Tasty Tues: Chicken Chili

Nothing beats a huge bowl of chili on a cold winter's day and my husband is the biggest chili fan! I was sick of the classic chili over and over again, so I created this chili myself using chicken instead of burger to spice things up! I find it has just the right kick of spice for our family!

NEEDED:
4 breasts cooked and diced
1 can chicken broth (used to cook the chicken breasts)
1 can chili beans
1 can navy beans
1 can black beans
10 oz can of enchilada sauce
2 cans mexican style stewed tomatos (with chilis in it)
1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack or coby jack cheese
2 cups salsa (can add more if you like yours spicy!)
Chili Powder to taste (more if you like it spicy, less if not)

TO make:
Place all items in a giant pot on your stove. Simmer on med heat for about two hours stiring every so often to prevent sticking. Serve with corn bread or bread sticks. Also great with tortilla chips..or Fritos.. topped with a bit of left over grated cheese and sour cream! mmm good!

Tasty Tuesday: Cheese Burger Chowder

Here is one of my family's all time favorite soups. Perfect for chilly fall days like today! it is so creamy and just plain amazing!

1/2 pound hamburger meat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped finely
Salt and pepper to taste
Dried basil and parsley to taste
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes or a bag of frozen hashbrowns
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

To Make:

1. Brown the hamburger on medium to medium-high heat.
2. Drain the ground beef, but retain a bit of the fat to sautee the vegetables.
3. Add onion, carrot and celery to the soup pot. Add salt, sautee on medium low heat until onions are soft.
4. Add basil, parsley and pepper, and cook for a minute or two more, and add the broth and potatoes.
5. Return the beef to the soup pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while you make the cheese sauce.
6. While the soup is simmering, melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan.
7. Add the flour to the butter a small amount at a time, being sure to stir it in completely before adding more.
8. After all the flour has been added, cook the mixture for a minute or two. This will remove the raw flour taste.
9. Remove the flour/butter mixture from the heat. Add milk a bit at a time, making sure to stir completely to remove lumps.
10. Once the milk is added and the mixture is smooth, return it to the heat. Once it is hot, you can start adding the shredded cheese a bit at a time, making sure it gets melted in before adding more.
11. Add a cup or so of the broth the cheese sauce to help thin it, and to raise the temperature.
12. Add the cheese sauce and the sour cream to the soup.

Notes If you want to turn this cheeseburger soup recipe into a bacon cheeseburger soup recipe, then cook up some crispy bacon and sprinkle it into the soup just before serving.

Also, if you really miss the bun, try serving the soup with some toasted sourdough bread. Great for dipping into the soup!

Tasty Tuesday: Chocolate Chip Candy

I have a sweet tooth.. a really bad sweet tooth! So when it comes to easy candy to make.. this one is on the list!

1 (18 ounce package) of chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (choose your favorite, I LOVE lightly salted cashews)
1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

To Make:
Mix chips over low heat with your sweetened condensed milk. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts and vanilla. Spread the mixture over a wax paper lined 8x8 inch cookie sheet. Chill

Tasty Tip:
Make a bunch and wrap them in pretty colored wrap as gifts for teachers, friends or even neighbors.. or you could always send some to me!

Tasty Tues: Jar Mix Cookie

Staying with the theme of cookies! (I can not get enough of them!) I thought it would be fun to share a Jar Mix Cookie Recipe with you!

Jar mix cookie recipes have grown in popularity over the past few years; their origin born from the idea of making gift giving simpler.

Giving cookies to friends and family will always be part of the Holliday tradition, the problem is trying to find time to bake with our ever busy fast paced life styles.

Jar Mix cookies have made life so much easier. Not only do they make a great looking homemade gift, but over the years their recipes have improved, and delicious cookies often result.

The orange dreamsicle jar mix cookie recipe combines orange flavoring with vanilla baking chips for a great taste!

