Artichoke Recipe

I haven't actually made this myself, but I watched my friend make it the other day. It is SO yummy, you gotta try it for Christmas Eve or New Years!

Artichoke Recipe

- 1 tube fridge french bread - Pillsbury, etc.
- 1 can water packed artichokes hearts (or marinated ones in jar)- rinsed, drained, chopped - [when in can (in water) don't have same flavor as the ones marinated in a jar]
- 1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/3 c. grated parmesan (or italian blend - if you use marinated hearts)
- 1/3 c. mayo
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 c. Italian blend cheese


Bake loaf and let cool, cut length wise and place on un-greased baking sheet, while cooling. Mix everything but 1 c. cheese in small bowl, and then pile on the loaf both sides, cover with cheese bake at 350 for another 15-20 min. or until cheese is melted. Slice and serve warm.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

Wait...don't get scared off by the title of this post! You will be amazed by the yumminess and un-pumpkin-ness of this soup! It's yet another recipe from my favorite cookbook of all time (seriously, everyone needs this book! And no, I'm not getting paid to advertise it, although that would be nice). The whole the family will love this one. My husband liked it so much he asked me to make it again the next day!

Pumpkin Soup

1 lb peeled pumpkin cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 14oz cans chicken broth

2 cups milk

pinch of grated nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 oz spaghetti, broken 3 times

6 tbsp freshly grated IMPORTED Parmesan cheese (trust me, it makes a difference)

Here's a quick note, I know Parmesan is expensive, but I've found it's like cheddar cheese, I have to keep it stocked in my fridge. I use it all the time and it is so much yummier than American made Parmesan.

In a large soup pot, melt your butter and then add onion and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin, cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the broth and cook for 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to put the pumpkin and onion in a food processor and puree it. Return it to the broth, add milk and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soup to a boil, remembering to stir occasionally so as not to scald the milk. Add the broken spaghetti and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, add parmesan and serve immediately!

Enjoy!

I'd love to hear if you liked this recipe or any others so please leave comments.

Creamed Corn Soup

This is one of those oral recipes that my grandmother gave me. She said her husband told her how to make it, so I assume it's one his mother use to make (because he certainly doesn't cook!). His family has been in Vermont since the 1800's, so I like to think it's been in the family for generations. It's not a written down recipe, it's one that you keep in your head. When I made it the other day, I did not measure specific amounts, that is part of the beauty of this recipe. It is delicious and my husband and 3 year old loved it.

Read the directions through a couple of times so you get the feel for the rhythm of the cooking process before beginning.

Creamed Corn Soup

6-8 oz bacon or salt pork

about 1/4 cup chopped onion

2-3 celery stalks chopped

3 small potatoes, cut into small cubes

1 can creamed corn

milk

salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon over medium high heat until done but not crisp. Add the onion and celery before the bacon is finished so they cook for 5-7 minutes (add when the bacon is half done). Add the cream corn and potatoes. Gradually add the milk until it is the right consistency. (It should be soupy, not thick) The wonderful thing about the recipe is that you get to keep tasting the soup until it tastes perfect! Add salt and pepper. I gradually added a fare amount of both because I did not want my soup to taste sweet (the cream corn has a sweet flavor). Remember to stir constantly so the milk does not scald. Your arm will be tired by the time you are done but it is SO worth it! When the milk begins to bubble turn off the heat, you do not want it to boil. You can also tell when it's done by the potatoes. When they are soft enough you can turn off the heat and serve.

Sorry, there is no set amount of time to how long this takes. It is one of those recipes that really teaches you to love cooking and you should not worry about how long it is taking you. Pretend you are a colonial woman cooking over an open fire, with no clock and realize that the soup will be done when it is done.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Yum! Yum! Yum! These were so good. I had the 3 year old help make them, hoping she'd try them...no such luck, I can't get her to try pancakes! Any suggestions? I thought she'd go for the chocolate chips for sure!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes!
Serves: 3 (or double for 6)

1 cup flour
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 T canola oil
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Preheat oven to warm
In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl beat eggs, milk and oil together, add to dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle or pan. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until second side is golden brown, keep warm in oven, cover with tin foil, until ready to serve.
Combine the honey, butter and cinnamon in a 2 cup microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered, on high until butter is melted and syrup is hot, stirring occasionally. Serve over pancakes.

