RUNZAS FOR LUNCH

My friend Katherine has informed, challenged, and encouraged my faith as much as anyone living today. And it is Katherine who introduced me to runzas. A runza is basically a German pocket sandwich - a yeast bun filled with a mixture of meat, cabbage, and onion. They are delicious hot out of the oven or as leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

To make runzas, start with a good basic yeast bread recipe. (A bread recipe calling for about 5-6 cups of flour makes enough dough for the filling below.) Mix and knead your dough; set aside to rise. While the dough rises, prepare your filling.

For today's runzas, I browned a pound of ground beef and half-a-pound of sausage together, along with two small diced onions. (Sausage is my own personal twist - I am the granddaughter of a hog farmer, and I love sausage!) I drained the meat, then added about 5 cups of shredded cabbage, and cooked and stirred until the cabbage was just wilted.

I punched down my dough and divided it into 16 blobs. To make each runza, I rolled a blob of dough into a circle...

...spooned about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of meat & cabbage filling onto the circle...

...and then folded the dough over and crimped the edges together with a fork.

I placed the runzas on a lightly-greased baking sheet...

...and baked them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until nicely browned.

At my house, we like to eat runzas with lots of mustard.

Katherine taught me that there is something very good about spending time with friends in the kitchen, hands together in dough. (I have never met anyone who owns more rolling pins...plenty for anyone who wants to join in the baking!) Food and faith go together so very well.

I'm weathered in here in Northwest Tennessee today. There's no telling where in the world Katherine is today. But Helen requested runzas for lunch, and when we eat runzas, it feels like Katherine is right here with us.

RUNZAS AND SOUL FOOD

The youngest and I made runzas for lunch today. My friend Katherine introduced my family to these delicious pocket sandwiches many years ago.

Decades after I first stood in Katherine's kitchen rolling out circles of dough on her counter, I still think of Katherine every time I make runzas.

Brown 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, then add sliced cabbage and onions and saute until veggies are tender. Season with salt and lots of pepper!

"You need a lump of dough the size of a clementine."

"A what?"

Katherine introduce me to clementines, too.

Whenever I make runzas, I also think of the many sweet memories Katherine and I have shared over the years.

Take a ball of yeast bread dough about the size of a clementine, and roll into a thin circle. Place a large spoonful of meat filling in the center. Pinch dough together over the filling to create a pocket sandwich. Brush with butter and sprinkle with a tad more salt. I baked these at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Food is more than a matter of physical nutrition. Yes, it feeds the bod; but food also feeds the soul. Although we now live many miles apart and rarely see each other, Katherine continues to feed my soul by her life and faith.

Today, I am thankful for tasty food. I am even more thankful for friends who nourish my heart.

Yum!

(The beef and cabbage I cooked today was enough for 18 runzas. These freeze and reheat well, and they make great to-go meals for days when we are out running errands. We like to eat them with mustard.)

LIFE IN THE DEEP FREEZE

As we were driving to get groceries in the magically beautiful, ice-encrusted world a couple of days ago, Helen asked me, "What's your favorite thing about this weather?"

I thought a second. "My favorite thing about this kind of weather is that it reminds me how much I love summer."

Steve suggested once that we should move to Southern California. Or Florida. Or anywhere that we can reasonably expect that the temperature when we wake up in the morning will NOT be eight degrees. Or lower.

"Oh, no!" I protested. "We need the winter to make spring and summer so wonderful."

I do like winter. I do not like being cold.

With my kids growing up and out of the house more, I am learning new skills. I started a very nice fire in the fireplace this morning, all by myself. With no oversight from Fireman Ben. With ice-coated (translation:  "wet") wood. That I busted loose from the wood pile with a sledge hammer. And successfully hauled up the treacherous back steps. BAM!

To celebrate this noteworthy accomplishment, I am sharing my favorite hot cocoa recipe. (Chocolate is always an appropriate way to celebrate, right?) If, like me, you are looking out the window at the sparkling winter wonderland and thinking, "Only six weeks until spring!" - and if, like me, you are hovering close to the fire today - then a mug full of delicious hot chocolate will give you one more reason to say, "Winter is wonderful!"

