The Dinner Babes

Lemon Lime Syrup

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:05:00 +0000

8 limes

4 lemons

2 C sugar

1-2 C boiling water

Zest fruit & toss zest with sugar
Add juice and 1C boiling water
Stir to dissolve adding more boiling water if necessary
Strain into a jar

To use:

Add about ¼ c syrup to a glass with ice
Fill glass with carbonated water
Enjoy!

Cooler Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 19 Jun 2023 18:21:00 +0000

You can do this in one of those tiny cooler that's just big enough for a 6-pack, or you can fill a huge cooler & feed a crowd!

Cleaned and shucked corn

Boiling water

One cooler

1. Clean out your cooler

2. Toss your corn cobs in

3. Cover with boiling water

4. Corn should be cooked in about 30 m minutes & stay that way for a couple of hours!

Electrolyte Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 17:01:00 +0000

Single Serving

1 c water

2 dash salt

1 1/2 t sugar

Four cups

1 qt water

3/4 t salt

2 T sugar

Treva's Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 27 May 2023 22:42:00 +0000

On this day in 2017, I had a craving for my sister's salsa. She had given me the recipe and even made it with me so many times that she had to have been absolutely incredulous that I'd ask AGAIN. Much to her own credit, she helpfully left the entire recipe for me on my Facebook & I have committed it to the special cookbook that my mom gave me just in case I need salsa when the power is out. I love that girl more than this salsa...and that's, honestly, a lot!

2 cans petite diced tomatoes (I like Great value brand best *Treva's note*)
1/2 onion
6 - 12 pickled jalapeño rounds
1/3 c fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 dashes pepper

Toss all but one can of tomatoes in a food processor
Combine with second can.

Real (aged) Eggnog

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 16:42:00 +0000

I made this Eggnog exactly one time before losing this recipe & the nog was SO GOOD. Well, i just found the recipe again & here it is! You can pretty easily double this...and you'll def want to!

INGREDIENTS:

1 dz egg yolks

1 c light brown sugar (or 1/2 c dark brown + 1/2 c white)

1/2 c heavy cream

2 c whole milk

2 c bourbon (I used cask strength & I'd do it again)

1/2 c dark rum

1/4 c congac, brandy, or sherry

pinch salt

pinch nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine egg & sugar until bln=ended & creamy (do not heat!)
Add remaining ingredients
Cover tightly
Age 6 wks to a year

To serve: make some whipped cream from 2 c heavy cream & fold into nog

Apple Butter!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 16:26:00 +0000

I’ve been searching for an apple butter recipe that uses vinegar & this is as close as I got when I was gifted apples from a friend’s tree! Really I’m looking for one that included vinegar AND apple cider AND uses a slow cooker…maybe I dreamed it…

You will need a mill for this unless you really feel like peeling apples and putting them in a blender.

Ingredients:

3 lb Apples

3/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/2t salt

1 c water

1 c packed light brown sugar

1 T apple pie spice

1 t vanilla extract (optional, you only need it sometimes…)

Directions:

Core & wedge the apples.
Add to a pot along with apple cider vinegar, salt, and water.
Simmer, covered 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally
Turn off heat when apples can be mashed tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Run through sauce mill
Return to heat and add sugar, spices, and vanilla.
Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens (15 minutes)
Enjoy on hot toast with butter!

Makes 4 to 5 cups (1qt jar, 2 pint jars, or 4 jelly jars)

Keeps 3 weeks in the fridge (lol – as if!)

To can:

Jar hot apple butter leaving ¼ inch headspace
Water bath 15 minutes
Let sit in hot water 5 minutes
Remove & cool!

Apple Pie Spice

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 16:26:00 +0000

Ingredients:

1½ T cinnamon, ground

1½ t nutmeg, ground

1 t allspice, ground

Instructions:

Seriously? Stop it.
Mix that stuff up and use it!

Cankle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 14:48:00 +0000

No soaking required (but you can if you want to)! Make sure to use the low sodium broth to prevent the beans getting too tough. Besides, the ham hocks will add plenty of saltines.

1 onion

1 large carrot, cubed

3 celery stalks (leafy stuff, too), cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c White wine, water, or broth

1 t herbs de provence

1 pound dry beans (about 3 cups), rinsed & picked

2 large ham hocks, smoked

2 Bay leaves

6 c low sodium broth (chicken, vegetable, beef, doesn't matter)

Sauté the onion, carrot, & celery until pan starts developing a fond
Add the garlic & saute until fragrant
Deglaze the pan using the wine (I like to use a little bit, develop more fond, use a little more, etc until the fluid is gone)
Stir in the herbs
Toss the cooked veggies & everything in a large slow cooker and cook on low 12 hours
Remove the ham & shred disposing is any chunks of fat.
Stir the ham back in and serve over rice or with cornbread!

White Chicken Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 20:18:00 +0000

We just had this at my parent's house & it was great! Everyone asked me to keep this recipe!

