Kari's Food Place

Raspberry Bread Pudding

2012-02-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

Raspberry Bread Pudding Recipe

1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread

1 qt. heavy cream

3 C. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

5 C. raspberries, fresh or frozen (hers were fresh)

1 C. sugar

1/2 C. apple juice

In a large bowl mix the cream, sugar, egg and vanilla.

Cut bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes and add to cream mixture,

coating the bread well. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring every

5 minutes to allow cream to absorb.

Mix the raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring

until sugar is dissolved.

Layer a 9x13 inch baking pan 3/4 full with the bread mix

and pour fruit filling over the bread mix, spreading evenly.

Top with the remaining bread. Bake 40 minutes at 375.

Serve warm topped with vanilla cream sauce.

(If you want it to cut into nice squares you can chill

it and then cut it into squares, then microwave it

for 20-25 seconds per piece and top with sauce.)

Vanilla Cream Sauce

1 1/3 C. butter

5 T. flour

3 C. heavy cream

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp vanilla

2/3 C. sugar

Melt butter in medium saucepan and add flour. Stir

10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add

salt, cream and sugar until mix is thick. Remove from heat

and stir in vanilla. Serve warm over the pudding.

Nana-Sour Cream Bars

2012-02-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here is another Donette recipe. Elijah liked these and he wants me to make them for the Blue and Gold Banquet next week. And I think they will be perfect because they were addicting.

NANA-SOUR CREAM BARS

1-1/2 cups Sugar

1 cup Dairy sour cream

1/2 cup Margarine or butter, softened

2 large Eggs

1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 large)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

Vanilla Glaze (recipe below)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, sour cream, margarine, and eggs in large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 1 minute. Beat in bananas, and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 1 minute. Spread in greased and floured jelly roll pan, 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 inch. Bake until light brown, 20-25 minutes; COOL. Frost with vanilla glaze.

VANILLA GLAZE

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp hot water

Mix powdered sugar, margarine or butter, softened, vanilla and hot water together. Stir in 1 to 2 tsp. additional hot water until smooth and of desired consistency.

Cheeseball

2012-02-17T12:05:00.001-08:00

My mom made some recipes for Super Bowl that she got from her boss, Donette. Her bosses name is said, Don-ette, but for some reason I think it looks like Donut, or doughnut. And then I want to go to Krispy Kreme. Yum.

Anyway, here is her cheeseball recipe:

Cheeseball

1 Jar Kraft Old English Cheese
2 Packages of cream cheese
1/3 cup (or more) of grated mild cheddar cheese (I always do more-up to
3/4 a cup)
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon of garlic salt
1/2 Teaspoon of onion salt
1 small can of shrimp (omit if there is any possibility of an allergy) (I omit anyway. Not a huge shrimp fan.)

Blend everything except shrimp with a mixer. Gently mix in shrimp at the
end.
Refrigerate.

Another Green Enchilada Sauce

2012-01-18T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hey Karyn, I found a recipe for Cafe Rio's Mild Sauce. Your welcome.

For the sauce:
1 small can diced green chilies
1 7 oz. can Salsa Verde (I used "Embasa" brand)
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm. You can also refrigerate it overnight after simmering if you are making it in advance. Reheat in the small saucepan before serving.

Cream Soup Mix

2012-01-10T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 c. instant non-fat dry milk

2 tbsp. onion flakes

1 tsp. basil and thyme

1/4 c. chicken bouillon

3/4 c. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. pepper

Preparation:

To reconstitute for one can soup add 1/3 cup mix with 1 1/4 cup water. You can add celery or broccoli for cream of celery soup same for mushroom soup. Heat until thick as soup. Makes 3 cups or 9 cans soups. Mix thoroughly and store in cool dry place.

Chocolate Ice Cream

2012-01-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to make ice cream. A lot of the recipes call for eggs and I've always made ice cream without it because my mom was worried about using raw eggs. If you use eggs it will give it a more custardy taste, which is good, but I can't tell you how to make it. I've never done it. lol

This is my dad's chocolate ice cream. I don't usually make it because it is my third favorite and I have two ice cream makers so it loses.

Karyn, you'll just have to come this summer so we can make all three of them together...

1 bottle chocolate syrup

1-2 cups sugar

1 pint cream

*1 cup crushed Oreo cookie crumbs

--Mix ingredients together. Add enough milk to fill freezer.

*Cookies are totally optional, but they should be added at the end of the freezing cycle. Or leave them out and have chocolate ice cream.

Homemade Raspberry Ice Cream

2012-01-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Whenever I make a fruit ice cream recipe I try to keep it simple. My general rule is 2 cups of fruit, 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of cream. It has worked well for me. More than 2 cups of fruit and then it will turn it into more of a sherbet. A VERY sweet sherbet.

Sometimes raspberries aren't as sweet as I expect them to be and I need to put in more sugar. So before you freeze it, make sure you try it. Make sure it is almost TOO SWEET before you freeze it.

So following this guide this is what the recipe is:

2 cups raspberries

2 cups sugar

2 cups cream

whole milk

Mash raspberries into a pulp. (You can not mash them if you want whole raspberries, but I like them mashed.) My father likes to strain the seeds, which you are welcome to do. I like the seeds in and I'm too lazy to strain them.

Mix sugar into the mashed raspberries and then mix the cream. Put into the ice cream maker and fill the ice cream maker to the fill line with milk. Then it's ready to go.

Grandma Olson's Homemade Pineapple Ice Cream

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, Karyn, I will try to explain these as best I can. It's my favorite and I love making it because I get to eat the whole thing because Matt hates it! Yay!

Here are some tips for ice cream making and this recipe in particular.

All ice cream "batters" should taste overly sweet before it is frozen. When it freezes, it will calm down the sweetness. (That being said, this recipe actually calls for a 1/2 cup more sugar than I put here. That makes it a little TOO sweet. lol)

This recipe is a little finicky. Because the citrus in all the juices can actually curdle the milk and cream. It is very important to make this one exactly as described to prevent that. Sugar will prevent that from happening.

Sometimes I play around with the cream content. If I want it to have less cream, I will either lessen the amount of cream I put in or substitute skim milk for whole.

These recipes will need to be adjusted if your ice cream maker is a rather large one of a rather small one. You can do this by tasting it! OR calling me. lol

Most ice cream makers can only be ran for an hour at the most. But if the motor stops, unplug it. You can burn out the motor if you don't and there goes the ice cream maker.

16-oz. pineapple juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 cups orange juice

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 pints cream

whole milk

--Mix juices together. Then mix sugar in until it is dissolved. The slowly mix cream into the mixture. Put mixture into ice cream maker and fill to the fill line with milk. Turn on the ice cream maker and fill with ice and small amounts of salt.

I have no measurement for the salt. I put maybe half a cup in every 5 to 8 inches of ice.

85+ Canning Recipes

2012-01-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this website for canning. It has a ton of recipes. It links to more than the 85 recipes the post states. It's great!

85 Canning Recipes

Marie Callender's Double Cream Blueberry Recipe

2012-01-07T16:04:00.000-08:00

I needed to find the recipe to my favorite pie. Because I love this pie. And I'm not normally a pie lover.

INGREDIENTS:

1 baked and cooled (9" size) pie shell
***BLUEBERRY APPLE FILLING***
1 can (15 ounce size) blueberries in heavy syrup, drained, reserving juice in one bowl, berries in another
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup finely diced red delicious apple
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
***SOUR CREAM TOPPING***
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
2 tablespoons cold water

PREPARATION:

In a 2-quart saucepan combine diced apples with water, sugar, and salt at medium temperature until the apples are done but not mushy, about 10 minutes.

While apples are cooking mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup water and dissolve cornstarch. When apples are done add lemon juice and berry juice, cook and stir until blended. While stirring on medium heat add dissolved cornstarch slowly and stir constantly until thickened. Add berries and cinnamon mix through. Remove from heat and cool before placing into cooled prepared pie shell. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Sour Cream Topping: Dissolve gelatin in 2 tablespoons water and set aside. Mix the sour cream, sugar, cream cheese, dash of salt in a pan warm on low heat until sugar in dissolved and everything is mixed thoroughly, stir and watch that mixture does not burn or dry out.

When all is smooth and blended add vanilla and stir. Then gradually add gelatin until mixture has a firm consistency of soft pudding, remove from heat. Sour cream topping may be smoothed over blueberries while lukewarm and chill. May be garnished with whipped cream.

Queso Blanco Dip

2011-12-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

1 lb. Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 can (10-oz.) Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green chilies, well drained

Microwave ingredients in microwavable bowl on HIGH for 3 1/2 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after two minutes.

Apple Strussel Cheesecake Bars

2011-12-09T10:13:00.000-08:00

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix



























1/2

cup firm butter or margarine

2: packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2: cup sugar

2: tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1: teaspoon vanilla

1: egg

1: can (21 oz) apple pie filling

1/2: teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4: cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
Place cookie mix in large bowl. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly and coarse. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; press remaining crumbs in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, flour, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over partially baked crust. In medium bowl, mix pie filling and cinnamon. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool about 30 minutes. Refrigerate to chill, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Sonic Cherry Limeade

2011-12-09T10:10:00.000-08:00

I got this from littlebrownhouse.com. It was super easy and super good. Yum. Everyone loved it too. Even in midwinter is was very refreshing!

1 can frozen limeade concentrate,

1- 2 liter bottle Sprite,

Juice from 1 10 oz jar cherries

Fresh limes (optional)

Mix together. Garnish with Maraschino cherries in glasses. I also bought the Sonic pebbled ice because it was necessary for the whole effect. Good thing you can get it at Sonic.

French Bread

2011-12-09T09:53:00.001-08:00

We got this one from Christene Johnson a few years ago. Fun recipe.

2 packages or 2 Tbsp. yeast
5 Tbsp. cooking oil
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups hot water
6 cups unsifted flour

--Dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and HALF the flour. Beat well, still in yeast and ad remaining flour. Rest 10 minutes then mix for 20 seconds. Repeat this 5-6 times. Turn out on floured board and divide dough in half. Use a rolling pin to shape into a rectangle and roll (like a jelly roll). Tuck the ends under and pat into dough. Place on large oiled cookie sheet. Slash top several times diagonally and let raise for 30 minutes. Bake @ 400 degrees for 25 -30 minutes.

Kari's Chicken Enchiladas

2011-11-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

Chicken Enchilada's are kind of a funny thing. Somehow, Cream of Chicken soup became a standard in most recipes. My husband and I have been striving to make things from scratch and this is one of my favorite recipes to make from scratch. I started with the El Torito Chicken Enchilada recipe and adapted it.

We have made everything from scratch in the recipe EXCEPT the tortillas. I haven't attempted those yet. But I'm going to tell you the basic way to do it and IF you want directions on some of the other items I can tell you.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken

1 large can green Enchilada Sauce (can be made from scratch)

1 large container, sour cream (can be made from scratch)

20-30 small flour tortillas

1-lb. Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese, grated

--Cook a whole, but cut up chicken in a crockpot. (It is cut up mainly so it will fit.) This takes 6-8 hours. I usually do this overnight and then let the chicken cool down in the morning, so by mid-morning I am making the enchiladas.

Shred and debone the chicken. (Chicken bones may be saved for homemade chicken broth.) Put shredded chicken in a bowl. Set aside.

Mix entire can of green enchilada sauce and entire container of sour cream together. Mix a little of the mixture in the shredded chicken, until chicken is moistened.

Spray 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and put about 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan and spread around.

Then you start putting together the enchiladas. Take a tortilla, place a large spoonful in the center of the tortilla and sprinkle with a small portion of cheese. Roll and set in the pan. Repeat this until you have filled the pan. I usually keep going until I run out of chicken. This fills up usually a small pan in addition to the 9x13. It depends on the size of the chicken you start with.

Divide the sauce up between the two pans (if you did that) and cover the top of the enchiladas. Then spread the remaining cheese over the top of them. You will end of with a mountain of cheese and sauce on the top, but that is what you want. TRUST ME.

You can freeze this, stick it in the fridge or just put it directly in the oven. Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Or until cheese and sauce is bubbly.

Serve with refried beans and Matt's salsa.

Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwich

2011-11-12T20:21:00.000-08:00

I love Disneyland!

BLUE BAYOU MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2-inch thick
8 thin slices ham
8 thin slices turkey
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
3 cups canola oil
Confectioners sugar
Blackberry preserves

Directions:
1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside.
2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and
baking powder and whisk thoroughly for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth,
scraping sides of bowl.
3. On one slice of bread, arrange 2 slices of ham, turkey, and cheese,
covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice
each sandwich in half diagonally.
4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F and 375 degrees F in a 10-inch pan. Do
not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to
smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter,
allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil.
5. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side, or
until golden brown. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet
in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat with the other three sandwiches.
Cook one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature
between each.
6. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on
the side.

Beignets

2011-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

These are a really yummy scone/doughnut from New Orleans. We ate these with powdered sugar, but we made some plain and put honey butter on them. These were divine, but this recipe makes a ton. I gave away at least a 1/3 of them and we still have tons.

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon yeast
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degree F (180 degrees C).
Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them. Place in a clean paper bag with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar.

Club 33's Pumpkin Beignets

2011-11-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

These tasty beignets filled with fall flavor from Disneyland’s Club 33 are the perfect autumn treat to share with friends and family.

Ingredients:
1/2 tsp. dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup hot water
1 egg
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
vegetable oil, for frying

Maple Glaze:
3 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve. Let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Combine flour, pumpkin puree, sugar, heavy cream, hot water, egg, shortening, and salt in a large bowl; stir in yeast mixture. Mix dough just until combined and smooth. Let dough rest in bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, 30 minutes.
3. Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Pat to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
4. Heat three inches of vegetable oil to 350°F in a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Fry beignets until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes, turning as soon as they brown on one side.
5. Remove with tongs or a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain.

Maple Glaze
Combine butter and maple syrup in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until butter melts. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle warm beignets with maple glaze and serve immediately.

The Perfect Party Punch

2011-11-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

This is from nobiggie.net. Looks yummy, even though Matt would hate it. I want to try this!

1 can frozen piña colada concentrate, thawed (Bacardi makes a good one)
1 can frozen orange pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
4 liters of diet lemon-lime soda (That’s two 2-liters for the mathematically challenged.)
1 bag of pebble ice (You can buy it at Sonic Drive-In or at most grocery stores in the deli or meat departments.)
1 bag of frozen raspberries

Directions:
Pour the thawed concentrates into your punchbowl and stir.
Use one of the empty cans and fill it with water four times and add it to the mixture. Stir.
Add your diet soda to the mixture. (You can use regular sugar-filled soda if you want, but I think it gets too sweet and you will also feel guilty when you fill your glass for the sixteenth time. Which you WILL.)
Next, add about half your bag of pebble ice.
(NOTE: Please do not insult The Punch by using crappy ice cubes from your freezer. The Punch will hate you forever.)
(ANOTHER NOTE: Please do not screw up the order and add the ice before the soda. You will get an ugly foam at the top of your punch bowl.)
(ONE MORE NOTE: I’m sorry if it seems like I’m micro-managing this recipe. It’s just that I have already suffered bad punch experiences so that you won’t have to. I micro-manage because I care.)
Let’s see….where were we? Oh, yes. We’re ready for the crowning ingredient…
Add your frozen raspberries to the top.

Congratulations! You have just created the Mona Lisa of Punch!

Your punch should be a lovely dark yellow at the bottom of your punch bowl, light lemony yellow in middle, almost white on the top, and then bright magenta on the very, very top! So pretty!

And then, when you start serving the punch with a ladle, it all mixes together and becomes this dreamy pink color. And then, when you lift the punch bowl to your lips when it is almost gone to swallow the last few drops of punch, it is an even darker pink because the raspberries have really mixed in.

And then, when you pass out on the floor because you tipped the punch bowl too far and lost your balance, falling backward to the floor with the punch bowl hitting you square in the jaw, you will see lots of lovely yellow stars and magenta raspberries floating above your head. Beautiful!

One more note—you can find the punch bowl featured here at your local Target or Wal-Mart. Usually on the bottom shelf in the housewares department. It comes with a lid and will cost you about $12.

Go now. Make Punch.

Oven Baked Teriyaki Thighs

2011-10-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

This one is from Real Mom Kitchen. Kerstin highly recommends this. :)

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
black pepper to taste
9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until smooth and no lumps. Then, whisk in the sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce it and simmer until thickens. You will end up with about 1 cup of sauce.
Trim off any pieces of fat from each chicken thigh using kitchen shears. Place chicken pieces in a 9×13 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pour 1/2 half of the sauce over the chicken, brushing each piece so it is coated.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn pieces over and drizzle remaining sauce on top. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes more until inner temperature reaches 165 degrees or juices run clear.

German Pancakes

2011-10-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is from my Aunt A'Lissa. But Matt ate it as a kid.

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

--Melt cube of butter in 9 x 13 pan in a 400 degree oven. Beat eggs well and add flour slowly. Add each ingredient and beat after. Pour into pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with cherry, apple or blueberry filling, whipped cream, syrup or powdered sugar.

Angel Chicken Pasta

2011-09-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

This is what we had for the relief society broadcast dinner on Saturday. They had this with green beans and a roll. It was tasty. :)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into large chunks
¼ c. butter
1 (7 ounce) pkg. Dry Italian salad dressing mix
½ c. white grape juice +1/3 t. vinegar
1 can condensed golden mushroom soup
4 oz cream cheese with chives
1-pound angel hair pasta

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Stir in pkg of dressing mix. Blend in wine & mushroom soup. Mix in c. cheese & stir until smooth. Heat through, but do not boil.
Arrange breasts in single layer in a 9x13 pan. Pour sauce over chicken & bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes. While chicken is baking, cook pasta in salted, boiling water until firm but done. Serve chicken over pasta. (Can be done in a crock pot.)

Sopapilla Bars

2011-09-22T20:39:00.000-07:00

I got this from Delectable Edibles. This is really, really good. I was worried when I was making it, but it was truly fabulous. And it was really easy. You have to try it.

What you need:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter - 1/3 cup butter, softened or melted

Preheat the oven to 350.

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan. Unroll one can of crescent rolls and press all the edges together so that you have a large 9x13 rectangle. Lay it in the bottom of the 9x13 pan.

Mix the cream cheese, 1 c. sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Spread evenly over your bottom layer of cresent rolls.

Unroll your next crescent roll package and do the same as before, and lay on top of your cream cheese mixture.

Melt your butter and spread evenly over the top crescent roll layer. Use enough butter to cover the top generously but I try not to let it pool too much.

In a small bowl. combine the 3/4 c. sugar and cinnamon. This might seem like a lot of cinnamon-sugar, but it's so yummy on top. Sprinkle it very generously over the butter (you may not use all of it.... but use it generously) and bake it for 30-35 minutes (until the top is golden brown).

Let cool completely and cut into squares. They actually taste better once they've been refrigerated for a while.

Canning Tomatoes

2011-09-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

This is a "recipe" I have to remind myself of every year. I don't know if I do it right, but this is the way I was taught after asking about 10 canning masters. This is what I end up doing with all my extra tomatoes. This year so far I've gotten 6 jars. Which is a record for me. I'm hoping to do this more. Truthfully, we use this more than the apple pie filling or the jam. Okay, maybe not the jam. :)

Start pot of boiling water. When it's boiling, put tomatoes in for 5-7 minutes. Remove from pot and allow to cool. Remove tomato skins, then cut up tomatoes into one inch chunks.

I do not boil my jars, I put lids and jars into the dishwasher. I've heard you are not supposed to do this.... I've never had a problem though. (Apparently you can blanch vegetables in your dishwasher as well. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, but it sounds cool.) After the dishwasher has been running a while take out one jar at a time and rise soap off. Then put tomatoes into the jar about halfway up. Then add 1 Tbsp. Vinegar and 1 tsp. salt. Then fill the rest of the way up, leaving a couple inches at the top so the lids can seal properly.

Wipe down the rim and place lid on top, firmly tightening the lid. Repeat until all the jars are used or you run out of tomatoes.

Put jars in water bath for an hour. I can take less time, but I'd rather leave it in the longest time possible because I hate redoing all my hard work.

Remove from pot. Let cool, date and put on the shelf.

Sesame Ginger Slow-Cooker Chicken

2011-09-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)

1 bag (16 oz) ready-to-eat baby carrots

2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp cold water

3 Tbsp corn starch

1 Tbsp sesame seed, toasted

2 green onions, sliced with tops

-Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker. Add carrots; sprinkle with ginger root. In small bowl, stir broth, honey, oil and dried minced garlic. Pour over chicken and carrots.

-Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.

-With slotted spoon, remove chicken and carrots to serving platter; cover to keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; pour into 1-quart saucepan. In small bowl, mix soy sauce, water and cornstarch until smooth; add to liquid in saucepan. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and sauce begins to bubble.

-To serve, pour sauce over chicken and carrots. Garnish with sesame seed and onions.

Two-Cheese Macaroni

2011-09-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is Jan's Mac and Cheese. It's pretty yummy and better than the boxed kind.

1 (7-ounce) package elbow macaroni (I used whatever kind of noodles I have)

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese

1 large egg

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

(You can

add bacon or cubed ham)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spary a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Place 2 quarts water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni. Boil until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.

3. Shred Cheddar. Whisk egg in a large bowl Add cottage cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper; mix well. Stir in Cheddar.

4. Fold macaroni into cheese mixture gently; mix well. Spoon macaroni mixture into prepared baking dish.

5. Bake until the mixture is bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

Zucchini Chowder

2011-08-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our garden is producing TONS of Zucchini. So we are trying to find ways to use it up. We are getting tired of sauteing them up. After a few experiments by Matt, this one was a hit. Yummy!

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups water
3 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
Pinch sugar, optional
Additional minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute the zucchini, onion, parsley
and basil in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in the flour,
salt and pepper. Gradually stir in water. Add the bouillon and lemon
juice; mix well. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or
until thickened.

FYI

2011-08-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

I've had enough requests/interest for the Cafe Rio recipes that I've created a label for just those recipes. If you have wanted them, now they are under Cafe Rio instead of For A Crowd. Actually, they are still under for a crowd, but now they are under both.

Green Enchilada Sauce

2011-08-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

This is another great recipe from Our Best Bites. It is also a knock-off Cafe Rio Recipe. I have already posted the recipes for Pork and Chicken for the Salads. But this is the sauce I love on the burritos. This makes me happy to have it. Now all I need is a copy of the marinated steak and my life will be complete.

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed if desired (and I desire. Always.)
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
4 c. chicken broth
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (optional and to taste; the sauce Cafe Rio uses seems to be slightly sweet, so if I’m using this sauce for enchilada-style burritos, I generally add a little sugar, but for everything else, I leave it out.)

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make things blendable.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. I usually turn the heat to high and boil it uncovered until I reach the consistency I want; it makes things go a lot faster. The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker all day.

Serve over tacos, as an enchilada sauce, inside burritos, or as a dip for chips.

PW Sweet Cream

2011-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

I went to Heidi's for Sit n Chat last night and she had this Pioneer Woman recipe. And it was THE BEST. She served it with bananas and strawberries. And we tried it with Banana Bread (which was heaven.) So good.

Ingredients

1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Sugar, Divided
10 whole Egg Yolks (save The Whites For Another Use)
2 teaspoons Good Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Beans)
Fresh Berries

Preparation Instructions

Combine cream with half the sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a strong simmer, but don't boil.

Whisk egg yolks in a bowl (I used my electric mixer w/ whisk attachment) with the other half of the sugar. Add vanilla extract. (If using vanilla bean instead, scrape caviar into cream/sugar mixture.)

After whisking on medium for a minute, begin slowly pouring in the hot cream; I use a metal measuring cup to scoop out small portions at a time.

After all cream is added, turn off mixer. Pour mixture into the top of a double boiler (or a glass bowl fitted over a saucepan). Cook in the double boiler over medium heat. Stir gently but constantly as the egg/cream mixture slowly thickens.

Watch the mixture: if it starts to really thicken up, remove it immediately from the heat. You want this to be more of a thick, pourable cream than a thick, heavy pudding texture. As soon as you remove the pan from the heat, set the bottom of it in a bowl of ice to stop the cooking process (but be careful not to let ice or water drip over the edge of the pan.) Stir to cool. If you need to use the cream right away, keep it in the ice bath and stir to cool.

Ideally, you'll transfer the cream to a container and refrigerate it for several hours.

Quick Chicken Luau

2011-07-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

From Denise again!

1/2 10 ounce package of frozen spinach (or real taro leaves if you have them!)
1 standard size can of cream of chicken soup
1 12oz can of coconut milk
8-12 chicken thighs, skin removed

Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can and layer in the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine the soup and the coconut milk. Arrange the chicken in the pan and pour the mixture over the top. Bake 350 for one hour. This is very mild flavored chicken.

Kalua Pig

2011-07-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

Denise (My SIL) gave me some of her Hawaii recipes:

Kalua Pig in the Crockpot:
1: 4 or 5 pound pork butt roast
2 tablespoons of sea salt
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1/2 cup water (to keep it moist while cooking)

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook six hours or until the meat is tender enough to shred with a fork. Remove the meat and shred it into a serving dish. Pour some of the juices back over the shredded meat to keep it from drying out and discard the rest.

Cherry 7-up Drink

2011-07-21T22:38:00.000-07:00

This came from Leah, she served it at Sit n Chat tonight. Yum.

1 (2-liter) bottle of Cherry 7-Up

1 Can of pineapple juice

Mix and serve! Easy peasy, but so yummy!

White Bean Dip

2011-07-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

I want to make a bean dip and I turned to Giada de Laurentis to give me a recipe. I'm hoping for the next Sit n Chat I host to make this.

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 pitas
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.

Peach Poke Cake with White Chocolate Mousse

2011-07-04T21:01:00.000-07:00

Kerri had this at her house when she hosted Sit n Chat. It was good. I literally couldn't stop eating it. Which probably means I shouldn't make it, but in the end will make it a bunch of times until I tire of it.

Peach Poke Cake with White Chocolate Mousse
Cake: 1 vanilla cake mix
1 c. mashed peaches and peach juice
1 c. fresh peaches, diced
3 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted
For the poking of the cake:
1 c. boiling water
1 small package peach jello
Dissolve the jello packet and the boiling water together and when the cake comes out of the oven poke all over with a fork. Pour the jello water all over the cake evenly and place in the fridge until ready to frost and until it is completely cooled.

Mousse:
4 T. boiling water
2 t. gelatin powder (1 packet Knox brand)
2 t. cold water
Dissolve the gelatin powder with the 2 t. cold water and let sit for 1 minute. In a bowl, microwave the 4 T. water for a couple minutes until water is very hot or boiling. After one minute, add the hot water into the gelatin mixture and stir. Let sit again for a few minutes until ready with the rest of the recipe.
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. white sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. white chocolate chips or almond bark, melted in a microwave safe bowl(you need to use a good quality chip--I used Guittard and it worked perfectly)

Whip together the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until medium peaks form. Add the melted chocolate and gelatin mixture and continue to beat until firm peaks form. Place mousse in the fridge until ready to frost the cake. When the cake is cool, spread the mousse over the cake. Top with fresh peaches and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. This cake is best served cold.

