It's So Tasty Too!

Lava Cakes

2012-02-13T09:02:00.003-05:00

Ingredients (4 people):

6 oz. Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
6 oz. Butter (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F
1. Melt chocolate on low flame in a double boiler. When melted, take off flame, and…
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.

In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.

Thayne's Mint Ribbon Brownies

2011-08-15T00:48:00.001-04:00

1. Prepare a 9X13” pan of brownies from any box mix of your liking. (Usually buy what is on sale and dark chocolate but any flavor will work.)

2. Cool brownies completely then mix together middle layer and spread on top:

½ C. Butter
4 T. Milk
1 ½ t. Peppermint extract
4+ C. Powdered sugar
Green food coloring

3. Refrigerate until cool then spread final layer :
8 T. Melted Butter
8 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

4. Refrigerate until chocolate is set and cut.

Notes:
o This recipe freezes well.
o The original recipe calls for making brownies from scratch.
(Way too complicated because that’s not the part that
people care about.)
o The original recipe was made to cover a 10X15” pan
so the layers might be a little thick. You can cut the recipe
by 1/3 and it is about right. But then some of us like more frosting :o)
o I’ve learned recently that you can mix together 2 boxes of
brownies and they will fill a large cookie sheet and then
the frosting proportions would be about right.
o I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love these! (Unless they
couldn’t eat them due to dietary restrictions.) This is a foolproof recipe!

Shannon's Raspberry Chicken Salad

2011-05-06T16:09:00.000-04:00

4 b/s chicken breast halves
1/3 c raspberry preserves
1/3 c frozen oj concentrate
1/3 c soy sauce
2 Tbl rice vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
6 cups mixed salad greens
1/3 c raspberry vinaigrette
1/2 c fresh raspberries

Place chicken in a ziploc bag. Combine the preserves, oj concentrate, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili powder and garlic powder in a bowl and mix well. Pour over the chicken and seal tightly. Toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, turning occasionally.

Grill the chicken until cooked through. Cut into 1/2 inch strips. Toss the salad greens with the vinaigrette in a bowl. Top with chicken and sprinkle with fresh raspberries.

I like to sprinkle caramelized toasted chopped almond on top to add some crunch.

Blackberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2011-05-06T16:01:00.000-04:00

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup blackberries

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beat well. Add sour cream and mix until smooth. Sift together dry igredietns and add. Blend vanilla thoroughly. Fold in berries.

Pour 1/2 batter in greased and floured 8x8 square.

Sprinkle topping: (half of it)
1/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pour remainder of batter and sprinkle rest of topping.

Cook 350 for 40 min to 1 hour or until done

Scripture Cookies

2011-05-06T15:44:00.000-04:00

3/4 C Psalms 55:21
1/3 C 2 Nephi 26:25
1 1/2 C Jeremiah 6:20
2 C Isaiah 10:14

Now, Acts 17:16

Add:

2 C 1 Kings 4:22
1 tsp Solomon 4:14
1 tsp 1 Corinthians 4:6
3 C D&C 89:17
1 C 1 Samuel 30:12

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake 15 minutes at 350.

JS History 1:37 D&C 133:11

Cake Mix Cookies

2011-05-06T15:42:00.001-04:00

1 chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil

mix together and roll batter into 1 inch balls.

Cook at 350 for 8 minutes.

Fresh Fruit Dip

2011-05-06T15:41:00.000-04:00

Mix:
1 large jar of marshmallow cream
8 oz cream cheese

Add:
1 orange rind and juice

Serve with platter of fresh bite sized fruit and toothpicks.

Mountains (German Pancakes)

2011-05-06T15:39:00.000-04:00

In the blender, combine:

7 eggs
1 C flour
1 C milk
dash of salt

Heat oven to 425 (400 for glass pan). Place 9x13 pan on middle rack with 3/4 stick of butter. When it melts and is sizzling hot, disperse batter among butter and return to oven for 23 minutes.

Eat quickly, mountains will collapse. Serve with fresh fruit, syrup, lemon, powdered sugar or whipped cream.

Overnight French Toast

2011-05-06T15:37:00.000-04:00

6 eggs
2 T flour
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 c milk

Punch and dip french bread to saturate. Lay in pan, pour remainder of liquid over top. Cover overnight in fridge. Cook on griddle the next morning.

Fresh Salsa

2011-05-06T15:35:00.000-04:00

Roma Tomatoes
Cilantro, chopped
Garlic, minced
Red Wine Vinegar, dash
onion
jalapeno pepper
green, red yellow ppers
red pepper flakes (opt)

Chop up, add lots of salt and serve with chips!

Marshmallow Caramel Corn

2011-05-06T15:33:00.002-04:00

1 cube butter
1 c brown sugar
33 large marshmallows

Melt together and pour over air popped corn. Enjoy!

Lipton Potatoes

2011-05-06T15:32:00.002-04:00

1/3 cup oil
1 pkg Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Potatoes, cut into chunks

shake together in a plastic bag

bake at 350 for 40 minutes on a foil-lined cookie sheet

Joe's Special

2011-05-06T15:31:00.000-04:00

2 lbs. ground beef
2 T oil
2 finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 lb mushrooms (sliced)
1 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper, oregano
2 pkgs frozen chopped, drained spinach
4-6 eggs

Brown ground beef well in oil in a large pan over high heat. Drain grease off and add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Reduce heat and cook stirring occasionally until onion is cooked. Stir in seasonings and spinach and cook about five minutes longer. Add beaten eggs, stir until set. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Chicken Parmesan

2011-05-06T15:29:00.000-04:00

6-8 chicken breasts
1 pkg Ritz crackers
3 T parmesan cheese
1 T garlic salt
1 c sour cream

Crush crackers, add parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Set aside. Wash and dry chicken. Coat with sour cream. Dip in cracker crumbs. Place on foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 for 45-1 hour. Spaghetti sauce on top

Orange Eggnog Supreme

2011-05-06T15:26:00.000-04:00

2 Q orange juice
1/2 c lemon juice
6 eggs
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon, cloves, ginger
pinch nutmeg

Blend half until smooth; repeat with second half of same. Combine and refrigerate. Meanwhile, break ice cream into chunks in punch bowl with ginger ale. Whisk well. Add part one to punch bowl. Blend. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

1 Q vanilla ice cream
1 Q ginger ale

Serves 32 cups

Chocolate Peppermint Soda

2011-05-06T15:22:00.000-04:00

4.5 oz can chocolate syrup
1 Q milk
1 tsp peppermint
2 cup chocolate ice cream

blend all til smooth. Top with whipped cream and straight peppermint stick

Open House Party Punch

2011-05-06T15:17:00.002-04:00

46 oz pineapple juice
46 oz apricot nectar
1 WQ orange juice
2 orange sherbet
4 C vanilla ice cream
10 oz thawed strawberries
2 Q chilled Canada Dry

Combine liquids in large punch bowl. Whisk in sherbet and ice cream leaving in small chunks. Add berries. Stir in Canada Dry. Add ice ring or large chunk and mint sprigs.

Peach Keen

2011-05-06T15:15:00.000-04:00

1 C peaches (any form)
1 C lite cream
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 C vanilla ice cream
2 C cold milk
mint leaves

Combine first three ingredients in blender on high for 1 minute. In pitcher, add milk and serve with mint sprig.

Tall Paul

2011-05-06T15:13:00.004-04:00

2 C cold orange juice
1 banana, cut up
1 c heavy cream
orange slices

Blend 15 seconds on high. Makes two tall glasses. Use garnish.

Orange Swizzle

2011-05-06T15:13:00.002-04:00

Do each glass one at a time:

1 can frozen OJ, thawed
2 Q Canada Dry
orange slices, cherries

Fill four tall glasses with ice. Put heaping T. of OJ concentrate in each glass. Fill with ginger ale and blend. Garnish and add straw.

Purple Cow

2011-05-06T15:12:00.001-04:00

Frost your mugs:

Blend for 1 minute:
(each serving)

1 C milk
1/2 C grape juice
1 large scoop vanilla ice cream

OR:

2 C milk
2 bananas (cut up)
2 C vanilla ice cream

Makes 6 banana milkshakes - sprinkle nutmeg on top

Fruity Fling

2011-05-06T15:10:00.000-04:00

In a pitcher mix:

1 quart OJ
1 C grapefruit juice
1 C pineapple juice
2 C raspberry sherbet

Pour over cracked ice in tall glasses. Add scoop of sherbet. Garnish with cherry, straw and spoon.

Raspberry Lime Strawberry Smoothie

2011-05-06T15:09:00.001-04:00

Fill Blender:

about 1/3 way with raspberry lemonade
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup raspberries
3 scoops lime sherbert
1/2 a banana
5 ice cubes

BLEND!

Pink Snowman

2011-05-06T15:08:00.002-04:00

1 cup OJ
10 oz fr. strawberries, slightly thawed
1/2 c water
2 large scoops vanilla ice cream

Blend juices 30 seconds - pour in tall glasses. Add one scoop at a time. Garnish with berry/orange slice and straw.

Stupid Cupid

2011-05-06T15:07:00.000-04:00

2 cups frozen strawberries (thawed)
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 quart milk

Blend for 1 min on medium. Chill well, add cherry on top

Serves 6

Andrea’s Sugar Cookie Fruit Tarts

2011-02-28T15:53:00.001-05:00

Crust: I picked up a sugar cookie mix (Betty Crocker) and mixed it according to the "rolling out" cookie instructions. I rolled about a 1 1/2 inch ball out of the dough and pressed into a *muffin tin. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove as soon as possible without breaking the shells. You could also use premade dough or your favorite sugar cookie recipe. Depends on how easy you want to do it!

*I'd recommend using cupcake liners. Mine had a hard time coming out well.

Filling: 1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream
2 T orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c powdered sugar

Whip this all together and then drop into the tart shells
Topping: Sliced fruit/berries. I used blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwis
Microwave 1/2 Cup apricot preserves plus 1 T water until runny and brush over fruit.

A couple of tips... make sure you cool the tart shells all the way or they will break when you try to take them out. Also be sure to not make the dough too thick on the bottom or they will really puff up when you back them. Mine did that the first time. I also use a small cup when I take them out of the oven and push it into the tart a little to make the space for the filling a little bigger. One last thing is to be sure your cream cheese isn't cold or it won't blend well and you will have chunks in it. I learned all of this the hard way. oops. You might know all these tips already, but I am not really a baker so it was a learning process. Enjoy them!

Addiction

2011-01-03T16:37:00.001-05:00

This is my take on the sweet Chex Mix so aptly named, Addiction. It is highly adjustable, so experiment away. By the by, this makes a ton - so you'll have enough to share with friends and neighbors.

3 sticks butter
2 C. sugar
2 C. karo syrup (light corn syrup)

Boil for 3 minutes and pour over:

1 large box Rice (or Corn Chex)
1 large box Golden Grahams (or Life cereal)
3-4 C. Coconut
3 C. Sliced Almonds
1/2 bag or so of broken pretzel pieces

Stir until cereal mixture is coated with sugar mixture. Spread onto parchment paper to cool.

Dixie's Traditional Christmas Ice Cream Roll

2010-12-26T22:41:00.000-05:00

10 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

½ cup flour

½ cup cocoa

Separate egg whites, beat until stiff peaks.
Beat egg yolks and add dry ingredients.
Fold into stiff egg white and bake in greased pan with parchment paper greased and floured.
Roll up in damp towel after taken from oven and cool in fridge or freezer.
Cut up ice cream and add to roll, leaving room at one end to start rolling.
Spread roll back up and freeze again before serving.

Ginger's Veggie Pizza

2010-12-16T14:42:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
2 pkgs crescent roll dough
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
½ c mayo
¼ c chopped green bell pepper
¼ c chopped red bell pepper
¼ c chopped broccoli tops
¼ c chopped cauliflower
¼ c chopped green onions (optional)
¼ c chopped roma tomoatoes
¼ c chopped cucumber
¼ c strips of carrot

1- Roll out dough onto a cookie sheet. Press together the seams and bake as directed. Cool.
2- In medium bowl combine cream cheese, ranch dressing and mayo till smooth.
3- Spread onto crust. Top with whatever veggies you like. Press the veggies into the spread
with another cookie sheet.
4- Cut into 24 squares and enjoy!

Cranberry Wassail

2010-12-16T14:22:00.002-05:00

Alli Louthain

1quart cranberry juice
2c orange juice
3T lemon juice
1-1/2c sugar
2quarts water
3 sticks cinnamon

1- Cook sugar, water and cinnamon for 25min

2- Add juices and warm through. Keep warm to serve. A Christmas must!

3 Ingredient Mints

2010-12-16T14:14:00.002-05:00

Alli Louthain

3 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 cups powder sugar

1-blend the cream cheese and mint
2-gradually add sugar
3-add food coloring if desired
4-I pinched off small amounts and rolled them into balls the size of a pea. I have seen people use cool shaped molds...either way you set them out overnight to dry and enjoy!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

2010-12-16T14:09:00.002-05:00

by Alli Louthain

Salsa:4 kiwis, peeled and diced
4 Fuji or Gala apples, peeled and diced
3 lbs frozen mixed berries (approx)
1/4 cup sugar
2 T brown sugar
6 T jam (any flavor-I used guava jelly)

Allow frozen fruit to thaw. Combine all ingredients well and allow to chill in fridge for at least 15min before serving.

Chips: (Oven at 350 degrees)
30 tortillas
cinnamon and sugar mixed
Melted butter or butter flavored PAM (or Alisha said she just sprays it with water)

Spray cookie sheet with PAM. Brush each tortilla with either butter or coat with PAM spray and generously sprinkle cinnamon and sugar blend over it. Use pizza cutter to cut tortilla into 8 triangles. Line triangles onto cookie sheet. Once cookie sheet is full, bake for 8-10min.

Alli's Fruit & Feta Salad with Grilled Chicken

2010-12-16T14:07:00.000-05:00

We had this at our book club Christmas party and it was a smash!

8 cups assorted greens (I use mix of Romaine and Spring Mix)
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1 or 2 (11oz) cans mandarin oranges
1/2 cup dried craisins, cherries or golden raisins or a combo of your favorite
1 small red onion, chopped
1/2 cup toasted pecans or almonds

Dressing:1/4 cup raspberry wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegtable oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
dash of tabasco sauce

Chicken:
1 Sam's Club (or Costco!) Frozen Chicken bag

Marinade:
2c 7up
1/2c soy sauce
1/2c olive oil
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp Horseradish (I didn't have and used horseradish mustard and it worked as well)

1- Open Sam's Club bag. Add all above ingredients. Put into fridge overnight.

2- Rotate in the morning and throughout the day. (If breasts are super thick, cut in the morning.)

3- Take out approx 1hr before grilling. Combine salad ingredients in large salad bowl. Stir Dressing ingredients till well combined in seperate bowl. Pour over (amount will be to your liking-add more lettuce if you think it is too saturated) salad just before serving. Toss and top with grilled chicken!

"Rule of Five" Homemade Root Beer

2010-11-20T10:59:00.000-05:00

My brother requested I put this up here, and it's always good to have an easy recipe for homemade root beer!

5 lbs. Dry Ice
5 lbs. White granulated sugar
1 liquid bottle of Root beer extract
5 gallons of water

Pour water into container (Lg. drink cooler preferred)
Pour in sugar
Stil until dissolved (long, wooden spoon or dowel preferred)
Stir in extract
Add dry ice (Remember hand protection and keep ice away from spigot)
Cover for about 20 minute (Do not seal!)

Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes

2010-11-16T14:43:00.000-05:00

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
1/2 cups Butter
1/2 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water (Bryan W. uses milk) to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
For the gravy I used the drippings from the pan and added about a cup of rue. I brought it to a soft boil stirring continually and added s & p to taste!

Mel's Butter & Garlic Shrimp Penne

2010-11-16T14:38:00.000-05:00

Made this with my hubby for our last stay at home date and it was a smash hit!

Verbatim from www.melskitchencafe.com

*Serves 4-6

*Note: this meal comes together quickly, especially if you marinate the shrimp as you prepare the other ingredients.

5 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 25 count), peeled, deveined and each shrimp cut into 3 pieces

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup clam juice (you can find this by the tuna, usually)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let the shrimp stand in this mixture for 20 minutes at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the rest of the oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-low heat and add the smashed garlic cloves. Stir the mixture now and then to prevent the garlic burning and cook until the garlic is light and golden, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and use a slotted spoon to take out the garlic, leaving as much oil as you can in the skillet. Throw the garlic away and set the skillet aside.

In a large pot, bring at least 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt once the water comes to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender (look at the package directions as each brand of pasta can differ). Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water in a small bowl. Once drained, throw the pasta back into the pot.

While the pasta is boiling, return the skillet with the oil to medium heat and add the shrim with the marinade to the skillet, making sure the shrimp is in a single layer. Cook the shrimp, without stirring or moving them, until the oil starts to gently bubble, about 1 to 2 minutes. Now you can start stirring the shrimp and continuing to cook until the shrimp is just cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. It will cook fast so be careful not to overcook or the shrimp will turn tough.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a medium bowl. Add the remaining 3 teaspoon minced garlic and the red pepper flakes to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the flour and stirring constantly, cook the mixture for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth and cook, whisking constantly, for 1-2 minutes, until the clumps of flour incorporate and become smooth. Whisk in the clam juice and parsley and cook until the mixture begins to thicken 2-3 minutes. Take the skillet off the heat and whisk in the butter and lemon juice. Add the shrimp and sauce to the pasta, adjusting the consistency with the pasta water if it is too dry (I didn't need to add any pasta water to mine). Serve immediately.

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast

2010-11-16T14:34:00.002-05:00

    * 1 whole (4 - 5 Pounds) chuck Roast
    * 2 Tablespoons olive Oil
    * 1 whole onion
    * 6 whole carrots
    * Kosher Salt
    * Pepper to taste
    * 2 - 3 Cups Beef Stock
    * 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
    * 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

First generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.
Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).
Cut two onions in half and cut 6-8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot, add the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

2010-11-15T13:59:00.000-05:00

2 TBS. butter

3 TBS. diced yellow onion

2 tsp. chopped garlic (I've used refrigerated minced garlic...still great!)

4 1/2 tsp. flour

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half & half

2 bouillon cubes

4 oz. cream cheese

2 TBS. grated Parmesan

1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper

1/2 tsp. salt

10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach

6 oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped.

Directions: In saucepan, heat butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat until onions are soft. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, half & half, and chicken base. Mix well and heat until almost boiling. Reduce heat to simmer and add cream cheese, Parmesan, and pepper jack. Blend well while adding cayenne pepper, white pepper, and salt. Squeeze out the liquid from the spinach in the sink and then add it to the mixture. Add the artichoke hearts, blend well. Optional: when ready to serve, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 3-5 minutes or until brown on top. Top with fresh diced tomatoes.

Also from M's blog

Mariel's Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-11-15T13:39:00.000-05:00

1 cube (8 oz.) cream cheese
1/2 bunch green onions
Garlic Salt (to taste)
1 roll Jimmy Dean sausage.
1 to 2 pkgs. fresh mushrooms

Directions: Cook the sausage and crumble. In another bowl, whip the cream cheese with some garlic salt and a little milk, to taste. Chop desired amount of green onions and add to cream cheese mixture. Stir in crumbled sausage (I usually do about 3/4 of it). Wash mushrooms and pop out the stems. Line them up, upside-down on a sheet pan. Spoon some of the mixture into the mushroom holes and overflowing out the top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

*directly from Mariel's blog

No Bake Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

2010-11-15T13:29:00.000-05:00

* Sorry, I don't remember where online I found this recipe. But I've tried it, and it skyrocketed to the top of my husband's favorite treats list.

1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 lb (3 1/2 C) powdered sugar
1 1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1 C (2 sticks) real butter, melted
1 12oz bag chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, or dark, you pick!)
2 tsp shortening

In a large mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter and butter and beat until combined. Press into a parchment (or waxed paper or foil) lined 9x13 pan.

Place chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over peanut butter mixture and spread out evenly. Place pan in the fridge just until chocolate is set and then cut into bars. Tip: If the bars chill until the chocolate is too hard to easily cut, use a sharp knife and score the cuts first, then gently cut through. Can be stored in the fridge or at room temp. They will stay firmer if stored in the fridge.

Lemon Chicken

2010-11-15T11:31:00.000-05:00

6 chicken breasts, pounded flat
juice from 1/2 a lemon
4 Tbl. chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup butter
2 Tbl. olive oil
salt and pepper

Coat chicken in flour, then cook in oil and 1-2 Tbl. of butter in a skillet until done. Remove chicken. Add 4 Tbl. of butter, parsley and fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon to a pan. Pour over chicken and serve with rice. Also good with a clove or two of garlic thrown in for good measure.

Poppy Seed Chicken

2010-11-15T11:10:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, boiled for about 10 minutes, then cut into chunks
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream

Topping:
1 stack of Ritz crackers, crushed into crumbs
1/4 - 1/3 cup melted butter
1 Tbl. poppy seeds

Pour the melted butter in small bowl, stir in crackers, and then stir in poppy seeds (it will look lumpy). Combine chicken that has been cut into small chunks, soups and sour cream in bowl and mix together. Grease a casserole dish and pour the above mixture into the pan. Top with combined crackers, butter, and poppy seeds. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Mom's Wassail

2010-11-15T11:00:00.002-05:00

1 gallon apple cider
2 cups cranberry juice
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
2 oranges
Whole cloves
1 apple peeled and diced
Allspice
Ginger
Nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks

Set your stove or crockpot on low. Pour apple cider, cranberry juice, honey, sugar and mix carefully. As it heats up stir so that honey and sugar dissolve. Stud the oranges with the cloves and place in pot. Add the diced apple. Add allspice, ginger and nutmeg to taste, usually a couple of tablespoons is plenty. Snap the cinnamon sticks in half and add. Cover pot and allow to simmer 2 to 4 hours on low.

Leslie's Tuxedo Brownies

2010-11-15T09:44:00.001-05:00

1 pkg. brownie mix (plus ingredients to make the cake like brownies)

6 oz white chocolate chips

2 Tbsp milk

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese

¼ C powdered sugar

1 (8oz) container cool whip

Strawberries, sliced

Directions:

Prepare brownie mix following the cake like directions. Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick spray. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Bake @ 325۫ for approximately 12-13 minutes or until the edges are set. 15-17 minutes for regular muffin pans. Remove and immediately press tops of brownies in (there's a pampered chef tool actually called a presser). Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Gently remove and cool completely.

Melt white chocolate with milk on stove; cool slightly. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add powdered sugar and cream cheese. Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Fold in cool whip. Pour into brownie cups. Place one strawberry slice or a single raspberry on each brownie cup. Sprinkle powdered sugar over cups.

Cafe Rio Sides - cilantro lime rice and black beans

2010-11-15T09:25:00.000-05:00

These copycat Cafe Rio side dishes are verbatim from this blog.

CILANTRO-LIME RICE

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

BLACK BEANS

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** We add a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

Spicy Chicken and Mushroom Soup

2010-11-02T15:47:00.000-04:00

I had this soup the other week and I have not been able to stop thinking about it! If you like Indian flavor, then this is the soup for you. Best of all? I can probably use my new immersion blender on it! The only problem is it didn't make a ton, so you might want to double it.

8oz boneless chicken
6 Tbsp ghee or butter
1/2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp garam masala (I have a lot more than I will ever use if you
don't want to buy it)
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 medium leek, sliced (also good with onion)
1 cup of mushrooms (3 oz) sliced
1/3 cup corn (I use frozen)
1 and 1/4 cups water
1 cup light cream (I confess - I sometimes use mix of sour cream and
milk. still good)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro) - (sometimes I don't have it
and it is fine without)
1 tsp dried red chillies (optional)

Cut chicken into very fine strips. Melt butter in medium pan. Lower
heat slightly and add garlic and garam masala. Lower heat even further
and add pepper, salt, nutmeg. Finally add the chicken pieces, sliced
leek, mushrooms, and corn. Cook, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes
or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and cool slightly. Transfer 3/4 of mix into blender,
add water, and process for about one minute. Pour the puree back into
the pan and stir with the rest of the mixture. Bring to boil over a
medium heat. Lower heat and stir in the cream. Add fresh coriander to
taste for seasoning. Serve hot, garnished with red chillies if
desired.

Courtesy of Taralyn

Andes Mint Cookies

2010-09-08T13:53:00.003-04:00

We had these cookies at church of all places and they became a new favorite in my book. Right up there with the best chocolate chip cookie in the world. Try it!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 TB water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 (4.5 ounces) packages chocolate covered thin mints (I used Andes mints)

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls and place 2” inches apart onto cookie sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Don’t over bake. When cookies come out of the oven, press one mint into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon.

Courtesy of Jocelyn, photo credit here

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-09-07T15:37:00.002-04:00

1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves boiled (I used chicken from a roasted store-bought)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
1 can condensed cream of potato soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry.
Blanch frozen veggies for 3-4 minutes.
Drain.
Dice chicken and place in a large bowl.
Add veggies, thyme, and soups.
Stir and pour filling into pastry-lined pie dish.
Arrange top layer of pie crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top of the crust to allow steam to escape. (or weave a lattice top crust)
Place pie on cookie sheet.
Put aluminum foil around the pie crust edges.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve.

Martha Stewart's Pie Crust

2010-09-07T14:54:00.000-04:00

Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Thanks, Martha

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Pate Brisee (Pie Dough) Recipe - MarthaStewart.com

Grasshopper Pie

2010-09-07T14:43:00.004-04:00

This one is verbatim from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. My favorite thing is the cool Andes mint curls. It takes it up a notch to a professional level. That and the syrup swirls on the plate make it look gourmet, even if you use the cheapest ice cream. I also poured some homemade hot fudge in between the ice cream layers and loved that addition.

I love making ice cream cake because it is super easy, yet impressive and popular. And it costs A TON less than buying one. So give it a whirl, bust out that springform pan!

*Serves 8

Crust:
2 cups finely crushed chocolate cookie crumbs (i.e. chocolate teddy grahams, chocolate graham crackers, Nabisco famous wafers, etc.)
5 tablespoons butter, melted

Pie:
1 quart green mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 quart chocolate ice cream

Garnish:
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
10 rectangle Andes mints

Combine the crushed cookie crumbs and the butter together in a medium bowl until the cookie crumbs are well-moistened and the mixture looks and feels like wet sand. Press the crumbs into a 9- or 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate or freeze until set (about 30 minutes).

