Black Bean Soup

Growing up I always hated beans. I would whine and complain to my mom any time she served anything with beans in it. I would dramatically sigh as I painstakingly picked beans out of my mom's chili.  But as I got older my tastes started to change and it turns out beans really aren't that evil.

I love this black bean soup because it it so simple to make, just a few ingredients and 15 minutes on the stove and you're all done.  It's a creamy soup, but still healthy. I make a batch on Sunday and eat it all week for lunch.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup frozen corn

2 cans black beans

3/4 cup chicken broth or stock

1 package taco seasoning

1 can diced tomatoes

Directions

Spray a large pot with cooking spray and saute corn for about 4 minutes.

Combine 1 can of beans with chicken broth in a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the blended beans, tomatoes, remaining can of beans and taco seasonings to the corn.

Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover and let simmer for at least 15 minutes.  I usually let it simmer for about an hour.  If you want your soup to be spicy you can use the tomatoes with  green chiles or you can go wild and get the diced tomatoes with habaneras.

If you like you can top with cheese and sour cream.

Saw it. Pinned it. Tried it. Loved it.

I have a problem, I am addicted to Pinterest.  I can spend hours on there finding new things to try. I have so many recipes and crafts pinned, I'm not sure if I will have time in my lifetime to try them all.  Unless I quit my job and dedicate my days to baking, cooking and making things I have pinned. Will someone convince those pesky companies that like their bills paid at the end of the month that I really don't need to pay their bills?  I will be doing the world a service. Someone will have to convince my husband too.  Well, if you are on Pinterest, you can follow me here.  Leave a link in the comments and I will follow you too.

This is the first in a new series, where I will try out recipes I find on Pinterest, and I will let you know if it is easy, tasty and worth trying.  My first entry features a recipe from Brown Eyed Baker.  She really was brilliant when she came up with the idea for a Bacon, Egg & Hash Brown Sandwich.  Check out her page for the full recipe and pictures.  I'm still having camera issues, so my pictures do not do the recipe justice.





I used frozen hash browns and turkey bacon and I cooked the items in a different order. I made the bacon first, then the hash browns and saved the egg for last.




Then you put everything together and turn into an awesome grilled cheese sandwich.

I loved this recipe and highly recommend that you try it out.  It is a little time consuming, so it may be best to try on a weekend when you have more time.  It's really easy to make, if you're planning on making a big breakfast, you'd most likely be making the individual components anyway.  It is very delicious!  I give this recipe 3 pins out out of 3 pins!

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi there! Did you miss me? I missed you!  Sorry I have been away for so long, life threw me a few curve balls so I had to take a hiatus.  Things are slowly getting back on track.  I still don't have a working computer though, so a special thank you to my love for letting me use his.  My camera is currently down for the count  so I also have to apologize for poor quality of the pictures, I had to use my camera phone. I still won't be able to post as frequently as I like right now, but my plan is to be back on a regular schedule in  September.  I hope you will stick around and be patient.

These cookies are the reason I could not stay away any longer, they turned out so perfectly I just knew I had to share.  This recipe makes 3 dozen so I shared with my family.  My niece Alexa loved them so much that she declared that she wants to grow up to be a good baker like her LaLa! I can't think of any better praise.

I hope you and yours enjoy this recipe as much as my family did.


White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup margarine (room temperature)
1 egg
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter
4 oz chopped white chocolate (I use Ghiradelli)


 Directions

Cream butter and margarine in a large mixing bowl.

Add sugars and beat for two minutes.
 
Mix in egg and peanut butter.
 
In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
 
Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the sugar butter mixture.
 Stir in chopped white chocolate.
 Refrigerate for at least three hours.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Roll the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.
 Flatten the cookies slightly with the back of a spoon.
Bake until light brown, 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for a minute, transfer to to rack to finish cooling.

Caramel Apple Muffins

Fall is just around the corner, or so I am told. You can't tell here in Florida where it stays hot until December.  But school is starting tomorrow so I am breaking out a fall recipe.  I can pretend I live somewhere else, where the nights are starting to get cooler and there is a briskness in the air.  A wonderful place where the leaves will change to gorgeous hues of of red and gold. Someplace, I can go for hay rides and pick apples off of trees. Someplace. . . . Oh Sorry I got lost in my fantasy for a little bit. You can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can't the Jersey out of the girl.

