Hopefully you caught my recent post with some amazing recipes from Cinco de Mayo, available here. I accidentally omitted the queso recipe that my good friend Charity is asked to bring to Every. Single. Gathering. Yes, it’s that good!!!!
~Connie Kaye
Taking a quick moment to share some super easy Mexican food faves from my friends….tried and true, and all recommended! Don’t forget to sign up for these delish recipes delivered straight to your inbox. Thanks for stopping by!
~Connie Kaye
*Remove from heat, but keep lid on. Let stand with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove lid and add in lime juice, zest, and chopped cilantro. Fluff with a fork and serve warm.
Optional: fresh or canned chopped jalapenos 1/4 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice 1 tsp. lime zest 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro Chopped onion to taste
*Remove from heat, but keep lid on. Let stand with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove lid and add in lime juice, zest, and chopped cilantro. Fluff with a fork and serve warm.
I made these recently for a Taco Tuesday party, and cannot tell you how delish, and easy they are. I have not really experimented with carnitas, but will definitely do it again. And, super affordable! I found this recipe on the Food Network, thanks to Melissa D’Arabian and then did a little “Connie editing” as I always do.
I encourage you to yank out that slow cooker, cuz it’s certainly too hot in Kansas for anything other than the grill. Give this a whirl, and leave comments below if you create your own version of happiness. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that you can get these ideas, ramblings and recipes delivered to YOUR inbox!
~Connie Kaye
Rinse and dry the pork shoulder. Salt and pepper liberally. Mix the oregano and the cumin with olive oil and rub all over pork. Place the pork in a slow cooker and top with the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Squeeze over the juice of the orange and add the two halves. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Once the meat is tender, remove from slow cooker and let cool slightly before pulling apart with a fork. In a large saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Press the carnitas into the oil and fry until crusty on one side.
How many of you plan to cook a ham for Easter? Ooohh, I can see your hands in the air! The dilemma is solved, my friends, with what to do with that dang ham bone, in this post. Bottom line, do not throw it away — that Easter ham is the gift that keeps on giving!
I cooked a ham after Christmas, and froze the bone. Since we have had all four seasons in one week, today being foggy, chilly, and rainy, I thought ham and beans might just fit the ticket, plus it can cook away all day in the slow cooker. If you have read other posts of mine, you might have seen that I’m a fan of Southern Living magazine. I’m a midwest girl, but that magazine will give you some of the best recipes and ideas ever!
I grabbed this recipe out of the drawer, and voila, Spring Ham and Bean Soup was ready when we arrived home. I prepped everything the night before and threw it all in before heading out the door. The recipe actually calls for a 6 hour jaunt on high in the slow cooker, but since I was gone all day, I cooked it on low for about 11 hours. PERFECT!!!! You can find the recipe here but I’m adding it below for your convenience.
So, if you are one of the lucky ones eating Easter ham, save the bone and take advantage of an easy peasy meal! Happy Easter, and thanks for stopping by!
~Connie Kaye
Stir together chicken stock, Great Northern beans, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, celery, carrots, and onion in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place ham bone in the center of mixture; cover and cook on HIGH until beans are tender, about 6 hours, or low until you get home from work. Remove ham bone; let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone; discard fat, gristle, and bone. Shred meat, and stir into soup.
Not that we all need more chocolate this time of year, but hey, it’s the holidays, and we all need some good go-to’s for family, friends, work, etc.
So here’s another drug recipe — well, not really. A co-worker makes this and swears by it. Super easy and no way you can mess it up.
Happy holidays, and thanks for stopping by!
~Connie Kaye
1-16 oz jar unsalted peanuts
1-16 oz. jar salted peanuts
1-12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-12 oz. bag milk chocolate chips
2-10 oz. bags peanut butter chips
2 – lb. pkg white almond bark or vanilla candy coating
layer all ingredients in a large crockpot, starting with peanuts. (at this point I hope you are using a crockpot liner). Turn the pot on low, cover with lid, and leave sitting for 2 hours. Remove lid and stir to combine. Replace lid and leave sitting for another 30 minutes. Stir again then spoon mixture onto wax paper or non-stick aluminum foil. Allow to harden for at least one hour.
There’s a place at the lake that serves delicious spiced carrots, so when I saw this recipe, I went for it. And, it didn’t disappoint. Meet my delicious side dish, although I could just chomp them all down and call it good:
Oops, they look like little smokies, but are Orange Spiced Carrots!
I started with one pound of baby carrots and halved the recipe. Add orange juice, brown sugar, butter and spices, and you won’t look back. And, a great way to get the kids to eat veggies, and would be a good holiday dish. Lastly, I made them in the crockpot so that made it even easier. Hope you enjoy as much as we did, and thanks for stopping by my site! Happy Spooky Halloween!
~Connie Kaye
2 lbs. medium carrots or baby carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
In 3 qt slow cooker, combine the first 7 ingredients. Cook on low, 4-5 hours, covered or until carrots are tender.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into carrots until sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with chopped pecans for a nice addition.
I first ate this delicious chicken after a long day on the lake…..Stacey had it simmering low and slow on the dock and it was oh so good once we returned from swimming in the cove. Don’t let the pepperoncinis scare you away….use the chopped ones, and they aren’t spicy at all. With the italian salad dressing mix and the seasoning, it all comes out delish. As with my bbq pork steak recipe, you can eat solo or throw on some buns, and it will be a crowd pleaser. And it’s very economical (cheap)!
