Basil Tomato Soup

• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
  
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• fresh garlic or garlic powder
• fresh, finely minced onions or onion powder
  
• 18 fresh basil leaves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup whipping cream or milk
  
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes, broth, garlic and onions to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low. ; stir in cream and butter. Cook until butter is melted.
2. If using milk, put in separate pan and warm until just before boiling. Reduce heat. Add a little of the tomato mixture. Make sure it does not curdle. Slowly add more of the tomato mixture until you have added 1 cup total. Once that is done, slowly add the milk/tomato mixture to the tomato mixture. Add the butter. Wait until the butter melts and serve.
   
3. If using cream, simply add the cream to the tomato mixture along with the butter. Wait until the butter melts and serve.
   

Spaghetti Squash Dip (a nice change from Spinach Artichoke Dip)

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1/4 cup butter (opt.)
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking dish.
2. Place the spaghetti squash cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Place in preheated oven, and bake until soft when a fork is inserted., 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Scoop out the cooked squash, and place in a mixing bowl. Add butter to the squash and stir until butter melts. Stir the mayonnaise, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and Monterey Jack cheese into the squash mixture until well blended. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake in preheated oven until cheese melts, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 6 cups cubed bread
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Cinnamon Chips (can be replaced with cinnamon powder or chocolate chips)
  
• 2 3/4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
• 2 eggs, beaten

Directions

1. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Mix together the sugar and Cocoa Powder, sprinkle evenly over the bread cubes, and toss again. Mix in Cinnamon Chips. Butter an 8 inch square glass baking dish, and spread bread cubes evenly into the baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk just to the boiling point; do not boil. Remove from heat, add chocolate chips, and whisk until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Slowly whisk in chocolate mixture. Pour over bread cubes in baking dish. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake pudding until just set , but center moves slightly when dish is shaken, about 35 minutes.

A few good recipes.

Panera/Paradise Bakery Broccoli Cheese Soup...(It's to die for.)

• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1/2 medium chopped onion
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 lb fresh broccoli
• 1 cup carrot , julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté onion in butter. Set aside.
2. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and add the half & half.
3. Add the chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat 20-25 minutes.
5. Add salt and pepper. Can be puréed in a blender but I don't. Return to heat and add cheese. Stir in nutmeg.

Smore's Cheesecake with Summer Berries (this is the best cheesecake I have ever had)

Crust:

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from 9 whole crackers finely ground in processor; 1 packet)
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Ghirardelli), chopped
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 large eggs

Topping:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 12 large marshmallows, cut into quarters with wet kitchen scissors
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1-pint container fresh raspberries
• 1 1-pint container fresh blueberries

For crust:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Mix crumbs and sugar in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until mixture is evenly moistened. Press onto bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake until set, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven; cool. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling:
Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water and cool to lukewarm, stirring occasionally.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and salt in processor and blend until smooth. With motor running, add whipping cream through feed tube and process just until blended. With motor running, add melted chocolate, then add eggs 1 at a time, blending and scraping down sides after each addition until mixture is smooth. Pour batter over crust in pan.

Bake cake until outer edge is slightly puffed and cake is barely set in center (center will look shiny and move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 55 minutes. Transfer cake to rack. Run small sharp knife around cake to loosen. Chill uncovered until cold, 8 hours or overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

For topping:
Whisk sugar, egg whites, 3 tablespoons water, cream of tartar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to blend in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water; whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens and is hot to touch, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water and stir in marshmallows (keep water simmering in saucepan). Let stand until marshmallows soften, about 3 minutes. Set bowl with mixture over simmering water; using hand held electric mixer, beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Scrape topping onto cheesecake. Using offset metal spatula, spread topping to edges of cake, swirling decoratively. Let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

Using kitchen torch, lightly brown topping in spots. (Or preheat broiler; place cake at least 4 inches from heat source and broil just until topping is lightly browned in spots, watching closely to avoid burning, about 2 minutes.) Chill cake until cold. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and keep chilled. Remove pan sides. Place cake on platter.

