Turkey Noodle Soup

What do do with that leftover turkey from Thanksgiving? 

When I first pulled the turkey from the oven Thanksgiving day I poured the liquid into a Tupperware container & froze it. The stock contained juices from the turkey and water I had added. We ate turkey sandwiches the next day and that evening I pulled the leftover meat and froze it.

I had about 3 cups of turkey meat leftover. I did not measure anything when I made this. The measurements I say below are educated guesses. I just added what looked good and what would fit into the pot. Add more meat if you want or completely omit the meat & add more veggies. Remember that you are using turkey stock so omitting the meat does not make it vegetarian. 

Now a month later, its cold and snowy. Christmas is on its way and everyone is busy with getting ready.I took out the frozen stock and ran hot water over the container so it would slide out. I put it into 4 cups of hot water & brought to a boil.

Two tablespoons into a large frying pan with the leftover turkey to brown it. Remember, this is leftover thanksgiving turkey so it is already throughly cooked. I added some dry seasoning to season the turkey: Onion, garlic, cayenne pepper, mustard and pepper.

I added 4 cups of noodles directly to the boiling stock and let boil for 5 minutes. Then adding the browned turkey and 1 cup of frozen corn, carrots & green beans. You could also use celery, peas, squash or anything you have on hand. Let boil for 5 more minutes then Set to Simmer.

When the noodles and the veggies are tender. Serve. Even better reheated the next day.

If you made this recipe or have a comment or question please email me or post below. I would love to hear from you.

Beef Stroganoff

 Forget about the dish being difficult. I took a recipe & put in some short-cuts to make it quicker and easier.

1 1/2 - 2 pounds of beef chunks.
(I used stew meat. It's already chunked into bite size pieces.)
4 oz. can of mushrooms (you can omit the mushrooms if you do not like them.)
1 10oz can french onion soup
1 c. sour cream
3 c. cooked noodles

In a large skillet brown beef chunks with olive oil. After meat is browned, add mushrooms. Stir in french onion soup. Bring to a boil the Set to Simmer for 30 minutes. Until broth thickens. Remove from heat and gradually stir in sour cream.

Cook noodles according to package directions, until tender.

This is a delicious recipe that you can easily make to feed a whole family, just one person or substitute ingredients for a lower calorie dish. Use lite or fat free sour cream, light french onion soup and whole wheat noodles.

I always serve with a vegetable and a tossed salad.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies have always been a nemesis of mine. They either come out  hard, flat, fluffy or bland. No matter what recipe I used. The back of the chip bag or a family recipe. I botched it up...I blame the air pressure, yeah. That's it.
So I set out and research every ingredient in the chocolate chip cookie & what it's purpose is and some ingredients and why they are NOT in this traditional cookie.

My husband walks into the kitchen one evening, lured there by the smells of chocolate chip baking, I assume. He spies the photocopied "back of the chip bag" recipe with my scribbles all over it.
"What's this?" He asks.
I say, nonchalantly,"I did some changes to the chocolate chip recipe & I'm seeing how it works."
He looks closer at my altered concoction."This is what it's come to? Chocolate chip cookies recipe isn't perfect enough for you?" He says with a sideways glance at me.
I can see him chuckling, the bugger. He teases but I saw him grab a cooled cookie on the way out of the kitchen.
I'm onto him.

Here is my altered cookie. I hope you like it as much as I do.
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
12 ounce chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Add flour baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt in a separate bowl.

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time mixing well. Slowly add in flour mixture to butter & sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. use a regular spoon to scope the dough & drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

It's a little harder to see if chocolate cookies are browning because they are already so dark. I look at the top center part of the cookie. Once it looks dry remove the cookie from the over & let sit on the pan to cool.

 Serve with hot chocolate for a chocolate overload!

Or with milk for you traditionalists!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Man oh man, I can remember coming home from school on a cold and snowy day and opening the door to the smells of beef stew that has been in the slow cooker for hours. MMMMM......so good. This recipe is pretty easy. It's really understanding the level which different food cook. Like meat and potatoes takes longer to cook then celery. Here, let me show you. Below is a photo of my ingredients.

1 pound of beef cut into bite size chunks. 4 or 5 potatoes (depending on their size), french onion soup 2 10 once cans. celery, baby carrots & corn. I use green beans too but I didn't have any for this one.


I put a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan & brown the meat. Don't cook it all the way through. Just brown it some on either side.

Pour the 2 cans of french onion soup into the slow cooker & put the cooker on high. Add the browned meat & cut up the potatoes into bite size pieces. Put the lid on & stir occasionally for the next 3-4 hours or until the meat is cooked & the potatoes are tender. I do season the meat with black pepper, onion powder & garlic powder. Not too much, you want the natural flavors of all the ingredients to show through.


