Pineapple Bread Pudding

(If you like traditional bread pudding, you'll love this pineapple version - DELICIOUS! and a lovely ending to any meal! Given to me by my friend Jennifer S.- because I nearly tackled someone to get the last bit!)

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained *

* I use a can of crushed pineapple, and don’t drain as much - use some of the liquid in place of the ¼ cup of milk below

1 ¼ cups milk

4 cups bread, torn up (including crusts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 X 13 pan with pan spray (or grease w/ some of the butter before melting)
Mix all of the above items together.
Bake for 45 to 60 minutes (until middle is set and nicely browned on top and around the edges).

Refrigerate leftovers.

Vonna's Vinegar Slaw

2 packages of prepared slaw cabbage (the bags I get usually already have carrots in it too, if yours doesn't include 2 large carrots grated)
1 lg. glass jar of Pimentos; drained
1 lg. green pepper; seeded and diced
2 c. sugar
2 c. apple cider vinegar

In a large plastic container (like those rubbermaid take alongs with a lid), put all of the vegetables: cabbage, carrots, pimentos and green peppers layered in the container. *I usually layer in the container (cabbage, peppers, pimentoes) and don't mix until I add the slaw "juice". Put lid on the container and put in refrigerator.

Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer) slowly mix the sugar/vinegar solution. This is *key* mixing these two things together until you get like an oily consistency...you actually can tell it is like a syrup. I usually put it on low in my kitchen aid stand mixer and turn it on low and mix for about 20 minutes. Pour this vinegar syrup into a clean glass jar or plastic bottle and put in the refrigerator to chill.

When you are ready to serve the slaw pour the juice over the vegetables and mix well making sure that the juice touches all vegetables. Serve as an appetizer salad with crackers or on your bratwurst or knockwurst. DELICIOUS! Everyone will want to know your recipe ;)

ENJOY!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

My husband and I are a huge fan of the Olive Garden's unlimited salad, soup and breadsticks and like to eat there once a month or so. The last time were there, I said, I think I can replicate this soup....so I tasted and tasted and rolled it around in my mouth and came home and got to work. A few tries later and some research on the web and I came up with my own version of Chicken Gnocchi Soup and it is pretty close to the real thing! My version is a bit "healthier" (I use half and half instead of real cream which I'm pretty sure OG uses) and I made mine "heartier" stuffed full of the vegetables and chicken. I think you'll love this!

Ingredients List:
(I double this for my large family and then have left overs for lunch boxes the next day)
4 flash frozen chicken breasts; thawed
4 cups of chicken broth (I use Swanson)
2 1/2 cups of half and half
1 rib of celery; diced
1 clove garlic; diced
10 baby carrots; diced
1/2 onion; diced
2 lg. handfuls of fresh spinach; chiffonade
1 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teas. thyme; dried
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. potato gnocchi (I used Clavata brand)
2 Tbls. flour

STEP ONE: Cook your chicken breasts; I spray dutch oven with Pam and put the breasts in, flip once and after about 5 mins. cook time, I pour some chicken broth over them, cover with a lid and let cook until done. This makes the chicken moist and delicious, plus makes some yummy juice to add to the soup.


STEP TWO: While your breasts are cooking; saute the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in 1 Tbls. of EVOO until soft; set aside.

STEP THREE: Dice the cooked chicken breasts into nice bite sized pieces.

STEP FOUR: Chiffonade the spinach and have it ready at the stove side.

SOUP ASSEMBLY: Add chicken, chicken stock, half and half, salt, pepper, thyme, flour (acts as a stablizer to keep the half and half and broth from separating and also to thicken the soup a bit) and vegetables to the pot. Stirring frequently - Heat on high until boiling. Once the soup begins to boil add the gnocchi. Boil for 4 minutes and then turn down the heat to medium. Simmer for 10 additional minutes.

After 10 minutes of simmering is complete; add the spinach to the pot. Continue simmering an additional 10 minutes on medium heat. The spinach should be wilted. Keep warm until serving. Ladle into bowls and dive in!

You'll be grabbing your chest and singing "That's Amore!"

You think it's good straight from the pot...wait until the next day! It's even better then!

~ENJOY!~

Vegetable Soup....

