December 13

Molasses goodness. Time to taste!

*

****

***************

************************

**********************************

*************************************************

**************************************************************

*****************************************************************************

******

******

Molasses Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Ingredients

•  FOR THE COOKIES:
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• ½ cups Vegetable Shortening
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• ½ cups Molasses
• 2 whole Eggs
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2-¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 2-¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• 1-½ teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 1-½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ½ cups Sugar, For Rolling Dough
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• ⅓ cups Butter, Browned*
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons Milk

Preparation Instructions

For the cookies:
In large bowl, cream together first three ingredients. Beat in molasses and eggs. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Blend thoroughly with a wire whisk. Gradually mix flour mixture with the creamed mixture, until dough is smooth. Roll dough into balls, roll into sugar, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° (F) for EXACTLY 10 minutes. Cookies will look slightly underdone. Cool completely on wire rack.

For the icing:
Brown butter* over medium heat, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients and add browned butter. Mix until smooth, adding more milk as necessary.  

*To brown butter: heat in skillet, swirling butter CONSTANTLY, until fragrant (approximately 3 minutes). Immediately remove from heat. You will know when it is done when your kitchen smells like heaven.

Mediterranean Lentil Soup

It's recipe time!

If you know me you know my love of cooking. Almost a year ago some of our church folk blessed us with meal provisions after bringing home our second little love. One of those meals was an amazing lentil soup. And what do you know, she provided the recipe atop the soup container!  We've talked and talked about that soup for almost a year. I've never cooked with lentils or any dried beans ever.  But finally I mustered enough courage to purchase a pack and voila delicious soup was made! The best part, it's made in the crock-pot!

Mediterranean Lentil Soup

2 Tb. olive oil
1 lg.onion diced
1 stalk celery, chopped (I used 2)
2 lg. cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 can (28oz) whole plum tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 c. dried lentils, soaked in cold water 1 hour, rinsed and drained
1 Tb. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
6 c. beef broth
2 bay leaves

Vinaigrette:
3/4 c. packed fresh basil
1/3c. olive oil
2 Tb. minced fresh parsley
2 Tb. red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Slow Cooker Directions:

Place all ingredients except vinaigrette in slow cooker. Stir to combine; cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until lentils are soft.

While soup in simmering, prepare vinaigrette. Combine basil, olive oil, parsley, and vinegar in blender or food processor. Process on high until smooth.  Stir vinaigrette into soup just before serving.

Red Pepper Soup with Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Only the best soup I've made this year. So granted we're only 6 days in and it was a new recipe, this soup even made Evan grin with a Yummm.

We paired it with some left over turkey and crescent rolls. A rotisserie chicken would be fabulous and easy!




What you need:

1 medium-large spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil
2 carrots chopped
1 yellow onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 red bell peppers chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel seeds ( I didn't have these so I just omitted and it was still great)
1 tsp dried thyme
4 cups of your favorite broth/stock
1 8oz can of tomato sauce + 1 can of water

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out pulp and seeds. Lay each half cut side down on a aluminum foil lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for an hour or until soft.


While squash is cooking start soup.

Heat oil in soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add onion, garlic, and carrots. Sprinkle with salt . Cook until onions are soft and begin to brown.  Add peppers and cook a few minutes until they begin to soften.  Add cumin, fennel, and thyme.  Stir to combine all flavors.

Add the broth, tomato sauce and can of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer at least 20 minutes until everything is soft.  Once soft, puree with an immersion blender or transfer in batches to blender.

Return to pot and keep warm over low heat.

Once squash is done, use a fork to remove squash.


Add squash to bowl and top with soup. Enjoy!!

After our first bowls, we added a touch of sugar and cayenne to spice it up and it was amazing!  Roni from Green Lite Bites even suggests to double the spices in the recipe. I'll try that next time.

Pictures courtesy from Green Lite Bites.

Green Smoothies

So many have asked.  


So here is how I make a green smoothie.

 We start with a banana.  This helps make it creamy.

 Next we add frozen fruit.  Any kind your lil' heart desires.

For this batch we used blueberries.

 We added a little bit of Rhubarb as I have a ton in my freezer.

Rhubarb is loaded with calcium and other goodness.

We topped it off with a spectrum blend of frozen fruit.  That includes peaches, mangos, and strawberries.

Add your liquid.  I use a juice sometimes or just water others.

 Blend it up, adding more liquid if needed.

 Time for the greens!

I like to use spinach as it blends the smoothest. 

 But we have used a variety of greens: lettuce, kale, carrot tops. 

I use about 2.5 cups of spinach or more sometimes.  If you are just starting out I may suggest a little less and build up to more added greens.  Blend really really well adding more liquid if you need it. 

I also add a squeeze of honey.  We usually buy local honey to help with our allergies.

