Tomato and Beef Soup

This is one of my favourite wintertime meals. This makes so much and is very filling. I originally searched for this recipe because I overcooked some London broil the night before and figured a soup would moisten the meat back to being edible. I buy a big London broil just to have leftovers to make this.

Tomato and Beef Soup
-By Quick Cooking

2 (15 oz) cans beef broth
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (46 oz) can V8 juice
1 can Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 T sugar
1 T dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon granules
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basi
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 C cubed cooked beef
2 C small shell pasta, cooked and drained

In a large pot, combine the broth, celery, carrots, and garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in the next nine ingredients (up to the beef and pasta). Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add beef and pasta; heat through.

Yield: 15 servings

My Notes
I never measure the herbs and spices. I also never use garlic cloves, just a little extra garlic powder. I usually make a box of pasta and add a little water to the soup.

Reviews
Perry and I really like this.
The kids aren't too wild about it, but Caleb and Josh like the shell part and will eat the rest of the soup with them.

"Can I have your recipe?" chicken salad

"Can I have your recipe?" Chicken Salad
-by Shelby

4 cooked chicken breasts
2 C grapes (green or red, halved)
3 green onions
3 celery stalks
1 C mayonnaise
1 C Miracle Whip
Lemon pepper

Finely chop chicken and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Finely chop celery and onions. Mix chicken, celery, onions, and grapes. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise and Miracle Whip until smooth (you can add a drop or two of milk to thin it out). Pour over chicken mixture and stir evenly. Serve alone, or on a croissant or roll.


My Notes
I didn't add the onions (you'll find that this is a common omission in my cooking). It did take a while in the prep department.

Reviews
Only I ate this one, and it is really good.

Pineapple Punch

I got this one at a baby shower for my sister-in-law. I can't remember what the hostess said she froze the mixture in. But it's really, really good.

Pineapple Punch

6 C sugar
6 packets Kool-Aid lemonade
2 large cans of pineapple juice
2 large cans of hot water.

Mix together and freeze. Mix with ginger ale when ready to serve.

Artichoke Dip

One of my most often used possessions is a cookbook that is a collection of tried and true recipes of an LDS parenting board I frequent. Most of the recipes I love are from this or Quick Cooking magazine.

Artichoke Dip
- By Junglejoy

1 (8 0z) cream cheese (softened)
2-3 garlic cloves
1 C Parmesan cheese
1 (14 oz) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 C mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients and place in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish. Bake at 375 until bubbly on top.

My Notes
For the life of me, I can't even guesstimate how long this had to cook. I also used garlic powder, and it turned out pretty good. I served it with Ritz Crackers.

Reviews
I LOVED this. Very addictive.
Kids wouldn't touch it.

Stealing is the highest form of flattery, right?

I'm going to admit I stole this idea from my college roommate. I just started participating in Menu Plan Monday over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. I've seen a lot of the people write down their recipes, but I'm lazy, and linking would be great, but I never thought about blogging the recipes. Hopefully I'll get my response to the meal, Perry's response, and a collective kid response. I'll also make notes about how easy it was to prepare, because I'm always making my menu fit my week.