Split Pea Soup

2 large onions, chopped

1 cup celery chopped

2 small carrots, chopped (optional)

2 T olive oil

2 T butter

1/4 t marjoram

1 lb. split peas (dump onto a cookie sheet to check for unwanted debris, pour into a fine mesh strainer, rinse)

2 quarts water

1-2 cup diced ham (optional)

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

In a large stock pot, saute onions and celery (and if using, carrot) in olive oil and butter on low heat until translucent (about 10 minutes).  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cook at a low simmer with pan lid, stirring occasionally, about two hours, or until peas are soupy.

Homemade Gravy

Alas, I have no picture of the gravy, so here's a picture of the ingredients you need to make it.

This recipe is essentially Ina Garten's Homemade Gravy Recipe, minus the Cognac.  She has lots of great cookbooks, and let me tell you, every single recipe I've ever tried has turned out delicious!

Ingredients

1/4 pound unsalted butter (1 stick - and if all you've got is regular salted butter, use it, but maybe start with 1/2 teaspoon salt for seasoning)

1 1/2 cups chopped Vidalia onion (about 2 onions - and yellow onions would be fine)

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chicken stock, hot (just measure it out and nuke it in the microwave - if you are tripling this recipe like I did for the Christmas party, I think it's easier to let it heat up on the stove top.)

1 tablespoon heavy cream (optional)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook the butter and onions on medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes. This low and slow cooking will make for a delicious gravy.

Whisk in the flour, then add the salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock and cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. 

Jeweled Christmas Kisses

Square Pretzels

Hershey's Kisses

Christmas Colored M&M's

Fill a cookie sheet with pretzels. Center a kiss on each one. Bake at 175 degrees for 10 minutes. This will soften the kisses. Press an M&M onto each kiss. 

Updated 12/10/2010 -- Scroll down for Nuked Jeweled Christmas Kisses!

Guess who's oven broke!  Yes, the lower baking element caught ablaze while baking bread.  Thankfully I was nearby.  So we have been managing all our meals on the stove top without too much difficulty--we went a few weeks without an oven during our sojourn in Albuquerque.  

But Kathryn needed to bring a treat to her band Christmas party!  We had all the ingredients for Jeweled Christmas Kisses, so we decided to try them in the microwave.  They turned out just fine, but I learned that you need to let them sit to soften properly.  So here's the method:

Place all your pretzels on a microwave safe dish--we just used a paper plate.  Place a kiss on each pretzel.  Nuke for 1 minute.  Nuke for 30 seconds more.  Let sit a few minutes.  You can see in the picture, I started on the outside circle and they looked like Santa bags or something.  But by the time I got to the center ones, they had warmed all the way through and looked perfect.  I put a second batch in the microwave and then didn't get back to them for about 15 minutes.  They still were perfectly soft.

Update (later today):  Kathryn tried to make only a few cookies on a paper plate in the microwave (I think it was four), and they burned!  That did not happen when I made four in a glass casserole dish.  Go figure!

Grandma Carlene's Cranberry Bread

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons melted shortening (I use extra light olive oil)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup walnuts
2/3 cup cranberries (halved)

Mix all ingredients together (I whisk together the first 5 ingredients, then add the next 4, mix until just combined, then fold in the last two).  Grease and flour loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 300 degrees.  Loaf should be golden and spring back.  Remove from pan while hot.  Butter all sides immediately.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Can be frozen after seasoned in the fridge.


Double to make 3 smaller loaves (8 1/4 x 4 1/2).
(One batch will make 2 7" x 3" loaves.)

Day After Thanksgiving Casserole

Here are the ingredients.  In the instructions below, I give quantities to fill a 9x13 pan.  But if you've only got a little bit of leftovers, just make a little casserole!  :) 

gravy

sour cream

turkey

green beans

prepared stuffing

I never have enough gravy left over, so let's make some!  In a large skillet on low heat, melt a stick of butter (1/2 cup).  To that add 1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Whisk in 1/4 cup flour.  Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Whisking occasionally, cook for 2-3 more minutes.  Heat 2 cups of chicken stock.  Add the chicken stock, whisk, cook (uncovered) an additional 3-4 minutes until thickened.  Taste to check seasonings and adjust if necessary. 

Remove from heat and stir in one cup of sour cream.

