White Chicken Chili

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in bite-size pieces
1 cup dried great northern beans, rinsed and sorted
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
5 cups water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
4.5-ounce can chopped green chilies
sour cream, optional
chopped avocado, optional

1. In a 3.5 or 4-quart slow cooker, combine chicken, beans, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, soup, and water. Mix well.
2. Cover and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in cumin, hot pepper sauce, and chilies.
   

Serve with additional hot pepper sauce, sour cream, and avocado.

Serves six.

Try crumbling cornbread into the chili and topping it with grated cheese. Delicious!

Homemade Croutons

4 cups stale bread, cut in 1/2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons butter, melted*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the bread chunks in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
   
4. Lightly toss the bread chunks with the butter mixture and then place on a rimmed baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned and crunchy throughout.
   
6. Let cool and then store in an airtight container until ready to use.
   

* You can use 4 tablespoons butter instead of half oil/half butter, or you can use all oil.

These croutons are so easy to make, yet they really dress up your salad (or soup). This is a great way to use leftover bread, even the crusts.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

16-ounce package dried green split peas, rinsed
1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon seasoned salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
1-1/2 quarts hot water
1/2 cup light cream

1. Layer all ingredients except cream and water in slow cooker in the order given.
2. Pour in water. Do not stir.
   
3. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 8-10 hours, until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone.
   
4. Remove bones and bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken soup. Add cream just before serving.

Serve garnished with croutons. Freezes well.

Serves 8.

This is a great way to use leftover ham. It is so good and so easy!

"Olive Garden" Zuppa Toscana

1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 pound smoked bacon, chopped (about 12 pieces)
14 ounces water
32-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
14-ounce can low sodium chicken broth
2 cups sliced small red potato*
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 onion, finely diced
2 cups fresh spinach or kale
16 ounces (1 pint) heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown bacon. Drain and set aside. (Can bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.)
   
3. In a large pot, combine water, broth, potatoes, onion, and garlic. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
   
4. Add sausage and bacon to pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.
   
5. Add spinach and cream to pot.
   
6. Season with salt and pepper and heat through.

Serves 12.

*Can substitute cauliflower for potatoes for low-carb option.

This is a close copy of Olive Garden's delicious soup. It's quite easy to make!

Ham and Cream Cheese Rollups

8 ounces deli ham, shaved and then chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces mayonnaise
chopped green onions to taste
chopped sun-dried tomatoes, to taste (just a little bit)
freshly ground pepper and a bit of salt
flour tortillas

1. Combine the first six ingredients and chill for an hour or so.
2. Cut round edges off tortillas to form rectangles.
3. Spread ham mixture over tortillas, then roll up jelly-roll style.
4. Cover tightly and chill several hours or overnight.
   
5. Just before serving, cut tortilla rolls into 1-inch slices.
   

These are great for parties and potlucks. They are a bit time-consuming to make, but you can make them the night before. They are very pretty and taste wonderful.

7-Up Cake

3 sticks butter, softened (see quick softening tip)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 Tbsp vanilla extract*
3/4 cup 7-Up

Glaze (optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

1. Beat softened butter and sugar for about 20 minutes. (A stand mixer works best.) It will be very fluffy, and the sugar will be incorporated.
   
2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Mix in the flour and vanilla gradually, alternating between flour and vanilla.
   
4. Fold in the 7-Up.
5. Pour into a well greased bundt pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 1-1/4 hours. The top will be crackly and delicious.
6. Allow cake to cool slightly. Blend milk into powdered sugar gradually, to desired consistency. Blend thoroughly with a whisk and pour over cake.

*Substitute lemon extract for vanilla if desired.

All through college, I worked at a dry cleaners. There was this woman who made a cake for every birthday. We could choose from a whole book of recipes, but every person in my store always chose the same cake every year: 7-Up cake. It was so incredibly light and wonderful, with just the right amount of sweetness.

About a year ago, I suddenly remembered that cake and desperately wanted to have some. I searched the Internet and found quite a few variations. This one is pretty close to what I remember, nearly as good as the cake our birthday lady made. (Isn't it funny how our fondest memories never seem quite as good when we try to recreate them? It's still fun to try, though.)

--Sarah

Softening Butter Quickly

If you're like me, you probably forget to take your butter out of the refrigerator when it needs to soften for a recipe. Not to worry...

To soften butter quickly, cut it in slices (about 1/4 inch) and lay on a plate. The butter should soften in about 15 minutes at room temperature. Do NOT soften butter in the microwave; it melts too quickly.