Regina's Beans

We love Regina's tacos, taquitos and beans! Over the years she has generously fed us this meal at her house and has brought it to us after babies were born and as a Christmas gift! 

This recipe is for about 1-2 lbs of  dry pinto beans. 

Beans take about 6 hours to cook, so make sure to start with enough time. 

In a large stock pot, add beans and cover with water about an inch or two above the beans. 

Add 3-4 cupped handfuls of salt. 

Bring the beans to a rolling boil then add about 5 garlic cloves. 

Turn the heat down so the beans come to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until beans are soft. 

Check the beans all day and add very hot tap water as needed. 

Such a simple recipe, but so so yummy! 

$600 Burgers

Robert got this recipe from his friend Rhett Palfreyman. We stored his smoker for him while he was in the middle of a move. He told us while we had it, we should make these burgers. They were delicious! But when Rhett got moved and into his new house and needed his smoker back, we had a problem. We had no way to make the burgers anymore! It was during the summer of 2020 and Robert needed something to keep himself busy anyway, so I told him he should go buy a smoker so we could make the burgers again. Robert went and bought a new smoker for about $600 and that's how these burgers got their name at our house. Since then, the smoker has been put to good use for many delicious smoked meats. Robert's most requested meat is pulled pork. He has made it for family mission farewells and Sophie has requested it when we have hosted dinner for MORP and Sadie's. He also smokes our Thanksgiving turkey every year. We have enjoyed lots of yumminess all because of these $600 Burgers! :)

 

Lemon Butter Rice

Lemon Butter Rice

Serves: Yield: 2 1/2 Cups

https://jamiecooksitup.net/2014/06/lemon-butter-rice/

This rice is delicious, easy to make and goes great with Adam's Salmon!

Ingredients

4 T butter

1 1/4 C rice (long grain or Jasmine Rice works best)

3 C water

4 tsp bullion granules

2 Tb lemon juice (bottled is best)

3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat.

2. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and let it melt down.

3. Grab 1 1/4 cup rice. Long grain or Jasmine rice works best for this recipe.

4. Pour the rice into the melted butter. Saute it for 4-5 minutes or until the rice is slightly golden.

5. Dissolve 4 teaspoons chicken bullion granules into 3 cups hot water. Pour it into the skillet.

6. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Bottled juice works best here, guys. Fresh juice can turn bitter if it is left to simmer too long.

7. Add 3/4 teaspoon salt and give it a nice stir.

8. Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover and let it cook over medium low heat for 20-25 minutes.

9. Stir it up and give it a taste to be sure it has cooked through and is soft. If it's still crunchy allow it to cook a bit longer. Fluff it with a fork and serve!

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I love a lot of the recipes from Jamie Cooks it Up! This is one of Robert's favorite soup recipes. It makes a lot so I love it for when we need to feed a lot of people. 

https://jamiecooksitup.net/2010/01/creamy-chicken-and-wild-rice-soup/#penci-recipe-card

Ingredients

1 large pot full of water

4 chicken breasts (you can start with frozen..love that!)

10 bullion cubes

1 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground pepper

2 boxes Rice a Roni wild rice flavor

1 onion chopped

1 1/2 C carrots chopped

3/4 C celery chopped

2 small cans mushrooms

4 cans cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free)

Instructions

1. Fill up your large pot with hot water add the chicken, onion, bullion, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 25 minutes.

2. Stab each chicken breast with a fork, lift out of the pot, and use scissors to cut/shred it up. Put shredded chicken back in the pot. The chicken should be cooked through.

3. Add the carrots, celery, mushrooms and boxes of rice (pour in the rice and the seasoning packets that come along in the box). Cover and let simmer about 15 minutes more, until the veggies and rice are cooked.

4. Add the cream of chicken, turn up the heat and let it come to a boil. Once the soup is thickened just a bit (just a few minutes after it return to a boil) you are ready to eat.
This goes great with my Easy and Fast Breadsticks. Enjoy!

