Take Some Time Out For A Warm Cup Of Soup: Taco Soup

The LEFT-OVER master is coming out again.....

Do you ever have left-over taco meat that usually sits in the fridge for days until it finally gets thrown away?

Well, not anymore.....make taco soup!

And with the cold weather moving in quickly, this is perfect for a belly warming.

As you can see, I ran into a dilemma. I thought I had a bag of frozen corn in the freezer, but to my surprise I didn't. I had to use a bag of baby corn blend veggies that had broccoli, carrot, corn, and baby corns. It was actually very good.

Taco Soup

3 -4 c. taco meat

2 c. vegetable broth

1 (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic, along with juice

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained

1 c. Hunt's traditional spaghetti sauce

1 (16 oz.) bag baby corn blend frozen veggies

Shredded cheese to sprinkle on top

Place everything in a dutch oven, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. Top with shredded cheese when serving.

It's Time For HO, HO, HO.....Christmas Candies

Did y'all have a nice Thanksgiving?

Well, now that Thanksgiving is over, you know what that means.......CHRISTMAS is on its way.

And what is a well known Christmas treat? CANDY, of course.

Have you seen the mint chocolate mixture in the baking chips? I am definitely going to be making some chocolate mint cookies, or chocolate mint cupcakes, or chocolate mint casserole, or anything chocolate mint.....

I used my left-over candy dipping chocolate to create a chocolate mint patty. I dropped the baking chips in the bottom of a candy size paper liner (small) and topped them with the warm white melting chocolate. They fused together to create a mint patty. Who needs the York peppermint patties, right?

And I also used some of the left-over candy chocolate to create peppermint bark. That is always a must at Christmas time, right?

These are Oreo balls. And they are soooo....good.

I also made some cinnamon swirl cake balls, but when I was organizing my post I realized that I forgot to take a picture of them. OOOPS!! Sorry about that. I'm going to give you the recipe anyway, picture-less.

Oreo Balls

1 pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, soft

1 lb. melting chocolate for candy

In a large bowl, combine crushed cookies and cream cheese to form a stiff dough. Roll into balls and place on a platter (we chilled the balls for about an hour). Dip balls into chocolate and place in candy sized paper cups. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.

Cinnamon Swirl Cake Balls

1 (18.25 oz) pkg. cinnamon swirl cake mix

1 (16 oz.) container prepared vanilla frosting mix

1 (3 oz.) bar white chocolate for candy, melted

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using the 9x13 cake pan. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended (we chilled the dough over night).

Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip into chocolate covering the dough ball entirely. Place in small paper liners.

Am I Giving You Enough Time? Gingerbread Muffins

We have had a lot of team participation going on in the house lately. Which isn't a bad thing.....

My daughter made these gingerbread muffins while I was in school, and I took the pictures.

Gingerbread during the holidays is a must, right? Gingerbread is a scent that has been captured in oils and candles, but why not have the real deal going on in your kitchen? And this one can be eaten.

A gingerbread muffin is perfect for the holidays. You don't have to worry about cutting a cake in equal pieces. Just grab a muffin, top it with whipped cream, and you are good to go. And perfect for children too.

Great-Grandma's Gingerbread

2 1/4 all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. salt

Dash ground cloves

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. shortening

2/3 c. molasses

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c. boiling water

Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening. Add molasses and egg; mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients alternately with water; mix well. Pour into a greased 9 inch square pan, or cup cake liners. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes (will be less with cupcakes. And I forgot to ask my daughter the baking time). Cool completely. Top with whipped cream.

This recipe is linked to:
Gooseberry Patch Blog

Holiday Balls???? Buckeyes

Everyone likes holiday balls, right? And especially when they are green.....that's my favorite color.

I can't believe November is almost over with.....DANG!! How time flies....

I was so busy this weekend that I couldn't find time to sit down and work on my posts for this week. So here I am today posting for today.....it's just not suppose to be like that. I am suppose to be organized and ahead in my work. You all follow me for a reason, right?

I also missed a school assignment because of my busy-ness this weekend.....UGH!! But I stayed home from church yesterday to complete it.

I really hate that feeling when I feel like I'm running behind.

And I bring you "holiday balls" just to get you all confused and dirty minded....

This is the holiday balls I'm talking about. Everyone loves buckeyes, correct?

But I quickly found out through my Facebook Fan Page that not everyone knows what a buckeye candy is. It must be an Ohio treat?

That is why I'm posting the recipe today. I assumed that everyone knows how to make buckeyes.....OOPS!!

I was invited by a local business to make some holiday candy for their Christmas open house.

My daughter and I worked very hard to make three different kinds of candy. We had chocolate flying everywhere in the kitchen....

And we accomplished a deadline.....All these candies made it to the open house.

Buckeyes

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. butter, soft

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

6 c. confectioners' sugar

4 c. melting chocolate for candy

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Stir frequently until smooth.

Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate using a toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like buckeyes. Place them back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Who Says You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too? Starbucks (clone) Pumpkin Bread

I ran across this clone recipe for Starbucks Pumpkin Bread. What do you think I did? Yup, I ran right to the kitchen to make it.

I didn't have pumpkin seeds to put on top, so I placed crushed walnuts in their place. And Placed them on pretty darn heavy. I love walnuts with pumpkin.....

It baked up just gorgeous, and for a few hours my house smelled like a Starbucks Cafe.....

I made the bread and ate it too......Delicious!!

I promised this recipe for Friday, so everyone enjoy!!

What a perfect Thanksgiving treat. And you can tell your guests, "I went to Starbucks just for you."

Starbucks (clone) Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 c. bread flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

1 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar (light or dark)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 c. canned pumpkin puree

3/4 c. best blend oil

Top with chopped walnuts, or 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl.

Beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla together in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed for about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin and oil and mix well.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet stuff and mix well with your electric mixer. Pour the batter into a well-greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pumpkin seeds, or both if you want. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until the top of bread is beginning to brown and a toothpick stuck into the center of the bread comes out clean.

This recipe is linked to:

My First Guest Post @ Ladybird Ln

Carlee at Ladybird Ln asked me to guest post at her blog. Bless her heart, this is my first guest post and I was full of questions. And I made sure she knows that I am a newbie to this kind of stuff.

What an honor for Carlee to invite me.

I decided to post my original guest post here also, but make sure you go and visit Carlee. Her turkey farming posts are great!!

And I haven't even introduced myself yet.....My name is Angie Walker, and I have been a faithful food blogger since July of 2010 (A'lil Country Sugar). Blogging is an amazing world in itself. I had no idea that a hobby would become a full-time commitment. I'm sure you dedicated bloggers out there would agree with me.

Carlee is having Turkey days the whole month of November, and with her family being a sixth generation in turkey farming, I would say that is very appropriate, and in this world today, something to be very proud of.

She asked me to share with you my Caramel Apple Turkey Panini.

This panini was entered in a food challenge concerning caramel and apples, and it did very well. I was the only contestant out of 80+ to focus on a main meal item instead of a dessert item (yes, I thought outside the box).

Two of my favorite apples during apple season is the fuji apple and the honey crisp. Either one will work well on this sandwich.

Is there anything better than turkey,

caramel,

and apples.....

I don't think so!

Instead of typing out the recipe for this sandwich I will give you the directions to find it here.

Just to tell you a little bit about me, I like the simple things in life, and in food. I don't think you need all the fancy-smancy stuff for food to taste good. I was raised in the country and most of my foods represent that.

I live in a small community of less than 1,500. You know, one of those communities where everyone knows everyone, and everyone knows everyone's business.....fun times!! And if you want to know the latest gossip just go to the local hair salon in town.

I have three wonderful grown children (25, 21, and 17). Okay, the 17 year old still needs a little work, but she's getting there. I am also the proud grandmother of two amazing grandchildren (Ashton 6 & Lydia 4).

I am a full-time college student working on my bachelor degree in supervision and leadership, and I am loving every minute of it. I have been attending college since January of 2009, and will be graduating in May of 2012. Don't know what I'm going to do once those apron strings are cut....kind of scared.

I volunteer as administrative assistant at my local United Methodist Church, and I manage a local business' social page (as a volunteer).

And last but not least, my job of 22 years went over-seas in 2009.

That is me in a nut-shell....

Thank you again Carlee for inviting me to your wonderful blog.

Only 8 More Days: Everything But The Turkey

I thought I'd help you out this year and corral some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes for you. That way they are all in one place and you don't have to go searching. And we all know that can take hours, and it's really fun, and maybe we can find something new, and we have tons of time to do that, and it's not like we are on a schedule, and sales only last so long, and I just did an oxymoron.....HA!! That was fun.....

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are made every year for my Thanksgiving. They are usually gobbled up and disappear quickly. You can find them here.

Are you looking for a little bit of a change for the bread part of your meal. This home-made garlic bread is out-of-this-world delicious.

You can find it here.

And how about some Peanut Butter Caramel Apple Dip? This would be perfect for a fruit tray, or place some ginger snaps on the side, and you will have pure happiness.....

You can find that here.

Soft Ginger Cookies that scream HOLIDAY.

You can find that here.

Here's one for the left-over turkey in your life, and I KNOW you are going to have some. This is Honey Chicken Salad, but place turkey in the chicken's place and you will be able to enjoy turkey salad.

You can find that here.

Do you want to add a little zing to your deviled eggs? Try this Southwest Deviled Egg recipe. Sure to disappear quickly.....

You can find that here.

And last, but not least.....my famous Pumpkin Cookies. I will be making a batch of these this week for the person that is dearly in love with them.....

You can find them here.

Don't be afraid to search the blog for more tasty dishes.....There are plenty here.

I hope this holiday season brings you joy, happiness, and time well spent with family. Thanksgiving is a special time of year. Make sure you focus on the good things in your life and be Thankful for what is surrounding you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And don't eat too much. But if you do, make sure you get a nap in.

Sister-in-luvs Are Great! Lori's Pumpkin Pie Dip

Sister-in-luvs are great, aren't they?

Well, mine is.....

This recipe came from my sister-in-luv, Lori.

Lori is the sister that I never had. We've had our ups and downs, but the amazing thing about having a sister is, we always bounce back and we always support each other. It is very normal for us to call each other at least twice a week and talk for an hour.....we have kids (and grand kids) about the same ages, so there is ALWAYS something to talk about.

Have you tried these? I found these as I was shopping at Sam's Club. GINGERBREAD! One of my favorite flavors of the holiday.

And they went perfect with the pumpkin pie dip.

This dip is recommended to eat with honey crisp apple slices, but I did an assortment of gingerbread pita chips and graham crackers (didn't have time to pick up apples). The chips and crackers worked great. Everyone at the church luncheon loved it.....

Lori's Pumpkin Pie Dip

1. 8 0z package of cream cheese softened

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

1 tbls of ground cinnamon

1 tbls of pumpkin pie spice

1 tbls of orange juice


IN a large bowl blend cream cheese, powdered sugar until smooth. gradually add in the

pumpkin, stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and orange juice until smooth and well

blended.

Place in refrigerator.

This recipe is linked to:
Foodie Friends Friday
The Better Baker ~ Weekend Potluck

The Goods Are At Home: Baked Chicken

Do you have a favorite country style restaurant where they serve the BEST baked chicken around?

Well, I don't have to go any farther than my own kitchen.

This is how I bake crispy chicken:

I used 5 TBS of butter and 1 TBS of garlic salt. Place the stick of butter and garlic salt in the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan. Put the pan in the oven while it is preheating to 350 degrees F. Let the butter melt. When the butter is melted, I take it out of the oven and give the butter and garlic salt a stir.

I used a package of 7 chicken legs. Roll the legs in the melted butter mixture and line them up in the pan.

You can use any spices you have on hand to sprinkle on the chicken. I used Italian spice, Thyme (always good on chicken), poultry seasoning, white pepper, and a little smoked paprika.

Bake it in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes and you will have that restaurant style "best baked chicken".

With the chicken pieces being rolled in butter it creates a crispy coating when it bakes.

This is one of my family's favorites, and I used to make this all the time while my kids were growing up.

Thinking of Your Figure: Butterscotch Apple Mousse

Here it is way before Thanksgiving and I am already thinking about YOUR figure.....

Did you catch that? YOUR figure??

Just trying to put a little humor in my posts, no offence, I hope.....

But for real, this is an awesome dessert and only takes 5 ingredients. This recipe came from a facebook fan (Jilleena Jesse). I'm so glad she shared this with me because this will definitely be a regular in my house from now on. This stuff is great, and you can't even tell it's fat free, or sugar free, or good for you, or low in calories, and all that icky stuff....you know what I mean?

And the sugar free Reese's Peanut Butter cups are amazing on top of this dessert.

Jilleena Jesse's Butterscotch Apple Dessert

1 1/2 c. fat free milk (I used 1%)

1 pkg. sugar free butterscotch pudding

1 large apple, peeled and chopped (honey crisp)

1 1/2 c. fat free cool whip

1 pkg. sugar free Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chopped

Mix milk and pudding in a mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl and mix in chopped apple. Fold in whipped cream and top with chopped peanut butter cups.

Chill and then serve.