HOT COCOA
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
dash salt
1/3 c. hot water
4 c. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat; add vanilla.

(We serve this topped with whipped cream. If you're feeling fancy, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon.)

BEAN AND CHICKEN SOUP

I first tasted this delicious soup at a friend's house. She shared the recipe with me: white beans, chicken, onions, Rotel tomatoes, evaporated milk, 3 tablespoons ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon basil flakes. How's that for specific measurements! This friend is accustomed to cooking for crowds, and commented that the recipe can be expanded as needed by adding extra beans, chicken, broth, or whatever to make it stretch the ratios/proportions are pretty much up to you.

My girls asked if we could have this soup for supper one night this week, so a pot is simmering on the stove as I type. How nice of the weather to turn off cooler just in time for a steaming bowl of spicy soup! Smells so good - I love cumin.

Here's the basic recipe, with measurements I've created over time. (Although tonight, I'm out of evaporated milk - substituting cream instead. Also, instead of using canned white beans, I soaked a pound of dried white beans overnight and then cooked them earlier this afternoon before adding to the soup pot. If you like a little more heat, add an extra can of Rotel. Obviously, this recipe can handle your personal variations!)

Katherine's Bean and Chicken Soup

3 bone-in chicken breast halves
4 15-oz. cans of white beans (great northern beans)
1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
2 large cans evaporated milk
2 medium onions, diced
3 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. dried basil leaves

Cover chicken breasts with water; bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until tender. Cool. Remove meat from bones and shred; save the broth. In soup pot, saute onions in a little butter or oil until translucent. To softened onions, add chicken, reserved broth, white beans, and tomatoes. Simmer. About twenty minutes before serving, add cumin and basil. Stir evaporated milk into soup just before serving.

I love this soup because it is spicy and creamy - a wonderful combination. Usually, we have mostly liquid left over in the pot after we've dished out bowls of soup for dinner. I save the liquid and add another can of beans for my lunch the next day.

BOLT THE DOOR

Wednesday was a good day. No off-site classes or errands to run out in town. No sweet baby to tend - Mommy is on spring break this week. No looming projects to complete. Just home and school. Amazing what we can accomplish in a day when we JUST STAY HOME. We finished schoolwork early enough that I even had time for a visit with Grammy before I had to start supper. With a month of such days, we could easily be finished with this year's school work by the end of April. Sigh. Wishful thinking!

Today will be different. Class at UTM and an appointment in Union City this morning, piano lessons this afternoon, a little grocery shopping tucked in there somewhere, Zumba and coffee date tonight. Preparations for this weekend's women's retreat - woohoo! And, since I'll be out of pocket Friday and Saturday, preparations for leaving the house on auto-pilot while I'm gone. Doesn't look like we'll make quite as much progress in the math and science books today as yesterday. Well, there's always next week...

Which leads me to a totally unrelated topic. Last night, Helen was STARVING, but couldn't find a satisfactory bed-time snack. Actually, as I pointed out, she was not starving...she was hungry. To be more specific, Helen is growing. Like a rocket. Already left "big sister" behind on the growth charts. Anyway, back to bedtime snacks. We have some Go-To late night snacks at our house, including, but not limited to.....

Toast - cinnamon toast, toast with jam, plain buttered toast, peanut-butter toast
Cereal - personally, I prefer Cheerios with bananas, or Raisin Bran
Ice Cream - not my favorite, but the kids easily go through a gallon a week
Cheese - cheese and apples, cheese and crackers, just plain cheese
Yogurt
Popcorn
Marshmallows - only in winter, when there's a fire in the fireplace!

What about your family? What are some of your favorite bedtime snacks? We could use a few new ideas at our house!

