Recipe request 2

Shanna .... you just threw in "Spicy Raspberry Salmon" into your list of meals and I thought "What?! This recipe hasn't been posted yet and with a name like that it must be done!" So here's a request for a very interesting sounding recipe! Please post!

another question

I know this blog is supposed to be about recipes but I have a another question. First of all, let me say that I have discovered why I like casseroles and one pot dishes so much - because it is so hard to get everything on the table and for it all to be hot. How did my mom do it? I guess I should ask her - but I thought I would ask all of you as well. Any ideas? Usually the mashed potatoes or the vegetable end up being cold while the meat finishes cooking. Is this a problem for anyone else and does anyone have any helpful hints?

Easy Minestrone

Quick question: What's risotto? It's rice, right? Or is is pasta? Or is it just something Walmart doesn't carry?

Okay, I know we're almost out of soup season, but this one is from the Nigella Express cookbook (which is great by the way if you ever get a chance to pick it up) if you've never heard of her, google her. Gerald's sister, Kim, got it for Christmas so I stole a few recipes from her before she left and everything I've tried has been awesome! At the very least this soup provides a great base into which you can throw whatever other beans and veggies you have on hand. I've added green beans, corn, a can of tomaotes, etc. into it and everything's worked well. And it's SO easy....Here's her recipe though:

1 14 oz can mixed beans (sometimes sold as mixed bean salad)
3 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup tomato-based pasta sauce of your choice
4 oz ditalini or other soup pasta

1. Drain the beans and put them into a saucepan with the hot stock and pasta sauce.
2. Bring the pan to a boil and then add the ditalini, cooking according to package instructions.
3. Once the pasta is tender, switch off the heat, remove the pan to a cool surface and let stand for 5-10 minutes if you can bear to wait. That pasta swells in the soup and everything just gets better.

Serves 2-3

updated list of weekly meals

ok - i updated my list because in a weird way it was good accountability for me to have it posted. i knew someone might ask me how it was going, i guess. this past week - we ended up having pizza at my sister's house so I didn't make the chicken and broccoli casserole. i have all the ingredients for it so it is first on my list this week. we are on a really tight budget right now due to maternity leave so we are trying to eat as frugally (is that a word) as possible. company chicken and red beans & rice are recipes i got from my sister - and she got from her mother-in-law. i will try them out and let you know how they go - i may post them. she says they are easy and good.

salmon souffle

This is a recipe I got from my mom. She made it for Ken and me when she came to visit one time, and we loved it. It's also not low-fat, but we use the light ingredients to try to make it a little better than the full-fat version. I actually made it at Ken's parent's house one time, and had to use regular mayo, and it was way too rich. I'd recommend using the light mayo and light sour cream if possible. It's really easy to make!

1/3 cup light mayo
1/3 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp onion powder
salmon filets

Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Spread over top of salmon in a layer about 1/4 inch thick (give or take a little). Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes (little longer if salmon pieces are really thick). Broil on high for 2-3 minutes (watch closely b/c broilers can work their magic really quickly) or until topping begins to bubble and peaks begin to turn golden brown.

(I know I'm supposed to be working on my assignment, but I needed a break, and this was way more fun!)

being a good steward

Ok - so far, our meals have been going great this week. It has been so nice to know what I am going to make and have all the ingredients on hand to make it - it really takes the stress out of dinner time for me. Oh...did I say I have had ALL the ingredients I needed? Well I sent my man to the grocery store for me (thank you, honey!) and I accidentally forgot to specify pinto beans w/o pork. So I got pinto beans with pork for my taco soup - I opened them up and they looked like refried beans - so after conferring with my friendly neighbor (Joc) - I used another can of kidney beans instead. I was pretty proud of myself for using up part of an onion I had used for the steak marinade last week as well. It is really hard for me to use up all the little odds and ends leftover from other meals without it going bad and throwing it away. I think (as for cooking and other things in life) I am my own worst critic - either that or my man is really easy to please. Probably a little of both...
So my question to everyone is...I have an opened can of pinto beans seasoned with pork - any ideas for what I could make with it instead of tossing it in the garbage can?

Hamburger Stroganoff

Ryan, I kept meaning to get this recipe to you anyway, so I figured I'd post it. And Jess, this is a great one to freeze in a ziploc. I leave out the sour cream until I'm ready to use it just b/c it can get a weird texture after being frozen. So when you're ready, thaw, add sour cream and throw it over some noodles.

1-1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 - 1/2 cup white wine (depends on how winey you want it)
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
noodles or rice

Brown and drain the meat. I use the beef bouillon cubes so for 1 1/2 cups broth, I use 1 cup hot water and 1/2 cup white wine. Then just cook the mushrooms in that mixture. Once the mushrooms are cooked, take them out and use 1/3 cup of the broth/wine and add the flour. You can shake them together in a tightly covered container or just put them in the pan and whisk them until smooth. Add the rest of the broth back in and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute; reduce heat to low. Add mushrooms and beef. (Here's were you'd freeze it if you want to) Add in sour cream; heat until hot. Serve over noodles.

Honey Baked Chicken

I just got this recipe from a friend here and made it tonight. It is not really super healthy (because of the butter & salt... but there's not too much in it) and it is SO yummy and EASY! I made sure my sides were more on the healthy side tonight ... baked sweet potato, brown rice, aparagus ... and I think that might even things out a bit. :) This dish has a little bit of the flavor of everyone's fave ... Karen's Chicken & Broccoli Casserole. I think because of the curry in it. I hope you enjoy it too!

4-6 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, wings, etc) whatever you have on hand
1/3 c. of melted butter
1/3 c. of honey
2 tsp. mustard ... not the powdered mustard ... the regular yellow mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Place chicken in a 9x13
Combine all the ingredients and pour over top of chicken. Cover with foil & bake 45 mins @ 350. (I basted it once near the end of the cooking time).
And viola! .... Dinner is ready!

Recipe request

Erin, I'd love your recipes for: French toast with strawberry sauce, sweet potato hashbrowns and fruit salad. That meal sounds so yummy! Since we eat a big breakfast for lunch every Sunday, I could use another breakfast meal.

my list

ok - well you all inspired me to try a meal list so I posted one. I will let you know how it goes this week. I also would like to know more about freezing meals. I am thinking about freezing some meals ahead of time for us before I go back to work - to make the transition a little easier.

ideas please

I am supposed to take dinner tonight to a girl in our church who just adopted a baby, and I cannot think of anything to bring. I think I'm just so overwhelmed w/ school stuff that I can't think of making any decisions--I don't know what to fix for Ken and me much less what to fix for someone else.

So what do you all fix to take to other people? And what things did you like/not like when you had meals delivered to you? Thanks for your help. Sorry this is such late notice, but I kept thinking that something brilliant would hit me. : )

Monkey Bread

This is NOT healthy or organic. It's buttery and guilty and good.  I grew up eating a big breakfast on Sunday mornings, and I continue the tradition in our house. We had this last Sunday before church at my man's request. I can pretty much hear my arteries clogging.  But it's so delicious every once in a while.

2 cans of biscuits, each cut into 4-5 pieces

Roll the biscuit pieces in cinnamon-sugar mixture.  (1/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

Make a syrup of 1 stick melted butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar.

Layer the bottom of a pan with half the biscuit pieces, and pour half the syrup over it. Layer remaining biscuits on top and pour the rest of the syrup over.

Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Invert onto a plate and let the gooeyness run all over.  

sirloin marinade

this is a yummy recipe for steak - we put them on the grill.

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 4 tsp. dried parsley

1/4 cup minced onion

2 tblsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. ground pepper

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

combine butter, parsley, onion, worcestershire sauce, pepper & dry mustard in a small sauce pan. heat, stirring continually, over low heat, until butter melts. reserve 1/4 of the mixture.

place steaks on the grill, brush with mixture. baste frequently. drizzle reserve over sliced pieces.

