Italian Wedding Soup (from Super Saturday)

(which we all now know means the marriage of perfect flavor!)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(6 to 8 servings)

Meatballs:
½ lb ground beef
¼ c grated parmesan cheese
¼ c breadcrumbs (I used Progresso garlic & herb flavored)
1 egg
Salt and pepper (say 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper)

Directions:
Mix together gently with your hands and form into balls. Any size you like, but about a ½ Tbsp meat mixture is what we did Saturday. I used 1 Tbsp disher to measure and made 2 balls out of each. Bake in 350 oven for 20 minutes or until mostly done. Set aside until needed.

You can make as many meatballs as you wish. You can completely cheat and use frozen Italian style meatballs and I won’t tell anyone.


The Soup:

2 qts chicken broth or stock
1 medium onion – chopped
2 or 3 ribs of celery – chopped
1 c chopped carrot
3 c chopped kale or baby spinach (I used spinach on Saturday, but kale is more Italian)
1 c any really small pasta (I used D’Italini – which are little rings)
Cooked meatballs
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
In a little olive oil, sauté onion, celery, and garlic until soft. Put in a little salt and pepper. Add the stock and carrots and bring to a boil. When at a boil, add the pasta and lower heat to medium. Cook until pasta is al dente. Drop in meatballs and stir in kale or spinach. Heat through. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve!!

On Saturday, we garnished with grated parmesan cheese.

Corn Chowder (from Super Saturday)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(serves 6 to 8)



Pot 1 (the bigger pot)
2 or 3 medium red potatoes cut into dice (I leave on skins).
1 medium onion – chopped
2 or 3 stalks celery – chopped
Water to cover
Salt and pepper to taste
2 c defrosted, frozen corn or 1 can of corn, drained

Pot 2 (the smaller pot)
4 Tbsp butter (I prefer unsalted and yes, I think butter is important)
¼ c flour
1 qt milk (I used 2%, but if you want it richer, you can use whole)
Salt and pepper to taste.


In pot one, toss in your veggies and just barely cover with water. If you wanted a richer soup, I suppose you could use broth or stock; I find this recipe plenty rich without stock. Add some salt and pepper to get the veggies started. Bring to a boil and then drop to a simmer and let simmer away until veggies soft but not overcooked (maybe 15-20 minutes).

A word about potatoes: substitute any waxy potato you like (White Rose, Yukon Gold, purple) – the standard Russet (or “Idaho”) potato makes fabulous mashed or baked potatoes, but will get mushy in soup.

In the meantime, in a smaller pot, melt your butter and then whisk in the flour. Add pinch of salt and pepper and let cook over medium low heat for a couple of minutes (to get out that raw flour taste). Gradually whisk in the milk until you have a medium white sauce. Taste and correct seasonings.

Add corn to larger pot and then check and correct seasoning. I always find I need to add more salt. Stir in the entire contents of 2nd pot without draining the vegetables. Stir and serve!

This is wonderful garnished with bacon or chives.

To turn this into the best clam chowder you’ve ever had, omit the corn and drain 2 cans of minced clams over the vegetables. Set the clams aside for later. Add a bottle of clam juice if you want it more “clammy.” Add water to just cover as before (but it will be less because you have some clam juice in there). Prepare the white sauce the same way.


Then after the two pots are combined, stir in the clams. Wonderful!

Pumpkin Soup (from Super Saturday)

Submitted by Sister Twelves

(serves 4 to 6)


Ingredients:
½ lb maple sausage (my original recipe says to use chorizo … switch it out!)
1 c pureed pumpkin (I use canned and 1 c is ½ of a 15 oz can)
1 qt chicken stock or broth
½ c chopped onion
½ c chopped celery (I forgot to put it in Saturday … use it or not as you choose)
2 small apples, cored and chopped (I leave peels on)
½ c cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In your soup pot, cook sausage until done; take out and set aside. Leave 1 Tbsp drippings in pan. Sauté onion, celery, and apple until tender. I would add some salt and pepper at this point. Add stock and pumpkin. Bring to boil then drop to a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Check and correct seasonings (this means taste and add more salt / pepper if needed). Puree mixture until thick and smooth – I used a stick blender, but your food processor or regular blender will work fine. Keep a towel over any appliance openings as hot liquids tend to explode. Return to soup pot if you didn’t use a stick blender. If the soup is not as thick as you want it, add some potato flakes or minute rice and let sit for a few minutes, then puree again. Stir in cream.


Stir in the cooked, crumbled sausage and serve! On Saturday, we garnished with roasted pumpkin seeds. If you use chorizo, some chopped cilantro on top would be nice.

Italian Cream Sodas

Submitted by Sister Hartley

I bought all the supplies at Cash 'N Carry. They have a huge selection of syrup flavorings for only $3.50 a bottle. I used Blackberry, Raspberry, Peach and Orange.

Ingredients & Directions:

1. Fill a 16 oz. cup full of ice.
2. Pour 1/4 cup Half & Half, 1/4 cup syrup flavoring and add Club Soda to fill the glass.
3. Stir the mixture well and top with canned whipping cream.

Curried Chicken Casserole

From Louise McAllister

4 chicken breasts
2-3 stalks celery
1 small onion
1 can mushroom pieces
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 (6-oz.) box Uncle Ben’s long grain/wild rice
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp. curry powder

1. Cook chicken breasts; cool, bone, and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. While chicken cooks, cook rice (25 minutes).
3. While that is cooking, sauté celery and onion pieces in 1 T. butter. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Add to cooked rice.
4. Spread rice mixture in bottom of 9 x13 casserole. Layer chicken pieces on rice.
5. Mix soup, mayo, and curry powder together and spread over chicken. (Option: take ½ c. Pepperidge Farms corn bread stuffing; mix with 1 T. melted butter. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Looks pretty and tastes good). 
6. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. 

Serves 8.

Chocolate Chip Cake (Mother's Day Treat)

From Sister Atkinson

Cake

Mix together:
1 chocolate cake mix (I always use Duncan Heinz)
1 small pkg. fudge instant pudding
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. oil

Blend in:
4 eggs, one at a time

Stir in:
8oz sour cream
1 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

1. Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan and bake at 350° for 45-50 min.
2. Let cool for an hour. Remove from pan.
3. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or make a glaze.

Chocolate Glaze

Melt over low heat:
5 tbsp. cocoa
5 tbsp. butter

Cool and add:
2 c. pd. sugar
1/4 c. very hot water

1. Beat until smooth and drizzle over cake.

Or top with this Cream Cheese Frosting

2 (8 ounce) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3-4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy.
2. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar (start with 2 cups then keep adding more until it is nice and thick).

Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts

Submitted by Sister Pitman

Lean Bacon slices cut into 2-3 Inch strips
Whole water chestnuts
BBQ Sauce: 3/4 C Ketchup
4 TBSP Butter
1/4 C Water
Worcestershire Sauce (To Taste)
3 TBSP Brown Sugar
Vinegar (To Taste)
Salt & Pepper
Fresh minced garlic

1. Combine and simmer on the stove (If you do not want to make the BBQ sauce sweet Baby Ray's brand is the next best!)
2. Wrap bacon around water chestnut and insert toothpick.
3. Broil until bacon is almost done.
4. Take it out and drain the grease. Then dip it into the BBQ sauce and broil again until sauce is thick and sticks to the bacon.