taco soup.

Taco Soup.


Ingredients:
1. 1 lb. ground beef, browned
2. 16 oz. can chili beans, with liquid
3. 15 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
4. 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, with liquid
5. 8 oz. can tomato sauce
6. 2 cups water
7. 14.5 oz. can chili ready diced tomatoes
8. 14.5 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

9. 4 oz. can diced green chile peppers
10. 1 tbsp. chili powder

11. 1/4 tsp garlic powder

12. 1/4 tsp. onion powder

13. 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

14. 1/4 tsp. paprika

15. 1/4 tsp. oregano

16. 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Recipe:

1. Combine all ingredients in a crock-pot. Cook on the low setting for about 8 hours.

pizza braid.

Pizza Braid.


Ingredients:
1. Rhoades bake n serve white bread loaf (frozen bread department)
2. pizza sauce
3. cheese (I used shredded mozzarella and a fiesta blend)
4. toppings (I used green pepper, ground beef, and pepperonis)


Recipe:
1. The dough takes a few hours to rise, so take it out at least 4-6 hours before you want to bake it. Wrap with plastic wrap.   
2. On a coated cookie sheet, press out the dough into a large rectangle. Then spread some pizza sauce. Add toppings and cheese. Keep everything close to the middle to leave room for the braiding.
3. Then cut about 1 in. thick strips down the whole rectangle. Keep the strips equal of both sides. Take the first strip and pull it down to the second strip on the other side. Then take the first strip on the other side and do the same. Keep braiding all the way down and make sure to tuck in the ends. (it will rise more during baking, causing it to come undone if not tight) 
4. Spray the top once braided and bake at 350 for about 20-30 mins. until golden brown.


Credit to idea: busy-mommy.com

january wedding.

This past Friday I had the privilege to witness two of my good friends marry each other. I could truly feel their love and happiness as I watched them take their vows. It was amazing. And beautiful.

As I sit back and try to think of more things to put on here, I'm at a loss. I haven't been doing any crafts lately, something that really needs to be fixed. I am working more and more since Mike has lost his job and we have switched roles, hence less and less new recipes. And little man is more and more difficult, pretty much at the peak of his terrible twos (hoping for the demise soon).

With that said I am going to be trying harder and harder to make time to do those crafts I've been thinking about.  Or that yummy dinner I saw in a magazine months ago, that I want to try and tweak.

homemade spaghetti and meatballs.

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs.


Ingredients:
Meatballs:
1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. 1/2 cup bread crumbs
3. 1 tbsp. water
4. 1 egg
5. 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
6. 1/2 tsp. italian seasonings


Sauce:
1. 3/4 cup chopped onion
2. 5 cloves garlic, minced
3. 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
4. 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
5. 2 teaspoons salt
6. 3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
7. 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

Recipe:
Meatballs:
1. In large bowl combine egg, water, bread crumbs, and seasonings. Add ground beef, broken into chunks, and mush with your hands to combine. 
2. Form into meatballs about 1" in diameter and place on a broiler pan. 
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until meatballs are no longer pink in center. 


Sauce:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. 
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Add meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve with your choice of pasta.

one pot chili.

One Pot Chili.


Ingredients:
1. 1 lb ground turkey
2. 1 small onion, chopped
3. 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
4. 1 tsp olive oil
5. 2 cups water
6. 1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
7. 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
8. 1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomato and green chilies, undrained
9. 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
10. 2 tsps. chili powder
11. 1 tsp. ground cumin
12. 1/2 tsp. oregano
13. 2 cups dried penne pasta
14. sour cream
15. cilantro


Recipe:
1. In a large saucepan, cook the ground turkey, onion and green pepper in the oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the water, beans, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine sour cream and cilantro. About 1 tsp. cilantro to every cup of sour cream. 
4. Top chili with sour cream mixture.