Rob's Man-Made Salsa

This is the salsa that my husband, Rob, makes all of the time.  He created the recipe himself, and its really good.   Everyone always loves, so I promised my sisters I'd post it ASAP.  It's easy and YUMMY, so grab a bag of chips and enjoy!!!

56 oz. canned, diced tomatoes (fresh would be good, too!)
1 T. sea salt
1 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
1/8-1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 bunches of cilantro leaves, finely chopped (about 2 c.)
4 jalapeno peppers, diced.  (remove seeds for mild salsa, or leave some in for hotter salsa)

Potato Salad

Fill a six quart pan with potatoes (abt 7 pounds) and boil until tender. Cool and peel and cut into cubes. Add 12 hard-cooked eggs.
Mix one quart Miracle Whip (4 cups) and 1 can of evaporated milk (12 oz). Stir until creamy and well mixed. Season with 1 tsp onion salt and 1 tsp salt. Add to potatoes and eggs. Stir carefully until well mixed. Garnish with parsley flakes and paprika. Chill.
Fills the large tupperware mixing bowl.

Taco Pie

My friend brought this dish to us when I had Savannah. It was a hit with all of us, and has since become a staple in our dinner menu.

1 can pillsbury crescent rolls

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 onion, chopped

1 small can tomato sauce

1 pkg. taco seasoning

2 c. crushed fritos

1 c sour cream

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Cook meat and add taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Put rolls in a 9 inch pie plate to for the crust. (I have also done it in a 9x13 pan, and it's worked just fine.) Layer 1 cup crushed fritos, meat mixture, sour cream, chesse, and remaining fritos. Bakte at 375 degrees for 20- 25 mins.

Top with chopped tomatoes, avocados, and chopped lettuce.

Enjoy!

Olive Garden Pasta Fagioli Soup

This soup is an all time favorite at our house. It is so easy, and I usually have the ingredients on hand. Perfect for a day just like today when Mother Nature tricks us with a surprise storm! And, if there are any fellow Weight Watcher members our there, this hearty soup is only 3 points per serving!! Enjoy!

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 large carrot, shredded (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
1 15 oz. can great northern beans, drained
2 c. beef stock (or more as needed)
1 1/2 t. oregano
1 t. basil
2 t. parsley
1/2 t. thyme
dash tabasco sauce (optional)
1 26 oz. jar (or larger) spaghetti sauce
4 oz. small pasta, cooked and drained

Brown ground beef in a large pot. Drain any grease. Add remaining ingredients (except pasta) and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes more. If necessary, adjust amount of liquid by adding additional beef broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta.

Corn Chowder

This is one of my all-time favorite soups, so I thought I'd sneak it in here while it's still soup weather, depending on the day!  I made it Monday night when it was cold and rainy.  Next time I'm making a double batch because everyone wanted more on Tuesday, but...it was long gone.

I've had this recipe for a long time and it is really long and involved, so I've never made it exactly according to the directions.  Every time I make it I simplify it a little more and I can't tell a difference in the taste, so I'm giving you my easier, quicker, simplified version.  You can thank me later. :)

1/2 gallon chicken stock

1 bag of frozen corn (I like to use petite sweet or petite white)

4 slices of bacon, diced and uncooked (save 1/2 for garnish)

1 T. diced onion 

1 t. chopped garlic 

6 T. flour

6 T. butter, melted

4 oz. diced Yukon Gold potatoes

8 oz. pulled chicken meat

16 oz. heavy cream

1 T. finely chopped cilantro leaves (for garnish)

salt and pepper to taste

Start with your chicken stock, I usually just use water and chicken bullion.  While that's heating up, cook the bacon.  Drain the grease from the pan and put 1/2 the cooked bacon into stock and set the other half aside.  Put the diced onion in the frying pan and saute until transparent.  (I usually just pour some minced onion into the broth instead.)  Pour your bag of frozen corn into the frying pan and brown it slightly in the little bit of grease that is still in the pan.  Add the corn to the broth and add the garlic to the broth, also.  Bring the soup to a low boil.

In the same frying pan you've been using, melt the butter and flour to make the roux.  Let the roux cool while the soup boils on low for 1/2 hour.  Add the cooled roux to the soup while incorporating with a wire whisk.  Now let the soup simmer for an hour, stirring every now and then.  

While the soup simmers, dice the potatoes.  If you don't have Yukon Gold, just use whatever you have.  I usually buy a rotisserie chicken for my chicken meat and it's delicious that way, but the other night I just used canned chicken and it was still really good.  Add the potatoes, chicken, and cream and simmer for another 1/2 hour.  

After putting soup in bowls, top with remaining bacon and cilantro leaves for garnish.  (If you're out of cilantro like I was, dried works but fresh would have been even better!)

Now sit down with a bowl of yummy soup and enjoy all of your hard work! 

Yummy Bread Sticks

These are my favorite bread sticks!  They are good with spaghetti, lasagna, soup, you name it!  They are really pretty easy, and sooo good!  I have made them with thawed frozen roll dough before, and that's a little quicker.  When I do that, I don't twist them. They also have a more uniform shape that way, if you are worried about them being pretty!  I don't think they taste as good with frozen rolls so I usually make the dough myself.  It's worth it!!!

3 1/2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. water

1 T. yeast

Add yeast to warm water.  Mix dry ingredients, then add the water and yeast.  Knead dough and let rise 20 minutes.  Melt 1 cube of butter and pour onto cookie sheet.  Roll dough into a rectangle the size of cookie sheet.  Cut into 12  1" strips with pizza cutter.  Double strips in half and twist.  Roll the twists in the butter until well coated and arrange them on the cookie sheet.  Let rise till double, then sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.  I also add a little parsley for color.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  Watch closely, mine were finished after 12 minutes when I made them last night.  These make 12 really big bread sticks, so I usually cut the dough to make 18 and they are still a nice size.  You could make 24 smaller bread sticks, too.  They are so good everyone will want more than one.  My family loves them!

p.s.  These are best the day they are made, especially hot out of the oven.  So, don't feel guilty if you eat them all and don't save any for tomorrow.  It's better that way.  Enjoy 'em!

Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches

This is a fast easy dinner my family loves! Just throw everything in the crockpot and cook for 6-8 hrs.

1 roast

Beef broth (enough to cover about 1/2 to 3/4 of the beef)

1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup

2 pkg. McCormick Au Jus

After cooking shred the beef and strain the Au jus sauce. I put the beef on French bread sub rolls, topped with provolone cheese. I like to broil them opened faced in the oven till the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pour a small bowl of the Au Jus sauce for each person to dip their sandwhich in.

Dip and Enjoy!

The Most Delicious Sweet Rolls

These sweet rolls are SUPER DELICIOUS, so I have to start by saying: Don't judge these babies by my lacking photography skills.  I am telling you right now, I am not a professional with the camera.  I've had this camera for a few years now and haven't found time to read the manual.  If I get a good picture, it's pure luck!

Now, back to the deliciousness.  These have become a conference tradition at our house, and I try to make them only twice a year, because they are way too good and I eat way too many.  Up until a few years ago I had been making a different recipe every time, searching for "the one".  I got this yummy recipe from my sister's sister-in-law, Krista.  She has some great recipes at Krista's Culinary Creations.  The first time I made these, I knew my search was over and I've been making them ever since!  I made a few adjustments to the recipe, like adding chocolate chips.  I grew up thinking everyone put chocolate chips in their sweet rolls and when I got married and tasted sweet rolls made by someone besides my other, I was shocked to find raisins! I soon came to realize that this is a fairly common practice, but one that I well never convert to.  I do take pity on my husband and make a few raisin-loaded rolls just for him.  The rest of us prefer them the yummy chocolaty way.  But, do whatever your little heart desires!

Rolls 

1 c. warm milk

2 eggs

1/3 c. margarine, melted

4 1/2 c. bread flour

1 t. salt

1/2 c. white sugar

2 1/2 t. yeast

softened butter

cinnamon

brown sugar

walnuts or raisins, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. salt

Mix first seven ingredients.  (I always add the yeast to the water first and let it sit for a few minutes to make sure my yeast is going to cooperate).  Also, I only add four c. flour, then add more a little at a time if needed. Sometimes my dough has been too dry.  Knead dough for ten minutes.  Put in greased bowl and let rise till double.  Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.  Cover and let rest for ten minutes.  Roll dough into a 16x21" rectangle.  Slather dough with butter (don't count calories here, they're sweet rolls, after all)!  Give it a good sprinkling of sugar and cinnamon.  I leave out the brown sugar, I like the flavor of just using cinnamon sugar.  Then, add your chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, or leave them plain--whatever you're in the mood for.  Roll dough and cut into 12 pieces by putting dental floss or a strong thread under the roll and pulling it tight on top to slice the roll.  Place in lightly greased 9x13 pan and let rise until double.

Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Sometimes the tops of the rolls look done, but the middles are still doughy, especially if you are baking two pans on the same rack.  If this happens, lightly cover with a piece of foil to finish baking.  

While rolls bake, combine ingredients for frosting and beat until smooth.  I always add a little extra powdered sugar so the frosting is a little more sweet.  I don't really love the taste of cream cheese, but the frosting is really yummy.  Frost while rolls are still slightly warm and enjoy this little bit of heaven!

Oreo Truffles and Cookie Dough Truffles

These delightful little morsels were a big hit at the farewell, and its because they are delicious!  I have seen several recipes for the Oreo truffles, but I'll post the one I ended up using.  If I would have known we would be doing this blog, I would have taken pictures, but you can see them at The Sister's Cafe.  

They are really pretty easy, especially if you don't do them all in one day and make a triple batch of each.  I felt like I was just rolling and dipping all day.  It was worth it, though!  Yum!

Oreo Truffles

1 bag regular Oreos 

1 pkg.  softened cream cheese

1 bag white chocolate chips, vanilla almond bark, or candy melts

Grind the Oreos up in your food processor.  I put the ground Oreos in my mixer and mixed in the cream cheese. Some recipes I found called for 1 1/2 pkg. cream cheese, but I was running out so I just used one.  If you like cream cheese, use a little more.  Roll mixture into one inch balls and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  If you are using white chocolate chips, melt in microwave at 30 second intervals at 50% power till melted and creamy, or melt vanilla almond bark.  I've had bad luck with melting white chocolate chips, so I tried almond bark.  I ran out half way through and finished the rest with vanilla dipping chips (called candy melts) from the Wilton section at WalMart, and they were even easier to work with.  Use a fork to dip the balls in the white chocolate.  Let set until firm, then drizzle with melted chocolate  (chocolate chips, almond bark, or dipping chips).  Hide a few where you keep your secret chocolate stash cause they'll disappear fast!  Makes about 30.

Cookie Dough Truffles

I have absolutely no problem eating cookie dough with raw eggs, I've eaten more than my fair share!  This recipe doesn't have any eggs, for those of you who might be worried about it.  

1 c. butter

2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

3/4 c. brown sugar

small (3.5) oz. box vanilla instant pudding

1/4 c. milk

1 T. vanilla

2 c. mini chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar, add pudding and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla.  Mix in flour and baking soda and mix until well combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  This might shock you all, but I thought 2 cups was a little too much chocolate.  Next time I'm going to do 1 1/2 cups and add a little at a time from there.  Roll into balls and refrigerate for an hour or two, then dip in melted chocolate.  The recipe I used (from The Sister's Cafe) says to dip in melted chocolate chips, but I feel like the chocolate chips don't harden very well and stay too soft, so I used the dipping chips again.  They are a little more expensive than a bag of chocolate chips but are really easy to work with and taste good, too.  So, dip however you want too!  Drizzle with melted white chocolate, and go hide a few of these, too!  I'm not sure how many this recipe makes, I tripled it and didn't count them all.  :)

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are some cookies that I made for the farewell that some of you wanted the recipe for.  I found this yummy recipe on www.dealstomeals.com.  You can check their web sight for pictures, since I didn't get any pics of these.  The dough is really tasty, so good luck having any left to stick in the oven!

1 c. butter

8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. plus 2 T. white sugar

2 eggs

2 t. fresh squeezed orange juice (juice from 1/2 an orange)

1 t. vanilla

zest of 2 oranges

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. salt

12 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer and beat until smooth.  Add all other ingredients except for chocolate chips.  Blend well, then fold in chocolate chips.  Dough will be pretty sticky.  Spoon golf ball sized balls of dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Don't over bake, they are better soft!  Pour yourself a cold glass of milk, and enjoy!

Welcome!

Our sweet and brilliant cousin, Sarah England, had a great idea at my son Tyson's missionary farewell the other day.  Many of us were wanting to exchange recipes for the different salads and desserts we were enjoying and she suggested we start an extended family food blog, where we can post yummy recipes that we think others would love too.  I told her that was a great idea, and to get working on it!  But, I know she is a busy mom with a newborn baby.  I'm a busy mom too, but the lack of a newborn in my house frees me up a little.  (I do miss having a newborn, though!)  Since I had already promised recipes to some sisters and cousins, I decided to go ahead and get this great idea going, so I could share my recipes...just like I promised.

This would be the perfect place for my sister Emily to share her chocolate cupcake recipe, and for Aunt Arlene to let us know how she makes her delicious potato salad (hint, hint)!

 I hope you will all want to contribute to this family blog whenever you can. Whether your recipe is a new-found favorite, or something that's tried and true and has been handed down for generations,  feel free to share it!

The rest of us will love you for it!!!