Sweet Chex Mix

1 Box of Corn or Rice Chex
1 Box of Golden Grahams (or 1/2 of a bag)
4 C. Coconut
1 Bag of Sliced Almonds

2 C. Sugar
2 C. Karo
1 C. Butter
2 tsp. Vanilla

Boil sugar, karo and butter for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over chex, grahams, coconut, and almonds. Mix well. Pour out on waxed paper and cool completely. Store in a loose fitting container. (an air tight lid will make it go soggy)

Homemade Salsa

Every time I make this it disappears quickly. It is so easy and super yummy

Homemade Salsa
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles
1 bunch of cilantro (just the tops)
4-6 green onions
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lime juice or lemon juice
1 pinch of sugar
2-3 cloves of garlic
In a food processor chop up the cilantro, green onions, and garlic until finely chopped. Add in the green chiles, tomatoes, lemon/lime juice, sugar and salt. Pulse until combined and the desired consistency is reached.
(add a fresh jalapeno to increase heat, add it in with the cilantro to chop it up finely)

Baked Chicken Taquitos

These have become one of our family favorites. They get eaten quickly!! They are great with homemade salsa!


Baked Chicken Taquitos
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
½ C. salsa, red or green
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, sliced finely
1 C. cheddar or Monterey jack cheese, shredded
10 flour tortillas, taco size or 25-30 small fajita size
2 C. chicken, cooked and shredded
Cooking spray
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. (or line sheet with a silicone mat)
In a medium sized bowl combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. Then add in cilantro and green onion. Add chicken and cheese and stir until incorporated. Heat the flour tortillas in a microwave with a damp paper towel covering them to make them pliable about 45-60 seconds.. Take 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and place on the lower third of tortilla (use only 1 Tbsp for small tortillas). Keep the mixture about ½ inch from the edge, and roll up tightly. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Continue with all tortillas. Spray tops with cooking spray. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
From www.dealstomeals.com

Cranberry Chicken

4-5 Chicken Breasts

2 Cans of Whole Cranberry Sauce

1 Packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Place all three ingredients in your Crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Shred the chicken then continue cooking on low until ready to eat. I cooked mine almost all day last time. We like to eat this on tortillas (the ones you cook at home are our favorite) with white rice, black beans, sour cream and cheese. Tomatoes and lettuce are also really good on this as well. This recipe is extremely easy and very good!

7up Biscuits

I L-O-V-E biscuits. And I really love this recipe because it's semi-homemade, quick, and easy. I've seen these all over the Internet and I found the recipe here, except I don't like 7up. So I used Sprite instead. So technically they're Sprite biscuits, but doesn't sound as good as 7up biscuits. Either way, give them a try.

7up Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream (I used lite)
1/2 cup 7-up (I used Sprite)
1/4 cup melted butter
(I added a few shakes of salt the second time I made them and liked it better than the first time)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the sour cream into the bisquick. Add in the lemon lime beverage. It will make a very sticky dough. Sprinkle some additional biscuick on a working surface and pat out the dough. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut the biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Baked Sweet Potatoes (Thanksgiving Yams)

Baked Sweet Potatoes (Thanksgiving "Yams")
2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute or equal amount of real egg
1/2 cup plus 2 T buttermilk
2 T butter or margarine
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes (I use golden grahams instead ;) )
3 T shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans
can also add mini marshmallows last few minutes of baking if desired.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with non stick coating. In Large bowl combine sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 T margarine, and salt. Mix well and pout into casserole dish. Bake 20-30 minutes until set around edges but not in center. Meanwhile, combine cereal, pecans, 2 T buttermilk, and 1 T margarine-melted. Sprinkle over top and bake 15 -25 minutes more. If desired, add marshmallows last 5 minutes.

-Kitty

Indian Corn Cookies

We have lots and lots of leftover Halloween candy. I found this idea on pinterest and knew my girls would love it. They love m&m's. I let the girls help by sorting through the m&m's, finding me the fall colored ones and devouring the rest. I used Erika's sugar cookie recipe she posted on this blog (it's under cookies and it's yummy) some frosting, m&m's and fruit roll ups. I cut the fruit roll ups into their shape with my kitchen scissors. Easy peasy and now we're excited for thanksgiving.

Monster Mouth Snack

Again, I'm loving pinterest. It's so fun and I love not having to email myself recipes or other things I find interesting on the Internet. Yesterday we made these cute little snacks. So easy, mostly healthy, and lots of fun.

