Hot Chocolate and Chicken Noodle Soup

Comfort foods. I need them today as the snow flies - again. We had Hot Chocolate this morning and will have Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner. (or rather, Noodle Soup - I don't always put in chicken)

May food always comfort us.

Hot Chocolate

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Stir together in saucepan and bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes.

4 cups milk
Pour into chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. Heat, but do not boil.


Chicken Noodle Soup

5 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 Tbls dried onion
Mix together in large saucepan. Boil 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

1 cup dry noodles
1 cup chopped, cooked chicken (optional)
Add noodles and chicken and boil an additional 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked.

Burrito Skillet

1 box Zatarain's black beans and rice
1 cup corn
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
1 lb ground beef, browned (optional)
2 ½ cups water
Bring to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat, simmer 25 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Serve in flour tortillas with grated cheese. Is good with sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.

Freezer meals

Does anyone have some favorite meals to freeze?  If so, please tell me what they are.

Spaghetti

I rarely use these recipes but I needed something in my recipe book for spaghetti. Oh, and if, by chance, you are making meatballs for a Blue and Gold Banquet it will take 5 times the recipe (to feed about 35 - make the balls small) and a long time to get them made.

Spaghetti Sauce Mix
1 Tbls dried onion
1 Tbls parsley
1 Tbls cornstarch
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp Italian seasoning
Mix together.

1 lb ground beef, browned
2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6oz) tomato paste
2 ¾ cups tomato juice or water
Simmer together with seasoning for 30 minutes.

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef
½ cup dried bread crumbs
¼ cup milk
½ tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp pepper
1 large egg
Mix all together. Shape into meatballs. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 15 – 25 minutes.

Sausage Bake Pictures

We can delete this after you see; I took the pictures to go with my comment but can't link them to it.

Kima

Taken from my mother-in-law's cookbook.  She attributes the recipe to Mark Spear.

1 lb. ground beef or tofu, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. salt
dash of pepper
1 T. Kikkoman soy sauce
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 c. frozen peas
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

Brown beef and onions. Drain. Add seasonings and vegetables. There is very little
liquid but don’t worry. Simmer until potatoes are done. Serve in a bowl over rice and
top with a dollop of sour cream.

I always cook it covered.  It apparently doesn't say that in the cookbook, though.

Pizza Dough

Since I have to look this up on allrecipes every time I make it I thought I'd post it here for you to enjoy and me to be able to find without googling.

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before 

Wheat Snickerdoodles

½ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Cream together.

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
Add to butter mixture and blend well. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 – 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Sugar:
½ tsp cinnamon
2 Tbls white sugar

Blender Waffles

1 ½ cups milk or 1/3 cup powdered milk and 1 ½ cups water
1 cup whole wheat berries
Put in blender and blend on high for 3 to 4 minutes.

1 egg
2 Tbls oil
2 Tbls sugar or honey
1 tsp salt
Add to blender and blend 1 to 2 minutes.

1 Tbls baking powder
Add baking powder and pulse three times (or just enough to mix well). Mixture will foam up and get light. Cook immediately on hot griddle or waffle iron.

Banana Bars

1/3 cup oil
½ to 1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Beat together.

2 cups whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
Mix well. Pour into jelly roll pan that has been sprayed with oil. Bake at 375 for 14 – 16 minutes. Cool 10 minutes then spread glaze over top.

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbls hot water
1 tsp vanilla

(sour milk – Put 1 Tbls vinegar in measuring cup. Fill with milk; let stand 5 min)

Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

This is just wishful thinking. I don't know as I would ever make these, but they sound so good to me. Too bad we don't live closer - someone might make them for me...

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (can use the dark chocolate kind)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (again - dark chocolate)
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup Reese's Pieces (the tiny baking kind, but you can use regular size as well)
1 package of mini Reese's peanut butter cups cut in half and frozen (Make sure you cut them BEFORE you freeze them.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and Reese's Pieces. (Mix the Pieces in my hand or the shells will get cracked and busted up in the mixer.)

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Push one frozen peanut butter cup half into the center of each ball of dough. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookies sheet before moving, or they will fall apart