I love the Chunky Strawberry Smoothies at Jamba Juice and I have experimented for a long time to get the closest I can to the real thing at home.

Here is what you will need:

• 2T Plain Yogurt
• 2-3T Milk
• 3T Peanut Butter
• 3/4 of a frozen banana (cut into 2-3 pieces for better blending)
• 1 Cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 Cup Plain Granola (1/4 for smoothie; 1/4 for sprinkling)
• Fresh banana cut into slices

Put everything into the Vitamix blender in the order listed above, turn to level three and use the tamper to push the strawberries and bananas into the blade.  Start with 2T of milk and add more milk if the mixture is not blending.  Blend until chunky in consistency.  Transfer to a cup.  Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup granola over the top and slice up some fresh banana for the top.

Cheeseburger Soup

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 Tbs butter (divided)
3 cups Chicken broth
4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz Velveeta (half a block)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook ground beef.  Drain and set aside.   Saute onions, carrots, basil, and parsley with 1 Tbs of butter until veggies are tender. (about 10 mins)

Add broth, potatoes, and beef and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer 10-12 min or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining 3 Tbs of butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 mins or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to boil.  Cook and stir for 2 mins. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Should yield 8 servings.

Cheeseburger Soup – Reinvented by me last night….

Ok, I seriously whipped this out in 30 mins. last night!

1 lb ground beef
3/4 cup onion
3 cups shredded carrots
1 cup sliced celery
4 Tbs butter (divided)
3 cups Chicken broth
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz Velveeta
3/4 tsp salt
1 T pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook ground beef.  Drain and set aside.   Saute onions, carrots, and celery with 1 Tbs of butter until veggies are tender. (about 10 mins)

Add vegetables and chicken broth to ground beef.  Keep on med-high heat.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining 3 Tbs of butter. Add flour; cook and stir for 3-5 mins or until bubbly.  Wisk in milk until thickened and add salt and pepper.  Add to soup; bring to boil. Cook and stir for 2 mins. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese; cook and stir until cheese melts.  Remove from heat; blend in sour cream.

Should yield 8 servings.

I made these pumpkin cookies last week. It is a good recipe, but the cookies were way too sweet. If I make them again, I will cut the sugar in half.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/soft-pumpkin-cookies/

As soon as fall rolls around, I start eating massive amounts of pumpkin.  Here is one of my go-to pumpkin recipes that my mom used to make while I was growing up:

Buy a couple of cans of pumpkin—100% organic pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix), follow the directions on the can for pumpkin pie, put it in a casserole dish rather than a crust, bake 450 for 25 minutes, and then turn the oven down to 350 for 75 minutes longer, or until a knife comes out clean. It all depends on how much you put in the casserole dish as to how long it takes to get done.  I like mine brown on the top.

I never use the full amount of sugar.  Just depends on how much you want to cut calories.   Sometimes I use egg beaters rather than whole eggs too.

The last time I made it, here is how I made it:

2 cans pumpkin
1 can milk (just pour the milk into the emptied pumpkin cans to measure)
1 can evaporated milk (Sweeten Condensed milk for a more decadent treat)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp.+ cinnamon (I always used several shakes – I like a lot)
2 tsp.+ pumpkin pie spice (I always used several shakes – I like a lot)
3-4 eggs

Serve with cool whip.

You really can’t mess it up. I make it different every time and it is always good.

Note – Another way to make your house smell the same way is to shake pumpkin pie spice and/or cinnamon onto a sheet of foil and put it in your oven at 200 degrees for 30-45 mins.

Stayed tuned for more pumpkin recipes!!

It is March, and therefore, it is time for Blarney Stones.  Let me warn you, they are not for the faint of heart or those on a diet.  They are comprised of butter, sugar, butter, sugar, and peanuts – salted ones.  Basically, a Blarney Stone is a piece of sponge cake wrapped in butter and sugar (did I already say that?) and then rolled in salted peanuts (they must be salted).  I am not sure why these are served at St. Patrick’s Day and called Blarney Stones.  My guess would be that they are made to resemble stones which is representative of The Blarney Stone in Ireland.  The process of making the stone is time-consuming and often times I just make a Blarney Stone cake.  Let’s get started:

Recipe

Cake
1 C Sugar
1 C Boiling Water
4 Eggs
2 C Flour
3 t Baking Powder
1 t Vanilla
For frosting – butter and powdered sugar
Will also need ground salted peanuts

1. Separate eggs
2. Stiffly beat egg whites in a separate bowl
3. Cream sugar and egg yolks
4. Add boiling water to sugar and egg yolk mixture and mix well
5. Sift flour & baking powder 3 times (I don’t do that….)
6. Add flour and baking powder to first mixture (egg yolks, sugar and water)
7. Add vanilla
8. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites
9. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased sheet-cake pan for 18 mins
10. Cool and cut into squares and place squares in the freezer.