In a 9x13 pan, start with a generous layer of chopped turkey.  Drain a can of green beans (we don't make the green bean casserole at our house) and sprinkle over the turkey.  Pour gravy over turkey and beans and mix well (you may have too much gravy--it all depends on how much turkey you put in--so start with a little more than half, then stir it all up and see if you want more).  Cover everything with a layer of dressing.

Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly (25-35 minutes).  Enjoy!

Trifle with Lemon Curd and French Vanilla Cake

In a clear glass or bowl (to see the beauty of it all), layer the following:

Cake torn or cut into bite-size pieces

Lemon Curd

Berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries - anything you like)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Repeat.

Indulge.

Die happy. :)

Lemon Curd

This recipe is only slightly adapted from Michael Chiarello's Lemon Curd over Biscotti Crumbs with Fresh Berries.  Really, I only left out the rosemary.  So we will follow his fabulous directions (I tried a different and confusing recipe that ended up edible, but not like this incredible stuff), and I will add my comments.

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
9 large egg yolks, room temperature
2/3 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons rosemary leaves (*See Cook's Note) (I left this out.)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, in small pieces and at room temperature

Directions

Cook's Note about rosemary: time of year matters. If you use rosemary in the winter, use half as much because it's stronger - it grows slower and the taste is concentrated.

In the top of a double boiler, whisk the sugar and the egg yolks until sugar has dissolved and mixture is pale yellow, then whisk in lemon juice and zest. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until mixture reaches 145 degrees F; it will visibly thicken but don't let it get too hot or the eggs will curdle. (This can happen kind of quickly.  I used a candy thermometer to measure the temp as it warms.)  Remove the bowl from the heat and add the rosemary (or not) and butter a little at a time, whisking until each addition is incorporated and the curd becomes thick. Transfer to a bowl, cool and then refrigerate until well chilled.  (Serves 6.)

This is heaven!  But what do you do with it?  You can make tarts, spread it on toast or English muffins (with an additional smear of raspberry jam is insanely wonderful), use it between the layers of a cake, anything you want!  We used it to make a trifle--okay, a layered dessert, because it's technically not a real English trifle (see what I have to put up with having a husband who's lived for a while in England?)!  It's sooooooooooooooooo good!

You can see from the picture I made some lime curd as well.  It was fine.  But it doesn't, as they say, make my skirt fly up like the lemon curd does. :)

Beefy Tortellini Soup

This delicious soup makes a TON! Feed the masses, or make it one night during the week, and then heat up the left-overs for an easy Sabbath Day dinner--talk about a satisfying day of rest!

In a large stock pot, cook 15 minutes on medium low:

1 lb hamburger, 85/15 (any leaner and you'll have to add fat to cook the veg)

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 small carrots, 1/4 inch rounds

salt and pepper

Add and cook 1 minute:

3 cloves minced garlic

Add, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes:

3 14.5 oz cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes, blended*

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 boxes beef stock in a box (about 8 cups)

2 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 Tablespoon sugar

Add and simmer 3 minutes:

20 oz Buitoni cheese tortellini

Add and simmer 3 minutes:

1 can cannellini beans 

10 oz bag spinach (chopped, if you want, or you could use 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed)

Serve with:

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Big ol' slice of bread

*The easiest and cleanest way I've found to do this is to dump the tomatoes into a quart jar (one can at a time) and use a stick blender until smooth.

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

pinch grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter,* room temperature
1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips**

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, whisk together first seven ingredients.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until fully combined.  Beat in egg.  With mixer on low speed, mix in half the flour mixture, then the pumpkin, then the remaining flour mixture, just until combined.

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 15 minutes, or beginning to turn golden.  Cool on a wire rack.

When cookies are cool, set the rack over a waxed paper.  Place chocolate in a small bowl or mug.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Microwave another 30 seconds.  Stir.  Continue to microwave by 10 second increments until smooth.  Drizzle over cookies with a fork, or pour chocolate into a plastic baggie.  Cut off a corner to make an 1/8 inch hole.  Pipe chocolate over cookies.  Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes.

Adapted from Everyday Food

*The last time I made them, I used 1/4 cup bacon grease and 1/4 regular butter.  I think they tasted much better than just using the unsalted butter.  Really.  But I didn't tell the ladies I served them to.  There might have been a riot.  :)

**I didn't particularly like the texture of the chocolate, so I decided to try a ganache.  I thought it would lend to a more pleasant bite. 

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (generous 1/2 cup)

1/3 heavy cream

Melt over a double boiler until smooth.  You can spoon the ganache right over the top of the cookies to cover completely, or wait until the ganache has thickened and then pipe it over the cookies.

The results?  Definitely, the ganache is better.  Piped is preferred--the ones that are completely covered can't be picked up without getting messy.

Burgers with the Works

Of course you've got the burger and the bun.  Then add  the following:

bun

burger

bacon

cheese

fried egg
mushrooms (sauteed)

lettuce

onion

pickled beets

tomato

pickles
mustard
ketchup
bbq sauce

Nothing too out of the ordinary, except for the fried egg and pickled beets!  Ohhhhh, they are so worth it. :)  But messy--have plenty of napkins.

Chicken Pot Pie

Makes 5 pies, doubles easily.

Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 Tablespoons cold lard, diced (don't have lard?  just use butter)

4 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

1/4 - 1/3 cup ice water

In a food processor, mix the first three ingredients.  Add lard and butter and pulse until all the fat is smaller than pea size.  While the processor is running, drizzle in the water until the dough just comes together.  Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the chicken mixture is ready.

Chicken Mixture

6 Tablespoons butter

1 large onion, small dice

2-3 ribs celery, small dice

2-3 carrots, small dice

1/4 cup flour

2 1/4 cups chicken stock (stock in a box is fine)

1/2 cup frozen peas

cooked chicken (2-3 cups)

splash of cream or milk (1-2 Tablespoons)

salt and pepper, all along the way, to taste

1 egg

In a large skillet, melt the butter on low heat.  Add onion, celery, carrots, pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes.  Add the flour and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring continually.  Heat up the chicken broth (in the microwave or on the stovetop).  Pour broth into the skillet, bring to a simmer (that means raise the heat--to medium will get you there), cook for a minute, stirring continually.  Add the peas and chicken, stir until warmed through.  Remove from heat and stir in the milk.  Taste and decide if you need more salt and pepper.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Ladle chicken mixture into 5 oven-proof bowls.  In a small bowl, beat egg and a splash of milk or water to make an egg wash.  On a floured surface, roll out the dough.  Cut circles large enough to generously cover each bowl.  Using a pastry brush, paint the edges of the bowls.  Place the circles of dough on each bowl, pressing lightly around the edge.*  Brush dough entirely with egg wash, sprinkle with salt (kosher if you've got it) and pepper.  Place the bowls on a cookie sheet and cook for 1 hour.  They're pretty hot right out of the oven.  I'd let 'em sit for a good 10-15 minutes before diggin' in.  :)

With the leftover dough

On a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper, roll out the dough scraps, brush with egg wash (or melted butter, if you prefer), and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake for about 12 minutes.  Yum!

Update: Save time by pouring all the filling into a casserole dish, roll out the dough and place over the whole thing. Bake the same, but still remember to put a pan underneath to catch anything that drips!

Dinner Rolls

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

3 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons yeast

more butter, melted, for brushing the tops before and after baking

Place all the ingredients in your bread maker and run the dough cycle.  Line a cookie sheet with a silpat or parchment paper (or just butter the cookie sheet).  Divide the dough into 16 pieces (I like using this), and place on cookie sheet.  Brush with melted butter.  Cover and let rise 30-40 minutes or until double in size.  Heat oven to 375 degrees and bake 12 minutes, or until golden brown on top.  Brush tops with more butter.  Serve warm!

Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies with Bacon Grease

This is a review of this recipe found at the Homesick Texan.  I first found this blog when I was trying to find out how to render lard.  Thankfully, I have a brother-in-law (or sometimes nephew) who brings me lard from here.  Anyway, back to bacon grease cookies.   

Okay, right off the bat, there is no bacon flavor.  They don't taste as good as all-butter cookies.  What you get from the bacon grease is structure.  Big, puffy cookies.  So I'm wondering if maybe a 1/3 cup bacon grease and 2/3 cup butter might be a good idea--still pretty puffy, but more butter flavor.

Now let's move on to the cayenne.  I don't taste it while eating the cookies, but the warmth remains with you for a long time after finishing the cookie.  And that has an interesting effect.  You don't want to eat lots of cookies.  I could have stopped at one.  Of course, I had to try one with pecans.  So between the satiety that come from consuming bacon grease, and the satisfying warmth that comes from the cayenne, it's a pretty sure bet you're not going to eat the whole batch in one sitting.  So maybe that's not what you even want from a cookie--come on, admit it, there is a certain pleasure from wanting and devouring a bunch of cookies.  And I defy anyone to do that with these.  But if you want everyone to go "Yay!  Cookies!" and then watch as everyone is happy and satisfied with only one or two--hey, you've got yourself a cookie.

Here's the recipe with my comments:

Chocolate chip pecan cookies...with bacon grease 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup bacon grease
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (I can't decide if I think this is a little too much.)
1 cup roasted chopped pecans **, and see Variation
2 cups chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet. (I like to use parchment paper.  I like puffy cookies and parchment paper seems to help.)

Cream together the bacon grease, butter, sugar. Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cayenne and add to butter, sugar and egg mixture. Beat until well incorporated and then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. 


Roll dough into walnut-sized balls (use this instead), place on parchment-sheet lined cookie sheets (Wait, I thought you were supposed to grease the cookie sheet--yes, it says to do that right up there!  See, I told you parchment was better.) and bake for 17 minutes. (11 minutes tops, I can never figure out why some of these cookie recipes take so long--is it elevation or something?)

Yield: about 40 cookies (With my scoop I got over 50.)

Variation: You can swap out the pecans for 1/2 cup peanut butter (I did this, but after baking half the batter, I stirred in some pecans too.). Also, if you want a flatter cookie (Who wants that?  Oh, that's right, my husband likes flatter cookies.), press down on the dough ball with a fork before baking.

*I didn't have any buttermilk, so my Better Homes and Garden Cookbook suggests this as a replacement for 1 cup of buttermilk:  "1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes before using) or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar or 1 cup plain yogurt."  I didn't even have whole milk (which I usually do), so I just used Mat's lactose free 2% milk with a little squeeze of lemon juice--letting it sit 5 minutes.

**I didn't notice the roasted part and just used bagged pecans.  Roasting makes pecans taste better, but I think it's debatable whether or not you notice it in cookies, which makes one question whether or not it's worth the trouble.

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef

1/3 - 1/2 onion, small dice or mince - grated if kids object to onion

1 can tomato soup

1 can green beans, drained

left-over smashed potatoes

In a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat, cook the beef (it shouldn't need any additional fat, unless you bought super lean beef--if you did that, add some oil or butter or bacon grease) and onions.  When done, tip the pan.  If any grease pools, spoon it out.  Stir in the tomato soup and green beans.  Pour into a casserole dish (mine was 7x11x2).  Cover with smashed potatoes.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are warmed through and the base is bubbly.

Smashed Potatoes

5 lb bag red potatoes

1 1/2 to 2 sticks of butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

Milk, a big splash

Scrub the potatoes, but don't peel them.  If there are any spots that don't look pretty, use a paring knife or peeler to get rid of them.  Put all the potatoes in a large pot.  Cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  If you've got large potatoes and plenty of time, no need to cut them, let them go for anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour.  They are done when a fork slides into the potato easily.  If you don't have an hour, cut the potatoes in half, quarters, or even smaller to cut down on cooking time.

When the potatoes are done, drain them into a large strainer.  Pour them back into the pan.  Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces, add to the pot and smash using a potato masher.  Add the salt, pepper, and milk.  Using a wooden spoon, mix well.  Keep adding milk until it's the consistency you like.

MM Specs

Nachos

Warm up a can (or two--however much you need) of refried beans.  Then add the toppings you like.  Grab a bag of chips and you're done, unless you want to make it all pretty like a sunflower.  :)

Kristen and Kathryn like beans, grated cheddar, and olives, shaped into a sunflower.

Sarah likes just beans and grated cheddar, shaped into a sunflower.

Mom likes beans, salsa, sour cream, and avocado--and, yeah, she likes it shaped into a sunflower.

Dave ... would probably just eat the beans cold out of the can.  :)

I have no idea how Jeff likes them.

