Warm Kitchen

Chocolate Peppermint Ganache Cupcakes

2011-12-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Meet the lone survivor. The last cupcake of the batch..... Oh so yummy :) It's not the best photo, but you all get that the taste is what's important, right?

The cupcakes:

3 eggs
½ C water
¼ C milk
½ C oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 C sour cream

Peppermint Ganache:

1/2 C butter
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
6 Tbsp buttermilk (or 5 ½ T milk, ½ T lemon juice)
3 C powdered sugar
½ tsp peppermint extract

Peppermint Buttercream:
8 oz cream cheese
½ C butter, softened
2 C powdered sugar
½- 1 tsp peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the eggs, water, milk, oil and vanilla together. Add in cake cake mix and sour cream until well blended.

Fill cupcake liner ¾ full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While cupcakes are baking, make the peppermint ganache.

In a bowl, sift 3 cups powdered sugar. In a small pan, melt butter and add cocoa and buttermilk and bring to a boil. Pour mixture over powdered sugar and, add peppermint extract and stir until smooth.

Dip the tops of the warm cupcakes into the warm ganache and let cool before frosting. You can also poke a hole in the middle of the cupcake with a wooden spoon and fill the whole with ganache. So good!! Extra ganache will keep fine in the refrigerator. (I found it was easier to poke the hole and lightly spoon the ganache in while spreading a thin layer over the top. Then it wont drip as bad. Dipping was an epic fail for me)

Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add extra sugar if needed for right consistency. Add peppermint extract and beat again.

Pipe frosting onto cupcake (I used my 1M frosting tip) and then top with candy cane kisses, crushed candy cane or even mint M & M’s.

adapted from home based mom (she has way more cool pictures than me and helpful tips)

Egg Nog Cookies

2011-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

Oh my egg nog! Gotta love Mrs. Fields and her creative genius on this one. I'm a huge egg nog fan and these just hit the spot this time of year. Luckily there was lots of leftover delicious icing! Any ideas what I can do with egg nog icing? Otherwise I'll probably just eat it straight. Yes, it's that good.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp (Mrs. Fields calls for this)
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Icing

3 C. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
1/3 C. commercial eggnog (use as much as you need)

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (I waited until cookies were cool and used my cupcake star tip #1M because I'm a sucker for a pretty cookie)

Candy Cane Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-01T10:11:00.001-08:00

Are you ready??

1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant Candy Cane Pudding mix
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (if you like your stuff REALLY minty, you may want to add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. I thought they were perfect the next day without the extract)
1/4 teaspoon salt
30 mini candy canes broken into chunks
1 cup Ghiradellli 60% cacao semi-sweet chocolate chips
food coloring, optional

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars (add food coloring, if desired). Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in candy pieces and chocolate chips.

Place golf ball sized dough balls on a cookie sheet (I use a baking stone) lined with baking parchment (of course this is optional, but when baking with candy you'll have sticking if you dont). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Do not over-bake! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container (I suggest doing this while they're still a little warm if you like your cookies on the chewy side)

Pudding Dinner Rolls

2011-11-21T10:59:00.000-08:00

2 cups milk

1 small package vanilla pudding (cook n serve)

1 stick butter

6 cups flour

2 TB yeast

2 tsp salt

3 eggs

Mix pudding with the milk in a 4 cup pyrex or other microwaveable bowl. Microwave 3 mins. Stir. Repeat until pudding thickens.

Add the butter. Allow to soften in hot pudding. Does not have to melt completely. Transfer to mixer bowl.

Add eggs and two cups of flour. Knead in machine with dough hook.

Continue to mix and add the following: yeast (I like to proof my yeast first but it's not necessary), two cups flour, and salt. (If you are making cinnamon rolls, you can add 1/4 cup of sugar now)

Continue to add flour until the mixture pulls away from sides of the bowl. Amount of flour will vary.

Knead an additional 5 min.

Transfer to greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place for 20-30 mins or until doubled in size.

For crescent rolls, roll half the dough into a circle, spread with melted butter, cut into sixteen triangular slices. Roll up from the large end and place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with 2nd half of dough.

Let rise for 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 350 until golden brown.

Brush tops with butter.

(this makes about 32 rolls. for larger batch, 48 rolls, use a large package of pudding, 3 cups milk, 1 1/2 sticks butter, 5 eggs, 3 TB yeast and 3 tsp salt. more flour as needed)

Naan

2011-10-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

1 TB active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 TB white sugar

1/4 cup white sugar
3 TB milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

2-4 tsp garlic
1/2 cup butter, melted

In your mixer bowl, proof yeast in 1 cup warm water with 1 TB sugar (about 10-12 minutes).

Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, soda and 4 cups flour. Knead for about 5-8 minutes. Add the additional 1/2 flour if dough is too sticky. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover with damp towel and let rise about an hour, until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down. Pinch off golf ball size balls. Roll and place on a tray at least an inch apart. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Stir garlic into melted butter and let sit for at least 20 minutes before using.

Turn on your grill. (I turn on high to heat it up, then I cook the naan between low and medium). Take the dough outside and roll balls as flat as you can and place on grill. Grill for about 2-3 minutes brushing with garlic butter. Flip and butter other side cooking for another 2-5 minutes.

You want the naan to remain whitish in color with only the parts touching the grill to be brown.

I promise I'll post pics the next time I make this!!!

Frog Eye Salad

2011-09-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

sorry, no pretty photos because i ATE it too fast.

1 (16oz) package Acini De Pepe pasta
1 TB vegetable oil
2 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 TB flour
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 TB lemon juice
3 (11oz) cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 (20oz) cans pineapple chunks, drained (use the juice for the pineapple juice)
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained (if you need a little more juice, you can top it off with this)
1 (8oz) carton cool whip
1 cup mini marshmallows, optional
1 cup coconut, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. (the 2 tsp salt and 1 TB oil go in the water with the pasta to prevent it from getting sticky). Drain and rinse with water. Drain again and bring to room temperature.

While pasta is boiling, combine sugar, flour, 1/2 tsp salt. Gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs. Cook over moderate heat stirring until thickened. Add lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.

Combine pasta with egg mixture lightly and refrigerate overnight in air tight container.

Add remaining ingredients. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Refrigerate until chilled in air tight container.(I usually mix all the fruit together in another container and put that in the fridge too, so I don't have to wait for it to chill again, but it does taste better after it sits for a few hours).

Consume within one week.

Baked Parmesan Jumbo Shrimp

2011-08-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

12 jumbo shrimp (10 to 12 per lb)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
melted butter
lemon, cut in wedges

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Rinse. In a bowl, mix oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss shrimp in mixture to coat. Refrigerate 30 mins- 1 hour. In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs and cheese. Heat oven to 475. Place each shrimp in mixture to coat lightly on both sides and place shrimp in an ungreased 9x13 pan (or larger if you're doubling). Shrimp should not touch. Drizzle with melted butter and bake on center rack for 10 minutes. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Eat. Repeat. Lick fingers.

Old Fashioned Blackberry Milkshake

2011-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

You just caught me in the kitchen holding the empty blender over my mouth trying to get a few more drops from the bottom. It's THAT good. I'm in love. I've concocted a piece of heaven ;) Enjoy

1/2 cup cold milk

1/4 cup carbonated water

3 tablespoons malted milk powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large scoops vanilla ice cream

2 tablespoons blackberry syrup (or chocolate, or strawberry, or whatever ;)

Mix all ingredients in blender :)

Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-08-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

1 Red Velvet Cake Mix (mixed according to package directions)
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Cream Cheese Frosting - recipe below
Hot Fudge (optional)

Bake 1/2 cake mix in the bottom of a greased 8 or 9" spring-form pan. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan carefully to cooling rack. Bake other half of cake mix. Leave this half in the pan and allow to cool completely. While it's cooling take the ice cream out and allow it to soften. You dont want it melted, just soft enough to spread.

