Sweet Potato Fries

I discovered the fry cutter feature on my food processor this week. You can do this without it, but it was more fun to eat them in fry form.

2 sweet potatoes will easily feed 4 people

cut them up as close to fry size as possible, lightly coat with olive oil and add kosher salt to taste.

Spread them out evenly on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for at least 20 minutes, maybe longer.

The dip is important because it's the best.

Take a ranch dip packet and add it to sour cream, then add a hint of bbq sauce.

Funeral Potatoes

We called these "Yellow Potatoes" at our house growing up. My husband's family called them "Sunny Potatoes." I've mostly heard them referred to as "Funeral Potatoes." Every time there is a funeral at the church, the lunch afterward consists of ham, these potatoes, green beans, and rolls. I don't know where that started, but it is so. When did all the ladies learn to make this dish? Is it one of those things like roast chicken that grandmas just think everyone knows how to make?

(A word of warning: You will want to eat more of these than you should. After your first helping, sit back a moment, talk to the people around you, reflect on the meaning of life. If you dive into the second helping without doing that, you will feel like you've eaten a pound of concrete approximately 10 minutes after consuming the second helping.)

3 lbs. potatoes (I used Yukon Gold because I have 50 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/4 c. melted margarine

2 green onion, diced

1 soup can milk (I used more than that... and also 1/4 cup cream)

1 c. grated cheddar cheese (plus more to sprinkle on top)

1 pint sour cream

Boil potatoes and let cool.

In a medium sauce pan melt margarine. Add cream of chicken soup and milk (and cream, if you're cool like me). Heat on medium until combined, then add one cup of cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, then add sour cream and chopped green onions. Stir constantly until the mixture is warm and smooth. Do not let it boil. Big mistake, letting it boil.

Grate potatoes into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Or have a big strong man do it.

Pour cheese sauce over grated potatoes, but don't mix.

Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven, covered. Take tin foil off, sprinkle with cheese, and cook for another 20 to 30 minutes.

There is no picture of the final product because we took it (two pans full) to a family party where it was eaten. Every single bite. And we weren't even the only ones who brought this dish!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Another magazine find. As I was making this, I told David that these were going to be the best things I've ever made; and they were.

Dough

1/4 c warm water

2 1/2 t. yeast

1 t. sugar

1/2 c milk

2 eggs

1 c canned pumpkin puree

1/3 c margarine, melted

1/2 c sugar

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/4 t. cloves

1 t. salt

5-6 c flour

Filling

2/3 c canned pumpkin puree

1/2 c butter, room temp.

1 c packed brown sugar

2 T cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing

4 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

3 T. butter

1/2 t. vanilla

2-2 1/2 c powdered sugar

Directions

1. Combine warm water, yeast and teaspoon of sugar in small bowl. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until froth doubles.

2. In mixer, combine milk, eggs, pumpkin, margarine, the 1/2 cup sugar, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix until smooth.

3. Add 4 cups flour to mixing bowl. Pour frothed yeast mixture on top of flour. Knead about five munutes, adding the rest of the flour 1/2 c. at a time. Dough should be smooth and moist, but not sticky.

4. Spray a bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl. Cover with wet towel or plastic wrap that is sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

5. While dough is rising, prepare filling. Place room temperature butter and pumpkin puree in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture is smooth. In another small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

6. pour dough out on slightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle, dough should be about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the pumpkin/butter mixture over rectangle. Next, evenly spread the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top, slightly pressing it into the dough.

7. Roll up long side of dough, forming long tube. Cut tube with sharp knife about every 2 inches, making 12 rolls. Place rolls in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

9. Bake rolls in oven until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla to make the frosting. Spread on warm rolls.

Now you all have to make them because this took forever for me to type.

Sugar Cookies

I've been on a quest this fall to find a most excellent sugar cookie recipe. A magazine came in the mail with a recipe claiming that these cookies won a blind folded taste test every time.
I tried them and they are indeed amazing. This is now my staple sugar cookie recipe.

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. milk
2 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
pinch of salt

In a large bowl, cram together butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add dry mixture to wet ingredients in thirds, beating in between.

Chill for 1 hour.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes. (I prefered it a little thicker than thin. Thin is crispy, thick was more chewy and cakey.)

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake!

Frosting:
1/2 c butter (softened)
1 t. vanilla
3 T milk
4-5 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter, vanilla and milk together, and gradually add the powdered sugar while mixing until you have a stiff but creamy frosting.

Holiday Cookies!

Every year (okay, for the last two or three years) the Food Network has sent me recipes for 12 cookies at the beginning of the holiday season. I tried to build a bandwagon one year and I had Mom and Makenzie come over for a cookie-making day. That was fun, right? I've looked through the recipes for the 2009 cookies (they have short videos SHOWING us how to make the cookies - huzzah!) and decided that this year I'm adding Hazelnut Tea Cookies (secretly Mexican Wedding Cookies only with hazelnuts - remember back in 2004 when Katy was all about some hazelnuts?) to my repertoire. If it goes well, I'll post the recipe. If you'd like to have a cookie day before the Christmas season gets to be too much and you don't feel like baking anymore, click on the links.
In 2007 we made Jam Thumbprints. They tasted wonderful, but I have a problem using my Prize-Winning Raspberry Jam for cookies. Then again, someone could be using my jam as salsa with his tortilla chips.
Have a Cookie Day! Post your recipes! We totally need more treat recipes on this blog.

Comfort Food: Grandma Carol's Scalloped Potatoes

Do you all make this all the time? I do. It's one of my favorite dishes to bring to new moms. Everyone can die of a heart attack of not surprise that I've added cream where Grandma used canned milk. Whatever. :)

(I came across this random photo of Grandma and Grandpa. Don't they look delighted about those homemade pillows? Grandma was such a classy dresser.)

4 to 5 Yukon Gold potatoes (of course you can use russets or even red ones or white ones - Yukon Gold are my faves)

1 small onion, sliced

1 10-oz. can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c. milk

3/4 c. cream

Cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Slice potatoes as thinly as you can and make one layer of them in the casserole dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the layer and add a few onion slices. Repeat the layers (adding the salt, pepper, and onion on top of the potato slices each time).

Mix soup, milk, and cream (add more or less cream depending on how juicy you like it) and pour over layered potatoes. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Uncover and top with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 more minutes. (Why must all comfort food take so long to cook?)

Apple Cider Doughnuts

I was so excited to find this recipe! Hearing Jen talk about the cider doughnuts on Vermont apple farms always made me drool. I didn't have a doughnut cutter so I used a biscuit cutter. I also fried the scraps, which reminded me of Mom's homemade scones in Oakley. Where's that recipe, eh?


2 red apples such as Cortland or McIntosh
2 1/2 cups apple cider
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 TBS vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Core and coarsely chop the apples (do not peel). Combine with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor or a Magic Bullet until smooth. Measure the sauce; you should have 1 cup. (Boil to reduce further, if necessary.) Let cool slightly.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
3. Beat 2/3 cup granulated sugar and the shortening in another bowl with a mixer on medium speed until sandy. Beat in the egg and yolk, then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to make a sticky dough; do not overmix!
4. Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper and pat into a 7-by-11-inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze; Simmer the remaining 1 cup cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk the powdered sugar until smooth and glossy, then set aside. Mix the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a shallow bowl; set aside for the topping.
6. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Cut the chilled dough into 12 rounds, using a floured biscuit or doughnut cutter. Slip 2-3 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, 1-2 minutes on each side, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.
7. Dip one side of each doughnut in the cider glaze, letting the excess drip off; dip just the glazed side in the cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Serve warm.

Chocolate-Spot Cookies

This recipe comes from a Martha Stewart Halloween magazine from 2004. I love, love, love these! I have made them every Halloween and Christmas since I got the magazine. Other brownie-like cookies with M&M's have tried and failed! These are just delicious. Sometimes I make a batch and save about 1cup of the dough in a small container in the fridge, then every once in a while I'll get a spoon and eat a bite of it. That lasts a few days. And yes, I know it's wrong, but I still do it. Neener, neener.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Halloween-colored M&M's

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a large bowl.
2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup candies.
3. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press remaining 1/4 cup candies into tops of cookies.
4. Bake cookies 8-10 minutes.

