Chicken and Wild Rice Soup 

Ingredients

4 Tbs. butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/4 c. flour
1 (4.5 oz.) pkg wild rice or 1 c. wild rice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 c. chicken, cooked and shredded
4 c. chicken broth or 4 tsp. chicken bouillon with 4 c. water
2 c. water
1 can mushrooms, drained
1 c. heavy cream (or use evaporated milk)

Directions

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium heat until tender, stirring occasionally to keep it from burning. 

Stirring continuously, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables to evenly coat the vegetables. Cook for about 3 minutes as this takes away the flour taste. 

Add the wild rice.  Stirring continuously, gradually pour in the chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes. 

Add the chicken. Continue to simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until the wild rice is tender. This can take about 15 minutes more or less.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour in the heavy cream and add the mushrooms. Heat until contents are warmed, but do not boil. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Easy Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

 Easy Chocolate Cake

Are you looking for a quick and easy chocolate cake recipe?  This one is a breeze to make and it stays moist.  My mother got the recipe from someone who lived next door to them when my dad was doing road construction. It is good with or without frosting. It is an old recipe and I copied it just as it was written on the piece of paper in my mother's recipe box. The frosting recipe is below.

Ingredients

1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk, sour milk, or sour half and half
1/2 tsp. salt
2 rounding Tbs. lard or shortening
2 rounding Tbs. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour

Directions

Thoroughly cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. 

Add the egg and vanilla.  Beat well.

Add butter milk, soda and dry ingredients.

Pour in a 9 x 12 inch cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Cool. Frost if desired.

Ingredients for Buttercream Frosting

1 c. softened butter
1/2 c. cocoa
5 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 to 4 Tbs. milk

Directions

In a large bowl, combine butter and cocoa together. Beat until smooth. 

Stir in vanilla. Add the powdered sugar.

Slowly add the milk, beating as you pour in the milk. continue beating until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

We have a lot of raisins on hand.  Now that the weather is cooler, it is a great time to bake a batch of cookies. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies will make your house smell so inviting. Whenever I bake up a batch of these cookies, I am reminded of the upcoming holidays are approaching as well. 

Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. to 1 Tbs. vanilla
1 Tbs. molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
3 c. oatmeal
1 c. raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to  350°.

Cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.  

Add the eggs, one at ta time, beating well after each. Pour in the vanilla and molasses and mix well.

Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt until incorporated into the dough.  Mix in the flour and then the oatmeal.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in the raisins. 

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or or until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden brown and the top is set. The baking time depends on how big your cookies are and the temperature of your oven. Some ovens run hotter then others.

 

 

Sausage Macaroni Bake

 

This is a meal that is super quick and easy that your family will love.  We like to use the spicy or hot sausage, but you can use any sausage you like best. We use a cast iron skillet to cook and bake the meal in.  It cuts down on the amount of dishes that have to be done. Of course, you can transfer the meal to an ungreased baking dish if you rather for presentation.    

Ingredients 

1 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1 lb. spicy pork sausage
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped 
1/2 tsp. dried oregano 
1/4 tsp. pepper 
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 c. water 
8 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350°.  

Bring a pot of water to boil and then add the macaroni.  Cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.  

In a large cast iron skillet, cook the sausage, onion, and sweet pepper until the sausage is no longer pink and the vegetables are softened.  Drain away excess fat. 

Stir in oregano, pepper, tomato sauce and water.  Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer uncovered for approximately 5 minutes. 

Stir in the cooked macaroni and 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.  

Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.  

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread

We love garlic and cheese and try to incorporate them whenever we cook supper. It is the same when we bake bread. Combining cheese and garlic are natural, and they go together so well. It is easy to make, plus it will taste like you spent hours in the kitchen baking.  

Ingredients

 2 Tbs. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. or 1 pkg. yeast
1 c. warm water
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. olive oil or vegetable oil
1/2 stick butter, softened
3 Tsp. parsley
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 c.or more shredded cheese (I usually use sharp cheddar or pepper jack.)
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, divided
Black pepper

Directions

Spray or grease 2 round 8-inch cake pans. Or you can use a cast iron skillet to bake your bread in.

Combine water, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. Place the mixture in a warm location for 5 to 10 minutes. This allows the yeast to bloom, showing you that it is alive and active.  

Add 1 cup flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.  Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Turn out the dough and knead by hand for 10 minutes.  Continue to add flour as you knead until the dough is smooth, and elastic.  It should be slightly sticky. 

Put the dough into a lightly greased bowl. I usually use the same bowl I mixed the dough in and just oil the bottom and sides of the bowl. It saves on washing more dishes.  

Cover and place the bowl in a warm location for about an hour, or until dough is doubled in size.

In a small bowl, combine the butter, parsley, and garlic. 

Punch the dough down and divide in half. Allow the dough to rest 5 minutes. Place one half of the dough on a lightly floured board and roll it out into a 14 x 8 inch rectangle.  Spread 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture over the top of the dough. Place half of the cheese over the top of the butter and then half of the Parmesan cheese.  Sprinkle a little bit of pepper over the top of the cheese. 

Starting at the long end, roll the dough up into a log shape.  Pinch the bottom seam to seal. Place the dough into the pie plate, making a circle shape. Cut through the dough, but not all the way through, with a sharp knife. The slices should be 1-inch apart with the dough still attached at the bottom.

Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. 

Divide the rest of the butter mixture and spread each half over the top of the dough.

Place the pans in a warm location and allow the dough to rise until doubled.

Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

 Giant Homemade Peanut Butter Cup

We love peanut butter cups, but they can be rather pricey and the serving size so small. So instead of buying them, we make our own as one giant peanut butter cup. It is so good, and it satisfies any candy craving we may have. This is super easy to make, and it uses six ingredients that most people already have in their pantry.

Ingredients

2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (12 oz.) almond bark or 4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Line a pie pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Melt half of the chocolate chips in the microwave in a microwave safe dish, stirring every 20 seconds until the mixture is melted and smooth. Or you can melt the chocolate over the stove top in a double boiler, stirring frequently to keep it from burning.

Pour the melted chocolate into your prepared pan. Refrigerate until firm.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy.

Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Mix until well combined.

Put in the peanut butter filling on top of the now hardened chocolate. Smooth the top of the peanut butter filling. 

Melt the other half of the chocolate chips. Pour the rest of the melted chocolate over the peanut butter filling. Make sure all the peanut butter is covered evenly. 

Allow the chocolate to harden. If you want it to harden quickly, place the pie pan back in the freezer.  We will also put ours outside if the temperature is below 32°.

* I usually don't use the microwave or a double boiler. What we do is put the chocolate chips or almond bark into a heavy saucepan. With the heat turned very low, we begin to melt the chocolate, stirring constantly, so it does not burn.

 Easy Skillet Pasta Dish

Stumped for something easy and simple to make for supper? This is a meal you can add any pasta you happen to have on hand. If you use lasagna noodles, break them up into smaller pieces for easier cooking. You can use ground beef, or  substitute half the ground beef with sausage for more flavor. You can also add some vegetables in the dish as well.  Be creative! We usually use hot and spicy sausage and use the bold and spicy pasta sauce.

 Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef or half ground beef and half sausage 

1 onion, chopped

1 sweet pepper, chopped

1 1/2 c. uncooked pasta approximately (3 ounces)

1 1/4 c. beef broth
1/3 c. dry milk powder

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 jar (25.5 oz) jar pasta sauce 

1 (4.5 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded or your favorite cheese

Directions

In a cast iron Dutch Oven, brown the ground beef, onion, and sweet pepper until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing burns on the bottom. Salt and pepper the mixture according to your taste.

 

Stir in the pasta, beef bouillon, dry milk powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pasta sauce, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper if needed.  Bring to a boil.

 

Cover the Dutch Oven with a lid and reduce heat to low.  Continue to cook until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. This can take from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the pasta you  use. Also, if you may need to add more liquid to the mixture as well because the noodles will absorb the liquid. You can either add more beef broth, or water. 

Sprinkle with cheese 

You can also add some other vegetables in the recipe as well, like corn or peas. Add them when you add in the pasta and other ingredients.