Creamy Chicken Soup

1/2 lb. baby carrots, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise
1 med. red onion
few stalks celery, sliced
3 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 Tbsp. basil
4 red potatos, sliced thin
1 C. broccoli florets (no stalks)
1/2 C. frozen peas
2 C. milk
1/2 C. flour
1 C. diced cooked chicken (steamed with seasoned salt and pepper, I used the new Ziplock steamer bags)
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, diced

Boil until tender carrots, onion and celery, water in the pot should just cover the vegetables. Toss in the bouillon and basil as it boils. Add potatoes, broccoli and peas. Boil for 5-10 mins. or just until potatoes start to tender. In a separate bowl, whisk milk and flour together until smooth. Stir into pot. Add cheese and chicken. Simmer and stir until cheese melts and potatoes are perfect. Enjoy with Pillsbury crecent rolls.

Never Fail Pie Crust

1 Cup Shortening
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Cold water
1 TBSP Vinegar
1 Egg

Mix flour, salt and shortening; cut to size of pieces with knife. In separate bowl beat egg; add water and vinegar to the eggs. Add the egg, vinegar and water to the flour mixture--mix well.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Rachael Ray’s Magazine.
2 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (about 6 ounces)

1--Preheat oven to 350º. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup sugar and the cinnamon.
2--In an electric mixer, beat together the butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in flour mixture, in 2 parts, until just combined. Pour half the batter into the cake pan and sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar and half the chocolate chips. Spoon the remaining batter as evenly as possible over the filling, spreading gently. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and chocolate chips.
3--Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

CROCKPOT BEEF AND BROCCOLI

1 lb. beef stew meat
1/2 cup beef broth, low sodium
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 TBSP dried, minced onion
1 TBSP brown sugar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, canned or fresh (if desired)
1 (16oz) bag of frozen broccoli, thawed
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP cornstarch

Combine broth and soy sauce in a crockpot, add onion, brown sugar and garlic. Stir in beef cubes. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 4-6 hours). About an hour before serving, combine water and cornstarch and blend well. Stir cornstarch mixture into the crockpot. Add broccoli (and mushrooms) to the crockpot and cook on low for an additional 30-60 minutes until broccoli is crisp-tender, or done to your liking. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

HONEY BBQ RIBS

HONEY BBQ RIBS
3 lbs boneless pork ribs
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1/2 TBSP liquid smoke

Place pork ribs in bottom of slow cooker. Cover and cook on High for 3 hours. Drain and discard liquid. Reduce heat to Low. In a bowl, combine garlic salt, pepper, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Mix well. Pour over ribs in slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 3 hours.

*To freeze ribs allow to cool and place in a freezer bag. When you want to use them just thaw and heat.

Simply Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 T dried chopped parsley
2 T Parmesan cheese
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
3 - 4 cups Spaghetti sauce

Do not cook the lasagna noodles. Combine the cottage cheese, slightly beaten egg, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Grease foil baking pan(s).

Cover bottom with thin layer of sauce. Layer noodles (do not cook them, break them to fit), sauce, half the Mozzarella and half the Jack cheeses. Top with another layer of noodles, then the cottage cheese mixture. Top with another layer of noodles, then the rest of the Mozzarella and Jack cheeses and cover with a thick layer of spaghetti sauce. Cover with extra heavy foil. Label and freeze. Makes 1 9x13 or 2 8x8 pans.

To serve: Thaw. Bake covered for 45 to 60 minutes at 375°. Uncover, top with more Mozzarella cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake

* from Lick the Bowl Good
2/3 cup cocoa
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cup flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
3 cup sugar (plus more for coating pan)
3 cup grated zucchini (4 med. zucchini)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl combine cocoa and melted butter (mixture will be stiff and dry). Add vegetable oil to cocoa (it will resemble motor oil- don't be alarmed) and set aside.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs and slowly add sugar, until thick and light in color. Add cocoa mixture to eggs until well combined, then gradually add flour being careful not to over mix. Once mixture is well incorporated add grated zucchini and vanilla.
Butter or spray bundt pan evenly with non stick spray, then sprinkle with granulated sugar to form a sugar crust. Pour batter into pan about 3/4 full. Place pan in a preheated oven for 65-70 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Apple-Walnut Pancakes

The ingredients:
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup oat flour (or wheat)
1/8 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup sugar
3 large eggs
4 Tbs. butter, melted
1-1/3 cups milk
¾ tsp. vanilla
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped or shredded (Granny Smith)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix dry ingredients together, then add eggs, butter, milk and vanilla and mix until combined. Then gently fold in chopped apples and walnuts until just combined. Heat the griddle or large skillet to medium heat. Grease the surface with some butter. Cook as with regular pancakes. If the consistency of the batter is too thick you may add an additional small amount of milk to thin it out. Serve hot.

Chicken Curry Soup in the Crockpot:

5 cups chicken broth
3/4 lb. chicken, cut into 1 inch pieces ( or you can add it uncut and frozen and shred it later)
1 large onion, diced
1 tart apple, peeled and diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup white or brown long grain rice

Optional:
1/2 cup cream

For Serving:
Fresh lime or lemon wedges
chopped cilantro

Add chicken broth through rice to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. Stir in cream, if using. Serve soup with fresh lime and chopped cilantro.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Hearts

2 cups peanut butter (or a 16 oz jar)
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-5 cups powdered sugar
2-12 oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons shortening

In bowl, beat the peanut butter and softened butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar by the cupful until dough resembles play-doh. It should not stick to your hands at all and you should be able to easily form a ball with the mixture.

Sprinkle a flat surface with powder sugar and roll out peanut butter mixture to about a 1/2" thickness (if dough is too sticky to roll out put it back in the mixer and mix in more powdered sugar). Cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter and place peanut butter hearts onto cookie sheets covered with wax paper. Freeze for 1 hour.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. If needed microwave another 30 seconds until chocolate is completely melted and smooth and almost a runny consistency.

Remove 1 cookie sheet of peanut butter hearts at a time from freezer (it's best to dip them while they are good and frozen). With a large fork place hearts into the melted chocolate, turn over to coat and lift out tapping against side of bowl to shake off excess chocolate, slide chocolate covered hearts onto wax paper covered cookie sheets. Repeat this process until all the hearts are coated then place cookie sheets into the freezer to harden chocolate.

Remove from freezer and cut excess chocolate away from the edges with a sharp knife and place hearts into candy boxes or an air tight container.

Add the pink tinted white chocolate to the tops to make them festive. Just melt some white chocolate, add red food coloring until desired color is achieved, then scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag, snip corner with scissors and drizzle pink tinted chocolate over the hearts and let harden in the freezer before packaging.