Peanut Butter Popcorn

This is one of my favorite popcorn recipes from my childhood.  Granny always had a big bowl of it to share when we went to visit. 

Ingredients

Approx. 1 cup popcorn kernels 

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup peanut butter

Pop the popcorn into a big bowl. Bring the corn syrup and honey to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well.  Pour over popped popcorn and stir well.  You can make into balls, spread onto wax paper to cool or just eat it from the bowl. 

ENJOY!

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients

6 pork chops

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs (beaten)

2 cups Italian bread crumbs

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse pork chops if needed and pat dry.  Season both sides of chops with garlic powder and seasoned salt then coat with flour.  Dip into the beaten egg and then the bread crumbs.  

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and fry pork chops for about five minutes per side or until well browned.   Then transfer to a 9" x 13" baking dish and cover with foil.

Bake at 350 for one hour.  In the meantime, combine the soup, milk & juice in a bowl and stir well.  After one hour, pour the soup mixture over the chops, replace foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.  

Serve over white rice and enjoy! 

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Ingredients

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (halved lengthwise)

2 ham steaks (remove any bones)

8-10 slices of swiss cheese

2 cups Italian bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray.  Layer the chicken, ham and cheese.  In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and butter.  Stir well then spread it evenly over the cheese.

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until juices run clear. 

 

Enjoy!

Cowboy's Delight

Today was a rainy, Valentine's day and I thought something warm and hearty sounded good for dinner.  I knew the kids would come home from school with sugar highs and want some good food.

So I pulled out the trusty crock pot and got to work preparing something yummy.  

When I was a child in elementary school, one of my favorite school lunches was 'Cowboy's Delight'.  It's basically a delicious version of goulash.  This was back when the cooks actually prepared our meals from scratch and served them hot and fresh.  I don't think most schools do that anymore.  Anyway, today I made it by accident while experimenting.  When I took that first bite, the memories came flooding back.  I never want to forget this recipe!

So here it is:

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 14.5 oz. can beef broth

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp. dried chopped onion

2 tsp. garlic (crushed, chopped or minced)

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. parsley

salt & pepper

12 oz. package of macaroni

1/2 - 1  cup water

 

 

Put everything except the macaroni and water in the crock pot.  Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.  30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the uncooked macaroni and water and let cook through.  If you want a more soupy consistency, you can add more broth or tomato juice when you add the macaroni.  Serve with breadsticks found here if you'd like.

 

 

 

Enjoy!



Crock Pot Beef Stew

It has been snowing for days!!  It's been cold and wet and all I've wanted to cook is comfort foods.  Needless to say, I am loving my crock pot this week! ☺

 

Today it's beef stew!

 

Ingredients

 

carrots

celery

potatoes

1 onion (optional)

1-1 1/2 lbs. stew meat

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 can of tomato soup

1 envelope of dry onion soup mix

 

 



 

Spray the inside of the crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray.

 

Cut the vegetables into bite size pieces and layer at least one cup of each in the crock pot.  I almost always put an onion in my stew, but this recipe has onion soup mix already so it's your choice.

 

 

 

In a skillet, brown the sides of the stew meat in butter or oil.  I sprinkle about a tablespoon of flour over the meat while it's browning.  Once the sides are brown (the center should still be pink), place the meat over the vegetables in the crock pot.

 

 

 

In a separate bowl, combine the soups and soup mix and stir well.  Pour over the meat and spread it around.

 

 

 

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.  It smells delicious!

 

 

Stir and serve with crackers or bread. 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Crock Pot Chicken and Potatoes

Ingredients

 

8 chicken thighs

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 large red potatoes (thinly sliced)

1 large onion (chopped)

3-4 stalks celery (diced)

1 tsp. paprika

salt & pepper

 

Spray the inside of your crock pot with a non-stick cooking spray.

 

Layer the potatoes, onion and celery and sprinkle with paprika, salt & pepper.  Place four thighs on top and spread the soup over them.  Then add the other four thighs.  Salt and pepper the thighs on top, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

 

 

 

Serve with a slotted spoon to eliminate the juices.

 

If you like cheese, smother with cheese while it's hot and let it melt.

 

EnJoY!

 

 

Homemade Breadsticks

Ingredients

 

3 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 1/2 cups hot water

 

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of flour (reserve the rest for later) and the remaining ingredients.  Mix well, then slowly add the rest of the flour.  Knead into a ball and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes. 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour 1/2 stick of melted butter into a 13x9 pan. 

 

Roll dough out onto a flat surface and cut into strips (about 2 inches wide).  Fold and twist each strip and line them up in the pan.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

 

Let cool and ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

I have always cooked chicken fajitas in a skillet over a stove top.  Until now!

 

Tonight I tried BAKING them and wonder why I've never baked them before.  The chicken was moist and the fajitas were so flavorful!  I will never go back to a skillet after making them this way.

 

What you'll need:

 

1-1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken (cut into strips)

2-3 bell peppers, sliced into strips

1 large onion, sliced into strips

1/2 package taco or fajita seasoning

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2-3 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. lemon pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

Place all the ingredients in a gallon size Ziploc bag, seal it tight and mix it all up.  Shake it, massage it, throw it around.....just mix it up well.

 

Feel free to let it marinate for awhile or make several bags at once and freeze them.  

 

Open the bag and pour it all out into a 13x9 casserole dish.  Place it in a 400 degree oven and bake for 30-40 minutes.  Check the center of the chicken before serving to make sure it's cooked through.  The smaller strips cook fairly quick, but the thicker ones take about 10-15 minutes longer to cook through.

 

Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings. 

 

 

I used bigger than normal strips of chicken only because I was in a hurry, but they were still very moist and yummy!

 

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

(updated with a prettier picture) ☺
 

Help bring back Clearly Canadian!

Who remembers drinking Clearly Canadian in the 80's and 90's?  It was my favorite beverage back then and I always wondered what happened to it. 

 

Well......it's making a comeback!  You can pre-order here:

https://www.clearlycanadian.com/?rn=103354

 

 

Crockpot Breakfast

Here is a great way to serve breakfast to a crowd on a busy morning.  Prepare it the night before and let it cook while you sleep. ☺

 

Ingredients

8-10 slices of bacon

4 green onions (sliced)

1 bag of shredded hash browns

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

12 eggs

1 cup of milk

salt & pepper (a pinch or two of each)

1 tsp. dill seasoning

 

Cook bacon in a skillet, drain of the fat and then crumble.

 

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the milk and seasonings (salt, pepper & dill) and mix well.

 

Spray the inside of the crockpot with a non-stick cooking spray.

 

Then layer 1/3 of the hash browns, 1/3 of the bacon, 1/3 of the onions and 1/3 of the cheese.  Start over until you have three layers of each. 

 

Pour the egg mixture over the top, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

 

 

Serve and Enjoy!

 

 

 

Garlic Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

 

16 ounce package of pasta of your choice

 

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken cut into bite size pieces

 

6 Tbsp. butter

 

1 onion, chopped

 

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 

2 1/2 cups milk

 

1 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

 

salt & pepper to taste

 

 

 

Cook pasta as directed on package & drain.

 

Cook chicken and chopped onion in a skillet with 2 Tbsp. butter until cooked thoroughly.  Remove from skillet and set aside. 

 

Heat 4 tbsp. butter in skillet and stir in flour until dissolved.  Slowly add milk into flour mixture and whisk until smooth.  Add garlic, salt & pepper.  Bring to boil for one minute; reduce heat.

 

Add chicken mixture and pasta to garlic sauce; stir well and heat over medium-low until heated through. 

 

ENJOY!

 

 

 

Campfire Cones

Ingredients

sugar cones

mini marshmallows

chocolate chips

coconut (sweetened & flaked)

 

 

 

 

Now I have seen other versions of these but none of them were that appealing to me.  So on our last camping trip I bought fillings I knew my whole family would like.  And boy were they yummy!

 

Fill a cone with a little of everything, wrap in tin foil and place it (upwright) on top of the hot coals in the fire.  Flip over after 1-2 minutes to melt the other side.  Carefully retrieve the cone and let cool for a minute or two.  Then unwrap and enjoy!

 

Caution: Do NOT place in a blazing fire.  They will quickly burn!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eggs In A Mug!

This is a fun and easy way to cook scrambled eggs, especially if you're only cooking for one.  I have lots of memories of my dad making eggs this way when I was small.  My earliest memory I wasn't old enough to talk, but remember holding my plate out to ask for more.  Crazy how we can remember things from so long ago! 

 

Ingredients

eggs

milk

butter

salt & pepper

 

Put all the ingredients into a mug and whisk with a fork. 

 

 Use 1 Tbsp. milk per egg and a pad of butter per mug.  A regular size coffee mug can hold 2 large eggs.  Remember it will expand as it cooks.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper if you'd like.  Then cover with a paper towel or napkin and cook on high in the microwave for about two minutes.  If you only use one egg, it will take less time.  Try a minute and then check it. 

 

I like a bit of shredded cheddar cheese on top.  Green onions are great, too!

 

Let cool for a minute or two and ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade Bottled Salsa

My granny deserves credit for this recipe.  I tweaked it to my family's liking, but the original recipe came from her.  It's wonderful!

 

Ingredients

1 bushel tomatoes (blanched and peeled)

8 cloves of garlic (minced)

6 stalks celery

4 large onions

4 bell peppers

8 jalapeno peppers

3 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup vinegar

 

Once your tomatoes are blanched and peeled, cut them into fours (or smaller) and put them in a big pot.  If you don't have a pot big enough to hold them all, cut the recipe in half. 

 

Chop the celery, onions and peppers and add them along with all the other ingredients.

