My Ham and Bean soup

Ham and Bean Soup

3 cups great northern beans or the small white ones
about 3 quarts water
1 - 4 lb of left over ham or ham hocks, or bacon,
1 large onion - chopped or dehydrated onions
1 1/2 c. carrots, chopped up
1 c. chopped celery
3 med. sized potatoes - peeled & diced, any kind
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper1 bay leaf
about 1 t. garlic, minced or pd.
1/2 t. rosemary

Fresh from the garden!

Frying the bacon up!

Be sure to rinse the beans. Put the beans and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove  from the heat. Cover and let stand for a couple hours. Drain, then rinse beans. Cut up the carrots , potatoes and onions. Add about 3 quarts new water, ham , carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; Cover and simmer for 3 to 4 hours or until beans are tender. Remove ham from bones, put in the compost pile, cut up the  ham and return to pot, add the garlic, rosemary. Cook an additional half hour before serving.

Using canned or jarred great white beans or navy or small white beans:

Put enough  water to cover ham bone to a boil,

Add bay leaf,
Turn down after starts to boil and simmer for about 4 hours
Cut up onions and celery, fry till a bit soft
Add to the pot after its been cooked for the 4 hours
Also add potatoes, carrots, salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic
Bring to a boil again, and boil for about 7-10 min. till carrots are soft

When almost time to eat, about an hour before or so, add the  beans, from jar or can. Bring to a boil again, turn down and simmer for about 30 min.

Take out bay leaf and eat!

Great served with nice fresh rolls or some nice Italian or french bread!

Lemon Bread!

This is a very good lemon bread, you can make it as lemony as you like. Great for tea parties or just parties!

Lemon Bread
 2 C. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. soft butter
3 eggs
1/2 C. lemon juice
1/2 C. milk

Heat oven to

350. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt. Set
aside. In large mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time.
Beat well. Gradually beat in lemon juice. Add mix alternatively with dry
ingredients. Stir well. Turn into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake 50-55
minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven.  Take a toothpick and dot hole in the top of the bread to get the drizzle inside it if you want. Drizzle with
glaze.

**Clear lemon glaze:
Combine 2 T. sugar with 2 T. lemon juice. Heat until sugar dissolves.l

You can also use a pd. sugar glaze over the top.

Snickerdoodles

When I was in 9th grade(many many years ago), I took a home Ec class and got first prize for the best Snickerdoodles in class! Here's the recipe!
Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. butter, softened               
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 2/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
4 T. white sugar
3 t. Gd cinnamon

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 c. sugar, the eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt.
4. Shape the dough in to little round balls about 1 1/2 inch's round or you can do them bigger or smaller, just depends on what you want!
5. Mix the 2 T. of sugar and the Cinnamon on together.
6. Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon, I put the cinnamon/sugar mix in a flat container with sides and pop the balls in and shake it around gently!!
7. Now put them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for about 8 to 10 min. Don't let the cookies get to hard while baking, usually 8 minutes does for me.
9. Take them off the cookie pan when done! Enjoy!!

Avocado Salsa
The lime in this adds so much to the recipe, much better than lemon juice. Give it a try!! We use it on tacos, burritos, sandwiches...................

2 diced avocados
2 T. olive oil
1 T. lime juice-fresh is best!
2 T. diced red onions-the sweet onions work also
1/4 c. diced tomatoes
2 T. minced cilantro
1 minced jalapeno pepper
salt and pepper

Mix all together! Put in refrigerator to blend together.

My French Bread!!!

Try it! Its very easy and tastes so good!! I first made this recipe when I was about 14 and have been using it every since! You can use it for bread sticks, rolls, in a loaf pan or bake it on a cookie sheet.

My French Bread

1 T. yeast

1 ½ c. lukewarm water
4 c. flour
1T. sugar
2 t. salt

1. Mix yeast with lukewarm water.

2. add salt and sugar.

3. add 2 c. of flour(can use mixture of different flours), then work the next couple of cups in with your hands.

4. form into desired shapes, rolls, loaves in a bread pan, rustic loaves, or bread sticks. Can raise for 30-60 min. however long you want! The longer the better. Till doubled.

5. heat oven to 400 degrees bake for 25 min.

6. you can also beat egg up and brush over top before you put in oven. I also spray the tops of the loaves with some water for a harder crust.

7. optional: you can  put herbs or garlic in mix or on top of bread.