Homemade Veggie Soup

I like this recipe. It's easy and you can use whatever you have on hand. It's especially good if you've made a ham and have leftovers.

4 1/2 pounds of whatever vegetables you have on hand.
1/2 pound diced ham
1/2 pound sliced bacon
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, season to taste
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp marjoram
3 crushed garlice cloves

Clean and cut veggies. Place in pot with ham and bacon. Add spices. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer. If you're ham isn't already cooked it'll take about 2 hours, but if it's pre-cooked and you have a good pot it'll be ready in about 30 minutes. I got the recipe out of a 1973 edition of French Cooking. We really like it.

Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls are so good! I made 2 dozen with every intention of giving most of them to neighbors and friends. They were so irresistable that we ate all but 5 of them ourselves. Hope you like them as much as we did!

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup oil
2 cups buttermilk (if you don't have buttermilk just put 2 Tbsp of white vinegar in 2 cups of regular milk and let it sit for 5 minutes then it becomes buttermilk.)

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients. Then add the liquid ingredients and mix to combine. Dough should be quite sticky. Let sit covered in the fridge overnight (about 12 hours.)

To Bake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1/2 cup of butter (1/2 stick). Mix the filling which is 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons cinnamon, 1/8 tsp salt. Then take dough out of fridge and divide in half. Put 1/2 cup flour on the counter and knead half of the dough and roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread half the melted butter on it, then sprinkle with half the filling. Roll the dough towards you, pinch it sealed, then cut in 1 inch pieces. Do the same for the other half of the dough. Place on greased cookie sheets and bake 10-12 minutes. Drizzle with frosting if you want to, but they are great on their own! Enjoy.

Yummy Yummy Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is so easy... I really wanted to make something "nice" for Valentines Day since we weren't going out, so I found this recipe online and it was fast, easy, and delicious. Three things I love! =)

All you need is

-Shake 'n' Bake (I tried original, but it said any flavor would do)

-Chicken Breast

-Thin Sliced Ham

-Swiss Cheese

You can make as much or as little as you want.

First preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then coat chicken with Shake'n'Bake according to box directions. Place a layer of tin foil over your cookie sheet and stick the chicken on it. Put in oven for 15 minutes. Take out of oven and let cool a little until you can slice the chicken in half without burning yourself. :) Then add a thin layer of ham and some swiss cheese to the middle. Put back in the oven for 5 more minutes and Wala, it's ready to eat!

Potato Soup

This is yummy and easy and quick! (I like these kinds of recipes.) =)

Boil 8 C water in big pot

Cut 4 red potatoes into cubes, add to pot (I like to leave the skins on)

-let boil for 10-15 min

Add:

Bear Creek's Creamy Potato soup mix

1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic

sauteed green onion

Let simmer for about 20 ish more min.

If it turns out too thick, add about a cup of water.

Tomato Basil Spinach Quiche

This is really good and really easy. It's especially quick if you don't do a crust. It's great without crust and probably more healthy, but if you like crust (and I do) I've also put a recipe for the pastry.

Filling:
1 Tbsp oil
1 Onion, diced
10 oz. frozen spinach
4 breakfast sausage links
5 eggs, beaten
1 tomato, chopped or 1 can of diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 Cup mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Grease pie pan. On medium heat add oil. Saute onions til clear. Add spinach and chopped sausage. Cook til spinach wilts and saugage is cooked through. Add salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine eggs, basil, tomatoes, cheese and a little more salt and pepper. Add spinach, sausage and onion. Bake 30 minutes.

Crust (Optional):
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp butter or margarine, cut into small pices
3 tbsp shortening
3 tbsp ice water

Measure flour and salt into a blow. Add butter or margarine and shortening. Combine with fork or fingertips. Add water a little at a time. Stir with a fork and form into a ball. Wrap in wax paper and chill for 20 minutes. Roll on a lightly floured board and fit pastry into a nine inch pie plate, then pour in the filling from above.

Burritos

This is something my family eats all the time. Jason just loves them and they're easy. Can't beat that. :)

1 can Chili
1 can Refried Beans
Cheese
Salsa
12-15 tortillas

Mix the chili and refried beans in a big bowl. Then warm tortillas (just a bit so they bend without cracking.) Put a line of beans down the middle of the tortilla, a layer of cheese, and a line of salsa. Wrap them up (Fold the top and bottom in so the beans don't escape and then roll the sides)
I like to fry mine in a frying pan. Cook them on medium heat until browned and warm all the way through. Enjoy!

Baked Dough for Christmas Ornaments

So I just got this from a friend the other day and haven't even tried it before, but I thought it sounded fun! And I thought it was appropriate for the Christmas season! =)

Materials - flour, salt, vegetable oil, water, paint

Instructions:

1. Mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt, and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil.

2. Slowly add 3/4 to 1 cup of water and stir until you get a nice clay consistency.

Once completely mixed, make into the desired shapes for different Christmas themes. You can mold shapes, or roll the dough out and use Christmas cookie cutters to shape.

Bake your Christmas ornaments in a 250 degree oven for approximately 1 hour. This will vary depending on how thick your creations are. Paint your finished ornaments.

Hint: Do not make the Christmas ornaments too thick or they will crack with baking.