Crock Pot Tortellini and spinach soup

Oh how I love a crock-pot

The feeling I get after I put everything in a pot and realize supper is done.  lovely.

*I used another 1/2 bag of Tortellini because I did not add meat. If you want it more soupy just add the one bag.

 

 

 

 

a frozen bag of Tortellini, vegetable broth, diced Italian tomatoes, bag of spinach, package of Philadelphia cream cheese

 

 dump the tortellini in the crock pot

 add the 2 cans of tomatoes and be sure you drain them

 

 

 add the spinach

 

 

 cut up the block of cream cheese and add it to the top of the spinach

 

 

add a carton of vegetable broth or chicken broth . that's about 4 cups

 

 

 

 

You will have to stir this after about 2 hours or your spinach and cheese will just sit  on top.

 

RECIPE

1 16 oz. and 1/2 of another 16 oz. bag bag of frozen tortellini

1  bag of fresh spinach

2 cans of Italian style diced tomatoes (soup can sized approx 10.5 oz)Drained

1 box or 4 cups of chicken broth or Vegetable Broth

1 package of cream cheese

1/8 teaspoon crushed  Red Pepper (optional)

salt to taste


Directions:
Put all ingredients in crock pot, chunking up the cream cheese into 1 inch pieces. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs. Mix thoroughly during last hour
*I used another half bag of the tortellini because I did not use meat . If you add meat just use the one bag



Don't you love a recipe that you can prepare so many different ways but with little effort.

You can add chopped cooked chicken, spicy sausage, ground turkey, ground Italian sausage, sliced sausage, spicy turkey sausage

and also throw in some finely chopped garlic, red pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, Italian seasonings

For an extra kick replace one can of Italian tomatoes with rotel

Throw in some fresh mushrooms

for a lighter version you can use the fat-free cream cheese and for the vegetarian version you can use vegetable broth. I would not use Greek Yogurt because it will separate and be clumpy in the crock-pot.

Frozen Tortellini is best because the fresh will get more soggy

You can also use 4 cheese ravioli

Top with your favorite blend of cheeses, such as grated parmesan

The frozen spinach will also get crispy so use the fresh spinach as much as you like. I used the whole bag and it looks like a lot but it will really cook down.

Restaurant Style Egg Drop Soup

If you enjoy Egg Drop Soup from a restaurant then you will love this recipe . I found some blue spoons on Amazon because you  just cant eat this soup without them It just happens to be one of the basic and most comforting of all soups requiring just a few ingredients.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003M5UMH6/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


4 Cups Chicken Broth Divided

1/8 teaspoon ground Ginger

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 eggs

 1 egg yolk


Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth, and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the salt, ginger and chives into a saucepan, and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until. smooth. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk together using a fork. Drizzle egg a little at a time from the fork into the boiling broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Once the eggs have dropped, stir in the cornstarch mixture gradually until the soup is the desired consistency.

There are many different variations to this soup you could also add

light soy sauce

white pepper

green onion

celery

carrots

bean sprouts

spinach

bok choy

mushrooms

tofu

noodles

This is an anything that suits your fancy type dish . you decide.



source:All Recipes

Peach salad with buffalo mozzarella

6 Peaches Cut in slices

... salt

 mix of lettuces

1 small red onion, slivered

5 oz. buffalo mozzarella or other fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

4 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. dijon or whole grain mustard

2 Tbs. minced chives

1/3 c. olive oil

1 Tbs. heavy cream

Chopped toasted walnuts





 Core and slice the peaches. Lightly salt one  sides of the peaches, drizzle very lightly with olive oil and place  on the grill. When the peaches just begin to get soft remove remove them from the grill .

Make the dressing: place vinegar, honey, chives and mustard in a small bowl. While whisking very fast, slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Whisk heavy whipping cream.

Toss salad and onion with vinaigrette and place on a plate. Place sliced grilled  peaches and mozzarella on top of the salad greens and drizzle with a little more dressing. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and top with toasted walnuts

for some reason I left off the red onion in the photo. enjoy

Gracie Roads Taco Soup

Oh how I love Taco Soups. I have tried many recipes and decided to create my own. I added some sweet cream style corn and a variety of beans and loved how it tasted. I hope you do too.

 

 

 

chop one medium onion and brown in cook in 1 tablespoon of oil until tender

 

 

 

Put in one cup of water and the MILD taco seasoning and Ranch dressing mix and give it a stir. If you like it hot use the regular taco seasoning. The mild did have some kick to it so be careful

 

 

 

 

Add 1 (16 oz.) can of pinto beans, undrained

1( 16 oz.) can dark red kidney beans DRAINED

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, undrained

 

 

 

Add 2 (14 oz.5 oz. )cans of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (4.5-oz. )can chopped green chiles, undrained

 

 

add 1 (14.5 oz.) sweet creamed style corn and 1 CUP Chicken Broth

 

 

 

 

now put in the chopped or shredded chicken breasts ( You can also use 1 pound of hamburger meat instead of the chicken just cook it with the onions before adding it to the pot and drain it also)

 

 

 

 

 

 simmer for 30 minutes covered

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to add your sour cream , cheese and tortilla chips. This is a must!

