Vegetable Beef Soup

I love soup. My favorite method for making soup is to make some broth, then throw in whatever veggies we have on hand, and barley. I love barley!!

My dear friend Jill made this soup once when we were visiting her and we loved it! My 15-year-old son asks for it from time to time, so this is one recipe I do follow (well - I closely follow it. Ha)

I will first post the original recipe as given to me by Jill, then the variations I did. I don't vary too far, because this is an amazing soup. I would love to give it a more special name, because it deserves it!

Jill's Vegetable Beef Soup

(Most all amounts are approximate!) 1 lb ground beef browned 1/2 cup red wine ( I use what may be on hand, Merlot usually) 3 - 4 bouillon cubes salt & pepper to taste Tony Cacheres Cajun spice to taste 1 med onion chopped 1 tsp chopped garlic (to taste or health need in my house!) 3 - 4 carrots chopped, or sliced 1/2 purple (or green if you prefer - I just love the color!) cabbage, chopped 3 med zucchini diced 3/4 cup tiny pasta (I like alphabets) 1 large can diced tomatoes 3 large stalks celery chopped 1/2 bag of fresh spinach, chopped 2 boxes beef broth

Here's the order I do things: Brown hamburger and use wine to deglaze the pan after transferring meat to soup pot. Empty 1 box of beef broth to pot and set on low heat. Saute' onion, garlic, celery and carrots in small amount of beef broth so they can actually brown a bit. Add to soup pot, then add chopped cabbage, zucchini, and diced tomatoes. Add remainder of beef broth (use a small bit to dissolve bouillon), season and bring to boil. Add pasta to boiling soup, stirring frequently. I usually have to add water after pasta has cooked. Season to taste. I add spinach last, let it just wilt and serve. I don't let it cook down much to preserve the antioxidant punch and the color of course! Wonderful with some french bread and butter.

VARIATIONS by me:

I don't use bouillon unless I have some all natural ones around, which usually I don't because it's hard to find.

Since we're eating clean at the moment, I left out the pasta. I did add some barley because I LOVE barley in soup. However, the store only had "quick barley". I will never use that again! It turned to mush.

I added 3 cloves of garlic because we love it and it's good for you. :)

I used fresh kale, chopped up, instead of spinach. I'm on a kale kick so it was in my fridge anyway, but I've started using kale in almost anything that calls for spinach or parsley! I used about 2 cups and stirred it in AFTER I turned off the burner, so as Jill said, it wilted but didn't really "cook".

My broth and beef just happened to be from an organic grass-fed cow this time around because we happened to have it, so I like to think of this batch as "super soup".

Daniel then told me he prefers the kind of beef soup with "beef strips" to the one with hamburger. I've made this before using cut up stewing beef - it's great either way!

**This is the ONLY way I can feed my gang a meal using only one pound of beef!

Chocolate Frosting

My 12 year old daughter found this recipe online recently. She can't remember where she got it. It's absolutely divine. If a little thicker, it would be fudge! I can't believe the amount of cocoa called for, but it's amazing. Eat it with a spoon; I dare you to stop!

3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 stick butter, softened
3-4 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Stir sugar and cocoa together until well blended. Mix butter with 1 Tbsp cream. Gradually beat in sugar mixture, adding more cream as needed, until everything is combined and frosting is fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Frosts a 2 layer cake.

Honey Nut Cookies

Makes 8 to 12 cookies

1 Cup almond flour
2 T butter, melted
2 T honey
10 drops liquid stevia extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
large pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 275 degrees (you read that right).

Stir together all ingredients except almond flour and pecans until well mixed. Add flour until a smooth dough forms, then stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet; form into flat rounds. Bake for about 15 minutes. They will brown slightly around the edges, but not all over. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

These are even better the next day, if they last that long.

I think the raw dough would make an excellent fruit crumble topping.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp

This is an adaptation of this recipe.

