Cream Cheese Chicken and Vegetable Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
3 cups chicken broth
2-3 potatoes, peeled and finely diced
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons flour
1 (8 oz. package) regular or light cream cheese
2-3 (about 1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

DIRECTIONS:
In a large pot, melt the butter and add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Saute, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes, until the veggies are slightly tender and the onions are translucent. Add the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the flour and milk together until smooth. Whisk the mixture into the soup, stirring quickly, and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, until the soup begins to thicken slightly. Stir often to ensure the soup doesn’t burn. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave until soft. Add the cream cheese to the soup in small tablespoon-size pieces. Let the pieces sit in the soup and warm through, then stir the soup until the cream cheese melts and mixes in well. Add the cooked chicken and heat through. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Grandpa's Fudge

3 cups sugar
3 T. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook sugar, cocoa, salt, and milk to soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Pour into pan and let cool.

My Grandpa Farrell made this special treat while we were growing up, and all of my kids love it.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter or butter flavored Crisco
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream together the above ingredients, then add:

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Shape into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar and place on greased cookie sheet (or silpat lined). Criss cross with a fork to flatten. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe from Mom.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour bottom only of a loaf pan (or use 3 small loaf pans). In a large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes (about 40 minutes for smaller loaf pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. Makes 1 loaf.

Recipe from Mels Kitchen Cafe.

Scotcharoos

1 cup corn syrup
1 cup of sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6-8 cups Special K cereal or Rice Krispies
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil, add peanut butter. Mix this with the cereal. Pour into a 9 by 13 inch well greased pan. Melt the chips together, spread on top. Let it cool before serving.

German Pancake

4 T. butter, cut into chunks
6-7 eggs
1 c. milk
1 c. flour
2-3 T. sugar
salt

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Drop the butter chunks in a 9x13 glass baking dish, and put in the oven to melt while the oven is preheating and you're working on the batter.

Beat together eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and a shake or two of salt, mix well, but don't worry about small lumps. Pour into melted butter in baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. The pancake puffs up a lot. Serve with maple syrup, or with sprinkled powder sugar and sliced strawberries.

Recipe from Audrey.

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
1-2 limes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Put milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too (about 2 T. juice). Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend well. Add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken. I like it best after at least a day in the fridge.

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites. Great served on sweet and spicy pork soft tacos and Cafe Rio type salads.