LASAGNA SOUP

LASAGNA SOUP

My mother-in-law made this tonight and it was delicious!

When Meredith Deeds was working on her cookbook "300 Sensational Soups," her son, Kyle, came up with the idea of turning his favorite meal, lasagna, into a soup. The tomato-y broth, brimming with sausage and pasta, melts the mix of cheeses placed in each bowl before serving. A quick swirl of the spoon ensures diners will get a bit of gooey cheese in every bite.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (bulk or with casings removed)
2 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 ounces fusilli pasta
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
8 ounces ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pot. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and sauté until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

2. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

3. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper. To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top. Makes about 13 cups.

Church Books

Hey gals! What are your favorite church books for kids? I want to finally start investing in some, both picture and story books? Do you find the best deals at Deseret Book or another place?

bargain blog

Check out my sister in laws bargain blog for some deals

http://peapodbargains.blogspot.com/

A good blog

My sister in law recommended this blog. It has some great tips for planning a menu for a shower or party.

http://the-daily-bite.blogspot.com/search/label/Baby%20Shower

Preschool

We're coming back in August, and I'm already fretting about preschool. G is 3 1/2 and will be 4 in December. I'd be interested in doing a joyschool group of 3-5 kids once a week, but I'd like it to be within walking/biking distance (Japan is rubbing off on me). Is anyone else out there interested?

Each mom would take one week a month and teach from around 9-11:30. We could use the joyschool curriculum or make one up ourselves. Anyone interested?

Email me at bekahtanoatgmaildotcom and maybe we can make a group.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

This caramel popcorn won't heat up your house because you don't need a stove or oven!

Ingredients:

3/4 C brown sugar
6 T butter or margarine
3 T corn syrup
1/4 t baking soda
about 8 cups salted popcorn (not buttered)

Put first 3 ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave uncovered for 1-2 min, stirring after 1 min. (until butter is melted). Mix in baking soda until dissolved (it makes the mixture light brown) and then mix in popcorn. Coat evenly with caramel mixture.

Microwave 3* min., stirring every minute. Spread the popcorn out on wax paper, saran wrap, or a lightly greased cookie sheet. Let it cool and then enjoy!

*If you like chewier caramel, only microwave 2 min, stirring after 1 min.

Concert Tickets

My cousin is trying to get rid of a couple of tickets to a KT Tunstall concert for the evening of May 5. She got them for $65 (including fees) but she'll give them to someone for $40. It's at the Wiltern, a beautiful old Art Deco movie palace in LA. We'd probably go, but exams are calling...

Any takers? E-mail me!

Julia's Bread and Honey Butter

This recipe off of Julia's blog looked so good. I'll be trying it soon!



Recipe for Wheat Bread


1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk PLUS skim milk to equal 2 C total of milk
2/3 C water
1 stick of butter, melted and cooled
1/4 C honey
3 1/2 C whole wheat bread flour
3 C white bread flour
1 T plus 1 t of dry active yeast (or 2 packets)
4 t of salt


Dump can of evap. milk, extra skim milk, and water in a microwaveable bowl. Nuke it until it is warm to the touch (not just lukewarm ... let's not be pansies ... it will lose some heat when it hits your mixing bowl). Add to mixer with melted stick of butter. Add honey and yeast. Start mixer on low and add a cup of flour at a time until you get to 5 total. Once the flour is incorporated enough it's not going to fly all over the place, turn the mixer up to 2 or 3 (Kitchen Aid) and beat for 4 minutes. This is to get the gluten content up, and to avoid kneading. I'm lazy. I do this all with the paddle attachment. It should be like cookie dough consistency.


Then sprinkle salt and mix in. You can switch to your bread hook now, if you'd like. Add the rest of flour in cups, just a bit at a time at the end, until the dough pulls from the sides, forms a ball on the hook but it still stuck to the bottom.


Scrape bowl, forming dough into a ball. You can knead it a bit if you want, but I don't. Place in a greased glass bowl and place in a warm oven (about 100 degrees ... I do this by preheating the oven for about 2 minutes and then turning it off while I'm mixing the dough ... I know, I'm coordinated). This is cheating because it will raise in about 1 hour this way.


Once it's doubled, punch down. Then split into two and shape into loaves by rolling the dough from one side to the other, like a long tube. Then tuck in the ends and place in a greased pan. Let that rise until you have a nice hump above the pan, about an inch. Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes.


Oh, and note, you can use regular flour for the whole thing. Or whatever floats your boat.


World's Second Best Honey Butter
1 stick butter
1/2 c honey
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla
dash of salt


Beat everything together until fluffy. Enjoy liberally on all sorts of mediums, the best being homemade bread.

