The Recipe Room

Chocolate Lovers' Mint Brownies

2012-01-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

I begged and begged my neighbor for this recipe. They are the most delicious mint brownies I've ever tasted. I should have taken a picture after I made them, but I took a bunch of them visiting teaching, and when I came home, they were all gone!

Chocolate Brownie:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs (room temperature, if you have time)
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup broken walnuts or pecans (I leave these out, since my husband doesn't like them)

In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in the egg until well blended, then add melted chocolate. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture along with vanilla and nuts. Spread into a greased 9X13 pan and bake at 325 for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool slightly

Mint Frosting:
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
green or red food coloring

Mix ingredients until creamy and spread on brownies. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Glaze topping:
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine butter and chocolate chips in a heavy pan or double boiler. Add vanilla and blend thoroughly. Pour gently over the frosting and spread by tipping the pan before the glaze cools. Refrigerate.

I know, I know, you're thinking, "Of course these are good! They have almost a pound of butter in them." Well yes, they are, and that's what friends and neighbors are for--sharing the calories.

Tortellini with Balsamic Brown Butter

2011-11-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

From www.gimmesomeoven.com (with some notes from me). The original is here. What we really liked about this recipe was that: 1) it's really, really easy; 2) it looks fancy; 3) it's kid friendly so our four year-old ate it.

Ingredients:

• 18 to 20 ounces store-bought tortellini or ravioli, whatever flavor (I used a 25 oz bag, as that is all the store had)

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (I increased to 8 Tbsp because I had a bigger bag of ravioli, but it was way too much. Stick with less.)

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (buy good quality!)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (Too much. I'd use 1/4 tsp, but I don't like things too salty).

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup toasted, chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans or pine nuts)--I used almonds

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Method:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the tortellini and cook according to package instructions (generally about 2-3 minutes until tender, but still firm to the bite), stirring occasionally. Drain the tortellini.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan cook the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the foam subsides, and the butter begins to turn a golden brown (and begins to give off a nutty aroma) turn off the heat and remove from the burner. Let cool for about 1 minute. Then gradually (and very carefully!) stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the ravioli to the pan saucepan with the balsamic brown butter and gently stir until combined. Sprinkle nuts and Parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Quinoa Chili

2011-10-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice vegetarian chili, whether your family goes meatless all the time or just wants to try something new. I stole it from a friend's blog (katewangsgard.blogspot.com) and she has lots of other vegetarian recipes you can check out. You can also check there for a picture :)

2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender

2 t. salt
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t. cumin
1 t. oregano
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. cinnamon
- Add above ingredients; saute for 5-10 minutes

2/3 c. quinoa
- Rinse quinoa and stir in

1 c. frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce
1 c. water
- Add above ingredients; simmer together for 20 minutes

2 cans beans
- Add beans to the pot and simmer another 15 minutes

Can be topped with your typical chili toppings - cheese, corn chips, sour cream, etc. One final note, the quinoa really does need all 35 minutes (at least) to cook fully, so don't skimp on the simmering time. Last time I made this the quinoa was still a little hard, so I would recommend covering the skillet while simmering and adding a little extra water if needed.

Peasant Bread

2011-10-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

I just saw this same recipe posted already! Sorry. But try it, it's delicious!

Chick-Fil-A Sandwich (pretty darn close to the real thing)

2011-07-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Me again. :) Someone asked me to post the Chick-Fil-A recipe I made the other night. You will be shocked at how close this really does taste to the real thing.

ingredients:

3 cups peanut oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
milk (for dipping chicken)
1 cup flour
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved
4 plain hamburger buns
2 tablespoons melted butter
8 dill pickle slices

Directions:

1 Heat the peanut oil in a pressure cooker to about 400°F. (I just fried mine in a saute pan on the stove top)
2 In a small bowl beat the egg and stir in the milk.
3 In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt and pepper.
4 Dip each piece of chicken in milk and roll in flour mixture until completely covered.
5 Drop all 4 in cooker.
6 When steam starts shooting through the pressure release, set timer for 3 minute. (IMPORTANT: DO NOT CLOSE STEAM RELEASE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS!)
9 While chicken is cooking, spread a coating of butter on the face of each bun.
10 When chicken is done, remove it from oil and drain on paper towels.
11 Place two pickles on each bottom bun, then top with chicken and top bun.

And here is a link to the recipe I used.

http://www.food.com/recipe/chick-fil-a-chicken-sandwich-23531

Mango Salsa (or "my summer BBQ stand by side dish"

2011-06-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe for the mango salsa that I brought to the BBQ the other day. It is one of my favorites in the summertime. It comes from a recipe for chicken sandwiches that are also heavenly and I highly recommend. I will post the link to the recipe at the end of the post.

1 Medium tomato, chopped

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped (I leave this out - not a fan of onions)

2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 jalapeno, seeded minced (sometimes I leave this out)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder

1 T fresh lime juice

2 mangoes, diced

**post edit - I also throw in an avocado or two.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-southwest-cilantro-lime-mango-grilled-chicken-sandwiches/detail.aspx

Strawberry Cream Muffins

2011-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ah, spring! One of the best things is when the strawberries are plentiful and affordable in the grocery stores and farmer's markets. This is one treat we make every spring and they are very tasty. I think they're probably more cupcakes than muffins, but we'll keep the muffin title so we can still have them for breakfast!

Strawberry Cream Muffins

▪ 1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped

▪ 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar, divided

▪ 1/4 cup butter, softened

▪ 1 egg

▪ 1/2 tsp almond extract

▪ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

▪ 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

▪ 3 tsp baking powder

▪ 1/2 tsp salt

▪ 1 cup half-n-half cream

▪ 1 cup finely chopped vanilla or white chips

▪ 2 Tbsp brown sugar

In a small bowl, toss strawberries with ¼ cup sugar; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cream. Stir in chips and reserved strawberries.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. Combine brown sugar and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Quick bite: Instead of strawberries, try fresh blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries or cranberries. Dry or cooked breakfast cereals, wheat germ, granola and nuts also make scrumptious additions to many muffins.

Grilled Cheese Margarita

2011-04-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

I came up with this idea when I didn't want to join my kids for some ramen noodles for lunch. It's so simple that I don't know why I've never thought of it before.

2 slice of sandwich bread
2 thin slices of mozarella cheese
1/2 a small tomato
sprinkling of basil leaves
sprinkling of garlic powder
butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Put one slice, butter-side down on a hot griddle. Add one slice of cheese, sliced tomatoes, basil leaves, garlic powder, then the next slice of cheese. Top with the other slice of bread, butter-side up. Toast on each side!

Empanada Gallega

2011-04-17T10:33:00.001-07:00

Jenny asked me to post this recipe. We had these when we were traveling in Northern Spain and so I found a recipe to make them at home.

EMPANADA GALLEGA

YIELD: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Ingredients

Pork:

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Spanish smoked paprika or hot paprika
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips (or you could use ground pork)

Dough:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten (eggs are small here so I have to use two)

Filling:

Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped Spanish serrano ham or prosciutto (about 1 1/2 ounces) –I only use this if I happen to have some in the fridge)
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Dash of crumbled thread saffron
Remaining Ingredient:
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preparation

To prepare the meat, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and add the pork to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.
To prepare the dough, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine the water, the oil, and egg in a medium bowl. Gradually add the oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly until smooth. Divide dough in half. Cover with plastic; let rest about 30 minutes.
To prepare filling, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the pork mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook 5 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 5 minutes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato, ham, wine, and saffron; cook 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Working with 1 portion of dough at a time (cover remaining dough to keep from drying), roll each portion into a 13-inch circle on a floured surface. Place 1 portion of dough on a large baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spoon filling onto dough using a slotted spoon, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place remaining portion of dough over filling. Pinch edges to seal. Cut several slits in top of dough to allow steam to escape. Brush with egg. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown; cool. Cut into wedges.

Source: Cooking Light AUGUST 2001

Tomato Orange Soup

2011-03-06T20:42:00.000-08:00

I realize that soup season is on its way out... but my brother-in-law brought this recipe to dinner tonight, and I am in love. So delicious, I must share!

