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Tex Mex Soup

Tis the season for soups.  I am new to Texas and Lord knows that I should not be cold, but I confess.  After moving here in the dead heat of summer, my blood thinned quickly and Im longing for warmth. 
Here is a Yummy soup from a cafe from none other than IOWA!  I thought that was funny being the name is TEX MEX SOUP!!!

1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 15 ounce can stewed tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock
1 can tomato soup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

For serving:
avocado
sour cream
tortilla chips
grated cheese

Saute onion, jalapeno, garlic and stewed tomatoes in a large kettle for several minutes,  Add remaining ingredients and simmer one hour. 
Garnish with fresh avocado, grated cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. 
Serves 4-6

Peach Berry Crisp

 Hungry Momma's house is in the middle of a fast. 
You haven't heard much from us lately and for that we are very sorry - However I have some yummy stuff to share with you!

This is a Daniel Diet friendly dish that we love to have.  The use of frozen fruit makes it easy to make in the dead middle of winter!

Im sorry that there are no measurements for this recipe, I cook in an eyeball it sorta style quite often. So, I put lots of pictures here for you to see.

 In the bottom of a casserole dish put a single layer of frozen peaches.

 On top of the peaches, put on a layer of frozen mixed berries.  The best mixture in my opinion is Blueberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries.  I removed the Strawberries from the mix.

Sprinkle with Cinnamon all over the top.

 Use a little bit of Pure Maple Syrup to lightly sweeten the crisp.

Top the fruit with granola.  Whatever your favorite variety - I use whichever one I have on hand.  I make my own sometimes, and you can use that too.

 I use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water and sprinkle over the top.

Bake your crisp in the oven at 375 for 30-45 minutes. 

Teacher Treats

How about a quick gift idea for the people who invest so much into your kids?
This week I made "puppy chow" as we call it. It's yummy and addicting! However it makes nearly a whole cereal box full and we dont need that much candy around here. I just wanted one bite honest!


Several years in a row I purchased a daily desk calendar by Mary Englebreit. I could not throw out her beautiful artwork that was on each page so I have been recycling these into little cards for quite a few years!

"Books Fall Open, You Fall In" is perfect for the reading teacher!
I placed about two cups of candy into the cellophane bags. Put on the silver twisty tie it came with...Went to the ribbon box and found a nice sturdy wired type (hoping it holds it shape after my first grader carries it in). Tied a bow. Then I selected my cards with a teacher theme and wrote Happy January on the back! I punched a little hole in the corner and threaded a tiny ribbon through it to fasten it on to the package. These cards could even have said "thank God it's Friday!" there doesn't have to be an occasion to give. Just do it and make someone feel special!

Corn Bean Salsa

Our very first Neighbors in Iowa became very dear friends of ours. We started a tradition of getting together for dinner and all the recipes we made had to be ones we had never tried before.  They had taken a trip to Santa Fe and while there went to a cooking class.  They brought back this recipe and we have been loving it for many years since!
(I always double this recipe since we usually have a house full!)
This is better the day after you make it!

Saute:
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 t. minced garlic
2T olive oil

In a bowl combine:
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t cumin powder
1 jalapeno minced ( I remove seeds)
2 T Cider Vinegar
1 T Honey
1 T chili powder
1 t salt
3/4 cup of drained can corn
3 large roma tomatoes or (i use one can of petite diced can tomatoes drained)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Lightly Saute Onion and Garlic in oil. Combine all ingredients. Stir well. Let stand one hour to blend flavors!

Grandma Tucker's Scalloped Potatoes

My dear friend Anna and I grew up together.  Her Grandfather and mine were best friends.  My grandparents lived in the Parsonage on one side of the church parking lot, and hers lived on the other side of it.  We used to sell lemonade out of her tree house there it was so fun!
One day I was fortunate to eat a meal with Anna and her Grandparents.  Grandma Tucker served her amazing Scalloped Potatoes. I can't recall how old I was but all I remember was this oval aluminum pot that was full of delicious yummy-ness. Well, when Anna went back home to East Texas this Christmas she seen her Grandma she asked her for the recipe! Funny thing about this "recipe" - was all she wrote down was:
Potatoes
Oleo
1 Can of evaporated milk
Salt & Pepper

Gotta love our sweet grandma's  - they don't tell you how many potatoes, how much butter, they don't tell you what temperature they just do their thing and it turns out delicious every single time!
So we called her - "Grandma, what temp did you cook it at?"
Her sweet response  "Now, Anna, you cook nearly EVERYTHING at 350!" 

So,,, here is how we recreated them - very easy, and simple
8 or so potatoes
1 Stick of Butter
1 can of evaporated milk

 Layer peeled thinly sliced potatoes with pats of butter. Salt and Pepper each layer.
Pour the can of evaporated milk over the top.  Cover and Bake for about an hour @350.

Sour Cream Biscuits

Biscuits have never turned out for me when I have made them from scratch. Oh, sure - they have turned out, but I haven't been dying to make them again, and they haven't been tender fall apart in your mouth melty goodness! I have been looking for a recipe for FOREVER that meets all my desires in a biscuit.
I just knew it would have buttermilk and all the rest of a mess that goes along with what you think a biscuit should be. Unbelievably this is the easiest biscuit I dare say you will ever make.  AND SO DELICIOUS!  - but I hope by now you know I wouldn't post it if it weren't delicious right?  We have surely established that by now!

Here is what you need:
2 Cups of Bisquick
1 stick of Butter
8 oz of Sour Cream

Combine all the ingredients together and spoon into a muffin tin.

This recipe made 10 biscuits for me.  I baked it at 400 for 8-10 minutes!
Serve this with the Devon-shire cream - and your mouth will thank you!

Devon-shire Cream (Use me like butter)

 My Father's side of the family migrated here from England.  I sometimes wonder if the love for tea, short-breads, and cream's like this one, is from some ancestor, somewhere - way back.  When I was 5 years old my parents were able to take a trip to England.  While there my mother brought back tasty treats and a hankering for a delicious Devon-shire cream.  Where I grew up in Missouri fun stuff like clotted cream's and specialty items were no where around.  So, when we moved here and my parents came to town we visited  Central Market.  There on the shelf was the very cream Momma had had while in England!  You can bet that she bought it, but she also paid a pretty price for it.
Well, this hungry momma was on the phone with her last night and she wouldn't let me hang up the phone before I wrote this recipe down.  This is the recipe that you use for when you cant just hop on a plane and run to England - or go to Central Market because it is 45 minutes away!

 1 8oz pkg of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons of Powdered Sugar

Place ingredients in a bowl and whip up with your electric mixer.
Serve on scones, biscuits, or toast - whatever you would put butter on, and HONEY! It will change your life!  It's good stuff!
Don't take my word for it - try it yourself in the morning at breakfast!