SATURDAY: What's Cookin'? 7/14/2012

Good morning friends.

Today is the "real" birthday party lol.

Enjoy your day.

Nancy

Jan, your bean dip was a big hit, there are no leftovers! I did not notice until today that I did not use Heinz baked beans, I grabbed Bush's-I was pretty much looking at the flavor and the ounces. It seemed to work fine. Also I made my DIL's corn dip and everyone loved it too. Here is that recipe:

CORN DIP

2 cans Mexicorn (I think it's called southwest now), drained

2 c. real mayo

2 c. sour cream

1 bunch green onions, sliced

2 c. grated cheddar

Mix all, then chill. Serve with Fritos.

For dessert I made creamsicle cheesecake pie, a recipe just posted a day or so ago. We really liked it. It calls for a graham cracker crust, which was good, but my SIL suggested using an Oreo crust next time and then I thought of drizzling a little Hershey's syrup on the top.

I get to sleep in Saturday morning, as we don't have to be anywhere until around 2.

Will check in tomorrow morning.

Tammy

Good Saturday morning all! (It's still Friday here, but we are out of the house early tomorrow so I'd best post now.) Here's a recipe I made for dinner Thursday night with taco salads. It is uniquely my own, since I adapted a recipe to what I had! It was light and delicious!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion (chopped finely)

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 can diced Mexican tomatoes (with jalapenos, lime and cilantro)

2- 14.5 oz cans chicken broth

1/8 tsp each salt and ground cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

dash black pepper

1 cup shredded, cooked chicken

Toppings:

corn tortilla chips, shredded colby jack cheese, cilantro leaves, sliced green onions, sour cream, diced avocado, squeeze of lime juice on top

   Heat 2 tsp oil in 3 qt saucepan and saute onion and garlic until slightly soft. Add tomatoes, chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes. Add chicken and simmer 5 minutes more. Crush tortilla chips in bottom of individual soup bowl, ladle soup on top, and top each bowl with desired topping choices.

Makes 4-6 servings

Ellie

We had waffles with strawberries for dinner Friday night, with scrambled eggs and slices of ham. I use two waffle makers to feed the family quickly, and for one of the waffles DS #3 and I put sliced bananas and chopped pecans in the batter. Oh my goodness, was that rich and delicious! We will definitely do that one again!

A storm system is coming through this weekend. The temps will drop a little, but the winds will be unpredictable and I hope we get some rain. DS is coming home from camp Saturday afternoon- can't wait to hear the stories of his week.

DH has to work overnight, but then will be able to be home when DS arrives. I'm putting a chicken in the crockpot to make bbq sandwiches for DS's homecoming meal. My nephew is coming home from his camp also and my sister is making taco soup at their house, per his request. It's funny to hear some of their comfort food ideas.

Nancy, have fun at your party (finally). Tammy, I'm glad you had fun rafting, although you sounded a mite disappointed that it was so tame. Waving a hello to all! I've got to get busy and put the house to bed. See you later!

Ellie

Good morning friends.

Nancy, have fun at the real Birthday party today. I hope you get a lovely day for it, not too hot.

Tammy, oh I am so glad they liked the bean dip. Thank you for your DDIL’s corn dip recipe as well because it sounds yummy. Enjoy your sleep in, in the morning. I plan on doing the same if possible.

Ellie, thank you as well for sharing your chicken tortilla soup recipe. I bet that was good with taco salads! Oh my goodness, your breakfast for dinner Friday night sounded so darn good. Batten down your hatches for the upcoming storm. I hope you get the rain you want. We got ours yesterday although it was not much to speak of I did so enjoy it while it lasted!

Tonights dinner is going to be spaghetti bake ( extremely low in carbs).

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy weekend.

~Jan~

Ellie, I want to come to your house! The waffles sound so good, and thanks for sharing the soup recipe. Looks very easy and tasty too.

Jan, I was going to say that I used a can of Bush's baked beans in the bean dip recipe too. Worked just fine.

DH wants to cook out on the grill tonight if the weather allows -- fine with me! We need the rain but I won't mind if it holds off till after dinner.

Nancy, those cupcakes were too cute. I've never seen the star-shaped tins before.

Tammy, sounds like y'all are having a good time. Your rafting trip sounds like it would be more my speed! DS's Scout troop did a rafting trip to West Virginia back when he was in high school, and DH went along on that. They loved it, but it was not something that has ever appealed to me.

Thanks for Weezerly for posting the ribs recipe the other day. If I ever try making them that definitely looks like the way to go. I have to say that ribs and chicken wings have always seemed to me like too much trouble for not enough meat! But DH really likes ribs and frequently orders them when we go out, so it might be nice to do them at home for him sometime.

Well, off to work again. I'm looking forward to being off next Saturday, although I won't be sleeping in. Our church ladies are planning a shopping trip to the outlet mall in Edinburgh, Indiana, and that should be a fun day.

Have a happy Saturday, everybody!

Good Morning,

Lovely sunshine this morning.  We're having BLT's tonite with slaw and Key Lime Pie for dessert.  Nothing much doing.  Just another day in Paradise . . .     

Hi again,

I hope everyone is having a great day. We have been lazy. We don't have to be anywhere until 2. Then we will head to the river to scatter BIL's ashes. I think my neice mentioned going out to eat later, then we will go up to Dead Horse Point (one of BIL's favorite places), and possibly do a picnic supper there.

Ellie, your recipe sounds very good, and easy too. I love tortilla soup.

It is a little overcast again today, which is nice, it's not so terrible hot. It got so cloudy and dark yesterday about 5:30, I thought we might get rained out, and have to move the Mexican dinner indoors, but after a few sprinkles, it moved off.

Did I mention that they are filming a new Lone Ranger movie here? We passed by a base camp, and also one site where they were filming yesterday. Armie Hammer is the Lone Ranger, and Johnny Depp is Tonto. The movie won't be out until July 2013.

Well, have a wonderful weekend.

Tammy

Hi everyone,

I'm going to sound like a broken record here but it's hot, hot hot here and did I mention dry?  I rarely water the flower gardens but that is all I have done this morning.  So many of the perennials were looking so bad, I had to give in and give them a good watering.  Only the plants that really needed it, got any water but I really hate to see them struggling.  Just hope our well has plenty of water because the grapes and veggies will get water a little later on.

Really have no idea of what we'll eat tonight except that it will be based on what I pick in the garden.  I'm expecting to pick zucchini (again) and green beans and maybe peas.  Tomatoes and raspberries are coming along but will be a while before either are ready.

Have a great day,

Tasty

Nancy, enjoy your BD. Party. 
Also –if you don’t mind could you post the recipe for the rub you use on
your ribs.   Cooking ribs, grilling had always
 been DH’s job. Now that he can no longer
do this I have decided to start learning myself.  Dear brother gave me a grill when I had the stroke. Think he is hinting at more healthy meals.

Weezerly, thanks for the recipe that is the one I was
looking for.

Jan I try to keep up with your meals. I am just not as
faithful as you. Being a diabetic I should be. I am not out of control just not
where I should be.

Ellie, I do like breakfast for dinner. I am not a breakfast
eater, yes I know!

BD party was a great success so  if I can talk DH into it leftovers  Mexican will be dinner tonight. He is not as big a fan of salsa and chips as I am .If not who knows?  Best gift and complement was a figurine of a
grandmother and GD sitting together that said “ best times of my life are spent
here”  This is the GGD who is expecting. Also got gift cards with $$$

Everyone have a great weekend.   Ruth

Goodness gracious it is hot in my house.  I ran errands to stay in the A/C as long as I could today, but so was everyone else and parking spaces today were at a premium...even out in the boone docks where I like to park. I park out there so I have to walk further but the main reason is to keep my car from dings if possible.

Ruth, glad you had a lovely party and what a precious gift from your DGGD...$$$ is always a good gift as well!  I know I said spaghetti bake but it's made with shirataki noodles which is the konjak plant and comes in two forms, one looks like spaghetti and the other like a square cake of it.  There is no actual pasta in it even if it tastes like it in the dish.  They take on the taste of whatever you cook them in i.e. spaghetti sauce.  I am not crazy about the Hungry Girl ones, preferring the Asian ones at the Ranch 99 market which caters to Asian foods, fish, vegetables of all kinds, etc.

Well, speaking of dinner I better head down the hall and get it on even though I hate to turn that darn oven on, sigh!

Will talk tomorrow.  I hope Nancy had fun at the actual party.

~Jan~

Hi everyone. 

Checking in late--you would have thought today was Friday the 13th at my house.  First, DH got up this morning deathly sick (I'll skip all the details)  I made him go back to bed and the 2nd time he got up was better, but it was late in the afternoon.  He decided he was going to cut the yard and with the lawnmower, he hit the water regulator value--water goiing everywhere outside.  We had to turn off the water until he could cap the silly thing and hopefully tomorrow he can fit it.  In doing so, he cut open his hand and dripped blood everywhere.  What a mess!

Dinner was a recipe I saw on The Chew the other day--Carla and Clinton's Eggplant Rollatini.  It was good. 

Afterwards, I ran for gas for the truck and picked up a few things at BJ's.  Going to sit down and watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel and dream of cooler temps.

Talk to you tomorrow friends,

Lori