The Easiest Home Made Veggie Ground Beef Soup Evah!

1lb-ish ground beef, browned and drained

Undrained
1 can carrots
1 can peas
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
last nights left over green beans
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt & pepper
About 3 dashes of green tabasco
Just a little instant 3-cheese mashed potatoes

Throw it all in a big pot and simmer for about an hour and a half

Top with shredded cheddar and crushed saltines

Devour

Italian Beef Sammiches

cheap cut of roast
powdered italian dressing seasoning (one per roast)
sliced banana peppers with juice to taste
some water

cook low and slow for lotsa hours.

serve on buns with usual sandwich sides.

Cherry Bread

I don't like cherries at all, but this bread is SOOO good. It would be wrong for me to post the recipe here when it came from another blog, so I am posting the link instead.

http://www.bumblesandlight.com/2010/06/cherry-bread/

Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

This is a recipe I got from a "Grandma's Kitchen" series of cards.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 c sifted all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c vegetable oil

3/4 c buttermilk

8 Tbsp butter, softened

3/4 c granulated sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 c milk, optional

1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in vegetable oil. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended.
2. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15 x 8-inch rectangle.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan lightly.
4. Spread butter over the dough. Combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side. Pinch seam to seal.
5. Cut the roll into 1.5-inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut side up, in prepared baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Pour milk over the top, if desired. Serve hot.

Lemon-herb pasta

So you want something easy, but you're out of spaghetti sauce. Or maybe you want dinner to seem fancy without putting a lot of work into it. Try this. Super yummy, and so easy.

1 lb. pasta of your choice (we like linguine)
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse so it doesn't stick together. Return to pot (or put in a big bowl) and add olive oil, lemon juice, and spices. (You can adjust spices and lemon juice to taste -- this is just a rough estimate to get you in the right direction.) Toss well to mix everything, and serve hot. Great with garlic bread. You can also add in some crushed red pepper if you like it. If you have premixed Italian Seasoning on hand, you can use that instead of the individual spices and just add it to taste.

This works great as a main dish, or if you use little noodles like penne or something, it's a really nice side. Easy peasy, and a nice change of pace from regular spaghetti. :)

Potatoes, Kraut, & Hot Dogs

cube some potatoes and start them in some oil in a big pan
add onion, seasoned salt, italian seasoning
cook until potatoes are just about soft, but not quite

add saurkraut and a package of hot dogs cut into bite sized pieces.

simmer on low for a while to allow everything to mix up and soften.  the time needed for this step depends on how done your potatoes were when you added the kraut/dogs and turned the heat down.

i made some garlic cheddar biscuits from a mix and it was a very yummy and easy dinner.  and one pot for the meal...the biscuits get their own pan, though.

Fruit & Yogurt Smoothies

Ya' know how Yoplait has their new Frozen smoothies, usually in the juice section of the store...well, they're over $3 for 2 servings...*sigh*

These are a perfect knock off...same consistency and every thing.

Ingredients:

6 oz Frozen yogurt chunks - I use vanilla and freeze them in tablespoons over night.

1 cup frozen fruit - I use strawberries. Tried blueberries once, and it was ok, but I'm not a big blueberry person

1 cup milk

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

I threw this together tonight just to see what happened - and it's a hit!

2 cups bisquick

3 oz pepperoni

1 cup shredded cheese

2/3 c milk

2 Tbsp margarine or butter

1 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix together bisquick, pepperoni, and shredded cheese. Stir in milk...this will be tough, I had to finish up with my hands. It was very tempting to add a bit more milk, but I'm glad I didn't.

Spray an 8" round pan with cooking spray, then put mixture in it and push around to the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes.

In the last couple minutes, put the margarine/butter in a bowl and microwave 45 seconds to melt. Stir in garlic powder.

When the bread is done, brush the garlic & butter mixture over the top. Cut and serve...eat alone or dip in pizza or alfredo sauce.

Yummy dill potatoes and onions

I don't measure. Consider all of these "suggestions," especially considering that I don't know how many potatoes you need to feed your family, or the size of the onions you like to buy.

1 large onion, peeled and cut into wedges
enough potatoes to feed everybody, cut into chunks (about an inch or so)... peel them if you want to, but I generally don't
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp. (more or less) dill weed
1 tsp. (more or less) garlic powder
cooking oil

Put some oil in your pan and heat it up. Toss in the onion, and cook and stir it over medium heat just until it starts to get fragrant -- about 2 or 3 minutes. Toss in your potatoes, and add salt and pepper to taste (I like a little salt and lots of pepper) and the garlic powder. (You can use fresh minced too, and it would probably be even better.) Cook and stir for a while. Don't let the onions sit too long without getting scraped up off the bottom, or they'll get burned. They're going to end up kind of caramelized, but you don't want them crispy. A few minutes before the potatoes are done cooking, sprinkle in your dill. Use as much as you like -- I like a lot! I find if you add it earlier in the cooking it still tastes ok, but the dill loses some of its oomph and you have to add more, so I save it until last. And that's it! Yummy with just about everything. You can also add cut up carrots and/or celery for more yummy goodness.

Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

DOVE Promises (I prefer dark chocolate)

1 recipe of chocolate chip cookies (I use an adaptation of the Nestle Tollhouse recipe - I use 1 cup of brown sugar and no nuts)

1. Preheat oven to 375. Make cookie dough as directed by recipe.
2. Spray a cupcake pan. Fill each spot about 1/3 full of dough, put a Promise in the middle, then cover with more dough - the spot should be about 2/3 full.
3. Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy Boneless "Buffalo Wings"

boneless skinless chicken cut into chunks

cornstarch

salt

pepper

onion powder

garlic powder

oil for frying

container with lid big enough for shaking

Preheat oil to 400. I use a deep fryer.

Coat chicken with cornstarch and seasonings by placing all items (chicken first) into the container, then closing the lid and shaking it all around.

Fry chicken a few pieces at a time until about 170* internally - time will vary depending on size but my pieces were about the size of a McDonald's chicken nugget and took 5-7 minutes per batch of 6-10 pieces.

Drain on paper towel.

Coating:

I used three different coatings. The first was straight buffalo sauce, the second was half buffalo sauce and half ranch, and the third was BBQ sauce. Put cooked chicken in a clean container with lid and pour sauce on top; close & shake. They were also good without a coating.

Taco meat burrito thingys (an alternative to regular tacos)

2 cups taco meat (I keep it in the freezer in 2-cup packages)
2 carrots
1 onion (or half a large one)
2 large whole-wheat soft tortillas
cheese

Grab some taco meat that's been in the freezer for a while and you don't know what to do with it. Or just make some with ground beef and taco seasoning. If you're making it fresh, drain it well after it's brown. Use a food processor to finely chop the onion and carrots together, and then put them in the skillet with your taco meat (you don't have to defrost your meat first if it's frozen -- just stick it in there). Cook over medium heat until the onions are getting tender and a little browned. Spoon the mixture onto the tortilla shells, half in each one. Put it right in the middle, in kind of a strip down the middle. Put your cheese on top of the meat, however much and whatever kind you like. I used white American because it was what we had, but I think cheddar or a spicy cheese would be better. Fold the sides of the tortilla over everything, so it's like a flat burrito. Stick it on your George Foreman grill and grill it until it's brown and the cheese is melted, just a minute or two. If you don't have a George Foreman grill -- um, you need to get one. But you could probably brown it in the skillet if you wanted, if you've drained out the oil.

I don't like tacos because I hate lettuce and the stuff that's usually in tacos, so this is a good alternative. You don't *need* the carrots, I suppose, but they do enhance the flavor a bit, and it's added nutrition. I add chopped carrots to whatever I can add them to, because it's good for you and you don't notice the flavor that much. You could probably also do the same thing with chopped celery, maybe even some chopped baby spinach leaves. Whatever. This is great because it's a quick lunch packed with protein and flavor, and you can customize it for your tastes. Although I don't think I'd put lettuce in it. It would get wilty on the grill.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This was an impromptu meal put together upon realizing that I didn't have enough tortillas to make enchiladas - AFTER I had already mixed up the filling. It came out super yummy, so I'm going to share. :-)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter/margarine

1 box Rice-a-Roni Mexican or Spanish rice

1 can (14 oz, I think) of refried beans

1 small can (10 oz, I think) of Old El Paso green chili enchilada sauce

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese

1 can (4-7oz) chopped green chilies

1 to 1.5 lbs of chicken, cut into bite size pieces

tortillas

tortilla chips

shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Prepare Rice-a-Roni according to package directions.

3. While the rice is simmering, cook the chicken in a skillet. Once it's done cooking, add the cream cheese and green chilies and stir and cook until all is combined and warm.

4. Spray the bottom of a casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon a very thin layer of enchilada sauce in the dish. Place a layer of tortillas in the bottom. The number of tortillas will depend on the size of the dish and the tortillas; my dish was about 8x12 and my tortillas were fajita-size - I used two.

5. Spoon all of chicken mixture into casserole dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Add another layer of tortillas.

6. Spread refried beans into casserole dish. I found this to be easier if I picked up each tortilla and spread it on the tortilla, then used a spoon to fill in any gaps where the tortillas didn't cover.

7. Spread rice on top of beans.

8. Crush enough tortilla chips to cover top of casserole, then spread on top. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of chips. Bake for about 15 minutes.

*I actually used leftover rice and beans, so if you find a full box of rice or a full can of beans is too much for you, use half instead and save the rest for another meal.

Applesauce-Oatmeal Cookies

From my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook...these are delicious!

