White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

The temperature is dropping and I had some small white beans to use up.  So... Soup!  This weekend, I spent Saturday with my good friend Tamra and her family.  Amelie and I played 'fishing' over the back of the couch with a jump rope, and Peyton and I played peek-a-boo.  It was so much fun playing with the kids!  I brought the soup over for lunch and Tamra made pitas from scratch.  Both were yummy!

I'm sorry to say that I forgot to snap a photo before we ate the soup.  Just trust me-- its good.  White beans in a flavorful chicken broth with bright green kale, celery, carrots and smoked sausage.  Warms you right up!  Here's my recipe.

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage
8 oz. white beans, rinsed and picked over
smoked beef sausage (I used Hillshire Farms)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz. low sodium chicken broth (The kirkland brand from Costco is REALLY good)
1 tsp dried basil
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

1.  Place beans  in a pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch.  Bring to a boil, then put the lid on and let them sit for an hour.  Drain.

2.  Cut the sausage in slices (rounds), then cut each round in half (half-moon shape).  Fry over medium-high heat in a soup pot in 2 batches.  Remove to a bowl and place in the refrigerator.  The frying should take about 5-7 minutes per batch-- you want the sausage to render its fat and get slightly brown.  Don't worry about the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.  Brown bits = flavor! :)

3.  Place the onion in the pot with the fat from the sausage and saute until slightly transparent.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in about a cup of broth and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.  Add the rest of the broth, carrots, celery, and beans.  Sprinkle dried basil over the broth.  Bring to a slight boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

4.  After 30 minutes, add the sausage and stir.  Add water if necessary as the beans will soak up liquid as they cook.  Cover and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.

5.  Add the kale, remove from the heat, and replace the lid.  Let stand for 10 minutes, then stir in the kale.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

6.  If desired, you can add 1/2 cup cream at this point to make it a bit more creamy.

Enjoy!  Here's to snowballs, snowmen and steamy bowl of white bean soup!

Vanilla Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

'Tis the season! Tomorrow, we are having a hot cocoa party at work. Everyone is encouraged to bring a treat to share. I decided that I'd bake up some good Vanilla Sugar Cookies! My mom made these cookies every year when I was young. We'd make them for Christmas and Valentine's Day. So much fun! The cookies are super soft and the buttercream frosting is to die for! I remember that we'd have to make a double batch of frosting and give the extra to our neighbor, Annie. She'd eat the frosting by the spoonful. :)

I got the idea for the Reindeer Cookies from a Martha Stewart web page. I made them using the gingerbread man cookie cutter! The face is chocolate frosting, the nose is a red-hot, and the eyes are white chocolate chips dipped in chocolate frosting. Cute, eh?

I just love snowmen. They are one of my favorite winter things. These little guys have mini m&ms for eyes, and a combo of mini m&ms and red hots for buttons. Snowflakes are fun to decorate as well. The sugar makes them sparkle!

Some stars and Stockings...

Candy canes and stockings. The frosting I was using for the stripes was a bit tricky to work with.

Arranged on a platter, they look pretty good! Here are the stars, trees, stockings and reindeer.

And my FAVORITE photo of the cookies-- candycanes, snowmen and snowflakes. :)

Please enjoy these treasured family recipes!

Vanilla Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening (do not use butter flavored)

1 cup sour cream

2 cups sugar

2 lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

6 cups all purpose flour

1. Cream shortening, sour cream, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and blend well. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

2. Whisk the baking powder and salt into the all purpose flour, then slowly add to the sour cream mixture, a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough will be very stiff, but shouldn't be crumbly. I like to add just 1/2 cup at a time after I've added about 3/4th of the flour. Pat dough into a container, cover with a lid, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or at least overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4. Cut the dough into 4 sections and roll one section at a time on a well floured surface to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Place the dough in the fridge when not being rolled. Use 3-5 inch cookie cutters to cut the cookies and carefully place on the cookie sheets. If the dough sticks to the counter, use some unflavored dental floss to slide underneath the dough (between the dough and the counter).

5. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes-- do not overbake or the cookies will be dry. The cookies should be barely lightly browned on the bottom. Let stand in the pan for a couple minutes, then remove the whole sheet of parchment to a wire cooling rack.

6. Store in an airtight container on the counter to keep the cookies soft. Frost when cooled to room temperature.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

5 cups powdered sugar

3 to 5 Tbsp Milk

1. Cream butter and shortening in a stand mixer or with electric mixer until well blended, stopping to scrape down the bowl a few times. Add in vanilla and mix well.

2. Add the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, beating well with each addition. After adding the 3rd cup, add a Tbsp of milk. Alternate the sugar and milk until all the sugar is added. Add an additional 1 to 2 Tbsp milk if needed to reach spreading consistency.

3. For cookies, remove a couple scoops to a smaller bowl for coloring if desired. Be sure to stir well after the addition of food coloring to ensure a streak-free frosting.

This frosting may be spread on top of cookies or placed in a pastry bag for piping onto the cookies. Finish decorations with candy and sprinkles. Let sit out for a few hours or overnight before stacking in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper for storage.

