Ranch Chicken Recipe

 Here is another recipe that my family really enjoys. I got this recipe a few years ago off the package of ranch dressing mix. What you will need is chicken any amount that will feed your family and 1-2 packages of ranch dressing mix. The amount of packages depends on how much chicken you are cooking. For the 10-12 drumsticks showing in the photo I used 2 packages.

 You will put the seasoning into a plastic bag and add the chicken a few pieces at a time and shake it. As you can see I put my chicken onto a sprayed cookie sheet with tin foil. This will make for an easy clean up.

You will cook this in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 2 hours. As you can see there is a small mess. So much easier to clean up with the foil.
I have tried this recipe with boneless skinless chicken and it doesn't turn out very well so I don't recommend it.
You can serve this with any side dish because it goes with every thing.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Braised Pork Chops and Sauce Recipe

 I have had this recipe for a long time and I can't remember where I got it from. It probably came from a cookbook that I borrowed from the library back in California. This recipe was written out a little different so I will copy it the way I have it written out.
Brown well on both sides enough pork chops or pork steaks for your family. Cover with the following sauce and let simmer until meat is done-about 30 or 40 minutes, depending upon how thick the meat is. For the sauce this is what you will need. 1 bouillon cube; 1/3 cup hot water; 1 teaspoon ginger; 2 teaspoon salt (I didn't add this since the bouillon cube is salty); 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1/4 cup honey; and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Dissolve the bouillon cube in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and pour over the browned pork. If you prefer, you could let the meat marinate overnight in the sauce, then bake the chops in the oven, basting with the sauce as needed to prevent the meat from drying out.

 As you can see I didn't marinate my meat. I used my electric skillet since the pan was big enough for four pork chops. The package of pork chops was a mix between chops and steaks.

I added mashed potatoes and peas to make a complete meal. This is actually a fast dish to make and very good. I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think down below.
As always until next time enjoy your day.

Black Bean ad Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

 This recipe came the internet and I don't remember the site where I got it. So if you know it or recognize it please put the website down in the comment section. For this recipe you will need 1/2 pound ground beef (I used a whole pound); 1 small onion (I used dried onions); 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; 1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (15oz); 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (15oz); 1 can diced green chili peppers (4oz); 1 (16oz) container sour cream; 1/4 salt; 12 corn tortillas (6 inches in diameter each); 1 can enchilada (10oz); 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
1. In a large skillet, on medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, chopped onion until meat is no longer pink, drain all the fat/liquid from the pan. Add chili powder, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the meat mixture and cook, stirring for about a minute, to let the spices mix in and until onion is soft. Add drained and rinsed black beans and pinto beans, and undrained chili peppers into meat mixture  turn off heat. Taste the meat-bean mixture, and add more salt if needed. Add more chili powder or cumin, than indicated in the recipe, if needed. Set aside.
2. Use a 3 quart rectangular baking dish- 11 inches long x 8.5 inches wide x 3 inches deep. Place 4 tortillas on the bottom, overlapping to cover the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread 1/3 of the meat-bean mixture over the tortillas. Top with 1/3 of sour cream, dropping it in small dollops all over, then carefully spreading it over the meat-bean mixture. Top the sour cream with 1/3 of enchilada sauce. Repeat layers 2 more times (3 total layers).
3. NOTE: For the final layer, reverse the order of beef mixture and sour cream , by adding sour cream and enchilada sauce first (over the tortillas), then top the sour cream and enchilada sauce with the remaining beef mixture with cheese on top.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes covered, then remove foil. Top with cheese and bake 10 more minutes uncovered.

