On to Christmas Dinner...

I will post these recipes later:

White House Potatoes

Craig's Pecan Pie

Prime Rib Roast

Homemade Rolls

Southern Style Green Beans

Sausage and Cornbread Dressing

Homemade Caramels

Lemon filled Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

Broccoli Salad

Coconut Cake

Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

Thin Mint Cookies

Hot or Cold Artichoke Dip

Made on the Spot Chicken Noodle Soup

You ever have those days, you know end on the week, most of the food in the pantry and freezer is gone, but no money for groceries for a couple more days. Well, that is where this recipe comes in.

1 chicken breast uncooked, chopped into a small dice
4 to 6 cups of your favorite chicken broth
1 TB olive oil
1 onion diced
2 carrots thinly sliced
3 celery stalks thinly sliced
whole bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked small thin pasta (if you use spaghetti here break it up into bite size pieces)

In a large pot add chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.

In a large frying pan saute' carrots, celery in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes then add the onions and cook until onions are translucent. Don't let get to brown.

Add veggies to broth. Put frying pan back on stove and let it get steaming hot and then add in the diced chicken a little bit at a time, then stir, stir, stir. When chicken is browned but not necessarily cooked thru add alittle broth to the pan and scrap all the goodies off the bottom of the pan and pour it all into the large pot. Add the pasta and cook according to package, probably 10 to 12 minutes. Serve 4 to 6.

This didn't last long in my house. It was so fresh and light and yummy. Even my daughter ate it.

Beef, Chicken, Pork Marinade

This recipe is from the my husband, he got this from his buddies when he was in Kuwait. The guys were from Guam. We had it the other night on steak and chicken. I wasn't to excited about trying it, but it was so tender and delicious that it is now my new favorite marinade. The taste is very subtle and no steak sauce needed. The chicken was incredible.

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 cup brown sugar

mix all ingredients in a zip-lock bag and add meat.

marinate meat for at least 12 hours, but best if marinated for at least 24 hours. If marinating a roast or tri-tip or pork roast - marinate at least 24 hours.

Best if meat is grilled, but you can bake or broil you whatever meat you choose. Make sure to throw away any left over marinade and don't use it again for any over meat.

Stuffed Jalapenos

6 to 12 jalapenos, halved, seeded, and deveined***
1 pkg cream cheese (lowfat)
1 pkg center cut bacon (less fatty) each piece cut in half

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place non-stick foil on a cookie sheet.

Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese and wrap with a half piece of bacon. Hold shut with a toothpick.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes checking often after 20 minutes so they do not burn. Serve.

NOT LOWFAT!

***the easiest way to clean the jalapenos is to wear latex gloves and after you cut them in half use a teaspoon to scrap out the seeds and veins (veins and seeds have all the heat)

Linguini and Clam Sauce

1 lb linguini
3 cans chopped clams,drained & reserve clam juice
1 onion, diced
1 TB olive oil
1 cup white wine
clam juice
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to directions.

In large non-stick frying pan add oil and saute' onion until translucent. Add wine and clam juice and simmer for 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Drain pasta. Turn heat off of frying pan and stir in clams. You can either pour clam sauce over pasta our serve up individual servings. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

We serve this with french bread and steamed broccoli. Low fat and very tasty.

Steamed Veggies with Vermicelli and Parmesan

This is something Craig and I use to eat alot. I am a pasta fanatic! I don't fix it as much because Chris won't eat it. It is just something I threw together when I was working as an office manager at Allstate Insurance a few years ago, because I was to exhausted to do much else...

1 lb vermicelli
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 1/2 cup broccoli heads, cut in half
1 cup cauliflower heads, cut in half
1 TB butter
1/4 cup parmesan

Cook pasta according to package. In microwave or in steamer cook veggie to desired doneness. I still like mine with a little bite to them (not mushy) about 8 minutes. Drain pasta and put in large pasta bowl add veggies and butter and sprinkle with parmesan and serve.

******Use any fresh veggies you like. My mom fixes this, but she sautee's her veggie's instead of steaming them. I try not to eat alot of fried or sautee'd foods. I am heavy enough with the medicine I take, I don't need to add to it******

Oven Fried Pork Chops

Being Southern and loving fried foods, but being careful what I eat. My mom gave me this recipe a few months ago and I just tried it last night and it is my husband's and my new favorite.

