Caramel Chocolate Nut Brownies

50 light caramels (1 14oz bag Kraft caramels)

2/3 cup evaporated milk (divided)

1 cake mix (any chocolate flavor)

1/4 cup flour

12 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Unwrap caramels and combine in a bowl with 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Melt in microwave one minute at a time, stirring in between until completely melted. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk, flour, melted butter and nuts. Mix until completely blended, but do not over stir. In a greased and floured 9x13 inch pan (or use parchment paper), press not quite half of the dough into the pan, completely covering the bottom (buttering your fingers can help here).  Bake for 7-8 minutes. Refrigerating the remaining dough during the baking time can make it easier to handle. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the entire surface. Drizzle the caramel over the chips. Using your hands, flatten out the remaining dough a little at a time, and place on top of caramel, covering completely. Return to the oven for 15-18 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting into bite-size pieces.  I think, like chocolate cake, these delightful brownie bites taste best chilled.

* If, like me, half your family doesn't want the nuts, the dough is thick enough to easily make half a pan of nut-free brownies.  The two sides won't run together at all.

Pear Bran Muffins

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup wheat bran

1/2 cup milk

1 cup canned pears (in natural juices), drained, small dice

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup oil (I use extra light olive oil)

In a medium bowl, combine pears, bran and milk. Let stand 5 minutes. While waiting, in a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside. To the pear mixture, mix in the egg and oil. Add all at once the flour mixture stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill greased or papered muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees 18-20 minutes.

Oven-Baked Pork Stew

1 1/2 lbs boneless pork, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 Tablespoons fat

3 Tablespoons flour

2 16 ounce can tomatoes, blended

2 cloves garlic

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1/2 cup water

4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled, large dice

1 large onion, cut into thin strips

1 green pepper, cut into thin strips

1 12 oz package frozen peas

In a large skillet brown meat, half at a time, in hot fat. Remove meat from skillet, reserving drippings. Stir flour into drippings. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, bouillon granules, thyme, oregano, salt, pepper sauce, and water. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. In a large casserole combine meat, sweet potatoes, onion, and green pepper. Stir in tomato mixture. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree oven about 1 1/2 hours or till meat and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Stir in peas. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Serves 6.

Easy Green Bean Almondine

Palmful of slivered almonds

1-2 Tablespoons butter

1 can green beans, drained

In a small skillet, toast almonds over medium heat until fragrant.  Add butter.  When butter has melted, add drained beans, salt and pepper to taste, stir.  Cover until warmed through--just a few minutes.

Pork Loin Roast

Pork Tenderloin (whole in the bag, mine is 2.89 lbs, two pieces)

Bacon Grease (or fat of your choice)

Salt and Pepper

2 cups chicken stock

Unsweetened Applesauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season all sides of tenderloin with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, heat bacon grease over medium high heat. Sear tenderloins on all sides. Pour chicken stock in skillet. Roast* in oven for 40-50 minutes. Remove from pan to a cutting board. Tent with tin foil and rest for 10-15 minutes. Slice and serve with applesauce. Mmmmmmmmmm. :)

*If you don't have a cast iron skillet or other oven-proof skillet, remove tenderloin from pan and place in roasting pan before adding the chicken stock.

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.  :)