Avocado Salsa
This salsa will be the hit of the party – Everyone loves it!! It can even be called a “meal” on a hot summer night. So good!
This picture shows home canned tomatoes but I really prefer petite cut tomatoes.
3 cans (14 – 15 oz.) petite cut tomatoes – drain most of the juice
1 can (11 oz.) white shoepeg corn – drain
1 can (4.25 oz.) chopped olives
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
4 green onions – finely chopped
juice from 3-4 limes (I always buy an extra in case one is not juicy enough)
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing mix (dry)
2-3 fresh avocados – cut into bite-size pieces
Combine all ingredients, adding the avocados last. Chill.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Makes approximately 7 cups
Recipe Source: Laraine E.
Ken’s Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
1 whole fryer
garlic – dash
seasoned salt – dash
italian seasoning – dash
Cover fryer adequately with water (about 8 cups) and simmer with above seasonings until chicken is cooked and falls off the bone. (We used chicken breasts this time around.)
Remove chicken from pot, cool until you are able to handle it. Pull chicken off and tear in bite-size pieces. Put chicken pieces back in the pot.
1 1/2 – 2 cups sliced carrots
3/4 – 1 cup of diced celery
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Blend
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. garlic granules
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 cup sliced or quartered mushrooms (optional)
1 – 16 oz. package of Grandma’s Egg Noodles – (these can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store)
Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, seasonings and noodles to broth.
Add 99% fat-free chicken broth to cover ingredients at least 3 inches.
Simmer on medium to medium/low for 1 hour – stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes of simmering, taste the broth and season accordingly.
Check noodles. When they are done – ENJOY!
Recipe Source: Ken A.
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES –
KEN’S HOMEMADE CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
1 whole fryer
garlic – dash
seasoned salt – dash
italian seasoning – dash
Cover fryer adequately with water (about 8 cups) and simmer with above seasonings until chicken is cooked and falls off the bone. Remove chicken from pot, cool until you are able to handle it. Pull chicken off and tear in bite-size pieces. Put chicken pieces back in the pot.
1 1/2 – 2 cups sliced carrots
3/4 – 1 cup of diced celery
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Blend
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. garlic granules
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 cup sliced or quartered mushrooms (optional)
1 – 16 oz. package of Grandma’s Egg Noodles – (these can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store)
Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, seasonings and noodles to broth.
Add 99% fat-free chicken broth to cover ingredients at least 3 inches.
Simmer on medium to medium/low for 1 hour – stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes of simmering, taste the broth and season accordingly.
Check noodles. When they are done – ENJOY!
Recipe Source: Ken A.
Chocolate Chip Gooey Bars
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1 yellow cake mix
¾ cup nuts (optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
Mix together cake mix, nuts, and butter. (This will be very dry and crumbly looking.)
Press into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan.
1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
Mix together powdered sugar, egg, and cream cheese. Blend thoroughly and spread over bottom layer.
¼ – ½ bag (3 – 6 oz.) mini chocolate chips
Sprinkle top with chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Chilling the bars in the frig makes them easier to cut.
Recipe Source: Revised from 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —
1 yellow cake mix
¾ cup nuts (optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
1 pound (4 cups) powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together cake mix, nuts, and butter. (This will be very dry and crumbly looking.) Press into a sprayed 9 x 13 pan.
Mix together powdered sugar, egg, and cream cheese. Blend thoroughly and spread over bottom layer.
Sprinkle top with chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Chilling the bars in the frig makes them easier to cut.
Recipe Source: Revised from 101 Things to Do with a Cake Mix
Apple Crisp
This Apple Crisp is one of my most favorite desserts – especially in the fall. Served with a dollop of whipped cream, or even better – a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this makes a delicious dessert that everyone will love. The recipe came from an old Pillsbury cookbook that my Dad gave me when I got married. We have been enjoying it ever since.
8 – 10 medium apples, peeled and sliced
Peel and slice apples and place in a 9 x 13 pan.
(After slicing the apples with my apple slicer, I cut that piece into half or thirds.)
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. water
Sprinkle with lemon juice and water.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter or margarine
Combine brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.
Cut in margarine until crumbly.
Sprinkle over apples.
Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes as it will be VERY hot. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipping topping. ENJOY!!!!
Recipe Source: revise from Pillsbury Cookbook
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —
This Apple Crisp is one of my most favorite desserts – especially in the fall. Served with a dollop of whipped cream, or even better – a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this makes a delicious dessert that everyone will love. The recipe came from an old Pillsbury cookbook that my Dad gave me when I got married. We have been enjoying it ever since.
8 – 10 medium apples, peeled and sliced
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. water
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup margarine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place apples in 9 x 13 pan.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and water.
Combine brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon.
Cut in margarine until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until apples are tender.
Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes as it will be VERY hot. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipping topping. ENJOY!!!!
Recipe Source: revise from Pillsbury Cookbook
Lima Beans with Ham
Lima Beans with Ham is an Allred family tradition that we continued this year. Every conference weekend (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) my mother-in-law, Anona, would make Lima Bean with Ham. This is one of Ken’s favorites.
1 – 16 oz. bag of small lima beans
Place dry beans in a crock pot (turned off) and cover with water. Soak beans overnight, or at least 8 – 12 hours. Make sure there is enough water to allow for the beans to triple in size.
2 ham hocks
2 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 T. garlic granules
1 tsp. non-salt seasoning
In the morning, add the ham hocks and seasonings to the beans.
Cook on high for about 5-6 hours.
Recipe Source: Ken Allred
FULL RECIPE WITHOUT PICTURES —
1 – 16 oz. bag of small lima beans
2 ham hocks
2 tsp. onion salt
2 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 T. garlic granules
1 tsp. non-salt seasoning
Place dry beans in a crock pot (turned off) and cover with water. Soak beans overnight, or at least 8 – 12 hours. Make sure there is enough water to allow for the beans to triple in size.
In the morning, add the ham hocks and seasonings to the beans.
Cook on high for about 5-6 hours.
Salsa
This is the easiest salsa you will ever make! I was so excited when my friend Anita introduced me to this amazing bag of goodness! We love homemade salsa but chopping all those peppers and onions is too much work. After trying this salsa, you will never make the other kind again. Mrs. Wages salsa mix can be found with the canning supplies, or in the produce department during canning season.
Tomatoes
1/2 cup vinegar, apple cider or white
1 bag of Mrs. Wages Salsa mix
Prepare your tomatoes as you would for canning. (Instructions in this blog are listed under Vegetables — Tomatoes – Canning).
If you like your salsa chunky, cut you tomatoes even bigger than shown above. I found it best to squeeze as much of the juice out of them before starting to cook them. This cuts down your cooking time. The bag says to use 6 pounds of tomatoes. I weighed them after I squeezed the juice out. I have used between 7 pounds and 11 pounds of tomatoes and it doesn’t really make a difference. The 11 pound batch is a bit more mild than the 7 pound batch. I just used what I had at the time.
Put tomatoes in a big pot.
Add 1/2 cup of vinegar, either apple cider or white. I tried both and it really did not make any difference in the flavor.
Add Mrs. Wages seasoning bag.
Simmer down until you come to the consistency that you prefer. (On the back of the bag it says to cook it for 10 minutes. That was way too runny for our liking. I ended up cooking it for about 1 1/2 hours.)
Place in clean pint bottles and process 40 mins. (Instructions in this blog are listed under Vegetables – – Tomatoes – Canning).
Let bottles sit until they seal. Mark with date.
ENJOY !!!!
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
2 cans 98% fat-free chicken soup
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tsp. garlic granules
dash of pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
Mix above ingredients and set aside.
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 – 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 – 1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)
In a large non-stick frying pan, saute onion, green chilies and mushrooms over medium heat until onion is translucent.
4 cups diced, cooked chicken, torn in bite-size pieces
Add chicken and about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of soup mixture to pan. (Just make sure that the mixture is to the consistency that you prefer)
12 tortillas (do not use the thick tortillas – they get too mushy!)
cooking spray
Divide chicken mixture between the 12 tortillas, spreading along the center. Roll up and place seam side down in a sprayed 9 x 13 pan.
Flour tortillas
Wheat tortillas
Spread remaining soup mixture over enchiladas.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
2 cups shredded cheese
Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are hot and bubbly.
Top with salsa. ENJOY !!!
Enchiladas can be frozen before baking.
Recipe without pictures:
CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
2 cans 98% fat-free chicken soup
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1 tsp. garlic granules
dash of pepper – optional
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
Mix above ingredients and set aside.
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 – 4 oz. cans chopped green chilies
1/2 – 1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)
In a large non-stick frying pan, saute onion, green chilies and mushrooms over medium heat until onion is translucent.
4 cups diced, cooked chicken, torn in bite-size pieces
Add chicken and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of soup mixture to pan. (Just make sure that the mixture is to the consistency that you prefer)
12 tortillas (do not use the thick tortillas – they get too mushy!)
cooking spray
Divide chicken mixture between the 12 tortillas, spreading along the center. Roll up and place seam side down in a sprayed 9 x 13 pan.
Spread remaining soup mixture over enchiladas.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
2 cups shredded cheese
Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are hot and bubbly.
Top with salsa.
Pistachio Salad
1 ( 3.4 oz.) package instant pistachio pudding
2 (8 oz.) fat-free Cool Whip
1 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple
2 cups mini marshmallows
Mix pudding with crushed pineapple until pudding is dissolved.
