Ham Chowder

I'm pretty picky when it comes to my chowders.  I like them to be creamy {but not run to the bathroom when you're done eating creamy} and I like them chunky.  My mom has an amazing recipe for clam chowder that also makes a great ham chowder.  I prefer ham to clams so when the nights start cooling off, this is one of my fall favorites.  Here it is!

Ham Chowder

14 oz of ham - small cubes

1 C finely chopped onions

1 C finely chopped celery

2 C finely chopped potatoes {I usually add more bc I LOVE potatoes}

3/4 C Butter

3/4 C Flour

1 Quart half & half

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

dash pepper

Add onion, celery and potatoes to a pot.  Pour water over vegetables until covered.  Simmer, covered, about 20 min.  In a separate pot, melt butter, stir in flour, then cream.  Cook and stir until smooth and thick.  Pour cream mixture in with the water and vegetables and stir to mix.  Add ham, salt, pepper and sugar.  Enjoy!

Serves approx. 8

I forgot to take a photo when I made this the other day, but will add one the next time I make it :)

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Due to the high level of demand I decided to blog this recipe today. :)

My mom made this soup for us kids as we were growing up and I've always considered it the most delicious chicken noodle soup on the planet.  She always made it with chicken with the exception of, after Thanksgiving she would make it with leftover turkey.  Now I get to make it for my own family and husband seems to love it just as much as I do.  So without further ado, here it is.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 C Sliced Carrots

2 C Chopped Celery

1/4 C Chopped Onion

3 C Chicken Broth

Simmer vegetables in chicken broth until tender.

When tender add:

4 C Chicken Broth

2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup

1/4 C Canned Milk {I've done it with 2% milk before and it turned out the same}

Thickening:

3/4 C Butter

3/4 C Flour

Make a rue and add to soup mixture.  Stir until thick.

{For those who have not made a rue, melt butter, then stir in flour.  Ta da!  Rue}

Add:

2 C Shredded Cooked Chicken

4 C Cooked Egg Noodles

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Voila!  Best soup ever.  Enjoy!

Cookies and cream cheesecake cupcakes

 I found this little gem of a recipe on pinterest and based on the pictures decided that I HAD to try it because

1. I'm an oreo addict

2. I love cheesecake

The two of them combined has the potential to be deadly, 

but I was willing to take the risk.

So I made these last night

First of all, they are super easy to make.  Like, an 8 year old could probably make these by his/herself 

{at least I could've made them when I was 8}

Secondly, They look so pretty.  Especially when you bite into them and you see the delicious oreo cookie lining the bottom.

Thirdly, these were yum.  I need to give lots away or else I'll eat them all

{and that would not be a good thing}

Final verdict?

This is definitely a must share kind of recipe and I will definitely be making these again :)

So here's the recipe!

Happy baking.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
Makes 30

• Ingredients:
• 42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Super summer salads

I'm not the biggest lover of salads but I am convinced that I discovered the most amazing salad ever.  I want to share that one with you, plus the one other salad that I absolutely love.

 First, the 'other' salad is one that is loved by almost every single person that has tried it.

         Mandarin Strawberry Spinach Salad

• Baby Spinach
• Sliced Strawberries
• can of drained Mandarin Oranges
• Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing
• Sliced sugared almonds (yum!) 

Directions:

1. Combine Spinach, Strawberries and Mandarin Oranges.  Toss lighty.

 Yep, that's about it.  You can either make the dressing yourself or buy it from the store.  And I've always kept the dressing and the almonds on the side because you never know who likes what.

Here's a pretty good recipe for homemade strawberry vinaigrette.

The Dressing

• Strawberries, 1/2 cup when chopped and mashed
• Olive Oil, 1/2 cup  (I used  extra light olive oil for this.  I didn’t want the heavy flavor of extra virgin to overpower the berries.)
• Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 cup
• Sugar, 2 tablespoons
• Heavy Cream, 3 or 4 tablespoons
• Salt/Pepper

Salad numero dos:

This is the delicious little number that I made yesterday.  Definitely a make again!

              Southwestern Salad with Black Beans

• 1/2  ripe avocado
• 3/4 cup(s) packed fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup(s) non-fat plain yogurt
• 2  scallions, chopped
• 1 clove(s) garlic, quartered
• 1 tablespoon(s) lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 3 cup(s) mixed greens
• 1/2 cup(s) black beans, canned (rinsed) or cooked
• 1/2 cup(s) corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
• 1/2 cup(s) grape tomatoes

Directions

1. Place avocado, cilantro, yogurt, scallions, garlic, lime juice, sugar, and salt in a blender; blend until smooth.
2. Place greens in an individual salad bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. (Refrigerate the remaining dressing.) Top the greens with black beans, corn, and tomatoes.
   
   
   This recipe makes enough salad to have as a side for about 5-6 people.
   
   
   This salad was A-MA-ZING-A.  Hello?!  It has 3 of my most favorite flavors in it!  Avocado, check, Lime, check, Cilantro, check. :)  Delicioso!!!  
   Warning.  If you don't like cilantro, DON'T make this dressing!
   I, however, adore cilantro.  I could literally just eat the dressing.  (like last night, what?  I didn't do that.........)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm in a cookie kind of mood today so I thought I'd share a recipe for cookies that I love love love! :)  The Cub Scout Leader in our ward bakes the following treats for the boys on a regular basis and always makes a round to all the adults that are there too.  Yay!  It's just the nestle tollhouse recipe but instead of white sugar, you put in instant vanilla pudding.  Delicious!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 package instant vanilla pudding
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Chocolate chips

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

We made a double batch the other day because we needed to give a bunch away and we wanted leftovers and we just froze the rest of them in a ziploc bag.  They freeze soooo well!  I just let them thaw out on the counter for a few minutes and they're good to go.  :)

Chocolate Lava Cake

I have always loved Chocolate Lava Cake and so does Jared.  So I decided that this V-Day I'm going to attempt to make it.  I'm not sure how great it will turn out.  But this recipe has good reviews so I'm going to give it a try.  I'll post pictures and what I think of it after I make it.