Links!!

I've been trying out new recipes from around the blogosphere for a while now, and I just had to share a few of the links with you!

Super Easy CrockPot Lasagna - Sweet mercy, this is probably the best lasagna cooking method ever! The CrockPot Lady isn't kidding when she says it really works. Here's what I did differently... I doubled up on the sauce, added a pound of ground turkey, and substituted monterey jack cheese instead of mozzarella because I'm a doofus and bought the wrong kind (it was also cheaper at our Wal Mart). I also left out the hard-boiled eggs because I didn't want SuperDad to have to go to the hospital with a bad case of anaphylactic shock. It was REALLY REALLY tasty, though! I had a good bit of leftover sauce and spinach, so I added the spinach to the sauce, cooked it down, and canned it in a large jar. We'll be having that with some spaghetti later in the week. (Edited to add: if you make it this way, you'll need to watch to make sure the edges don't burn... not sure what I'm doing wrong, but the last several times I've made this in the crockpot, it burns around the edges, even if I turn it off earlier than you're supposed to. Everyone has been complaining, so I need to find a better way to do this one. Maybe I'll just buy frozen lasagnas and see how they like that? LOL)

Really yummy biscuits - Shannon posted this recipe as a Works-for-Me-Wednesday a long time ago, and I've been making them ever since. They really are good, and you can serve them for breakfast with jam (or honey!), or with your favorite meal. They're sweet, but not too sweet to have with a meatloaf, you know?

Penne with Shrimp - I found this in the Pioneer Woman Cooks archives and had to try it! We've modified it a little... we add broccoli and make extra sauce. We all love this one! (Note to self: add to menu plan for next month.) Also really good if you substitute chicken for the shrimp and add spinach instead of broccoli.

If this site doesn't make you want to go out and buy supplies to make your own cheese, nothing will. I SO want to make some fresh mozzarella... yum.

Sorta-Soba Bowls

I love my Rachael Ray cookbook, and that's where I found this recipe. My local grocery store didn't have some of the ingredients, so I substituted and modified to fit my family's tastes. It came out really well!

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, sliced into thin strips

1 cup julienned carrots

2 medium zucchini, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch-thick slices

8 oz. package fresh sliced mushrooms (or 2 cans pieces and stems)

1/2 head cabbage, cut into 1/2 inch slices or 1-inch squares

32 oz. box chicken broth

1 tablespoon ground coriander (a definite must)

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ginger

salt (check before serving - I never add enough salt and people complain)

soy sauce for serving (I use Kikkoman low-sodium with no MSG)

lemon or lime wedges for serving

chili-garlic sauce for serving (found in the Asian foods section)

OPTIONAL: cooked, shredded meat (turkey, chicken, pork, beef, whatever - we had some turkey that SuperDad had cooked on the BBQ grill that he added to his for lunch the next day)

First, start the water going for the noodles (4 quarts heavily salted water for 1 pound spaghetti noodles).

While the spaghetti noodles are cooking, place 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil in a large soup pot and turn on to medium-high heat. Cook the onion, garlic, carrots, and zucchini until the onions and zucchini start to get tender, about 5 minutes (more if you're like me and the pan wasn't hot enough). Add the mushrooms and cabbage and cook for another 5 minutes or until the mushrooms and cabbage start to look fully cooked. Add the chicken broth and seasonings and bring up to a boil (if you want to add more broth or water to make it more soupy, go ahead - one box was perfect for the amount of veggies I had - it just came to the top of the veggies in the pot). Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, depending how crisp you want the veggies to still be. Remove from heat. Your noodles should be pretty close to done by now. When they're done, drain and toss with olive oil and a little salt.

To serve, put noodles in individual bowls. Ladle the soup/veggies on top and serve with soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice. Two of my kids ate it this way with no problem. The Tiny Man would have rather eaten just plain noodles. SuperDad and I added a small amount of chili-garlic sauce to ours, and it added just the right amount of extra flavor and spice for us.

Side note: If your people require meat at every meal (like mine apparently do), then at this point, they'll start to fuss at you, and you'll have to go get the leftover turkey out of the fridge so they can satisfy their carnivorous side. I had mine vegetarian and it was still great.

For lunch the next day, I just added the leftover noodles to the leftover soup and veggies, added a couple of shakes of soy sauce and some lime juice and reheated. Big Brother, the Princess, and I all enjoyed it like this for lunch. The Tiny Man, however, had a PB&J.

Mimi's Chili

This is a good chili for people who don't care for spicy or hot chili (which is everyone in my family, but me).

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large can tomato juice
1 c. water
2 packs Chili seasoning
2 large onions
2 cans dark red kidney beans (optional)

In a large stock pot, start tomato juice, water, beans, and chili seasonings to simmering. While this waits, saute onions in butter until slightly browned. Add onions to pot. Brown ground beef and drain. Add beef. Let this simmer for several hours. The kids will LOVE it, and absolutely insist that you never make you own, hot chili again...

