Well exciting things do happen to little ole house moms every once in while that are just fun for us!  The other night..I just wanted some down time....you know...me...just me and my chair and my computer/tv!  So I sat there and browsed one of m favorite sites www.thepioneerwoman.com  and once again looked at her Tasty Kitchen site that you can get to from her webpage...I decided then and there that 'Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup' just had to be on there!  So I burned the literal midnight oil and learned how to type in recipes using her system...and it was relatively easy.  I was thrilled to see the next day that my recipe had made the blog and was on the first page of the soups page and 4 days later...it was still there!  It was euphoria...I was estatic...my husband was estatic....my dog was estatic!  Heck - I almost jumped out of my chair! 

So today I thought it's time I share the Tasty Kitchen site, give a shout out to Ree Drummond and poste my unconventional Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe here on my blogs for you!  It has yellow squash and new 'red' potatoes that make this so very filling!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.  It snowed here in our part of Texas ONCE AGAIN last week...so I was in the soup mood and with a little hinting from my husband I made chicken noodle soup - my own way!

This is copied straight off the site...cause I am lazy!  So enjoy...make it - rate it and hopefully I will get some thumbs up!

Oh...and thats my first food pic...my husband told me my lace tablecloth was too white...so he suggested some color...tell me what you think?

Rustic Chicken Noodle Soup

***Not your ordinary chicken soup. Add the noodles but don’t forget the fresh squash, onions, and red potatoes!

•  Prep Time 30 Minutes

• Cook Time 1 Hour
• Difficulty Easy
• Servings
• System US Metric

 Ingredients

• 1 cup Choppped Red Potatoes
• 1 cup Onion, Diced
• 1 cup Sliced Yellow Squash
• 4 Tablespoons Oil (vegetable Or Canola)
• 2 cups Chicken, Cooked And Cubed
• 4 cups Water
• 1 can (10.75 Oz. Can) Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 2 cans (14 Oz. Can) Chicken Broth
• 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Salt
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper
• ½ teaspoons Pepper, Ground
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 4 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• 3 bunches Angel Hair Pasta, Crumbled Into 2 Inch Pieces

Preparation Instructions

Chop potatoes, onions, and the yellow squash. Cook on medium heat with the oil. Pan fry until vegetables are just tender then remove from heat and set aside. While your potatoes, onions and squash cook, chop the cooked chicken into 1-inch cubes. In a large stew pot add the water, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper, ground pepper, and Italian seasoning. With a with whisk, stir until blended. Add chicken, squash, onions and potatoes. Bring soup to a boil and then bring down to a simmer then cover. Add lemon juice. Cook on a low simmer for 20 minutes. Add angel hair pasta and continue to cook until pasta is tender. Add extra water as needed if soup thickens too much.

Serve with toasted French bread.

This is a warm comfort soup that is unconventional, but oh so good!

Enjoy!

*************************************

This was great with bread buttered and toasted on my paninni press...yum.

Get cooking!

Alise

Fun Food - Tortilla Rollups My Way

I love fun food.....when I say fun..I mean food you don't normally eat that is easy, fun, fattening, and you just make it because it's meant for special times with family or friends!  One of my 'fun foods' that I go to time and time again are my tortilla roll ups - my way!  I've seen tons of recipes for this appetizer that are good...but I think mine of course is the best and just how my family likes it.  

If my older daughters friends want an appetizer this is it.  You can use burrito/fajita sized tortillas or the new jalapeno flavored ones.  Either way, whatever you use...it's just plain fantastic!  We just won't think about how many calories it is...will we?

Tortilla Rollups My Way!

2 pkgs. of burrito/fajita sized flour tortilla - largest ones you can find
1  -16 ounce container of sour cream, no light...makes it taste funny
1 block of cream cheese, no light...you get the picture - softened
1 large can of green chili's, not drained
2 - 3 tbsp. Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning...use regular - hot is just to darn hot!
1 tsp. of garlic salt - optional
1 chopped finely -  red or sweet 1015 Texas A&M onion!

