A
delicate, creamy homemade egg nog that’s easy to make and tastes
incredible! The flavors of freshly-grated nutmeg, vanilla, whole eggs,
real cream, and maple syrup blend into this incredible egg nog!
Yield: 

about 12 cups
Ingredients: 

9 large eggs
1 cup real maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups milk, divided
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy cream

For serving:

3/4 cup whipped cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions: 

1.
In a heavy 4 or 6-quart pan, briskly whisk together the eggs, maple
syrup, and salt, until well-mixed. Whisk in 3 cups of the milk.

2. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches
160-165 degrees F (use a candy or meat thermometer to monitor
temperature).* It takes me about 10-15 minutes, and I do whisk
near-constantly for this step! You will see a little steam rising from
the pan, just as the egg nog reaches 160-165 degrees.

3. Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Whisk in the remaining 3 cups of milk.

4. Cover pan and chill well (a few hours) before serving. Don’t put a
hot pan in your refrigerator though! If the weather is cold, I set the
covered pan outside to cool, and then refrigerate. Otherwise, let cool
to room temperature and refrigerate.

5. Whip the 1 cup of heavy cream until foamy, about half-way to
“whipped cream”. Stir into the chilled egg nog mixture (it will want to
float, so stir as much as needed to mix most of it in).

6. To serve, ladle chilled egg nog into glasses, top with a
tablespoon of whipped cream, and sprinkle with freshly-grated nutmeg.
Enjoy!

This egg nog can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Simple from-scratch dinner rolls that are a complement to soups or salads, any time! (For the fluffiest rolls, total time may exceed one hour…)
Yield: 

24 dinner rolls
Ingredients: 

1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees F)
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups warm milk (115 degrees F)
1/2 cup oil or melted butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon honey or molasses
1/3 cup sugar
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour, approximately
Instructions: 

1.
In a 2-cup measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the water,
yeast, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Stir with a fork to combine, and then
set aside. (Mixture will get foamy.)

2. In a 4-cup measuring cup (or medium-large mixing bowl), lightly
beat the eggs. Add the warm milk, oil or butter, salt, honey or
molasses, and 1/3 cup sugar. Stir to combine.

3. In a medium-large mixing bowl, combine the two wet mixtures and
stir. Stir in enough flour to form a soft dough, and continue to add
flour and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms (about 10-15
minutes).

If using a bread machine: Pour both wet mixtures
into bread machine, add about 4 cups of flour, and turn on the dough
cycle. Add more flour as needed to make a smooth, soft dough. Scrape
sides of bread machine pan with a gentle spatula if needed as it mixes.
When dough is smooth and elastic, turn off bread machine. Continue with
step 4.

If using a stand mixer: Pour both wet mixtures into
mixer bowl. Add about 4-5 cups of the flour and allow it to mix (or
knead with a dough hook) until a smooth, soft dough forms, adding more
flour as needed. When dough is smooth and elastic, turn off mixer and
continue with step 4.

4. Allow dough to rest for 5-10 minutes, covered. While dough is
resting, grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets. Turn oven on to 200
degrees and set a timer for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes, turn off the
oven. (Leave the door shut so it stays warm inside!)

5. Separate or cut dough into 24 pieces. I divide in half, then
divide each half in half again. Now I have fourths, and I divide each of
those in half. Now I have 8 pieces of dough, and I divide each piece
into 3 pieces, resulting in 24 pieces. 🙂

6. Form each piece of dough into a roll. To make Kaiser (or
rosette-shaped) dinner rolls like the ones in these pictures, roll each
piece of dough into a rope about 8 inches long. Tie the rope into a
knot, with two long “tails” remaining. Tuck one tail under and one tail
over, tucking in the middle, to make the rosette shape.

7. Place rolls on greased sheets. Cover lightly with a clean towel
and place sheets in the warm oven (do not turn back on!) and allow to
rise until nearly doubled. This should take about 25 minutes if your
oven was pre-warmed, your yeast was good, etc. It MAY take longer,
though, which is why I recommend starting these rolls in plenty of time
for dinner (more like two hours in advance instead of just one!).

8. When rolls are almost doubled in size, remove them from the oven.
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls for about 15-20 minutes,
until done.

Serve hot and enjoy! Leftover rolls should be stored in an air-tight bag or container.

Easy homemade whole wheat crackers that taste remarkably similar to Wheat Thins! Thin, crunchy, and salty — you will love these crackers! Yield: 

About 8 ounces of crackers
Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Salt, for topping
Instructions: 

1.
Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl.
Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until small crumbs form.
Or, combine the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor bowl and
pulse until crumbly.

