Soup Bar

28 oz chicken broth
2 chicken breast chopped
4 carrots
4 pieces of celery
1/2 onion
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
2 teaspoon garlic
2 pinches of tumeric
1 pinch ground cayenne red pepper
1/2 pound warm pasta
Oyster crakers

Cut chicken into bite size cubes.
Chop carrots and celery small bites as well.
Season chicken with 1 tsp bouillon, tumeric, 1/2 the garlic, and the red pepper.
In a smedium pan saute 1/2 the onions till they are translucent.
Then add the carrots, celery, and the other half of the garlic, 1/2 tsp bouillon.
Cook the pasta per boxes instructions.
In a separate medium pan spray Pam, and over medium heat cook the chicken and the rest of the onions, it will be a bit yellow in color.
In pot or bowl heat the broth.
Now turn everything off.
Set out bowls, and crackers.
Let everyone make their soup as they desire.

I decided to make chicken noodle soup this way because not one person in my house likes chicken noodle soup the same way.  This way everyone eats the entire bowl and some even went back for seconds. Plus my kid said. "This was fun."

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Pot Pie

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion 

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 can (14 oz) chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 ½ cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

(2) 9 inch pie crusts

Salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/4 a teaspoon of each)

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onion, cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent.

Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.

Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

Stir in turkey/chicken and mixed vegetables.

Remove from heat.

Let cool completely and spoon into a Ziploc bag.

When ready to use.

Thaw Ziploc bag of filling.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Make pie crust as directed, using 9-inch glass pie plate.

Pour filling into crust-lined pie plate.

Top with second crust; seal edge with a fork or pinch them together.

Cut slits in several places on top crust.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover edge of crust with strips of foil or pie 

shield to prevent excessive browning.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

* I used the turkey from Thanksgiving and made the filling at that time. Then I used a quart size Ziploc bag and froze the filling until I needed it. Then you can just by a pie crust and just bake your diner in about 35 minutes.

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DIY Cone Trees

Cones (3 came in a bag from the .99 cent store)
Eyelash yarn (one ball .99 cent store)
Beads 3ft (.99 cent store)
Hot glue ( the gun and it came with glue came from the .99 cent store)
A pack of 12 bows ($.99 cent store)
Box of sequins pins 100 (.99 cent store)

Start by heating up the hot glue gun.
Then put a dab of glue on the of the yarn and wrap it around the cone.
Make sure to wrap tight and close together.
Adding dabs of glue on as you wrap to keep it in place.
To add the beads I used the pins, in between each of the bead is sting and so as drape I place a pin at the top and go once around and pin it in place.
Then just keep going till you finish cut off and excess beads you don't need.
The second one was done with ribbon I had from a gift I was given last year.
I saw these being sold in a store for $35.95 and I though. "Wow I can make that and for a lot less." So made the two of these for around $3.00.

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Broccoli Quiche

2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup chopped broccoli (if using frozen thaw and drain)
2 tablespoons minced onions
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 nine inch pie crust
sprinkle of fresh finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place oven race in the middle position.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
You can use homemade, frozen, or refrigerator pie crust.
Make sure your pie crust is room temperature, especially before you try to manipulate it into your pie pan if you are using a refrigerator one.
Prick the bottom of crust with a fork so you don't get air bubbles.
Bake it for 9 minutes till light gold in color.
In a pan, on medium heat, on the stove, heat up oil.
Cook onions till they are translucent, then let them cool.
While that cooks whisk eggs, half and half.
Then add broccoli, onions, grated cheese.
Remove crust and pour egg mixture to pie crust.
Sprinkle your fresh cheese on top.
Bake on middle rack for 40 to 50 min check center to see if eggs are done.
Remove to wire rack to cool about 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Guiltless Cabbage Soup

1 head of cabbage
1  onion
1 lb carrots peeled
1/2 lb fresh green beans
1 sweet yellow pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
3-4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash of paprika
Dash of ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop cabbage, and green beans into bite size pieces.
Mince the onions, pepepr and garlic.
Chop the carrots into rounds and then cut them in half.
Over medium heat saute the onions and pepper, till the onions are transparent and the pepper is tender.
Add the carrots, green beans and 1 cup of the broth.
Place lid on and bring to a boil, let boil about 5 minutes.
Add the cabbage, paprika, ginger, and rest of the broth.
Lower the temperature and let simmer till cabbage is tender about 20 minutes.
Taste and add the salt and paper to your taste.

*This is a great soup for lunches. Scoop it into Ziploc bags and lay them flat in the freezer to freeze. Or if you are going to eat them right away just dish them up in mason jars so you can grab and go.

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Pumpkin Pie Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350°.
Take your clean pumpkin seed and mix them with butter, sugar and spices.
Place parchment paper on baking sheet.
Spread your pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet in a single layer over your parchment paper.
Bake for 30 min until the seeds are browned around the edges.
Let cool before serving.

I warn you they can become very addictive.

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Sourdough

½ of  King Arthur French Style Sourdough starter (follow instructions on package)
1 cup water
3 cups flour + 8 tablepoons
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

In a standing mixer coat bowl with 1 teaspoon of oil.
Then pour in the starter, water, and 1½ cups of flour, just a couple of turns just till it's mixed in.
Add salt, and the remaining flour. It maybe sticky that's okay leave it like that.
Cover, and rest in a warm spot for 2 hours to rise double in size.
Rub remaining oil on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle dough with 2 tablepoons of flour.
Gently pull the dough out of the mixing bowl and place it on the baking sheet (flour side down)and dust the top with remaining flour.
Let it rest another 45 minutes. If you wish you can shape it.
Using a sharp knife cut the top to vent steam.
Preheat oven 450°.
Bake for 21 to 23 minutes until the crust is brown and firm to the touch.
Makes 1 loaf.

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Apple Crumble

4 green apples
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 packets cinnamon spice oat meal

Chop apples into bite size pieces and place in a medium sauce pan.
Mix cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice in with apples.
Heat over medium heat till apples get semi soft about 7 to 8 minutes.
Mix in oat meal and serve.

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Fall Leaf Bowl

Artificial maple leaves ( I got some that were gold )

Plastic bowl

Plastic wrap

Mod Podge

Foam brush

Rubber band

Start by wrapping the bowl in plastic wrap.

Place the rubber band around the plastic wrap and the rim of the bowl to hold it in place.

Then paint the leaves with Mod Podge and press them onto the covered bowl.

Repeat painting and pressing leaves until your bowl is covered.

Let it dry about 2 hours then remove it from the bowl.

Set it out to dry completely which is about 4 more hours depending on how thick you went with mod Podge.

This bowl is a delicate bowl so it should be used for light things.

Let me know what you put in your bowl after you've made it!

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Homemade Hotpockets

2 tubes biscuits (10 count if you get the small ones)
1 bag mozzarella cheese
5 slices of ham 10-20 slices of pepperoni
Garlic Salt optional*

Preheat oven to 375°.
Take 2 of the biscuits and fold them into each other making them one, then flatten it out like a pizza.
Place the biscuit on a baking sheet.
Place 1/8 of a cup of cheese on the biscuit, then deiced which meat you are going to use, or make some of each.
Use 3 slices of pepperoni or 2 slices of ham on top of the cheese.
Atop of the meat, add another 1/8 cup of cheese.
Repeat step 2 and place it on top of the cheese and pinch the sides to close up your pocket.
Finally sprinkle with garlic salt* and bake in oven for 8-10 minutes.
Dip in pizza sauce to make it more like a calzone if you like.
15 minute meal when you add a salad.

This is what happens when kids take the pictures for you!

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Roasted Sunflower Seeds

2 pitchers water
1/2 cup salt
2 1/2 lbs raw sunflower seeds

Place sunflower seeds, water, and salt into a large pot.
Bring it to a boil for about 10 to 15 min then lower the heat and let it simmer for an hour.
Strain sunflower seeds and place them in a single layers on a paper towel so they can dry completely.
Preheat oven to 350°.
When the seeds are dry place then in another single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake them for 30 to 40 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
They might start to crack when they are done.
Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Store in an airtight container.

