i {heart} to cook....

Has anyone tasted canned refried beans lately...? NOT ME!! I won't eat them anymore.... I've been making homemade refried beans (frijoles) ... They are so good and so so simple to make...


Frijoles (Refried beans)

Ingredients

• 1 lbs pinto beans
• 6 ups of water
• 1 tsp minced garlic(I used bottled)
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Place beans and water in crockpot and cook on high for approx 4 hours. When beans begin to soften add garlic and onion. Cook approx another 4 hours. Use potato masher and mash the beans to the consistency you like... if the beans are too runny dissolve 1-2 tbs of cornstarch with 1/4 cups of water and add to beans and they should thicken up... add salt and pepper to taste.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken*

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salsa
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 3-4 regular size chicken breasts
• 1 cup minute rice

Spray crockpot with cooking oil. Mix salsa and cream of chicken soup together. Layer small amount on bottom of crockpot. Lay chicken breasts in crockpot and layer rest of soup/salsa mixture on top. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours.

During last ten minutes: Take chicken out and shred it. Add 1 cups minute rice to salsa and soup mixture in crockpot. Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes until done. Add shredded chicken.
Put onto of flour tortilla shells with sour cream, cheese, and homemade frijoles!! YUM!!
* Credit goes to the blog recipes between friends..

The BEST dang banana cake with cream cheese frosting!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/8 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Garnish

• Chopped Walnuts
  

Directions
Preheat oven to 275°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.

For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth. Spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.