Festive Pineapple Cranberry Salad

A new alternative to traditional cranberry sauce.

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 pkg. (4-servings each) raspberry flavor gelatin
1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 green apple, chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts, (opt.)

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Remove 1 Tbsp. pineapple; set aside. Add enough cold water to juice to measure 3 cups; pour into saucepan. Bring to boil; remove from heat. Add dry gelatin mixes; stir 2 min. Stir in cranberry sauce. Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until slightly thickened.

Stir in pineapple, apple and walnuts (if desired).

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Garnish with reserved pinapple. Makes 14 (1/2 cup) servings.

Tip: Give the salad "superstar" status on your table with thin apple slices, reserved pinapple and mint.

Sweet Potato Souffle

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
¾ cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the mashed sweet potatoes with the white sugar, soft butter or margarine, beaten eggs, vanilla and milk; spoon into a 2-qt. oven proof baking dish.
Combine the coconut, flour, brown sugar, chopped nuts and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes.
Bake at for 30-35 minutes.

Butternut-White Bean Soup

Ingredients
3 bacon slices (if I'm in a good mood I up this a touch) :)
1 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (1/2 T if dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained


Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons of drippings in pan; crumble the bacon, and set aside.Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; cook 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add squash; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in broth, cumin, red pepper, cinnamon, and cloves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in cream, oregano, salt, black pepper, and beans; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

Strawberry Cream Puffs

This recipe comes from the Taste of Home Cookbook. My mother made them and was raving about them so I had to try them myself. I made them last night but used raspberries instead of strawberries and halved the cream mixture. I still had enough cream to fill my puffs and they were super yummy. I am including the recipe without my changes.

Puffs:
1 cup water
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1 Tbs sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup all purpos flour
4 eggs

In a small saucepan bring the water, butter, sugar and salt to boil over medium heat. Add flour all at once. Stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny.

Drop by 2 rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. (I ended up with 16 puffs that I crammed onto one cookie sheet, the recipe says 3" apart, but I wanted to only cook one pan) Bake at 400 for 30-35 minutes (mine were more like 25 min) or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Immedietly split puffs open, remove tops and set aside. Discard soft dough from inside. Cool puffs.

Strawberry Cream:
2 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 cups whipped topping
3 cups coursly chopped strawberries

Beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in whipped topping and strawberries.

Fill puffs with heaping tablespoonfuls of cream, replace tops, dust with confectioners sugar. Serve immedietly. Refrigerate leftovers.

$500 Cookies

Cooke exchage recipe sumbitted by Donnella B.

1 lb melted butter
1 cup sugar (or 1/2 c sugar and 1/2 c coconut)
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp baking poweder
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour (can do half wheat flour)
5 cups oatmeal

Mix butter and sugars. Add remaining ingredients. Add chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, coconut, dried cranberries or butterscotch chips.

Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 mins

Sugar and Spice Cookies

A recipe from an Enrichment cookie exchange. Submitted by Jan L.

Mix together:
1 1/2 cups shortening (1/2 butter, 1/2 crisco)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

Sift together and stir in:
2 cups flour
4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/2 tsp ginger

Mix thoroughly. Form into balls size of a walnut. Place 2" apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 10 10 12 mins at 350 degrees.

Divinity Cookies

Another recipe from an Enrichment Cookie Exchange. Submitted by Vannalee F.

2 Egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat egg white with salt and cream of tarter till soft peaks form. Then add the sugar gradually and beat until stiff. Fold in gently the vanilla, nuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon on waxed paper covered cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 300 degrees. Makes 2 dozen.

Honey Spice Snaps

Another recipe from an Enrichment cookie exchange. Submitted by Heather M.

3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup honey (or you can use molasses)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or cloves if you use molasses)
2 1/4 cups flour (or 2 cups for molasses)

Combine all ingredients and divide into 6 parts. Roll each part into a skinny snake and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with water over the top of dough and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. The will be lightlygolden brown. Take out of oven and cut on a diagonal. Let cool and enjoy.

Hidden Mint Cookies

This recipe came from an Enrichment cookie exchage. It was submitted by Judy C.

Premade suger cookie dough roll
Mint wafers
Beaten egg
Ground nuts

Slice one roll of sugar cookie dough into 1/4 inch slices (about 30). Place on greased cookie sheet leaving room for them to spread. Put a mint wafer in center of each slice. Cover with another slice of cookie dough. Crimp edges. Brush egg on top and sprinkle with ground nuts.

Bake at 375 for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Lion House Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 5 dozen 3” cookies

5 ¼ cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
¾ cup shortening
1 ¾ cup sugar
1 ¾ cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¾ cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 and line cookie sheet. Mix first 3 ingredients together. Cream next 6 ingredients together. Stir in peanut butter. Add flour mixture and stir until well blended. Drop onto cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with crisscross pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Beefy Crock Pot Chili

This is Josh's "recipe" for the chili he took to our ward's annual chili cook off. It was my favorite one though I might be a little bit partial.

2 lbs chuck roast
2 cans pinto beans (drained, washed)
2 cans kidney beans (drained, washed)
2 cans black beans (drained, washed)
2 cans corn (drained, washed)
2 cans chopped tomatoes (not drained)

1 pint package of small sweet peppers, or 2-3 bell peppers (of different colors), chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup water
2-4 jalapenos and/or 1-2 habaneros, to taste
2 Tbs jarred minced garlic*
3 Tbs chili powder*
1 Tbs salt*
2 tsp oregano*
Any other spice you think sounds good (black pepper, red pepper flakes, shriracha chili sauce, paprika, etc.)*

* These measurements are my best estimate of what I do and are by no means exact. I will usually taste it a few times as it’s cooking and throw in some more of whatever I think it still needs.


Put the roast in the crock pot. Throw everything else in on top of it and simmer for 5-8 hours. Yes, I just put the roast in raw. After about 4-5 hours, fish the roast out again, it should be tender. Shred the roast and put it back in the chili. Let it simmer for a couple more hours, or until dinner time.

Joyce's Homemade Noodle Dough

Here is the no-fail recipe for homemade noodles that we use to make Chicken Noodle Soup. Joyce is my aunt and this is her recipe. So now I have to put a plug in for her blog: http://www.chefdoughty.com/ This is not your ordinary cooking blog. It is not full of recipes. She has taken the approach to train the next generation of cooks by teaching you how to cook, rather than what to cook. It's pretty cool - check it out! There is even a question and answer page that can be very helpful.

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
3 tbsp. oil
1/4 cup water

Mix flour and salt with fork. Put remaining ingredients in center and mix, then shape into ball. Let rise for 20 minutes in fridge. Does not have to be totally mixed.

Chicken Noodle Soup (Asian Style)

Wok & Stir Fry Cookbook
Yields 4-6 servings

9 oz. dried egg noodles or equivalent amount of
freshly made noodles
1 tbsp. oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh root ginger
3 1/2 cups chicken bouillon
1 cup scant coconut milk
3 tsp. red curry paste
3 tbsp. peanut butter
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt
Pepper

Put the noodles in a shallow dish and soak in boiling water as instructed on the package.

Heat the oil in a large preheated wok or pan. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until lightly browned. Add the white part of the scallions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the chicken bouillon, coconut milk, curry paste, peanut butter, and soy sauce.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, stirring, then simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the red bell pepper, peas, and green scallion tops and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the drained noodles and heat through. Spoon the chicken noodle soup into warmed bowls and serve with a spoon and fork.

Tara's Notes:
We always make homemade noodles and add curry paste to the dough, but usually end up doubling or tripling the bouillon water. We always add one whole can of coconut milk and use chunky peanut butter, extra bell peppers and frozen peas. With our revisions this soup easily serves 6-10, depending on how many noodles you make.

Fragrant Indian Butter Chicken

Tara invited me to join her in going to the Taste of Home Cooking School show in Loveland last month. We had a lot of fun. For the show they demonstrated 10 recipes and it was like watching Food Network EXCEPT you could ask questions about subsitutions etc. and you could SMELL it. mmmm... We came home with lots of new recipes to try. I really needed something like this to pull me out of yet another dinner rut.

This recipe is one of the one's they demonstrated. I went home and tried it and we really liked it. It has a different taste than my usual cooking. Josh kept going on about how it tasted authentic (not that he is an expert in Indian food). The recipe is super easy, fast and yummy.

2 Tbs butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic (I used it from the jar)
1 Tbs grated fresh gingerroot (I used ground ginger spice, gingerroot is expensive and I don't use it enough to warrent buying it though supposedly you can freeze it whole)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric (this I bought special for the recipe, it gives it that great yellow/orange color)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbs tomato paste (I didn't have, I subsituted in some tomato sauce)
1 Tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed and cut into chunks (I just put two chicken breasts in a small crock pot with a little water and cooked them all afternoon then shredded them)
1/3 cup half-half cream (I used fat free half and half, also great for soups)
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tbs minced fresh cilantro (I omited this because I didn't have it)

Hot cooked rice for serving

In a large skillet, melt butter ove medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion in tender, about 5 minutes. Add gingerroot, chili powder, turmeric and cinnamon; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally. Add chicken, cream and sour cream; simmer, uncovered for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over rice if desired.

Check it out!

I came across the TasteSpotting website through a blog that I subscribe to. I went there out of curiousity and fell in love. It is a website that pulls recipes from various other blogs and websites. Be sure that you aren't hungry when you check it out, it will make it 10 times worse. Everything looks fabulous!

Heartland Freezer Brownies

These brownies stay soft so you can eat them straight from the freezer without waiting for them to thaw! This is another one from my freezer cookbook.

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup nuts (opt)
Powdered sugar

Combine butter, sugar and cocoa. Add beaten eggs and vanilla. Mix together well. Beat in flour, salt, and nuts. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 min. Test for doneness; do not overbake. Sprinkle powdered sugar over warm brownies. Cool brownies completely. Freeze by wrapping in plastic wrap and then placing in plastic bag.

Frozen Pumpkin Dessert

from "Don't Panic - Dinner's in the Freezer" book

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar

Prepare graham cracker crust by mixing crust ingredients. Pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream, softened
(or omit pecans and use an ice cream with nuts already included)

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices, and nuts. Fold ice cream into pumpkin mixture. Pour pumkin mixture into pan. Seal top of pan with plastic rap, then foil. Freezer until firm.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

This is the recipe I submitted. I really was coming up emptyhanded trying to figure out what to bring so I went allrecipes.com and found this recipe. It got a zillion good ratings so I thought it was a safe bet. I wasn't dissapointed. I did replace half of the oil with applesauce to make me less guilty. The result was still a yummy moist bread that smelled like heaven!

Prep Time : 15 Min Cook Time: 1 Hr

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans or 2 5x9 pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil (applesauce), water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 1 hour + in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin and Coconut Milk Soup

This recipe was a nice mix to all the sweet ones brought to Enrichment. It was submitted by Amanda G.

1 TBS vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
1 lb pumpkin, diced
1 lb sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 qt chicken broth
1 1/4 cup coconut milk

Heat oil in soup pot. Add onion and leek, cook until soft.

Stir in pumpkin, sweet potato, and broth. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat.

Simmer for 15 minutes. Mash veggies and stir in coconut milk.

Season to your liking. I prefer cinnamon, curry, and a little cayenne pepper. Top with sweetened coconut or pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Bread/Muffins

Another recipe included in our pumpkin recipe exchange for Enrichment.

2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking bowder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cloves

Heat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat until well mixed. Measure the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and ground cloves into a separate bowl, then stir until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, beating until smooth. Grease two 9x5 loaf pans, or muffin pans and dust them with flour. Evenly divide the batter between the two pans, or fill the muffin pans 3/4 full. Bake 60-70 minutes, or 25 to 30 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Slice and serve plain, buttered, or with cream cheese.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

This pumpkin recipe was submitted by Stacy F. for our Enrichment recipe exchange.

1 yellow cake mix-reserve 1 cup
1/2 cup melted margarine/butter
1 egg

Mix together and spread into a greased 9x13 pan.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cup pumpkin pie filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1 2/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix together and pour over cake mixture.

1 cup cake mix (reserved from above)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened butter

Drop teaspoon size onto pumpkin mixture.

Bake 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Roll

Another recipe from Enrichment. This one was submitted by Marie W.

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Filling:
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
4 oz cool whip

Beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar, pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold in dry ingredients. Line a 9x13 inch pan with wax paper and spray with Pam. Pour pumpkin mix into pan. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Turn out onto kitchen towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together. Cool; unroll and fill with cream cheese filling. We like it almost frozen.

Pumpkin Cookies

Our Enrichment had a recipe exchage this week centered around pumpkin recipes. I figured I would post the recipes I got here to share with one and all. This one was submitted by Suzanne M.

3/4 cup sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1/2 cupe coconut oil
1 TB orange peel
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375. Mix sugar, pumpkin, coconut oil and orange peel. Stir in flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove, cool and add frosting.

Frosting:
2 TB soft butter
2 cups powdered sugar (approx)
buttermilk or milk for consistency
1 tsp vanilla

Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Curry

For being so easy, this recipe is surprisingly good. It makes for a great lunch the next day too.

1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon ginger
Diced tomatoes (1 if fresh, or a can)
Garlic
Curry powder or paste
2-3 Tbs. oil
water

Saute onions in oil 2-3 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, and garlic (I didn't include quantities on curry and garlic, it really depends on how strong you like the flavors -- so experiment with different quantities). Add chickpeas, a bit of salt, and water (about a tablespoon). Cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cook about 5 minutes, adding water as necessary.
Serve with rice, pita, or whatever you like with curry.

Spaghetti Squash With Vegetables & Mozzarella

I bought a spaghetti squash at a garge sale (of all places) last week and we had this recipe for dinner this week. It's really yummy and rather filling on it's own.

1 spaghetti squash
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 T olive oil
1 large can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
3-5 cloves garlic
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
1 C grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 6-8
Cook spaghetti squash by your favorite method and remove flesh. I cut mine up and put it in a 9X9 pan in the microwave, covered with a little water in the pan for 5 minutes. It took three batches to cook the entire squash. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Heat olive oil in a skillet and add the onion, pepper and garlic. Sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Mix squash well with the cooked vegetables and put half in the bottom of a large (13 x 9 inch) baking dish. Top with half the cheeses, followed by the other half of the squash mixture, then the rest of the cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Seed of Knowledge. There are also some other recipes for spaghetti squash.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

This is an old and easy favorite:
1 slab of beef brisket -- at least 4 lbs
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce -- I use Safeway brand hickory barbecue sauce

Put the brisket fat side down in your slow-cooker (Crock-pot). Pour the BBQ sauce over it. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Then take out the brisket and shred it (using two forks, pull the meat apart in opposite directions until it looks, well, shredded).
Put the meat back in the pot with the leftover BBQ sauce and stir.

Toast or warm your favorite bun. My favorite is Kaiser rolls, but hamburger buns work well too.
Put the meat on the bun, and enjoy a taste of BBQ heaven.

Good with fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, etc.

Special Ingredient: Sriracha Chili Sauce

Josh and I have come across this sauce at a number of restaurants and Josh became keenly interested in it after he found out they used it in a volcano blue cheese burger he ate in Boulder, Utah. We bought a bottle of it at our local grocer and I have started slipping it into various recipes to give them an extra kick and depth of flavor. Watch out though, a little goes a LONG way. Josh puts it on his burgers and hot dogs (he can handle more spice than I can). I used it this week in my spicy meatballs to bring up the flavor and also in Misty's homemade tomato soup. I can't wait to try it in Chili.

Monkey Bread

Last night we had our "Ball" dinner and for dessert I decided to make these to carry on the ball theme. I've made them before but never in a muffin pan. The muffin size is perfect for the kids and portion sizing. The recipe was adapted from one on The Pickey Palate. I used my french bread recipe and used half for a loaf of bread and the other half for the monkey bread. I am sure you could use your favorite bread recipe or any Pillsbury dough.

Bread Dough
6 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cinnamon
½ Cup butter, (1 stick)
½ Cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With kitchen scissors, cut dough ½ inch little cubes/balls. Combine sugar and cinnamon into a large bowl. Gently toss all pieces of dough into sugar mixture.
2. Spray a 12 count traditional muffin pan with non stick cooking spray. Divide bread pieces into the 12 muffin cups with or without paper liners. Set aside.
3. Place butter and brown sugar into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and bubbly. Pour evenly over each muffin cup. Place muffin pan on foil lined cookie sheet (mine bubbled over a bit in the oven).
4. Bake for 18-20 minute or until bread is cooked through. Remove from oven and let sit in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

I got the idea for this pizza from a restaurant Josh and I went to in Escalante, Utah in July. I pulled it together at home and loved it! It's a great twist on a traditional favorite.




Pizza Crust or other crust recipe

Pesto sauce in place of tomato pizza sauce
*I used a basil pesto but you could probably use any other kind of pesto. Store bought or homemade work great

Mozzarella Cheese
Cooked, Cubed Chicken
Tomato slices
Red Onion, thinly sliced
Mushrooms, sliced

Make and roll our pizza crust according to directions. Spread a liberal amount of pesto sauce on the dough (when I made it we thought I should have used more pesto sauce). Sprinkle on the cheese and toppings. Bake as directed.

Overnight Refrigerator Pickles

I got this recipe from our CSA discussion board. We got seven cucumbers last week and there was no way we could eat all of them and since we also got a ton of dill over the last few weeks from them pickles seemed like a natural choice. I ended up using a mix of apple cider, white, and balsamic vinegars because I didn't have enough of any one kind. I also substituted ground mustard and ground pepper for the seeds and fresh dill for the dill seeds. They turned out a lot like bread and butter pickles if you've ever had those. They were great on a ham and cheese sandwich.

Slightly Sweet Dill Refrigerator Pickles

1 small sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui), thinly sliced
2 pounds medium pickling cucumbers, scrubbed, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1 large bunch dill, coarsely chopped (stems included)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 teaspoons dill seeds

Divide sliced onion between two 1-quart wide-mouth glass jars. Pack cucumber slices horizontally in jars. Top each jar with dill.

Using mortar and pestle or resealable plastic bag and mallet, crush mustard seeds and peppercorns together. Place crushed spices in medium saucepan. Add vinegar, 1 cup water, sugar, coarse salt, and dill seeds. Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Ladle mixture evenly over cucumbers. Leave jars uncovered and chill 24 hours. Cover glass pickle jars tightly with lids. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Primavera Pizza

This is very simple, but oh so good. It is very colorful with the spinach and red pepper.

pizza dough to make 2 pizzas
olive oil cooking spray
grated parmesan cheese
garlic
ranch dressing
cooked chicken breast strips, chopped
chopped red bell pepper
chopped red onion
1 cup torn baby spinach
shredded italian blend cheese
italian seasoning

On 2 sprayed cookie sheets, spread dough and then lightly spray dough. spread/divide parmesan and garlic over each crust. Bake 10 min at 400. Spread ranch dressing on each crust. layer chicken, bell pepper, onion, spinach, cheese and italian seasoning. Bake 8 more min.

Taco Salad

We had this for dinner last night and I was reminded how much I like this simple dinner.

1 lb ground beef
1 can black beans
1 can kidney (or pinto) beans
1 can corn
Liberal amount of Taco Seasoning

Brown the beef until fully cooked (I then rinse the meat under running water leaving a little water in the pan), then add the rinsed beans, drained corn and taco seasoning. Allow to simmer until heated through and slightly thickened.

Serve with the following (toppings optional depending on your own taste and what you have on hand):

Crushed tortilla chips
Lettuce
Shredded Cheese
Tomatoes
Green onions
Olives
Cilantro
Avocado or Guacamole
Sour cream
Ranch dressing
Salsa
etc.

I usually layer tortilla chips on the bottom with meat/beans then cheese then lettuce on top with the other various toppings after that. But really it doesn't matter what order you do it in because the best way to eat it is all mixed up.

Tiny Carrots with Dill Butter

This is found in the Better Homes and Gardens cook book (my staple). Anyway, my family loves these. They are a great side dish for just about anything. Enjoy.

1 16oz package tiny whole carrots (3 1/2 cups)
2 Tbs butter or margarine (or olive oil if you prefer)
1 Tbs fresh snipped dill or 1/2 tsp dried
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook carrots, covered, in a small amount of boiling water until crisp tender (usually 15 minutes or so at high altitude). Drain. Stir butter/margarine/oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into carrots; toss lightly to coat. Makes 4 servings.

Ho Ho Trains

Fun for kids to put together.

For each train:
Chocolate frosting, architectural icing, or almond bark
1 Ho Ho (or Twinkie)
4 round peppermints or butter scotch candies
2 mini Recess Peanut Butter Cups
Twizzlers pull n peals (optional)

On paper plates or other portable surface, place the twizzlers strands like a train track (optional). Next, place the Ho Ho on the "tracks". Add the peppermints as wheels (two on either side) using icing or chocolate as glue. Cut one of the peanut butter cups in half. (eat the other half or use it for another train). Attach the half, larger side down, at the front of the "train" to create the "grill". Attach the other peanut butter cup to the top, front of the "train", small end down, to create the "smoke stack".

Other ideas:

Make box cars with Twinkies and Ho Hos using the same method but omitting the peanut butter cups.

Cilantro Pesto

Another cilantro-intense recipe. Yummy, Yummy! Sorry, we've been watching a lot of Wiggles lately. Another allrecipes. View the original here.

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package farfalle pasta
1 bunch fresh cilantro
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
salt to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

Cilantro Lime dressing

We got a TON of cilantro and a TON of lettuce in our CSA box this week. Salad seemed like a natural choice at that point and this dressing was delicious! I found it on allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Place the jalapeno pepper, garlic clove, and ginger into a food processor or blender; pulse until the jalapeno and garlic are finely chopped. Pour in the lime juice, honey, balsamic vinegar, and salt, add the cilantro leaves; pulse a few times to blend. Turn the food processor or blender on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until incorporated into the dressing. Season to taste with salt before serving.

Chocolate Cherry Mice

A cute little treat whenever you're in the mood.

For each mouse:

Almond bark (chocolate coating)
1 Chocolate Hershey Kiss
2 chocolate chip morsels
1 drained maraschino cherry with stem

Melt almond bark in microwave on high until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.

Dip cherry in chocolate by stem and coat evenly. Place on aluminum foil or wax paper to cool.

Dip one more time. Before it cools, press Hershey kiss into side of cherry point side out and place chocolate chips as ears, point side toward cherry. Let cool completely.

Eat and enjoy. Store at room temp in air tight container.

Fresh Tomato Soup

Here is one of our favorites, and it is so much better then the canned stuff.  Best part is that it really doesn't take much effort.  We like it best with grilled cheese sandwiches.

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and quartered or 2-14 oz cans tomatoes

3 cups water 

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

6 oz can tomato paste

4 Tbs snipped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried

4 tsp instant chicken bullion granules

4 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp sugar

1. If desired, seed fresh tomatoes.  In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes.  Cool slightly.

2. In a blender, blend half of the mixture until smooth.  Repeat with the rest.

Makes about 8 cups

Guacamole Potato Salad

I found this recipe on familyfun.com and tried it last night. I really liked it and it was very easy to do. Next time I make it I will probably tone down the citris juice (I subsituted lemon juice for the lime).

3 pounds red potatos
2 Tbs plus 1-1 1/2 tsp salt
1 ripe avocado, peeled
2 tsp grated lime zest
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 celery stalks, sliced

Cook potatoes in water seasoned with 2 Tbs salt until fork tender. About 20 mins. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, puree avocado, lime zest and juice, garlic, cilantro, mayonnaise, and remaining salt in a food processer until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add a Tbs or so of hot water.

