A Cold, Winter Day Meal

     Want something warm and soothing for supper on a cold winter night? Here is a great combination for a great meal!

                                                        Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
   
                                                              3/4 pound ground beef
                                                    2 cans (14-1/2 oz. each) beef broth
                                                                   2 cups water
                                                1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
                                                            3 celery ribs, chopped
                                                             2 large carrots, sliced
                                                            2 medium onions, sliced
                                                     1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
                                                        1-1/2 cups fresh cauliflowerets
                                         2 Tbsp. minced fresh tarragon or 2 tsp. dried tarragon
                                                             1 Tbsp. garlic powder
                                                         1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
                                                                   1/2 tsp. salt
                                                                1/8 tsp. pepper
                                                         3/4 cup uncooked macaroni

                             In a dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
                           Add the broth, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions potato, cauliflower,
                                            tarragon, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper                                                                           Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes
                                         or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
                                      Cook macaroni according to package directions ; drain.
                                                       Stir into the soup; heat through.
                                                                  Yield: 8 servings

                                                           Honey-Oat Casserole Bread

                                                         1 pkg. (1 Tbsp.) active dry yeast
                                                   1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
                                                               1/4 cup butter, softened
                                                                      1/4 cup honey
                                                                  1 cup boiling water
                                                                          2 eggs
                                                             1 cup quick-cooking oats
                                                                        1 tsp. salt
                                                                    3-1/2 cups flour

                                             In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
               In another bowl, combine the butter, honey and boiling water; stir until butter is melted.
                                                                 Cool to 110-115 degrees.
                            Add eggs, oats, salt, butter mixture and 2 cups flour to the yeast  mixture;
                                                         beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
                         Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be slightly sticky).
                                 Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 55 minutes.
                                 Punch the dough down. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2 qt. baking dish.
                                 Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
                                         Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
                           Cool for 10 minutes before removing from baking dish to a wire rack to cool.
                                                                   Cut into wedges.
                                                              Yield: 1 loaf (12 wedges)   
                                                        

                                                     

Dutch Rhubarb Pie

    Ok, hands down. This was *the* best rhubarb pie I have ever had. It includes 2 cups of fresh raspberries which adds so much to this pie. It was a huge hit and there were immediate requests for a second one to be made. That's all I'll say about it though. I'll let you try it for yourself.

                                                                  Dutch Rhubarb Pie

                                                      Pastry for single-crust  pie (9 inches)

                                                   3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb*

                                                               2 cups fresh raspberries

                                                                      3/4 cup sugar

                                                                      3 Tbsp. flour

                                                                 1 tsp. vanilla extract

                                                                     1 eggs, beaten

                                                                1/4 tsp.ground nutmeg

                                                          Topping:

                                                                       1/3 cup flour

                                                             1/4 cup packed brown sugar

                                                                 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

                                                          Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.

                                              Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges.

                              In a bowl, combine the rhubarb, raspberries, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg.

                                                       Pour into crust; sprinkle with nutmeg.

                               In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle over filling.

                            Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until filling is set and                                                                        crust in golden brown (if needed, cover edges loosely with foil during

                                                    last 10 minutes to prevent overbrowning). 

                                                                 Cool on a wire rack.

                                                                  Yield: 6-8 servings

                       *Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure while still frozen, then thaw completely.

                                             Drain in a colander; but do not press liquid out.

Tomato Eggplant Bake

    I've always heard about eggplant and had seen it, but never really cared to try it, with it's name and all. Then someone gave me four plants this last spring, and with my growing sense of adventure in making and trying new/strange food, I thought eggplant sounded like a lot of fun and got to work right away. This is the first recipe I tried (and the rest of my family too) and it actually went over quite well. Especially with LOTS of mozzarella cheese! =)


                                                              Tomato Eggplant Bake

                                                         1 medium eggplant (1 lb.),
                                                   peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
                                                          Salt to taste
                                                             1 large tomato, sliced
                                                            1 medium onion, sliced
                                                      6 Tbsp. butter, melted, divided
                                                               1/2 tsp. dried basil
                                                          1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
                                                  4 slices mozzarella cheese, cut into thirds
                                                        2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

