Prime Rib!!!

Here is a recipe I found, that I was a little hesitant to try as I'm sure anyone is with an expensive piece of meat. Nonetheless, I figured I would have to try it sometime, so I did and it has become a family favorite as well as our new Christmas dinner. No more turkeys, chickens, or hams. The flavor was fabulous! A huge thank you to Chef Mike for sharing!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Garlic-Prime-Rib/Detail.aspx

The only adjustment I made was that I used a smaller piece of meat, 6 lbs instead of 10, but I still used the same amount of everything else. I used the oven thermometer instead of following the cooking instructions, and that was a big mistake, apparently the oven thermometer was not too accurate. It was still great just a little overcooked for my taste. So, I have not tried the cooking time posted in the recipe but after researching other various sites it seems correct, and I will be doing it that way next time. This one is certainly a keeper!

Chicken Noodle Soup

There is nothing like the comfort of homemade chicken noodle soup. So, here is a basic recipe just because I believe simplicity and freshness is the key here. I got all of my vegetables at a local farmer's market and it was surely worth it. You may care to adjust the amounts, personally I enjoy more "stuff" than broth so I add lots of everything, it's also quite filling this way.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 lb frying chicken cut up (I usually buy a 5 to 6 lb chicken, cut in in half right up the back and save the other half for something else)
10 1/2 cups water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup sliced celery
1 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
3 cups wide egg noodles
extra salt and pepper to taste
Place chicken pieces and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Skim the top, then add bouillon, specified amount of salt and pepper, bay leaf, and only 1/2 cup of the onion. Simmer covered for an additional 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken pieces, allow to cool a bit then remove the meat and shred. Skim the surface and add the meat back into the pot along with the carrots, celery, and remaining onion. Once again bring to a boil, reduce heat cover and simmer for 15 more minutes then remove bay leaf. Bring to a boil and drop in the noodles. Cook uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until noodles are done. I then add more salt and pepper to taste. I add even a few teaspoons of salt and maybe one or more of pepper, but that's my personal taste. Serve with buttered french bread.

Fruit Dip

Here is something so simple and so great. It is a perfect side if you are having guests for a brunch, or if you need something to bring to a potluck. It actually tastes almost like an orange-ish cheesecake dip. People really seem to like the fact that the fruit is healthy and the dip just adds that flavor of dessert to it. At a party it's quite addicting.

Ingredients:

1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme

1 package (8 oz) Philadelphia cream cheese

1 tsp fresh grated orange zest (I use a microplane, so easy, perfect size, and easy to clean)

Yep, that's it. All you have to do is blend them together with a hand mixer until creamy with no lumps. You may want to refrigerate for a little bit. Then serve in a bowl surrounded by fruit. My favorite is strawberries, I also enjoy apple slices and fresh pineapple chunks. If you do apple slices do not forget to toss them in a little bit of lemon juice so they don't turn brown. Toothpicks are a good idea for serving.

Hamburg and Barley Soup

Here's a soup that takes about an hour to cook, is full of flavor, but still simple to prepare. The only work involved is chopping up your onion, carrot, celery, and green pepper. The great part is not having to cut up any raw meat as I find that to usually be the most labor intensive and unenjoyable part of cooking.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb ground beef

7 cups water

3 tsp beef bouillon

2+ cups of chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup barley

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup ketchup

2 -14.5 oz cans stewed tomatoes (italian style)

8 oz can tomato sauce

I've tried this soup, in the past, with a regular onion and regular stewed tomatoes, it tasted fine, however, I highly recommend the red onion and italian style stewed tomatoes as it adds an enormous amount of flavor in the end. In a large soup pan or dutch oven brown the ground beef. Drain the fat, if there is any, and add all of the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove bay leaves and serve with french bread and butter! Perfect for a chilly evening!