Taco Soup

1 lb hamburger
1/2 of an onion diced
2 cans chilli beans
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can corn
1 can petite diced tomatos
2 cans tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning

Brown Hamburger with Onion. (Season with some salt and pepper). Combine cooked Hamburger, Beans, Corn, Tomatos, and Tomato Sauce. Stir in Taco Seasoning. Bring to simmer in soup pot and let simmer for 5-10 min. Can also be put in a crockpot and heated through. The longer it simmers the more the flavors blend and increase. If it seems too thick to you, like not enough juice, you can add more tomato sauce or even tomato juice.
Serve with tortilla chips, green onions, cheese, sourcream, lettuce, olives...what ever you would put on a taco.

*This recipe is super quick. Great for group get togethers!
**This recipe came from my Mom! Love Taco Soup!!

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

Recipe taken from Jamie Cooks it Up Blog.

1 1/2 C warm water

2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
3 1/2- 4 C flour
1/4 C butter
3/4 C grated Parmesan or mozzarella cheese

1. Mix the water, sugar and yeast together in a measuring cup or in the bottom of your mixer. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and the flour, one cup at a time, until it is well incorporated. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
3. Melt the butter and pour half of it into a jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet).
4. Place the dough in the center of the pan. Let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. Letting the dough rest makes it MUCH easier to shape.
5. Spread the dough out flat onto the pan until it reaches all of the edges. Doing all of the spreading and cutting of these bread sticks, in the pan makes cleaning up your counter so much easier!
6. Pour the other half of the butter onto the dough. Spread it around with your hands. Sprinkle the Johnny's Garlic Seasoning all over the dough, and then the Parmesan cheese.
7. With a pizza cutter cut the dough into three rows lengthwise, and then into about 12 little height wise rows.
8. Put the pan into a 170 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes. The breadsticks should rise about 1 inch.
9. Turn you oven up to 350 and bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
10. When they come out of the oven let them sit and rest again for about 5 minutes. Then redefine your cutting lines with the pizza cutter.

**I copied and pasted this recipe....because I LOVE the step by step instructions. These are so easy and so Yummy!!

A friend back in Carson City does a Halloween Party every year for all the kids/moms in the ward. It is so much fun and there are alot of creative treats made. Here are pictures from lastyears. Maybe they will give you ideas for fun treats for your Halloween Party!!

***********

Rice Crispy Candy Corns (My Kreation)

 Mummy Pizza

The kids can make these themselves!

Veggie Skeleton...some of it had been eaten by the time I got the picture. 

 If you look at the apples in the back, they are a mouth with teeth. I think she used slivered almonds for the teeth. As the apple browns a little the mouth looks even better!

 Cake Cemetary...Always a favorite with the kids.

I would love to see some of your Halloween Kreations! Post your pics on my Kristi's Kitchen Kreations FB wall! And who knows...there might be a prize for my FAVORITE KREATION!!

Holiday Wreaths

Just wanted to share some wreaths that I made. I'm so excited to use them this fall and Christmas!

For every burn to the fingers with the Hot Glue Gun we got a cookie.......I won't tell you how many cookies I got! But I think there were a few others that had quite a few cookies too! OUCH! ;)

I do not take credit for the design/idea of these wreaths...just that I made these two.

7 Up Biscuits

2 c Bisquick mix
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c 7up
1/4 c melted butter
Preheat oven to 450º
Cut sour cream into your Bisquick mix, then add 7up - it will make a soft dough. Now sprinkle your counter with a little Bisquick mix then add dough and pat it out.
Melt butter and pour it into a 9" square baking pan. Cut your biscuits up and arrange them in pan on top of melted butter.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

**I first tried these at a friend's house and I LOVED them! So I looked on Pinterest for the recipe and found this one taken from THIS BLOG.  They are very easy to make! Try them out and let me know what you think!

Cake Mix Cookies III

Such a Quick, Easy way to make cookies!!

All 3 cookies below are made from cake mixes.

Lemon Raspberry 

 Chocolate Fudge with White Chocolate

 Cherry Chip

1 cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix all ingredients together. If it seems a little too moist add some flour, about 1/4 cup at a time til it will hold a ball form.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

So many different combinations can be made with the cake mixes. With the Lemon Cake mix I added some raspberry bits from Alison's Pantry. They were sooo good. You could also roll the Lemon ones in sugar before you baked them. For the Chocolate Fudge I added white chocolate chips. You could also add toffee bits or the raspberry bits. The Cherry Chip is just that...Cherry Chip cake mix. I had intended to frost them with cherry frosting, but ran out of time. Be creative! SO MANY POSSIBILITIES!!!

Grilled Cheese Pizza

 Sam wanted to be in a picture with the food! And yes, she ate every bite!

Bread (we love Grandma Sycamore's)

Mozzarella Cheese

Pepperoni

Garlic Butter

Parsley

Pizza Sauce

Not much instruction here....Sprinkle some parsley in your garlic butter and stir it up. Butter one side of two pieces of bread using the garlic butter (like you do for a grilled cheese). Layer mozzarella cheese and pepperoni on one slice of bread (the unbuttered side) and place the other slice of bread on top With both buttered sides facing out. Toast in a pre-heated frypan over med. heat flipping over after about 1 minute or until it is golden brown. Toast other side. Serve with Pizza Sauce for dipping!

**A friend gave me this idea! Thanks Kate! This is a very quick and easy twist with pizza. It was a BIG hit at our house! 

Key Lime Bars



Crust:
5 ounces animal crackers (about 2 1/2 cups animal crackers)
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
Pinch salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 tbsp grated fresh lime zest (from about 2 limes)
1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
Pinch salt
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from about 3-4 regular limes or 20 Key limes)

3/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, adjusting an oven rack to the middle position. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, letting two opposing edges hang over at least an inch or so. Grease the foil with cooking spray.
For the crust, process the animal crackers, sugar and salt together to fine crumbs in a blender or food processor. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbs and pulse to incorporate (or stir together in a bowl with a fork). Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust until fragrant and golden, about 15-18 minutes.
For the filling, while crust bakes, in a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, lime zest and salt together until combined. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth (you can use a handheld electric mixer, if you want). Whisk in the egg yolk and lime juice until combined.
Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake the bars until the filling is set and the edges just slightly begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, 15-17 minutes.
Let the bars cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Then cover the pan with foil and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Sprinkle with toasted coconut if desired.

** OH MY!! I am such a lover of Key Lime! These were so scrumptious! I do think the crust was a little too thick. I measured 2 1/2 cups of animal crackers. Next time I will try the 5 oz and see if there is a difference.
**I found this recipe on Pinterest. It came from Mel's Kitchen Cafe! One of my favorite sources!

Count Down....

In 10 days my kids head back to school. I'm sure many of you are gearing back up for the school year too. Well, I am on the count down! I can't wait to make cookies for my girls again! EVERY MONDAY!!

It's been 3 years ago that I started Cookie Monday. We were in a new place (Carson City). My girls were starting in a new school and were not very excited about it. I wanted to do something for them. And that's when Cookie Monday came about. They got to where they would walk in the door every Monday, take a big breath/smell and try to guess the kind of cookie that was baking.

Now we are back in our home (Utah).... And we are keeping it going!! Welcome back Cookie Monday!

Last year we started a Back to School Cookie Celebration. After the first day of school we invited friends over for cookies and milk.  WE ARE DOING IT AGAIN!!  Everyone is invited!

August 23rd

Right after school...

2nd Annual Back to School COOKIE PARTY!

Come have Cookies and Milk

At the Rowley's House!

If you need directions, please leave me a comment with your e-mail and I will get you directions!

Here is one of the cookies I will be making for that day:

1 2/3 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp. soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups chocolate chips
optional: nuts

Cream together shortening and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients, then the chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

*This recipe came from my mom.  All three chocolate chip recipes that I have posted have the same ingredients, just different amounts.  It does make a difference in the taste of the cookie too.  When I made these I used my "BIG" cookie scoop.  The outsides had a nice warm crunch and the inside was soft and melty.  These didn't last long at our house!

Crockpot BBQ Chicken with a KICK

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
1/4 c vinegar
1/8-1/4 tsp Kick'n Chicken Seasoning.
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Place chicken in crockpot. Mix all other ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

*This is one of those yummy recipes that I pinned (pinterest) and told myself I HAD TO TRY IT! So glad I did! The whole family loved it. Kids even asked for seconds. Since making this in the crockpot, I have also made it in the dutch oven and it turned out super yummy too!

**I found this recipe HERE...And then instead of using the red pepper flakes, I substituted and use the Kick'n Chicken Seasoning! (I yummy seasoning my sis-in-law told me about...It goes so good in alfredo sauced pasta).

Easy Black Bottom Cupcakes

*1 Milk Chocolate Cake Mix

         Mix up cake batter according to directions on package.

*1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

*1 egg

*1/3 cup white sugar

*1/8 teaspoon salt

*1 cup chocolate chips (can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

         Combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, salt and chocolate chips.

Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Place about 1 TBS of cream cheese mixture in each cup. Make sure there are a couple chocolate chips in each one. Fill the cup to 2/3 full with cake batter. Bake according to cupcake baking time on cake mix package. Let cool and frost with your favorite chocolate frosting!

**Do you know how kids only take cupcakes so they can eat the frosting?...Well, not with these! The kids gobbled the whole thing up! They went really fast!

**I used the Hershey Kiss Chocolate Chips because I liked having the little bit bigger chocolate chip in them. Definately making these again soon.

**I give credit to my Sister, Julianne for this recipe and also, Allrecipes. com. Julianne made some like these for a family gathering a few years back and I LOVED them. So I searched for the recipe, found the cream cheese part on Allrecipes. com and put them together.

Mini Chicken, Bacon, Cream Cheese Taquitos

1/3 of a 16-ounce package bacon (about 6 slices), chopped
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
2 cans (12.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained (or leftover cooked chicken)
8 flour tortillas (10-inch)
Vegetable oil

1.Cook the bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet and drain on paper towels.

2.Stir the bacon, cream cheese and chicken in a medium bowl.

3.Cut each tortilla into 3 (3-inch) circles using a round cutter. Spoon about 2 teaspoons chicken mixture in the center of each (one) tortilla round. Roll the tortillas around the filling and secure with toothpicks.

4.Pour the oil into a heavy 4-quart saucepan to a depth of 3 inches. Heat the oil to 350°F.

5.Add the taquitos to the saucepan in batches and cook until well browned on all sides. Remove the taquitos from the saucepan and let drain on paper towels. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the toothpicks before serving.

 

*This recipe is one that I had pinned and ACTUALLY made it!! I found it here on the "Mommy, I'm Hungry!" blog. It is a VERY EASY recipe to put together. You could have the kids help put them together and then an adult do the frying.

**We definitely will be making these again. I would suggest adding some seasoning to the chicken mixture. I added a little onion powder and some chives. My Girls loved them...especially dipped in some Ranch.

Who still Checks My Food Blog???

Now that I am getting settled in my house, I am anxious to get some new recipes posted. But I wanted to check and see who actually still checks my food blog. I have a GIVEAWAY planned, but I wanted to see how many people still follow me. If you do, would you please leave a comment. And maybe even tell me why you like to look at this blog.

Jello Cake

1 White Cake Mix

1 pkg. jello (4-serving size) Your favorite kind!

Dissolve Jello in 3/4 cup boiling water. Then add 1/2 cup cold water. Set aside. Mix and bake cake as directed on cake package. Cool cake for 20 minutes. Poke holes in top of cake. (I used a fork). Pour jello over cake making sure you pour it over the holes you made. Refrigerate cake for 3-4 hours. Frost with cool whip, buttercream frosting, or some other really creamy light and fluffy frosting! ENJOY!

*This cake was my Daughters Birthday Cake. She is past wanting the barbie cakes. Adding the jello in the cake made it so the kids ate the cake too and not just the frosting! It's a very light and refreshing cake.

Paparazzi GiveAway

I am doing a GIVEAWAY on my PAPARAZZI FB PAGE! When I hit 100 "LIKES" I will be giving away this PURPLE RIBBON NECKLACE!

GO HERE to "LIKE" my PAGE! Also, check out all the other $5 Accessories!

I am counting down the DAYS!

I AM STILL HERE!

We have been very busy getting our house ready to move back in to. And I am getting an almost NEW kitchen floor! I am so excited to get back in the KITCHEN and start cooking for my family again! I am biting at the bit to do some menu planning! Only about 1 more week! I will also have an office with a desk so I can actually sit and blog at a desk and not on the couch! Since I have been absent from my blog for so long I have been thinking of some fun ideas to do to celebrate BLOGGING and COOKING again! And ALSO-----This Blog is Having a BIRTHDAY in MARCH!! We have to CELEBRATE that! RIGHT?! So, keep checking back.....

Lemon Oreo's

Many of you know that I recently moved. We are staying with family for a bit so ALL of my kitchen stuff is in storage...INCLUDING my COOKBOOKS/RECIPES! Good thing I have several here on my blog! I feel bad I can't keep up with COOKIE MONDAY right now. So I thought I would repost a few till I can get back in my kitchen!

Here's one of my FAVORITES!!!

2 packages lemon cake mix
1 1/2 cup shortening
4 eggs

Mix cake mix, shortening and eggs well.
Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 8-10minutes

Orange Frosting

1 cube of butter
8oz of cream cheese
1 pound of powdered sugar
Juice of 2 oranges (you can also use about 1/2 can of frozen orange juice instead) Until it taste orange enough.
If desired, add orange zest just for the look of it
Orange food coloring

I got this recipe from my good friend Kate B. They are so yummy! I couldn't leave them alone so I gave them away to family and friends. Now they are requesting the recipe. Thanks Kate! It's a secret indulgence!

Lemon Bars



1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. For a festive tray, make another pan using limes instead of lemons and adding a drop of green food coloring to give a very pale green. After both pans have cooled, cut into uniform 2 inch squares and arrange in a checker board fashion.

**OH MY! These are SOOOO Good! One of my good friends shared this recipe with me. Thank you Alison for sharing! This recipe is quick and easy! I dare you to eat just one! So glad I was able to share these ones or I would have eaten the whole tray.

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