Month: September 2010

Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice

Here’s an old favorite family recipe that is easy to make and is a hit with the whole family.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw rice
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 1 can chicken with rice soup
  • 1 can water
  • 1 pkg dry Lipton onion soup mix
  • 1 raw cutup chicken or chicken breasts, if desired. (I like to remove the skin to decrease the fat)

Instructions

Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Pour the raw rice evenly in the pan. Place the chicken on top of the rice. Combine all the soups and water together and pour over the top of the chicken. Cover pan with foil and bake @ 350 degrees for 2 hours.

Fabulous Feta and Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad

Fabulous Feta and Sundried Tomato Pasta Salad
This recipe originally was from D’Amico and Sons, but I have modified it a bit. It can be a main dish salad if you add the chicken. I prefer it as a side salad without the chicken. It is fabulous, easy, and always gets rave reviews. Create your own unique flavor using flavored olive oils.

Ingredients

  • 8 oz penne pasta, cooked
  • 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
  • 3/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
  • 3/4 cup Feta Cheese
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (sometimes I leave this out)
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped cooked chicken (optional)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, adding olive oil and lemon juice last. Chill before serving.

My Mom’s Best Meatloaf Recipe

This is the meatloaf that my Mom always made and I think she probably got it off of the Lipton Onion Soup package. In fact it may still be there. I’ve tried many different meatloaf recipes, but this one is still my favorite and it is so easy.

My Mom’s Best Meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 1/3 cup catsup
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, combine all ingredients.
  3. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking pan.

Baking time (duration): 45 minutes or until done.

Better than Dairy Queen Cake

Ice Cream Cake
Ice Cream Cake
This is my family’s most frequent request for their birthday cake. Originally it was a “Peanut Buster Bar Dessert”, but my family liked it better without the peanuts and with different flavored ice cream. So if you want the Buster Bar dessert, just add a layer of Spanish peanuts on top of the chocolate and use vanilla ice cream.

  • 1 package Oreo cookies, crushed
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Combine and pat into bottom of 9×13 inch pan. Freeze for a couple of hours.

  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2/3 cups chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Combine the above ingredients and boil for 8 minutes, let cool.

Spread 1/2 gallon softened ice cream, on the frozen cookie crumb crust. My family likes cherry chocolate chunk. Use any flavor that goes with chocolate! Refreeze and then spread cooled chocolate sauce on ice cream.

Freeze and top with cool whip and freeze again.

Balsamic Vinaigrette from Creede Hotel

Salad
Salad
I am vacationing in a cabin in Colorado. Today I went to the grocery store to buy food. I decided to make grilled chicken on salad greens for dinner. I always make my own salad dressings, but opted to buy bottled dressing instead of buying all the necessary ingredients to make my own. I prefer an oil and vinegar dressing, so I bought a bottle of Balsamic Vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil. I can’t believe that they bottle this stuff. The first ingredient listed was………….water, then vinegar, then olive oil, followed by soybean oil and corn oil!
I decided to share my favorite vinaigrette recipe that I got from the Creede Hotel in Creede, Colorado. It is really my favorite and is so easy to make. Just remember to always use good quality oil and vinegar.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice (o.k., I do use bottled lemon juice sometimes)
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 1 Teaspoon Minced Fresh Garlic

Directions

Mix all ingredients and serve over fresh greens.

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Grandma Tasher’s Homemade Navy Bean Soup

Bean Soup
Bean Soup
This is an old family recipe that must be close to 75 years old. My Grandma made it and my Mom made it and she is now 87. I’ve tried other recipes, but always come back to this one. I think the shredded carrots give it the perfect color, great consistency, and perfect flavor. My Grandma gave me the recipe with very loose instructions. She just said to start it @ 1:00 to have dinner @ 5:00!

  • 1 piece of pork (I prefer a leftover ham bone)
  • 1 1/2 cups navy bean, sometimes I add part pinto beans
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced
  • 4 pieces celery, diced
  • 4 or 5 grated carrots, grated
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • garlic powder or salt (I like lots of garlic)
  1. Cook the beans in about 2 to 3 quarts of water for about 1 hour.
  2. Add the pork and cook for another hour.
  3. Add potatoes, onion, and celery and cook for a hour.
  4. Add shredded carrots and cook for another hour.

Best Ever Guacamole

Guacamole
Guacamole
This is an easy and delicious recipe that my daughter made in Home Economics Class, back in the 90’s.

  • 2 large, ripe avocados
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped chile serrano
  • 1 Medium tomato, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  1. Peel avocado and cut into chunks, remove seed.
  2. In a bowl, mash avocados with a fork until smooth.
  3. Add remaining ingredients.
  4. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Put one avocado seed in container and add a squeeze of lemon juice.
  6. Cover tightly.

Nani’s Favorite Summer Salsa

This is the salsa that I love to make at the end of the summer when the garden is overflowing with red, ripe tomatoes. I got this recipe from an ex-coworker’s husband. He used to make it for all of our potlucks.

Salsa

Mix together the following and let stand a minimum of 1 hour or up to a few days.

  • 4 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1-5 jalapeno peppers, deseeded and chopped
  • 1-2 onions, chopped
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 green pepper, chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

    • Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and Enjoy!

    Categories
    Cookies

    Oatmeal Raisin M&M Cookies

    Cookies
    Cookies
    Supercharged cookie recipe.

    Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter
  • 1 cup brown cane sugar firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup white cane sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups Quaker old fashioned oats uncooked
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 6 ounces M&M’s milk chocolate
  • 6 ounces M&M’s peanut butter

    • Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.
    3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.
    4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.
    5. Stir in oats, raisins and M&M’s. Mix well.
    6. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
    7. Bake 11 minutes or until golden brown.
    8. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet then move to wire rack.

    Cooking time (duration): 11 Minutes