Sherm's Christmas Clam Chowder (New England Style - White)

Clam chowder recipe with minced clams, bacon, onion, potatoes and milk. (plus a few more things)
INGREDIENTS:
* 4 (6 1/2 oz.) cans minced clams with juice
* 1 lb. bacon cut in bit size pieces
* 1 large chopped onion
* 3 stocks of chopped celery
* 8 to 10 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 4 cups. water
* 3 tsp. salt
* 1/4 pd butter
* 1/2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 tsp. pepper
* 1 can of beer
* 2 c. milk
* Garlic salt for favor it desired.
* If needed, 3 to 4 tbsp. cornstarch to thicken stock
* If garnish is desired sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley
PREPARATION:
In frying pan cook the bacon strips. While bacon is browning chop up onions and celery. Remove bacon from frying pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess grease. When cooled, cut or break the bacon up into 1/2" square chunks. Place chopped onions and celery in frying pan with bacon grease and simmer until the they are translucent in color. Remove chopped onions and celery from frying pan and place on paper towel to absorb excess grease. Set aside frying pan with bacon grease. Heat 4 cups of water in a soup pot. Add salt and pepper to the water. Peel and dice 8 to 10 medium potatoes. Put potatoes in the water and boil until they are soft and can be beaten easily with a fork.
Drain off excess water into a bowl for later use. Add 1/4 pound of butter to the hot potatoes and stir (don't completely mash the potatoes). In a sauce pan boil the 4 cans of clams in their juice until they are very soft. Add the clams, onions, celery, bacon and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to the potatoes in
the soup pot. Stir together. Add the 2 cups of milk, 1 can of beer
and a cup of the potato water to the mixture. Continue stirring.
Thicken with cornstarch if necessary or add more potato water if soup is to thick. Let the soup simmer for 1/2 hour to blend flavors and burn off the alcohol. Add garlic salt for favor if desired. May be served with chopped fresh parsley garnish. Have some Tabasco or Tapatio on hand for those who like to spice it up.

Potato Soup variant -
Some people don't like clams so you make this recipe sans shell fish, divide the soup base into two pots after it's all mixed, and add the clams to just one of the pots.

Summer Squash and Zucchini Casserole

2 medium yellow summer squash, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 c Minute Rice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl: mix well. Pour into greased 9 inch square baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Makes 6 servings.

Erin's Granola

(friend Erin's Recipe)
1 ½ cups rolled oats
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped very fine (or pecans)
1 cup dried fruit, diced into small pieces (apricots, raisins, blueberry or cranberry)
½ cup almond meal (or you could sub whole wheat flour)
2 TB sesame seeds, preferably unhulled
2 TB sunflower seeds
1 egg
¼ c canola oil
¼ c honey or agave nectar
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients. You can use a single kind of fruit or a combo of 2 or more. In a separate bowl whisk wet ingredients. Add to dry ingredients and stir until covered. Line a 8 x 8 baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray. Spread granola in dish and cook for 30 min on 350. Check halfway thru and if the top is browning, cover with foil for the remainder of cooking time. Let cool and cut into bars or crumble.

Buffalo Chip Cookies

(Recipe from Laura Neff Miller)

2 c melted butter
2 c sugar
2 c packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
4 beaten eggs

2 c oatmeal
2 c smashed cornflakes
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 large pkg chocolate chips (16-18 oz.)

Blend melted butter and sugars. Mix thoroughly, adding the beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix in oatmeal and cornflakes. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir mixture until properly blended. Add chocolate chips.

Drop by ice cream scoopfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Do not put more than 6 on one pan. Cook at 350 degrees F for 13-15 minutes. Cool on pan for 3-5 minutes.

Makes 31/2 doz.
(Cookies can be frozen.)

Tuscan Bean Soup

1 c packaged peeled baby carrots, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 15 oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)**
1 32 oz box reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 packet of Trader Joe's Savory Chicken broth
2 to 3 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 5 oz package baby spinach
Freshly cracked black pepper

In a 4-qt Dutch oven cook and stir carrots, onion and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add beans, broth, savory chicken broth packet and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Slightly mash beans. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach, tossing with tongs for 1 to 2 minutes, just until wilted. Remove from Heat.

Ladle soup into bowl and top with spinach, sprinkle with pepper.

Note: I have also substituted a breast of chopped up chicken breast for a can of cannellini beans, too.

** I have been using La Contena canned whole pinto beans. The spices and ingredients int he can add a great boost of flavor.

Applesauce

12 medium to large apples
1 c water
1/2 c sugar (or amount to your liking)
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Peel and cut or slice apples and put in a large pot over medium heat until nearly soft. Add sugar and lemon juice and cook a few more minutes. Puree in blender to desired consistency. Makes about 5 cups.

Note: We have an apple, peeler, corer which works really well and is fun for the girls to do too.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus

Came across this in a magazine... it's definitely a keeper! We had it twice in one week, that's how much we enjoy it!


1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus, rinsed (snap off woody ends)
1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 c peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

Make the marinade by whisking together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic and lemon pepper in a bowl. Reserve 1/2 c of mixture in a separate container.

Place asparagus in a ziplock bag and pour in 1/4 c of the marinade from the bowl. Work the bag until the marinade is distributed evenly. Do the same with the pork tenderloin, using a second ziplock bag and the remaining marinade from the bowl. Let the meat and vegetables marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Prepare grill for medium high heat.

Add peanut butter to reserved marinade and whisk until mixture is smooth.

Grill tenderloin for 3 to 4 minutes each side, rotating a quarter turn at a time, until the temperature registers 145 degrees in the center. Remove meat and let rest for about 5 minutes (the internal temperature will rise to 150 degrees).

Meanwhile, grill asparagus spears two minutes per side.

Slice pork diagonally into 1 to 2 inch slices. It should be juicy and slightly pink inside. Serve meat and asparagus with dipping sauce. Serves 4.

Delicious Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie Bars

1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1 c all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c raspberry jam (seeded or seedless, your preference)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch square pan and line with greased foil.

Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats. Rub in butter sing your hands or pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture.

Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top and lightly press into the jam.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Post Title

Ben's BBQ Sauce

Tangy, Slightly sweet BBQ sauce. It's flexible and beats pretty much anything out of a bottle.

Ingredients

1. 8 oz tomato sauce (the little cans)
2. 2 oz. white distilled vinegar
3. 1/4 cup honey
4. 1/4 cup ketchup
5. 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
6. 1/2 tsp salt
7. 1 tb. plain yellow mustard
8. Worcestershire sauce
9. Lime juice
10. Garlic powder
11. Hotsauce and/or Chili powder (if you like a bit of kick)
12. Pepper (white or black)
13. Paprika
14. Soy sauce
15. liquid smoke (hickory)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes or more.

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White Cake

We've used this recipe for cupcakes for Hannah's first and fourth birthdays with the Butter Frosting. They were a big hit!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites

In a bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add buttermilk, butter flavored shortening and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on medium to high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add egg whites and mix for 2 minutes more, scraping bowl.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9x1/2-inch round baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen sides before removing from pans. Cool on wire racks before frosting.

For cup cakes, fill pan with paper cups, then half full of batter, baking at 350 degrees for 18 to 23 minutes.

Butter Frosting:

1/3 cup butter
4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
additional milk, if needed

In a bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in the 1/4 cup milk and vanilla. Slowly beat in remaining sugar, a little at a time. Beat in additional milk as needed to make spreading consistency. You may tint with food coloring, if desired.

Frosts tops and sides on two 8 or 9 inch cake layers.

Hannah's Meatloaf

1 beaten egg
1 slice of bread
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoons catsup

In a mixing bowl, crumble slice of bread into little bits. Add egg, apple juice, onion, red pepper, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and mix well, using a spoon at first, then use your hands to mix it really well.

In a shallow baking dish pat mixture into a circle with a 6 inch diameter. Form a 2-inch diameter hole in the middle. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until no pink remains.

Transfer onto a serving plate and spoon catsup over meat.