Taco Soup

Last night I was stressing myself out.  I had to have dinner on the table within the next hour or two and I am running low on groceries.  You know how it is.  I had no idea what to cook, and when I asked Jason what he wanted I got the usual male answer, "I don't care."  :o)  I started thinking of the things I did have and lo and behold I had everything except the Fritos to make taco soup!  Yay!  I love taco soup.  So fast to throw together and so warm and filling.  It snowed here yesterday and it was cold, so it was the perfect meal.  Jason picked the Fritos up on his way home, because you can't have taco soup without Fritos!

Here's the recipe~

Taco Soup
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1-16 oz can corn, I used my freezer corn
1-16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-28 oz can stewed tomatoes, I used a quart size jar of my own stewed tomatoes
1-8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg of ranch dressing mix

Brown your beef with the onion in a big soup pot.  Drain fat.  Stir in taco seasoning, corn, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and dry ranch mix.  Simmer til nice and hot.  Serve with shredded cheese and Fritos.

Source-Grandma and Jamie S.  :o)

Digi Day...and some exciting news!

Okay, I'll start with the exciting news. Jessica Sprague is offering a FREE class! I've talked her classes up and so here's your chance to try one out. This class is for all crafter's not just digi scrappers, so sign up! This is a $40. value.

Register Here

And lastly here is my layout for the week. It is the last lesson in Jessica's new version of Up and Running. I can't tell you enough how much I love her classes. I love creating with my computer. This layout showcases our new home. I love these types of layouts. We have actually lived in a lot of places and my sis-in-law suggested we take a pic of every place we've lived in and make a mini album. Not only do our kids and grandkids want to see us in photos, but they want to see the places they lived and made memories. I love to look at old photos and see the decorations in the background or the pictures on the wall. I'm nostalgic that way.

Alrighty. Go sign up for the class and have an awesome day!

Friday Favorites

How have I lived in this blogosphere for about three years and noone has pointed me to this fun blog. Recently I found Make It and Love It from another blog and probably spent a good hour (even though I should have been sleeping) looking around her blog. She has fun ideas and awesome tutorials. She has tutorials for anything from home decor, mod podge, clothing, to cake decorating and recipes. She is super crafty and my kind of girl. Here are some of my faves.

She has some great home decorating tutorials. These pillows are gorgeous. Tute here.

I'm in love with this skirt. That bow is to die for. Tute here.

This is a little girls dress made out of a women's knit shirt. This is something I would like to get better at. Instead of throwing so many clothes in the Goodwill pile, a lot could be repurposed. And look how cute! Tute here.

Check out Ashley's blog. It won't dissapoint. :)

Anyway, sorry I'm so late today. My dad has been here from Idaho visiting and it has been wonderful. He left today and it's so sad to see family go. I hate that we have to be so far away. But such is life. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Lazy Lasagna

The name fits me to a T.  It really is lazy because it's so darn easy to throw together.  You don't even have to cook the noodles!  I love that!!!   I've been making this lasagna for years, and it's a family favorite.  It's so easy and you can change it up a bit without a problem.  Before I found this recipe lasagna intimidated me.  It just seemed too hard to do.  Glad I found this one.

Here's the recipe~

Lazy Lasagna
1 lb ground beef
1-32 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
16 oz. cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
2-8  oz packages of shredded mozzarella cheese give or take
1 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. water

Cook beef in a large skillet until meat is brown.  Drain fat and add spaghetti sauce.  Heat through.  Set aside.  Combine cottage cheese and sour cream, stir well.  Spoon 1 1/2 c. meat sauce in bottom of 13x9 pan.  Place 1/2 of the uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce. Then half of the cottage cheese mixture.

A good layer of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the remaining meat sauce and 1/2 c. parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers starting with noodles.  Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Pour water around the sides of the pan. (I usually don't use ALL the water.)  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake in a preheat 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Make sure to put a cookie sheet or foil under pan, because it always bubbles over a little bit.  Uncover and bake 20 minutes more or until bubbly.  Let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes longer. 

The finished product. 

I was in a hurry to eat it and that's why it's not completely set up.  The more you let it sit the less gooey it is.

I like to add olives to my meat sauce and sometimes I use more or less cheese.  Depends on my mood.  Seriously...change it up a bit if you'd like.  Let me know what you try different.

Source-Great American Brand Name Recipes Cookbook

Digi Day...Christmas already!?

You know it baby. In the marketing world Christmas comes early and that includes the scrapbooking industry. This week my layout is using Echo Park's Merry Christmas Kit.

Full Credits Here

Also, Carina Gardner has joined the JS Design team and I'm very excited to be working with her stuff. I met Carina over a year ago and she is such a nice talented gal. Here are a couple of kits she released this week. Find them here.

And lastly, the JS team have started two new blogs to showcase layouts done using JS.com products. If you need some scrapping ideas check them out here and here.

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Monica

Peanut Butter Cloud Cookies

Yes, and they are AMAZING!  I even thought about throwing an apple wedge on top, but I refrained from doing that.  Seriously...why has no one told me how delcious peanut butter and marshmallows are together???  I didn't discover this til at a Halloween party they served apples with peanut butter and marshmallows.  I came home right away and made me some, and I was on cloud 9. (Hence the cloud name)  Maybe it's just a weird pregnancy craving.  If so, I apologize.  When I told the hubs and Justy what I was planning to do they both said, "EW!"  They still tried one, and they liked them!  If you haven't tried this combination then you need to do so...now...today!  DO IT!

Here's the recipe~

Peanut Butter Cloud Cookies
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 small jar marshmallow creme

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets and set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.  Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.  Add the salt and baking soda. Stir until mixed together.

Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place the cookie dough balls on the greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.  With your thumb, press down the dough ball to make a dent in the middle of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven. Press down the cookies with your thumb again. HOT!  Cool cookies onto a wire rack and let them cool a little more.  Take a spoonful of marshmallow cream and fill the center of each cookie.  If the cookies are still a little warm, I thought that helped the process a little better.  That stuff is sticky! 

Good stuff...wonder what they'd taste like with a pickle on top....:o)

Source-Two Peas

Monday Match-Up - Soup...again

You are bound to see some repeats from previous Match-ups. I think last time I chose soup it was not even cold yet and I was just yearning for sweaters, beautiful leaves, nutmeg, and of course...soup. Now things are really cooling down in many parts of the country. I know my Utah/Idaho friends have seen snow already and so far in Missouri we've had lots of wind and chilly days. Plus soup is pefect for a Halloween night. It was definitely in order.

I wanted a creamy comfort soup. I chose a cheesy potato soup. You really can't get more creamy or comfort than that. We were very lucky to share it with my dad who is visiting from Idaho. It's so wonderful to have visitors when you're so far away from home. The kids were ecstatic to have Grandpa here. Well, I was too. I would make a pot of soup every night if it would magically bring us family.

Anyway, enjoy. :)

Baked Potato Soup

2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C low-fat or skim milk
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked, boiled, or microwaved till done
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C light sour cream, divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divide

Before you start your soup, make sure you cook your potatoes in whatever way is convenient to you. I baked mine but you can also peel and boil them or cook them in the microwave. It doesn't reall matter.

Saute garlic in the butter for a minute or two on medium heat until fragrant. Add the flour and slowly whisk in your milk. You want to add this slowly and whisk as you go to avoid flour clumps. When it is all whisked in go ahead and add the chicken broth and your pepper and salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook until thickened stirring occasionally. Once your soup has thickened, add your potatoes. I just scooped my potato out of there skins into the pot. I then mashed the large chunks with my spoon to avoid any large pieces. Next and 1 1/2 cups of cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup green onion, and some bacon.

Serve soup hot topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of bacon, cheese, and onions. Yum. This fed 3 adults and two kids barely. Next time I will double it so we can have soup for lunch the next day. I seriously love soup. :)

Source: Our Best Bites
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I love having soup for dinner, and winter is the BEST for this reason.  I chose to make Chicken Posole.  The first time I tried posole was at my Mom's years ago!  It was delicious!!  I've had it many times after and I enjoy it every time.  The kind my mom makes is very time consuming, but delicious in the long run.  I'm all about quick and easy, especially when i'm pregnant.  My Auntie had made an easier version of posole this summer, and I thought it tasted just as good and took a LOT less time to throw together.  She got the recipe from her twin daughters, Jennifer and Connie.  I was craving something different tonight, so I thought I'd make it and I'm glad I did.  You need to use a rotisserie chicken in this recipe.  Auntie said she's tried using other types of chicken and it just isn't the same.  So i'll take her word for it.  She's a smart cookie and an awesome cook!!

Chicken Posole
1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 1/2-14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes
2-15 oz cans of hominy
32 oz box of chicken broth
1 rotisserie chicken, pulled apart and cubed up.  I used the all the meat, because my chicken looked like it was starving.  Eyeball it.
Red Pepper flakes
shredded lettuce
cilantro
radishes
limes

Heat olive oil in your stock pot and saute' onions and garlic until softened.  Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and hominy and bring to boil while cutting up your chicken. Throw in the chicken and bring back to boil.  Salt and pepper to taste.  You can add the red pepper flakes at this time too.  I didn't add it because then my chillens wouldn't have eaten it.  Add what you like.  If you like it spicy, go crazy!  When it's boiled for a few minutes take it off the heat.  Pour into bowls.  Top with shredded lettuce, cilantro, radishes and lots of lime juice.  Like I said, super easy and fast!

Have a happy Monday!