Then add the celery, baby carrots and corn. cut up the celery into small pieces. Turn slow cooker to low & stir occasionally over the next 2 hours. By now, you should be able to smell the awesome goodness of this meal everywhere in your house. Your neighbors might even be knocking on your door.

Use a ladle or a large spoon to serve the stew. Leave on low so it stays warm. You will have many going back for seconds I can assure you.

Serve with homemade bread or rolls. Tell everyone it took you 6 hours to make it. Just don't mention you spend 4 of those hours on Facebook.

Pineapple & Ginger Snap Cookie Sundae

A combination I would never have thought of if when I unpacked the groceries I didn't place them next to each other on the counter. Hmmmm....I wonder. I searched the web looking for someone...anyone who had combined these two flavors together & survived to tell about it. But, alas, I could find none. So with the wind at my back & caution tossed carelessly out the door I reached for a pan. A pan to sear my fresh pineapple with, dear. For canned....it will not do.

I cut up a handful of gingersnap cookies. They are a hard cookie so breaking them up is a "snap" with a mallet or a sharp knife. Scoop a few spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream on top.

Brown the pineapple a bit on each side & remove from heat. Cut up right away and place on ice cream. Server immediately! The hot pineapple will melt the ice cream fast!

It is so delicious. I think there might be some leftover in the fride. Yes. I believe there is. OK, I'll see you tomorrow folks, I must wrap with up. (grabs a spoon & heads toward the kitchen.)

Hot Dog its Hot Dogs!

Hot dogs are great over a campfire but these lean beefy goodness are not just for summer fun! I rolled out crescent dough that I bought in the dairy section in the tube. Place a slice of provolone then the hot dog & roll. Wide side to tip. Like the photo!

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet & bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Until tops start to brown.

You can you ball park franks, beef dogs, turkey dogs, fat free dogs. Whatever you desire.

I steamed broccoli & served with a romaine lettuce tossed salad. Yum! It was a big hit. Prep time was 10 minutes and baking time was 10 minutes. EASY!  Message me if you have any comment or suggestions. I would love to hear from you.

The Rub Down: Pork Chops

Once I found rubs, BBQ sauces just don't measure up.

 I bought this rub from the butcher where I bought the chops. Walmart be damned! Go to your local butcher. You'll pay about $2 more but the difference in quality and flavor is worth a million dollars. Try it, you will be supporting a small local business in your community that buys from farmers in your town. And the service, wow...the service! My butchers name is Don and he owns the place. Who cut the steaks in your freezer?

 Rub in a few tablespoons of the pork rub on either side. And bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer show 160 degrees. Don't over cook or it will become dry. 

 I cut the pork chop in half and served with baked potato and steamed broccoli. YUM!

Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pie

I love chicken pot pie!
Don't tell my family but I use this as a leftovers dinner meld. I blend in any and all leftovers I may have. No one has to know. I won't tell that you dropped in leftover ham or sausage from breakfast.

I made this in a casserole dish, you can use a pie plate if you want that pie look to it. Casserole dishes are good for scoop and serve dinners. I also put tons of veggies in mine.

I'm going to give your a recipe I use as a guideline but the joy in a casserole is you can add, omit or change the ingredients to suit your families taste buds and it doesn't harm the meal at all.

Chicken Pot Pie

1-26oz can of Cream of Chicken soup
3 chicken breast (boneless skinless)
2 cups of mixed frozen veggie

Topping
1 cup Bisquick
1 cup milk (or water) depending on what your mix calls for)


Add the soup, cooked and browned chicken and frozen veggies into the pie pan or casserole dish. I like lots and lots of veggies in mine as you can see. I used yellow carrots, broccoli, green beans, red peppers & corn.









Mix the Topping in a separate dish and pour over top of dish.









Bake for 30-45 minutes until bubbly and brown.

Fresh out of the oven

I always make two of these at once and take one to my father in law. He loves them. Make an extra & take to a friend or family. They will love it!

10 minutes later

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits (Red Lobsters)

I think these biscuits are the only thing I go back for at Red Lobster. These go so well with any meal. It doesn't have to be seafood. I make mine smaller them the restaurant so I don't feel bad about eating two. Muahahahaha!

I have served them with chicken, pork chops, salads and even for breakfast!



3 cups Bisquick. baking mix
1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup margarine or butter -- melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. Mix baking mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 min. or until golden brown. Mix margarine and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm. Makes 10-12 biscuits.

I use a silicone baking mat and I love it! I never have to grease pans ever again. And it rinses right off  and its ready to use again.

Pumpkin Dip

This recipe is short and very sweet.

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix everything, cover and chill overnight in the fridge.

Serve with ginger snap cookies, apples and/or pears.

OK, OK.....I know, I know. The holidays are coming and you don't want rich calorie enhanced food all around you. You're looking for something a bit more healthy, you nut. (no nuts are used in the making of this health nut version)

Omit the brown sugar and serve with sliced apples and pears. Yay! Now stop hugging that tree and come over here and try this. Add a table spoon at a time of brown sugar if you want it a bit sweeter but otherwise ENJOY! 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

I found this recipe after searching for something seasonal but not too "halloween-y". This is a great cake for partys and dinners.

