Hambone Stew~Crockpot Style

This cold & rainy day is just a callin' for soup.

There's a ham bone in the fridge that's still got a good bit of meat left on it. He seem like the perfect beginning for my stew for today.

Soup and Stew are basically the same thing. I call mine stew when it's loaded with meat and has been simmered to a thick creamy consistency. I generally prefer a stew in the cooler weather. Thinner soups I consider better on those warmer days.

Hambone Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 15 minues

Yields: 8 servings

Ingredients:

Ham or leftover ham bone~ I'll be cutting as much meat off the bone as possible. I like mine to be nice                                         bite size chunks. 

Potatoes~5-6

1 onion

1 Cup of Rice

1 can green beans~I use a short cut smaller bean. I don't want to see a soup full of green beans

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tablespoon Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin

1 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

Directions:

1. Cut ham into bite-size chunks. Place chunks and ham bone into crockpot. Covering with water.

2. Turn  temperature to high.

3. Place remaining ingredients in pot.

4. Simmer 8 hours. Remove bone before serving. Salt to taste.

Do enjoy a bowl of Hambone Stew!

Toasted Mozzarella French Toast

This isn't hardly a recipe at all 

but 

a nice bowl of chili just calls for a good piece of bread.

cook time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients:

Loaf of fresh french bread

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

a dash of parsley

Preheat oven on broil

Directions:

1. Cut bread long ways, down the middle.

2. Cover bread with shredded cheese & a dash of parsley

3. Toast until golden and bubbly.

White Chicken Chili

It is the season for chili!

Are you looking for a different twist on one of the seasons favorites?

Maybe, you should give White Chicken Chili a try.

&

It's oh so easy!

Prep time: approximately 10 minutes.

Cook time: at least 30 but the longer this simmers the better it gets

Ingredients:

2 Large cans  Great Northern Beans(40.5 oz)

1 can Chili Ready dices Tomatoes

2-3 lbs. fresh Chicken Breast(diced)

1/3 Cup chili powder

1 clove of garlic or Knorr's mini garlic cube

1 Tablespoon chopped onion or Knorr's mini onion cube

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Pepper

1 Habenaro Pepper or Jalapeno Pepper(chopped, no seeds) 

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Pour beans and tomatoes into large pot.

2. Bring to a rolling boil.

3. Add chili powder, onion, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer.

4. In a skillet brown cubed chicken and habenaro pepper in 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5. Put browned chicken mixture into your pot of beans.

6. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

Around here chili requires Frito corn chips & a dollop of sour cream.

This White Chicken Chili is wonderful with Toasted Mozzarella French Bread.

Go ahead and toss a little mozzarella in the chili while you're at it.

Oh yum...eat up!

Mandarin Crush Cake

This light and citrus flavored cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

This easy recipe is sure to please the cook as well.
Prep Time: approximately 10 minutes.
Total Time: approximately 40 minutes.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Box of Yellow Cake Mix

12 ounces Crush soda

11 ounce can  Mandarin Oranges

1 tub vanilla icing

1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring

Direction:

1. Stir Crush soda into cake mix.

2. Bake about 35 minutes or until done. 

3. Let cake set 5-10 minutes. 

4. Poke holes in cake and pour juice from oranges onto cake.

5. Let cake cool completely.

6. Whip icing and vanilla until very fluffy and cover cake.

7. Place orange segments on top of cake.

Enjoy!

Jellied Cranberry Salad

If you're getting ready for the cranberries,

you might be ready for Cranberry Salad.

This is a super simple recipe made of only three ingredients.

So let's gather up and get started.

You'll want a 2-quart square or rectangle baking dish.

Ingredients:

1 Can of Jellied Cranberry Sauce(16 oz.)
1 Can Whole berry Cranberry Sauce(16 oz.)

2 cups of boiling water

2 packages Jell-O Raspberry Flavor Gelatin

1 tub of sour cream (16 oz.)

Directions:

1. Whisk together cranberry sauce and 1 cup of the boiling water; set aside.

2. Dissolve gelatin in the remaining cup of boiling water.

3. Stir gelatin mixture into cranberry mixture.

4. Pour half the cranberry mixture into you baking dish and half can of whole berry cranberry sauce into mixture. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours or until set. Save the remaining cranberry mixture 

at room temperature.

5. Spread sour cream evenly over set cranberry mixture.

6. Pour the remaining cranberry mixture over sour cream.

7. Cover and chill  for 2-24 hours. 
8. Pour remaining whole berry cranberry sauce.

Cranberry Salad is a fun addition to a holiday meal.

It also looks nice with a little extra garnish;

a sprig of green or a dash of crushed nuts on top

gives a nice touch.