Soups

Holiday Stew

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This one is a winner, all you little elfs out there. It was served at a friends progressive dinner the other night and everyone had a fit over it.

1 1/2 lb pork cut into cubes

2 cups chopped onion

16 oz Kielbasa or Polish sausage cut in to 1/2 in slices

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 carrots, pealed and sliced

6 red potatoes pealed and sliced

15 oz chicken broth

2 cans cannelline beans, rinsed and drained

1 can tomato paste

1 teas dried thyme, crushed

1/2 teas ground black pepper

1/2 cup coarsely chopped tomates (you can used canned)

Combine ingredients in slow cooker, except for the tomatoes. Cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours or high heat for4-5 hours. Add tomatoes and cook 10 more minutes. (You can add the tomates with the rest of the ingredients if using canned). Garnish with any toppings you like. Merry Christmas to you.

Daily Thoughts

Decorative Christmas Trays

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Thought I would pass on to you something that I have been doing this year for some friends. Frosty and I had gone into Z Gallery and found these beautiful trays which were embellished with rhinestones around the edges. They sold for almost $40.00. I told him, “hum, we could make those and certainly a lot cheaper than that. ” So that is exactly what we did. We went to Hobby Lobby where they have beautiful red, silver, gold trays and black, red, gold and silver chargers which you can use for cake plates. Then I bought some rhinestones there in the craft department and came home and put different disigns around the edges. They are just beautiful and we have made about 20 of them for gifts. Everytime we give them, the recipients are just so excited. They make a beautiful tray for candles, cookies, cupcakes, etc. Thought you might want to try your hand at this. A very inexpensive gift to make, but look so expensive. Only 2 more days to our day we celebrate the Savior coming to live among us. Merry Christmas.

Desserts

Unbelievable Vanilla Cupcakes (yes, they are from Paula Deen)

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I found this recipe last year in one of Paula Deen’s magazines. I made it several times for different functions at the house, and everyone has agreed they are truly the best vanilla cupcakes they had ever eaten. I thought I would share with you because they are just so moist and so flavorful and just beautiful with vanilla frosting (no, you cannot frost them with canned frosting, as I will SEND the Frosting Police after you if you do). You can make the frosting. It is so easy and if you are single, just make this for someone special and you won’t be single long.

Sugar Cupcakes

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup all vegetable shortening, melted

1/2 cup whole buttermilk

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teas baking powder

1/2 tes baking soda

1/4 teas salt

1 tables almond extract

1 tables vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line 16 muffin tins with paper liners. In a large bown, combine sugar, eggs and egg yolks; beat at medium high speed with mixer until fluffy. Gradually add melted butter and melted shortening, beating at low speed until combined. Gradually add buttermilk, beating until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture beating just until combined. Add extracts beating until combined. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 16 to 18 min or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 min before removing. Frost with Sugar Cupcake Frosting, which I have listed below.

Sugar cupcake Frosting

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup softened butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teas vanilla extract.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Breads · Daily Thoughts

Fried Garlic Bread

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Our Christmas letter this year has our recipe for the Texas Caprese Salad, serving it alongside “fried garlic bread”. Well, after tasting the friend garlic bread that we saw on TV we just had to try it. It tastes so different from baked garlic bread. We used the iron skillet. Spread softened butter which you have added garlic powder, not garlic salt, to your liking. (we think you cannot have too much garlic, but then again, maybe that is why we don’t have many friends). Get the iron skillet hot and spray with Pam. Fry each side of the Texas toast until golden brown. This is just delicious.

1 stick of softened butter

2 teas garlic powder

Blend together and spread on both sides of the bread. Serve alongside caprese, soup, spaghetti, whatever you want. It truly is so very good.

Breads

Streusel Coffee Cake

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Well, a sweet new friend from Oklahoma brought over this coffee cake this past week. It was absolutely delicious. I asked her if she minded if I share it. It stayed fresh for days, but when it was delivered to us, it was still warm and just so great with a warm cup of coffee.

