This light, refreshing dessert is perfect for a Spring brunch or teaparty. It also tastes great on a cold, snowy evening when you are simply wishing for Spring.

8 0z. Cool-Whip, thawed

6-8 oz. raspberry yogurt

1-2 cups red raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Combine ingredients. Serve chilled.

9-inch unbaked pie crust

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cottage cheese

Brown onion and beef; drain.  Add pepper, ketchup, and flour. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Place mixture in pie crust. Combine eggs and cottage cheese.  Pour over meat mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden.  Serves 8.

Molasses Spice Cookies are an old-fashioned favorite that are similar to gingersnaps.  We make several batches every Christmas and they are very popular at parties and gatherings. They are easy to make, freeze well, and make your house smell wonderful when they are baking!

Molasses Spice Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Cream shortening, gradually adding sugar. Add egg and molasses. Beat well. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to creamed mix, beating until smooth. Chill dough for 1 hour. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar.

roll into 1-inch balls

roll balls in sugar

PLace 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Do not over bake. Makes 4 dozen.

finished molasses spice cookies

Join us at the Online Christmas Party!

Stop by the Lilliput Station Online Christmas Party and see what some of my online friends are cooking up this Christmas. We have some great prizes to give out this year. Visit the Online Party to find out how you can be entered into our doorprize drawings by sharing your holiday recipes, crafts, and traditions.  We also have some free gifts just to thank you for stopping by.

I love when the weather starts to turn cool again! It is the perfect time to make up a nice pot of soup. My family loves fresh mushroom soup. Sure, it's expensive and fattening, but it's so delicious. It's perfect for an occasional treat. This grilled cheese recipe is a new favorite of ours.

Can you tell we love mushrooms?

Fresh Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 T.  butter or margarine

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

4 cups water

4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

1 cup whipping cream (or half & half)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

In a Dutch oven over medium heat,  saute onion in butter for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine cream and cornstarch. Stir into the soup and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 to 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Makes 6 (1 cup) servings.

Grilled Cheese with Onions and Mushrooms

1 large oninon, sliced thin and quartered

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

salt

12 slices of Provalone cheese

12 slices sourdough bread

Saute onions in 3 tablespoons of butter until soft and golden brown. Add mushrooms and cook for about two more minutes.

Sprinkle with salt. Use remaining butter to butter one side of each slice of bread.

Place 2 slices of cheese and some of the onion mixture on on the unbuttered side of half of the slices of bread.

Top with the other half of the bread slices, butter out. Cook the sandwiches on a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes per side until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

And for dessert, how about some nice warm homemade gingerbread? You can find our family's favorite gingerbread recipes on my new Squidoo Gingerbread page.

I love this time of year because I can start cooking soup again. Here are a few of our family's favorites:

Cooking for a large family can sometimes be discouraging because no matter what you make, there is almost always at least one person who doesn't like it for one reason or another.  This recipe is one of the few that all nine members of my family enjoy.

Cheddar Chowder

6 c. water

6 c. diced potatoes

1 1/2 c. diced carrots

1 1/2 c. diced celery

3/4 c. chopped onion

3 t. salt

3/4 t. pepper

WHITE SAUCE:

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

6 c. milk

6 c. cheddar cheese, grated

3 c. cubed ham (or 1 c. diced bacon, toss in with veggies to cook)

Combine water, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper in a pan. Boil 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium size saucepan, make white sauce.( Melt butter. Add flour and stir until smooth. Slowly add milk: cook until thickened. Add grated cheese; stir until melted.) Add white sauce and cubed ham to undrained vegtable mixture. Heat through. Yield: 18 servings

I like to put the ingredients for this soup in the crockpot on Sunday morning and let it cook on low while we are at church. It is so nice to come home to a warm meal that is ready to eat. If we are having company, I double  it  and serve it with sliced bread and salad.

Taco Soup

2 lb.  ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. water

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans

14 oz. frozen or canned corn

1 envelope (1/4 c.) taco seasoning

In a large dutch oven, brown beef and onion: drain. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Yield 10 servings (2 1/2 quarts)

My husband LOVES this  next soup.  Most of the children hate it, but we still have it regularly because it makes Papa happy. It's a nice "comfort food" soup that tastes even better the second day. Make the vegtable medley ahead of time & put it in the freezer for a quick dinner solution.

Greek Style Chicken Stew (double this for a large family)

3 c.  vegtable medley, thawed

4 c. diced cooked chicken breasts

1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth

1 c. cooked diced potatoes

1 c. whipping cream

Mix ingredients together in a large pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until thouroughly heated. Salt to taste.  

Vegtable Medley

3 medium onions, diced

4 green bell peppers, diced

1 large eggplant, peeled and diced

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes