Monson Recipes

Custard Divine!

2012-01-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

5 Tbsp corn starch

1/2 cup sugar (or agave substitute)

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup cream

3 egg yolks

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

Start by beating the egg yolks in large glass measuring cup and set aside.

Mix corn starch, sugar and salt in large sauce pan. Add milk and cream into mixture and stir constantly over medium heat until smooth and thick and starts to bubble. Take sauce pan off of heat and pour about 1 cup of hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture.Blend thoroughly, then pour egg yolk mixture back into the sauce pan and cook for another two or three minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

Helpful hints: Make sure when you stir that you are getting the edges of the sauce pan so the custard does not burn along the edges. Also, the enzymes in saliva make your custard go flat, so do not double dip a taste with the same spoon. Do not put a lid on the sauce pan while cooling the custard because it will create condensation into the custard and make it go runny.

Mother Teresa's English Trifle

2012-01-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

1 lb pound cake (or two depending on the size of your bowl)

*Raspberries ( both fresh and frozen)

One cup of whipping cream

*Fresh strawberries

Custard

Slivered almonds (toasted)

* There are not exact amounts on the berries. It just depends on how big you make your trifle.

Also Peaches are wonderful in season and other types of berries are delicious as well.

Directions:

Begin by making Custard ( I will add the custard recipe in a separate post). Upon completion set custard aside and allow it to cool completely.

Make your whipped cream and once the custard is completely cooled fold in the whipped cream to the custard.

Combine berries in a bowl and sweeten with agave or real maple syrup to taste.

Cut pound cake into one inch cubes

Put half of the pound cake into a trifle bowl. Next, pour about half of the berry mixture on top of the pound cake (add some juice from the berries being careful not to completely saturate the pound cake. Finally spread half of the custard mixture onto the berries and repeat the layers in the same order.

Optional: Sprinkle toasted almonds on top and fresh berries

Abigayle's Famous Transfer Treat Bruschetta

2011-12-15T10:18:00.000-08:00

I made this all the time on the mish while my companions and I were anxiously awaiting the transfer phone call. It was a great way to distract yourself from the suspense.
I recently made this again for Matt and my roommates and for Jordan and Danielle & fam, to rave reviews.
I made it with soup, but no one ever remembers the soup, they just talk about the bruschetta, so apparently it's a show stealer. I also talked to dad about it before Thanksgiving and he said he wanted to try it but since I didn't get a chance to make it over Thanksgiving, I thought I'd just slap this on here for whomever would like to be permanently addicted to it for the rest of his or her blissfully tasty life.

2-3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2 a red onion, chopped finely
a bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
1/2 a red bell pepper, chopped
half a can of mixed olives, minced
half a small bottle of capers
1/3 c butter
fresh minced garlic
italian seasoning
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1-2 balls of fresh mozzarella
parmesan
salt and pepper
1-2 loaves high quality, artesian ciabatta bread

Slice the bread, sandwich style
chop all the chopped stuff and mix with capers in a bowl, add salt and pepper and italian seasoning
melt the butter and spread on the bread
take a generous spoonful of minced garlic and spread it on both halves of the bread
Slice the fresh mozzarella about half an inch thick and place it on the bread so that it is spread evenly on the loaf
Scoop the chopped mixture onto the bread. I like it to be heaped up pretty high. 2-4 inches
Drizzle olive oil and balsamic over the top, NOT TOO MUCH
sprinkle with parmesan
Broil on the top rack until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are golden brown
WATCH IT CLOSELY SO IT DOESNT BURN
devour. moan. cry. laud effusively. lick your fingers.

p.s. I've never tried this, but I thought it might be fun to add chopped artichoke hearts. If you try it and it's tasty, let me know.

Famous Turkey Meatballs

2011-11-30T17:35:00.000-08:00

I swear I have put this recipe on the blog before but Danielle says it's not on here so without further ado, the famous meatballs!

Marinara Sauce

Chop 1 large onion and 3-4 cloves garlic. Sautee in a sauce pan in 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sautee until tender. Add 3/4 cup red wine and deglaze. Let simmer for about 3 minutes more. Remove from pan and add to crockpot set to High. Add to the onions one 32 oz can crushed tomatoes and one 6 oz can tomato paste. Then add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp Basil, 1 tsp organo, and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. Stir together and put the lid on while you make the meatballs.

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds regular ground turkey (Not Lean!)
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
4 Tbsp ground or shredded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano

Place all in a large mixing bowl and mix lightlywith a fork . Don't mix with a spoon or hands or it will get to dense and the meatballs won't be as light. Shape into golf ball sized meatballs and sautee in 3 Tbsp hot olive oil. Turn meatballs over until all sides are browned. You will have to do this in batches so they all get browned on all sides and you might have to add more olive oil as you go. Then transfer meatballs to the sauce in the crockpot. Gently push the meatballs down so they are all mostly covered with sauce. Pour extra oil out of pan but leave any browned bits. Add 1/2 cup more red wine to the pan and simmer about 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits off. Then pour wine over the top of all the meatballs and cover with the lid. Turn the heat to low and cook 5-6 hours. If you forget to plan enough time just keep it on high and cook 3-4 hours.

Honey-Mustard and Bacon Brussel Sprouts

2011-11-30T16:56:00.001-08:00

By: Rachel Hall

First trim about 2 pounds brussel sprouts and then in a 9x13 pan toss them all with olive oil until they are completely coated. Then sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp cracked pepper. Then put about 1 1/2 Tbsps of chicken broth in the corner of the pan and then about 1 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar over the top. Toss again. Then lay 4-6 pieces of bacon over the top of the sprouts. Place in a preheated oven at 425 degrees.

Roast for about 20 minutes or until the bacon is almost crisp. Then take them out of the oven and remove the bacon. Save it though! Then in a cup or bowl add about 3-4 Tbsps Dijon mustard and honey. Stir until smooth and pour over the sprouts. This may be a little too much sauce so just pour it on until it looks like enough and then toss the sprouts until they are coated. Lay the bacon back on top (on opposite side) and return to the oven for about 10-15 more minutes or until the very outside skins are browned and crispy looking and they are fork tender. Remove bacon and let cool. After it is cooled crumble the bacon over the top of the brussel sprouts and toss and serve.

Note: This recipe is for Thanksgiving and makes a ton so you should half the recipe for a normal dinner.

Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli

2011-11-30T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is the broccoli I made at Thanksgiving! The recipe is from Ina Garten.

Ingredients

4 to 5 pounds broccoli
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves (about 12 leaves)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or two of stalk attached to the florets, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart. You should have about 8 cups of florets. Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss the garlic on the broccoli and drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, the lemon zest, lemon juice, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil. Serve hot.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

2011-10-26T18:12:00.000-07:00

Family, I noticed this beloved recipe wasn't on the blog so here is my version of the original Marilynn creation:

Cut up 2 chicken breast into bite sized chunks. In a large ziplock bag add 2 Tbsp flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt. Add chicken to bag and shake until all the pieces are coated. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, while you're cooking the veggies and chicken, cook 2 cups brown or wild rice in 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Simmer until fluffy.

Chop up 3 stalks of celery, a box of mushrooms, 1 large onion, 3 cloves garlic. Sautee all the veggies in about 3 Tbsp olive oil until fork tender. Add the chicken and cook until it is cooked through and golden. (If you want it to cook faster, you can take the veggies out, then cook the chicken till it's almost done and then add the veggies back in to finish them both off together. If you do that, just make sure you add more olive oil to the pan before adding the chicken.)

After chicken is all cooked through, add a little more olive oil and then sprinkle about 3 Tbsp flour over the veggies and make a paste. Then add 1/2 cup white cooking wine, or if you don't want to use wine, just add 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (if you want to use the wine add 1/2 cup wine and 1 cup chicken broth). Simmer until the liquid thickens about 5 minutes. Then remove from heat and toss the veggies, chicken, and rice all together in a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of sour cream to the mixture. Season with Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, and poultry seasoning to taste. The mixture should be creamy and not watery. If it isn't thick enough, add some more sour cream or some heavy cream. Place mixture into a cleaned out salt and peppered pumpkin.

Place pumpkin, with lid on, in the center of a large baking sheet with about 1/2-1 inch of water. Bake for 2 hours at 350 degrees or until pumpkin is brown.

Pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies

2011-10-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe online and tried it but it wasn't quite right so I tweaked it a bit and then it was amazing! I added more spices and I added some wheat flour and a little more flour overall so the consistency would be more cookie like. Enjoy.

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2-1 cup chocolate chips (I used 1 cup but if you don't want them that chocolatey just use 1/2)

In a mixing bowl, beat together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture. Stir until smooth. Blend in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° F for 12–15 minutes. Makes 3–4 dozen.

Mascarpone-Filled Cake with Sherried Berries

2011-09-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

I did not make up this recipe but I have made it twice now to rave reviews and it is not very difficult AND it is ...AMAZING, I repeat, AMAZING!

For cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising; sift before measuring)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

For berries:
1/2 cup Fino (dry) Sherry
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups mixed berries, cut if large
The juice of a 1/4 lemon
2 Tbsp of juice of your choice (I used mango/peach/orange)
A couple shakes of cinnamon

For cream:
8 ounces mascarpone (1 cup)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar Garnish:
confectioners sugar print a shopping list for this recipe

Preparation
Make cake:Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Line bottom with a round of parchment paper, then butter parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer at low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing after each addition until just combined.
Spread batter in cake pan, smoothing top. Rap pan on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.
Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Discard paper and reinvert cake onto rack to cool completely.

Macerate berries: Bring Sherry, juice, cinnamon and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Put berries in a bowl and pour hot syrup over them, gently tossing to coat. Let stand 15 minutes.

Make cream and assemble cake: Beat mascarpone and cream with sugar in a large bowl using cleaned beaters until mixture just holds stiff peaks.
Halve cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Carefully remove top half and reserve. Put bottom half on a plate, then spread evenly with all of cream and replace top half. Serve with berries.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Mascarpone-Filled-Cake-with-Sherried-Berries-242873#ixzz1ZSxVnpWk

Butternut Squash and pear soup

2011-06-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is a Marilynn original that she emailed to me but you all need this one so here you go!

1 lb. butternut squash about 10 ounce peeled and seeded

1 large yam

2 cups vegetable broth

1 and ½ cups water

1 stick cinnamon opt.

¾ tsp. salt

2 TB butter

2 med. Onions

3 large Anjou or Bartlett pears

1/3 cup white wine

¼ cup half and half

White pepper to taste

Simmer the squash and yam in vegetable broth with water, cinnamon, salt until tender about 40 min. Discard cinn. Stick. Optional. Just add some cinnamon as an alternative.

Melt the butter and cook chopped onions till carmelized. Add peeled cjopped pears, add to onions. Cook five minutes stirring often. Add wine. Add the pear to the soup and puree. Add the cream and s and p to taste. Do not boil. Incredible! Thin with a little more cream if desired.

Roasted Tomato and Spinach Pasta

2011-05-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

I made this up for dinner tonight and we all loved it! It is really easy and fast too which makes it even better.

1 1/2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes
2 large handfulls of fresh spinach
l medium-large onion chopped
about 6 mushrooms chopped, I used a combo of white and cremini
5 cloves garlic minced smalll
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
2-3 splashes balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 box wheat rotini pasta

So first you just dump the tomatoes onto a jelly roll pan and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 400 and roast for about 20 minutes while you are doing everything else.

Boil the water.

Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to a sautee pan and add chopped onions. Stir occasionally for about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and continue cooking till slightly browned. Stir in the rosemary and thyme and salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta.

Add the spinach and stir until wilted. At this point pull the tomatoes out of the oven and pour all the juices, tomatoes, and oil into the sautee pan(the tomatoes skins should have burst and become slightly browned by this point, if not, wait a little longer). Stir all to combine. The tomatoes will pretty much fall apart. Turn stove to low and let combine while pasta finishes cooking.

Drain pasta and add to the sautee pan. Stir to coat and then add salt and pepper to taste and the two kinds of cheese. Right before serving pour 2-3 quick glugs of balsamic vinegar across the top and stir to combine. Enjoy!

Apple Pecan salad

2011-03-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here is another recent creation that I took to a luncheon where people asked for the recipe so I wrote it down so here it is:

Mixed greens

1 granny smith apple cut into chunks

1/2 cup craisins

1 green onion sliced thin

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

pinch of sea salt

1/2 cup feta cheese

In a small skillet over medium heat add brown sugar to pan and let melt. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Once it is completely melted, add the pecans and remove from heat. Quickly stir them till all the pecans are coated and then sprinkle with sea salt. Transfer to parchment paper and let cool completely. Chop clumps up into small clusters and serve over the salad.

for the dressing:

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup orange champagne vinager (I buy this at Trader Joe's so if you can't get it just substitute half champagne or white wine vinegar and half orange juice)

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1 tsp honey or more to taste

salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together except for olive oil. When they are mixed well, whisk in the olive oil. Pour over above ingredients and serve immediately.

Tex-Mex chicken salad

2011-03-02T13:53:00.001-08:00

I made this up for a mexican themed play group lunch today. Everyone loved it and several people asked for the recipe which forced me to come home and write it down so here it is. It tastes very similar to cafe rio salad. Enjoy!

