Cheesy chicken spaghetti-oven or crock pot method

3 pounds chicken, seasoned, cooked, and shredded
1 package thin spaghetti,cooked
1 pound velveeta, melted
2 can drains rotel
1 large can cream chicken soup
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl (the biggest one you have, combine all ingredients and season to taste. Place mixture in either large baking pan or crock pot and heat. If using a crock pot, use a liner and keep it as low temp as you can or it will get a little crusty on the sides.

Homemade Guacomole

I got the basis for this recipe from Donna Markward at our church. Both Coy and JoGail love this. It's super easy!

1 avocado
picante sauce
lime juice (just a tad)

Remove the pit from the avocado. Mash in a bowl. Add a little picante sauce to taste. Mix in a little juice. Season with salt and pepper.

I made stew today-one that had great beef flavor and wouldn't feed an army! I woke up early, went to wal-mart to get walking and grocery shopping in and a lady on the baking row somehow told me how she made stew, so I tried it!Best stew ever! 

1 pack brown grave mix-make with 2 cups beef broth.
3 white potatoes-quartered
1 cup diced carrots
1 package stew mix (I used McCormick)
2 cups (about beef broth)
1.5 pounds thin beef, cut into chunks
dash oil
dash flour-enough to coat beef chunks

Put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. I add a dash of oil to keep it from boiling over. Once it is boiling, put in potatoes and carrots. Boil for 10 minutes, Drain and set aside. Put a little oil (I used EVOO) in a skillet and heat. Add flour coated beef chunks. Cook til no longer pink (won't take long).  In a dutch oven, add brown gravy. Whisk in stew mix. and add some broth. Add beef, potatoes and carrots. Add beef broth to desired thickness. Let simmer. (You can also add some Worcestershire sauce in, too.) 

Holiday sweet pototatos

I combined several recipes to come up with this one. It is a family favorite with us. I just have to remember to boil the sweet potatoes three to four days before the big meal. Coy's sister JoLynn figured out the sweet potato cooking part and I used an old recipe for the rest. It's amazing how the sweet potato jackets just slide off.

3-4 days before the big meal
Choose about 4 large sweet potatoes. Boil in a pot of salted water water til tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool wrap in Saran wrap (do not use foil). Put in a bowl in the refrigerator. Always use a bowl because some juices will leak out.

Day of big meal
Get sweet potatoes out of refrigerator when you put the meat in the oven. Let get to room temperature (makes them easier to work with) unwrap each potatoe and gently pierce the jacket. The rest of the jacket will just slide off. I put the trash back in the bowl. Put sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl. Add desired amounts of butter and brown sugar. Mix with mixer til well blended. Will not take long.

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Put sweet potato mixture in. Cook on high for about 2 hours. 20-30 minutes before mealtime, add mini marshmallows in top. Sernpve when marshmallows are melted.

We love this because the marshmallows never burn ,because it frees up the oven space and because it tastes delicious!

Our summer so far.

It's been over 6 months since I last posted. Lot of changes have taken place in 6 months! Most of you know that Mom passed away in January. We are all still adjusting to that. She was such an integral part of our family. Dad's home base is still Amarillo. He has a street legal golf cart to drive on the backroads and alleys. (translation: he can go to Sonic and get his own cherry limeade!).


As usual, Coy is working hard in the summer. I know he's been working on the budget and grants and all kinds of stuff I can barely comprehend. Since Eustace now has a sonic (I know, 2 stop lights AND a Sonic), I'm spoiling him by taking him a Route 44 diet coke every day. He's going to miss that when school starts! :)


Grace is visiting colleges, still pretty much in limbo as to what she wants to do and where she wants to go. She has several options, so it's a matter of prayer and following God's lead. She's been to Girls State this summer and loved it. She is driving with confidence now. Tomorrow she is driving me to Tyler, so we will see how that goes! She's been doing the summer workouts and working on her volleyball skills. She just found out she scored high enough on the AP English test to get another 3 hours of college credit. She's taking online classes through the local community college as well. She volunteers at a local library as well.


