Taco Soup

And, another recipe from my college days. Simple and filling.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped and sauteed
1 lb hamburger, browned and drained in large sauce pan
2 cans kidney beans, with juice
1 large can stewed tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)

Directions:
1. Saute onion and brown hamburger
2. Mix all ingredients in large saucepan
3. Cook until heated through
4. Serve with your choice of shredded cheese, corn, tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, chives.

Variations: Serve with your choice of toppings for variety.

Notes: I love taco soup. So, this quick and easy recipe is perfect for me.

Servings: 6

Estimated Cost: $6.00

Source: Recipe from college friends

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts:  728 calories, 10.1g total fat, 3.9g saturated fat, 77mg cholesterol, 579mg sodium, 102g total carbohydrate, 10.2g sugar, Vitamin A 30%, Vitamin C 52%, Calcium 18%, Iron 140%

Orange Cream Poke Cake

This is another recipe we used to make in college. It is delicious. I have a picture somewhere of my roommates and I eating it in the living room and it looking like Texas as we were eating it from each corner. Good memories.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 package (18.25 oz) lemon cake mix
1 envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Gelatin Mixture:
1 package (3 oz) orange gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water

Frosting:
1 package (3 oz) orange gelatin
1 cup cold milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping; thawed

Directions:
1. Combine ingredients for cake and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes
2. Pour into ungreased 13x9 inch pan
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes
4. Poke holes in cake using meat fork (or a chopstick works well)
5. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes
6. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water
7. Stir cold water into gelatin mixture
8. Pour gelatin mixture over cooled cake
9. Mix frosting ingredients except whipped topping on low for 2 minutes
10. Fold in whipped topping
11. Let frosting stand for 5 minutes
12. Frost cake and refrigerate leftovers.

Variations: Lime or strawberry would probably be good instead of orange.

Notes:  This is really good. Good flavor and texture. And, not difficult to make at all.

Servings: 16

Estimated Cost: $6.50

Source: Recipe from college friends

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: 288 calories, 10g total fat, 2.7g saturated fat, 32mg cholesterol, 670mg sodium, 33g total carbohydrate, 24.7g sugar, Vitamin A 1%, Calcium 9%, Iron 3%

Homemade Oreos

I was going through some college papers as I was packing up some items and found a list of recipes from the college days. I thought I would include some of them here on the blog. Since I haven't posted on it in a very long time (over two years, YIKES!).

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Ingredients:

2 Devil's food cake mixes

1-1/2 cup shortening

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Icing: 8 oz cream cheese

1 stick of butter

2 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions: 

Mix cake mixes, shortening, eggs, and vanilla together. Roll into balls and smash with a cup. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Mix together the icing. Place in the center of two cooled cookies and enjoy. 

Variations: You could use different cake mixes if you didn't want chocolate oreos. Also, adding mint to the icing and some green food coloring to dye it green. Also, you could substitute butter for the shortening.

 

Notes:  I haven't actually made this for a while, but I should. 

 

Servings: 24 cookies

Estimated Cost: $6.00

 

Source: College recipe from a friend

Nutrition Facts per serving: 230 cal., 20.7 g total fat (8.6 g sat. fat), 66mg sodium, 10.3 carbo., 1.7 g pro. Daily Values: 6% vit. A, 0% vit. C, 1% calcium, 1% iron

Magic Pumpkin Cake

A friend posted this recipe on Facebook and I just had to do it with the kids. A magic cake? Yes, please. They really enjoyed making it and seeing the magic and it tasted delicious too!

Start to Finish: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 36

Ingredients:
Yellow Cake Mix (with eggs, oil, and water)
15 oz pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup brown sugar

Frosting:
1 box white chocolate pudding
1 cup milk
1 tsp all spice
1 tub cool whip

Directions:
1. Mix cake mix as directed on box and put into 9x13 pan.
2. Mix pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, heavy cream, evaporated milk, and brown sugar together and pour over cake mix.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour.
4. Let cake cool.
5. Mix together frosting ingredients and frost cake.
6. Refrigerate leftovers.

Notes: The magic to this is that when baked the pumpkin mixture will be on the bottom instead of on the top, where you put it before baking. Kind of fun.

Variations: I am sure you can use any flavor of cake mix, puree, and pudding mix to change it up a bit.

