Golden Clam Chowder Recipe

Comfort food at its best! Yes, you can have a warm, homemade bowl of Clam Chowder for dinner tonight. This soup is seasoned expertly and the thyme adds a great dimension of flavor.

Ingredients

2 celery ribs

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) minced clams, undrained

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Finely chop the celery, carrots and onion. In a Dutch oven, saute vegetables in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, clams, clam juice, 1 cup water, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in milk; heat through. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into chowder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bacon. Yield: 7 servings.

Slow-Cooker White Bean and Sausage Stew

Ingredients

• 6 (3 oz.) Italian sausages
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans (Great Northern or navy), rinsed and drained
• 1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 tsp. dried thyme
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Poke holes in sausages and put in a large nonstick skillet. Add 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook sausages, turning, until lightly browned and water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and thyme.
2. Put half of bean mixture into a slow cooker. Arrange sausages on top, followed by remaining beans. Cook on high for 4 hours. Check after 2 hours and add water if mixture looks dry.
3. Remove sausages; slice thickly. Season beans with salt and pepper. Return sausage to stew. (Stew can be kept, frozen and tightly sealed, for up to 1 month.)

All You 

OCTOBER 2006

Maple Pecan Bars

Baking these bars fills me with warm memories of my Grandma Marie, who made a similar recipe. The pecan treats are popular at our office cookie exchange.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1-1/2 cups cold butter
•  TOPPING:
• 1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups coarsely chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar. Cut in the butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup, cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir over low heat until butter is melted. Stir in the pecans, cream and vanilla. Remove from the heat; spread over crust.
• Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 5 dozen.

Turkey, Mushroom, & Spinach Lasagna and Toasted Oatmeal, Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Roaring Branch, Kelleystand Road, Sunderland, VT.

Saturday, oh, Saturday. A cold Saturday. I've been spending today like I usually spend my Sundays (or BumDays, as I call 'em.) I did spend some time up on Kelleystand earlier though.  It was windy and being by the river didn't help with the chill, but I did notice the leaves on the trees revealing bits of brighter hues.  It's safe to say I'm getting Fall fever. I've even been thinking about how to carve my pumpkins this year.  Here's some of my inspiration:

Also, the aroma of pumpkin spice lingers in my house already thanks to Walmart. They have 3oz jar candles for $1.00. I only went by the candles with the intention of "just smelling" them. I bought ten; nine pumpkin spice, one hazelnut cream. I've also had my eye on the wax warmers they now have at Walmart. The owl wax warmer is my favorite.

Owl Wax Warmer

Normally on a day like this, I might throw something together in the crock pot. That's not happening today. Not only is there enough chill in the air to make me appreciate the heat of the oven, but I crave the comfort of a well-prepared lasagna. But not just any lasagna. This one. A lasagna so good you would never know it was healthier. 

Turkey, Mushroom, & Spinach Lasagna

And for dessert?  

Toasted Oatmeal, Pecan, & Chocolate Chip Cookies

With a nice, big glass of milk.

p.s. If you head over & like our Facebook page, you'll be entered to win a handmade crocheted blanket from your choice of colors. Only valid in the U.S. at this time. Drawing will be held when our Facebook likes reach 200, so please like & share!

7 Easy Chicken Recipes

Simplify dinner with these quick and easy chicken recipes that will get you in and out of the kitchen in no time. Click on the titles or photos below for recipes.

7.  Crispy Chicken Wraps

A delicious crispy chicken wrap that can be on the table in less than 15 minutes.

6. Baked Chicken & Roasted Red Pepper Taquitos

A healthier and tastier taquito!

5. Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Shells

4. Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup

3. Tennessee White Chicken Chili

Easy white chicken chili is a lighter alternative to ground beef and tomato chili. Ready to expand your chili repertoire?

2. Chicken Gyros

1. Chicken Enchilada Lasagna

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookie

You don't even realize how excited you are right now. That's because you're still in awe drooling over this chocolate-y, peanut buttery deliciousness. Yes, they really are as easy to make as they sound. No, do not hesitate to make them. : )

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooling Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup milk

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking oats

Directions:

1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.

2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.