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Harvesting Sunflowers

My method for harvesting sunflower seeds is a hands on approach. When the flowers droop and the petals start to curl you know it's about time to start harvesting your sunflower seeds. If animals or birds are a problem, you can cover the heads with fine netting or paper bags as soon as the petals begin to wilt. If the seeds appear grey they are ripe. When the seeds are fully ripened they will beginning to loosen from the head of the flower. Using a sharp knife cut the stem about one inch below the head. Now briskly rub the *capitulum from the seeds with your knife or your hand. I used a knife since I have pollen allergies. Using a spoon, fork or your own nails you can scrap or pluck the seeds out of the flowers. Make sure to check them for any damage from ants or worms and discard those. Allow the seeds to dry before storing in an airtight container.

This is where I scraped the capitulum from the seeds.

I used my nails to take my seeds out.

A couple of fun facts for you- Did you know? *That fluffy yellow growths that appear on the flower above the seeds are individual flowers called capitulum. One tablespoon of sunflower seeds has 4.5 grams of protein. Sunflower Buds will follow the sun across the sky - called Heliotropism. But once they bloom they lose this ability.

Dill Pickles Slices

3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons celery seeds
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tablespoon mustard seed
1 and 1/2 large cucumbers or 2 medium ones

Boil water and vinegar in a saucepan for 3-5 minutes.
Then let it cool completely.
Cut cucumbers about 1/2 inch thick.
Place, celery, garlic, dill, and mustard in the cool vinegar mix.
Place cucumbers in the canning jar.
Pour mix over the top of cucumbers.
Place a lid on airtight, shake then and refrigerate for 7 days.
Makes one 32oz jar full.

Just the cut cucumbers!

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Dog Treats

1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup homemade peanut butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine pumpkin, peanut butter, oil, and eggs in a bowl.
Sift baking soda, flour.
Fold until a dough forms and all flour is incorporated.
Knead dough a few times.
Roll dough out on a floured surface, about 1/4 of an inch thick.
Using a bone or a round cookie cutter, cut your treat shapes.
Place them on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 mins.
They make 68 treats.

The dogs keep begging for them.

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Watermelon Slushies

1/2 cup ice
2 1/2 cups chopped watermelon
2 tsp Sweetener if you wish (I don't think watermelon needs it.)
Blender

Place watermelon in blender, then ice and sweetener.
Blend till smooth.

P.S. if you like you can line the rim of the glass with green sugar and make it a mocktail for you guests that are designated drivers.

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Baked Chicken Eggrolls

1 packet egg roll wrappers
1 bag broccoli slaw
2 shredded carrots
1/2 lb cooked chopped chicken
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 egg white beat in a bowl

Combine soy sauce, broccoli, carrots, and chicken in a bowl.
Place one wrapper in a diamond shape with a triangle end towards you.
Then place two tablespoons of the mix in the lower corner towards you in the wrapper.
Fold the corner up (like the picture shows) over the veggies.
Brush the sides (left and right all the way to the tip) with the egg wash.
Fold the sides in, (like and envelope) then roll.
Place them in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Bake for 10 mins at 350 °.
Enjoy.

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Crock-Pot Peachberry Cobbler

1 quart fresh strawberries chopped
1 pint cherries pitted and halved
1 can chopped peaches
1 box yellow cake
1/2 cup butter
Pam

Pam the bottom of the Crock-Pot.
Dump in the berries and the entire can of peaches including juices.
Take cake mix and butter and mix together.
Pour cake mix on top of berries in Crock - Pot.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
Top with ice cream.
All done!

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Spicy Pickled Carrots

2 pounds large carrots

1 to 2 large jalapeños

1 small onion

5 cloves garlic diced

1 1/3 cups white vinegar

1 1/3 cups water

4 leaves bay whole

8 to 10 peppercorns

2 tsp dried oregano *Mexican preferred

1 tsp kosher salt

Peel and slice carrots and onion into 1/4 inch thick pieces.

Cut the stems off jalapeños and slice thin diagonal and remove seeds then set jalapeños aside.

In a large stock pot boil the garlic, vinegar, water, bay leaves, peppercorns, oregano, salt, carrots, onion and jalapeños.

Change the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.

Allow to cool completely and store vegetables and cooking liquid in clean, sterile glass containers with lid.

Keep refrigerated.

Best if pickled for two to four days.

*I remove jalapeños since no one will eat them after pickling.

Boiling pot.

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Recycle Planter

1 Cheese Puffs container
1 can Krylon Stone Coarse Texture Black Granite Spray Paint
Potting Soil
Plant * mine are cherry tomato seedlings
Drill or an Awl and a hammer

Clean label off container, make sure it is completely dry.
Drill drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Or us the awl and a hammer to punch hole into the bottom of the container so if you overwater the excess will drain out.
Spray paint the container and wait 12 hours for it to dry.
Add enough potting soil to fill it, I used about 20 cups.
Then add your seed, a seedling or a plant.
Water as normal per plants instructions.

*I used the Krylon Stone Coarse texture black granite spray paint this because it made it look like it was made of stone instead of a plastic cheese ball container.

The start.                                      Spray painting it.                                        After planting.

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Basil Olive Oil

6-8 large leaves Basil

Virgin Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil is too strong and will over power the basil taste)

Bottle

funnel

Roll leaves into a tube shape, slightly pinch them (this will bruise them and release the basil oil) and shove them one at a time into the bottom of the bottle.

Place funnel on bottle opening, and pour olive oil into bottle until it is full.

Cap tightly, let it sit in a cool, dark place for 1-2 weeks before using it. The oil will slowly infuse over the weeks.

Infused olive oil keeps for about a month especially if refrigerated after opening it.

If ingredients show signs of spoilage discard immediately.

 

Prepping

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Apple Chips

Peels of apples
Saigon cinnamon
sugar

Preheat over to 245°.
Lay your apple peels in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar to your liking I like mine light.
Bake for about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Remove from oven and let sit to cool.
They should be crispy.
If not return to oven and cook for another ten to fifteen minutes.

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Apple Butter

10 peeled and chopped medium Fuji apples

1/4 apple cider or apple juice

1/2 cup raw honey

1 tablespoon Saigon ground cinnamon

1/4 ground cloves

1/8 ground mace

1/8 ground allspice

Combine all ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on low for 10 hours overnight.

Pour apples into a bowl with a sieve and the back of a spoon, return all of it including pulp into the Crock Pot.

Then cook on high for 1 hour with the lid off to thicken the apple butter.

Then you are finished cooking.
Canning is up to you, ours never last longer then a couple of weeks so I don't can it.

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PB2 Frozen Yogurt

(1) 6oz Yoplait original yogurt any flavor
2 tablespoons PB2
8 -10 slices of frozen bananas * 1 full size banana

Place all ingredients in your food ninja pulse till smooth.
Remove blades and place lid back on.
Place in freezer for 20 minutes if it's to liquid *I find it's perfect.
Enjoy like soft serve ice cream.

I use original yogurt instead of the sugar free because I am allergic to aspartame, and sugar substitutes. I also used strawberry flavor so it would taste like a peanut butter, jelly and banana sandwich since I use it as a meal replacement. But feel free to replace with any flavor you like, and any yogurt you prefer.

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Carrot Cake Oatmeal

2 1/4 cups water or milk
2 cups rolled oats
2 full carrots shredded
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped pineapple
1/8 fine chopped pecans
brown sugar to taste

In a saucepan add 2 1/4 cups water or milk, and carrots and cook on medium high heat.
Once it started to boil add the raisins, pineapple, and the oats, then lower the temp to medium.
Cover and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and add the pecans.
Scoop into bowls and add brown sugar to taste.

This gets some fruit and veggies in the first meal of the day which I love.

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Blueberry Compote

2 cups fresh blueberries divided

1 ½ tablespoons agave

2 tablespoons water

¼  teaspoons Saigon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Pour blueberries, water and lemon juice into a medium saucepan and place on medium to high heat.

Once it starts to boil add the agave, cinnamon, and reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Using a potato masher lightly mash about half of the mixture, and continue to cook for 6 min.

Whisk in cream of tartar to thicken let cook 1 more min.

We used it on our waffles and my family loved it!

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