Best Recipes Out There

Scrumptious Corn Chowder

2011-01-07T22:49:00.000-08:00

10 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces (I used the whole package... a little extra never hurt!)

5 medium potatoes, peeled and chunked

1 small onion, chopped small

2 cups corn (I used frozen white corn from Costco- my favorite!)

1 can creamed corn

3 c. chicken stock (I didn't have chicken stock my first time around, so I used 1 can cream of chicken, 1 can water, and drained the broth from 2 cans of chicken noodle soup... worked wonderfully!)

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. half-and-half

1 t. minced garlic (I just used dried garlic flakes)

salt/pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain all but 1 T. of the grease. In the bacon grease, fry the chopped onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, bacon, corn (not the creamed corn yet), and diced potatoes, stirring well. Bring the stock to a light boil (med-high heat) and boil potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until they are tender to bite.

Take a potato masher and press about 15 times, mashing up some of the potatoes. This will make the soup nice and thick.

Next, add in the milk, half-and-half, and creamed corn. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low for at least a half-hour to meld the flavors.

**NOTE: If you want it even thicker, try this. Add a bit of "Potato Buds" to the broth (instand mashed potatoes). Be careful to only add a bit at a time and wait 5 minutes or so for it to thicken. It works really well without having to make a roux!

Cami's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

2010-06-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

These Meatballs are SO good!! My husband requests them at least once a week from me. My whole family loves them. Thanks to my best friend Cami for being willing to share her yummy recipe with me!!

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup oats
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
little pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Rays, Original.)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

*Double sauce & mix all together in a sauce pan. Heat sauce on the stove top just enough until sugar is dissolved.

Directions:
*Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Then form into meatballs & place in a 9x13 greased pan. Pour sauce over the meatballs & cook at 350 for 30 minutes. (I use a cookie/ ice cream scooper to form my meatballs & to make sure they are all the same size. I also add bell peppers to the sauce sometimes.) You can also freeze these. Just place them on a greased cookie sheet & place them into the freezer. Once they are frozen take them out of the freezer & place in Ziploc bags.

Amelia's AMAZING Layered Jell-O

2010-06-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

My AWESOME & AMAZING neighbor taught me how to make this amazing layered Jello, & I have had several people ask me for the recipe, so I thought I would be kind enough to share it!!

Ingredients:

7-8 3oz. Jello packages

2 cans evaporated milk

9x13 glass pan

Directions:

Clear layer: 3/4 cup boiling water & 3/4 cup cold water

Creamy layer: 1/2 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water & 1/2 cup evaporated milk

*Boil water, pour into a bowl (w/the gelatin in it). Stir with a spoon until gelatin has dissolved. Pour cold water and/or evaporated milk & cold water into the hot gelatin. Stir until mixed together, then pour into pan. Put into the fridge until set.

First layer takes 45-60 min. to set

Remaining layers with take 20-30 min. to set.

SHAPES:

To make a shape(s) you will need cookie cutters. Spray the cookie cutter(s) with Pam cooking spray & then place anywhere you want on the Jello BEFORE pouring the last 2 layers. You then pour the last 2 layers around the cookie cutter(s). When the last layer has set pull the cookie cutter(s) out. You then make 1 more package of Jello, clear or creamy, then pour into the cookie cutter holes to fill. Do NOT fill it completely to the top so it doesn't spill out, once you have placed it into the fridge, then spoon in the rest till it reaches the top. You will have some left over, so you can save it & eat it later!!

Welcome Wednesday...

2010-05-26T06:45:00.001-07:00

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME! Every Wednesday Take It From Me invites you to share your blogs with them. Whether you are a mommy, a cook, crafter, coupon expert, or just want to share your thought with the world- they want to hear it!

They love finding new and interesting blogs to follow! Welcome Wednesday is a chance for you to get more followers on your blog and for you to become a follower of someone else’s fun and interesting blog!

You can go enter any blog you want & they will choose 2 blogs randomly every week to spotlight. Go check it out!!

Snickers Cheesecake

2010-05-22T12:50:00.001-07:00

This is hands down my favorite dessert & it's really simple & easy to make.

