Cream of Spinach Soup

I was recently looking for a good spinach soup recipe and was unimpressed by what I found. I felt I could do better, and came up with this recipe:

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 pound fresh spinach

3 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half-and-half

(or cream or milk, depending on how rich you're feeling...)

In a pot, saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions begin to soften. Add spinach (don't worry, it will cook down!), and about a cup of the chicken stock. Cover the pot with a lid and stir periodically, wilting the spinach. When spinach has cooked down, add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until spinach is soft.

In a saucepan, melt the butter, and then whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly mix in the half-and-half until smooth.

Pour the half-and-half mixture into the pot with the spinach mixture, and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. For a really smooth product, run an immersion blender through the soup before serving.

Guys, I don't mean to brag, but this stuff is pretty awesome. It even got the coveted Ellie endorsement. She very enthusiastically slurped up her "green soup."

Easy Apple Cider

So easy to make and so perfect for this weather! We've had this a lot around our house lately. (Recipe originally from allrecipes.com)

1 (64 oz) bottle apple cider

3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon whole allspice

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine cider, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a crockpot or in a pan on the stove. Tie allspice and cloves in a piece of cheesecloth and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to keep warm.

And listen to the former barista on this one--top with whipped cream. Seriously, it tastes like apple pie!

Homemade Marshmallows

Sorry for the really mediocre photograph. It really doesn't do these justice. I got my friend Meghan to try this recipe out for me on her food blog a few months ago, and I finally made them myself a couple of weeks ago. So much fun! This was sure to be just the first installment of homemade marshmallows over the holiday season!

• 3 packets unflavored gelatin
• 1 cup ice water, divided
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Nonstick cooking spray

1. Pour gelatin into bowl of a stand mixer and add 1/2 of the ice water. Stir gently to combine and then set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, mix the remaining 1/2 cup ice water, corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until mixture comes to 245 degrees. This takes about 20 minutes, so stir periodically and watch the temperature.

3. When mixture reaches 245 degrees, remove from heat and slowly pour it into your gelatin mixture while mixer is on low speed.

4. When all of the sugar mixture is incorporated, turn mixer up to medium high and whip for 12-15 more minutes, adding vanilla and any food coloring the last couple minutes of beating.

5. While mixture is beating, combine cornstarch and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Then spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat with the cornstarch mixture. Tap out excess and save it for later.

6. When the marshmallow mixture is done, it should be thick and fluffy and lukewarm. It should be similar to jarred marshmallow fluff in texture. With a spatula, scrape mixture into the prepared pan. It can help to run your spatula under warm water first. Spread the mixture out evenly.

7. Let the mixture sit out in the pan for about an hour, until it develops a dry layer on top. Then, sprinkle the top with the the cornstarch mixture and cover with plastic wrap to sit overnight.

8. When they're ready to cut, just pull the marshmallow sheet out of the pan--it should come right out. Cut the marshmallows into the desired size and shape (I used a pizza cutter and it worked great), then dust with the cornstarch mixture to keep them from sticking. Place in an air-tight container and these will last for a few weeks.

I added orange food coloring to mine, then dipped them in white chocolate and yellow sugar to give them a festive candy-corn feel. They were a delicious, beautiful, sugar overload! One other note: make sure to put your marshmallow dishes in hot water right away or clean-up will be a miserable task!

Rosemary Biscuits

This is a super cheater recipe that will make you look like total gourmand. It's awesome. It's adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe. I say adapted because the original recipe is low-fat everything. If you're shooting for low-fat, I say you have no business eating biscuits. ;)

• 3 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 3/4 cup baking mix (like Bisquick)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

Cut cream cheese into baking mix until crumbly, then stir in milk and rosemary until just moistened. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until incorporated (about 10 times). Like all quick breads, do not over mix or it won't rise! Roll dough into a 6" square, then cut into four 3" squares, then cut in half diagonally.

Place on a pan coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden.

We've already made these twice in the past week. I recommend going heavy on the rosemary, although one of our friends told me this made it smell like a scented soap, haha!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This fabulous recipe comes from Sister Lisa Bezzant, in the cookbook "Our Best Recipes: a Taste of Heaven from Lindon 8th Ward".

Sift together and set aside:

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp cocoa

Beat until well blended:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 cup shredded zucchini

Add dry ingredients; beat until well blended. Stir in 1 bag small chocolate chips. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350* for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on pan size. Makes 2 loaves.

Note: I used a glass bread pan and a silicon one. The glass was still doughy on the center top when the silicon one was done.

Cafe Rio Rip-Off Salad/Burrito

Now that you've got all the recipes you need, here's how to put together your salad or burrito:

• Tortilla
• Grated cheese
• Black beans (I like to warm them on the stove with cumin, garlic, onion, and a little cayenne pepper)
• Rice
• Pork
• Lettuce, shredded (if you're doing the salad)
• Pico de Gallo
• Tomatillo Dressing

Add family. 'Cause it just taste best that way. (Cheesy, I know, but seriously).

Pico de Gallo

I take it back. This is my favorite part of the Cafe Rio equation. I think I quadrupled this for our meal.

3 large tomatoes, diced

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced

1/2 sweet onion, minced

1 green pepper, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup vinegar

salt and pepper

Mix well and refrigerate. Oh so, so good!

Tomatillo Dressing

Very possibly my favorite part of the Cafe Rio equation. I loooove this dressing!

1 pkg ranch dressing mix

3 tomatillos, roughly chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup of chopped cilantro

3 cloves garlic

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp green Tabasco sauce

juice from 1 lime

Dump everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate in an air-tight container.

Barbacoa Pork

This is the first of the Cafe Rio rip-off recipes from the cabin, per request. I can't guarantee it's going to taste as ridiculously awesome as it does at the cabin, but hey, it's sure worth a try!

5-6 lb pork roast

20 oz Dr. Pepper

3/4 cup white sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

7 oz. can chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (we used three chilies and all the sauce)

6 oz. red taco sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Place roast in crockpot and cover halfway with water, then cook on low until soft. (Or throw it in a dutch oven on 300 degrees for a few hours if you're winging it at the cabin...) Drain off the liquid (we left a little of it in), then mix in remaining ingredients until sugar dissolves. Continue to cook the pork until it's fork-shredding-soft. Shred the pork, then add it back into the sauce. Mm mmm mm!

Holiday Chicken Salad

This is the chicken salad from our beach trip to Stanley Lake. My only real modifications from the original allrecipes version were adding dried blueberries and using a red bell pepper instead of green. Enjoy!

4 cups cubed chicken breast

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon paprika

1.5 cups dried cranberries

1 cup chopped celery

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup minced bell pepper

1 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

pepper to taste

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, paprika, seasoning salt, and pepper. Mix remaining ingredients, then fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Chill for an hour before serving. Ellie thinks this is best eaten with wheat thins on a blanket as part of a "picnic."

Grandma Jo's Frappe

[fra-pey; Fr. fra-pey] adjective, verb, –noun
1. a fruit juice mixture frozen to a mush, to be served as a dessert, appetizer, or relish.

My first memories of this deliciousness came from my early childhood. Mom (aka Grandma Jo) would serve this goodness in her pretty blue, stemmed glasses. It was usually reserved for special events and equally special guests. Don't let its ease distract you from its yummy possibilities. We have enjoyed it for many summers.

1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 gallon pineapple sherbet (64 ounces)
2 diced bananas
optional: mini marshmallows or pecans

Slightly thaw the sherbet in a large mixing bowl. (I like to cut the sherbet out of the cardboard container and slice it into about 8 pieces to thaw more quickly and uniformly.) When the sherbet is malleable, add the raspberries and bananas. Use a large spoon to incorporate the mixture well. Spoon mixture into serving size dishes if it is to be served the same day. Maintain in the freezer until serving time. Garnish with a few perfect berries or mint leaves.
If the frappe is to be served later on, spoon mixture into a plastic container with a tight fitting lid; store in the freezer. Allow to stand at room temperature to thaw slightly for service.
Fresh raspberries will lend a more pink coloring. Frozen raspberries will maintain a more yellow finished product and extend the berry season well. Mom assures me that this is not an exact recipe; it always depended on how many bananas she had on hand
I don't remember ever adding the marshmallows or pecans. If you try it that way, let me know what you think!