While looking through some blogs, I came across a recipe for White Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies on TwoPeasandTheirPod. The recipe looked great, so I decided to give it a try.

The results were wonderful! I have a new favorite Christmas cookie. The outside is crispy and the inside is soft and chewy. Give it a try!

White Chocolate Pomegranate Cookies

Recipe from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 lg eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups old fashioned oats

12 oz white chocolate chips

1 cup pomegranate arils

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla, whip well.

2. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to flour; mix well. Slowly stir into the butter mixture. Stir in the oats and white chips by hand.

3. Form 1 tbsp dough into a ball using your hands. Flatten into a disc. They should look like this:

4. Press 5 to 6 pomegranate arils into each cookie. They should look like this:

5. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took 12 minutes and I roated half way through). The edges should be slightly brown. Don't worry if the middle doesn't look done-- it is. Let cool for a few minutes on the pan then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.


Happy Holiday Baking!!

Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Biscotti

I saw this recipe on Allrecipes.com and just had to try it. The recipe was for Gingerbread Biscotti and I made it even better by dipping it in chocolate. It is just perfect for this time of year and would be wonderful in a gift basket to a coffee lover.

I had never made biscotti before. I have to admit that I had some doubts in the beginning, but everything worked out just fine. As long as the biscotti are cut while still warm, the loaf won't crumble to bits on you.

Here's the recipe from Allrecipes.com with adapted directions:

Gingerbread Biscotti

1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used Canola)
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
2-1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg


1. Stir together flours, baking powder and spices. Set aside.
2. Stir together the oil, sugar, eggs and molasses. Whip for about 30 seconds.
3. Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet mixture. A very stiff dough will form. Refrigerate the dough for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease a large cookie sheet (or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with oil like I did).
5. With well greased hands, remove 1/2 of the chilled dough from the bowl and pat it into a ball. With your hands, lengthen the ball into a roll that is about the width of the cookie sheet. Place on the prepared sheet and pat down to a loaf that is about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Repeat with remaining dough. You should be able to fit both loaves on one baking sheet. If not, just put the rest of the dough back in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape it.
7. Bake the log for 25 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool about 10 minutes on a wire rack.
8. Place the baked loaf on a cutting board and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices with a very sharp knife. Arrange on cookie sheet, cut sides up. Bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes per side to make the biscotti crunchy (I baked them for 7 minutes).
9. Cool to room temperature before coating with chocolate.

Chocolate Dipping:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Place 1 cup of the chocolate chips in a microwave bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir well, then microwave an additional 20 seconds. Stir until smooth.

NOTE: I used mini chocolate chips because that was all I had on hand. Regular chocolate chips may take an additional 20 to 40 seconds to melt.

2. Spoon a bit of melted chocolate onto one side of the biscotti and spread into a thin layer using a small spatula or the back of a spoon. Let cool, chocolate side up, on parchment paper.


If you would like, sprinkles, shredded coconut, or chopped nuts could be added while the chocolate was still wet.



I can't wait to try other Biscotti recipes! I'm having one right now with my morning coffee. Have a great weekend!

Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls

The story begins on a farm. We called it 'the fat farm'. It was the place we went every Thanksgiving when I was growing up. The enticing aromas of roasting turkey, cooking potatoes, and yeast greeted you as soon as you walked in the door. Soon after, you were enveloped in a hug so tight you could barely breathe!



I would hang up my coat in the closet and follow the other ladies in my family to the kitchen. There, I would help form the Parker House rolls and get them into the oven. The rolls cooked while the turkey was resting and the gravy was being made. As soon as they came out of the oven, they were lovingly coated in salted butter. These were the best rolls on the planet and they were made by my Great Grandma Minnie.



Grandma Minnie passed away in 2007 at the age of 102. She cooked Thanksgiving dinner for her family for over 50 years in a row. Imagine that! I tried to learn how to make rolls from her, but she never measured anything. If you asked her for a recipe, she couldn't give you one. She could tell you what was in the food, but couldn't tell you how much.



"How much flour should I add, Grandma?"

"Enough so that it feels right."



Ha ha! I miss her so much. Well, today I ran across a recipe on the Martha Stewart website and decided to try it. I read through the recipe, gathered the ingredients, and put everything together. What came out of the oven tasted just like Great Grandma Minnie's rolls! Hooray! I will confess-- I messed up on the recipe but it turned out wonderful! So, here is my recipe for Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls, Great Grandma Minnie style (adapted from Martha Stewart).

Thanksgiving Dinner Rolls

Great Grandma Minnie Style

1/4 cup warm water (115 degrees F)

2 tsp rapid rise yeast (2 envelopes)

1-1/2 cups warm whole milk (115 degrees F)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the bowl and pans

1/4 cup sugar

2-1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

3 cups bread flour

3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tbsp salted butter, melted

1. Place warm water in a small bowl with a little bit of the sugar (1 tsp). Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In the bowl of a standing mixer or in a large bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, remaining sugar, salt and the eggs. Whisk in the yeast mixture.