Ingredients:

10 whole graham crackers, finely crushed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 (8- ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pint sour cream

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 snickers bars (frozen)

Carmel & Chocolate syrup to drizzle

Directions:

Combine graham crackers, 1/2 cup sugar, and butter in a food processor or blender & mix until blended & graham crackers are finely crushed. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 8-inch spring form pan. Bake @ 350 for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until smooth. Place on top of crust and bake @ 350 for 20 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

In another bowl combine sour cream, 1/3 cup sugar, and vanilla. Poor on top of cooled cream cheese mixture and smooth out. Bake for 7 more minutes @ 450. Cool for another 10-20 minutes. Pull the snickers bars out of the freezer & crush with a rolling pin. Spread the snickers bars all around the top of the cheese cake until it is all covered. Then drizzle the top with Carmel sauce & chocolate syrup. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before digging into it!! ENJOY!!

Black Bean Salsa

2010-05-19T19:58:00.000-07:00

*Updated to add this photo. After I posted this last night I just couldn't resist it, I had to make some today. And yep, this is what I had for lunch!*

Everybody has a favorite recipe for fresh salsa, and this is mine.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
3-4 tomatoes, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 avacado, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup (I think) italian dressing

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add italian dressing to taste. It is best when it has time to set for a few hours or overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

2010-02-02T15:06:00.000-08:00

2 cups cooked ham, cubed

1/4 cup onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups milk

5 large potatoes, thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook onion in butter or margarine until tender, but not brown. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. In a 2 quart casserole, place half the cubed ham and half the sliced potatoes. Cover with half the sauce. Repeat layers. Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover, bake about 30 minutes more until potatoes are done.

*even though the recipe doesn't call for it, we like to top it off with cheddar cheese*

Original Ranch Roasted Potatoes

2009-11-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite at our house. Here is the original recipe from Hidden Valley. But we use whatever potatoes we have around and however much ranch mix we want. If you cut the potoatoes smaller like I do, bake at 400 instead of 450!

Original Ranch Roasted Potatoes

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 packet/1 oz. Hidden Valley® Seasoning & Salad Dressing Mix

Place potatoes in a gallon size Glad® food storage bag and add oil; seal bag. Toss to coat. Add seasoning & salad dressing mix and toss again until coated. Bake in ungreased baking pan at 450°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are brown and crisp.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Chicken Sandwiches..

2009-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

This is my other 100% original chicken sandwich! This one I want to enter into a contest one day and maybe even win... one day!! I hope you like it!

Chicken sandwiches

Ingredients:
1-2 chicken breast cooked and cut into strips
1 package of the little breads from Costco
1 jar three cheese Prego sauce
1 package fresh basil, chopped
1-2 gloves fresh garlic, cut in half
1 package provolone cheese
1-2 tomatoes cut into slices & spinach

Directions:
*Cut the bread in half length wise. Butter each side of the bread. Grill or boil the bread until lightly browned. Rub each half of bread with garlic clove while bread is still warm. Spoon Prego sauce on each side of the bread and top with fresh basil. Then on one side of the bread add the chicken strips, tomatoes, spinach, and provolone cheese. Also add provolone cheese to the other half of the bread. Put on a baking sheet and broil until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Put the two bread halves together and cut sandwich in half and enjoy!!

Beef Enchilada Casserole

2009-10-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 can green chilies
1 can (10 oz. size) enchilada sauce
1 can tomato soup
6 flour tortillas (I use more than this calls for)
1 cup fresh or canned whole kernel corn
1 can black beans
2-4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

In a skillet, brown ground beef; drain. Stir in green chilies, enchilada sauce and tomato soup; set aside. Place two tortillas, overlapping as necessary, in the bottom of greased 13x9x2 pan or baking dish. Cover with 1/3 of the meat mixture; top with 1/2 cup corn; 1/2 can beans; sprinkle with 1 1/3 cups cheese. Repeat layers once, then top w/remaining tortillas, meat and cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 min.

*This is so good, even I like it and that says a lot since most of you know how I feel about beans! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Corn Bread Cupcakes and Honey Butter Frosting

2009-10-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

I am usually not a huge fan of cornbread, but this recipe is so good, it's pretty much like eating a cupcake! And, the honey butter is the delicious frosting! I guarantee that your kids will love it, and you will too. You will be finding every excuse to make them every night.

Corn bread muffins

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbls. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (9oz) yellow cake mix
1 pkg (8.5oz) corn bread mix

Directions:
In a bowl, combine the eggs, water, milk and oil. Stir in mixed and mix well. Fill greased and floured muffin cups half full. Bake @ 350 for 18-22 minutes until muffins test done. Cool for 5 minutes: remove from pans to wire racks. 14 muffins

Honey Butter:
2 Tbls. honey
1/8 tsp. vanilla2 Tbls.
powder sugar1 cube butter

*Combine all ingredients until well mixed, spread over corn muffins!

BBQ Pulled Pork!

2009-04-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

What you will need:
Crock pot
Pork or beef roast (whatever you prefer)
Barbecue sauce 40 oz bottle ( I prefer Sweet Baby Rays)
1-2 Lloyd's barbecue pork or beef shredded (it comes in a tub) ( I made this with a 5 lbs roast and used 2. So 3lbs or less needs only 1)

How to make it:
Put your roast in the Crock pot on high the night before let cook once it is cooked. Drain the juices and pull it apart so it is looking like shredded meat leaving it in the crock pot then add your full bottle of Barbecue sauce and the Lloyd's BBQ meat and mix it and then let it continue cooking until you are ready to eat.

Tips: I usually let it cook for about 14 Hrs and then drain and add the other ingredients and then continue to let it Cook for 3-4 more hours!

Serve it on rolls or Buns!
It is very delicious!

Best Chocolate Chip Pie EVER!!

2009-03-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
Pie:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2-sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts, optional
Whipped cream:
2 pints (4-cups) heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) pie plates; set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, and mix until fully combined. Fold in the 3 cups chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts. Divide the dough between the prepared pie plates and smooth the tops with a spatula.
Bake about 30 minutes or until pies are golden and slightly firm to the touch but still soft. If the pies begin to darken too much before they are baked through, cover with foil and continue baking. Let pies cool completely on a wire rack.
While the pies cool, whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form (tips curl). Fold in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to use. Spread the whipped cream over the pies and serve.

*I made this for dessert this weekend and it was so good, I could have eaten the whole thing in one sitting!! It is basically like eating a GIANT chocolate chip cookie!! Mmmmmmm!! I halved the recipe to make just one cuz heaven knows I don't need 2!! And, I didn't have the stuff to make the whipped topping with, but it was still majorly delicious without it!! It would also probably be delicious with some vanilla Ice Cream too!!

Mint Brownies

2008-11-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1 Box Mint Brownies and the ingredients required on the box plus an extra egg to make it fluffier.
Carmel
A handful of Andies Mint pieces (your can crunch them yourself or buy them that way)
Grasshopper Cookie crums
Ice Cream

Follow the directions on the brownie box up until your done adding all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. You want to sprinkle the Andies Mints into the batter and mix. Pour the mix into a pan evenly. Then you want to drizzle carmel in a line from one side of the pan to the next going the long way. You want to make several of these lines (about four or five.) Take a knife and going the short way in the pan you want to drag it gently from one side to the other. In doing so you are spreading the carmel into a nice line design and making sure there aren't any carmel clump suprises later. Cook in the oven for the directed heat and time. When it is a few minutes from being done take the pan out and sprinkle the grasshopper cookie crums onto the top of the brownies. Put the pan back into the oven for the remaining time to let the chocolate from the cookies melt. When they are done let it sit for a few minutes to cool. I like to have ice crem with it to even out the sweetness. It looks really nice to top off the ice cream with an Andies Mint. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cheescake- EASY I PROMISE!

2008-10-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

This isn't my own recipe- I got it out of a book, but it's always easier to have someone sift out the bad ones and find the great ones for you, right??!!