Add Cool Whip and then marshmallows.
Chill.
Makes approximately 4 1/2 cups
Recipe without pictures:
PISTACHIO SALAD
1 ( 3.4 oz.) package instant pistachio pudding
2 (8 oz.) fat-free Cool Whip
1 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple
2 cups mini marshmallows
Mix pudding with crushed pineapple until pudding is dissolved.
Add Cool Whip and then marshmallows.
Chill.
Makes approximately 4 1/2 cups
Tomatoes – Canning
I love it when our garden does well and I can bottle tomatoes to use during the year for spaghetti sauce, chili, soups and anything that requires tomatoes.
Wash tomatoes to remove any garden dirt.
Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add whole tomatoes. Blanch for about 30 seconds.
Remove tomatoes to a sink full of cold water.
Blanching will help remove the skins very easily. After skinning, remove the core with a knife.
I like to skin all the tomatoes first, and then cut them up.
After washing your jars in the dishwasher, add 2 T. of lemon and 1 tsp. of salt to each jar.
Add diced tomatoes.
Boil the lids in a small pan of water.
Wipe edge of jar with a hot towel.
Place lid on jar. Secure the ring.
WATER BATH CANNER – Fill half way with water and bring to a boil. Lower jars into the rack, making sure that the water covers the jars. Return to a boil, and keep it a boil for 95 minutes.
STEAM CANNER – Fill lower pan with water. Place jars on rack. Bring water to a boil and start timing when steam comes out the hole at least 8 inches. Since there is only a few inches of water in the pan, replace with boiling water as needed. Steam for 95 minutes.
Place jars on a thick towel to allow them to cool. Once they are cool, remove the bands, wash the jars and mark with the year.
Corn on the Cob – Freezing
Nothing tastes better than sweet corn in the middle of the winter – especially if you grew that corn in your own backyard. Freezing corn is very simple and worth the little time that it takes. You will thank yourself in the middle of the winter. This corn will taste much better than anything you’ve ever had from a store.
NOTE: Read all instructions before starting so you can have everything ready.
Start with fresh corn on the cob – as fresh as you can get. Harvest corn in the early morning, especially if the weather is hot. Harvest the corn at its peak maturity. Immature corn is watery when cooked and over-ripe corn is chewy and doughy. If there is a delay between harvesting and freezing, put it in the refrigerator or put it on ice. The sugars break down quickly at room temperature.
Use a large pot, filled 3/4 full with hot water, put it on your largest burner. Bring water to a full rolling boil. I add about a teaspoon of sugar to the water to retain the sweetness of the corn.
All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that, over time, break down and destroy nutrients – changing the color, flavor and texture of food during frozen storage. Corn requires blanching to destroy the enzymes before freezing.
Begin counting the blanching time as soon as you place the corn in the boiling water. The water should return to a boil in a minute or less. If it takes several minutes or more to return to a boil, you are using too small a pot or adding too much corn at one time.
I put about 6 corn cobs in the pot at one time, cover the pot and cook corn for 4 minutes.
Get a large bowl filled with ice and cold water. After the corn is blanched, immediately put it in the cold ice water to prevent it from overcooking. Keep adding more ice each time, to keep the water very cold. Cool corn for the same amount of time as blanching (4 minutes). Since corn on the cob floats, stir it around so the top can cool off too.
If your bag of ice has a large chunk in it, use this. It lasts a lot longer than the smaller pieces.
Using a bundt pan when cutting the corn off the cob is a genius idea. Put the pointed end of the ear into the hole in the middle of the bundt pan. As you cut the corn off of the cob, it will fall into the pan. I found it easiest to just cut it off with a sharp knife. Some people like using an electric knife.
I bought one of these gadgets at Bed, Bath and Beyond but found it very hard to use. It took a lot of muscle and it kind of chewed up the corn. Glad I only paid $2.99 for it.
I had two bowls on the counter – one to put the cooled corn in and one for the cut corn.
Close up, the corn comes off in strips. As you put these in the bags, they will easily separate into separate kernels.
Fresh corn is very juicy, which makes it hard to seal in freezer bags using a FoodSaver. When the air is being sucked out, the juice also comes out, preventing the bag from sealing. I put the corn in larger zip lock bags and put it in the freezer to freeze the kernels before bagging it in individual bags. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you shake the bags every couple of hours, otherwise you will end up with one big block of corn. (I know this from personal experience and it wasn’t pretty!) If you are going to eat the corn within three months, it is just fine to leave the corn in these larger bags. Leaving it like this for an extended period of time will cause freezer burn to the kernels.
Once the corn is frozen, measure and divide into individual bags and seal in your FoodSaver.
When you are ready to serve the corn, it just takes about 3 – 4 minutes in the microwave, from frozen. It doesn’t need to be cooked, just heated up.
