fiesta ranch bacon cheeseburgers

these have just a little bit of kick to them, which makes them so yummy!

2 lbs. ground beef

1 egg

1 packet hidden valley fiesta ranch mix

1/2 c bread crumbs

garlic powder and pepper, to taste

combine all in large bowl

form into patties (i do 4 oz. patties, so this recipe made 8)

heat up the grill or a frying pan and cook

melt cheese on top and finish w/ bacon and a bun. i like to put kroger's 3 cheese ranch dressing in place of ketchup/mayo/mustard for these. garnish w/ lettuce, tomato, and onions, if desired. enjoy!

triple berry protein shake

i decided to treat my kids to "ice cream" for lunch today and came up w/ this. it turned out really well!

4-6 frozen strawberries
6 fresh raspberries
20 fresh blueberries
1/2 banana
1/4 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tblsp sugar
1/2 scoop vanilla or plain protein powder (i used vanilla whey powder)

throw it all in a blender, blend till smooth, and enjoy! serves 1.

turkey stew

i come up w/ this on the fly and it turned out well, so i wanted to share!

1 lb. celery, sliced
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb. broccoli florets
1 teaspoon morton's nature's seasons
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
turkey drippings, cooled, solids skimmed off
4 c water
1/4 c cornstarch
1 lb. turkey meat, cooked and diced

simmer veggies and seasonings in turkey drippings and water 15 minutes till tender. add turkey. ladle out about 1 1/2 c of broth into a cup and whisk in cornstarch. return broth to pot and mix well. serve over rice. serves 8.

smoky mac & cheese

i came up w/ this on a whim, and i have to say, it turned out perfectly! i hope you all enjoy it as much as we did!

1 lb. box pasta, cooked and drained
1 c milk
2 tablespoons butter/margarine
1/4 c flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 c parmesan
1 c shredded cheddar
1/2 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

heat milk and butter over medium heat until melted. whisk in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. keep stirring until slightly thickened. add cheeses and stir constantly till melted and smooth. whisk in worchestershire sauce last. pour over pasta and toss to coat. serves 6.

* tip: the longer you let the sauce cook, the thicker it'll be. if you like it runny, turn the heat off immediately after adding the cheese - it'll still be warm enough to melt it completely. i let mine cook for about 5 minutes and it ended up a little thicker than i liked, so i added a little water.

on the label "vegetarian"

i just wanted to make sure that i say this: any recipe labeled "vegetarian" is something that doesn't call for meat. there may be eggs or dairy. nothing w/ a face has this label, everything else does.

frozen food life

my mom gave me this list of frozen food life, as well as foods to NEVER freeze, so i thought i'd share it w/ you all.

ice cream/sherbet - 1-3 months
beef: ground - 3-4 months
roast/steak - 6-12 months
stew - 2-4 months
bread: quick - 2-3 months
yeast - 3-6 months
milk - 1-2 months
cake: baked, un-iced - 2-6 months
cheese: natural - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pasteurized/processed - 4 months
chicken: parts - 9 months
whole - 12 months
eggs - 12 months
fish: fatty - 3 months
lean - 6 months
fruit: citrus and juices - 4-6 months
others - 8-12 months
giblets - 3 months
gravy/broth - 2-3 months
lamb: chops or roast - 6-9 months
margarine - 6-9 months
pie: baked - 4-6 months
baked crust - 6 months
unbaked crust - 1 1/2 - 2 months
pork: chops - 3-4 months
roast - 3-6 months
sausage - 4-6 months
seafood: cooked lobster/shrimp - 2-3 months
uncooked shrimp - 12 months
turkey: parts - 6 months
whole - 12 months
veal: cutlets or roast - 6-9 months
veggies - 10-12 months

never freeze:

* light cream, buttermilk, yogurt
* cooked eggwhites
* custard pies, cream puddings
* green onions, lettuce, greens, tomatoes, radishes, unblanched veggies
* icing made w/ egg whites
* mayo, sour cream

some of the things on the do not freeze list are ok to freeze (things like yogurt and sour cream are alright to freeze), just expect them to taste/feel different when you thaw them.

loaded baked potato soup

this is a great meal on a cold day. it'll fill you up while it warms you up!

4 large potatoes, baked, skinned, and cut into chunks
2/3 c butter
2/3 c flour
6 c milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 green onions, chopped
12 slices bacon, crumbled
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar
8 oz. sour cream

make a white sauce of butter, flour, milk, salt, and pepper. add green onions, bacon, cheddar, and sour cream. crumble in potatoes. heat and eat.

easy beef stew

1/2 lb. stewing beef, thawed
veggies, your choice (i like potatoes, carrots, and celery)
3 cans cream of potato soup
1 packet onion soup mix
1 c water
pepper, to taste

place meat and veggies in crock pot and top w/ soup and soup mix. pour water over all and sprinkle w/ pepper. cook on low 8-12 hours. serves 2-3.

broccoli cheese soup

1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
58 oz. chicken broth (that's 7 1/4 c)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans cream of celery
2 cans cream of chicken
1 1/2 c potato flakes
morten's nature's seasons
paprika
8 oz. shredded cheddar

simmer broccoli, onion, garlic, broth, and oil till tender. add cream soups and stir till smooth. add potato flakes and season to taste. add cheese last and stir till melted. serve in bread bowls.

* for vegetarian, use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth and cream of celery or asparagus in place of the cream of chicken

freezer jam

here's a quick and easy way to make your own jam. it tastes like fresh fruit! once you've had this, no other jam will taste nearly as good.

2 c mashed fruit
4 c sugar
3/4 c water
1 package fruit pectin

mix fruit and sugar and let stand 20 minutes. in a small saucepan, conbine pectin and water. boil for 1 minutes and immediately pour over fruit mixture. stir 2-3 minutes. pour into containers, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. cover and let stand 24 hours. store in freezer until ready to use (up to 1 year). once thawed, store in fridge up to 3 weeks.

* this is VERY sweet. i only use 3/4 - 1 c of sugar per 2 c of fruit.