Taco Soup

I normally reserve this recipe for fall, but this past Sunday, nature dealt us a cold hand with the weather and I thought I was going to freeze to death! Hubby and I came home after church, starved and ready for something hot and filling.  This hit the spot!

Taco Soup

It's so easy that you'll find yourself making it on weeknights as well as weekends!  Here's what you'll need:

1 lb. lean ground beef (optional, may replace with ground turkey, chicken or pork, equal amounts)
1 pack taco seasoning (I normally use mild but have been known to spice it up a bit!)
1 pack ranch dressing mix
2 cans black beans
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can tomatoes with green chilies (mild or hot, your choice)
1 onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
14 oz. beef broth
2 quarts tomato juice

Options:
Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Sour Cream
Avocado
Tortilla chips

In a heavy bottomed pot, brown beef with onion, until done.  Drain as much extra fat off as possible.  Add remaining veggies, broth and juice as well as spice packets.  Stir well.  Bring to a boil and cook 25-30 minutes, stirring often to keep from sticking.  Serve over a bowl of tortilla chips with a dollop of sour cream, a slice of avocado and lots of cheese.

I served mine with cheesy garlic toast and a side salad.  It's so warm and inviting but so easy to do.  Hope you enjoy!

Cheesy Bacon Biscuit Bites

This recipe is adapted from www.ohbiteit.com who have it listed as Cheesy Bacon Bombs...that's precisely what they are!  Of course, you know me, I don't follow directions well and I deviated from their recipe by using the whole biscuit and then baking the hot mess.  Ahem, hot mess is exactly what it is!  I almost called it a Pinterest-FAIL until I tasted them.  I then made the executive decision that it wasn't about the looks, but the taste!

Cheesy Bacon Biscuit Bites

Why did I want to call it a Pinterest-FAIL?  Well, I used too much biscuit and too much cheese (I thought so at first) and it was "the bomb" as in-it exploded all over the baking sheet!

See?  The bomb!

It actually was quite easy to remove from the pan, because the bacon grease keeps it from sticking!  So, it's easy!  Just follow these directions!

The goods....SO easy!

1 lb bacon (I like center cut), sliced in half
16 toothpicks
2 cans biscuits
1 pack mozzarella cheese (16 oz.)

Start with the biscuits, place cheese on top....

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Remove biscuits from cans, place 1 oz. mozzarella cheese on each biscuit.  Squish (don’t you love my technical terms?) the biscuit up and over the cheese, and wrap with a half slice of bacon.  Secure with a toothpick. 

Yummy!

Repeat until all items are used.  Bake for 18 minutes or until bacon is thoroughly cooked and remove from oven; serve while hot.  To reheat (as if you’ll have enough), remove toothpick and microwave for 15 seconds.

You know you're a foodie when....

Peanut Butter Brownie Minis/Pie

Folks,

I've done it again!  My heart has decided it can't handle anymore goodness like this!  

I was so excited to take pictures that I didn't get any of the minis!  Ha ha!  The pie will have to suffice!

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIE MINIS

(brownie recipe loosely adapted from Outrageous Brownies by Ina Garten)
Prep time:  20 minutes           Cook time:  35 minutes              Total time:  55 minutes
Serves:  24

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray two mini-muffin tins with non-stick baking spray.

2 pre-made pie crusts (store brand works just as well as name brand for this!), room temperature
2 sticks butter, melted
16 oz chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli semi-sweet mixed with bittersweet in equal amounts)
3 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 1/8 cup self-rising flour

1 heaping tablespoon of instant coffee or espresso granules

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

The stars of the show...

Over a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and butter in a glass bowl.  Stir to incorporate and remove from heat.  Allow chocolate mixture to cool slightly before mixing in eggs, sugar, coffee granules and vanilla.  Once incorporated, stir in flour.  Set mixture aside to cool completely. 

 

I could eat this and be done!

Remove pie crusts from packaging, roll out.  Using a 2” biscuit cutter, cut 12 circles out of one pie crust.  You may have extra pieces, don’t toss them out.  You can use them on the top for decorations!  Just place them on top of the brownie mix before baking and give it an extra minute to bake!  Place each circle inside of the mini-muffin tin and press sides to pan to keep it upright.  Next, take a tablespoon of the brownie mix and place inside each “pie crust”.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, watching very closely as you don’t want to over bake the brownies! 

A pie and minis?  Yeah!

Take the second pie crust and place in a deep dish and spoon remaining brownie mix in it.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, remove and cool.

Remove from oven and cool completely, removing from tin after the brownies have completely set.  Place on a platter for the addition of the top layer. 

 

Minis...

For the peanut butter topping, you will need the following: 

3 cups sugar

1 stick of butter

2/3 cups milk (evaporated works, too!)

8-12 oz. peanut butter

7 oz. marshmallow crème

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

See, the scraps didn't matter in looks, but they'll taste divine!

