Tortilla Soup

Double checking to make sure we have all the ingredients ...

2 cans chicken

2 cans tomatoes (or one big can Ro-Tel)

2 cans navy beans

2 cans black beans

2 cans corn

1 can of Ro-Tel (if you use the big can of Ro-Tel, you don't need this one)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Make sure you rinse your black beans.

Put all the ingredients in the crock pot ... Lydia wanted to taste the navy beans! Cook until hot!

Serve with chips, sour cream and grated cheese.

Aunt D's Banana Pudding

This is a family recipe that my great aunt came up with years ago, and actually sold it to Betty Crocker! Of course, they didn't pay her nearly enough! She could have made a fortune off of it! Oh well ... She always makes it for family get togethers! It makes a HUGE bowl, so you will want to make sure you have a big crowd, or you can half the recipe.

Here is what you need ...

2 large vanilla pudding mixes

6 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz. sour cream

1 can eagle brand

1 large cool whip, thawed out

bananas, sliced

2 boxes/bags of vanilla wafers

I use skim milk, fat free sour cream, eagle brand, and cool whip if I can find it. Still tastes GREAT and is low-fat! Can't beat that!!

Mix pudding, milk, and vanilla together in large bowl. Add sour cream, eagle brand and mix well. Fold in the cool whip.

Layer first cookies, then pudding, and then bananas in a large bowl. Keep doing this until you are done! End with a layer of pudding and you can top the pudding off with cookies if you would like.

I'm not a fan of cool whip, so I put all the cool whip in the pudding mixture. If you want, you can do 2/3 of the cool whip in pudding mixture, and put cool whip on top.

Made a little Christmas tree for our Christmas get together!

Corn Dip

A friend from our small group at church gave me this recipe! It doesn't look very appetizing, but it's really good!! You've got to try it!

2 cans Mexi-Corn, drained ( I couldn't find that, so I just did 2 cans regular and a can of green chilies ... may try Ro-Tel next time)

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar

3-4 green onions, chopped

jalapenos, to taste

Mix together and refrigerate! Serve with Frito Scoops!

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

This is another dessert staple in our house! EASY and very yummy! My aunt Betty (aka GiGi) gave me the recipe and I have made it so many times it's ridiculous! What's not to love about a chocolate cake with sour cream and chocolate chips!

1 yellow cake mix
1 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 small pkg. chocolate pudding mix (instant)
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 8 0z. carton sour cream
1 pkg. chocolate chips
** optional - 1 cup chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into a greased and sugared bundt pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out ALMOST clean (don't want to overcook it!). Let cool for a few minutes and then turn pan over on top of a serving platter and let cool!

If you want, you can sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar. I normally don't, but just because it makes a huge mess! =)

Blonde Brownies

This recipe came out of a church cookbook that my cousin Brian gave me ... and we LOVE them! They have become a dessert staple in our house! They are so easy to make, so when we have to take a dessert some where, this is what I usually make!

2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. chocolate chips (I've been using dark chocolate chips and really like the taste of them!)

Combine sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Add to sugar/butter mixture, blending well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350* for 25 minutes.

Corn Flake Clusters

These little guys are easy to make ... and taste wonderful! I doubled the recipe when I made them and it made around 30. You can make them smaller if you would like.

Here is what you need to make them ...

1/2 cup Karo Syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups Corn Flakes

Bring Karo Syrup, sugar and vanilla to a boil in a sauce pan. Remove from heat.

Stir in peanut butter.

Stir in Corn Flakes.

Drop in balls onto waxed paper. Store in an air-tight container.