Spread ice cream (make it as thick as you want, i usually use about 1/2 of a 1/2 gallon) over cake in pan. Then top with other half and smash together slightly like a sandwich.

Freeze overnight or until hard.

Remove from freezer and remove edge of pan. Frost with cream cheese frosting. It's best to decorate at this stage since after the frosting is frozen nothing will stick to it.

Place frosted cake back in freezer.

Serve! Drizzle slices with hot fudge (optional).

As you can tell you can use ANY type of ice cream/cake/frosting combination you like. Get creative. And thanks Rachel for all the tips :)

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,

softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1.	In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Strawberry Cheesecake

2011-07-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

10 ounces of strawberries

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,

softened

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed

milk

1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto the bottom of an ungreased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries and cornstarch; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan; bring to a boil. Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Set aside 1/3 cup strawberry sauce; cool. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce for serving. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in milk. Add lime juice; mix well. Add eggs, beat on low just until combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture over crust. Drop half of the reserved strawberry mixture by 1/2 teaspoonfuls onto cream cheese layer. Carefully spoon remaining cream cheese mixture over sauce. Drop remaining strawberry sauce by 1/2 teaspoonfuls on top. With a knife, cut through top layer only to swirl strawberry sauce. Bake at 300 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Remove side of pan. Thin chilled strawberry sauce with water if desired; serve with cheesecake. Store in the refrigerator.

BBQ'd Ribs

2011-06-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

got ribs?

4 lbs loin back ribs
4 cloves garlic

The day before: Place ribs on rack in a shallow roasting pan. Scatter 4 cloves of sliced garlic over ribs. Cover and bake at 300 for 2 1/2 hours.

1 TB sugar
1 TB paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin

Remove ribs from oven and cool slightly. While they're cooling, mix together the above in a small bowl. Rub spices over cooled ribs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The day of:

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 TB lemon juice
2 TB chopped onion
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 clove crushed garlic

In small sauce pan mix together above ingredients. Simmer over medium-low heat for one hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Reserve small amount for basting; the remainder is dipping sauce.

Grill on medium heat for 12 minutes covered. Baste with sauce during grilling. Should be nicely browned and glazed.

Hawaiin Grilled Chicken with Lime Coconut Rice

2011-06-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

3 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cups soy sauce (low sodium, the best is Aloha Shoyu)

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1/4 cup of a white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk

Trim chicken thighs of any visible fat and bone fragments. Mix all ingredients (minus the chicken) in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight to make sure the flavor gets infused.

Grill chicken at a low heat so that the marinade does not burn for 5-7 minutes per side or until done.

Tip: This recipe fed 4 adults and 3 kids with a few leftovers. I buy the thighs at Costco. They come in a six pack. For this recipe use 3 packages or double the recipe if you want to use all six packages.

this recipe is from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Lime Coconut Rice:

1 1/2 cups of Thai Jasmine Rice

1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk

1 3/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

grated peel of one lime

In 3 quart saucepan, bring rice, milk, water and salt to a boil over medium high heat. Stir, reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer the rice, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the lime peel and serve immediately.

BBQ'd Country Ribs

2011-05-26T18:09:00.000-07:00

2/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 lbs country style ribs cut into 2 inch chunks

2 TB vegetable oil

Combine in a separate bowl:
2 cups hot water
1 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 large onion, halved and sliced

In large ziploc bag, mix first 5 ingredients; shake to coat meat.

In pressure cooker, brown meat on all sides in oil; drain.

Add ketchup mixture. Add onions.

Secure lid. Bring to full pressure over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for 20 minutes. Allow pressure to drop on it's own. Skim fat from sauce if necessary. Serve sauce over ribs.

recipe can be halved (cook for 15 minutes), this makes a LOT

Sock it to Me Cake

2011-05-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

1 (18.25 oz) package butter cake mix

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup water

4 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

2 TB brown sugar

2 TB cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

2 TB milk

Preheat oven to 375. Grease and flour desired pan (usually a regular bundt/10 inch tube pan).

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, sour cream, oil, white sugar, water and eggs. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes.

Pour 2/3 of the batter into prepared pan.

Combine pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture over batter in pan. Spread remaining batter evenly over filling mixture.

Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes. (cake should spring back when touched lightly)

Mix together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle cake with glaze. (Drizzle while warm if you like your glaze soaked into the cake, drizzle after it's cooled if you like the white-looking glaze)

Oreo Pudding Cookies

2011-05-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (4.2 ounce) package instant Oreo Pudding mix
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Hershey's Cookies N Cream Candy Bars broken into small pieces (I used 3 normal size bars)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in cookies n' cream pieces and chocolate chips.

Place golf ball sized dough balls on a cookie sheet (I use a baking stone). Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Do not over-bake! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container (I suggest doing this while they're still a little warm if you like your cookies on the chewy side)

adapted from here

Pear Pineapple Jam

2011-05-22T10:19:00.000-07:00

4 pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut up
4 cups sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

grind up pineapple in food processor (this is where it's obvious that if you have canned crushed pineapple in the cupboard, you could cheat, but I recommend fresh pineapple)

strain juice into a saucepan. reserve pineapple. add pears to juice and bring to simmer over medium-low heat. simmer about 10 minutes, until pears are soft.

add pineapple, sugar and lemon juice. bring to a simmer. reduce to low heat and simmer for about an hour. (you want the jam to fall chunky-like) from the spoon.

ladle into hot jars and process 10 minutes in water bath or steamer.

Chicken Enchilda Casserole

2011-05-18T20:59:00.000-07:00

12 corn tortillas, homemade or purchased
4 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat (reserve stock)
8 to 16 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
flour
3 cups chicken stock (bouillon or broth)
Sour cream

PREPARATION:

1. Make green chile sauce - recipe below.
2. Put about 1/2" of oil in small skillet. Dip tortillas in hot oil for just a couple of seconds until softened. Place on paper towels in layers until cool enough to handle.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a large baking dish with Pam. Place one layer of tortillas in the dish which has a thin layer of sauce spread in it. Top with /3 of chicken meat and 1/3 of cheese. Spread 1/3 of sauce over it. Repeat to make 2nd and third layers. Sprinkle some cheese on top of sauce, if desired.
4. Bake for 25-35 minutes until heated through and bubbly.

Green Chile Sauce: Sauté chopped onion and garlic in 1/3 cup of oil until transparent. Add 1/3 cup of flour and stir until heated through. Add 3 cups chicken stock and stir until thickened. Stir in 1 cup regular or lowfat sour cream and 2 (4 oz.) cans of chopped green chiles. Add salt to taste, a little more than you like, as it dissipates into the tortillas.

Makes 12 servings

7 WW points

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cupcakes

2011-05-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

oh yes, i came up with this one on my own ;)

1 devils food cake mix, bake according to package directions for 24 cupcakes

fill with peanut butter cookie dough filling:

1 stick butter (softened)
2 tsp water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
cream together everything but chocolate chips. then stir in chips. fill cupcakes (i put it in a ziploc bag and cut the corner and just shove it into the top of the cupcake and squeeze)

frosting:

1 cup peanut butter
1 stick butter (room temp)

cream together well, then add:

2 cups powdered sugar

whip it good!

add 2-3 TB cream (or milk)

beat until fluffy and creamy.

frost cupcakes, and top with additional chocolate chips.

