Zupas Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Katelin works as a dental assistant.  Every week (or more) the office buys lunch at Zupas and she always gets this soup.  Who can blame her?  Why try something new when this is  oh, so good? (thanks to theroyalcook.blogspot.com for the knockoff recipe!)

The Recipe:

• 2 T butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. water 
• 1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
• 1 head (2 1/2 lbs) cauliflower, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 c. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook until golden (about 10 min), stirring occasionally.
3. Whisk in flour and salt.
4. Gradually stir in milk, broth, and water. 
5. Add cauliflower and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer until cauliflower is tender (about 15 min)
7. In small batches, bend cauliflower until smooth.
8. Return to pot and heat over medium heat until hot.
9. Stir in cheese until melted.

Excellent adds: bacon, extra cheese

Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. cubed mozzarella cheese
• 1-2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of its juices
• 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, chopped

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Place in shallow casserole dish
3. Bake at 325 for 15-20 min.

Bubbles (german pancakes)

1. Blend:

• 6 eggs
• 1 c. flour
• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 c. milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

2. Pour into greased 9x13 pan.
3. Bake on 350 for 15-20 min or until browned and bubbling.

Frosting for Everything

Use this frosting for cakes, cupcakes, sugar cookies....everything.  But my favorite way is in the graham sandwich.  Mom used to have graham cracker frosting sandwiches waiting for us for after school snacks.  YUM!

Mix the following together:

• 1/4 c. butter, softened (not melted)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 4 T milk
• 4 c. powder sugar

To thicken, add more sugar.  To thin, add a few drops milk at a time.

*Add cocoa, or other extracts for other flavors

Divinity

• 3 c. white sugar
• 2 egg whites, beaten
• 1 c. white corn syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 c. water

1. Boil sugar, corn syrup and water together slowly.
2. Wash down crystals from sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water.
3. Boil til syrup spins a long thread (12-15") when tested with a spoon (or until 245 degrees)
4. Pour slowly over beaten egg whites
5. Beat until mixture begins to thicken and loses its gloss.  
6. Add vanilla.
7. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Yield: 60 pieces or 2 lbs

Variations: nuts, cut candied cherries, candied pineapple

Toffee

1 lb. butter

3 c. sugar

1 c. roasted almonds

1 lb. dark sweet chocolate

1. Melt butter and add sugar. Boil slowly stirring constantly until it reaches 280 degrees.  (it will be golden brown.)
2. Spread on greased cookie sheet and cool.
3. Shave and melt chocolate in double boiler and allow to cool.
4. Before setting, spread half chocolate on top of toffee and sprinkle roasted almonds on chocolate.
5. Place in fridge to set.
6. After setting, turn over and pour remaining chocolate over top. sprinkle almonds on top.
7. Break into 1 1/2" pieces.

Honey Butter and the Like....

For Thanksgiving last year I brought these different kinds of butters for the table.  Seriously, divine.  Around Christmastime my singles ward did a service auction and all the money that was raised went to help provide Christmas for a few families in the stake.  So I brought some honey butter (it tastes a lot like the stuff from Texas Roadhouse- um, yum!) and guess how much it sold for.  Yep, fifty bucks!  So here's the fifty dollar cinnamon honey butter recipe...

Cinnamon Honey Butter

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. honey

1. Make sure your butter is nice and soft (leave it on the counter all day) then mix all ingredients together until totally mixed and fluffy

Raspberry Butter

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/3 c. raspberries
• 2 T powdered sugar
• dash lemon juice

1. Follow same directions as the honey butter.  The key is making sure your butter is room temp.  
2. I used the food processor to get my raspberries really finely blended.  You make the call- blend less for a more chunky butter.  

Salt Play Dough

I say this counts as a recipe!  This has produced many-a-salt dough map of Utah for me and my sisters.  Maybe we'll make it with the nephews this summer and have some fun.

The Recipe:

• 3 c. flour
• 1 c. salt
• food coloring
• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. oil

1. Mix food color with water before mixing.
2. Add all ingredients and mix well

Magic Cookie Bars

The Recipe:

• 1/2 C. butter
• 1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
• 1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
• 1 c. chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 325.
2. Melt butter in 9x13 pan in the oven.
3. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter.  
4. Pour condensed milk over crumbs evenly.
5. Top with chocolate chips, coconut, and pecans. Press gently.
6. Bake for 25 min. until lightly browned.
7. Cool completely before cutting.

Caramels

The recipe card I found says it's from Aunt Marge.  Anyone want to help out with a story?  I'll work on that.
It does say the recipe can be doubled and is good for dipping in chocolates.  FYI :)

The Recipe:

• 1 c. sugar
• 1 c. cream
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 7/8 c. light Karo syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Use all but 1/2 c butter and 1/2 c. cream and let boil 5 minutes.
2. Add remaining butter and cream, stirring constantly 8-12 min.
3. Add vanilla and nuts.

Shepherds Pie

The Recipe:

• 1 lb. hamburger
• 1 can green beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese
• 1 egg
• instant potatoes to serve 6

1. Prepare potatoes according to package directions, but decrease milk by 1/2.
2. Add egg to potatoes and set aside.
3. Brown hamburger and drain off fat.
4. Add green beans, corn, and soup.  
5. Pour into casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes.
6. Top with cheese.
7. Cook in oven at 350 for 20 min.

