Curried Lentil Soup

1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 C broth
3 C baby spinach

1 tsp garlic
1 1/2  Tbsp curry powder
1 Tbsp vinegar
dash of pepper

1 bag lentils (cooked) or you can add more water to the crockpot and cook them in there...
sour cream

Drop the first four in the crockpot and cook till tender. Immersion them ;) Add spices and lentils...

Spinach Mushroom Pasta

1 8oz cream cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2-1 C milk
1/4 C dried onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp thyme (about)
1 tsp onion powder (about)
1 Tbsp parsley (about)
3-4 C spinach, chopped
1/2 - 1 C mushrooms, chopped (I use about 10 mushrooms)
1/4 - 1/2 C parmesan cheese

Pasta (about 12-14oz), cooked

Throw that in a pan everything in a pan and cook...if you want cook the garlic and onion first with a little butter. Then milk, cream cheese, mushrooms, spinach, spices. Cook until cream cheese is melted. Add parmesan cheese...serve over pasta

We thought it was so good we just dipped crackers into it waiting for the pasta to finish...

Chili Soup

1 Tbs butter
1 C chicken, chopped (I usually start with it cooked)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 C chicken broth (or 2 cans)
2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed/drained
1 spoonful jalapenos, diced
1 can (8oz) diced green chilies
3 tsp cumin
1 - 1 1/2 tsp oregano
3 C shredded Monterey Jack (or I use a mozerella/sharp cheddar combo)
1/2 C sour cream

Saute chicken, onion, garlic in butter. Add, broth, beans, jalapenos, chilies, cumin, oregano. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cheese and sour cream and stir until cheese is melted.

WOW...this went over well. It was so good. I haven't tried it without the chicken yet but that will be my next experiment. I will update if it works well ;)

Butternut Black Bean Soup

1 lb butternut squash, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 C beef/veggie broth
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp corriander

Put squash, onion, garlic, broth and one can of beans in crockpot. Cook. Use an immersion blender to blend semi-smooth. Add tomatoes, one can of beans (drained), vinegar and corriander. Simmer till ready :)

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies make a chocolate cookie using chocolate chips instead of the usual cocoa powder...they are a little cakey...
*original recipe from Guittard

2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1 3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1/4 C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 C mint chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips and stir in butter till melted. In a mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla till fluffy. Add cooled, melted chocolate chips and butter. Mix till combined. Mix dry ingredients together and add chocolate mixture. Don't over mix and try not to eat all the dough :) Add mint chocolate chips and put in the fridge to cool for about 15 min. Cook at 350 for 12 min (in my oven) but in some ovens it will be more like 10 mins.

Spinach Polenta Soup

This was seriously good...

Ingredients

6 cups (or more) chicken broth/vegetable broth

3/4 cup polenta (corn grits)

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 tablespoons butter/oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed

4-6 C spinach leaves

pepper to taste (also rosemary or thyme if you want :)

Bring 6 cups broth to simmer in large saucepan. Whisk polenta and flour in heavy large pot. Add 2 cups hot broth to polenta whisking constantly while you add it to prevent lumps. Stir in butter and garlic and pepper and spices. Gradually add the rest of the broth. Simmer gently over medium heat until polenta is tender and soup is creamy and thickened. Stir frequently and adding more broth to thin. (I simmer it about 10-13 minutes and then let it sit for a bit covered with spinach) Stir in spinach and simmer a few more minutes.

Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour (I use a mix of white whole wheat and hard red)
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 C pumpkin puree
1/2 C applesauce
1/2 C honey
Cinnamon, ginger, cloves to taste (around 1 tsp for cinnamon and 1/4-1/2 for the others)
-add ins...we love chocolate chips and coconut, also raisins and any nut :)

You know the drill...mix eggs, applesauce, sugar, pumpkin, honey. Add mixed dry ingredients-flour, baking powder and soda, spices. Mix until just combined, stir in nuts, chips, coconut, etc...