Cottage Cheese Smoothie

https://www.sweetashoney.co/cottage-cheese-smoothie/

I really liked this smoothie. It kept me full and satisfied until lunch time. 

 1/2 cup cottage cheese

1 cup frozen strawberries or raspberries

1/3 cup ice cubes

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T honey

Add all ingredients to the jug of a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Creamy Pineapple Cucumber Smoothie

This smoothie is so good! One of my very favorites! 

https://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-pineapple-cucumber-smoothie/

• 1/2 cup sliced cucumber (skin on // organic when possible)
• 1 heaping cup cubed pineapple (if frozen, omit ice)
• 1/2 large ripe, peeled, frozen banana
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk*
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1 medium lime, zested + juiced (~1 tsp zest // 2 Tbsp (30 ml) juice per 1 lime)
• 1 large handful greens (spinach or kale // organic when possible)
• 2-4 ice cubes

Instructions

• Add cucumber, pineapple, frozen banana, light coconut milk, water, lime zest, lime juice, greens, and ice cubes to a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
• For a thicker smoothie, add more ice. For a thinner smoothie, add more liquid of choice. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime juice or zest for acidity/brightness, banana or pineapple for sweetness, coconut milk for creaminess, and greens for more intense green color.
• Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 24 hours, though best when fresh.

Notes

* For creamier smoothie, use canned light coconut milk. For a lighter smoothie, use coconut beverage from a carton or sub coconut water!
*For added protein, add 1-2 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) hemp seeds or chia seeds, or your favorite neutral or vanilla-flavored protein powder. 
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 1 servings)

Serving: 1 smoothiesCalories: 225Carbohydrates: 52.2 gProtein: 5.2 gFat: 3.9 gSaturated Fat: 3 gTrans Fat: 0 gCholesterol: 0 mgSodium: 79 mgFiber: 7.9 gSugar: 28 g

Baked Brownie Oatmeal

 I think Emma told me about this super yummy TikTok recipe for baked oatmeal. It tastes so good and even better, I feel good after eating it! :)

2 cups coconut or almond milk

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 T flax 

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first 8 ingredients well in a medium bowl. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into baking dish and bake for 40 minutes. 

https://www.tiktok.com/@healthygirlkitchen/video/7090671812748512555?lang=en

Aunt Stacy's Yummy Lasagne

Robert's family always had lasagne and frappe for dinner on Christmas Eve when he was growing up. For quite a few years, in honor of that tradition, all the Utah Stoddards would get together for lasagne and frappe sometime in December. Mark was always in charge of the frappe and Stacy and I would always each make a lasagne. This is Stacy's lasagne which is always a favorite. It is extra yummy because of the addition of pepperoni and olives. 

Brown
1 lb. Ground beef
1 lb. Italian Sausage (optional)
1 C. Chopped onion
2 Diced garlic cloves

Sauce - Mix and simmer with meat. (Season to taste – I usually add more seasoning)
2 14 oz. tomatoes
2 8 oz. tomato sauce
2 6 oz. tomato paste
2 tsp. Basil
2 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. Thyme
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp Pepper

OR

1-2 cans bottles spaghetti sauce (depending on how big the lasagna is and how much sauce you like)

Cheese Sauce – mix in small bowl

1 egg
2 C. low fat Cottage cheese (16 oz) or Ricotta cheese
½ C. Parmesan cheese
1 tbls. Parsley

Other ingredients

1 lb. Shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 box Noodles (10)
Pepperoni (optional)
Black Olives (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In 9-in x 13-in pan layer the sauce, noodles, cheese mix, pepperoni, olives, and mozzarella cheese.
3. Cover with tin foil.
4. Bake 30-40 minutes or until hot all the way through.
5. Remove tinfoil after about 20 - 30 minutes.

