Tasty Tuesday: Italian Beef Sandwiches

After the baptisms on Sunday, we had a soup and sandwiches fundraiser to support our CTS competition teams.  I made a double batch of the Taco Soup that I posted about last week.  Except I made it on the stove in my soup pot…a 5-qt soup pot that was full to almost overflowing.  And  at the end of the day, it was completely G.O.N.E.  I’m telling ya, it was yummy!!!

Now I used my soup pot because my crockpot was cooking up something else delicious.  Italian Beef Sandwiches.  These are super easy and were a HUGE hit.  I had several requests for the recipe.  I was told that “this” is what I was expected to cook for our gatherings from now on.  And I was given a big hint that I needed to bring it to our family night supper in a couple of weeks.  I was feelin’ the love I tell ya!  I’ve already shared the recipe with all my facebook friends, but I wanted to share it on here too.  And by the way, the homemade sandwich spread MAKES it!

ITALIAN BEEF  SANDWICHES

1 4LB. BEEF ROAST (I PREFER A RUMP ROAST STYLE OF BEEF)
1 CAN COKE
1 CAN CAMPBELL'S BEEF CONSOMME
1 MEDIUM ONION, DICED
1 BELL PEPPER, DICED
2 JALAPENO PEPPERS, WHOLE
1 SMALL CAN MUSHROOMS
2 TBS. ITALIAN SEASONING
1 TBS. GARLIC SALT
SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

PLACE MEAT IN CROCKPOT.

POUR COKE AND BEEF CONSOMME OVER MEAT.

SPRINKLE THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS DIRECTLY ONTO THE MEAT.

COOK IN CROCKPOT ON LOW FOR 12-14 HOURS.

REMOVE MEAT AND ALLOW TO COOL.

REMOVE ANY BONES, FAT, ETC.

SHRED BEEF. PUT BACK IN CROCKPOT. HEAT THROUGH. SERVE ON HOAGIE ROLLS.

SANDWICH SPREAD FOR ITALIAN BEEF
(THIS IS THE “RECIPE” THAT I GO BY, BUT I MAKE MUCH MORE THAN THIS AND WING IT ON THE PROPORTIONS.)

1 TSP. MAY
1 ½ TSP. ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING
¼ TSP. ITALIAN SEASONING
¼ TSP. MUSTARD
DASH OF SALT AND PEPPER

MIX ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER AND SPREAD ON WARMED BREAD BEFORE PILING ON THE ITALIAN BEEF.

YOU CAN ADD MORE OR LESS OF ANY OF THESE INGREDIENTS TO GET THE TASTE YOU PREFER.

Tasty Tuesday: Taco Soup

This recipe is a new family favorite.  It’s another {slightly altered} one from AFR’s Elite Recipe Club  It’s really more like a chili than a soup.  And it is delish!   Especially when eaten with Tostitos with a hint of lime!  Yum-O!

Taco Soup:

2 lbs ground sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can Rotel

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

2 cups frozen corn

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

Brown ground beef and onions on the stove. Drain fat. Place sausage and onions, and all the other ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low for several hours ( I usually cook overnight). Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream.

Baking Christmas Goodies

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is making cookies for Santa!  We got started bright and early on Christmas Eve morning.  The boys were so excited!

  

    

  

Licking the beaters is the best part!

One of my classroom Moms saw these cute reindeer on pinterest and made them for our class Christmas party.  As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to make them with my boys!

  

  

  

Chocolate covered mini-pretzels, red peanut M & Ms, mini pretzels broken in half, and a little white icing…nothing could be easier…or cuter!!!  They were a big hit!

Tasty Tuesday: Fruit Cobbler

Over the 4th of July weekend I was inspired to try my hand at making fruit cobbler.  There was a yummy peach cobbler at our 2nd of July party.  And when we returned to church on the 3rd of July (remember we had been out of town for quite a while) I was reminded that we had an ice cream social that night that I needed to prepare something for.  And what better to go with homemade ice cream than cobbler.  As a child, I loved my Grandma’s blackberry cobbler so I pulled out our family recipe book and decided to give it a try.

1 pint blackberries
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 pint water
Mix and cook on top of stove

Okay, that I can handle.  Accomplished and feeling good about my success I continued…

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar

Mix in a bowl of flour and fix like biscuits but roll longer.  Half dough and roll out real thin and cut into strips (dumplings).  Hmmmm….might be helpful if I had a clue as to how to make biscuits!  So I bought frozen dumplings and used them.  HA!

