Saturday, December 15, 2007

Sweet & Salty

I have not posted for such a long time, it has been crazy getting ready for Christmas and being sick with this baby, so...here is my attempt at redeeming myself....I made this for my neighbor gifts/treats.....so good, it is my Grandma's recipe

3 cups Cheerios
3 cups Shreddies (we only have those in Cananda...you can use I think they are bran chex....the dark brown ones)
3 cups Rice Chex
3 cups Corn Chex
2 cups Pretzels (I prefer the sticks, my grocery store was all out this time though)
3 cups Bugles
1 cup Salted Peanuts (I dont usually put these in, too many allergies)
2 cups margarine
2 2/3 cups white sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla (add after it is cooked)

Mix together Cheerios, Shreddies, Rice Chex, Corn Chex, pretzels, bugles and peanuts, set asige. In a sauce pan cook margarine, sugar and corn syrup. Cook to 200 F (or a little more than soft ball). Add vanilla and pour over cereal mixture. Spread out on buttered cookie sheets and leave until sets. Break apart and store in Ziploc bags.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Chicken Pot Pie & Never Fail Pie Crust



Never Fail Pie Crust

4 c. flour
1 egg
1 3/4 c. shortening
1 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. vinegar
1/2 c. water

Mix flour, salt, sugar, shortening, and egg well with a pastry blender. Add vinegar and water; still until all ingredients are combined. Chill for at least 1 hour. This will make 2 double crusts. (I divide my dough, wrap & freeze any unused dough to use at a later date. To use after frozen, just thaw...so nice to have around.) This is a flaky, delicous crust that can be used for any pie.

Chicken Pot Pie

2 pie crusts (one for the top, one for the bottom)--You can used refrigerated pie crusts, but I love making things from scratch. It's so much more homey, not very difficult, and it's super delicous.
1/3 c. margarine or butter
1/3 c. chopped onion
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 t. parsley
2 1/2 to 3 c. shredded cooked chicken
2 c. frozen mixed veggies, thawed

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt margarine in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper; stir until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Add garlic & parsley, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Add chicken and mixed veggies; mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edges and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. Bake at 425 for 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

The pie crust recipe is from my mom. A friend from Idaho gave me the pot pie recipe. It's a modification of a Pillsbury recipe. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

--Keri

Monday, November 26, 2007

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1 to 1 1/2 c. water
8 c. milk
1 capful of peppermint extract

In a 3-quart saucepan, mix the cocoa and sugar. Stir well to completely break up the lumps. Add water to cocoa and sugar & stir. Bring to a boil. Let it boil until 2/3 of pan is boiling, then add milk. Stir constantly until hot. Add peppermint extract, and enjoy!

This is rich & creamy...very delicious. It stores well in the fridge to keep on hand; just stir it and heat it up when you want more.

--Keri

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Hearty Chicken and Corn Chowder

1 t. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 oz. Canadian bacon, diced
1 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
1 c. evaporated skim milk
1. c. canned cream corn
3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground pepper
3/4 c. frozen corn kernals

In medium saucepan, heat oil until hot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, potato, and bacon. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, evaporated milk, and creamed corn. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir the diced chicken, salt, and black pepper and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and cook until the corn is just heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Serves 4.

--Keri

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Warm Nutty Caramel Brownies

1 t. vegetable oil
1 pkg. (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 pkg. (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
3/4 c. packed brown sugar, divided
1 c. salted mixed nuts, divided
5 rolls of Rolos (40 pieces total), divided

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bar pan. Chop 1-1/2 c. chocolate chips. Combine brownie mix, water, oil, eggs, adn 1/4 c. brown sugar. Fold in chopped chocolate. Pour batter into bar pan & spread evenly.

2. Chop nuts. Combine half of the nuts and remaining 1/2 c. brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over brownie batter. Bake 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

3. Meanwhile, cut 16 Rolos into quarters. Place remaining 1/2 c. chocolate chips in microwaveable bowl & microwave on high 1 minute or until melted, stirring after each 20-second interval. Spoon melted chocolate into resealable plastic bag; set aside.

4. Remove bar pan from oven. Immediately press remaining 24 Rolos evenly into brownie in four rows of six caramels each. Sprinkle quartered Rolos and remaining nuts over brownies. Trim corner of chocolate-filled bag; drizzle chocolate evenly over brownies. Serve warm. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

I went to a Pampered Chef party last night, where these were made. They are sinfully delicious! No pictures because I ate them all!

--Keri

Friday, November 2, 2007

Chicken Lasagna

Ok, I made this last night, it is by far the best lasagna I have EVER had...I loved it, but I forgot to take a picture...sorry...

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
OR INSTEAD OF THE 3 SPICES LISTED ABOVE, YOU CAN DO 3/4 TSP ITALIAN SEASONING
3/4 c. parmasean cheese
5 cups diced chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste

MIX ALL OF THIS TOGETHER IN A BOWL

2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups mozarella cheese

MIX THESE TOGETHER IN A SEPERATE BOWL

Lasagna Noodles

I FOUND THAT THE PRE COOK NOODLES WERE CHEAPER, SO I JUST TOOK THE EXTRA TIME AND BOILED THE NOODLES WHILE MY CHICKEN WAS COOKING INSTEAD OF PAYING MORE FOR THE PRE BOILED NOODLES...

Spread 1/3 of chicken mixture on bottom of 9X13 pan, then lay out noodles, then spread 1/3 of cheese mix over. Repeat 2 more times.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes covered with foil
Remove foil and bake for 10 minutes.

I served it right out of the oven, and #1, it was WAY too hot, but #2 the sauce was still a little runny, if you let it sit for a few minutes it thickens up a bit...this is a must try!!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Lehi Roller Mills Honey Wheat Bread



INGREDIENTS:
1 LOAF
Warm water: 1 2/3 c.
Honey: 1/3 c.
Yeast: 2 ½ teaspoons
Whole wheat flour (you can grind it ahead of time but you must keep it in the freezer if you do this to maintain the nutrients.): 1 ¼ c.
Germade (cream of wheat): ¼ c.
Cracked wheat: ¼ c.
Salt: 2 teaspoons
Oatmeal (optional, we added this as a variation to the recipe): 1/3 c.
White flour: Approx. 2 1/3 c. (less if you add the oatmeal)

3 LOAVES
Warm water: 5 c.
Honey: 1 c.
Yeast: 2 ½ Tablespoons
Whole wheat flour (you can grind it ahead of time but you must keep it in the freezer if you do this to maintain the nutrients.): 3 ¾ c.
Germade (cream of wheat): ¾ c.
Cracked wheat: ¾ c.
Salt: 2 Tablespoons
Oatmeal (optional, we added this as a variation to the recipe): 1 cup
White flour: Approx. 7 c. (less if you add the oatmeal)

6 LOAVES
Warm water: 8 1/3 c.
Honey: 1 2/3 c.
Yeast: 4 Tablespoons
Whole wheat flour (you can grind it ahead of time but you must keep it in the freezer if you do this to maintain the nutrients.): 6 ¼ c. (grind 4 c.)
Germade (cream of wheat): 1 ¼ c.
Cracked wheat: 1 ¼ c.
Salt: 3 1/3 Tablespoons
Oatmeal (optional, we added this as a variation to the recipe): 2 cups
White flour: Approx. 10 c. (less if you add the oatmeal)

Mix warm water and honey completely and then add the yeast. Set aside until yeast bubbles and rises. In a separate bowl mix wheat flour, germade, cracked wheat, oatmeal (optional), and salt. After yeast bubbles and rises stir and then add the wheat flour mixture. Stir vigorously. Add white flour gradually while stirring until dough reaches elastic consistency that you can knead. (The recipe says to knead for 8 min. but I only need it for 2-3.) Cover and set aside to raise for about 45 min to an hour (or until it doubles in size). Spray pans with cooking spray, bottom and sides. Divide into loaves and knead each individual loaf until all the air bubble are gone and the loaf holds shape (I only need it about 2-3 min.) If you are doing 6 loaves you will have to divide the dough in half and set aside one half. Knead 3 of the loaves and allow to raise. When you turn on the oven to heat up to cook the first three loaves, then divide and knead the other three loaves and allow to raise while the first 3 cook. Cook at 360 degrees for 35 min. Remove from pans immediately after taking out of oven and place on a rack to cool.

Notes:

-I’ve only made 3 loaves at a time. When I do 3 loaves, I increase the wheat flour to 5 ¾ c. and decrease the white flour to approx. 5 cups (maybe even less with the oatmeal). You can play around to see if you prefer more whole wheat or white flour.
-You can use your kitchen-aid mixer (if it’s big enough) to do the kneading. Use the dough hook. It saves a lot of time and clean-up.
-Cracked wheat is simply regular wheat that’s not ground as much. You don’t need to use it if you don’t have a wheat grinder—just depends on your preference for a more crunchy or soft texture.
-The texture of this bread is yummy and it makes large loaves, the size of store bought kind, which is great for sandwiches and French toast.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Spiced Pumpkin Bars

I have never tried these, but they look good to me...maybe it is just the pregnancy speaking...haha

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup cooking oil
3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Pecan halves (optional)
1 11-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the flour mixture; beat until well combined. If desired, stir in chopped pecans. Spread batter into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
4. In a medium mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Frost pumpkin bars. If desired, top with pecan halves. Cut into squares. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 3 days. Makes 24 bars.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Coated Cookie Drops

Better known at our house as "moose poop".

These are wonderful for Christmas or upcoming holidays.

1 pkg (20 oz) Oreo Cookies
1 pkg (8 0z) cream cheese, softened
15 oz white candy coating
12 oz chocolate candy coating
Red and green icing to pipe on top

Place the cookies in a blender or food processor; cover and process until finely crushed. In a small mixing bowl (or in the food processor), beat cream cheese and crushed cookies until blended. Roll into ¾ inch balls. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a small saucepan over low heat, (or microwave) melt white candy coating, stirring until smooth; dip half of the balls to completely coat. Melt chocolate candy coating and dip remaining balls. Place on waxed paper until hardened. Drizzle tops with white or chocolate coating or pipe red or green icing on top for a festive look. Store in the refrigerator.

Note: I just use chocolate chips and white chocolate chips, adding 2 T shortening per 2 cups of chips and melting in the microwave for a minute and 15 seconds or so.

-Janae

Bread Bowls

These are SOOO delicious and easy! They are wonderful on chilly evenings with hot soup.

2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 c. warm milk
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
6-6 1/2 c. flour
cornmeal


In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, shortening, sugar, eggs, salt and 2 c. flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 min. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch dough down. Turn onto lightly floured surface and roll out like a pizza and cut into 8 pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place 4 balls 3 in. apart on pans. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Hollow out middles and serve with soup.

-Janae

Creamy Potato Soup

This soup is really easy and tastes delicious.

1 c. onion chopped (I don't use quite that much, just use how much you like)
4 c. potatoes cubed (3-4 good sized ones)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans milk
salt & pepper to taste
Chives to taste (opt.)


In a big sauce pan, boil potatoes and onion until tender (just use enough water to cover them). Do not drain. Add soup, milk, salt and pepper. you may want to add a little water if you think it is too thick. Bring to boil and add chives.

-Janae

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Harvest Chicken Salad

This is a Pampered Chef recipe. I made it for the first time last night. It's both sweep and slightly tangy. It's really good and good for you. Makes 12 servings, but I just put together single servings at a time.

Dressing
2 oranges
1/3 c. fat-free mayo
2 T. stone-ground mustard
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 small clove garlic, pressed

Salad
1 pkg. (6 oz.) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 c. diced roasted chicken (good use for any pre-cooked chicken you may have)
1 c. diced celery
2 medium Red Delicious apples
1/2 c. chopped red onion
3/4 c. sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 c. toasted pecan halves (optional, but really good)
Orange segments (optional)
Whole-grain croutons (optional)

For dressing, zest one orange to measure 2 t. zest. Juice oranges to measure 1/2 c. juice. combine orange zest, mayo, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. While continuously whisking, add orange juice in a thin, steady stream. Set dressing aside.

For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl. Dice the chicken and celery. Quarter apple, then remove stems and seeds. Slice apple quarters thinly. Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries, and pecans over spinach. To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with orange segments and croutons. Serve immediately.

--Keri

Friday, October 5, 2007

Quick and Easy Lemon Pie

1 (4.3 oz) pkg. non-instant lemon pudding mix
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 (of a 14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
4 T. lemon juice
1 prepared graham cracker crust (use the large 10 serving size crust)
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Cook pudding as directed on package. After pudding thickens, turn down heat to low. Stir in cream cheese, condensed milk, and lemon juice. Stir frequently as mixture may stick to saucepan. (Cook & stir until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated & thickened.)
2. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust. Cover and refrigerate 4+ hours or overnight. When pie is ready, serve with whipped topping.

This is a really sweet, refreshing treat. Just thinking about it makes me want some!

--Keri

BBQ Chicken Pizza


4 mini whole-wheat pitas, split
1 c. chopped cooked chicken
1/2 c. grated carrot
1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1/2 c. barbecue sauce
1/2 c. shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place split pitas on an ungreased baking sheet. Put chicken, carrot, corn, and barbecue sauce in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Spoon 2 T. mixture onto each pita.
3. Sprinkle 1 T. cheese on top of each, and bake until cheese is bubbly, about 8 minutes.

I got this recipe from the Sept. 2007 issue of Parenting magazine. It is a super easy recipe that the kids can help with. I couldn't find mini pitas, so I just used whole-wheat sandwich pockets & cut them in half. You can also substitute red and green bell peppers, summer squash, or whatever other veggie you want in place of the corn.

--Keri

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Pretzel Salad

I dont have a picture for this recipe, but belive me, you will not be disappointed if you try it, it is amazing! It is more of a dessert then a salad that you would serve with dinner...

