A light onion soup topped with bread and cheese
Yield: 

8 servings (about 3/4 cup each)
Ingredients: 

3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 large sweet onions, cut in half and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups beef broth*
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sorghum, optional
1/3 cup white wine, preferably a dry white wine
salt, to taste
Very dry bread or croutons, for serving**
Shredded Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese, for serving
Instructions: 

1.
Saute onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon butter until onions are tender.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted.

2. Stir flour into the butter and onion mixture. Add the beef broth,
thyme, sugar, pepper, sorghum (if using), and wine. Bring to a boil
while stirring, and simmer for a couple minutes.

3. Add salt to taste. Spoon soup into bowls (6-ounce glass custard
bowls work well for small servings!) and top with some dry bread and
shredded cheese. Serve immediately!

Additional Notes: 

*You
can make your own beef broth using about a cup of leftover roast beef
and some water. Add in the garlic and pepper (called for in this recipe)
and simmer at least 45 minutes. Add enough additional water to make 4
cups of broth. Leave the beef in with the broth when you add it to the
soup.

**The best bread to use is homemade day-old Italian or dense white bread. Slice it thinly, lay on a cookie sheet, and dry in the oven (set at 200 degrees) until it’s really super dry (rock hard!). 🙂 If I’m planning ahead for this soup for guests, I make a long skinny loaf of dense Italian bread, slice it thinly, and dry. Then there are cute little slices to put on each bowl!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Crunchy homemade whole wheat pita chips — perfect for dipping or eating plain!
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

4 whole wheat pita breads
Olive oil
Sea salt or table salt Instructions: 

1. If pita breads have two layers (like my whole wheat pita pocket breads), split the pita around the edges to make two thinner circles of bread (8 thin pieces all together).

2. Brush both sides of each round with olive oil. Using a pizza cutter, slice each round into 8 triangular wedges.

3. Spread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt.

4. Place baking sheet in pre-heated 450 degree oven. Bake for 5
minutes and check for doneness. Depending on how thick your chips are,
they could take between 5 and 9 minutes to bake. Check frequently to
avoid burning the chips!

5. Finished chips can cool on the sheets or on a wire cooling rack. Enjoy plain, or with your favorite dip!

Flavorful and crisp, these homemade dill pickles are easy and delicious!
Yield: 

10 quarts
Ingredients: 

10 quarts of cucumbers*
10 cloves garlic
10 sprigs of fresh dill, washed
10 fresh grape leaves**

Brine Ingredients:

3 quarts water
1 quart vinegar (5% acid)
1 cup canning (non-iodized) salt
1/2 teaspoon powdered alum
Instructions: 

1. Heat washed cucumbers with brine until heated through well and turned a dark green in color, but not boiling.

2. Have jars hot in a canner, and lids hot in a pan of water on the
stove. Pack hot cucumbers into hot jars with one clove of garlic, one
sprig of dill, and one grape leaf in each jar. Set jars back into hot
canner as they are filled, to keep hot.

3. When all the cucumbers are out of the brine, bring the brine to a boil. Pour brine into jars of cucumbers to 1/2-inch from top. Screw hot lid on, and set jar aside to cool. No further processing needed!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A spicy dense cured pepperoni recipe. This recipe is very easy to make and has that authentic pepperoni taste.
Yield: 

2 pounds of pepperoni
Ingredients: 

2 pounds lean ground beef (85% lean or leaner)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 1/2 or 2 teaspoons crushed fennel seed*
1 or 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper**
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 heaping teaspoons Morton’s Tender Quick curing salt
Instructions: 

1. Combine seasonings and meat and mix thoroughly, using hands. Cover and refrigerate for 48-72 hours.

2. Form meat into two long logs or rolls. Place a rack (or pan/sheet
with drainage) on a cookie sheet and put the logs onto rack. Bake at 200
degrees for 8 hours, rotating logs every 2 hours.

3. Logs will be a bright pink when they are finished, and should be fairly dry and firm. Wipe off excess grease and allow meat to cool. Chill and then slice thinly. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Easy and delicious fresh tomato salsa with onions, jalapenos, and cilantro
Yield: 

8-10 servings
Ingredients: 

6 medium-large ripe tomatoes
1 large sweet onion
a handful of fresh cilantro
juice of 1 fresh lime OR 1/2 fresh lemon
2-3 fresh jalapeno peppers
salt to taste, optional
Instructions: 

1. Wash, core, and dice tomatoes. Chop onion and cilantro.

2. Finely chop the fresh jalapeno peppers. For less heat, you can
remove the seeds and ribs of the jalapenos. Jalapenos vary in heat so I
like to add smaller amounts and taste, to avoid making salsa that is too
hot for my tastes. 🙂

3. Combine the tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, and lemon or lime juice. Allow to rest for 30-60 minutes for flavors to combine. Add salt if desired. Serve with corn tortilla chips or with your favorite Mexican foods (tacos, burritos, nachos, pinto beans, etc.).

A light creamy guacamole that even picky eaters will love!
Yield: 

4-6 servings
Ingredients: 

2 large ripe avocados*
2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
Several shakes of Tapatio or your favorite hot sauce
1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions: 

1. Slice open avocados, remove pits, and scoop out the meat with a large spoon.

2. In a small-medium mixing bowl, mash avocados with lime/lemon juice. Then, stir in remaining ingredients.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Soft and delicious homemade whole wheat flour tortillas, perfect for fajitas or soft tacos!
Yield: 

about 1 dozen (8-inch) tortillas
Ingredients: 

3 cups whole wheat flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening**
1+ cup hot water (enough to make a workable dough, as hot as you can stand to touch)
Instructions: 

1.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and
salt. Add the shortening and mix with a fork or pastry blender until
incorporated into small crumbs.

2. Add hot water, stirring to make a thick dough. Knead with hands until a smooth, not-too-sticky dough forms.

3. Separate dough into balls about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Allow
balls of dough to rest on the counter, covered with a clean towel, for a
few minutes.

4. Using heavy skillets (like cast iron) or a griddle, have two
burners heating — one at a medium-low temperature and one at a
medium-high temperature. Roll each ball into an 8-inch circle. (Use a
little flour during rolling if necessary.)

5. To cook tortillas, first use the lower temperature burner to heat
the tortilla on both sides, until tortilla is cooked but not browned.
Then, move the tortilla to the hotter burner and cook for a couple more
minutes, until both sides are browned and tortilla is hot.***

6. Stack tortillas under clean towels to keep them warm as you finish cooking the rest of the tortillas.

Tortillas will be somewhat thick, and great for fajitas, soft tacos,
or served for breakfast filled with eggs and toppings (cilantro,
jalapenos, tomatoes, green onions, leftover fajita meat, etc.).

Leftover tortillas should be stored in an air-tight bag or container, and can be re-warmed in the microwave or oven (wrapped in foil).

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A flaky, melt-in-your-mouth biscuit dough pizza that’s quick and easy!
Yield: 

12 slices
Ingredients: 

Biscuit Crust Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold butter, sliced
3/4 cup milk

Topping Ingredients:

1 tablespoon melted butter
3/4 cup pizza sauce
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Any other toppings of your choice — pepperoni, onions, green peppers, black olives, pineapple, oregano, etc.

Optional: Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions: 

1.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder,
and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in
the milk, just enough to moisten and turn dough into a big lump.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and gently knead
8-10 times. Press or roll onto a greased or silicone-lined baking sheet
(13×18-inch) or pizza pan (16-inch round).

3. Spread the tablespoon of melted butter over the crust. Spread with sauce, cheese, and any toppings desired.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake on lower oven rack for about 17
minutes, until crust is lightly browned on the bottom and cheese is hot
and melted on top. If the top isn’t browned enough by then, move the
pizza to the top rack in the oven and bake for a few more minutes.

5. Cut into 12 slices and serve hot!

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

A pre-made dry mix for hot cocoa; just add hot water and enjoy!
Yield: 

15 servings
Ingredients: 

2 cups nonfat dry milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 cup dry non-dairy creamer*
dash of salt
Instructions: 

1. Combine all ingredients and stir well to mix. Store in an airtight container.

To serve, add 1/4 cup of mix to 8 ounces of hot water, adjusting to taste. Stir and enjoy!
Additional Notes: 

*The non-dairy creamer is optional, though I prefer some kind of creamer added; so if you leave it out, consider adding a splash of heavy cream to your hot cocoa before drinking! 😉

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipe.

A spicy fragrant homemade chai tea
Yield: 

4 servings
Ingredients: 

1-2 cinnamon sticks (3-4 inches long), broken
1 teaspoon whole cloves, crushed
1/2-1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed (or 2 teaspoons green cardamom pods, crushed)
8-10 whole allspice berries, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
1/2-1 teaspoon ground ginger*
4 cups water
1 tablespoon loose leaf black tea
1/4 cup heavy cream (or milk to taste)**
Honey or brown sugar, to taste

Instructions: 

1. Combine spices and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the tea leaves. Allow to brew for 3-5 minutes.

3. Strain tea into cups or a tea pot. (If using a tea pot, pre-heat
the pot with boiling water first.) I use a fine mesh strainer to
strain.***

4. Add cream and sweetener to taste. I prefer dark brown sugar and heavy cream in my chai, but you can use any sweetener you like, and substitute milk or half and half for the cream.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.