Reesie's Speculoos cookies

This recipe is from a friend of mine that suggested I try them. You can find the recipe at www.eaththelove.com/2012/12/speculaas. 

If someone is looking for kidney friendly cookie options, these will be ok for you. My dietitian recommended I try these. There is a spread, like nutella, that is made out of these cookies. I haven't tried this spread yet. 

I learned that it better to chill the dough in this recipe before rolling it out. We didn't have the cookie mold that they recommend. So, we rolled out the dough and cut in squares with the pizza cutter. For our second batch, we chilled the dough for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Then we put a little bit of flour out on the board, like we did when we rolled the dough. This time, though, we made balls. That seemed to work a little better. If you want to try to make a pattern, you can criss cross a fork on the ball, while pushing down slightly. This is like what you do when making peanut butter cookies. 

We didn't have the white pepper. It was ok without using that. Couldn't tell too much of a difference. I think by adding the pepper, I could really taste the vanilla and cinnamon better. 

I kind of liked the taste of these cookies. Maybe the next time I'll make it, I'll just roll into the ball into making the squares. The dough is so delicate that it is kind of hard to work with. 

Reesie's Roasted chicken

1 whole chicken 
1 onion, sliced thinly 

3 cloves garlic minced 
2 stalks celery with leaves 
3carrots cut into sticks 
basil 3 leaves 
rosemary 3 stalks 
thyme 1 stalks
sage 3 leaves 
1T olive oil 
1 cup chicken stock 
1 lemon  sliced thinly seeds removed 
1/2 tsp. mrs. dash chicken 
1/2 tsp mrs. dash garlic & herb
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning 
1/2 tsp  mrs. dash onion &  herb
1 T. honey flavored whiskey 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in oven at the bottom level. Put chicken in roasting pan. Cut up onions and garlic. 

Saute onions and garlic, add in a little bit of olive oil. Add some of the celery leaves to cook down as well. Add whiskey. Cook until soft, but do not caramelize as they will continue to cook in the oven with the chicken. 

Place fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme, basil) in the cavity of the chicken. Drizzle olive oil on top of chicken. Sprinkle all the spices onto the outside of the chicken. 

Place all vegetables (carrots, celery, onions, garlic) on top of the chicken and around. Last, place the lemon slices on top of the chicken. Pour the chicken stock around the chicken. Place lid on top and put in oven. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes per pound of chicken. Make sure to check temperature of chicken to ensure it is done. It should be around 160 - 165 degrees. 

Reesie"s Berry rhubarb sauce

1 1/2 cups dice rhubarb 
1/2 pound of cherries pitted 
1 small pkg. frozen berry blend
sugar, to taste

In a sauce pan, add all of your fruit and cook on medium low heat. Cook down fruit until it is able to be purred. You can mash the fruit with either a potato masher, or use an immersion blender to mix it together after it cooks down. Add sugar until it tastes sweet to you. I started with about 3 T of sugar and ended up with around 6 T at the end. Let cook until the sauce starts to thicken. If it doesn't appear to be thickening, you can add a small amount (about 1tsp) of corn starch to mix in to thicken. 

Sauce can be stored in the fridge or you could can it as well. It will last longer if you can it. 

I chose to serve with some buttermilk biscuits. This recipe tasted old fashioned like grandma used to make. They were very tender. You can the recipe for these biscuits in the new cookbook by Pauley Perrette (from NCIS) called Donna Bell's Bake Shop. The recipe I used is on page 11. 

If you want to serve it over biscuits, it is very good. I also like it over ice cream or with some cool whip. 

Resie's Birds nest cupcake

1 pkg. dark chocolate cake mix
1 1/4 cup water 
1/2 C. canola oil
3 eggs 
1 / 2  7 oz. pkg. coconut 

Frosting 

8 OZ. cream cheese 
4 cups powder sugar 
1 T  Butter 
1/4 cup half and half 
1 small bag egg shaped candy 

Mix together cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl until well combined. Place liners in cupcake pans. Fill each liner about 1/2 way. You should have enough for 24 cupcakes. Bake at 350 for 18-24 minutes. Your cupcakes will be done when a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool. While still warm, make a small indention in the middle of each cake for the candy placement later. 

While cupcakes are cooling, you can toast your coconut. Heat oven to 400 and place coconut in oven on a cookie sheet. Cook for 3 minutes and check to make sure it isn't burning. Watch closely until the coconut is lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool. 

While your coconut cooling, you can make your frosting. Combine the cream cheese, powder sugar, butter and half and half in a bowl. Mix with a hand mixer until well combined. 

To assemble your cupcakes, frost each one with a small amount of frosting. Sprinkle with coconut and put 3 egg shaped candies in the indentation you made earlier. Your cupcakes are done and ready to enjoy!

Reese's italian sausage bowtie soup

1 lb italian sauasge 
1T olive oil 
1 small onion, diced 
3 garlic cloves minced 
1 red peppers diced and green pepper 
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1bay leaf 
1/2 tsp italian seasoning 
8 cups chicken broth 
2 can diced tomatoes 
2cups of bowtie 

directions: 

1. Fry sausage in a skillet on the stove. After sausage is almost done, add the onions, garlic and peppers. Cook until soft. 
2. Drain any grease left. 
3. Transfer meat mixture to soup pot. Turn pot on medium.
4. Add bay leaf, italian seasoning, peas and carrots, broth and tomatoes to the pot. Let come to a slow boil. 
5. Add pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. 

Serving suggestions - Serve with bread, sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, add a can of rinsed beans

Reesie's Taco soup

1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 can white chili beans in chili sauce
1/2 C. frozen corn, let sit out to defrost while you assemble your other ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 C. onion, diced
3/4C. bell peppers, red and green, yellow it diced
1 garlic clove, diced
1 can sm. green chilis.
1 PKT. taco seasoning
3 C. chicken broth
1 can sm. sliced black olives
1 dash chili powder
1 dash mrs. dash , chicken grilling blend
1 T. diced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. worcesteshire sauce 

1. In a large stock pot, brown meat. While meat is browning, sprinkle on Mrs. Dash seasoning. Add your worcesteshire sauce here unless you do not like that flavoring.
2. Dice up all of your onions, peppers and garlic. Before dicing garlic, remove the outer layer of the clove. When meat looks about done, add your garlic, onion and peppers. 
3. Add corn and beans. Add canned tomatoes, green chilis and black olives. 
4. Slowly add in your chicken stock 1 cup at a time. 
5. Add in all of your spices next - chili powder and taco seasoning. 
6. Add your cilantro in last. Let simmer on low until vegetables are soft. 

Serving suggestions:

• shredded cheese
• taco chips
• dollop of sour cream
• salsa
• over a baked potato
  
  
  
  
  

Reesie's Apple zucchini bread

Makes 2 loaves of bread.

4 eggs
1/2 c canola oil
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 3/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 granny apple peeled and diced small
2 c shredded zucchini

Topping ingredients
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c flour
2 T butter, cold

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9x5 loaf pans.
2. Mixed together eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Stir in flour mixture with sugar mixture. Be careful not to over mix.
5. Next stir in zucchini and apples.
6. Pour into 2 pans. Bake for 40 minutes.
7. While baking, mix together topping ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  
8. When 40 minutes are up, remove from oven and sprinkle with topping mixture. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
9. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove loaves from pan and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.