Soupin up the Tailgates for Bowl Season!

It's football season and we are creeping into college bowl season and NFL playoffs. Cold weather and the best football is ahead!  Now is a good time to whip up a delicious, warm soup for your tailgate party. The following is a recipe by my mother Theresa Enyeart. It is a recipe for an Onion and Cheese Soup and one of my personal faves!  As always, we try to incorporate a few estate sale or auction finds in the pics. Check out the vintage Penn State football program and Big Ten pennant!

What you will need:

6 to 7 large Onions (peeled and thinly sliced) 

2 tsp. minced garlic

1 stick of butter

2 T of brown sugar

1 tsp. basil

1tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

5 T  all purpose flour

3 cups Shredded sharp cheese

64 oz. Chicken Broth

Let's Get Started! 

In a heavy 4 qt. saucepan, cook onions and garlic slowly. Cook until onions are lightly brown. Add butter. Stir until combined. Add salt, pepper, brown sugar, basil, thyme & flour. Stir. Take onions off the heat and add chicken broth. Allow to cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Once 20 mins is up, then add 2 cups of sharp cheese. Simmer and serve with your favorite sandwich. This is sure to warm up even the coldest enemies of the Nittany Lions! 

A sweet but unique halloween recipe from ESD

My best friend and her family came in from out of town.  I was so excited, so I wanted to make cookies for the kids.  I put in the store bought pre-made cookies in the oven and what do you think happened?  Yes.... you guessed it!  I forgot they were in the oven. So after the chaos was over, I decided to make my famous toffee for everyone.  To say the least it was gone in like an hour.  Yippee! Indeed, this is one of our sweet but unique Halloween recipes  you can use this year too!

1 pound butter

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups of milk chocolate chips

1 cup of copped Reese's Pieces

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup of sliced almonds

1/4  tsp. of salt

parchment paper

In a pot, melt the butter over medium to high heat. As the butter melts, stir in the sugar and salt. Continue stirring constantly and rapidly with a spoon, keeping the sides of pan clean. The mixture should bubble as you stir. Cook until the mixture turns a deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Pour the mixture into the lined baking sheet. Allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, then sprinkle the mixture with the chocolate. When the chocolate looks glossy, spread it with a spatula ( I used a basting brush), and then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Gently press the almonds into the chocolate with the palms of your hands.  Let the chocolate cool for another 5 min.  Then take Reese's Pieces and break them into smaller pieces. Finally, sprinkle them onto the chocolate surface.

Cool completely (at least 6 hours) then break the toffee into chunks. Or another option is to put in freezer and let cool for at least a half hour (this is what I did for my quests).  Then it is time to TREAT!!!!