1 Apple, quartered
Peanut butter
Mini marshmallows

Take each section of apple and cut out a mouth. Be careful not to cut too deep because you want the apple to hold it's shape. Then put a dab of peanut butter along the back of the mouth to hold in the teeth. I cut the mini marshmallows in half because I was using a small apple. After that, stick in the marshmallows and it's done! I've also seen this done with slivered almonds for teeth but my girls love marshmallows.

Savory Chicken Kabobs

My family really enjoyed these. Be sure and make them ahead of time so they can soak up the flavor of the marinade. Also, soak your wooden skewers in water so they don't catch on fire.

1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1/4 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 lb. chicken tenderloins or breast chunks

Place all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and mix it around until the chicken is well coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight. Grill until the chicken is cooked through.

Angel Chicken

So this recipe has been making the rounds on pinterest. Angel chicken originally came from the Cleverly Inspired blog. It looked yummy and even better, it's a crock pot recipe. The recipe is simple and it was very good. I would recommend eating it on rice after we tried it both ways. The sauce is a little runny and the rice soaks it up better than noodles. I changed the recipe slightly for what I had and use regularly.

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half

16 ounces of fresh button mushrooms, quartered

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix

1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed mushroom soup with garlic

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice or angel hair pasta

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add in the Italian dressing and mix well. Then stir in the soup, broth and cream cheese until it is all melted together. Quarter the mushrooms and place them on the bottom of the crock pot. Next place the chicken breasts on top of the mushrooms. Then pour the sauce over the top of the chicken. Cook on low for five hours. Serve over hot rice or noodles.

Banana Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've seen lots of cookie recipes lately that use instant pudding to jazz up an ordinary cookie. On Two Peas and Their Pod I read a vanilla pudding chocolate chip cookie recipe and it sounded good. I thought I had some vanilla pudding but it turned out to be banana cream. I decided to give it a try and I liked the way they turned out. They have just a hint of banana and I'll be making them again, or I may try another flavor pudding next time.

Banana Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3.4 oz. package banana instant pudding mix
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add in pudding mix, eggs, and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until slight golden and set. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on baking sheet for two minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Enchilada Pockets

I found this recipe on the Dashing Dish website. My kids love them. Who doesn't like to eat dinner with your hands? The hardest part is getting the little pockets sealed so the yummy filling doesn't ooze out while baking. We've made these several times now. They make a quick and easy dinner.

Ingredients:
1 package reduced fat crescent rolls
1/2 (8oz) package fat free cream cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat mexican blend grated cheese (or mozzarella/2% cheddar)
1 cup chicken, cooked and diced (or pulled) *I use ground turkey or beef*
1/2 cup enchilada sauce (or taco sauce/salsa) *I use enchilada sauce*
1 tbs enchilada seasoning, (or taco/any mexican seasoning) *I use taco seasoning*

Preheat your oven to 375.

Place the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl and soften the cream cheese for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave. Next stir in the enchilada sauce and seasoning. Then add the meat and grated cheese to the mixture.

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray foil with Pam. Next separate the crescent rolls on the sheet. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling on the largest part of the roll. Fold the edges over the filling and be sure to seal the seams shut. (I've always had leftover filling so next time I'm going to buy more crescent rolls and make a few more.) I sprinkled a little additional cheese on top too. Bake for 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Crock Pot Chicken

Put all ingredients in crock pot, cook on low 6 hours and enjoy! I ate it on tortilla chips with a little pepper jack cheese and State ate it on corn tortillas. Either way we liked it.

1 -1.5lbs chicken breasts

1 can of rotel

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

8 oz cream cheese

Oreo Cake Balls

I don't like Oreo's but I loved these cake balls!

Oreo Cake Balls-

1 package oreos

8 oz cream cheese

1 brick of white chocolate or vanilla almond bark

Use a blender or mixer to blend together Oreos and softened cream cheese. After blending form walnut sized balls and chill for an hour. Melt almond bark, use a toothpick to dip the balls into the melted almond bark. Let them set, we put them back in the freezer and serve!

Peanut butter frosting

I made a Reese's peanut butter cake for Derek's birthday. The chocolate cake was average but the frosting was AMAZING! Forget frosting the cake, just eat this frosting! I found this recipe on the food network. It was a recipe by Ina Garten (aka the Barefoot Contessa). She called it Kathleen's Peanut butter frosting. Thank you Kathleen! Whoever you are.
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
Beat the first five ingredients on medium-low speed until creamy. Be sure and scrape down the sides of the bowl periodically. Add the cream and beat on high until it's light and smooth.

Burrito Bowls

I saw this recipe on the Food Newtork and decided to try it. It was so yummy and pretty easy. I put the pork in the crock pot and forgot about it and came home to a house that smelled delicious and dinner was almost ready. Matt said this moved it's way into the top 10 recipes he loves. It was a winner!

