Teresa's Wild Rice & Chicken Soup

5 2/3 cups water

1 package Uncle Bens long grain and wild rice mix

1 tablespoon chicken base paste

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cans cream of chicken soup

2 medium carrots, cut small

celery

1 cup chicken, cooked and cut into pieces

Put water, rice mix and chicken base together and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add vegetables. Cook for 15 minutes. Add chicken and soup. Let simmer another 10 minutes.

Pear Muffins

I had a lot of pears that I needed to find a use for. I did a recipe search and stumbled upon these muffins. They are especially great warm.

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp butter, very soft

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 cups pears, peeled and diced

Preheat oven to 375* F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with baking cups. In a medium bowl, cream butter with brown sugar. Beat in eggs one by one, followed by yogurt. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Mixture will be thick. Add pears and stir just until well distributed. Fill muffin cups evenly with the mixture. Each cup should be quite full. Bake at 375* F for 17-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clen. Cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Source: Baking Bites

Whole Wheat Waffles

1 -3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

2 egg whites

1 -3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup applesauce

In a large mixing bowl stir flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a small mixing bowl beat egg yolks, milk, vanilla and applesauce. Add to the flour mixutre all at once. Stir mixute until blended. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold beaten egg whites into origianl mixture. Do not over mix. Pour batter onto preheated waffle iron, sprayed with cooking spray.

Chicken Roll-ups

2 cups cooked chicken

8 ounces cream cheese

4 Tablespoons mayonnaise

2-3 mushrooms, chopped (optional)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 box (6 ounces) Stove Top Stuffing, crushed

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, pepper, mushrooms and chicken. Take 2 cresent rolls and pinch seams together. Fill with 1-2 tablespoons chicken mixture. Fold over cresent and seal the edges. Dip in melted butter, then crushed stuffing. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Oatmeal Blueberry Applesauce Muffins

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In medium bowl combine the applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, oil and egg. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add in the applesauce mixture. Stir together just until moist. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter into 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Source: Joy the Baker

Chicken and Bean Stew

This is a recipe from the Food network that I changed a bit based on personal preference, and what I had on hand.  We really liked it, and will make it again.

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, finely chopped (I added cooked turkey bacon at the end to individual bowls)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound red potatoes, cut into cubes
4 cups chicken broth
1 can of chicken (from Costco) 
Two 15.5-ounce cans small white beans, rinsed ( I used one can white, one can kidney beans)
5 ounces fresh spinach
Salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until cooked but not crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and chicken broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the chicken and white beans to the stew and cook until heated through. Just before serving, stir in the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spinach Lentil Soup

1 cup shredded carrots 1 large onion, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 cups water 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa 1 1/4 cups dried lentils, rinsed 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, torn

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, saute carrots and onion in oil until tender. Add the water, salsa, lentils and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach; simmer 5-10 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Source: Allrecipes

Magic in the Middle Cookies

Source: King Arthur Flour These cookies were very tasty.  Because of the two step process they take a little longer to make than regular drop cookies, but they are worth it. CHOCOLATE DOUGH 1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened baking cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging) 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg PEANUT BUTTER FILLING 3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Grease the bottom of a drinking glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack. For tips on making a double batch or preparing the dough ahead, go to the King Arthur Flour website

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

These are my favorite sugar cookies.  They are very soft and thick. 

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 cups flour

1 teaspoon soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients.  Roll out thick and cut into shapes.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Don't overbake.  They should not be brown at all.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1/2 cup margarine

2 teaspoons vanilla

16 ounce package powdered sugar

Blend together cream cheese, butter or margarine and vanilla until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
1 large purple onion, chopped