Martha Washington Candy

My Mom used to make this at Christmas and it was so good.  I am going to attempt it this year because it is my Aunt Barbara's favorite and Mom always made her some.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 stick butter or margarine, melted (4 ounces)
• 3 cups chopped pecans
• Dipping Chocolate (below), melted

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together, shape into balls, then chill until hard. Dip chilled balls in dipping chocolate and let cool.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Dipping Chocolate
Use melted chocolate almond bark or purchased dipping chocolate, or the mixture below

• 1 cake paraffin wax
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Melt wax and milk chocolate chips together in double boiler. Dip candy in mixture then cool.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Black Eyed Pea Broccoli Cheese Soup

Yield: 8 servings.
1 1/2 lbs. Broccoli – fresh
2 C. Water
3/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Cornstarch mixed with 1-cup water
1 pint half-and-half
1 pound pasteurized processed cheese (Velveeta)

Steam broccoli until tender. Place half-and-half and water in top of double boiler. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Heat until cheese is melted. Add broccoli. Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl. Stir into cheese mixture in double boiler and heat over simmering water until soup thickens.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

My Dad, sister and I headed to my other sisters house a couple of weeks ago and while there my niece wanted to carve pumpkins.  We decided to cook the seeds and this is the recipe we used.  They turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or more, to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

Preparation:

Rinse seeds well and get as much of the pumpkin pulp off of them as possible. Some of the small pieces are going to adhere, but they won't hurt the seeds at all, and might even add a little more flavor. Pat dry with paper towels. Don't let them dry completely on the paper towels, because they might stick! Toss seeds with the butter, sugar, and spices.
Heat oven to 300°. Spread coated seeds in a shallow baking sheet (I line a baking sheet with nonstick foil to make cleanup easier), turning from time to time, for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until nicely browned and crunchy.

Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas

Oh my goodness, this was some good stuff.  I am so thankful that Mrs. H shared the recipe with the rest of the blogging world.  I think the only changes I made were to use canned chicken and I added some onion.  Oh, and fajita seasoning.  I sauteed my chicken and onion with the seasonings and then mixed all the rest of the yummy goodness and warmed it all together.  It was so yummy and so easy to make.  Mr. Giggles really liked this dish so I will be making it again and again and again I am sure!!

Jalapeño Chicken Enchiladas

5 servings

1 can (15 ounces) red enchilada sauce
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 flour tortillas

Spread 1/2 of the enchilada sauce in a 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish; set aside. Combine soup, sour cream, jalapeños, onion salt and pepper. Stir in chicken and 1 cup cheese. Spread about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Top with remaining sauce; sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Ole'!

Pioneer Woman's Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients
1 stick Butter, Divided
½ whole Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Carrot Finely Diced
1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced
1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)
2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock
6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
2 cups Whole Milk
1 cup Half-and-half
2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste
1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.
Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.
Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.
In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.
Serve immediately.

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (reserve shaved corn cobs)
1 package corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package (3 pieces) chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed - can substitute a jar of chunky salsa verde sauce
2 cups cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 cups jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, chopped (optional)

Preparation: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a bubble with the reserved corn cobs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.Place the corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray them with some cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy, 10 minutes.Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with some EVOO about 2 turns around the pan. Add the chicken, browning on all sides, then place into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains in the center. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest before cutting into strips.Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, garlic and cumin, and cook till soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels along with the jalapeño.While the veggies are cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor until somewhat smooth. Add the purée, stock and chicken to the pot along with the veggies.Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, and serve it up garnished with a big handful of jack cheese, tortilla and avocado.

Taco Soup

It is fall and I love fall food (ok, what I consider fall food). My Mom used to make this for family get togethers and everyone loved it. My little sister makes this a lot now. It is yummy and easy. Unfortunately my husband doesn't like the beans in the soup so he won't eat it so I don't make it. :(

Taco Soup
1/2 - 1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
3 cans Rotel tomatoes (hot or mild, your choice)
1 can black beans
1 can ranch beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn

Brown ground beef with onion and drain if necessary. In a large pot add ground beef, onion, taco mix, ranch mix, Rotel, black beans, ranch beans, pinto beans and corn. DO NOT DRAIN any of the canned items. Cook until warmed through. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

If I remember correctly, this freezes very well.

ENJOY!!

Giggles Shrimp

Giggles Shrimp
1 package cooked shrimp (40-60 pieces) take off tails
1 5 oz package of Italian seasoned croutons
1 jar spaghetti sauce1 jar mushrooms
1 package of Italian mix cheese
Old Bay seasoning to taste
Garlic powder to taste

Put shrimp, mushrooms and seasoning in a pan and warm through, add spaghetti sauce. Once warm, add bag of croutons and ¾ bag of cheese and mix well. Put in casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Cook at 350 degrees until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Spaghetti With a Twist

Make your spaghetti as usual but add 4 ounces of cream cheese. You'll thank me!!

Cheesy Bacon Bites
4 servings

1 8 ounce can refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
2 tablespoons chopped onion (I use green onions)
3 ounces softened cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Mix bacon, onion, cream cheese and pepper together. Remove crescent rolls from package and leave in the shape of two rectangles, pressing together triangle seams. Spread mixture over the rectangular shapes and roll long-ways. Cut each roll into 16 pieces and place on cookie sheet. bake at 350 for 15 minutes until lightly brown. Serve warm and enjoy!

These are awesome. We eat them for breakfast a lot.

Jessica Simpsons Chicken and Dumplings

Jessica Simpson's Chicken and Dumplings
6 servings

3 tubes croissant rolls
1 small rotisserie chicken, skin discarded and meat removed from bones
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chicken broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 400º. Roll out the cans of croissant sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of rotisserie chicken on each diamond, fold dough over and press ends together to create dumplings. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with one layer of dumplings. Combine soups and chicken broth; pour over dumplings. Season with salt and pepper and bake until the dumplings are tender and cooked through and the top is brown and bubbly - about 30 minutes. (I laid foil across my pan about halfway though, because the dumplings were browning too quickly.)

Hurry-up Ham-N-Noodles

Hurry-up Ham-N-Noodles

Ingredients
*5 to 6 cups uncooked wide egg noodles (I used 6 cups and it was too much noodle and I think any kind of noodle would work good)
*1/4 cup butter, cubed
*1 cup heavy whipping cream
*1-1/2 cups julienned fully cooked ham (I used can chicken that I sauteed with mushrooms and seasoned with seasoning salt, black pepper, chili powder and garlic)
*1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
*1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
*1/4 teaspoon salt (I never add salt to anything because I use seasoning salt)
*1/8 teaspoon pepper

DirectionsCook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Gradually whisk in cream. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 2 minutes longer or until thickened.Add the ham, cheese, onions, salt and pepper; cook, uncovered, until heated through. Drain noodles; add to ham mixture. Toss to coat; heat through. Yield: 4 servings.

Alfredo Pizza

Tonight I tried something totally from my brain. I got the idea from the Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo Pizza. Mr. Giggles requested a dinner without meat so this is what I came up with.

Alfredo Pizza
1/4 cup butter
1 cup whipping cream
onion (to your liking)
mushrooms
1/2 Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in skillet with onions. Once onions are soft, add whipping cream and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Lower flame to medium, add mushrooms and cheese and stir til cheese is melted.

I used a Pillsbury pizza dough and spread it out on a cookie sheet and then topped with alfredo mix and mozzarella cheese mix. Cook at 350 for approximately 15 minutes or until crust is brown.

Swiss 'n Chicken Casserole

I make this casserole pretty often because Mr. Giggles really likes it. This time I invited my Dad over to eat and he liked it too. I like it too but it is not my most favorite food in the world. The leftovers are pretty tasty too. I hope you enjoy. This is a Kraft recipe.

What You Need
4 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use canned chicken sauteed with onions and mushrooms)
2 cups Croutons
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Swiss Cheese
2/3 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/2 cup Milk
4 stalks Celery, sliced (I omit because neither Mr. Giggles or I can stand it!)
1/4 cup chopped onions

Make It
HEAT oven to 350°F.
COMBINE ingredients - I save some of the cheese and put it on top
SPOON into 2-qt. casserole.
BAKE 40 min. or until heated through.

Corn Dip

Corn Dip

1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 (11 ounce) cans Mexican-style corn (I used shoepeg corn and added diced fire roasted tomatoes because I couldn't find mexi-corn and I run the tomatoes through the food processor)
4 green onions, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles (I don't like green chiles so I upped the jalapenos)
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Kroger brand nacho and taco shredded cheese)

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, corn, green onions, jalapeno chile peppers, green chile peppers and cheese.
Ready to serve!
Very tasty with fritos

Tortilla Roll-ups

Tortilla Roll-ups

1 package cream cheese - softened (I just leave mine sitting on the cabinet overnight)
1 can Hunts diced fire roasted tomatoes with garlic (I put in the food processor so the tomatoes aren't so big) or you can use any salsa of your choice
1 package flour tortillas
Mix cream cheese and tomatoes
Spoon onto tortillas
Roll tortillas
Cut tortilla into fourths
Enjoy

Swiss and Bacon Dip

I had this dip at a birthday party and it was wonderful. It is a Rachael Ray recipe and can also be found at Foodnetwork.com.

Swiss and Bacon Dip
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 18 min

Ingredients
8 slices center cut bacon, chopped
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
3 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Top with chopped smoked almonds. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping. Variation: Swiss and Bacon Dip with Horseradish - Stir in 2 rounded teaspoons prepared horseradish when combining cheese and bacon.

Punch Recipe

We had this punch at Mr. Giggles cousin's wedding. It was so yummy (and he liked it, very unusual). I don't know about you but I am always looking for punch recipes that are different from the "usual" punch suspects. Don't get me wrong, I love the sherbet and ginger ale punch but sometimes I want something a little prettier. This would be great for baby showers, wedding showers, birthdays, anniversaries, you name it.

Punch
2- 2 liters of Sprite
2- 1 liter sparkling water tropical flavored (from Walmart)
1 can frozen concentrate (white grape or raspberry/white grape-
1 bag of frozen mixed fruit which acts like ice

Combine and serve. ENJOY!

Please note that because of the fruit, if you serve it from something with a spout, it will get stopped up.

Reason???

Well, I have been mulling over the thought of going back on my regular blog and labeling the posts so I can find the recipes I post. . . . .well since I think that sounds really boring and time consuming, I decided to just do a blog that is just for recipes and maybe the occasionally restaurant review!! I will probably post recipes that I read about that sound good and ones that I have actually tried I don't know that I will update this blog very often but you never now what might happen! I may even have guest bloggers on here. Like I said, you never know what might be going on in the crazy mind of Giggles!!