3. Remove from heat.

4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.

5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Let cool until set.

Good Ol' Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

(Recipe below)

If you are a cat owner, please do me a favor: (besides spay &  neuter), try whistling at a very high pitch & see how your cat responds. I'm not sure if it works on all cats, but my kitties become very affectionate and silly. I've read all sorts of things about why this might be. One place said it could be because kittens have a very high pitched cry & instinctively hearing the whistling makes them think you're in distress & need comforting.  If you know why this is, feel free to comment! Love hearing from my readers! 

Meet my felines:
<--Smokey & Gabriel-->

Now, on to the soup. Yes, the soup. What's the scoop on the soup, Scotty! No, but seriously. Homemade Chicken Noodle. Ya' know, I'm kind of surprised at how cold it's been today. I mean 62 ° F isn't that low, but in comparison to this summer's heat, it's a tad chilly. There's a wicked draft that comes through the french doors toward the back of the house that needs to be fixed before winter.  Go figure my office is the room with the french doors. Har, har.  Though we haven't fired up our wood stove yet, I am guilty of using the space heater today.  I am also guilty of wearing fuzzy socks; very warm fuzzy socks.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 cups cubed peeled potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast

2 cups uncooked yolk-free wide noodles

1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

Directions:

In a stockpot, saute the onion, carrots and celery in oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the flour, oregano, thyme and poultry seasoning until blended.

Gradually add the broth, potatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in chicken and noodles; simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Reduce heat. Stir in milk; heat through (do not boil). Yield: 8 servings.

Spinach & Chicken Tortilla Bake, Plus an Update

Weather: 60°F, cloudy & windy.

What I'm listening to: the leaves of trees rustling in the wind.

Bath Time! (Ellie)

First things first. Ellie fell asleep on the potty this morning. First time she's ever done that. It was the cutest thing and even though we were in a hurry, I took a minute to laugh and be in the moment.  It's important to be in the now.

I did some grocery shopping this morning. With list in hand & lots of coupons, I set out on my usual journey of acquiring all the ingredients for all the new recipes I'm trying this week. Stay tuned, they will be revealed throughout the week.  Also, starting next week, we will be featuring lots of ghoulish grub in preparation for Halloween.  I asked Ellie what she wanted to be for Halloween this year. You know what she tells me, she says, "I want to go as you, Momma." She melts my heart.  We did finally settle on her costume for this year though. She's going as a busy bumble bee.  As for Mom, well, I'm going as a mermaid. Ellie says it would be fun having a mermaid as a mom.  

Another thing I wanted to mention to all of you: I am a HUGE fan of Etsy.  I've been a member for about 2 years & could not be happier with the items I purchase.  One of those items I purchased last week from a shop called Long Leaf Soaps.  Their Black Raspberry Vanilla Sugar Scrub Cubes are heavenly. I use one cube in the shower about twice a week and am enveloped in it's aroma as I exfoliate.  My review of this shop is that they serve up quality products at decent prices.  I am very pleased with my purchase. Check out their other items, too. 

So, back to what this blog is all about.  Do you know what I made for dinner last night? Of course you don't. I didn't tell you yet. My hubby isn't exactly keen on spinach, but when it was blanketed in between layers of chicken, cheese, salsa verde, & tortillas, he didn't complain.  Actually, he raved about it. Planning on adding this to our dinner rotation.  It was pretty easy and the flavors meld so perfectly.  

Spinach & Chicken Tortilla Bake

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)

Salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

4 large (8″) flour tortillas

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

3 cups baby spinach (about 1/4 pound)

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then shred the meat.

Whisk together the salsa verde and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In a greased 9-inch square baking dish, layer one-third of the salsa mixture, tortillas, chicken, onion, spinach and pepper jack; repeat twice. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield:  4 servings

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

Salty and sweet.  Crunchy and melt-in-your-mouth.   Peanut butter and chocolate.  Dangerous and delicious (you know what I mean).  One little bite, so much to experience.  Why did I wait so long to give these a try?  A perfect treat to share with a large group of people that you love a whole lot, or to share with yourself on a self-indulgent sweats and sofa sorta day.  

