Pasta Fazool

1 lbs smoked sausage, sliced (I prefer polish kielbasa)
2 large onions diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 celery stalks,minced, plus a few extra leaves
1 lrg can diced tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans (rinse)
1 can red kidney beans (rinse)
1/2 pkg. frozen chopped spinach
1/2 tbsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp basil leaves
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 cup of shell pasta
chicken broth

Put all but pasta and beans into slow-cooker and add chicken broth to 2 inches from the top. Simmer on high 2 hrs or low 4 hrs. One hour before serving add beans. 30 minutes before serving add pasta.

Ham and Beer Cheese Soup

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 tbs butter
3 cups half-and-half cream
3 cups diced ham
1 (16 oz) loaf Velveeta, cubed
1 can beer
1 cup broth, divided
3 tbsp flour

Saute' onion and celery with butter till tender and starting to caramelize. Add cream, ham, cheese, beer and 3/4 cup broth. Stir constantly until cheese melts. In a small jar or container with a lid add left over broth and flour. Sake it up until all flour is dissolved then add to soup; stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Serve with a little cheese sprinkled on top.

Orange Cake

1 box of orange cake mix
1 box of instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup oil
1/2 cup of candied orange peel, chopped

Mix together with mixer for about 2 minutes. Bake in a lightly greased bundt pan in a 325 degree for 45 to 50 minutes.

Glaze
1 cup sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of orange juice

Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Pour over cake while it is till hot and let stand for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and serve.

Focaccia bread

1 1/3 cup of starter
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 cups of all purpose flour

Combine above ingredients, kneading in flour 1/2 cup at a time. Set the oven on warm for a couple of minutes and place a metal loaf pan of water in the bottom of oven. Shape dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled glass bowl. Cover dough with lightly dampened towel. Let dough rise in oven until doubled, about an hour.

Pour olive oil onto an 11x17 inch baking sheet. Place dough onto floured surface and gently stretch dough to fit in pan. Fold dough into fourths gently and then put dough into pan. Using fingertips gently nudge dough into retangle. Cover with towel and place back into oven to rise for 30 to 40 minutes.

Take out dough and water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make indentations into dough with your finger tips. Brush more olive oil onto bread. Sprinkle on salt, garlic, oregano overe the surface of bread. Bake until crisp on the bottom about 30 to 35 minutes. Serve with dipping oil and enjoy.

Sour Dough Bread

2 cups of proofed starter
3 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbsp of olive oil
4 tsp of sugar
2 tsp of salt.

Pour sponge into glass mixing bowl and add oil. Give it a stir with a plastic spoon. Combine two cups of flour with the sugar and salt. Sometimes when you add the sugar and salt with the starter it can kill off your yeast, especially if your yeast is not very active. I mix mine by hand so I can feel if I am about to over knead the dough. First add the remaining cup of flour to starter and mix, then slowly add the flour mixture. You can use a bread machine for mixing your dough. Knead for about 5 minutes on a floured surface if your dough is kinda wet. Spray cooking spray on your surface instead if your dough is kinda dry. When done your dough should feel like a baby's butt.

Let your dough rise in the oven. Set the oven on warm for a couple of minutes. Place a small loaf pan full of water in the bottom of the oven. Place dough in a glass bowl and then place dough in the oven. Let the dough rise until it is double in sized. About an hour. When you poke the dough with your finger and it the pit it makes does not heal back you have risen dough.

Punch down dough and form dough into loaf of bread or just place on a baking sheet. Place bread back into oven with pan of water and let dough double in bulk again.

When doubled remove water from oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Do not preheat oven. Loaf is done when the crust is brown and the bottom sounds hollow. Let cool before slicing.

Sourdough Starter

4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 1/2 cups of water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Boil potatoes in water until potatoes are tender. Drain liquid and put 1 1/4 of potatoe water into a large glass container (bowl, Mason Jar, or a glass canister. Add flour, sugar, and salt, stir lightly with a plastic spoon only. Some metal utensils can react with the starter and kill off your yeast. Cover container with a cloth such as a cheese cloth or a kitchen towel. Let starter sit in a warm place for 4 days. If you starter is bubbly and spongy looking you have starter. If it is not bubbling yet what another day and check again. Mine took a week.

Feed starter every week with a half cup of water and a half cup of four. Store your starter in a plastic container in the fridge. Sometimes I use pineapple juice instead of water when I am planning to make a sweet bread with my starter. If your starter seems inactive and does not give a good rise when baking you can add a package of yeast when you feed it. Just to give it a little boost.

I always sponge my starter before I cook with it, just to give my starter alittle more strength. To proof pour all of your starter into a glass bowl, add a cup of four and a cup of water. Stir well with plastic spoon and leave in the oven over night. I set my oven on warm for a couple of minutes. Just to give my starter a nice warm, moist womb to proof in. First test the oven, when you place your hand on the side wall and it is too hot to touch then it is too hot for your starter. Let it cool a bit and check again. When your starter is frothy and bubbly and it smells a little sour, it is ready. Get you bake on.

Nic's Chili

I use a lot of spices and different kinds of meat combinations plus I also do something different each time I make it. It took a while but I think I have it figured out. I've cooked it in a crock pot, on the stove, and in the oven. Next I want to try it in a smoker to give it that smoky flavor.

4 dried ancho peppers
1 dried chipotle pepper
1 dried large habanero pepper
cut two slits into each pepper and boil for 30 minutes in four cups of water. When done peel peppers, discard peal and mince the flesh and save the water for your chili.

2 lbs of lean meat. It can be hamburger, stew beef, cut up roast or a deer ham. One thing about cooking with deer you need to know how it died. If it was a good clean kill the meat should be okay. If the deer was ran by dogs or the first shot was not the killing shot the meat will have a stronger gamer taste, tougher meat and sometimes that make a chili bitter. I don't know why it just does. When I use deer meat I also add one pound of spicey ground pork sausage.

2 medium sized onions chopped
1 large bell pepper chopped
1-2 cloves of minced garlic
1 can of chili seasoned (chili ready) diced tomatoes
4 tbsp of mexican chili powder
3 tbsp cummin
2 tbsp dried cilantro
2 tbsp paprika
2 bay leaves
2 tbs oregano
1 tbsp sugar
A few shakes of Morton's Nature's seasons. I put that stuff on everything.

Throw all of these into a crockpot, give it a really good stir and let sit on high for 4 hrs or low for 6-8 hrs. Make sure you stir it every hour so it does not stick and burn on the sides of the crock pot. Now there is problem I run into often when I make chili. The spices give it a bitter taste; come to find out I was not using good high quality fresh spices. If you think it is too bitter for you dial down some of the paprika and chili powder. About an hour before you serve dish a little chili out for you to taste and to see if there is anything else you would like to add or if you want it to cook longer. My dad said once that chili needs to be ripe not green so let it cook longer if it needs.

My add ins. These are the things I like to add in if I feel like it and if they are on hand. Canned green chillies, salsa instead of canned tomatoes, some hot sauce and I also throw in a few good shakes of garlic powder and onion powder. Its one of my things. Also I have noticed my chili taste better the next day when I rewarm it. I don't know why it just does. You could also sauté the onions and bell pepper until the onions start to carmalize it gives it a little more flavor. Also instead of using water when boiling your peppers you could use chicken broth.

Candied Orange Peels

Here is the candied recipe with a few tweaks and tips.

Never ever double this recipe. When doubled you are at greater risk of burning your citrus. You know what they say about burnt citrus..............no really tell me!!
Cut the peel of 3 oranges (you can use 2 grapefruits instead) into 4 sections. Remove peel carefully because you want to work with a large section, its just easier. With a spoon scrape the white pith off of the skin. Its a pain but it also removes a lot of bitterness. Cut peel lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips. boil peels in 8 cups of water for 30 minutes; drain and repeat 2x.

In a second pot bring 2 cups of sugar and a cup of water to a boil, stirring constantly (it makes your spanking hand stronger) until the sugar is dissolved. Add peel and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes. In reality I babysit the pot the whole time and have been known to set the timer to remind me to stir every 5 minutes.

Drain in a strainer. I do this in the sink and then us boiling hot water to rinse all the sugar down the drain. Roll peel in 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar then allow to cool on wax paper till dry and hardened. Save the sugar you used. You know have candy and lightly orange infused sugar for other baking and such. I like to use the sugar for making orange biscotti.

Creamy Noodle Veggie Soup

Two packages of Knorr's Sides Plus Alfredo Pasta Primavera
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 tbsp butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar
one can black beans, rinsed
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp powder garlic
1 tsp season salt
pepper

Bring liquids to a low boil (don't let the milk scold) then add pasta pouch. Stir in shredded cheese and spices. Let cook on medium for about 15 minutes. Just before serving throw in black beans. Sprinkle the top with slivered almonds and serve with a slice of toasted pumpernickel and you've got lunch.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 0z room temp cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup room tempt butter
1 egg (room temp too)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a whisk to lighten the flour up and break up any clumps. With a mixer beat (medium high) butter and cream cheese together then add sugar and mix till kinda fluffy. Then beat in egg and vanilla just until combined. Turn down mixer to a medium low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Separate your dough into two parts and then put your dough into plastic containers and seal. Leave dough in the frig for 2 hours. Roll out and cut. Cook at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. I highly recommend unsalted butter not margarine. Margarine has too much water in it and your cookies spread out and flatten when they cook. If you use salted butter omit the salt in your recipe.

If you want to make ginger bread replace 1/4 cup of flour with coco powder and sprinkle in 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice. I like mine really spicy so I use 1 tsp of pumpkin spice. To sprinkle on colored sugar in a heart shape cut out a heart from a small sheet of wax paper. Lay on top of cookie and sprinkle on sugar. I kinda patted mine down and added on another layer of sugar just so the red would stand out more and then ripped away the paper real fast so the excesses sugar did not jack up my lines.

