Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

I'm going to make this post short and sweet today, because I am just about to get up and make my nephew some super cute cookie monster cupcakes for his birthday!

I kept seeing this soup recipe all over Pinterest.  It comes from 365 Days of Crockpot and everytime I saw that picture, it would make me hungry, so I made it for dinner the other night.

I really really liked this soup and I will be making it again.  It tasted like it came from a fancy restaurant.  It is so creamy and very flavorful.  Serve some Mini Garlic Monkey Bread on the side or Soft and Chewy Homemade French Bread and it is perfect! 

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

adapted from: 365 Days of Crockpot
(Printable Recipe)

2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 c. finely diced celery

1 c. finely diced carrots

1 c. finely diced onions (I used way less)

1 tsp. dried oregano or 1 Tbl. fresh (I used dried)

1 Tbl. dried basil or 1/4 c. fresh (I used dried)

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 bay leaf

1/2 c. flour

1 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c. butter

2 c. half-and-half, warmed

salt and pepper

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, oregano, basil, chicken broth and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or until vegetables are soft.  About 30 minutes before serving make a roux.  Melt butter over low heat and add flour; constantly whisk for 5-7 minutes.  Slowly stir in 1 cup of the hot soup.  Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth.  Add all back to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients.  Season again, if needed.  Cover and cook on low another 30 minutes or until ready to serve.  

Jenn's Notes: I cooked this on low for 5 hours and high for 1 hour and my veggies were still crunchy and I was getting hungry. So, I poured it into a large pot and boiled it on the stove until they were done and I just finished cooking everything on the stove.  I added some cooked, diced chicken to this soup and I absolutely loved it and I can't wait to make it again.    

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

I love this time of the year . . . when everyone is posting their top recipes for the previous year.  It gives us a chance to see the recipes we might have missed and it allows us to see the very favorites!  I love to see the blog owner's favorite recipes, because out of all the recipes we/they made out of an entire year, to have one be the top, it must be very very yummy!  These garlic monkey breads were Real Mom Kitchen's favorite bread recipe from 2011.  

They turned out really good and they were so easy to make.  I was worried that the garlic flavor was going to be overpowering, but it wasn't at all.  In fact, next time, I might even add a tiny bit more garlic.  I served these alongside this amazing Tomato Basil Parmesan soup and loved it, but I think they would be so good with spaghetti or lasagna too. 

Mini Garlic Monkey Breads

adapted from: Real Mom Kitchen

(Printable Recipe)

2 (7.5 oz) cans buttermilk biscuits

6 Tbl. butter, melted

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbl. dried parsley flakes

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

    plus 2 Tbl. to sprinkle on top

Cut biscuits into 4 pieces and place in a bowl.  Combine remaining ingredients and pour over biscuit pieces.  Gently toss to evenly coat.  Use a greased 12-cup muffin tin and place 6-7 pieces in each cup.  Sprinkle remaining 2 Tablespoons of cheese over the top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  Serve warm.  Makes 12.  

Jenn's Notes:  I used jumbo buttermilk biscuits, so I ended up cutting each biscuit into 6 pieces.  I thought the garlic flavor was pretty mild, which would be perfect for kids, but for myself, I think I will add a tiny bit more next time.  

Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies as seen ALL Over Pinterest

I first saw these cookies over at Project Naptime and then I saw them on another blog and then another and then all over Pinterest.  I could not get away from these cookies, so I gave in and made them.  

These cookies were soooooooooo good! If you like a chewy chocolate chip cookie, then this recipe is made for you!  They are so extremely chewy and soft and buttery and they stay fresh for several days.  We finished off a whole batch of these cookies between the two of us!  This is MY NEW FAVORITE recipe for chocolate chip cookies without oats (I have another favorite one with oats).

The secret ingredient is the cornstarch!  That is what makes them so chewy.   If you have any other recipes saved for chocolate chip cookies that you have been wanting to try, do yourself a favor and try this recipe first!  

Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from: Anna Olson

(Printable Recipe)

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

chocolate chips, as many as you like

Cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.  Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and add to wet ingredients.  Mix to combine and stir in the chocolate chips.  Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use a small cookie scoop and drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until barely golden around the edges.  The key is to NOT overbake.  

If you want crispy cookies, omit the cornstarch and replace the baking soda with baking powder.

**Jenn's Notes Update:  I LOVE these cookies and I make them all of the time.  If the dough looks a little crumbly while mixing, don't worry, it will come together.  I get between 27 and 30 cookies and I bake them for 10 minutes (NO LONGER).  They will look underdone, but they set up perfectly.    

Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Do you know that my Mom pretty much made our entire Thanksgiving Dinner by herself  and she didn't even forget any of our favorites like homemade rolls, stuffing from scratch, layered jello salad, green been casserole, homemade pies and so on and so on?  All I brought was Sweet Potato Casserole and a banana cream pie.  Don't ask me how she did it?  