I made only 2 layers with this mixture. I didn't have the right size casserole dish. We really enjoyed this dish. I was a little surprised because not everyone likes sour cream.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think down below.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Boys lunches

I thought I would show you what I pack in my boys lunches for school. The school lunches at their school are small and not worth the cost. The lanes are also long and they only get about 30 minutes to eat. I pack a lot in them so that they can have snack if they get hungry between classes. David has first lunch and Aryan has third lunch. Every year I buy them two lunch bags each. Why I do this is because nine times out of ten their bags get destroyed or so dirty that it doesn't clean well anymore. This year I had to pay a little more because the bags I normally buy where no longer available. The bags this year are more insulated and a little smaller, but I am still able to fit all the items into them with a little work. Aryan's lunch bag is showing and David's is blue. I put the same thing in both of their bags. At the bottom of the bag I put in an ice pack to help the food stay cold. Then I put in a drink, a sandwich, a gogurt, string cheese,a piece of fruit, cookies, fruit snacks, chips, a pickle, and another dessert/snack item. Showing is a slice of pumpkin bread. It is either this or a muffin. They aren't big breakfast eaters so I want to give them something else to help them through the day. The sandwich is usually ham and cheese. Neither of the boys want mustard or mayo on it because it gets soggy. I use to send left overs but the school took away the microwave.
I hope this helps you with ideas for lunches. Until next time enjoy your day.

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe

I know there are a lot of different recipes for this cookie. This one is so simple a 5 year old can do except the use of the oven. In fact my mom got this recipe from my kindergarten teacher a while back.
For this recipe you will need the following items.
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Yes that is all you need for this cookie.

Mix all together. Make cress cross marks with a fork and bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 8-9 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to cool.

I usually triple this recipe. I also spray my cookie sheet with Pam.

I hope you give this simple recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

September 14th 2019

 September 14th was a very busy and fun day for me. After taking the summer Arkansas Valley Chapter NSDAR was back on for the year. (We always take the summer off). September is the month we focus on the Constitution because it was adopted on the 17th in 1787. For the last 3 or 4 years we have had a Fire Chief come and ring a bell for the event.

 Here is the video of him and the bell. Hope you enjoy.

 Also that same day we had a little program which we are working with the library for a grant they have received about Revisiting the Founding Era. We did spend some of summer working on this for those of us who were in involved. This Lady is a member of DAR and she gives two programs. The one she gave this time was one I have heard before but really enjoyed it and was happy to hear it again. The program was on Patriots in Petticoats.

I recorded part of it and hope it comes through so you can hear and see it. I didn't get the whole because one my arm was getting tired and two I was running low on battery.
I hope you enjoy the video's if they come through and if you are interested in joining leave me a comment and I will get you the information and/or get someone to talk with you to help you on your way.
Until next time ejoy your day.

Sunday Chicken Dinner Recipe

 I made this meal a couple of weeks and finally getting it posted. I got this recipe out of the book called Fix-it and Forget-it. This is what you will need for this recipe. 1 large onion, sliced; 4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4' thick; 3-4 pounds chicken, cut-up; 1 can of cream of mushroom soup; 1 soup can of milk and garlic powder to taste (optional). Here are the changes that I made. I used cream of chicken instead of mushroom soup, I used just chicken drumsticks, I used dried chopped onions instead of fresh sliced ones and I used minced garlic instead of garlic powder.

 1. Line bottom of your slow cooker with onion slices.
2. Spread potatoes over top of onions. Then add chicken.
3. Mix together soup nd milk. Pour over chicken. (Since I used minced garlic I added it to this)
4. If you wish, sprinkle with garlic powder.
5. Cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 hours, or until potatoes and chicken are tender.
Tip: Add up to a second can of milk if you'd like to have more sauce.