I've been "eating clean" since October 1. For me, that means a "mostly" paleo diet, all natural, cooked from scratch, lots of raw stuff. With the holidays coming, I'm getting nervous about sticking to it. realistically, I don't expect to stick to it 100% and I don't want to even try. Life is short, and food is good! But, I do want to stay as healthy as possible. I've discovered that too much sugar makes me feel like crap. In the past I've had a hard time getting started again after the holidays are over, and I don't want that to happen. So I'm planning our Holiday menus and trying to figure out how I can take those recipes I can't do without and make them healthier.

Here is my first effort. You can compare it to the original at the above link if you like. This dish received rave reviews from the family today.

Apple-Cranberry Crisp 

1 cup almond flour or meal
1/2 cup quick oats
1 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar or substitute - I used Monkfruit in the Raw
pinch of sea salt

1 stick butter, softened

Combine dry ingredients until well combined. Cut in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.

2 pounds apples (about 6 medium)
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 Tbsp. sugar or equivalent sweetener

Peel, core and slice fruit (I leave the peel on). Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sweetener. Sprinkle with topping.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.

You could lower the carb count by eliminating the oats (replace with almond flour or flax meal) and replacing the brown sugar with sweetener. I decided they add to the authentic taste without too much "cheat". Since I am trying to compromise, that works for me.

Pumpkin Hummus

I happened on this while looking for pumpkin dessert recipes. It was wonderful! It's even better the next day - so much so that I would make it ahead from now on.

I personally like it a little chunky so I mixed it by hand. Use a food processor if you like it smoother.

I would add even more garlic and lemon juice, but that's just me. Taste it first and decide for yourself.

Makes about 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup tahini

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice

1 Tbs fresh minced parsley

Mix all ingredients together. If you like it smooth, use a food processor. If you like it more chunky, do it by hand.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This is SO much better the next day, that it's worth the wait to make it a day before you need it.

Shepherds' Pie, Family Size!

I was in the mood for Shepherds' Pie so I Googled for a low carb version. Of course I tweaked it quite a bit!

It is *mostly* low carb and *mostly* paleo. I did take a couple of liberties as you will see. You will be able to easily make changes to make it more exact if you want.

It filled my huge lasagna pan, and the six of us barely ate half. I have a hard time switching back and forth to the college boys being home. When they are here, it seems there is never enough! But this would be easy to adapt quantities, too.

It was liked by all, and will be a keeper.

Shepherds' Pie

4 pieces bacon, chopped
3 pounds ground beef
large onion, chopped
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped vegetables of your choice. I used carrots, yellow squash, and broccoli.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 head cauliflower (or 16 oz. package frozen)
1 medium potato (peeled if you like. I don't peel mine.)

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 T butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add the vegetables and heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Mix the 1/2 cup yogurt with the beaten eggs. Stir into meat mixture along with 1 cup of cheese. Spread into pan(s). I used a large lasagna pan. It's about 15x12. You could also use two 9x13 pans with no problem.

Meanwhile, cut the potato into chunks and cook with cauliflower in boiling water for about 12 minutes until very tender. Drain well. Put the cauliflower, potato, 2 T butter, 1/2 c yogurt and 1/4 c cream into a food processor. Process until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary, then spread over the meat mixture in the pan(s). Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

NOTES:
* To lower carbs and make it more "legal", leave out potato. It added more authentic taste and texture for not a lot of carbs per serving, but would be fine without it.

* You can cut this recipe in half and use either a 9x13 pan, or a 9x9 pan (will be thicker). We could easily have fed 6 on one pan of this.

* Add whatever veggies you like, in whatever quantity you like, or none at all. The beauty of something like this dish is it's great to use up what you have languishing in the fridge! It would also be a great way to sneak something in that the kids usually don't eat. For instance, I had a few kale leaves that needed to be used, not enough to make kale chips (which the kids will eat), so I chopped it up and stuck it in. :)

* I think in the future I would like the meat mixture to be a little creamier, so if I cut the recipe in half I would use the same amounts of egg and yogurt. If I made the large recipe, I would double that. Just my personal preference.

Pizza Burgers

I created this dish on the fly the other night, and it was amazing, so I want to get it down even though I didn't measure anything!

My daughter had her birthday party and the kids made their own pizzas. My husband and I are eating low carb so I got out some ground beef to make us some hamburger patties. As it thawed, I was feeling kind of bitter about missing the pizzas. I love pizza! Then I got the idea to season them into "pizza burgers". I chopped up the pizza toppings and mixed them right in with the meat, formed it into burgers and cooked them on the stove.

As they cooked, I got to thinking I could top them with mozzarella cheese, just like the pizza. Then I thought how about some pepperoni? And I kept thinking!

So, here's the basics. I didn't measure any of it, just put in what you like.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
about 3 T bread crumbs or substitute (since we are low carb, I used ground flax meal)
1 clove garlic, pressed
about 1/4 onion, chopped fine
a few slices green pepper, chopped fine
about 10 back olives, chopped fine
about 10 slices pepperoni, chopped fine
about 1 tsp Italian seasoning
about 1/2 tsp salt
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
about 2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
about 3 Tbsp pizza sauce

mix all of the ingredients together until well mixed. Form into patties (we got 5). Flatten the patties as much as possible, but not too thin or they'll fall apart.

Cook on both sides just till brown. They'll be rare, but that's fine.

Transfer to an oven safe pan if your skillet is not oven safe. Top the patties with another dollop of pizza sauce and your choice of toppings. We used - in this order - cheese, pepperoni, sauce, then more cheese.

Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes until cheese is melted and slightly brown. This was the same time and temp the pizza crusts said to use, so we ran with it and it seemed to be just right. Keep an eye on it and don't let the cheese burn.

Serve with extra sauce and parmesan cheese.

This will definitely go into our meal rotation!

Tapenade

I need to come up with a catchy name for this.

It's a combination of several different recipes I found online the day I was looking for something made with olives to spread on crackers. It was adapted based on ingredients I already had, as well as my personal tastes (I don't like anchovies).  I think it lends itself quite well to adaptation, so play with it as much as you like! I will probably never follow this recipe exactly again, but wanted to get it down so I can use it as a base. it was a huge hit with adults and kids and I will definitely add it to my go-to list. it also keeps well - my last batch was in the fridge for 2 weeks and it may last longer, but we ate it up too fast to know. :)

I used plain, inexpensive olives and it was great. I don't see any point in using fancy olives, but maybe it will just be that much more awesome!

Olive Tapenade

1 cup pitted black olives
1 cup pitted green olives
1 clove garlic
1 tsp capers
1/4 cup roasted pepper

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Olive oil as desired, optional

Place in bowl of a food processor and pulse until garlic is chopped. Add feta cheese and stir to mix. If you like, add some olive oil.

Serve with crackers or small toasted rounds of french bread.

I put any leftovers back into the olive jar and refrigerate.

Pineapple Compote

My friend Aphra and her husband, Peter, were the managers at a gorgeous retreat center a few years ago. I always loved Sunday breakfast because this delicious dish was always on the buffet. Finally I asked her for the recipe! The new managers don't make it, and Sunday mornings are simply not the same! This was another of her mother's recipes.

Pineapple Compote

1 - 15 oz can pineapple chunks in juice
* add 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (see note)

3/4 cup sugar
3 T flour
1/2 stick butter

10 Ritz crackers, crumbled

Mix everything but the crackers in a casserole dish. Sprinkle crumbs on top.

Bake at 350 for 37 minutes.

*note - pre-grated cheese will not melt properly. However, they used it at the center and I always loved the texture so I would use it again to get the same result. It's your call!

Pontchartrain French dressing

This recipe was given to me by my friend Aphra. It was her mother's, and they served it in the dining room of the retreat center they used to manage. It was the most delicious dressing ever. I am so happy I found this while going through a pile of papers on my desk!