Why am I talking about old news?  Because she made these AMAZING potatoes that were done in the crockpot.  She told me she was going to try these and I was a little skeptical, but they turned out so good and everyone kept commenting on  how good the potatoes were.  They are creamy and flavorful and so stinkin easy.  Guess What?  They have Sour Cream in them - oh yeah!  

I couldn't wait to get my hands on that recipe.  Potatoes are one of my favorite things to eat.  I love that you don't have to worry about keeping these warm while you finish dinner, because you can just leave them in the crockpot until ready to serve!  You can make these as chunky or as creamy as you like!  I bet you never boil potatoes again after trying this recipe!

Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes

adapted from:  Sharon H.   
(Printable Recipe)

5 Lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. butter, cut into chunks

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 - 1 c. milk, warmed

Place potatoes in a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker.  Add the chicken broth and butter.  Cover and cook on High heat setting for 4 - 4 1/2 hours or until potatoes are tender.  Add remaining ingredients, except milk.  Mash potatoes using a potato masher or beat with an electric mixture until well blended.  Do not overmix.  Stir in enough milk for desired creamy consistency.  Cover and keep warm on low or warm heat setting until serving time, up to 2 hours.  Stir before serving.  These can also be cooked on low for 8 hours.  Yield: about 20 (1/2 cup) servings.  

Jenn's Notes:  Make sure you allow these enough time to cook, so they will mash properly.  I also stirred the potatoes every once in a while.  I personally can eat more than 1/2 cup of potatoes, so make sure and adjust the serving size as needed.  So good!   

Nutella Hot Chocolate

I made some delicious soup today! I don't know about you, but when I make any kind of soup that has onions in it, it smells up my whole entire house and it smells like onions for days.  I hate that.  So, I had every window in my house open today, trying to air out some of that smell.

Because of that, it was pretty darn chilly inside my house and I didn't want to crank up the heater to make up for it.  So, I did what I had to do.  I cozied up on the couch with a blanket and a glass of hot chocolate, but not just any hot chocolate, this Nutella version from The Hungry Housewife.  It was her most popular recipe of 2011!  

I just barely tasted Nutella for the first time a few months ago and I finally learned why everyone loves it so much.  It is rich and creamy and has a delicious nutty flavor!  It was perfect in hot chocolate.  

Nutella Hot Chocolate

adapted from: The Hungry Housewife

(Printable Recipe)

1 c. milk

1 Tbl. cocoa powder

2 1/2 Tbl. Nutella

tiny pinch of salt

In a medium saucepan, whisk together all ingredients until well blended and hot.  Pour into a cup and top with homemade whipped cream and shaved chocolate.  Yield: 1 serving.

Homemade Whipped Cream

1/2 c. whipping cream

1 Tbl. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place a medium bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer for 10 minutes (this will help the cream whip up faster).  Pour cream into chilled bowl.  Whip until frothy; add sugar and vanilla and beat until it is the consistency of whipped cream.  Do not overbeat.  

Jenn's Notes: I also added a Tablespoon of powdered sugar to my hot chocolate, because I wanted it a little sweeter.  It is a must to top it with homemade whipped cream.  I was only able to drink half the glass in one sitting, but you can re-heat it later.

My Favorite Ground Beef Tacos From Paula Deen

Let's start the new year right this time.  How do we do that?  Well . . . by making MY FAVORITE ground beef tacos.  I used to think all you needed for tacos was some hamburger, onion and taco seasoning and that's it.  Then, one day I discovered this recipe.  What had I been eating all of those years?  These tacos are loaded with flavor!  

Not only do these taste amazing, but you can have them to the dinner table in less than 30 minutes.  These will become your families favorite tacos!  I am always getting requests to make "Paula Deen Tacos" for dinner.  Seriously - So Good!

Paula Deen Tacos

slightly adapted from: Cooking With Paula Deen Sept./Oct. 2011 Issue

(Printable Recipe)

1 Lb. ground beef

1/4-1/2 an onion, finely chopped

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 Tbl. fresh cilantro, minced

1 Tbl. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. chipotle chili powder (or regular chili powder if you want less heat)

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

8-10 taco shells

shredded cheese

salsa

sour cream

shredded lettuce, opt.

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; add onion and saute a few minutes or until tender.  Add tomato sauce, cilantro, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and fresh lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.  If mixture starts to look too dry, add 1 or 2 Tablespoons of water and stir to combine.  Serve in crunchy or soft taco shells with shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream and lettuce and more chopped cilantro, if desired.  Yield 8-10 tacos.

Jenn's Notes: I make 1/2 a recipe and get 5 tacos.  Chipotle chili powder is pretty spicy, so if you want less heat, make sure to use regular chili powder.  DO NOT leave out the fresh lime juice, it really takes these up to another level.