Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup (DId I say Easy?) A favourite.

My sister-in-law, Bobbi, came up with this family favourite soup. So easy!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

recipe from Bobbi Johnson
(this is the family size. It is so easy to double, or cut in 1/2.)

1 family size Cream of Chicken Soup (I use lower fat) (or 2 regular size)
3/4 can milk (use your soup can. I use 1%)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sour cream (I use light)
1 cup prepared salsa
1 can chicken in water (Or use cooked chicken breasts (if Hilary is coming) or left-over rotisserie chicken
(Several have "asked" if you really need 2 cans of tomatoes since there are 2 in the pic. No. Just one. The 2nd can jumped into the picture. Sorry. Thanks for your comments and questions.)


Mix and heat. Serve over tortilla chips with grated cheese on top.

This really is one of our family favourites. It is easy and has great flavour. And left-overs are good, too.
Thank-you, Bobbi for letting me post this.

Tomorrow I am posting my copycat recipe for Olive Garden's ZZuppa Tuscano soup.

Amazing Taco Soup / Food Storage Taco Soup, Zuppa Toscano Soup

Here is a soup recipe Emily makes for us.

Emily came up with this recipe. She named it Amazing Taco Soup. I named it Food Storage Taco Soup. Lincoln loves this and can do it himself.

Amazing Taco Soup
from Emily Johnson

1 can black beans-drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans-(")

1 can tomato soup concentrate

2 16 oz. cans undrained stewed tomatoes (We use Mexican style)

1 can corn-undrained

1 foil pack taco seasoning

Mix together and heat. (This can be done in a crock pot or stove top.)

Stir in cooked, browned ground beef (1/2-1 lb.) or the "fake" hamburger in food storage cans.

Can serve with chips, cheese, sour cream, corn bread... You know the stuff.
Thank-you, Emily

This is my favourite pan lid. (Thrift store find.) I knew exactly what it was! It is ridged and shaped to fit... ANY PAN. Small 1 cup pan to large stock/soup pan. I wish there was a brand on it, but I'll take what I can get. Keep your eyes open for one. You will enjoy it.

Have you ever seen these before? They are TUPPERWAVE by Tupperware. I sold Tupperware in the 90s just because of these. While I don't cook much in them, I use them A LOT for re-heating. This is 2 layers (There are 3) with soup in each one. I still find these at yard sales, etc. (which is great because all my kidults want a set). My collection recently came in handy for a ward Relief Society dinner. Keep your eyes open for these, too. (Let me know if you have questions.)

On Tuesday I went to lunch with a friend. We went to Olive Garden and I got the Zuppa Toscano soup. I really enjoyed it, and made it on Wednesday. i came up with this after reading about 20 recipes (with their 300 reviews.)

Copy Cat Zuppa Toscano Soup (Olive Garden)

1/4 - 1/2 lb. turkey italian sausage (can use spicy)

olive oil (or other cooking oil)

1 yellow/white chopped onion (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 tea. minced garlic

2 1/2 table. chicken base

2 large potatoes (I used yukon gold) Cut in 1/2 length way and then slice very thin. Like about 1/8" in. You can try to the slicing side of your grater, but it tends to jam

2 cups kale leaves (or spinach)

1/3 - 2/3 cup half & half (or cream)

Parmesan and/or Romano cheese

In a soup pan, brown and break up sausage. Add small amounts of oil as needed to keep meat from sticking. Remove sausage and set aside while

browning onion. Then add garlic and stir about 1 more minute.

Put sausage back in and add the chicken base, 1 quart water and potatoes. Simmer 15-30 min., or until potatoes are tender. (You can add 2 more cups of water if you need more for your potatoes or if it is too thick.)

Add the kale, and cream. Simmer on low about 5 minutes.

Serve topped with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

(Somewhere in my computer is the picture of the ingredients.)

I am really torn about how I feel about this soup. First of all, only Doug and I ate it. (Emily does not eat potatoes, Hilary, Lindsay and Leslie-sausage and Mark, onion. David does not eat soups often.) Doug and I both liked it. (And Doug does not like sausage or ANY leafy green veg.)

#1 Turkey sausage has 75% less fat than regular sausage. Since much of the flavour comes from fat, I needed a bit of oil to keep it from sticking, and the herbs were intensified. I used 1/2 lb. and really only needed 1/2 of that.

#2 Kale does not have a lot of flavour, so Doug could eat it. Spinach would work as well and I would know what to do with left-overs. (But the kale was cheap. $1.28 bunch)

#3 It did taste like Olive Garden's. It was good. Doug liked it (Such a good sport to try my projects.) and liked the left-overs on Thursday.

