Company Casserole

* Ingredients *

1 (8 oz.) pkg. penne noodles
2 T butter
1 1/2 lb. ground hamburger
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1 (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 c. cottage cheese
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. cheddar cheese shredded

* Directions *

Cook noodles, rinse and set aside. Melt butter and brown hamburger. Add spices and tomato sauce. Combine cottage cheese, sour cream, and noodles. Alternate layers of noodle and meat in a 13" x 9" casserole dish. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

* Optional *

Serve with garlic bread as a side.

Sloppy Joes

* Recipe from Kaye Barlow

* Ingredients *

3/4 cup ketchup
1 can tomato soup
1 T sugar
1 T vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 lb. ground hamburger

* Directions *

Brown hamburger, drain. Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Stir every so often. Serve on hamburger buns.

Zucchini Soup

* Ingredients *

1 cup chopped onions
2 T butter (I have used EVOO in place of butter and it tasted great!) *Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cups diced zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
1/2 cup half and half or milk

* Directions *

In a large saucepan cook onions in melted butter or EVOO until they are tender. Add zucchini and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until the zucchini is tender (about 15 minutes). Add salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Pour into a blender and blend well. Return to saucepan and stir in half and half (or milk) and reheat, but do not boil. I like to dip a piece of whole wheat bread in my soup. This dish is a great low-calorie option that really fills you up.

Lemon Chicken & Rice

* Ingredients *

1 lb. of chicken cut-up into bite-sized cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
2 T margarine
1 large carrot, sliced thin
1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz.)
2 T lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 T corn starch
1 1/2 cups instant white rice

* Directions *

-Melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion, carrot, and chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside.
-In a bowl mix chicken broth, lemon juice, salt, and corn starch. Pour over chicken in skillet, simmer for 2 minutes or until liquid starts to thicken.
-Add rice. Stir in rice, cover skillet, and remove from heat. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid and check the rice to make sure it's cooked through. Serve.

No Bake Cheesecake

* Ingredients (Crust) *

1/3 cup  butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

* Directions (Crust) *

Melt butter, mix crumbs and sugar into butter. Press into the bottom of a round cake pan.

* Ingredients (Cheesecake) *

2 small blocks cream cheese
1 can sweetened-condensed milk (do not use fat-free or light versions)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup lemon juice
Optional: 1 can pie filling (cherries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, etc.)

* Directions (Cheesecake) *

Using an electric mixer or Kitchen-Aid, mix cream cheese, condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or 15 minutes in the freezer. Spread fruit on top and put back into refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

* Ingredients *

1 spice cake mix
1 egg white
1 small can pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

* Directions *

Mix first three ingredients together, add chocolate chips. Place spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

* Variation *

I have substituted butterscotch chips in place of the chocolate chips and they turned out delicious!

6 Layer Cookie Bars

* Photo from diamondnuts.com

* Ingredients *

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter (Do not substitute margarine, shortening, etc.)
2 cups graham crackers smashed (14 crackers)
1 cup baker's angel flake coconut
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened-condensed milk (do not use 'fat-free' or 'light')

* Directions *

Melt butter slowly in a 9" x 13" pan (I use a glass Pyrex baking dish for this). Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter and pat down. Layer with coconut and both kinds of chips. Dribble condensed milk over all ingredients. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Spinach Smoothie

* Disclaimer *
I know the minute you read "Spinach Smoothie" as the title of this drink that you are gonna turn up your nose at the very idea of 'spinach' being in a smoothie. However, I have had friends try this drink at my insistence to prove my point that it really does taste good. You see, the spinach takes on whatever flavor of fruit/juice that you blend with it. You do not taste the spinach, you taste the orange/banana or lemonde/banana flavors in this smoothie.

* Ingredients *
3 large handfuls fresh spinach
1 cup (8 oz.) of Tropicana 50% less sugar, 50% less calories orange juice
OR
1 cup (8 oz.) Crystal Light Lemonade flavor
1/2 or whole frozen banana

* Directions *
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well! Serve in a glass (we like to use bendy straws when we drink this)

* Variations *
The variations of this drink are limitless. Occasionally I add 1 small packet of Splenda no calorie sweetener or some strawberries or some frozen mango, etc. Experiment with different fruits or juices and discover which one tickles your tastebuds.

Cream Cheese Chicken (Crockpot Recipe)

* Ingredients *
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet of Good Seasons Italian salad dressing & recipe mix
1/4 cup water
1 cube butter (not margarine or other substitute)
1 package No Yolks Egg Noodles

* Directions *
Place water, chicken, and butter in that order in crockpot. Sprinkle Italian seasoning packet over the top of the chicken. Turn crockpot on LOW for 4 hours. After the 4 hours, take two forks and shred the chicken while still in the crockpot. Add cream of chicken soup and cream cheese, mix in well. Put lid back and continue to cook on LOW for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes are over, stir contents of crockpot. Serve over the cooked No Yolks Egg Noodles.

*Variations *
This can also be served over white rice or bread or eaten plain.

Poppyseed Chicken

* Ingredients *
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T dried minced onions
1 T powdered garlic
1 T poppyseeds
1 row Ritz crackers
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 container sour cream (16 oz.)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (the grated/powdered stuff)

* Directions *
Cut up chicken into approx. 1" x 1" cubes. Boil until cooked through, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix soup, sour cream, garlic powder, onions, and poppyseeds, mix well. Evenly spread chicken on the bottom of a 13" x 9" glass baking dish. Pour soup mixture over the top and spread evenly covering the chicken. Crush up the Ritz crackers in a large Ziplock baggie, then sprinkle evenly over soup mixture. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then serve over white rice, No Yolks Egg Noodles, or bread. (I like it best over white rice).

Welcome!

Welcome to my new recipe blog

Homemade Mush

My family and friends tell me that I am a great cook. I personally don't think so, but my fiance put it this way:

"The meals she makes for me are amazing and I think it is because they are full of love!"

That's right people, when I cook, it's for those I love, Plain and Simple.

I will be posting recipes on my blog that I love; ones that work for me and taste delicious to others. For your convenience, I will be labeling each recipe so that you can easily find them on the side bar. I will also post where or whom I got the recipe from to give credit where credit is due. Most of these recipes have not been my own creation, some of them are other's creations with my tweaking and some of them I have finagled out of my head and onto paper for your enjoyment.

Thank you for stopping by & Enjoy!