Local Smoothies

Recently I've been eating a lot of smoothies. I had no idea there were so many Smoothie Places around Boise. Here are some good ones we've been frequenting...

Booster Juice
Emerald City Smoothie
Jamaba Juice
Keva Juice

I love anything Mango. My husband likes the berry stuff. Especially that Acai berry. The 3 year old likes normal stuff like orange or strawberry. Enjoy!

Raspberry Banana Smooties

My hubby and I aren't big ice cream eaters, but we love fruit smoothies. I've been experimenting a lot lately with different combinations. Tonight's was really good. It makes 2 tall glasses of Smoothie.

Raspberry Banana Smoothie

1 8oz. Cool whip container of frozen raspberries
1 Medium banana
6oz. Blackberry Pomegranate Yogurt
2 cups Milk

Put ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve Immediately.

Notes: You might need to stop blending and stir a few times so it can process more easily. I haven't tried this yet,but I've thought about freezing my smoothies in Popsicle containers or in a tub and eating it like sherbet. This has got to be healthier than ol' Ben and Jerry's, and you feel so good after you eat it!
Warning: If you don't like raspberry seeds, you may not like this.

Enjoy!

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Did you know that July is National Blueberry Month? Neither did I, but we do now! Here are 3 yummy recipes for you to celebrate the month of July!

Having pie instead of cake on my birthday has been a tradition since my 10 birthday! My mom asked what kind of cake I wanted and I frowned and asked, "Can I have chocolate cream pie instead?" This is no chocolate cream pie, but my 6 year old niece who doesn't like chocolate, had 2 or 3 servings of it at the family birthday party last month. She loves blueberries!

Fresh Blueberry Pie

8-inch Pie:

8-inch Double Crust Pastry Recipe (below)
3 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 T margarine or butter

8-inch Double Crust Pastry Recipe

1 cup flour
1/2tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 to 4 T cold water

Mix flour and salt well, cut in shortening with a pastry cutter. Make a well in the center and add water one tablespoon at a time mixing until it sticks together, form into ball and split in two. (I use a little more water, but it's tricky to get it to the right consistency. It should not be gooey, it should be firm.)

Instructions:
Heat oven to 425 degree F. Prepare Pastry. Combine blueberries, sugar, flour and cinnamon; toss lightly to mix, set aside. Roll pastry dough out on lightly floured surface. Place in pie pan, it should hang over the edges slightly. Roll out other pie dough. Turn blueberry mixture into pastry lined pie pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice; dot with margarine. Cover with other pie dough. Pinch edges of pie dough together with fingers or a fork. Cut excess dough off with a knife. Cut slits for steam to escape. Bake at 425 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes or until juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.

9-inch Pie:

9-inch Double Crust Pastry (below)
4 cups blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp lemon juice
2 T butter

9-inch Double Crust Pastry

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
5 to 7 T cold water

Instructions the same as above.

Notes: If you want to see what a good pie looks like just watch Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I might eventually put up pictures, but I never remember to take them so...who knows if that will ever happen. I used the 9-inch Crust with the 8-inch filling and it turned out fine. It is yummy served with ice cream...homemade ice cream would be even better! Here's a kick the can recipe, just for fun!

Blueberry-Yogurt Muffins

I made these for my grandmother the other day and boy are they delicious! They are very moist and just sweet enough to be delectable.












Blueberry-Yogurt Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice
2 T vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 8oz carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 egg
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 T sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in the center of mixture, set aside. In a separate bowl, combine orange juice and next 4 ingredients; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among 12 muffins cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle 1 tablespoons sugar evenly over muffins. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes, or until golden. Remove from pans immediately; let cool on a wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Notes: I substituted 8 oz sour cream for the yogurt. The batter was a lot thicker than I thought it would be, more like bread dough than batter (I don't know how muffin batter is suppose to be...sadly I've only ever made the instant boxed stuff!). I must have filled my muffin cups too full because I only got 8 muffins out of this. Make sure you taste the batter, it's yummier than the muffins!

