Taco Soup

This is one of our favorite soups. It is quick and easy and can be made with things we usually have on hand.

Taco Soup

1 lbs ground beef

1 can kidney beans drained

1 can black beans drained

1 can corn drained

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies

1 package taco seasoning

4 cups of water

Dash of lime juice



Salt and pepper to taste
Brown the ground beef in a medium sauce pan. Drain the grease and mix the taco seasoning into the meat. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer the soup for thirty minutes over medium low heat. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, guacamole, tortilla chips.

Meat loaf on the grill

This recipe came about because David wanted meatloaf and I didn't want to turn on the oven. So here you have the solution Meatloaf on the grill.

Meat loaf on the grill
2 lbs ground beef
3 slices of white bread crust removed
2 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat grill to medium
In a bowl add bread eggs milk and seasonings mix well then mix in the hamburger. Form the meat into four flat shaped meat loaf patties sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap each loaf into a separate piece of tin foil. place on the grill cooking each side of the packet approximately eight minutes or until juices run clear. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the ketchup and the brown sugar together. When the loafs are cooked while still on the grill open up the tops of the foil packets and spread the ketchup brown sugar mixture over top. Leave the packets open and close the lid of the grill. Cook for another five minutes or until the ketchup brown sugar sauce is bubbly. Remove from the foil packet and serve.

Creamed Potatoes, Carrots and Peas

This is a dish I grew up on. We could not wait for the potatoes in my mom's garden to get big enough to eat.

Creamed Potatoes Carrots and Peas
6 to 8 Medium potatoes cut
6 Carrots or more depending size cut up
1 Cup fresh or frozen peas
2 tbls bacon grease or butter
2 tbls flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 oz bacon cooked and grease reserved.
Salt and pepper to taste
 Boil the potatoes and carrots until they are fork tender toss in the peas cook for another two minutes, drain off the water. While the potatoes and carrots are cooking heat the oil in a sauce pan, whisk the flour into the oil slowly whisk the milk into the flour oil mixture. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the drained potatoes, carrots and peas stir sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Pumpkin Linguine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

The fresh made pasta in this recipe is extra healthy to balance out the extra richness of the sauce. I hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Linguine
1 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 Cups White Flour
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP Canned Pumpkin Puree
4 medium eggs

In a food processor blend flours and salt. Add pumpkin and eggs and pulse the dough. It will be slightly crumbly. Turn the dough out onto work surface and work the dough into a ball. Let the dough ball rest for 15 min. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Flatten the dough with hands and work first piece through pasta machine on the widest setting. Fold dough in half and quarter turn the square and run through again. This will give you a straight edge. Run the dough through the machine each time going down a setting. Stop a the #2 for a thicker noodle. Run through the linguine cutting blade. Let the pasta dry for an hour on the counter, tossing every fifteen minutes to keep them from sticking. Place pasta in boiling water. Pasta is done when it floats to the top.


White Wine Mushroom Sauce
4 oz Bacon
1 Scallion
8 oz Mushrooms
3 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup White Cooking Wine
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp parsley

Fry bacon until crisp, set bacon aside drain off most of the grease. Sautee scallions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are a golden brown add the garlic sautee another minute. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Stir in the cream. Simmer over medium to low heat until the sauce is reduced and thickened. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle sauce over pasta, sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Sugar Cream Pie

We can honestly say this our new favorite pie and we are both embarrassed by how may slices we have consumed in the past two days. So cool, so creamy, so perfect for the last bit of summer heat.

Sugar Cream Pie
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pie crust
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Unroll pie crust and press into pie dish. Crimp the edges. Dock the inside of the crust with a fork and place a sheet of parchment paper over the crust pour in two cups of dried beans. This weighs the crust down and keeps it from bubbling. Bake crust until a light golden brown. Remove beans and save for a later use. Set crust aside.
Set oven to broil.
In a small bowl mix sugar and cornstarch.
In a medium size sauce pan pour in the heavy cream and four tablespoons of the butter. Over medium low heat warm the cream and melt the butter. Once the butter is melted slowly stir in the sugar/cornstarch mixture. Cook stirring constantly with a whisk until the mixture is thick and creamy. About 10-15 min. Remove from heat stir in the vanilla. Immediately pour into the pie crust. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and drizzle over the pie. Sprinkle with cinnamon. place under the broiler until the butter bubbles. This should only take a few minutes.
let the pie cool on the counter then refrigerate and enjoy chilled.
To serve garnish with whipped topping and fresh fruit or favorite fruit sauce.   

Roasted Green Salsa

We love salsa and green just happens to be my favorite color and favorite salsa. This version is not to spicy so if you like yours on the spicy side use Jalapenos instead of the Anaheim's. Enjoy

Roasted Green Salsa
about 20 Tomatillos husked removed and washed
1 small white onion
1 Anaheim pepper
1/2 cup loose packed cilantro
2-3 gloves of garlic
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt to taste.

Place the tomatillos and pepper on a grill at medium high heat or in a dry pan on the stove top. Rotate until there are nice char marks. Remove seeds from pepper. Peel and coarsely dice onion and garlic. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency. Salt to taste.

Grilled yellow squash boats

A trip to the farmers market

We love to wander around our local farmers market. There is always something to see like these beautiful carrots.
We also found yellow squash and fresh basil so we deiced to make one of our favorite dishes.

Grilled yellow squash boats
4 medium yellow squash
Olive oil (for brushing)
2 cups of frozen O'Brien potatoes.
1/2 lb sausage
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1/3 cup fresh basil shredded
1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
Heat the grill to medium high.
Halve the squash lengthwise. Scope out the insides of the squash leaving about a 1/4 inch thick wall. Brush the squash with oil.
Grill two minutes each side. Set aside.
Brown sausage drain and set aside. In the same pan brown the potatoes and the scoped out insides of the squash once the potatoes are browned add the garlic. Remove from heat add the sausage back in and stir in the basil and half the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the filling between the squash and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place the squash on the upper rack of the grill and close lid. Cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.