this is our happily ever after

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup

I almost always have simple syrup in my fridge.  Simple syrup is a pretty name for sugar water.  You bring a cup of water to a boil add in a cup of sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved, and use to sweeten tea, coffee, fruit, etc.  I almost always use it to sweeten tea.

To make Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup you'll need

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup juice from  Meyer Lemons (2-3 lemons)

1 cup of sugar

Bring water and lemon juice just to a boil.  Stir in sugar until dissolved. 

Pour into iced tea to sweeten.  Pour into bubbling spring water to add a light and sweet lemon flavor.  Pour over fruit to sweeten. 

Store in fridge for up to a week.  I store it in this glass bottle I bought at Marshall's for a few dollars. 

Meyer Lemons are a cross between an orange and a lemon and less acidic than a regular lemon! 

Cowgirl Cookies

In an effort to keep K and I busy yesterday we made cookies...well, I made cookies and he stood on the stool in the kitchen with tablespoons and plastic bowls and played.  These are one of my favorite kinds of cookies; chewy, yet crunchy.  I sent a container to work with Brian because I do not need 4 dozen cookies sitting around this house. 

Here's the pdf Download Cowgirl Cookies

½ cup shortening

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup regular oats, uncooked

1 cup cornflakes, crunched up a bit

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup flaked coconut

 

Preheat oven to 350.

 

Beat shortening and butter in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well.  Add eggs, one at a time then add vanilla, mixing well.

 

Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well.  Gradually stir in oats, cereal, chocolate chips, pecans, and coconut.

 

Using a medium cookie dough scoop (1 large tablespoon), drop dough onto cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Remove from oven and let set on cookie sheet for a minute or two then transfer each cookie to a cooling rack to cool. 

 

Notes: This recipe is very easy to double for an extra large batch.  The cookies also freeze very well. 

 

 

Chicken Spaghetti

ULTIMATE COMFORT FOOD!!!!

This is how I would categorize this recipe.  It's not particularly healthy, but it will warm the deepest parts of you from the inside out.  I'd like to imagine dining on this after a crisp Fall day that we spent picking apples and pumpkins while wearing courduroys, a striped shirt, and a jean jacket.  Wait...I live in Houston...we don't have apple orchards or pumpkin farms, but I know parts of the country do (I'm actually visiting those parts right now).  Hello Midwest! 

Regardless of your weather I urge you to add this to your menu plan.  It's so good and makes even better leftovers!

Here's the printable recipe: Download Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients:

2-4 Chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (if you like lots of meat use 4, if you don’t want as much use 2)

1 pound of thin spaghetti (I use Barilla Plus in the yellow box)

1 (4 oz) jar diced pimento, drained

Olive oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use the 25% less sodium variety)

2 cups chicken stock

2 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese (take the time to grate your own..it’s well worth the effort)

¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

A few shakes of cayenne pepper to taste

 

Directions:

Break pasta into thirds and cook according to package directions minus a minute or two (it will continue to cook in oven). 

While pasta is cooking sauté onion and bell pepper in olive oil until tender.  Set aside. 

Drain pasta and mix with onions and peppers, pimento, mushroom soup, and chicken stock.  Mix until well combined.  Then add 2 cups of cheese and pepper.   Combine well.  Place in a 9x13 casserole dish and sprinkle last ½ cup of cheese on top.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly.    

Notes:  If you’re cooking just for 2, divide the casserole into two pans and freeze one of the pans.  You’ll be so happy you did one evening when you need a quick dinner!

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

I really like Red Beans and Rice and this is my favorite recipe.  It's from Southern Living and I barely altered it.  It's healthy and very economical...beans and rice...about as cheap as it gets.  I made a batch a couple of weeks ago and we had it for dinner, lunch the next day, and then I froze a small container for Brian to have when I'm gone in a few weeks.  You may or may not want to add more salt to it, but I find if I add spice I don't need salt.  This Black and Red Seasoning from Penzey's is my favorite for spice! 

Printable Recipe Download Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice

1 lb dried red beans, rinsed

¾ lb smoked sausage, thinly sliced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

Cayenne pepper (for extra heat)

Finely chopped green onion for garnish

Cooked long grain white rice (I prefer Jasmati rice)

Combine first 7 ingredients in slow cooker with 7 cups of water.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beans are tender.    

Serve bean mixture over cooked rice and sprinkle with cayenne pepper if desired.  Garnish with green onions. 

Granola Muffins

I made these a few weeks ago and they were super easy and super yummy.  I buy granola at Costco, specifically this brand. 

Here's the PDF  Download Granola Muffins

2 cups granola

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup flaked coconut

 

Heat oven to 380.  In a large bowl, stir together almonds, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In another bowl, blend together the milk, butter, egg, and vanilla.  Make a well in the center in dry ingredients.  Add milk mixture and stir just to combine.  Stir in almonds and coconut.  Fill greased muffin tins (or use muffin liners).  Bake 14-18 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.  Remove from muffin tins and cool on cooling rack.  Makes one dozen muffins. 

Gooey Butter Cookies

Yep...they're as good as they sound...and SUPER easy to make!  Have you heard of Gooey Butter Cake? It's a St. Louis tradition.  On special occasions my Mom would go to the local bakery and buy a Gooey Butter Cake...it was a treat...a very sweet treat.  I was going to make Gooey Butter Cake earlier this week, but then came across a recipe for Gooey Butter Cookies!  What do I love more than cake?  Cookies! 

Here's the recipe: Download Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients

Cooking spray

½ cup butter at room temperature

¼ tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese at room temperature

1 box butter recipe cake mix

Powdered sugar for dipping

 

In a mixer, beat butter, vanilla, egg, and cream cheese until light and fluffy.  Mix in the dry cake mix.  Chill for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Drop by teaspoonfuls in a bowl of powdered sugar; roll into balls.  Bake 8-11 minutes until cooked, but still soft.  Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.  Let cool completely.

 

HATCH Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

It's August...in Texas...and you can find Hatch Chiles where we shop at HEB (best grocery store ever!)  One of the big "events" of HEBs in my area (I assume other places as well) is Hatch Chile Festival.  Hatch chiles are grown in New Mexico and harvested this time of year.  Central Market (the gourmet version of HEB has a huge festival as well).

***I buy the mild Hatch chiles and they are plenty spicy for me.  I feel that they are about the same spice as you would find in Rotel.  With peppers however, one pepper can be milder than the next and keep in mind that most of the heat is found in the seeds and white membrane.  You could also use these in homemade salsa, pico de gallo, chili, tortilla soup, or on top of burgers.  If you've never tried them before I encourage you to try them out.  They are usually out of the stores towards the end of August, so don't waste time!!! 

I wait to make this recipe until I have freshly roasted Hatch Chiles on hand.  Not to worry, I buy about 10 lbs of roasted chiles and freeze them so I can make these until my chiles run out. 

Here's a display of fresh peppers at Central Market

This is what the roasted ones look like....I only buy roasted ones and then bring them home and peel them using a knife by scraping the skin off.

all the black stuff on the right is the skin and tops of chiles with the seeds.  I discard this part.

This photo doesn't do these enchiladas justice...they are simple and SO GOOD!!! 

Here's the recipe to print: Download Hatch Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 pound roasted Hatch green chiles (remove skin and seeds and chop)

 2 Tbsp olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

1 cup chicken broth

10 corn tortillas

2 cooked and chopped chicken breasts

2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Sour Cream

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. 

Saute garlic for a minute.  Add chiles, salt, pepper, and broth.  Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. 

Spread 1/3 of the chile/broth mixture on bottom of 9 inch baking dish. Top with 4 tortillas. Top with half the chicken and 1/3 of the cheese.  Top with 4 more tortillas, 1/3 of chile mixture, the remaining chicken and 1/3 cheese.  Tear last two tortillas and scatter on top of enchiladas.  Top with remaining chile mixture and cheese.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Serve with sour cream.

 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This recipe is adapted from one that my Mom has made every Christmas for as long as I can remember.  Everyone LOVES this...it's a tried and true recipe!  I did adapt it a bit...I added some cinnamon and vanilla bean to the batter and I baked it in a bundt pan because I didn't have a 9 inch tube pan. 

Here's the pdf to download and print Download Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp cinnamon

Optional: paste from ½ vanilla bean

 

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

 

4 tsp sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

 Powdered sugar

 

Directions:

Grease a bundt pan.  Preheat oven to 350. 

 

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add sour cream, vanilla, vanilla bean, and cinnamon. 

 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Fold into butter mixture. 

 

In a small bowl combine 4 tsp sugar, cinnamon, and pecans.

 

Spread about ½ the batter in prepared pan.  Sprinkle the cinnamon/pecan mixture over the batter.  Spread remaining batter on top of pecan mixture. 

 

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate.  Let cool completely on plate and lightly dust with powdered sugar. 

Zucchini Pecan Bread

Zucchini Pecan Bread

Download Zucchini Pecan Bread

Makes one large loaf or 4 small loaves

2 cups sugar

¾ cup canola oil

3 eggs

2 cups zucchini, grated (2 medium zucchini)

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease one loaf pan or 4 small loaf pans.  Beat sugar, oil, and eggs.  Stir in zucchini and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients.  Stir into egg mixture.  Stir in nuts.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake for 40-60 minutes until cooked through. 

Taco Soup

I LOVE Taco Soup and there are quite a few recipes out there for it...this is a combination of several and it's very simple.  Here's the printable for you.  Download Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or beef

1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

½ tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp dry Ranch dressing mix

2  (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (medium or mild)

2  (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

 1-2 cups chicken or beef stock

Optional: grated cheese, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips

 

Directions

In a large soup pot brown ground meat and onion over medium high heat until cooked through.  Add in seasonings, tomatoes, beans, and stock (as much as you want).  Cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes.  Add in frozen corn and cook another 10 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and serve with optional fixings.