Cheeseball

1 block of cream cheese
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
Dried Parsley or Dried Beef

Mix first 5 ingredients together well. Form into a ball and roll in either parsley flakes or chopped up dried beef.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE

3 c. sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) jar creamy peanut butter
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow creme

Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in large saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until thoroughly mixed and sugar is dissolved.
Cook and stir 5 minutes after mixture begins to boil.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla, peanut butter and marshmallow creme.
Mix well.
Pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.
Cool.
Cut into squares.

Chocolate Chow Mein Candy

These are super yummy and super easy!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 bag semi sweet chocolate morsels (chips)
1/2 bag chow mein noodles
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the chocolate chips in a double oiler or by using a metal bowl over a sauce pan filled with a couple inches of water. Stir in half a bag of chow mein noodles. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter chips. Drop tablespoon full of mixture onto a wax covered cookie sheet (or large plate). Put in refrigerator to set for at least 30 mins.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Banana Bread French Toast

This banana bread recipe: http://inthekitchenwithleslie.blogspot.com/2010/10/banana-bread.html

4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Sliced banana bread

1. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla together.
3. Dip one slice of banana bread at a time, both sides and place in heated skillet.
4. Let brown on both sides.
5. Continue with remaining slices.
6. Serve with butter & syrup or with Carmel and whipped cream.

This is very yummy!!

Foody Christmas Gifts

So I learned a long time ago that the best gifts to get and give are the ones that come from the heart. See my favorite person in the entire world, my Grandma Smith, made cookies and fudge for her grand kids and sweet breads for her children (although they wanted the cookies and fudge too). I remember going to help her over a few day span and the smells from her kitchen filled her trailer and you could even smell them outside were amazing. I learned a lot from her and now that she is gone, I continue her tradition and make cookies, fudge, and breads to give for Christmas. They may be time consuming but so worth it and everyone loves them. Over the next few days, I will post some of my favorite recipes that I use for gifts, as well as some jar gifts. I hope that you enjoy and can find something that you love that you make for those special to you.

This year for bread I made Banana Bread (it is always a hit). You can find the recipe at this link: http://inthekitchenwithleslie.blogspot.com/2010/10/banana-bread.html

Also on my list is chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, and chocolate chip cookies. Have not decided what other cookies to make yet, but maybe a butter or sugar cookie and I am thinking about trying a ginger snap.

Stay tuned to see what is baking this Christmas Season.

Thanksgiving Feast

It is that time of the year when we eat lots of good foods, probably at different places. I know I spend Thanksgiving with either my family or hubby's family. However, I also fix my own Thanksgiving feast either the day before or the day after. This is for a family of four (except the turkey it last us for days). This is typically my menu:

Roast Turkey:

Turkey
half stick of Butter
1 cup Water

Simply remove turkey from package, remove the stuff from inside the turkey, and rinse with cold water. Place turkey in a shallow roasting pan with a cup of water. Cut the stick of butter into pats and place around the top of the turkey and put a pat on each leg. Cover in aluminum foil and cook at 325 degree according to the back of the package. About an hour before turkey is done remove foil and baste with turkey drippings in pan and cook till turkey is done. You will have a nice beautiful golden brown roast turkey.

Cornbread Dressing:

1 large package Pepperidge farms cornbread stuffing
1/2 cup turkey
3 Tbsp onion powder
3 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp poltury seasoning
turkey drippings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In bowl mix all ingredients. Mix till all moist, if it seems a bit dry just add some water finish moistening it.

Butter an 9 x 9 baking dish, put stuffing in dish, bake for 30 mins or until brown and crusty.

Mashed Potatoes:

Peel and cut up potatoes put into a pot.
Add water to cover potatoes.
Add salt.
Put pot on stove over high heat, bring to a boil and lower heat to medium and cook till potatoes are fork tender.
Drain potatoes, put potatoes back into pot (or bowl).
Mash potatoes with a masher, add milk (till your liking) and 4 Tbsp butter and stir well, till potatoes are fluffy.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Gravy: *I typically have turkey drippings left after the stuffing*

1 cup Turkey drippings
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Put turkey drippings into a pot and bring to a boil, meanwhile mix milk and flour together.
Once drippings come to a boil whisk in flour and milk mixture. Turn heat down to a simmer, add salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer till the consistency that you like.
**If it seems to be getting too thick add a little water**

Serve over turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes.

Country Style Green Beans:


1 large can Hanover Cut Green Beans with Potatoes
1 large can Hanover Cut Green Beans
1 package ham chips
1 stick of butter


In a crock pot, set to low heat. Add all ingredients and let cook for a 2-3 hours or longer.

Candied Yams:

2 sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 Tbsp butter

Put sweet potatoes in a pot and cover them with water.
Bring to a boil.
Let them boil until fork can be inserted into potato but still a bit firm.
Remove potatoes from water, let sit to cool.
Once potatoes are cool enough to handle simply cut the ends of and gently peel off skin.
Cut into 1/4 inch chunks.
Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish (8x8).
Sprinkle brown sugar on top and cut butter into pats and lay over the top.
Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes.

Rolls: I just buy some sort of yeast roll to fix. Haven't learned to make them homemade but I think I will attempt it soon :)

Apple Pie:

Pastry for 2 crusts (recipe below)
8 cups sliced, peeled assorted baking apples - about 3 lbs.  (Granny Smith, Cortland, Jonathan)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon milk

In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice.
Combine sugars, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to apples and toss well to coat.
Fill pastry lined 9 inch pie pan with apple mixture. Dot with butter.
Place second crust on top of pie filling, cut slits in top of crust to vent. Seal the edges of the crust with a fork or by hand.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolk and milk. Brush mixture over top crust.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Pie Crust Recipe:
Makes two 9-inch pie crusts

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/2 cup ice water

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in the ice water, a Tablespoon at a time, until the crust mixture forms a ball.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Sprinkle flour onto rolling surface. Roll dough out, then divide in half. Roll each half to fit a 9-inch pie plate.
Place crust in pie plate, pressing evenly into the bottom and sides.

**Enjoy a warm slice of apple pie with whipped cream on top :)

We also have the canned jelled cranberry sauce.

This Thanksgiving & everyday I am thankful for

So I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you stay safe if traveling and enjoy family and good times.

This Thanksgiving is the first without my dad and it is weird. But I will be surrounded by family and love. Even with losing my dad this year, I have a lot to be thankful for. Here is a few things that I am thankful for everyday:

1) I am thankful that God has given me life and allows me to wake up to it every morning.
2) I am thankful for a wonderful family, that I love dearly.
3) I am thankful for my amazing husband.
4) I am thankful for my wonderful in laws, whom without I don't know where we would be at.
5) I am thankful for my 2 beautiful children, whom make my world so much brighter everyday.
6) I am thankful that my daughter has grown and come a long way since her NICU days. And on Thanksgiving day this year (11/25) we will be celebrating her 8th year release date from the NICU.

So in honor of Thanksgiving tell me what you are Thankful for.

Cornbread dressing

Since Thanksgiving is upon us I will share my Grandma's cornbread dressing. I make me a bit different, but taste pretty dog on close to hers. I will share both.

Grandma's Cornbread Dressing:

liver, gizzards, kidneys from turkey
3 boxes of cornbread stove top
1 cup of cornmeal
1 medium onion, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
5 1/2 cups of water


In a pot boil liver, gizzards, and kidneys from the turkey with salt and pepper. Once they are done, remove from pot to cool. Once they have cooled, dice them.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl mix stove top and cornmeal, add meat, onion, and celery. Bring water to a boil. Pour water into stuffing mix, make sure to get all the stuffing moist. Butter the bottom of a 11 x 9 baking dish. Place stuffing into the dish and bake for about 30 mins or until brown and crusty.


My take on Cornbread Dressing:

1 large package Pepperidge farms cornbread stuffing
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup turkey
3 Tbsp onion powder
3 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp sage
2 Tbsp celery seeds
4 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring chicken stock to a boil with onion powder, garlic powder, sage, and celery seeds. Add turkey, cornbread stuffing and cornmeal. Mix till all moist, if it seems a bit dry just add some water or more chicken stock to finish moistening it.

Butter an 11 x 9 baking dish, put stuffing in dish, bake for 30 mins or until brown and crusty.

ABC Hamburger soup

Really it has been almost a month since I posted, crazy. I have been busy with school. So here is something I made up tonight for dinner, my daughter loved it, my son ate every bit except for the hamburger (not big into meats), and DH just does not like soup. I thought it was really good. It is also really quick.

Ingredients:
1 box of ABC pasta
1 pound ground hamburger
1 large can tomato paste
1 can corn, drained
1 can cut green beans, drained
3 Tbsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot add the tomato paste and 6 cups of hot water, whisk tomato paste and water till all the paste has dissolved into the water. Bring to a boil. While you are waiting on the water to boil, start browning the hamburger, drain excess oil once done. Add pasta to boiling water, bring back to a boil, allow to boil for 5 minutes. Add garlic powder and onion powder, stir well. Add corn, green beans and hamburger. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow to boil for 2 - 3 minutes more. Serve topped with cheese.

Yummy!

Cornbread Stuffed Pork Chops

This is really a favorite in my household.

Ingredients:

4 large thick cut boneless pork chops
Pork seasoning
Butter
2-3 cups Chicken Stock
1 package bagged Cornbread Stuffing Mix

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Butterfly your pork chops and season well with pork seasonings inside and out.
2. Melt 2 slabs of butter in frying pan, place butterflied side down and sear. Flip to one side, sear, then sear other side.
3. In a glass casserole dish, place the seared pork chops.
4. Add 2 cups chicken stock to frying pan to get up all of the pork chop drippings, bring to a boil. Turn heat off and add stuffing mix. Mix well, if to dry add more chicken stock.
5. Stuff the pork chops with stuffing as full as they will go. Put any remaining stuffing around the pork chops.
6. Bake 30-45 mins, until thickest part of the pork chop is done.

Serve with a veggie and enjoy!

Nachos

My family loves Mexican foods. So we are often having Mexican food. We had Nachos the other night.

While I like to make my own chips using tortilla shells by cutting them into triangles and quickly frying them till golden brown, I do also use store bought chips.

Basically I fix my ingredients and then layer them all.

I fix rice with about 3 Tbsp of Mrs. Dash's Southwest Chipotle (put seasoning in at the beginning)
A pound of hamburger with taco seasoning
Black Beans
Then you can use anything else you like to top it off: I use shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and olives

I start with my chips
Add some hamburger
Then my rice
Next I add my black beans
Top with cheese
**At this point I put it in the microwave for about 15 mins to slightly melt the cheese.
Then I add my sour cream and top with olives.

Very yummy.

Oven-Fried Ranch Drumsticks and Roasted Potatoes

This was a new recipe for me tonight. Another Bisquick recipe, but it was really yummy. I served it with roasted potatoes and corn.

Oven-Fried Ranch Drumsticks

3/4 cup Baking Mix (like Bisquick)
1 package ranch dressing and seasoning mix
1 tea paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp water
2 1/2 - 3lbs chicken drumsticks
1 cup ranch dressing, if desired (I did not use)

*Heat oven to 425 degree. Line 13x9 inch pan with foil. Generously spray with cooking spray.
*In shallow dish, mix baking mix, dressing mix (dry), and paprika.
*In another shallow dish mix egg with water.
*Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with ranch mixture. Place chicken in pan.
*Bake 35 mins. Turn; bake 15-mins longer or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone.
*Serve with ranch dressing. (I did not use ranch dressing and it was still really good.)

Roasted Potatoes

I washed 4 large potatoes and cute them into 1/2 inch chucks. Spray the bottom of a baking dish, put potatoes in, sprinkle with season all, toss, top with butter. Roast in the oven with the chicken.



Grandma's Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

I remember my grandma's spaghetti with meat sauce, I loved it (except for the onions and green peppers that I always picked out). I remember the day that I discovered that Grandma's spaghetti sauce was from a can, well mostly, she did add to it.

Grandma would take whatever spaghetti sauce she had in her cabinet at the time and would add ground hamburger to it (even if it was a meat sauce), she would cut up an onion and green pepper and add to it. She would add salt and pepper to taste. Then she would add about a 1/4 cup of sugar (her sauce was always sweet). She would bring the sauce to a boil then simmer her sauce till the noodles were done. Once her noodles were done she would drain them and then mix the sauce in with the noodles and serve.

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is a big hit in my household. We always have spaghetti w/meatballs and Italian sausage at least once a month.

I make a basic spaghetti sauce that I use all the time. At the beginning of the month I make a huge batch so that I have it for whatever I need it for. The sauce is great freshly made, however after it freezes it is even better. I use this sauce for my lasagna, manicotti, stuffed shells, spaghetti, and anything that requires spaghetti sauce.

We will start with my sauce:



Spaghetti Sauce:

3 Lg cans Crushed Tomatoes
3 Lg cans Tomato Sauce
1 Lg can Tomato Paste
3 Lg cans Water + 1 cup water
1/4 cup Onion Powder
1/4 cup Garlic Powder
1/4 cup Pepper
1/2 cup dried Parsley
1/4 cup dried Oregano
1/4 cup dried Basil
1/8 cup dried Thyme
4 dried Bay Leaves
1/2 cup Sugar (this cuts the acidity of the tomatoes)

I like to sort of layer my ingredients. First I put the tomato paste in a large stock pot, I whisk in 1 cup of water to get the paste to a consistency that is easily mixable. Then I add one can of crushed tomatoes, then a can of tomato sauce, then I fill one of the empty cans with water and swish it back and forth between the 2 cans over the pot until all residual crushed tomatoes and sauce is off the sides, I then pour the water in and mix that all together. I repeat the process for the remaining cans of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. After I have all of my tomato products and water mixed together well, I begin adding seasonings. I add each seasoning one at a time and mix well between each one. So you will do this through the remaining ingredients. Once all the seasonings are in cover and put the heat to medium. Stir occasionally. Once sauce reaches the boiling point, lower heat to simmer. I cook my sauce all day.

About 2-3 hours before supper I make and add the meatballs and sausage.

I take a pound and half of hamburger and shape them into golf ball size balls and fry them on medium until they are brown all the way around, then I add them to the sauce (they continue to cook in the sauce and adds extra flavor to the sauce). Next I take a package of Italian sausage (you can use mild, hot, or sweet Italian), I cut them in half and again fry them on medium, in same pan that I did the meatballs, until they are browned all the way around, add them to the sauce and continue cooking till dinner time.

When you are just about ready for dinner fix your noodles the way you like and serve sauce with meatballs & sausage over the top. It is very yummy and always a hit.

Beans and Rice

I love dried beans, they are so easy to cook. It may take all day but still easy to cook. I like to make my beans in the crock pot, because then you don't have to do anything with them, just let them cook. This is my basic beans recipe that I use when I make dried Lima beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, and great northern beans.

Tonight I made baby Lima beans.

Night before: dump beans into crock pot, making sure that there is no rocks in it. Fill crock pot 3/4 way full of water. I do not put salt in my beans because I use either bacon, fat back, ham pieces, or something of that sort (I used bacon tonight). Add pepper, 3 Tbsp onion powder (can use a cut up onion instead), 3 Tbsp garlic powder. Let sit over night.

In the morning: Add 1 stick of butter and set crock pot to low.

Dinner time: Just fix some rice and cornbread (if you like).

Serve beans over rice.

Very yummy.

Some people in my family like to dice up an onion and serve it on top.

Grandma's Potato Salad

My grandma had the best potato salad ever!! It was sort of like a lumpy mashed potato potato salad. I do not make mine like my grandma made hers for the reasons that I do not like onions and celery, so I adapted mine and even without the onions and celery it taste just like hers. So I will first give her recipe then my adaptation.

Grandma Smith's Potato Salad:

5 lbs All Purpose Potatoes (diced and cooked till fork tender)
4 eggs (hard boiled and diced)
1 onion (diced)
5 stalks celery (diced)
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mustard
1 to 2 cups Mayonnaise
3 Tbs Paprika
Paprika to sprinkle of the top

Combine all ingredients and mix well. With the mayonnaise you want to gauge as you are mixing, you want enough to moisten the potato salad so that it does not taste dry. Sprinkle top with paprika. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Leslie's Potato Salad:

5 lbs All Purpose Potatoes (diced and cooked till fork tender)
4 eggs (hard boiled and diced)
3 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp celery seeds
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mustard
1 to 2 cups Mayonnaise
3 Tbs Paprika
Paprika to sprinkle of the top

Combine all ingredients and mix well. With the mayonnaise you want to gauge as you are mixing, you want enough to moisten the potato salad so that it does not taste dry. Sprinkle top with paprika. Refrigerate till ready to serve.

Skillet Pork Chop Parmesan



I have been trying new recipes recently, just to be different and give my family more variety, because unfortunately we are pretty picky eaters. I make alterations to all the recipes that I use, it sort of makes them my own. This recipe is actually Bisquick's Skillet Chicken Parmesan recipe, only I used pork chops instead and I changed a few other things. I am going to post it my way. The recipe calls for pasta sauce, but I NEVER EVER use canned or jarred pasta sauce. When I make spaghetti sauce I make a big batch and freeze most of it and use it for everything from spaghetti to lasagna to manicotti and so on. I did not have any on hand tonight so I used what I call my quick spaghetti sauce, so I will post that recipe first:

Quick Spaghetti Sauce:

1 Lg can Crushed or Pureed Tomatoes
Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp Pepper
3 Tbsp Sugar

     In a bowl empty can of tomatoes, fill palm of hand with Italian seasoning (**TIP: To really get the aroma and flavoring from dried seasonings put in palm of hand and with the ball of your other hand crush in your hand) put into the tomatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.

Skillet Pork Chop Parmesan (can also be used with Chicken as per original recipe):

3/4 cup Baking Mix
1 tea Italian Seasoning
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese (I used shredded and it worked well)
1 Egg
4 Boneless Pork Chops (or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast)
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (or Olive Oil)
Quick Spaghetti Sauce (see above recipe)
1 Cup Shredded Italian Cheese Blend Cheese

*Take 2 shallow dishes (or pie plates). In one mix together baking mix, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. In the other, beat egg (I added about a Tbsp of water to the egg).
*Coat pork chop (or chicken) in baking mix mixture, then in egg mixture, then coat again in baking mix mixture.
*In 12-in non stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add meat, cook 4-6 mins, till golden brown. Turn meat, cover and cook 8-10 more minutes, until juices run clear when center of thickest part is cut. Remove from skillet to plate.
*Add sauce to skillet, place meat on top of sauce. Sprinkle with Italian cheese. Cover, cook 2-3 mins or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

*Serve with your choose of noodle.



Brunswick Stew

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fall and one of the things that I love about it is that you can get Brunswick Stew, YUMMY!!

Well since I love it so much, I decided to embark in finding a recipe and there are TONS of them all different in one aspect or another. Finally I found one for Va Brunswick Stew (what makes Va Brunswick Stew different is that it has okra in it). So I ended up combining 2 recipes to get one that suited me. So I made it the other night and it was a HUGE pot full, that only got 2 bowls ate out of it. My husband does not like soups and stews and our son seems to be taking after him in that aspect. But Harleyann loved it and so did I, although I think that I will add more tomatoes next time.

The recipe I used is as follows:
Brunswick Stew:
2 whole chickens, cut into pieces

Boil in large stock pot with just enough water to cover chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove chicken and let set till cool enough to handle. Once chicken is cool enough turn stock back on and bring to a boil, reduce to low, shred chicken and put into stock. Add:

6 large potatoes, diced
2 large bags of Lima beans
2 large bags of corn
1 bag of cut okra
2 large cans whole tomatoes, roughly chopped (i poured the juice into the stew)


and simmer for 20 minutes. Add:
 
1 cup of ketchup
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 stick of butter
2 Tbsp vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
Salt and pepper to taste.
 
Cover and simmer for 2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally.
 
It turned out great, just really needs more tomatoes if you ask me.

Meatloaf

Tonight's dinner meatloaf.

Meatloaf:

Preheat oven to 350 degree.

1 lb ground hamburger
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp pepper
1/2 Tbsp salt
2 slices of toast, crumbled
1 can tomato sauce or 3/4 cup ketchup

Mix everything except tomato sauce together with hands to mix well. Place in baking dish and form meat mixture into a loaf. Pour tomato sauce over top. Bake for 1 hour.

**Sometimes I use tomato sauce and sometimes I use ketchup. Basically I grew up with meatloaf topped with ketchup, while my husband grew up with tomato sauce.**

Variations:

Use real onion instead of onion powder.
Add green peppers.


Serve with you favorite side dishes. I typically serve with either rice or mashed potatoes and a veggie. Tonight we are having it with mashed potatoes and broccoli.

Chicken Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

I made this for the first time tonight.

Chicken Chili with Cornbread Dumplings

Chili
3 cups cubed, cooked chicken (I used 3 chicken breast)
1 1/2 cups water
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can white kidney or navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 can Mexicorn, undrained
1 can chopped green chiles (I omitted these)
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Dumplings
1 1/3 cup baking mix (like bisquick)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon chili powder

1. In 5-quart dutch oven, heat all ingredients over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until bubbly.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir all dumpling ingredients until soft dough forms.
3. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto simmering chili. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, cook 13-15 minutes or until dumplings are dry.

It is very good, even without the chilies it is a bit spicy. I also could not find my cornmeal so I just used 2 cups of baking mix and it turned out really good.

Banana Bread

There is nothing like the smell of baking banana bread to fill the house. This is my favorite recipe for banana bread, it is easy and the end results is so good. I made 3 loaves today myself.

Banana Bread

**Preheat oven to 350 degree**

3 or 4 ripe bananas
1/3 cup melted butter (microwave for 30 seconds and it is perfect)
1 cup of sugar (3/4 cup works well too if you want to use less sugar)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (I use bread flour)

*Mash bananas with a potato masher or fork.
*Mix in butter.
*Add sugar, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
*Sprinkle baking soda and salt over mixture and mix in.
*Add flour (I do 1/2 cup at a time). Mix well.
*Pour into buttered loaf pan.
*Bake 1 hour.
*Remove from oven let cool, slice, and serve.