Sarah's Recipe Files

Caramels

2011-12-24T15:35:00.000-08:00

These are good by themselves, or with apples, pretzels...

2 cups white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup evaporated milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup butter
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Grease a 9x11 inch pan.
In a medium-size pot, combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, whipping cream, and butter. Monitor the heat of the mixture with a candy thermometer while stirring. When the thermometer reaches 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and let the mixture cool completely. When cooled cut the Carmel into small squares and wrap them in wax paper for storage.

Smores' Bars

2011-12-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

John said he liked these better than the Smores' Bars with the Golden Grahams. They do take longer to make however.

Endless Simmer
2 cups graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons butter melted.
16 oz of dark chocolate (65% cacao), melted
1 cup of whole milk
2 cups of Cocoa Pebbles
4 cups mini marshmallows, divided use

Instructions:

Place graham crackers, sugar and melted butter in a bowl and mix to blend. Firmly press mixture into the bottom of an 11×13 pan and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F. Set aside to cool.
Melt chocolate with milk in a pan over medium low heat and whisk to combine. Transfer mixture to a new bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to cool (transferring the mixture to a new bowl will help to cool it faster).
Add cocoa pebbles and 2 cups of marshmallows to cooled chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Pour mixture over crust. Pour remaining 2 cups mini marshmallows on top and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to toast tops of marshmallow layer. Transfer completed dessert to fridge and chill for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.

A few notes:

You can of course skip the cocoa pebbles. But we liked the extra crisp in the chocolate bite.
Keep a careful eye when toasting the marshmallow portion in the broiler, as the 2-3 minutes can fluctuate depending on your broiler set up. We recommend you check it after the first minute.
For nice clean slices, wash or wipe knife off between cuts.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar

2011-12-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

Kevin & Amanda

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well to thoroughly combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, then slowly incorporate into the mixer until the flour is just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. Top with a layer of Oreos. Mix together brownie mix, adding an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix. Pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and Oreos. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes.

To half this recipe for an 8×8 brownie mix, just half the chocolate chip cookie dough ingredients. Enjoy!

BYU Mint Brownies

2011-12-24T15:25:00.000-08:00

BYU Dining

1 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa
2 Tbsp. honey
4 eggs
2 cup white sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

12 oz. chocolate icing (Use your own icing recipe or purchase some chocolate frosting.)

MINT ICING
5 Tbsp. butter
dash of salt
3 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
2 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1-2 drops green food coloring

1. Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Allow to cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add nuts. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.

2. Prepare mint icing: Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

3. Spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing (very important step I realized since I was impatient). Remove from the freezer and carefully add a layer of chocolate icing. We liked ours stored cold in the refrigerator or you can store them at room temperature.

Microwave Kettle Corn

2011-12-24T15:23:00.000-08:00

Frugal Homemaking

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. popcorn kernels

2 tsp. oil

1 Tbsp. sugar or sugar substitute (I use 2 packets of Ideal)

Dash salt

Directions:

Pour the kernels, oil, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Mix until all kernels are well coated with sugar, salt, and oil.
Pour the bowl's contents into the paper bag. Place the bag on a plate and fold the top of the bag over 1" twice. You can also use a microwave-safe bowl and a vented lid (like a microwave-safe colander or splatter shield),
Place in the microwave on popcorn setting or for about 1 minute, 15 seconds. Either way, shut off microwave when popping slows to less than a pop every second to avoid burning.
Open slowly and carefully, as steam will be hot.

Cookies & Cream Cookies

2011-12-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
10 Double Stuff Oreos
½ tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 package Hersey’s Cookie and Cream Drops

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Using a stand mixer, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the Oreo Cookies and mix until the cookies are just left in small pieces.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated.

Fold in the Cookies and Cream Drops and try to distribute them evenly (ha).

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Homemade Nutella

2011-12-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

The Family Kitchen

1 1/2 cup whole hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 Tbsp. mild-flavored honey
pinch salt
1 heaping cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or chips
1 scant cup chopped milk chocolate, or chips

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nuts in a 400ºF for 10 minutes, or until fragrant and their skins begin to pop. Transfer to a tea towel, gather into a bundle and rub together to remove as much of their skins as possible. While warm, transfer to the bowl of a food processor and blend until they go from finely ground to pasty and thick, like natural peanut butter.

Meanwhile, warm the milk, powdered milk, honey and salt in a small saucepan just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat. In a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolates, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Add the melted chocolate to the ground nuts and continue to process the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the warm milk mixture and process until everything is well blended and as smooth as you can get it. Makes about 2 cups.

Cheesecake Cookie Dough Bars

2011-12-24T15:14:00.000-08:00

I got these from Brandy's Baking. They were a hit!

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper (Not wax paper) or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.

Rosemary Roast

2011-07-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Our new favorite way to eat roast!

3-5 lb roast
1 tbs dried rosemary
1 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic
1 onion

Put roast in crockpot and top with seasonings. Add onion and garlic. Add 1 c water or broth, cover and cook 6-8 hr on low or 3-4 hr on high, You can also add potatoes and carrots to make it a meal. YUM!

Apple Berry Crisp

2011-06-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe on Elana's Pantry and knew I had to try it. I made several modifications to it. When it came out of the oven it was all I could do to not take a spoon and dig in! It was a piece of heaven.

Here is what I did:

Apple Berry Crisp

5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced (Gala, Braeburn or Honeycrisp)
6oz fresh blackberries
6oz fresh raspberries
6oz fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (I will increase this to 2 tablespoons next time because it was a little more runny than I would like it to be.)
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons honey

Place apples and berries in a large bowl
Sprinkle with lemon juice, vanilla and arrowroot, tossing to incorporate all ingredients
Place apple-blackberry mixture in an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish and set aside
To make topping, in a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients into crumble mixture
Crumble topping over apple-blackberry mixture
Cover with tinfoil and bake at 350° for 60 to 75 minutes until fruit is juicy and bubbling
Remove from oven and uncover
If topping is browned, allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
If topping is not yet browned place in oven uncovered for 5 minutes, or until browned
Serve and enjoy!

Serves 6

Avocado-Citrus Salad

2011-04-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

This was posted on Disney Cruise "Favorites". It looks really good.

Avocado-Citrus Salad

Serves 4

Citrus Dressing
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 lime, juiced
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Avocado-Citrus Salad
4 navel oranges
3 ripe Hass avocados, halved and pitted
6 cups mixed baby lettuce

For the citrus dressing:

Combine orange juice and lime juice in a medium bowl. Slowly drizzle in oil, salt and pepper, whisking vigorously until combined. If making in advance, re-whisk before serving.

For the avocado-citrus salad:

Cut peel, including the white pith, from the oranges with a small knife. Cut segments free from membranes; set segments aside and discard membranes.
Cut avocadoes into 3/4-inch-thick slices.
Divide mixed greens among 4 salad bowls. Top with 5 avocado slices and 5 to 8 orange segments; drizzle lightly with dressing. Serve immediately.

Nut Brownies

2011-03-02T09:16:00.000-08:00

These are flourlesss brownies! I have seen this recipe floating around on a few sites, and finally decided to try them. I opted for the lower carb version of them. They were not as sweet, but still yummy. I used 1 cup of raw almond butter instead of roasted. I think that made a difference as well. The other change I made was I did 2 Tablespoons ground flax w/6 Tablespoons of water for the 2 eggs to make them egg free. One recipe made an 8x8 pan. Here are both of the recipes if you wanted to compare them on The Healthy Cooking Coach.

1/2 cup sunflower nbutter (for a peanut-like taste)
1/2 cup roasted almond butter
2 (medium to large) eggs
1/3 cup honey; add 2 Tablespoons honey if you are not using sunflower butter above!*
2 droppers-full vanilla or vanilla creme liquid stevia*
1/2 teaspoon mint extract, optional
2 tablespoons water or almond milk; double if batter appears dry (as needed to moisten; I always add this)
1/4 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder (don’t add more or the brownies will be bone dry!)
1 teaspoon baking soda (not in her recipe but I think it improves them!)
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (for people with allergies and/or celiac disease, I use Enjoy Life Chocoalte Chips) or coarsely chopped bittersweet dark chocolate (70 to 73% cocoa content)
Virgin coconut oil or non-hydrogenated palm shortening to grease baking pan

*Chef notes: If you don’t have vanilla stevia, substitute clear stevia extract liquid, then add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Grease an 8x8x2-inch baking pan or 9-inch round cake pan with coconut oil or palm shortening. (I use palm shortening. To make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan, after greasing the pan, line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit, then grease the top of the paper. The brownies will slip right out after you cut them.)
In a medium size bowl, combine sunflower butter and almond butter. (Alternatively use 1 cup of almond butter.) Add the eggs, honey, vanilla stevia, optional mint extract, and 2 tablespoons water or nut milk. Beat with an electric mixer or mix briefly in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.
Combine the cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking soda. Add this to the wet ingredients and stir or blend to combine. Add 2 more tablespoons water or nut milk if batter appears stiff and mix again. Fold in 1/4 cup of chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate. (Kelly’s recipe calls for sprinkling them on top; I prefer to fold them in.
Pour and scrape batter into the prepared pan. Spread lightly with a damp spatula and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20 to 24 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t dry out.

Pita Bread

2011-03-02T09:09:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from Living Without. It is not your typical Pita Bread where you can stuff it inside. Mine looked nothing like their's did. Still...it made for a nice flat piece of bread that I could put toppings on and enjoy! It is really good plain too. I opted for the egg free version.

1 package yeast or quick-rising yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
½ cup warm water
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1½ cups brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1¼ teaspoons salt
1 cup lukewarm water
1 egg or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water

1. Dissolve yeast in ½ cup warm water. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes until water is frothy.

2. Combine flours, xanthan gum and salt in large bowl using a Kitchen Aid or other heavy-duty mixer. Pour in yeast mixture and egg (or egg substitute) and mix on medium speed using paddle attachment.

3. Slowly add ½ to 1 cup warm water and mix on medium for 2 minutes. Add enough water so that dough is soft and tacky, not liquid.

4. Coat large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Turn dough upside down so all dough is oiled. Allow dough to sit in a warm place for about 2 to 3 hours or until it has increased in size.

5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lower oven rack to bottom position and place baking sheet in oven as it preheats.

6. Pinch off 10 to 12 small pieces of dough and place pieces on floured surface.

7. Roll each piece into a circle, about 5 to 6 inches across and ¼-inch thick, with a rolling pin.

8. Place several circles on preheated baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes until bread puffs up. Turn over and bake for additional 2 minutes.

9. Remove each pita from baking sheet with a spatula and gently push down each puff. Bake additional dough until all pitas are made. Serve immediately or place in storage bags.

TIP You can freeze pita bread (use freezer bags) for up to a month.

Swedish Meatballs: Gluten/Dairy Free

2010-12-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

Instead of ham for Christmas Dinner, I thought I would try making Swedish Meatballs. I left the eggs out of the mix and they still tasted good. The gravy is not a cream base, and that is the only thing John would trade. He gave them two thumbs up though for being "gluten & dairy free." He thought it tasted more like a Chicken Fried Steak than a Swedish Meatball however.

1 pound lean ground pork OR beef (I did 1/2 of each)

1 small freshly grated onion

1/2 cup Quinoa Flakes, finely crushed gluten-free cracker crumbs or use dry gluten-free bread crumbs

2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for meatball mixture and 1/8 teaspoon to add to gravy

1/8 teaspoon allspice

2 lightly beaten eggs

1/2 cup milk OR your favorite dairy free milk substitute (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut milk)

1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch to roll meatballs in before pan frying

2 cups gluten-free beef broth (I used Pacific Natural Foods brand Organic Beef Broth) (Chicken will work too.)

2 tablespoons potato starch or sweet rice flour to thicken gravy

3 tablespoons vegetable shortening for browning meatballs**

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl combine ground pork or beef, grated onion, quinoa flakes/cracker/bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons potato or cornstarch, seasonings and eggs. Use an electric mixer to thoroughly combine ingredients. Add coconut milk or your favorite milk substitute. Beat on high for 1 minute.

Shape meat mixture into about 1 1/2-inch to 2-inch balls and dust each meatball with potato starch or cornstarch. I used a level 1/8th cup scoop to shape my meatballs but you can make them smaller if you like. Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet. Brown meatballs in batches, turning to evenly brown.

Remove browned meatballs from the skillet to drain on a plate. Leave pan drippings from browned meatballs in the skillet. Whisk 2 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch into 1/2 cup of the beef broth. Add this mixture along with remaining beef stock to the skillet. Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to gravy. Whisk and simmer over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Add browned meatballs and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.

To serve remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and pile in a large serving dish. Pour hot gravy over meatballs.

**The second time I made these, I cooked them in a non-stick skillet and did not use any oil to fry them. They tasted much better and were not as heavy. I also did not have beef stock, and used chicken. Still tasted wonderful! A double batch made 70 Tablespoon sized meatballs.

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Soup

2010-10-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe came to me through Living Without. I made this and it will serve more than 10. It does take a while to make. I did not put the cranberry sauce on top of the soup. It tasted like it should be in a pie crust with a pecan topping. You can't eat more than a bowl because it is rich! A great alternative for those that can't have gluten or dairy!

1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into
    1-inch pieces
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (12-16 ounce) can or jar prepared whole
    cranberry sauce
4 cups gluten-free, dairy-free vegetable or
    chicken broth
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss onions, carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil and roast them in a large, heavy roasting pan for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 15 minutes).

2. While vegetables are cooking, puree cranberry sauce in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

3. Place roasted vegetables in a large stockpot. Add broth, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, white pepper and salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft.

4. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches. (Hot liquids expand, so don't fill the blender more than 1/2 way full.) Add water as needed to achieve desired consistency.

5. Ladle hot soup into individual bowls and drizzle cranberry puree decoratively over the top of each serving.

Candy Bar Cookies

2010-10-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of variations you can do with this. You can add any type of candy bar, and even different flavors of cake mix!

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Snickers® candy bars (2.07 ounces each), chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, brown sugar, eggs and butter. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in chopped candy. Spread into an ungreased 13-in.x 9-in.x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

Glazed Mint Brownies

2010-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:00

We made these for the State Fair and they were a HIT with everyone who tried them!

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
FILLING:
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 drops green food coloring (optional)
GLAZE:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

In a heavy saucepan or microwave, melt chocolate and butter. Cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and flour. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
In a mixing bowl, combine the filling ingredients; beat until creamy. Spread over brownies. For glaze, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth. Spread over filling. Refrigerate until filling and glaze are set.

Carrot Cake

2010-10-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

We made this for the State Fair, but ended up eating it at our competition. Everyone loved it!

3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x12 inch pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture and mix well.
In a medium bowl, combine shredded carrots, coconut, walnuts, pineapple and raisins.
Using a large wooden spoon or a very heavy whisk, add carrot mixture to batter and fold in well.
Pour into prepared 8x12 inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Check with toothpick.
Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Easy Chicken Chili

2010-10-04T20:00:00.000-07:00

I had some leftover grilled chicken...it rained...I thought this chili would be a great recipe and it did not disappoint. I made it dairy free, but the original recipe called for sour cream to be added to the mix. I also had dairy free cheese I sprinkled on top of mine. The original recipe called for A LOT more spices (three times as many.) I did a can of black and kidney beans.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
2 (15.5 ounce) cans great Northern beans (or any other cans of beans)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
1 roasted chicken, bones and skin removed, meat torn into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Place olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add the chicken broth, beans, green chillies, chicken and spices. Bring to a boil and you are done! Add the sour cream and cheese to individual bowls.

Pseudo Stuffed Peppers

2010-08-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

We had wild rice on Sunday and I needed to use up the rest before it went bad. I also had some red and yellow peppers, so I thought of stuffed peppers! However, I know I would be the only one eating them and I don't like to store them. So I chopped up the peppers and added them to my rice and ground beef. My mom always made these with cheese, but I left it out and they taste great! Now I have lunch the rest of the week!

1 lb ground beef browned
1-2 bell peppers
2 cups cooked rice
salt/pepper to taste

Add everything in a pan and cook until warmed and peppers are softened.

Enjoy!

German Chocolate Ice Cream

2010-08-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

Coconut Ice Cream is about $5 for a pint. Since this is the only ice cream I have found that has not made me sick, it can get quite expensive. I found this recipe earlier, but the chocolate was too overwhelming for my taste. I kept searching though for a chocolate ice cream that would work and I found it! The base has 3 ingredients. I bought coconut milk and put it in the fridge to keep cold. Did you know it will solidify in the fridge? I didn't until I went to use it today. It all worked out though.

Recipe makes a little over 2 cups of ice cream:

1 can coconut milk (lite coconut milk may not contain enough fat to create the ice cream texture)
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1/3 c agave or sugar

Mix in a blender until smooth. Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacture instructions. I let mine mix for 15 minutes and then added:

1 handful of chopped pecans
1 handful of coconut

Let mix for additional 5 minutes. I then put the ice cream into 1 cup containers and freeze until ready to eat!

Total cost - $1.50! (Plus...it is REALLY YUMMY!!!)

