Try This!

When and If you try the Perfect Potato Soup Recipe try adding a small container (8 oz) of sour cream! I did this a few nights ago when I made it and it tastes DELICIOUS! It gives the soup so much more flavor! Remember, the recipe makes enough to fill a 6 quart crock-pot, so it's perfect for large groups! Next time I make it for our family of 3, I think I'll at least halve it! I made it 3 days ago and we've still got a huge bowl of leftovers in the fridge, and we've eaten it for dinner twice and lunch 3 times! There's still enough for at least another nights meal for the 3 of us!

Sweet N Sour Meatballs

I was skeptical to try this one. It sounded different, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever had it before. Turns out, I'm glad I tried it. It was pretty good! The only thing I would change next time is using a little more sauce. Other than that, it was good. My husband said he liked it and would eat it again, and my 4 year old gobbled his up.

:: 1 lb ground beef
:: 1 - 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
:: 1 egg
:: 1/2 small onion, chopped
:: 1/2 green pepper, chopped

For Sauce:
:: I used 1 bottle of Kraft Sweet N Sour Sauce
OR
:: 1 bottle Catalina Salad Dressing
:: 1/4 cup soy sauce
:: 1 small can crushed pineapple (with juices)
:: Corn starch to thicken if desired
:: Mix dressing, soy sauce and pineapple. Add corn starch to thicken.

:: Mix beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, and green pepper
:: Roll meat mixture into golf ball sized balls
:: Brown all sides if desired (I did not)
:: Put meat balls in baking dish and top with sauce
:: Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes
:: Serve over rice

Sweet Pork Burrito's

I think this is about as close to Costa Vida as I'll ever get. It was still really yummy!

2-3 lb pork roast
1 (12 oz) can of soda (I used diet coke)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pinch ground cumin
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 packets enchilada sauce mix

::Prepare enchilada sauce as directed on package
::Meanwhile put roast, soda, garlic & cumin in crock-pot
::Mix brown sugar into the enchilada sauce and pour over roast
::Cook on low for 8 hours
::30 minutes before serving, shred the pork with two forks, drain all but maybe 1 or 2 cups of the sauce and let the meat soak in the rest of the sauce.

Next time I may even refrigerate half of the sauce and add it towards the end of the cooking time so it has a little more flavor. But this was an excellent sweet pork.

I served in whole wheat tortillas with Mexican style rice. YUM!

Southwestern Style Chicken

I have just found a new favorite recipe. For a few reasons.

1. This recipe calls for 5 ingredients that I usually have on hand
2. It's super EASY!
3. It's really YUMMY!
4. You can make so many different dishes with it!

2-3 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 (16 oz) jar of MEDIUM salsa (don't use mild, the chicken won't have much flavor)
1 can black beans, drained
1 can corn, drained
Cheddar Cheese

Throw all ingredients except cheese in crock-pot. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Shred chicken with two forks.

I used the chicken in quesadilla's tonight. And honestly 2 large chicken breasts made A LOT! I made 6 quesadilla's and we have enough left overs for at least 6-8 more! I plan to use the left overs tomorrow on salad.

The great thing about this, is you can serve it so many different ways! Like I did, you can make quesadilla's. I just put the shredded chicken mixture in a tortilla, topped with cheese and folded the tortilla in half. I baked them for 3 or 4 minutes at 450 degrees just to melt the cheese and warm the tortillas and they were FABULOUS!

*tip: moisten the edges of the tortillas to seal into a quesadilla!

Tomorrow, I'll just warm up the left overs, add it to some tossed greens. Add some tortilla strips, sour cream and guacamole and WA-LA! Basically a chicken taco salad!

The recipe I have says just to serve it over rice. And it would be good in enchilada's or hard taco shells!

Perfect Potato Soup!

I think I found this basic recipe at allrecipes.com. It was a good guide for a good soup, I made a few of my own adjustments and Wa-La! It was perfect! Definitely a must try for the winter season! I know it's definitely going on our menu again within the next couple weeks! It was a little time consuming to start, but once it's in the crock pot that's it! Here's my version of the soup:

8-12 medium russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 bag baby carrots, chopped (next time I think I'll just buy the carrot chips, but I chopped a bag of baby carrots into 4's and it worked great!)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups water
Thyme, Salt & Pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Put all ingredients, except cheese, milk & flour in crock pot. Cook on low for 8 hours. 30 minutes before serving add cheese, milk, & flour.

