NUTELLA NO-BAKE COOKIES

I had never before partaken of Nutella in any shape or form but I had bought a jar of it at some point and time and stuffed it in the cupboard. Then I was grazing the fields of Pinterest and came upon www.shugarysweets.com  and the featured recipe was Nutella No-Bake Cookies. Now I have always loved me some No-Bake Cookies and my daughters words kept sounding in my ears...."Oh Mama, Nutella is the best stuff EVER!" So I figured out that I had everything I needed to make this recipe and set right to work. Myself, my family and my friends are all so glad that I did. The flavor of the hazelnut spread bumped up the richness of the original recipe by at least 5 decimals. If you haven't tried this recipe yet, then you really need to.

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup Nutella
3 cups quick oats

Over medium heat cook sugar through butter. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoons on wax paper and allow to cool. Refrigerate. Eat. Repeat.

"These Nutella cookies are highly addictive!"~Adele Forbes

WONTON PIZZA BITES

My husband is tall and thin and can eat anything he wants. Myself, I have to watch everything I put in my mouth. Last night I had made the LEMONY PASTA SALAD that I posted in my blog yesterday, and I needed something to go with that, so I looked through my recipe books and found these crispy little pizzas that sounded super easy and carried a bonus of containing only 4 ingredients.

12 wonton wrappers
cooking spray
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
12 slices of pepperoni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place wontons on baking sheet, do not allow them to touch, and spray each one with more cooking spray. Combine the cheese and seasoning and top each wonton with equal amounts of the cheese. Put a slice of pepperoni on top of each one. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese is golden and the wontons are crispy. If you really want to wake up your taste buds shake some Frank's Red Hot Sauce over your wonton....that should flip your trigger!

" I love these and I could eat them every single night."~My husband...Larry Forbes

FRESH LEMONY PASTA SALAD

Food blogging is a passion to me, one that is near and dear to my heart because I love food. Every thing about it....this salad combines the juiciness of the tomato, the creaminess of the avocado, the twang of the fresh mozzarella, the sultry taste of the corn and the spiciness of the fresh basil. Top that all off with an olive oil, fresh lemon juice and white vinegar vinaigrette. You will be so happy that you did.....just trust me.....

16 oz. farfalle pasta, cooked al dente
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, chopped
8 oz. pkg. fresh mozzarella, chopped in small pieces
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 to 3 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
1 (12 oz.) can white kernel corn, drained, sauteed in 1 Tbsp. butter to a golden brown color
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
juice from 1 lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring everything together with a slow hand. Whisk together remaining ingredients in small bowl, pour over pasta. Mix well for all the flavors to combine.

Stick it in the refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. Enjoy all the flavors that will mingle and marry across your tongue! 
Serves 8

"I never met a lemony pasta salad that I did not like!~Adele Forbes

COOKS NOTE: I have taken to whole wheat pasta like a dog with a bone, but this was what I had so you know I had to use it. 

Max & Jeb

OVEN-BAKED FRENCH ONION SOUP

"The best kind of onion soup is the simplest kind."~Ambrose Bierce

French onion soup is gastronomic heaven to me. Next to my homemade potato soup, I think it is one of the best and most nourishing soups on the entire planet. I made this last night for our dinner and it was all that we needed and more. 

I could write a song about it....it would be entitled, "My tongue is slapping my brains out." If I only had a brain. 

1/2 stick real butter
6 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons brandy
6 slices French bread-toasted
6 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
1/2 cup or more of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in large stockpot. Add onions and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, scraping up the browned bits as you go. Add flour, blend well. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy.

Turn your oven on to broil. Place 6 ovenproof soup bowls on a baking sheet. Ladle hot soup into bowls. Top each with the French bread slices. Place Swiss or Gruyere cheese slice over bread then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Slide under the broiler with the oven door slightly opened. Watch carefully so that the cheese does not burn, you just want it to turn a nice golden color. And do please enjoy every single bite of it!

"I never met a French Onion Soup that I did not fall in love with from the very first bite."~Adele Forbes

GOLDEN CAKE-LIKE CRUST CHICKEN PIE

Do you love chicken pot pie? If so, then this recipe is a must try. Just trust me! It's simple...yet divine. 

In a Pam sprayed 9X12-inch baking dish (or similar size) place 2 1/2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken. 

Whisk together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock and 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese until nice and smooth. 

