Once upon a time the thought of a bunch of vegetables mixed together into salsa was something I wouldn’t dream of putting into my mouth. Especially if there were chuncks in the salsa.
As I grew older I graduated to dipping my chips into the juice of the salsa - no chunks, just juice.
Still aging, faster and faster it seemed, I became a fan of extremely pureed salsa.
Now that I’m nearly ancient, I can finally enjoy a good salsa even if it has some chunks in it. In a few more years when my teeth fall out, I”ll be forced to go back to the pureed salsa minus the chips. But for now, I can enjoy this great recipe for restaraunt-style salsa that The Pioneer Woman shared on her site.
Homemade Salsa
*Recipe from ThePioneerWoman.com
1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 ounce) Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chilies)
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro (more to taste)
Juice of 1/2 of a lime
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you like. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips.
The big game is almost here. What are you eating during the game? Because we all know it’s all about the football, the commercials and the FOOD. Here is a simple dip recipe that can be thrown together in 5 minutes. You can’t beat that. Kind of like the Colts can’t beat the Saints. 
Game Day Chili-Cheese Dip
*Recipe from TastyKitchen.com
11 ounce can Chili with no beans
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 bag Tortilla Chips or Corn Chips
Place the cheese and chili in a bowl. Microwave it for about a minute.
Stir it together and serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.
I could eat this salad for breakfast. I could eat this salad for dessert. I could eat this salad while on the treadmill. I could eat this salad with Dr. Suess. I love this salad. The end.
Mandarin Orange Salad
*Recipe is in my very first recipe book from when I started collecting recipes. I’m not sure where it originated from.
1 (3 oounce) package tapioca pudding mix
1 (3 ounce) package orange gelatin
1 (3.9 ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
2 3/4 cups hot water
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
2 cups non-dairy whipped topping (aka Cool Whip)
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
Mix tapioca pudding, gelatin and vanilla pudding mixes together. Add hot water. Cook over low heat until bubbly, stirring often. Remove from heat and add softened cream cheese.
Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Cool and fold in non-dairy topping and oranges.
Transfer to a 2-quart serving dish. Refrigerate two hours or until set.
I have been using my crockpot a lot lately. I heart my crockpot! It’s a working mom’s BFF. If you don’t use your crockpot at least once a week, you don’t know what you’re missing out on! Spend 5 minutes in the morning throwing in the ingredients and come home 8 hours later to a house smelling of homecooked food and dinner that’s ready to eat.
Another thing I big puffy heart is this recipe for French Dip Sandwiches made in the crockpot. Delish!!
Crockpot French Dip Sandwiches
*Recipe from a cookbook borrowed from a friend
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
1 beef bottom round roast (about 3 pounds)
1/2 cup dry white wine or water (I used water)
1 package (3.4 ounce) au jus gravy mix
1/8 teaspoon seasoned pepper
Place onion in slow cooker. Trim excess fat from roast. Cut meat in half if needed to fit in slow cooker. Place in slow cooker.
In a small bowl, stir wine or water, au jus mix and seasoned pepper until blended. Pour over roast.
Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 10 to 12 hours or until very tender.
Remove meat from liquid. Let stand for 5 minutes before thinly slicing across grain.
Strain broth if desired; taste for salt.
Serve with hard French rolls to make sandwiches, adding onions if desired. Use liquid for dipping. I buttered and toasted my bread and placed mozzarella cheese on the bun (or Swiss if you prefer) along with the meat.
NOTE: If not serving immediately, sliced meat and broth can be held on low in the slow cooker up to one hour.
I’ve had this recipe for awhile now and never tried it. Recently I was scrounging for something to make for breakfast because cooking supplies were dangerously low in our household. I was boycotting grocery shopping. However, I didn’t boycott eating. As luck would have it, I had all the supplies I needed to give this recipe for Chocolate Strudel a try. Unfortunately, I seem to have been boycotting excercise lately, too. Not a good thing after eating this sweet treat!
Chocolate Strudel
*Recipe from my recipe box. I’m not sure where I originally found it.
1/2 package frozen puff pastry (1 sheet)
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon water
4 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Mix egg and water in a small bowl.
Microwave chocolate, butter and milk in a large bowl on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through heating time. Remove from microwave and stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16″ x 12″ rectangle. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over pastry to within 1 1/2″ of edges. Starting at the short side, roll up pastry sheet. Place seam-side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Tuck ends under to seal. Brush with egg mixture.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool for 30 minutes on cookie sheet placed on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Slice and serve warm.
January 22, 2010 Posted in Breads
For me, dinner just isn’t complete without good bread. I would never be successful at a carb. diet because I don’t think I could give up my love affair with bread. Actually, I don’t think I would be successful at any diet, for that matter. This recipe for Parmesan Knots is so simple and tastes so good.
Parmesan Knots
*Recipe from TastyKitchen.com
1 can (12 Ounces) Pillsbury® Golden Layers® Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Roll each biscuit into a 12-inch rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield: 10 knots.
Back when I was first married, I collected recipes like I was going to be Martha Stewart in the kitchen. Only problem was, I never cooked any of the recipes. I just collected them. Almost 16 years later, I finally tried one of those recipes. It was “a good thing”.
Powdered Sunshine Kisses
*Recipe from the Kansas City Star years and years ago
1 package (18-19 ounce) lemon cake mix
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Combine cake mix, egg, oil and water. Mixture will be slightly dry. Drop scoops of dough onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Dinner doesn’t get any easier than this. If you can open up a package of beef ribs and can plug in a crockpot, you are set. Seriously!
Crockpot Beef Ribs
*Recipe from TastyKitchen.com
3 pounds boneless beef ribs
1 bottle barbecue sauce
1 onion, sliced
Place all three ingredients in a crockpot. Set crockpot on low for 6 to 7 hours. Eat!
I told you it was simple.
Nineteen days. It only took me nineteen days to get organized enough to prepare my monthly dinner menu for January. But, hey! My basement is clean and remodeled (almost). If there is someone out there that is actually more unorganized with their dinner plans than I am, here are my ideas for January. Maybe they can help you out with your own dinner plans. Happy new year, everyone…nineteen days late.
JANUARY DINNER MENU
Check back tomorrow for a brand new recipe share.
If you are a procrastinator like me you’re probably still looking for something to take to your New Year’s Eve parties tonight. Might I suggest a little appetizer of Bruschetta? It’s nearly fool-proof (which is why I had success with it) and it’s very simple to make.
Bruschetta
*Recipe is a combination of several found online
1 French Baguette
6 vine ripe, plum or roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, cut in half
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Cut the French baguette into thin diagonal slices. Lightly toast in a 350 degree oven.
In a small bowl, add chopped tomatoes, basil, Parmesan cheese, a dash of Kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil and gently stir to combine ingredients. Add more or less of any ingredient you like to suit your taste. Allow the mixture to sit as the flavors to comibine while you finish preparing the bread slices.
Rub the cut side of the garlic cloves directly on to one side of the toasted bread slices.
At this point your can leave the tomato mixture in a bowl for guests to spoon onto the the bread slices. Or, you can go a head and place a spoonful of tomato mixture onto each of the bread slices and place on a serving tray.
by admin
no comments
add a comment link to this post email a friend