This blog is probably not listed in your blog roll under “Homemaking Skills.” I can’t imagine why not. I will have you know that I have kept my house clean for 4 full days in a row. This has given me a new confidence, and I’m now ready to impart some great wisdom from my new-found throne of “Housewife/Goddess Divine.”
As much as I love restaurants (and I DO love restaurants), we only eat out maybe 3 times a month— that includes a quick drive-thru lunch for the kids on a busy day. So I cook. I’m not a great cook. I’m a terrible recipe follower, severely threatened by many steps and/or many ingredients. I make unauthorized substitutions and modifications to almost every recipe, and my family simply must tolerate the results. To my credit, dinner rarely turns out inedible. Usually our meals are built out of whatever ingredients I have on hand in an attempt to build something similar to a real dish I know I’ve had or tried before. (I swear it’s not nearly as mad scientist as it sounds.) Anyway . . .
I’m going to share with you 3 of my favorite recipes made of ingredients you will most likely have at home (unless you’re one of those people who runs to the grocery store several times a week to have varied, fresh food items on hand at all times. In that case, God bless you, you don’t need my recipes, you can use the regular-people recipes in fancy cookbooks.).
The first recipe, Salsa Chicken and Black Bean Soup, is a recipe I found online about a year ago. It’s a crock-pot recipe that I LOVE. I seriously think it’s better than any soup I’ve ever had in a restaurant. Love, love it. Behold:
–1 pound chicken (I used frozen breast tenderloins)
–2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (you can also use 1 c. dry beans, but you’ll need to soak them overnight, plus increase slow-cooker time to NINE hours on high to get beans all the way soft)
–4 cups chicken broth (You can also use water/bullion)
–1 cup frozen corn
–1 jar prepared salsa (16 oz)
–1 1/2 tsp cumin
–1/2 cup sour cream (to stir in at the end)
–shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, cilantro (all optional)
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, add beans to the crockpot. Put in the chicken, and add the broth and salsa. Pour in the corn and add the cumin. Stir, but don’t disturb the beans—let them stay at the bottom of the pot, closest to the heating element.
Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-5–similar to normal soup-cooking time.
If you’d like to thicken the broth (I did this), scoop out 2 cups of the soup and carefully blend in your blender. Stir the mixture back into the crockpot. You’ll want to shred or cut up the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Stir in the 1/2 cup of sour cream before serving, and garnish with shredded cheese and avocado slices. Also great with tortilla chips or corn chips.
See? Doesn’t that sound delicious? The next two recipes are dishes that I made up with my own ingredients and, if I do say so myself, they turned out quite yummy. I even used them at my meal-exchange group and people did not drop out of the group (a high compliment indeed).
Chicken Pot Pie
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (or any kind of cooked chicken or turkey)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup (Campbells is best)
1 can cream of potato soup
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 9-inch deep dish pie crusts (You can use the frozen or refrigerated kind or (!) make your own.)
In a 9-inch pie pan, fill one crust with the soup mixture, then overlay the other crust on top. Crimp/pinch to seal and trim edges. Cut a few slits on top to let the steam escape. You can also brush a milk/egg mixture on the crust to make it more “golden” when it bakes.
Bake 30-35 minutes until golden, longer if frozen (until heated through). 425 degrees
So there you have it. Now go forth and make dinner. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll put on an apron and snap beans and then dust all my furniture and hang out my laundry to dry.
Diapers and Divinity 
I love when people post their favorite recipes. These all sound delicious!
Thank you for posting this. I am going to make the black bean soup tonight!
The snort at the end was awesome.
YUm! Sounds dee-lish! And I am kinda havign a hard time with dinners lately. Thanks for the ideas!
Sounds good! I love recipes with 5+/- ingredients that can all be found in my pantry or freezer. That’s how I roll…er, cook!!
Ka-CHOW! That Crock-pot chicken salsa number just did a little dance on my salivary glands. Yummo! I think this definitely qualifies you for Housewife/Goddess Divine status. I’m actually, not even kidding, going to try it today!
I love your chicken pot pie. And speaking of recipes, I need to make my contributions to the meal exchange. Don’t let me forget.
Thanks for the recipes. I have found a blog that I am in love with. They have some pretty good recipes on there. It is ourbestbites.com They have an amazing chicken tortilla soup recipe and their philly cheese steak is awesome and quick. I am going to have to try these recipes.
I just made the Meatball Stroganoff for our dinner tonight. It was yummy! I did have to make my own meatballs (1 lb ground beef, 1 egg, a dozen crushed Saltine crackers, salt, pepper, oregano) and I was really surprised that I had evaporated milk and sour cream…but I did have them! Super good. And the hubby says it can become one of our “regulars”. (See, I’m not a big cooker either, so anything I make well, we make often!)
Hooray! Now I know what Martha Stewart feels like. 🙂 *wink*
Believe it or not, that salsa chicken thing is awesome with just chicken and salsa, stir in the sour cream, and serve with cheese on tortillas.
And I would try Mallory’s meatball recipe but I’m sulking because she said over at my place that her PARENTS got married the same year I did. The little stink.
I love that soup recipe. My husband doesn’t. I’ll probably make it soon anyway. hahaha
And I’m SO making chicken pot pie tomorrow, though it will be my own recipe (which doesn’t have milk/cream because the husband and son can’t eat it).
Yummy stuff!
Thanks for the recipes. I love it when people post stuff that works for them in their blogs.
That said, I’m glad someone else loves restaurants as much as I do. I really love going out to eat. Too bad in live in what probably amounts to the anti-restaurant-capital of the world. Bleh.
Mmm…those all look scrumptious!
I actually tried a new recipe last night for the first time in about a year (I am NOT adventurous in the kitchen – or anywhere really), and it was pretty tasty. Time to expand the ole repetoire. My husband thanks you. =D
I have a wonderful recipe for blueberry banana pancakes that is out of this world. I am on a no sugar/no flour diet so this is especially nice. It’s like having dessert for breakfast. Check out my latest blog “Chronicles of Corilee.” I am a technological dinasour but I think it might help to say JoeandCorilee@blogspot.com (?) I’m not even sure about that. It may be the wrong words completely. Can you Google it? Whatever. It really is worth the trouble.
Thanks for the recipes. I always save these, but since I so rarely cook, I only break them out when I really want to impress my “foodie” husband. These all sound delish! I may break one out soon!
I love getting recipes so thanks. With only two of us at home these days, sometimes the meals get a little boring. Always nice to try something new.
BTW, looking forward to your General Conference post. Hopefully this year I can keep up with your General Conference Book Club.
Mmmmm. Really intend to try these. I’m printing them today!
Good on you for being a domestic diva! Big pat on the back. I have invited people over, and my kitchen is a dump site since I have run out of dishwashing liquid! So all the stuff that doesn’t fit in the dishwasher is just sitting there….hoping I will give it some attention. I think part of me invited people to FORCE me to tackle my neglected spots. I am sure I am going to curse myself tomorrow for thinking of such a silly plan!
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Nice stuff! Will be sure to check back again. Love the theme!