Enjoy!

TOMATO ORANGE SOUP

1/2 C. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 C. fresh orange juice
1/2 C. heavy cream

In a saucepan, melt butter; add onion and saute until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, baking soda, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Puree in a food processor or blender, strain through a sieve or food mill.

Return to saucepan and stir in orange juice. At this point, the soup can be refrigerated until ready to serve.

At serving time, add the whipping cream and heat gently, stirring constantly, bringing to a simmer and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Mango Sticky Rice

2011-02-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

This is something we have tried several times at our favorite restaurant in Salt Lake--Thai Siam. I found a recipe that's ALMOST as good as theirs.

3 cups sticky rice, prepared (I used Jasmine)

Boil together:

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

a pinch of salt

Pour over the sticky rice.

Add 1-2 Tbsp of coconut oil (optional).

Mix and serve with fresh mangoes.

A few notes:

***Our version is quite a bit more runny than Thai Siam's. Next time I make it, I'll try to reduce the coconut milk and see if it thickens it up a little.

***I accidentally added 1 tsp of salt, because I was trying to make two different recipes at once. It didn't taste too salty, but next time, I think I'll try 1/2 tsp salt.

Heavenly Honey Oatmeal Bread

2011-01-27T02:58:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Rainey. I used half the recipe to make two loaves. I should have made all four loaves because we ate what we had way too fast!

2 cups quick cooking rolled oats

4 cups boiling water

2 packages yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2/3 cup honey

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon salt

11 cups flour

Place oats in a large bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle the yeast over the ½ cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir to mix and let stand 5 minutes to dissolve. (If using quick rise or instant yeast, just stir dry yeast directly into the flour and add the ½ cup warm water to the oat mixture before mixing in the rest of the ingredients.)

Add the honey, butter, salt and yeast to the oats. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Stir in enough of the flour so the dough can be handled. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Knead until dough is elastic but still rather sticky, adding flour as needed. Don’t add too much at a time.

Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease the surface of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour). Punch down dough and turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each piece into a loaf. Place the loaves into greased bread tins. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes or so.

Bake in 350°F oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire rack. Makes four loaves.

Quadruple Cheese Macaroni with Smokey Bacon

2010-12-19T16:15:00.000-08:00

I personally haven't tried this recipe...
but it sounds so yummy good, I'll be trying it real soon!!

1 pound rotini pasta
1 pound Applewood smoked bacon
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 ounces shredded mozzarella
8 slices American cheese slices
3 Tablespoon panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Spray a 3-quart baking dish that can also withstand the broiler with cooking spray. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Cook rotini pasta according to package directions and drain.

Cook bacon until crisp and transfer to a dish with paper towels to absorb the fat. Pour of bacon fat drippings, reserving 2 Tablespoons in the pan. Add 1 Tablespoon butter.

Whisk flour into butter and bacon fat until smooth and cook for one minute to remove flour taste. Whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, garlic power, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering about 2 minutes. Toss together cheddar, Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheese. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in the American cheese and about 1-1/2 cups of the cheeses. Toss the bacon with the remaining shredded cheese.

Combine cooked pasta with the cheese sauce. Pour half of it into the baking dish. Sprinkle with a heavy-hand of the bacon-cheese mixture. Repeat with one more layer. Melt 3 Tablespoons butter and combine with 3 Tablespoons panko breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the top layer.

Bake for 20 minutes and then broil for 3-5 minutes to get the top nice and brown and crunchy.

Easiest Busy-day Soup

2010-12-18T17:50:00.000-08:00

I almost felt like a bad mom when I started making this soup because it was so easy that I thought I was doing something wrong. :) I basically made it up as fast as I could from stuff I had around the house that I was trying to use. I thought I would have to add some sort of seasoning, but after having it simmer for 20 minutes, it was delicious! I thought I'd share with you just because it's SO EASY. Everyone in the family loved eating it with some hearty wheat bread and butter. Simple and yummy!

Busy-day Vegetable Onion Soup

1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
4 cups water
1 can vegetable broth
1 small bunch celery, chopped (I like a lot, but you can do as much as you'd like)
3 large handfuls baby carrots, halved (again, as much as desired)
5-6 red potatoes, quartered (keep the skins on)

Put ingredients in a pot in order listed, and simmer until flavors meld. It really tastes simple and good for as easy as it is. Serve with wheat bread and butter.

Great Harvest Fruit Bars

2010-12-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

I'm posting this recipe that Jenny sent me- looks good!

"Fruit Bars that are pretty darn close to the ones at Great Harvest.

I haven't been able to find a recipe online for the Great Harvest fruit bars! So I have combined a couple of recipes and think these come really close. I wanted to post, because I'll bet there are a lot of other people looking for the recipe!"

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 T milk
about 1 1/2 cups fruit- fresh or frozen (at Great Harvest, they seem to put in whatever is in season- peaches, berries, cherries, rhubarb...)

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add dry ingredients. Once mixed, stir in the milk. Spread into a 9x13 pan that's been lined with parchment. Then sprinkle on the fruit- all one kind, or a mix. Cook at 350 for 30-35 minutes- the center will be a little spongy, but not soupy. And, if you use frozen fruit, it will take a little longer.

Santa Snack Mix

2010-12-09T13:54:00.001-08:00

The little santa hats in this snack mix might be the cutest thing to come out of my kitchen since the dump truck cake. Seriously, when I came across these on the internet, I just knew my Christmas could not be complete until I tried making them! They would make a cute addition to your holiday treats by themselves, if you didn't want to make the rest of the snack mix along with them, (although it's really good!) Such an adorable delicacy deserves to be shared with all the world, so unless you are totally immune to cuteness (Mark) you'll want to make these too! They're a little labor intensive, it's true, but not more than any other candy recipe and there's no thermometer or special, secret boiling point to worry about, so that was a plus for me! Here's the recipe. (and a lot of photos.)

For the hats you will need:

white candy melts

1 tbs. shortening to thin the coating

red candy melts (or add red food color to the white)

bugles

Wilton sugar crystals or white sprinkles

mini marshmallows

wax paper

Melt your red candy melts according to directions. Stir in 1 tbs. shortening. Dump your bag of Bugles in a bowl, and choose ones that are open on the bottom so they will stand up to dry. Dip all but the very tips in red coating, tap of excess on side of bowl, and set on a cookie sheet with wax paper on it to dry.

When they are dry, melt the white candymelts. (You will only need a small bowl of these.) Dip the bottom of the hats to form a white brim, dip in the sugar, and set them back on the cookie sheet to set.

Now you are ready for the tops- with your kitchen shears or a clean pair of scissors, cut about 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows into halves. (Cut them through their middles, not across the flat top). Dip the bare tips of the bugles back into the remelted red coating, and poke a half marshmallow onto the hat, holding on for just a second to let it set.

To assemble the rest of the snack mix in a large bowl stir together about

2 cups Rice Chex cereal

2 cups pretzels

1 cup peanuts

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1 bag Christmas M&M's

Melt 1 bag white chocolate chips, pour over mixture and stir quickly. Chocolate will harden fast, so get everything coated evenly and pour onto another cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Put it back in the bowl when the chocolate is dry, add 1/2 to 2/3 of a bag of red and green M&M's. Add the santa hats. Almost too cute to eat!

And here is a link back to the original recipe.

Mix Em' Up Muffins

2010-11-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

This is a fun recipe to adapt to whatever you happen to have on hand or what sounds yummy. There are several variations of muffins that work, the banana is my favorite.

Banana Muffins:

4 mashed ripe bananas

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. oil

1 egg

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. white flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. B. powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts are nice to add.

Mix the wet ingredients, and the sugar, blend well. Mix remaining dry ingredients. Stir both mixtures together until just combined. Pour into a muffin tin prepared with cooking spray. Bake at 350º for 20 min, or until tops spring back when poked.

Variations:

Pumpkin Spice

Subst. 1 cup pumpkin puree for bananas. Add 1 tsp. cinnamon, and nuts if desired.

Apple Oat

Subst. 1 cup applesauce for bananas. Add 1 diced, peeled apple and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Subst. 1/2 cup of the flour with oatmeal and sprinkle a tsp. of oats on each muffin before baking.

Blueberry Yogurt

Subst. 1 cup vanilla yogurt for bananas. Use all white flour, add 1 cup frozen blueberries to the flour before mixing.

My next experiment is to make a cranberry orange batch of muffins.

Also, you can adjust the wheat flour/white flour ratio to whatever you like. The wheat germ is for added Vitamin E and folic acid.

Tasty Thai Pumpkin Soup

2010-11-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been waaaay to long since I posted a recipe! Finding myself with a little less time these days, but to make up for it here is a really great soup for fall. This soup has unexpected notes of fresh ginger and coconut, and is not spicy, but leaves a gentle tingle on your tongue. It tastes like gourmet, but is really very easy to make. I was surprised how nice the pumpkin went with the Thai flavors, makes me think about using it in a curry... So if you want something a little different try a bowl of pumpkin soup to warm you up this fall.

1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
32 ounces canned pumpkin puree
2 inch piece fresh grated gingerroot
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 13.5 oz can unsweetened coconut milk
1 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Saute onion and celery with olive oil. Add coconut milk, red pepper flakes and grated ginger. Heat, stir in pumpkin and remaining ingredients except for cilantro, simmer for 10 min. Add chopped cilantro,stir to combine. Using and immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Or, blend it in batches in your blender. Serve with crusty bread.

*note: the final step to this soup is the tasting: balance the saltiness with soy sauce, add more or less of the veg. broth, and make adjustments till you are happy with it.(Also, I didn't have the sesame oil and it seemed Ok.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2010-11-06T13:44:00.000-07:00

I have made this recipe twice in the last month. It is so good. I like pumpkin pie, but after making this I think it has been replaced in our house. Those we shared it with loved it and begged for the recipe.

You should really try it this holiday season! Wow your guests at Thanksgiving.

Follow this link to: Allrecipes

"Comfort" Cheese Soup

2010-10-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year that starts calling for comfort food at dinner time. The warm soups. The fresh breads. The classics that have been cooked many times. The recipes that come straight from Mom's kitchen and remind you of when it was served to you!

Thought I'd share my family's cheese soup. The processed cheese and sticks of butter maybe equal the veggies pulled from the garden. Maybe. It's a great standby that screams Fall to me!

INGREDIENTS:
2 C. Carrots, diced small
2 Medium Onions, chopped
1/2 Pkg Frozen Green Peas
3 Sticks of Butter (no substitute)
1 1/2 C. Flour
3 Quarts Boiling Water
2 Tbls Chicken Bouillon
1 Jar (16 oz) Cheese Whiz

Cook Vegetable in salted water, until tender.
Set jar of CheezeWhiz in pan of boiling water to melt, or melt it slowly in the microwave.
Heat butter in large saucepan, stir in lour and cook and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat.
Add half of the boiling water to the roux (flour and butter mixture) and mix until well blended.
Dissolve the bouillon in the remaining water. Add to other water/roux.
Continue cooking until thick.
Add melted cheese and vegetables.
Season to taste.

It's that time of year...

2010-09-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Season!

The Joy of Baking website has a page full of delish-looking pumpkin recipes- I just wish I could try them all, see if there is one there that strikes your fancy...

Crispy Balsamic Baked Chicken Breasts

2010-09-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

I just made this and it was so easy and yummy. It's probably similar to shake-and-bake, but I imagine it's better for you. Plus, we love any and all recipes containing balsamic vinegar.

*1/3 cup breadcrumbs (use Italian flavored or regular and add some Italian seasoning)
*1/2 tsp dry parsley flakes
*1/2 tsp garlic powder
*1/4 tsp garlic salt
*1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
*2 tsp balsamic vinegar
*2 egg whites
*2 boneless chicken breasts

1. Put bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder, garlic salt, and cheese in medium bowl and mix.
2. Whisk together vinegar and egg whites in smaller bowl.
3. Dip chicken in vinegar mixture then dry mixture.
4. Place on Pam-sprayed rack placed on foil-lined cookie sheet (I used my metal cookie rack for this and it worked well).
5. Spray the top of the chicken breasts with cooking spray (I forgot this step and it still worked).
6. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
7. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes, until fork tender and the juices run clear.

Cucumber Salad

2010-09-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

If you planted as many cucumbers as I did, you need to find some creative ways to eat them. (Since I don't like pickles).We had this salad last night- it is very simple and very good, and goes well with fish.

1 medium cucumber

1/4 red bell pepper, diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing

1 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 tsp grated ginger (I just used a little dried ginger).

1/2 tsp. salt

Peel cucumber, slice in half lengthwise and cut out seeds. Make thin slices and place in a salad bowl, along with onions and red bell pepper. Top with dressing and cilantro, toss to coat evenly.

I couldn't really imagine how this would taste before I made it, but there is a nice sweet-spiciness to it, great fresh flavors. I also didn't have any bell peppers but it still turned out fine!

2010-08-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Small-fry Frittatas

Okay, this isn't so much a recipe as it is a great idea I found in an old Family Fun magazine (March 2005) to solve the problem we have in our house of making omelettes for people with differing tastes (yes tomatoes, no peppers....no tomatoes, yes peppers....no tomatoes or peppers, yes ham...etc...).

You bake the eggs in a muffin tin! Pour in the egg mixture, have the mix-ins available and let everyone make one or two of these to their own taste. My Kindergartener swears they taste better than regular omelettes, too.

For 12 frittatas:

8 large eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1 tsp salt

assorted mix-ins (shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, peppers, chives, bacon bits, sausage bits, ham bits....)

Heat the oven to 350 and spray 12 muffin tins. Whisk together the eggs, half and half and salt in a medium bowl, then evenly distribute among the muffin cups. Add about 2 Tablespoons of mix-ins to each cup. Bake until they're puffy and the edges are brown- 20 to 25 minutes. Loosen with a really cool crepe flipper, or with a knife.

Easy Chicken

2010-08-25T12:29:00.001-07:00

Need an idea for chicken?

Take four chicken breasts, and butterfly them. (Or use chicken tenderloins). Cook in a fry pan with a little olive oil, turning them as needed and season with garlic & onion powder, some tumeric and paprika. When the chicken is almost done, top each piece with a heaping spoonful of mango or peach salsa, (your favorite brand). Add some fresh chopped tomatoes if you have them. Top with some grated mozzarella cheese, and place in 500º oven until cheese is melted. Serve on a bed of fresh, steamed spinach. Make sure to drizzle all the sauce from the pan over chicken when you serve it. Yum!

My Favorite Summertime Dessert

2010-08-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Blueberry Buckle

When we lived in Connecticut I used to visit the pick-your-own blueberry farm, and I came home looking for a recipe that would help me use up my buckets of blueberries. Now I make this every summer, even if the blueberries are from Costco. It is kind of like a big, delicious blueberry muffin made into a cake! Very good, and good for you if you consider blueberries are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. (Can't really say the same about the streusel topping, though!)

Why is this dessert called a Buckle? Buckle is a New England dessert developed by colonists which combines fresh seasonal fruit, a rich cake batter, and a streusel topping. The result is a rich, dense cake with a moist crumb which is sometimes compared to coffee cake. While blueberry buckle is a classic version, the dessert can also be made with peaches, nectarines, raspberries, and any mixture of other fresh fruit. So in eating this you are not just taking a bite of a delicious dessert, you are actually taking a big, yummy bite of American history!

Cake:

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 c. milk

3 c. fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

Heat oven to 350º. Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan. (Or, a 9x13 will work as well). In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In large bowl, beat sugar and 1/4 c. butter until light and fluffy. Add egg, beat well. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to sugar mixture, beating well after each addition. Spread 2/3 of batter into greased and floured pan, top with blueberries. Spread remaining batter.