Tex-mex chicken salad

By Rachel Hall

Beans and corn

Add one can of black beans mostly drained and 1 cup of frozen corn to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, juice of 1 half of a lime, and 1/8 tsp garlic powder. Mix well and turn down the heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and let cool to room temperature

Tortilla strips

Heat two cups of canola oil in a deep soup pot with a thick bottom. Cut 6 corn tortillas into thin strips. Add the strips in three batches and turn frequently till they are lightly brown and crisp. Remove and lay on a cookie sheet covered with paper towels(2-3). Sprinkle with sea salt. Place in 300 degree oven for 3-5 minutes till crisp. Then remove and let cool completely. Let the oil cool completely and reserve for later.

Salad

Cut one whole stalk of Romaine lettuce into thin strips. Wash and drain. Lay in large bowl. Top with Cooled beans and corn mixture. Then sprinkle 3 Chopped green onions over the beans. Then add two diced avacados. Then about ten grape tomatoes halved over the avacados. Next add 1/4-1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese. Then shred the breast meat off of a rotisserie chicken and place chicken chunks over the cheese. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro leaves and tortilla strips. Then toss all with cilantro-lime dressing.

Cilantro-Lime dressing

1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

1/2 cup of the fry oil(canola)

1 large clove garlic

juice of 2 small limes

about 1/4 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Blend together all ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Asian Cabbage Salad

2011-01-13T13:00:00.000-08:00

My friend made this salad at a luncheon the other day and I couldn't stop eating it. The recipe is from Our Best Bites.com

1 14 oz bag coleslaw mix
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 small handful sugar snap peas (about 20 baby ones)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1 T toasted sesame seeds*
1/3 C slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*
Optional: 1 1/2 C cooked, shredded or diced chicken

Dressing:
2 T canola oil
2 T cider vinegar
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T sugar (or equivalent of sugar substitute)
1 t kosher salt
2 t soy sauce
1/4 t garlic powder, or one small garlic clove, minced
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t sesame oil

* To toast almonds or sesame seeds, place them (not together, do one thing at a time!) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Turn constantly until golden brown. Let cool before using.

Begin by making dressing. Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake shake shake. Store in the fridge until ready to use. You can definitely do this part a few days ahead of time.

Baked spinach artichoke dip

2011-01-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

I made up this recipe based off of Costco's yummy spinach artichoke dip.

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts

1 box frozen spinach

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze to remove all water. In a food processor add spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic cloves. Pulse till well combined and roughly chopped. Make sure the chunks are pretty small.

In a large bowl mix sour cream, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper together until well combined.

Add spinach mixture into the cream mixture. (Scrape sides to get all the bits). Stir until well combined. Add more Salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until edges start to brown. Serve with bread or chips.

Makes about 3 cups of dip.

My Favorite Sugar Cookies

2010-11-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

We made these over Thanksgiving with the kids and they are so soft and buttery! I love this recipe because it doesn't have shortening which I personally can't stand.

1 cup sugar
1 cup(2 sticks) butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp really good vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well blended(it will look grainy.)
3. Beat in 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt until well blended. Gradually add remaining flour.
4. wrap dough and refridgerate until firm.
5. preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
6. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and cook for 7-9 minutes.
7. Frost and decorate as you choose.

I use cream cheese frosting:
1/2 stick butter softened
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar.
Beat together till smooth. Color if you want

Corn and Black Bean salad

2010-11-30T16:07:00.000-08:00

This is a Southwestern twist on the corn and tomato salad that I posted previously. It goes really well with the enchiladas I posted too.

2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes cut in half or just 2 regular tomatoes diced
2 avacadoes pitted and diced
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1/4 of a large red onion diced very small or 4 chopped green onions
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

juice of 1-2 limes

Lay out corn on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 350 degrees until the corn is warm. Mix all veggies together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice. Pour over veggies and toss till well coated. Add more lime or salt if needed to taste.

Best Fish Tacos Ever!

2010-09-23T21:10:00.000-07:00

Okay I may be biased but I literally spent the entire summer perfecting this recipe. I think I made them every week. Each attempt was yummy, but this was the winner of all winners. There are a lot of steps, but they are all fast and simple. Do not skip any of the condiments!!

Fish marinade

Juice and zest of one orange
juice and zest of one lime
juice and zest of one lemon
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together. Marinade 3-4 Mahi Mahi fillets in the above marinade for at least 20 minutes. Reserve marinade, and transfer to small pan on the stove. Right before eating, grill for 3-4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. While fish is grilling heat marinade over high heat until it reduces by about half. It should look thick and bubbly and saucy. When fish is done, break into chunks and pour reduced marinade over fish and toss to coat.

Avacado Mango salsa

1 white onion chopped small
6-8 roma tomatoes diced small
1 bunch cilantro chopped small
1 Tbsp salt
juice of 2-3 limes depending on the size
1-2 mangos peeled and cut into cubes
1-2 avacados peeled and cut into cubes
1 small serrano chili, seeds and membranes removed, chopped small

Toss all ingredients together and refridgerate until rest of tacos are ready

Slaw

1 1/2 cups cabbage sliced very thin
2 peeled and grated carrots
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
1/4 cup crema(mexican sour cream) or more, to coat
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

Put cabbage, carrots, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix together lime juice, honey, salt, and crema. Whisk till smooth. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss until coated. Set aside

Warm corn tortillas in microwave until warm and moist. Add fish to tortillas. Top with slaw and then salsa. Enjoy! They are messy so you may need a lot of napkins.

Chicken Enchilada Suizas

2010-09-23T20:58:00.001-07:00

These are seriously my new favorite enchiladas. I have made them a few times and they are so amazing. I do make them a little differently though. Out of convenience, I put a couple boneless skinnless frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with the broth they suggest plus the juice of 1 lime on high for 4-5 hours. That way I can just not think about the chicken until dinner time. Then I shred it and toss it in the salt and crema and do everything else the same way. The chicken is so moist and creamy that way!

Ingredients

2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
3 to 5 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more for topping (optional)
Kosher salt
2 pounds plum tomatoes
1 or 2 serrano chile peppers, stemmed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 1/2 cup for frying
1 large white onion; 2/3 diced, 1/3 sliced into rings
1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream, plus more for topping (optional)
12 corn tortillas, preferably white
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco

Directions

Put the chicken in a medium pot with 3 cups water, the broth, garlic, bay leaves and cilantro; season with salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and gently simmer, turning the chicken as needed, until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool. Discard the bay leaves and cilantro and reserve the broth and garlic.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Put the tomatoes and chiles on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil, turning, until charred, about 12 minutes. Wrap in the foil to catch any juices, then cool slightly. Peel the chiles and transfer to a blender with the tomatoes and collected juices. Remove the garlic from the broth, add to the blender and puree until smooth.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium high and stir in the tomato-chile puree and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of the reserved broth and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook about 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt; keep the sauce warm.

Discard the chicken skin and shred the meat. Toss the chicken with the crema and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Soak the sliced onion in a bowl of cold water while you prepare the enchiladas.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the tomato-chile sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry a tortilla until puffed, about 15 seconds per side, turning with tongs. Quickly spoon 2 tablespoons chicken onto the tortilla, roll it up and put seam-side down in the baking dish. Fry and fill the remaining tortillas, arranging them side by side in the dish.

Pour 2 cups of the tomato-chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with the queso fresco. Bake until warmed through, about 20 minutes. Drain the sliced onion and scatter over the enchiladas. Divide among plates and top with more cilantro, sauce and crema, if desired.

Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

2010-09-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Erin made this recipe when she came over for dinner one night and it is seriously addicting!! I have made it tons of times since and always get rave reviews.

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tsp kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

¼ cup olive oil

6 ears of corn, husked (about 4 cups of kernels)***

2 cup red grape tomatoes, halved

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

8 oz. Fresh Mozzarella, cut into small cubes (You can use feta cheese instead if you don't have Mozzeralla but you only need to put about 3 TB. Both are delicious!)

1 ½ cup fresh basil leaves

Whisk vinegar, salt, pepper in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil starting with a few drops then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth dressing, Shear off the corn kernels with a sharp knife, roast corn in 375 degree oven for about 7-9 minutes. Combine corn, tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella in a bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coast. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Before serving, tear the basil over the salad and serve.

***You can use frozen corn too, it is easier and tastes just as good. When roasting frozen corn just cook until the corn is warm and starts to smell.

Tuscan Bean soup

2010-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

I read through three new soup recipes today and they all looked so yummy, but for different reasons, so I picked parts I liked from each of them and made up my own. It was really good so I want to record it so that I don't forget. It is a perfect fall soup.

3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large celery hearts, halved and sliced
1 medium red onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 pieces bacon or pancetta
1 Tbsp olive oil
5 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
2 cans canellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, mashed
1/2 box whole wheat small pasta shells
parmesan cheese rind
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary crushed up
1 bunch kale with ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a soup pot add olive oil and bacon over med-high heat. Stir frequently until bacon is browned and fat is rendered. Add carrots, onion, and celery. stir and cook until softened, about ten minutes. Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes longer. Add stock, water, rinsed beans, tomatoes, parmesan rind, bay leaves, pepper and rosemary. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Bring back to a boil and add pasta shells. Cook until al dente. Add Kale leaves and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently. Remove bay leaves, and parmesan rind. Right before serving add salt, lemon juice, and extra parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty warm bread.

Greek Chicken Roulades with Creamy Orzo

2010-05-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

ok, so I made this for dinner last Sunday, tripled this recipe since it is only for two. It is delicious and easy with a gorgeous presentation. Try it!
12 pitted Kalamata olives, divided in half, half to use later in sauce!
3 TB bread crumbs
3 TB minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 TB minced lemon zest
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onioin
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1&1/2 cup chicken broth
1 TB lemon juice
1 tsp. cornstarch
In food processor, dice together the top 6 ingredients. Set aside. With a meat mallet pound breasts between plastic wrap to about 1/4". Spread olive-tomatoe filling on top and roll up lengthwise. Secure with toothpicks, crossed. With a sharp knife, slice across the roll, like sweetrolls, to about 1&1/2 width. This much preparation can be done the day before, cover tightly and store in fridge on Saturday and dinner is made in a snap the next day. Saute the roulades in the olive oil, flat in the pan, on the swirl, on medium high heat to brown, two minutes each side. Remove to a plate. Add the onions and wine and cook about 2 minutes till alcohol cooks off. Add chicken broth. Bring to a low boil and add reserved olives and the chicken back. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove chicken again and whisk together the lemon juice and cornstarch, stir into sauce, simmer a minute then serve the chicken with the sauce over it.
Creamy Orzo
1&1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry orzo (pasta)
2 TB minced sun-dried tomatoes
2 TB cumbled feta cheese
1/8 tsp salt and pepper
Bring broth to a boil. Add orzo, cook 9 minutes until liquid absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes and feta, season with s&p and serve with roulades! Delicious!

2010-05-08T20:17:00.001-07:00

don't roast the veggies any lower than 400 degrees. I usually go with 425 degrees

Vegetable finishing for broccoli or asparagus or brussel sprouts or whatever vegetable you want!

2010-05-08T18:07:00.000-07:00

Jordan wanted the recipe for vegetable seasoning. There are several options limited only by your imagination but here are some family favorites:
Roasting vegs - Rachel's latest favorite! Cut up your vegs, sprinkle with olive oil, mix to coat, then add salt and pepper and seasonings like oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, just one or a combination of several spices then roast in the oven at 350 till crisp tender. Yummy. Lower fat here if you care!

Another is to melt 1/4 c butter in the microwave with the juice of a whole lemon and pour it over steamed vegs and then add salt and pepper and any seasoning you want.

This one was given to me by a friend long ago: Put 1&1/2 TB of dijohn mustard in a bowl, add almost the same amount of honey, stir together and pour over steamed vegs after pouring a few TB of butter over them first. Salt and Pepper to taste. Especially good with brussel sprouts because they tend to be bitter if you don't cook them the DAY you buy them!

Strawberry Soup or Raspberry

2010-05-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

We got this recipe on a cruise where we were basically drinking as much of this as we possible could! We had to buy the recipe book just for this recipe - so since strawberries are cheap now - here's a great cool treat for a hot summer day!
2 pints strawberries or raspberries, gently washed
2 cups sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup ginger ale
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB fresh lemon juice
* this is my secret addition to the recipe that makes all the difference - a couple TB of homemade strawberry jam to taste!
Puree in a food processor the berries until smooth. Strain the berries through a sieve, pushing as much as possible through into a bowl, removing all seeds. Whisk everything else and chill in fridge about 4 hours.

Chicken Marsala

2010-05-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

This and the lemon sticky rice are family favs that everybody probably has already, but Jordan is making this for his wife for mothers day and needed the recipe so here we go for posterity! Yummy!

4 Skinless boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 TB. sliced green onions
3 TB. butter
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. Marsala wine
snipped fresh parsley
Pound chicken between plasting wrap to 1/8 inch. Rinse chicken. Stir together flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Press into flour mixture. Set aside. In skillet, cook mushrooms and chopped green onions in 1 TB of the butter. In the same skillet cook chicken in remaining cutter over med heat. Two minutes per side, browning evenly. Remove chicken, return onions and mushrooms, add broth and marsala. Cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes till thickens slightly. Put chicken on a platter and spoon sauce over it and sprinkle with parsley.
*we usually make three times the sauce amount just because we love tons of sauce.

lemon sticky rice

2010-05-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

1 Tb. olive oil
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 cup arborio rice or brown or any kind you want
3 cups canned beef broth
3 Tb. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. small grated lemon peel (lemon zest)

1 TB butter
1/4 c.fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 TB chopped Italian parsley, optional or not italian, just any kind.

Heat oil. Saute onion. Add rice; stir for a minute. Add 3 cups broth, lemon juice and peel. Simmer until tender but still firm to bite. Add more broth if it gets dry must be creamy and moist. Remove from heat. Add butter, cheese, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with chopped parsley if you want.

wheat pizza dough

2010-04-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

I have been trying different wheat pizza dough recipes because my kids are really into making their own pizzas lately and have been disappointed with most of the ones I have tried. I just tried this one last week and we all loved it! It is slightly sweet, slightly salty and the bottom gets crisp, but the inside stays chewy. It's really easy too.

1 pkg dry yeast
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt

-Mix yeast and warm water in a small bowl and set aside until thick and creamy.

-In a food processor add whole wheat and all purpose flours, activated yeast, and oil mixed with honey and salt. Pulse processor to combine all ingredients. Then process until the dough forms a ball on the blade. Remove dough to a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in bulk.

-Punch down dough and transfer to a floured board and knead briefly. Divide dough into 4 equal portions and roll each piece into a bowl. Place the balls of dough, covered, in the refridgerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bring the dough to room temperature before proceeding.

-On a floured board roll and stretch each piece of dough into a 7-8 inch circle. Place each circle on a wooden pizza peel or pizza pan and top as desired.

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees and bake 7-8 minutes per pizza.

Chicken 'n Dumplings

2010-03-19T17:01:00.001-07:00

This was my favorite thing in the world when I was little and my roommate made it the other day and it was amazing. I had to share the recipe. She got it from a blog called smittenkitchen.com which is a great site you should check out, but I posted the recipe here below.

Chicken and Dumplings with Leeks and Tarragon
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, February 2005
CI notes that you should not use low-fat or fat-free milk in this recipe, and that you should start the dumpling dough only when you’re ready to top the stew with the dumplings.
Serves 6 to 8
Stew
5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Table salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
2 medium leeks , white and llight green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, minced
6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dry sherry
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen green peas
3 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
Dumplings
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons reserved chicken fat (or unsalted butter)
1. For the stew: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.
2. Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the flour. Whisk in the sherry, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves. Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.
3. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew.
4. For the dumplings: Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.
5. Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and tarragon, and season with salt and pepper. Following the steps below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.
To make the dumplings: Gather a golf-ball-sized portion of the dumpling batter onto a soup spoon, then push the dumpling onto the stew using a second spoon. Cover the stew with the dumplings, leaving about 1/4 inch between each. When fully cooked, the dumplings will have doubled in size.

Melting Pot Fondue recipes

2010-03-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Turtle Fondue

1 bag good chocolate chips(16 oz)
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup or more to taste prepared carmel sauce
handful toasted pecans

Melt Chocolate chips and whipping cream together over LOW heat. Stir constantly until smooth. Turn off heat and transfer to fondue pot. Right before serving, pour carmel sauce right in the middle of the pot and sprinkle toasted pecans over the whole top. Then swirl in the carmel with fondue skewer and it looks all swirly and pretty.

Cheddar Beer fondue

1 cup beer
spoonful crushed garlic
1 Tbsp flour
1 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 1/4 cup swiss cheese shredded
1 tsp dry mustard powder
2 shakes worcestershire sauce

Heat Beer and garlic in a sauce pan. Simmer about 3 minutes to burn off alcohol. On a separate plate or in a bowl toss the shredded cheeses with the flour until coated. Slowly add the cheese in handful stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in mustard powder and worcestershire sauce until well combined. Transfer to fondue pot and keep warm stirring every once in awhile so the bottom doesn't burn. NOTE: If you have to add more cheese to get it to the correct thickness, make sure to toss it in more flour before adding.

Moules marniere

2010-03-11T19:12:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I just crave this dish. Costco sells a 5lb bag of mussels for $10, and they are debearded which makes it a lot easier. Eat with french bread and a salad. Mom asked for it so here goes, so easy and delicious.

3 Tbsp butter
1 Onion
4 cloves garlic minced
2 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs thyme
4 lbs mussels
1 1/2 C white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 C heavy cream

1. Melt butter, sautee onion, garlic, and herbs till onion is soft in a large pot
2. add wine, cream, salt and pepper, bring to a boil
3. add mussels (debearded and rinsed) cover over medium-high 5-8 minutes or until all shells have opened.
4. garnish with parsley and lemon, sop juices with bread.

Strawberry or Raspberry Soup

2010-03-08T21:16:00.000-08:00

2 pints fresh berries, washed
2 cups sour cream
1 cup whole milk
1 cup gingerale
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB fresh lemon juice
strawberry or raspberry jam to taste
In a food processor puree the berries until smooth.
Strain through a fine sieve to remove seeds.
Whisk the remaining ingredients in, adding the jam last to desired sweetness. Chill and serve cold.

From the cruise where we drank this stuff until we just had to buy the recipe book to have the recipe or die! (except we added the jam idea!)

Cowboy Caviar

2010-02-22T10:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from a friend in Maine! It is an amazing salsa that so many people have asked for that .......here ya go! I gave it to neighbors with chips for Christmas a couple years ago and heard rave reviews!
1 can whole corn drained
1 can black eyed peas drained
1 can black beans drained
1 bunch green onions, five sprigs chopped
1 small bunch cilantro chopped
2 cans chopped tomatoes with seasoning and chiles
small packet of good seasons italian dressing made according to directions
Mix the above and season with salt and pepper to taste
Just before serving, chop two avocados and add. Serve with chips.
Delicious!

Raspberry Muffins

2010-02-22T10:11:00.000-08:00

I took these to Sunday School yesterday and they are amazing! Remember these from seminary days? You can make them with any berries! I liked the tart raspberries so much but blueberries are yummy too!
1/2 square butter
1/2 square 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1&1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c milk
2 cups frozen raspberries
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 square butter
Cream together the butter and cream cheese till smooth, add eggs and beat till light and fluffy. Mix flour, salt, soda, powder, cinnamon and mix in alternating with milk. Add frozen berries and mix in gently. Spray muffin tin and fill 3/4ths full. In a separate bowl mix the last four ingredients till crumbly and sprinkle over top of muffins, Bake at 350 for about 20 min. Enjoy!

no sugar, no eggs, no butter, but soo good chocolate chip cookies!

2010-02-14T18:13:00.000-08:00

My friend brought these cookies to our house last week when we had them over for dinner. I ate 6 of them and I was amazed when she told me they have no sugar, no butter and no eggs. They are soooooo amazing!

Anna's Chocolate Chip Cookies:

1 1/2 c. oatmeal (regular, not quick)

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/4 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Mix well and then add:

1/2 c. canola oil

1/2 c. pure maple syrup

2 t. vanilla

2 t. water

(I sometimes add a large spoonful of Adams peanut butter too, for flavor and to hold the cookies together more. I like them best this way.)

Bake at 365 for 10-12 minutes.

Red Velvet Whoopie pies

2010-02-13T18:19:00.000-08:00

This is a fun Valentines Day treat because it is red and festive as well as yummers. They are amazing! I took 2 dozen of them to my ward's valentine's enrichment and they were seriously gone in 2 minutes. This recipe comes from my Food Network Magazine again. Again, I highly recommend that magazine:)

1 ounce (2 Tbsp) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 ounce (1 Tbsp) milk chocolate, chopped
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp red food coloring
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetend cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the filling
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temp
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped (I forgot to get this so I just used 1 tsp vanilla extract)

To make the cookies:
1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the semisweet and milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave about two minutes until melted and smooth. Check on it about every 30 seconds and stir so it doesn't burn. Whisk until smooth.
2.Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring in a bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3.Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, whisking each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate.
4.Scoop heaping Tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger so that they look like smooth round mounds. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly pressed, 8-10 minutes. (7-9 mins if using a convection oven) Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
5.Meanwhile, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and the butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla seeds or extract. Sandwich a heaping Tablespoonful of filling between two cookies; repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Refridgerate 30 minutes before serving.

Ben's Favorite Brownies

2010-02-10T18:19:00.001-08:00

Double Chocolate Mocha BrowniesGourmet | December 2002

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min

Yield: Makes 32 brownies
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 45 min

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon instant-espresso powder or instant-coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan with foil, allowing 2 inches of foil to hang over ends of pan, and grease foil well (except overhang) with 1 tablespoon butter.

Melt remaining 11 tablespoons butter with unsweetened chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt (mixture will be grainy), then add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until batter is smooth.

Toss together flour and chocolate chips in another bowl and add to batter, stirring until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and edges just begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 20 minutes (do not overbake).

Cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes, then carefully lift brownies from pan by grasping both ends of foil and transfer to rack to cool 10 minutes more. Cut into 32 squares and lift brownies off foil with a spatula.

*****DOUBLE THIS RECIPE AND THEN BAKE TWICE AS LONG. IF YOU JUST DO THE ABOVE VERSION THE BROWNIES ARE TOO THIN.*****

Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake Ala Ronald Reagan Style

2010-02-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Orange Flourless Chocolate Cake for the Reagan FamilyEpicurious | © February 2007

by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard
Reprinted with permission from All the Presidents' Pastries

Editor's note: The recipe below is taken from All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House by Roland Mesnier with Christian Malard.

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

1 1/2 sticks (170 g) unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
flour, for dusting
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet chocolate
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (220 g) sugar
zest of one large orange
4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1/2 cup (55 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
10x confectioners' sugar, for dusting
candied orange peel and vanilla ice cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and flour a 10-inch (25-cm) round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter and flour the parchment paper. Gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir the butter into the chocolate to melt, and stir until smooth. Remove from the double boiler and whisk the sugar and orange zest into the chocolate mixture. Add the eggs and egg yolks and whisk well. Sift the cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and whisk the batter until totally smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top has formed a good crust. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with candied orange peel and vanilla ice cream.

Valentine Sugar Cookies

2010-02-08T15:41:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year and since you aren't all here so I can make you these, you are going to have to make them yourselves! Love you! Mom

3 eggs
2 c sugar
1 cup butter, 2 aquares
1 tsp. vanilla
cream above together
1 cup milk with 1 tsp. vinegar in it, set aside to sour
Mix together the following dry ingredients:
1 tsp soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
7 c.flour
add beaten eggs to dry ingredients alternating with milk.
Chill in fridge for about a half hour or so.
Roll out on flour dusted counter to cut valentines or whatever shapes you want.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 5-7 minutes. Just slightly browned edges. Don't overcook!
Frost and sprinkle with red sprinkles
Best frosting in the world
1 square butter
8 oz. of cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar Beat until smooth and creamy!

Monster Cookies

2010-02-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

These are the cookies I made my whole life raising my kids because I could make giant rolls of them and freeze them and always have them on hand. Since it is valentines day, I thought I should post this and the sugar cookie recipe I always made! Enjoy

12 eggs, 1 lb butter, 2 lbs brown sugar, 4 cups white sugar, 1/4 c vanilla, 3 lbs peanut butter, (chunky or plain, I always used plain) 8 tsp. soda, 18 cups ground whole oats, made into oat flour, 1 lb choco chips, 1&1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

In a giant bowl cream sugars, butter and peanut butter until smooth and creamy, then add the eggs and beat till smooth,add vanilla. Mix dry ingredients, then add to creamed mixture until smooth, mix in the nuts and choco chips by hand. Roll into round long logs and freeze. Slice off 1/2 inch or so and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. You can chop some of the choco chips up in a food processor and leave some whole if you want. Cook only until the edges start to get golden, check bottoms, do not overcook! Enjoy!

Broiled Halibut with Ricotta-Pea puree

2010-01-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

This is another food Network magazine recipe that I love! I made it last night and it was a hit and so easy to make.

3 small carrots
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 Tbsps extra vigin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 6-ounce center-cut skinless halibut fillets(I used orange roughy)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 10-ounce package frozen peas
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1-2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil and preeat 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss carrots and onions in olive oil and salt and pepper. Also brush fish on both sides with olive oil, salt and pepper, and sprinkle smoked paprika over both sides. Coat fish evenly with the paprika.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, place the fish in the center and scatter the onion and carrots around. Broil until the fish is golden and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave peas in a bowl with 1/4 cup water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the peas and liquid to a food processor and pulse with the ricotta, butter, and salt and pepper to taste, to make a slightly chunky puree. Divide the puree among plates and top with the fish, carrots, onion, and drizzle with pan juices.

Sweet potato and sweet pepper chicken

2010-01-19T15:33:00.001-08:00

This is a classic recipe that Mom made up for me when she was helping after Rylynn was born and then after she left I just tried to recreate it and this is what I came up with. So it is not an exact recipe, but I make it all the time now and LOVE it!

Sweet Potato Puree

peel 2 medium-big sized sweet potatoes and chop into equal sized cubes. Place in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then cover pan and simmer until very tender. Drain juices into a bowl reserving the liquid. Mash the potatoes and stir in about 2 Tbsps of butter, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Chicken

Pound 3-4 pieces of chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap until an inch thick. Meanwhile on a plate or in a large plastic bag combine 1/2 cup flour, 1 Tbsp Lawry's seasoning salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp, dried basil. Place chicken pieces on plate or shake in bag until well coated. Save extra flour mixture for sauce. In a large sautee pan heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat until bubbly but not browned. Add chicken pieces and sautee until browned and crisp(about 2 minutes on each side). Place on an oven safe plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm in a 250 degree oven.

Sweet pepper sauce:

Medium dice one onion, one yellow pepper, and one red pepper. Add to same sautee pan with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sautee until tender. Add 1 Tbsp butter and dump in the remaining flour mixture. Stir until the butter/flour mixture makes a coating on veggies. Stir in 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 cup reserved sweet potato juices, and 1/2 cup white wine. Stir until smooth and bring to a boil. Turn it to a low boil and reduce by about half.

To serve, spread the sweet potato puree on the bottom of a plate, place chicken on top of sweet potatoes then serve sweet pepper sauce over all. Be liberal on the sauce cause it's so good! Serve the parsnips from the last recipe along side. Enjoy!

Delicious parsnips

2010-01-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

I always serve parsnips with the sweet potato pepper chicken(next recipe), and recently I came across a parsnip recipe in my food network magazine that I love. It is super easy and so flavorful!

Slice 4-5 peeled parsnips and add to skillet with 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup white wine, 2 Tbsp of butter, the juice of 1 lemon, a few slices of ginger(or you can use a few shakes of dried), 1 bay leaf, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a drizzle of honey(about a Tbsp).

Partially cover and boil until liquid evaporates and parsnips are brown and carmely(about 20 minutes). Watch closely near the end to make sure the honey doesn't burn.

Creamy chocolate frosting

2010-01-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

I got this from my friend's blog. Sounds amazing!

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Melt the unsweetened chocolate (i melted it with a tsp of butter....seemed less prone to burning in the microwave that way). Mix with the sweetened condensed milk. Slowly add water, vanilla and instant pudding mix. Whip the cream and fold into chocolate mixture (We ended up whipping about 2 cups of cream and folded almost all of it into the chocolate mixture....just depends on how chocolaty you want the frosting). Frost immediately, refrigerate.

Basic Dinner Rolls/Cinnamon or Orange Rolls

2010-01-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Here's the secret, use the timer!
4 cups whole milk, warmed in the microwave for 3 min.
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup yeast
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm milk, poured into your Bosch or kitchen aid or whatever bread maker you have. Sprinkle the sugar over it. Let sit for ten minutes.
Then turn on your machine to mix and add:
5 cups flour
4 eggs
Beat for five minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Then add:
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 TB salt
7 cups flour
Mix and blend until smooth.
Add 1 square butter that has been left out of fridge to soften. Beat five minutes.
Let rise 30 minutes. Roll out by putting on counter. If the dough seems too thick, (a little too much flour) spread some oil on your counter top and then roll out in below manner. If the dough seems a little sticky, (a little too moist) then sprinkle the counter top with flour and flour your hands and pat the top with flour. Most of the time, I use flour. However, occasionally I use oil to roll them out if the dough seems a little too dense. From this point, use the dough to make dinner rolls, or cinnamon or orange rolls.

For crescent rolls, I use my canning jar lid to cut off a small amount then pat it into a rectangle with one end a little narrower than the other, and roll it around my index finger (floured) into a crescent roll shape. Start on the larger end and roll to the smaller. My grandmother made them that way. You can also roll out a circle and pie cut it and roll from the outside into the center.

If you make cinnamon rolls, roll out a giant rectangle and cut it into 3 long strips lengthwise after putting in the filling, roll up and let rise until double (about 45 minutes, but it depends on the temperature of your room, the time of year etc. so just when they are double in size) and cook @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cinnamon Filling
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 square butter
1/4 cup cinnamon
Melt and stir above and then add cream or milk about 3 TB. to mixture and stir.
Pour over rectangle of dough before cutting and rolling.

Oh, the easy way to cut your cinnamon rolls is to use dental floss or thread and hold it so that you can slide it under the roll and bring the ends over the top, cross over and pull and they are cut perfectly.

Frosting
1 eight ounce cream cheese
1 square butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat until light and fluffy and spread on just slightly warm rolls.

Trust me - people will beg for more!

Christmas morning French Toast

2009-12-30T20:27:00.000-08:00

I saw this on one of my fave cooking shows, Tyler's Ultimate, and thought it looked amazing! Then I decided to make it on Christmas breakfast because I thought it would be a good combo of the baked apple and the pancake/french toast. It honestly tasted like baked apples on top of the best french toast you've ever eaten. Plus, I loved that it called for Challah bread because I just used my leftover Challah from the Holy Land dinner the night before. Soooo amazing! I highly recommend that it become a permanent fixture on the Christmas morning breakfast menu! I know it has at my house:)

Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2008
Serves:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
French toast:

4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch-thick slices
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Confectioners' sugar, garnish, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.

Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered - you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.

When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve.

Amazing Olive Oil Cookies

2009-12-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

So the Texan showed me this recipe and it is AMAZING... also it breaks like every cookie recipe rule that I considered dogma, but IT WORKS and they're like way lower fat than your wedlior type. Seriously, life altering cookies.

Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Slice of Feist

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk (or rice milk)
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Combine sugars, vanilla, and olive oil. Beat in the eggs one a time. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, then add in a tablespoon of milk to make the dough a bit firmer, maybe another tablespoon if you need it/if you feel the dough is too sticky/dry (I used about 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon).

3. Roll the dough into balls with your hands and place on a greased and/or lined baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden and set. Mine took about 10 and a half minutes. These overbake quickly, so it’s better to take them out a bit early if you’re unsure. Allow to cool for a bit on the baking sheet, then move to another surface to finish cooling.

Fish and Chips

2009-11-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

I rarely eat fried food, I'm talking like maybe 2x's a year, but this recipe tastes so dang good when I do make it and it just brings back so many memories of eating fish and chips in the pubs in England.

First make the chips by cutting 4 potatoes into thick wedges.
Pour about 2 inches of canola oil into a thick bottomed pan over high heat. Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 300 degrees to keep chips warm while frying. When oil starts looking spidery, throw in potatoes in small batches. Fry until golden brown. If oil gets too hot and starts smoking, turn your heat down to medium. Remove potatoes and place on a paper towel for a minute to dry then transfer to cookie sheet in oven to keep warm. Fry rest of the potatoes until they are all done. Salt and pepper all chips and keep warm in oven. I use Lawry's seasoned salt, but regular salt is fine too.

Next make fish batter by mixing all ingredients in medium sized bowl.
-1 cup beer
-1 cup flour
-2 eggs
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper

Cut large fish pieces in half so you still have good sized chunks of fish. I used orange roughy and we love that. If you are feeling rich use halibut. I have also used tilapia but I like thicker, meatier white fish better. Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towels. One by one, dip fish pieces completely in batter and then place in fry oil. Fry about 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, turning them over once. Transfer fried pieces onto same pan in oven to stay warm. Sprinkle each fried fish fillet with course sea salt. Meanwhile chop thick rings of onions and dip them in same batter. When all the fish is fried, add onions to fry oil and fry till golden brown turning once. Serve immediately or keep in oven so they don't get soggy and cold.

Tartar sauce (this is Ina Garten's recipe and I love it)

-1/2 cup mayonnaise
-2 Tbsp chopped dill pickles
-1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
-1 Tbsp capers
-1 tsp course ground mustard
-pinch salt and pepper
add all ingredients to food processor and pulse till slightly chunky put blended

Serve fish, chips and onion rings with tartar sauce and malt vinegar. Enjoy!!

FINALLY!! Chicken tortilla soup that tastes like Cafe Rio

2009-11-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Cafe Rio chicken tortilla soup and I have found some really yummy tortilla soup recipes that I really like, but none of them taste like Cafe Rio's. I decided to try this recipe in my Food Network magazine although I have to admit I was skeptical. I was wrong!! It tastes just like Cafe Rio's and it is amazing!! Not to mention super easy.

Puree in blender or food processor
-2 seeded, soaked ancho chilies (I could not find these but I looked up online and they are very similar to Poblano peppers so I used one really big fresh poblano)
-1 onion
-2 tomatoes (I used Roma)
-2 cloves garlic
Just rough chop all these ingredients then put in blender or processor and puree until smooth

In soup pot cover bottom of pot with olive oil or other kind of oil. Heat over med-high. Add puree to oil and fry for a minute or two.
Then add
-6 cups chicken broth
-4 torn corn tortillas. Tear them into about quarter size pieces.
-1/2 cup cilantro
-some shredded cooked chicken, or I just threw in about 6 frozen chicken cutlets and let them cook in the soup, less work!

Simmer until thick, about 1 1/2 hours. Less if you use cooked chicken. Add salt to taste, I added about 1 TBSP.

Serve with lime wedges, chopped avacados, cilantro, tortilla strips, and mexican cheese (queso fresco). I squeezed 1/4 lime into each bowl of soup and it was perfect.

ENJOY!! So yummy!

La Meilleure Salade du Monde

2009-10-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

That means "the best salad in the world"

A girl in the french house made this last night and I literally didn't want to swallow it, I just wanted to keep it in my mouth. I'm generally a fast eater, but i found myself savoring each mouthful of this incredible salad. I announced to everyone that I wanted to eat this everyday of my life until I die. Have I yet convinced you that you are under a moral obligation to feed this to your family immediately? To do so...

Salad

1 head cabbage chopped

3 breasts chicken, cooked, shredded or cubed

2 pkgs chopped ramen noodles

craisins and mandarin oranges to taste

salt and pepper

Rice

2 cans coconut milk

2 cups water

3-3 1/2 cups jasmine rice

mix water and coconut milk

add some sugar to taste

add rice and cook

Dressing

3/4 cups sesame or peanut oil

2 T rice vinegar

2 T soy sauce

2 packets chicken ramen seasoning

3 T sugar

1/2 T pepper

So you put the salad on top of this rice and then will absolutely die because its AMAZING.

p.s. this is not French at all.

Italian Beef

2009-10-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

Serve on hoagie rolls with provolone or mozzarella cheese, and your choice of condiments. When making the sandwiches, place meat in rolls, cover with cheese, and zap in a microwave or oven for a few seconds. Don't forget to use the pepperoncini in the sandwiches.

1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 (16 ounce) jar pepperoncini

DIRECTIONS
1.Make small cuts in roast, and insert garlic slices in cuts. Place roast in the slow cooker, and pour the entire contents of the jar of pepperoncini, including liquid, over meat.
2.Cover, and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours

Great Article

2009-09-19T17:27:00.000-07:00

I just had to share this. The Texan passed it along and it entertained me at work for almost an hour just imagining traveling the world trying all of these delicacies.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/sep/13/best-foods-in-the-world?utm_source=Ode+Newsletters&utm_campaign=93dcdf2352-daily-rss&utm_medium=email

I just wanted to point out how many of them are in France. Vive la France!

Avacado, Citrus, and Salmon Lettuce Cups

2009-07-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

This is from my costco cookbook and it sounded so light and summery so I tried it for dinner tonight and we all loved it! Even the kids. I think I ate four:)

Salad
-1 large ripe fresh hass avacado halved, pitted, and cut into cubes
-1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
-6 tangerines or 2-3 oranges separated into segments and cut in quarters (cut like mom cuts oranges and grapefruit at Christmas)
-2 green onions thinly sliced
-1/2 pound cooked salmon
-1/3 cup jicama shredded (optional)
12 small iceburg lettuce leaves trimmed (I used romaine, but iceburg would definitely be easier to eat)

Sauce
-1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
-6 Tbsp soy sauce
-1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
-4 tsp fresh grated ginger
-2 tsp toasted sesame oil
-1 tsp rep pepper flakes (I did not use these because of my kids)

1. The recipe calls for cooked salmon, but I bought fresh salmon and just brushed it with olive oil, a little bit of soy sauce, and some seasoned rice vinegar and it was delicious. I cooked it at 350 for about 20 minutes until it flaked, then took it out and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
2. To make sauce, combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside. (I halved the sauce recipe because it seemed like a ton for just my family and we still had some leftover).
3. Place avocado in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice. Add oranges and squeeze juice from leftover orange membrane into same bowl. Add green onions, and jicama if using and toss to coat.
4. Fill lettuce cups with salad mixture and sprinkle chunks of salmon on top. Top all with sauce, roll and serve lettuce wrap style.

pecan crusted chicken salad

2009-07-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

This was an instant favorite among my family! I found this recipe and absolutely love it. The chicken is a little bit time consuming but you can do some of the steps ahead. It looks a bit complicated, but it really isn't. The salad ingredients can be changed to whatever you want in your salad. It is a great summer dinner!

