Pappy's Crepes

Growing up, Pappy's crepes were always a special treat. Warm crepes topped with butter and sugar, we would scarf them down, we loved them! Pappy always told us that his "secret" was to use half milk and half water in the batter. He garnered tons of compliments even from the locals while he was living in France for his mission. Who am I to argue with that kind of success?

Pappy's Crepes

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2 large eggs

1/4 cup melted butter 'or' avacado oil 'or' melted coconut oil

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Place al ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Scrape any dry spots of flour from the sides and process until smooth. For best results, let batter rest in the fridge for about 1 - 2 hours and up to 5 days. 'OR' You can cook the crepe batter without letting it rest and still have good results too.

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease skillet. Pour about 1/4 - 1/3 cup batter into heated pan and swirl until entire pan bottom is coated. Place pan back onto heat and cook a minute or two until crepe is set. Flip and cook the other side 60 - 90 seconds more.

Repeat with rest of the batter. Place cooked crepes on a plate or rack. Stack cooked crepes on top of each other as you cook them. Serve them warm, brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with sugar, or fill crepes as desired. The crepe batter can be kept in the fridge, covered, up to 5 days.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

 Half of my kids hate tomato soup while the rest of us love it, but for some reason even my tomato-soup-haters happily eat this and go back for seconds. I credit the tortellini, they're such a fun and tasty addition! I came up with this soup using almost all pantry staples which means I am sure to have almost everything on hand on any given night that I need a quick and easy meal. But feel free to use fresh chopped onions and minced garlic sauteed in olive oil before adding the remaining ingredients, and even better, fresh basil if you have it!

Tomato Tortellini Soup

3 (28 oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes

2 quarts chicken broth

2 TBSP. dried minced onion 'or' 1 TBSP. onion powder

2-3 tsp. dried basil

1 TBSP. sugar

1 - 1 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

3 (19 oz.) bags frozen cheese tortellini

Puree tomatoes in blender until smooth. In large stock pot, combine tomatoes, broth, onions, basil, sugar, salt, garlic and pepper. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10-15 min. 
Add tortellini and bring back to boil and let cook about 10-15 min. until tortellini are cooked through.
Stir 1/2 cup hot soup into heavy cream to temper. Add tempered cream and Parmesan cheese to soup. Heat through but don't boil.  Serve. Makes about 12-15 servings.

**To halve the recipe use 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes and 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes and 1 1/2 bags of the tortellini.

**You can also use dried or refrigerated tortellini instead of the frozen. Or omit the tortellini altogether and just make a creamy tomato soup instead.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

 I usually double this to feed all of us with some leftovers.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 TBSP. butter

1 TBSP. olive oil

1-2 stalks celery, sliced

2-4 carrots, peeled, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 1/2 lbs. (about 2 large breasts) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

7 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups wild rice mix

1 tsp. Kosher salt

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried rosemary

1 cup heavy cream or half & half

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

In large Dutch oven/saucepan (6 qt.) heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and saute until about 5 min. Stir in celery, carrots and onion. Saute about 3-4 min. Add the chicken broth, wild rice mix, salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 min. until rice is tender. In small bowl, whisk together flour and cream until smooth. Whisk into soup and cook 5 min or until thickened. Serves 6-8

Sheet Pan Quiche

 Sheet Pan Quiche

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup 'plus' 2 TBSP. shortening

1/2 - 3/4 cup cold water as needed

filling:

18 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 tsp. kosher salt

pepper to taste

1 1/2 lbs. bacon, cooked & crumbled

about 1 cup cooked sausage

3 oz. (3/4) cup provolone cheese, shredded

1 oz. (1/4 cup) pepperjack cheese, shredded

8 oz. (2 cups) sharp cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 375*F. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Mix in just enough water till dough comes together. Roll out on floured surface until larger than sheet pan. Place dough into 13x18"-inch sheet pan. Trim and flute edges. Prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake for 20 min. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle bacon and sausage evenly over top crust. Sprinkle cheese over top all. In large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour evenly over top, making sure to cover all of the cheese. Bake @ 375*F for 25-35 min until done and no longer jiggly in center. Let sit 10 min. before slicing.

***You can use pie weights while blind baking the crust or you can chill the unbaked crust before baking to try and prevent it from shrinking.

Chicken Salad

This is the recipe I use most often when making chicken salad, it's always happily gobbled right up with gusto by all of us. This tastes delicious served on crackers for a simple snack or on rolls for more of a meal. The sour cream lightens up the heaviness of the mayonnaise, giving it a fresher taste.

Chicken Salad

4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
3/4 - 1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 - 1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 TBSP. lemon juice
1/2 - 1 cup sliced green onions, green tops only

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour to let flavors marry. Cover and chill any leftovers. Serve on crackers or on rolls.

Deviled Ham

This simple recipe is my favorite ham spread served on rolls or on bread for a sandwich.

Deviled Ham

1 1/2 lbs. minced ham
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 TBSP. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. hot sauce
1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. white vinegar

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix well. Chill in fridge at least 1 hour to let flavors marry. Serve on rolls or bread for quick and delicious sandwiches. Cover and store any leftovers in the fridge.

Marinated Potato Salad

Hands down, our absolute favorite potato salad recipe, ever! So flavorful, never bland or dull and so delicious. Make sure to plan ahead since marinating overnight really gives the best results.

Marinated Potato Salad

2 1/2 lbs. potatoes, russet, red or yukon
1/2 cup vinegar (plus 2 - 4 TBSP. water, opt.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tsp. dried minced onion
3 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/2 - 3/4 cup mayonnaise (to taste)
3/4 cup (or so) diced dill pickle
3/4 - 1 cup cooked crumbled bacon
3/4 - 1 cup cheddar cheese, in 1/4 inch cubes

In large pot of boiling water, boil whole potatoes until cooked through. Drain and let cool about 20 minutes. While still warm but not too hot to handle, peel and cube potatoes. Place in large bowl. In small bowl, combine vinegar (and water if using), sugar, salt, pepper and dried minced onion. Whisk to mix well. Pour over still-warm cubed potatoes. Mix gently with spatula to evenly coat. Cover and chill at least 2 hours (but overnight is best!) The next day, add in the diced eggs, mayonnaise, pickles, bacon and cheese. Mix well to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour to let flavors marry. Cover and chill any leftovers.

Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

My Mom's favorite macaroni salad that is so delicious and creamy!

Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

2 cups 2% or whole milk, divided
2 cups mayonnaise, divided
1 TBSP. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. elbow macaroni
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup finely grated yellow onion
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery

In small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to boil. Add 1 TBSP. salt and pasta to water and cook to package directions. Drain pasta and pour into large glass bowl. Stir in vinegar and mix well until distributed and absorbed. Let pasta cool 10 minutes. Stir in the milk/mayo mixture and stir to evenly combine. Then let cool completely.
Once cool, stir in onions, carrots and celery. Add remaining milk and mayonnaise and mix until evenly distributed. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour for up to 2 days. Adjust seasonings and serve.
(**if you prefer a sweeter style macaroni salad, increase brown sugar up to 1/2 cup)

Sunshine Sheet Cake

A simple and fabulous cake with the bright and sunny flavors of orange and pineapple that is always a hit whenever I serve it.

Sunshine Sheet Cake

1 (15.25 oz.) yellow cake mix

4 egg whites

1/3 cup oil 'or' applesauce

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, undrained

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 (12 oz. - 16 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed

1 (11 oz.) can mandarin oranges, well drained (opt.)

Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease a 13 x 18-inch baking sheet. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, egg whites, oil and undrained mandarin oranges. Beat with an electric mixer until well mixed, about 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet. Bake @ 350* F for 20-25 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched in the middle. Place pan on wire rack and let cool completely. For topping: Whisk together the pudding mix and undrained pineapple. Mix until well combined. Fold in Cool Whip until well combined. Spread evenly over top of cooled cake. If desired, top with drained mandarin orange pieces. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Maraschino Cherry Sheet Cake

Another great sheet cake to add to the arsenal. Even though I don't like maraschino cherries, I love this cake, it's delicious!

Maraschino Cherry Sheet Cake
Cake:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond extract (opt.)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 cup cup chopped maraschino cherries

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract
3-6 TBSP. maraschino cherry juice

sliced almonds 'or' multi-colored sprinkles (opt.)

Cake: Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease a 13x18-inch baking sheet. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4-5 min. Add vanilla and sour cream, mix well to combine. Add the egg and mix well. Add egg whites and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a measuring glass cup, combine the milk and maraschino cherry juice. To the creamed mixture, add dry ingredients alternately with the maraschino cherry juice and milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Just mix until combined without overmixing, scraping down sides of the bowl between additions. Stir in chopped maraschino cherries. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake @ 350* F for 22 - 26 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched in the middle. Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.

Frosting: In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extracts, and 2 TBSP. maraschino cherry juice and beat until well mixed. Add additional maraschino cherry juice as needed, 1 TBSP. at a time, to get the frosting to a spreading consistency, without being too thin. Spread frosting evenly over top of cooled cake. Scatter sliced almonds over top, or multi-colored sprinkles if desired.