Zuppa Tuscana Soup

Zuppa Tuscana Soup

1 lbs. Italian Sausage ( I like hot and ground not links)
2 large or 3 medium russet potatoes (sliced in half and then sliced in 1/4 inch slices with skin on.
1 yellow onion chopped
1/4 pkg.chopped bacon
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups kale chopped
1 quart water
2 cans chicken broth ( regular soup can size)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, put cut up bacon, sausage, onion and garlic. brown and drain grease off. Put back in soup pot and add chicken broth , water and potatoes. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are almost done. add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low and add kale and whipping cream cook about 10 minutes. and serve! Makes 8 -10 servings
This soup is so easy and yummy!

Creamy Brussel Sprouts

My family loves brussel sprouts, we usually eat them with butter or vinegar. I found this recipe and it had all the ingredient we liked, so we decided to give it a try! So Yummy!

Creamy Brussels Sprouts
4 slices of peppered bacon
2 lbs. brussel sprouts Trimmed and halved Make sure you cut them in half, I missed that the first time. They are much better halfed.
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3/4 cup whipping cream
cracked pepper
In a 12 inch skillet cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 Tablespoons drippings in skillet.
In the skillet add Brussl sprouts to drippings; cook and stir over medium heat 4 minutes. Add broth, salt,and pepper. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Simmer., covered 5 minutes. Uncover; cook 2-4 minutes or until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add cream. Cook 4 minutes more or until thick.
transfer sprouts to serving dish sprinkle with crumbled bacon and cracked pepper.

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze
adapted by Our Best Bites from Cooking Light
2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt1 C sugar
1/4 C (4 Tbs) real butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large bananas)
1/4 C sour cream or plain yogurt
3 Tbs apple juice or milk*
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C coconutTopping:
2 Tbs additional coconut
Glaze: 1/2 C powdered sugar whisked with 1 1/2 Tbs fresh lime juice*as in: don't go buy apple juice just for this recipe. If you don't already have some, just use milk!Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together and set aside.In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs and beat to combine. Add banana, sour cream or yogurt, apple juice (or milk), and vanilla. Beat until blended.Add flour mixture and beat at a low speed until just combined. Stir in 1/2 C coconut.Pour batter into a 9x5" loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle additional 2 Tbs coconut on top. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until a knife or skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Note: Check bread after about 40 minutes. If the top has browned and the coconut pieces are looking toasty, cover top of bread lightly with a piece of foil. Continue baking until done.When done, remove pan from oven. Let cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Whisk powdered sugar and lime juice together for the glaze and then drizzle over top. Cool for another 15 minutes before slicing.

Pumpkin Pancakes Homemade Apple Butter

2 eggs
1 3/4 cup biscuit mix
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp.nutmeg
In medium mixing bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored and thick. stir in remailning ingredients. Pour batter by Tablespoons onto a hot griddle. Cook until puffy and bubbles begin to break. Turn and cook on the otherside until golden brown. makes 5 dozen 2 inch pancakes.

Apple Butter

1 cup sugar
2 cups crushed (blended) apples (peeled and cored)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
2 cups apple cider (not juice)

You can double or triple (or more) this recipe. I triple it and use two large pans. I have larger pans but you can keep better control by having just two or three batches in each pan.
Place all ingredients in a large heavy bottom pan. Bring to a boil, watching it carefully and stirring occasionally. When the apples mixture starts to bubble turn down to simmer. Continue simmering throughout the day, watching and stirring occasionally. This apple butter is done when you place a small spoonful on a plate and it stays in one place without weeping out on the sides of apple mixture.
When apple butter is thick enough for you, heat it back up to boiling, stirring constantly. This gets it hot enough to bottle. When mixture is hot and bubbly turn off heat and start to dip mixture in cleaned jars, and seal each one tightly.
Now hide them somewhere safe or your family will put this on everything, I have had company put it on their frittata.

Note: I also find that putting this on complete simmer the night before gives me plenty of time to bottle it the next day. It has simmered overnight and by noon I can bottle it. The plus side is waking up to that wonderful apple cinnamon fragrance.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
1 2/3 cup HERSHEY cinnamon chips (Alberstons)
3/4 cup raisins
Heat oven to 350F
beat butter, brown sugar and white sugar,until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla,beat well. Combine flour and baking soda;add to butter mixture,beating well. stir in oats, cinnamon chips and raisins (batter will be stiff)
Drop by heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 -12 minutes cool 1 minute and remove makes 4 dozen.
( I did not use raisins)
This is a great cookie.

Carmel apples

This is so Yummy and easy!!! I got the recipe off real mom's blog.

Caramel apples
1/2 cup butter cubed
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn Syrup
dash of salt
1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
10-12 popsicle sticks
10-12 medium tart apples washed and dried
In a large heavy sauce pan, melt butter;add corn syrup,brown sugar and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil about 10-12 minutes. stir in milk. Remove from heat;stir in vanilla. Insert popsicle sticks into apples. Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture;turn to coat. Set on greased wax paper to cool. Makes 10-12 apples. I had a little caramel left so I butter a small glass pan and put it in there. Yummy Caramel!!! I made them with my Grand babies after we watched conference. In the picture I was holding Grace hand to dip and she said no Grandma HOT!!!

Skillet Bow Tie Lasagna

I go this recipe off Kara's Kreations!! So yummy and fast!!
/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
8oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups dry bowtie pasta
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
Brown meat, onion, and garlic; drain. Add remaining ingredients except cheeses. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or till pasta is tender. Combine cottage cheese and parmesan and drop by spoonfuls over tomato mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and let cook for a couple of minutes till melted.

Notes:
-You can just use a pound of ground beef in place of the sausage if you like.
-If you don't have bow tie pasta, you could use another kind. It may take more or less time to cook, so just check it for done-ness I did just hamburger and I added more Mozzarella cheese to the top!!! This recipe is so easy and fast!! enjoy

Zucchini Patties

This is so yummy, my mom has been giving alot of Zucchini, I have made bread and lemon blueberry cake with the zucchini. My favorite recipe is for Zucchini, this is a new recipe I got off Allrecipes. My family loved it!!! I ate them plain, Bob like it with sour cream & Salsa. They are similar to a potato pancake.
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs beatened
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBLS. vegetable oil
In a medium bowl,combine zucchini,eggs,onion,flour,cheeses,salt & pepper. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop zucchini mixture by heaping Tablespoons, smooth out like pancake,cook a few minutes on each side until golden brown.
ENJOY!!!

Almond Joy Brownies

1 pkg. fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
1 pkg. sweetened flaked coconut
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chunks ( I used a hershey's large milk chocolate bar)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1pkg. sliced natural almonds
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for a cake like brownie. Spread evenly in pan and bake for 16 minutes, do not over bake. Layer coconut and chocolate chunks over brownie base. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over and chocolate chunks. Sprinkle with almonds.
Bake 20-23 minutes or until edges of coconut are deep golden brown and almonds are lightly toasted.

Frosted flakes french toast

French toast

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

beat together in a pie tin.

Then take 2 cups frosted flakes and crush in a ziploc bag, then put in another pie tin.

Place slices of white bread dip in the egg mixture, then into frosted flake mixture.

place on a hot griddle that has been sprayed with pam. Cook until brown on each side.

Use maple syrup or jam for topping. This is so yummy! My mom made this for me when I was young. I made it for my children, and hopefully they will make it for my grandchildren.