Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Zuppa Toscana Soup



Serves: 4
Prep. Time: 0:35

1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage - crumbled
4 slices smoked bacon - chopped
1/2 qt. water
(2) 14.5 oz. cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 lg. russet potatoes – peeled and sliced thin
2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed
1/2 med. onion - peeled, chopped
1 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper - to taste
-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.
-In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.
-Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
-Add sausage to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.
-Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.
Serve with bacon crumbled on top.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Easy Peasy French Bread....

I adapted this recipe from this website...http://howmomdidit.com/2010/11/easy-french-bread/

The recipe is very easy and YUMMY!

1 packet of dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp shortening
4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp salt (less if you don't like salty bread)



In a large bowl, add 1 packet of yeast to 1 1/2 cups rather warm water
Add 1 tablespoon sugar
Add 1 tablespoon shortening and gently stir. (Don’t worry about the shortening getting mixed up. It will melt a little bit and then when you do the next part, it will get mixed up with the ingredients.)
Let the mixture rest for a few minutes until the yeast starts to grow.
Add 4 cups of flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. stir in well with a big spoon. Cover.
Set your time for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is over, stir the mixture down with the spoon again. Do this 5 times in all. (10 minutes… stir…)
Divide the dough in half and let sit for ten minutes on the counter. (Lightly, of course, so the dough won’t stick to the counter.)
Roll out and roll up like a jelly roll.
Put the loaves on a greased cookie sheet and score with a knife.
Let raise for 1 1/2 hours, covered.
Bake at 350 degrees  until light brown on the top and oh, so yummy looking. (It took me 20 minutes today.)
Thump it with your finger and it it sounds hollow, it is done. Brush the top with butter.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  •  
  • Topping
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
Preparation:
Combine first 6 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.

As yummy as pie!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Cranberry Fluff

This has become a requested family favorite for the holidays.

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 20oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
1 c. mini-marshmallows
1 c. whipping cream

The night before, grind cranberries pour sugar over and let set covered overnight in the refrigerator.

Whip whipping cream in large bowl until peaking, add cranberries including the juice that was made in the container.  Stir in mini-marshmallows and drained crushed pineapple.  Chill and serve. 

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Cream of Chicken-Rice Soup


Cream of Chicken –Rice Soup
Hometown Favorites by Gooseberry Patch
4qts water
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stocks, chopped
1/4 c. fresh parsley minced
1/4 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. rice, uncooked
salt to taste
2 c. milk
1/2 c. cornstarch

Bring water to boil.  Add chicken and cook until tender and juices run clear; reserve broth.  Meanwhile, in frying pan, sauté onions, carrots, celery, and parsley in butter until tender.  Add garlic and cook for one minute.  Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.  Add  sautéed vegetables and chicken to reserved broth.  Stir in rice and salt and simmer gently for 15 minutes.  Mix together milk and cornstarch; add to soup.  Stir until thick.  Makes 16-20 servings.    Freezes nicely for later use.

I made this a few weeks ago....it was very yummy!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Mango Coffee Cake


MANGO COFFEE CAKE
2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR                                          
2 EGGS, BEATEN
2 CUPS SUGAR                                                                            
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 1/2 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER                             
3 CUPS COARSELY CHOPPED, MANGOES (ABOUT 3), SEEDED & PEELED
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA                                          
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND NUTMEG                                
1/2 CUP BUTTER                                                                        
 1/3 CUP SUGAR
1 CUP BUTTERMILK OR SOUR MILK                              
3/4 TEASPOON GROUND CINNAMON
(I ALWAYS KEEP A TUB OF DRY BUTTERMILK-
ON HAND FOR RECIPES.)                                                       
SWEETENED WHIP CREAM (I USE THE SPRAY- CAN)
1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350.  GREASE A 13X9X2 INCH BAKING PAN; SET ASIDE.  IN A LARGE BOWL
COMBINE FLOUR, THE 2 CUPS SUGAR, BAKING POWDER, SODA, NUTMEG, AND 1/4 TEASPOON SALT.  USING PASTRY BLENDER OR TWO KNIVES, CUT IN BUTTER UNTIL MIXTURE RESEMBLES
COURSE CRUMBS.
2. IN A SMALL BOWL COMBINE BUTTERMILK, EGGS, AND VANILLA.  ADD TO FLOUR MIXTURE ALL AT ONCE; STIR JUST MOISTENED (VERY IMPORTANT).  FOLD IN MANGOES.  SPREAD IN PREPARED PAN.  COMBINE THE 1/3 CUP SUGAR AND CINNAMON.  SPRINKLE EVENLY OVER BATTER.  BAKE FOR 40 TO 45 MINUTES OR UNTIL A WOODEN PICK INSERTED NEAR CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN; BREAK CRUST SLIGHTLY WHEN INSERTING PICK.  (MANGO PIECES WILL SINK TO BOTTOM OF COFFEE CAKE.)  COOL SLIGHTLY.  SERVE WARM WITH SWEETENED WHIP CREAM.  MAKES 12 TO 16 SERVINGS.
NOTE: TO MAKE SOUR MILK PLACE 1 TABLESPOON LEMON JUICE OR VINEGAR IN A MEASURING CUP; ADD ENOUGH MILK TO EQUAL 1 CUP LIQUID.  LET STAND FOR 5 MINUTES.  ENJOY!
From Sammi Arden (Best Banana Bread Ever)

Heath Bar Toffee

Saltine Crackers
(about 37 enough to line bottom of cookie sheet)
1 cup butter (use the real stuff)
3/4 cup sugar
1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips
4 heath bars crushed (fairly fine)
 
Place crackers in a FOILED lined 13X9 cookie sheet with sides. (might need to cut some in half to cover all of the pan).
 
In sauce pan over med heat melt cut up butter and sugar, bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Simmer until thickened and sugar is completely melted. (will be bubbly) takes only a few minutes.
Pour over crackers and spread to even it out. (all crackers should be covered).
Bake at 350' for about 7 minutes until bubbly, remove from oven and sprinkle with cho chips, return to the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes until chocolate chips start to melt.(they will be soft)
Remove from oven and spread chocolate chips out evenly over the top.
Sprinkle with crushed Heath Bars..chill until top is cooled and hardened.  peal of of foil and break into pieces..Store in frig.
 
Note from Mom:
use a high heat spatula to do the spreading and stirring.. works best if you have one...if not use a wooden spoon...
also i put mine in the freezer for about 20-30 min to do a quick cooling off and just start at one side to break it up and peal back foil as you go
hope this works for you