Chocolated-Dipped Macaroons

This is straight from a Baker's Coconut package but it is delicious! The kids and I made them last week and liked them so much that we just made another double batch.

1 pk (14 oz) sweetend, shredded coconut
2/3 c sugar
6 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp almond extract

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in eggs whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop by rounded tablespoontulls onto greased and floured cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 for 20 min or until edges of cookies are golden brown. Immediately removed from cookie sheets to wire racks. Cool completely.

Then melt 1 package (8 squares) of Baker's semi-sweet baking chocolate as directed on the package. Dip cookies halfway into the chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off. Refrigerate on wax paper-lined tray until chocolate is firm.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Winter Squash Soup

This is a fall/winter favorite for me and I always make it for Thanksgiving. The original recipe is from epicurious.

• 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
• 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
  

• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

Chuck's Favorite Mac and Cheese

Very easy and super yummy! I usually leave off the topping to save a few calories.




Ingredients

* 1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
* 1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
* 1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
* 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup milk
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup butter, melted


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
2. In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, milk, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

Baked Ziti with Spinach and Tomatoes

I made this the other night for the missionaries and we all loved it! I was worried when I put in so much spinach that it might taste a little odd, but it was really great! From one of my favorite sites, epicurious via stephmodo.

3/4 pound hot Italian sausages, casings removed (I used ground turkey and added some flavoring...)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced peeled tomatoes
1/4 cup purchased pesto sauce

10 ounces ziti or penne pasta (about 3 cups), freshly cooked (you could add a bit more...)
8 cups ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 2/3 of 10-ounce package)
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

All American Quiche

Quiche has been my favorite food since I was a kid (in 3rd grade all the other kids were writing down their favorites- pizza, apples, spaghetti- and I have my paper that says 'keesh'). This recipe is cobbled together from what my mom made growing up, what I like, and is based on the Joy of Cooking recipe. It is unapologetically not French. I never measure, but I know that drives Bonnie nuts, so I've estimated here.

Place pie crust in pie pan. Bake for 8 min at 375, if desired (less soggy). When it comes out, throw in:
1/4- 1/2c chopped onion
1/2-1c chopped ham or bacon
1c chopped fresh broccoli
1/2c cheddar cheese

In a separate bowl, combine:
3 eggs
1 can evap milk (a little less, a whole can always overflows my pan)
1t salt
1/2t pepper
dash of nutmeg

Pour the milk & eggs over the top of the meat & veggies. Bake at 375 for 45 min, or until set in the middle. Let sit for a few minutes, then serve!

Suggested substitutions:
-Any meat and veggies you have on hand or particularly like will work. I've made it with chicken & summer squash, red bell peppers, spinach, etc. I regularly substitute frozen veggies for the fresh, but be sure to defrost them first or you'll have a watery quiche. David liked it when I put garlic in once.
-Any melting cheese will work. David liked it when I put in mozzarella once, and I've used Gruyere before (a little stinky for my taste). Use what you like/ have.
-As for the milk, Joy of Cooking calls for 1 1/2c cream or half & half. I never use/buy those, so I've substituted the evap milk. I've also used 1 1/4c whole milk fortified with 1/3c dry milk with good results. You don't get the fabulous airy custard texture, but that's not really my thing anyway. If you do use the cream/ half & half, you might have to reduce the cooking time to 35 min.

Southwest Chicken Soup

This one is from my sister and it is amazing!

2-3 chicken breasts
4 quarts chicken broth
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 large onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
1 yam, diced
3 medium red peppers, diced
1 small can Mexican tomato sauce (I use El Pato)
1 t. pepper
2 T. oregano leaves
1 1/2 T. cumin
1 T. chili powder
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 can hominy

Garnishes:
limes, halved, then quartered (8 sections)
colby jack cheese, shredded
tortilla chips
sour cream
1 avocado, diced

Heat olive oil and cook and sear chicken. Add lemon juice and 1 T. garlic. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces while chicken is cooking. Add broth to chicken and simmer 1 hour (I usually get away with less). Saute onion, add pepper and cook until tinged with flecks of black. Add 1 T. garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add yam through chili powder. Simmer 1 hour (again...I usually do less. I cook it a bit higher temp with the lid on, until the veggies are soft). Add chicken, cilantro and hominy. Simmer 10 minutes.
Serve with garnishes. Squeeze lime juice in to soup. I find the soup to be a bit hot, and the sour cream helps cool it a bit.

Calzones

This is a family favorite! I often half this recipe for a smaller crowd (like just our family) and make the whole thing if we invite someone over for dinner.

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
4-5 cups flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
2 packages yeast

Heat wet ingredients in microwave for 1 minute. Addyeast and let dissolve. Gradually add dry ingredients and knead. (I use my kitchenaid). Let rise on counter top for 15-30 minutes. Take about 3/4 cup sized portions and roll them out VERY thin. Fill with your favorite ingredients and pinch the edges together. Place on a greased jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Aunt Mae's Boiling Water Pie Crust

I know the title is a mouthful, but this is a great crust recipe. It is no-fail. It supposedly makes a two crust pie, but it would be a very small two crust pie, so I normally 1 1/2 the recipe. But this is perfect for a single crust pie--like quiche.

1/2 c. shortening, butter, lard, or combination
1/2 c. boiling water
3/4 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Whip the shortening in the water until it has melted. (With shortening it creates a nice whipped look).) Add salt and flour. For the most tender, flaky crust, refrigerate for at least an hour (my mom rolls it out in the pan before chilling the crust). Roll out crust to desired size and place in pan. (I like rolling it out on my silpat.)

Basic Quiche

This is a multi-purpose quiche recipe, which means that I rarely make it the same way. But this is the basic bit.

9 eggs
1/2 c. milk
6 slices bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled
salt
pepper
3 c. cheese (our favorites are varieties of Swiss--Emmental, Gruyere, etc.--but I use anything on hand)
any other additions (we love adding thawed frozen chopped spinach)

Beat the eggs with the milk. Add the crumbled bacon and salt and pepper. Fold in cheese and any veggies. Pour into a prepared pie pan that has been pre-baked for a 10 minutes (I only do this occasionally, but it yields a slightly crisper crust). Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes.

Recipe Request: Quiche

Looking for a no fail, yummy quiche recipe (w/homemade pastry). Just something fairly standard. Thanks, Bonnie

Triple Threat Cookies

A combination of a peanut butter cookie, and oatmeal cookie and a chocolate chip cookie. These cookies seem to have just the right amount of peanut butter and oats. They are very good.

Triple Threat Cookies
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 egg
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup rolled oats
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10 in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Fresh Pasta Toss

4 cups cherry tomatoes, rinsed and halved
1/4-1/3 cup olive oil
2-3 T balsamic vinegar
2-3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
pinch of red pepper flakes
generous pinch sea or kosher salt

Put everything in a bowl, toss together. Put a dish towel over the top and let it sit on the counter for 1-3 hours. The flavors will meld and tomatoes will soften. All ingredient amounts are approximations. Toss with spaghetti or whatever pasta you desire, top with parmesan cheese and serve. Yummy with fresh bread. Add grilled chicken slices if you'd like. So good!

Naan

For this recipe, you will need:

• 4 cups white or all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons warm milk
• 2/3 cups plain yogurt
• 2/3 cups milk
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander

Prepare the Naan Dough

Mix together yeast, warm milk, and sugar, and leave it in a warm place until the mixture becomes frothy. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Make a depression in the center, and pour in your frothy yeast mixture. Then add milk, yogurt, egg, and ghee. Mix everything together until you get a smooth ball of dough.

Let the Dough Rise

Knead the dough well for 10 to 15 minutes. Oil a medium bowl, and place the dough into the bowl and turn the dough over so it is well covered in oil.

Cover the bowl with a towel, and place it in a warm place for two hours until the dough has doubled in size.

Shape and Roll Out the Dough

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Flour the surface, rolling pin, and your hands. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth.

Divide the dough into eight pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Then roll out the ball to make an oval about 6 inches long. Pull the ends to stretch the dough into an oval shape.

Bake the Naan

Brush your naan with melted butter or ghee and sprinkle it with chopped coriander.

Oil your baking sheet, and place your naan sprinkled side up. Place your baking sheet into the oven for 10-12 minutes until the naan turns golden brown.

Lemon Rice

My sister and I tried this a few weeks ago and really liked it. Plus, your kitchen smells great while you are making it.

Lemon Rice is a delicious South Indian dish you can easily put together
when in a hurry. You can also make it with leftover rice. Serve Lemon
Rice with a Raita (yogurt salad) and Poppadums for a simple yet tasty
meal.

2 cups cooked basmati rice
2 TBSP canola oil
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 curry leaves
2 green chillies split length-wise
1" piece of ginger, grated
1/2 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
1 tsp tumeric powder
Juice of 2 lemons
Salt to taste

Gently roast and then coarsely powder the coriander seeds. Set aside

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry until fragrant then add the ginger and the peanuts. Fry for another minute. Add the tumeric powder and remove from heat.

Add lemon juice and mix well
Add rice, roasted coriander powder and salt and mix.

Pineapple Fried Rice

1 lb small cooked shrimp, cut in half
8 rings canned pineapple, drained, cut in wedges
1/2 carrot, grated
red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1-2 tsp. chopped jalapenos
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. grated ginger
2 cups cold cooked jasmine rice
1-2 T soy sauce
1 t. curry powder
sugar, to taste
2 T. peanut oil

Heat wok, add oil, coating bottom and sides. When oil is hot, add garlic, ginger, jalapenos. Stir fry for 30 seconds, then add yellow onion. Stir fry for 1 minutes, then add bell pepper and carrot. Add pineapple and shrimp. Stir fry briefly. Add rice, cook for 2 minutes, continually stirring and tossing until it becomes shiny. Stir in soy sauce, curry powder and sugar, separately. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Stir in green onion, or use as garnish. Other garnish suggestions: toasted coconut, crushed peanuts, fresh mint sprigs or cilantro.

Marinated Chicken with Roasted Tomato Topping and Mozzarella Cheese

I found this recipe in the AJC a couple of weeks ago and thought it looked interesting. The chicken passed my taste test - which means it didn't taste a bit like chicken. We enjoyed it.

3 Tbl. lemon juice
3 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 lbs. chicken (cut into med. pieces)
3/4 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
3 Tbl. canned drained gr. chilies
2 c. grape tomato halves
1 c. fresh spinach
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/3 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a ziploc bag, combine lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, and paprika. Add chicken and refrigerate at least one hour. After marinating, cook chicken until juices run clear.

Cook onion and garlic in skillet until tender. Add chilies and tomatoes and cook a couple minutes longer. Add spinach, cook until it wilts. Season with salt and pepper. Divide spinach mixture and spoon on top or each breast; sprinkle with cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Key Lime Pie

Another favorite! This is the best summertime dessert!

1 can sweetened condensed milk (I use fat free)
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. key lime juice
Graham cracker crust

Combine milk, cream cheese and key lime juice in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Pour into crust (I love the little individual crusts) and freeze.

Makes 1 pie or 12 individual pies.

Silky Choc. Chip Cookies

This is my new favorite cookie recipe...it's egg less which makes the dough oh so tasty!

4 Tbl. butter
1/4 c. vanilla soy milk
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
Chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add soymilk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamy mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Place teaspoon full drops on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Ledys' Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

I loved these growing up and even now. Every once in a while, my Dad would show up to the kitchen and request that I made these (probably not because I did a good job, but to get me cooking, hehe)

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup sugar
2 cups oatmeal

Mix, then add:
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix very well and drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. You can add raisins, nuts, etc. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until they begin to brown. They're good!

(Allison, thanks for setting me up! And thanks everybody for the awesome recipes :-P )

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

um....yes please! If you read nie then you have probably already seen this, but man alive! I want to try this.

NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique

with Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse & Ganache Bittercream

*

How does one go about making the PERFECT chocolate cake? I'd never done it before, and therefore went about it quite deliberately. I consulted cookbooks and cooking websites. Call friends. Window-shopped the pastry sections of my favorite bakeries. The perfect chocolate cake, I decided, (and one inspired by someone so delectably adorable) had to be simple. No frufru decor or garnish. It should be easy enough to whip up for grilled-pizza Friday's, but elegant enough to entertain at a garden party lit by candles hanging from trees tucked in baby food jars. It didn't come out right the first time, a bungled mess of brownie-like bits. It didn't work the second time. However, as it is with many worthy endeavors, a lot of tinkering and winkering was ultimately worth the price of patience. Nie's Mud Cake is everything Nie is: divinely beautiful inside and out.

*

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate (8 squares)
¾ c. olive oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. powdered sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ c. cocoa powder
1 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking powder*
½ tsp. baking soda
In a microwave, melt squares of chocolate with olive oil. Once melted, beat until smooth then add sugars and egg. Beat again until well creamed. Add remaining ingredients. Beat just until all ingredients are incorporated. (If you are baking BELOW 5000 feet altitude, double baking powder). Pour batter into two 9-inch cake pans that have been generously greased & dusted with cocoa powder. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 26-28 minutes, or just until center of cake springs back to the touch. Remove from oven. Allow to cool before inverting on a cooling rack and removing from pan. Before layering cake, use a knife to gently cut away any uneven parts at the top or sides of the cake. You'll want a nice, even surface to begin with in order to have your finished product look amazing.
*
Mascarpone Mousse
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. sugar
1 c. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
8 oz. mascarpone

In a large bowl, whip whipping cream until fluffly. Add sugar & mascarpone and whip until smooth. In a small bowl, melt chocolate chips in microwave, stirring every thirty seconds until smooth. Chocolate should not be warm to the touch, if it is, allow it to cool just slightly before spooning the melted chocolate into the whipping cream mixture & beating until light and fluffy. Spoon carefully atop one layer of cake. Spread evenly, then top with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate until ready to frost.

Bittercream Frosting
1 pint heavy cream
11.5 oz. 60% Bittersweet cacao chips
½ c. butter
4-5 c. powdered sugar

In a medium saucepan, melt chocolate chips and heavy cream until a thick, smooth ganache forms, to keep the mixture from burning, stir constantly. Put in fridge until chilled. Remove from fridgidaire and beat in butter & powdered sugar until frosting is a spreadable consistency. Frost. Chill cake. To serve, remove from fridge 10-15 minutes before serving.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Flax Bread

This is my sister's recipe and it is really yummy.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Flax Bread

1 3/4 c water
1 T yeast

2 t salt
1/3 c honey
1/3 c oil
2 1/2-3 c wheat flour


Boil 1 c water
Add 1/2 c oats--set aside and let cool

1 egg
1/4 c flaxseed
2 1/2- 3 c white flour

Put yeast in the water and let sit to begin working. After the oats are cooled add honey, oil, egg, salt and wheat flour to yeast mixture and begin mixing. Add white flour until mixture pulls away from the bowl and dough is no longer sticky. This dough will be soft and pliable. Knead for 10 minutes. Split the dough into two (3?) loaf pans (spray with Pam). Let rise until double in size and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Take out of bread pans and turn on sides to let cool. Cover with a clean towel to keep crust from getting hard.

Blueberry Muffins

We went Berry Picking this past week and wanted to make some muffins when we got home. I found this recipe on allrecipes and really liked how they turned out. I thought I would share.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Lona Simon's Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

The term 'whole wheat' is used loosely here.

1pckg dry yeast proofed in 1/4c warm water
2 eggs
1/2c sugar
1/2c oil
1/2t salt
1c scalded milk (slightly cooled)
1 1/2c whole wheat flour
2 1/2c white flour

Beat eggs, sugar, oil and salt in electric mixer for 2-3 min. Add cooled milk and dissolved yeast. Gradually add both flours and mix completely. Let stand overnight (or at least 6-7hrs) at room temp with a clean cloth over the bowl. Next morning, punch down the dough and on a floured board knead for minute or two. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12in circle. Cut each circle (I use a pizza cutter) in 12 weges for dinner rolls or 8 wedges for sandwich rolls. Roll wedges from big end to little end. Shape into a crescent and place on greased cookie sheet. Let rise 30-45 min (depending on the temp of the kitchen). Bake 350* for 10-12 min.

**Portions of white/wheat flour can be varied according to taste and warm powdered milk can be substituted for the scalded milk.

Sesika's Mom's Tahitian Coconut bread

This is really good with Raspberry Sorbet. They serve this at the Tahitian village at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii.

2c coconut flakes
4c Flour
2tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2c sugar
1 1/2c water

Combine coconut, sugar, and water. Blend flour and baking powder together. Mix all ingredients to a doughy texture adding a little flour as needed so it is not too sticky. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in oven at 350 for 1-1.5hrs. Makes 3-5 loaves.

***Alternately, you can bury the loaves in hot coals for several hours if you're doing the open pit cooking thing.

Chocolate Cacao Nib Cookies

If you need some cacao nibs to try this recipe, I have some you can use. I really love the texture they add!

Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies
2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
4 tbsp cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt together 1 1/2 oz of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile , combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another mixing bowl and set aside. Finely chop the remaining chocolate, and set aside.
Whisk the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate. Add in the brown sugar and mix again. Sift in the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped chocolate, cacao nibs and fleur de sel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter, shape them into balls with the tips of your fingers, and line them up on the cookie sheet, leaving a one-inch space between them. Sprinkle a few grains additional salt over the top of the cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for ten minutes (if the sheet and batter are cold, the cookies are less likely to spread). Put the cookie sheet into the oven to bake for eight to ten minutes, until the tops feel just dry to the touch.

Makes about 15 two-bite-size cookies.