BYU Mint Brownies

I affectionately call these Toothpaste Brownies. But because I am terribly outnumbered, this is for all of you who attend BYU Education Week. This recipe has been shamelessly borrowed from the BYU Magazine, http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=1373 (photo by Bradley Slade).

1 c. margarine

1/2 c. cocoa

2 Tbsp. honey

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped walnuts

12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting. You can also search the Internet for chocolate icing recipes.)

MINT ICING

5 Tbsp. margarine

dash of salt

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. light corn syrup

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. mint extract

1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt margarine and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften margarine. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing.

Bean Salad

This is a family summer favorite. I especially like to take this salad to picnics because I don't have to be concerned with mayonnaise getting too warm. It is best assembled the night before to allow the vegetables to marinate.

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or less sugar
choice of seasonings, depending on what's ready in the garden: oregano, thyme, chives, mixed seasonings

Salad:
2 cans of sliced green beans, drained
1 can yellow wax beans, drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Gently combine the vegetables in a large bowl. Stir together the dressing with a whisk and pour over the salad. Cover and refrigerate to allow the flavors to meld. It's always better the second day.

Green Smoothie #1

This is a delicious and easy way to get those elusive green vegetables in the diet. Children especially love this drink by some of its nicknames: dinosaur drink, lizard juice, power boost...what name can you give it? Yes, it really does taste great!

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 cups apple juice

2 handfuls raw spinach leaves and stems

1 TB ground flax seed

Put all ingredients into the blender (I favor the vitamix) and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

This drink is also good without the ground flax seed; but it will be bubbly and full of air.

Another variation that we enjoy is to substitute blueberries for the strawberries. It will make a much darker drink, but equally delicious.

Try adding different juices, greens or fruit until you can find your perfect combination.

Blendtec Recipes

I have had a request to post some of the smoothie recipes from our new blendtec recipe book. Here is the link for the entire book online! All of the smoothies we have tried have been excellent. I've also like a couple of their soup recipes. ENJOY!

Elephant Ears (Palmiers)

This delicious French cookie comes from Ina Garten's French cookbook, Barefoot In Paris, and could not be more simple! They're actually supposed to come out much rounder, but for some reason mine fell. I kind of liked it though. They made adorable little hearts.

• 2 cups sugar*
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 sheets Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, defrosted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine sugar and salt, then pour 1 cup of mixture onto flat surface. Unfold first pastry sheet onto sugar and pour 1/2 cup of sugar mixture on top, spreading evenly. With a rolling pin, lightly roll dough until it's a 13" square and sugar is pressed in on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center, but only halfway to the middle. Then fold them again so that those folds meet exactly in the middle of the dough. Then fold one half on top of the other, like you're closing a book. There will be 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8" slices and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat process with the second sheet of pastry. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left). Slice and arrange on baking sheet with parchment.

Bake cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3-5 minutes, until caramalized on the other side. Transfer to baking rack to cool.

*I only used half the sugar it called for and it was more than enough!

Sweet Creamed Corn

This is a delicious accompaniment I came up with for all of Scott's smoked meats. It was inspired by The Smoking Apple's sweet butter corn. (Also inspired by Robert Irvine's recipe for Creamed Corn).

Warning: consuming too much of this will kill you. It would be difficult to make a vegetable any worse for your health than this corn. That being said, you would die very happily.

6 ears/servings of corn (I cheated and used frozen since it's April)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 Tablespoon salt

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons butter

If frozen, cook corn according to directions on package, then strain off any additional liquid. If using fresh, husk the ears, place in a pot with enough water to cover the corn, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes before removing the corn to cool, then cut the kernals off.

While corn is cooking, add the cream to a saucepan and reduce by 1/3 over low heat. Remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk in salt and sugar, then fold in the corn before serving. Serve warm.

Honey Lemon Dressing

I'm repenting of my food blog negligence! I blame it on the lack of camera right now. Recipes are just so much better with pictures!

Anyway, I had some extra lemons on hand and wanted to make salad dressing with them. This is kind of a culmination of a few different recipes online:

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 Tablespoon honey

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Really simple and it has a bright, fresh flavor to it. It'd totally rock with some fresh herbs like thyme or basil in it too!

Hearty Black Bean Soup

1 cup tomato salsa
2 (15 ½ oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream, optional

Heat the salsa in a large saucepan for about 5 minutes. Add beans and broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes.
Let the soup cool slightly, then ladle half of it into a food processor or blender and puree it. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro and heat the mixture through. Serve the soup warm, topped with sour cream. Serves 4.
This recipe is also very successful using dry beans. Simply sort, rinse and soak the beans overnight. Cook the beans until tender before adding the remaining ingredients.

Ham and Bean Soup

3 cups dry pinto beans
Ham bone
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bay leaf, dry
Salt and pepper to taste

Sort and rinse beans; soak them in a generous amount of water overnight. Next morning, rinse beans once more and add fresh hot water to cover several inches above the surface of the beans. This will be the broth, so add as much as desired. Add ham bone, onion, and bay leaf to the pan. Cover and cook on medium-high until beans are very tender—this could be anywhere from 2-8 hours, depending on how old the beans are. Remove from heat. Remove ham bone from the pan and slice any good meat on the bone to return to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf just before service. If a thicker soup is desired, puree with a stick blender.

Southwestern Pinto Beans

1 pound dry pinto beans
½ lb bacon, chopped
2 cups chopped onion
3 minced garlic cloves
¼ tsp pepper
1 quart tomatoes + juice
2-3 Tbsp chili powder
½ tsp oregano leaves
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cumin

Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Cover with water and simmer for 3-4 hours or until tender. In large skillet, crisp bacon, onion, and garlic. Do not drain. Add bacon mixture, tomato sauce, and spices to beans. Stir well. Simmer, uncovered, for an additional 20-30 minutes

Cowboy Beans

1-2 pounds ground beef
1 large yellow onion, chopped
left-over cooked beans: pinto, black, white
1 or 2 cans of pork and beans
ketchup
mustard

Brown 1-2 pounds of ground beef in a large fry pan. Drain fat and add one chopped, yellow onion, cooking until translucent. Add to the pan any drained, left-over beans from previous meals. (Pinto, black, pink, great northern all work well.) Stir in one or two cans of pork ‘n beans. Add ketchup and mustard to taste. Heat through and serve. Children love it because this is what cowboys eat! Husbands love it because its hardy and filling.

Bean Dip

3/4 cup of dried pinto beans (about 2 cups cooked)
water
1/2 tsp salt
juice of half a lemon
1 TB mayonnaise
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse beans the next day and cover with water again. Cook on medium-low heat until tender. Drain beans and reserve liquid. Place the cooked beans and remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding reserved liquid until desired thickness is achieved. Garnish with fresh green onions or chives. Serve with vegetables and corn chips.

Pinto Bean Fudge

I know, I know. It doesn't sound great. But it is a creamy, delicious fudge that never has a grainy texture. It tastes like chocolate, not beans! Check out the other options for utilizing dry beans here.
1 cup cooked pinto beans, drained
1 TB vanilla extract
6 TB unsweetened baking chocolate
6 TB butter
2 pounds powdered confectioner sugar

Puree 1 cup of soft, cooked pinto beans with a dash of milk to reach the consistency of mashed potatoes. Make sure they are smooth. Add 1 TB of vanilla to the bean mixture.

In a double boiler, melt
6 TB unsweetened baking chocolate and 6 TB of butter.

Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the beans and stir until slightly thickened.

Work in 2 pounds of powdered confectioner sugar.
Knead the mixture until smooth and spread into a 9x13 buttered baking dish. Refrigerate.

Knead mixture until smooth texture is achieved.

Spread new fudge into a buttered dish and chill until set.
It can then be cut into bite-sized pieces.
Set into paper candy cups to serve.

Beans for Butter

Dry beans can be used as a fat substitute in most baking. I have successfully used black beans, pinto beans, white beans and pink beans. My latest attempt was making black bean brownies. "You can't tell there are beans in here" was just what I wanted to hear. I simply replaced the oil and butter straight across, in equal amounts, with a smooth black bean puree. Here are some great guidelines. Try it out!
Use cooked beans (either from a can or beans that you've soaked and cooked) and puree them in a blender. Liquid may be added to adjust the consistency. Puree the cooked beans until they reach the consistency of mashed potatoes or shortening. Use 1 cup of pureed beans for 1 cup of butter oil or margarine.
Using these pureed beans will give your baked goods a more cake-like texture. Cookies will never become crisp. They will, however, be moist and delicious, even after freezing them.
Another method is to use dry bean flour. (Best to use light-colored beans for this!) Grind the beans in a wheat grinder to achieve a fine flour. When you need "cooked beans" in a recipe, add 1 cup of bean flour to 2 cups of boiling water, whisking to incorporate. Simmer 5 minutes, covered. This is make a very smooth bean mixture, ready to use in baking.
Bean flour can also be used in baked goods as part of the wheat flour. This is great protein complementing in breads. Replace up to 25% of the wheat flour with bean flour within a recipe. Dry bean flour has a shelf life of 6 months without refrigeration.
Dry Bean Arithmetic
1 pound package= 2 cups dry beans= 5-6 cups cooked beans, drained
1 cup of dry beans=2 1/2-3 cups cooked beans, drained
1 can(15 1/2 ounces) beans= 1 generous cup of cooked beans
1 pound dry beans= 5 cups dry bean flour

Creamy Almond-Rice Cooler (Horchata)

Tried out this recipe from Rick Bayless. Yum! Although if anyone comes up with a better way of straining it, please share! This was rather tedious and messy. "Dregs" doesn't do justice to the stuff you strain off, which was closer to a rice clay.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups rice
• 2 inch cinnamon stick
• water
• 1 cup milk or canned evaporated milk
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar
• ice

Directions:

1. Soak the rice and cinnamon stick in 2 1/2 cups of water overnight.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick and put the mixture into a blender. Blend several minutes, until a drop rubbed between your fingers no longer feels very gritty. Add two more cups of water (if it'll fit - mine couldn't do it all at this point, so I just added it later on) and blend another minute. Strain the mixture through dampened cheesecloth over a colander set inside of a bowl. Stir it to help it through, or let it gravity feed about 20 minutes. Squeeze the dregs to get out all the liquid.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and the cup of milk. Stir in enough sugar to sweeten to your taste. Refrigerate to chill and add ice.

Variation - in step three, cut the water down to 1/2 cup and add a 14 ounce can of coconut milk. (Rick Bayless recommends using 3 cups of the coconut style horchata mixed with 2 cups of pineapple, 2 cups rum, and 2 cups of ice cubes for a new style of pina colada. Wow.) He also says you can also use a bit of lime zest in place of the cinnamon.

Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

What can I say about this recipe? It's absolutely delicious - real veggies, parmesan cheese, dairy all mixed together. Fantastically easy - mostly cooks all day in a crockpot. It's my new winter favorite! You've GOT to try it! (This recipe comes from "365 Days of Slow Cooking")

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil (if using fresh oregano and basil, if using dried oregano and basil add it in the last hour of cooktime), and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. About an hour before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour until ready to serve.

*Note - used the pregrated powdery parmesan the first time. Not bad, just kind of a grainy texture. Used the real stuff the second time - wow!
** I like to use my stick blender and puree the veggies before adding it to the roux. Just makes a velvety soup. Then Jeremiah will eat it. :)

Stovetop Granola

This recipe is for Jenny! I'm pretty sure this is the one I used to make your birthday jar...pretty sure. Umm, at least it looks like it. :) I know I added more oats than it calls for, 'cause I like my granola that way. And I like pecans over almonds if I have the choice. (This comes from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats then cook and stir until starting to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool.

2. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Pour out onto the cookie sheet and spread to cool.

3. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container and stir in the almonds and dried cranberries. Any additional nuts and fruit can be stirred in at this time also.

White Chicken Chili with Lime

I saw Kim's post on her wonderful White Chicken Chili and wanted to add this Betty Crocker's white chili recipe. We do frequently because it is so good!

1 tbs vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups chicken broth

2 tbs chopped fresh cilantro or 1/2 tsp ground coriander

2 tbs lime juice (I usually use a lot more if I do not use fresh limes)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp red pepper sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 11 oz can corn (the recipe calls for white but I have always used golden and it works fine)

1 can great northern beans

1 can butter beans

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1. cook onions and garlic in oil.

2. Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Stir in chicken.

3. Top with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, chopped green onions, diced tomatoes, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, or sour cream!