Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This is not a 30 minute recipe, but requires some planning. This recipe can be made with cold baked potatoes, but warm ones are easier to use. This recipe can be made in 30 minutes if you bake the potatoes and fry the bacon the night before. If you baked the potatoes the night before go ahead and mash them.

•  1 lb. bacon, diced
•  1 onion, diced
•  5 large Russet potatoes baked and mashed (about 8 cups)
•  1 can chicken stock
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups heavy cream (half and half or plain milk works fine)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Sauté the diced bacon until crisp in a large nonstick sauté pan, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain. Reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease.

Sauté the diced onion until brown, then add the flour and cook until brown.

Pour in the can of chicken stock, cream and sour cream and stir until thick.

Add the potatoes and heat until warm all the way through.

Serve with toppings of bacon, cheese and chopped green onions.

Chicken Breast with White Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

2 full boneless chicken breasts (approximately 1 ½ pounds)

1 Tablespoon olive oil

½ cup White Wine

Stand the chicken breast on their side and cut in half. Place the breasts on a platter and salt and pepper both sides.

Pour olive oil into a large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium high.

Place the breasts in the pan and sauté for about four minutes on each side.

Remove the breasts to a clean platter when you have cooked both sides and pour the wine into the sauté pan turning the heat on high. You will want to scrape all of the brown bits up.

When the alcohol has evaporated place the breasts back in the pan and cover with a lid, let the breasts heat back up.

Serve the breasts with a spoonful of the sauce.

Ginger Bread Cookies

Reiko loves these cookies that I thought were from my sister Janie, but actually from my mother.

Ginger Bread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp white vinegar

1 egg

5 cups flour

1 ½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp powdered ginger

1 cup molasses

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

Cream the shortening and the sugar. Add all the wet ingredients and mix well. Add all of the dry ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate. Roll until thin, cut and decorate. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.