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!

Chicken and Noodles over Mashed Potatoes

If you want a good comfort meal that's cheap--LOOK NO FURTHER!!  This is a delicious recipe that I make every winter!

This is seriously the easiest recipe on the planet--and I always feel so silly giving the recipe out to people...but ...here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1- Rotisserie Chicken (TRADITIONAL--don't get a crazy bbq one or something)
• These are usually about 6-7 dollars.  Honestly, it's just so much EASIER to get a rotisserie chicken for this dish.
• 1- bag of celery--or if you are one of those lucky people that can buy by the stalk at your organic store (we don't have those in these parts) buy around 3-4 celery stalks.
• 1- bag of carrots, shredded-- or just shred your own--in that case you want like 3/4 cup to 1 cup of shredded carrots
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 qt of water
• 1 bag of Homestyle Noodles (EXTRA WIDE)-- You can get whatever noodles you want, I just prefer extra wide noodles!

Directions:

• In a stock pot, add 3 qt (12 cups) of water.  Turn on medium high
• Separate the skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken and add the SKIN and BONES in the water. Put the actual chicken in a bag or container in the refrigerator.
• Chop your onion, celery, and garlic, and shred your carrots if you didn't buy them pre-shredded.  Add to stock pot with chicken bones.
• Once the pot mixture is boiling, cover and turn on low heat.  Let sit for one hour. Stir ocassionally.
• After an hour or so, remove all the bones and skin with a spoon from the stock.  
• Add noodles to your stock on a medium heat (ya know, you'll want that nice simmer boil going to cook your noodles)  This should take about 10-12 minutes.
• Add your chicken from the refrigerator to the pot.  Let the chicken warm up with the noodles and vegetables.
• Season with salt and pepper to your own liking.  I find the rotisserie chicken seasons it nicely!

Serve over your favorite mashed potatoes recipe!

DEEEEEEEEEEEELICIOUS!  I don't know if this is a common recipe anywhere else, but in Western Kansas, it's actually served at most weddings here!  I know.  We're weird. haha!

Galuskies (AKA Cabbage Rolls)

Galuskies (Cabbage Rolls)

Volga German Recipe: Us Volga Germans call these pigs in a blanket!

Ingredients:

• 1 Head Cabbage (Cored)
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 1 T. Butter
• 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans Diced Tomatoes
• 2 Garlic Cloves, or Minced Garlic
• 2 T. Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Rice
• 1/4 Cup Ketchup
• 2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
• 1/4 lb Pork Sausage
• 1 Cup V8 Juice (optional)

Directions:

• In a stock pot, cook cabbage in boiling water for ten minutes (or until outer leaves are tender).  Drain.  Rinse in cold water.  Remove eight outer leaves.
• In a separate sauce pan, saute one chopped onion in butter until tender, add canned tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar and season with salt.  Simmer for approx. 15 minutes.
• In another bowl, combine the beef, sausage, onion, rice, ketchup, and worcestershire and season with salt and pepper.  Place about 1/2 cup of beef mixture on edge of each leaf and roll up each leaf or fold in sides to completely enclose the meat filling. (You can use a toothpick to hold the leaves together).
• Place in a baking dish or skillet and top with sauce.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or cook over medium heat in skillet for one hour.  Then when rolls have cooked for one hour- take out and add V-8 Juice and cook 20 minutes longer. 

Makes 8 Rolls.

For an extra German recipe, add vinegar  in the sauce! (I add like 2-3 tablespoons).

Classic Jell-O Poke Cake

Have you ever been on Pinterest and pinned the most EPIC-looking desserts on the planet?  Then, you decide to be bold enough to *GASP* try to make one only to find out--eh--it's "too much."  I honestly feel like the simple recipes are the great recipes, and that's what this is...a simple recipe.  This recipe has been around for generations, and I can still remember going to my grandma's house in Stockton and eating this cake.  It's simple.  It's delicious.  It's home.

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1 box jello (any flavor--strawberry is the best IMO)
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Frosting:
1 tub Cool Whip
1 box instant vanilla pudding


Directions:
Bake white cake as directed on box.  Once baked, take out of oven to let cool (5-10 minutes).  While the cake is cooling, boil 1 1/2 cups of water.  Add jello mix to water and mix well.  Poke "holes" into the white cake.  You can use a fork or the butt of a wooden spoon (I do both!).  Pour jello liquid over white cake.  Cover and refrigerate until COMPLETELY cooled.  (I'd say about 3-4 hours).  Frost with frosting recipe above  OR just frost with whip cream only.  It's completely up to you! I usually do just whip cream only, but in this super old cookbook I have the recipe calls for the frosting recipe above.  ENJOY!