Italian Tortellini Soup

Have you ever found a soup that your kids just gobble right up? Well, in our family this is that soup!

It is comforting, delicious, and simple to make - exactly what I love.

Ingredients:

1 pound italian sausage

1 medium onion - chopped

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

2 carrots - sliced

1 medium zucchini - halved and sliced

3 cups water

2 cans tomato soup

8 oz. tortellini

Brown sausage and onions in a large pot - I like to use my enameled cast iron dutch oven, it's the perfect size.

Throw in all the remaining ingredients - except the tortellini.

That would be the veggies, seasonings, water, and tomato soup.

Bring it to a boil and reduce the temperature. Allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. Then throw in the tortellini and boil for 10-12 more minutes or until the tortellini is soft.

You can cover this and keep it on a simmer for a longer amount of time. Just remember, DO NOT add the tortellini until the final 10 minutes or else you will have a soggy, gross mess.

This is seriously some good eats - especially if you serve it with some Rosemary Bread....

...Mmm.

Enjoy!

Coconut Bread

My family has been making this bread for as long as I can remember. While I associate it with Christmas, it could just as easily be made anytime of the year. However, there is just something about a sweet bread with a crunchy sugar coating that screams, "Christmas!"

Ingredients:

Bread:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 tsp coconut flavoring

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Syrup topping:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 Tb butter

1 tsp coconut flavoring

Before you start the bread, you need to prepare your pans. This recipe makes 2 large loaves, or 4 small ones. I think my pans are slightly small, so it actually makes 5 small loaves for me.

Grease your pans with shortening, and then cut strips of wax paper to fit into the pans as shown below. Once the papers are in the pan, grease over the top of the wax paper.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the sugar, oil, and coconut flavoring.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Alternate dry ingredients with buttermilk and gradually add to egg mixture. Beat well after each addition.

Fold in flaked coconut and chopped nuts (if desired - I never put nuts in mine).

Spoon (or pour) batter into the prepared loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes for small loaves (or 1 hour 15 minute for 2 large loaves).

When there is about 10 minutes left in baking time, start making your syrup.

In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and water.

Bring to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes. Do NOT boil this for longer than 5 minutes. If you do, you will get a syrup that hardens white instead of clear. The bread will still taste okay, but it will not look near as pretty.

ONLY 5 MINUTES!

After 5 minutes, remove the syrup from the heat, and add the coconut flavoring.

During this time, you will also have to remove your bread from the oven - it should be golden brown.

Use the wax paper to lift the loaves out of the pan, remove the wax paper, and place the bread back into the pan. They will be really hot, so move quickly and don't burn yourself.

Now, use a pastry brush to paint the syrup on the tops of the loaves. Make sure that the syrup goes down the sides of the bread - you want it everywhere!

Once you've used all the syrup, allow the bread to sit for about 4 hours before you remove it. I have sped up this process by putting the pan of bread into the freezer or fridge.

Just make sure that your syrup is set and hard before you remove the loaves.

You can eat this immediately, or you can wrap it in plastic wrap or cellophane bags and give it as gifts.

Just watch out or your two year old will get ahold of it and eat the entire thing!

Merry Christmas, from our kitchen to yours!

Buttery Corn Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 2/3 cups milk

2 1/3 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cut into squares; serve warm with honey butter

Honey Butter Recipe

Ingredients:

Honey

Butter

Beat the butter with a hand mixer until fluffy. Gradually mix in honey until desired taste is achieved.

Easy Texas Chili

This recipe was inspired from a Campbell's Soup Recipe Book. I took their chili recipe, added some things, left other things out, and then messed with the amounts until I got this recipe. It's really easy and my family loves it.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground Beef

1 medium onion - chopped

1 clove garlic - minced

1 can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans chili beans

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 cup beef broth (can use 1 cup water and 1 beef bouillon cube)

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. pepper

1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook beef and onion. After the beef is cooked, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Spoon off fat.

Stir in kidney beans, undrained chili beans, undrained tomatoes, beef broth, chili powder, cumin, pepper and bay leaf. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook for another 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve with cheese and sour cream.

Kale and Potato Soup with Sausage

Had this for dinner Friday night - so good. We also had Rosemary Bread (like the kind you get from Romano's Macaroni Grill).

6 red potatoes, sliced
1 pound lean ground sausage
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups water
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of dried red pepper flakes
1 lb. kale, stems removed, leaves shredded (4 stems)
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

1. Start by cleaning red potatoes, then poke holes in potatoes with a fork and stick in microwave. Cook until soft through middle (8 to 12 minutes).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large pot. Add sausage until browned; remove sausage and pour out fat.
3. Add onion to the pot and then saute with garlic. Add water, broth, and salt. Bring to a boil.
4. When potatoes are finished, slice potatoes in a half moon shape with skins still on. Add to the pot. Then add sausage and red pepper flakes.
5. Bring to a simmer. Add kale. Cook partially covered until potatoes and kale are tender (about six minutes). Add pepper.


*This recipe belongs to either Kristin Withers or Cherise Camp. It's really good - very similar to the Olive Garden soup that has kale, sausage and potato.

Potato Soup

I should name this "Garlic Mashed Potatoes - in Soup Form." But somehow that seems just a little long.

This soup is amazing, especially if you love creamy, filling soups piled with cheese. And, on a lighter note, this soup is actually good for you - well, better than most potato soups. So you don't have to fill guilty about going for seconds.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 - 6 cups diced red potatoes

2 tsp. salt

3 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk

4 oz. cream cheese - softened (I use Neufchatel - less fat)

grated cheese (optional - but HIGHLY recommended)

chopped green onions (optional)

bacon chunks (optional)

In a large pot, saute' the butter and the onion until the onion is tender.

Add the garlic cloves, salt and the diced potatoes. Continue to cook about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups of the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

While potatoes are cooking, put the remaining 1/2 cup milk and softened cream cheese in a medium bowl. Blend with a hand mixture until you have a smooth consistency. Then add the cream cheese mixture to the soup.

*If you can't get a smooth texture, just pour the cream cheese mixture into a sieve over the soup and push it through will a spoon. This will keep your soup from having lumps.*

Once the potatoes are tender, smash a few of the potatoes with a potato masher to help thicken the soup. Serve with grated cheddar cheese, diced green onion, and chunks of bacon.

Recipe Card (4x6):