SPLIT PEA SOUP

My college chemistry professor introduced me to pea soup - his wife served it at a dinner they hosted for several students. Initially skeptical of the thick green stuff, I quickly discovered how delicious it was and now fix it regularly for my family. The Davises fix this each year on Christmas Eve, to enjoy when they return home from their church's Christmas Eve service. This is one of those soups that I make without an official recipe, so I tried to pay very close attention last time I made it.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 pound bag of dried split green peas, rinsed

6-8 cups water (chicken broth works well, too)

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

smoked sausage or leftover ham for seasoning

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute until onion just becomes translucent. Add dried peas and water or broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer one hour. Add chopped up smoked sausage or bits of leftover ham, along with basil, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Simmer another 20 minutes, or until ready to serve.

Notes: I usually make a triple batch of this for my family and serve it for dinner with corn muffins. We enjoy leftovers for lunch later in the week, with grilled-cheese sandwiches. The longer you cook this, the thicker it gets, and the flavor just gets better with time. While it may initially look very soupy, it thickens as it cools - thick as pea soup!

AUNT ROBIN'S CARAMEL CRUNCH

Got the munchies? Here's another recipe for snack mix. This one comes from my sister-in-law, Robin. This tastes sort of like caramel corn - so delicious that it's amazingly easy to eat way too much of this stuff!

CARAMEL CRUNCH SNACK MIX

2 cups Corn Chex cereal

2 cups Rice Chex cereal

2 cups Wheat Chex cereal

6 cups popped popcorn (1 bag microwave corn, popped)

2 cups pretzel sticks

1 cup honey-roasted peanuts

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 butter (margarine works, but don't use tub spreads)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cereals, popcorn, pretzels, and peanuts in a large bowl. In a saucepan, heat together brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Heat to boiling. Removed from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over ceral mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Spread in large roasting pan. Bake 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Spread on wax-paper lined baking sheets to cool. When cooled, store in airtight container.

MARY'S POPCORN SNACK MIX

When the weather turns cooler, we start craving snack mix at our house. Chex mix, trail mix, anything easy to snack on as we're coming in and out of the cold. This recipe comes from my friend Mary and is a favorite with my kids.

MARY'S POPCORN SNACK MIX

1 envelope microwave popcorn, popped
6 cups corn Chex cereal
3 cups miniature pretzels
16 ounces dry roasted peanuts

1 14-ounce package M&M's candies

1 cup raisins, optional
1 and 1/2 pound almond bark/white candy coating

Combine all your dry ingredients in a large bowl. Melt almond bark and pour over mix, stirring to coat evenly. Spread on wax paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate about 15 minutes. When cooled/hardened, remove from trays and store in an airtight container.

(Note: I use bulk popcorn, popped on the stove. You'll need about 7 cups of popped corn for the above recipe. Also, I use the store brand instead of Chex cereal, if it's cheaper. We don't add raisins to this mix because we prefer it crunchy, without any chewy spots!)

POLLY'S PUMPKIN PIE

With the onset of fall weather, I had this idea of using Thursdays to post some of my family's favorite fall-ish recipes, starting with soups. However, at the request of a fan (Hi, Michael!), today's post is a recipe for pumpkin pie. As a small child, I remember my mom making this pie each year at Thanksgiving - it is dark, smooth, and spicy. This is not the wimpy whipped-topping variety preferred by those timid about pumpkin!

The recipe comes from a dear family friend who passed away last year, Mrs. Polly Lowrance. Polly made the best pumpkin pie and the best fried peach pies of anyone I've ever known - and she served both with such a sweet spirit and with lots of love.

POLLY'S PUMPKIN PIE

10-inch single pie crust, unbaked (deep-dish crust)
2 cups fresh or canned pumpkin (cooked)
1/2 cup molasses
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
3 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk

Combine and mix thoroughly: pumpkin, molasses, sugar, flour, salt, orange rind, and spices. Add eggs. Beat; add milk; mix well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, or until firm in center. Delicious served with a dollop of whipped cream!

Notes: This makes a lot of filling - I usually have more than I need for a single pie and end up throwing some away. By making one-and-a-half recipe, I can make three 9-inch pies. This is what I usually do, because then the recipe calls for 3 c. pumpkin (1 large can) and 1 1/2 c. evaporated milk (one 12-ounce can). Of course, your family may not be able to consume three pumpkin pies in one holiday weekend!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

TOSCANA SOUP

Last fall, I began posting some of my family's favorite soup recipes. With another fall at hand, soup is frequently on the menu again. Let's see, I've posted Tortellini Vegetable Soup, Suzanne's Chili, Black Bean Soup, and Hearty Potato Soup. Well, here is yet another yummy soup recipe, one I picked up from Ashley over at her blog about a year ago. This soup is deliciously spicy and so pretty - I love the bright green of the kale.

TOSCANA SOUP
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 quart water
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth (about 3 and 2/3 cups)
2 large red potatoes, scrubbed & cubed
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup half-&-half
salt and pepper to taste

Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Combine water, chicken broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in soup pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender. Add sausage and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add kale and half-&-half, and simmer until warm throughout. Delicious served with hot, crusty bread!

(Note: When I boil chicken for a casserole, chicken salad, etc., I save the broth and freeze it to use later. I use this instead of the canned broth listed above and it works great. And of course, when we make Toscana soup, we make a monster-sized pot full!)

Is this my first-ever Thursday post?!

TITUS 2-SDAY - AUTUMN TEA

Here in Northwest Tennessee, temperatures are dropping and it's finally beginning to feel like fall. The days have been beautiful - sunny, mild, maybe a tad bit on the cool side when the wind kicks up. Nights - you'll definitely need a sweater if you're headed outside, and, yes, we've had to run the heater already. It's not quite time yet to build a fire in the fireplace, but the change in weather definitely has us craving seasonal favorites - chili, hot chocolate, an evening cup of coffee. Today, I'm posting one of our favorite fall hot tea recipes. This yummy fruit tea recipe was given to me over ten years ago by a friend and makes a regular appearance at our house when the weather turns cool.

AUTUMN TEA

5 individual tea bags
5 cups boiling water
5 cups unsweetened apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Place the tea bags in a large heat-proof container. Add boiling water. Cover and steep 8 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add the remaining ingredients to tea; stir until sugar is dissolved. Serve warm or over ice.

(Note: Since I usually make a large batch, I boil my water in a large stock pot and steep the tea bags in the same pot. Then, I add remaining ingredients and simmer on stove to keep hot.)

GUYS IN THE KITCHEN

With a little extra free time on their hands this past weekend, the guys decided they wanted to make a lemon pie. Reuben rolled out the crust and baked it. Here, Tom cooks the lemon filling on the stove. Stir, stir, stir, Tom!

Reuben whisked up a meringue by hand. Not too bad for a first try!

Nathaniel served as general supervisor and provided background music and comedic entertainment while the others mixed, stirred, and baked. I finally got to hear "I've Got the Magic in Me" and can now say I approve of Tom's current favorite tune. (Well, it's one of Tom's current favorites!)

Voila - the finished product! Deeee-licious!

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

1 9-inch pie shell, baked

1 and 1/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

pinch of salt

juice of 2 lemons

3 eggs, separated

1 c. boiling water

1 Tbsp. butter

Beat yolks in top of double boiler. Add sugar, beat; add flour, beat. Add lemon juice and grated peel of one lemon. Mix well. Add boiling water, and cook in top of double boiler over hot water until thick. Add butter. Cool before pouring into crust. Top with meringue and bake until lightly browned.

MERINGUE

3 egg whites

6 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla (optional)

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually add cream of tartar, then sugar, and last vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over pie, being careful to seal to edges of crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

SPICY BLUE

A cat food commercial playing over the sound system at Wal-Mart last week purred about cats dreaming of meaty, moist, delicious Brand X cat "dinners." I smiled, thinking "Well, they definitely got that wrong!" Some folks may think cats dream of saucers of milk or of chasing mice or bobbing for fish in a fishbowl. J.R.R. Tolkien once said something to the effect that, when cats dream, they are chasing gazelle. Anyone who owns a cat can testify - Tolkien had it right. Every cat, in his own little mind, is really a lion, ruler of the savannah.

