Comforting Potato Soup

Perfect for a cool evening - comfort food! I serve with cheddar biscuits.

6-7 medium unpeeled potatoes diced into larger pieces
1 1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
1 pint half & half
7 stalks celery thinly sliced
1/2 large onion thinly diced
6 chicken bullion cubes
1 package bacon diced small and cooked in pan until crispy (drain and set aside)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon rosemary minced small
1 tablespoon sage minced small
1/2 cup parsley (optional)

Add your diced potatoes & bullion cubes into a large pot and add water just to the top of the potatoes. Boil until just tender, then turn heat down to medium and add celery and onion. Simmer for another 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Add garlic salt, bacon, rosemary and sage - then, slowly add in the cheese. Stir and turn soup to low. Top with parsley if you choose.

Bacon, Tomato and Ranch Pasta Salad

Delicious as a side, and great for Natalie's school lunches

1 large tomato diced
1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
1/2 small red pepper finely chopped
1/2 green pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup black olives halved
1/2 cup crispy bacon pieces
1/2 cup Uncle Dan's/ Hidden Valley mix (ranch packet mix)
1 package bow-tie or shell pasta

Take half a package of bacon, dice it up and cook it until really crisp, cool and add to large bowl. Cut up tomatoes, olives, parsley, green pepper and red pepper, add to bowl. Make the ranch as instructions say, add 1/2 cup to bowl, cook pasta until soft, rinse with cold water, add to bowl. Mix, enjoy!

Grandma Pearls' Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs beaten
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons warm water


Preheat oven to 350 - line pan with parchment paper. Roll into balls and press flat with a fork. Bake cookies for 15 minutes.

Homemade Sloppy Joe's

Easy, fast and delicious!

1lb hamburger meat
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic
1 package bakery made hamburger buns (I toast in oven with olive oil)
1 small onion (chopped)
1 small green pepper (chopped)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
6 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Saute the onion and green pepper on medium heat until just soft, put to the side. Brown the hamburger and then add the onion and green pepper back to the pan, then add the spices and diced tomatoes. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, then add the ketchup.
                                                 Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve over toasted buns.

Moist & Delicious Zucchini and Cranberry Bread

• My Favorite Zucchini Recipe
• 
  This year we started our first little garden. It did well, and we were able to harvest some big zucchini's! This recipe is my favorite way to use them up! 

• 
  
• Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and 1/2 cup apple juice/ or apple cider. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

These can be made into muffins  - just fill regular sized cupcake pan with cupcake papers, fill 3/4 full with mixture and bake for 20-25 mins or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. 

• 
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Marinara and Turkey Meatballs

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs 

Sauce:

1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

6oz can of tomato paste

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

3 tablespoons finely chopped black olives

2 teaspoons salt - taste, may need 3 teaspoons

2 tablespoons garlic paste

6 oz water

1 teaspoon cumin

Meatballs:

1lb ground turkey

1 tablespoon Greek Oregano (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon Rosemary (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon Thyme (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon Sage (finely chopped)

Dash of Chipolte Pepper

1 teaspoon dry Mustard

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 tablespoon Salt

2 tablespoons Kellogg's Corn Flake Crumbs

(make into small balls)

Special Instructions:

Cook meatballs on medium heat and allow for a nice brown crust to form on the outside - flip occasionally (don't overcook the meatballs as they will finish simmering with the sauce). Add in sauce and simmer on low heat for an hour. 

Cook spaghetti noodles and add sauce and meatballs - Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza

BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza

This is the most delicious pizza I've ever made!

Preheat Oven to 450

Crust:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped Greek Oregano

Sauce:

• Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon light olive oil (mix together)

Toppings: 

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives
• 1 large chicken breast - cooked and cubed (remember to salt and pepper the breast when cooking)
• 4 strips of bacon - cook until just crispy, chopped
• 3/4 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

Special Instructions: 

• Start by mixing the dough ingredients - set aside in a bowl and cover while getting the toppings ready. I like to roll the dough out to be about a half inch thick, not too thin, not too thick; that way you get a crunchy bottom with a nice chewy center. 
• Prepare your pizza pan by drizzling olive oil on it and then sprinkling lightly with flour or a little bit of corn meal. 
• First spread a generous layer of BBQ sauce then add other ingredients and cook on 450 for 20-25 minutes - check crust after 20 min. by placing spatula and lifting so that you can judge how done the center is. 

