Split Pea Soup Reincarnated

I love split pea soup, but I rarely have ham on hand. I do ALWAYS have hamburger on hand, though, so I decided to try making up something with what I have on hand.  I am sure you could find something on the internet similar, but this one came straight from my little pointed head!!  My family really liked it.

1- 11/2# hamburger, you could also use sausage or chorizo
1 onion, chopped fine
3 stalks celery, chopped fine
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 cloves, garlic, pressed
1 # split peas
6-8 cups water (I used 8)
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes
1/3 bunch cilantro, chopped, or to taste
a little more fresh chopped onion to throw in
Some sort of chilies to add heat.  If you make my hot chile sauce from my salsa recipe, this would be perfect.  Add as much as you like.  Or you could use diced toms with green chilies, this is fairly spicy.
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 tsp coarse black pepper, or to taste
Salt, to taste
1-2 bay leaves, if desired

Cook hamburger and onions.  Add celery, carrots, and garlic, saute a few more minutes.  Add split peas, water and seasonings. Simmer, covered, til peas have disintegrated.  About 1 hour.  Add tomatoes, chile sauce, etc last 10 minutes or so. Serve hot with rolls, biscuits or cornbread.  I actually just threw a bunch of my homemade fresh salsa in it.  I really liked the cilantro and fresh onions with the soup.  So, you could do that, too if you have that!  I have a running bowl of salsa at my house.  There would be a coup if there wasn't!!

Scott's Soccer Practice Bars

Oh my goodness....i thought i had already put this on but i guess not! You are in for a real treat! These are just as addicting as Erika's choc/peanut butter bars! Isaac made these for Scouts and they rocked!

1 cube butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T peanut butter
2 T milk
Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and peanut butter. Stir in baking soda, salt, flour and oats. Press into 9x13. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Bake 20-25 mins till golden. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing. Cool completely then cut into squares.

Savory Chicken Tacos

This recipe rocked the house!!!! makes a lot and can be adapted to your taste! From Smith's.
1 Rotisserie Chicken (savory flavor) meat taken off the bone and shredded
12oz pkg steamable brown rice ( I used 1 pkg brown, and heated leftover white rice that was cooked in beef consomme- yummo)
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mexican style shredded cheese blend
1 can Kroger diced Salsa Style Fire Roasted Tomatoes( if u dont have Kroger, use something similar)
1 can green enchilada sauce (mild)
corn tortillas, shredded lettuce, more cheese, and sour cream
Mix all except tortillas and toppings. you can bake this in a 9x13 @450 for 20 mins or just heat in big skillet on the stove for 15 mins or so over med-high heat. Stir often. Add cheese towards end. You could add black beans or whatever you like to this and it would be great! Heat corn tortillas in pan with a little oil to soften. Fill shells and top with what ever you love- lettuce, sour cream, salsa etc. You could also put this over tortilla chips and make ultimate nachos!!

Stuffed Shells

From Chef Donatella from Food Network, good comfort dish on a winter night!
12oz dried jumbo pasta shells
olive oil
1.5 lbs lean ground beef (or ground turkey would be fab)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 (28oz) cans stewed or diced tomatoes ( i did 1 of each) dont drain!
15oz carton whole milk ricotta
1 1/3 cups grated parmesan
Heat oven to 350. Grease a large baking dish (3-4qt). Add 1 T salt to a large pot of boiling water and cook shells about 5-6 minutes till slightly tender. Drain shells and lay them out on a greased sheet of foil to prevent sticking together, and so they can cool to touch. In a large skillet cook beef in 1 T olive oil. Add 1 garlic clove. season with salt and pepper. When pink is gone, transfer to a bowl. In empty skillet, add 1 T oil and fry remaining garlic clove 20 seconds. Add undrained tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 20 minutes till reduced  and slightly thickened, breaking up any big pieces of tomato with back of spoon. Stir 1.5 cups tomatoes into beef, add ricotta and 2/3 cup parmesan. Mix and stuff shells with heaping Tablespoon in each shell. Spoon 1.5 cups tomatoes into bottom of baking dish. Layer stuffed shells over. Fill dish, then top with any remaining filling or tomatoes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Bake 30 mins.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

This recipe is from Dick's. Long live Richards!!
2 lbs chicken tenders, cut into nugget size (I used breasts)
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs ( I did 1 cup plain and 1 cup seasoned)
1 T seasoned salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2-3 eggs, beaten
oil
In a bowl mix bread crumbs and seasonings. In another, beat eggs. Heat oil in large skillet. Dredge chicken in egg, then crumbs, coating generously with crumbs. Fry in hot oil till golden brown, drain on paper towels. These were crispy and wonderful. Dip in ranch or ketchup/fry sauce.

Catalina Chicken

EASY PEESY, you dont even have to handle raw meat if you dont want!
4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce
8oz bottle kraft catalina dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
Heat oven to 350. Throw chicken in a 9x13 dish. Season with salt and pepper or whatever you like. Mix other ingredients, and pour over chicken. Bake 50 minutes or so. Thats it!!  Serve over rice. This could easily be done in a crock pot too.