This recipe is from: We Heart Food

Corn Casserole

My sister and I tried this Corn Casserole this week and really liked it. We made it as a side dish and instead of corn bread. It is a new favorite. We served it with BBQ, rolls, cole slaw and watermelon. Yum.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (8.5 ounce) package corn bread mix

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the sour cream, butter, creamed corn, corn nibblets and corn muffin mix.
3. Pour into a 1 quart casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com

Deli-style pasta salad

This is the salad I made for Spencer's birthday; also I will be bringing it to the TO ward activity 5/30.
Pasta salad
12 oz pkg corkscrew pasta, cook and rinse
6 oz sliced, cubed provolone
6 oz sliced, cubed Genoa salami
1 sm zucchini, thinly sliced
1 sm red onion, thinly sliced rings
1/2 c. chopped green peper
1 3 oz can sliced olives
1/4 c. shredded parmesan
1/4 c. snipped parsley
Combine above in a large bowl.
Dressing
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. white wine vinegar
1 1/2 t. dry mustard
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 clove minced garlic.
Combine above; whisk well. Pour over salad, toss lightly. Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight.

US Senate Bean Soup

From the Joy of Cooking. 'This soup has been on the US Senate restaurant menu since 1901.'

Rinse & soak
1 1/4c small dried white beans, such as pea or navy

Drain and place in a soup pot along with:
7c cold water
1 small ham hock

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 1/4 hrs. Remove the ham hock. Discard the bone, skin, and fat; dice the meat. Return it to the pot along with:
1 large, diced onion
3 medium celery stalks with leaves, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2t salt
1/2t ground black pepper

Simmer until the potatoes are quite soft, 20-30 min. Remove from the heat and mask with a potato masher until the soup is a bit creamy. Stir in:
2T chopped fresh parsley

Ladle into warmed bowls and serve! Makes about 6c.

Whole Wheat Bread Recipes?

I would really love to hear everyone's all-wheat bread recipes. Sidsie gave me her's which I will post here because she's too lazy to, but it will mess up all the Labels and sorting. Sorry.

Sidsie's Whole Wheat Bread
1/3 c oil
1/3 c honey or ½ c sugar
2 ¼ t salt
2 ¾ c steaming hot tap water
¼ c gluten flour
1 ¼ T instant yeast
7-8 c whole wheat flour

Mix together first four ingredients in mixer with a dough hook. Add ½ of flour and beat. Put in 1-2 more cups flour, gluten flour, and yeast. Beat again. With mixer on medium speed, add remaining flour just until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead 10 minutes on medium-high speed.

Pre-heat oven for 1 minute to Luke Warm and turn off. Spray or oil 2 pans. Pour dough out onto oiled counter, divide and shape into loaves and put into pans. Let loaves rise 35 minutes in warmed oven. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Tip out of pans and cool on cooling rack.

***I used 4c red wheat and 2c white wheat for my last batch, which turned out really well. The key is the 10 min of kneading. A lot, I know, but it makes loaves instead of bricks.

Salsa Lentils

I found this on the Publix website and have really enjoyed it. I've used it as a filler in Enchiladas and served it over tortilla chips as well.

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) bag dried lentils
6 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 (24-ounce) jar thick and chunky salsa
1 (4 1/2-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (1 1/4-ounce) packet taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package fresh cilantro

Steps

1. Rinse and sort lentils. Place water and lentils in large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil on high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Place oil in pan; stir in onions and garlic. Cook 8–10 minutes, until onions and garlic begin to brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Drain lentils and return to saucepan. Stir onion mixture, salsa, green chiles and dry taco seasoning mix into lentils. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
4. Remove large stems from (rinsed) cilantro; coarsely chop, and then measure (1/3 cup). Stir into lentils; remove from heat and serve.

Bolognese Sauce

I found this one, like many others, in Real Simple magazine:

1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 carrot, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds combined ground beef and pork, or meat-loaf mix
1 cup milk
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
6 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. In a large skillet, combine the onion, celery, carrot, and olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until it loses its pink color. Add the milk. Increase heat to high and cook until the milk has evaporated.
2. Transfer the mixture to 4- to 6-quart heavy casserole. Return the skillet to the heat and add the tomato paste; cook over low heat to reduce its bitterness, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the casserole, along with the tomatoes, salt, and nutmeg.
3. Cook the sauce over low heat, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours. Stir frequently.
4. I like to puree this one a bit to make it a smoother sauce. There is also a slow cooker version here.
   

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Easy and Yummy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

Quickie Green Chile Sauce
1 cup light gluten-free vegetable broth
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch dissolved in a little cold water (corn starch)
1 generous cup chopped roasted green chiles, hot or mild
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin or chili powder, hot or mild, to taste

Enchilada Filling
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked diced sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped roasted mild green chiles (roast under the broiler)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder mild or spicy
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Assembly
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, as needed
8 white or yellow corn tortillas
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas. Make your Quickie Green Chile Sauce by combining the broth, dissolved arrowroot, green chiles, garlic and spices in a sauce pan and heating over medium-high heat. Bring to a high simmer. Simmer until thickened. Taste test and adjust seasonings. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the Enchilada Filling, using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cooked sweet potatoes (I prick the potatoes with a fork, cover them with saran wrap and microwave them for 8-10 min) with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Quickie Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

To assemble the enchiladas, grab a skillet and heat a dash of oil. Lightly cook the corn tortillas to soften them, one at a time, as you stuff each one.

Lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the sauce. Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center. Top with 1/8 of the black beans. Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with a sprinkle of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are piping hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Those Darn Danishes

Kris asked for the recipe, and I told her how labor intesive it is (time intesive really more than labor), but she insisted, so here it is.

Danish Pastry Twists (stolen from The Pie and Pastry Bible)

Note. Does not work well with a Bosch mixer

Dough:
2/3 c. milk, divided
2 T. sugar, divided
1 ½ t. yeast
2 ¼ c. flour, divided
½ t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground cardamom
1 large egg
17 T. unsalted butter (1 T. softened)

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
3 T. honey
preserves (you really want the sugar-added preserves; All Fruit just clumps)

chopped chocolate

Glaze:
¼ + 2 T. powdered sugar
1 T + ¼ t. water
1 ½ freshly squeezed lemon juice

Icing:
½ c. powdered sugar
1/8 t. vanilla
2 T. heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Proof the yeast in small bowl with 2 T of the milk (slightly warmed), ½ t. sugar, and the yeast. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes until bubbly and foamy.

In a heavy mixer, add all but 1 T. of the flour, the remaining sugar, salt, yeast mixture, and cardamom. Add the remaining milk, the egg, and the 1 T. of softened butter, and mix on a low speed until well combined (dough will be a little sticky and shiny). Put dough in an oiled bowl, turn over once to cover all over with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Gently deflate dough, recover with plastic, and refrigerate for 2-8 hours.

On a large sheet of plastic wrap, place the remaining 1 T. of flour. Mix in with the remaining butter (I use 2 cubes). Once flour is incorporated, shape butter into a 5 inch square.
Take dough out of fridge, roll out to an 8 inch square, put butter diagonally in the middle mark it, roll out the flaps a little more, moisten with water, and wrap the dough around the butter. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Gently roll the dough into a 7 by 16 inch rectangle. Brush off all the flour from the surface of the dough and fold into thirds. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-40 minutes. This is the first “turn.” Do two more turns refrigerating the dough 20-40 minutes between each one. After all turns are done, allow dough to rest in refrigerator for 2 hours (or overnight).

Take dough out of fridge, allow to warm for 15 minutes before working with it so butter can soften a little and not break through the dough. Roll the dough to a 6 by 14 inch rectangle. Cut ½ -inch wide strips from the dough. Twist the dough and then coil it like a snail’s shell on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with a nonstick spray. Allow to rise for 1-2 hours. With your fingers press down the middle two inches of the twist. In the indention, spoon cream cheese mixture and/or preserves and/or chocolate.

Heat oven to 400. When you bake twists, immediately lower temperature to 375. Bake for 18-20 minutes, switching pans half-way through. (It is good to have a baking stone to help maintain the oven temperature in the oven. Another hint is to have an oven safe bowl with boiling water on the lower oven rack or to throw a handful of ice cubes on the bottom of the oven before shutting the oven door. Or you can just not do anything.)

When twists come out of the oven, brush with glaze. Remove to wire racks to cool. About 20-30 minutes after pastries come out of oven, drizzle with icing.

You can freeze these and reheat them for 5 minutes in a 300 degree oven, or for about 7 seconds on 1/2 power in the microwave.

Baked apple "donuts"

Don't let the name fool you, these are not good for you at all.

1 1/2 cup flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup grated apple
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted (do not use vegetable oil spread with less than 60% fat)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Grease muffin pans - do not use paper liners. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl or sifter. In a seperate medium bowl, mix beaten egg, milk and grated apple. Mix in, using low speed on mixer, shortening and sugar. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop into greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Cool slightly and remove from pans. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the muffins in melted butter and then in the sugar mixture. Serve on a pretty plate. Makes 12-16 regular sized muffins.

FYI- I perfer using a silcone muffin pan so that I can pop them out from the bottom. They break easily while warm but you dont want them completely cooled before doing the butter/sugar step. Takes some trial and error. The crumbs that break off in the butter and sugar are the best part.

Ranch Dressing Mix

I'm not sure if this will interest anyone or not. Some of my sisters are trying to avoid msg in all its forms. It's in pretty much every store-bought salad dressing in some form or another. So I happened to see this recipe in an old ward cookbook and gave it a try. This functions the same as a ranch dressing mix packet you would buy at the grocery store. The recipe makes a lot of mix so if anyone wants to try some of mine you are welcome to. One thing I like about this is that when you combine the mix with buttermilk/mayonnoise or sourcream you can make as little or as much as you want. I pretty much always half it - which makes one cup of dressing/dip. I also have used buttermilk from the freezer in this recipe (I freeze leftover buttermilk in icecube trays since I don't use it all that much) and it was fine too.

Ranch Dressing Mix

15 saltine crackers
1 C dry minced parsley flakes
1/2 C dry minced onions
2 T dry dill
1/2 C onion salt
1/2 C garlic salt
1/4 C onion powder
1/4 C garlic powder

Put crackers into blender on high until finely powdered. Add parsley flakes, minced onion and dill. Blend until fine powder again. Dump into a bowl and mix remaining ingredients in with a whisk. Put in an airtight container and store at room temp. Makes 42 T. To use combine 1 T. mix with one cup of buttermilk and one cup of mayonnaise. For best flavor make the dressing at least a few hours ahead.

Double Tree Cookies

If you've never had a cookie from the Double Tree Hotel, you should go out and try one...or try this recipe, because they are delicious!

3 cubes unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 egg white
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
1 package mini morsels
1 cup chopped walnuts
3-3 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter, eggs and sugars until fluffy. Add lemon juice, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in oats, mini morsels and walnuts. Add flour. Form into 1 inch balls with a cookie scoop and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes.

For official cookie info go here. For another knock-off recipe go here.

Herbed Rice

I think this recipe is worth posting. I stumbled onto this recipe from Ina Garten on the food network. It's simple and instead of just plain old rice you get something really good. Basically your just adding chopped herbs to your rice after you cook it - simple and yummy.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 cup uncooked long-grain (white) basmati rice (recommended: Texmati)
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh curly parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh scallions, white and green parts
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Combine the rice, 1 3/4 cups water, the salt, and butter in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, stir once, and simmer, covered tightly, for 15 minutes. (I need to pull the pot half off the burner to keep it from boiling over.) Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes. Add the parsley, dill, scallions, and pepper. Fluff with a fork, and serve warm.

The only thing I did different on this was that I used cilantro instead of dill (it's just what I had). It was really good. Also here's a link to the recipe.

Cinnamon Rolls III

per Cecily's request:

PREP TIME 2 Hrs
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 20 Min
Original recipe yield 16 rolls

INGREDIENTS

* 1/4 cup warm water
* 1/4 cup butter, melted
* 1/2 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
* 1 cup warm milk
* 1 egg, room temperature (I actually never wait until the egg is room temp)
* 1 tablespoon white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 4 cups bread flour
* 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup chocolate chips

* 1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In the pan of your bread machine, combine water, melted butter, vanilla pudding, warm milk, egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, bread flour and yeast. Set machine to Dough cycle; press Start.
2. When Dough cycle has finished, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 17x10 inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter. In a small bowl, stir together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over dough. Then sprinkle chocolate chips over sugar mixture.
3. Roll up dough, beginning with long side. Slice into 16 one inch slices and place in 9x13 buttered pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes. While rolls bake, stir together cream cheese, softened butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and milk. Remove rolls from oven and top with frosting.

I know this is a bread machine recipe, but I am sure you could convert it to hand mixing easily. If not, the first review on the site explains.

Italian Vegetable Soup

I found this one on a blog (orangette) and really liked it:

Fretwell (Italian Vegetable) Soup

This soup recipe comes from the Fretwell family, longtime friends in Oklahoma, and they in turn discovered it somewhere in Italy. I have only a blurry Xeroxed copy of the recipe (which the Fretwells had faxed to them from wherever they first ate it), and so I thus cannot give credit here to its original author. That’s a true shame, because this is one of the most delicious vegetable soups I’ve ever tasted. The Fretwells brought us many meals while my father was ill, and this was one we requested repeatedly. But consider yourself warned: this recipe makes a veritable cauldron of soup. If you don’t have a stockpot that can hold twelve quarts or so, do this in two batches, or halve the recipe.


1 ½ lbs. dried cannellini or Great Northern beans
Olive oil
Salt
2 or 3 fresh sage leaves
1 or 2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2 or 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
8 medium carrots, sliced into ¼-inch coins
5 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced into ¼-inch crescents
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch half-circles
1 bunch red Swiss chard, washed, dried, and sliced
½ head green cabbage, cored and chopped roughly
1 quart vegetable broth (I used Imagine brand)
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, juices reserved and tomatoes chopped roughly


Soak the beans overnight. The next day, drain them, put them into a large pot, add water to cover by 2 inches, and cook, with sage and garlic, for about one hour. As the beans cook, skim off any white foam that rises to the surface, and halfway through their cooking time, add ½ Tbs salt.

Heat 2 or 3 Tbs olive oil in a large soup pot, add onions, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, salting lightly, and adding more oil if necessary. Add the zucchini and the vegetable broth, cover, and bring mixture to a simmer. Then add Swiss chard, cabbage, tomatoes, and tomato juices. Cover the pot, and simmer over low heat for half an hour or so. Add the beans and their cooking water, salt to taste, and simmer, covered, over low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve over slices of day-old crusty bread, and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil if you like.

Serves scads—but scads!—of people.

My Neighbor's Rolls

My sweet neighbor, Maria Elena, came to my house the other day to teach me how to make these yummy rolls. I thought I would share the recipe.

2 cups water
2 eggs
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 stick of butter, melted
7 cups flour (HTML is her favorite)
1/8 c. saf instant yeast

Heat water in microwave for 1 minute. Put in blender and add eggs. Mix well. Add sugar, salt and mix. Add butter, 5 cups flour and yeast. Mix well, then add approximately 2 more cups flour (until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl) Let Rise in the mixing bowl, covered with a towel, until it reaches top of bowl.
Shape into rolls and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Let rise until rolls reach the top of pan.
Bake at 300-325 for 20-30 minutes until tops and bottoms are golden brown.
Enjoy!

Ice Cream Syrup (aka: buttermilk syrup)

This is a breakfast syrup, one you would use on pancakes or waffles. I realize the name might be confusing. We call it Ice Cream syrup because the boys think it tastes like ice cream. Yummy, right? It is now the syrup of choice for breakfast around here.

Ingredients:
1 C sugar
½ C butter
½ C buttermilk (or sour milk - 1/2 C milk + 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice, let sit for 5 min.)
½ tsp. baking soda

Combine into a large saucepan.
Cook until sugar melts and is caramelized in color.
Remove from heat.
Add ½ tsp. vanilla.

Macaroons

Cecily was nice enough to say she loved my macaroons, even though I've only made them once (maybe twice?) in my life and I thought they were not that impressive. But, here's my recipe from the Joy of Cooking for all you Samoa lovers who can't afford to subsidize Girl Scout programs in order to sate your sweet tooth (like us- we ration them amongst the adults). Another good chocolate-coconut-sweetened condensed milk cookie is my mom's Ooey Gooey Cookies Recipe.

Coconut Macaroons

Stir together:
2/3c sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg white
1.5t vanilla
1/8 t salt

Stir in:
3.5c flaked or shredded sweetened coconut

Drop the dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment or well greased foil spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are nicely browned (it suggests in the top 3rd of the oven), 20-25 min at 325. Remove and let stand until cool. Carefully peel the cookies off the paper or foil.
Then I like to drizzle them with melted chocolate.

So now I have a question for you. What do you do with the leftover sweetened condensed milk?

Fabulous Homemade Wheat bread

Stephanie - I saw you started a post and never published it. I thought I would post this in case you were still looking.

This isn't 100% whole wheat but close enough. And we do think it is yummy. The original is done the old fashion way. I, of course, converted it to a bread machine. (I have no confidence doing bread by hand) Anyway, like usual I do the dough in the machine and then let it rise in a bread pan and bake it in the oven. The original recipe makes 6 loaves but I scaled it down to fit into my machine. This makes 2 big loaves or 3 smaller loaves.

2 1/4 cup warm water
1/3 cup veg. oil
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup white flour
5 cups wheat flour
2 1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast (you might want to experiment with that, depending on personal taste)

Put wet than dry ingredients in the bread machine. Set to dough cycle. Punch down, remove, shape according to desire and let rise. Bake at 350 for 35 min or so. Watch the top of the bread so it doesn't get too brown.

Oh, one other note. I have added wheat germ and flax seed to this without it changing the taste. Not too much, maybe about 3 Tbsp. It is worth experimenting to find your own personal taste.

Exquisite Pizza Sauce

We make homemade pizza fairly often in our house. This is our absolute favorite sauce and really ups the yummy of the pizza. Chaz finds it is a bit spicy but Brian and I love the kick so every other batch I leave out the cayenne pepper and pepper flakes. I can get at least two pizzas out of a batch. So I just freeze the leftovers and thaw them in the microwave when I need them.

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
6 fluid oz warm water
3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese (I have left this out with no problems but we prefer it in there)
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp honey
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Mix everything together in a small bowl, breaking up any clumps.

Let sit for at least 30 mins, then spread over dough and prepare pizza as desired.

Request: hot chocolate mix

In an effort to save money and satisfy cravings, I want to make hot chocolate mix at home. I have tried several and will admit that they are seldom up to snuff. But I was hoping someone(s) here has one they make over and over again for me to try. Please and thank you.

Southwestern Beef Chili with Corn

I made this the other day and it turned out really well. My sister makes this all the time too and she has made a few additions that are great. She serves it with sides of cheese, tomatoes, diced green onions, leaves of cilantro, sour cream and diced avocados. She also makes a side of quesadillas, and it is a yummy meal.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 poblano or bell pepper, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper
1/2 cup corn kernels (from 1 ear, or frozen and thawed)
1/2 cup grated Cheddar (2 ounces)
2 scallions, sliced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and poblano and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is slightly darkened, 1 minute. Add the beans, chili powder, 3 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the corn. Divide among bowls and top with the Cheddar and scallions.

Make Ahead: You can cook the chili in advance and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 343; FAT 15g (sat 5g); CHOLESTEROL 51mg; CARBOHYDRATE 34g; SODIUM 893mg; PROTEIN 23g; FIBER 11g; SUGAR 6g

Bean and Corn Salsa

Suzy requested this one so here it is. This is the version of bean and corn salsa that I like the most. You can eat it like a salsa with tortilla chips or like a salad.

Mix:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. ground cumin
juice of one lime (I like to do the zest too)

Combine:
1 can of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 cup chopped red onion
2 roma tomatoes, diced (or 1/2 red pepper, whichever you prefer or both)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Add the dressing to the bean/corn mixture and stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand for one hour and up to 4 hours.

Pizza di Spaghetti

All right, girls, I've been holding out on you. THIS is an amazing recipe--the best thing you could do with leftover spaghetti. In fact, I don't even wait to have leftover spaghetti--I make spaghetti just so I can do this with it!

Ingredients
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnishing
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups leftover spaghetti with olives and tomato sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Add leftover spaghetti and combine well.
In a large 10-inch non-stick skillet, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add spaghetti and egg mixture, spreading evenly and pressing down in pan. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Carefully invert onto plate, add a little more oil to the pan, and slide mixure back into skillet and cook the other side for 6 minutes. Turn out onto serving platter and cut into wedges and serve warm.

I usually make two of these "spaghetti pizzas" to feed our family. Here's a link to the original recipe and a picture.

Maple-Glazed Parsnips and Carrots

Last Christmas my sister cooked a traditional Christmas dinner for the family. This was one of the dishes she made. I LOVED it and my boys will even eat parsnips cooked this way. It's a Martha Stewart recipe that is surprisingly easy and doesn't include a bunch of ingredients I can hardly pronounce much less find at the grocery store. I hope you like it as much as we have.

1 1/4 lbs. parsnips (about 6), peeled and quartered lengthwise
3/4 lb. thin carrots (about 12), peeled and halved lengthwise
4 slices bacon, each cut into 4 pieces
10 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 c. pure maple syrup (this makes the dish)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. Place parsnips, carrots, bacon and thyme in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with syrup; season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine. Bake until bottoms of veggies begin to caramelize and turn dark brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss vegetables carefully. Return to oven and bake until all sides are well browned, about 25 minutes more.

Discard bacon and thyme. Serve immediately.

Ham and Potato Soup

Although I am not a ham eater, my family loves this soup. I add whatever vegetables I have in the freezer or fridge. I also rarely stick to a recipe especially when adding vegetables. I am giving you the original recipe, but eyeballing works wonders for me.

3 1/2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 c. celery, diced
1/3 c. carrots, sliced
1/3 c. corn
1/3 c. onion, finely chopped
3/4 c. cooked ham, diced
3 1/4 c. broth
salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbl. butter
5 Tbl. flour
2 c. milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and broth in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

Dinosaur Nests (No Bake Cookies)

We were talking about dinosaurs today at preschool and I let the kids make 'nests' that we filled with 'eggs'. It was a fun simple project that I thought I would share with you.

4 oz. butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
2 c. sugar (1 1/2 c. should be plenty)
1 c. chocolate chips
3-4 Tbl. peanut butter
3 c. oats, quick or regular
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the margarine, milk, sugar, PB and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Place the oats and chocolate chips in a bowl. Pour the hot syrup over the dry and mix well. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper or into bowls. Allow to cool before shaping into nests. Top with jelly beans.

Heavenly Chicken Divine

One of our new favorites. We fight over the leftovers. From my sister in law's Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook. Several of her best recipes are from this, I might have to peruse it more carefully.

Have ready:
4c broccoli steamed
4c cooked penne pasta (3c dried, 1 box, my SIL raves about Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Grain Pasta, available at Kroger or Amazon)
2c shredded roast chicken (or cubed breasts, whatever)
2c (4oz) shredded smoked Gouda or Edam (don't skimp on cheese, it really defines the dish. I prefer Edam)

Heat 2t olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add:
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4t dried thyme
1/4t salt
1/8t pepper
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in:
1 jar (16oz) Alfredo sauce (I make my own, more is better)
1/2c grated smoked Gouda or Edam cheese (I like Edam)
1/2-1c milk
1/2c of the pasta water
1/8t nutmeg
Then stir in the cooked pasta, steamed broccoli, 2c shredded roast chicken and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a 9x13 pan and top with another 1.5c of Gouda or Edam cheese and 1/4c Italian breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with some paprika and cover with foil. Bake for 30 min at 375. Uncover and bake another 10-15 min, or until golden brown.

