Joy in the Kitchen!

Chunky Black Bean Salsa is so fresh and light, if I close my eyes I can almost imagine it's summer.  After this long, cold, winter, I could use some summer - even if it's imagined! The Super Bowl is coming up and this salsa will be part of our festivities.  We always have Super Nacho's (you can find the recipe HERE ) but Chunky Black Bean Salsa will be a fun addition for those who want a little bit lighter snacking.  Mix this up the day before or an hour ahead and then chill until ready to enjoy! Chunky Black Bean Salsa 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 C. onion, diced 1 1/2 C. tomato, diced 1/2 green pepper, diced 1/2 C. corn (canned and drained, or frozen and thawed) 1/4 C. chopped cilantro 1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced  (more or less as desired!) 1 tsp. salt 1 lime Mix all of the vegetables and beans together and then sprinkle the salt over the top.  Add cilantro and salt.  Squeeze lime over all and toss until well mixed.  Chill. Serve with

Tamale pie is a great recipe to stretch meat and fill hungry tummies.  It is simple to make and uses ingredients I usually  have on hand.  When I had several teenagers at home I made this casserole quite a bit. If you like your meals a bit spicier, you might enjoy some green chili's in the filling or mixed into the cornbread topping! Tamale Pie Filling: 1 lb hamburger (I prefer 90/10) 1 medium onion, diced 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 3 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. salt. pepper to taste 1 15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes  1 15 oz. can of black olives, sliced 1 cup frozen corn or 1 15 oz. can corn, drained Brown hamburger and onion until onion is translucent.  Add the remaining ingredients and warm through.  Place in a greased 9x13 pan or other casserole dish. Topping: 1 C. yellow corn meal 1 C. flour 1 T. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 1/2 C. milk 1/3 C. oil 1 egg Mix all together until well blended.  Pour over

Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes I love cheesecake!  It is one of my favorite desserts.  I've learned to make a pretty good baked cheesecake but it takes some time to get it smooth and creamy.  These little Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes are quick and easy.  You can enjoy that delicious cheesecake texture and taste with minimal effort and they look adorable. My friend Teresa gave me this recipe several years ago when I needed a portable dessert.  They work perfectly for toting to parties or for serving as a delicious dessert after a meal at home. I'm thinking we'll use these on Valentine's Day for a fun ending to our meal. Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes 1 C. sugar 3 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened to at least room temperature 4 eggs 2 tsp. lemon juice 1 pkg. NILLA Wafers Cherry or Blueberry pie filling Whipped Cream, optional 24 paper muffin cups Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Mix sugar, cheese, eggs and lemon juice until smooth.   Place paper muffin line

Today feels like a baking day.  It's chilly outside and nothing warms the house up like the aroma from a busy oven. Especially when that aroma includes chocolate! These chocolaty cookies are delicious!  I don't often put nuts in my recipes because my children don't love them.  However, I DO love them and did you know that pecans are a pretty healthy nut?  We'll focus that direction and forget about the cup of butter in these that might offset the health benefits! Every bit as easy to mix up as regular chocolate chip cookies, but a nice change of pace when you're in a nutty mood. Double Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies 1 C. butter, softened 1 C. brown sugar 3/4 C. white sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 T. water 2 eggs 2 1/2 C. flour 1/3 C. cocoa 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. baking soda 2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 C. chopped pecans Preheat oven to 375. Blend the butter, sugars, vanilla and water until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat until well

My husband loves Cinnamon Swirl bread from the bakery.  I love it too but it's just pricier than I like!  I found that I can use my regular bread recipe and tweak it a little with great results! You can find my favorite bread recipe HERE .  Scroll down to the bottom of it and you'll find the measurements for 2 loaves.  That's the easiest.   Today I did a recipe for 4 loaves and then left 2 of them regular and made Cinnamon Swirl from the other two. Cinnamon Swirl Bread 1 batch of dough enough for 2 loaves of Tender Homemade Bread 2 T. butter, softened 1/4 C. sugar 2 tsp. ground cinnamon Divide the dough in two.  Let rest 10 minutes. (this step really makes it easier to work with the dough when rolling it out) Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Roll out half of the dough.  Make it as wide as the length of your bread pan. (mine was 8 inches).  Roll it so it's about 1/2 inch thick.   Using a knife or the back of a spoon, spread half of the the softened butter

The other day I needed a dinner that I could make ahead and leave in the oven.  I combined a couple of recipes to come up with this.  It was a hit with our entire family. I like to buy full boneless pork loins at Sam's Club and then cut them into chops or leave the size we need for a roast.  The price is usually cheapest that way and I'm all about cutting our food budget.  I keep everything in this recipe on hand (aside from the French's Fried Onions) so it is something I could throw together  spur of the moment. Creamy Pork Chops and Potatoes 6-8 pork loin chops (boneless or bone-in) 6 LARGE  russet potatoes , peeled and sliced 2 10 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk 3/4 C. water 3 T. onion soup base (1 package of Lipton onion soup is a little over 2 T. so just use that if you'd rather not have a package open.  I buy mine in bulk so it's easier for measuring) 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. salt French's fried onions

My family doesn't generally love brown rice.  They really enjoyed it in this dish though.  I started out to do a skillet dinner, but I took a little time to put it all in a pan and melt the cheese in the oven.  Next time I'm going to try just mixing it in and letting it melt in the skillet rather than sprinkling it on top. This was a tasty dinner and full of healthy ingredients.   My family requested it again! Brown Rice and Broccoli with Chicken 1 1/2 C. brown rice 3 1/4 C.chicken broth or water with 3 tsp. chicken boullion  Place in medium pan, bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes.  Remove from heat. While the rice is cooking, saute the following in 1 T. of olive oil: 2 chicken breast, diced 1 C. onion, diced 1 C. mushrooms, sliced 2 C. broccoli florets (fresh or frozen is fine) When the rice is done, place it on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan .  Spread chicken and vegetables over rice.  Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of water or chicken broth ove

School was canceled for us today due to icy roads and snow.  That makes it a perfect day to have some Kids in the Kitchen time!   Easy Cheesy Pretzels are easy enough for 8 year old Wesley to mix up pretty much by himself, though I did stand by and oversee measuring and explaining a few things like "kneading". It depends on how much kitchen experience your little helpers have had.  We like to have Kid Aprons *First, gather all of the ingredients you need onto a cookie sheet or counter.  We measured and put into bowls for the picture, and that also makes it easy to see that you have everything.  Wesley especially enjoys measuring flour.  He measured that cup and a half several times before he was satisfied it could go in the bowl .  (we did not gather the beaten egg or the pretzel salt)  Easy Cheesy Pretzels 1 1/2 C. flour 2/3 C. milk 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 2 teaspoons baking pow