Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
• 1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cups milk
• Carrots- sliced
• chopped green onions

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
3. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meatball subs

I didnt follow this exactly, but it turned out good!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored crackers
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (26.5 ounce) can spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 dinner rolls, split

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine ground beef, onion, green pepper, crackers, and egg in a large bowl. Season with Worcestershire sauce, garlic, seasoned salt, and pepper; mix well. Form mixture into meatballs. Place meatballs in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake meatballs in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Pour the spaghetti sauce into a large saucepan; bring to a simmer over low heat. Stir baked meatballs into the simmering sauce. Do not turn oven off. Simmer sauce until meatballs are fully cooked, about 20 minutes.
4. Place one meatball, a sprinkle of mozzarella, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and a bit of sauce between each roll. Place sandwiches in hot oven; bake until cheeses melt, about 7 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling

INGREDIENTS:

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 5 cups thinly sliced apples

2/3 cup white sugar 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2.	To Make sauce: In a small bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and 1/3 cup flour. Mix well and set aside.
3.	To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss until all ingredients are mixed well and apples are thoroughly coated.
4.	Spoon half of apple filling into pastry-lined deep-dish pan. Top with sauce mixture. Repeat process with remaining apple filling, sauce mixture. Place top pastry over filling and seal well. Cut steam vents and brush top crust with milk or light cream.
5.	Cover pie with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from pie and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden. Serve warm

Pie Crust

Yummy pie Crust

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Mix shortening, flour, and salt together with a fork or a pastry blender until very crumbly. Add as much water as needed to hold together, and mix lightly with a fork. To double this recipe, use 1 cup shortening, 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup cold water.

2.

Roll gently, one crust at a time, on a floured pastry cloth, to about an inch larger than pie plate. Fold carefully in half. Lift to pie plate, and unfold. Fit into pan. For a single-crust pie, trim with a small knife to about 1/2 inch beyond rim. Fold up, and pinch so edge of pie is raised from rim. For a two-crust pie, trim bottom crust to edge of rim, fill, and top with crust about 1/2 inch larger than rim. Tuck top crust under bottom along rim. Seal with floured fork.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

• INGREDIENTS
• 
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Yum yum! I also added chopped up caramel chunks

Go bananas, go go bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

• The somewhat over ripe bananas were on sale at Joe's so I decided to make some banana bread. I came across several recipes claiming to be "the best". I did the only sensible thing to do and made a loaf of 4 different kinds to decide for myself which was the best:
  
• 
  
• 1. Moist and Tasty Banana Bread
  
• * 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
  
• * 1/3 cup melted butter
  
• * 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
  
• * 1 egg, beaten
  
• * 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• * 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• * Pinch of salt
  
• * 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  
• Directions for Moist Banana Bread Recipe
  
• No need for a mixer for this banana bread recipe.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
  
• With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
  
• Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
  
• Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.
  
• Add the flour last, mix.
  
• Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
  
• Bake for 1 hour.
  
• Cool on a rack.
  
• Remove from pan and slice to serve.
  
• 
  
• 2. Best Ever Banana Bread
  
• *2 eggs, beaten
  
• *1/3 cup buttermilk
  
• *1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• *1 cup mashed bananas
  
• *1 1/2 cups white sugar
  
• *1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• *1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• *1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• *1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
  
• DIRECTIONS
  
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
  
• Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
  
• Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.
  
• Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  
• 3. Super-yummy Super-Moist Banana Bread
  
• 
  
• * 1 1/4 cups Granulated Sugar
  
• * 2 Eggs
  
• * 4 tbsp. Sour Cream
  
• * 1 1/2 cups Flour, all-purpose (white)
  
• * 1 tsp. Baking Soda
  
• * 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  
• * 1.5 cups (2-3) ripe Bananas, mashed
  
• Directions
  
• 1. Grease 9" x 5" loaf pan.
  
• 2. Beat together butter and sugar.
  
• 3. Add eggs. Mix well.
  
• 4. Add sour cream, flour, baking soda, vanilla, and bananas. Mix well.
  
• 5. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
  
• 6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 - 55 minutes, or until toothpick in center comes out clean.
  
• 7. Cool on rack
  
• 4.   Ultimate Banana Bread
  
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3 oz. cream cheese
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 2 ripe bananas
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1 tsp baking soda
  
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I like to use bittersweet chocolate chips if you can find them)
  
• Directions:
  
• Heat oven to 350.  Lightly grease a loaf pan and dust with flour.
  
• Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the bananas, egg and sour cream and mix until smooth.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir in chips.  Pour into prepared loaf pan.  Bake for 60 - 75  minutes, until golden and not doughy in the middle.
  
• 
  
• Results:
  
• 1.Moist and Tasty Banana Bread
•  Pro's: It was indeed moist and tasty, simple ingredients that I usually have on hand, t, came out of the pan nicely, easily mixed by hand, easy to improvise new flavors: cinnamon, chocolate, nuts, raisins, craisins, ect.
• Cons: kinda flat

2. Best Ever Banana Bread

Pro's: Chewy on the outside and soft on the inside, came out of pan nicely, not too sweet

Cons: only uses one banana (which is only a con because I had a lot, could be a pro if you only have once banana) 

3. Super-Yummy Super Moist Banana Bread

Pro's: it is a similar recipe to a yummy one my Aunt J'net gave to me, very moist, flavor not overwhelming

Cons: the whole bottom stuck to the pan, would be better with very over ripe bananas

4. Ultimate Banana Bread

Pro's: sweet like a dessert, came out of the pan PERFECTLY, kinda crunchy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside, chocolate is great, smooth texture

Cons: takes a little longer to blend

All in all Ryne and I liked #1 and #4 the best. They are all good in their own way. One great thing about all of these recipes is they can be made into more healthy snacks by substituting apple sauce for the butter/oil and using less sugar. It doesn't come out as rich, but still have the good banana flavor.