Guest Blogger: Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

dash dried leaf thyme

3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 package frozen peas (10 oz.), about 1 1/2 cups

1 2-1/2 to 3 lb. whole fryer

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup noodles (we used egg noodles)

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, except noodles, in order given. Cover and cook on LOW 8 to 10 hours, or HIGH 4 to 6 hours. One hour before serving, remove chicken and cool slightly. Remove meat from bones and return meat to slow cooker. Add noodles. Turn to HIGH. Cover and cook 1 hour.

*D: Just to be clear here, did you read the title of this recipe? Crock. Pot. Chicken. Noodle. Soup. Sounds good, huh?


You have no idea.


This recipe...let me just say that we've had leftovers for 3 days now and I wish they weren't almost gone. The chicken comes out moist and tender. The whole soup has a strong savory flavor that makes you wish you were a slow eater. Luckily I am. Often when you cook something with carrots and celery together, the flavors fight for the spotlight. Not in this recipe. And with all that parsley, it turns out to be a beautiful dish. Sounds strange, but it's so true.


This is technically a guest blogger recipe because I didn't make it. I was sick a few days ago and my husband whipped this up for me. He said he followed the recipe except for two things. We did not add peas (ew). And instead of adding one cup of egg noodles, he added about two and a half or three. The good thing is there was a lot more meal to go around - which is probably why we have had it for 3 days so far. The down side is the noodles soaked up all the moisture, making this more like chicken noodle stew than soup.


So, if you want to add more noodles, go for it. Just add a little more moisture - maybe a cup of water per extra cup of noodles?


Try this. You will love it, I promise. Especially on chilly winter days or when you're not feeling fantastic.

Pair it with some corn bread or homemade wheat bread and boy howdy, you've got heaven on your table.

Pin It

Abby's Party Salsa

Abby's Party Salsa
1 can diced tomatoes, drained (or 2 cups fresh)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
8 oz (1/2 bottle) of Zesty Italian Dressing
2 avocados, diced

Mix, chill, and  serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy! (That's not a suggestion, it's a premonition.)

*D: I recently had a baby. Truth be told, I had two babies, but my little Eli was stillborn. There were many complications with my pregnancy and I was put on bed rest for 3 months. The result? I missed my own baby shower! Luckily I have amazing friends who rescheduled the whole thing for 2 months later, a few weeks after Abigail was born.

One of the things served at my baby shower was this AMAZING salsa/dip. I stood by the bowl and ate as much as I could, and I even pilfered the leftovers without asking. I called my friend the next day and demanded the recipe. When she gave it to me, I made a batch that night. This stuff is so good.

I didn't know what to call it, but dubbed in Abby's Party Salsa in honor of my baby girl. If you share the recipe, do you mind keeping the name? That'd be awesome. Thanks. (And chances are you will want to share the recipe.)

I am not a big fan of black-eyed peas, so I don't like to put the whole can in. They add a good flavor base to the salsa, but if you get too much in there, it tastes a bit grainy and muddy (to me). Be careful of flavored diced tomatoes. I have a bunch of cans of diced tomatoes in my food storage, but not a single can is plain old tomatoes. They're all Italian seasoned or with sweet onion or with celery and jalapeno. They've all been good, but I think the plain has been the best.

The recipe makes a lot, which is good because I eat a lot of it. It's fairly healthy, so I feel pretty good about it when I eat it.

This might be fun to throw in some chunked chicken and couple with white rice in a tortilla for a new twist on burritos.Would that make it a twisted burrito...?  Pin It

Q-tip: Quick and Easy Pizza

I love pizza. Love, love, love pizza. But I don't necessarily love restaraunt chain pizza. It's ok, but after a few pieces, the grease just sits in my gut. Bleck. I can really only eat fast-food pizza about once a month, if that.

I love homemade pizza! I love the fresh flavor, the delicious crust, the feeling of accomplishing something awesome.

Sometimes, though, I don't have time to make pizza dough.

Do you know what pizza crust is? It's essentially bread. Right?

When you think of it that way, a whole new world of pizza possibilities comes into view. I'm going to share some of my favorite bread pizza crusts.

French bread: Just slice French bread in half long wise, then into smaller sections as you see fit. Slather on some pizza sauce (this is as easy as spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce with seasonings in it - you can add a dollup of tomato paste to thicken it a bit), cover with cheese and your desired toppings, then put in the oven to bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Each member of the family can decorate their own pizza with desired toppings. It's a great way to get the family involved!

English muffins: Same concept as the French bread. These are fun because the sour dough gives the pizza  different depth of flavor. Plus, the pizzas are already personal sized. Make sure the muffins are cut in half, cover with sauce and toppings. I usually put my English muffin pizzas in to broil for a few minutes - just until the cheese is melted.

Bread: Yes. A boring slice of bread can instantly become a piece of pizza. This is fun if you have a picky eater. It's obviously not as gourmet as the other two options, but it's fun to have an open cheese and pepperoni sandwich and call it pizza. Just toast a piece of bread and top it with a slice of American cheese while the bread is still hot. If the cheese doesn't melt, pop it in the microwave for 5 seconds. If you are going to top it with pepperoni, consider toasting the bread with cheese and pepperoni in a toaster over. If you don't have a toaster oven, cosider broiling for a minute or two. I think I'd probably skip the tomato sauce on thes one. Instead, I would serve it with tomato soup.

So, the next time you have no idea what to make for dinner, consider making pizza. And remember, you're not limited to kneading your own pizza dough. Pin It

Creamy Salsa Chicken Wraps

2-4 chicken breasts
1 c. chicken broth
1 c. salsa
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 15-oz can black beans, drained
1 package taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours OR high 3-4 hours.

Just before serving, shred chicken and mix back into sauce. Then stir in:
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Serve with warm flour tortillas and Spanish rice.

*D: This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes ever. I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the crock pot on high for 3 hours exactly (I set a timer), and it was done. The chicken was tender, so shredding with two forks was easy and only took me a few minutes.

I found that my sauce was really runny. In the future I might skip the chicken broth and just put in a tsp of chicken bouillon.

So yummy! Seriously, I ate the leftovers for breakfast the next morning. I'm not kidding. Pin It

Minty Bells

2/3 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup of butter (I have only used real butter)
1 TB water
1 c. of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 package of Andes mints

On medium heat, stirring constantly, melt brown sugar, butter and water. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool 10-15 minutes.  Then add flour, egg and baking soda.

Beat thoroughly.  Cover and chill 1 hour. Shape in balls (I use a cookie scoop) and bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes (they are better cookies soft rather than crunchy--my oven takes 10 min).  Remove from oven and while still on cookie sheet place an Andes mint (or part of one depending on how big your cookies are) on each cookie and gently press down.  Once it has melted use a knife to 'frost' each cookie with the melted mint and move to cooling racks.

Enjoy!

*D: Oh. My. Goodness. These cookies are DELICIOUS!!! You will want to double the batch - at least - every time. SO good.


Use real butter and semi-sweet chips for best results. Once the mint is melted onto the cookie, you can eat it. But, when the mint cools, it forms a bit of a hard frosting, and that is almost better.


Seriously, these are so good. Pin It

Fruit Filled Oatmeal Bars

AKA Jam Bars

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter
Raisin Filling, Apple-cinnamon Filling, Apricot-Coconut Filling, 10 oz (1 1/4 cup) preserves

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Cut in margarine or butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture. Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x3 inch baking pan. Spread with desired filling. Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.

Bake at 350* for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 25.

Raisin Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 water, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add 1 cup raisins. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.

Apple-Cinnamon Filling: Peel, core and chop 2 medium apples (about 10 oz). In a medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 TBSP sugar, 2 TBSP water, 1 TBSP lemon juice, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, and a dash ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or till apples are very tender.

Apricot-Coconut Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup snipped dried apricots and 2/4 cup water. Bring apricot mixture to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 TBSP all-purpose flour. Stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or til very thick. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut.

*D: If you skip making a filling and just use your favorite jam, this is about the easiest recipe in the world.

A few modifications: I greased the bottom of my pan! I also reserved about 3/4 of a cup of topping, and it worked out great.

About 2 years ago I made like a million half pints of plum jam, and I still have about 50 jars (not joking) left in my basement. This was a great way to use those! So I've had this recipe with strawberry jam and plum jam, both ways are delicious. I'm considering making a peach version as well.

Seriously, this is really easy and very delicious. It's not to heavy, so I don't feel guilty going back for seconds. :) Pin It

Six-can Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 - 15 oz can of corn, drained
2  - 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
1 - 10 oz can of chunk chicken (or 1 1/2 cups leftover cooked chicken)
1 - 14 oz can black beans
1 - 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (or whatever you have)

Pour all ingredients into a large pot. Cook on medium heat until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese.

Cook's Note: This recipe requires an oath of secrecy from the cook. Get rid of all the cans and then don't tell a soul. Your family and guests will think you've been cooking all day to create such a perfectly delicious homemade soup.

*D: This is about the easiest recipe I've ever come across. Every single one of the ingredients I keep in my food storage! It was fast, fresh and delicious. Very, very good. Mmmmm.

One thing I particularly loved about this soup was that the "canned chicken" flavor was absent. A lot of recipes seem to accentuate the fact that your chicken comes from a can. In this soup, all chicken is created equal.

We used a can of diced tomatoes with lime and cilantro. Sounds yummy, right? Well...it was, but we couldn't really taste the lime and cilantro part. So I'm not sure it really matters what flavor tomatoes you use.

We did not put cheese on top. There is only one soup I will put cheese on, and this is not it. But that might be your thing, so go for it. When serving chips with soup, you can just alternate bites between chips and soup, or you can skip the spoon and use your chip. Either way, it's yummy.

Try this out and tell me what you think. Pin It

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2/3 cup chunky salsa
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
1/2 TBSP Oregano
1 can black beans, drained
soft taco sized tortillas (about 12)
1/4 cup melted butter (or a bottle of butter spray)
2 chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 5o 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. combine all ingredients except tortillas, butter, and cheese into a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated.

2. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto center of tortilla. Top with a little shredded cheese. Fold 2 sides over filling, fold ends down. Place seam side down onto a cookie sheet.

3. Brush or spray the tops with butter. Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. If not golden brown by this time, put under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Top with guacamole, salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and/or cheese.

*D: This is a great freezer recipe! It makes about 12 - 14 chimichangas. You can just separate the leftovers and put them in a freezer bag.

I topped them with cheese and then baked them, and it was delicious.

I did not cook my chimichangas on a cookie sheet, I did it in a glass baking dish. I think either would work fine. I made two batches. The second time I accidentally forgot to put butter on top, and they turned out ok.

These had a very unique (and yummy!) flavor. They were relatively easy, and most of the ingredients are things I have on hand.

Yum! Pin It

Enchilada-zanga

2 - 3 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small pieces (about 3 cups), divided
1 can (28 oz) or 2 cans (15 oz each) mild red enchilada sauce
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups (8 oz pkg) shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies, undrained
1 pkg (12) corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 13x9 inch baking dish.

Combine enchilada sauce and sour cream in a medium bowl, set aside. Combine evaporated milk, cheese and chilies in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture on bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer with 4 tortillas, 1 cup enchilada sauce mixture, 1 1/2 cups chicken, 1 cup cheese sauce; repeat layers one more time, starting with tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas, enchilada sauce and cheese sauce. Cover with foil.

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover; cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

*D: I was intrigued by the whole lasagna meets enchiladas concept, but what really got me was the evaporated milk. What? Well, I have most, if not all, of these ingredients in my food storage, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I followed the instructions as is. I probably added about 3 cups of cheese because I wasn't sure 2 was enough. Good call on my part. I drained my chilies. I didn't have enough cooked chicken, so I had to use a can. The flavor wasn't as good, but it works in a pinch.

Here is how the layers go, starting from the bottom.