Cornbread Stuffing

 This recipe is from my mother-in-law Joan. For many, many years we have alternated going to Thanksgiving in Pocatello with Robert's parents and Orem with my mom. This Cornbread Stuffing is one of the things I look forward to when it is our turn to go to Pocatello. It is delicious! When I ask for a recipe from Joan she rarely gives me a standard recipe. :)  This is the recipe in her own words. I am writing this recipe here so I don't forget it and can make it as the years go by. It has now been 5 or more years since we have been to Thanksgiving dinner in Pocatello. I don't know if we will go back again because of Russ and Joan's age and our family extending in new directions. But I treasure the times we spent there and love Russ and Joan so much!

Mix: 

1 pkg. Marie Calendar cornbread mix according to directions on box; add 1 pkg. Lipton soup mix, then bake according to cornbread package directions. Let cool completely. 

When ready to make stuffing:

1. Crumble cornbread into a large bowl. Add six cups soft bread crumbs; cut up or torn. 

(Joan would sometimes use store bought bread and sometimes use her homemade wheat bread)

2. Saute 1 cup celery with 1/2 cup margarine or butter and 1 tsp sage. Add to bread crumbs.

3. Moisten bread crumbs and celery with 2 eggs, beaten and 1-1 1/2 cups warm milk.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min to 1 hour.

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

From: Everyday Reading blog. 

Our neighbor Holly Grierson gave this to us one Christmas. She put all the dry ingredients in a bag along with a can of green chilies. All we had to do was add the chicken and dairy products. I thought it was such a great gift to have dinner planned for us during the busy holiday season. Holly gives the best neighbor gifts! One year she gave us a "chocolate box" of different flavored Oreos. It was such a fun and creative idea. 

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts or thighs

1/2 onion chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 pound dry white beans

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 can 4 oz chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

Instructions:

1. Rinse dried beans thoroughly and toss them in the crockpot. Add everything else except the sour cream and whipping cream. Stir a little bit and cook on low for 7-10 hours.

2. Shred the chicken a little bit with two forks. Stir in the sour cream and then the cream. Let sit for another 15 minutes or so to warm through. Serve with chips and cheese and cilantro for garnish.

Quick-cooking method:

Use 3 cans of beans instead of dry beans. Rinse beans thoroughly before adding to crockpot and decrease broth to 3 cups. Cook for about 4 hours. 

Mom's Potato Salad

 From my mom, Karen Thompson.

12 potatoes, cubed

9 eggs, hardboiled

1 bunch green onions

1 cup mayo

1 cup Miracle Whip

2 T Dijon mustard

1/2 cup sweet pickle relish or to taste

1 T lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika

Boil potatoes until soft, with 1 tsp salt and 1 T apple cider vinegar. Drain and rinse with cold water. Mix with remaining ingredients. Garnish with 1 or 2 hardboiled eggs and a sprinkling of paprika. Cool in refrigerator overnight for best taste.

Copycat Costco's Sweet Kale Salad Mix

Source: dealstomealsblog.com

Ingredients

1. 1 bag broccoli slaw
2. 1 head kale, chopped fine
3. 1/4 red cabbage, sliced
4. 1 cup brussel sprouts, sliced thin
5. 1 cup dried cranberries
6. 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

Creamy Poppyseed Dressing

1. 1 Tbs. poppy seeds
2. 3/4 cup mayonnaise
3. 2/3 cup white vinegar
4. 3 Tbs. milk
5. 1 1/2 Tbs. grated yellow onion (fresh or dried)
6. 1 1/2 tsp. salt
7. 1 Tbs. dry mustard
8. 1/3-2/3 cup sugar

Optional

1. 2-3 cup grilled chicken, seasoned and diced
2. 1 cup blueberries or other fruits
3. 1 red bell pepper, diced

Instructions

1. Place the broccoli slaw into a large serving bowl. Rinse the kale and remove the thick stems. Chop the remainder into small pieces and add to the bowl. Chop the red cabbage and add to the bowl. If you like brussel sprouts, rinse them and slice them super thin. Add them to the bowl as well and toss. Add the dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.
2. For the dressing, whisk all together until smooth. Toss the salad in the dressing and serve. If you would like to add extras to the salad (chicken, blueberries or bell peppers) add to the bowl as well.

