SLOW COOKER TACO SOUP.....TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE!!

A few years ago before I had my son, I was at work looking at a cookbook in my downtime, and found a yummy sounding recipe for SLOW COOKER TACO SOUP. I showed it to some of the girls I worked with, and it made us so hungry that we decided to have a Chili/Soup potluck that Friday. I decided to make Chicken & Dumplings, and another girl wanted to make the Taco Soup recipe I had found. We analyzed the recipe, and made some adjustments to suit our tastes. She went home, and came in the next day with the finished product.......let's just say that with our combined effort, we proved that two heads are always better than one! YUMMO, thanks Shelly!!!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup:
(From: Angie & Shelly)

1-2lbs ground beef (I normally use about 1 1/2lbs)
1 15oz can chili beans, with liquid
1 15oz can kidney beans, with liquid
1 15oz can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 cups water (depending on how thick or thin you like your soup)
1 1/2-2 pkg taco seasoning (Shelly used 2, I normally use 1 1/2)
1 16oz jar salsa
1 can Rotel tomatoes

In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain; add to slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, and cook on low for 8 hours. Top with shredded cheese, and serve with Fritos, or Tostidos.

HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK IN THE CROCK POT!!

This recipe is so easy, and the results are amazing!  Once you make homemade chicken stock, you will never want to use that stuff in a box again!  Besides being yummy, it is so much less expensive!  Think about it....you buy a whole chicken, you have to cook it anyway, so why not save your stock?  If you are like me, you always have celery and carrots on hand that need to be used up, and I buy onions by the bag, so they are always on hand as well.  This recipe is also very versatile.....you can add whatever you want to season your stock.  If you don't have one of the ingredients, that's ok, just make a substitution, or leave it out!  Just don't leave out too much, because the more you have to season with, the richer and better the flavor.  So here is the recipe I came up with after looking at several different stock recipes.  I hope you try this out....trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Homemade Chicken Stock:
(From: Angie's Kitchen)

1 whole chicken
2 small onions, quartered
4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into 2 inch pieces
3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 fresh basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
Paula Deen's House Seasoning

Rinse off your bird, make sure that you check the inside for giblets and other organs you want to discard them before putting your bird in the crock pot.

Place your bird inside your crock pot, season with Paula Deen's House Seasoning. Now you want to add a few more items for flavor - a few onions, a few carrots, a few celery sticks, (be sure to use the leafy parts of the celery, there is alot of flavor in there!) a few sprigs of fresh parsley, a couple of bay leaves, and basil leaves, and then sprinkle on a little more of Paula's seasoning for the veggies! (Be sure to chop your onions, carrots, and celery into large chunks to make them easy to remove later on.) You can add other herbs and seasonings if you like.  Thyme, oregano, peppercorns...well, you get the idea!

When your chicken is done, remove your chunks of vegetables with a slotted spoon.  You can discard them, or save and eat them later!  Then, remove your chicken and put in a separate dish. The chicken should be so tender that it just falls apart. The liquid that is left in your crock pot is your yummy homemade stock, but before you use it, you'll want to strain it to remove any leftover bits of chicken or veggies.Then, refrigerate your broth for several hours (preferably overnight). As it cools, the fat will rise to the top, you then need to skim it off.  Now your stock is ready for use.  You will have several cups of stock, you can use it now, or freeze it for later.  I freeze my stock in pint freezer containers, but you can use freezer bags, and freeze in any portion size you want.

Now for the chicken.....when it has cooled enough to touch, pull it off the bone, and discard those bones and all that yucky stuff!  You can use the chicken in soups, casseroles, pot pies, or just eat it! If you don't want to use it now, you can freeze it as well.  I also freeze my chicken in 2 cup portions since most recipes call for 2 cups of chicken.

