Chicken, Tomato and Orzo Soup

Tomato soup is comfort food. Add some chicken, orzo, herbs and spices to it, and you have a fantastic meal. This soup tastes great on its own, or with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
6 c. chicken broth
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 (15 oz.) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. rosemary
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. parsley
3/4 c. orzo
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. heavy cream (Optional)
1/4 to 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)

Directions

Simmer the chicken thighs or drumsticks in the chicken broth until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from heat. When the chicken meat is cool enough to handle, remove the bones, gristle and the skin. Shred the chicken meat and set aside.

In a large heavy pot, sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil for about 6 minutes. 

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to a boil.

Add the Orzo, and shredded chicken meat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the Orzo is done. Stir occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add the Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serve and enjoy.

**If you want a smoother soup, use an immersion blender before adding the orzo and chicken. Remove the bay leaves before blending, then blend the soup until smooth.

 Apple Cake

We were given several bags of apples. We made applesauce, apple pie and apple butter. However, this is one of our favorite ways to use apples.  We love this apple cake!  It is so delicious and very easy to make. 

Ingredients

 2 eggs
1 1.2 c. oil
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
3 c. apples, peeled and chopped
1 c. pecans, chopped
Powdered sugar (optional)

 Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. 

 In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil and sugar together until combined. Add the vanilla and milk. Mix until it is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.

With the mixer on low, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.

Add the flour and blend the mixture together. 

By hand, stir in the apples and pecans. 

Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool.

When the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

 Gooey Snickerdoodle Bars

If you like Snickerdoodle cookies, you'll love Snickerdoodle bars. They have the same great taste without having to form each cookie.  The bars are soft and gooey with a layer of cinnamon sugar in the center and icing over the top.

Bars

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Cinnamon Sugar

2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cinnamon

Glaze

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. melted butter
2 to 3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or spray the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed in. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the baking powder and then the flour. The batter will be thick.

Spread half of the batter on the bottom of prepared pan. 

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon together.  Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the bar layer. 

Using a small spoon, place the remaining bar batter over the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly. Try to cover the top as much as you can without mixing it into the cinnamon sugar layer.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely. 

When the Snickerdoodle bars are cool, it is time to make the glaze.  

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  You'll want it to be the consistency of a runny glaze. Not too runny and not so stiff that it is like icing.  When you get the consistency of paint, that will be about right. 

Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bars.  The glaze is what makes these bars become  gooey bites of deliciousness.

Upside down Pineapple Honey Cake

Ingredients

2/3 c. honey
1 (15.25-oz.) can sliced pineapple, drained
1 1/3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. buttermilk
3 eggs

Honey Glaze

1/4 c. honey
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 Tbs. butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a heavy 10-inch cast iron skillet, coat the bottom with the 2/3 cup of honey. Place the pineapple slices over the top of the honey and set aside while you prepare the cake.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter.  Beat at medium high speed until light and fluffy.

Stir in vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and baking soda. 

In another small bowl, combine the buttermilk and eggs. Whisk until combined.

Add about a fourth of the flour mixture into the sugar and butter mixture.  Mix until smooth. Then add a fourth of the buttermilk mixture to the sugar and butter.  Continue adding the flour mixture and then the buttermilk mixture alternately. Be sure to begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. 

Spread the batter over the pineapple slices in the skillet. 

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. If the cake begins to get too brown, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Cool in the skillet on a wire rack for 10 minutes

While the cake is cooling, prepare the honey glaze.

In a small heavy saucepan, combine the honey, brown sugar and butter.   Bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 minute.

Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Drizzle the Honey Glaze over the top.  Let cool 15 minutes, Cut and serve.

 Oh Henry Bars

 A very quick and easy recipe to make bar cookies. In no time at all, you can have a batch of these made for you and your family.

 Ingredients

1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
5 c. crispy rice cereal
2 c. chocolate chips

Directions

Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil.

Remove from heat. Stir in the peanut butter mixing until smooth. 

Add the crispy rice cereal. Mix until the cereal is coated with the peanut butter mixture. 

Press the crispy rice into the pan. Set aside.

Place the chocolate chips  in a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chocolate chips stirring every 15 seconds until they are melted. 

Spread the melted chocolate over the top of the crispy rice bars. Place in a cool location until the chocolate is set and firm.  

Cut into bars and enjoy!

 Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls or Buckeyes are so good and very easy to make. If you enjoy peanut butter cups, you will definitely like eating these as well. Just a few simple ingredients and you will have a delicious candy treat, perfect for the holidays and for any time of year.

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. peanut butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. maple flavored extract
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine the butter and peanut butter until combined.  Add the powdered sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.  Pour in the vanilla and maple flavor extract. Stir to combine.  

On a surface dusted with powdered sugar, knead the peanut butter mixture until thoroughly combined. You don't want the mixture to be crumbly, nor do you want it to be very sticky.

Form into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator or freezer for about 20 minutes or until the peanut butter balls are firm.  If it is cold weather, we put ours outside on the porch to become firm.  Make sure you cover them if stray animals are in your neighborhood. You don't want to loose your candy.

Pour the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave them for approximately 1 minute. Remember to stop the melting process every 15 seconds to stir the chocolate. This is very important as you do not want the chocolate to burn.  If the chocolate is too thick to dip the peanut butter balls in, add some vegetable shortening into the chocolate to make it a bit thinner and easier work with.

Remove the peanut butter balls from the refrigerator, freezer or from outside. Place the peanut butter balls onto the tines of a fork. Lower the fork into the melted chocolate, making sure to coat all sides of the peanut butter balls. Tap the fork on the edge of the pan to shake off excess chocolate. Place the chocolate covered peanut butter ball on a sheet of wax paper and allow to cool until the chocolate is set. You can place them in the refrigerator, or outside to help the process go faster.  

Serve and enjoy

 

Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Cornflakes Cookies

 This recipe is easy to make. It doesn't take long to whip up a batch of these delicious candy-like cookies. Whenever we make them, they never last long at our house. They are gone the same day!

Ingredients

5 c. cornflakes

1 c. white corn syrup

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. peanut butter

Directions

 Line a heatproof countertop or board with wax paper. 

 

Pour the cornflakes into a large mixing bowl.  Set aside while you prepare the corn syrup and sugar.

In a large, heavy, saucepan, mix the corn syrup and sugar together over medium heat.  Stirring constantly, bring the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat 

 

Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined.

 

Pour over the corn flakes and mix well. You will want to work quickly because it will set up on you and become hard.

 

Drop by spoonfuls onto the waxed paper.  Allow to cool.  Store in an airtight container.