Here is what it looks like when it is done. This was really good and the chicken fell off the bone.
I hope you give this recipe a try and as always if you try it please let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Pork Chops and Potatoes Recipe

Time for another recipe. I don't remember where I got this recipe but I have had it for awhile. For this recipe you will need the following items.
4-6 pork chops
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 medium-sized potatoes (raw)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.Brown the pork chops well on both sides. Remove the pork chops and keep warm. Melt the butter in the pan you browned the pork chops in and then add the flour and blend well. Add the salt, pepper, mustard, paprika, thyme and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the milk gradually and stir constantly until thickened. Slice the potatoes and place alternate layers of potatoes, cream sauce and onion in a greased casserole dish. Place the browned pork chops on top. Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the cover and bake about 15 minutes longer to recrisp the pork chops.
Serve with a vegetable, Cole slaw or green salad to complete this meal.
This does take some cooking time but it is good and everything comes out tender.
I hope you give this recipe a try and as always let me know what you think after you tried it.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Labor Day Fun

I know I am behind on my posting this. Labor day was over a week ago but I have been busy. On Labor Day we spent the late afternoon and evening over at a friend's house to celebrate. The picture above were the host of this day.We had a great time spending time together and have a great BBQ.

More friends.

Friends and husband.

Friends and husband getting ready to eat.

More friends.

More friends. I knew most of the people but some were new to me and so I decided to not add names and just show the day events

Playing a game. I can't remember the name of the game but it was fun. Maybe one of the host will add a comment with the name of the game.

I'm not sure what happened to this picture but it is more of us playing the game.
It is always fun spending time with friends on a holiday.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Dried Beef Rarebit Recipe

 This is an all time favorite for most of the family. This recipe came from a book my mom has had for a long time. I think it was called Cooking for Two. For this recipe you will need the following.
1 jar (4oz) dried beef, shredded; 1/4 cup butter; 1/4 cup flour; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 2 cups milk; 1 cup grated cheddar cheese. I always add more cheese because I like it cheesy.

 You will need to melt the butter and then sauté the shredded beef until edges curl. Blend in dry ingredients. Cook over low heat stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat; blend in cheese. Serve over toast or toasted English muffins.

I have to be careful because I can make myself sick by eating to much of this. The dried beef is salty so don't add any salt. You can parboil the meat before hand if you want to reduce the salt.
David and Aryan are the only two who don't like this dish. Whenever the rest of my children come home or I go to their place this is one of the meals they ask me to make. I grew up with this and it has always been one of favorites.
I hope you give this recipe a try and as always let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

One-Pot Pizza Pasta Recipe

 This recipe I found on fakeginger.com. Yes, another one pot meal. I did serve a vegetable with this to round out the meal. For this recipe you will need the following.
1 teaspoon olive oil; 8oz turkey Italian sausage (I used regular sausage); I onion diced; 2 cloves garlic minced; 1 cup pepperoni; 2cups tomato basil pasta sauce (I used the whole jar that is shown); 2 cups water; 8oz Barilla Pronto Rotini ( I just used store brand Rotini); salt and pepper; 2 cups Italian blend Cheese.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a oven-proof skillet. I didn't use the oil instead I just sprayed my skillet with Pam. Add sausage and onion; cook breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is cooked completely and the onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add pepperoni. Add pasta sauce and water and stir until combined.
Stir in pasta and bring to a boil. Boil about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese. Serve immediately.
Ok I will confess I forgot to add the cheese. The dish was still good. In fact Mike ate two helpings which is unusual for him. I remembered about the cheese at 1 in the morning.  David did say that this dish was a little sweet for him maybe because I forgot the cheese or the pasta sauce was sweet. I tried to make sure the sausage I used wasn't sweet because you can buy it that way. I am trying to give you the thoughts of what my family.
I would recommend that you try this recipe just don't forget the cheese. Let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Slow-Cooked Pork Chops with Green Beans Recipe

 Here is another great recipe from the book Fix-It and Forget-It 5-ingredient favorites. Last week I used my slow cooker almost every day. It saved me a lot of time and made sure I had dinner at a reasonable time. For this recipe you will need the following items.
3-4 boneless pork chops; salt and pepper, to taste; 2 cups green beans, frozen or fresh; 2 slices bacon, cut up; 1/2 cup water; 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

 Place pork chops in bottom of slow cooker. Salt and pepper. I didn't use the salt since there is bacon in this meal, trying to cut down on the salt. Top with remaining ingredients in the order listed. Cover and cook on low 4-8 hours, or until meat and green beans are tender but not dry or over-cooked.