A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT CROCK POT CHILI

Ok, this recipe is not for those of you who have to have precise measurements.  This is one of those "hmmm..it's missing something" kinda recipes.  It seems I can never make chili the same way twice.  I either have extra ground beef that needs to be used, so I make a BIG batch, or I don't have enough ground beef, so I make a small batch.  But today, I had 2 pounds of ground beef in the freezer that needed to be used, so a BIG batch is what I fixed.  I usually don't use that much ground beef, so I had to "wing" it.  So of course with more beef, I needed more of everything else.  Well.....I only had one pkg of chili seasoning, but I did have chili powder and cumin.  Then my husband tells me he wants macaroni in his chili this time!  That changed EVERYTHING!  Now I needed more liquid because the noodles will soak it up.  This is where the "a little of this and a little of that" comes in.   So if you are someone who cooks "to taste" this recipe is made for you.  I hope you will give it a try because it turned out so good, that my husband said from now on this is the only chili he will eat!!





A Little of This & a Little of That Crock Pot Chili:
(From: Angie's Kitchen)

2 lbs ground beef
2 quarts tomato juice
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 soup can of water (this you can adjust according to how thick or thin you want your chili)
1 can diced tomatoes w/ peppers and onions, undrained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 pkg chili seasoning
1-2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles* (or any other style pasta you choose)
chili powder to taste ( I used about 3tbs, just depends on how spicy you like it)
ground cumin to taste (I used about 3tbs)
Paula Deen's house seasoning to taste** (I just sprinkled this in, so not sure how much I used.  I would say about a teaspoon)

Brown ground beef in a skillet, season meat with Paula's house seasoning (just a sprinkle).  Drain off any fat and transfer to a 5-6qt crock pot.  Add all other ingredients and stir well to combine.  Cook on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.  I serve this topped with cheese and Fritos.

*If you don't like your macaroni too soft, you can add it in the last hour of cooking, or pre-cook it and add it in the end.
**You can make a batch of Paula's house seasoning to keep in your spice cabinet.  I use it in almost everything.  If you don't want to make it, it is available in most grocery stores.  Here is the recipe:

Paula's House Seasoning:
(From: Paula Deen)

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

I put this in a pint size lock tight container and shake it up until it is combined.  I pour some into a shaker for my spice cabinet, and leave the rest in the lock tight container and store in my pantry.

CARAMEL APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS

I was just browsing through some of my favorite food blogs, when I came upon this yummy sounding recipe!  CARAMEL APPLE CINNAMON ROLLS.   Thought I would share the link with you.  We are going to the apple orchard tomorrow, so I will probably be making this recipe soon!  I will let you know how it turns out, and post a picture and the recipe again then.  Enjoy!

 http://annies-eats.com/2010/09/30/caramel-apple-cinnamon-rolls/

NANA'S LOADED POTATO SOUP

This recipe was given to me by my husband's Stepmom. After having my son, she made this warm and yummy soup for us until I could get back in the groove of things. It soon became a family favorite! A few days ago, a foodie friend of mine who has a food page on Facebook, posted another recipe for LOADED POTATO SOUP that sounds really good as well. She also posted a recipe for HAM & CHEESE BISCUITS. I decided to make these biscuits last night along side my soup recipe. The only problem was I didn't have any diced ham or parsley. So I improvised and used crumbled bacon instead of the ham, and Italian Seasoning instead of the Parsley. One word......YUMMMMM!! She also said she has used sausage in these as well. Thank you Sarah for sharing your yummy recipes with me! Today I am posting all three of these recipes. Try them all and find your family favorites!

Nana's Loaded Potato Soup:
(From: Angie's Kitchen)

6-7 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 small onion, chopped
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cups milk
6 strips bacon, chopped

Cover potatoes and onions with water (just enough to cover, you will not drain this off) and cook until tender. Do not drain. When tender, add cream cheese, cubed. Stir until creamy. Add butter, garlic salt, soups and milk. Cook until thick and creamy. Serve with shredded cheese , green onion and extra bacon, if desired.

**In this recipe, I substituted garlic season salt for the garlic salt. Also, I adjust the milk according to how thick or thin I want the soup. Enjoy!