I had a rose petel silcone baking pan. 
<can you call it a pan if its silicone?...dish... flex-baking container thingy.> Sigh. I dont know.

It is sturdy once you put the batter in it. Don't be afraid to buy one/use it. I really liked it. I put it on a baking sheet to keep it level.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder 
• 
  
• Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a separate bowl.  Add to the creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating well after each addition. 
• 
  
• Fold in chocolate chips. Do not use a mixer.
• 
  
• Divide batter in half. When I divided the batter instead of 50/50 I did a more 30/70. 30% chocolate & 70% pumpkin. I wanted a definitely more pumpkin taste over all. Feel free to change the proportions to the flavor you want to dominate. I scooped the chocolate half of the batter right into the bowl I had the flour, baking powder & baking soda in. Stir chocolate into one portion. In a well-greased 10-in. bunt pan. Spoon chocolate batter first and top with pumpkin batter. 
• 
  
• Bake at 325° for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Letting it set for 15 minutes is an important step, please don't skip it. I would hate for all your hard work to fall flat or break apart.

You can see from my photo here that the tips of the rose petals got a little dark. Not to worry! Just add a little glaze icing & PA-POW.  No one will ever know. Even the most experienced bakers and cooks make mistakes. It's confidence that no one will ever find out where they are that keeps us going.

Icing:

1/2 powdered sugar
2-3 TBS milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Stir with a fork rapidly for 2 minutes. Drizzle over cooled cake.

Here you can really see the chocolate on top & the pumpkin bottom.

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Jambalaya (Box mixes need not apply)

Though a guy playing the saxophone while I stir would be cool.

I can't wait to try this out. It smells so spicy & good. 
I chose a recipe that is mild on the "kick" factor. 




2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 ounces medium Italian sausage (or kielbasa if you don't like a lot of spice)
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper. diced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. 
Saute chicken and kielbasa until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 

n with cayenne, onion popper. Cook 5 minutes, or until onion is tender and translucent

Add rice, then stir in chicken stock. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. 
Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.

Every jambalaya recipe I read was different. 

Please do not take my recipe as the all that jambalaya has to offer recipe. I fused together several recipes that I thought sounded delicious. I added & omitted ingredients that another jambalaya maker would probably consider blasphemy. 

So please, be creative, do what you think your family would love.

Traditionally you serve vegetable sticks with jambalaya. Carrot and celery sticks help with the heat.  I also served with salad and ranch dressing.

Stuffed Crust Pizza and Broccoli and Cheese Rolls

Um...You had me a PIZZA!

I have never made stuffed crust pizza before and I wanted to give it a shot. I set two pounds of frozen bread dough out to thaw. It doesn't take long to defrost. I used the dinner rolls (24) and it took about 25 minutes until it was thawed.


Roll it out, stretch it out. You want to work out a lot of the air bubbles so it doesn't puff up like a loaf of bread. thawed out bread dough is very pliable. Stretch it out, don't be intimidated, if it rips just pinch it back together & keep going.

I used a 1/2 sheet cookie sheet for this pizza. I don't have a round pizza pan & I like the squares. So only the outside edges will be stuffed crust & the insides will be crust less. YUM!

I used sticks of string mozzarella cheese for the stuffed crust. Put the whole stick up to the edge & fold over. use a fork to seal the ends. For pizza sauce, I used Mids. It's a local company in Navarre, Ohio. It's the best I have ever used. You don't need a lot, just a few table spoons.

Spread cheese according to desire. I used a cheddar & moneray jack Mexican blend for a little sass in my pizza. Use whatever topping you desire.  My husband is a pepperoni guy so pepperoni it was.

This photo was 15 minutes into the 30 minute baking time. It just need to brown more.

I baked at 350 for 30 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes, slices & serve.

I was in more of a veggie pizza mood so I set out 3 dough balls out to thaw. While the pepperoni pizza was baking I rolled out these little beauties. Sprayed a few hits of butter spray, dropped a tiny bit of minced garlic on each. I used 1/4 cup of the Mexican shredded cheese & divided it among the three. I then took frozen broccoli, removed the stems & cut the tops into smaller pieces. I used a lot, as much as I could fit into them & folded them over. Pinched them closed.









They smell so good baking one the heat hits the garlic. Spray the top with butter spray or a quick brush of olive oil to brown them more on top. About 20 minutes & they are done.I served with a plate of salad.










The pizza I did not calorie count but the broccoli and cheese rolls are.

200 calories
3 fat
2.5 fiber

Enjoy! Click on the link to the right & follow my blog. I'd love to hear your comments on any of my dishes. I can't wait to hear from you!