Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

               Photo by Carrie S.

Found on allrecipes.com

Just a Note:  This is a very versatile recipe.  You can substitute pretty much any potato but the more starchy potatoes work best to thicken up the soup a little more.  Don't worry too much about how much you put in.  It doesn't have to be exact.  I like more potatoes so I always throw in a few more.  You can also substitute the ham for bacon.  I usually top off my soup with some shredded cheddar cheese.

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup

• 3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup diced celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
• 3/4 cup diced cooked ham
• 3 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk

Directions

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Basic Ham and Bean Soup

This recipe was found on allrecipes.com.

Just a Note:  If you want to ramp up the flavor you can substitute chicken broth for the water.  I have also used half water and half chicken broth before.  Just be sure to adjust your salt accordingly.

Basic Ham and Bean Soup

• 
  
• 1 pound dry great Northern beans
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ham hock
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chopped ham
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
2. After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
3. Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

For those who have an electric pressure cooker(mine is a Cuisinart) soak your beans as stated above.  Use about 7 cups water/chicken broth.  Then put all the remaining ingredients in the pressure cooker except for the 2 cups of ham and pepper.  Set pressure cooker timer for 30 min. Use the quick pressure release method.  Add your ham and pepper and simmer until soup is heated through.  I LOVE MY ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER!

sidenote:  If you don't end up soaking your beans you can pressure cook for 35 to 40 and you'll still be safe just remember with this method to use the natural release method.

Time to get serious

Now that the Christmas is rush over I can focus a little more on getting some recipes up here!  I didn't expect anyone to be able to look at these until after the holidays were over.  Hopefully things will pick up from here on out.  This week I'll be posting some soup recipes.  No doubt you are going to have lots of ham or turkey leftover from dinner.  Unless you were lucky enough to go to your folks.  Remember to save your ham hocks and turkey carcasses!

Creamy Fudge

You can not go into the holidays without having fudge in your home.  This recipe was the "original" off the back of the kraft marshmallow creme jar.  If made right the fudge will be creamy and smooth.

Creamy Fudge  (Mom's fudge)

Makes 4 pounds

1 1/2 Cups of Sugar

1/2 Cup butter or margarine

1 (5-fluid ounce) can evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup)

1 (7-ounce) jar JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme

3 Cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups planters walnuts, coarsely chopped

1.  Lightly grease a foil-lined 9x9x2-inch pan; set aside.

2.  Heat sugar, butter or margarine, milk and marshmallow creme in heavy 3-quart saucepan over medium heat until mixture boils, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 5 minutes

3.  Add chocolate chips and vanilla extract, stirring until chips are melted.  Stir in walnuts.

4.  Immediately spread into prepared pan.  Refrigerate overnight.  Cut into 1-inch squares.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator.  For creamier fudge, let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.  

Banana Bread

Photos by Bri Lee

This is a family recipe that has been passed down through the ages.  This was a note that accompanied the recipe from my mom:

This recipe belonged to my great-grandmother and has been passed down since then.  My mother uses bananas that are very ripe or have been frozen.  It keeps the banana flavor to the bread.

So, the blacker the better!  And I have tried both freezing and not freezing.  Both work but you will get more of a kick of flavor by freezing the bananas.  Also, it's nice to throw in the freezer if you don't have the time to invest to make them that day.

Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

½ cup shortening

1/3 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2-3 bananas (1 cup)

1/3 cup sour milk (use lemon juice to sour regular milk)

1 teaspoon baking soda

½-1 cup walnuts (optional)

2 cups flour

Cream sugar and shortening, add eggs and blend together, add bananas then sour milk mix well together.  Add sifted flour, soda & salt.  Mix and sitr well.  Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until done.  Use toothpick in the center to check doneness.  

Welcome to "The Recipe Project"

Here is the long awaited recipe project blog.  Okay, so maybe you weren't waiting but I've been working hard to get this thing going and hammering out the details on what I would like to accomplish with this.  Like the banner says this is not your typical recipe blog.  My vision for this blog is to attain pictures for all my loose recipes and organize them into a fancy shmancy cookbook.  I'm not selling it...it is just for my enjoyment.   In return you can take any of the recipes from this site.   It's my crafter side in me coming out.  So here's the breakdown.

1.  I'll will try to post 2-3 recipes a week.  But, eh, if I don't make it don't call the blogger police on me.

2.  This will be a contest.  If there is no picture above the recipe that means we have not chosen a winner yet.  You can submit one picture per recipe.  I will leave it up lets say roughly a month or unless I've received 5 or more pics.  Which ever comes first.  Then our judges(Maryn, Macey, Matt) will choose their favorite picture.  I am no respector of persons so if you're pic gets chosen AWESOME.  I will give you credit for your pic.  If not please don't hold any grudges against the judges or me...this is all in the name of fun!  So, bottom line, if there is a pic above the recipe that means the voting has been completed for that recipe.  You can still have access to the recipe though.

3.  If you made the recipe be sure to put your input for others to see in the comments section.  I will give as much help as I can for what I do but make the recipe your own.

4.  All recipes will be catergorized and accessible on the side bar.  I will constantly be trying to make improvements.  When you send your pic in to the address below be sure to put the recipe name in the subject heading.

5.  I will try to give the origin, website link or any other information as to where I collected the recipe.

6.  Last but not least...be creative.  I love creativity and will be looking for it in the pics.


Send all pics to therecipeproject@live.com

Happy cooking to all!!!

Heavenly Hazelnut Truffles

We'll start the blog out with some goodies that you can use for Christmas gifts. This truffle recipe is the one I like the most. It does say that you can roll them in nuts but I ALWAYS dip these because I have never had luck with the nuts adhering well. There is a note at the end of the recipe as to what I use. A double boiler works the best for dipping chocolates. Also, I take a hazelnut and wrap the chocolate around the nut. It's a nice surprise in the middle. Just a tip for dipping keep your rolled truffles in the fridge or freezer before dipping. They will hold their shape better.

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups Nutella

1 teaspoon hazelnut liqueur or vanilla
Whole hazelnuts (optional)
Cocoa powder or ground hazelnuts

Melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and Nutella. Remove from heat and stir in liqueur. Chill until firm.

Shape into 1-inch balls or form about 1 tablespoon of mixture around a hazelnut then shape into a ball. Roll in cocoa powder or nuts. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Note:  Taste better if dipped in 2 cups chocolate + 2 Tbl shortening and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts