Broccoli Cheese Soup

If I had to pick a favorite soup, this may just be the one. Cheese and broccoli, YUM!! Every Halloween and Christmas Eve I make soup for dinner. This, along with Cheesy Potato Soup, are the ones I make the most.

1 (15 ounce) jar cheese whiz
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
1 quart half and half
2 cups small broccoli flowerets
1 small onion, finely chopped

In a large pot, simmer broccoli and onion in broth until tender. in a medium pan, melt butter, stir in flour to make a paste. Slowly wisk in half and half. Add to broth and cook until thickened. Add cheese whiz and cook until melted.

Recipe from my old friend Jenny

Shared with Show Me What Ya Got #43 and The Little Birdie Blog.

Chocolate Pudding

Have you ever eaten homemade pudding? If not, I think you are seriously missing out! It is SOOO much better than the stuff you make from a box. It is great eaten plain, in a cream pie, trifle, etc. I have a hard time letting it cool before I eat it and like to put chocolate chips in it when I eat it warm.

1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in margarine and vanilla. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

Recipe from All Recipes

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday 36.

Fruit Kabobs

My kids love kabobs. Any kind of kabobs. Put it on a stick and call it a kabob and they will eat it. For a special afternoon snack I make them fruit kabobs. Sometimes I will drizzle them with melted chocolate and sometimes we will have them with dip, or even plain. However I make them, they are always a hit.

Mmmmm. Don't they look pretty!

Fruit cut into bite sized pieces (I used pineapple, strawberries and grapes this time)
skewers

Slide fruit pieces onto skewers, alternating between different fruits.

Carrot Cake Fit For A King

Another AMAZING recipe! I needed to take a desert to a family dinner and made these scrumptious little cupcakes. My sister in law told me that we could no longer be friends because of them. I'm not certain, but it may have something to do with the fact that I informed her that 1 cupcake is smaller than a normal piece of cake and she could have another one without feeling guilty. Besides, baby wanted more (she is expecting!). Half way through her second cupcake is when she informed me that we weren't friends anymore. I think I was actually doing her a favor. You know, adding veggies into the cake. That makes it practically healthy. And with the cream cheese in the frosting, I think we have all the food groups covered!

3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins. Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well. Pour into prepared 8x12 inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Check with toothpick. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

I frosted with my Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting. YUM!!!

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Oh. My. Goodness! This Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting is AMAZING!! I don't particularly like cream cheese frosting, but this has me nearly drooling. Yep. It really is that good. The thing that I like love about it is that the cream cheese flavor is not overly strong. It's quite mild. I also love the consistency. Most cream cheese frosting won't hold up, but this will.

I used this Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting on cupcakes for my Bunko group and, oh my! The ladies were in love! I have never gotten so many compliments on anything before. And multiple compliments from the some ladies. And the sweet hubby said it was the best frosting ever!

1 (3oz) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cream or milk

Combine cream cheese, butter and shortening; mix until combined. Beat in powdered sugar and salt. Add vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Make sure to beat it really good.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday #35 and The Little Birdie Blog.

Easy Frech Dip Sandwiches

I LOVE easy! But even more than easy, I love yummy AND easy. This is super yummy and easy. The family all loved it, too. Some dipped, some didn't, but they all loved it.

I really liked being able to throw it in the crock pot the night before and not have to worry about dinner the next day. At dinner time the roast fell apart so I didn't even have to shred it. Can it get any better?

1 (5 pound) pot roast
2 (10.5 oz) cans French onion soup
1 (10.5 oz) can beef consomme
1 can water (from soup or consomme)


Place roast in a crock pot. Add soup, consomme and water (do NOT add more water than 1 can - don't dilute like the can says). Turn on low and cook over night and all day. Serve on long hard rolls. Top with provolone cheese if desired and dip in juice.

French Breakfast Muffins

Once in a while I get tired of the same old breakfast (lunch and dinner) foods that we eat. So....I decided to try something new/different. These French Breakfast Muffins were YUMMY!! 1 Batch wasn't enough for my family. They were literally fighting over the last one.

"You already had 2!"
"Well, you already had 3!"
"So, I'm bigger."

You get the idea. My sweet hubby even ate the cute little 3 year olds leftover muffin (you know, the one she licked the sugar off the top and left on the counter).

These super tasty French Breakfast Muffins were even requested again the same day, and the next day, and even the next. I might even make them again tomorrow. Hope the kids don't get tired of them. :)

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix butter, sugar and egg. Stir in dry ingredients. Add milk and stir until just blended. Fill 12 greased or lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown. Mix cinnamon and sugar for the topping. Dip the top of the warm muffins in melted butter and roll in sugar mixture. Eat warm.

Recipe from my Visiting Teacher Denise (she's the BEST!!)

Linked on Sweets For a Saturday 33

Grilled Salmon

I am NOT a fish fan. The kids love it, the hubby likes it, but me? Not so much. I have a Baked Tilapia recipe that I find to be edible. And now I have a salmon recipe I find to be edible as well. The kids and hubby loved it!

1 1/2 pounds salmon fillets
lemon pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Season salmon fillets with lemon pepper, garlic powder, and salt. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and vegetable oil until sugar is dissolved. Place fish in a large resealable plastic bag with the soy sauce mixture, seal, and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat grill for medium heat. Lightly oil grill grate. Place salmon on the preheated grill, and discard marinade. Cook salmon for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Recipe from All Recipes