Yellow Split Pea Soup

Dinner Salad and Sourdough Bread

Ingredients:
1 package of yellow split peas (16 oz.)
4 cups of water
1 cup of baby carrots, peeled
1 onion, chopped
1 can of creamed corn
1 cup of ham, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of pepper
Salad ingredients:
½ head of lettuce
1 tomato, sliced
½ cucumber, sliced

Preparation in the morning:
Place all the soup ingredients in the slow cooker.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.
Use a potato masher to mash the carrots if you don’t want whole carrots in the soup.

In the afternoon:
Toss the lettuce, tomato, and cucumber to make a salad.
Serve the soup with the salad and sourdough bread spread with herb butter.

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More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

Slow Cooker Diablo Beef and Rice

Ingredients:
2 lbs of beef stew meat, lean, cut in bite sized chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 small can of chopped green chilis
1 package of taco seasoning
2 tablespoons of flour
1 can (6 ounces) of tomato paste
1 can (6 ounces) of water
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1 can of Ro-Tel tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chilis and onions)
2 cups of rice
½ head of lettuce
1 tomato, cut up
½ cucumber, cut up

Preparation:
Put the flour, taco seasoning, and meat into a bag and toss to coat the meat.
Place the meat with the seasoning and flour in the slow cooker. Add all the ingredients except the rice and stir together.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Pour the rice into the slow cooker and turn to high. Cook for 40 minutes or until the rice is soft and has absorbed most of the liquid.
While the rice cooks, toss the lettuce, tomato, and cucumber for a dinner salad.
Serve with grated cheese and sour cream, if desired.



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More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

Herb Butter Recipes

Herb butter is simple to prepare and it makes a good impression on guests. It’s also an elegant addition to everyday meals to make them special for your family.

Use herb butter on:
Baked potatoes
Steamed vegetables
Breads and rolls
For cooking egg dishes
Melt it to use as a dip for shrimp and other shellfish
Melt it and brush on freshly baked bread and rolls
Use it as a rub for baked chicken or turkey
Use it when cooking Salmon with Lemon and Lavender

Herb mixes:
Traditional: ¼ tsp each of rosemary, thyme, and parsley.
Lavendar: ¼ tsp each of lavender and rosemary
Garlic herb: ¼ tsp each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, and fresh crushed garlic or dried garlic powder
Honey butter: ½ tsp of honey plus 1/2 tsp brown sugar
Preparation:
Allow a stick of real butter (not margarine) to sit at room temperature until soft.
Mix the herbs into the butter and place in a pretty bowl.







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Fish Chowder that Tastes Like New England Clam Chowder

This is the same recipe that is on my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website. It is quite popular because it’s so hearty and filling, and easy to make.

Ingredients for the creamy fish soup
½ pound scallops
½ pound shrimp
1 pound tilapia or cod
Optional: 1 slice of bacon, chopped fine
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of milk
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preparation of the fish chowder
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with the olive oil in a large pot.
Cook the onions in the butter and oil until just turning translucent.
Add the bacon if desired.
Add the potatoes and stir.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth.
Allow the potatoes to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the seafood and the rest of the broth.
Allow the seafood soup recipe to simmer for 5 minutes while making a white sauce.
To make the white sauce, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan.
Using a fork or whisk, stir the flour into the butter.
Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly, until it turns into a creamy white sauce.
Stir the white sauce into the chowder. Add the dill, salt, pepper, and parmesan.
Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes.
Serve this creamy fish soup in chowder bowls
chowder bowls with crusty bread and a salad.



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Spicy Turkey Sloppy Jo

Oven Baked Fries
Corn with Red Pepper

The kids in the family will love this meal. Using turkey to cook the sloppy jo mixture makes it healthier than the traditional version. Baking the fries instead of frying them also makes it a healthier alternative.

Sloppy Jo Ingredients:
1 pound of ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
1 cup of tomato paste
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ cup of catsup
½ cup of water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce


Topping ingredients:
Shredded lettuce and cheese
Sliced pickled jalapenos in a jar
Whole wheat hamburger buns

Potato and vegetable ingredients:
4 potatoes, peeled and sliced into fries
Oil, salt and pepper to coat the fries.
1 package of frozen corn with red pepper.

Preparation:
Cook the meat and the onion in a skillet until well done.
Add all the sloppy jo ingredients to the slow cooker and stir to mix.
Cook on low for 8 hours.
Just before dinner, toss the potatoes with just enough oil to coat, and salt and pepper.
Cook the potatoes in the oven at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.
Heat the corn in the microwave.
To serve, place the sloppy jo mixture on a hamburger bun.
Top with cheese, then lettuce. Add jalapenos if you prefer extra hot.


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More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

Slow Cooked Lean Beans

Pumpernickel Bread

Ingredients:
½ pound turkey bacon
1 onion, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cans of baked beans (32 ounces total, any flavor of baked beans)
1 can pinto beans
1 can of lima beans
1 can of navy beans
1 can of tomato sauce
½ cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of molasses (blackstrap, if you can find it)
1 tablespoon of Kitchen Bouquet Browning & Seasoning Sauce

Pumpernickel or dark rye bread.

