Kiss My Grits

Please Help

2011-12-27T15:51:00.001-07:00

Our friends, Kelly and Ryan Pack, and their 2 sweet little boys were involved in a tragic car accident on Christmas Eve. It was 6 pm and they were headed home to get ready for Santa. Another driver in a suburban crossed over the median and hit them head-on. Their 1 year old, Colum, was airlifted to Primary Children’s Hospital. He passed away Christmas night in the arms of his parents due to severe injuries. Both Kelly and Ryan are still in unstable condition. Their 3 year old, Finn, has finally been released from the hospital. If you are able to donate even a dollar, please do so on their website. They have a long road to recovery, and that pain is made more severe by the loss of their little baby. Every donation, large or small, will help. Thank you for your consideration.

This is their web page: http://kellypack.com It includes donation information, family pictures and current updates.

Crockpot Baked Apples

2011-11-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

This is one of my kids’ favorites! And I love how it makes my house smell all fall-ish. It is super simple, but super delicious. Here’s what you need:

10-12 large apples (your favorite kind, I used Braeburn) peeled, cored and sliced.
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Take your sliced apples and place them in your crockpot. Pour water around sides of apples. Mix your cinnamon and sugar together and then sprinkle to cover all of the apples. Cook on low for 4 hours or until desired softness. {If you overcook the apples, they’ll be super soft and might end up being used for applesauce. Check them out between 3 1/2 and 4 hours to see if they’re to your liking.}

Works as a great side dish with meat, or as a snack to warm you up on a cold evening. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cake Roll

2011-10-14T13:27:00.002-06:00

This is a great dessert for fall time! My love for pumpkin has grown over the years, and when you add anything with cream cheese to it—I’m game!

Cake Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts, optional
1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting towel and cake

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease and flour 15x10” jelly roll pan (a.k.a. cookie sheet with sides.) {I used Pam with flour, cut a piece of parchment for the bottom of the pan and sprayed that also.}

Beat eggs on high speed for about 5 minutes. Gradually add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Spread into pan. Top with walnuts, if desired. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Turn out onto a thin kitchen towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at narrow end, roll cake and towel together; cool and unroll.

To make filling, combine ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over cake; roll and chill. Just before serving, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the cake. Serves 10-12.

{I usually do a very thin slice off each end so they are even and pretty.}

Bow ties for little boys

2011-06-02T12:24:00.004-06:00

I have a guest crafter today named Katie K who will be sharing her tutorial on how to make a little boy’s bow tie. These are so cute! We are making these for our Joplin service project for the little boys there, but I thought I’d post it in case anyone else out there wanted to make their own…or make some to donate?? (wink, wink) Thanks for helping us out today, Katie!

Pinecone Bird Feeder

2011-04-29T22:36:00.002-06:00

Remember making these in elementary school? My kids are very interested in birds lately, so we decided to make this super easy bird feeder. Here’s what you need:

1 medium to large pinecone
2 Tbs. margarine or butter
2 Tbs. peanut butter
string
bird seed

Tie a 2-3 foot piece of string around the top of the pinecone as a hanger.

Mix the margarine and peanut butter in a bowl and then spread it on the pinecone.

In a shallow plate, place some bird seed and roll cone in it.

Place in freezer for an hour or until firm.

Hang from tree and watch the birdies eat!

Success!

Feel like chicken tonight?

2011-03-24T12:44:00.002-06:00

While you're waiting for me to get my tookus in gear, here's a great chicken chart with recipes I found from Paula Deen. I love having recipes geared toward the different parts of chicken, or the whole chicken itself. This will come in handy!

We've Moved!

2011-03-08T14:58:00.003-07:00

Sorry for the lack of entries, but we just bought our first home and life is crazy! Once my kitchen is put back together, I'll have some tasty vittles to share! Thanks for hanging around...be back soon!

Valentine’s Day Pancakes

2011-02-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

This is a really easy recipe that my kids love the weekend before Valentine’s Day! All you need is a metal cookie cutter and some love….

Basic Pancake Recipe

2 c. sifted all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. milk (I prefer whole or 2% for this recipe)
3 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Whisk together. On your hot griddle (or if no griddle, hot pan on stove) rub a little butter to keep pancakes from sticking. Spray metal cookie cutters with Pam and place on griddle. Pour enough pancake batter in cookie cutter to just cover the bottom of the shape. {Don’t add too much! Once the batter “grows” it can spill out of the cookie cutter or turn ugly when it’s time to flip it.}

After a few minutes and when the batter starts to look spongy, pull cookie cutters off. {If your cookie cutter doesn’t have a rubber top, use tongs because the metal will be hot!} Take your spatula and flip pancake. Once the other side is done, remove to a plate. You can dress it up however you’d like! I used powdered sugar, some strawberries, whipped cream and sugar-free syrup.

Enjoy!

Mama’s Sweet Cornbread

2010-12-08T22:37:00.002-07:00

Oh, how I love this cornbread! I eat it straight from the pan with honey and butter ~ it doesn’t last long! The ingredient that makes it divine: Vanilla! I combined some different ingredients to create my own delicious recipe. Try it with my Easy Indiana Chili recipe.

You’ll need:

3 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup corn meal
2 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x13 pan. Combine all the dry ingredients first then add all the rest of the ingredients in the large bowl. Stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes and check if wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve with honey and butter.

Favorite Tomato Soup

2010-11-04T00:16:00.002-06:00

Hands down, this is the best soup around! It is my husband’s all-time favorite and so perfect for a chilly day. Add some sourdough bread on the side or pour some in a bread bowl and you are sure to love it!

Here’s what you’ll need:

64 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
2 cups chopped onion
4 Tbs. chopped parsley
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 Tbs. butter
6 tsp. flour
48 oz. can chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
10 oz. can tomato soup

Directions:

Place canned tomatoes with their juice in large soup pot. Add onion, parsley, salt, sugar, basil, and pepper and boil until onions are transparent.

Once onions are transparent, remove ingredients from pot and place in separate bowl to help them cool faster. I give it a stir every now and again to allow the heat and steam to escape.

While the tomato mixture is cooling, melt your butter in the pot and add flour to make a roux. This will help thicken your soup.

Add your chicken broth and cook until it thickens. It won’t be extremely thick—just thicker than the broth would be on it’s own. Add the milk to the pot and keep it on medium low heat.

Once your tomato mixture has cooled, place it in a blender in 2 separate batches. Take half of the mixture, pulse it in the blender until smooth, and then pour it in your pot. Do the same with the second half of the tomato mixture. Keep in mind that your tomato mixture must be cooled off or it could explode all over your kitchen while in the blender.

Take the last ingredient, the can of tomato soup, and pour it in the pot. Let the whole thing simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then it’s ready to serve!

Yields: 16 servings

Circle Skirt

2010-10-26T13:48:00.001-06:00

My friend, Sara, directed me to this fun pattern for a circle skirt. You can make them for a little girl (super cute!) or for yourself (although it took lots of fabric for me!) I decided to make one as part of my witch costume for Halloween this year.

I tied up some of the skirt on both sides with bows for fun. Not part of the original pattern—just my own witchy flair!

Instead of traditionally hemming the bottom, I hemmed with ribbon since I used 2 layers of fabric, the sheer cobwebs and then an orange satin underneath.

Sugared Puffs

2010-10-16T15:52:00.002-06:00

Here’s a fun treat to make for game night! If you love regular Cheetos, these are right up your alley. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 lb. butter
1 bag butter flavored Cheetos (or any puffed corn snack that is similar)
slivered almonds, optional
waxed paper
Pam

Boil all ingredients (except puffs) to 240 degrees (soft ball stage).

Pour in bag of butter Cheetos and stir.

Add slivered almonds if you desire.

Spread mixture onto waxed paper sprayed with Pam; let cool. Once cool, break apart and store in airtight container.

Super Simple Hair Bow Holder

2010-10-12T22:59:00.001-06:00

I finally gave in and decided to make my daughter a hair bow holder. It’s nice to have them in the bathroom where we can see our choices for the day instead of smashed in a drawer. I decided to do a simple one that just hangs right on our bathroom wall.

For this project, you’ll need:

1 metal ring medium to large sized. I used a ring that opens and closes (meant for the thread bags used in cross stitching).

1 removable wall hook

Ribbon of your choice (1.5 or more inches wide)

You can probably already tell how to make it without instructions, but should you need them…

*Double knot your ribbon around the ring. Depending how many bows you have, that will tell you how many ribbon strips you need. I probably wouldn’t do more than 3 on one hook. The length of your ribbon will depend on how high you place the hook.

*Place your hook on the wall, slap your ring on there and then start filling it up. The nice thing about the ring is you can also put headbands on there, too. Those seem to get broken at our house pretty fast!

Back to School Cookies

2010-08-24T17:37:00.002-06:00

My kids and I decided to make a fun Back to School Treat for some of their friends. We just made some simple sugar cookies with cherry flavored frosting, and then wrapped them up with the following poem:

Twas the night before school started,
When all through the town,
The parents were cheering.
It was a riotous sound!
By eight, kids were washed
And tucked into bed...
When memories of homework...filled them with dread!

New pencils, new folders, new notebooks, too!
New teachers, new friends...their anxiety grew!
The parents just giggled when they learned of this fright
And shouted upstairs-...
GO TO BED-IT'S A SCHOOL NIGHT!

Have a great school year!
From:

We did a super simple wrapping since school starts tomorrow and we are out of time! I’ll be able to get some cute schoolhouse treat bags next year.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2010-07-16T16:44:00.001-06:00

My sister requested for her birthday today that I make her a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Since we are going to a picnic, I decided to make cupcakes instead. All you need to do is mix up your favorite chocolate cake recipe either homemade or from a box in cupcake form, and top it with this delicious frosting!

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. Wilton’s meringue powder

Cream together butter and shortening; add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, and then meringue powder. Frosting is ready if it can cling to beaters without falling off into bowl. Add more powdered sugar until frosting is stiff enough for piping on cupcakes.

I used Wilton’s 1M tip to pipe the frosting, and Wilton’s “Celebration” cupcake liners and picks for decoration.

You could also add a Reese’s PB cup in the middle if you like it extra rich, or sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups or mini-chocolate chips on top of the frosting.

4th of July dessert bar

2010-07-04T22:13:00.002-06:00

Here’s 2 fun takes on desserts for the 4th:

This one is my White Chocolate Fruit Tart recipe just changed up for the holiday with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries compliments of my sister-in-law, Marissa. YUM!

I was having a craving for Butter Pecan cupcakes, so I made a simple box mix and topped it with the Wilton white buttercream frosting recipe and some holiday sprinkles I had. I used Wilton tip # 1M to pipe the frosting. ( I also LOVE caramel frosting on top of butter pecan cupcakes!)

Wilton White Buttercream Frosting

1 cup solid vegetable shortening (make sure it isn’t Trans Fat Free shortening or the frosting won’t set up properly).
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
up to 4 Tbs. milk
2 tsp. Wilton meringue powder (optional)

(Makes about 3 cups of frosting)

In a large bowl, cream shortening and vanilla with an electric mixer. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in 2 tsp. meringue powder to help keep piped frosting stiff (optional). Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Summertime!

2010-06-21T12:06:00.001-06:00

I've been enjoying summer break waaaay too much! I haven't done a lot of cooking, but definitely a lot of icecream eating! I'll post something de-lish very soon!

Deep Dish Italian Pizza

2010-05-18T11:36:00.002-06:00

This is a very easy homemade pizza, and my family loves it! It is from Rhodes. (They also have a video on the website if you need additional instructions.)

Ingredients

18 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning
8 ounce can tomato sauce (I used a jar of pizza sauce)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (I didn’t use this ingredient)
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
your choice of toppings, pepperoni, sausage, olives etc.
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls together and roll into a 13x18-inch rectangle. Pour olive oil in the bottom of a 12x17-inch baking pan. Rotate the pan so the olive oil coats the pan evenly. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Place dough in pan. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise for about an hour. As dough rises you will need to press it out to the corners of the pan. Remove wrap and poke crust several times with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming.

Pre-bake crust at 350°F 12 minutes. Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce evenly over crust. Sprinkle sauce with Italian seasoning. Sprinkle evenly with feta cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top of feta. Add your favorite toppings. Sprinkle cheddar cheese evenly over toppings. Bake at 425°F 12-15 minutes.

Shredded Chicken Burritos with Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

2010-05-13T17:08:00.002-06:00

This is the ultimate Mexican dish in my book. My family dives into this whenever I make it. I hope yours does, too! One thing to remember with Mexican dishes is some people like it hot-n-spicy, while others do not. Since I am feeding 3 young kids, we definitely keep it on the mild side. This recipe is very mild, but I’ll add a few ideas if you want to spice it up. Go for it! (Just don’t feed it to me.) :) This recipe was adapted from a chicken taco salad recipe my friend, Julie, gave to me. I’ve changed it up after a few tries, and the nice thing about it is if you don’t like the spices one way, you can change it the next time around until you get it just the way you want it. (Sorry, I didn’t do too well taking pictures this time.)

4-6 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
3-4 Tbs. Essence of Emeril (Recipe to make your own)
2 limes juiced + extra if needed
1 small can diced jalapenos
Chicken broth or prepared chicken bouillon (enough to cover all the chicken in the crock-pot)
Salt, Chili Powder for seasoning
1 can pinto beans
Raw tortillas, or pre-cooked
Tomatoes, chopped
Mexican blend cheese
Hearts of Romaine, thinly chopped
Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (recipe below)

Place chicken breasts in crock-pot and add Essence (sprinkling it all over each chicken piece), lime juice, half of the small can of jalapenos and cover with chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. (Do not cook on HIGH because the chicken will not be tender/savory enough.)

Take out chicken, leaving juices in crock-pot, and shred with 2 forks. Return chicken to crock-pot and add additional lime juice (if needed) and a generous sprinkle of salt and chili powder. Serve from crock-pot with tongs or a slotted-spoon. (At this point, taste the chicken to make sure it’s spicy enough for you. If not, add more chili powder and cumin.)

To make burritos: Cook raw tortillas (you can find them at Costco) on griddle with butter. Toast on both sides, then fill with crock-pot chicken, pinto beans and cheese.
(Regular pre-cooked tortillas, just go straight to filling.)

Wrap up into burrito and place in 9x13 glass baking dish. (You can fit around 5-6 burritos in one dish.) Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Take off foil the last 5 minutes of baking.
Once out of oven, place burrito on plate and cover with chopped hearts of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, more cheese and the tomatillo ranch dressing.

To make taco salad: Place a generous pile of chopped hearts of romaine lettuce on plate. With slotted spoon, place a serving of crock-pot chicken on top of lettuce and then top with cheese, tomatoes, tomatillo ranch dressing and thin tortilla strips (we buy a large bag from Bajio’s.)

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

small bunch of cilantro, long stems removed (optional ingredient)
4 small tomatillos, cut in quarters
2-3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 of small can of diced jalapenos
1 bottle (16 oz.) of Buttermilk Ranch dressing (I prefer Hidden Valley, but any will work)

If you are using cilantro, pulse clean and dried cilantro in a food processor until finely ground. (I am not a fan of cilantro at all, so I never use it. I suggest starting with a very small amount --1/4 cup chopped-- and then adding more to your taste as you go along.) Add in tomatillos, lime juice and jalapenos and pulse about 30 seconds until well pureed. Add bottle of buttermilk ranch dressing and pulse just until ingredients are well combined. Chill for 2 hours before serving. (If dressing is not spicy enough, add more jalapenos if you have them or some green Tabasco sauce.)

Peaches-n-Cream Stuffed French Toast

2010-05-13T12:23:00.003-06:00

8 oz. bar cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup peach preserves
1 tsp. vanilla
1 loaf Texas-style thick bread (at least 14 slices)
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup pureed frozen raspberries
1 Tbs. + 2 Tbs. water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tbs. cornstarch
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup whole milk or half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup oil
powdered sugar

Make the filling by combining the cream cheese, peach preserves, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread filling on 7 slices of bread, and top with remaining slices. Press gently together and refrigerate until needed.

Make the puree: Place about 1 cup of frozen raspberries in blender with 1 Tbs. water to start. (More water might be required.) Pulse until raspberries look like a smoothie. Add additional Tbs. of water if puree isn’t smooth enough. Measure out 1/2 cup of puree when finished.

Make the sauce: Place your apple and orange juices along with your raspberry puree in pan. Add corn syrup and simmer gently. Combine 2 Tbs. water and cornstarch and add to sauce. Cook until slightly thickened; set aside.

Combine eggs, milk or half & half and 1 tsp. vanilla in bowl. Dip stuffed french toast in egg mixture covering both sides but not soaking. Heat oil in pan, and cook bread on each side until light brown. Serve with raspberry sauce and powdered sugar. (You could also dress it up with some fresh raspberries and a mint leaf.)

Beignets

2010-05-10T14:43:00.003-06:00

I made these for Mother’s Day breakfast and they were delicious! This recipe is from Paula Deen.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 cup evaporated milk
7 cups bread flour
1/4 cup shortening
Nonstick spray
Oil, for deep-frying
3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours. (I let it rise overnight so we could fry them up for breakfast. This picture was taken the next morning.)

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.

Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. (I didn’t have a square biscuit cutter, so I used a round glass.)

Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color.

After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Enjoy! Next time, I am going to fill some of them with custard!

Simple Malasadas

2010-04-13T11:07:00.002-06:00

I remember my little Portuguese grandma making Malasadas when I was kid. She would stand on a stool, kneading and kneading and kneading for hours in a large, metal tub with a hairnet on. It seemed like such a long process, that I never really thought I’d try it myself. Well, that was until my Hawaiian friend, Noe, found this much simpler recipe for it. (Portuguese food is very popular in Hawaii she tells me). I’m so glad she shared it on her blog! (It’s private, so no link). I’ve made it a couple of times now, and my kids really enjoy it. These are the doughnut hole sized version. Grandma’s were full-sized donuts in the shape of a figure 8, but these are perfect for kids’ little fingers!

