Day 12 - Homemade Salsa

(Doesn't it look like a light from heaven is shining down saying, "Look at this beautiful piece of work!" It better taste like heaven. It took all day to make!)

I spent all day canning salsa, so guess what's for dinner? You guessed it!

Tuckett's Homemade Salsa

10 qts. quartered tomatoes
3 red peppers (sweet)
4 Anaheim peppers
1 qt. celery (chopped fine)
3 green peppers (sweet)
8 yellow peppers
5 Jalapeno peppers
4 medium onions
6 cloves of garlic (diced)
2 Tbsp. coarse pepper
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup salt
4 tsp. cumin

Quarter tomatoes. Dice all other vegetables in food processor. Chop peppers with gloves on. Cook ingredients for 2 hours. Seal in bottles and hot bath for 20 minutes.

Day 11 - Chicken Pillows, Broccoli, Fruit Salad and the Best Banana Bread in the World!

Lynette Thomas' Banana Bread
**this recipe has never let me down!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk (or add 1 Tbsp. vinegar to 1 cup milk and let stand for 10 minutes - remember to only use 1/2 cup of it!)
3/4 cup chopped nuts (I don't usually add the nuts)

Cream together ingredients in order listed above. Add flour slowly until combined.

Grease and flour or use PAM spray to prepare cooking pans.

Pan size: makes 2 (8" x 3-3/4") loaf pans (fill pans 2/3 of way)

Bake 325 for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. (I baked mine for 1 hour and 10 minutes this time). If making muffins, check after 30 minutes instead.

Day 10 - I Caved!

I broke down and didn't make dinner tonight. I have some excuses though, that sound pretty good to me. I ran 20 miles this morning, helped Ian with an Aztec project for school all afternoon, sat in the hot sun watching Cali's soccer game with the family and then DID NOT FEEL LIKE COOKING!! Aaron had pity on me and took us all out to Tepanyaki for the best meal ever! I didn't even feel guilty. Well, just a little bit.

Day 9 - Homemade Mac & Cheese Kids Love

Mac & Cheese Kids Crave (from The Food Nanny)

1 1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (I use shell shapes!)
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded Cheddar or Colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a square baking dish.

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the milk; cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Decrease the heat to low and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Combine the cheese sauce with the macaroni and place in the prepared baking dish. Bake 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

Day 8 - Spaghetti and Fabulous French Bread

Fabulous French Bread (NO KNEADING REQUIRED)
Stolen by: Vanessa Heber


2 ½ c. warm water 1 Tbsp. salt
2 pkg. yeast 2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. sugar 6 c. flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water and add sugar. Stir in salt, oil and ½ the flour (3 cups). Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon. Stir in remaining flour. Allow dough to rest 10 minutes. Stir down dough. Repeat the resting and stirring until dough has been stirred down 5 times. (Takes 50 minutes – I always do chores around the house during this time and take the timer with me!)

Turn dough onto floured board. Knead 2-3 times, only coating dough with flour so it can be handled. Divide in half. Roll each half into rectangles. Roll up and pinch seam and ends to seal. Place on large baking sheet that has been oiled. With a sharp knife, slash dough at an angle 3 times, about 2 inches apart.

Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours. Check to make sure it doesn’t rise too much. It can take as little as 30 minutes in hot weather. Brush with a beaten egg and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Day 7 - Haystacks

Nyah loves haystacks! She'd eat them 7 days a week if I'd let her!

Haystacks

2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (I left the onion out because I didn't have any! Kids liked it even better!)
1 (26-oz.) can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
6 cups cooked/diced chicken (I used 3 cans of chicken breast - so easy!!)
8 cups cooked rice

Toppings
1 bag crunchy chow mein noodles
2 cans pineapple tidbits, drained
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 can black olives; sliced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
shredded cheese

In a saucepan, saute butter and onions for about 3 minutes. Add chicken soup and warm over medium heat. Stir in chicken and sour cream and cook until hot, but do not boil. Place on the serving table in a crock-pot to keep warm (or just serve from stove). Place rice and toppings in separate bowls. Build own haystacks by placing a bed of rice on a plate, spooning on chicken mixture and toppings as desired.

Day 6 - Leftovers!

For moms, leftover night is the best, but when I told the kids it was leftover night, I heard lots of moans, groans, and comments like, "This stinks!" when I opened the tupperware containers!