Vegetable Beef Soup

My mom is a really good cook and always made delicious homemade meals.  She had a few go-to meals that were standards for us growing up.  One of those was vegetable beef soup.  I wanted to make it as we were trapped inside during the icepocalypse, but I could not remember where I had put the recipe.  I used what I had, bought a few extra ingredients, and winged it a bit.  It turned out really tasty and definitely hit the spot on this cold December night!

You could make a few substitutes to this base recipe and create all sorts of vegetable soups! A few ideas would be to use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, or you could use any vegetables you have.  Add more tomatoes to make it more of a red base or more beef stock to make it a thinner soup.  The possibilities are endless!

Vegetable Beef Soup

You will need:

2 lbs ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 poblano, chopped
1 16 oz bag frozen mixed veggies
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1 15.5 oz can fire roasted diced garlic tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
2 cups beef stock

How to make it:
In a large dutch oven, brown the ground beef.  Drain onto a plate once cooked.

In the same pan,  add olive oil and sweat onion, garlic and poblano until onion translucent.  Add all of the spices and heat for 2 minutes.  Add diced tomatoes and crush the whole tomatoes with your hand into the pan.  Cook for 5-10 minutes and then add the beef back to the pan.  Pour in the beef stock, stir to combine, and allow soup to simmer for approximately 45 minutes until desired consistency is reached.  Serve with shredded cheese and chopped green onions.

French Breakfast Puffs

I love the Pioneer Woman.  Her blog is hilarious and everything she makes looks scrumptious.  Almost all of her dishes would not be part of any diet, but that is probably what makes them all look so yummy.  Last weekend we had an unlikely ice storm sweep through Dallas.  I made the Pioneer Woman's French Breakfast Puffs for Jack's bible study group, but because of the snow, no one came over.  Thus, Jack and I had a few too many breakfast puffs for the two of us.  Oh well.  I don't regret eating a sweet treat for breakfast on Saturday morning.  And a snack on Saturday afternoon.  And breakfast on Sunday.  You get the idea.

Riley was so confused by but absolutely loved the snow.

Biscuits covered in butter and cinnamon and sugar.  That's basically what these babies taste like.  The muffin is basic, but once you soak them in butter and then roll them in cinnamon sugar, an ordinary muffin is transformed into a treat.  These are an easy and quick breakfast that will make your guests think you bought them from the nearby bakery.  Try them!

French Breakfast Puffs

You will need:

3 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cups Shortening (Crisco)
2 whole Eggs
1 cup Milk
1-1/2 cup Sugar
3 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 sticks Butter

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream together 1 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

In a bowl, melt 2 sticks butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

Our friends, Megan and Blake Michelson, hosted a Friends-giving dinner last night.  It was really fun to share dinner with friends and pause for a quick moment to remember how thankful we are for friendships.  And dinner was delicious.  I made these pumpkin cupcakes which were pretty tasty!

For the cake, I followed Sally's Baking Addiction pumpkin cupcake recipe.  I added 1/4 teaspoon all spice and an extra 1/4 cup pumpkin puree to her recipe.  Next time I make pumpkin cupcakes though, I will alter the recipe a little more.  The cake was not as sweet or as moist as I usually like it!  I topped the cupcakes with a cinnamon cream cheese icing.  Ridiculously good.  I got the idea from my sister, Lauren, who made a delicious pumpkin cake and used cream cheese icing with cinnamon in it.  It was such a great cake that I wanted to replicate it into bite size goodness.

Below is my cinnamon cream cheese icing recipe.  Cream cheese icing is my all-time favorite.  Add the warm flavor of cinnamon to it, and it's just the icing on the cake..... Bad pun?  Sorry, it was too easy.  Enjoy your sweet treat!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

You will need:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3  - 3.5 cups powdered sugar
3 - 4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

How to make it:
Cream the butter, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon heavy cream together until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.  Slowly add the powdered sugar and remaining heavy cream.  Beat on high for another 2 - 3 minutes until the icing reaches your desired consistency.  You can add more powdered sugar to thicken the icing if necessary.  Add the vanilla, salt and cinnamon and mix to combine.

Corn Dip

Despite the sudden cold burst, Jack had a Green Egg cookout with our friends yesterday.  They smoked six racks of ribs and played ping pong all afternoon.  Even though their football teams didn't win, it seemed like they had a blast.  And the ribs were yummy!

                     

Riley had a bath for the party and came home with some bows. :)

I made my mom's corn dip for them to snack on while they waited on the ribs.  The super easy recipe is below.  It's a go-to party snack for us!

Corn Dip

You will need:
2 cans of corn, drained
1 small can diced green chiles
8 oz. mayonnaise
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. grated cheese (yellow & white)
1 bunch green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to eat.  Serve with tortilla chips and veggies.

Brownie Sundaes with Cinnamon Ice Cream

Jack and I fell in love with cannella gelato while we studied abroad in Florence, Italy.  One of our favorite gelato places nearby served the cinnamon ice cream, and it was our favorite!  The shop held strange hours, and we could never quite pinpoint when it would be open.  After dinner, we would make a deal.  If Vivoli was open, we get gelato.  If it's closed, we don't.  That deal was the primary culprit for many days filled with two servings of gelato. :) I'm not complaining.

For the brownies, I used Ina Garten's "Outrageous Brownies" recipe.  They lived up to their name!  I did not include the walnuts, and I topped the cooked brownies with caramel sauce and sea salt right after they came out of the oven.  The brownies were fudgey and rich, and I love the combination of salty and sweet.  The brownie sundaes were topped with homemade whipped cream and one of my favorite homemade ice cream recipes.

Riley, Miller and Ralph at the dinner party wishing they could have some ice cream, too.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

You will need:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk

2 eggs

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon cinnamon


How to make it:

Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar and whole milk together in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer. 

Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Slowly ladle the milk mixture into the eggs whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent the eggs from scrambling.  Once half the milk mixture has been combined with the eggs, slowly pour the rest of the milk mixture into the eggs and whisk.  

Return the mixture back to the saucepan.  Stir in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer.  Continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 6-8 minutes.  

Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.  Whisk in the vanilla and cinnamon.  Let the mixture cool completely.  Pour it back into the large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Make sure the plastic wrap sits directly on top of the custard so that a film does not form.  Refrigerate for at least six hours or up to 24 hours.   

Pour the cooled mixture through a strainer into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

It's ironic that I have posted several savory recipes and that this is my first dessert recipe on my new blog.  I would say I am a better baker than a cook, and my weakness is definitely sweets.  If I find myself alone with a batch of cookie dough, I'm in trouble.  I try to limit my baking so as not to have too many sweets in the house, but now that I have a blog, I might just have to start baking more.  It's all in the name of research, of course.

These cookies pack a punch.  The ginger is prominent but balances perfectly with the smooth, sweet molasses flavor.  If you have a hard time believing that it is the middle of November like I do, bake these cookies and you'll start feeling like the holidays are right around the corner.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

You will need:
3/4 cup butter, cold
3/4 cup + 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

How to make it:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, all spice, ground ginger and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamed.  Add in the egg, molasses and vanilla and beat until well combined.  Next, slowly add in the dry ingredients in three batches.  Lastly, stir in the crystallized ginger.

Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to one day.

Pour 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon into a small bowl.  Roll the dough into small balls (I use a medium-sized ice cream scoop for even portions).  Next, roll each dough ball into the cinnamon sugar, coating every side thoroughly.  Place coated dough balls on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for two minutes on the cookie sheet.  Lastly, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The Easiest Brisket Ever

Sometimes there are weeks days that you may just need a super easy recipe.  This brisket will come to the rescue!  I adapted this recipe from one that was given to me during a wedding shower before Jack and I got married.  Since leaving at 3pm to go home and put a brisket in the oven might not go over so well at the Bush Center, I made it into a slow cooker recipe.  I sliced the brisket and served it with green beans, salad and corn bread, but it is also delicious shredded for a sandwich.  If you have the time and/or want to put in the effort, you can reduce the sauce in a saucepan on the stove until it thickens.

If you claim that you can't cook, give this one a try and you'll convince yourself you can.

The Easiest Brisket Ever

You will need:
3 lbs trimmed beef brisket
2 tablespoons sea salt
2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 cup BBQ sauce

How to make it:
Liberally coat the brisket in the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Place the seasoned brisket in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Combine the Coca-Cola and BBQ sauce and pour over the brisket.  Cook on low for 9-10 hours.

That's it. Literally.