Loaded Potato Soup:
(From: Sarah @ What's Cookin')

‎1 lb peppered bacon, fried & crumbled

1 large onion
1 C chopped carrot
1 C chopped celery
1 bag red potatoes, peeled & diced
6 C shredded cheddar cheese
4 cans cream of chicken soup
3 C sour cream
4 1/2 C Milk
Salt & Pepper

Place potatoes in stock pot & cover with water, cook until tender. Meanwhile, sauté onion, celery & carrots in butter. After potatoes are tender add all ingredents & let simmer.



Ham & Cheese Biscuits:
(From: Sarah @ What's Cookin')

‎2 C Bisquick

1 C shredded cheese
1 C diced ham (I used bacon)
2/3 C milk
1/4 C oil
1 egg
Garlic salt, Pepper & Parsley to taste ( I used Italian Seasoning instead of Parsley)

Mix all ingedients & pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees

APPLES, APPLES, APPLES!!

Well, I thought when summer came to an end, and fall entered in, that things would slow down a bit, and I could get back to my cooking...no such luck! Not yet anyway...so since I haven't had time to try any new recipes to post, I am going to post some old favorites, and some new recipes that I haven't even tried yet! Today my theme is APPLES....just in time for apple picking season. If you have a favorite APPLE recipe you would like for me to try, or share (or both) just send the recipe in a comment, and I will get it posted, and hopefully try it out! So bring on those APPLE recipes! In the meantime, here are some oldies, and some newbies for you to try.

Mom's Fresh Apple Cake:
(From Angie's Kitchen)

1 cup salad oil

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chopped raw apples

Chop apples and set aside. Measure salad oil, add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until creamy on low speed. Sift flour with salt, soda, and baking powder. Add a small amount of flour at a time to creamy mixture. Beat well after each addition. When all flour has been beaten in remove from mixer, fold in nuts and apples. Bake at 350 degrees in greased pan for 45-55 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick comes out clean. (Bake on 3rd rack.)



Paula's Wacky Taffy Apples:
(From: Paula Deen)

Craft sticks

12 apples
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup white corn syrup
2/3 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chopped nuts, if desired

Directions

Insert craft sticks into stem of apples. Mix all the ingredients, except the vanilla and nuts, in a large saucepan: cook, stirring constantly, to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and let cook until mixture thickens. Add vanilla. Quickly dip apples in the mixture and twist until apples are evenly coated. Place on waxed paper to drain and firm up. If desired, roll candy apples in chopped nuts.



Apple Dumplings:
(From: Angie's Kitchen)

2 large apples of your choice (I use Golden Delicious)

2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 12-ounce can Mountain Dew or Mellow Yellow

Peel, core and slice each apple into eights. Roll each apple slice in crescent triangle, and place in a 9x13 baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon; mix well. Cover dumplings with mixture. Pour Mountain Dew on top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. ( I think they turn out best baked in a stoneware dish.)


Crockpot Apple Butter:
(From: Mommy's Kitchen)

1- 48 - 50 oz jar unsweetened apple sauce or cinnamon apple sauce
3 lbs granny smith apples (diced into chips)
4 cups sugar
1 cup apple juice or cider
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice

Peel and cut apples into small chips. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and stir. Cover and cook on low overnight (eight to ten hours). In the morning remove cover, stir and taste. Add more spices or sugar if desired. Remove the lid and change the temperature to high continue cooking for about 4 more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid is gone and the apple butter has cooked down a bit. Rule of thumb a wooden spoon should be able to stand upright when you place it in the apple butter. Pour into jars and refrigerate or process in a hot water bath. Serve over hot biscuits, toast, scones.

Process half pints for 5 minutes and pints for 10 minutes. The time starts once the water comes to a boil.



Apple Pie Filling in a Jar:
(From: Mommy's Kitchen)

4 1/2 - cups sugar

1 - cup cornstarch
2 - teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 - teaspoon nutmeg
1 - teaspoon salt
3 - tablespoons lemon juice
10 - cups of water
6 pounds of tart apples, washed, peeled and thinly sliced
(I used golden delicious and a few granny smith apples)

Note: Slice apples into a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 quart of water to avoid discoloration. Drain the fruit well before packing in jars.

