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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Gingerbread Boys and Girls


Guess what kind of cookies I made for Bunco/Cookie Exchange tonight????? Our family tradition.....



Looks like I will be making more too! Hubby was so devastated this morning when he found out that they were all going to be exchanged for something else!

Not as good as Grandma's....but sure close!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Oklahoma Beef Noodle Bake

Some of my favorite cookbooks are from the Gooseberry Patch. Here is a new recipe we tried yesterday!

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
15-1/4 oz. can corn, drained
10- 3/4 oz. can of cream of chicken soup
10-3/4 oz. cream of mushroom soup
8-oz. container sour cream
1/4 c. pimentos
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 c. wide egg noodles, cooked
1 c. bread, buttered and torn

Combine all ingredients except noodles and bread in a lightly greased 13"X9" baking pan. Stir in noodles. Sprinkle bread pieces evenly over top of casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Low Fat Tortellini Soup

One of the cookbooks I got from my Grandma's collection was a Kiwanis Cookbook. I got this recipe from it and tried it today. It was very flavorful!

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 med. onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 lg. carrots chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 (28 oz. total) diced tomatoes
1 c. dry white wine
5 c. chicken broth
9 oz. chicken tortellini
1 1/2 T. dried basil
Parmesan cheese (opt)

Heat oil in large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add garlic. Saute 3 minutes. Add onion. Saute' 5 more minutes. Stir in 28 ounces tomatoes (liquid included), wine, chicken broth and basil. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Cook tortellini separately according to package. Add tortellini to soup 5 minutes before serving. Parmesan cheese may be sprinkled on each serving if desired. Serves 6 to 8.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cheesecake

I made this the other day for one of the gal's that I work with. It was her birthday and she LOVES cheescake. I had never made a cheesecake before, but wanted to give it a try.  The reviews were AMAZING!!! I have never ever received so many compliments on something. SERIOUSLY!

Enjoy!!

Ingredients


Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Greek Style Minestrone with Turkey and Feta Meatballs

I am really enjoying so many of the recipes that is on the For the Love of Cooking Blog.

This recipe is AMAZING! Hubby and I LOVE it....I think it's our new favorite...and I had to share! This is the first soup that we ate all the leftovers. Delicious!

Hope you all love it as much as we do!

Turkey Meatballs:


1 lb of ground turkey meat with Italian seasonings

2 tbsp sweet yellow onion, diced finely

2 tbsp feta cheese (I used reduced fat)

2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup of garlic and herb bread crumbs

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

1 tsp olive oil (for cooking meatballs)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and gently combine with fingers until thoroughly mixed. Roll into very small meatballs.

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium heat, once the pan is hot add the meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

Soup:

1/2 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, minced

6 cups of chicken stock

1/3 cup of long grain brown (or white) rice

1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes

1-2 tsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp of oregano

Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

1 zucchini, chopped into bite size pieces

1 yellow squash, chopped into bite size pieces

1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups sliced fresh spinach (about 3 ounces)

Turkey meatballs

1/2 cup of feta cheese for topping

Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, stock, rice and tomatoes in a large Dutch oven, over medium heat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium and add beans, meatballs, zucchini and squash. Taste and re-season if needed. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring once. Stir in spinach and simmer, uncovered, until spinach is wilted and all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes longer. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with feta cheese. Enjoy.

Note: If not serving immediately, add the spinach just before serving to retain the bright color and prevent overcooking.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Easy Turkey-Tortilla Roll-Ups

From www.kraftfoods.com


3 flour tortillas (6 inch)
3 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast
3/4 cup shredded lettuce

Make It!
SPREAD tortillas with cream cheese; top with turkey.
PLACE lettuce on bottom halves of tortillas; roll up.
CUT each into 4 slices

Mini Beef and Provolone Crescents

I got this recipe from www.pillsbury.com

INGREDIENTS
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 tablespoon Italian salad dressing
2 slices (1/2 to 1 oz each) provolone cheese, each cut into 8 strips
2 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
3 oz thinly sliced cooked roast beef (from deli), cut into 16 pieces

DIRECTIONS
1.
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough and separate into 8 triangles; press out each triangle so shortest side measures 4 inches. Cut each triangle in half lengthwise from tip end to short side to make 16 triangles.
2.
Brush each triangle with salad dressing. Top each with 1 cheese strip, scant 1/2 teaspoon roasted peppers and 2 pieces of beef, folding to fit on triangle. Roll up each, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point; place point side down on cookie sheet.
3.
Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.