Striped Icebox Cookies

From Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia -
The stripes of jam make these treats look especially festive — perfect for serving to guests or to give as a gift.

Striped Icebox Cookies
3/4 c. dried sour cherries
1/3 c. sour cherry jam, or preserves
1 T. sugar, (for filling)
1/8 t. almond extract
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. yellow cornmeal
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar, (for dough)
1 egg
1 t. pure vanilla extract

Make the filling: In a food processor, combine dried sour cherries, jam, and sugar. Process until coarsely pureed. Transfer to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in almond extract. Let stand until cool.
Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; incorporate. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix to combine.
Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and divide into four equal portions. Place one portion between two pieces of parchment paper that are at least 12 inches square. Roll out dough to a 3 1/2-by-9-inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining three portions dough. Transfer to a baking sheet and freeze for about 30 minutes.
Assemble the cookies: Remove dough from freezer. Remove top pieces of parchment from dough. Spread one-third of the filling evenly over one portion of dough. Invert second rectangle over the first; remove parchment on top. Repeat layering process, leaving the top rectangle uncoated. Trim to a 3 1/4-by-8 1/2-inch brick. Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to freezer for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats (French nonstick baking mats). Cut the brick into 1/4-inch-thick rectangles; place on baking sheets, spaced 2 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until light golden around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Cupcakes........3 ways

From Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia - Stir up one batter three ways, then add on buttery icing, plus cute flourishes, for head-of-the-class results.
CUPCAKES THREE WAYS
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. whole milk
Vanilla, raspberry, or chocolate buttercream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with your choice of buttercream.

Tips & Techniques

For Chocolate Cupcakes: Reduce flour to 1 1/4 cups, and add 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Makes 12.

For Black-and-White Cupcakes: Prepare both vanilla and chocolate batters; fill muffin cups with 3 tablespoons of each, side by side. Makes 24.

Fudgy Brownies

FUDGY BROWNIES
1 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for pan
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 c. sugar
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Place butter and chocolate in a double boiler or microwave @ 70% power. Heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add sugar; mix to combine. Add eggs, and mix to combine. Add flour mixture; mix just until moistened (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50 to 60 minutes.

Slow Cooked Pork Tacos

SLOW COOKED PORK TACOS
1 boneless pork sirloin roast (2 pounds), cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups salsa verde
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Dash hot pepper sauce
10 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
TOPPINGS: Reduced-fat sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, cubed avocado, shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese and chopped tomato, optional
In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 11 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat is very tender.
Shred pork with two forks. Place about 1/2 cup pork mixture down the center of each tortilla. Serve with toppings if desired. Yield: 10 tacos.

Lemon Chicken with Gravy

LEMON CHICKEN WITH GRAVY
1 pound chicken tenderloins
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked rice, optional
In a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2-1/2 hours. Add parsley and thyme; cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink.
Remove chicken to a serving plate and keep warm. Transfer juices to a small saucepan. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; add to juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken and rice if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Sweet N Tangy Pot Roast

SWEET N TANGY POT ROAST
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine or beef broth
1 envelope brown gravy mix
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Cut meat in half and place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the water, ketchup, wine or broth, gravy mix, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder; pour over meat.
Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meat is tender.
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Remove meat from slow cooker. Slice and serve with gravy. Yield: 8 servings.

Slow Cooked Enchiladas

SLOW COOKED ENCHILADAS
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) Ranch Style beans (pinto beans in seasoned tomato sauce)
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
6 flour tortillas (6 inches)
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, green pepper, chili powder, salt, cumin and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cheeses; set aside.
In a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray, place two tortillas side by side, overlapping if necessary. Layer with a third of the beef mixture and cheese. Repeat layers twice.
Cover and cook on low for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Grilled Veggies.....AND CORN ON THE COB TOO...

Why not throw your veggies on the grill while you are cooking your meat. Keeps the mess and the heat outside.

GRILLED VEGGIES
3-1/2 cups frozen California-blend vegetables, thawed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 14 in. x 12 in.). Fold foil over vegetables and seal tightly.
Grill, covered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutes on each side or until vegetables are tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 4 servings.

CORN ON THE COB
Place ear of corn on a sheet of foil. Add a pat of butter & an ice cube, wrap up in foil and grill for 25 minutes turning 3 times.
OR to cook it in the husk soak the corn, husk and all in water for 20 minutes. Peel back the husks and remove the silk with a damp paper towel. Spread seasoned butter on the corn. Pull the husks back up to cover the corn and tie with string. Place on grill for 25 to 30 minutes turning often. This corn will have a smoky flavor.

GRILLED GARDEN VEGGIES
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, divided
2 small zucchini, sliced
2 small yellow summer squash, sliced
1/2 pound medium fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large tomato, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil over a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 24 in. x 12 in.). Combine the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary; spoon over foil. Top with zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms and tomato; drizzle with the remaining oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and remaining rosemary.
Fold foil around vegetables and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. Yield: 8 servings.

Cucumber Punch

I found this recipe in my Healthy Cooking Magazine. Now I can't wait for the cucumbers to grow so I can try it. Kinda different??!!

CUCUMBER PUNCH
2 medium cucumbers
3 cups water
1 can (12 ounces) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 liters diet ginger ale, chilled
4-1/2 cups diet grapefruit or citrus soda, chilled
Directions
With a zester or fork, score cucumbers lengthwise; cut widthwise into thin slices. In a large pitcher, combine water and lemonade concentrate; add cucumbers. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Just before serving, transfer cucumber mixture to a punch bowl; stir in ginger ale and grapefruit soda. Yield: 25 servings (4-3/4 quarts).

4 Berry Smoothie

We will soon be picking lots of fresh berries. Here is a good smoothie that uses lots of berries. If youdon't have all 4 different kinds it will still be good. enjoy!!!

4 BERRY SMOOTHIE
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries
1/2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries
2 tablespoons lemonade concentrate
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a blender, combine all the ingredients. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately. Yield: 2 servings.

Layered Fruit Trifle

LAYERED FRUIT TRIFLE

Creamy Lime Dressing
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream, whipped OR 8 oz. whipped topping
Fruit
3 cups cut-up cantaloupe
1 quart strawberries, quartered
2 ripe medium mangoes, seed removed, peeled and cut up
2 cups blueberries
2 cups cut-up honeydew melon
Mint leaves, if desired
In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, limeade concentrate and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed about 3 minutes or until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Set aside.
In 3-quart trifle bowl, layer cantaloupe and strawberries. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the strawberries. Layer mangoes, blueberries and honeydew over cream cheese mixture. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture on top. Garnish with mint leaves.
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

Raspberry Lemonade Smoothie

Hopefully one day soon it will be warm enough to actually enjoy one of these. But I made one today because I had some fresh strawberries that needed to be used.

RASPBERRY LEMONADE SMOOTHIE
1 cup refrigerated raspberry lemonade (plain lemonade will work too)
2 ripe bananas, thickly sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
2 - 6 oz. each raspberry yogurt
Place all ingredients in blender and blend for 1 minute or until smooth.
Makes 4 - 1 cup servings.
Strawberries work nicely too.

The Amazing Cucumber.......

I'm looking forward to trying some of these things when I have all those buckets full of cucumbers that I don't know what to do with.
Here is "Jake the Snake", pretending his cucumber is a snake. In 2008 we started growing these Yard Long Armenian Cucumbers. They are the best eating cucumbers I have found. And yes they do grow to be a yard long and they aren't bitter at all. Speaking of snakes....I better tell you how Jake got that name. When he was about 4 we ran into Kasey's 5th grade school teacher, Mr. Diggs (his favorite teacher ever). I told him he needed to come meet Kasey's son. He shook Jake's hand and asked him what his name was. Jake without even hestitating said, "I'm Jake the Snake". It was so out of the blue.....we had never called him that before.....but we sometimes do now.

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems. Pass this along to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems.

The Amazing Cucumber

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Chocolate Stuffed Sticky Bundt

Rhodes Chocolate Stuffed Sticky Bundt has a sweet little surprise hidden inside each delicious bite! This recipe could be used with Cool Rise Roll Dough too.

Chocolate Stuffed Sticky Bundt
-Powered by Rhodes

24 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold�
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or toffee bits
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Instructions
Cut rolls in half and flatten each half. Wrap each half around 1 teaspoon chocolate chips and completely enclose. In a bowl, mix granulated sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Dip each roll half in sugar mixture until well coated. Place in a large sprayed bundt pan. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture along with pecans or toffee bits over rolls. Combine butter and brown sugar in a small bowl and microwave 30 seconds. Stir well and pour over rolls. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until almost to the top of the pan. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 35 minutes. Cover with foil last 10 minutes of baking. Invert immediately onto serving platter

Cinnamon Chips

These are fun to make. A good way to use up a family pak of tortillas.

Cinnamon Chips

6 large flour tortillas
4 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine cinnamon and sugar in small bowl. Using water spray bottle, lightly spray tortillas and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Using pizza cutter, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place tortilla wedges on baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crispy. Remove from oven and cool.

Carmellow Corn........AKA: Karmelo Malone Corn

You guessed it!! This recipe came from my "UTAH JAZZ FANS". Thanks Ellen & Sue!!! They say they make this before every Jazz game....

Speaking of Utah Jazz, I think I should share this story first. When Katie was playing basketball at Snow College and spending quite a bit of time with my sister Kristen and her family this happened one day. Tyler, Josh and Kelsey are in the driveway playing basketball. Josh says, "I'm John Stockton", Tyler says, "I'm Karl Malone", Ben says, "I'm Michael Jordan", Kelsey says, "I'm Katie". That story makes me smile.....I love IT!!!!!
Katie and Kelsey still to this day share a special relationship that goes even deeper than basketball.

So here is the recipe.......

CARMELLOW CORN.........AKA: KARMELO MALONE CORN
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 c. miniature marshmallows
2 qt. popped popcorn
nuts, optional
Microwave butter & sugar 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in marshmallows. Cook 1 more min. Pour over popcorn (and nuts). Make into balls or serve in bowls.
FAST, EASY, and GOOD!!!

YW Zion's Camp Menu & More......

Young Women Camp 2009 (148 girls, 31 adults)

Tuesday
6:00 Dinner (30 people) Haystacks (curry chicken x 3)
Mandarin Oranges (1 gal.)
Pineapple Tidbits (1 gal.)
Olives (1 gal.)
Cheese (5 lbs.)
Chow Mien Noodles (1 gal.)
Rice – 6 cups

Snack Popcorn – Peanut Butter / Carmel

Wednesday
Breakfast (30 people) Biscuits x 8
Sausage Gravy (3 lbs.)
Sunny Delight (2 gallons)
Milk (2 gallons)

Snack Otter Pops (2 boxes – 400)

11:30 Lunch (70 people) Pigs in Blanket
Broccoli Salad x 5
Berry Fluff x 3

5:00 Dinner Hamburgers / Buns (200)
Sliced cheese – 125
Tomato
Grilled Onions – 10 lbs.
Ketchup – 1 gal.
Mustard
Pickles – 2 gals.
Macaroni Salad x 20
Orange Dream Fruit Salad x 20
Chips – 5 bags

7:45 Snack Cinnamon Rolls (10 batches)
(3 pkgs. Br. Sugar, 6 lbs. margarine)
(frosting – 3 pkgs. Pwd. Sugar, 3 ¾ lbs. Margarine)

Thursday

8:00 Breakfast French Toast x 25
Bacon (2 boxes)
Eggs (9 flats)
Syrup (1 gal. maple, ½ gal. boysenberry)
Butter
Orange Juice ( 5 gal.)
Hot Chocolate (10 gal.)

12:00 Lunch Tacos (40 lbs. hamburger, 2 bottles taco seasoning)
Lettuce (4 bags)
Sour Cream (10 lbs.)
Olives (1 ½ gals.)
Cheese (10 lbs.)
Onions - 2 ½ lbs.
Tomatoes
Salsa
Shells (240)
Jell-O (5 lrg. Pkgs.)

5:30 Dinner Turkey Enchiladas
Salsa (2 gals.)
Watermelon (6)
Cantaloupe (9)
Grapes (4 pkgs.)
Carrots (4 bags)
Broccoli (3 bags)
Dip (2 bottles)
Leftover Salad

8:00 Snack Brownie Pizza x 20
(5 lrg. Pans, cut 5x8)

Friday
8:00 Breakfast Pancakes (25 lbs.)
Sausage
Eggs (9 flats)
Syrup (1 gal. maple, ½ boysenberry)
Butter
Orange Juice (5 gals)
Hot Chocolate (10 gals.)

12:00 Lunch Sandwiches (200)
Ham (200 slices)
Turkey (200 slices)
Miracle Whip
Mustard
Pickles (1/2 gallon)
Lettuce – 4 heads
Chips – 5 bags
Grapes / Bananas - leftover salad, vegetables

5:30 Dinner Pork Roast (75 lbs.)
(230 people) Cheesy Potatoes (x11)
Pistachio Salad (x 16)
Frog Eye Salad (x 4)
Carrots (3 bags)
Broccoli (3 bags)
Dip (2 bottles)

8:00 Snack Rice Crispy Logs (x 12)

Saturday
8:00 Breakfast Egg McMuffins (150)
English Muffins (150)
Ham (3 lbs.)
Eggs (6 flats)
Cheese, sliced (150)
English Muffins / Toast (45)
Jam (2 bottles)
Peaches (5 gals.)
Hot Chocolate (10 gals.)
Orange Juice (5 gals.)

11:30 Sack Lunch Pop
Grandma’s Cookies
Fruit Snacks
Crackers with cheese
Lunch Sacks

All the salads have been posted already, see: "SALADS FOR A CROWD.....AKA: YW CAMP SALADS".
Here are the other recipes:

CURRY CHICKEN
1 c. chopped onion or onion powder to taste
1 1/2 t. curry powder
1 t. margarine
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 c. cooked cubed chicken
1/2 c. sour cream
milk - as need to thin to desired consistency
3 c. hot cooked rice (2 c. uncooked rice)

X 4
onion powder
6 t. curry powder
4 t. margarine
4 cans cream of chicken soup
4 cans cream of mushroom soup
6 c. cooked chicken
2 c. sour cream
milk - as needed
8 c. uncooked rice

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN
3 qt. popcorn
1 c. sugar
1 c. karo
bring to vigorous boil and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat & add:
1 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
Pour over popcorn and stir.

CARMEL POPCORN
1 cube butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. karo
Mix and boil in heavy pan. Cook to softball (228). Remove from heat, slowly add:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Pour over popcorn and stir.
Linda & I were roommates at Rick's college. This recipe came from our roommate, Tracy Stosish. We called it Nanny's Carmel Corn because her Grandma made it for us often and shared her recipe with us. This is good stuff!!!!

COOL RISE ROLLS
X 3
6 c. flour
6 T. yeast
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. oil
4 1/2 c. hottest tap water
6 eggs
1 1/2 c. dry powdered milk
9 - 12 c. flour
(If you need further instructions you can see pg. 30 of the Atkinson Family Cookbook)

for the cinnamon rolls, spread dough with butter/margarine, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up into rolls. We put 24 on one cookie sheet.

FROSTING
8 lbs. powdered sugar
2 1/2 lbs. margarine
3 T. Vanilla
1 T. Salt
2 1/2 c. milk
Mix & frost while slightly warm.

Linda makes this triple batch in a big metal bowl. She uses her hand mixer to get things started and then she finishes up by mixing and kneading it my hand. She makes 3 or 4 batches of this X3 recipe. Then we used some of the dough for Pigs in a Blanket and made the rest into Cinnamon Rolls. Are these girls spoiled or what???

FRENCH TOAST
2 eggs - beat well and then add:
1 c. milk
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
Mix well and then dip:
10-12 slices of bread
Cook on sprayed grill.

