(Photo is not soup featured)

Love and Luck columnist Suzanne Storey sent along this recipe from a friend who served this soup at a “soup party.”

Ingredients

· 1lb. Lean Beef, cut into bite sized pieces

· 1/2 cup chopped onion

· 1 clove garlic, minced

· 6 cups water

· 2/3 cup Quick Quaker® Barley

· 1 cup celery, finely chopped

· 1 cup carrots, finely chopped

· 2 bouillon cubes

· 1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained

· 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Brown Meat: In 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, brown beef

2. Cook Onions: Finely chop the onions and the garlic, adding both to the pan. Cook until onions are tender

3. Add the remaining ingredients: Finely chop the celery, carrots, and tomatoes, then add them to the pan with water, barley, and bay leaf

4. Boil, then simmer: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.

NOTES from Suzanne:

Add additional broth or tomato juice to the soup if it becomes too thick.

(Culinary.net) On a cool, crisp morning, it’s hard to beat an exciting twist on a breakfast classic.

This French Toast Casserole is crisp on top while soft and moist in the middle, coming fresh out of the oven with the aroma of maple syrup and pecans that will have the whole house eager for a bite. It’s easy enough to make fresh in the morning- but can also be prepared the night before so all you have to do is add the topping and pop it in the oven.

Find more fresh breakfast recipes to start your day at Culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

French Toast Casserole

• 1          loaf French bread (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5          large eggs
• 1 1/2    cups unsweetened milk
• 2          tablespoons brown sugar
• 2          teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1          teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4       teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4       teaspoon sea salt
• maple syrup, for serving

Topping:

• 2          tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
• 2          tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2       cup chopped pecans
• 1          cup frozen strawberries
• 1          cup frozen blueberries
• confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

1. Grease 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place bread cubes in baking dish. In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour mixture evenly over bread cubes.
2. If making casserole ahead, cover baking dish and refrigerate overnight. If baking immediately, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to allow bread to soak up egg mixture.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F.
4. To make topping: Drizzle casserole with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans. Top with strawberries and blueberries.
5. Cover and bake 35 minutes then uncover and bake 10-20 minutes, or until topping is browned and egg mixture has mostly set.
6. Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil and let stand 10 minutes. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with maple syrup.

SOURCE:
Culinary.Net

(Family Features) If you’re wondering what to serve for a delightful holiday meal, look no further than pork – a perfect match for festive menus as it’s easy to prepare, versatile, budget-friendly and pairs well with seasonal ingredients.

With flavorful, mouthwatering recipes like Apple Cider Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin and Stuffing-Filled Pork Chops, Coleman All Natural Meats offers trusted premium pork sourced from American farmers who humanely raise livestock with no antibiotics ever and no added hormones. All its pork is made of Heritage Breed Duroc, which is known for its tenderness, superior marbling, juiciness and flavor.

These elevated, seasonal pork recipes offer a delicious and unexpected twist your friends and family will love at your next holiday gathering.

For more recipe inspiration, visit ColemanNatural.com.

Apple Cider Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes
Servings: 6

• 1 Coleman Pork Loin (4 pounds)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Glaze:

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar glaze
• 6 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary
• 1 teaspoon minced sage
• 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4-6 sliced apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Remove pork from packaging and pat dry with paper towel. Season all sides with salt and pepper, to taste.
3. To make glaze: In bowl, whisk apple cider vinegar glaze, mustard, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic. Add salt and pepper, to taste. In steady stream, slowly add olive oil to emulsify while whisking.
4. In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sear pork loin 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Move pork to lined baking sheet and brush on about half the glaze. Roast 30 minutes.
6. Remove pork from oven and spread sliced apples around pork loin. Brush remaining glaze over pork and apples. Bake 20-30 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 150 F.
7. Let pork loin rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Stuffing-Filled Pork Chops

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Servings: 6

Stuffing:

• 1 small box biscuit mix
• 1 stick butter
• 2-3 stalks finely diced celery
• 1 finely diced onion
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1-2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bag cornbread stuffing mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

• 6 Coleman Natural bone-in or boneless pork chops
• oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced sage
• 1 teaspoon minced thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1. To make stuffing: Bake biscuits according to package directions 1 day ahead. Dry biscuits will absorb more broth.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F.
3. In skillet, melt butter then add celery and onions. Saute until onions are translucent then add poultry seasoning and half the broth. Set aside to cool.
4. In bowl, combine stuffing mix, crumbled biscuits and eggs.
5. Add onion mix to bowl and mix well. Add leftover broth if mixture is too dry. Set aside.
6. Slit each chop on rounded side, cutting almost through to bone, to create deep pockets for stuffing.
7. Season chops with garlic, sage, thyme and rosemary. Fill each chop with stuffing mixture. Use toothpicks to keep chops closed.
8. Preheat skillet with oil over medium-high heat and sear each chop 2-3 minutes on each side.
9. Once chops are seared, add remaining stuffing to pan, cover with foil and bake 30-45 minutes until chops reach 140 F in center. Remove foil for last 10 minutes to brown top of stuffing, if desired.

SOURCE:
Coleman Natural Foods