While the crust is in the refrigerator, take out the mint chocolate chip ice cream and let it sit at room temperature for 15-ish minutes to soften up a bit. Scoop the softened ice cream into a medium bowl (you can use the same one as the cookie crumbs, if you like!) and stir the ice cream until it is smooth. You don’t want it overly melted here – just try to stir it all up so it is easy spreadable but is still cold and icy. Spread the ice cream over the cookie crust in an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least an hour.

Follow the same step above with the chocolate ice cream and spread it on top of the mint chocolate chip ice cream (make sure the mint ice cream is thoroughly frozen so the layers don’t mix). Once the chocolate ice cream has been spread evenly, again cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1-2 hours (or tightly covered up to a three days).

When you are ready to serve the pie, whip the heavy cream into stiff peaks with the powdered sugar. To make the Andes mint curls, microwave one mint for five seconds on 20 or 30% power (this was adequate in my microwave but keep in mind that each microwave can cook hotter or cooler so test accordingly). Hold the mint nestled in a paper towel with one long thin edge exposed above the top of the paper towel. Take a vegetable peeler and gently shave off curls from the long, thin edge. Repeat this process until you have the desired amount of curls to garnish with (I shaved the curls early in the day and kept them on a plate in the freezer until I was ready to use them).

Unmold the grasshopper pie from the springform pan and pile the whipped cream on top of the ice cream. Spread in large dollops over the top of the pie. Sprinkle with the curls. Cut the pie into slices and serve immediately. If you are planning to have leftovers, serve the whipped cream on each piece separately instead of the whole pie, as the whipped cream doesn’t fare as well being frozen on top of the pie for a long period of time.

Lacey's Thai Chicken Pasta Salad

2010-09-03T15:40:00.002-04:00

This is my new FAVORITE pasta salad. It doesn't taste like any other pasta salad I know of but it sure is tasty. Give it a try!

salad:

16 oz pasta (fafalle or rotini)

1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds

3 c. cooked chicken, cubed

1/3 c. chopped cilantro

1/3 c. green onion

shredded carrot

dressing:

1/3 c. soy sauce

1/3 c. rice vinegar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 T white sugar

1/2 t. ground ginger

1/4 t. black pepper

Combine all dressing ingredients in a large ziploc and swish around. Then cook pasta, cook and cube chicken and toast sesame seeds. Chop cilantro, green onions and shred carrots and combine all in ziploc with the dressing. Swish around and put in a bowl to serve. Enjoy!!

-Courtesy of Lacey

Laurie's Fresh Peach Pie

2010-08-31T20:53:00.000-04:00

My good friend Laurie has tweaked and tested until she arrived at the perfect peach pie. Enjoy!

Graham Cracker Crust:

1 ½ C finely crushed graham crackers (about 20 squares)
1/3 C butter, melted
1/3 C sugar
Heat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients. Press into bottom and slightly up sides of 2 pie pans. (Or one 9x13 pan.) Bake for 8 minutes, until light brown. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Layer:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 C heavy cream
1/3 C sour cream
1 C powdered sugar

dash of vanilla
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, beat until thick and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Spread mixture over cooled crust.

Peach Layer:

6-8 ripe peaches
2 t sugar

juice of 1 lime
Peel and slice peaches into a bowl. Add lime juice and sugar. Toss well, making sure to completely coat the peaches with lime juice so peaches won't brown. Drain excess liquid off of peach slices. Pile peaches equally onto both pies. Best if served immediately, but will keep in fridge for 1 day.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Torte

2010-08-31T13:36:00.004-04:00

Oh my. Oh my. Please do yourself a favor and make this once before the summer ends. But invite friends over, because it is so rich, it is hard to eat with just two adults (my kids found the lemon too tart so didn't put much of a dent in it).

Ingredients:

1 package (16 oz) pound cake (plus ingredients to make cake)
1 large lemon
3/4 cup boiling water
1 (6oz) pkg. lemon jello
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup cold milk
1 (12 oz) container cool whip, thawed
1 (3.4oz) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and cut in half
1 cup blueberries
lemon slices and fresh mint (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line jellyroll pan with a 13-inch piece of parchment paper. Prepare cake mix, pour into pan, spreading evenly. Bake 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Using edges of paper, carefully lift cake onto cooling rack. Cool completely.

2. Zest lemon and set aside. Juice lemon (1/4 cup of juice). Pour boiling water into small bowl. Add jello and 2 Tbl. of juice. Reserve remaining juice for cream cheese mixture. Stir until jello is dissolved.

3. Invert cooled cake onto a cutting board and remove paper. Prick cake at 1/2 inch intervals using a fork. Using a pastry brush, brush cake evenly wiht all but 2 Tbl of jello mixture. Trim 1/4 inch around edge of cake; discard edges. Cut cake crosswise into 3 equal layers.

4. In big bowl, combine cream cheese and remaining 2 Tbl lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. Add milk; whisk until smooth. Spoon whipped topping over cream cheese mixture (do not mix). Sprinkle with pudding mix; mix well until smooth. Mixture will be thick.

5. Place 1 cake layer on oval cake platter. Use an open star decorator tip on plastic bag or piping tool. Pipe a straight border around edge of cake layer. Scoop four large spoonfuls of filling down the center; spread evenly to border. Top with second cake layer. Repeat filling as above. For third layer, pipe a decorative border around edge. Spread any remaining filling down center.

6. Arrange kiwi slices on top of cake. Add blueberries to reserved jello mixture; mix gently. (If jello mixture has set, microwave about 10 seconds or until softened). Spoon blueberries over the top of cake; sprinkle with reserved zest. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves, if desired.

Thanks Pampered Chef! Your'e the best.

Chocolate Mousse Eggs

2010-04-03T21:51:00.003-04:00

Yield: 6-8 servings

8 ounces / 225g bittersweet chocolate (no more than 60% cacao), chopped

3/4 stick / 3 oz / 75g unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

3 large eggs, separated

1/4th cup sugar

1 cup / 200g very cold heavy or whipping cream

2 ounces / 60g white chocolate shavings

12 empty eggshells

In a large bowl, set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter and stir until smooth. Remove from the saucepan and switch off the heat.
In the same saucepan (now with the heat turned off), set a small bowl and beat yolks and sugar with your electric mixer until thick enough to form a ribbon that takes a few seconds to dissolve — this will take about two to four minutes to achieve. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture.
In the bowl of a KitchenAid, beat the egg whites until they just hold soft peaks. Remove from bowl and set aside.
In the bowl, whip up the cream until it just holds stiff peaks.
Fold the whipped cream and beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Transfer to 8 (4 ounce) ramekins (or hollowed out egg shells) and sprinkle with the white chocolate shavings. Let the mousse set in the fridge for about an hour before serving.
Note: The mousse will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator.

Recipe from The Purple Foodie

Cream of Tomato Soup w/Pesto

2010-03-22T14:33:00.002-04:00

1 (32 oz.) container chicken broth (or 14 oz. and water)
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 14.5 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 cup half and half cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. basil pesto

I blend the two cans of diced tomatoes together while bringing the broth to boil. Once boiling, boil it until reduced by about two-thirds to one-half. Then add the blended tomatoes to the broth and return to a simmer. Pour in the half-and-half, turn the heat to low and simmer for about fifteen minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the basil pesto once you're ready to serve. You can find it at Wal-Mart in the Italian section with the sauces and noodles, etc.

Serve with grilled cheese for a comfort meal you won't soon forget!

Amy's Chicken Chowder

2010-02-01T08:28:00.001-05:00

This is a new favorite and totally delicious with corn bread :)

1 ½ cups milk or half & half (I use half & half)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup chopped green onions
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups cooked cubed (or shredded) chicken
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine milk, soups and broth in saucepan. Blend well. Heat thoroughly.Meanwhile, sauté green onions, green pepper and mushrooms. Add sautéed vegetables, corn, chiles, and chicken to soup mixture. Heat thoroughly. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until melted.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2010-01-27T11:17:00.002-05:00

I made this last night and it was amazing. Rave reviews from all who tried it. If you have an immersion blender that's the way to go with this soup. It saves so much hassle of putting the soup in the blender in shifts. Give it a try and add a few chopped pieces of jalepeno for some zip!

8 cups water

8 bullion cubes

2-3 chicken breasts, whole

1 can chopped green chilis

1 large onion, chopped

5 medium potatoes, chopped (no need to peel)

1/2 a butternut squash, chopped and seeded

1 red pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 t. salt

2 t. cumin

Boil above ingredients in large pot on medium low for 3-4 hours (you could do it higher temp and faster if you don't care about the tenderness of the chicken). Make sure veggies are chopped but chicken breasts are whole. Once tender, remove chicken and chop/shred into bitesize pieces. Blend remaining ingredients until smooth (this is where the immersion blender comes in handy.)

To the remaining, mix in:

1 c. sour cream

1 c. white beans (great northern)

1 T. taco seasoning

Return cubed chicken and stir over low heat. Serve with chopped tomato, green onion and shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Black Bean Soup with Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream

2010-01-27T11:16:00.001-05:00

This soup was awesome but the trick really is the immersion blender. I borrowed one to make this and another soup but I'm almost converted enough to buy one. I think I will look at a garage sale though because I think people get rid of them quite often (example, my mom, my grandma and my sister all have in the last 2 years.... bummer.)

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz.) package dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups) or 5 cans (15 oz.) black beans
1 lb. bacon, chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
3/4 cup finely chopped leeks
10 cups canned chicken broth
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 jalapeno chili, minced, seeds removed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (I used sherry)
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:
3/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover by 3 inches. Let stand overnight. Drain and rinse well. Cook bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until done, about 8 minutes. Do not drain drippings. Add beans, chicken broth, tomato, cilantro, parsley, garlic, jalapeno, sherry or vinegar and cumin. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer soup until beans are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.

(If you use canned beans, which is perfectly fine!, then just simmer for an hour.)

If you have an immersion blender, process until slightly chunky puree forms. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (If you don't have an immersion blender, for Heaven's sake, go out and treat yourself to one - they are amazing! In the meantime, working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and process until slightly chunky and pureed.) Ladle soup into bowls. Place dollop of sour cream mixture atop soup.

Arica's SOFT gingersnaps

2009-12-26T15:43:00.003-05:00

Cream:

1.5 cups margerine

2 cups sugar

Add:

2 eggs (beat well after each)

1/2 cup molasses

Mix in:

5 cups flour

4 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

1.5 tsp. cloves

Form:

into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar, flatten with cup, then:

Bake:

Bake at 350 for

4 min. 15 sec lower rack

4 min 15 sec upper rack

*this is important. Just do it.

Chicken Rolls

2009-12-26T15:39:00.002-05:00

List 1

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

6-8 oz cream cheese (beaten)

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

1/2 cup-1 cup sliced mushrooms

List 2

1 cup milk

bread crumbs

pillsbury crescent rolls (16)

Mix together list 1 ingredients and spoon into center of crescent rolls.

Roll up and dip in melted butter and roll in seasoned bread crumbs (or stove top stuffing)

BAKE at 375 for 20-30 min.

After you bake, top with heated cream of chicken soup (with 1/2- 1 cup milk added to thin...)

Brittany's Oreo Truffles

2009-12-23T15:27:00.003-05:00

"I hate to give away the recipe b/c it's so easy, you won't be as impressed with my mad skills!" ~ Brittany

Ingredients

1 pkg. Oreos
8 oz. cream cheese
melting chocolates (or chocolate chips)

Crush the Oreos pretty fine and save 1/2 or so out of the bowl.
Soften the cream cheese and mix the two together until they form an ugly dough.
Roll them into balls and put them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.
Melt a bag of melting chocolates (or chocolate chips, but I find the melting chips so much easier to use and you can do pretty colors!)
Roll the balls in the choc. and top with a few of the leftover Oreo crumbs and then put them in the *fridge until ready to serve.

"I find that Michael's almost always has the melting chocolates on sale, or you can use the coupon and then it's cheaper than at Meijer and they have more colors."

* I have to put them out in the cold garage or else I eat them before the party!

Amy's Baklava

2009-12-14T22:07:00.003-05:00

These went like wildfire at our ward's Christmas party - A Night in Bethlehem. Kind of tricky to make if you've never used phyllo dough. Consider using a titch more honey to help them stick together better.

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup honey

Boil sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Turn heat down and add honey and vanilla. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of a half sheet pan.
Chop pecans and cinnamon in food processor. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut as needed so it will fit in the pan. Place two sheets of dough side by side in the pan (to cover the bottom of the pan). Brush with butter. Repeat until you have 8 layers of phyllo. Sprinkle ¼ of the nut mixture on top. Top with two layers of dough (butter between the layers.) Continue layering until you have four layers of nuts. Layer the remaining dough on top, buttering between each of the layers (the top should be about 6-8 sheets thick). Brush the top layer with butter for nice browning.
Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava (usually into squares or diamonds.) Be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom.
Bake for 45-50 minutes (until the top is a nice golden brown). Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the top. Let cool, then cut through.

Decadent Chocolate and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie

2009-11-30T12:12:00.001-05:00

I love this new food blog. This winner pie recipe is from www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com.

Graham Cracker Crust:
12 to 14 whole graham crackers, crushed (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups crumbs)
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Dark Chocolate Layer:
¾ cup heavy cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Peanut Butter Mousse Filling:
½ cup sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups milk
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup creamy or chunky peanut butter

Topping and Decoration:
Sweetened whipped cream
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter, stir until well blended. Using the palm of your hand, press the moistened crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9- or 10-inch pie plate. Bake in the center of the oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the crust turns lightly golden. Set the pie crust on a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the chocolate layer: In a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until it just comes to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust, smoothing it over the bottom and slightly up the sides. Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is firm.

Prepare the mousse: In a heavy medium-size saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add ½ cup milk and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk and the egg yolks and whisk until smooth. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until the custard comes to a boil. Still whisking, boil for 1 minute until very thick. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter. Pour the mousse into the baked pie crust. Chill for 1 hour, or until firm. Before serving, decorate the pie with whipped cream and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake

2009-11-30T10:58:00.001-05:00

Ok, best pumpkin cheesecake EVER! If you're looking for a good recipe, this one is GREAT. It won a prize at my work's Chili Cookoff. :)

INGREDIENTS…
CRUST:
- 1 1/2 cup thin chocolate wafer cookie crumbs(about 30 cookies)
**I used chocolate graham crackers for this, it worked and was cheaper!
-1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

FILLING:
-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
-1 can(15 oz) pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)
-4 packages(8 oz) cream cheese, softened
-1 cup packed brown sugar
-2/3 cup granulated sugar
-5 eggs

TOPPING:
-1/2 cup chopped pecans
-2 oz bittersweet baking chocolate
**I used semi-sweet chocolate chips
-caramel topping
**I just bought the one you can put over ice cream

INSTRUCTIONS…
-heat oven to 300 degrees. Wrap foil around outside of bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan to avoid drips. Spray bottom and 1 inch up side of pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press crumb mixture on bottom and 1" up side of pan. Bake crust 8-10 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 5 minutes. Refrigerate about 5 minutes or until cooled off.

-Meanwhile, in another small bowl, mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin; set aside. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Gradually beat in pumpkin mixture until smooth. Pour filling over crust.
**This makes a very tall cheesecake. I didn't end up using every last drop of the filling, because I was nervous it would overflow. I would fill the pan up to about 1/4" below the rim.

-Bake 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until edge of cheesecake is set but center still jiggles slightly when moved. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Turn oven off; open oven door at lease 4 inches. Let cheesecake remain in oven 30 minutes.
**I would really monitor how it is baking, I left mine in the oven for 1 hour 25 minutes, and it was still a little too soft in the middle. But, my oven wasn't so great.

-Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

-Just before serving. sprinkle pecans over top of cheesecake. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate and oil uncovered on high 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted. Drizzle chocolate over pecans.
**I pour the melted chocolate in a plastic sandwich bag, and with scissors cut a tip of a corner off. Then you can be creative with the way you drizzle it. I also, before this point, took it out of it's springform pan so the chocolate would drizzle over the sides - I think it looks better that way.

-To serve, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake; carefully remove side of pan. Drizzle caramel topping over top of cheesecake.

Enjoy!! :-)

Ashley's Pumpkin Bars

2009-11-10T14:26:00.001-05:00

4 eggs 2 c. sugar
1 c. veg. oil 2 c. canned pumpkin
2 c. flour 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp soda
3/4 tsp salt 1 c. chopped nuts or 1 c. raisins (optional- I don't use either I like them plain)

Grease a 15 by 10 jelly roll pan. In a bowl beat eggs until foamy. Add sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Beat for 2 min on med speed. Add flour, baking powder, soda, salt, & cinnamon, beat 1 min at low speed. Stir in nuts. Pour into pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1 pkg 3 oz cream cheese softened
1/3 c. margarine or butter, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, margarine, milk, and vanilla until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, blend until smooth. Spread over cooled bars. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Moist Cornbread

2009-10-20T14:34:00.002-04:00

I made this recipe this weekend and I swear the whole pan was gone in five minutes. It is YUMMY!

2 cups Bisquick
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
½ tsp. baking soda
4-5 heaping Tbsp. yellow cornmeal
3 eggs
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, melted
Mix together in ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serves 12.
Enjoy! (Compliments of Sheena S.)

Noelle's notes:
I really did mix this all in the pan and it worked. Totally saves you from washing a bowl. It would work in a bowl to and may be a little simpler, but then you'd just have one more dish to wash.

The tasty parts are obviously the 1 c. of sugar and the 1 c. of butter, so it's relaly more like a corn cake, but it is delicious and it is definitely worth trying!

Eclairs

2009-10-04T13:56:00.001-04:00

Just a recipe I found online and had great success with. Made them in heart shapes for Valentine's and they were a smash hit!

* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 4 eggs
* Vanilla Cream Filling
* 1 small box instant vanilla pudding
* 1 cup milk
* 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate Glaze

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place butter in a medium saucepan, add water, salt and sugar. Bring to boiling, stirring until butter melts. Add flour all at once stirring vigorously. Cook and stir til mixture forms a ball that doesn't separate. Remove from heat: cool 10 minutes, Add eggs one at a time to flour mixture beating with a wooden spoon after each addition for about one minute or till smooth.
3. Drop batter from a spoon onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Leave 3 inches between puffs to allow for expansion. Bake in 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove puffs from pan. Cool on a rack
4. Slice off the tops or cut in half, and wit a fork gently scrape out any moist dough. Work carefully so that you do not puncture the crust.
5. Vanilla Cream Directions
6. Whip the whipping cream and set aside
7. Beat pudding mix and milk, then fold in the whipped cream and vanilla.
8. Fill puff pastry with filling and apply the top.
9. Drizzle with melted chocolate glaze

Chocolate Glaze

Microwave morsels and whipping cream at HIGH in a 2-cup glass measuring cup 30 seconds to 1 minute or until melted, stirring twice. Whisk in butter until blended, and spoon immediately over eclairs.

*Can substitute vanilla filling for whipping cream w/powdered sugar and vanilla for a lighter filling.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

2009-09-28T14:37:00.003-04:00

Ingredients
6 eggs
4 cups sugar
2 cups oil
4-5 cups shredded zucchini
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (12 ounce) package miniature chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat together eggs, sugar and oil.
Add zucchini and remaining ingredients, mixing well.
Bake in 4 well-greased loaf pans for about one hour.
Freezes well, if there's any left after your family goes through the kitchen.

I lifted this verbatim from a recipe website, but now I can't remember which one! Sorry. Rick wasn't convinced he'd like it based on the name, but once he tried it, the zucchini bread loaf was not long for the counter.

Mexican Grilled Corn

2009-07-10T14:22:00.002-04:00

Although the ingredients sound a bit strange, this was the best corn I've ever eaten.

Ingredients:
corn
mayonnaise
lime
chili powder
olive oil

1. Peel the corn husks back, but don't tear off. Tie them with string or floss so they become the corn's handle once cooked.
2. spread mayonnaise on corn, then sprinkle on chili powder.
3. Place on grill, turning every 2-3 minutes and brushing a little oil on each of the four sides to prevent sticking.
4. Remove when nicely blackened (not burnt) and squeeze lime juice on, or run a lime wedge across it to taste.
5. Get ready to be amazed!

Crème Brule French Toast

2009-06-02T14:59:00.001-04:00

Oh yum. You won't be sorry you tried this! I could literally eat this on a daily basis if it weren't so bad for me!

1 stick (1/2 C) butter
1 C packed brown sugar
2 T corn syrup
24 small croissants
5 large eggs
1 ½ C half and half
2 t vanilla
¼ t salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cut croissants into 1 inch pieces. Arrange croissant pieces snugly into baking dish over sugar mixture.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla and salt until well combined and pour evenly over bread. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until most of egg mixture is soaked up by the croissants.
Bake at 350° 35-40 minutes, until puffed and golden.
*Best served with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Courtesy of Laurie A.

Grandpa’s Buttermilk Merengues (Pancakes)

2009-05-13T16:42:00.002-04:00

This is a family recipe originating from my grandpa. He always made these at every family get together I can remember. They are light and fluffy and delicious and on our most recent get together my dad announced that he thinks they should have the word Meringue in the title since you have to whip the egg whites. From henceforth, in our immediate family they will be known as:

Buttermilk Merengues (said like the dance...)

Mix in pitcher:
3 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 T sugar
Make a well—stir in
3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
½ cube margarine, melted
Cook at 375 degree griddle (HOT), makes 24 4” pancakes

Make sure to make it with this delicious

Buttermilk Syrup
½ C buttermilk
1 C sugar
½ C margarine
½ t soda
1 t vanilla

Bring buttermilk, sugar and margarine to a boil. Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla. Stir. The mixture will become very bubbly. Serve immediately.
Note: This syrup does not store well.

Mike's Light Crisp Waffles

2009-03-31T14:23:00.001-04:00

Trust me, you're gonna love these!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. oil
2 large eggs (separated)
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla

Directions:
Mix flour. cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix buttermilk, milk and oil and egg yolk, set aside. Beat egg whites to soft peaks. mix wet and dry til just mixed and fold in egg whites. Make waffles!

Lina's Fruit Pizza

2009-02-25T10:09:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
1-2 cans pillsbury sugar cookie dough
2 (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla or almond extract
Fruit (strawberries, kiwi, peaches, blueberries, bananas, raspberries, mandarin oranges)

Glaze:
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
1 C. OJ
1/4 c. lemon juice
3 T cornstarch

Directions:
Slice cookie dough rolls and press circles together on a pizza pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350. Cool and then blend the cream cheese, powdered sugar and extract together and spread on cookie. Layer fruit aesthetically on top. Boil water, OJ, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Cook one minute and then cool and paint fruit.

noelle's tips:
1. the glaze makes a ton so don't feel like you have to use all of it. Or cut down accordingly.
2. silicone pastry brush works GREAT for painting fruit.
3. mixing cornstarch with water (by shaking) first before boiling helps get all the lumps out.
4. If you're going for budget, buy canned peaches. :) If not, get certain fruits that have to ripen a few days in advance.

Courtesy of Lina Jackson

Awesome Black Bean Salsa - a la Joni

2009-02-24T15:40:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
3-5 Roma Tomatoes
2-3 Avocado's
1 Can of White Shoe peg corn
1 Can of Black eye Susan beans
3 Green onions

(chop tomato, avacado and green onions)

Dressing:
3 Tbs of Water
1/4 Cup of Vinegar
2 Tbs of Olive oil
1 package of Italian dressing

It usually taste better after sitting in the fridge for a couple of hours to add flavor to the tomatoes. Also add the avocados right before serving so they won't go brown.

World's Best Snickerdoodles

2009-02-16T13:52:00.001-05:00

1 C shortening

1 C butter

3 C sugar

4 eggs

4 t cream of tartar

2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

5 1/2 C flour

Beat first 4 ingredients on high for 2-3 minutes, until dough looks light and fluffy. Add remaining ingredients, BARELY mix in so cookies will be fluffy. Roll 1 1/4 inch dough balls in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake at 4oo degrees for about 8 minutes, until the cookies are barely turning golden and the cookies are still underbaked. So yummy!!

*This recipe makes a lot of dough, so roll extra dough into balls and freeze until solid on a cookies sheet. When the dough balls are frozen, store in a ziploc in the freezer until you're ready to use them. Let them thaw for a minute before baking--just until they will allow the cinnamon and sugar to stick to them. Bake as usual--you may have to adjust the cooking time slightly.

Laurie's Secret Ghiradelli Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2009-02-16T13:50:00.000-05:00

1 C butter, softened
½ C sugar
¾ C brown sugar, packed
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1 C flour
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
3 c old-fashioned oats
12 oz chocolate chips

Beat butter with sugars at a medium speed until creamy and light. Add egg & vanilla, combine well. Stir in dry ingredients minus oats, and add to sugar/butter mixture. After mixing well, stir in oats. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake 8 minutes, at 375° and cool on wire cooling racks. Store in airtight container.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

2009-01-07T15:30:00.001-05:00

This is my new favorite cheesecake. Ellie makes it so superbly, I have to say mine didn't turn out anything as good as hers, so I guess it just takes practice. It's sort of a creamy orange cheesecake with an oreo base and ganache topping. Divine!

Ingredients:
1 TBSP softened butter
3 TBSP chocolate wafer cookie crumbs
3 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. sour cream
4 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/2 c. orange marmalade
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
heavy-duty foil for pan

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 325. Brush interior of a 9-inch springform pan with butter. Add cookie crumbs and tilt pan in all directions to evenly coat. Tear off two long strips of foil, overlap in a cross pattern, and set the pan in the middle. Bring up sides, crimping around exterior top of the pan and forming a tight seal. Set it in a roasting pan large enough to hold it.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down bowl sides and beat again until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition to ensure a creamy batter. Slowly beat in vanilla, then cream and sour cream. Stir in orange zest and marmalade. (Meanwhile, bring a medium-sized pot of water to boil, then turn off heat.)

Pour batter into prepared pan. Set the roasting pan on oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until cake perimeter is set but center still jiggles, about 40 minutes. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar; let cheesecake sit in oven so the residual heat continues to cook it, about 30 min.

Remove pan from water; set on a wire rack. Let cool to room temperature. While cheesecake is cooling, slip a piece of wax paper or foil under the rack to catch drips. Microwave 1/2 c. heavy cream and 4 oz. chocolate in a microwave safe bowl until cream is hot enough to melt chocolate, about 1 min. Whisk to make a smooth glaze. Pour over warm cheesecake, continue to cool cake, then refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours (can be up to 4 days). Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan, loosen the spring siding, and serve.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Apricot Relish

2009-01-07T15:28:00.001-05:00

Ellie and Bryan passed on this delicious relish recipe that we ate twice over the Christmas break. It's a new favorite and oh so easy. :)

1 (12 oz) bag fresh cranberries
1 (6 oz) bag dried apricots (chopped)
2 cups orange juice
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup water

Heat all the above to a boil and then simmer 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over ham.

