Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I think I'm trying to will the weather to get colder by making hot soups. It's been in the 60's and 70's for the past couple of weeks, and I haven't really had a chance to wear my winter coats.
This soup recipe is from Cooking Light, but it sure doesn't taste light.... at all. I found this recipe on the Just 2 Good blog, and she even tried using skim milk as opposed to the 2% that the original recipe used. I'm so glad because that's what we drink, and it cut down on the calories even more. Aubrey had a long day of hunting, and I had this ready when he walked in. He said that there wasn't a better meal that he could have come home to. We both thoroughly enjoyed this soup.


Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 pounds of baking potatoes (about 4 large)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups reduced fat milk (I used skim)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup green onions, chopped and divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes with a fork, and bake for 1 hours or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes and coarsely mash.
Place flour in a large dutch oven. Gradually add milk, whisking until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Stir in sour cream and 1/2 Cup onions. Cook over low heat 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Do not allow the soup to come to a boil. Ladle into serving bowls and top with cheese, onions, and bacon. Garnish with pepper, if desired.

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef is one of my favorite Chinese foods, and I was so pumped when I saw this recipe on Joelen's blog. She has some great recipes on her blog, and you should check them out sometime. Aubrey and I really enjoyed this dish. The only change I would make is to use less sauce. I changed the recipe slightly, and I served the beef over a bed of white rice. I bought some spring rolls for the side item, and Aubrey made a sauce made of honey and Dijon mustard to dip them in. I'm stuffed!!!

Ingredients:
4 bunches green onion, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 lb lean beef, sliced thin (I used fillet)
Pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 small onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup soy sauce

Directions:
Season sliced beef with pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Sprinkle cornstarch over beef and toss to coat. Set aside. In hot pan saute garlic and onion in cooking oil until softened. Add meat and brown. Add soy sauce; stir to coat. Just before serving, add green onions and toss.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

I've never made biscotti before, but it's not as hard as I thought. It's a little bit messy but well worth it! I drizzled mine with white chocolate, and I'm giving them away as Christmas gifts. I think these may be one of the best biscotti cookies I've ever had. But of course, I love anything chocolate mixed with hazelnut. They just seem to be a perfect match.


Recipe from Joyofbaking.com

Ingredients:
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (I omitted)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts (toasted and coarsely chopped)
Melted white chocolate for drizzling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). To toast hazelnuts: spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and the skins begin to flake. Remove from the oven and place nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts 'steam' for 5 minutes and then briskly rub the towel (with nuts inside) to remove the skins from the nuts. Cool and then chop coarsely. Set aside while you prepare the dough.

Reduce temperature of oven to 300 degree F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the coarsely chopped chocolate and brown sugar and process until the chocolate is very fine; set aside.

Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the eggs and vanilla extract and beat to blend, about 30 seconds. On low speed mix in the chocolate/sugar and flour mixtures until a stiff dough forms, adding the hazelnuts about half way through mixing.

On a floured surface divide the dough in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches (30 cm) long. Do this by rolling the dough back and forth into a cylinder shape with floured hands. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them well apart (width-wise on the pan), and pat to even the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Using a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices 3/4 inch thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Eggnog Muffins with Nutmeg-Streusel Topping

I had some eggnog left over from making the eggnog truffles. Since I have issues with drinking something that's 200 calories per 1/2 cup, I had to disperse it into a recipe. I saw this recipe for eggnog muffins on the Milk & Honey blog, and it sounded really good. I love a good streusel topping, and this was no exception. I need to give them away QUICK so we don't eat them all.

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup dairy eggnog
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
Nutmeg-Streusel Topping (recipe below)

Directions:
1. Grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine eggs, eggnog, melted butter, vanilla and rum extract. Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy.) Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Sprinkle streusel topping over muffin batter in cups.
3. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.
4. Nutmeg-Streusel Topping: In small bowl, mix 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg using pastry blender. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Pecan Squares

These are some of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. I made them last year at Christmas time, and they were a big hit.... so I decided to make them again this year. I sent them to some deserving people at work, and I had a few left over for Aubrey and me to devour. They taste like a pecan pie packaged in a cookie... only better because you can taste the honey. I'll probably make these again for Christmas Eve so my mom can taste them. She loves pecans. I'm sure you'll be seeing more recipes for pecans on my blog because my sweet mother-in-law gave me oodles of pecans. Yum!!!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces) pecan halves (I broke my halves to make it easier to cut)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.

2. Press dough about 1/4-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

3. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.

4. Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes about 32 bars

Eggnog Truffles

When I saw these truffles on Katie's blog, I was so excited to try them. These truffles are amazing, but I think they taught me that I'll never be a chocolatier. I'm not sure why I had so much trouble making them, but the first batch turned into a dip... the best dip I've ever had. I dipped gingerbread and graham crackers in it, and mmmmmm. This was the second batch below. I left the filling in the fridge for about 18 hours, and I was able to roll them into balls. However, when I rolled them in the melted chocolate, they started melting. I probably won't make the truffles again, but I know the dip will be a hit at any Christmas party.

