Disneyland's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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This recipe comes from Disneyland's Carnation Cafe . . . a park favorite that is perfect for those chilly days of winter.  

I can't wait to try out this version of one of my favorite soups!

Ingredients

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy whipping cream
Optional garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.
2. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.
6. Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

Cooks’ notes: Soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.

Source:  http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1-1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/4 cups uncooked medium egg noodles
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrot, celery and onion in butter until tender.
•  Stir in the broth, chicken and seasonings; bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat. Add noodles; cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. 
• Sprinkle with parsley.
  
• Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe and Photo Source:  Taste Of Home

Extra Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

Making your own salad dressing is an awesome idea!  While it is so easy to pick up a bottle of premade Blue Cheese Salad Dressing, which is my favorite, the blue cheese flavor is always a bit too strong for me and I usually end up mixing it with mayonnaise.  Can't wait to try Mr. Food's recipe so I can control what goes into the dressing!

This recipe is part of a series of 31 homemade salad dressing recipes on Mr. Food's website.  The link is at the bottom of the page!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled blue cheese
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the blue cheese; whisk until smooth.
    
2. Add blue cheese and stir to mix well. Serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food ~ Salad Dressing Recipes

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours

Merry Christmas!

May your day be happy, festive

and full of love :)

Dole Whip . . . like at Disney World!

Back in the day when JR and I went to Disney World at least once a month, we so loved the Dole Whips at the Magic Kingdom that we would sometimes take a quick trip to there, get a Dole Whip and proceed to another park.  They are so special and I have not seen them anywhere else!

Can't wait to go to Disney World with The Captain and introduce him to all the little things I love there . . . starting with a visit to the Dole Whip stand in Adventure Land at the Magic Kingdom!

Someone posted this photo on Pinterest, but did not include the recipe . . . so I went in search of a recipe . . . and I found two that would work for me since I don't have an ice cream maker.

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• 2/3 cup pineapple chunk , partially frozen
• 1 cup real vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (sweetened or unsweetened)
• 
  
• Directions:

1. 1
   Variation: 2 tablespoons frozen pineapple concentrate plus 1/4 cup or so water can be substituted for the pineapple juice.
2. 2
   Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Please feel free to add or decrease the amount of juice/ice cream to get a consistency you prefer.
3. 
   
4. Source:  Food.com
5. 
   

INGREDIENTS

2 cans (20 oz. each) DOLE Crushed Pineapple
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries, mini marshmallow or mini chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Drain crushed pineapple; reserve 2 tablespoons juice.  Set aside.

Place crushed pineapple, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar and reserved pineapple juice in blender or food processor container.  Cover; blend until smooth.

Stir in cherries or marshmallow or chips . . . if desired.

Pour into two 1-quart freezer zipped bags.  Store bags flat in freezer.  Freeze about 1-1/2 hours or until slushy.

Gently stir pineapple slush into whipped cream until just blended, in large bowl.  Return to freezer until completely frozen, about 1 hour.

Serve!


Source:  Dole

Pimento Cheese Ball

Love this quick and easy recipe that makes

one of the best appetizers ever!

Convenient to make for parties since it

can be made three days in advance.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (4-ounce) jar processed pimiento cheese spread
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, beat Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, pimiento cheese, and garlic for 2 minutes, or until smooth.
    
2. Place mixture on waxed paper and form into a ball. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for about 2 hours, or until firm.
    
3. Place pecans in a shallow dish. Remove waxed paper from cheese ball and roll it in pecans, completely coating it.
    
4. Serve, or wrap well and chill until ready to serve.

Yields: 2 cups

Source:  Mr. Food

Butter Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup pecans
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for coating
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet, toast pecans until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Let cool completely; finely chop.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla, salt, and flour, scraping down sides of bowl, just until dough comes together. Fold in pecans.
3. Separate dough into 12 pieces; squeeze dough to shape into balls. Roll in sugar. Place, 3 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Gently flatten with the bottom of a glass (reshape sides if necessary). Sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake until golden brown, rotating sheet halfway through, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with more sugar. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Source:  Martha Stewart

Snickerdoodle Creme Cookies

Ingredients

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir sugar cookie mix, butter, egg and cream of tartar until soft dough forms.


In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Coat balls with the cinnamon-sugar mixture; place on cookie sheet.


Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until cookies are just set. Watch them closely! You don’t want them crispy, browned, and over baked.


Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.


For each sandwich cookie, spread frosting on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together.




Source:  Betty Crocker


I'm sharing this recipe at Talking Dollars and Cents 

Cherry Cordials

One of my favorite chocolate candies :)

Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Cooking Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup (stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 (10 ounces) jar stemmed maraschino cherries, well drained
• 1 (11 ounces) package milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet with waxed paper.
    
2. In small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, and milk; mix until stiff dough forms. Shape dough evenly around each cherry and place on baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes, or until firm.
    
3. In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat until smooth. Remove coated cherries from freezer and dip each into the chocolate mixture, coating completely.
    
4. Return to baking sheet and chill for 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

The Golden Box from Chocolate.com would make

an excellent gift for your favorite chocoholic!

Brownie Bonbons

Great idea for gifts or entertaining!

Quick and easy semi-homemade . . . 

my favorite kind of recipe :)

A variation I would try is a chocolate

coating instead of  candy canes.

Ingredients

• 1 (19.8-ounce) package brownie mix, batter prepared according to package directions
• 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes
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Instructions

1. Bake brownies according to package directions.
    
2. Place crushed candy canes in a shallow dish. Remove brownies from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes. While brownies are still warm, use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop them out; roll into 1-inch balls.
    
3. Immediately roll in crushed candy canes, coating completely. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Source:  Mr. Food

No time for baking? 

Bakery in a Box from 

Chocolates.com is a great choice!