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

This recipe is so easy! I brought this to a get together and it was enjoyed by 4 year olds and up.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

3 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened blueberries
2 cups fresh or frozen unsweetened sliced rhubarb
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cups all-purpose flower
1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

FOR FILLING: Thaw fruit if frozen. Do not drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fruit in a 2 quart square baking dish.
FOR TOPPING: In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake for 30-35 minutes. (40 minutes for frozen fruit) or until fruit is tender and topping is golden. Makes 6 servings.

Notes: I doubled the recipe and used a 13x8 cake pan, it took longer to cook I'd say 45-55 minutes. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. This is quite tart, I served it with ice cream and it was perfect...except I'm always wishing there were more topping...maybe I'll just decrease the blueberry/rhubarb filling next time.

Nauvoo Cafe

I recently traveled to Salt Lake City for a wedding.While waiting around at Temple Square I became ravenous and had to find a place to eat! So I wandered over to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (use to be Hotel America) and found the Nauvoo Cafe. It's a hot sandwich shop, but all the meats are oven roasted and cut right in front of you. They also offer some soups, a cold chicken salad sandwich, Turkey pot pies and various deserts. I highly recommend the Turkey Pot Pie! It tastes like a fabulous grandma made it! Alas, they had no McDonald's chicken nuggets...so the 3 year old didn't think much of the food...but she drank the chocolate milk!

Minestrone with Pasta and Beans

I made this glorious dish yet again! It is so good it's worth posting twice! I've made it many times since the last time I posted it. Instead of pasta and beans I have been putting in tortellini, but this time we did pasta and beans again, both are delicious! Should you be tempted to add salt or spices while it cooks, DON'T! The last time I made this I added salt, pepper and basil...it was okay...it's much better without any added spices. The only thing I add is Parmesan, to the individual bowls, not the pot.

Minestrone with Pasta and Beans

3 large carrots pealed and sliced into penny's
3 stalks celery diced
1/4 cup diced onion
3 T olive oil
4 oz. bacon (or pancetta) diced
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
2 cans (chicken broth cans) water
1 or 2 cups small pasta

Cook the veggies and bacon in the olive oil over medium high heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes and garlic bring to boil.Add broth, water and beans.

Bring to boil, cover(but not completely) lower to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add pasta cook according to package directions. Add more broth or water if needed. Ladle into individual bowls and add at least 1/8 cup Parmesan to each. Enjoy with your favorite dipping bread!

Pesto

This is the easiest meal in the world, not to mention authentic, really good Italian! My toddler loves spaghetti noodles!

Pesto

1, 7 oz. container Pesto
Spaghetti or angel hair pasta

Cook however much spaghetti or angel hair you think your family could/would eat. Cook according to package directions. Drain, return to the pan, had the container pesto a spoonful or two at a time until coated. Enjoy!

Notes: You can find Pesto in the same section as the refrigerated tortellini. At Fred Meyer it's also near the cheese section. Sometimes you can find it bottled too. There are usually a few different brands. Tonight we used, Arthur's Italian Cuisine Traditional Pesto, it was half the price of the other stuff($2.50 compared with $4.99)...and it tastes about half as good, but still good. In case you don't know what Pesto is, it's made mostly of basil, Parmesan and pine nuts...so it is a very green color. The first time I had it I couldn't get past the color...green spaghetti just didn't appeal to me, but I've gotten use to the color and can now enjoy the flavor. On a different note, remember not to overcook your pasta, it should be al dente. Just follow the directions and if you think it still needs more time, don't go much more than 1 or 1 1/2 minutes longer or you'll have soggy, limp noodles, YUCK!
Sometimes I add chicken pieces that I've cut into 1 inch pieces, seasoned(season all, or salt+pepper+a little garlic powder) and pre-fried to the finished pesto, it's really good this way...but tonight I was lazy!