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked white rice (I added cilantro and lime to my rice when I cooked it to make it even more flavorful)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 cups cooked black beans
1 1/2 to 2 cups Simple Fresh Pico de Gallo, recipe follows
2 cups Pork Carnitas, recipe follows
1 cup shredded Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
In a medium bowl, toss the rice with the cilantro and the orange zest. Divide the rice evenly among 4 individual serving bowls. Top with the black beans and half of the pico de gallo. Add warm carnitas and top with the rest of the pico de gallo. Sprinkle on the cheese, and spoon a dollop of the sour cream on top. Finish with the chopped green onions.

Easy Pico de Gallo:
Salt
Pinch of sugar
2 medium tomatoes, seeds removed, and chopped
1/2 medium sweet onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon salt with the pinch of sugar. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes gently with the salt mixture. Add onion and jalapeno and combine. Place the avocado on top of the tomato mixture and squeeze with lime juice to coat the avocado. Sprinkle on the cilantro, and stir to combine. Serve.

Pork Carnitas:
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (or 2 1/2 pounds bone-in)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, chopped
1 orange, cut in half
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or on high 4 hours. Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side. Serve.

By Melissa d'Arabian from Food Network

Pizza Stromboli

I took a picture of this and now I can't find it! Arg. Well, anyway. . . this is a yummy easy pizza dinner. I found it in a Taste of Home recipe book and changed it slightly. My kids love it, especially because I slice it up and they can dip it in marinara sauce.

1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed

2 eggs, separated

1 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 T olive oil

1 1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 t garlic powder

1/4 t ground pepper

8 ounces sliced pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)

8 ounces sliced Canadian bacon

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 small can sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup diced bell pepper

1 small can sliced olives

1 15 oz can pizza/marinara sauce

On a greased baking sheet, roll out dough into a 15 inch by 10 inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, oil, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper. Brush over the dough.

Sprinkle with the pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, bell pepper and olives. Roll it up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal and tuck the ends under.

Place seam side down; brush with egg whites. Do not let rise, cook immediately. Bake at 35o degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Warm the sauce and serve with the stromboli.

Blueberry French Toast

I love make a head meals. This is a breakfast dish you make the night before. The blueberry sauce is divine. This came from the Taste of Home Most Requested Recipes cookbook and we loved it!

12 slices day-old Texas toast, crusts removed

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

2 cups milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 cup water

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 T butter

Cut bread into 1 inch cues; place half in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Cut cream cheese into 1 inch cubes and place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the milk and syrup; mix well. Pour over the bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until golden brown and center is set.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium hear; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in blueberries; reduce hear. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until blueberries have burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve over the french toast.

Asian Crunch Salad

Hi everyone! Courtney invited me to contibute to this blog a LONG TIME AGO, but all of a sudden I feel an urge to conribute. Maybe I will more often? Let me know if you like this salad! This may sound like a weird combination of ingredients, but this tastes amazing.

Asian Crunch Salad

Green stuff:

1 head cabbage, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Crunchy stuff:
2 (3 oz.) packages ramen noodles, crushed
1 c. slivered almonds
2 t. sesame seeds

Sauce stuff:
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. distilled white vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
2 T. soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix crunchy ingredients together. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with PAM. Spread crunch ingredients out over the cookie sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or until lightly toasted.
2. Cut/chop all the Green stuff.
3. Prepare the Sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients.
4. Keep all the parts of the salad separate until it is time to eat. You want the crunch to be crunchy!

Enjoy!

-Mary

Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro Lime Rice
2 T. butter
1 1/4 c. rice
2 1/4 c. chicken broth
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 lime, juiced
2 T. cilantro, chopped
1/4 t. cumin
Directions
In a skillet, melt butter and add rice. Let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

I served this with the Easy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas. Also from the Deals to Meals website.

Easy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas

I tried a new recipe tonight and it was delicious! Thought I would share it with everyone. I got it from the Deals to Meals website, which I have been trying this week.

Easy Black Bean and Chicken Enchiladas
2 c. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 c. chopped cilantro
1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chilies
1 (10 oz.) can red enchilada sauce
6-8 flour or corn tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (Mexican blend if desired)
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
Directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and saute chicken and 1/2 onion until cooked through with a little olive oil or butter. Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro, cumin, black beans, chili powder, and green chilies to the chicken and onions. Stir until combined. Spread half of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 11x17 baking dish. Place 1/2 of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan, overlapping if needed. Spoon 1/2 of the chicken mixture onto the tortillas. Sprinkle with half of the cheese and half of the sour cream. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over the cheese, and make another layer of the tortillas. Layer the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes in the oven. Remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and dot with sour cream. Continue cooking uncovered for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve.

