Ranch Chicken Tacos

Made this yesterday and it was a huge hit!  So easy.

Ranch Chicken Tacos
3 lbs of chicken (give or take, I probably only used half this) - frozen or fresh
1 packet of Ranch Seasoning
1 packet of Taco Seasoning (of you could make your own)
1 15 oz can of chicken broth

Put the chicken in the crockpot.  Sprinkle with ranch and taco seasoning, then add broth.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  Shred and serve!

I highly recommend squeezing some of the moisture out of the meat before adding it to tacos, so they don't get soggy or leak when you take a bite.

We served with
cheddar cheese
hard and soft corn tortillas
chopped tomatoes
spinach (faux lettuce)

This would also be really good to use for burrito bowls as planned leftovers.

Enjoy!

Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Made these the other night with my Mom and they were easy and delicious.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and the lady who posted it originally had said that she was looking for a less messy and more chocolate-y solution, which this certainly is!  The trickiest part is washing and then coring the strawberries.  I thought they tasted a little better when the chocolate wasn't set all the way (I ate a few while we were making them they were amazing) but they were definitely worth making again.

Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberries
strawberries (bigger is better but sweet is most important)
chocolate chips

Take the stem and core out of the strawberries, and then rinse.  Let them dry on a wire rack upside down (so they drain) until they are completely dry.  Then stand them up in a mini-muffin tin, and add the chocolate.  You can microwave chocolate chips in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until soft.  We used spoons to add the chocolate.  You could also pour the chocolate into a plastic baggie and cut off the end and then "pipe" it in there, but the spoon method worked well too.  Let them set for a while, on the counter or in the fridge if you want them to harden.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

These are AMAZING.  Very, very rich, and while they were yummy fresh out of the oven, they were significantly better the next day.  (The three that survived were.)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

1 (18.25) package plain yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1.5 cups)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2) Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl using a mixer or spoon. Press this into a 9X13 pan reserving 1 1/2 cup of the mixture to crumble on top.

3) In a small pot, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut.
4) Spread chocolate mixture over the mixture pressed in the pan and then crumble the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cake mixture on top evenly.
5) Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Amish Sugar Cookies

Amish Sugar Cookies

Made these with Christopher and his comment was that "they really do melt in your mouth!"

• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 12 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar

Bake at 350 for 7-9 minutes.  

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce 
1 medium onion, chopped 
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 cups water 
1 (14.5 ounce) can 99% fat-free chicken broth 
1 TBSP cumin 
1 TBSP chili powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
1 bay leaf 
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn 
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.  Remove chicken from soup and shred. Return chicken to soup, and then blend this in batches or use an immersion blender to liquify it a little. I prefer to leave SOME chunks but if you don't blend it, I think this recipe is too watery.

We like things spicy and flavorful, so I also add in a dash or two of cayenne.

Number of Servings: 8

Hot Chocolate from Scratch

We didn't have hot chocolate mix one night, but the family needed it and Google came to the rescue.  Christopher thought I was a genius making this from scratch.  Add marshmallows or whipped cream. :-) 

Real Hot Chocolate

1/3 C. semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk

Break or chop the two squares of unsweetened or semisweet chocolate into smaller pieces.

In a saucepan, add: 2 chopped squares unsweetened or semisweet chocolate, 1/3 cup sugar and 2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Once the mixture comes to a boil, add the remaining 2 cups milk and heat all the way through. Do not allow the hot chocolate to come to another boil.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Real Hot Cocoa
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups milk

In a saucepan, add: 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/3 sugar and 4 cups milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously. Heat all the way through without allowing the mixture to come to a boil. When steam begins to build and a few bubbles escape along the sides of the saucepan, the cocoa is done.

Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 
  
• 
  
• Flourless Chocolate Cake
• 
  
• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling
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strawberries, or other fresh berries on the side

mint leaves would be nice

Ganache (see note below)

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Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter paper.  Using a spring form pan may help as well, or you can make mini cakes to freeze using muffin tins.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. Remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with sorbet if desired. (Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.)

A chocolate ganache (butter, chocolate and vanilla, I think?) would really go well on this, and I'll update this when I find the frosting that works.  

• For Glaze:
• 2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla
• 1. To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.
  2. Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.

Pumpkin Roll

This is a fairly involved recipe but he outcome is worth every step.  Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Roll

• CAKE
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• FILLING
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Nutritional Information

• Serving Size
  1/10 of recipe
• Calories 370
• Calories from Fat 150

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

% Daily Value *

• Total Fat 16g25%
• Saturated Fat 10g50%
• Cholesterol 105mg35%
• Sodium 280mg12%
• Carbohydrates 52g17%
• Dietary Fiber 1g4%
• Sugars 43g
• Protein 5g

• Vitamin A50%
• Vitamin C0%
• Calcium6%
• Iron6%