Massage Oil recipe

4 oz. oil (apricot, jojoba, grape seed, almond, or avocado)
50 drops of whatever essential oil you like (I used orange)


I got this stuff and a glass bottle to hold it at Green Life. They have a million essential oils to choose from. I smelled half a million and decided on the orange. They have relaxation oils and love potions and...well, a million choices.
I picked avocado oil b/c it is supposedly the most moisturizing (and with this time of year, that's a good thing). Anyway, this stuff works really well as massage oil and as a little side benefit, it made my feet really smooth too (I put it and socks on my feet before I went to bed the other night). My bottle looks like the dark one in the middle of the front row. Happy massaging.

good hamburger recipe

Does anyone have a good hamburger recipe? I was just going to throw in some onion soup mix but wanted to see if anyone has a really yummy recipe that I could try. I'm having a birthday party for Jason tonight for about 14 people and he wanted hamburgers...he's so easy to please.

thoughts and encouragement

I would just like to say that this blog has been (in it's short life) an inspiration. And also a jumpstart to my cookng repertoire. It makes me want to fix something fun so I can add it to the blog. I have really enjoyed seeing everyone's ideas, so thanks for sharing.

But I have to say, I have gotten a couple strange looks from Ken when I tell him he can't have his dinner until I take a picture of it first.

Me too, me too!

I made whoopie pies for my man this year. They're one of his favorite desserts. And I just added a little food coloring to the filling to make them more festive.

ditto

This is our Valentine's creation...a copy of our Christmas time creation. You can check it out at my blog....with a link to where I got the recipe.

Homemade peanut butter cups

I just made these for my hubby for Valentine's Day but I didn't have mini cupcake liners so I made BIG ones. I used dark chocolate chips instead of milk choc. and they were very easy and very good. Not as pretty as Tabi's cupcakes, but for those a little less creative or ambitious, this is perfect :)

The first picture is from the internet, the second is what mine looked like, and the third is Eli, taste-testing for me.

1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided
4-1/2 teaspoons butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
4 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each), coarsely chopped
Colored sprinkles, optional

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar and
salt until smooth; set aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the
chocolate chips, candy bars and remaining peanut butter; stir until smooth.
Drop teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture into paper-lined miniature muffin cups.
Top each with a scant teaspoonful (mine were not very scant) of peanut butter mixture; top with another teaspoonful of chocolate mixture. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Refrigerate
until set. Store in an airtight container.


ALSO: I made homemade massage oil for my hubby for Valentine's Day. It turned out great. It's not food, but if you want the "recipe," just let me know. It was EASY!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Simply delicious...
Heart shaped chocolate cupcake frosted with vanilla icing and sprinkled with shaved chocolate and chocolate syrup.
Sometimes it's all about the presentation. :)

buttery herb couscous

This was fun because I actually got to use some herbs from my garden. Poor things just sit in the backyard and somehow survive...I definitely don't have a green thumb. So while they are still alive I'm going to try and use them. Here's a recipe I like to use fresh herbs in.

2 T butter

2 cloves garlic - finely chopped

1 medium green onion (I use regular onion if I don't have any green onion on hand)

2/3 cup plain whole wheat couscous

1 1/3 cups chicken broth

2 t. fresh basil - chopped or 1 t. dried basil

1 t. fresh thyme - chopped or 1/4 t. dried thyme

2 T grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic and onion in butter 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and salt; heat to boiling. Stir in couscous; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in basil, thyme and cheese.

Chicken and Broccoli

Well, thank you for the request, ironically, I just made it the other night, so this is what the leftovers look like!

I LOVE the website! I've had a ton of work to do lately and wasn't able to check it until today - it was overwhelming in a great way! It's a great reminder to make things I haven't made for awhile or to make things I've never thought of making. A little intimidating, though, I know how to pinch a penny and make it scream, but organic, wheat, and low-fat are generally not in my vocabulary. I'm trying to learn, though, to order the black bean soup at Panera instead of the cream of child and wild rice...and to occasionally buy low-fat sour cream or 1/3 fat cream cheese...Unfortunatley I still love whole milk and Gerald thinks butter is the other white meat. So, I think this website will help me to think things through more so thanks all!

