Brownies

I love chocolate! And love to make brownies. I have a few favorites, but this one I made yesterday (and Belle made them again today for her study group).  They don't last very long in my house.  Because of the soy allergy we stay away from chocolate chips in our brownies. But feel free to add some chips or chopped up caramels. It could only make them better.

These are nice cake like brownies. Great for an afternoon snack or packed in a lunch.  Of course you could always eat these with a little ice cream and some whipped cream for an awesome dessert.

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

3/4 cup cocoa 

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

(1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 pan. (I use butter) Place butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on 50 % power for 2-3 minutes until melted.  Stir in the sugar and vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each to make sure they are incorporated.  Add the cocoa. Stir. add the baking powder, salt and flour. Carefully stir until everything is combined.  Add chips if using and stir. Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool on rack, cut and enjoy.

recipe adapted from Hershey's

Orange White Chocolat Chip Cookies

Since I live with the cookie monster, I have to have a variety of cookies. The other week I made these, and they didn't last very long.  I make sure that I pack a few in baggies for the kids lunch ( just to make sure they get a few) before my cookie monster gets them. These are a little sweeter than a regular cookie in my opinion. But, it's not saying that I won't eat them, lol.  I hope you get a chance to make them and maybe they will last more than a few days in your house.  

Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2TBSP orange zest (one large orange)
2 cup white chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add the orange zest and chips and mix just until combined.  Scoop onto cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350.  Cool on wire rack and enjoy.  

Easy Caramel Corn

Who doesn't go to the shore and stop at Johnson's Popcorn for a tub "without" the lid?? Well, when there isn't time to get there or you just need caramel corn this minute… this recipe is for you!

I have quite a few caramel corn recipes, but this one is the easiest.  I even use microwave popcorn to make it a snap.  I use 2 bags of Homestyle Pop Secret. And it disappears about as quickly as you make it. 

Easy Caramel Corn

8 cups popped popcorn
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 TBSP butter
3 TBSP corn syrup
pinch of Kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp vanilla


Place popcorn in a large bowl, removing any not popped kernels. 
Preheat oven to 300.
In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and Kosher salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring.  when mixture boils, stop stirring, and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble and while stirring will become light and fluffy.  Quickly pour over the popcorn and stir to coat evenly.
Dump the popcorn onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring three time to distribute the caramel.
Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Easy Snacks

Having some healthier snacks on hand for you and your family is sometimes key. 
I usually have cut up cheese. My family likes Kerry Gold and Cheddar cheese cut up. It is great for a snack or to throw in with their eggs or to make a quesadilla.
I almost always have carrots and celery cut up, and if they don't eat it, I throw it in a stew or soup after at the end of the week. 
Seasonal fruit is good too. Pineapple and watermelon is great to cut up and snack on.  
I usually don't wash my berries until I am ready to use them because they seem to get too soft. 
 It is easy to do this in an hour on a not so busy day and it makes life a little easier.  I sometimes just take the lid off and put it on the dinner table. If someone can't wait until dinner and they can snack on them.  Then the lid goes on and it goes back in the fridge.  It makes it very easy for anyone to take a quick snack when they come in from work, school, or errands.  And it also makes lunches easier to pack.  
I also like these square and rectangular glass containers.  They are great to stack in the fridge or in the pantry. They are easy to clean, either by hand or in the dishwasher. I like them so much better than plastic.  

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

     This has been a really crazy winter in terms of the weather. It was cold early, then very warm right before Christmas and then the Polar Vortex, with another one coming again this week.  

     When the freezing cold weather hits, all I want to do is to stay inside. And when I am inside, all I want to do is cook. It doesn't matter to me if I cook sweet or savory. If I make meals or desserts. Cooking or baking. When I am in the kitchen, I am happy.  

     So with this upcoming Polar Vortex, here is a great stick to your ribs soup. It will fill you up and warm you from the inside.  