#4 Now, the problem. Even though I liked it, and it was good, I really don't think I want it again . Weird, huh? Plus, at the end of dinner last night...I threw away the left-overs. I rarely do that. (I hope Michael did not read that.) (Just so you know, I figured out how to make those tiny letters myself.) Now you have it. I am not even saving the recipe, and I do not know why.

I am trying 1 more soup recipe next week. If I don't talk to you before Monday, Happy Olympics, Happy Chinese New Year and Happy Valentine's Day.

Still time for soups- A KEEPER soup recipe

There are a still a few soups and stews I want to try before winter leaves. I adapted and revised this one from http://www.realmomkitchen.com/ I will try to post 3 or 4 soups or soup sides this week.

Cheesy Mexican Chicken Soup
adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
1 table. oil (I used olive oil)
1 white or yellow onion chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup course grated carrots
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups of milk (I used 1%)
1/4 cup flour
1 tea. salt
1 tea. chili powder
1/2 tea. cumin
1-2 cups cooked chicken-shredded or cut bite sized (I actually used 1 13 oz. can of chicken and I used the juice as part of my broth)
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 cup grated montery jack cheese (I used 5 slices of colby jack and 2 table. grated cheddar because that is what I had)
1-3 table. chopped (fresh) cilantro (I used about 2)

In oil, saute carrot, onion and garlic for about 5 mins. to soften

Add broth and high simmer (uncovered) about 10 mins

Mix (I used Mark's drink bottle that has a mixer ball in it) the milk and seasonings well. Add to the soup and stir until a little thickened

Stir in just until warmed and cheese has melted, the chicken, corn, cilantro and cheese.

Since I served this the day after Super Nachos, we had left-overs. I served some of our very good (and easy) peasant bread. I stirred in black beans and green onions. Doug added tomatoes and black beans. I also served grated pepper jack cheese. The original recipe called for a can of chpped chilis-which Doug won't touch. The pepper jack cheese humoured the rest of us.

This was a popular soup. Doug and Emily both said "KEEPER" Lindsay and Hilary each tasted it as they came thru and liked it. Mark (darn, forgot to cut the onions very large) said the smell said it was great. After 1 try, it made it to the cookbook.

As a side note, the "Kneadlessly Simple" bread book that we have been waiting for from the library for, finally came. Leslie picked it up for me. I will try some new bread this week.

31 January - 7 February, 2010

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world."

Robert Louis Stevenson

#1 Ah. Thank-you SO much, Emily for doing all my morning carpools. It was so nice to sleep in a bit. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. Sleep makes me happy.

#2 I finished another project that I started about 8 years ago. (I only really worked on it on the days when I worked with Wendy C. as an election judge. Well, Wendy has moved to Lehi and I don't to the election thing anymore.) I sewed antique, old and interesting/new buttons into a heart. I decided that I would just sew 10 buttons a night until I was done. It turned out I only needed about 30, so I did it in 1 late night. Finished projects make me happy.

#3 I am adjusting to digital tv. (The only channels I have memorized are 2, 4, 5, 7, and 11.) Elana made me happy by fixing my tv so it only runs thru the channels I watch when I scroll thru channels. (There are too many stupid/naughty ones that I pass. It does not show anything unless you click, but I did not even like them there.) Thank-you, Elena.

#4 I am happy spring is almost here. I went thru the whole winter wearing capris and sandals. No pants. No shoes. (O.K. I did wear dress boots to church 1 (ONE) Sunday because of snow. I hate shoes, so yep, I'm happy.

#5 With winter leaving soon, there are a few things that make me happy (ier) during the winter.

#5A Fleece Sheets - Again and still. We love climbing into bed with these sheets. (O.K. So you can't see the sheets in the picture.) Thank-you Wendy C.

#5B Static Guard - I can not live in Utah without this. (Journal entry ) After Doug and I got married in California (where I was from) we moved to Utah (where he was from). We lived in his parents basement for the first 2 weeks until we could move into our apartment on December, 1st. One morning I was getting dressed (This was back in the days when we thought that you needed to get dressed up for your husband everyday :^) and everything was statiky (sp?). I started crying and asked Doug why he brought me to this place. My hair and clothes were statiky, I kept getting shocked when I touched things and I was sure his brothers (whose bedrooms were downstairs) could hear us. I wanted to go back to California.

Later that day my mother-in-law brought home a can of STATIC GUARD for me. She said I may not have noticed but Utah was dry. She said she had not heard me crying, but... I'll never know for sure. (I'm sure she won't remember now.) And she was right. Static Guard has really helped. And I am still in Utah. I use it on sheets, laundry, Sunday slips... I now have several cans throughout the house. I saved my very first can from mom (out of sentiment) until we re-did our storage room. Thank-you, mom. (end of journal entry)

#5C Hilary gave me a wonderful lotion last year. Oh, I love it. I love the texture, but the scent is so relaxing to me. It is quite expensive and I am running low, but I will replace it. "The Thymes Olive Leaf" lotion makes me so happy. Thank-you, Hilary.

#5D Vitamin D - Doug makes sure I take all the right stuff. This winter really has been easier. Thank-you, honey.

#6 Cooking should have made me happier. My crockpot recipe was not good. First of all, although Doug loves pineapple and grilled pineapple and pineapple upside down cake (and he even liked pineapples in an enchilada recipe I tried awhile ago), he does not liked cooked pineapple (?). Strike 1. The recipe said add 1 cup uncooked rice the last hour of cooking. After 2 hours it was still quite hard. Strike 2. In my game- out. I did make another fun recipe ...

#7 I loved having most of the family come over for dinner on Sunday. (Layne was with his dad and Charles wanted to actually watch the Super Bowl (in peace ).) We had Super Nachos/tacos. They were Super. I made a new recipe from OUR BEST BITES. (For their copy click on their sticker on my blog.) I served it with the super easy and so good peasant bread. (Recipe in past post.)

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Recipe from OUR BEST BITES

Mix all together

2 8 oz. softened cream cheese (I used light)

1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 4 oz. can green chilis

about 1/8-1/4 cup chopped green jalapeno peppers-drained (I used some that David canned last summer, and I added a little bit of the liquid for a bit more heat. Thank-you, David.)

Put in a greased pie pan sized dish. Bake at 350* for 20-25 mins. until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with pita chips, Fritos or bread slices or chunks.

Since I was baking bread and Leslie and Christy were baking chocolate chip cookies, I cooked mine in this. (see pic) Are you surprised I still have it? It works great for hot dips.

They started the bread before I got the picture. umm Hot Bread. Every one that likes hot, liked this. (ME, Emily, David, Elana, Leslie & Christy) And it is cheaper than artichoke dip. (Except that Hilary likes that.)

#8 I am so happy I found 5 missing pictures. When I took them down to decorate for Christmas, I put them...somewhere. I looked a lot of somewheres for them. Then, as I was getting ready for bed the other night I wondered if I put them under my bed? (The only thing I keep under my bed is my shoe storage containers... and pictures that I don't want ruined apparently.) (I wish I could keep cases of food storage under there, but I really try to follow the "keep it at about 60* rule.) Yea! I found my pictures. I put them all where they go except my theme from last year. I took a picture of it and will take it apart. It was a good theme for 2009. It helped me to better choose the movies I would watch. There were some I walked out of, or turned off.

#9 I have decided that I want an apron. Thinking about wearing an apron is making me happy. Not sure what (kind), when, or (from) where, but it is "on the list".

#10 I am happy there are so many holidays coming up this week!

And now, for the winner of this blog give away. Some people did their 3 entries in 1 comment, so here is how I did it. I counted the comments. (23) I asked Christy to pick a #, then I went to "random.org" and put in #1-23. They both picked the SAME NUMBER! How random is that? And the winner is #12. RACHEL WASHBURN! We will find out what you want, Rachel, and get that to you soon. Thank-you to everyone that entered. (If you still want a hat, Lindsay sells them. Crocheted hat-$10.00, crocheted flower-$3.00.)

I will have a new give away soon. Here is a hint. It has something to do with scrap booking.

Keep leaving comments and letting me know what you have tried, and what you want.

Melissa, thank-you for sending me the pictures of your valentine pops. THEY ARE SO CUTE. Good job.

Kung Hee Fat Choy - (I think) Don't forget to enter drawing.

I am sad that Chinese New Years falls on Valentine's Day this year. One less family party/dinner opportunity. This year (on Valentine's Day) we welcome the year of the TIGER. (Lindsay and David are both tigers. What are you?)
"Kung Hee Fat Choy "is the Chinese greeting for the new year. To find some fun ideas (paper) visit http://origami-n-stuff4kids.blogspot.com/

Now, for my newest recipe. For some reason most of what has caught my interest is asian influenced. This is another one. I first tried this in September, 2008, but my policy is not to put a recipe in my cookbook until I have made it twice. Somehow this recipe got lost. Although it is very easy and quick, I do have to make sure that I have a mango and cashews at the same time. I planned ahead, and it passed.

Mango Cashew Chicken
(recipe from "Ask Aiada" on Food Network)
3 table. peanut oil 2 table. soy sauce
3-4 table. honey
2-4 chicken breasts (cubed)
Combine and marinate in fridge at least 30 mins.

In oiled pan stir until you can smell it
(I almost always chop my onions and peppers LARGE so that kidults can pick out what they do not like)

1/2 yellow/white onion-chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic

Then add marinated chicken with marinade
Saute' (stir fry/ stir) until chicken is cooked thru

Then addd and heat

1 mango-peeled and cubed
1 cup (or more) toasted cashews (toasting brings out the flavour to toast shake over heat in dry pan until lightly browned)


Serve over
Sesame Rice
Stir fry until warm and flavours are well blended

cooked rice-some (cold or warm)
2 table. sesame oil (can use toasted if you have it)
about 1/4 cup toased sesame seeds

I served this with a salad, but I used a romaine lettuce leaf and made a wrap. It worked and was quite good.
Everyone liked this (again). It is now in my REAL cookbook.

This recipe works great with advanced preparation. Use left-over rice. Start chicken marinating earlier in the day. Toast your cashews and sesame seeds when you have time, and cube mango and put in fridge in a container.

This is the last week-end to enter the drawing for the sweet hat. You can enter up to 3 times on the 1 February post.

HEART COOKIE RECIPE

FUN VALENTINE TREAT

I have been making this heart chocolate chip cookie for my children, for Valentine's Day, since 1988. The recipe makes 1 large heart shaped cookie. I used to make it 7 times so they could each have one. Now, I just make 1 for Doug.

Big Heart Chocolate Chip Cookie

from "The Friend" June, 1988

Beat (I just use a wooden spoon)

1/3 cup softened margarine/butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tea. vanilla (I forgot to put this in the picture)

Add

1 cup flour
1/2 tea. baking soda

1/4 tea. salt

Stir in

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts (opt.) (I put them in because Doug likes them:^)

Put into sprayed (and I flour this) heart (or round) pan.

Bake at 375* for 12 -17 minutes. Cool before removing.

If you do not have a heart pan, Target has a silicone one for $2.50 in their Dollar Spot.

For Blog Give Away picture and info. and to enter, go to 1 February post Be sure to enter your 3 times on the 1 Feb. post. You have 3 chances to enter to win this SO CUTE prize. I will announce the WINNER on Monday Feb. 8, 2010.

Another good recipe passed it's 2nd try last night. I will post it this week with some fun party info., so, check back.

NEW BLOG GIVE AWAY!

24 January - 31 January, 2010

"Happiness,... not in another place but this place, not for another hour, but this hour." Walt Whitman

#1 1oo points for me! I finished my big project. I AM SO HAPPY. Here is the story. (journal entry) We loved the 2002 Winter Olympics. We loved it in 1995 when Salt Lake got the bid. We went to our first torch run celebration in 1996. We were thrilled when Grandpa Johnson gave us the 10 early Olympic pins for part of our Christmas. We participated in every pre-Olympic event possible.
Our Olympic celebration began when the torch came near our neighborhood on 8 Feb., 2002. I planned a party and we were there. Michael, Tracey, Jenna and Tashina came. Aulais were there. It was freezing, but so fun. Then we went back to our house for our opening ceremony party. We had our rings up in the front window. We had super nachos with all the toppings set up in an Olympic ring pattern. (Blue sour cream (it worked), black olives, red tomatoes, yellow cheese and green guacamole.) I ordered a big cake with the rings. A fun night to start our great Olympic experience.
I made foods from different countries each night of the Olympics.
Grandma and Grandpa Johnson bought tickets to some events for us. Uncle Michael and Aunt Kathy (she was still Kathy then) gave us some tickets to events. Emily and Mark camped out all night in freezing weather for free tickets to a Medals Ceremony and Smash Mouth concert. (I took more blankets and hot chocolate over in the middle of the night.) Uncle Michael represented the Coast Guard and carried a flag in the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympics. He got tickets for Emily, Leslie and Mark to go. Our family's event experiences were wonderful. (Cold, too.)
Then there were our Olympic Plaza adventures and experiences. SO FUN!!! We took TRAX downtown almost every day. (afternoons, evenings mainly.) We used our Christmas pins (from Grandpa about 5 years back) and traded pins. We went to the COKE tent to play games. The whole experience was fun. We have celebrated each Olympics since then. (end of journal entry)
My goal? To finish our 2oo2 Olympic experience (a staycation before they were in) scrapbook before the 2010 Winter Olympics. Yea! I finished it. (I had forgotten that I was interviewed by the Tribune about our family's experience.)

A side note- I bought one of the Olympic scrapbooks that the newspapers sold at the time. Since then I found many of these albums at 2nd hand stores/yard sales. If you scrapbook 12'" x 12", these are a good deal. There are 10 page protectors with white paper, and sell for about $1.oo.


#2 Play Date made me happy. We went to the zoo for free zoo day. It was fun and not too cold. Leslie and Annie had other plans, but Emily brought Lincoln, Kenna and Ari. Lindsay and Logan and Layne and I met them there. We had lunch there, and stayed about 3 hours.

#3 Two months until Mark and Ashley will be married. :-D

#4 Leslie bought a new book that made me happy. It is the new Gospel Art book. For some reason I did not even know about it. I used it when I taught Mark's class on Sunday. Thank-you, Leslie.

#5 Unfortunately, homemade bread makes me happy. I made and cooked bread every day last week. Mmm. I love this bread. (Recipe is 17 Jan. - 24 Jan. post) I love making the bread, but certainly should not eat the bread, so I took a loaf to the women that I visit teach.

#6 I tried new recipes this week. (Of course. That makes me happy) One recipe was a crock-pot pasta fagioli. It was o.k. I am not saving it. But, I really enjoyed my Panda Expess experiments. Their kung pao and orange sauces are sold at many grocery stores. I wanted to make this easy, so I used popcorn chicken from Wal-mart's deli. They come in a cup (about 24 pieces) for $2.00. (I used 2 cups.) 12 pieces = 1 serving, 7 gms.fat, 170 cal.
I made plain rice and noodles. The noodles were an experiment that worked. I like the noodles from ramen noodles, but once cooked, they are not what I want. So, I rinsed 2 packs (discard seasoning) in hot water and put into a covered skillet with about 2 table. water. I added about 2 table. water each time it was gone until noodles were what I wanted. Then I added 1 table.sesame oil and 1 tea. hot chili sesame oil and 1 table. soy sauce, and some finely chopped carrots. and stir fried the noodles. I liked the texture much better.
For the orange chicken, I stir fried 1 cup of chicken with about 1 table. sesame oil (to reheat and crisp them) and then added some Panda Express Orange Sauce and stirred until hot. Some of my kidults love orange chicken from Panda.
Review- At first everyone said it was spot on. After eating more, they felt like the citrus was just too strong. (Maybe a bit of soy sauce & brown sugar?) Also, they thought it might be more authentic if cooked in a low heat oven for awhile.
For the Kung pao chicken I wanted some heat and extras. I stir fried red pepper strips, onion slices, peanuts (some), and red pepper flakes (to your taste) in about 2 table. sesame oil and 1 1/2 tea. hot chili sesame oil. Just for about 2 min. Then I added the cup of chicken and stir fried for about 3 -5 mins. more. I added the kung pao sauce and stired to heat.
Review-The kung pao was mainly for me. I like hot. This worked for me. I enjoyed the left overs on the noodles the next day. I will make it again.

#7 I love Valentine's Day. I enjoyed pulling out and putting up all my antique valentines. Here is a picture of just a few with some of my relatives wedding pictures.

#8 Christy wanted Jello poke cake for her birthday dinner on Sunday. I made "Lemon Lime Refridgerator Cake" (Christy's title) for her. Everyone loved it. Why did we quit making this? It is easy. Happy Birthday, Christy.

#9 We have had some cold weather, but Thursday, Friday and Saturday felt like spring was around the corner.

#10 My kidults talked me into Facebook. It is interesting.

Now for my next BLOG GIVE AWAY.
Lindsay is making 1 of her very cute crocheted hats with a flower. The winner can pick their colour (pink, black, white, navy blue) and size (about age 0-4, 4-10, teen, adult). These are darling and will include a flower and something extra. (These can also be ordered. The pink one is an order ready to be shipped.)

You have up to 3 chances to win. Have each coomment seperate, so that you will have 3 entry #s.
#1 Leave a comment with your name and the colour you would want to win.
#2 If you are a follower, type your name and "follower". To become a follower, click on FOLLOW and sign in using whatever account you use. (google, yahoo, twitter)
#3 Type your name and comment on a recipe or idea from my blog that you have tried or want to try.
I will announce the winner on Feb. 8th.

Are you doing The 14 Days of Valentines? Tomorrow I will post one of my family's favourite valentine things. I have used this idea since the 80's . It is my Day One for my husband.