Pomegranate Salad - Book Club Dinner 2010

Michelle brought this salad to the book club dinner.
Salad Dressing:
1/2 c. veg oil

4 T sugar

4 T vinegar

2 T chopped parsley (I usually use flat leaf)

1 tsp. salt

1/4. tsp pepper 

1/4 tsp hot sauce

For the salad I usually cut up a few oranges, pomegranate seeds, celery, green onions and sugared almonds. I use red leaf and romaine.

Apple Crisp Brie - Book Club Dinner 2010

Karen Peterson made this stunning and delicious appetizer for our annual Book Club dinner this year.

Makes 10 Servings

1 (8 oz) Brie cheese round
1 Granny Smith apple, washed, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 Rome apple, washed, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 (4 oz) package slivered almonds
4 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Place brie in the center of a 9 in decorative quiche, shallow casserole or pie pan.

In large mixing bowl, stir apples and dried cranberries together. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and almonds and gently stir. Drizzle melted butter over all and stir until well coated.

Pour apple mixture over and around brie. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is soft and bubbling in the center.

Serve immediately with crackers.

Honey Butta Like No Otha...

Honey Butter


Deb Richards brought this to the trunk or treat to top all that delicious cornbread. I got lots of comments on how yummy it was. 


1 c honey
1 c butter (salted)
1 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of salt
 
combine thoroughly in food processor or mixer.  Enjoy!

SPICY ENCHILADAS WITH PUMPKIN SAUCE

This dish can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead of time; refrigerate, covered, until ready to bake (add a few minutes to the cooking time).
1/2 leftover thyme-roasted chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (see notes below)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 jalapeno, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)
1 t. chili powder
8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (6 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, combine chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
2. In a blender, puree pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 t. salt, and 1/4 t. pepper until smooth. Pour 1 cup of sauce in bottom of an 8 in square pan.
3. Layer tortillas on work surface; mound chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll tortillas; place, seam side down, in baking dish.
4. Pour remaining sauce on top; sprinkle with cheese. Place dish on a baking sheet; bake until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let cool 5 min before serving.
NOTES: You can cut way back on the amount of chicken by using black beans and mushrooms as a substitution...delicious! I will also leave out the jalapeno if I do not have one and just up the garlic a little. It is also yummy to use the water you boil the chicken in to thin out your sauce. The recipe calls for a thyme roasted chicken, but I boil a few breasts in a pot with a few dashes of thyme and that works fine as well!

Caramel Apple Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. Vanilla or French Vanilla Instant pudding
1 cup water
4 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, and coarsely chopped
20 caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in apples. Pour into pan. Bake 50 min to 60 min until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 20 min and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Microwave caramels and milk on HIGH for 90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until blended. Cool 10 min, until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake.

Spiced Pumpkin Soup

From Napa Valley Grille restaurant in the Mall of America

1 lb pumpkin puree (1 sm. can + a bit more)
1/2 stalk of celery, diced
1 yellow onioin, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T allspice
1 T cinnamon
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
4 T. butter
6 c. vegetable stock (3, 14 oz cans)
salt and pepper to taste
paper thin apple slices, cut into small bits for garnish

Sweat celery, onion, carrots and ginger together until tender with a little vegetable oil. Add cinnamon and allspice and let flavors develop. Add vegetable stock and pumpkin puree. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 30 min. DO NOT BOIL! (Boiling will make your soup turn a brown rust color)Add sugar, cream and butter. Puree in a blender. Add salt and pepper to adjust flavor at the end. If your soup is too thick, add more liquid. Garnish with apple bits.

Carmel Dip

1 stick butter, melted
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. white corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
pinch of salt

In a med. saucepan, combine all ingredients. Over med. heat, bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool and use as a dip for apples. Carmel will thicken as it cools.

Makes 1 quart

Asian Chicken Salad

Asian Chicken Salad
...another great salad from Jenny Bollwitt!