Topping:

1/3 c. flour

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly, add nuts. (Looks like I also added some oatmeal for texture, it's up to you.) Sprinkle over cake batter. Bake at 350º for 55 to 65 minutes or until cake is deep golden brown. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cook's note:

This recipe calls for a tube pan to make a ring-shaped cake that you can turn out of the pan. If you'd rather just use a 9x13 baking dish to serve it out of, that works too. I have also found that this comes out just a little short on the batter- there's never quite enough to divide up so I tend to just make all the measurements "heaping" portions-except for the salt- in the measuring cups- does that make sense? Just to make the batter stretch a little farther.

Now I know that every recipe on the internet promises to be the best thing ever- but in this case it's really true. It's probably second only to fresh peach cobbler in my book!

Katie's Famous Pear Pie

2010-07-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

My mom is famous for her pies, and one of the favorites is this pear pie.

1 9" unbaked pie crust

4-6 fresh pears

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp mace

whipping cream (optional)

Place cored, peeled, lemon-coated pears in pie shell. Be careful not to use too many pears. I used three large pears for the pie pictured. If you use too many pears, the custard filling is too juicy and doesn't set.

Combine butter and sugar. Beat in flour, eggs, vanilla, and salt.

Pour custard filling over pears and sprinkle with mace. (I never use the mace because I never think to buy it.)

Bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (or until it looks right...).

For the record, I don't think the whipping cream is optional. I think you've gotta have a dollop on top of your slice of pie.

Ratatouille

2010-07-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

My friend Sara taught me how to make this delicious vegetable stew. It's perfect to make now with all the fresh vegetables at the market and in your gardens. It tastes even better as a leftover (maybe the flavors settle better?).

-2 onions
-1 big yellow or red bell pepper
-3 small zucchini
-1-2 eggplants
-1 big can diced tomatoes with juice
-1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 tsp. Italian seasoning
-1/2 - 1 Tbsp sugar
-salt and pepper to taste

Dice all veggies to 1" cubes. Set a big pot on the back burner of your stove, set on low. In a frying pan, partially cook each vegetable in olive oil in the order given. As each one is done, put it in the big pot while you partially cook the next vegetable (I chop the next one in line while one is cooking). After adding all the partially-cooked vegetables to the pot, add the tomatoes and juice. Top with garlic and spices. Cover and cook at lease 30 minutes until cooked and tender, stirring occasionally. Can take an hour if the cut of the vegetables is big.

Orange Julius

2010-07-08T18:46:00.000-07:00

I figure everyone has this recipe, but here's a reminder of something that made us feel oh, so cool on a day that was oh, so hot.

6 oz. frozen concentrated orange juice (we used raspberry lemonade--it was all I had and very yummy)

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

mix together in a blender, then add 8-12 ice cubes.

Cool liquidy!

Breakfast Casserole

2010-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

This went way too fast at my sons baby blessing to take a picture so you will have to use your imaginations...

8 frozen hash brown patties
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 C. cubed ham
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
8 eggs
2 C. milk or cream
1/2 tsp salt

Place potato patties in greased 9 x 13 pan, Pour melted butter evenly over the top of the patties and bake at 350 for 20 min. Remove from oven and sprinkle ham and cheese over the top. In large bowl beat eggs. Add milk and salt. Stir. Pour mixture over cheeses and ham. Bake for 30 min.

I have done this with southern style hash browns and cubed lunch meat as well. No matter how you make it, it is delicious! Add fresh fruit and you have a great and easy meal for family gatherings.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

2010-07-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Recipe Room- I've been a little busy of late with my new little one, but here is a recipe for you, finally.

This is my favorite salad, all the flavors just have that perfect "harmony" together! Throw a smaller batch of this together for a tasty lunch for one, or make this version for a larger group.

Ingredients:

2 cups torn baby spinach greens

1 ripe pear, diced in 1/2" pieces

1/3 c. (or so) crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/3 c. chopped walnuts. (Or pecans)

Dressing:

1/2 c. olive oil

1/3 c. lemon juice

2 Tbs. water

3 Tbs. Splenda or sugar

1 tsp. dill

dash of salt

Mix everything well in a bottle/jar.

Combine salad ingredients, and toss with dressing. Enjoy with a piece of crusty bread.

Crockpot Broccoli Beef

2010-06-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

I found this a few months ago on A Year of Slow Cooking. It's really good and easy.

--1 lb thin beef (she used rib eye)

--1/4 cup soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)

--2 T white wine

--2 T apple cider vinegar

--1 T brown sugar

--2 t sesame oil

--2 cloves smashed and chopped garlic

--1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

--1 bag thawed broccoli florets (to add later)

Add the liquid to the crockpot. Chop up your garlic and add it along with the spices to the mixture. Slice meat into thin strips (I used my kitchen scissors this time I made it and it was much easier). Toss in the liquid and spice mixture to coat.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, depending on the cut of meat. Thicker pieces will take longer to tenderize.
An hour before serving, add entire bag of broccoli, cover and cook on high for another hour or so.Stir gingerly to coat broccoli.

Serve over steamed rice.

Potato Salad

2010-06-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

Here's my mom's recipe for potato salad. It's a "clean" potato salad--meaning there's not much else in it besides potatoes and dressing. It's kind of a learned art, so try it out and make your own adjustments.

12-15 potatoes
2 c cottage cheese
2 c mayonnaise
1/3 onion grated
1/2 bunch green onions
3 T vinegar
salt to taste

Boil potatoes the night before. Drain and let cool. The next morning, peel and cut into bit-sized pieces.

In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients, adjusting as necessary (sometimes I don't use the full 2 c mayo and sometimes I grate a little more onion). Add the dressing to the potatoes until you've reached a desired consistency. Sometimes there is left-over dressing depending on how many potatoes you have, so it's best to add as needed. Enjoy!

(This is always a hit at BBQs and is pretty much perfect with baked beans. My husband made it at the last BBQ we attended and everyone was quite impressed.)

Lickety-Split Orange Rolls

2010-06-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

I usually make these rolls in a small pan when I'm making a batch of regular rolls, but I was curious to see how they would work out with the dough from my friend Adele's Fastest Ever Cinnamon Rolls. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out. I'll never wait for yeast to rise again! (At least not for orange rolls...)

In a blender or food processor combine:

3/4 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup buttermilk (1 tsp vinegar and milk to make 1/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup white sugar

4 Tbs butter, melted

In a large bowl, combine:

2 cup flour

1 Tbs baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add liquid to dry ingredients until a sticky ball forms. Turn out onto some flour until dough is manageable. Roll out to about 9X13 rectangle. Roll like cinnamon rolls. Place in a 9X9 pan.

Cover with:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup white sugar

zest of 1 orange

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. Cool a little before enjoying.

Oatmeal Coconut Cake

2010-05-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Well, all I can say about this cake is yum, yum, yum! I wish I could reach through your computer screen and hand you a piece, so you could taste it's carmelly goodness! This recipe is an old one and is all over the internet- there are a few variations, but it's unanimous that it is super-duper delicious. And it's a very quick cake to bake. Some versions call for cinnamon, which I did not use, some call for either walnuts or pecans. Some have you broil the topping after you put it on, I just boiled mine for a few minutes. Anyway, it's a wonderful carmel cake with a topping similar to a german choc. cake, except I even think the flavors compliment each other better with this cake rather than with a chocolate one, but you be the judge.

Here's the recipe:

Oatmeal Cake

1 cup quick oatmeal (not intstant)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Put oatmeal and boiling water in bowl, let stand 15 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, except combine the dry ingredients before mixing them in. Beat well. Bake in a greased 9 x13 pan at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, till dark golden and center springs back when poked.

Topping:

6 tbsp melted margarine or butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Mix together well and spread on warm cake (still in pan) Broil until brown on top. Cake with topping can be frozen.

(Like I said, I made the topping and boiled it for a few minutes in the microwave. Then after it and the cake cooled for awhile I spread it on top. Oh, yumminess...)

Meal Ideas

2010-05-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am expecting soon so, in preparation for the new-baby-sleep-deprivation fog, I am freezing some dinners. Any ideas on meals that will freeze well?

