Reesie's Creamy tomato Basil soup

32 oz. can Italian style crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chifonade (fine shreds)
1/2 small onion, diced finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 medium yellow pepper, diced finely
1/2 c. V8 juice
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. half and half
1 T. cream cheese
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt

In a large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, pepper and basil in a small amount olive oil. Add tomatoes, V8, broth, balsamic, Worcestershire. Simmer on low heat for a bit. Add half and half and cream cheese. Mix until well combined or until cream cheese is well incorporated. Add salt and celery salt.

  
Homemade Croutons:

Use whatever bread you have on hand. I used leftover beer bread. Tear bread into pieces. On medium heat, in a small frying pan, warm up 1 cap full of olive oil. Once oil is up to temp, add your bread and lightly season with seasoning of your choice. I used Penzey's horseradish powder, Penzey's Sunny Paris, celery salt and a small dash of rosemary. Saute bread until golden brown on both sides. 

Sprinkle your bowl of soup with some croutons. Or serve with grilled cheese.   

Reesie's Meatloaf Panini

1 piece of leftover meatloaf, cut in half so it fits on bread
2 slices marble rye bread
2 handfuls of spinach
2 slices of swiss cheese
mustard, to taste

Microwave meatloaf slice for 1-2 minutes until warm.  In a medium frying pan, over medium low heat, put a small of butter and melt. Add bread to pan, top each slice with cheese. On the side of your bread, wilt your spinach and add to the top of your bread slices. Toast in the pan until lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Add meatloaf slices. Top with a dollop of mustard, or as much as you would like. Close sandwich and serve. 

Serving Suggestions:
- Add a slice of tomato right before you close your sandwich. 
- Serve with fries if eating for supper. 
- Serve with baked pita chips, or any kind of chip you like. 

Reeise's Rhubarb Saturday scones

1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 T. cold butter
2/3 C. heavy cream
1 egg
1/2 C. rhubarb, diced small
1/2 C. strawberries, diced small

Preheat 425 degrees. In a large food process, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chunks of butter. Pulse until almost smooth. Add in egg and heavy cream. Pulse until a dough forms. 

Sprinkle flour on a large cutting board on your counter. Turn out your dough on board and add in the fruit until well combined. Sprinkle with more flour as needed. Once everything is combined, pat dough into a firm circle. Cut into 8 even triangles. 

Prepare large cookie sheet by spraying with cooking spray lightly and topping with a piece of parchment paper. Place triangles on pan. Bake for 15 minutes. You will know they are done once the scones are lightly brown all over. Cool on pan and store in a covered container. 

Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with butter on top.
- Serve with extra strawberries on top. Add a little whipped topping or ice cream and you have a wonderful dessert. 
- Serve on Saturday morning with your hot tea or coffee for breakfast. Your family will love you!

Reesie's havarti cheese omelette

2 large eggs
1 large slice havarti cheese
2 handfuls fresh spinach
salt & pepper to taste

In a small frying pan on the stovetop, saute spinach in olive oil spray. Keep spinach in pan and add in whisked eggs. Cook over medium low heat. Add cheese on the top of the eggs as they cook. Leave eggs alone until they look done and cheese is melted. Season with salt & pepper at this point if desired. Flip over 1/2 of the eggs on top of the other half. You are ready to eat!

Serving Suggestions:
 - 1 slice of toast (I prefer rye toast if I have it.)
 - Sliced fruit
 - Add on hash browns or even a side of pancakes if you are really hungry
 - Sausage or bacon

Reesie's Pork chili

2 C. pork, shredded (use leftover boston butt pork roast)
1 can chili beans, do not drain 
1/2 can Bush's baked beans (I used leftovers from a previous meal)
1 C. beef stock
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/3 C. onion, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced (use any color you have on hand)
1 T. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 pkt. Mrs. Dash Chili Seasoning
1 tsp. cream cheese, green olive flavored

In a medium pan on the stovetop, saute onions and pepper in a splash olive oil. Add in pork, beans, tomatoes, beef stock, and all the seasonings. Let simmer for 15 min. and then mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream cheese well. 

Serving Suggestions:
 - Top with shredded cheese and crushed nacho chips. 
 - Top with sour cream and black olives.
 - Top with chopped cilantro.

Reesie's Berry Bananarama Smoothie

12 oz. pkg. Frozen mixed berries
1/4 C. Orange juice
1/3 C. Plain Greek yogurt
1/3 - 1/2 C. Rice Dream milk (or Almond milk works too)
1 frozen banana
1 T. Honey

Add all the ingredients to a smoothie mixer (like a ninja or magic bullet). Start blending. If too thick, keep adding more milk or orange juice until your desired consistency.

Reesie's Quiche Cups

1/2 medium red pepper, small dice
1/4 medium green pepper, small dice
1/4 medium onion, small dice
1 1/2 C. spinach, chopped
2 sheets puff pastry
1 C. diced ham
Dash garlic powder
Dash celery salt
Dash Nature's Seasoning blend
4 eggs, divided use
1/3 C. Half and half
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. Swiss cheese
2-3 larger cherry tomatoes, sliced into 18 slices
1 T. Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray cups in a muffin tin.

Sprinkle flour on your counter. Unfold puff pastry and roll out to a 12 inch square. Cut into 9 even squares. Press 1 square into each muffin cup making sure to have your points sticking up out of the tin.

Sauté vegetables in a pan over medium heat with 1 T. Olive oil. While sauting vegetables, put 4 pieces of ham in each pastry cup. When vegetables are soft, evenly distributed over the ham in each pastry cup.

Whisk together 3 eggs with half and half. Evenly distribute egg mixture across the cups. Sprinkle both cheeses evenly on top of egg mixture. Whisk last egg and using a pastry brush, brush on edges of pastry.


Bake for 18-20 minutes. At about 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with tomato slices. Place back in oven and bake until eggs are done.