Ruth's Casserole

Named Ruth's Casserole after my great grandmother, Ruth, whose recipe this is. Some people say it's like Shepherd's Pie, my husband called it Poor Man's Casserole, or Peasant Casserole...anyway, seems like a fairly popular recipe, and this is just one variation, but I love it and always have.

1 lb ground beef
3-4 potatoes (I usually use russet, but used red tonight and they worked just great)
1-2 cans green beans (My mom always used 2, I always use 1. I think 1 is plenty)
2 cans tomato soup (or, as discovered tonight, 1 can tomato soup and some milk. Not as flavorful, but still yummy)

Brown the beef while cooking the potatoes, either by boiling or in the microwave. Once they are cooked, peel (optional) and chop potatoes (bite-size chunks, not super small). Combine all ingredients and eat!

Makes 3-5 servings

Coconut Curry Chicken!

Oh my yummy goodness! I made this for dinner tonight and just had to share! I got it off the Utah Deal Diva blog, and is way cheap to make!


Ingredients:
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used a little more)
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Assemble ingredients
2. Dice onion & cut up chicken. Season chicken with salt & pepper.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add curry and mix thoroughly. Let flavors meld for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, cook for 5-7 minutes, till chicken is mostly cooked through.
5. Transfer mixture to heated crockpot. Add coconut milk, tomatoes and sugar, stir. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours.
6. Cook 2 1/2 cups of rice according to package directions. Serve sauce over rice. Enjoy!

This makes 6 servings at only $.63 per serving!

Butternut Squash Soup

Autumn is in the air, and you couldn't get more Fallish than cooking a warm bowl of this little number. My friend made this the other day and people in the neighborhood could even smell its yummy goodness. I am going to try it later this week!

3 Leeks (white part only) sliced
4 med carrots chopped
5 TB butter
3 lbs butternut squash peeled and cubed
6 C. chicken broth
3 med zucchini peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme (If you don't have this on hand it is fine)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 C. half & half
grated parmesan or cheddar cheese


Over med heat, saute the leeks and carrots in butter approx. 5 min. stirring occasionally. Add squash, broth, zucchini thyme and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat cover and simmer until veggies are tender (about 30 min) Cool to luke warm. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Add cream, mix well and heat thoroughly but don't boil. Garnish with cheese. Makes 12 servings and freezes well!

.:White Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies:.

I saw this recipe on a local T.V. program the other day, and visiting teaching gave me the perfect excuse to try it out!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup shortening
• ¼ cup butter or margarine softened
• ¼ cup white chocolate chips melted
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips

• 8 oz package cream cheese softened
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1-2 Tbsp milk

• 1 can cherry pie filling (I used raspberry because I'm not a fan of cherry pie filling)
  

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sugars, shortening, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until it is blended well.

Melt 1/4 cup white chocolate chips in the microwave.

Add to the bowl and beat until creamy.

Add flour, soda, and salt. Beat until a soft dough forms.

Hand stir in 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy.

Stir in milk until it is absorbed.

Drop spoonfuls of dough on to cookie sheet.

Make an indention with the tip of your finger or a spoon.

Drop a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each indention.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. (Mine were more on the 12 side).

Let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet.

Allow cookies to cool and spoon on your filling.

Store in the fridge!

.:Squash Spaghetti:.

Our friends gave us a squash from their garden, and we really are not the biggest squash eaters. Luckily my friend gave me a tip on how to make spaghetti from squash, so we decided to give it a try last nite.

What you need:
- squash
- olive oil
- salt/pepper
- foil

The first thing you need to do is cut the top off of your squash, and then cut it down the middle. Our squash was really really hard - I had to have my husband cut it! Even he struggled with it!

Then you want to scoop out all of the seeds and guts.

Brush a layer of olive oil over each half.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I cut my foil to be long so that I would be able to wrap it around my squash halves.

Wrap your foil loosely around your squash halves.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, un-cover your squash and bake it again for 10-15 more minutes. Our squash was really hard, so we popped it in for an extra 8 minutes.

Use a fork to shred your squash into 'noodles'.

Top with sauce and serve!

My husband and I both agreed that there was really no taste to the squash, so it is a much healthier alternative to traditional noodles. The problem I had was that the squash was still pretty crunchy, which I struggled with. (Blame it on those pregnancy hormones I guess!) But if you like your pasta al dente, then this might be perfect for you!

.:Chocolate Chip Cookies:.

I'm sure everyone has their own chocolate chip cookie recipe, but my husband swears this one is the best! It's a recipe I got from my mom, and they are always a hit! Delicious!

MRS. FIELDS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 c sugar
2 c brown sugar
1 lb butter
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
5 1/2-6 c flour (I usually use 5 1/2)
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 large package chocolate chips

Mix all of the ingredients together.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. My oven usually does 10 minutes and they are perfect!
They come out looking like they are not done, but they are!
After they have cooled, they look like this - perfect!

Veggie Wraps

So a friend of mine just made these awesome veggie wraps for dinner and posted the recipe on her blog. And I figured I would share. Thanks Amy!

1/4 cup tub-style fat-free creme cheese
4 (10-inch) fat-free tortillas (i got the spinach ones)
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup crumbled cheese of your choice (feta, blue cheese etc.)
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion

Spread one tablespoon cream cheese over each tortilla; top each with a lettuce leaf. Divide sprouts and remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas; roll up. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally. Enjoy!