Now it said to put the dumplings in the berry mixture.  Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar.  Keep doing that until you put all those strips in the berries…hmmm, put them in the berry mixture while it was cooking on the stove or put them in the mixture in the oven pan??????

Put the second half of the dough on top of the whole mixture and brown in the oven until the top is how brown you want it…what?!? no temperature?!?  no degrees?!? 

I muddled my way through it and actually made two delish blackberry cobblers.  One for our church social and one for our 4th of July party.  I also made a peach cobbler based on a recipe I found online.  And it was very yummy!!!  And since all three cobblers were completely eaten I call that a complete success!

Since then I have made a dozen or more cobblers, most of them blueberry.  I have combined my Grandma’s recipe and the online recipe to come up with my very own and I think it’s wonderful!!!  Even my hubby, who at the beginning of this cooking adventure, said “I don’t really care for cobblers,” has devoured quite a few bowl fulls over the past month!

My Berry Cobbler:

Fruit Filling:

2-3 cups of fruit (blackberries, blueberries, peaches, pears…)
2 cups water (I only use 3/4 of a cup for the blueberry cobbler)
2 cups Splenda
1/2 tsp cinnamon for the peach, pear, or apple cobblers

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until liquid is syrupy.  About 10 minutes.

To Make Cobbler:

Melt one stick of butter in the bottom of a baking dish.  I prefer to use my Pampered Chef stoneware but have used corning ware and glass, rectangle, oval, circle…

In a small mixing bowl combine:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup splenda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Stir to blend and then add:
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix well.

Pour on top of butter but DO NOT MIX!

Pour fruit topping on top of batter but DO NOT MIX!

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes

Enjoy hot out of the oven with ice cream!

Tasty Tuesday: Vidalia Onion Casserole

I must admit that it has been a long time since I’ve made this.  L.O.N.G.  We’re talking years.  And years.  But when the hubs and I were first married I made it all the time.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.  But let’s face it, with a main ingredient of onions my boys are not going to be too keen on this recipe.  However for the last several months my hubby has requested it.  Several times.  So the other day at the store I bought some Vidalia onions.  And then dug out the recipe.  And sometime soon, once I get a free moment, I’m going to make it.   Just for him.   And while I was digging out this recipe?  I came across several more old favorites that I haven’t made in way to long.  I think some of them need to come out of retirement too.

Ingredients:
4 medium cut up onions, sautéed in butter
1 stick margarine
15 saltine or Ritz crackers crushed (I use Ritz and I use more than 15:-)
1 can cream of chicken, mushroom, or celery soup
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 lb shredded cheddar cheese
Meat optional:  ham or chicken, cut up and sautéed in butter.

What you do:
First, mix the eggs and milk.

Then, in a large casserole dish, layer as follows:
cracker crumbs-save some for the top
onion
soup
meat (optional)
eggs and milk mixture
cheese
cracker crumbs

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Supreme Broccoli with Rice

Listening to AFR in the afternoons, I often heard the host, Meeke Addison talking about recipes viewers had sent in and how yummy they were.  So a couple of months ago I joined her recipe club and now every Thursday I get a new recipe in my inbox to try out.  I must say that they are usually very easy to make and always very yummy!  You can join in on the fun too by emailing Meeke your name and email address to meeke@afr.net. 

One of the first recipes I received was Mallory’s Chicken Supreme Broccoli and it has quickly become a family favorite.  I followed the recipe fairly closely but as always had to add my own touch to it.

The Original Recipe:

What You Need:

2- 1lb packs of frozen chopped broccoli (cooked) (Tiny Flowerets are the best)

1-16oz pint of sour cream

1 cup mayo

1 can cream of mushroom soup or cream of chicken (I use cream of mushroom)

¼ cup parmesan cheese

2 cups (1- sleeve) crushed Ritz crackers

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 well-beaten egg

¼ cup butter melted

2 or 3 cups of diced cooked chicken breast  (I use canned chicken)

What You Do:

In a bowl beat egg. Add sour cream mayo, soup and onion soup mix.

Then add melted butter mix in the chicken and broccoli.

Grease casserole dish and pour mixture in dish and top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Then top with parmesan cheese.