White Chocolate Blueberry Cookies

2010-05-23T18:16:00.001-07:00

This is a winning taste combination- dried blueberries and white chocolate! You can find dried blueberries in packages near the other dried fruits, and in the bulk foods section at Smith's, and at Costco where they are the best price per ounce but of course come in a larger bag. (They are also great in your oatmeal.) Recipe as follows:

Cream together:

1 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

add and mix:

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients and add to dough:

2 1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Add and mix in:

2 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. dried blueberries

1 bag white chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Drop tablespoon size dollops onto and ungreased cookie sheet, bake at 350º for 10 min.

Homemade Nutella

2010-05-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, if this really works it may just change my life forever. This website says it has a recipe for homemade Nutella and I'm so curious to see if it tastes like the real thing. So, anyone want to try/review this recipe first?

Baked Salmon

2010-05-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying that yes, salmon is very expensive. I only bought some because I like it and it was my birthday. My kids, 6 and 4, couldn't get enough of this salmon. I got the recipe from recipezaar.

2 cloves garlic

6 TBS light olive oil (I used extra virgin. It was a little oily, but still good)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper (I used half)

1 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

2 (6 oz) salmon fillets

Mix the first seven ingredients. Pour over salmon in a baking dish. Cover with foil and marinate for an hour. I turned them once. Bake at 375 25-35 minutes, until the salmon flakes with a fork. I doubled the marinade recipe and used two pounds of salmon. It was delicious with a baked potato and some asparagus.

Banana Berry Brownie Pizza

2010-05-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

▪ 1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch size)
▪ 1/3 cup boiling water
▪ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
▪ 1 egg
TOPPING:
▪ 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
▪ 1/4 cup sugar
▪ 1 egg
▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▪ 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
▪ 1 to 2 medium firm bananas, sliced
▪ 1 square (1 ounce) semisweet chocolate, melted

In a bowl, combine the brownie mix, water, oil and egg until well blended. Spread into a 12-in. pizza pan lined with parchment paper (you can try using grease and flour, but it always sticks that way for me). Bake at 350° for 25 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until combined. Spread over brownie crust. Bake 15 minutes longer or until topping is set. Cool on a wire rack.
Just before serving, arrange strawberries and bananas over topping; drizzle with chocolate. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 10-12 servings.

The picture above was without parchment paper and the brownie was very hard to get out. I made it last night using parchment paper and it was so much better! That also allowed me to move it to a pretty round platter for serving.

Peanut Chicken Bowl

2010-04-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Attention all peanut-butter-lovers out there (yes, I'm pointing at Mark)! I found this on Recipe Girl and it is really good. I used frozen broccoli (thawed), sweet red pepper and carrots. I left out the crushed red pepper.

Two 3-ounce packages Oriental- flavored ramen noodles
3 cups cut up vegetables, such as broccoli florets, red pepper strips, halved pea pods and/or thinly sliced carrots
1¼ cups water
¼ cup peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
8 ounce can bamboo shoots, drained
¼ cup chopped peanuts
¼ cup sliced green onions

1. Set aside 1 seasoning packet from noodles to use in recipe; store remaining packet for another use. In a large saucepan bring 2 quarts water to boiling. Break up noodles slightly and add to water along with cut-up vegetables. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Drain and return to saucepan.

2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a medium saucepan whisk together the 1¼ cups water, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, cornstarch, crushed red pepper, and seasoning packet. Whisk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Add chicken, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots to sauce; heat through. Add to noodle mixture in saucepan. Toss to combine. Top with peanuts and green onions.

Servings: 4

Pad Thai

2010-04-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Learned how to make Pad Thai thanks to this great recipe Mark found for me. So yummy- now I don't have to wait around for our semi-annual date to get my fix!

Fiesta Chicken

2010-04-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here is a yummy crock-pot recipe using ingredients that you probably have in your pantry/fridge right now!

6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken thighs

2 cups salsa (I use Costco Mango salsa!)

1 can Cheddar Cheese soup

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed.

1 can white (Northern) beans, drained

2 pkts. Sazon Goya seasoning mix

(You might have a box of this if you have tried the Beans and Rice recipe.)

Place chicken thighs in crock pot, season generously with onion powder and garlic powder. Now add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on high for about 4-5 hours, or until your chicken is cooked through. Add 1 can of corn, drained- cook on low till chicken is fork-tender. Shred the chicken with two forks. Before serving, stir in 6 oz. cream cheese, (melt it a little in the microwave first.)

Serve over hot rice, top with grated cheddar cheese. You can also add chopped fresh tomatoes and avocados. Yum!

Homemade Goldfish

2010-04-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe for homemade Goldfish crackers (which all kids love,) so I thought it would be a fun project for us. They are really yummy right out of the oven, you'll want to keep popping them in your mouth! Ours came out a little puffy, but I liked them that way. You can cook them for about 15 min. to get a really crispy cracker, more like the ones you buy, or about 12 min like we did, to get these little cheese puffs. Either way, I thought they tasted even better than the real thing! (But a little more time-intensive). We did not happen to have an itty-bitty goldfish cookie cutter, so we used little cutters from our Play-Dough set. (Be prepared to punch out a lot of crackers! We made about 3 cookie sheets full, cut the recipe in half if you want to make less.)

Note, you do have to have a food processor to make the dough, I'm not sure how else you could blend cheese and flour all together into a smooth mixture. Recipe as follows:

1 cup all purpose flour

4 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

(I left the pepper out)

1. Pulse the flour, butter, cheese, salt, and pepper together using a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Pulse in 3-4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, and only enough so that the dough forms a ball and rides the blade.

3. Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes to 24 hours.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees

5. Line 2 baking pans with parchment or wax paper, set aside (I just used a little cooking spray.)

6. Roll the dough out to 1/8th inch thickness. Cut out as many crackers as possible using a small cookie cutter.

7. Place them on the prepared baking pans (you can put them close together because they get smaller)

8. Bake until golden and crisp- 15 to 20 minutes. (Like I said, my oven only took 12-15 min. to bake them).

Potato Leek Soup

2010-04-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Since we're still in the middle of some cold, wet weather, it's still a good time to make some of this simple, creamy homemade soup!

In a large pot put

6 potatoes, peeled and chopped into quarters

3 leeks, chopped

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

Add enough water to cover the veggies. (I also added a tsp. of chicken boullion powder and S & P). Boil till veggies are tender, then pureé till very smooth. (It may look a little like baby food at this point but don't worry!) Return to pot and add 1 pnt. half and half, and one cube real butter. (Yes, I think this recipe is French!) Season again with S & P.

A few notes:

What is a leek, you say?

Leeks look like giant green onions, you chop off the tops and use only the white to light green part. They tend to have sand in them, so after cutting the tops off, slice them down the middle lengthwise, and rinse any remaining dirt/ sand out of the outer layers. They have a very nice mild, oniony flavor, and can be found in most produce sections.

Now when it came time, I couldn't actually bring myself to put the whole cube of butter in, but using 3/4 of a cube worked for me. And I made up for that by serving it with chopped bacon bits on top, which we thought was very good. Also, if you wanted a plain white soup, I think you could leave the carrots out. You could play around with some substitutions like chicken broth and milk to get the fat content down a little. Also, this makes a pretty large batch, I would cut the recipe in half if you have a small family. All in all though, this is a very easy and tasty soup. Serve with a thick slice of honey whole wheat bread.

"Home Made Lava Lamp"

2010-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe to keep your kids entertained on a rainy afternoon:

You will need:

A clear plastic bottle, (we used 1 liter, but you could use any clear drink bottle.)

Water

Oil

Food coloring

Alkaseltzer Tablets

Fill the bottle just over 1/2 full with vegetable oil, then fill the rest of the way with water, leaving an inch of room at the top. Add 10 drops food coloring. Place the bottle on a plate or pie tin to catch any drips. Now, add 1/4 an alkaseltzer tablet and watch the bubbles of water rise up through the oil. Add another piece of alkaseltzer after the bubbles have stopped.