Dad would put all the chips out individually on a baking sheet, scoop some beans, salsa, and cheese on each one, and broil the tray until the cheese is bubbly.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Man, there's so much description around those ingredients it's hard to tell what you need! Just make sure you have:

3 chicken breasts
garlic
ginger root (1 inch)
1 orange
red bell pepper
water chestnuts
green onions
Hoisin Sauce
Iceburg Lettuce

Okay, on to the recipe! :)

2 cups, (4 handfuls) fresh shiitake mushrooms (Kathleen didn't use these and neither did I, but they would be good in here if you like mushrooms)
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders (cut them into a large dice)
2 TB lightly colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil (LouAnn's Coconut Oil)
coarse salt and coarse black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped (minced garlic from the fridge)
1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional (first cut off the skin, then grate using a microplane grater)
1 orange zested (using a microplane grater)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
small tin, 6-8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 scallions, chopped (green onions, white and green part)
3 TB hoisin, Chinese barbecue sauce (available on Asian foods aisle)
1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered
wedges of navel orange--platter garnish (Here are good instructions on how to do this. You could just use mandarin oranges if you want to, but if you're going to zest an orange, you might as well section the orange.)

Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean. Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken in small pieces. Preheat a large skillet or wok to high. (Okay, this cooks so fast, unless you are super fast at chopping and grating and don't have any children/pets/husband/phone/wandering mind to distract you, you'd better do all the chopping and grating before heating up the pan.)

Add oil to hot pan.

Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or two.

Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two.

Add salt and pepper to season, then add garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more.

Grate zest into pan (Since I did all the grating before the cooking began, my ginger and orange zest were all mixed together and I added them with the garlic. It was all good.), add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture.

Add hoisin sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly.

Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken (that's what this dish is really called, but I'll never remember that name, hence, Asian Lettuce Wraps) to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. (Believe it or not, both Mat and I ate almost an entire wedge of lettuce with dinner--we thought for sure a whole quarter wedge would be too much, but it wasn't--and it was delish!)

Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish.

To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over. (There's juice that drips as you wedge your orange so catch that into a bowl and squeeze the leftover orange into the bowl as well. During the demonstration, the chicken browned a little too much and Kathleen used some orange juice to deglaze the pan which I thought was a fabulous idea.)

Mixed Berry Fruit Compote

16 oz bag of frozen berries (I used raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt (I like kosher salt)
juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Pour berries, sugar, salt and lemon juice into a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes. This will release lots of juices. Take a few tablespoons of that juice and put it in a small bowl. Mix in the cornstarch until it is completely dissolved. Pour mixture back into the pan and cook a few more minutes, until it has thickened slightly.

Believe it or not, after googling lots of fruit compote recipes, I just made this recipe up myself. (sob) I'm so proud! :)

Pecan Pie

9-inch pie crust - unbaked

3 eggs
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter - melted
1 t vanilla
1 c pecan halves

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl with wire whisk, beat eggs well. Beat in corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. Place pecan halves in single layer in bottom of crust. Pour egg mixture over pecans carefully. Bake 1 hour or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes clean.

I'm pretty sure I got this recipe here. I loved looking at this cookbook, but you'll have to buy it or go to Grandma's if you want to check it out. :)

Lasagna Florentine

1/4 cup minced dried onion (or grated fresh)
1 clove minced garlic (I probably use about 3 cloves)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (not just drained, squeeze all the water out--yes, with your hands)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top)
2 cups ricotta cheese (full fat version, please)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 28 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used a 24 oz jar and everything seemed fine)
3/4 cup water

1 8 oz package wide lasagna noodles, uncooked

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine onion, garlic, spinach, nutmeg, parmesan, and ricotta. In another bowl (a 1 quart measuring cup with a pour spout works great here), combine spaghetti sauce and water. In a 13x9-inch glass baking dish, layer 1/3 of sauce mixture, 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles (I use three length-wise and break one more to fit cross-wise), 1/2 of ricotta mixture (fingers are the best tool here), and 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sauce mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 1 hour. Uncover, sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesecake

from Kraft Foods

prep time: 15 min
total time: 5 hr 25 min (This does not include complete cooling before the 4 hours of refrigeration. Add several more hours for complete cooling.)
makes: 16 servings, one slice each


What You Need:
1-3/4 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/3 cup Margarine or butter, melted
1-1/4 cups Sugar, divided
3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened (ONLY Philly Cream Cheese--if you're going to make a cheesecake, use the good stuff.)
1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream (I don't know about those sour creams, they aren't available at my store. They would be fine if there is only one ingredient: Grade A Cultured Cream. No other additives. I use Daisy Sour Cream. It's heaven.)
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 Eggs
1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

Make It:
PREHEAT oven to 350°F if using a silver 8- or 9-inch springform pan (I used a 9-inch) (or to 325°F if using a dark nonstick 8- or 9-inch springform pan). Mix graham cracker crumbs, margarine and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Press firmly onto bottom and 2-1/2 inches up side of pan; set aside.

