6 Can Tortilla Soup

What was for pot luck lunch and block party dinner, 6 can tortilla soup!

This soup is really good and impossible to mess up. You can easily store these ingredients for o'crap dinner or tortilla soup sounds good!

6 Can Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 14oz can chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken

1 can rotel cilantro and lime

1 14 oz can season black beans, drained not rinsed

1 14 oz can corn

1-2 cans of chicken

Mix together, heat, and serve or put in the crock pot all day. Serve with chips, cheese, and sour cream. Yum!

Crock Pot Lasagna

What's for dinner, crock pot lasagna!

Fast and good dinner planned ahead of time, man that is nice! The house smells wonderful and all the mess is cleaned up as well.

Crock pot lasagna

1# burger

1 onion chopped

1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1 frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 t Italian seasoning

2 t garlic powder

32 oz cottage cheese

16 oz lasagna noodles, dry!

2 c mozz or cheddar cheese

1 c water

Brown burger and onions, drain. Add mushrooms, spinach, sauce, paste, and seasonings. Then layer in the crock pot meat, double layer of noodles, cottage cheese, and cheese. End with noodles, meat, and top with cheese. Pour water on top. On low for 4 hours. Enjoy!

Ode to Aunt Barbie!

What's baking in the oven, Apple Bread!

Guy's Aunt Barbie has past down some really yummy recipes. I love that though she is no longer with us because of baking her legacy lives on. I wanted to show Eva where our bread recipe today came from and I will share some pics with the world as well.

Baby Guy, Heather, and BarbieSue, Heather, Brandy, Guy, and Barbie. I am assuming this is Christmas baking. My sister's family calls these dipsy doodle balls but I am sure the Bailey's have their own special name for them.

Thanksgiving Dinner

What's for dinner, Thanksgiving?

Every year we get a free ($18 worth) turkey from Garmin. We have never used it for a holiday but instead roast it and use the meat in casseroles and soups. So, this is our second turkey this year because the sales at Christmas are just too good not to buy two. Here is how I cook my turkeys:

1 bird

2 t kosher salt

1 t thyme

1 t onion powder

1 t pepper

1/2 garlic powder

2 dashes of cayenne

Mix up the spices and rub all over your bird. Put it in a electric roaster at 375 for 13-18 minutes per pound. So, my 14# bird will be done between 3 and 4 hours. I will check it at hour 3 so we don't have a dry turkey like on Christmas Vacation ;-)

Tonight we will have the turkey with stuffing, homemade apple sauce, and baked sweet potatoes.

The rest of the turkey I will divid into 2 c amounts and put in freezer bags. I will plan on 4 meals from this meat, but most likely once I start measuring I should have more. Here are some meal ideas:

turkey enchiladas

white turkey chili

turkey pot pie or turkey and biscuits

turkey and dumplings

curry turkey salad

Apple Pie

What's for dessert, Apple Pie!

Once again with the apples. To think there is still more to come like bread and hopefully butter. I hit a great sale and got these Jonathan apples for 49 cents per pound. I bought a conservative 20# and to think that I only have enough apples left for a double batch of apple bread. This apple pie is a cooked juice method of fruit pie. By cooking the juice, adding the raw fruit, shell, and baking you know before that it will be firm and not mushy. Some twice cook their fruit and that is easily bought at the store.

Apple pie

7 apples, I prefer Granny Smith but today I did 1/2 and 1/2

3/4 c water

2 oz butter

Boil water and butter

2 oz water

2 T and 1/2 t cornstarch

Mix together and pour into water/butter to thicken. Then add:

3/4 c sugar

pinch of salt

1 T cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Once it looks like slim pour over apples and mix. Let cool while you make the crust.

Pie crust

1# 8oz flour

pinch of salt

1 # cold butter chopped up

7 oz ice cold water

Put flour, salt, and butter in mixer until the butter is pea sized. Slowly add water. This yields enough for 2 double crust divided to 14 oz for each bottom crust and 9 for each top crust. I will make pot pie with the other half, best to plan ahead!

Applesauce

What is in the canner, Applesauce!

I feel that my Pennsylvania Dutch roots come out this time of year. I feel the need for work frolics and wool slippers. This is the third time I have made apple sauce. The first adventure I was joined by Jamie DeJong, then Briana Taylor, and how fun to spend this year with my own daughter Eva. The pride that comes out as my girl puts on her apron with glee and spins that apple peeler. For the record I knew I would not have the energy to do all this in one day. So, Eva and I made it last night and today during nap time I canned it. This was best because I would have been a nut with all that hot stuff and my girl near by.

Spiced Applesauce

3# apples peeled, cored, and sliced

1/3 to 1/2 c sugar

1/8 t each cinnamon, cardamon, and ginger

2/3 c water

Put everything in a stock pot, stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 8-10 minutes until the apples are tender. Mash with a potato masher or I used the blender carefully so I would still have chunky sauce.

To can put hot applesauce in hot jars, 1/2 inch head space, wipe rim, top with hot lid, and then screw on rim. Process in water bath for 20 minutes. Recipe only makes 1 full qt jar so I times the recipe by 5 and got 11 pint jars plus a little for sampling :-)

The samples were enjoyed by Eva who thought it was lip smacking good!

Chili and Cornbread

What's for dinner, Chili and cornbread!

This cool weather is sure making me hungry for comfort food. It is also the time of year I can save a lot on food because I can add beans so easily to many of my meals. Chili is one of many meals that I dont miss meat. I actually can hardly stomach chili with meat because people use way too much and it is a gut bomb. So, all bean chili for the Bailey's!

All Bean Chili

8 oz dry black beans

8 oz dry kidney beans

Soak over night. Throw away the water. Put in crock pot with fresh water and cook on high for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender. Drain beans and throw back in the pot and add:

2 14 oz cans diced toms

1/4 c diced onion

1 14 oz can corn, undrained

1 or 2 cans of chili beans, undrained

1/4 c chili seasoning

Cook all day in the crock on low and enjoy with corn bread.

Corn Bread, adapted from allrecipes

Preheat oven to 375, oil 9 inch cast iron skillet and preheat in the oven until mixture is done.

1/2 c butter or marg

2/3 c sugar

2 eggs or 2T ground flax with 2 T water

1 c buttermilk or 1 c milk with 1 T vinegar rested for 5 minute, or powdered buttermilk reconstituted to 1 c

1/2 t soda

1 c cornmeal

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t salt

Melt butter in pot, remove from heat and add in sugar. Then mix in eggs quickly. Add in milk, soda, and salt. Then beat in flours until blended, a few lumps still is okay. Pour into skillet and bake 25 to 30 minutes.