Friday, January 27, 2012

Granola Bars

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup flax seed or flax meal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup dried blueberries, chopped
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flax meal.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the blueberries and apricots and stir well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.

Homemade Yogurt

3 cups whole milk
1/4 cup powdered milk
1/3 cup yogurt

Bring milk and milk powder to 170 degrees, do not let it boil.
Cool to 108, then stir in yogurt until it's blended.
Add to yogurt maker and cook for 6-8 hours.
Cool in refrigerator.

If you're not using yogurt maker, pour mixture into 3 mason jars and put them in a crock pot on warm for 6-8 hours.

*For Greek yogurt, place a coffee filter inside a mesh colander over a bowl, then dump yogurt in. Let whey drain off for 3-4 hours, then pour into a container and seal.

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

2 cans flaky biscuits
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 T cinnamon

Open biscuits and separate, then cut each biscuit into fourths. Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Place biscuit pieces in gallon ziplock bag (this is the easiest way) and pour in the cin/sugar mixture. Shake untill all coated together. In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar untill they are a combined mixture. Using a bundt pan (this pan works the best to make it sticky and moist), pile the biscuit pieces in together. Then, pour the butter mixture over the biscuits. They should look like they are floating in a yummy pool of butter. Cook @ 350 for 30-40 minutes. Allow them to cool 15 minutes before turning it over onto a plate. Voila!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Crunchy Salad

Head broccoli (~ 1 1/2 c)

Head cauliflower (~ 1 1/2 c)

1 1/2 carrots

1/2 c bacon (I use those soft bits you can now buy)

1/4 c onion (I often leave this out)

Mix all and add dressing

Dressing

1 1/2 c mayo

1/4 c sugar

2 Tbsp vinegar

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 c parmesan cheese

(I use half the dressing at most as it’s just too much for us otherwise. I also go heavy on the cheddar and parmesan cheeses.)

From Marci Covington

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Cream filling for pies

Mix in saucepan:
1/4 c flour and 2 level T cornstarch
2/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 c milk ( 1/2 cream)
Stir gradually and cook over low heat, stirring until mixture boils and thickens. Boil 1 minute. remove from heat. Gradually stir in 1/2 of hot mixture into 3 slightly beaten egg yolks. Then blend into hot mixture in saucepan and boil 1 minute before stirring and remove from heat. Blend in 1 T butter and 1 1/2tsp vanilla. Pour into baked pie shell and top w/meringue, sealing edges. Bake 400 8-10min to cook merinque.

Chocolate pie: follow recipe except incease sugar to 1 1/2 c and use 1 2/4 oz semi-sweet chocolate. (If chocolate not available, use 1/2 c cocoa or less). Add w/starch and salt.

Banana Pie: use 3 bananas when pie shell is cool and filling is cool.

Coconut pie: fold 3/4 c coconut just before filling pie shell.

Recipe from Estele. (from Louise Anspach). Paula changed cocoa to semi sweet chocolate.

Irish Creme-homemade

1 3/4 c. rum
1 can eagle brand
1 cup whipping cream
4 eggs
2 TBS chocolate syrup
2 tsp instant coffee (dissolve in rum)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond
Put all in blender. Store in fridge for up to a month.
Enjoy!!

Lisa Wiblishouser

Spaghetti Sauce

1 jar Newmans Own marinara
3 cans diced tomatoes in garlic and basil do not drain
2 T Italian Seasoning
1 T garlic
1 T sweet basil
salt and pepper
Green pepper
Simmer until well blended.

I used this for Spaghetti bake. Makes alot when added w/2 lbs hamburger, but I froze what I didn't use.

Beefy cheesy spaghetti bake

1 1/2lb hamburger
1/4 c onion
15 0z sauce ( paula-see my spaghetti sauce recipe)
6 oz spaghetti
2 T marg
4 tsp flour
1/4 tsp salt-or to taste. Paula likes more.
3/4 c evaporated milk
1/3 c water
1 c shredded american cheese
4 T parmesan cheese
2T dried parsley-looks great
{paula's optional: cream cheese or ricotta cheese}
Brown hamburger and onion.
Cook and drain spaghetti.
Add sauce and simmer 10 min.
Melt marg, add flour, salt, milk and water. Add pepper to taste. Simmer until thick stirring often. Add American cheese and parmasan cheese. Cook until melted. Stir into spaghetti. Stir in 2 t or so of dried parsley I add either cream cheese or ricotta cheese also-makes it creamy}
Layer meat mixture on bottom of pan, then spaghetti, then more meat mix. Cook -15-30min. Let stand for short time to thicken.
Works great to put into bread pans. Makes it taller.
Recipe from Cindy Osterloh from school.

Lemon Bars Deluxe

2 c flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 c soft oleo (margarine)
Sift flour and sugar , cut in oleo until mixture clings. Press in 9x13 pan. bake 20min @ 350.
Only until barely colored.

4 eggs, beaten
2 c sugar
1/3 c lemon juice-fresh squeezed is the best
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Beat together eggs, sugar and lemon juice. sift flour and baking powder. Stir into egg mixture. Pour over baked crust.
Bake @ 350 for 25 min more. Sprinkle w/powder sugar. I use a small metal strainer and shake pwd sugar on top.
Recipe from Estele, who got it from Caroldean Summers.

Bronco Brownies

14 oz caramels (2c)
2/3 c evaporated milk (6oz)-will be divided in half for recipe
1box mix Choc Cake (german choc)
3/4 c melted margarine
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts

Heat caramels with 1/3 c. evap milk (low heat, as it burns easily). Mix cake mix, marg and 1/3 c evap milk. Add nuts. Divide mix in half. Batter will be thick. Press 1/2 of mix in greased 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 10 min. Sprinkle w/chocolate chips and pour caramel mix on top. Cover w/remaining cake mix ( separate mix in pieces, pat flat and put on top of caramel mix).
Bake 20min @ 350.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Sugar Cookie bars

Sugar Cookie Bars
Printer-Friendly Version
Yield: about 4 dozen bars

Ingredients:
For the cookie bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Zest from 1 lemon
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (mine was 12 x 17″). Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla, seeds from the vanilla bean, and lemon zest. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir together with a fork to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed just until incorporated.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer. Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the milk. Tint as desired with food coloring. Spread over the cookie in the pan, cut into bars and serve.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

from Pioneer Woman
prep time: 15min
cook time: 13min
Oven temp: 425deg
  • 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
  • ½ cups Butter
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 whole Eggs
  • 2 whole Egg Yolks
  • 6 Tablespoons Flour
  • 2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!)
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff.

Invert cakes on dishes and top with whipped cream.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Bean Soup

‎1 pkg. beans (I used the mix)
4 c veg broth or water
1 t dried thyme or 1 T fresh, chopped
1 c chopped carrots
2 c chopped potatoes
1 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
Ham bone or chopped ham
salt & pepper to taste

‎1) prepare the beans (soak overnight or boil for two min & rest 1 hour), rinse ans drain. 2) combine broth, ham hock, beans, celery, onion, salt, pepper and thyme in a pot. 3) Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. 4) Add potatoes and carrots, bring to boil, reduce and simmer 20 min. 5) remove ham hock, clean of meat, chop and return meat to pot.

Creamy Cajun Rice & Chicken

 4 large chicken breasts Cajun seasoning 1 T oil Butter Rice:  6 cups cooked rice 1 T Cajun seasoning 1/2 onion, finely diced 4 garlic clove...