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks leaving the skins on and place then in a large bowl with the celery. Gently stir in the avocado dressing. Serve immediately, or cover and chill.

Sushi Rolls

You can add whatever fillings you want to these rolls, but I'll given you some of my favorites and some other suggestions.

Possible Fillings: (use one to four)

* Sliced egg omelets (4 eggs, 2 tsp. sugar, dash salt, vegetable oil)
* Dried Shitake Mushrooms (12 mushrooms, 1 cup chicken broth, 4 tbs sugar, 2 Tbs soy sauce)
* Canned Salmon, drained and flaked
* Ripe avocado cut into thin strips
* Parboiled snow peas cut into thin strips
* Crab meat
* Strips of proiscuto cheese
* Bell pepper strips
* Cooked asparagus tips
* Whole green beans, blanched

Sushi Rice:

4 cups rice (long grain white or Cal rosé)
4 cups water
Vinegar Mixture:
1/2 cup vinegar
5 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt

5-6 sheet nori (seaweed)

Prepare one to four items for filling. (Our favorite combination is the egg, mushroom, salmon, and avocado.)

For Sliced Egg Omelet:
Break eggs into a bowl, and stir. Add seasonings and strain through a sieve. (This makes the texture more smooth and uniform). Heat an oiled frying pan and pour about 1/4 cup egg mixture, spreading to cover the entire bottom of the pan. When egg is almost cooked (it starts to loose its shine) roll up from one end. Remove from pan and cool. Repeat with remaining egg. Slice length wise.

For Shitake Mushrooms:
Rinse and soak in water. Cut off hard tips. Cook in chicken broth and sugar, skimming the scum, for 4-5 minutes. Add soy sauce and simmer over medium heat until liquid is gone (a bit syrupy in the bottom). Cool on a plate or cutting board. Discard stems and cut into thin slices.


For Rice:
Wash the rice before cooking. Add water and let it stand for 1 hour (a good time to prepare the fillings). Make vinegar mixture (put everything into a small bowl and stir) and set aside. Bring water to a boil and cook according to the directions on the rice package. After it's done cooking, leave it to steam for 7-8 minutes.

Transfer rice to a large, deep baking pan. Pour the vinegar mixture over the rice and stir with vertical cutting movements, cooling as much as possible while doing this. Let sit until it reaches skin temperature.

Lay a bamboo mat down and place a sheet of nori, shinny side down, on it. Spread 1/5 to 1/6 of the rice on the nori leaving about 3/4 inch at the far edge. Lay the fillings in long horizontal strips across the rice. Using the bamboo mat, bring the bottom edge of the nori to the top and join together. Using bamboo mat, press to shape, rolling to tighten. Cut into eight equal slices (a sharp knife and water for rinsing are useful). Repeat until done.

Lime Juicer

If you are going to be squeezing limes, especially key limes, you will want one of these. You simple cut the fruit in half, put it in the cup and squeeze. The press inverts the peel and squeezes out all of the juice. It takes little effert and is SO much faster.

Key Lime Pound Cake

Elijah has been begging to make a lime cake ever since I picked up some limes at the store. We looked on Allrecipes.com and found this recipe. The cake turned out SO yummy! It is dense and moist and melts in your mouth. It wasn't until after I raved about it that Josh told me it had a TON of butter and shortening. Thus making this a rare occasion cake, but a very yummy one!

1 cup butter
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup key lime juice

Preheat oven to 325, grease and flour bundt cake pan.

In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending each one thoroughly. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the batter alternating with the milk, vanilla, and lime juice. Pour into prepared pan and smoothe the top.

Bake until a knife inserted into the crown comes out clean. Original recipe says 90 mins. We cooked ours for a little over 60 mins. I would check it after an hour, depending on your oven.

Poke holes in the warm cake and top with a glaze made with 3 Tbs key lime juice, about 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and a little water (I just mix it until I get a consistency I like. I would not use more lime juice but adjust sugar and water amounts)

Meatball Stew

This stew is one of our favorites, and it’s really colorful. If you don’t feel like making the meatballs, you can also use store bought ones. Just heat them up according to the package directions and add to the stew at the end.

Oven 350F      Prep 10 min.    Bake 20 min.    Cook 20 min.

8oz. Lean hamburger
1 slice bread, crumbled
1 egg while
1 Tbs. Dry minced onions
¼ tsp. garlic powder

3 ½ C. water
1 can Garbanzo beans/chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 can Italian style stewed tomatoes
1 4oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. beef bullion
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ cup bowtie or other small pasta
5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1. Heat oven to 350F. Mix hamburger, bread, egg white, onions, and garlic powder together in a bowl. Shape into ¾ inch balls, place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat water, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, bullion and Italian seasoning on stove to boiling. Add pasta and cook until tender but still firm. Add spinach and meatballs. Heat through. Makes about six cups (4 main dish servings).

Freezing Avacados

Avocados can be frozen for later use when you have more ripe fruit than you can use. Avocados are not satisfactorily frozen whole or sliced; they are best frozen as puree for use in salads, sandwiches, and dips.

Avacados
Ascorbic acid
or lemon juice

Select ripe, softened fruit that yield to gentle pressure. Avoid fruit with dark blemishes on the skin. Wash the fruit, then cut in half, remove the pit and peel. Puree the flesh and add ascorbic acid or lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid or 3 tablespoons lemon juice to each quart of puree or add one tablespoon lemon juice for each 2 pureed avocados. Pack the puree into a rigid container, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Seal and label the containers, then put them in the freezer.

I freeze mine in ice cube trays, that way I am not forced to use up more than I need at any given time.

Use the puree within 4 to 5 months

Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

Can be used in Hummus, on sandwiches, or whatever.  Has a bit of a kick to it.

5 cups   Sesame seeds

1 1/2 c. Olive oil

-OR-

2 1/2 c.  Sesame seeds

3/4 c.     Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F.  Toast sesame seeds 5-10 minutes, shaking seeds frequently with a spatula.  Do not brown.  Cool 20 min.

Pour into a food processor or blender and add oil.  Blend for 2 minutes, until thick but pourable.  Add more oil if needed.

Gyoza (Chinese Dumplings)

I've made these a number of times, and they’re always a hit. They're really fun for parties. Just make the meat mixture before hand and have everyone help make the dumplings (the most time consuming part). Cook them up in minutes, and you have yummy, impressive appetizers. For the sauce, you can also just do half and half rice vinegar and soy sauce.

Prep 50 min.     Cook 5 min per batch

Sauce:
1/2 C. soy sauce
1-2 Tbs water
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. rice or white vinegar
1 green onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Filling:
1 C. minced cabbage
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground pork or beef
3 Tbs. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced gingerroot
2 green onions, minced
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar


1 (10 oz) package gyoza skins (the round ones found by the egg roll skins in the produce section)
Water
4 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 C. water

For sauce, in a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

For filling, mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

Place 1 rounded tsp. filling (a bit larger then a marble) in the center of each gyoza skin. Paint the edge with water. Fold the skins over forming a semi-circle. Press tightly to seal and pleat edges if desired. Place on a tray, pressing bottoms to flatten slightly. Cover dumplings loosely with plastic wrap.

In a large non-stick skillet with lid, heat 2 Tbs oil over medium-high heat (medium for high altitude). Fry half of the dumplings until the bottoms are browned. Cover with lid, leaving a crack open. Carefully pour 1/4 cup water in the crack and close lid. Steam 2-3 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Remove cover and cook until the liquid evaporates. Fry a few seconds longer to crisp the bottoms. Place dumplings on a serving platter. Repeat process to make remaining dumplings.

Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Upside-Down Chocolate Chip Coconut Cake

This cake never comes out as pretty as the picture in the cookbook, but it always tastes pretty good!

3 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp water
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the 3 tbs butter in a 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pan. Stir in the 1/2 cup brown sugar and the water. Sprinkle coconut and pecans into pan. Set pan aside.
In a med mixing bowl, stir together flour, gran sugar, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and baking powder. Ad milk, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on med speed for 1 minutes. By hand stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chipos. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake feels firm when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen side; invert onto a serving plate. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate pieces; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
½ t. grated orange peel
½ t. vanilla
2 eggs
¾ c. chopped cranberries, divided
1 read-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-in)
Mix cream cheese, sugar, peel and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Stir in ½ c. of the cranberries.
Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ c. cranberries.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cranberries, mint leaves and orange peel.

Baklava

Warning: Jon is the one that makes this recipe for us, so I'll copy it down, but I don't have details on how to make it work! You'll have to call him up if you need more help.

2 lbs. phyllo dough
6 cups walnuts, chopped
2 cups rendered butter (see recipe below)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup confectioner's suggar
2 cups Attar (recipe below)

Mix nuts, sugar, spices, and 1 Tbs. butter.
Grease 12x17 baking sheet with butter. Place two layers of baklava phyllo on the baking sheet, brushing lightly with butter. Continue this process until 1/2 lb. of dough has been layered. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the dough. Lay the rest of the dough, following the same procedure. Do not grease the last layer. With a sharp knife cut into diamond shapes. Heat the rest of the butter (about 1 cup) and poru on the tray.
Preheat oven to 400. Place the tray in oven, then reduce to 275. Bake from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool for 10 min. Pour cold syrup (attar) evenly over the surface.

Rendered Butter
(another warning: this makes way more than you will need for one batch of baklava, I know Jon shrinks the recipe down accordingly)
5 lbs. Sweet butter
1/2 cup flour
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour. Cook on low heat until foam disappears from the top. When clear, remove from heat and cool. Pour the pure butter into jars. Be careful not to pour the salty residue.
Note: Rendered butter is used in Arabic pastries. Stored in jars it will keep for many months without being refrigerated.

Attar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbs. Lemon juice
Mix sugar and water and bring to boil. Add lemon juice and boil for 7 more minutes. Cool. Makes 2 cups Attar.

Lemon Coconut Squares

This has become one of my favorites. These lemon bars come out less lemony, and the coconut adds a nice sweet crunch on top.

1 1/3 c. crushed Nilla wafers
1 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon
2 eggs
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar, butter and lemon (I sometimes switch this out for a dash of almond extract). Press into 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 8 min.
Beat eggs, remaining sugar, until thickened and well blended. Add lemon juice, flour, baking powder, salf. Mix well. Pour over crust, sprinkle with coconut.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Hummus without Tahini

This is a Middle Eastern dip that can be served with crackers, pita bread, beagle chips, fresh vegetables, or whatever else you like. This hummus is more mild then most. My kids don't like the strong taste of tahini (sesame paste), but they love this version.  You can also try using other varieties of beans such as great northern or black beans.

1 can Garbanzo beans/chick peas, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups soft cooked beans)

1/4 C. Olive oil

1 Tbs. Lemon juice

1 tsp. Cumin (ground)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. If needed, thin with 1 Tbs. water or olive oil until desired consistency is reached.

Black Bean Burgers

This is one of our favorite finds in our vegetarian cookbook! They're not exactly hamburgers, but they make a pretty decent hamburger-like sandwich. (I usually buy dry beans and cook them myself, and then add spices.)

1 can black beans with cumin and chili spices, undrained
1 can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Place beans in food processor or blender. Cover and process until slightly mashed; remove from food processor. Mix beans, chilies, bread crumbs and egg. Shape mixture into 5 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each patty with cornmeal.
2. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook patties in oil 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and thorougly cooked on both sides.
3. Serve on hamburger buns with toppings of your choice!

Cran-Crazy Cookies

This recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens. They are so yummy! I feel less guilty eating these cookies knowing they have whole wheat flour in them.


Ingredients:

¾ cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon or orange peel
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans*
1 ½ cups dried cranberries (Craisins)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, lemon peel, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sid of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour. Stir in pecans and cranberries.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until edges are lightly brown. Cool on cookie sheet on wire racks for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

*To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350º oven for 5 to 10 minutes our until nuts are slightly golden brown. Stirring once or twice. Cool completely. Chop nuts and set aside.

Recipe Requests

I have a few recipe requests. I would love it if you would post them here.

Ruth:

• wild rice soup (submitted below-Thanks!)
• bread recipe (submitted below)
• mushroom, tomato, chicken, spinach dinner

Cami:

• baklava
• black bean burgers
• cranberry orange cheesecake
• favorite vegitarian

Anyone else that has requests either comment here or create another post.

Basic Bread

This bread seems to be fool-proof, turning out nice loaves that are hard to resist right out of the oven and slice well for sandwiches. It makes the most amazing french toast!

Basic Bread

6 cups HOT water
2/3 cup oil (olive oil or canola)
2/3 cup honey (sugar is fine)
1 to 2 tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten (Found near flour in grocery store. Wheats have different protein content and this ingred helps your bread to rise uniformly)
1/2 cup powdered milk (optional)
6 cups whole wheat flour
2 T. yeast
2 T. salt
10 cups flour (Whole wheat, or mix with white flour to your family's taste)
butter

Mix hot water, oil, honey, Vital Wheat Gluten, powdered milk, and first 6 cups of flour. At this point the batter should be lukewarm so it doen't kill the yeast. Add yeast.

Gently mix to blend and then let it sit to sponge about 10 min. Add salt.

While stirring gradually add additional flour until the dough begins to "clean" the bowl. If the sough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, continue to add flour. Your can test for enough flour by gently touching dough with your finger. If cough sticks to your finger, add flour and keep kneading. When dought barely does not stick to finger, stop adding flour.

Knead on low speed for 8 min. Turn dough onto oiled surface (do not use flour). Turn dough a couple of times to coat with oil. Cut dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a loaf and place in a sprayed bread pan. Cover and let dough rise 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours. A great place for bread to rise is under the lights on your range.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake loaves for 26 to 28 min. Remove from oven and brush tops with butter. Let loaves sit 5 to 10 min. before removing from pans. Cool on a wire rack.
(Recipe from "The Essential Food Storage Cookbook")

Wild Rice Soup

Here are two recipes for Wild Rice Soup. The first one is fast and easy to prepare. The second one takes a little more preparation

Wild Rice Soup #1

6 oz box long grain wild rice mix
2 T. butter
1 small chopped onion
1/2 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups milk
2 cans potato soup
1 lb. Velveeta soup

optional: cooked crumbled bacon, or chopped ham, or cooked crumbled sausage (I use low fat)

Prepare rice as pkg directs. In soup pot, saute onion and mushrooms. Add milk and potato soup. Heat to med. stirring. When mixture is hot, add cheese in chunks. When creamy, add cooked rice and meat or garnish with crumbled bacon.



Wild Rice Soup # 2
1/2 cup raw wild rice, rinsed and soaked according to directions
2 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1 onion chopped
3 carrots chopped
1/2 cup celery
chopped ham or sausage or bacon
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup flour
3 cans chicken broth
1 t. snipped chives
1 cup half and half (I use fat free)

Bring rice and water to boil in a med saucepan. Boil 45 min. Set aside. Melt butter in large pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, cooked meat, and mushrooms. Saute until vegies are tender. Add flour and stir until liquid has evaporated. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to blend thoroughly. Add wild rice and chives. Slowly add half and half. Heat through carefully and serve

Food Storage Frosties (Also known as Magic Chocolate Milkshakes)

I know you all having been really pondering about how to turn your food storage items into frozen desserts (what, you haven't? That's what I spend all MY time trying to figure out!), so I knew you would be overjoyed when I came across this recipe on www.mormonmommywars.com. *drumroll* Here it is, the best frozen dessert you can make out of your food storage :)

Food Storage-Magic Milk Shakes
By Tracy M from Mormon Mommy Wars

Ok, here it is. If you follow these directions, I kid you not, you will end up with a chocolate milkshake so much like a Wendy’s frosty you will be amazed. I beleive the original credit for the recipe goes to the Prairie Homemaker website, but I’m not 100% on that one.

1 1/2 - 2 cups ICE water- really, really cold.
1 1/2 cups non-fat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2-3 cups ice cubes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (yes, really- it’s an emulsifier)
Place ALL the ingredients in the blender, including the oil. Use less water for a thicker milkshake or more for a shake that’s easier on your blender motor. With lid on, process for two minutes. Makes about 4 shakes.

Spicy Coconut Shrimp with Mango Basil Salsa

I love fresh basil in dishes and this one is full of it! The salsa is a must, bringing in a sweetness that is very good with the spicy shrimp. Overall, it's a fairly simple dish that cooks up fast but it takes a lot of prep work.


Salsa:
1 mango, peeled and finely diced
3 scallions, sliced
5 basil leaves, julienned 1 lime, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shrimp:
2 fresh jalapenos, sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2--inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 lime, zested
1/4 cup coconut milk
Small handful basil leaves, torn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 grinds pepper
1 pound peeled, deveined shrimp
Cooked rice

For the salsa: Combine all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Make up to a day in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

For the shrimp: In a mixing bowl, combine jalapenos, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime zest, coconut milk, basil, vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours, refrigerated.

Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. Use tongs or a fork to remove the shrimp from the marinade and place in an even layer in the pan, reserving the marinade.

Cook the shrimp until well browned on each side, turning once, about 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer cooked shrimp to a serving plate.

Add remaining marinade to hot skillet and cook until thickened. Pour over shrimp.

Serve salsa and shrimp together with warm rice.

When I'm feeling ambitious I make coconut lime rice. You just replace about half of the water with coconut milk (I usually end up adding a little more water too). Cook the rice as normal until tender. Then stir in fresh lime zest and serve.

No Fail French Bread

2 TBS yeast
5 TBS oil
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBS salt
2 TBS sugar
6 cups white flour

Mix all ingred. together and knead in machine 5-10 min. Let rise until double in bowl. Punch down.

Divide and form into 2 french loaves on cookie sheet or baking stone. Gash top of loaves 3 imes with a serrated knife. Brush with beated egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Let rise until double (about 30 min.) Bake for 20-30 min. at 400 degrees. (Shorter for a soft crust, longer for a thick and chewy crust.)

Pulla

This is a Finnish sweet bread.

2 cups milk
2 eggs
½-¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cardamon
2 Tablespoons yeast
6¼cup flour
2 cup margarine

1 egg (beaten)
course decorative sugar
sliced almonds

Heat milk to 110º. Add yeast. Mix in eggs and sugar. Add flour, salt and cardamon. Knead for a few minutes. Add softened margarine and Knead for a few more minutes. Let rise for 2 hour.
Form dough into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball), dip in beaten eggs, then sugar then almonds. Place on cookie sheet. Let rise again until double (about 2 hour) Bake at 390º for about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Spinach Salad

2 bunches of spinach (torn into bite size pieces)
1 head of lettuce (torn into bite size pieces)
1 purple onion (sliced)
3/4 lb. fresh mushrooms (sliced)
3/4 lb. Swiss cheese (grated)
1 C drained cottage cheese
1/2 C crumbled bacon
sugared almonds (see recipe)
mandarin oranges
crasins
sliced strawberries

Toss all ingredients together (except onions). Use sliced onions as a garnish. Top with following dressing.

DRESSING

3/4 tsp poppy seeds
3/4 C oil
3/4 tsp grated onion
1/3 tsp mustard
1/2 C white vinegar
1/3 C sugar
3/4 tsp salt

Buzz in blender. Pour on salad right before serving

Pie Crust

This is my mother-in-law's pie crust and Josh uses it for all his pies. It's super simple and oh so yummy.

2 cups flour
1 ½ t. salt
⅔ cup shortening
7 T. cold water

Mix flour and salt. Using a pastry blender (or two butter knives), cut shortening in to flour until the lumps are about the size of peas. With a fork, gently mix water in until dough forms a ball. Divide dough into two balls. Roll to ⅛” thick, place in pie pan. (we've found if you roll it on a sideless cookie sheet it inverts easily into the pie pan)

For cream pies, flute edges, prick with fork and bake at 400º for 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown.

For fruit pies, cut steam vent in top crust. Moisten top edge of bottom crust with water before placing top crust on pie. Trim crust around pan and flute edges.

Makes crust for 2 single crust pies or one single crust pie.

Pecan Cheese Cake Pie

The marriage of two worlds: cheesecake and pie. What could be better?

Blend in blender until smooth:
1 8 oz. cream cheese
⅓C sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
¼ t salt

Spread over unbaked pie shell.
Sprinkle with ½C chopped pecans (or walnuts).

Blend in blender:
3 eggs
¼C sugar
1 C dark Corn syrup or maple syrup or combination ( I use any brand maple syrup)
1 t vanilla

Carefully pour over nuts. Decorate with pecan or walnut halves.
Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Lemon Ice Cream

2 qts whole milk
4 cups sugar
1 cup FRESH squeezed lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream
1 ½ tsp lemon extract

Combine all ingredients and freeze in an ice cream freezer.

Sugar Roasted Almonds

These are excellent in salads (if they ever make it there)

2½ cups unblanched whole almonds (13 oz)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350º. Toast almonds for 15 minutes on a baking sheet.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water almonds and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar becomes golden and granular and almonds are completely coated and separated. Pour nuts onto cooling rack over a cookie sheet and separate.

Mint Sandwiches

My mother-in-law makes these for most every family party and love them. There isn't anything much better than chocolate and mint!

2 lbs molding chocolate (light or dark or combination)
1 lb. green mint molding chocolate*
aluminum foil
tape

Line a large cookie sheet (with sides) with aluminum foil (dull side up). Roll small pieces of tape to tape aluminum to bottom of pan. Tape sides to edges of pan.

Melt 1 lb of chocolate in microwave 1 minute at a time at 30% power. Stir between each minute. It will probably take 4-5 minutes. Don’t overcook and don’t let it get too warm.
Spread chocolate thinly on pan. It should be just under ⅛” thick. Let cool at room temperature until it just looses its gloss. Don’t let it cool too long. Don’t refrigerate it.

While first layer is cooling, Melt the green molding chocolate. When the first layer is almost dull, carefully drizzle green chocolate over it. Don’t let it clump or it will melt the bottom layer too much. Carefully spread drizzled green over the brown. It should be a little less than ⅛” thick. Let it cool until it looses its gloss.

While second layer is cooling, Melt the rest of the chocolate. When second layer is almost dull, carefully drizzle chocolate over it. Carefully spread drizzled chocolate over the green. It should be a little less than ⅛” thick. Let it cool until it looses its gloss.

Before it hardens completely (when chocolate looses its gloss) cut into squares. When it has hardened completely remove from pan and peel off aluminum foil.


*Green mint can be substituted with other colors and flavors. If you want other colors with mint flavoring, use vanilla flavored molding chocolate (any color) and add a few drops of Peppermint Oil (it must be oil not extract)


You can make different flavors by using vanilla flavored molding chocolate (any color) for middle layer and add different flavors of oil (not extract).

Cranberry Orange Cheese Ball

This cheese ball is sweet and really yummy on the new cinnimon wheat thin crackers.

2 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
3 T. orange juice concentrate
1 t. cinnamon
1 T. sugar
¼ cup chopped craisins
¼ cup chopped pecans


Mix all ingredients together. Roll in chopped pecans.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Quoted from:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/California-Grilled-Veggie-Sandwich/Detail.aspx

Bush's Black Bean Burgers

Cami was telling me about her black bean burgers and said she would post the recipe up here. She didn't and so I was forced to scour the internet for something else. Here's one that I tried and liked. It was a little more pancake-y than I expected but it was good. They actually tasted better the next day. We don't have a grill so I cooked them on my stove.

2 cans (15 ounces each) BUSH'S BEST Black Beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup chunky salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Hamburger buns

Place beans in food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin and garlic salt. Process until well combined. Spoon mixture into 6 balls on a large plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before cooking.

Heat barbecue grill or ridged grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill or pan lightly with oil. Form each ball into a 4-inch patty about ½-inch thick. Place the patties on the grill or in pan and cook until browned and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

Koula's Best Ever Chicken Gyros

Here's another one from allrecipes. It's probably against some cosmic law to make gyros with chicken, but when it's all you got, it's all you got! These were so good, though!

INGREDIENTS
3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste
4 pita breads, cut in half
2 cups mixed salad greens
1 cup plain yogurt

DIRECTIONS
Place the chicken strips side by side in a broiling pan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the ketchup, olive oil, white wine vinegar, oregano, mustard powder and curry powder. Pour over the chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate while you preheat the oven's broiler.
Broil uncovered for 15 minutes with the meat about 6 inches from the heat. Just until the chicken is cooked through, but not browned. If left too long, it will turn stringy and dry.
Place hot chicken into pita pockets and spoon some of the juices from the pan over it. Top with salad greens and plain yogurt.

Black Bean Avocado Salad

I got this one from allrecipes.com. It's easy and nutritious. I think it works great as a vegetarian main dish (just add some rolls or biscuits on the side) or if you want meat, just throw in a handful of diced chicken.And, um, yes, I do like black beans this much. MMMM, fiberific!

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (11 ounce) can Mexicorn, drained
1 1/3 cups chopped peeled avocado
1 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon lime juice

DRESSING:
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat

Cheese Ball

This is another recipe from my mother-in-law. It is surprisingly simple and very very yummy. You can easily make a small ball for yourself to munch on or make it bigger to take to a party.

1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
2 tsp minced garlic (eyeball to taste; I use jarred garlic)
3-4 green onions, diced (I use my kitchen scissors)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans, my mother-in-law uses sliced almonds)

Mix the first three ingredients together well. Form into ball and roll in nuts to cover entire surface of ball. Double or tripple according to the crowd.

Diced red pepper makes a nice addition during the holidays (get it--red and green)

*My measurements on the garlic, green onions, and nuts are guesses. I just eyeball it to get a pretty good amount throughout the ball and to completely cover it with nuts.

Simple Pumpkin Cookies

This recipe is simple and straight out of the pantry-no perisables needed. It's a great treat in a crunch.

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
chocolate chips (optional and amount to preference)

Mix it all together. Scoop by tablespoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake about 12 minutes at 350.

Creamy Cauliflower Salad

3/4 cup mayonnaise dressing
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bacon bits
1 head cauliflower, in pieces
6 cups torn Romaine lettuce leaves

Mix dressings, cheese and sugar in large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly.

Eggplant Parmigiana

I would always see eggplants on sale at the grocery store but wouldn't know what to do with them, until I found this recipe by Mario Batali. It's simple enough but looks rather fancy and tastes yummy. I use one eggplant to feed my family and adjust recipe from there.

1/4 cup olive oil
2 large eggplants-about 1 lb each
salt and pepper
3 cups basic tomato sauce (I use jared pasta sauce)
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves removed and cut
1 pound mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch think slices-you will need 12 slices
1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano
1/4 cup lightly toasted bread crumbs
1 pkg spaghetti noodles

Preheat the oven to 450. Oil a baking sheet with olive oil.

Cut each eggplant into 6 slices. Lightly season each disk with salk and pepper and place on oiled sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until deep brown on top. Transfer to a large plate and let cool. Lower oven temperature to 350.

Arange the 4 largest disks in a 9x13 baking pan, spacing them evenly. Spread 1/4 cup of tomato sauce over each disk, and sprinkle each with a teaspoon of basil. Place one slice of mozzarella over each and sprinkle with 1 ts of parmigiano. Top with 4 more slices of eggplant and repeat layers. Sprinkle with toasted bread crumbs over the top.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and tops are lightly browned. Cook noodles and warm remaining sauce.

Serve eggplant with noodles and sauce.

Funeral Potatoes

I'm not sure why they call this funeral potatoes. My sister prefers to call them "Happy Potatoes". All I know is that they are really yummy!

1 bag frozen shredded hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped onion (fine)
2 cups crushed corn flakes
2 Tbs butter melted

Put hash browns into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Combine soup, sourcream, cheese, 1/2 cup melted butter and onions (you may want to saute the onions to make sure they are tender. it depends on how small of a dice you can get). Gently bend into potatoes. Combine crushed corn flakes and the 2 Tbs of melted butter. Sprinkle on top of potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. makes 12 servings.

Spinach pies

Another arabic bread that my great-aunt makes. I use half a bread dough recipe and use the other half of the dough for sfeeha.

2-10 oz blocks of frozen spinach
1 onion, finely chopped
4-5 Tbs of lemon juice
2 Tbs oil
salt and pepper to taste

Defrost spinach under running water in strainer. Squeeze out excess water with hands. Sprinkle with salt and alow to sit in strainer for 15 minutes.

Mix with all the ingredients.

Pinch off 2 1/2" balls of dough and roll out into 4" squares. Put a heaping tablespon of filling on each circle (kind of in a triangle shape, pointing to one of the corners of the square). Fold up from the bottom of the triangle and bring in the sides to the center. you will have formed a triangle. Press down seams firmly and pinch ends together.

Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 400 until golden brown.

Sfeeha (meat pies) & Laban

This is another arabic dish that my family makes. You can use your favorite bread dough (I used my mother-in-law's roll dough) to make these. I usually make one batch of dough and use it to make both sfeeha and spinich pies. The recipe is adjusted to use half a bread dough recipe for each. These are great dipped in laban-a yogurt spread.

1 lb ground beef (or lamb)
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup lemon juice
salt and pepper and allspice to taste


Brown the pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside.

Saute the onion is butter. Add meat and spices. Saute until tender. Add browned pine nuts and lemon juice. Mix well.

Roll dough into small balls (raquet ball size), flatten into 3 inch circles in greased cookie sheet. Spread meat stuffing evenly on top of circles to within 3/8" from the edge.

Bake at 400 until meat and dough are lightly brown (about 7-8 minutes)


Laban:

Plain yogurt
Cheesecloth

Put your yogurt in the cheesecloth. The yogurt will start to drain off liquid. Allow it to drain over night in the refridgerator. (you will have to figure out a way to hang the cheesecloth over a bowl without touching the liquid) The result is a creamy spread that is yummy on meat pies and pita bread.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

This is a family recipe from my Grandpa, or rather his sister-my great aunt Farida. I just love Arabic food, I guess it's in my blood, and this is one of the recipes that we make a few times a year and it makes me think of grandpa. This year we are doing it for Easter along with some other Arabic dishes.

1 jar grape leaves (found by the pickles in some grocery stores. Safeway carries them)

1 1/2 cups ground meat, raw--traditionally lamb but I use beef
1 c rice (uncooked)
3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cinnimon
2 tbs butter (use if you are using a lean meat)

Mix the above ingredients together well. This is your filling for the grape leaves.

Remove all the grape leaves from jar carefully, unfold, separate, and rinse leaves. Remove stems, place 1 tsp of filling near base of leaf fold in sides and roll up the leaf like a cigar. Should be very tight or it will come unrolled while cooking. Place in a large sauce pan, add 1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce and water to cover the rolled leaves. Sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Cook covered on low for 50 minutes, checking to make sure there is still water and they are not buring on the bottom. Check to make sure the rice is cooked in the leaves. Add a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and heat through. Serve warm or they are good cold too.

Strawberry Shortcake

Growing up my mother often resorted to using the recipe on the back of the bisquick box for strawberry shortcake. Josh is a little more adventuresome (and less kitchen tired) though and prefers my mom's own recipe for shortcake. We look forward to when strawberries are on sale and plentiful so we can make this simple dessert.

