Taco Soup

Cousin Gwen’s family likes this recipe so much, that they never make regular chili any more.

1-1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 envelope of Taco seasoning
1 envelope of Ranch seasoning
2 (15 oz) cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
2 (15 oz) Chili beans
1 (15 oz) can of whole kernel corn drained
1 can of creamed corn
1 C of water

In skillet, brown ground beef until it is no longer pink. Place in a 5 to 6 qt. Slow Cooker.
Add Taco seasoning, Ranch seasoning, tomatoes, chili beans, corn, and creamed corn and 1 cup of water and mix well.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours, or on HIGH for 1 to 2 Hours.
Serve over crushed Tortilla Chips or Frito’s and sprinkle some Shredded cheddar cheese on top of each serving.

Garnishes: Crushed tortilla chips or Frito’s, Shredded cheddar cheese, Diced Jalapeño’s

Robin's Whole Wheat Bread

Daughter Robin is an excellent bread maker.  This recipe came with her Kitchen Aid mixer, but she has tweeked it a little.

3 C white all-purpose flour
2-1/4 C whole wheat flour
2 T vital wheat gluten (NOT optional)
1 T salt

16 ounces very warm water (110º)
1T olive oil
2 T honey
2-1⁄2 t instant yeast

   Put flour, salt and gluten in mixer bowl. Stir with fork to combine.
   In a separate container, place the warm water and add the oil first and then the honey, using the same measuring spoon, as the oil will keep the honey from sticking to the spoon. Add the yeast, and stir to make sure the honey isn't all stuck to the bottom.
   Add the liquid to the dry ingredients all at once. Mix on low speed for about 90 seconds, just until combined. Turn off the mixer and let dough rest for about 10 minutes.
   After the 10 minutes, turn mixer on to medium speed and knead for 3 minutes. (This is where knowing a little about bread is handy, so you can add flour or water to get the texture right.)
   Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover, let rise 45-60 minutes, until doubled.
   Form into loaves (this will make two regular loaves, or three round small ones as seen in my picture). Cover, put back in warm place to proof for another hour.
   Preheat oven to 375º. Place small pan of boiling water on lowest oven rack (steam is good for crust)
   Slash loaves and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until internal temperature is 190º. Brush with olive oil when they're done. It makes them pretty and keeps the crust soft.

Banana Brownies

I’m always looking for recipes to use up uneaten bananas. This is a good one.

1-1/2 C. sugar
1 C sour cream
1/2 C butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 t vanilla extract
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 C butter
4 C powdered sugar
1-1/2 t vanilla extract
3 T milk
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts.
2. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.
4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).