Cold day? How about some hot soup.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 cans beef broth
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can vegetable juice (11.5 ounce)
• 2 can tomato paste
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
• 1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 c. fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips
• 2 c. cooked macaroni pasta
• Finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a dutch oven, or pot, combine broth, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, undrained tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil; add mixed vegetables. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2. Stir in spinach and cooked pasta; heat through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Recipe originally found in Better Homes and Gardens NEW Cook Book, Celebrating the Promise: Limited Edition.

Ultimate Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

We found the original recipe here.

Baby Bracelet

One of the sister's I visit teach and who also as it happens, visit teaches me :) has a two year old daughter and I promised her I would make her a bracelet if she smiled when they came to visit teach me last week. So, here is her bracelet. I thought it looked like something a 2 year girl would wear... hopefully it's big enough! I'm going to make another slightly bigger one, just in case! :)

Zupas at Home

Russ and I really LOVE Zupas tomato soup and sandwiches. They're ALMOST as good as Panera Bread :) Anyway. We decided to go ahead and try to make our own Zupas/Panera Bread soup and sandwiches. And I have to say, they turned out pretty amazing. We found a soup recipe online, but the sandwich was pretty much our own creation! So, here is our delicious dinner :).
p.s. We have been CRAVING these sandwiches since we made them. So uh... Consider this a warning. :)

 Zupas Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
source:  family cook book project 

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 c. apple juice
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. diced red bell pepper
• 4 c. chopped fresh or canned tomatoes (I used 1 qt. home canned tomatoes)
• 1 c. vegetable stock (I used chicken broth)
• 1/3 c. orzo pasta
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 c. butter

Directions:

1. In soup pot, heat oil and apple juice over medium heat.
2. Saute onion, garlic and pepper 8-10 mins, stirring frequently, until onion is soft but not brown. Add small amounts of water if mixture becomes too dry.
3. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and broth. Stir. Puree in blender and return to pot.
4. Add pasta and cook 10 mins, stirring often.
5. Add butter and cream. Stir in. Simmer 15 min. DO NOT BOIL. 
6. Add basil and serve immediately.

 Turkey, Spinach, Artichoke Panini

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf focaccia bread, sliced (or other sturdy sandwich bread)
• several slices of turkey
• spinach artichoke parmesan spread
• sliced muenster cheese
• 1 small onion, diced 
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tomato sliced
• pinch salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat panini grill or sandwich maker to medium temperature. In a medium sauce pan, sauté diced onion in olive oil until transparent. Add balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Layer the turkey and muenster cheese onto the bottom halves of the bread, and spread spinach artichoke mix over turkey. Layer sautéed onions tomato slices. Close face of panini with the top halves of bread.
3. Add panini to preheated grill and press lightly. Grill 5 minutes on medium or until the cheese begins to melt and there are grill marks on the bread.

There's Something Fishy About This...

Russ' Yummy Tilapia and Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
• 2 Tilapia fillets
• 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• seasoned salt and pepper
• Parmesan cheese

Rice:

• 1 c water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 c rice
• 1 green onion, chopped
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter. Saute onion and almonds. 
2. Pat Tilapia dry. Place on top of sauted onion and almonds. Sprinkle dill on top of fillets and pour lemon juice into the bottom of the pan.
3. Sprinkle seasoned salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste.
4. Cook until done about halfway through, flip fillets. Spoon everything on the bottom of the pan on top of the fillets and allow to cook through.

To cook rice:

1. Bring water to boiling. Add bouillon, cook until dissolved. Add rice and green onion. Cover and simmer 15 mins.

An All American Meal

Juiciest Hamburgers Ever

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 c dry bread crumbs
• 3 T evaporated milk
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Preheat grill for high heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands.
3. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties.
4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

Potato Wedges
Ingredients:

• 3 small potatoes
• 1/2 T Msg (or just add extra salt)
• 1/2 T onion powder
• 1 c flour
• 1/2 T salt
• 1/2 T Cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 T Oregano flakes
• 2 Chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
• 1 large egg
• 2 T Milk

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
2. Mix well in separate bowl mix milk and egg.
3. Heat oil to 400 degrees, dip potato wedges in milk/egg mixture and coat well, then place potato wedges in dry ingredient mix and coat well.
4. Fry until golden brown

Clay Me

What do you do when you're a couple of poor college students trying to have a date every week? Something free of course! :)

Looks just like us! ;)