Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Roast

This was a fun recipe to try and my husband and I loved it! It smelled so good and tasted wonderful! The kids liked it but not nearly as much as we did. I think that is just because they are kids :) I made it with the orange juice but want to use the cranberry juice next time jut for more of a cranberry kick. We served it with roasted russed potatoes and steamed broccoli. I found it on Heather White's blog. She has a really fun blog and shares the most delicous recipes (and craft ideas and lots of other neat things) (Thank you Heather!)

Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Roast
1 pork loin roast (2 ½ - 3 lbs.)(can be boneless or not)
1 can (16 oz.) jellied whole cranberries
1 C. dried cranberries
½ C. sugar
½ C. cranberry juice or ½ C. orange juice
1 tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. ground cloves
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. cold water

Place pork roast bone side down in a slow cooker/crock pot. In a medium bowl, mash cranberry sauce. Stir in sugar, cranberry juice, orange juice, mustard and cloves. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours. If boneless, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Cook until meat is tender. Remove roast and keep warm. Skim fat from juices; measure 2 cups, adding water if necessary and pour into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Combine cornstarch and cold water to make a paste; stir into gravy. Cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt. Serve with sliced pork.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Oh, this soup is so very yummy! My good friend Amy served this at a Primary worker appreciation dinner. Everyone loved it and she had several requests that night for the recipe. I made it last week and found out that two of my friends had made it that same week too! It isn't low fat by any means, but every once in a while it is worth it to splurge on something this good!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
1 onion
2 carrots
3 celery sticks
1/2 c. butter
2/3 c. flour
6 c. water
1 Tbsp. McCormick chicken base or 4 bouillon cubes
2 pkgs. Rice-A-Roni long grain and wild rice
2 to 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I usually boil and shred my chicken)
2 c. half & half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Chop vegetables and place in large soup pot. Melt butter and saute vegetables until tender. Add flour and stir until vegetables are coated. Slowly add water; stir vigorously until flour dissolves. Prepare Rice-A-Roni as directed on box, then add to the soup. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on low until well blended.

Our favorite Bread!

This picture really dosen't do this bread justice. It is such a wonderful, moist and favorful bread!

I call it Mom's bread since it is what she always makes. I have had requests for this recipe many, many times. I love that it stays moist, dosen't get crumbly and freezes well. You can slice it thick or thin, you can make it all white (which is divine) or do half white and half wheat (which is equally delicious) You can use sugar or honey, and even throw in some quick oats for texture. The choice is yours, either way it is the best, most flavorful recipe I have come around and it is easy to make! It makes 4 good size loaves and dosen't last long at our house.
I have frozen it with great results. I just pull a loaf out of the freezer, wrap some paper towel around it, and let it sit over night on the kitchen counter. In the morning I have a soft loaf of bread waiting to be eaten. Oh, it also makes great french toast! Enjoy :)

Mom’s Bread
2 cups milk
1 stick (½ cup) butter or margarine
1 can evaporated milk
2 ½ cups water
1 cup sugar or honey
1 ½ Tbs salt
2 Tbs yeast ( I like to use rapid rise or Saf-instant yeast as I can add it dry with the flour and skip the step of disolving yeast)

9 to10-ish cups Bread flour (optional: mix bread flour with 3-4 cups wheat flour.) *Sometimes I add ½ cup of oats before adding the flour to add more texture, YUM!

Directions:
1. In a sauce pan heat together 1 stick butter and 2 c milk till butter is melted. Set aside.
2. Pour 1 can evaporated milk into a measuring cup and then add enough warm water to make 4 1/2 cups of liquid (approx 2 1/2 cups water) note you will want the liquid to be the right temp for the yeast when it is all mixed together.
3. Pour melted butter and evaporated milk mixture into mixing bowl and then add the 4 1/2 cups of evaporated milk/water mixture.
4. Add 1 cup sugar and 1 ½ Tbs salt and mix thoroughly till sugar and salt are dissolved.
5. Add 2 Tbs yeast and stir till dissolved.
6. Add flour one cup at a time and mix with dough hook till the right consistency. ( when dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl , the dough is done) Approx. 10 cups. Dough will be sticky.
7. Dump into a large greased bowl and cover. Let rise till double in size. Then punch down and form into loaves and place in greased bread pans (it fills 4 large bread pans for me)
8. Let rise till double again and then bake at 350* for 35 minutes.
9. Pop loaves out of bread pans onto cooling rack
10. Optional: lightly butter the tops of the loaves when they are still hot from the oven to keep the top crust soft and yummy.

Tortellini Soup

I recently subscribed to the Taste of Home magazine and in my first issue, I found this delicious recipe for Holiday Tortellini Soup. I made it today and served it with multi grain french bread and and the family loved it! It was filling, full of flavor, and easy to make. It also states that it freezes well which is a plus! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did :)

Tortellini Soup
(from Taste of Home magazine)

2 Tbs olive oil
2 oz Pancetta or Bacon, finely diced. (I used pre-cooked crumbled bacon)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (49 1/2os) chicken broth (I used three cups water and 3 tsp chicken bullion)
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 package (9oz) cheese tortellini ( I used a 19oz bag of frozen tortellini)
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes in puree
8 oz fresh spinach, rinsed, stemmed and chopped (I used 3/4 bag of fresh baby spinach)
Salt and pepper to tastee (I only needed to use a little)
1 cup freshly shredded parmesean cheese (I used the grated stuff from the can :)

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over meduim heat. Add pancetta (or bacon). Cook until crisp (mine was pre-cooked so I just threw it in) Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add garlic; cook 1 more minute. Add broth and Italian seasoing; bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Add cooked tortelini to soup mixture. Stir in tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add chopped spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parmesean cheese and serve with your favorite bread.

Sugar Cookies!

I LOVE Sugar cookies, and these have to be my all time favorite! I am frequently asked for this recipe it is so yummy. You can make these thin or thick ( I prefer thick) and they are moist and fudgy. With Valenties just a week away I thought it was time to share this delicious recipe! Now, I found this on the internet and it is titled the Great American Cookie Company's Sugar Cookie, but I don't know if it is official or not, either way it is the best I have come across. Enjoy!

Great American Cookie Company's Sugar Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract (or almond extract - almond is our favorite!)

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoons sour cream

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening, butter, sugar; add eggs, lemon, vanilla and sour cream. Mix till creamy; add sifted dry ingredients: salt, soda, and flour. Chill for several hours or overnight. (I never take the time to chill but it might help, it is a very soft dough) Roll into balls and flatten with bottom of sugar coated glass. OR, roll out and cut in to shapes.

Bake at 350° just until the edges start turning color. Maybe 7-10 minutes, Time will vary depending on how large and thick you made your cookies. It is important not to over bake if you want the texture to remain chewy and soft.

Frost and decorate as desired.

Great Easy Salsa!!

Andi’s Salsa – so easy even I can do it!

1 can of whole tomatoes (Big)
1 small can of green chilies
2 bunches of green onions (I use less)
¼ a bunch of Cilantro
Garlic salt to desired taste

Put in Blender
Cut off ends of onions – cut up about an inch long stems
Snap off leaf part of cilantro - about 1/4 of bunch
1 can of Green chilies

garlic salt
Juice only from can

Pulse just a little – not too much, you do not want to puree it

Add the tomatoes – pulse a few more times

Done!!!

Chicken Azteca

This tastey recipe came from a book "Fix-it and Forget-it for Entertaining" which is a fun crock pot recipe book that my mom bought for me a few years ago. This recipe is delicious and kid approved! It doesn't look like much, but trust me, it is yummy! While it is a crock pot recipe, I have also made it on the stove with great results. Either way you make it, it is a family pleaser. You can kick up the spice with a spicier salsa or keep it mild according to your tastes. I like to use a salsa slightly spicer than we normally would eat since there are two blocks of cream cheese to tone down the heat.

Chicken Azteca
Makes 10 – 12 servings

2- 15oz cans black beans, drained
4 cups frozen corn kernels (I use2 cans of corn, drained)
2 garlic cloves, minces
1 tsp cumin
2 cups chunky salsa, divided
10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 8oz pkgs. cream cheese, cubed
(add seasonings or salt as desired)

Cooked rice
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin, and half of the salsa in slow cooker.
Arrange chicken breasts over top. Pour remaining salsa over the top
Cove, cook on high for t 2 – 3 hours or on low for 4 – 6 hours.
Remove chicken and cut in to bite sized pieces or shread. Return to cooker.
Stir in cream cheese, cook on high until cream cheese melts. Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese.

You can also do this on the stove, just put the first 5 ingredients in a larger pot and warm through. Boil chicken in a separate pot, cut or shred up and then add to soupy mixture. Then stir in cream cheese till melted.

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake

As promised, here is Sue's recipe for Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake. I absolutly love these and truly can't say which sheet cake I like more! While I love the sweet, chocolately goodness of her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies, I love the hint of cinnamon and rich cream cheese frosting on this vanilla version! This recipe is also highly requested and was served at the baptism along side the chocolate one. Enjoy!

Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake
2 2/3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter divided
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon 1 ½ tsp baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 lb. sifted powdered sugar

Mix together flour & sugar. In a saucepan or microwave, combine ½ cup butter, oil and water, bring to a boil. Pour over flour mixture and beat thoroughly.
Beat in Eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, cinnamon, soda and buttermilk
Pour into greased 17x11 inch pan
Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees

Icing:
Cream together ½ cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla & cream cheese. Beat in powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Spread over warm cake.

Makes 20 servings

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies

My dear friend Sue Smith is famous for her Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies. They are simply divine! We were at her nephew's baptism and everyone was talking about how good her brownies are and how they want the recipe. Well, since Sue was sweet enough to share it with me a while ago, and with her permission, I told everyone that I would post it on my blog. I needed a picture so I grabbed my daughter's camera. Sorry it's a little blurry and on a paper plate, but trust me these are delicious! Sue also makes wonderful Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake which was also served at the baptism so I took a picture of those too and will post those next!

Buttermilk Sheet Cake Brownies
1 c. butter
1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. water
Heat on stovetop almost to a boil. Turn off stove and add next step

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. Salt

In a measuring cup mix ½ cup buttermilk with 1 tsp. Baking soda add to mixture.
Add
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Mix well and pour into a greased jelly role pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes

Frosting
½ c. milk
½ butter
¼ c. cocoa

Using the same pan bring ingredients to a boil. Turn off stove.
Add
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Pour frosting over brownies right when they come out of the oven. Top with chopped walnuts or pecans if you like.
Enjoy!

Hamburger Soup

I made this soup for my family last week. It has been a favorite of ours for some time. I love all the vegetables in this soup with the rice and cabbage. It takes a little while to chop all the vegies but I think it is well worth it. It is a hearty, flavorful soup, but easy on the fat and calories. I like to serve it with homemade bread or dinner rolls. Yum!

Hamburger Soup

1 lb hamburger
¼ c rice (uncooked)
1 c chopped onion
5 c water
1 tsp beef bullion
1 c diced potato
4 tsp salt ( I use seasoning salt)
1 c carrots, chopped
¼ tsp basil
1 c chopped/shredded cabbage
¼ tsp thyme
1 c chopped celery
1 bay leaf
2 or 3 cans stewed tomatoes - depending on how much tomato you like.
(I like to zap the tomatoes in the blender to break them up into smaller bits, then my children won't complain about the tomoato chuncks but we can still get the full flavor :)

Brown together hamburger & onion. Drain off fat and put in large soup pot. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then simmer till done. Serves 10

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

OH MY! Are these little things divine! I made these for a cookie exchange and had to make another batch for the family. They are simply sinful!

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 teaspoons milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on un-greased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
3. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Peas With Mushrooms (& Terragon Corn)

This side dish has been a family favorite for years. I comes from a recipe book "House Specialties" by Deanna House . I love her book because it is full of delicious recipes that use every day ingredients. Peas with Mushrooms has been a tried and true favorite. I made this for a Christmas family dinner on Sunday and it was a total hit. I also made Tarragon Corn which is another Deanna House recipe we love. Both recipes are made in the microwave for convenience but are easily made on the stove. Either way they are delicious!

Peas with Mushrooms
2 Tbs butter or Margarine
6 green onions, chopped
1 8oz can mushrooms, drained ( or 8oz fresh mushrooms, chopped and sauted)
2 10oz pkgs frozen peas
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp basil leaves, crushed
½ tsp salt

In a 2 quart microwave-safe casserole dish, place butter and green onions. Microwave on full power, covered for 2 minutes. Stir onions and add mushrooms, frozen peas, sugar and basil. Microwave on full power, covered, 10 – 12 minutes, stirring twice. Add salt. Serve piping hot.

Tarragon Corn
1 10oz pkg. frozen cut corn ( I use a 16oz bag)
¼ c sliced green onions
1 Tbs butter or margarine
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp tarragon
Dash of pepper

In a 1 quart microwave- safe casserole combine all ingredients and cover with a lid or plastic wrap that is vented. Microwave on full power for 5-6 minutes or until corn is tender and sauce is bubbly, stirring once or twice.

Italian Soup

More commonly known as Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, this soup is delish! My sweet friend Carmen shared the recipe with me, and it is a family favorite, especially on a cold day. By making it at home you can control how spicy you like it. They serve it really spicy at Olive garden, so I make it more mild for my family. I also use baby red potatoes since they hold their shape a little better than russet potatoes, but it really is up to you what you prefer. Enjoy!

Italian Soup

1 lb. roll Bob Evans Italian Sausage -or your favorite flavor

1 yellow onion- diced

1 small bag baby red potatoes- sliced

1 bunch of kale

3-4 cans chicken broth

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tsp garlic

Dash of hot red pepper flakes- to taste

Parmesan cheese- grated

Crumbled bacon- optional

Slice baby red potatoes and cook in soup pot with chicken broth. Wash Kale and slice leafy part off the stems (discard stems). Cut up leafy part and put in pot with chicken broth,Saute onion and crumbled sausage and cook through. add to soup and simmer for about 15 minutes till kale is softened and potatoes are done. Stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream, and red pepper flakes.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese and crumbled bacon.