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c. cooked sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 stick butter (softened)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine above ingredients and put into a large Pyrex baking dish.

Topping:
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. coconut (sorry Stacey...)
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c. oleo

Mix topping ingredients together and pour over filling. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. AWESOME!!

Chinese Cole Slaw

1 package precut cabbage slaw
6 green onions, sliced
2 (3 oz) packages Oriental Ramen noodles
2 (6 oz) packages slivered almonds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (one) seasoning packet from the Ramen noodles

Mix cabbage with onions and place in large bowl. Crumble noodles and mix with almonds and sesame seeds and place in a baking pan; broil for about 2 minutes. Make sure not to scorch the seeds. In a jar with a tight lid combine and shake well the oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and oriental seasoning packet. Blend dressing well and just before serving pour over the salad and top with the nuts and then combine all gently and serve immediately. Always a big hit!

Blueberry Chill Pie

1 shortbread Ready Crust
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces Cool Whip
1 can blueberry pie filling

Empty pie filling into a strainer to drain some of the excess liquid. Reserve some blueberries and liquid for garnish. In medium bowl combine Eagle Brand milk with lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread half of mixture into crust. Add blueberries and remaining mixture. Freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Let stand at room temp for 15 minutes before garnishing and serving.

Heath Bars

2 sticks butter or margarine
1/2 box graham crackers
1/2 cup sugar
sesame seeds
1/2 cup broken pecan pieces

Line a cookie sheet with graham cracker sections. Melt butter and add in sugar. Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Immediately pour over crackers. Sprinkle with seeds and nuts. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and separate sections. Enjoy! BEWARE: These will disappear quickly and are habit forming! Better make a double batch or more to feed a crowd. Dieting women will curse you.

Crazy Cake with Smoothie Cocoa Frosting

Here's one to get the kids involved in the kitchen! SuperDad's aunt gave me this recipe and the kids LOVE to help me make it. Now that they're a little older (7, 5, and 4), I'm going to start letting them measure ingredients, too. What I love about this is that the cake mix is all mixed into the pan, so there are no extra dishes to wash. And the frosting is all in one bowl, too!

In a 9x13 cake pan, mix together:

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

Make three holes in dry mix. Add:

2 tsp. vanilla (in one hole)

2 tbsp. white vinegar (in one hole)

2/3 cup oil (in one hole)

(Since I have three kids, I let them each pour something into a hole. It's all about fairness, you know.)

Pour 2 cups water over the top or everything and let the kids mix until smooth. I give them each a fork and let them go at it. Moms, if you have food OCD like I apparently do, you might have to give it a stir at the end to make sure they get it all mixed.

Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

While it cools, make the Smoothie Cocoa Frosting:

Melt 1/3 cup butter in medium sized microwave safe bowl. I do it in the microwave.

Add 1/4 cup cocoa and mix until smooth.

Gradually add:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth(ie) and frost your cake. Give the kids each a spoon and let them "clean" the frosting bowl. Go crazy and have dessert!

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and dumplings is an excellent comfort food, and to make it even easier, I make mine in the crockpot!

1 whole precooked rotisserie chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
64 ounces homemade (or 2 32-ounce boxes) chicken broth
3 to 4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 of a large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. baby carrots (optional - I like to quarter mine so they're bite-size)
2 cans refrigerated biscuits, not the giant ones (I get the cheap four-can pack of buttermilk biscuits from Wal Mart)

This works best in a very large crock pot, but can be halved for smaller ones.

Prepare the chicken by picking all the meat off the bones and coarsely chopping/dicing into bite-sized pieces, then arrange meat in the bottom of the crock pot (you could also cook about three seasoned chicken breasts in a little olive oil in a skillet, then dice and add to the pot). At this point, you can take all the bones, skin, and stuff from the chicken and put it all in a deep casserole dish, fill with about 64 ounces water, then cover and microwave for about 15 minutes. Cool, strain, and use as your broth, or freeze for later. Add all the rest of the ingredients except cream of chicken soup and biscuits to the pot. Season according to your tastes (I like about 1 tsp. each of salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, thyme and oregano). Cook on high for about 5 1/2 hours or until vegetables are tender. Add both cans cream of chicken soup and stir until well incorporated. Quarter each biscuit and add to the pot, stir gently (they’ll all float on top), and continue to cook on high for another 30 minutes until biscuits are cooked through and fluffy.

If you want to cook on the stovetop: Saute onion, celery, and garlic in skillet until tender. Put all ingredients except cream of chicken soup and biscuits in a large stew pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until carrots are cooked through, about 30 minutes or so. Then add both cans cream of chicken soup and stir until well incorporated. Quarter each biscuit and add to the pot, stir gently, and continue to simmer until biscuits are cooked through and fluffy.

