quick and easy thai coconut chicken soup

Delicious.

quick and easy thai coconut chicken soup (my friend Liz found the recipe at Our Best Bites)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cooked whole grain basmati rice (Our Best Bites uses Ramen Noodles without the seasoning packet)
3/4 cup mushrooms (they're so delicious, you must put them in)
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 cup diced or shredded cooked chicken
toppings:  additional chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and lime wedges

Heat medium sized pot to medium-high heat on stove top.  Add olive oil, jalapeno, and ginger (if using fresh.)  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until jalapeno and ginger are softened and fragrant.  If using ground ginger, add now and stir.  Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and add noodles (note you will discard seasoning packet that comes with noodles.)  Simmer 3-5 minutes, until noodles are softened.  If using mushrooms, add them in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking the noodles.  Add chicken and simmer for about 30 seconds to heat through.  Remove pot from heat and stir in lime juice, chicken, and cilantro.  Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges if desired.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4-6.

peach blueberry crumble (gluten free)

This is a FANTASTIC recipe!  Everyone enjoyed it- and I love when I can turn fruit into a dessert for my family.

peach blueberry crumble, gluten free (adapted from Texanerin Baking)
1/2 cup oat flour (see below how to make your own)
6 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup rolled oats or quick oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

filling
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons oat flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 (32 ounce) cans peaches, drained or if fresh peaches are in season use them!
1 cup frozen blueberries or if you have fresh use them! 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oat flour and sugar.  Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender or fork.  Add the oats, cinnamon and salt and stir until combined.  Set aside.
To make the filling, mix together the sugar, oat flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Add the peaches and blueberries and stir just until combined.  Pour into your 9x13 pan.  Place crumbles on top.  Bake for 35 minutes until the topping is golden brown, crisp and the filling is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and wait 10 minutes before serving.
If not eaten on the first day, cover and store at room temperature for 1 day.  You can also refrigerate up to 4 days.

oat flour
To make oat flour, grind oats in a food processor or vita mix until flour like.  For this recipe I blended a cup of oats and had about 1/4 cup left over.

birdseed wreath

You can imagine how excited I was when my kids went to my friend Shonda's house to play on Christmas Eve and got to make one of these darling birdseed wreaths and bring it home with them.  I LOVE it!  It's supposed to be hung outside but not where it is too wet which is tricky in the Pacific Northwest so this will be its home until the rain settles down...around the 4th of July. :)  I look forward to finding the perfect tree, and there are plenty to choose from!

birdseed wreath  (Infarrantly Creative)
4 cups of wild bird seed
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope Knox gelatin
3/4 cup flour
bundt pan (Shonda used a disposable tin cake pan and put a plastic cup in the center for the hole)
nonstick spray
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
ribbon

Spray bundt pan with nonstick spray (or make your own like Shonda did).
Mix knox gelatin with 1/2 cup warm water and whisk until mixed.  Whisk in the flour and corn syrup.
Add the bird seed and stir coating the seed well with a wooden spoon.  Then pour it into your greased bundt pan.  Press it tightly with the back of a wooden spoon into the bundt pan.  Use wet hands to press it more if need be.  Let it dry overnight.  Once completely hardened it will come right out of the pan.  Tie a bow and hang in an area that won't be exposed to the rain.

molasses crinkles

I went to make this recipe for my dad who is visiting from out-of- town and I couldn't believe that this recipe wasn't already on my blog!  I've been making this recipe for years from the "favorites" cookbook I've been compiling since college. I wasn't sure where this recipe originally came from at first but I compared it to the Betty Crocker recipe and it's the same!  I have the recipe doubled in my cookbook because why make a single batch when you can double the recipe and share?!  Here's the recipe, doubled.

molasses crinkles (Betty Crocker)
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mild-flavor molasses or full-flavor molasses
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon slat
granulated sugar for rolling

Mix shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg thoroughly in large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (I didn't.).
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease cookie sheet.  Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Place balls 3 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until set but not hard.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

sparkly sugared cranberries

This photo doesn't do these sparkly sugared cranberries justice.  That's because I didn't want to make a scene photographing these at my friend Julie's party.  She hosted an amazing party in her amazingly decorated home.  Every square inch of her home screamed Christmas and in a beautiful way.  Our friend Nicole brought these and they are so pretty.  The perfect addition to any holiday party.  And delicious too!
P.S.  Don't feel bad if you weren't invited to the party.  There were two qualifications: Your spouse had to work with our husbands and have a church connection.

sparkly sugared cranberries (Nicole W. got the recipe from Our Best Bites)
12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
additional sugar for rolling
note: You can use regular granulated sugar for this recipe but Best Bites suggests first rolling in a slightly course sugar then rolling in regular granulated sugar that has been pulsed several times in a food processor to create a slightly finer sugar.

Wash cranberries and discard any damaged ones.  Place in a bowl.  Combine sugar and water in a pot and heat until simmering.  Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool for a few minutes until warm (not hot).  Pour over cranberries and let sit in fridge, covered, overnight.
Use a slotted spoon to remove berries from syrup.  Set berries on a cooling rack that is placed over foil to collect drips.  Spread berries out so they are not touching each other.  Let dry for 1 hour.  Roll berries a handful at a time in sugar.  Place sugared berries on a baking sheet and let dry for an hour or two.  Store in a container at room temperature.  Try not to stack them too deep if possible.

tomato basil swiss quiche

I made an enormous quantity of this quiche for tomorrow's ward Christmas brunch.  I made this recipe EIGHT times!  And there are others making just as much as I did.  My friend Lindsey made it easy- she delivered all the ingredients along with the recipe.  I can tell you one thing- this recipe is going to be to-die-for.  I just know it.  One of my favorite salad recipes came from Lindsey- Rockey Mountain Salad.  Look it up on this blog.  You'll love it.

tomato basil swiss quiche (my friend Lindsey M.)
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cornmeal
4 teaspoons dried basil

Mix above ingredients well then stir in carefully:
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup chopped tomato

Pour into greased glass pie dish or 9x9 pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until set.  Sprinkle with Swiss cheese and serve hot.

What I have to say- If you want to make it eight times, simply 4x the recipe twice and bake in really large pans- they looked like double 9x13 although I didn't measure them. You can mix everything up the day before and bake the next morning.  If baking a larger quantity, bake 45-50 minutes.

eggnog fudge

I've made all kinds of fudge- chocolate, rocky road, peanut butter, pumpkin but I hadn't heard of eggnog fudge until my friend Rachel mentioned she had made it.  I knew I was in for a real treat with this one.  I can't wait until my husband tries it- he loves eggnog.  Terrific recipe.

eggnog fudge (Brown Eyed Baker)
2 cups  granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup eggnog
pinch of salt
12 ounces white chocolate chips (I used Guittard)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg plus more for dusting the top of the fudge
7 ounce jar of marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon rum extract

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil and let it hang over the side.  Spray lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, eggnog and salt over medium heat.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Continue boiling 8 to 10 minutes, until a candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat.
Using a wooden spoon, work quickly to stir in white chocolate chips and nutmeg until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Stir in marshmallow creme and rum extract.  Beat until well blended and then pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle a little ground nutmeg on top.  Let stand at room temperature until cooled, then refrigerate overnight until firm.
When completely cool, cut into squares.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or better yet share with all your friends!