Chocolate Cheesecake
Prep time: 15 min. Wait time: about 3-5 hrs.
Yield: 16 servings

CRUST

1 (9-oz.) pkg. chocolate wafer cookies, crushed (1 3/4 cups) *I used actual wafers the first time, and Oreos the second time. The Oreos were better and easier to find at the store.
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

FILLING

2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs1 (12-oz.) pkg. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips, melted *I used Ghiradelli to make it extra special!
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat oven to 325*F. In medium bowl, combine crust ingredients. *I added a bit more cookie crumbs so it wasn't so goey. Press crumbs in bottom and 2 inches up sides of ungreased 10-inch springform pan. Refrigerate.

In large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar; beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate; beat well. Add all remaining filling ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into crust-lined pan.

Bake at 325* for 55-65 minutes or until edges are set; center of cheesecake will be soft. (To minimize cracking, place shallow glass pan, half full of hot water on lower oven rack during baking.) Cool in pan 5 minutes.

Carefully remove sides of pan. Cool 2 hours or until completely cooled. Garnish with extra cookie crumbs or chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. *mine set perfectly in less than 3 hrs.

To learn how to make those fancy chocolate curls, visit this Pioneer Woman Cooking blog. Her instructions are at the end of the pie recipe, about half way down the page. Mine were better on my second try. They were super easy and kind of fun :)

BBQ Chicken Pizza!!

2008-09-08T09:44:00.000-07:00

* This Recipe was created and brought to you by my good friend Cami Nelson!

Pizza Dough:

1 Cup Warm Water

3 Cups Flour ( or 2 +)

2-3 T. Honey

3 T. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Yeast

1 tsp. Salt

*Mix all ingredients together but the flour, then add the flour starting with 2 cups and then add more as needed. Let dough rise for at least one hour. Then with lots of Patience spread the dough out over the pan! You can use a round pizza pan or a cookie sheet. The dough is temperamental at first, but the more you spread it the more workable it becomes! After dough is spread, poke holes in it with a fork, this is to prevent air bubbles. Then with a spoon spread your favorite BBQ sauce over the bottom. (My favorite is Sweet Baby Rays Original!) Then top with Mozzarella cheese, chicken, spinach, bell peppers, etc. (whatever your favorite toppings are.) Bake at 425 for 15-20 min. Enjoy!

*Caution: This may cause extreme weight gain and addiction. Over Eaters Anonymous my be required after the first bite! I do not take responsibility for any scales that my break or addictions that may occur!

This is a great regular Pizza sauce recipe also if you are craving just a regular old pepperoni pizza:

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 0z. water

2 1/2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. dehydrated onion

1/16 tsp. garlic salt

1 1/2 tsp. oil

1/4 tsp. sugar

* I am not sure what a 1/16 tsp. is... so I just guesstimate on all of these ingredients and it still comes out really good! Enjoy!

Million Dollar Cookies

2008-08-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of Brown sugar

2 cups of butter (only)

Cream together then add:

4 eggs

Combine:

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups of flour

add to mixture

then add

5 cups of oats

2 12oz packages of chocolate chips

Bake at 400Degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 6 min. Let cool on cookie sheet.

It makes a ton so be sure and use a big bowl!

Italian Chicken 'n' Pasta

2008-08-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

I made this up as I went, yesterday, and it was such a big hit, I decided to spruce up the leftovers a bit and take a picture for the blog. It looked much prettier the first time around because I used real chicken breast, not the quick canned stuff (I didn't have anything thawed at last minute today)... Anyway, it was so good, my 2 yr old took one bite, then loudly proclaimed, "Mmm. Yummy chicken!" My husband agreed and so did I, so now I'm sharing.

I don't think I really made this entirely up. I've had something similar, but not quite the same, many times. This is just another version...

Ingredients:

Boneless skinless chicken breast
Zesty Italian Dressing
Italian style/flavor bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese (I just used it from the can, I'm sure fresh would be much better)
White onion
1 box whole wheat spiral pasta
Cucumber
Chopped Carrots
Grapes

*I completely guessed on the amounts of ingredients I used below. I don't measure when cooking, usually, so just go with your instincts and what you like.... which you really should do when cooking anything...