 

RECIPE

 

3 chicken breast cooked, chopped or shredded

 

1 medium onion, about 1 cup

 

1 Tablespoon oil

 

1 (1-oz.) envelope Ranch dressing mix

 

1 (1-oz.) envelope MILD taco seasoning mix

 

1 (16-oz) can pinto beans, undrained

 

1 (16-oz.) can dark red kidney beans DRAINED

 

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

 

1 (15- oz. )  can black beans, undrained

 

1 (14.5 oz.) can sweet cream style corn

 

1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles, undrained

 

Sour Cream

 

Shredded sharp Chedder cheese

 

Tortilla chips

 

Cook chicken until done chop or shred and set aside.  cook onion in 1 tablespoon of oil until tender. add 1 cup water and then add the ranch dressing and MILD taco seasoning. Add 1 cup chicken broth ,tomatoes, beans, (don't forget to drain off the dark red kidney beans This will be the only beans you will drain.. )  corn, and  chiles and shredded chicken.  Bring to a boil and turn it down to low . Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Put it in your  bowls and top with cheese and sour cream and serve it with your favorite tortilla chips.

 

*You can substitute the chicken for 1 pound of hamburger mean and cook it until tender with the onion and drain. Enjoy!

Stuffed French Toast

French Toast is one of my favorite foods to eat any time of the day. This recipe is love at first sight. It makes ordinary French toast extraordinary.

Take out your cream cheese and get it at room temperature

 

Put 8 large eggs in a bowl with 1/2-1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 Tablespoon of sugar and Pinch of salt

 

 

Whisk until well blended

 

slice some French bread or use Texas Toast ( I had some French bread so I sliced it up for this recipe but Texas toast is better because it is a softer bread

 

 

 Dip the Toast in the egg on both sides and put them in the buttered skillet or griddle

 

 

Cook Until done

 

 Beat 8 ounces of cream cheese with 1/3 of Maple Syrup

 

get your cherries ready.

 

 

 

Put about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on top of one French toast and then top with cherries . Put another piece of the French toast on top and dollop with Whipped Cream and your choice of walnuts or pecans.

 

RECIPE

 

8 large eggs

 

1 Tablespoon sugar

 

1/2-1  teaspoon cinnamon ( I used 1/2 but you can add up to 1 teaspoon

 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Pinch of salt

 

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

 

1/3 cup maple syrup

 

8 Texas Toast slices

 

2 Tablespoons butter

 

1 can cherry pie filling 21 ounces

 

sweetened whipped cream

 

Toasted walnuts or pecans

 

Whisk eggs in a bowl. Whisk in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and pinch of salt. Combine cream cheese with the maple syrup in another bowl. Beat at medium speed with a electric mixer until creamy and set aside.

 

Dip toast slices in egg mixture on each side. Melt butter on a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Cook toast slices 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown.

 

Place a piece of French toast on the plate and then add about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture, desired cherries. Top with another piece of French toast. Dollop with sweetened whipped cream and pecans or walnuts.

 

*You can also use canned blueberries or any other canned fruit

 

 

 



My Oak Wall I built

     My dad and I built this oak wall that wraps around the whole room . There is another project that I am still working on and seems to never want to be completed that will finish it off. The stain is a custom stain from Sherwin Williams that I came up with so if you would like the formula I will be glad to email you a photo of it . I have tried to use poplar but it really doesn't give you a flawless look when working with these type of boards. It requires primer and quite a bit of sanding and you still will not get the smoothness that you get with MDF. I know it  is a bit more pricey to  use oak, cherry,  but the finished look is so much more classy and I think staining is much easier than painting.
     It is really hard to find these types of pieces at your local  Big Box store. There are a few lumber stores in my  are that have so many different types of trim pieces and they can also usually make custom pieces so look around in your area. I wouldn't use this in bathroom because of the moisture and steam levels. Poplar is your best choice for wet areas and it will not warp like MDF. If you get MDF wet even if it is painted it will swell. MDF and  standing water does not mix.

 

 

 These chairs are in temporary placement  thanks to the new French door install.

 



Butterfinger Cake

The first time I had this cake was at a church potluck and with all the abundance of food at the long table that morning this is the cake that was gone first. I found the recipe in a cookbook that I bought at an estate sale. Do you ever go to estate sales for cookbooks? Every time I go I feel like I am the only one buying them.



 

 

RECIPE

 

Butterfinger Cake

 

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix

 

1 Can Eagle Brand Milk

 

1 Jar Caramel Topping

 

8 Ounce Cool Whip

 

Large. Butterfinger or Heath Candy Bar

 

Bake cake according to directions, in 9x13 baking pan. Poke holes in the cake about 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven . Pour 1 can of Eagle Brand milk over the cake. Pour 1 jar of caramel topping over the cake. Let the cake cool. Spread 1 tub of Cool Whip over the cake. Sprinkle a crumbled Butterfinger over the top of the Cool Whip. Refrigerate.

 

*its seems like a lot of eagle brand milk and caramel but trust me its not. I have used half and I could  hardly taste anything.

