Dinner Anyone?

Well, today was a day that I finally felt like cooking. Antibiotics are an amazing thing in making one feel better.

After posting the Chili Recipe yesterday I decided I was on a roll and wanted some sort of soup today. My kids both LOVE baked potatoes so Baked Potato Soup it is. We have Chase's AFTERS soccer and Kenzie's dance this evening so not home till nearly 6 pm and we usually eat 5 or 5:30 so this will be nice to have ready on the stove when we get home. If you are interested, here is the recipe. I made a half pot as that is plenty for our family of 4. It took less than 1 hour from decision to make it till completely ready just needs reheated when we get home.

Baked Potato Soup

6 medium baking potatoes, cut bite sized & boiled (I leave skins on and use Yukon Gold potatoes)

1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled (I use costco real bacon bit and about 1 cup of that)

4 stalks green onions, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, chopped

6 cups milk

2 cups water

2 cups shredded cheese

8 oz sour cream

1 cup butter

In a large pot, melt butter. Add flour, when mixed together, add onions adn celery and cook till tender. Add milk and stir until smooth. Cook at medium temperature. Stir often so it won't stick to bottom of pot. Add water, and stir to combine. Add bacon, cheese, green onions and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add sour cream and potatoes. Thin as needed with water or milk.

Makes a BIG pot!

Then to decide what to serve with it. hmmmmm! I love biscuits and I have recently found the best biscuit recipe so that is what I am making. Here is the recipe and it is the BEST!

Fluffy Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortnening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk, stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto flour surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4 inch thick; cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or till golden brown.

Yummy!

Thunderstorms mean warm inside food

We have been in Florida on vacation for about a week and a half. We got home on Friday and it has been cold and windy since then and then the rain and thunder started today.

On cold wet days, one looks for good warm recipes. Today I will share my Taco Chili Recipe. Easy, quick and loved by all - even the kids like it. I serve it with tortilla chips and sour cream!

Taco Chili

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained

3 cups tomato juice (or 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce & 1 1/2 cups water)

1 jar (16 oz ) salsa (pick the degree of spiciness you want your chili to be

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) butter beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies (can double this for extra spice)

1 envelope taco seasoning

Combine all ingredients in big pot and simmer for 15 min. Can be served at this point or I have put it in my crock pot on low for up to 4 hours!

Enjoy!

Spring Break

After spending a weekend away at stamp camp with my BFF Jill, I am back home and enjoying spring break with the kids. The sun is out but it is COLD until mid afternoon and then it is only warm IF the winds doesn't blow up a gale.

We went to Wenatchee and saw How To Train Your Dragon on Monday in 3D. It is a fun time and the kids LOVED the movie. It is a loud movie with some scary dragon fight scenes that I would not recommend for kids under 4 or 5 years old but the 3D is great and neither of my kids (5 & 7) complained of being scared. It is 1 hour and 38 minutes long and the first 20 minutes is a little slow in getting started but think Lilo & Stitch relationship only a Viking Boy and a Dragon. After we saw the movie, we went to Wok About Grill (a favorite when we go to Wenatchee).

Yesterday the kids and I spent a couple of hours at the park until it got too cold to be there. We took our picnic lunch and Rylee came along. We met up the the Dames, Yorgasons, and Schoenwalds and the kids had fun. Adults wouldn't have complained about the cold if we were moving about like the kids were.

Today . . . began with making German Pancakes (thanks Jill for recipe) with homemade Buttermilk Syrup (YUM). Kids were thrilled that breakfast was not cereal! Had to share the recipe as it turned out well and the syrup is definitley worth the time and effort.

German Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1/2 stick butter

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place half stick butter in 9 X 13 pan and place in oven until butter is melted. Mix eggs, flour, salt and milk in blender until well blended. Remove pan from oven and pour egg mixture in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with warm syrup.

Buttermilk Syrup

1 1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp vinegar + enough milk to make 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup butter

2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Combine in saucepan (make sure it is a bigger pan and this grows while it boils) and bring to boil of med low heat. Boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 tsp vanilla. Stir and serve on pancakes, waffles, french toast . . . The mixture is foamy and cloudly while on stove and once vanilla is added and it cools slightly, it will turn a translucent carmelly color.

Taco Chili - Another Winter Warmer Recipe

Well, it is cold and gloomy in Chelan and we have only seen the sun for little glimpses over the last few weeks. Those cold days certainly put me in the mood for warm soups. I have recently shared Beef Stew and then Cheddar Corn Chowder and today I will share the Taco Chili Recipe.

I made this pot today and we all ate off of it and there are leftovers for this week. We eat it with cheese and sour cream on it and with warm tortillas on the side. Hope you enjoy it!

Taco Chili

2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained

2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (16 oz) jar salsa (I use mild but if you want heat use a spicier one)

1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 1/2 oz) great northern beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can (14 1/2) diced tomatoes with juice

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 45 min to 1 hour. Serve with cheese & sour cream with side of warm tortilla or tortilla chips.

Winter Warmer Recipe - Cheddar Corn Chowder

On cold winter days, there is nothing like a yummy pot of homemade soup. My kids (as with most kids) prefer cream-based soups to broth-based soups. We have a favorite around our house that is usually made at least once or twice a month for most winter months. This one is an easy recipe that is ready in about 45 minutes from start to finish and I love that part! Also it is a good recipe for a family of four. This pot is perfect sized for my husband and I and our 5 year old daughter and almost 7 year old son. Occasionally there is a small bowl of leftovers but usually it is GONE! It is an easy recipe to double if company or extra leftovers are your wishes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I usually make rolls or bread bowls with it.

Cheddar Corn Chowder

2 cups water

2-3 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1/2 cup slice carrots

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheese

1 can corn, drained

OPTIONAL - add 1 1/2 cups cubed ham OR 3/4 cup chopped cooked bacon

In a large saucepan, bring water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes until veges are tender. Remove from heat, DO NOT DRAIN. Meantime, in a lg saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 min or until thickened. Add cheese & stir unti melted. Stir into the undrained veges. Return pan to heat. Add corn and meat (optional), heat through and serve.

**** DOES NOT WORK WELL IN CROCKPOT ****

** Easy bread bowls - buy Rhodes frozen bread loaf dough, place on cookie sheet to thaw for and hour or so, once thawed enough to divide, cut loaf into either halves or thirds (depends on desird size of bowl), round into a ball, cover with greased plastic wrap, let rise per directions on bag, bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes till golden, once cooled cut top off and carefully scoop out inside bread (I keep this bread in chunks on side of plates for dipping)

Yummy biscuits on a cold day

This weekend was Winterfest in Chelan. It is a mixed bag of weather from year to year. We have not had good snow for it the last couple of years and this year was the same. It did snow Saturday night but then rained Sunday afternoon so all of the snow is gone! When it is a cold dreary day there are a host of winter warmer recipes I fall back on as respite inside from the cold doldrum of winter. I recently made by stew (recipe posted on blog in December) and was really in the mood for biscuits but I wanted the real thing . . . no bisquick for me. I went hunting for a good recipe and I found truly the best biscuit recipe I have ever had in my possession. I had to share it with my blog readers as it is a sure winner (everyone loved them) to go with your favorite pot of stew or soup and makes great leftovers (if any are left) for breakfast the next morning.

Fluffy Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sale

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the misture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4 inch thickness; cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 1 dozen

Enjoy!

Yummy Beef Stew Recipe

For many years I have used the same beef stew recipe. It is a favorite on cold winter days in Chelan. Secretly, I don't tell many people that it is an old weight watcher recipe, because it tastes so yummy you would never guess. I took this stew to a scrapbook event this weekend at my friend Carrie's house and everyone loved it. Toward the end of the day, I was asked if I ever blog recipes and I thought, well, why not so here it is - my favorite beef stew recipe (my family including kids LOVE it).

Yummy Beef Stew

1 lb stew meat (cut into small chunks)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with the juice
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 can (15 oz) corn with juice
1 can (15 oz) green beans with juice
small handful shredded cabbage
2 Tbsp dried chopped onions
3 Tbsp Minute Tapioca pearls
1 Tbsp beef boullion base
3 medium potatoes, cut up with skin on
about 1/2 cup sliced carrots

Place all ingredients in large crock pot and stir. Turn on to low for 8-10 hours. Stir a couple of times toward the last couple of hours.

Hope you enjoy this - we eat with rolls or cornbread and top it with Parmesan cheese

Yummy Cookies

As I mentioned the other day, I made some butterhorn cookies for a tea social I went to and they were sooo yummy! I got hooked on butterhorns at our local Starbucks and thought, for 85 cents each, I should be able to make these. Little did I know that I could make ones that taste so much better!!! Thought I'd share the recipe today as I had yummy butterhorns on my mind and no time to make more so till keep dreaming butterhorns!

