Cheeseburger Soup

I love this soup, it is SO GOOD. I could seriously eat it by the vat. And if you could see how big that bowl in the picture actually is, you would say, "Yes, Kathee, I believe you, because that bowl looks suspiciously like a vat to me." Listen, you, don't judge me!!!!


My laugh out loud moment at the dinner table tonight was when my 10 year old asked my 12 year old to go outside after dinner to shoot hoops with him. "Kid..." he said, "I just can't. I've been at work all day and I'm just plain tired." He went with his dad to work today to help out and ended up doing such a good job he stayed all day, the poor kiddo was tuckered out. The way he said it was priceless though, like he was so much older and mature than his brother.


Cheeseburger Soup


1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion (of course I omit this because I'm anti onion)
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup diced celery (I almost always forget to buy this, not an essential ingredient!)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley
4 tbsp. butter or margarine
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 oz. processed cheese (Velveeta)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream


Directions:

Brown beef; drain and set aside. In same saucepan saute onion, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tbsp. butter until tender (about 10 minutes). Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. Done!! Get out your vat!!!

Homemade Twix Bars

Homemade. Twix. Bars. Yes, you heard right. I'm not going to lie and tell you they come together in a snap, because they're a TAD time consuming, but worth every minute.



Homemade Twix Bars
Recipe courtesy of Not Without the Salt


Ingredients:

Shortbread

5 1/2 ounces (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground rice (rice processed in a spice grinder until it is able to pass through a fine sieve to remove chunks)* (I DID NOT ADD THE RICE - Kathee)

Make the Shortbread:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-X-13-inch baking pan with pan spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add the flour, ground rice and salt and allow the dough to come together. The dough will be crumbly but should hold together when you squeeze it.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the baking pan. Place in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the pan from front to back and bake for another 10 minutes, until the shortbread is a deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the ….

Caramel

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling over the caramel layer

Make the Caramel:

Combine the sugar, golden syrup, water, and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Remove any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan by wiping down the sides with water. You can use your hand or a pastry brush. Place the pot on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Wipe down any stray sugar crystals that appear using a very clean and wet pastry brush. Do not stir from this point on. Keep an eye on the pan. The mixture will be very bubbly.

When the sugar syrup starts to turn golden brown insert a candy thermometer to check the temperature. When it reaches 300°F, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 1minute, or until the bubbles subside. Carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Stir until smooth, then whisk in the condensed milk. Add the salt. Whisk until smooth.

Return the pan to the heat and stir constantly over medium heat until the caramel reaches 240°F. Remove from the heat and pour over the shortbread. While the caramel is warm sprinkle the surface with the best quality salt you have. Kosher is fine, Fleur de Sel is better, Maldon would be my preferred choice.

Allow to set. This will take about 2 hours.

Once the caramel layer has cooled prepare your …

Chocolate Glaze

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (Bittersweet chocolate chips also work)(I USED SEMISWEET BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I HAD ON HAND - Kathee)
2 tablespoons butter

Melt the chocolate and butter over a bain marie or in the microwave. If using the microwave melt it slowly – in 30 second intervals. Stir well after each interval.

Once completely melted pour over the caramel. Using an offset spatula, smooth the chocolate in a nice even layer.

Place in the refrigerator to set. They cut best when chilled.

Cut into desired shape and size. Serve.

Coconut Shrimp

I think it's well known that I HATE seafood.  I just do.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I found that I am totally and completely in LOVE with these shrimp.  Of course, the coconut disquising the very essence of the shrimp is the key, I'll admit it.  I would make these lovlies once a week if I could!!
Coconut Shrimp

Recipe from Allrecipes


Ingredients:

1 egg
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup water (the recipe really calls for beer, but we were all out. I kid, I kid!!)
1 1 /2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups flaked coconut
24 shrimp (I ended up doing more like 40)
3 cups oil for frying

Directions:

In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, water and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls. Hold shrimp by tail and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees in a deep fryer (I used a large pan). Fry shrimp in batches; cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. (I made a quick dipping sauce from orange marmalade and some Chinese hot mustard - AMAZING.)

Rice Balls with Meat Sauce

Rice Balls with Meat Sauce

Recipe from Taste of Home


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped (since I HATE onions, I used about 1 tsp. of onion so finely minced it is nearly non existent, more like onion juice I guess)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 can (14 oz.) water packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup frozen peas
1 jar (4 1/2 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
3 bay leaves
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper

CHEESE STUFFED RICE BALLS:

3 eggs
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 3/8 inch cubes (3/8 in.?? really???)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
oil for frying


Directions:

In a large saucepan, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the next nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, lightly beat 2 eggs. Stir in the rice, butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. Press a mozzarella cube into each; reshape balls.

In a small bowl, lightly beat remaining egg. Dip each ball into egg, then roll in bread crumbs. In a deep fryer or skillet, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry rice balls until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Discard bay leaves from meat sauce; serve with rice balls.

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder

Spicy Chicken Corn Chowder



Ingredients:

5 bacon slices, chopped
2 tbsp. butter
1 med. onion, chopped (of course I omitted this)
2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 cup chopped red or orange bell peppers
3-4 tbsp. flour
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 2 tsp. dried)
1 16oz. bag frozen corn
2 cups half and half or cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (plus more for garnish)
1 or 2 4 oz. cans chopped green chile's
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup green onions (do I even need to say I skipped this?)(plus more for garnish)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for garnish)

Directions:

Cook bacon in a large pot over medium high heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and cool; crumble and reserve for garnish. Pour off all but 1/4 cup drippings from the pot. (Save those drippings for your refried or black beans for another day!!!!) Add butter to pot and melt over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, chicken and bell peppers; saute until onions are soft and chicken is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add flour; stir and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in broth, then add potatoes, cumin, and thyme; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer uncovered until potatoes are somewhat tender, about 8 minutes.

Add corn, half and half, cheese, green chile's, and Tabasco; simmer until corn is tender, about 8 minutes more. Add green onions and cilantro; simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Garnish with bacon, cheese, green onions and cilantro.

Barbecue Beef

Barbecue Beef



Ingredients:

1 3-4 lb. cross rib roast
1 can Coke (or Pepsi)
1 tsp. garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Coke (or Pepsi)


Directions:

Place roast in slow cooker. Pour 1 can of Coke on roast. Cook on low for 5 to 7 hours. After meat has cooked put it in a bowl and use two forks to shred meat. Drain the coke and fat out of the slow cooker. Mix the garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, barbecue sauce and 1/4 cup of coke and add along with the shredded beef to the slow cooker. Cook for another 1 to 2 hours.

Butter Bars

Last night for dinner we had breakfast burritos, not really something I need to share a recipe for. But our dessert? Oh, my, the dessert. In the name of everything buttery and bad for you, make these Butter Bars - NOW!!!


One funny thing that happened at dinner....... we were all talking and sharing, having a great meal. Suddenly, Cam speaks above everyone else, "Hey! Guess what? I entered the drawing in the library for one of the Justin Bieber posters!!!" Complete SILENCE. Everyone looks at each other. Massive laughter ensues. "What in the world did you do that for?" "Justin Bieber? What is wrong with you?" After we settled down he told us his plan, "I want to draw a mustache and beard on it and put it in Colby's room!!" Oh!!! That made sense, because that particular brother gets accosted on the street by preteens who think he is the Bieb's in the flesh!! We were all worried there for a second though!!!


Butter Bars
Recipe courtesy of Everywhere on the Internets


Ingredients:


Crust:

1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 cups powdered sugar


Directions:

Combine crust ingredients and pat into a 9X13 pan. Beat cream cheese, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add butter and sugar. Mix well. Pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Inhale at a dangerously unhealthy speed or hoarde for youself.

Crispy Orange Beef

Crispy Orange Beef

Recipe from Allrecipes


Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds beef top sirloin, thinly sliced
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
8 broccoli florets, lightly steamed or blanched
2 cups oil for frying


Directions:

Lay beef strips out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Allow to dry in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, rice vinegar, orange juice concentrate, salt and soy sauce. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. Add more water at the end if necessary. (I use Calrose rice, because I really love sticky rice and I just make it in the rice cooker. Comes out perfectly sticky and yummy every time).

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Toss dried beef in cornstarch to coat. Fry in the hot oil in small batches until crispy and golden brown; set aside. Drain all of the oil from the wok except about 1 tablespoon.

Add orange zest, ginger and garlic to the remaining oil, and cook briefly until fragrant. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, bring to a boil, and cook until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Add beef, and heat through, stirring to coat. Serve immediately over steamed rice, and garnish with broccoli.

Crescent Chicken Squares

Crescent Chicken Squares




Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 tbsp. butter
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
2 (8 oz.) cans crescent rolls
2 tbsp. butter
Crushed seasoned croutons

Directions:

Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and garlic and mix well. Seperate dough into 4 triangles (per can), spooning meat mixture into center. Bring corners of dough together and press with fork. Brush tops with melted butter and crushed seasoned croutons. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets according to crescent roll directions.

Hot Sandwiches

Hot Sandwiches

Recipe for rolls adapted from RecipeShoebox

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups warm water
3 tbsp. yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar or honey
2 eggs
1 tbsp. salt
5-6 cups flour (I used 5 cups white, 1 cup wheat, and threw in 1 tbsp. ground flax seed for good measure!)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and knead for 10 minutes.

After kneading, divide the dough into four equal sections. Roll out each section of dough and with a pizza cutter slice the dough into 4 pieces.

Place on the dough your filling. I had roast beef, ham and turkey available for the meats. For the cheese, we could choose from cheddar, mozzerella, swiss, provolone, american and gouda.

Tuck in the fat end and roll towards the narrow end.

Place rolled crescents onto greased cookie sheet, let rise for 10-15 minutes and bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to overbake. You'll want to catch them just as they're beginning to brown.

Pulled Chicken Sammies

Pulled Chicken Sammies

Recipe from Taste and Tell

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped (of course I skipped this ingredient)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups salsa verde
1/2 cup sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 sandwich rolls, split
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Add sauce a little at a time to your bowl of shredded chicken. YOU MAY NOT NEED ALL THE SAUCE depending on how much shredded chicken you have. Stir in the sauce to coat.



Pile the chicken mixture on the roll bottoms. Top with the cheese and broil to melt.

Cake Mix Chocolate Bars

Cake Mix Chocolate Bars



Ingredients:

(1) yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine the cake mix, eggs and oil. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a 9X13 pan.  In a seperate bowl, combine the milk and chocolate chips. Microwave to melt, stopping every 30 seconds to stir. Pour chocolate mixture over crust. Sprinkle the remaining crust over the chocolate mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until they start to turn golden.

Cinnamon Syrup

I saw the recipe for this syrup and knew I just had to make it. Unfortunately, I've been trying to eat healthier (I know, UNFORTUNATELY!) so I figured if I was going to go all sugar crazy with the syrup I should at least TRY to make the pancakes a little healthier. (waaahhhhh)

This syrup is fantastic! I'm thinking how great it would be to drizzle the left overs onto some vanilla ice cream........................... uh, oh, I'm sorry. I was off in a food fantasy. These things happen when you're trying to eat healthier.

UNFORTUNATELY.




Cinnamon Syrup

Recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients:


1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk


Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk.