The holidays are upon us. During the holidays, I tend to eat more sweets. Well, this year I'm going to try to be good. At least, it is my plan. Also, I have been cooking with the kids more. I made the pie crust and helped the kids make pies for Thanksgiving. The best thing is the kids have been cooking more since I have been cooking less. I love it. Since Thanksgiving is always a large meal, I like to make something healthier. I keep trying to make minestrone and finally figured what I was doing wrong. I needed to add less pasta. Also, I added more herbs. It was so good. My kids loved it. My daughters really liked it.This will be the recipe I will be using from now on when I want to make minestrone soup.
Minestrone Soup 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 large zucchini, chopped 1 cup frozen green beans 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped fine 4 cloves of garlic, minced 4 cups vegetable broth 1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained 1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, drained 4 cans (14 oz.) diced tomatoes 2 Tbsp dried parsley 1 Tbsp dried oregano 1 bay leaf 2 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp dried thyme 2 cups fresh baby spinach, sliced thin 1/2 cup small shell pasta Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, celery, garlic, green beans, zucchini, and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, beans, and spices. Stir and bring the soup to a boil.
Reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the spinach and the pasta. Cook for 20 minutes or until desired consistency.
I will apologize now but I will probably not be posting much until after
the holidays. Then I'm going to bake more. I want to try more complex
recipes. I will let you know the week before what I'm baking if anyone
wants to give me some pointers. Since I have been blogging for many
years now, my other plan for the blog will be to repost some of my
recipes I really liked. I wish you a wonderful holidays!!!!
Since I haven't made many desserts lately, I asked my husband what I should make. Well, this was his pick. It really was a good pick. It is a heavy cheesecake but still creamy. I loved the crust which is a nice balance the cheesecake. The cheesecake was a hit at my house. I had purchased four small spring form pans and the remaining batter I placed into cupcake liners and baked. Also, the leftover cheesecake I'm going to try freezing. My brother in law is going to visit in a week and I'll share some with him. Also, I want to share some with my sister when she visits soon. She is a fan of pumpkin cheesecake too.
Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust Crust: 50 gingersnap cookies 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 6 Tbsp unsalted butter Filling: 4 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature 1 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp salt 4 large eggs 2 large egg yolks 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin Directions:
On the outside of the spring form pan, line with aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a food processor, pulse the gingersnaps until crumbs.
Add the brown sugar and pulse to combine. Set aside.
Melt the butter in the microwave.
Add the melted butter to the gingersnap mixture and pulse to combine.
Press the gingersnap mixture into a 9 inch spring form pan.
Place the crust into the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the crust into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese for 5 minutes.
Scrap down the sides when needed.
Add the brown sugar and combine.
In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.
Add the cinnamon mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time and then the egg yolks.
Add the vanilla and the pumpkin. Mix until incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust. The batter will fill to the rim of the spring form pan.
Place the spring form pan in the center of a roaster pan.
Add hot water to the roaster pan until the water reaches the middle of the outside of the spring form pan to create a water bath.
Place the cheesecake into the oven.
Bake the cheese cake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the cheesecake is golden in color and the cheesecake only jiggles a little in the center when tapped.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and carefully loosen the buckle on the side of the spring form pan.
Allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature.
Cover and allow to chill overnight before serving.
Did you already know.................... -The word pumpkin is derived from the Greek word pepon which means large melon. -Pumpkins are a fruit. -The average pumpkin weighs 13 pounds.
I will admit it. Lately, I just haven't been cooking. I only have so much time in a day so I have to pick clean or cook. Now, my kitchen tends to be clean which makes it easy to cook but there are other things I have to do like organize closets, file papers, and help with Science projects. So, I have to pick which activity to do. If you ask my husband, he will always pick for me to cook. Well, Science projects can't wait. I have to become more organize. In addition, I have been working out more which takes away more time from the kitchen. Then when I've been in the kitchen I have been making a lot of dishes I have already made. I really am trying to enter the new year with a more organized home. To help, I will probably only blog once a week. So, I just didn't want you to wonder where I went. To save some time, I have been trying easier recipes. I think it still is one of his favorite recipes since I've already made it twice recently. The first time I made this recipe I didn't add broccoli but the second time I did. My husband had requested no meat in the dish since it is how he would eat it in Japan. This really is a great recipe.
Did you already know................ -Yakisoba is a fried noodle dish with vegetables and meat. -Yakisoba is a popular dish sold by street vendors. (In Japan, my husband would order this dish from a man with a cart.) -Some other garnishes for Yakisoba is seaweed powder, pickled ginger, or fish flakes.
Minestrone Soup
I will apologize now but I will probably not be posting much until after
the holidays. Then I'm going to bake more. I want to try more complex
recipes. I will let you know the week before what I'm baking if anyone
wants to give me some pointers. Since I have been blogging for many
years now, my other plan for the blog will be to repost some of my
recipes I really liked. I wish you a wonderful holidays!!!!
