Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a freezer meal! It is so easy and delicious! My friend Becky called me awhile ago to ask for this recipe, I just got the voice mail today, so, sorry Becky it took so long.
I don't have a picture yet I will post it later.
Make up 3- 4 lbs of cubed chicken breast. I just cut into chunks with my kitchen shears and fry the chicken up in a little oil with salt, onion powder, and garlic powder.

To prepare and freeze

3 divided portions cooked cubed chicken
9 cups tortilla chips (crushed)
6 cups frozen corn kernels or 3 cans of corn
largest pk. Velveeta cheese spread (cut in thirds and cubed dividing into three portions)
3 cans diced tomatoes
dash of cyane pepper (optional)

In three, gallon sized, ziplock freezer bags add all ingredients, one can or portion each. (even the tortillas!) put in freezer! It's so easy!

To finish and serve

pull out out bag from freezer, put contents of bag in large pot on med high heat. (you can thaw bag if you like first.) Add two cans (14 oz each) of chicken broth. Heat until hot and thick.

Garnish with crushed tortilla chips, sour cream, olives, tomatoes......anything you want!

*This is a Pampered Chef recipe
Jo's tips:
If you don't want to freeze this you can just make one batch up by just adding ingredients to the pot and continuing on to finish and serve. I just like making this as a freezer meal because you can buy the cheese in bulk at wall mart for a cheaper price.
You can also add cheddar cheese instead of Velveeta, It is still yummy.
I forgot to put the chicken in once and it was good that way as well.

Mandrine Chicken

I love oriental food! I am the type of person who will go to a restaurant and if I find something I really like I will try to recreate it at home, because let's face it eating out is expensive! This recipe is inspired by a chicken donburi dish at a very expensive Japanese restaurant I use to go to.

Turn on your oven to 350*

For the chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 2" cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. butter or oil

1. combine flour and garlic powder and put in a bowl.
2. add chicken to coat with the flour.
3. put the chicken on a cookie sheet in a single layer
4. drizzel melted butter or oil on the chicken
5. Put in the oven and bake for 30 minutes

For the sauce

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp vegie oil

1/4 cup water

4 tsp corn syrup

1. combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
2.bring to a boil
3. let it simmer on medium for 10 minutes


serve with rice and your favorite vegetables

Jo's tips
You can also make this meal with grilled chicken.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I have been making my own laundry soap for almost a year now and it saves me so much money. I love not having to put laundry soap on my shopping list every month. You can also put all the ingredients in your food storage so you will not have to worry about it if times get hard.

For those of you who are scared of trying it for yourself let me show you how easy it can be!

1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda
1 cup borax powder
1/3 bar of zote soap

In a large bowl grate 1/3 bar zote soap with a cheese grater. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir it all together. Put the mixture into a food processor to grind the zote soap and mix it all together. Put it in a storage container and you are done!
Add one Tablespoon of laundry soap to the wash!

Jo's tips:
You can get the baking soda and the borax powder at Wall mart for really good price. They might also have the zote soap there as well. I get the washing soda at Reams because Wall mart does not carry it and Reams sells a big box. I haven't seen as big of a box anywhere else. I found the zote soap at Reams as well.
There are also liquid soaps you can make, but I find the powder a lot easier and it works just as well.

Sticky Chicken

Last night I had dinner at my sisters house, she made a dish she saw on Good Morning Utah or America something like that, but it was sooooo good. It was called Sticky Chicken.

-One cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
-one cup apricot jam, or jelly
-one packet of onion soup mix
mix all together and set aside
in a frying pan fry up boneless chicken breast or thighs until done. Add sauce mixture, simmer on med for 5 min. serve with rice.

Johanna's tip's
This sauce was so good! We had it with sticky rice, and just dipped the rice in the sauce.
You could also cook a pork roast in the crock pot and pour the sauce on top for a great pulled pork! If you are single and want to impress a boy just make this it if fool proof! I hope you enjoy.