 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour stirring occasionally.

 

Ladle the salsa into sterilized jars and follow the instructions on the lids you use.  Place each jar into a water bath for 15 minutes making sure all bottles are completely submerged. 

 

Take each jar out of the water bath with jar tongs and place on a towel to cool down.  If a lid doesn't seal, you can put the jar back into the water bath OR refrigerate it if you plan on consuming it within a few days.

 

Once the lid is sealed it will be shelf stable for at least two years.  Write the year on the lid with a sharpie and check the seal on occasion to make sure it's still tight. 

 

ENJOY!

 

 

 

Cool Cucumber Pasta Salad

Who likes cucumbers drenched in vinegar? I do!  This recipe is like that with a kick! 

Ingredients

8 oz. package of macaroni or pasta of your choice

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 Tbsp. parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 medium tomato, diced or sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

 

Cook pasta according to directions on package; drain & rinse in cold water.  Place pasta in a large bowl; stir in oil, cucumbers & onion.

 

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the remaining ingredients (minus tomato) and shake well.  Pour over salad and toss to coat; add the tomato. 

 

Cover and chill for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. 

 

Serve with a slotted spoon and EnJoY!

 

 

 

Navajo Taco

Navajo Tacos have been a favorite of mine since childhood.  They're easy and very filling.  Start with Indian Fry Bread.  Then add the following:

 

Chili

Cheese

Lettuce

Onions

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Salsa

 

Simple as that!

 

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients
1 cup carrots (diced or shredded)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced potatoes
1 large, diced onion
2 cups cooked chicken (boneless, skinless) cut up into bitesize chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
12 cups of water
10-12 tsp. chicken flavor bouillon
1 package of egg noodles (I use Country Noodles brand)

Boil water in large pot and add bouillon.  Once bouillon is dissolved, add remaining ingredients except for noodles.  Let boil for about ten minutes before adding noodles.  Add noodles and boil for about 20 more minutes or until noodles are cooked.  Add salt and pepper if desired.  I like a lot of black pepper! Serve with crackers or breadsticks. 

Measurements may not be exact.  I rarely measure so this is just an estimate.  If you need more water, add about 1 tsp. bouillon per cup of water. 

This can also be made in a crockpot.  Put everything in the crockpot and add water last.  Depending on the size of crockpot you use, you may have to eliminate some water.  If you use less water, use less noodles.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours. 

Enjoy!

Indian Fry Bread

I just found a really good recipe for Indian Fry Bread.  It's SO easy and equally yummy!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 or more cups oil for frying

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and milk in a medium size bowl.  Mix until dough comes together.  Add more flour if necessary to hold dough together.  It shouldn't take much if any.  Let rest for about five minutes.

While the dough is resting, heat oil in a deep heavy skillet to about 350 degrees.  Break off dough into preferred sized pieces and flatten to 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness (I like mine thick) with your hands. They need not be perfect shapes.  Carefully place flattened dough into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on each side, turning only once.  Drain on paper towels. 

Enjoy with butter and honey! 

Cold Sore Remedy

I have a child who regularly gets cold sores, especially after being sick with a cold or fever.  I've tried various treatments and have found a couple that work, but they take days to heal completely.  I finally tried a home remedy with some oils I already have and use on a daily basis.  I mixed 2 tsp. of coconut oil with 4-5 drops of tea tree oil and put a very tiny amount on the cold sore.  The next day the cold sore was dried out and scabbed over.  The 3rd day, it was gone! 

A few days later, my oldest child came to me with a new cold sore.  I applied the oils and the next day, gone!  I am so thrilled and want to pass on the information for other cold sore sufferers.  Cold sores are a nuisance! 

 

 

Enchilada Rolls

This is one of my all time favorite recipes.  I remember my mom making them when I was growing up and I've passed my love for them onto my kids.  They are quite versatile.  I've made them a few different ways and even tried a chicken verde version that was fabulous.  But this is very close to the original recipe my mom always made and is my favorite version.


Ingredients

1/2 jar chopped green olives
1 can chopped black olives
1/2 can red enchilada sauce
1 green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1-1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (Mexican blend is also great!)
1/2 cube melted butter
1 dz. hard rolls (medium/large)

Slice open the top of the hard rolls and remove the inside.  Mix all other ingredients into a medium bowl, stuff into rolls, and cover with top.

 

Wrap each roll in aluminum foil as you go along.  Then place all rolls in a 350 degree oven.

 

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.  If I double the recipe, I bake for 30 minutes.

 

Once they're done, take them out with tongs so you don't burn your fingers and let them cool for a few minutes.  

 

Unwrap and enjoy!

 

 

 

Clean up is a breeze!  Just wad the foil up! ☺

 

 

They make great campfire dinners as well.  Put them over some hot coals or throw them on a hot BBQ grill for a few minutes. 

 

They are delightful!