Preparation:
Cook the bacon and onions over medium high heat until well done.
Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to mix.
Cook 6-8 hours on low.
Serve with warm pumpernickel or rye bread.

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More great recipes, cooking tips, and foodie ideas are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.

Pork Roast with Cranberry Gravy

Parsley Potatoes and Carrots

Ingredients:
1 boneless rolled pork roast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup of homemade cranberry sauce or canned, your choice (link to cranberry sauce recipe)
¼ tsp allspice (only if you use the canned cranberry sauce)
1 tsp of dry mustard
½ cup of brown sugar
½ cup of water
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of water
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup of baby carrots, peeled
¼ cup fresh parsley or two tablespoons dry

Preparation in the morning:
Spread the salt over the pork roast and place in the slow cooker.
Mix the cranberry sauce, spice, sugar , and water, and pour over the roast.
Cook on low 6-8 hours.

In the afternoon:
Boil the potatoes and carrots with the parsley.
While the vegetables cook, remove the roast from the slow cooker.
Mix the cornstarch and water, and add to the sauce to make a gravy.
Strain the vegetables and arrange them around the roast on a serving platter. Place a pat of herb butter on them.
Pour the cranberry gravy over the roast. (It’s fine if the roast falls apart.)





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The Origins Of English Toffee

By Phil Byrne

The Origins Of English Toffee



Some things in life are just downright impossible. Can you keep your eyes open when you sneeze, or not pull a face if you suck on a lemon? Try rushing a piece of English toffee - it simply can't be done. Like sinking into a deep bath at the end of a hard day, lingering over creamy English toffee is a delicious time-out.

So where did this mouth-watering confectionary come from? Nobody really knows, although according to the Oxford English Dictionary, its name first appeared in 1825. Some claim it links to 'tafia', a West Indian rum made from molasses, suggesting that the toffee was once made using the treacly syrup from the rum's distillation.

In the late 1800s sugar and treacle became much less expensive, making the chewy sweet more popular. Many people in the North of England began to hold toffie parties, getting together with friends to make slabs of this great family treat. Closely-guarded recipes have been handed down through the generations. Plenty of these are now used by family-run businesses, as English toffee remains as popular as ever. Its natural habitat is dark, vaguely mysterious places, such as the glovebox or the bottom of a handbag. Perfect for long car journeys, slow, dreamy English toffee is a miniature personal indulgence while you listen to your favourite CD or a great way to keep the kids quiet in the back.

The most delicious English Toffee is made using only the best quality ingredients. Over the years several varieties have come along. Some manufacturers now stir in hazelnuts and brazils, give the toffee a light dusting of almonds or coat it in smooth, silky chocolate. An American style English toffee has evolved and on 8 January the USA celebrate National Toffee Day. The sweet even has its own little tool - the toffee hammer - perfect for breaking a slab of English toffee into tempting glossy chunks. Even the splinters are delicious.

English toffee makes a perfect present for all ages and, whether you give it in a decorative tin or a beautifully gift-wrapped box, it will always make their eyes light up. The only hard part is bringing yourself to hand it over.

As all toffee coinneusseurs know, when invited to take a piece, choosing that craggy chunk of English toffee is a serious business. Your fingers linger over the box or tin, looking for that perfect sized piece, the one that's going to make your cheek bulge (the giveaway sign!) You pop the chunk into your mouth, closing your eyes for a second or two and slowly roll it around. Delicious. The rich creaminess begins to melt over your tongue, the luscious flavour pours through. Right to the last dreamy sliver, this is toffee heaven.


About the author

English Toffee is a new website that offers browsers quicklinks to the best places online to buy the finest, real English Toffee. Mmmmmmm! from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com




Unique Chocolate Bars and more Chocolate gifts at Chocolate.com

Using Leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving Dinner

There are so many ways to use turkey leftovers. There's no need to simply reheat the same meal again, unless you choose to because you love it. Here is a list of recipes that can be used with leftover turkey, ham, potatoes, and cranberry sauce.

This week is clean out the refrigerator week. Use up those leftovers, use the frozen dinners you've been saving, (you have been saving large portions of dinners in the freezer, right?) and take a break from grocery shopping. After all the work you did for Thanksgiving, you deserve a break!

Enjoy these recipes. If you have other ways to use turkey leftovers and ham leftovers, please share your idea or recipe in a comment. Thanks!

My number one pick is:
Turkey and Ham Monte Cristo Sandwiches

The second runner up is:
Turkey Pot Pie

Creamy Tortellini Soup with Chicken can easily be made with yummy turkey.

Spicy Turkey Roast
Instead of cooking this one in the crockpot, since the turkey is already cooked, coat it with the buffalo wing seasoning and heat it in the oven under foil for 20 minutes.

Creamy Ranch Potatoes with Ham in the Crockpot


Caribbean Chicken and Rice with Ham
Just substitute cut up turkey meat for the chicken and you'll have a winner!


Leftover Turkey with Orzo Pasta and Vegetables
This one is from my recipes as the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner.



If you need more ideas, just use the Google search box on the right side of my blog. Type in ham, turkey, or whatever you have to use up. You can also search the recipes at Stonewall Kitchen, a great foodie place to shop.






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