This is a newfound staple at our house. It is kind of creamy and easy peasy! Plus everyone loves it! I can't remember where I found this one.
1 can corn (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 lb. chicken
1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce - mild
1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese
Add corn, tomatoes, beans, pepper, and onion to the crock pot and stir to mix. Place chicken on top of veggie mixture. In a separate bowl whisk enchilada souce, cream of chicken soup and milk together. Pour over top of chicken. DO NOT STIR. :) Cook on low all day or high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken and stir all ingredients to combine. Top with cheese (and sour cream, guacamole, tortilla chips or whatever else you like).
Monday, December 27, 2010
Berry Slush
This is a great drink for when you are serving a large crowd and you want the drink to be extra pretty! It can also second as a fruit serving. I remember drinking this every year at our Young Women's Christmas Brunches and it was always something to look forward to! It does take some preparation and planning, but it is worth it! As written below this makes 40-50 servings.
2 quarts water (8 cups)
1 quart suger (4 cups)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups pineapple tidbits
2 16 oz. bags frozen raspberries
2 16 oz. bags frozen blueberries
8 sliced bananas
sprite (optional)
(You could substitute 32 oz. of a frozen berry mix for the raspberries and blueberries if you prefer...I like to get the mixed berries at costco)
1-2 days before you plan to serve the drink - stir water, sugar and lemon juice together until dissolved and freeze in tupperware or bundt pan. (it doesn't have to look pretty frozen)
1 hour before serving - dump pineapple tidbits over frozen block in your serving bowl and keep out at room temp.
15 minutes before serving - mush with fork to get slushy. Add berries and bananas. Add sprite for a more liquid slush (I prefer this method).
2 quarts water (8 cups)
1 quart suger (4 cups)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cups pineapple tidbits
2 16 oz. bags frozen raspberries
2 16 oz. bags frozen blueberries
8 sliced bananas
sprite (optional)
(You could substitute 32 oz. of a frozen berry mix for the raspberries and blueberries if you prefer...I like to get the mixed berries at costco)
1-2 days before you plan to serve the drink - stir water, sugar and lemon juice together until dissolved and freeze in tupperware or bundt pan. (it doesn't have to look pretty frozen)
1 hour before serving - dump pineapple tidbits over frozen block in your serving bowl and keep out at room temp.
15 minutes before serving - mush with fork to get slushy. Add berries and bananas. Add sprite for a more liquid slush (I prefer this method).
Party Punch
I think I saw this recipe on One Charming Party and wrote it down because I really wanted to give it a try. We served it at our Christmas Night open house and it was perfect!
2 liter sprite
1 can frozen lemonade
3 cans water
1 package kool-aid lemonade
1 cup sugar
fresh or frozen berries (I skipped this, but it does look pretty and probably adds some yummy berry flavor)
lemon slices
ice
Mix all ingredients together in a large drink container.
2 liter sprite
1 can frozen lemonade
3 cans water
1 package kool-aid lemonade
1 cup sugar
fresh or frozen berries (I skipped this, but it does look pretty and probably adds some yummy berry flavor)
lemon slices
ice
Mix all ingredients together in a large drink container.
Grandma Tate's Hot Chocolate Recipe
Seth's cute family made a compiled recipe book for Christmas this year and we have been having so much fun trying the new recipes. One of our new favorites is Grandma Tate's hot chocolate. Grandma Tate is one of the most wonderful people I have ever ever met and everything she makes tastes even better because you know she came up with the recipe with lots of love and caring!
2 2/3 cup dry milk
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. cocoa
pinch of salt
7 1/2 cups water
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Mix the first 4 ingredients well in a saucepan. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat over low and serve. Do not boil.
2 2/3 cup dry milk
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. cocoa
pinch of salt
7 1/2 cups water
1 can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Mix the first 4 ingredients well in a saucepan. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Heat over low and serve. Do not boil.
Almond Poppyseed Bread
Cake...bread, you could consider this recipe to be either one! I ended up delivering mini-loaves to some neighbors as Christmas gifts this year and got some rave reviews. This is another recipe from Our Best Bites (told you I was obsessed) and you can find their directions complete with pictures here. Delicious!
bread:
1 1/8 cups canola oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Add baking powder and salt and mix in. Alternate adding flour and milk (I like to go in this order - 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk). Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into greased pans (2 large or 5 mini-loaf pans) and bake for 35-40 minutes for mini pans or 1 hour for large pans. I prefer the taste of the bread when made into mini-loaves...not sure why, but I do. When done baking, let cool in pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/4 cup orange juice
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon over the tops of the loaves as they are cooling on the rack. Be liberal with your glazing because the glaze is delicious! It makes a sort of crusty top that is just delicious.
bread:
1 1/8 cups canola oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Add baking powder and salt and mix in. Alternate adding flour and milk (I like to go in this order - 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk). Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into greased pans (2 large or 5 mini-loaf pans) and bake for 35-40 minutes for mini pans or 1 hour for large pans. I prefer the taste of the bread when made into mini-loaves...not sure why, but I do. When done baking, let cool in pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/4 cup orange juice
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon over the tops of the loaves as they are cooling on the rack. Be liberal with your glazing because the glaze is delicious! It makes a sort of crusty top that is just delicious.