                                           Place eggplant slices in a colander over a plate.
                             Sprinkle with salt; toss. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well.
                      Layer the eggplant, tomato and onion in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
                                             Drizzle with 4 Tbsp. butter; sprinkle with basil.
                                             Cover and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
                                               Toss the bread crumbs and remaining butter.
          Arrange mozzarella cheese over the vegetables; sprinkle with crumb mixer and Parmesan cheese.
                               Bake uncovered, for 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is bubbly.
                                                                 Yield: 6 servings

Green Stuff

    Ok, so you may be wondering about now, "what is 'Green Stuff?!' Well, it's pretty much what the name says. Green......Suff.....which happens to be really good. It's a family favorite jello salad that we've made for some years and is very easy to make. But I won't say much about it cause I think you can read the ingredients and try it for yourself! We love it! =)        

                                 So this really isn't a good picture. It actually looks good....just not
                                                                            in this picture. =)
                                                                   

 
                                                                    Green Stuff
                                                              
                                                          1 (3 oz.) package lime jello
                                                                1 cup boiling water
                                                             1 cup evaporated milk
                                                      1 cup small curd cottage cheese
                                        1 (1 lb. 4 oz.) canned, crushed pineapple with juice
                                                              1/2 cup mayonnaise
                                                                 1/4 cup celery

                                          Mix jello, water, milk, cottage cheese, pineapple,
                                              mayonnaise, and celery together in a bowl.
                                                                Refrigerate until firm.

                                               

Pumpkin Pie Bars

     I love fall! I love everything about this beautiful time of year. The colors, smells, the weather change, the decorations, fresh produce (especially living in the country), and of course fall cooking and baking! I love searching for fall recipes with lots of spices, pumpkin, apples,....the list could go on forever!
    Though I'm not one for pumpkin pie itself, I do love other things with pumpkin. So I made these bars. They weren't my most favorite 'cause as I said, pumpkin pie isn't my favorite. But those who do like pumpkin pie and tried them said they were "to die for". So if you're a lover of pumpkin pie, these may be just what you'd love. =)

                                                                  Pumpkin Pie Bars

                                                                   1-1/3 cups flour

                                                      3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

                                                          1/2 cup packed brown sugar

                                                        3/4 cup cold butter or margarine

                                     1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked

                                                             1/2 cup chopped Pecans

                                                  1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

                                                                         3 eggs 

                                                             1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

                                                           1 Tbsp.  pumpkin pie spice

                                                         Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
                                            Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; grease foil.
                             Mix flour, brown sugar and 1/4 cup of white sugar in a medium bowl;
           cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
                                                                Stir in oats and pecans.
             Reserve 1 cup of mixture; press remaining mixture onto bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.
                       Beat cream cheese; remaining 1/2 cup white sugar; eggs, pumpkin and
               umpkin pie spice in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
                                  Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
                          Bake 25 minutes. Lift from pan using foil handles; cool completely.
                                                                   Cut into 24 bars.

Tomatoes with Herb Stuffing

     Another great recipe to try when the fresh tomatoes are coming strong!

                                                        Tomatoes with Herb Stuffing

                                                                1 cup chopped celery

                                                                1 cup chopped onion
                                                                      1/2 cup butter
                                                       2 cups each, cubed day-old white,
                                                           whole wheat and rye bread
                                                          1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

                                                                 2 tsp. rubbed sage
                                                                 1 tsp. dried thyme
                                                                      1/2 tsp.salt
                                                                   1/2 tsp. pepper
                                                              1/4 cup chicken broth
                                                                8 medium tomatoes 

                                         In a *Dutch oven, saute celery and onion in butter until tender.
                  Remove from the heat. Stir in the bread cubes, parsley, sage, thyme, salt and pepper.
                                                             Add broth; toss to combine.
                                                  Cut a thin slice off the top of each tomato.

