Tomato Bisque . . .

2 Large Cloves Garlic, minced (I use bottled minced garlic – 1 Tablespoon)

2 onions (can use frozen for a shortcut)

4 Tablespoons Butter

1 - 28oz Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 – 46oz Can of Tomato Juice

4 – Bay Leaves

1 – 8oz Package of Cream Cheese - softened

1 – Pint of Heavy Cream (you may also use light cream)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Lemon Juice (I use ½ of fresh lemon)

Saute’ onion and garlic in butter until soft. Add tomatoes, tomato juice and bay leaves. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaves from soup. Put two cups of soup in blender with the cream cheese and puree’. Add cream cheese mixture to soup. Add heavy cream and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. May be served hot or cold. You can also add cooked shrimp, lobster or crabmeat.

Famous Dumplings in pictures . . .

Mix together:

5 cups flour
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of broth
1 tsp garlic
1/2 Tspn Baking Powder
salt and pepper

While you are preparing dumpling dough, put some chicken stock on to boil. I used chicken breast that I have boiled and shredded, but sometimes the family just wants dumplings with no chicken.

Mommy's little helper

Flour the counter and roll out mixed dough (dough will be thick and springy)

Cut into long strips with pizza cutter lengthwise and then crosswise to make
strips about 1 inch by 3 inches.

Gather them up in a big wad. They will come apart in the boiling stock.

Drop in boiling broth - they will cook through in about 3 minutes.

They plump when you cook 'em.

Enjoy!

Mmmmm!

(crossed posted on my regular blog)

Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Dip . . .

2 blocks cream cheese (softened)
2 c. Mayo
Garlic powder
Onion powder

-blend above together til smooth

Add 1 jar of sundried tomatoes (chopped)
Add 1/2 jar roasted red pepper
Stir into Cr cheese mixture

Stir in:
2 cups italian cheese blend
2 cups mozzarella
3/4 c shredded parmesan

Baked in a greased pan about  30 min. @ 350

Easy Peas-y Tuna Casserole . . .

1 package egg noodles - cooked
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen peas
2 cans drained tuna
1 can drained mushrooms
2 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix together in casserole dish

Bake 15-20 minnutes at 400 degrees

Top with 2 cups shredded cheese and c rushed chips and bake for 5 minutes more to melt cheese.

Broccoli Salad . . .

2 bunches of broccoli
1 lb of bacon crumbled
1 cup red grapes (or I prefer raisins)
1 small size red onion chopped
1/2 c sunflower seeds

Chop and mix

Dressing:

1 cup Mayo
1/4 cup sugar
squeeze of lemon juice

Stir together and stir into salad.

Pizza Poppers . . .

Your kids will LOVE this.

1can of buttermilk biscuits
pasta sauce
pepporoni slices
string cheese cut into small chunks

Sesame seeds
Oregano

Flatten biscuit and spoon on 1/2 tsp of sauce.
Add pepperoni and chunk of string cheese
Pinch together and roll to make ball
Roll ball in sesame seed and oregano mixture

Place popper on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees 12-14 minutes until golden.

Oriental Slaw . . .

1 head cabbage thinly sliced
5 green onions chopped
2 pkg ramen noodles
4 ounces sliced almonds

Saute noodles and almonds in 2-3 tsp oil and let cool

Mix together:
1 cup light oil
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce

Add to cabbage and other ingredients, toss and chill

Lemon Poppy Seed cookies . . .

From Lisa over at Life in the Grateful House

Martha White Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Mix
2 T Sugar
1/4 C Melted Butter
2 T Milk

Mix well and roll into 1" balls and put on a cookie sheet. Bake 5 -7 minutes until edges are lightly brown @ 350 degrees.
Makes 24 cookies in less than 15 minutes!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese . . .

1 1/2 cup uncooked macaroni noodles (shells, rotini, elbow, anything)
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever)
a few slices of Velveeta
1/4 cup margarine - sliced into pats


Mix all together in 9x13 pan, slat and pepper to preference
Bake at 30 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour
Let sit for 5 minutes to firm up

Mountain Dew Dumplings . . .

2 rolls crescent rolls
1 or 2 Granny Smith apples - thinly sliced
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
Can of Mountain Dew


Unroll 2 cans of crescent rolls

Place one or two slice of apple in each roll and fold up
Place each dumpling with apple in 9x13 baking dish

Melt 2 sticks butter
Add 1 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 t cinnamon
Pour over rolls

Pour Mountain Dew over the whole dish

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes

Portabella Frittata . . .

Rinse and dry a large Portabella mushroom without stem

Season cap with olive oil, minced garlic and pepper
Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes

Finely chop a red pepper and add to 12 eggs and 1 tsp salt. Scramble mixture and pour over heated cap. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes

Dot egg filled cap with asiago cheese and prosciutto and return to oven for 15-20 more minutes.

Shortbread . . . from Little Birdie Secrets . . .

Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Recipe From Little Birdie Secrets

(these are mine with the addition of some pink sqiggles with Wilton melts)

4 cups flour
1 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
1 bag Wilton Candy Melts or similar melting chocolate (we like "light cocoa" flavor)

Cream the butter and sugar with almond extract, then add flour and mix well. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 300 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
(Start checking after about 20 minutes. You want them to be just barely browning
around the edges.) Yields about 3 dozen cookies, depending on size of your cookie cutter.

Allow cookies to cool. Melt chocolate according to package directions. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate and place on wax paper to cool. When you start running low on chocolate, use a spoon to pour chocolate over cookies. Use the back of the spoon to smooth chocolate around until well-covered. Try not to eat too many before you pack them in your tins! They're addictive!

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Stuffed Peppers . . .

1 lb hamburger
1 cup cooked rice
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz)
2 T chopped onions
1 t salt
1/2 t garlic salt

Fry hamburger with onion and drain
add rice, garlic and salt and heat through
Stuff into hollowed peppers and sauce over peppers

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more.

Paula Deen's Breakfast . . .

I never watch Paula Deen, but I did once and this was on. It was a huge hit with my family! Dustin wanted breakfast food for his birthday dinner last year and it was fabulous.

Ultimate Coffee Cake :

• 16 to 18 unbaked frozen dinner rolls
• 1 (3-ounce) package regular butterscotch pudding mix, not instant
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted

The night before place frozen rolls in well greased Bundt pan. Sprinkle dry pudding mix over rolls. Sprinkle brown sugar over pudding mix. Sprinkle chopped pecans over brown sugar. Pour melted butter over all.

To prevent the dough from forming a hard crust while its rising overnight, cover with a damp towel or tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight at room temperature, about 8 to 10 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Turn pan over onto a serving platter to remove. Serve by pulling apart chunks with forks.

Hash Brown Quiche :

• 3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Omelets for a Crowd:

• 6 large eggs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 re-sealable plastic freezer bags

Optional Add Ins :

• Shredded Cheddar
• Crumbled feta
• Shredded mozzarella
• Cooked and crumbled bacon
• Cooked and crumbled sausage
• Diced ham
• Chopped bell peppers
• Chopped spinach
• Diced red onion
• Diced tomatoes
• Sauteed sliced mushrooms
• Sliced black olives

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together eggs, salt, pepper and any of the desired add-ins. Divide and pour the egg mixture into re-sealable plastic bags.

Boil a large pot of water and drop in the sealed omelette bags. Simmer the bags for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bags from the water with tongs and drain them on a paper towel lined plate.

Allow to cool slightly before handling. Open the bags and pour the cooked omelet out onto a plate.

Baked Rice . . .

In 9x13 pan mix:

1 1/3 cup uncooked rice
2 2/3 cup water
2 T butter
1 T salt

Cover with foil and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes

This can used for many things and makes a simple, easy side dish. Buttery, warm and carbilicious!

Puppy Chow . . .

Not a dinner, but I certainly would eat it for dinner! :)

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup margarine

Melt together in microwave
Pour over Rice Chex or Crispex cereal
Shake with 2 cups powdered sugar in gallon baggie

The best nacho dip . . .

Put the following in the crockpot:

1 pound browned and drained hamburger
1 packet of taco seasoning mix
1 medium onion diced
2 can Amour chili NO beans
16 ounces of Velveeta cut into inch cubes

Stir together and heat through in the crockpot for at least 1-2 hours.

This is a pretty big batch and freezes really well if you have leftovers. Heats nicely in microwave for leftovers as well if you add a little water and stir before heating.

Crab Cakes. . .

1 cup boiling water

1 pkg. STOVE TOP Cornbread Stuffing Mix

3 eggs

2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, flaked

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 medium lemon

Add boiling water to stuffing mix; stir just until moistened. Let stand 5 min.

Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Add crabmeat; mix lightly. Add prepared stuffing; mix well. Shape into 6 patties.

Melt butter in large skillet on medium heat.

Cook patties 5 miutes on each side until heated and lightly browned on both sides.

Serve with the lemon wedges.

Homemade Chicken and Dumplings. . .

When Robert and I first got married he wanted me to learn how to make his Mammie's chicken and Dumplings. One time when she stayed with us I had her show me . . .

I used to start out with a whole chicken and boil it for hours, pick the meat off the bones, add more water and bouillon to make the broth and then make the dumplings. Then I realized that my family was only eating the dumplings and broth and leaving the chicken in the bottom of their bowls. I figured all that work for nothing was unnecessary. So here is the short version . . .

I fill a stock pot with chicken broth (I like the organic stuff) and throw in a pound or so of shredded chicken that I boiled in water and shredded with a fork.

While that is boiling, I make my dumplings. Mix:

5 cups flour
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup of broth
1 tsp garlic
1/2 Tspn Baking Powder
salt and pepper

Flour the counter and roll out mixed dough (dough will be thick and springy)
Cut into long strips with pizza cutter lengthwise and then crosswise to make strips about 1 inch by 3 inches.
Throw in boiling broth - they will cook through in about 3 minutes.

Oh my gosh! I have to make that for dinner tonight, just typing it out makes me want it. . .

Dreamy Orange Jello Salad . . .

This one is compliments of JR over at Green Eyed Gurl. Mmmmm there's nothing like jello and cool whip to make me want seconds!

3 c. boiling water
1 sm. pkg. orange Jello
2 pkgs. instant vanilla tapioca pudding
1 can mandarin oranges, cut up & drained
1 (9 oz.) Cool Whip

Mix water, Jello and pudding and put in refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. After an hour, fold in oranges and Cool Whip. Serve in fancy dish.