Root Beer Roast

4-6 lb pork roast
1 can root beer
1Tbsp liquid smoke
Rust seasoning blend
salt and pepper
BBQ sauce

Rinse pork roast and pat dry. Rub Rust into Roast.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and put in slow cooker.
Pour root beer and liquid smoke around the roast.
Cook on low 8-10 hours until pork is tender.
Remove roast and discard liquid, remove fat and shred.
Place on hamburger buns and top with BBQ sauce.

Swedish Meatballs

Premade Meatballs
Linguine
Gravy

• 2 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs flour
• 1 1/2 c beef broth
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parsley to garnish

Make Meatballs in oven according to package, Make Linguine acc. to pkg.

Make Gravy by Melting butter in skillet and then adding flour. Cook for a few minutes while whisking. Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire, bring to simmer. Add heavy cream. Let simmer until gravy thickens about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix meatballs, linguine and gravy, sprinkle with parsley.

Carrot Cake

(This is not my recipe or even adapted, but it's a photocopied thing from someone's book I got years ago that I don't want to ever lose because it's the best carrot cake in the world--and I eat it without the frosting because it is plain good as is, but hubby wants the frosting so I'll include it.)

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil (coconut oil can be subbed)
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts, I use pecans or almonds

Buttermilk Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 T light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
(1 tsp orange juice and 1 tsp grated orange peel - which I omit since I rarely have OJ in the house)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9 inch cake pans (or one 13x9).

Sift flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt together; set aside.

Combine eggs, oil, buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture, pineapple, carrots, coconut and nuts. Stir well, then pour into prepared pans.

Bake 55 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

While cake is baking, prepare glaze by combining sugar, soda, buttermilk, butter, and syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Remove cake from the oven and slowly pour glaze over hot cake. Cool in pans until glaze is totally absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

If you want frosting, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla, powdered sugar (and orange juice an peel). Mix until smooth. Frost cake.

Ranch Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

2 tsp Olive oil
2 cups cooked chicken (bite sized pieces)
1 lb pkg of broccoli stir fry veggies
2 T ranch dressing mix
1 can black beans, drained
½ cup instant brown rice, uncooked
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
½ cup chicken broth
minced dried onion (to taste)
shredded cheese

Directions:

In deep skillet, heat oil, chicken, frozen stirfry, ranch dressing mix and saute for 2 minutes.

Stir in onion flakes, beans, tomatoes, rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover. Simmer on low for 5 minutes until rice is tender.

Sprinkle cheese over skillet and let stand covered for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed.

Bacon Cheeseburger on Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 lb hamburger
½ lb sausage
3 cloves minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
minced onion (as much desired)
crumbled bacon (as much as desired)
muenster cheese slices

1 spaghetti squash
3 T butter
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Half the squash and stick the two halves face down in a 9x13 baking dish, pour about 1/3 cup water into the bottom. Put in oven for 40 minutes. When done, shred squash to make noodles. Mix in butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

In skillet, mix up the hamburger and sausage until well blended and then brown. Once brown, mix everything else except cheese. Let simmer covered for 10 minutes. Cover meat mix with slices of muenster cheese, turn off heat and cover, letting cheese melt.

Serve meat mixture on top of spaghetti squash.

Ranch Dressing Mix

Ingredients:
 
1/3 cup dried buttermilk powder
2 T parsley
1 ½ t dill
2 t garlic powder
2 t granulated onion powder
2 t minced onion flakes
1 t pepper
1 t chives
1 t salt

Directions:
 
Mix and store in a sealed container in fridge.
3 T of mix is a “package” of commercial Ranch Dressing Mix

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/2011/11/crock-pot-cream-cheese-chicken-chile.html

2 chicken breasts, still frozen
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can corn kernels, do not drain
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 T cumin
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese

Put the chicken in the crock pot.
Top with the tomatoes, corn,
the drained and rinsed beans,
ranch dressing, cumin, onion and chili powders,
stir to combine then top with the cream cheese.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring one or twice
 to blend in the cheese.
Shred the chicken into large pieces
and serve over rice.
Can also serve in tortillas or taco shells, with chips.

Soy Sauce and Brown Sugar Ribs

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T water
1 package ribs

Mix the first 3 ingredients in crockpot, put in a package of ribs. High for 4-5 hours, low for 8. Turn over sometime after the half mark.

This will probably only serve 3 people since it's not fun to share. :) Just double recipe.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

1 small Onion, chopped (or you can use minced onion)
2 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
3 cups Chicken Broth
3 med. Carrots, sliced
2 med. Potatoes, peeled and cubed (of course we just keep cutting until it looks like enough for all who are eating it)
2 cups cubed cooked Chicken (We use a whole pkg.)
2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley or equivalent amount dried Parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 cup Milk
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese, cubed

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter. Add broth, carrots & potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add chicken, parsley, salt & pepper; heat through. Combine flour & milk until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cream cheese; cook & stir until melted.
Yield: 8 servings.
Like I said we usually make a big batch, so we add more then they say!
This is one of my family's favorite recipes! It is Delicious!!!

Easy One Pan Teriyaki Chicken

2 chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves minced
1 1/2 c water
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 tsp ginger
2 c minute rice
small bag of frozen broccoli

If chicken is unprepared, fry chicken in oil with garlic. When chicken is done, put in water, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and boil. Once boiling, throw in rice and frozen broccoli. Cover and heat on a med-low setting for 5 minutes. Remove from heat for 5 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff and serve.

