Lentil Soup

1 pound lentils
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
4 large carrots
4 medium stalks celery
3 – 4 small yellow potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
1 large yellow onion
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Rinse the lentils and put them in a large soup pot with 10 cups water and 2 1/2 tsp salt. Finely dice the carrots, celery, and potatoes and add them to the pot, along with the bay leaf and thyme. Bring the water to a boil lower the heat, and simmer the soup, loosely covered, for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, chop the onion medium fine and saute it in 2 Tbsp olive oil, stirring often over a medium flame until it softens. Add the chopped garlic and keep cooking and stirring until the onion begins to color, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and garlic to the soup as it simmers.
Add the vegetable broth and the fresh herbs, bring the soup back to a simmer, and taste. Correct the seasoning with additional salt and a touch more lemon juice if it’s needed, and stir in another 2 Tbsp olive oil.
When serving, add a thin drizzle of olive oil on top of each steaming bowl, or put a rounded teaspoon of mild salsa on top.

Connemara Apple Cake

Connemara Apple Cake

Cake base:

1⅛ cups cake flour

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

¼ cup melted butter

½ cup evaporated milk

Topping:

2 large baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/6 cup butter

Grease an 8-inch ovenproof dish. Heat oven to 400º F. Sift flour 4 times. Add sugar and mix together. Add the milk and beaten egg to the ¼ cup melted butter; mix well together and add to the flour mixture. Beat till smooth (300 strokes by hand or 2 minutes with the electric mixer). Pour mixture into the prepared ovenproof dish.

Cover cake base with the apple slices, letting them overlap. Melt the 1/6 cup butter; brush over apples. Mix cinnamon with sugar and sprinkle over apple slices. Place dish on a cookie sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 40 minutes or till apple slices are soft and the knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Serve hot, with or without whipped cream or ice cream.

molasses cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup shortening, melted and cooled
1 egg

1). Heat oven to 375 f. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2). Sift together the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking soda salt, ginger and cloves in a large bowl.
3). Add shortening, egg, molasses and mix until smooth. Add oats and stir to incorporate.
4). Using ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto baking sheets, spacing 3" apart. Place remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Dip the bottom of a glass inthe sugar and press dwn on each scoop of dough until about 1/4" thick.
5). Bake until brown-crisp, about 12 minutes.

Gingersnaps

 Every Halloween weekend when my daughters were young, we would go to a huge Halloween parade

in a town about an hour away. We would visit a friend who lived in the town and we all brought beef stew

in crock pots. Every year I made these cookies!

Now they are little Joey's favorite and when asked what type of cookies he likes the best

he always answers

Gingersnaps!!

this is straight out of the Fanny Farmer baking book my mother gave me.

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar, plus extra to roll the cookies in

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the shortening and 1 cup of sugar. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy, then add the molasses. Stir and toss together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnaon, and add to the first mixture, beating until smooth and blended.

Gather up bits of dough and roll them between the palms of your hands into 1 inch balls, then roll each ball in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until the cookies have spread and the tops have cracked. Remove from the cookie sheeets and cool on a wire rack.

Just look at all that yummy-ness!

Apple Zucchini Bread

Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe 

Since apples and zucchini are so abundant in this area, it's only natural that the two be used together in one recipe. I really don't know the origin of this bread, but I do know it's been one of my favorites for many years.

 

This makes rather a LOT  of bread -two large loaves or 3 smaller loaves. It is delicious though and though I've never done it, you can freeze it.

 

We didn't tell Joey it had zucchini in it. We just told him it was apple bread and he loved it. After about his 19th slice, he asked what the little green specks were and I told him it was green apples. 

 

Some one finally spilled the beans and he now knows there is zucchini in there as well as apples. He just asked for another slice. 

 

I didn't add the pecans though....let's not get carried away. 

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Apple Zucchini Bread Recipe

15 50 Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
• 1 cup shredded peeled apples
• 1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, sugars and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in zucchini, apples and pecans (batter will be stiff). Spoon into three greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until done. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Yield: 3 loaves.