Potato Cheese Soup

I wish I had a picture of this. It is very easy to make and it is so yummy! It's great for a cold winter night. Serves 8-10.

Ingredients:

3 quarts water
8 potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
2-3 carrots, diced
5 chicken boullion cubes (can add more if would like, I sometimes put 9 if they are small)
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups milk
1 cup flour
3 cups grated cheese

Instructions:

Add potatoes, onion, celery, carrots, chicken boullion, salt and pepper to 3 quarts water. Boil one hour, stirring occasionally. After the soup has boiled for an hour, mix 2 cups milk with 1 cup flour until not lumpy, then add to soup mixture. Cook until soup thickens. Stir in 3 cups grated cheese until melted.

Mexican Rice, Delicious!

2 cups rice

2 Tbs canola oil

2 cups Herdez salsa (or other favorite, homemade, etc., medium or mild)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Brown rice in 2 Tbs canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add Salsa. Add chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Place in oven heated to 350 for 30 minutes.

I made this today in my new cast iron enameled casserole dish (which I LOVE). It was just a touch over done, so if you use anything like that I would recommend checking it at 20 minutes. Also, we used hot salsa which Claire tolerated, but normally she would eat a ton of rice and she only ate half of what I expected. Whoops!

We had it with Chile Verde burritos, but it would go with anything in a tortilla! Pretty easy and way better than the stuff from a packet.

Green Beans WITH BACON

So the traditional cream of mushroom green bean casserole has never been a favorite. Really, I find it disgusting. I found a really awesome, but really complicated version out of my Martha Stewart cookbook. I loved it until I made it the second time, right when my aversion to food was ramping up while I was pregnant with Claire. Since then, I've not been up to the task as it is very labor intensive. I found this alternative last year and I don't think I will ever do it another way. Who doesn't like bacon anyway?

Serves 8

2 lbs Fresh Green Beans

3 tbs Butter

8 slices Thick Cut Bacon

Fresh Ground Pepper

Snap the beans into one inch lengths. Cut the bacon into one inch squares or smaller. Melt the butter in a skillet. Throw in the bacon and cook until crispy. Set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook beans in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain beans and add to bacon/butter mixture. Stir until coated. Add pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Some Links

I added a couple links to friend's blogs about food if any of you are interested. Nanette cooked for me after I had Claire (delish), but I've never had/tried any of Emily's stuff. She's really religious with her calories/nutrition so if you are looking for a healthy option go there. I will try to be a better contributor to this blog as I try to be a better and more importantly, consistent cook!

Poor little Claire needs more sit down dinners :)

I am Finally Making Peace with Salads

Here are some of my favs as entres:

1. Chicken Ceasar

Romain Lettuce
Cucumber
Fresh Parmesan
Croutons
Grilled Chicken (seasoned with Garlic Salt and Lemon Pepper)
Brianna's Ceasar Dressing

Yum. Yeah. No great revelation here, but nice to mix it up.

2. Summer Salad

Spring Mix and/or Spinach
Strawberries (sliced thin)
Mandarin Oranges
Grapes (cut in half)
Red Onions (sliced thin)
Feta Cheese
Toasted Slivered Almonds
Brianna's Blush Wine Vinagrette

Love the toasted almonds! You just put them in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until they are brown. You can also "candy" them by sprinkling a little sugar over the top.

3. Wonton Salad

1 Head of Lettuce (Iceberg)
Green Onions
3 Chicken Breasts (diced)
1 Package Fried Wontons
Seasame Seeds

Dressing:
1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. rice wine (sweet - cooking)
2 T. sugar

4. The Best for Last

Romain & Spring Mix Lettuce
1/2 lb Bacon, crumbled
1/2 c. Toasted Almonds
2 c. Grated Fresh Parmesan
2 c. Grated Mozzarella
6 Chicken Breasts (grilled with garlic salt & lemon pepper - diced)

Dressing:
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1 c sugar
1/4 c. red onion - diced
1/2 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
Put ingredients into blender and slowly add 1 c. vegetable oil

Long Post? Well, I guess I am just making up for lost time.
:)

BBQ Hamburgers

I know BBQ hamburgers are an easy thing with being able to buy pre-made patties. However, my family (relatives and all) and I love this recipe I do for homemade patties. They are easy and healthy. This recipe makes about 12 large patties. They do shrink as they cook, but they stay really thick. I use Sara Lee Wheat buns to help it be even healthier.

4 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup pureed carrot

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

approx 1 tbsp Season All

I normally don't measure my spices, but this is a best guess of how much I use. I prefer to add little bits as I mix so the spices get throughout all the meat.

I put the meat and pureed carrot in a large bowl. I mix with my hands by squeezing (like you would meatloaf). Then I slowly add spices, mix with hands, add a little more spices, mix again, and so on until I feel it's ready. Then I form the patties into about 5 inch round and about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties (they will thicken a little more as they cook, and shrink in). The puree helps these burgers be so juicy and good. I normally also add cheese for a yummy cheese burger.

Swiss Chicken Breasts

This is such an easy recipe, and it is so yummy. I can actually get my whole family to clean their plates and go back for seconds. I normally have side dishes of Rice a Roni (chicken flavor), corn, and homemade bread (or rolls). Here is the main dish:

The kids dug in before I could snap the picture.