Peach Crisp - gluten, dairy & egg free

2010-07-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe earlier from Elana's Pantry and forgot to cover while it was baking. (Don't make that mistake!) It was still yummy, but dried out as well. I made a few changes to it and think we have a winner!

8 large peaches, peeled & sliced
1/2 c frozen blueberries1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 cup blanched almond flour
½ cup coconut flour
½ tsp cinnamon½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup grapeseed oil
¼ cup agave nectar

Peel and slice the peaches. Add the frozen blueberries, lemon juice, vanilla and arrowroot powder. (If you don't have arrowroot, you can use cornstarch.) Place in a baking dish. I used an 8 x 10.

Combine the remaining ingredients to make the crumble topping. Place it on top of the fruit mixture:

Place in 350 degree oven COVERED for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 5 minutes. When it is done it will look like this:

It smells so good with that little bit of coconut flour. This dish is high in protein with the almond and coconut flours in it.
Enjoy!

Peach Ice Cream

2010-07-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Getting our new ice cream maker, we decided to make some peach ice cream for my dad. (It is his favorite.)
This fit perfect in our 1.5 quart maker:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c sugar
5 peaches
1 pint of half & half
1 tsp vanilla

Combine the eggs and sugar until smooth. Cut up 4 peaches and put into a blender (should be about 3 1/2 - 4 cups worth). Blend until smooth. Add the egg/sugar mixture and half and half. Make according to the mixers directions. 5 minutes before the end, add chunks of peaches and vanilla. Eat right away, or freeze.

YUMMY!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten, Dairy & Egg Free)

2010-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to try this recipe from Elana's Pantry for a while now. I went today and got some almond flour from Honeyville with my sister. When I got home, I made these. They are very simple to make and my boys loved them. John's comment was, "For a healthy cookie, they are great." For the chocolate chips, I found these Enjoy Life Foods Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 10 Oz at Sprout's. They are mini chocolate chips, and I could have got away with using 1/2-2/3 c verses 1 cup.

Thomas snuck three of them.

Here is the recipe:
2 ½ cups blanched almond flour - If you use Bob's Mill Almond Flour, the cookies will be flat and not very good. Honeyville's blanched almond flour is much better.
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil (This adds a butter flavor that other oils do not.)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar
1 cup Enjoy Life Foods Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 10 Oz

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
Mix wet ingredients into dry
Form ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
Cool and serve

Makes 24 cookies (I actually got 30 mini ones and 20 larger ones.)

Gluten Free Granola

2010-05-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

I looked all weekend for a good granola recipe that would be gluten free. The only common item that they had were certified gluten-free oats. Oats are not part of the gluten family, but because crops are rotated, wheat and oats are planted in the same area and can cause cross-contamination. I also learned that even if you do have gluten-free oats that you should limit it to 3 oz a day.

I took a recipe from Alton Brown and modified it for me:

3 cups gluten-free oats
2 cups nuts (raw, salt free)
1 cups coconut
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup craisins

Set oven to 250. Combine everything except for craisins and spread on 2 cookie sheets. Bake in the oven and stir it every 15 minutes. Cook for 1 hr 15 minutes or until golden brown. (My oven took less than 30 minutes. It does not get down to 250.) Let it cool for 15 minutes and then add the craisins.

I cut the sugar down by over half. John thought it needed more coconut, so he added some non-toasty kind. He loves it!
Here is what ours looks like:

YUMMY!
Note: I discovered that night that all oats are apparently out for me. I had a reaction :-(

Blueberry Muffins (Gluten, Dairy, Sugar Free)

2010-05-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

My sister Kathryn made these:

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

6 eggs (replaced it with 3 bananas)

1/3 cup agave or honey (I omitted this due to sweetness of coconut flour and bananas)

1/3 cup oil

1 Tbsp Vanilla (check ingredients on vanilla - sometimes they will add additional ingredients)

1 cup Blueberries (frozen or fresh)

1. In a small bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda

2. In a large bowl combine eggs (banana or applesauce), oil, vanilla, and agave (if you so choose to).

3. Combine dry ingredients with the wet ingredients

4. Add blueberries and stir (to prevent blueberries from dropping to bottom, dust them with some coconut flour)

5. Place in muffin cups

6. Bake at 350degrees fro 20-25 minutes

Yields 12 muffins

I cooked mine in mini muffin pans. To make the cup liners, I cut up some coffee paper filters I found. I also made them in a mini bundt pan. I just cut up coffee filters to line these as well. To make it more fun, I also added some unsweetened coconut flakes I recently purchased. It added a nice crunch for a topping.

Graham Crackers (Gluten, Egg, Dairy, Corn & Rice Free)

2010-05-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

My SIL Jessica made these for her children. They look great!

3/4 C almond flour
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t cream of tartar
3/4 t guar gum
1/2 t celtic sea salt
2 T grapeseed oil
1/3 C honey

Preheat oven 325. Mix all dry ingredients. Mix all wet ingredients. Mix together. Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4" thick. Use pizza cutter to make 2"x2" crackers. Poke fork holes on top for added texture if you like. Bake 15-20 minutes. (Longer if you like them crunchy - I like them chewy)

The result: If you're looking for a Nabisco Graham Crackers, sorry, it's not the same thing, but I like it better! Eden and David's verdict: they kept asking for more. Hopefully we'll have one left for Daddy when he gets home :)

Kale Chips

2010-04-09T17:14:00.000-07:00

Kale- that leafy, green vegetable next to the cabbage and bok choy in the produce section. I have never had kale, but these got such great reviews that I had to try. This week I have been craving something crunchy and yet I am trying to eat healthier, so potato chips are out. These are loaded with beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and calcium. Kale is also an anti-cancer fighting food like broccoli.

The recipe is super easy, and they really do taste like potato chips. My boys kept sneaking them before dinner.

1 bunch of kale, washed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I did 1 teaspoon regular salt)

Mix these together in a bowl until the kale is well coated. Put onto a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 -15 minutes.When I took it out, it looked like this:

I finally have something crunchy! I am very excited.

Two Bite Sweet Potato Ice Cream Sandwiches

2010-04-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made a recipe I found here. I made some modifications to it however which I will put here. These tasted like a gingerbread cake with ice cream. They were really good! I 1 1/2 times the recipe and it made 45 sandwiches.

1 cup roasted sweet potato puree
1 cup mashed carrots
1/2 cup blackstrap molassas
1/4 cup canola or grapeseed oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup gluten free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water, if needed

1 carton Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Dairy & Soy Free)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a Jelly-roll pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine sweet potato puree, carrots, blackstrap molassas, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir just until combined. If batter seems thick, add water a tablespoon at a time.

Turn batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to spread it evenly. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes until the center tests clean with a toothpick and the cake begins to pull slightly from the edges of the pan.

Set the cake on a wire rack and let it cool completely in the pan. Once completely cool, place cake on a large cutting board. Trim the edges with a serrated knife. Use a ruler to cut one inch strips from the width of the cake. Turn the strips on their side and cut them in half. Cut one inch squares from the strip, again using the ruler to be exact. (My ruler was 1 1/4 inches wide, so that is what I used as a measuring guide.)

Place matching sets of tops and bottoms in neat rows on a sheet pan. You want to be able to match them up later. Wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.

Use 1 teaspoon to scoop slightly softened ice cream onto the bottom of each mini-ice cream sandwich. Work quickly so the ice cream doesn’t melt. Place the top on your sandwich and place back in the freezer until firm.

Red Quinoa Salad

2010-04-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

My sister told me about red quinoa and how it was like comparing white rice to brown rice. It is a little nuttier flavor and texture. I bought a box and found a recipe I wanted to try. I made modifications however, and so I posted them here. This salad I find gets better with age. After 3 days I really love it! The flavors really mellowed and it is very refreshing. I might also try doing half white/half red quinoa as well next time:

2 cups quinoa (my box only came with 1 3/4 cup)
3 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned low-sodium broth
4 scallions (green onion), light and white green part only, thinly sliced
1/2 cup craisins
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 apple diced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and chopped (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer the quinoa until it has expanded fully, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

Place the cooled quinoa in a large bowl. Add the scallions, raisins, rice vinegar, orange juice and zest, olive oil, cumin, cucumber and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, then serve.

Meatloaf w/Quinoa

2010-03-23T17:23:00.001-07:00

This was really good and although not quite like my original, it got rave reviews! I doubled the recipe and used 2 lbs of ground beef instead of ground turkey. I also cooked the onion and garlic with the quinoa in chicken broth instead of water.

