Creamy Carrot Soup

8 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb ground beef
2 red skinned potatoes, cubed small
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 cups half & half
lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper

1. Simmer carrots and garlic in the chicken broth for 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, brown & drain ground beef. Cook potatoes.
3. Put carrot mixture into a blender and blend until smooth.
4. Blend in half & half and lemon juice.
5. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Return mixture to pot, add ground beef and potatoes. Heat soup until warm.

**Click on the title to see the original recipe. This is my version. The kids thought it was a cheese soup and gobbled it up.**

Cake Balls

(OK, so they don't exactly look like turkeys, but they are still good! Click on the title of this recipe to see other examples and the original website)

• One Boxed Cake Mix
• One Tub of Icing
• One Bag of Meltable Chocolate (the kind you buy @ Michael's)

1. Make the cake according to box's directions. Cool completely.
2. Crumble entire cake into a large mixing bowl so that it is the consistency of crumbs.
3. Add spoonfuls of icing to cake crumbs, stirring really well, until the mixture is close to the consistency of ground beef (sorry, but good comparison!). You shouldn't be able to see any icing, it should all be absorbed by the cake. You may not have to use the whole tub.
4. Roll the mixture into balls (I recommend smaller than meatballs) and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
5. Pop cookie sheet in the freezer for at least an hour to harden up the cake balls.
6. Melt the chocolate in a double broiler.
7. Using a fork, roll the balls in the chocolate, covering completely. Then place back on the cookie sheet to harden.
8. Decorate and enjoy!

Beer Bread

3 C All Purpose Flour

41/2 tsp baking powder

1/2tsp salt

3 1/2 tbs brown sugar or white

1 12 oz bottle of beer

1 to 3 tbs melted butter optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine all dry ingredients. Pour in 12oz of beer. Stir until well combined. The batter should flow like molasses. Add water or flour to achieve desired consistency. Pour into greased pan, add melted butter if desired. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Use different flavors of beer to change the taste. For example use Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic and add dried fruit. For light bread use pilsner or ale. This bread slices well. For a dark bread use amber or bock. This is a yeasty bread and is a good substitue for rolls. The variations are endless. Enjoy!!

Crockpot Sausage Dip

1 brick of cream cheese
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 pound of ground sausage (I use Bob Evan's Italian)

• Brown and drain the sausage. Return meat to skillet.
• Add cream cheese and stir until melted. (I cut the cream cheese up so that it melts more evenly)
• Add can of tomatoes and stir until mixed.
• Put into a crockpot to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

*You can make this spicy by using spicy sausage or the spicy tomatoes. My mom subs out the cream cheese and uses Velveeta for a more "con queso" taste.*

Italian Spinach Spread

1 C sour cream
1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad dressing mix
1 pkg(10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1C shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 c red pepper(chopped)
Ritz crackers

Directions:
Mix sour cream and envelope of Italian dressing mix in medium bowl until well blended.
Add package of spinach, mozzarella cheese, and red pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate several hours or until chilled. Serve with Ritz crackers.

Holiday option: spread each Ritz cracker with spread in a circular pattern to resemble a wreath. Decorate each with additional pepper pieces to resemble bows. Or in a round serving bowl/platter, use extra pepper pieces to form a large bow to resemble a wreath.

Chicken Divan

4-6 Boiled Chicken Breasts (cooled and cut into pieces/strips)
3 - 10 oz. packages frozen broccoli (cooked and well drained)

Place chicken strips on bottom of 9x13 pan
Place broccoli on top of chicken

Mix:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2/3 cup half 'n' half
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder

Pour mixture over broccoli and top with 1 cup bread crumbs
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.....