Salmon Chowder

2 tbs. margarine
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
1 tsp. garlic, minced
5 small potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced
1/2 of a red pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 c. zucchini
1 can cream of corn
4 c. of water
1 broth mix from a pack of Chicken Noodle soup.
A few pinches of parsley
Melt butter in large saucepan, stir fry onion, celery and garlic until soft. Add water, broth mix, potatoes, carrots, red pepper, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, simmer for 20 minutes. Add cream of corn, zucchini and salmon. Simmer another 20 minutes and serve.


I love making soups and this is just a new experiment that tasted great! My hubby loved it and so did the youngest.

I also used a zucchini from my garden. A round zucchini, no less. It's pretty cool. I never knew that there were round zucchini until my dad gave me some for my garden this year.

Mini Chip Cheesecakes

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. They are decadent and easy to make. I got this recipe from Company's Coming- Chocolate Everything. I've made it many, many times as a treat to bring to special events.
In this picture I used a small muffin liner because that is all I had and it was late, so it doesn't look like it should. These are light and creamy.

12 chocolate wafers
2 light cream cheese (8oz., 250g, each) softened
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips (yes this is listed twice).

Line ungreased muffin cups with large paper liners. Place 1 wafer in bottome of each liner.

Beat cream cheese and suagr in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, on low just until blended. Add vanilla. Mix in.

Melt first amount of chocolate chips in small saucepan over hot water, or on low, stirring constantly, until smooth. Do not overheat. Add to batter.

Add second amount of chocolate chips. Fold in. Divide over wafers. Bake in 325°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes until set. Cool, then chill. Makes 12.

I've been tagged with a MeMe

Movies I rented because the cool people liked them, but I never could finish:
1. I hardly ever stop a movie I'm watching.
2. I know there have been some.
3. But I can't remember the names.
4. I will keep you posted.

Movies I watched with the cool people but secretly hated:
Again, I can't think of any.

Movies I secretly like but might deny in front of the cool people:
1. Jurassic Park Trio (just watched this weekend)
2. The Father of the Bride
3. Adventures in Babysitting.
4. Shaun of the Dead

Books I started because the cool people like them, but I could never finish:
1. The Poisonwood Bible (I got about 1/3 of theway but just couldn't finish)
2. The Classics, I'm terrible but I find most of them incredibly boring.
3. The Reader (an oprah pick)
4.

Music I tried to like because the cool people like it, but really it makes me want to puncture my own eardrums to escape the pain of the irritating, cat-mating howling:
1. I'm not the exciting about music.
2. I listen to whats on the radio.
3. But I can't stand anything that is
4. RAP!

Music I secretly sometimes like, but don't want the cool people to know:
1. New Kids on the Block- just for old memories sake.
2. Britney Spears/Pop music- I can't help it.
3. I think I like Paris Hilton's new song. AGGG!
4. 80's, 80's, 80's.

Foods I secretly like, even though the cool people sneer at them:
1. Spinach
2. I love cheesecake but the cool people sneer because it's so fattening! I don't care!
3. Hashbrown casserole (I can't remember the real name of the dish but it's rich)
4. Yukon Salmon

I am now tagging the following:
NOt sure who to tag right now.

Hot Chicken BLT Salad

Last night while trying to figure out what to make for dinner, I stumble across this recipe. It's from Culinary in the Desert.

Now I had the full intention of using this recipe exactly as state but it reminded me too much of a Hot Chicken Salad at a local hotel. So I modified and it turned out great.

So I have a bed of lettuce, a bow-tie noodles (not in the hot chicken salad recipe but I used anyway.

I sauteed up 1/2 onion, 3/4 of a orange pepper, six mushrooms and two tomatoes. I added 1 cut up chicken breast and the cut up bacon slices.

I spooned this on top of the lettuce and noodles and used the dressing from the BLT recipe and it was awesome.

Fundraising Tri-Challenge

Our local Women's Shelter is going this challenge. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go in it with her as a team. We'd do a pregnant team. I didn't know she was pregnant, so that was nice news. I told her i would think about it, I haven't walked all month except for a couple of leasurely walk but this would be go incentive to start again. The fatigue is starting to wear off.

They have two categories, Gold Rush and Gold Poke (we'd be in the Gold Poke section, slower pregnant ladies that we will be). Swimmining, biking and running/walking. I would also have to take pledges, so i haven't done that since high school! It's for a good cause so I guess I will do it.

Anyone want to pledge me?

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 c. brown sugar
1½ c. Canola oil
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
4 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 ½ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/16 tsp crushed cloves
1 tsp. salt
2 c. grated carrots
1 c. pineapple pieces
1 c. walnuts (I used soaked raisins instead)
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix eggs and brown sugar together. Add canola oil and mix until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture. Add rest of ingredients. Bake in 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish at 350°F for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
Cake freezes well.

Icing: 2 cups of cream cheese, ½ c. of unsalted butter, 2 cups icing sugar, 2 tbs. lemon juice. Mix together. Icing will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

Chicken Tetrazzini

One of my favorite recipes from 30 Day Gourmet. I hadn't made this in awhile but decided last week to make since it would make great leftovers for the kids lunches.
Well, my photo doesn't seem to want to post so I guess I'll just go without for now.

Chicken Tetrazzini
Recipes: 1
Servings: 10
Makes: 9”x13” pan

Ingredients:

Dry spaghetti noodles 12 oz.
Margarine 2 T.
Chopped onion 1/2 C.
Garlic cloves, minced 2
Cream of Mushroom soup 10 oz.
Cream of Chicken soup 10 oz.
Chicken broth 8 oz.
Velveeta cheese 8 oz.
Cooked, chopped chicken 3-1/2 C.
Sliced canned mushrooms 8 oz.
Shredded cheddar cheese 1 C.
Assembly Directions:
Break the noodles into 3" to 4" lengths. Cook for half the recommended time and drain. In a large saucepan or stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the butter. Add soups, broth, and cubed Velveeta cheese. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and mixture is well-mixed and smooth. Add spaghetti, chicken, and drained, sliced mushrooms. Mix well. Transfer to a 9"x13" baking dish.

Freezing Directions:
Place the cheddar cheese in a small freezer bag. Wrap baking dish well in freezer paper and foil, and then slide into a 2-gallon freezer bag. Place cheddar cheese bag inside bag with the casserole. Or, tape the cheddar cheese bag to the top of the well-wrapped casserole.
Seal, label and freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through. Remove cover, sprinkle with cheddar cheese, and bake 10 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Comments:
This recipe is adapted from the Luby's Cafeteria 50th Anniversary Recipe Collection, which is now out of print.

You may want to add chopped celery and saute it with the onions. You can also mix in some sliced or chopped black olives with the mushrooms. After baking, this dish looks very pretty with some sliced green onions sprinkled over the top.

To double, you can simply add more noodles, without increasing the rest of the ingredients, stretching it out to 2 meals instead of one. I often make this to take to a sick friend or someone who's just had a baby, making one to take and one for my family for dinner that night.

Tip: Boil your chicken in water, adding whatever seasoning you prefer. I usually add Italian seasoning, or rosemary. Use the water you've just boiled your chicken in for the chicken broth in the recipe. If you have leftover broth, place it in an ice cube tray and freeze it. Once frozen, you can pop the chicken broth cubes into a freezer bag to save for the next recipe that calls for chicken broth.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: 463 Calories; 22g Fat (41.6% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 85mg Cholesterol; 1373mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 2 Grain (Starch); 3-1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 3 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.