Candied Ginger Pear Bread

 Harvest time tends to give us a bounty

of fresh pears and apples. I love this time of

year. Baking is one of my most favorite

hobbies. So when I was baking several

loaves of quick bread, I thought up this

recipe....hoping it would be a hit with

my family and friends.

It was a HUGE success.

The little pieces of candied ginger in this

bread, makes it a special treat.

 

Candied Ginger Pear Bread 

1/2 Cup Butter~ softened

1 Cup Sugar

2 Egg's ~ Beaten

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice

2 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Cup Buttermilk

1 Cup Fresh Pear's~ peeled/chopped

1/4 Cup Candied Ginger

 

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.

Stir to combine. DO NOT BEAT.

Pour batter into a well greased

9x5 loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour.

*I also like to sprinkle the top of the

batter with some Cinnamon/ Sugar

before I bake it.

Let loaf cool completely

before you cut and serve.

*You can find Crystalized (Candied)

Ginger at your local grocery store.

Usually found in the Spice/Baking isle.

HAPPY HARVEST,

LARK

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup

A light cool crisp breeze in the air,

leaves changing colors, pumpkins

lining the porches..... It's FALL!

Fall time blesses us all with a

new bounty of veggies~ Squash.

I am finding out just how many

new recipes I can come up with

using all the different varieties.

This is a very simple soup

that is bursting with flavor.

Give it a try and see.

 

Butternut Squash Soup

3 TBSP. Olive Oil

1 Medium White Onion~ diced

4 TBSP Garlic ~ minced

2-3 lbs. Butternut Squash~ peeled/diced

6 C. Chicken Broth~ (I use low sodium)

1 TBSP. Curry Powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cracked Black Pepper

 

In a large stock pot heat oil, onion

and garlic until tender. Add in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until squash

is tender. (About 15 minutes) Remove from

heat.  Puree ~ If you have an immersion blender

it will be a snap! If not, no worries.... you can use

a blender. Just make sure to only do a small

amount at a time due to the heat.

Simple huh? You can serve with a dollop

of sour cream & parmesan cheese if desired.

Happy Fall Y'all!

Lark

 

 



Cheesy Corn Chowder

 I love Soup.

I can eat it all year round.

But there is just something about

having a cup of warm soup when the

weather has a chill in the air,

that makes me smile.

This is a very simple chowder to make.

So why not make a double batch now,

and freeze some for another day? 

 

Cheesy Corn Chowder

1 Lg. White Onion~ diced

2 Stalks of Celery ~ diced

1/4 C. butter
4 TBSP All Purpose Flour

3 C. of Fresh Corn OR 2 (15 oz.) Cans of Corn

4 Lg. Red Potatoes ~ cubed/boiled

3C. Chicken Broth

3 C. Milk

2 C. Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

*Optional~ Crisp Bacon pieces

 

In a large Stock pot, sauté onion

and celery in butter until tender. Add Flour, slowly
stir in milk whisk until thickens.

Add in remaining ingredients.

Make sure you stir continually until the

cheese is melted. Turn on low for another

10 minutes. Serve warm.

 

Warm Soup on Chilly nights.

Lark 

 



Jalapeno Popper Dip

I Have Football Fever!

I am a HUGE fan of watching Football.

It doesn't matter if it is NFL or

a Hometown High School game.

It is a good thing I like it so much,

seeing that I have a Dallas Cowboy

Fan Die hard for a husband!

So when football season rolls around,

I try to come up with a few new recipes

to serve while the game is on.

I made this up at the same time that I made my

 Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken Tenders

So if you have time, make them BOTH,

you wont be sorry! 

 

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 (8oz.) Cream Cheese ~ softened

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

6 Jalapeno Peppers~ minced

2 Garlic Cloves ~ minced

1 1/2 C. Mexican Blend Shredded Cheese

1 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese Shredded

1/2 tsp. Cumin

1 TBSP. Onion ~ minced

2 tsp. Lime

1 C. Panko Bread Crumbs

 

Preheat oven to 350

Combine all ingredients together

except the bread crumbs. Spread into a

baking dish. Top with bread Crumbs.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Serve warm or chilled with

corn chips.

TOUCHDOWN!

Lark

 

 

 



Homemade Spaghetti Sauce~ A Canning Session

Many of you know how much I enjoy

canning. And this time of the year is

when I enjoy canning the most.

Usually the weather has cooled off

enough that I can open the windows

and doors to enjoy the cool breeze as I

am stirring and stirring over the warm

stove. (lol) However this Summer

heat is hanging on a lot longer.

That being said, this is my 1st canning

session of the Fall Season.

I thought I would share with y'all

just how I go about prepping the

tomatoes in order to start making

my homemade spaghetti sauce.

(After all NOT everyone knows how to can!)

#1~ you need to make sure you have

all the proper Canning Supplies.

#2~ Next choose a tomato that will hold

the taste and texture you like.

#3~ Make sure you set aside enough

time to give the process it's due. Canning

is NOT hard, however it IS time consuming.

 

 

To start you need to place a large stock pot

half way full of water to boil.  While the water

is heating you will cut a "x" into the bottom

of each tomato. I also like to remove the

hull of the tomato at this time.

I do this to all of the tomatoes

before I start placing them into the

boiling water, it makes it go a lot

faster since you wont have to stop

to cut more tomatoes.

Now using a large spoon or ladle

place about 6-8 tomatoes depending

on the size of your tomatoes,
into the water.

 

 

You will let them set in the water

for about 30 seconds, or until the

skin on the tomato starts to wrinkle

and peel back. Quickly remove each

tomato and place them directly into

a ice bath. I just do this in my sink.

This will stop the cooking process

as well as cool the tomato down

enough to make it easier to handle

while you remove the skin.

I remove the skins as soon as I can,

while the other tomatoes are boiling.

 At this point it is up to you to
decide if you like chunky or smooth
spaghetti sauce. My family likes
smooth, so at this point I place
them into my food processor to
puree.  Once you have all the tomatoes
either puréed or chopped, you can start
mixing the ingredients together for the sauce.
*I usually just taste and add ingredients as I go
along in the cooking process.
 I  tried to narrowed my recipe down to make it a
little bit easier for Y'all to make a smaller
batch if needed. FOR EVERY 8 Cups of tomato
puree or chopped you will add the following:

3 (8 oz.) Tomato Paste ~ I like to use Hunt's Brand
that has added Basil, Oregano and Garlic
4 Garlic Cloves ~ minced
1 Med White onion~ minced
1/4 C. Green Onion~ minced
1 tsp. Oregano
1 TBSP. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 TBSP Salt
4 Pkg.'s Dry Spaghetti Sauce Mix
2 C. Water.
*Optional Mushrooms~ minced

Mix all ingredients together and place in a
large stock pot, simmer on Med.-Low heat
for 2 hours. Stirring often.

**Taste the sauce and add more water
if it is too strong tasting or add more
of your desired ingredients.
Now your ready to ladle it into your
hot cleaned jars. (follow the directions
on the jar box if you have any questions.)
I process them in a Hot Water bath for
15 minutes each batch. Let cool over night.

Happy Canning Season!
Lark

 

 

 



Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw

Cole slaw is NOT hard to make.

Yet, not a lot of folks take the time to

make it themselves. They just go buy the

pre-made dressing and a bag of

shredded cabbage.  No effort involved

as well as no flavor!

Just try this recipe one time.

And I bet Y'all wont go buying that

flavorless store bought stuff again!

 

Homemade Buttermilk Cole Slaw

1 Head of Green Cabbage~ finely sliced

2 Carrots~ shredded

4 TBSP. Onion ~minced

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

1/3 C. Sugar

1/4 C. Whole Milk

1/4 C. Buttermilk

2 TBSP. Lemon Juice

2 TBSP. Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

1/2 tsp. Celery Seed

 

Mix cabbage, carrots and onion

together in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl combine all

other ingredients, whisk until

sugar has dissolved. Let set for 5 minutes.

Pour over cabbage mix, stir to coat well.

 Cover and let chill for at least

an hour before serving.

** I think it is best if you make this

the night before you want to serve it.

The longer you chill the better it will be.

Homemade taste's better,

Lark



Loaded Spinach Skillet Frittata

Have you ever noticed that during the hot

Summer days, you just don't ever want to

prepare a recipe for dinner that requires

you to turn on your oven?

At least that is how I feel.

