Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cup cooked brown rice
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can Mexican diced tomatoes
1 can black-eyed peas
4 cups chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Cook chicken and shred.  Add all ingredients into large pot and simmer on medium heat about 20 minutes.  Serve with crushed tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onion, and/or avocado.

So yummy!  This is coming from a girl who doesn't eat this kind of soup because of nausea when I was pregnant with my daughter.  Thanks to this recipe I think I have finally overcome the nausea problem.  It really is delish!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

1 cup ketchup
6 T brown sugar
4 T vinegar
1-2 T mustard
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
dash of garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.  Baste on chicken or other meat the last few minutes of grilling.

This is the rough recipe for our BBQ sauce.  I usually just start with this and then taste and add whatever I think it needs.

Creamy Salsa Chicken Wraps

2-4 chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Just before serving shred chicken and mix back into crock pot.  Then add:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheese

Mix and serve warm on flour tortillas.

This is a recipe I got from a good neighbor.  It is so delicious and easy because it is in the crock pot.  Just be careful because last time I forgot to only add 1 cup of chicken broth and instead dumped the whole can in.  It made it really runny and not as flavorful so make sure you follow the recipe!

Homemade Wheat Bread

4 cups wheat flour

2 heaping T gluten powder

1 T dough enhancer

1/2 cup sugar

2 T instant yeast

1 T salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 3/4 cup hot water

Combine upper ingredients and mix for 3 minutes.

Add 3 cups flour (white or wheat)

Mix for 8 minutes.

Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

Divide into 3 loaves.  Put into oven, let rise for 1 1/4 hours (watch so they don't fall).  Turn on oven to 350 for 25 minutes.

Seriously the best homemade bread I have ever tasted.  It is what inspired me to buy a wheat grinder and start making my own!

Clam Chowder

1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup butter/margarine
3/4 cup flour
1 qt half and half
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 T red wine vinegar
2 6 oz cans clams

Place chopped vegetables in med. saucepan with juice from clams. Add enough water to just cover. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender.  Meanwhile in large pot, melt butter over med to low heat.  Whisk in flour a little at a time.  Add half and half and salt.  Let it heat and thicken.  Once sauce thickens, dump the vegetables (water and all) into the sauce and stir.  Add clams and vinegar.  Let it heat all together until mixture thickens to desired consistency.

Peanut Brittle

1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 T butter
1 lb unsalted Spanish peanuts

Heat oven to 200 F. Grease cookie sheet with butter; keep warm in oven. In small bowl, mix baking soda, 1 tsp water and the vanilla; set aside.  In 3-quart saucepan, mix sugar, 1 cup water and the corn syrup.  Cook over medium heat about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to 240 F on candy thermometer.  Stir in butter and peanuts.  Cook over medium heat about 13 minutes stirring constantly, to 300 F.  Immediately remove from heat.  Quickly stir in baking soda mixture until light and foamy.  Pour onto cookie sheet and quickly spread about 1/4 inch think with buttered spatula.  Cool completely and then break into pieces.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla, divided
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup mini or regular chocolate chips
16 oz sour cream
2 eggs
2 cups cool whip
Strawberries, rinsed and halved

Heat oven to 350. Grease 9-inch springform pan(I just used a normal dark pan). Beat 1/2 cup sugar and butter in large bowl.  Add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla; beat until creamy.  Gradually add flour and baking powder, beating until smooth; stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Press mixture onto bottom of pan.  Stir together sour cream, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and remaining 1 tsp vanilla in medium bowl.  Stir in remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Pour over mixture in pan.  Bake 50-55 minutes until almost set in center and edges are slightly brown.  Cool completely on wire rack; spread cool whip over top.  Cover and refrigerate.  Top with sliced strawberries when serving.

Chili

1lb hamburger
1 pkg chili seasoning
3-4 (15oz) cans pork and beans
1-2 (15oz) cans red kidney beans
1 onion
1 cup ketchup
1/2-3/4 cup V8 juice

Brown hamburger with onion. Salt and pepper to taste.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer until bubbly.

This is the easiest and most delicious chili I have ever had!!  I never really thought I was a big chili lover but this was/is so good that we make it year round, not just in the fall and winter.

Wagon Wheel Cookies

1/2 cup oil
4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar

With a double broiler, melt chocolate and cool to room temperature. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix together oil, chocolate and sugar; mix well to fully incorporate ingredients. Blend in eggs, in fourths, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients. Place covered in fridge and chill several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Shape dough into balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Cinnamon Jumbles

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening, egg, and sugar until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, soda, and salt. Drop in cookie sheet. Sprinkle tops with sugar and cinnamon.  Bake at 350 for about 9-10 minutes.

Ice Cream Cake

1 package oreo's
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/2 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 square baking unsweetened chocolate
ice cream
whip cream

Make crust out of crushed oreo's and butter. Flatten on bottom of pan and refrigerate 30 minutes. In saucepan combine milk, sugar, butter, chocolate and cook on medium heat about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely. Cut ice cream into even chunks and lay on top of crust layer. Then layer with chocolate sauce. Freeze for 45 minutes. Add whip cream and garnish with chocolate savings.

Caramel Corn

1 cube butter
1 cup karo syrup
2 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 bags popcorn

Begin popping popcorn in the microwave. Once bags have cooled slightly, slowly empty into a large bowl while sifting out any unpopped kernels.

Add butter, syrup and sugar in medium saucepan over med/high heat and boil two minutes.  Add condensed milk and bring back to a boil. Once boiling again, add the vanilla.  Pour carmel sauce over popcorn and quickly stir until evenly coated.

Beware, this makes a GIANT batch but you just might want it all because it is so delicious.

