I want to win decals!

Go HERE to check out some pretty cute crafty ideas and other fun stuff. It's a great website! I was just recently introduced to it. . . AND I want to win decals! :)

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup

My crock pot has been on my mind lately. It's so neglected, sitting there on the shelf collecting dust. I feel I owe it to her to use her more often...and...I'm not feeling as excited to spend alot of time on dinner lately. So, I've been looking at different crock pot recipes. Coincidentally, I also received an e-mail from Jake's cousin, asking for favorite crock pot recipes. This is the one I did last night and has always been dependable and scrumdiddlyumptious!

Crock Pot Tortilla Soup
Friend: Adrianne Schmutz

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or a can of chicken if you forgot to thaw your frozen chicken like I do everyday!)
1 15 oz. can diced tomato's
1 16 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce
1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 15 oz. can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 med. onion, chopped (I use about a 1/4 c. of dehydrated onion when cutting a fresh one isn't in my plans)
2 tbs. minced garlic (once again, go for the powder stuff if it suits you)
2 c. water (I cut this almost in half)
1 15 oz. can chicken broth
1 15 oz. can corn, drained
2 tsp. each of cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper (I cut down on the spicy stuff a bit)
2 tbs. cilantro, chopped

Combing all ingredients (except cilantro) in a crock pot. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours. Add cilantro right before serving. Top with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and avocado.

*When I made this, I used the canned chicken and cooked it on high for 3 hours. It was great!

B A N A N A S... Go bananas!!

My favorite Banana Bread recipe comes out of "Nielsen Family Favorites" recipe book. It's all the favorite recipes from my hubbies side of the family. It really should be published for all to enjoy. So many of his Aunts, cousins, and so on, are amazing cooks and have gone to cooking classes. I feel like these recipes are the best of the best (well, there is the occasional "O-kay, not going to do that recipe again." But it doesn't happen too often).

So here is the recipe that was put in by Jake's cousin, Michelle.

Banana Bread

1 C. Sugar
4 T. Butter
1 Egg
1 C. Mashed bananas (4-5 thoroughly ripe bananas)
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking soda
Cream butter, sugar, and egg. Beat in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350°. (I bake mine at 325° for around 70min. so the outside doesn't get too done before the inside is cooked.)

2 months later...

I absolutely LOVE cooking this blessed Turkey on this blessed holiday all because of this blessed (that's right, I did say it again) recipe. "Absolutely fool proof!" to quote Julia Childs. Very easy and ends up being the most beautiful turkey. The picture below is from my first time cooking it in 2006.
Maple-Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 bunch fresh sage, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (12 to 14-pound) fresh turkey, giblets, neck, and liver discarded
• 8 strips bacon
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
  
• 2 tablespoons hot water
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and remove the top rack of the oven.

Put the butter and sage in a mixing bowl and mash with a fork or spoon until the sage is well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. {I don't use "kosher salt" or "freshly ground pepper" AND I use dried sage off my spice rack since this is about the only time each year I use it. I use as much as it takes to look like a good mixture with the butter. I don't think you can go wrong on this one.}

Rinse the bird thoroughly inside and out with cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the turkey breast and slip the remaining seasoned butter under, massaging the breast meat as you go. {I bath the bird under the skin with the butter mixture. I push up the skin as much as I dare without breaking the skin and massage the butter into the breast meat. You can see where the bird is darker colored on my picture - that's from the sage and butter under the skin.}

Truss the bird by crossing the legs over one another and tying with a piece of kitchen twine. Shingle the bacon strips over the breast so it's totally covered. Put the turkey on a rack in a large roasting pan, cover the turkey with aluminium foil, and place in the oven.

In a small bowl, stir the maple syrup with 2 tablespoons of hot water to thin. Roast the turkey for 2 hours, basting with the maple glaze every 30 minutes. Continue cooking until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F. The thigh juices will run clear when pricked with a knife, about 3 hours total (15 minutes per pound). About 1/2 hour before you think the turkey is done, remove the foil so that it can brown. When done take the turkey out of the oven and put the roasting pan on the stove top. Transfer the turkey to a serving tray to rest at least 20 minutes before carving. Serve with Turkey Gravy. {I find that the worst thing you can do is overcook the turkey. We get so afraid of it being raw that it ends up being super dry from cooking too long. Just my observation.}

Zoppa Tuscana

This soup is supposedly the same recipe as Olive Garden's Zoppa Tuscana Soup. I can't guarantee that but I think I like this just as much as theirs.

Zoppa Tuscana Soup

2 3/4 C. Chicken Broth
1/4 C. Heavy Cream
1 Med. Russet Potato cut into bite size pieces
2 C. Kale chopped
1/2 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage (I find this a little spicy even when I use mild Italian sausage)
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper (maybe go lighter on this if you don't like spice)

Grill or cook sausage then cut it up (I cook mine like hamburger). Combine broth and cream over medium heat. Add potato and Kale to pot. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer until tender. *Serves 4 peeps as an appetizer or 2 as an entree.

Cafe Rio Pork Salad/Burritos

This is by far the best recipe I have found for these burritos so far.

CAFÉ RIO PORK SALAD
(Kaori Anderson)

4 lbs of pork roast
3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)
3 tsp pressed garlic
3 c brown sugar
4 tsp cumin
1 1/2 c Dr. Pepper
4 Tbsp Molasses
1/2 tsp salt
5-6 drops tobasco sauce
1 Sarrano chile

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot, cover and cook 10 hours on low. When pork falls apart or shreds easily remove from juice. Simmer the juices until it reduces to 1/3-1/2. Put the pork back in the crock pot with a little juice (so it doesn’t dry out while waiting for the juice to simmer) and shred. Then add the juice back in for flavor.


CAFE RIO RICE-

3 cups water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic – minced
½ bunch cilantro
1/2 can green chiles
¾ t salt
1 T butter
½ onion
1 ½ cups rice (not minute rice)

Blend cilantro, green chiles, and onion together in food processor or blender. Bring water to a boil and add all the ingredients including the blended ingredients. Simmer covered on low for 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully as this can burn easily.


CAFE RIO DRESSING-

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (made as per recipe with 2 c.
buttermilk and 2 c. mayonnaise)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno (use the seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients.

BLACK BEANS
2 cans black beans
3-5 chopped green onions
Garlic salt to taste (not too much it won’t taste good)

Bring to boil and then simmer on low.


How to build your Salad:
Flour Tortilla
Cheese (you can melt the cheese on the tortilla in microwave if
desired)
Beans (pinto or black)
Rice
Chicken
Romaine Lettuce
Fresh Salsa
Guacamole
Sprig of cilantro
Lime wedge (squeeze over top)
Crushed Tortilla chips
Dressing

Pork Tacos
Toritilla
Pork
Cilantro
Avocado
Lime
Dressing
Cheese

Burrito
Pork taco stuff plus lettuce, beans, and rice.