Salsa Bean Soup

Cook beans from a bag, follow directions on the back of the bag.  I used a 15 bean variety bag. (you could also use canned beans which would be way quicker, but this way made me feel like I could actually cook without using canned everything!)
I actually didn't do exactly as it directed on the bag, I rinsed the beans really good, then I put the beans in my crockpot around 4 the day before and set it on high until 8 that evening, then I turned it off and let the beans sit overnight.  The next morning the beans were DONE, all I needed to do was add the rest of the ingredients.  I also used half a bag, a whole bag makes A LOT of beans :)  Drain all the water the beans have been sitting in then I added,

(all of these measurements are "about", then I added a little of what I thought it needed until it tasted yummy!)
about 2 cups of salsa
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup taco seasoning
and enough water to make it soupy

You can also add ground or meatballed hamburger, turkey or sausage.
Serve with chips or rolls.
Easy, cheap and Yummy!
Enjoy!!

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken breast cubed (I have also used canned chicken and it works great!)
1 c sliced carrots
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c celery sliced
(I usually use 3 cups of frozen veggies instead of cutting up fresh ones to save time)

1/3 c butter
1/3 c onion
1/3 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t celery seed
1 3/4 c chicken broth (1 can)
2/3 c milk
2 pie crusts

Preparation
In one sauce pan boil chicken and veggies together for 15 minutes.

In a separate pan melt butter and saute onions.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Pour in broth and milk.  Whisk together until no clumps remain.  Simmer until sauce thickens. 

Drain chicken and veggies.  Add to sauce and mix together.  Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 425 for 30-35 minutes and enjoy!   
Tip:  I try to let mine cool for 30-45 minutes before eating to let the sauce thicken up.  Otherwise it is pretty runny, but it tastes yum either way!

Cafe Rio Please :)

Thanks to Esther Murdoch for making some delicious Cafe Rio style pork and dressing and letting us sample some.  Good eats, good friends, good talks....don't you wish you woulda come!?!?  Enjoy trying these recipes!

Pork: 

4-6 lb pork roast
2 cup brown sugar
16 oz. salsa
1 can of coke
*optional ingredients: 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Cook in crockpot on low for 4-6 hours. Shred and place back in juice in crockpot for about an hour before serving.

Cilantro Lime Rice:

3 c. water
3 c. rice
4 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp chicken boullion granules
lime juice
put next ingredients into a blender: 1/2 bunch of cilantro, 1 can green chilies, 1/2 onion
Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Simmer for 30 mins.

Tomatillo Dressing: 










3/4 c. buttermilk
1 can green chilies
1/2 c. cilantro
1 tomatillo
1/2 tsp lime juice
dash of cayenne pepper
1 c. Mayonnnaise
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalepeno (you can used canned ones)
1 tsp salt
dash of Tabasco (optional)
1 pkg ranch mix
Combine in a blender and mix until smooth.

You can eat this several ways: pile the meat onto the rice and add dressing,  eat it on a tortilla shell, add additional toppings like lettuce, black beans cheese, whatever else you think sounds good with this.  Yum, YUM!

p.s.  the pictures were taking from other people's blogs and don't represent the yummyness we had today, but you can get an idea of how it all looks :)

Chili Cheese Souffle

                          

                                       

10 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp baking powder

2 - 4oz cans chopped green chilies

4 cups grated cheese

1/2 cup flour

1/8 tsp salt

1 small pint, cottage cheese

1/4 cup butter melted

Mix together eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add remaining ingredients and mix.  you can mix this recipe up, use any type of cheese you would like or anything that goes good with eggs...green peppers, onions, bacon, 1/2 cups salsa, tomotoes, olives, etc, etc. 

Pour into greased 9x13 dish

Bake in preheated oven at 400 for 15 minutes, 

then reduce temp to 350 and 

bake another 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

Easy Kid Friendly Cookies

Want the easiest, most kid-friendly cookie recipe? It is fail proof and has very few ingredients. I am no chef, but these always seem to get rave reviews. They are what I seem to whip up in a pinch as well. People are always asking for the recipe and I just have to smile at how simple they really are.

Cake Mix Cookies

Combine:
1 cake mix (any kind works, chocolate is my favorite)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
chocolate chips

Roll cookies into small balls; add chocolate chips to tops of cookies if desired. (Who wouldn't desire them??) Bake 10 -12 minutes at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Tiramisu Bowl

3 c. cold milk
2 pkg. Jell-O vanilla instant pudding
48 Nilla wafers
1 c. fresh raspberries
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 tub Cool Whipped topping, thawed
1/2 c. brewed Maxwell House coffee, cooled (I used cooled hot cocoa)
2 squares Baker's Semi-sweet baking chocolate

1. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mixes.
3. Stir in 2 c. whipped topping.
4. Line bottom and sides of bowl with half wafers. Drizzle with half cocoa. Layer half of pudding mixture over wafers and top with half grated chocolate.
5. Repeat layers starting with wafers and cocoa.
6. Top with remaining whipped topping and raspberries.
7. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Enjoy =) Nathalie

Easy Tortellini Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 14oz. cans chicken or vegetable broth (I'm cheap and just use 3 1/2 c. water and 3 chicken bullion cubes)

9oz pkg. of tortellini (I buy frozen tortellini and just double the recipe or only use half the bag)

4oz. (or half of one tub) cream cheese w/chives and onions

11oz. can tomato soup

Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Instructions:

In medium sauce pan bring broth to a boil. Add tortellini: reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. In a bowl wisk 1/3 c. hot broth with cream cheese until smooth. Return all to sauce pan along with tomato soup. Heat through. Sprinkle with chives (or maybe mozzerella cheese) before serving. Makes 4 servings.

Note: This seems to be pretty high in sodium as I type it out. I imagine if you used low sodium chicken broth, low sodium tomato soup, and low fat cream cheese this would still taste divine. Oh! And if you decide to use vegetable broth you can even call this vegetarian! Not that I'm vegetarian....

Chrissy Parkinson