pot:
1 can kidney beans (undrained)

1 can Pinto beans ( undrained)
1 can corn (undrained)
2 cans stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes (undrained) *
2 envelopes taco seasoning

Heat through. Serve with tortilla or corn chips. Optional, top with grated cheese, sour cream, diced onion and even fresh diced tomatoes if you like.



*Note: My kids don't like chunks of tomatoes, so I zap them in the blender just long enough to break it all up, more like crushed tomatoes, and I prefer stewed tomatoes for just a little bit more flavor but diced or crushed tomatoes are good to use as well.


Also, My husband and I like to crush the chips in the bottom of the bowl and put the soup on top, the kids like to dip their chips in the soup as they eat it. Either way is yummy!

Spinach and Swiss Salad

This salad is so very yummy! It makes a very large salad which is perfect for a crowd but for our family of 6 I usually half the recipe and then add the salad dressing as we eat it. Enjoy!

Spinach and Swiss Salad

1 large head iceberg lettuce, torn
1 (10 oz.) bag fresh spinach, torn
1/2 red onion, chopped
3/4 C. sliced mushrooms
3/4 C. grated Swiss cheese
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled ( I use the pre-cooked crumbled bacon)
1 C. small curd cottage cheese, rinse and drain off liquid in small colander
Croutons

DRESSING:
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
2/3 C. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 T. poppy seeds
Mix together ingredients in blender. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Toss all salad ingredients together and add dressing. (Makes more dressing than you will need for one salad.)

Creamy White Chicken Chili

I got third place at the annual Ward Chili Cook off! Yup, it was a lot of fun and there were many different chilis to taste! The winning chili was a white bean chili that had bacon in it (it was yummy) second place was a traditional chili, and my chicken chili took third. I have had this recipe for a while and have made it several times for my family. It is a favorite of ours. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Creamy White Chicken Chili

adapted from Homemaking A Divine Calling

2 cans Chicken broth

2 can Great northern beans

1 can chopped chilli's

2-3 chicken breasts cooked anyway you like, shredded or cut into pieces

1Tbsp Chili powder, more if you like it Hot or less if not

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp red pepper

1 tsp poultry seasoning

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp cumin

1 cup container sour cream

1 cup half and half

1 bag corn tortilla chips for garnish

In a crock pot mix first 12 ingredients, and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Before serving add sour cream and half and half to soup. Let set for 30 mins.( it will thicken slightly). To serve, crush tortilla chips in a bowl and pour soup on top. Easy and delicious!

Poppy Seed Chicken

If you have never had Poppy Seed Chicken, you are missing out! This creamy chicken casserole is so yummy, it easily falls under the categor of comfort food. My good friend Kathee is known for her delicious poppy seed chicken and was so kind as to share her recipe with me. I made this the other night for my family and it was completely gone, only a few cracker crumbs remained. I served it with roasted asparagus but it would be great coupled with any vegetable.
Now, I have to say, that it isn't a low fat recipe by any means. But there are some ways around it to help with that issue. I used low fat cream of chicken soup and low fat sour cream. I also halved the butter and I think it tasted just as good. Although, I have had it with all the fat and it is sinful :) Hope you enjoy this creamy chicken indulgence!

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 cup melted butter ( I used one stick = 1/2 cup)
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
1 6 oz carton sour cream ( I used low fat)
1 can cream of chicken soup ( I used low fat version)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed

( I added a little bit of seasoning salt to the creamy mixture maybe 1/4 teaspoon)

Combine butter, crushed crackers, and poppy seeds. Mix well. Pat half of the crumb mixture into bottom of 9 x 13 pan.
Combine chicken, soup, and sour cream. Place in pan over cracker crumb mixture.
Top with remaining cracker crumb mixture.
Bake at 350˚ for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.

Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Roast

This was a fun recipe to try and my husband and I loved it! It smelled so good and tasted wonderful! The kids liked it but not nearly as much as we did. I think that is just because they are kids :) I made it with the orange juice but want to use the cranberry juice next time jut for more of a cranberry kick. We served it with roasted russed potatoes and steamed broccoli. I found it on Heather White's blog. She has a really fun blog and shares the most delicous recipes (and craft ideas and lots of other neat things) (Thank you Heather!)

Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Roast
1 pork loin roast (2 ½ - 3 lbs.)(can be boneless or not)
1 can (16 oz.) jellied whole cranberries
1 C. dried cranberries
½ C. sugar
½ C. cranberry juice or ½ C. orange juice
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Place pork roast bone side down in a slow cooker/crock pot. In a medium bowl, mash cranberry sauce. Stir in sugar, cranberry juice, orange juice, mustard and cloves. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours. If boneless, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Cook until meat is tender. Remove roast and keep warm. Skim fat from juices; measure 2 cups, adding water if necessary and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and cold water to make a paste; stir into gravy. Cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt. Serve with sliced pork.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Oh, this soup is so very yummy! My good friend Amy served this at a Primary worker appreciation dinner. Everyone loved it and she had several requests that night for the recipe. I made it last week and found out that two of my friends had made it that same week too! It isn't low fat by any means, but every once in a while it is worth it to splurge on something this good!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 onion
2 carrots
3 celery sticks
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. water
1 Tbsp. McCormick chicken base or 4 bouillon cubes
2 pkgs. Rice-A-Roni long grain and wild rice
2 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I usually boil and shred my chicken)
2 c. half & half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Chop vegetables and place in large soup pot. Melt butter and saute vegetables until tender. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated. Slowly add water; stir vigorously until flour dissolves. Prepare Rice-A-Roni as directed on box, then add to the soup. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low until well blended.

Our favorite Bread!

This picture really dosen't do this bread justice. It is such a wonderful, moist and favorful bread!

I call it Mom's bread since it is what she always makes. I have had requests for this recipe many, many times. I love that it stays moist, dosen't get crumbly and freezes well. You can slice it thick or thin, you can make it all white (which is divine) or do half white and half wheat (which is equally delicious) You can use sugar or honey, and even throw in some quick oats for texture. The choice is yours, either way it is the best, most flavorful recipe I have come around and it is easy to make! It makes 4 good size loaves and dosen't last long at our house.
I have frozen it with great results. I just pull a loaf out of the freezer, wrap some paper towel around it, and let it sit over night on the kitchen counter. In the morning I have a soft loaf of bread waiting to be eaten. Oh, it also makes great french toast! Enjoy :)

Mom’s Bread
2 cups milk
1 stick (½ cup) butter or margarine
1 can evaporated milk
2 ½ cups water
1 cup sugar or honey
1 ½ Tbs salt
2 Tbs yeast ( I like to use rapid rise or Saf-instant yeast as I can add it dry with the flour and skip the step of disolving yeast)

9 to10-ish cups Bread flour (optional: mix bread flour with 3-4 cups wheat flour.) *Sometimes I add ½ cup of oats before adding the flour to add more texture, YUM!

Directions:
1. In a sauce pan heat together 1 stick butter and 2 c milk till butter is melted. Set aside.
2. Pour 1 can evaporated milk into a measuring cup and then add enough warm water to make 4 1/2 cups of liquid (approx 2 1/2 cups water) note you will want the liquid to be the right temp for the yeast when it is all mixed together.
3. Pour melted butter and evaporated milk mixture into mixing bowl and then add the 4 1/2 cups of evaporated milk/water mixture.
4. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 ½ Tbs salt and mix thoroughly till sugar and salt are dissolved.
5. Add 2 Tbs yeast and stir till dissolved.
6. Add flour one cup at a time and mix with dough hook till the right consistency. ( when dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl , the dough is done) Approx. 10 cups. Dough will be sticky.
7. Dump into a large greased bowl and cover. Let rise till double in size. Then punch down and form into loaves and place in greased bread pans (it fills 4 large bread pans for me)
8. Let rise till double again and then bake at 350* for 35 minutes.
9. Pop loaves out of bread pans onto cooling rack
10. Optional: lightly butter the tops of the loaves when they are still hot from the oven to keep the top crust soft and yummy.

Tortellini Soup

I recently subscribed to the Taste of Home magazine and in my first issue, I found this delicious recipe for Holiday Tortellini Soup. I made it today and served it with multi grain french bread and and the family loved it! It was filling, full of flavor, and easy to make. It also states that it freezes well which is a plus! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did :)

Tortellini Soup
(from Taste of Home magazine)

2 Tbs olive oil
2 oz Pancetta or Bacon, finely diced. (I used pre-cooked crumbled bacon)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (49 1/2os) chicken broth (I used three cups water and 3 tsp chicken bullion)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 package (9oz) cheese tortellini ( I used a 19oz bag of frozen tortellini)
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
8 oz fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed and chopped (I used 3/4 bag of fresh baby spinach)
Salt and pepper to tastee (I only needed to use a little)
1 cup freshly shredded parmesean cheese (I used the grated stuff from the can :)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over meduim heat. Add pancetta (or bacon). Cook until crisp (mine was pre-cooked so I just threw it in) Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add broth and Italian seasoing; bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Add cooked tortelini to soup mixture. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add chopped spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parmesean cheese and serve with your favorite bread.

Sugar Cookies!

I LOVE Sugar cookies, and these have to be my all time favorite! I am frequently asked for this recipe it is so yummy. You can make these thin or thick ( I prefer thick) and they are moist and fudgy. With Valenties just a week away I thought it was time to share this delicious recipe! Now, I found this on the internet and it is titled the Great American Cookie Company's Sugar Cookie, but I don't know if it is official or not, either way it is the best I have come across. Enjoy!

Great American Cookie Company's Sugar Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract (or almond extract - almond is our favorite!)

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons sour cream

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening, butter, sugar; add eggs, lemon, vanilla and sour cream. Mix till creamy; add sifted dry ingredients: salt, soda, and flour. Chill for several hours or overnight. (I never take the time to chill but it might help, it is a very soft dough) Roll into balls and flatten with bottom of sugar coated glass. OR, roll out and cut in to shapes.

Bake at 350° just until the edges start turning color. Maybe 7-10 minutes, Time will vary depending on how large and thick you made your cookies. It is important not to over bake if you want the texture to remain chewy and soft.

Frost and decorate as desired.

Great Easy Salsa!!

Andi’s Salsa – so easy even I can do it!

1 can of whole tomatoes (Big)
1 small can of green chilies
2 bunches of green onions (I use less)
¼ a bunch of Cilantro
Garlic salt to desired taste

Put in Blender
Cut off ends of onions – cut up about an inch long stems
Snap off leaf part of cilantro - about 1/4 of bunch
1 can of Green chilies

garlic salt
Juice only from can

Pulse just a little – not too much, you do not want to puree it

Add the tomatoes – pulse a few more times

Done!!!

Chicken Azteca

This tastey recipe came from a book "Fix-it and Forget-it for Entertaining" which is a fun crock pot recipe book that my mom bought for me a few years ago. This recipe is delicious and kid approved! It doesn't look like much, but trust me, it is yummy! While it is a crock pot recipe, I have also made it on the stove with great results. Either way you make it, it is a family pleaser. You can kick up the spice with a spicier salsa or keep it mild according to your tastes. I like to use a salsa slightly spicer than we normally would eat since there are two blocks of cream cheese to tone down the heat.

Chicken Azteca
Makes 10 – 12 servings

2- 15oz cans black beans, drained
4 cups frozen corn kernels (I use2 cans of corn, drained)
2 garlic cloves, minces
1 tsp cumin
2 cups chunky salsa, divided
10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 8oz pkgs. cream cheese, cubed
(add seasonings or salt as desired)

Cooked rice
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin, and half of the salsa in slow cooker.
Arrange chicken breasts over top. Pour remaining salsa over the top
Cove, cook on high for t 2 – 3 hours or on low for 4 – 6 hours.
Remove chicken and cut in to bite sized pieces or shread. Return to cooker.
Stir in cream cheese, cook on high until cream cheese melts. Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese.

You can also do this on the stove, just put the first 5 ingredients in a larger pot and warm through. Boil chicken in a separate pot, cut or shred up and then add to soupy mixture. Then stir in cream cheese till melted.

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake

As promised, here is Sue's recipe for Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake. I absolutly love these and truly can't say which sheet cake I like more! While I love the sweet, chocolately goodness of her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies, I love the hint of cinnamon and rich cream cheese frosting on this vanilla version! This recipe is also highly requested and was served at the baptism along side the chocolate one. Enjoy!

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake
2 2/3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter divided
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar

Mix together flour & sugar. In a saucepan or microwave, combine ½ cup butter, oil and water, bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
Beat in Eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, cinnamon, soda and buttermilk
Pour into greased 17x11 inch pan
Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees

Icing:
Cream together ½ cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla & cream cheese. Beat in powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Spread over warm cake.

Makes 20 servings

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies

My dear friend Sue Smith is famous for her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies. They are simply divine! We were at her nephew's baptism and everyone was talking about how good her brownies are and how they want the recipe. Well, since Sue was sweet enough to share it with me a while ago, and with her permission, I told everyone that I would post it on my blog. I needed a picture so I grabbed my daughter's camera. Sorry it's a little blurry and on a paper plate, but trust me these are delicious! Sue also makes wonderful Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake which was also served at the baptism so I took a picture of those too and will post those next!

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies
1 c. butter
1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. water
Heat on stovetop almost to a boil. Turn off stove and add next step

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. Salt

In a measuring cup mix ½ cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. Baking soda add to mixture.
Add
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix well and pour into a greased jelly role pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Frosting
½ c. milk
½ butter
¼ c. cocoa

Using the same pan bring ingredients to a boil. Turn off stove.
Add
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Pour frosting over brownies right when they come out of the oven. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans if you like.
Enjoy!