A super easy chicken enchilada casserole for supper.

Some folks eat dinner, but around here we eat supper.  Dinners are way too formal and require way to much planning for a weeknight. This weeknight I put together a super easy chicken enchilada casserole using a deli roasted chicken, soft tortillas and a couple can ingredients and everyone’s favorite…cheese.  I know it works because hubs ate a second helping all the time saying “mmmm, mmmm, mmmm.” 

A little bit of Paradise

I love small towns, I grew up in one.  Now that I’m a city dweller I escape often back to small towns where friends or relatives live to experience “the life” through them and their small towns.  Now that it’s fall, there are Fall Festivals going on everywhere and I chose the tiny town of Paradise, Texas to visit this weekend. 

Old Fashioned Blackberry Cobbler

One of my Aunts that we fondly call “funny Doris” put out her recipe for blackberry cobbler and my late Grandma’s crust this week.  It evokes great memories and makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  I asked her if she’d mind if I blogged it, but assured her it is okay if she preferred not.  
Here is her response (which I can imagine hearing her voice as she speaks in a slow Texas drawl with some chuckles and laughter). "I don't care, my mother's past caring, and someone might enjoy this old-fashioned way of doing it."

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

I only started eating black beans this year.  I thought I didn’t like them, but really I never tried them.  They are delicious, especially in this easy salsa recipe.   I really like that it can be made days in advance and stored in the fridge for a quick dip, side dish  or in a pita pocket as a meatless sandwich.  Throw some together today and let me know how you like it.

as a dip,

                        as a meatless sandwich,                                as a side dish.

                    

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

by Jeannie

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: none

Keywords: corn black beans Cinco De Mayo Sport event Salsa Side Dish

6072008

Ingredients

• 1 can whole kernel corn drained
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I really like the Bush’s Grillin Black Beans)
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained
• 8-10 chopped green onions
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Zesty Italian dressing (enough to just barely cover the ingredients, about a cup)

Instructions

Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Store in the fridge. I like to store mine in Mason or Kerr jars in the fridge and let it marinate for a day or two…or three…or four. Smile

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Salmon Burger and Butternut Squash Soup

My hubs loves salmon burgers and I love that I can make this meal plus a side soup in 30 minutes.  I like to make this meal when we want to eat lightly but want something hot and hearty.  Making a 30 minute meal comes in handy for me when I have spent too much time playing in the garden, on the computer or out shopping!  Throw in a sweet creamy butternut squash soup and we’re both happy campers.  Do you have a 30 minute dinner you use a lot?

Salmon Burger:

• 1 large can quality pink salmon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6-8 crackers, crushed
• 1/4 cup finely diced onion
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt & pepper
• Remove skin and bones from canned salmon.
• Stir all ingredients together and form burger size patties.  Fry in about 1/2” hot oil for 3 minutes on each side.
• Sometimes I throw in 1/2 cup corn kernels, it is a really nice addition.
• Serve on toasted buns with lettuce and salad dressing.

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 box creamy butternut soup
• 1 cup mixed vegetables
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mix ingredients together in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot.  Serve with seasoned croutons and salmon burger or sandwich of your preference.

North West Texas Skies

When asked what is my favorite color,

I say blue.

What shade of blue? 

Sky blue.

Just plain sky blue? 

No, I think.

Hombre blue that brightens as it rises from the horizon.

With puffs of white.

Pillow make overs with scarves

I started with good intentions to clean out the master bedroom closet when I got distracted by a stash of old scarves.  I recently went very white in my master bedroom and have been thinking how to add some add color.  I started tying the scarves onto some pillows and feel very good about how they turned out and how I’m reusing the scarves.  Here’s a pictorial DIY showing you how I did it using pillows and scarves I already had.

The square scarves worked really well on a square pillow. Tie opposite corners with a square knot and in a flash its done!

 

This one is over a bed pillow in a white sham.

Here is a short scarf tied onto a rust color couch pillow.

 

This long scarf with fringe was a tiny bit more challenging. I ended up spreading out the ends and using safety pins to keep them in place. 

I bet you have some pillow dressing tricks too.  Please share!

Cake mix, apples and Dulce de leche

In the mood for something tasty, but not really in the mood to spend forever making it?  That’s how I feel today so it’s time for an “Almost Homemade” recipe.  Looking in the pantry I see one of those mini boxes of Jiffy cake mix but plain cake just won’t satisfy. While checking the fridge I see a can of hubs home made Dulce de leche and and apple out of the fruit bowl give me what I’m looking for. 

Now I feel really focused and can hardly wait to see if this turns out (which it does).  First, turn on the oven and spray a cupcake tin with baking spray.  It takes only a few minutes to beat the Jiffy cake mix up.  Another 2 minutes to dice an apple, add a few pinches of cinnamon and nutmeg and using the quarter cup measuring cup, measure the mixture into the cupcake pan.  Stick it in the oven for 20 minutes. 

The hardest part?  The 20 minute wait!  When I took it out hubs and I both tried the cakes hot.  Good, add a spoon full of the Dulce de leche…great. 

Recipe:

• cake mix (follow directions on box)
• 1 finely diced apple (2 if using a regular size cake mix)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Mix cake according to box directions, add the other ingredients and stir.  Measure into prepared cupcake pan and bake 350° F for 15-20 minutes.
• Garnish with prepared Dulce de leche or brown sugar icing.  Heck, try some warm caramel sauce.

Fall color in the succulents.

 

Fall in Texas comes late and only lasts a few days.  That is why I enjoy watching my Autumn Mist succulents color change.  They start out whitish, then pink and finally a rusty orange.  They are catching the morning while I drink my morning coffee and plan my day.

Pretty Fall Mantle decor

  

My daughter’s fall mantle is lovely and I’d like to share it with you.

This darling hand carved zebra came home with her from a medical mission trip to Kenya.

             

The globe on the far right is a bit difficult to see, but it is a puzzle hand carved by her great great uncle.

9 Easy Pudding and Jell-O Recipes

It’s almost Fall and that means it’s time for a seasonal closet cleaning.  I’ll get to the bedroom closet next week, but this week the pantry is getting a make over.  When I emptied out the pantry I found a hoard of pudding and gelatin mixes. I made a standard banana pudding from a recipe right off the box, but needed some variety to use up the mixes, so I reached out to blogging buddies for help.  Bloggers are the best when it comes to empowering you with information.  Hubs is so happy about the extra cooking going on he’s helping me put some organizing hooks in the pantry! 

This EASY Brownie Pudding in a jar will be great after school or midnight snacks.

Alli at An Alli Event makes this Banana-less Pudding for her grandkids.  I think the secret to juggling between her frugal and fabulous event planning, kids, and grandkids is easy recipes like this one.

Now this Coconut Rum Cake by Yvonne at  I have the time. Now what? is absolutely wonderful.  She shares a really great helpful hint to coaxing the warm cake from the pan using frozen peas!  

Yvonne also shared this Lemon Blossom recipe because it is her most requested thing to bring to parties.  She says people are always surprised to find out the super easy recipe!

I may have a dark chocolate coronary just from reading this luscious death by chocolate poke cake recipe from Jamie at Love Bakes Good Cakes, but I’m sure my chocolate loving son in law will want this for his birthday coming up. 

Jamie also shared this Pistachio Salad she remembers from her mom and grand mom.  I remember having it at my mother in law’s family dinners too.

Looking around Jamie’s site you will find many more pudding recipes like this Almond Joy Poke Cake… oh, boy!

I made these pudding stuffed poppers from a Pinterest find.  It was almost a Pintrosity…but I quickly figured out what I was doing incorrectly, then they were easy.

After looking at all those fabulous recipes above, I thought I’d insert a Sugar Free Strawberry Pie recipe here to bring my blood sugar down a bit. LOL…

Breakfast on the go

Some mornings you just know are going to be busy so you need a ready to go breakfast.  My sister introduced me to this easy breakfast recipe that can be made the night or days ahead.  Sausage biscuits are great on a Saturday morning next to the coffee along with some fresh fruit as a quick fix before the mid morning brunch or as a late night snack in front of the fireplace and teenagers like to grab them on their way out the door.

Easy Sausage Biscuit Recipe

• 2 Cups dry biscuit mix (purchased or make your own)
• 1 (5 oz.) Kraft Old English sharp pasteurized process cheese spread
• 1 hand full (about 1/2 cup) shredded cheese (what ever you have)
• 1 small tube breakfast sausage (mild or hot, your choice)
• Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.  Form little biscuit shapes and place on a cookie sheet.  I usually spray the cookie sheet with oil, but I don’t think you have to.
• Bake 12-15 minutes at 350° F.  Store in a covered container when they are cooled.