Cooking for Seven

Here was an happy accident:

I asked Dad what he would like for supper. His answer: soup. What could be easier, eh?

I knew that one of Dad’s favorite soups is cream of broccoli, and I was pretty sure I could find some broccoli in the freezer. The catch? The the broccoli was FREEZER BURNT. One floret had turned a weird orange color and it all smelled horrid. Blech.

And so, instead of panicking, I quickly decided to make up a new recipe. That is how this soup was born.

Please do not be scared by the stick of butter included in this recipe. It is necessary. So very necessary. You can add any spices you like, but I found salt, pepper, and parsley sufficient. Also, any type of sausage may be used. I like spicy Italian.

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Sausage and Potato Soup

Printable Page

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced or crushed
• 3 medium russet potatoes
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons parsley
• 2 1/2 teaspoons flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage, cooked until no longer pink

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until transparent. Add the garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper, and parsley and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in the sausage.

2) Add the flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk. Bring to a boil and simmer just until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Serves approximately 4-6 people

Tags: Lunch, Potatoes, Recipe, Sausage, Soup

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In no particular order, here are my favorite food blogs. I can count on them to have creative, interesting, and quality content. Enjoy!

Please note that some of these blogs contain crude humor/profanity, but they have lovely recipes.

Have Cake, Will Travel - a bike-addicted, vegan, Swiss expat who lives in CA with 2 cats and 1 husband. I love her healthier recipes.

Kayotic Kitchen (aka Dutch Girl Cooking) - old-fashioned, home-style recipes with wonderful photos.

Smitten Kitchen - A chic style with beautiful photography and

Honey & Jam - a home schooled girl with a passion for baking and photography. Her posts are always interesting.

Joy the Baker - a twenty-something, self taught/ family taught/ taste buds taught baker. Lovely blog with funny commentaries on life.

Here is my current favorite whole wheat biscuit recipe. We love to use them for biscuits and gravy. Delicious!

Note: I usually significantly reduce the amount of buttermilk. I’m not sure why, but these always turn out very wet for me. I recommend that you start with less buttermilk and add more as needed.

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Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

From Relish Magazine

Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 oz) whole-wheat pastry flour, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, plus more if needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F.

To mix using a food processor:

1) Place 1 3/4 cups of the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in food processor fitted with the metal blade and process briefly to combine. Add the butter and toss lightly with a fork to coat the butter with flour. Using 1 second pulses, mix the butter until it resembles course meal. Do not over-mix.

2) Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir with a fork until the dough gathers into one large lump. Add more buttermilk if necessary.

To mix by hand:

1) In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and toss lightly with a fork to coat the butter with flour. Using a pastry cutter, a fork, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour. Work quickly to keep the butter firm.

2) Add 3/4 cup buttermilk; stir with a fork until the dough gathers into one large lump. Add more buttermilk if necessary.

Continue for either version:

3) Transfer dough to a flat surface sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup flour. Roll the dough to coat with flour then pat out into a rough rectangle about 1/2-inch thick and fold into thirds. Repeat the patting and rolling. Pat the dough out to a thickness of about 1 inch. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits and place onto an ungreased baking sheet, placing the biscuits 1 inch apart as they will spread.

4) Bake 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Makes about 12 biscuits

Tags: Baking, Biscuits, Breakfast, Healthy, Whole Wheat

For a long time I have known that Pomegranate juice is a very healthy drink. However, I had never had the chance to sample any. So when POM Wonderful contacted me offering to send me a sample, I was elated.

As I opened the package of eight adorable bottles, Dad and Katelyn hovered nearby in anticipation. They were eager to sample some of the juice.

“I could get addicted to that,” was Dad’s reaction.

My Analysis:

The taste reminds me of a mixture of cranberry and grape juice. It is tart and refreshing. The wonderful thing about POM juice is that it is 100% pomegranate juice. It requires refrigeration.