Orem Restaurants

This is a quick one. I recently ate at Carrabba's Bar and Grill in Orem, Utah. The bread and oil was the best I've ever had! The lentil soup was way to spicy but very yummy. For the main course I had Lasagna which I didn't touch until later that evening. It was to die for, even after being reheated! So if you're ever in a state that has one, it's a very good lunch or dinner choice. The prices were on the lower end of high. I think the lasagna was about $13 and huge! It was probably 5 inches square. Lastly, they had chicken fingers and french fries on their kids menu! A must for my toddler!

Cheesy Chicken Potatoes

I needed to make dinner quick one night last week and found this recipe on the side of my *Hungry Jack Four Cheese Potatoes. I'm eating the leftovers as I type, it is really yummy, light yet hearty!

Cheesy Chicken Potatoes
Servings: 5

1 (4.9 oz) pkg. Hungry Jack Four Cheese Potatoes
2 cups boiling water
2 T margarine
2/3 cup milk
1 chicken breast cooked and cubed (original recipe: 2 cups cubed cooked chicken)
1 cup frozen peas (original recipe: 2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed)
1/2 cup (or more!) cottage cheese (original recipe: 1/2 cup sour cream)
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine potato slices, sauce mix, boiling water and margarine in ungreased 8 inch square glass baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut up chicken breast, season with season salt, fry in olive oil until juices run clear.
Remove baking dish from oven. Stir in milk. Stir in cooked chicken, peas and cottage cheese. Sprinkle with cheddar. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 minutes to thicken sauce. Enjoy!

Notes:
You can always substitute Regular Unflavored (not vanilla!) Yogurt for Sour Cream. Sometimes like in this recipe you can substitute Cottage Cheese for Sour Cream. I always substitute Cottage Cheese for Ricotta in my Lasagna.

Local Resteraunts

Sorry this isn't a recipe!

My husband and I recently ate at a quaint little Italian Pizzeria in Boise, Idaho. We loved it! The food was very yummy! They have authentic pizza recipe's from Italy and some more Americanized ones, like the 'Idahoan'. Another thing we liked about it, besides the food was their prices! 12 inch pizza's ranged from $6.50-9.00 and their 16 inch pizza's were between $16.00-$20.00, depending on the toppings. There were 4 in our party, we ordered 4, 12 inch pizzas and still had some left over.The name of the restaurant is Casanova Pizzeria. It's located on the corner of Kootani and Vista Avenue in Downtown Boise.

Another Italian restaurant we love is Gino's, it was in downtown Boise but has relocated to Meridian, The Bridgetower business complex. (My favorite dish was the Butternut Squash Ravioli!) Just so you know, this is a nice restaurant which unfortunately means higher prices. (But worth it!)

If you end up eating at one of these resturaunts be sure to leave a comment and let me know how you liked them! (and what you ate, so I can try it next time we go!)

Enjoy!
Kels

Italian Roast Beef & Focaccia Sandwich

This was amazingly good! The Focaccia bread was on sale at Fred Meyer, so I bought it and stuck it in the freezer until I figured out what to do with it. The Roast Beef was left over from a time I had made French Dip Subs. I had just laid the baby down for a nap and thought, I'm ready for Second lunch! This is what I came up with:

(This recipe can easily be adapted for more people. You could also use different meats or cheeses and add things like peppers, cucumbers.)

Italian Roast Beef & Focaccia Sandwich
Serves: 1

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 loaf Focaccia Garlic & Olive Bread
1-3 slices Italian Roast Beef Deli Meat
1-2 Slices White Cheddar cheese
Romain or Ice burg Lettuce

Cut a piece of Focaccia the size you want for your sandwich, then cut it like you would a dinner roll. Brush or spoon Olive oil onto both inside sides of bread, place cheese and meat on a piece of your bread. Sandwich together and enjoy!

Notes:

Focaccia Bread is an Italian, oven baked bread. The loaves are rectangular and flat. It is generally found with the frenchbread. Focaccia is usually salted, so don't add salt to your sandwich.

Side Note: I bought some packaged Naan bread at Alberstons a little while ago, it was very good too! It is a Middle Eastern flat bread, very yummy for snacking!

Polish Sausage with Corn and Potatoes

This doesn't dirty a bunch of dishes, it's quick, and it's yummy! And, my 2 year old loves this, she thinks we're having sliced hot dogs for dinner!