Ratatouille

I found a recipe for Ratatouille in my Betty Crocker book, and it made me think of the movie. So, for FHE last week we ate Rataouille while we watched the movie. It's totally vegetarian, so some husbands might appreciate some meat with it; I would suggest a steak or maybe plain grilled chicken. I thought it was plenty filling and satisfying all by itself. Anyway, it was a fun FHE, and I thought I'd put the recipe up.

Ratatouille:

1 med (1.5 lb.) 1/2" cubed eggplant (unpeeled or peeled; I peeled mine)
1 lb. zucchini cut in 1/2" slices
1 med. green bell pepper chopped
1 med onion finely chopped
2 med tomatoes cut into fourths*
1/4 cup olive or veg oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic finely chopped*

cook all ingredients in 12" skillet 10-15 min on med heat (until zucchini is tender).
* I actually suggest cutting the tomatoes in 1/2" chunks and adding it 5 min into cooking. I cut mine into eighths and the pieces were still a pretty big mouthful. And I used 2 heaping tsp. minced garlic from a jar, instead of fresh garlic, and sauteed that with the oil 2 min or so before adding everything else.

Jane Austen on PBS

I've posted a discussion on the new Jane Austen movies on Masterpiece Classic on my blog. Stop by if you want to discuss. www.ckanselmo.blogspot.com

Soup Recipes from The Cox

Pureed Carrot Soup with Nutmeg

2 Tbsp butter, extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, 3 medium shallots, or 1 medium leek(white and light green parts only), chopped
2 Tbsp dry sherry or white wine
1 1/2 pounds (about 8 medium carrots) peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced thin (about 4 cups)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp salt
ground white pepper
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1-1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 tsps minced fresh tarragon mint, chive or parsley leaves

1. heat butter or oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute until golden (they carmalized the onions), about 5 minutes. Add sherry and carrots; stir-cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
2.Add stock, salt, pepper to taste, and nutmeg to saucepan; bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Ladle carrot mixture into blender. (The Cox used a braun hand mixer type thing and blended it in the pan) Add 1 cup milk; blend until very smooth. Return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional milk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. (soup can be refridgerated for 3 days and reheated just before serving)
4. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with minced herb and serve immediately.

Variations

Pureed Broccoli soup with basil
Follow recipe for Pureed Carrot Soup with Nutmeg, replacing carrots with 2 pounds broccoli, stalks discarded and florets cut into bit-sized pieces to yield 5 cups. Omit nutmeg and cook broccoli until tender, about 10 minutes. Thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk and garnish soup with 2 tbsp minced fresh basil leaves.

Pureed Butternut Squash Soup with Ginger (this is what we sampled on Wed night)
Follow recipe for Pureed Carrot Soup with Nutmeg, replacing carrots with 1 medium butternut squash (about 2 1/2 pounds), which has been halved, seeded, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes to yield 5 cups. ( The Cox like to roast the squash first; Coat pieces in oil and lay out on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 1 hour or until fork tender) Substitute 1 tsp ground ginger for nutmeg and cook squash until tender, about 15 minutes. Thin with 3/4 to 1 cup milk and garnish with minced fresh parsley or chives.

Pureed Cauliflower Soup with Coriander
Follow recipe for Pureed Carrot Soup and Nutmeg, replacing carrots with 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), stems discarded and florets cut into bit-sized pieces to yield 5 cups. Replace nutmeg with 1 tsp coriander and cook cauliflower until tender, about 12 minutes. Thin with 1/2 to 3/4 cup milk and garnish with minced chives or parsley.

Creamy Potato Soup with Chives
Follow recipe for Pureed Carrot soup with nutmeg, placing carrots with 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice to yield 4 cups. omit nutmeg and cook potatoes until very tender, about 20 minutes. This with 1 to 1 1/4 cups milk and garnish with minced chives.

*unsweetened coconut milk can be used as a milk substitute if you want.

We only tried the butternut squash one, which was really good.

Cox's Cooking Tips

lists of things that you should always have on hand in the kitchen

Pantry:
Canned diced tomatoes
Tomato sauce
tomato Paste
Canned Chicken, beef and vegetable broth
Jarred Marinara Sauce
Creamed Soups (chicken, mushroom, celery)
bullion cubes
pasta- a variety of shapes
Pice
Tuna fish (other canned meat such as chicken)
Onions
Garlic
Vegetable oil
Extra Virgin Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Dried herbs (leaves)-basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, dill, herbs de provence, red pepper flakes
Dried spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
vanilla
kosher salt
black peppercorn

Fridge:
Fresh herbs- basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley
mixed greens
butter
soy sauce
eggs
cheese
lemon

Freezer:
Ground beef and/or turkey (1 lb segments)
Chicken breasts
store bought pie crusts
bag of mixed berries
mixed vegetables
nuts
grated cheese
bread

tips that we learned last night at the Enrichment Mtg.

