A great homemade soup that is simple and fast to whip together makes for a great lunch!  Last Saturday I made a broccoli soup recipe that I’ve had for a long time and every time I make it my husband comments over and over about how good it is.  He’s right!  The recipe, “The Best Broccoli Soup” lives up to its name. 

The Best Broccoli Soup
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 Tbl. butter
6 Tbl. flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tbl minced fresh parsley
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli

In a soup kettle, melt butter and saute vegetables until tender.  Add flour.  Gradually add the broth and milk, stirring constantly.  Bring to a simmer.  After it has thickened, add fresh broccoli and let simmer.  Cook until broccoli is tender (about 6-8 minutes).

What’s prettier than a Coconut Cream Pie?! One that doesn’t weep or creep!

I made a Coconut Cream Pie for our church dinner on Sunday.  As I was making the meringue, I thought about the recipe my sweet Grandma gave me for Weepless Meringue.  Do you ever find the meringue on your pie either weeping and/or shrinking away from the crust?  That is so disheartening after you’ve worked so hard!  There is a trick to keeping that luscious white topping from disappointing you!    Lean in and I’ll tell you my Grandma Ray’s secret!

For a 4 egg meringue, Add 1/3 cup water to 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Cook and stir over heat on stove until it begins to thicken.  At that point, set it aside and let it cool.

Water and corn starch will look like…glue.  =)

 Beat egg whites for meringue (2 tbl sugar per egg) to soft peaks.  Add cornstarch mixture, one tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form…

In case you need the recipe for the filling, this is my favorite!

Coconut Cream Pie
3/4 Cup sugar
3 Tbl. corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3 egg yolks – reserve whites for meringue
2 tbl butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coconut
Baked pie shell

Mix sugar and corn starch and salt in a medium saucepan.  Add milk, stirring with whisk.  Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly.  Cook 2 minutes after getting bubbly – keep stirring!  Crack the eggs in a small bowl.  Add about half of the hot milk liquid to the egg yolks and whisk.  Slowly add the eggs/milk mixture back into the pan and cook until thickened about 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add butter, vanilla and coconut.  Pour into cooled pie shell.  Top with meringue.

Meringue
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon Corn starch
Combine and cook on heat stirring until thickened.  Let cool.

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
Beat egg whites in mixer until foamy.  Turn to high speed and beat, adding 1 tbl of sugar at a time until soft peaks form.
Add the cornstarch mixture, one tablespoon at a time beating until stiff peaks form.

Spread meringue over filling. Add a couple tablespoons coconut on top, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

So, there you go, friends.  A great main dish and a fantastic dessert!  What was cooking in your kitchen this week?

With love from my country kitchen,

We all need a break – even if it’s a couple hours away while a babysitter stays with your children, or you go with your spouse to get a cup of coffee and just talk with no interruptions.  A time away will do you a world of good!

But perhaps you have the opportunity to plan a weekend away to be encouraged, such as the one our church ladies are planning next month.  You just can’t beat a great Ladies’ Retreat for the best kind of refreshment!  The Wilds spring Ladies’ Retreat is just around the corner!  Our church is attending the April 11, 12 date.  I have made my reservation on-line.  It’s a cinch to do.  Thanks, TW!  Love that feature!

If you’re in the area, can I beg ask you to join us?  I’d love to see at least 20 from our church attend this year!  If you’re a “Boones Creeker,” go on-line and look for The Boones Creek Bible Church group.  Register for the Fremont Inn.  You can ask for a particular roommate, too.  You’ll need to pay $25 registration fee, and then the balance will be due when we check in.  Please join us!

Our itinerary:

10:00 a.m.     Leave Boones Creek Bible Church
                      Head to Weaverville, NC to Well-Bred Bakery (Coffee and muffins, scones, etc. stop)
12:00 – 2:00  Asheville Mall – or wherever to shop
2:00 – 3:30    Brevard
3:30               Head to camp to register and get settled in.
7:00               Retreat begins with supper
Saturday:
Head home after supper.  Arrive back in Johnson City around 9 p.m.

Please encourage your friends to join us!  I know this will be a great time away.  Come and

be refreshed,

Failed to snap a picture with the drawers still inside!

I’ve been looking for a neat stencil to put on the plain drawers and couldn’t find anything I loved…until last week!  I was at Target and was scouring through the end of the aisle sales when I found a vinyl lettering marked down to under $4!!!!!!!!!!  It was a perfect size and I felt sure it would look great on my dresser.  It took me less than 30 minutes to get it aligned and in place on the drawer.  Here is the result:

I have a couple of glass knobs for the top drawers, but my father-in-law, who built the dresser (impressive, huh?) screwed and glued the wooden ones in place and they’re not budging!  Maybe one day I’ll get them off!  Anyway, I love the transformation.  Just goes to show you that  for a very little bit of money and some loving touches, you can create something you really love!

Thanks for taking a peek from my porch into my dresser makeover!  What piece of furniture are you thinking about redoing?

From my country porch,

I can’t believe that I haven’t posted my traditional recipe for lasagna before now!  This is the one I’ve been making for at least 25 years.  It’s meaty, has a great tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese, making it the perfect lasagna.  

Lasagna can take little while to put together, but it’s a great dish for the freezer.  I made mine up on Thursday and froze it until Saturday night when I set in the fridge to thaw overnight.  Then I set it in the oven before church, set the timer to come on, and we came home to a hot, bubbly dish!

My recipe has been updated in one way.  My sister just recently told me about a new way to “cook” the noodles (directions in the recipe to follow).  This is so much easier and they’re a perfect consistency.  One thing I might also add, is, I think it would also help to  leave them in the water and take them out, as you need each noodle, drain it on a piece of paper towel and then lay it in the casserole dish.  I think this may solve the problem of them sticking together after being drained.  That can be a bit frustrating.

I added a new salad to our meal on Sunday. This is another Pinterest recipe!  I made a Strawberry salad with avocados and a homemade poppy seed dressing.  Yum.  It was great.

1 lb box Lasagna noodles
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 6 oz. cans tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 tsp salt
2 cups (1 lb.) large curd cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb sliced mozzarella cheese

Place noodles in a 9×13 dish.  Cover with 8 cups of boiling water and 1 tbl olive oil.  Cover dish with foil and let set for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef, garlic and onion in a large pan for 10 minutes.  Add tomato paste, water and salt and mix well.

Combine cottage cheese and beaten eggs in a separate dish. In greased casserole dish arrange first a layer of drained noodles, and then meat, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Alternate until finished, ending with mozzarella cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Makes 10-12 servings

More than beautiful, it’s delicious!  Now that Florida strawberries are in, it’s the perfect time to try this recipe!  Your mouth and your eyes will thank you!

Strawberry Salad with Avocados and Poppy Seed Dressing
6 cups fresh baby spinach
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 avocado, diced (or you can double this to 2 avocados!)
4 ounces crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
half a small red onion, thinly sliced

Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup avocado oil (or any oil, such as olive oil)
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
pinch of ground dry mustard (optional)
Himalayan salt and pepper

To Make The Salad:
Toss all ingredients together with your desired amount of dressing until combined. Serve immediately.

To Make The Poppyseed Dressing:
Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

That’s what we had for dinner yesterday.  How about you?!  I’d love to hear what you’ve been cooking!

With love from my country kitchen,