What I Did Differently:

I cooked two packages of Uncle Ben’s wild rice and placed it on the bottom of the casserole dish.  Then I layered the broccoli mixture on top of the rice.  I placed the Ritz crackers on top of the broccoli mixture and baked for 20 minutes.  Then, I put a layer of cheese, using a shredded three cheese blend instead of parmesan and baked another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday: Annie’s Resurrection Cookies

A few days before Easter, my sister, Lindsey, asked me about making resurrection cookies.  A few emails back and forth and we decided to make them at Papa & Ay-ee’s on Easter Eve.  Unfortunately, Lindsey didn’t feel well so it was just the boys, Ay-ee, and me!  And unfortunately we made a BIG mistake with the first batch.  (Note to self:  DO NOT add pecans until the end!)  Thankfully, Daddy showed up and helped us with the second batch and they turned out beautifully!!!  They were absolutely delicious and they help teach a wonderful lesson too!

Annie’s Resurrection Cookies

These are to be made the evening before Easter.  Preheat oven to 300F.(This is very important --- don't wait until you are half done with the recipe.)

You will need:
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
a pinch salt
1 cup sugar
a zipper baggy
1 wooden spoon
tape
Bible

1.  Place pecans in zipper baggy and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.  Set pecans aside.  Explain that after Jesus was arrested.  He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.  Read: John 19:1-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.  And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.  John 19:1-3

2.  Let each child smell the vinegar.  Put 1 teaspoon vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross He was given vinegar to drink. Read: John 19:28-30 

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”  Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.  So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.  John 19:28-30

3.  Add egg whites to vinegar.  Eggs represent life.  Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life. Read: John 10:10-11

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  John 10:10-11

4.  Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand.  Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.  Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read: Luke 23:27

And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him.  Luke 23:27

5.  So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.  Add 1 cup sugar.  Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us.  He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read: Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

6.  Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.  Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sin have been cleansed by Jesus. Read: Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

View Full Album

 

“ Come now, and let us reason together,”
      Says the LORD,
      “ Though your sins are like scarlet,
      They shall be as white as snow;
      Though they are red like crimson,
      They shall be as wool.”
Isaiah 1:18

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”   John 3:1-3

7.  Fold in broken nuts. 

8.  Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.  Read: Matthew 27:57-60.

Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.  This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed.  Matthew 27:57-60

9.  Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.

10.  Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.  Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read: Matthew 27:65-66.

Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how.”   So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard.  Matthew 27:65-66

11.  GO TO BED!   Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.  Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed. Read: John 16:20-22.

Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.  A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.  Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.  John 16:20-22

12.  On Resurrection Sunday (Easter) morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.  Notice the cracked   surface and take a bite.  The cookies are hollow!  On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed
to find the tomb open and empty. Read: Matthew 28:1-9.

.

 

 

 

 

 

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.  And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,^[a] and sat on it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”  So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.  And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.  Matthew 28:1-9

View Full Album

Tasty Tuesday—Brownie Bites

Several months ago I came across this recipe for snow pops.  This was my second time in a matter of weeks of hearing about snow pops and my mouth was watering.  Then, one of my fourth grader’s mom made some for our class Christmas party and I knew I had to try it out.  So, one Saturday early in January I was feeling industrious and I decided to try them out.  I followed the online recipe exactly!  I even made the homemade cream cheese icing!!!  The only exceptions I did make to the recipe is that I didn’t put the snowballs  on sticks and I used the candy melts found in the wedding section at WalMart instead of the chocolate that she uses.  Needless to say, they were a BIG hit with my family.  My hubby suggested that I make them again except he wanted me to make them with brownies instead of cake mix.  So a couple weeks later I made them again, this time for the February birthday celebration at church.  Then I made them again for both mine and Trey’s class Valentine’s.  They turned out so cute!  I must warn you that they are extremely rich…but oh so good!!!

View Full Album

Brownie Bites

Bake brownies (the really fudgey kind), following the directions on the box.

Once brownies are baked and cooled, crumble them into little bits and pieces.

Make a batch of cream cheese frosting.

Combine:

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

6 T. butter, softened

1 t. vanilla

1T. cream (or milk)

3 cups powdered sugar

I added the cream cheese frosting, a big spoonful at the time, to the brownie crumbles (until all the brownies were moistened with the frosting and was moldable like dough), combining well.

I formed the brownie mixture into balls, put them on a plate and refrigerated them.

While they were chilling, I melted 2 bags of white chocolate candy melts on medium power in the microwave. I have found that the candy melts in the wedding section at WalMart work best for me. I cannot seem to use almond bark or any of the other meltable white chocolate found in the baking section of the grocery stores. I scorch it every time. I am a solid fan of candy melts! If you wish you could use food coloring and make your snow balls fun colors. I didn’t. I have however, used the milk chocolate candy melts. They were yummy too!

Dip the brownie balls into the chocolate completely coating them. Place on wax paper to dry.

