Pork and Potato Chowder

This recipe is modified from a recipe in Jane Brody's Good Food Book. Love it!

1/4 lb lean smoked pork, bacon, Canadian bacon or ham, finely diced

1 tsp butter or olive oil

1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup

4 cups diced potatoes- 3/4"-1"

2 tbs chopped fresh parsley OR 1 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 c chicken broth

1 cup corn kernels

2 cups lowfat milk

salt and pepper to taste

dash of hot sauce

In a large saucepan briefly cook the pork or bacon, stirring to prevent scorching. Add the butter or oil, and sauté the onion until it is golden brown.

Add the potatoes, parsley, and broth and bring the chowder to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer slowly for about 20 min.

Add the corn kernels and milk; heat but do not boil the chowder, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Vegetable Beef Soup

2 tbs olive oil

1 lb beef stew meat cut in bite sized pieces

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c chopped celery

1/2 c chopped onion

4 chopped garlic cloves

1 1/2 c diced potatoes

1 carton beef broth

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1 cup diced Roma tomatoes, about 3

Optional- 3/4 c instant barley

In a 4 qt dutch oven, heat 1 tbs oil over medium high heat. Add beef and cook 7-9 min until browned. Transfer to plate and set aside.

Heat remaining 1 tbs oil and add carrots, celery, garlic and onion. Cook 2-3 min or until crisp tender. Stir in remaining ingredients except tomatoes and heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20-25 min until potatoes are tender. Add the tomatoes and if you like, 3/4 c instant barley. Cover and cook for 10 min. Serves 6.

Zavacky Green Jello Stuff

This jello recipe is a Zavacky staple during holiday gatherings.

1 small package lime jello

8 oz cottage cheese

20 oz can crushed pineapple

1 cup pineapple juice drained from the can

8 oz cool whip

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Make the jello following directions, using the 1 cup of pineapple juice instead of the cold water. Chill. When the jello is at lumpy set, whip the jello. Stir in the cottage cheese, pineapple, cool whip and walnuts. Chill in a bowl or mold overnight.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

 12 oz bag cranberries

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Rinse berries. Bring water and berries to a boil. Boil 5 minutes until the berries pop. Strain out the pulp through a fine mesh strainer. Use a spatula to scrape pulp off the strainer and back into the pan. Put all the pulp back in the saucepan and mix with 1 cup of sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat immediately. Pour into a bowl or mold, and top with waxed paper to prevent a skin from forming on the top. Refrigerate overnight before using.

Cranberry-Apple Conserve

This recipe is from the 1991 Thanksgiving edition of Cooking Light and is a delicious addition to your holiday table.

4 1/2 cups peeled and diced cooking apples (Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Jonagold, Braeburn)

1 small bag fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple juice

1/4 cup + 2 tbs packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 tsp peeled and grated ginger root

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (I have had it last longer). Yields about 5 cups.

Apple Fritters

 I’ve had his recipe forever; it makes crispy little fritters!

1 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon 1 egg

3 tbs milk, or more if needed

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tbs melted butter 

1 diced apple

Mix dry ingredients and stir into the wet ingredients. Fold in the apple until incorporated. Drop 1 tbs of batter into hot oil and fry until golden. Drain on paper towel then place on a baking rack. Top with sugar or powdered sugar. You can also drizzle or dip into a glaze.

Glaze Recipe

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 tbs soft butter

1 tbs milk

Splash of vanilla

Pinch of salt

Whisk until smooth.

Italian Seasoning Blend

I grow a great variety of herbs at my home, so when I went to buy Italian seasoning blend at a store and all the herbs in the jar were yellow instead of green, I knew I had to make my own. I love this blend and will never buy store brands again. If you have homegrown herbs, just dry and jar them for personal use, and share your own herb blends as gifts👌🏼

2 tbs dried basil

2 tbs dried oregano

2 tbs finely chopped dried rosemary 

2 tbs dried chopped parsley

1 tbs dried thyme

1 tbs crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried chopped marjoram