Hamburger Soup

2-3 lbs of cooked ground beef

6 peeled and diced potatoes

1 T garlic powder

1 onion, diced

1 green bell pepper diced

1 large can diced green chilis

2-3 large cans of diced tomatoes

Combine all in large pot on med-low until soup begins to simmer....then turn to low heat with the lid on for 1-2 hours or until potatoes are tender. Top with grated cheese, a dollop of sour cream and serve with tortilla chips--yum!

Strawberry Bread

* I made some little loaves of this bread to give away to friends for Christmas, it is so yummy...Kai loves it! And, it is a Martha Stewart recipe so you know it is dang good!


The recipe for this fruit-swirled quick bread comes from a reader, Debbie Cascio-van Hees, from the Netherlands. It calls for fresh strawberries, but you can substitute thawed frozen berries. Softened cream cheese is a delicious spread.
Prep: 10 minutesTotal: 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 8
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered, and mashed with a fork
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a small saucepan, bring strawberries to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with 1/3 cup water, beginning and ending with flour. Fold in reserved strawberries.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with foil after 45 minutes if top is getting too dark). Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges; invert onto a rack. Reinvert; cool completely.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 cans of Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (14.5 oz each)
2 cans of chicken broth (14.5 oz each)
1 can of Traditional Refried Beans
1/2 cup of corn
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I just boil mine and then shred it)
1/2 cup of shredded mexican cheese blend or montery jack or cheddar...whatever you like :)
1 bag of chips to crunch up on top

combine tomatoes, chilies and broth over medium heat...stir in refried beans and corn....bring to boil....reduce heat to low and simmer, stiring frequently for 5 minutes...add chicken....simmer for 5 minutes....and top with tortilla chips and cheese & enjoy!

This soup is soooo easy and very good, I doubled it and served it at our Halloween Party last year--it was a hit!

Festive Holiday Punch

Sorry about this first pic...the photog's fingers messed it up

8 cups Apple Cider

8 cups cranberry juice

1 red apple

1 orange

1 bag of cranberries (about 1 1/2 cups)

4 liters lemon lime soda

Pour juices and soda in punch bowl....add apple and orange slices, cranberries and ice if needed. No need to stir. Yum!

ice cubes if needed

Cedar Maiden Fry Bread

Just so you all know Cedar Maiden is my Hopi name, when I was just a young sprout my parents took me to the Hopi reservation and my Great Grandfather gave me the name in a little ceremony. It is pronounced Ho-kwap-nim in Hopi (I am not totally sure if it is spelled this way but this is how you say it) My mom is Pinon Maiden, my brother Cody is Pile of Wood (exciting huu?) and my youngest brother is Fire Spark (very cool) Since I married a non-Indian my children will not receive a name because I am the bare minimum of Hopi (1/4) that can be admitted to the tribe. Okay, on the the recipe. Now....I have a family fry bread recipe but I found one from Emeril online that is really good & easy. So, I guess you can say that I am a drugstore Indian.....is that like a rhinestone cowboy??

Indian Fry Bread

2 cups flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1 T veggie oil (and more for frying)

3/4 c warm water

mix ingredients, turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is elastic and comes together. Shape into a ball and put in plastic bag or plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator for one hour.

Divide dough into 10 equal pieced (less if you would like larger breads) Roll out into a circle, make as thin as possible. Poke a hole in the center and in a frying pan filled with HOT veggie oil (I use about 3 cups) The oil is suppose to be 360*....I wait until I can drop the dough right in and its starts to fry (use a small piece of dough to check) cook for about 2 minutes flipping once. Drain on paper towels.

For a dessert sprinkle with powdered sugar and honey.

For a vegetarian meal top with pinto beans (whole beans or re fried) shredded lettuce, tomatoes, grated cheese and you have yourself an Indian Taco.

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

We have been eating one meat-less meal a week at the Becker home and this is one of the best veggie recipes!

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

12 lasagna noodles (boiled)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 1/2 c ricotta cheese

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1/2 c mozzarella cheese

1 package frozen chopped spinach

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1 jar meatless spaghetti sauce ( I like Emeril's pasta sauce)

Mix eggs, cheeses, spinach, salt, pepper....spread 1/3 cup cheese mixture over each noodle & carefully roll up. Pour 1 cup spaghetti sauce onto ungreased 13x9 in baking dish. Place roll up seam side down over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over top. Back, uncovered 375* for 20-25 minutes.

Girl's Camp Sausage

1 Polska Kielbasa, cut into bite size pieces

4 Med. Potatoes, diced (I use red or golden)

1/2 sweet onion, diced

1/2 bag of carrots (the little dipping kind)

salt & pepper

add all ingredients in a glass casserole dish with lid....cook 400* for 40 minutes or until carrots & potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.

---> Why is this called Girl's Camp Sausage you may be asking.......well here is the story. (This may only be interesting to Amy, Sonnet, Kambria and Mimi) At GC one year they gave us a fire pit, dutch oven, and the ingredients listed above and told us to make a meal. Well.......after a few hours of trying to get this cluster into an edible dish we used our secret weapon....LaDonna Coplan, (she knows everything and can do anything...this woman is a friend you WANT to have) and she lit our fire and got our food going.....we had a wonderful meal followed by some yummy brownies we also made in the dutch oven while the other cabins and addies were still cooking well into the night. So really I should call this LaDonna saves the day sausage. OH and I know its kielbasa but I always call it sausage :)

Fran's Garlic Shrimp

30 X-Large Shrimp (deveined)
6 T Butter
2 T Garlic Salt

Thaw Shrimp and pull off shell
Melt butter in a bowl, and add garlic salt
Add shrimp to butter & garlic and let stand for 10 minutes
Put shrimp on skewer about 6 on each
BBQ on top shelf (the butter melts off and they can catch fire on so must be high off flame)
BBQ until no longer pink (we leave ours on until ours are very done) so cook to your liking.
ENJOY!

Chicken Noodle Soup

*This is my Grandma Amos' recipe and it is delicious & great for sick days or chilly winter days.
Soup
6 cups of chicken broth
1 chicken breast -shredded (I boil mine before or use leftovers)
1 bay leaf
3 celery stalks chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/4 t pepper
and salt to taste
Bring to boil until carrots are tender

Noodles
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1/2 t salt
*mix together
add milk until mixture becomes doughy
roll out on floured surface and cut into noodles
(I make mine small squares)

add to boiling soup, the noodles only take about 2 minutes to cook---ENJOY!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Cake

*This cake is awesome!

1 package yellow cake mix
15 oz pumpkin *see instructions below in the pancake recipe
1/3 c sugar
4 eggs
1/3 water
1/4 c applesauce ( I used cinnamon applesauce)
2 t gound cinnamon divided
1/2 ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 to 2 T milk

In mixer, add cake mix, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, water applesauce, 1 t cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into bundt pan....that is coated with nonstick cooking spray and flour.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting
Combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 1 t cinnamon and milk. (use enough milk to reach desired drizzling consisency & drizzle over cake.

Pumpkin Cookies

*Once again...just cook your pumpkin as directed in the Pumpkin Pancake recipe.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

COOKIES

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup REAL pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

GLAZE

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter

4 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

Steak with Lime Marinade

This is hands down THE BEST steak marinade and Kai & Francis love it! (The original marinade is from Martha Stewart but I tweaked it a bit to make it more kid friendly)

1/3 Cup Fresh Lime Juice (4 limes)

2 T soy sauce

3 green onions thinly sliced

1/2 t red-pepper flakes

1 1/2 pd. steak (top sirlion preferebly)

1 T course salt

1/2 T ground pepper

In plastic zip bag combine lime juice, soy sauce, onions, and red pepper flakes. Add steak and seal bag, put in refrigerator, turning occasionally....up to 1 hour marinade time.

Grill & Enjoy!

(We slice ours very thin with an electric knife)

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 3/4 Whole Wheat Flour
3 t Baking Powder
1/4 t salt
2 eggs
1/3/4 milk
1/2 cup veggie oil
1 T Flaxseed

Mix & cook in your waffle iron. I top my with a dollop of margarine, strawberry slices and warm syrup. The kids love them! *Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar if your kids are new to flax seed in their food

*I purchase the flaxseed & whole wheat flour at Sunflower market.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

This is a another way to use your cooked pumpkin from the pancake recipe.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Cake Ingredients
1/3 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup cooked pumpkin

Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugarfor dusting finished pumpkin roll

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

Grease 15 x 10-inch pan; line with wax or parchment paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt bowl ( I used my Kitchen Aid mixer) Beat in eggs and granulated sugar in Beat in pumpkin. Spread evenly into prepared pan. (If you like nuts, Sprinkle with walnuts)

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.

Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Cool on wire rack. FOR FILLING:BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

The BEST chicken salad recipe---EVER!
My Aunt Roz made this at the reunion and it was SOOOOO good!

APPLE CHICKEN SALAD
4 cups diced cooked chicken
2 Tablespoons chopped green onion
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepperdash thyme
2 cups Bowtie pasta(cooked)
8 oz. Kraft Cole Slaw Dressing
1 cup sour cream or mayo

1 cup diced celery
2 cups halved red grapes
1-20 oz. can pineapple tidbits
2 cups apple, unpeeled and diced
3/4 cup slivered almonds

Mix together & Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes

First off.....cut your pumpkin up into pieces and boil in a large pot until you are able to pierce easily with a fork.

Scrap the pumpkin "flesh" out off of the skin & throw out skin. You can use pumpkin immediately, freeze or store in refrigerator if you plan to use in a few days.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 cup of Bisquick (or any quick pancake mix)
1/4 cup pumpkin
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 water (or less depending on the consistency you prefer)
*Pam or any non-stick cooking spray

Add first 4 ingredients and mix in bowl

Heat pan over med-heat....spray with Pam....add pancake mix...cook....flip....and enjoy! I served mine with syrup and apple slices on the side. They were so good & both of the kids ate them up!