 So proud of our cups!

My blender fills 2 16oz cups for Travis and I.  A cup for Evan. And an extra pint that I put in the fridge for me  the next day.  I am drinking a green smoothie every day and Travis + Evan have one every other day.

The key is to have a straw.  A good straw.  A wide straw to suck up that green smoothie bliss.  It is proven that the wider the straw the more you drink.  After I'm done with my smoothie I refill my cup with water the rest of the day.

Enjoy!

Rivertown Inn Apple Muffins

These are some amazing tasting and amazingly simple muffins.  If you're like me you keep a can of pie filling on hand for those just in case, last minute, easy, quick panic needs.   Well I was desperate the other day and had to open a can of apple pie filling but I only used a small portion of it.  I discovered this recipe when trying to use up the rest.  So good!

Rivertown Inn Apple Muffins

1 can apple pie filling   (I ran my knife through the can to chop apples a bit)
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. each cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Walnuts or raisins (opt.)     (I opted out of adding them)

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar
3 tbsp. white sugar
1/4 c. butter (melted)
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. nuts   (I used oatmeal)

For Muffins:  Mix sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla.  Add pie filling, then dry ingredients.  Fill muffin tins 1/2 full.  Sprinkle topping over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.


Enjoy!
Merry Christmas Eve to you and yours!!!

December 6

Where have they been all my life?

Chocolate Chip drop Scones

I found this super quick recipe online today which totally satisfied my sweet craving!  They are so simple and ready before you know it.  Where have they been all my life?

Chocolate Chip drop Scones
2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream  **I used skim milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
   Additional whipping cream
   Additional sugar

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  Stir Bisquick mix, chocolate chips, 1/3 cup whipping cream, 4 tablespoons sugar, the egg and vanilla in medium bowl until soft dough forms.

2.  Drop dough into mounds on cookie sheet.  Pat to slightly flatten.   Brush with additional whipping cream; sprinkle with additional sugar.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Sugar Cookies and Icing

Here it is my dear friends. My favorite family tradition--yummy anytime of year!

Traditional Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (or 1/2c shortning, 1/2c margarine as my Mama did growing up)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs & vanilla. Blend in flour, baking powder, & salt. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven at 400*. Roll dough on floured surface 1/4" thick & cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 min. or until golden on edges. Frost with Easy Creamy Icing.



Easy Creamy Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
about 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
tint with food coloring if desired

Cream ingredients until smooth & of spreading consitency. Frost cookies :)

Now share with all your friends!

Hot Cocoa

Winter Wonderlands need what? HOT COCOA of course! Here is a recipe for the Hot Cocoa my Mama always made when I was a wee lil' lady. Drinking a cup of this reminds me of snow days, sledding, cookies, and game nights. I've made 3 or 4 batches already and winter is just beginning! This mix makes an excellent gift too.

Hot Cocoa Mix

3 cups dry powdered milk
3/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup powdered coffee creamer
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Store in air tight container.

Add 3-4 tsps mix to 1 cup hot water. Top with marshmellows or whip cream. ENJOY!!

Greek Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash

Greek-Style Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 pound watercress
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup crumbles feta cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts

1. Prick spaghetti squash with a fork and place in a large kettle. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Drain and slice the squash in half. Remove the seeds and cool.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute crushed garlic cloves. Add peeled, cleaned shrimp, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add watercress, chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, and pine nuts. Stir until well heated, about 2 minutes.
3. Scrape the squash lengthwise to separate the strands. Pour the shrimp mixture over the squash to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

This is our new favorite meal, and oh so healthy and light. The spaghetti squash gives a bit of a crunch with the shrimp mixture. It is delicious. I used Spinach in place of the watercress. Watercress can be hard to find and may be a bit more bitter. This is must try especially of you like Greek food. Let me know how you like it!

The best bread I've made this Fall Season!

I just made this bread over the weekend and it is awesome! I made a loaf and a pan of muffins instead of 2 loaves. You can substitute Allspice for the Mace(use 1/2 the amount of allspice), and I used butter instead of shortening (10 1/3 tbls. = 2/3 cup)-mainly because Travis refuses to have shortening in our house. I also used pecans instead of walnuts. Enjoy and let me know how you like it! It's a very fall festive bread! YUMMY.

APPLESAUCE - PUMPKIN BREAD

2/3 c. shortening 2 2/3 c. sugar 4 eggs 1 c. applesauce 1 c. mashed pumpkin 3 1/2 c. sifted flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. mace 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 2/3 c. apple juice 1 c. chopped walnuts Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Stir in applesauce and pumpkin. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, mace and nutmeg. Add alternately with apple juice to pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts. Turn batter into 2 greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bread tests done. Makes 2 loaves.