Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

Being pregnant, I am all about the baking now. Today I made ziti lasagna (which came out delicious), a fresh loaf of bread, a gingerbread loaf with homemade icing, and hot chocolate cupcakes for a friend of mine who is sick in the hospital.

I got the recipe from the december issue of Family Circle, pg 192. I am far too lazy and full right now to type it out, lol. They came out so pretty, I took a crappy picture of course!

Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 ham hocks (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 pound green split peas
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 32-ounces containers low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

Rince the ham hocks. Place them in a stockpot or Dutch oven along the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer ham hocks to a plate and let cool. When the meat is cool enough to handle, chop or shred it and return it to the soup. Ladle and enjoy :)

Also, this can be frozen......for up to three months. Just thaw it overnight and warm the soup in a covered sauce pan for 15 minutes on medium-low. You can add up to 1 cup of water if it seems too thick.

Mushroom Barley Soup

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Barley
1 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1/2 salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
20 ounces of button mushrooms (I used 16), chopped
2 14.5 ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth, or 3 cups of chicken stock (can also use vegetable broth)
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:

Bring the Barley and 4 cups of water (I used 3 cups of chicken stock) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour (do NOT use quick cook barley). Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 6 minutes more. Add the mushrooms, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until they release their juices, about 3 minutes. (can reduce heat if onions start to brown). Add the broth, bay leaves, and sprigs of thyme and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the barley and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and thyme. Season w/ salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!