Butternut Squash Soup

**Since squash are not all a uniform size it is difficult to make a precise recipe. But, don't worry! I've never had it turn out bad! It's hard to mess it up. :)

1 medium or large butternut squash
8-12 garlic cloves (optional but yummy)
1 sweet apple (such as gala, pink lady or fuji)
olive oil
herbes de provence
salt
pepper
6-8 cups chicken stock or broth
sour cream for topping
1. Using a good vegetable peeler, peel the squash. With good knife, cut off top and bottom to remove stem. Cut squash in half top to bottom and remove seeds with spoon. Cut into 1 1/2" cubes.
Cut apple into similar size cubes (I leave the peel on).
Peel garlic and toss squash, apples, and garlic in very large bowl with enough olive oil to coat. Add herbes de provence and salt & pepper (you can be generous with the herbs!) and toss.
Place on rimmed baking sheets and cover with foil. Place in 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until squash is very tender.
When the squash is almost done, place a large soup pot over medium-low heat with chicken broth/stock and begin heating (this way your soup will stay warm when it's pureed).
Remove squash from oven and be careful when removing foil because a lot of steam will escape! Scoop squash into pot with broth/stock and blend with immersion blender to desired consistency adding salt and pepper as needed.  If you don't have an immersion blender you will want to heat your broth in a smaller saucepan and blend the squash with the broth in batches in your normal blender pouring it into your soup pot as you go. 
Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream. YUM!
*I like to add a little coconut milk with my broth

Cauliflower Soup

1 Medium head of cauliflower broken into florets

Matchstick Carrots( Equal to 1 shredded medium carrot)
1/4 Cup Chopped Celery
2-1/2 Cup Water
2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
3 TBS Butter
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Cups milk (I prefer 2% or whole it makes it creamier)
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. In large saucepan combine water, bouillon, cauliflower, carrots, celery, Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or just until tender if you cook for too long the cauliflower will get mushy. DO NOT DRAIN.
2. In another large saucepan, melt butter then stir in flour salt and pepper until a smooth paste. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, cook and stir until milk has thickened.
3. Turn heat down and stir in the cheese until melted. Once cheese is melted in the milk add the milk mixture to the pan of cauliflower.
4. Simmer for a short time. ENJOY!!!

submitted by Christina Lynch

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons butter
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup hot water
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (I used Cheddar)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1 tomato, chopped
fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (optional)

1. In a Dutch oven, brown chicken, onion, and garlic in butter until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Dissolve the bouillon in hot water; Pour into Dutch oven, and season with cumin. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in cream, cheese, corn, chilies, and hot pepper sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until the cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato. Garnish with cilantro.

submitted by Veda Maples

Creamy White Chili

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 cans (15 oz) Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained
2 cans (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whipping cream
In a large saucepan, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.
Add beans, chilies, broth and seasonings.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in sour cream and cream.
Serve immediately.
**chicken can be substituted with lean turkey polka kielbasa sausage
**you can use any combo of white beans (white beans, white kidney beans, or great northern beans)
submitted by Heather Harper

Corn Chowder

5 slices bacon
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium potatoes
Water
2 cups milk
1 can creamed corn (17 oz)
1 cup white sauce
Dash of pepper
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP butter

Fry bacon until crisp, crumble.
Sauté onions in bacon grease.
Add potatoes (diced) and enough water to cover. Cook over medium heat 10-15 minutes.
Combine milk and white sauce in pan. Cook until thick. Stir in corn, salt, and pepper. Add to potato mixture and heat thoroughly.
To serve top each serving with crumbled bacon and butter.
Serves 6.

submitted by Leslie Small

Apple Cider Punch

Ingredients:

6 cups apple cider

2 cups orange juice, cranberry-raspberry juice, or orange-mango juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 750-ml bottle sparkling white grape juice

Directions

In punch bowl, large pitcher, or pitchers combine apple cider, orange juice, and lemon juice. Slowly add sparkling white grape juice. Serve immediately.

Ritz Salad

I made this for a BBQ last night and a few people asked for the recipe. It's so simple and pretty dang tasty so here you go:

Crust (x's 2...it's goes on top and bottom)

2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
2 sticks of butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar (x's 2)

Melt 1 stick of butter in microwave and add 1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers and then mix in 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Place in 9X13 pan

Middle:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 large tub Cool Whip
1/2 cup frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate (I thawed my in the fridge the day before)

Top Crust:

(same as bottom crust) Put on top and place in fridge for atleast an hour before serving.

Carmel Scone Syrup

1 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 TBSP corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda

In a medium sauce pan over medium to medium high heat, mix the first four ingredients together and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla and soda.

Serve with butter with your favorite scone recipe.


We had this after a baby blessing we went to on Sunday. It was so good. They also had some cinnamon and sugar mixed together to sprinkle over it too. It was so good that I had to share the recipe. They used the Honeyville Farm scone mix and it was to die for.

Basil Pork Chops

Okay, this one is our very most favorite pork chop recipe. I use the loin center cut but not sure that matters. I also double the recipe for my family.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 TBSP oil (I use olive) -- divided (1 TBSP for cooking, 1 TBSP for the rub)
4 pork chops 1/2 inch thickness (if yours are thinner you can cut the time down?)

Mix ingredients together to form a rub. Put on both sides of pork chops. Fry in remaining oil for 7-8 minutes per side. YUM! We have made this for guests a few times and everyone loves them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of our old neighbors use to make this...
1 1/4 cup water
1 package of onion soup mix
pork chops

Place pork chops in baking dish and cover with water/soup mixture. Bake at 325 for about one hour.
This was tasty and my kids love it but the sodium is too high for me so we don't make this one very often.

Help wanted...

does anyone have any good pork chop recipes?