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water (chicken broth)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

My topping is brown sugar, mustard & catsup.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir unitl the onion has softened and turned translucent. Add garlic and cook. Add the quinoa and water/broth to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Lemony Quinoa

2010-03-05T17:07:00.001-08:00

This is really good cold. Add some craisins to it, or other veggies for added crunch! I did almonds other than pine nuts too!

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

sea salt to taste

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1.	Toast the pine nuts briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat. This will take about 5 minutes, and stir constantly as they will burn easily. Set aside to cool.
2.	In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly, then fluff with a fork.
3.	Transfer the quinoa to a serving bowl and stir in the pine nuts, lemon juice, celery, onion, cayenne pepper, cumin and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper if needed before serving.

Garbanzo Beans Flourless Chocolate Cake

2010-03-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

This is really pretty good. It is moist, and John liked it with ice cream. I did cocoa powder & oil instead of the chocolate chips (3 oz worth). I also did a sugar substitute instead of real sugar. I also used white beans instead of garbanzo.

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (19 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round cake pan.
Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth. If you have a powerful microwave, reduce the power to 50 percent.
Combine the beans and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the sugar and the baking powder, and pulse to blend. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
Bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

Quinoa and Black Beans

2010-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

My new favorite dinner! (Edited on 6/11/10)
This makes a batch for 1 week for me.

1 teaspoon oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 cup uncooked quinoa

4 cups vegetable broth (Costco Paradise Chicken Broth is Gluten Free & the cheapest)

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup frozen corn kernels (optional)

1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed

and drained

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned. (about 3-5 minutes). Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and let it soak into the onions & garlic.
Stir in the quinoa into the saucepan and cover with broth. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro when there is no more liquid and serve.

This is really good with chicken, in burritos, with guacamole, salsa and with chips!

Spanish Style Quinoa

2010-03-05T16:56:00.000-08:00

This is really good as stuffed peppers too!

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

2 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the quinoa, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Cook and stir 5 to 10 minutes until the onion is tender, and the quinoa has lightly toasted. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, then season with the chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes. Stir the quinoa occasionally as it cooks.

Mexican Lasagna

2009-12-03T18:58:00.001-08:00

I saw this in a magazine and thought it would be a great meal for my family. Plus, I don't know about you but I have just a few lasagna noodles left over every time I make lasagna and this is a great way to use them up. Anything you would use in a burrito or taco would work with this. Next time I will add olives, black beans, corn...

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion
8 oz lasagna noodles broken into 1 1/2 inch pieces (I used 6 and it was more than enough)
1 3/4 c spaghetti sauce
1 packet or 1/4 c of taco seasoning
1/2 c water
1 c shredded cheese
cilantro flakes
Sour Cream to top

Cook the lasagna noodles until done. Drain when cooked.
Brown the beef with the onion. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce, water and taco seasoning and let simmer. Add cheese and cilantro flakes right before you add the noodles.
Add the noodles to the meat sauce, stir and serve!

This got two big thumbs up from my boys and "When are you making this again!"

Krispy Kreme Doughnut

2009-12-02T19:44:00.000-08:00

Makes 10!

Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees F)
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. cake flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. nonfat milk

Glaze
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. meringue powder
Pinch salt

6 to 10 cups vegetable shortening (as required by your fryer)

Instructions
1-Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let solution stand for 5 minutes or until it becomes foamy on top. Make sure the water isn't too hot to avoid killing the yeast.
2-Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Beat egg yolk in a small bowl, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Pour the yeast solution into the bowl with the egg and milk, and stir. Make a well in the center of the flour, then pour the yeast solution into that well. Stir by hand gently with a wooden spoon from the middle, slowly bringing in more flour until all ingredients come together into a ball -- the dough will still be too sticky to handle at this point. Cover the bowl and let it sit in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
3-While the dough is rising, cut 10 4 x 4-inch squares of wax paper and arrange them on two rimmed baking sheets. Each doughnut will rise on its own square of wax paper, and the rimmed baking sheet will allow you to wrap a large sheet of foil over the doughnuts without the foil touching the doughnuts. Sprinkle a little flour on each of the squares of wax paper.
4-Use flour on your hands to transfer the dough to a floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough, and then gently roll out the dough until it's about 1/2-inch thick. Use only the amount of flour needed to allow you to handle the dough. Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out circles of dough, then use a lid from a plastic soda or water bottle (about 1 1/8-inch diameter) to cut the holes. Carefully place each doughnut on a square of wax paper with the most floured side of the doughnut down on the wax paper. Cover the doughnuts with large sheets of foil and let them sit for 45 minutes in a warm place until the doughnuts have puffed up to at least twice their original size.
5-While the doughnuts rest, make the glaze by combining water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute, or until the solution is clear. Pour hot sugar solution into a medium mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and a pinch of salt, then use an electric mixture and mix for 2 minutes on high speed. Cover this bowl with plastic wrap until you need it.
6-As the doughnuts rise, heat vegetable shortening in a fryer to 375 degrees F.
When the doughnuts have doubled in size, carefully transfer 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time to the hot shortening. Turn each doughnut over onto the palm of your hand, carefully remove the wax paper and then drop it into the oil. Fry for 1 minute, flip the doughnut with the handle of a wooden spoon, and continue frying for an additional minute. Remove donuts to a cooling rack for one minute.
7-After a minute on the cooking rack, spoon the glaze over the top of each doughnut so that it runs down the sides and off onto the plate below the cooling rack. In between each glazing stir the glaze so that it stays smooth. If the glaze begins to thicken, stir in just a little bit of hot water to thin it out. Let the glazed doughnuts cool for at least 5 minutes before eating. Don't store doughnuts in a sealed container or moisture from the doughnuts will melt the glaze. Instead store them covered loosely with aluminum foil. Stored this way the doughnuts will be good for about 1 day.
Makes 10 doughnuts

Light Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

2009-11-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

24 muffins - Freeze for a quick breakfast or late night snack!

4 eggs
1/2 c oil
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
12 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1- Mix first 5 ingredients together, mix dry ingredients
2- Blend two mixtures, fold in chips
3- Fill 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups
4- Bake 400 for 16-20 min

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Icing

2009-11-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

Makes 8 scones.

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all purpose flour (you can use 2 c of whole wheat pastry flour, the scones will be just a little heavier)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
6 TBS butter, sliced and chilled
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
6 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon icing:
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 TBS milk

1- In a large bowl whisk together first 8 ingredients. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.
2- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream, sugar and vanilla
3- Add to dry mixture and stir until mixture forms thick dough. Use your (clean) hands to knead the dough once or twice. (DO NOT OVER-KNEAD.)
4- On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a circle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges on an ungreased pan not touching.
5- Bake at 425 for 15 minutes until scones are browned on the bottom.

Make icing by whisking together icing ingredients adding just enough milk to make a drizzling consistency. Icing can be drizzled or brushed on.

Chicken Tetrazinni

2009-11-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Serves 4-6. Can be frozen. Make sure that you under cook the noodles if you are going to freeze.

2 c spaghetti, cooked & drained
2 c chicken, cooked & diced
1 can cream soup
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/4 c green pepper
1 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese

Saute onion and pepper in oil. Mix with the rest of ingredients. Cool and put in freezer bag and freeze flat.

When ready to use, thaw and place in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

If you double the recipe it will fit into 3 freezer bags and could be three dinners for a family of 4.

You could also add other vegetables to the mix!

Whole Wheat Waffles

2009-11-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Makes 6-8 waffles. Can be frozen after cooked for easy breakfasts. If you are going to freeze, triple or quadruple the recipe.

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 TBS sugar
1 TBS baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 c milk (can use 1/2 milk & 1/2 water unless you have a lot of milk you need to use up)
1/2 c oil or melted butter (you can do 1/4 c. applesauce or other fruit puree and 1/4 c oil)
1 tsp vanilla (opt)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Beat wet ingredients in another bowl. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Pour batter onto lightly oiled waffle iron and bake until done.

To freeze, let them cool and then put 5-6 in a freezer bag. To make in the mornings just put in toaster and instant breakfast!

Gourmet Pumpkin Seeds

2009-10-24T17:24:00.001-07:00

John tasted these and said, "These are not the pumpkin seeds I grew up with. These are gourmet." My sons then chimed in and said, "It is because mom is such a good cook!" We did two pumpkins and got 2 cups of seeds combined. I don't think our pumpkins had that many seeds though.

2 c pumpkin seeds, rinsed & dried
4 Tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice...)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1- Preheat oven to 250. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Larger seeds may take longer.
2- In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt and spices.
3- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to oil and stir until dissolved. Add the pumpkin seeds when they come out of oven. Stir with a wooden spoon until seeds look golden brown.
4- Pour spice mixture over seeds and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Hermits

2009-10-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

I choose these cookies for the State Fair this year because I know they will win. Not many people have heard of hermits or know how to make them!

