MEATBALL SOUP

 This is one of those "throw together" recipes of mine. I took pictures as I made it but wasn't sure I would actually share it. Then when I mentioned it to a group of friends, one of them said, "Well, give me the recipe." I said, "I just threw things together. It's one of those recipes that you can use whatever you want in it that you like." She just looked at me so I said I would write it up.

I usually use ground beef when I make soup, but I  quit buying ground beef after it got so expensive. I buy the bag of frozen small meatballs and I can use them in different recipes such as spaghetti and meatball. 

My amounts are just estimates most of the time. They give you something to start from and feel free to add to it to please your taste. So here you go, Anne.

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MEATBALL SOUP

4       bullion cubes 

3       cups boiling water

1        14.5-oz can diced tomatoes (with basil, garlic, & oregano)

1        8-oz can tomato sauce (with basil, garlic, & oregano)

1         24-oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables

Any additional seasonings you like

Small meatballs (I used about 15 and cut them in smaller pieces after they cooked awhile in the mixture.)

1 or 2  potatoes (depending on size and how much you want to use) diced into small pieces

I use a big pot to make my soup. I use bullion cubes to make my beef broth. You can use broth (canned or carton) if you prefer to add with the cans of tomato products for my liquid base. I usually rinse the cans with water and add that to the mixture also. After I add all of the other ingredients, I add any additional water needed.

Add the frozen mixed vegetables and any leftover vegetables you like in your vegetable soup.

I actually added a few frozen field peas with snaps that needed to be cooked and

some more canned string beans chopped. 

(I didn't this time, but sometimes I add dry macaroni to the mixture. If you do this, you will need to stir if as it cooks to keep the macaroni from sticking to the pot as it cooks.) 

Add the potatoes and  heat to boiling.

I remove the meatballs and cut them up into smaller pieces because I like to have a little meat in every bite. You can leave them whole if you prefer.

Cover and reduce the heat to simmer until done. Everything is done except the potatoes and any thing you added that wasn't cooked. I usually cook mine 30 to 40 minutes. I don't really time it. Stir occasionally.

You can add any additional seasonings that you think it needs. Since I found the seasoned tomato products, I don't add any additional seasoning. My husband will add any seasonings that he likes when he serves up a bowl to eat. I usually just add a little pepper.

PUMPKIN OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

If you follow my blog, you know I make a lot of cookies/bars/quick breads/muffins. There a very good reason for that. Almost four years ago, I started offering treats at my church with the coffee. I started by myself which worked out okay because most people didn't notice they were there with the coffee in the "Cafe". I missed a Sunday and people wanted to know where the treats were. Long story short after a couple of months I started asking some friends if they would help me and Cafe Treats were born. (Because I have some grandchildren who have nut allergies, I am very sensitive about that so when I started the Cafe Treats, I stipulated no nuts to be used so children wouldn't have to worry about participating. The "cooks" weren't always excited about that but I have stayed firm.)

I check each week to make sure we will have enough treats to serve the now very popular treats and if we don't I send out a chat to the group asking for additional volunteers. If we don't have seven volunteers, we will run out. (Everyone is asked to bring three dozen servings.) 

Image my surprise when I checked Saturday afternoon and only three people had signed up. I quickly sent out a chat asking for Help. I also decided I needed to make something to share myself just in case (which is what I usually do). I only host the Cafe Treats in the Cafe once a month now. After two and a half years of baking and hosting every Sunday, I took a step back. For a while the person in charge of hospitality made sure someone hosted and enough people volunteered to bake. Secretly I would check the google document to make sure enough treats would be provided. Now though I host once a month as I said and send out a message if only a few have signed up and I have been baking more.

This time of the year, I like to bake with pumpkin and last week someone brought pumpkin chocolate chip cookies which were very good and very popular. I saw a recipe for them with instant oats also in them. I thought that would taste good. 

It is amazing how delicious these cookies are with only a half a cup of brown sugar and no white sugar. I didn't this time, but next time I make them I am going to use my truvia brown sugar. I can use Zero Sugar chocolate chips if I want to make them totally sugar free. Sometimes I just go on and use dark chocolate chips because the sugar is less and say they are sugar free except for the sugar in the chocolate chips. I can also use gluten free flour and take them to my dentist office for the staff.

