Chicken Gumbo

Easy and Yummy Chicken Gumbo (for the crock pot!)
1 can beans, rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes, any kind
1 pkg (6-8) hot link sausages (optional)
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 med onion, diced
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup okra, chopped (I buy the frozen okra, already chopped)
4-6 cups chicken stock/ chicken bullion with water
Toni's Cajun seasoning and/or Lawry's Seasoning Salt
parsley
pepper
salt

Put everything into a crock pot or pot on the stove.  Heat until boiling over medium heat. Serve with rice, sour cream, and cheese. Yum!
Serves about 6.

summer squash

I would totally add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, but that's just me

cranberry orange almond bark (oh yum)

24 ounce package white almond bark

1.5 cups toasted slivered almonds

1.5 cups dried cranberries

zest of one orange

prepare the wax paper covered surface before you start mixing because this will start cooling quickly. Melt bark stirring until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients until coated and well mixed.Quickly spread candy on 18 inch long sheet of waxed paper/ foil into a thin... layer. Let set, break into pieces. Store tightly covered.

Granola bars

Cream together:
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar

Add:
2 T. honey
1/2 t. vanilla
1 egg
Mix well.

In separate bowl, combine:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
Add to creamed mixture.

Stir in:
1-1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1-1/4 c. crispy rice cereal
1 c. chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 c. dried fruit (I used Craisins)
1 c. chocolate chips

Spread in a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes until slightly brown. They will be soft, but will firm up as they cool.

A cornbread meal

I made this the other night and it was yummy! It's a complete meal in itself and very filling.

Prepare cornbread according to the directions on the cornmeal container or cornbread mix box.

Add:
2 cooked and chopped-up chicken breasts (I used my Pampered Chef chopper)
1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
1 cup of corn (frozen is fine)
1 cup of salsa
1 cup cheese (whatever kind you like- I used sharp cheddar)
1 tsp.- 1Tbs. chili seasoning mix, depending on how spicy you like it.

Mix well.

Pour into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan and bake at 350* for 45 minutes, or until cooked through (poke a knife in the middle to make sure).

NOTE: This only makes enough for 2 adults and 2 kids, so you might want to double it.

Canned Soup Starter

This recipe is a pressure canned soup starter--As my sister calls it, your very own convenience food to put in your pantry.
Soup Starter
Layer in 1 quart jar

• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Beef bouillon (or 1 cube)
• 2 Tbs. Pearled barley
• Handful of chopped celery
• Handful of peeled, diced carrots (I just cut mine into 1/4" thick disks)
• Peeled, cubed potatoes (fill to w/in 1 inch of rim of jar)

Pour hot water over top of all ingredients to w/in 1" of rim of jar.
Remove air bubbles.
Clean lip of jar.
Adjust 2 piece lid and canning ring.

UPDATED PRESSURE TIME

Per the latest guidelines from the National Center for Home Preservation this should be Pressure canned (not hot water bath!) for 75 minutes at 11# pressure. See www.uga.edu/nchfp.

You can get 7 quart jars in a pressure canner at once. I usually do 2 batches of soup starter (14 total quarts) and this is what I buy for the veggies.

• 10# of potatoes (it all gets used up)
• 5# bag of carrots (mostly use all the bag)
• 2 bunches of celery (I use about 1 1/2)

Once canned and sitting pretty in your pantry, the only thing you need to do to eat it is warm it up. We usually add chunked stew meat (also pressure canned so I just dump that in too), but you could brown a pound of hamburger and add to it, or some cooked chicken chunks. If you like, add some diced tomatoes to it. My family loves this soup and it is great to eat with yummy homemade bread. It tastes like I've been slaving away all day long....just genius!

Easy White Bread

This is a seriously SUPER easy bread recipe, and it's really tasty.

White Bread
2 c. warm water
2/3 c. white sugar
1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. vegetable oil
6 c. white flour (optional: use half wheat flour)

Dissolve sugar in the warm water in a small bowl, then stir in the yeast. Allow the yeast mixture to poof until it looks like creamy foam (usually about 10 minutes).

Mix salt and oil together and then add in the yeast mixture. Add in 1 cup of flour at a time. Knead dough lightly until smooth. Allow to rise for one hour.

Punch dough down and knead a few times. Divide the batter in half and shape into loaves. Place in greased bread pans allowing 30 minutes to rise again.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
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These easy directions for making this bread in a mixer/KitchenAid all for making bread in one bowl:
Allow the warm water/yeast mixture to poof in the mixing bowl. Add all ingredients to the same bowl. Knead with the hook attachment. When the bread is finished being kneaded the first time, pull out, spray the bowl with grease, and place back in the bowl for rising. Finish the recipe as it is above.

Yield: 2 good loaves