Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 crushed red pepper
1 large diced white onion
4 TBS bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic purée
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bullion
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 lb sliced potatoes (about three large potatoes)
1/4 bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat. (I usually just cook bacon in the oven on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees, and just keep my eye on it)
3. Add chicken bullion and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add heavy cream, sausage, and kale until thoroughly heated and then serve.

Anne Bowen's Pumpkin Cake

Yellow or Spice cake mix
Small package of vanilla instant pudding
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix all together and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 in a 9x13 glass dish.

Topping:
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar

First whip the cream, then add the brown sugar. Add 8 oz. cool whip, mix and spread over cake then sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.

Stuffed French Toast

Cube 1 loaf of French bread into a greased 9x13 glass pan.

Mix together:
4 eggs
3 TBS sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk

Pour mixture onto cubed bread in the pan. Refrigerate this over night with tin foil covering

In the morning in another bowl mix together:
6 TBS brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Work butter into it like you do for pie crusts. Then crumble it over the bread and milk mixture. Add two cups drained berries (thaw the berries first if they are frozen) and spread all over. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve hot with warm syrup and whipped cream.  This tastes the best with the caramel syrup!!!

Neiman-Marcus Cookie

1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/4 cups blended oatmeal **
24 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt 3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips. Bake for 10 minutes on greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees.

**measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder.

Whole Wheat Bread

2 1/2 cups hot water
1/8 cup oil
1/6 cup honey
1 TBS yeast
1/2 TBS salt
5 cups whole grain flour

Mix everything except flour and let sit for five minutes. Add flour and mix for ten minutes. Mold into loaves and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12 oz) bottle of barbeque sauce
1/2 c Italian salad dressing
1/4 c brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix barbeque sauce, Italian salad dressing , brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours. (We like to shred it with a fork and eat it on rolls)

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate {AKA Cinnamon Bun Popcorn!}

12 C. popped popcorn (about 1/2 C. kernels)

1 C. roughly chopped pecans
1 C. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C. Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
1 stick real butter (1/2 C.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
3 squares almond bark

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more. Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Pour it over the popcorn and pecans.  Stir until evenly coated. Place on foil-lined jelly roll pan & bake for 30 min in oven at 250 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle melted almond bark over popcorn mixture.

*You don't have to bake the popcorn if you would rather eat it when it is still sticky. Or you can always not cook it for the full 30 minutes if you prefer. Cooking it makes it crunchy, like fiddle faddle.