Friday, October 26, 2007

Taco Soup(crockpot)


I love this time of year where it's cold and I can cook soup all day. We don't have a long fall/winter so I enjoy it while I can!

I made this with a pound of beef and a pound of ground turkey. I also did not add the green olives or cheese.


Taco Soup

2 pounds ground beef

2 cups diced onions

2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans

1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans

1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles

2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles

1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional

1/2 cup green olives, sliced, optional

1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

Corn chips, for serving Sour cream, for garnish Grated cheese, for garnish Chopped green onions, for garnish Pickled jalapenos, for garnish


Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos.

Monday, October 22, 2007

I love my electric skillet


The kids and I love grilled cheese and tomato soup...I hadn't realized how awesome the electric skillet would be for making them quickly!

Not really a recipe post just sharing a fun thing for today=)

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread



I picked this out of Marey's week. It was really good BUT I should have trusted my instinct to use two loaf pans. Instead it rose high and took forever to cook through. Then the top was burnt. We still ate a good amount of it.




Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread


Ingredients:
3 C all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C cooked or canned pumpkin1 1/4 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt & baking soda. In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin & oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into regular sized loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near th center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan onto wire rack

Saturday, October 20, 2007

Shar's Mom's Roast

This is my second time making this. I bought stew meat to be lazy and it actually worked out really well! There was a piece or two that was tough but overall the meat was the same as cutting up a roast. We'll definitely make this again in future and I love knowing it came from my friend's family=)

"Breaded Roast"

1 Roasting beef (med size, to feed your family)
1-2 packages of salted soda crackers
approx 1/2 - 1 cup butter/margarine
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water

1. Cut roast beef in pieces, not too thick, but not too thin.. a little over 1/2 an inch.
2. Heat up a skillet, coating the bottom of it, with butter as needed, keep a good layer of melted butter going,to fry the roast.
3. Dip each piece of roast beef in this order..
into the flour (placed on a plate or bowl)
into the eggs (in a bowl)
into the crushed crackers (on a dinner plate)

4. Fry each piece until golden brown on each side. Salt and pepper to taste

5. In a casserole dish, add the water, and 3 tbsp of butter. Pile the pieces of roast into the casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx 1 hour in "covered" casserole.
In the last 10 minutes, take the lid off, to crisp the roast up slightly. It's ready, when you can cut nicely into the roast

Friday, October 19, 2007

Three Cheese Mostaccioli Bolognese

This recipe was my choice for Tee's week. I've been on a pasta kick so this was perfect. I wish it called for more zucchini because that was my favorite part! The whole family enjoyed this meal. I served it with garlic toast and edamame.
I also learned that zucchini is the swollen ovary of the zucchini plant. I do believe I could have gone without knowing that...so I decided to share.


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce or 1 jar (1 lb. 9 oz.) Prego® Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
1 pkg. (16 oz.) mostaccioli or tube-shaped pasta (ziti) pasta, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook beef and garlic in 12" skillet until beef is browned, stirring to break up meat. Pour off fat. Add zucchini and cook until tender. Stir in sauce.
Stir beef mixture, pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese in 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 400°F. for 20 min. or until hot.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Creme Caramel with fresh whipped cream

With the season I wanted to try something new with pumpkin so I printed this recipe from Good Housekeeping. The ingredients are pricey and it takes at least overnight to be able to eat it. Hunter said it's missing something and I have to agree. It's not very sweet so I added some whipped cream(freshly made just for this) and I just ended up eating the whipped cream. Flan would have been much cheaper and loved by all.

New York Pumpkin Creme Caramel
6 strip(s) (about 3" by 1" each) orange peel
1 1/4 cup(s)sugar
1 can(s)(12-ounce) evaporated milk
1 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream
1 cup(s) (solid-pack) pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)
6 large eggs
1/4 cup(s) orange-flavored liqueur
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1 pinch(s) nutmeg
1 pinch(s) salt
DIRECTIONS
In 1-quart saucepan, heat orange peel, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup water to boiling over high heat. Cover and cook 10 minutes. With fork, remove orange-peel strips and discard. Continue cooking sugar mixture, uncovered, until it turns amber in color, about 3 minutes longer. Pour caramel into 9" by 5" loaf pan, swirling to coat bottom. (Hold pan with pot holders to protect hands from heat of caramel.) Set aside.
In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar just to boiling over medium-high heat.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix pumpkin, eggs, orange liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until blended.
Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into pumpkin mixture until blended. Pour pumpkin mixture through strainer into 8-cup glass measuring cup, then into caramel-coated loaf pan. Place loaf pan in roasting pan; place on oven rack. Pour boiling water into roasting pan to come three-quarters of the way up side of loaf pan. Bake 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean when inserted 1 inch from edge of custard (center will jiggle slightly).
Carefully remove loaf pan from water. Allow crème caramel to cool 1 hour in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate crème caramel overnight. To unmold, run small spatula around sides of loaf pan; invert crème caramel onto serving plate, allowing caramel syrup to drip down from pan (some caramel may remain in pan).

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Banana Bread w/ oatmeal


I would have made my favorite banana bread but we're out of sour cream so I went searching for something new. I wasn't really fond of this one but the kids finished off both loaves in one afternoon and raved the whole time so I guess it was still a hit here!

Banana Bread
1 cup raisins
6 bananas (large ripe mashed)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick oats
Topping
2 tablespoons quick oats
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°.
Place the raisins in a coffee mug and add hot water to plump them.
In a mixing bowl mash the bananas and them cream oil and sugar.
Add the egg, beating well.
Mix in the extract.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
Add the quick oats.
Drain the water off the raisins and add them to the cake mix.
Pour into a greased 9 by 5 by 4 loaf pan.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the batter.
Bake at 350° for 23-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack

Pasta E Fagioli


This was sooo good and I would definitely make it again on a cold winter day! Corrine rated it high but then picked at it so I'm not sure how much she really liked it. It was a hit with the rest of us.

Ratings

Sabrina: 10
Hunter: 10
Corrine: 9

Pasta E Fagioli (like Olive Garden)
1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup carrot, sliced
1 cup celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can V8 vegetable juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 lb ditali pasta, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef in large saucepan or soup pot. Drain.
Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
Simmer 10 minutes, then add remaining ingredients except pasta.
Simmer 1 hour.
Add cooked pasta.
Simmer 5 minutes, then serve!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Reeses Peanut Butter Squares

The kids wanted to cook and I had a few odd and end things around the kitchen(trying to use up before grocery shopping again). Found this and am so glad we tried it! I've never had anything as close to a Reeses pb cup! We had the 60% cacao chips so I used those and natural peanut butter also worked just fine. I'm sending most for the cub scout bake sale but we will definitely be making these again!
Corrine showed Justin how to get it out of the bowl.
Justin showed Corrine a MUCH better way of eating from the bowl.


Reeses PB Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 lb confectioners' sugar(3 to 3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
Combine graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well. Blend in melted butter until well combined. Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill until just set and cut into bars (these are very hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard".



Hamburger Potato Casserole


This was something Teresa tried then Shar tried...they both liked it so we gave it a try too. Very tasty! I made cream soup substitute so there wouldn't be msg but that was the only change I made. It was very good!

Ratings

Me 9
Hunter 7
Corrine 9

Hamburger Potato Casserole INGREDIENTS
1 pound lean ground beef
3 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup milk
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef; drain fat.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, onion, milk, salt and pepper to taste.
Alternately layer the potatoes, soup mixture and meat in a 11x7 inch (2 quart) baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Top with Cheddar cheese, and continue baking until cheese is melted

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Pork chop yum yum


This recipe was from Mandi's blog and they are really really good!! I will be making them again and I think I'll turn them over halfway through so they stay really moist on both sides. These remind me of my favorite ribs at the chinese buffets! It said to serve with mashed potatoes and green beans but I think the Veggie Bacon Rice would be perfect!

Ratings:

Me 10
Hunter 10
Corrine 10
Pork Chop Yum Yum

2-4 pork chops, 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Brown chops on both sides. Place in greased casserole dish. Mix all remaining ingredients and pour over pork chops. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for one hour.Sides: Make with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Almond Macaroon Cupcakes


I made these tonight because Kris made me want ice cream... It is a very good thing we don't have a Dairy Queen nearby.
These were really good! They are soft and cakey like angel food cake but with just a bit of coconut. I didn't have maple extract so I used almond extract and changed the name. The original recipe is below=)
Maple Macaroon Cupcakes
3/4 cup flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (not syrup)
1 cup flaked coconut

Mix flour with 1 cup sugar, baking powder and salt and set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1/3 cup sugar until soft peaks form, then add vanilla and maple extracts and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold flour mixture into egg whites. Fold coconut into egg whites.
Fill paper cupcake liners 2/3 full (do not grease) and bake in cupcake pan at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes or until just golden. Let cool completely. For a real treat, top these with fresh strawberries and whipped cream