Pumpkin Bread

This Pumpkin Bread is the bomb-diggity! Very moist and flavorful. Got the recipe online (Allrecipes.com) then moderated it a little. Here's my version:

This makes 6 mini loafs or 3 7x3 loaves. Could also make muffins.

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce (if you don't have it, just use full cup oil)
2/3 cup water
2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, applesauce, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Potato Soup

What can I say, this soup ROCKS! I love it. My husband loves it. My company loves it. And my kids will actually eat it.

Ingredients: (to serve about 4)
bacon grease (I suppose you could just use butter)
4 to 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (any kind)
1/2 onion, diced (more or less to taste)
1 stalk celery, diced (include leaves on top)
1 cup (or more) cubed ham
1 cup?? milk
salt, pepper and thyme, maybe parsley (to taste)
Cheddar Cheese

Method:
Saute onions and celery in grease until tender.  Add potatoes and ham then cover with JUST enough water to barely cover potatoes. Boil until potatoes are tender. Mash with potato masher. (if you prefer thicker, smoother soup you could use imersion blender. I like a little chunks.) Add milk and spices and cook another couple of minutes. Stir in however much cheese you like. Remove from heat and let sit to thicken, unless you like thin soup. I serve it, then let sit it bowls. Thickens faster. Garnish with additional cheese. 2 years later...an update: When I make this soup, I always add a cup or two of frozen corn, some chicken broth, and make a small amount (2 cups?) of white sauce (milk thickened with flour/butter) in place of the milk. This is Ella's 2nd favorite dinner.

Fried Rice

This is a great kid-friendly dish. Especially since you can make it with whatever veggies or meat sounds good to you.  This is pretty yummy. It is no small thing when my picky toddler asks "more please!" 5 minutes after serving her. Here's how I do it:

1/2 cup diced onion (green onions are yummy, too.)

1 cup accumulative veggies (ideas: peas, cabbage, carrots, corn, celery)

opt: 1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 lb diced meat (asian red pork is best, ham, bacon, chicken...whatever)
3 eggs
1 plus T. soy sauce
2-3 cold cooked rice (planned leftovers)

Saute all veggies and meat in oil until veggies are tender. (if using frozen peas, I wait to throw them in) Beat eggs. Push veggies/meat aside and scramble eggs in side of frying pan, adding more oil if needed.  When about done, add cold rice and break up clumps.  Sprinkle on however much soy sauce you like and stir everything together.  Put lid on and let rest (flavors will combine) before serving.

Strawberry Walnut Chicken Salad

This is simple but Delicious! Good dinner for a hot summer night.

1. Grill chicken. I like to marinate it in any fruit vinegerette dressing for an hour or two before I cook it.
2. Set chicken aside. Cover with foil to keep from drying out.
3. Prepare Salad:
     I use a mix of lettuces. I especially like Costco's Spring Mix :) Top with sliced fresh strawberries and glazed chopped walnuts.
4. Slice chicken into thin strips. Lay on top of salad.
5. Serve with your favorite dressing!

Tortilla Soup

From Susan, a friend of Vern's family. This soup is similar to the tortilla soup you can find at Cafe Rio. :-) It is a delicious and filling soup. Yum! We eat it often. This recipe is also very easy to modify to your own tastes. For example, I like it with a little more rice. Tortilla soup is also good for leftovers for lunch the next day!

The recipe's ingredients are included in bold.

Boil and cube:

4 chicken breasts

Simmer the following in canola oil:

6 cloves crushed garlic (2-3 TB.)

1 medium onion minced

1 green bell pepper cubed

1 TB cilantro

Add chicken and saute for a few minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, place the following in a large pot:

5 cans chicken broth

2 small cans tomato sauce

2 cans black beans (drained)

1 can of corn (drained)

1 small can of diced jalapenos (optional)

1 cup uncooked rice

3 celery sticks chopped

Add the following spices to the soup:

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. cumin

Add the chicken mixture to the rest of the soup and simmer until rice is fully cooked.

Serve with grated cheese and sour cream. Makes 4 quarts.

Street Tacos

This is our new favorite. We have it anywhere from once to 5 times a week, because it is so simple and good! We have invited just about everyone we know over for this dish, and everyone loves it.

Ingredients:

meat (chicken, beef or pork)
corn tortillas
tomatoes
cilantro
lettuce
lime juice

1. Stew any kind of meat (my favorite is chicken) in the crockpot all day, or until it shreds apart easily.
Take out meat, cut or shred, and return to it's juices to keep it moist. Add taco seasoning to taste. I sometimes add other things, too, whatever you like. (garlic, diced hot peppers, onion..) But it is good with just taco seasoning, too.
2. Chop lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes all small.
3. Cook tortillas slightly in a little bit of vegetable oil. MUST use corn tortillas. (don't over cook unless you like them crispy.)
4. Serve with lime juice (DONT forget the lime juice!)

Thai Stir-Fry with Peanut Sauce

This was pretty good, but I think I will still search for a different thai sauce. I just like other sauces better than peanut. I LOVED the veggie combo though. PERFECT! yum.

Sauce:
1 T cornstarch
1 C. vegetable broth
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 t. sesame oil (or veg oil)
1 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground red pepper

Dissolve starch in broth. Add remaining ingredients. Boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes. (I just cooked in in the microwave!)

Veggies:
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, sliced thin
12 cup red bell pepper
1/2 cup sugar snap peas
1 onion, chopped (I didn't use onion)
2 cloved garlic, minced
2 T vegetable oil

Chop all veggies roughly same size. Leave them fairly big.

Stir garlic into oil in skillet. Add veggies and cook for a minute or two. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until veggies are tender, about 5 minutes (but not too tender! don't overcook)

Toss with peanut sauce to serve.