Ingredients:

1 can buttermilk biscuits (or more depending on how many you want to make).
cinnamon/sugar
lemon zest (optional)
oil for cooking (I used canola)

I took one biscuit out of the roll and cut it into thirds. If you make the pieces too large, they won’t full cook inside before the outside is overcooked. Take one third of each biscuit and roll it into a round ball.

Heat your oil to 350 degrees and cook each ball until it’s golden brown. (I usually cut one in half to make sure they are cooked all the way through).

Place on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch excess oil.

Before they are completely cool, roll in cinnamon sugar. You can also add lemon zest to the sugar if you choose, but I didn’t and I thought they still tasted delicious. I’ll try the zest option next time around. I did roll some in glaze that I made, but I prefer the cinnamon/sugar.

Enjoy!

Valentine Fortune Cookies

2010-02-06T14:38:00.004-07:00

Here's a simple little treat that we like to make for neighbors on Valentine's Day. We bought our large bag of plain fortune cookies at Orson Gygi. You dip half of the cookie in melted white chocolate, and then sprinkle your favorite Valentine's sprinkles on them.
Allow them to dry on wax paper, and then place them in your gift bags. We made our own gift tags that said:
We are so "fortune"ate to have you as neighbors! Happy Valentine's Day!

Sassin' up the ol' Peanut Butter Cookie

2010-01-28T21:57:00.006-07:00

I love to take a generally boring cookie and sass it up! Here we have a pretty boring peanut butter cookie in my opinion, but with some white chocolate chips and a crusty sugar top, you've got perfection!

Here's the simple rundown:

1)Take your basic peanut butter cookie mix/recipe and add in 2/3 cup white chips (if your recipe yields around 2 dozen cookies. If it yields more, add more).

2) Using a cookie scoop, scoop out a ball of dough and then dip the whole top in sugar. (No cookie scoop? Then make the balls about 1 1/2 inches.)

3) Bake according to your PB cookie recipe directions (or directions on dough mix bag). I baked mine at 375 for 12 minutes.

4) Let cool on wire rack.

5) Enjoy! Soooo yummy!!

5.5) {Don't forget to share!}

Caramel Cookie Bars

2009-12-08T14:15:00.005-07:00

We love caramel frosting on just about anything, and these cookie bars are our favorite!

You will need:

1 package Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix
1/4 cup flour (for high altitude baking only)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 13x9-inch pan.

Combine cake mix (add 1/4 cup flour if high altitude baking), eggs, water, brown sugar, and butter in large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended; mixture will be thick.

Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 375 for 24 to 27 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan; cut into bars and frost with Caramel Frosting.

*******************************

Caramel Frosting

4 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, and mix in milk and brown sugar. Boil vigorously for 1 minute.

Remove from heat, and beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cool slightly, and beat in the vanilla and remaining confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

Thanksgiving Blessing Jars

2009-11-23T13:48:00.005-07:00

We made these jars to give away as Thanksgiving gifts this year.

Layer from the bottom up:

peanuts
Craisins

sunflower seeds
candy corn

pretzels

Bugles

Here's the message to type on the tag:

BUGLES: Shaped as a cornucopia, these represent the horn of plenty.

PRETZELS: These symbolize arms folded in thanks and prayer.

CANDY CORN: During the first winter, the pilgrims were each allotted only 5 kernals of corn per day as food was scarce.

DRIED FRUIT: These symbolize the celebration of the harvest.

PEANUTS & SUNFLOWER SEEDS: Seeds represent the potential of a bounteous harvest for the next season.

This is a fun family project and easy for kids, too! You can make the tags as simple or elaborate as you'd like. Cover the lid with a square of Thanksgiving fabric and then place the seal around it.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

2009-10-26T17:13:00.004-06:00

These are fun little Halloween/Fall cookies. This recipe is from Betty Crocker.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix, or your favorite homemade sugar cookie dough
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 egg
Orange paste food color
2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted, cooled

1. Line 8x4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
2. On work surface, place 3/4 cup dough. Knead desired amount of food color into dough until color is uniform. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.

3. Divide remaining dough in half. Gently press one half of remaining dough into pan on top of orange dough. On work surface, knead chocolate into remaining dough until color is uniform. Press over plain dough in pan, pressing gently to edge of pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until firm.
4. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from pan. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice into 5 wedges. On ungreased cookie sheet, place wedges 1 inch apart.
5. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set and edges are very light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Pumpkin Ice Cubes

2009-10-22T22:03:00.002-06:00

This is quick and simple for Halloween: I found an icecube tray at the dollar store with pumpkin shapes. We filled it with orange Kool-aid, froze it, and then used it in the kids' water cups. They loved it!

Bad to the Bone

2009-10-06T14:16:00.006-06:00

We've started our Halloween Treat Fest this week, and the kids and I made these fun pretzel bone fingers. They are really simple. All you need is your pretzel rods, white chocolate and bones mold. We decided to sprinkle some Halloween colored jimmies on the back of some of the fingers for an extra special treat!

Navajo Tacos

2009-07-21T13:39:00.009-06:00

I love this recipe because it can be dinner and dessert all at once! We use the fried scone as the taco base, and then pour honey and butter on a new one (or cinnamon sugar) for dessert! Here's what you'll need:

Your favorite bread dough. (I used a bag of Rhodes Rolls for these; my MIL uses a bag of dough bought at Albertson's from their bakery that they use to make the french bread.)
2 cans of chili. I prefer turkey chili or vegetarian chili. If you have a crowd, make both!
shredded cheese
tomatoes
black olives
green onions
sour cream
any other topping of your choice
oil for frying (I prefer canola or veggie)
a bit of flour for rolling out the dough

This is pretty simple Simon. Put enough oil in the skillet to about 1 inch. You want to make sure the scones fry well and there's room for excess flour to fall to the bottom of the pan. Heat that to med. high heat. While that's warming up, take 2 balls of dough (if using Rhodes rolls), or a small handful if using a large bag of dough, and flatten out on floured table. Use a rolling pin to make the dough about 1/2 inch thick and around 5-6 inches across. (Once you fry one up, to can make them larger or smaller if the size doesn't suit you.)

