Summer Insanity

I am a terrible blogger.  I have not had one blog post for months...ugh.  I am going to try harder!  In my defense, summer at our house is a little....ok, seriously, TOTAL insanity!!  Between gardening, canning, mowing, flower beds, swimming lessons, summer school, library, the end of soccer season, the beginning of football season...I could go on!  Let's just say, summer is very busy for us.  I was able to have a wonderful garden this year.  I was so excited to get my gardening gloves on again after having a year off because of our move.  I may have went a little over board in the canning department.  It's ok though, I keep telling myself, maybe I won't have to do so much next year!!  RIGHT!  I kept track of my canning progress this year to see what I had a lot left over of and not so much of any thing else.  My list looks a little like this:

Canned:
Green Beans:  55 quarts
Pineapple Zucchini:  20 pints
Tomatoes:  102 quarts (HOOORAY!!)
Spaghetti:  20 quarts

Frozen:
Green Peppers:  10 quart bags
Shredded Zucchini:  50 cups
Brussel Sprouts:  10 quart bags
Cauliflower:  5 quart bags
Apples:  10 quart bags

Not too shabby for my first year of a garden here at the new house!  I was presently surprised with the production that we got.  What a wonderful way to start my fall and winter!  So much more to blog about, but just wanted to get a little start again!  I have added a few of my favorite pics of my littles for you to enjoy! 

Quick and Easy Enchiladas

Quick and Easy Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 can re-fried beans

1 can enchilada sauce

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 small onion, chopped

1 package flour tortillas (8 count)

shredded cheese

Directions:

 

In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, re-fried beans and raw onion. 

 

Fill each tortilla shell down the middle, leaving the ends clear so you don't have any leakage!  Roll each tortilla into an enchilada and place in a 9x13 pan, seam side down.   Continue with each enchilada until the pan is full and you have used all of the ground beef mixture.

 

Pour enchilada sauce down the middle of the enchiladas.  Sprinkle the cheese down the middle on top of the sauce.   Bake at 350 degrees or until shells are beginning to brown and cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream and Ortega sauce, or your favorite taco sauce.  

                                                            Enjoy!

Sex In A Pan

Yes, it really is as good as sex, but it is in a pan!  We call it 5 layer dessert in front of the kiddos, the name loses some of its translation to 9 and 3 year old's!  It is hot outside right now and I cannot think of a better way of ending my day than enjoying a piece (or 2) of this amazing dessert.  I generally make it early in the morning on a hot day, (I don't want my oven on any more than anyone else does when it is 90 degrees outside!) then by the time I have ran out of steam and dinner is done...oh, I get to sink into this deliciousness!

Ingredients:

Crust
• 1 cup pecans, chopped  (I have made it as a graham cracker crust also.  Just substitute crushed graham crackers instead of pecans.)
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup flour 
Cream cheese layer
• 1 8 oz package cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup whipped cream or cool whip
Vanilla pudding
• 1 package of instant vanilla pudding (5.1 oz or 144 g)
• 3 cups milk
Chocolate Pudding
• 1 package of instant chocolate pudding (5.1 oz or 144 g)
• 3 cups milk
Last layer
• 2 cups whipped cream or cool whip
• shaved chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a mixer mix all the crust ingredients together and press the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake it for about 20 minutes.

2.  Prepare the vanilla pudding as per the instructions on the package.  Prepare the chocolate pudding as per the instructions on the package.  In a mixer add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and the cup of whipped cream. Mix until light and fluffy.  

3.  Let the crust cool. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the crust evenly. Spread the chocolate pudding over the bottom crust, then the vanilla pudding. 

Top with the whipped cream and sprinkle with the chocolate.  Refrigerate for a couple hours so that it sets.

 

 Can you possibly resist this goodness?!?!  I couldn't!!  ENJOY!

Bacon Chicken Ranch Taquitos

Bacon, Chicken and Ranch.  What more could you ask for?!?!  This is a good combination for us, generally however I make these three things, everyone loves them!  This one is pretty easy, not too time consuming and I generally make enough of the chicken for another meal later in the week.  We usually have enough chicken left over to make Shredded Chicken Tacos or just a nice summer salad with chicken on top.

Ingredients:
5-6 leg quarters of chicken
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 package of cream cheese
1 package of dry ranch dressing mix
1 (8 count) package of flour tortillas

ranch dressing

Directions:

Place the chicken in the crock pot, cover with water.  Lightly season with seasoning salt, garlic salt and onion powder.  Let cook 5-6 hours on low.  Remove chicken from the crock pot, let cool for about 10 minutes (so you don't burn your fingers!), pull all chicken off the bone and set aside.  

Cook bacon normally, place onto a plate with paper towel to drain.  Let cool and then crumble.



In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and entire package of dry ranch dressing mix.  Mix until well incorporated.



 

 Take a butter knife and spread the cream cheese mixture down the middle of a tortilla.  Add chicken and bacon.  Roll each taquito, burrito style.  Place on a cookie sheet, seam side down.  Makes 8 taquitos.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown.  Serve with ranch dressing and Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Love oatmeal, love raisins, love oatmeal raisin cookies!  These are a huge favorite at our house.  Super easy to make and customizable for Henry's lactose intolerance.  Poor guy doesn't get to enjoy in chocolate chip cookies any more, so these have become a new household love.  :)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

 Directions:

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a large bowl, cream together butter and both sugars until smooth.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy.

 

Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Let cool on the cookie sheet 2-3 minutes, then remove.  Cool and Enjoy!

Blueberry Scones

 What can I say?  I love scones.  They are so incredibly amazing!  These little beauties are one of my favorite!  Fresh blueberries with a lemon glaze...heaven for breakfast!!  :)  Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
 

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients:

 

Scones

2 cups unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

3 tbs sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup of cold butter

1 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

dash of vanilla

 

Lemon Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

5-6 tbs lemon juice

Directions

Sift all dry ingredients together.  By hand, press in the cold butter until you have pea sized mixture, texture should be crumby.  Mix in the blueberries gently or you will squish them!  Add the lemon juice.  Pour in the cream and by hand work the dough until everything is well incorporated.  Don't over mix, hard scones are NO GOOD!

On a lightly floured surface, press out the dough by hand until about 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut out the scones.  Lay out the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Mix together about a tbsp of whipping cream and a dash of vanilla, brush it on top of the scones to keep them moist.  Sprinkle with a little sugar.  

Glaze

Mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice to create a glaze. If it is to runny add more sugar, if it is to thick add more lemon juice.  When the scones are cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze.  This recipe makes approx 10 scones. Keep in zip lock baggies for up to one week.  Enjoy!

Meatballs

Meatballs are a favorite at our house.  My boys' are always asking for meatballs.  Please, Mom!!  That is what I hear.  I came up with a new one for my crock pot recently.  I love to have a "baked" meal, but it has been so darn hot lately that I don't want to turn on my oven.  My crock pot is my best friend...all the time!  :) 

Ingredients:

Meatballs
2 lbs of ground beef (could substitute 1 lb beef and 1 lb pork if you want)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
salt and pepper (to taste)

Sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery
1 package of dry onion soup mix

Line the crock pot with aluminum foil or a crock pot liner.  This makes clean up after these babies SO much easier!  If using foil, spray with cooking spray.  Mix all meatball ingredients in a large bowl.  Shape meatballs into golf ball sized balls.  Start layering them in the bottom of the crock pot. 

 

 Mix all sauce ingredients in a large bowl with whisk.  Be sure to mix until it is all incorporated or you will get clumps of the soup mix that will be really salty!

 Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the crock pot.  Cook on low 4-5 hours or high 2-3 hours.  Serve over buttered noodles with a veggie!

 Enjoy!