1 head napa cabbage
1 bunch green onions
green/yellow/red bell peppers (or any combination of bell peppers)

Topping:

1 package top ramen
3/4 cup sliced almonds
2-3 T butter

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Chop vegetables, combine.

Topping: Toast almonds in 2-3 T butter until golden brown. Remove from heat, add noodles and seasoning packet.

Caramel Apple French Toast

Caramel Apple French Toast

Angela Smeed makes this every Conference weekend for breakfast. She gave me the recipe the week before conference, so I thought we'd try it! It was DELICIOUS, and it looks so beautiful when it's served!!

Make the night before your breakfast
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 tsp. cinnamon
sugar to taste
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 T light corn syrup
3 T butter
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans
12 slices of firm white bread (Texas Toast)
3 eggs beaten
1 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1. Peel, core and slice apples. Pour 1/2 cup of water over apples. Simmer 4-5 minutes until apples are softened. Drain apples, place in bowl. Gently mix in cinnamon and sugar.
2. Set aside apples. In the same skillet, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar melts and mixture comes to a slow boil. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with nuts.
3. Place 6 slices of bread on top of syrup and nuts. Divide apples among bread slices and top with remaining 6 slices.
4. Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. Pour over apple sandwiches. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
6. Remove from oven cover with a serving platter and invert (so caramel and nuts are on top). Cut each sandwich in half diagonally and serve with vanilla sauce.
Serves 12

Vanilla Sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 T cornstarch
2 T butter or margarine
1 T vanilla

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook stirring often, over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
2. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla.
3. Stir until butter melts.

Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A hearty filling soup-comfort food to warm you up . . . great for a family or crowd!

2 14 1/2 ounce cans chicken broth
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup leek or green onions, sliced
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup half and half milk
1 cup carrots, sliced (may use canned to speed things up)
1/3 cup wild rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (bite size pieces)

In a saucepan, mix broth, carrots, celery, uncooked rice, leek (or onion), thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover, simmer 50 minutes or until rice is tender.
Melt margarine or butter. Stir in flour, then stir in half & half. Cook and stir 1-minute more. Slowly add half & half mixture to rice mixture, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken; heat through. Best when served immediately or same day. (Next day it separates a bit and has some condensation that can be resolved by re-warming it.) Toppings like chives, bacon or cheese can be added, but are not necessary. The soup stands on its own fine without them.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

With this crowd pleaser, you'll be the hostess with the mostess!

• 2 acorn squash
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup couscous
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 pound ground beef, preferably lean chuck or sirloin
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the squash in half crosswise and scoop out the pulp and seeds. Trim the ends so each half will stand upright. Place both halves in a baking pan, flesh side up, and pour hot water into the pan to reach about halfway up the squash. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter to the center of each squash and season with salt and pepper. Loosely cover the pan with foil. Bake the squash until tender when pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Prepare the couscous according to the package directions and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 4 minutes. Push the onion aside, add the meat, season with salt and pepper and cook through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts, cranberries and couscous; season with salt and pepper.

Remove the squash from the oven and, using a spatula, carefully transfer each half to a plate. Pour out any excess liquid from the centers. Divide the couscous among the squash.

*For a more hearty flavor, add some brown sugar to the squash before baking and also to the meat while cooking.

Healthy Harvest Stuffing

Plan ahead for Thanksgiving with this healthy, delicious version of stuffing!

1 pound whole-wheat Italian bread, cut into 1-inch pieces

3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium celery stalk with leaves, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)

8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, and caps chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced

1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (you may not need to use it all)

Olive-oil spray (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with oven rack in middle position. Place bread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl along with walnuts and dried cranberries; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, celery, and shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add apple and continue to cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, sage, and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper.

