New Assignments

Oops!! I forgot to change the meal assignments to October. I just remembered tonight. I am assuming we all have our meals made already, so it might be pointless to change them now. But I will go ahead and do it so we are all on track! Sorry for the delay!!

Taco Soup

I guess Marianne and I are in the mood for Mexican food! I hope you don't mind, but I made Taco soup for everyone this month. It is a great recipe because it is really easy...
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 onion chopped
1- 28 oz. can whole/crushed (which ever you prefer) tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can kidney beans, not drained
1 - 14 oz. can corn, not drained
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1-2 c. water
1 package Taco Seasoning mix
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer the onion until clear. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low until you want to eat! Serve with tortilla chips and shredded cheddar cheese on top. Yum!

Walking Tacos

"Huh?!" You say... "what are walking tacos"?! Well, this is one of my life-long favorite meals. I don't know why we call them "walking tacos" but it is just a silly family tradition. This meal is more commonly known in some families as "Taco Plate" or "Frito Plate". Anyway it is a mixture of ground beef and chili beans that you serve over Fritos. Then you can top it with all of the taco fixins that your family enjoys. Some ideas are cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, olives, hot sauce, and sour cream. It is also delicious served with Spanish Rice, or even the cilantro lime rice from our Costa Vida meal would be delicious. I suppose you can even put it in a tortilla and serve it that way. Be creative! This meal is similar to one of Tami's meals from a couple months ago, but our family has put their own spin on it I guess. It is always a kid-pleaser as well as an adult pleaser. ENJOY!!

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

I decided to go along with Jane's idea last month and i will be making my family's recipe for biscuits and gravy. This meal is always a hit at my house and we have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here is the recipe...

Brown breakfast sausage and add flour until all the grease is soaked up. Then add a cube or two of chicken bouillon. Gradually add milk until thickened to desired consistency.

I usually use refrigerator biscuits, but I got the frozen kind so they stay longer in the freezer. The directions for the biscuits are....

place biscuits with the flat side down on an ungreased baking sheet about 1/4 inches apart. cook for about 24-26 minutes.

We like to rip the biscuits open in halves and pour gravy over both halves. The more gravy the better. We like thick gravy so if it is a little too thick, just thin with milk

Spaghetti Casserole

For October I will be doing a spaghetti casserole. This is my mom's recipe and we love it! It will be already cooked so you will just need to thaw it and then re-heat it in the oven. Maybe for 20-30 minutes on a low setting to just get it heated through. This recipe you could easily split into two meals if you wanted...we always have left overs. I will not make it to the exchange on Wednesday we are going out of town. I will have it ready and bring it around Thursday though...except you Collette I will get you yours when you get back. I'll call the rest to make sure you are home before I stop by! Thanks Ladies!

Here's the recipe:

Spaghetti Casserole
1/4 c. minced onion
1 c. green pepper
1 T. margarine
1 (20 oz.) can tomatoes, do not drain
1 can diced olives, drain
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger
12 oz. spaghetti
2 c. shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Brown meat in skillet and drain, set aside. In a large skillet saute green peppers and onion in butter. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano and beef. Simmer 10 minutes . At the same time, cook spaghetti as directed on the box. Place half the spaghetti in greased pan. pour half of mixutre and chese and then repeat. Pour soup on top of all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cook 350 fro 30 minutes.

Crockpot Pork Ribs

I made Crockpot Pork Ribs for October. You will need to thaw this completely and then cook on low for 4 1/2 -5 hours. I have overcooked them before and it is not pretty. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. I will give you rice and some sesame seeds to sprinkle on top. The recipe is below. Please note that I did NOT add the red pepper flakes as I thought most families would not appreciate the heat. It is good with the red pepper so feel free to add some to your own if desired.

Crockpot Pork Ribs
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup catsup
¼ cup honey
2 tablespoons vinegar (cider or white)
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
¼- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 medium onion sliced (or some sprinkles of onion flakes)
3 pounds country style pork ribs (boneless)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

In the crock pot, combine the first ten ingredients. Add ribs and turn to coat. Cover and cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 hours. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Sorry about the Enchiladas!

Amy's last post reminded me of something I have been wanting to post for a while. We had the enchiladas at our house a couple of weeks ago and I thought they were too soggy! I am sorry... I guess the freezer changed the texture of the tortillas and they kinda turned to mush. I hope everyone liked it anyway! Now I know not to put corn tortillas in the freezer! Sorry you guys had to be the guinea pigs!