Our cat Elizabeth looks like a small, rather plain domestic tabby. But watch her for any length of time and you realize she is really a ferocious lioness. At least that's the case when she is self-aware. Other times, she is a very silly kitten, despite her years. Like when she chases a BB around the house, batting it across the hardwood floor in a frenzied fit of hysteria. She likes to herd a BB up to one of the floor vents. There, sitting calmly at last, she slowly rolls the BB over the grate, pushing it delicately with a tiny paw, and then watches in smug satisfaction as it rattles out of sight. This game never gets old.

But back to the lioness. Lacking an African savannah populated with antelope and elephant calves, our kitty contents herself with hunting the smaller residents typical of a Tennessee hayfield - mice, voles, lizards, birds. She often shares her kill with the rest of the pride, leaving a tiny carcass on the front doorstep to be discovered by one of us as we head out the door. Blech! This summer, we have noticed a distinct preference for things blue. Blue birds. Indigo buntings. Which got me to wondering - are blue-colored birds just easier to catch than, say, sparrows - or - are they more fun to stalk, or perhaps tastier than drab little mice? Any thoughts, cat owners?

In closing, here is a recipe for scrumptious cat-head biscuits. This was breakfast at my house this morning....

Cathead Biscuits
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. butter, chilled
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt, stirring well. Cut in the 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour buttermilk evenly over mixture and stir gently until dry ingredients are just moistened. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 10 - 12 times.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls, and press with knuckles. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter, and bake 2 minutes more, or until lightly browned. Yield - about 1 dozen. (Note: I usually roll these out and cut them with a biscuit cutter...but then they don't look like catheads!)

Serve hot with butter and jelly...or fresh bluebird, if Kitty is just back from the savannah. Just kidding!

SALSA

It is 10:21 Tuesday night as I am typing this. I am very, very tired, but won't be heading to bed for at least another hour. Why? The garden is going absolutely crazy after recent rains. It produced practically nothing for two weeks, but today....We picked a large laundry basket full of peas, four gallons of tomatoes, more okra than we want to eat, and two gallon buckets full of cucumbers. We didn't even make it to the green beans, but they need picking, too. Guess they'll have to wait until in the morning!

When the produce is ready, it's ready...and there's no putting off the work of getting it into canning jars or into the freezer. The kids have been shelling peas all evening, and I've just blanched and packed the first half of today's harvest into the freezer - seven quarts! Reuben diced onions and peppers for me to make salsa after I sliced my thumb chopping tomatoes.

Anyway, since I'm up late waiting for the salsa to finish simmering, I thought I'd type out the recipe we're using. I like salsa but am not big on really super hot. This recipe, given to me by Charles Harris of Hornbeak, is just right, in my opinion - a little warm, but not too hot. It tastes like summertime in a jar. If you want hotter salsa, add more of the hot peppers. Or, substitute a hotter variety (habanero maybe) for the jalapenos. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling and chopping the peppers.

SALSA
24 tomatoes (13 cups)
24 hot peppers (we use jalapeno peppers, about thumb-sized - about 2 cups)
4 large bell peppers (4 3/4 cups)
6 onions (8 cups)

Chop all of the above fine. Place into a large sauce pot and bring to a boil slowly; simmer for 45 minutes. Add:

1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar (optional)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried cilantro (or more to taste)

Mix all together and simmer another 45 minutes. Pack into hot jars. Process in a hot water bath for ten minutes to seal. Makes 10-11 pints of salsa.

(Note: I added a small can of tomato paste to the recipe to help thicken the salsa. If you choose to add the tomato paste, omit the sugar or your salsa will be too sweet. With or without tomato paste, this stuff is delicious!)