1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 1/2 cups chicken
1 cup cheese sauce
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 1/2 cups chicken
1 cup cheese sauce
4 corn tortillas
1 cup enchilada sauce mixture
1 cup cheese sauce

It is always easier for me to see it in a list like that when I'm layering dishes.

I usually sprinkle cheese on top of a casserole, but since the last ingredient is cheese sauce, I did not. It turned out just fine, I thought.

This is a delicious, easy casserole that tastes just like enchiladas. Very, very good. Pin It

Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - optional
1 TBSP sugar
5 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed (9 tablespoons)
5 oz grated sharp cheese
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425*. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and sugar. Add cold butter and rub into flour mixture with fingertips to achieve a coarse cornmeal texture. Add in cheese.

Make a well in the flour, add milk, work gently with a fork until dough pulls together.

Put onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for several minutes. Roll 1/2" thick. Cut biscuits with a 2" round floured cutter. Place on lightly floured cookie sheet and bake 12 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

*D: So...you've never made homemade biscuits before? Feeling...overwhelmed? Nervous? Scared? Intimidated?

Don't.

This is just about the EASIEST recipe in the history of easy recipes. I made this for the first time when I was first married (a million years ago). It was so easy, I've never looked for another biscuit recipe. You don't even need a mixer to make this. You use your fingers and then a fork. Easy. Seriously. Another thing I love is that I usually have every ingredient on hand. Biscuits are one of those foods that people are so impressed when you make them, but they're so easy you feel a little guilty accepting the praise.

Not too guilty though. You did, after all, do everything by hand.

Ok, so I have never added the cayenne pepper. I probably should just to see how the flavor is. Half a tsp is a good small amount, so if you're feeling spicy - get it? Spicy...ok. - add it in and tell me how it tastes.

I make this recipe for biscuits and gravy. When I do that, I omit the cheddar, but usually throw in some Parmesan just for kicks.

The butter measurement is a little whack. What's up with 5 oz of butter?! That is 9 tablespoons, meaning an entire stick of butter and a little sliver of another stick. It is easier to chop it up into small cubes before adding it to the flour. But when I made this last night, I forgot to chop so I just had a little more rubbing to do with my finger tips. No biggie. Also, 5 ounces of cheese? That's 5/8 of a cup. So, either make it a half or 3/4 depending on how much you love cheese. And I never have sharp on hand, so I make it with mild. I also sprinkled it on top before baking. I like cheese.

For fun you can add food coloring to the dough (I've done it for St. Patrick's day) or cut the biscuits with cookie cutters for fun shapes. Pin It

Amish Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup cooking oil
4 scant cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

Cream all wet ingredients. Addy dry ingredients. Add flour until it doesn't stick to the bowl. Chill. Roll into balls, dip in sugar and softly press with fork. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. They will be very light, as if they are not done.

*D: Disclaimer: I have NO idea why these are called Amish Cookies. They might as well be called Almond cookies. Don't ask me, I just write the recipes as they come.

I made these last night and Tyler loves them. They have the consistency of a snickerdoodle, but the light cherry type flavor of almonds.

I got this recipe from a fellow volunteer in Ecuador, so this recipe is exactly how she gave it to me. I followed it, but I have a few notes. If you cream all the wet ingredients you get clumps of butter that don't cream in because the eggs and such are too slippery. What I will probably do in the future is cream the granulated sugar and butter, then add the rest of the wet ingredients, and then the dry. I added the flour last, but I don't think it's really all that necessary. I didn't add any more or less flour. Just the 4 cups, regardless of how it reacted to the edge of the bowl.

I used the cooking oil, but if someone wants to be brave and use applesauce and tell me how it is, I'd be interested to know.

I baked them for 10 minutes and pulled them out even though they didn't look done. I think 11 minutes is better, though.

Don't use too much dough. These are better smaller. They do plump a lot in the oven. Pin It

Guest Blogger: Chili Pasta Skillet

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 -- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 can of corn
1/2 cup dried elbow macaroni
1 -- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, drained
2 to 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
A couple squirts of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese

In a large skillet, cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat.

Stir in beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, uncooked macaroni, green chiles, chili powder, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender, stirring often. Remove skillet from heat; sprinkle mixture with cheese.