JoGail is busy with church. She love going to church, absolutely loves it. She is planning on playing volleyball and being in the band. We will see how that works out! She probably won't march this season, but will be in 'the pit' because she is a freshman. She loves music and is going to help with the VBS music class next week. She, too has been doing summer workouts. She's had a basketball camp and volleyball camp as well. She's been working diligently on her Pre Ap English assignment.


I have probably had the biggest changes this summer. I has a gastric sleeve surgery on May 12. I barely made the weight cut off, but since I had diabetes and high blood pressure, I was approved. I can honestly say my life has changed fro the better and that most of the battle is mental. I'm up to walking 2.5 miles (at least) every day. I've started wogging (combination of jogging and walking this week).  It's easy to fit in the exercise in the summer, I'm still talking to God about how to get it in in the school year and when it gets colder. I'm keeping a journal and it is truly amazing to see how far I have come. Yes, I will never have another Coke or carbonated beverage. Yes, I will always have to exercise. Yes, I eat very little. I'm learning how to order when we have to eat out....I beg and steal of the girls' plates and usually just order a side if there's one that interests me. Salads are typically too big for me. My main nutrition goal is to eat 60 grams of protein a day. Sounds like a lot, but when add it up it happens rather quickly. I used to laugh at Coy for using myfitnesspal, but now I use it, too.


Well, that pretty much sums up our summer so far....I'll try to update more regularly! :)


Laurie

JoGail's punch

Being the second sister, she likes to do things a little different than Grace. So she wanted me to make her a different punch recipe than Grace and her friends like. (Grace likes Almost Champagne Punch.)  So after souring pinterest, I came across this and it was really, really easy and good!


Lemonade Punch
2 cups lemonade ready made mix
 4 cups water
2 regular size jugs pineapple juice
1 2liter sprite

Mix and serve!

 One of the best things I have purchased is a drink dispenser. It works great when more than just us are here and I don't want o serve soft drinks. Mine has a an ice core thingy that even keeps it cold, so I put the ingredients in the fridge, mix and it stays cold for a long time.


We made cinnamon rolls for supper tonight. I think we might have just started a New ew Year's Day tradition! Nice after eating all those peas at lunch!

Black Eyed Peas

1 bag peas, presoaked for about 8-12 hours
2 cups chopped leftover ham
2-3 stalks celery (leftover from Coy's salad), diced and sauted in a little butter
thyme seasoning
greek seasoning

Put in crockpot, cover with water and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

I kind of tweaked Emeril's hopping john recipe for this one. We really liked it. Some ate it over rice, some ate it over cornbread!

OK, I'm going to write down some of out favorite crockpot recipes. We have been eating a lot from the crockpot this school year. JG typically has a game on Monday night. I put something on and away we go. Grace comes in from her practice while we are at JG's game and has something hot to eat. Then we have something to eat, besides fast food. It has worked out well.

Buffalo Chicken-JoGail's favorite

1 package frozen chicken breast (I buy Tyson in the bag)
12 oz bottle Frank's hot sauce
1 pack hidden valley ranch mix

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Great to make a sandwich with using Hawaiin rolls.

Salsa Chicken-Grace's favorite

1 package frozen chicken breasts
2 can rotel
1 package taco seasoning

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken. Can eat plan or use as taco filling.


3 packet roast-recipe from my mom

1 large roast
1 package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1 package Italian dressing mux
1 package brown grave mix
1 can French onion soup
1 large container beef broth.

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Meat will be extremely tender and gravy is already made.

Creamy pork chops
1 package boneless pork chops
1 can cream celery soup
1 package hidden valley ranch dressing

Cook on low 6-8 hours. Can also use chicken instead of pork chops.
Sometimes I boil some cut up potatoes and carrots and add them to the gravy.


Hot Apple juice (my mom's recipe)

1 bottle apple juice
1 bag red hots

Cook til hot and red hots melt. If I have it, I might also add some cinnamon sticks.

I also make stew using the packet made by 'slow cooker' . I just follow the directions on the package. It turns out great!

I have also cooked BBQ chicken in the crockpot-just add frozen chicken and BBQ sauce and it has turned out great. I haven't tried ribs yet!