Hot Soups, Quick Toppings, Cold Chilly Winter Holiday Nights

Soups are comforting no matter the time of year, but around the Holidays which are filled with rich foods and treats, soups can be a welcome light (or hearty) change!  Simple crunchy toppings change the ordinary soup to extraordinary!

Enjoy these!

Soup Garnishes can include

• slivered almonds
• crouotons
• crisp cereal
• whipped cream plus horse-radish
• snipped parsley
• fresh herbs
• popcorn
• browned onion rings
• frank slices
• bacon bits
• grated cheese
• crumbled potato chips
• chives
• crumbled blue cheese
• snipped wter cress
• cut up olives
• thin lemon slices
• salted whiped cream
• sour cream andnutmeg
• paper-thin carrots, or radishes
• thin celery rings

Try serving your plain ol yummy soups in pretty decorative pottery bowls and individual casseroles with colorful napkins and buffet-style containers of toppings!  Dressing it up can make soup night extra fun.

Not Yo’ Mama’s Soup, but Soup Your Way:

Quick Chicken Soup

• 2 tblsp butter
• 1 sliced med onion
• 1/8 tsp mace
• 1 can undiluted condensed ceam of chicken soup
• 1 soup can water
• 1 soup can milk
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 2 tblsp parsely, chopped fresh
• 1/2 cup  to 1 cup chopped left-over cooked chicken

In a saucepan heated with the melted butter, saute onion until tender.  Stir in mace, checken soup, water, milk, couillon cubes.  Heat until bouillon cubes dissolve.  Add lemon rind, parsley at the end. 

Tomato-Crab Bisque

• 1 can undiluted condensed tomato soup
• 1 can undiluted condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can undiluted condensed bouillon
• 1 soup can light cream
• 1 cup flaked fresh crab or lobster meat, well worth the cost

Combine ingredients in order, stirring constantly.  Heat over low heat until hot, DO NOT BOIL.  It changes the seafood drastically.  NOT GOOD.  Serve at once.

Straight Off the Pantry Pea Soup

• 1/2 lb link sausages
• 1 thinly sliced onion
• 1 can undiluted condensed green-pea soup
• 1 can undiluted condensed vegetable soup
• 1 soup can water
• 1/4 cup sliced stuffed olives

In saucepan, brown sausages and onion; drain.  Set onion aside.  Cut susages into 1/2 inch slices; stir in soups, wter.  Simmer a few minutes to heat through.  Serve with onion rings and olive slices.

Spicy Clam-Tomato Broth

This is really good with a grilled cheese sandwich.

In saucepan, combine 1 8 oz can or bottle of clam juice, 2 1/2 cups tomato juice, 1 tsp Worcestershipre and 2 tblsp butter.  Add cayenne pepper to taste, and a dash of tabasco sauce.  Or, two.  bring to boil and sprinkle with parsley sprigs. 

Chicken-Curry Soup

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped fine onions
• 1 1/2 cups diced celery
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• dash pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup ilk
• 1 can undiluted condensed tomato soup
• 2 cans undiluted condensed chicken with rice soup

Saute onions and celery for 5 min in hot butter in the saucepan.  Stir in celery and rest of ingredients.  Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Mushroom Consomme:

• 3 tblsp butter
• 1/3 cup thinkly sliced onions
• 1/4 lb mushrooms, cut into thick slices
• 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 can condensed beef bouillon plus enoug water to make 3 cups
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tblsp sherry

In hot butter, saute onions until just golden.  Add mushrooms, lemon juice; cook until mushrooms are tender but not  dark, about 5 minutes.  Do Not Overcook mushrooms.  Add bouillon, salt, pepper.  Heat but do not boil.  Just before serving, add sherry.

Onion and Tomato Soup

• 2 tblsp butter
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 1 can undiluted condensed cosomme
• 1 soup can of water
• 1 can undiluted condensed tomato soup, and two tblsp stewed tomatoes, for flavor and texture
• 1 soup can milk
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions in butter til lightly brown.  Add consomme, water; simmer, covered 15 min.  Add rest of igredients and heat through but do not boil.

