Yummy Snack

This time of year we have an abundance of apples. I get kind of sick of just eating plain apples or in slices so with the cold weather we have been eating a lot of cooked apples.

Peel and slice the apples.

Put in a microwave bowl, add a little water, sprinkle on cinnamon/sugar and cook at 5 min. After they get out, sprinkle a tad of brown sugar on top. Plus, it makes your house smell delectable.
SO EASY!

Take it one step further and if you want applesauce pour the whole cooked bowlful into the blender and blend up until you have the texture you want.

Witches Brew

This is a recipe for a yummy drink! I made it for YW's last night.

2 liters apple juice/cider
2 liters ginger ale/sprite
1 can grape juice concentrate
1 pint orange sherbet

Mix first 3 ingredients together. Add sherbet in small scoops Immediately before serving.

Broccoli Cheese Soup - Tammy Thompson

This is a recipe I got from Tammy Thompson. I love when people are willing to share their recipes. I've never understood those people for whom recipes are a guarded secret. (Sorry if I've offended anyone.) So many of my very favorite recipes I wouldn't have if people weren't willing to share.

Angie was asking for a non-Velveeta recipe so maybe this one will fit the bill. This is our traditionally recipe for Priesthood session night in bread bowls before Josh leaves because it's his favorite. He once said, "Do you know the one thing that's wrong with your broccoli cheese soup? That it doesn't make more." That's a compliment if I've ever heard one.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Bring to a boil:
2 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 large bunch of fresh broccoli, cut into pieces

While broccoli is cooking make white sauce.

Melt 1/2 cup butter
Add 1/2 cup flour and combine until a roux is made
Stir in 2 cups milk

Whisk until thickened, add broccoli/bouillon mixture. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese melts. I don't know that I can honestly say I've ever added that much cheese. I just grate until it looks like enough.

P.S. Does anyone really care about the origins of my recipes or why my family likes it or when we eat it? I can stop adding so much commentary if it bugs people. Let me know.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Soup seems to be a common recipe on this blog right now as the days get colder. I made this the night of the recipe exchange last week, but didn't bring any to share. :) I've brought this recipe before. It's actually Melinda Cloward's recipe, but it's a soup we make quite often. I usually make it in the Fall/Winter when I find Broccoli on sale. It's easy and takes less than 30 minutes to put together.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2 cups potatoes (about 2 potatoes)

2 cups broccoli

½ cup onion, chopped

Cover with enough water to just barely cover. Cook until tender. Drain ½ of the water before adding the white sauce.

White Sauce:

¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks)

½ cup flour

1 quart half and half

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour. Add milk slowly while stirring with a wire whisk.

After combining vegetables with the white sauce, add 1 jar of cheese whiz (You can substitute cheese whiz with 8 oz of Velveeta cheese). Add salt and pepper to taste.

I didn't take pictures of the step-by-step process, but here's the finished product. On this particular night, we served it in a bread bowl. I love bread bowls! I found these whole wheat versions at Walmart and couldn't resist.
The only thing that would make this recipe that much better is if I could find a way to not use Velveeta cheese. It's not my favorite favor though you can't taste it in the soup. It just seems like a unhealthy cheese. So any other suggestions would be great.

Creamy Chicken Tacos

I got this Crock-Pot recipe when I first moved into the ward and didn't know anyone. They were handing them out in Relief Society so of course I took a copy, this is Tia Chapman's recipe that we make all the time.

Lay 3-4 chicken breast in your crock pot

Cover with about 1 1/2 cups salsa

Let cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high 4-6. About a half hour before serving shred up the chicken and add 3/4 cup sour cream keep in crock-pot until you are ready to eat.

Stuff into soft tortillas and garnish with shredded cheese and/or lettuce.

Chicken and salsa cooking

After it's all shredded and sour cream is added

Chili and Cornbread

This was my mom's chili recipe. I recently came across it in a file on my computer. It has her commentary about it that I won't include but it's great to see how she felt about the recipe. The cornbread recipe I came across a while back and thought it was so easy and unique. It's a sweet cornbread and I like that. Sorry - no pictures. I was rushing out the door to set up for the Daddy/Daughter Dinner.

Chili

2 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 onion coarsely chopped (I add this to the meat as I am cooking it)
1 small/medium bag kidney or red beans, pre-soaked in cold water overnight.
2 tsp. salt
2 TBS. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Large Can (46 fl. oz) tomato juice.

Soak bean overnight. Drain and place in a pot and cover with water. Cover and cook at a soft boil until tender. Make sure the water level stays above the beans. This takes a while. I cooked mine from 9AM to 2PM. Then I added the rest of the ingredients and simmered until we were ready to eat. I transferred it to a crockpot to keep it warm.

Toppings:
Grated cheese
Chopped Onions
Sour Cream

This was always our traditional Halloween dinner.

Cornbread
2 boxes Jiffy Mix Corn Muffin Mix
1 box yellow cake mix

Mix both boxes according to directions and combine the batters. Pour into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Test for doneness.

I have to add some commentary on this cornbread. Yesterday I made it and couldn't get the toothpick to come out of the center clean. I cooked it longer and never was able to get the middle completely done. I have never had this problem in the past. I don't know what it was. I am considering lowering the temperature and cooking it longer the next time. I am a VERY inexperienced baker so I wish I knew what more I could do to make sure the center cooked. Let me know if you have any tips.

Grandma Winder's Cheesy Potato Soup

Well, I guess I better contribute to this blog, instead of just TAKING all of these wonderful recipes! I made this the other night, and I make it quite often. It's one of our families favorites. Even the kids gobble it up! I've actually not yet met a person that doesn't absolutely LOVE this soup! I got the recipe off of Good Things Utah 3 years ago, and have been hooked ever since. Some of you may already have it, since I've probably made it for recipe swap, and I made it for our freezer meal exchange way back when. Anywhoo, here ya go.....

4 C. peeled and cubed potatoes (although I never peel them)
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. chopped carrots
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/4 C. butter or margarine
2 tsp. all-purpose seasoning (I use Lawry's Seasoned Salt)
1 tsp. salt
2 C. uncooked small shell pasta
3 C. shredded cheddar cheese (but I only use 2 cups, it's plenty!)
1 C. whipping cream

Heat 8 cups of water to boiling. Add everything except the pasta, cheese and cream. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the pasta. Turn heat down to medium and cook until tender (about 8-10 minutes). Stir often. When the pasta is done, turn off heat. Stir in the cheese. When cheese is melted, stir in cream. Salt and Pepper to taste.