Other variations.

Maple-Walnut cookies
Prepare dough above but add 2 cups finely chopped walnuts to flour mixture and 1 tsp maple extract to butter mixture. Shape into 1 inch balls and bake at 15 minutes. Roll warm balls into powder sugar.

Pecan Bars
Prepare dough above, and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 x 10 pan with wax paper over lapping pan for easy removal, lightly spray bottom and sides with cooking spray. Press dough into bottom of pan and bake for 20 minutes till lightly browned. Combine 2 eggs, 1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar, 2/3 cup light corn syrup, 1/4 cup melted butter and 1 tsp of vanilla. Stir until well blended, add 3 cups of chopped pecans. Spread nut mixture evenly over warm crust. Bake an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Using wax paper remove from pan, and cut into bars.

Nic's Pasta

Small Egg Noodles enough to serve 6
Two cans of diced tomatoes. The Italian seasoned kind.
Can of black beans, drained and rinsed
Can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
Four chicken breast, boneless (because I am lazy)
One large onion, chopped
One large bell pepper, chopped
Chop up about a handful of fresh baby spinach, more if you like spinach
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp Nature's seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

First in a small bowl combine spices. Cook the chicken breast in a skillet with olive oil. Half way through the cooking liberally sprinkle the seasonings on each side. Turn often and add more spices when necessary. This takes time but in the end the chicken breast will be a little crispy on the outside with the spices as the crust and juicy on the inside.

As soon as you start cooking the chicken start the bell pepper with a drizzle of olive oil in a second pan. Add the onion just a few minutes later. The bell pepper cooks longer than the onion. Start the pan on a medium high setting. After everything seems to warm up a bit lower to a medium low setting. Let the onion and bell pepper cooking slowly, stirring often, until the onions start to caramelize. MMMM Tasty!

When the chicken and onions seem to be nearing completion put water on to boil for the noodles. The small egg noodles cook up in a little over five minutes. When done drain and return to the pot and continue on a low medium heat. Now you are just warming through.

Over low heat drop in a tbsp of butter and stir until melted. Add beans, spinach, tomatoes, and the peppers and onions. If you only like your spinach slightly welted then stir it in just before you serve.

Slice up chicken and place on top of a bed of the noodle mixture. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese if you like. We like to eat this with garlic bread and a salad.

Bread Dippin'

Here is my newest fun thing to cook. I made up a spice mix, with flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping bread in. Amazing enough the kids love it!!

My spice mixture is:

1 tbsp of a good fine ground sea salt.
1 tbsp dried onion
1 tbsp dried garlic
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.
Here is where you get can a real punch of flavor.
mince up fresh basil and rosemary 1 tbsp each

Mix this together. This can be stored in a sealed container for a week or so. I have kept ours for two weeks now and it seems to have gotten a stronger taste. This does make a lot of spice mix so I would try to use it up with various Italian meals or just cut the measurements in half.
Now get a real nice extra virgin olive oil, don't skimp on cost. You want the clearest oil you can find. Just hold up the bottles in the light and compare. It is now time to get some nice balsamic vinegar. This was a new adventure for me and did a little looking around on the Internet for some suggestions. In the end I wound up with a bottle of Colavita 6 star aged sweet vinegar. Still pretty low priced but for experiment sake it works. I then flavored my oil with a few leaves of fresh basil and a couple of sprigs of rosemary and let the oil sit for least two hours before serving.

Spoon a nice pile of spices in a shallow plate pour on some vinegar and oil and serve with a nice warm crusty bread. Enjoy this with your favorite Italian meal or use at a finger food gathering.

Tea Frappe

I have discovered Frappes and life is good.

Recipe Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk (I use 1%)
* 2 cups Crushed Ice
* 1/4 cup Sugar
* 1 tsp Pectin
* 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
* 4 oz Double Strength Coffee (I use what ever flavor of tea I feel like)


How To Make

1. Stir together the milk, vanilla extract, sugar and hot coffee.
2. Then add the pectin to give it some body.
3. Pour the mixture into a blender and add the crushed ice. Whisk it until thick.
4. Serve up and enjoy! Serves two.


This is way better than guzzling plain old milk for that extra calcium.

Salisbury Steak

This is one of Chris's favorite meals and a great company meal. You can make it ahead and just let the Crockpot cook.

5lb hamburger
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
all seasons are 1tsp (you can adjust any way you want)
nature's season
garlic powder
oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
1/8 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all together , form patties, and brown in a skillet. While browning cut up a large onion.

Gravy
4 packets of brown gravy mix
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
5 cups of water. I prefer chicken broth.
Just mix it all together it will cook when you bake the patties.

Put the patties in a baking dish with onions and gravy, cover with foil, and cook at 350 for two hours. I cook mine sometimes in the crock pot on high for at least four hours. I make the gravy with a little more broth to make the gravy thinner because the water evaporates from a Crockpot. I highly recommend you try this once for your family before you serve this for company. You might want to tweak the spices or some other thing to suit it towards your taste.