SQUASH SEASON

Summer squash is coming in now - what to do with all that bounty? I've typed out the recipe for squash relish three times this week, so decided it was time to post it on the blog along with ideas for some other recipes for this prolific vegetable.

SQUASH RELISH

10 c. chopped yellow squash
4 c. chopped onion
5 tsp. salt

Combine and let stand (covered) in a bowl on the counter overnight. Next morning, rinse well and drain. Place in a large pot and add:

2 1/2 c. white vinegar
4 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. chopped celery
1 green bell pepper and 2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 Tbsp. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. tumeric
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Bring to a boil slowly. Pack in hot jars and seal. Makes about 7 pints.

This recipe comes from the beautiful and multi-talented Donna Winters - we call it sunshine in a jar. At our house, we eat squash relish with beans (white beans, pinto beans, purple hull peas, etc.), but I have a neighbor who eats it straight out of the jar with corn chips. So yummy!

AND MORE SQUASH...

My family's favorite squash "recipe" is to just brown sliced squash and onions in a hot skillet with a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, and you're done.

For a little "fancier" version of this recipe, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add a couple cloves of garlic, minced, and heat until soft. Cut zucchini and/or yellow squash into thin spears and add to skillet with the garlic. Add enough water to prevent sticking; bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender. To serve, season with salt and pepper and top with grated mozzarella cheese and toasted walnuts.

The food blog Simply Recipes (link here) has several delicious ideas for squash, including Ratatouille, a summer squash salad, and the author's mom's recipe for squash prepared with onions, peppers, and cheese. I discovered this website while looking for something to do with our abundance of eggplant. Loosely following the recipe for Ratatouille, I used eggplant, yellow squash, banana peppers, and tomatoes from the garden - the dish looked, ummm, a littly yucky (eggplant has a tendency to look gross, in my opinion), but it was FABULOUS. Even the kids commented on how delicious it tasted.

Do you have a favorite squash recipe? Share it with the rest of us!

TITUS 2-SDAY - PANCAKES!

We did not have pancakes for breakfast this morning - but that's only because we had them for supper night before last. I love pancakes! They are our version of "fast food" - quick and easy to prepare, cheap, and everybody at my house likes them. Here is the awesome Kendall pancake recipe (so much better than a mix), followed by a few pancake-y tips and ideas.

BASIC PANCAKES
Sift together dry ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk together wet ingredients:
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. oil or melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Stir wet ingredients into dry, just until moistened. Let sit 3-5 minutes, to allow flour to absorb moisture. Pour batter onto hot griddle. Turn pancakes when tops are bubbly. Serve hot with butter and syrup.

This batter makes thick, fluffy pancakes. If you like your pancakes thinner and flatter, add more buttermilk to make a thinner batter. To feed 8, I double this recipe. As is, I think it would serve 4-6, depending upon whether you have big eaters or not.

Okay, now for the fun stuff...extras! My family really likes banana pancakes - I add two smushed, over-ripe bananas to a double recipe of batter. Yum! For blueberry pancakes, stir a half cup of fresh or frozen blueberries into a single recipe of batter. Other tasty add-ins: chopped walnuts, cinnamon, or bits of cooked apple.

Another idea - We like to spread peanut butter on plain pancakes before dousing them with syrup. This adds some protein and gives your breakfast a bit more staying power. (We learned this trick from camping buddies - thanks, Katherine!) Another friend stores leftover pancakes in a ziploc baggie and uses them to make peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches for lunch - her kids think the small, round sandwiches are pretty cool!

I prefer real maple syrup for my pancakes, but it is SO EXPENSIVE. Instead, we make our own pancake syrup. Combine two parts sugar with one part water in a saucepan (eg., 2 c. sugar, 1 c. water). Bring to a boil; stir and boil for one minute. Remove from heat. Add a tablespoon of Mapleine flavoring. Cool before serving. (Mapleine is available at Wal-Mart, on the same shelf as other flavorings and extracts. It comes in a blue box.)

