Tag Archives: cooking

{Recipe} Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

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creamy chicken noodle soup

It’s been cold lately. Really cold. And we’ve all been enjoying lots of hearty soups. This season, Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup has emerged as my family’s all-time favorite soup. (At least for now.) Luckily, it is simple to make and we almost always have the ingredients in the fridge or freezer. It’s perfect for a simple Sunday dinner, but quick enough to whip up for lunch.

Because it is a rather heavy soup, I suggest pairing with a crisp salad. That’s what we like to do.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

creamy chicken noodle soup

5 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. diced celery
1/2 c. diced carrot
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. frozen peas
6 c. chicken broth
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (optional)
2 c. egg noodles
2 c. diced cooked chicken
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 1/4 c. half-and-half
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large stock pot over medium heat. Saute carrots, onions, and celery until they are soft (about 5 min.) Add the chicken broth, bouillon (if using), chicken, and egg noodles. Bring to a boil then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 min., stirring occasionally. Add the frozen peas to the soup.

Mix the flour and poultry seasoning together in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt 4 Tbsp. of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour mixture to the melted butter, a little at a time, stirring constantly until the roux is smooth. Slowly add the half-and-half, again just a little at a time, constantly stirring until there are no lumps and the mixture is slightly thickened. Stir the sauce into the soup. Add pepper to taste.

{Book Review} The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines

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lighthouse cookbook review

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always loved lighthouses. Growing up in Massachusetts, and spending plenty of time on the coasts of Maine and New Hampshire, I guess that’s no surprise. So when I was asked to review a cookbook that focused on recipes from some of the country’s beautiful landmark lighthouses, I eagerly accepted the opportunity.

The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines, by Becky Sue Epstein and Ed Jackson is just as much a history book as a cookbook. Divided into eight regions (the Northeast Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast Atlantic, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Gulf Coast, Hawaii and California, Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and the Great Lakes), this book gives you a taste of various regional cuisines along with facts and stories about each lighthouse. As you might imagine, the recipes focus on seafood dishes, but there is actually a wonderful variety of recipes.

lighthouse cookbook review

I decided to test out a recipe for Cranberry Nut Bread from the Bass River Lighthouse in West Dennis, Mass. (that’s on Cape Cod for those who aren’t familiar with the area). Cranberries are synonymous with Massachusetts, so I knew this was going to be good. And I was right. The recipe formed a perfectly shaped, slightly dense quick bread that was just amazing warm from the oven.

lighthouse cookbook review

I was given permission to share this recipe with my readers, and I know you’re going to love it. If nothing else, be sure to bookmark it and give it a try next fall when everyone is craving the sweet-tart taste of cranberries.

lighthouse cookbook review

Cranberry Nut Bread
from The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 c. AP flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. milk
1 c. walnuts, toasted
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a standard-sized loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar. Mix in the butter. In a separate bowl, blend together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Alternately add the flour mixture to the milk and egg mixture. Fold in the walnuts and cranberries. Power the batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50-60 min. Bread is done when a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Another thing I like about the book is that it’s not just a grouping of random recipes. Each lighthouse has recipes that together form a complete meal. If you want to find a unique menu for dinner with friends, chances are there’s something in The American Lighthouse Cookbook that will sound delicious and take all the thinking out of planning your meal. It’s a really unique way of setting up a cookbook, and I see myself referring to this one quite a bit when the weather warms up and I’m feeling more like fish and vegetable recipes.

The introduction of the book states that it “couples food with the romance of the seacoast, adding a dash of history and wrapping it in the very current ‘eat local’ movement.” I am definitely looking forward to taking that to heart because it features a delicious breakfast from the Saugerties Lightouse — less than half an hour away from here. Ah yes… Saugerties Lightouse pancakes, New York cherries with granola and yogurt, oven-roasted bacon, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes with cheddar cheese and scallions. Sounds like a perfect Sunday brunch if you ask me!

I received a free copy of The American Lighthouse Cookbook: The Best Recipes and Stories from America’s Shorelines. The opinions expressed in this blog post are mine and mine alone. I received no further compensation for writing a review of the book.

Menu Plan Monday, January 7

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All right! The first full week of the year is here, and if you’re anything like me you’ve finally cleaned out the cakes, cookies, egg nog, and who knows what else is leftover from the holidays. I’m trying to use up a bunch of stuff in the freezer this week, but I think the menu came together all right.