Put sprinkles all over the snow balls quickly before the candy started to harden.

View Full Album

By the way, you can go here and see all of her posts about snow pops.  There are several posts (check out the comment section) that tell about blog readers modifications to the recipe and a post about how her sister made red velvet snow pops!  They all look yummy!

Tasty Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie

A family favorite and oft requested recipe: Chicken Pot Pie!

I've often been told I make the best one evaaar!!!
I think it's because I use a combination of fresh & frozen vegtables & no canned vegetables.

Ingredients:

Chicken (whatever is on sale—whole chicken or breasts)
Carrots, chopped into bite size pieces
Potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
Frozen kernel corn
Frozen sweet peas
Frozen onion (already diced)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of celery
Bisquick
Milk

To Make:

Boil the chicken. Once it is boiled tear/cut it into bite size pieces. Save the broth!

In the chicken broth boil the carrots and potatoes until tender.

Once the carrots and potatoes are almost done, add the corn, sweet peas, and onion.

Set aside about 2 cups of broth.

Drain most of the broth off of the vegetables.

Add chicken, cream of mushroom, and cream of celery.

Mixture should be somewhat soupy. If it is not, add some broth back to it.

Pour mixture into a baking dish.

Mix ¼ - ½ cup chicken broth, Bisquick, and milk to make topping. I honestly don’t measure. If you like thicker crusts use less liquid and more Bisquick. If you like thinner crusts use more liquid and less Bisquick. My boys aren’t big fans of the crust so my topping is very liquidly. Pour Bisquick mixture evenly over chicken & vegetables.

Place in oven and cook at 350 for about 25 minutes until top is golden brown & cooked through.

Tasty Tuesday: Crab Stew

We celebrated New Year’s Eve with family roasting oysters and gobbling up crab stew. Everyone loved the stew and ate multiple bowls. And it is so simple to make.

Ingredients:
3 sticks butter
5 cans cream of celery soup
3 cans evaporated milk
1 quart half & half
2 lbs crab meat (I use the canned king crab claw meat found in the meat section of our grocery store.)
Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper to taste (more Worcestershire than hot pepper sauce, light on the salt, generous with the pepper)

In a large pot, melt butter completely, then add cream of celery soup, mixing well. Add remainder of the ingredients, being sure to break apart the crab meat. Simmer over medium to low heat until hot. The longer it simmers the better it is.

Hinson loved Aunt Christy’s crab stew!

Tasty Tuesday—Christmas Traditions

Several years ago, I heard about these cute (and really simple and super easy) reindeer cookies.  Trey and I made them that year, and my boys and I have made them every year since…a very tasty Christmas tradition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are so simple that the boys do most of the work themselves.  Should you want to make your own reindeer cookies all you need is a roll of cookie dough, M & Ms, and pretzels.  I usually use sugar cookie dough, but this year I accidently picked up chocolate chip dough so our reindeer had freckles:-)  To make the reindeer, you slice the dough into circles and gently pinch the middle to make the head shape.  Then add pretzel antlers, M & M eyes and nose,  and bake according to package directions.  Easy, easy, easy and Santa loves ‘em!

View Full Album

Last week, my very creative scrapbooking and blogging buddy Nancy , posted about making snowman pops with her girls.  She had borrowed the idea from another blog, and the pops looked so cute and so easy that I decided to borrow the idea from her and make snowman pops with my boys.  So while I was picking up cookie dough, M & Ms, and pretzels for reindeer cookies, I also picked up small wooden dowels, marshmallows, white chocolate candy melts, and mini M & Ms for snowmen pops. (You could use almond bark instead of candy melts but I found that candy melts work much, much better.  You can find them in the wedding section of the craft section at WalMart.  I also got the small, wooden dowels in the craft section.)  Then all you have to do is place three marshmallows per wooden dowel, melt the candy melts and completely coat the marshmallows, quickly place mini M & M eyes, nose, and buttons, and place on wax paper to dry.  Once dry I placed them in individual clear party bags (also found in the craft section) and they were ready to hand out.  And they were soooooooo very yummy!!!  Especially with hot chocolate!   Wa-la!  A new Christmas tradition was born!

View Full Album

View Full Album

View Full Album

View Full Album

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year.  Yes, I have frequently blogged about how much I love summer.  And I do!  But Christmas has been my favorite since I was a little girl and it’s wonderfulness has only increased since I became a Mama and we began making our very own family traditions.  My boys love spending time in the kitchen making goodies, and I love spending time with them making memories.