More RS Soup Recipes

Here are two more soup recipes from our recent Relief Society meetings.  


Chicken Vegetable Soup (recipe from Karen Hallifax)
3 lbs. chicken breasts cooked in 2 large boxes of chicken broth.  Remove the chicken from the broth and cool.  Cube or shred the chicken and reserve.


To the broth add:
1 finely diced onion
1 cup finely diced celery


Cook vegetables in the broth until tender.


Add 1 cup water and 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables.  May also add 1 handful of lentils or barley.  Cook until tender.  Add reserved chicken and cook until heated through.


Italian Sausage and Kale Soup (recipe from Lori D'Alba)
3 quarts chicken stock
2 lbs sausage (I use half hot Italian and half sweet Italian)
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into strips

Prepare sausage - options:
1. Remove the casings and brown the sausage.  Drain on paper towels.
2. Brown the whole sausage links in a little oil until lightly browned.  Add 1/2 cup water to pan and cover with lid - let sausages steam until mostly cooked, about 5 minutes.  Add a little more water if needed.  Remove lid and let remaining water evaporate.  Slice sausages on the diagonal.  I cook the sausage in my dutch oven and then just add the other ingredients (cuts down on dishes to wash).
3. If you are using all sweet sausage or breakfast sausage, you will need to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup or it's too bland.

Make the soup:
Saute onions unti translucent.  Add garlic and saute until fragrant (about 2 minutes).  Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Add sausage and kale.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Adjust seasonings if needed.  Tastes even better the next day.

Options:
My original recipe called for 2 cups of cream or half and half to be added right before serving.   It tastes good with the cream, but I like it better without.
I sometimes add cooked elbow macaroni or other pasta to make the soup go a little further.
If you don't have kale, you can use 2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach instead, or 2 bags of fresh spinach. (I like the kale best.)

Caramel Layer Cake (from the RS Birthday Party)

Cathy Owens made this delicious (and beautiful) cake for the Relief Society Birthday Party in March.  Here's the recipe.

Caramel Layer Cake

Cake:

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups brown sugar, packed

5 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

2 t. pure vanilla extract

Caramel Frosting:

2 cups brown sugar, packed

3 T. unsalted butter

1 cup half and half

1 t. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and lightly dust with flour.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Stir together the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.  Add the milk and flour mixtures alternately to the creamed mixture and beat well after each addition to form a smooth batter. 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a knife tests clean and the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cool the layers in the pans for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

In a 2 1/2 or 3-quart saucepan, preferably nonstick, combine the sugar, butter, and half and half.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring often.  Cover and boil on medium-high heat for 3 minutes.  Uncover and continue to boil until the caramel begins to thicken and coats a spoon, about 4 minutes.  Keep watch--the sauce can burn in a heartbeat.  Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl.

Add the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until creamy, thick and a good spreading consistency, about 10 minutes.

While the frosting is still warm, fill and frost the cake.  If the frosting gets too thick to spread easily, thin it with a bit of half and half.

Sprinkle chopped pecans on top!

Single Adults Newsletter - April

Buffalo Stake Single Adults Newsletter

April 2012

Our next Single Adults meeting will take place on

Sunday, April 15th at 5:00 p.m.

at the Stake Center

Our speaker will be Bishop Karl Christopherson,

of the Orchard Park Ward

The subject of his talk will be

"Covenants"

Please join us for an uplifting and informational meeting.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bring a friend - let's socialize!

Menu

Ham Casseroles

Soup

Salad

Bread & Butter

Desserts

Please call  Sister Joann Dell at 873-6177 if you have

any questions about food assignments.

"Verily I say unto you, blessed are you for receiving mine everlasting covenant, even the fulness of my gospel sent forth unto the children of men, that they might have life. . . "  

Doctrine and Covenants 22:2

Calico Beans - Recipe from March Linger Longer

Sister Sarahann Roland Lewis brought Calico Beans to the March linger longer.  Several sisters requested the recipe:

1 lb hamburger, browned
1/2 lb bacon, fried and crumbled
1 (15-oz) can butter beans
1 (15-oz) can kidney beans
1 large can Bush's Original Pork & Beans
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 TB white vinegar
1 TB mustard
1 tsp salt

!!! DO NOT DRAIN OR RINSE BEANS !!!
Put all ingredients in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.

March Meeting Recap and Recipes

Thanks to all who attended the March meeting - an evening of service to celebrate the Relief Society's birthday.  Following a dinner of soup, bread, and birthday cake, we made 11 nursing cover-ups for women who receive services from Catholic Charities WIC, and we made taco soup and chili for the Lockport Homeless Shelter.  We appreciate everyone who donated food, fabric, time, and effort to make the evening such a success!

Black Bean Soup - recipe courtesy of Hillary Georgia
2 cups dry black beans
8 cups "broth" (chicken bouillon and water)
1 onion, diced
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (chili style optional)
1 can corn
1/2 bell pepper, diced
Extra broth and spices to taste

1. Rinse and drain beans.
2. Combine beans and broth in pot and boil 10 minutes.
3. Put all ingredients (including beans and broth) into crockpot and add desired spices.  (Hillary adds salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and chili powder to taste.)  Cook on High 4-5 hours and on low for 1 hour.