Blueberry Buckle

2011-07-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

I got this from Twoshadesofpink blog. It caught my attention because it made me think of baby food. This is exactly the kind of cake that I LOVE.

Blueberry Buckle

2 1/2 c. blueberries
1/4 c. butter. softened
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. buttermilk

Streusel Topping:

1/4 C. white sugar
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. butter

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the creamed mixture alternating with milk. Fold in blueberries. (Make sure they are washed, then completely dried. You don't want any extra moisture in your batter.) Pour into greased 9x9 baking dish. Combine sugars and flour for topping, then cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Fresh Fruit Spritzers

2011-07-01T20:25:00.000-07:00

I got this from Martha Stewart.com. I think it sounds tasty.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
Fresh seasonal fruit, such as 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon, 6 cups cubed honeydew melon, 6 cups cubed cantaloupe, 6 cups cubed mango, or 4 1/4 cups raspberries
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
Sparkling water, or club soda

Directions

Put sugar and 1 cup water into a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
Puree fruit, syrup, lemon juice, and salt in a blender. Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes (up to 2 days).
To serve, fill 8 medium glasses with ice; pour 1/2 cup puree into each glass, and top off with sparkling water. Stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Magleby's Fresh French Toast

2011-06-29T17:34:00.000-07:00

I love eating out for breakfast at Magelby's Fresh. My favorite is the french toast. Okay, I also love their breakfast burrito. Mmmmm. So I wanted to make the french toast. After testing it several times (it was a trial, but someone had to do it), I decided that the trick wasn't in the actual french toast but in the syrup and fruit & cream.

Also, since I am often alone for dinner, I LOVE making breakfast for dinner. If I didn't have kids, I'd just wait for Matt to come home and we could make something together. But no, it's breakfast for dinner. So here is what I did:

Made french toast. I usually do a mixture of 50% eggs to 50% milk. And then I cooked it.

Next I followed the below recipe for the syrup:

Buttermilk Syrup
1 cube butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Bring first five ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat immediately and add Baking Soda. To avoid boil over I use a fairly deep, heavy pan.

Then I made homemade cream and fruit. I used powdered sugar in the cream because I ran out of regular sugar. And I used frozen fruit because my kids ate all the fresh stuff.

But it tasted the same. Of course, sometimes it isn't a matter of whether or not I can do it, but whether or not I want to cook that day.

This would be great for large parties.

**Note: This met with rave reviews. My french toast haters are now asking for it every day. And Matt loved it too. This was a MEGA hit at our house.

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

2011-06-26T21:22:00.000-07:00

This is from Our Best Bites. Which I'm a huge fan of. This one interested me because I love pepperoncini's. It was good. Reminded me of Corned Beef Sandwiches.

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Allrecipes

1/2+ tsp. kosher salt
1/2+ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive or cooking oil
3 lb. beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 16-oz. jar sliced pepperoncinis, undrained
Crusty sandwich rolls (for sandwiches)
Sliced provolone cheese (for sandwiches)

Heat oil in a pot or high-sided skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, combine the salt and pepper and rub it into the meat. Add more if necessary. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides so the outsides of it is browned and a little crispy. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and add the minced garlic and the entire jar of pepperoncinis. If possible, cook on high until the liquid comes to a boil and then turn it to low and cook until the roast shreds easily with a fork, for a total cooking time of about 6-8 hours. If not possible, cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the beef is fork tender.

For sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread lightly with mayonnaise and then top with the shredded beef. Add a slice of provolone cheese and then place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 12 large sandwiches.

Mexican Mess

2011-06-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

The first time I heard of this dish, I was over at a friend house as a kid. I remember trying it and thinking it was tasty. I've been wanting to make this again, just to see if it was as good as I remembered. And I liked it. It tasted like a taco.

I don't love how this recipe is written. It has very generic details so I'm going to tell you what I actually ended up using.

Layer in a 9x13 pan (sprayed with Pam) the following:

1 lg. can refried beans (I used: 2 regular cans)

1 1/2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained (I used: 1 lb. ground turkey)

1 (7-oz.) can diced green chilies (I bought 2 (4-oz.) cans. I used one can.)

3 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack.)

1 bottle taco sauce (I bought a large bottle and used half of it.)

--Cook above ingredients for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Garnish with:

chopped green onions (I omitted)

chopped olives (I omitted)

tomatoes

guacamole

sour cream

I added: shredded lettuce

Eat with tortilla chips.

Garlic Rolls

2011-05-29T20:31:00.001-07:00

I love bread. And I love pasta with garlic bread. Not the best for me, but oh is it tasty. My Achilles heal so to speak. I wanted some for dinner tonight but all I had was Rhodes bake and serve. So I improvised. Here is what I did.

Place 20 frozen rolls in a 9x 13 inch pan for 3 hours. To defrost and to let rise.

Place in oven at 350 for 10 minutes.

About halfway through the cooking time (after the 10 minutes) take
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of melted butter with
1 Tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

And drizzle it one the rolls. Then put back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.

They were delicious. I used 1/2 cup of butter and the bottoms were pretty buttery. I may to less, but don't get me wrong, it tasted wonderful.

Ruth's Chris Banana Cream Pie

2011-05-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

We recently went to Ruth's Chris for dinner. Matt took me there for Mother's Day. And on a whole I'd say it was paying a whole lot for cow. But the one thing I told Matt I'd gladly go back and overpay for is the Banana Cream Pie. Oh was that so yummy and the textures were fabulastic! But it occurred to me, I have no problem making this dessert on my own. So I looked up a recipe. And here is Groovy Mom's.

Vanilla Custard:

1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks
3 cups milk
2 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Bring sugar, corn starch, salt, egg yolks and milk to a boil in a heavy sauce pan. Whisking constantly, boil for 20 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Chill for 2 hours, covered in refrigerator.

For pie:

Use baked pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. If you want the same shape as the Ruth's Chris version, shape crust in a Corning ware bowl. Once crust has cooled, line with 3 sliced bananas, overlapping. Sprinkle with sugar and put until 475 degree broiler or use a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar and bananas.

Limonata

2011-05-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

I went to Cafe Paeson with my mom and wanted to try this lemon soda that they had. I loved it. And since I loved it, of course I had to look up a recipe for it. Especially since it is hard to find in the United States because it is an Italian drink. So I looked up a couple recipes on the internet. I hope they taste good.

Limonata (done the freshest and most traditional way):

2 cups lemon juice (10-12 lemons or use bottled lemon juice, see above suggestions)
2 cups Basil Simple Syrup (need 1 bunch of washed, fresh basil added as you are cooking the Simple Syrup then removed/strained out prior to cooling the Syrup)
2 cups water
2 liter bottle of sparkling soda water
1-2 lemons sliced thinly for floating on the surface

1) Combine the lemon juice, Basil Simply Syrup and water and chill in the refrigerator, along with your bottle of soda water, for several hours.

2) Just prior to serving, slowly add the soda water to your mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon slices and serve.

Variation: The Basil does add a particular flavor and can be omitted, if preferred. You could also make a Lemon or Lemon-Lime Simple Syrup to add more lemon flavor or an unflavored Simple Syrup all using the same Simple Syrup recipe as above.

Limonata ‘Punch’ (non-alcoholic) done the easy way for a crowd:

1 can frozen lemonade, prepared as directed
1/2 cup lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
1 2 liter bottle of lemon-lime soda
1-2 lemons sliced thinly for floating on the surface

*I have to admit I am much more interested in the traditional recipe than that cheater recipe. But who knows. They might both be awesome...

Shrimp Dip

2011-05-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

My sister recommended a couple of appetizers as well. This is the first one. I wasn't sure because shrimp is not my favorite. It was tasty, but I have to confess that it will never be a favorite of mine. However, some of my friends LOVED this dip.

1 lb. roll of round bread (a bigger, harder bread bowl)
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated SHARP cheddar cheese
1 cup (1/2 lb.) of small cooked shrimp

--Cut of top of bread bowl and hallow out. Microwave onion and butter for three minutes. Stir into mayonnaise. Add cheese and shrimp. Fill bread with mixture. Put lid on bread, bake filled bread at 325 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with baguettes, crackers or tortilla chips.

*Heather told me she didn't have good luck with cooking it in the bread bowl. So she cooked it in a bowl and then put it in the bread bowl later. This is what I did and it worked out fine.

Mormon Champagne

2011-05-21T09:55:00.000-07:00

My sister, Heather had this at her baby shower. It was a little sweet, but I found it refreshing. So I asked her about it. She said it was sweeter than usual because the proportions were wrong. So she gave me the recipe. Sans a title. Because I was putting it up here I decided to find a name for this tasty drink. And the most common name was "Mormon Champagne." So this is what I am using. You can call it what you want, but I'm good with this name.

2 (2-liter) Fresca
2 cans white grape frozen juice concentrate.
1 can white grape peach frozen juice concentrate
pebbled ice

*I don't have a punch bowl, so I halved the recipe and put it in a metal bowl.