Chocolate Frosting

2011-05-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup HERSHEY®'S Cocoa Powder
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Mango Bars

2011-04-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter

Combine flour and sugar; cut in butter. Press in 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Filling:
4 cups chopped fresh mangoes
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/3 cup water
1 tsp lemon juice
3 TB cornstarch
3 TB water
2 cups quick oates
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup butter

In a saucepan, combine mangoes, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup water and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until mangoes are tender. Combine cornstarch and the 3 TB water. Stir into mango mixture and cook until thickened. Cool slightly. Pour over prepared crust.

Combine oats, 1/4 cup flour and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl; cut with butter. Sprinkle over mango mixture. Bake for 50 minutes at 350. Cool and cut.

Pavlova

2011-03-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Heat oven to 300.

1 cup caster sugar (super fine sugar, i just throw real sugar in the blender for like 20 seconds)
4 egg whites

Beat egg whites in mixer until bubbly and bubbles are all the same size. Begin adding sugar a little at a time. You want stiff peaks and a glossy texture. This takes a while, so be patient. But don't overbeat or your mixture will become grainy.

Plop mixture onto baking parchment on cookie sheet (you can do directly on a cookie sheet, but it may stick a bit, and it's difficult to transfer a pavlova without breaking it). Form an 8 inch flattened circle scraping up sides.

Bake for 40 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool in oven (do not open door) for at least an hour.

Cool completely before loading with whipped cream and fruit.
Suggested fruits,

strawberry and kiwi
strawberry and banana
rasberries, strawberries and boysenberries
peaches
whatever you love!

enjoy ;)

Pork Chop Dinner

2011-02-28T18:13:00.000-08:00

6-8 pork chops depending on size
1 cup water
1 onion
6 potatoes, peeled and cut in big hearty chunks
4 carrots, cut in big chunks
3 TB of steak sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup butter
salt and pepper

Prepare onion, carrot and potatoes.

Melt butter in bottom of pressure cooker. Season chops with lots of salt and pepper. Brown chops on both sides in butter and remove to a plate.

Dump onions into pork fat and butter. Top with carrots and potatoes. Place chops on top of veggies. Mix steak sauce with water. Pour over top of chops.

Put lid on pressure cooker lock it. Bring to high pressure. Cook for 15 minutes. Use normal release method and enjoy!

Apple Cheddar Soup

2011-02-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tbsp butter

Cook together until tender.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups apple cider
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
Dash cayenne pepper

Add, bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 15 minutes.

1/2 cup milk
2 tbls flour

Combine in a separate bowl. Add to soup, cook until bubbly.

Add 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until melted.

from my sis-in-law... Coral :)

Applesauce Bread

2010-10-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

1 TB (or package) yeast
2 1/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 TB sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2/3 cup applesauce
1 TB butter
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 cup shredded fresh apple, room temp

Combine applesauce, butter, juice in microwave safe bowl and microwave 1 1/2 minutes (until like warm, butter does not have to melt). Pour into mixer bowl and add yeast. Let sit 5 minutes or so. Add salt, sugar and spices. Mix. Add flours and shredded apple. Knead until dough clings to hook and sides of bowl are clean.

Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise until double.

Form into ring and place in bundt pan.

Cover. Let rise until double.

Bake about 15-20 mins on 350.

I made a glaze with apple cider and powdered sugar. It was gone in less than 15 mins! What a hit!

Spaghetti with meatballs

2010-10-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 TB dried parsley
1 TB grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

combine, form into balls (about 12-20), refrigerate.

Sauce:

3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 oz) cans tomatoes
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in oil til onions are translucent. Stir tomatoes, salt, sugar, bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 90 minutes. Stir in the rest including meatballs and simmer 30 more minutes. Serve over pasta.

YUMMMMM!!!

Slushy Punch

2010-10-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 cups of sugar
6 cups water
2 (3 oz) packages strawberry jello
1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice
1 qt (4 cups) orange juice
2/3 cup lemon juice
2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime soda

In large saucepan, combine sugar, water, and jello mix. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in pineapple, orange and lemon juice. Divide mixture in half and freeze in two separate containers.

When ready to serve, place the frozen contents of one container in punch bowl and stir in 1 bottle of soda until slushy.

Tips:
This has a LOT of sugar! If you're making this for kids, you can use the full amount. For adults, I'd cut it in half. And if you like it on the tart side, you could just use 1 cup of sugar.
Don't freeze more than 24 hours. If you have to make sure you remove frozen contents at least an hour or two before serving.
I used a potato masher to mash into slushy and worked GREAT.

Hamburger Buns

2010-10-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 TB or 2 packages yeast
2 tsp salt
about 6 cups flour

In microwave safe bowl, mix first 4 ingredients. Microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. You want the mixture to be luke warm (butter does not have to melt completely, but you want it soft). Mix in yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Add salt and 5 cups of flour. Knead in mixer. Add flour as necessary until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl.

Rolls dough into balls (anywhere from 15-25, depending on how big you like your buns). Place on baking sheets (or stones :). Let rise 20 mins-1 hr.

Bake 375 for 15 mins.

Cool slightly before slicing for buns.

Options:
Coat with egg wash and sesame, dill or poppy seeds.
Add 1 TB of dough enhancer with the flour to add more fluff to your buns.
If dough is too much, you can bake them all and freeze the rest. I have also wrapped extra dough around polish dogs, baked them and froze them for future "bagel dogs" (not really a bagel, I know, but they're yummy!)

Texas Caviar

2010-09-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas,

drained and rinsed

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 4 oz can green chilies

8 fluid ounces Italian dressing

cayenne pepper to taste

2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and chopped

Directions:

1.	In a large bowl, mix black-eyed peas, tomatoes, sweet onion, jalapeno peppers, Italian dressing, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the avocados just before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2010-09-17T11:57:00.003-07:00

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

6 oz. chocolate chips

Beat together zucchini, oil, and eggs. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the chocolate chips. Pour into greased, medium sized loaf pans. Bake at 325 for one hour.

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-17T11:57:00.001-07:00

3 eggs, well beaten
2 cups ground zucchini
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup nuts (opt)

Mix wet ingredients & sugar. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine, Bake in 2 greased and floured loaf pans @ 350 for 1 hour.

Chicken Corn Chowder (TexMex style)

2009-09-30T14:02:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 chicken breasts chopped
2 tablespoons margarine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 cups medium salsa (I used black bean and corn salsa)
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk

In a large saucepan, saute onions and chicken in margarine. Stir in flour, chili powder, and cumin. Add corn, picante sauce, and broth. Bring to boil; remove from heat.
Gradually add 1/4 cup hot mixture to cream cheese in a small bowl. Stir until blended.
Add cream cheese mixture and milk to saucepan, stirring until well blended. Heat through but do not boil. Serve immediately.

I served with chips and cheese.

Whole Wheat Bread

2009-02-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

Combine in mixer.:
3 cups hot water (allow to cool if too hot, I find that hot tap water works perfect if you let it sit for a few minutes to cool/warm your bowl)
2 TB yeast

1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup sugar (or brown sugar, or honey)
2 tsp salt
6 TB oil

Allow yeast to foam/dissolve. (about 5 min)

Add:
5-6 cups whole wheat flour
4 tsp. dough enhancer
6 TB gluten

Continue adding another cup of flour. Add flour as needed and knead until ball forms on hook and sides of bowl are clean.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Roll out and form loaves. Cover and allow to rise again (about 1 hour). Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and pans to cool. Butter tops while still warm.

Makes 2 LARGE, 3 MEDIUM or 4 SMALL loaves. (I use la crueset loaf pans and make 3 medium loaves)

You will never buy bread again. This is healthy, yummy and cheap to make!

Sweet Potato Bake

2008-11-21T17:58:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 2 quart casserole dish.
In a large bowl, blend together the sweet potatoes, milk, orange juice, eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt, butter, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour into prepared casserole dish.
Mix together the 1/4 cup butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans; sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes

Chocolate Chip Muffins

2008-11-19T00:44:00.001-08:00

Mix:
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can of pinto beans (drain off juice, refill with water, and puree in blender)

Add:
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Mix. Add 1/2 cup mini choco chips.
Bake at 350 'til done.

Makes 24 muffins.

1 = 3pts
2 = 5pts

This recipe was 100% created by me. I was looking for a WW friendly version of blonde brownies. They turned out quite well although a little higher in points than I was looking for. They are however, very low in fat (the only fat is in the chocolate). They passed the kid test! Let me know if you try to make them, what you think!

Quick Banana Cake

2008-11-18T18:25:00.001-08:00

Whip together:
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar

Add:
1 egg
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp soda
Nuts if desired

Grease 9” square or round pan. Bake 350 for 40-50 minutes. Glaze if desired.

Glaze:
2 tbls butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
A little milk and lemon juice to consistency

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2008-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

*****I have received NUMEROUS questions about this recipe questioning it's safety*****

I'm not a professional "canner" but here is my outlook. I've been canning this several times a year for the past 5 years. That being said, it usually doesn't last more than a few months in my cupboard. Beginning 2 years ago, I too thought it would be safer to pressure can this, so I have been. I believe it's safer this way. If you don't pressure can, I would recommend processing longer like 75-90 minutes depending on elevation. (I used to waterbath/steam for 25 minutes at 4500 ft elevation) however, longer cook time will overcook the tomatoes and make it not as yummy. That being said, I've never had problems with myself or kids getting sick. So I say, use the recipe, can it how you feel safe! If you do decide to use a pressure canner, I process for 15 min. I got the recipe years ago on another website and re-posted to add the changes that I made. Best of luck!!!

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped (I use sweet onions)
1 1/2 cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 cubanelle pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup canning salt (if you dont have canning salt, you can use sea salt)
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn or canned or fresh

mix in a big pot and heat it up because you want to pack the salsa in jars while it's hot. i bring to a boil (if you can call it that) for about 5+ minutes.

can in prepared hot jars and process via water bath or steam for 10 mins, 5 additional minutes for every 1000 ft above sea level.

i add 2 T of lemon juice and 2 T of sugar to mine... but this is totally optional. i also throw in what i have as far as pepper go. i put in a total 6 cups combined onions, peppers and jalapenos, green chilies, etc. i also put in twice the amount of corn and black beans... the first i time i put in what the recipe says and the salsa was yummy but all agreed that it needed more corn and beans.... happy canning!

makes 4-5 quarts or 7-9 pints (depends on how much corn, beans and peppers you use)

Bunny Buns (Orange Rolls) c/o Jill T.

2008-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. yeast
¼ cup warm water

1 cup scalded milk
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 tsp. salt

5 ½ cups flour

2 eggs beaten

¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbs. grated orange peel

In a little bowl pour yeast into warm water. Meanwhile, blend scalded milk, sugar, shortening, salt. Cool till warm. Stir in about 2 cups flour. Beat well. Mix in eggs and stir in softened yeast. Add orange juice, orange peel, and remaining flour to make a SOFT dough. Let stand 10 minutes. Knead dough 5-10 minutes on lightly floured surface till smooth and elastic. Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface. Cover, let rise in warm place till doubled in size (about 2 hours). Roll out into rectangle and grease with butter. Roll up and cut like cinnamon rolls.
Let rise again and cook at 350 until they are golden brown (10-15 min). Cook a little longer then you might first think because they then to be a bit doughy.

Frosting:
All the juice from the orange that you used the peel from. I put the orange in a plastic bag and let the kids squish it up and then I drain the juice off. I mix the juice with cream cheese (4 oz) and powder sugar until I reach a consistency that looks right!

**If you're too lazy to scald your milk here is what i do.... mix the milk, shortening, salt and sugar in a pyrex and nuke for 2 mins (shortening does NOT need to melt and the mixture will be warm enough to make bread but not too hot to kill your yeast) i pour this mixture directly into my kitchen aid with the 2 cups flour, with the dough hook and finish it in there, much easier than kneading by hand!

**also, i'm too lazy to use an orange so i just use orange juice from the freezer and dried orange flakes for the peel... turned out wonderful!

Baked Oatmeal

2008-08-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

3 cups quick oats
1 cup butter or applesauce or 1/2 cup of each
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla

mix and bake in pan (9x13 for thin and smaller for thicker)
350 for 25 min, serve warm or cold

suggested toppings:
yogurt and fruit
peanut butter
bananas
cinnamon and sugar
jam and jellies
milk (more like traditional oatmeal)

Emily's Chicken Salad

2008-05-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Whisk together in a medium bowl....

1/2 cup light mayo
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix together in a medium bowl.....

3 cups diced cooked chicken breast meat
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups grated or cubed Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups craisins or halved grapes

Mix together and serve on bagels, croissants or a bed of lettuce. YUM! Store in fridge. Tastes better the next day after flavors have mixed.

Linguine with Artichoke & Lemon

2008-04-28T17:54:00.000-07:00

12 oz. linguine (dry or fresh)
1 cup chopped green onion
1/2 tsp. rosemary leaves
1 tbls. olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts/bottoms
2 lrg. garlic cloves, minced or sliced
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. Lawry's or Jane's seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup wine substitute (1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup water)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp grated lemon peel
3 tbls. parsley
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper to taste

while pasta is cooking.....

in a frying pan over medium heat, stir onions, garlic and rosemary for 1-2 minutes in olive oil. Add artichokes, broth, wine, cream, lemon peel and stir until boiling.

drain pasta and return to pan. Add artichoke sauce, parsley, and seasonings. Mix together and top with parmesan before serving.

This was SOOOO yummy AND notice there is no meat?

Maryland Crab Cakes

2008-04-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

1 lb crab meat (imitation is fine)
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
butter or frying oil

Chop crab meat (remove cartilage if you're using fresh crab). In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, egg, mayo and seasonings. Add crab meat and mix gently and thoroughly. If mixture is too dry, add a little more mayo. Shape into desired size cake (about 8-10 for smaller and 6 for larger) Cook cakes in frying pan in just enough fat to prevent sticking, until browned on both sides (about 5 min on each side.

YUM... no topping/dip necessary!!

Enchilada Sauce

2008-04-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons hot chili powder
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high high heat. Saute onion until tender. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; saute for a few minutes.
Stir in flour and chili powder, stirring until sauce thickens. Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.

I used canned beef, monterey jack cheese and cook-yourself tortillas from Costco and made enchiladas.... can I just say "YUMMY!!!!"?

Natalies Whole Wheat Pancakes

2008-04-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

1-Cup Whole Wheat
1-Cup 2% Milk
Add to blender and blend 3 to 4 minutes. Add:
½ Cup Oil
½ Cup 2% Milk
2 Eggs
½ teaspoon salt
4-teaspoons baking powder

Yield: 24 pancakes (3 pancakes per serving)
Nutrition: 215 Calories, 2g. fiber, 16g. fat
Weight Watcher Points: 5

Reduced Fat Pancakes
1-Cup Whole Wheat
1-Cup Skim Milk
Add to blender and blend 3 to 4 minutes. Add:
2 tablespoons Oil
½ Cup Skim Milk
3 Egg Whites
½ teaspoon salt
2-teaspoons baking powder

Yield: 14 pancakes (2 pancakes per serving)
Nutrition: 122 Calories, 2g. fiber, 4g. fat
Weight Watcher Points: 2

Good for you Granola

2008-03-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

3 cups rolled oats (old fashioned)

1 cup coconut

1 cup almonds (chopped/sliced)

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1/2 cup sesame seed

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 cup raisins/craisins

Stir together 1st 5 ingredients. Stir in syrup and butter. Spread in a 15x10x1 inch pan and bake at 375 for 15-20 min, stirring once.