2. With the mixer on low or with a large wooden spoon, mix in the 3 cups of bread flour. If using a mixer, give it a good whirl, then switch the whisk attachment to a dough hook. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the remaining 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour a little at a time. The resulting dough should be a little shaggy. You can also do this my hand with a large wooden spoon, but the mixer is a lot easier! Once all the flour is incorporated, let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

3. Mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. Turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for another 2 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead it on a lightly floured counter for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a large ball.

4. Coat a large bowl with melted unsalted butter. Place the large ball of dough in the bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until doubled in size.

5. Butter two 13x9" pans. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Deflate the dough by gently pushing it down and turning it over in the bowl. Pinch off golf-ball-sized pieces and make into balls. Place the balls of dough in the pan, 3 across and 5 long so each pan holds 15 rolls. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the oven racks in the bottom third and top third of the oven. When the rolls are done rising, remove the plastic wrap and place one pan on the bottom rack and one pan on the top rack. Cook for 10 minutes, rotate the pans top to bottom, back to front, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes or until evenly golden brown.

7. Remove from oven and place the pan on cooling racks. Lightly brush with salted butter and allow to cool. After 10 minutes, remove the rolls from the pans and allow to cool completely on the cooling rack. These rolls are HEAVENLY when devoured while still warm with fresh melted butter.

Love you and miss you, Great Grandma Minnie!

Butternut Squash Salad and Soup

Say Hello to Bella! She's one of my parents' new pups. My parents adopted Bella and her sister, Gracie, a couple weekends ago. I haven't EVER seen my Dad giggle so much. :) Ralfie and Tobie had the joy of spending a week at their house while I went on a business trip to Pittsburgh. Ralfie was the best cousin! He was really good with the girls.

Tobie was scared to death of them! He spent most of his time on the couch or ottoman where the girls couldn't get to him.

Here's Mr Ralfie making sure the girls are playing nice. Bella just loves cuddling up in that lion neck pillow that my mom found. Ralfie was a little nervous about the girls playing with his bear or his bone, but other than that he made a very good cousin!

And Mr. Ralfie again after his haircut yesterday. Tried to get a pic of Tobie but it didn't turn out. Darn!

And now on to dinner. I made this Butternut Squash Salad last night. There are a few suggestions I have for making it better. As is, it was ok. I learned something-- Butternut squash is MUCH easier to peel once its cooked!

I served it along side a grilled chicken breast with a bit of blue cheese crumbles.

Interesting flavor combo! Here's the recipe:

Cut a butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out all the seeds. Cut the 'Bowl' part off of the top part. Then cut into 1"x1" strips. Put these in a pot and add just enough chicken stock/broth to cover. Add 1/2 of a chopped onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the squash from the liquid (but save the liquid!) and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel and cut the squash into bite-size pieces. Save 2 cups for the salad and add the rest back to the broth. The squash should be just underdone.

For the dressing, whisk together 2 Tbsp cider vinegar, 1-1/2 Tbsp apple juice or apple butter, 1 Tbsp canola oil, 1/2 tsp dried parsley or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley and 1/4c chopped red onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand for about 10 minutes. I used dried parsley but I think fresh chopped parsley would have been much better.

Add the cooked squash pieces and toss. Serve with grilled chicken and blue cheese. Blue cheese would make a GREAT addition to this salad, along with dried cranberries and toasted sliced pecans. Yum!

As for the rest of that squash in the pot, make soup! Let it simmer another 5-7 minutes, then remove from the heat and zip with an immersion blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and whatever spices you have around. Curry is nice, fresh rosemary would be good. This makes a silky flavorful soup! I think I'll use a few Tbsp of pumpkin butter in mine. Yum!

A Boo-tiful Graveyard!

We had a 'Creepy Treats and Sides' contest at work as part of our Halloween party. It was sooo much fun! My entry won 2nd place in the 'Tasty' category. I put together a graveyard using cupcakes. It was a lot of fun to decorate. Here's what I did:

1. Bake cupcakes. I used a small can of pumpkin (about 15 oz.), 2/3 of that can of water and a spice cake mix for the first batch. Just mix them up, use some fancy Halloween cupcake wrappers, and bake them according to package directions. Very good with chocolate icing. I also baked up a batch of Butter Pecan cake mix and paired it with caramel frosting. Just bake the cupcakes-- Don't frost them yet.

2. Buy a box/bag of oreos or equivalent. Twist apart the cookies and scrape off all the frosting. Put the chocolate wafers in a large ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible, then bash the bag with a rolling pin or the bottom of a small saucepan until they are completely crushed. This will be your dirt.

3. Buy a bag or two of Milano cookies. I used the kind with dark chocolate. Using a small piping tip, pipe the letters 'RIP' on each. They should look like this:



4. Frost the cupcakes. I used chocolate frosting for the pumpkin cupcakes and caramel frosting for the butter pecan cupcakes. Once the cupcakes are frosted, press the Milano cookie tombstone halfway in and sprinkle with dirt. Place a few bone sprinkles on each (I found those cute bloody bones and Target) and viola-- a Bootiful Graveyard. Here are a few pics of the finished product:

Pumpkin Chocolate

Butter Pecan Caramel

Hope everyone had a great Halloweekend! Now we can look forward to Thanksgiving in a few short weeks. What will you be cooking?