On the Menu...Taco Soup

This will be on the menu for the weekend. You have to try it. It took me awhile to get the recipe just right for our taste. It's hearty, filling, warm, and delish! I'd take pictures, but it's only a few steps. Talk about easy.

Crockpot Taco Soup

3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg. dry ranch mix
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can red kidney beans
1 can pinto beans (I use the ranch pinto beans)
1 can chili beans (no meat)
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I use the garlic kind)
any additional seasonings you prefer

Place chicken breasts in bottom of crock pot. Pour taco seasoning and ranch mix on top of chicken. Place in other ingredients in order listed. DO NOT STIR!!! Place crockpot on low for 8-10 hours. After 4-5 hours, remove chicken and shredd with two forks. Place chicken back in crock pot. Stir all ingredients together at this time. Continue cooking for remaining time.

1000 Word Thursday

This is my Nana. She's an amazing woman. I took this picture at Christmas when she was opening her new laundry cart with wheels. She lives in a residential housing place, but still has to do her own laundry and cooking, etc. She's 77 years old. She was so excited about her cart, because she wouldn't have to have my mom carry it to the laundry room for her. Of course, she'd also had about 6 glasses of wine by that time...so I think she would have like anything she unwrapped! More on Nana another day...

Quick Thoughts

#1) No, I don't plan to only post recipes and never anything else. I just am in a mood this week and it may stick around for awhile. I have gotten out of the mushroom steak slump and am on a cooking frenzy...although tonight we're having leftovers b/c of Sonlight.

#2) I hate winter. It's official. I'm ready for spring. I'm going to start burning all my spring scented candles...lilacs, lemons, strawberries, etc in hopes that Mother Nature will take the hint and tell this freezy butt cold weather to take a hike!

#3) I am truly grateful to Mike Beeler for getting the little workout group together in the morning. My husband has been 3 mornings in a row and I've done my workout at home 3 mornings in a row. It's holding us accountable and we've both felt great this week!

#4) I read the other day that you are supposed to drink 40% of your body weight in water each day to maintain healthy skin, etc. I've decided water is over-rated. I'm sure I'd feel different if I was dying of thirst...

#5)

Bacon Cheeseburger Rollup

Last night, I made a favorite at our house. I call it Bacon Cheeseburger Rollup and Trenton loves it. It's simple, easy, and quick. Especially, if you take Jenn's advice and brown a whole bunch of ground beef at once and put it in freezer bags. I didn't take any pictures because I was being lazy last night. The good thing about this recipe is it can be changed for different tastes. Last night, I had too much burger, so I made two. One with pepperjack cheese for Trenton and one with sharp cheddar for me. You could add peppers, olives, whatever. You could also use the same basic principle to make a pizza flavored one. Instead of bacon, use ham, sausage, or pepperoni and add a little pizza sauce instead of velveeta, whatever. If you're looking for something new...give it a try.

Bacon Cheeseburger Rollup

1 can crescent rolls
1/2-1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
8 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 can mushrooms (optional)
4-6 oz Velveeta or 1 cup of any type of shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown hamburger and drain (or if you were like me, take it out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave on defrost for a few minutes...and Voila!)

Cut bacon into small pieces. I used my kitchen shears. Place in hot skillet with chopped onion. Cook until bacon is fully cooked. I add the mushrooms about 1/2 way through just so they absorb more flavor. When the bacon is cooked, add the ground beef and cheese. Stir until melted together. Meanwhile, roll out crescent dough into a long rectangle on a baking pan. I used my round Pampered Chef stone. Once mixture is melted together, spoon down the center of the dough leaving room on both sides and a little space on the ends. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Bring up both sides and pinch a seam down the middle. Place in hot oven for 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Spicy Oven BBQ Chicken

This was supper last night. It was quick, easy, and almost passed for real BBQ. It was just enough of a taste of summer, that I might make it through another 15 degree day! Don't let the title fool you, it's not all that spicy!











Spicy Oven BBQ Chicken
* 4 chicken thighs, with skin and bone (you could use any cut you wanted. I just had these in the fridge)

Sauce
*1 cup ketchup
*3/4 cup brown sugar
*1/4 cup Worchestershire Sauce
*1/2 cup cider vinegar
*2 TBSP chili powder
*1 TBSP honey
*2 TBSP liquid smoke
*1 TBSP chipotle powder
*2 TBSP minced garlic
*Seasoning salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in ungreased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all ingredient in sauce pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour or brush over chicken, generously. Place aluminum foil back on and cook an additional 25 minutes. Baste with more sauce. Leave foil off and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

* I only used about 1/2 the sauce I made. I just put the rest in a container and stuck in the the fridge for later this week.

This was dessert. They were leftover from Sunday...but melt in your mouth. It's the same bars I brought to Bunco last week, but I tweaked them a bit!



Seven Layer Bars

*3/4 cup stick butter
*2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
*1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
*1 cup chocolate chips
*1 cup peanut butter chips
*1 cup butterscotch chips
*1 cup mini marshmallows
*1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in 9x13 inch pan. Stick in oven until melted. Pour graham cracker crumbs over butter and smooth. Place remaining ingredients in order listed. Do not stir. Pour sweet milk over top of entire pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Watch your marshmallows and make sure they don't burn. Remove from oven. Cool. Place in refrigerator. Better when served cold. Quick, easy, and tasty!

The Final Verdict

Chicken- Trenton liked the sauce. He's not a big chicken eater, but said it was good. He said next time he'd prefer skinless chicken breasts instead of thighs. I loved it.

7 Layer bars - BIG HIT! The whole pan is almost gone...the two in the picture are all that are left. Took them to the father in laws Sunday and came home with about 7 out of the whole pan!