This pic shows some peppers, but typically they shred even more while cooking, they aren’t hot, and this is a delicious meal to come home to. We love it on individual cocktail rolls. Thanks for taking a break and hangin with me!
~Connie Kaye
1 bag frozen skinless chicken breasts
1 jar chopped pepperoncinis
1 package italian salad dressing mix
Garlic herb seasoning salt
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook low and slow for 6-8 hours, depending on amount of chicken. Shred for sandwiches.
I continually get requests for meals that you can throw it in and when you arrive back home, voila! It’s ready! This is a super easy recipe that I believe maybe my hubster and his friend, Nick, invented. Might have had a couple of other lake friends in the mix, but they are the chefs of the crowd.
Buy the CHEAP pork steaks — not pork chops. Throw on a little seasoning, BBQ sauce, and layer away. Low and slow and oh man, yummo! You can add veggies and eat solo, or put on a little roll and they’ll be gone pronto!
Keep your eye open for an easy Italian Chicken recipe coming soon! Another crockpot favorite. Happy Friday!
~Connie Kaye
Pork Steak (not pork chops or pork cutlets)
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Your favorite all purpose or BBQ seasoning
Place a liner in your slow cooker. Start with a pork steak on a little bbq sauce on the bottom liner to keep if from sticking. Season, couple of blobs of BBQ sauce, and repeat layers. Cook on low 6-8 hours depending on the amount of pork you are cooking. Delish!
When my kids were growing up, I wasn’t able to be very creative in the kitchen because 1. Too busy outside keeping up with the animals and helping my kids in the arena, and teaching full time, and 2. They weren’t into creative Connie cooking. However, I’m so tickled that as my daughter has grown up, she now has my love of cooking and is creating some delicious meals. Together with my husband, they encouraged me into the creation of Connie Kaye’s Kitchen. (I would share son Brice’s stew, but have NO idea how he made it.) At her Ohio wedding reception:
Brandi shared this recipe with me last fall, and it’s really delicious. I’m really not sure that I call it soup, but even though it’s summer, it’s delicious and you can throw it in the crockpot and have a meal ready when you get home. Or, in my case, a meal ready back at the dock. I encourage you to be creative and adjust to your crowds liking.
I hope you enjoy her recipe, and you can visit her blog here.
~Connie Kaye
1 lb ground beef (I have used 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork and it’s really good too)
1 onion chopped (I use a medium sized onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar (I have a sweet tooth so I double it)
1- 32 oz box of chicken broth
2 can (14.5) diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
2 c. broken lasagna noodles
1 5 oz package grated parmesan
2 c. shredded mozz cheese
In large heavy bottom pot, combine beef, onion , garlic and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until beef is browned. Stirring occasionally. Drain well.
Stir in thyme, sugar, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and salt. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce & simmer for 20 minutes. Add noodles and stir until tender. Stir in parmesan cheese.
Put soup in ovenproof bowls and sprinkle with mozzarella. Broil until cheese is melted to desirable level.
Twenty-four years ago today I was blessed with this wonderful little blonde person who came into my life. If you haven’t already figured this out, I love love love my family! Mike, Brandi and her husband Hyatt, Brice and Kristy — they are all the total bomb and my world revolves around them. They are IT. So, I’m going to share a favorite food of Mr. Birthday Boy Brice today, and also some pics and memories of the journey. This guy:
He lives in Oklahoma now, for the most part, but on his rodeo and roping journeys, and holidays, comes home to give Mom a hug(s). He probably hasn’t gotten off a horse to read my blog yet, but maybe this will entice him. Whenever the munchkins are coming home, I always ask for requests for food. Next month I’ll feature another favorite of not only Brice, but his sister Brandi, whose birthday is in April. Everyone at my house loves vegetable beef (hamburger) soup and it freezes so well, that throughout college, I sent it home in small containers to be heated up at a later date.
The whole rodeo thing kinda began like this:
and progressed to this:
Go Round and Fast Time winner at the NHSRA Finals
Many, many great memories with my kids on the rodeo trail. Cooking in a horse trailer is somewhat similar to cooking on a boat I’ve found. Simple, easy dishes are the best. This recipe is one that could go from the freezer to any means that you have to heat it up: microwave, stove, campfire.
So here’s the recipe. I’ve actually never written this down and measured anything, so bear with me. You will notice that I use frozen veggies – I personally don’t like green beans in my soup, and if Mom isn’t a fan, it’s probably not showing up in my recipes. However, I do fresh carrots if I have them on hand. You can pick what fits your cooking style and time frame best. My friend Kristi used to throw in cauliflower and some other stuff, and man was it amazing. Remember how your version is never as good as your Mom’s, well, same case with Kristi’s soup – I cannot really replicate her version. So, enjoy some soup, and hug your kids today. They grow up WAY too quickly, and then don’t fit on your lap anymore. ~Connie
Brown ground beef well, breaking apart. Drain drippings and discard. In large soup pot, saute onions and garlic in butter until onions are tender. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients, stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce temperature. Simmer until veggies are tender. You may need to adjust liquids (beef broth). Remove bay leaf before consuming, or watch someone find it. Your choice..
Cooking up good food and welcoming you into my kitchen
Connie Kaye's Kitchen 