Christmas Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits

No more store-bought cinnamon rolls after this.  These Merry Christmas Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits are  so easy and quick, you’ll be glad you made them for neighbors, family and friends.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unprocessed wheat bran (don’t substitute or leave this out…yum!)
• 2 tbls sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup milk, or buttermilk
• 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit bits  (not candied)
• 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp orange juice (milk or water is ok, but orange juice is extra YUMMY)

Procedure:

1. Mix together flour, wheat bran, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
2. With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture is now looking like coarse crumbs. 
3. Form a well in the center of flour mixture and add milk and fruit pieces all at once.
4. With a fork, stir until moistened.
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surdce.  Knead dough by folding and gently pressing dough for 10 to 12 strokes.  Dough will be almost smooth.  Do not over handle as this makes the biscuits tough.
6. Pat or lightly roll dough until it is 1/2 inch thick.  Cut dough with a floured 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.
7. Place biscuits about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake at 450 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes, until golden but not brown.  Cool on a wire rack.
8. Stir together powdered sugar and orange juice to a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over warm biscuits.  MAKE A LOT OF DRIZZLE. 

Homemade All Purpose Baking Mix

Need biscuits, breadsticks, cheesey pinwheels, tender dumplings, easy coffee cakes or even an apple nut cake for company dinner?

This One Mix Does It All Baking Mix is perfect and easy:

• 9 cups sifted flour
• 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda)
• 1/3 cup baking powder
• 1 tblsp salt
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 2 cups shortening

Measure ingredients carefully!  Mix all dry ingredients together and then cut in shortening.  Store in airtight containers.  Yield 13 cups.

Recipes:

Quick Biscuits – Using 2 cups baking mix and 2/3 cup milk in bowl; mix lightly.  Knead 10 times on floured surface and pat into 1/2 inch thick; cut with biscuit butter.  Place on baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Buttery Breadsticks – Using 2 cups mix, add 1/2 cup milk in bgowl and mix together well.  Knead 10 times on floured surface.  Roll into rectangle; cut into 32 strips.  Brush with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. 

Cheesey Pinwheels – Use 3 cups baking mix; add 1 cup water and mix well.  Roll thin on floured surface and then sprinkle with 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.  Roll as for a jelly roll.  Cut into 1/4 inch slices; and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Yield:  40 pinwheels.

Tender Dumplings:  Using 2 cups mix and 1/2 cup milk and mix just until moistened.  Drop by spoon into hot stew, soup or fruit sauce.  Steam for 12 minutes.

Easy moist Coffee Cake:  Using 3 cups baking mix and 1/2 cup sugar, mix together in bowl.  Add 2/3 cup milk and 1 egg; mix until moist.  Pour into a greased and lightly floured cake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Easy Company Apple Nut Cake:  Using 2 1/3 cups baking mix, add 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp cloves and mix well.  Beat in 2 eggs and 1/4 cup milk.  Stir in 2 cups chopped apples and 1/2  cup chopped nuts (optional).  Bake in greased cake pan at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  If you like, you can either dust with powdered sugar, or drizzle with confectioner’s icing.

Made From Scratch Cornmeal Mix

Hot cornbread in minutes!  Made from scratch so you get all the credit.  This easy mix keeps well in an airtight container.

• 4 and 1/2 cups cornmeal, yellow or white
• 4 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 cups sugar (optional)
• 1/3 cup baking powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 cup shortening

Combine all dry ingredients and mix.  Then, add in shortening and mix until crumbly.  Store in airtight container.

Simple Corn Bread:  Using 2 1/2 cups mix, combine with 1 egg, and 1 cup milk in bowl, beating for one minute.   Pour batter in to greased 8 x 8 baking pan for a square cornbread loaf.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 – 25 minutesor until lightly golden browned. Yield is 8 servings

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes – Using 3 cups mix, add  2 eggs, and  1 3/4 cups milk, mix well.  Bake on hot and lightly greased griddle.  (you do not want these to be greasy).  Makes 12 griddle cakes great with any meal or breakfast, or with Black Eyed Pea salad, recipe this sight.