In a heavy bottomed saucepan on medium heat, bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil.  Cook for 3-4 minutes (or until mixture reaches softball stage/234 F) and remove from heat.  Carefully add vanilla (it’ll splash or create a boiling affect sometimes!) then marshmallow crème.  Last but not least, add peanut butter.   Depending on how thick you want your topping, use less peanut butter.  I started with 8 oz. but found it was too syrupy and worked my way to 12 oz. which sets up like fudge.  Mix well and place a couple of spoonfuls on top of each brownie pie.  You’ll need to work quickly as this mixture sets fast!  Smooth down or leave it textured, the choice is yours.  Cool slightly and enjoy.  Spoon needed amount over pie (or all of it for a really thick topping).  I spread half of mine on the pie and put the rest in an 8x8 baking pan.  

You won't believe how good this is! 

These are sure to be a hit and people will ask for more!  

Spring Salads

This is one of my favorite times of the year.  Wait, if you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll note that I've probably said that before!  While it may be spring on the calendar, the weather hasn't quite decided what she's doing here in Kentucky.  We've had warm, hot and chilly weather all in the space of a few weeks.   I got an early jump on transplanting some of my flowers from one garden bed to another and a lot of them got frostbit.  Live and learn, right?  Alright, I've digressed!

Tuna Salad

When the weather is nice, sunny, not too warm, not too chilly, like it is right now, 68 degrees and partly sunny...yeah..this puts me in the mood for a good salad.  I'm a little weird and I don't mind admitting it, but I'm not a huge salad dressing fan.  At least not on salads.  I like ranch dressing with pretty much anything but vegetables!  I'm not a fan of any other dressing on a vegetable salad.  Now, pasta, well, that's a whole other post!

Just put everything in the bowl and mix well!

Tonight, I'm making both tuna and chicken salads for dinner.  Actually, they'll be for lunch for the rest of the week.  The tuna salad is a version of my mom's that she's used for 50+ years and while I didn't like it growing up, it's grown on me.

TUNA SALAD

1 can of tuna, in water or oil (I prefer water, just me)
1 sleeve of saltine crackers, crushed (this is a good time to take out any stress that you may have!)
2/3-1 cup of Miracle Whip Lite (or your favorite mayo-like dressing)
3 boiled eggs, sliced or diced
1/2 white onion, diced or minced (depending on your preference)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

Now, here's the hard part.  Boil, cool and peel your eggs before hand.  Cut them to your liking and place in a bowl.  Crush saltines and add to eggs.  Toss in onions and relish then the tuna.  Now, add the Miracle Whip (I usually start with 3 or 4 tablespoons first as I don't drain the water from my tuna) and gently mix.  If it's too dry, add a little more.

Hubby likes this on toast, I prefer it on a bed of salad greens with tomatoes and pickles on the side.  Beautiful, eh?

It's almost too pretty to eat!

CHICKEN SALAD

1 can of chicken broth (low sodium) 12-14 oz.
2-3 chicken breast halves, boiled, cooled and cubed
1 cup of grapes, halved
1/4-1/2 cup of nuts (your choice-I'm using almonds because it's what I have on hand)
2/3-1 cup of Miracle Whip Lite (or your favorite mayo-like dressing)
1 stalk of celery, minced

In a sauce pan, place chicken breasts and cover with chicken broth plus one can of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Boil for 20 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.  Remove from liquid and allow to cool.  While it's cooling, slice grapes, chop nuts and mince celery.  Once chicken is cool, chop then cube into bite-size pieces.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate.

This is really good on a bed of salad greens, served on crackers or crostini bread. Of course, I've been know to eat it right out of the bowl, who needs anything else?

This is what I'm having for lunch today!  

Livin' Large-Uhm, with Hair, that is!

I have this affinity for country, blues, and rock-a-billy music, the styles, too!  I've always been a little different but the last couple of years, I've allowed that side of me to show more and more.  Last year, I did my version of Rosie the Riveter at a Beatersville Car Show in Louisville, KY.  I was addicted!

My first attempt...the victory roll turned out quite well but wasn't ready to stand up to the humidity of a warm, Kentucky day!

Then, hubby and I hosted a car show last year in which I sang and I didn't do a full-on rock-a-billy look but I did get a little of my preferred taste in the look.

Here's my brother Joe, on the guitar, my dear friend Raymond on the upright bass, and a wonderful friend and fellow musician, Karly to my left.  

I had a good laugh about this hairstyle in that one of my friends told me I looked like one of the Who's (you know, The Grinch?) because of how I was wearing my hair in a top knot to create volume!

Last night was the semester finale and I had victory rolls in mind again when I found out that a local public television station was going to be there filming and we needed to wear dress(ier) clothes.  I went with a classic black dress and pearls.  The hair, well, I had my hairdresser, Cortney, do a modified rock-a-billy look.

What do you think of my tamed down look?

Still can't see the side...one more I promise!  Oh, this is my gorgeous friend, Amanda!

Classy, eh?  

I had so much hairspray in my hair that I didn't think I'd ever get it all out!  But, I did!  Chime in, tell me what you think...which style do you like best?

P.S.  Someone asked, "Where's the food?" well, I did bake before the show.  I made Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies and shared them with my fellow performers and the camera staff and stage hands.  Pretty sure they were a hit!  To Ina, I say, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"  I love those brownies and have tinkered with the recipe a few times and changed it but I almost always revert back to the originals just because they're so good!