SAVORY CORN CHOWDER

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

4 or 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups water

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

1 (14.75 ounce) can cream style corn

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup 2% or regular milk

3/4 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Optional)

 

Cook bacon in skillet on top of the stove until crisp.  Remove and drain on paper towel.  Fry onion and garlic in about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease left in skillet.  Drain. In a pot on top of the stove cover potatoes with the 2 cups of water, bring to a boil and cook about 10 minutes until soft.  Add onion, garlic, milk, corn, salt and pepper and continue cooking on simmer about 20 minutes longer stirring several times. Crumble bacon into soup. Stir to mix. Add cheese.  Makes 8 to 10 servings. Enjoy!

 

Cranberry Chicken

1 small onion, sliced thinly
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, if frozen do not thaw them
2 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup ketchup
2 T sugar
1 t dry mustard
2 t cider vinegar

Place onion slices and cranberries in the bottom of your crockpot.  Arrange chicken on top.  In a small bowl mix together the ketchup,sugar, dry mustard and vinegar.  Pour this over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low setting 6 to 7 hours or until the chicken is tender.

To serve, lift the chicken out and set on serving platter (you can cover it and keep it warm in your oven on a warm setting) and mix 1 ½ T cornstarch with 2 T cold water.  Turn the crock pot to HIGH and add mixture. Cover and cook this for about 15 minutes more or until the sauce thickens.  Season to taste with salt and pour this over the chicken.  This tastes good with brown rice pilaf and a spinach salad.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg, lightly beaten plus 2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups flour (Add a bit more if dough seems too wet after first few minutes of kneading in the bread machine.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling (I doubled this since we like our filling, oh yes we do!):
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Icing:
1 teaspoon milk
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
4 tablespoons (or less) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put the dough ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed and run on the dough cycle. After the dough cycle is finished, roll the dough into a large rectangle and spread it with 2 Tablespoons melted butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar mixed with 1 Tablespoon cinnamon.

Roll up and cut into 10-15 rolls and place in two greased round cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until browned. Spread the icing on as soon as they come out of the oven.

You can also cover the unbaked rolls with plastic wrap, stick them in the refrigerator overnight, and then bake in the morning. I do it all the time

Zucchini Pie aka mock apple pie

before baking  

after baking 

4 cups shredded zucchini (or any type of summer squash)
¾ cup white sugar
2 T lemon juice
1 t cinnamon
2 T whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened (1 cube)
1 unbaked whole wheat pie crust

In a large mixing bowl combine zucchini, sugar, lemon juice,  cinnamon and 2 T ww pastry flour.  Spoon into pie crust.  In a smaller bowl combine 1 cup flour, brown sugar and butter.  This will be soft and creamy like.  Drop small amounts all over the top of the pie.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Let cool for a little while.  This pie is delicious!!

Zucchini Coffee Cake

1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ¼ cups oats
1 cup sugar
1t baking soda
1t cinnamon
½ t salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup butter, softened
¼ c yogurt
1t vanilla
2 eggs

Topping:
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup oats
½ t cinnamon
¼ cup butter, softened


This is a very easy coffee cake to make. Combine all of the cake ingredients into your Kitchen Aid or Bosch bowl (or use a mixing bowl and a hand mixer) and blend until it is well combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon and spread this into a 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Combine the dry ingredients for the topping and use a fork or your (clean) hands to mix in the butter until it is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the cake. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40minutes.

Strawberry Bread

Ingredients
2 cups fresh strawberries
 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.

Lemon Scones with Sour Lemon Glaze

Yield:
8 scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest*
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg

Icing Ingredients:
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Yellow food color, optional

Instructions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice, cream, and egg.
3. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, just until a dough starts to form. Knead a couple times until the dough holds together.
4. On a lightly floured surface, gently press dough into a circle, about an inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges (I use a pizza cutter to quickly and neatly cut the wedges!).
5. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet, not touching each other, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and let rest on the sheet for 5 minutes.
6. Prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency. Add a drop or two of yellow food color if desired.**
7. Place scones on a wire rack. Drizzle or brush icing over warm scones. These scones are delicious hot, but I think they taste even better the next day, when the lemon flavor has permeated the scone even more!


Additional Notes:
*This is approximately the zest of 1 lemon.
**When taking these scones to potlucks or giving as a gift, the yellow color is a nice accent. Of course if doesn't change the taste of the scones, so feel free to omit it if you wish! :)


Preparation Time:
25 minutes
Cooking Time:
25 minutes