Jalapeno Poppers

I forgot to take pictures of these before I took them to a party and they were eaten within 5 mins of our arrival so I never got to take a picture. The men especially loved them. With the holidays coming up, there will probably be a party where you'll need an appetizer. These were very easy and quick. Also, sorry I haven't been posting regularly these past several months. Life has been busy and since my husband is not home as often I haven't cooked very much.


18 fresh jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 pkg bacon, cut in half
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Wrap 1 bacon strip around each jalapeno half and secure with a toothpick. Arrange wrapped jalapenos on baking sheet.
Bake about 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until bacon strips are crisp. Serve warm.

Chicken Cups

We really liked these and they were fairly fast and simple, especially with the canned chicken. The boys really liked them too.

4oz cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
1 can chicken meat (the size from Costco)
2 T. minced onion

2 T. minced green pepper
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
3. T. milk
2 (8 oz) pkg refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 c. bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 2 T. melted butter or margarine until smooth. Add the chicken, onion, green pepper, salt, pepper, and milk. Mix well.
Separate crescent dough to fit in mini muffin tin. Firmly press into cups. Spoon about 1 T.of the chicken mixture into the center of each cup. Pull corners of dough over top and pinch shut.
Brush tops of cups with 1 tablespoon of melted butter or margarine; sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Potato Soup and Rosemary Bread

I LOVE potato soup. Raised in Idaho, I grew up on potato soup in the winter and my mom makes some of the best stuff I've ever had. She never measures or keeps track of what she adds. I've kind of adopted the same tradition (unintentionally). The basics are boiling water and adding potatoes and a thickener. Anything else is for flavor and you can pretty much add whatever you want. This is the recipe I made the other day (as far as I can remember). You can add or take out whatever you'd like and it will still taste great. The best part is it makes a lot and is cheap! Also, I bought a bread machine at Goodwill a few months ago and am loving it. I need to write a French Bread recipe I've been making a lot...it's great. Anyhow, below is the rosemary bread I made the other night. I loved it.

Potato Soup

5-6 c. water

3-4 boullion cubes

6-8 potatoes peeled and diced

1-2 small onions

3 stalks celery

3-4 c. chopped broccoli and cauliflower

1/3 c. butter

1/3 c. flour

1 c. cream/milk or 1 small can of evaporated milk

salt and pepper to taste

Hormel bacon

Bring water and boullion to boil, add potatoes, onions, celery and broccoli and boil until softened (about 10-15 mins). When veggies are almost done cooking, in another pan make a roux with the butter and flour. Beat the cream/milk into the roux until thickened. Pour and mix into the soup until thickened. Add bacon, salt and pepper. Top with green onions, cheese, whatever!

Rosemary Bread (for bread machine)

1 c. water
3 T. olive oil
1 1/2 t.white sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1 T. dried rosemary
2 1/2 c. bread flour
1 1/2 t. active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer (I just added them from the top down). Select white bread cycle and light crust; press Start.

Basic Quiche

My mom always made quiche growing up and it is definitely one of my favorite foods. It seems a lot more complicated than it is. The directions are provided for the novice, but once you've made one you can probably make others easily. You can add whatever you want to quiche--this is a basic recipe. Sometimes I add spinach, asparagus, sausage...really the possibilities are endless. My mom always makes hers the night before so they're ready to bake in the morning.



1 (9-inch) deep dish frozen pie crust
1 T butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. cheese (your choice)
1 T. flour
4 eggs
1 c. cream or milk (depending on preference)
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 c. crumbled bacon (I use the Hormel bags from Costco)

Bake pie crust at 425 for 6-8 mins. Reduce temperature to 350. Meanwhile in skillet, saute onion (and any other veggies you include) in butter until soft (about 3-4 mins). In another bowl toss shredded cheese with flour. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, cream/milk, salt, and pepper. Stir in 3/4 c. bacon, onion (& veggies) and 1/2 cup cheese. Place 1 c. shredded cheese in the bottom of pie crust. Pour egg mix over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining bacon. Bake for 45 mins or until set.