Broccoli Cheese Soup

I LOVE FALL!

I love everything about the Fall season. That nip in the air, the earthy smell of leaves as they swirl and dance with the wind and a good bowl of hot, steaming soup! It just feels so comforting as the earth slows down and readies itself for the resting season of winter.

This is a wonderful, rich soup that is just perfect to warm you up on a cold, blustery day.

1 can chicken broth or 3 bouillon cubes and water to make 2 cups

1 1/2 lbs. fresh broccoli (chopped)

1 large onion (diced)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/4 cup butter

1/4 tsp. white pepper 2 cups milk (whole milk is best)

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Cook broccoli and onions in broth until tender. In a separate pan, melt butter, stir in flour and seasonings. Slowly add milk, cooking and stirring until thickened and bubbly. Add this white sauce to broth base. Add cheese, heat until melted. Serve hot.

Note: Don't bring to a boil just until hot enough to eat.

Happy Fall!

Debbie

Orange Zucchini Bread

TENDER, MOIST AND DELICIOUS

The orange zest in this zucchini bread really gives the bread a pick-me-up. It's very subtle and blends beautifully with the zucchini. This is an unusual combination that really works!

3 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup oil

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg ( I usually do about 1/2 tsp. of nutmeg)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups peeled and grated zucchini

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 cup raisins

Grated rind of 1 orange

Beat eggs; gradually beat in sugars and then oil. Combine dry ingredients; add to first mixture alternately with zucchini. Stir in vanilla, nuts, raisins and grated orange rind. Pour into two greased and floured (8 x 4 x 3 inch ) loaf pans. Bake 1 hour at 325. Let stand 10 minutes; turn onto rack to cool.

Note: Be sure and grease your pans with something like solid Crisco, sprinkle with flour and then dump out any excess flour. If you just spray with Pam the sides don't raise like they should.

Pine Creek Applesauce BBQ Sauce

At our last cabin Association work day, we served these BBQ pork sandwiches and they were delicious. At first the recipe sounded a little strange to me because it uses applesauce and spices in the sauce but I really liked the result. If you think about it, pork and apples are a perfect combination but you usually don't think about combining them for a sandwich. Thanks Donna for this great new recipe. I'll be using it for many years to come.

1 cup applesauce

1/2 cup ketchup

2 cups brown sugar

6 Tbs. lemon juice

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t paprika

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t. cinnamon

In a pan heat all together stirring frequently until it come to a boil. Pour over cooked, shredded pork and let simmer for an hour or so.

I cooked about a 5 lb. pork roast in the crock pot for about 8 hours on low. Then I drained some of the juice off and added the applesauce BBQ sauce and let it set on warm for about 1 1/2 hours before serving. Add a little of the drained off juice if it seems a little dry.

If you want to double this recipe, you can have a bowl of sauce that people may add extra if they choose to.

This recipe would be perfect for those large family Halloween parties. Give it a try and see what you think.

-Debbie-

Scotch-A-Roo's

This has been one of my all time favorite recipes! I hadn't made it for awhile but my daughter in law made it the last time she came to the cabin. Thing was, hers tasted better than mine! I hate to admit that but I had to take a cooking lesson from my 22 year old daughter in law. Hers were soft and chewy and mine were harder. In comparing our recipes, she just cooked the karo syrup mixture a shorter time. I'm giving you directions for her recipe. These are easy to make and EVERYONE loves them. Great for picnics.

1 cup karo syrup

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

5 to 6 cups Rice Krispies, depending how gooey you want them (Usually I add 5 to 5 1/2 cups or so)


Topping:

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

Combine karo syrup and sugar. Mix and bring to a boil for 30 seconds or so. Take off heat and add peanut butter. Stir. Add Rice Krispies. Put mixture into a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan. (If you like a thicker bar, you can put in a 9 x 9 pan.)


Melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for 45 seconds in the microwave or until melted so you can mix chips together. Add to the top of warm krispies. Let cool and enjoy! Yum!!!

Thanks for the great recipe!

Debbie

Whole Wheat Rosette Rolls

These are my all time favorite whole wheat rolls! They are tender and have a honey sweet flavor. If you tend to shy away from whole wheat, just give these yummy rolls a try. I will give you two methods to make them: 1. by hand and 2. in the bread machine. Either way works great but the bread machine is easier.

HAND MIX METHOD

Put in a bowl:

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

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Put in pan and heat until warm:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cup sour cream

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

Add pan ingredients to flour and yeast mixture and then add 2 eggs.

Beat at low speed using electric mixer for 1/2 minutes and then 3 minutes on high speed.

Using a spoon, stir in about 1 1/2 more cups of whole wheat flour and then turn out on a floured surface and knead in rest of four to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. (Total amount of whole wheat four used is about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)

Shape into a ball and place in a lightly greased bowl; turn one. Cover with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour).


Punch down and then divide dough in half. Shape into rosettes. Again, cover pan of rolls with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam and let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes). Remove plastic wrap and bake in a 375 degree oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter, if desired.

Makes about 24 rolls.

BREAD MACHINE METHOD

Add to bread machine pan in this order:

First spray pan with Pam.

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

Then add 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

Use only the dough cycle.

The dough should "slap" the sides and start to form a soft ball that turns around. Slowly sprinkle in more flour as needed to get this result. At the end of the dough cycle, put the ball of dough in a greased pan, turn once, and let rise until double. About an hour.

Punch down, let rest a few minutes, and then shape into rosettes.

Cover the pan of rolls with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Let rise about 30 minutes and then bake in a 375 degree oven for 13 to 15 minutes. Brush tops with butter.

Good luck!

Debbie

Cilantro Dressing

An Awesome Dressing On Any Salad!

This is the "Cafe Rio" type dressing that tastes so good on all salads, especially taco type salads! I even like it on baked potatoes for an extra zippy taste.

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 clove garlic

1/4 bunch of washed cilantro- No Stems

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1/2 jalapeno pepper - No Seeds (wear gloves to clean out seeds)

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

Put everything but the mayonnaise in the blender and blend well. ( If things are not blending well enough, add a tablespoon or two of mayo to lubricate the mixture) Then add the rest of the mayonnaise and blend until really smooth.

We had a 40th Surprise Birthday Party for my son-in-law last week and served these burritos with beans & rice, pulled pork, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and the fantastic Cilantro Dressing. We had about 30 people and most went back for seconds. So Good!

Enjoy you summer family time!

-Debbie-

Pulled Pork

So Delicious and Feeds a Large Crowd!














This is one of our families favorite recipes! It is so easy to prepare and everyone likes it! Use it to make filling for burritos, tacos, or even drain juice and put of a hard roll. It is perfect for "Cafe Rio" type salads. I will post the Cilantro Dressing that goes so well with the salad on my next post.

This is a great option for family reunions as it can be done in large roasters and easily served from the roaster.

1 Boneless Pork Roast (Costco has great pork roast, 2 to a package)

1 Pkg. McCormick Southwest Marinade

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Pour over meat and cook on high in crock pot for 4-5 hours or until a fork will pull meat apart easily. Shred pork and keep in juices until you serve it. Serve with Zatarains's black beans and rice (made to instructions on box) Costco's Tortillas (the type you have to cook), and lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, and green onions.

This is a wonderful recipe for family reunions because you can make it in large roasters and serve right from the roaster.

I hope you find joy with your families this summer!

-Debbie-