Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can corn, drained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 bag tortilla chips
avocado
shredded cheese


Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, and garlic into a crock pot. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Add shredded cheese and diced avocados if desired.

Mexican Salad

This is a recipe my mom came up with. Josh isn't a big fan of salad. He says it isn't very filling, but this is one salad he LOVES.

3 cooked chicken breasts, diced and seasoned with fajita seasoning
1 head of Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 avocado, diced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (8 oz) package cheddar cheese, diced
1 small can sliced olives
2 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 bag Fritos
cilantro, chopped


Toss all ingredients, except the Fritos and cilantro, in a large bowl. Serve with salsa, ranch dressing, sour cream or any other dressings you desire. Top with Fritos and cilantro.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Here is a recipe I got from Josh's cousin's wife. I made them a couple weeks ago and they are delicious!

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup oats
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold butter


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the egg. In a small bowl mix yogurt (or sour cream), milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Alternately stir dry and wet ingredients into the creamed mixture until just moistened. Gently fold in berries. Fill greased of paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Make the streusel topping by adding dry ingredients together, mix. Cut in butter. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until they test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing.

Creamy Potato Salad

Found this recipe on www.recipezaar.com.

6 medium potatoes
1/2 pound bacon
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup pickle relish
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons celery seeds
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped


Partially freeze your bacon so that it holds together easily while slicing. Use a sharp knife and cut the frozen bacon into long strips about 1/4 inch wide. Turn the bacon and cut the strips into pieces also about 1/4 inch wide. Sprinkle with pepper and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender. Peel and cube potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add celery, onion, relish and bacon bits. Combine mayo, sugar, celery seed, vinegar, mustard and salt. Add mayo mixture to potatoes and toss lightly to coat. Carefully fold in chopped eggs. Cover and chill thoroughly.

Soft Sugar Cookies and Buttercream Frosting

I've been looking for a new sugar cookie recipe for a while and finally found one from the girl who ate everything that is delicious! Try it out - you won't be disappointed!

1 cup sour cream
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients until everything is mixed together. Let the dough chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until firm. Roll it out and cut or whatever you want. Bake until LIGHT golden brown-no more than 10 minutes. When you take them out they will seem underdone but aren't. Let them cool on the pan and they will be perfect and moist. If you like harder and more crunchy just bake them a little longer.


Here is my favorite frosting recipe to go with the sugar cookies.

Buttercream Frosting (from Wilton's Cake Decorating Guide)

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the shortening and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add food coloring if desired.

Sweet and Tangy Pork Roast

2½ teaspoons chili powder, divided
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic salt
1 (4 pound) boneless pork roast
1 cup apple jelly
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons white vinegar


In a bowl, combine ½ teaspoon chili powder, salt and garlic salt. Rub over roast. Sear roast in frying pan until each side is browned. Place in a cooking dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1½ hours. In a saucepan, combine jelly, ketchup, vinegar and remaining chili powder. Bring to a boil. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Brush ¼ cup jelly mixture over roast. Bake 10-15 minutes longer until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove roast to a serving platter. Let stand for 10-15 minutes. Slice roast and serve with remaining sauce.

Cajun Grilled Salmon

2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 1/2 pounds salmon steaks or fillets

Mix all marinade ingredients and pour over salmon. Marinate for 1 hour. Place fillets over medium hot coals. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until done

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

Muffins:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumb Mixture:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter, cubed
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon


Make crumb mixture by combining 1/3 cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter in a bowl. Mix well with a fork. Place in fridge until ready to use. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pan with muffin liners. Combine 1½ cups flour with ¾ cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Combine vegetable oil, egg, milk and vanilla in a separate bowl. Mix well. Add to the flour mixture. Batter will be thick – like cookie dough. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups until almost full. Sprinkle crumb mixture on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Red Potato Salad

3 pounds red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white vinegar
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 dill pickle, chopped
¼ celery stalk, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 dash hot sauce
3 teaspoons dried dill weed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash onion salt
salt and pepper to taste


Place the potatoes in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl to cool. In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, eggs, pickle, celery, green onions, and hot sauce. Add dill, garlic powder, onion salt, salt and pepper; mix well. Pour over the potatoes, and gently toss to coat. Chill at least 3 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Rosemary Chicken Couscous

2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 oz) box couscous
1/3 cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 teaspoons rosemary
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 large cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite sizes
1 cucumber, chopped
½ cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
½ cup sliced olives
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
4 teaspoons parsley


Place chicken stock in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in couscous. Remove pan from heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar in a bowl and mix until thickens. Stir in rosemary. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Combine the chicken, cucumber, tomatoes and olives in a large bowl. Stir in the couscous, feta cheese, and parsley. Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve cold.

Pumpkin Waffles

Christmas morning Josh's family came down and had breakfast with us. I made pumpkin waffles and homemade vanilla syrup and it was a huge hit! My mother-in-law kept telling me I needed to post the recipes on my blog so here they are. Enjoy!

2 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-½ cups milk
1 cup pumpkin
¾ cup melted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla


In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks (reserve the whites for later), milk, pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Mix the dry mixture into the wet mixture with an electric mixer. Take the egg whites and beat with a mixer until they form peaks. Fold egg whites into batter with a spatula or large spoon. Pour into waffle iron.

Vanilla Syrup

½ cup butter
½ cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon karo syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla


In a large saucepan combine the butter, buttermilk, sugar and karo syrup. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla.
***When you add the baking soda, the syrup will foam up. Make sure you have a large enough saucepan to allow this to occur.***

Potato, Cheese and Broccoli Soup

This is a recipe I got from my mother-in-law.

7 white potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1/2“cubes)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 stalk broccoli, chopped
12 oz velveta cheese
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 can evaporated milk
salt
garlic salt
pepper


Place potatoes, onion and celery in a large pot and cover with water. Add some salt and boil for about 30 minutes. Turn heat to low and add broccoli. Stir in evaporated milk, velveta cheese, and sharp cheese. Stir frequently, until cheeses have melted. Season with garlic salt and pepper.

Tater-Topped Casserole

This is another recipe I found on http://www.recipezaar.com/ that I really enjoy.

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10¾ oz) can cream of mushroom soup
¼ cup milk
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound frozen potato nuggets


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the meat and onions in a skillet, stirring occasionally; drain. Spoon into an 8”x8” baking dish. Mix soup and milk; pour over meat mixture. Top with layers of mixed vegetables, cheese and potatoes. Bake for 45 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and casserole is heated through.

Whipped Strawberry Sensation

Here is another recipe I got from my dad - it is so good! It is a perfect dessert for summer!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 (8 oz) tub cool whip, thawed and divided

8 oreo cookies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Add condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Pour into prepared pan. Mix chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture. Cover with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil. Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert. Slice remaining 2 cups strawberries; arrange over dessert. Store leftovers in freezer.

Ham Meatballs

This is a recipe I got from one of Josh's coworkers. She said you have to get the ground ham from the meat counter - I usually use ground pork, which is already packaged and ready to go.

Meatballs:
1 pound ground ham
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten

Sauce:
¼ cup rice vinegar
1 can pineapple chunks
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1 cup brown sugar

Mix first set of ingredients together. Grease a 9x13” baking dish. Form ham mixture into walnut size balls. Place in baking dish. Heat vinegar, juice from canned pineapple, powdered mustard and brown sugar in sauce pan. Pour sauce over ham and add pineapple chunks. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour to an hour and a half. Baste the meat balls with sauce once or twice during cooking time.

Chili's Southwest Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls
1 chicken breast fillet
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced green onions
1/3 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons diced canned jalapeño peppers
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash cayenne pepper
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 - 6" flour tortillas

Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup smashed fresh avocados (about half of an avocado)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1 dash dried dill weed
1 dash garlic powder
1 dash pepper

Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped onions


Preheat barbecue grill to high heat. Rub the chicken breast with some vegetable oil then grill it on the barbecue for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side of the chicken while it cooks. Set chicken aside until it cools down enough to handle. Preheat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red pepper and onion to the pan and sauté for a couple minutes until tender. Dice the cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to the pan. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper to the pan. Cook for another 4 minutes. Stir well so that the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Wrap the tortillas in a moist cloth and microwave on high temperature for 1 1/2 minutes or until hot. Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of a tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture. Roll the tortilla very tight, then pierce with a toothpick to hold together. Repeat with the remaining ingredients until you have five eggrolls. Arrange the eggrolls on a plate, cover the plate with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours. Overnight is best. While the eggrolls freeze prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry the eggrolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain for about 2 minutes. Slice each eggroll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce. Garnish the dipping sauce with the chopped tomato and onion.

Sweet Corn Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup masa
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In a medium bowl beat butter until it is creamy. Add the masa and water and beat until well mixed. Using a food processor, process thawed corn, but leave chunky. Stir into the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix cornmeal, sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. Add to corn flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour batter into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Smooth batter and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan into a 9x13 baking dish that is filled a third of the way with water. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop for easy removal from pan.

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

Here is a recipe I got from my dad. He made it for us when we were in Califoria last September.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 small cans diced green chilies
5 pitted green olives
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ package taco seasoning
1 pound shredded cooked chicken meat
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup sour cream


Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chilies, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth, then pour into a saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat. In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry Chimichangas until golden brown, then drain on a plate lined with paper towels. To serve, place a chimichanga on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce overtop. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and green onions. Top with a dollop of sour cream.

Sugar Cookies and Buttercream Frosting

Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups shortening
2 3/4 cups sugar
8 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla

Cream together the shortening and the sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Roll out until 1/8-1/4" thick and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes. Makes about 100 cookies.


Buttercream Frosting (from Wilton's Cake Decorating Guide)

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the shortening and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Add food coloring if desired.