I’m especially looking forward to Wednesday night’s dinner. Mmm… kielbasa, sauerkraut, egg noodles… I’m playing around with a recipe, so hopefully it will turn out great and I will share on Thursday. I’m not yet sure what kind of soup we’ll have on Friday. I made some creamy spinach soup for lunch today, and the husband looooved it. Maybe I’ll make that again. Or go with chicken soup? We’ll see what’s in the fridge!

  • Monday: Lemon chicken tortellini, salad
  • Tuesday: Meatloaf, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli, salad
  • Wednesday: Lazy pierogis with kielbasa, steamed veggies
  • Thursday: Out
  • Friday: Soup & sandwiches/salad
  • Saturday: Crock Pot beef stew with herbed biscuits, salad

For more menu ideas, visit Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday feature.

{Recipe} Peanut Butter Pie

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peanut butter pie

There are two desserts that stick out when I think about my childhood: Lemon Lush Pie and Peanut Butter Pie. I’m not even sure if my mom made either of these very often, but I loved them both. One day last week, when things weren’t going the greatest, I joked on Facebook about “stressed” just being “desserts” spelled backwards, and suggested pie was in order. My brother mentioned peanut butter pie and I could not get the idea out of my head.

My dad e-mailed me what what on mom’s recipe card and I put it all together for dessert on Sunday night. It was almost as good as I remembered… but mom’s is still better 🙂 It’s simple to throw together, and you could probably freeze it, too.

Peanut Butter Pie

1/3 c. peanut butter
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. Cool Whip
graham cracker pie crust

Beat together  peanut butter and cream cheese until combined. Stir in powdered sugar. Fold in vanilla and Cool Whip. Empty into pre-baked graham cracker pie crust, smooth the top, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

This pie also kicks if you use one of those Oreo pie crusts. But all I had was the regular graham cracker one, so I guess I will just have to make it again!

{Monthly Recipe Swap: Cookies} Pumpkin Cookies

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pumpkin cookies

My friend Janet at Frugal and Focused has started a recipe swap feature on her blog and this month (the very first swap!) the theme is… cookies! How perfect for Christmas. I’m sharing a recipe for pumpkin cookies that I got from my friend Sherry so long ago. Even though they are more of a “fall” cookie, I love eating them year-round.

Pumpkin Cookies

  •  2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  •  1 teaspoon baking powder
  •  1 teaspoon baking soda
  •  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  •  1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  •  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  •  1/2 teaspoon salt
  •  1/2 cup butter, softened
  •  1 1/2 cups white sugar
  •  1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  •  1 egg
  •  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: Chocolate chips, walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips and nuts if you like. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove, and cool cookies on a wire rack.

If you want to participate in the recipe swap, hop on over to Frugal and Focused to join in.

On The Menu…

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Good afternoon! Monday already, is it? Wow, we had a busy weekend. I’m not even sure where we were or what we did, but it definitely sped by. I’m feeling kind of disorganized today. We’re trying to get back into a good grocery shopping rhythm and I am just finally making my list and menu plan now before I head out later this afternoon.

List making. Menu planning.

I’ve got a few new recipes to try this week. Naturally I found them on Pinterest! Actually, I had the cod dish at my parents’ (my mom got it off of my sister-in-law’s Pinterest… ha!) and it was so amazingly good that I just have to make it again.

Here’s what I plan on cooking:

I also think I’ll be making some banana bread because I’m tired of looking at the bananas in my freezer. As for soup… roasted butternut squash soup in definitely in my plan, but I’m not sure that will make it until Friday. Maybe I’ll do a tortellini soup with spinach. I’ll see what we get from the farm share this week before I make a decision. I also think I have to make another dish of peach dump cake. I am so addicted!

For more menu ideas, visit Organizing Junkie’s Menu Plan Monday feature.

{Recipe} Overnight Bone Broth

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BoneBroth

I have admitted in the past that I am a soup snob. And it’s true. As a child, I was spoiled by my mom and grandmother with their delicious, homemade soups. Sure, there was the occasional bowl of Campbell’s Tomato, but the soups I remember from my childhood were full of barley, veggies, and homemade broth. The stuff in the cans or cartons just can’t compare, I don’t care which celebrity chef is on the label.

Making your own stock, or bone broth, is so ridiculously easy that it shouldn’t even need a recipe. In fact, I feel a little silly even writing about it. But I know people who have found it daunting to make homemade stock. If you’re making it on the stove top, it’s true — you need to pay a little bit of attention to it (only because you don’t want it to boil for too long). But there’s an easier way, perfect for even the laziest cook: just use your Crock Pot.