Corn Bread Actually

This corn bread is actually bread- not the crumbly cake thing that calls itself cornbread. This is light and delicious and perfect for toast and sandwiches. A most exciting find from an artisan bread cookbook:

1 1/2 c unbleached bread flour
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 c. lukewarm water

Combine flour and yeast in a large bowl, then beat in the water. This will be a gloppy batter. Cover tightly and ferment until it is very bubbly and well risen- up to two hours.

2/3 c. lukewarm water
2 1/2 c. unbleached bread flour
1 c. plus 2 Tb cornmeal
3/4 c. fresh corn kernels (about 1 large ear)
2 large eggs plus 1 for glaze)
2 Tb honey
1 1/2 Tb vegetable or olive oil
1 Tb salt

Add the water to the yeast mixture. Then add the flour, cornmeal, corn, 2 eggs, honey, and oil. Knead about five minutes with dough hooks in a bread mixer. Add the salt and knead 3 more minutes.
This is a soft, sticky dough.
Don't be afraid of the corn kernels! They will completely blend into the dough and you will never see them. And if you do, be happy.

Let dough rise for up to 2 hours.

Grease to bread pans. Shape two loaves. Cover and rise again for up to 2 hours.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat remaining egg until blended and brush the tops of the loaves with it. Bake breads on the bottom rack of your oven for 30 minutes, rotate and cook 30 minutes more. Remove the breads from the pans right out of the oven and cool on a rack.

Apple Crisp

They were handing out samples of this with the recipe all typed up for you at Macy's. I heart Macy's so much. It's the best grocery store I've ever been to. I'm sure we all have apple crisp recipes, but it's always fun to try another, I guess. Also, David says I don't post enough recipes, so here it is.
Mix together:
10 cups of apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup of white sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix separately:
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup melted butter.

Crumble oat mixture evenly over apple mixture in a 9 x 13 dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Dip

Doesn't that sound gross? And yet, it's delicious. My friend, Megan, brought this to Quilt Night and I'm in love. It's like eating a bite of pumpkin pie, only there is dipping involved. DIPPING! And how else are you going to eat gingersnaps? Plain?! Remember Grandma Carol always had gingersnaps and Nilla wafers? I never ever chose the gingersnaps.

So, add this to your holiday dip repertoire. The flower-shaped gingersnaps come in a package of 2500 at Costco, but you might be able to find plainer ones elsewhere. (Also, Mom, this is a recipe from Penny C.)

12 oz. Cool Whip
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. powdered sugar
8 oz. pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Put everything but Cool Whip in a bowl and mix it together well. Fold in Cool Whip. Chill for a few hours. Serve with gingersnaps.

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

This is one of the three soups we tried out at Girl's Night (during the Priesthood Session of Conference). I forgot the tomatoes even though there was a box of tomatoes in my kitchen. Whatever - it was still the most delicious, cheesy, chicken-y bowl I've had in a long long time. Sigh. (The mini corn muffins are courtesy of the Marie Callender's Corn Bread Mix. Just do what Sister Callender says and everything will turn out fine.)

1 1/2 lb. chicken breasts

1 1/2 c. chopped onion

1-2 garlic cloves (or 1 tsp. minced)

3 T. butter

2 chicken bullion cubes

1 c. hot water

1 tsp. cumin

2 c. half-and-half

2 c. shredded Monterey-jack cheese

1 can creamed corn

1 can (4 oz.) green chiles, drained

1 med. tomato, chopped

Cut and cube chicken. Brown with onion, garlic, and butter.

In a separate pan, dissolve bullion cubes in hot water. Add cumin, bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes.

In 3 qt. pan, add bullion mixture, chicken, and rest of ingredients (except tomatoes) Add shredded cheese after all mixed together. Cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add tomatoes.

Easy Crock-pot chicken

i don't have any beautiful before and after pictures of this dish, nor do i have any pictures of my beautiful children helping with this offering. it is simply something in threw in the pot and had savory results.

take a crock-pot

throw in a cube of butter

pick some fresh basil off your bush and throw it into the pot

cut of some garlic cloves (you can pick how many you want to throw)

you can now throw in boneless, skinless pieces of chicken or a whole fryer, turn the pot on high and leave for 5-7 hours.

