Potato Soup

It simply some simmering and then a little blending.  You could make a yummy bar out of this with whatever toppings you like.

1 carton of low sodium chicken broth
6-8 cups of chopped potatoes.  (I like to use red potatoes because you don't hae peel them but whatever kind is fine.
1 onion
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup milk or cream
5-6 pieces of bacon
1 1/2 teaspoons of seaosning salt
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
4-5 gloves of garlic

Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat and add diced onion.  Cook until tender and translucent.  Zest in garlic and cook for a minuet longer.

Chop potatoes and peel if necessary.  Add chicken broth to sauce pan and seasoning and bring to a simmer until tender.  Top off with water to cover potatoes if necessary

While the potatoes simmer cook the bacon and then cool and dice up. 

When tender use an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency.  I like ti kinda chunky but you can blend it smooth too.  If you don't have an immersion blender you a normal blender just be careful about the steam.  Stir in most of the chopped bacon.  Save a little for toppings if desired. Taste test and check for seasoning level.

Stir in milk or cream. 

Top with whatever you want.

Maple Sandwhich Cookies

I don't like pumpkin so I made these for Thanksgiving for an alternative.

Let's start with cookie dough. 
1 3/4 cups of bread flour
1/2 cup of brown or maple sugar
1 sticks of butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of maple extract

Cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Beat in egg

Beat in cinnamon and salt

Slowly mix in flour and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours

 Roll out on a floured surface and cut with a cookie cutter.  You want them thin.  Bake at 350 for about 8-9 min depending on size and thickness.  Cook until slightly brown on the edges.  Let completely cool before frosting.

Frosting:
2 tablespoons of real maple syrup
1/3 of brick of cream cheese
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 teaspoon of maple extract
2ish cups of powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy

Whisk in syrup and extract

Slowly mix in powdered sugar to desired consistency

Spread some frosting onto underside of a cookie with a small off set spatual and then place another cookie on top to sandwhich

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2ish chicken breasts
1 onion
1/3 cup of corn meal
1 jalapeno
1 bell pepper
1 can of black beans
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 can of tomato paste
1 carton of chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon of cummin
1/2 teaspoon of chile powder
5-6 tablespoon of oil

Mix cummin, chile powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt with 3 cloves of garlic and 4 tablespoon of oil

Brush chicken with oil mixture and cook for 15 min at 375.  Roughly chop when it done.

Dice up onion, jalapeno, red pepper, and mince up a couple cloves of garlic

Cook veggies over medium heat until tender and then add drippings/oil from chicken and add to veggies.

Add tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer

Add tomato paste, and rinsed black beans and simmer for 10 min. I put mine in the fridge at this point and then heated it back up another day for dinner.  But you can serve now.   You might need some of the cornmeal to thicken.  Mix with a little water and then stir in and simmer for another 10 min.  It depends on the thickness and what you want. 

Top with whatever you like.  I squeezed in lime juice and then topped with cheddar cheese, Mexican sour cream and cilantro.  It would also be good with avocado, pica de gallo

Chocolate Chip Cookie Lava Cakes

I topped these with cookie dough ice cream but vanilla is good too.

1 3/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2ish cips of chocolate chips
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of butter

Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy

Add egg, vanilla, salt, and baking powder

Slowly mix in flour

Slowly mix in 3/4 of the chocolate chips

Put about 1 tablespoon of cookie dough and then add some more chocolate chips and then top with another tablespoon of cookie dough in a greased muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for about 12 min.

Spicy Meatball Gnocchi Soup

1 carton of beef stock
1 small can of diced tomatoes
1 package of meatballs (you can make your own.  I had part of the Costco bag left)
1 onion
1 package of gnocchi
3 medium red potatoes
1 can of tomato paste
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add diced onion and zested garlic.  Cook until tender and translucent.

Add frozen meatballs and cook over medium heat for about 4-5 min until half way cooked.

Add can of tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid is gone.

Bring to a simmer and add in spiced and tomato paste and simmer for 10 min.

Add in diced potatoes and simmer for about 10 min until tender and then add in gnocchi

Serve with shaves of Parmesan and slices of pita bread.

Soft Sugar Cookies

These were simple and so yummy
2 cups of cake flour
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 stick of softened butter
1 egg and 1 white
1/4 cup of shorting
1 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of almond extract

Cream together butter, shorting, and sugar until light and fluffy

Whisk in whole egg, vanilla, almond and fluffy

Whisk in egg white

Whisk together dry ingredients.  Slowly mix in flour mixture and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Roll out and cut with a medium sized biscuit or cookie cutter.  You want them to be thick. 

Bake at 375 for 9ish min.  They should look slightly underdone.  They won't change color.  Remove from oven and let completely cool.

Now on to the frosting. 
1/2 stick of butter
1 brick of cream cheese
2 teaspoons of vanilla
2ish cups of powdered sugar

Cream together butter and cream cheese

Whisk in vanilla and then slowly add in powdered sugar until it reaches desired consistency

Spread cooled cookies with a generous amount of frosting and cover in sprinkles.  I didn't have any food coloring but colored frosting would be good too.

Let rest for at least 30 min so the frosting can firm up.