This kept both kids quite entertained for the afternoon. Harriet wanted to make more of them but I didn't want to use up all my cooking oil. She went through about half a box of the tablets, then we put the lid on when we were done and she used the other half the next day. You could also add some glitter to the water to sparkle it up a bit!

Coconut Cake

2010-03-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

On the subject of cakes, here is another really easy one. I just made this for some friends and it got rave reviews.

1 box white cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can cream of coconut
1 small tub Cool Whip or whipped cream
coconut shavings

Mix and bake cake mix. In a separate bowl, mix milk and cream of coconut. While cake is still warm, poke holes all over it (you can use the other side of a pen), then pour the milk mixture over cake and let cool. Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with coconut.

The milk soaks into the cake so that it tastes like Tres Leches, I think. One warning is that this is pretty sweet, so I think next time I might try using angel food cake instead of the white cake, but I'm not sure how that will turn out. The original recipe is definitely still delicious though, so enjoy!

Ham & Pea (or Asparagus) Pasta

2010-03-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

This yummy pasta is a no-fail at our house. You can also do a ham & asparagus pasta, which is yummy. We usually do peas for kids and because it's super fast. It's a nice change from your typical pasta dinner. You can also cut the recipe in half easily for a smaller family.

Ham & Pea Pasta

1 lb pasta (we like farfalle or mini-penne)
1/4 c butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 lb frozen peas (or fresh asparagus, cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 lb. cooked ham, diced (I use half of a pre-cut package)
1/2 c whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta and drain. Set aside. Melt butter and saute onion until soft. Run frozen peas under warm water in a colander for a minute and then add to onions and saute. Add ham, cream, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and add cooked pasta.

Amazing Almond Cake

2010-03-23T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is a yummy cake that can be made for a last minute party or as a quick dessert. Hailey thought it would also be good to serve for brunch or something similar. It is SUPER fast and turns out perfectly every time. People will be impressed, just don't let them know how easy it is to make! :)

Almond Cake

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter (not margarine)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract (I'm generous with this)
sliced almonds

Melt butter, not margarine, in a glass mixing bowl in the microwave. Add all other ingredients to that, mixing with a spoon. Pour into a lightly greased (with Pam) pie plate. Spread evenly and sprinkle with sliced almonds on top. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour or until light brown and rounded. Cool and/or refrigerate, and cut into tiny wedges.

Tortellini Tomato Soup

2010-03-20T10:57:00.001-07:00

This is from Favorite Family Recipes. It makes a lot, so cut it in half if you are a small family. It was the best tomato soup I've ever had. Really. You really should try it on a cool spring night!

1 pkg. (9oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans (10oz) Campbell's tomato soup
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. milk
2 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. chopped oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large soup pot combine soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini well and add to soup. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted serve immediately and sprinkle Parmesan or mozzarella cheese over the top.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

2010-03-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

30 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 4

* 1 lb hamburger
* 2 teaspoons minced onions
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 16 ounces tomato sauce
* 3 ounces cream cheese (I softened it in the microwave so it would stir easier)
* 8 ounces sour cream
* 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or mozzarella)
* 1 (8 ounce) package noodles, cooked and drained (this is where all my odds and ends from pasta packages end up; it adds variety, right?)

1. Brown hamburger, onions, and spices until cooked.
2. Add tomato sauce and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Mix cream cheese and sour cream.
4. In 2-quart casserole, put 1/3 noodles, 1/3 cream mix, 1/3 meat mix.
5. Repeat twice.
6. Sprinkle cheddar on top.
7. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

What I like about this recipe it that it is kind of like a lasagna (except you don't need to spend as much on cheese) and it is also delicious. We have had it a few times and each time my husband says, "Hey, this is pretty good." (In his defense for not recognizing it, I hate eating the same thing over and over so he doesn't see a recipe again for a few months...) For pictures, see Recipe Zaar

"Incredible Oven Fried Chicken"

2010-02-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like fried chicken?

Here is another great recipe from recipezaar.com. This is some really finger lickin' good chicken with a fried coating made in your oven (no standing and frying over hot, stinky oil!)

Mark's words in between mouthfuls were: "you should keep this recipe- it's good." So there you have a ringing endorsement from the man himself. Also, it passed the picky kid test with Simon yelling "chicka! chicka!"

I would say it's a little labor-intensive, by my standards, but just looking at this photo makes me want to fix it again! So here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Marinade:
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion, sliced
10-12 chicken pieces
Coating:
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

1
Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
2
Add the onion and then the chicken turning to coat each piece with the marinade.
3
Cover; chill at least three hours or up to one day turning the chicken occasionally.
4
Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 tsp salt in a large baking dish.
5
Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the breadcrumb mixture.
6
Set chicken on a rack to dry for about 30 minutes.
7
Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
8
Place chicken in large baking dish, and pour butter over each piece of chicken.
9
Bake until crisp and brown, approximately 50 minutes or until juices are no longer pink and run clear.

Just a few notes:

I never follow a recipe exactly as stated, so I changed a few things. I eliminated the drying time after you coat it- 'cause it was late and we were hungry! I also did not add hot pepper sauce, or thyme. I was out, but I think you can play with the seasonings in the coating a little. I used onion powder, not chopped onions in the marinade, and also added garlic and onion powder to the bread crumb mixture. ( I ran out of coating for 5 drumsticks and 5 thighs, so use 2 cups bread crumbs, I say.) Also, be smarter than me and COAT YOUR PAN WITH FOIL before you bake. Unless you want to spend a fun evening scraping burnt, greasy chicken bits off your pan. I would like to try this with skinless chicken next time, I think the butter might be enough to form a crust on the chicken. Anyway, it would be great with coleslaw or potato salad for a family dinner. Yum yum!

"Best Ever Banana Cake"

2010-02-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

Hello recipe room! So sorry I have neglected you of late but I do finally have a good recipe to post, a yummy Banana Cake I found on Recipezaar.com

This cake had a lot of reviews and opinions written up about it, (which is why I like recipezaar, you can research what everybody did to make it work.) After reading up on the techniques, this is how I made it. It's a little unique in that you bake it very low, for a cake, at 275º. This slow cooking allows a nice sort of carmelized brown crust to form on the cake. I also found that the recipe makes a pretty large bowl of batter. I poured mine into a bundt pan and had too much, so I spooned about a cup of it into a bread loaf pan. This pan of shallow batter of course baked much quicker, but also had a lighter, fluffier more cake-like texture than the bundt pan, which took an hour and 15 min to bake, and was more dense, like a loaf of banana bread would be. So my suggestion would be to bake this in two 8 or 9 in. pans if you have them, so the batter is only about 1 1/2 in. deep. (It raises a lot as it bakes.) A larger pan will take a long time to finally get baked in the middle at such a low temp. Or, you could just try baking it at the standard 350º, it might be that that works just fine! One more note- tastes best after it has sat in the fridge over night and the banana flavor has developed a little. Make it the night before before you want to serve it.

Of course, after you smother the thing in cream cheese frosting, it is total deliciousness and you and those nearby you will be so glad you made this wonderful banana cake! (Here is a pic. of it as I held it in my lap in the car on our way to Jenny' house.)

Recipe as follows:

Preheat oven to 275º

mix in a bowl:

3 bananas, mashed

2 tsp. lemon juice

mix dry ingredients:

3 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

a little less than 1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

In your mixer cream together:

3/4 c. butter

2 c. sugar

beat in

3 large eggs, one at a time, then add

2 tsp. vanilla

Beat in

1 1/2 c. buttermilk

alternately with the dry ingredients

Stir in banana mixture. Pour into greased pans, bake 1 hr or until firm in the middle and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, cover and place in freezer for 45 min. (This step supposedly makes a more moist cake, but to tell you the truth, I skipped it because it was late and didn't want to run this thing out to the garage freezer, and I went to bed instead.) I did stick it in the fridge after it cooled though.

Cream cheese frosting:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
8 oz cream cheese, softened.

Mix until smooth.

Slowly add 1 pound powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.

One more note: If you are like me and never have buttermilk sitting around in your fridge, just take 1 1/2 c. milk, remove 2 Tbs. from it and replace that with white vinegar. Let it sit and curdle a minute, it will be thick like buttermilk and works fine as a replacement.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

2010-02-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have a good recipe? I love the stuff. I've tried adding raisins and cinnamon to a regular bread recipe, but haven't had success.

Coconut Chip Coffee Cake

2010-01-28T04:33:00.000-08:00

▪ 1/2 cup butter, softened
▪ 1 cup sugar
▪ 2 eggs
▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▪ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▪ 1 teaspoon baking powder
▪ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▪ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▪ 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
FILLING/TOPPING:
▪ 1/4 cup sugar
▪ 1/2 cup flaked coconut
▪ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
▪ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Spoon half of the batter into a greased 10-in. tube pan (or whatever pan you have that is roughly the size) . Combine the filling ingredients; sprinkle half over the batter. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Yogurt Biscuits

2010-01-12T11:06:00.001-08:00

I gave up on baking powder biscuit-making a while ago. They always turned out so dry that we had to put gravy or something on them to make them edible. Until, voilá! I found this recipe. They're easy to make, and they are very moist. The photo above is 2X the original recipe. (You may note in the corner where my husband snuck one of the biscuits before I could get a picture...).

*1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp baking soda
*2 Tbsp cold margarine
*1/2 cup plain yogurt
*1 tsp sugar
*1/2 tsp milk

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in margarine until crumbly. Combine yogurt and sugar; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray; pat into a 6x4" rectangle. Cut into square biscuits (do not separate biscuits). Brush tops with milk. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yield: 6 biscuits.

Cranberry Eggnog Bread

2010-01-06T16:40:00.000-08:00

CRANBERRY EGGNOG BREAD

(picture it in your head - Mmmm, looks good.)

Here's a recipe you can make next Christmas! (Since I'm so slow in getting this recipe on here, and it's tough finding Cranberries or Eggnog when it's not December.) But it is yummy! Something to look forward to. . .

(Note: I usually double this recipe since we give away little loaves. You can also do muffins, whatever - just watch it so it doesn't overcook and dry out. Also, I think I'll use even more cranberries next time.)

2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light eggnog
1/4 cup canola oil (or 1/2 cup melted butter)
2 tsp rum extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed, sorted and well-drained

coarse sprinkling sugar, optional (makes it pretty!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Prepare pan(s) with cooking spray, or oil and dust with sugar.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Blend in sugar, eggnog, oil, rum and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Mix dry ingredients into eggnog mixture; Stir just to moisten dry ingredients. Gently stir in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until fork or tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes for 1 large loaf, 40 to 50 minutes for 2 medium loaves or 35 to 40 minutes for 3 small loaves. Let cool completely. Wrap tightly; refrigerate or freeze.

Yield: 1 (9 x 5-inch) loaf or 2 (8 x 3 3/4 -inch) loaves or 3 (5 3/4 x 3 1/4-inch) loaves.

(Borrowed and altered a bit from a recipe found online.)

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2010-01-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

So I just made the chocolate sheet cake from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. Wow. It's definitely worth it! There are several different processes going on to make it, but nothing in and of itself is very complicated. (To me it may have seemed like a lot, but I am used to dumping a cake mix in a bowl and a few other things and calling it good.)

Now, the reason it's so good is because it has gobs of butter in it. Almost a whole box. But, it's like the Julia/Julia movie says: anytime you taste something that's really good- it has butter in it! I borrowed her photo to tempt you into trying it. There are great instructions and more photos, so go take a look! I'm giving it five stars.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2010-01-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

So this is a recipe from Heather that she posted in the comments when Liz requested some cookie recipes without brown sugar. (Incidentally, this recipe looks like it's gluten-free as well, so I am excited to make it for my mom!) Thank you and welcome Heather!

I now have an official email address for the recipe blog so you can write to me if you would like to be added as a contributor:

myreciperoom at gmail dot com.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 1/2 cups walnut halves, chopped
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla

Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place walnuts on a work surface and finely chop. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 9 minutes.

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat until batter is just moistened (overbeating will stiffen). Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto backing sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.

Chocolat L'Africain

2010-01-01T02:04:00.000-08:00

This recipe comes from a French recipe blog and claims to duplicate the hot chocolate from a Paris tea room. It is SO RICH. Be ready for a chocolate high. As the Web site says, "It tastes like a melted chocolate bar, an extremely rich concoction."

*3/4 cup whole milk (I just used what I had)
*1/4 cup heavy cream
*1 tsp confectioner's sugar
*4 oz/125g bittersweet chocolate, 72% (you can use any brand), chopped
*whipped cream

1. Combine whole milk, heavy cream and confectioners'sugar and heat over medium to high heat until bubbles appear around edges.
2. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate
3. Stir until melted (you may need to return it to low heat).
4. Serve with whipped cream. Perfect for dipping crusty bread or croissants.

White Hot Chocolate

2010-01-01T01:59:00.000-08:00

Feeling chilly? This hot chocolate is so creamy and yummy. It's a different twist on your everyday hot chocolate.

▪ 3 cups half-and-half cream, divided

▪ 2/3 cup vanilla baking chips

▪ 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

▪ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

▪ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

▪ Ground cinnamon, optional

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cream, vanilla chips, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Stir over low heat until chips are melted; discard cinnamon. Add remaining cream; stir until heated through. Remove from the heat; add extracts. Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Bean and Ham Soup

2009-12-30T11:48:00.000-08:00

So if you have some leftover ham from the holiday, here is a good soup you can make out of it.

In your soup pot, melt a Tbs. butter and saute 1/2 onion, chopped fine.

After the onions get a little brown and sticky, add:

2 cans white beans

1 can chicken broth

1 1/2 c. chopped ham

1-2 carrots, sliced

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tsp. dried parsley

a dash of garlic powder

Fresh cracked pepper

Put the lid on the pot and simmer on med. low for and hour or two, till carrots are tender and beans are falling apart. If you want to thicken the soup at this point, you can take some out, (excluding the ham chunks), and puree in a blender, then add it back in. (If you have an immersion blender, which is really such a handy tool to have in your kitchen, just stick it in the pot and blend it up a little.) This will give you a thicker soup. If you want a creamier soup, stir in a little sour cream or cream before serving. Enjoy with a hot loaf of crusty peasant bread, of course!

Bacon Onion Quiche

2009-12-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, I meant to post all these great holiday recipes but the holiday went by so fast and, as usual, I only got a few of the things done that I imagined I would. But here is a great recipe I made this month that I have been meaning to post- my friend Heather brought this to our Christmas party last year and it was so delicious that I made her e-mail me the recipe.

Now the actual name of the recipe is "Vidalia Onion Pie", but I renamed it because there is a story in the Parnell family about this terrible onion pie they had to eat as kids that they apparently have never forgotten. (I think they would have liked this one, however.)

Personally, I think onions are a little misunderstood. People sometimes think of onions as they are when they're raw- strong smell and flavor. But when you cook onions to the point of being soft and carmelized, like you do in this recipe, what you get is just a richness of flavor. It's like when you eat a really good French Onion soup- it doesn't even taste onion-y, it just has this wonderful taste. If you ate this pie without knowing it's the onions that give it the flavor, you might guess that it was some expensive cheese that was added or something- but it's just the magical combination of bacon, onions, and eggs. Oh and also a little cream. The taste is truly terrific, and Mark seemed to forget all about his previous experience with onion pie as he gobbled up a big piece of this one. So anyway, let's get on with it! Here is the recipe as Heather sent it:

Vidalia Onion Pie (Or, Bacon Onion Quiche)

This recipe comes from "America's Best Lost Recipes" which is a collection of heirloom recipes found by the America's Test Kitchen people. (They have a great website with more recipes.)