Choco-Kissed Cookies

I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine. We like to make these cookies at Christmas time.

Makes: 4 dozen cookies  Prep: 20 minutes  Chill: 15 minutes  Bake: at 375 degrees for 11 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
48 foil-wrapped dark or milk chocolate candies (such as Hershey's Kisses), unwrapped

1- In medium-sized bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, light brown sugar, 3/4 granulated sugar and vanilla in bowl until smooth and creamy, 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs.
2- In small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, and salt.  On low speed, beat into butter mixture.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3- Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll dough into balls, 1 tablespoon each.  Roll each ball in the 1/4 cup sugar.  Transfer to un-greased baking sheet, space 1 inch apart.
4- Bake in 375 degree oven until set, 10 minutes.  Press an unwrapped chocolate candy in center of each cookie.  Return to oven; bake 1 minute to set.
5- Let cool slightly on sheet on rack.  Remove cookies to rack; let cool completely.  Store cookies in airtight container up to 2 weeks (chocolate centers will firm up overnight).

Super Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

From: The Sister's Cafe Blog

This is a yummy cake and a frequent request for birthdays!

For cake:

1 Devil's Food cake mix (do NOT follow the box directions)

1 4-serving instant chocolate pudding mix

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place all ingredients except chocolate chips in a large bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer 1 minute. Stir down sides. Continue to mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 20 minutes. Invert onto serving platter.

For frosting:

8 T real butter (not margarine)

4 T cocoa powder

1/3 cup evaporated milk or milk

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Melt butter in medium sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in cocoa and milk. Bring mixture just to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Beat in powdered sugar with electric mixer until thickened and smooth. Pour warm frosting over warm cake. (Makes a lot of frosting.)

Chicken In Mushroom Gravy

3 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (I usually double this)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4oz can sliced mushroom, drained

Place chicken pieces in Crock-Pot. Season with salt and pepper.  Mix wine and soup; pour over chicken.  Add mushrooms.  Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or high 3 to 4 hours.

Beef Stew

2 pounds beef chuck or stew meat, cut in 1" cubes
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp paprika
4 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
2 tsp Kitchen Bouquet, optional

Place meat in Crock-Pot, Mix flour, salt and pepper and pour over meat; stir to coat with flour.  Add remaining ingredients and stir to mix well. Cover and cook on low 10 to 12 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours.  Stir stew thoroughly before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas

-Campbell's soup recipe-

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
2T margarine
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 can diced chiles
8 tortillas
1 cup cheese

Heat oven to 375 F.  Stir soup and sour cream together.  Combine margarine, onion and chili powder in sauce pan.  Cook until onion is tender.  Stir in chicken, chiles and 2T soup mixture.  Put a 1/4 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla.  Place in greased baking dish.  Pour remaining soup mixture over tortillas in pan.  Bake covered for 15 minutes.   Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 10 minutes uncovered.

Banana Pancakes

Banana pancakes (1 large banana, 2 large eggs, dash ground cinnamon, dash ground nutmeg. Directions: Break up banana and pulse through food processor until a consistent mash. Cook for 5 minutes)

Low-carb Chocolate Peanut Butter Treat

I have no idea what this recipe is really called.  I got it from my friend Jamie Duncan.  It saves me when I'm eating more low-carb and really need a filling treat.

1 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. cocoa powder
3 pkg. stevia
1/2-1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together well and your done.  :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I got this recipe from dealstomealsblog.com I made it one time for a football snack and it was a hit.  Now it is a major part of the fall football season for our family.   

Buffalo Chicken Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c. blue cheese or feta (If you don't like blue cheese use feta..it is delicious with both types of cheese)
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1/2 c. franks hot sauce
1/2 c. green onions, sliced
1/4 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans Costco canned chicken, drained
Crackers, chips 

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream cheese in the microwave until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Place the dip in a 8x8 or 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the dip is slightly golden brown. If you don't have a lot of time you can also broil the dip for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully that the dip doesn't burn. Serve the warm dip with crackers, celery sticks or tortilla chips.