Zucchini Soup

1/8 cup olive oil
2-3 medium zucchini
1 medium onion
1 15 oz can white beans, drained (or 1 medium potato)
3 cups chicken broth (or, to make this vegetarian, veg broth)
1 heaping tablespoon of pesto
1 egg (optional)


Heat the oil in the bottom of a soup pot.  Give the zucchini and onion a rough chop then add to the oil to saute.

Once the vegetables are soft, add the beans and broth.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Puree with hand-held or regular blender.  Add the pesto and the egg.  Simmer for another 10 minutes or so, until you can see that the egg is cooked.

It'll look like someone has already maybe tried to eat it and failed, LOL, but trust me this soup is super!!

Chocolate Chip Scones

Time: 30 minutes
Oven Temp: 450 (F)

1 3/4 c AP Flour
3 TBS granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c butter
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c chocolate chips
4-6 TBS heavy cream or half & half
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 450 (F). In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt (I sift all of these together into the bowl). Cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.

Stir in chocolate chips, egg, and just enough cream so dough sticks together and leaves the sides of the bowl.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead lightly until it holds together, about 10 times (I used a piece of waxed paper for ease of kneading and easier clean up). Pat dough into a 1/2 inch thick circle. Cut into wedges.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with beaten egg (I also sprinkle with turbanado sugar) and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned (not longer than 15 minutes or they get very dry). Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve with butter or clotted cream.

I don't know where I got this recipe from, I've been using it for years. You can substitute the chocolate chips for any dried fruit or leave them out and make them plain.

Lasagna

It looks long and complicated but it's not really, and it's sooo worth it.

Meat
2.5-3 lbs ground beef (80-20)
3 hot Italian sausage
3 sweet Italian sausage
1/4 - 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2-1 t. each
 -oregano
 -parsley
 -Italian seasoning
 -garlic salt
1/4 c. grated parm
1 egg

1.) Cut sausage into 1-inch pieces, brown over medium to high heat.
2.) Mix all other ingredients, add a little water if it seems dry, shape into 2-inch balls, bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes

Sauce
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
olive oil
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 t. each:
 -oregano
 -parsley
 -Italian seasoning
 -garlic salt
 -sugar

1.) Coat bottom of large pot with oil, brown garlic over medium heat.
2.) Add rest of ingredients, including browned sausage and meatballs, simmer for several hours over med-low heat.

Lasagna
2 lbs Ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/4 - 1/2 c. grated parm
no boil noodles
3 16-oz. bags mozzarella cheese
above sauce

1.) Mix Ricotta, egg, parm
2.) Add a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 13" pan.
3.) Add a layer of no boil noodles.
4.) Add a layer of ricotta cheese.
5.) Fish out of sauce pot meatballs and sausage, cut up meatballs, add a layer, plus some sauce.
6.) Add a layer of moz.
7.) Repeat until your reach the top, end with moz, sauce, parm.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes

The recipe for the sauce is twice what it needs so you can freeze half of it and not have to go through that (long) step the next time you wanna make this fabulous dish.

Fast, Easy, Lo-Cal and Delicious Potato Soup

1 30 oz bag of Ore-Ida hash browns
3 14 oz cans chicken broth
1 14 oz can cream of chicken soup
7 strips of bacon, fried/cooked
1 8 oz package of cream cheese (full fat!)

Add bag of hashbrowns to crock pot.  Pour broth over to get the frozen chunks broken up.  Add the cream soup.  Mix.  Put on low for 7 hours.

After seven hours, add the cheese and stir until it melts (do not use fat free cream cheese - it won't melt).  Chop the cooked bacon and add.  Let it sit another hour.

According to My Fitness Pal, one 8 oz serving has: 187 cals, 16 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein

I really want to give credit where credit is due but I have no idea where this recipe originated, I just know that I found it on Pinterest and then promptly lost it.  It doesn't even look like it's pinned anymore.  :-(  Whoever thought this up, well done and thank you!!!

Pudding Pop Shots

Does anyone remember Pudding Pops? I remember as a child loving them more than just about anything else.  Well, they stopped selling them in the nineties and I've been bereft ever since.

Luckily, Pinterest came to my rescue with an adult version of the Pudding Pop.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Pudding Pop Shot.

Ingredients:

1 Small box Jello Instant Pudding (you can use either chocolate or vanilla)
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. liqueur (I used 43)
1/4 c. vodka (I used whipped cream flavored vodka)
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip

Mix first two ingredients in a bowl with a hand-mixer.  Add the alcohol and mix well.  Add the cool whip and mix again.

Pour into Dixie cups and freeze.  Voila.  Pudding Pop shots that taste like ice cream.  I don't have a picture because every time I make them I forget.  Trust me, though, when I say they are magical.

Pinterest Cake

I don't know if you've heard about this new site called Pinterest? But it's kind of the best thing ever. Recipes, work out advice and fashion come together and breed on Pinterest and it's a beautiful thing.

For instance, I found the recipe for this cake on Pinterest:

1 18 oz. cake mix
1 c. fat free Greek yogurt
1 c. water

Since the box of cake mix my hubs picked up was 16 oz. I used just a hair under 1 cup of yogurt and only mixed in enough of the cup of water until I had the consistency of cake mix.

I followed the baking instructions on the box and though it looked kind of wonky going into the oven, coming out it looked awesome.
And for the frosting, I recently discovered a recipe called The Best Buttercream Frosting Ever on Pinterest.

1 c. salted butter at room temp
4 c. fresh powdered sugar
4-5 T. cream (I used half and half)
2-3 T. vanilla

First, whip the butter, then add sugar, then add cream (I used 4 tablespoons since it was perfectly smooth and spreadable at that point), then add vanilla (I used 2 tablespoons).

And it was so good. When I say this cake is moist, you will not even understand how moist and delicious I am telling you it is. My husband and I were fighting over who would get to take it to work first.

Cake nutritional info: PER SERVING (1 piece, 1/12th of cake): 180 calories, 3.25g fat, 306mg sodium, 34.5g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 20g sugars, 3.5g protein

[the frosting is pure butter and sugar, you do the math on the nutritional info]

Cake link
Frosting link

Latin Potato Salad

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

2 pounds Small Red Potatoes, boiled, drained, cooled and cut in half
1 small Green Bell Pepper, seeded and finely chopped (or, sliced jalapenos to taste)
1/2 medium Spanish Onion, halved and thinly sliced (or, red onion is fine)
1/2 cup pitted Alcaparrado, coarsely chopped (or, small green olives with pimentos)
2 chopped Cilantro Leaves (optional)
6 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
2 tablespoons Brine from Alcaparrado
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

1. Place potatoes in a medium size saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Lightly salt and bring to a boil.Reduce to a moderate simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain.
2. Cut potatoes in halve or quarters, depending on the size, so each piece is about 3/4 and inch. Place in a large bowl with green pepper, onion, manzinilla olives and cilantro.
3. In a bowl, whisk oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Gently toss with potato mixture and let stand, covered at room temperature until cool.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.(I prefer chilled).

I've never made this but my friend Christine always brings it to my backyard bbq, and this year I made her bring it to my St. Patrick's Day feast (do you know how many Irish ended up in Latin America as a result of the famine? A LOT).

This is the basic recipe but Chris also includes cherry tomatoes, garlic and avacado, which really add to the flavor.

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