A Gift from the Kitchen

For the last several years, I've created homemade gifts from the kitchen for Christmas.  This year, my idea came from a friend who makes the most wonderful ranch snack mix.  So, I borrowed her recipe, found some cute jars, cut some Christmas fabric, and made some cute gift jars. 

Recipe for Ranch Snack Mix

1/2 box White Cheddar Cheez-Its
1/2 box oyster crackers
1 bag Goldfish crackers
1/3 bag pretzel sticks (broken in half)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

In a large bowl, mix crackers and pretzels.  In another bowl, mix oil and seasonings.  Pour oil mixture over crackers and mix to coat.  Pour into a baking pan and bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool before packaging. 

I made 4 recipes of the mix.  This filled twelve 12 ounce jars and sixteen 16 ounce jars.  You can use any combination of crackers you like!

Santa Fe Chicken: A New Crockpot Recipe

Ingredients:
1 can black beans, drained
1 can fiesta corn
1 jar salsa
1 cup rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. cream cheese
tortillas

Directions:
Combine beans, corn, 1/2 the jar of salsa, rice, and broth in a crock pot (I used a 4 qt.).  Lay chicken breasts on top of mixture and pour the rest of the salsa on the chicken.  Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.  Take chicken out (making sure it is cooked completely) and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Return the chicken to the crockpot and mix thoroughly.  Put the block of cream cheese on top and cook on low for 1 more hour.  Mix in melted cream cheese and serve on warm tortillas!