Mix raspberries and blueberries in medium bowl. Cut cake into wedges. Serve berry mixture alongside.

Spaghetti Squash with pine nuts and sage

Ingredients

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (or sub whatever nuts you have on hand)
  
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish.
3. Bake the squash in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
4. Scrape flesh of squash from the rind using a fork and place in a bowl. Add the pine nuts, cheese, sage, butter, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately.

This was a yummy substitution for stuffing at our T-day dinner.

Oriental Pasta Salad

Box of bowtie pasta

Red pepper, cut in thin strips

Yellow pepper, cut in thin strips

Bag of spinach

Green pepper, cut in thin strips

Candied Almonds

Cook pasta, drain and rinse. Toss everything together with dressing just before serving.

Oriental Dressing:

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 cup canola oil

½ cup chopped fresh parsley, or 2 to 3 Tbsp dried parsley

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 cup soy sauce

Candied Almonds:

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup sliced almonds

¼ cup sugar

Saute almonds in butter and sugar just until light brown.

Cincinnati Skyline Chili

This is a chili that is the consistency of spaghetti sauce. It is tradionally served over spaghetti, or is also good for hot dogs. Because of the spices it has a unique flavor, but it is good. If you google this you will find lots of variations in how to cook it and the spices to include. This is what I used and it turned out really good.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 white onion, diced
2 cups water
3 tablespoons garlic
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 square unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon vinegar (can be regular, cider, red wine)
1 tablespoon Worchestire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Add the ground beef into the water. Break it completely up. Add the diced onions and the garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.

2. Add in the remaining of the ingredients and simmer for 3 hours stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon over cooked spaghetti.

Serving Suggestions:
If you have the chili over spaghetti that is called 2-way. If you add shreeded cheese that is called a 3-way. Add raw diced white onions for a 4-way. And to make it a 5-way add cooked pinto beans. It is standard to serve oyster crackers regardless of what way you get it.

Almond Poppyseed Bread

Bread

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. bkg powder
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Glaze

1 Tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup sugar

Mix bread ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Poke holes in bread and pour glaze on immediately after removing bread from oven. Let cool.. Enjoy!

Yield: 2 loaves

Pumpkin Brownies

I got this from my friend when I was on a pumpkin kick, but I haven't tried anything yet...

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
4 eggs (1/4 C. dry egg powder + 1/2 C. water)
3/4 C. vegetable oil (or 3/4 C. white bean puree)
2 t. vanilla
2 C. whole wheat flour
2 C. sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
Mix wet ingredients (including the water needed for your powdered eggs but not the dry egg powder…remember you DON’T need to mix these before adding to your recipes) Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Pour into 9×13 pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool and frost with cream cheese frosting or dollop cinnamon whipped topping.


**I'm totally making these the non-food storage way, I'm sure they'll still be great! Enjoy!

Orzo and Tomato Salad

Ryan's Aunt made this for Brynlee's baby blessing. It was to die for. It was so dang good that I immediately got the recipe. I have made it already and it just got better and better everyday. Ryan and I ate it all...oh and Kayden loved it too!

1 1b orzo (in the pasta section)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (save 6 for garnish)
2 cups fresh mozzarella chunks
1/2 bag spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
Zest of 2 lemons
Freshly grated parmesan
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, juiced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Cook orzo in salted water until done. Strain and cool. Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt and
pepper. When orzo is cool toss in tomatoes, mozzarella and oil mixture. Add more salt and pepper if
needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving, toss in spinach and basil. Transfer to
serving bowl. Garnish with remaining tomatoes, lemon zest and parmesan. Serve chilled.

Chicken & Lentil Soup

I got this out of one of my Biggest Loser books. It doesn't call for chicken but it is good to add in. I have to have some kind of meat.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups chopped onion (I like white)
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I add way more)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup cooked lentils
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Instructions:
1. Cook lentils according to package instructions.
2. Grill / saute 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Cool and then chop.
3. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add carrots, celery, and bell peppers and cook for another 4 minutes or until soft.
5. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute being careful not to burn the garlic.
6. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Add broth and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat to low and add the cooked lentils and zucchini. Cook about 4 minutes or until zucchini is tender.
9. Add in the cooked chicken
10. Stir in the cilantro or parsley, and the lemon peel.

It says it makes 12 1-cup servings.

This is a very chunky soup. Too much so for my taste. So before step 8 I take about 1/2 of the soup, place it in the blender or using a stick blender, and puree it smooth.

P.S. This is a very chunky soup. I don't like

Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls...

Need I say more...these are DELICIOUS and AMAZING and I AM ADDICTED! I got them off my friends blog here. You can't go wrong making these. I used my Bosch for this and it was so easy. I just put everything in the bosch and let it do the muscle work. So here is the recipe!!!

Rolls:

½ cup warm water

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 ½ ounce package instant vanilla pudding

½ cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

6+ cups flour (I use 6.5 - 7 cups)

Filling:
1 cup butter, softened (I used a 1/4 c. on each half. When I used 1 c. it seemed like too much!)
2 cups brown sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

In a small bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside. In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Let set in fridge for 5 minutes.

To the pudding, add butter, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend. Gradually add flour; knead until smooth. Do not overflour the dough! It should be very soft but not sticky. (I think I ended up having to use 6 1/2 c. flour. Otherwise it's too hard to roll out.) Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch down dough gently and split into 2 sections. Roll out one section at a time on floured board. Make a rectangle that is 18 X 21 inches in size. Take 1/2 cup soft butter and spread over surface. (I didn't say this was healthy!) In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 teaspoons cinnamon. Sprinkle half of mixture over the top. Roll up the short side very tightly (this way you'll get bigger rolls with LOTS of swirly-ness on the inside). With knife put a notch every 1 1/2 inches. Cut with a serrated knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 1 inch apart (12 on a sheet). Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Cover rolls and let rise until double again (probably 20-30 minutes in the oven).

Bake at 350 degrees for about 13-15 minutes. Remove before they start to turn golden (don’t overbake). Frost warm rolls with the following cream cheese frosting. Makes about 28 very large rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

3 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and cream cheese and mix well. Add vanilla and sugar and mix again. Then add milk for desired consistency.

Creamy Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

This is a very quick and easy soup that is also fairly healthy. At least I like to think so since I am eating cauliflower. The pepper jack cheese gives it a very nice kick. But I think several different types of cheeses would work if you wanted to use something else.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 head cauliflower
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a pot. Slice onions and add to the butter. Cook for a few minutes.
2. Add flour and mix. Cook onions and flour for a couple of minutes.
3. Add salt, milk, and stock. Stir.
4. Cut up cauliflower and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until cauliflower is tender. You can also use frozen cauliflower florets.
5. Either using a stick blender or blender blend the mixture until smooth.
6. Return mixture to the pot. Add in dijon mustard and cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted and soup is smooth.

I also added crushed garlic in step #3 since I like garlic so much.

A few of our favorite recipes this Holiday season

Bacon, Olive and Onion Cheeseball

Ingredients **
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, browned until crispy, patted dry and chopped
1/2 can black olives, drained and chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Mix together. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until serving. You can also roll this in roasted nuts before chilling. We made our's into a monster face instead of covering it with nuts because it was way funner to eat that way. And if monsters know that we eat monster heads, they will be less likely to terrorize us.

**You can change these ingredients to fit whatever you like. Just keep the cheese the same and drain everything really well.

Cream Cheese Blueberry Pie

Ingredients
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
8 ounces whipped topping
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (9 inch) pastry shell, baked
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries


Directions
1 - In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spread into pastry shell.
2 - In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water and lemon juice until smooth; stir in blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until serving.