Pontchartrain French Dressing

2 cups olive oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp Creole mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Beat oil and vinegar together for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Baked Olives

I love olives! Straight out of the jar is fine with me. For our turn cooking last Thanksgiving I wanted to go a little fancier. This is so super easy to make. You can adapt it in any way you like. All the adults loved it and so did the kids! We put the leftovers back in the olive jar and they stayed delicious for spur-of-the-moment munching. I may never buy expensive flavored olives again!

Ingredients

1 cup stuffed green olives (with pimento)

1 and ½ cups large pitted ripe olives

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch of black pepper

Add seasonings as desired by the 1/4 tsp (dried). I used dried rosemary and thyme. Add pepper flakes if you want some kick.

Directions

Line a pan with heavy duty foil (about 12x12). Have enough foil to come back and seal up the olives in a package.

Drain olives and pour into lined pan. Top with garlic, olive oil, pepper, and seasonings of your choice.

Fold aluminum foil over top of olives and seal well.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Alternatively use the microwave, in a covered microwave-safe dish for 3 min. on high.

Pancake Syrup

Edit: the syrup crystallized. When we used it the next day, I warmed it by putting the bottle in a pot of hot water, this helped somewhat with the crystals and the taste was still great, but was still a turnoff for the kids. I guess they are just perfectionists because it wasn't distasteful at all to me! I already said I did not follow the original recipe exactly. My friend says hers never crystallized. I am going to play around with this and see if I can solve the problem. First thing I will do is omit the butter so it won't have to be refrigerated. I already removed it from the recipe below. I have looked up some tips online and will add to this as I try them. Sorry if you have already tried it as originally posted. It is still delicious and worth making!

****************************************************

I've had this recipe stored in my drafts here from a friend's blog, for a couple of years now. I finally got around to making it this morning after my daughter and her friend asked for French toast, but we were out of syrup. Naturally, this is not my friend's exact recipe. I tweaked it a bit.

I was concerned about the lack of maple flavoring. My friend doesn't use it because it's always artificial so she chose vanilla. I can honestly say none of us missed the maple. It was close enough to what we usually get and in fact was pronounced "THE BEST SYRUP EVER!!!" by all.

It was so quick and easy to make, I literally made it at the exact same time I made the French toast. By the time we were ready to eat, we used a gravy ladle to serve it right out of the pan. I boiled the water in a teakettle first and then measured it. I think next time I will just throw it all in together. I'm not sure what the point is of boiling it first and I love saving steps. (note - may help with the crystallization issue. Stay tuned.)

I don't think I will ever buy "pancake syrup" at the store ever again. I always have these ingredients on hand. Have you ever read the ingredients label on "pancake syrup"? Yuck.

If you make this, I would love to know how you like it!

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp corn starch

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugars and cornstarch with boiling water. Heat until it returns to the boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

When cool, transfer to a storage conatiner. I saved an old syrup bottle for this.

Corn Casserole

I was looking for a gooey corn pudding like the one a lady from church brings to potlucks. I can't remember who it is, so I can't ask. I wanted something in between the scalloped corn my Mom used to make, and plain cornbread casserole, so I set out to adapt one for myself based on several recipes. Here is what I came up with, and it's delicious! I'm very happy with it. The only bad part is it's hard to stop from eating it all myself with a spoon!

Ingredients

• 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
• 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into a greased square (8x8). baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until the top and edges are golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Rocky Road Cake

Here is another that I found in my personal blog. It was published in June, 2009.

Rocky Road Cake

I can't really take credit for this one, even though I threw it together. I'm sure it or something similar enough is posted somewhere. But I did throw it together for a band parent meeting and everyone loved it. It's VERY rich so beware!

1 chocolate cake mix of your choice, baked as directed in a 9x13 pan
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chopped pecans
1 recipe Hot Fudge Sauce, recipe below (this one is from the 1964 edition of Joy of Cooking)

Bake cake as directed on the package. As soon as it comes out of the oven, sprinkle evenly with the marshmallows. Do not spread. They will melt slightly and bind to the cake.

When cool, sprinkle with the nuts and drizzle the Sauce over it evenly. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Hot Fudge Sauce

Credit for this goes to the 1964 edition of the Joy of Cooking. I hope it's OK to post it - I found it all over the 'net.

Quote from the cookbook:

"The grand kind that, when cooked for the longer period and served hot, grows hard on ice cream and enraptures children."

Melt in a double boiler over - not in - hot water:
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

Add and melt:
1 T butter

Stir and blend well, then add:
1/3 cup boiling water

Stir well and add:
1 cup sugar
2 T light corn syrup

boil without stirring for 5 to 8 minutes. Use the longer period of time for the cake above.

Note: I did not use a double boiler. I just stirred constantly as it melted on low.

Hot Shrimp Dip

I was going through my personal blog and found some recipes hidden in there! Here's one:

Hot Shrimp Dip

I created this awhile back when I had some leftover shrimp in the fridge. We think it would be also awesome on it's own without the shrimp - maybe less tarragon and lime juice? I would have to experiment with it some more, butit was great as is!

1/2 cup cooked shrimp, chopped fine
1 T lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Mix shrimp, juice and garlic to marinate before you start the rest.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/2 tomato, chopped fine

Heat oil and saute vegetables. Add:

2 T butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 t fresh basil, chopped
2 t fresh tarragon, chopped
1 t fresh thyme, chopped
1 t fresh parsley, chopped

Heat and stir until smooth. Turn off heat and add the shrimp AND its marinade, and 2 T grated parmesan cheese. Stir well. Serve warm with crackers or veggie dippers, or spread on bruschetta.

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Guest post by my husband. This is SO AWESOME. When there is leftover sauce, I hide it so I can have it with lunch the next day!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

This recipe is modified from one provided by Tyler Florence.  It is scalable.  I have a large family so the recipe below represents a double batch.  I typically cook between 15 and 20 pieces of chicken on the grill.  This recipe is perfect for that amount of bird.  The marinade is best made a day or so ahead of time to give it time to come together.

Ingredients: 

Chicken Pieces (enough for your family)

Teriyaki Marinade:

1 Cup Soy Sauce (low sodium)
2 tsp. dark sesame oil

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 sm can  Crushed  Pineapple (in juice)

4 Tbs  Minced Ginger (use fresh)

2 tsp  Minced Garlic

1 Cup  Chopped Green Onion

2 Tbs Sugar (or substitute Stevia Extract)

Teriyaki Sauce:

½ batch Teriyaki Marinade

1 TBS Corn Starch

Directions:

Make the marinade by combining the soy sauce, OJ, crushed pineapple (use the juice too), ginger, garlic, green onion, and sugar.  Stir over low heat until the sugar completely dissolves.  Allow the marinade to cool.  Place the bird in a large bowl and cover with half of the marinade.  Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).  Heat the other half of the marinade to make a teriyaki sauce over medium high heat and whisk in a slurry made of the corn starch and water to thicken to your desired consistency (I like mine fairly thick so it behaves like a BBQ sauce on the grill).

Set up your grill for indirect cooking.  Cook the bird over the coals for about 10 minutes turning frequently to avoid burning (if you are uncomfortable with this, you can skip it and just cook the bird on the cool side of the grill but you will miss out on some awesome carmelization and color if you do).  Move the bird to the cool side of the grill and cover.  Turn the pieces every 10 to 15 minutes basting with the marinade after each turn.  After about 30 minutes, discard the marinade.  Once the bird reaches an internal temperature of about 150, begin saucing with the teriyaki sauce.  Pull the bird when the internal temperature reaches 170.  Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

Pecan Pie

This year my 14 year old son started asking me for pecan pie. I had never made one before, and it never occurred to me to try. I found a really good one at Thanksgiving, locally made, in the grocery store. It was delicious!