ORANGE DREAMSICLE COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered orange flavored drink mix (I used Tang)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vanilla baking chips
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder


Hardware
1-quart mason jar or larger canning jar
Funnel (optional)
Paper for tag

TO MAKE:
Step 1: In a bowl, combine the flour with the baking soda and baking powder. Then in your jar : Start first layer with powdered orange flavored drink. Then add the sugar. Follow with vanilla chips and ending with the flour mixture. Pack down firmly after each addition.

Step 2: Attach tag with the following instructions:

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2: In a large bowl, with an electric mixer cream 1 sticks (1/2 cup) of softened salted butter or margarine with 1 eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat well.
Step 3: Gradually add cookie mix, stirring until ingredients are well mixed.
Step 4: Roll dough into tablespoon size balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Step 5: Bake 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on cookie sheet. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling surface.

Makes about 24-30 cookies.

What Office Supply Are You?

You Are a Coffee Mug

You have loads of energy and stamina. You can zip through the most boring of tasks with complete enthusiasm. You are also great at motivating a group. You are a fearless leader. You are efficient and productive. You don't put off tasks or procrastinate. You actually enjoy working. You would make a good small business owner or startup employee. If a job requires blood, sweat, and tears - then you have some to give.

What Office Supply Are You?

Adobe Lightroom 3 Beta

I love Lightroom 2 for photo editing.  I do pretty much all of my photo editing in LR and found that I rarely use Photoshop Elements anymore unless I want a specific action or for digi scrapbooking.  I follow the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips Blog and was really excited to see that they have a Beta version of Lightroom 3 that is available to everyone not just existing LR users.  If you're interested in giving LR a try, I highly recommend downloading this program.  Now remember it's a Beta version and not the final version so there may be some quirks, but think it's great for deciding if you want to add LR when the completed version comes out.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta

Tasty Tuesday: Cookies!!

Did you know that October is NATIONAL COOKIE MONTH! .. just what you needed to hear right?? of course I have never needed a reason to bake.. but this little tid bit made me drool and want to bring out the cookie sheets even more!

So in honnor of celebrating National Cookie Month.. I decided I would share my personal favorite cookie recipe with you!

Monster Cookies

Needed:

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup MnM candies

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant!)


To The Baking! :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. (or GREASE YOUR PAN WELL)


In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal.

Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

It makes 3 dozen cookies!!! but trust me these cookies move so fast.. that you will be glad you have a lot! because that way you may actually get one! *L*


Cookie Tip:

One of the most frequently asked questions when baking cookies is: how do you cut down preparation time for parties or special events? The answer is simple; freeze your dough or cookies ahead of time.
Most cookie dough freezes extremely well and can be kept frozen for up to 4 or 6 weeks. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the dough will absorb any odd odors present in your freezer if it's not properly wrapped and sealed. To prevent odors from creeping into the dough, as well as preventing freezer burn, wrap the dough securely twice. Also make sure that the dough is placed away from fish or any other strong smelling items in the freezer. Oxygen is another leading cause of freezer burn. If you should decide to put the dough into a freezer bag instead of wrapping with plastic wrap then follow this tip: when closing the bag, leave a ¼-inch gap in one corner. Insert a drinking straw, suck out all excess air in the bag, and then close tightly.

When you are ready to bake, simply let the dough defrost in the refrigerator. It will take several hours to thaw the dough, so plan ahead. The types of cookie dough that freeze the best are shortbreads, chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar, and brownies, just to name a few. The types of cookie dough that do not freeze well are those for cake-like cookies and cookies that have a very smooth, runny batter.

Freezing baked cookies is a great way to preserve their freshness. Baked cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 weeks. Follow the same steps as when freezing dough by double-wrapping the cookies. When you are ready to eat your frozen cookies, just let them come to room temperature. Or for you impatient types, pop them in the microwave on high for about 30 seconds. We still haven't come across a baked cookie that doesn't freeze well. So when planning your next special event, think about preparing and freezing ahead of time.