Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

These are the measurements that easily feed my family of seven....this recipe could easily be halved if needed.

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

2  cup finely chopped carrot

2 cups celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

2 Tablespoon minced garlic

8 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 Tablespoon flour

1 cup water

1 1/3 cup milk

4 cups chopped broccoli

4 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Recipe  From luluthebaker.blogspot.com

Homemade Cheese Crackers

1½ cups (6 oz) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
¾ cup flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Put everything except the milk in a food processor. Pulse the processor, 5 seconds at a time, for about 5 or 6 times, until the dough is in coarse crumbs.
3. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.
4. Roll the dough out on a floured board with a rolling pin that has been floured until it is about 1/8 inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. You can put a bit of flour on the blade of the knife to keep it from sticking. Use a toothpick or skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.
6. Place the crackers at least ¼ inch apart on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
7. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Put the baking sheet on a rack and let the crackers cool completely.
9. Eat! Or store in a covered container or ziploc to eat within a few days.

Notes:

• Substitute other cheeses for the cheddar for a different snack every time! I've used swiss (Jarlsberg seems to work best) and colby jack, both with great results!

Salad-In-A-Jar:

This is more of a technique vs a real recipe, but it really helps keep your lettuce fresh longer.

1 Head (or bag) of lettuce
12 oz. to 16 oz. mason jars (depending on how large you like your salad, or if you like to share!)
Paper towels or paper napkins
Salad toppings of your choice

1. Wash jars and set them out to dry
2. Wash and chop head of lettuce
3. Stuff jars with lettuce (the fuller, the better)
4. Dampen a paper towel and fold it up small enough to fit into the mouth of the jar.
5. Lay paper towel over the top of lettuce and secure lid.
6. Turn upside down and store in the fridge for up to a month!!
7. When you're ready to eat, throw out the paper towel and prep as you like!

Notes:

• If you have enough space in your jars you can top your salad while still in the jar and have an easy lunch to-go, or great solution to salad at parties!

Bird's Nest Breakfast Cups:

1 24 oz. bag of shredded hash browns
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tbs oil (I use olive oil)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
Bacon bits or 8=10 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled
Eggs
Extra shredded cheddar
Muffin tin

1. Take your bag of hash browns and mix in the salt, pepper, oil and 1/3 cup shredded cheese.
2. Divide amongst the cups in your muffin tin, making sure to grease tin beforehand.
3. Bake hash browns at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until toasty.
4. Once they're finished, take them out and lower the temp of the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Crack an egg into each of the cups
6. Top with bacon and a sprinkle of extra cheese
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes (or until the eggs are as firm as you like them).
8. Slide a knife along the edges to remove from pan when cooled.

Notes:

• I like to break the yolks in my eggs a bit once I put them into the hash brown cups
• When I cheat on these, I use the Oscar Meyer Bacon pieces found in the "salad dressing" section of the grocery store. They're the closest thing to fresh bacon I can find, and all-natural. :)
• You can also experiment with ham, sausage, and veggies to make them your own!

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Just a twist on a classic

Ingredients:
Butter
Bread
Cheese slices (we like mozzarella and/or cheddar)
pizza sauce
mini pepperonis

Take 2 pieces of bread, butter the outer side of each.  On inside of sandwich spread bread with pizza sauce, then layer with cheese slice and mini pepperonis.  Cook until cheese is melted and outside of sandwich is golden brown.

This meal is quick, easy, and a kid favorite.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Ingredients

Tip: You can freeze the baked puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag. To reheat, bake the frozen puffs on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 4 ounces cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
• 4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees . Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 tablespoon basil. Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil. Serve the puffs and red pepper slices with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Mom's Soft Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk ( or 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp vinegar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
about 6 cups flour (start low and add until you have your desired consistency)

Bake at 350 degrees until done.


Frosting

1lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 Tbs butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/3 to 1/2 cup canned milk

Mix well.