Creamy Chicken Noodle soup

-2 Qts water

-8 chicken bouillon cubes

-1 pckg. egg noodles (I use Country Pasta homemade style wide egg noodles)

-carrots, celery, onion

-3 cups chicken

In a large pan I boil the water, bouillon cubes and vegetables.  I cook the chicken in oven and shred it.  Then I boil the noodles in a separate pot because they cook faster than the vegetables. When the vegetables are soft I add the noodles and chicken.  Then add:

-2 cans cream of chicken soup and let heat.  Then add:

-3/4 cup sour cream.  Let heat again.  

Broccoli Cheese Vegetable Soup

4 cups cubed potatoes
1 onion, chopped
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3 cups cut-up broccoli

Boil all veggies but broccoli in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli and boil for 10 more minutes. DO NOT DRAIN!

Sauce:
1/2 cup margarine (I use butter)
3 tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 chicken boullion cubes

In saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour. Add milk and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Add cheese and other ingredients. Mix until smooth. Add to undrained veggies and heat together, but do not boil.

(I also like to add diced, cooked chicken sometimes for a full balanced meal!)

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Peanut Butter Popcorn

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
6-8 cups popped popcorn

In a small pan melt together corn syrup and sugar. Boil the mixture until the sugar forms a soft ball. Take the mixture off the stove, add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir mixture over popcorn. Serve when cooled.

Gorgonzola Pear Salad

• adapted from allrecipes.com
• 1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces, or spinach
• 3 pears- any variety, cored and chopped
• 5-8 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and diced
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 
  
• for sugared pecans:
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• pinch cinnamon
• Heat the sugar, cinnamon and pecans over low heat, stirring occassionally until sugar has melted and coated the pecans. Cool.
• 
  
• for dressing:
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Mix the above ingredients in a blender to mix. Dress the salad just before serving.

Cream Cheese Chicken Soup

Kim, this is for you:

Creamy Chicken Soup

1 tbsp butter
1 small onion
2 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 c chicken broth
2-3 medium carrots, sliced
2 c cooked, cubed chicken
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 - 2 c milk
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

In a large pan, sauté onions in butter. Add broth, carrots, and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add chicken, parsley, salt and pepper, heat through. In a blender combine flour, milk and cream cheese until smooth; add to the vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick.

Bookclub Chicken Salad

Bookclub Chicken Salad - I leave out the chicken when I want the salad as a side dish.

6 to 8 chicken breasts
Cook chicken breasts for 30 minutes at 350°. Cool and cut into small pieces.

Sugared almonds:
8 oz slivered almonds
4 Tbsp sugar
In small skillet, sprinkle sugar over almonds and cook over medium heat until almonds are coated and sugar has dissolved.

2 bags European blend salad mix
1 head Iceberg lettuce, torn into pieces
(Spring Mix and/or Romaine in place of either lettuce is fine)
1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 c craisins
1 c shredded Mozzarella cheese
Feta cheese, to taste

Dressing:
1/2 red onion
1 tsp salt
2 c sugar
1 c red wine vinegar
4 tsp dry mustard
2 c vegetable oil

For dressing, finely chop red onion in food processor. Add sugar, dry mustard, salt and vinegar and blend until frothy. Slowly add oil. (This makes a LOT of dressing - I store it in a large Mason jar in the fridge - it lasts a long time!) Toss chicken, lettuce, bacon, craisins and cheese together in large salad bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle sugared almonds on top and serve.

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Alix, this is for you:

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your cupcake papers and muffin tins)
CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour – do not substitute!
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows) or Chocolate Buttercream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
Note: If you would like to make a layer cake instead of cupcakes, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans and bake the layers for 30-40 minutes.

Magnolia's Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Makes enough for one 2-layer 9-inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes*
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

*Note: If you are icing a 3-layer cake, use the following recipe proportions: 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, 8 to 10 cups confectioners’ sugar, 3/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. The butter, eggs and milk should be at room temperature before you begin a recipe. When creaming butter, it is necessary to beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes depending on the mixer. It is important to add the sugar gradually, beating continuously and then continue beating for 2-3 min after wards. The eggs should be added one at a time, beating the mixture until it is thick, fluffy and pale in color. up to this point it is almost impossible to beat the batter too much. It is best to bake the pans in the center of the oven, placing the pans on the same rack if possible, but not touching.