Test the oil in the pan by taking a small pinch of dough and throwing it in. If you can see bubbles dancing around it, your oil is ready. If nothing happens, wait another minute and try it again. You don't want to turn the heat up too high or you will have major splatter while cooking the dough. We don't want you burned! :)

You can place 2-3 scones at a time in the frying oil, and turn them once when one side is toasty brown and cook the other side. Don't overcook them or they will be too tough to eat. Take them out and place on a plate; put a new batch in the oil until all dough is gone. (Layer paper towels on the plate in between each layer of cooked scones to soak up the excess oil.

Top with warmed chili, cheese, black olives, green onions, sour cream, etc. For dessert, you can spread butter on a warm scone and pour honey on top, or enjoy with warm butter and cinnamon sugar.

Nilla Caramel Cheesecake

2009-07-01T15:51:00.008-06:00

This cheesecake is so delicious, and as an official cheesecake connoisseur, I give it two thumbs up! I usually make it in a springform pan, but I decided to try it in a 9x13 this time around. It came out just as pretty. This recipe is similar to the one from Kraft, so many of you might have seen it before.

Nilla Caramel Cheesecake

66 Nilla Wafers, divided
1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
3 pkg. (8 oz. bars) cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
25 caramels, unwrapped
3 Tbs. milk
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300 degrees if using a dark non-stick 9-inch springform pan. Also, high-altitude use 300 degrees). Finely crush 50 of the wafers; mix with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the butter. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Stand remaining 16 wafers around edge of pan, pressing gently into crust to secure.

Beat cream cheese and remaining 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into prepared crust.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Run small knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Microwave caramels and milk on high for 1 minute or until caramels are completely melted, stirring every 30 sec. Cool slightly. Pour over cheesecake. (You can top with crushed pecans, but I never do.)

For a 9x13 cheesecake:
Line a 9x13 pan with foil and grease. Increase wafers around side of pan from 16 to 22 and bake 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, carefully lift out of pan and cut into squares.

Veggie Cracker Chicken

2009-05-21T13:29:00.006-06:00

This is a tasty little dish I made up one evening when I couldn't find any Shake-n-Bake in my cupboards. We really love the Ritz Veggie flavored crackers, so I decided to try them on chicken. Can I just say: De-lish! I had double coupons for Ritz crackers last week at Target, so I ended up getting 2 boxes for under a dollar. I love it!

Veggie Cracker Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 sleeves of Ritz Veggie flavored crackers
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
BBQ sauce, optional
Provolone or Italian cheese blend, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound chicken breasts so they are around 1/2 inch thick. Place crackers in plastic bag and pound into crumbs, and then pour butter into bag with cracker crumbs making sure both are mixed well together. Dip each chicken breast in egg and then place in plastic bag to coat with cracker crumbs. Place chicken in 9x13 baking dish. Repeat for all pieces of chicken, and bake for 20-25 min. or until no longer pink inside. (If I have any crumbs left over after all chicken is covered, I just pile up more cracker crumbs on the chicken in the dish so it's nice and crispy.)

If you'd like, you can then place cheese on the top and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. My husband liked his chicken with BBQ sauce poured on top of it. My kids liked it plain.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Easter Goodies

2009-04-04T18:16:00.013-06:00

This week we had a "Girls Easter Treat Makin' Day" with many of the girls on my husband's side of the family. We made Idle Isle, Peanut Butter Eggs, Marshmallow Eggs, Caramel Eggs, and Chocolate Caramel covered marshmallows with many toppings. Here's what the dining room table looked like--and we hadn't even finished dipping all the eggs yet!

Marshmallow Easter Eggs
•2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
•2 tbsp. cold water
•½ cup boiling water
•½ tsp. sugar
•½ tsp. salt
•½ tsp. vanilla
•Flour
•Chocolate bark for dipping (I prefer chocolate discs from a candy making shop)
•1 egg
•9x13 dish
•Double boiler
•Large mixing bowl
•Mixer
•Parchment or waxed paper

Prepare the Easter egg molds. Place about 2 inches of flour in a 9x13 dish. Take an egg (we used a plastic egg) and push it into the flour to make a mold.
Place the bottom section of the double boiler on the stovetop. Add water. Let water come to a simmer.
Put gelatin in the top of the double boiler. Stir in the cold water until the gelatin softens. Add the boiling water and stir well. Mix in sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is no longer gritty. The mixture should be clear.
Transfer the gelatin and sugar mixture into a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture at the highest speed on your electric mixer. Mixture should be thick but should not form stiff peaks. Stir in vanilla.
Drop marshmallow mixture into the flour. Make sure the top of the marshmallow mixture is flat. Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the egg molds.
Set Easter eggs aside to set for a couple hours. Set the mixture in a cool place to speed the setting process.
Melt chocolate bark or chocolate discs in the microwave. Remove set Easter eggs from the flour. Dip them in the chocolate. Set them on parchment paper or waxed paper to cool. Frost with decorator icing, if desired.

Peanut Butter Easter Eggs

6 Tbs. butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup marshmallow creme
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 lb. chocolate candy coating
colored sprinkles, optional

In a small bowl, cream the peanut butter and marshmallow creme until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheet; form into egg shapes. Freeze for 10 minutes. Melt chocolate (add in 2 tsp. shortening if chocolate isn't melting smooth enough). Continue to stir until chocolate is smooth for dipping. Dip eggs in candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Return to baking sheet and immediately decorate with sprinkles if desired. Let stand until set. Store in airtight container. Makes about 18 eggs.

Caramel for dipped marshmallows

2 cups sugar
2 cups white corn syrup
2 cups whipping cream
1 cube butter
1 tsp. vanilla
bag of large marshmallows
sucker sticks

Mix sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup cream in heavy saucepan. Cook to soft ball stage (240 degrees). Add 1 cup cream. Cook until firm soft ball is formed (240 degrees). Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Stir well. Take 1 marshmallow with a sucker stick in it and dip it into the caramel. Place it onto a sheet of parchment paper (not waxed paper!) Do not let marshmallows touch. Do not refrigerate. Caramel will set in an hour or more. Time depends upon room temperature. It will not set if not cooked long enough so make sure syrup forms firm ball. Once set, dip caramel marshmallow into melted chocolate and then sprinkle on your choice of topping: coconut, nuts, sprinkles or just plain. Let chocolate set.

Idle Isle Candy

1 cup butter, softened
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 lbs. high quality dipping chocolate
1 lb. roasted, salted, fine chopped almonds

Combine butter, vanilla, milk and powdered sugar. Mix well and refrigerate until firm enough to handle. Roll into balls using about 1/2 tsp. per ball. Freeze overnight. Melt dipping chocolate over hot water. Pour small amount of chocolate onto slab. Roll frozen balls in chocolate and then in almonds. Keep refrigerated.

Peanut Butter Bars (and some to freeze)

2009-02-28T08:33:00.005-07:00

I've been told that these taste better than peanut butter cups! I made a double batch to put one in the freezer, but if you can get them to last that long--good luck! I made two 9x13 pans and one was gone within minutes. This is a nice treat to take to the neighbors or to a party.

1 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Topping

1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter

Cooking Day
Mix together butter, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, and sugar. Press into a buttered 9x13 pan.
For topping: Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in saucepan and spread over bars. Cool and cut into squares. Place any bars you want to eat in the fridge, and freeze the rest by putting them in freezer bags.

Serving Day
Thaw. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Taco Soup for the freezer

2009-02-28T08:24:00.004-07:00

This soup is REALLY good topped with Fritos, cheese, and sour cream. I tripled it to make a nice, big batch for the freezer. It's very simple to make and worth the effort! One batch makes only 4-5 servings, so I put the tripled amount of ingredients to the right of the regular recipe.

1 lb. ground beef (3 lbs.)
1 onion, chopped (3 onions, but I only used 1 large onion)
1 pkg. taco seasoning (3 packages)
1-15 oz. can diced tomatoes (3 cans)
1-15 oz. can corn, drained (3 cans)
1-15 oz. can kidney beans, drained (3 cans)
1-15 oz. can pinto beans, drained (3 cans)
1-15 oz. can water (3 cans)

Cooking Day
Brown ground beef and onion in skillet, drain. Place ground beef mixture, taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, pinto beans and water in pan on stove. (If tripleing, use a large stock pot). Simmer for 30-40 minutes. Freeze. (Cool soup to room temperature and divide amoung freezer bags. Lay bags flat in a pan and place in freeezer so they will freeze flat. You can then remove the pan from the freezer and have nice, flat bags of soup).

Serving Day
Thaw soup and heat thoroughly in saucepan. Place in bowls and add your toppings.

Manicotti

2009-02-28T07:46:00.009-07:00

I decided to make some freezer meals to make life easier once I have the baby. This first recipe I tripled, which is easy to do and makes a good amount for our family. These freezer recipes are from the cookbook Don't Panic--Dinner's in the Freezer. I've put the tripled amount to the right of each ingredient if you'd like to make enough to freeze. (Original recipe yields 8-10 servings)

8-10 Manicotti shells (x3= 30 shells)
1 lb. (2 cups) ricotta cheese (6 cups)
1 T. parsley (3 Tbs.)
1 egg, beaten (3 eggs)
1/2 tsp. salt (1 1/2 tsp.)
1/4 tsp. pepper (3/4 tsp.)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (1 1/2 cups)

Serving Day

Marinara or spaghetti sauce

Parmesan cheese

Cooking Day Instructions

Cook manicotti shells according to package directions (undercook them a bit if you are going to freeze them to prevent overcooking when you reheat). Mix all ingredients together and fill manicotti shells. Wrap shells in plastic wrap (2 or 3 together). Freeze.

I used a pastry bag to fill the shells and then placed them back into their trays to freeze. I have a Handi-vac sealer, so I put the tray in the special bag and used the sealer to get all of the air out. Do it just enough so that the filling doesn't get sucked completely out of the shells.

Serving Day Instructions

Pour sauce over bottom of ungreased baking dish. Lay stuffed manicotti noodles on top of sauce and top with leftover sauce. Then top with Parmesan cheese and bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Valentine Bonbons

2009-02-10T11:32:00.009-07:00

1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. powdered sugar

Cookies and Cream Bonbons
1/2 cup crushed Oreos
1 lb. white candy coating, chopped

Chocolate Bonbons/Chocolate-Covered Cherries
1 lb. milk chocolate candy coating, chopped
optional: 54 maraschino cherries, patted dry--very dry.
(about two 10 oz. jars)

In a large bowl, combine butter and milk. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until a smooth dough is formed. Divide in half. In one bowl, add crushed Oreos. Leave other bowl plain. Take both bowls, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for about 30 minutes.

For cookie bonbons, shape dough into 1-inch balls. In a microwave-safe dish, melt white candy coating, stir until smooth. Dip balls in candy coating, allowing excess to drip off. Place on cookie sheet that is lined with waxed paper. Chill until firm.

For chocolate bonbons, do the same as above with the plain dough, only dipping it in the chocolate candy coating.

(I don't like cherries, but I will give you the option if you do!) For chocolate-covered cherries, shape one portion into 1-inch balls; flatten to 2-inch circles. Wrap each circle around a cherry and gently shape into a ball. Place on waxed paper. Melt chocolate candy coating; stir until smooth. Dip balls into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off; place on baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Chill until firm. (If the dough won't stay on the cherry, try and dry the cherry off a bit more. It's not so easy because they are so juicy!)

Store in an airtight container (I like them stored in the fridge so they are nice and cold!)

No Cook Banana Pudding

2009-02-02T14:51:00.007-07:00

This is one of the best pudding recipes I've ever made. It would look really nice in a trifle bowl, but since I don't have one (I'm not a trifle fan) I just layered it in a glass bowl. I forgot how much I loved Nilla Wafers! (Recipe from "Thats My Home" recipe website--a favorite!)

1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant French vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 large container Cool Whip
1 box Nilla Wafers
4-8 bananas

In large bowl, mix 3 cups cold milk with pudding mixes and whip until thick. Fold in condensed milk; fold in half of whipped topping.

In a pretty serving dish, layer wafers, sliced bananas and pudding mixture until gone. If using a trifle bowl, you will be able to make two sets of layers (wafers, bananas, pudding, wafers, bananas, pudding).

Put remaining whipped topping on top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill several hours before serving.

Snickerdoodles

2009-01-16T21:26:00.001-07:00

These are one of my favorite cookies. It's hard to use "regular" cookie recipes if they aren't already adjusted for high altitude, which is a pet-peeve of mine with cookbooks. I usually have to make them trial-by-error style because most recipes aren't designed for those living above 3500 feet. The nice thing about Utah cookbooks is they are already time tested recipes for the region and you don't have to figure out adjustments as to why your cookies are so flat or greasy. This recipe is taken from Essential Mormon Celebrations.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a bowl, cream together the 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter or margarine and eggs. In another bowl, stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Shape into 1-inch balls. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. (I bake on a Silpat baking mat, so no grease required if you use one.) Bake at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes (mine took 10). Makes about 4 dozen cookies. (I used a cookie scoop, so I made 3 dozen cookies.)

Crockpot Beef Stew

2009-01-12T19:14:00.003-07:00

I tried this new crockpot recipe because I couldn't find my old favorite. Let's just say--this was fabulous! My kids even ate it up. It's super easy and great for a winter night's dinner.

1 1/2 lbs. stew meat, cubed
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cans water (use your tomato sauce can)
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. basil
1 bay leaf
2 large potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
salt and pepper

Place all ingredients in crockpot and give it a stir. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Will serve 6-8 adult portions. (If doubling recipe, be sure to use at least a 5 quart crockpot.) I put all of the ingredients in the crockpot on Saturday night and put the pot in the fridge. On Sunday morning all I had to do was plug it in and dinner was ready for Sunday evening! Easy peasy!

Mexican Dip

2009-01-01T14:37:00.001-07:00

I made this for our New Year's Eve party and it's always delicious! My mom used to make this every Christmas Eve for our family party, too. You might want to double this if you're having more than 8-10 guests over.

2 lbs. ground beef
1-14 oz. can tomatoes with green chilies
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
2 lb. block of Velveeta cheese, cut into large chunks

Brown hamburger, drain well, and then place all ingredients into crockpot. Cook on low until cheese is melted while periodically stirring to mix all ingredients together. If you start 2-3 hours before your party, you should be fine. (Allow yourself more simmer time if you've doubled the recipe.) Serve with tortilla chips. Ole!

The Easiest Peanut Butter Fudge You Will EVER Make!

2008-12-15T12:48:00.001-07:00

This PB fudge is outstanding, and I consider myself a fudge connoisseur. It's so easy, I almost hesitate to share the recipe! This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas treats.

--1 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
--1 cup peanut butter
--1 teaspoon vanilla
--1 pound powdered sugar (3 1/2 cups)

Microwave butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar to peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. Pour into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with waxed paper. Place a second piece of waxed paper on the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Blueberry Cheesecake with Macademia Nut Crust

2008-11-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

I made this for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a hit! Even people that don't like cheesecake (my husband) were eating it.

Crust:

3 1/2 ounces macadamias, crushed in blender

1 cup flour

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sweet butter, softened

First Layer:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

Second Layer:

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1 can blueberry pie filling

Crust: Combine crust ingredients. Mix well; press onto bottom of 10" springform pan. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350ºF.

First Layer: Crumble cheese in large bowl. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sugar and eggs; beat at high speed with electric mixer until blended and smooth, about 4 minutes. Pour over crust. Bake at 350ºF for 32-35 minutes until set (not completely firm). Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Second Layer: Combine sour cream, sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Spread over top of cheesecake. Bake at 350ºF for 5 minutes. Cool; spread blueberry topping over top. Refrigerate before serving.

*Cooking times might be slightly longer for lower elevations (15 min. for crust and 40 min. for cheesecake). The times in this recipe have been adjusted and tested for high altitude cooking.

Turkey Sugar Cookies

2008-11-26T23:55:00.001-07:00

I made these cookies for Thanksgiving for the kids. It's from the Betty Crocker website, and you can find the recipe HERE.

Easy Indiana Chili

2008-11-03T20:03:00.004-07:00

(This recipe makes enough for 8 adults. You can half it to cook for 4.)

2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

2 cans (15 oz. each) vegetarian chili

2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano

2 cups tomato juice

1 box (16 oz.) medium shell pasta

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain and put in slow cooker. Add chili, diced tomatoes and tomato juice. Cover. Cook on low 4-6 hours. About 45 minutes before serving, cook pasta on stove, drain and then add to crockpot. Stir all ingredients together. You can serve with shredded cheddar cheese on top or crushed crackers, if you'd like. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! And try it with my cornbread recipe!

Halloween Hang-Ups

2008-10-27T19:53:00.001-06:00

I found this fun idea from the Martha Stewart magazine this month. We made some and have used them for various parties. Many people thought we bought them. They are lots of fun and easy to make. Martha's Halloween Hangups

Halloween Peanut Butter Eyeballs

2008-10-22T15:23:00.000-06:00

The kids really enjoyed making these -- they taste really good and are really easy!

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 Tbs. butter, softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

4 oz. vanilla flavored candy coating

20 candy-coated milk chocolate pieces (I used Halloween M&Ms)

Red and black decorator gel icing

In a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter and butter. Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until combined.
Shape into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper. Let stand about 20 minutes or until dry.

In a small saucepan, melt candy coating over low heat. Dip balls, one at a time, into coating. Let excess coating drip off peanut butter balls.
Place on waxed paper. Immediately press a candy-coated chocolate piece into center of each peanut butter ball. Let stand until coating is firm. Add a dot of black gel to the center of candy pieces for pupils.

Drizzle red gel onto balls for bloodshot eyes. Makes about 20 eyeballs.

Make Ahead Tip:

Prepare as directed except do not decorate with gel icing. Cover loosely with foil. Store at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Add decorator gel icing just before serving.