Frosting
Cream together:  3/4 lbs butter & 3/4 lbs powder sugar
Note:  To make it easier to frost the squares, freeze them before you begin.

Frost individual squares of cake then roll in salted peanuts.

I store these in the freezer and eat right out of the freezer.  They need to be stored in the refrigerator if you do not put them in the freezer.

According to Wikipedia, the Blarney Stone is in Ireland in the Blarney Castle.  The ledgend is that if you lean upside down and kiss the stone, you will have the gift of gab.  If I ever go to the Blarney Castle in Ireland I doubt I would kiss a stone that more than 500,000 people have kissed….I would make someone else (whose name starts with R) do it…. 

I received a Vita Mix Blender for Christmas from my mom and I LOVE IT!!

Here is the Strawberry and Green Smoothie Recipe I have been making for breakfast.

Green Smoothie (makes 2 servings):
1/2 c water
1/2 c milk or mocha milk
1 handful of baby spinach
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1 banana (frozen or fresh)

Blend and enjoy!

Can also add blueberries or any other fruit

Pioneer Woman’s Cauliflower Soup Recipe
Modified by Me

½ Stick of Butter (Give or Take)
¼ Onion, finely diced OR couple of shakes of minced onion
3 Carrots, (chopped fine in food processor)
2-3 Celery Stacks, finely diced
1 Head of Cauliflower
- I take cauliflower and cut it into 3-4 sections and wash each section.
- Then I finely dice one of those sections in the food processor (sometimes two of the sections; depending on time).
- The other sections I cut into small put recognizable pieces.
2T dried parsley
1 Quart of Chicken Broth
2 Cups of Whole Milk (or whatever you have)
3 T Flour
Salt and Pepper to Taste (I use no salt and lots of pepper)

Garnish (CRUCIAL TO RECIPE):  Sour Cream and Shredded Cheese (Cheddar)

In large pot, melt 2T of butter.  Add onion (if using fresh) and cook.  Add carrots and celery and sauté.    Add cauliflower, parsley, and splash of chicken broth.  Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes until cauliflower is steamed and soft.  Pour in rest of chicken broth, bring to a boil, and allow it to simmer.

In medium saucepan (not on heat), whisk together 1 cup of milk and 3 T of flour.  Add 2 T of butter, put on heat and whisk until thick.  Take off heat and stir in another cup of milk.  Add mixture to simmering soup.  Allow to simmer another 15 to 20 minutes.  Season

Garnish and serve.

Original Recipe

1 Large Can Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatos
1 Can Rotel
1 Can Diced Tomatos (optional)
1 Can Green-beans, drained and rinsed
1 Cup Frozen Corn (optional)
1.5 lbs Browned hamburger (browned with 1 small diced onion)
1 Can Ranch Style Beans
1 Can Black beans, drained and rinsed
Pepper to Taste
Several Cans of Water – fill to cover everything
1-2 Hunks of Velveta

Put everything together, except velveta, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer for 30-40mins, add velveta.  Serve with chips.

With the purchase of our new Espresso machine, we have acquired a smattering of coffee essentials.

In addition to coffee drinks, I have also been making Italian Sodas.  Here is how I make them:

• Fill a glass tumbler with ice
• Squirt in 1-2 T of strawberry syrup in (amount depends on preference)
• Fill with sparkling mineral water (Perrier) until almost full
• Top with milk (Coffee shops use half & half but any milk is fine)

This drink is typically served not mixed, but if you are making it at home mix it up.  Serve with a straw and enjoy!  It is so easy to make.

I am in a Fresh Berry rut again!!  They were so rude that I didn’t go for several months, but my mom got me going again.  She always likes to go there when she is in Tulsa and remind me how wonderful it is.  In this post that I wrote, I complained that the toppings weren’t fresh.  Since going back, I haven’t had that problem again.

I have tried making it a home several more times, but I just couldn’t get it to taste exactly like Fresh Berry’s Tart flavor.  My mom told me to try Sour Cream — that it could be their secret ingredient.  Sounds weird — I know!!  BUT–I made it with Sour Cream and it tasted exactly like Fresh Berry’s Tart.  It makes sense in a way – Sour cream is white so it would not change the color, it is tart….

Here is the recipe:

1.5 cartons (48 ounces) Lowfat Plain Yogurt
1/8 – 1/4 C. Sugar (to your taste)
2-3 heaping spoonfuls of Sour Cream

Blend ingredients very well until the mixture is very smooth.  You should not be able to feel any sugar granules.  I usually blend it in my blender.
Pour mixture into yogurt maker/ice cream maker – whatever you have.  I leave it in there until it looks like soft-serve consistency.  It is probably 10-15mins.
Serve with your favorite toppings.