Grandma Nila's Sugar Cookies

These are so yummy they will ruin your diet, trust me I know. I made these on Sunday thinking I had enough will power to resist, but I didn't! They are super moist and have the perfect texture for a sugar cookie. They are wonderful on their own, but even better with frosting.

Sugar Cookies
2 Cups butter, or lard
4 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups cream (sweet or sour)
2 tsp. vanilla
(I added 1 tsp. almond extract too because I like it in the cookies as well as the frosting)

Mix these ingredients together and then add:
6 tsp. baking powder (sweet cream)
or 4 tsp. baking powder, & 2 tsp. baking soda (sour cream) and 4 cups flour.

Mix together slightly then add 4 more cups of sifted flour. (You may need more flour if dough is still pretty sticky) Roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Put in fridge for 1 hour or freezer for 30 minutes. Don't skip this step because the dough needs to firm up again to roll out nicely. If you skip it the dough will stick and become a big mess.

once chilled, roll out to about 1/2 in thick and cut out. Put on a parchment lined or silicone mat lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool for about 3 minutes on pan before moving to a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting. Makes a lot of cookies

Grandma's Pink Frosting
1 cube butter, room temp
4 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp. milk
Mix until your desired consistency and tint color of your choice (my grandma always did pink). Spread on cooled cookies.

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe came from a Worldwide Ward Cookbook series and it's full of recipes from around the world-I can't wait to try everything! Here is the first one we tried and we really liked it!


Alfredo Sauce

1/2 C. Sweet Butter

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 C. Heavy Cream

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/2 C. Parmesan Cheese, grated

3/4 C. Mozzarella Cheese

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic, cream, and white pepper, and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Add parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth. When sauce has thickened, add mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY! Makes 5 servings.

Serve on your favorite noodles. We also like to add grilled chicken. So yummy and easy!

Creamy Mexican Noodles

I originally found this recipe on foodgawker.com from Annie's Eats. It's quick and easy and yummy. Below is her original recipe and what I did.

Ingredients:
1¼ lbs. ground turkey (I used beef)
8 oz. dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tbsp. taco seasoning (I only used 3 1/2 T., I was worried it would be too salty if I put it all in. I thought this was enough seasoning.)
3 oz. cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese, optional (I topped each serving with cheese.)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Resurrection Rolls - Easter Treat

1 8-count package refrigerated crescent roll dough (I used the large rolls)
8 large marshmallows
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Separate the dough into eight triangles. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow in butter. Next roll the marshmallow in the cinnamon-sugar and place one on each triangle. Roll up the marshmallow and seal the edges very well. Dip the top of each dough ball in the remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place the dough ball sugar side up in a greased muffin tin. Bake at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes.

The Symbolism

Marshmallow : the body of Jesus

Butter and cinnamon-sugar : spices and ointments (Luke 23:56; John 19:40)

Dough : the tomb (Luke 23:53)

Hollow roll : empty tomb (Luke 24: 6; Mark 16:6)

My girls loved learning about the true meaning of Easter this month. This is a simple recipe the girls could do all by themselves and it teaches a beautiful message. Our Savior died for us, broke the bands of death and rose again on the third day.

"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." -Matthew 28:5-6

Steak Rub Recipe

Because my husband loves me he made dinner yesterday. Yum. Why can't everyday be Sunday?

We tried out a new steak rub recipe too. It was very tasty and used simple spices we already had in the cupboard. So if you're looking to jazz up your steak routine try this one:

1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

I halved the recipe and we used it twice this week.

Sweet Corn Bread Recipe

I love me some sweet corn bread. Derek usually isn't a fan of corn bread but he liked this version because "it wasn't too gritty." This is one of those top secret recipes on the back of the box (Albers yellow corn meal box to be exact).

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup yellow corn meal

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 1/4 cups milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 T. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.

Combine flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and butter in a small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, but serve warm.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

For the Mathews' FHE this month we decided to do a soup sampler for dinner. Everyone brought different yummy soups and I love getting to try a little of each. We (and by we, I mean Derek) made Chicken Tortilla Soup. I found this recipe (see I'm a good help) on the Pioneer Woman's blog: ( http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/chicken-tortilla-soup/ ). I suggest that you check it out as we puts up pretty pictures and takes you step by step through making the soup. My only suggestions is don't skip the garnishes, especially the avocado.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches
• _____
• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it!