DAY #12 Italian Style Chicken with Dumplings

So it is fall and the weather is changing, leaves are turning orange and we officially got our first rain yesterday and it has put me in the mood to have some good warm meals, like soups.  I, myself, could eat soup everyday all day but my family, not so much.  Anyway on tonight's menu is my take on an Italian style chicken with dumpling soup.  I have seen many recipes similar for a stoup but I am not a fan of stoup unless it is beef and full of veggies.  Hopefully more soup recipes will come your way, enjoy!!

ITALIAN STYLE CHICKEN WITH DUMPLINGS

1 lb ground chicken

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery sticks chopped

1 large white onion diced

10 cups of water

3 cubes of knorr’s chicken stock

Salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp garlic powder

¾ cup Italian bread crumbs

1 egg

½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano

1 lb gnocchi

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.       In large sauce pot heat up oil and sauté carrots, celery and onion until onion is transparent.  Once onions are cooked add 10 cups of water and 3 cubes of chicken stock and cook until boiling, please make sure the chicken stock cubes dissolve.

2.       While chicken stock mixture is coming to a boil in a large bowl put ground chicken, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese in and mix.  Roll into 1 inch balls and put in boiling chicken stock, once all meatballs are in the boiling chicken stock simmer for about 10 minutes.

3.       After meatballs are cooked all the way through add gnocchi to the chicken stock and cook for about 5 minutes.  Turn down and allow to simmer at a low boil for about 5 more minutes.

ENJOY!

Day #11 Snickerdoodle Cookies

I know it is not the season for snickerdoodle cookie yet, but today I remembered exactly why I love to bake!  I forgot how stress relieving baking cookies can be.  I haven't really baked much since my daughter has been born, its hard with two little ones but today I realized how much they enjoyed my baking.  Hopefully more recipes will turn up!  While browsing Pinterest I found a recipe for my all time FAVORITE cookies snickerdoodles, hope you enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

 2 and ¾ cup of flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp salt

2 sticks of butter or 1 cup

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sugar & 2 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1.       Prehead oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare cookie sheet by spraying a light layer of nonstick spray on it.  While oven is preheating whip softened butter & sugar until nice and creamy (remember to scrape the sides to get off any extra sugar and butter not yet blended, you may want to scrape the sides throughout the whole process).  Add eggs 1 at a time until nice and whipped together.

2.       Mix flour, cream of tartar & baking powder together in separate bowl.  Sift flour mixture into sugar mixture until all is completely mixed.  While the cookie dough is still mixing combine last ½ cup sugar with cinnamon in a small shallow bowl.

3.        When cookie dough is night and firm roll into a 1 to 1 ½ ball and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated and lay out on prepared cookie sheet.  Space cookie dough balls about an inch to two inches apart from one another (like in my photo).  Bake for about 15 minutes.  My recipe made about 36 cookies.

ENJOY!

Day #10 Green Enchiladas

So we have been fighting this horrible cold that has been going around my house this last week which is partially why I have not posted in a few days, however, tonights menu is simple and delicious!  I love quick recipes when the family is sick or if we have company because it gives me the ability to spend more time with the family and not in the kitchen.  Don't get me wrong I love to cook and I love recipes that require a little extra time in the kitchen but when you're not feeling well, the quicker the better.  Here is what we are having tonight!

GROUND BEEF GREEN ENCHILADAS

2 lbs ground beef

1 lb shredded Monterrey jack cheese (Mexican mix works)

1 onion diced

Tortillas (flour or corn)

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 28 oz can of green enchilada sauce (you can also use red)

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef in frying pan, once all completely brown season with garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper.

2.      Add diced onion to the browned ground beef.  Add ½ cup of green sauce, lower temperature and allow to simmer.

3.      In large baking dish spray with nonstick spray and add a small amount of green sauce to the bottom of the pan.  Prepare enchiladas by laying out a tortilla and add a spoonful of the meat/onion mix and roll it up.  Place as many enchiladas in the pan that can fit side by side.

4.      Top all the enchiladas with green sauce.

5.      Bake for about 20 minutes then add cheese to the top, bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

ENJOY!