Yield 60 – 80 pretzel bites

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar (maybe more)

3/4 cup brown sugar (maybe more)

Pretzels

1 bag  semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter and softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer.  Add the sugars and mix to combine.  At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go.  If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll (I used about 3/4 cup of each sugar).

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling.  Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels.  When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted.  Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate.  Return to the tray and repeat with remaining sandwiches.  When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely.  Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Effortless Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Let's face it; summer is over. The kids are back in school, football season has begun. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are beginning to cool.  Pretty soon our wood stove will be pumping heat throughout our cozy home. Ugh, I love it. We have this large stone fireplace in our living room surrounded by the two most comfortable micro-suede armchairs ever.  Nothing feels as much like home as sitting in front of the fire, room dimly lit, covered up in a fleece blanket, eating a bowl of this hearty and very easy beef stew after a long day.  The best part is, this beef stew recipe uses a Crock Pot, so it's effortless. Set it & forget it! 

Ingredients:

2 lbs beef stew meat

4 potatoes, chopped

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 TBS basil

1 TBS oregano

½ TBS paprika

2 TBS minced garlic

½ TBS salt

1 tsp pepper

3 cubes of beef bouillon

1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

4-5 cups water

Directions:

1. Brown stew meat in a large nonstick pan over high heat.

2. Add all ingredients to the crock pot and stir a bit to mix.

3. Cook stew in the crock pot for 7-8 hours on low.

Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots

This Garlic Parmesan Knots recipe tastes very similar to the garlic twists my family gets at a pizza joint in Denver when we go on vacation. The best part is they only take 20 minutes from start to finish. You may need to practice your knots. I know I had to, but now I can make them beautifully. Enjoy!

• 1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( I used Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (You can use the green can stuff; I prefer fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

1. Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield:10 knots.

Fall into Baking: Apple Pie Bars

My hubby loves apple pie. This recipe has made it way more convenient to pack that fall flavor into his lunch without being too messy or taking up too much room.  These Apple Pie Bars turned out so "tantalizing-ly" tasty, I've prepared a few batches for my co-workers. 

(P.S. My daughter wanted me to tell you all that this recipe is "super yummy.")

Apple Pie Bars

Yields 12 generous bars or 24 mini bars

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp salted butter, cold and diced into cubes

1/4 cup +2 Tbsp buttermilk, chilled

1 egg yolk

2 1/4 lbs granny smith apples (about 6 medium apples)

2 1/2 Tbsp orange juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg white

1 1/2 Tbsp Raw Turbinado sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 recipe Vanilla Glaze (optional), recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare pie crust:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and salt. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and egg yolk to mixture and stir until mixture comes together and you are able to form a ball. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough while preparing apple filling.

To prepare apple filling:

Peel, core and dice apples into thin and small pieces. Place diced apples in a large mixing bowl. Add orange juice and 1 tsp vanilla and toss apples to evenly coat. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup flour, granulated sugar, light-brown sugar, 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour flour mixture over apple mixture and toss to evenly coat, set aside.

To assemble pie:

Divide pie dough into 2 equal portions. Roll one portion into a 13x9 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Lift rolled dough into an ungreased 13x9 inch baking dish (the easiest way to do this is to fold the dough in half and then fold in half again, then transfer folded dough to one corner of the dish and unfold to it's original shape to cover entire baking dish). Toss apple mixture once more and pour into baking dish over pie crust. Roll remaining dough into a 13 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch rectangle and place rolled dough over apples (folding and unfolding as previously noted). In a small mixing bowl whisk egg white until foamy, brush egg white over top pie crust (you will only need about half of the egg white). In a separate small mixing bowl whisk together 1 1/2 tbsp Raw Turbinado sugar with 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over top pie crust. Bake in preheated oven 50 - 60 minutes until golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a toothpick. Remove from oven and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Drizzle with optional glaze or serve with vanilla ice cream. Store bars in refrigerator in an airtight container, rewarm in microwave if desired.

Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp half and half (milk could be substituted)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, whisk until smooth. Add an additional 1/2 Tbsp half and half if you'd prefer a thinner consistency.

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy