Sante Fe Soup

In a large soup pot brown:
1-1 1/2 LBS ground beef
1 large white onion, chopped
Once the meat is browned and the onions tender, drain off the excess fat.
Add to the meat:
2 (1 oz) pkgs ranch dressing mix
1 (1.5 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix
2 (11 oz) cans corn, drained
2 cups water
1 (16 oz) can black beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, undrained
1 (14 oz) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained
Mix the whole pot together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hrs or just enjoy it as soon as its hot enough!!!


*Talkinchowplayinhouse.blogspot.com

Choclate Zucchinni Cake

2 1/4 C. Sifted all Purpose Flour
1/2 C. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Salt
1 3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 C. (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, Room temp.
1/2 C. Vegetable Oil
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 C. Buttermilk
2 C. Grated Unpeeled Zucchini (about 2 1/2 medium)
1 6-Ounce Packaged (about 1 Cup) Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 C. Chopped Walnuts

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Sift Flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter and oil in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Mix in grated zucchini. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over.

Bake cake until tested into center comes out clean, about 50 min. Cool cake completely in pan.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

1 box chocolate cake mix
(this is the only cookie that I make with cake mix, and I prefer it to homemade versions I've tried?!)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 bag large marshmallows

Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa powder
(Follow recipe for chocolate frosting on back.
You can use any chocolate frosting recipe, but I always use homemade and I love the taste of Ghiradelli.)

Mix all ingredients together and place balls of dough on greased cookie sheet.
(I like my cookies to be small so that marshmallow is in every bite. I use a scoop that is about 1" wide)
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 6 minutes.

While baking, cut large marshmallows in half.
Take cookies out of oven at 6 minutes and place one half of marshmallow - sticky (cut) side down!
Bake in oven for additional 2 minutes.

Marshmallows will come out puffy, I gently smash them down with spatula, then transfer to cooling rack.

Make desired chocolate frosting.
Frost tops of cookies.
And enjoy!

*From meohmymamma

Oriental Green Beans

Oriental Green Beans

1.5 lbs green beans
2 Tbs olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Steam green beans for 5-10 minutes.
Heat pan with 1 Tbs olive oil and garlic.
Add green beans.
In a small bowl whisk together remaining olive oil, soy sauce and sugar.
Pour onto green beans in pan, and let saute until edges are brown.

Homemade Yogurt

Becky's Homemade Yogurt

1 Gallon Milk
1 Cup Sugar
1 TBS vanilla
3-4 Cups powdered Milk
Small container of Yogurt

Bring 1/2 of Milk and Sugar to barely a boil. Take off heat.
Other 1/2 of milk mix, vanilla, powdered milk, and yogurt together.
Poor the hot milk into the cold milk and stir and put into jars.
Place jars in warm over (250 turn off) and cover with towels overnight.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread

3/4 Cup organic rolled oats
1/4 Cup organic steel-cut oats
2 Cups boiling water
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
1/2 Cup lukewarm water
5 1/2 Cups unbleached organic bread flour

1- Pour water over the oats in a large bread bowl and let stand for 1 hour. Add in melted butter, salt, and molasses.

2- In a separate bowl, add 1 Tablespoon yeast to 1/2 cup lukewarm water with 2 Tablespoons molasses mixed in. Let this mixture rest and bloom (about 10 min) then add to the oats mixture.

3- Mix in 5 1/2 cups flour. Watch dough and add a little flour as necessary to get a perfect tacky but not sticky texture.

4- Knead dough well for 10 minutes or so. If your dough is on the dry side, knead it on an oiled board. If it gets too sticky, knead in a little flour.

5- Butter bowl and top of dough ball and cover it up with a wet towel. Let it rise in a warm place for two hours or until doubled in size.

6- Punch it down, shape into two loaves, and place loaves into buttered pans. Let them rest for at least a half hour or until doubled in size.

7- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put loaves into hot oven for 10 min. then reduce heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 35 min or so. If they sound hollow when tapped, they're done.

8- Pop them out of their pans and cool on a rack or a towel.

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

Chicken Mixture

1 Rotisserie Costco Chicken (3 whole chicken breasts)
5 cups chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 TBS)
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots)
1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
1/2 cup fresh parsley

Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 egg mixed with 1 TBS water, for egg wash

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

If using chicken breast- Place chicken on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with S&P. Roast for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then removed the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4-6 cups of cubed chicken.

Rotisserie Chicken- Use all of meat from chicken

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring ocnstantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick. Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10x13x2 inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper.

Bake for 15 min

While the sauce is baking prepare the biscuits:
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitter with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half and half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8 inch thick. Cut out 12 circle with a 2.5 in round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20-30 minutes, until the biscuits are browned and stew is bubbly.

Note: to make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 min, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until done.

World's Best Dinner Rolls

2 c. whole milk (if you’re in a pinch, you can use 2%, but whole is best. Don’t use 1% or skim)
½ c. + 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1/3 c. (5 1/3 Tbsp.) butter
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.), preferably bread machine yeast
2/3 c. warm (105-115-degree) water
8-9 c. all-purpose flour
3 beaten eggs

Combine milk, 1/2 c. sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts. It’s salty. It’s sweet. Yum.

hile the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn’t bubbled, you’ll need to repeat this step–moving on with yeast that hasn’t been activated properly will only end in heartache for you and hate mail for us.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 c. flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add beaten eggs. Why should you beat your eggs first? Same reason you should combine your dry ingredients before adding them to moist ingredients when making cookies and cakes–it ensures everything is well-mixed and can be evenly-distributed through your dough or batter. If you add the whole eggs, your dough may not be as consistent.

Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.

Spray 2 9×13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. I like to use a pizza cutter because it has a blade on each side, so it cuts right through dough without sticking to the blade. This dough should be very easy to work with, almost like playdough. Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan.

Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.

Bake for 15-18minutes or until golden-brown.When done, remove from oven. Rub a stick of cold butter over the tops of the rolls. You must now eat one. Now. While it’s hot.

Recipe by: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/10/worlds-best-dinner-rolls/

Cowboy Cavier

3 Tomatoes (Roma is best)
1 Can shoepeg corn
1 can yellow corn
1 can Black beans
1 can northern white beans
Cilantro to taste
2-3 Avocado's
6-7 Green onion

Italian Seasoning packet per directions

Ice Cream

4 eggs
2.5 C sugar
3 C milk
4 C heavy cream
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t almond extract
1/2 t salt
2 C berries (your choice) or Candy (Oreos)

* If adding Candy do NOT add the almond extract

Add sugar gradually to already beaten eggs

Beat until mixture is stiff

Mash and add fruit and all other ingredients

Freeze (2 bags crushed ice, 1 box rocks salt)

Pork Tenderloin

2-3 pork tenderloins (4 long skinny ones at costco)

Marinade
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup horcestershire sauce
2 Tbs dry mustard
1 Tbs pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs chopped, fresh parsley
1/3 cup lemon juice (Fresh)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz of fresh mushrooms

Blend the above ingredients, except mushrooms, in a blender. Pour over tenderloins and marinate for 3-4 hours (or overnight)

Grill Pork on the BBQ grill at medium heat for 20 min. Turning and basting occasionally. (cook ten min than turn) Add the mushrooms to remaining marinade and heat. Slice tenderloins and pour marinate over top to serve.

*Debbie Cusicks Recipe

White Rolls

1/2 c. hot water
1/2 c. sugar
2 tablespoons yeast

*let above ingredients sit for a minute so that the yeast has a chance to go to work

1 stick softened margarine
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. hot milk
3 c. flour
2 tsp. salt

*mix then change mixing hook to kneading hook and add:
2 to 3 cups flour
*knead for 10 minutes

Spray a separte bowl with pam and place dough inside. Set bowl in a warm place and let rise, atleast till dough has doubled. Next, punch down the risen dough and separate into equal pieces (it'll make 35 rollls - 7 rows of 5). Neatly form rolls and place on a large greased cookie sheet. Let rise.

Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Watch rolls while cooking. When tops of rolls begin to golden, usually after about 10 minutes of cooking, cover with tin foil and continue cooking.

Gwyn's High Alpine Chicken Stew

Ingredients

¼ cup butter
2 Pounds chicken breast
1 cup onions, sliced
1 large potato, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 Zucchini, sliced
1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp basil
½ tsp celery salt
¼ tsp marjoram
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 TBS cider vinegar
2 cups white wine
2 cups creamed corn
¼ cup butter
1/3 cup flour
¾ cup half-and-half


Method
In a large stock pot, sauté chicken in butter and remove. Add the onions, potato, carrots, celery, zucchini, mushrooms, and seasonings. Saute until just tender. Add the vinegar, wine, corn, and browned chicken.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half, sittring constantly until thickened, Blend into chicken-vegetable mixture and simmer for 15 min.

Serves eight: Suggested wine, Parducci, Chablis

(When we made this we also added yellow squash and more of the vegetables that we like. Also I don’t think we had the celery salt and it was still delicious. Use a mild wine)

French Onion Soup

2 1/2 lbs yellow onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick (8 cups)
1/4 lbs unsalted butter
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups good dry white wine
4 cups beef stock
4 cups chicken stock
1 Tbs kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese

(Also calls for 1/2 cup of medium-dry sherry and brandy or cognac but not needed)

In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, saute the onions with the butter and bay leaf for 20 minutes, until the onions turn a rich golden brown color. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and brandy and simmer uncovered for 5 min. Add the white wine and simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes.

Add the beef and chicken stock plus S&P. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 min. Remove the bay leaf, taste for S&P, and serve hot with grated parmesan cheese.

Molten Chocolate Cake

4 Tbs unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup sugar plus more for tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
confectioners sugar for dusting
whipped cream

Preheat oven to 400*. Butter muffin tins (Pam works) and dust with granulated sugar

In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. With mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt just until combined. Mix in Chocolate (Do NOT over mix) Divide into muffin tins

Place muffin tin of cookie sheet and bake until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is slightly shaken. 8-10 min. Remove from oven and let stand.

Dust with powdered sugar and top with whip cream or ice cream.

Homemade Refried Beans

For every lb of beans use 1 yellow onion and 1 garlic clove

Soak Pinto Beans over night

Add onion and garlic to beans
Add at least 2 inches of water above beans, garlic, and onions
Cook in a crock pot on high for about 8 hours

Drain bean mixture
Blend in blender (do not add too much)
Cook on stove top and add Kosher Salt slowly according to taste.
Cook until desired consistency

*Also great with Black beans
*Serve with tortillas, cheese, or as a bean dip.
* You can also freeze the means.

Magelby's Chocolate Cake

CAKE

1 Cup Boiling Water
4 Tbs cocoa
1 Cup Butter

Take off of heat and whisk in one at a time the following below
2 Cups of sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp salt

Add 1 tsp of baking soda to 1/2 cup of sour cream

Add 1 cup of flour to ingredients above and whisk
Add 1/4 cup of sour cream/soda mixture and whisk
Add 1 cup of flour and whisk
Add 1/4 cup of sour cream/soda mixture and whisk.

*Total of 2 cups of flour and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Just alternating.

Bake at 325* for 45 min (One 9" round pan)

FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup cocoa (whip together)

Add 1/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Slowly mix in 2 2/3 cup powdered sugar.

* too thick add more whipping cream.

French Bread

2 Tbs Sugar
2 1/2 Cups Warm Water
2 Tablespoons Yeast

Mix- 3 Cups flour, yeast mixture, 1 Tbs salt, and 2 Tbs vegetable oil.

Beat well. Add 3 more cups of flour, mix well and let stand for 10 min. Mix again and let stand for ten min. Repeat a total of 4 times and let stand 10 min. Divide into half and shape into 2 rectangular loaves.

Spray sheet with pam.

Let rise 30 min. Make 3 slashes on each loaf, brush wiht 1 beaten egg and sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

Bake at 400* for 30 min.

*Becky Nyman's Recipe

Black Bean Sweet Potato Burritos

3 C. Sweet Potatoes (peeled and diced
1/2 onion
* Saute in large pan in 1 Tbs. oil till tender. Add water to prevent sticking

2 C. Black beans
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
* Add and cook till heated through

8 tortillas (Flour)
1 1/2 C. Cheddar Cheese
Red Enchilada sauce

Directions:
1- Place in a 9x13 in pan
2- Spray with olive oil and cover with foil
3- Bake at 350 Degrees for 20-25 min.

*Add sour cream, lime, and cayenne to taste.
*Tastes delicious with Cafe Rio Pork

Chocolatey Pudding Cake

Recipe:

1 Devil’s Food box cake mix

2 chocolate instant pudding packages, the smaller packages: 3.9 oz (1 for the cake, 1 for the topping)

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola oil)

3/4 cup water

1 cup sour cream (I used Daisy brand light)

Cool Whip, 8 oz container

2 cups cold chocolate milk (use vitamin D)

Mix the cake mix, 1 pudding package, eggs, oil, water, and sour cream in a medium bowl with a hand mixer. Mix at high speed for 2 minutes until it is smooth and combined. Pour batter into a 9x13 inch baking pan. I like to use one of these, so I can cover and refrigerate the finished product with ease. Smooth batter evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Preparation for topping: With the wire whip attachment of your hand mixer, mix 1 pudding package, 2 cups cold chocolate milk. Whip for 2 minutes. Now whip in Cool-Whip. Whip until Cool-Whip is all combined and there are no traces of it.

When cake is cooled, pour your moussey pudding over the cake. Smooth evenly with a rubber scraper. You could serve the cake right now, but I like to refrigerate mine for at least a 1/2 hour before serving. Any leftovers must be refrigerated. Enjoy!

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