Split Pea Soup

As I am looking at my post I'm thinking there is just nothing pretty about a picture of split pea soup. It's a good thing it tastes so good.  I thought about my Mom the whole time I was making this soup. She lived with us the last seven years of her life but is gone just as long. She was a lover of most kinds of soup but especially split pea soup. She would love to eat it for breakfast in the winter, strange I know but she loved it.  If that seems strange to you let me tell you she would eat it with an english muffin with parmesan cheese on it. Every time she was done she would get up and take her dish to the sink and say, "boy that was good".  You could bet on it.  I always thought I would never make split pea soup again and here I am making it for my blog.  Life is funny sometimes.

This is not your overly salty kind of split pea soup, hence, the ham being added after you cook the soup and only a small amount at that. Again, you can add as much ham as you like.

Split Pea Soup

1 cup dried split peas
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large stalk celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
3 or 4 sprigs parsley (minced) or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 sprigs thyme
1 small bay leaf

If you choose: diced ham can be added to soup at the end of the cooking time.

Rinse and pick over peas.  In large pot add all ingredients except ham. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until peas are cooked and soup is to the desired thickness.  The soup will thicken as the peas cook.  If you need to you can add more water if soup gets thicker than desired.  Don't forget to remove the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf before serving. Makes about four to six servings depending on the size of each serving.

Banana Nutella Bread

Mercy, You're going to want to try this.  The Nutella just makes it all the more moist and delicious.  I love banana bread and I love Nutella so why not put the two together.  I couldn't wait to taste it so I tried some when it was still slightly warm and thought it was good but the next day when it was totally cooled and had a chance to sit, it was fabulous and also was much easier to slice.  

Banana Nutella Bread

1/2 cup Butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 cup bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup Nutella

Blend sugar and butter together until fluffy.   Add eggs and blend well.  Add sour cream, bananas and vanilla and blend together. Whisk flour, soda, salt and spices in a separate bowl.  Add flour mixture to banana mixture and mix shortly, until blended.  Do not over mix.

Spray 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.  Place half the batter in pan. Take half of the Nutella and dot on this layer with a teaspoon and swirl with knife.  Put other half of batter on top and do the same thing with the rest of the Nutella.

Bake on 350 for 1 hour or until tester comes out clean.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup w/ grilled cheese croutons

This is one of those soups that just brings back my childhood, only this is better.  Did you ever as a kid have tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich?  I would always dunk my sandwich in the soup.  It's just one of those natural combinations that is oh so good.  With this soup what I love to do is cut up my grilled cheese into croutons and float it in the soup, it is marvelous.  If you really want to go to the next level with the sandwich, get some good sourdough bread and different cheeses and grill away. Cut the sandwich into croutons and enjoy.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

3 lbs. ripe tomatoes, halved with seeds scooped out
1/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 - 14.5 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
fresh basil leaves, a handful or packed cup, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the tomato halves, 1/8 cup olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss well to coat the tomatoes.  Spread the tomato halves out on a large baking sheet.  This should be a heavy baking sheet otherwise you may get smoking from the pan and olive oil.  Roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes.

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the butter and heat until the butter is melted.  Add the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook,  stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7-10 minutes.  Add in the stewed tomatoes, roasted tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered 40 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth.  (Alternatively, you can use a blender or food processor.  If you do, be sure to vent the steam and be every careful not to spill the hot liquid or wait until it cools down a little)

Simple Honey Wheat Bread

It's Wordless Wednesday

Honey Wheat Bread


Prep time - 20 min.
Bake time - 30 min.  
Total time - about 3 hours


1 cup warm water
1 (.25 oz) package active dry yeast
3 tablespoons honey
1 2/3 cup white bread flour

1 tablespoon melted butter
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

In large bowl, mix warm water, yeast and 3 tablespoons honey.  Add white bread flour , and stir to combine.  Let set for 15 minutes or so, or until big and foamy.

Mix in 1 tablespoon melted butter, 3 more tablespoons honey, and salt. Stir in 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour.  Flour a flat surface and knead the dough together until not sticky.  Add more wheat flour if needed. Should only take a couple of minutes, yep, no need to knead more. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel.  Let rise in a warm place until doubled.  About 45 minutes to an hour.

Punch down and form into a loaf. Place in greased 9x5 inch loaf pan and allow to rise until dough has topped the pan by one inch.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over bake.  Lightly brush the top of the loaf with 1 tablespoon melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard.  Cool completely.

*TIP - If you don't have a proof cycle on your oven you can turn your oven on for a minute and then turn it off and your bread will rise faster.

