{cheesy chicken soup}

One of our favorites!

CHEESY CHICKEN SOUP

1 c. carrots, thinly sliced
1/4 c. green onions, sliced
3 T. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk (at least 2%, or half and half)
1-10.75 oz. can chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a large pot, cook the carrots and onions in butter for 8-10 minutes, or until tender, not browned. Stir in flour. Slowly add milk, broth, W sauce, and pepper. Stir constantly until thickened, and until barely bubbling. Add chicken and cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

{cinnamon swirl bundt cake}

This cake is the epitome of fall. It's absolutely delicious (especially warm out of the oven), with swirls of cinnamon & sugar, and iced with a cinnamon buttercream icing. YUM!

Cinnamon Swirl Cake

3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk
1 cube melted butter
1 cube melted butter (yes, 2 total!)
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and melted butter, and mix well. The batter will be on the thick side. Spoon into a sugared (sprayed with cooking spray, and coated with sugar) bundt pan. Melt the second cube of butter, then stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Pour on top of the cake, and with a butter knife, swirl it through the cake. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Prepare the buttercream icing, then melt it in the microwave for 30 seconds, or until you can pour it over the cake. **The original recipe calls for using a 9x13 pan--bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

8 T. butter, room temperature
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
3-4 T. whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Place the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter, and 3 T of milk. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then add the vanilla and cinnamon. Increase the speed to medium, and beat until fluffy. Add more milk if the frosting seems too stiff.

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Enjoy!!

{easy beef stroganoff}

Remember this recipe fro BBQ Pulled Pork? It was a McCormick seasoning packet that was the secret, and now I've stumbled onto their seasoning packet fr Beef Stroganoff. It tastes just like you made it from scratch, and because the stew meat is simmering all day long in the crockpot, it it is incredibly tender, and just falls apart. Yum!! I do not include the mushrooms...I am not a fan. :)

Beef Stroganoff

You Will Need:

2 lbs. stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pkg. (8 oz.) mushrooms, halved or sliced
½ cup chopped onion
1 pkg. McCormick® Slow Cookers Beef Stroganoff Seasoning
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream (I use light, or Fat-free)

Place beef, mushrooms and onion in slow cooker.

Mix Seasoning and water until blended. Pour over beef and vegetables; toss to coat well. Cover.

Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Cover. Cook 10 minutes longer on LOW. Serve over noodles, if desired.

Makes 10 servings.

{summer salads}

Summer = Salads!! Here are a few of my favorites...

Chicken Pasta Salad

Everyone has a favorite chicken salad, and this is just one of mine. It takes a little more time to make, but definitely worth the effort.

1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, marinated overnight in:

1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. thyme

Grill the chicken, then cut up into 1/2 inch cubes.

Salad:

20 oz. multi-colored corkscrew pasta
1 c. broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. purple onion, diced
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1/2 c. red pepper, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
1/4 c. + 1 T. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Grilled, marinated chicken

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil
4 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. mayo
2/3 c. sour cream

Combine salad ingredients, toss with dressing. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Hawaiian Chicken Salad

Talk about refreshing!

3-4 cooked chicken, cubed
3 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. slivered and toasted almonds
1 1/2 c. red grapes, halves

Dressing:
2 T. orange juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. mayonnaise

Mix dressing together and pour over chicken. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, and chill at least 2 hours.

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Peanut Thai Noodle Salad

1/4 c. lime juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. unsalted peanuts

Place in blender; blend until smooth.

2 carrots
1 c. pea pods
1 small red pepper

Cut into matchsticks.

8 oz. fusilli pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions, add vegetables to water during last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain water from pasta and veggies, then toss with sauce. Sprinkle peanuts on top to serve.

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Frog Eye Salad

I have loved this salad since I was a child, despite its name. :)

1 1/3 c. (8 oz.) Acini Pepi pasta, uncooked
1-20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained (reserve 1/4 c. juice)
1 3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. sugar
1-3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
2-11 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 c. Cool Whip, thawed
3 c. mini marshmallows (optional)
1/2 c. flaked coconut

Cook pasta 11 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain well. In a large bowl, beat reserved pineapple juice, milk, sugar, and pudding 2 minutes. Gently stir in pasta and remaining ingredients; cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours. Makes 12 servings.

{creamy salsa chicken}

I honestly can't remember where I got this recipe, but I'm glad I did! Can I tell you how much I love crockpots?

CREAMY SALSA CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts
1 package taco seasoning
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. fresh salsa
1/2 c. sour cream

Layer chicken breasts in the bottom of your crock pot, then sprinkle taco seasoning over them. Combine salsa and soup in a bowl, then pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours. Stir in sour cream right before serving. Serve over rice.

{chewy caramel corn}

I am a CARAMEL CORN LOVER. It is my most favorite treat, hands down. The only catch? It has to be chewy. The chewier and gooey-er the better. So, I went on a hunt to find the best recipe, and I think I've found it. This is so delicious--and totally addicting. Just thought I would warn you.

CHEWY CARAMEL CORN
-www.cooks.com-

1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 c. Karo
8 quarts popped popcorn

Put all ingredients except popcorn into a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly over medium heat. Boil and stir until mixture reaches soft ball stage, 234 degrees. Pour over popcorn and stir until coated. Let cool, then eat and enjoy!

P.S. I would have taken a picture, but it was gone too fast. :)

{penne arribiata}

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you! It came from my good friend, smartmama. It's one of my personal favorites, and my family loves it too. I love it for so many reasons--it's yummy, only has a few ingredients, and doesn't take long to prepare or cook.

PENNE ARRIBIATA

1 T. olive oil
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (increase or decrease for more/less spiciness)
1-28 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
1 package penne (16 oz.)

Saute onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in the olive oil. When onions are clear/soft, add the tomatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes. In the meantime, cook penne according to package directions, then drain. Mix with the sauce, and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Enjoy!