Oatmeal Delights

These are a childhood favorite that my grandmother used to make me. I recently found the recipe, written in the back of one of her cookbooks that I inherited when she passed away. This is one of the best surprises I could have found...after I made it, I found I did need a 9x13 pan (not specified originally) and it need to cook for about 20-25 minutes in my over, so I updated that today.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of margarine or butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 TSP vanilla extract (or orange extract)
• 3/4 TSP all spice
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 1/8 TSP salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream the margarine and sugar together. Add the egg, vanilla, and all spice. Mix after each addition. 
2. Add flour and mix well. Add oatmeal then nuts and chocolate chips. 
3. Pour into 9x13 pan (sprayed with cooking spray first). 
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Check to see if it's done. 
5. Let cool. Cut into bars.

Garlic Butter

I used to just buy frozen garlic bread. It was, perhaps, a tad on the pricey side, but it was good. Well, I made my grandmother's homemade spaghetti sauce recipe recently, and I NEEDED garlic bread. Since I did not have time to run to the store, I decided to just make some. How hard could it be? My first attempt, was bland. DH said to not be so cheap next time and just buy some. But I wasn't convinced. Surely it couldn't be THAT hard. After some more tweaking, I cam up with the following recipe, and it is DIVINE, if I do say so myself :o)


1 cup butter, softened (no substitutions)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh, not in a can)
3-4 cloves of minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika

DIRECTIONS:
In a small bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic and Parmesan cheese. Season with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, pepper and paprika. Mix until smooth.

Southwestern Turkey Soup

What to do with the leftover turkey carcass. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we get a LOT of leftover turkey. This recipe solves the problem for us! Plus, if there happen to be any leftovers (has happened only once in the 3+ years I've been making it) this soup freezes up beautifully.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey ***
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
• fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine turkey, broth, canned tomatoes, green chilies, fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, and lime juice. Season with cayenne, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Stir in avocado and cilantro, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Spoon into serving bowls, and top with shredded cheese.
3. ***I usually cook the turkey carcass down to nothing to use for this recipe. I have a bad habit of not watching soups closely enough, and then I run out of broth. Using the broth from the turkey carcass really adds great flavor. It's also good if you just want more broth!

Tortellini Soup

This is a recipe that is not only a family favorite, but friends are always asking me for the recipe! I started out with a recipe that I found on another site, and then tweaked it to be what it is now. Even my four children enjoy this yummy soup.

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups beef broth
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup merlot (red wine)
• 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
• 8 ounces fresh tortellini pasta
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:
In a 5 quart Dutch oven, brown sausage. Remove sausage and drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings.

Saute onions and garlic in drippings. Stir in beef broth, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano, tomato sauce, and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Skim fat from the soup. Stir in zucchini and parsley. Simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add tortellini during the last 10 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese on top of each serving.