In a large pot, blend together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the water and lemon juice with a wire whisk. Cook and stir until bubbly and thick; remove from heat. While the filling was cooking I sliced the apples and added them into a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 quart of water to avoid discoloration. Drain the fruit well before packing in jars. Pack apples into clean, hot canning jars leaving an inch from the top of the jar. Fill with the hot syrup, leaving 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar. Remove air bubbles by running a knife around the insides of each jar. Close the jars with sterile lids and rims. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 -30 minutes Use a jar tongs to remove the jars from water Place the jars on a dish towel to dry and allow the jars to cool for several hours Check the seals to make certain the lids are sealed properly (the lids should be lowered in the middle and not move up or down)

To Make Apple Pie:

Pour 1 quart jar of home canned apple pie filling into an unbaked 8-9 inch pastry shell and dot with butter. Place top crust, trim and crimp the crust around the edges and then cut slits to vent the steam. Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the filling is bubbling.



Pork Chops with Apples and Stuffing:
(From: food.com)

4 thick cut pork chops or 4 butterfly pork chops

1 (6 ounce) box stove top pork stuffing mix
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup apple juice or 3/4 cup cider
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup granny smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup red onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If pork chops are not butterflied, slice through leaving attached at one side so it opens like a book. Season inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Heat a skillet on medium high heat with 2 T oil. Place pork cut side down in the pan. Leave for 4-5 minutes. Turn and fold the chop shut and brown each outer side of the meat. If the edges are very thick you can also brown the edges. The meat should not be cooked all the way through, only nicely seared and browned. Remove pan from the heat and cover to keep warm. To start the stuffing, add the apple liquid, chicken broth, onions, apples, cranberries and the butter to a saucepan and following directions bring to a boil. Once liquid is boiling stir in the bread and seasoning. Fold in well making sure all bread gets moistened. Cover. Remove from heat and let stand 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Arrange meat with the "hinged" side down in a 9x9 baking dish or cake pan sprayed with a nonstick spray. Fill the upward facing pockets of the pork with the stuffing. If you have any stuffing left, spoon around the base of the meat. Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or the meat is cooked to your satisfaction.

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

Wow, it's been a long, long, summer for me! We built a new deck, planted a garden, then came the picking veggies, canning salsa and relish, freezing corn squash and tomatoes, and finally....last but not least....VACATION!!!! Whew, busy, busy, busy, but now that summer is almost over, and fall is on it's way....it's time to get back to cooking!!! I am so ready for fall foods like apples, pumpkin, soups, chili, and let's not forget the CANDY CORN!! I just love fall and all the yummy foods it brings with it.

Yesterday I realized I had 5 small bananas that were....well let's just say they needed to be used, and of course that means only one thing.....BANANA BREAD!!! I found two recipes I have saved in my computer recipe files. I had enough bananas to make a batch of each. I couldn't remember which one I liked the best, so why not. I even made one round in muffin cups, and another in mini muffin cups. In the end, both recipes turned out really good. Maybe that's why I kept both recipes. I like the creaminess of the CREAMY BANANA BREAD, but I like the the taste of the pineapple in the HAWAIIAN BANANA BREAD. Hmmmmm...maybe I can build on that...I'll get back to you on that idea. So anyway these are the two recipes I am sharing with you today. I hope you give them both a try!
HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

Creamy Banana Bread:

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup chopped, pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cream the butter and cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and soda; mix until batter is just moist. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Divide 1/2 batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over batter and top with remaining batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
**This recipe is pictured as 2 loaves.


Hawaiian Banana Bread:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped, nuts
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups mashed, ripe bananas
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased and floured 9x9x3 inch loaf pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until done. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. This recipe makes a really moist bread.

**This recipe is pictured as muffins and mini muffins, but can also be made in 2 loaves.