No Complaints at Dinner!

For dinner tonight, I made a favorite soup that I have been looking forward to for a few days. I was so happy when nobody complained, and to top it off, the kids even asked for seconds!

Tortilla Soup

16 oz can tomatoes

1 medium onion, cut up

2 cloves garlic

4 T snipped cilantro

½ t sugar

8 c chicken broth

1 lb chicken breast cut up

1 chipolte peppers and a little adobo sauce

Shredded montery jack cheese

avocados cut up

tortilla chips

sour cream

In a blender combine undrained tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, chipolte peppers, adobo sauce, and sugar. Cover and blend till nearly smooth. Put mixture into a large pot with chicken broth, chicken. Bring to boiling; cover and simmer for 20 minutes

Put crunched tortilla chips in a bowl with cheese, avocados, and sour cream (Omit if desired). Ladle soup over; serve immediately. makes 8 or 10 servings.

Caution: This can by spicy depending on how much chipolte pepper and adobo sauce you use. We like it really spicy, so for my kids, after I put the soup in their bowls, I add extra chicken broth to to make it less spicy, and it cools it fast!

P.F. Chang Lettuce Wrap Recipe

I found this recipe on the internet. I know a lot of people LOVE these and love P.F Chang so I though I would pass it along.

Here is were I found it, sparkpeople.com You can check out the recipe and the reviews here:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=35538

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

3 tablespoons oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon hot mustard
2 teaspoons water
1-2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar


2/3 cup mushrooms
3 tbls chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
4-5 leaves icebrg lettuce
Special Sauce
1/4 cup sugar - splenda
1/2 cup water
2 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls soy sauce
2 tbls rice wine vinegar
2 tbls ketchup
1 tbls lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tbls hot mustard
2 tsp water
STIR FRY SAUCE
2 tbls lit soy sauce
2 tbls brown sugar - splenda
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Directions

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.
Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.
Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.
Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.
Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.
With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce"cups".
Top with"Special Sauce".


I havent tried these, I actually dont like P.F Changs, but I know a lot of my friends do so I wanted to share.

Finally a Recipe I can call My Own!

I have been looking for a recipe for this for about 4 years, and finally found one that I thought was it, but as I started making it, I realized it was nothing like what I was looking for, so I decided to make one up. and it was so easy and Very Good!

Whenever Heber hears fruit pizza he things of something like this, and is usually disappointed because it is the cream cheese or whipped cream with all different kind of fruit on top. So he is the reason I have been looking for a recipe for 4 years.

He said this was exactly what he was looking for and loves it! He even asked me to make some for his work for National Pie Day!

Because it is my own creation, I have decided to withhold the recipe at this time.

Just Kidding-

But I am hesitant to post this because some of you may already know how to make this, and think I am dumb for thinking I made up something like this. I know its easy, but I am pretty proud that I did this, so if you already know how to make it, please don't tell me what I can do better, or whatever. Thanks

But if you try it, you have to tell me what you think!

I decided to name it Apple Pizza 3.14 (In celebration of National Pie Day coming up on 3/14, a very celebrated holiday at our house.)

Apple Pizza 3.14

Sugar cookie dough
Icing (save some for the topping)
apple pie filling

Make sugar cookie dough spread in a cookie sheet, I used a round one.
Bake it until its done. I just used the recipes directions for the oven temperature and put it in for 12 minutes, but watched it closely. Cool.

make Icing and spread over the big cookie, leaving some to drizzle on top afterwards.

spread apple pie filling over the Icing

drizzle remaining icing over the top of the pie filling.

Its that easy and very good. Heber even liked it better the next day cold. I heated mine up for 20 seconds in the microwave.

If you want the sugar cookie recipe or icing recipe, just let me know!

Time for another great recipe!

I have been craving these peanut butter bars, and am probably going to make them sometime this week. They are the best ones I have ever had!

Peanut Butter Delights
Marianne Wilcox

1 lb (4 c.) powered sugar
1 c butter or margarine
2 c peanut butter (18 oz)
1 pkg graham crackers crushed
(about 10 full crackers or 1 c
graham cracker crumbs)
1 12 oz bag chocolate chips

Melt butter. Beat powered sugar in to melted butter. Beat in peanut butter. Stir in graham crackers. Press into bottom of large, lightly greased cookie sheet. Melt chocolate chips. Spread over peanut butter mixture. Chill for 15 minutes. Cut. Chill more until chocolate is set.

Spaghetti Casserole...Another Family Favorite

Here is a Spaghetti recipe that our family loves. The first time, I followed the recipe exactly. Last night, I used regular spaghetti, homemade sauce, and cheddar cheese. It is soooo good. It makes 2 pans so you can freeze one, or do some service and give one away! The best thing about this recipe is that it tastes great, but even better as a leftover!

Spaghetti Casserole
Cyndy (PeytonsMommy31804), Taste of Home

1 package (16 ounces) angel hair pasta
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce. Remove from the heat.

Drain pasta. Combine soup and sour cream. In two 8-in. square baking dishes, layer half of the meat sauce, pasta, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Recipes- You have to try these!

Here are 2 recipes that are definitely our family favorites! I make the Cheesy Garlic Flat Bread A LOT! It is so good, you have to try it. It calls for a bread machine, but it can be made without one.

The Rice Crispy Peanut Butter Granola Bars are very good to. They arn't the healthiest things in the world, but at least I control what goes in them.

Here are the Recipes:

Cheesy Garlic Flat Bread
(Sandy (bettyinthekitchen), BBC Exchange)

Bread:
1 1/4 cups warm water
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
Topping (I never measure the toppings):
tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese


Layer bread ingredients in bread machine pan, select the dough cycle. Prepare a baking stone or sheet - spray with non-stick spray, sprinkle with cornmeal. When dough is finished, remove from pan and stretch into a rectangle, lay on prepared pan. Brush the dough with butter, sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with cheeses. Set in a draft free location to rise for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, place oven rack in lowest rack position; heat oven to 450ºF. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown.

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Rice Krispies PB Granola Bars
Katie (novbabiesmom)
2 1/2 c Rice Krispies
2 c quick-cooking oats
1/2 c raisins or other dried fruit
1/2 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c corn syrup or honey
1/2 c peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips (mini chips), optional, or add nuts or more dried fruit
Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine rice krispies cereal, oats and raisins. In a saucepan, stir together corn syrup or honey and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. Pour over dry ingredients in the bowl; mix to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cool and cut into bars.