Dutch Pea Soup

***This makes a lot of soup...***

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs green split peas

1 ham bone

6 qts water

3 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

6 peppercorns

10oz chopped onion

5 oz chopped celery (with leaves)

5 oz chopped carrots

1 lb smoked sausage

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash, then soak peas over night. In a large stock pot, add ham bone, peas, water, and herbs. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for two hours. Remove bay leaves and ham bone. Trim any ham off the bone and return meat to the pot. Continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add onions, carrot, and celery. Sauté with a little butter and salt. When the vegetables have softened, add the smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces. Let cook through.

Add the vegetable and sausage mix to the soup. Stir well. Add more salt to taste. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes before you use an immersion blender to combine peas and vegetables. 

Continue to keep warm over the stove to help thicken the soup. 

Serve with bread or crackers. Plus more salt to taste!

Chicken Tortilla Chili

This tasty Pampered Chef recipe is a great weeknight meal. It is so easy to prepare. 

4 yellow corn tortillas (6 in)

1 large onion

1 medium zucchini

1 T vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 garlic cloves

1 T cumin

3 cups chicken stock

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

3 cups shredded chicken

1 tsp salt

Optional Garnishes: diced avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese

Cut tortillas into 1-inch pieces and place in blender or food processor. Cover and pulse until fine crumbs form. Set aside. 

Dice onion and zucchini. Set zucchini aside. Place oil and onion in pot. Cook and stir over medium heat 4-6 minutes. Add cilantro, minced garlic, and cumin. Cook an additional 20-30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tortilla crumbs, stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium low and cook 15-20 minutes or until chili is thickened. Stir frequently, scraping bottom of pot. 

Stir in zucchini, chicken, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes or until zucchini is tender and chicken is hot. Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Note: the original recipe called for shredded rotisserie chicken. I used frozen chicken breast. In advance, I dissolved 2 T taco seasoning in 1 cup of chicken broth. Then I poured it over a pound or so of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot and let it cook on low for 6 hours. It shreds beautifully. I also like doing this for tacos, burritos, salads, etc, except I usually double the taco seasoning. If you shred and put in the fridge or freezer, it will be ready for whatever you want to use it for. 

Note:  In the picture above you'll see one of my garnishes was tortilla strips. These are super easy to make. Just take a few yellow corn tortillas. Brush or spray lightly with vegetable oil. The use a pizza cutter to slice into thin strips. Spread in a single later on stoneware and bake 12-14 minutes at 425. 

German Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

     Cookies
        2 cups flour
        5 Tbl cocoa
       1 1/4 tap baking pwd
        1 tsp soda
        1/2 cup butter
        1 cup sugar
        2 egg yolks
        1/2 Tbl vanilla
        1 cup milk

     Filling
        1 cup sugar
        1/4 tsp salt
        3/4 cup evaporated milk
        2 egg yolks
        3/4 tsp vanilla
        3/4 cup butter
        2 cups toasted flake coconut
        2 cups toasted pecans, chopped

 Directions:
        Preheat oven 375 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
        Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla mix until well blended.  Alternate dry
        ingredients with milk 2x.  Mix well.  Place small ball of dough on cookie sheet and bake 7-9
        min.  For filling add all ingredients except coconut and pecans to a med saucepan.  Cook until
       temp reaches 170.  add coconut and pecans.  Chill  
    
Assemble
       Turn cookies bottom side.  on half of cookies put spoonful on top.  Press to spread out almost
       to edge.  On the other half place a spoonful of ganache.  Place one filled cookie on top of ganahe
       topped cookie and garnish

Ganache: Place 1 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup whipping cream in bowl and micro wave until almost melted.  Stir until smooth.

Fresh Peach Pie

Bake 2 pie crusts and cool

 Mix 1 8oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup pwd sugar

Spread over bottom and sides of pie crusts

Mix and boil the following

1/2 cup peach purée (I used 1 peach)

1/2 cup water

2 1/2 Tbl cornstarch

1 pkg Knox unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbl lemon juice

Pour mixture over 8 cups do sliced peaches. Stir to coat peaches and pour into pie shells. Chill in frig several hours. Serve with whipped cream

I sliced 8 cups of peaches and then added 2 more peaches as I like my pies full

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, any color

Salt

1lb ground beef

5 Tbl olive oil

1 med onion

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cup cooked rice

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 Tbl chopped fresh oregano

Fresh ground pepper

Barbecue Sauce

Grated cheese

Completely submerge peppers in boiling, salted water until flesh is softened, about 3 min

Heat oil in skillet, add onions, garlic and meat.  When meat is brown add tomatoes, rice, oregano.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Brush inside of peppers with olive oil and stuff with filling.  Arrange in baking dish, drizzle barbecue sauce over tops and bake 40-50 min at 350. Can sprinkle cheese over tops when peppers come out of oven.