Flavorful Sugar Cookies
The kids were determined to make sugar cookies for Santa...like ask-me-every-day-25-times-until-I-finally-cave-and-make-them determined. The catch is...I'm not in LOVE with my sugar cookie recipe and it makes a gazillion cookies. So, when they finally convinced me, I went to my new favorite resource - Our Best Bites - and found this amazing sugar cookie recipe! It did not dissapoint. I also tried a "soft cookie" recipe with sour cream, and while they were delicious too, this one was definitely my favorite. They are ultra flavorful even without frosting, hold their shape so well, and with the trick from the recipe, SO EASY to cut into shapes! I may even be willing to do sugar cookies more than once a year! Plus, it doesn't make a gazillion cookies...just a normal size batch.
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract (or other flavor, like vanilla or peppermint or whatever your heart desires - I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cream the butter and sugar (make sure it is light and fluffy before you stop whipping!). Add in egg and extract and mix. Add baking powder and salt. Mix. Add flour gradually until completely mixed.
Chill dough for about an hour... OR make your life so so so much easier by doing this:
Place a ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough flat. This way you won't have to add more flour, and you won't have to attempt to roll cold dough. :) Chill for about 20-30 minutes on a flat surface in your fridge, then peel off the top layer of parchment paper and start cutting out your shapes. Ummm...yeah, I love this part. No floury mess all over my counters, no trying to smash a cold ball of dough, just out of the fridge and onto the table for the kids to get shaping! Awesome!
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. I like mine more on the soft side, so I think I was closer to 8 minutes, but if you like them buttery crisp, then go closer to 12.
Of course, I topped these with my favorite buttercream frosting and sugar sprinkles.
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract (or other flavor, like vanilla or peppermint or whatever your heart desires - I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Cream the butter and sugar (make sure it is light and fluffy before you stop whipping!). Add in egg and extract and mix. Add baking powder and salt. Mix. Add flour gradually until completely mixed.
Chill dough for about an hour... OR make your life so so so much easier by doing this:
Place a ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough flat. This way you won't have to add more flour, and you won't have to attempt to roll cold dough. :) Chill for about 20-30 minutes on a flat surface in your fridge, then peel off the top layer of parchment paper and start cutting out your shapes. Ummm...yeah, I love this part. No floury mess all over my counters, no trying to smash a cold ball of dough, just out of the fridge and onto the table for the kids to get shaping! Awesome!
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. I like mine more on the soft side, so I think I was closer to 8 minutes, but if you like them buttery crisp, then go closer to 12.
Of course, I topped these with my favorite buttercream frosting and sugar sprinkles.
Homemade White Bread
Yesterday I reeeeeally wanted some hot bread and jam, but I really prefer white bread to wheat bread and every single recipe I have is for wheat bread. While I could have settled for a wheat loaf, I don't keep wheat flour on hand, and I don't have a wheat grinder, so I googled white bread recipes. I am so happy that I did, because I found a total gem! The recipe makes 3 (giant) loaves. They came out of the oven yesterday afternoon at 1:00 pm, and by 1:20, we were down to 2 loaves. As of right now, we have part of one loaf left. The best part is...the bread is soft and delicious after it cools as well. Of course bread is good right out of the oven, but not all bread is delicious after it cools! I did modify a few of the original instructions, so this is my take on it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
3 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. dry active yeast
3 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (I did not use bread flour. I buy Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand flour from costco and it is amazing for all kinds of baking...seriously the flour makes a huge difference. Next time you buy flour, give this brand a try and you will never go back!)
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in the mixing bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups flour. Mix. Let sponge (the gooey pre-dough that you have) rise until doubled in size (I let mine sit for about 10 minutes). Gradually add the additional 4 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Move dough from mixer bowl into a greased bowl and roll dough ball around to coat all sides in butter (or cooking spray if that is what you sprayed your bowl with). Rise until doubled in size. I like to turn my oven on broil for 1-2 minutes (until it is just warm, not hot) and then turn it off and place a small glass bowl of hot water on the bottom rack and my bowl of dough on a middle rack. It seems to speed up the rising time without negatively affecting the dough. Punch down dough and let rest a few minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal parts (I don't think 3 was enough because my loaves were gargantuan. I will probably do 4-6 smaller loaves next time). Shape into loaves and place into 8 1/2x4" greased bread pans - I just shaped them into loaves and placed them side by side on a jelly roll pan. Let rise until almost doubled. Brush loaf tops with butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (mine only took 35 min). You may want to place a piece of aluminum foil over the tops of the loaves for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they don't get over browned. Brush butter over tops of warm loaves when they come out. ENJOY!