1 pkg (26.5 oz) cinnamon struesel coffee cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup softened butter

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 package toffee bits

1 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup uncooked regular oats

Mix cake mix and next 5 ingredients together about 2 mins. Pour 1/2 of mixture into a 9×13 pan or a bundt greased pan.

Combine struesel packet, toffee, pecans and oats. Sprinkle 1/2 of this mixture over batter. Dollop then spread remaining batter over struesel layer.

Sprinkle with remaining struesel. Bake at 350 for about 40 min or until done. Cool completely. Drizzle glaze packet over cake. This is really easy and oh so good.

I think I am going to try changing out the toffee with chopped dates next time. Will let you know!

Meats · Soups

Tailgating Thai Chicken Chile

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3 tables olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 yellow peppers, chopped

2 cloves of carlic, minced

2 lbs of ground chicken or turkey (or 1/2 and 1/2 of each)

1 10.1 oz jar sweet chile sauce

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

3 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed

2 15 oz cans corn

1 tables chili powder

2 teas garlic powder

2 teas cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

Place olive oil in large stock pot and place on medium high heat. Saute onions, peppeers and garlic. When onions are translucent, add meat and cook until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour and then season with the salt and pepper. Serve with sour cream, grated cheddar cheese and your favorite chips.

Casseroles

Ten Minute Alfredo

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Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tables garlic, minced

1 tables olive oil

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in a saute pan and add garlic. Add heavy cream and bring just below a boil. When cream begins to bubble, add the cheese and stir until it thickens. Season and serve over your favorite pasta. Sprinkle parsley over the top. This is quite good and oh so easy. Good enough for company, with a great salad and garlic bread.

Daily Thoughts

A Hero Laid to Rest

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Yesterday was such a bittersweet day. My father in law, Howard’s life was celebrated and then laid to rest.  His life was what some might call “ordinary”, but those who knew Howard would never agree with that term. Howard was one of those men who you could never say anything negative. He loved his family and was a hero in every term. He served not only his country with pride, but his family and the Lord. He will certainly be missed. His sister Loura, at the ceremony, gave different stories of his life. She ended up saying that the dictionary should have Howard’s name beside the word “hero”, because he was in every instance, just that. My husband, Randy, became a different man in my eyes yesterday. I cannot imagine getting up and speaking at one of my parents funerals. But he did, Randy felt that he needed to honor his dad by standing and saying what he had meant to him and in so doing, has taught not only me, but our children, that it is never to late to honor our parents. Randy was not afraid to show his emotions for his dad. I cannot say that I could have done what he did. Thank you, honey, for not only showing us different sides to your dad, but to you as well. You are following in his steps every inch of the way. Your heart and your actions were so honoring to your dad and to your mom, who sat and watched you become just a little more like your dad yesterday. You did him proud.

Daily Thoughts

Christmas Peppermint Punch

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Ok, this is great and quite a pretty addition to any buffet this time of year! Some friends got it off the internet and served it at a group Bible study and then again for a ladies ornament exchange. It is like drinking a milkshake made with snow and ice cream and peppermint.

If you serve this in a punch bowl, hang peppermint candy canes on the bowl’s rim

1 quart eggnog

1 1-liter bottle club soda, chilled

1/2 gallon peppermint ice cream, softened

Hard peppermint candies, curshed

Stir together first 3 ingredients in a punch bowl. Sprinkle with the crushed candy and serve immediately.

Punch may be made ahead without the candies and chilled 2 hours. Stir well and sprinkle candy just before serving.

Meats

Sweet Tortilla Baked Chicken

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Ok, you must be wondering “how many chicken recipes is she going to give us”, but trust me on this one, it is sooooo good.

1 lb of boneless chicken breast, pounded then

1 teas each salt and pepper

4 tbles apricot jam

2 cups tortilla chips, pulverized

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed. Pulverize tortilla chips in a food processor until fine. Heat apricot jam over low heat until it thins down. Transfer jam to a shallow dish and place crushed chips in a separate shallow dish. Dip chicken breast in jam to coat then into chips. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and put in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until chicken is throughly cooked. Serve with rice pilaf and sauted veggies.