Sharon Starley's Punch

Mix the following ingredients:

• 6 oz. orange juice
• 6 oz. lemonade
• 1 to 1 1/2 c. sugar (as desired)
• 10 c. water
• 1 tsp. almond flavor
• 1 tsp. vanilla

*This isn't a gallon so double accordingly

Caramel Biscuit Ring Around

I'm pretty sure Courtney got this from her 6th grade friend Stephanie at a sleepover.  It receives automatic coolness points because it comes from the big sis.  Super easy, super cheap, super healthy..........eh ok maybe not that last one, but still super good!

The recipe:

• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. butter
• 2 T water
• 2 cans biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a bundt pan.
3. Melt butter.  Add brown sugar and water.
4. Using kitchen shears, cut biscuits into quarters.
5. Mix butter/sugar mixture into biscuits. Toss lightly.
6. Spoon into pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout

Clam Chowder

So there was this one time (or maybe more than one time) in my childhood.  Mom made clam chowder.  I very kindly said "thank you for this delightful meal, Mother.  But I'm just not hungry tonight." (yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I said.) Anyway, Dad said nice try to that one and then invited his friend Stubborn to the table.  He told me I wasn't leaving the table until that bowl of soup was gone.  In my head: "well then you're going to be waiting a while cause that ain't happening."
Aaaand we sat at that table for hours. And in the end Dad and Stubborn won that night.  And maybe that's why clam chowder is one of Dad's favorite meals.

The Recipe (serves 8)

• 1 c. finely diced white onion
• 1 c. finely diced celery
• 2 c. diced potato- cooked and cooled (don't salt them)
• 2 cans minced clams
• 3/4 c. butter
• 3/4 c. flour
• 1 qt. half and half
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 T red wine vinegar (or any vinegar)
• pepper to taste

1. Cook potatoes and drain.  Allow to cool.
2. Drain liquid from clams and reserve.
3. Place celery and onions in saucepan. Add liquid from clams.  Add enough water to cover vegetables.  Simmer until tender.
4. In heavy saucepan, melt butter, add flour blending well. 
5. Stir in cream, blending with wire whisk.  Add vegetables- don't drain.
6. Stir in clams, potatoes, salt and pepper.  Heat thoroughly.
7. Add vinegar

Plan Q

I've been terrible at posting recipes.  I went three months without doing squat.  Well, that's not true.  I gathered recipes.  Grandma showed me how to make dill pickles.  Mom made strawberry pie.  I bookmarked cookbooks.  Even found Grandma Anderson's old handmade cookbook with a handwritten note to my mom inside and a recipe written by my mom's dad when he was a kid.  Treasures.
But it takes time to pick a recipe, find an occasion to make it, and then documenting it. And posting pictures takes forever and I don't ever feel like sitting down to plug in cords and import and change file types, etc etc.  Hence, Plan Q.
I'm just going to post the recipes as I find them, and we'll all just use this as a cookbook and we'll take pictures when we happen to cook any of these recipes and we'll add the pictures as they come.

Kapish?

Carrot Cookies

One of Grandma Manning's specialties.... so dainty and fresh.  And hello, there are carrots in these cookies.  Healthy.  .....right?

The Recipe:

• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. butter
• 1 egg
• 1 c. cooked, mashed carrots
• 2 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. orange extract

1. Cream sugar and butter
2. Add egg and mashed carrot
3. Add sifted dry ingredients.
4. Add vanilla and orange 
5. Drop on greased cookie sheet
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes
7. Frost with your regular powdered sugar frosting (adding a bit of orange flavoring and orange food color for a kick)

Fresh Strawberry Pie

When I was little my mom had this genius idea.  She had this little tiny basket, and she filled it with little pieces of paper.  On each paper she wrote a job and drew a picture of it, and she made it a game, yes, a GAME to do chores.  I always hoped I would pick the one with the picture of the girl picking strawberries. Nice one, mom.
We've had a strawberry patch ever since I can remember.  And since I have those fun memories of picking berries I loved that Easton jumped right into the effort this summer.  Nearly every time he came over he would head out to the garden and fill an entire bowl of strawberries.  So cute.

The Recipe:

• 3T cornstarch
• 1 c. sugar
• 3 T. strawberry gelatin
• 1 c. water
• 2 T. corn syrup
• 3 T. strawberry gelatin (1- 3oz package if doubled)
• 3 drops food coloring
• 3 c. fresh strawberries

1. Combine cornstarch, water, and sugar in sauce pan.
2. Cook over low heat until thick and clear. 
3. Remove from heat.
4. Add corn syrup, gelatin, and food color.  
5. Let cool.
6. Lightly fold in berries.
7. Pour into baked 9" pie shell.
8. Chill and top with whipped cream.

Banana Bread

This is THE BEST banana bread recipe.  If you ever need to manipulate someone to be on your side, bake up a pan of this stuff and you'll be set.

The recipe:

• 1 1/2c. flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. nuts
• 3 bananas

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. In mom's recipe book there are zero instructions, so let's just say...
3. Combine all ingredients
4. Grease and flour a loaf pan
5. Fill loaf pan, bake for 90 minutes.

Maple Syrup

Hot? Cold? This is the great debate between my parents.  In my dad's childhood they ate it cold.  He says the pancakes warm it up to the perfect temperature.  My mom grew up serving it hot.  Tomato Tomato (hmmm how do you type that so you say it right?  Eh anyway...)

The Recipe

• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 4 c. white sugar
• 2 c. water
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. maple flavoring

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil.
2. Boil for 1 minute.
3. Add flavorings.
4. Serve hot?  Or cool in the fridge.  Whatever floats your boat. 

Makes 1 qt.