Remove and stir in raisins. Cool. Store in airtight container (I store it in the fridge). Serve with milk like cereal. or.... stay tuned for the granola bar recipe!

Makes 7 cups.

Foccaccia Bread

2008-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 tbls yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pinch black pepper
1 tlbs vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
2 tbls olive oil
grated mozzarella cheese
grated parmesan cheese

Stir together dry ingredients and seasonings. Mix in the vegetable oil and water.
Knead bread in mixer until dough cleans sides of bowl.

Place in greased bowl turning to grease top and let rise about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450. Punch dough down and spread on stone or greased baking sheet. Pat in 1/2 inch thick rectangle, circle, whatever your fancy! Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

PS. This replaces garlic bread beatifully. It has a strong flavor that goes well with the italian dishes. Its fast and easy, so enjoy!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2008-01-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

2 pie shells
1-10 3/4 oz cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. milk
veggies
2 C. cooked chopped chicken
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 small onion
Coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare pie shells. Chop and sauté onion. Mix chicken, veggies, sautéed onion, garlic, soup and milk in large mixing bowl. Pour into pie shell; top with flattened pie shell. Pinch edges together and poke holes in top crust. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until crusts are done.

For veggies I used a can of peas, some diced carrots and potatoes. Total was about 4 or 5 cups. I think canned corn, broccoli or lima beans would work well also.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

2008-01-21T11:43:00.000-08:00

1 can condensed cream of potato soup
1 cup milk
½ tea season salt
2-3 cups cutup cooked chicken
1 bag (16 oz) frozen broccoli (or fresh), uncooked
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can French fried onions

Combine in 8x12 baking dish: soup, milk, salt chicken, ½ cheese, ½ onions. Bake covered for 20 minutes (350). Remove the cover. Sprinkle the other half of the cheese and onions on top. Bake 10 more minutes, uncovered. Serve with rice or noodles.

PS. Sorry, classic Mormon casserole... I loved it as a kid... my kids love it today! What can I say? I think I'll go play... in the hay on this beautiful day.... okay I'm done ;)

Sugar Cookies

2007-12-23T20:30:00.000-08:00

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sour cream

Cream sugar, butter and shortening. Add egg and vanilla - cream together. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add sour cream. Don't overmix! Chill for 2 hours. Roll onto flour surface 1/4" thick. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes. Bottoms will be lightly brown with no browning on top.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 - box powdered sugar

Cream together. Beat until fluffy.

Thumbprint Cookies

2007-11-25T16:49:00.000-08:00

¾ cup butter softened
½ firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg separated
½ tsp vanilla
1 1/3 flour
¼ tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts
Jam or jelly

Preheat over to 375. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until well mixed. If desired chill dough for easier handling. Shape dough into balls using slightly rounded teaspoon full. Slightly beat eggs white. Dip balls into egg white and roll in nuts. Place 1 inch apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Press a deep hole in the center of each cookie with thumb. Bake 8-10 min until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Fill centers with jam or jellies. Makes 3 dozen

Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Pie

2007-11-24T10:51:00.001-08:00

1 9 inch double crust pie - double
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups thinly sliced apples
1 (2.5 ounce) package caramel apple circle
cinnamon and sugar OR turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Roll out pastry and set aside.
In a large bowl, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and flour. Mix well. Add apples to cream cheese mixture and stir until apples are evenly coated. Add brown sugar mixture to apple mixture gradually, stirring after each addition.
Pour half of apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate. Place caramel circle over top, then pour in remaining apple mixture. Cover with second pastry. Seal edges and cut steam vent in top. Butter top slightly and sprinkle with coarse/turbinado sugaror cinnamon and sugar. Place pie on baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. If you notice overbrowning after 25 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

As you can see, mine got a little drippy, but I used carmel CUBES instead of the rounds. I also did not seal my edges well enough and the filling lifted the entire top up.... but hey, it was YUMMY!!!!

1 Point Desserts

2007-11-17T10:49:00.000-08:00

#1 Golden Haystacks

12 oz Hershey’s Cookies n cream candy bars
3 cups General Mills Fiber One

1. Unwrap candy and place in microwave-safe bowl. Melt candy in microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, stir and nuke for 1 minute more. Stir in cereal.

2. Drop mixture by 26 spoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes or until firm. Store leftovers in the fridge.

#2 Fudge

15 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cocoa
¾ cup butter, melted
1 tbls vanilla
7 ½ cups powdered sugar
1 cup walnuts

In a microwave safe dish, mash beans with a fork until smooth; cover and nuke for 1 ½ minutes or until heated through.

Add cocoa, butter and vanilla. Mixture will be thick.

Slowly stir in sugar; add nuts.

Press into a square pan coated with non stick spray.

Cover and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 81 1 inch pieces.

1 point without nuts
2 points with nuts

#3 Pumpkin Cookies

1 Spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix cake mix and pumkin well. Add chips. Bake in 350 oven for 10-15 min. Makes 46.

#4 Mock Turtles

1 13oz bag of rolos
60 checker board pretzels (or mini-twist)
60 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place pretzels on cookie sheet. Unwrap rolos. Place 1 rolo on each pretzel. Bake for about 4 minutes. Remove from oven and gently press one pecan half into the top of each, gently spreading the rolo to the edges of the pretzel. Let cool for 10 minutes. Then place cookie sheet in fridge to set (about 30).

#5 Brownies

1 can black beans
1 fudge brownie mix

Drain beans and rinse in can. With bean still in can fill with water to the top. Pour into blender and puree. Add to cake mix and stir well. Pour into 9x13 pan or muffin tins. Bake at 350 until done. Makes 24 brownies.

WW Milk Shake

2007-11-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

1 cup skim milk
2 tablespoons fat-free, sugar-free pudding mix - any flavor
1 tablespoon Cool Whip
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ice cubes

Put all into a blender and process until smooth and thick.

Serves 1 - 2 WW points

Taco Chili Soup

2007-11-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

1 pound ground beef
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can yellow corn, drained
1 can white or yellow hominy, drained
1 can Mexican tomatoes
1 package Taco mix
1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

Brown ground beef, then drain well. Put beef into a crock pot, then add remaining ingredients, blending well. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours.Serve over tortilla chips with shredded cheese, sour cream, and guacamole.

WW Egg Nog

2007-11-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

8 cups non fat milk
1 4 serving box sugarfree fatfree white chocolate pudding
1/2 cup splenda
1 tsp nutmeg

In milk carton, combine pudding and 2 cups of milk. Shake and let sit for a few minutes. Add the rest of the milk, splenda and nutmeg. Shake and enjoy.

1 cup = 2 points

Emily's Kielbasa Pasta Frittata

2007-10-04T16:12:00.001-07:00

**sorry I wasn't fast enough to get a picture before consumption**

1 box (12oz) egg fettuccini

2 tbls olive oil

2 tbls butter

1 Kielbasa chopped in bite size pieces

1 cup cream or half n half

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese and or Monterey jack cheese

nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh parsley

12 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 425.

Boil noodles 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat on medium-high in LARGE oven-safe skillet olive oil and butter. Add Kielbasa. Saute for 3 minutes. Add cream and reduce heat. Add cheese and seasonings, stir. Add pasta and stir or toss to coat with sauce. Add eggs and parsley. Stir gently to combine. Cook for just a minutes until eggs have cooked to bottom of pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer pan to hot oven and bake about 10 minutes, until golden. Flip out onto platter and cut like a pie. You can also serve straight from the pan.

Boston Baked Beans

2007-10-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

4 cups dried navy beans
8 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound salt pork, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp dry mustard

1. Rinse and sort beans. Place beans, water, salt, onion and pork in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or until beans are tender.
2. Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of the liquid. Return beans to cooking pot. In bowl combine reserved liquid with remaining ingredients. Pour over beans and stir to blend. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Bewitching Blueberry Pancakes

2007-09-24T07:54:00.001-07:00

1 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbls sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
3 tbls oil
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Mix all ingredients (except blueberries) well. Stir in blueberries.

YUM

This recipe does NOT make very much. So double for more than 2 people.

Cheesy Potato Soup

2007-09-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

1 (32 oz) bag frozen southern-style diced hash browns potatoes, thawed
1 chopped onion
1 medium stalk celery, diced
2 cans chicken broth
1 cup water
3 tbls flour
1 cup milk
1 bag (8 oz) american-cheddar cheese blend (shredded, 2 cups)
1/4 cup real bacon pieces
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

In slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, brother, and water.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
In small bowl, mix flour into milk. Stir into potato mixture. Increase heat to high. Cover and cook an additional 20-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with bacon pieces and green onion. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Makes 6 - 1 1/2 cup servings.

The Best Spaghetti Sauce

2007-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or sausage (I use a mixture of both, or you can throw in kielbasa, or pepperoni)
2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
2 (15 oz) cans tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 cup water
2 tbls brown sugar
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (or cumin, or cayenne)

Brown and crumble meat and drain. Mix all ingredients in slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce to LOW and cook 7 hours. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti noodles.

***This recipe makes a TON. I usually have it for dinner, with some leftovers for the next day and I freeze the other half. Freezes great!***

****Serve with French Bread (with the garlic and parmesan in the middle)****

Fried Green Tomatoes

2007-08-27T20:40:00.001-07:00

Core and slice about 3 large unpeeled green tomatoes (about 1/4 inch thick). Salt and pepper sliced tomatoes and let sit for about 10 minutes.

There are four dips

#1 Buttermilk (or half and half, or just milk)

#2 flour

#3 2 eggs, beaten

#4 breading (bread crumbs and or corn meal) I use a mixture of both, mostly bread crumbs, and I dump some spices in... like paprika, garlic salt, or cayenne, whatever your fancy.

Dredge slices one by one in the four dips (in order presented) and place in hot oil (about 1/4 cup of olive oil, you'll need to replenish for next batch). Cook on each side for about 5-6 minutes. Optional-- you can place a piece of jack or cheddar cheese atop each piece.

Serve with favorite creamy dressing.... I like sour cream. But Ranch or Blue cheese work as well. Enjoy!!!

Monkey Brains

2007-07-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

3 tubes of refrigerated biscuits

1 cube butter, melted

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon

In one bowl melt butter. In another bowl combine cinnamon and sugar. Individually dip biscuits in butter, then in cinnamon and sugar. Place biscuits in bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes... enjoy!!! Totally fattening, but a total crowd-pleaser and totally EASY!

French Bread

2007-07-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbls sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbls yeast (or two packages)
2 cups hot water (straight-hot tap water works great)
1 egg white
1 tbls water
Cornmeal

Set aside 1 cup flour. In large bowl, mix remaining flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Stir hot water into dry mixture. Mix in enough reserved flour to make dough soft (or so it doesn't stick to the sides of your mixing bowl). Mix about 5 minutes in mixer or knead by hand on floured surface 8-10 minutes. Cover. Let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough to 15 x 10 inch rectangle. (I sprinkle mine with fresh Parmesan and fresh chopped garlic). Roll up tightly from long side like a jelly roll, tapering ends. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place, seam side down, on greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Cover; let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 35-40 minutes.

With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Combine egg white and 1 tbls water; brush on loaves. Bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until done. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

2007-07-07T15:37:00.000-07:00

For a picture see my post on this day.... sorry, I'm too lazy to type it out! But these are YUMMY! You have to follow directions closely on this one, you cant just dump all the ingredients in the bowl and mix. But if you follow the recipe, they'll turn out fabulous!!

Banana Split Cake

2007-07-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, stir or sift before measuring
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup caramel sauce
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Banana Filling, below
Chocolate Frosting, below

PREPARATION:
Grease and floured bottoms of two 9-inch layer cake pans. Sift together the 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and soda. Add to sifted ingredients the 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup butter, and caramel sauce. Spoon into the prepared cake pans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes. Fill with Banana Filling and Frost.

Banana Filling:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter
2 ripe but firm bananas, sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine powdered sugar, flour, and milk in a saucepan; cook, stirring, until smooth. Continue cooking until mixture thickens; transfer to mixing bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly. Beat butter into the chilled mixture, a tablespoon at a time. Fold in sliced bananas and vanilla.

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup caramel sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, combine chocolate chips, caramel sauce, and butter. Cook over low heat until chocolate is melted; blend in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. If necessary, thin frosting with a little milk. Pour over cooled cake.

***My cake came out a little dry (but I used cake flour instead of regular flour). Good luck and let me know how it turns out!!

Cafe Rio Mocks

2007-06-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

Café Rio Dressing
(this makes a lot – so it’s probably best to half the recipe)

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups sour cream
10 springs of cilantro
3 los tomatoes (green tomatoes – fresh or canned)
2 green onions (washed and chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno pepper ( seeds and all)
Juice of 1 lime
1 or 2 tsp of salt (depends on how much salt you like)

Place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Dressing lasts for 2 weeks in refrigerator.

Café Rio Sweet Meat
Tastes just like Café Rio meat and is oh-so-easy to make.

1-2 lbs of beef or pork (the cheapest filets/steaks you can find will work)
¾ cups Pace Salsa (or whatever kind you prefer)
¾ cups brown sugar

Brown the meat in skillet on high heat. (Only a few seconds on both sides will do). Place the meat into the slow cooker.

Combine the salsa and brown sugar an pour over the meat in your slow cooker.

Cook for 4 hours on high or 7 hours on low. With one hour remaining, shred the meat with fork and knife – it should pull apart rather easily. Replace lide and cook fot the remaining hour.

Serve with Riquisimas tortillas (those are the best) – You can butter them and brown them in a frying pan with cheese melted all over. MMMMMMmmmm.

This is great all rolled up in the cheesy tortilla with black beans (add a small can of tomato sauce, salt and a bit of brown sugar to taste), lettuce and rice (cook as directed – adding 2 T butter, 1 cube of chicken bullion, and juice from 1 lime).

Café Rio Dressing – another variation

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos
½ bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (use seeds for spicy, or no seeds for mild, green Tabasco sauce can be a substitute for the jalapeno.

Use a food processor or blender to blend all the ingredients and enjoy.

Café Rio Chicken

Chicken Breast – (was not noted on how much chicken)
1 small bottle KRAFT Italian dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T Cumin
3 cloves garlic

Cook all ingredients in a crock-pot for 4 hours on low, or until the chicken is cooked all the way through)

Shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Chili Verde

2007-06-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

5 lbs boneless pork (Center cut pork chops-ask your butcher to cube)
½ cup oil
4 T flour
5 cups beef broth
1 chopped onion
6 cloves garlic
32 oz diced green chilies, drained
2 T ground cumin
Fresh or bottles Jalapeno peppers to taste
4 tsp chili powder
3 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried oregano

Sauté pork and onion in oil to brown.

Puree broth with garlic, green chilies, jalapenos and flour. Add pork

Add cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and oregano to pork mixture and simmer on low heat until pork is tender, about 4-6 hours.

(I put mine in the crock-pot on high for 5 hours)

Candied Popcorn

2007-06-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
3/8 cup white corn syrup
1 tbls butter

1/2 tsp candy flavor or extract
2 drops food coloring

1/2 cup popcorn, popped

In a heavy saucepan, heat first four ingredients. Cook to 280 degrees on candy thermometer. Remove from heat and quickly stir in extract and coloring. Add imediately to popcorn and toss.

I use cooking spray in the popcorn bowl. And I spray two big spoons to help mix the candy onto the popcorn quickly.

Ideas for flavors..... peppermint, maple, cinnamon, pineapple, root beer, vanilla

Good luck and happy poppin'!!

Blonde Brownies

2007-06-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well and add,

2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Mix until completely combined, then add 6 oz of chocolate chips and or 1 cup chopped nuts (all optional)

Bake in 9x13 pan for 20 minutes @ 375.

(I actually would lengthen the bake time and lessen the temperature, mine got a little too done on top and gooey in the middle, but who knows what I did??? they still tasted good!)
I've been searching for the recipe FOREVER. I LOVE these things... their chewy and yummy! I finally got the recipe out of my old ward's Relief Society cookbook that my mom gave to me. SWEET!!! literally! enjoy!

Wild Rice Soup

2007-05-04T12:08:00.000-07:00

4 chicken breasts
2 packages Uncle Ben's Long Grain Wild Rice with seasoning
6 cans chicken broth
carrots
onion
celery
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 cups half and half (or milk)
16 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cook chicken breasts and shred or cut into cubes. Cook rice according to packages directions. Cook vegetables in chicken broth until tender. Use whatever amount of carrots, onion, and celery that you desire (more for heartier soup). Make a white sauce with all remaining ingredients, except bacon. Cook well. Add white sauce to broth and vegetables. Stir until smooth. Add rice and chicken. Add crumbled bacon just before serving.

Makes a LOT.... 1/2 recipe for less

Split Pea Soup

2007-04-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

2 tbls olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 ham hock (about 1 1/2 lbs)
1 lb green split peas, rinsed and picked over
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat.

Place ham hock in center of slow cooker and spread peas around it. Add the onion and garlic, carrots and celery. Then pour in broth, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH 4-5 hours.

Finish soup by removing ham hock. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Remove the meat from the bone and stir back into the soup (discard bone). Stir in parsley and serve.

Serves 6-8

Breakfast Loaf

2007-04-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

1 sourdough shephards loaf (the big one)
butter
6 eggs - scrambled (add as much milk, salt and pepper as you like)
grated cheddar cheese
cubed ham

The night before you want to serve....
Scramble eggs. Cut top off of sourdough loaf, clean out bread from inside to form a shell. Butter inside completely. Fill with scrambled eggs. Top with ham and cheese. Place the "lid" back on the loaf and wrap the entire thing in tinfoil.

Next morning. Bake straight from fridge (leave it wrapped in tinfoil) at 350 for 1 hour. Slice and eat. Serves about 6.

This is great for company. It's quick the night before and it NO WORK in the morning.

Lemon Drop Cookies

2007-04-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

After many requests, here it is..... Thanks Rachel!!

4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter-flavored shortening
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Finely chopped zest of one lemon
1 pkg. (6 oz.) lemon drops, crushed
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
Juice of the lemon

Cream sugar, shortening and eggs, add flavorings. Stir in dry ingredients, lemon zest and crushed lemon drops. Roll into balls, flatten slightly and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets at 350 for 10- 12 minutes. Let sit on pan 1 -2 minutes then brush lightly with powdered sugar glaze and cool immediately.

-Makes 4 - 5 dozen.

I usually 1 1/2 times the glaze using lemon juice. I like more on the cookie! Please note, because of the candy in the cookies, parts may stick a little if you don't use the parchment.

Chicken Avocado Tortilla Soup

2007-04-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

Prep and Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

1/3 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon chilipowder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
10 corn tortillas (6 in. wide)
1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned chicken breasts
1 firm-ripe avocado (1/2 lb.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt
About 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over medium heat, stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pepper until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), and green chilies. Cover and bring to a Boilover high heat.

2. Meanwhile,stack tortillas and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Add to boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Rinse chicken and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Peel the avocado, pit, and thinly slice.

4. Add chicken to broth and return to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is white in center(cut to test), about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and salt to taste. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with avocado, and add cheese to taste.

** We put sour cream and hot sauce on top or ours and served with cornbread.

BoterKoek (Dutch Cookies)

2007-04-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 (1 cup) cubes butter or margarine

Cut butter into flour and sugar.

Beat 1 egg. Add half to flour mixture.

Add:
½ tsp lemon extract
½ tsp almond or vanilla extract

Press into 9x13 pan. Put a whole almond on top of each piece to be cut (about 5 down and 5 across). Smear top with ½ egg over top with fingers.

Bake 275 (250 for glass pan) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Enchilda Casserole

2007-03-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

1 can tomatoes (do not drain)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned in a pan
12 white corn tortillas
8 oz shredded cheese (I use half Monterrey jack and half cheddar)
8 oz sour cream
1 pkg or about 2 tbls Taco Seasoning

Place first 3 ingredients in blender and puree. Pour mixture into sauce pan and add tomato paste and seasonings. Bring to a boil and simmer about 5 minutes. Place 1/3 of the tortillas in bottom of slow cooker, followed by 1/3 of the meat, 1/3 of the sauce and 1/3 of the shredded cheese, continue all layers. Cook on LOW 6-8 hours.

For topping, stir taco seasoning into sour cream.

Makes about 6 servings.

This was such a hit with the kids and it's fairly nutritious!! You can serve this on a bed of lettuce to make it into a salad. Also, it's not good to look at, but it sure is tasty!!

Sour Cream Pork Chops

2007-03-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tbls flour
1 (8 oz) tub sour cream

Season pork with salt, pepper, adn garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet, brown chops in oil.

Place chops in slow cooker and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on LOW 7-8 hours.

After chops have cooked, remove meat only and put in warm over to keep warm. Be careful, they will fall apart.

In a bowl, blend 2 tbls flour with the sour cream. Mix into meat juices. Cook in slow cooker on HIGH for 15-30 minutes or until suace in thickened slightly. Serve sauce over chops and noodles or rice (our favorite is egg noodles).

Lemon Chicken

2007-03-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can of milk
2 tbls butter
1/2 pkt lemon herb seasoning (about 1 - 1 1/2 tbls)
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) in a bowl. Mix well.

Brown chicken. Place chicken in slow cooker and cover with sauce. Cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or on LOW 4-5 hours.

Hootinanies

2007-03-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Whip in Blender:
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
½ tsp salt

Melt 1 cube of butter in a 9x13 pan while oven is heating.
Pour batter over melted butter and bake 15-20 minutes at 425.

Serve with powdered sugar, syrup, and/or fruit.

Emily's Shephards Pie

2007-03-26T17:49:00.000-07:00

1 lb ground beef, Turkey, mutton, whatever...

1 onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 can peas

3 carrots, diced and cooked

mashed potatoes (I use about 3 potatoes)

garlic

cheddar cheese, grated

pie crust (1 cup flour, 1/2 shortening, 1/2 tsp salt, 2-3 Tbls cold water)

Using a deep dish pie plate, roll out pie crust and line plate (if you prefer, you can buy a pre-made pie crust - non-dessert).

Cook meat with onions and favorite seasonings (I like Johnny's seasonings or Jane's salt). Mix in can of soup. Pour mixture into pie crust.

Next layer is peas and carrots. Season with salt and pepper.

Top with mashed potatoes. I also put some garlic powder or minced garlic in with the potatoes.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

I like to make this in advance and put it in the refrigerator. If you do this, change first bake time to 45 minutes.

Makes 12 servings (7 points)

Enjoy!!

Sweet-Hot Jalapeno Ribs

2007-03-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans, drained
3 lbs country-style pork ribs, trimmed
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (10.5 oz) jar red jalapeno jelly
1 (5 oz) bottle steak sauce
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

Place pinto beans in slow cooker.

Cut ribs apart if necessary, sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Broil ribs in over for 18-20 minutes or until well browned, turning once. Place ribs in slow cooker and top with onions.

Combine jelly, steak sauce and chopped pepper in a saucepan; cook over low heat until jelly melts. Pour over ribs and stir gently.

Cook on High 5-6 hours or cook on High 1 hour and reduce to Low for 8-9 hours. Remove ribs and skim off fat. Cook sauce with beans uncovered on High for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add ribs just before serving to reheat.

**this recipe came with my Corningware Slow Cooker. It's become a family favorite. It's not spicy if you don't put in the jalapenos. For just a little kick, add only one. If you like it spicy, add both peppers.

Cinnamon Apples

2007-03-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

6-7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut

1 tbls lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbls flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

6 tbls melted butter

Vanilla ice cream

Oatmeal, Ginger snap, or Vanilla wafer cookies

Place apples in slow cooker and drizzle with lemon juice.

In a bowl, mix sugars, flour, and spices. Sprinkle mixture over apples and stir gently to coat apples. Drizzle with butter.

Cook on low for 3 hours or on high for 2 hours.

Serve over ice cream and top with crumbled cookies.

I like to use my cookies as a scoop, so I leave them whole.... enjoy!!

Pumpkin Roll

2007-03-11T13:06:00.001-07:00

¾ cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin pie puree
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon juice

Grease 9x13 jelly roll pan then place wax paper and grease again. Pour batter. Bake 375 for 15-18 minutes.

Lay out a linen and slightly dampen with wet fingers and dust with 2 tbls powdered sugar. Flip cake onto linen while hot (right out of the oven). Roll lengthwise (1 time) Place on cooling rack for 20 minutes. Unroll partway and fill with filling.

Filling:
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
¼ cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

Re-roll and wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate.

Slice and garnish with powdered sugar.

Hot Artichoke Dip

2007-03-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

1 8oz can artichoke hearts, chopped slightly and drained
4 oz grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbls Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Place in shallow baking dish. Bake at 325 for 15-20 min (until slightly brown). Serve with crackers or French bread.

Cherry Pie

2007-03-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

*Use a deep dish pie plate for this. This is so yummy everyone will be screaming for more, I guarantee!!!

6 cups (3 cans) cherries (drained) ***
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp lemon juice

Jane’s Pie Crust

1 cup shortening
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4-6 tlbs cold water

Bake 425 for 30-40 minutes.

This crust recipe is doubled (half for the bottom, other half for lattice top). I also use Jane’s recipe for a meat pie - To use it for a single crust ½ it.

***Important, you MUST use "Oregon" brand pie cherries. They can be difficult to find. I found them at my local Wal-Mart. They were with the canned fruit, not the pie filling. So try looking in both places in your store.

Bread Bears or Cinnamon Rolls

2007-03-10T10:11:00.000-08:00

(makes 2 bears or 20 rolls)

Mix: Use mixer with dough hook.
2 cups warm water
2 tbls yeast
½ cup sugar
¼ cup oil

Let stand 5 min or until foamy.

Add:
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt

Mix.

Add:
1 egg
2-3 cups of flour (1/2 cup at a time)

Mix until satiny. About 10 minutes.
Let rise in greased bowl for 1-2 hours (until sticky)

For into shape (bears or rolls).

Cinnamon Rolls:
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 ½ tbls cinnamon
Glaze:
4 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbls butter
¼ cup milk

Bears: Cut dough in ½. Divide into thirds 1/3 = belly, 1/3 = head and nose (smallest third), 1/3 = 6 balls (ears, hands and feet). Use peanut M & M’s for eyes, nose, ears and belly button.

Let rise another hour. Bake at 375 for 10 min.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2007-03-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

Toss Together…….
3 cooked chicken breasts—shredded or cut up
1 small head green cabbage
1 small head purple cabbage
4 green onions—sliced
Halved purple grapes

Bake in oven at 350 on foil for 5-10 minutes…..
2 pkgs top ramen broken up(noodles only)
4 tbl sesame seeds
3 oz almonds or peanuts
1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Dressing…. Mix together….
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup sesame oil
9 tbl rice vinegar
4 tbl sugar
1/2 tea pepper
2 seasoning packets from top ramen (any flavor)

Cranberry Pudding

2007-03-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Mix:
2 cubes butter or margarine
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 cups evaporated milk
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
4 cups raw cranberries

Beat together all ingredients (except stir in cranberries after other ingredients or beaten), bake at 350 for 40 min or until light brown.

Sauce:
2 cubes butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla (add last while sauce is cooling)

Mix everything but vanilla in saucepan. Bring to boil. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Cut into pieces and spoon sauce over cake.

Serve warm.

This is RICH and a very good holiday dessert that is NON-chocolate.

Red and White Chili

2007-03-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

6 cups cubed chicken (cooked)
2 cans navy or great northern beans (drained)
1 cup chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker or crockpot. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours until hot and sauce thickens.

This is SOOOOO YUMMY and easy. It’s also very healthy. Don’t let the peppers fool you; it’s really not that spicy. My 3 yr-old downed it like it was Spaghettio’s!!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-03-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
½ cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips (or M&Ms)

Mix butter, vanilla, eggs and sugars. Then the rest. Bake 350 for 10 minutes.

I created this recipe... It took many tries to get it just right. I also suggest making your cookies BIG. I used the largest cookie scoop (3 tbls) and cook on a stone, they come out PERFECT.

Teriyaki Marinade

2007-03-09T21:38:00.001-08:00

1 cup beef broth (or chicken if marinating chicken or fish)
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbls lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 oz scallions with tops, chopped
1 tbls brown sugar

Combine and marinate for broil, bbq, or jerky.

Lowfat Bundt Cake

2007-03-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

1 cake mix (Devils’ Food works best, but I’ve used others)
1 sugar free cherry pie filling
½ cup egg beaters

Mix and pour into Bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35 min.

Variations:
Spice cake with apple pie filling (with the apple pie filling, the cake falls apart, so I chop up the apples into small pieces and that solved the problem).

Yellow cake mix with Peach filling (1 tsp almond extract).

Yellow cake mix with Cherry filling (1tsp almond extract).

White Cake mix with Blueberry filling.

Chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling.

Serve with fat free Cool whip.

Makes 16 servings (2 points per slice)

Feta Chicken

2007-03-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

2 halves boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 oz. or 1/4 cup Feta Cheese
2 Tbl Fresh Parsley (or 1/2 dry)
1 tsp Fresh Oregano (or 1/4 dry)
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1 14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes (any kind)

Mush together everything but chicken and tomatoes.
Slice chicken in middle and stuff with mixture.
Place in baking pan (9x9) and pour tomatoes over top.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 min (until chicken is tender and the juices run clear)
Serve over favorite pasta. Linguini works the best! I also like Penne or Rigatoni.
Serves 2 (double or triple for more)