Baked Potato Soup

This is everything you love about a baked potato loaded with cheddar, bacon and chives, only in soup form.  You can customize the fat content if you want, using lite sour cream, reduced fat cheese, 1% milk and turkey bacon.  Did I do this? Nope, but I have had it both ways and it is delicious either way.   Now before you get down to the ingredient list and see cauliflower, and you don't care for it,  I want to tell you that there is no way you can tell there is cauliflower in this soup. Trust me on this.  It tastes like rich creamy potato all the way.  I just took half the carbs out.  I know you're gonna love it.

Baked Potato Soup


2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
1 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth
1 1/2 cups regular or 1% milk
1/2 cup lite or regular sour cream
2 T. butter or I can't believe it's not butter
10 tablespoons sharp cheddar cheese, regular or reduced fat
6 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (use turkey bacon if you desire)

Pierce potatoes with fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave for another 5 minutes, until tender.  Cool and peel potatoes.

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender.  Drain and return to pot. On medium heat, add chicken broth, milk, potatoes and sour cream.  Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.  (If you do not have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender or food processor but I would blend them all and then cook the additional 5 minutes).  Add salt and pepper to taste and cook on low another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat.  Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl.  Top each serving with cheese, chives and bacon. Makes 6 cups soup.

Sunrise Smoothie

Wordless Wednesday

Sunrise Smoothie


1 small banana, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 orange, peeled and quartered
1 small kiwi, peeled and sliced

Add all ingredients into blender or cup for immersion blender.  Blend ingredients till smooth.  Enjoy and feel the vitamin rush.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

This is one of our favorite soups.  It makes a big pot and is probably the largest recipe of all the soups I will be making.  The leftovers got better every time, so delish.  The tortellini really makes it a full bodied soup.

Tuscan Chicken Soup

1 - 4 lb. whole chicken
6 cups water
3 leeks (chopped, just the white part)
5 celery stalks (chopped)
5 large carrots, (peeled and sliced)
large handful of chopped fresh parsley
clove of garlic (chopped) OR a sprinkle of garlic powder on the chicken.
1 can stewed tomatoes, (I use my kitchen shears to cut tomatoes up in the can)
5 teaspoons chicken bouillon in granular form, I use Wyler's.
1 - 9 oz. package cheese tortellini, I use Buitoni three cheese.
big handful spinach (chopped)

Take whole chicken and cut off the skin on the breast side and then turn over and cut the skin off back side.  I use my kitchen shears for this.  You can leave it on the legs and wings.  You don't want so much fat, but need a little for flavor.  Rinse off the bird.

Put the whole chicken in a large pot, breast side down and add the water, leeks, celery, carrots, parsley and garlic.  Bring to a boil and then keep at a high simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

Take the chicken out and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.  When cool enough to handle take the chicken off the bone and shred or cut into bite size pieces and add back into the stock.

Add the bouillon, spinach (remember that the spinach will cook way down so add as much as you like), stewed tomatoes and tortellini and keep on low boil for ten minutes until the tortellini is cooked. 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Tart

OMGosh, this is something for sure you will want to try.  I saw this on the Martha Stewart blog but didn't have all the ingredients so I added my own twist and I am so glad I did.  I changed a few of the filling ingredients and also she had whipped cream on top.  How well we all know the PB chocolate combo, so I added chocolate ganache for a topper.  Oh my, very rich and decadent and no bake. This is an excellent make ahead dessert.

For the Crust:
12 double graham crackers (the kind that measure about 5x2 1/2 in.)
6 tablespoons melted butter
pinch of salt

For the Filling:
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup natural peanut butter 
3/4 cup (6 ozs.) cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

For the Topper: Chocolate Ganache
3/4 cup heavy cream
5 one ounce squares semi-sweet chocolate (I use Baker's)

To make the crust: crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or what ever method you use.  Make sure they are very well crumbled with no large chunks remaining.  Add the melted butter and stir thoroughly, making sure all of the crumbs receive some butter love.  Pour the graham cracker and butter mixture into a 9-inch tart shell with a removable bottom.  Press the mixture halfway up the sides of the tart pan and along the bottom until evenly coated.  Carefully place the tart pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling: combine the peanut butter, cream cheese, heavy cream and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fit with a paddle attachment or use a hand mixer.  Blend the four ingredients until smooth and creamy, about a minute or so.

Remove the tart from the freezer and spoon in the peanut butter filling.  Spread evenly.

To make the Ganache: combine ingredients in small bowl.  Microwave at 30 second intervals for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total. Stir, and the more you stir the smoother it will get.  Cool 5 minutes or so and poor on tart and smooth around.