Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup

All I need are carrots and celery to make this yummy soup . . . my mom just brought me the ham bones from Easter dinner . . . can't wait for the aroma of this soup cooking to fill my house! Oh yeah . . . don't forget some really good bread to go with this.


INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dry green split peas
2 quarts water
1 meaty ham bone
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
dash pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste


DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cover dried peas with 2 quarts of water. Bring split peas to a boil; boil gently for 2 minutes. Set aside to soak for 1 hour. Add ham bone, chopped onion, garlic powder, marjoram, thyme, and pepper. Bring split pea soup to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove meat from bone; dice and return to pea soup with chopped celery and carrot. Simmer split pea soup slowly for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste split pea soup and add salt.

Yield: 8 Servings



Source: my recipe files . . . I have no idea where this recipe came from

Chocolate Fudge

Food gifts are the best . . . I love to give them as well as receive them . . . especially sweets. Fudge is one of the perfect gifts to give anyone. The methods of packing and gift wrapping are endless . . . just about everyone loves fudge . . . it is one of those universal gifts . . .

When I quit working and suddenly had to adjust to being a one-income family, store bought gifts were the first thing to go . . . especially the past extravagance of Christmas. I was blessed with the ability to create cool and unique items that everyone in the family loved to receive. Handmade gifts are so appreciated by most people because they are special and made with lots of love. Teenagers into designer names are the exception . . . but I made them realize that setting the trends and being unique was more cool than being like the sheep who follow everyone else.

This is the only fudge recipe I use . . . CHOCOLATE . . . it is the only one I need . . . it is that good and relatively easy. Even in my working days, JR and I had a tradition of taking vacation days around the Christmas holiday and we baked & cooked non-stop in preparation for our annual Christmas party and made lots of food gifts for our guests to take home. I remember one year spending two days just making batches of fudge, one at a time . . . those were the good ole days for me! Maybe I missed my calling in life . . .




Makes 100 1-inch pieces


12 ounces German sweet chocolate, broken

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate morsels

7 ounces marshmallow creme

4 1/2 cups sugar

13 ounces evaporated milk

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups broken walnuts





Place chocolate bars, morsels and marshmallow creme in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer.

Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil on high, stirring constantly. When the mixture boils, lower heat to medium and set a timer for 6 minutes. Keep mixture boiling steadily and stir constantly during this time to prevent scorching.

At the end of 6 minutes, pour boiling syrup over chocolate and marshmallow creme. Beat until chocolate is melted and well blended. Beat in the vanilla and nuts.

Pour into a lightly buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Let cool at room temperature for 24 hours. Cut into 1 inch squares and pack in airtight containers.






I have no idea where this recipe came from, but I have used it year after year since I was out on my own.

Better than Anything Cake

I love those recipes that are "semi-homemade" . . .


Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. sugar
1 large can of crushed pineapple


Topping:

1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding
2 c. milk
1 9-ounce tub of Cool Whip (whipped topping)
1 large back of shredded coconut


Directions:

Bake cake as directed on the box for a 9x13 pan.

Just before the cake is ready to come out of the oven, mix the sugar and pineapple in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Dissolve sugar completely.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, take a fork and poke holes all over
the top of the cake.

Pour sugar/pineapple mixture over hot cake and set aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, mix the pudding with 2 cups of milk. Add shredded coconut and
spread evenly on top of cooled cake.

Refrigerate.

Just before serving time, spread a large container of Cool Whip over the entire top of cake and keep refrigerated.


Source: CakeClubRecipes

Strawberry Cheesecake Muffins

Ingredients:

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1-1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup strawberry jam



Directions:

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

In another small bowl, whisk the egg, milk, brown sugar, butter, lemon peel and almond extract.

Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Spoon half of the batter into greased muffin cups. Top each with 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture and 1 teaspoon jam. Top with remaining batter.



Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Yield: 1 dozen.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

18 oz. box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup oil
8 oz. pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
16 oz. pkg. powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 cup Planters Walnut pieces, finely chopped


1. Heat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, eggs, bananas, sour cream and oil
with mixer on low until moistened, scraping bottom of bowl often.
Beat on medium 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured 13x9" pan.

2. Bake 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack.

3. Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium until blended.
Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.

4. Remove cake from pan. Carefully cut cake crosswise in half using
serrated knife. Place 1 cake half, top-side down, on plate; spread
top with frosting. Top with remaining cake half; top side up. Frost
top and sides. Press nuts onto sides.