2. Make a well in the center, and add the water and vanilla. Stir to
mix, then use clean hands to knead a few times, just enough to form a
ball of dough. (Add just a tad more water, only if needed.) Divide dough
into two pieces and cover with a clean towel.

3. Lightly grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets* and sprinkle lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into a thin
rectangle approximately 11×15 inches. (Be sure to lightly flour the
dough as you roll, so it doesn’t stick to the counter!)

5. Transfer the sheet of dough to the baking sheet. Use a pizza
cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into squares. Trim edges if desired.
Sprinkle tops with salt.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly
browned. Crackers will become more crispy as they cool, so don’t
over-bake! (Remove edge crackers that are getting too dark if the middle
crackers aren’t quite done yet, and continue baking.)

7. Remove baked crackers from sheets and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, plain or with dips or  and store leftover crackers in a sealed bag or container.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A soft, hot dinner roll just like the ones tossed to diners at Lambert’s Cafe!
Yield: 

12 large dinner rolls
Ingredients: 

1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 pkg.) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose or bread flour

Butter, honey and/or sorghum molasses, for serving
Instructions: 

(See additional notes for bread machine directions)

1. In a small bowl, combine the teaspoon of sugar and the yeast with the warm water and allow to foam (5-10 minutes).

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the warm milk, melted butter, sugar, egg and salt. Add the yeast mixture and stir.

3. Stir in 3 cups of flour. Stir or knead in another cup of flour (or
more, if needed) and knead for 5-10 minutes to make a smooth, elastic
dough.

4. Scrape the large mixing bowl clean (or as clean as possible) and
place dough in the bowl. Grease the top of the dough with butter or oil
and cover with a clean cloth. Place in a warm location (I turn the oven
on for 1-2 minutes, then turn OFF and place covered bowl in the warm
oven to rise) and let rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.

5. Liberally butter a 12-cup muffin pan. With buttery hands, deflate
the dough and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place
two balls in each muffin cup. Gently grease the tops and cover with a
clean towel.

6. Let rolls rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about
45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake rolls for
20-25 minutes, until tops are browned and rolls are done. (Check rolls
after 15 minutes, and cover loosely with foil to prevent excess
browning, if needed.)

Toss hot rolls and serve with butter, honey, and/or sorghum molasses!

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

A
delicious thick, flavorful soup made with dried beans, peas, and
lentils. Easy but so amazingly delicious, the whole family loves this
recipe!
Yield: 

8 servings
Ingredients: 

1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) dry bean/peas/lentils blend*
8 ounces turkey Italian sausage (cut into slices) or turkey sausage patties (diced)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (12-15 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups of chicken stock (or water + bouillon)
Salt, to taste (start with 1 teaspoon)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions: 

1. In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients except the (optional) Parmesan cheese.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then simmer gently over low
heat, covered, until beans are all tender (about 2 1/2 hours, but could
take longer).

3. When beans are tender, remove the bay leaves. Season with additional salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot!

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Easy
homemade whole wheat crackers that taste remarkably similar to Wheat
Thins! Thin, crunchy, and salty — you will love these crackers!
Yield: 

About 8 ounces of crackers
Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Salt, for topping
Instructions: 

1.
Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl.
Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until small crumbs form.
Or, combine the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor bowl and
pulse until crumbly.

2. Make a well in the center, and add the water and vanilla. Stir to
mix, then use clean hands to knead a few times, just enough to form a
ball of dough. (Add just a tad more water, only if needed.) Divide dough
into two pieces and cover with a clean towel.

3. Lightly grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets* and sprinkle lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into a thin
rectangle approximately 11×15 inches. (Be sure to lightly flour the
dough as you roll, so it doesn’t stick to the counter!)

5. Transfer the sheet of dough to the baking sheet. Use a pizza
cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into squares. Trim edges if desired.
Sprinkle tops with salt.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly
browned. Crackers will become more crispy as they cool, so don’t
over-bake! (Remove edge crackers that are getting too dark if the middle
crackers aren’t quite done yet, and continue baking.)

7. Remove baked crackers from sheets and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, plain or with dips or  and store leftover crackers in a sealed bag or container.

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

A
creamy white bean soup with the aroma of thyme, oregano, and rosemary,
with baby spinach leaves stirred in at the end. Simple but elegant!
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2-3 teaspoons fresh)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh)
4 cups chicken broth (or water with bouillon)
6 cups cooked great northern beans (or 3 cans, rinsed and drained)
3/4 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (or two large handfuls), coarsely chopped
Instructions: 

1.
In a 6-quart stock pot over medium heat, saute the onion in oil. After a
few minutes, stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, and rosemary and saute
for a couple more minutes.

2. Stir in chicken broth, beans, salt, and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Put about 2 cup of the soup into a bowl and set aside. Puree
remaining soup in blender. You may need to do this in a couple batches;
work carefully, as soup is hot! Hold the lid when you start to blend!
Or, use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend the soup in the
pan.