The only downside I could see with this product was the screw-on lid: it is nearly impossible for me to open. I have to ask for assistance to take a drink of it.

Overall I was very impressed with the quality of this product.

Info:

Pomegranate Recipes

Health Benefits

I have always loved Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. However, when I became more aware of the detrimental effects of MSG, I promptly shunned Jimmy Dean.

Then, I found this recipe to make your own breakfast sausage from scratch! Perhaps it is not a perfect substitute for store-bought breakfast sausage, but I much prefer to know exactly what goes into my sausage.

I have found it handy to double or triple the spice recipe and store the leftovers in a spice jar. Just add 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon to every pound of pork. Also, if you do not wish to use ground pork, you could substitute ground beef. Just remember that the taste and texture will not be the same!

Breakfast Sausage Spice Blend

Printable Page

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed summer savory
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

Stir all ingredients together thoroughly. Store in an airtight container.

To make sausage: Mix the spice blend thoroughly with 1 lb of ground pork.

Makes about 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon, or enough for 1 lb of sausage.

Tags: Breakfast, Spice

Using random.org, I have selected the winner:

Hannah and Esther: We like COFFEE! But we also like tea. I love the Rooibos tea with a little milk. Yummy!

Congratulations, Hannah and Esther!

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Just for fun, I tallied up how many people like to drink what. Here are the results:

#1 Tea (52%)

#2 Coffee or Undecided (both 16%)

#3 Cocoa (10%)

#4 Cider (6%)

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Thank you to all who entered my giveaway! Merry Christmas!

Tags: Beverage, Drink, Giveaway, Tea

On Monday, my siblings and I went to Grandma’s house to help her make lefse (a traditional Norweigian flatbread). Stop by my personal blog to read more about it.

Tags: Events, Family

In case you have never heard of it, Rooibos (pronounced “roy-boss”) is a tisane (herbal tea) made from the needle-like leaves of a bush which is native to Africa. It contains antioxidants, and is caffeine free. It became popular in the West during World War II when black tea from Asia was difficult to get.

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The little Tea & Gift Shoppe in town sells many varieties of this delicious tea. Yesterday, I braved the below-zero temperature to obtain two varieties of Rooibos - Caramel Creme and Vanilla. Today, I would like to share some Vanilla Rooibos with you!

Here’s How to Enter:

Leave a comment on this post telling me which hot drink you like best: tea, hot chocolate, coffee, hot cider, etc. Make sure to correctly fill out your email address in the comment form.

For another chance to win, blog about my giveaway. Come back and leave another comment on this post with a link to your post.

For another chance, twitter about my giveaway. Come back and leave another comment on this post.

For another chance to win, post about my giveaway on Facebook. Come back and leave another comment on this post.

No entries after 10 p.m. CST next Wednesday will be considered.

Next Thursday, using random.org, I will select one winner.

Good luck!

This contest has now ended.

Tags: Beverage, Giveaway

I have been making this recipe for approximately 6 1/2 years. We printed the recipe (simply entitled Peanut Butter Cookies IX) from allrecipes on a thin sheet of paper. The page has been torn and has grease marks and purple scrawls. Penciled in next to the ingredient list are the measurements for doubling and TRIPLING the recipe. Yes, we like these cookies.

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Of course, I have made some (healthy) changes to the original. If you would like to make the cookies as they were intended to be, simply use 3/4 cup brown sugar and 3/4 cup white sugar in place of the raw sugar, regular peanut butter, and 3/4 cup white flour and 1/4 cup whole wheat.

Enjoy!

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Printable Page

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup demerara sugar or sucanat or rapadura
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour (aka soft white wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup regular rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.

2) In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), cream together the butter, sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the butter and sugar mixture. Add the oats and chocolate chips.

4) Form the dough into balls the size of golf balls and place on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls slightly.

5) Bake in the preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and let the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

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Tags: Baking, Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Whole Wheat

Tags: Apples, Dessert, Pie, Sweet