Add onion mixture to bowl with bread mixture; stir to combine. Add enough of the broth to thoroughly moisten the bread mixture without soaking it (there shouldn't be any excess broth in the bottom of the bowl). Spoon stuffing into a 2-quart casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, mist the top of the stuffing with olive-oil spray, if desired, and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more

To cook in turkey: Moisten the bread mixture with only 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and spoon half of the mixture into the turkey; cook turkey as preferred. For the rest of the bread mixture, add more of the broth to moisten, being careful not to soak (see above). Transfer the remaining stuffing to a 1-quart baking dish or 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and proceed as above.

Pumpkin Waffles

Pumpkin Waffles

This recipe is courtesy of Valerie Salin...love her down home recipes! These are awesome as is, but I like a little sweeter waffle, so I add 1-2 T of sugar to the batter. 

Mix dry ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix wet ingredients:
4 egg yolks (set aside egg whites)
1 c. pumpkin
1 T. vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter melted
 

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Beat egg whites in metal bowl until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in egg whites. 

Buttermilk Syrup

1 stick of butter
1 c. buttermilk (or milk and tsp. vinegar)
2 c. sugar
2 T. light corn syrup

Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Add 2 tsp. vanilla and 2 tsp. baking soda. Let sit a few minutes before serving--will be frothy at first.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Lezlee Strong brought this recipe to the menu board project night. Sounds delish!

3 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
2 cans (2 cups) pumpkin
1 1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients. Beat in eggs, oil, sugar and pumpkin. Pour into bread pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 min. Makes 2 large loaves, or 4 small.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup

I got this recipe from Ree, aka, the Pioneer Woman. I've tweaked a couple things for the next time I make it. It was really delicious!

1 stick Butter, Divided (you could probably reduce this by a 2-4 tablespoons.

½ whole Onion, Finely Diced

2 whole Carrots Finely Diced

1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced

1 whole Cauliflower Head (roughly Chopped)

2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)

2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock

6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

2 cups Whole Milk - I used reduced fat milk, and it tasted fine!

1 cup Half-and-half

2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste

1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature - I omitted this, don't know what I missed!

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt half of the butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Crock Pot Lasagna

Crock Pot Lasagna

adapted from Tasty Kitchen

The beauty of this recipe is that you get 2nd day lasagna taste (you know, when all the flavors get better acquainted with each other) the 1st day you make it.  It's not going to be as pretty as when you make it in a casserole dish, but if it's just for the fam, it's fine! You could probably make just about any lasagna recipe this way as long as there is enough fluid to cook the noodles and still be juicy!

1 small onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb lean ground beef

1 jar spaghetti sauce (I actually use about 1 1/2 jars, or you can add extra tomato sauce out of the can-this is important, because the noodles are absorbing the juices to cook, and having too little sauce will result in a slightly drier lasagna)

2 cups cottage cheese, or ricotta is you're fancy!

1 egg, beaten

Parsley

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Uncooked, regular Lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic. Add sauce, mix. Separately, combine the cottage/ricotta cheese with the egg and parsley. Put a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the crock pot, then layer the uncooked noodles (you may have to break them a bit to fit), then more sauce. Drop spoonfuls of cottage/ricotta cheese mixture on top of the sauce, mix slightly to combine. Sprinkle cheeses on top, repeat the layers until you have about 3 layers of noodles. Cook on low for 4 hours. Mangia!

Grandma's Sloppy Joe's

2 lbs. Hamburger meat
1 can Campbell's chicken gumbo soup
1 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tb. vinegar
2 Tb. ketchup
2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb. mustard
2 Tb. chopped onion

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain the fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Ham and Potato Casserole

This recipe isn't an exact science. So you can add more or less of the potatoes/ham/sauce depending on how many you're feeding. But for a family of 6 this is what I do:

Par boil 5 potatoes (that means boil them but take them out a few minutes before they are tender--partially cooked through) Cut the potatoes into bite size chunks.
Buy a small ham or use left over ham or buy a thick slice of ham. Cut it up into bite size chunks.

Put the potatoes and ham in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Sauce:
Melt 4 Tb. butter in a saute pan. Once it starts to bubble add 4 Tb. of flour. Slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk (you may need more or a bit less--you just want a nice saucy thickness). Add salt and pepper and dry mustard to desired flavor. It should be a nice tasting sauce. Pour over the potatoes and ham and gently fold in to cover all in the pan.

Cover dish in tin foil and bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours. Add cheese on top at the end. Enjoy!!!

My entire family loves this meal! Hope you enjoy!

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

Chicken Sausage Gumbo

(from Southern Living, December 2004, slightly modified)

submitted by Amy Stephenson

1 t. olive oil

11/2 lb. low fat smoked sausage, cut into slices

1 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

2 large cloves garlic, pressed

1 medium green pepper, chopped

5 T. instantized flour (Wondra)

2 c. chicken broth

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 - 2 t. Creole seasoning (like Tony Chachere's, which is also great on grilled burgers!)

4 cups chopped cooked chicken (rotisserie)

Saute sausage, onion, celery, garlic and green pepper in oil in Dutch oven until onion is tender.  Combine flour and 1 cup broth in shaker container or jar with tight fitting lid and shake well.  Add remaining broth, tomatoes and creole seasoning to pot and bring to a slow boil.  Slowly stir in broth and flour mixture and simmer to thicken.  Add chicken, stir well.  Serve over hot cooked rice.  (Wondra is an easy way to thicken a soup without making a roux or adding extra fat.)

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

(from "Desperation Dinners" newspaper column)

Amy Stephenson made this for the Women's Broadcast! It was delish!

10 oz. package frozen spinach

1 t. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (3/4 c.)

2 stalks celery, chopped (3/4 c.)

3/4 c. chopped baby carrots

1 t. bottled minced garlic

1 t. Italian seasoning blend

2 c. water

2 14 oz. cans chicken broth

1 lb. frozen Italian style meatballs (1/2 oz. size)

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

3 T. Parmesan cheese

1/4 t. pepper

1/4 t. salt

1 large egg

Remove spinach from package and microwave on high for 5 minutes to thaw.  Heat oil in Dutch oven.  Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic and Italian seasoning.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Add water and broth and bring to a boil.  Squeeze excess water from spinach and add to pot.  Add meatballs and return to boil.  Drain and rinse beans and add to pot.  Reduce heat to medium, maintaining a slow boil and cook until meatballs are heated through, about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile in a 2 cup or larger bowl, whisk cheese, salt, pepper and egg.  Reduce heat to low and slowly drizzle egg mixture into soup, stirring constantly.  Stir and cook 2 minutes until egg mixture is thoroughly incorporated and soup begins to thicken.  

Roasted Vegetables & Pasta with Bechamel Sauce

A grown up twist on Mac 'n' Cheese. Jaclyn Anderson brought this to me a long time ago, and it's been one of our favorites ever since!

2 lbs carrots
2 T dried basil
1-2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 400.

Peel carrots and cut on the diagonal to 1/2 inch pieces. Spread on baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Add basil. Toss to coat. Roast for about 15 minutes until slightly browned and softened.

Cook pasta.

Bechamel Sauce:
8 T butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk, warmed
1/2 cup grated of each: cheddar, parmesan, swiss
2 T fresh thyme

1lb penne
1lb fresh spinach
1/4 cup carmelized onions
2-3 cups grated med/sharp cheddar for topping

Melt butter in medium saucepan over low/med heat. Whisk in flour; let bubble 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Whisk in warm milk, then cheeses and thyme. Continue to whisk over low until smooth and thick.

Spread spinach on bottom of 9x13 casserole dish. It will appear to take up the whole dish, but will cook down. Top with onions, then carrots and penne. Spoon on sauce, top with cheddar. Cover, bake 15-20 minutes until bubbly and heated through.

Lime and Garlic Meat Marinade

Summer is upon us so I thought I'd post this fabulous marinade in honor for the grilling season. I made it last night and it was a hit with the whole family!

