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

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