BEAT cream cheese and the remaining 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into crust.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until center is almost set. Turn oven off. Open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake set in oven 1 hour. Remove cheesecake from oven; cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Loosen cheesecake from rim of pan; remove rim. Top cheesecake with pie filling just before serving. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.


Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute
Prepare as directed, using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese. (I don't think so.)

How to Easily Cut Creamy Desserts
When cutting creamy-textured desserts, such as cheesecake, carefully wipe off the knife blade between cuts with a clean damp towel. This prevents the creamy filling from building up on the blade, ensuring nice clean cuts that leave the filling intact. (This is a good idea.)

MM Specs

Dilly Panned Summer Squash

from the 1981 Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1 pound zucchini or yellow crookneck squash
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (or what? no, no, no--or olive oil, or coconut oil, but NOT or margarine)
1 tablespoon snipped parsley (I usually just use dried or leave it out)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried dillweed
Dash of pepper

Slice unpeeled squash (if you have the typical giant home grown zucchini, cut it in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds--and the skin is probably not very tender, so you'll want to peel it too--so learn to pick your squash while it is young and tender!) to make 3 cups (not too thin or they will be overdone and mushy). In a medium skillet melt butter or margarine (see above). Add squash; sprinkle squash with parsley, salt, dillweed, and pepper (be brave, don't measure). Cover and cook over medium-ow heat 8-10 minutes or till tender, stirring frequently. Makes 3 or 4 servings.

MM Specs

Mormon Peach Cobbler

Grandpa Jerry likes peach cobbler for his birthday. There are plenty of fresh peach recipes out there, but if I was going to have time to get it all done, I needed to use canned peaches. I found this recipe on the Prepared Pantry website here. They found it in a book called Mormon Cooking: Authentic Recipes. So, if you want a quick and easy cobbler that uses canned peaches, this one's great! Here's the recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Fruit Mixture
1 29 ounce size can of sliced peaches in syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Drain the juice into a saucepan. Mix a little of the juice with cornstarch to make a soft paste and add the paste to the rest of the juice. Add the spices.

Heat until bubbly, stirring as needed. The syrup should thicken to a slurry.

Pour the slurry and peaches into a small casserole dish.

Topping
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, milk, and egg together. Add the sugar and stir.

Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the liquid mixture. Stir until well combined.

Spoon over the peach mixture so that the fruit is covered.

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is a golden brown.

Serving Suggestions
Serve hot or cold. We prefer it hot with vanilla ice cream or even cold milk.

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

from The Pioneer Woman Website

Ingredients

* 12 ounces, weight Pasta, Cooked Al Dente (my box of Farfalle was 16 ounces, so I upped all the amounts)
* Reserved Pasta Water, If Needed (a mug-full)
* 3 ounces, weight Chopped Pancetta (6 slices thick cut bacon)
* 3 whole Leeks, Sliced Thin (1 very large Vidalia onion, small chop)
* 1 Tablespoon Butter
* ½ cups Dry White Wine (3/4 cups chicken stock)
* ½ cups Heavy Cream (3/4 cup)
* Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
* Parmesan Cheese, Shaved (instead I finely grated at least 1/2 cup, maybe 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, plus some large grated for anyone to sprinkle on top)

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Saute chopped pancetta (bacon) until fat is rendered and it starts to brown. Add sliced leeks (onions) and cook for 8 minutes. When you add the leeks, you can also throw in a pat or two of butter if you want to. This’ll give the dish some scrumptious flavor. I add it after the bacon is browned because I don’t want the butter to brown. After 8 to 10 minutes, pour in wine (chicken stock), then cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced. Reduce heat to low (remove from the heat), then pour in cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmesan shavings (grated Parmesan). Toss in pasta, adding a little pasta water to thin as needed. Serve with Parmesan shavings over the top—delicious (really!)!

