Praying for A Miracle & Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Soup

  Do you remember Papa Don?  Dale’s father?  

You can go meet him here.  We took some family photos after he got sick, but before he started chemo.

  He is a very special part of our life and home, more now that he lives right next door to us, and shares our dinner table most nights.

  It’s been hard to watch him fight cancer this past year. He has lost so much weight, and the thing we miss most is the sparkle in his eye.  

  Praise the Lord, the cancer markers continue to fall from 8,000 down to 2,300, but we have hit a rough patch this last 2 months, and they are going back up again.

We were over to Nana & Great Gma’s for lunch yesterday, when Dale called.  He had gotten a phone call from his dads boss, saying he was not doing so good: dizzy, falling asleep, vomiting.

He has also been dealing with bouts of paralysis and loss of vision.  He can no longer drive truck, and is talking about quitting the office job now too, so he can rest.  The man hasn’t stopped working the whole time he has been on chemo.

After getting the phone call, we immediately planned to take Papa in for a check up, and to cancel his chemo treatment that afternoon.  Not when he was already so sick.

We were all playing outside, when Dale came over with some hard news from the Clinic about our Papa. The kids were playing nearby, but not so close they could hear our conversation, so I wasn’t sure they knew what was happening.  We talked very quietly, hugged each other and then he headed back to the Clinic to check on his dad.

Not long after that, I couldn’t find the kiddos….I thought I heard them “laughing” behind the fence.

When I walked around the corner, there they were, SOBBING, not laughing.  I grabbed a shot with my little camera phone so I could send it to Dale.

Destiny said they had decided to gather to pray for Papa, because they could tell something was wrong.  They just all burst into tears, because they were sad. Precious babies!

I hate to see them hurting, the utter heartbreak in their faces made me sob alongside them.  They understand so much more of the big picture then they are given credit for.  But thankfully, this opened the door for some wonderful discussion about how God sometimes heals our bodies here on Earth, and sometimes He heals us by taking us to Heaven and giving us a new body.  They know that part, but it’s still hard to understand sometimes.

After the kids went to bed, we had a big talk with Papa.  After much discussion, we have decided that we will not be continuing his Chemo at this time. The doctor is in complete agreement with us, as it is destroying his quality of life.

He sat in our home tonight in tears, I know this is so hard on him.  He couldn’t move from the chair, his entire left side was paralyzed for a good 10 minutes. This happens on and off now, sometimes an hour at a time.  We thought mini strokes, but it happens on either side of his body.  He goes in tomorrow to get some fluids drained so he can be more comfortable.

Guys, we are scared.  We are in uncharted territory for our family, going through something that you hear your PARENTS going through with your Grandparents, not your husband with his father.

The most difficult part of all, is that we truly don’t know the timeline of this journey for Papa.  So every day must count as if it is the last.

We don’t have all the answers, but we do know that we serve a Father who brings healing in various forms. We won’t stop praying for a miracle!

Thank you all for you continued love and support…..it means more than you know!   I will keep you posted.

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  Now, on to the soup I want to share today.  Dale and Papa Don thought this was too sweet, but the kids and I LOVED the sweet and savory element that the BBQ sauce brings to this unique soup!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Soup

Adapted from a delicious recipe at Picky Palate

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Ingredients

• 5 whole Chicken Breasts
• 1 whole Red Onion, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Pressed
• 24 ounces, weight Frozen Corn (I Used Fresh That We Had Frozen Over The Summer, And It Was Amazing)
• 2 cans (14 Oz Each) Diced Tomatoes, Drained
• 1 cup BBQ Sauce (avoid Too Sweet Of One, Think Savory Spicy)
• 8 cups Chicken Broth
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• ¾ teaspoons Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 bunch Cilantro, Snipped
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

Preparation Instructions

In a large 6-7 Qt slow cooker, place uncooked chicken breasts, diced onion, pressed garlic, corn, drained tomatoes and BBQ sauce. Add 8 cups of chicken broth and seasonings.

Cook on low for 5 hours before removing chicken breasts and shredding them. Return to the slow cooker and stir everything well. Continue cooking 30 minutes up to 1 additional hour.

Serve with fresh shredded mozzarella cheese and snipped cilantro.

 Only a few more weeks left of “Soup Season”!

~T

Valentine’s Day Desserts

  Valentines Day is tomorrow, so I wanted to share a few Valentine-esque and romantic desserts for you to enjoy with someone you love, or heck, eat them by yourself!!!!   These have been blogged before, so please click on …

Dorito Beef Casserole

  Mmm, I am always on the hunt for new Mexican Casseroles!  This one was shared at Weekend Potluck and comes from Mommy’s Kitchen.  It actually was passed down to her from her Ma Maw.  LOVE that!

  I have adapted this just a bit to fit our taste. 

Adapted from Ma Ma’s recipe at Mommy’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 pound Ground Beef
• ¼ cups Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Pressed
• 16 ounces, weight Bag Of Doritos, Spicy Nacho
• Pinch Of Chili Powder (optional)
• 15 ounce can Chili Beans In Sauce
• 10 ounces, weight Ro*tel Tomatoes
• 10 ounces, weight Cream Of Chicken Soup
• 2 cups Mexican Cheese

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a large skillet, brown beef with onion and garlic. Drain before stirring in beans and chili powder, if using.
In a small bowl, stir together Rotel, mostly drained and cream of chicken soup.
Crush your unopened bag of Doritos, open and dump half on the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Layer half of the beef and bean mixture, half the soup mixture and 1 cup of Mexican cheese. Next, layer remaining beef and bean mixture, remaining cream mixture, 1 cup of cheese and the rest of the Dorito Crumbs.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until hot all the way through.

Tastes best day 1.

Enjoy!
~T

Butter Noodles with Beef Sauce

    We thought this was very delicious! The sauce was hearty, meaty and very flavorful.  Really pretty too!

Now, texture wise, read that: CREAMY FACTOR….I did NOT like it better than Nana’s Beef Stroganoff.

But clearly, we still really enjoyed it or you wouldn’t be reading a blog about it today.

Whether creamy is your pick, or hearty buttery beef and noodles, both dishes fall into the Comfort Food Category, and must be served with big slices of wheat bread, covered with sweet cream salted butter.

 Mmmmm!

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FOR THE BEEF SAUCE:

• ¼ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Each, Salt And Pepper
• 2 pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast, Cubed
• 3 Tablespoons Oil
• 1 pound Whole Baby Portobello Mushrooms
• 5 whole Medium Carrots, Chopped
• 1 whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 32 ounces, fluid Beef Broth
• 6 cloves Garlic, Crushed
• 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
• 2 Tablespoons Each, Corn Starch And Water

FOR THE NOODLES:

• 16 ounces, weight Cooked Egg Noodles
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 teaspoons Each, Salt And Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley Flakes

TOPPING:

• ½ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese

Combine the flour, salt and pepper. Set aside 1 T. for later and add the rest to a large ziplock gallon bag. Add beef and shake to coat.
Next, brown beef in oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms, carrots and onion, sauteing until onion is clear and soft. Stir in reserved flour mixture, garlic and rosemary, as well as beef broth. Bring to a boil. Mix 2 T. water with 2 T. corn starch, add to boiling mixture.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.
Close to the end of cooking time, cook noodles and drain. Melt butter over hot noodles and stir in seasonings.
Ladle beef mixture over buttery noodles and top each plate with a bit of blue cheese crumbles.

  Enjoy with bread and butter!

~T

AMAZING Queso Soup

  This is my NEW favorite Mexican Soup.  My family went CRAZY over it! It really does taste like a Queso, which we all adore.

  This recipe comes from Served Up With Love, I was worried it would be too spicy, so I wrote Melissa.  Sweet girl, in the midst of a really busy weekend and memorial service for a family member, took the time to write me back.    Her family calls it Cheesy Taco Soup, but my family insisted that we call it Queso Soup, because it tastes like cheese dip!

  Queso Soup

Adapted from Served with Love

Click title to print

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• Salt And Pepper
• 4 cups Milk, Divided Use
• 2 cups shredded Cheese, Mexican Style
• 1 package (1 Oz.) Taco Seasoning
• 2 cans Mild Rotel, Undrained
• 1 can (15 Oz) Pinto Beans, Drained
• 1 can (15 Oz.) Black Beans, Drained
• 1 can (16 Oz) Chili Beans, Undrained
• 15 ounces, fluid Can Of Corn, Drained
• 14 ounces, fluid Tomato Sauce
• Crushed Tortilla Chips

Brown Ground Beef in a large soup pot, seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain and return to pot.
Next, make a roux by melting butter in a small saucepan, whisking in flour, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for one minute to make a paste. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, blend until thickened. This may take 5 or more minutes, be patient and keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining cheese, taco seasoning, rotel, beans, corn, tomato sauce and remaining milk.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, then simmer until warmed through.

Serve with crushed chips.

  Oh man, this soup is just INCREDIBLE! I hope your family loves it as much as we did.
Thanks to Melissa for sharing such a great recipe at Weekend Potluck, and allowing me to blog it as well!

Hugs,

~T

Snow Day & Buttered Kale Chips

  Yesterday we had a SNOW DAY!  I love having everyone at home.  And guess what!? We get to be home together today too!!!!  🙂  Here are some photos for you to see, head on over to facebook to view.

  We had some leftover Kale from that yummy Potato Kale soup I shared on Monday, so we decided to brave a new recipe I have been eyeballing for Kale Chips!  I can’t believe I am saying this, to you, but Kale Chips are AMAZING! 

This kale chip recipe includes olive oil. Did you know that healthy fat eaten with a veggie increases nutrient absorption? Who knew eating healthy would be sooooo delicious?!

Buttered Kale Chips

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Ingredients

• 75 leaves (or More!) Organic Baby Kale
• 1/4 cups Butter Infused Olive Oil, or more to taste
• Coarse Kosher Salt, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 275*.

Prepare Baby Kale leaves by removing the fat part of the stem, starting up in the leaf. This part is bitter! Place trimmed leaves in a bowl and drizzle with approximately 1/4 cup buttered olive oil, use more or less based on the amount of baby kale you are using. We just want a nice coating of oil on each leaf.

On a baking stone, place leaves in a single layer and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for *25-30 minutes or until leaves are nicely crisp, but not brown.

Allow to cool, then carefully remove to a platter and enjoy. You will not believe how crisp these get!

*If you do not have a baking stone and instead plan on using a baking sheet, flip each leaf over, and bake an additional 20 minutes to crisp the other side before cooling and eating.

Enjoy!  My family went through 2 batches of these in one sitting!!!!
~T

Cheesy Potato, Sausage & Kale Soup

We are supposed to get up to 10 inches of Snow in the next couple of days, and I for one say:

BRING. IT. ON.

Seriously, if it’s going to be subzero temps, it might as well be pretty outside. AND, we might as well use some of those School Snow Days they set aside, just in case.  {fingers crossed!}

Anyhow, when its cold like this, I crave soup.  In fact, I have to make soup as many times as possible in the next 3 weeks, because I have a strict “No Soup after February” policy.  And no soup again until October.

Hey, rules are rules!

I was so scared to try this soup.  

  And let me tell you, I have tried lots of bizarre things, like Black Bear, BBQ’d Beaver, Caribou, stinky Fish sauce and more!  

  I love to cook with leeks and other strange veggies, but Kale has never been in my grocery cart before now.  Funny, right?!

  So when I saw this recipe in my Taste of Home Magazine, I skimmed over it and decided not to make it…..
UNTIL my BFF, Kasey called and was like, you HAVE to make Sausage & Kale soup from our Taste of Home magazine.

  Clearly I have been missing out, because this might just be my new favorite soup!!!!   Everyone in my family loved it, and they all asked for second helpings!

Adapted from Taste of Home Sausage & Kale Soup

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Ingredients

• 4 whole Links Of Uncooked Italian Sausage (about 3.5 Oz Each)
• ¾ cups Chopped Onion
• 5 strips Of Bacon, Cubed
• 2 cloves Garlic, Pressed
• 2 cups Water
• 14 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Diced Potatoes
• 2 cups Thinly Sliced Kale
• ⅓ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• ½ cups Colby Jack Cheese
• Salt And Pepper, to taste

In an 325* oven, cook sausage links for 20 minutes; pierce casings. Drain, cool and slice long wise then in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside.
In a soup pot, saute onion and bacon pieces for 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, water, broth and scrubbed, cubed, un-peeled potatoes.
Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
Next, stir in Kale, whipping cream, sour cream, and Colby Jack Cheese.

Simmer a bit longer, but do not boil or it will curdle.  Season to taste.

Be brave, try the Kale!  

And save your leftover leaves, we will use them on Wednesday….

~T

Queso Roll-Ups for Super Bowl

This great recipe comes from South Your Mouth!  She is one my favorite Weekend Potluck contributors, and when she shared these recently at our link up,  I couldn’t wait to make them.  My mom makes a non-taco seasoning version of …

Salami Herb Cream Cheese Roll Ups

  Hands down, my favorite appetizer! Easy assembly and pretty presentation. Fresh herbs are a must!  Sometimes dry just doesn’t cut it, and this is one of those times. Ingredients 30 slices Of Genoa Salami 2 packages (8 Oz. Each) …

Jalapeno Popper Dip Pizza

Remember this Jalapeno Popper Dip we went NUTS over? Well, I just made it into a pizza. {squeeee!}   Creamy bacon filled cream cheese, fresh jalapenos and crunchy Panko Bread Crumbs makes this dip turned Pizza, seem like a match …