Serves 6 to 8

1 recipe Single Crust Pie Dough, fully baked and cooled (recipe follows)
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium Vidalia onions, sliced thin (about 3 cups)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over med. heat until crisp, about 8 min. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. cook the onions in the bacon fat until browned, about 12 min. Transfer to a med bowl. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and 1 teasp. chives in large bowl, then add the bacon and onions.
2. Pour into the prepared pie shell and bake until the filling is puffed and cracked around the edges and the center barely jiggles when the pie is shaken, 25 to 30 min. Let cool for 10 min. and sprinkle with the remaining chives.

Single-Crust Pie Dough
Makes enough for one 9-inch pie

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 in pieces and chilled
4 tablespoons unsalted ( I use regular salted cause I'm lazy) butter, cut into 1/4 pieces and chilled
4-6 tablespoons ice water

Pie crust- just process the ingredients, dump in a bowl and sprinkle the water. Knead a few times to pull it all together. Roll out, and place in pie pan.

Cook the crust in a 9in pie plate at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 min (line crust and edges with double layer of foil and fill with pie weights or pennies) After baking remove foil and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 min.

Hailey's Note: When I made this I figured chopping/cooking bacon and onions was enough work for one dinner, so I cheated and used a frozen Marie Calendar's pie crust from the store. I have to say it was every bit as good with the store-bought crust, so I say save yourself an extra mess and put it on your shopping list! It was as good as any pie crust I've ever made! Also, I used "Mayan Sweets" onions I got from Costco, and they worked great.

German Wedding Cookie (aka Pecan Balls)

2009-12-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

This cookie is a Christmas tradition at my house. They are so easy, and SO GOOD!!!
Preheat oven to 250*
1/4lb. butter
2 T white sugar
1 t vanilla
1 C grated pecans. ( I pulse mine a couple of times in the food processor)
1 C flour

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Then add pecans and flour. Mix well.

Use hands to make small balls out of dough. Bake on a cookie sheet for 30-40 min.

Let cool and then roll in powdered sugar.

Cookie Request

2009-12-16T06:10:00.001-08:00

Here's a cookie challenge for you: Do you have a yummy cookie recipe that DOESN'T include brown sugar OR shortening? I can't find either ingredient here. Will you share it?

Homemade Caramels

2009-12-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

These melt-in-your-mouth caramels taste like a little piece of heaven. Mmmmm, add them to your Christmas goodies this year!

1 cup butter

1 16 oz. pkg. brown sugar (2 1/4 cups, packed)

2 cups light cream

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Butter a 9 x 13 pan.

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan melt butter, add brown sugar, cream and corn syrup. Mix well. Stir with a wooden spoon over med-high heat to boiling. Stir every few minutes, and clip a candy thermometer to the side. Boil over med heat till it reaches 248º, firm-ball stage. Start testing the temp after it looks like the mixture has thickened and is boiling lower in the pot.

Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, pour into prepared pan. Let cool completely. (I let mine set over night.) Cut into 1 in. pieces and wrap in wax paper squares. Makes about 2 pounds.

If you want to add nuts, sprinkle the bottom of the pan with chopped nuts before you pour in the caramel.

Fudge, sooooo good!

2009-12-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

4C sugar

12 oz evaporated milk

1 C butter

3 C chocolate chips (2 11 oz bags - I use Guittard: one semi-sweet and one milk)

1 bag walnuts

1. Mix together sugar and milk in a large, heavy saucepan (the sugar/milk will double in volume).

2. Put on just-below-medium heat. You don't want to bring to a boil too quickly, or you will scorch the sugar/milk and get grainy fudge. And DON'T STIR!!

3. Once the sugar/milk begins a rolling boil (in my hands, this happens at 216ºF), continue to boil for exactly 11 minutes (in my hands, the temperature rises to about 225ºF). DON'T STIR!!

4. Take off heat and add the butter and chocolate chips, and mix vigorously (it's a bit of a workout). If you did the heating part right, the mixture will be really shiny. If you scorched the sugar/milk, or stirred while heating, it will be grainy. Some people say to keep mixing until you get a satin sheen. I've done this or not, with little difference in the result.

5. Stir in the chopped walnuts.

6. Put in a buttered 9X13 pan.

7. Let set overnight.

My Mom's Rice Pudding

2009-12-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

2 well-beaten eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/3 cups cooked rice

1/2 cup raisins (naturally we leave this out, since Nate doesn't like raisins)

sprinkle of nutmeg

Combine eggs, sugar and salt. Add to milk. Add rice and vanilla and raisins. Grease casserole dish lightly. Place in shallow pan of hot water. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours.

*** Elizabeth and I made this once when we were in college. When we took it out of the oven, we could tell that something was wrong. It was like a crispy rice pancake. Then we realized that we have forgotten milk. We thought it was pretty funny.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2009-12-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

I've had this soup three times this season and I can't get enough of it! My friend even made a similar version of it using butternut squash and it was delicious. I don't have any pictures, but soup looks like soup, so just imagine that. And watch yourself when you puree, it can get messy.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

1/2 c. butter (I use a little less)
1 yellow onion, diced
2 shallots, minced (I use a large onion or 1 1/2 onions if I don't have shallots)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 cups chicken broth (I tried veg broth once to make it vegetarian and it isn't as good)
1/2 c. water (sometimes I just add the rest of the broth can instead of the water)
1 29 oz. can plain pumpkin puree (not pie mix)
2 12 oz cans evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste (use plenty of salt)

In a large pot, melt butter and saute onion until just translucent but not browned. Add garlic and shallots and stir frequently, being careful not to let garlic burn. Lower heat if needed. Sprinkle brown sugar over onion mixture in pan and continue to saute until onion, garlic, and shallot are tender and caramelized.

Add broth and water to mixture in pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add pumpkin puree and evaporated milk to simmering broth. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Remove from heat.

Using a blender, process soup until smooth.

Looking for a Recipe...

2009-12-03T10:48:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have a good recipe for rice pudding?

Cranberry Almond Granola

2009-12-01T04:01:00.000-08:00

This lasts about a week at our house. If I am lucky.

*1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
*1/2 cup honey
*1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice concentrate
*2 Tbsp canola oil
*3 tsp almond extract
*6 cups old-fashioned oats
*1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
*1 cup slivered almonds

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, milk powder, honey, apple juice concentrate and oil. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; stir in extract. In a large bowl, combine the oats, cranberries and almonds. Drizzle with sugar mixture and mix well.

Spread in a thin layer in two 15x10x1" baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool completely. Serve with yogurt or milk. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3 quarts.

Sweet Potato & Apple Casserole

2009-11-22T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I found online & immediately fell in love with. It combines 3 of my favorite fall flavors: sweet potato, apple, & pecan. Definitely more of a dessert than a vegetable, and seriously delicious!

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large cooking apples - peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch rings

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook 15-25 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain, cool and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 7x11 inch baking dish. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Layer sweet potatoes, brown sugar mixture and apples in the prepared baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, butter and pecans. Sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Cranberry Relish

2009-11-22T17:09:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the week to share your tasty Thanksgiving recipes with the rest of us, I hope we will hear about some of your holiday favorites.

Here is our family's favorite recipe for cranberry sauce. It's super easy- you make it in the blender, and there's no cooking!

1 regular pkg. fresh cranberries

1 small can mandarin oranges, well drained

1 regular can pineapple chunks, well drained

1 cup sugar

Put all ingredients in the blender. It helps if you put the canned fruit on the bottom. Pulse and blend until it's the consistency of hot dog relish. Store in a covered container, can be made a day ahead. It has a very fresh and fruity taste, it's good stirred into jello before it sets, and it's great on your turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving.

Bourbon Chicken

2009-11-13T23:53:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe on Recipezaar. It had almost 2000 votes of five stars, so I HAD to try it. I am glad I did because it is really easy and tasty.

35 min | 15 min prep

SERVES 4

* 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
* 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, crushed
* 1/4 teaspoon ginger
* 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I left out--I don't like hot stuff)
* 1/4 cup apple juice (or orange juice)
* 1/3 cup light brown sugar (I used white sugar because they don't have brown sugar here)
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/3 cup soy sauce

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
3. Remove chicken.
4. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
5. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve over hot rice.