Random note: Often I hear cooks say that certain pastas are better for certain sauces--that the way they are shaped helps carry the sauce better. I've never noticed any difference--until this dish. I found that the little pinch in the middle of the farfalle (bowtie) carried a little extra sauce that made this dish a little more enjoyable than if there was an even coating of sauce on the pasta. Three "a little"s in that there sentence. Is that some literary device I should remember? Anyway, I warned you this was a random note.

Update: Okay, I tried this recipe again using reasonably priced, non-organic leeks, costing $2.50 for four from Harmon's. While I liked the flavor, I have to say I did not like the squeeky-cheese experience that happened every time I bit into the leeks! Really. You know the sound cheese curd makes (if it's the good stuff). Well that was the sound we made eating the leeks! Now I love the flavor of leeks. I know this because of the out-of-this-world-fabulous Potato Leek Soup that we make (hope to put that recipe up this fall). But in that recipe, the last thing you do is blend everything so it's a smooth, velvety bit of loveliness. No chance of a squeak there. So my recommendation is, ditch the leeks and use a large Vidalia onion in this recipe.

Spinach Tomato Bacon Swiss Ricotta Frittata

The leftovers: 

bacon, chopped, about 3 slices

1/4 cup onion, chopped 

spinach

Swiss cheese, finely grated, 

about 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or whole--depending on the size 

Custard Base: 

6 large eggs 

1/2 cup ricotta cheese 

pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if you've got it) 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

In a large skillet, cook the bacon on low heat for a couple of minutes until some of the fat has rendered. Add the onions, and a little salt and pepper. Cook about 10 minutes. Add the spinach, tomatoes, and a little more salt and pepper. Cover and cook about 5 minutes. Let cool. 

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta, Swiss, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine. Fold in the leftovers. Pour mixture into the pie plate (greased with butter or bacon grease) and cook in a 350 degree preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it's golden on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. MM Specs

Sloppy Joes

from The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Bensen

3 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup ketchup
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can tomato soup
2 tablespoons vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
12 hamburger buns

In a large skillet brown ground beef. Drain fat. Sprinkle with salt. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in ketchup, tomato soup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Spoon into hamburger buns and serve. Makes 12 servings.

This is delicious and every single member of the family liked it. The only thing I did differently was cook the ground beef in smaller batches, pouring off the fat each time, so it would really brown instead of just boil in the fat. I like the flavor of browned beef better. I cooked the onion low and slow in a stock pot using the fat from the first batch of browned beef. By the time all the batches of beef were done the onions were done, so I added everything to the stock pot and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Frankly, the sauce is so flavorful I'm not sure the browning was necessary.

9/6/10 Update: This is how Grandma Carlene served Sloppy Joes while I was growing up! Take a hard roll, slice the top off, pull out the bread inside (Grandpa says use the bread the next day in meatloaf!), and fill with Sloppy Joe mixture! Kind of takes the sloppiness out of the Sloppy Joe! :)

Cobb Salad with Chive Dressing

from A Pinch of Salt Lake

1 medium-size head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 large tomato, chopped
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 large avocado, peeled, diced and sprinkled with lemon juice
1 pound sliced bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Chive Dressing:
6 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons chives
1/2 cup olive oil

Place shredded lettuce in a large salad bowl. Prepare dressing by combining salt, garlic powder, pepper, chives and the oil in a jar and shake well. Pour the dressing over the lettuce and toss. Arrange the tomato, chicken, avocado, bacon and eggs on top of the lettuce. Place crumbled cheese in the center of the salad. Toss at the table.

Okay, first of all, that amount of dressing is huge. We've never even used half of it. Second, don't take the amounts of the salad ingredients too literally. Just chop up what you think you will use. And only toss at the table if you're interested in getting lots of polite "oooo"s and "aaaaaah"s. Frankly, not many people I've served this to want everything on that list (which technically means they are not getting a Cobb Salad, but, oh well). So I chop up what I think will be good and let people assemble their own salads as if at a salad bar. If you've got little kids, often they just want things separate anyway.

Remember, if you don't want to heat up the kitchen, cook the bacon and eggs earlier in the day! While they are cooking you can chop (when it comes to the lettuce, tear) everything but the avocado (the lemon is supposed to keep it nice--which it does--but I often don't have a lemon, so--but if you have a lemon, it adds nice flavor), and when it's dinner time--simply assemble!

Volcano Cookies

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (one stick)
2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cocoa
pinch salt (no baking, so I use Kosher salt--I just like the flavor better, but regular is fine)
3 cups uncooked oatmeal (I like quick oats)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (try to use natural peanut butter, but if it's on the runny side, the cookies will have better texture if you use regular peanut butter)

In a medium saucepan, combine first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil, simmer 1 minute (if you simmer too long, the cookies will end up crumbly). Remove from heat.  Add oatmeal and stir well.  Let sit for ten minutes.  Add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well. Place spoonfuls onto wax paper. Shape into volcanoes. (Immediately. Don't think you can mix these up and let them sit for awhile before spooning the cookies out. They will set up pretty fast.)

Just an interesting aside--a version of this recipe is included in a book by Mario Batali! If I remember right, his Grandma made them every Christmas. So feel free to say you can cook just like Mario! :)

I saw the cutest little raspberries at the store, and volcano cookies were on Sarah's baptismal celebration menu. Could the raspberries make volcano cookies look more like live volcanoes with lava ready to blow out the top? Well, kinda. They were okay. But I really liked just placing a raspberry right in the middle. As the picture says, they were "cute as a button" and delicious too! To make sure they were secure in the cookie, right after scooping the batter onto wax paper and before they had set, I used the handle of a wooden spoon to make an indent in the cookie and dropped the raspberry right in! Loved it!

MM Recipe Card

Asparagus Bacon Swiss Ricotta Frittata

The leftovers:

cooked asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, about 10 stalks
cooked bacon, rough chop, about 3 slices
Swiss cheese, finely grated, about 1/2 cup
cooked minced onion, about 2 Tablespoons, warmed in microwave for easy mixing (the oil solidifies in the fridge)

Mix with:

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if you've got it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a pie plate--better yet, use some of the left-over bacon grease. It adds great flavor, and seemed to make the frittata come out of the pan better!

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Swiss and beat to combine. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine.

2. Toss in the leftovers! Mix well.

3. Pour mixture into the prepared pie plate then put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it's golden on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Here's the original recipe--you'll notice it's easily halved for a smaller version and very food storage friendly.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

2 cups macaroni
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cans tuna, drained
1-2 cups frozen peas (optional)
grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain. Mix in soup, milk, tuna, and peas. Pour into a large casserole dish (9x13). Grate cheese and sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

There you have it! Easy peasy and very kid friendly. This was Jeff's favorite dinner. But after cooking it for twenty years I got a bee under my bonnet and decided I wanted to avoid some of the ingredients in commercially canned soups. So I tried to create a roux version. I looked here for guidance. I think it taste's better than the original, but it takes a whole lot longer to make, and there are more dishes to clean. But if I keep practicing I'll eventually be able to have the roux done by the time the noodles are cooked, and maybe I'll be able say this one's easy peasy too!

Tuna Noodle Casserole with a Roux

5 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 cups macaroni
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (to make it more kid friendly, grate the onion) 1 stalk celery, finely chopped (to make it more kid friendly, you could leave it out)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped crimini mushrooms (I like crimini better than button)
1/4 cup flour
2 cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
1 cup frozen peas
cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook onion and celery until translucent. Increase heat to medium-high and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture and cooked macaroni. Pour the entire mixture into a 9x13 pan (I've always used glass pans and never had a problem with the casserole sticking. If you do, try buttering it first.). Sprinkle generously with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Spinach Mushroom Ricotta Frittata

6 large eggs
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if you've got it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2-3 Tablespoons fat (whatever you want, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, bacon grease, or any combination)
minced onion (about 2-4 Tablespoons)
3-4 crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 handfuls of spinach
1 clove minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a pie plate.

1. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta and Parmesan and beat to combine. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and beat to combine. Set aside.

2. Heat the fat in a skillet on medium low. Saute the onion for about 15 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach. Cook about 3 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. I decided I wanted to chop the spinach, I'm not sure that was necessary. I just didn't want big strings of spinach in there. Add to the egg mixture.

3. Pour mixture into the buttered pie plate then put it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until it's golden on top. When it's done, sprinkle some more parmasan on top. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Just mix it all together and enjoy! And it will still be good, even if you don't have the lemon.

A lot of people asked how I zest the lemon. I use this and love it!