Applesauce Cake

This recipe came from my mom, but I am not sure where it came from before that!!
The topping is so good and the cake is really moist!!

Applesauce Cake

Stir together:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
Add and beat until well mixed:
1/2 cup soft shortening
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2 eggs

Beat well until well mixed. It will not be smooth because of the applesauce. Pour into greased
9 x 13 pan and thoroughly spread into pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Frosting:
1/3 cup soft butter
1/4 cup milk
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
Stir until melted, remove from heat and add 1 cup flaked coconut.

Spread frosting evenly over a cooled applesauce cake. Place cake about 2 inches from Broiler and cook for about 2 minutes. The coconut will burn if left too long. Leftover cake keeps well for 2-3 days!

Ham Chowder

Anyone have any leftover ham?? This is our favorite soup recipe when we have ham, we almost always hope for leftovers!

The recipe is from allrecipes.com and serves 15, so I always half the recipe!!

Ham Chowder

8 cups chicken or ham stock

4 cups cubed ham

4 tbsp dried rosemary (always leave this out, no one likes it!)

2 lbs. bacon, diced

2 large onions, diced

3 leeks, diced (haven't added this either)

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 green onions, diced

6 large potatoes, cubed

1 lb carrots, cubed

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Pour stock into a large pot set over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cubed ham and 2 tbsp rosemary.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon, and add to pot. Drain half of the bacon grease, and return skillet to medium heat. Stir in onins, leeks, garlic, and green onions; cook until tender, then add to pot.

Place cubed potatoes, carrots, and 2 tbsp rosemary in pot; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, and add cream to pot.

Sparkling Tree Cakes

These were so fun to make and a great Christmas treat idea!!

Yummy too!!

Sparkling Tree Cakes
(from Kraftfoods.com)

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
1/4 tsp. green food coloring
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
16 peppermint sticks (3 inch)
1/2 cup BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, chopped
Assorted Christmas candies
colored sugar


PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; tint with food coloring. Pour evenly into prepared pans.

BAKE as directed on package. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

BEAT cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk. Spread onto tops and sides of cakes.

CUT each cake into eight wedges to resemble Christmas trees. Insert peppermint stick into curved side of each cake for the tree trunk. Decorate with remaining ingredients. Store in refrigerator.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

I found this recipe on http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/!

These are one of the best I have tried!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins
from The Family Cookbook

Flavorless vegetable oil spray
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup milk
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Crumb topping:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (next time I think I will cut the amount of flour down to 3/4 cup to make it more crisp and sugary)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Spray 12-cup muffin tin with flavorless oil spray or line with paper liners (I actually got about 15 muffins out of the recipe). In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until the egg is incorporated before adding the next one, and then beat in the vanilla.

Add the milk, alternating it with the dry ingredients, in 2 or 3 additions. Do not overmix. Fold in the berries using a spatula. To make the crumb topping, combine the butter, sugars, cinnamon, salt and flour and mix with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin. Top each with a generous tablespoon of the crumb topping. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly in the muffin tin set on wire racks before removing.

Makes 12-15 muffins.

Thumbprint Cookies

These are a family favortie at Christmas time! It is from the Betty Crocker cookbook and really are jam thumbprint cookies!

I substituted chopped almonds for the walnuts on these cookies or you can just leave the nuts off!

Thumbprint cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

2 slightly beaten egg whites

1 cup finely chopped walnuts (or substitue favorite chopped nut)

1/3 to 1/2 cup strawberry, cherry, or apricot jam or preserves (or substitute hershey kisses)

Grease a cookie sheet. In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla till combined. Beat in the flour. Cover; chill dough about 1 hour or till easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in egg whites, then in nuts. Place 1-inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.

If adding hershey kisses, place hershey kisses on cookies just out of the oven. The chocolate will be very soft for a while so remove to wire rack and let sit.

If adding jam, just before serving-fill centers with jam or preserves!

Ham Filled French Toast

This is Christian's Grandpa's recipe. It's really good, just give it a try. Just a warning it may be french toast, but it's a lot to eat in the morning. I usually fix this for a breakfast supper!

1 pkg. cream cheese - softened
4 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
a couple handfuls of chopped ham

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add mushrooms, ham 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Spread above mixture on 4 bread slices and top with remaining bread.

In a shallow dish beat 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk together. Dip sandwiches in and cook on a greased griddle until golden brown and the filling is hot.

Meanwhile, combine sliced olives, 1 can of Italian-style stewed tomatoes and 2 tsp. cornstarch and heat until slightly thickened and warm. Spoon this sauce over the sandwiches and serve.

White Bean Soup
Sorry I didn't get a picture. I thought of it too late, and it was gone. It's such an easy, fast soup and yummy!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
*saute the above ingredients till soft, lightly browned

Add the following ingredients and allow to simmer till warm:
3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1 9 ounce pkg. of frozen corn
2 cans of white beans, drained
7 ounce can of green chilies, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. corranider
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper ( I usually omit this, so it's not too hot for my girls)
3 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp. lime juice

Serve with chips, salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream, if you want.

Serves about 6 -8.

Classic Buttermilk Waffles

I have been looking for a really good waffle recipe for our "Breakfast Wednesday" dinners and tried this one! This is what Zach said:

"Mom is this a new recipe?" (I was then nervous to answer in fear of the reply this is disgusting!)

"Wow mom these are the best waffles ever!" and then he ate more than he normally eats!

So try them out and maybe you will get the same answer!

Found this recipe on Mykitchencafe!

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Classic Buttermilk Waffles

from the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

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In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the dry ingredients; combine the wet and dry ingredients just until smooth.

If wanting to make cheese waffles, pour 1/3 cup batter on waffle iron and sprinkle 2-3 tbsp shredded cheese over batter before closing iron. (Didn't try the cheese ones)

5 cup Fruit Salad

I tried this recipe with much hesitation, but I am really glad I did! Another good easy fruit salad that I normally have all the ingredients for on hand!

from Paula Deen

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1 cup mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup sour cream

Mix all together and let sit for 8 hours in the refrigerator!

Shortbread Mint Sandwich Cookies

I found this recipe on Stephanies Kitchen and had to try and they turned out really good and they were very easy!

Shortbread Mint Sandwich Cookies

For the shortbread:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the mint icing:
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
4 tablespoons milk
For the glaze:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 ounces white chocolate

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1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside. In a mixer, cream the butter and confectioners sugar. Add vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.
2. Chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
3. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using your choice of cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for an additional 10 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool completely on a cooling rack.
4. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar, mint extract and milk until smooth. Add more milk or sugar, if needed, to make a frosting like consistency. Spread on cooled cookies and top with another cookie to make a sandwich. Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, or until icing is set.
5. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double broiler and stir until smooth. Dip the tops of the cookie sandwiches into the chocolate and let stand on the cooling rack. Set in the refrigerator to let the chocolate harden.

Sweet Pulled Pork

I found this recipe on Mmmm....cafe and thought it looked good and had to try it!

It was really good and super easy!!

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1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp vinegar

4 Tbsp soy sauce

1 small pork roast

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Place pork roast in crock pot. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce until blended. Pour mixture over pork roast and cook on low for 4 1/2 hours. Shred pork.

Continue to cook on low for 30 minutes to allow juices to cook in.

Serve over your favorite rice!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Found this recipe on http://www.realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/!

It is a keeper!! It makes a lot of bread, so be prepared to share or stick some in your freezer!

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1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp cloves

5 eggs

1 1/2 tsp soda

4 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp ginger

3 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups oil

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Mix all ingredients but chocolate chips. Add chips. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Makes 4 medium loaves. (I made 4 mini loaves and 4 small/medium size loaves)

Triple Chocolate Cookies

I saw these cookies made of the Food Network on there All Star Cookie Show and thought I had to try them!! They were really good!

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (used light)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (used all purpose flour since I didn't have any wheat)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt, optional

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (used white chocolate chips)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped milk chocolate (used semi-sweet chips)

2/3 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together butter and sugars until well combined. Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in the vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts and mix well. Scoop batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. (makes 2 dozen)

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

These are my favorite sugar cookies!!

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1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup softened butter

2 large eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1 /2 tsp vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Refrigerate over night or as long as you can (at least an hour or so!).

Roll and cut out with cookie cutters! Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes!

Baked Reuben Sandwich

We had these sandwiches for our Enrichment and they were so good!!

We also had them with ham and cheese, and you could do pizza in the middle or even desserts! from Rhodes cookbook

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1 loaf Rhodes bread dough, thawed & risen

1/3 cup light Italian cheese salad dressing

1/2 lb thinly sliced turkey pastrami

8 slices swiss cheese

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

1 egg white, beaten

2 tbsp caraway seeds

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Spray board or counter with non-stick cooking spray. Roll dough into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. With a clean ruler, gently mark a 4-inch space down the center. Then mark dough into 2-inch strips horizontally. (questions on this go to http://www.rhodesbread.com/) Pour dressing down the center of the dough. Spread layer of pastrami, then slices of swiss cheese. Top with sauerkraut.

Make cuts on sides from filling to dough edges. Begin braid by folding top row toward filling. Then fold strips left over right, right over left. Fold bottom end towards filling and finish by stretching last strip and tucking under.

Support braid with both hands and place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush braid with egg white and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until browned. Cool slightly and slice and serve.

Pretzel Kisses

These are yummy, easy, and can be made so many different ways! Put a layer of mini pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place one Hershey kiss, of your choice, on top of each of the pretzels. Bake at 250 degrees for 3-5 minutes. When you pull them from the oven place an M&M on top of each one and gently press. The chocolate should be soft enough so that you can press the M&M all the way down.
(Candy cane Hershey kisses were used in the above picture with Christmas colored M&M's)

Candy Cane Crispies

Make rice crispies as you would normally, and then just sprinkle your crushed candy cane on top. Pat the crushed candy cane pieces down so they stick to the rice crispy treat.
(To crush candy canes, put 6 unwrapped candy canes in a ziplock baggie, close it, then hit it with your rolling pin until it's finely crushed.)

No-Egg Eggnog

This recipe is from Marguerite. It is a great eggnog recipe, and is great for this time of year!!

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1 pkg French vanilla instant pudding (small)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk

2/3 cup sugar

Combine in blender and blend well. Place in large container.

ADD:

3 cups milk

1 cup whipping cream, whipped. Fold in.

Add dash of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

Cool before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Pasta with Cream Sauce

This recipe comes from a Taste of Home magazine! The recipe doesn't add chicken, but I added it to mine and I think next time I will add a vegetable too! My kids really liked this!!

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1 pkg pasta (16 ounces)

1 small red onion, chopped

4 large garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil (I used dry)

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh oregano (used dry)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup heavy whipping cream

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Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in broth, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cook for 8 minutes or until reduced by about half. Stir in cream. Cook, uncovered, 8-10 minutes longer or until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups.

Drain pasta, toss with sauce. (add chicken and vegies if desired!) Yield 8 servings!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This recipe came from a friends ward cookbook and it is a family favorite!

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*6 chicken breasts

Sprinkle chicken breasts with garlic salt and pepper and all sides. Dip in flour to coat. Fry in 1/2 inch oil, until brown, on both sides. Arrange chicken in 9x13 pan.

Sauce:

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chicken broth (or water if you don't have any)

4 tbsp catsup

1 tsp soy sauce

dash of salt

Combine and pour sauce over chicken. Add pineapple chunks if desired. Bake at 325 for 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes. Serve over steamed rice.

Jumbo Pumpkin Pecan Muffins

I found this recipe in the October/November Taste of Home magazine!

I made them in a regular muffin pan and added chocolate chips instead of Pecans!

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

TOPPING:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cold butter

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In a large bowl, combine first seven ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in pecans. Fill 6 greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full. (or fill about 14 regular sized muffin cups!)

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean! Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack!

Strawberry Banana Triffle

This is a favorite of ours; Cassidy even requested it for her birthday in lieu of cake and ice cream. I happily obliged! It was a "winning recipe" published in Taste of Home.

Strawberry Banana Triffle
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tbsp. Strawberry gelatin
1 cup cold water
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 3/4 cold milk
1 pkg. vanilla pudding mix
3 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
6 cups angel food cake
2 cups whipping cream, whipped
Additional strawberries or banana slices, optional

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and gelatin; stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in strawberries; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine milk and pudding mix. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes; set aside. Toss bananas with lemon juice; set aside. Place half of the cake cubes in a trifle bowl or 3 quart serving dish. Layer with half of the pudding, bananas, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with additional fruit if desired. Yield: 14 servings.

Brown Sugar Muffins

This recipe comes from a friend in Utah! It is one of our favorites and we love them for Breakfast, snack, or even with dinner!!

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1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Beat ingredients together well. Pour into greased muffin tins (fill about 2/3 full). Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe on a blog and now I can't remember where! These cookies are so yummy that they have become "my" favorite recipe too!

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups uncooked regular oats

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

4 ounces milk chocolate candy bar, coarsely chopped

1 cup chopped pecans (I have been using almonds lately)

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Preheat oven 375

Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugars and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture and beat well.

Process oats in a food processor until finely ground. Add to butter mixture and beat well. Stir in chocolate pieces and nuts.

Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly on baking sheets. Then, remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies!

Beef and Barley Soup

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs stew meat cubes
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
10 oz frozen green beans
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
10 oz frozen green peas

Directions
In a large pot, over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add beef cubes and cook for about 8 minutes; stirring occasionally until browned on all sides. Stir in beef broth, water, onion, celery, carrot, oregano, black pepper, garlic, barley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir in green beans, tomatoes and peas. Simmer, covered, until meat and vegetables are tender, about 15 more minutes. Remove bay leaf. Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Dip

I took this picture off of Michelles blog along with her recipe! I made the caramel sauce tonight and it was a hit!! Thanks Michelle!

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Put 1 can sweetened condensed milk in small crock pot. Add 10-20 caramels, how ever many you have left after you open the bag and decide to have 'just one'. (Milkmaid not Kraft, yes try them both you'll see the difference, I tell you I love caramels:). Turn on low and stir often. Soon it will turn a rich caramely color and turn soooo smooth and yummy (a couple of hours 3-4). Cut up lots of green apples and serve (in individual cups). My favorite! Try it you'll love it!

I don't have a small crock pot so I used the double boiler method and it worked great too!

Tart Lemon Cake

1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 pkg. instant lemon pudding
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
1 c. less 2 Tbs. water
Juice from 3-4 lemons
1 c. sugar
Combine cake mix, pudding, oil, water, eggs and 3 Tbs. juice. Bake in greased, floured bundt pan - 350 degrees for 45-55 mins. Cool 25 mins. Combine and heat remaining juice and sugar. Prick cake with fork all over then pour mixture over cake. Turn out on plate - drizzle thin powder sugar frosting over it.

Creme De Menthe Cookies

Creme De Menthe Cookies These cookies are crunchy soft, with a little taste of mint.

I used the recipe from off the back of the Andes pkg. Some of my favorite recipes

come from the manufacturer's suggestions!

1/2 c butter -softened

3/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c white sugar

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

2 t vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 10 oz Andes baking chips

(Creme de Menthe)

2 2/3 c flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed. Stir in chips and then flour. Chill for about an hour (I skip this step and they work out great!) Spoon onto non-stick pan in small balls, flatten slightly. Bake at 350, 8-10 min. Cool on pan for 2 min before removing. Makes about 3 1/2 dz

Chicken Chili with Black Beans

This recipe was found in the Relief Sociey coookbook.