Swiss Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:
5 Chicken Breasts (cut in half)
10 slices of swiss cheese (I use the kraft single slice)
1- 26 oz can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
1 1/2 cups water (Or use the can from the soup and fill it about half full of water)
3 cups dressing (I use Pepperidge Farm herb flavored dressing...Like stuffing)
1 cube butter (light)

Directions:
Rinse chicken breasts, cut in half, and put into a 13 x 9 inch cake pan, coated with non-stick cooking spray. Put one slice of swiss cheese on each piece of chicken.

Wisk together:
1 - 26 oz can Cream of Chicken soup
Water (however you measure it)
1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
Then pour this soup mixture over the chicken and cheese.

Mix together:
3 cups dressing
1 cube butter, melted
Then sprinkle this dressing mixture on top of chicken and soup. (I tend to do more of this dressing mix for additional flavor. I do 4 cups dressing and 1 1/4 cubes of butter, melted).

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Delicious Taco Soup

I love the concept that Jessica Seinfeld had with her cook book Deceptively Delicious. I have incorporated pureed vegetables into my meals to try to eliminate the "Eat your vegetables" comment every meal. I have to say, so far it has worked! So I created some of my own recipes with pureed vegetables, and you really can not tell a difference. Here is one that turned out to be very delicious.

Delicious Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 - 15 oz can black beans (drain only a little of the juice)
1- 15 oz can kidney beans (drain most of the juice)
1- 15 oz can corn (drain most of the juice)
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (you can hide these by chopping them finely in the food processor. I pureed them). I use all of this juice in the soup.
1 large red pepper (pureed)
1 pound meat (I use ground elk or beef)
1 packet taco seasoning
3-4 Tbsp chili powder (the more the hotter the soup is)
3 Tbsp dried onion (or any amount you would like)
Salt and Pepper

Instructions:
Cook meat, drain grease. Add everything else and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with sour cream (this can make it less spicy for kids if you put a lot of chili powder in), fritos, tortilla chips, or shredded cheese. I normally only use sour cream and shredded cheese. This serves 4 to 6 people depending on portion sizes.

Crock Pot Chicken

I am a lover of the crock pot as well. This recipe is super easy and tasty.

4-6 chicken breasts
1/4 c water
1 Italian dressing packet (dry)
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Throw the chicken breast in frozen or thawed along with water and Italian dressing packet. Cook on low for the day. An hour before it is ready to eat, throw in cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Serve over rice or mashed potaters:)

Next time I make it I'll take a picture.

Crock pot Potatoes and Ham

Another goodie...love the crock pot!

-Scrub about 6-8 med potatoes (this will make a large amount). Slice the potatoes thin.
-get seperate bowl add: cream of chicken soup and mushroom soup (or can use cream of celery soup), and cheddar cheese soup. mix together.
-slice onions
-cut up ham into strips (I just buy lunch meat ham, that is a little thicker because it's cheaper this way)
- grate some cheddar cheese

After that: just layer the potatoes, ham, onions, sauce(the mixed soup) , cheese, salt and pepper, then repeat layer a couple times depending on how much food you want.

I always serve with rolls and salad.

Crock Pot Chili Casserole

I love this recipe simply because it's so easy. It cooks way fast, so you can do it just a couple hours before dinner time. All you do is: layer, cut up corn tortias ( I just rip mine), can of chili and cheddar cheese, then repeat with that layer (you will need a couple cans of chili) Then before serving add a small dab of sour cream on top and crushed tortia chips. That's it. I like to serve with applesauce and veggies.

Easy BBQ Chicken

Hey guys!! So I have a really really easy dinner and it's pretty yummy I think. You get a couple (the number depends on how many you want for your family) of either raw or frozen chicken breasts, and put them in your crock pot. If they are frozen you have to put them in the night before if they aren't you have to put them in pretty early like 9 am or so. After you put them in the crock pot pour a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce over top. Then just let them cook all day you will know when they are done because they will just fall apart. Then put some potatoes in the oven to bake about an hour before you are ready to eat, do a quick veggie for a side and bam you are done easy eh? My kids love it and what could be easier than a crock pot dinner and baked potatoes?? Oh, I wanted to tell you how I bake my potatoes it is really yummy and easy. You scrub your potatoes and prick them with a fork. Then you take either normal table salt or sea salt and rub it all over the skin. Then just put the potatoes directly on the over rack for an hour at 400 degrees or so. Easy peasy, and no wrapping in tin foil!

Love It!

Maranda I think it's great! I am testing out the email post (for Marrya). Also, Mar you should probably add Email notification for her too. You know so she doesn't have to do any real blogging!

Love you girls.

A Little Feedback Please

So how do you ladies like the name of our recipe blog? I know it is a lame name for a recipe blog, but I figured it described us all too well. I guess I am referring to our swimming days when we were almost always the last ones out of the locker room. Hehehehe:) Well anyhow, what should we name the actual blog? We can change the blog address too, nobody sent me there ideas, so I am sorry but you got my idea:)



Love ya,



Mar