Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 small carrot (or 4 baby carrots), finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 - 1, depending, onion, minced
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 - 8 oz)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparations:

1. In a large saucepan, bring potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, vegetable broth and salt to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, roughly 15 to 20 minutes. 
2. Mash mixture coarsely. Stir in milk. Return to a simmer.
3. In a small mixing bowl, blend butter, flour, parsley, and pepper; stir into potato mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
4. Add cheeses. Reduce heat to low and let barely simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serves: 6
Prep Time: 45 minutes

Tamale Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 polenta roll 
• 1 lb of fake meat crumbles
• 1 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend 
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup salsa 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp chili powder 
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup water

Preparations:

1. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Slice the polenta into 1/4th inch slices. Cover bottom of skillet with overlapping slices.
3. In a different skillet over medium heat, combine the crumbles, corn, spices, and water and heat until it's thoroughly hot. 
4. Stir in salsa. 
5. Pour mixture on top of polenta. Top with cheese.
6. Cover with tin foil and bake for 15 minutes then remove and bake for an additional 15 minutes uncovered. 

Peanut Butter and Nutella Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 8oz package Pillsbury Crescent rolls (8 rolls) 
• [Great for leftover cans of rolls from the holidays]
• 8 Tbsp nutella
• 8 Tbsp peanut butter

Preparations:

1. Lay out your crescent rolls on a non-stick cookie sheet. 
2. Spread 1 Tbsp of peanut butter over one side of each flat roll. 
3. Then, dollop 1 Tbsp of nutella at the wide end of the roll. 
4. Roll up your crescents and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
5. Optional: top with extra nutella and/or powder sugar.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:  

• 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained (juice reserved)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 3/4 cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup apple vinegar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Preparations:

1. In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, vinegar, reserved pineapple juice, ginger, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling. 
2. Turn off heat. Combine 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a separate bowl. Slowly stir into saucepan. Continue stirring until mixture thickens. 

Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Preparations:

1. Add them to a pot, and fill with water until they are covered by about an inch. Season with salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook until they are fork tender, about 12 minutes.
2. Drain the water, leaving a bit at the bottom of the pot. Mash them using a potato masher or a fork.
3. Stir in brown sugar and butter. 

Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 8

Rice and Chile Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 tbsp butter 
• Half a large onion, cut into 1 x 0.25 in pieces 
• 3 small chiles or 1 large chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced. 
• 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes, drained  
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, thawed from frozen or canned and drained  
• 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste  
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup queso fresco (or half of grocery store wheel), can substitute with farmers, basket or ricotta cheese  
• 1 1/2 cup shredded 2% Mexican cheese

Preparations:

1. Place the butter in a saute pan set over medium heat.  Once it melts, add the slivered onion and allow it to sweat for about 12 minutes, until translucent and soft.  
2. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chile strips, corn, salt, and black pepper and cook for about 3 more minutes.  
3. Add the cream and queso fresco and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until the sauce thickens a bit and seasons, for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Greased a 8 x11 or 9 x 9 baking dish.  Layer the rice in the baking dish and press it down gently with a spatula.  Pour the chile mixture on top.  For the last layer, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.
5. Bake the casserole in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and is golden brown.

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

• 9 inch pie crust (in the frozen food section) 
• 6 large or 7 medium apples
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, roughly
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 2 tbsp flour 
• .5 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 cup flour 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar 
• 3 tbsp butter, cold

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Peel and slice apples. Chunk a couple of them. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. As chopping the apples, I sprinkle each apple with lemon juice to keep it from browning.
3. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, corn starch, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
4. To make the crumb top, mix together 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut butter into small pieces. Cut in butter into flour mixture until it's crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover top loosely with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

• 10 medium Granny Smith apples
• 3/4 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp honey 
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar 
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

Preparations:

1. Peel the apples by cutting off the tops and bottoms of the apples, peeling each one with a vegetable peeler, and then cutting the apple away from the core.
2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and give it a quick stir. 
3. Set the slow cooker to 4 hours on high, stirring occasionally. 

S'mores Pops

Ingredients:

• 1 bag large marshmallows
• 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 6 to 9 cinnamon sugar graham crackers
• lollipop sticks (available in cake decorating section of craft stores)

Preparations:

1. Stick the lollipop sticks until they are securely in the middle of the marshmallows. 
2. Place the graham crackers in a strong ziplock bag, and use a rolling pin to crush them until they are crumbs. Don't crush them until they are powder. Then, pour in a small bowl.
3. Heat the chocolate chips in the microwave, in 15 second intervals, until they are melted.
4. While holding the stick, carefully dip a marshmallow in the chocolate mixture until completely covered.  
5. Gently roll the sides and top of the marshmallow in the graham cracker crumbs until they are well-coated.  
6. Place on a plate or on wax paper to let cool and dry.

Muddy Buddies

Ingredients:

• 9 cups rice Chex
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preparations:

1. Place cereal into a very large bowl, probably the largest one you own. 
2. In a microwavable bowl add chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until all is smooth and melted. Stir in vanilla. 
3. Pour over cereal and toss to coat completely. Very carefully add in powdered sugar and toss to coat completely. 
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Renaissance Fair Almonds

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups raw almonds (or a 16 oz bag)
• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup water

Preparations:

1. In a large skillet combine the sugar, cinnamon and water. Heat until all the sugar is dissolved. The easiest way to tell is when it stops changing color when you stir up the bottom.
2. Add the almonds and stir constantly with a spoon over medium heat, coating the almonds with the syrupy mixture. Keep stirring until the sugar crystallizes and no water remains.  Once the sugar starts to crystallize, all the water will boil off very quickly.
3. Remove the pan from heat and scoop the almonds onto wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Let the cinnamon almonds cool in the fridge before serving. These can be made a few days ahead.

Deep Dish Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 2 tubes of pre-made cookie dough
• 8 small ramekins, about 4" in diameter
• Vanilla ice cream

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Fill ramekins 3/4″ deep with raw, room temperature cookie dough, roughly 1/4 of a tube. This can be done well in advance and stored in the fridge until time to bake.
3. Set ramekins on baking sheet and bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the top is just slightly golden brown
4. Place ramekins on individual plates because they'll be hot and top with vanilla ice cream. One cookie is more than enough for one serving.

Baked, Fancy Mac And Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mini tube pasta, like rigatoni, penne, or macaroni
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese (optional, or could use ricotta)
• 8 oz grated swiss cheese (or 1 shredded bag)
• 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Boil water and prepare pasta according to directions, cooking for 3-4 minutes less than called-for time.
2. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat (the very large one). Once hot, add in olive oil and butter, then throw in shallots. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. 
3. Add flour to the skillet and whisk constantly to create a roux. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. 
4. Pour in milk, stirring continuously for another 1-2 minutes. Add all of the grated cheeses, and mascarpone if using. Stir continuously until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat.
5. Sprinkle the top of the mixture with breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

 

Party Flavored Ice

Raspberry Ice Cubes (Perfect for making Lemonade into Raspberry Lemonade)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 pint raspberries

Preparations:

1. Add one cup of water and half cup of sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Once boiling, add the raspberries and let cook for about five minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and use a fork to gently mash the raspberries. You want some of them to stay mostly intact and others to let out their delicious red juices. 
4. Let cool for about 20 minutes, and then pour the raspberries and syrup juice into ice cube trays. Allow four to six hours for complete freezing. 

Lemon Ice Cubes (Great for making even a plain glass of water instantly fancy)

Ingredients:

• 1 lemon
• Concentrated lemon juice
• Water

Preparations:

1. Slice the lemon in half.
2. Take each half and slice six thin circles of lemon, making sure that each one has some pulp. This means that the few couple circles will need to be almost as thin as possible.
3. Put a lemon circle in each well of a cupcake pan. Add a couple of drops of concentrated juice to each circle.
4. Slowly fill each well with water until there's enough to submerge the lemon circle.
5. Freeze overnight and run under warm water to remove.

Honey Oven Pancakes

Makes one pancake that serves two people.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup of warmed milk (15-20 seconds in the microwave)
• 1/2 cup of flour
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 4 teaspoons of honey and additional honey for drizzling
• 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice or 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (optional)
• 2 tbsp of butter
• Soft fruits, chopped (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries work well, banana become VERY strong)

Preparations:

1. Heat the oven to just shy of 400°F.
2. Whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until it is white and peaky.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the whole eggs with flour, salt, honey, lemon juice or cinnamon, and vanilla, then whisk in the warm milk.
4. Gently fold the egg white into the batter.
5. Heat a 8-9″ oven proof frying pan or cast-iron skillet on the stove.
6. Melt the butter in the hot pan over medium-low heat.
7. Pour the batter in the hot pan.
8. Sprinkle the fruit on top. Don't use so much fruit that you can't see the top of the pancake, which is essential for determining when it is done.
9. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes. The cook time will depend on the amount and temperature of the added fruit. You'll know it's done when it's puffed in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.
11. Use a plastic spoon or spatula to slide the pancake out onto a plate or cut and serve like a pie.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• Any fresh tomatoes you wish to use up, diced
• 1/2 an onion, finely diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (or 1.5 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 a bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup + 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparations:

1.  In a saucepan, saute onion in 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
2. Add bell pepper, garlic, and fresh tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
3. Combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. 
4. Cover with a lid slightly askew and simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.
5. Remove lid, lower temperature to low, and simmer for at least 30 more minutes.

S'mores Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla  
• 1 1/3 cup flour 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 5 cinnamon or honey graham crackers, finely crushed
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 2 extra large Hershey bars (5 oz bars)
• 1 container of marshmallow fluff (approximately 1 1/2 cups)

 Preparations:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 8" x 8" casserole dish.
2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed.
4. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the dish. Place chocolate bars over dough. Two 5 oz. Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate, only if necessary, to get it to fit in a single layer.
5. Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.
6. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the marshmallow. This is most easily done by putting the second half of the dough in a gallon size freezer bag. Use a rolling pin to flatten it out, and then use scissors to cut down both long sides of the bag, so it will open up. Open it up carefully, then place the bag, dough side down, on the other three layers. From there, peel the bag up and carefully spread the dough over the marshmallow layer.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (33 minutes), until lightly browned.
8. When serving, they can be eaten still warm or at room temperature. The chocolate doesn't really set up at room temperature and still remains soft and delicious. We cut our bars into 9 squares and, because it is so rich, we eventually cut those in half, yielding 18 bars for the small pan.
    

Rosemary Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Preparations:

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine. 
2. Select white bread cycle; press Start.
3. Note: with my bread maker, it takes 4 hours to make and bake this bread. Plan accordingly.