Crock Pot Taco Soup

This recipe was given to me by one of the managers at work.  I did not prepare it in the crock pot but on the stove top.  Shredding the chicken is the time consuming part.  Putting all the ingredients in the dutch oven was quick and easy.  I cooked it for about a hour on the stove.  I forgot to buy the green chili's but it was delicious, thick and wonderful.  I also did not get the right size can of tomatoes, it was smaller by half so I added a can of tomato sauce.  I was thinking it would be good served over rice too!  Will I make this again, oh heck yeah!  Even the Professor liked it!

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1-16 oz can pinto beans

1-16 oz can white/kidney beans

1-11 oz can niblet corn

1-11 oz can Rotel tomatoes & chili's

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

1-4oz can chilies, green

1-1 oz envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

1-1¼ oz taco seasoning mix

1 lb shredded chicken or hamburger, cooked

Cook meat and drain. Shred chicken, add all ingredients to the crock pot.  DO NOT DRAIN CANS!! Stir. Cook on high for 2 hours, on low 4 hours.  Keep hot until serving.

Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions and/or tortilla chips.  (I was also thinking sliced black olives.)



Stuffed Spud Soup

This recipe is from a book called "Just a Matter of Thyme" ©1992 from Among Friends.  I have made this soup numerous times and it is definitely a favorite.  I have made it in the crock pot and taken it to work.  It has also graced the entire trunk of my car once when I was transporting it.  Enjoy!

Stuffed Spud Soup

2 lbs frozen hash browns, thawed

½ cup butter

½ cup chopped green onion

1-10oz can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups Half 'n Half or milk (I always use Half 'n Half)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

parsley flakes or chopped chives for garnish

Saute onion in butter, add soup, half 'n half and thawed potatoes.  Stir in cheese and heat gently.  Garnish and serve.  Serves 8-10.

Easy Banana Bread

This recipe came from "The Pastors Wives Cookbook" ©1978.  It is good and the Professor likes it.  I wanted it to taste like the Amish Banana Walnut Bread I bought at the Gibson General Store and it doesn't.  It isn't as moist and not as sweet.  I was wondering if the Amish made it with a starter.  I could make this again but will be looking for the perfect banana bread I tasted before.

Easy Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

½ cup butter or margarine (I used butter)

2 eggs, unbeaten

1½ cups bananas, mashed

1Tablespoonful lemon juice (I used the ReaLemon)

2 cups flour

3 teaspoonsful baking powder

½ teaspoonful salt

1 cup nuts, chopped (I used English walnuts)

1 teaspoonful vanilla

Cream sugar with butter, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bananas and lemon juice. Sift flour with baking powder and salt; add and mix quickly. Stir in nuts. Bake in greased 9"x5"x3" loaf pan at 350° for about an hour until done when tested. Cool on rack. 



Easy Lemon Bars

Note: Heating up the lemon curd for 45 seconds and adding 1/8 cup of water when mixing. That was helpful as the lemon curd is really thick.
One box angel food cake mix
one jar lemon curd (sold by jelly/jam section)
Mix together and spread in a 13"x9" greased pan. Bake at 325° for 25 mins. When cool sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Easy Lemon Bars
The Professor really likes these.  I am not very fond of them and won't make this recipe again unless he requests it. The Lemon Curd was around $4.50 and the Angel Food Cake mix a little less then $2.00 so it was rather expensive to make.

Amish Sugar Cookies

Amish Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (I use more and a couple drops almond too.)
4½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine butter, oil and sugars and mix well. Add eggs, beat one minute till well blended...add vanilla and beat well. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and add to creamed mixture, mixing well.

Drop by small teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.
Lilac Thicket Notes:  I didn't have any almond extract so I used 1½ tsp of vanilla extract.  These cookies do not spread a lot during baking. I used an Air Bake cookie pan, I would have liked them slightly browned, I will use a different sheet next time.

Chari's Awesome Crab Dip

This is wonderful.  Chari brought it in to work today for our weekend pig out on our weekend to work.  I love it!


Crab Dip

1 small brick of cream cheese, room temperature
1 small container sour cream

Blend the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.

1 small bunch of green onions, chopped or cut very finely
1-4oz pkg of imitation crab, chopped
2 Tablespoonsful of dill weed (dill seed can be used)

Mix and chill.  Then enjoy on your favorite crackers!  Thanks Chari!

Dee's Cherry Cobbler

This was excellent.  I used the blueberry pie filling and the Professor really enjoyed it too!

Dee's Cherry Cobbler

8x8 pan, 400-425* oven, 30-40 min.

1. Open can of favourite pie filling-We like Wilderness' 'More Fruit'
Cherry variety if I can't find Blackberry pie filling already in the
can. (Don't use the blackberry fruit that you have to thicken yourself
and add things to to make a pie filling, not the same). Apple just isn't
our favourite for this one, but you may like it.

2. Dump filling into 8x8 'naked' pan, no need to grease and flour or oil
pan.

3. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice to the filling, right in the pan, fresh is
preferred, but ReaLemon works just as well. Mix with pie filling. Don't
skip on this, as the lemon takes away that really 'sweet' taste of the
cherry filling and just perks up that blackberry sooo nicely.

4. Sprinkle 1 - 9 oz. pkg Jiffy white cake mix over fruit.

5. Pour 1/2-1 cup melted butter over cake mix. Margarine is not good for
this one and btw, did you know that margarine is one molecule away from
being a plastic???
I know what is in butter, t.y.,v.m.

6. Bake at 425* for about 1/2 hour or until the topping is a golden
brown. I play with it and my oven, and my recipe originally said to bake
at 400* for 40 min. So found that upping the temp and decreasing the
time would work also. The key is to get that crust on top to be a good,
rich-crispy golden-brown. (As you would for biscuits.)
Notes (not mine): I like it with vanilla ice cream on it while warm, but man, is it ever
good at room temp., plain. That crust is nice and crispy and soooooo
good. You will find yourself in front of it with a spoon in between
meals, Oh, am 'I' the only one that does that???? [O:)] [:|]  Cait, night owl stitchers