This was a terrific yet tart dessert, which I thought was nice when there were so many incredibly sweet things to eat. It did not take much time to make and was easy to make ahead.

Cheese Fondue (I think this will be our traditional Christmas lunch.)

Ingredients
1 cup apple or white grape juice
1/2 pound shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 pound shredded Gruyere cheese
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (1 pound) loaf French bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 package Li'l Smokies
apple slices


Directions
Simmer juice in pot. Toss shredded cheese with flour. Add Swiss cheese, Gruyere cheese, 1/4 pound at a time to simmering juice. Stir after each addition of cheese until melted. When all the cheese has melted, stir in salt and nutmeg. Keep warm in crock pot or rice cooker. Serve with cut-up French bread, Li'l smokies, and apple slices.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Layer Bake

4 large white potatoes, baked and peeled
3 large sweet potatoes, baked and peeled
1 (8 ounce) cube Cream Cheese, divided
1/2 cup Sour Cream, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 small onion, divided

Directions
1 - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place potatoes in separate bowls. Add half each of the cream cheese, sour cream and onion to each bowl; season with salt and pepper. Mash with potato masher or mixer until creamy. You may need to add milk to the white potatoes to get them to a creamy consistency.
2 - Stir half of the Parmesan cheese into white potatoes. Stir half of the Cheddar cheese into sweet potatoes. Alternately layer half each of the white potato and sweet potato mixture in 2 qt. or 9x13 clear glass dish. Repeat layers.
3 - Bake15 min. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; bake 5 more min. or until cheeses are melted.

I thought this was so pretty. It looked like a Christmas ornament. And I was very excited to find a cheesy potato recipe that included sweet potatoes.

Caramel Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Directions
1 - Bring the water, sugar, and butter to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Do not stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved in the water. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the caramel has turned golden brown, 10 - 15 minutes.
2 - Carefully pour in a slow, steady stream of cream into the caramel while stirring constantly. The hot caramel will boil vigorously when the cream is added and solidify in areas. Add the vanilla extract and salt. Continue stirring over low heat until the caramel is smooth and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes more. Allow to cool for at least half an hour before using.

I used this to dip apples in as well as drizzle over a pumpkin cheesecake. It tastes like homemade caramels. Way better then the stuff you buy at the store!

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

1 teaspoon dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tsp. dried dill weed

Mix together. Use in place of the Ranch seasoning mix.

This tastes just like the store bought stuff, and it is way cheaper.

I have found that if I mix this with a container of sour cream, take a portion of that out and mix with seasoned rice vinegar, it tastes very similar to Ranch Dressing and (depending on the type of sour cream you use) does not have near the additives.

Peppermint Marshmallows

Ingredients
3/4 cup water, divided
3 (.25 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 - 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
confectioners' sugar

1 - Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add confectioners' sugar and coat the pan. Set aside.
2 - Place 1/2 cup of water in the bowl of an electric mixer, and sprinkle gelatin on top of water to soak.
3 - While gelatin is soaking, combine 1/4 cup of water, corn syrup, and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture hard for 1 minute.
4 - Pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin mixture and beat on high for 12 minutes with electric mixer, until the mixture is fluffy and forms stiff peaks. Add vanilla and peppermint extracts, and beat just until blended.
Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared baking dish, using a greased spatula to smooth the top of the candy. Cover the candy with the reserved greased foil or wrap, and press down lightly to seal the covering to the top of the candy.
5 - Allow the marshmallow candy to rest for 4 hours or overnight. Set out a layer of wax paper covered with confectioners' sugar. Loosen marshmallows from the edge of the dish. Dump out onto wax paper. Using oiled scissors or an oiled kitchen knife, cut the marshmallow candy into strips, then into 1 inch squares. Dredge the marshmallows lightly in the confectioners' sugar and store in an airtight container.

This recipe is very fun for kids. If you don't care for the peppermint flavoring, the vanilla alone is great. Instead of cutting these in squares, you can use cookie cutters.