Pasta Pizza Soup

1 pound ground beef
4 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium carrots, sliced
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups cooked tricolor spiral pasta

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook beef, mushrooms, onions, and celery until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.

2. Stir in the water, tomatoes, carrots, bouillon, bay leaf and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir in pasta; heat through. Discard bay leaf.

Yields 8 servings (about 2 quarts)

Cheesy Cream Corn Puffs

ActiveTime:30 min/TotalTime: 1hr10min
Makes: About 24

Ingredients:
1 cup canned cream corn
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, plus some extra for topping
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees- line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring corn, butter, salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

2. Scrape dough into a bowl; let cool slightly. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well between each addition. Stir in the cheese and chives. Chill the dough for 15 minutes.

3. Scoop tablespoon size mounds of dough onto prepared cookie sheets. About 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake in oven until golden brown and puffy. About 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Quick Carrot Cake with Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting.

Here is what you will need:
1 pkg (2 layer size) Carrot Cake
3 large carrots, shredded about 2 cups
1 can (8oz) Crushed pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans (divided)
2 pkg (8oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed

Now to make it:
Prepare: cake batter as directed on package; stir in carrots, completely drained pineapple, 3/4 cup of pecans. Pour into 2 (9 inch) square pans sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake: 25 to 30 min. Or until toothpick inserted in centers come out clean. Cool in pans 10 min; invert onto wire racks. Remove pans. Turn cakes over, cool completely.

Beat: cream cheese, and sugar until well blended. Whisk in cool whip.

Stack: cake layers, spreading frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Top with remaining nuts. Keep refrigerated.


This cake came out great and the frosting wasn't that thick heavy and overly sweet cream cheese frosting!!

Limoncello Cheesecake Squares Recipe

Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
8 ounces purchased biscotti
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 (12-ounce) container fresh whole milk ricotta, drained, at room temperature
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar1/2 cup limoncello liqueur*, store bought or homemade, recipe follows
2 teaspoons vanilla extract4 large eggs, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Finely grind the biscotti in a food processor. Add the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom (not the sides) of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Cool the crust completely on a cooling rack.
Blend the ricotta in a clean food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally and scraping down the sides of the work bowl. Blend in the limoncello, vanilla, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and pulse just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Pour the cheese mixture over the crust in the pan. Place the baking pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour (the cake will become firm when it is cold).
Transfer the cake to a rack; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. Cut the cake into squares and serve.
*Limoncello liqueur can be found at most liquor stores and in the liquor department of some specialty markets. If limoncello liqueur is unavailable at stores near you, use the following recipe to make your own limoncello liqueur.
Limoncello:
10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.
Makes: 7 cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 4 days and 4 hours

Limoncello

Ingredients
10 lemons
1 (750-ml) bottle vodka
3 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar


Directions
Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel from the lemons in long strips (reserve the lemons for another use). Using a small sharp knife, trim away the white pith from the lemon peels; discard the pith. Place the lemon peels in a 2-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over the peels and cover with plastic wrap. Steep the lemon peels in the vodka for 4 days at room temperature.
Stir the water and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Pour the sugar syrup over the vodka mixture. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Strain the limoncello through a mesh strainer. Discard the peels. Transfer the limoncello to bottles. Seal the bottles and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 month.

Potato Salad

I did it!!! After 19 years of marriage and learning to cook I made my first potato salad!!! (I know what you all must be thinking. REALLY???) Yes I have not always liked potato salad and would mostly pick at the potato as I hate celery and pickle relish and almost EVERY SINGLE SALAD that is an Ingredients. So I took it upon myself to take several recipes and make my own. It has been getting great comments the first two times I made it. So I am adding it now. (Because we all know how soon I forget things)

Ingredients:

5 to 6 medium to large potatoes; peeled
5 eggs
1 1/2 dill pickles; cut into small pieces
green onion/chives finely chopped
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons pickle juice (juice from dill pickle jar without peppercorns)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste


Wash and peel potatoes and boil till tender. While cooking boil 5 eggs. Chop pickles, onion/chives and set aside. In a separate mixing bowl combine mayo, pickle juice, mustard, and salt and pepper. mix together till creamy and set aside. Drain and cool eggs and chop. Once potatoes are done I found that placing them on a cutting board and using a wooden spoon to break apart works best as to hot to hold and cut. Place potatoes, eggs, and mixture in bowl and mix, being careful to not mash potatoes.

You can always add celery if you wish, just that we prefer without.