                                                   Scoop out pulp, leaving 1/2- inch shells.
                                                 Invert tomatoes onto paper towels to drain.
                                              Spoon about 1/3 cup stuffing into each tomato.
                                            Place in a greased 11-in.x 7-in.x 2-in. baking dish.
                                                  Place remaining  stuffing around tomatoes.

                   Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until tomatoes are tender.
                                                                     Yield: 8 servings.
                                                          
                            *if you don't have a Dutch oven, just a regular pan works just as well

Layered Lettuce Salad

   I have seen many different recipes for layered salads; this is the first I have tried, and I hope to try more. So we'll see what ones taste the best! One thing I have noticed about layered salads, fruit or vegetable, is that for some of the layers, you have to use more than the recipe calls for in order to have enough to cover the whole layer and show on the sides. A couple nice things about these salads are that they look very nice and impressive, they are big and serve lots of people so they are great for when company come, and most important, this salad is very tasty! I served it when we had a large group of our family and relatives over for a meal and  it was very well liked.

                                                             Layered Lettuce Salad

                                                          1 medium head lettuce, torn

                                                           1 cup minced fresh parsley

                                                           4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

                                                           2 large tomatoes, chopped

                                                        1 package (10 oz.) frozen peas,

                                                              thawed and patter dry

                                                    6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

                                                   1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

                                                         1 small red onion, chopped

                                         

                                                Dressing:

                                                            1-1/2 cups mayonnaise

                                                              1/2 cup sour cream

                                                                1 tsp. dill weed

                                                              3/4 tsp. dried basil

                                                                  1/2 tsp. salt

                                                               1/8 tsp. pepper

                                                         Fresh dill sprigs, optional

                               In a large  salad bowl, layer the lettuce, parsley, eggs, tomatoes, 

                                       peas, bacon, cheese and onion in the order listed.

                 In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, dill, basil, salt and pepper.

                                                     Carefully spread on top of salad.

                                        Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

                                                      Garnish with dill sprigs if desired.

                                                                 Yield: 12 servings

                                                      
                                               

Raspberry Smoothies

     I always love a good, creamy, thick, fruit smoothie! Especially on hot summer days after working outside all morning. I had some extra fresh raspberries one day and of course this recipe looked like a delicious choice for lunch! =)

                                                              Raspberry Smoothie
    

                                                                       1 cup milk

                                             1 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries

                                                      1 small ripe banana, cut into chunks

                                                               1/2 cup apple juice

                                                           1/2 cup raspberry yogurt

                           In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until blended.

                                               Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately.

Stuffed Manicotti

   I've always thought making Manicotti looked fun, but for some reason had never actually made it myself. So finally I got around to it and I've learned a valuable lesson from it. Never make Manicotti for a big group of people! If you want something like Manicotti for more people, make Lasagna. Manicotti is pretty much just a fancy Lasagna. But it did taste good. =)

                                                                 Stuffed Manicotti

                                                                  4 manicotti shells

                                                               1/2 lb. ground beef

                                                       1 small onion, finely chopped

                                               1/2 medium green pepper, finely chopped

                                                        1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

                                                       1 to 1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano

                                                               1 tsp. dried thyme

                                                    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

                                            Cook shells according to package directions.

                           Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper 

                                     over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

                                 Stir in the tomato sauce, oregano and thyme; bring to a boil.

                                       Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

                                       Add 1/2 cup cheese; stir until melted. Drain shells.

                                       Stuff half of the meat mixture into manicotti shells; 

                                        arrange in a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

                                           Spoon remaining meat mixture over shells.

                                      Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 20 minutes.