     Please be sure to follow the directions of the barley that you use. This time I used Goya barley and it took 30 minutes to cook, but there is quick cook barley which only takes a few minutes.  Just take notice.

     I will give you my recipe, but feel free to substitute any vegetables that you like or have on hand.  I usually add fresh green beans, but didn't have any, so I used mushrooms instead. If you like peas or Lima beans (I don't) they would be perfect in here as well.  Experiment and have fun.

     This will make a nice big pot of soup and with the barley it gets thicker when leftover.  You could even thicken it up a bit more with some cornstarch and put it in a pie plate, top with a refrigerated pie crust and have a pot pie.  

Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

2 TBSP canola oil

1 1/2-2 pounds stew meat, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup barley

6 cups beef stock 

3 cans stewed tomatoes (I used 1 can of Rotel)

3 stalks celery, chopped

5 carrots, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

5 large red potato, chopped 

1 green squash, chopped

1 lb green beans, chopped 

1 lb mushrooms, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp black pepper

1 TBSP Italian seasoning

juice of one lemon

In a large dutch oven brown the stew meat in the oil.  Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the veggies, stock, pepper, Italian seasoning and the lemon juice.  Bring to a boil,stir thoroughly to combine. Cover and turn down to a simmer for about 20 minutes. Add your barley and continue to cook until the barley is done.  

That's a Spicy Meatball

I have been making meatballs since I was about 14 years old. I have gone through lots of recipes and lots of different techniques.  But I finally found a meatball that I feel that I can stick with.  I have been making these for about 5 years, so I think they are a winner.  

I like to make them using a mixture of meat, and not always the same mixture, but whatever I am in the mood for on the day I make them.  Mostly the mixture is ground beef, pork,veal, and turkey.  Most of the time I do leave out the beef. But I always add the ground pork.  The recipe calls for 2 pounds of meat, so feel free to use whatever meat your family likes.  

You can add these meatballs to your favorite sauce or you can just put them in a pot of crushed tomatoes for meatball sandwiches.  Be sure to add whatever broth is still in the pan from the meatballs, it adds lots of flavor. 

  Spicy Meatballs

1 cup breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 TBSP Italian seasoning
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP kosher salt
1 TBSP ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
pinch of nutmeg

2pounds ground meat (beef, turkey,veal,pork)

1 cup beef broth  (for pan)


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Stir together the all ingredient except the meat until mixed thoroughly. 
Add the meat until combined.
Shape into small balls (I use a small scoop)
Place balls on a rimmed cooking sheet and cover the bottom with the additional beef broth. 
Bake for 25 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through  
Add meatballs to your favorite sauce along with the pan juices.

Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

Making soup and watching the snow fall are probably the only things that I like about this cold season. I am more a spring/summer girl.  But if I have to be in the cold, a nice hearty soup is what I am dreaming about.  This soup is quick and easy, it has a few steps, but I seemed to do a good job of cleaning up my mess along the way and the soup was perfect for a cold and dreary day.  

The original recipe that I found calls for a plain sausage and added hot pepper flakes. You could do that or just do as I did and use a hot Italian sausage.  If you don't like the heat then you could use mild.  I like to experiment and/or use what i have, no need for a special trip to the store.  

1 lb Italian sausage (I use Hot)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 onion, diced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 lbs red potatoes, diced
1 tsp Italian seasonings
2 cups milk
3 oz cream cheese
3 TBSP flour
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 cups baby spinach

Remove the sausage from casings and crumble it into a large dutch oven.  Begin cooking the sausage, braking it up as it cooks, over medium heat.  Add the smoked paprika, onion and garlic.  Saute until the sausage is fully cooked. Drain if necessary. Add the chicken stock and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling add the potatoes,cover, and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on size.  
While the potatoes are cooking, place the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Heat the butter in a medium size saucepan . When the butter is melted, add the milk mixture and whisk over medium heat until thick.  When potatoes are tender, add the thickened milk mixture and the spinach.  
Serve with salt and pepper to taste or grated Parmesan cheese.