Recipe from Wilton

Ingredients:
1 package of Wilton White Candy Melts, coarsely chopped
1 package Wilton White or Dark or Light Cocoa Candy Melts, melted
1/3 cup prepared eggnog
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg ground

Directions:
In a double boiler (I just put a heat safe bowl over boiling water... not touching the water), melt Candy Melts with eggnog and cream. Stir in nutmeg. Pour into a shallow pan. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or overnight until firm but pliable. Roll into 1-inch balls. Dip into melted candy. I sprinkled the white chocolate truffles with a little nutmeg.

***Edit note: I know why my truffles didn't turn out quite right.... I'm seeing that other people are only using 1/3 cup eggnog and none of the heavy whipping cream. I think I just might give this another try. I edited my ingredients.

Laughing Cow Chicken

I absolutely LOVE Laughing Cow cheese. One wedge of the "light" cheese is only 35 calories, and it makes a good snack spread on a cracker or carrots. When I saw the recipe for Laughing Cow Chicken on the Macaroni and Cheesecake blog, I knew I had to try it. It's a quick and easy dish. I altered the recipe slightly because I didn't have the Italian seasoning. I thought it was pretty good, but I think Aubrey liked it more than I did.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, pounded thin
6 wedges laughing cow light cheese
1/8 tsp oregano
1/16 tsp basil
1/16 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp garlic powder
cooking spray
1/2 cup bread crumbs
dash dried parsley flakes
dash grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Lay each chicken breast flat. Combine the cheese, oregano, basil, marjoram, and garlic powder, (if you prefer you can just use garlic & herb laughing cow instead of the light). Spread mixture evenly over one side of the chicken breast. Roll up and seal with toothpicks.
Meanwhile, mix together bread crumbs, parsley, and Parmesan cheese in a shallow dish.Spray the chicken with cooking spray and cover with bread crumb mixture. Place in a baking dish.
Bake on 400 degrees for 15-25 minutes, and then broil until crust is golden brown. Remove toothpicks & serve.

Molasses Cookies

When I saw these cookies on Sammyw's blog, I knew I had to bake them... the biggest reason is that I needed to get rid of the molasses that I bought for a previous recipe. Let me tell you that these are SO GOOD. They taste like iced gingerbread cookies.... ones you DON'T have to roll out, and they are so soft. I do need to warn you that they are very addicting. I made them for a gift, and I had to pack them up in the cookie box before I ate them all. This recipe made about 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
1 and 1/8 cup oil
3/8 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
3 tsp baking soda
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I used bleached b/c that's what I had).

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix the oil, molasses, eggs and brown sugar together until well combined. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Spoon batter onto a greased baking sheet (it helps to have a cookie scoop). Bake for 5-8 minutes (it took mine 9-10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
Make frosting by combining powdered sugar with a little water until desired consistency. Frost cookies with the back of a spoon or drizzle icing on top of cookies.

Turtles

I got this recipe from my Aunt Debbie. She makes the best turtles. Want proof: I made these to take to the nursing home, and a hand got in my fridge and grabbed several of them. I had to buy a smaller box to put them in since the amount shrunk. Aunt Debbie uses Almond bark to coat the turtles, but my grocery store didn't have that. I just used Bakers chocolate.

Ingredients:
1 package caramel squares
2 TBSP milk
2 cups pecans (I coarsely chopped mine)
12 ounces Almond bark or Bakers semi sweet chocolate
1 ounce white chocolate

Directions:
Unwrap caramels and place in a medium size bowl. Add milk and microwave 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in 30 second intervals and stir until completely melted.
Stir in pecans, and spoon out small dabs on a cookie sheet (do not put on wax paper... it will stick... I learned the hard way, so trust me). Freeze for 30 minutes.
In the mean time, melt semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler. Dip the frozen caramel/pecans in the chocolate and place on a cookie sheet. I put in fridge for about 20 minutes to harden and then drizzled melted white chocolate on top.

Source: Debbie Gentry

Chicken Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

I was searching through my cookbooks for a good soup/stew recipe, and I came across this one from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It reminds me a lot of chicken pot pie, but I think next time I'll leave out the pearl onions. My grocery store didn't have the frozen ones, so I used the ones in the jar. They are more sour, I think, and I picked them out while eating my stew. Overall, I think this is a good "comfort food" recipe for a cold day.

Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup frozen small whole onions
1/2 cup water
2 tsp snipped fresh basil, oregano, or dill, or 1/2 tsp dried basil, oregano, or dill, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 cup milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 recipe Cornmeal Dumplings

Directions:
In a large saucepan combine broth, frozen vegetables, onions, water, dried herb (if using), salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Bring to boiling.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine milk and flour; stir into vegetable mixture. Stir in chicken. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in fresh herb, if using.
Drop dumpling dough from a tablespoon into 4 to 8 mounds on top of the bubbling stew. Simmer, covered (do not lift cover), over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in a dumpling comes out clean.

Cornmeal Dumplings:
In a medium bowl stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal, 1 tsp baking powder, and a dash black pepper. In a small bowl combine 1 beaten egg, 2 TBSP milk, and 2 TBSP cooking oil; add to flour mixture, stirring with a fork just until combined.

Nutritional Info: Per serving (4 servings total): 510 calories; 21g fat (7g saturated); 135mg cholesterol; 1045mg sodium; 46g carbs; 5g fiber; 35g protein