Grandma's Easy Chocolate Chip Fudge

OK, I'm not really much of a fudge person since it (1) usually takes too long to make and (2) is too sweet for me, but while visiting my grandma in the U.S. recently, she let me try a bite. It was WONDERFUL! And I couldn't believe it when I saw her super-easy recipe.

If I had access to chocolate chips in Brazil, I'd love to make this for everything: Christmas, birthdays, you name it. I might experiment with bar chocolate and see if that works. Delicious!

GRANDMA'S EASY CHOCOLATE CHIP FUDGE

1 can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz chocolate chips

Microwave on high for 1 or 1 1/2 minutes or until chocolate chips melt when stirred. Stir in:

1/2 cup nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Pour into a buttered 8"-square pan and cool. Cut into squares.

That's it! Could it be any easier?

Chicken Divine

• 1 lb Chicken (can use breasts, tenderloins, canned chicken, dark meat, whatever your preferences are)
• 8 oz Reduced Fat Sour Cream
• 2 cans Cream of Celery soup

The first step in making this dish depends on what kind of chicken you decide to use. My family prefers to use chicken breasts, which we cut into bite-sized pieces and then sauté. However, you can use baked chicken or canned chicken...just make sure that with whatever kind you use that it's fully cooked by the time you combine it with the sauce.

To make the sauce:

Combine the sour cream and the cans of soup in a mixing bowl. After stirring to make sure the sauce is mixed well, transfer to a pot and place on medium heat on the stove.

Once the sauce has heated (make sure it doesn’t start boiling!), add the chicken directly into the pot. Allow chicken and sauce to simmer together on low heat for about 5-7 minutes.

When we have this dish for dinner, we make brown rice to go along with it, putting the chicken and sauce directly on top of the rice.

And be sure and save the leftovers if you have some. I personally think it’s even yummier the next day!

Chocolate-Raspberry Bread Pudding

by Jenny Rogers Spinola

OK, I've never been a fan of bread pudding, but this was really good. And when I discovered I could use ALL THE LEFTOVER BREAD we had in the freezer or fridge, including stale hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and whole-wheat slices, and they came out beautifully delicious, I was hooked.

I made this particular recipe on Valentine's Day--which also happens to be our wedding anniversary. Sigh... :)

And it was fabulous. We scraped the baking dish clean. And of course, Ethan loved helping with every step. So here's how to make it:

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY BREAD PUDDING

4 cups cubed bread (stale is actually best, and anything you find in your fridge works - hotdog or hamburger buns or slices). Just check for mold first!!!
2 eggs
1/2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips* (We used a bar of dark chocolate cut up into tiny squares, since we don't have chocolate chips in Brazil)
several teaspoons raspberry jam




First, make the creamy pudding sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together milk and eggs, then add sugar, vanilla, and salt.


Now tear the bread into bite-sized pieces in a large bowl.


When all the bread is torn, pour over the milk mixture and gently turn with a spoon until bread is completely and evenly penetrated with the milk.

Add chocolate chips, or if using bar chocolate, cut the bar into tiny squares and add to the bowl. Turn several times with the spoon to mix, reserving a few extra chocolate chips for the top.

Turn everything into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with a few extra chocolate chips. Spoon on the raspberry jam in small clumps, turning the bread pudding mixture over slightly with a spoon to let some raspberry jam under the top.


Bake one hour or until the custard has set.



This is good served warm, and it reheats well on low power in the microwave.



Jennifer Rogers Spinola lives in Brasilia, Brazil with her Brazilian husband, Athos, and two-year-old son, Ethan. She teaches ESL private classes and is the author of the "Southern Fried Sushi" series with Barbour Books (first book released in October!) Jenny is an advocate for adoption and loves the outdoors, and has previously served as a missionary to Japan.

Easy Dinner for Busy Moms - Creamy Tortilla Soup

by Melissa Jagears

I had extra turkey leftovers from the holidays. (Who doesn't have leftovers?) After a few sandwiches, I was down to the dregs, maybe a cup of shredded turkey. So, Leftover Tortilla Soup was in order.

Quick Easy Creamy Tortilla Soup (Less than 15 minutes)

1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can tomatoes and chilies (Or a substitute for tomatoes and chilies is 1 cup salsa if you do not have this on hand)
1 can refried beans
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 to 1 cup corn (frozen, fresh, canned, whatever)
1 lb cooked chicken or turkey (or whatever you got left!)
shredded cheese
tortilla chips

Stir tomatoes, salsa, beans, broth and corn in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add meat until heated through. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and crushed tortilla chips to liking.

I ladle serving sizes into freezer bags and freeze for later since this makes too much for my family to eat in one sitting.

Pull out of the freezer, place it in a sink of hot water to soften enough to get it out of the bag and zap it in the microwave.