                                    Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5-10 minutes 

                                     longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

                                                               Yield: 2 servings

   

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

     I like making bars and cookies that taste just as good, if not better, after they've been in the freezer as when they were first baked. So that way I can mix up a big batch, freeze 'em and have bars for a while; and these bars have defiantly passed the test. They were a hit fresh from the oven and I think they taste even better after spending some time in the freezer! Plus you can never pass up that cream cheese/peanut butter taste. =)

                                                           Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

                                      1 package (18-1/4 oz.) yellow cake mix with pudding in the mix
                                                     1/2 cup butter, softened, cut into small pieces
                                                      2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
                                                                1 cup chunky peanut butter
                                                                              3 eggs
                                                                      1-1/4 cups sugar
                                                              1 cup salted roasted peanuts
                                                                Melted chocolate, optional

                                Preheat over to 325 degrees. Combine cake mix and butter in large bowl.
                            Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until crumbly. Remove 1 cup mixture.                             Press remaining mixture evenly into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan to form crust.
                                                          Bake 10 minutes; cool on wire rack.
                                            Combine cream cheese and peanut butter in large bowl.
                                              Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy.
                                    Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl accasionally.
                                      Gradually beat in sugar until light. Spoon filling over cooled crust.
                                     Combine reserved cake mix and peanuts; spread evenly over filling.
                Bake 45 minutes or until cake is just set and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
                                          Remove from oven; cool at room temperature 30 minutes.
                                                        Chill at least 2 hours before serving.
                                                    Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired.
                                                                     Makes 24 bars

Ice Cream Cake Rolls

    Recently we had a family cook out and my family being quite large, I have to make twice as much dessert. Which I actually like a lot because I can try two new desserts at once! Well I've make cream-filled cake rolls before, but never ice cream-filled ones. So this last family supper I decided to try out the ice cream. Needing two cake rolls I tried a chocolate one and a vanilla one. Both were very good, though it would be nice to find a different way to make the cake part as these ones were kinda dry.... Well, here they are.

                                                                   

                                                            Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Roll

                                                                      4 eggs, separated

                                                                         3/4 cup sugar

                                                                          1 tsp. vanilla

                                                                     3/4 cup cake flour

                                                                  1/4 cup baking cocoa

                                                                 3/4 tsp. baking powder

                                                                           1/4 tsp. salt

                                                                3 cups ice cream softened

                        Place egg whites in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

             Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper

                                                                            Set aside.

                          In a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on high for 3 minutes or until lemon-colored.

                                  Gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until thick and pale yellow.

                        Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder; gradually add to egg yolk mixture.

                                          Beat on low until well mixed (batter will be very thick).

                                       Beat egg whites and salt on high speed until soft peaks form.

                                 Fold a fourth of egg whites into the batter, then fold in remaining whites.

                                                   Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

                        Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lighhtly touched.

                                      Turn cake  onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar.

                Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.

                                                               Cool completely on a wire rack.

                                          Unroll cake; spread with ice cream to within 1 inch of edge.

                                         Roll up again. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until serving.

                                                                         Yield: 10 servings

                                                                       Chococlate Sauce

                                              2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened baking chocolate

                                                                    1/4 cup butter, cubed

                                                   2/3 cup evaporated milk, heated to 160 degrees

                                                                          1 cup sugar

             In a small heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until smooth.

                                  Gradually add the warm milk and sugar; stir constantly for 5 minutes

                                             r until sugar is completely dissolved. Serve with cake.

                                                                        Yield: 1-1/2 cups

                                                        Vanilla Ice Cream Cake Roll

                                                                          4 eggs

                                                                   3/4 cup sugar

                                                                    1 tsp. vanilla

                                                           3/4 cup all-purpose flour

                                                            3/4 tsp. baking powder

                                                                     1/4 tsp. salt

                                                      1/2 gallon any flavor of ice cream

                               Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper.

                                                  Grease and flour the paper and set aside.

                                                   In a large bowl, beat eggs for 3 minutes.

              Gradually add sugar; beat for 2 minutes or until mixture becomes thick and lemon-colored.

                                   Beat in vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; fold into egg mixture.

                                                Spread batter evenly into prepared pam.

                 Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.

                          Cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar.

                                                          Gently peel off waxed paper.

                               Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.

                                                       Cool completely  on a wire rack.

                               Spread cooled cake with ice cream; roll up again. Freeze until firm.

                                *When I made this cake, I filled it with strawberry ice cream

                                   and served with a strawberry sauce. It was very good.