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

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

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

Spaghetti Sauce (canning recipe)

9 quarts “mashed” tomatoes (36 cups)
4 green peppers
1 ½ TB oregano
1/3 cup salt
4 chopped onions
2 TB pepper
2 large cloves garlic
8 TBSP can sweet basil 
1 29 oz can tomato puree
2 cups brown sugar
3 TB Italian seasoning
2 TB chili powder

This makes about 19 pints. To prepare your tomatoes: blanch them, core them, skin them and then put them in a blender or food processor. Blend to your desired consistency (we like our spaghetti sauce with no chunks). Then pour into measuring container to measure out the 9 quarts. Use about half cup of tomatoes to puree the garlic. Since we don’t like real chunky spaghetti sauce, we also put the green peppers and onions in the blender. Cook all ingredients in a huge pot for about half an hour, longer if you want thicker sauce. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will be.

Pressure cook for 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts at 13 pounds.

*D: If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can try to divide this recipe into freezer containers. I'd estimate it will last about 6 months in the freezer. Maybe a little longer. Do not try to water bath this recipe. Your food will not be shelf stable and you can get very sick.

The best part about making this recipe is that your house will smell like yummy spaghetti sauce for the rest of the day! Yum yum. 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

Spanish Rice

1 1/2 cups rice (raw)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup plain tomato sauce
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4 of a medium onion
2 TBSP oil
4 heaping tablespoons of finely chopped parsley (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add he fresh garlic and onion. Saute for 1 - 2 minutes until softened. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 4 minutes until rice becomes golden brown color.

Add broth and tomato sauce (slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!). Add in the parsley if you're using it. Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.

*D: So in my family they make Spanish rice, and it's a little different from this...but I have yet to get the recipe. So I had to make due with a recipe I did have, and I think it's quite tasty. Make sure you use the called for amount of broth and tomato sauce. If not, you will have crunchy rice. Here's a tip: 1 can of broth is not enough! I made this a few weeks ago and didn't realize I was only adding 1 1/2 cups of broth instead of two. The rice was too crunchy to enjoy. Don't make that mistake. Second time around I soaked my rice for about 10 minutes, but if you follow the recipe, you shouldn't have to do that either.


Variations: you can add chopped cooked chicken to make it a little more substantial. I've read of people who had a small can of chilies or instead of regular tomato sauce they had a spiced tomato sauce with chilies.


You can use this recipe (as it is) as a side dish or as a filling in burritos. The possibilities are endless! OK, not endless, but there are a lot of them. Pin It

Creamy White Chili

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes (or 1 14oz can of chicken)
1 med. chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp garlic or garlic powder
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 (15 1/2 oz) cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained (OR 1 lb dehydrated beans)
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth
1 or 2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and whipping cream or milk.

*D: Can I tell you how much I love this recipe? I LOVE this recipe...and I hate chili! This tastes almost more like a white bean soup rather than chili. I used canned chicken and it was delicious. I also used dehydrated beans instead of cans because they are cheaper and store longer.


If you use dehydrated beans, the recipe calls for 1 lb of dry beans which is about half a bag or about 2 cups..maybe 3. Sort through beans to remove "bad" beans and rocks. Rinse the beans, then place in a bowl or pan and cover with water. Soak the beans at least over night, but it might be best to give yourself an extra day, just in case the beans are stubborn. Continue to add water as necessary. After beans are softened, rinse and they are ready to use.


I found that I needed a little more moisture in my chili, so I ended up adding another can of broth and it turned out great. But don't add it unless you are sure you'll need it.


What I love most about this recipe is everything in it I keep on hand. I just need to make sure, from now on, that I have plenty of Great Northern Beans. It's also extremely easy! It was time consuming and took planning because my beans needed re-hydrated; but it took me a few minutes to throw all the ingredients into a pot and start cooking. Pin It