Spaghetti Pie

16-17 oz spaghetti (cooked and drained)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15-16 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
1 can (small) tomato sauce
1 bunch asparagus, chopped (you can use broccoli or spinach or any veggie in a similar amount)
2 carrots, chopped
basil, oregano or Italian seasoning to taste - I often use fresh but dried probably about 1-2 tsp
1 C cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
-optional 4oz cream cheese (you might want to reduce the cottage cheese a bit if you use it)
1/2 Parmesan cheese
1 - 2 C Mozzarella (yes, I have used cheddar and it works great too)

Cook spaghetti. In sauce pan, saute onions and garlic in a little butter/oil. Add tomatoes, sauce, asparagus, carrots and herbs. Simmer till somewhat thick. Mix the cottage cheese and cream cheese in to the cooked, hot and drained spaghetti. Combine with sauce mixture and add cheese (you can save some for the top). Put in 9x13 and bake for about 20 minutes or until bubbly :)

French Chocolate Mousse

I have children who go to school in French and a husband who is deathly afraid of "raw" eggs. This is my attempt to "cook" the eggs for authentic French mousse and make everyone happy...

10 oz chocolate (semi-sweet, dark, bittersweet...whatever...I like a dark & semisweet mix)
4 eggs
2 Tbsp sugar
2 C cream, divided

Beat eggs and sugar till fluffy (as fluffy as they will get). Melt chocolate in a double broiler and add egg and sugar mixture and about 1/2 C of cream. It is best to switch adding back and forth or just add a little egg at a time because it can get thick. Whisk, whisk, whisk...I heat this up as much as I can till the chocolate tells me it will be really unhappy if I heat it any more. If you have worked with chocolate you'll recognize that sheen and when it has reached its breaking point :) If not then just heat it till it is slightly warm and just be happy that it is rare that eggs cause food poisoning and don't tell your husband that the eggs aren't technically cooked...Let cool...
Whip the rest of the cream until it forms decently stiff peaks. Slowly fold chocolate into whipped cream. Chill it in the fridge...if you can wait that long :)

French Soup with Spring Veggies

1 lb leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
a few tablespoons butter
7 C of veggie broth/chicken broth
2 large carrots, chopped
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped into 1/2 pieces
1/2 C Aborio rice
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 C milk
1 C cream
1-2 C fresh spinach
fresh basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, thyme to taste (I use them in large amounts :)

Saute onion, garlic, leeks, rice in butter. Add broth and bring to simmer. Add carrots, asparagus and herbs, cook until tender. Separately make a roux with butter and flour. Add milk and cream (you can just use milk :) and cook until thickened and pour into the broth & veggies. Add spinach...

Frog Eye Salad

FROG EYE SALAD

-1 cup granulated sugar
-2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
-1 3/4 pineapple juice (use from the pineapple chunks and then add more-I buy the little juice cans and use what I need)
-1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks in its own juice, save juice
-2 large egg, beaten
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-16 oz Acine di Pepe Pasta
- some frozen non-dairy whipped topping (some people like this a lot but I usually only use one or two scoops)
-add in: most people do mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries, mini marshmallows and coconut but I much prefer to cut up apples, strawberries, blueberries, etc and use the pineapple and coconut!

1. In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, flour and salt.
2. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. With whisk, gradually stir juice and egg into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in lemon juice. Cool mixture to room temperature. You want it to be thick-ish :)
3.  Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water to cool quickly; drain well.
4.  Stir together pineapple juice mixture and pasta. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
5.  Add pineapple and any thing else you want in there along with the whipped topping. Cover and put back in the fridge. It is best to wait until you are about ready to serve it to mix the two together if you are using the fresh fruit.

American Goulash

1 lb ground beef (I use 1/4-1/2 lb)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlice, minced
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
3 C water
1/4 C green pepper, chopped
4 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper
2 C uncooked macaroni

Brown meat. Drain. Cook onions, meat, garlic till tender.  Add everything else and bring to a boil.  Add macaroni and cook till macaroni is done.

What...I left meat out of goulash? Yes, tried it and it was okay but it likes a little meat :)

Italian Sausage Soup

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup barley (can use beans)
• 2 small zucchini, cubed
• 1-2 cups spinach (frozen works good)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Cook the sausage, drain...add everything :)

PS I have used different sausage and way, way less of it...

Crockpot Soup Stroganoff

Yeah...that is my own title cause it tells me what it is and what it is not... :)

2 cans cream of cream of mushroom soup
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 - 1/2 cup italian dressing
1 small package mushrooms, sliced
milk (how ever much you want to make the consistancy you want)

I put the onions, mushrooms and dressing in the crockpot on high for awhile till they are cooked. Add the rest and turn to low or simmer. You can easily make it on the stove. Serve over noodles or rice.

Quinoa Butternut Squash Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or fresh oregano (also used some fresh rosemary)
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups chicken broth/vegetable broth
1 can (14-oz) stewed tomatoes
2-3 cups chopped butternut squash
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach (you don't have to have the spinach although we like it)


Saute chopped onions, oregano, and garlic in butter. Add the broth and bring to a boil.
Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. Add pepper and more flavor if needed. Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted.

PS Sometimes I have added a link or two of turkey sausage but if your broth is flavorful you don't need the meat...

Sweet Lemonade

I have been working on this one for awhile. It is sort of a take on Asian lemonade/drinks I would have in Korea. The basic recipe was given to me by a friend. These amounts are not set in stone...I just finally measured what I was putting in to give approximate amounts...

7 C water
1 C sugar
1/8 C pineapple juice
1/3 C sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp lemon extract

This is beyond delicious. I put mine in a blender and pulse it two or three times just to get the milk mixed in well...

Orange Butter

1/2 C butter, softened
1/4 C honey
1/8 C grated orange zest

Spring Pasta

1 onion, diced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp butter
2 C asparagus, cut in 1 in
1 C peas
about 12 - 15 oz fettuccine, cooked
1/2 C chicken/veg broth
1 1/2 C milk
8 oz cream cheese
1/8 - 1/4 C parmigiano-reggiano
dash of pepper
1 Tbsp tarragon

In big saute pan, saute onion and garlic in butter. Boil asparagus and peas for 2-3 minutes. Add milk, cream cheese, broth to onion mixture and cook until melted and creamy. Add asparagus, peas, pasta, spices, and parm cheese.

Honey Beans

Chili Cheesy Mac

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (small) diced chiles
2 cup beef broth or veg broth
2 1/2 cup water (you can do all broth too)
12 oz macaroni, uncooked

1/2 - 1 cup milk
8 oz cream cheese
2-3 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Mix first set of ingredients in large pan and cook until the liquid is gone and the pasta is done. In a different pan mix milk and cream cheese, heat until melted, combined and smooth. Add cheese and melt.  Add cheese mixture to the mac...

You can add ground beef to this with beef broth if you are wanting a "meatier" meal...

Hot and Sour Soup Crockpot

1 package firm tofu, cubed

3 cups chicken/vegetable broth 
3 cups water 
1 package of sliced mushrooms 
1 can bamboo shoots 
1 can sliced water chestnuts 
3 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil 
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 egg, beaten


I originally got this from the crockpot365 website but made a few changes for my family. You can need more flavor you can adjust amounts. Put everything in the crockpot on low for a few hours. When ready to eat, beat the egg and drizzle in into the soup like an egg drop soup...

Oatmeal Honey Wheat Bread

1 C water
1/4 C butter
1 egg
1/4 C honey
1/2 C oats
3 C flour (whole wheat)
2 scoops flax

3 Tbsp gluten
2 1/2 tsp yeast

I, of course, am lazy so I throw this in the bread maker to make the dough (just follow your breadmaker instructions for dough). It makes 4 mini loaves or two normal loaves.