Ghiradelli Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

-8 oz Ghiradelli chocolate chips
-7 oz Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark Bars, chopped
-4.5 Tbls. butter
-2 eggs
-3/4 c. sugar
-1/2 c. flour
-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Melt chocolate chips with butter.  Cool slightly.  Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add chocolate mixture.  Blend flour and baking powder   Stir in chopped Peppermint Bark.  Chill dough in fridge at least 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook for 10 minutes (in our stove).

Note from Gina: Best.  Cookies.  EVER.   :)

Super Easy - Crusty Bread

3 c. flour
1/2 tsp. yeast
1 3/4 tsp. salt
1.5 c water


In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 24 hours.  Overnight works great.  Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.  Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool. 

Voila!

Add-ins are what make this bread fun.  Roughly 1 cup of cheese, roughly 1 tsp. of seasonings, roughly 1/3 c of nuts/raisins/etc.  All to taste, though.

Ideas:

Jalapeno Cheddar
Cinnamon Raison
Etc.

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

yield: 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, diced

4 ribs celery, chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and cubed

6 cups good quality chicken broth

3/4 lbs. chicken breasts, cubed

1-6 oz. box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice

1 1/2 cups half and half (I used fat free)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

plenty of salt and pepper

Directions:

In large pot, heat butter and olive oil. Sautee onions, celery and carrots on medium low heat for 10 minutes to soften. Season vegetables with salt and pepper. Pour in chicken broth and cubed raw chicken. Raise temperature to medium high heat to poach chicken in cooking liquid. Once chicken has cooked and become opaque, pour in rice and seasoning packet that came with the rice. Cover and reduce heat to simmer lightly for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. In small bowl, whisk cold half and half with flour until smooth. Pour into soup pot and reduce heat completely to low. Cook 10 minutes or until rice is softened completely and soup has thickened slightly. Taste and season accordingly. Serve hot

Brussel Sprouts w/ Pine Nuts & Bacon

2 lbs brussel sprouts, cored and shredded
1/2 lb bacon
2/3 c. pine nuts
1/4 c. butter
3 green onions, minced
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons grease, crumble and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, melt butter in with reserved bacon grease over medium heat. Add pine nuts, and cook, stirring until browned. Add Brussels sprouts and green onions to the pan, and season with seasoning salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until sprouts are wilted and tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon just before serving.