Thursday, December 18, 2008

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.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

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.

Monday, December 8, 2008

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.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

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.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

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.