Raspberry Jam

Raspberry jam has become a tradition in my house. Every year we take a family vacation to Bear Lake with Brian's family and I buy two or three flats of raspberries while we're there. Sometimes we are there too early or too late - I admit to making a few special trips to get the raspberries. Very special since it takes over three hours to get there. This year I came home with three flats and I got some serious help from my friend, Kristi, yesterday to make 31 bottles of beautiful jam. I use the recipe in the package of pectin, so no big secrets there. I do have a few hints, though...

1. One "flat" of raspberries makes between 10 and 12 half-pint bottles of jam, usually with a few berries left over.

2. Do not wash the raspberries. The water gets trapped inside the berry and makes your jam runny. I go through each berry and check for stems and bugs, but no washing.

3. Raspberries (and blackberries) are seedy little suckers, so I like to strain at least half of the 6 cups of berries. This year I found a jelly bag that worked really well, but cheesecloth works great, too. Get your grip muscles ready - it's a lot of work.

4. I use MCP pectin. It's in the SureJell (sp?) family, but I've found it to set up the best out of all the pectins I've tried. It could have something to do with MCP calling for more sugar than the rest of them. Whatever.

5. Speaking of sugar, I use C & H cane sugar instead of beet sugar. I don't understand how or why, but cane sugar is supposed to be better for your body? All those raving psychos at the state fair say it's the best, too. (I can call them that because I'm a State Fair Champion.)

I think that's all I do that isn't in the directions. Obviously I like to get the best raspberries and make the jam as soon as I possibly can. This year the raspberries were picked on Tuesday morning and they were jam by Wednesday morning. Ta da! Nothing is more satisfying than having 31 bottles of beautiful jam sitting on the counter after a long day of making it. Give it a try! Maybe you can be a State Fair Champion this year, too!

Yes, Another Pizza Recipe

I know, I know! I already submitted a pizza recipe, but this is better. The sauce is amazing and the crust is perfect. Just try it, okay.

Pizza Dough

Combine:

2 tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 c. water

Set aside for around 10 minutes or until frothy.

Add:

1 1/2 cups flour

(The directions say to make a well in the center of the mixture and stuff, but I just add it gradually in my Bosch. I usually end up adding a little more water.)

Knead until smooth and elastic. (Or let the machine knead it for a couple of minutes.)

Place the dough in a large, slightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise for at least 30 minutes.

Pizza Sauce

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped or 1 large can chopped tomatoes with their juices. (NOTE: I have tried this with fresh tomatoes, canned diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and petite diced tomatoes. The petite diced tomatoes tasted the best.)

1 tsp. dried basil

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds just until fragrant. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes.

Add the basil, season to taste with salt and pepper and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook until sauce thickens (15-20 minutes).

Use immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.

Create pizza using dough, sauce, and your favorite toppings. (Fun moms let their kids make their own pizzas. )

Cook at 450 degrees for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Shortcake... Pretty Little Miss

What else are you going to do with that giant thing of strawberries from Costco that will go bad before you can eat them all? COME ON! This is so good. You could secretly eat just the frosting with some strawberries. MMMMMMMmmmmmm. (I included this photo so you would be sure to know how thick the frosting needs to be.)

1 white cake mix

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. Cool Whip

1 T. milk

2 c. powdered sugar

2 pkgs. Strawberry Danish Dessert

2 10-oz. pkgs. strawberries cut into thirds

Prepare cake as directed. Cool completely.

Beat together softened cream cheese, Cool Whip, and powdered sugar. Frost cooled cake and refrigerate. Prepare Danish Dessert using the fruit sauce directions. Add strawberries. Top individual pieces of cake with strawberry mixture right before serving.

HAWAIIAN LUAU!!!

I've tried one or two recipes from Sunset Magazine before, but never an entire meal at once. Everything in their Hawaiian luau from the June issue sounded SO GOOD that I decided it had to be done. (Everything except the shrimp - which sounded really good, but Brian is allergic to shell fish. Not worth it.) The pork sandwiches were AWESOME. I'm surprised I'm not still at the table eating one right now. The salad (and especially the vinaigrette) was delightful - even without the $14 vanilla bean (never). We'll find out tomorrow if the dip is good since I need to read directions more carefully. We substituted Lipton Onion Dip with Maui Onion Kettle Chips. Yum. Seriously, why am I not still eating? I'm only putting the pork sandwich recipe in here because it's SO LONG and I'm tired and fat from eating. If you want the other recipes, go to the link at the beginning of this paragraph. ENJOY!

Char Siu-Glazed Pork and Pineapple Buns

1/4 c. salt
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
2 pork tenderloins (the real skinny kind - about a pound each)

1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. hoisin sauce (I found it near the soy sauce)
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. minced garlic
2 T. ground ginger
2 T. soy sauce

12 slices peeled and cored fresh pineapple
24 sweet rolls (we used Costco dinner rolls - perfect size)
1 c. cilantro sprigs

In a large saucepan, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil. Stir in salt, brown sugar, and vanilla. Chill until cool.

Put pork in a Zip-lock bag, then in a 9"x13" pan. Chill for at least 3 hours and up to 12.

Make char siu glaze: In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, hoisin, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour half of the sauce into another small bowl.

Prepare grill for indirect medium heat (350-450 degrees). Lay pork over indirect-heat area and cook, covered, until meat reaches 135 degrees on a meat thermometer (about 15-20 minutes). Brush one bowl of glaze over pork, saving 2 tablespoons for the pineapple. Cook pork, turning occasionally, until glaze has caramelized slightly and meat thermometer reaches 145 degrees (5 to 10 more minutes). Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 15 minutes.

Lay pineapple slices on direct-heat area of grill, brush with glaze, and cook, turning once (about 4 minutes per side).
Cut pork into 1/2 inch slices. Fill each roll with a piece of pork, grilled pineapple and a sprig of cilantro.

Brine and char siu glaze can be made a day ahead of time.

Super Easy Pizza Crust

my friend shelby condon gave me this recipe.  she made it for us when we stayed at her house.  she claimed it didn't need to rise and could be done in 15 min.  i liked the sound of that and asked for the recipe.

2-2 1/2 C. Bread Flour

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt 

Mix together; set aside

1 C. water

1 T. olive oil

Heat in microwave for 1 minute; add to flour mixture

mix in stand mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes; let rise for 15 minutes in warm spot.

bake at 475 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Chocolate Cake: Variation on a theme

Chocolate Cake

1 package devil's food cake mix

1 small package chocolate instant pudding mix

4 large eggs

1 C. sour cream

1/2 C. warm water

1/2 C. canola oil

TWIST:  i added some semi-sweet chocolate chunks.  it made this killer recipe into an even more killer recipe.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or longer if the dish is a bigger size.

i made this into cupcakes with some cream cheese frosting.  they absolutely made our memorial day feast into a party.

A little help here

Will someone please post something that my child will eat for dinner?! I need help.

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I love this side dish with just about anything. The only bad part is that it heats up the house, so you may want to eat outside after you make them.

6-10 potatoes (red, white, or Yukon gold), cut into 1/2"-1" cubes
1/4 c. butter, melted (you can use olive oil instead)
1 T. lemon juice
2-ish sprigs of rosemary
Ground pepper
Salt

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Melt butter in a mixing bowl (in the microwave). Add lemon juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper to the melted butter. Toss cubed potatoes in the butter/lemon juice. Remove the potatoes from the mixing bowl (I use tongs) and spread them on the lined cookie sheet in one layer. When you've filled up the cookie sheet, place in the oven for 30 minutes. The potatoes should be a little browned when you take them out. (Don't let them sit for too long before serving because they'll get soggy. Still good, but soggy.)

20 Clove Garlic Chicken for Crock Pot

Secretly I haven't made this yet, but I found it and want to put it somewhere safe. It's on the menu for next week. It looks amazingly wonderful and easy.
It calls for 3-4 lbs of chicken parts and the use of a 6 qt. crock pot, which I don't have. Nor do I have an army to feed, so I will be using less but posting the recipe as I found it. And we're all glad to know that, aren't we?

3-4 lbs. chicken parts
1 large onion, sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
20 cloves of garlic, peeled, but intact

Place sliced onions at the bottom of pot. In a bowl, toss chicken with all other ingredients and pour over onions. Do not add water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.