4 3/4 inch pork chops
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 cup bread crumbs
3 TB grated parmesan cheese (not out of a can)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp rubbed sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 TB olive oil or less

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and pat dry pork chops. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. On a piece of wax paper or pie plate add the bread crumbs, cheese, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and mix. Brush dijon on each side of pork chops and dip in bread crumb mixture and put on baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the pork chops. Bake for 35 minutes.

Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches

2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup catsup
1 cup BBQ sauce (ANY)
1 cup water
2 TB vinegar
2 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 TB brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
3 to 4 lb boneless chuck roast

Add all ingredients into crockpot, add roast. Cook on high for 6 to 7 hours. Remove roast, let cool. When cool, shred beef and return to the sauce and mix and heat though. Serve on your favorite rolls.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

1 roasted chicken, deboned and shredded*
1 pkg light cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 pint sour cream

1 can diced green chilies
2/3 cup salsa
8 large flour tortillas
Enchiladas sauce (red or green)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (optional)

In a large bowl mix together first 5 ingredients and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. In a 9 X 13 pan pour a little bit of enchiladas sauce in the pan so the tortillas won’t stick to the bottom. Take a tortilla and fill with filling and roll up and put into pan, continue until all tortilla’s are in the pan. Pour the remaining enchiladas sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

*You can use 3 chicken breasts that have been boiled for 10 minutes and then drained and shredded.

**You can also use shredded beef or shredded pork or shredded turkey. We have tired them all and they are all really good.

Rio Salsa Soup*

(borrowed picture)

1 lb lean ground beef
6 cups water
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
4 tsp beef bouillon
2/3 cup white rice
2 cups frozen corn
1 ½ cups salsa
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream (optional)

In a large pot brown beef until done and drain. Stir in water, taco seasoning, and beef bouillon and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the corn and salsa and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve over the top of crushed tortilla chips and top with cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

*This recipe only calls for ¼ cup of rice, but I make it with 2/3 of a cup because I like it a little bit thicker.

**Recipe given to me by my sister-in-law....

Chicken and Mushroom Sauce

1 ½ lbs chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup flour
1 tsp seasoning salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 TB canola oil
1 TB butter
1 Pkg of sliced mushrooms
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup (I use low fat)
1 can white wine (you can use water or chicken broth, but it won’t taste the same)
(I use Reese’s Vintage Cooking Wine)

In small paper bag or bowl mix flour, salt and pepper; add chicken and coat well and shake off excess flour and discard used flour. In a large pot add 1 TB of butter; when hot add sliced mushrooms, sautee until soft and remove and set aside. Then add 1 TB of oil and half of chicken and brown and then add to mushrooms and repeat with remaining chicken. When done browning second batch add mushrooms and chicken back to pot and add soup and wine and stir. Bring to a boil and cover and simmer for 20 minutes stirring every few minutes.

We serve it over Roasted Potatoes… 5 to 6 medium red potatoes washed and scrubbed, and cut into ¼ inch pieces. Coat with 1 TB of olive oil and we use ½ pkg of ranch dip mix or a mixture of herbs. Line a cookie sheet with no stick aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray and cook for 30 to 40 minutes at 425 degrees or until done. We like them crispy on the outside and tender in the middle.

SORRY NO PICTURE YET!!!

Beef Tips and Gravy with Noodles

(borrowed picture)

Okay so I cheat on this recipe….(But it would be really easy to buy a pound of stew meat and brown it and cook it for a few hours in au jus sauce.)

2 Pkgs of Schwan’s Beef tips and gravy, cook according to package*
1 pkg no egg noodles, cook according to package, drain
Put beef tips over noodles and serve.

*there are a lot of additions you can add to this to change it: sautéed mushrooms and onions, dijon mustard and right before serving add sour cream and you have a great stroganoff; use homemade mash potatoes instead of noodles; add cut up carrots, onions and potatoes and it is a great stew; let your imagination run wild…we have added Vermont curry paste to the stew and served over rice that is delicious too.

I am working on it!

The recipes are coming.....