4. Return soup and reserved soup to the stock pot. Add the spinach and heat to a simmer, until spinach is wilted and dark green. Serve soup hot.

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Slices
of grilled chicken breast, black beans, shredded cheese, and corn
tucked into a flour tortilla and grilled until toasty hot! Served with
shredded lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, and hot sauce, this is an easy
meal everyone will LOVE!
Yield: 

6 servings (3 if used as a main dish)
Ingredients: 

1 can (15 ounces, or about 1 3/4 cups freshly cooked) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of corn, drained (optional)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
1 large or 2 medium grilled chicken breasts, sliced
Hot sauce, optional
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 burrito-size flour tortillas

For serving (optional):

Shredded lettuce
Sour cream
Diced tomatoes
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Hot sauce
Instructions: 

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl for the filling.

2. Lay out the flour tortillas, and spread the filling evenly between
them, in a semi-circle shape (half), so they can be folded in half.

3. Heat a griddle, indoor grill (like Foreman), or heavy skillet over
medium heat. Place folded quesadillas in pan or on griddle and heat for
a couple minutes on each side, until filling is hot, cheese inside is
melted, and outsides are browned. Turn down the heat if they’re browning
too quickly, or turn up the heat if they’re getting hot inside but not
crisp and browned on the outside.

4. Remove quesadillas from griddle after cooking both sides. Cut in half or fourths with a pizza cutter or knife. Serve with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, hot sauce, and cilantro. You can stuff some toppings inside, or just spoon on top, or dip.

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

A
simple homemade hummus that’s 100% from scratch! This hummus is thick,
smooth and creamy, with toasted sesame and garlic flavors
Yield: 

about 6 cups of hummus
Ingredients: 

16 ounces dried garbanzo beans/chick peas OR 4 cans (15-ounce cans)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
Instructions: 

1. Cook garbanzo beans according to package instructions.* When beans are very tender, remove from heat and drain.

2. Heat a heavy (like cast iron) or non-stick skillet over
medium-high heat. Toss the sesame seeds into the heated pan and cook and
stir for a couple minutes, until lightly browned. (Don’t get them too
dark, or they will taste burnt.) Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. In a food processor (or blender), blend the toasted sesame seeds
with the garlic and a tablespoon or so of the oil, until smooth. (This
might take a couple minutes.) Add more of the oil and some of the cooked
garbanzo beans and blend until smooth.

If you have a big food processor or a good blender, you may be able
to blend everything at once (in that case, add the rest of the
ingredients and blend until smooth!).

If you have a smaller food processor, blend the beans in 2 batches,
saving some of the oil for the second batch, and stirring every minute
or two as needed. Then, stir everything together in a bowl.

4. Add more salt if needed. Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve with pita chips, unleavened bread, corn chips, or veggie sticks!

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Jalapeno halves stuffed with cheeses and cilantro and baked for a fabulous appetizer or snack!
Yield: 

24 pieces
Ingredients: 

12 large jalapeno peppers
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (packed) finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions: 

1. Wearing protective rubber or plastic gloves, slice jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the meat and seeds.*

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cheeses, cilantro, and salt
until creamy. Spread into halved peppers. If desired, dip or roll the
tops of the peppers (the open cheese-stuffed side) in bread crumbs or
grated parmesan cheese.

3. Place peppers cheese-side-up on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until hot and lightly browned on top. Serve and enjoy!

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Thin, crisp homemade crackers with a delightful rosemary flavor!
Yield: 

Two large sheets of crackers
Ingredients: 

2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup warm water
1 tablespoon dried Rosemary (or 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh Rosemary)
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
Salt, for sprinkling
Instructions: 

1.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add the water, rosemary, and oil and stir until a thick dough forms.
Knead several times until dough holds together.

2. Grease 2 large baking sheets (13×18-inch) or 3 smaller baking
sheets (11×13-inch). If you have silicone baking mats to line your
sheets, you can skip greasing the sheets and use the mats instead.

3. Divide dough into two (or 3) equal portions and press or roll onto
the prepared sheets. (When your dough fills the sheets, you’ll know
it’s thin enough!)

4. Sprinkle lightly with salt and use a pizza cutter to cut into
squares or strips. (If you cut into strips, after crackers are baked you
can break them into smaller pieces for a rustic look.)

5. Bake crackers in a preheated 400-degree oven for 12-15 minutes,
until crackers are lightly browned and crisp. Cool on a wire rack. (If
you cut into strips rather than squares, break the strips into
crackers.)

Serve plain, with cheese spread, or with homemade yogurt or kefir cheese!

This recipe is taken from Tammy’s Recipes.