In your stand mixer or a large bowl mix together sour cream and cream cheese.  Add to this mixture seasonings and mix well.  Add onion and blend well.  Place 2 - 3 tablespoons of your mixture on top of each tortilla.  Spread evenly on each tortilla.  Roll tightly the tortilla that is now spread with sour cream/cream cheese/seasoning mixture.  Place on an oblong tray, cover and refrigerate.  You may also place in gallon sized plastic zip bags to refrigerate.  These are best if they can marinate in the tortilla for 4 - 6 hours...but good if not.  Cut each tortilla in to 1 inch sized portions - you should get around 8 to 10 slices from each tortilla.  Serve with my hot sauce Nolana's Family Hot Sauce (listed on my blog previously) or your store bought picante sauce.  Its a hit....I sometimes just leave them uncut and will eat them for a quick lunch!

Enjoy - promise they are good! 

Get cooking!

Alise

Spring is Just Around the Corner - Winter Salad Recipe

Spring is Just Around the Corner 
 
Winter Salad Recipe
 

In winter I dream about my garden in the spring.  What will we grow, when will we plant...and always have ambitious plans.  Our garden is always HUGE!  This past year my husband got a little carried away and planted 48 tomato plants.  Most of their fruit however was given to friends and family.  This year (my husband and I have predicted) that our garden will be much, much smaller than last...but this is something we say every year.  As we shop our for our plants...one pack though is never enough.

This spring I plan to plant heirloom tomatoes, white eggplants, and long, slender zucchini just to name a few!  I love planting brussel sprouts for my daughter to pick and mostly just enjoy knowing that most of my meal on some nights was provided off our ranch; the meat from our Hereford cattle, the vegetables from our garden, and prepared in my kitchen or at my grill.

As you sit by the fire with your computer nearby, google plant and seed catalogs, send off for their magazines, and start dreaming of spring!  My Winter Salad below is a taste of early spring.  It's a favorite at family gatherings and so easy to make.  It's right around the corner right!  I hope the ground hog doesn't see his shadow tomorrow and spring is just around the corner!

 

 

 

Winter Salad

1 large head of broccoli (cut with florets only), frozen can be used - thaw

1 large head of cauliflower (cut with florets only), frozen can be used – thaw

1 16 ounce Creamy Italian Dressing or Ceasar Salad Dressing

1 cup REAL Mayonnaise

 

Optional vegetables:

12 – 18 cherry tomatoes or Roma sliced

1 red onion, chopped

1 bunch - fresh spinach leaves

Combine Creamy Italian Dressing and REAL Mayonnaise with a whisk.  Spoon dressing mixture over broccoli and cauliflower.  Mix well.  Serve chilled.  Mix in a separate bowl from the one you serve in. 

*This will need to be refrigerated until ready to serve as broccoli will wilt. 

 

Winter Snow Storms in the South - Alise's Snowday Chili and Jumbo Mexican Cornbread!

Today I sit here anticipating snow! In the deep south as in parts of Texas...snow is infrequent and in our household highly anticipated!  WE LOVE SNOW!  Tomorrow we are likely to get between 3 - 6 inches of the wet snow that makes for great snowmen and super sledding down our huge hill in our cattle pasture!  We can't wait! 

I remember in my youth how much fun we always had in our neighborhoods on the hilliest roads and then later on my Grandfather's ranch behind our house!  My mom would make a huge pot of chili and I would make my mayonnaise chocolate cake!  It was one of the first things I could make on my own.  And was much better than the cake where I added a cup of salt instead of a cup of sugar.  I was learning! 

Today I want to share with you my easy chili recipe...because you can't mess up chili!  Once I did though - so if you do put too much salt in it...just throw in a potato or two to 'sop' up the extra salt!

I am anticipating the kids being out of school on Monday...and as a teacher I would also not mind a nice, long weekend!

Alise's Snowday Chili!

6 lbs of hamburger, browned and drained
2 - 3 onions, chopped/diced
6 tablespoons of chili powder
2 cans of tomatoes with green chilies
1 can of Mexican tomato sauce or regular is fine
1 - 2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cumin
4 can water - 24 ounces
1/4 cup masa or cornstarch
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper - optional

Brown ground beef with onion and drain.  Add to this all tomatoes in can and tomato sauce.  Add to this all seasonings that have been blended first in a pan by a whisk.  Add water.  Bring to a boil and turn fire down and allow chili to cook on a low simmering fire.  Cook for 15 minutes and then add masa or cornstarch mixed with 1 8 ounce cup of water to thicken chili.  Add red pepper last if you want it hot.  But be careful not to put too much red pepper or some big kids (adults) or little ones may beg off your chili! 
Serve with cracker, grated cheddar cheese, or Mexican Cornbread! 


Gilmer FFA's Favorite Mexican Cornbread!

6 packaged of sweet yellow cornbread mix
3 cups milk or 2 cups canned evaporated milk & one 1/2 can of water
8 eggs, beaten
2 onions, chopped/diced
2 can of cream of corn or 2 cans of corn, drained
1 can green chili's or fresh chopped in food processor
2 tablespoons of Cajun spice or all seasoning spice
2 tablespoons of garlic powder
4 tsp. of red hot sauce
3 cups grated cheddar cheese to go in cornbread mixture
2 cups grated cheddar cheese for top of cornbread

Grease two large 9 x 13 inch glass dishes with oil.  Mix all ingredients together in the order above.  Cook at 400 degrees for 23 - 30 minutes.  Add 2 cups of cheddar cheese in the last 3 minutes!  Refrigerate after eating as this will spoil if left out. I sprinkle paprika on top for a nice red color and presentation!

I hope it snow where you live this winter....if not!  Go somewhere and enjoy your own white wonderland!

Get cooking!   
Alise

National Hereford Queen Bethany's Magic Cookie Bars

Sometimes good news comes in bunches...and this month we were thrilled to have our Bethany crowned as the new National Hereford Queen!  It has been a really fast month trying to purchase white suits when white is not the in color this season.  With much goggling we found what we needed and dad's credit card is a little heavier!  National Hereford Queen means that Bethany will serve a calendar year promoting Hereford cattle, their beef - Certified Hereford Beef, and their associations (AHA - American Hereford Association, NHW National Hereford Women, and NJHA National Jr. Hereford Associations).  It will be a busy, fun, well traveled year with lots of pictures I am sure to come! 

That same week we learned that she had also been accepted to Texas A&M University!  We were to extremely happy for and excited for her as it was the ONLY school she would even consider applying for!  We now have two Aggies!  And our little one says she 'thinks' she will go there as well....we'll have to apply a little pressure and brainwashing - but that's not hard to do in Aggieland!

We were also tickled maroon that A&M completed their football season with a three way tie for the conference title and won a bid to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas!  Tickets are sky high, but I think we just have to go....so hint, hint dad...get 'em while they are hot!

Bethany attended her first show as Queen in Louisville, Kentucky with her dad in tow assisting nervously with hair pins....as soon as he found out he had to help with hair...he said..have you seen her hair...I can't do that!  Too funny...you'll see a picture above of a back shot and the hair do.  I nervously stayed at home teaching and doing my duty here....but wanted to be there so badly!

Today I am including a Magic Cookie Bar recipe I think I got off the back of a package of Graham Crackers once...these are what some people call Dolly Madison's after one of our First Ladies from over a century or so ago!  Queen Bethany makes these often to give as gifts.  They are scrumptious and pitifully easy to make...just throw some flour on your face and act like you worked hard in the kitchen!  Promise, you will make these time and time again!

Magic Cookie Bars

3 cups graham crackers, crushed finely
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 16 ounce package of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 large can of sweetened condensed milk
1 - 2 cups shredded coconut

Melt margarine/butter in microwave for less than one minute.  Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with oil.  Add melted margarine/butter to the pan.  Add graham cracker mixture that has had sugar mixed in it.  Blend graham crackers with margarine until blended well and press to the glass dish to form a crust.  Pour in long flowing strands the sweetened condensed milk on top of the graham cracker crust.  Sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of this.  Sprinkle coconut on top of chocolate.  Cook in oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until coconut begins to toast slightly. 

Allow these to cool and then cut with a knife in diamond shapes or traditional squares. 

You may also add nuts and peanut butter morsel chips for a variation.  My girls just aren't that wild about nuts!

Here are some pics of Bethany and her dad!  Notice the hair!  Dad's can be great helpers!!
Enjoy!  Do make these....easy, easy, easy..and so darn delicious!

Get cooking!

Alise