Gourmet Apples

2008-10-09T08:56:00.001-06:00

My sister and I just made some delicious gourmet apples. It's very simple but impressive once they are finished. Here's what you need:

Granny Smith apples (the number depends on how many you want to make)
Caramel (you can make homemade, use caramel blocks from a bag and melt them, etc.)
White Chocolate (the large bark kind works great for melting. I like to buy it from cake decorating shops--it tastes the best!)
popsicle sticks
wax paper
tray
sprinkles of your choice, crushed candy bars, cinnamon and sugar

Wash the apples and dry. If you feel a waxy coating on the apple, wash it with soap and water to remove the wax. (Wax makes the caramel slide off the apple.) Put a popsicle stick into the top of each apple. Melt your caramel according to package directions. Stir it until it is very smooth and creamy. Dip your apple, swirling it around to smooth the caramel over your apple. Set on a tray covered with wax paper to let dry. Finish all of your apples until your caramel is gone.

Place your topping into a bowl and set aside. Once the caramel on the apples have set, heat up your white chocolate according to package directions. Stir until smooth. Dip the apples the same way you dipped them in the caramel, swirling until the chocolate is smooth. Hold your apple over the bowl of sprinkles while you take a handful and dump it over the apple while twisting it to fully and evenly cover it. If you are using cinnamon/sugar, use a large spoon to dump the topping over the apple. Give it a slight shake and then place it on a clean sheet of wax paper. Continue to do this to all of the apples. You're done! Enjoy! (The easiest way to eat these is to cut off pieces around the core--we don't want your teeth falling out.)

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

2008-09-23T15:56:00.000-06:00

My kids love to make these each year. We have a pumpkin cookie cutter and just cut away at our favorite sugar cookie mix. I make my own frosting (because I've never been a fan of canned) and then we top it off with large sugar crystals. I usually let the kids decorate one for themselves while Mom does the rest. I've never been a big fan of eating food other kids have made (I'm too O.C.D.) so the ones we give away to friends are the ones I make myself. The kids enjoy eating their own creations, though.
Here's my favorite frosting recipe that I use for many cakes and cookies:

My Favorite Frosting

1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Crisco
1/2 Tbs. vanilla
1 lb. (3 3/4 cup) powdered sugar

Mix salt into milk. Add Crisco, vanilla into milk. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat to fluffy. Add desired food coloring, if needed. (I usually double this recipe if I'm using it for a cake or a double batch of sugar cookies.)
Enjoy!

White Chocolate Fruit Tart

2008-06-18T16:42:00.002-06:00

I made 2 of these for Father's Day and they are always a hit. They are best made in summer when fruit is in season and extra delicious!

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups flour

Filling:

1 pkg. (10 oz.) vanilla baking chips, melted
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 bar (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks, undrained
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

Glaze:

3 Tbls. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add flour. Mix well. Press into an ungreased 11 inch tart pan or 12 inch pizza pan with sides. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes--lightly browned. In a mixing bowl, beat melted chips and cream. Add cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Spread over crust. Chill for 30 minutes. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Set juice aside. Arrange fruits over filling. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup pineapple juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool; brush over fruit. Chill 1 hour before serving. Keep refrigerated.

The Cake

2008-06-18T16:12:00.002-06:00

Ok, so after leaving Hershey and the Heastons, I came home and have made this cake a few times. Making cakes at high-altitude is a little tricky since most recipes don't have adjustments--you just have to go by trial and error. I think I've got this one figured out. If you live below 3,000 feet, visit Mandy's blog for the original recipe. Here's the high-altitude version:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Cake

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix)
1 (3 oz.) box instant chocolate pudding
2 C. sour cream
5 extra-large eggs
1 C. melted butter
1 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat first 5 ingredients until well blended. Mixture will be thick. Add all 5 eggs at one time making sure to not overmix the eggs. (Once they are blended in, stop mixing.) Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into three greased and floured 9” pans. (I just use the Pam spray that is butter and flour combined.) Bake at 375 degrees for 33-35 minutes. (Keep an eye on them so they don’t overbake). Cool completely. You can put them in the freezer so they frost easier.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 3/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
8 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 2 lb.)

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.Add peanut butter, milk and vanilla.Gradually add 8 c. sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Add more sugar (or milk) as needed until icing is desired consistency (should be firm enough to hold a shape but still smooth). Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Re-whip before using.

Tuna Ceasar Sub

2008-05-06T12:42:00.000-06:00

My husband LOVES Caesar dressing, and even though I don't usually request it on salad, I really love these sandwiches! They are easy to fix for dinner and mighty tasty.

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup Caesar dressing (or you can use Ranch)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, or Italian Blend
2 cans (6 oz. each) tuna, drained and flaked
1 loaf French bread, cut in half lengthwise
lettuce
1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Mix mayo, dressing and cheese. Add tuna, mix lightly. Top bottom of bread loaf with lettuce, tomato, tuna mixture, and top half of bread. Cut into 4 pieces (or however many you'd like.) I've also used hoagie rolls for these and they work just as well.

Mini Apple Pies

2008-04-22T19:59:00.000-06:00

Mini Apple Pies

2 medium tart baking apples
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust (1/2 box)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel, core and chop apples into 1/4-inch pieces. In medium bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon, tossing gently. Set aside.
Open and unroll pie crust flat onto work surface. (Be sure to take it out of the freezer and the box 40 minutes before you are ready to use it so it can thaw.) Using 4-inches-wide bowl or cup, cut out five circles, reserving scraps. Press each circle inside 5 spaces of muffin tin.
Evenly divide apple mixture into each prepared muffin cup. Cut reserved dough scraps into strips 1/4 inch wide. Top each pie with strips. Fill remaining empty muffin cup 1/4 way up with water.
Bake until bubbling, about 18 mins. Let pies cool in muffin tin, then remove.

(I have made these for dinner parties and they go fast! I usually make a quadruple batch so I have 20 pies.)

Here It Is!

2008-04-21T14:09:00.001-06:00

My next venture into blogging--my recipe page. I have had many people asking for recipes lately, so I decided to get another blog going. I wanted to do this a few weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance with the arrival of spring and all the happenings. Hopefully you'll find something yummy on here to make. I don't like complicated recipes, so if you're looking for something gourmet you most likely won't find it here. I'll try to add pictures when possible, but I usually forget before everything is eaten. Happy Cooking!