Slow Cooker Taco Soup

1 package of powdered ranch dressing mix
1 15 oz can black beans, undrained
1 15 oz can pinto beans, undrained
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can of corn, undrained
1 4 oz chopped green chili’s
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1b ground beef, browned
1/2 onion, diced, cooked/softened with beef
1 package of dry taco seasoning mix
Brown ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet.
Throw skillet contents, and remaining ingredients into a crock pot/slow-cooker and cook for at least 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Recipe via: Cafe Zupas
Serve with corn chips, sour cream, and grated cheese.

Serves 6-8

Sweet Pork Salad With Lime CIlantro Dressing

2-4 lb pork roast
1 ½ Cups Coca Cola
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Seasoning Salt

Sauce:
1 Cup Coca Cola
1 Cup ketchup

Dressing:
1 jar Herdez Salsa Verde (mild tomatillo salsa, I get it at Walmart, any size)
Equal amount of prepared ranch dressing (Hidden Valley)
1 Bunch Cilantro

10 inch wheat or flour tortillas
Shredded green leaf lettuce
Black beans, I just used canned
Cilantro lime rice (steamed rice with chopped cilantro leaves and fresh lime juice, as much as desired)
Diced tomatoes, cheese, guacamole….etc
Crispy Tortilla Strips (flour tortillas cut into thin strips and fried in vegetable oil until browned)

1.Place roast in crockpot with Coke; season with salt, pepper and garlic seasoning. Cook on low overnight, until tender. Remove roast from crockpot, discard juices. Shred pork into bite size pieces and place back into pot on low.
2.Place Cola and ketchup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Heat to a low boil. Pour over shredded roast. Cook on low until ready to serve.
3.For dressing, place equal parts salsa verde and ranch dressing into food processor or blender. Add Cilantro leaves and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4.To serve: Place tortilla onto a large bowl or plate. Layer with lettuce, beans, rice, pork, dressing and tomatoes, cheese and guacamole. Cheese, guacamole and crispy tortilla strips not pictured, but really good in it!
via: Picky Palate

Kristen's modifications:
I cooked the pork on high for 7 hours. I added all the ingredients, then drained all the coke after cooking. Then I added 1 small can of red enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup brown sugar to sweeten it up a bit and give it a bit of enchilada taste. I followed all ingredients for the dressing, but I put it all into the blender to make it creamy and chop up the cilantro into smaller pieces.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

Ingredients:

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup confectioners' sugar

For the muffins:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups pumpkin puree

1¼ cups vegetable oil


For the topping:

½ cup sugar

5 tbsp. flour

1½ tsp. ground cinnamon

4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces


Directions:

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.


To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. (It may be hard to resist immediate consumption, but the cream cheese filling gets very hot!)
via: annies-eats.com

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

• FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
o 3 cups confectioners' sugar
o 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
o 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
o 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• FOR THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES
o 3 cups all-purpose flour
o 1 teaspoon salt
o 1 teaspoon baking powder
o 1 teaspoon baking soda
o 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
o 1 tablespoon ground ginger
o 1 tablespoon ground cloves
o 2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
o 1 cup vegetable oil
o 3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
o 2 large eggs
o 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
3. Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
4. Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
5. Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.
via: Martha Stewart.com
whoopie pie tags: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/881485/freewhoopiepietags.pdf

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

1 cup milk
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
4 chicken breasts cut into halves (8 pieces)
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Optional: I like to pound and flatten the chicken out a little so it cooks evenly throughout.
Place milk and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. In a skillet over medium heat cook chicken in butter until browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet and keep in a 9x13 pan in the oven on warm.
Add chicken broth to skillet and stir to loosen up browned bits from pan. Stir in cream, basil, and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and whisk in Parmesan cheese. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve.
via: Favorite Family Recipes