Polish Sausage with Corn and Potatoes
Adapted from the kitchen of Aunt Renee
Serves: 2 Adults, 1 Toddler
Ingredients:

1 T Olive oil
1 Polish sausage or Kielbasa (shaped like a U)
1 Can Corn (drained)

2 Baker Potatoes
3 T butter or margarine
Milk
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Wash Potatoes, poke a few times with a fork. Bake for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice half way into each potato, long ways. Scoop fluffy part, all the way to the skins, into a medium sized mixing bowl. SET ASIDE, DO NOT DISCARD THE SKINS! Add butter to the mixing bowl, pour a little milk in, not too much. Mash with a sturdy pastry blender or an electric hand mixer. Add milk until it is the consistency of mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop potato mixture back into skins. Place on a baking sheet or directly into the oven and bake until your sausage is ready. (15-20 minutes)

Heat 1 to 2 T olive oil in a large skillet. Cut Sausage in half. Slice the remaining half into penny(more like silver dollar!)pieces and add to the hot oil(mine are usually 1/4-1/2 inch thick). Drain corn, pour half the can into your skillet with the sausage. Fry for 15- 20 minutes over medium-high heat, turning occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Enjoy!

Tips:

Slice the leftover sausage and pore the leftover corn into a freezer bag for faster prep, next time.

If you have a bigger family cook the entire sausage with the entire can of corn and bake more potatoes.

When you buy your sausage you'll notice there are various types of them. Experiment with which flavors your family enjoys. We've liked Polish Sausage(pork/turkey) and the Kielbasa Sausage.

Variations:

If you don't have time to make the double baked potatoes you can use left over boiled potatoes(sliced thinly). Cook them with the Sausage/Corn mixture, substitute butter for the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Tatter Tots, baked according to directions; or Hash Browns, baked or fried according to directions are also good faster substitutes for the Potatoes.

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I made this probably about 2 weeks ago. It was so yummy! It's a tad spicy. If you don't like spicy I would substitute tomatoes for the salsa. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves-minced

2 chicken breasts

1 cup frozen corn (or canned)

1 can drained and rinsed black beans

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp Worcester sauce

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp fajita seasoning

1 cup salsa (or you can use a can of diced tomatoes and green chili's)

4 cups chicken broth

Optional-1 T diced jalapenos

Directions: Combine all ingredients in the crock pot. Cook 8 hours on low. Shred chicken. Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and avacodo slices. A squeeze of lime is good in it too. Also, I usually taste and adjust seasonings a bit about an hour before eating. Add more spices according to your family's preferences.

http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com/2009/02/chicken-tortilla-soup.html

Chocolate Dessert

I've posted this on my family blog before, but it's private so some of you folk don't have it. It is so yummy! It's a recipe from my great-grandmother. She use to bring it to all the family parties! I've tried it a couple of times and it's always been a big hit! Enjoy!

Chocolate Dessert

1 cup flour
1 cube butter melted
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
9 oz. cool whip
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cold milk

1. Mix flour, melted butter and chopped nuts. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
2. Cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar and half the cool whip. Spread evenly over cooled flour/butter/nut mixture.
3. In a medium bowl, mix well: pudding with 3 cups milk. Spread evenly over cream cheese layer.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add remaining cool whip just before serving.

Notes from the chef: I altered the recipe slightly for the party. For the pudding I used 1 large chocolate pudding and half of a large Vanilla chocolate chip pudding with 3 cups milk. I liked it better than the original way. Also, if you add the top layer several hours before serving, the chocolate seeps through the cool whip and it doesn't look as yummy. So if you're making this ahead, wait to add the top layer until just before serving.

My aunt has this quote in her kitchen (I can't remember the exact quote), "God made chocolate, and the devil threw in calories on its way down."

Eggs alla Kels, Waffles and Sausage

A new twist on an old favorite.

I was in a hurry tonight so we had breakfast for dinner. The waffles and sausage are straight forward, the eggs I made up on the spot and my husband loves them! He said, "Quick post them on your blog before you forget!" So here they are online so I'll never forget!

