Cheesy Cheddar Crackers (cheese straws without the straw shape)

8 OZ Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (2 cups)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Garnishes : chopped fresh parsley, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds.

Process cheese, butter, flour, cayenne, and salt in a food processor until it forms a ball. Divide in half. Roll each half on a lightly floured surface into a 10-in log. Wrap separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or up to a week. Heat oven to 350'. Cut 1/4 in slices. Place about 1 in apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with one or of the garnishes. Bake 12-15 minutes or until set and edges are golden brown. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week or freezer for 3 months.

Shrimp and Grits

2 1/2 cups water

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking grits

1/2 cup Parmesan

2 - 3 cups chicken broth

6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 lb shrimp

1 clove garlic

1 medium onion

1 TBL flour

1 TBL Parsley

Cook grits according to package directions. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crispy, then crumble. (When a recipe calls for chopped cooked bacon, I usually cut my bacon first. Just my preference). Remove from grease. Saute onion and garlic in bacon fat until crispy. Add shrimp and cook until no longer translucent. Remove shrimp. Cook flour lightly to make a roux, then add broth and cream and cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Place shrimp back into pan, add parsley and mix. Place grits in bowl and top with shrimp and gravy. Garnish with additional parsley.

Meatball Soup

**this is adapted from a recipe on The Food Network website. Basically, I substituted frozen meatballs for freshly made. Much easier and faster and still very good. I also made it in a crockpot**

2 TBL olive oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup chopped celery

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands, with their juice

2 TBL tomato paste

2 (14 oz) cans reduced-sodium beef broth

1 pkg frozen Italian meatballs

1/2 cup ditalini or other small pasta shape for soups

3 cups baby spinach leaves

2 TBL chopped fresh basil leaves

Saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Place all ingredients except basil into crock pot and set on low until meatballs are heated through. Add basil right before serving.