DIY Oatmeal Packets

We love eating oatmeal for breakfast, but I don't like buying the individual packets. Way too expensive for such a small amount. I also don't love making it homemade every morning. Too much work on busy school days. But I've discovered the secret to making your own individual packets that everyone can make on their own: you have to blend some of the oatmeal into powder. That's it! That's the creamy difference between the kind you buy in packets and the kind you spend 10 minutes cooking on the stove.

I've been making these DIY Oatmeal Packets at home. My family likes them, they only take adding water and cooking 2 minutes in the microwave, and they are fast and easy to assemble.  And they cost about 1/4 the price of buying them in the store. It's a win-win for us all!

INGREDIENTS

• 10 cups quick oats 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar (Katelee likes to add a bit more brown sugar to hers after she has warmed it up.)
• 1 cup powdered milk 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon 
• 21-24 snack-size zip bags 
• Other toppings if you desire (dried fruit, nuts, etc.)

INSTRUCTIONS

Put 6 cups of the oats into a large bowl. Place the remaining 4 cups of oats into a blender. Blend until almost powdery, then pour into the large bowl.

Add the salt, brown sugar, powdered milk, and cinnamon into the large bowl. Mix well until everything is combined.

Measure 1/2 cup of the oatmeal mixture into each snack-size plastic baggie and seal.

TO USE DIY INSTANT OATMEAL PACKETS: Pour the packet into a bowl, and add 1 c. water. Heat for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. Stir and serve.

NOTES: Because the plastic bag doesn’t get wet or dirty, you can reuse it.

Gnocchi Zuppa Toscana

Melissa shared this quick and yummy soup recipe with me. My family really enjoyed it!

Ingredients:

• Italian sausage, about 1 pound
• 1 onion, minced
• garlic to taste (1-2 tsp, minced)
• Carton of chicken broth
• milk
• package of gnocchi
• a few handfuls of kale, washed and chopped
• salt 
• pepper 
• Parmesan cheese

In a big pot, brown the italian sausage. Add the onion and garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add the carton of chicken broth and some milk (as much as you want to make the soup as thin or as thick as you prefer). Bring to a boil. Toss in the package of gnocchi and a few big handfuls of kale. Cook until gnocchi floats and kale wilts (3-5 minutes). Add salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese to taste. Done!

Easy and Tasty Chili

I found this meaty chili recipe on allrecipes.com and altered it slightly to fit my preferences.  I thought it turned out delicious!  Not too spicy for the kiddos, but still had yummy flavor and SO easy.  It made a nice big pot, so we served it with this delicious cornbread the first night, over baked potatoes a couple nights later.  And tomorrow we'll finish it off when we make chili cheese dogs.  A nice meal for a busy day!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef (or turkey or sausage, or mixed)
• 1/2 onion, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt 
• 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce 
• 8 oz. jar of salsa 
• 1 McCormick brand Chili Seasoning packet
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans, drained

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.

2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well.

3. I prefer to throw it in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours at this point.  However, the original recipe says to reduce heat to low and simmer on the stovetop for at least an hour.

4. Eat and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

One of my friends from my BYU days has a website where she tries popular recipes from pinterest or online and then rates and reviews them.  This soup received her highest rating, and so we tried it tonight.  We were not disappointed.  Oh, this one is really yummy! You should check out her website here. 

Original recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 
• 2 stalks celery, diced 
• ½ cup diced carrots (about 2 regular carrots or a handful of baby carrots) 
• 3 cups chicken broth 
• 2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced (I like to leave the peels on red potatoes, if using them) 
• 1 cup milk (1% is my milk of choice) 
• 4 tablespoons flour 
• 1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese 
• 2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced 

Instructions

Earlier: Cook the chicken.  I prefer to stick this in the crockpot earlier in the day and let cook with a little chicken broth until done.

About an hour before eating: In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onion, garlic, celery and carrots in the butter until the vegetables are tender.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, whisk flour and milk until smooth. Quickly whisk the milk mixture into the soup and continue to cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken. Be sure to stir the soup often so the soup doesn't burn on the bottom of the pot.

Microwave the cream cheese until it is soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup by the tablespoon. Let the cream cheese melt some more in the soup and then whisk the cream cheese into the soup until it is combine and leaves no lumps.

Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Easy and Creamy Corn Chowder

Creamy Corn Chowder Recipe by Our Best Bites 

• 2 Tbsp. butter 
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour 
• 1 c. water 
• 2 1/2 c. milk (skim or 1% work just fine and lighten it up considerably) 
• 2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base 
• 1/2 lb. bacon (optional) 
• 1 small onion, minced 
• 2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula) 

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don’t have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup waaaaay too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if you want. Because, you know, if there’s anything a perfectly healthy bowl of soup (it’s only 3 Weight Watchers points!) needs, it’s some extra bacon and cheese! Serves 6-8.

Italian Beef Stew

Yum, this beef stew recipe is pure perfection.

Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

• About 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion) 
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot 
• About 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the stew at the end if necessary) 
• 1 1/2-2 lb. cubed beef or beef stew meat 
• 1 cup grape juice with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 
• 2 15-oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained (unsalted if desired–it’s not the worst idea because a lot of salt is going into this recipe, so lower sodium products can help you control the sodium content) 
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock or 1 1/2 cups water + 1 1/2 teaspoons beef base 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano (substitute: I used 3/4 tsp. dried oregano)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (substitute: I used 3/4 tsp. dried thyme)
• 1 bay leaf 
• 8-10 ounces sliced baby portabella or cremini mushroooms 
• 3/4 cup sliced carrots 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

Instructions: Chop the onions, first batch of carrots, and the garlic and set it aside. Heat about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a stock pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent.

Add the garlic and saute it for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour and then transfer the beef to the pot. Cook the beef on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, browning it on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Combine the juice and vinegar and pour the juice/vinegar mixture into the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan (loosen up the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan). Scrape it regularly for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3.

Return the meat and onion mixture to the pan. Add the undrained canned tomatoes, broth, and water. Strip the thyme and oregano leaves from their stems and then chop up about 2 teaspoons of each. Add those to the stew mixture along with 1 bay leaf. Add your mushrooms and some more chopped carrot to the stew. Bring it to a boil and then cover the stew and reduce the heat to a steady simmer for about 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beef is tender.

Discard the bay leaf and then add some chopped parsley and basil and season with salt to taste. Serve it with crusty bread. Makes about 8 servings.

Freezer Instructions: Prepare through deglazing the pan. Place all of the ingredients except for the water, fresh basil, and fresh parsley into a freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze. Freeze the herbs separately in a small freezer safe bag. When ready to serve, place the contents of the large freezer bag and 1/2 cup of water into a slow cooker and cook on high for 6- 8 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. 1 hour before serving, add fresh herbs.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

We had this for dinner last night.  DELICIOUS!  I love when yummy meals are this easy.

• 2 whole large Cloves Of Garlic Minced
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• 2 10 3/4 oz Cans of Condensed Tomato Soup
• 1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped or 2 Tbl Of Sun Dried Tomato Paste
• 2 cups Half-and-half
• 2 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tbl Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1 whole 9 Oz Package Of Cheese Filled Tortellini
• 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese, for garnish

Saute garlic with the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until golden brown.
Be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t get too brown or burnt.

When the garlic is done, add tomato soup, tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock and spices.
Bring to a simmer.

Once simmering, drop tortellini into the soup. Cook according to the package directions.
After tortellini are cooked, ladle soup into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Chicken and Dumplings

Have you ever had chicken and dumplings?  I hadn't and wasn't sure if I would like it or not.  But I had all the ingredients on hand, and it sounded like a good meal for a cold day, so we gave it a try.


Delicious!  I learned that I LOVE chicken and dumplings!  This was easy, nourishing, creamy, warm and soooo yummy.  And I love that it is made from ingredients that I generally have on hand.  We all loved it!

This recipe is from Our Best Bites' cookbook.

• 6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 boxes or 3 cans) OR (I didn't' have broth on hand) 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes 
• 1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (you could use 1/2 of a fauxtisserie chicken and it’s FABULOUS! You could also use leftover rotisserie chicken from the grocery store) 
• 1 c. sliced carrots 
• 2 ribs celery, chopped 
• 1 onion, minced 
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley OR 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. basil 
• 1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine) 
• 1 recipe of Bisquik dumplings (recipe is on the box) 
• 1 T. olive oil

If using uncooked chicken, cook your chicken.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth (OR water and buillion like I did), cooked chicken, bay leaf, and basil. Bring to a boil. Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. While this is cooking, prepare the Bisquik dumpling batter, as instructed on the box.  When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling add prepared Bisquik by small spoonfuls (they’ll really puff up while they’re cooking). Cook until dumplings are cooked through (they should appear moist but feel firm; this is after about 4-5 minutes).

One other thing–if you know you’ll have leftovers, only add dumplings to what you know you’ll eat immediately. The dumplings will soak up all the liquid in the soup when you store it as leftovers, so you’ll have overly-mushy dumplings and chicken with no broth if you don’t. The other thing you can do is add all of the dumplings or all of the noodles, and then store the dumplings or noodles separately from the rest of the soup. That’s easy to do with dumplings, not so much with noodles. Serves 5-6-ish…

Sunday Beef Stew

This is the beef stew recipe that I made with the corn bread I posted last week.  It is from Our Best Bites and is a truly delicious beef stew.  And like most stews, it's super easy!  Perfect for a cold winter's day.

•  1 1/2-2 lb. lean stew beef, cut into even smaller bite-sized pieces (just pull out a pair of kitchen shears and cut anything that looks like you’d need to use a knife and fork on) 
• 4-5 medium red potatoes, chopped 
• 4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 
• 4 stalks celery, chopped 
• 2 cups roughly chopped onions, one large or 2 small 
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 12-oz. cans or 3 c. vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 or even Bloody Mary mix) 
• 1 10-oz. can condensed tomato soup 
• 10 oz. water (just use the can from the tomato soup to measure) 
• 1 tsp. basil 
• 2 beef bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. beef base) 
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

Combine all ingredients in a large dutch oven or other oven save dish with a tight fitting lid. Cook for about 3 hours at 350 degrees. OR, place in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-6.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

In the past year or so, baked potato soup has become my new personal favorite soup.  

In Denver, we lived across the street from a Panera, and anytime I was sick Gerald would pick up a tub of their loaded baked potato soup for me.  I've also had Kneaders version, and they are both delicious!  So, when I knew it was going to snow this weekend, I decided it was high time that I learned to make this delicious soup myself.  I was thrilled to find that Our Best Bites had a recipe; I knew it was bound to be great, and it was!  I tweaked their recipe a little bit, but mostly used their recipe as is.  I love that this recipe isn't horribly fattening, as some others I've seen are, but that it is still rich and flavorful.  (Click on the above link to see the full instructions/pictures on Our Best Bites.)

I hope you give this a try.  My family LOVED it, and it is definitely one we'll make again soon!

• 3 Tbs butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 C flour
• 4 1/2 C milk (low fat works great)
• 1 14oz can chicken broth
• 4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
• 2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 C  sour cream (low fat is fine), divided
• 1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

*don’t have time to bake potatoes in the oven?  Just pierce them with a fork a few times and then pop them in the microwave.  Cook in 5 minute intervals until a knife easily pierces through them.  It usually takes 5-10 minutes.  To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack.  Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.
Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.  Add flour to pan.  Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps.   Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth. (Now, if you get to this point and don’t have a smooth liquid.  Stop!  Save your soup by popping the mixture in the blender, then continue.)  Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes. (Jennifer's note: my didn't thicken as much as I thought it would at this point.  I cooked it for about 15 minutes and it wasn't getting any thicker, so I added a bit more flour and then went ahead and added the potatoes.  In the end, it turned out perfectly.)

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low.  Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot.  Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps.  (Note: there will be some lumps.  As long as they are bite sized, I think that's great, even preferable!  But don't expect pureed potatoes, think lumpy mashed potatoes.)  Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese (I added more like 1 3/4 c.) and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon (I added all 8 strips of crumbled bacon now, and crumbled an extra piece or two on top later.)  Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.

Leftovers?  I'm freezing mine in single portions for a quick and yummy lunch!

Homemade Hot Chocolate - 1 serving

It is a yucky, stormy morning at my house today.  On a morning like this, it's nice to give my family a warm cup of hot cocoa with their breakfast before going out in the cold.  I don't generally have cocoa mix on hand, unless it's been a gift, so this is my 'quick and easy' hot cocoa that I make for my family on a cold and busy morning.

Heat:

• 1 cup of milk 

I do this in a mug in the microwave.  I stir it about every 45 - 60 seconds and check the temperature until it's as hot as I want it.

Meanwhile, while it's heating up, mix the following ingredients together in a small bowl:

• 2 T. sugar
• 2 T. baking cocoa (I always buy the Hershey's brand.  Don't know how much difference this makes; other baking cocoas may have slightly different strengths or flavors?)
• dash salt

After the milk is heated to the right temperature, stir in the sugar/cocoa mixture.  Add:

• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract and stir well.  

Top with marshmallows or whipped cream if desired and enjoy!

I've also been experimenting with adding less (or no) vanilla and substituting other extracts.  Peppermint, mint or almond extracts are yummy!  My personal favorite combination is 1/8 tsp. vanilla and 1/8 tsp. orange extract.  Gerald likes raspberry extract; Katelee likes strawberry extract.

So if it's cold and stormy at your house today (or even if it's not!), go make a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up. 

This recipe is found on the can of Hershey's baking cocoa.  Also, I borrowed this image from http://www.gfcfrecipes.com/miscellaneous.htm.

Wendy's Chili

Melissa gave me this chili recipe. We tried it last night for our ward's chili cook-off, and we really liked the recipe! It is similar to "Wendy's Chili" from the fast food restaurant.

1 lb. Ground Beef (browned)
1 lb. Italian sausage (browned)
1-29 oz. Tomato Sauce
1 29- oz. Can Kidney Beans
1-29 oz. Can Pinto Beans
1 C. Onion Diced
1/4 C. Diced Celery
1/2 C. Diced Green Chilies
3 Medium Tomatoes, diced up
1 Tsp. Cumin
3 TBSP. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 tsp. Salt
2 C. Water

Add all ingredients into crock pot or onto stove top. Simmer for a a few hours.

**I would always half this recipe unless you are cooking for a really large group!

Soft Molasses Cookies

Last night I had a Halloween-themed piano recital. It was so fun! For the refreshments, I baked cookies that reminded me of fall. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, toffee and butterscotch (using Darla's chocolate chip recipe and substituting the chocolate chips with toffee and butterscotch chips), and THESE amazing cookies that my friend, Sarah Burgoyne makes. I am so glad that Sarah shared this recipe with me. These cookies are soft and chewy. They are pretty. And they taste like fall or Christmas to me. They got the most compliments at the recital last night - everyone loved them and there were none left at the end of the night. ;)

¾ c. shortening
1c. packed brown sugar
1 lrg egg
1/2 c. molasses
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg

Cream sugar and shortening. Stir in egg and molasses. Fold in dry ingredients and stir. (I like to mix spices, salt and baking soda together before adding to flour.) Cover and chill for 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough into small balls and roll in white sugar. Place on a cookie sheet (I like to cover mine in foil- keeps cookies from getting too dark and easy clean up). Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes (I do 9 minutes). (Jenn's note: I think I made mine a bit smaller than Sarah's and so I baked them for 8 minutes. You want them soft - so be careful not to overcook!) Leave on sheet one minute to set, remove to cooling rack

A few notes from Sarah:
*I usually double the recipe.
*I tend to substitute ground cloves for the allspice, also if I am ever low on one of the spices I just try end up with the same amount of tsp of spices. I’ll up the cinnamon or ginger if I am out of nutmeg for example.

Bacon Potato Soup

1 package sliced bacon, cut into small pieces
8 – 10 medium-sized potatoes
2 c. shredded cheese
1 onion, chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour
1 c. cold water

Peel and cube the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Drain the grease and set the bacon aside. Cook the potatoes and onions in enough water to cover them in the same pan that you cooked the bacon in, so that the bacon flavor cooks into the broth. Mix together the flour and water. When the potatoes are tender, add the flour-water, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper. Stir until warmed through.

Zuppa Toscana

1 lb ground Italian sausage
11/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Brown sausage and red pepper. Drain fat and set aside. In same pan sauté onion, bacon and garlic until onions are soft. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and add potatoes. Cook until soft, around 30 minutes. Add cream, sausage and kale. Cook until heated through and serve.

This truly tastes and looks just like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana, which is I LOVE! Serve with Italian rolls for an extra treat! ;)

Mom's Clam Chowder

2 cans minced clams
2 c. peeled diced potatoes
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
2 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. margarine
1/2 to 3/4 c. flour
2 cans cream of celery soup

Drain clams and set aside the juice. Put potatoes, onions and celery in a saucepan. Add clam juice and enough water to cover everything. Put the lid on and simmer vegetables over medium heat until tender. In another pan melt margarine. Slowly stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Gradually add milk and stir until it thickens. Add evaporated milk and soup. Stir. If mixture is too thick, add more milk until it is the desired consistency. Pour water off vegetables and add sauce. Put in the clams. Stir well and eat. I love this served in bread bowls! Such a great comfort food.

Leftover Turkey Soup

A great way to use those Thanksgiving leftovers!

1/2cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
1 T. oil
2 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup bite sized pasta (like bowtie), uncooked
2 cups cooked turkey cubed
1 envelope dried Italian dressing mix

Cook the onion, carrot and celery in hot oil in a large sauce pan for 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the broth, water, and dressing mix. Bring to a boil. Add turkey and pasta; cover. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve hot.

Hearty Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs. cubed beef stew meat
2 cups water
1 small onion
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
10 cubes beef bullion, crumbled
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 T. salt
1 T. dried basil

Place beef in a large crock-pot. Pour in water. Stir in onion, tomatoes, mixed veggies and potatoes. Season with bullion, pepper, salt, and basil. Cook on low 8 hours. This is hearty and delicious, and makes lots!

Hearty Sausage Soup

1 lb. turkey or chicken sausage. (I use Italian.)
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced
1 large red potato, diced
2 tsp. Italian seasonings
2 cans chicken stock (14 oz)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes (14 oz)
1 can white beans (undrained, 14 oz)

Sauté onions and garlic with sausage until browned. Add carrots, potatoes, and seasoning and cook 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Romano cheese and crusty bread. We LOVE this soup!!

Homemade Eggnog

I have always hated eggnog. It's so gross!

A lady in my ward made this last year at a ward party and convinced me to try a “sip.” It is seriously the most delicious thing I had ever tried! I drank two cups that night! (Beware: This is NOT low in fat!) This is definitely going to be an annual tradition around the Reynolds home now. If you think you hate eggnog, you should give this recipe a try once – you might change your mind!

1 quart half-and-half milk (or whole milk if you don’t have any half-and-half)
3/4 c. sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. Mexican vanilla
1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped with 2 T. sugar
nutmeg

Mix together in a blender the half-and-half, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Pour into mugs and top with whipped topping and sprinkle with nutmeg. Drink. Faint.