Marie's Bread Bowls

5 1/2 - 6 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 T. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. water
1 c. milk
2 T. butter

Combine 2 c. flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm. Gradually add to dry ingredients. Bean 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; shape each into a ball. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover, let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. With sharp knife, make 4 1/4" deep slashes in crisscross fashion on top of loaves. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire rack. Cut off one-third of loaf; hollow out loaf to form 1/4" thick bowl. Fill with soup.

**I used 2 c. wheat flour, mixing it in initially with the sugar, yeast, and salt. I also divided the dough into 6 portions--4 of them smaller kid-portions. This recipe comes directly from my mother-in-law. They were perfect for soup bowls!

Potato, Cream Cheese, Bacon & Chive Soup

1 Yellow Onion, diced
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 teaspoon Thyme
Sea or Kosher salt and Fresh Black Pepper
6 cups Potatoes, 1/2-inch cubes
4 cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
2 cups Milk
4 ounces Cream Cheese (not fat-free)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 cup Chives or Green Onion, chopped*
5-6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan saute the onion and thyme in oil until soft and tender, season well with salt and pepper.

2. Add potatoes and broth. Simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Carefully remove two cups of the potatoes and puree with a blender/immersion blender.

3. Add the pureed soup back in along with the milk, cream cheese, Parmesan, chives and bacon. Bring to a simmer and stir the cream cheese into the soup as it melts. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Serves 4.

**I found the recipe here. I didn't have 6 cups of potatoes, so I substituted a couple cups of carrots. So GOOD!

Italian Wedding Soup

Meatballs:
1 pound Ground Beef, 80-85% lean
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Sea or Kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon Fresh Black Pepper

Soup:
1/2 cup Carrots, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2-3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Sea or Kosher salt and Fresh Black Pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Basil
6 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 - 2/3 cup Tubettini or Ditalini*
2/3 cup Chopped Spinach, frozen or 2 cups Fresh, chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated, plus more for serving

1. Mix all the meatball ingredients together in a large bowl using a fork. Form into small meatballs about the size of a quarter using your hands. Set aside.

2. In a large soup pot saute onion and carrot in 2-3 tablespoons of Olive oil over medium-low heat until soft and tender, season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic and basil; saute until fragrant.

3. Add chicken broth and turn up heat and bring to a slow boil. When it begins to boil add meatballs carefully one at a time. Add tubettini and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 25 minutes.

4. Stir in parsley and Parmesan cheese. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve with additional Parmesan and crusty bread.

(For a heartier soup with less broth add 2/3 cup pasta, for more broth add 1/2 cup.)

**I found this recipe here. I didn't do meatballs, although I think they would be delicious. But for ease, I cooked 1/2 lb ground beef with the onions and carrots. It was REALLY good!

AllRecipes Carrot Cake III

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Found this recipe at AllRecipes.com. We loved it! I cut the oil to 3/4 c. Next time I will probably cut it even more (maybe 1/2 c.) and add a little applesauce (1/2 c. also) since it was on the dry side.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe online and made a few adjustments (i.e. wheat flour, larger batch). They turned out delicious and very filling.

1 3/4 c. wheat flour
2 c. white flour
3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 ripe bananas, cut in chunks
3 eggs
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Blueberries (maybe 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 375. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut bananas into chunks and puree in a blender. Add eggs, brown sugar, butter, and vanilla. Blend again. Pour this mixture into flour mixture and stir well to combine. Gently fold in blueberries. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes until risen and golden brown. Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then put on a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes 24

Best Ever Chocolate Sauce

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. dry cocoa
2 c. sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, cocoa, sugar, and evaporated milk in sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil 4 minutes. Add vanilla. Serve over ice cream or use as a fondue dipping sauce.

(Mine was a little lumpy which could be because of my cheap cocoa, so I think next time I'd melt the butter with the cocoa first, then add the milk and sugar.)

Orange Rolls

This recipe was given to me by one of my favorite roommates in college. It was her Grandma Karnely's recipe for dinner rolls or cinnamon rolls. I've always used it for the latter. Just recently, though, I tried it with the Lion House recipe for orange rolls and added part wheat flour. They turned out really nice!

Rolls:
4 T. yeast
1/2 c. water
4 c. scalded milk
1 c. sugar
4 t. salt
1 c. shortening (I use half butter)
4 eggs
12+ c. flour (I used 6 c. wheat, mixed in first)

Raise yeast in warm water with a little sugar. Let milk cool to lukewarm. Add shortening to milk. Then add sugar, salt, eggs, yeast, and 6 cups flour. Beat with mixer. Add other 6 cups and mix/knead to a soft dough. Cover and let rise to double. (Dough should be soft but not sticky.) Shape into rolls. Let rise. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Makes 2+ jelly roll pans.

Orange Filling:
3/4 c. butter, melted
Zest of 3 oranges
6 Tbsp. sugar

Stir together butter and zest. Divide dough in half. Roll one part to rectangle shape about 1/4-inch thick. Brush dough with half of the orange butter and 3 Tbsp. sugar. Cut and roll like cinnamon rolls. Place on greased jelly roll pan. Repeat with 2nd half of dough. Let rise to double. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes (til top is slightly brown). Cool 10 to 15 minutes, drizzle with icing.

Orange Icing:
3 c. powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. orange juice, squeezed from zested oranges
4-8 Tbsp. milk or cream

Mix together. The hotter the rolls are when frosted, the thicker the frosting needs to be (add 1 to 2 tsp. of orange zest, if desired).