Nollie's Amazing Spinach Salad

2009-01-07T15:27:00.001-05:00

6 slices of bacon (real or turkey), fried crisp and crumbled - you can always use more, if you'd like

Whisk in salad bowl:
1 clove minced garlic (I love garlic, so I usually do two)
2 T olive oil
2 T sour cream
2 T fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
1 t raw sugar (I haven't ever tried it with regular sugar, but it would probably be fine)
1/2 lb. spinach

Toss spinach with dressing, bacon, and 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

The BEST Sweet Potato Casserole

2009-01-07T15:25:00.001-05:00

This sweet potato casserole is also leftover from Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I haven't eaten it in four years, but I loved it more than any other sweet potato dish I've ever eaten.

6-8 cooked yams
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 cube butter
2 eggs
beat and whip in 2 qt casserole dish

topping:
1 c. finely chopped pecans
1 c. powder sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter

combine & put on yams
cook at 350 for 30 mins

Pomegranate Jello Salad

2009-01-07T15:24:00.001-05:00

This recipe is leftover from Thanksgiving. It is a new favorite! Just make sure to whisk the cream cheese in while it's warm to prevent white chunks!!

1 lg pkg raspberry jello -get ready
8 oz cream cheese
2 cans crushed pineapple
1 pomegranate (seeds)

Combine cream cheese, prepared warm jello, pineapple and pomegranate seeds. Refrigerate & serve with whipped topping. (I like to put whipped topping over the whole pan before serving.)

Baked Potato Soup

2008-12-15T20:13:00.002-05:00

I always cook extra baked or mashed potatoes so I can have this meal ready to whip up later on in the week. It is a real wintertime winner! Delicious served in bread bowls along side a green salad.

Serves: 4 (1 3/4 cups per serving)

4 medium baked potatoes
2 slices bacon
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup green onions with tops, thinly sliced
1 can (14 1/2 oz) chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Remove skins from baked potatoes and coarsely mash.
2. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve 1/2 to 1 tsp drippings in the pan.
3. Chop celery, thinly slice green onions. Add chicken broth, milk, mashed potatoes, celery, onions, garlic, salt and pepper to drippings in pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
4. Stir in sour cream and reserved bacon. Ladle soup into bowls and shred cheese over each serving.

Courtesy of Pampered Chef

Marshmallow Fondue

2008-12-04T16:02:00.002-05:00

So, I don't think I've ever had more people ask me for a recipe in such a short period of time. We had fondue night last night and, this was my contribution:

1 bag mini marshmallows
1/2 c. whipping cream
1 t. almond extract

Stir until melted. Enjoy!

Super easy, super tasty.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Pesto

2008-10-14T16:50:00.001-04:00

This was delicious and definitely one I'd make again. I'd go as far as to say it was the best tomato soup I've ever eaten. I'd for sure serve with grilled cheese. :)

1 (32 oz) container chicken broth (I'll sometimes use 14 oz and water)
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion (or something similar)
1 cup half-and-half cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. basil pesto

I blend the two cans of diced tomatoes together while bringing the broth to a boil. Once the broth is brought to a boil, boil it until reduced by about 2/3-1/2. Then add the blended tomatoes to the broth and return to a simmer. Pour in the half-and-half, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if you'd like and add the basil pesto once you're ready to serve. You can get the basil pesto in the refrigerated section.

Grandma B's Oriental Pot Roast

2008-10-13T15:39:00.001-04:00

We have had this for two Sunday meals this month and can't say enough good things about it. Super easy, super tasty and makes great leftovers even! Thanks Natalie for getting me the recipe!

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

4 lb. pot roast

2 tsp crisco

1 cup water

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp vinegar

1 1/2 tsp celery seed

1 tsp ginger

2 tbsp cornstarch

Combine garlic, salt, mustard, pepper and rub on roast. Brown meat in fat. Combine 3/4 C water, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, celery seed and ginger. Pour over meat. Simmer covered for 2 hours until tender. Remove from heat. Skim fat. Blend cornstarch in 1/4 C cold water. Stir into drippings and cook until thickened. Enjoy!!!

Natalie's German Apple Cake

2008-10-06T14:38:00.000-04:00

This was the hit of the BYU game party. Thanks again for making it Noelle--delicious. I like to serve it with ice cream, to cut the sweetness.

Cream together:
2 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar

Combine:
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon

Add:
4 cups thinly sliced tart (like Granny Smith) apples
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Batter will be very stiff. Pour batter into 13x9-inch greased and floured pan. Bake in 375-degree preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes.

Frosting:
1 6-oz pkg. softened cream cheese
1 1/2 cups (or more) powdered sugar
1 tbsp. softened butter
1 tbsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth. Cool cake before frosting. May garnish with chopped nuts, if desired.

Red Lentil Soup

2008-09-29T15:24:00.001-04:00

Here's another of Natalie's winners. I haven't tasted it yet, but she says it's a great one (and I trust her!) Plus, it's soup season, why not break out a few new recipes!

Here's that recipe:

1 c red lentils
4 c water
2 T butter
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/4 c celery chopped (I didn't have any of this)
2 T garlic minced
1 medium tomato chopped
2 c chicken broth or veg broth
1/4 c diced green pepper
1 T tabasco
1/8 tsp tumeric
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne (I didn't add this since Zoe was eating it, too)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp chili powder

Bring 2 cups water and lentils to a boil. Turn off heat. Saute onions and celery in butter (in separate pan) until soft. Add garlic and tomatoes. Saute 5 minutes. Add broth, 2 cups water and seasonings. Bring to boil. Add lentils (and water they are in). Cook 15 minutes. Add green peppers just before serving.

Strawberry Walnut Salad

2008-09-29T15:22:00.002-04:00

Whenever we go to Michigan, Natalie always has a fabulous new recipe to show us. Over Easter it was this delicious salad. Trust me, it's excellent!

Romaine, cut into bite size pieces
Strawberries, sliced
Walnuts, chopped and candied

Vinagrette:
1/2 c oil
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika

Chicken Satay

2008-09-23T10:38:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless chicken breast
1 c. unsweetened coconut milk
2 T. brown sugar
2 T fish sauce?
1 T ground coriander seed
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. turmeric
wooden skewers, soaked for 1 hr

Combine coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce, coriander, cumin and turmeric in large bowl and stir well to dissolve sugar. Slice meat into thin strips (1/4 in. thick and 3 in. long) Add meat to coconut milk marinade and refrigerate covered at least 2 hours. Preheat broiler or a grill. Thread 1 or 2 pieces of meat onto each skewer. Grill or broil meat for 4-6 minutes per side or until cooked through. Makes about 10 skewers.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 T brown sugar
1 T red curry paste
1 T fish sauce
1 t. grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. peanut butter

In small saucepan, combine coconut milk, brown sugar, curry paste, fish sauce, ginger and garlic over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the peanut butter. Cook for 3 more minutes or until peanut butter is well blended. Serve warm. Makes 2 1/3 cups.

Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine

Yummy Gyros

2008-09-23T10:31:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs ground lamb
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. fresh oregano (1/2 t. dried)
1 t. fresh rosemary (1/4 t. dried)
1 t. cumin
1 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
pita bread
lettuce
tomato, sliced
red onion, thinly sliced
Tzatziki
mint leaves

Directions:
Heat 2 T of oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook until translucent, about two minutes. Add garlic and cook another two minutes. Transfer onion mixture into bowl and let it cool. Add lamb, lemon juice, oregano, rosemary, cumin , salt and pepper to inion mixture and mix well.

Form the meat into 8 thin patties, each about 2/12 inches in diameter. Heat remaining oil in saute pan over medium high heat. Add lamb patties and cook for about five minutes or until juices run clear, flipping patties halfway through. Fill each pita pocket with meat patty, lettuce tomato, red onion, tztsiki and mint leaves. Makes 8 gyros

Tzatziki recipe:
2 c. plain yogurt
1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper

strain yogurt (coffee filter, colander in refrigerator for 3 hours for thicker sauce.) When yogurt is ready, grate cucumber and place it in strainer, squeeze cucumber to release some of its liquid. Place yogurt in bowl and add cucumber and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. makes about 2 1/4 cups.

Courtesy of Family Fun magazine.

Tasty Taco Fillings

2008-09-23T10:27:00.003-04:00

Here is another winner (well, at least it looks like a winner) from Family Fun.

Chicken:
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. minced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 serrano chili, minced
1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
3 1/2 c. shredded cooked chicken
12 flour tortillas

Beef:
1 T. veg. oil
3/4 c. minced onion
1 garlic clove
2 t. cumin
2 t. chili powder
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 T tomato paste
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
12 flour tortillas

Ingredients:
Heat oil in large skillet and add onion, garlic and chili. Saute about six minutes. Add tomato sauce, cumin and salt and continue to cook about one minute. Add chicken/beef and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve in tortillas and top with guacamole, cheese, tomato and lettuce

Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine

Spicy Green Beans with Pork

2008-09-23T10:20:00.002-04:00

My mom personally requested this recipe out of the Family Fun magazine for October. I'll admit I've never tried it, but when I do, I'm going to opt for the less spicy route...

Ingredients:
1 lb pork tenderloin
3 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 c. chicken stock
1 T spicy bean sauce
1 T hoisin sauce
1 1/2 t. chili garlic sauce
1 1/2 t. sugar
1 t. sesame oil
2 t. cornstarch
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 lb green beans (trimmed and snapped in half)
3 garlic cloves
1 pice fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 c. toated sesame seeds

Directions: Shave pork into thin strips. In small bowl, toss shaved pork with 2 T soy sauce, 1 T rice wine and the pepper. Marinate pork at room temperature while assembling the rest of the ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining tablespoon of soy sauce, the remaining tablespoon of rice wine, the stock, spicy bean sauce, hoisin, chili garlic sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch and set aside.

Heat wok or frying pan over medium high heat and add oil. Stir fry the beans until they begin to brown and blister (10 mins). Remove beans using slotted spoon and pour off all but 2 T of the oil.

Return the pan to the heat and add pork, garlic and ginger. Stir fry mixture until pork is no longer pink, about three minutes. Add green onions and cook for 1 minute. Add reserved sauce and green beans. Mix well and cook until sauce begins to thicken, about one minute. Finally, sprinkle sesame seeds on before serving. Makes about five cups.

Courtesy of Family Fun Magazine.

Homemade Guacamole

2008-07-16T10:49:00.002-04:00

Amy taught me how to make this great avacado at our trip to the Smoky Mountains over the fourth. It is easy and a big hit!

Ingredients:
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 - 1 onion, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, snipped
2 t. lime juice
1 t. salt
1 avacado, mashed

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except avacado, and get yourself a very tasty pico de gallo. Add mashed avacado and salt/lime juice to taste. Eat all in one day or the avacado will go bad.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2008-07-06T16:45:00.002-04:00

Measure 2 cups crushed strawberries (room temperature) into large bowl.
Measure 4 cups sugar into medium bowl (exact measurements are necessary for a good set).
Stir sugar into fruit and set aside for 10 min. Stir occasionally.
Stir 1 box Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin and 3/4 cup water in small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Stir pectin mixture into fruit mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes.
Pour quickly into clean plastic containers (or jars) within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off container edges and cover with lids.
Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours to set.
For immediate use, store in fridge. Freeze remaining jam up to one year.

Amanda's Famous Green Tomatillo Salsa

2008-07-03T13:33:00.001-04:00

In the fiesta flat, we'd have regular parties (hence the name...fiesta...) One of the amazing parties we girls threw was a salsa bash. That was the first time I tasted this most amazing green salsa. Amanda has since made it for me a couple of times but I have never made it for myself. Next opportunity, I'm there!

Without further ado:

1 lb tomatillos, shucked, washed and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro washed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (to taste)
1-3 jalepeno peppers (to taste
Blend it all up in a food processor or blender, and serve!

Barb's Chicken Won Ton Salad

2008-06-23T11:16:00.003-04:00

My piano teacher growing up has the best recipe for this chicken won ton salad. We've made it twice in the last two weeks and I'm thrilled to have leftover for lunch today! (just not looking forward to soggy won-tons....) When I made it for dinner last week Phil told me that it was the best salad he'd ever eaten. He even helped himself to seconds (that's saying a lot for someone who didn't eat salad before we were married...) So, thank you Barb C for this fantastic recipe!)

Won Ton Chicken Salad
2 c. cooked chicken (small chunks)
2 heads romaine lettuce
1/4 c. sesame seeds, toasted
3 green onions, snipped
2 stalks celery, cut THIN, on the diagonal
cherry tomatoes (optional)
won ton wrappers, slice with pizza slicer into strips and deep fry to desired crispness

dressing:
1/4 c. oil
4 t. rice vinegar
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. seasoning salt

ENJOY! (I know you will)

Egg Rolls--From a Chinese Person

2008-06-20T16:10:00.002-04:00

4 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten
1 bag of slaw (shredded carrots and cabbage)
1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
1 pound ground pork
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (14 ounce) package egg roll wrappers
1 egg white, beaten
4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

1. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Pour in beaten eggs and cook, without stirring, until firmed. Flip the eggs over and cook for an additional 20 seconds to firm the other side. Set egg pancake aside to cool, then slice into thin strips.

2. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Stir in cabbage and carrot; cook for 2 minutes to wilt. Add mushroom, pork, green onions, soy sauce, salt, sugar; continue cooking until the vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Stir in sliced egg, then spread mixture out onto a pan, and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

3. To assemble the egg rolls, place a wrapper onto your work surface with one corner pointing towards you. Place about 3 tablespoons of cooled filling in a heap onto the bottom third of the wrapper. Brush a little beaten egg white onto the top two edges of the wrapper, then fold the bottom corner over the filling and roll firmly to the halfway point. Fold the left and right sides snugly over the egg roll, then continue rolling until the top corners seal the egg roll with the egg white. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers, covering finished egg rolls with plastic wrap to keep from drying out.

4. Heat about 6-inches of oil in a wok or deep-fryer to 350 degrees F

5. Fry egg rolls 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Courtesy of Allrecipes

Thai Lettuce Wraps

2008-06-20T15:48:00.002-04:00

These are one of my very favorite things to get at the Cheesecake Factory-- and lucky for me, my friend Laurie A had a recipe for them!!! Try them out! Check the italics for my additions.

Ingredients:
1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. plus 1 ½ Teaspoons peanut oil, divided
¾ cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and diced
1 Tbsp minced fresh gingerroot

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce
1 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups shredded carrots
½ cup julienned green onions
1 1/2 cups of bean sprouts, rinsed
12 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (don’t forget to toast!)

In a large nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 Tbsp. oil for 3 minutes; drain. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and ginger, cook 4-6 minutes longer or until chicken juices run clear. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and remaining oil.

Set out lettuce leaves, carrots, chicken, onions, bean sprouts and any other desired toppings on a platter with the sauces nearby. Let guests create their own.

* I like the grilled feel for the chicken, so you could try marinating the chicken in some soy/teriyaki combo and then grilling it before cutting it into strips. Also, at Cheesecake factory they serve them with these Asian noodley things too...not sure where to get those.

Best Blueberry Muffins

2008-06-19T15:51:00.002-04:00

Anyone else in the mood for some blueberry muffins? I've been craving them a lot lately. That and strawberry rhubarb pie. We'll see if we can't find a great recipe for that and stick it up here too!

This recipe is from Wondertime and it claims that they freeze beautifully and also work well as raspberry muffins if you want to substitute those for the blueberries.

Makes 24

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
16 ounces sour cream
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
2 tablespoons sugar

Heat oven to 375.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with muffin-cup liners. This recipe won't work without them. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs with sour cream until thoroughly combined. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together butter and brown sugar, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then beat this mixture into egg mixture. Stir in oats.

Fold in flour mixture and then — very gently — fold in berries. Fill muffin cups about three-quarters full. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar onto the top of each muffin.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until edges are medium brown and tops are firm.

Cool for 5 minutes, then remove muffins (in their papers) and finish cooling on rack.

Put the Lime in the Coconut Cake

2008-04-25T15:34:00.002-04:00

So my friend Melanie (who is an amazing cook by the way!) just posted this recipe for a lime coconut cake and I wanted to be sure to record it because this kind of thing is right up my alley. I haven't tried it yet, but believe me, it won't be long! She got it from the food network and a lady named Doreen Howarth. Here is the recipe, with some of Mel's magical touch:

Cake: (don't you dare use a coconut flavored box mix. The cake is A-MAZING and not too time consuming to make from scratch.)

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut milk

Lime Glaze:

1 cup sour cream or yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup shredded coconut

Icing: (if you're making an actual layer cake, you may need all of the icing this recipe calls for. If you're just going to frost the top of the cake, 1/2 or even 1/4 of this amount will be enough.)

1 cup butter
4 ounces cream cheese
1 pound box plus 1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

In an electric mixer or using a hand beater, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add coconut extract and eggs 1 at a time. In a mixing bowl or on a sheet of parchment paper, combine flour, salt, baking soda and powder. To mixer add coconut milk and flour to creamed mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes then unmold onto rack(s) over a sheet pan and allow to cool completely.

For Glaze: In a medium bowl combine sour cream or yogurt, sugar, lime zest and juice, coconut milk, shredded coconut. With a bamboo skewer, poke holes in cake and spread glaze on both sides of both cakes. Cover with plastic wrap, chill until ready to frost cake.

For Icing: In an electric mixer or using a hand mixer beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar gradually at low speed. Beat in coconut milk and vanilla. Frost cake. Coat top and sides with shredded coconut.

Invite friends over to eat this cake with you, because if you don't, you may just end up eating the whole thing by yourself.