Fantastic Fajita Seasoning

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I've been in search of the perfect homemade fajita seasoning.  I finally decided to just create my own and I LOVE it!  Here's the recipe:

3 Tbs. Cornstarch
2 Tbs. Chili powder
1 Tbs. Paprika
1 Tbs. Sugar
1/2 Tbs. Salt
2 tsp. Chicken bouillon, crushed
1 1/2 tsp. Onion powder
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp.  Ancho Chili Powder

This recipe makes the equivalent of 3 seasoning packets.  I like to add a bit of lime juice when cooking the fajitas.  If you don't have ancho chili powder, you can just add a bit extra chili powder.  If you want to cut back on the heat a bit, you can do less red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

This is what your seasoning will look like:

Try it out and let me know what you think!

More Copycat Jamba Juice Recipes

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A friend of mine sent me this link.  It has a ton of different recipes for copycat Jamba Juice smoothies.  You better believe I'll be tryin' them out!  I'll let you know what I think and if you try them you tell me what you think.  Deal?  Deal!

Copycat Caribbean Passion Jamba Juice

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So I found the recipe for a copycat Caribbean Passion Jamba Juice a while ago and today I've been craving it like no other.  Since I wasn't able to make it for myself, I thought I'd share the recipe with you so maybe you could taste the goodness :)

1 Cup Passion fruit mango juice blend

1 Cup Frozen strawberries

1/2 Cup Frozen peaches

1/2 Cup Orange sherbet

1/2 Cup ice

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until it's "smoothie" consistency.

SO easy right?  I will admit, I couldn't find the right fruit juice so I ended up using Dole's Orange Peach Mango juice and it was simply delicious!  I had to add a little more juice to get it to the right consistency.  You should definitely try this recipe out!

**A friend of mine gave me some tips about Jamba Juice Recipes**
- He said that the base that Jamba Juice uses is super sweet, so if you want your smoothie to be more powerful, rather than adding normal juice, buy the concentrate for the juice and add less water than it calls for.  Then your base will be super sweet too.

- He also said the normal formula for Jamba Juice recipes is:
12 oz. juice
2 scoops sorbet/sherbet/whatever
3 scoops fruit
1 small scoop ice

Garden Bounty Tortilla Soup

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This soup is good for you and it's delicious.  Plus, it's a great way to get your kids, spouse or anyone for that matter to eat their veggies.  I am a picky eater and really don't like a lot of veggies, but I love this soup!  The only downside is that it requires a lot of chopping, but it makes a TON.  I actually freeze half of the recipe.

Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth (you can use chicken bouillon cubes - 1 cube to 2 cups of water)
1 red onion, diced
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large carrots, pealed and diced
2-4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup tomato paste (more if desired, to taste)
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole pepper of the canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce (I use the La Costena brand)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 small to medium zucchini, diced
1 yellow summer squash, diced
1 Red bell pepper, chopped
1 Green bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lime juice
2 Tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
Fresh, frozen or canned corn - optional

In large stockpot over high heat, combine chicken broth, chicken, onion, carrots, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, garlic, chipotle pepper, jalapeno, oregano and cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  When the chicken is cooked, remove from pot and shred it.  Add salt and white pepper.  Add zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers and corn if desired.  Bring to a boil again.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.  Add cilantro, lime and orange juice.  Stir well and remove from heat. (When I reheat the extras the next day, sometimes their isn't as much juice so I just add a bit more chicken broth)

Garnish: Tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocados, jalepeno rings, lime wedges.  (I usually just do chips, cheese, cilantro and a bit of lime juice).

**When I freeze it, I leave out the potatoes (since they really don't freeze well) and the chicken.  Then I just add them when I cook the soup.  When you're ready to eat your frozen soup, thaw it and then you can either cook it in a crockpot on low for 4-6 hours or you can cook in on the stove and boil it for about 30-40 minutes.

Makes approx. 3 quarts

Chocolate Chip Pancakes With Buttermilk Syrup

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Okay, this is seriously so yummy!  It's basically the epitome of dessert for breakfast because the pancakes taste like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.  Mmm!

I don't have a special pancake recipe.....I just use Bisquick mix, but trust me, they are divine!  In order to make your chocolate chip pancakes simply whip up some Bisquick pancake batter and the pour it onto your greased griddle or pan to start making pancakes like normal.  Then grab some milk chocolate chips and sprinkle them on top of your batter (shown below).  You can flip the pancakes just like normal too....easy peasy!

The buttermilk syrup is so good.  I honestly don't know if I can go back to normal maple syrup.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Put the butter, sugar and buttermilk in a large sauce pan (you want it to be large because this syrup foams and you don't want it to overflow).  Bring those ingredients to a boil.  Continue stirrings and let it boil for several minutes (around 4 or so).  Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.  This is where it's going to foam up.  Keep stirring.  The foaminess will go away as the syrup cools down and as you keep stirring it.  Then pour it over your pancakes, french toast, waffles or just drink it up haha.

If you have left overs, you can just refrigerate it and then heat it back up in the microwave.  I'm not entirely sure how long it lasts....ours is always finished off within a week - so I know it at least lasts a week :)

Ooey Gooey Mexican Chicken

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This recipe is SO so so yummy and super easy to make too!  My husband and I both love it.  My daughter also likes it - except for the beans.  The best thing about this recipe is it's basically all from cans that you probably have in your pantry - so you just dump it all in the crockpot and you have a fabulous dinner without much effort at all!

Ingredients

3-4 frozen chicken breasts

1 Can cream of chicken soup

1 Can cream of mushroom soup

1 Cup salsa

1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 Tbs. cumin

1 4 oz. can diced chiles, undrained

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2  Cups monterey jack cheese

Directions

Add all of the ingredients, except for the cheese to your crockpot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  Shred chicken and return it to the crockpot.  Add cheese and stir.  Cook long enough for the cheese to get all melted and then serve.  

You can eat it like a soup with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips as your topping, or you could eat it like a burrito.  I've never had as a burrito simply because I love it as a soup too much.  This recipe makes quite a bit.  It would be enough for a family of 6 at least.  I've thought that adding a can of corn would be yummy too.  Unfortunately my husband doesn't like corn in stuff, so if you try it out, let me know what you think!  Enjoy!

Turkey Wrap With a Kick

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This is what I've been having for lunch lately.  I calculated it out and it's 410 calories, and you could make it less if you really wanted to, but I thought 410 was pretty good :)

Ingredients

                                                             - Jalepeno Cheddar Wrap
                                                             - 1 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
                                                             - 1 Tbs. Light Ranch Dressing
                                                             - 1 Slice Pepper Jack Cheese
                                                             - Turkey - sliced deli meat
                                                             - Spinach

Directions

Combine softened cream cheese and ranch dressing.  Spread over your wrap (this is where you could get rid of a few extra calories if you wanted, but I'm a sauce/dip lover and need something on there so the wrap isn't too dry. Take your one slice of pepper jack cheese and break the square in half.  Place the two halves down the middle of your wrap.  Now do a layer of turkey and top it off with your spinach.  Roll up your wrap and you're good to go!

Break down of the calories - for you healthy people :)

                                                             - Wrap: 210 Calories
                                                             - Cream Cheese: 30 Calories
                                                             - Ranch: 40 Calories
                                                             - Pepper Jack Cheese: 90 Calories
                                                             - Turkey: 30 Calories (for about an ounce of meat)
                                                             - Spinach: 10-15 Calories - depends on amount used

Pasta Bake

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Pasta bake is one of our family's favorites and honestly I get requests for the recipe all the time.  The great thing about this meal is that it's easy, doesn't require a lot of extra work if you are making a larger portion AND you can use it as a freezer meal if you want!  Often times, I'll double the recipe and make one for dinner and then freeze the other.

 Recipe 

(If you're using a 9x13 pan double the recipe)

Ingredients
- 8 Oz Penne pasta noodles, cooked al dente and strained
- 1/2 lb ground beef, cooked (I season with dried minced onions and seasoning salt)
- 1 Jar pasta sauce
- 8 Slices provolone cheese
- 1/3 Cup sour cream
- 1/3 Cup grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese

 First, line your baking dish with foil.  It makes for REALLY easy clean up!

Put a thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the foil to keep the noodles from sticking. 

 Put half of your cooked noodles in the pan.

 Then layer half of your ground beef.

 Cover with half of your sauce.

Use 4 slices of your provolone cheese to make a nice yummy layer.

 Then spread your sour cream over the top.

Now here I don't stick to the same order, but that's only because I like the noodles to be on top so it's a more smooth layer, but you could do it either way.  SO I put the rest of the ground in the dish. 

Then the rest of the noodles. 

The rest of your sauce. 

 4 more slices of provolone cheese.

 And then top it with your grated mozzarella or parmesan cheese

 Bake at 350 for 45 min, or until your cheese is nice and bubbly and browning a bit.  

So easy and so good!  If you are wanting to make it a freezer meal, instead of baking it, place it in the freezer.  Then when you want to use it, either defrost is in your fridge overnight and still bake it at 350 for 45 minutes, OR if it's still frozen, bake it at 350 for 1 1/2 hours, but cover it with foil until the last 30-45 minutes, then remove the foil.  That way your cheese doesn't get too browned.  Enjoy!