Clam Chowder

This is my mom's classic.

Clam Chowder

2 6 ½ ounce cans clams
1 cup minced onions
1 cup chopped celery
2+ cups of potatoes
¼ cup of butter
1 quart of half and half (must use =)
1 ½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
¾ cups of flour if you want it thicker

Pour clam juice over onion, celery and potatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Start with one can and add more juice if  desired.

Stir in butter, half and half, salt and pepper.

Add in clams, but do not over cook clams (no one likes them chewy)

Serve in a bread bowl on a beautifully decorated table done by your daughter and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

This is one of my all time favorite pancake recipes and I have no idea why I haven't posted it here.  What a shame.  It's from an old friend who started to teach me how to think of food very differently.  Nadia taught me how to make my own bread and yogurt and lots of other things.  I learned what whole wheat flour was and wheat germ and all kinds of other good things.  This was my first love affair with breakfast pancakes.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

From: Vegetarian Planet

1 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup white flour

1/3 cup wheat germ or rolled oats

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp salt

5 1/3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (2/3 stick)

2 ½ cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, beaten

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

½ c. margarine                     

½ c. buttermilk

1 ¾ c. sugar
2 ½ c. flour

½ c. oil                           

4 T. cocoa

2 eggs                          

½ tsp. salt

2 c. unpeeled zucchini, shredded
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla                       

1 tsp. baking powder

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in oil, eggs and vanilla.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Add buttermilk and zucchini.  Mix until well blended.  Spread in a 13x9 pan.

Topping:

¾ c. brown sugar

¾ c. chocolate chips

Combine and sprinkle over cake batter.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes.

Gruyere and Prosciutto Oven Omlette

My foodie friend, Kyndra forwarded this too me under the title of "Too Good of a Recipe NOT to Share." So I tried it that weekend and it did not disappoint. EASY and delicious. My kids inhaled it. I wish I would have doubled it! Thanks Williams-Sonoma.

The best part is that you can make it in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Then just top it with the bread cubes just before baking.

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 oz. prosciutto or ham, julienned
• 2 cups shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup sourdough French bread cubes (1/2-inch
  cubes)
• 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a shallow 1 1/2-quart round baking dish, 9 1/2 inches in diameter.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until blended. Stir in the milk, salt, nutmeg, prosciutto and cheese until evenly distributed. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil to coat. Scatter the bread cubes evenly over the egg mixture.

Bake until the omelette is golden brown on top and slightly puffed, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot, cut into wedges. Serves 6 to 8.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Lisa made these for our ward conferences last year and I've been craving them ever since. So I finally asked for the recipe and made them this week. Oh they were as good as I remembered. She makes them with Coconut instead of macadamia nuts. Both are equally tasty.

White Chocolate-Coconut Cookies

Yield: about 30 cookies

1/2 C butter, softened

1 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 T milk

1 t vanilla

1 3/4 C flour

1/2 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 C white chocolate chips

1/2 C coconut, chopped up

1. Cream together the butter and sugar for about 3 minutes.

2. Add egg, milk & vanilla and mix for 2 more minutes.

3. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4. Add the dry ingredients.

5. Add white chocolate chips and coconut (or macadamia nuts).

6. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.