Mmmmm, Rice Crispy Treats

Okay, so everyone does the rice crispy treats. What makes these so special??? I don't know. Maybe a little more marshmallows, maybe the real butter, maybe the vanilla. Or could it be that I make them in the microwave? Yes that's right in the microwave, done in under 10 min, start to finish. And their de-lish!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter (I use salted sweat cream)
  
• 1 16oz. bag of mini marshmallows
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 10.5 Cups rice crispy cereal

In a big huge bowl (make sure it will fit in your microwave) melt the butter. About 45 sec.

Pour in the whole bag of marshmallows, and coat in the butter

After melted and transformed into gooey goodness, add vanilla

Add the 10.5 cups of cereal, and stir till all cereal is coated. Grease a 13x9 pan, and dump contents of bowl into pan. (I do not press the mixture but I'm sure you could if you so desire.) Place in refrigerator for about an hour

Cut and serve!

Ooey-gooey goodness = Smiles all around!

Cincinnati Chili

This is one of my families all time favorites. Before we were married, my husband served a mission for our church in Kentucky, and upon his return begged me to make this dish. He said it was to be served over spaghetti noodles, and it had Cinnamon in it. I was very skeptical, but searched for a recipe. I have since tweaked the recipe to make it my own, and now to the blog.

Ingredients needed:

• 1 lb. extra lean ground beef
  
• 3 T Chili powder
• 1 medium onion (or 1T onion flakes)
• 2 cloves garlic (also sub 1t garlic salt)
• 2t ground cumin
• 2 cans condensed tomato soup
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can petite diced tomato
• 1 T vinegar
• 1/4 t cinnamon

Prep time: 2-5 min.
Total cook time: about 25 min

Start out by combining meat, chili powder, garlic, onions, and cumin. Cook until meat is no longer pink.

Once meat is browned add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 15 min., stirring occasionally. (If you like a thicker chili leave the lid off, if you like it more soupy... lid on.)

Now when we first tried this recipe we did server over spaghetti, which was o.k. Since that first time we have been introduced to serving over white rice. Yum! I also like to use Frito's scoops as a spoon. The kids like this also.

Garnish with cheese, and onions if desired. My family is more of a cheese and no onions family.

Review:

Obviously this is a hit with everyone, or I would not make it so often. We have this probably once every other week. It is a very simple fix, and it's fast! Good for left overs too.

With all the canned goods, and dried spices, this would also make a great menu item for food storage. Anyway, thank you Cincinnati for the yummy chili!

Broccoli Cheese Soup - Cook's Illustrated, March/April 2011

Here's their finished product:

I chose this recipe because I was dying to try another soup, I also like to look for recipes that seem simple, and I already have most of the ingredients in my fridge or pantry.

Before I started this blog I ventured out and purchased an immersion blender from Costco. I first tried a Rachel Ray potato soup. I didn't follow this recipe to the "T," probably why it was not my favorite, but still a fun adventure for a first timer. My second "blended soup," was a chicken tortilla soup. I used a recipe from a friend in Calif., I added a few extra vegetables and then followed the rest. I really enjoyed this soup, and so did the children. We'll have to try that one again soon, and document. Sunday night I attempted a 5 ingredient tomato basil soup, found on foodgawker. Very refreshing, and healthy, but I was hoping for something a little more full and robust. This tomato basil left my taste-buds feeling a little deprived. So tonight we try Broccoli.

Ingredients needed:

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 pounds broccoli, chopped into 1 inch pieces (include the stems but peel them and cut them into 1/4 inch-thick slices) (*shortcut, I used frozen from costco, already chopped. Just let thaw out before cooking)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
pinch cayenne
salt
3-4 cups water
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups chicken broth
2 oz baby spinach
3 oz sharp cheddar, grated
1 1/2 oz Parmesan, grated
pepper to taste

Prep time: About 10 min.
Cook time: Start to finish about 45 min.

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat butter over medium high heat. Add broccoli, onion, garlic, mustard, cayenne and 1 tsp salt. Stir frequently and cook until fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add 1 cup water and baking soda and bring to a simmer. Cook until broccoli is very soft, about 20 minutes.Don't forget to use a helper if needed...

Add broth and 2 cups water and increase heat to medium high. Bring to a simmer (this will take about 10-15 min.)

Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.

Add cheeses (I opted to just use my 3 cheese blend from costco, don't know if that changes the flavor much)

Blend soup with an immersion blender (alternatively, you can transfer soup to a blender and blend in two batches).

Adjust consistency of soup to your liking with remaining water (I found it didn't need any more). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Says it serves 8, but if your looking for a healthy serving I would say about 6 large helpings.

Here's my finished product:

Personal review:

Well, I'd have to say that I was very pleased with this recipe! "Mmmm ... just what I was hoping for." It was creamy, with out cream, and just cheesy enough, but not over powering. Also the cayenne pepper gave it just the right kick. The kids thought, "it's fine mom," which means they didn't love it but they'll eat it. The husband is apparently not a huge broccoli fan, so he said it was "not a top 10 nominee."
If I ever crave the green goop again, I will definitely be coming back to this recipe.