We’ve had a full month of some of the best soups, chilis, stews and gumbos shared by our #ARWB members. Have you tried some of them? Did you find a new family favorite? Let us know which ones.
Lyndi Fultz: January is a Soup-Prolific Month
In honor of National Soup Month (that would be now), I decided to browse the search bar on the ol’ blog and see how many soups we shared together over the years.
We had ten.
Ten!
Ten steaming bowls lifted up to the virtual nostril with eyes closed and then we deeply inhaled their liquid lusciousness.
Cravings are strange creatures. They prowl around whispering about delicious food. They are persistent and determined. A craving caused me to make this creamy Gnocchi Soup, and it did not disappoint. Keep this recipe handy in case your cravings ask for Gnocchi Soup. I found it to be almost identical to the soup at one of my favorite restaurants. My cravings are now well-fed and happy. READ MORE
Ricci Alexis: Lighter Lasagna Soup
Before this recipe I and never used turkey sausage or whole wheat pasta and so I was pretty skeptical but I surprised at how much flavor it had! It also kept me full and has way less calories than regular lasagna or lasagna soup.
It’s a staple around my house during the cooler months! I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do!! READ MORE
Talya Boerner: Cabbage and Potato Soup
Did you ever try to lose weight on the Cabbage Soup Diet? I did. In fact when I worked at State Bank, the entire staff from drive-through teller to bank president succumbed to the nastiness. By God(!) in only seven days we would be the skinniest bankers in Dallas!
This week’s Tasty Tuesday brings a whole stockingful of ideas for you. From all of us at Arkansas Women Bloggers, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases. Thanks for allowing us to introduce you to some of our fabulous writers each week. We appreciate you.
Jennifer Maune: Gingerbread Decorating Party Ideas
My beloved Grandmother lived on Gingerbread Lane for 45 years, so we have a family tradition to host a Gingerbread Decorating Party each year with the cousins so I thought I would share these ideas with you! This is a highlight of our holiday. It’s a great creative outlet for the kids, they get to eat sweet treats, and play with their cousins. After theyve finished decorating their houses they can either take them home to display, or eat them! We like to do a craft as well. This year the kids made gingerbread ornaments. I love that everyone has something to bring home and hang on their tree. READ MORE
Keri Bucci: Chocolate Covered Almond Cheesecake
Chocolate Covered Almond Cheesecake is a rich and decadent treat that is sure to please any cheesecake fan sitting at your table! With a rich and velvety cream cheese filling flavored with almond butter and topped with a chocolate, how could that not be delightful, right?
I am a huge fan of cheesecakes and they are always easy to adapt to the sugar-free and low carb way of baking, which makes them one of my “go to” desserts when I am having friends and family over. I cannot tell you how many times I have made a cheesecake like this one and had some of my higher carb eating friends tell me “There is no way is this sugar-free!” READ MORE
Keisha McKinney: Cowboy Ranch Chex Mix
Call it nesting or the holiday season, but I just couldn’t let Christmas come without making some of favorite treats. My husband oversees a big processing plant and I think its so fun to love on his people any chance we get. But, when you have to make a treat for 30+ and most of it are men, you have to think on a big scale. And that crew has come to be open to my experimenting.
Growing up my mom always made what we just called Texas Trash. It was basically the Chex Mix recipe with a little something added. But, my mama taught me the art of experimenting so I usually read about 4 recipes and then decide what the @bigpittstop way is going to be.
This year i decided to go a little more spicy and on the same afternoon that I was making my chex mix, Mr. McKinney decided to marinate some steaks…and used all my Worcestershire sauce. So, I had to improvise. I had 2 bottles of balsamic vinegar on my counter so it seemed like the likely suspect and it turned out great. READ MORE
Brenda Embry: Quick and Easy Crockpot Lasagna
For the most part, living in the country, out of the city lights and noise, is a wonderful dream come true.
It does, however, have some disadvantages. As our area continues to grow by leaps and bounds, the drive to work gets longer and longer. I leave my house before seven and get home around six. It makes for a long day and the older I get, the less I want to cook when I get home.
I think this is why I rely on my slow cooker for many of our meals. Most of the time, I throw in a chicken or roast, add some veggies and let them cook all day. It’s so nice to come home to a wonderful smell and a delicious meal ready to eat.
Another great meal I like to make in the winter is Slow Cooker Lasagna. It does take a little more prep time, but you can do this the night before or, if you’re an early riser like me, the morning of. Since the cooking time is a little shorter than most meals, I usually save this one for the weekend so I’m not so rushed during the week. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures because it was devoured quickly and what was left was taken for lunches the next day. READ MORE
Keisha McKinney: Dragon Breath Fire Crackers
My dad and father-in-law love spicy snacks. And for 2 guys its sometimes hard to buy for, nothing seems better than showing up with a baggie or container full of a yummy little snack to say thank you for taking care of my dog or putting up with all of us over the weekend!
My brother-in-law even sent a text this week sending his “request” for a set of his own snacks. I guess since he has brought the cutest little girl in the world to me as my niece and kept her alive for almost a year, he deserves a treat too. READ MORE
Keri Bucci: Chocolate Drop Shortbread
Cookies are such a great treat in our house. As much as I bake and cook you would think that wasn’t so. But it seems I never make it around to making cookies. But lately I have been on a mission to change that. These Chocolate Drop Shortbread Cookies are heavenly and they were my first cookie recipe of the season. The buttery taste of the low carb cookie base goes so well with the dark chocolate drop in the center.
It did take a few tries at the recipe but with some minor adjustments here and there I have finally produced a crispy buttery shortbread base that is super simple and delicious. These have really been a hit with my boys! I must admit I have loved them too. READ MORE
When my son Wylie was younger he had a bit of an obsession with Garfield, the lazy, fat cat with a lasagna habit, which in turn led Wylie to develop his own lasagna habit. A few years ago, while working on my book, A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting, and Coming Together, I needed an Italian pasta recipe for the chapter on St. Joseph, so I turned to Wylie for inspiration. Together he and Sweet Man (my husband Nathan,) developed the following recipe which calls for three cheeses, three meats, and three sauces – a triple threat of deliciousness that will please a crowd!
1 pound bacon cut into bite size pieces cooked crisp and drained
1 pound ground beef chuck browned and drained
1 pound ground pork browned and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan
3 cup shredded Mozzarella
1 15oz tub Ricotta cheese
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite prepared marinara sauce
1 15- ounce jar of your favorite prepared Alfredo sauce
1 6-7 oz jar of prepared pesto sauce
One egg
Prepared Italian or Panko bread crumbs
2 boxes lasagna noodles (We prefer the smaller square pasta sheets that have no ruffles. You probably will not use all of both boxes, but you will likely need more than one.)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400
The best way to build a pan of lasagna is to first create a buffet of the various ingredients.
Mix the cooked meats together in a large bowl.
Mix the Parmesan and mozzarella in another large bowl.
Put the ricotta in a third bowl and mix in the egg.
Pour the marinara sauce into a fourth bowl (fairly good sized) and then refill your sauce jar with tap water, and mix this into your marinara sauce. (The extra water will be absorbed by the lasagna noodles, which will enter the baking pan uncooked)
In a large lasagna pan, spread a layer of the thin red sauce, completely covering the bottom of your pan.
Next place a layer of uncooked pasta on top of the sauce, followed by layers of Alfredo, meat, mozzarella/Parmesan, pesto, and ricotta/egg.
Continue building layers in this fashion until you reach the top of the pan, always starting with the thin sauce
The top and final layer should be composted in this way red sauce, pasta, red sauce, mozzarella/ Parmesan.
Cover dish tightly with foil and place on the center rack of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until it has thoroughly cooked through.
Remove foil, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and return to oven until cheese and bread crumbs are browned.
Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing into portions (if you do not let it stand and cool the whole dish will fall apart into a slippery mess when you try to cut it.)
Enjoy!
By Jerusalem Greer
Arkansas Women Bloggers https://arkansaswomenbloggers.com/
Jerusalem Jackson Greer is a writer, speaker, nest-fluffer, recent farm-gal, and author of A Homemade Year: The Blessings of Cooking, Crafting and Coming Together. She is the Minister to Children, Youth, and Families at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas. Jerusalem lives with her husband and two sons on a little farm in Shady Grove, Arkansas. As a family, they are attempting to live a slower version of modern life. She blogs about all of this and more at http://jerusalemgreer.com