Chantell's Christmas Salad

1 head lettuce
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 head red leaf lettuce
8 oz sliced almonds, lightly browned
1 lb bacon fried crisp and crumbled
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Wash, dry and tear lettuce into bite-size pieces. Combine other ingredients and lay on top. Mix right before serving.

Dressing:
1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 tsp dried mustard
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 cups sugar
3 tsp salt
2 cups oil

Place all ingredients, except oil, in blender.  While blender is mixing, slowly add the oil.

Seriously this salad is sooo delicious.  Obviously it makes a ton with three heads of lettuce so if you are making it for a smaller family size, I would quarter the recipe.  No matter what, you have to try the dressing...it is AMAZING!!!

Jamaican Jerk Pork

2 1/2 lbs pork

Seasoning:
1/2 onion
1/2 cup green onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2-1 habanero pepper

Jerk marinade:
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground pimento
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper

Rub in seasoning on pork. Leave for 1/2 an hour.  Rub on jerk marinade and leave to marinate for at least 5 hours (overnight is best). Prepare grill and barbeque pork until cooked or put in hot oven at 400* for about 20 minutes. Lower temperature and allow to cook slowly until done.

We normally chop our PORK into small pieces before we season and marinate.  The next day we skewer the meat with veggies and grill it up for kabobs.  Very yummy and authentic!

World's Best Lasagna

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 oz) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 T white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 T salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
4 T chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 T salt, pepper, and 2 T pasley. Simmer, covered for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Bring a large pot of lighly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups (I did 2 cups each time because I had plenty of sauce) of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with on half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarela cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups (or 2) meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Now, I understand that this recipe looks like a lot of work and it kind of is.  I sort of cheated because I didn't have quite enough time to simmer the sauce so I just made the sauce and let it simmer while my noodles cooked and then I put it all together and baked it.  It tasted just fine so unless you have time, I wouldn't worry about simmering for an hour and a half.  Also I didn't have fennel or Parmesan so I skipped it. Next time I definitely want to try it with the parmesan cheese. For the mozzarella I just used shredded because that is what I had. This lasagna really is the world's best!  Unlike some lasagna's that are kind of sloppy and soupy, this one set up really good which made it easy to serve.  I can still smell the aroma...Delicious!

This recipe came from allrecipes.com

Jamie's Cranberry Spinach Salad

1 T butter
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn
1 cup dried cranberries
2 T toasted sesame seeds
1 T poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tsp minced onion
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool. In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almnds and cranberries. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving. 

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it is so delicious. They gave it 5 stars and I would do the same.  I cut out the poppy seeds because I didn't have any and used red wine vinegar instead of white for the same reason.  We also really like feta cheese so I put some of that on as well but it would be good without. This is definitely going to be my new go to salad! 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These are so yummy! I couldn't wait to eat them. They have all my favorite things in them!

1/3 C Cream Cheese
1/4 C salsa verde
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
2 C grated pepper jack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add salsa verde, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 tbsp of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place plan in oven and back for 15- 20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

This recipe is from OurBestBites.com

Pad Thai

4 cups water
1 package(6-8oz) rice stick noodles
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
3 T packed brown sugar
3 T fish sauce or soy sauce
3 T soy sauce
1 T vinegar
3/4 tsp ground red pepper
3 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
12 oz frozen shrimp, thawed (I use 2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked)
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
4 medium green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves

In saucepan, heat water to boiling. Remove from heat; add noodles (push down so them get covered). Soak noodles 3-5 minutes, drain and rinse with cold water. In the meantime, stir lime juice, 1/3 cup water, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, red pepper and 1 T of oil until well mixed; set aside. In nonstick wok, heat remaining 2 T oil over medium heat. Cook garlic and onion until it starts to brown (1-2 minutes). Add eggs. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring gently until scrambled but still moist. Stir in noodles and lime juice mixture. Increase heat to high. Cook about 1 minute, tossing with 2 wooden spoons, until sauce begins to thicken. Add remaining ingredients except cilantro. Cook 2-3 minutes. Top with cilantro and garnish with additional peanuts and green onion.

This is such a good recipe for pad thai. We don't make it too often because it makes a huge mess and takes a little bit of work. I love easy and simple but every now and then it is fun to have a nice meal. Enjoy!

Rasberry Dessert

2 cup flour
2 cubes butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 package cream cheese
1 cup powder sugar
1 (29 oz) tub cool whip
1 package raspberry Danish Dessert
1/4 cup sugar
2 cup raspberries

Crust:
Mix flour and brown sugar, cut in butter. Crumble with hands and spread on cookie sheet. Bake 400 degrees 8-10 minutes. After 4-5 minutes turn pieces over. Cool, then crumble, and put in 9x13 pan.

Filling:
Combing cream cheese, powder sugar and cool whip. Mix well. Spoon over crust.

Topping:
Make Danish Dessert according to pie glaze directions. Add sugar and raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

One of my neighbors made this for a church activity and it was so delicious. I love raspberries and so it was divine to me, a little rich maybe but still so good.

BBQ Ranch Chicken and Cheddar Pizza Roll um' Ups

1 Roll Pillsbury Pizza dough in can
1/4 cup ranch dressing
2 cups prepared shredded BBQ chicken
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Open can of dough and press into rectangle. Spread or drizzle ranch dressing evenly over dough, then top evenly with chicken, cilantro and cheddar cheese. Starting at long end roll dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1 inch pieces and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of ranch for dipping.

I found this recipe here and decided to try it out last night. Very delicious and super easy. I pressed the dough to thin so mine didn't have quite enough crust for my liking. Also I just used can chicken, because I was in a hurry, and dumped BBQ sauce on it and it was still delicious.