Fresh Spinach and Artichoke Dip

***I was ambitious and made this with fresh artichokes. While it was delicious, it was also a crazy amount of work for little amounts of artichoke. Next time I'll just use frozen or canned.***

Ingredients:

2 cups artichoke hearts

3 cups fresh spinach

2 TBSP olive oil

1tsp lemon juice

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup asiago cheese, shredded

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayo

2 TBSP milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, place half the olive oil in to heat. Roughly chop the fresh spinach and sauté until wilted. Pour in remaining olive oil and stir in artichoke hearts for 1-2 minutes. Add cream cheese in dollops, to melt in. Stir in yogurt, mayo, and lemon juice. Once mixture is smooth and combined, stir in cheeses, once melted add in seasonings.

Transfer to a shallow oven safe pan and top with additional shredded asiago cheese. Place until the broiler until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Coconut Fruit Dip

***You can find cream of coconut at the grocery store in the aisle with drink mixes -like margarita mix***

Ingredients:

1 can Cream of Coconut

1 pkg cream cheese

1 small tub of Cool whip

Instructions:

Using a mixer, blend the cream of coconut and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the cool whip. Chill for best flavor. Serve with cut up fruit. My favorite is fresh pineapple.

Apple and Brie Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pkg refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count)

8 slices of Brie cheese

8 slices of green apple

Pecans

Honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place crescent dough triangles on parchment paper lined sheet. Place a slice of Brie and apple on each triangle. Top with 1-2 pecans and drizzle each triangle with honey. Tuck the skinny end of the triangle underneath or you could also make a bundle to prevent the Brie from oozing out.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Summer Corn Cakes with Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients for the cakes:

3 ears of corn, shucked, and kernels cut off the cob

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

2 TBSP buttermilk

2 TBSP melted butter

Instructions:

Place the corn, flour, cornmeal, onion, basil, powder, soda salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs slightly, mix with butter and buttermilk. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet, stirring only to combine, do not over stir.

In a large skillet, put enough canola oil in, just to cover the bottom. When it is hot, start to use your batter just like pancakes,  it the batter is thick, so you'll need to spread it out with the back of your spoon. Cook each side until golden brown.

Serve hot with the salsa on top. Recipe follows.

Chopped Tomato and Avocado Salsa:

Ingredients:

1 large tomato, cord and chopped

1 green onion, sliced 

1/2 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

1 TBSP chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, sliced into chunks

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients, except avocado and chill for at least an hour. Before serving, carefully stir in avocado.

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

---After trying this, Dee and I decided that next time we'll toast our sandwich buns with a little garlic butter---

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of your favorite Caesar salad dressing

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/4 tsp ground pepper

Romaine lettuce

Sandwich rolls or hamburger buns

Instructions:

Place chicken in slow cooker (crock pot) with 1-2 cups of water (or for added flavor chicken broth) and let cook for 4- hours on low heat.

Remove cooked chicken from pot and shred. (We found it super fast to add to the kitchen aid and let the beater do the hard work. Drain liquid from pot and add chicken back in. Mix in dressing, cheese, parsley, and pepper. Let cook on high for 30 minutes to become hot. (We did add a bit more dressing to help it be moist). Serve on buns with lettuce and additional cheese.

Raspberry Cream Pie

--- This recipe originally called for a regular pastry pie crust. However, it's such a hot summer that I didn't want to turn on the oven, so I substituted a graham crackled crust. I think it would be tasty whichever pie shell you use!

Ingredients:

One 9 inch pie crust

Filling:

1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

Dash of salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups Cool Whip

Topping:

1 TBSP cornstarch

1/4 cup sugar

1 heaping cup fresh raspberries

1 1/2 tsp water

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 TBSP butter

1 tsp vanilla

Dash of salt

Instructions:

Bake your pie crust according to directions or use pre-made graham crust.

In a medium saucepan, add berries, cornstarch, water, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil for a few minutes to let the berries break down and become the consistency of thin pudding. Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla, and salt. Transfer to another bowl to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whip cream cheese until smooth. Then add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Mix to combine. Finally, add cool whip and sour cream and beat until well combined, about two minutes.

Pour in cam mixture to pie shell and smooth out. Top with berry sauce and let refrigerate for at least an hour. Enjoy!

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

This is my favorite summertime muffin recipe

2 c. Flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

2 eggs

2/3 c. Brown sugar

1 c. Milk

6 T. Butter or margarine, melted

Zest of 1 lemon

1 c. Raspberries

Preheat oven to 425. Spray muffin tin. Whisk eggs, brown sugar, milk, butter, and zest. Add dry ingredients. Gently fold in raspberries. Fill muffin pan. Bake 15-18 minutes. 

Note: if I didn't get much zest from my lemon, I'll squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice in the batter and add a little extra flour to compensate. 

