Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 can corn
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 can (16 oz) No fat refried beans
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or use little meatballs from chipotle meatball recipe, or leave meat out)
tortilla chips, crushed
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Combine tomatoes & broth in medium pan. Stir in beans and corn. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken, heat through. Serve and top with chips and cheese as desired.

Summer Fruit Cake

This cake was very easy to make and delicious. I made it with plums. But I've read variations of this where people have used apples, peaches and berries. It would be good with just about any fruit.

Summer Fruit Cake

6 tablespoons butter, room temp
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
scant 1 cup sugar; of this, put aside 2 tblsp
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract(optional: a few drops of lemon oil)

Fruit: berries (blueberries or raspberries; if using r-berries, frozen ones work better), apricots, plums

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9" cake pan and coat with breadcrumbs or flour. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.With a spatula, cream together the butter and all but 2 tblsp of the sugar. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla.Stir in the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until smooth. Transfer batter to the pan. Cover the surface of the batter with the fruit, pressing the fruit slightly into the batter. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.(If using plums, mix the extra sugar with about 1/2 tsp cinnamon and toss the plums in the mixture, reserving a little to sprinkle on top. Also, a bit of lemon oil tossed with the plums gives the cake a nice zesty flavor.) Bake for 10 minutes at 350, then reduce to 325 and bake for another 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.Cool in the pan for 15 min., then unmold and cool completely on a rack.

Tasting Party - November 13, 2007

Runzas
1 pound ground beef
little less than 1/2 a small head of cabbage
Seasoned salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Package of 3 loaves of frozen bread dough

Filling: Cut cabbage into small pieces. Cook in water on stove for 5 or so minutes.
Brown ground beef then drain off oil.
Drain cabbe and add to ground beef. Add seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce and pepper to taste.

Let bread dough it rise and roll it out. Put small piles of filling on dough and cut dough around the piles. Shape into balls fully enclosing the filling.

Cook at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. You can make them small or big. Serve them plain or ketchup and mustard.

Breakfast Biscuit Bites

2 cups shredded mild cheddar
1/2 lb thin ham chopped (get in deli section)
3/4 c mayo (we used Kraft light and it was fine)
1/3 c bacon bits
2-3 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tube Flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 450.

Grease muffin pan. Cut biscuits into thirds and mold into muffin pans (you just squish it in to fill the hole. We used mini muffin pans and cut it into fourths. Stir together shredded cheese, ham, bacon bits, mayo and mustard. Spoon into biscuits - don't overfill or it overflows and is hard to clean off pan. Bake 9-11 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes before removing.