Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

I got this from Pillsbury. We really like buffalo sauce, so I doubled the amount. Put a little ranch dressing over the top.

Buffalo Chicken Chili:
2.5 lbs of chicken
1 large onion
2 medium celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (Franks Red Hot sauce is the best)
Crumbled blue cheese or ranch

1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray, mix all ingredients except buffalo wing sauce.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Stir in buffalo sauce. Serve sprinkled with blue cheese or ranch.

Zippy Beef Bake

This is a great make ahead and pop in the oven dinner. I make it the nights Amber has practice, cause Jerry can put it in the oven and they can eat before they have to do. Its a lot of steps, but basically pretty easy, and defiantly worth it.

Beef Bake
1 lb ground beef
EVOO
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/4 mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 cups of cooked rice
1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chilies
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, more to top the casserole to

1. In large skillet brown beef until no longer pink
2. Add zucchini, mushrooms and onion to beef, cook until veggies are tender. Drain. Put back in the pan and add chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Add rice, chilies, sour cream and cheese. Mix and transfer to casserole dish, top with more cheese.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 min or until cheese is melted

Chipotle Rib Sandwiches

These are a family favorite. When we went camping for a week at Canyon de Chelly, we made these and ate them for a few days. Make sure to use the short ribs, not a lot a fat and very flavorful.

I got it out of a Sandra Lee cookbook. I love her cookbooks, because she uses ingredients that are mostly store bought. You can sub fresh ingredients if you would like (I always use fresh mushrooms, just a thing I have)

Slow-Simmered Chipotle Rib Sandwiches
1 onion, sliced
3.5 lbs of beef short ribs
1 envelope (1.1 oz) beef onion soup mix
1 jar (16 oz) chipotle salsa
1/2 cup ale style beer
Kaiser rolls

1. Place onion in slow cooker. Add ribs meaty side up. Sprinkle onion soup mix, then add salsa and beer.
2. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours.
3. Remove meat from bones and discard any fat. Transfer onions to serving bowl and add rib meat. Place and buns and enjoy!

Candied Grapefruit

I know its that time when all the citrus is ripe and ready for picking. I like the grapefruit the best, but this recipe works for oranges and lemons too.

Candied Grapefruit Peel
3 grapefruits
salt
1.5 cups sugar
1 cups water

1. Peel the grapefruits and carefully remove the white "pith" (spongy skin under the rind)
2. In large pan add peels, a little salt and cover peels with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and summer for 20 min. Repeat twice. (Make sure the change the water, the water holds the bitterness)
3. Cool for 10 min.
4. In same pan, combine 1.5 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add peel and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-35 min or until syrup is almost absorded and peel is transparent. Stir occasionally and make sure the peel doesn't burn on the the bottom.
5. Drain the syrup and cool the peel on a cooling rack. Let cool until room temperature and coat in sugar. Store in airtight container.

The fastest dinner possible

This is the fastest, best tasting family dinner possible. My mom was given this recipe by a checkout girl at a grocery store right after I was born. She has been making ever since, and now I make it for my family.

Chicken and rice:
Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
One can cream of mushroom soup
Minute rice

Put the chicken on a microwave safe plate and cook for 10 min. While that is cooking mix the can of cream of mushroom, one can of water and two cans of rice in a casserole dish with a lid. Place the semi-cooked chicken and juice from the chicken in the casserole dish. Cook for another 10 minutes. Mix together or serve the chicken on top of the rice.

Mediterranean Medley Salad

Well, start of a New Year. The move went well and everything is unpacked, hung on the walls and the garage sale done. Now I have time to start posting more.

Here is a great summer salad. I made it the other night and remember why I like it so much. The only fat in it is from the olive oil, so its great for you.

Mediterranean Medley Salad:
4 cups roughly chopped raw vegetables: example, carrots, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.
2 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Toss together and serve.