Sloppy Joe's!! YUM!

1 lb. Ground Beef
1 small onion
1 average green pepper
2 Tbl. Brown Sugar
2 Tbl. Worchestershire Sauce
1 can Tomato Soup

Brown ground been then add onion and pepper. Cook until onion is tender. Add remaining ingredients and let them simmer for about 10 minutes. ENJOY!! They are super delicious.

I am making this for dinner tonight so I will post a picture later!

Fajitas!

I made fajitas the other day for the first time and they turned out great! Here is what I did.

Cut chicken into thin strips
2 tsp of oil (Canola or olive)
1 tablespoon of taco seasoning
1/2 tablespoon of chili powder
1 bell pepper sliced ( I like red, orange, or yellow)
1 medium onion sliced

4 medium sized whole wheat tortillas
Sour cream
re fried beans or rice
Salsa
Guacamole

Cook chicken with oil in a large fry pan. Add seasonings and stir well. Add onions and stir well. Add bell peppers, stir well. Cover and simmer until peppers are tender and onions are clear and chicken is fully cooked.

Serve on whole wheat tortillas with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Beans and/or rice as a side dish.

I hope you like it as much as I did:)

Easy Peasy Shredded Beef

I got this recipie from my mother-in-law's neighbor, and it is one of my all time favorites. And, it is also one of the easiest things I have ever made. (Alas, no picture, we ate it too quickly)

Start with a rump roast, anywhere from 2.5-5 pounds. Put it in your crockpot (no need to brown, or salt and pepper or anything else) Mix up one packet of Au Jous gravy mix and pour it over the top, plus an extra cup of water. Let it cook on low for anywhere from 4-6 hours, remove the hunk of meaty goodness, and strain the floaties out of the remaining sauce and return it to the crockpot Add another packet of Au Jous to the sauce (just the dry seasoning, not more water). Shred the beef with two forks, and put it back in the crockpot, let cook on low for another hour, or until it is heated through.

You can serve this as a sandwich, with mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, in burritos or taco's, on top of salads, or anywhere else you like shredded beef. Try it, you won't be disapointed.

Black Bean Soup

Now that fall is upon us, and it's geting a little cooler (well except for today) I'm in the mood for a good soup. Here's one that Richie and I love. You can either make it a little thinner like a soup with a little more chicken broth or make it as a thicker chili type dish with less chicken broth. I like mine thick.

10 slices bacon, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, pressed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans (we use 2), drained but not rinsed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheddar, for garnish

Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.

We add shredded chicken and/or a half cup of rice after it's simmered to give it a little more depth.

Some of My Favorites:)

Here are some of my favorite recipes that I was thinking about while walking with a friend this morning. I hope you Enjoy!

Amelia's Carmel Popcorn
Pop 3-4 Bags of regular sized microwave popcorn(make sure to take out the grannies)
Melt together on medium heat in a heavy saucepan:
1 cup of butter or margarine (2 sticks)
1 cup of Brown Sugar
1 bag of mini marshmellows (small 10 oz or for gooey popcorn the large 16 oz bag)

Pour over popped popcorn, mix together and serve.

Quick and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies(from 101 things to do with a cake mix)
1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3/4 cup peanut better(crunchy or plain)
sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and oil until powder is completely dissolved into dough. Stir in peanut butter. Drop balls of dough into a small bowl of sugar, then place on a greased cookie sheet. Press fork horizontally and then vertically across each ball to flatten.

Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pan and cool. (They are good warm but are very sweet and they taste better after they have cooled a little)


Taco Meat (Original is from Deceptively Delicious)

1 pound lean ground meat
1 (14 oz) can of crushed or diced tomatoes with juice(I sometimes us V8 juice instead)
1/2 cup sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash puree
1/2 packet taco seasoning

Cook meat, then stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer on medium low until thickened. I usually half the meat and the tomatoes but still add a half cup of puree and then I add an 1/8 cup of taco seasoning. (You can buy taco seasoning in bulk at Costco)
This is my absolute fav!

Sloppy Joes a V8 Recipe(For those that like it)

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped (or onion flakes work too)
3/4 cup V8 juice
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp of cornstarch(optional for thicker joes)

Cook beef and onion in skillet until browned. Pour off fat. Add V8 juice, ketchup, and Worcestershire (and cornstarch) Heat through and simmer until thickened to your desire.
Serve on a healthy bun and Enjoy! This recipe is from www.campbellkitchen.com. A special shout out to Brooke for getting me hooked on V8 Juice!

Summer Squash Casserole

So I didn't get a picture when I made it the other day. But this is one of my families favorite Summer dinner. If you like squash you will love this recipe. Even Paige was enjoying it! Try it out! YUMMY!! (oooh, just talking about it makes me want to make it again!)

Summer Squash Casserole

2 lbs. summer squash, sliced

¼ c. onion, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ can cheddar cheese soup

1 c. sour cream

1 c. shredded carrots

½ c. melted butter

1 package stovetop stuffing mix

Cook squash and onion in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Mix soup, sour cream, carrots, squash, and onions together in large bowl. Combine stuffing and butter together. Spread half of stuffing in baking dish. Spread squash mixture over top. Top with remaining stuffing. Cook for 25-30 minutes at 350.

Chicken Jambalaya

I was looking through my Joy of Cooking book the other day, and decided to try out this new recipie (with a few modifications). I am not sure what got into me, but I have been really into cooking new things lately! I have never had Jambalaya before, but I really liked it, though it was a little too spicy for me. Next time I make it I will use a milder sausage, or maybe ham instead of the Chorizo. (You could add shrimp to this as well, if you are into sea food. I hate sea food, but the Joy Of Cooking God's say it's good, so I had to pass on the info.) It was an easy and very filling meal. You could serve this with tortilla's, cornbread, cheese sprinkled on top or whatever you like. It turned out way better than I expected. Enjoy!

In a large pot heat 2 TB olive oil or butter

Add 3 Large Chicken Breasts* cut into chunks and seasoned with salt and pepper

Cook, turning often until browned on all sides.

Add 12 ounces sliced Chorizo sausage (next time I'll use smoked ham for less heat) and brown. Remove the meat to a plate and cover, add veggies to the drippings in the pot and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes

1 cup chopped onion

1 medium green pepper diced

1/2 cup diced celery

1 clove garlic, minced

Add 1 cup instant brown rice (or you could use regular long grain white rice)

2 TB tomato paste

1 tea crushed red pepper flakes

Stir until everything is evenly coated, and then add

3 cups boiling water

1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes in juice

3/4 tea salt

1/4 thyme

1/2 tea black pepper

1 bay leaf

Return the chicken and sausage to the pot, and cook, covered over medium low heat for 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Then uncover and let the sauce simmer until it thickens up a little bit. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

*I used three large Costco sized chicken breasts, I think that is probably 4 or 5 regular grocery store sized, or you could use thighs or whatever chicken/turkey you prefer.

PS- After you crush up the almost perfectly crushed red pepper, don't rub your eyes with your fingers. It will burn for 20 minutes.

Chicken and Veggie Soup

I know most people don't make soup in the summer. It is too hot. But, today I didn't really feel good, I kept getting the chills (even with a sweater and my slippers on) and chicken soup just sounded good. So, I came up with this recipe for dinner, and I was pretty happy with the results.

2 TB butter (could use olive oil)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks*
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth/stock
2 1/2-3 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed*
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped*
2 cups-ish carrots, chopped*
1/2 tea basil
1/2 tea fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tea cumin more to taste

*These don't need to be cut up too small, about 3/4"-1" cubes/pieces.

In a large stockpot melt the butter, and saute the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often until the chicken is no longer pink on the outside. Add the chicken stock, cream of chicken soup and water and bring to a boil. When the soup is boiling, add the vegetables and spices. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are tender, 12-15 minutes. (The potatoes will cook faster than the celery and carrots. I like my carrots and celery still crisp, so I put all the veggies in at the same time. If you want them cooked through, add the celery and carrots to the soup a few minutes before the potatoes.)

This was the first time that I had ever used cumin. It has a smoky/earthy flavor that was unexpected, but still tasty. It kind of tasted like it was going to be spicy, but it wasn't hot, just... flavorful. When I was halfway done with dinner, I thought I should have added a bay leaf. Maybe next time.

Chicken Veggie Casserole

This was another of my childhood favorites. This is not a quick dinner. It takes a while to get all the veggies cooked and it takes a few pans, but it is so delicious. If you have a large family, or a very hungry hubby, use a 9x13 pan. When I make it for me and Scott, I usually use two 8x8's and freeze one. When I make this I keep a colander in the sink to drain everything, and a large bowl to mix it all together.

• 1 12 oz bag of curly noodles, cooked and drained
• 2 12.5 oz cans chicken in water, break up the large chunks into bite size bits, you can use leftover chicken if you have it, just cut it up small.
• 1 onion sauteed in 2 TB butter (I usually just put this in the microwave and let it go for a few minutes, stirring a few times, until the onion is translucent.
• 4-8 cups cooked vegetables. You can use any combo of sliced carrots, brocolli, peas and corn. I like a lot of veggies in mine, so I usually do a full 8 cups of goodness.
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 cups Cheese Sauce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter melted in a small sauce pan
• 1/2 cup flour, added slowly and whisked together
• 2 cups warm milk, stir with a whisk until it is boiling,
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar, mozerella or jack cheese, adding a little at at time and stirring until it is melted.

Mix everything together in a large bowl and spread in a 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8's). Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350, or until heated through. If you freeze half of this, thaw it in the fridge at least 12 hours before you put it in the oven.

Saucy Chops

When I was growing up, this was one of my absolute favorite meals. I particularly liked the onions on top, and my mom would sometimes cook extra onions for me. It is great with rice and a side of applesauce. Apples and pork go great together! Sorry there isn't a picture, I had devoured it before I remembered.

1 large onion
1 TB butter
6 pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup water + 1 chicken bullion cube
1/2 cup ketchup
2-3 Tea Worchestershire sauce

Slice the onion into six slices. In an electric frying pan, or large skillet with a lid, melt the butter and cook the onion slices for a few minutes on each side until tender. (Use toothpicks to hold the rings together if necessary.) Remove from pan and brown both sides of the pork chops, adding a little extra butter if necessary.

While the chops are browning, heat the soup, water, bullion, ketchup and worchestershire sauce in a sauce pan, until mostly smooth. After you turn the chops over, put an onion slice on top of each chop, and pour the sauce over everything. (You might want to lift the chops up a little so some sauce gets under each one.) Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes, depending on how thick your chops are. If you have a meat thermometer, it should register at 170 degrees. Enjoy!

*I made these a few weeks ago with thick Costco pork chops, they are more than an inch thick and it took an hour to cook. If they are just regular 1/2"-3/4" chops, 45 minutes will do it. I usually make brown rice with these, it takes about 45 minutes to cook, and then everything is done at the same time.

Hawaiian Meatballs & more

These are sweet and sour, kids may not like it. Great with chow mein noodles on rice.Basic Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 egg
1-2 Tbsp milk
1/2 C bread crumbs or crushed saltines
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mash ingredients together, roll into balls. Pan fry, rotating the balls frequently so all sides brown. Remove balls from skillet.

(This can also be used as a meatloaf recipe. I like to add BBQ Sauce and onions. Put into a loaf pan and bake at 350 for 30-60 minutes until done. Or you can use it to make hamburgers.)

Hawaiian Sauce:
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 C brown sugar
1 can pineapple tidbits, reserve juice
1/3 C vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce

1. Mix cornstarch and sugar.
2. Stir in reserved pineapple juice, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth.
3. Pour into skillet, cook until thickened. Boil and stir one minute.
4. Add meatball and pineapple tidbits. Heat thoroughly.

Here are some different sauces to try with the meatballs.

Mushroom sauce:
2 mushroom gravy mixes
1 small can drained mushrooms

1. Spread on meatballs while still in pan until sauce warms.

Chicken sauce: (kids love this one)
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 C sour cream
1/8-1/4 C milk

1. Combine and spread over meatballs while still in pan until warm.

Tomato sauce:
1 can tomato soup
water

1. Combine and spread over meatballs while still in pan until warm.

Mile High Lasagna

Here is a great recipe for lasagna or just a great idea of doing it in a loaf pan lined with foil. I got the idea from Rachael Ray so here is the link to her recipe, it is so yummy:) Mile High Lasagna

Pizza Rolls

This is a fun and easy dinner idea. Simply make Erika's 60 minute rolls as directed but let them rise as big as you can then turn them over and gently stretch them out and put mozzarella cheese and whatever pizza topping you like then pinch them closed. Cook as directed and enjoy them with pizza dipping sauce:)

Easy Broccoli Cheese Rice

This is so simple, and you can just throw it in the microwave while you're cooking the main course. And it's actually really good!!

Broccoli Cheese Rice
1/2 C long grain rice
2 C chicken stock (or broth)
2 C broccoli
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
soy sauce to taste

Instructions:

1. Place rice and chicken broth in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high, uncovered for 15 minutes.
3. Add broccoli, toss to combine.
4. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for an additional 3 minutes.
5. Stir in cheese.
6. Season with soy sauce.

Maple Mustard Glaze Pork Chops

Okay...so I don't have a fabulous picture to tempt you, but these are my absolute favorite (and easy)pork chops.

