Holiday Food Fest

The kids are home from College and of course they have favorite foods that they want to make. This year was especially fun since they decided that they would help with the food! We had the Crain side of the family for Christmas on Christmas Eve and it was an appetizer fare. One of the new recipes we tried was one I found on Pinterest. I am hooked on pinterest and have found tons of good recipes to try. My brother said they tasted like a breakfast casserole in a meatball form.  Very easy & quick to make!
 Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
1 lb hot sausage, uncooked 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cups Bisquick 4 oz cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients until well combined. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment) Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.
 www.plainchicken.com

Our Fall has Ended!

It is time for soup....... I love soup and tend to fix large pots for leftovers. I love to come home on a cold night from work and know that I have a hearty bowl of soup waiting for me. I also have to have a good slice of bread and love Leon's Cottage Cheese Bread he makes in the bread maker. The recipe to follow.
The soup I love is White Chicken Chili
Bush's White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion,chopped
2 cloves of garlic,minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos,drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 ( 7 ounce ) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ears of fresh corn (I used frozen)
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 ( 15 ounce) can white beans
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste

Thanksgiving Yummies

Layered Pumpkin Dessert 25 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/3 cups) 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 2 eggs 2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding 2 cups cold milk 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided 1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted make it HEAT oven to 350°F. MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min. Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin and spices; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended; pour over crust. BAKE 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. BEAT pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Spread over dessert; cover with remaining COOL WHIP. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with nuts before serving. kraft kitchens tips SIZE-WISE Sweets can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions. MAKE AHEAD Dessert can be refrigerated up to 2 days before serving. HOW TO TOAST NUTS Toasting nuts adds crunch and intensifies their flavor. To toast nuts in the oven, spread nuts in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. To toast nuts on the stovetop, place nuts in ungreased skillet. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. To toast nuts in the microwave, place up to 1 cup of nuts in a microwaveable shallow dish. Microwave on HIGH until fragrant and crisp, stirring every 30 sec.

Game Day Treats

I have been using my crockpot

more & more lately and have found some wonderful recipes. The fall weather is here and it is time for soup. College Football is at the top of my list of Saturday must do & watch so I like to get my soup into the crockpot early in the morning and then let it cook on low until it is time to serve. This last Saturday was homemade Chicken noodle and Crock pot Taco soup. The recipe for the Taco soup is as follows:


  Crock Pot Taco Soup Ingredients
 1 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans
 1 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans
 1 (11 ounce) cans niblet corn fritos 
1 (11 ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes & chilies 
 1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes 
 1 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies 
 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix
 1 (1 ounce) envelope hidden valley ranch dressing mix 
 1 lb shredded chicken, ground beef or 1 lb any meat 
 Directions
 Cook meat and drain. Shred if needed. Add all ingredients to crock pot. DO NOT DRAIN CANS. Stir. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Keep on low until serving to keep hot. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips. 


I also had made a Carmel Dip for Apples which was very good and buttery! This dip will last for 4 -6 weeks so it can be used on whatever you would want to put carmel dip on. I just kept the dip in my small crock in the frig so I could heat it up or take out what I needed.

APPLE CARAMEL DIP 
Printed from COOKS.COM
 1/2 c. butter, melted 
2 c. dark brown sugar
 1 c. light corn syrup 
2 tbsp. water
 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk 
1 tsp. vanilla 
10 apples, seeded & cut into 8 wedges each 
Cook butter, sugar, water and milk until all the sugar is dissolved over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cut unpeeled apples into wedges, and then in half again. Dip into salted water for about 1 minute to prevent them from turning brown. (Apples should be done as close to serving time as possible.) Seal apples in an airtight container until use. To serve, heat caramel sauce and pour into chafing dish. Place apples in a bowl beside the caramel with toothpicks for dipping. Serves 25 to 30. The caramel sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. It is divine served warm over ice cream or pound cake. 
 Enjoy Fall!

Book Club Treat

I had book club this week and decided to bring something warm for a treat.  The hostess, my friend Linda, had a wonderful warm drink of Apple Cider, butterscotch schnapps and Whip cream.  Also she had an assortment of cheeses, apples & pears for us to sample.  My Buffalo Chicken dip fit in just right.  I love the heat of the hot sauce and Frank's Hot Sauce is my favorite.  I used the can chicken as they had in the recipe but I am thinking next time a rotisserie chicken shredded would be a good touch.  The bread I used was a day old baguette from Jimmy Johns that I sliced and toasted.
Here is the recipe:

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chicken 
• 2 (8 ounce) packets cream cheese 
• 3/4 cup hot sauce ( I use Frank's) 
• 1 cup ranch dressing 
• 2 cups mild colby jack cheese 
• 2 loaves baguette or Frito Scoups

Directions

1. Drain canned chicken and put in medium sauce pan.
2. Add hot sauce and cook on medium until heated throughout. My personal favorite is Frank's hot sauce.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until blended thoroughly.
4. Add ranch dressing and mix.
5. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and heat for a few minutes until mixed and melted.
6. Pour the dip into the crock pot and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on the top. Keep heated on low.
7. I serve on baguette that has been sliced and toasted. However, it is also tasty on corn chips.

Fall Favorite

Since we love Fall camping, our trip would not be complete without a nice warm cappuccino to drink in the morning.  I have a favorite called Victorian Inn French Vanilla that I get from Shopko but I thought this fall I will try to make my own.  I looked over several recipes and came up with this as my choice..........I hope it works!

Homemade Cappuccino Mix

From: sandra stevens

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 1/2 cups regular coffee creamer
2. 1 1/2 cups or 8 oz. french vanilla flavored creamer
3. 2 cups instant dry milk
4. 3 teaspoons Quick chocolate drink mix
5. 3/4 cup instant coffee (I am going to try regular decaf French Vanilla and put it in my coffee grinder)
6. 1 1/2 cups white sugar
7. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
9. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix altogether in large bowl. Store in airtight container. Add approximately 5 HEAPING teaspoons of mix per mug of HOT water. 

Dear Food Blog

I am sorry that I have neglected you for the pass weeks!  School has begun and I have been busy with my school blog instead.   It is not because I don't like you any more,  I just need to spend sometime right now with my other blog.
Here are a few recipes to try.......

TWO-BITE POPTARTS
1 c. fresh cherries, pitted and diced
3 T. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 pkg. prepared pie crusts

FOR THE POPS
wooden popscicle sticks

FOR THE GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring and sprinkles (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and almond extract. Heat on stove over medium heat until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Unroll pie crusts and using a pizza cutter to slice them into 1 1/2″x 2″ rectangles (I used a ruler to measure mine into equal sizes. Just use a butter knife to score your pie crust before cutting).

Place a wooden popscicle stick on top of one of the cut rectangles, then spoon a small amount (about 1 1/2 tsp.) of cooled cherry filling into the center of the pie square, taking care not to get it near the edges. Gently lay a second rectangle over the top of the cherry filling. Press the edges of the rectangles together with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake poptart pops in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown.

If you have extra zucchini here is a decadent treat.....

Zucchini German Chocolate Cake

4 eggs

2 c. shredded zucchini including peeling

3/4 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (4 1/2 oz.) instant chocolate pudding

1 1/2 tsp. instant decaffinated coffee

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (German chocolate mix)

Beat eggs, zucchini, oil, vanilla, chocolate pudding. Add coffee, cake mix (dry out of the box) and beat at low speed until moist, about 11 minutes. Bake in bundt pan about 1 hour at 350 degrees, or in a 9x13 pan 40-45 minutes.

Vanilla frosting makes an excellent topping for this cake. 

Testing Testing...... need a New Salad Recipe

I found two new salad recipes and decided to test them out on my family. The first one I tried was a BLT Salad which tastes just like the sandwich but in salad form. The only problem is this salad needs to be eaten the first day or save croutons for the next day. We used all the croutons and they were soggy the next day. You need the crunch in the salad!

BLT Salad

Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
Servings: 4-6

Ingredients
3/4 cup mayonnaise
4 slices Italian bread
12 slices bacon
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 large head romaine lettuce
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Spread 1/4 cup mayonnaise over both sides of bread slices and transfer to baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Let cool five minutes, then cut into 1-inch croutons.
2. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until very crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. When cool, crumble into small pieces.
3. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup mayonnaise and vinegar in small bowl. Tear or chop lettuce into small pieces. Place crumbled bacon, tomatoes, lettuce and croutons in large bowl. Add dressing and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.


