Reesie's PB honey cake

2 sticks butter, softened
3/4 C. honey
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2/3 C. greek yogurt
1/2 C. peanut butter chips

Ganache:
1/2 C. peanut butter chips
1/4 C.  heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a bundt pan. 

In your mixer, mix together the butter and honey. Mix for about 3 minutes until creamy. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time. 

Mix in flour alternating each cup with the greek yogurt. Mix in the baking soda and powder. Fold in the peanut butter chips. 

Spoon batter into the bundt pan and spread evenly. Place in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool cake in the pan for about 20 minutes and invert onto a plate to finish cooling. To make the ganache, mix together the peanut butter chips and cream into a small bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Keep microwaving at 10 second intervals and stirring until the chips are melted and the mixture is combined. Spoon over the top of your cake. 

Reesie's Sunday Roast Beef

2-3 lbs. beef roast
1 large onion, sliced
5 carrots, peeled and cut in to large sticks
3 of stalks celery, cut in to large sticks
1/2 cabbage, cut into small wedges
5 medium red potato , quartered
1 pkg beef onion soup mix
1tsp mrs. Dash
2 cups water

Season meat with salt and pepper. Place meat in the bottom of a large roasting pan with a lid. Place onions on top of the seasoned meat. Place cabbage around the roast. Then add your other vegetables around the rest of the outside of the roast. Sprinkle the top with the dried soup mix and the Mrs. Dash. Then pour the water over the top. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Check for doneness. If needed, cook for a little bit longer.

Serving Suggestions:
- Use beef stock instead of water in the recipe.
- Serve with bread and butter.

Leftover Recommendations:
- Make beef stew with the leftover beef and vegetables.
- Make Beef Pate

Reesie's last minute casserole

1/2 bag spinach
5 green olives, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 head broccoli, cut in florets
1/4 head cauliflower, cut in small pieces
1 small zucchini, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 can drained artichokes, diced
2 oz. sliced drained black olives
3 small tomatoes, diced
3 T pesto
16 oz sour cream
3 wedges laughing cow, Asiago cheese
1/2 tsp. Nature Seasoning
1/2 tsp. roasted garlic seasoning
 1/2 C milk
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 lb ground beef, browned
8 oz. shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 C panko bread crumbs

Cook your bacon on the stove in a large saute pan. Remove bacon to drain on a paper towel. Drain all but about 1 T bacon grease from your pan. Add all vegetables except for tomatoes to the pan and saute for a couple of minutes. 

While your vegetables are cooking, spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Layer your cooked vegetables in the pan, top with diced tomatoes and olives. 

Brown the hamburger in the same pan you used for the bacon and vegetables. While it is browning, mix up sauce. Whisk together, in a medium bowl, sour cream, pesto, Laughing Cow cheese, milk, and seasonings. Drain the ground beef if needed. Layered on the ground beef and bacon on top of the vegetables. 

Spread sauce on top of the meat.  Stir sauce into vegetables  Sprinkle top of the sauce with the parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Your bread crumbs will be nicely brown. 

Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with warm french bread and butter. 
- Enjoy a nice slice of chocolate cake for dessert. You deserve it after cooking this delicious meal for your family!

Reesie's Sausage & Apple egg bake

2 large apples (the kind you like), peeled and chopped
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
8 large eggs
1/4 onion, diced finely
3 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
8 C. French bread, cut in cubes and dry (you can dry in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 min.)
1 lb. breakfast sausage
2 C. gouda cheese, shredded
1/3 C. cheddar jack cheese, shredded
1/2 C. bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook your sausage until no longer pink in a large pan on the stove.
Add onion to the pan with the sausage and cook until soft. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, mix apples with the cinnamon and sugar. 

In another bowl, whisk eggs with milk and vanilla until well combined. Put apple mixture, bread cubes and cooked sausage in with egg mixture and stir to combine. Add in 1 1/2 C. shredded gouda. 

Spray 9x13 pan with a cooking spray. Add egg mixture into pan. Sprinkled with bread crumbs and rest of your cheese. 

Cook in oven 40-45 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Serving suggestions:
1. Serve with toast or english muffins.
2. Serve as part of a brunch with some fruit, muffins, hash browns and mimosa. 
3. Serve with maple syrup. 

Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or chocolate!

Reesie's spilt pea soup

2 T butter 
1/2 large onion, small diced 
2 stalks celery, small diced
2 carrots, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 C. chopped parsley 
1 tsp thyme 
1/2 C. frozen peas 
2 1/2 tsp ham base 
1/2 lb dried split peas 
5 C. chicken stock 
3 C. water 
1 pinch kosher salt 
1 tsp mrs. dash garlic & herb 
1 1/2 C. diced chicken, cooked 
1/4 tsp. tumeric 
1/4 tsp.fennel ground 
1/4 tsp. paprika 
2 T. half&half  

In a small sauce pan, bring 3 cups of stock to boil and add your dried peas. Simmer on low until peas are soft. In a large stock pan, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables. Add in parsley and thyme. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and let simmer for about 5 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add in rest of liquid and the ham base. Add in softened split peas and the remaining water in that pan. Add in frozen peas and chicken. Next add in all of your remaining spices. Stir until well combined. Simmered on medium low for about 10 minutes. Taste the soup as you go and then you can tell if it needs more salt or some pepper. At the end, add in the half & half. 

Serving Suggestions:

1. Serve with a grilled cheese. 
2. Serve with oyster crackers and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. 
3. Serve with some toasted baguette or french bread spread with a little fancy butter. Just whip your butter with some honey or some savory seasonings. 

Reesie's herb Beer Bread

3 C. self-rising flour 
1/2 C. sugar 
12 oz. beer
1/2 tsp. Sunny Paris penzeys spice,or any other spice blend 
1tsp. rosemary, cracked or ground 
1tsp. garlic & herb blend  
2 T butter, melted 
preheat oven at 375 degrees. 

Spray loaf pan, using whatever spray you have on hand like butter or olive oil. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, spices and beer. Your mixture will be sticky. Pour bread mixture into your prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from oven and brush on butter with a pastry bush. Let stand for about 10 minutes before removing bread from the pan. 

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve along side with beef stew, or any other thick stews. 
• Serve with pasta since you have this great garlicky flavor in your bread. 

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.