Fresh lemon juice: squeeze lemon juice into ice cube trays in desired amount and freeze, then dump frozen cubes into a ziploc and keep in freezer. Remove as needed.

Only need 1 TBSP of Tomato Paste: Instead of wasting the rest of can; drop paste in 1 TBSP droplets onto make shift foil like pan and freeze. Once frozen, dump into a ziploc and keep in freezer. Remove as needed.

When freezing ground beef, flatten the 1 lb segment in ziploc bag so it lays flat. This makes it easier to defrost and stack in the freezer.

Christmas Gift Idea

Melissa Hatch in the ward has this great power jumperstarter that we have had to utilize multiple times! Carl and I are buying these for our parents. These portable jumpstarters are meant to jump your car battery without needing a second car, plus they include an air compressor, light, and many have ac/dc outlets so they can be used as a portable generator for emergency or just camping convenience! Costco has one in the store that is $70, but you can get them on ebay for anywhere between 30 and 70. If you search under Ebay motors, there are some there that no one is bidding on since ebay motors isn't widely used and doesn't come up under the basic search. There are also some Xantrex brand ones that have pretty good ratings. Anyway, I hope that this helps you guys out with an idea!

Items for Sale

I am clearing out some things that we don't use anymore. Since we live in an apartment we can't do a yard sale. So I thought I would offer them here before I craigslist them.

Double Jogging Stroller - a little dusty - $20 OBO


Oster Breadmaker - $10 OBO



Double Stroller - almost new - navy blue/white check - can turn the seats so they face each other or are in tandem - $50 OBO


Disney Collectibles - $10 OBO

Call me if your interested.
Kristen

Thanksgiving Leftover Shepherds Pie

Need something new to do with those Thanksgiving leftovers? This shepherds pie is super easy and super good. Make it as big or as small as you want!

Combine in casserole dish:

Leftover turkey, shredded

Leftover stuffing
Leftover veggies (or frozen mixed, heated)
Leftover gravy

Top with:
Leftover mashed potatoes

Cheddar cheese, shredded

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until heated through. If desired, put it under the broiler for 30 seconds to give the cheese a brown, crispy crust. Serve with salad and/or leftover cranberry sauce.

Barley, Black Bean and Corn Burritos

This is a nice easy crock-pot recipe. We love it because it tastes good and it's a healthy meal in one.

Place all of the following in the crock pot:
1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 c uncooked pearl barley
2 c vegetable broth (Better Than Bullion is my favorite!)
3/4 c frozen corn-kernel corn
1/4 c chopped green onions
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T ground chili powder (I have never added this because I'm not a spice lover)
1/2 t ground red pepper (this either:))
1 garlic clove (But I make up for it with this! I love garlic!)
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro (add this last)

Cook on low for 4-5 hours

Put a 1/4 c or so of the above mixture in each tortilla and add the following:
flour or wheat tortillas
cheddar cheese
lettuce
sour cream

Yummy stir-fry sauce

Prepare whatever veggies and meat you want, saute them in oil then add this sauce to them when they are done:

1 cup pineapple juice (I usually just add whatever juice in left over from the big can of pineapple- I think it's 1 lb. 4 oz and then I use the pineapple in the stir fry)
3 T brown sugar
3/4 c tamari or soy sauce (be sure to use low sodium!)
1/8 t ginger
1 clove garlic-crushed/minced (add this very last)
2 T cornstarch in 1/4 c water (be sure to add the cornstarch to the water before adding the mixture to above of else you will have to start over!)

Heat over med/low until thick.

Roasted Vegetables

Mix any and all of the following:
beats (which I usually add extra)
sweet potatoes
zucchini
red pepper
red onion
yellow pepper
carrots
mushrooms
anise

After chopping vegetables (potatoes and carrots smaller than others), mix all together with olive oil. Bake uncovered at 425 for 30-45 minutes.

I usually make a lot of vegetables so that I can eat them for lunch for the next week. They are good even reheated in the microwave.

Christmas Idea

My mother-in-law unknowingly gave us a great idea for Christmas gifts. And then two days later I was talking to my dad and he mentioned, completely unaware of my mother-in-laws comment, that he had to get prepared for emergency.

For Christmas we are making emergency preparedness kits for two of our sets of parents. I've been looking for a long time as I have created our own family preparedness kit. The other day, I came across a great site. It has really good prices and a lot of variety. I figured out that if I order what I want from their loose stuff and assemble my kit on my own, I could get a lot more stuff for the price of their prepared emergency kits.

And we got all of our siblings involved to make it a group gift which kept the cost down. And our siblings loved that they didn't have to come up with something on their own.

Anyway, I just thought it was an unconventional but practical gift for loved ones.

The site that I like is www.preparednessproducts.net.

Great Children's Books

So, I am always on the look out for great children's books, both visually and contextually. Below are a couple of our favorites, what are yours?