If you don't want chunks of raisins in the cookies you can run them in a food processor for a few pulses to break them up.

1 c butter, softened

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

3 eggs

3 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 c raisins

1/2 c molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c walnuts

If you wanted to add a glaze for the top:

1 c powdered sugar

1 tbs butter (softened)

Milk to reach glaze consistency

Extra walnuts for topping

Preheat oven to 325 for bar cookies or 375 for drop cookies

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and spices. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in molasses and raisins.

To make into bar cookies: Spread mixture onto cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm and let cool on wire rack.

To make drop cookies: Drop batter about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

After cookies are cool you can add the glaze and extra nuts if desired.

Molasses Cookies

2009-10-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

3/4 c butter softened
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 sugar (to roll cookies in)

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth (5 min). Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Blend into the molasses mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.

Bake for 7-10 minutes. WATCH the time. When the tops start to crack they are done.

Cool on wire racks.

Fantastic Alfredo

2009-09-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

12 oz Penne Pasta
2 TBS butter/margarine (can use fat free or lite)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs whole wheat flour (or white)
1 c skim milk
1 c grated sharp white cheddar or mozzarella
1/2 c cauliflower puree
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
2 sprigs fresh basil (optional)
if you want chicken-
1 chicken breast cut into 1/4 inch strips

1- Cook the pasta according to directions. Reserve 1/2 c of the cooking water, then strain the pasta. Set aside
2- Heat the margarine(butter) in a large skillet with deep sides over medium heat. When the margarine foams, add garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant but not brown.
3- Add flour and cook for 4-5 minutes, whisking the flour into the margarine until a smooth paste forms.
4- Whisk in 1/4 c milk at a time until the milk is absorbed and creamy sauce starts to form. Once all the milk is incorporated, bring the sauce to a slow boil whisking for 1 additional minute. Stir in cheddar or mozzarella, cauliflower puree and Parmesan, mixing until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, paprika and pasta. Toss to coat. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too thick.

If you want chicken, take the strips of chicken and cook them in a pan lightly coated with oil 1-2 minutes on each side BEFORE browning the garlic. Cook the garlic in the same pan to get the chicken flavor in with it. Then when you add the pasta you can add the chicken back. You could also cut up already grilled chicken and just add it at the end.
Top with basil and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.
From Jessica Seinfeld

jonathan's hot dog in a blanket

2009-06-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hot Dog in a Blanket
3 tablespoons softened margarine
6 slices bread6 slices cheese
6 hot dogstoothpicks
1. Spread margarine on one side of each slice of bread. Place buttered side of bread down on baking sheet.
2. Top each bread slice with cheese, then put hot dog diagonally across cheese slice.
3. Fold opposite diagonal corners over hot dog and secure with toothpicks.
4. Bake at 375° F (190° C) for about ten minutes or until golden brown.

Mexican Rice

2009-06-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

We had this at a family dinner and it was so good!

2 medium ripe tomatoes (about 12 oz) cored and quartered
1 medium onion (white or yellow) peeled, quartered
3 jalapeno chilies
2 c long grain white rice
1/3 c canola oil
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 c low sodium chicken broth
1 TBS tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c minced cilantro
1 lime cut into wedges for serving

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350

Process tomato and onion in food processor or blend until smooth, scrape down bowl if needed. You are looking for this to measure 1 cup of liquid ingredient when done. If it isn't 1 full cup, use broth to make up the difference or better yet, use more fresh tomato.

Remove the ribs and seed from the 2 jalapenos, mince the flesh and set aside. The third one mince with the ribs and seeds.

Place the rice in a large fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Shake to remove excess water.

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed, oven safe 12-inch straight sided pan or dutch oven with a tight fitting lid over medium-high heat. (If you hvae either, use a regular saute pan or frying pan and transfer to a covered oven safe dish later.) for 1 - 2 minutes. Drop in 3-4 grains of rice in the oil. If the grains sizzle, the oil is ready. Add rice and fry, stirring frequently until it starts to turn a bit golden. Be careful not to burn. (about 6-8 minutes) Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and the jalapenos, cook stiring constantly until fragrant. (about 2 minutes) Stir in a pureed tomatoes and onioins, the chicken broth, tomato paste and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. At this stage either cover the pan and move to the oven or transfer to a lidded oven safe dish. Bake until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. (30-35 minutes) Stir the dish after 15 minutes.

Stir in cliantro and remaining jalapeno with the seeds to taste. Serve immediately, passing lime wedges separetly.

Baked Potato Soup

2009-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, cream and hot pepper sauce; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon, cheese and parsley.

Found it on All Recipes.com. There are lots of good comments if you want to make any modifications as well. You could do this in the crock pot. Cook the bacon and add everything to your crock pot and heat 8-10 hours!

jonathan's doucle baked potato's

2009-05-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Double Baked Potatoes
pulp of 6 baked potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup cream
1. Beat the potato pulp with the salt and butter until fluffy.
2. Beat the egg yolks with a fork, then beat them with the cream into the potato mixture.
3. Spoon the potato mixture into the potato skins. Bake about 20 minutes, or until the tops of the potatoes are browned.

jonathan's basic potato's

2009-05-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

Basic Baked Potato's
6 baking potatoes
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C).
2. Wash and dry the potatoes, then lightly rub with oil.
3. Place in a shallow pan and bake for 40–60 minutes. Potatoes are done when they can be easily pierced with a fork.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool. When you can handle them without burning your hands, cut them in half, then carefully, without breaking the skin, spoon out the pulp and put it into a bowl.
5. Replace the potato skins in the baking pan and keep the oven at 400° F (205° C) for any of the following recipes.

Better Brownies

2009-05-22T17:59:00.001-07:00

Found this on All-Recipes.com. I hope it is a winner for the State Fair...

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Mint Chip Ice Cream

2009-05-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

2 c heavy cream
1 c milk
1 c sugar
1/2 c fresh mint leaves
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
Ice Water in a bowl
Green food coloring (optional)
1 c chocolate chips, chopped or chocolate shavings

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk, 1/2 c sugar and the mint over medium heat, stirring, until almost simmering (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, remaining 1/2 c sugar and the salt. Add the hot liquid to the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly; pour into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until the custard thickens and registers 175 an an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes.
3. Strain the custard into a bowl set in an ice water bath, stir in 1-2 drops of food coloring, if using. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. Using an ice cream machine, process the custard according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in the chocolate chips, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Makes 1 quart

Cinnamon Peach Ice Cream

2009-05-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

2 pounds peaches - peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 c + 2 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 pinch salt
1 1/3 c heavy cream
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the peaches, 7 TBS sugar, the lemon juice and salt. Cook over medium heat, mashing until jam like, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, remaining 3 TBS sugar and the cinnamon until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the peach mixture and refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Using an ice cream machine, process the peach mixture according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Triple Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream

2009-05-17T20:04:00.001-07:00

4 large egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 2/3 c milk
1 1/3 c heavy cream
Ice Water in a bowl
1/3 c milk chocolate chips
1/3 c white chocolate chips
1 c broken dark chocolate covered pretzels

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1/4 c sugar and the salt. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream and remaining 1/4 c sugar over medium heat and cook, stirring until steaming hot, but not simmering. (about 6 minutes) Add to the egg mixture in a slow stream whisking constantly, then pour into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the custard thickens and registers 175 on and instant read thermometer, about 8 minutes.
2. Strain the custard into a medium bowl set in an ice water bath. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
3. Using an ice cream machine, process the custard according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in the chocolate chips and pretzels, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Candy Jar Ice Cream

2009-05-17T19:59:00.000-07:00

6 large egg yolks
1/4 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 c heavy cream
1 c buttermilk
Ice Water in a bowl
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 c chopped chocolate-covered cookie candy bars (like Twix or Kit Kat)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and salt. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream and buttermilk over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost simmering, about 5 minutes. Add to the egg mixture in a slow stream, whisking constantly, then pour into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens and registers 175 on an instant read thermometer. (about 8 minutes)
2. Pour the custard into a medium bowl set in an ice water bath; stir in the vanilla. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
3. Using an ice cream machine, process the custard according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold in the chopped candy bars, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm. About 4 hours.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts

Swirlberry Ice Cream

2009-05-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

3/4 c frozen strawberries, thawed and halved
2/3 c frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 c sugar
Salt
2 c heavy cream
1 c milk

1. In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, raspberries, 1/4 c sugar and pinch of salt. bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring and cook until jam like, about 10 minutes. Let cool, cover and refrigerate about 1 hour.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, remaining 1/4 c sugar and another pinch of salt until the sugar is dissolved; cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Using an ice cream machine, process the cream mixture according to the manufacturers' instructions. fold in the chilled berry mixture to make a swirl patter and then transfer to an airtight container, Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Makes 1 quart

jonathan's Drop Biscuits

2009-05-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Drop Biscuits
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup shortening or cold butter
3/4 cup milk
1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar into large bowl.
2. Cut shortening or butter into small pieces and work it into flour mixture with your fingers until flour has texture of coarse meal.
3. Add milk, and mix until flour is blended in. Mixture should be lumpy.
4. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450º F (230º C) for 12–15 minutes, or until biscuits are light brown on top.

Jonathan's baked beans

2009-05-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Baked Beans
2 cans (16 ounces/454 g each) pork and beans
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
4 hot dogs, sliced
3 slices bacon
1. Mix all ingredients except bacon together in baking dish. Place slices of bacon on top.
2. Bake at 350º F (175º C) for one hour. Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving.

Fruit Pizza

2009-05-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

1 Pre-Packaged Package of Sugar Cookie Dough

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1- Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

2- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.
3- Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool.

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4-In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust. Cut into squares before putting on your fruit topping.

Fruit

5- Arrange fruit on top of filling and chill

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake

2009-04-05T19:29:00.000-07:00

I did not make the cake with nuts, but put them on the outside and it was perfect! Jonathan came in while I was making this and asked me what I was making as I had a huge plate of grated carrots. I told him carrot cake. He asked, "There are carrots inside carrot cake?" You can tell how many times I have made this in his 7 years of life.

4 eggs
3/4 c vegetable oil

2/3 c applesauce
1 c white sugar

1 c brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 c whole wheat, 1 c all-purpose)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan, or two 8" rounds.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon . Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool

completely.

To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

Lemon Bread

2009-03-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5 fl.-oz. can) Evaporated Milk
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (about 1 lemon - reserve lemon for later use)

LEMON SYRUP (pour on after bread comes out of the oven):
COMBINE 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 lemon) in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and a light syrup is formed.

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 8 x 4-inch baking pan.

COMBINE flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat eggs, evaporated milk, oil and lemon zest together in medium bowl. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Using the skewer, poke numerous holes in the hot bread, piercing all the way to the bottom. Slowly drizzle the hot Lemon Syrup over the bread (Syrup will soak into the bread). Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes; run knife around edge of bread. Remove bread to wire rack to cool completely.

Sweet Pork (for tacos, burritos, chimichangas, salads...)

2009-03-18T20:49:00.000-07:00

1- 5 lb Pork roast (Slowly cooked all day in crockpot and shredded)
1 cup brown sugar
(1) 16 oz jar Pace Picante Salsa..

Combine Shredded pork, sugar and salsa. Warm in a crockpot for about 1 hour.

Serve with fresh tortillas, black beans, mango salsa, tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce... and anything else your craving!!

You can also use it in these yummy chimichangas!

Wendy's Frosty

2009-03-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

1 cup milk
1/2 cup Nestle's Quik
4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

DIRECTIONS
Blend milk and Nestle's Quik for 10 seconds on high speed of blender. Pulse in the ice cream until barely mixed. Mixture should be very thick. Freeze for at least an hour before serving.

Mimi's Buttermilk Spice Muffins

2009-03-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Muffin Batter:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Nut Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS: Heat oven to 375 degrees F
Batter:
In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together with an electric mixer. When thoroughly mixed, add eggs and beat one more minute. Sift the flour into a separate bowl together with the baking soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add flour and buttermilk to the first mixture. Mix at low speed until smooth. To avoid lumps in the batter, add the wet and dry ingredients alternately, in small amounts.Grease muffin tins with additional butter or margarine. You can also use paper baking cups. Fill each cup 3/4 full of batter.
Nut Topping:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. The nuts should be finely chopped.

Add a full rounded tablespoon of nut topping on top of the batter in each cup. Bake immediately or the topping will sink to the bottom of the muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. A wooden pick inserted in the middle of the muffin should come out dry.If using jumbo muffin pans, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F and increase the baking time 5 to 10 minutes.

Mimi's Carrot Raisin Bread

2009-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

Make a double batch! This one will go fast. You can substitute the nuts for pecans if you would like to as well.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup diced canned pineapple, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup finely shredded carrots

Sift first five ingredients into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar and eggs. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour; mix well. Add the next four ingredients; stir again.

Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan or four mini-loaf pans. Fill the pans 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Mini-loaves take about 20 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2009-02-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

This is great for company or a romantic dinner!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of ham
6 slices of swiss cheese
1 egg
1 tsp water
1 c bread crumbs
toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350
Take the chicken breasts and pound them until they are about 1/2 in thickness. (Do this between 2 sheets of saran wrap)
Place a slice of ham and cheese on top of the chicken.
Slowly roll the chicken keeping the ham and cheese inside.
Place a couple of toothpicks in the chicken to hold it in place.
Place these on a pan and into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
Meanwhile combine egg with the water to create an eggwash.
Take the chicken out of the freezer and dip in the eggwash and then the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet or pyrex dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. (Take the toothpicks out before serving too.)

jonathan's super salmon on toast

2009-01-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

Super Salmon on Toast
1 (7 3/4-ounce) can salmonmilk
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
1/2 cup diced celery
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon each salt, thyme, Tabasco sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices warm buttered toast
1. Drain and flake salmon and save liquid. Add milk to salmon liquid to make 3/4 cup.
2. Saute green onion, water chestnuts, and celery in butter.
3. Stir in flour and add milk mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth.
4. Add salmon, seasonings, and cheese. Heat until cheese melts.
5. Serve hot over warm buttered toast.

jonathan's humbug hash

2009-01-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Humbug Hash
1 pound milk chocolate

1 cup broken nuts

1 cup raisins

1 cup miniature marshmallows

2 cups rice cereal
1. Line 8″ x 8″ pan with foil or waxed paper.
2. Melt chocolate pieces in medium bowl over pan of hot (not boiling) water.
3. Remove chocolate from heat and carefully stir in remaining ingredients until all are coated.
4. Press evenly but lightly into foil-lined pan. Cool until hard.
5. To serve, lift candy out, peel off paper, and cut into squares.

jonathan's holiday punch

2009-01-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

Holiday Punch
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
1/2 gallon chilled apple juice
Combine ice cream and apple juice. Mix together with an electric or hand beater until frothy.

jonathan's spinach toss

2009-01-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

Spinach Toss
1 package spinach, cleaned
1 can mandarin oranges, chilled and drained
Dressing
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated onion
1/2 cup salad oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1. Shred spinach into large bowl.
2. Combine ingredients for dressing in covered jar and shake briskly.
3. Add dressing to spinach and toss until each leaf is coated.
4. Just before serving, gently toss in mandarin oranges.
Makes 6 servings.

jonathan's easy lasagne

2009-01-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

Easy Lasagne
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup canned tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
6 ounces uncooked lasagne noodles
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/4 teaspoon saltdash pepper
1. Sauté ground beef and onion over medium heat.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Grease 9″ square baking dish.
4. Cover bottom with half of uncooked lasagne noodles.
5. Spoon 1/3 of meat mixture onto noodles.
6. Arrange 1/2 of cheese slices over meat, then spread 1/2 of cottage cheese on top.
7. Layer remaining noodles, 1/3 of meat mixture, cheese slices, and cottage cheese.
8. Top with last of meat mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
9. Put two foil layers over top of casserole, pinching it tightly around edges of dish.
10. Bake at 325° for 1 hour.
Makes 6 servings.

jonathan's Car Creations

2009-01-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

Car Creations
1 whole-wheat tortilla
2 slices deli meat
2 slices cheesefresh spinach
2 graham crackersred fruit leather

1. Microwave the tortilla for 10 to 20 seconds to make it soft. Place the deli meat and cheese on the tortilla until the tortilla is covered. Scatter spinach leaves over the tortilla.

Basic BBQ Recipe

2009-01-20T19:37:00.000-08:00

We tried this with leftover turkey and it was GREAT! Put it in the crockpot all day and shred it at night for BBQ sandwiches. I just added all the ingredients to the pot and cooked it all day. (I also halved the garlic for my personal taste)

2 (4 pound) whole chickens, turkey, beef, pork
1 1/2 cups ketchup
3/4 cup prepared mustard
5 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons minced garlic
5 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup steak sauce
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
salt and pepper to taste
8 hamburger buns

Place chicken in a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until chicken comes off the bone easily, about 3 hours. Make sauce while the chicken cooks.

In a saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, garlic, honey, steak sauce, lemon juice, and liquid smoke. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside to allow flavors to mingle.

When the chicken is done, remove all meat from the bones, and chop or shred into small pieces. Place in a pan with the sauce, and cook for about 15 minutes to let the flavor of the sauce soak into the chicken. Spoon barbequed chicken onto buns, and top with coleslaw if you like.

Super Easy Mint Brownies

2009-01-11T19:08:00.000-08:00

1 package brownie mix (+ ingredients to make them)
1 box Andes mints

Prepare the brownies according to the directions on the box.

When the brownies come out, place the Andes mints on top of the brownies and let melt. (about 3-5 minutes) Take a knife and spread the mints over the top of the brownies and let cool.

These will taste like you added mint to the brownie mix. It is easy, but you cannot eat these right away, so allow time to cool!

Jonathan's Fudge

2008-12-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups milk chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups prepared chocolate frosting
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions:Line one 8x8 inch square pan with foil. Lightly butter the foil. In a small saucepan melt the chocolate chips over low heat*, stirring constantly. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the frosting. Add in the nuts and continue to stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and refrigerate until firm. Once the fudge is firm, cut in small squares and serve.
Note: If you do not want to add walnuts, you can also add other types of nuts or even other types of candies like miniature M&M's or miniature chocolate kisses. Enjoy!

Caramel

2008-12-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

This is REALLY good. Make them into small squares, dip them in chocolate or dip pretzels in them!

1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 c nuts

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.

Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

Christmas Tree Pull-Apart

2008-12-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

We had this every Christmas Morning. You don't need to do it in a Christmas Tree pan, but it add's to the Christmas Morning Festivities!

1 bag of Frozen bread rolls (or 1 recipe of bread dough) You need at least 30 rolls.
maraschino cherries
cinnamon/sugar mixture
oil

1- Spray your pan liberally.

2- Place 10-15 cherries around the bottom of the pan.

3-Put oil in one bowl and cinnamon/sugar in second bowl

4-Take your frozen bread dough and roll it in the oil and then roll it around in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

5- Place the dough balls in the pan close together. (see picture)

6- Let dough double in size. You can put this in the fridge for overnight to thaw. Pull it out the next morning and continue with next step.

7- Bake at 350 for 45 - 55 minutes. Check the middle dough balls for doneness. Rolls should look like bread, not dough when you try to pull it and look inbetween.

8- Let cool 5 minutes before taking out. Flip onto a board that has been covered in foil or wrapping paper.

9- This needs to cool before you put frosting on top!

Frosting Recipe:

Easy Way- get a can of white frosting, put in a ziploc bag, snip the end and drizzle over the top.

Harder Way-

2 cups powdered sugar
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons milk

Mix until frosting consistency, put in a ziploc bag, snip the end and drizzle over the top.

Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture

See the cherries under there?

How close you should place the rolls.

One Bowl Brownies

2008-12-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

4 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate OR 12 TBS cocoa powder + 3 TBS Oil
3/4 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Microwave chocolate and butter or margarine in large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes (30 seconds at a time) until butter or margarine is melted.
Stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts.
Spread in greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes (do not overbake).

These are a chewy brownie. For a more cake like brownie, add 1/2 c flour.

Gluten-Free Spice Cake

2008-12-15T20:12:00.001-08:00

1 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c honey
2 eggs
2 TBS canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c brown rice flour
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts
1/4 c finely chopped dried apricots
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat the applesauce, honey, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine the rice flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, allspice and cloves; gradually beat into applesauce mixture until blended. Stir in the walnuts, apricots and orange peel.

Transfer to an 8 in square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 28-32 min or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cheese Ball

2008-12-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In an electric food processor or blender, combine cream cheese, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Blend well. Add Cheddar cheese and process until the Cheddar is fine, but still in discrete pieces. Shape the mixture into balls or logs. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and
place in the freezer.

While the balls are in the freezer, combine the ground pecans and parsley in a shallow bowl. Remove the balls from the freezer and roll them in the pecan and parsley mixture.

Orange Cranberry Drops

2008-12-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375°F(190°C). Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Stir in the egg, orange juice, orange extract, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix into the orange mixture. Stir in the dried cranberries. Drop cookie dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until edges are starting to brown. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: If you do not have orange extract, you can do a few things. Use 3 TBS of orange juice concentrate. You can also add more orange zest instead of orange extract.

I also got 23 cookies out of the batch. They are cake like and have a good flavor. We added a few craisins on top for appearances. We also used orange flavored craisins. You could also put a little orange frosting on top, but they are sweet to begin with. VERY GOOD!

Snickerdoodles

2008-12-11T21:57:00.000-08:00

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4cups all-purpose fl our
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the
flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches
apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

2008-12-11T21:55:00.000-08:00

Sugar Cookies:
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose fl our
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
1/2 cup shortening
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
5 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon butter flavored extract

In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer until
light and fl uffy. Combine the fl our, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir fl our
mixture into butter mixture until well blended using a sturdy spoon. Chill dough for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). On a lightly fl oured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch
thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto
ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cookies from pan and cool on
wire racks.
Using an electric mixer, beat shortening, confectioners sugar, water, salt, vanilla extract,
and butter flavoring until fl uffy. Frost cookies after they have cooled completely.

Caramel Shortbread Squares

2008-12-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose fl our
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and fl our until evenly crumbly.
Press into a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened
condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat
vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool).
Cool until it begins to firm.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat
and stir at 20-second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the
caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1-inch squares. These need
to be small because they are so rich.

Gingersnaps

2008-12-11T21:53:00.000-08:00

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose fl our
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).

In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat
in the egg and molasses until well blended. Combine the fl our, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda
and salt; stir into the molasses mixture to form a dough. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll
the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5
minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Bars

2008-12-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups white sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.
Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.
Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares.

Easy Morning Glory Muffins

2008-12-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

See the notes at the end! Thanks Stephanie for posting this on your blog!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 apple - peeled, cored and shredded
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the carrot, raisins, nuts, coconut, and apple.
In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, oil, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into the carrot/flour mixture, just until moistened. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

NOTES: You can replace the 1 c of oil with 1/4 c oil and 3/4 c applesauce to lower the fat content.

You could also add 1/4 c raisins or 1/4 craisins. (I would boil them in some water beforehand to plump them up a little bit.)

Jonathan's Baked Apples

2008-11-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Baked Apples
4 tart apples

4 tablespoons brown sugar

4 teaspoons margarine or butternutmeg and cinnamon to taste

1/2 cup water
1. Wash and quarter apples; cut out core and seeds. Slice into baking or microwave dish. Add water.
2. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and nutmeg, then brown sugar. Dot with margarine.
3. Cover and bake at 375° F (190° C) for 30 minutes, or bake in microwave on high for 5–8 minutes, then let sit for 5 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Pumpkin Rolls

2008-11-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

These look so yummy!

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 cup warm milk
¼ cup butter, softened or melted
2 cup mashed cooked pumpkin (I usually use one can of pumpkin.)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup wheat germ (can omit and use flour instead)

10-12 cup all-purpose flour (I usually use a mixture of whole-wheat and white flours. I'd recommend going about 1/3 whole-wheat to 2/3 white flour.)

7 teaspoons dry yeast

In large mixing bowl, combine sugar, water, milk, butter, pumpkin, and salt. Mix well. Add wheat germ, 7-8 cups of the flour, and yeast. Mix, and then continue adding flour and kneading until dough is elastic and not sticky.

Place dough in greased bowl; grease top of dough, cover with a towel, and set in a warm place until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch dough down and divide into thirds. Divide each third into 16 pieces and shape into balls.

Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, until tops are golden. Brush with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. (Note: These rolls usually look somewhat dry when first coming out of the oven. Wait about 15 minutes and they will look and taste beautifully. Don't ask me why, but that's how it always works for me!)

Yield: 4 dozen rolls (If you're not expecting a large crowd for Thanksgiving, I'd recommend halfing the recipe. I often do this for smaller groups and it works great!)

jonathan's potato salad

2008-11-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Potato Salad
3 pounds potatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 small dill pickle, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/4 green pepper, chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
1. Wash the potatoes, then boil them until they can be pierced easily with a fork (about 50 minutes). Drain them, let them cool until they can be handled, then peel them and cut them into 1/4″ (6 mm) slices.
2. Add the broth, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the potatoes, and gently toss them. Lightly salt the onions, and add them to the potatoes along with the pickle, celery, green pepper, and 2 teaspoons parsley flakes.
3. When the potatoes have completely cooled, gently stir in the mayonnaise. Add more salt or pepper if desired. Put the potato salad into a serving bowl, sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, and refrigerate it until you serve it.

jonathan's one-pan cake

2008-11-16T11:42:00.000-08:00

One-Pan Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla1 cup warm water
1. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, soda, and salt into an 8″ (20 cm) square cake pan. Make two holes in the dry ingredients and add the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water. Stir until mixed.
2. Bake at 350 ° F (175 ° C) for 25–30 minutes.
Frosting
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix the butter, cocoa, sugar, and milk together in a pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat down and let the mixture simmer for one minute. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir it until it cools. Add the vanilla, then frost the cake.

jonathan's pumkin pie cake

2008-11-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Pie Cake Crust
1 box yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup for topping)
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1 egg, beaten Filling
1 can (29 ounces/812 g) pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (12 ounces/336 g) evaporated milk
Topping
1 cup yellow cake mix
1/2 cup sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1. Mix the crust ingredients together. Sprinkle the mixture on the bottom of a rectangular cake pan.
2. Stir the filling ingredients together until well blended, then spread over the crust.
3. Mix the topping ingredients together, using your fingers if necessary to blend in the margarine. Sprinkle on top of the filling.
4. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 60–70 minutes. (A knife inserted into the filling should come out clean when the cake is done.) Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

jonathan's toasted peanut butter sandwiches

2008-11-13T07:31:00.000-08:00

Toasted Peanut Butter Sandwiches
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
8 slices bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons margarine
1. Mix the peanut butter and honey together.
2. Spread the mixture on four slices of bread. Top with the remaining slices to make sandwiches.
3. Mix the eggs and the milk together.
4. Melt the margarine in a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Dip each sandwich in the egg mixture and place in the frying pan.
6. Brown the sandwiches on both sides.

Skillet Potatoes

2008-11-08T21:07:00.001-08:00

For even cooking and proper browning, the potatoes must be cooked in a single layer and should not be crowded in the pan, so be sure to use a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet. A nonstick skillet simplifies cleanup but is not essential.Serves 3 to 4
1 1/2 pounds Red Bliss potatoes , small or medium, scrubbed and unpeeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. If using small potatoes (1 1/2- to 2-inch diameter), halve each potato. If using medium potatoes (2- to 3-inch diameter), quarter each potato to create 3/4- to 1-inch chunks. Rinse potatoes in cold water and drain well; spread on clean kitchen towel and thoroughly pat dry.
2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes cut side down in single layer; cook, without stirring, until golden brown (oil should sizzle but not smoke), 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn potatoes skin side down if using halved small potatoes or second cut side down if using quartered medium potatoes; cook, without stirring, until deep golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes longer. Stir potatoes, then redistribute in single layer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender (paring knife can be inserted into potatoes with no resistance), 6 to 9 minutes.
3. When potatoes are tender, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss or stir gently to combine; serve immediately.

Variations:
Garlic & Rosemary:
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

Combine the two ingredients in a small bowl. When you add the salt & pepper in step 3, clear the center, pour in the garlic & rosemary mixture. Cook the mixture until it smells fragrant (about 45 seconds). Stir in the rest of potatoes and serve immediately.

Lemon & Chives:
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tsp minced fresh chives

Combine the two ingredients in a small bowl. When you add the salt & pepper in step 3, add the lemon & chives and serve immediately.

Chili & Cumin:
1 tsp chili pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Combine the three ingredients in a small bowl. When the potatoes are tender, sprinkle with salt and chili powder mixture (omitting the pepper). Cook over medium-low heat and cook for 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

All Beef Meatloaf

2008-11-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

If you can't find chuck and/or sirloin, substitute any 85 percent lean ground beef. Handle the meat gently; it should be thoroughly combined but not pastelike. To avoid using the broiler, glaze the loaf in a 500-degree oven; increase cooking time for each interval by 2 to 3 minutes. Serves 6 to 8

Meatloaf
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery , chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium clove garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (powdered)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 pound ground beef chuck

Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use. Prepare baking sheet (see illustration below).
2. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.
3. Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meat loaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.
4. While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

Step-by-Step: Troubleshooting Meat Loaf
PROBLEM: Sides of meat loaf remain crustless.
SOLUTION: Loaf pans expose only one side of the meat loaf to browning heat. By opting for a free-form loaf, we achieved an all-over browned crust.
PROBLEM: Meat loaf sits in an unappealing pool of grease.
SOLUTION: Baking directly on a sheet pan provides no outlet for exuded grease. A foil base, poked with holes and set on a cooling rack, lets juices drain as the loaf cooks.Step-by-Step: Creating a Free-Form "Loaf Pan"

Allowing meat loaf to stew in its own juices makes for a greasy mess. Here's our solution: Fold heavy-duty aluminum foil to form a 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Center the foil on a metal cooling rack and place the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Poke holes in the foil with a skewer (about half an inch apart). Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

jonathan's stuffing casserole

2008-11-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Stuffing Casserole
2 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken
1 can cream of chicken soupsalt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
1 package stuffing mix, prepared according to package directions
2 cups mashed potatoes1 cup grated cheese

1. Mix the turkey and soup in a bowl, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish. Layer the green beans, stuffing, and mashed potatoes on top of the turkey.

2. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 15 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven until cheese is melted.

jonathan's cremy pumkin dip

2008-10-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

[15 oz. ] can pumpkin
[ 8 oz. each ] pkgs. market pantry cream cheese, soften
11\2 cups market place powered sugar
2 tsp.pumpkin pie spice

1. beat pumpkin and cream cheese together until smooth. beat in powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
2.spoon into serving or small hollowed pumpkin. Enjoy with gingersnap cookies and sliced apples for dipping

Sloppy Joes

2008-10-20T19:34:00.001-07:00

I grew up on these and my family loves them too! Does NOT taste like Manwich - so much better!!!

1 lb ground beef
1 can baked beans (take out the piece of bacon) OR 1 can of pork n beans
1/2 c catsup
1/4 c mustard
1/4 c brown sugar
Hamburger Buns

Brown the ground beef, drain the excess grease. Add all the ingredients and then taste. It should taste slightly sweet and tangy - like BBQ beans.

This is also good with potato chips!

jonathan's heart cakes

2008-10-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

Heart Cakes
1 (18.25 ounce/517.4 g) white cake mix
1 cup butter/margarine,
softened11 ounces (312 g) cream cheese,
softened1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
24 ounces (680 g) confectioners' sugarred food coloringdecorations of your choice: candies, colored sugar
1. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.
2. Pour the batter into a 10″ x 15″ x 1/2″ (25 cm x 38 cm x 1 cm) jelly-roll pan lined with waxed paper. Bake at 350° F (175° C) for 20 minutes.
3. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it upside down onto waxed paper. Peel away the first waxed paper; cool the cake completely.
4. Line the jelly-roll pan with waxed paper. Using cookie cutters or cardboard patterns and a table knife, cut heart shapes out of the cake and place them on the jelly-roll pan in a single layer. Put the cakes in the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the red food coloring a few drops at a time to the desired shade. Spread the frosting over the tops and sides of the cake hearts.
7. Decorate the cakes with candies and/or colored sugar.

jonathan's crepes

2008-10-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Crepes
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter/margarine,
meltedpinch of saltbutter/margarine
1. Combine all but the last ingredient in a blender and blend for about 1 minute. (Or use a mixer or an egg beater for at least 5 minutes.)
2. Melt about 1 teaspoon of butter/margarine in a 7″ (18 cm) frying pan until it sizzles. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of the batter.
3. Tilt the pan from side to side so that the bottom of it is covered with a thin layer of batter.
4. Cook the crepe on medium heat for about 1 minute; flip it over and cook for 10 more seconds.
5. Spread jam, scrambled eggs, yogurt, or another filling (recipes follow) on crepe, then fold or roll it up.
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 with remaining batter.
Cheesy Filling
8 ounces (225 g) Gruyère or other hard cheese, grated
8 ounces (225 g) smoked ham, diced fine
Mix the cheese and ham together; spoon
2 to 3 tablespoonfuls into a warm crepe.
Cream and Fruit Filling
your choice of soft fruit, washed and sliced2/3 cup heavy cream1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1. Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar together until stiff.
2. Spread the cream mixture over the crepe, then fill the middle of it with the sliced fruit.
Fruit Pudding Filling
1/2 cup applesauce2 tablespoons peanut butter2 tablespoons honeydash of cinnamon
Stir all ingredients together until smooth; spoon 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls into the crepe.
Strawberry Whip Filling
1 cup strawberries, washed and cut into small pieces1 carton (8 ounces/227 g) lowfat vanilla yogurt or 1 cup whipped cream
Mix the strawberries with the yogurt or whipped cream; spoon 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls into the crepe.