Mexican Lasagna

I got this from Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals and adapted it to my own liking.

What you need:

• 2 pounds ground turkey (or chicken or beef, whichever you prefer. We've found that the turkey tastes best!)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 red onion, chopped (I hate onions, so I don't use these, but the recipe called for it)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 taco seasoning packet
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels (or 1 can drained corn)
• 8-12 Tortillas (I use corn, but flour would be fine)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
• 2 scallions, finely chopped (optional for the top, I always forget!)

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat and season with chili powder and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

Chocolate chip cookies

These are Nestle Toll House cookies! I made them for a recent Bible study and they were really good!

What you need:

2-1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz package)

1 cup nuts (optional)

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 375

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

Banana Bread (Muffins)

After trying twice to make banana bread with NO success (the outside was burnt to a crisp, and the inside was still runny! GROSS!!), my mom-in-law suggested making muffins instead. Total success. I had to play with the times and I have a gas stove, so if yours is electric you will have to figure out your own time. I just use the Betty Crocker recipe

What you need:

1-1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter (softened)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (the recipe called for buttermilk, but I never have any so I always use regular milk)

1-1/2 cups ripened bananas (3-4 whole bananas)

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional, and I don't use them)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat until creamy. Stir in the eggs.  Add bananas, milk, and vanilla, beating until smooth.  Add in flour, baking soda, and salt (I normally stir the baking soda and salt into the first cup of flour so you don't get a salty spot in your muffins!) Beat until smooth. Stir in the nuts. 

Line muffin tin with muffin cups. The muffins don't rise a ton so you can fill them close to the top.

Cook 25 minutes (it took me a while to get the timing perfect. I normally pull them out when they are lightly browned on the top and take them out of the muffin tins so they don't keep baking.

My husband and I LOVE to have these as a nice change to the daily granola bar breakfast. And it totally makes me feel like a good wifey since I can bake breakfast muffins!!