Cranberry Salsa

I had this yummy salsa at my friend's house. It is very delicious!

1 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
1 green onion
1 jalapeno (remove seeds if you don't want it to be spicy)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cilantro
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 pkg. cream cheese

• chop green cranberries, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro with food chopper or food processor
• combine all ingredients (except cream cheese)
  
• place block of cream cheese on plate and pour cranberry mixture over the top
• serve with crackers

picture to come...

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• 1 lb chicken, cut into small pieces (5-6 chicken breasts) - I season with Montreal Steak Seasoning
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
• 2 cups grated colby jack cheddar cheese
• 1 (15 oz) package flour tortillas (can use corn tortillas too)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute onion with olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook thoroughly. Remove from heat. Stir in soup, sour cream, and chilies. Stack tortillas and cut with sharp knife into thin strips. Add to chicken mixture and mix until coated. In a greased 9x13 pan, layer half of chicken mixture, and half of cheese; and repeat. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Serve with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole/avacado, tortilla chips and salsa

Express cooking directions: season and bake chicken until cooked. In a large mixing bowl, add soup, sour cream, chilies, diced tortillas, 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Dice up cooked chicken and add to the mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 30 min or until golden and bubbly.

Cowboy Soup

1 pound browned ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 can drained corn (or a few handfuls of frozen corn)
1 can ranch style beans (I haven't been able to find these in Ohio so I just add another can of a different kind of bean)
1 can black beans (drain and rinse)
1 can Rotel
1 can stewed tomatoes (put them in blender first)
1 can pinto beans

Put it all in the crockpot and let it simmer for a few hours. Add a can of tomato sauce if it's too thick. Serve with cheese and sour cream on top. Great with tortilla chips or cornbread.

*** My friend had a brilliant idea.... make cowboy soup one night and then have navajo tacos the next night with the leftovers. Yum!!!

Apple Smiles

A delicious treat for the young and young at heart.

1) Slice your apple.

2) Apply peanut butter (do not do so sparingly).

3) Use marshmallows to make teeth in the peanut butter.

4) Eat and fall in love.

You may eat them just like that or you can add fruit or something else to make a face!

Apple Squares

Cut together:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup shortening

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Add:

1 egg yolk and enough mild to make 2/3 cup (save the egg white)

• Roll half the dough into a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with 2 large handfuls of crushed corn flakes (I have used Honey Bunches of Oats the last couple times I've made these because I didn't have any Corn Flakes and they turned out great), 4-6 apples (sliced thinly), 1 cup sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon (I usually use more than 1 teaspoon cinnamon).
• Roll the other half of the dough out and place on top
• Brush with egg white
• Bake for about 40 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown
• Drizzle with powdered sugar frosting

Powdered Sugar Frosting:
1/2 cube butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
Add powdered sugar until desired thickness

Banana Bread

1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 Tbsp warm water
1 tsp baking soda
3 bananas
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

• mash bananas
• add sugar and let stand 15 minutes
• add shortening and blend well
• beat and add eggs
• add flour, baking powder, salt, and nuts
• dissolve baking soda in warm water
• add to mixture
• don't over mix
• bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes
  

The BEST Rolls!

2 Tbsp. yeast

2 cups warm water

8 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

6 eggs, beaten

1 cup melted margarine or butter

1. Proof the yeast with the sugar and warm water.
   
2. Pour yeast mixture, beaten eggs, and melted butter into flour mixture.
3. Stir well.
4. Cover and let raise 2 hours.
5. Use floured hands to loosen around the edge of the bowl until dough falls.
6. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
7. In the morning, roll a small portion of the dough out on floured board, forming a circle.
8. Brush with melted butter.
9. Cut pie piece shapes.
10. Roll the wide end to the point to make crescent rolls.
11. Brush tops with butter.
12. Let rise up to 4 hours.

Bake 350° – 12 minutes

*** You can also use this recipe to make super yummy cinnamon rolls.

Potato Soup

1. Boil 12 cups of diced potatoes
2. Slice carrots and put them in for the last few minutes
3. Drain when not quite done (because they'll continue to cook in the soup and you don't want them to be mushy)
4. Add 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup and one quart half & half
5. Bring to a boil
6. Add cubed ham, 1 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp oregano
7. Serve with shredded cheese on top
   

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Filling:

• 2 small cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 pkg frozen mixed vegetables
• 4-5 chicken breasts (cooked, seasoned with Montreal Steak Seasoning, & diced)

Crust:

• 1 cup Bisquick
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• garlic salt - to taste

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix chicken filling ingredients together and pour into greased 9 x13 pan.
3. In small bowl, mix crust ingredients until blended. Spoon over chicken mixture and spread as evenly as possible.
4. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/3 cup water
• chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first four ingredients together, mixing well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spray muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners. Fill muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes (mini muffin pans cook about 10-12 min). Toothpick inserted in center of muffin should come out clean.

*** If using a 15 oz can of pumpkin, the amounts (1 1/2x) for each ingredient are below:

• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin (15 oz can)
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 +1/8 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp cloves
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp allspice
• 1/3 cup water + add 1/2 of a third cup water for this recipe
• chocolate chips (optional)

Follow same instructions as above.

Sloppy Jose with Spicy Ranch Sauce Yumminess

Sloppy Jose:
6 corn tortillas
2 cups cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce

Place three tortillas in a skillet. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the tortillas. Layer the sloppy Joe sauce over the cheese. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the sauce and place the other three tortillas on top of the cheese. Cook until tortillas are golden brown, flipping occasionally. Remove from the pan. Buen provecho!

Spicy Ranch Sauce:
3T Ranch dressing
1t Frank's Hot Sauce with lime
2 packets of Taco Bell Hot Sauce (Mild or Fire sauce could be substituted depending on how macho you feel.)

In a small bowl, mix the ranch, Franks Sauce and Taco Bell Sauce and prepare for yumminess.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

3 Tbs butter
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies, drained
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans of cream of chicken soup
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced cooked chicken (2 cans Costco chicken)
about 12 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 1/2 cups sour cream

In a 3 quart sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and pepper, cook until soft (about 3 min). Add chilies, chili powder and cumin and stir constantly for 2 minutes.

Add chicken soup and broth. Wisk the soup and broth until smooth.

Over medium heat, stir in tortillas, sour cream and cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and sour cream is blended.
Add chicken and heat through.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Yummy toppings include:
tortilla strips
avacado/guacamole
sour cream
more shredded cheese

Toffee Apple Dip

This is incredible!

1 8oz. block cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 bag Heath bar Bits (or toffee bits)
Apple wedges

1. Cream together cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla
2. Stir heath bar bits in with spoon
3. Serve with apple wedges
4. (Cut apples into pineapple juice or lemon juice to keep from turning brown)

Berry Muffin Yumminess!

I got this recipe from a friend here in Cleveland. It's a great berry muffin recipe. I've made it now with a few different kinds of berries.

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 25 Min

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (or other berries)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done. (maybe it is just by oven, but they didn't take this long to bake.)

Aunt Debbie's World Famous Enchiladas :)

1 pound ground beef, browned & drained
12 small corn tortillas
1 large can of enchilada sauce
2 or 3 jalapeños, diced (take out the ribs & seeds if you don't want them to be super spicy)
3 or 4 green onions, sliced
Black olives, sliced
Shredded cheese

1. Heat enchilada sauce on low heat.
2. Dip a tortilla in the warm enchilada sauce.
3. Fill tortilla with a scoop of ground beef and some cheese.
4. Roll it up and put it in the baking dish.
5. Continue with each tortilla.
6. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas
7. Sprinkle with jalapeños, green onions, olives, and cheese.
8. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes.
9. Serve with salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips, & Spanish rice.

Cornbread

This really is the best cornbread EVER! And so easy and quick to make. I just made it and forgot to take a picture. I'll make it again soon.

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl; then combine with dry and stir till combined. Pour into ungreased 8x8” pan and bake 20-25 min at 400 degrees.