2 lbs. hamburger
1 c. salsa
1/2 c. dry rice, prepared
1 small can green chilis
1/4 c. cream cheese
1/3 c. beef stock
1 green onions, diced
1/2 green peppers, diced
1 c. zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 pkt. mrs. Dash taco seasoning
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. Nature's Seasoning
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 c. shredded mexican cheese
Prepare rice according to directions. Brown hamburger and drain. Add vegetables and saute until soft. Add green chilis, 1 can tomatoes, salsa, beef stock, black olives and spices. Mix in pan until blended. Add cream cheese and stir. Add in rice and stir. Cook on low for 10 minutes. Add last can of diced tomatoes. Mix in cheese.
Serving suggestions:
- Make ahead and put in the crock pot on low to warm before your guests come.
- Serve on the side some warmed up soft taco shells or tortilla chips.
Recipe variations:
- You can adapt this recipe to be Italian instead of Mexican. To do so, substitute in mushrooms, Italian seasoning, celery, Mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese. You can also substitute out your salsa for another can of tomatoes with garlic and onion. Serve with garlic bread.
1 big yellow onion, sliced thin
10 peaches, peeled and sliced
1 green pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 quart crushed tomatoes
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. wild turkey bourbon
1/2 c. vinegar, apple cider pepper
1/3 pepper and 2 tsp. sauce chipotle with adobo
1/2 c. BBQ sauce or ketchup
2 tsp. allspice
1 1/2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. dried mustard
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. celery seed
3 tsp. salt
1/2 T. honey dijon mustard
Saute in 2 T. butter: onion, 1/2 peaches, green pepper, chipotle with adobo sauce and garlic. Add the bourbon and all the spices. Add 1/2 the tomatoes. Sauce until onions are translucent. Using the immersion blender, blend until chunky. Add in the rest of the peaches, tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, ketchup/BBQ sauce and honey dijon mustard. Cook until reduces and becomes thicker. You can use the immersion blender again to break up the chunks if you would like it smoother.
Serving tips: Serve on meat or as a dipping sauce on the side.
Storage tips: Can, if you are able. If not, can be stored in a glass container in the fridge. Could be frozen as well.
3 tortilla shells
2 T. cream cheese
6 oz. cooked chicken, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 of red or green pepper, diced
1/3 onion, diced
1 T. mayonnaise
2-3 squirts dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash garlic and herb
lettuce
tomatoes
Spread cream cheese on each tortilla. Mix together chicken, celery, peppers, onion, mayo, mustard and spices in a small bowl. After you spread the cream cheese, you can add on your lettuce, tomatoes or any other additional toppings. Spread mixed chicken salad on one half of the tortilla. Roll up tortilla.
Tips for additional ingredients: sliced green olives, sliced grapes or cucumbers.
Tips for serving: This works great as an appetizer as well. Just slice your wrapped tortilla in several slices and serve.
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. oil
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. grated zucchini
1/2 c buttermilk
4 T. cocoa
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
cream the butter, oil, sugar in large bowl. mix flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda,salt, cinnamon together in small bowl. add the rest of ingredients to the butter, sugar, oil, mixture. mix well add flour mixture. pour into 9 x 13 pan. sprinkle the top of cake mix with 1/2 c chocolate chips and 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c. chopped walnuts. Bake 350 for 25 minutes.
Today, we actually doubled the recipe. It works well to double the recipe, bake extra cakes and then freeze the cake. To help keep the cakes freeze well, I put parchment paper on the top of the cake. Measure and cut as much parchment as you need. Then we put aluminum foil around the cake. Last we cover the foil with plastic wrap. It seems like a lot of steps, but doing it this way, we have had cakes last up to a year and still taste fresh.
This recipe is from a friend of mine that suggested I try them. You can find the recipe at www.eaththelove.com/2012/12/speculaas.
If someone is looking for kidney friendly cookie options, these will be ok for you. My dietitian recommended I try these. There is a spread, like nutella, that is made out of these cookies. I haven't tried this spread yet.
I learned that it better to chill the dough in this recipe before rolling it out. We didn't have the cookie mold that they recommend. So, we rolled out the dough and cut in squares with the pizza cutter. For our second batch, we chilled the dough for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Then we put a little bit of flour out on the board, like we did when we rolled the dough. This time, though, we made balls. That seemed to work a little better. If you want to try to make a pattern, you can criss cross a fork on the ball, while pushing down slightly. This is like what you do when making peanut butter cookies.
We didn't have the white pepper. It was ok without using that. Couldn't tell too much of a difference. I think by adding the pepper, I could really taste the vanilla and cinnamon better.
I kind of liked the taste of these cookies. Maybe the next time I'll make it, I'll just roll into the ball into making the squares. The dough is so delicate that it is kind of hard to work with.
1 whole chicken
1 onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic minced
2 stalks celery with leaves
3carrots cut into sticks
basil 3 leaves
rosemary 3 stalks
thyme 1 stalks
sage 3 leaves
1T olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1 lemon sliced thinly seeds removed
1/2 tsp. mrs. dash chicken
1/2 tsp mrs. dash garlic & herb
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp mrs. dash onion & herb
1 T. honey flavored whiskey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in oven at the bottom level. Put chicken in roasting pan. Cut up onions and garlic.
Saute onions and garlic, add in a little bit of olive oil. Add some of the celery leaves to cook down as well. Add whiskey. Cook until soft, but do not caramelize as they will continue to cook in the oven with the chicken.
Place fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, basil) in the cavity of the chicken. Drizzle olive oil on top of chicken. Sprinkle all the spices onto the outside of the chicken.
Place all vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, garlic) on top of the chicken and around. Last, place the lemon slices on top of the chicken. Pour the chicken stock around the chicken. Place lid on top and put in oven. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes per pound of chicken. Make sure to check temperature of chicken to ensure it is done. It should be around 160 - 165 degrees.
1 1/2 cups dice rhubarb
1/2 pound of cherries pitted
1 small pkg. frozen berry blend
sugar, to taste
In a sauce pan, add all of your fruit and cook on medium low heat. Cook down fruit until it is able to be purred. You can mash the fruit with either a potato masher, or use an immersion blender to mix it together after it cooks down. Add sugar until it tastes sweet to you. I started with about 3 T of sugar and ended up with around 6 T at the end. Let cook until the sauce starts to thicken. If it doesn't appear to be thickening, you can add a small amount (about 1tsp) of corn starch to mix in to thicken.
Sauce can be stored in the fridge or you could can it as well. It will last longer if you can it.
I chose to serve with some buttermilk biscuits. This recipe tasted old fashioned like grandma used to make. They were very tender. You can the recipe for these biscuits in the new cookbook by Pauley Perrette (from NCIS) called Donna Bell's Bake Shop. The recipe I used is on page 11.
If you want to serve it over biscuits, it is very good. I also like it over ice cream or with some cool whip.
1/4 c. cream cheese 
