Crock Pot Soup

As the weather begins to cool, my need to cook and feed my family a good homecooked meal kicks in. With the first cold snap in Texas, going from the high 80s to the high 50s, I dove right in.

Crock Pot Soup should be one you can set and forget, but this one I think would've looked better had I been around to stir throughout the day. It may not look as eye pleasing as I would've liked but it sure did get rave reviews from the girls at work and the family!

Ingredients:
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans (I chose kidney beans instead.)
1 can of rotell tomatoes
1 pkg of ranch dressing seasoning
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 tsp of onion powder
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tblsp of cumin
Chefs note: I added 1 can of beer. The soup didn't seem to have any sort of base on it's own.

Directions:
Dump it all in the crock pot to cook for 6-8 hours. Shred the chicken breasts at the end and serve.

Review:  Dusty,who doesn't like cream cheese, loved it! The girls at work had some interesting remarks. One could taste the beer immediately, one thought it was spicy, one compared it to a chicken taco soup and another thought I had added bread to it. All thought it was very tasty and filling and wanted to try it on their own. It did have more of a chicken chili taste to me, but I can't wait to add it to our family menu again!
This recipe is pinned from pinterest.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

After a few months off, I have found the inspiration I need to get back on track and I hope that my inspiration will become yours! I have found pinterest and have become such a huge fan! I am constantly pinning things to cook and post. The first project that I found was a pumpkin bundt cake, pumpkin being the shape of the cake, not the flavor.

This was one of the easiest things that I have ever made. This cake is perfect for any fall party or even fancy enough to dress a Thanksgiving dinner table. It is a must try.

Ingredients:

2 store bought cake mixes (I chose german chocolate for the dark color.)

1 bottle of pre-made drizzle icing (found right next to the icing on the baking isle)

1 pumpkin stem (I took mine off of a pumpkin we were about to carve.)

fake leaves

1 can of icing

Directions:

Follow the directions on the cake mix to bake two seperate bundt cakes. Let the cakes cool completely or they willl start to fall apart. Once cooled, stack the cakes top to bottom and bottom to top with a layer of icing in between to hold them together. Next, microwave your drizzle icing according to the directions and drizzle across the top of the cake. Decorate with leaves and stem! (I sat a shot glass in the middle of my cakes and used icing to secure the stem to the shot glass.) It's that easy!!!

Bakers note: I thought I was taking the easy road by using two bundt pans, but it would've helped to have two of the same shape bundt pans or just use one. My lines didn't line up.

Shrimp Salad

This recipe comes straight from the south! My grandmother made it after having it at a family reunion in southern Lousiana. When I asked her the ingredients, she gave me them off the top of her head. You know how grandmothers are though, a little more of this, a little less of that. SO...if it doesn't taste right the first time, keep adding more. :)

Ingredients:

Ranch Suddenly Salad minus the seasoning packet
1/4 c red onion (more if preferred)
2 tbsp bread and butter pickles
2 tbsp dill pickles
1 stalk of celery
1/4 green bell pepper
3 boiled eggs
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cap fulls apple cider vinegar
1/2 c mayo
1/4 c ranch dressing
1 8 oz pkg popcorn shrimp (or fresh boiled)
1/8 c Italian dressing

*Keep adding ranch dressing and mayo, don't want it too dry
*Could substitute relish for the pickles and apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Cook your shrimp according to directions and dice all the veggies and eggs. Mix it all together! Chill until ready to serve. That's the best thing about a salad, it takes no time to make.

 

Review:

I have to admit that I am a little skeptical about a salad that has shrimp in it, but this was so good. I had heard from my family what it hit it was at the family reunion, but again I was iffy. I did try it and I liked it! My grandmother served it alongside our burgers and hot dogs at a fourth of July party for the family. I'm not sure that the kids (or my husband) tried it, but the rest of the family did and there were no left overs. I was a little surprised, but it was really good. I would recommend this as a substitution for your next potatoe salad or instead of a macaroni salad at your next family gathering.

 

Summer Salad

With the weather getting way too hot in Texas, the search is on to find food that goes great with BBQ and light enough not to weigh you donw in the heat. I had this recipe on my phone for quite some time and I'm not sure where it came from, but boy was it a hit! I took it to our friend's house for the fourth of July party and it was a hit!

