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My brother made these over the weekend and they were amazing.  The little addition of the honey at the end is a nice flavor twist.

Take 6 potatoes with skin on and cut into small cubes.
In a pan, use the drippings from 6 pieces of bacon along with a 1/4 stick of butter over a medium-high heat.
Cook the potatoes until they start to look crispy.
Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Once the potatoes look pretty much done pour a little honey over the top and mix together well.
Serve

Makes 4-6 servings

2 cups thin green beans, lightly steamed
1 small red onion, chopped fine
8 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing:
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, crushed
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste

Mix together the salad ingredients in a bowl.  Next, mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over the salad.  Toss and serve.

 The warm weather is just around the corner…but why not squeeze in one more soup recipe!

2 Tbs Unsalted butter
5 Leeks; white part only, rinsed and julienned
3 Cloves garlic; chopped
1 Onion; diced
1 1/2 cup Dry sherry
5 lg Potatoes; peeled and diced
6 cup Chicken stock
1 cup Heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs Cayenne sauce
1 Tbs Chopped fresh thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

GRILLED CHICKEN
2 tsp Olive Oil
1 Tbs Chopped fresh Basil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
4 Boneless; skinless chicken breasts

Heat the butter in a large stockpot over high heat until very hot. Add the leeks, garlic, and onion and lightly saute for about 3 minutes. Add the sherry and reduce over high heat until about 1/2 cup of liquid remains. Add the potatoes and stock, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Puree the soup with a handheld blender or in batches in a food processor or blender and then return the soup to the pan. Add the cream, cayenne sauce, and thyme and season to taste with lots of salt and black pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the chicken, oil the grill rack and preheat the grill. Mix together the olive oil, basil, and salt and pepper in a small bowl and rub the chicken with the mixture. Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from the grill, let cool for a few minutes, and then julienne it. Add the chicken to the soup and stir. Cook for a few more minutes if the chicken is still pink inside.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

-8 OZ Bacon, Fine Diced
-1/2 Bundle Celery, Small Dice
-2 Spanish Onions, Small Dice
-6 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
-1 Pound Bliss Potatoes, Small Dice
-1 1/2 Pounds Ham Hochs
-1 1/2 Gallon Chicken Stock
-1 1/2 Pounds Green Split Peas
-3 Bay Leaves
-Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedures:

1.  Sautee Bacon until rendered.
2.  Add Celery, Onions and Garlic, Sautee until transparent.
3.  Add Ham Hoch’s, Split Peas, Bay Leaves and Chicken Stock, bring to simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.
4.  Add Potatoes to the last 30 minutes of cooking time (leave dry potatoes in water until ready to use so not to discolor).
5.  Remove Ham Hoch’s and Bay Leaves from soup.
6.  Diced lean meat from Ham Hoch’s and return to soup.
7.  If too thick add additional stock.
8.  Season to taste and remove from heat.

A truly sinful dessert.  Delicious chocolate cookie crust filled with rich mocha cream cheese and covered with a chocolate glaze

Ingredients:

Crust:
• 1 1/3 cups of chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
• 1/3 cup of melted butter

Filling:
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons of instant coffee
• 2 packs (8 oz each) softened cream cheese
• 1 cup granulated 8 squares (8 oz) melted semi sweet chocolate
• ½ cup sour cream

Glaze:
• ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee
• 4 squares (4 oz) semi sweet chocolate
• Chocolate curls or something similar to garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Crust:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the crumbs and butter into a small bowl. Pres the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a nine inch round springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.

Filling:
Stir the eggs and instant coffee in a small bowl until well blended; set aside.
Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer set on medium speed until well blended. Beat the melted chocolate and the sour cream. Pour the mixture over the crust.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is almost set. Run a knife or spatula around the edge of the pan. Cool the cheesecake completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Prepare the Glaze:
Stir the cream and instant coffee in a medium bowl until well blended. Add the chocolate. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Spoon the glaze evenly over the cheesecake.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with chocolate curls or something you would like to add on top. Cut into slices and serve.

Prep: 20 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes
Refrigerate: 3 Hours
Servings: 16