*D: My sister-in-law sent this recipe to me. Her son is a picky eater and will always eat this dish! Pin It

Cream Cheese Chicken

4 chicken breasts cubed
1 stick of butter
1 pkg dry Italian Salad Dressing mix
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup

Put chicken, butter and dressing mix in a crock pot on low for 3 hours. Watch it, it cooks fast.

Then turn on high for half an hour. After cooking on high, add the cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. Cook for another half an hour on high.

Serve over rice or noodles. (Penne or egg noodles are yummy.)

*D: This is a recipe I've served and shared with my family. My sister hounded me until I finally put it on my blog to share with the world. :)

I love this dish. It's one of my absolute favorites. I make sure to always have cream cheese and Italian Dressing mix on hand, just in case. I usually follow the directions accordingly because, hey, they're easy.

If you don't have 4 hours, this can be made on the stove top. Melt the butter and cream cheese on low in a saucepan. Add the other sauce ingredients and let it simmer for a while. The chicken can be cooked on the stove top as well. Fry it in a pan - you don't need oil. Chicken creates its own juices. Just don't let it burn. If the pan starts to brown and the chicken is not done, turn down your heat and add a little water. Pin It

Easy Pie Crust

2 1/3 cup flour
1 cup soft butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup ice water

Mix well, but don't beat. Dough may be a little sticky. Let rest 5 minutes, then roll out on a floured surface. Put in pie dish and trim extras off the edges. Poke sides and bottom with a fork and bake for 12 minutes in a 375* oven.

*D: I am not a pie crust maker. I hate making pie crust because I always think it's harder than it is and that it doesn't turn out good. This crust is rather easy and tastes really good.

Be aware that the crust will shrink about half an inch as it bakes, so make sure there is a little extra around the edges.

This recipe makes 2 pie crusts. If you only need one pie, the leftovers can be rolled in a ball and refrigerated for a few days OR you can put it in a pie pan and freeze baked or thawed. Pin It

Pistachio Salad

1 package instant pistachio pudding mix (4 serving size)
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup small marshmallows
1/2 container of frozen whipped topping

Remember me telling you how you can say "Salad" in any recipe and it instantly sounds healthy? Yeah...this is one of those.

In a bowl mix pistachio pudding mix (NOT PREPARED PUDDING) and the crushed pineapple and juice. Fold in whipped topping. And marshmallows and gently mix.

Optional ingredients: chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds. Sliced bananas.

*D: This little salad has great flavor and color. It's very green which is festive for Christmas or St. Patrick's day. Let the pudding and pineapple juice thicken a little before adding the rest of the ingredients, and make sure it has a chance to set up in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Also, I use probably 2 cups of marshmallows when I make it. Pin It

Hot Cocoa

It was the first snowstorm of the season. The winds raged and beat against the house, the snow swirled and covered our windows so we couldn't see outside, and my husband put on his coat, hat, boots, gloves, and went out to shovel the snow.

He'd been out for over an hour when I peaked out the door (because the windows were useless) and saw he was shovelling the neighbor's driveway. He already done ours, but the wind blew the snow back and covered everything again with 2 inches of snow.

I knew my husband would need some hot chocolate when he came in. Just then I remembered that we were out of instant hot chocolate mix! What was I going to do?

Well, if you ever find yourself in this situation, fear not. With a few simple ingredients, you can have delicious hot chocolate.

Milk
Water
Cocoa powder
Sugar

Optional:
Creamer (powdered or dairy)
Cinnamon

In a small saucepan, heat milk over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. In a separate bowl, mix a few tablespoons of cocoa powder and a few tablespoons of sugar. Use a 3:2 ratio (3 tablespoons cocoa to 2 tablespoons of sugar) first. You can add more sugar later if you need.

When the milk is warm, not boiling, add a tablespoon to your cocoa mixture. Stir using a spoon and mash out any clumps. When your cocoa paste is all moist and clump free, add it to the warm milk and stir.

Voila. Hot cocoa! It is a little strong and slightly bitter, like dark chocolate compared to milk. Add creamer to cut the strong cocoa flavor. Add more sugar if desired.

