Lemon Oat Struesel Squares

These little ditties are extremely rich.  There is so much butter in them, that I think even Mom would be satisfied.  I found the recipe in one of the recipe papers from a 9" square baker from pampered chef that I got from a wedding shower thrown by jen in my behalf in Utah.  This is seriously the first time I have made it.  Almost 11 years after receiving this treasure.  I did add a little twist that made ALL the difference in the world, in my opinion.

Filling:

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 C. lemon juice

2 tsp. lemon zest

Crust & Streusel

3/4 C. butter, softened

1 1/4 C. packed brown sugar

2 C. flour

1 1/2 C. rolled oats, uncooked

1 C. coconut (the twist!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and zest; mix well.  Set aside.

Mix together butter and sugar until well-blended.  Add combined flour, oats, and coconut; mix until crumbly. Reserve 2 C. streusel for topping; set aside.  Press remaining streusel over bottom of 9" square baking dish.  

Spread filling evenly over crust.

Sprinkle reserved streusel over filling. patting gently.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cool completely before cutting.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. ( i didn't)

I am planning to make some for our dessert auction tonight for the YW Camp fund raiser.  Wish me luck!

Southwestern Chicken Eggrolls

Making these made Brian and me both say, "I'm so happy!" Then we ate them and we were so happy again. You can do it!

2 - 3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
2 T. red bell pepper, minced
2 T. green onion, minced
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. frozen spinach, thawed and drained (we didn't do this because I forgot to thaw it and, oh yeah, I hate frozen spinach)
2 T. diced jalepenos (less if you don't want to be "lit" up)
1/2 T. parsley, minced (what? didn't do that either)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of cayenne
3/4 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (we used Colby Jack - just as good)
5 8" UNCOOKED flour tortillas (I found them at Costco)

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.
Mix chicken into the pan with onion and red pepper. Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the cheese, in a bowl. Add all of them to the skillet with the chicken, onion, and red pepper. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Take skillet off the heat and sprinkle the cheese on top of it. Set it aside to let the cheese melt.
Spoon the chicken mixture onto uncooked tortillas. Tuck the sides in and roll the tortilla up.
Pour about 3/4 of an inch of vegetable oil into a skillet and heat on medium high for a few minutes. (Brian and I were both ready with baking soda since we have a history of starting fires when deep frying. Yes, we were children at the time, but still.) Transfer the filled tortillas to the hot oil (use tongs or something). It took less than a minute to brown one side, so you'll have to stand there and watch them. Turn the rolls over when they have browned on one side.
Drain the egg rolls on a plate lined with paper towels once they're cooked.

Serve with Avocado Ranch Dip:

16 oz. sour cream
1 envelope Ranch Dip Mix
1 avocado, peeled, cut and mashed with a fork
1 tsp. lemon juice

Mix together and serve with Southwestern Chicken Eggrolls or just tortilla chips. Or eat it with a spoon. Whatever.

Raspberry Buttercream

Someone probably thought of this before me, but no one has posted it before me:)
I was craving some Once't in a Blue Moon Bakery raspberry brownies and looking up recipes online for raspberry buttercream, when it dawned on me to just use Mom's old frosting recipe and throw in some frozen raspberries. It turned out delicious and a very delicate shade of pink, very pretty, indeed.

Some butter, softened
Some powdered sugar, ok, lots
Add milk and beat with beaters until it is the consistancy you like
Throw in frozen (thawed) raspberries

I didn't measure; sorry.