Bacon Corn Chowder

¾ cups Crumbled Bacon
1 whole Onion, Chopped
2 whole Carrots, Chopped
5 cups Chicken Stock
5 whole Potatoes, Peeled And Diced (I used Yukon gold)
3 cups Corn, Fresh Or Frozen
¼ teaspoons Turmeric
½ teaspoons Dried Thyme
¼ cups Butter
1-½ cup Milk (or cream)
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and chop well.

Add 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease (or vegetable oil if you are vegetarian and didn’t use the bacon) to large pot. Add onions and cook until soft, add carrots and cook for 5 minutes more.

Stir in chicken stock then add potatoes, corn and bacon. Add turmeric and thyme. You can now add the 1/4 cup butter, but it is entirely optional.

Cook until potatoes and carrots have softened, then stir in milk or cream.

Let heat, then remove half a cup of liquid, let it cool a bit and then whisk in cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture to chowder, stir well.

Allow chowder to heat for 5 minutes more, then serve.

Apple Tart

Apple Tart

5c. flour

2c. vegetable shortening

1t. salt

1 c. milk

Mix like pie crust. Roll out half and put into 15x9 pan.

12 medium apples peeled and diced.

5 t. dry tapioca

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 t. cinnamon

Put apple mixture in crust. Roll out remaining crust and cover apples. Seal and cut slits on top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until slightly golden.

 

Glaze:

Mix

3 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2-3 t. milk

2 c. powdered sugar

Cover while warm.

Super Moist Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

 

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. oil

2 c. flour

2t. cinnamon

2t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3 - 4oz. jars of baby food carrots

 

Mix eggs, oil, sugar together in mixer. Add carrots, then dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes at high speed. Pour into greased jelly roll pan (or 2 round pans) and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Cool cake.

 

Frosting-

1- 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 t vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Mix together and spread on cooled cake. Top with nuts if desired.

 

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup

1 cup carrots, sliced thinly
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, sliced thinly
1 cup chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 cups reduced-fat chicken broth (reserved from cooking or canned)
1 cup cheese-filled tortellini, dried and uncooked  (I always use
double this so that it's more filling)
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, dried
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, snipped

Bring chicken broth to a boil, add carrots, onion, celery, thyme, black pepper and bay leaf.  Cover; simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.  Add Chicken, pasta and parsley.  Continue simmering until pasta is done.
Remove bay leaf.  Serve.

Freezer Meal Option
Everything is the same except after you originally cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes - cool the broth.  Remove the bay leaf, add the cooked chicken, uncooked pasta and parsley.  Place in a labeled freezer bag, seal and freeze with the bag laid flat.

To Serve:
Thaw.  Reheat over medium heat, covered, for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked.