Eat your veggies

I love to dip bread in soup. One of my favorite things to dip is garlic toast. I cut French bread about a half-inch thick, spread real butter on it, sprinkle garlic powder on top, then broil it. I then proceed to eat at least five slices with my soup -- no joke. It complements any creamy soup magnificently. Wanna try? Here's a recipe for cream of vegetable soup. My kids gobbled it up -- even the picky 1-year-old, who won't eat vegetables to save her life. Tweak the recipe according to what vegetables you have on hand.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 c. roughly chopped onion
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
6 c. chicken broth
1 c. dried split peas
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 large carrot, roughly chopped
3 smallish potatoes, cut into chunks
1 c. milk (I used whole)

Saute onion and celery in butter in bottom of pot. Add broth, peas and seasonings. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes, then simmer about 20 minutes more, or until vegetables fall off fork when pierced. Add milk. In blender, puree soup in batches, then mix together again in a different pot or bowl. Be careful when blending hot liquids. Leave the lid partially off for steam to escape or you'll get a volcano effect.

Orange you glad you saw this?

If your sweet tooth is in the mood for something different, try this orange-flavored cream cheese frosting. I threw together a carrot cake from a mix and topped it with this delectable treat. The frosting was the best part. If I had had a real orange on hand, I would have sprinkled orange zest on the finished product. Keep this recipe in mind for spice cake, carrot cake, pumpkin desserts -- anything really.

THE RECIPE:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter or spread, softened
2 tsp. orange extract*
6 c. powdered sugar (more or less)

Beat cream cheese, butter and extract with mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency. This is enough to frost the tops and sides of two 9-inch layers. You could easily halve it if desired.

*It's fun to keep a few different extracts on hand to experiment with.

Highly appetizing appetizer

These stuffed mushrooms are so wonderful. I just love them. Sometimes I crave them. I've been making them for years, and I have heard only compliments -- even from people who say they usually don't like mushrooms. Everyone thinks they are SO good and asks how to make them. They are incredibly easy. I got the recipe from my cousins, so the credit goes to them!

THE RECIPE:

4 8-oz. packages whole mushrooms
1 16-oz. roll uncooked pork sausage*
8 oz. plain reduced-fat cream cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix softened cream cheese with uncooked sausage. Scrub your hands well, and then dive in! Rinse mushrooms and twist out stems. Spoon filling into mushrooms, then arrange in rimmed, ungreased pan lined with foil for easier cleanup. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Sausage will get cooked through and be nicely browned on top.

*I used Farmland original pork sausage, because I got a good deal. My cousins use Jimmy Dean hot sausage.

Halloween snack

This was my first crack at roasting pumpkin seeds, so I don't have anything to compare them to. We thought they were pretty good, though. They were flavorful and crunchy. They have kind of a woody texture, but I assume that's normal for pumpkin seeds. Anyway, I'd consider my first try a success! Next Halloween, maybe I'll try a sweet version. No sense in throwing away perfectly edible seeds after carving a pumpkin, right?

THE RECIPE:

2 c. pumpkin seeds, rinsed and patted dry
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted (I assume olive oil would be fine)
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Toss pumpkin seeds thoroughly with other ingredients. Spread out on cookie sheet. Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour, stirring about every 15 minutes. They will seem done before the hour is up, but the longer they cook, the crunchier they will be, rather than chewy.

Hot fudge, anyone?

This hot fudge cake is fabulous. It's a great recipe to have on hand if you're craving chocolate. I got it from the Hershey's website. It is a pudding cake, so you pour hot water over the top before baking, and it soaks through and makes its own sauce. The result is chocolate cake floating in a sea of hot fudge sauce -- all in one pan. You might accidentally eat the whole thing. Oh, and by the way, it's a great dessert option when you're out of eggs, because the recipe doesn't call for any.

THE RECIPE:

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar, divided
1 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder, divided
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
1/3 c. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/4 c. hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread batter into ungreased 9-inch square baking dish.

Stir together remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top. Do not stir.

Bake about 35 minutes. The top will look like the top of a cake, but it will seem wobbly and jiggly because it is floating in sauce. This is the way you want it. If you overcook it, the cake will absorb the sauce and be dry. Let stand 15 minutes before eating.

Fluff 'n stuff

This honey butter is so delicious, I kind of wanted to eat it with a spoon. I refrained, though, and instead spread it on corn bread. I can't get over how fluffy and creamy it is. The original recipe came from My Kitchen Cafe, but I adjusted the honey-to-butter ratio to suit my taste.

THE RECIPE:

3/4 c. butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. marshmallow cream

Beat ingredients until fluffy and creamy. Use as desired.

Award winner

I won third place at our church's chili cook-off with this cilantro-lime chili. Person after person told me how much they loved it, which made me feel so good! I also love that it is a vegetarian dish, but no one notices. It tastes best after it has been refrigerated and then reheated. I used bell peppers and tomatoes from my garden, which you may not have, so feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking.

THE RECIPE:

Splash of olive oil
1 large bell pepper, cleaned out and chopped
5 c. chopped fresh tomato*
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can fat-free refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained
2 packages taco seasoning
1 package dry Italian dressing
1 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 c. beef broth
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. lime juice
1/2 bunch cilantro (stems removed), finely chopped
Avocado, if desired
Chips, if desired

Over medium-high heat, cook peppers in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, beans, corn, seasonings, vinegar, broth and brown sugar. Mix well, then bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Cook 10 minutes more. Cool and refrigerate for a few hours. Reheat and serve with sliced avocado and crushed tortilla chips.

*Note: I have made this twice. The first time, I added an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce. The second time I did not, because my tomatoes were very ripe and meaty and juicy. So, basically, do whatever you want.