At Christmas time, he asked me for one BUT wanted me to try making one. So I turned to my "church lady" cookbooks for advice (they always have the BEST recipes!).

It is SO easy to make and so delicious! I don't think I will ever buy one again!

Note - I do not make pie crust. I have tried, and Mom tried to teach me, but I never mastered it. Maybe some day? But then store bought ones are so easy and good enough. I buy the rolled ones and put them in my own pie plate.

Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
3 eggs
1/2 tsp butter
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp flout
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecan halves or pieces, slightly toasted
1 unbaked pie shell

Beat together sugar, syrup, eggs, butter, salt and flour. Add vanilla and pecans (you don't have to toast them, but it really is better!). Pour into pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake for 35-40 minutes longer. Pie will still be jiggly.

*Do not overbake!

Bread Pudding

This is the most amazing bread pudding I have ever had! And so easy to make - I think it's my new go-to dessert recipe! A friend gave it to me after bringing it to a party a few years ago.

The white chocolate sauce is good, but not good enough IMO to justify the expense of the chocolate. To me it tastes just like the sauce I use on cranberry pudding, so I am going to try that next time. A simple custard would be great, too, and I think it's what my younger kids would choose. So do some experimenting!

Update - we always use the vanilla sauce referenced above, so I have included the recipe below.

Variations:

King Cake Bread Pudding: use a medium king cake of your choice. The cheap grocery ones are fine.

Chocolate Chip: Sprinkle top with chocolate (or other flavor) chips before baking. About 1/2 cup is plenty.

Fruit: Sprinkle with 1/2 to 1 cup fruit before baking.

Bread Pudding:

1 loaf of bread (your choice. We've even used stale hamburger buns.)

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. almond

1-1/2 cups of Sugar

4 cups of milk


1/2 cup butter, melted


cinnamon (optional)



Cut the bread into small pieces, and put it in a deep 9 by 13 baking dish. Mix eggs, vanilla, 

almond, sugar, and milk with a mixer or whisk. Pour over the bread. Melt half stick of 

butter and pour over bread mixture. Press bread into the pan to absorb the liquid.

Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 45 minutes @ 350 degrees. Check with a knife and see if

 it is done.



White Chocolate Sauce

1 box white chocolate squares, bakers brand is the best

6 tablespoon of water or your favorite liquid

1 cup of powdered sugar


 Soften the rest of the butter with white chocolate Squares. can be microwave if 

desired stir in powdered sugar. Add water if needed to be thinned (warm water first), to

 thin the mixture. Pour mixture on the top of the bread pudding as it comes out of the 

oven. 

VANILLA CREAM SAUCE

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients. Boil and stir for 5 minutes. Pour evenly over pudding and serve.

Gingerbread Crackle Cookies

These were the best gingerbread cookies I have ever had. The kids missed rolling and cutting, so I bought a roll of premade gingerbread dough for them to do (as well as the sugar cookies we made). These are just too delicious for me to care about rolling and cutting.

Ingredients:

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking soda

·         1- 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

·         1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

·         1/2 cup vegetable shortening

·         1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

·         1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         1/4 cup molasses

·         1 large egg

·         1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar for rolling. I used colored sugar mixed with plain.

Directions

·         Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

·         In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves.

·         Add the shortening, butter and the brown and granulated sugars to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Slip in the molasses and egg and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour mixture by scoopfuls and beat until combined.

·         Add the extra sugar to a small plate or bowl. Roll the dough into balls that are 1 inch in diameter,  then roll in the sugar. Place on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies 9 to 11 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Cool on the baking sheets for 4 minutes, then continue cooling on wire racks. Repeat with the second batch.

Notes: These cookies are nice and chewy on the inside with a nice crunch on the outside. They have a wonderfully soft texture from using both shortening and butter. When you bake these cookies your house will smell like Christmas!

If you let the cookies completely cool before removing them, they will stick to the pan.