(Yet, I seem to crave those dishes)

This recipe does call for the use of your oven,

however you only need in on for 15 minutes!

I can handle that!

If even 15 minutes seems like to much,

you can always serve this up for

breakfast!

 

Loaded Spinach Skillet Frittata

8 Egg's

1/2 C. Milk

1/2 lb. Fresh Spinach~ torn in pieces

1 (4oz.) Diced Green Chilies

1/2 C. Diced Cooked Ham

1/4 C. White Onion~ diced

1/2 C. Fresh Tomatoes ~ diced

1/2 C. Fresh Mushrooms~ sliced

1 C. Colby Jack Cheese~ shredded

Salt/Pepper to taste

 

Preheat oven to 450

In a 12" cast iron skillet place your

chilies, ham, onion, mushroom and

spinach. Cook on medium heat stirring often

until spinach is wilted and veggies are tender.

Then add in your tomatoes.

In a bowl beat together the eggs, milk

and salt/pepper.  Pour into the skillet,

you will NOT stir! Sprinkle the shredded

cheese over top. Turn down heat, and cook

until the egg around the edges of pan

are set. Then place into your oven and

bake for 15 minutes. **making sure the

center is cooked all the way through.

Let set for 5-8 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Lark

 



Key Lime Pie Pudding Pops

Cool down with these Key Lime Pie

Pudding pops the whole family will love. 

 

Key Lime Pie Pudding Pops

2 (6 oz.) Fat Free Key Lime Pie Yogurt

1 C. Fat Free Cool Whip Topping~thawed

1 Lime~ zest and juiced

Graham Cracker Crumbs

 

Fold together all ingredients except

the graham cracker crumbs.

Pour into molds, sprinkle with

cracker crumbs before lacing the

handle portion in the mixture.

Freeze over night.

ENJOY!

Lark

 

 



Fried Rice

Have you ever made enough rice

to feed a crowd, yet you only have a

family of three? Ha, ha...yeah that

is what I have done on many occasions.

I am not a huge lover of left over rice.

To me it only tastes good when made fresh.

So I wanted to come up with a couple

new recipes that featured rice,

so I wouldn't waste the rice already made.

This is a very simple recipe to make

that you can make fast.

 

Homemade Fried Rice

3 C. Cooked Rice (left over)

2 Eggs

1/4 C. Green Onion~ chopped

1 C. Frozen Pea's

1 C. Frozen Carrot's

2 tsp. Oil~ (sesame oil)

 

In a skillet scramble the eggs in the oil.

Add in all other ingredients, toss until

rice and veggies are heated through.

That's all there is to it!

No more wasting that left over rice.

Enjoy,

Lark

 

 

Homemade Dilly Beans

Growing up, my parents always had

a huge garden in the Summer.

They grew everything, corn, carrots,

squash, tomatoes, green beans and more.

I am sure this is where my love of

canning came from. My Mom canned

veggies, fruit and jam's from the

bounty of our garden. We had a

AWESOME Pantry! These Dilly beans

were "prized" in our home. I don't

remember them ever lasting to long.

 We all loved them.

 

Homemade Dilly Bean's

2 lbs. Green Beans~ rinsed

2 C. White Vinegar

2 TBSP. Salt

5 Bay Leaves

1 tsp. Crushed Dried Red Chilies

2 tsp. Fennel Seed

4 tsp. Mustard Seed

2 tsp. Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp. Dill Weed

 

Bring a large stock pot of water

to a boil, place green beans in boiling water.

Let cook until they are a bright green,

yet still crisp.

 Drain and place in ice cold water for 5 minutes.

Drain and fill 5 pint jars,

you may need to trim the beans to fit the jars.

Divide all the spices evenly between the jars.

*Feel Free to add more or less of the

spices you like best.

In a sauce pan combine vinegar,

2 C. Water and the salt. Bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, ladle into each jar.

Make sure to leave a 1/2"

head space on top.

Place lids on tight, shake to mix the

spices in the jar. Place in your

refrigerator to let the flavors 

intensify for 24 hrs. Open each jar

and remove the bay leave. Return to

the fridge until you are ready to

serve them. 

*These will keep in the fridge for 1 month.

I like to make sure I label them with the

ending date on the jar.

Now that's a Dilly Bean!

