Old-Fashioned Crumb Cake

This recipe results in a nice, small cinnamon cake that is quite tasty. This recipe could be doubled to make a bigger cake, but the 8x8 cake is a nice treat. I had this cake on its own but it would be delicious with a scope of ice cream.

When I made this recipe, the crumb layer did not come out as crumbly as I expected; it was more like a buttery, cinnamony top layer. The cake is delicious anytime so give it a try.

Old-fashioned Crumb Cake 

Topping

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

Cake

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. powder
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk

Make the topping: Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in a small bowl. Mix until crumbly.

Make the cake: Beat sugar, butter, and egg in a bowl until smooth. Mix together flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add milk, alternating with flour mixture and beat until smooth. Spread cake batter in a greased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle wiht crumb. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Ham and Potato Soup

After Easter, I used the ham bone and leftover ham to make this terrific soup. Mom usually makes split pea soup, but I did not have split peas available, so I gave this soup a try. It is a delicious and filling soup. Making a soup from the hambone takes a little bit of time, but the result is worth it. The recipe could use any number of vegetables, so use your favorites. I used chickpeas for this recipe because that is what I had on hand, but other beans could easily be used. 

Ham and Potato Soup 

• hambone
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 onion, diced
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
• 1-2 cups diced ham

Place the hambone in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for one hour. When cool, remove ham from bone and reserve to add to soup later. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth or coffee filter to remove solids. Set broth aside.

In a large stockpot saute the garlic, onion, carrots, and potato in the olive oil until the vegetables begin to become tender, about ten minutes. Stir in the ham broth, chickpeas, corn, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes. Stir in the ham and heat for five more minutes. Enjoy!

Crockpot Italian Sausage and Peppers

For the most recent Easter party, I was looking for an easier way to make sausage and peppers, always a popular dish with my family. And I like putting the crockpot to work because that usually means less work for me. This version of sausage and peppers is so easy to make because everything is dumped into a crockpot for four hours. Pictured here is my Mom on Easter with her great-grandchildren: Lucas, Eva, and Andrew.

I always prefer using sweet Italian sausage rather than spicy. I usually use green bell peppers, but I had to use red and yellow bell peppers because that is all I had available. For the tomato sauce, I used Trader Joe's roasted garlic tomato sauce. All get combined together for an easy and delicious dish.

Crockpot Italian Sausage and Peppers

• 3 bell peppers, sliced
• 2-3 pounds Italian sausage
• 24 ounces tomato sauce

Add peppers, sausage, and tomato sauce to the crockpot. Cover. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours. Do not uncover during this time. If desired, remove sausage to cut into smaller pieces. Serve on bread or over pasta or on its own. Enjoy!