Lemon Bars

Kenzie left a desperate-sounding message on our answering machine saying she NEEDED the recipe for lemon bars, so here it is for when the next craving strikes.

Lemon Bars
1 cup soft butter or margarine (butter, of course!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
Cream butter and sugar; add flour. Mixture should be pea-sized gravel looking for easiest spreading. Spread in 10x15 pan and pat down. Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until edges start to brown). While crust is baking, prepare next layer:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 T. flour
4 T. lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Beat eggs til foamy, then add sugar, flour, lemonjuice and rind. Mix well and pour over hot crust after it comes from oven. Now bake for 15-20 minutes at 325 degrees. Remove from overn and sprinkle with powdered sugar (I put powdered sugar in a small strainer to sprinkle over the top). Cool slightly before cutting.
You can do half the recipe in an 8x8 pan, but it's never enough. Also, this crust works for raspberry bars, putting thinned raspberry jam over the crust and sprinkling some of the crust mixture over the jam.

Sweet Roast

They were passing this out as samples at Macey's the other day, along with the recipe. It is so delicious. It's actually called Sweet Meat Salad and served with beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, taco stuff. It's great meat without all the fixings, too.

1 Cross rib roast
1 16 oz. bottle of salsa
1/2 c. brown sugar

That's it. It sounds gross, but it's so good. David and I agree that it could be sweeter
Cook in the crock pot on low for 4 hours or until shreddable.

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.

Easy Baked Pesto Chicken

Not enough emphasis can be placed on the "easy" part of this recipe. I got this from my new Chapel Hill 1st Ward Cookbook. It was submitted by my friend Christine Blackburn. My kids even ate this willingly.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. pesto with basil (in the deli fridge at the supermarket)
2 to 3 plum tomatoes, sliced (I used Roma tomatoes because they were on sale, but I think plum tomatoes would be prettier.)
1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil. Place chicken and pesto in medium bowl. Toss to coat. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove from oven. Top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Amazing Spaghetti Sauce for Crock Pots

This recipe calls for a ton of ingredients, so if you're Katy and Allyn's family, do what it says. I cut it in half, and completely left out the hamburger. It's super chunky and full of flavor.

2 lbs. Ground Beef
3/4 lb. bulk Italian Sausage
4 medium onions (I used 1/2 an onion and it was great)
8 garlic cloves (I used 1, and again, it was great)
4 cans (14 oz each) petite diced tomatoes
4 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. minced fresh basil, or 2 tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. minced fresh oregano, or 1 tsp. dried
4 bay leaves
1 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. pepper
Hot cooked Spaghetti

Brown the beef, sausage, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Drain.
Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, oil and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until bubbly. Discard bay leaves and serve with spaghetti. Yum!
I also didn't have any sage, bay leaves, or marjoram and it was still delicious.

Chicken Noodle Sour Cream Soup

We had this at the Williams' when we went there for lunch and she was kind enough to give me the recipe. It looks like a lot of ingredients but it really is very easy. I made it when Makenzie was here last weekend and there were no leftovers!

Chicken Noodle Sour Cream Soup
Broth:
4 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon (granules)
1 tsp. parsley (dried works)
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. Accent (optional)
Add: 4 carrots, peeled and sliced. Cook 10 minutes (cover with lid)
Add: 2 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed. Cook 14 minutes
Add: noodles (crinkly or flat). Cook 6 minutes.
When soup is cooked and flavored to your liking,
Add:
2 c. cooked, cubed chicken or turkey
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can canned milk
Heat through to simmering, not rolling boil.
At the last minute add 1/2-1 c. sour cream and stir continually, being careful not to break up the noodles as you stir. This is good "left-overs" soup.

Superbowl Chili Dip

This is one of our traditional superbowl foods. Since I've had a few emergency requests, I thought I'd better get this on the blog before the big day.

Superbowl Chili Dip
1 lb. hamburger - browned and drained
1 small can green chilies
2 cans chili WITHOUT beans
2 lb. package Velveeta cheese
(add tabasco if desired)
Brown hamburger and drain. Add other ingredients, heat to melt cheese. (I usually add a little milk because this is a fairly thick dip.) This works in the microwave, crock pot (after the hamburger is browned), or on the stove.
Serve with tortilla chips.