I was tired of the same old potatoe salad and did not want to use eggs so I searched for a new recipe. I found an interesting Savory Potatoe salad and decided to try it. I does have you marinate the potatoes in red wine vinegar and I knew that my mom would really like this.

Savory Potatoe Salad

Ingredients
3 pounds red potatoes or yukon gold, scrubbed
1 1-oz. packet vegetable soup mix
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Pepper
2 stalks celery, minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup packed arugula leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves, coarsely chopped

Preparation
Cover potatoes with 1 inch of cold water in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook until potatoes are tender and a knife inserted in center of a potato meets no resistance, 25 to 30 minutes.
Drain and let cool slightly. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Toss potatoes with soup mix, vinegar and pepper to taste. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool, 20 to 25 minutes.
Toss potatoes with celery, onion, mustard, mayonnaise and lemon zest. Fold in arugula and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, or chill, covered, until ready to use.

Spice Up Your Nuts

My good friend Linda had me over for a wonderful lunch & conversation.  She had a bowl of spiced sugared pecans on the table for after lunch and I could not leave them alone.  I love pecans so I decided to try my hand at a new recipe.  Here goes..........

Spiced Pecans

Ingredients:

• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• 5 cups pecan halves
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

In a mixing bowl, with an electric hand-held mixer on high speed, beat egg white and water until foamy. Stir pecans into egg white mixture until well coated. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle over pecans, stirring once again to coat thoroughly.

Spread pecans in single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 225° for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Leave on baking sheet until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container.
Makes 5 cups.

The nuts turned out delicious!  They have a nice hint of spice with the hotness at the end of the bite.  Leon says we should add more cayenne pepper.  I will let you be the judge 

It is Sunday Night Dinner at the Gentrup's.  My parents live in town so Leon and I enjoy having them over for dinner on Sunday Nights to try out new & old recipes.  Tonight is Italian Night with Italian Meatballs, two sauces of Marinaria and Beer Cheese, a large romaine lettuce salad with homemade croutons, garlic bread and a nice James Arthur "Angel Share" Wine.

Italian is probably our favorite family meal and my family will tell you when we go out to eat I usally vote for Italian.  My favorite resturant is 

If you are ever in Omaha try this wonderful family owned resturant out.  You will not be disappointed!  They have roasted garlic for your bread and of course dipping sauce.  I digress so I had better get back to my meal.  I found a new recipe for Italian Meatballs.

Italian Meat Balls

Ingredients:1 pound each of lean beef and pork
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 large slightly beaten egg
½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
½ cup of milk
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons of dried parsley

Put your meatballs on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Another cooking method is to simmer the meatballs in pasta sauce for about 40 minutes. This will give them great flavor and texture.  You can bake the meatballs and freeze to use later.

I have never cooked my meatballs in the sauce but am trying it this time in the suace. It worked out wonderful!   The meatballs had a nice texture, had absorbed some of the sauce in the flavor and they were fully cooked.  The marinara sauce was just doctored up Hunt's spaghetti sauce with a jar of Leon's canned stewed tomatoes and marinara seasoning.  The beer cheese sauce is Leon's recipe from his stint working at Valentinos in the kitchen.
Hope the recipe is not a secret because here it is...........


Beer Cheese Sauce
1 cup of shredded onion ( 1 medium)
1 cup of shredded celery
1 cup of shredded carrots
18 oz beer ( your choice)
3 cups of milk
1/2 Tablespoon of chicken bouillon crystals
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon of salt
2 lbs of Velvetta ( 1/2 the large package)
Cook the veggies until the onions are transluent.  Add the bouillon and beer.  In a seperate saucepan make a roux of butter and flour. Cook over medium heat for 1 - 2 minutes.  Melt the cheese in the microwave, add to vegetables with milk & salt.  Whisk in roux.  We kept it warm in a crockpot for latter.

We had leftover beer cheese sauce and it made a great vegetable primavera later in the week.

We had garlic bread and my new go to bread from HyVee.  It is a Sicilian Baked and it looks kinda of like an oversize bear claw.  When heated it has a great crust and soft bread inside.  We never get to cutting it because as soon as it come out of the oven we are tearing chunks of it off to eat.

Chinese Takeout at Home

I love Kraft Food & Family Magazine.  The recipes are almost always good and easy to prepare.  My family likes Chinese takeout occasionally but I decided to try my hand at it.  When I saw this recipe I thought I would give it a try.  Everybody loved it and even had seconds.  Matt said he was taking the leftovers to work :)

Simply Sensational Stir-Fry

1 env. GOOD SEASONS Zesty Italian Dressing Mix

1/4 cup  orange juice

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 cup  oil

1 lb. lean boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

1 pkg.  (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

2-1/2 cups hot cooked brown rice

Make It

MIX dressing mix, juice, soy sauce and oil until well blended.

HEAT large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture; cook 4 to 5 minutes or until meat is cooked through.

ADD vegetables and remaining dressing mixture; cook and stir until vegetables are crisp-tender. Serve over rice.

SUBSTITUTE

Substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or pork loin for beef sirloin.

We are going camping this weekend so I am looking for some good recipes to try.  Our camping is not the usual hot dogs & hamburgers.........  We usually have a theme for the Memorial Day Camp-out and this year it is recipes that use "pop or soda" in the recipes.  I will report back what we used in another post.  I did though come up with this recipe for a Picnik Layered Salad I am going to try for lunch one day.  With some crusty bread this will be great.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups lettuce, shredded
• 1 (16 ounce) bag broccoli slaw mix
• 2 cups carrots, shredded
• 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
• 2 cups plum tomatoes, chopped ( I used the Flavorino tomatoes from Lou's)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing (your favorite..fresh or bottled)
• 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

Directions:

Prep Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

1.  In a 5 to 6 quart clear glass bowl, layer lettuce, broccoli slaw mix, carrots, bell        pepper, beans, cheese and tomatoes.
2.  In small bowl, mix mayo, dressing and Italian seasoning. Spread over top of salad.
3.  Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
4.  If desired toss before serving.

Happy Easter

It has been awhile since I have blogged.  It seemed like the month of April flew by.  Leon and I have been busy but have tried a few more new recipes.  We had our parents over on Sunday  last week to attend Daira's last music concert.  We decided to try my favorite Italian meal........ Chicken Picatta for dinner.  It turned out great and Rosie ( Leon's mom) had never had it before.


Chicken Piccata
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time:15 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:25 min
Level:Easy
Serves:4 servings
Ingredients:
2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Reduce heat to medium low and add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken.

I also tried an asparagus recipe with panko bread crumbs.  I have never used them so I decided to see what I could find.  The asparagus is plentiful and good right now so I have used it for soup and this recipe:


Asparagus with Toasted Panko Bread Crumbs
Ingredients:
1 lb Asparagus
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic
½ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1/3 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425˚ F
Cut and throw away bottom 2 inches of Asparagus
Cut remaining Asparagus into 1-2” lengths
Mince Garlic
Place Asparagus in mixing bowl and toss with Olive Oil, Kosher Salt, Garlic, and Pepper
Spread Panko Bread Crumbs in a 13”x9” metal cake pan and place in oven for 2 minutes
Remove Bread Crumbs from oven and add to bowl with the Asparagus mixture
Toss the bowl to combine the ingredients
Add the entire combination to the cake pan and place in oven for 12-14 minutes
Remove from oven, toss in Parmesan Cheese, and serve

Today Leon is atempting to make Runza's.  We are headed to my parents for an Easter Vigil dinner and wanted to try something new. Hope they work because I am hungry for a Cheeseburger Runza :)


  Runzas
Note:
Also known as bierocks, these bread pockets are filled with meat, cabbage, onions, and spices. The shape of the runza varies by region. In Nebraska, they are usually rectangular. They have Russian and German roots and are house specialties in many restaurants across the state.
Ingredients:
2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed, or homemade dough for 2 loaves
1 pound hamburger
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Brown the hamburger. Drain and return to pan.
Add cabbage and onion and sauté. Add salt and pepper to taste (1 teaspoon pepper recommended).
Allow bread dough to rise. Punch down and roll a portion to 1/4-inch thickness.
Cut into 4x8-inch pieces and place about 1/2 cup meat mixture in the center of each. Fold dough pieces over and seal the edges, then place seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet.
Let rise 20 to 30 minutes, then bake in preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes or until brown.
Yields:
6–8 servings

