Whether it’s to a sick loved one or a friend living across the country, send your love with comforting recipes everyone will swoon over. You know the smile will be from ear-to-ear when the recipient opens this box of goodness.
Harvest Bread
3 cups all-purpose flour- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
- 1½ cups + 2 tablespoons room temperature water
Add flour, salt, yeast and sugar to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Add water to the flour mixture and stir until a thick dough forms. It will be a little scrappy and sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature overnight.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 450°F. Place a large 6 quart enameled Dutch oven in the oven for 30 minutes to heat it up.
Remove dough from the bowl and add to a well-floured, clean work surface. Shape the dough into a ball and coat lightly in flour. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap until your Dutch oven is hot. Once it’s ready, remove plastic from dough. Into the Dutch oven, place a piece of parchment paper big enough to line it. Then add the dough onto the paper. Bake for 30 minutes uncovered. Remove from oven once golden brown and crispy on top.
You can easily make the harvest bread whole wheat by substituting a quality whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour.
Chicken Noodle Soup Mason Jar Mix
½ tablespoon onion powder- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups wide egg noodles
In a clean mason jar, add the dry ingredients listed above. Close lid and add tag with the preparation instructions below. Gift to your friends and family!
Know they love spicy soups? Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to the chicken noodle soup mix to bring them some heat.
Instructions to Make Chicken Noodle Soup
- You need:
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- and this jar!
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot and celery, cooking until tender, approximately 5 minutes. Add the whole jar of soup mix to the saucepan. Stir in 3 cups of water. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until noodles are cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in cooked chicken. Cook until the chicken is warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy immediately!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2½ cups all-purpose flour - ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla extract, and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not over mix. Add the flour mixture and blend at low-speed until mixed. When completely mixed, add chocolate chips and blend or stir in with wooden spoon until fully incorporated. Scoop out balls of dough a spoonful at a time. Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with silpat (or lightly greased with butter). Chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before eating.
Don’t skip chilling the cookie dough before baking! This step ensures your cookies come out chewy and soft every single time.
Photos and recipes by Meghan Bassett