The recipe freezes well, except for the broccoli. My SIL serves the broccoli separate, since it gets mushy in leftovers. You can also make the dish the day before and keep refridgerated for 24 hrs.

Squash Recipes

Cecily requested some of my favorite squash recipes, so here they are!

Baked Acorn Squash with Pear and Apple
Good enough for dessert. From The Joy of Cooking.

Bake 2 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded, cut side down in a pan with 1/4 inch water at 325 for 45 min. Meanwhile, mix in a bowl:
2 large apples, peeled, cored, & diced
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, & diced
1/4c dried currants or raisins
2T brown sugar
zest of 1 small orange (I always leave this out because I never have it)
1/4t cinnamon
1/8t nutmeg (I approximate on the spices, a dash of this, a shake of that)

Melt 2T butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add apple mixture and cook until fruit is golden brown, about 5 min. Stir in 1/4c apple cider or orange juice (I usually use OJ). Simmer, stirring often, until fruit is tender, about 8 min.
Remove squash from oven, pour off water in pan. Turn squash face up and fill with apple mixture. Return to oven and bake until squash is tender, about 15 min more.

Baked Butternut Squash stuffed with Sausage and Apples
Also from The Joy of Cooking.

Halve lengthwise and remove seeds and strings from 2 butternut squash. Arrange cut side up in a baking dish and brush lightly with 1T olive oil. Cover with lid or foil and bake until almost tender, 30-40min at 375.
Meanwhile, crumble 1c bulk sausage into a skillet and cook over medium heat until no longer pink. Without draining off the fat, add 1 large, tart green apple, peeled cored, & cubed. Cook stirring, for several minutes just until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.
When the squash is cooked, let it cool slightly, then scoop out the flesh leaving 3/8in thick shells (careful not to put your scooping spoon through the skin). Lightly mix the squash into the sausage, breaking it up as little as possible.
Mix in:
2T soft butter
1T brown sugar
1/4t ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste.
Pile the stuffing into the squash halves. Dot with 1T butter and 1T brown sugar. Bake, uncovered, until piping hot and brown and crusty on top, 20-25 min. Let cool a bit before serving.
**I usually use only 1/2 pckg of sausage and piling it into the squash halves is great for presentation, but is just baked in a corning ware dish, though it can get drier that way.

Penne with Garlicky Butternut Squash
From the Food Network website, courtesy of Jeanne Lemlin.

Cook 1lb penne pasta in stockpot. Drain thoroughly in a colander.

Heat 1/4c olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Toss in 4c diced butternut squash (from a 1.5lb squash). Saute 5 min, or until it begins to golden. Sprinkle in 4 large garlic cloves, minced (I probably only use 2) and saute 2 min.
Pour in:
1/4c water
1/4t nutmeg
6 sage leaves minced or 1/4t powdered sage
1/4c minced fresh parsley (I always just shake in however much dried parsley I want)
1/2t salt
pepper to taste

Cover the pan. Cook the squash until tender, about 5 min more. Mix penne and squash and toss gently. Sprinkle Parmesan and pass more at the table.

Curried Vegetables with Ziti

3 c. ziti pasta (8 oz)
1 T olive oil
1 med onion, cut into thin strips
1 clove minced garlic
2 t. curry pwdr
1 t. grated ginger root
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. apple juice, divided
1 T soy sauce
1 med carrot, cut into 1/2" slices
1 T cornstarch
2 c. cauliflowerets
1 c. froz peas, rinsed to separate
1/2 c. raisins (I used golden)
1 med. zucchini, cut into 1/2" slices
1 sm. red pepper, cut into thin strips

Cook pasta according to box. Heat oil over med-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, curry, ginger in oil, stirring frequently until onion is crisp tender. Stir in water, 1/2 c. apple juice, soy sauce, carrot. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 apple juice. Stir cornstarch mix and remainder of ingredients into carrot mix. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta and serve.

Mama Heiss' Ooey Gooey Cookies

My favorite cookie growing up. Below are the amounts I have written down, but I always approximate and put on as many choc chips as I want!

Melt 1 stick margarine on cookie sheet with sides. Pour one box yellow cake mix over it.
Top with:
3c mini marshmallows
6oz choc chips
1.5c coconut flakes
1c chopped nuts (I never do this)
Then drizzle 1 can sweetened condensed milk over it all.
Bake at 350 for 25 min. Cut into squares while still warm.

Mama Heiss' Christmas Cider

Mix together in a large pot on the stove or crockpot:
1qt cranapple juice
2/3c sugar in 3c water (boil until dissolved)

Then steep:
9 whole cloves
1.5 sticks cinnamon

Let simmer 10-15 min, remove spices and stir in 6 oz frozen lemonade. Serve warm.

Mama Heiss' Amazing Mint Brownies

These brownies are one of my favorite holiday traditions. They freeze well and look so elegant. My mom sometimes dyes the icing green if she's feeling festive.
Brownies
Melt together 4 sq unsweetened chocolate and 2 sticks of margarine/ butter.
Add:
4 eggs
2c sugar
1-1.5c flour
1/4t salt
1-1.5t peppermint
Mix all, bake 350 for 25min, let cool completely. Then ice with:
Icing
Beat together:
1/2 softened margarine stick
2c powdered sugar
1t peppermint
2T milk
Then top with:
Chocolate glaze
2sq unsweetened chocolate
2T margarine/butter
Melt together and dribble over icing. Let cool completely to harden, or stick in the fridge for a few minutes.
Cut the brownies into sticks (about one inch by three inches) and serve slightly chilled (or else the chocolate will melt all over your fingers, your chin, etc.).