This is very simple recipe that turns a favorite fall treat, caramel apples, into a suitable breakfast option. My family loves these muffins and asks for them often.  I hope you enjoy them too.  After you're done checking out the recipe, why don't you leave me some love and tell me what fall treat you are most looking forward to.

Ingredients
1 box apple muffin mix  (I use Jiffy)
Milk & egg according to box directions
1/4 - 1/2 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
1 Apple (I prefer a Gala apple)
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pat of butter




Directions

Melt butter in a small pan. Add peeled and chopped apples and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Saute until tender.




Prepare muffin mix according to package directions, adding in the cooked apples.




Mixing together the ingredients add in the caramel bits.




Pour into muffin tins. Pay no attention to my Christmas themed liners.




Bake according to package directions. And Voila! You have Caramel Apple Muffins. It couldn't be any easier!

Peach Sorbet

I just found out today that August is National Peach Month. That is perfect timing because I have a recipe for Peach Sorbet to share.  Being able to make this recipe made so happy for so many reasons. I'll have to give you a little background first.

When I was 16 my first job was working at TCBY.  It really was an awesome job and I was able to get my BFF a job there too so it never really seemed like work.  TCBY has so many yummy flavors, white chocolate mousse, pumpkin spice and coffee to name a few.  But my all time favorite was Peach Sorbet.  I would eat it by the pint when ever it was in stock and when I became assistant manager I made sure we always had it on hand.  Eventually I stopped working at TCBY and they ended up closing the store so I had to live without it. This past year a new TCBY opened and I was so excited for the chance to have peach sorbet again, but it turns out they don't carry the flavor.  I was so sad and complained on Facebook about it.  My war hero brother-in-law, Steve, who is in Afghanistan, commented that I should just make it myself and I told him I couldn't because I didn't have an ice cream maker.  Fast forward to this past Christmas. We were spending our traditional Christmas Eve with my husband's family.  There was an ice cream maker waiting for me from Steve. I couldn't wait to make peach sorbet, but I had to wait for peaches to be in season and now they are!  I'll be freezing a few batches of peach puree so I can have the sorbet during the rest of the year.

Enough of my blabbing, time for the recipe. This recipe is a two day process.






















Ingredients

2 lbs peaches
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp peach liqueur (optional)




Directions

In a small heavy saucepan make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside and let cool.

Peel and pit peaches. I like to leave a little skin on the peach because I am too lazy to peel it perfectly  I like texture.






Chop peaches.




Puree peaches in a blender or food processor.






Stir in syrup and lemon juice.




Chill peach mixture for at least 6 hours or up to one day.




Stir in peach liqueur (optional) and freeze in ice cream maker.




You can serve right away or freeze in an airtight container. The liqueur helps to make it not freeze as hard if you store in the freezer.  If you leave the alcohol out just take the sorbet out for about 15 minutes to thaw a bit before serving.




What do you like to make with peaches in the summertime?

Italian Style Stuffed Peppers

It has been almost 2 months since we moved into this new place and I still have boxes every where. I think I am rebelling because I still don't have a working oven. This place just won't feel like home until I bake a delicious treat in the oven.  I have been making do with preparing meals on the stove top and in the slow cooker.

Luckily for me I have friends and family who really don't mind me sharing borrowing their kitchen for a few hours as long as I leave a treat behind.

One of my favorite meals is stuffed peppers even though I don't actually eat the pepper itself, I just love the flavor they provide.




Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
6 peppers
1 c uncooked rice
1 jar tomato sauce
Parmesan cheese

Seasonings to taste
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Italian Seasonings



Directions

Cut tops off of peppers.



Scrape out seeds.



Place into baking dish.



Combine ground beef, rice and seasonings.



Fill peppers with ground beef mixture.



Pour sauce over peppers.



Bake at 400 F for 35 to 45 minutes, peppers should be tender.



Sprinkle peppers with Parmesan cheese before serving



Enjoy!