Warning: This is neither a low-fat or organic meal

Okay, the measurements are from my mom's recipe which I don't use so I'll put what I do in parenthesis even though that's a little annoying. My mom's always tastes better, but I don't know if that's because it's actually better or because I didn't make it! Dinner always taste better when I didn't make, it seems. Life is kinda cruel like that.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I only use two - that's how I penny pinch!)

cook and cut into pieces

2 10 oz bags frozen broccoli florets (I just do enough to cover the bottom of a 9X13)

cooked, but not soft

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (whatever's enough to sprinkle on top)

Sauce: Combine 1 can cream of chicken soup, 3/4 cup mayo, and 1/2 tsp curry powder (I don't measure, just throw some in there and taste it, I probably do more like 1 tsp)

Place brocolli in 9X13 pan; layer bottom. Put chicken on top of brocolli. Spread sauce over top. Bake 20 minutes @ 350. Spread cheese on top and bake 10 more minutes.

I usually put it over rice (sorry Ry) to stretch it. Voila.

my meals are up

Well I did last week's meals because I haven't planned anything for this week. And those meals are more than I usually do because we had guests over 4 of those meals. So I was a bit burned out...hence the reason why I have nothing for this week.

Yahoo! I finally made it in the club...

ok - i am so excited to learn about cooking from you all. i have always wanted to think of myself as a cook - not even a good cook - just a cook - (i have to start with realistic expectations for myself).
Lisa - I empathize with your feelings of intimidation...but the fact that you have winter recipes & spring/summer recipes is awesome! i don't have anything consistent that i make now - if i make dinner i will open up the recipe book and choose something random that looks good - then i will forget about it & never make it again. i think i need to focus on a few recipes i can do well then work from there. so i will probably just be a student - learning from all of you - for now. i really like the idea of weekly meals & planning ahead - i feel like i waste a lot of money buying random ingredients.

My list is now added...

Phew ... it is a little intimidating to put that list up ... I don't know why! But it's good to have it up there and I'm excited about cooking this week! :)

Love the new changes to the look of the blog ... and I want that apron!

Look- I did a list!

Look Lisa, I posted my list of meals! So I bought a bag of potatoes last week (they last a while in my house w/ only 2 of us), and had roasted potatoes first, then baked potatoes, then they went into the pot roast to use them up. Then I made beef pot pie last night to use up the leftover roast. Lately my man's been gone a lot, or we've had church stuff, so I haven't been cooking as much, and these meals actually span last Tuesday through tonight.

easy, easy taco soup

Joc, you requested this one....and I'm happy to help! I guess this will be my first recipe post. Which is funny since I have pictures of two other things at home waiting to be added. Just haven't had a second while I'm home to download the pics.
As for this recipe, I got it from this older lady in a church in Mississippi when Ken and I went down w/ a group of Covenant students to help w/ Katrina recovery and rebuilding. There were a group of older women who were fixing all our meals, and everything they made was wonderful! One of the appeals of this recipe is that it makes a huge amount (and I'm sure you can guess why I'd like that)! There's usually enough for both Ken and me for dinner and then leftovers for each of us for lunch/dinner the next day.

1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion chopped fine
1 can pinto beans (don't make the mistake of getting the kind w/ pork--gross!)
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can whole kernel yellow corn
1 can white hominy
2 cans Rotel (I use mild)
1 pkg Ranch dressing seasoning
1 pkg taco seasoning (I use low sodium)
1/2 to 3/4 cup water
Fritos
Shredded cheese--Mex blend, mont. jack, cheddar, or whatever you like

Brown beef in large pot and add onion when beef is almost done. (Karen--I've left the onoin out many times b/c I forget that part when I make it from memory, and it's still great!) Add all 6 cans and 2 pkgs of seasoning and water and stir all ingredients together. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve w/ Fritos and cheese on top. So easy and so good!

Little side note--you may want to try to find low sodium cans of the corn and beans to add if possible.

another question...

So can we request recipes that we know we like from other people? 'Cause that chicken and broccoli recipe of yours Karen is really good, but I don't have it written down anywhere (that I know of). Although, you know how I have a tendency to misplace recipes. : ) That's one I think Ken would really like, so I'd love to make it some time.

a question, a recipe, an experiment and an idea

First, does anyone know what you can substitute for shortening? I don't like using it (the whole hydrogenated oil thing) but I don't know what to use for a substitute (Shanna I like the idea of using applesauce whenever it says to use liquid oils). So that leads me to the next thing...our favorite breakfast food around here...which is why I was asking about the above question -


Grandma's Banana Bread Muffins (with some added nutrition):


1 cup sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup flour (unbleached)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
3 medium bananas
2 eggs
4 T sour milk*
pinch of salt

Put bananas in mixer and mash, then add the rest of the ingredients. Bake 12-15 minutes in muffin tins at 325 degrees.
*In 1/4 cup put 1T vinegar and then add milk to fill.


My experiment (which I will have to wait to make until I get back from my trip to St. Louis) is to make my own yogurt. A friend gave me a recipe and it is so easy. All you need is a candy themometer. So I will fill you in on how it turns out. It would be so much cheaper and so healthy. I have been buying plain yogurt lately for the kiddo's and myself and adding my own fruit and little honey to sweeten it. And yogurt here is so expensive. So I will let you know in a few weeks when I try it out.


And lastly my idea is similiar to the idea that Lisa has started with posting your weekly menu. I found this magnetic paper pad at Wal-Mart for a dollar and have used it to jot down my menu for the week...leaving a couple of days for leftovers. And it's flexible (like Shanna said you can just switch meals around or move it to the next day if you happen to go out for dinner, etc.) The nice thing is I look at the menu and know what I need to take out to defrost that morning or have the day to get extra ingredients that I don't have...rather than waiting an hour before dinner and not having enough time to defrost anything or run to the grocery store last minute because I don't have a certain ingredient. Although I am not consistent in using it (because I forget) but the weeks I have remembered, I actually enjoying cooking that week.

list of meals

Ok, so I posted my list...it's kind of intimidating to post this! I know you all are so creative (and healthy!) and I feel so not! But there it is for all to see! Hope it helps - if not with meals, at least with everyone seeing what I was picturing the list of meals to look like. If you all would rather just do them as a regular post, we can do that instead. Let me know...

Lemon-lime chicken (marinade)

FINALLY a recipe!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or as many as you want to make)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 tsp. salt
3 tbs. dry mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cidar vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lime
6 tbs. vegetable oil
Put marinade in ziplock baggie or 9x13 pan and mix. Add chicken. Let marinate for about 24 hours. Grill and enjoy!

I'm making this tonight, even though it's a very spring/summer meal for us. But with the beautiful weather outside, I can't resist (besides the fact that I have overused all of my "winter" recipes!).

Chicken cacciatore and cracked pepper cheddar muffins

This is not what I have in mind when I think of chk cacciatore but it's my sister-in-law's recipe and this is what she calls it. This is a very easy and delicious recipe.

2 potatoes (I use sweet since they metabolize as a protein instead of as a carb, and my hubby has blood sugar issues)
2 pieces of chicken
2 carrots (the big kind)
1 green pepper
1 onion
garlic powder and oregano to taste
1 cup of white wine
1 can of diced tomatoes (Walmart has organic for not much more than non-organic)
(you can get the tomatoes with oregano and not have to sprinkle the oregano yourself)

I cut the carrots up into sticks and put them in a pile in the middle of a 9 x 13 pan. Then I cut up the potatoes and place them all around the edges of the pan. Cut onion and green pepper and put it around the edges too. Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano. Put cut-up, raw chicken on top of carrots in the middle of the pan. Sprinkle the tomatoes all over the casserole and pour white wine in as well. Cook on 400 for 20 minutes and then turn down to 350 for 50 min.
Serves 6. Serves 3 if you are married to Ken.

Muffins
2 cups flour (I use half unbleached white and half wheat)
1 tbls sugar (turbinado works fine)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
2 tbls veggie oil (I use applesauce in all of my baked goods that call for oil- even non-sweet baked goods. I wasn't sure how it would work but I even use it in my cornbread and it's great!)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl. Then wet ingredients in another. Combine and fold in cheese. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 way full. Bake at 375 for 25-30 min. Makes a dozen.

An idea

Ok, I promise I'll post a recipe soon. I'm just so excited about picking your all's brains about meals that I can't stop thinking of questions for you all! I was wondering what you all thought about posting your meals for the week on the blog. I was making my grocery list/meals for the week today and usually what happens is I get to about Wed or Thurs and blank on ideas...already did chicken, already did pasta, already did pork, ok, what else is there?? Anyway, some of us may not plan ahead for the week, but in that case, I guess you could post after the week is over. Is this going to be too much info for everyone to read? I thought maybe we could post it on the right under the website list I added. You can go to "customize" and choose list and we could each list our weekly meals and then change them each week? Bad thing about that is after that week, the list is gone. I just didn't know if this would be too much work. Of course, I can already tell you I won't be completely consistent about it every single week, but I figure anything can help! What do you all think? Would it be worth it??

Another question, no recipe

Sorry...
I don't have a recipe to go along with my question either.

So here's my deal ... (and maybe I'm over analyzing cooking here and so you can just let me know that too)...
I want to make nutritious and healthy food ... every meal... every day. But the majority of things being sold are full of preservatives and additives. But those are the cheaper things to buy. Even the easy recipes call for things that have a lot of sodium and fat. So as a steward of my family's resources and of their health, here is my question.
How do I plan for healthy, rich, yummy, and relatively inexpensive food with out driving myself insane by worrying that I'm not using all "organic" natural foods and making everything from scratch? Is there an easy way to meal plan in making all food from scratch without going to school again to learn about nutrition? How do you ladies do it?

Not a recipe, just a question...

Sorry, no recipe here. (But I will try to post some soon!) Some of us were talking last night at girls night about saving money at the grocery. I was thinking it might be good for everyone for us to post some of our ideas to share them with each other. Shanna had a good website to put up on the blog. But, do any of you have any brilliant ideas...from clipping coupons to how to buy in bulk and freeze for later (I try to do this and then forget about what I put in the freezer until months/years later!)? Anyway, just thought I'd throw this out there!

Mount Kilimanjaro

The recipe for this yummy goodness came from Esther Wilhelm years ago and I have used it for many group dinners. Today I made it for a birthday lunch and it was voted "best comfort food" that they've had in a long time. It's really a fun, refreshing and always delicious dish because you can top it with whatever pleases your taste buds!

The recipe is for a larger group so if I'm making it for just our family I usually make a half batch.

3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. curry powder (or to taste)
4 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into small pieces or meat from a store roasted chicken
cooked rice (to put sauce over)

Melt butter and remove from heat.
Stir in flour and salts.
Return to heat and slowly stir in broth and milk until all is smooth.
Cook over low heat until bubbly.
Add curry powder and cooked chicken and cook over low heat until ready to serve.

Toppings (all these are chopped or diced to your liking):
pineapple
banana
mandarin oranges
green pepper
onion
raisins
lightly salted peanuts
AND
coconut flakes (which is the snow that tops Mount Kilimanjaro!)
*you can add more toppings these are just the ones that I always have ready to offer.

ENJOY!

Creamy Potato Soup

This was a yummy one and perfect for the cold weather we have been having lately...71 degrees.

3 medium red potatoes (I used more than that because my potatoes were small...and I left the skins on)
2 cups water
1 small onion
3 T butter
3 T all-purpose flour
ground black pepper
3 cups milk
1/2 t. sugar
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup cubed cooked ham

Slice potatoes into 1-inch cubes and boil in water until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup potato water; set aside. Chop onion. Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add onion to saucepan; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is translucent and tender, but not brown. Add flour to saucepan; season with pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add potatoes, reserved 1 cup potato water, milk and sugar to onion mixture in saucepan; stir well. Add cheese and ham. Simmer over low heat 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

This is a family favorite...and when I've made it for guests is a big hit as well. I took a picture of the recipe card (because I always like to have a picture to go along with the recipe) since I forgot to take a picture of the one I made this weekend. So the fancy garnish isn't necessary...and quite frankly I think it looks a bit silly. But this is easy to make and oh so yummy!...well maybe Ryan won't think so. :o) But Karen I thought of you when I was posting this...my fellow casserole maker. Wait Karen where are you? You are not part of our recipe blog yet.

1 package of stuffing mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

3 cups diced zucchini

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 medium carrot, shredded

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine stuffing mix and butter. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping. Add the zucchini, chicken, soup, carrot, onion and sour cream to the stuffing mixture. Transfer to a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved stuffing mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. (6 servings)