Onion Soup

This is a really easy soup with very few ingredients.  It makes a lot and leftovers are great.  Make sure you serve it with some crusty bread!  Here's how to make it:

Mix & Match Herb and Cheese Biscuits

These biscuits are very light and fluffy.  They aren't dense with too much butter that'll leave you feeling stuffed and guilty.  My favorite combination for these is Parmesan and thyme but you can use any combination of herbs and cheese that you'd like.  Other combinations that would be good are cheddar and rosemary, Havarti and dill, chive and cheddar or cheddar and dill.  Mix it up and have fun with it!  Here's how to make them:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  We sure had a fun time this year.  In our two bedroom apartment there were 6 adults and 4 cats!  I was glad my family was able to come visit and that we could all be together.  Click the title for more pictures.

Amanda and me

Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing and Colored Sugar

It took me several tries to get this recipe exactly how I wanted it but I finally got it!  These sugar cookies are slightly crisp, buttery and delicious.  They are good just by themselves or decorated with Royal Icing. Here's how to make them:

Royal Icing

4 egg whites

6 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Water

Food coloring
Sugar Cookies

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until frothy.

Slowly add in the powdered sugar.  Beat until everything comes together and is smooth. If it seems really thick add some water.  A drop at a time.  You want it to be thick enough so you can pipe it or spoon it on the cookies but it won't run everywhere.

Divide the frosting into bowls and add your choice of food coloring.  Now you're ready to decorate cookies!

After all the cookies are decorated, let the icing dry for at least 8 hours.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Cream of mushroom soup is an oldie but a goodie.  I made this at work for our soup of the day recently.  It's very rich and makes a big pot and is perfect for a cold day!  Leftovers are great too!  Here's how to make it:

Peppermint Marshmallows

Yay, it's the holiday season!  I've been looking forward to this time of year so I can post a bunch of really fun holiday recipes.  Marshmallows are so fun to make, it really is like magic watching everything come together.  I decided to make peppermint marshmallows to go along with the holiday season.  This recipe may seem really complicated but as long as you have the right equipment it's so easy to make with very few ingredients. Here's how to make them:

Chicken Parmesan Subs

Happy Birthday, Drew!  He loves Chicken Parmesan but I think it can get a little boring sometimes!  I wanted to make him his favorite food for his birthday but put my own twist on it.  We're both big fans of a good sub, so I decided on Chicken Parmesan Subs.  This recipe serves 2-4.  Here's how to make it:

Quick Tomato Sauce

This is a really easy and inexpensive tomato sauce recipe for when you don't feel like taking all the time to make a hearty marinara.  It's good on pasta and pizza but I used it for Chicken Parmesan Subs.  Here's how to make it:

What you'll need:

1 onion, small dice

3 cloves of garlic, minced

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade

Salt, as needed

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Coat the bottom of a pot with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onion and season generously with salt.  Cook until the onion is translucent and tender.

Add the garlic and cook a minute more.  Add the tomatoes, sugar and oregano.  Bring to a bubble then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for about 30 minutes.  

Taste and season with more salt if needed then add the fresh basil leaves right before serving.  

Enjoy!