Lemon Loaf

This is a really yummy sweet bread. The bread itself is not that sweet but the topping makes the whole thing de-lish.

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 c. milk

grated rind of 1 lemon

Glaze:

1/2 c. sugar

juice of 1 lemon

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Mix flour and baking powder and add to mixture. Stir in milk and lemon rind. Bake (approx) 350 for 40 min. While still hot pour lemon juice/sugar mixture over the top. Allow to cool and the topping to glaze over.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Warning: It's hard to go back to store-bought after these!  Easy to make and so delicious--one of James's specialties from his family.

4 c. flour

1- 1 1/2 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

3/4 c. shortening

1-2 c. hot water

Mix the dry ingredients first.  Add the water until a nice, warm doughy consistency.  Roll into a ball and flatten.  Fry in a pan dusted with flour (no oil).

Italian Bean Soup

This is actually a recipe for a soup similar to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup with a few changes made to it by me.  We like it both ways, but this way (with the beans instead of a few token potatoes and with more kale and slightly less sausage) is our slightly cheaper/slightly healthier version.  It's still quite good, and it uses kale which is a superfood!  How many recipes do you know of that use kale?!  Actually, if you do have any that are good, please send them to me!

2 3/4 c. chicken broth

1/4+ c. cream

2-3 c. chopped kale

1/3 lb. spicy Italian sausage (or just regular country sausage)

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. cayenne pepper (or less)

1 can great northern beans

Combine broth and cream in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the kale and allow it to begin to simmer.  In the meantime, brown the sausage in a separate pan, drain (and possibly lighty rinse), and add to the soup.  Add the salt and cayenne pepper and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.  Add the beans toward the end if you don't want them cooked to smithereens.  

Note:  I triple this batch.  Then I can use a convenient pound of sausage, a large bag of kale, and a 1 lb. bag of dry great northern beans soaked and cooked beforehand--the perfect amount for the triple batch.  Then I freeze portions of the soup to go with a later dinner.

Mom Eyring's Jumbo Jubilees

These are pretty much my favorite cookies ever.  They have a unique taste.  I guess it's just that browned butter yumminess.  James likes to make fun of me because of the funny name, but he's introduced plenty of bizarrely named recipes of his own.

1/2 c. shortening

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 c. evaporated milk

1 t. vanilla

1 t. salt

1/2 t. baking soda

2 3/4 c. flour

Bake at 350 for 10 min.

Frosting

1/4 c. butter (melt slowly in a saucepan until brown)

Blend with:

2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. evaporated milk

1 t. oil

1/2 t. vanilla

(If needed, up to 1 T. hot water)

Stephanie Lynes' Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

This pumpkin bread is amazing because the fresh cranberries give just enough tart contrast to the pumpkin bread.  It's really yummy.  Frozen cranberries work as well and are cheaper and usually available year round.

1 1/2 c flour

1 T. pumpkin pie spice 

      or   1 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. nutmeg, 1/2 t. cloves

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 of 15-oz. can pumpkin puree (about 1 c.)

2 large eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. orange juice

1 c. fresh cranberries

Grease and flour one 9" x 5" loaf pan.  Bake 45 min at 350 degrees until knife comes out clean.  Cool 10 min. then loosen from pan.

Grandma Bosen's Sugar Cookies

This sugar cookies are the best--thick and light and very, very soft. I get a lot of compliments on Grandma's recipe. Just be sure to roll them out thick (1/4"-1/2") and DON'T cook them until they are brown on the edges. They'll still be pretty white when they are done.

2/3 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
1 T. vanilla

Add 2 T. baking powder to 1 cup flour. Mix with other ingredients. Add enough flour to roll it out (about 3 cups). Bake 6-8 min. at 350.

Black Bean Chili with Cilantro and Lime

I'm so excited.  This recipe just won the Grand Prize at our ward's Chili Cook-off.  I was so surprised and happy!  There were something like 16 other chilies, and they were all very original and way more varied than you would think chili could be.  They were all delicious.

This recipe is originally from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  I've made a few small changes to it.  

1 med-large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

5 cups cooked beans with bean juice

       or 5 cups thick leftover bean liquid

1 quart chicken stock

      (or 3 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes)

4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed

1/2-3/4 t. ground cumin

1/2 t. ground oregano

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1/4+ c. lime juice

1-2 cups chicken, cooked and diced (optional)

Sea salt (or fish sauce) and pepper

Lots of fresh, chopped cilantro mixed in and as a garnish

Finely chopped green onion for garnish

Saute onions in olive oil until tender.  Add beans or bean liquid and chicken stock, bring to a boil and skim the foam off.  Add cumin, oregano, garlic, and cayenne and simmer about 15 minutes.  Puree soup with a handheld blender.  Reheat and add lime juice and chicken, and season to taste.  Garnish with cilantro and green onions.

The amounts of the spices, lime juice, and of course the salt, pepper, and fish sauce are flexible of course.  If it's too bland, I just keep adding whatever flavors I can't pick out until they're all present and accounted for!  :)