Homemade Laundry Soap - The Best Stuff!!

* Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
* Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4 lb box)
* 20 Mule Team Borax
* Oxi Clean (2 of the 1.3 lb or 1 3lb container)
* 3 or 4 bars Fels Naptha Laundry Soap
* 2 Containers Downy UnStopables

Grate the Fels Naptha bars or put in a food processor.  Mix everything together and put in containter.   Use 1 to 1-1/2 scoops per load

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my most favorite cookie. I don't ever put chopped nuts in mine so if you do let me know how they are.

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 12 oz pkg chocolate chips
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 16 oz canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda

Mix together thoroughly. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Swiss Chicken

4 chicken breasts
4 large slices Swiss cheese
1/2 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. sour cream
3 c. dry stuffing mix

Spray baking dish with nonstick spray. Place chicken breasts in pan and cover each with a slice of cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix over cheese. Combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, and sour cream. Pour over all. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

I haven't tried this yet but it sounds easy and yummy. I've put it on our menu to try out so I will let everyone know how it turns out.

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

Serves 10 (If I'm making this for just my family and I'm not freezing part of it I only do half. A full recipe makes a lot and fills my crock pot to the very top and even with just half we have leftovers for lunch the next day.)

5 lbs potatoes, peeled and diced in 1 to 2 inch chunks
1 teeny onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
2 qts chicken broth
2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese (add at end)
crumbled bacon
green onion
shredded cheese
chives

Use a 6 quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice the potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings, and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4. The potatoes should be fork tender. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup or if you want a smooth soup use a hand-held immersible blender. After smashing the potatoes, crumble in both packages of cream cheese, and put the lid back on. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely melted. Stir a few times during the 30 minutes.
Garnish with bacon, onion, chives, cheese, sour cream.
I usually have all the garnishments out on the table and let everyone fix their own.
This is one of those recipes that is flexible with your ingredients. If I don't have any fresh garlic I just throw in some garlic powder if I think about it and I have made it without the onion and loved it just as much. This is one of my go to winter recipes because I always have the ingredients on hand.
The red pepper in this gives the soup that little kick of warm without it being spicy hot.

**Side note I just made this for Lucie's birthday party and the full recipe fed 11 adults and there were 6 children at the party. I didn't see how much or how little they ate and it was the perfect amount.

Peach Cake

1 large can sliced peaches, drained and mashed
2 cups all-purpose flour...
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
Drain the peaches and empty into a large bowl, then mash.   Add flour, sugar and soda and mix well. Spray a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and pour in batter. Bake in a preheated 350F degree oven for 35 minutes.

ICING:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 regular sized can of evaporated milk
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup coconut (I used a little more than a cup of coconut)
1 cup nuts
Boil everything but the nuts on top of the stove until thickens, remove from heat, stir in nuts and spread on cooled cake

Texas Skillet

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced...
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, undrained...
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried cilantro flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Shredded low fat cheddar cheese, salsa and minced fresh cilantro
Tortilla chips
In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
Add the beans, tomatoes, chilies, rice, water and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; covered and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve in the skillet or transfer to a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with toppings of your choice. Serve with tortilla chips. This is a wonderful recipe and it is so easy to make.

Stuffed Mexican Shells

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
16 jumbo pasta shells...
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterrey jack cheese
For toppings:
3 green onions
Sour cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a pan brown the ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Stir together and mix well. Set aside and cool completely.
While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to package directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board or baking sheet so that they don’t stick together.
Pour salsa on bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Evenly cover shells with taco sauce. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes with the foil removed. Top with green onions or olives if desired. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa!

Balsamic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
3 cups fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves-pressed or finely chopped
½ cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon each: fresh spicy oregano, basil, and rosemary...
½ teaspoon fresh lemon thyme
ground black pepper and salt to taste
Directions
Put a slow cooker liner in the slow cooker. If not using a slow cooker liner be sure to wipe olive oil on the base to prevent sticking. Add chicken breasts,put sliced onion on top of chicken then put in all the fresh herbs, salt, pepper and pressed garlic cloves. Pour in vinegar and top with tomatoes.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Shred the chicken and serve over quinoa pasta, brown rice or quinoa.
Serve with a simple green salad.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

36 Frozen meatballs
1 each red and orange pepper, sliced thin
1 cup of pineapple chunks
1/2 c water
4 tbs ketchup
1 tbs each mustard, maple syrup and brown sugar
1 tbs vinegar and grated onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp cornstarch

preheat oven to 350, place meatballs and pineapple and peppers in a baking dish.  Whisk the water, ketchup, mustard, maple syrup, brown sugar, vinegar, onion, garlic and cornstarch together, pour over meatballs.

Cook for about 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is thickened.  Serve over rice

Creamy White Chicken Alfredo Lasagna

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped...
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA, divided
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil, chopped, divided
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.
COMBINE chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes. Beat cream cheese, milk and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil. Mix half with the chicken mixture.
SPREAD half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture. Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice. Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.
BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Mexican Dip

4 oz green chilis drained (small can)
4 oz jalapenos slices
1/3 c cilantro
1/3 c Mayo
1/3 c sour cream
1/3 c buttermilk
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 pkg Ranch Dip Seasoning

Combine first 3 ingredients and chop really good,
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

If you want it really spicy add more jalapenos. Serve with chips or veggies.

Store in refrigerator.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 egg
2 c. pumpkin
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2  tsp. vanilla
2 c. chocolate chips

Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg, then add dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Bake at 350°F.



 

Caramel Banana Cream Tiramisu

 bottle of caramel ( I use Smuckers )
1 package of banana instant pudding...
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 tub of cool whip or whipped topping
1 box of Graham Crackers
4-5 bananas
cinnamon for topping

Directions

In a medium bowl mix milk and pudding mix, add in your sour cream and 1/3 cup of caramel fold in the cool whip last

Line bottom of dish with graham crackers 8x11, drizzle caramel and spread evenly

Place bananas on top of caramel working in layers, then spread about 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the bananas

Repeat the layers - graham crackers, caramel, bananas and pudding

Sprinkle cinnamon on top when done and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours
When ready to serve garnish with fresh bananas & caramel

 

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Walnut Bread

 Makes 2 loaves...
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree, or just under two cups
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter,  double the butter to make it extra-good

Preheat oven to 350 deg Place a rack in the center of the oven. Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together flours, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a medium bowl, carefully whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, honey and water. add walnuts

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold all of the ingredients together. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl well, incorporating all the dry ingredients.

Divide the dough between the two greased pans and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Delicious served warm with a smear of butter!

Cream Cheese Fudge

 Yield: 3 dozen 1½ X 1½ inch pieces

 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 – 8 oz cream cheese
1 Tbsp instant Espresso powder
¼ c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ c chopped walnuts

Line an 8X8 dish with aluminum foil, buttered to allow release of candy; set aside. Melt chocolate chips either in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds or in a double boiler on the stove. Mix the cream cheese, espresso powder and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate, vanilla and mix until well combined. Add nuts and incorporate. Spread in the prepared dish Place in the refrigerator until can cut easily, length of time will depend on thickness of candy. Keep refrigerated in a closed container until ready to serve.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed...
2 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
(You can add some fresh fruit if you want. I would cut up some apples)

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the whipped topping, coconut, chopped nuts, fruit cocktail, pineapple, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, cherries, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix together well and refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes.
Strawberries on side

Spicy Pretzels

 1 cup Oil
1 package Ranch Dressing...
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 to 2 tsp. Cayenne Powder
1 Bag of Pretzels

Heat Oven to 200 degrees
Mix first 4 ingredients together. Add the pretzels. Coat in oil mixture, I use a slotted spoon to let the extra run off. Put in pan and bake for 1 hr turning about every 15 mins.

White Chocolate Chex Mix

3c Cheerios
3c Crispix cereal...
2c roasted nuts
2c pretzels
1 bag of plain M n M's (large not single bag)
14oz white chocolate bark (almond bark)

Mix all ingredients except white chocolate bark in bowl, melt white bark and pour over, cover thoroughly and spread on wax paper to dry.

Chicken Pot Pie Casserole

 3 cups  of cooked, shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/4 cup  butter, melted
2 cups Bisquick
1 1/2 cups milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed veggies (allow to thaw for about 30 minutes before adding to recipe)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Warm chicken stock in a small sauce pan and add in the bouillon cubes to dissolve. Keep warm until ready to use.
Lightly coat with non-stick spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish or large, round casserole dish (mine was a 12" round). Pour in the melted butter.

Layer the shredded chicken on top of the butter.

Sprinkle on the veggies.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the milk and Bisquick.

Pour over the chicken and vegetables. DO NOT MIX!

Combine the cream of chicken soup with the warmed stock in a small mixing bowl.

Once blended, slowly pour over the Bisquick layer. Again, DO NOT MIX!
If using a 9 x 13 pan, bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until casserole is set and top is brown and bubbly. If using a large, round dish bake for 50 - 55 minutes or until casserole is set and top is brown and bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Homemade Ranch mix

Black Pepper ¼ C...
Parsley Flakes 1 1/2 C
Garlic Salt ½ C
Kosher Salt 2 Tbsp
Granulated Garlic ¼ C
Granulated Onion 3/4 C
Dill Weed 2 Tbsp

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 teaspoon of lemon juice


Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients, store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 ½ cups of dry mix
2. To Make Dressing, whisk together 2 Tbsp of mix with 2 Cups each of mayonnaise and buttermilk 1 ½ Cups sour cream, & 1 tsp Lemon Juice. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Makes 1 ¾ Quarts