Apple Bacon Tomato Soup

Ingredients
5 slices bacon (try with more)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 cups beef stock
1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes (used diced Italian style)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red wine (used apple juice)
salt and pepper to taste

*maybe try with thinly sliced carrots

Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, coarsely chop, and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute white onion and garlic 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Stir in beef stock, pinto beans, tomatoes, celery, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir the apple in the red wine until soft.
Mix bacon, apple, and remaining red wine into the soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until well blended.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 195 | Total Fat: 10.3g | Cholesterol: 12mg

Chicken Noodle Soup

Boil chicken or chicken breasts for about ½ hour.  Salt and pepper.  Cook until tender-take out and cool.  Chop up about 2 onions and some celery and grated carrots.  Cook until tender.  Also cook a couple cups of noodles until tender.  Add all ingredients plus 2 boullin cubes to juice chicken was boiled in, season to taste.  Warm through. 

Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad

Boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 per person)
Spinach or lettuce of your choosing
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
grapes (green and/or red)
strawberries, chopped
1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges
chow mein noodles
1 cup mayonnaise (NOT MIRACLE WHIP!)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dry mustard

Mix mayo, lemon juice and dry mustard in a bowl and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients (EXCEPT chow mein noodles) in a bowl.  Stir in the mayo dressing and 20 minutes before serving add the noodles.  Enjoy!

Refreshing and delicious!  You can change anything in the salad that you want.  Any combination of things is possible!  Explore and enjoy!

*Note:  We had to add more lemon juice and dry mustard because we used miracle whip and the tangy flavor kept coming out.  It works, but it doesn't leave the desired or expected taste as I would assume mayo would.  Let me know if you think of something different!

Peanut Butter Balls

This is a quick and easy treat that I absolutely LOVE!!!  It has saved me on more than one occasion of needing to bring a treat to a party and no time to slave in the kitchen.

4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2 cups of peanut butter
1 stick of margarine, softened

Knead all ingredients together in a large bowl with hands.  Roll into bite sized balls.  Dip in melted chocolate of your choosing (optional).

Pork Salad

Pork:

3 lb. boneless pork roast (recipe called for 6, but that was WAY too much for us, so we only did three)
3/4 16 oz. bottle taco sauce (we used green mild taco sauce)
3/4 12 oz. can cola (we used Pepsi, but will use Sprite next time)
2 C. packed brown sugar

Cook pork roast in a Crock-Pot or roaster oven all day (we cooked it about 10 hours on low), 2 hours before serving, drain juices, remove fat, and shred.  Add taco sauce, cola, and brown sugar.  Cook 2 hours longer (giving us a total of 12 hours cook time--also, I cooked this on high for the first hour and low for the second hour, stirring intermittenly)

Tomatillo Dressing:

1 pkg ranch buttermilk dressing mix
3 tomatillos
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. buttermilk
1 C. cilantro, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender; process on high.  Chill.

Rice:

2 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. long-grain rice, uncooked (2 1/4 C.)
4 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
4 C. water

In skillet, fry rice in oil.  Add garlic and cilantro; saute 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add lime juice and water.  Cook until rice is done.

Tortilla Bowls:

Tortillas
Cheese, shredded

Fry both sides of tortillas on griddle.  Place each shell in an ovenproof mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Broil 3 minutes.  (We didn't do this part.  We used store bought tortillas and melted cheese on them in the microwave and ate the dish similar to a quesadilla instead of the salad)

To serve:

Place tortilla bowl on a plate.  Into the bowl, layer rice, pinto or black beans, pork, and shredded lettuce.  Serve with Tomatillo Dressing, guacamole, sour cream, chips, and salsa.

*Recipe from Worldwide Ward Cookbook (editions by Tina)

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

2 large chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1 egg, beaten with 1Tbsp. water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soy sauce

Cut chicken in pieces and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Let sit one hour.  Dip in cornstarch, then in beaten egg.  Fry in hot oil until brown.  Place in casserole dish.  Combine sugar, vinegar, ketchup, chicken broth, salt, and soy sauce.  Microwave for 5 minutes, stirring mixture halfway through.  Pour over chicken and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. 

*serve with rice

(from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook, edition from Tina)

Taco Soup

This is a favorite at our house, because we can put it in the crock pot before we leave for soccer and come home to a hot meal :)

1 pound hamburger meat browned (I usually add onions while browning)
    ---season to taste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can red kidney beans
1 can corn
1 can tomato sauce
1 packet of taco seasoning

combine all ingredients in crock pot and heat through (I usually put it on low for 2-3 hours)

serve with Fritos and cheese

Southwestern Nachos (huge hit at every party)

2 boneless whole pork loin roasts (3-1/2 pounds each)
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
2-1/2 cups barbecue sauce, divided
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 package (10 ounces) tortilla chip scoops
1-1/2 cups frozen corn
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup minced fresh cilatro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 package (16 ounces) process cheese (Velveeta), cubed *
2 tablespoons milk

1. Cut each roast in half; place in two 5-qt. slow cooker.  Combine the apple juice, garlic, salt and Liquid Smoke if desired; pour over meat.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

2. Remove pork from slow cooker; cool slightly.  Shred with two forks and place in a very large bowl.  Stir in 2 cups barbecue sauce, brown sugar and honey.  Divide tortilla chips between two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes; top with pork mixture.  Combine the corn, beans, tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice; spoon over pork mixture.

3. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degree for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt cheese with milke.  Drizzle cheese sauce and remaining barbecue sauce over nachos.

YIELD: 30 servings

*I would recommend using regular shredded cheese and sprinkle over the top of the dish with about 5-10 minutes remaining.

 (from the taste of home slow cooker cookbook--editions by Tina)