Healthy Eating for Families: 20 Quick and Easy Dinnertime Tips

By the end of any given weekday, we have packed lunches, kissed foreheads, gone to work, driven carpool all over town, and now…now it is time to cook dinner.

Here are twenty quick and easy dinnertime tips that can also make for magical family memories.

1. Have lots of fresh vegetables on hand. I love putting out a plate of veggies for my kids to snack on before dinner. Anything that is still on the plate at dinnertime is simply placed alongside our other choices on the dinner table.

2. While you are at the supermarket, pick up some fresh herbs. These take no time at all to throw in to virtually any recipe, but they make all the difference in the flavor of your food. It is especially nice to have fresh basil, mint, and cilantro on hand.

3. Teach your kids about the balance of food on their plate. Discuss how many food groups are represented. To make this more fun, we ask our kids if they are eating a square meal with all four food groups. And if not, is it a triangle, (three food groups), a line (two food groups), or a dot (one food group)? Thinking of their choices in this way helps my young kids to visualize their choices and to strive for a square with each meal.

4. Hang a dry erase board on the wall or the refrigerator with the name of each family member. Beside their name, they can write the number of fruits and vegetables or make a note of the healthy choices they made that day.

5. Do not assume your kids want or need fattening spreads or sugary sweeteners to dress up their food. Two of my children actually prefer toast without butter, waffles without syrup, and salad without dressing.

6. Chop vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower in a food processor, and add it to soups, pasta sauce, chili or stews.

7. Be a good example. The more healthy foods you eat, the more likely your kids will be to eat it, too (eventually).

8. Use the slow cooker. Often, there are times during the day that are less hectic than the dinner hour. Choose a time that is less hassled and make a quick crock pot recipe. My kids love to help add ingredients to the slow cooker.

9. Make a casserole. Cooking Light magazine features some wonderful quick dinnertime or make ahead casserole recipes (also available online at CookingLight.com.) Casseroles can be a great place to sneak in even more veggies.

10. Use the electric indoor grill. I use mine to take chicken from frozen to the table in less than 20 minutes. And then I grill vegetables in 5 minutes. Everything tastes so fresh, healthy and delicious. I do not know what I ever did without mine.

11. Create a Bar. My kids love sandwich bars, pasta bars, taco bars, and potato bars. Put out the essentials and some healthy fillings and toppings, and you have a great meal where everyone is in control of what they eat.

12. Delivery! We love pizza, and many places (especially the more gourmet pizza restaurants) now feature healthy choices, featuring pizzas loaded with fresh vegetables. We order a veggie pizza and one with just cheese, just in case the kids are not in the mood for spinach on their pie.

13. There is more to take out than the traditional fatty fast food fare. Find a few restaurants that offer quick, healthy take out. There certainly is no shame in ordering food to go.

14. Involve your children in the cooking and baking process. Focus on creating positive memories before, during, and after mealtime. This can be a fun time of togetherness, so ask yourself: what would make it more enjoyable for your family members? For example, you might let your kids play their favorite music while they help you prepare dinner, make the salad or set the table.

15. Involve your children in the grocery shopping. Let them read labels with you and help you to make healthy decisions for the family.

16. Make meals a family affair. Family meals are tremendously important. Not only will you be more conscious of what kinds of foods your children are eating, but it will make a ritual out of the family mealtime, which may help to discourage unhealthy snacking before meals.

17. Drink only milk or water with dinner. Soda and other sugary beverages can fill up your kids with empty calories, leaving less room for the good stuff.

18. Demonstrate your reverence for the peaceful family dinner by initiating special rituals even for everyday occasions. Eat on the good china, or try dimming the lights and dining by candlelight.

19. During dinner, talk about the health benefits of various foods on your plate. Before they eat something, my kids will often ask, “What does this food do for my body?” And then we explain in regard to the specific food. This may require you to do some research in advance (or as a family) so that you are familiar with the vitamin and nutrient contents of your favorite meals.

20. Turn off the TV and radio and dial up the conversation. If your kids are not talking or they are bickering, distract them by asking about their favorite part of the day. Everyone gets a turn, and you get a peaceful mealtime. You might enjoy it so much that you will want to celebrate breakfast together, too.