Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup chopped green pepper (1 large)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon diced garlic
4 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
2 14-oz cans chicken broth
1 cup water
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 10-oz can diced Rotel, undrained

In a 4-quart Dutch oven cook pepper and onion in oil over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and garlic. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Add chicken and jalapeno peppers to Dutch oven. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, water, undrained tomatoes, and undrained Rotel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Top with cheese and tortilla chips.

Enjoy!

Editors Note: you can make this a veggie version by replacing the chicken with white beans, and corn.

Editors Warning: This is a spicy soup. If that's not something you enjoy feel free to cut out the jalapenos.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (No Bake)

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (No Bake)

2 cups sugar
1 stick margarine
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup milk

Boil these ingredients for 2 minutes. Remove from heat then add:

3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix completely and drop by the spoonful on wax paper. The cookies will harden as they cool.

Yield: 20-25 cookies

Enjoy!

Chocolate-chip Cheesecake Bars

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Filling:
2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture until blended. Add in the chocolate chips and pecans.
Set aside a third of the dough for topping. Press remaining dough into a greased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Spoon over crust.
Drop teaspoonfuls of reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 3 dozen.

Enjoy!

Howdy Stranger

Howdy!

So friends it's been a while since we've last chatted. I have missed you. Let's see if we can catch up.

I turned 25 and freaked out a little bit inside.
We bought my diamond Phi Mu ring which I really want to arrive.
I made fantastic chocolate-chip-cheesecake bars.
Football season has returned.
I'm mildly obsessed with the tv show Mad Men.

I think that's enough for now.

Enjoy!

And so it begins...

Attention friends and family...

I would like to announce that there are 30 days until my 25th birthday!

Let the countdown begin...

Zucchini Muffins

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour (self-rising)
4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla at medium speed. Mix flour and cinnamon, add slowly to egg mixture. Fold in nuts and zucchini. Using paper liners fill about half way. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Yields 36 muffins.

Variation: Zucchini Bread – pour into two loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

The Power of Chocolate

I'm having a long week. It's only Wednesday. I've just finished eating lunch at my desk while answering emails. I opened a Dove chocolate and read the message inside. "You know what? You look good in red." I sat up a little straighter in my chair and thought I do look good in red. Then I enjoyed the most fantastic combination of chocolate and caramel on earth. So you see friends that little piece of chocolate has power. The power to make my world a little brighter.


Enjoy!


P.S: This is my 100th post. It figures that it would be about chocolate.