Serve with rolls.

I was nervous all day, I kept stirring the soup and it seemed really watery. DON'T WORRY! As soon as you add the cheese, milk, and flour it will thicken up almost instantly. 30 minutes later it's a perfect texture!

My husband said next time he'd like me to add some sort of meat. Bacon, Ham, & Cube Steak come to mind and sound like they would taste good in this soup. I may even add a little sour cream and top with some chives next time as well.

Tiny Little Pizza's

Ok, they're not really that tiny, but I thought it was cute when my 4 year old got so excited when he saw what we were having for dinner and said "Aw, tiny little pizzas!"

1 can refrigerator biscuits
1 jar of pizza sauce (or home made would be great!)
1 pkg pizza cheese (or you can just use Mozzerella)
Pizza toppings of your choice (I used Canadian bacon & crushed pineapple)

If you have the muffin tins that make 6 jumbo muffins, rather than making 12 regular sized ones, I suggest using that tin. I used the jumbo muffin tin and I made a couple regular sized ones and we liked the jumbo ones better...the dough wasn't as thick.

Grease muffin tin.
Add a biscuit to each tin opening and form to make a cup
Preheat oven as directed on biscuit packaging and bake biscuits for about 6-8 minutes
Remove from oven and add all toppings
Return to oven and bake about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted and biscuits are golden.
Eat Up!

These was really quick, easy, and yummy! My 4 year old loved it that he could help me put the toppings on and my husband said he actually really liked it. It'll be on our menu again for sure!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 lb (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker Oats (uncooked)
1 cup raisins

::Heat oven to 350
::Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy
::Add eggs & vanilla; beat well
::Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well
::Stir in oats & raisins; mix well
::Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet
::Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown
::Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

This makes about 3-4 dozen cookies. I added a little extra cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and they turned out perfectly! Yum!

GrAb BoWl/BaSkEt!

How many of you moms need an easier way to pack lunches, or provide snacks in a rush, or are busy with a baby/toddler while another kid is pulling at your leg saying "I'm Hungry"?
I'm just preparing for baby #2 and can already see myself pulling my hair out when I'm trying to feed or change or provide for the baby and my 4 year old is tugging at me for a snack. And right now at 4:30 in the morning my pantry gets raided when I'm scrambling for some snacks to take with me to work to get me through the next 12 hours. And being hypoglycemic with this pregnancy, snacks are a must throughout the day. This was the best thing I've added to my pantry, it's making work mornings a lot less stressful, it makes my 4 year old feel like he can be more independent when he's asking for a snack, he can just go in and pick one out. It adds a lot of space getting rid of the boxes that all these things are in. And yes, I bagged those animal crackers individually, and it was totally worth the 7 minutes it took me to separate a 2 pound bag because now my 4 year old will actually eat them. When they are in the huge bag, they go stale sooner because the bag is not sealed, and I was always putting them in a little bag or bowl for him anyway. This way, they are already prepared and we can grab them on the way out the door or whatever. Things in my "Grab Bowl" this week:

Fruit Snacks
Animal Crackers
Goldfish Crackers (you can buy the big box and separate them the same as the animal crackers, or buy the snack bags like I did)
Fruit Roll Ups
Granola Bars

I'm going to throw together some "trail mix" in those snack sized baggies as well sometime in the next week or so. You can put whatever you'd like in the trail mix, or buy the already made trail mix and separate it into the baggies. I'll be using:
Nuts (peanuts, cashews, almonds)
Raisins or Craisins
M&M's
Marshmallows
Maybe some chex corn cereal or cheerios?

It doesn't take much time or effort at all to just throw some items in a bowl or basket for your kids or even yourself to be able to grab instead of standing in the pantry hunting. Especially when you've got things like 2 pound bags of animal crackers, goldfish, or a bag of trail mix. It's just easier if it's separated into snack sized portions and ready to go! And honestly you can do it in a half hour while your kids are at school, napping, or at bed time =) It's easy and worth it!