I put in a dash of a cinnamon/sugar blend and it was SO good! In some ways this is better than store bought because it has a distinct flavor, however it is not as sweet. You just have to try it and see which you like better, but it's always good to know you can make hot cocoa even if you run out of mix.

Happy Holidays! Pin It

Chocolate Sauce

In a glass bowl, mix:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 TBSP cocoa
2 TBSP flour
1/8 tsp salt

Add:

2/3 cup milk
2 TBSP corn syrup
1 TBSP butter or margarine

Microwave 2 - 4 minutes, or until boiling. Stir well. Microwave an additional 2 - 5 minutes, stirring every 1 1/2 minutes, until sauce reaches desired thickness. Mix in 1 tsp vanilla . Let cool at room temperature and serve over ice cream.

*D: Easiest chocolate sauce ever. I realize cocoa may not be a product everyone has on hand. If you don't always have cocoa, I recommend you get some. It's a versatile ingredient that you can use for a lot of different recipes and baking techniques.

This is my Mother-in-law's recipe, and she only ever adds 1 TBSP cocoa. I usually do 2.

The longer you microwave the sauce (the second time), the thicker it is.

***Do NOT try to speed up the cooling process. It will turn into a chocolate brick. I'm not kidding.*** Pin It

Easy Cheesy Tuna Casserole

1 can Cream of Chicken soup
3 cups cooked pasta
1 can of tuna
1 cup shredded cheese

In a glass baking dish, mix pasta, soup, and tuna. Top with cheese and bake at 350* until cheese is melted.


*D: Easy, right? You know, I don't love tuna casserole, but I could eat this once a week. The tuna flavor was very subtle because there is only one can.

Variations: Use cream of mushroom instead, top with french fried onions or seasoned bread crumbs, add in half a bag of frozen peas, top with fresh tomatoes.

This is a small recipe - it only calls for 3 cups of cooked pasta. If you have more than 3 people in your family, I'd double it. I did not measure how much cheese I put on top. I just grated cheese and covered the top with a layer - that's my favorite part!

Yum. Pin It

Onion Pasta

1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
5 onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 pound pasta, cooked according to package directions


1.In a large skillet place oil, butter and onions and cook until golden brown.
2.Add basil, pepper, water and bouillon and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
3.Add onion mixture to cooked pasta, sprinkle with cheese, toss and serve.

*D: Ok, folks. I got this recipe by typing "pasta" into the search engine of allrecipes.com. I came up with no less than 3,140 recipes. I chose this one at random and it turned out to be a keeper - which is a good thing since the title is a little bit of a turn off.


Let me start off by saying, yes, you read that right. Five, count 'em, five, onions. Now, I giggled a little. Chuckled a bit, then promptly crossed off the 5 and wrote in a 1. Was it enough? Oddly...no. I would say maybe 2. I cut the oil in half and left the butter amount, and after I sauteed the onions, they became sweet. You'd almost expect to feel like you're biting into an onion when eating this pasta, but the flavor was unexpectedly light and (again) sweet. I used penne, but I would recommend penne, rotini, bow tie, ziti... any pasta besides long and skinny (like spaghetti or angel hair). I don't think those would be as good. But try it out and let me know if you'd like. And if you need ideas or have no clue what rotini is, click here.


So, cut the oil in half, make it two onions, add a little garlic and Bob's you're uncle. This was fast and delicious. Oh! And I forgot to sprinkle with cheese. That may have made a difference, but at least you know I ate it without the cheese and still enjoyed it. Pin It

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.

Wanna make it a meal?

Serve with a side of Black Beans or Spanish Rice and a simple green salad with Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing.

*D: My corn tortillas were way to crumbly. I made about 5 and they turned out to be like tostadas! :) But I used flour tortillas for the rest of them and they came out pretty good too. Tyler preferred the flavor of the corn tortiallas. Also, I used canned chicken because I was in a hurry. It tasted fine, but I think freshed chicken will taste better.


These were so delicious! And I will definitely be making them again. Pin It