Pistachio and Walnut Baklava

---This recipe is adapted from Cat Cora's version---

Ingredients for the pastry:

8 ounces finely chopped nuts (I prefer pistachio and walnut, but you can combine your favorite)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup white sugar

2 cups butter, melted

1 1/2 pkg of frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1/4 cup whole cloves 

In a large bowl, toss together the nuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and sugar.

Unroll the thawed pastry dough, cover with a slightly damp towel to prevent drying and cracking. Brush a glass casserole dish with some of the melted butter. Lay one sheet of the pastry in the bottom of the butted dish, and then brush the top of the pastry with butter. Repeat until there are 8 sheets of dough stacked. Sprinkle some of the nut mixture over this layer, then cover with 3 more sheets of pastry, each brushed with butter. Continue this process until the nut mixture is gone. Complete with another eight layers of pastry, each brushed with butter on top. 

Cut the pastry into strips and then into diamond shapes. Each triangle then is studded with a whole clove (to be removed after baking). Pour remaining butter over entire pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until evenly golden.

While the pastry is baking, make the honey syrup as follows:

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

When the pastry comes out of the oven, immediately pour the syrup evenly over the entire pan. Be careful because the hot syrup may boil up and splatter. Allow to cool before serving. It gets better the longer it has to sit.

Nutella gelato

This delightful ice cream from Giada De Laurentiis is not low fat, but it sure is tasty!

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine whole milk, heavy whipping cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved (5 minutes).

In a mixing bowl, whip egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar until thick and pale yellow (4 minutes).

Slowly pour half of the heavy cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking continuously.  Add the mixture back into the saucepan.  Heat over medium low for 7-10 minutes until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.  Remove from heat.  Stir in Nutella and vanilla extract.  Cover the mixture and chill completely before pouring in an ice cream maker (at least a few hours).

Freeze according to the ice cream maker manufacturer's instructions and place in an airtight container to further freeze until ready to serve.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

No ice cream maker?  No problem!  This delicious ice-cream is made without one.

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 cups strawberries
15 Golden Oreos, Vanilla wafers, or a few graham crackers

Beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, cream, and lemon zest with mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Set aside.

Put Oreos, vanilla wafers, or graham crackers in large ziplock and break into chunks.  Then dump in the ice cream batter.

Puree or pulse the strawberries until desired consistency.  Then dump in the ice cream batter.  I pureed mine until smooth, but you can certainly leave chunks in it.

Gently stir the filling and crust into the batter.  If you want strawberry swirls, rather than having it incorporated in, only use a few strokes.  Then pour mixture into a resealable container and freeze until firm, about 8 hours or so.

Note:  I tried using an ice cream maker, but the ingredients in this recipe take longer to freeze.  So, I recommend pouring into a freezable container as described above.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Combine and heat the following:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 TBSP mustard
1 tsp garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Spinach Carbonara Pizza

I've made this Pampered Chef recipe a few times and have enjoyed it each time.

1 pkg (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
6 slices of bacon
6 oz fresh baby spinach leaves (frozen will work too)
2 garlic cloves
1 oz grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup Alfredo sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Unroll dough over bottom of lightly greased pan.  Gently stretch and press dough to cover bottom of pan.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until crust begins to brown.  Remove pan from oven.

Meanwhile, slice bacon into 1/4 inch pieces, cook in skillet over medium heat 5-6 minutes or until crisp.  Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels.  Then, finely chop half of the bacon.  Place spinach and garlic pressed with garlic press into bowl.  Cover bowl and microwave on high 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.  Carefully remove lid, press spinach to side of bowl and dab excess moisture with paper towels.

Combine Alfredo sauce, pepper, and chopped bacon (save the rest for topping the pizza).  Mix well.  To assemble the pizza, spread sauce to edges of crust.  Top with 1 cup of the mozzarella, spinach mixture, and remaining bacon.  Then, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Cut pizza into squares and serve.

Sunday Sandwiches (funeral sandwiches)

1 pkg dinner rolls (12 count)
1/2 - 1lb good deli ham
Gouda cheese, sliced (original recipe called for Swiss....I hate Swiss so it was changed)
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 TBSP brown sugar
Dash of onion powder

Slice the rolls in half and fill each one with sliced ham and cheese. Line rolls in a baking sheet/dish and place the top foe the roll back on.

Mix together remaining ingredients for a glaze and pour the whole mixture over the rolls, drenching each one. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for 4-24 hours.

Remove plastic wrap at bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Bacon-Wrapped Cocktail Sausages

A great little appetizer from OurBestBites.com

1 14-oz package Lit'l Smokies
1 12-oz package bacon
3/4 c. brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the slab of bacon into thirds. Wrap 1/3 of each slice of bacon around each sausage and secure with a toothpick and place on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining sausages and bacon. Sprinkle brown sugar over sausages and bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes or until bacon has cooked and is starting to brown. Serve immediately or put in slow cooker on low heat to keep warm.

