...frenzied foodie...

Black Bean Soup (vegetarian)

2012-01-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

3 cans black beans 2 cans Rotel tomatoes & chiles 1 jar Herdez red salsa (mild, medium or hot depending on your tastes) 1 box vegetable stock DO NOT drain beans. Put 2 cans of beans, 1/2 of the stock & 1 can of Rotel into blender. Blend well. Combine blended ingredients, other 1/2 of stock, salsa & 2nd can of Rotel into soup pot. Bring to simmer. Thicken with corn starch slurry if necessary/

Chicken & Green Chile Soup (food storage)

2012-01-13T22:20:00.000-08:00

2 cans diced green chiles 3 cans chicken breast meat 1 can Rotel tomatoes 1 jar Herdez green salsa 3 cans of great northern beans (white beans) 1 box chicken stock (fat free, low sodium) 1 tsp garlic powder a few shakes of cayenne pepper salt & black pepper to taste (or just put it on the table for people to add) 1.5 c. sour cream (use sour cream if making "fresh", if using only food storage use

Christmas Menu 2011 (still planning)

2011-12-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

Patino Christmas Menu 2011 Head Count: 6 Patinos, 8 Leckenbys - 14 total Patinos: (Meat) Prime Rib or Roast Beef or Tri-Tip or Turkey...Prime Rib is tradition around here...still contemplating that for 14 people. Garlic Mashed Potatoes Green Salad w/Avocado Whipped Cream Crackers/Bread & Dip Veggie Tray Mom: Green Bean Supreme Mac & Cheese Nana & Papa Leckenby: Costco Rolls Mark & Nena:

Soda Cracker Cookies

2011-12-12T00:35:00.000-08:00

I rate this higher than Almond Roca. Its chocolate, toffee & nuts. Sweet, salty & crunchy. Honestly the best thing ever. My mom has been making it for years. It freaks you out right at first...then takes you by surprise and wins you over the minute you have your first bite. 35-40 saltine crackers 1 cup butter 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or slivered almonds 1 cup

Pumpkin Pie Cake

2011-11-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I grew up with. I've been craving this cake since late summer but finally got around to emailing my mimi/grandma to get the recipe. Now is a more appropriate time of year to bake it anyways. So here is my favorite pumpkin pie cake! 1 large can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) 6 eggs 1 c white

Menu Monday

2011-08-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Monday - Santa Fe Chicken Wraps Tuesday - Sweet Pork Tacos Wednesday - FFY (Youth Night) Thursday - Baked Coconut Shrimp w Jalapeno Pineapple Dipping Sauce Friday - Chile Relleno Casserole Saturday - Leftover Sweet Pork (Burritos or Salads) Sunday - TBD

Chewy Cookies & Cream Bars

2011-07-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Think Rice Krispie Treats...only made with oreo crumbs. They really should be illegal! 1 whole container of Oreo's...yes all 3 rows (crumbled/crushed) 1 bag (10oz) of big marshmallows 1/4c. (1/2 stick) of salted butter Crush or crumble the oreos (The smaller the pieces the more dense & chewy this cookie bar turns out. Using slightly bigger pieces make it crunchier.) Place mallows & butter in a

Tamale Pie

2011-07-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

1lb ground beef 1 medium white/yellow onion (diced) 2 cans chili beans (small red beans in slightly seasoned sauce) 1 can kidney beans (drained & rinsed) 1 can black beans (drained & rinsed) 1 can black olives (drained, rinsed & squished between your fingers) cumin, chili powder, garlic powder & salt 2 ears of corn (cooked & cut off the cob) 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (mild) 1 bag of Marie Calendars

Morning Glory Muffins

2011-05-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from culinary school. This was the most popular breakfast item for catering jobs at Chico State for professor meetings, etc. Morning Glory Muffins: 1lb All Purpose Flour 18oz Sugar 4tsp Baking Soda 4tsp Cinnamon Sift & set aside. 1lb Grated Carrots 6oz Raisins 4oz Pecans (chopped) 4oz Shredded Coconut 6oz Grated Apple (with skin on) Mix into the dry ingredients. 6 eggs 12oz oil

Rich & Creamy Funeral Potatoes

2011-04-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

Be prepared this makes a BIG batch. Not too big but its about (2) 9x13" pans full. Perfect for a big family holiday meal or bringing to a funeral. Mine are a bit different than your typical Mormon "funeral potatoes". I just had a friend watch me make part of mine and he said I was cheating. Whatever. His mom probably uses fresh potatoes & onions. Which is fine...but honestly if I wanted fresh

Millionaire Pineapple Pie

2011-04-21T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yes this makes 2 pies. 2 amazing yummy fluffy pies!!! If you are paranoid about using raw eggs then use pasteurized egg substitute. The pineapple in this recipe is often substituted for fresh strawberries or even bananas. Yum!!! Honestly any fresh chopped or well drained canned fruit would work. I'm thinking peaches this summer....hmm. Crusts: 2 (pre-made, store bought) graham cracker or Nilla

Orange Julius

2011-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

6oz frozen oj concentrate 1c milk 1c water 1tsp vanilla 1/2c ice cubes 1/4c sugar Blend all together till ice is no longer cubes. Thank me later.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2011-04-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Mother in Law- Thanks for making this concoction....its horrible. Horribly good. Lovingly- My Thighs Yep, you heard it. This is a recipe from my mother in law. I love it. I love it so much I had to share, just so you all can enjoy the bliss along with me. Now I'm craving it too. Darn! FYI...The key to this recipe is letting it chill for several hours so the graham crackers soften. Just

Spinach & Tortellini Soup

2011-04-21T11:31:00.000-07:00

This recipe is super easy. The original version is step by step...but, of course I've modified it so that even a 12 year old can make an amazingly easy & healthy soup in less than 20 minutes. Gather all your ingredients & pretty much dump it together...with the exception of the pasta. (See directions below.) As far as the tortellini are concerned....I like using Buitoni cheese tortellinis from

Ham & Cheese Spaghetti Bake

2011-04-21T10:44:00.000-07:00

Always served in my childhood home following Easter, this is one of my favorite dishes. I'm not a big ham eater, but small cubes of ham are fine with me. I'd rather eat this than a slice of ham any day. I typically make a double or triple batch of this...freezing half & feeding half to the family for 2-3 meals. This also makes a great pot-luck dish. Its filling enough for a meal but simple enough

Creamy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2011-04-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 c elbow macaroni 1/2 c salted butter (one stick) 1/2 c flour 1/2 tsp salt (plus 1 tsp for boiling water) dash of pepper 2 1/3 c whole milk (I used 1%...so sue me) 1/2 c chicken broth 3 1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese 4oz cream cheese (half a brick) 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (smashed to crumbs in a ziplock bag) Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1tsp of salt & your macaroni to the water.

Avocado Pasta Salad

2011-04-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

1 box (16oz) Garden Rotini 6 small ripe avocados (diced large) 1 bottle (14oz) Bernsteins Cheese & Garlic Italian Dressing 12oz cherry tomatoes (halved) 1 can (6oz) black olives (halved) 1 bag (12oz) frozen broccoli florets 2-4 green onions (sliced) 2-4Tbsp fresh chopped herbs of your choice (basil, cilantro, parsley or thyme) Pour dressing into a large plastic or glass serving bowl. After

Mini Cheesecakes

2011-04-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

I've had this recipe forever. My grandma(s), yes both of them, used to make these for a special dessert. Makes 12. Mini Cheesecakes: 16oz cream cheese 1c. sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract Nilla' Wafers pie filling or preserves of your choice cupcake liners Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put cupcake liners into a cupcake pan. Place a Nilla' Wafer into the bottom of each cupcake liner...flat

Chipotle & Bean Taco Filling

2011-04-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

This taco filling is slightly spicy, but still kid friendly. The addition of the beans helps cool it down a bit. You can also use more or less of the chipotles. We like to use it as taco or burrito filling, but for the little girls I also spread it on one edge of the tortilla, add grated cheese & shredded lettuce, then roll it up like a taquito. Seal the other edge with a little smear of filling.

America's Next Great Restaurant (Episode 2)

2011-04-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

The contestants are instantly thrown for a loop. They will be serving 1000 people lunch at a local mall (Universal City Walk) the next day. First they must select their executive chef. They must also select their "branding" & logo. There are 17 chefs back in the kitchen who have prepared dishes. The contestants get to go back & try their food & talk. Choosing their chef may or may not be the

America's Next Great Restaurant (Episode 1)

2011-04-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

This blog is sort of co-written. My hubby & I are watching this show together. I decided to blog with the help of my hubby on how we personally feel about the concepts. I'm a little bit behind in blogging, so hopefully over the next couple of days I'll get everyone up to speed. Obviously I'll be expressing my personal opinions of the concepts so feel free to comment if you are watching. Episodes

Italian Style Mini Meatloaves

2011-04-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is the most basic meatloaf you'll ever find. No chopped onions or added veggies in the meat. Just straight up meatloaf...made "Italian style" with the addition of Italian sausage. That is all. This recipe makes 12 muffin-tin sized individual meatloaves. We top ours with your typical brown sugar/ketchup glaze (recipe follows) & then a scoop of mashed potatoes. Yes, they look like cupcakes &

Green Fluff Salad

2011-03-23T13:28:00.000-07:00

What other names do you know this salad by? So far we have: Green Fluff, Green Stuff, Green Goo, Watergate Salad, Pistachio Fluff....anything else??? 1 Large tub of Cool Whip, thawed...but barely (I use light whipped topping) 1 large can of crushed pineapple (undrained) 2 small boxes of pistachio pudding (I use sugar free if I can find it) 1 small can of mandarin oranges (drained) mini

"Braised" Cabbage

2011-03-21T00:31:00.000-07:00

Why does cabbage get such a bead reputation? Do all people assume its tastes yucky, its stinky and like most cruciferous veggies...gives you gas? Is it because when you cook it, it turns into a soggy mess? Is it because the only way you are used to cabbage being used is in cole slaw? Well you're all wrong. Cabbage is awesome!!! If you cook it the correct way!!! Braised Cabbage: 2 small green

The Perfect Glazed Corned Beef (& Carrots)

2011-03-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

The Perfect Corned Beef: 1 large crock pot1 Corned Beef Brisket (flat cut, not point cut) 1 yellow onion (cut into 1/8th's)warm water (enough to fill your crock pot 1/2 full)pickling spice (a packet usually comes with the brisket, or the spices are already mixed in with the meat in the package...if not then you need about 2 Tbsp of pickling spices which can be found in the spice aisle) 1 bag of