Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16oz) can chili beans
• 1 (16oz) can black beans
• 1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid oz) can beer ~or water~
• 2 (10oz) cans diced tomatoes w/green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25oz) pkg taco seasoning **
• 3 whole skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (opt)
• sour cream (opt)
• crushed Tortilla chips (opt)

Directions:

1. Place onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer/water and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for Low heat, cover and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, allow to cool and then shred. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup and continue cooking for 2 hours.
   
3. Serve topped with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips, if desired.

** Make-Your-Own Taco Seasoning
1 Tb chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless pork sirloin roast (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1-1/2 cups salsa verde
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• Reduced-fat sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, cubed avocado, shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese and chopped tomato, optional

Directions:

1. In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is very tender.
2. Shred pork with two forks. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Serve with toppings if desired. Yield: 10 tacos.

Slush

Ingredients:

• 16oz box of strawberry jello
• 1c sugar
• 42oz pineapple juice
• 4c boiling water
• 6oz frozen lemonade

Directions:

1. Mix jello, sugar and water until dissolved. Add pineapple juice and lemonade. Pour into a 5qt ice cream bucket. Stir after 6-8 hours. Stir every 4 hours after that. Serve with sierra mist or sprite. You can also substitute the jello flavor of your choice.

Special K Bars/Scotcheroos

Ingredients:

• 1c sugar
• 1c white corn syrup
• 1c peanut butter
• 6c special K cereal
• 1c chocolate chips
• 1c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Boil the sugar and syrup together. Add the peanut butter. Pour over the special K cereal. Mis together in a bowl and then slightly press into a greased 9X13 pan. Melt the cocolate chips and spread over the top. (Alaina I finally posted this just for you!)

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 2 pkgs crescent rolls
• 2 granny smith apples peeled and cored (8 peices for each)
• 1 can of Mt.Dew
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place each apple section on a crescent roll and roll up covering the apple slice completely. Place in 9X13 baking pan.
2. Mix together sugar, butter, and cinnamon-mix well and spoon over each apple roll.
3. Pour 1 can of Mt.Dew over the rolls.
4. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.

Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

• 5c flour
• 3c sugar
• 5t baking soda
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 15oz box bran flakes
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1/2 cup veg oil
• 1/2 cup apple sauce
• 4 eggs beaten

Directions:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and bran flakes together. Add buttermilk veg oil, applesauce and the 4 beaten eggs. Mix well. Bake at 400 for 15 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. *(When I think bran muffins I think old people (sorry) and gross. These are delicous! I had our 14 year old neighbor kid tell me they were the best bran muffins he's had.)

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg dry yeast
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup margarine
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour

FILLING:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar *
• 2 1/2 Tb cinnamon
• 1/3 cup margarine, softened

ICING

• 8 Tb margarine
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/8 tsp salt
  

Directions:

1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
2. Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
4. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
6. It should be approx 1/4 thick.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
8. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
9. Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
10. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
11. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
13. While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
14. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
15. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

* I substituted white sugar for brown sugar.

Mother-in-law's No-fail Oil Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup cold water
  

Directions:

1. Mix together in mixing bowl with a fork until just blended. Use wax paper on a counter (sprinkle a few drops of cold water on the counter top to help hold the wax paper in place) Place another piece of wax paper on top of your ball of pie crust dough (should still be a bit crumbly...the crumbles will all roll in fine!). Roll out to desired thickness. Pick up rolled out crust and lay over your pie dish (wax paper side up). Peel off wax paper carefully. Makes enough for one double-crust pie.
   

Eggnog Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup eggnog
• 5 1/3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I used salted!)
• 1 tsp almond extract (I used 1/4 tsp b/c we don't like too much almond flavoring!)
• 1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cranberries
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 Tbsp butter, slightly softened
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*. Line 14-16 muffin cups with paper liners and grease.

In a bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt and stir to combine. In a larger bowl, add 1 cup of sugar, eggs, eggnog, melted butter and almond extract. Stir until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Chop the cranberries. Toss them with the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar and fold into batter along with the white chocolate chips. Fill the prepared muffin liners 2/3 full.

Streusel topping:

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until a coarse, crumbly mixture forms. Add nuts if using. Sprinkle the mixture on top of the muffin batter. Bake for about 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

This delicious recipe was found here. We all loved these. Not being huge eggnog fans, but yet having to have a couple sips every holiday season, this was the perfect way to use up the rest of the eggnog!! Kids & I loved them (and I'm not a huge white chocolate fan), my husband thought maybe a few less white chocolate chips.

Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger

This is an awesome recipe from the book, A Homemade Life. This is a great read if you enjoy recipes and the memories they can have!

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used salted just fine!)
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (from about 3 lg ripe bananas)
• 1/4 cup well-stirred whole-milk yogurt (I use my low-fat homemade yogurt just fine!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a standard size loaf pan with cooking spray or butter.
2. In a small bowl, microwave butter until just melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate chips and ginger and whisk well to combine. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add the mashed banana, yogurt, melted butter and vanilla and stir to mix well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently, scraping down sides as needed, until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick and somewhat lumpy. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
5. Bake until a deep shade of golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 50 min to 1 hour.
6. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Then tip out onto a cooling rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow cake mix (18.25 oz)
• 1 vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 5 Tbsp german chocolate sweet chocolate, grated, divided
• 2 Tbsp conf. sugar

Directions:

1. Combine cake and pudding mixes, milk and oil and eggs. Beat on low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips and 3 Tbsp grated chocolate. Pour into greased and floured 10" fluted tube pan or bundt pan. Bake at 350* for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 min before removing from pan. to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust top of cake with confectioner's sugar and sprinkle on grated chocolate.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg (18.25 oz) white cake mix
• food coloring
• cupcake baking cups
  

Directions:

1. Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
2. Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.
3. Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue	12 drops
Green	12 drops
Yellow	12 drops
Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red	18 drops

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup mashed canned pumpkin
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1-1/4 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
   
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl; stir well. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, stirring well with a wire whisk.
   
3. Slowly add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Mixture will be very crumbly; it will gradually become moist after stirring.)
   
4. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add macadamia nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until nuts are browned. Remove from heat and cool completely. Knead or gently stir cooled nuts into dough.
   
5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. Lightly flour hands and shape each portion into a 1 x 15" long log. Place logs 3" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
   
6. Bake for 23 minutes; cool logs 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300. Cut each log diagonally into 1/2" slices using a serrated knife. Place slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.
   
7. Cool completely on wire racks.

Breadsticks

(Taste of Homes recipe)
Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 c. flour
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2/3 c. milk
• 3 Tbs. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. sesame seeds

Directions:

1. In small bowl combine dry ingredients.  Gradually add milk and stir to form a soft dough.
2. Turn onto a floured surface, knead 3-4 times.
3. Roll into a 10x5x1/2" rectangle; cut into 12 breadsticks
4. Place butter in 9x13 pan.  Place breadsticks in the butter and turn to coat.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds (I didn't have them on hand).
5. Bake at 450* for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown.