Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

When I co-hosted last year's cookie exchange, my friend Kolette brought this soup for lunch.  I couldn't believe how good it was when I took my first bite.  OH, IT WAS AMAZING!!  Everyone else that was there thought the same thing.  I'm pretty sure everyone had seconds and some even had thirds.  It was so good.

Now, this soup takes a little time to make, but it's worth it in the end.  When my 8 year old tried this, he said, "This is the best soup that's ever gone in my mouth!"  It's that good!

Here's what you'll need:

2 (14.5 oz.) cans chicken broth

2 C. water (use the liquid from the veggies for some of this)

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. flour (heaping)

2 C. half and half

1-3 tsp. salt

1/2 - 1 tsp. pepper

1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice (fast cook 5 minute recipe)

2-4 chicken breasts

1-2 C. diced carrots

1-2 C. diced celery

diced onion (optional)

Cook rice according to package directions.

Steam vegetables in about 1-2 cups of water.  To steam, I put my chopped veggies and water in a microwavable bowl and cover it.  Then microwave it for about 8 minutes, or until tender.  

Make sure to reserve the water that's left.

Cook chicken in the bottom of a kettle or pot.  Remove and cut up.  Melt butter in the pot, add flour and seasonings.

Make a white sauce using the broth and reserved vegetable juice (adding enough water to equal 2 cups).

Bring to a boil.  Stirring constantly.  Boil for 1 minute.  Add half and half, veggies, rice, and chicken.  Heat until well heated through.  Do not boil or scorch the bottom.  Stir often until ready to serve.

Serve with a slice of homemade bread, or rolls, or breadsticks, or crusty french bread.

Crockpot Roast Beef

One of those staples for winter-time cooking is my crockpot roast beef with it's fall-off-the-bone meat, tender potatoes and carrots, and it's own saucy gravy.  Mmmm...perfect for a cold winter day.

                               

I put this recipe together after trying MANY different versions of this classic dish.  And what can be better than putting everything together in the crockpot in the morning and not even think about it until it's dinner time?  Nothing, I say.  However, it's pretty hard to ignore the delicious aroma that will spread throughout your house.

So, make this soon, before winter leaves us, and enjoy this hearty, warm-your-whole-body dinner.

Here's what you'll need:

3-4 lbs. beef roast OR round steaks 

(I used round steaks since we have a lot of them and this is one of the best ways to make this cut of meat so tender to eat.)

Your favorite dry rub 

(I just used a generic roast beef rub I had in my pantry; if you don't have one, you can use a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and anything else that sounds good to you.)

Mini carrots

(I like using my older carrots that are drying out in this dish because they'll moisten right up while cooking.)

Diced potatoes

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Cover meat generously with the dry rub and place in crockpot.  Top with carrots and potatoes (however many you'd like).  

Shake dry soup mix over veggies.  

Spoon cream of mushroom soup over everything.  

Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.

 Later that evening, you'll have this to eat...

So tender and delicious!  Enjoy!!

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

It's almost Valentine's Day!!  My preschooler needs to take a treat for her class and you know me now-a-days, I'm always looking for something quick and easy.  

Now, a couple of weeks ago, I was at the grocery store and I saw heart-shaped marshmallows.  My brain started churning and I was coming up with ways to use them for Valentine's day.  I didn't get them at the time.  I decided to wait until I came back.

Bad idea.

When I went back last week to pick up a couple of bags, I was so upset that I couldn't find them.  Anywhere!  So I had to settle for pink, strawberry flavored marshmallows.  I was bummed.

But we moved forward with my plan anyway.  Let me just tell you how much I LOVE them!!!!!  Since we had a few extra marshmallows and chocolate, I decided to try one.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

                                                       

Why didn't I think that chocolate and strawberries would be the perfect combination for Valentine's Day?!?!  I really don't know where my brain was, but once I tasted it, I knew I was on to something.

Something good.

And something easy.

And something SO. STINKIN'. CUTE.

I'm so pleased with how they turned out and I can't wait for my daughter to take them to her class.  And seriously, what preschool-aged child doesn't like marshmallows?  They're sure to be a hit.

For Heaven's sake, I WOULD BE EXCITED TO GET THESE!

Here's what you'll need:

Lollipop sticks

Strawberry-flavored marshmallows

Milk Chocolate

Sprinkles

Poke lollipop sticks into marshmallows.

Dip into melted milk chocolate.

Sprinkle with some cute sprinkles.  I placed mine into a square of styrofoam that I had pre-poked with holes about two inches apart.

I'll be able to use these squares for future projects.  Yay!

Let them cool and set.  You can even put them in the fridge for a little bit.

 

Cover these with some seran wrap, cut into squares, and tie with ribbon.

I made several in packages of two for teachers.

Are these not just the cutest little treats?!

LOVE!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Bacon Pancakes

Are you a bacon lover?  We sure like it around here, so when I saw this idea online, I knew we had to give it a whirl.  It's SO simple and a fun change up to plain ol' pancakes!  

I was also thinking that this might be our Valentine's breakfast using two slices of bacon in a V-shape and making the pancakes into a heart shape over the bacon.  SO FUN!!!

Here's what you'll need:

Your favorite pancake batter (a pancake mix from a bag or your own from scratch - I used THIS one)
A package of bacon

Cook your bacon until almost done.  It will cook more with the pancakes.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the grease.

We have monster bacon I tell you!  Yours can be any size.

Mix up your pancake batter.  Place however many slices of bacon you can fit on your griddle, leaving plenty of room for the pancake batter.

Pour some pancake batter around and over each slice of bacon.

When cooked on one side, carefully flip each pancake over.  Mine were so big I had to use two spatulas.

I didn't think my kids could eat one of these whole pancakes above since they were so big.  So I cut the rest of my bacon in half and made more normal sized bacon pancakes for them.

They were just the right size for the little ones. 

Drizzle with syrup and enjoy!

We thought they were pretty fun!  Enjoy!!

Winner, Winner

And the winner of My Very First Giveaway is...

 Michele E said...

I make some kind of cookie every year. Some for my hubby and some for my co-workers.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  Michele E., email me at all-things-delicious@q.com the variety of sparkling cider you'd like from Sheffield Cider and also which chocolates from Florence's you'd prefer as well.  As soon I get your preferences and a mailing address, I'll get them sent out!

A HUGE thank you to all of those that entered!  I loved hearing all of your wonderful traditions and fantastic ideas of things you make and do for Valentine's Day.  You've provided me MUCH inspiration!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I want to start off by saying welcome to all of the new followers!  I'm so excited to have you all be a part of my cooking adventures!!

I also wanted to give a little reminder that I'll be closing my giveaway on Wednesday.  So if you haven't registered for it, do it soon so you'll be in the running for a special Valentine treat from me!

Winter has finally hit (not that I wasn't grateful for the dry weather we were having).  Snow has blanketed everything in sight.  When that happens, I don't like to go out.  It's cold and the roads are slick.  Instead, I much rather prefer to stay indoors and bake.

So that's what I've been doing lately.  I tried a new recipe for banana bread and LOVED it!  It comes from a cookbook I have called, "A Passion For Baking" by Marcy Goldman.  I love this book!  I have yet to try something that I haven't been impressed with.  I've posted about her Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, so try those if you haven't.

I love that this recipe for banana bread is tender and moist.  And since we are chocoholics in this house, we love that it's studded with chocolate chips.  But if you'd prefer to forego the chocolate, you can try raisins instead and you can always add nuts of course.  They're just a no-go around here.

So on the next chilly day that you happen to have some ripe bananas to use, try this recipe out.  It's quite delicious!

Here's what you'll need:

1 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 C. sugar

4 large eggs

5-6 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

4 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts (opt.)

1 C. chocolate chips (opt.)

1 C. raisins (opt.)

Generously spray two 9"x5" loaf pans with baking spray (that has flour in it) and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until well blended.  

Add eggs, banana, sour cream, and vanilla.  

Fold in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, scraping the bowl often.  

Mix on low speed; then fold in nuts or chocolate chips or raisins, if desired.  

Spoon batter into prepared pans.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 325 degrees and bake another 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.  

Cool on a wire rack.  Makes 2 loaves.  I like to keep one loaf out for the kids to snack on and I'll put the other loaf in the freezer until we're ready for more banana bread.

 Delicious!!

My Very First GIVEAWAY!!!

**Giveaway is now closed.**

I've been working on so many changes to my food blog for this year.  Yet another change would be to do GIVEAWAYS for my awesome followers!

So, for my very first giveaway, I wanted to give one very lucky person something special for Valentine's Day.

Two of my most FAVORITE things to have on Valentine's Day are 1.) Sheffield Sparkling Cider and 2.) Florence's Chocolates!  So those are the two things I'll be sharing with one of you!!

Scheffield Cider makes the absolute BEST sparkling cider I have ever tasted!  The lucky winner gets to choose one of their four varieties: Cherry Cider, Classic Sweet, Harvest Crush, or Vintage Dry.  Check out their website for descriptions and details of each variety.

Florence's Exquisite Candies has some of the most amazing chocolates that may ever enter your mouth!  Everyone on this side of Idaho knows that if you want to give something special, this is what you give.  The lucky winner also gets an 8 oz. box of their choice of assorted creams in milk chocolate, assorted nuts and caramels in milk chocolate, or a combination of both - assorted milk chocolates.  Checkout their website for details on each.

Okay, now for the rules...the winner must:

• be a follower of ALL THINGS DELICIOUS, 
• like the ALL THINGS DELICIOUS Facebook page, 
• live in the 48 contiguous United States, and
• leave me a comment below telling me your favorite thing to make on Valentine's Day

This giveaway will close on Wednesday, February 1st at 10pm MST.  I want to make sure my winner gets these prizes in time for Valentine's Day!  The winner will be announced the morning of Thursday, February 2nd.

Good luck, everyone!!!

Swiss Chicken

I've got a bit of a problem.  Well, if you ask my husband, I've got many problems.  But we're not going to go there.  The problem I'm talking about is my funny phobia of cooking the same thing twice in a relatively short period of time.  I do NOT cook the same thing after a week of making it.  I don't cook the same thing twice even in a month.  I will RARELY cook the same thing even six months after the last time I've made it.  

I prefer making a recipe once a year.  Is that weird?  I'm less weird about cooking the same breakfast foods.  I rotate those recipes about every 4-6 months.  But dinners?  Yeah, I prefer at least a year between making them again.  There are just so many options to try; why limit yourself to the same thing?  That's how I see it.

Since I have that particular phobia, my kids completely forgot about today's recipe.  It's actually been several years since I've made this one.  It comes from my mother-in-law's good friend, Kathy Howard.  I love trying her recipes!  And my kids loved eating this one!!

What I like about this recipe most is that you don't have to pre-cook the chicken.  So the prep time to assemble this recipe is very quick!  I also like that it doesn't have to go right into the oven once it's put together.  I assembled this the morning I needed it, covered it and put it into the fridge until I was ready to bake it that evening.  It gave me plenty of time to work on homework with the kids after school and not have to worry about making dinner as well.

It'd also be nice to take to a family needing dinner, assembled and covered with baking instructions written right on top.  Then they can bake it whenever they need it.

Or it'd be perfect to leave for a babysitter to pop in the oven.

So many possibilities!

Here's what you'll need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

8 slices of Swiss cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 soup can water

1 pkg. Stove Top stuffing

1/4 C. margarine

1 1/2 C. water

Cut chicken breasts in half or into small serving pieces.  Season both sides well.  Place in a greased baking dish.

 

Cover with cheese.

Mix cream of chicken soup and 1/2 soup can of water;

Pour over cheese and chicken.

 Prepare the stuffing as directed on the box using the 1/4 C. margarine and 1 1/2 C. water.

 Put stuffing on top of the soup.

Cover with foil.  I like to write the instructions on the foil for a babysitter, husband, a friend in need, or if I make this in advance and put the recipe away.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour covered.  Then uncover and bake another 30 minutes.

This is what it'll look like when it's done baking.  Mmmmm...

Soooooooooooo delicious!  My kids absolutely loved it!! 

Check back soon.  I'll be doing my first ever GIVEAWAY this week!!  I'm so excited about it!  So, make sure you come back and enter.  Have a great day!