Estimated Cost: $7.50

Nutrition Facts: 

Amount Per Serving

Calories 143 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7.0g 11%

Saturated Fat 2.9g 14%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 27mg 9%

Sodium 132mg 5%

Potassium 67mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 18.7g 6%

Dietary Fiber 0.5g 2%

Sugars 12.8g

Protein 2.1g

Vitamin A 38% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 5% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade C

East Crock Pot Peanut Clusters

Start to Finish: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1- 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips

1- 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Lb. white chocolate almond bark (or 8 2-oz. cubes)

2 (1 Lb.) jars peanuts (lightly salted)

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot on LOW heat for 1 hour, stirring once half-way through.

2) Using a spoon, scoop clumps of peanut mixture on to wax paper and allow to cool to room temperature.

3) You may refrigerate or freeze them... just be sure to serve at room temperature for the best texture.

4) If you want to make a decorative topping just melt some white chocolate chips or vanilla melts and drizzle over the top!

Variations: I think variations would probably be any different designs you would want on the top. Caramel added into it would probably be delicious as well.

 

Notes:  I made this for plates for Christmas and it is yummy. Very easy to make. Just throw the ingredients in the crock pot and stir once.

 

Servings: 48

Estimated Cost: $16.00

 

Source: www.favfamilyrecipes.com

Nutrition Facts per serving: 232 cal., 15.7 g total fat (3.7 g sat. fat), 60 mg sodium, 27.1 carbo., 6.5 g pro. 1.8 g Fiber Daily Values: 0% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 3% calcium, 6% iron

Great-Granny's Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake

This is a recipe my oldest brought home from first grade. I made it last night and it was really good. And, very simple. It tasted much better than the store bought round pound cakes we usually use when doing strawberry shortcake.


Start to Finish: 25-30 minutes

 Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk
3 to 4 cups strawberries, washed and sliced
1 cup whipping cream, whipped or prepared whipped topping, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Lightly coat 8 x 1½-inch round pan with cooking spray; set aside.
3. Sift flour, then sift together dry ingredients.
4. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Add egg and milk, stirring by hand just enough to moisten.
6. Spread dough in pan, building up edges slightly.
7. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove cake from pan and cool on rack 5 minutes.
8. Split into two layers and lift top off carefully.
9. Alternate layers of cake, whipped cream and strawberries, ending with strawberries on top.

 Variations: I am sure you could use any fruit for this. If you were to use blueberries, maybe add some grated lemon peel or lemon juice to the shortcake. If you were to use cranberries, grated orange peel or orange juice would be good.

Notes:  This was good. The kids all ate it and then asked or more. And, I gave them pretty big pieces to begin with. We will be making it again.

Servings: 12

Estimated Cost: $5.00

Source: Kid’s School

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition Facts: 1 serving without whipped cream provides 180 calories, 9g total fat, 5g saturated fat, 0g trans fat,
40mg cholesterol, 250mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate, 1g dietary fiber, 5g sugar, vitamin C 40%

Skinny Queso Dip

Start to Finish: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup skim milk
3 tbsp cornstarch1 tsp canola oil1 cup minced onion3 garlic cloves, minced1 poblano pepper, diced1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with chiles, diced and drained1/4 cup fresh cilantro, choppedjuice of 1 limesalt and black pepper, to taste1/2 tsp ground cumin1 tsp ancho chili powder1-3/4 cups shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar, Sargento

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the milk with 3 tbsp of cornstarch; set aside.
2) Heat a large saucepan on medium heat; when hot add oil. Add the onions, garlic, poblano, and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.
3) Add the chicken broth and the rest of the milk. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
4) Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir; simmer a minute until it bubbles and thickens, then reduce heat to low.
5) Add the drained tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and add the cheese; stir until it melts completely. Serve immediately.

Variations:  Since we had the kids eat it, we did not put in the jalapeno seeds, but for a spicier version keep the seeds in.   

Notes: Wow, was this delicious. I made it for a Seahawks play-off game and could have eaten the whole thing. This would be perfect for a Superbowl snack. It was creamy, tasty, delicious. 

Servings: 11

Estimated Price: $5.00

Source: skinnytaste.com

Nutrition Facts per serving: 92.5 cal., 4.5 g total fat (2.2 g sat. fat), 81 mg sodium, 7.0 g carbo., 6.5 g pro. Daily Values: 7% vit. A, 21% vit. C, 12% calcium, 3% iron