Beefy Cowboy Chili (from Christine Bates)

Beefy Cowboy Chili

1 pound - hamburger or beef top sirloin steak, cut into small, bite-size pieces
(I actually prefer to use hamburger)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil (if you use steak)
1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup) or use dehydrated onions
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 can (15 ounces) beans (Ranch Style (black label) – Original Texas Beans)
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained
1 can (10 ounces) Ro*Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) Tomato Sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder (optional - if you like it a bit spicy, add the chili powder)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

Optional toppings: sliced green onions, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed corn chips

Directions:
Sprinkle hamburger or steak pieces evenly with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat 1 minute. Add steak pieces, onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, or until steak is browned on all sides and onion is tender, stirring frequently OR brown hamburger, onion and garlic.

Add remaining ingredients; blend well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with optional toppings, if desired.

Andrea's White Texas Sheet Cake served @ Young Womens

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Frosting Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, cubed
• ¼ cup milk
• 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ½ teaspoon
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In large saucepan, bring butter and water just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, salt, baking powder, extract and baking soda until smooth.

Pour into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

For frosting, in a large saucepan, bring butter and milk just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat; stir in confectioners’ sugar and extract. Stir in walnuts; spread over warm cake. Cool completely. Cut into 20 squares.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/White-Texas-Sheet-Cake

Christine's super easy Banana Bread served at Fola's baptism

Ingredients
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions:
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

**trick for bananas - freeze banana's, then thaw and squeeze, they will be mashed perfectly for making bread

Donna's super easy yummy pumpkins cookies (from Jill Thompson)

1 box spice cake mix

1 small can pumpkin (15oz)

1/2 to 1 bag chocolate chips

mix all together, spoon cookies sized blobs onto pan, cook at 350 for 15 minutes

YUMMY!!

Kisa's Pumpkin Surprise

2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup sugar
3 beaten eggs
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 white or yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups cold butter

Combine first 6 ingredients, pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top. Slice butter, cover dry cake evenly. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
(I actually messed the recipe up the recipe you tasted and put two whole cans (15 oz) of pumpkin and cooked it 15 minutes longer in (oops - pregnancy brain) but it still worked.)

I tasted the batch with the extra pumpkin and it was DELICIOUS..... everyone loved it!!! That is how I am going to make it.... with the extra pumpkin.

Gwyn's yummy potato soup

Heat on Medium in 5qt pot: 1/2 lb bacon, 1 large onion, 2 cups diced celery until tender.

Add: 1 cup water
Cook: 5-10 minutes longer

Add: 6 chicken bouillon cubes, 1/3 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 Tablespoon garlic powder w/ parsley

Add: 6 cups warm water slowly, 8-12 potatoes diced

Cook until tender

Add: 3 cups milk and 8 oz. Velveeta and melt cheese

Serve a lot of people

My recipe adds the milk w/ the water, but I add it after potatoes cook. It is up to you. I also don’t use a whole onion.

Kiska's yummy Broccoli, Red Pepper & Cheddar Chowder

Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheddar Chowder from Ruth Reichl’s “The Gourmet Cookbook”

1 bunch of broccoli

1 large boiling potato (1/2 pound)

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose four

¾ cup heavy cream

1 ½ cups coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (about 6 ounces)

Cut off broccoli stems and discard. Cut broccoli into 1-inch florets. Cook florets in a large pot of boiling salted water (1 tablespoon salt per 4 quarts water) until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking, then drain. Reserve 3 cups cooking water.

Peel potato and cut into ½ inch cubes. Melt butter in a 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Add potato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add cumin, mustard, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add reserved cooking water, stirring, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add cream, then add cheese, stirring until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

Puree about 2 cups chowder in a blender until smooth (use caution) and return to pot. Add broccoli florets and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Pinwheels (served by Christine @ Anne's book signing @ Donna's home)

Salsa Pinwheels w/olives, onions and cheese
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tortilla-Rollups-I/Detail.aspx

Ingredients 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) jar chunky salsa
1 can black olives *optional
1 bunch green onions or 1 small red onion *optional
1 bag (8 ounce) finely shredded sharp cheese *optional
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas

Chop black olives and green onion or red onion into bite size pieces. In a medium bowl, use a mixer to smooth the cream cheese. Pour in the salsa 1 tablespoon at a time while continuing to mix. Continue adding salsa and mixing until the ingredients have attained a spreadable consistency. Spread the mixture on the flour tortillas.
Add a small amount (in a row) of black olives, onions and cheese. Roll the tortillas, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until serving. Just before serving slice into bite-size pieces.
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Ranch Pinwheels
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--1636/tortilla-rollups.asp

Ingredients 2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 package dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
3 ounces black olives, chopped
3 ounces green chilies, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
Salsa (optional)

Mix cream cheese and dry dressing mix until well-blended. Stir in black olives, green chilies, and cheddar cheese. Spread mixture over tortilla, roll-up tightly and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Cut into 1-inch pieces before serving. Serve with salsa, if desired.
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Mexican Pinwheels
by Anne Fuller

Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese 8 oz sour cream, softened
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz can chopped green chilies
4 oz can chopped black olives
Chopped green onion (I use a very small amount)
Taco Seasoning- up to one package (again less than half or it is too strong)
Soft Flour Tortillas

Mix everything with mixer (except Tortillas). Spread evenly on Tortillas. Roll tightly and evenly. Wrap in Saran Wrap and chill in refrigerator. Cut into pieces.
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Mandarin Roll-Ups
by Anne Fuller

4 oz cream cheese
¼ c chopped mandarin orange segments, drained
¼ t curry powder Flour Tortillas
1 med red onion or 1 bunch green onion, chopped
6 oz thinly sliced cooked deli chicken
20-24 fresh spinach leaves

In small bowl combine, cream cheese, oranges, & curry powder- mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with onions (leaving an edge free of all but cream cheese topping. Top with chicken and spinach leaves. Roll up tightly, wrap in Saran Wrap, chill cop into pieces just before serving.