Lime and Garlic Marinade

1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 c. lime juice (I use a little less juice add in some of the zest)
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. dijon mustard
2 T. maple syrup
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. fresh minced basil (if you don’t have it on hand, omit. It still tastes great without)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix together and let meat marinade at least 30-45 minutes. Grill. I usually use this for pork chops but you could use it for chicken as well.

Chicken & Melon Salad

This is such a refreshing salad!

Chicken & Melon Salad

Romaine lettuce
Chicken, cut up in bite sized chunks (rotisserie chicken is especially good in this!)
Watermelon & Cantaloupe, cut into bite sized chunks
Poppyseed Dressing (I recommend Brianna's, it's light and doesn't have the greasy feeling most other brands do)

Because it can get soggy, we usually set the ingredients up in separate bowls, and everyone dishes up individually. Top with dressing.

Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Sugared Pecans

Got this recipe from Jenny Bollwitt...perfect as a side salad or on its own with some grilled chicken thrown in!

Toss ingredients together. Enjoy!

Baby Spinach
Strawberries
Dried Cranberries
Cilantro
Feta Cheese
Sugared Pecans*
Raspberry vinaigrette/creamy raspberry dressing

Sugared Pecans
1 egg white
1 T water
1 lb. pecans
1 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon


Preheat oven to 250. Grease baking sheet. In bowl, whip egg white and sugar until frothy. Separately, mix sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add pecans to egg white, stir to coat evenly. Remove the nuts, toss in sugar mixture until coated. Spread nuts on baking sheet. Bake at 250 for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes until a crust forms.

Margarita Pie

Margarita Pie

Yes, this is Word of Wisdom approved, so no worries. This recipe is from Cortney Exby and is perfect for spring and summer. It's so fresh and tangy!

Package of Pecan Sandie cookies (about 25-30)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 8oz. tub of cool whip
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 10 oz. Bicardi Margarita Mix (or a limeade) thawed
1 lime (for zest; optional)

Crush pecan sandies. Add the melted butter. Press into pie pan. Place crust in freezer for 15-20 mins. Mix milk, margarita mix, and cool whip together for filling until creamy and smooth. Pour into pie crust. Freeze until ready to eat. Take out 10 mins before serving. Add lime zest if you like. SOOOOO yummy!!

Mini Peanut Butter & Jelly Pies

We made these for Valentine's Day lunch and the kids loved them. They're so cute! I got the recipe from pickypalate.com.

1 roll pie dough
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
1/2 c strawberry preserves
1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
Sugar Crystals for sprinkling on top (optional)
2 T powdered sugar


Set oven to 350 degrees F.  Unroll pie crust onto a lightly floured surface.  Use a 2 1/2 inch round cutter to cut out circles in dough. Place dough rounds into greased mini muffin tin.  Roll remaining scraps of dough to an even thickness then use a sharp knife to cut thin 1/8 inch strips to create the lattice topping.  Set aside.


Drop a heaping teaspoon of peanut butter  into each of the pie crusts.  Do the same with the jam.  I liked having a little more jelly than peanut butter. Using the pie strips, form the lattice top.   Cut excess dough from edges and brush tops lightly with the egg wash, sprinkle with sugar crystals (optional) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until nice and golden brown.


Carefully remove from pan after 5 minutes and let cool.  Dust with powdered sugar and serve with milk!

Pot Roast

I'm convinced this roast recipe came straight from Heaven. I've never tasted anything quite like it! It's my grandma's own....Enjoy!

1 boneless chuck pot roast (costco has the best prices!)
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 yellow onion
medium bag of carrots
beef bullion granules
seasoning salt to taste
3/4 c. water

I always start with a thawed roast. Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of beef bullion granules in the bottom of a large pot. Place roast on top and sprinkle with packet of onion soup. Peel and slice onion into large slices and cover roast and surrounding area. Add carrots on top and sprinkle everything with seasoning salt. Pour water around roast.

