Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The BEST Cream of Broccoli Soup!
And that means it's time for soup!
This is a wonderful Cream of Broccoli Soup.
It's thick.
It's creamy.
It's filling.
It'll warm ya up!
It doesn't take long to throw together.
And... if all 5 of my young-folk will eat it, it's gotta be good!
We like this with a nice hunk of crusty bread.
serves 4-6
-- 2 Tablespoons Butter
-- 1 onion , chopped
-- 1 garlic clove, minced
-- 4-5 Cups broccoli, cut into bite size pieces.
-- 1 celery stalk, chopped
-- 2 cans (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth. (I use homemade stock)
-- 3 Tablespoons butter
-- 3 Tablespoons flour
-- 1 1/2 Cups Milk
-- 3/4 Cup (or to taste) Velveeta Cheese, cubed
-- freshly ground black pepper.
-- 1/2 cup shredded carrots. (optional)
1.) Melt 2 Tbs butter in a medium pot.
2.) Saute onion, garlic, celery until tender.
3.) Add chicken broth and broccoli; cover and simmer for 10 min.
4.) Remove from heat.
5.) Puree the soup, with a blender. (I use a stick blender) return to heat.
**(Now is the time to add the shredded carrots if you choose to)
6.) in a small saucepan, over med heat, melt 3 Tbs butter, stir in 3 Tbs flour, & add milk.
7.) Stir over med heat until thick and bubbly, add to the soup pot.
8.) add Velveeta, stir until melted.
9.) season with black pepper and serve.
(We like ours a little chunky, so I often pull out some of the broccoli before I puree the soup, and add it back to the soup when I add the cheese.)
ENJOY!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Amazing Taco Soup!
Well.... maybe I'm not gonna die...
I just have had my moments wishing I could die.
Well... not really, I don't wanna die.
Who would water my garden if I died?
Who would quack to the ducks?
Who would love on the donkeys?
Who would lay on their belly and eat the wild chives in the yard?
ok .. so I agree.. I should not die right yet.
I have a terrible.. Horrible... excruciating Abscessed tooth.
Mt face is swollen. I haven't been able to sleep.
I haven't been able to eat.
I am not happy!
There is nothing I can do cept wait for the antibiotics to kick in.... **sigh**
Thank Goodness for Vicodin, or there would be NO peace at all in this house!
At least it gives me a hour of relief at a time.
After 4 days I decided I really needed to eat something.
I needed something comforting.
I needed something easy to chew.
So Worker #1 made one of my favorite soups of all time!
Yep.. he made it.. it's THAT easy!
Mom’s Taco Soup.
1lb lean ground beef.
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
1, 28oz can tomatoes (un-drained)
1 can Rotel brand tomatoes & green chilies (optional)
1-2 packages Taco seasoning
1 package Ranch Dressing Mix
½ cup picante sauce
1, 6oz. Can tomato paste
2, 17oz cans corn (un-drained)
2, 15-16oz cans pinto beans (we use Ranch Style Beans)
2 cups water
Salt & pepper to taste
Shredded cheese (I use cheddar)
Tortilla chips.
Brown ground beef, onion & pepper, Drain.
Cut up tomatoes if using whole (I use diced) add tomatoes, with their juice, to the pot.
Add taco mix, ranch mix, picante sauce, tomato sauce, corn, beans, water, salt & pepper.
Simmer 1 hour.
Makes a large pot (approx 12 servings)
Serve in bowls, sprinkle with chips and shredded cheese.
Yummmmmm!!
This can also be made in the crock pot…. Easy Peasy!
Baby Shower Ideas & Recipes!
My sister-in-Law is gonna have a baby!! I am soooo excited!! Not only because I get to be an aunt again. (she already has the perfect daughter)
But because SHE is gonna have a baby, and I AM NOT!! Whoo hooooo!!
(don't get me wrong.. I love my children... I love having a lot of them **rolling eyes** But I really think I have done my part to populate the world... I'm just glad to be able to share that huge responsibility with others!)
I was very excited to be able to help host the baby shower. I just love doing that stuff!
making cute foods.... cute centerpieces (the diaper cake)
She is having a boy! sooo The fun began with the cute baby blue & toy covered diaper cake.
Then progressed to a punch that looked kinda like used bath-water, complete with rubber duckies swimming around.
Who said you have to serve food on plain old platters?
Go to the toy store and use toys!
Dump trucks hold dip.
A bucket is great to hold food, a Frisbee can hold cookies, a cute place-mat can display your crackers,
Use your imagination! get creative!
Its not a ton of money.. and it'll be a big hit! This is my sister-in-law....
she is one of "those people"
you know... the kind of woman that is teaching yoga while 8 months pregnant, beautiful hair, amazing figure.....
you know..... the total opposite of me.
To top it all off... she is super sweet, a wonderful aunt to all of her nieces and nephews.
We are blessed to have her in our life.
Look how great she looks at 8 months pregnant! geesh.
The menu included
(Click each to be taken to the recipe)
The world's BEST Spinach Dip in a bread bowl
Chipped Beef Cheese Ball and crackers
Italian salad stuffed pasta shells
Fresh Strawberries & Quick-n-Easy fruit Dip
mints, nuts and cookies
I'll make sure to get each of the recipes posted in the recipe box by the end of the day Monday.
They all turned out GREAT!!! Try em!
You'll be glad you did!!

BEST Italian Meatballs (batch cooking)
I just made 400 of these babies!!
we have enough for dinner tonight
AND 4 more meals in the freezer for later!
Spaghetti n Meatballs!
Meatball Subs!
Meatball Pizza!
I could go on and on.....
Yummm!!
Dana's BEST Italian Meat Balls
These babies can be made ahead of time , frozen, then tossed into your favorite sauce for pasta, or a great meatball sub!
Just simmer them in your favorite sauce for a bit to blend the flavors and you'll be very happy!
I promise!
makes approx 36 meatballs
(I always at least triple this recipe! we eat one then vacuum seal & freeze the rest into two other family sized meals for later!)
3 lbs lean ground beef
10-15 slices worth of soft bread crumbs (I just pulse mine in my food processor)
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or to taste)
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or to taste)
2 teaspoons parsley (or to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
oil (for pan frying)
sometimes I also add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. (I use my kitchen-aid mixer with the dough hook)
If it looks too dry .. throw in another egg.
Roll meatballs 1 1/2- 2" in diameter.
Heat about 1/4" of oil over medium heat in a large frying pan.
Fry meatballs in oil, rolling frequently, until evenly browned and juices run clear.
I bake mine in a 350 degree oven for about 18 min or till they are no longer pink inside.
On a rimmed cookie sheet with a wire rack so the grease drips off and away from the meatballs.
To freeze....
Cook , then toss family meal size portions into freezer bags, or better yet!
Vacuum seal them. and toss into the freezer for a wonderful home-cooked meal when you are short on time!
tomorrow we make 36 Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
some for dinner now.. some for the freezer later!
No Roll Pie Crust!!
a wonderfully flaky slightly sweet pie crust that you can't mess up!
No Rolling Pin required!!
All ya need are the ingredients...
press em in your pie pan.. and POOF perfect pie crust!

NO Roll Pie Crust
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup oil
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Mix dry ingredients together with a fork in your pie pan.
- Make a well in the center and add the oil and milk.
- Mix with a fork until it forms a ball.
- Flatten and press into the pan in pie crust shape and flute the edge.
- Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden.
- One crust pie, perfect for cream pies and crumb topped baked pies.
21 meals
In other words, most families have about 21 meals that are the standard fair at the dinner table.
This got me thinking....
If I had the ingredients for just 21 meals in my freezer and/or pantry at all times, I would never have a moment of "Oh Crap!! What am I gonna make for dinner?!?"
How great would that be??
So I had to figure out, what are my 21 meals?
I like to try new recipes, so you never know what you'll find on our plates.
But, as I tried to think of our 21 meals I realized that we do, in fact, have about 21 meals that are always in the rotation. They are my standby meals. Everyone loves em and they are our comfort meals.
Here is my list in no particular order.
I didn't include side dishes, just the main course.
21 meals
1. spaghetti
2. smothered steak
3. grilled steak
4. bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts
5. beef stew
6. Cajun chicken fettuccine
7. Pork tenderloin
8. Meat loaf
9. Jambalaya
10. Roast chicken
11. Breakfast
12. Pork chops
13. Burgers
14. Hamburger gravy
15. BBQ/smoker foods
16. Chicken Ceaser salad
17. Chicken Breasts w/ Stuffing
18. Lasagna
19. Mexican Lasagna
20. Taco Salad
21. Fajita’s
What about you?
What foods are in your list?
I'd love to see some of your favorite family meal ideas!
3-Minute Salsa
Or Salsa.... whatever you call it.. we LOVE it!
We eat chips and salsa like it's going out of style!
We cook with it.
We would drink it if it would fit in a straw!
I used to spend hours making and canning gallons of homemade salsa.
Then I found a great little cheater recipe for wonderful salsa!
It takes 3 minutes! No Lie!
Simple ingredients that I bet you have in your pantry!
If you don't... You should!

It's wonderful to have on hand when you have unexpected visitors!
Here we go!
- 1, 28oz can of tomato sauce
- 1, 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
- 2, 10oz. cans of Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (I use ROTEL brand, You can use 1 can if your a real sissy)
- Salt , generous pinch
- garlic powder just a shake or two.
OPTIONAL
- Cilantro, to taste
- Jalapeno peppers, to taste
- Sour Cream (I always top my bowl of salsa with a dollop of Sour Cream)
Directions
1.) Toss your chunk of onion & peppers into your trusty blender.
2.) Dump in your cans of Tomato & Chillies
3.) turn on the blender for a few seconds to chop up the onion/peppers.
4.) dump in all other ingredients.
5.) blend until well mixed. (longer if you like it smooth, shorter if you like it chunky)
6.) pour into a bowl, top with sour cream if you like it that way... and enjoy!
How easy is that?!?!?
you can play with it all you want.
Add LOTS of hot peppers for more heat.
Add lots of Cilantro if that floats your boat.
Have fun with it!
