Kristen's College Spicy Bean Soup

1 Tablespoon fat (bacon grease, olive oil, butter, coconut oil)

1/2 onion, small dice

1 carrot, large dice (optional--c'mon Kristen, you eat pickles now--try a carrot!)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can vegetable or chicken broth (or stock or two cups water and two cubes chicken bouillon)

1 can tomato sauce

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce*

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 cup frozen corn

Heat fat in a medium sauce pan over low heat, add the onion and cook five minutes.  Add carrot, cook two more minutes.  Add garlic, cook one more minute.  Add next five ingredients, raise heat until soup comes to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 30 minutes (you probably want to remove the pepper after 10 though!), stirring occasionally.  Remove pepper and add corn.  Stir and let corn warm through.  Enjoy!

If you are going to double this soup, add variety by making the second can of beans something different like kidney or white beans.

*This will result in a very spicy soup.  For a milder flavor, only keep the pepper in for 10 minutes of cooking time.  Also, you'll have a bunch of peppers leftover.  Freeze them individually (spread out on a plate), then place in a freezer bag to use later.

Potato Cheddar Soup

7-8 medium red potatoes, scrubbed (peel off anything ugly), large dice

3 Tablespoons bacon grease (butter, olive oil, coconut oil if you don't have any)

1 onion, small dice

4 ribs celery, small dice

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Put potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cook until tender (about 15 minutes).  While the potatoes are cooking, in a stock pot, saute onion and celery in bacon grease on medium low heat until tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Add butter and let it melt.  Stir in the flour and let it cook for a couple of minutes.  Add the milk, sugar, bouillon, and parsley.  Increase heat to medium.  Either drain the potatoes, or remove from water with a spider, and add to the soup.  Cook until thick and bubbly (about 5-10 minutes).  Stir in cheddar cheese.  Enjoy!

P.S.  If you have some diced ham in the fridge, that makes a good addition.  Pictured you can see some chopped bacon and extra cheddar on top for a beautiful presentation.  :)

Best Movie Popcorn Ever

3 Tablespoons coconut oil*

1/3 cup popcorn

3 Tablespoons melted butter

salt (to taste)

Spoon oil into a large skillet.  Turn heat to medium high.  Pour in 1/3 cup popcorn.  Cover the pan, and shake gently over heat.  Pretty soon you'll hear the popping going on.  Remove the pan from heat when the popping stops.  Pour into a large bowl and drizzle with butter and sprinkle with salt to your taste.

*For everyday popcorn use affordable LouAna Coconut Oil.  For special occasions, splurge and use extra virgin coconut oil.

Kristen's Mini Frittatas

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 shakes hot sauce

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 cup finely chopped broccoli (cooked)

1/4 cup red pepper, small dice (bottled)

1/2 cup ham, small dice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease* muffin tin. Beat first six ingredients in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix until combined. Divide evenly into muffin cups. Bake until just set, about 22-25 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.

*Kristen used coconut oil, I'd use bacon grease, butter would be fine. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

2 cups flour2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¾ cup chocolate chips (other options: walnuts, raisins)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

¼ cup milk

¾ cup chocolate chips (other options: walnuts, raisins)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, baking soda, cloves and chocolate chips*; set aside. In a large mixer bowl beat together brown sugar and butter till well combined; beat in eggs. Add pumpkin and milk; mix well. Add flour mixture to sugar-pumpkin mixture, mixing until combined.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. For best flavor, wrap and store overnight before slicing.

*Many recipes mix these in after the batter is complete, but I heard somewhere that if the chips are coated in flour, they are less likely to sink to the bottom while cooking.

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 oz cream cheese (original Philly Brand please)

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla till light and fluffy.  Add the powdered sugar.  With the mixer on low, mix til combined, then increase the speed until light and fluffy again.

A must for Carrot Cake.  Completely covers two-layer round cake.  Half the recipe if only frosting the tops and not the sides.

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups minus 2 Tablespoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 cups finely grated carrot

1 cup extra light olive oil

5 eggs

Cream Cheese Frosting

Grease and flour two round cake pans.  To guarantee a clean removal of cake from the pans, also line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a mixing bowl combine the first 6 ingredients, stir well.  Add the next 3 ingredients, beat on low until combined.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Pour batter into pans.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  The cake is done if a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack, removing layers from pans after 10 minutes.  Peel parchment paper off the cakes and allow to cool completely.  Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

For a 13x9x2 cake, bake for 50-60 minutes.