 Over top of the chicken place 1 1/2 cups of frozen thawed peas and carrots. Top this with the soup mixture.

Now whisk together 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour with 1 stick melted butter and 1 cup buttermilk; place batter evenly over the top of the pie.

Take note now of how ultra creamy the batter is. Uh-la-la..

Now place the pie in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is a nice golden brown.

"I never met a Chicken Pot Pie that I didn't like....but this one....I love."~Adele Forbes

MEET MAX..A MOST VERY SPECIAL BERNESE MOUNTAIN DOG and HIS SIDEKICK...JEB

Meet Max....our newest canine addition to the Forbes family....he just turned 4 months old and he is highly entertaining to say the least. He is a most handsome Bernese Mountain Dog and that white spot over his right eye is a 'pump knot' from running into something that didn't give back when he was playing with our 6 year old Lab...Jeb. Yes, there were vet bills involved, seems never ending in Carey's Flat.

This is our first Bernie and we drove all the way to Western Kentucky to get him....it was love at first sight....more like a panting actually....he grew on us hard and fast. He loves Jeb, and Max is Jeb's baby....make no mistake about it! Pull up in our front yard...you are going to be greeted.

Max is growing in leaps and bounds right before our very eyes...everyone who sees him loves him...what's not to love? He possesses all the Bernese Mountain Dog qualities...faithful to just one (yes of course it is his own sex) is what I would say....but he loves his Mama too...just he and I went for a lovely walk by ourselves this evening around the little pond and he never ran back to the house to look for his own sex...not even once...he stayed with me every step of the way and Yes he made my soul stir...

My Mama Joe would say..."You are on a journey. Never look back. Embrace every step. Give and you shall receive."

4 moths old..fresh as a daisy..in love with us as much as we are with him..intelligence is his greatest asset. May our small little pea sized brains in some way compare to his own.

"Whoever said you can't buy happiness forgot little puppies."~Gene Hill

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AN AVOCADO WELL-STUFFED

If you know me, you know that I cook. Boy oh boy, do I ever! I consider cooking to be not only my passion but my gift. Not everyone is lucky enough to know what their gift is. I have cooked for many different families through the years and each one has brought something 'to the table', so to say, that has helped to broaden my horizons. 

"Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements."~Marcel Boulestin, from "Petits et grands plats"

Last night I did a dinner party for the family that I work full time for (actually that would be 5 months out of the year), and it was the lady of the house's birthday. Rack of Lamb starred as the main course along with sides of fresh stewed corn cut from the cob and a lovely Spinach Herb Rice Bake. But the stand out star of the evening was the salad. I had made it many times before using the recipe from one of the 'house cookbooks', but on this evening I could not find the book, so I just made it up as I went. 

5 large avocados-peeled-sliced in halves and pitted
1 8-ounce pkg. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup diced black olives
1 lemon half-juiced (use a fresh lemon PLEASE!)

Combine cream cheese, pecans, black olives and lemon juice. Spoon mixture into the cavities of the avocados, being sure to end up with a smooth surface. Place the stuffed avocado halves together. Now slice the ends off and keep slicing until you have solid 'stuffed' slices. Place two slices on each plate of salad greens and top with a clear French vinaigrette. My personal favorite is by La Martinique True French Vinaigrette. www.LaMartiniqueDressing.com You'll be so glad you did! Enjoy....it's a simple, beautiful, and some where beyond delicious thing. I received a standing ovation for this amazing first course. In this humble cooks eyes, that means everything to me.

"I feel a recipe is only a theme, which an intelligent cook can play each time with a variation."~Madame Benoit 

SOUP OF THE EVENING, BEAUTIFUL SOUP~By Adele Forbes

When the cool Fall weather starts rolling back in, my mind turns to the warming nourishment of a pretty pottery bowl, brimming with a heart-warming soup. The possibilities are infinitely endless. The only kitchen utensils you need are a sharp chef's knife, a big heavy bottomed pot and a large wooden spoon. Following are four of my own personal favorites....nothing to complicated....and all delicious and soul-satisfying. Enjoy!

"Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches it's resources to give you a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who is also capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests?...Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. But soup knows the difference. Soup is sensitive. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?"~Judith Martin

CREAM OF PUMPKIN SOUP with CINNAMON CROUTONS
1 cup of chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
20 oz. chicken or vegetable stock
1 16oz. can cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1 cup whipping cream, evaporated milk or half-and-half
Saute onion in butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 10oz. chicken stock; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Pour broth mixture into container of electric blender and process until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining 10oz. chicken broth, pumpkin, salt, cinnamon, ginger and pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and cook until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Ladle into individual soup bowls. 6 cups. Top each serving with:
CINNAMON CROUTONS
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 slices whole wheat bread
Combine butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; stir well. Spread butter mixture evenly over one side of bread slices. Place bread, buttered side up on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until bread is crisp and topping is bubbly. Cut each slice of bread into 8 small triangles or squares. 32 croutons

"The bishop smiled approvingly. A soup like this is not the work of one man, he said, it is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.~Willa Cather

CHICKEN-N-RICE SOUP
1 large onion
3 large ribs of celery
3 medium carrots
3 1/2 lbs. organic chicken
3 quarts water
1 cup long grain brown rice
1/3 cup packed fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
Coarsely chop onion, celery and carrots crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove the giblets from the chicken and reserve for another use.
In a 5qt. heavy pot combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer soup, covered, 1 hour, and if necessary skim fat. Transfer chicken to a colander and when cool enough to handle discard skin and bones. Coarsely shred meat and return to soup. Season soup with salt and pepper and reheat if necessary. Makes 4 quarts. Serves 6 to 8
COOKS NOTE: The grains from the rice expand and become fluffy while the starch thickens the soup and gives it body, resulting in an extra-comforting take on this perennial cure-all.

"Imagine if you can what the rest of the evening was like. How they crouched by the fire which blazed and leaped and made much of itself in the little grate. How they removed the corners of the dishes, and found rich, hot savory soup, which was a meal in itself, and sandwiches and toast and muffins enough for both of them.~Frances Hodgson Burnett

TACO SOUP
1 lb. ground beef
1 15oz. can each of corn, green beans, Ranch or Chili beans, pintos and stewed tomatoes
1 12oz. can beer
1 10oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 packet of Taco seasoning mix
1 packet of Ranch dressing mix
5 (6-inch) corn tortillas
sea salt
Brown beef in large soup pot, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return beef to pot.
Rinse and drain corn, green beans and pintos; stir into beef. Stir in Ranch beans, stewed tomatoes, beer, tomatoes with green chiles, taco seasoning and Ranch dressing mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cut tortillas into 1/4-inch strips, place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and top with tortilla strips. Makes 10 cups.

"The best kind of onion soup is the simplest kind."~Ambrose Bierce

OVEN-BAKED ONION SOUP
4 tablespoons butter
6 cups thinly sliced sweet onions
2 tablespoons flour
6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3 tablespoons brandy
6 slices French bread-toasted
6 slices Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Melt butter in large soup pot. Add onions and saute over medium heat until lightly browned, add flour and blend well. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add brandy.

WHITE PEACH POUND CAKE

I love summertime....and one of my favorite things about it is the abundance of fresh fruits and produce available at the local farmer's markets. I love to move and groove through the  isles, searching for the ripest melons, the freshest cucumbers, the reddest tomatoes....and my own personal favorite fresh market item....white peaches.

 WHITE PEACHES MAKE ME DROOL! 

I buy them by the basket full and turn out such tasty treats as White Peach Cobblers, Peaches & Cream Pies, Homemade White Peach Ice Cream, White Peach Freezer Jam and Grilled White Peaches that show their stuff on a lovely salad. 

And besides just eating one every morning in my Raisin Bran, my most favorite way to enjoy the voluptuous white peach is in a stately pound cake. All heads begin to swoon and eyes have been known to roll around in heads at the sight and smell of this mouth watering cake. My best advice for you today is to head to your local Farmer's Market and search for the lovely white peaches and try out this wonderful recipe. I promise you from the bottom of my peach pickin' heart that you will be so peachy glad that you did.

And now for the recipe:

2 sticks real butter...no nasty margarine for this cake..trust me
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup mashed white peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, after each addition.
Combine flour, soda, salt. Combine sour cream and peaches. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with peach mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until blended after each addition. Stir in flavorings.
Pour batter into a Crisco greased and flour coated Bundt or tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

Yield: 1 big beautiful pound cake...Enjoy!

"I never met a White Peach Pound Cake that I didn't like!"~Adele Forbes