Baked Potato Soup

I made this soup tonight and let me tell you, it was delish. There is nothing better than hot soup on an icy night.

Ingredients:

5 large baking potatoes
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
1 {8 ounce} package shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 {3 ounce} package real bacon bits {i just fry up my own bacon}
1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped, divided
1 {8 ounce} carton sour cream

Directions:

Cook potatoes in the microwave or bake 1 hour at 400 degrees. Cut potatoes lengthwise, scoop out flesh and save. Discard potato shells.

Melt butter in large soup pot over low heat, add flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir in potatoes, half of the cheese, bacon, 2 tablespoons green onions and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until hot, but do not boil.

Stir in sour cream and cook until just hot. Spoon into soup bowls and sprinkle with remaining cheese and green onions over each serving.

When making this recipe for 2-3 people I half it. I served my soup with popovers...recipe coming soon! Enjoy!

Salsa or Pico de Gallo

So in my little family we LOVE to eat homemade salsa. So much that we go every Friday in the summer to the farmers market to get the ingredients. We are always so sad when October 31st comes and we have to buy the ingredients at the regular grocery store. We still make it though every week. My kids love it everyday. They eat omelets with fresh salsa every morning and chips and salsa for an after school snack.

I don't really have a recipe... we make up as we go. Steve actually makes up a better batch than me but his is always a bit hotter.

INGREDIENTS:

Onion (red and yellow)

Tomatoes (we like roma best & sometimes throw in another brand for the juice)

Peppers (jalapeno, habanero, anaheim & chili) whatever looks exciting

cilantro

garlic salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

fresh limes (sometimes if I don't have limes I cheat and use bottled lime juice)

Dice everything up and stir together - Try it a couple of times with tortilla chips before serving.

It turns out a little different every time. We just keep adding ingredients until it looks and tastes great.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

When I want something good and cheesy, I make this. I can make it a lot healthier than it would be if I got pizza anywhere else, and it's delicious!

 Ingredients:

Chicken

BBQ Sauce

(Sweet Baby Ray's)

Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Basil

Garlic Salt

Jalepeno

Onion

Thin Wheat Pizza Crust

This is super quick and super good.

First start cooking the chicken. Cook it in a pan drenched in BBQ sauce with diced onion and jalapeno. Take it out when it's almost cooked.

Cover the wheat pizza crust with BBQ sauce, then add the BBQ chicken. Cover lightly with mozzarella and shaved Parmesan or other white cheese. Then lightly sprinkle on garlic salt and Basil.

Throw it in the oven, and make sure that it doesn't burn!

Breadsticks

Yummy Breadsticks

Breadsticks

2 cups warm water

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 teas. salt

4+ cups flour

Combine water, yeast and sugar first and let sit for 2 min. Add salt and flour. Mix well. Preheat oven to 375. Let dough stand for 10-15 min. Roll out to size of large cookie sheet. Melt ¼ c. butter in cookie sheet in preheating oven. Lay down prepared dough onto cookie sheet. Spread ¼ c. melted butter on top and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Cut dough into breadsticks with pizza cutter.

Bake on 375 for 15-20 min. until golden edges.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

Leave it to me to post something unhealthy!! Make any changes you want and let me know how it works out and what you do!

1/2 cup onion, minced

2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

3 cups chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup whole milk

1. Saute onion in butter until tender. Add flour and stir.

2. Slowly add broth. With whisk stir in pumpkin, brown sugar, salt and pepper until smooth.

3. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

4. Stir in milk and cook until heated through.

5. Serve with roasted pumpkin seeds.

Makes 5 cups

{from the I Do Cookbook for the Bride&Groom}

Zuppa Toscana Soup

Have you ever had this soup from Olive Garden? Delicious. This homemade version is just as tasty.

Ingredients:

1 lb. italian sausage {spicy if you like it with a little kick} - crumbled

1/2 lb. smoked bacon - chopped {optional, i never add this...}

1 qt. water

2 14.5 oz. cans {about 3 2/3 cups} chicken broth

2 large russet potatoes - scrubbed clean and cubed {I love lots of potatoes so I always add extra}

2 garlic cloves - peeled and crushed

1 medium onion - peeled and chopped

2 cups chopped kale OR swiss chard {you can also use spinach, tastes the same}

1 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain and set aside. In a skillet over medium-high heat brown bacon; drain and set aside. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

I love this soup. It is perfect for the the winter months! Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I got this recipe on allrecipes.com when I was looking for a whole wheat pizza crust. It was delicious.

Making a round pizza crust was rather difficult so while it didn't look perfect, it tasted really good!

Ingredients:

1 tsp white sugar

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

1 Tbls active dry yeast

1 Tbls olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or use all wheat flour like I did)

Step 1: In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. 

Step 2: Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 

Step 3: When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled. 

Step 4: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll a ball of dough with rolling pin until you can't any more. Drape over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle is the size you'd like it, place it on a well oiled pizza pan. You can then top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables. 

Step 5: Bake for about 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges. Be careful because the toppings cook much faster than the crust so it may be a good idea to cook the crust a little before you top it with ingredients so that you don't burn everything.