This is really good and its easy....my Granny Eileen came up with this idea of using Hamburger as the meat and I've eaten many a pot of her soup and my Mama's version too....but this is mine, that I have hoaned like a fine skill over the past 13 years of marriage :)

Ingredients List:
Family Size Package of frozen mixed vegetables
1 or 2 healthy tablespoons of Beef Stock Paste
1 envelope of Lipton French Onion Soup Mix (have you noticed that I use this a lot?)
1 lg. tomato cocktail juice (like V8)
2 lbs. of ground beef fried; drained
2 cans of tomatoes

Assembly:

Dump in the frozen vegetables, then the beef paste and the french onion soup mix.

Next pour in the tomato cocktail juice.

Add the tomatoes - I had home canned, but if I don't have these I use two cans of Rold Gold Tomatoes - just dump it in juice and all.

Add the beef.

Set on high and let it cook for 6-8 hours until the vegetables are tender.

Serve with warm out of the oven homemade butter bread. DELISH :)

E-Z Chicken Dumplings

Ingredients:
6 flash frozen chicken breasts
3 cans of regular size Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 lg. onion
3 3/4 c. water
4 cans of biscuits

In crock pot: put in the soup, chicken breasts, onion and water. Mix well. Put crock pot on low heat.

6-8 hours later: pull out the chicken breasts and cut into chunks (I use kitchen scissors). Put the chunked chicken back into the pot. Get out the biscuits, cut them into 4ths and put directly into crock pot. 30 - 45 minutes later. Dish up and enjoy!

This is EASY and sounds a little odd...but it is DEE-LISH! Kid friendly comfort food!

Vonna's Crockpot Chili

This is my own tried and true recipe that I came up with myself and my family LOVES it!

Ingredient List:

2 lbs. ground hamburger; cooked/drained

2 cans BUSH's Chili Beans (27 oz cans)

2 cans Tomatoes (crushed, diced, whole, etc. if whole or crushed I break them up with my hands as I put them in the pot)

1 package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 package of Chili Seasoning (whatever is your favorite - I use French's)

1 tin can of water (or more - we like ours pretty thick, not thin)

1. Dump everything (don't drain the tomatoes) into the crock pot.
2. STIR.
3. Put the heat on LOW.
4. 6 -8 hours later...ENJOY!

I serve big bowls of chili with our favorite Mexican Blend crumbled cheese on the top with corn muffins made by Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix.

DELICIOSO! MUY BUENO!

Vonna's Creamy Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

This delicious recipe came from I don't know where....but I think it was off of a Campbell's soup label. Over the years I've "tweaked" it to make it my own. You'll LOVE it! We do! :)

Ingredient List:

2 lbs. cubed stew beef

salt and pepper to taste

2 regular sized cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup

3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

3 oz. Philly Cream Cheese

16 oz. Daisy Sour Cream

Egg Noodles (I prefer) or Rice (if you like)

In your crock pot:

put the beef, soup, salt/pepper and worcestershire sauce in. Turn the heat to low and forget it for 6 - 10 hours. (mine only takes 6 hours because it gets really HOT)

30 Minutes PRIOR to eating:

Add the cream cheese and the sour cream; mix well and let the mixture set at LOW for the remaining cook time.

While you're waiting:

boil your noodles (or your rice). Once they are done, so is your Stroganoff!

Plate 'er up!

Particularly good with a green salad and butter bread ;o)

EAT UP! YUM-O!

Meme's Sweet Tea

My Mama has the BEST sweet tea! Let's make some!

What you need:

Granulated Sugar

Family Size (gallon size) Tea bags (I like Lipton - Mama uses Luzianne)

Coffee Maker

Microwave

Quart Pyrex Measuring Cup

Gallon Pitcher

Glass to enjoy it in!

Step One:

get your family size tea bag and put it in the coffee basket on your coffee maker - fill 'er up with cold water and start the brew!

Step Two:
In a Pyrex quart size measuring cup, place 1 c. of granulated sugar; fill to the top with water and put into the microwave. Heat for 5 minutes on high.


Step Three:
Once 5 minutes is over - stir really well to incorporate the sugar; set aside.




Step Four:
pour the brewed tea from the coffee pot and the syrup water from the Pyrex measuring cup to the gallon sized pitcher. Then fill with cold water to the top of the gallon pitcher. MIX well!


Step Five:
Fill your favorite glass with ice cubes, pour the tea and enjoy a REFRESHING moment alone!

YUM-O!

Keep in refrigerator to keep fresh! Good for 1 week refrigerated.

Calories per 8 oz. serving: 50 calories