Strawberry Graham Cupcake

These cupcakes are delicious - The frosting is light and creamy and the graham cracker crumbs on top give it a nice crunch. These will go fast!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Insert cupcake liners in a cupcake tin - (11-12 cupcakes/tin)








Cupcakes:

3/4 cup of room temperature butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup of milk

Start by creaming the room temperature butter until light and fluffy, slowly add in the sugar and mix until fluffy, then add in one egg at a time and continue mixing together, next slowly add milk - mix well. Next, mix in the flour slowly and then the remaining ingredients until batter is light and fluffy (the more you mix, the lighter and fluffier the mix). Fill tins 3/4 of the way full and cook on 350 for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take out and allow to cool completely before adding the frosting.

Frosting:

8 oz of room temperature Strawberry Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of room temperature butter
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring
5 cups of powdered sugar

Start by beating the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy, then add in vanilla flavoring. Next, cup by cup add in the powdered sugar. Frosting will become harder to mix along the way - but keep going - it will become smooth and creamy.

Frost when cupcakes are completely cool, then top with crushed up graham crackers. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

These cupcakes taste just like a cinnamon roll, and disappear just as fast!

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and lining your cupcake pan with liners. This recipe makes about 20-22 regular sized cupcakes.

Cake:

2/3 cup butter at room temperature

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (put aside in a dish)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cups milk

Frosting:

3/4 cup butter (room temp)

6 cups powdered sugar

Up to 1/3 cup milk (add slowly teaspoon by teaspoon until you get the consistency you like)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Start by mixing butter until light and fluffy, then slowly mix in the sugar and other ingredients one at a time. Fill the cupcake holders 1/2-3/4 full and sprinkle the reserved brown sugar over the mixture. Bake at 350 for 15-16 minutes - cool completely, top with frosting and a dash of cinnamon - enjoy!

Spiced Vanilla Cupcakes with Honey Nut Frosting

Lately, I've been experimenting with cupcake flavors. This one is definately a winner! You won't be dissapointed if you make these - my husband ate his in one giant bite and my daughter slowly licked the frosting off and then ate the cake. They both gave them 2 thumbs up. These cupcakes are moist and not too sweet so that the frosting on top is a perfect pairing, adding just the right amount of sweet. Enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Insert cupcake liners in a cupcake tin - (11-12 cupcakes/tin)




Cupcakes:

3/4 cup of room temperature butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup of orange juice
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of apple pie spice

Start by creaming the room temperature butter until light and fluffy, slowly add in the sugar and mix until fluffy, then add in one egg at a time and continue mixing together, next add orange juice, followed by milk - mix well. Next, mix in the flour slowly and then the remaining ingredients until batter is light and fluffy (the more you mix, the lighter and fluffier the mix). Fill tins 3/4 of the way full and cook on 350 for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Take out and allow to cool completely before adding the frosting.

Frosting:

8 oz of room temperature Honey Nut Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of room temperature butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring
5 cups of powdered sugar

Start by beating the cream cheese and butter together until light and fluffy, then add in vanilla flavoring. Next, cup by cup add in the powdered sugar. Frosting will become harder to mix along the way - but keep going - it will become smooth and creamy.

By the spoonful, give the cupcakes a nice dollup of frosting and sprinkle the top with some appe spice - enjoy!

Orange, Lemon and Cranberry Muffins (No Eggs!)

I just finished making a batch of these muffins, and wow does my house smell good! These muffins are easy to make, moist and delish. For my daughter, Natalie, I hit the top with a bit of whipped cream for fun. Enjoy!

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup canola oil
Juice of one small lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries - plump up the cranberries by cooking in some orange juice on low heat for 10-15 mins. Then drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a muffin tin (I use butter for this).
In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center and add canola oil, orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix with a spoon just until all wet ingredients are moistened (don't overmix). Gently fold in the cranberries.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes (if using regular sized muffin tin) checking often to make sure they aren't overcooked. Check with a toothpick - when toothpick is inserted and comes out clean, the muffins are done.

Rainy Day Chili

It has been a rainy, cozy weekend in Post Falls. Perfect weather to enjoy a hot bowl of hardy chili with my family. This thick recipe has just enough heat (from the chipolte pepper seasoning and chili beans). My 4 year old loves it with a dollop of sour cream and some shredded cheddar cheese - I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Ingredients:

1 can tomato paste
1 can chili beans (drained)
1 can dark kidney beans (drained)
1 can white navy beans (drained)
1 can diced tomatoes with green chili & lime (with juice)
1 can of diced tomatoes (with juice)
1/2 - 1 can water (depending on how thick you like your chili)
l lb. hamburger
1 small onion
Sour cream (optional)
Green onion (optional)
Cheddar cheese (optional)

Spices:

2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons pepper
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chipolte chili pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons cumin

Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot pan and saute diced onion, then add hamburger and brown. Next, add and mix in all other ingredients and turn to low heat. Cover and simmer for up to 2 hours - the longer the better. :-) Top with green onion and sour cream if desired.