Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
32 ounce (1 quart) chicken broth
2 T lemon juice
1 bag or 2 c. frozen corn (C&W is my favorite)
2 c salsa

Toppings:

sour cream
tortilla chips
cheddar cheese

Boil and chop chicken. I've also thrown my chicken onto my Foreman to get an even better flavor. Put the chopped chicken into a kettle along with olive oil and spices and saute for about a minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add lemon juice, corn and salsa. Let simmer on medium for about 20 minutes. Serve. We put our toppings on, then dip our chips instead of spoons! Towards the end you'll need spoons, but it's so thick and hearty it's great to use the chips to scoop most of it!

Rice Krispie Treats

So, I don't know about anybody else, but I'm pretty picky about Rice Krispie Treats. Most of the time, they aren't "gooey" enough. I don't like them so gooey it strings apart after they've been cut, but I like them thick and not "Krispie" and hard and tough to eat. I have attempted these several times with a different change in amount of ingredients and feel like I've got a perfect combination for a perfect treat! :) So here it goes!

2 - 10.5 oz pkg miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 - 12 oz box Rice Krispies

Melt butter in pan, then add marshmallows and stir until ALMOST no more lumps. A few is what you want (this I found will change the "overcooked burnt" crunchy texture of the marshmallow). Pour in a the entire box of Rice Krispies and stir WELL until all are coated. Put immediately into a 9x13 pan (may look like it won't fit, but it will, I promise) and pat down with a sandwich baggie to make them smooth, etc. Let sit for about 30 minutes in the pan, then you'll be able to cut them and eat them.

Chicken Stir Fry

Rice:

2 c chicken broth
2 c Jasmine rice (best rice to use for stir fry)

I throw mine into a rice cooker (a must have) and push the button!

Meat:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed
2 T Iron Chef Sesame Garlic Sauce & Glaze
2 T vegetable oil
1 t sesame oil
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 T lime juice
2 T soy sauce

Cut chicken and stir the remaining ingredients to cover the chicken. Let "marinate" at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Veggies:

Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Waterchesnuts
Almonds or Cashews (optional)

Wash, cut & slice whichever vegetables you like (I just use what I have on hand, never the same each time I make it). Set aside ready for stir fry.

Thickener:

1 c Chicken Broth
2 T corn starch
1/4 c Iron Chef Sesame Garlic Sauce & Glaze

Stir and set aside.

To Cook:

Put 1 t. sesame oil in large skillet pan. Turn burner on between medium high and high. Let oil heat, then add the chicken and level across the bottom of pan, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for about 6-8 minutes. Put in a clean bowl and set aside. Put another teaspoon or so of sesame oil in pan and add raw vegetables and coat all with oil, then add about 1/4 c chicken broth and cover with lid and let steam for 4-5 minutes. When the vegetables are done, throw the chicken back in and add the gravy mixture all in one pot and stir everything and let cook for about another 2 minutes until the sauce will thicken and coat everything. Serve hot! :)

This amount of ingredients serves our family of 5, and my kids will eat seconds. If you are just two people, I would cut everything in half! :)

This recipe sounds complicated, but trust me, worth every second of the work. It's actually not all that hard to make, just a lot of "prep." It cooks up in less than 15 minutes! The Iron Chef glaze is a MUST HAVE to make this the ultimate dish. I used to be able to find it in the Chinese aisle at Fry's (for my Arizona friends), but very recently they have stopped carrying it. So I ordered it on Amazon at the following link. http://www.amazon.com/Sesame-Garlic-Natural-15-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B00032KHPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1267332644&sr=8-1 One bottle will last you approximately 3 batches.

Buttermilk Brownies

Brownies:

2 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt
1 stick butter
1 C. Water
1/2 C. Veg. Oil
1/2 C. Cocoa
2 beaten eggs
1/2 C. Buttermilk
1 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Vanilla

Mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Bring butter, water, oil, and cocoa to a boil. Pour boiling mixture over dry ingredients. Add beaten eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees in a 9x13 pan.

Frosting:

1 stick butter
1/4 C. Cocoa
1/3 C. Buttermilk
1 lb. Powdered Sugar
1 t. Vanilla

Bring first three ingredients to a boil, remove from heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm brownies.

Sloppy Joes

2 lbs ground beef
1 green pepper
1 small onion
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. yellow mustard
2 T brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 1/2 c ketchup

Brown the hamburger with the chopped green pepper and onion. Throw all other remaining ingredients into a crock pot with the browned beef. Let simmer on low for 3-4 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

First Post

Well, it's official! I've started a recipe blog! I'm doing this for the very dear people in my life! Many of you that know me know that I LOVE to cook, bake and entertain! SOME DAY, my dream is to start up a Bed & Breakfast with my dear, sweet love. Yes, yes, yes, that is WAY down the road, but because of my passion for PEOPLE, and my passion to SHOW LOVE, this is one of my main avenues of showing someone that I love them! By cooking them a meal, by baking them a treat, and my entertaining them right in my very own home. It may be to my brand new neighbor, but it also may be to every other special person in my life that I call family or "my friend." So, WELCOME to my kitchen! :) PLEASE if you have ANY questions whatsoever, comment directly on that recipe post, or e-mail me directly at jojosnumnums@gmail.com. I will try and get back to you as soon as I can. My goal is to encourage ALL levels of cooking to join in with me and TRY SOMETHING NEW! Bare with me while I figure how best to blog these recipes, but I'm really excited to share this part of my life with you! I would LOVE to hear right on these posts your OWN success stories from my recipes! The posts will be RANDOM, and I will TRY and post a picture of the food item if at all possible, but I may post some without because, ultimately, I forget to take a picture! :) Disclaimer: I AM BY NO MEANS CLAIMING MYSELF AS A PROFESSIONAL, this is just my way of sharing some of our families' favorites with each of you. :) Come back as little or as often as you feel so led! :)

Until then..........Bon Appetite! :)