Blackberry Cobbler

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
1 Tablespoon butter

Biscuit Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup milk

In a large saucepan, combine the blackberries, sugar and cinnamon. Cook and stir until smooth; stir until until mixture come to a boil. Combine the cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into fruit mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour into a buttered cast iron skillet. Dot with butter.
For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk just until moistened. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto hot berry mixture.
Bake uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until filing is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

Beef Carnitas

This is one of my most favorite meals, and it is so easy! When we order our meat they always look at me funny when I tell them I don't want very many roasts just make them in to stew meat.
2 lbs. lean beef stew meat
1 cup mild salsa
2 Tablespoons chopped chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can beef broth

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Serve on warm flour tortillas with avocados, salsa, cheese and sour cream.
I make Mrs Vigil's tortillas with these. (in the bread section)
2 lbs of stew meat will feed my little family with just a little left over so you might want to do it with 3lbs or more if you have a bigger family. You can get the chipotle chili peppers and just get a few out then you can freeze the rest for another time.

Cheesy Potato Soup

This is one that Gina put in the cookbook. I use it all the time! It makes such a huge pot of soup. I use it all the time when I take a meal to someone, they can eat it and have plenty of leftovers and freeze some too. When I make it I usually freeze half of it.
5-6 potatoes (chopped)
2 small carrots (grated)
1 celery stock (chopped in small pieces)
1 onion (chopped)
3 cans chicken broth
1 cup flour
1 cup butter
1 box Velveeta (the 16oz size)
4-5 cans evap. milk

Cook vegetables in chicken broth until tender. In separate pan melt butter and slowly stir in flour. Add cans of milk and Velveeta and stir constantly until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Add cheese mixture to vegetables and broth.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gina put these in the cook book as one of her and Coy's favorite cookies. She made them for the celebration and they were so good. Mine didn't turn out as good as her's but still delicious.
1 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
6 Tablespoons milk
1 pkg choc. chips

Preheat oven to 375. Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, then beat. Add flour, salt, soda. Stir together. Add milk and choc. chips then stir. Bake 8-10 minutes. Press down tops after they come out of the oven, cool a bit, and then put them in Tupperware to store.

When I made them I had to bake them for only 6 minutes. Gina's were big and fluffy, mine fell and were flat. I have never claimed to be a good cookie maker and my oven is not the greatest so I am sure that is why they don't look as good as Gina's do.

Peach Muffins

I got this from my friend Jana's blog, doublethedeliciousness.blogspot.com. They are so good, you can also use strawberries instead of peaches.
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peach yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peaches, well drained and chopped (or use some fresh peaches)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine eggs, yogurt, butter, vanilla. Add the dry ingredients. Add the almond extract to the peaches then fold in to muffin mix. Fill muffin tin almost to the top. These muffins don't rise much. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, cool in pan for 10 minutes.

You can put slivered almonds on top of each muffin before you bake them if you like. These are good warm but they are just as good the next day.