At Home My Way

*This "recipe" is adjustable to ingredients you have available using leftovers or simple substitutions.  Lots of options here!   MEATLESS TACO SOUP 1 Tablespoon minced onion  (or 1/2 chopped fresh onion or 1 Tablespoon onion powder)  (whatever you have available) 28 oz whole tomatoes ( undrained ) (OR diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or sauce)  ( I used 28 oz of my favorite Cento San Marzano tomatoes. )  1 can corn ( undrained ) (OR 2 cups frozen corn, or leftover corn) 1 can rotel ( undrained ) (OR salsa works fine also!) 2 can black, kidney, or pinto beans ( undrained ) 1 packet of taco or chili seasoning  (OR 1-2 Tablespoon of chili powder which is what I used) Salt & Pepper according to preference Instructions: If using fresh onion, cook onion in a little oil in a large pot for about 10 minutes. If using minced onion or onion powder, just add with the rest of the ingredients.   Add the toma...

Recipes at the Top; chit-chat at the bottom! EASY FRENCH DRESSING Uses Pantry Ingredients  & Saves a Trip to the Store! 1 cup oil (I used olive oil.) 1 cup ketchup 1/3 cup sugar  3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon table salt 2 teaspoons onion powder 1 teaspoon soy sauce Instructions:  Mix well until smooth and then place in a jar/bottle for keeping in the fridge.  Should keep for a while! Hello everyone! Staying home is hard, isn't it?  Sometimes we all get tired of going here and there and rushing all of the time but this pandemic thing is keeping even the trips I WANT to go on - down to a minimum.  As a society, we have all been super lax about expecting instant gratification. It used to go like this: "What sounds good for supper?"-me "I don't know.  Maybe throw something on the grill?"-Doug "I'll run to the store and grab some meat and stuff for sides!"-me Well,...

RECIPES AT THE TOP!  CHIT-CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! This recipe has also been shared at: Sweet Little Bluebird !  Check it out to see more great recipes just like this one! Peanut Butter Brownies -  Pantry Cooking 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy "naturals".) 1/3 cup margarine, softened (try not to melt all the way) 2/3 cup white granulated sugar 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon baking POWDER 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all purpose flour INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease/flour your baking pan.  Use either 9 x 9 square pan or 7 x 11 rectangle pan. Soften the margarine (try not to melt all the way). Add in all other ingredients except the flour.  Stir well.  Add the flour.  Stir again to incorporate all of the flour. Spoon into a sprayed (or prepared/greased/floured) baking pan.  Spread around.  I had to use the back of a spoon to...

RECIPES AT THE TOP!  CHIT CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! Pink Stuff  a/k/a  Strawberry Jello/Cottage Cheese Salad www.AtHomeMyWay.blogspot.com 1 small box strawberry jello (3 oz) (any flavor will work - and I even used generic instead of Jello brand) 2/3 cup boiling water 1 cup crushed pineapple (I used half can) (undrained) 1 cup evaporated milk (comes in a can) 2 cups cottage cheese (undrained) Instructions: Dissolve jello mix and boiling water.  Stir well.  Then add crushed pineapple (undrained), stir.  Add the evaporated milk and stir, and then the cottage cheese, stir.  Pour into a serving dish if desired and the refrigerate overnight. Growing up in Florida was HOT!  It is a no brainer that instead of baked goods, my mom found ways for us to have desserts that were on the cool side. She often had jello in the fridge for us.  Sometimes it was just jello mixed with canned fruit or banana slices, but other times it...

Chocolate Chip - Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies www.AtHomeMyWay.blogspot.com RECIPES AT THE TOP!  Chit Chat at the bottom. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  (Makes app. 24 cookies.) 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated white sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk (I used 1 small whole egg instead of a large yolk) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chocolate chips Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften butter (I used the microwave just until softened). Add sugar (brown sugar and white) and STIR WELL.  Then add the eggs and stir again until smooth.  STIR IN the cocoa, baking soda, salt, vanilla.  THEN add flour and oats.  Stir until blended.  Add chocolate chips and stir again. (I refrigerated for about 30 minu...

Slices of hot, buttered toast using homemade sandwich bread + juicy, garden ruby-red orbs of deliciousness a/k/a "garden tomatoes"  = one amazing summer lunch! Tomato sandwiches!!  YUM!! Not only do I LOVE summer for sandy beaches, hot concrete under my bare toes, and shorts & flipflops.  I also love summer for the abundance of fresh garden food!  Last week it was peaches and this week, we are popping at the seams with garden fresh tomatoes! Lucky are we that my husband's uncle lives in our neighborhood and that he has a bumper crop of garden goodies!  He leaves garden goodies all over town!  For us, we find bags of red, plump tomatoes, dark green zucchini, cucumbers and peppers hanging on our front door while we are at work. Rolling into the driveway, we can see that "Jerry's been here!" Yesterday, I put a loaf of our everyday white, sandwich bread ( RECIPE HERE ) in the oven with plans of eating it for breakfast as toast, slathered in...

* Because I hate scrolling down for the recipe, my recipes are AT THE TOP - comments are at the BOTTOM below!  :)) "They are mighty little peaches; sweet, juice running down your chin kind of peaches! Delicious and smell divine!"                           Fresh Peach Preserves  Less Sugar Recipe 5 half-pint canning jars with lids/rings 4 1/2 cups peeled/chopped/pitted fresh peaches (place peaches with skins in boiling water and then in ice water and the skins loosen, just like for peeling tomatoes) 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 3 cups white/granulated sugar , measured into a separate bowl 1 box SUREJELL For Less or No Sugar Needed Recipes 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional) Instructions (FOLLOW directions in order exactly or pectin won't work): Sterilize jars, lids and rings per USDA recommendations. Place peaches in boiling water and then place in ice water for...