1/3 c butter or margarine, softened

2/3 c packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2 c unsweetened applesauce

1 1/4 c all-purpose flour*

1 1/4 c rolled oats

1. In medium mixing bowl beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and baking soda. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl Beat in egg and applesauce till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour and the rolled oats. (Blogger note: I had NO problems mixing in my flour with the mixer.)

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375* oven for 8-10 minues or till ightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 30 cookies. (Blogger note: I got about 40 cookies!)

*I used bread flour because I am just about out of all-purpose.

Baked Fruit French Toast

Baked Fruit French Toast

1 can of apple pie filling

1 loaf of Italian or French bread, cut into 1" slices

1 tsp cinnamon 6 eggs

1 cup brown sugar 1 ½ cups milk

¾ cup raisins (optional) 1 tsp vanilla

Butter a 13x9x2” baking dish

Spread can of apple pie filling on the bottom of baking dish

Sprinkle on cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins.

Lay slices of bread in baking dish

Mix together eggs, milk and vanilla and pour over bread

Refrigerate overnight

Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes

Baked French Toast

Baked French Toast

1 loaf white bread, cubed ½ cup maple syrup

1 8oz cream cheese, cubed 1 cup milk

8-12 eggs

Line bottom of 9x13 inch pan with half the bread cubes.

Layer cream cheese cubes on top of bread, then add the rest of the bread.

Beat together eggs, maple syrup and milk in large bowl. Pour over bread.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, bake in a preheated 350° oven until light golden brown (45 minutes)

Cut into squares and drizzle maple syrup over all.

Yield: 8 servings

Easy chicken and rice dinner

Seriously, it's easy. I'm a big fan of easy. I'm also a big fan of dry vegetable soup mix, apparently, since I'm using it in everything lately.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders (any kind of boneless chicken will do, but you can't use big pieces like whole breasts. If you have large pieces, cut them to be smaller so they'll cook faster.)
1 cup white rice
3 cups water
1 package dry vegetable soup mix

Brown the chicken slightly in a little bit of oil. Nothing too major. If you over-brown, that's ok. Or if you forget to brown it, that's ok too. Whatever. Either way, use a really big skillet so you'll have room for everything (I used my 12-inch cast iron and it was just big enough). Then pour in your water and the veggie soup mix, and stir it to dissolve the powder and get everything evened out. Dump in your rice, and try to spread it evenly around the skillet. Make sure there's no rice hanging out on top of the chicken where it won't be in the water. Bring the water to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the rice is done and the chicken is cooked through.

This recipe serves 4, or maybe 5 depending on how much chicken you have and what sides you serve with it. I didn't serve any sides and it served the 4 of us with a few leftovers. As with my other chicken recipe, this would be great if you cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces, but I didn't and it was still good. I'm sure you could also bake this, but I have no idea how long you'd need to bake it, so if you go that route you're on your own.

Pudding Cake

super easy, super good.

you can use any flavor combo you like. we use white cake and lemon pudding because that's what we like. i have used angel food cake and strawberry jello and didn't mix the cool whip. i just used it straight from the bowl. it wasn't too bad. i use generic everything and whatever is on sale. it's just as good as name brand.

make a cake per box. let cake cool absolutely and completely before continuing on.
use the handle of a wooden spoon to make staggered holes about half as deep in the top of the cake.

make one regular sized box of pudding per box. before it sets up, pour about 3/4 over the cake and into the holes.

into the remaining pudding that has been allowed to set up, fold one regular sized bowl of cool whip. use that to "ice" the cake.

it's definitely a "spoonable" dessert.

cover and set in the fridge until ready to eat.

Granny's pie crust

i got this from mother...so if it rambles or you find little hints and tips...they are hers. i just copied and pasted this one. this is the way granny makes her crust and it is wonderful and not difficult at all!

makes 4-5 crusts

4 Cups flour

1 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt

mix together and make well in center of bowl

1 beaten egg

1/2 Cup cold water

1 Tbs vinegar

mix together & set aside

13/4 Cups shortening

cut into dry ingredients

Add liquid

PS. rolls better if chilled

roll leftover into pie sized ball and freeze for later use.

keep it cold. keep what you are not actually working on in the fridge. use cold ingredients.

don't handle too much

the least amount of extra flour you work into it while rolling out the better. Too much flour which makes it too dry will make the crust crumbly not flaky.

Pumpkin pancakes

This is from Allrecipes.com. Link to the recipe is http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Pancakes/Detail.aspx.


Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 cup pumpkin puree
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

*QB's notes: I used soy milk like I do in everything else, and it was fine, so you can make these dairy-free. I didn't have any allspice, so I used about 1/8 tsp. of cloves and 1/4 tsp. ish of nutmeg -- it turned out all right, but I should have used a bit more. Or else gone out and bought allspice. You really should have allspice. Anyway, these were delicious either alone or with maple syrup.