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
2 (4.5 oz.) cans green chilies
3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
5 c chicken broth, (I like Kettle & Fire brand)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. sour cream

Sauté the onion & jalapeño in the oil
Add the garlic, oregano, & cumin & stir until they're fragrant
Add in the chilis (I like hatch green chilis!)
Add the chicken cubes & cook until nearly done but not brown
Add broth, salt, & pepper and simmer for 10 minutes
Add the beans & corn & bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes
Stir in the sour cream & serve!

Pastor Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 17:15:00 +0000

I had some leftover, plain pulled pork from a dear friend of mine. So I made the marinade and used it to dress the pork, which as a perfectly passable pastor in a pinch!

5 guajillo chilis, dried

4 ancho chilis, dried

1 can pineapple, slices or chunks

1/2 white onion

1/4 c vinegar

2 T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

1 t cumin, ground

1 40g packet Sazón con culantro y achiote

Bring 2 cups water to boil
Add chilis
Simmer until chiles soften, about 10 minutes
Remove and discard stem and seeds
Coarsely shop chilis
coarsely chop one onion half
Strain pineapples, reserving juice reserve juice
Add chilis, pineapple juice, onion, vinegar, garlic , & cumin Ninja Master Prep
Puree until smooth
Cook mixture until slightly thick & onion loses "raw" taste
Remove from heat & stir in Sazón

To Use as a Marinade:

Marinate cubed pork 2-24 hours
Pan-fry pork & pineapple chunks until cooked through & golden
Serve in corn tortillas with remaining onion half chopped & fresh cilantro

Healing Broth (for canning)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:57:00 +0000

1 t coriander seeds, or ½ t ground
2 cloves garlic, whole or ¼ t ground
1 T sesame oil
2 T fresh ginger root, minced
½ T chili garlic paste
8 c chicken broth, low sodium
2 strips lemon peel, without pith
2 T soy sauce, low sodium
2 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
2 T hoisin sauce

½ t peppercorns or ¼ teaspoon cracked

1 t cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a pan
Simmer 30+ minutes or longer until very fragrant
Strain
Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace
Process at 10# pressure 25 min for quarts or 20 minutes for pints

Cowboy Caviar

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 17:18:00 +0000

This makes A LOT of bean salad, so make sure you're serving a crowd. I'm taking this to a Superbowl party!

1 Can Black beans
1 Can Red Kidney beans
1 ½ Pounds Corn
4 oz. Red Onion (about half of a large one)
4 oz. Celery, chopped
1 Green Pepper
2 Red Peppers
1 Jalapeno
1 oz. Oil
10 T Cider vinegar
1 oz. Water
5 T Sugar
½ t Granulated Garlic
½ t Salt
½ t Black pepper

Mix everything together & let marinate at least 4 hours before serving. It's even better the next day!

Green Chile Enchiladas

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 13:18:00 +0000

These were a hit at my house! You could reduce the fat significantly by using fat-free soup & sour cream!

1/2 lb Ground Beef or substitute
3T Taco Seasoning
1 can Chopped Green Chilies
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 c Sour Cream
10 Tortillas
8 oz shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350.
Brown beef in a large skillet.
Stir in taco seasoning & half of green chilies.
Stir together remaining chilies, soup & sour cream in a separate bowl.
Fill tortillas with about 2T ground beef mixture, roll up, & place in a lightly greased baking dish.
Top with half of cheese, soup mixture, & then remaining cheese.
Bake 25 minutes.
Enjoy hot with Black Beans on the Side.

Ground Beef Substitute for Meat Eaters

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:07:00 +0000

This ends up making enough to sub out about a half pound of ground beef.

1/2 T Butter
2T Brown Rice
2T Bulgur
2T Soy Sauce
2c Water
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
2T Quinoa

Saute Rice & Bulgur in butter until lightly browned.
Add soy sauce, water, & beef bouillon cubes.
Boil until rice is tender.
Add quinoa & boil another 5 minutes.
Drain well.

Black Beans on the Side

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 12:59:00 +0000

I made this as a side dish, & I started out with doing just one can. My oldest & I decided that one can was not enough!

1T Butter
1 Sweet Onion, diced
2 Garlic Scapes (I think you could also use one garlic clove)
1 can Chicken Broth or 16 oz water
1/4 t Cumin
1/4 t Coriander
1/4 t Oregano
1/4 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Salt, optional (I don't use it)
2 can Black Beans

Saute onion in hot butter.
Add garlic scapes & saute another 30 seconds or so.
Add everything else & simmer 7 to 10 minutes or until the liquid is all gone.
Never eat black beans any other way again!

Sweet Lime Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 19:25:00 +0000

1/4 c Soy Sauce
3 T Honey
1 T Oil
1/2 c Lime Juice
3 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
1 T Sriracha
3 Boneless Chicken Breast, cut in half

Mix all ingredients in a large, Ziploc bag.
Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour or more.
Grill 6-8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
Serve on rice with steamed veggies.
Enjoy!

Chicken & Broccoli Chowder

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 15:10:00 +0000

This was super fast to make, but the first time I cut the recipe in half because I didn't think we'd like it. WRONG! So, this recipe is actually doubled from the original!

3 T butter
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3 T flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans beef broth
3 c milk
2 pkg frozen broccoli
3 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 t pepper

Melt butter in large Dutch oven until foaming subsides
Cook chicken & onion in butter 10 minutes
Stir in broth & milk
Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes
Stir in broccoli & simmer another 10 minutes
Add in 2 cups of cheese & the pepper
Stir until cheese melts
Serve with remaining cheese

Cheap Slow-Cooker Chili

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 13:09:00 +0000

1 T oil
3 lb Chuck roast, trimmed & cubed
1/2 t pepper
pinch salt
2 onions, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can beef broth
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1 c cheddar, shredded
1/2 c green onion, chopped

Sprinkle beef with salt & pepper
Heat oil in heavy dutch oven & brown beef
Put beef in slow cooker
Add onion & pepper to dutch oven & cook until onion is translucent
Transfer peppers & onion to slow cooker and top with garlic & beans
Add beef broth to dutch oven & stir, scraping up fond
Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, & tomato sauce to dutch oven, stirring until incorporated
Pour dutch oven sauce into slow cooker & stir
Cook on low 7 hours
Serve topped with cheese & green onion

Indian Trail Cranberry Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Tue, 26 Nov 2013 13:26:00 +0000

This recipe makes about two 10 ounce containers of the sauce. The whole thing is just so easy that I have a hard time believing I ever paid for this stuff! I usually peel the orange & add the peel then I remove the pith & add the sections, but if I'm using clementines, I just quarter them & toss them in. I've heard that you don't have to peel oranges, but I think it would be bitter so I've never tried it. If you do it that way, let me know how it turns out!

1 bag cranberries
1 c sugar
1 orange or 3 clementines

Add cranberries & sugar to Ninja Master Prep, blender, or food processor
Peel orange, being careful to avoid the pith, and add peel to cranberry mixture
Remove pith from orange & discard
Quarter orange & add to cranberry mixture
Blend to desired texture
Pack into 10 ounce packages & freeze

Indian Trail Cranberry Sauce Recipe (from the package label)

2 pkgs (3 oz.) Cherry Flavor Gelatin
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) Frozen Indian Trail Cranberry
Orange Sauce Thawed

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
Stir in Cranberry Orange Sauce & pineapple.
Pour into mold.
Refrigerate until set

Black-eyed Pea Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 31 May 2013 22:51:00 +0000

15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
2 c corn kernals
1/2 poblano pepper, finely diced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 t Grey Poupon (don't scrimp on this one)
2 T cider vinegar
2 T oil

Mix peas, corn, pepper, & onions together.
In measuring cup, whisk mustard, vinegar & oil together.
Pour mustard mix over veggies & toss to distribute.
Let sit 15+ minutes to let flavors meld. The longer the better.

Essence of Emeril

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T dry oregano
1 T dry thyme

Pizza Dipping Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:32:00 +0000

This is the base topping for DeAnn's delicious Pizza Hut Crust. Sometimes we top it with meat & cheese or fresh veggies from the garden, but just as frequently we bake the crust plain & dip it in this delicious sauce!

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 T fresh basil (2t dried)
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t sugar
2 cloves garlic
3/4 t salt

Mix everything together.
That's it!

Corn Salsa

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:34:00 +0000

3 c white vinegar
1 c sugar
1 T ground cumin
1 T salt
9 cups corn kernels (about 12 ears)
5 lbs. plum tomatoes, diced (I like to peel them, too)
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped

Combine vinegar, sugar, cumin, & salt in a large, nonreactive stockpot.
Boil mixture 5 minutes.
Stir in corn, tomatoes, poblano, sweet pepper, onion, & garlic.
Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavor to blend.
Stir in parsley & cilantro, bring to a boil briefly, then remove from heat.

To Can (about 8 pints):
Fill half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Skinny Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:15:00 +0000

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 c red grapes, quartered
1/4 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c fat-free mayo
1/3 c honey

Boil chicken 20 minutes or until done.
Mix other ingredients together while chicken cools.
Shred chicken once cool & add to mayo mix.
Chill to let flavors meld or serve immediately.
Serve on lettuce cups with a side of celery sticks & ranch dressing.

Orange Marmalade Pork Chops

noreply@blogger.com (Stephanie) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:30:00 +0000

2 t olive oil
6 boneless pork chops
1 T lemon pepper seasoning
3 T cider vinegar
1/2 c orange marmalade

Heat oil in a large pan
Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with lemon pepper seasoning
Cook pork chops 5 minutes on each side or until done
Remove chops from pan
Add vinegar & marmalade to pan and whisk until combined
Return pork chops to pan & cook 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through & well coated.