15 Minute Taco Soup

It's not often that Hubster requests soup for dinner but this delicious recipe was at the top of his list last week!

Not only does this recipe a gem because it only takes 15 minutes, but it's ingredients can come straight from the pantry! We always have the things we need on hand so this is a go to on busy nights or when we are needing some warm comfort food.

15 Minute Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb hamburger 

½ pint salsa
1 large can alphabet soup 

1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can yellow corn

shredded cheddar cheese

 sour cream
 corn chips

Directions: 

In your favorite skillet, brown hamburger and drain. In pot, combine hamburger, soup, beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning. Heat until boiling them reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheese. Serve with corn ships for dipping.

I almost forgot, another great thing about this recipe is how well it freezes. We always have left-overs so I find myself putting a Ziplock full of Taco Soup in the freezer. We usually eat it within the month and it is always as good as the original! 

Click HERE for the recipe card.

And make sure to visit our Recipe Box for more delicious eats!

Hugs, 

        Erin

Meatless Meals

I am by no stretch of the imagination a Vegetarian. I love eating a chicken casserole, a homemade burger, or grilled fish, but, I can definitely see the health benefits of eating meat, especially red meat, in moderation. According to WebMD (and a million other online sources) sticking to a Vegetarian diet that consists mostly of fresh fruits, veggies, legumes, and nuts can help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. It also can improve blood sugar levels and help those with Type 2 Diabetes control insulin levels.

Now, if you were to ask Hubster, I am a health fanatic. Apparently eating the recommended daily intake of fruits and veggies and taking a multivitamin is just WAY over the top ;) Really,
I just focus on the little things (watch my portions, take my vitamins, eat my Spinach, exercise) to improve my health. Believe you me, I can down a package of cookies in one sitting just as well as the next girl!

One way I focus on improving my health is by trying to eat one meatless meal every week. Not only does this help to control how much meat Hubster and I consume but it is good for the wallet. Buying and preparing meat is expensive and time consuming! By cutting meat out of just one meal every week we save a little on groceries and get to try new recipes.

Last night, I whipped up one of our favorite meatless recipes Four Cheese Bow Tie Pasta. Why do I love it? Two words: cheese and tomatoes. Two of favorite ingredients. Now, this dish isn't exactly low calorie but it is delicious and filling; two musts when steak-and-potatoes-need-more-chicken-men are involved with meatless meals.

Why is this font so big? I don't know.

Hubster gave me grief for taking too many pictures of our food so here is the finished product with the recipe and special instructions below.

Four Cheese Bow Tie Pasta
{The original recipe is in black, my additions/change are in red.}

Ingredients:
2 cans (4.5 oz each) diced tomatoes 1 1/2 c. milk
1 pkg bow tie pasta 1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella
1/4 c. butter 1 1/3 c. grated Romano
1/4 c. flour 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan
1/4 t. salt 1/4 c. crumbled Blue or Gorgonzola
1/4 t. pepper 1/2 c. fresh parsley
1 1/2 c milk

Instead of combining that whole list of cheeses, I use 2 1/2 c. Italian Blend Cheese. You can find it pre-shredded in the cheese aisle. It usually consists of Mozz, Parm, Romano, and a bunch of other delicious cheeses.

Instead of finding fresh parsley, I usually use 1/2 c. of dried Parsley, Italian Seasoning, and Basil. Using this much dried spice gives the dish a real kick. If you're not a big fan of spices, use less.

The dish is delicious with spinach also! Yummy! I cook my spinach until its barely tender and then add it with the cheese and parsley.

Instructions:
Drain tomatoes, reserving 1 1/4 c. juice; set aside. Cook pasta according to package; drain. In saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. In large bowl combine pasta, sauce and reserved tomatoes. Stir in cheese and parsley; toss. Place in greased 3 1/2 qt. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, @ 375 for 30-35 minutes (I usually only cook for 20-25) or until golden and bubbly.

Please excuse my terrible food pictures. Just trust me - it is yummy!

And for your eating pleasure, here are two more of our favorite meatless dinners.

Five-Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 T. Cornstarch 2 c. broccoli
2 T. Sugar 2 c. cauliflower
1/2 t. ground ginger 4 t. olive oil, divided
1 c. orange juice 1 c. fresh mushrooms
1/4 c. soy sauce (low sodium) 1 c. fresh/frozen snow peas
2 garlic cloves, minced 4 c. cooked white or brown rice
2 large carrots, sliced

Instructions:
Combine cornstarch, sugar and ginger. Stir in orange juice, soy sauce and garlic until blended; set aside. Stir fry carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in 3 t. oil for 4 -5 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas and remaining oil; stir-fry for 3 minutes. Stir orange juice mixture and add to pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Serve over rice.

Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. cooked elbow macaroni 2 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt 1 t. chicken bouillon granules
1 c. milk 1/2 t. salt
2 T Margarine 1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
In a frying pan melt margarine on medium heat. Add flour to butter and stir. Add milk, salt and bouillon to margarine mix. Stir until thick; when thick like butter, add grated cheese. Stir until melted. Pour over noodles. Stir and serve.

{What are your favorite meatless recipes? I would love for you to share!}


Hugs,
Erin

Questions about the recipes? Leave a comment here or on Facebook.

Homemade Granola Bars

I am in a recipe-sharing mood this week because I have another yummy recipe to share today.

Hubster and I are snackers and one of our favorite treats are granola bars. Unfortunately, store bought bars are both expensive and, if they are affordable, packed with preservatives; I am a firm believer that everything should eventually expire. Fortunately, I stumbled across a recipe for super easy homemade granola bars and have met with success every time I've made them. {Which is REALLY saying something for me}

Basically you take these ingredients:



And make these:


Ooey, gooey, yummy!

Since I'm not exactly Betty Crocker and I always need very detailed recipes, I've decided to include pictures so you can see exactly what your granola mixture should look like.


Ingredients:
4 1/2 c quick oats
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
1/3 c. brown sugar (more or less for sweetness)
1 c. choc chips (or whatever add-in you like)
2 eggs
1/2 c honey

Combine oats, flour, soda, vanilla, butter, honey, sugar and egg in large bowl; hand mix. (Literally, get your hands in there and mix) Add choc chips and lightly mix. We also like marshmallows, nuts, and, especially, crasins as add in ingredients. Let set 5 mins.

Your mixture should look like this:


Press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. I keep my uncooked bars about 1-2 inches thick because they will expand a little and are pretty hardy so a super thick bar could be too much.

Bake @ 350 for 18-22 mins. Let cool 10 - 12 minutes. Cut into bars or squares, wrap in plastic wrap or store in a plastic baggie and enjoy.

Honestly, I can't tell you the shelf life of these bars because they are always eaten up within a week.

Homemade granola bars - wife tested, husband approved!

Hugs,
Erin

Ingredients:
4 1/2 c. quick oats
1 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c honey
1/3 c brown sugar (more or less for sweetness)
1 c favorite add-in (choc. chips, mallows, dried fruit, candy pieces, nuts)
2 eggs

Combine oats, flour, soda, vanilla, butter, honey, sugar, and egg in large bowl. Hand mix. Let set 5 mins. Mix in add-in. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350, 18 - 22 minutes. Let cool 10 mins. Cut and enjoy or store for later!

St. Patty's Day Treats

Since it's not actually the 17th and since I don't cook or bake unless absolutely necessary, I haven't made any fun St. Patty's Day treats or meals. I know, I know. Slacker! But no good {St. Patty's Day} celebration is complete without fun and delicious treats! So, here are recipes for some fun treats that can be easily transformed into Leprechaun's bait!

Sugar Cookie Frosting 

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c margarine

2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Hot water if needed

Green food coloring

Cream together cream cheese, margarine, and sugar. Add hot water 1 tsp. at a time until you reach spreading consistency. 

Rice Krispies

1 c. margarine

16 oz. bag marsh mallows

13 c. Rice Krispies

Green Sprinkles or small candy

Melt mallows and margarine in microwave for 1 minute; stir. Microwave another minute and 15 seconds. Add Rice Krispies and candy; mix well. Press into cookie sheet and let set. When firm, cut and serve.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags Light Microwave Popcorn

3/4 bar White Almond Bark

Green food coloring

Pop corn and remove old maids. (It's important to remove all of the unpopped kernel) Microwave Almond Bark 30 seconds and stir; repeat until bark is thin and runny. Don't over heat as chocolate will become to stiff. Poor melted chocolate on popcorn and mix. Lightly spread popcorn on cookie sheet.

Melt another section of Almond Bark, add a few drops of food coloring and stir. Drizzle green chocolate over popcorn and let set. 

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Shamrocks

1 bag Twisty pretzels

1 bar White Almond Bark 

Green food coloring

Green sugar sprinkles

Melt Almond Bark 30 seconds at a time; stirring every 30 seconds until Almond Bark is thin and runny. Add a few drops food coloring. Dip pretzels into chocolate, sprinkle with sprinkles :) and lay on wax paper to dry. 

Once individual pretzels have dried, press three pretzels together with chocolate to form a shamrock! 

 Happy snacking! In green!

Friday Cuisine

It's finally Friday! And to celebrate, here is a little recipe that I L-O-V-E. It's super easy to whip up and a crowd pleaser. Even the most picky of eaters, Hubster, loves it! Without further ado, here is the recipe for:

Ham and Vegetable Linguine

Ingredients:

1 pkg. linguine                                                               1 c whipping cream or half and half

1/2 lb fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces                        1/2 c frozen peas

1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced                                       3 green onions, sliced (optional)

1 med carrot, thinly sliced                                              1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 med zucchini, diced                                                    1 t dried basil

2 c fully cooked ham, cubed                                          3/4 t. salt

1/4 c butter                                                                   Dash of pepper and ground nutmeg

Note: You can really use any veggie. I usually use zucchini, carrots, and peas.

Directions:

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute veggies and ham in butter until veggies are tender. Add cream, onions, cheese, basil, salt, pepper and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Rinse and drain linguine; add to vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan cheese if desired. (I would definitely add the extra cheese!)

Sorry, I have no picture but I assure you that Ham & Veggie Linguine is always a hit. Also, Hubster wants me to add that the left-overs are just as good as the original serving. 

Enjoy!

Erin Kay