Thank You!! THANK YOU!!! thank you!!!

I honestly cannot tell you how grateful I am that you follow and read my blog!  It really does amaze me.  In January, I really never thought that people would read this.  So I am really humbled by this experience!!  While my husband and dogs are sleeping I am writing (today), while the people in my house are watching TV or doing something else fun, I am writing.  While, I am working I am thinking about cooking and writing.  So, the simple face that you are ready makes me SOOO happy!  

(After you read about this one, there is one recipe left in my five, and I will more than likely cook it tonight.)  Who doesn't LOVE meatballs?  I mean really, they just taste so darn good.  These are no exception.  However with all these recipes that I have found this time around they need tweaked just a bit.

You can find Holiday Bourbon Whiskey Meatballs here: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/holiday-bourbon-whiskey-meatballs/  or here:

Preparation Instructions

NOTE: 1 bag of (1 pound) frozen meatballs is only about 18 to 20 larger size meatballs. That is perfect for a small get-together. But if you’re going to a larger party, you might want to get TWO bags of meatballs, and in that case you would then DOUBLE the above recipe.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except your meatballs. Mix up really well.

Place your frozen meatballs into your crock pot, and pour the whiskey sauce in on top. Mix it up all around so each meatball is coated with the whiskey sauce.

Now turn up the heat to high. Leave it on high for about an hour, stirring a couple times.

Once it appears that the meatballs have somewhat thawed, go ahead and turn your crockpot down to low.

You don’t want to burn all that wonderful whiskey sauce! That’s the best part!

Boy these are so good! Now I know where whiskey-a-go-go came from!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Bag Frozen Meatballs
• ½ cups Ketchup (Heaping)
• ½ cups Brown Sugar, Packed
• ¼ cups Bourbon Whiskey
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Hubby really liked them.  He ate most of them and then complained that there were not anymore.  It isn't that I didn't like them, but I need more than what i was tasting.  Here is what I would change:
1. I would put in a full cup of ketchup and brown sugar.  I really like my meatballs to be sausey.  2. If you keep the ketchup and brown sugar the same, add less of the Bourbon Whiskey (I used Wild Turkey 101, that could be why it was super strong).  3. She doesn't say how long to cook the meatballs.  I cooked them for an hour and then another 30 minutes, they could have been longer.  

I didn't serve these on a holiday, but on a weeknight it was still just as tasty!

"And that's what's for dinner tonight!"

By simple accident, I made to good things that didn't go together.  Kickin' Crab Corn Soup (Campbels) and Buffalo Chicken Taquitos (Pinterest).  I will have you know that the recipes that I have been making this week have been very involved and have lots of prep work.  I don't mind the practice but sometimes (mainly after working the entire day or week) I don't want to stand in the kitchen that long.  (Dear God, someone give me a short cut!!!!).  

The soup I just heat and go (yada yada).  On to "Real Women of Philadelphia" wouldn't you know it...there was an ingredient listed in the directions list that was never in the ingredient list.  As one of my kids would say "Check it" (LITTERerLY).  I thought that I did bad in the kitchen...um hello you publish the recipe and you FORGET to tell me I need the ingredient and HOW much of it???  COME ON!!!!

So let me introduce you to the recipe:
http://realwomenofphiladelphia.com/recipes/view/1073120/buffalo-chicken-taquitos-revised

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
• 12 soft taco, flour tortillas
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
• 4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/3 cup Frank’s hot sauce
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tsp Mrs. Dash
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a small sauce pot over medium low heat, melt butter.
3. Add Mrs. Dash, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. Stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until melted and completely combined with butter and spices.
5. Wisk in hot sauce and milk and simmer for 5 – 8 minutes. Add salt to taste.
6. Combine chicken and sauce.
7. Lay out a tortilla; fill with about ¼ - 1/3 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese.
8. Tightly roll up taquito and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until chicken is gone.
9. Brush taquitos with vegetable oil on all sides.
10. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes; rotate them every 5 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Serve with Kraft Blue Cheese Dressing and celery sticks.

And now what I would/will change:

I added onions.  Too much franks again.  I don't think people realize that a little of that stuff goes WAY beyond a long way.  Notice in direction number 3 it says to add "Cajun Seasoning" if you went wait what like I did (okay like five times), then you have to be honest, um do I add it or not.  I had it on had, so I put some in, also because the Mrs. Dash and the garlic powder were the same amount, I added Cajun in the same amount.  If you don't have it don't worry just don't add it.  I didn't notice a taste of it.  

These are very addicting.  I couldn't eat just one.  and I really couldn't roll them that small so they turned into burritos.  Anyways...make them.  They are SUPER yummy!!!

SOUP SEASON!!!

Dear Fall,

WELCOME BACK!!  I missed you!!!!

FINALLY, its my favorite season.  Sweatshirt weather, pumpkin eating, coffee drinking, soup making, cuddling under the covers, fall!  Pinterest has really added me in this blog process.  Without it I think that I might have given up in January when I started. But here I am still going strong in September.  It is almost one month until my one year wedding anniversary.  Can't believe that it has been a year, and a less stressful year, than the one leading up to our wedding!!!  Also it is almost Pappy's birthday!!  Some other things that I still can't believe, even though I live them day to day...I DON'T work at Walmart any more.  The crutch that I have used for 9 years is gone.  
Anyways, back to the cooking.  Like I always do when I gather pintrest recipes, I gather five, and then I go to the store and shop for the ingredients for the five.  Then slowly make the five.  Really it should be a process of three, cause that is my number, but IT has ended up with five.  
Last night I made, Brats and Beer Cheddar Cheese Soup.  OMG it is AMAZING.  For one, you make it in a pan on the stove, instead of cooking for hours.  The only bad part is prep.  There is a ton of prep work for this soup.  So it is not something simple...

You can find the recipe here: http://www.recipe.com/brats-and-beer-cheddar-chowder/

or here:

ingredients

• 2  tablespoons

  butter or margarine

  see savings

  
• 1  medium

  onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

  see savings

  
• 1  medium

  carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)

  see savings

  
• 3  large

  shallots, chopped
• 1  14-ounce can

  vegetable broth or 1-3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3  cup

  all-purpose flour

  see savings

  
• 1  cup

  whole milk, half-and-half or light cream
• 1  teaspoon

  caraway seeds, crushed
• 1/4  teaspoon

  ground black pepper
• 10  ounces

  Wisconsin Aged Cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

  see savings

  
• 4 

  cooked smoked bratwurst, knockwurst or Polish sausage (about 12 ounces total), halved lengthwise and
• 1  12-ounce can

  beer or 12-ounce bottle ale

  see savings

  

add ingredients to list

directions

1.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and shallots; reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, about 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is very soft and golden.

2.

In a large screw-top jar, combine broth and flour. Cover and shake until combined and smooth. Stir into the onion mixture. Add the milk, caraway seeds and black pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Gradually stir in the cheese; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese melts, but do not boil. Stir in the bratwurst and beer. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. If you like, serve with rye bread. Makes 4 to 6 main-dish servings (7 cups).

This is what it looked like while I was doing it:

 

Making a Rue:

 

Praying that it tastes as good as it smells:

 

Adding way to much beer:

 

Suggestions:  While this soup was really really good there are some things that I would change.  1st, it needs more carrots, and I really didn't have time to make them as then as the recipe states but they still tasted good.  2nd, you really don't need the entire bottle of beer.  It doesn't cook down.  (Hubby suggested cooking the brats in the beer and then adding that to the soup cause the beer would cook down and you could still taste it.)  3rd, you really need an ale.  We used a lager, which is strong.  4th, add more cheese.  It wasn't cheesy enough so we added more.  5th, precook the brats.  It will make it so much more worth it.

ENJOY!!!

I am Queen of the Chicken Carcus!!!

Today I wanted to make Taquitos and have a left over night.  But, much to my dismay...I bought rotisserie chicken, and you should really eat it when you buy it...soo I made "Creamy Chicken and Rice" instead.

This my friends is step Two, step one is making Chicken flavored rice (following the directions on the box).  This is the taking the chicken off the bone phase, really fun, really messy!!

 

This is step three....I think.  Actually I'm really not sure, it just says to mix all the stuff together..and it should be nice and thick.  This is pretty thick.



Step four or maybe five, I think that you are getting the idea...



What it looks like when it is done baking....the first time


The very finished product...



The lady that made this, said it was to DIE for (that was not me btw).  I am not really sure if I agree.  I was more interested in my salad, than I was the casserole.  Hubby and Roommie really enjoyed it.  I just thought it was kind of plan.  

Here is the recipe; Courtesy of "Tastey Kitchen"

Recipe Description

Be warned: This stuff is addictive. Comfort food at its best!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions. While that is cooking, shred/cut up the chicken (I always use a rotisserie chicken, but you could use leftover chicken or some cooked and shredded breasts, whatever), removing meat from bones.

When Rice-A-Roni is done, add the can of soup and the sour cream, and stir to combine. Add the chicken and mix together. Spread mixture into a sprayed baking dish (I use a 9-by-13-inch pan, but you can use what you like for how thick you want it to be) and bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, cover with the french-friend onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and try not to eat the whole thing. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 box Chicken-flavor Rice-A-Roni (6 Ounce Box)
• 1 can Cream Of Mushroom Soup (10 Ounce Can)
• 1 container Sour Cream, Low-fat (8 Ounce Size)
• 1 whole Rotisserie Chicken
• 1 container Durkee French-fried Onions (6 Ounce Can)

I need this Crock Pot Recipe Book!!!

So...I did something that every book store hates; I found a book that I REALLY wanted, sat down and read through it, and took a picture of recipes that I want to make.  (Yea...I am that kid).  I would say that I am sorry, but I'm not.  

Anyways, I made the recipe.  A thing about crock pot recipes, the ingredients are simple, and most of the time you have everything you need at home!!!

That's the book I want!!  Tons and Tons of things to make and the best part I don't have to be home to do it!!! (LOVE IT!!!)



That's the recipe I made.  It's pretty tasty.  The best part; the pork chops hold and don't shred.  I am not a shredded meat person, so this works very well for me.  

Now as Paula Dean would say: (even though I really don't like her) Love and best dishes from my family to yours!!!!