It is from Miriam Roberts!

3 chicken breasts cubed

1 large onion, chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 28 oz. can tomatoes, chopped with liquid

2 medium red peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

2 tsp cumin

2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained

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Stir-fry chicken, peppers, onion, and garlic in olive oil, about 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer!

We top the soup with grated cheese, sour cream, and chips!

Cornbread

This supper yummy cornbread comes from my moms recipes.

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups bisquick

1 1/2 tbsp cornmeal (heaping tbsp)

9 tbsp melted butter

1/4 plus 1/8 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup sugar

Mix eggs, milk, butter. Add dry ingredients. Pour in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins

This recipe came from the Relief Society cookbook put out a few years ago! It was submitted by Debbie Fowler and they are really yummy!!

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup applesauce

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

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Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine dry ingredients (except oatmeal), add alternately to mixture with applesauce. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Place in greased 12 cup muffin tin and bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes!

Baked Potato Soup

My kids love this soup and it's a great addition to the classic potato soup!
It serves about 4-6 people.

31/2 - 4 cups water
4 chicken boullion cubes
2-4 large potatoes, peeled and chunked
2-3 carrots, sliced
1 tsp. dillweed

1. Boil together the above ingredients till the vegetables are tender. Then mash until coarse.

IN ANOTHER POT
1/4 cup butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese

1. Melt together butter and flour, constantly whisking. Add milk slowly until thick and bubbly. Add the cheese with the pot off the stove.
2. Add the sauce to the mashed veggies and mix and heat up till well combined. Remove from the heat and add 1/2 cup sour cream.
3. Garnish with bacon, ham, sour cream, cheese or green onions. Like you would do for a baked potato. I also just like it plain if I don't have some of the above ingredients. Serve
   

Cake Doughnuts

One of our family Halloween traditions is to make these yummy cake donuts.
I really love the nutmeg in these!!!

2 quarts oil
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups of cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 pkt. of dry yeast
3/4 cup, plus 2 T. buttermilk
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups of powder sugar (or you can make a glaze like I did for on top)

1. Heat oil in a low sided frying pan till it registers 375 degrees. Line one cookie sheet with paper towels and one dusted with flour. Put aside
2. Meanwhile, heat sour cream till warm to the touch. Place in the microwave and heat in 10 sec. intervals till ready. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Make a large well in the center and place the yeast in it. Pour warm sour cream over it and let it sit for about a minute.
4. Place buttermilk, whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla in a bowl and mix till combined. Pour egg mixture over sour cream. Using a wooden spoon, gradually draw flour mixture into egg mixture, stirring until smooth and incorporated. The dough will be very sticky.
5. Sift a heavy coat of flour on a clean work surface and turn the dough onto it. Sift another heavy coat of flour onto the dough and pat until it is 1/2 inch thick. Use your doughnut cutter to make your donuts and put them on the floured cookie sheet, let them rest for 10 minutes, no more. Take the remaining scrapes and push into a rectangle and let rest for 10 minutes.
6. When the doughnuts are ready place in the oil and brown then turn them over to the other side. (takes about 2 minutes each, watch so you don't burn them) When done, take out with a slotted spoon and put on your paper towels to cool off. Continue till done. You can dust them with powder sugar or make a glaze. Enjoy!
   

Spider Web Cookies

Spider Web Sugar Cookies

found on www.preschoolsnacks.blogspot.com

Here's what you'll need: sugar cookies (made), frosting, black icing and toothpics

Here's what you do:Frost the cookie with the vanilla frosting, and with the black icing make a dot in the middle and circles around it (like a target) with each circle getting bigger and going around the next. Then take a toothpic, start in the center dot and drag it out to the edge of the cookie, repeat all around the cookie until it looks like the picture above.

VARIATIONS: can be used on a large cake or small cupcakes. I remember as a kid my mom did that on a large cake and put a ding dong spider on top. It was so cute!

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

This marinade comes from the Family Fun magazine and is for Chicken tostadas! We love the marinade for any barbequed chicken!

Marinade:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup oil

1 tbsp honey

2 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

Tostadas:

2-4 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs

8 small corn tortillas

1 1/2 cups shredded monterey Jack

1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce

Optional toppings:
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions

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Place the chicken in a gallon-size zip-lock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling. Grill chicken until no longer pink!

Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese. To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings. Serves 6 to 8.

Chicken Divan

This is a family favorite of ours! I have this reicpe from my mom!

4 tbsp butter

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 tbsp flour whisked together with 1 cup milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. frozen broccoli

2 cups cubed chicken

rice

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Cook chicken and cube. Cook cream sauce (butter, parmesan cheese, cream of chicken soup, flour and milk, and salt and pepper) until boils. Place broccoli down in 2 quart pan and then put chicken on top. Pour cream sauce on top and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until tan and bubbly. Serve over rice!

Refried Beans

We had these at our mini enrichment class and loved them!! Jennifer Jones made the beans and they were so yummy!! You got to try them!!

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3 cups pinto beans (washed)

10 cups water

1 med. onion

1 pkg. taco seasoning

2 tsp salt

3 cups grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/3 cup salsa

1 can chopped green chilies

1 small can chopped black olives

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Put beans, water, and onion in crockpot for 6 hours. Blend 1/2 to 3/4 of the beans in blender (after the 6 hours). Stir in the remaining whole beans for texture. Stir in all other ingredients except olives and 1 cup cheese. Put beans back in crockpot and warm. Top with cheese and olives.

Lemon Squares

These are my favorite. Very easy recipe with a delicious lemony filling.

Mix and pat into 9x13 pan.

2 cubes of butter softened, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 3 cups of flour.

Mix well.

Bake at 300 for 25 min till light brown.

While crust is baking mix together:

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups of sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

4 T four

Pinch of salt

Lemon Zest

Beat together until light. Pour over crust and bake at 300 for an additional 30 min. After baking and cooling, sprinkly with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread is a favorite with my kids and my husband. It tastes like cinnamon rolls without all the work.

Bread

1/4 cup warm water

3 1/4 cups flour

1 large egg

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar plus a pinch for yeast

3/4 cup warmed milk

2 T shortening plus more for pan

1 pkg yeast (2 tsp)

Coating

1 stick butter melted

1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup light brown sugar

Icing

2 cups powderd sugar

1/4 cup milk

Put warm water and pinch of sugar in small bowl and sprinkle yeast over top. Stir and let the yeast soften and dissolve about 5 min

Place shortening, warm milk, sugar, salt, and egg in mixer. Grease bundt pan and a medium bowl.

Once yeast is dissolved and foamy, add it to the mixer bowl. Mix well with dough hook. Slowly add flour, knead on med-low for 1 min or by hand for 5 min. Place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set dough in warm place and let rest for 20 min.

Make coating, put melted butter in a bowl. In another bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts, Sprinkle 2 T nut mixture in Bundt pan. Cut dough into 1/2 inch pices. Roll into balls.

Dip balls in butter, then roll in nut mixture, and place in Bundt pan.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30-35 min. Let cool for 15 min.

Turn bread out on a rack and cool

Make icing and drizzle over the bread.

Enjoy! Bet you can't eat just one

Pulla Bread

This recipe is a family favorite anytime but especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas. It says Holiday and Family to us.

4 tsp yeast

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups milk, scalded and cooled

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cardamon

4 eggs beaten

8-9 cups flour

1/2 cup melted butter

Warm water in your mixer, sprinkle yeast on top and let bubble

Add the rest of the ingredients

Knead bread and then cover to rise 15 min

Knead until smooth and satiny, rise again 30 min

Divide and braid bread (3 loaves)

Rise 20 min

Glaze loaves and bake 375 for 25-30 min

Glaze

1 egg beaten, crushed sugar and sliced almonds

Brush the loaves with the egg and then sprinkle with sugar and almonds

Enjoy!

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

This recipe comes from the back of a package of Reese's peanut butter chips! This was a favorite of mine and my sisters that my Grandmother used to make! We thought it was a secret family recipe until we asked Grandma and she showed us where to find it!!

Still one of our favorites though!!

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2 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 10 oz pkg. peanut butter chips

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips.
Bake 8-9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling) Cool slightly before moving to wire rack!

Marinated Baked Pork Chops

I found this recipe on http://www.allrecipes.com/ and it has been a keeper.

The recipe doesn't tell you to marinate it, but I always put the sauce and pork chops together for a couple hours to marinate.

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp ketchup

6 pork chops, trimmed

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, thoroughly blend soy sauce, oil, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, and ketchup. Place pork chops in a medium baking dish, and spread with 1/2 the sauce.

Bake pork chops 30 minutes in oven. Turn, and spread with remaining sauce. Continue baking 30 more minutes, or until done!

Snickerdoodles

I got this recipe from a friends ward Relief Society
"Favorite Family Recipes" Book!

It has quickly become our favorite recipe for Snickerdoodles because they stay really!

1 cup softened margarine

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

Topping:

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix together in separate small bowl

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Directions:

Mix butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add cream of tartar, soda, and salt to cream mixture. Mix well. Add flour, just enough to blend. Roll in 1" balls and then roll in topping mixture. Bake at 375 for 10-11 minutes on an un-greased cookie sheet. Should look soft when taken out of the oven.

Baked French Toast

I found this recipe on http://www.simplifysupper.com/ and it was very very good! We had Breakfast for dinner and the kids loved it~but it has a caramel topping on it and who wouldn't love that!

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1/2 French bread, (about 1/2 loaf) cut diagonally into 1 inch square

4 eggs

1 cup milk

3/4 cup half and half cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup

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Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Arrange slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours. Combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Heat until bubbling. Pour over bread slices and bake uncovered at 350 for about 40 minutes!

Leftover Perfect Pot Roast

Wondering what to do with your leftover Perfect Pot Roast, how about Beef Enchiladas.

(Sorry about the picture, I forgot to take the picture until we were all done eating)

It was really good and all the kids ate it (even better)

Recipe:

1 can beef broth

1 can diced mild green chilies

leftover gravy from Perfect Pot Roast

Chopped up left over Perfect Pot Roast

Corn or Flour Tortillas

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream

Mix together in a saucepan beef broth, green chilies, leftover gravy, and a thickening agent (like Wondra or Cornstarch) Bring to a boil stirring often until thickened.

Add chopped leftover Perfect Pot Roast.

Spray 9x13 pan with pam and place one layer of tortillas, cheddar cheese, couple of spoonfuls of mixture, repeat layers ending with tortillas on top then add cheese.

Bake 350 degrees for about 20-25 min until all is heated through and bubbly on the sides.

Serve with sour cream on top.

Enjoy!

Salad Dressing

My sister gave me this recipe which came from one of her friends! I end up making this a lot and put it on any green salad!

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 tbsp sugar

Directions:

Mix well and serve on your favorite green salad

Goblin's Orange Popcorn

This came from the October & November 2008 Taste of Home magazine!

Super Yummy Fun!

4 quarts popper popcorn

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1 cup sugar

6 tbsp light corn syrup

dash salt

1 tsp vanilla

12 drops yellow/4 drops red food coloring (or if you have orange use a few drops)

Directions:

Place popcorn in large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla and food coloring. Pour over popcorn; toss to coat. Transfer to two greased cookie sheets. Bake at 250 for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight containers (if you have any left!!!)

Grandma's Cornflake Cookies

These cookies are an old family favorite that our grandma made. They are crunchy and delicious. Bet you can't eat just one!

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 bag butterscotch chips (about 2 cups)

3 1/2 cups cornflakes (we use Kellogg's for the crunchiest flakes)

(you can add an extra 2 to 3 cups of flakes to this recipe to make more cookies and they are still coated)

Melt peanut butter and butterscotch chips in a saucepan on medium heat or until chips are melted. Put cornflakes in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture on top of cornflakes and mix together until all flakes are coated. Place in mounds on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. You can keep adding layers on the same cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 10-15 min or until set.

Keep cookies in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

This is a yummy tried and true recipe for those cold fall and winter days.

Brown 2 pounds ground beef with 1 chopped onion.

Add: 2 large cans tomatoes

22 oz Salsa

1 pkg Taco seasoning

2 cans green beans

2 cans kidney beans

2 cans garbonzo beans

Simmer for 1 hour. Just before serving add 1 can Mexicorn

Serve with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Cowboy Cookies

If you like a crunchy cookie, these are really good! They were Martha Stewart's cookie of the month for October.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks (1 cup)
3 ounces (3/4 cup) pecan halves
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
Reduce speed to low, and slowly add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Beat in oats, chocolate, pecans, and coconut until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Bake until edges of cookies begin to brown, 11 to 13 minutes.

Makes about 5 dozen

Sixty Minute Rolls

Carol gave me this recipe and I think it comes from a KitchenAid recipe book!

So yummy!!!

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter or margarine

4-5 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 pkgs. active dry yeast

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Combine milk, water, and butter in small saucepan. Heat over low heat until liquids are very warm, butter does not need to melt.

Place 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in mixer. Mix together about 30 seconds (on speed 2 if you have a Kitchenaid). Gradually add warm liquids to flour mixture, about 30 seconds. Mix 1 minute longer.

(Speed 2 for kitchenaid) Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Knead for 3-5 minutes longer.

Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, 15 minutes.

Turn dough onto floured board and shape as desired. Cover, let rise in slightly warm oven (90 degrees) for 15 minutes. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes or until done!

Hospitality Cup or Wassail

Here is a drink I love. I didn't even start liking it until last year and my mom has been making it for years. I guess tastes change. It is a super secret recipe she got when she was in Home Ec in high school. You can only get this recipe here (JK:). Everyone has a different name for it. The recipe my mom has calls it hospitality cup. I love it--really warms you up and is ooooo so good!! (I think Emily had like 5 cups tonight, I won't tell how many I had all day:)!

1 cup sugar
3 cups water
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Simmer 10 minutes and let stand for flavors to mix (several hours). Remove spices and heat in large kettle, then add:
3 cups apple juice or apple cider
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1/4 cup lemon juice

Bring juices to simmer, just below boiling. Serves 12 teacups.

Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from Cooking Light September 2008

1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flaked sweet coconut
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
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Preheat oven to 350
Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk
Place sugars and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at med. speed until well blended (about 2 min.). Add egg, beating well. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir just until combined. Stir in coconut and chocolate.

Place cookies on a greased baking sheet and slightly flatten dough with fingers. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are set and cookies are lightly browned on bottoms!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe came from a friend of Emily Asay's. I tried it today and it was as good as she described!

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 tbsp butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Whip butter and sugar together. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in a sauce pan over the stove. Combine with butter and sugar mixture. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to wet ingredients. Mix well. Stir in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 20 minutes (*important, otherwise they will not turn out fudgy!). Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Fettucine Alfredo

My Sister gave me this recipe a long time ago and I have loved how easy it was and it has great flavor!

I always add chicken and then whatever vegetables I have around! Last night we had zucchini in it and it was really good!!

Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cube butter (her recipe calls for 1/2 cube butter, but I always add less)

1 clove minced garlic

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter and saute garlic. Add other ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta with chicken or favorite veggies!

Pumpkin Cake

I got this recipe from my Aunt many years ago! My sister made it recently and sent me the picture and reminded me of what a great cake it was! Try it!

Pumpkin Cake

4 eggs

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

1 16oz can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Bake in ungreased 9 x 13 pan at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 ounces cream cheese softened

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

Mix all together and spread on cooled cake.