Beef Vegetable Soup

Tags

beef, crock pot, freezer, supper

Beef Vegetable Soup
adapted from The Lady and Son’s

{what you need}
1 pound ground beef, cooked
1 cup potatoes, diced
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned
1 cup cut okra, fresh or frozen
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup green beans, fresh or canned
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon season salt
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
2 quarts cold water
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
salt to taste

Brown meat and drain.  Add all ingredients into a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients.  Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes.  Would work great in the crock pot too! {When I make it again I will probably add an additional can of tomatoes}

Happy Fall!

fresh * hearty * healthy

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how bout them apples?

Tags

apple, dessert, sweet tooth

Everything I “pin” on Pinterest here lately is made with apples.  Maybe it’s the cooler weather maybe I think I’m being healthy.  Anyway, thought I would share a few recipes I hope to try.

  Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

Apple Pound Cake

Apple Country Fitter Bread

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Apple Bites

marshmallow pops {candy corn}

Tags

chocolate, easy, halloween, pops, sweet tooth

Marshmallow Pops {candy corn}

marshmallows {jumbo}
Wilton candy melts {orange and yellow} follow directions on package to melt
wooden lollipop sticks

Insert stick in each marshmallow.
Dip marshmallow and coat 2/3 way up in melted orange candy and rotate to coat completely.  Place on wax paper and cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set  candy mix.
Dip marshmallow and coat 1/3 way up in melted yellow candy and rotate to coat completely.  Place on wax paper and cool in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set  candy mix.

{notes}
place in a clear “treat” bag and tie with ribbon
instead of wooden lollipop sticks use festive straws
trick or treat * happy/gift * party food

chocolate pound cake {old fashion}

Tags

cake, chocolate, dessert

Chocolate Pound Cake

{what you need}
2 sticks margarine
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream margarine and shortening. Add sugar, creaming. Add eggs, beating afterward. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt three times. Add flour mixture to batter alternately with milk. Mix in the vanilla. Bake in a large, greased and floured tube pan approximately 1 1/2 hours in 325 preheated oven.

classic * chocolate * freezable

pumpkin wreath {easy}

Tags

easy, fall, mesh, pumpkin, wreath

 pumpkin mesh wreath

{what you need}

twist tie wreath {orange ties if you can find}
21” mesh {one roll of each}
colors: orange, brown and green
scissors

Cut the orange mesh into 12″ to 14″ pieces.  Take two pieces and place in-between a pair of twist ties and twist closed.  Center the mesh so there is an even amount on either side.

Continue until the wreath is full leaving room at the top. Cut the green and brown mesh into 12″ to 14″ pieces and add enough to look like a stem with leaves.
{You may need to added and remove pieces once you have it hanging}

Happy Fall Y’all!!

pumpkin-oat chocolate chip cookies

Tags

chocolate, dessert, fall, pumpkin

Pumpkin-Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from http://www.cookingclassy.com

 {what you need}

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups packed light-brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice for 30 seconds, set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until creamy (occasionally stop and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl throughout entire mixing process). Blend in egg then blend in vanilla extract and pumpkin puree. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until combined. Mix in chocolate chips and pecans (if you want some chocolate to show through set some aside to press into tops before baking). Let batter rest 5 – 10 minutes (this just gives the oats some time to absorb the liquids so batter isn’t so sticky and cookies don’t spread so much).

Scoop dough out 2 Tbsp at a time (I used a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, which I recommend using for evenly shaped cookies and fill it heaping), and drop onto Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart. Bake in preheated oven 12 – 14 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.

yield: about 3 dozen

Enjoy!

chocolate * fall * pumpkin

skillet cookie

Tags

cast iron skillet, chocolate, dessert, sweet tooth

Skillet Cookie

{what you need}
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together the butter brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs, mixing well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 batches, mixing after each one.  Stir in the milk and semisweet chocolate chips.  Spread the mixture into a 10-inch skillet and bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes

{optional toppings}
ice cream * hot fudge * whipped cream * cherry

freezes great too!

servings: 10-12

price increase {groceries}

Tags

blessings, easy, gardening, thrifty

This is a great post from Christy Jordan of http://www.southernplate.com. so, I thought I would sharing it.

Affording groceries during times of rapid price increases

During the past two years along, the price of some household staples such as bread, milk, and eggs have increased in price by as much as 69%*, while the median household income has only increased 1%*. In this video, I discuss these increases and offer tips to help your family cope with the rapidly increasing cost of groceries.

As I’ve found myself watching Youtube far more than I do television, I am going to start expanding my youtube channel, so please be sure and visit me on youtube by clicking here and be sure and click the red “subscribe” button!

References for this video:

• Soaring Food Prices: Compare Cost Increases
• Food Prices Soar as Incomes Stand Still
• Milk Prices Could Go up 60 Cents a Gallon
• Rice: The Ultimate Budget Extender
• Money Saving Tip: Rethink Bulk
• Come Home to Supper

taco soup {slow cooking}

Tags

crock pot, easy, soup, supper

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 can corn, drained
1 onion chopped
2 cans diced tomato
1 can of Rotel
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch seasoning
1-2 cans beef broth

Brown the ground beef and onion.  When cooked through, drain the grease and add to crock pot.  Add the diced tomatoes, Rotel, black beans, corn, and taco and ranch seasoning packets to the crock pot.  Stir and add in 1-2 cans of beef broth,  depending on how thick you like it.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.
Serve with tortilla chips

freezing apples {easy}

Tags

apple, easy, freezer

  http://www.southernplate.com/

I bought apples in the fall and followed Christy Jordan’s directions and it worked GREAT!  I used my frozen apples for my Apple Crunch Coffee Cake               {February 6, 2014}.

Ingredients

• Apples
• 1 Gallon water
• 1/4 C Salt
• Freezer Bags

Instructions

1. Place one cup warm water in a large bowl. Stir in salt until dissolved. Add remaining water cold. Peel and slice apples (can leave skin on them if desired). Place each slice in salt water as you go along. When done with all apples, stir water a bit to make sure all have been submerged. Drain in a colander. Place immediately in freezer bags, label, and freeze.