Porcupine Meatballs

Meatballs: 
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork or sausage
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 eggs
1/3 c bread crumbs
1 cup minute rice (fast cook rice)
1 T Garlic salt
1 t onion powder
1/2 t black pepper

Sauce:
2-3 cans tomato soup
1 can water (refill one soup can with water)
1 T Worcestershire Sauce

Combine all ingredients for meatballs in a large bowl. Mix well. Shape into 2" balls and place in a 9x13 pan. Combine ingredients for sauce in a mixing bowl and mix well. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 350* for 45-60 minutes. 




Don't forget to check out my fabulous makeup from Younique and don't forget to frost your lashes with 3d fiber lash mascara!

Mexican Rice

A few nights ago I wanted to make some mexican rice to go with dinner. I've only attempted it once and I didn't love the recipe I used so I set out in search of a new recipe to try. I found a great recipe for Mexican Rice on Food.com. My husband hates mexican rice and always asks the server to leave it off of his plate when we go out. He loved this! I loved this! My kids loved this! I will be making this recipe again and again.

12 ounces tomatoes, fresh from the garden if you can get them - they need to be really ripe.
1 medium white onion
2 jalepenos, seeds removed and diced
2 cups long grain rice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 minced garlic cloves
1 can chicken broth (14.5 ounces)
1/2 cup V8 or tomato juice (or 1/4 c tomato sauce 1/4 c water)
1 1/2 t salt
juice from 1 lime

Preheat oven to 350*. Cut tomatoes and onion and place in food processor. Set aside 2 cups, discard the rest. Heat oil in a frying pan. While oil is heating place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rice with cold water for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes or until water rinses clean. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! When rice is rinsed add to oil in frying pan and stir 6-8 minutes until rice starts to brown slightly.



Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and jalepeno and stir until fragrant. About 1-2 minutes. Stir in broth, tomato mixture, V8 and salt. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Transfer to a 2 1/2 quart oven safe dish with a tight fitting lid. Place dish on center rack of oven and bake 30 minutes, stirring well half way through. Remove from oven and squeeze lime over rice and stir well.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I saw a recipe floating around on Pinterest from Picky Palate for these yummy Hawaiian Haystacks and thought I'd try it out. I make Hawaiian Haystacks once in a while, but I liked how her gravy sounded. I made a few changes, like omitting the ranch. My family loved it. Every single person (all 7!) loved it. That's almost unheard of. My family picky, but not often do all of us really love the same thing.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 T (or 4 cubes) chicken bullion
4 cups hot water

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cans chicken, or 2-3 cups chicken breast cooked and chopped small or shredded
Rice, cooked (I had about 7 cups)
Toppings:

Chow Mein Crispy Noodles
sliced green onions
black olives
pineapple
cranberries
cheese
whatever else sounds good to you

In a large sauce pan melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Whisk until smooth, then add pepper, garlic salt and chicken bullion (if cubes, add AFTER water). Slowly whisk in water 1 cup at a time until smooth.  Continue to stir over medium heat until thickened. Add chicken and remove from heat. Serve over rice and top with desired toppings.

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crockpot

I got a Teriyaki chicken recipe from my sister years ago. Today I decided I didn't want to deal with it so I adjusted it a bit and tossed it all into the crockpot. It was a bit salty so I adjusted the recipe to help correct it.

Ingredients:
3/4 c soy sauce
1/3 c cider vinegar
3/4 c water 
3/4 c sugar
4 T cornstarch
1 t minced garlic
1 t minced ginger (I use Gourmet Garden in the tube if I have it. If not then the powdered ginger works fine)
1/4 t pepper
3-5 chicken breast halves
rice

Place chicken in crockpot. In a bowl combine soy sauce, cider vinegar and water. Mix the sugar and cornstarch to combine. Add to soy mixture and stir. Add garlic, ginger and pepper. Pour over chicken and cook on low 4-5 hours. Shred chicken and serve over rice.

Fried Rice

5 cups brown rice, cooked (2 1/2 cups uncooked)
1/2 bag frozen peas
6-8 eggs, scrambled
2 packets Sun-Bird fried rice seasoning
1/2 onion or 1 bunch green onions, chopped small
1 cup cooked ham, diced small
2-3 T soy sauce
2 T Oil

Place oil in wok or pan and heat. Stir fry rice until hot. Add peas, eggs, onion and ham. Sprinkle seasoning packets and stir until mixed. Add soy and stir fry until all is combined. Serve hot.

Crockpot Taco Chicken

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup salsa
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup sour cream
green onions, sliced
cheese, shredded
cilantro, for serving (optional)
re-fried beans
tortillas
rice

Directions:

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 6 hours. Pull the breasts out and shred; return back to slow cooker. Stir in sour cream and green onions; heat just until everything is combined. Serve burrito style wrapped in a tortilla with rice, beans and cheese.

You could also serve this over rice.

Costa Vida CopyCat Chicken

What's for dinner at the Arnold house tonight? Costa Vida Shredded Chicken burritos and/or Shredded Chicken Salad. Yum!

Costa Vida Chicken

1 sm bottle zesty italian dressing (I use Kraft)
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
4-5 lbs of chicken breast
Optional: I also added a can of tomatoes w/ green chilies and a hand full of cilantro

*Cook all together in crock pot for approx 4 hrs, shred then cook another hour

CILANTRO LIME RANCH
3 fresh medium (golf ball size) tomatillos cut into quarters
juice of 1 lime
1 c fresh cilantro - i usually just use half the bunch in the dressing and half in the rice
5 stalks of green onion with ends
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 to 3/4 t salt
1/2 c buttermilk
1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
1 pkg dry ranch buttermilk dressing mix or 3 T of the bulk
1/4 t crushed cayenne pepper
1 jalepeno chopped

*Mix ingredients in blender and serve.


GREEN RICE
Juice of 1 lime
4 t chicken bullion
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
2/4 t salt
1 medium onion, chopped

*Chop above coarsely and then fry in 1 T butter or oil
Add 1 1/2 c rice and fry
Add 3 c water, bring to rapid boil, turn down as low as possible, cover and simmer.
If you don't want the rice to stick together much, do not stir and cook on very low heat. If you want stickier rice, stir occasionally and cook on higher heat.

*Serve in tortillas or over lettuce with toppings of your choice. 

Topping suggestions: Black or pinto beans, cheese, pico, sour cream, guacamole

Crockpot Chicken w/Rice Dinner

What you'll need:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-2 packets Italian Dressing seasoning
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 packages cream cheese, softened
1 bag frozen peas or corn
Rice, cooked

Place chicken breasts in crockpot with Italian packets. Cook on high 2 hours or low 4-5 hours. Mix soup and cream cheese and place in crockpot with chicken. Mix in bag of veggies. Cook on high 1 hour. Serve over rice.