2 c flour
3 ts baking powder
3/4 ts salt
3 Tbs sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 egg beaten
1/3 c milk

sliced strawberries mixed with sugar to get them to juice

Mix together until you get a ball of dough. Place ball in greased pie pan and squish it down to fill the pan evenly. You do not need to push it to the sides of the pan. Bake at 450 for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden brown and toothpick comes out clean in center. Cool slightly, cut into wedges. To serve place wedge in bowl, slice it in half lengthwise. I like to butter mine then put strawberries (with the juice) in the middle, place the top back on and top with more strawberries and whip cream. Really yummy served when the shortcake is warm.

Lemon Poppyseed Cake

There are a lot of variations of this cake out there, here's one that I use (or adapt from). I just love the fresh taste of the lemon glaze.

1 yellow or lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1 c water
2 ts vanilla
1/2 c oil
1 T flour
poppyseeds (couple tablespoons, I eyeball it)

Mix it all together and bake in a greased bundt cake pan at 400 degress for 45 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes then transfer to plate. Poke with fork then pour glaze over entire cake.

Glaze:
2 c powdered sugar, sifted
Lemon Juice
milk
Beat these ingredients together until you get a glaze consistency and lemon taste that you like.

M&M Party Cookies

This is another old recipe from my mother. We like to make it with the seasonal M&M's and Elijah loves to help put the M&M's on the cookies.

1 c shortening
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 ts vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour
1 ts baking soda
1 ts salt
1 1/2 c M&M's

Blend together shortening and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Use cookie scoop to put 1-1 1/2 inch balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place M&M's on top of balls, pressing in lightly (alternatively you could mix the candies into the dough). Bake at 375 until just golden and set, 7-10 minutes, do not over bake. Let cool on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack.

Basic Sweet Roll Dough

This is one of those recipes that my mother taught me when I was an early teen. This dough works great for cinnimon rolls as well as orange rolls. I mix it all in my bosch and let it do all the work for me.

2 1/2 cup warm/hot water
2 Tbs yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup dry milk solids
2 ts salt
2 eggs beaten
6-7 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over water, let sit and soften. Add sugar, shortening, milk solids, salt, 4 cups of flour and stir until smooth. Add beaten eggs and 2 cups flour and mix well. Add additional flour until soft dough results. Kneed well, keeping the dough very soft. Let rise until doubled, and roll as desired.

Cinnimon Rolls: roll out the 1/3 off dough in a thin rectangle. I use a butter spread and spread butter all over the rectangle. Sprinkle with a cinnimon/sugar mixture. Roll dough up with cinnimon inside and cut into 1 1/2 inch rings with a thread.

Orange Rolls: Combine 6T butter, 1 cup sugar and grated rind from one orange. Cook on stovetop to spreading consistancy. Roll out dough the same as cinnimon rolls, spread on orange mixture.

Place on greased cookie sheet or muffin pan, let rest in pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes (time could be less).

I use a tub of cream cheese frosting to glaze the rolls while they are still warm.

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves

Like most freezer meals this one can be doubled, tripled, etc. if you have the space. I like this recipe because you can make the loaves into individual servings based on who you are cooking for.

Loaves:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup oats, quick
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, lean

On Hand:
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cup mustard, prepared

Assembly Directions:
In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves. Flash freeze until solid. Divide into airtight plastic freezer containers; date and label with serving directions; then freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Place in a prepared baking dish. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160º.

One recipe makes 8 loaves.

Grilled Turkey Burgers

These are delicious! This recipe can be made ahead, doubled and frozen. Need a quick dinner idea? Defrost in microwave and grill them up.

Patties:
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
4 green onions, diced
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. ground turkey

On Hand:
1/4 cup orange marmalade
10 hamburger buns, split
10 Swiss cheese, slices
10 red onion, slices
10 tomato, slices
1 cup lettuce, shredded

Assembly Directions:
Combine the first seven ingredients. Crumble over ground turkey and mix well. Shape into 1/4 pound patties. Layer the patties onto wax paper. Divide into airtight plastic freezer containers; date and label with serving directions; then freeze.

Serving Directions:
Thaw. Prepare grill. Grill the patties, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes; turn and brush with the marmalade. Grill 8-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
Grill buns cut side down for 2-4 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve burgers on buns with cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce.

One recipe makes 10 burgers.

Lion House Pumpkin Pie

This recipe uses everyday ingredients - cream cheese and heavy cream are not required.

(I use my own pumpkin puree and reduce the water by 1/4 to 1/2 cup depending on how runny my puree is, then I bake it in a whole-wheat shell.)

1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
Pastry for 1-crust pie
Whipped cream, if desired

Place pumpkin in large mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix spices, sugars and cornstarch. Add to pumpkin and mix until blended. Add eggs and evaporated milk and mix until blended. Add water and mix well. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Top with whipped cream. Makes 1 pie.

Easy Tomato Baked Chicken

A quick fix dinner with showy results. This is a Taste of Home Cooking School recipe. I tried this after their presentation in the fall of 2007 and loved it. An easy recipe to adjust for what you have on hand.

(I typically use extra onions, home-canned tomatoes with a fresh tomato chopped and sprinkled on top, a mix of balsamic vinaigrette & favorite Italian spices.)

1 red onion, thinly sliced
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup light balsamic vinaigrette reduced fat dressing
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place onions in bottom of 13x9 baking dish; top with chicken.

Combine tomatoes, dressing and garlic powder; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Creative Leftovers: Store drained liquid from tomatoes in the freezer to use in soups and stews at a later date.

Chandra's Hawaiian Haystacks

This is my best friend's mother's recipe. It's super easy and makes a great use for leftovers and can be quite filling.

2 cups shredded chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
Cooked rice

Toppings: broken almonds, cheddar cheese, chow mein noodles, diced celery, diced tomatoes, pinapple chunks, raisins, shredded coconut, soy sauce, etc.

Mix chicken, soup, broth and water over medium heat.

Pour over individual servings of rice. Top with desired toppings.

Cheesy Chicken Skillet Dinner

This is a really good and REALLY EASY dinner. We used frozen veggies instead of fresh, which made it even easier.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min.
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4–inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch slices (2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch slices (2 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cups shredded sharp reduced-fat cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

Add carrots and zucchini to skillet; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add chicken and soy sauce; toss until chicken and vegetables are coated with soy sauce.

Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Cover skillet until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 servings
Fiber 2g
Fat 16g (Sat 8g)
1 Serving: 285 calories
Sodium 600 mg
Protein 31g

Oatmeal Pancakes with Maple-Cranberry Syrup

We tried these as a more filling (and more healthy) version of regular pancakes. We didn't try the syrup, but it sounds good!

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min.
Maple-Cranberry Syrup (below)
½ cup quick-coooking or old-fashioned oats
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg or ¼ cup egg product

Make Maple-Cranberry Syrup; keep warm. Beat remaining ingredients with hand beater or wire whisk just until smooth. (For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 2 to 4 tablespoons milk.)

Spray griddle or 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat griddle to 375o or heat skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle.

Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with syrup.

Maple-Cranberry Syrup
½ cup maple-flavored syrup
¼ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
Heat ingredients in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberry sauce is melted

Makes 12 servings
Fiber 1g
Fat 7g (Sat 1g)
1 Pancake w/syrup: 170 calories
Sodium 480 mg
Protein 5g

Fajitas

This is a fresh-simple recipe, great for using bell peppers when they are on sale. I have discovered uncooked tortillas (at Costco) that you cook yourself in minutes in a hot skillet. They are warm, soft and melt in your mouth good. They are great for fajitas, tacos, taquitos etc.


2-3 chicken breasts, cubed
2-3 bell peppers (any color), thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced in thin wedges
2 tsp minced garlic
1-2 Tbs taco seasoning
1/4 cup lemon juice


Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in skillet. Cook chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Add peppers, onion, garlic, seasoning and lemon juice. Continue to cook until peppers and onion are tender.


Serve with warm torillas, sourcream, and cheese.