I made a long grain rice with wild rice  to go along with this dish. This is the second time I have made this dish. Green beans aren't my families favorite vegetable so having bacon mixed with them helps them to eat them.
I hope you try this dish.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Lori's Beef with Vegetables and Onion Sauce Recipe

 This is a recipe a friend came up with many years ago. Sadly I don't know what has happened with this friend from California. This is almost an all in one meal.

 You will need 2-3 large cross rib steaks marinate with the following spices. Poke holes in meat with  a fork on both sides. Sprinkle to cover both sides with meat tenderizer, lemon pepper and garlic powder. Let them set out 15 minutes.  Place 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven, heat on medium high until oil in Dutch oven is hot. Brown meat on each side, about 4 minutes.

 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 2 inch sticks, 2 ribs celery, sliced into 2 inch sticks, 1 tablespoon frozen peas, and 1 cup frozen green beans.

 When meat is browned sprinkle with onion soup mix and add 2 cups hot water. Bring to simmer. Add vegetables and cover. Turn fire to low and simmer 1 hour (Turn meat over every 15 minutes.)
When hour is up, remove meat to a plate. Bring broth and veggies up to a boil. Mix 2 tablespoons flour and water and while stirring broth, add water/flour mixture to broth in a slow study stream. Keep stirring, over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add meat to pot and let sit in gravy/sauce for 2-3 minutes.

Serve meat on side pour sauce and veggies over hot rice. Cover meat with a little sauce.

This is a very good meal. I actually use my electric skillet for this dish. I also add a more peas. I also used any meat this is available for this and cook enough for each family member.
I hope you give this recipe a try and as always let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Recipe

This is a fast and simple recipe that I got from Campbell's.
I like all in one meals make life much easier.
For this recipe you will need the following:
1/2 package linguine (I used spaghetti)
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cubed
1 can cream of mushroom ( I used chicken)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook linguine (spaghetti) according to package directions. Add broccoli for last 4 minutes of cooking time.
Heat butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned, stirring often.
Add soup, milk, cheese, pepper and pasta mixture and heat through. Serve with additional parmesan cheese.
Serves 4

We enjoy this dish and like I said it is fast even more so if you use left over chicken.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
If you have any recipes you would like us to try just leave a comment down below.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Shells and Cheese (with bacon and peas) recipe

 This recipe I got from The Pioneer Woman cookbook. It can be eaten as either a side or a main meal. I have used it for both. This is a very easy recipe. For this recipe you will need the following.
12 ounces of small or medium pasta shells; 2 cups 2 % milk; 1 tablespoon butter; 8 ounces Velveeta, cut into cubes; 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese; 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup frozen peas (more to taste); 8 slices thin bacon, fried crisp and chopped.

Cook Pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot heat the milk and butter over medium-low heat, Turn off the heat, then add Velveeta and stir until completely smooth and melted. Stir in the grated cheddar, then add seasoned salt and pepper. Stir until combined, then taste it and add more seasonings if needed,
Add cooked pasta and stir until coated. It will be soupy and saucy, but will thicken slowly.
If desired, stir in frozen peas (they will thaw) and bacon. Serve immediately.
I did make a one change to this and that was I added the peas in with the pasta so that the peas were not cold.
This is a filling recipe and a good one but the Velveeta is a little overwhelming.
I hope you give this recipe a try and again let me know what you think if you try it.
Until next time enjoy your day.

One Pan Ranch Pork Chops and Veggies Recipe

 I have another yummy recipe you need to try. This recipe is from damndelicious.net. I have an Instagram account that I follow and she makes a monthly menu plan and this was linked in her account. The Instagram account is pennies into pearls. For this recipe you will need 4 (8-oz) pork chops, bone-in,3/4 to 1-inch thick; 16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved; 16 ounces green beans, trimmed; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 (1-oz) package ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix; 3 cloves garlic, minced; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves.

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. I covered my pan with aluminum foil first to make for easier clean up. Place pork chops, potatoes, and green beans in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Ranch seasoning and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into oven and roast until pork is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 140 degrees, about 20-22 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred. I skipped this step.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
This is a good meal and it is an all in one which I like especially on a busy day. I did make some small changes. My pork chops weren't that thick they were probably about 1/2 inch thick. I didn't use the full amount of potatoes or green beans. My pan isn't that big and most of the family doesn't like green beans and one member isn't a huge potato fan. I also cut the amount of garlic used. I would recommend to cut the Ranch seasoning also it was just a little too much for us. Otherwise we really enjoyed this meal.
I hope you give it try with or without the changes and let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Sausage Potato Garlic Pan

I am back with another recipe. I got this recipe from 12tomatoes.com. What I like about this recipe is that it is an all in one dish. This makes for easier clean-up and only one pan.
Here is what you will need to make this recipe.
1 pound baby red potatoes, halved or quartered
2 cups petite baby carrots
Asparagus. 1 bunch
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
1 package pork kielbasa. sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil separated (2 tablespoons; 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon of each dried basil, dried thyme, dried oregano, and paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and cracked pepper to taste.

Please remember that these amounts can be changed and so can the veggies. Use what your family will eat.

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix basil, thyme, oregano, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Place potatoes and carrots on baking sheet and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle half of the dry herbs over top and toss until evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Remove potatoes and carrots from oven and slide to one side of tray. Add asparagus, onion, and kielbasa slices to baking sheet.
5. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, remaining dry herbs and garlic and toss to coat.  Spread all evenly around baking sheet.
6. Return sheet pan to oven to bake for additional 10-15 minutes, or until veggies are softened and roasted.
7. Serve warm, directly from sheet pan.

We love this meal. I do cut back on the carrots because my family doesn't like cooked carrots. This time I had to use diced onions because that is what I had and they needed to be used.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.

Baked Beans Recipe

 Another recipe from my house to yours. I  will put the YouTube video down below from the person whom I took this idea from. I enjoy trying new recipes and really enjoy it when I can use my food storage. Don't worry you can use this with items you get from the grocery store also. You will need 3 pints of pinto, white or black beans. 1 pint of pork and beans. 1/2 large onion chopped (I used dried onions). 1/4 cup molasses, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke. Cook on low for 1-2 hours until onions are blended in well. You will want to use the liquid off the beans from only one can or more depends on how much liquid you want on your beans.

I changed this up a little and put it into my slow cooker and cooked it on low all day. I put in too much liquid but it was still good.

I couldn't find the video about her baked beans but did find one of two of her pork and beans recipes.  If you go and look up Linda's Pantry and look at her play list you should be able to find it. She has great recipes and is a joy to watch.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think. Until next time enjoy your day.

Mom's Potato Salad Recipe

 I know there are a lot of potato salad recipes out there. I grew up with this potato salad. My mom made it when ever there was something special going on in the summer and sometimes just because. I don't know where she got this recipe. I make this recipe a lot so have stopped measuring everything out and go just by how it looks, but I will give you the amounts here. This isn't a very good photo of what you will need but again I will leave the information for you.

 You will need the following items for this recipe. 4cups boiled potatoes, diced; 1/4 cup chopped green onions; 3 hard-boiled eggs, cubed; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 3/4 cup sour cream; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 3/4 teaspoon celery seed; mustard for color; 1-2 big dill pickles, diced and 1-2 big carrots, diced. Combine potatoes, green onions and eggs as you see in the picture.

 Next you will blend remaining ingredients; mix lightly with potato mixture.

Chill. Serve in salad bowl. Makes 6 servings. You will notice that I didn't mix in the celery seeds. I like the seeds sprinkled over the top of my salad.
I hope you give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Until next time enjoy your day.