Ingredients:
1 bag of romaine lettuce mix
1 c shredded swiss cheese
1 apple- chopped small
1 c of cashews
1 pear- chopped small
1/4 c dried cranberries
Dressing:
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c lemon juice
2 tsp chopped red onion
1 tsp salt
2/3 c oil
1 tbsp poppy seeds


Directions:
Prepare the dressing first and mix together well. Blend all the ingredients togehter and toss with the dressing. Easy as that.
Review:
With salads, you never know how people will respond. I took my chances and it was a hit! Seriously, it was demolished. There was nothing left! Everyone at the party agreed that the cashews really added a nice texture to the salad. The crunch of the pear and the apples with the chewyness of the cranberries, made this a crowd pleaser!

Bacon Wrapped Burgers

This is a great way to add a little flare to the boring burger. Kick it up a notch with bacon! Again, if you haven't signed up for allrecipes.com to receive their weekly newsletters, it's a must! The good food just keeps coming! You might even see some of my pictures on their website.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 6 slices bacon
• 6 hamburger buns, split

Directions

1. Preheat a grill for high heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, onion, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Crumble in the ground beef, and mix together by hand. Form into 6 patties, and wrap a slice of bacon around each one. Secure bacon with toothpicks.
3. Place patties on the grill, and cook for 5 minutes per side, or until well done. Remove toothpicks before serving on hamburger buns.

Review
I read the reviews online before I made this and everyone seemed to think that the bacon made the meat juicier and more tender. My thoughts are that I'm not sure that the bacon added or took away from the burger. Had the bacon been a little crispier, it would've added some crunch and texture, but that's been done before and I think the burger joints have perfected that one. This was just an add on that made it look cool. :) I do think that the meat was good and we felt that there was no need to add cheese on top as it is infused into the burger. Enjoy and write your own review.
*Don't forget to remove the toothpicks before you eat!

Ham and Sausage Stromboli

Have an aspiring little chef on your hands? Try out this easy to make stromboli with your little ones. Ace and I had so much fun creating this dish. He even used the dough scraps as a make shift play dough. :) It does take some time to create and cook so it's perfect for those slow burning summer days.

Ingredients:
1 pkg hot roll mix
1 1/4 c warm water
3 tbsp of oil, divided
1/3 lb sliced deli ham
1/3 lb sliced salami
1/4 lb pork sausage (cooked and drained)
4 slices of American cheese, cut into strips
1 c mozzarella or provolone cheese
dried oregano, garlic powder, ground pepper (added for taste)

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the contents of the roll mix and yeast packets. Stir in warm water and 2 tbsp of oil until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth (about 5 mins). Cover and let rest for 5 min. Press into a lightly greased 15 in x 10 in x 1 in baking pan.
3. Layer ham, salami, American cheese, mozzarella cheese and sausage over dough. Roll up jelly-role style, starting with the long side; pinch seam to seal. Place diagonally in pan. Brush with remaining oil and sprinkle with dried oregano, garlic powder, and pepper.
4. Bake at 375 for 30-40 mins until golden brown. Let stand 10 mins before slicing.

Review:
Again, we had so much fun making it and we were excited, that the kids lost interest having to wait so long for it to cook. They had already moved on to other things. I think I also went too heavy on the garlic powder, oops! The bread on this stromboli makes it very filling. I had one slice and was full. I am used to making stromboli from pre-made pizza dough so the bread part was a little different. I thought it was good and it makes a ton! We will be having left overs for lunch again tomorrow. It serves 18.
*Note, watch you oven towards the end of the cooking, I started mine for 35 mins and it was already very golden brown by 30 mins.

Grill Mates

Summertime is here and it's time to hit the outdoors! I have the perfect combo of appetizers to serve alongside your favorite main dish, maragarita grilled shrimp and grilled stuffed jalapenos. So Good! The jalapeno recipe is a favorite of Good friends and the margarita grilled shrimp is from Allrecipes.com. Again, what a great website!

Ingredients for stuffed jalapenos:
Jalapenos- cored and seeds removed
Cheddar cheese- cubed
refriend beans
bacon

Directions:
After you core the jalapenos, drop a cube of cheddar cheese at the bottom. Fill the remaining space with refried beans. Wrap in bacon and grill on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes.
Variation: Instead of cheddar cheese and refried beans (which is so delicious), try pineapple and cream cheese.

Ingredients for margarita grilled shrimp:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons tequila

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes

Directions

1. Combine the shrimp, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, tequila, cilantro, red pepper, and salt in a bowl; toss to combine; refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Drain the marinade from the shrimp and discard; thread the shrimp on the skewers.
3. Cook on preheated grill until the shrimp turn pink, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Review: Well, we love the jalapenos and will be having them again real soon at our next family cook out and the shrimp was a HUGE hit. I expected the margarita flavor to be more of a punch, but it wasn't. It's vey subtle, but nice. It's a little pick me up that over powers the fish taste.

More grilling meals to come soon.