Check THIS out!

My "to-do" list is longer than I can possibly describe, so I'm going to point you to a friend's website.  This friend has many gifts and she excels at all of them.  BUT she is notorious for her gift for baking and her new website is filled with all sorts of yummy goodies!  She even has enough pictures that I guarantee your mouth will water.  Go spend some time with Sandra:
http://www.generouskitchen.blogspot.com/

Cheers ~
Cheryl

Taco/Burrito Filling

"Back in the day" when our family ate a lot more ground beef than we do now (ok, in the days when we were really poor, not just moderately poor), this was a great way to stretch our grocery budget.  Today there is ground turkey that can be substituted (not that *I* do that, but some might!) to make it a little healthier.

Taco/Burrito Filling

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1 large can refried beans (or soak and cook your own beans, then blend or mash)

Seasonings – taco seasoning, salt, pepper, salsa

Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet, breaking apart as it cooks.  Drain grease into container (do not pour down the drain - I learned that in 6th grade when I stopped up the kitchen sink with a pan full of grease!).  Return to medium heat and add refried beans.  Add seasonings to taste.

Use in taco shells or tortillas.  Next week...chimichangas using this same filling!

Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm on a diet.  Not the perpetual diet I've been on my whole life, but an actual, honest to goodness, diet.  Or as the center I go to calls it:  "Live-it", not "Die-it".  But if I weren't on a diet/liveit, I would make these cookies today.  And eat them all while they were warm.  And clean up the mess so my kids would never know of their existence.  But I have a dieting goal and am about two-thirds of the way there, so I have to focus and remember that smaller jeans are better than these cookies.  At least that's what I'm going to keep telling myself.  In the meantime, if you aren't counting points, you should definitely go make a batch.  What the heck?  You can even share with your family!

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Soften peanut butter in microwave.  Stir in egg and sugar.  Form dough into 1” balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.

Cheers ~

Cheryl

Tamale Pie

I have not made this in years, but it was a staple when our kids were quite young.  A friend (who had given birth to her 3rd and 4th boys - twins - about 6 months before I had my twin girls) brought this to our family and it was quick, easy, and delicious!

Tamale Pie

In skillet, add:  1 pound ground beef, ½ diced onion.  Cook until beef is cooked thoroughly.  Drain off grease.  Add 1 8oz can tomato sauce, 1 can corn (drained), 1 can kidney or pinto beans (drained), salt and pepper.  Stir until heated through.  Pour into greased casserole dish.

Mix 1 box “Jiffy” corn bread mix according to directions.  Pour over meat mixture and spread to cover thoroughly.

Bake at 350* until cornbread is done (approximately 20 minutes).

Lots of variation possibilities here, of course, but you get the general idea.

Cheers ~

Cheryl

Pumpkin Spice Cake

This recipe couldn't be easier.  Really.  My younger sister passed it my way when we were both on Weight Watchers.  I was a skeptic, but after making a batch, I was a believer!

1 box spice cake mix (carrot cake mix will work, too)
1 15oz can pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1 egg, optional
Cool Whip

Here comes the hard part.  Combine all ingredients.  Wow.  Wasn't that easy?  Pour into greased 9"x13" pan.  Bake at 350* for about 15-20 minutes, until it tests done with a clean toothpick.  Allow to cool.  Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip.

Isn't that the perfect recipe for these fall days?

Cheers ~
Cheryl

Mock Jambalaya

I love spicy food...therefore I love jambalaya.  Now, there are many "good" recipes out there on the internet, but since this site is all about "easy", I'll share two variations here.  Actually, we are having #1 for dinner tonight!

#1 Cheater Jambalaya:
1 box Zatarain's Jambalaya Mix (I told you I was cheating)
1 cup white rice + 2 cups water
1 can diced tomatoes
Meat: One or mixture of any - sausage, chicken, or shrimp (all cooked and chopped)

In large skillet or pan, combine mix (and all liquid required), rice, water, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil, stirring often.  Turn heat down to medium low and cover.  Cook 10 minutes, then top with meat.  Stir, cover and cook another 10 minutes until rice is cooked and meat is hot.

#2 Easy Jambalaya:
2 cups white rice
2 cups water or broth
1 can diced tomatoes
Creole seasoning, as desired (I will use probably 1/3 cup, but I like things spicy!)
Meat: One or mixture of any - sausage, chicken, or shrimp (all cooked and chopped)

In large skillet or pan, combine rice, water, tomatoes and seasoning.  Bring to a boil, stirring often.  Turn heat down to medium low and cover.  Cook 10 minutes, then top with meat.  Stir, cover and cook another 10 minutes until rice is cooked and meat is hot.

*If you need to stretch this, more rice is a great way to do so, or you can also add canned red beans (drained and rinsed) at the same time you add the meat.

Cheers ~
Cheryl

Cake Mix Cookies

Time for something sweet!  3 main dish recipes in a row is ... well ... too many main dishes!  I think this is a pretty basic recipe that probably *everybody* has, but I have to say it makes one delicious cookie - and FAST!  When my girls were young, I baked most Fridays so we would have something sweet to snack on during the weekend.  Those days are gone, mostly because it would be ME doing more than my share of the snacking.  I still bake occasionally, but we are all more health conscious these days and just don't keep those things around regularly.  (Sigh.)

Cake Mix Cookies

1 dry cake mix, any flavor

1 large egg

¼ cup oil

¼ cup water

Combine well in large bowl.

Stir in one of the following:

1 cup oatmeal, coconut, cereal, nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, M&Ms, etc.

Spoon onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake 350* for 15 minutes.  Remove to cooling rack.

*Lemon cake mix, lemon juice in place of water, and Rice Krispies cereal make one yummy cookie.  I make a glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar to ice these.

Cheers ~
Cheryl

South of the Border Chicken

We were introduced to this recipe at the home of some friends many years ago.  We have long since lost touch with Jeff and Paula, but this recipe lives on as one of our family's favorites!

South of the Border Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in strips

2 cups rice, uncooked

½ cup mayonnaise (I use Smart Beat)

4 ½ cups water or chicken broth

1/2 cup chopped green chile

Seasonings:  chile powder, cumin

Chopped tomatoes, black olives

1 cup Grated cheddar cheese

In very large skillet, combine rice, mayonnaise, water/broth, green chile, seasonings.  Stir and heat until mixture is boiling.  Add chicken, stir, reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook 20-25 minutes, until chicken and rice are both cooked.  Turn off heat, top with tomatoes, olives and cheese.  Replace lid until cheese melts.

Serve with tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream, salad, refried beans.

I sometimes substitute out part of the chicken and add a can (drained) of kidney, black, or pinto beans in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Cheers ~

Cheryl