Sunday, February 24, 2013

Potato Cheese Soup from Shauna

I wanted to make potato soup for my mom and dad and I could not find the recipe posted, so I had to find where I kept it and post this.  This is one of our favorites and we got it from Shauna when she went to Snow College and one of her roommates made this.  It might look hard but it really is very easy!

Potato Cheese Soup from Shauna
1-2 carrots, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 onion chopped, diced
3 medium potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
2 cans chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
6 Tblsp butter
6 Tblsp flour
5 cups milk or half and half
3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese or Cheddar Cheese

In one pan:
Cut onion as fine as you can and saute in butter
Add 2 cans chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, pepper, salt, garlic powder.  Add tomatoes.  Boil until onions and potatoes are tender.

In another pan:
Melt 6 Tblsp, butter, add flour, add milk, Using a whisk, stir together real good. Cook for a minute or two until thickened
Pour the pan with vegetables into this pan.
Bring to Boil, Take off stove, Add the 3 cups cheese.  Put lid on to help melt the cheese and keep warm, and to soften/thicken.
Stir all together before serving
If soup needs to be reheated, just do bowls separately in microwave or the soup will burn.

*I have added broccoli to this as well and cauliflower, yummy!

For the nourishing of the soul:
Here is one of my favorite scriptures:
D&C 88:63
"Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you"

WE talked about this in SS today, the most important thing we can do is have a good relationship with our Father in Heaven.  WE need to PRAY OFTEN!, as we draw near to Him, He is always there for us.  He loves us so much and wants to bless us, however, because we came to earth to be tried and tested and endure adversity in order to build trust in Him and to build our character, He cannot always answer our prayers to everything we want, He will do "that which is expedient for you" so as we Trust Him, we will know that some of our answers need to be No, and sometimes they get to be YES! 
I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father!




Watergate Salad

I went home to visit my mom and dad and family last week, and my mother made this a couple of times, it is a tradition at the Walters house, so I thought I should include it here for my daughters to carry on the tradition!

Watergate Salad

1 (4 oz) pkg instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juice, undrained
1 cup miniature marshmallows
2 cups Cool Whip
1/2 cup chopped nuts if desired (we do not usually add this)

Stir pudding mix, pineapple with juice, marshmallows, and nuts in a large bowl until well blended.

Gently stir in Cool Whip

Refrigerate one hour until ready to serve!

We always double the recipe, and of course it comes out green so it  is great for Christmas and ST Patrick's Day as well!

Enjoy!

For the nourishing of the soul:
While in Arizona my sister drove me out to see the new temple being built, it was so pretty it brought tears to my eyes!  I love seeing so many temples being erected!  So here is one of my favorite scriptures:
D&C 87: 8  "Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold , it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Breakfast Egg and Hashbrown Casserole

I went to a missionary farewell and this was served and it was delicious, of course I had to ask for the recipe, I got it from Maren Skidmore, but she informed me she used a bag of hashbrowns in place of the hashbrown patties, 

EGG CASSEROLE

8 to 10 hashbrown patties (or use one reg bag of frozen hashbrowns that has been thawed the night before)
1/2  cube melted butter

Spray a 9 x 13 with Pam
Line a 9 x 13 pan with the patties (I can only fit 7, but usually cut up the 8th to fill in holes, and I put them in frozen still)
(*Or Line 9 x 13 with one reg size bag of thawed out hashbrowns)
 Pour the melted butter over the patties or hasbrowns  
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min

While it's baking prepare:
1 cup swiss cheese shredded (or mozzarella)
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
1 cup diced ham
12 eggs whipped with 2 cups cream or half and half
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Layer in order over the hashbrowns and bake at 350 degrees for 40 min or until hot and bubbly

I prefer the hashbrown version, I tried the hashbrown patties and it was not as fluffy.  Also, to make it heartier as a meal, brown sausage or cook sausage links and cut into chunks and layer in between the cheese layer, or can do cooked bacon torn into bite size pieces.  For me I dont like meat so I like to saute onions , mushrooms, and green and or red bell peppers and layer that between the cheeses.  I made this recipe this morning and it was DIVINE!

Enjoy!

For the nourishing of our souls:
on Pinterest I found a website called www.creativeldsquotes.blogspot.com and here is one of them:
"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high."  Richard G Scott

We need to have our scriptures in our hands each day!


Red and White Mostaccioli

This recipe is one of my favorite, it is like our family's favorite rigatoni one, but this one is a little different in that you mix together spaghetti sauce and Alfredo sauce to make it special!

I got this from The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner book as well, and I modify it a bit.

Red and White Pasta

1 pound uncooked mostaccioli (or any tubular pasta)
1 jar Alfredo sauce (or homemade sauce)
1 jar spaghetti sauce or 3 cups homemade sauce
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Cook the pasta according to directions, drain
3.  Prepare Alfredo sauce or use canned
4. Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, Half the spaghetti sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese.  Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce and cheese.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 min or until it is hot and bubbly.
Serve with tossed green salad and french bread

(You may use meat sauce to make it a heartier meaty meal)

I sandee like to make homemade alfredo sauce and stir my homemade spaghetti sauce into the alfredo sauce and heating it over a stove top and just pour the mixed sauce over the cooked noodles, pour into 9 x 13 and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese!
However you make it, IT IS YUMMY

For the nourishing of our souls:
The most important thing you can do each day is to PRAY, do not leave for your morning without thanking Heavenly Father for your night sleep and to ask for help and safety throughout your day, and do not go to bed until you Pray, thanking Heavenly Father for the things learned that day and asking Him to help you sleep safe at night.  I would not want to face any day on this earth without Praying and including my Heavenly Father in all I do and without thanking Him for all He has given me.  And that is the secret to peace my friends!

Cherry Hill Pie Crust and Pie Recipes

A couple of years ago I went to a Homemaking demonstration where a lady from Cherry Hill Pie Pantry taught us how to make pies, I have used her crust with no fail ever since:

6 cups unbleached flour )Golden West brand preferred
3 cups butter flavored Crisco
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups  cold water

Mix flour, shortening and salt with fingers until it resembles a crumb mixture.  Add cold water. Work with your hands into a smooth ball.
Bake pies at 375 degrees for one hour or until pie shakes loose.
Bake shells at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 min

This makes 5 two-crust pies and some shells
Can brush milk over pie crust and sprinkle on sugar for shiny finish, do that before baking.

*NOTE  for one pie I do the following:
2 cups flour
1 cup crisco shortening
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water

for two crust pie, can seal crust by dabbing fingers in water to bottom crust before putting on top crust.

Basic Cream Pie Filling
makes enough for 2 pies
5 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 - 3 oz pkg of Jello brand pudding (NOT the instant kind)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon (if making any kind of pie except chocolate

Mix all ingredients together in your pan.  Cook on high until it is almost to a boil.  Reduce your heat to medium and take off when it has started to boil again.

Razzleberry Pie
Bring 4 3/4 cups water and 3 1/3 cups sugar to a boil.  Add one (1-lb) package of Flavorland brand Marion Blackberries to the syrup.  Bring to a boil again. 
Thicken with three rounding 1/3 cups of Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with 1 cup water- OR- three rounding 1/3 cups corn starch.  This mixture will be quite thick.
Remove from stove.  Put in one (1-lb) package boysenberries and one (12 oz) package frozen red raspberries.  Fold berries in gently
and let cool. 
Makes five 9 inch pies

Blueberry Pie
Bring 4 3/4 cups water and 3 1/3 cups sugar to a boil.  Add one (1 lb) package of blueberries and bring to a boil again.  
Thicken with three rounding 1/3 cps of Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with one cup water - OR - three rounding 1/3 cups corn starch. 
This mixture will be quite thick.
Remove from the stove.  Fold in two more 1 lb package of blueberries and let cool
Makes five 9 in pies.

Boysenberry Pie
Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1 cups sugar to a boil
Add 1/3 cup Red Berry Pie Tone diluted with 1/2 cup water OR one rounding 1/3 cup corn starch.
Remove from the stove and add one (1 lb ) package of boysenberries
Makes enough for one 9 in pie and a turnover

Red Berry Tone is available at kitchen Kneads

And for the nourishing of our souls:

while cleaning in my room I came across some sayings I will share them with you:
* The sooner we face a problem, the sooner we can turn our back on it!

*Spread kindness as you go along because life is a one-way street and you're not coming back!

*Most of us are inclined to measure our achievement by what others haven't done.

*Do something every day to make people happy, even if it is only to leave them alone!
And here is a song to go with my theme: listen here I like this song sung by Garth Brooks but couldnt find his version, so this one works, just fast forward til he starts singing! If tomorrow never comes!