Lark

 

 

 



Cranberry Chicken Salad

There are so many varieties

of Chicken salad out there, yet it

seems to me that most recipes have a "sweet" 

dressing taste to them, I didn't care for.

I created this recipe in hopes that you

would be able eat it in a sandwich

or "stand alone" by it's self.

Give it a try and see what you think.

 

Cranberry Chicken Salad

4-5 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast's

3 (14.5 oz) Fat Free Chicken Broth

1/4 tsp. Black Pepper

1 TBSP. Minced Onion

1 TBSP. Minced Garlic

1/2 tsp. Poultry Seasoning

1 C.  Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt

1 C. Fat Free Sour Cream

1 TBSP. Lemon Juice

3 TBSP. Fresh Parsley~ chopped

1/2 C. Dried Cranberries ~ chopped

1/4 C. Cucumbers~ shredded

1/4 C. Red Onion ~ diced

2 Hard boiled Egg's ~ peeled/chopped

1/4 tsp. Celery Salt

2 TBSP. Deli Mustard

Salt to taste

Paprika

 

In a large sauce pan bring the first 6

ingredients to a boil for 10 minutes.

Drain and dice chicken, place into

a large bowl. Add in remaining ingredients,

 stir to blend. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

*You can spread this on a croissant for

a flavor packed sandwich. Or serve it on

a bed of lettuce for a cool salad.

Enjoy!

Lark

 

 

 

 



4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Gluten Free

When coming up with this recipe

I tried time and time again to

get a dough that was easy to make,

without the use of flour.

Why?... Well I have a dear friend

who has to have a gluten free diet.

She is forever telling me that

she cannot find any "regular"

tasting cookies.  Therefore I was

on a mission to see if I could

make a cookie that would put

a smile on her face  :)

These were a HUGE success!

*If you are wondering what the filling

is that sandwiches these together,

it is marshmallow's!

 

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

*Marshmallow~ optional

 

Preheat oven to 350

Beat together sugar and peanut butter.

Add in egg and vanilla, blend well.

Scoop into balls, place on a

parchment lined cookie sheet.

Flatten with a fork, bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool on pan for 1 minutes

before removing to a wire rack.

*If your making them into sandwich

cookies, just place 1 cookie upside down on

a plate, add a large marshmallow.

Microwave for 15 seconds, then top

with another cookies.

It cant get much easier than that.

Lark



2- Ingredient W.W. Cherry Angel Food Cake

I am always trying to come up with treats

 that I wont be feeling guilty over

having in house. (lol)

I have been maintaining my weight

for the past 6 years....not easy when I LOVE

to Bake/Cook everyday!

I often have many of my readers ask me how

I don't weight a ton. To that I answer~

"that is the reason I ask friends and

neighbors to be my taste testers!"

So this recipe is one I fix often,

and I indulge!!  :)

2- Ingredient W.W. Cherry Angel Food Cake
1(14oz.) Angel Food Cake Mix
1(  ) Lite Cherry Pie Filling

Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl combine the dry cake mix
with the can of pie filling. Fold them together.

You can make this is a 9x13" pan
or (2) 9"inch round pans.
Do not grease the pans.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack before cutting.
*When making this into 12 servings, each piece
will amount to 2 Points.

Dessert with no guilt,
Lark
 

 



Homemade Cheesy Chicken Parm.

Makes your mouth water doesn't it?

I have to say, this is AMAZING!!

Lark's Homemade Cheesy Chicken Parm.

3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast's

3 Egg White's

1 C. Panko Bread Crumbs

1 TBSP Mystic Blue Spice Santa Fe Seasoning

3 Sticks String Cheese

2 C. Marinara Sauce

Spaghetti~ Cooked

Preheat oven to 375

Start by pounding out each chicken breast flat.

Sprinkle with a third of the Santa Fe seasoning,

top with the string cheese.

Roll up tightly, secure with toothpicks. 

 Dredge into the egg whites.

Next completely coat in the bread crumbs.

Place into a lightly greased pan

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is

no longer pink in the center.

Serve on a bed of cooked spaghetti with marinara sauce.

If you are interested in purchasing some

amazing Spices including the one featured in this

recipe, just visit: The Mystic Blue Spice Company

Tell them Lark Sent Y'all over!