3 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. dry active yeast
3 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (I did not use bread flour. I buy Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand flour from costco and it is amazing for all kinds of baking...seriously the flour makes a huge difference. Next time you buy flour, give this brand a try and you will never go back!)
Sprinkle yeast over warm water in the mixing bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups flour. Mix. Let sponge (the gooey pre-dough that you have) rise until doubled in size (I let mine sit for about 10 minutes). Gradually add the additional 4 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Move dough from mixer bowl into a greased bowl and roll dough ball around to coat all sides in butter (or cooking spray if that is what you sprayed your bowl with). Rise until doubled in size. I like to turn my oven on broil for 1-2 minutes (until it is just warm, not hot) and then turn it off and place a small glass bowl of hot water on the bottom rack and my bowl of dough on a middle rack. It seems to speed up the rising time without negatively affecting the dough. Punch down dough and let rest a few minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal parts (I don't think 3 was enough because my loaves were gargantuan. I will probably do 4-6 smaller loaves next time). Shape into loaves and place into 8 1/2x4" greased bread pans - I just shaped them into loaves and placed them side by side on a jelly roll pan. Let rise until almost doubled. Brush loaf tops with butter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (mine only took 35 min). You may want to place a piece of aluminum foil over the tops of the loaves for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they don't get over browned. Brush butter over tops of warm loaves when they come out. ENJOY!
Our Best Bites
I have recently discovered Our Best Bites. It is a recipe blog and my.oh.my I am obsessed! I will be sharing some of my favorite new recipes from their site on here, but seriously...head on over there and check it out...I promise you won't be disappointed!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Stuffed Shells
This was a perfect, easy, comforting meal I made yesterday to use up stuff I had hanging around in my fridge. It made for a huge dinner last night, plus plenty extra to freeze for on-the-go meals whenever I need them. I followed the directions on the back of the box, with a few little adjustments:
1 box stuffed shells, cooked
1 large contained part-skim ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (important so your filling isn't too wet)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I cheated and used a bottle from my food storage that was about to expire)
Preheat oven to 375. Boil shells by following directions on the package--you want them to be almost fully cooked, but still a little underdone. In a 9 x 13 glass pan, spread 1/2-3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, or until well coated. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, spinach, eggs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. When shells are done boiling, drain and spread out on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper so they don't stick together. Fill each shell with approximately 2 tsp. filling, and place in glass pan. Since I had more than 2 pans' worth of shells, I spread whatever shells I wasn't baking immediately on a cookie sheet and froze them solid, then place them in labeled freezer bags.
Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over filled shells, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and broil until cheese is bubbly and browned.
Serving suggestion: green salad and garlic bread
1 box stuffed shells, cooked
1 large contained part-skim ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry (important so your filling isn't too wet)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I cheated and used a bottle from my food storage that was about to expire)
Preheat oven to 375. Boil shells by following directions on the package--you want them to be almost fully cooked, but still a little underdone. In a 9 x 13 glass pan, spread 1/2-3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, or until well coated. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, spinach, eggs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. When shells are done boiling, drain and spread out on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper so they don't stick together. Fill each shell with approximately 2 tsp. filling, and place in glass pan. Since I had more than 2 pans' worth of shells, I spread whatever shells I wasn't baking immediately on a cookie sheet and froze them solid, then place them in labeled freezer bags.
Spread remaining spaghetti sauce over filled shells, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and broil until cheese is bubbly and browned.
Serving suggestion: green salad and garlic bread
Sinful Caramel Corn
I cannot get enough of caramel corn, and while I know there are tons of yummy recipes out there, this is my favorite. Using microwaved kettle corn makes it quick, and it makes so much that if it's just for my little family, I'll half the recipe.
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 3.5-oz. bags microwave kettle corn, popped
Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick spray. Weed out unpopped kernels from the microwave bags, and pour popcorn into the bowl.
In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, Karo syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until it reaches the "soft ball" stage (be warned: when it's fully boiling, this happens fast . To test it, drop a teaspoonful of the caramel into a little dish filled with cool water. If you can shape it into a ball, and it holds together, it's done.) Off the heat, sprinkle baking soda and let the mixture foam (stirring if you see any baking soda lumps).
Pour caramel over popcorn, and stir until well coated. Store uneaten (if you have any) caramel corn in Ziplocs, or make sure the bowl is tightly covered.
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 3.5-oz. bags microwave kettle corn, popped
Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick spray. Weed out unpopped kernels from the microwave bags, and pour popcorn into the bowl.
In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, Karo syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until it reaches the "soft ball" stage (be warned: when it's fully boiling, this happens fast . To test it, drop a teaspoonful of the caramel into a little dish filled with cool water. If you can shape it into a ball, and it holds together, it's done.) Off the heat, sprinkle baking soda and let the mixture foam (stirring if you see any baking soda lumps).
Pour caramel over popcorn, and stir until well coated. Store uneaten (if you have any) caramel corn in Ziplocs, or make sure the bowl is tightly covered.
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