Dad's Old Fashioned Hamburger Soup - with the secret ingredient

Tonya was looking at stuff on Facebook and she ran across this recipe.  

Since it is cold out and I'm looking for some "comfort food", this looks like this will fit the bill.  Time to start cooking...

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 white onion, peeled and diced
3 to 4 stalks of celery, sliced
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 envelope onion soup mix
6 cups water, more to desired consistency
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained
2 or 3 carrots, sliced
2 or 3 potatoes, cut into small cubes
2 or 3 cups of macaroni
garlic salt, to taste
shredded parmesan cheese, to serve
sour cream, to serve

Stuff you will need

Porcelain Dutch Oven
Pam cooking spray
Cutting board
Sharp knife
Wooden spoon
Vegetable peeler
Mandolin (for slicing the carrots thinly)
Steamer (to cook the veggies, see pro tip)
2 quart pot & colander (to cook the macaroni, see pro tip)
Ladle
Love (secret ingredient)

Directions

In the cold dutch oven, spray the inside with Pam cooking spray.  You will thank me when it comes time to clean up.

Brown ground beef, along with the celery and onion in a large pot.

Add spices and onion soup mix.

Stir in water, add corn, diced tomato, tomato sauce and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients up to the potatoes bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until potatoes and carrots are tender about 30 minutes. (Add more water if needed).  

Pro tip:  I have a steamer that I should have steamed the potatoes and carrots.  Then they would have been fully cooked and cut down on the requirement to boil them in the soup.  I will remember that for next time.

Pro tip #2: Tonya said to boil the macaroni separately.  Once it is done, add it to the soup.  Again, cuts down on the wait time so that you can have this soup.

Season to taste with garlic salt.  Although I used Garlic Plus, something that I was able to get at Superstore.  Not quite as salty (Obviously)

Serve with shredded parmesan cheese and sour cream.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome!

Mum's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Who doesn't love sugar cookies.  Seems to be a holiday favorite around my house.  Gotta break out the Christmas Cookie Cutters.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (250 mL) white sugar
1 cup (250 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt

Stuff you will need

Electric mixer
Rolling pin
Cookie cutter

Directions

With electric mixture, beat sugar, butter and vanilla until mixture is creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.  Add eggs beating after each egg; beat thoroughly. 

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Beat the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.

Roll out cookie dough to 1/4" (0.6 cm) onto a lightly floured board. For best results, do not roll cookie dough too thin. Use cookie cutters of your choice for a variety of different shapes and sizes. Place cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets.

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10 minutes or until the underside of cookies turn golden brown.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies

My daughter-in-law asked my wife if "someone" could make these for her.

Tonya went to the store and came home with the ingredients.  Now it's on me to get creative and get cracking!

Ingredients

2 x 7 oz boxes Blueberry Muffin mix
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Stuff you will need

Mixer with batter paddle
Cookie sheets
Parchment paper
Fridge
Love and Patience

Directions

Cream together butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar. 

Add eggs one at a time until blended. 

Combine muffin mix with the butter mixture and mix well. 

Fold in white chocolate chips. 

Chill for at least one hour. 

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 14-15 minutes at 350 F, or until just turning brown around the edges. 

Cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes. 

Transfer to wire rack until completely cooled.

***Pro Tip***

Bake a small batch at first… if they come out flat, try to chill the batter for a while longer. 

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!

Pizza Cake

I was at work and I got this email about a Pizza Cake.  WELL...  looks like something that I'm going to HAVE to try to make.

When I do make this, I will be cleaning up this blog and seeing if I need to add or modify to this.

Ingredients

2 cans Pillsbury™ refrigerated classic pizza crust
1 1/2 cups pizza sauce (from 15-oz can)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)
1 cup sliced pepperoni
1 tablespoon butter, if desired

Stuff You Will Need

Spring Pan (small)
Parchment Paper

Directions

Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil.

Measure diameter of tall-sided ovenproof pan. (Pan used was 6-inch in diameter with 4-inch high side.) Unroll 1 can of dough onto work surface; press out into thin layer. Cut out 3 (6-inch) rounds; place on cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool.

Unroll remaining can of dough; cut 2 additional (6-inch) rounds from long edge of dough, leaving opposite side untouched. Place rounds on cooled cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet; cool.

Meanwhile, line pan with cooking parchment paper so that ends of paper stick up and out of pan. Cut long strip of dough at least 1/2 inch wider than height of pan. Carefully drape long strip of dough around inside edge of pan to line, leaving 1/2 inch hanging over outside edge of pan and bottom of pan open. Pinch seam to seal.

Carefully place 1 partially baked crust round in bottom of pan. Spread pizza sauce over crust; top with pepperoni slices and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese (when cheese melts, crust above will stick to it). Repeat to make 3 more layers. For top layer, place last crust over cheese; sprinkle with remaining cheese and arrange remaining pepperoni on top.

Fold overhanging dough over top layer of pizza cake to make a raised crust edge.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until dough around pizza cake is fully cooked. (To test, carefully pull up parchment paper to raise pizza cake out of pan.) Once completely baked, cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove pizza cake from pan; brush crust with butter. Use sharp knife to cut slices like you would a cake.

Original website: 
https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/pepperoni-pizza-cake/a39070fb-2d1a-462c-a557-5876909c247c?utm_source=quora&utm_medium=referral

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome!