Wheat Thin Appetizers

I made these in a snap out of stuff we had already and they were super-simple and pretty and of course, tasty.  I just took some Wheat Thins and melted a little square of cheese (any kind of chesses would work - play around here) on them, then stuck a ham cube (other kinds of meat would work here as well... play) on top when the cheese was still soft, then stuck on a tiny piece of something green, just for the pretty factor.  Anything could work here too... play!  Way simple and there are so many options... just use stuff you already have (that's what I mostly do!)

Happy Eating!

Peanut Butter Banana Ritz

Well, this one's pretty self-explanatory by the title, but I just love the snack idea.  While most of you probably already do this, I just thought of it, so I thought maybe someone else hadn't thought of it yet.  And I'm always looking for healthy snack ideas to keep things interesting (mostly for me... I get bored easily), so I figured I'd share the idea.

I love the combination of peanut butter and banana, and I love the combination of peanut butter and Ritz.  (Even though I don't really buy Ritz anymore and they're more of a treat now...)  So the combination of peanut butter, banana and Ritz is awesome!  Give it a try!

Happy Eating!

Potato and Double Corn Chowder

Sadly, once again, no picture, but this was requested so here it is.  This recipe is soo simple and soo delicious.  Its made in the crock pot and its fabulous for relief society and ward dinners, etc.  Its pretty much a dump-soup and you can't beat that!

Potato and Double Corn Chowder

6 Servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 bag (16 oz) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed (4 cups)
• 1 can (15 ¼ oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
• 1 can (14 ¾ oz) cream-style corn
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (I used fat free)
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 C) (quick tip: use frozen chopped onion)
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (quick tip: use a bag of bacon pieces from salad section of store) (I’ve also had great success using cut up ham instead of bacon.  Can also use leftover cut up cooked turkey or chicken)
• ½ t salt
• ½ t Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ t pepper

 Process:

1. Mix all ingredients in 3 ½ to 6 quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours; high 3-4 hours to develop flavors.

 Source: From Betty Crocker’s Slow Cooker Cookbook

You won't be disapointed.  Happy Eating!

"Cafe Rio" Pork (Pulled Pork)

I was typing this up for some friends, so I thought I'd post it here instead (since this IS what I created the blog for!)

This recipe is A-MAZING... seriously.  A bit tedious removing the fat, but sooo worth it.  This stuff is delicious, you seriously won't be able to get enough.  My Grandma Marlene's made it for a group I was in and I just couldn't stop eating it!

I know this is pretty popular right now, so sorry for the repeat if you already know about this little gem, but some of my friends hadn't had it, so here it is girls!

(Unfortunately I'm not quite in the habit of always taking pictures of stuff I make yet because I forget about the blog, so I don't have a picture.  But I'll add one next time I make it.

We've done this full Cafe Rio style, as well as my Grandma Marlene's modified style, as well as just with tacos - and even very simple tacos with just corn and black beans on tortillas.  This is so full of flavor that you don't need much else really.

It's amazing with the Lime-Cilantro Rice and Creamy Tomatilla Dressing, which I make links out of later, but I'm just going to put the pork recipe up for now.  This stuff freezes really well too.  It makes a lot, so I've just put it in a few individual baggies and frozen it, and there's several days worth of dinners!

Cafe Rio Pork

Ingredients

• 4 lbs. pork roast (I use a pork shoulder)
• 1 1/2 cups salsa (My grandma told me just to use one tub of that fresh salsa)
• 1 can coke (the recipe says no diet.  I got the caffeine free coke, and it works just great.)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 t. salt

Procedure

• Put pork in crock pot and fill half way with water (I only put about a cup and a half in and it was fine.)  Cook roast on high for 5 hours.  (I just cooked it on low for 10 overnight.)  
• Drain off water.  Shred pork.
• Mix together other ingredients and put on top of pork (I just dump them all in and stir it up.)
• Cook an additional 3 hours on high.  Leave on low until ready to serve.

The original way to serve it: tortilla, then beans (black or pinto), rice, pork, chopped lettuce and dressing.  Garnish with shredded cheese, pico de gallo & guacamole.

The way my grandma serves it which is way simple and soo delicious: chips, then chopped lettuce, then pork then sour cream.  LOVE IT!

Source: not sure where I got this recipe... if its from you, please let me know!

Potato Cheese Soup

I got this recipe from a friend when we were in Dental School in Cleveland.  They made it for us for dinner and it was sooo delicious.  Friend - I'm sorry I don't remember which one of you it was!  I'd love it if you'd remind me!

I had some baby potatoes that needed to be used, so I tried to think of what I could do with them and remembered this delicious recipe I used to make a lot but haven't made in years.  Instead of the veggies it calls for, I used some chopped broccoli I had in the freezer and another bag of carrots/cauliflower/broccoli mix and I happened to have some celery in the fridge!  Score!  I've told you this before, but I don't chop onions anymore.  I only use the frozen chopped onions from the freezer.  Its just not worth the pain it causes my eyes - I'm super sensitive to it.