One year I made strawberry jam and forgot to put in the Sure-Jell. The jam didn't "set", and I was left with several jars of strawberry syrup. This made a fabulous pancake and ice cream topping. Another yummy topping: sliced fresh strawberries, dusted with powdered sugar.

I hope this gives you some ideas - go start cooking!

HOT COCOA

Snow is cause of celebration where I live - we don't get the white stuff very often! During the cold winter months, my kids drink lots of hot chocolate. We keep a canister of instant hot chocolate mix in the pantry, and usually have a kettle of water simmering on the stove. But when it SNOWS? That's a whole nother ball of wax. Then we make the REAL stuff, the GOOD stuff. Because here in northwest Tennessee, snow is a reason to celebrate!

I found this recipe on a box of Hershey's cocoa several years ago, and it's our traditional snow day libation. Delicious!

HOT COCOA
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
dash salt
1/3 c. hot water
4 c. milk
3/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat unitl mixture boils. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat; add vanilla.

We serve this topped with whipped cream. If you're feeling fancy, you can add a sprinkle of cinnamon!

TORTELLINI VEGETABLE SOUP

Soup recipe #4. This is Thomas's favorite soup!

TORTELLINI VEGETABLE SOUP

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
5 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 t. dried basil (more if fresh)
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 t. salt
8 oz. fresh or frozen tortellini (cheese or meat filled)
2-3 T. chopped fresh parsley
pepper to taste


Heat the oil in a soup pot; add onion, zucchini, and carrot. Saute over medium heat, 8-10 minutes, until onion is translucent. Add the stock, basil, bay leaf, tomatoes, and salt. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and bring soup back to a low boil. Cook 2 minutes, then reduce heat and let simmer for 5-6 minutes longer. Gently stir in parsley and pepper during last few minutes of cooking. Serves 4-5.


I like this recipe because it doubles (or triples!) easily and can be prepared quickly - doesn't need a long simmer time to be delicious. It is a fairly "light" soup, so we enjoy this even during the summer months.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

Here is Soup #3. This recipe was given to me by Emily, and is so delicious that it was added to my "Favorites" the first time I made it.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

3 cans black beans - drain and rinse
3 ribs celery w/ leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
2 cans broth (or 3-4 cups)
1 14.5-oz. can RoTel tomatoes w/ chilis, undrained
1 T. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. ground coriander
1 t. hot sauce
1/4 t. pepper
1 bay leaf
1 t. lime juice
sour cream, optional


Mash 1 can black beans; set aside. Saute vegetables in oil until soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and spices, except for lime juice and sour cream. Bring to boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in lime juice just before serving. Garnish with sour cream if desired. Delicious served with cornbread! Serves 4-6.

(Note: My family doesn't like a ton of "heat", so I modified the recipe slightly by adding a fourth can of beans and an additional can of tomatoes without chilis. Also, I didn't add the hot sauce, but provided it as a condiment for those with bolder tastes. With these changes, the soup was pleasantly spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot.)

SUZANNE'S CHILI

Here is "soup" recipe #2. This one is also from my sister Suzanne and has been a family favorite since before her oldest child arrived on the scene 17+ years ago!

SUZANNE'S CHILI

1 1/2 pound ground beef (we use ground venison)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 16-oz. can kidney beans, undrained
1 T. chili powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder.

Cook meat, onion, and pepper until meat is browned. Drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Reduce heat and cover; simmer 1 hour. Serves 4.

Note: This recipe doubles or triples easily. When I make "multiples," I use a variety of beans - a can of red beans, a can of black beans, and sometimes a can of chick peas. Also, instead of using two cans of tomatoes, I sometimes use one can of diced tomatoes and one can of Rotel/diced-tomatoes-with-green-chilis....adds a little more heat!

I like this recipe because it comes together easily and all the ingredients are things I typically keep on hand. We usually serve this with grated cheese, corn chips, and sour cream available as toppings. Great on a cold winter evening!