Taco Soup

Taco Soup


1 lb ground beef
1 can red kidney beans, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup salsa
1 small can green chilies
4-5 tsp chili powder
dash garlic salt
dash onion salt



Brown ground beef. Drain fat. Combine all ingredients and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. And if you love cheese like my husband, feel free to top it with cheese as well.


Notes: I love this recipe because you can do a lot of changes to make it how you like it. I use whatever beans I have; usually I prefer black beans or pinto beans or add both of them. If you don't have a can of green chilies just add a little more chili powder, if you like it spicy. I would suggest that the can of tomatoes you use is diced or else the chunks of tomato are just too big to handle.

French Souffled Potatoes

French Souffled Potatoes aka Twice Baked Potatoes


6 lg. baked potatoes          
1 tsp. salt
1 egg, lightly beaten 
1 c. sour cream          
dash pepper
¼ c. butter              
2 Tbs. Chives (optional)
grated cheddar cheese

After baking potatoes, carefully remove the tops of the potatoes. Remove insides. Mix with all the ingredients, except grated cheese. Whip until fluffy. Brush insides of potato shells with melted butter. Pile mixture lightly into the potato shells. Top with grated cheese. Cook @400 for 15 minutes.


Note: Do not wrap the potatoes in tin foil to bake.
Goes great with this Meatloaf

Paper Ornaments

I've borrowed my sis-in-law's Circut and I am in heaven. I found this really cool star project from Little Birdie Secrets, and I knew I had to make my own star ornaments for my Christmas tree.

I also made me a Christmas Sign to hang with my pictures. And I made an ornament using the Circut. I love it!

Sorry the pictures of these ornaments are blurry. But my sister came over and she showed me how to put these babies together. Again, I am loving these homemade ornaments.

This Weeks Menu

Sunday: Spaghetti
Monday: Cheddar Chicken Casserole
Tuesday: Lemon Chicken and Rice
Wednesday: Waffles
Thursday: Crispy Onion Chicken (didn't happen last week)
Friday: Work Chirstmas Party
Saturday: Mexican White & Black Bean Soup

My Husband's Favorite Dinner

Cheddar Chicken Casserole

1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts 
3 green onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cups cooked angel hair pasta
1/3 -1/4 lb grated cheddar cheese
1/2 pkg cashews
2 - 10.75 oz cans cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup crushed cheddar cheese crackers


Simmer chicken, green onions and celery until tender, about 25-30 minutes. Strain, reserving 2/3 cup of the broth. In a 9x13 pan, layer the noodles, cheese, chicken and cashews. Combine the reserved broth with the soup. Pour over the top and add the crackers. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.


Notes: I have lots of notes on this recipe. 
I add chicken bouillon cubes when I'm boiling my chicken makes the sauce taste better. 
If you're in a pinch and don't have green onions you can use dried minced onions about 1-2 Tbs 
When you strain the chicken and reserve the broth you can either choose the keep the celery and use it in the casserole or just dump them. Some people like the celery some people don't so it's really up to you.
You can use any pasta in place of the angel hair. 
I like to use goldfish as the cheese crackers and leave some of them uncrushed so my toddler sees the fishies.

Easy Breadsticks

Easy Bread Sticks

1 Tbs yeast
2 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/2 tsp salt
3 -3 1/2 cups flour

Combine the yeast, sugar and water and let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Mix in the salt and flour. Mix together, then knead for about 5-7 minutes. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for 10 minutes. Grease a 9x15 cookie sheet. Press dough into pan and cut into sticks. Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour over dough. Sprinkle with desired topping. Let stand 10-20 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 20 minutes.

Note: You can use Parmesan cheese and garlic salt for garlic bread sticks, Salad Supreme also works as a good topping. You can leave them plain. Or my favorite is to make it into a breakfast by sprinkling on a brown sugar and cinnamon mixture and once they have cooled frost them to make cinna-sticks.
 

Weekly Menu

Tuesday: Bacon Chicken Alfredo, Beans, Crescent Rolls
Wednesday: German Pancakes
Thursday: Crispy Onion Chicken, Rice-A-Roni, Corn
Friday: Chicken Strips and Homemade Fries
Saturday: Homemade Individual Pizzas