Corn, Bacon & Chowder Soup

This soup has some wonderful flavors because of the interesting combination of veggies. It's very filling and healthy (almost fat free!) as well. I just used a can of corn and turkey bacon to simplify things. It also worked well to double the celery, onion, and red pepper to give it more servings of veggies.

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1 medium uncooked Yukon Gold potato
1 spray cooking spray
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
4 piece corn on the cob, kernels removed with a knife
1 cup sweet red pepper, diced
4 oz Canadian-style bacon, diced
2 cup(s) milk
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
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1. Pierce potato in several places with a fork; microwave on high power until tender, turning over once, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool; peel and mash.

2. Meanwhile, coat a large saucepan with cooking spray. Add celery, onion, corn and red pepper; sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

3. Stir bacon and milk into saucepan; stir in mashed potato and mix well.

4. Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce; stir to combine.

5. Cover and simmer 10 minutes (do not allow to boil).

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Pizookies

These desserts were indescribably yummy. The name is a play on Pizza and Cookie, because it's a giant gooey cookie topped with ice cream and ice cream toppings.

I used our favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, and halved it to make 4 pizookies in ramekins. A lot of restaurants will cook the dough in a big circular pan, then put the ice cream on top and serve it that way for a group. The ramekins make it so everyone has their own individual serving. But both variations are drool-worthy.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make up your favorite cookie dough recipe, chocolate chip is preferred. (If you need a pizookie fast, buy some cookie dough at the store)

3. Divide the cookie dough into 4 pre-buttered ramekins. They should be about halfway full.

4. Put them in the oven, and bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden around the edges but still soft in the middle.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

6. Scoop on the vanilla ice cream and use your preferred toppings.

Picture and recipe courtesy of OurBestBites.com, a very awesome recipe blog.

Italian Sausage Soup

This was so easy, and ready in an hour. Plus it tasted great! Similar to that sausage soup you get at Olive Garden. You can add your own combination of veggies, beans, and spices.

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1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
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1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic.

2. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

4. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini.

5. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

6. Remove from heat, and add spinach.

7. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves.

Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes. Serves 6