Taco Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger meat
1 can refried beans
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper chopped
1 can green chilies
2 – 3 cloves of garlic
1 package taco seasoning
1 can tomato paste
2/3 cup shredded cheese

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Take a casserole dish and spray with cooking spray.
2. Spread refried beans on the bottom of the casserole dish and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Sauté meat, onions, bell pepper and garlic until meat is brown. Drain the meat and add the taco seasoning and cook for about 3minutes.
4. Add green chilies and tomato paste to meat mixture and water if it is not moist enough.
5. Take the casserole dish out of the oven and pour meat mixture on top of the beans. Cover with cheese and back for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Baked Beans

Since this weekend is Labor Day and lots of people will be making BBQ I thought I would share my favorite side dish. Every time I make this there is never any left.

Ingredients:
3 cans pork n beans
1 teaspoon mustard
½ cup ketchup
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup onion
3 slices of bacon

Directions:
1. Cut back into bite size pieces.
2. In a bowl mix a beans, mustard, ketchup, sugar, onion and bacon.
3. Pour into a greased baking dish.
4. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups V8 (can use tomato juice)
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups mixed vegetables
2 garlic cloves – finely chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups pasta

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients into a slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook for 7 – 8 hours.
3. Add pasta last 15 – 20 minutes of cooking time.

Busy Day Crock Pot Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 box chicken flavor rice a roni

Directions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot. Pour soups over chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
3. Once chicken is done cook rice a roni according to box.

*I have severed this over brown rice. All I did was cook the brown rice in chicken broth.

*Sometimes I add 1 cup of frozen veggies during the last hour of cooking.

Lemon Herb Pork Chop Marinade

Ingredients
1 1/2 Tablespoon lemon Juice
2 teaspoons Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
1 teaspoon pepper
2 pork chops

Instructions
1. In a Ziploc bag combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, Oregano, pepper.
2. Place pork chops in bag and seal. Shake the bag so the marinade covers both chops.
3. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Turning the bag frequently.
4. Heat the grill and spray the grill grate before placing the chops. Cook about 5 to 7 minutes per side, until done.

Spicy Squash Casserole

Ingredients:
2 yellow Squash
2 Zucchini
1 carrot
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion
1 garlic clove minced
2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can mild green chili’s
2 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop squash, zucchini, and carrots into bite size pieces. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. While vegetables are simmering melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Stir in onion and cook until translucent. Then add garlic and cook for another minute. Scrap onion and garlic mixture into a bowl and wipe skillet clean.
4. Melt the last tablespoon of butter into the skillet. Pour 1 cup of the Ritz cracker crumbs into skillet. Cook briefly until golden in color. Scrape the crumbs onto a small plate and reserve them.
5. Drain the vegetable mixture. Mash the vegetables just a bit.
6. In a mixing bowl stir vegetables, cheese, can of green chili, onion mixture and the remaining cracker crumbs. Stir in eggs and salt and pepper mixture to taste
7. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Scatter toasted cracker crumbs over top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup peanut butter (I use crunchy)
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup flour
¾ teaspoon soda
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees.
2. Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar.
3. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until creamy.
4. In a small bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
6. Mix completely.
7. Roll dough into balls then roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and use a fork to make a crisscross pattern.
8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

I made this recipe over the weekend and just now getting around to posting it. I have made this a few times now and will not go back to the store bought Sloppy Joe mixes.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon mustard
¾ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown beef and bell pepper. Drain off liquids.
2. Stir in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar and pepper flakes. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Tuna Salad

I was looking for a new Tuna Salad that strayed away from my usual. My usual was tuna, mayo, eggs, celery and pickles. I came across this and I just had to try it. I made it this time with dill pickles and with out the curry since I did not have any. It was good as a sandwich we had none left over. I will definitely be making this again and I think I will try it with curry next time too.

Ingredients:
1 can white tuna drained
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoon chopped pickles
1/8 teaspoon minced onion
¼ curry powder
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour
3. Serve with crackers or bread

Peking Pork Chops

I serve this recipe over brown rice. You can serve it over rice or noodles.

Ingredients:
4 – 6 pork chops
¼ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 – 2 cloves garlic

Instructions:
1. Mix brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, ketchup and garlic together.
2. Place pork chops into crock pot.
3. Pour mixture over pork chops.
4. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

Recipe Boxes

I feel my most prized possession when it comes to cooking is the cooking experiences I learned from my Mother and Grandmother. I think this became clear when I was moving from Texas to Washington and had to pack up my kitchen. In my kitchen I had my Grandmothers, my Mothers and my recipe boxes. Through these I see the history of how recipes developed from different periods.

I get to see my Grandmother’s and Mother’s handwriting on each card. It is like looking back into there lives since they are no longer here. It gives me a piece of them to remember them by. I feel my passion of cooking comes from them. I hope to pass on my recipe box and these to my kids someday. I feel the hand written recipes will give them a look into the past too.

Grandmother's Recipe Box


My Mother's Recipe Box


My Recipe Box

Pancakes

When I first starting making pancakes I always used the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box. I think that started because that is how my mother use to make pancakes. A couple years ago I wanted to try a recipe from scratch. I hunted many recipe sites and finally combined a few to make a pancake recipe I really enjoy. These are so light and fluffy you always just want to make them.

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups flour
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 ¼ cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions:
1. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. Make a well in the center and pour the milk, egg and melted butter and mix until smooth.
3. Heat pan or griddle over medium heat. Pour about ¼ cup batter per pancake onto griddle or pan. Brown on both sides.

Alice Jo's Spaghetti Sauce (Paula Deen Recipe)

While watching the Food Network yesterday I saw Paula making this recipe and it made me want pasta for dinner. I went to the Food Network website and found the recipe and made it last night. I omitted the Worcestershire sauce since hubby does not like it. I also used less onion and used Italian stewed tomatoes. This recipe was so good and made lots of leftovers. Here is the recipe I copy from the Food Network. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water

Instructions:
1. Brown the beef in a large, heavy bottomed pot, then drain off the fat.
2. Add the onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, seasonings, and water.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let cool. The sauce will keep for several days covered and refrigerated.

London Broil

Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
4 pounds of steak


Instructions:
1. In a Ziploc bag mix garlic, salt, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, pepper and oregano.
2. Place meat in bag and make sure all pieces are covered.
3. Place bag into refrigerator over night. Turning the bag often.
4. Grill about 5 to 7 minutes or until the meat is done to your liking.

Black Bean Soup

Last night we wanted something quick and easy so I we went with this recipe. Very easy to adjust the heat of the soup.

Ingredients:
1 can (13 ounces) premium chunk chicken breast in water
1 can Rotel (I use Mexican but here you can use what ever flavor you like to control the heat)
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans black beans drained
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic from the jar

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.
2. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Once soup is done you can top with your favorite cheese and tortilla chips.

Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 pounds potatoes, quartered
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 packet Ranch Seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon oregano

Instructions:
1. Place oil, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, parsley and oregano into a Ziploc bag.
2. Place potatoes into bag. Seal bag and toss until all potatoes are covered.
3. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 450 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until potatoes are brown and crisp.

Special K Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup White Karo
1 12oz jar of crunchy peanut butter
5 cups Special K cereal

Instructions:
1. Combine sugar and White Karo in a pot and cook until it boils to the center. Take of stove.
2. Immediately add jar of peanut butter and cereal.
3. Mix until the cereal is covered completely.
4. Form into balls and place on wax paper to dry.

Chicken Giggle

Ingredients:
1 to 2 chicken breast (cooked and chopped)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Chili powder
1 bag Doritos
1 to 2 cups Shredded Cheese

Instructions:
1. Mix together soups, pepper, chili powder, onion and chicken in a casserole dish.
2. Take half bag of Doritos and place them into a Ziploc bag and crush. Once all chips are crush pour over soup mixture.
3. Cover casserole with shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Welcome

Welcome to my collection of recipes. I am trying to organize all the recipes I have and I thought I would share them with all my family and friends. I enjoy cooking and sharing my love with others. I hope you enjoy this site as much as I will enjoy share my love of food with you. I hopefully will add pictures to each recipe when I make them again.

Enjoy!