Panza contenti, cori clementi; panza dijuna,

nenti priduna. A contented stomach, a forgiving

heart; but a hungry stomach pardons no one.

from: The Wedding Officer

by Anthony Capella

  Crock Pot Apple Crisp
 1 cup all-purpose flour
 1/2 cup light brown sugar
 1/2 cup white sugar
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 1 pinch salt
 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
 1 cup chopped walnuts
(I added about a 1/3 cup oatmeal and some cocconut)
 1/3 cup white sugar, or to taste
 1 tablespoon cornstarch
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 6 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  Directions
 Mix flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup of white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Combine butter with the flour mixture using fingers or a fork until coarse crumbs form. Stir in walnuts and set aside. Whisk together 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Place the apples in a slow cooker, stir in the cornstarch mixture; toss with lemon juice. Sprinkle the walnut crumb topping on top. Cover and cook on High for 2 hours or Low for 4 hours, until apples are tender. Partially uncover the slow cooker to allow the topping to harden, about 1 hour.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup in the Slow Cooker (or on the stove-top)

Makes about 2 quarts (about 8 servings)
 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
 1 cup finely diced celery
 1 cup finely diced carrots
 1 cup finely diced onions
 1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
 1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
 4 cups chicken broth
 ½ bay leaf
 ½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
 ½ cup butter 2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
 1 tsp salt
 ¼ tsp black pepper
 1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. 2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
 3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux.) I adore making roux!!!)
 Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes.
 Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth.
Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end). 4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. (found HERE)

Making dinner tonight for Anna and David and Benjamin-- wish MyBuilder were here too!!

White Bean and Ham Soup

White Beans and Ham

1 pound bag Great Northern white beans, picked over and rinsed

1 ham hock

½ tablespoon salt

12 oz bacon ends and pieces, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

In a large soup pot add the beans and salt, and add water to cover plus about 2 inches. Add the ham hock, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 2-3 hours, or until beans are tender and creamy. Meanwhile, cook the bacon ends and pieces in a heavy bottomed pot (like enameled cast iron) over medium-low heat until they’re dark brown, crispy, and most of the fat has rendered out. Using a slotted spoon, take the bacon out and set aside. Pour out the bacon fat, reserving two tablespoons in the pot, and save the rest for another use. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic, cooking over medium heat until tender – scrape up the browned bits of bacon from the bottom of the pan – about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and enough of the cooking water to create a soup-like consistency (I used all my water) adding more if needed. Let the ham hock cool enough to touch, and strip all the remaining meat off the bone and add to the soup. Add back in the bacon pieces. Bring the soup to a simmer and let cook, uncovered, until the soup is the consistency desired. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired.

Serve with warm cornbread and butter.

Found HERE!!

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 4 tsp olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 Tbsp butter
• Goat cheese, for serving
• Thyme Vinaigrette
• For Vinaigrette
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp mustard (I use creole, a spicy brown mustard)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
• leaves from 1-2 sprigs of thyme
• 3-4 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt

Instructions

Hasselback Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Wash and pat potatoes dry.
3. Rub each potato with a teaspoon of olive oil.
4. With a sharp knife, cut slits almost to the bottom (but not all the way through) of each potato.
5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves.
6. Cut butter into chunks and place on top of each potato.
7. Bake ~45 minutes, or until the center is tender. Crumble goat cheese over top and drizzle with Thyme Vinaigrette.

Thyme Vinaigrette

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, mustard, shallot and thyme leaves together. Stream in the olive oil while whisking. Salt to taste. Divide among 4 hasselback sweet potatoes.

These were delicious!! Maybe a little more trouble to eat...but very tasty!!! Found HERE

"Mother,is it sinful to cook on Sunday?"  She looked

up and said, "Why no,of course not. God made us

so that our bodies need food on Sunday the same as

any other day.  Since He has just loaned us these

bodies for the time we are here on earth, it is our

responsibility to take the best care we can of them..."

from: Little Britches

by: Ralph Moody

I made two pots of soup for Sunday Dinner!
Its soup weather!!
My family likes soup.
I like leftover soup.
I like bread with soup
Homemade bread makes it even yummier!
You're not going to find much to NOT like about these soups!
I promise!!

Cauliflower Soup

but dont tell my kids...

they liked it anyway.

recipe found HERE

Turkey-Butternut Tortilla Soup with Zesty Lime Sour Cream

I couldnt resist the picture!! I just had to try this pot of soup too!!  This amazing culinary delight's recipe can be found HERE!!  Mine was quite spicy...go lighter on the jalapeno or cumin if you dont like  a SPICY soup. The spicy sour cream was a surprising treat!!