Dipping mixture
-2 egg whites
-2 tsp cornstarch
-juice of 1/2 lemon
Whisk all together in shallow bowl, set aside

Crusting mixture
-1 cup course dry bread crumbs (I just left two heals of whole wheat sandwich bread on my counter in the morning and then pulsed them in the food processor that evening when I was ready to make this and they were so yummy! Or you can use store bought bread crumbs but they sometimes have a lot of junk in them)
-1 Tbsp Chopped fresh parsley (you can use 1 tsp dried if you don't have fresh)
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper
-zest of one lemon
-3/4 cup findely copped pecans
-1/2 t dried oregano
-1/2 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp cayenne
Mix all and lay out flat in shallow dish or on plate, set aside

1. Get dipping station and crusting station all ready then halve and pound out two defrosted chicken breasts. 2. Dip each piece of chicken in coating mixture and then transfer to crusting mixture and pat mixture into chicken until thoroughly coated on both sides. 3. Repeat until all chicken is crusted. 4. Heat 3 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. 5. Place crusted chicken in sautee pan for about 3 minutes each side, or until golden brown and crisp. 6. Transfer skillet to a 450 degree oven to finish cooking, about 8 minutes longer (if you don't have an oven proof skillet, just transfer carefully to an ovenproof dish).

Meanwhile toss in large bowl
-8 cups of any kind of greens or lettuce
-4 oz goat cheese ( I used feta because I had it)
-1/2 cup red onion sliced thinly
-1 avacado chopped
-2 tomatoes chopped
- finely chopped or shredded carrots to taste

Honey Mustard Dressing
-1/4 cup honey
-3 Tbsp dijon mustard
-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-1 Tbsp minced shallot or onion
-1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
-juice of half a lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all together and set aside

When chicken is done, let it rest for a couple minutes. Pour dressing over salad and toss. Dish up salad mixture on individual plates and top each salad with sliced chicken. Sprinkle toasted crumbs from chicken pan over salad and serve immediately.

The World's Most Delicious Trifle

2009-07-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

1 large clear glass bowl
Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
2 cups confectioners' sugar
8 ounces sour cream
1/4 teaspoon almond flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 pint whipping cream
1 angel food cake (store bought is fine)
1 quart strawberry
1 quart blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond flavoring
Directions
1 Cream together cream cheese and confectioners sugar.
2 Add sour cream, vanilla and 1/4 tsp almond flavoring.
3 Set this mixture aside.
4 In separate bowl whip the whipping cream and add to cream cheese mixture.
5 Tear up angel food cake and mix in with cheese mixture.
6 In separate bowl (s) place strawberries and blueberries 3/4 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp almond flavoring.
7 (You can mix the berries together or keep separate, for a pretty red, white and blue look,if separate divide sugar and almond flavoring between the two bowls).
8 In a clear glass bowl alternate layers of the cream cheese mixtures and the berries.
9 Garnish the top with berries.
10 Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
11 This looks absolutely beautiful and tastes just as great!

Oh my delicious. I took this to our 4th of July barbeque and it changed everyone's life. Seriously.

Crab Salad

2009-07-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I am recording this because Dad insisted. We are up at the cabin and he brought up some Costco crab so I threw this together and it was delicious so we want to remember exactly how it was made. It is a keeper, add some toast or bread and dinner is made in 10 minutes!

1/2 of the canned lump crab from costco( we did this over the next day with the other half because we loved it so much!)
2 small or 1 large avocado cut in small pieces
chopped romaine lettuce pretty fine
2 small chopped tomatoes
1/4th cup pinenuts
3/4 large carrot grated
Dressing
1/4 c lowfat mayonnaise
1/4 c ketchup
1/4 c italian bottled dressing, any brand you have
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Chop up the salad stuff and put in a bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup italian dressing, and juice from the lemon, whisk together and pour over the salad. Toss, sprinkle with salt and pepper and done! Delicious and it took about 5 minutes to make for dinner.

Everyday fast bean, bacon and red potatoes casserole

2009-05-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

This was a staple for the kids growing up, easy, one pot, yummy and fast!
Ingredients:
small red potatoes
fresh green beans
1 lb bacon
1 medium onion
1 lb mushrooms

Cut up the bacon into about 1 inch pieces, fry in a large pot. When crispy, take out the bacon with a slotted spoon and discard the grease reserving about 2 TB of it in the pan. Add the mushrooms and onion and saute. Add the cleaned and clipped beans and the potatoes cut into small pieces. Add 2/3 cup water and and cover. Cook on medium high until all the water is absorbed and then let it sear for just a little bit until it gets lightly browned. Add the crisped bacon, salt and pepper to taste and whala, dinner is ready!

If you have less beans, only use half the lb. of bacon. If you are feeding a crowd, like my five kids back in the day, you would have like 6 cups of beans, a whole small sack of red potatoes and the whole pound. Just make sure you do the searing at the end! Makes all the difference.

Mexican casserole per Ben's request

2009-05-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is an everyday fast recipe that is yummy, easy and fast.

Ingredients
12 flour tortillas,
green salsa verde or regular salsa medium size bottle, your favorite kind
1 lb. hamburger or ground turkey
1 onion
1 red peppper or green pepper chopped (if you have one)
1 can refried beans
medium cheddar cheese
-you can add a can of chopped green chiles too if you want, or any other hot things if you want it hot, like jalapeno peppers instead of green.

Cut through all the tortillas stacked on top of each other into 1 inch squares. Set aside. Chop the onion and pepper. Saute in a large pot on the stove in a little olive oil the onion and pepper, then add the ground beef or turkey and cook till cooked through. Add refried beans and mix in, then add the salsa and stir. Sprinkle in the tortillas a handful at a time mixing and folding them until they all get covered. Add more salsa as needed to keep it moist. Taste it and add more salsa as needed. Then add about two cups of cheese reserving a little for the top. Mix in. Scoop into a flat casserole dish and put cheese on top and bake in the oven for about 20-30 minutes at 350.

Crab Cakes

2009-04-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

Rachel's birthday dinner request!

1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely diced onions
1/4 cup pimento chopped
1/3 cup capers
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
juice of a lemon
1 egg beaten
1/2 tsp seafood seasoning
1 pound lump crab cake
1/2 tsp dijohn mustard
1 cup to 1 and 1/2 cups bread crumbs
Use enough for it to stay together but you don't want too much.
Mix it all together in a bowl and then shape into flattened fist sized balls. Bake on lightly sprayed cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350. The alternative way to cook them is to saute in a frying pan with butter. Dad prefers the baking way.
Eat with or without cocktail sauce. He has basically combined three recipes here, just adding to the first recipe other stuff that sounds yummy in them. So, if you don't have one ingredient, don't panic. Like the pimentos. Just make them without them. They are really glorified meat loaf only with crab instead of hamburger, get it? The egg keeps all the yummy stuff together that compliments the crab and the very best crab cakes have more crab and less bread crumbs and other stuff. Don't mush up the crab. Mix all the other stuff together and then add the crab at the end to leave some big chunks!

wheat banana bread

2009-04-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

I love this recipe because it is super moist and it has half whole wheat flour and not too much sugar. It is sooo good! I also use raw cane sugar which you can buy at Trader Joes or Costco and I think most grocery stores sell it now because it is much better for you since it isn't refined and processed. It also tastes great!

1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
2 eggs
5 tbsps butter at room temp
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp lemon juice
5 large really ripe bananas (sometimes I only have 4 and it is just fine)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans or walnuts coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl sift or mix flour, wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda. Reserve.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, food processor, or blender, add eggs, butter, buttermilk, lemon juice, bananas, sugar, and salt.

Mix or blend until smooth. Slowly add dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Pour batter into greased pan. Spread top so batter is evenly spread out. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes. I never have to cook it this long so just check after about an hour and see if a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the center.

Serve warm with butter.

Chicken veggie noodle soup

2009-04-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just threw this together the other night and it turned out really yummy. It is kind of like a mix between chicken noodle soup and minestrone soup.

handful and a half of baby carrots chopped in big chuncks
3 celery ribs chopped
1 large onion chopped
1 zucchini chopped
1 summer squash chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 cartons chicken broth or enough to cover
1 can 16 oz diced tomatoes and their juices
1/4 cup chopped fresh italian (flat leaf) parsley
salt and pepper to taste
garlic and onion powder to taste
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup white cooking wine
wheat egg noodles (as much as desired)
shredded cooked chicken

Place all the chopped veggies and the garlic in a pot. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to boil. Add cooking wine. Turn heat down to medium and keep a rolling boil for a couple minutes. Add fresh parsley, can of tomatoes, seasonings. Bring to boil again and then turn down to simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn heat back up to med-high and bring back to boil. Add noodles and chicken. Cover and simmer until noodles are tender, about 15-20 more minutes. Enjoy!

Tip: I had bought a rotisserie chicken a couple days before that I used for a chicken salad and had a lot of shredded chicken leftover from that, so that is what I used. You can used whatever kind of chicken you want, but I liked the texture of the shredded chicken since the soup is already really chunky. Plus if you use a rotisserie chicken you can cut out the step of cooking your own chicken.

Yummy baked Tilapia

2009-03-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have no food in my house so I made this up last night with what I could find in the fridge and it turned out really yummy, and it was really fast.

3-4 frozen tilapia loins
1/2 medium onion sliced thinly
mushrooms sliced
1-2 tsp garlic
large handful cherry tomatoes halved
1/4 cup white wine
olive oil
2-3 tbsp butter
garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
Crumbled feta cheese

1)Place frozen tilapia loins in oiled baking dish. (Use olive oil)
2)sprinkle sliced onions, mushrooms, and tomatoes evenly over fish. Drizzle with olive oil (a couple tbsps)
3)sprinkle minced garlic over all, and season with basil, parsley, pepper, and garlic salt. Drizzle with more olive oil.
4)Pour white wine over all. place 2-3 pads of butter on top of everything. Cover with tin foil
5)Bake covered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil and cook for additional 15 minutes.
6)Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese over all.
7)Serve over rice to catch the juices. Enjoy!

Saint Patricks Day Corned Beef and Cabbage

2009-03-26T09:52:00.001-07:00

Just in case you missed it, you can probably get corned beef on sale now! This is a family tradition for St. Patrick's Day or thereafter and is an easy, one pot, delicious meal.
1- approx. 3 lb corned beef brisket
2 bay leaves
about 6 medium red potatoes, washed and quartered.
1 large onion, cut up in large chunks
1 medium cabbage, coarsely cut up, not shredded, in big chunks about an inch.
3-4 medium carrots, quartered, optional, can also add parsnips if desired.
Trim excess fat from meat. Place in a large 6 qt. pot, add juices and spices from package. Add enough water to cover meat. Add bay leaves and onion. Bring to a full boil, then reduce to simmer forever! Well not really forever, but I would put it on in the morning sometime and let it cook until dinner at 6:00! The secret to fall off the fork tenderness is just simmering it for at least four hours! A half hour before you want to eat, remove the bay leaves and add the vegetables. Bring back to a boil and then turn to medium and cook till tender about 20-30 min. Then remove the cabbage and put in one bowl and sprinkle with vinegar, add butter and salt and pepper. Cover and set aside. Put all the potatoes, and carrots and parsnips if you added them, in another bowl and sprinkle parsley, fresh or dried, butter and salt and pepper. Serve with mustard! Serve meat on another plate and cut across the grain but if you cooked it long enough, it pretty much just falls apart! Yum!

Easter Blueberry Salad

2009-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

This Salad is as amazing as the cranberry Thanksgiving one and since it is such a beautiful purple pastel Eastery color, was a frequent Easter salad from your childhood!
1 C pineapple grapefruit juice
1 3 oz. box lemon jello
1 large can drained blueberries
1 Cup blueberry juice, drained from blueberries, then set in fridge or freezer to chill.
1 Cup mashed bananas
1/2 pint whipping cream
Heat the pineapple juice in microwave till boiling, pour over juice. Stir until dissolved and then add chilled blueberry juice. Refrigerate or put in freezer, (watch closely if you put it in freezer) just until soft set. Remove then whip till frothy about 5 min. Set aside and beat the cream. Fold into the blueberry mixture and add the blueberries and mashed bananas. Chill! Can make the day before!

Famous Easter Leg of Lamb

2009-03-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

With Easter coming up, I had to post this amazing family standard!
1 5 to 7 lb. leg of lamb
lemon juice from 1 whole lemon
2 TB snipped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cloves garlic, slivered
I MAKE ABOUT TEN TIMES THIS AMOUNT (FROM LEMON JUICE ON DOWN) HERB MIXTURE AND SET IT ASIDE IN A BOWL. ALSO SLIVER ALMOST A WHOLE BULB OF GARLIC, ENOUGH TO COVER THE WHOLE ROAST EVERY INCH.
Trim all the fat from meat. Cut 1/2" slits into roast at 1" intervals over the entire roast surface. Brush surface of meat with lemon juice, getting into pockets. Stir all the herbs together and rub over entire surface and into pockets. Insert garlic slivers into pockets. I do this preparation the day before and refrigerate covered with foil.
On Easter, place meat, fat side down, uncovered, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast in a 325 degree oven 2 to 2&3/4 hours for medium rare, or 2&1/2 to 3&1/2 hours for medium. Cover with foil and let stand about 10 min. before carving.

Mint Pesto (must be served with Lamb! Amazing)
1 Cup fresh mint leaves with stems removed.
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic
3 TB olive oil
1 TB white wine vinegar
1/4 C grated fresh Parmesan Cheese
1/4 C slivered almonds
This is made in a food processor. Add the ingredients, in the order listed, one at a time, pulsing after each addition until done. This is amazing and I ended up making three times this amount during dinner because people wanted more and it is really fast to just process it, so believe me, just make two or three times the recipe to start with!

German Chocolate Cake

2009-03-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. 4 oz. Bakers German Sweet Chocolate
1/2 C boiling water
2 squares butter
2 C sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
2&1/4 C flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C buttermilk, or soured milk; 1 TB vinegar added and set aside to sour.
4 egg whites stiffly beaten
Melt Chocolate in boiling water. Cool. Cream butter and sugar till fluffy beating with a hand beater. Separate the eggs, putting the whites in one mixing bowl;set aside, and add yolks one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well with each addition. Blend in vanilla and chocolate. Mix flour with soda and salt. Add alternately with buttermilk to Chocolate mixture beating after each addition till smooth. Beat egg whites and fold in carefully. Pour into cake pans or 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 30-35 minutes.
Frosting: Combine 1 C evaporated milk, 1 C sugar, 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, 1 square butter, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Cook and stir until thickened. Add 1&1/3 C coconut and 1 cup chopped walnuts. Cool until thick enough to spread.

Pumpkin Cake

2009-03-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

3 C sugar
1 C oil
4 eggs
2/3rds C water
Put water and oil in the bottom of a blender, add the sugar and eggs and beat till smooth. Pour into a mixing bowl and add:
3 C flour
1&1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1&1/2 tsp. soda
2 C pumpkin
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Grease and flour a large bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 45 min. to an hour. Check with a knife in center till clean. When done remove from oven and let sit for ten minutes, then slide a knife all around center and as many flat edges as you have on your bundt pan before inverting on a plate. Tap with knife handle all around bottom, now top, before lifting pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar by putting a little in a sieve and tapping the sides. Beautiful and delicious.

Carrot Cake

2009-03-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

2 C flour
2 C sugar
1&1/2 C oil
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
3 C grated carrots
4 eggs
1 C chopped walnuts optional or you can put them on top of the frosting.
Mix dry ingredients, add oil, add eggs one at a time beating after each addition, then grated carrots. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Check by the knife test coming clean from the center.
Frosting: 2 cups powdered sugar, 4 oz. cream cheese, 1 square softened butter, 1 tsp. vanilla. Beat till fluffy!

Texas Sheet Cake

2009-03-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so fast and easy you can make it while your guests are at the table and bake and frost it before dessert and serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. While at Danielle and Jordan's we couldn't find it in the blog, so it must be here!
Mix in saucepan:
2 squares butter
3 TB baking cocoa
1 cup water
If you have buttermilk, great, if you don't add 1 TB vinegar to 1/2 c milk and set aside at this point.
Bring to a boil the cocoa mixture for about a minute. Pour it over 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix till smooth. Add 1/2 cup soured milk or buttermilk, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 2 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. baking soda. Bake in a jelly roll pan for 18-20 min.at 375 degrees. Check to make sure it comes clean in center with a knife. While it is cooking melt in saucepan 1 square butter, 4 TB cocoa and 6 TB milk. Just bring to a boil then remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 pound powdered sugar, and 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans. Beat well until smooth and spread on cake right out of the oven.

Poppy seed Cake

2009-03-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is a favorite cake recipe I have had forever too! I thought it should be recorded here for posterity.
1 cup butter
1&1/3 c. sugar
1/4th tsp. salt
4 eggs
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1&1/3 c milk
1&1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
2-3 TB. poppy seeds
Cream butter and sugar with hand beater. Add eggs beating in one at a time. mix dry ingredients and add alternately with milk, add vanilla and poppy seeds last. Bake in greased bundt pan at 350 degrees for one hour or until center comes clean on a knife. Check at about 55 minutes.
Frosting: 1/2 square butter
4 oz of cream cheese
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 cup powdered sugar
OR
Glaze with:
4 TB. butter beaten with a hand beater, add
1 cup powdered sugar
then add just enough orange juice till thin enough to drizzle over top.
variation: make cake and frosting with vanilla instead of almond flavoring. Both are delicious.

Buttermilk Yellow Cake

2009-03-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

This is a mom classic recipe. She gave it to me a couple weeks ago to use for Rylynn's birthday cake and I loved it! It was a big hit at the party too. I made two round cake pans and as soon as they were completely cooled, I covered them and froze them to frost the next day. If you frost them when frozen it makes them really easy to work with and you don't get crumbs in your frosting. It kept the cake so fresh too.

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter softened
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk(1 Tbsp vinegar to l cup milk)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

1. Cream butter and sugar till smooth.
2. Add one egg at a time while blending on low speed.
3. In a separate bowl add baking powder to flour.
4. In another bowl add baking soda to buttermilk.
5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients to sugar mixture ending with dry ingredients.
6. Add vanilla to all.
7.Bake in greased and floured pans at 325 degrees. Two round pans cook about 20-25 minutes, 9x13 pan cook about 45 minutes.

Frost with whatever you want. I used the Wilton's vanilla buttercream frosting. (Recipe below)

Our Buttercream Icing recipe is perfect for spreading or decorating. Follow our instructions to make it the ideal consistency you need.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk
Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

instructions
(Medium Consistency)

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.

Scallop and Zucchini Fettucini

2009-03-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is a variation of a scampi pasta that I made up while Mom was visiting. We loved it! I used the tiny bay scallops, but if you don't like scallops you could use uncooked shrimp.

1 zucchini
1 summer squash
1 small onion diced small or you can use dried minced onions
2-3 cloves minced garlic to your liking, I love garlic so I used 3
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil or more
1 lb bay scallops or shrimp
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup white wine
1-2 Tbsp dried parsley or 1/4 cup fresh
1 package fresh spinach fettucini (I used the Bertolli kind in the refridgerated section at the grocery store) If you don't like spinach then you can use the regular or whole wheat kind.
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste

Slice zucchini and then half the slices. Chop the onion really small or use the dried flakes. Place butter and olive oil in large sautee pan over med-high heat. Add Zucchini, onion, and garlic and stir frequently until just tender.

In a separate pot, boil water for pasta and cook until desired doneness. Set aside.

Add bay scallops or uncooked shrimp to veggies in sautee pan and cook until the veggies are browned and the scallops are still very soft, stirring very frequently so you don't overcook the scallops. Turn the heat down and add the wine, lemon juice, salt and pepper and parsley. Simmer until wine is reduced and remove from heat immediately.

Drain pasta and add to the sautee pan. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce and everything is evenly distributed. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over all and cover with lid to melt the cheese. *Do not use heat during the last two steps* Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushrooms

2009-03-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am posting this recipe at the request of Ben and Molly. I have made these for the family a couple times, but it has been awhile. I found this recipe about 8-10 years ago online and I tweaked it a bit so they would taste more like Maggianos since they are the best stuffed mushrooms of all time, so here is the doctored up version.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion diced very small
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp or less to taste red pepper flakes
reserved mushroom stems chopped small
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, oregano, and basil chopped or 1 tsp of each dried. I've used the both and the dried tastes just as good.
salt and pepper to taste
1 large box of stuffing mushrooms (at least 12) stems removed and reserved
1 cup fresh parmesan cheese ground
1 lemon cut in two halves

Heat the oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add chopped onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and chopped mushroom stems. Sauté about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Deglaze with white wine for about 3-5 minutes. (There should still be some liquid in the pan so turn the heat down if it is burning off too fast) Remove from heat, and stir in bread crumbs and all the herbs. Stir till all onion mixture is coated in bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly. After a few minutes, when mixture is warm but not hot, stir in the parmesan cheese and stuff the mushrooms with filling. (Use all the filling even if it is falling out into the pan.) Place mushroom caps round side down in greased 9x13 pan or baking sheet. Drizzle all the tops with olive oil and squeeze half the lemon over the tops of each mushroom. Save the other half for after baking. Bake mushrooms at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top. Immediately squeeze other half of lemon over all and serve.

spinach salad

2009-02-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

1 cup cannola oil
5 TB vinegar
4 TB sour cream
2 TB sugar
1 TB dijohn mustard
1&1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp garlic puree
1/2 tsp. minced onion
Mix above for dressing
Pour over:
4 chopped hard-boiled eggs - (boil in water by covering with cold water, then bring the water to boil. Turn off heat and leave covered with a lid for twenty minutes. Best hard boiled eggs! Cool and chop.
1 lb bacon or amount to taste. Cook in microwave between paper towels till crisp. Cool and chop.
bean sprouts - wash
1 small box fresh washed mushrooms, sliced
fresh washed spinach
Toss with dressing the second before eating. Enjoy!

Crab and Corn Chowder

2009-02-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

approximately 2 cups chicken broth
1 and 1/2 tsp. seafood seasoning
1 and 1/2 stick of butter
3/8 cup of flour
3 cups milk
3 15 oz. cans of cream style corn
1&1/2 cups chopped green onions
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 lb. of lump crabmeat (we use the costco canned crab)

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk untill smooth, add milk all at once. Stir till thickened. Add corn, green onions,and seasoning. Add chicken broth to desired consistency. Simmer on low about ten minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in crab meat just before serving for optimal tenderness or add crab and turn off heat. Warm right before serving.

RASPBERRY CHIFFON PIE

2009-02-21T08:07:00.001-08:00

The heavy cream must be ice cold; if not, it won't hold stiff peaks, no matter how long or hard you beat it. Soften the cream cheese at room temperature; the microwave will cause the cheese to separate.

Serves 8 to 10.

INGREDIENTS
Fruit Layer
12 ounces frozen raspberries (2 cups)
3 tablespoons powdered pectin (Sure-Jell)
1 1/2 cups sugar
Pinch table salt
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 (9-inch) pie shell , baked and cooled (see related recipe)
Chiffon Layer
3 tablespoons gelatin , raspberry flavored
3 tablespoons boiling water
3 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 cup heavy cream , chilled
Whipped Cream Topping
1 1/4 cups heavy cream , chilled
2 tablespoons sugar

INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the fruit layer: Cook frozen berries in medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until berries begin to give up their juice, about 3 minutes. Stir in pectin and bring to full boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar and salt and return to full boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour through fine-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much puree as possible. Scrape puree off underside of strainer into bowl.

2. Transfer 1/3 cup raspberry puree to small bowl and cool to room temperature. Gently fold fresh raspberries into remaining puree. Spread fruit mixture evenly over bottom of pie shell and set aside.

3. For the chiffon layer: Dissolve gelatin in boiling water in large bowl. Add cream cheese and reserved 1/3 cup raspberry puree and beat with electric mixer on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup cream and beat on medium-low until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Beat on high speed until cream holds stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread evenly over fruit in pie shell. Cover pie with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

4. For the whipped cream topping: When ready to serve, beat 1 1/4 cups cream and sugar to stiff peaks. Spread or pipe over chilled filling. Serve.

You can use any pie crust recipe that you want, you just have to bake it completely before you do the above steps. Here is the crust recipe that they used for this pie:

N0-FEAR PIE CRUST

The pastry can be pressed into the pie plate and refrigerated for up to 2 days or double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Once baked and cooled, the shell can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Makes one 9-inch Pie Shell.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened but still cool
2 ounces cream cheese , softened but still cool
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Lightly coat 9-inch Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.

2. With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese in large bowl, stopping once or twice to scrape down beater and sides of bowl, until completely homogenous, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Reserve 3 tablespoons of dough. Turn remaining dough onto lightly floured surface, gather into ball, and flatten into 6-inch disk. Transfer disk to greased pie plate.

3. Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate toward sides, using heel of your hand. Hold plate up to light to ensure that dough is evenly distributed. With your fingertips, continue to work dough over bottom of plate and up sides until evenly distributed.

4. On floured surface, roll reserved dough into 12-inch rope. Divide into three pieces, roll each piece into 8-inch rope, and form fluted edge. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick bottom of crust with fork. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack. (If large bubbles form, wait until crust is fully baked, then gently press on bubbles with kitchen towel. Bubbles will settle as crust cools.)

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

2009-02-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

These are an old family favorite, but I don't know if anyone has the recipe. I have been craving them and I didn't have the recipe so I found this one online. Hopefully it is the same as the regular one. I am making them tomorrow, so I will let you know.

ROLO COOKIES
2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. soda
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
60 Rolo candies
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and soda; blend well. In large bowl, beat sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Slowly add flour mixture; blend well. For each cookie with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around caramel candy, covering completely. Place on ungreased sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes or until they start to crackle on top. Cool slightly and remove from sheets. Dust with powdered sugar while still warm so that the sugar will stick. Makes 60 cookies.

Bruschetta stuffed Zucchini

2009-02-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

I made this recipe up a couple of weeks ago and it turned out really yummy. The kids loved it too. Unfortunately it was made up so don't kill me if the amounts are a little off, these are guestimates.

Take 2 large zucchini and cut the top 1/3 off (lengthwise) I cut it so the ends curved up a little bit to form a little boat shape. Chop the top 1/3 of zucchini into small cubes and set aside for later. Take a spoon or mellon baller and scrape out the seeds and middle pulp section of zucchini. Once the boats are prepared, place them in a 8x8 or 9x9 glass oven proof pan. Lightly salt and pepper insides and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a skillet on the stove heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over med-high heat.
Add chopped 1/2 onion, chopped zucchini tops, and 2 Tbsp minced garlic. Sautee a few minutes till the onions carmelize. Turn the heat down to med so garlic won't burn. When they are carmelized to your liking add 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes. I used grape tomatoes and just cut them in half. They were so sweet and delicious and not too juicy, but you can use whatever kind you have. Stir frequently until tomatoes are just heated through. Sprinkle about 3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar over all and season to taste. Turn off heat and add 1/2-1 cup italian bread crumbs over the skillet mixture and stir to coat all veggies. If it looks dry at all add more olive oil. It should be moist.

Spoon skillet mixture into zucchini boats till full. I had extra filling so I just let it fall in the pan. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar over all.

Bake 20 minutes uncovered. Open oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup or more to taste with parmesan or mozzarella cheese over tops. Bake 10-15 minutes more. Until cheese is brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Pork

2009-02-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, Dad used to beg me to make this for his birthday or Father's Day! After I had over two kids, I stopped making it because it is a lot of work. I'm recording it here in case you want to go to the effort and because the recipe is in tatters!

Ingredients
7 oz. lean pork
1 TB. Sherry or red cooking wine
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 carrots
1/2 onion
1 green pepper
1 can chunk pineapple
1 glove garlic
3 eggs
1 T. flour
3 TB. cornstarch
1 pint oil
3 TB ketchup
1 tsp. soy sauce
3 TB vinegar
3 TB sugar
1/2 C. water
Cut pork into squares and sprinkle with sherry, S&P, and set aside. Cut and boil carrots for a few minutes. Cut onion, green pepper and pineapple into chunk sizes. Beat eggs, mix with flour and 2 TB cornstarch. Coat pork with mixture and deep fry in canola oil and remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Fry carrots, onion and green pepper for one minute. Set all on paper towel. Mix ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, 1 TB cornstarch and water. Heat 4 TB oil in fry pan and cook mixture until thick. Place pork, vegetables and pineapple into sauce and cover well. Cook rice and serve together. It really is delicious, at least that is how I remember it! Somebody make it and see if it is as good as we remember!

To make this less time consuming, cut and prepare all the vegs and meat the day before, and make the sauce. Then the day of, just coat all of them, deep fry, warm up the sauce, cover and serve.

Cream cheese filled chocolate cupcakes!

2009-02-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

My friend in the ward makes these and they are to die for!!

1 box chocolate cake mix- Mix the batter as stated on the box, however do it in this order:
*Eggs- beat until frothy and light yellow
*Add water and oil and ONE HALF (1/2) large box of chocolate cook n' serve pudding mix
*Then add the chocolate cake mix and a small amount of vanilla (around 1/2 tsp or so)

Cream Cheese Filling:
1 8oz brick cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla
mini chocolate chips (optional)
*Mix all ingredients, adding as many (or none) chocolate chips as desired

Spoon cupcake batter into paper cupcake liners only half full. Then add about 1 1/2-2 teaspoons of cream cheese batter in the centers. Spoon a tiny amount of batter on top of cream cheese, although it's okay if the cream cheese is still showing.

Bake according to your cake mix box instructions, although my friend said hers were supposed to go in 18-22 minutes and she took them out at 13-15 minutes. You want the toothpick to come out almost clean. Frost with whatever frosting you want and top with sprinkles. My friend used a pink frosting and piped it on with a jagged point, then added some pink crystal/glittery type sprinkles on top, and put a small silver edible ball in the very center. They were very fancy and yummy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-02-18T10:08:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, this is a classic which most of you have - but I am adding the classics for our Christmas Cookbook, a few a day, per Danielle's request.

6 chicken breasts
6 slices ham, luncheon meat kind
6 slices swiss cheese, enough to cover surface
1 small box fresh mushrooms
1 small can healthy request crm of mushroom soup
1 small can healthy request crm of chicken soup
16 oz. light sour cream
½ large chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
Lawrys seasoning, salt, pepper
Minced onion

Pound chicken breasts with a meat mallet until about 1/4” thick, then sprinkle lightly with lawrys seasoning salt, pepper and minced onion, then ham, then cheese, then roll up and place in sprayed 9X13 pan, seam down. The chicken breasts are so huge that I cut them in half and make smaller ones. Half is plenty for most women. Mix rest and spread over top, with a little more lawrys in the sauce and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and cook at 275 degrees for three hours. Can assemble the night before. You can also make this and cook it for four hours at 250 degrees for the whole time you are at church.

Lemon Fluff Cake

2009-02-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is a Monson classic, repeated here by request.

2 pkgs 3 oz. lemon jello
3&1/2 cups boiling water
½ to ¾ cup juice from lemons *I like it fairly tart so I always use ¾ c.
2 cups whipping cream
1 box crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup sugar

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Refrigerate just until it starts to set. I put it in the freezer and check often until it just starts to set up, not liquidey anymore. Then remove and beat it on high for exactly ten minutes. Add the sugar and lemon juice beating on a lower speed to mix. Then fold in the cream. Crumble the wafers in a food processor or you can just put them in a large zip lock bag and stomp on them. Put crumbs on the bottom of a 9X13 pan reserving ¼ of them to sprinkle on top. Pour in the jello mixture and refrigerate or stick back in the freezer if you are in a hurry

* variations: You can make lime fluff cake or lemon lime (I used 1 package lemon and one package lime jello) or orange fluff cake. Be sure to use only ¾ c juice though. I haven’t tried raspberry and then add smooshed berries for the juice. Hmmmm that might be yummy!

Beet and Scallops Salad

2009-02-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

Beet and Scallop Salad

I made 9 salads out of this.
Ingredients:
Fresh or homecanned beets; 1 quart
Salad dressing; white balsamic or *homemade
Fresh parsley; 1 small bunch, 2 sprigs for each salad
Walnuts; 1 small package chopped, sweetened (see below)
Blue Cheese, 1 small container crumbled
Broadleaf lettuce, about 3 leaves per salad, to lightly cover base of plate
Scallops, 2 for each salad (I bought them from Costco)
Bacon, 1 piece
Cream Cheese; 1 four oz. package

Cook fresh beets in boiled water with the skins on till just fork tender, then remove from water and skin them. Slice in flat slices across the whole beet about ¼ “thick. Place one on top of another, like a sandwich, with similar shape. Cool. Then slice a ¼” slice of cream cheese and put between the beets.
*I used home canned beets, cutting them to the same thickness and shapes as above.

Salad dressing: Use light balsamic bottled dressing or *I made homemade: 3/4th cup canola oil, 1/4th cup white wine vinegar, 1 TB dijohn mustard, 1/4th tsp pureed garlic, 14th tsp lawry’s, s&p dash, 2 TB fresh lemon juice, 3TB sugar or to taste. Make it ahead though so as soon as the scallops are done you can immediately put them on the plate and drizzle the dressing overall, top with the blue cheese, and serve.

Put 1 TB water in a frying pan then add the walnuts and squirt honey bear honey over all the nuts about 2 Tablespoons. Stir until all the water is absorbed and the nuts are coated about three minutes. Turn out of the pan onto a plate to cool.

On each salad plate, arrange lettuce pieces, not heavily, just about 3-4 leaves.
Place a beet sandwiches on the lettuce, sprinkle the sweetened walnuts, with one on top of the beet, with a sprig of parsley. Set aside.

Cook in a frying pan 1 slice of bacon till crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and crumble. Sprinkle the crumbles on the lettuce and beet, just a few each salad.

In the bacon grease, fry the scallops on one side and then the other. I did that after everyone was sitting down. Do not overcook them! Only five minutes, two and a half each side on medium. Then place the warm scallops, two on each plate, one on either side of the beet and quickly drizzle salad dressing overall and lightly sprinkle blue cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.

Chicken and Sausage Jambaylaya

2009-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

A recipe from my older sister Heidi that she swears by.

Ingredients:

1+ pound of chicken breasts (Or use one pound of de-veined, peeled, and de-tailed shrimp. Ben and I used shrimp the other night instead of chicken and it worked great. It taste more like Spanish paella with shrimp.)

1 package sausage (Like Pepperidge Farm or whatever you want.)

2 cups uncooked brown rice

1 green pepper chopped

1 small onion chopped

2 (10 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can of chicken broth

1 cup water

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

salt to taste

Directions:

Cook chicken in a little olive oil until browned. (If using shrimp, skip this step. Don't cook the shrimp this early. See below.)

Add in sausage, green pepper, and onion. (If using shrimp, this is your first step. When onion is tender, then add in shrimp and cook on both sides till pink.)

Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and rice.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

2009-02-14T08:39:00.001-08:00

These pancakes are my FAVORITE. Just a little note, do NOT substitute the buttermilk in this recipe for anything else (or try to use milk and lemon juice instead). Buy real buttermilk if you're going to make these. It's what makes the recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter, plus some for frying

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter in another bowl.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients JUST UNTIL A LUMPY BATTER FORMS. Do NOT over-mix this batter or else you'll get flat heavy pancakes. It's supposed to be lumpy and thicker.

Heat some butter on a griddle or in a large frying pan over medium heat. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto pan and sprinkle the top of pancake with blueberries while it cooks. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. (These take a little longer to cook all the way through, and to heat up the blueberries.)

I like to serve these with homemade raspberry syrup.

1 pkg of frozen raspberries (I just use whatever I have left frozen in the freezer from the summertime.)

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

Combine the water, butter, and sugar in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat till thickened. Add the raspberries and boil till thickened more, stirring constantly. You may have to use a little cornstarch to thicken up the syrup to how you like it.

Spicd Pork Chops with Mango-Mint Salsa

2009-02-14T08:27:00.001-08:00

Ben and I tried this recipe from Cooking Light the other day and it was excellent.

Chops:

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops, trimmed

Combine first three ingredients in a small bowl and then sprinkle evenly over front and back of chops.

Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and then heat over medium high heat. Add pork. Cook about four minutes on each side or until browned and cooked all the way through.

Salsa:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped peeled mango (About one large ripe mango.)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Mix all the above in a bowl and serve over chops. Best if this sits in the fridge for a bit (covered) before it's served over the chops.

Suggested Side--Roasted Sweet Potato Fries:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

2 large sweet potatoes, cut in half and then each half cut into six wedges

Combine the first four ingredients and then coat the potato wedges with the mixture. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until insides are tender and outsides are crunchy.

Upside Down Berry Cobbler

2009-02-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

This recipe is so simple and fast and is SO good.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh berries (I always mix raspberry and blackberry. And don't be afraid to use a few more berries than this calls for.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray eight inch round cake pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, combine shortening, sugar, flour, baking powder, egg, and milk. Mix until well blended. Pour batter into pan. Spoon berries over batter.

Bake 45 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

Chicken and Veggie Chowder

2009-02-11T19:25:00.001-08:00

I love love love this recipe. I make it all the time. It's from the Southbeach diet cookbook, so it's really healthy too. ALWAYS double this recipe though, if you're feeding more than 2-3 people. Ben and I eat the below just by ourselves. It stores well and tastes even better the second day too. You can serve it as a meal or serve smaller portions as an appetizer to a meal.

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth

2 carrots, chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 oz mushrooms, sliced ( I always use more than this.)

1 clove garlic, minced ( I always add more than this too.)

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (Dried thyme works just as well. Just use a third of the amount of fresh.)

1/4 tsp salt (Use a little more than this. To taste.)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4" strips

2 T trans-free margarine (I just use real butter.)

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 cup 1% milk (I use 2%.)

3 spears asparagus, cut into 1" pieces, or 1 cup broccoli florets (I've never use broccoli, I like the flavor the asparagus adds to much. And...I ALWAYS add more asparagus than it calls for.)

1 T chopped fresh parsley (Again, just use 1/3 the amount of dried instead, if you want.)

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, combine the broth, carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the vegetable mixture to a food processor and process until pureed. Return to soup pot.

Stir in the chicken, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in to the chicken mixture. Add the asparagus or broccoli, parsley, and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Mama Walker's Chili Ala Molly

2009-02-06T18:50:00.000-08:00

FINALLY...I'm posting something on the food blog! Here's the chili recipe Rachel wanted. It comes from the mother of a good friend of mine. I love this chili recipe because it's heavy on the beans while leaving out all the stewed tomato stuff I'm not such a big fan of. This recipe is "to taste," so it's kind of Marilynn-style. Just put in whatever sounds good to you. This is just a guideline.

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (I use 4% lean, usually. Use meat this lean so you don't have to drain it when cooking or else you lose all the garlic and onion flavor that's cooking with it.)

salt (to taste)

fresh ground pepper (to taste)

1 yellow onion chopped

minced garlic (To taste, I use two to three cloves.)

1 large can of tomato sauce (I think it's 28 ounces, but whatever is closest to that size. Or just use two small 15 ounce cans.)

1 large can of red kidney beans (Again, I think it's 28 ounces, or do two small 15 ounce cans. You can also sub in one small can of pinto beans--one 15 ounce red kidney beans and one 15 ounce pinto in that case--so this is four-bean chili instead of three.)

1 can of black beans (15 ounces)

1 can of great northern white beans (15 ounces)

1 pkg of chili seasoning

1/3 cup of ketchup

2 tsp chili powder

1-2 cups frozen corn (White or yellow or a mix of the two--however much you want.)

Instructions:

Saute the onion and garlic in a little olive oil. When the onions are getting tender, add in the ground beef and cook till the ground beef is browned. Mix in salt and pepper to meat as it's cooking.

Place meat mixture in crock pot. Add in all the rest of the ingredients (including liquid from canned beans) and mix around. Cook on low at least six hours.

*Goes really well with cornbread with honey and butter. We also usually add cheese, sour cream, and sometimes chopped green onions on top when served.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-02-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs
milk to desired thickness

*optional ingredients: cinnamon, nutmeg. and bananas

In a medium sized bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Then stir in eggs,oil, and milk to dry ingredients. The amount of milk will vary depending on how thick you like your batter. Just add a little at a time. After batter is made, I usually add a generous amount of cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg.

Some of my favorite toppings are berries and whip cream, or yogurt and syrup is really tasty as well!

Andrea's Wheat Bread

2009-02-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from Garrett's sister Andrea. She has tweaked it and perfected it over several years and it is my favorite bread ever! I usually eat about a half a loaf in one sitting. The white flour makes it lighter and fluffier than whole wheat, but it is still mostly wheat flour. The thing I love about this recipe is that it only has to rise one time so it is much faster than most bread recipes. The other great thing about this recipe is that it makes three big loaves so you can give them away or freeze them for later use. Enjoy!

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
set aside for 15-20 minutes

Mix in Bosch:
7 cups whole wheat flour
5 cups really hot water
Mix until blended well blended about 5 minutes.

Then add:
2 tbsp salt
2/3 cup oil
2/3 cup mesquite honey (you can find this at Trader Joe's, it's way better than regular)
mix until well blended, about 5-10 more minutes

Next add:
1 more cup wheat flour
yeast mixture from small bowl
mix well

Add:
3-4 cups white flour
Mix on high for 10 minutes

Place dough in three greased loaf pans (shape into loaves). Cover all three pans with a warm damp rag and let rise for 35 minutes or double in size. Cook 45 mins. at 350 degrees. Tip pans on their side and place on counter to cool, (this helps them to not fall while they are cooling). When they are mostly cooled but still warm rub each top crust with butter and serve.

Lobster Bisque

2009-02-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Marilynn Monson’s Original LOBSTER BISQUE
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup butter plus 6 TBs
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. pureed garlic
• Two handfuls baby carrots
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
. 1 or 2 LARGE lobster tails (I used 2, but it is expensive,so 1 would work too,it would just have less chunks of meat which is fine and many restaurant lobster soups don't have tons of meat chunks in them.)
• 1 cup cooking white wine, or white grape juice
• 1 quart canned tomatoes
• 6 cups LOBSTER SHELL stock
• 1 quart half and half
• 3 tablespoons parsley
• salt to taste, 4 TB flour, 1 TB Cheasapeake bay seafood seasoning
• ground black pepper to taste, 1 TB sugar, or to taste
First make the lobster stock by cutting the back of the lobster down the middle with scissors then slide your thumb against the shell and lift out the meat. Set aside the meat for later use. Cut out the yellow sack nearest the head; on the meat,not the shell, and discard. Put the shells in 6 cups of water with bay leaves and ¼ of the large onion and 1 tsp. pureed garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 1 hour. This is the secret of this soup. Don’t shortchange the time and if you start earlier let it simmer longer up to twice as long. Not full boil, just simmering. Then add the meat and watch closely for when it just turns opaque throughout. About five minutes and then remove the meat to a plate and cool. Chop it in a food processor medium fine. Cover and set aside.
DIRECTIONS
1. Melt the butter (1 square) over medium heat in a large saucepan, add the onion, and carrot, that has been chopped fine in a food processor.. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens.
2. Add the wine and tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes more leaving the shells in.
3. Remove the bay leaves. Remove the lobster shells, picking off any meat they may still have on them. Discard shells. Add the thyme and seafood seasoning. Process until very smooth with a hand blender. Simmer at a low temperature.
4. Melt in a saucepan 6 TB of butter, stir in the flour till smooth, then add the half and half stirring constantly until very smooth. Add to the stock with the chopped lobster meat and heat through. Add remaining seasoning. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fresh romano cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
This is obviously soup for a special occasion since it is expensive! I had to make up a lobster bisque recipe after having and craving it from an expensive restaurant lately. It drew rave reviews from the company at our recent dinner party! They loved it! Dad wants me to sell it and make millions! Right!

2009-02-05T10:39:00.000-08:00

I know many of you have heard me talk about my "martha stewart" friend Alisha. She is an amazing baker. This is one of her recipes. I took it to a party a few weeks ago and we sat around, eating them and pretty much crying (out of joy for our mouths:).

They are: Divine Chocolate Cake with Almond Butter Frosting

Warning: they are NOT lowfat! However, it isn’t quite as bad as it looks b/c the recipe is really

1 ½ times a normal one (it makes a 9 inch cake AND 12 cupcakes or 36 cupcakes). Enjoy!

Cake
3 sticks butter
1 cup dutch process cocoa
2 ½ cups flour
2 ¼ tsp bak soda
¼ tsp salt
2 ¾ cup brown sugar
6 eggs, room temp
2 cups buttermilk
1 Tb vanilla
¾ cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350
In a large mixer, cream butter and sugar together till light. Add in eggs, 2 at a time, till blended. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingred: cocoa, flour, soda, salt. In another bowl, mix hot water, buttermilk, and vanilla.

Mixing on low, alternate dry ingred with wet, till just blended. Don’t over mix. Scrape into pans.

Cupcakes: bake 18 min, till set but moist.
9 inch round cake: butter, flour, bake 60 min.

Almond butter frosting:
2 sticks butter, room temp
2 tsp almond extract
1 TB milk
1 pound powd sugar.

Beat butter, add extract, mix in powd sug, add milk if needed. Frost generously.

A Few Last Recipes from My Mission

2009-01-30T09:56:00.000-08:00

These aren't Estonian, strictly speaking, well actually not even close, but they are beloved among the Estonian missionaries, so I thought you might enjoy them.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles
These were a delicious chocolate cinnamony treat on the way to zone conferences.
Tip: Do not substitute wheat flour for white. They don't work.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix, roll into balls
Coat balls in 2 tsp of sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon
bake at 400 for 6-9 minutes

Elder Peterson's Orange Chicken
If you like Panda express once in a while, you will like this. My companions and I made it on Pdays for a special treat.
4-5 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, thawed and cubed
crack 2-3 eggs into a bowl and stir them up
coat chicken in eggs
put egged chicken in a plastic bag or other container and add 1 cup flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
shake until well coated. You can add more flour if you want.
Fry in oil until golden brown.
Drain, set aside in a casserole dish

Pre-heat oven to 350

Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup orange juice
4 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mustard

Boil until it barely starts to thicken, stirring fairly consistently

Pour over chicken, stir so chicken is well coated
sprinkle sesame seeds over the top
Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven stir well
Bake 15 more minutes, stir
Serve with rice and vegetables
SO GOOD!

Elder Harris' Amazing Brownies
These are literally the best brownies I've ever had. I think the texture is perfect.
180 gr of softened butter I think that is like one cube
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa
2 eggs
mix well. It should be pretty thick.
Add 1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp vanilla
Mix well. You're going to think it is too thick. It isn't.
Spread with spatula in brownie-appropriate pan.
Bake at 350 for about 15 min. Take them out when they still look a little underdone or they will be wayyyy too hard.
Oh my gosh, I love these.

Real Estonian Food

2009-01-30T09:52:00.000-08:00

Aino's Tort
1 small package of pre-made cake mix
1 cube melted butter
mix the two and press the mixture into the bottom of a baking dish until it is firm
cover with berries or apple slices, whatever you want (black currants are very estonian)
whisk 3 eggs and add 250g of sour gream. I think that is about a cup
Mix well
Pour over topBake at 350 watch it carefully until it is just starting to get golden brown but when you shake the pan it shouldn't move like liquid anymore.

Sister Tormis' Delicious Dumpling Soup
2 liters of chicken boullion - set to softly boil/simmer on stove
chop 1 pepper, 1 onion and some garlic - sautee until soft and add to boullion
chop 3 carrots and 5 small potatoes - add to pot*Note* You can really add as many as you want
Boil all of this for 10 min.
Dumplings
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup water
3 cups flour
mix well
You may or may not need to add more water. You don't want it runny, but not too thick either. It should hold its own shape when dropped into the soup.
Drop by spoonfuls into the soup until all dumpling dough is used.
Boil 5 min.
When dumplings are floating on surface then it is done.
Serve with fresh chopped dill and sour cream on top. Eat with rye bread.

P.S. If you want your food to taste like estonian food eat it with sour cream, dill and rye bread. =)

The Other Reason Why I Gained 30 Lbs on my Mission:

2009-01-29T17:11:00.001-08:00

The Socratically Ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Cream:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 large heaping spoonful of peanut butter

Add
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 giant dark chocolate bar with hazelnuts chopped up or as many chocolate chips and you can fit

drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet
8-10 min at 350

Consume with milk. Preferrably the Estonian brand Tere

Why I Gained 30 Lbs...

2009-01-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

MY FAVORITE CINNAMON ROLLS

Dough:
Combine 1 cup hot water with 1 cup milk.
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp sugar and four packets of yeast over the top
Set aside

Melt 1 cup butter in a large mixing bowl
Add 2 eggs, 3 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar
Add activated yeast-liquid mixure (make sure it is smelly, gooey and active)
Mix with hand mixer 3 minutes
Add 1 tsp salt (Do this after because it slows yeast growth)

Add another 3 cups flour until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl
Knead 8-10 min. adding 1-2 cups flour as you go.

Place in an large oiled bowl. Cover in a warm place, let rise 45 min- hour. I put mine on top of the preheated oven.

When you have about 15 minutes left to go, make the Cinnamon Goo!
Cinnamon Goo:
Melt 1 stick butter over medium heat
stir in about 1/2-2/3 of a shaker of ground cinnamon
add plain white sugar until mixture is saturated (so it is not really liquid anymore)
Add a little bit of milk (maybe two tablespoons?) NOT TOO MUCH and continue stirring
The resulting goo should be about the consistency of Hershey's chocolate syrup
Set aside

Tip: if the mixture looks weird (like poop floating in oil) you should add more sugar and stir until it looks like chocolate sauce.

Roll out dough long and narrow about 1/2 inch thick
spread goo over the dough evenly. Make sure to coat up to the corners
Roll up and cut 1 inch slices by circling the roll with thread and pulling it tight till it cuts off a slice.
Lay on greased jelly roll sheets

Cover and let rise another 1/2 hour or until you can't stand it anymore.
Bake 10-12 min at 350 or until golden delicious perfect. Goo should be bubbling in cinnamon gorgeousity.

When they have about 5 min left, make Frosting!

FROSTING:
1 package philadelphia cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk

Add powdered sugar and whisk until it reaches desired thickness and sweetness

Smother in frosting, devour, drink milk. Repeat.

Tip: Because of the steps involved, if you don't do dishes in between steps, your house will be destroyed.

Sweet N Salty Sweet Potato Fries

2009-01-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

I made these for dinner tonight and they were so amazing! The kids ate about 4 helpings each. I love sweet potatoes any way you make them, but this is my new fave!

Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
serves 4-6
2-3 medium sweet potatoes (skins on)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (preferably the easy release kind). I used parchment paper and it worked great.
Cut sweet potatoes into strips that are about 1/2 inch wide on each side.
Place the sweet potatoes into a sealable plastic bag. Add oil, salt, paprika and cinnamon. Seal the bag and shake well to thoroughly coat the fries. Spread the potatoes out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.
Cook for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Transfer immediately to a paper towel lined plate and serve warm.

Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Rachel. I am a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies, and these are wonderful!

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
½ cup sugar
¾ cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips (half a 12 oz bag of chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on low speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

3. Add the vanilla and egg and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

4. On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until they are just incorporated. If using a hand mixer, use a wooden spoon to stir them in. Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick spray. Spoon the dough using a cookie scooper 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

7. Remove the sheet from the oven. When cookies are set, remove them to a cooling rack. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving or 20 minutes before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Yields 24-36 cookies, depending on size.

Banana Cake

2008-12-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

1 7/8 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
3/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 Cup Margarine
1 1/2 Cup Smashed Bananas
3 Eggs

Mix flour, sugar, salt & baking soda. Add margarine. Cut into flour. Mash bananas w/fork and add to flour along with beaten eggs. Fold in quickly. Place in greased/floured rounds. Drop on counter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or less depending on your pans. Watch it closely to make sure it doesn't burn.

Frosting:

1 Cup Powdered Sugar
4 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 Stick Softened Butter
1 tsp Vanilla