**Also, the pebbled ice I got from Sonic. We just drove up and asked for a bag and they gave us a 5-lb. bag for $1.82.

Easy BBQ Sauce

2011-05-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

My neighbor Adam gave me this recipe. He's given me some before and it is tasty. I don't know if I'm going to make it for the whole ward, BUT I will make it for me.

Easy BBQ Sauce:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce, (recommended: Tabasco)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

White Chocolate-Raspberry Trifle Cake

2011-05-09T17:59:00.000-07:00

What you need:
: 4 squares BAKER'S White Chocolate, melted

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1 pkg. (10.5 oz.) frozen prepared pound cake, partially thawed, cut into 30 thin slices

1/4 cup raspberry jam, warmed

1/2 cup fresh raspberries; BEAT chocolate and cream cheese with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in milk. Add dry pudding mix; beat until well blended. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP.

ARRANGE 10 cake slices on bottom of 9-inch round pan lined with plastic wrap; brush with half the jam.

COVER with half the pudding mixture. Repeat all layers. Top with remaining cake.

REFRIGERATE 3 hours. Invert dessert onto plate; remove plastic wrap. Top with remaining COOL WHIP and berries.

Cranberry-Pear Crumble Pie

2011-05-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust

24 Nilla wafers, crushed (about 3/4 cup)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup shopped cranberries

2 large fresh pears, sliced

1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Line 9-inch-pie plate with crust. Bake 5-6 min. or until lightly browned; cool. Meanwhile, mix wafer crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 F. Spread cream cheese carefully onto bottom of crust; sprinkle with half the wafer crumb mixture. Combine fruit in large bowl. Add dry pudding mix and cinnamon; toss to coat. Spoon into crust; top with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and crust is golden brown. Cool completely. Serve topped with cool whip.

Number of Servings: 10

Easy Oreo Truffles

2011-05-09T17:53:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided
2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

Directions:

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

Chocolate Mousse Torte

2011-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

You know when you get those little cookbooks from a sponser and the recipes look lame so you throw them away? Well, I got one of those books from Philadelphia/Nilla/Jello and all the recipes look pretty good. And since I want to throw the book away, I'm going to put my favorites here to try later. Because that is what this blog is for.

37 NILLA Wafers, divided
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided
2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk, divided
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

STAND 16 wafers around inside edge of 9-inch round pan lined with plastic wrap. Melt 3 chocolate squares as directed on package.
BEAT pudding mixes and 2 cups milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP; pour into prepared pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and remaining milk with mixer until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the remaining COOL WHIP; spread over pudding. Top with remaining wafers. Refrigerate 3 hours.
MEANWHILE, shave remaining chocolate square into curls. Invert torte onto plate; remove plastic wrap. Top torte with remaining COOL WHIP, berries and chocolate curls.

Taco Pizza

2011-04-18T20:02:00.000-07:00

It isn't often that I can make a dinner and have my kids eat the thing happily. Every single one of my kids liked this. I'm shocked, just shocked I tell you. So any meal that all my kids will eat is one worth saving to me.

1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
2 (8 oz.) cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans (I used the jalapeño kind)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced black olives
4 green onions, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning to the ground beef according to the package directions.
Unroll crescent rolls into rectangles. Place in ungreased 11 1/2 inch x 16 1/2 inch jelly roll pan or cookie sheet. Press dough over the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides to form crust. Bake at 375 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or just until golden brown.
Microwave beans in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Carefully spread beans over warm crust creating a thin layer.
Top with cooked beef mixture, sprinkle with cheese followed by tomatoes, black olives and green onion. Return to oven for 3-6 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 12 main dish servings or 48 appetizers.

Note: I made the crust with ordinary pizza crust and they liked it all the same.

Sloppy Joes

2011-04-05T20:04:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. It could be a Manwich night. But honestly, my husaband doesn't like Manwhich and I like Sloppy Joes. So when I found this recipe in Essential Mormon Celebrations I had to try it. It is it a hit over here. So here it goes...

3 lb. ground beef (I admit I only did two pounds of ground turkey. It tasted fine.)
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped onion (I omit.)
1 cup ketchup
1 (10-oz.) can tomato soup
2 tsp. vinegar (white)
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
12 hamburger buns

Brown meat in a large skillet; drain fat. Sprinkle with salt. Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Stir in ketchup, tomato soup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with hamburger buns.

Alfredo Sauce with Chicken

2011-03-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

My cousin Jenna gave me this recipe. And it is a very good recipe. I only had one complaint. And seeing as she had the same complaint I decided to see if I could do something about it. It was too thin. The sauce was very liquidy. It didn't stick to your pasta noodles. It tasted so good, but it drove me crazy how thin it was.

So I changed it. Actually, I only added one thing. And it made all the difference. Flour. I added flour and made a roux first. I found however that just cream was now too thick, so then I added plain milk and a cup cream instead.

So here is the same recipe with my changes. Which admittedly aren't that many. :)

Alfredo Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour

Melt butter on medium to medium high heat and mix in flour. Mix together until a light yellow color.

1 cup milk (I have used anything from 2% to skim with pretty much the same results.)
1 cup cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I prefer granulated garlic. Some powders clump.)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Stir in remaining ingredients into roux. Continue to simmer on medium heat until thickened.

Italian Chicken

Elijah feels very ripped off if I try to make the Alfredo Sauce without this chicken. It is his favorite meal with the chicken.

1-lb. chicken tenderloins
garlic salt
Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on baking sheet covered in tin foil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Sprinkle with olive oil for extra crispiness. Bake for 15 minutes then flip over and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Kari's Berry-misu

2011-03-08T22:50:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Americas Test Kitchen's Tiramisu recipe.

This worked very well. My plan was perfect. You're going to have to make due without pictures. I just don't ever think of it. But this dessert was everything I dreamed it would be. Expensive. It is a costly dessert. But hey it was worth it. Because of that, I probably will make it by special request only.

Berry-misu

Step one:
1 Large (Costco size) bag of mixed frozen berries

--Defrost frozen berries. Mash and squeeze juice and separate juice from berries in two different bowls. It is extremely important you save the juice. Do not throw it out.

Step two: Make cream.

Cream ingredients:
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-1/2 pounds mascarpone
3/4 cup cold heavy cream
14 ounces (2 packages) dried ladyfingers (savoiardi)

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

Step Three: Assembly

Working one at a time, drop half of ladyfingers into berry juice mixture, roll, remove and transfer to 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in berry juice mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie.) Arrange soaked cookies in single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.

Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface. Spread a layer of the frozen berries over the cream.

Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers. Layer with more frozen berries (it's okay not to use them all.) Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Cut into pieces and serve chilled with a dab of whipped cream and a blueberry as garnish.

*Chilling is very important because it moistens the ladyfingers so they feel more like cake when you eat them.

PW Cherry Cake Pudding

2011-02-09T18:26:00.000-08:00

I could NOT stop eating this. It was so good. It's another Pioneer Woman recipe. I'm trying to decide to dessert to make for the Progressive Dinner my friends do for Valentine's Day. I've decided between this dessert and another one. But either way, I would SooooOOOOooo make this one again.

Ingredients

Cake:

1 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
1 whole Egg
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
⅛ teaspoons Salt
½ cups Whole Milk
1 can (15 Ounces) Cherries In Syrup (NOT Cherry Pie Filling) Drained, Juice Reserved
½ cups Pecans, Finely Chopped

Sauce:

1 cup Juice From Cherries (add Water To Make 1 Cup If Necessary)
1 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Butter
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Unsweetened Freshly Whipped Cream

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a square 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt then add to mixing bowl alternatively with milk. Add cherries and chopped nuts and mix gently. Pour batter into buttered pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown on the surface and no longer jiggly.

While cake is baking, make the sauce by combining cherry juice, sugar, and flour in a small saucepan. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thick. Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon butter and vanilla extract.

Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce on the cake as soon as you remove it from the oven. Spread to distribute over the surface and wait ten minutes before serving so the sauce will seep into the top of the cake a bit.

Spoon out pieces of warm, sticky cake and top with unsweetened whipped cream.

*Note: I doubled this recipe to see if it would work in a 9 x 13 inch pan. It did, but I ended up baking it about 20 minutes longer, perhaps a little more.

**Note 2: I was a little dubious about the unsweetened whipped cream. It was actually perfect. This is a VERY sweet dessert.

Italian Sodas

2010-12-31T22:49:00.001-08:00

Matt really loves making these. So I always look for deals on Torani's syrup, which can be very pricey. In town, I've found the best place to get the syrup is Harmon's. They have the best selection and if I look every time I go in, I can eventually find it on sale. We also look in other stores just to see. So on vacation we can come back with a couple bottles. Granado's in SLC has even more flavors. We got Blackberry there once, but it wasn't cheaper. Typically we can find Raspberry, cherry and peach at Harmon's. And they have sugar-free syrups for my parents. It's pretty nice.

So it's kind of one of those reicpes we just eyeball actually. It depends on how sweet you want it. Here are some basic directions though:

10 oz. club soda
4 oz. syrup
4 oz. half and half
ice
stirring sticks

Mix all the ingredients together. To make extra special you can use cream, but I think it makes it to thick for me.

I like to use the stirring sticks because it makes it look fancy and people like it. I once couldn't find the sticks and got the straws instead and it made me smile to see grown men using little coffee straws and sipping from them. lol

We've tried to make this a New Years tradition. :)

Tiramisu

2010-12-29T22:28:00.000-08:00

So, I don't even like the smell of coffee. And I DON'T like Tiramisu. So why am I posting this recipe? Because I want to make a berry version. There is something so yummy to me about the thought of Tiramisu. I feel like the idea is fantastic. I even already have a individual cup version already on here. BUT I want a 9 x 13 version. And this is the best recipe I've found. It comes from Americas Test Kitchen. I got to watch them make it, and let me say, I think I can make this adaptation. And I think it will taste fantastic. So here we go..

2-1/2 cups strong brewed coffee, room temperature
1-1/2 Tablespoons instant espresso granules
9 tablespoons dark rum
(These first three ingredients are for the sauce you dip the cookie in and it presents my biggest problem. I need to find a way to dip the ladyfingers in a berry sauce. The juice off frozen berries works great, but I would need over three cups of it. That's a lot of berries.)

6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1-1/2 pounds mascarpone
3/4 cup cold heavy cream
14 ounces (42 to 60, depending on size) dried ladyfingers (savoiardi)
(This is the cream. And a very dreamy cream recipe it is. I would change nothing. It is meant to be in a 9 x 13 pan.)

3-1/2 Tablespoons cocoa, preferably Dutch-processed
1/4 cup grated semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (optional)
(These I would completely omit. I would need to put mixed berries in here instead. I think a big bag of Costco frozen berries would work well here. I would need more berries than they needed chocolate.)

1. Stir coffee, espresso, and 5 tablespoons rum [2-1/2 tablespoons Kahlua] in a wide bowl or baking dish until espresso dissolves; set aside.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat yolks at low speed until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once or twice. Add remaining 4 tablespoons rum [2 tablespoons Kahlua] and beat at medium speed until just combined, 20 to 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until no lumps remain, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl once or twice. Transfer mixture to large bowl and set aside.

3. In now-empty mixer bowl (no need to clean bowl), beat cream at medium speed until frothy, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue to beat until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer. Using rubber spatula, fold one-third of whipped cream into mascarpone mixture to lighten, then gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Set mascarpone mixture aside.

4. Working one at a time, drop half of ladyfingers into coffee mixture, roll, remove and transfer to 13 by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. (Do not submerge ladyfingers in coffee mixture; entire process should take no longer than 2 to 3 seconds for each cookie.) Arrange soaked cookies in single layer in baking dish, breaking or trimming ladyfingers as needed to fit neatly into dish.

5. Spread half of mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers; use rubber spatula to spread mixture to sides and into corners of dish and smooth surface. Place 2 tablespoons cocoa in fine-mesh strainer and dust cocoa over mascarpone.

6. Repeat dipping and arrangement of ladyfingers; spread remaining mascarpone mixture over ladyfingers and dust with remaining 1-1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Wipe edges of dish with dry paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 to 24 hours. Sprinkle with grated chocolate, if using; cut into pieces and serve chilled.

S'mores Fondue

2010-12-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup milk
1 2/3 cups (11-oz pkg) milk choc. and peanut butter morsels (the combined pkg)

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

HEAT milk in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-high heat just until hot (do not boil). Reduce heat to low. Add morsels; stir until smooth. Whisk in marshmallow creme until smooth. Remove from heat.POUR chocolate mixture into fondue pot or serving bowl.

Serve with dessert fondue staples... apples, marshmallows, pound cake, angel food cake, grapes, brownies, strawberries, bananas, etc.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

2010-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

2 c half and half
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove, halved
1 1/2 lbs. shredded cheese
3 T flour
Salt
Heat half and half, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic in fondue pot until hot, but not boiling. Discard garlic. Coat cheese with flour. Gradually add cheese to hot mixture, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbling. Add salt to taste

Cheese-Sour Cream Fondue

2010-12-29T12:23:00.000-08:00

6 slices bacon
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. flour
1 lb. cheese (4 c. shredded)
2 c. sour cream
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Fry bacon; drain, reserving 1 T of drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside. Cook onions in reserved drippings until tender, not brown. Stir in flour. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat until cheese is melted. Top with bacon.

Mustard Sauce

2010-12-29T12:22:00.000-08:00

2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 c beef broth
1/4 c whipping cream
1 T Dijon mustard

Saute shallots in skillet until soft and golden, about 4 minutes.. Stir in beef broth and simmer until reduced by about half. Stir in cream and mustard. Bring to a simmer and season if necessary. Great served over steaks or with beef fondue

Orange Fondue

2010-12-29T12:21:00.000-08:00

3 T. cornstarch
3 T. honey
1/4 tsp salt
2 c. orange juice
2 whole cloves
1 t. butter

11/2 tsp lime juice

1 Tbsp. grated orange peel

Mix together cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Stir in OJ, and cloves and stir until mixture thickens--boil 1 minute. Add butter, lime juice, and rind. Makes 2 cups.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

2010-12-29T12:20:00.001-08:00

I am so stealing Emily's fondue. Because it is so yummy. That girl knows her fondue.

1/2 c brown sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 can crushed pineapple in juice, drained, with juices reserved
1/3 c white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/4 c chopped green pepper

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1/2 c. Stir into sugar mixture. Stir in vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly and boil 1 minute. Stir in pineapple and bell pepper. This is great with beef fondue, chicken, or rice

Fondue Party!

2010-12-28T20:09:00.001-08:00

I've been really wanting to do fondue lately. I've come across more recipes and I wanted to share.

This is the menu plan from The American Homemaker. I thought it was excellent, but no recipes were provided so I'm just going to post the whole plan so I can play around with it.

Fondue Menu:

~savory~

cheddar cheese (shredded cheese and half & half)

pizza (cream cheese, spaghetti sauce and cheddar)

beef broth

homemade bbq sauce

~savory dippers~

three different breads

bagels

meatballs

chicken nuggets

little smokies

marinated steak chunks (to cook in the broth)

zuchinni (broth)

~sweet~

chocolate (milk chocolate and half & half)

oil (for donut holes and bananas)

~sweet dippers~

apples

grapes

bananas

refrigerated biscuit dough (donut holes)

pineapple

7 Layer Greek Dip

2010-12-28T14:42:00.000-08:00

This sounds wonderful to me. What a different and fun dip. Matt suggested leaving out the olives and onions, but it actually sounds great just the way it is to me.

7-Layer Greek Dip
Adapted by Our Best Bites from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1 tsp. dill weed or Greek seasoning (salt free--go for a mix that just has herbs)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. hummus
1 c. seeded, diced cucumbers
1 c. seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 c. chopped green onions (about 3 green onions completely chopped)
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/8-1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta cheese, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, and/or flatbread.

**After trying this for real, it was wonderful. I loved this.

Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-12-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

Janice Baker gave me this recipe. It sounds really good. It reminds me of the stuffed mushrooms at Ottavio's. Matt, in his infinite pickiness, does not like them, but I think they are tasty.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients

* 12 to 15 large fresh mushrooms
* 2 tablespoons butter, divided
* 2 tablespoons chopped onion
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* Salt and pepper to taste
* 4 ounces bulk Italian sausage
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

* Remove stems from the mushrooms. Chop stems finely; set mushroom caps aside. Place stems in paper towels and squeeze to remove any liquid.
* In a large skillet, heat 1-1/2 tablespoons butter. Cook stems and onion until tender. Add the lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper; cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Cool.
* In a large bowl, combine the mushroom mixture, sausage and parsley; stuff reserved mushroom caps. Combine crumbs and cheese; sprinkle over tops. Dot each with remaining butter.
* Place in a greased baking pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, basting occasionally with pan juices. Serve hot. Yield: 12-15 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 52 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 92 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein.

Kari, this is the complete recipe but I have tried it with JUST cooked sausage, mixed in with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and then baked. Easier and tastes awesome.

Butterbeer

2010-12-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

Elijah has been reading Harry Potter recently. I've been toying around with a Harry Potter party. I came across a recipe for Butterbeer. It sounds good, just VERY sweet. I'm very curious how it tastes.

Ingredients

1	pint real vanilla ice cream
¼	cup real butter , at room temperature
½	teaspoon butterscotch extract
¼	cup brown sugar
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
½	teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1	quart apple cider
	Apple slices for garnish, optional

Preparation

Step 1	Using a mixer on medium speed, beat together the ice cream, butter, butterscotch extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well-combined. Pour into a container and freeze.
Step 2	When ice cream mixture has re-frozen, heat apple cider in a saucepan until steaming hot.
Step 3	Put one scoop of ice cream into a soda glass, or large mug, and top with warm apple cider.
Step 4	Garnish with apple slices, if desired.

Cranberry Salsa

2010-12-19T23:25:00.000-08:00

My neighbor, Cliss, dropped by a neighborhood gift to us. We got a bag of chips and a container of something I couldn't identify. Upon opening the card I found a recipe for Cranberry Salsa. Thus discovering what was in the container. So we tried it and it is pretty tasty. Reminds me of a tangy Mango Salsa (I'm thinking of Costco here.) I think we are going to use it for Christmas Eve.

1 bag cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1-2 Tablespoons cilantro
1 medium sized jalapeno 3" (remove seeds)
2 Green onion with whites
juice of 1 lime

Blend.

That's it. Pretty simple. Matt had some major objections to the removal of the jalpeno seeds. (He didn't say anything about the onion interestingly enough.) But for sure he wanted it spicier. :)

Orange Rolls

2010-12-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

I got these from my friend Heidi's food blog, Food Glorious Food. They are pretty tasty.

2 large oranges
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBSP yeast
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour

Frosting:
Juice from 1 orange
2 TBSP butter
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Put warm water in mixer and add the yeast. Add the zest from one of the orange rinds (I took Heidi's suggestion and zested both rinds. This turned out well.) and 1/4 cup of juice from the orange. Add eggs, sugar, salt, and flour. Knead well. Let stand 10 min. Knead again. Let rise for 2 hours. Make dough into ropes (from 6-8 inches long and 1/2 to 1 inch thick) and TIE INTO A KNOT. Let rise until double in size. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until slightly golden on top.

Mix frosting ingredients and brush onto warm rolls. (I like my frosting really gooey. I think I would do the frosting differently. I would making it thicker or brush more on after it is cooled down. But otherwise, these were a huge hit. Well, Ally didn't like them. But she's crazy.)

Dill Rolls

2010-12-05T20:20:00.000-08:00

As long as I'm sitting here typing in recipes, I should put this one in. It's great on it's own or with hamburgers or sandwiches. This has to be to most requested roll recipe I have from my family. It's very tasty.

5 cups flour
4 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. minced onion
4 tsp. dill weed
2 1/2 tsp. salt scant (meaning not quite 2 1/2 tsp, slightly less)
1/2 tsp. soda
2 Tbsp. (Or packages) of yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. butter
2/3 cup water
2 eggs

--Dissolve yeast in the first 1/2 cup warm water. Add the other ingredients. Mix well, using dough hook on mixer. Let rise until double in bulk. Knead and roll to about 1/2 or 2/3-inch, cut with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Place on buttered cookie sheet, with at least 1 1/2 inches between rolls on all sides. Let rise 1 hour. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.

Note: Cu with a tuna fish can and use rolls for hamburger buns.

Mari's Dinner Rolls

2010-12-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

I actually love eating baked goods. I just have one problem. I always have trouble baking because I hate allowing for rise time. I'm lame, I know. But I have been determined to make some baked goods, if for nothing else than to use up the mega pack of yeast I've had in my fridge FOREVER. I started with these. I made them to go with Ellee's Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe that is also on this blog. And they went together well. I enjoyed making these rolls.

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
5 cups flour

--Note: You can apparently shorten the rise time the second time to less than 10 minutes. I tried it and it was true. A shorter rise time didn't hurt anything.

--Dissolve yeast in water. Add all ingredients except flour and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour and beat until smooth. Add rest of flour until soften or cleans sides of bowl. Knead 5 minutes. Raise one hour, shape, put on greased pan and raise again (about 1/2 hour). Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 dozen.

Low-Carb Breakfast Casserole

2010-12-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Another recipe from Jamie Duncan. This time it's her breakfast casserole.

12 large eggs
1/2-1 yellow onion
1 lb ground sausage or beef
1 cup heavy cream
2-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
Green Onions/Mushrooms (optional) (just to visible preference)
salt and pepper to desired amount (1/2 t salt & just shook the pepper in..)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown your ground sausage, yellow onions, mushrooms in a saute pan.

Spray a 9x13 glass casserole dish with nonstick spray. Beat eggs and heavy cream together, add in browned sausage, diced ham, green onions and mushrooms(opt). Add 1-2 cups of cheese. Mix together well.

Pour mixture into casserole dish and cover the top with 1-2 cups of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for aprox. 20 -25 minutes. Check when mixture is set and glossy. Do not overcook.

Allow to cool slightly after cooking is complete. You can eat it now, or cut into squares and freeze or refrigerate for the week ahead. ENJOY!

Feel free to add anything else that suits your fancy, tomatoes, jalapenos, green chilis, garlic, etc.

I don't think you can mess this one up! It's really amazingly good!

German Apple Cake

2010-12-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

Jamie Duncan posted this recipe on facebook. Looks delicious.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9x13 inch cake pan.
In a mixing bowl; beat oil and eggs with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat well.
Combine the flour salt, baking soda, and ground cinnamon together in a bowl. Slowly add this mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Fold in the apples by hand using a wooden spoon. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes or until cake tests done. Let cake cool on a wire rack. Once cake is cool serve with a dusting of confectioners' sugar or with a Cream Cheese Frosting.

Honey Pancake Puff

2010-12-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

Kerri Stoddard made this for the ward breakfast. It was yummy. It was the best thing there!

3T butter or margarine

1 cup milk

6 eggs

3T honey

1 pkg. (3oz.) cream cheese, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease the Deep Dish Baker with 1 tablespoon butter. Add remaining butter and place in oven until butter sizzles. While Deep Dish Baker is in oven, place remaining ingredients in blender. Blend at high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down sides and blend at high speed 1 additional minute. Remove Deep Dish Baker from oven and immediately pour in batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed and dark golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice if desired. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, syrup or fresh fruit. (I used some strawberry jam that didn't set well for the topping on mine today.)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Creamy Corn Chowder

2010-11-27T16:33:00.000-08:00

I just tried this recipe, courtousy of Our Best Bites. It's one of those I saw on the side bar and thought it sounded tasty. It is the best soup I've made in a while actually. It is actually thick and the red potatoes are yummy in it. The only things I would change is to double it, it didn't make enough for my family. I also didn't think it needed the bacon. Seeing how I nearly burned it (I'm very bad with bacon) I didn't think it needed to be in there and I was right.

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. milk (used whole milk)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base (this confused me, I think Knorrs must be huge, but I just used two standard sized cubed)
1/2 lb. bacon (optional) (seriously optional)
1 small onion, minced (Of course, I didn't put this in either)
2 red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 C frozen fresh corn
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (like Tabasco or Cholula)

Fry bacon until crisp. In the meantime, melt butter over low heat in a soup pot. When melted, add flour to make a roux and whisk until it comes together in a little ball. Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps. Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don't boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add crumbled bacon and corn and heat through. Add a few drops of hot sauce and then salt to taste. The reason why I don't have an exact measurement is that while the soup REALLY needs salt, bacon also really differs in its saltiness, so it can be super easy to make this soup way too salty. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Once served sprinkle with extra bacon and/or cheese if desired.

Serves 6-8.

"Sweet" Potatoes

2010-11-24T19:42:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it seem that people fall into two categories with sweet potatoes, either they hate them and don't eat them or they love them because they have a pet family recipe. I've had sweet potatoes as french fries, in pancakes, in pie and just a big hunk of it, but this is our family pet recipe. Yum.

4-5 yams, mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

--Mix together and put in greased 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour

--Mix with pastry blender. Add 1 cup chopped pecans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 0-30 minutes.

Dorothy's Pecan Pie

2010-11-24T19:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Sarah gave me her Pecan Pie recipe. I hope to make it soon because I love it. Dorothy is her Aunt I believe.

3 eggs
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup light corn syrup
½ tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans

Beat eggs and add other ingredients. Mix well. Put in pie crust. Bake at 300º for 40 – 60 minutes (or until solid in middle).

I used a little more than a cup of pecans because it looked like it needed a little more and I'm not sure if I was supposed to chop them or not, so I just left them whole.

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

2010-10-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

Matt was watching The Katie Brown Workshop on PBS and saw this recipe.

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs caramel ice cream topping, divided
1 Honey Maid Graham Pie Crust
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs Planters Pecan Pieces, divided
1 cup cold milk
2 pkg (3.4oz each) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1.) Pour 1/4 cup caramel into crust; sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans.
2.) Beat milk, pudding mixes, pumpkin & spices with whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip. Spread into crust.
3.) Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Top with remaining Cool Whip, caramel & pecans just before serving.

Serves 10

GG's Red Beans, Louisiana Style

2010-10-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from my Great Grandmother, who was born in New Orleans. I have a few recipes from her, but I don't make a lot of Creole recipes because my husband doesn't like celery or onions and only tolerates carrots. So you know, the Holy Trinity is out. :)

Soak 1 pound of red beans overnight.
Rinse and cover with water.

Add:
3 Tbsp. salt

Bring to a boil, then simmer 1 hour.

Then add:

3 chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper chopped
ham bone or sausage
Tabasco sauce
white pepper

Cook until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice.

Homemade Pumpkin Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips and Walnuts

2010-10-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

My friend, Kerri sent me this recipe from the blog fashionablyfoodie. I'm putting it here as a must try!

homemade pumpkin ice cream with chocolate chips and walnuts
an original recipe by rachelle

2 cups cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs plus 2 yolks
1 cup plus 2 TB sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 (20 oz) can pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

later:
1/4 cup chocolate chips, blended or chopped
2 TB chocolate chips, left whole
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Combine cream and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil and turn off immediately. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine egss, sugar, salt, spices and pumpkin, mix until fluffy. While mixer is running, pour 1 cup of the hot cream into the pumpkin egg mixture. Keep adding hot cream, one cup at a time, slowly, to temper the eggs. After everything is combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring up to 170 degrees exactly, then turn the heat off. Stir in vanilla. Cool mixture overnight and prepare in ice cream maker- add chocolate chips and walnuts after ice cream has frozen at least halfway so they don't sink to the bottom.