I really like these cookies. The recipe is different than most. They make a soft cookie but I love the oats and special dark chcolate chips. I went into detail in the recipe about my experimenting with shaping them to bake for different results. Since I only use a tablespoon size cookie scoop, the recipe made four and half dozen cookies. I kept the first twelve I made in round mounds since they look smaller but actually aren't.

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PUMPKIN OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2    cup light brown sugar, packed

3/4   cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened but not melted

1        cup canned pumpkin puree

1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2       large eggs

1        cup flour

1        teaspoon baking powder

1/2    teaspoon salt

1        teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2    teaspoon ground nutmeg

2       cups quick-cooking oats

1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.

(Mixture may not be smooth.)Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour in the pumpkin and vanilla and mix to combine and again scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the dry ingredients and whisk together til well mixed.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture mixing till wet each time.

Add the chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop, drop dollops about 2 inches apart. (Cookies do not spread much.) Note: I tried three different ways to do this and was happiest with the last method.

The first pan I left dollops round with the flat side down.

With the second pan, I flattened the dollop with my fingers until a flat top.

The third time, I removed the dollop from the scoop and placed it with flat side up and

then flattened. 

Bake for 12+ minutes. (I baked mine 14 minutes trying to get them to a golden brown, but didn't really. I didn't want to overbake them though. They turned out great.)

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack. 

CHICKEN COBBLER

I'm not sure how many different chicken casserole recipes I have. We eat a lot of chicken and love chicken pot pie. While this is different from that, it is similar in that it contains the shredded chicken, potatoes, carrots, and peas. I guess the Red Lobster Garlic and Cheese biscuit mix makes this recipe different.

The recipe makes a large amount in a 9 x 13 - inch pan and it is only the two of us, so that means we enjoyed the "cobbler" for several days after. It does warm up nicely in the microwave.

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CHICKEN COBBLER

1     box Garlic & Herb Biscuit Mix (like Red Lobster Cheddar Bay mix)

1     large can chicken

1     can peas & carrots (or two small cans of each)

1     can potatoes (diced)

1     can evaporated milk

1     can cream of chicken soup

1/2  cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Drain the canned chicken, but save the broth. Shred the chicken with a fork.

Drain the peas and carrots and potatoes. Cut the potatoes into small pieces.

Combine the chicken, peas and carrots, and potatoes and

spread in the baking pan.

In a bowl, mix the biscuit mix with its seasoning packet and the evaporated milk.

Stir until blended.

Carefully pour/spread the batter over the mixture in the pan spreading to the edges.

Set aside.

In the same bowl, combine the soup, the reserved broth, and 1/2 cup water.

Stir until smooth,

then pour this over the biscuit layer.

Do not stir.

Bake uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. 

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

GREEK YOGURT BANANA CRANBERRY BREAD

 One thing I hope to make a dent in this fall and winter is my collection of recipes in boxes and plastic tubs. I have so many but I just can't dump them in the recycle barrel without going through and "touching" every one and maybe finding a winner or two. When I finish the tubs, I need to sort through all my cookbooks, but that's going to take a while.

I needed something to take to church for the Cafe Treats and this recipe caught my eye. I had one banana we had not eaten and of course several in the freezer that I freeze before they need to be thrown out. I also have plenty of dried cranberries and my husband had the plain nonfat Greek yogurt. The recipe calls for nuts but I just left them out. I decided to chop the dried cranberries so it would be easier to slice the bread.

I made three mini-loaves which I sliced into about 12 slices and then down the middle. This gives me plenty for the Cafe Treats. I left out the 1/2 cup chopped walnuts because the Cafe Treats is a nut-free zone, but if you want to include them that's how much you need.

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GREEK YOGURT BANANA CRANBERRY BREAD

2       cups four

1        cup sugar

3/4   teaspoon baking soda

1/2    teaspoon salt

1/4    cup melted butter

2       large eggs

1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large)

2/3    cup plain Greek nonfat yogurt

1/2     cup chopped dried cranberries

1         teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan or 3 mini-loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt with a whisk. Set aside.

Melt the butter and mash the ripe bananas and chop the dried cranberries.

(I dusted the chopped cranberries with a little flour)

Add the butter, eggs, bananas, yogurt, and dried cranberries.

Stir well.

Add the vanilla extract and stir well again.

Pour batter in a large loaf pan or spoon evenly between the three mini-loaf pans.

Bake until done (55 minutes for a large loaf or about 40 minutes for the mini loaves)

Cool 10 minutes in the loaves before removing from the pans and cool completely on a rack. 

Slice and enjoy...