Homemade Italian Egg Noodles
I learned how to make these in a town close to Florence when we were there on vacation.

4 cups flour
7 eggs
flour

Make a hill with the flour on a flat surface.  Create a bowl in the middle and crack all the eggs into it.  (This is where the little Italian grandma suggested we wash our hands because the outside of eggs are dirty).  Start incorporating the eggs into the flour with your hands and add a small handful of flour as needed.  Knead until smooth.  Use a long, somewhat thin, wood rolling pin (preferrable without handles).  Roll the dough into a circle and when about 1/2 inch thick, sprinkle with flour and wrap the dough around the pin.  With your hands starting in the middle, do short back and forth motions with the dough wrapped pin, while working your hands out to the edges.  This will lengthen the dough and be easier to get it the desired thinness (yes, that's a word...I may have made up).  Unroll the dough from the pin and roll it a couple more times to get it as thin as you want (again "thinness" would be appropriate here). :)  Fold the dough in 3 inch lengths and use a knife to cut it as thin as you want.  Grab the ends and shake it out to reveal your beautiful egg noodles!

Toss them in boiling water to cook.

Weiner Schnitzel

(Ilse W. Bitburg, Germany Ward cookbook)

Ingredients for 4 people:

4 Calfschnitzel (each 125 g - about 1/4 lb.) I would use pork or chicken
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp. flour
2 eggs
4 tbsp. bread crumbs
125 g porklard cooking oil/grease (Crisco)
1 lemon
Pound the schnitzel with a meat hammer fairly thin.  Cut along edges a few times with a sharp knife so it will not bend when fried. Mix salt, pepper, and flour.  Mix the eggs with two tablespoons of water in a deep plate.

Put the schnitzel first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mix, and then in the bread crumbs.  heat the lard in a large frying pan and brown the schnitzel for about 3 minutes each side. until golden brown.

Broccoli cheddar and Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup with Crumbled Bacon and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

{Crock Pot the original slow cooker Recipe Collection}

-I have not made anything out of this recipe book that I haven't liked YET!-

2 tsp. Olive Oil
1/2 c. raw pumpkin seeds
3 slices thick-sliced bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. chopped dried chipotle pepper, or mor to taste
2 cans (29 oz. each) 100% pumpkin puree
4 c. chicken stock or broth
3/4 c. apple cider
1/2 c. heavy cream
sour cream (optional)

*when I made this tonight, I did not use any of the following: olive oil, pumpkin seeds, bacon, or sour cream.  I was in a hurry so I just threw the onion, salt, a canned chopped chipotle chili pepper, pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and apple juice from fresh apples into the crock pot, turned it on "high" and let it cook for 4 hours.  I then put it in a blender.  I added cream after.  It was delicious.  Oh!  Did I mention we ate it in a bread bowl?  Splendid.  BUT, the books recipe went as follows:

1. Coat 4 1/2-quart CROCK-POT slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add pumpkiin seeds and stir until seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute.  Transfer to small bowl and set aside.
3.  Return skillet to heat and add bacon.  Cook until crips, then cool on paper towels.  When cool, crumble and set aside.
4.  Meanwhile, return skillet to heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent.  Stir in salt, chipotle pepper and black pepper.  Transfer to prepared CROCK-POT slow cooker.  Whisk in pumpkin puree, chicken stock and apple cider and stir until smooth.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours.
5.  Turn CROCK-POT slow cooker off and remove lid.  Whisk in heavy cream.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.  Strain and keep warm until serving.  To serve, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with sour cream, toasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled bacon.

Makes 4-6 servings

Broccoli Cheese Soup

{Jodi}

-Super easy, Super good-

4 cans cream of potato soup
3 cans evaporated milk
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 c. (or more) fresh cooked broccoli

Heat and serve in bread bowls.
*See, I told you.  Super easy...super good.

