Cheesy Potato Soup

It is snowy where I live in Oklahoma and nothing is better than a great bowl of soup on a wintry day. A wonderful lady made and gave me this Crock Pot recipe last week. I adjusted it a little and added  chicken. This will be made again even when it isn't snowy.

Ingredients:
6 chicken bouillon cubes
5 cups water
2 cups potatoes cubed
2 cups carrots chopped
1 cup  onion chopped
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) Velveeta cheese chopped
1 cup chopped chicken (optional)

Place bouillon cubes, water, potatoes, carrots and onion in crock pot, cook on low for 6 hours. Thirty minutes before serving stir in soup, Velveeta and chicken. Serve when cheese is melted. Serve with crackers or my Cottage Cheese Bread.

I will be sharing this recipe on Gold Star Wednesday's, Foodie Friday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Mouthwatering Monday's, Tuesdays at the Table, Full Plate Thursday

Banana Cream Delight

I come up with this recipe to use several ripe bananas. It is easy, quick and delicious!

Ingredients:

2 sleeves graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 large container cool whip
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large box instant banana pudding
4-5  medium ripe bananas, sliced

Crush both sleeves of graham crackers, add melted butter, mix and press into a 13x9 pan.
Mix cream cheese, 1 cup cool whip and powdered sugar, spread on top of graham crackers.
Layer sliced bananas on top of cream cheese mixture.
Mix pudding according to pie directions on box, pour over bananas.
Chill until set and top with rest of cool whip, chill again and enjoy.

I will be posting this to This Week's Cravings, Gold Star Wednesday, Foodie Friday, Tempt My Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Mouthwatering Monday's

Velvety Butter Cookies

This is the best sugar cookie recipe ever! I found this recipe on Gooseberry Patch and the cookies are soft and very tasty. The dough does tend to be very sticky so use either powdered sugar or flour for rolling out the dough.


Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
8 oz pkg cream cheese softened
2 cups sugar
 2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cup all- purpose flour

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Chill for at least 2 hours. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with your choice of cookie cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for
10-12 minutes. Frost  and decorate.

I will be posting this to Gold Star Wednesday's, Foodie Friday, What's Cooking Wednesday

Bread in a Bag

This is a great project for kids of all ages and is one that is good for a wintery day. It is can be done at
 4-H, Girl and Boy Scouts meetings and Vacation Bible School. The bags help to reduce the mess and makes it easier for small hands. Of course there is still some mess, but that is what makes baking bread fun.  I enlisted two young neighbor girls to be my assistants and help demonstrate.
Thank you L and A.

Ingredients:
 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 Tblsp and 1/2 tsp oil
1 Tblsp plus 1/2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 Tblsp plus 1/2 tsp dry milk
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 3 1/2 tblsp warm water

an additional 1 cup flour

Good quality large plastic bags, cannot not express the importance of good bags. The ingredients can be measured out and put in small baggies before doing with a group. It is easier to measure out the oil and water for each person as they mix the dough.

Combine first  6 ingredients add warm water. Squeeze air out of bag and seal bag.

Mix ingredients by working bag with fingers until all ingredients are completely blended.

Add the other 1 cup of flour. Remove air from bag and reseal. Continue mixing until well mixed and dough pulls away from bag.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Flour your hands and knead for a few minutes. Sprinkle small amounts on dough if it is too sticky. Cover dough with bag and let dough rest for 10 minutes.

I let my assistants mold their dough any way they wanted. The dough can be divided in half to make small loafs or divide into small balls to make rolls. I have used small foil pans and sent the dough home to rise and bake.

Their creations baked beautifully and I was impressed by their designs.





I will be posting this to Gold Star Wednesday's, This Week's Cravings, Foodie Friday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday's at the Table, What's Cooking Wednesday
Fun for Kids Friday