Green Bean Dumpling Soup Recipe

A favorite in our house, and I think only common in Northwestern Kansas, is green bean dumpling soup.  It's been a popular soup in the area for over a century!  Yesterday, I made green bean dumpling soup for my family.  It was kind of cold in Hays (shocking! I know!) and I really wanted to make them soup and cinnamon rolls.  I asked my sister which sounded better: hamburger soup or green bean dumpling soup!  There was no hesitation when she chose green bean dumpling soup!  Here's what you'll need to make green bean dumpling soup:

Ingredients
2 quarts, water or chicken stock (I just add some boullion cubes to my water!)
4 cups, peeled and diced white potatoes
1/4 cup, butter
3-4 cans, cut green beans
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon, cornstarch
1 pkg, traditional bacon
1 quart, heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

and of course, you're favorite way to make dumplings!

Instructions:
1. Fill a stock pot with 2 quarts water or chicken stock and dump your potatoes into the pot.  Turn to medium / medium high heat.  Add some salt to taste at this point (I put in like a tablespoon!)
2. Turn oven to 375 degrees.  Lay out your bacon on aluminum foil pan and throw in oven.  Cook until completed --about 15-20 minutes.  I'd also recommend cooking the bacon beforehand!
3. While pot is beginning to boil and bacon is cooking, put butter in a saute pan and turn to medium heat.  Chop and dice yellow onion.  Once butter has melted, put your onions in the pan and begin to saute, add salt at this time.  Once they are translucent, remove from heat and mix in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch--it's okay if the buttery onions do not absorb all the cornstarch.
4.  Potatoes should be boiling by now.  If they are not, turn the heat up more! Mix up your dumpling recipe and drop them into the boiling water of the potatoes.  Once they have cooked, you can choose at this point to take out some of the water to make your soup a little thicker.  I always do this and I ALWAYS take out exactly one cup of water!
5. Open green beans and drain water.  Add to pot.
6. Add onions to pot.
7. Bacon should be done by now.  Crumble bacon and add to pot.
8. Pour in entire container of heavy whipping cream.  Stir everything together.  Add A TON of fresh ground pepper.  Really.  Load it up.  Add salt to taste, although it probably won't need much.

Voila! You have made the famous (or only famous in Volga German towns in Kansas) green bean dumpling soup!  You can also dice up ham and throw it in instead of bacon--but I've never ever tried it that way!

SUPER, MOIST Brownies!

The other day, I really wanted some brownies.  However, there was a ton of snow and I was not about to make my way to the grocery store for a box of brownies.  So, I pulled out this cookbook and looked for a recipe.  I came across a simple recipe that is absolutely amazing!

You can tell by the picture just how MOIST these are.  Downside:  My husband doesn't like super, moist brownies.  He chalked these up to "chocolate cake brownies."   Either way, they were a hit with all and very, very good!

Super Moist Brownies
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 T. Cocoa (heaping!!!)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional: I didn't add it...)

Combine butter, water, and cocoa in a pan.  Heat to boiling, then immediately remove from heat.  

Add flour, sugar and salt. Beat.

Add sour cream, eggs, and baking soda.  (If you want it less cake-y, only use one egg).  Beat.

Add nuts.

Great pan and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Although keep your eye on it!  The recipe originally said 250 degrees for 20-22 minutes, but I did that and it was still liquid after 25 minutes!  

ENJOY!!! It's AMAZING with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and hot fudge on top! 

Spicy Chili: Dad's Recipe

My dad has always been a big fan of chili.  When we were kids, I always used to remember him making us chili on cold Kansas winter nights.  I remember one time in college when I REALLY wanted some of my dad's chili.  I called him ready for some SUPER SECRET recipe.  Pen to paper, he began to tell me the recipe and it went something like this:

"Okay, get one of those McCormick's seasonings and read the back of it and double the beef."

WHAT???? THAT'S IT???  That's the special chili I loved so much as a child???  Well, I'm happy to announce that my dad has become quite the chef since his glory days of "reading the back of packets of seasoning." 

Last year, Jenny and Dad came to Hays for Halloween.  My dad made us his "World Famous Spicy Chili."  BOY HOWDY was it good!!!  Way better than the back of the packet of seasoning chili!!

Here's the recipe:

3 lbs - lean ground beef 
1- large yellow onion, chopped
4- cloves of garlic, minced (I use the jar stuff)
1- can of tomato puree (28 oz)
2- fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped (add seeds for extra spiciness!)
1 - bell pepper (green or red)
1- packet of chili seasoning (mild or hot)
1 tsp - ground chipotle pepper
1 tsp - cayenne pepper
2 cans- pinto beans (15oz), drained
2 tablespoons - chili powder (add to taste really...)
2 cups - beef broth or water

1. Cook the 3 lbs of meat over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onion once the meat is cooked through.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic.  Let set for a minute.

2. Add all the rest of the ingredients, besides the beans.  Do not add the beans.  For heavens sake, don't add the beans.

3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

4. Add beans and cook an additional 15 minutes.

SERVE!!!

*I added sour cream, shredded cheese, crackers, and pickled jalapenos on top of my chili! It was fantastic!!
**Another side note, you may need to add water occasionally as it cooks, it may come out a little on the thick side if you do not! =0)  ENJOY!