Easy Chicken Bake

I noticed this recipe on the back of a box of Stove Top Stuffing and the picture looked really yummy, so I thought I'd try it...and I'm glad I did! It was a really quick, easy, & tasty meal!

1 pkg (6 oz. box) of Stove Top Cornbread Stuffing Mix
1-1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup Sour Cream
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed, & drained

::Preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; set aside
::Mix chicken, soup, sour cream & veggies in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with stuffing
::Bake 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

I liked this recipe because it was easy, it was quick, and it required minimal ingredients that you would usually have on hand. I loved how creamy the chicken & veggie mixture was, underneath the moist, yet not mushy stuffing. I let it set up for about 10 minutes after taking it out the oven, before serving and it was the perfect texture!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

My sister told me of this recipe, I don't have it written down, I just made it from what I could remember and it turned out really good. The only thing I'd change is I'd serve it with rice instead of noodles, and I added a veggie =)

Chicken Tenders (sis uses the frozen ones, I just bought about 1 lb)
4 oz cream cheese (half of the 8 oz bar you buy at the store)
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (no water or milk added)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (no water or milk added)
whatever seasonings you'd like I used:
Salt
Pepper
Minced Garlic
Lemon Pepper
Seasoning Salt

Throw everything in the crock pot and let it cook on low for about 6 hours (if you use chicken breasts I'd do it for 7-8 hours)
Just before serving the chicken cook your noodles or rice (I used macaroni noodles this time and it was okay, but I'd save some of the soup, sour cream, cream cheese mixture to mix into the noodles, they were a little dry) I also boiled some carrot match sticks with my noodles to give it a little color and to get my 4 year old another serving of veggies for the day =) That's it! It's easy, and yummy!!!

Left Overs!

Tonight I used our left over pulled pork in tortillas with some Spanish Rice and Sour Cream. Served with chips & salsa, it was a hit! The cumin in the pork gave it a little kick, and tasted great as a Mexican dish as well!

Melt In Your Mouth Pulled Pork

Tonight's dinner was yummy and easy! Just what you wanted right!?

Here's what I used:

3 lb pork roast
minced garlic
diced pepper
diced onion
pinch of cumin spice
salt & pepper
bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

I put the pork roast in a crock-pot with about 2 cups of water, garlic, pepper, onion & spices. Cooked on low all day (about 8 hours); drained the roast, added a bottle of BBQ sauce and shredded with 2 forks!

Serve on whole wheat buns with green beans, or french fries, or chips, or a green salad, or pasta salad (which I have a great, easy recipe for, watch for it in the near future!) or whatever else you'd like!

Potato Topped Chicken Casserole (or Chicken Topped Potato Casserole in my case ha ha)

This recipe was contributed by: Mary Ann Dell from Phoenixville Pennsylvania. She wrote: A friend gave me this easy, fast and delicious recipe. Any cheese you have on hand will work fine. It's perfect for those nights when you want something hearty and homemade.

Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each)

4 lbs medium red potatoes, quartered
3 lbs ground chicken
4 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tbs tomato paste
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1/3 tsp minced fresh thyme
1-1/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
6 tbs butter, cubed
1-3/4 cups (7 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

::Place potatoes in Dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

::Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the chicken, carrots and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until thickened.

::Divide mixture between two greased 13x9 in. baking dishes. Drain potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add milk and butter; mash until smooth. Stir in cheese. Spread over chicken mixture.

::Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

::to use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 50-55 minutes or until bubbly.

I still have yet to purchase a dutch oven! So here's how I made this casserole:

I used 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Put the chicken, chopped carrots, chopped onion, tomato paste, salt, pepper, thyme, and chicken broth in crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

30 minutes before chicken is done, start the potatoes. I just boiled mine on the stove top for 20 minutes until they were soft. I didn't use butter or milk for the potatoes, I used sour cream!

Drain chicken and shred with forks. I spread the mashed potatoes in the bottom of the casserole dish, topped with chicken, and drained the chopped carrots and onions and added them to the top of the chicken. Topped with cheese and baked at 400 for 15 minutes until the cheese was melted and bubbly.

Our whole family LOVED this recipe! It turned out so yummy! I just made one great big casserole instead of two, and it fed our family of 3 dinner, and lunch for the next 2 days! This is definitely one you HAVE to try and one that I will be making more of and freezing for crazy work days!

Savory Chicken Dinner

(this recipe was submitted by: Leslie Adams, Springfield Missouri. She wrote: The chicken and potato meal-in-one recipe is simple to assemble, and it all bakes in one dish so there's little cleanup)

2 envelopes savory herb with garlic soup mix
6 tbs water
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 large red potatoes, cubed
1 large onion, halved and cut into small wedges

::In a small bowl, combine soup mix and water; pour half into a Ziploc Brand Storage Gallon Bag. Add chicken. Seal bag and toss to coat. Pour the remaining soup mixture in another Ziploc bag. Add potatoes and onion. Seal the bag and toss to coat.

::Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour potato mixture over chicken

::Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and meat thermometer reads 170, stirring vegetables occasionally.

***I couldn't find Savory Herb with Garlic Soup mix when I went grocery shopping, so I substituted with Onion Soup mix, cut out the onion in the recipe and added some garlic. It turned out really good! My 4 year old and my husband LOVED it! They ate every last bit! This is so easy, and the clean up is very minimal. You could even prepare this in the morning or the night before for a hassle free dinner!

Ground Beef Spiral Bake

(recipe by Monika Rahn, Dillsburn Pennsylvania) she wrote:
This recipe is easy to make, tastes just great, and freezes well. This meaty casserole is perfect for big groups since it has classic ingredients everyone loves!

1 package (16 oz) spiral pasta
2 lbs ground beef
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 jars (28 oz each) spaghetti sauce
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups (16 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

::Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, (I used a skillet, I have yet to purchase a dutch oven)cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.

::Stir pasta into meat mixture. Transfer to two greases 13-in x 9-in baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 2 cups cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.

::Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

::To use frozen casserole: Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

****I halved this recipe and only made 1 casserole to make sure we all liked it before I bothered with freezing one for later. Next time I'll definitely be making 2 casseroles and freezing one of them for a quick meal on a day I work. My 4 year old and my husband loved this new concoction so we'll be adding it to our menu more often. It's super easy, and tasty!****

Lunch Box Special

Orange juice adds zest and apples add crunch to this dressed up version of a plain peanut butter sandwich!

This makes 4 sandwiches!

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup finely chopped apples
1/2 cup finely chopped dates (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
8 slices bread

*In a bowl, combine the peanut butter and orange juice until blended. Add the apples and dates and walnuts if desired. spread on four slices of bread; top with remaining bread.

See like I said, this recipe sounds pretty fool proof...not many people can mess up a sandwich right? If ya ask me, I think raisins or craisins sound much better than dates! But suit yourself!

(this recipe came from Taste Of Home Magazine, the recipe was contributed by: Bernice Morris-Marshfield, Missouri)

HAVE NO FEAR!

Okay, Okay, Okay! I KNOW! I'm the biggest slacker EVER! And I apologize! BUT I am about to make it up to all of you! Especially those of you mommy's out there with school aged kids! That's right! I've got THE PERFECT Back To School meals! With a little help from Taste Of Home magazine, we will all be eating quick, easy meals, lunches, and snacks! I ran into this little blessing of dinner madness solved in the grocery store today and have been skimming through recipes for about 30 minutes! ALL 95 OF THEM actually sound easy, quick and yummy! The recipes call for ingredients that we all actually have in our kitchen, and a lot of them call for enough ingredients to make 2 meals and you can freeze them for up to 3 months! NOW IS THAT LIFE SAVER OR WHAT? There's a few quick breakfast recipes, baked goods, and fun snacks for sack lunches! I only have a preschooler so I don't really need to worry about sack lunches quite yet, but I can get in the habit, and who DOESN'T need a quick lunch idea for at home or work? I plan to try at least 3 of these new recipes in the next 2 weeks...so keep an eye out. I don't want to post the recipes until I try them, because the last time I posted a recipe before I tried it, it turned out HORRIBLE and I felt bad for everyone that had it on their dinner list for the week (1 person that I know of ha ha ha) I will however post a quick lunch recipe right after this. It seems fool proof, and I just don't know if anyone could mess it up...I think I'll try it tomorrow for lunch at work!

SuMmEr!

Summer means fun and no time for blogging right?
Some day I'll post a couple new recipes I've tried. But really we've been cooking out on the grill a lot lately. We're expecting baby #2 in November and anything beef is calling my name these days...steak, hamburgers, roast...if it's made from cow, I'll eat it!
Most recently we've eaten chicken salad (the recipe is on here somewhere) with rolls
Even just pasta salad with rolls & a veggie
But really hamburgers & steak with corn on the cob or baked potatoes are our faves (or at least my faves) lately, so I'm not really experimenting or trying a lot of new recipes. Sorry.
As always, if you have some recipes or tips you'd like to share email them to megcancook@yahoo.com

HAPPY SUMMER!

BEST CHILI RECIPE EVER!!!!

I didn't pick the title just because this is my mom's wonderful recipe...this is seriously THE BEST CHILI EVER! And it's SUPER EASY!

1lb ground beef
1 yellow onion
1 green pepper
2 can chili beans (30 oz)
1 can stewed tomatoes
Pinch of Chili Powder

Brown the ground beef
Chop up the onion and pepper. I like to add half to my meat while it's browning and the other half I throw in the crockpot with the chili beans, and tomatoes.
I also season my meat with some Chili Powder
And add a pinch (or two) to the bean mixture. (we like a little more flavorful chili)
Let the crockpot take over on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with cornbread or Frito's! And top with cheese and sour cream! So good!!!!

Dinner Gone Wrong!

DO NOT! I REPEAT! DO NOT! TRY THE GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE RECIPE! IT WAS A DISASTER! I GAGGED WHEN I PUT THE FIRST BITE IN MY MOUTH. I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE 100% AND IT TASTED HORRIBLE! I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE DISGUSTING MARINADE ON THE CHICKEN, OR THE FULL STICK OF BUTTER AND CUP OF CREAM IN THE SAUCE THAT MADE ME WANT TO THROW UP! BUT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT!

Case Lot Sale Time!

Our area is having huge Case Lot Sales starting this week! Macey's and Smith's ads are in the mail...make sure you check 'em out! Not only are they having great deals on cases of things, meat is on sale at most places too. So stock up! If you can...combine this weeks budget with next weeks budget and stock up on EVERYTHING! It's the perfect week to do it! I noticed in the Macey's ad, that if you don't think you need to, or if you can't afford to buy a whole case of something their giving great deals on things they usually sell in cases. Examples:

Canned Pineapple: $0.78 a can or $18.72 for a case of 24
Canned Beans: $0.58 a can or $13.92 for a case of 24
Apple Juice: $0.98 a jug (64 oz) or $7.84 for a case of 8
Ketchup: $0.77 a bottle (24 oz) or $9.24 for a case of 12
Mac & Cheese (4 box pack) 2 for $6.00 or $18.00 for a case of 6 (24 boxes)
Gravy Mixes 3 packets for $0.99 or $7.92 for a case of 24 packets

Meat Sales:
Lean Ground Beef: $1.79/lb.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: $1.99/lb.
Pork Loin Chops: $1.59/lb.

These are good deals! Take advantage! Stock up, Stock up, Stock up! Especially on the things you use the most! Your budget will thank you later! Happy Case Lot Shopping!

This Week's Menu

Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo
Wednesday: Sweet Pork Burritos
Thursday: Left Overs
Friday: Chili & Corn Bread
Saturday: Left Overs
Sunday: Pancakes
Monday: Pot Roast
Tuesday: Left Overs
Wednesday: Chicken Farfalle

As you can see...this week I'm all about bigger meals so we can eat left overs the next night. This saves me time and energy 3 nights this coming week.

Recipes for some of these items will follow in the next couple days!

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt
1 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 c. butter
1 lb. bacon, crumpled
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice


Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

(this recipe was copied and pasted from yummyfood4all.blogspot.com)

Taco Soup (I knew I had a 2nd version)

1/2 lb hamburger

1 package taco seasoning

1 package spanish rice a roni

3 cups beef broth (or beef bullion to make 3 cups)

1 can of corn

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1 can tomato juice (or tomato sauce)

cook hamburger- season as usual. i used salt and pepper and a little bit of dried onion

follow directions on the spanish rice a roni (i didn't add the tomatoes to the rice because i do not like them).

combine all ingredients together in a large pot and cook till it is hot.

i added a little more beef broth and some water to make the soup a little less thick. the rice really soaks up the juice. also you can add beans if you want but i don't like them either. :)

Thank You!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! To the 2 people that have given me recipes. It's so helpful to me and to other people reading this blog! Keep 'em coming! I always need new recipes! Thanks for taking a minute to contribute! Now was that really so hard? ;-)

Taco Soup (version 3 I believe)

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 can tomato soup

1 can enchilada sauce

2 cans water

2 cans milk

1 lb cooked ground beef

1 pkg of Taco Seasoning

Opt: Chopped onions

Throw it all in a pot. Heat it till boiling serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream

Chicken Croissants

1 lb chicken cooked and cubed

pkg cream cheese

6 eggs beaten

1 pkg dressing (stuffing) Uncooked and crushed

2 cans cream chicken soup

1 can of milk :)

4 packages of Pilsbury Cresent rolls

Spread cream cheese inside cresent roll triangles. Fill with chicken. Roll up Triangle like you would to make the roll. Dip in egg and then roll in stuffing.

Cook according to package on Pilsbury rolls.

Top with Cream of chicken soup mixture (heated with milk mixed in)

Eat up!

Quick Tips

*When making Enchilada's or any other dish using corn tortillas-Warm them in the microwave like it says on the package, between two pieces of damp paper towels, then dip them or brush them lightly with cooking oil. It prevents the tortilla's from cracking and breaking.

*When baking, try using applesauce instead of butter and oils. It cuts out a lot of fat and is much healthier.

*When you buy vegetables that you won't use right away, or the vegetables that come in bundles that you won't use all of (green onions, celery, etc.) freeze the portion you don't use in a ziplock freezer bag. Make sure all the air is pushed out of the bag. Then thaw in the fridge.

No Such Luck!

This blog hasn't had the best luck taking off. There are only a few people I know of that actually look at it and have thanked me for posting recipes. Not many people have sent me their recipes which results in me not having many to post. So IF you're one of those that does actually read the blog and uses it as a benefit that's great. But please, please, PLEASE send me your recipes. I know it doesn't seem like it's benefiting you to send me the recipes you already have, but if everyone did it, all of us would have more recipes to use. If every one of the 4 people that read the blog sent me a new recipe, then all of you would have 3 new recipes to try! Ha ha ha ha! There might be more than 4, but it doesn't seem that way! Anyway, this blog is going to take a dive unless I get more people to email me their recipes! SO DO IT! Take a moment, type up just one recipe, and send it. That would take 3 minutes tops! NOW GO! L0L!
megcancook@yahoo.com

Breakfast Burritos

I haven't made this one yet, but it sounds yummy. I'm guessing on the amount of ingredients. The amount listed is what I would use to make 4-6 servings.

1 bag tator tots
4 eggs
breakfast meat (sausage, ham, bacon)
1/2 - 3/4 cup cheddar cheese

::Bake tator tots as directed on package
::scramble eggs
::cook breakfast meat
::add all ingredients together and roll up in a warmed tortilla. Serve with Salsa.

Toffee Topped Bars

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut (optional)

::Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan
::In a large mixing bowl, mix together the brown sugar and flour
::Using a pastry cutter (or 2 knives) cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 1 cup of mixture and set aside,
::To mixture in large bowl, add baking powder and salt. Using a fork lightly beat in vanilla, milk and egg
::continue beating until a smooth batter forms. Pour batter into prepared baking pan
::In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips and walnuts. Fold in the coconut
::Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over top of batter in pan. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and walnuts
::Using a long flat spatula spread topping evenly over the top of the batter in pan
::Bake bars for 35 minutes, or until a skewer (or toothpick) inserted in the center comes out clean
::Transfer pan to wire rack. Cool bars in pan completely before slicing

Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

I had a recent complaint that every time I make cookies, I always make either Sugar or Chocolate chip. And while he LOVES any type of baking I do, my husband's favorite cookie is Peanut Butter. So I did him a favor tonight and baked him some Peanut Butter Cookies! He'll be so glad when he comes home from work!

