Cream of Broccoli Soup

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SUGAR

Ever wonder how much a gram(s) of sugar is in your food labels.  Check this out!  Makes ya think twice about buying some of these products.  Click on title to view

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Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
adapted from Laura Rebecca's Kitchen

2 cups flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400-degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper cups.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix with light strokes until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Do not overmix; batter will not be smooth.

Divide batter among the muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted in one or two of the muffins come out clean, 12-15 minutes.

While the muffins are baking, melt 1/2 stick butter and place in a bowl just large enough to hold a muffin. Combine ½ cup of sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a small, shallow bowl. As soon as the muffing are done, dip them one at a time in the melted butter and then roll in the sugar mixture. Set on a rack to cool. Yields 12 standard muffins.

Homemade Vanilla

I'd like to try this
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Lemon Pepper Chicken

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• lemon wedges for garnish

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients except the chicken.
2. Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until they are a uniform thickness. This ensures that they will cook evenly.
3. Place chicken in a glass dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Turn the chicken to coat. Marinate for 2 hours.
4. After two hours, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the remaining marinade.
5. Cook the chicken in a skillet 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges

Seven Layer Dip

• 1 14.5 ounce can of spicy refried beans
• 1 8 ounce container of guacamole
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 green onions, diced
• 1 can sliced olives
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

1. Combine the mayo, sour cream and taco seasoning in a small bowl.
2. Spread the refried beans on the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan.
3. Spread guacamole on top of the beans.
4. Spread the mayo, sour cream and taco seasoning mixture on top of the guacamole.
5. Sprinkle the cheese, green onions, olives and then tomatoes.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup Nutella
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prep baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, the sugar and the brown sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla until combined.

4. Gradually add the flour until the mixture is combined.

5. Then mix Nutella. Finally add in the chocolate chips.

6. Use ice cream scoop and drop on baking sheets and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Beef-Shitake-Barley Soup

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Turtle Cake

I have had this recipe forever.  In fact, Bob mentioned this morning how old the index card I have it on looked.  Speaking of Bob, I made this cake for him when he came to visit me in Michigan.  I quickly learned that you do not ask Bob to help when unwrapping caramels are involved.  I sat him down on the couch with a bowl for the unwrapped caramels and one for the wrappers.  Somehow, I think he must have gotten confused by my instructions because when I checked on him, he was eating about every other caramel he unwrapped. : )


1 box German Chocolate cake mix
1/4 lb butter
14 oz pkg caramels (I prefer Kraft)
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
6 oz chopped pecans
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix cake mix as directed on box.  Bake half the mix in a greased and floured 13x9 pan in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.  In the top of a double boiler melt together butter, caramel and sweet milk.  Remove top pan of double boiler from heat.  Cool butter mixture slightly and pour over baked half of cake.  Pour the rest of the cake batter over butter mixture.  Then sprinkle the batter with chocolate chips and pecans.  Bake in a 350 degree oven 20-25 minutes.  **Serve with vanilla ice cream or Cool Whip.

**I never serve it with either because it is so rich without these

Tips

Crack Egg In Cup Before Measuring Shortening or Margarine
Tired of trying to clean the margarine or shortening out of the measuring cup after you use it? I am! But I discovered a trick today. If your recipe calls for an egg(s), crack the egg into the measuring cup your going to use for measuring the margarine or shortening. Pour the egg into your mixing bowl. now using the same measuring cup that the egg was in, measure out the margarine or shortening. You will be surprised at how easily the margarine or shortening comes out leaving behind no greasy gobs of shortening or margarine. 

Single edged razor blade useful for spills

I always keep a razor blade holder with a new single edge blade in it in my kitchen drawer. It is a great tool for cleaning ceramic stove top spills, caked on spills in the refrigerator or other stubborn spots. Just hold the blade at about a 30 degree angle so you don't scratch what you are working on (especially on your ceramic stove top). Draw the blade across just like you are scraping paint. Usually peels right off.

Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone

This recipe is awesome!  However, I did tweak it a bit by adding a dash of red wine, a few drops of Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce.Click on title to view