Corn Chowder

Can I tell you how much I LOVE soup weather! I love when fall comes around and there starts to be a little chill in the air. I love the smells, wearing jackets, the rain (and snow in the mountains), wearing sweaters and snuggling into a blanket to get comfortable and reading a good book next to the fire....Not that I love this time of year or anything! :)

This has become my family's favorite soup. It really is such good comfort food without all the calories that can come with creamy soups. There are so many good nutrients in this soup, so good to have when you are trying to keep those obnoxious colds away.

We love this soup in a soup bowl, a recipe I'll post next, but it is equally good just by itself! Enjoy another soup recipe in your recipe book, you'll be glad you tried this one!!!

Corn Chowder:

2 c. potatoes, peeled, chopped        ¼ c. butter

1 c. carrots, chopped                             ¼ c. flour

½ c. celery, diced                                    2 c. milk

¼ c. onions, chopped                            ½ c. cheese, grated

Salt to taste                                              1-15 oz. Can creamed corn 

Bacon pieces, for garnish

In a soup pot, combine potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and salt. Barely cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. When tender, mash with a potato masher. In a separate saucepan, make a white sauce from butter, flour, and milk. Add white sauce to mashed vegetables. Add creamed corn and stir into soup mixture. Liquify all ingredients into a thick soup. Add cheese just a few minutes before serving. You should have about 12 cups of soup. Heat through. Serve in soup bowls or bread bowls are even better! Enjoy!

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta

My family loves Italian food. It could have something to do with my having lived there for a couple months in college, but you can't ever go wrong when pasta is involved, especially with the cooler weather knocking on our doors.

My father-in-law loves the sausage and red pepper pasta at Olive Garden, and I didn't think it would be hard AT ALL to recreate. All you need are a few simple ingredients, and you can recreate this dish for a fraction of the cost!

I think this would be better had I made it with penne, but I didn't have any in my pantry, sometimes you just go with what you've got. :) Enjoy having a simple, yet delicious dinner that will please even the pickiest eater.

Sausage and Red Pepper Pasta:
1 lb. penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
1-28 oz. jar of pasta sauce, I love the Kirkland brand
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 pkg. kielbasa sausage, cut into bite-size slices
Cook pasta, according to package directions, in a pot of boiling water. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in the bottom of a large skillet. Add in sliced onion and sliced pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes until just starting to change color. Add in sausage and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5- 10 minutes or until the sausage is heated through. Add in the sauce and continue to heat through. Drain the pasta when it has cooked to al dente, and combine all the ingredients together either in the skillet or the pot, whichever will fit all the ingredients. Serve while still hot, enjoy!

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Let me first say how grateful I am for those that serve us and our country by fighting for our freedoms! 

I will NEVER forget where I was and what I was doing 12 years ago this morning and the feelings I felt as I watched the footage and the newscasts most of the day at school and then again when I got home. I am grateful for those who have and continue to sacrifice so much that we might live with the freedoms we enjoy each and every day!

Now let me say that I will be the first to admit how nervous I was the first time I made these pretzels, but honestly---they are fool-proof. These are SOOOOO easy. My daughter helps me at least 1-2 times a month make these because they have become our family's favorite treat! They really are easy enough to make for an after school snack, tailgate party, or just because.

These pretzels are delicious, so soft just like the pretzels you get at the mall or sporting events, but you didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for them. This recipe makes 8 pretzels, just think of the savings alone if you are craving pretzels. Plus, clean up is a breeze because of the Ziploc bag you use to let the pretzels rise. Perfect!!

Soft Pretzels:

Dough:
2 ½ c. flour                2 ¼ tsp. Instant yeast       
½ tsp. Salt                1 c. warm water
1 tsp. Sugar
Topping:
½ c. warm water            coarse salt
2 T. baking soda            3 T. melted butter
In a mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast. Mix to just combine. Add the water and mix well, adding more flour as needed, a bit at a time to form a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides and bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it is soft and smooth, not overly sticky. Lightly spray the inside of a gallon ziploc bag with cooking spray and place the dough inside the bag; close the bag, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let rest for 30 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into 8 equal parts. Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the the ½ c. warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl or pie plate. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved. Roll each piece of dough into a long thin rope, about 18 inches, and twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash, and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse kosher salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered for 10 minutes. Bake the pretzels for 7-9 minutes or until they're golden brown. Bake one sheet at a time. Remove the pretzels from the oven and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave. DELICIOUS!!
 

Peach Cobbler

My family is certainly enjoying all the fresh fruits and veggies before winter comes, there is nothing better than eating and cooking with fresh ingredients to really enhance the flavor of ALL your recipes.

I'm so excited about this recipe. I have NEVER made cobbler before, eaten it some especially from the dutch oven while camping, but have not found a recipe I've really LOVED until now!!!!!!

You will not regret taking a few minutes to prepare this recipe. It is delicious, and honestly could not be easier. It tastes AMAZING, especially with all the fresh peaches right now. The topping is not too over-powering and the almond extract mixed in with the peaches really brings a whole new dimension to the idea of cobbler!

Peach Cobbler:
3 1/2 c. sliced fresh peaches (I'm sure you could use frozen as well)
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. almond extract
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. melted butter
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the peaches with lemon juice and almond extract. Arrange the peaches in a 8x8" baking dish. Sift dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add egg; toss with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the peaches. Drizzle butter over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.