Chicken Potato Soup

Packet of Bacon
1 Onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced. (I usually do about 7-8 potatoes)
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast
2 cups carrots, sliced (I usually do about 5-6 carrots)
1 parsnip, sliced
8 cups hot water
4 teaspoons better than bullion chicken
4 teaspoons better than bullion garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Cook bacon in a pan on the stove, you want the bacon to start to get crispy because it's easier to chop when it is. If the bacon gets overly crispy don't worry, just leave the bacon out of the pan for the next step

Add the chopped onion and the minced garlic to the ban with the bacon grease, (and the bacon if it isn't too crispy, you don't want it to get burnt.) Cook the onion and garlic to soften it before putting it in a slow cooker or crockpot.

Place the chicken on top of the bacon, onion mixture. Add the vegetables on top of the chicken.

Make the broth by mixing the better than bullion pastes with the hot, almost boiling water. Once it is made pour it in the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the spices on top of the broth.

Cook on low for 8 hours

Once the 8 hours are up, pull the chicken out of the crockpot and shred it.

While the chicken is out of the crockpot blend the soup before adding the chicken back in and mixing the soup.

Enjoy!

Greek Salad

Salad
2 heads of lettuce, chopped
3 cucumbers, peeled and 2 chopped
3 bell peppers, chopped
2 packages of feta, (original and garlic work best)
1 package of fresco queso, chopped
1/2 package sliced ham, chopped
Kalamata olives

Dressing
1 lemon
1/4-1/2 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup kalamata olive brine
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all of the salad ingredients in a large bowl.

In a two-cup mixing cup mix the ingredients for the dressing. You'll only want the juice from the lemon.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix.

Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning until it tastes right.

Pasta Salad

3 boxes pasta
3-4 bell peppers
2 cucumbers
1/2 jar artichoke
1/2 package sliced ham
1 package fresco queso
Shredded carrots
Some of the artichoke brine
Garlic salt
Regular Salt
Pepper
Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

Cook pasta according to directions on the box

Chop all the vegetables, cheese, and ham while the pasta is cooking and cooling

Once the pasta is cooled add all of the chopped ingredients

Add the liquids, spices, and dressing to taste

Egg Drop Soup

Ingredients:

8 cups hot water, divided into 7 cups and 1 cup
8 teaspoons chicken better than bullion, divided the same way as the water
1/4-1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Mushrooms, cleaned and chopped. (I use about half a package)
2 tablespoons corn starch
6 eggs

Directions

Mix 7 teaspoons of bullion into 7 cups of hot water

Add the broth, ginger, soy sauce, pepper, and mushrooms to a large pot and bring to the boil

Stir occasionally

As the pot on the stove is coming to a boil mix the remaining bullion and hot water.

Add the corn starch to create a slurry

In a separe bowl lightly beat the eggs with a pair of chopsticks

Once the soup on the stove has come to a boil turn down the heat, to somewhere between medium and low

Add the slurry and continue to stir occasionally

Once the soup comes to a simmer add the eggs slowly, stirring with the chopsticks as you do so to create "ribbons"

Stir with the chopsticks for 2-3 minutes

Pull off the heat and serve as immediately as you can.

Udon noddles

Ingredients:

Water
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet of Udon noddles

About:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon fish oil

Directions

Fill a pot with water and sprinkle in the salt

Bring to a boil

Add the noddles

Stir, not occasionally but not continuously, find somewhere in the middle

Drain the water and transfer the noodles to a clear glass bowl

Add the liquids and mix with a pair of tongs

You might have to adjust the amount of liquids you add depending on the taste. You want a subtle flavor  that you like and no puddle of liquids at the bottom of the bowl.

Serve with the egg drop soup.

Bauernbrot Bread AKA Rye Bread

INGREDIENTS

Dough Starter

• Bread flour - 3/4 cup
• Rye flour - 3/4 cup
• Honey or malt syrup - 3 tablespoons
• Lukewarm water - 1 1/2 cups
• Instant yeast - 1/2 teaspoon

Flour mixture

• Bread flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Caraway seeds - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - 1 1/2 teaspoons
• Instant yeast - 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Cornmeal - for the baking tray

METHOD

1. Add the ingredients for the starter to a large bowl and mix together until smooth. Set aside for 10 minutes for the yeast to activate.
2. While the starter is resting, mix together the remaining ingredients except for the oil and cornmeal. Pour the flour mixture over the starter. Do not stir. 
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set aside for at least two hours and up to five hours. The starter will bubble up through the flour mixture. This long rest will give your loaf a big boost of added flavor.
4. Add the oil to the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir the flour mixture into the starter. 
5. As the mixture comes together, remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. The dough might be a little sticky. Knead in just enough extra flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
6. Set the dough aside to rest for about 10 minutes, then knead for another 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Set the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl and lightly oil the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean towel and set in a draft-free area of the kitchen to rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 
8. Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Punch down the dough and lightly knead it 3 or 4 times. Form into a ball, return to the bowl, cover and let rise for another 45 minutes or so.
9. Preheat oven to 450°F 
10. Lightly press down on the dough and form it into a ball. 
11. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the cornmeal onto a baking sheet and set the dough on top, with any seams on the bottom.
12.  Cover the dough with plastic wrap that has some oil on the underside. Set aside to rise for another hour.
13. Use a sharp knife or razor blade to slash the top of the dough in 3 parallel lines, each about 1/4-inch deep. Then slash with another set of 3 lines perpendicular to the first set. Use a spray bottle to mist the dough with water.
14. Bake for 15 minutes. 
15. Reduce heat to 400°F and bake for another 30-45 minutes. Start with 30 and add time in 3 minute increments if needed (An insta-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the loaf should register 190°F.)
16. Set the loaf on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Molasses Crinkles

Cookie Dough

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 whole egg + 1 yolk
6 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 cups all purpose flour

Sugar Coating

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

In the bowl of your stand mixer combine butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add in egg plus yolk and mix until incorporated.

Add molasses and mix until incorporated

Stir in vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, and allspice.

Add flour 1 cup at a time and only mix until just incorporated.

For the sugar coating; in a small bowl combine sugar, ginger, and allspice.

Drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough into sugar coating and cover dough balls completely.

Place the dough balls onto a lined baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on a bakers rack.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!