I also love that this soup is meatless - you could add ham if you wanted and I'm sure it would be great, but I love having some meal recipes that don't use any meat.

This recipe is super easy, and even more tasty.  And a huge hit with my kids!  My 4-year-old little girl says "Mmm.... I can't believe how yummy this is!"  And, later in the meal, she asks, "Can you put this on the yummy list?"  (I actually do have a 'yummy list' I keep on the inside of a cupboard door of things that were big hits in our family - very handy!)  Isn't that cute though?  And, don't you LOVE it when your kids LOVE a meal that's full of veggies?!  How awesome is that??

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Potato Cheese Soup
Carrie Horlacher

Ingredients:
  Soup base:

• 4 c. water
• 2 T. chicken bouillon
• 3c. cubed potatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 stalk broccoli
• 1 large carrot, cubed
• 2 stalks celery, chopped

  White sauce:

• ½ c. butter
• ½ c. flour
• 4 c. milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Add to completed White Sauce:
1c. grated cheese

Process:
Simmer soup base till tender.  Make White Sauce.  When sauce is completed, add cheese.  Add White Sauce with cheese to soup base.  Mix & serve.


If anyone knows how it would turn out without/with less of or an alternitive to using an entire cube of butter, I'd love to hear it.  The soup makes a TON, which is my only consolation for using so much butter, but I'd still love to hear of an alternative if anyone has one.


Happy Eating!

Meatball & Noodle Casserole

So, I accidentally left the meatballs out of the freezer long enough to thaw completely the other day, so I stuck them in the fridge not wanting to re-freeze them.  (Can you re-freeze cooked meat?)  So I had to use the meatballs, so I tried to think of something I could make with them.  I looked up some 'meatball casseroles' but couldn't find anything that used already made meatballs.  So I decided to just to wing it on my own. (I do that a lot... luckily, somehow my mom's skill of it rubbed off on me and I'm pretty good at it.)  So here's what I came up with, using the rest of the pasta sauce in the fridge and some mozzarella I had on hand from the week before, that also needed to be used.  Since I 'winged it' I really don't know about measurements... use your best judgment and what looks right.  I'll estimate, but use those exact measurements at your own discretion.

Since I made it up, I had no idea how it would turn out, but my family GOBBLED it up!  Both my kids (ages 2 & 4) loved it, and my husband actually put it on the same level as his two all-time favorite meals I make!  I couldn't believe it.  He ate the leftovers every day for the next two days and loved it. Pretty simple meal, but a HUGE hit!  Gotta love that!

Ingredients:

• Pasta - probably about 2 C uncooked - I used some tri-color (probably vegetable) fusilli I had
• Pasta sauce - our favorite brand is Safeway, although I've started shopping differently and probably won't be buying it anymore.  The flavor was artichoke pesto.  I used a jar and about a half cup of what I had left in the fridge.
• Meatballs - as many as you like - I probably had about 10-15 in the bag still - frozen meatballs
• Mozerella cheese - probably about 2 C
• Bread crumbs - I used homemade ones I had, but any would work

Process:

1. Cook pasta an put in 3 qt. casserole
2. Warm and add meatballs, dispersing as desired
3. Cover with pasta sauce
4. Cover with shredded mozerella
5. Top with bread crumbs
6. Bake till heated through - probably about 30 min. at 350 degrees.

Happy Eating!

CrockPot Apricot Chicken

We had this for dinner tonight and it was oh-so-good!  I wish there was more, but sadly, there were no leftovers tonight.

Since I only had regular mustard and no minced onion flakes, I used part of an onion soup mix I had.  Turned out great.  I also didn't have red chili flakes so I used a bit of red pepper flakes instead.  (Are those the same thing?  Hum...)  I served it with brown rice and broccoli (obviously from my picture.)  It was an awesome combo.  The sauce (there's lots of extra after the chicken is cooked) is way yummy on the broccoli.  The "I" below isn't me.  I think it might be my friend Olivia, but I'm not sure.  (Olivia, let me know if it is!)

Ingredients:
•    11 oz jar of apricot preserves
•    1 t dried minced onion flakes
•    1 T Dijon mustard
•    1 T soy sauce
•    1/4 t ginger
•    1/4 to 1/2 t red chili flakes (optional)
•    6 chicken thighs or equivalent body parts

Process:
     I used frozen thighs.  Drop the chicken into your crockpot.  In a small bowl, mix all the other other ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, high for 4-6.  Note: If your chicken isn't frozen, your dinner will cook faster.  Serve with white or brown rice and veggies. In our case, we had leftover cabbage and potatoes.


Let me know how it turns out!  Happy Eating!

Edit: This recipe is from the food blog, A Year of Slow Cooking.  Thanks Olivia!