Wishing all a Blessed Easter Season.  I saw a food show where they were deep fat frying Peeps.......I don't think I could even eat them that way either :)

Hot Fruit Compote

My husband and daughter are coming home from a trip to the Pro-Life March in Washington, DC.   I wanted to have a hot home cooked meal for them when they arrive home (after 24 + hours on a bus).   I decided to go crockpot cooking way and have chicken and stuffing in one of the crockpots (actually it is new since I tripped over the cord of my old one and the crock went flying and broke).  I know how much my daughter likes fruit compote( or compost as she & her brother calls it) so I decided to fix that.   I didn't have the recipe close at hand for my usual recipe but decided to try this one.  I am thinking of adding some granola with it to make a nice warm dessert.

Hot Fruit Compote

Ingredients:

• 1 can peaches, drained
• 1 can pears, drained
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 stick butter or margarine (4oz)
• 1 can cherry pie filling

Preparation:

Cut all fruit into bite-size pieces. Add rest of ingredients. Stir all together. Cover and cook on low 3 to 6 hours. Use as a side dish for breakfast or a meal, or as a topping for a dessert.

Christmas Vacation Experiments

Leon & I both love to try new recipes and some turn out great and others we never look at again.  I love anything that involves tomatos so I decided to try a tomato bisque soup recipe.  It turned out really good, but I worry about it next time I make it.   I used tomato juice that Leon had cannned this summer and it has a different taste from tomato juice you buy in the store.  I will try the recipe again with store bought juice but I am still searching through the canning to see if I have any canned tomato juice left :)  Here is the recipe


TOMATO BISQUE SOUP

1 lg. onions, chopped very well
5 lg. cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp. butter
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, pureed in food processor or blender or an equal amount (about 2 lb.) very ripe fresh tomatoes
3 bay leaves ( did not use as I did not have any)
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. parsley
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into bits
1 pt. half & half
1 (46 oz.) can tomato juice

In a large soup kettle, melt the butter over low heat and in it saute the onions and garlic until golden. Add the herbs, the tomatoes and the tomato juice. Simmer the mixture for 20-30 minutes. Add the cream cheese and light cream, salt and pepper to taste and lemon juice if desired. Cook gently another 15 minutes. Garnish with croutons.

I love the Thousand Island dressing you find at resturants who make thier own ( Granary in Norfolk as an example).  I looked for recipes and finally found one that I like.  It does have hard boiled eggs in it and I made it last week and decided after making it that I will reserve a few of the eggs back and chop them up and add to the finished dressing.  My parents gave Leon and I a new blender/food processor combination for Christmas and it worked well for this recipe.

Thousand Island Dressing

1 Quart Mayonaise
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
7 ounces chili sauce
4 ounces pickle relish
1 ounce minced onion (I used 1 tsp)

Blend well and refrigerate overnight (you may add a little milk if you want yours thinner).

My Classmate Linda Mullen, from High School, also has a blog  at http://lindamullen.blogspot.com/ and she was looking for a Bing Bar Recipe.   When looking for a recipe to help her out, I could not believe how many people wrote in that they had no idea what a Bing Bar or Twin Bing was.  In my blog for school I had said that  Twin Bings were one of my favorite candy bars and several student I blog with from the South and East Coast had no idea what they were either.  I found a great recipe which reminds me of the Twin Bing.  My son Matt helped last night by being my sou chef to make these wonderful treats.

Bing Bars

• Time 60 minutes
• Serves 16

Ingredients

---

• 12 ounces chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter ( I had creamy so I added more peanuts)
• 12 ounces fine ground dry roasted peanuts
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 12 large marshmallows
• 1/2 cup real butter
• 10 ounces cherry chips ( I like Gurley brand)

• How to make it

  ---

  • Melt together chocolate and peanut butter; stir in peanuts and spread half of mixture into a 9x13 inch pan reserving the rest for later.
  • In very heavy saucepan combine condensed milk, marshmallows and butter. Bring to a boil carefully (scorches easily), and boil for 5 minutes, watching closely.
  • Add  cherry chips; stir to melt the chips .  Spread over chocolate in pan, then top with remaining mixture.
  • Chill to set but remove from fridge before serving.
  • Hope you had a wonderful Holiday and here's to more recipes made with Love from the Gentrups in 2011