1 tsp butter
4 (4 oz) boneless pork loin chops (we just get the big pack at Costco and then halve them--as is they're too thick)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (can use honey)
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped fresh sage (I used dried)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (again I used dried)
2 tsp heavy cream (I just borrowed some of Liam's whole milk)

1. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with salt and pepper; add pork to pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and keep warm.
2. Add broth and next 4 ingredients to pan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick (I didn't notice a huge difference). Stir in cream and reduce heat to medium. Return pork to pan and cover simmering until done (around 3-5 minutes) turning once.

Tastes great with potatoes or rice!!

BBQ Pork Chops

My sister sent me this one. SOOO tasty!

3 pork chops
1/4 C BBQ sauce
1/4 C steak sauce
1/4 C apple juice
1 1/2 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl combine bbq sauce, steak sauce, apple juice, and honey. Reserve 1/3 cup of sauce and set it all aside.
2. Sprinkle pork chops with salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160, basting frequently with remaining sauce. Serve with reserved sauce.

I used my indoor George Foreman Grill.

Creamy Italtian Bow Tie Saute

I guess I think of summer when I make this because it calls for zucchini and summer squash. I don't have a picture, but I got the recipe from a friend. You can change up the veggies, I never use the red pepper.

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken, cut up in pieces
1 Tbsp oil
1 box cream cheese
1 package Italian dressing mix
bow tie pasta (6 oz)
1 zucchini, sliced
1 summer squash, sliced
1/2 C-1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced


Boil pasta and keep warm. Saute chicken in oil, remove and keep warm. Saute veggies, add chicken, add cream cheese and dressing mix. When cream cheese is melted, add pasta. Serve warm.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I definitely stole this recipe from another recipe blog; it's really good and actually fairly easy to make. We had it with garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes and green beans with almonds to make out a nice well-rounded meal.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chicken broth
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I omitted this)
1 teaspoon paprika
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
4 thin slices of Swiss cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°.


2. Place broth in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high 15 seconds or until warm. Stir in butter and garlic.


3. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and paprika in a medium shallow bowl; set aside.


4. Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, oregano, and pepper. Top each breast half with 1 slice of prosciutto and 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Roll up each breast half jelly-roll fashion. Dip each roll in chicken broth mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.


5. Place rolls, seam side down, in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining broth mixture over chicken.


6. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until juices run clear and tops are golden.

Yields 4 servings

Potato Cream Cheese Soup

This is a big hit with the kids and SOOO easy to make.

Potato Cream Cheese Soup
5 large potatoes
5 C chicken broth
1/2 onion, chopped
1 box cream cheese (1/3 fat)
Optional mix-ins: broccoli, corn, cheddar cheese, croutons

1. Peel and cube potatoes. Boil chicken broth, onions and potatoes
2. When potatoes are soft (smash easily against the side of the pot), add cream cheese.
3. Serve when cream cheese is melted.
4. When you add the cream cheese you may want to add: broccoli, corn and/or cheddar cheese.
5. You may want to serve this in bread bowls or put croutons on top.

Bread Bowl recipe:
2 Tbsp yeast
2 tsp salt
2 C warm water
5 C flour
1 Tbsp sugar
cornmeal

1. Dissolve yeast in water with sugar.
2. Add salt and 3 C flour. Gradually add remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
3. Knead on lightly floured surface till dough is smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise till double.
4. Punch down and divide into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place on baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until double in bulk.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
6. Cut off tops, scoop out bread to make a bowl, and serve with hot soup. Eat the bowl when you finish the soup.

Makes 8.

Malaysian Chicken Pizza

This is soo tasty. My sister introduced me to it. My husband always feels like I am treating him when I make this. It's one of our favorites. Great to serve for company. You can add more cheese on top if you like.

1/4 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C rice, wine or cider vinegar (I sometimes use a mixture if I'm running low)
1/4 C soy sauce, low sodium
3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp chunky peanut butter (I use creamy)
1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced (you can find this in the produce section)
1/2-3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1/2 C (2 oz) low-fat swiss cheese, shredded (I just use mozzarella)
1/4 C (1 oz) skim mozzarella, shredded
8 oz pizza dough, refrigerated (or homemade)
1/4 C chopped green onions

1. Combine sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, ginger root, red pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Stir well with a whisk and set aside.
2. Coat large skillet with cooking spray; place over med-high heat until hot. Add chicken and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Pour vinegar mixture into skillet; bring to a boil over med-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Return chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done.
4. Roll out pizza crust to desired thickness. Place in lightly oiled pan or on a pizza stone.
5. Sprinkle cheeses over crust, leaving 1/2 inch border. Top with chicken mixture. Transfer to oven. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes on bottom rack.
6. Sprinkle with onions and let stand for 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 8 slices; 200 calories per slice