French Bread Soup Bowls

{Also from Jodi and super easy, super good}

2 ½ c. warm water

3 T. sugar

2 T. saf yeast

1 T salt

5 T oil

6 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric bread mixer, combine warm water and sugar.  Add salt, oil, yeast, and half of the flour.  Beat well in mixer or with a wooden spoon.  Add remaining flour and mix well until a soft dough forms.  Turn dough out onto floured board and knead 2 or 3 times to oat with flour.  Divide into 8 to 10 equal parts, depending on size of bowls desired.  (I usually make 8)   Form into large balls and place in small foil pans (I tear off a piece of tinfoil and form it over a cereal bowl. Make sure you spray it with Pam!)  Allow dough bowls to rise for 20-30 minutes.  Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from pans.  Cut off tops and hollow our insides.  Yummy!

My favorite cornbread recipe comes from my husband's awesome mom.  I haven't had any other cornbread that can match it.

Cornbread

1/2 c. melted margarine
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a 9x9 baking pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

This has been a great quick breakfast for us.  It comes from my friend Emily who had it made for her when she had a baby.  The recipe was made and brought over in a gallon icecream tup to keep in her fridge.  Very convenient!

Molasses Muffins

Cream:
1 1/4 C. Shortening
1 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Molasses
4 Eggs

Add 2 t. Baking Soda to 1 C. Buttermilk.

Combine:
4 c. Flour
1 t. Cinnamon
1/4 t. Allspice
1 t. Salt
1-2 t. Ginger
1 C. Nuts (optional)
1/2 C. Raisins (optional)
1/2 C. Dates (optional

Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to the shortening mixture until all combined.
Bake 12-14 minutes @ 400 degrees.
Keeps in the refrigerator up to 2 months!

Rhubarb Recipes

So, what do you do with all the rhubarb that is growing like a weed in your yard?  If you ask my kids, they would say, "dip it in sugar and take a bite!"  I however, would prefer to make some pie and jam!  These two recipes are my favorites (thus far) for using rhubarb.  They also include strawberries which are in season at the same time.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
(This came from my mom who got it from who-knows-where)


Pie Crust: (makes 1 double crust pie)      

1 ½  cup flour

2/3 cup shortening

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup ice water

 Mix dry ingredients.  Cut in shortening with fingers.  Stir in water with fork until all of mixture is moistened and dough holds together in a ball.  Roll out and place in dish. 

Filling:

Mix and place in pie crust:

1 cup sliced strawberries

3 cups rhubarb

Mix together and pour over strawberries and rhubarb:

1 ¼ cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup flour

3 oz. sugar free strawberry Jello

Put a few slices of butter on top

Cover with top pie crust (I put a couple of little chicken scratch slits in the top).

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.


Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
(From the "Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning, Freezing, and Dehydration") 

4 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 1/2 cups sugar

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Add sugar, stirring until dissolved.  Return to a rolling boil.  Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim foam if necessary.  Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Adjust two-piece caps.  Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.  Yield: about 6 half-pints. 

*My sister, who knows alot about canning, says that if you are bottling something with enough acidity in it, you can skip the water bath and just turn the jars upside down.  I don't know how to test for the level of acidity but she did say that jam has enough.  So, instead of doing the boiling-water canner for this, instead, I turn the jars upside down for 10 minutes.  Then flip back to right side up.  As they cool they will seal on their own.   

Just in time for Valentine's, I thought I would post this one. It's really quite easy, cute, and delicious. This is from kraftrecipes.com.

Strawberry Heart Pillows

time prep:

1 hr 10 min

total:

1 hr 10 min

servings total: 16 servings, one heart each

what you need

1 frozen puff pastry sheet (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed

1/3 cup strawberry jam or preserves

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

4 large strawberries, each cut into 4 slices

1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Make It

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Unfold pastry. Cut into 16 hearts with 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE 20 min. or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

CUT each heart horizontally in half. Spread 1 tsp. of the jam onto bottom half of each heart; top with 1 Tbsp. of the whipped topping and a strawberry slice. Cover with tops of hearts. Drizzle with chocolate. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

How to Melt and Drizzle Chocolate

Place 1 unwrapped square chocolate in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 min., stirring after 30 sec. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into small resealable bag; seal bag. Snip off one bottom corner of bag; twist top of bag to drizzle chocolate over dessert as desired.

How to Thaw COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Place unopened 8-oz. tub of whipped topping in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Do not thaw in the microwave.

servings

total:
16 servings, one heart each