Butter Beer!!!

 Last September our family went to Universal Studios Orlando and spent most of our time at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  It was awesome!!  We loved the butter beer and have been searching for a recipe that somewhat matched it ever since that magical day.

Matt's not into butterscotch so he opted for the Pumpkin Juice.

 Eliza found this recipe online and we all agreed that it tasted just like the theme park, although the color isn't as dark, but oh well.  It's really delicious and really rich-just like the park.

Ingredients:
* Cream Soda
* Butterscotch sundae topping syrup
*  Reddi whip canned whip topping
Directions:
Step 1: Measure 1 1/2 teaspoons Butterscotch topping syrup into each of the glasses or mugs (chilled mugs or glasses works great!).
Step 2:  Add 1/4 cup cream soda into each glass and stir with a spoon until butterscotch topping is completely mixed in with the soda.  Set aside.
Step 3: For the Foam:  combine 1/2 cup reddi whip topping, 1 1/2 teaspoons of butterscotch syrup and 1/2 tablespoon cream soda in a small bowl.  Stir until well combined.
Step 4:  To Finish:  Pour more cream soda into each glass, leaving about 1 1/2 inches at the top.  Spoon foam mixture slowly into the center of the glass until it reaches the sides of the glass.

You can enjoy this now, or let it stand for 1-2 minutes to get the full effect.  The foam continues to "grow" for a few minutes.

Home made Butter Beer!

Chicken Pot Pie

I can finally make my favorite kind of food now that it's cooling off around here.  This is from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook with a few adjustments.  I LOVE this.  I like to make two pie crusts (I think you should use your favorite pie crust because I don't feel like typing that recipe too) and freeze one to use on another chicken pot pie on another day.  I also use Costco's rotisserie chicken.  Two shortcuts!

4 T. unsalted butter

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

1 onion, minced

Salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh thyme (we had it in our garden - awesome)

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. chicken broth

1/3 c. heavy cream

2 bay leaves

Pepper

3 lbs. cooked chicken (Costco rotisserie is exactly perfect for this)

1 c. frozen peas (I forget this EVERY TIME)

Directions:

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt butter in a large dutch oven (I used a heavy bottomed, large saucepan) over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery, and onion, and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook until softened.

Stir in the garlic and thyme until fragrant (about 15 seconds).  Stir in the flour.  Slowly stir in the broth, cream, and bay leaves.  Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes.  *This is when I get the pie crust out and roll it into a large rectangle.

Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the chicken and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.  Discard the bay leaves and add the peas to the sauce.  Pour the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Carefully place the rolled out pie crust on top of the hot mixture and pinch it to the edges of the baking dish.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.  (I like to serve this in shallow bowls because it's pretty saucy.  Like me.)

Brattens Famous Clam Chowder

Since I have had to hunt this recipe down twice, I decided to put it where I can find it from now on :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 2 cups very finely diced potatoes ( peeled)
• 2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans minced clams, and juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup butter ( not margarine)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 quart half-and-half ( cream)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• pepper

Directions

1. Put the prepared vegetables in a saucepan.
2. Drain juice from clams and pour over the vegetables.
3. Add enough water to BARELY cover.
4. Simmer, covered over medium heat till barely tender.
5. (DO NOT overcook!).
6. In the meantime, melt butter in another medium saucepan.
7. Add flour.
8. Blend and cook, stirring constantly; add the cream.
9. Cook and stir with wire whip, until smooth and thick.
10. It is important that you stir constantly while cooking.
11. Add undrained vegetables, clams and vinegar.
12. Heat through, but do not boil again.

Creamy Tomato Tortellini

Melissa contributed this one to the 2nd Sisters Cookbook (page 82).  I like it because it's a top-of-the-stove (TO YOU!) dinner, which is nice when it's blazing hot outside.  Also, it uses dill weed!  You needed more recipes that call for dill weed. And it's a quick recipe - ready in less than 30 minutes.

2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth

1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes

2 pkgs. (9-oz. each) refrigerated tortellini

1/4 tsp. each cracked pepper, dill weed, and baking soda

1 1/2 c. whipping cream

1/2 lb. cooked and shelled shrimp (optional) - I opted not to do the shrimp since Brian is allergic

In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil on medium.  Saute garlic (it will take less than a minute, so be ready with the next ingredients).  Stir in chicken broth slowly to cut down on the splash attack, then add tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer.

Add tortellini to simmering broth and tomatoes and cook, covered, for five minutes on medium-low.  Stir in pepper, dill, and baking soda.  Gently stir in cream and shrimp.  Return to simmer, stirring occasionally.  Sauce will thicken slightly, but if you want it thicker, stir 1 T. cornstarch into cream before adding it.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.  (We had it with Italian artisan bread from Costco.  Delicious!)

Peachberry Freezer Jam

Well, it's peach season and that means there are two things you must make before the peaches leave us.  The first thing is Peaches and Cream Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust.  I make this once a year.  Best day of the year.  The other thing you must make is this peachberry freezer jam.  My friend Klixi brought this to us at Christmas time with a dozen warm rolls.  Second best day of the year.  This jam is so delicious and easy to make.  Even a toddler can do it!

8 C Peaches peeled, and mashed

1 1/2 c raspberries, mashed

1 c blackberries, mashed

6 C Sugar

2 - 6 oz pkgs of Raspberry Jell-O

8-10 freezer containers
Our berries were really seedy, so I followed Nicole's Jam Champion Advice and drained off half of the seeds.  I did not, however, follow her advice to not wash the berries and mine was a bit runny, just as she predicted.  Duh.  Always listen to a Jam Champion.

Mix peaches, raspberries, and sugar in a large saucepan. Cook until sugar dissolves, about 10-15 minutes once warm. Add Jello-O and bring to a hard boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Pour into containers and put into the freezer.

Buttermilk Syrup

I've been looking for the words to describe the deliciousness of this syrup.  My kids say it tastes like candy.  I think it tastes like the inside of a rainbow.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2 T. corn syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients in heavy saucepan, except vanilla and baking soda.  Boil 5 minutes (not a hard boil).  Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda.  Serve over pancakes, waffles, french toast, aebleskivers, ice cream, or just eat with a spoon.   

Better Homes & Gardens Coffee Cake

This was (is) one of my favorite things that Mom used to make.  Coffee cake always reminds me of that story of Dad refusing to eat coffee cake at his friend's house when he was a kid because he thought it was against the Word of Wisdom.  Hee!  I always double the topping, so I went ahead and wrote it that way.  Duh - always more nuts and butter.

Cake:

1/4 c. canola oil

1 beaten egg

1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 T. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 T. butter, melted

1 c. chopped nuts (I like using walnuts because they're softer)

Combine oil, egg, and milk.  In a separate bowl sift dry ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a cup at a time, stirring well in between each addition.  Pour into a greased 9"x9" pan.

In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave.  Add the rest of the topping ingredients and stir with a fork until the butter is completely mixed in.  Crumble over the cake batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.  Insert a toothpick in the middle and if it comes out clean, the cake is done and you can eat it!