Leftover Chili Manicotti

3 c (give or take) leftover Chili
1 c (give or take) spaghetti sauce
8 manicotti shells
1 egg, beaten
1 c shredded cheese
1/4 c parmesan shredded
1 sm carton ricotta cheese

Combine chili and sauce
Boil manicotti according to directions.
Combine egg and cheeses.
Pour 1/2 of the chili mixture in a greases 9x13 pan.
Fill manicotti shells and place on top of mixture.
Pour rest of chili mixture on top of shells.
Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Not Quick - Chicken Asparagus Soup

Ok, this one is Not Quick. If a recipe is not quick it has to be reallllllly good for me to keep it. And this one is. I usually make the broth and soup base the day before and the soup the next day since it's time consuming.

2 lbs fresh asparagus; 2 large potatoes, peeled or not and diced; 1 lg onion, chopped; 2 T dried parsley; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 T vegetable oil; 3.5 C (2 cans) chicken broth; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp. pepper; 1 bay leaf; 2 C cubed cooked chicken; 2 C half and half, Parmesan cheese 

Make broth - Cut tips off asparagus, set aside. Cover stalks with water in large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 40 min. Strain, reserve 4 C of cooking liquid. Discard stalks.

Make soup base - In dutch oven, saute potatoes, onion, parsley and garlic in oil til vegetables are tender. Stir in broth, salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, asparagus water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce , simmer uncovered 30 min. Discard bay leaf, cool slightly. In blender, a little at a time, puree soup.

Make soup - In soup kettle or dutch oven, put soup base, chicken, half and half, and asparagus spears. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 min. or until spears are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Homemade Magic Shell

3/4 c chocolate chips of whatever type
1/4c coconut oil (it's in the baking goods section if you've never gotten any, usually by the chocolate chips--use it in place of any kind of oil/shortening)

Melt in microwave about 45 seconds, stir until it looks like magic shell. If it hardens on the shelf, zap in microwave for 10 seconds (Put in glass container!)

Shepherd's Pie

This uses up mashed potatoes nicely.

1 lb burger, 1 onion

Brown burger and onion

2 c. frozen veggies, 1/2 c beef broth, 1 tsp worchesterchire, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 can tomatoes drained

Add the above to meat and heat through

Mashed Potatoes (2 cups? Enough to spread on top) and Shredded Cheese

Place the meat mixture in a casserole dish, spread mashed potatoes over the top, top with shredded cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is not a red sauce, it's more like the brown sweet and sour sauce you'll find in .....China. Imagine that. Man, I wish I could go back to China for the food! I've made this since high school, it's great stuff.

Feeds 2 adults and some children. :)

2 chicken breasts cut in short strips
2 T oil
1 c. Chopped carrots
1 garlic clove minced
1 T cornstarch
1/4 c soy sauce
8 oz pineapple chunks with juice
3 T brown sugar
3 T white vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger
prepared rice

Brown chicken in oil. Add carrots and garlic (if freshly minced) to chicken and oil. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until carrots are tender. Mix cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and ginger, and garlic if out of jar. Dump this mixture and pineapple along with it's juice in with chicken and carrots. Bring to full boil. Serve with prepared rice. 

Leftover Hot Dog Hamburger Bun Bread Pudding

Around 8 leftover buns give or take a few
3 c hot milk
2-3 eggs
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 c dates or raisins
1/4 tsp salt
1 T butter
1 1/2 T vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking powder

Grease/Butter a casserole dish. Mix all the ingredients, tear up buns and throw them in. Dump into dish, sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake 350 degrees for about an hour.

Easy Deodorant

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c cornstarch

1/4 c baking soda

essential oil or fragrance oil drops (I use tea tree oil for the disinfectant properties and sandalwood fragrance since sandalwood essential oil is expensive and the smell works for either sex)

used or empty deodorant tube or bowl

Melt the oil, mix ingredients. When it becomes semi-solid pack it into an empty deodorant tube if you want. Keep in refrigerator if you want a solid like the deodorant from the store. Or leave in bowl and use it like a lotion/cream application

Garlic Brown Chicken

Original Recipe here: Easy Garlic Chicken
My version:

•  2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon onion flakes 
• salt and pepper 

Line baking dish with foil and grease. Mix the ingredients. Smear on top of chicken breast.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 500 degrees about 20-30 minutes.

Broiled Baconnaise Tilapia

(If you don't have baconnaise, plain mayonnaise will work, maybe add some bacon bits?)

4 Tilapia Filets

2 T butter, softened
1 1/2 T baconnaise
1 T  lemon juice
1/8 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. paprika
dash onion powder
dash salt

(Creole Seasoning)

Oil aluminum foil on a broiler pan. Preheat broiler. Broil fish for 2 minutes, flip. Broil for 2 more minutes, flip. Mix the above ingredients and slather on top of fish. Broil 2 more minutes or until done. Sometimes I add Creole Seasoning.

Garlic Broth

I will never have plain chicken stock when I am sick again - This is awesome broth.

8 c. chicken stock

3 Tbs. minced garlic or more

2 Tbs. olive oil (either saute fresh garlic in this or just put in a glug :)

½ tsp. paprika 

Sprinkle in a generous helping of parsley, then a bit of  thyme, oregano, and basil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

 

Bring everything to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes. YUM.