Taco Soup

Ahhh Taco Soup! I love soup days! When Kev and I got married the first time i told him i was going to make soup the look he gave me was like i told him i was going to feed him fried DOG! I was shocked he wasn't super excited. We grew up on homemade yummy stews and soups so i could not figure out this disappointment. Until he informed me he thought it was from a can...well that explained alot! He hadn't been raised like i had with these hearty soups. I knew it was time to break him in.
Taco soup is just classic and so easy! Spice it up or down and you can please the whole family!

1 lb. hamburger
1 qrt. tomatoes, w/juice (or 2 cans stewed)
1 can corn,with liquid
1 can kidney or red beans, drained and rinsed
taco seasoning to taste, i use 2 tbls. or so...just right!

Brown hamburger and drain grease. Add taco seasoning and mix into hamburger. Add in tomatoes,corn, and beans. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. I am completely content with this soup not being way soupy. If you want it thinner than add a cup of water before you start to simmer. Top with sour cream and cheese. We love this with homemade breadsticks (recipe below), but most people like this with tortilla chips. So good too.

Best breadsticks EVER!

By: Jennifer Jensen

O these are so yumbo! I got this recipe out of my sister Brookes ward cookbook. I thought they looked easy but had no idea how easy and YUMMY they were going to be! 40 min total (if that) from start to finish including baking time. Honestly! I know there are alot of great breadstick recipes out there but seriously for convenience and taste once you try these you will never go back or try to find another one!

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 tbls. yeast
2 tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. flour (you may need a titch more so dough isn't to sticky)
1/2 stick butter (i wouldn't use margarine)
Lawrys garlic salt

Add first 5 ingredients together in order above. Mix in bowl then dump on counter to knead until you have a nice smooth elastic dough. Let rest 1o minutes (i just cover with a cloth on the counter). When done resting sprinkle some flour on your counter and roll out into a rectangular shape about the size of your jellyroll pan. Now the recipe says to cut into strips with your pizza cutter now and place individually on pan...however i found a WAY easier way. I just fold dough in half place on my cookie sheet then unfold and make it fit the best i can then cut it on the pan. If you cant cut all the way through that's fine just cut with a knife when they get out of the oven.
Put 1-2 tbls. melted butter on pan before dough goes on then put the rest of the butter on the dough then sprinkle with garlic SALT(the yummy stuff) then cut them into strips. Bake @ '350 15-20 min This is also awesome as cinnamon and sugar breadsticks! I swear you need to give this a try you will love them!!

Cake Batter Pancakes

By Good things Utah

makes about 12 pancakes
1½ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 cups milk
assorted sprinkles

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter; not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. I suggest a small taste test as well to see if the pancakes are flavored enough.
Preheat a skillet on medium heat (I use an electric grilled and turn it to 250 degrees). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more. Serve with vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze
1 c. powder sugar
1 tbls milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Assorted sprinkles

Smothered Hamburger Patties

This recipe i got from my ward cook book. I LOVE ward cookbooks from any ones ward. I also just love any cookbook period!
This is just a yummy classic dish! If you like meat and potatoes you are sure to love this dish. So super easy and just YUM!

2 lbs. Hamburger
2 tbls. shortening
1/3 c. flour
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg brown gravy mix (when i don't have the gravy mix i use 3 bullion cubes)
1 can of water

Make hamburger into patties. Heat pan and put shortening in. Make your hamburger into patties. Coat in flour then place in pan, brown on both sides. Place in 9x 13 pan.
While patties are browning put cream of mushroom soup,brown gravy and water in a soup pan on stove and mix and warm together. Pour over patties. Cover with tinfoil then bake '350 for 1 hour. Serve with potatoes, rice,noodles or whatever. Now i have to admit i do not always warn the soup mixture together. I will just put ingredients in a bowl, mix then pour over patties. However by heating it, it looks more smooth and well i guess prettier :) either way its a definite go to dinner for my family!

No bake Cookies... a.k.a Gorilla poops

This is for you Jenn :)
I love that not only arethese still to this day one of my favorite cookies but Hadlie can make them too. And besides a little bit of cooking on the stovetop i don't worry about her making them at all.

1 cube butter
1/2 c. milk
6 tbls. baking cocoa (you can do anywhere from 4-6... depends on you)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. oats (i swear i always end up using closer to 4 so they set up better but aren't dry)

Bring the first 4 ingredients to a boil in saucepan. Take off heat and add in your vanilla. Add oatmeal 1 cup at a time stirring to incorperate it real good. Drop on wax paper little bigger than a tablespoon size big. Or the size of a Gorillas poop :) Let them set up. You can put them in the fridge to set up faster. I found out my family likes them chilled :)
Variations: Substitute 1 cup of oatmeal for coconut, or add to cocoa mixture 1/2 c. peanut butter after you add in the vanilla. Stir until it melts in then add oats.

Omelets

By Good Things Utah

I got these off of GTU back in "08 when i had a bit of an obsession with this show. If you are going to make an omlet really this is the only way to do it. O.K. its not the ONLY way, just a yummy one :)

Quart size ziplock bags
2 eggs
cheese
ANYTHING you would like to add in: ham,sausage,bacon,onion,peppers,salsa,green chili's..really ANYTHING!
Place your eggs in the bag then add your other add ins mix your egg mixture around in the bag with your hands until its all mixed really good. Then get ALL the air out of the bag and seal it tight.
Add your bags to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 13 min. A couple extra minutes if you added extra cheese (so mine are in there for 22 min...just a joke). When you pull the bags out you will beable to see your omelet is done. Take out of bag.
Add salsa, sourcream,or Ketchup on top :)

Ham Friend Rice

By Jenny Hadlock

In my own personal opinion ham fried rice is all really pretty much the same. BUT. This one is my favorite. I got this recipe from my sister in law Jenny and not only do i LOVE it but Hadlie who HATES rice (except rice-a-roni) loves it too. The pan i made could have fed an army and we ate every last bit..o.k. so we are a small army :)

2 c. cooked rice (i used chicken bullion in the water to flavor the rice...so good)
2 tbls. butter
1/2 onion
2 eggs
Ham, i used ham steaks

Heat your pan and saute butter and onion until onion is soft,around 7 min or so. Crack 1-2 eggs in pan and scramble. When scrambled add your rice and ham (my sis in law uses budding ham which i would do if we didn't have a pork, cheap too) toss and warm altogether. You can add peas and carrots if you want. I added soy sauce individually..some of my kids did not like "that spicy stuff" :)

Homeade tortillas and Refried beans

I now have an obsession with homemade tortillas and refried beans thanks to my friend Amy and Sheila. You can't not try these. There to good. You will never want to buy refried beans in a can again!

Tortillas
4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 c. oil
About 1 1/2 cups warm water (or a little more)

Mix flour,baking powder,salt,and oil. Add warm water until dough is kneadable. Knead until dough is smooth. Break off into egg size pieces. Set aside and let rest with a damp paper towel over them for about 15-20 minutes. Roll out as you would pie dough. They will not always be a perfect circle but they will still roll up the same. Cook on a flat grill or fry pan. When it starts to bubble flip over onto other side. My son Davis loved helping with this..kindof fun not going to lie.

Beans
2 1/2 c. dry pinto beans
salt
Garlic salt
real butter
In a pot on your stovetop put beans in with 8 c. of water. bring to a boil 1-2 minutes then remove from heat and and place lid on the pot. Let beans soak up the liquid for 1-2 hours. then drain and rinse beans. There will be extra liquid in there you will have to drain. The beans wont soak it all up.
In pressure cooker place beans with 1 to 2 inches water covering them and a dash of salt. Bring up to pressure and cook for 40-50 min.
If you don't want (or have) a pressure cooker then simmer with same amount of water for 2 hours.
When done drain all but a little bit of the liquid (dont dump the rest of the liquid down the drain. Reserve it for a bit incase you need to moisent the beans a bit more, you can always add) then mash. They should be a bit soupy looking, like you have to much liquid in there but within minutes it will set up. Add some butter and garlic salt to taste. These are so HEALTHY for you and yummy not pasty and full of can crap (like the other stuff i always use:)) You will love these and can freeze them to. Bothe tortilla and bean recipes make a big batch! So half if you would like

Pumpkin Muffins W.W. recipe

And hello only 92 calories! Yeah that's right! And these lack not one ounce of flavor. Seriously they are to die for moist and good! Even if you don't care about the nutritional info. I made these years ago (like 8) after having Tyson and joining W.W. I made them once. I cannot believe i have not made them since! So glad for the rediscovery.

1 box Duncan Hines Spice cake (any brand will do but i Loved this one)
1 15 oz. can 100 % pure pumpkin
1/2 c. water
Mix all together and bake @ 325 for 18-23min.

Peach Pie...

Or also known as Kevin's only temptation. Give him a candy bar or yummy treat and he can save or even resist it FOREVER!!!!!! Make him a peach pie and he is a goner! Blueberry is a close second. I have made many recipes and crusts and this is my favorite of both o and Kev's too. Is it easy? Well ofcourse!

Pie Filling
4 c. sliced peaches
1/4 c. Minute tapioca
3/4 c. sugar
1 tbls. sugar
(Also found on the back of the Minute tapioca box :))

Mix this all together and let sit for 15 min in a bowl. While waiting make your crust.

Crust
2 1/2 c. flour, little extra to roll out on
1 c. butter (2 sticks) VERY cold cut into little pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
6-8 tbls. ice water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl. Mix in your very cold butter with a pastry cutter. (I always used a fork until my mom gave me an awesome pastry cutter.) Mix until it starts to resemble a coarse meal mixture. Add ice water 1 tbls at a time until its wet enough to start to form a dough. Dump onto counter and knead just enough to form 2 disc shapes and place in saran wrap and place in fridge for an hour. It can stay in there for up to a couple of days. When you take it out of fridge let it sit out for 5-10 min. Then roll out your bottom and put in pie pan. Put your filling in and place your top on. make a couple slits in crust then
Bake @ 400 for 40-50 minutes. I do mine for 40 and its perfect.

Shepherds Pie (also known as hungry boy)

This has been my favorite casserole since i was a little kid. When i married Kevin and made this he loved it so much and still to this day if its been over a month not made the kids and Kev will be requesting and wondering why it hasn't been made.

1 lb hamburger
1 can tomato soup (or you can use 2 small cans tomato sauce)
1 qrt. green beans (or a can or 2) drained
4-5 potatoes, cooked & mashed
Cheddar Cheese to top casserole

Brown hamburger, drain grease. Add in tomato soup. I then salt and pepper it to taste. Add in green beans and mix altogether. Put in a 9x 13 pan put potatoes on top then cheese. Cover and bake @ '350 for 30 minutes. I don't always cover it and its just fine.


So i love this dish for a couple reasons. First off i like to use leftover mashed potatoes since i usually make enough for an army with dinner the night before. Second i have used corn instead of the green beans and its obviously still delicious (and Davis's fav!) Instant potatoes will do too. So you can make this yummy completely from scratch or like me use leftovers from another meal. I find his very convenient and useful. I hate wasting!