In the fall and winter, I roast a whole chicken twice a month on average. And often the weeks I don’t roast one on my own, I’ll pick up a rotisserie bird at Sam’s. After dinner, I just throw everything into my slow cooker and let it go. Here are the basic directions!

 Overnight Bone Broth

  • carcass from a roasted (or rotisserie) chicken (or turkey!), including skin, bones, and any resulting cooking liquid from roasting if you don’t use it for gravy
  • 1 medium onion
  • celery fronds or 1-2 celery stalks
  • 1-2 carrots
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp. black peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. vinegar (white or apple cider recommended)
  • water
Combine first 7 ingredients in your slow cooker. Cover with water (I usually fill it to 1-2 inches below the top of the crock). Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, then turn to LOW and cook overnight. Strain out and discards solids. The amount of broth you end up with will depend upon how much water you use and how hot your Crock Pot cooks, but you should end up with quite a bit.
I know, it’s super-technical and specific right? LOL! Seriously, you just throw it in the pot with water and cook it. Sometimes I add a few cloves of garlic. Sometimes I add oregano or other seasonings, depending on whether or not I have a specific use for the broth.

So now that you have all this yummy stock, what do you do with it? Well you could use some of it to make Spicy Black Bean Soup, Creamy Chicken (or Turkey) and Wild Rice Soup, or maybe some Lazy Stuffed Peppers? I seriously love soup and even though I eat it all summer, it is extra delicious and comforting in the fall and winter. Now I just need some butternut squash so I can make a big pot of autumn bisque!

I’m linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM
because it’s Cooking Thursday!
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{Recipe} Sun(less) Dried Tomatoes

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driedtomatoes

Although I have not yet finished this week’s CSA post, we got another 7 lbs. of tomatoes! Hooo-wee! So, I decided to whip out my dehydrator and make some dried tomatoes. They taste like sun-dried tomatoes, but you don’t have to leave them on a screen outside for several days 🙂

The first thing I did was to peel the tomatoes. This step is totally optional, but I don’t love the skin so I took the extra step.

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Next, slice them very thin — 1/4-1/8 of an inch. Use a serrated knife. You may keep the seeds or remove them. I think removing them helps speed the drying time, though.

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Arrange the slices on your dehydrators trays that have been misted with cooking spray or brushed with olive oil. Don’t crowd them — leave plenty of room for the air to circulate! At this point, feel free to season them if you’d like. I sprinkled on some salt and oregano.

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Turn your dehydrator to 135 degree and let it go for 8-12 hours. Check on the tomatoes periodically and rotate your trays if necessary.

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Make sure the tomatoes get very dry, not just chewy and tacky. Once they’re done, let the tomatoes cool off and then package them in an airtight jar or bag. Store in a cool, dry place. For long-term storage, stick them in your freezer.

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Use the dried tomatoes on pizza or salads, or add to stews or pasta dishes. Or just eat them for a snack. I don’t really care for raw tomatoes, but these are oh so good!

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I’m linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM
because it’s Cooking Thursday!
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countdown to 2012: desserts

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Countdown to 2011 with Finding Joy in My Kitchen

This week I am counting down to 2012 with SnoWhite from Finding Joy in My Kitchen. She is inviting readers to join in the fun by sharing their very best recipes of 2011. Today’s theme is desserts. This recipe for Sour Patch Grapes is a fun, light dessert when you don’t want anything too heavy.

It also makes a great snack and it’s a wonderful addition to any kind of potluck. I brought these to my son’s Pinewood Derby and they were a hit. I had to laugh every time someone asked me for the recipe because they are so simple and you could even put your kids to work making these.

Sour Patch Grapes (a.k.a. Glitter Grapes)

glitter grapes

countdown to 2012: best main dishes

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Countdown to 2011 with Finding Joy in My Kitchen

This week I am counting down to 2012 with SnoWhite from Finding Joy in My Kitchen. She is inviting readers to join in the fun by sharing their very best recipes of 2011. Today’s theme is main dishes. I’m cheating here a little bit because I really wanted to include this recipe, but couldn’t figure out where to put it, so… it’s going here 🙂

My roasted garlic and sunflower pesto was such a fun recipe to create from our bountiful CSA basil share last summer. You can use pesto in a variety of ways with your main dishes. Naturally, you can use it as a pasta sauce, but it’s also wonderful on pizza, with chicken, or thrown into a batch of roasted tomato soup. I hope you enjoy this one!

Roasted Garlic and Sunflower Pesto

roasted garlic and sunflower pesto