Bake for 3-4 hours at 280 degrees. This roast will fall off your fork and melt in your mouth!! Good for practically anything---mashed potatoes, rice, salads or wrapped in a tortilla.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies

These cookies will melt in your mouth!! You can substitute light cream cheese and sour cream for a slightly healthier version, but there's no getting past the two cups of sugar!

3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sour cream
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
5 1/2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese in mixing bowl. Add sour cream, eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and soda and then slowly add to cream mixture. Refrigerate for one hour. Roll onto floured surface and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter.

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until firm. Don't overcook! Bottoms should be a very light brown. Transfer to wire rack immediately and cool.

Frosting:
1 stick of real butter, room temp.
16 oz. powdered sugar
1-2 tsp. vanilla
evaporated milk

Whip butter and slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk until desired consistency.

Red Velvet Cake

My mom made this for us every Valentine's Day along with a heart shaped meatloaf. It is a tradition I have continued on with my family. I have yet to find a better recipe for this cake however you have to follow it exactly with no substitutions or it doesn't turn out.

1 c. butter (no margarine or crisco)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs

Cream together. Add:

2 oz red food coloring
2 T. cocoa powder

Mix. Then Add:

1 c. buttermilk
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt

Add the salt and the vanilla to the batter and alternate the flour and the buttermilk.

Last of all, in a seperate bowl mix:
1 tsp baking soda and 1 T. vinegar

Let sit for a few minutes then add to rest of ingredients.

Bake in greased pan at 350 for 25 minutes (I use two rounds or heart shape but you can use rectangular as well).

When cool, frost with following recipe:

Frosting:
1 c. milk
4 T. flour

whisk together. cook til thick. cool in fridge. Once cool:

Beat together:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. crisco
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat very well. Add flour mixture a Tablespoon at a time. Beat til fluffy. Keep cake refrigerated.

***Sometimes I put White chocolate shavings on top if I want it to be prettier but tastewise it can stand on its own without them.

Buffalo Wing Chicken Dip

I tried this out and it turned out good. There are a million different variations of it so if you have a better one, please post:)

1 pkg Cream Cheese
2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 c. ranch or blue cheese dressing
1 c. Frank's hot sauce (I used Ott's original Wing Sauce)
2 c. shredded cheddar

beat cream cheese, ranch, and hot sauce til smooth. add cheddar and chicken. Put in a baking dish and bake 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly. serve with chips, crackers, and celery sticks.

Pasta, Chicken & Spinach Salad

This is another recipe I got from Kenzi Hardy...it's fresh and light, but still substantial. And it has a little bit of Asian flair, which I like.

Pasta, Chicken & Spinach Salad

3 cups shredded chicken
1 pkg (12 oz) rotelle or bowtie pasta
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
8 cups fresh spinach

Cook pasta; drain.
In small frying pan, combine 1/4 cup oil and sesame seeds; saute until golden. Cool.
Stir in remaining oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and salt/pepper. Pour over cooked/cooled pasta and chicken, toss. Chill 2 hours or overnight.
Before serving, add spinach, onions and parsley.

No Fail Bread/Sweet Bread

I'm sure MOST of you cooks have this recipe already, but since I am relatively new to the world of breadmaking, I was excited to have this recipe given to me. We all know and love Karina's yummy crescent rolls of perfection, but if you have a hankering for something a little sweeter, I'd give this recipe a try. You can use it to make sweet rolls (almost like the King's Hawaiian Rolls) or loaves. I just made it in loaves today, and found that I prefer the rolls.

Sweet Bread

5 cups flour
1 T dry yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water

Put flour in bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix for one minute, then let rest for 15 minutes. Resume mixing for 5-6 minutes, then place in oiled bowl. Cover, let rise until doubled in size (about 2 hours). Punch down, then shape into balls and place in oiled pan with sides touching. Let rise until doubled (about an hour). Bake rolls 15 minutes, loaves 30 minutes at 350. Butter tops while warm.