Ingredients

Waffles-Krusteaz is the best, follow directions on the back on the bag. I cook for two adults and 1 small child so I halved the waffle recipe. (1 cup mix, 3/4 cup water, 1 Tablespoon water) I ended up with three, 4 inch pancakes.

Sausage-Jimmy Dean's Regular. About half a pound. (We're not big meat eaters) I form 3 small burgers and fry until done over a low heat.

Eggs-
3 eggs
dill weed (two pinches)
paprika (one pinch)
salt (two pinches)
pepper (dash)
about 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 1 Tablespoon water
So, I don't really measure, especially when I'm in a hurry! I put the eggs in a bowl, sprinkled with dill weed, paprika, salt, and pepper, add cheese and water, beat with a fork or whisk for about 1 minute.


I started by making the sausage. While that was cooking I mixed the waffles and started to cook those. Put the oven on warm. After the sausage is done put on a small plate in the oven. When the waffles are done put on a large plate in the oven (to keep warm). Cook the eggs in the pan you cooked the sausage in, over low to medium heat. (They will be done very quickly). Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Side Note:
Having yummy breakfast reminds me of a cute little Bed and Breakfast here in town. Matt and I stayed there one night of our honeymoon and then on our 1 year anniversary. They have unbelievably yummy breakfasts!!! It's called the JJ Shaw House. We loved it!

Adapted Pasta and Bean Minestrone

I made this Minestrone again, it's just so good! But this time I substituted the beans and pasta for refrigerated three cheese Tortellini. It was incredibly yummy! I buy this Tortellini when it's on sale and keep it in the freezer so I have it on hand. (I don't buy the wheat, but I couldn't find the regular online, I'm sure wheat is good too!)

Kels Minestrone

3 T. olive oil
1 small onion chopped finely
3 celery stalks , diced
3 medium carrots, sliced (penny's)
1 clove garlic, minced or chopped finely
4 oz. pancetta or bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups chicken stock
2 cans tomatoes
1 9 oz package refrigerated Tortellini
salt and pepper to taste (use less salt if you use bacon instead of pancetta)
Real Parmesean, grated (or Grana)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot.Using the kitchen sheers, cut the pancetta or bacon and add to the pot. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic and chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil(high heat, #10 on my stove), reduce to a simmer (low heat, #2 on my stove) cover (make sure some steam can escape, don't put the lid on tight) and cook for 25-30 minutes. Add the Tortellini and cook according to package directions. Add more broth if needed(some will evaporate, I usually add at least 1 cup more). Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving. Add 1/4 cup grated parmesean to each bowl-optional, but very yummy!

Enjoy!!!

Variations:

1 can White beans, Great Northern beans, or Cannellini beans with 1/2 cup small pastas or 1 cup larger pastas. (After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes, add the beans bring to boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, add the pasta and cook according to package directions.)

You can also use 1/4-1/2 cup rice instead of pasta.

Kels Virgin Grasshopper Pie

Did you know that the traditional Grasshopper Pie has Creme de Menthe Liqueur (as in alcohol) in it!!! I didn't, so when my husband asked for Grasshopper Pie for his birthday I thought, "That sounds great! What could be better than chocolate and mint together?" Like those yummy Keebler Grasshopper Cookies I shouldn't be fantasizing about right now! So, I typed Grasshopper pie into the Google search engine and it took me forever to find this recipe. It is free from any al-key-hall.
In the original recipe the pie should be ready in 4 hours. In mine you need at least 24 hours! I'll discuss the reason's for that below the recipe. I also was rushing everything when I made my pie and "A watch pot never boils" right? So, here is my adaptation of Baptist Grasshopper Pie found here and be sure to read the "What I did" part to cut your Pie's set up time down.