How to Neatly Frost the Cake:
Freeze cake layers about 20 minutes before frosting. This helps to
set the crumbs on the cut edges of the cake layers so they don't pull
up into the frosting. And don't worry if the frosting does not look
perfect on the sides of the cake - the nuts will cover any
imperfections.

Variation How to Prepare in Round Cake Pans
Prepare as directed. Pour evenly into 2 greased and floured 8- or
9-inch round cake pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick
inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on wire
rack; remove from pans. Fill and frost with Philadelphia Walnut
Frosting. Store in refrigerator.


Source: Kraft.com

Cheap Meals 101 . . . the Gina way

This is more of a cooking concept and what I try to have in the kitchen pantry than an actual recipe.

In my personal every day cooking, if I'm not following a specific recipe, I literally throw a meal together based on what is in my refrigerator and what I'm hungry for. Even in days when money is not a concern, I still cook "cheap" because I hate to waste anything.

It is said that poor people are fat people . . . such is the case with my style of cooking, which usually includes rice, pasta, potatoes or Campbell's "cream of something soup".

Bisquick is my secret to awesome biscuits and pancakes. I must come up with a recipe for both a Bisquick type of baking mix and a "cream of soup" recipe to make cooking even cheaper.

While it is important to pay attention to the type of food you are eating, what is equally or more important is to eat in moderation.

There are other "must haves" for my pantry . . .

One of my greatest cooking secrets is using the mind boggling variety of salad dressing on the market. Cheap, expensive, healthy, not healthy, low fat, no fat . . .

My favorite salad dressings for cooking are . . . italian dressing, vinegar and oil combinations and my favorite for an oriental flavor is something called Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy. Check out the salad dressing section of your grocery store . . . I stock up when they go on "buy one get one free" sales.

An assortment of cheeses . . . mozarella, cheddar and parmesean . . . always have them on hand.

Pasta sauces in a jar . . . red and white . . . they come in an assortment of flavors . . . stock up when they go on "buy one get one free" sales.

Dry or canned beans . . . whatever you love. Different varieties of beans and rice are among my favorite meals.

Veggies . . . I always have potatoes, onion, pepper assortment and LOTS OF GARLIC. Tomato is also great to have on hand, but you can do without it. When I can afford it, fresh mushrooms are a must . . . I love them in almost everything.

Meat is optional . . .

I buy eggs two dozen at a time . . .

Although I am not necessarily a vegetarian, I could easily adapt to that lifestyle. I rarely eat beef. I stock up on frozen chicken tenderloins . . . fast, cheap and easy. When whole chickens are on sale . . . go for it . . . super bargain . . . even cheaper.

An example of a thrown together fast and easy "cheap" meal . . .

Start a pot of white rice or pasta . . .

Saute onions, pepper and garlic until almost caramelized . . . throw in chicken, fish or pork and cook until browned. (If using shrimp . . . wait until the last 4 minutes of cooking to add to the mix)

Add salad dressing of your choice . . . between the juice of the onions, pepper and salad dressing, this is your sauce . . . put in as much salad dressing to make the consistency you like.

Cook around 10 minutes or enough for the flavors to blend . . . you must taste as you cook . . . that is half the fun!

Voila . . . cheap, fast, easy and delicious meal . . . let the stove do the work. I find that the longer you cook a meal, the better it tastes as the flavors blend. Usually I get it started, turn down on a lower heat and let it cook down, sometimes for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

I don't use anything but stainless steel cookware . . . it works for my style of cooking and it does make a difference.

There are various combinations of type of meat and spices that I use . . . I'll try to come up with specific recipes.

Otherwise . . . don't be afraid to experiment . . . if it turns out bad, either have a salad or peanut butter and jelly sandwich or call for a pizza delivery . . . depending on how your money situation is. :)

If you use ingredients that you naturally enjoy anyway, you can't go wrong.

Brownie Cheesecake Bars

1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 eggs, divided
1/2 cup milk
3 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chopped nuts, optional
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 Tbs. cornstarch
14 oz. can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk



1. Heat oven to 350. Grease a 13x9 baking pan. In mixer bowl, beat
flour, sugar, melted butter, cocoa, 2 eggs, milk, 2 tsp. vanilla and
baking powder until well blended. Stir in nuts. Spread into pan.

2. In small mixer bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 Tbs. butter and
cornstarch until fluffy. Gradually add sweetened condensed milk, then
remaining 1 egg and 1 tsp. vanilla, beating until smooth. Pour over
brownie batter.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool;
refrigerate. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator.



Source: old magazine clipping