*I like to grate extra chocolate curls on top or drizzle with Hershey's chocolate syrup.

Kids love these cakes and such a good take to take to school or to a potluck.

 



Coconut Creme Pie

The first thing you need to do is make your pie shell . I usually just buy one and put it in the oven and prebake it. This recipe requires you pour the cream in the prebaked pie shell as do most cream pie recipes.

 

 

 

Coconut Cream Pie

 

 In a small bowl put 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, and 1/4 cup cornstarch in a small bowl

 

 

mix it up and add enough water to make a paste. It doesn't take much . just enough so you can stir it up.

 

 put 3 cups of milk in a double boiler and boil until the milk starts to steam. This is when you add the egges, cornstarch, sugar paste mixture. Pour it in slowly whisking it so it doesn't clump. You continue to stir this until it thickens. I usually end up taking it out of the double boiler and cooking it on a low temperature so it can get pretty thick. keep stirring it so it will not burn.

 

 

It needs to get thick

 

 remove it from the stove and stir in 3/4 cup of the coconut , 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Give it a good stir until this is all stirred up really well.

 

 

 You can see it is pretty thick. Pour the filling into a BAKED pie shell.

 

 

Meringue can get a little tricky. Always use large egg whites that are at ROOM temperature and make sure your bowl is COLD . Always add the sugar slowly.
Put 4 egg whites in a cold metal bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of Cream Of Tartar. Using an electric mixture on slow to medium speed, beat until soft peaks form. Add sugar One tablespoon at a time . You need to do this really slow. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks are when you can take the spoon and make a peak and they will not fall down. Pile lightly over the pie, spreading to the edges. Do not try and mash the meringue down you will flatten it and you want it to be tall and fluffy.

 

 

 

 

See my stiff peaks how they are standing up. I hope your meringue is taller than mine. I forgot to chill the metal bowl.

 

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 of sweetened coconut on top and bake 325 degrees for 30 minutes. This was an early photo I took while it was baking in the oven so yours will be a little browner on top than this one.

 

RECIPE

 

Bake your piecrust first don't forget.

 

3 egg yolks

 

1 cup sugar

 

1/4 cup cornstarch

 

1/4 or enough to make a paste

 

3 cups milk

 

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

 

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

 

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

 

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

In a small bowl , stir together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and just enough water to make a paste.

 

Place the milk in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. When the milk begins to steam, gradually stir in the egg mixture. Cook. stirring occasionally until very thick. I removed it off the double boiler onto the stovetop and cooked it on low heat stirring until it got thick. I like to start it out in a double boiler because when milk really starts boiling it can overflow pretty quickly.

 

Remove from the heat and stir in butter, coconut, and vanilla

 

Pour the filling into the PREBAKED pie crust and top with the meringue. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 coconut on top and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown

 

Recipe for Meringue

 

4 egg whites, at room temperature

 

1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar

 

3 tablespoons sugar

 

Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a cold metal bowl. Using the electric mixture on slow to medium speed, beat until soft peaks form

 

Start putting in the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Pile it gently over the top of the pie trying not to smash it all the way to the edges.

 

 

Chicken Spaghetti

 

 

 

 

The recipe calls for 1 large fryer chicken( I use chicken legs, boneless breasts and thighs so I will have less bones in my broth ( you can buy boneless thighs at some grocery stores.)

 

 

 

 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

 

 cover the chicken with water and add the poultry seasoning

 

 after the chicken is done cooking put it in a bowl and pick off the chicken digarding the bones

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Put one tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add one cup chopped bell pepper and one chopped onion

 

 

 

 

 

 cook until tender

 

 

 

 

scoop out some chicken broth 

 

 

 

 add the chicken to the onions and bell pepper

 

add one can of cream of mushroom and one can of cream of celery. Use the cream of celery.

 

 

add 2 cups of cheese . I used sharp chedder

 

 

 

 

carefully the package of spaghetti in the boiling chicken broth

 

 

This is where you add the chicken broth you scooped out. Pour some in the chicken, cheese, soups, onion , bell pepper mixture until you get it to the right consistency. You can tell if it is too dry.  Heat it all in the dutch oven for 30-45 minutes stirring a lot.( I use a nonstick coated one). You have to watch this it will burn if you just leave it so keep stirring it tossing and turning it. Your effort will pay off here.  . This is an important part as most chicken spaghetti's are thrown in a dish and baked. If you cook it like this your noodles and chicken will not brown or noodles crispy and it will be perfectly cooked.

 

Stir in the package of noodles. I usually have to chop them up a little while stirring to get it all mixed in.

 

RECIPE

 

Chicken Spaghetti

 

1 large fryer( I use chicken  legs, boneless breasts and legs.)

 1 large onion, chopped

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of celery soup

2 cups grated cheese

1 package vermicelli

 

Boil chicken add poultry seasoning to chicken and cook until done., cool, Debone and chop. Add to sautéed onion and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Add soups and cheese. Cook for 30-45 minutes. If needed. add broth. Cook vermicelli in the chicken broth according to package directions, and mix in.

 

*some like a little red pepper sprinkled on top of theirs. You can also sprinkle some parmesan