3/4 cup JIF peanut butter
1/2 stick or 1/2 cup Butter flavor shortening (I use the pre-measured sticks and love them! So much easier than trying to measure it out!)
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 TBS milk
1 TBS vanilla
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups Flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt

*Heat oven to 375. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Drop my rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in a crisscross pattern with tines of fork. Bake one baking sheet at a time for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.

*I rolled the dough into a ball in my hands and then rolled them in sugar.

*Next time I would add a little more flour, they were a little flat, but still very tasty!

*Makes 3 dozen cookies

Easy Bake Chicken Strips

Last night, was one of those nights. You know the kind.
Look in the fridge-nothing
Look in the Pantry-nothing
Look in the freezer-nothing

Then...an hour later, hoping something has just magically appeared in one of those places we look again.

Fridge-nothing
Pantry-not much
Freezer-nothing

When the 3 year old says "What are we having for dinner?" you know it's really time to throw something together. At least for my 3 year old. More often than not, he'd rather skip anything meal related, live on fruit snacks, graham crackers, and play, play, play.

So, I look once again in those 3 places and find

Milk
Eggs
Frozen Chicken Tenderloins
Tator Tots
A Can of Green Beans
Spices (seasoning salt, garlic powder, lemon pepper)
Bread Crumbs
Flour

So things, that most everyone usually has on hand.
I dipped the chicken tenders in milk & egg
then rolled them in bread crumbs, flour & spices.
Threw them in the oven with the tator tots & baked at 450 for 16-18 minutes. Turning half way through.

THEY WERE DEEELISH! My husband LOVED them, and so did my son! We had leftovers for lunch today and they were just as good! Mmm...Mmm! My son liked dipping them in ranch, hubby liked BBQ sauce, but I thought they were very flavorful without any dipping sauce!

Chicken Salad

This has to be one of my very favorite dishes! And it's not the usual Chicken Salad you're used to seeing. This one is BETTER! The possibilities are endless with this salad! So Yummy!!!!




Ingredients:
-4 Chicken Breasts
-1 Large package of shell or macaroni noodles
-1 cup purple grapes
-1 package slivered almonds
-1 diced red apple (with peel)
-Green Onions (finely chopped)
-1 small can pineapple tidbits
-1 can mandarin oranges
-1 cup mayonaise
-1 jar coleslaw dressing

Directions:
Boil & dice chicken. (tonight I used canned and it turned out great!) Mix all ingredients, except oranges. Add them last and gently toss them in. Chill. Tonight I added some craisins that I needed to use up, and they were great. I thought about adding peas, maybe next time. I usually don't like mixtures like this, but this one I LOVE. My little guy loves it, and my husband has yet to try it when he comes home from work, but I'm sure he'll like it. I just served it with rolls. This is a must try!

GoOd EaTiN'!--In LeSs ThAn 15!

I just made THE BEST pork chop dinner! It was quick, easy and super tasty! Mmm...Mmm!!!

Here's what I used

2 Bone-In Pork Chops
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
Seasoning Salt
Lemon Pepper
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

1 bag steam fresh peas

1 package Pasta Sides (chicken flavor)

Here's what I did
Mix milk and egg in one bowl
Mix bread crumbs, flour & seasonings in another bowl
Dip chops in egg and milk
Then roll chops in Seasoning mixture
Grill the chops on the George Foreman! (for about 10-15 minutes)

Mean while the pasta side takes 8 minutes to cook
And the peas only take 4-5 minutes to steam in the microwave!

The chops were very tasty and very juicy! The chicken flavored noodles complimented the chops well and I love the steam fresh veggies! I don't like canned peas, but I LOVE the steam fresh ones!

Home-Made Mac & Cheese

I like to make a big pan of this during January. My boys can live on it for a week, and I can take it to work for lunch.

1 box macaroni noodles
1 can Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I like to add more, I like my Mac & Cheese VERY cheesy!)

Boil Macaroni
Spread in casserole dish and add Cheese and Soup
Sprinkle some cheese on top
Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted

YUM!