Nanny's Lazy Peach Cobbler

1 C. flour
1 C. sugar (I use 1/2 C.)
1 C. milk
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 stick butter (I use 1/2 stick)
1 large can sliced peaches (in heavy syrup)

1. Melt butter in the 8x10 pan you plan to cook the cobbler in, by placing it in the oven as it preheats to 400 degrees.

2. Make a batter of the first four ingredients.

3. Drizzle batter into melted butter. Do not stir!

4. Slowly and evenly add undrained peaches and syrup. Do not stir!

5. Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Elanore's Meyer Lemon Bars (Including Gluten- and Dairy-Free Options)

1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 C. butter (2 sticks), softened (or 12 Tbsp. vegetable shortening, for dairy-free)
2 C. + 1/2 C. flour
4 eggs
2 C. sugar
1/3 C. Meyer lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 heaping Tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 9x13 pan by lining it with criss-crossed pieces of aluminum foil that have an overhang of an inch or two. Spray with cooking spray unless using non-stick aluminum foil.

2. Cream powdered sugar and butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add 2 C. of the flour and beat on medium until well-blended. Press into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. (Gluten-free will not turn golden! See NOTE, below.)

4. Beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.

5. Sift the reserved 1/2 C. flour and the baking powder into the liquid mixture. Blend well.

6. Pour over the hot crust and return to oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes.

7. Check for doneness at 15 minutes and add on time as needed until filling is set. (A toothpick should come out mostly clean when stuck in the middle of the custard filling.)

8. Cool completely before cutting. (Truly! They're demanding that way.) Then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

NOTE: You can make these gluten-free by substituting a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend for the flour. They can be made dairy-free, as well, but using vegetable shortening instead of butter. The crust will appear to not be crisping up, and you will be tempted to overcook it at the first stage, but just remember that it will cook for an additional 20 minutes. Don't cook longer than about 30 minutes in the first, crust-alone baking.

The original recipe appeared on FoodieCrush.com as Meyer Lemon Bars, by Heidi.

Her recipe notes:

* These lemon bars are a little more crackly on the top than some recipes I've seen. After doing some research, I think it is due to the amount of sugar used in a recipe. Personally, I like this hint of crispness on top and bottom to balance out the sweet yellow custard in the middle, so I'm keeping it.

* While some recipes call for the shortbread crust to go up the side of the pan (1/2 inch seems pretty standard), I prefer less crust, so I just press it into the bottom of the pan, but you can certainly do either to your liking.

* If you can't find Meyer lemons, sub half of the lemon juice with fresh orange juice, or go ahead and use regular lemons for extra tartness.

Olivia's Baked Sweet Potato Fries

1) Peel and chop sweet potatoes, either into rounded slices like chips or rectangular chunks like fries.

2) Drizzle and toss with olive oil.

3) For savory fries, sprinkle with cajun seasoning. (Chili powder and SPG will do in a pinch.) For sweet, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4) Spread into a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400-450 degrees to desired crispness, turning occasionally. (This will take 15-30 minutes.)

White Bean and Kale Soup (Vegan)

1 pound dried Great Northern or other white bean (or 3 cans)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 leeks, cut in half moons (white parts only)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. curry
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 tsp. fresh marjoram, chopped
6 C. vegetable broth
3 C. water
1 pound kale, stems discarded and leaves chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large bowl, cover beans with cold water and soak overnight.

2. Drain and rinse well.

3. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and leeks, and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add garlic, bay leaf, garlic salt, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cumin, and cook for one more minute.

5. Add cooked beans, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, vegetable broth, and water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6. Stir in kale and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve hot.

This was first served to me by my friend Katie, but I think she gives credit to my other friend Leigh Ellen, who credits her mom. Whosoever it is, it’s yummy!

Mom's Kale Soup

This might make a kale lover out of you, if you are not already.  *Personally, I think if you are serving a Kale newbie, 1 pound is way to much to put in the soup so you might want to eyeball the amount until you are satisfied.  And having a family with growing boys, I always add more potatoes.  

Yields: 6 main course servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
3 large onions, finely diced (I get the frozen chopped onion)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
10 cups vegetable stock or broth
1 (16 oz) can petite-diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed well, or 1 1/2 cups freshly cooked beans
*1 pound kale, leaves torn from stems and finely chopped (10 cups leaves)
*3 medium-size red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons paprika
dash cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Heat oil in large stockpot over medium heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic, and saute until onions are golden and tender, about 10 minutes.

Raise the heat to high, stir in all the remaining ingredients, bring soup to a boil.  Lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened.

Discard the bay leaves.  Remove about 2 cups of the soup and puree in a blender or food processor.  Return it to the soup and stir to blend.  The soups flavor will intensify with time, so don't hesitate to make a few days in advance.

Two Bean Mexican Chicken Chili

This recipe is so easy and is wonderful on a cold night.  If you can open a can, you can do this!

Ingredients:
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 8 oz. tomato sauce
1 16oz jar mild chunky salsa
1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
1 1/2 T chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cans veggie or chicken broth
1 large can chunk white chicken or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle Fritos on top

Sweet Potato Hummus with Cinnamon Pita Chips

Suggested by Katie Clark,  I took a chance and made this for one of Evie Sitterding's Bridal Showers.  It was a hit!  The Cinnamon Pita Chips were a great complement, but guests got creative and dipped veggies in, as well.  You might be able to substitute pumpkin for the sweet potato.  If only serving with veggies, you would probably want to add cinnamon to taste.  It might be nice to make a day ahead to let the spices and flavors permeate the hummus.

Ingredients:
3 sweet potatoes
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained, liquid reserved
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 T tahini
2 T lemon juice
1/2 t lemon zest
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground coriander
1/4 t ground white pepper
sea salt to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Poke holes in sweet potatoes with a fork and roast for about 45 minutes (until soft).  Let cool.  Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.

Combine garbanzo beans and olive oil in a blender and pulse several times to mash.  Scoop flesh out of sweet potato peels and add to the blender.  Pulse to combine.  Add tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, coriander, white pepper, and sea salt to mixture.  Blend until smooth, adding reserved garbanzo bean liquid as needed to make a smooth, creamy hummus.

Katie's Cranberry Chicken Phyllo Cups

1 pkg. frozen mini phyllo shells (15 shells)
1/4 C. chopped dried cranberries
3/4 C finely chopped cooked chicken breast
1 container Greek fat-free plain yogurt
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Thaw phyllo shells as directed on package.

2. In medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the cranberries and the remaining ingredients.

3. Spoon generous teaspoonfuls of mixture into the shells. Garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons cranberries and, if desired, rosemary sprigs.

When Katie served these at Evie's bridal shower, she simply purchased a high-quality, pre-made, chunk chicken salad and used that. So easy and pretty!

The original recipe is from Betty Crocker.

Katie's Lemony Cucumber Cream Cheese Sandwiches

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 large lemon (zest and juice)
Softened butter for spreading on bread slices (prevents sogginess)
Salt and pepper
6 slices of hearty white or whole-grain bread
1/2 large cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced, dried with paper

1. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, dill, lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Butter each slice of bread (prevents sogginess). Lay slices with butter side up on a work surface.

3. Evenly distribute the cream cheese mixture onto each slice. Arrange towel-dried cucumber slices on top of the first three slices of buttered bread. Top with remaining bread. Slice off the crusts.

4. If not serving immediately, wrap tightly in cling wrap and chill for up to 24 hours.

5. When ready to serve, slice into 4 triangles per sandwich.

This was modified from the original recipe at the Chew Out Loud blog.

Katie's Tomato Pesto Tea Sandwiches

This yummy appetizer was served by Katie C. at Evie's bridal shower. So yummy and easy!


1/4 C. + 1 Tbsp. basil pesto, or to taste
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 container cherry or Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 small French baguette, sliced to desired thickness

Combine pesto and cream cheese well. Spread onto slices of French bread.

Add a slice of tomato to each, and either a small blob or a piped, decorative swirl of cream cheese mixture on top.

Garnish with sprig of parsley or basil, if desired.

This recipe was adapted from this recipe for Fancy Tomato Pesto Tea Sandwiches on the Pink Piccadilly Pastries blog. (The original recipe used sliced white bread and cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.)


These were such a hit that we served them again on the passed appetizer trays at Evie's wedding. Again, we used slices of slightly toasted French bread as the base. They looked lovely on the trays and tasted delicious!

Deluxe Coleslaw (from the More-with-Less Cookbook)

My friend Regina, from Germany, requested this recipe. She ate it at our house once, when Elanore requested spaghetti, coleslaw, and yams for the dinner at her birthday gathering. (Yes, I let them choose whatever they want, and yes, she chose that delightful combo. I believe she was turning four or five at the time.)

Combine following vegetables:
1 medium head cabbage, shredded (reserve a few outer leaves for presentation, if desired)
1 green pepper, thinly sliced
2/3 C. celery, diced
2/3 C. carrots, finely shredded
1/2 C. radishes, diced
2 Tbsp. minced onion

Combine following ingredients for dressing:
1 C. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix well. Pour over vegetables and toss gently. Cover and chill.

When ready to serve, you may arrange coleslaw on reserved cabbage leaves, if desired.

Original recipe is from Anne Weaver, published in the More With Less cookbook, copyright 1976, 39th edition from May 1991.