Directions:

Let chicken breast thaw and marinate in Italian dressing at the same time. I let it sit for about 2-3 hours. Heat frying pan to high, then generously coat the pan in Pam spray. Put chicken and about half the Italian dressing in pan.

While the first side of chicken is cooking, pour the uncooked pasta into pot with some water and carrots sliced up. Let the pasta/carrot mix cook until pasta is cooked through.

While pasta is cooking, chicken should be done on one side. Sprinkle some bread crumbs on the chicken breast before turning over. If the pan is starting to dry out, pour a little more of the Italian dressing in to keep chicken and bread crumbs from burning. Don't put too much dressing in, you don't want the crumbs to get soggy. Pour some more bread crumbs over the cooked side of chicken. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of chopped onions to the frying pan, and stir them a bit so they cook nicely and don't burn.

When the pasta is finished, drain and rinse with cold water. Move the pasta around a lot to really let the cold water run through it, otherwise, you'll have to put it in the fridge for a long time to cool. Throw some cut up cucumbers into the cooled pasta. Stir about 1/2 cup Italian dressing into pasta. Then stir in about 1/2 cup or more, Parmesan cheese into pasta. Add grapes last and stir together again.

Serve with breaded chicken breast on top of pasta.

Strawberry Delight

2008-07-22T18:49:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 Box of strawberry cake mix
1 Box of instant vanilla pudding
1 Tub of frozen strawberry pieces and juice
1 Tub of strawberry whip cream

How to make the most Delicious cake you will ever devour:

Make one box of instant vanilla pudding mix then let it set it the fridge. While waiting make the cake batter in a large mixing bowl. Mix one cup of vanilla pudding into the cake batter. Mix well. Pour mix into a large cake pan. Cook for as long as the box requires. Some times you have to cook for a bit longer. While it's cooking; thaw the strawberry juice and pieces in the microwave till it's juicy. When the cake is done cooking and is still hot pour the strawberry juice (not the pieces) onto the surface of the cake. The juice will seep into the cake. Let the cake sit till it is completely cool. While waiting; mix the whip cream with the strawberry pieces. Once the cake is cooled cover the surface with the whip cream. Then TaDa- it's ready to serve.

Warning: May cause extreme weight gain. Do not attempt if you struggle with addictions to sweats or if you have weak taste buds. Some cases of drooling have been reported. If you wake up in the night with cravings seek medical attention.

Mrs. Field's Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-07-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Fields gets all the credit for this one! I have her cookies & desserts recipe book and it has been a huge hit in our family for years! They're super hard to come by, but you can find a used one online if you'd like. I found mine for $3 on eBay!
Here's the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe:

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 C white sugar
1 C salted butter, softened***
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen
*** Mrs. Fields recommends to use real butter for ALL her recipes. She does not use margarine. I've been lazy and tried margarine and seen the bad results from it! I promise, these cookies are not as good as they could be unless you use the fattening BUTTER! The only kind of margarine I've been able to find to give them even close to the same results was Parkay brand.

Preheat oven to 300* F

In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy past, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.

Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

Don't eat too many! These things disappear faster than you'd imagine!

FAMOUS CHILI SAUCE

2008-07-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

This is a family favorite, and also a bit of a secret recipe, so "shhhh", don't tell anyone I shared! This is originally from the Kitchen of our dear friend, Judy Robinson.

No late summer/early fall is complete in our house without a few of these jars cooling on the counter. The aroma is captivating and will cause delusions and make you week in the knees. The taste is more sweet than hot. It compliments any dish - meats exceptionally well- my favorite being a classic beef/vegi stew. Use the Chili Sauce for at least 1/2 of the broth and you have a scrumptious stew match made in heaven, you won't be able to resist seconds. This is also great topped on steaks, pork chops, chicken, etc, and bbq'd to perfection. It turns yucky meatloaf into a delicacy. ......... Okay, you get my point- here's the recipe!

Ingredients:

25 medium size tomatoes (cored & peeled – dip in boiling water for a few minutes and the peels should come right off)
4 white onions
3 green peppers
4 red peppers
4 Tbsp salt
4 C sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 C apple cider vinegar
1 C white vinegar
1 C water

Directions:

Grind and mix all ingredients, adding vinegars and water last (this is what creates the magic potion smell! It's amazing!) and bring to a boil. Do not cover.

Boil 2-4 hrs until thickened- then put in jars.

Jars will seal as the hot mixture cools... no need for traditional canning! Just tighten lids and wait to hear them pop!

Makes about 5 Quarts

Kettle Corn

2008-07-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest recipe in the world and it is so good! I guarentee it will leave you longing for more!

Recipe:
1/4 Cup of vegitable oil
1/2 cup of popcorn kernals
1/4 cup of sugar
Salt to taste

*Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan and add the popcorn kernals, cover pan with a tight lid. When the oil starts to sizzle add the sugar and replace the lid on top. Continuously shake the pan until the popcorn poping slows down (so you don't burn the popcorn with all the sugar in it!) Dump the pocorn into a large bowl and salt to taste. ENJOY! Also, the sugar will carmelize a bit so enjoy the extra carmel in the pan!

100% Original chicken Sandwich...

2008-07-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sometimes when I am really bored or stuck in the "same old" dinner rut, I like to go into the kitchen and start inventing/experimenting! This is 1 of 2 original sandwiches I have created! This one I think might be the favorite one, but we haven't had the other one in a while, so it may be a toss up! I will post the other one within the next couple of weeks, but in the mean time this is a Must Try!

Recipe:
1 loaf of Rosemary Olive Oil bread from Costco!!!
2 chicken breast defrosted
spinach leaves
1 package of Provolone cheese
1/2 package of bacon (optional)

Sauce:
1/2 cup of Olive Oil Mayonnaise (Best Foods)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 of a lemon (squeezed) or 2 Tbls. of lemon juice
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

*Cut the rosemary bread into even slices, making sure you have enough pieces to complete a whole sandwich. Butter both sides of the bread, and then you can either grill it or broil it until golden brown on each side. (Don't leave the bread unattended, trust me it can burn really easily!) In the mean time season both sides of the chicken breast with garlic salt and either put them on the grill or broil them as well, until fully cooked through, then slice into stripes. Then Mix your sauce together and spoon enough to cover one side of each slice of bread, and then place on a cookie sheet. Top one side of each sandwich with the strips of chicken, spinach leaves, bacon (if desired), and then one full slice of provolone cheese! On the other slice of bread, top with one half piece of provolone cheese. Stick under the broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Pull out of the oven, and put the sandwiches together. Cut in half (if desired) and then of course, PLEASE ENJOY!!

Lil' Pizzas

2008-07-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

These are so easy and one of our family favorites! It's a quick fix for all of your pizza cravings!

Recipe:

1-2 cans of Pillsbury Biscuit dough

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

grated cheese

pepperoni, sausage, spinach (whatever your favorite toppings are!)

*Take the biscuit dough and spread them out with your hands to thin them out and to make them a little bit bigger in size. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Put a Tbls. or so of your favorite spaghetti sauce on top of the biscuit dough and spread to desired width. Top with cheese and your favorite toppings. Bake at 425. And of course, ENJOY!

Caramel Apple Salad

2008-07-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

CARAMEL APPLE SALAD

1 (3.4 oz) pkg. Vanilla Instant Pudding
1-Cup Milk
1 (8oz) carton of Whipped Topping
6-8 Granny Smith Apples
6 Snickers Bars

Combine milk and pudding till blended,
Fold in whipped topping
Add apples and candy bars
Chill until ready to serve.

( sorry I don't have a pic, but it's super yummy!)

Easiest Lemon Squares

2008-07-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Bottom Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cup flour
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together, squish evenly with hands in 9x13 dish. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Top Half:

Beat 4 eggs, then add-
2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup lemon juice

Pour mixture over hot crust. Bake 20 more minutes. For best results, let sit out on counter, or in fridge and let cool and harden, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!