**oh, and I added a bit of red and yellow food coloring to make the color better. i stopped counting drops after i accidentally dumped too much red and had to even it out with lots of yellow. just start out with a few drops and work from there.**

Party batch recipe:
(2 regular sized batches)

4 cups cream
2 cups milk
4 eggs plus 2 yolks
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
a whole huge can pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 cup chopped chocolate chips
1/4 cup whole chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Thyme and Cheese Biscuits

2010-10-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

I love biscuits and gravy. I've been playing around with different biscuit recipes. I found this one at oldfashionedliving.com. It was a hit. FYI, I use McCormick's Country Gravy mix for the gravy.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fresh minced thyme
1/2 tsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet and set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, herbs and cheese in a large mixing bowl, using a fork. Cut in the butter. Mixture will be crumbly. Add the milk and stir until dough holds together, you may add more milk if necessary. Drop by large spoonfuls on the cookie sheet an inch apart. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

2010-10-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Another LOVELY Paula Deen recipe. This on is great!

Ingredients

2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Directions

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Mini Christmas Cheesecakes

2010-10-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

3 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. sour cream
2 cans cherry pie filling

Beat together cream cheese and one cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix again. Pour into mini foil cups, filling 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Combine sour cream and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Top each mini-cake with 1/2 tsp. of the mixture and return to the oven for 5 minutes. When cooled top each cheesecake with one cherry and a little of the filling. Keep refrigerated. Makes 8 dozen.

Oreo Cookies

2010-10-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

Recipe from: Fern Bellows

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake
3/4 c. Crisco
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla

--Mix together (batter will be very stiff). Roll into balls the size of a steely marble. Place on greased cookie sheet2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for exactly 9 minutes. Take out of oven and leave for 2 minutes before removing cookies. Leave until cooled.

Frosting

1 (3-oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cube butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and put a bit between two cookies (same size), flat side together. Don't put too much so it won't run out.

Makes: 60

Granola

2010-10-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

6 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup melted honey
1 c. raisins, craisins or other fruit
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoon vanilla

--Mix honey and oil and spread over grains and nuts. Spread on oiled pan. Bake at 275 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden. Add fruit and add flavor to extra 1/2 -3/4 cup of melted honey and drizzle over granola. May sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or cinnamon.

Apple Pie Filling Cake

2010-10-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

1 yellow cake mix
1 quart apple pie filling
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Blend on low speed until blended. Spread in greased and floured 9 X 13 pan. Add topping.

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Mix together until crumbly. Spread on batter. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 40 -45 minutes.

Apple Pie Filling

2010-10-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

In a large can add:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
10 cups water

--Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Prior to that, peel, core and slice apples and stuff your jars full with them. Pour syrup over, using a knife to make sure that syrup fills the entire jar. Leave 1 inch head space. Process 25 minutes in water bath.

Lemon-Rosemary Layer Cake

2010-09-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

This was the dessert that we had for Eden's baby blessing. My sister, Heather, made them into cupcakes. They are really delicious. But the cake is 756 calories a slice! Eep!

Cake:
1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 c. all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. sour cream
6 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
3 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

Frosting:
2 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
8 1/4 c. powdered sugar
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Beat in the lemon juice, peel and rosemary.

Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in round baking pans. Bake at 350 degree for 25-30 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, lemon peel and juice; beat until smooth.

Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 16 servings.

Pico de Gallo

2010-09-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

This should be with the Cafe Rio recipes. I forgot it.

8-10 Roma tomatoes (seeded)
1 onion
1 jalapeno pepper
2 medium cloves garlic
juice of one lime
1 tablespoon olive oil (I've never done this)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
*2 avocados

Seed and dice tomatoes. Chop onion, jalapeno and garlic to a fine consistency. To these ingredients, add the fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, olive oil and lime. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Best if served the next day.

*I don't put the avocado each time. Usually I do it with tacos, but not Cafe Rio. Since they don't use it. The avocados make it go bad faster though.

Brazilian Lemonade

2010-09-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

From Our Best Bites.

Brazilian Lemonade

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (with hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you're using the WHOLE lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk. If it's bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing

2010-09-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

My husband has been making this since before we decided we liked Cafe Rio (we were anti for a while). This dressing is awesome. And such a nice use of the tomatillos we grow in the garden.

3 fresh tomatillos, cut into quarters
1 pkg. Buttermilk Ranch Salad Dressing powder mix
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/3 to 1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. crushed cayenne pepper OR 1 jalapeno pepper

--Combone all ingredients in a blender and refrigerate at least one hour.

*For thicker dressing reduce mayonnaise to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 cup sour cream to mixture.

Cafe Rio Black Beans

2010-09-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

So I'm actually a huge fan of the pinto beans, but I made this one because everyone else seems to like them so much. My husband tells me these are pretty tasty.

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

In a skillet, saute garlic and cumin in the olive oil in medium heat. Add beans, tomato juice and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Cafe Rio Lime Rice

2010-09-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

3 cups water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
1 tsp. lime juice
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter
3 cups rice (long grain white rice)

Mix together bouillon, garlic, cilantro, green chilies, lime juice, salt and butter in food processor or blender. Put rice, water and blended mixture into rice cooker. Cook in rice cooker until rice is fully softened.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

2010-09-05T15:50:00.001-07:00

I actually don't like the sweet pork, but most people do, so here is the recipe. I hear it tasted very yummy.

6 pounds pork (use pork butt cut or picnic roast)
1 (16-oz.) salsa
1 (12-oz.) Coke
1-2 c. brown sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)

Put in crock pot and cook on high for five hours. Shred pork, put back in crock pot and cook for three more hours on low.

Cafe Rio Chicken

2010-09-05T15:45:00.000-07:00

We just got through with our (hopefully) last baby blessing. And we did Cafe Rio Salads. It was awesome and here are the recipes we used. Starting with the chicken.

1 (8-oz.) Bottle Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Cumin
3 Cloves minced garlic
5 pounds chicken breast
--Put all ingredients into a crock pot on high for 4 hours, low for 6-7 hours. Shred chicken then place back in crock pot for an additional hour.

PW Twice Baked Potates

2010-08-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

So for some reason Pioneer Woman didn't make and easy so copy and paste recipe for this one. Just step by step directions. So I'm going to give you the link, I've made these and they were so good and rich I gave some away and my friends loved them. They have tons of butter, but that makes it even better.

Twice Baked Potatoes via Pioneer Woman

PW Apple Dumplings

2010-08-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've never made these. But my friend Jamie made them and they were the best. So rich and so wonderful. I loved them.

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-½ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable.

PW Blackberry Cobbler

2010-08-23T19:27:00.001-07:00

I've decided I need to add my favorite Pioneer Woman recipes. This is by far my favorite. And it is soooo easy. I get a lot of compliments when I make it too. I like recipes that make me look good!

Ingredients

1 stick Butter
1-¼ cup Sugar
1 cup Self-Rising Flour
1 cup Milk
2 cups Blackberries (frozen Or Fresh)

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of sugar and flour into a mixing bowl, whisking in milk. Mix well. Then, pour in melted butter and whisk it all well together. Butter a baking dish.

Now rinse and pat dry the blackberries. Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle ¼ cup sugar over the top.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until golden and bubbly. If you desire, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.

Mint Brownies

2010-06-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Heather, my sister, made these for my sons baptism. And I loved them. So I asked for the recipe. My mom thinks the brownie part is too cakie and not gooey enough. Fortunately for me, I love cake brownies. I brought these to baby shower and was asked where I got them. They are really good.

3 cups of flour
2 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 c + 2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
3/4 c oil
3/4 c buttermilk
3 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c hot water
4 c. powdered sugar
4 tbsp. milk
1 3/4 c butter divided
1/2 tsp mint extract
green food coloring
12 oz chocolate chips

preheat the over to 350 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and hot water. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients, and pour batter into a large, greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30- 35 minutes. While brownies are cooking, mix together powdered sugar, milk, one cup butter, and mint extract. Add green food coloring as desired and blend well. Spread on cooled brownies. For the glaze, melt together chocolate chips and remaining 3/4 cup butter over low heat. Cool to lukewarm and spread over mint frosting. Cool brownies in fridge to set before serving.

Leprechan Punch

2010-05-31T20:02:00.000-07:00

I found this on Facebook of all places. It sounds really tasty to me. This is obviously a great drink for St. Patrick's Day. Or anytime green beverages are appropriate.

• 2 liters pineapple juice
• 2 envelopes unsweetened lime Kool-Aid
• 1 liter lime sherbet
• 2 liters ginger ale or 7-Up soda

In large punch bowl combine pineapple juice and Kool-Aid. Stir. Add sherbet in scoops. Slowly add ginger ale or 7-Up. Let stand 15 minutes to froth.