Asiago Cheese Bread

3 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups shredded asiago cheese

In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, yeast, and cheese. Add water and stir until a shaggy mixture forms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 12-18 hours.

Heat oven to 450. When oven has reached 450, place enamel pot or baking stone pot in oven for 30 minutes to preheat. While pot is preheating, pour out dough on a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball. Cover and let sit while pot is warming.

After 30 minutes, take out pot and place dough ball inside. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for 15 minutes.

Remove bread from pot, and transfer to a rack to cool.

Homemade Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 1 TBSP white vinegar- let sit 5 min)
2 TBSP light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Combine first five ingredients in saucepan and let boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Baguettes

***Perfect for adding garlic butter and cheese***

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 TBSP honey
2 1/4 tsp yeast
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt

In mixing bowl, add water, honey, and yeast. Let proof for five minutes. Combine flour and salt and add to activated yeast in 1/4 cup increments, (if using a KitchenAid, keep set on "stir" setting) until dough has formed and the sides of the bowl are relatively clean. Let the mixer "knead" the dough on the stir setting for five minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl
, cover, and let rise for one hour. Punch dough down and separate into two portions. Roll into a baguette the length of your baking sheet. If you twist the dough, it tends to not shrink. Cover both loaves and let rise 30 minutes in a warm area. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Brush with melted butter and bake for additional 5 minutes or until the tops are browned.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

For the cookies:

1 box red velvet cake mix
2 TBSP flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
Splash of vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients to form a dough. It will be oily. From into a ball, wrap in plastic and chill for two hours.

For the filling:

4oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth. Spoon out small portions (about a tsp) into balls onto wax or parchment paper and freeze for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper. Take dough (about 1/8 cup and flatten in hand. Place frozen filling in center and wrap dough around it. Bake for 11 minutes or until cookie starts to crack. Keep on sheet for five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Drizzle melted white chocolate on top to decorate.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 TBSP sugar
2 cups whipped topping
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 pkg (3oz) strawberry gelatin
2 cups boiling water
2 pkg (16oz) frozen strawberries

Instructions:

Combine pretzels, melted butter and 3 TBSP sugar and press into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool.

For filling: Mix with beater the whipped topping, cream cheese, and remaining sugar until smooth. Spread over pretzel crust and chill.

To make strawberry topping add the gelatin to the boiling water until dissolved, mix in strawberries. Chill until partially set and the spoon carefully over filling. Chill for at least four hours until serving.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

***in honor of SuperBowl Sunday, here's my latest recipe attempt! I love the concept of buffalo wings, but I'm a picky chicken eater and hate all the work to eat wings or drumsticks for the amount of meat you get, so when I saw this is the Food Network magazine, I was psyched to try it!***

Mix together:

2 cups cooked, warm shredded chicken
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce (I like it a little hotter so I'd add more next time...you be the judge)

Serve on buns with celery sticks and blue cheese crumbles!

Samoa Cookie Bars

***Love Girl Scout cookies?***

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups coconut
12 oz caramels
20 oz chocolate chips
3 TBSP milk

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Stir in flour and salt. The mixture may be crumbly, that is ok.

Press cookie dough into a 9x13 pan (greased). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Allow to cool.

Toast coconut on baking sheet in a 300 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a microwave safe bowl, place unwrapped caramels and the milk, heating in 30 second intervals until the caramels are melted and are smooth. Mix in the toasted coconut and spread over cookie crust.

Allow caramel/coconut mixture to cool before cutting into desired sized bars.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave until smooth. Dip the bottoms of the cookie bars in the melted chocolate and place on waxed paper. Use remaining melted chocolate to decorate tops of bars.

Once chocolate is set, serve and enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 shallots, chopped (or 1/2 red onion)
Salt and pepper to season
1 (12oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained and rinsed
5 sun dried tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Shredded pepper jack cheese

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, celery, and shallots, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the red peppers, tomatoes, chicken broth, and 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a simmer, the uncover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Use an immersion blender or use a blender and purée the soup and sour cream until smooth.

Serve with cilantro and shredded cheese.

7up Biscuits

***I'm not claiming these are the best biscuits in the world, but so fast and easy to whip up if you need some bread to serve with soup or something...pending you keep 7up on hand...***

Preheat oven to 450.

In a glass baking dish, place 1 cube of melted butter.

In mixing bowl combine:

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream

When mixed, pour in 1/2 cup 7up

This will make a very soft dough. Use some dry Bisquick on a cutting board to roll out dough and cut into desired shape.

Place in melted butter in baking dish, bake 10-12 minutes or until tops are golden brown.