Meg's Tomato Soup

 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomato with juice

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced onions

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried basil

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour

1 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups half/half

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Crockpot tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, chicken broth and bay leaf.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours.

Hour prior serving add: oregano, basil and prepare roux. 

Blend soup with immersion blender.

Roux: Melt butter over low heat in pan, add flour.  Stir 5-7 minutes.

Slowly stir 1 cup of hot soup from crockpot and then add another 3 cups of soup and stir.

Slowly add back to crockpot.

Stir in parmesan cheese, half/half, salt, pepper, cover and cook another hour.

Honey Orange Teriyaki Chicken

 Ingredients:

1 cup Mr Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce

1 cup orange juice- premium, not from concentrate

6 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, sliced or chicken tenders

1 Tbsp olive oil

Optional:

1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds, toasted

3 Tbsp zest

Directions:

1. In bowl, mix orange juice, Yoshida sauce, honey, and 3 Tbsps zest (optional).  Reserve 1 cup.

2. Marinate chicken for 10 minutes.  Drain chicken; discard marinade.

3. Lightly brush grill pan with olive oil.  Heat to medium.

4. Cook chicken, turning once halfway through cooking time (4-6 minutes) and brush with 1 cup reserved sauce.  Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, until cooked to an internal temp of 165 degrees.

5. Optional: top with toasted almonds

Cinnamon & Sugar Bundt Cake

 1 yellow cake mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

8 oz sour cream

1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

3 Tbsp flour

cinnamon/sugar mixture (to taste)

Mix all ingredients together.  Grease bundt pan (or spray with cooking spray).  Generously dust pan with cinnamon & sugar.  Spoon 1/3 of batter into pan, then dust that layer with cinnamon & sugar.  Repeat until cake batter is all in the pan.  End by dusting last layer with cinnamon & sugar.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Do not overcook!

Let cool 5 minutes, then turn over onto serving platter.  

Sprinkle top of cake with cinnamon & sugar.  

Pumpkin Cookies

 1 box spice cake

1 can pumpkin (15 oz)

1 bag chocolate chips

Mix pumpkin and cake mix together, until blended.  Stir in bag of chocolate chips.  Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for at least 12 minutes.

(If cookies look shiny, they are still doughy... I usually bake 14-15 min.)

White Cake w/Raspberry Topping

 1 white cake mix

1/2 pint whipping cream

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup powder sugar

1 danish dessert junkit

2 cups frozen raspberries

Make cake mix and bake in a long sheet cake pan.

Mix cream cheese and powder sugar (with beaters).  Whip the cream and add vanilla, then fold into cream cheese/sugar mixture.  Spread on cake and refrigerate 1 hour.

Make danish dessert and cool.  Add raspberries.  Spread over cream cheese frosting.

Score Bar Cake

 Mix together:

1 yellow cake mix

1 box chocolate instant pudding (I used a small box)

2 eggs

2 cups warm water

Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees

Frost with:

1/3 cup margarine @ room temp

1 cup brown sugar

Beat margarine and brown sugar together.

Add:

8 oz Cool Whip

When cake is frosted, crumble 2 Score bars (or Heath) on the top of cake

Meg's Yummy Oatmeal Cookies

 1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups oatmeal

3 cups flour

1 package chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs on medium for 5-10 minutes.  While mixing, add baking soda, baking powder and vanilla.  Turn mixer to low and add oatmeal and flour until mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Cafe Rio Chicken

 5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken, thawed (6-8 breasts)

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

3 cloves minced garlic (3 tsp pre-packaged)

Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a bowl.  

Put chicken in bottom of greased crockpot.  

Pour mixture over the top of chicken.  Cook on HIGH 5-7 hours.  

When done, shred chicken with a fork.  Reserve juice to pour over shredded chicken.

Cafe Rio Lime Rice

 2 Tbsp butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 2/3 cups water

8 tsp chicken bullion (7 cubes)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1 Tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups long grain rice

Sauté butter, onion & garlic.

In large pot, bring to boil everything else, except rice.

After boiling add onion & garlic, then add rice.

Cover and simmer.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

10 lb bag chicken from Costco
4 cups mayo
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 celery stalks, finely sliced
4 Tbsp dill
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook chicken in crockpot with chicken broth, onions, celery. (Need two crockpots to cook entire 10 lb bag at once.)  When tender, drain liquid and throw away onion & celery.  Use hand mixer to shred chicken and then cool in fridge.

Mix mayo, lemon juice, celery, dill, salt and pepper.  Add to cooled chicken and mix thoroughly.

Place chicken salad on little rolls from Costco.  Makes 50 sandwiches.