Chicken Tortilla Soup

My sister passed this recipe along years ago. Not sure of where it came from, but it is delicious!

2 tbl oil
1 medium onion
2 cups cooked chicken (shredded or diced)
1 (15.25 oz) can corn (drained)
1 (15 oz) black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (15 oz) diced tomatoes (NOT drained)
1 (4 oz) green chilies (drained)
1 (1.25 oz) taco seasoning packet
2 (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 tbl lime juice

Saute onion in oil until onion is clear/tender

add all except broth and lime juice, mixing to blend seasoning & heating through

add broth and bring to a boil

simmer for 10 to 15 minutes

add lime juice

top with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips (we did those with "a hint of lime"), shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro & sour cream

Lemonade Punch

I LOVE making punch for special occasions.  I came across this on that evil, evil, time sucking, but oh-so wonderful pinterest...


1 cup Countrytime Lemonade mix
2 cups cold water
1 can of chilled pineapple juice {46 oz}
2 cans chilled Lemon Lime soda

Garnish with ice and sliced lemons

Eggless Jello Poke Cake

I've mentioned it before, but my mother in law is allergic to eggs. My youngest turned "6" earlier this week and I wanted to try something other than my "go to" eggless cake recipe. It was delicious, everyone liked it, and the birthday girl was happy. (This is a higher calorie version of the Weight Watchers Jello Cake).

1 cake mix (we used yellow)
1 can of lemon-lime soda (use cola or rootbeer if making chocolate)
1 box of small jello (we used cherry)
small tub of cool whip


Mix dry mix with can of soda. (That is it...do NOT add the oil, water or eggs!) Spread in greased 9 X 13 pan.

Bake according to mix directions. Let cool. Prepare Jello using ONLY the hot water (skip the cold water). Poke holes in cake & pour Jello over cake evenly. Refrigerate. Before serving, spread Cool Whip over cake.


(For a lower calorie version, use diet soda, sugar free jello & fat free cool whip)

Toffee Strips

My siblings are quite a bit older than me. Growing up, my sister that is 14 years older than me used to watch me a lot while my mom worked nights and my dad did things around the house. She always did fun things with me. The last time I ate these, I was probably 4 years old, when her and I made them together. I forgot all about them until I came across them in a cookbook a few years back and was like "Hey, I've had these before. I made them with Kris when I was little!" I FINALLY got around to making them. They taste just like I remember them. Enjoy!

1 1/2 c butter
1 3/4 c brown sugar
box of graham crackers
chopped pecans (optional)

Break graham crackers in 4. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and place graham crackers pieces on foil. Melt butter with brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, so caramel sauce is smooth. Pour over graham crackers evenly. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake in a 350 degree for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Dilly Crackers

These are such an easy snack, and super delicious. However, they are a bit addicting. You've been warned. I've seen variations on this recipe, some you need to bake, some have other seasonings, etc. I've taken bits and pieces of them all and this is how I make mine.

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (NOT dip mix)
1 c olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp. dill weed
2 bags oyster crackers

Pour dressing mix, oil, garlic salt, dill weed and oyster crackers together in a big bowl. Mix well.

That's it...easy, right? Enjoy!

Artichoke Dip (Cold)

My mom put me in charge of "a cracker dip" for our Fourth of July celebration. Thought I'd try this since I already had ALL of the ingredients on hand. (LOVE that...because I don't know about you, but if I run to the store to JUST get what I need for a recipe, I end up with 23 other items in my cart.) Anyways...

2 cans artichoke hearts, drained
1 (8oz) sour cream
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise

Crush artichoke hearts in a food processor. Mix with the rest of the ingredients and chill. Serve with your favorite cracker.

How easy was that?

It was a hit! Definitely will make this again.

Pink Lemonade Cookies

I found Pillsbury Pink Lemonade Cake Mix & Frosting We were planning a day at the beach, but thought cupcakes would be a messy hassle. Yet, Pink Lemonade sounded so "beachy"....what was a girl to do? I decided to try cookies instead, using the "Funfetti Cookie" method.

1 box Pink Lemonade Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/3 c oil
Pink Lemonade Frosting

Mix cake mix, eggs & oil until combined. Using cookie scoop, drop uniform dough on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Frost and decorate.

The lemon flavor was definitely there, but not too tart or overpowering. These were easy and had a very nice flavor. Definitely will make again. They were a nice "summery" cookie! Everyone had seconds, (or thirds or sixths).