Note:Needs to be made a day (24 hours) ahead

Virgin Grasshopper Pie
1 Oreo crust (you can make your own but why do that when you can buy it already made right?)
1 7oz jar marshmallow creme
1/8 cup milk
Creme de menthe flavoring to desired flavor
3/4 Heavy Whipping Cream
2 or more drops green food coloring to desired color
1/2 of a Large Cacao/bitter chocolate bar (ground into a very fine powder) or crumbled grasshopper cookies

1.In a saucepan combine milk and marshmallow creme and stir over medium heat until mixed and melted. Chill until mixture holds it's shape when dropped from a spoon.
2.Slowly mix in the mint extract and stir until completely combined. (Not too much, otherwise it will taste like toothpaste!)
3.Beat the whipping cream into marshmallow mixture. Add food coloring to desired color (should be a very pale green).
4.Spread into pie crust. Process the Cacao chocolate bar to a very fine powder(you don't want any chunks, they taste REALLY bitter) or Grasshopper cookies and sprinkle to cover pie. Cover and freeze 24 hours.

What I did:
This pie turned out fabulous! It was so so so so so so...anyways...yummy! I was pleasantly surprised, since I found the recipe randomly online and then altered it a lot! The only thing that was annoying was having to leave it in the freezer for so long to get it to set up properly! I was hoping to be able to eat it that night! Not the next night! I obviously followed the recipe above since it's my recipe; but, I wanted to let you all know what I would do differently next time that I think would significantly reduce the set up time!

1.Melt 16 large marshmallows and 1/4 cup milk OR 1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream (omit the milk when using the marshmallow cream)
2.Leave that mixture in the fridge until it holds it shape dropped from a spoon (I was in a hurry and took it out too early)
If you follow these two steps your pie should only need to be refrigerated for 4 hours before it's ready.

I bought my Creme de Menthe flavoring from Zurchers, if you are going to make this pie anytime soon and you know where I live, you are welcome to come use some of mine, it will probably expire before I use all of it! Otherwise, it's a candy flavoring available at most craft stores like Michael's, etc.

Kels
"A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around." -Ed Howe

Realization

Of course my favorite recipes would be out of a published book! As I was sitting here typing up yet another of my favorite recipes from, The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, I realized that I was violating a copy right law! Isn't our technological world a tricky one to navigate through? So, if you loved that recipe you just tried and you love Italian, go out and buy your own copy and then email me and I will tell you my favorite recipes out of the book and what I did to make them my own. From now on, I will strive to only share recipes from non-copyrighted sources. I am also removing that recipe from my blog. Sorry, email me if you have any questions.

ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com
Kels

A couple of thoughts

My husband read what I had to say about Pancetta and Bacon and informed me that there is a significant difference in the flavors! So, if you've never cooked with it before and you are "Entertaining", stick to the recipe. If you like to cook with what's on hand; Bacon is an acceptable substitution.
I think it's also important to point out that the longer your pasta is in the soup the soggier it will be. We like it "al dente" (still slightly firm but not crunchy) so only cook it according to its packaged directions. The mini penne that I used last week said 7 minutes so I served the soup as soon as the pasta was done.
As a side note, this soup freezes well. If you are cooking it to freeze, I would suggest leaving the pasta out of the portion you will freeze and adding it when you thaw it, just so you can have it "al dente".

Minestrone with Pasta and Beans

I knew that this was one of our family favorites and so I made it for a birthday party on Sunday and again for a luncheon on Thursday. It was a huge success! (no surprise on my part, my husband loves it!) Even my two year old loves this soup! It is from a cookbook my brother-in-law gave us, The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, the Italian name for this recipe is Minestrone alla milanese and here is what the book has to say about it, "This classic minestrone from Lombardy includes pancetta for a pleasant touch of saltiness. Milanese cooks vary the recipe according to what is at hand, and you can do the same." I love this book! We've liked everything we've tried out of it, it's also all authentic recipes from Italy. My husband lived in Italy for a few years and he's looked up his favorite meals from those years and found them in this cookbook. If you love Italian it is a must have!

(I erased the Copy-righted material, email me if you have questions ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com and I'll post an adaptation of the recipe at some point)

Pancetta- Is a seasoned bacon, it looks like little circles, also in the specialty section. Sometimes I use plain old hickory smoked bacon and the flavor is just as good. I use my kitchen sheers to cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces because it's easier than trying to slice it.

