Soup Starter

I read about this idea online today {here} and thought "meh, why not?". I might be a bit more picky about what goes in it, but it could work!

Basically you just throw in all your leftover veggies, meats, gravies, mashed potatoes, rice, etc into a plastic tupperware in the freezer. When its full, you dump it all in a pot, add some chicken stock, seasoning, maybe some pasta, canned tomatoes or beans...and voila! Yummy soup! Eat with some good crusty bread and butter.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Carnation Café, Disneyland (from Delicious Disney)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy cream

Optional Garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses

Directions:

In a 6 – 8 quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
Remove bacon and drain on paper towels (reserve half for garnish). In the bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly over low heat about 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Add stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. The soup should have a creamy consistency. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings, if desired.

~Soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.

Cranberry Chicken

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 can whole cranberries

1 Lipton onion soup packet

1 cup Catalina Dressing

Directions:

Combine ingredients over chicken in baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over white rice.

~this recipe doesn't seem spectacular, buts its really good, kid friendly, and easy to make! Its also a nice change to the chicken/cream of...soup/rice recipes!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Squares

Ingredients:

Crust:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix - minus 1 cup
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg

Filling:
1 lb. can pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk

Topping:
1 cup cake mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

Directions:

Grease 9x13 glass cake pan. After taking out 1 cup cake mix for topping, combine remaining cake mix, butter and egg. Press in bottom of pan. Prepare filling, mix until smooth, pour over crust. For topping, combine ingredients and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut in squares and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

~another recipe from my cousin Kimi! We had it for dessert tonight and it was fabulous!
~Bethany S.

Pumpkin Pancakes

~My cousin Kimi tried these out and her family raved about them so she passed it on to me! Its from Martha Stewart's website. We ate them this morning and they were soooooo good. Canned pumpkin is getting its own spot in our year supply now!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 TBS sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp each cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

a pinch of ground cloves

1 cup milk

6 TBS canned pumpkin puree

2 TBS melted butter

1 egg

Directions:

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt, nutmeg, and ground cloves. In a separate bowl, stir together milk, canned pumpkin puree, melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium-low heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup. Makes 8.

~This recipe was barely enough to feed all 4 of us, so I'll be doubling it next time and freezing any leftovers for the next morning!

~Bethany S.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This cake is RICH and super yummy. I use the PB frosting to go between the cake layers, and thee dark chocolate frosting to go on the outside. Goes great with homemade vanilla ice cream to balance it out!

Dark Chocolate Cake:

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Place sugar, cocoa, and salt in large bowl. Pour in oil (do not mix). Place baking soda in medium bowl; stir in 1 1/2 cups hot water (mixture will bubble up). Add baking soda mixture to cocoa mixture and, using electric mixer, beat until cool, about 1 minute. Beat in flour, then eggs and vanilla. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Dark Chocolate Frosting:

2 2/3 cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
6 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon milk -- more if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine powdered sugar and cocoa in bowl. Cream butter with 1/2 cup of the cocoa mixture in another bowl. Alternately add remaining cocoa mixture and milk; beat to spreading consistency. Stir in vanilla.

~Bethany S.

Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

Whats a Mormon recipe blog without Jello Salad? :p I never ate this stuff because I thought it looked (and sounded) gross...until I was pregnant with Evie, then I ate it every single week because its soooooo good! Perfect for summer!

Orange Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

1 container Cool Whip, 8oz
1 container cottage cheese, 12oz
1 small box orange flavored jello, 3oz
1 can mandarin oranges, 11oz, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional for some, necessary for me!)
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

Scoop cool whip into your serving bowl, gently fold in cottage cheese, dry jello powder, nuts, and mini mallows. For best consistency, refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Variations:
Strawberry- use sliced strawberries and strawberry jello (salad will be pink!)
Pineapple- use crushed pineapple, drained and pina colada jello (salad will be white!)

~ Bethany S.

Karma’s Spinach Salad

Karma’s Spinach Salad

Salad:
1 pkg. spinach
1 pkg. spring mix greens
Sugared almonds Craisins
Sliced strawberries
Red onion (how much you use depends on strength of onion, usually about ½)

Dressing:
½ c. lemon juice
½ c. sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Do not mix before you are ready to serve and only as much as you will need because strawberries and dressing will wilt spinach. All ingredients will keep if not mixed. Makes 12 servings.

Sugared Almonds:
slivered almonds (or walnuts etc)
1-2 cups sugar
About 1/8-1/4 c. water
Dash of cinnamon

Mix water and sugar in skillet. Add almonds and continue to stir mixture until sugar makes a syrup and water evaporates. When water evaporates turn almonds onto wax paper on cookie sheet to dry and crisp up. Sugared almonds will keep in a Ziploc bag so you can make a big batch and use some later on.

(This recipe is SO good, like Bridal/Baby Shower good!)

~Bethany S.

Brazillian Pancakes

-These are way yummy & easy. They're not quite as thin as crepes, but not as thick as regular pancakes either.

2 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt

Whisk all ingredients together. Pour circles onto buttered frying pan on medium-med. high heat (just like regular pancakes). Swirl the pan a little so the batter goes into a big flat circle. Serve warm with butter & cinnamon sugar, or whipped cream and fresh chopped fruit. Awe and inspire your houseguests with hardly any effort at all!

**easiest way to make "crepes"- no special pan needed! (by: Bethany S.)

Brazillian Black Beans

-This is what Andre pretty much grew up on, his mom makes it all the time! (She is native Brazillian!) Its cheap, easy, flexible, and uses food storage (yay!)

black beans (dry or canned)
1 onion, chopped
1 sausage, sliced & cut into quarters (just to clarify: like deli sausage, not breakfast sausage)

Cook the above together. Depending on how much time we have we'll either cook dry beans in the pressure cooker (1-2 hours) or the crock pot (for Sunday Dinner). Or if I'm using canned beans I just do it on the stovetop or in the microwave (quick weeknight dinner). In that case I dont put sausage in it, and will just cook whatever kind of meat we have on hand separately & put the strips on top. (or sometimes we dont even have meat with it). Sometimes I add cumin, garlic salt, and/or lime juice to it, but you don't have to.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

1 cucumber, sliced & quartered
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
olive oil
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar

Mix cucumbers & tomatoes in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper it liberally. Serve with black beans and rice- we layer it all and eat it together. Mmmmmm! (by: Bethany S.)

*Andre's family also eats it with a fried, sunny-side-up egg on top. But I think thats kind of weird, and I usually don't have the time to do it or I forget. So I usually leave it out unless I'm trying to really impress him, haha. :) I do admit though, it does taste okay/pretty good. And its a good source of protein.

Broiled Tex Mex w/ black beans & rice

steak strips
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Toss and coat steak in olive oil, sprinkle on seasoned mixture. Broil under top rack in oven, on foil covered baking sheet. Turn once. Broil until fully cooked and browned. (sometimes I just cook it in a frying pan on the stove)

Serve over rice and black beans. I thought the spices might be too spicy/hot for my kids, but they love it!

Avocado and Tomato Salad

3/4 cup quartered grape or cherry tomatoes
1 med. avocado, diced
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt

Gently mix ingredients in a bowl. Serve with Broiled Tex Mex recipe above. This is also yummy with tortilla chips! (by: Bethany S.)

Basil Chicken in Coconut-Curry Sauce

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 cup red onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced (I only do 1 clove, but I am scared of using too much garlic!)
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (14oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp fresh basil, snipped
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

3 cups hot cooked rice (I use Jasmine rice)

Cut chicken into 1" pieces & put in large Ziploc bag. Dump spices & olive oil in bag & moosh till all the chicken is coated. Chill for 1 hour. While that marinates throw the onion, jalapenos, & garlic in the food processor, set aside. Snip the basil, grate the ginger & set aside. Start cooking your rice.

In a large nonstick wok or skillet, cook and stir onion, garlic and jalapeno peppers in hot olive oil over med high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken to skillet; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. (add more oil if necessary.) Pour coconut milk in and add cornstarch. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated thru. Serve over hot jasmine rice with naan on the side. Die and go to heaven b/c its so amazingly good!!! (even my kids eat it!!!) (by Bethany S.)

-This recipe freezes really well, too, so I usually make 2-3 batches at one time.