2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup melted margarine
2 tbsp sugar
12 oz. container cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups boiling water
large box raspberry jello (.6 oz)
1 large bag frozen raspberries

1. Mix pretzels, margarine and sugar together and spread in a 9x13 pan, bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool (works best if you cool it in refridgerator....it needs to be 100% cool, or the pretzels will go soggy)
2. Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar, then blend in cool whip (leave out enough cool whip to spread over whole dish), spread over pretzel crust.
3. Mix water, jello and raspberries. Chill (if you put the raspberries in with the water and jello while they are 100% frozen, it will cool the mixture enough). Spread over top of cream cheese mixture.
4. Spread remaining cool whip over top.
5. Serve immediatly, or chill and serve later.

This is SO dang good!

Friday, September 28, 2007

Supreme Pizza Fondue


Ingredients

8 ounces bulk Italian sausage
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 26- to 30-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 3 1/2-ounce package pepperoni or Canadian-style bacon, chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano, crushed
1 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives (optional)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper (optional)
Vegetable dippers, mozzarella or provolone cheese cubes, or whole grain bread cubes

Directions

1. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain off fat.
2. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, pepperoni, and basil. Stir in the sausage mixture.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 hours. If desired, stir in ripe olives and sweet pepper; cover and cook for 15 minutes more. To serve, spear the dippers with fondue forks and dip into the fondue. Makes 5-1/2 cups dip.

I get a daily recipe e-mail with 4 recipes in it, they always look so good to me. This one looked especially good to me, but I havent tried it, if you try it, let me know how it goes. I am sorry I havent been better at this, I will do post more often.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore



From the Kraft Foods magazine. This one is a keeper. Easy to make and a nice flavor.

8 oz. fettuccine, uncooked
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 c. green pepper strips
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 c. Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 c. shredded Italian mozzarella/parmesan cheese blend
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Drain pasta. Toss with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Makes 4 servings, 2 cups each.

I've been making this a lot lately, because it's really quick & easy & oh so yummy. Also, it's a nice way to get some extra veggies in there.

Candace

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Mini Apple Pies


Crust:
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp cold shortening, cut into pieces
5-6 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling:
4 granny smith apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 Tbsp lemon juice

Crumb Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. For the crust, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the butter and shortening and cut with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2. With a fork, stir in just enough water to bind the dough. Gather into one ball and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

3. For the filling, chop up the peeled and cored apples. These pieces should be no more than 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch and about 1/4 thick.

4. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the apples pieces, sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and lemon juice. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes for the juices to come out.

5. For the crumb topping, mix together the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ball about 1/8 inch thick. With a 4-inch rounded pastry cutter (a round Tupperware container or large cup works) stamp out 12 circles.

7. Transfer the circles to an ungreased muffin tin. Fill completely with apple filling. Make sure to pack it tight as the apples will cook down as they bake.

8. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the pies and press slightly. The more the better.

9. Place tin in oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until crust is lightly brown and filling begins to bubble out.

10. Remove from oven and place mini apple pies on a wire rack to cool.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream and caramel drizzle. These are delish and very cute!

Christina B.

Friday, September 14, 2007

This is a sweet treat

These are my hubby's favorite treat ever- and he is not a sweet eater! Super easy to make!
Scotcheroos

1 cup Peanut butter
1 cup lily white corn syrup
1 cup sugar

Heat in a pot. Heat just until melted. When melted together, pour in 6-7 cups rice krispies. Put in a greased 9X13 pan. In a microwavable dish, melt 1/2 package chocolate chips and 1/2 package butterscotch chips. This take about 1-1/2 minutes. stir halfway through heating. Spread the mixture on top of squares and allow them to harden. Cut and serve- they are delightful!

If I am making for a crowd, I one and a half the recipe and spread them on a cookie sheet....

Polynesian Meatballs

My husband LOVES these, and will acutally make them himself, they are super easy to make!

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ginger

Sauce:
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
13 oz can pineapple tidbits, drained (save juice)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

Mix first 7 ingredients and make into meatballs. Put in casserole dish. Mix sauce ingredients and cook until thickened; if too thick, add pineapple juice. Pour over meatballs and cook for 30 minutes in 350 F oven. Baste meatballs with sauce a few times while cooking. Serve with rice.

I usually double the sauce to make sure there is enough for the rice.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Hamburger Soup

1 1/2 lb hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped
28 oz can tomatoes
3 cans consomme (I use beef drippings or beef broth mix)
4 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups water
1 can tomato soup
1 bay leaf
1/2 Tsp thyme
Salt and Pepper, to taste
8 Tbsp pearl barley

Brown hamburger and onion together; drain well. Mix rest of ingredients together in large pot. Add browned meat and bring to boil. Then simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. You can put in crockpot and cook on high for about 4-5 hours. I sometimes add potatoes or a can of kidney beans right at the last. Serve with hot rolls.

I love this recipe. It is from my Grandma, and everytime I make it, it makes me think of her and my mom. I do it in the crockpot, making it about noon, and then having it for dinner. It is good in the refridgerator for a couple of days for left overs.