Taco Soup

My sis-in-law Emily always has the best recipes and this is one of my favorites.
Brown some meat, dump in the cans, stir.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (unless you have a husband that cries about it)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans with juice
1 can corn with juice
8 oz tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 package taco seasoning

Mix and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with cheese, chips and sour cream.

Cool Lime Pie

Got this recipe from our Girl's Recipe Night a few weeks ago:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz frozen lime juice concentrate
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 drops green food coloring, if desired
1 tub of cool whip
1 graham cracker crust
1/2 lime or other garnish

Beat milk and cream cheese until smooth. Add food coloring and lime juice. Fold in 1/2 of cool whip. Pour in crust. Refrigerate for 2 hrs. Garnish with rest of cool whip and fruit. Enjoy!

Turkey Loaf

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken or turkey. I happened to have leftover turkey from a turkey breast I made for Sunday dinner.

1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed. Or you can make your own dough, which is what I did in my breadmaker on the dough cycle.
1 cup cooked turkey or chicken
one 8 oz cube of cream cheese

Roll out the dough into a rectangle about 12" by 18" or so. (If you roll it out on tin foil then it is easier to transfer to a pan. Also, then you don't have to wash the pan. haha)
Then cut strips on both sides of the dough, leaving an uncut section in the middle. Spread the cream cheese on this and sprinke the turkey on top of the cream cheese. Then fold over the strips row by row like you are braiding the bread. It will look like this when you are done:
Melt 1/4 c. butter and brush over the dough. Sprinkle parmesan cheese, garlic powder and rosemary over the top.

Bake for 20-30 min, or until browned, at 375 degrees.

While it is baking, make up the following sauce:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. sour cream

Little bit of milk to thin it.

Slice the loaf and serve with sauce poured over it:

Easy Clam Spaghetti Sauce

It doesn't get much easier than this:

1 small can chopped or minced clams, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
garlic powder to taste, or small amount of fresh crushed garlic

Heat in saucepan. Serve over pasta.

I poured it the over cheese ravioli the other night. I served it with those cool little Italian breadsticks and a green salad. I got home from work and dinner was ready in 15 to 20 min.

Sour Cream Pancakes

This one is from Pioneer Woman's cookbook. I will never use a pancake mix again... Okay I will but these are awesome.

stir together:
1 cup sour cream
7 Tbs flour
1 Tbs sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

whisk in separate bowl:
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour into flour mixture and stir.

Make pancakes. Top with whatever you want.

Veggie Dip

My all time favorite veggie dip:

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbs dried minced onion
2 Tbs parsley flakes
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp bon appetite

Banana Macadamia Nut Pancakes with Coconut Syrup

I forgot to take a picture when we made these this morning. This is a picture of the real ones, from Gazebo restaurant in Maui, that we tried to copy.

Pancakes:
We used a mix (Krusteaz) and made according to directions, but added 1 mashed banana for each 4-5 pancakes and about 1/4 c. chopped macadamia nuts.

Topping:
Whipping Cream (whip and add 1-2 T. sugar) then fold in 1-2 T. butterscotch ice cream topping.

Syrup:
2 c. Karo syrup
1-2 T. canned coconut milk.

When you serve them you can spread a little more mashed bananas and crushed pineapple on the plate, then the pancakes, then the whipped topping, then the syrup, then a few more chopped macadamia nuts. You will think you are in paradise when you eat them.