Garlic- How much? Well, we love garlic so I usually put the equivalent of two large cloves, if you like less garlic only use one. When I say medium sized I mean ruffly 1 inch long, 1 inch wide, 1 inch across. If you've never cooked with fresh garlic before you must remove all the papery outside and the purpley paper inside. The clove is a cream color, it can be a pain to remove the purple part. I usually cut off both ends of the clove and then it is easier to remove the purple part. I use a garlic press and then cut up what isn't push through and add that as well. If you do not have a garlic press chop the garlic up very small. If you do not have fresh garlic at all use garlic powder (1 tsp=1 large clove).

Tomatoes- You can used home canned tomatoes too! Also if you don't like chunks of tomato in your soup process the tomatoes before adding them to your soup.

Chicken Stock- Homemade or canned is best. You can use the dry powder or cubes added to water, but I find it WAY too salty. I would say use the canned stuff and then if you need to add more broth at the end, use the powder and water.

Cannellini beans- I haven't had any success in finding these in the store. I substitute with Great white Northern, or White beans.

Macaroni- We're not huge fans of macaroni, it's just so boring to eat! This week I used mini Penne (probably our favorite for this recipe). Mini farfalle, or wheels would be good, or mini shells. The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, if you use penne use 1 cup, if you use a smaller pasta put in a little less than 1/2 cup.

Parsley- If you have it fresh go ahead and add it, I don't have the fresh stuff and I don't like it dried so I omit it altogether!

Salt- the soup really doesn't need much salt, the cheese you add to your individual bowl is salty enough. So here is my suggestion. Quickly sprinkle the salt shaker across the soup 2 or 3 times. Don't add any if you used straight water and chicken bouillon.

Freshly Ground Pepper- If you don't have this use black pepper to taste. Use about the same amount of pepper as salt, more if you like a spicier flavor.

Enjoy! You can email me at ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com if you have any questions! Also be sure to let me know if liked the recipe by leaving a comment after you try it!

Kels

Tomato-Basil Chicken

From: http://www.simplifysupper.com/recipes/160-Tomato-Basil-Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
5 ounces tomato-basil wheat thins, about half a box
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Parsley, flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk

Pour yogurt into a small dish. Crush crackers into fine crumbs. In a separate dish, blend cracker crumbs with parmesan cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken breast halves into yogurt, coating both sides. Roll in crumbs until well coated. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. For sauce, combine soup and milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over chicken.

What I did:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Half the recipe, use sour cream in the place of yogurt and pound the chicken to 1 inch thickness. For the crumbs combine the crackers and all the seasoning in a food processor and blend until done. After pounding the chicken smother it in sour cream, both sides, then roll the chicken in the crumb mixture. Next put a piece of tin foil on top of a cookie sheet (or other baking pan) and spray it with PAM (this makes clean up much easier!) Place the chicken on the greased foil and bake for 1 hour.

10-15 minutes before chicken is done mix the soup and milk together, with a wire whisk, over medium-low heat until creamy. Keep warm, be careful not to scald the sauce.

To serve:
Spoon some sauce onto plate and place the chicken on top but slightly to the side (the trick is to trap the sauce to the outside of the plate so it doesn't run into your veggies and such.

Serve with spaghetti(or other pasta) and red sauce(I made my own sauce but I also like Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce); canned Blue Lake Pole Beans and Granny Smith Apple slices.

Possible Variations:
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness, put a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of deli ham on each chicken breast and role up so that the cheese and ham are on the inside, secure with tooth picks. Smother with yogurt or sour cream, roll in the crumbs, place the chicken seam side down on the greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until juices run clear. (I haven't tried this, it just sounded yummy! Let me know if you have success!)

Hello!

Welcome to my cooking blog. I've been trying with little success to put a cookbook together with all of my Paternal Grandparents descendants contributing their favorite recipes. I originally was going to give it to everyone for Christmas this last year but did not have any contributions! So, my Aunt asked me to try again this year. I sent another email asking for contributions. That was several months ago and two people have contributed...at least that's a start right? All this has got me thinking something that my mom and grandmother have always said, "The hardest part about being married is deciding what to make for dinner!" I would alter that quotation to read, "The hardest part of life is deciding what to eat!" So my hope in starting this blog is to try new recipes and give you all a place to go, for something new when you are sick of the same old, same old. Enjoy!