Indian Corn Stew

My mom made this stew a few times every winter for as long as I can remember. I have no idea where she got the recipe, but my dad thinks it was an old Girl Scout recipe, which sounds right. For those of you who saw Indian and thought "curry", you are wrong. And I really don't think the Native American Indians made anything remotely like this, so I don't know why it is called Indian Corn Stew. Anyway, I serve this with buttered rye bread.

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INDIAN CORN STEW

1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 lb. ground beef
1 can corn, undrained
1 can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can condensed cream of tomato or tomato bisque soup
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp. cold water

Brown the ground beef with the onion and green pepper. Drain off fat. Add the corn, tomatoes, soup, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch/water and simmer for 3 more minutes.
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This is so yummy and easy, and would be very easy to make at a campsite. :) It is also easy to double for large families or potlucks, and like chili, always tastes great warmed up.

I got my daughter's school pictures - ugh! She is doing that robot smile that all mothers know and hate. You would think that a professional photographer who works with children all day would have a few jokes up their sleeves to make kids really smile. Oh well, I have learned my lesson. Next year I will order the class photo for $9 and then take her Target and get the same photo package with an $8 coupon AND be able to pick the picture AND make sure she is actually smiling.

I would also like to invite you all to check out the AWESOME giveaway over at Krista's Kitchen. She is one of my favorite blog friends because she has the best recipes and pictures.

Happy eating!

Beef & Rice Fiesta Casserole

I got this recipe ages ago from my brother, but I don't know where he got it from. Doesn't really matter, we love it! I serve this with warm cornbread and a mixed green salad.

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BEEF & RICE FIESTA CASSEROLE

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 cup instant rice
1 - 2 cup bag shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 - 14oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 - 8oz. can tomato sauce
1 can sliced olives, drained
1 pkt. taco seasoning
1 tsp. vinegar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. beef bouillon
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. EACH pepper, basil, onion powder, garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper, drain off fat. Stir in all ingredients, EXCEPT 8oz. tomato sauce AND half the cheese, bring to a boil. Pour mixture into a 3 quart baking dish and cover. Bake for half an hour. Now stir in the tomato sauce, re-cover and bake for 25 minutes. Top with other half of cheese and bake 5 minutes more, or until cheese is melted.
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If you want some kick in it you could add a small can of chopped jalapenos. I'm sure a Mexican blend cheese would work great too. One time I tried leaving out the extra spices and only used the taco seasoning packet and it just wasn't the same, so it's worth the extra effort.

The meal plan for the following week is: Chicken Parmesan (still), frozen pizza (again), leftovers, Potato & Sausage Bake, Pepperoni Pan Pizza, Indian Corn Stew, and Salisbury Steaks. Oh yeah! Gotta love those hearty cold weather meals!

Happy eating!

Three Awards (& Tacos)

I sincerely hope that Lissaloo and Willoughby are not mad at me for taking so long to post about the wonderful awards they have passed on to me. I am truly grateful for having such great blog friends! So without further ado, here we go:

The first two awards are from Lissaloo over at One Step At A Time. If you haven't checked out her blog, please go now! She is always posting the most delicious recipes and fun crafts on her blog. The first one is the B.I.N.G.O. award, she gave me the O for Outstanding, and here are the five blogs I would like to pass it to:

B - Beautiful: Marvelously Mundane always has beautiful pictures and stories and recipes on her blog. I have been reading hers the longest and she keeps me coming back for more!

I - Informative: Krista's Kitchen has taught me a lot of things about cooking. She always has such great information along with her recipes - I love her blog!

N - Neighborly: A Corgi In Southern California is always leaving such sweet comments for me, and her own blog makes you feel like grabbing a warm cup of tea and settling in for a lovely chat with an old friend.

G - Gorgeous: Crumbs In The Minivan shares wonderful stories of her gorgeous family and reminds me that I am not alone, as mothers we are all going through pretty much the same ups and downs!

O - Outstanding: Airing My Dirty Laundry is so funny and real and honest - her blog is simply outstanding!

The second award from Lissaloo is the Honest Scrap award and I have to list 10 honest things about myself:

1. I think Twitter is dumb.
2. I can't stand it when people chew with their mouths open.
3. I think people who abuse animals should go to jail.
4. I wear fake nails because my own are thin and weak.
5. I cut my own hair; my daughter's and husband's too.
6. I can parallel park on either side like a pro.
7. I still remember the words to songs I sang 20 years ago in high school choir.
8. I love doing the laundry.
9. I am a chocolate snob and will only eat the good stuff (just like Lissaloo!).
10. I don't like Macy's and miss Marshall Fields more than I should.

The third award is from This Stop Willoughby. (She is an amazing blogger I found from Marvelously Mundane, and she is throwing a really cool cocktail party over on her blog. Please go and check it out, you won't be sorry!) It is the Over The Top award and I have to give one word answers for the following:

Where is your cell phone? kitchen
Your hair: long
Your mother: heaven
Your father: good
Your favorite food? pizza
Your dream last night? scuba
Your favorite drink? wine
Your dream/goal? travel
What room are you in? dining
Your hobby: reading
Your fear: fire
Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
Where were you last night? home
Something you aren't: short
Muffins? no
Wish list item: health
Where did you grow up? suburbs
Last thing you did: stretch
What are you wearing? jeans
Your TV: off
Your pets: none
Your friends: forever
Your life: good
Your mood: happy
Missing someone? mom
Vehicle: Honda
Something you are not wearing: jewelry
Favorite store? Target
Favorite color? green
When was the last time you laughed? today
When was the last time you cried? yesterday
Your best friend: husband
One place I go over & over: bathroom (ha!)
One person who emails me regularly: aunt
Favorite place to eat? steakhouse

I am supposed to pass these last two awards on to a bunch of other people, but I don't follow that many blogs and most of you have received these already. So if you are reading this and do not already have these awards, consider yourself awarded!

For dinner tonight I am making tacos. I have a kit from Old El Paso that includes 6 soft shells, 6 hard shells, taco sauce, and seasoning mix that we got on sale at Target for under $2! I love tacos, but only the American kind. We sometimes order take-out from a very authentic Mexican restaurant and I really don't like their tacos - I'd rather have Taco Bell! Isn't that terrible? haha!

Happy eating!

Pizza (& Pain)

Hello folks, thing have been crazy around here lately! I have not had the time to be on the computer writing my blog, and reading and commenting on all your fabulous blogs, and I miss it! I know that a couple of you have awards for me and I am SO sorry I have not posted about them yet - I promise to do it tomorrow!

Let's see, on Sunday night I made spaghetti for dinner and last night I made egg & cheese sandwiches - nothing exciting. Tonight I will be making a frozen pizza, mainly because I am in pain.

Why am I in pain? Because I am old! This morning while cuddling in bed with my daughter, I went to move and couldn't because I was lying on my hair (it's very long). So I turned my head while bringing my arm up to move the hair and simultaneously lifting my shoulders up and I pulled a muscle in my back. I felt a pop and then major pain and I just laid there moaning while my daughter is asking "What's wrong mommy?". I laid there assessing the damage and slowly moving each body part and the pain subsided a little and I was finally able to get out of the bed. This totally sucks! How old AM I that I pull a muscle moving my hair?! Ugh. Anyway, now I have a dull ache in the middle of my back and it hurts to move in certain ways, but I will live. I hope you are all having a better day than me!

Happy eating!

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Swirl

My dear friend and neighbor J. invited us over for dinner Saturday night. My husband was immediately asking why she invited us, which honestly hadn't crossed my mind. I highly doubted she was going to ask us to sell Amway, but you never know... LOL Just kidding!

I asked what I could bring and she said dessert, and I just recently found this recipe for White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Swirl from Cuisine At Home, so I had to make it. Plus I had most of the ingredients already. I did make a few changes though; first, I had graham cracker crumbs so I used those instead of the chocolate wafer cookies, and second, raspberries were on sale and I already had raspberry jam so I used those instead of strawberries.

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WHITE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SWIRL

Sauce:
10 oz. fresh strawberries, hulled, quartered
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. strawberry preserves
juice of 1/2 lemon (or 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice)
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. cornstarch

Crust:
7 chocolate wafer cookies, crumbled
3 whole graham crackers, crumbled
2 tbsp. sugar
pinch salt
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted (I used salted butter and omitted the pinch of salt)

For The Cheesecake:
8 oz. white chocolate, chopped
3 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cold strawberry sauce

Process berries, sugar, preserves, and lemon juice for the sauce in a food processor until smooth. (I used a small bowl and my immersion blender.) Transfer to a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth; whisk into berry mixture. Simmer to thicken slightly, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill until cold.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees with rack in the center. Coat a 9 inch springform pan with cooking spray. (I forgot to and it was fine.) Process the cookies, crackers, sugar and salt for crust in a food processor until fine. Add butter as machine is running. (I mixed about 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs with 3 tbsp. melted butter and 2 tbsp. sugar with a fork.) Pat crumbs onto bottom of pan.
Melt white chocolate for the cheesecake over a double boiler and set aside. (I used the microwave) Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth, using a mixer and scraping the sides of the bowl periodically. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Blend in melted chocolate, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour batter over crust, then drizzle with 1/4 cup of sauce. Swirl sauce into batter to create a marbled pattern with a toothpick. Place pan on a baking sheet and bake until edges are set and puffed but center is still jiggly, 60-80 minutes. DO NOT over bake. Turn off oven, crack door open with a wooden spoon, an cool cake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover cake with a towel and chill overnight. Serve with remaining sauce.
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This cake was SO delicious. There are a lot of ingredients and directions, but it wasn't hard to make.

Happy eating!

Burritos

I love burritos, especially from Chipotle, where you get to tell them what you want inside of it. Mine are very good too, but I don't offer as many choices! Ha!

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BURRITOS

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 packet burrito seasonings
1 package burrito-size tortillas
1 package shredded Mexican-blend cheese
2-3 cups shredded lettuce
sour cream

Brown the ground beef and drain off the fat. Add the beans, tomatoes, and seasoning packet; stir well. Heat until bubbly, then reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread desired amount of meat mixture on tortillas, top with lettuce, cheese, and sour cream. Roll up and eat!
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If you heat the tortillas in a damp paper towel in the microwave for 20 seconds they will be less likely to tear. I know that one you gave me that tip and I can't remember who, but thanks again!

Well, Chicago did not win the Olympic bid. Whew! Thank goodness that is over. Unfortunately it is still the ONLY thing the newspeople can talk about it. Good to know there isn't ANYTHING else newsworthy going on in this big city.

I also want to say that although I can make and love pumpkin seeds, I have no idea how to actually cook the pumpkin meat itself. I don't like pumpkin, sorry Lissaloo! But I have heard that you can buy small-ish pumpkins, clean out the goo, take the meat out and turn it into soup, and then serve the soup inside the little pumpkins! How cool would that be?!

The meal plan for the coming week is: Chicken Parmesan, Tacos, Beef & Rice Fiesta, frozen pizza, Spaghetti & Breadsticks, Egg & Cheese Sandwiches, and (to bring as dessert to a dinner we were invited to) White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Swirl.

Happy eating!

Fancy Grilled Cheese

I love a good old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich, but sometimes you need a little extra oomphf. So tonight I will make grilled cheese, but on rye bread, with tomato slices, and one slice each of american, cheddar, and swiss cheese. These are SO good you could serve them to company with a big pot of homemade soup. Everyone loves comfort food, after all. Unfortunately, I will not be making homemade soup tonight, Campbell's will have to do.

After cleaning the house today, I decorated it will all my Halloween decorations. It looks very festive in here - I love it! I can't wait to buy pumpkins and make pumpkin seeds, all my family and friends love my crispy, salty pumpkin seeds. I also love to carve the pumpkins and put them on the front porch. I try to buy at least 4-6 pumpkins - my husband thinks I'm crazy, but I only get to do it once a year! On Nov. 1st this will all come down and the Thanksgiving decorations will go up. Then on Nov. 28th the turkeys will come down and I give myself one week without ANY decorations before "decking the halls" for Christmas. By New Year's Day I am usually itching to take down all the decorations and get my house back to normal.

The news reports here are filled with talk about the Olympic bid that Chicago has in the ring for the 2016 games. A lot of people think this would be a good thing for Chicago, bringing jobs and a boost to our economy with all the tourists. However, our city is just as cash-strapped as every other city out there and most people are worried that Joe Taxpayer is going to end up footing the bill. Plus, it is no secret that crime, mostly from gangs, is a major problem here - especially on the south side where they want to hold most of the events. I personally hope we don't get them. Is there anyone out there who lived in or near a host city for any other Olympic games? Atlanta, perhaps? I would love to hear how it affected your daily life (and tax bill).

Happy eating!