A simple recipe we found that is great for anyone learning how to cook or a quick treat. These are an easy version of buckeyes or peanut butter cups.
Peanut Butter Bars
Salted Caramel Sauce
We have made this recipe many times! It will burn quickly, so do not get distracted.
This is really good on ice cream, but we also enjoy it with hot chocolate, cheesecake and other desserts.
Marinara Sauce (to Can)
This summer we wanted to make Marinara Sauce to can some garden tomatoes our neighbor, Mrs. Beer, shared with us. We knew she often cans her extra tomatoes, so we asked for her favorite recipe. She gave us this one and we adjusted it very slightly.
We usually eat a whole quart of sauce with spaghetti, but decided to can pints instead this year. Our thought was to use it for extra special grilled pizza since we often have that with company. This sauce is also extra good on homemade noodles.
Using roma tomatoes are best for a thick sauce, but we usually combine them with assorted tomatoes from the garden. We think it creates a better blend of flavors.
Cornbread Stuffing
When I asked what type of stuffing to make for Thanksgiving, I was told “cornbread!”. Then we discussed the difference between “stuffing” and “dressing”. In case you do not know, you stuff “stuffing” and bake “dressing” in a casserole dish.
Vodka Sauce to Can
We tried vodka sauce when a we had a coupon for a name brand jar. We liked it and bought it a few times. Then we discovered how easy it was to make. This sauce is great plain, but it is even better when cream is added. We often use it instead of pizza sauce.
Some simple recommendations for this recipe:
If you can, use at least half Roma or Amish tomatoes. Then mix and match assorted tomatoes for a fuller flavor. Different amounts of tomatoes will product different amount of liquid in the sauce, so you may need to strain it or boil it longer.
Adding olive oil is optional, but I recommended it.
Use a cheap bottle of vodka. What you do not use in the sauce, use for vanilla extract 🙂
Feel free to adjust seasonings, but do not alter amounts of tomatoes or onions if you plan to can the sauce.
Turmeric Chicken Soup
As the weather cools down, hot soup is a very easy and filling meal. This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that Mom M. gave to Angie who passed it on to me.
The turmeric is very subtle and more could be added easily without overpowering the other flavors. If you like ginger and garlic, go sparingly at first. They are not super strong, but will quickly overpower the chicken.
Serve as is with some fresh bread.
Chocolate Hazelnut Butter
We found hazelnuts on a very good sale and we wanted to make something like “Nutella”.  Researching ideas, we discovered how easy it was to make our own.
This recipe is slightly crunchy since the coconut sugar does not dissolve well. We have tried warming up the coconut oil and mixing them before adding to the hazelnuts and that helps some.