Butterhorn Cookies

2 cups flour
1 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, divided
2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts, optional but tastes great with them
1 cup sugar, divided
3/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, measure flour, butter, sour cream, salt baking poder, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 egg yolk (save the egg white for later). Mix with spoon until blended and mixture holds together. May use mixer if you cream the butter first. Shape into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap, chill 2-3 hours until firm. In a small bowl, mix walnuts, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1/3 of dough to 1/8 inch thick (about a 10 inch circle). Spread with egg white using pastry brush. Cut into 12 equal wedges, using a pizza cutter is the easiest way to do this. Sprinkle 1/3 of walnut mixture on wedges. Roll into crescent starting at wide end. Place cookies point side down about 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet. In cup beat, 1 egg & 1/2 tsp sugar. Brush on cookies. Bake 15-20 minutes being sure not to over bake.

Makes 36 cookies. This is a relatively quick recipe to make just has the chilling time in the middle. Taste great warm or cooled just don't burn your mouth on them eating directly out of the oven, although they are soooo good that way!

Busy month

Boy am I behind! I was inspired by a couple of other bloggers to get back on track after my scrapbooking weekend.

Megan and I spent Wed - Sat of last week in Richland, WA at a wonderful scrapbooking retreat. Jane did some amazing cooking with only an electric roaster and a crock pot. She is a whiz and I have about three new recipes out of the deal that any visitors to my home will be plagued with in the coming months. Hawaiian Haystacks for one is a great thing for big groups of guests! I made them last night and the kids devoured them! It is also nice to find things the kids like. Another one of the great recipes is Taco Soup but I will save that for cooler weather - although with our new heat pump in and Dave controlling the thermostat (any visitors to our home know what that means), some of us are wearing sweatshirts and fuzzy socks (me right now for one). The third is a great cake that is very easy but yummy. Bake a chocolate cake per directions in a 9 X 13 pan. When it comes out of the oven, poke holes in it with the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour a jar of caramel ice cream topping over the cake. Frost with cool whip and top with a crunched up Heath Bar. YUMMY!!! (of course, low in calories too :) )

After returning from the retreat, Dave and the kids and I left Sunday afternoon for Seattle. Dave had an Indium Blood Study done at Swedish Hospital to see if we can find the reason for the extreme pain in his right knee. Mackenzie got car sick on the way over, so at the end of a 3 hour drive (actually more like 4 with stops and traffic), she was in her third change of clothes and I was in my second. We got to see Stephanie and Liza and their families for dinner on Sunday which was nice as we don't see them as much since we aren't over there very often.

On Monday, while Dave was at medical appointments, the kids and I went to the Woodland Park Zoo. It was a great day to go as the sun was out and it had rained all day on Sunday so the animals were all out. The kids got to feed a giraffe - they were thrilled. We saw the zoo's baby tiger. They saw the tribute to Hunsa the baby elephant that died a few weeks ago there at the zoo. They seemed to perseverate on that part of the trip though, I don't know why. Chase got a stuffed Rhino which he is thrilled with. Kenzie picked out a stuffed elephant (very soft I might add), got to the van with it and wanted "my old one" that Mamma & Papa had gotten for her in March. That was the last time she touched the new one. The old one gets LOTS of love. Thankfully, Aunt Lisa is checking out one she saw at a gift shop to see if it is the same so that we have a spare in hiding because if something happens to "the old one" we will all lose a lot of sleep till she learns to live without it.

We got to play in the pool at the hotel on monday evening - the kids love the water and were very tired after a busy day!

On Tuesday, while Dave went to the last of his medical appts, the kids and I spent a few hours with Aunt Lisa and Cousin Sarah. They had fun playing in the backyard, especially with the bubble mower. If only the bubble mower really worked to cut the grass. Uncle Mitchell has been working LONG hours on the new 787 at work so he hasn't gotten around to mowing. The night before we were there he put in the air conditioner which will make Aunt Lisa happy as she endures summer while pregnant. I have included with this post a picture of the three kids together. We don't get them together very often so it is fun to get a photo moment when we do - clearly they are not too thrilled with the picture stuff. Who would believe that there is 15 1/2 months between them - Chase is 4 years 4 months, Sarah is 3 years 2 months and Kenzie is 3 years 1 month.

We got home yesterday about mid-day so are still catching up on laundry and things. My mother is thrilled that I am learning (re-learning) to do laundry and have no major carpel tunnel injuries from folding - ha ha!!

More tomorrow - hopefully!