Meat, Beans, & Rice

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
black pepper, to taste

Brown the above ingredients in skillet. Drain and mix into:

1 can Ranch Style beans (or if you live where you can't get those, Bush's chili bean in mild sauce)
1 can Spanish Rice (as above, if you can not find it in a can, Lipton offers a pack where you can make your own)
1 can Rotel tomatoes

Combine all ingredients into a large Pyrex baking dish. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Serve with tortillia chips.

This can be a main course, or it makes a great dip for parties! Enjoy!

My Favorite Pot Roast

1 (3 pound) roast
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2-4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 cups water
cut up potatoes and carrots

Place roast in a 5 quart Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, sugar and pepper. Add water. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours. Add vegetables and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour longer or until fork tender.

Beef Bake

2 cups cooked macaroni
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion, optional
2 cups grated cheese
8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
large can chopped or stewed tomatoes

Cook meat, celery and peppers together. Add rest of ingredients (except cheese) and place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Scalloped Corn

2 cans cream style corn (or frozen, thawed)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 package crumbled crackers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter

Melt butter and then saute onion in it. Mix in rest of ingredients and bake in an uncovered casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until set.

NOTE: You can add cheese if you prefer but use American as cheddar gets too tough. Try layering half of the mixture, add cheese, add other layer and top with more cheese.

Scalloped Potatoes

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoons salt
2 cups milk
5 cups thin sliced potatoes
grated cheese (approximately 1/2 lb)

Melt butter in large pan. Add flour, salt and milk; cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Pour into a 8 x 8 casserole dish. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until cheese melts.

NOTE: I've used cheddar cheese and a combination cheddar and American. Both work well, although I prefer just cheddar. You can experiment with other cheeses too. I put the cheese on before I bake it. It will get a little crusty and slightly brown on the edges but that's the way I like it. If you have a really hot oven it might get too brown so watch it carefully. Also, If you double this recipe for a 9 x 13 pan it will take almost a 5 lb bag of potatoes.

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

2 frozen pie crusts

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 1 small precooked rotisserie chicken from the deli)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can sliced mushrooms (pieces and stems work well, too)

1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 cans "cream of" soup (cream of mushroom, chicken, or celery)

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

garlic powder

onion powder

salt

pepper

Defrost chicken breasts, dice into small pieces, and marinate in a brine of garlic powder and salt water for a couple of hours. Sautee chicken with onion, celery and mushrooms, cooking till chicken is done and onion and celery are cooked through. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. (OR debone a precooked rotisserie chicken, dice and set aside while you sautee the onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic.)

While chicken is cooking, in separate microwave-safe bowl, add frozen mixed vegetables with enough water to cover and microwave until veggies are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Open both cans cream soup (I like one each of mushroom and celery), pour in large bowl, and add 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning. Add cooked chicken mixture and cooked veggies to soups in bowl. Mix well and set aside to allow flavors to meld. Taste and season as needed.

Follow directions on pie crust package for a two-crust pie. Generally, you will remove both crusts from freezer, set one aside, and take one out of pie tin to set on waxed paper to thaw, aproximately 15 minutes. For crust on waxed paper, after thawed, press gently to flatten and repair any cracks by pressing crust back together.

Pour filling mixture into other, non-flattened crust. Very carefully, turn flattened crust over and apply to top of filled crust. Press around edges of pan to remove excess crust. Press with a fork to seal (and make a pretty design on edges!), the cut several small slits in top. I like to take extra crust from edges, flatten, and cut out shapes to put on top of crust before baking. My kids love it!

Bake according to pie crust package directions until golden brown on top.

Experiment with different types of vegetables, different flavors of soup, and varied seasonings to come up with a pot pie recipe that is all your own! Enjoy!

About our blog name...

Why "The 2500 Mile Cookbook," you ask? Well, here's the whole story...

Cynthia and I met at a revival at church on June 23, 1991 (has it really been that long? wow...). I remember the date because that's the night I was saved. Cynthia walked right up to me at church that night, looked me straight in the eye, and said "Hi!" She wrote in my senior yearbook that I gave her one heck of a look, but we became best friends pretty quickly. We lived about a hop, skip, jump and maybe a short jog away from each other. It seems like we've known each other forever and ever. Now, though, we live far away from each other. And since my sister has moved far away in the other direction on the U.S. map, we're all over the place. It is a 2500 mile trip from Cynthia's house to Kim's house , with a stop here in between to visit me, my mom, and Cynthia's parents. So "The 2500 Mile Cookbook" has a very special meaning to all of us because we don't get to see each other that often any more. But still, the friendship is strong and won't ever change just because of something piddly like a few thousand miles.