X25
50 eggs
1 1/2 gallon milk
salt
9 T. Vanilla
25 c. flour
3/4 c. baking powder
9 T. cinnamon
13 loaves of bread

This is more of a battered french toast. It is relly good and a little more filling for hungry girls...

SALSA
2 green anaheim peppers, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped
Add and pulse, til chopped:
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. crushed red pepper
1 qt. tomatoes

X8
16 green anaheim peppers, chopped
3 bunches green onions, chopped
cilantro
8 t. garlic powder
8 t. crushed red pepper
2 gal. diced tomatoes
For this big batch we didn't have a food processor, so Linda purchased diced, tomatoes and we just stirred it all together. GOOD Stuff!!! Make sure you bring along a couple of bags of chips. The kitchen help will need them for taste testing!! (You wouldn't want to serve this without tasting it on a couple of bags of chips first) And then you will understand why Linda doesn't just go buy a couple of gallon of salsa. This is much much better!!! This is to serve with the tacos and chicken enchiladas.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Mix together:
1/2 c. chopped onion or onion powder
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 T. water
1 t. cumin
1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. salt
4 c. chopped, cooked turkey or chicken
Spread on & roll up: (You may want to mix in a little of the sauce with the meat too)
12 - 8 inch flour tortillas
SAUCE
1 can reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
8 oz. light sour cream
1 c. skimmed milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

X20
chopped onion or onion powder
10 lb. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
water
7 T. cumin
pepper
salt
70 lbs. chopped, cooked turkey or chicken
Spread on & roll up: (You may want to mix in a little of the sauce with the meat too)
240 - 8 inch flour tortillas
SAUCE
215 oz. reduced sodium cream of chicken soup
10 lbs. light sour cream
1 gallon skimmed milk
5 lbs. shredded cheddar cheese

BROWNIE PIZZA
Beat together:
1/2 c. margarine
2 T. oil
2 eggs
Add:
6 T. cocoa
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
Mix well and spread onto a greased pizza pan. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes. Cool completely. Frost & decorate.

X4 = 1 pan (18x26x1)
2 c. margarine
1/2 c. oil
8 eggs
1 1/2 c. cocoa
4 c. sugar
3 c. flour

X20
10 c. margarine
2 1/2 c. oil
40 eggs
7 1/2 c. cocoa
20 c. sugar
15 c. flour

FROSTING
1 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
2-3 T. milk
Beat well and spread on pizza. Top with goodies.....M&M's, chocolate chips, marshmallows, peanuts, etc.....

X20
20 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. vanilla
7 c. peanut butter
2 1/2 to 4 c. milk
Be careful with the milk.....I got too much because Linda didn't have an amount, she just dumps.....and we ended up with lots of frosting.....but it was really good!!!

Another recipe that Linda made that they really love, is the Rice Krispy Logs. My version of this recipe can be found on page. 179 in the Atkinson Family Cookbook. Linda made 20 of these up ahead of time at home and froze them and wrapped them in foil. We just sliced them and served them. They each got 1 slice and you have to police the serving tables because they will want more than one.....

The CHEESY POTATOES that Linda refers to on her menu can be found in the Atkinson Cookbook on page 139. We would X5 the recipe to fill each roaster oven. I think we filled 3 roaster ovens.

It is a lot of work but rewarding as well. We were often brought notes and candy and even a bouquet of wild flowers Linda has changed the menu some thru the years so this menu has been tried and perfected. The real favorites have stuck and it was fun to see the girls anticipate their favorites. The real trick to success is don't get stressed. Linda is very easy going, she knows her stuff, and she is well prepared, the rest just happens and she really doesn't stress. She is great to work with. She does have a few rules that she absolutely doesn't bend on. In the cold mornings she likes to serve hot chocolate. They are never allowed to get any until the blessing is said and breakfast is ready. Otherwise it will be gone before breakfast. They only get one when it comes to the treats. She tells them if you take 2 that means your friend won't get one. She tells them if they know they won't eat it don't take it. It is funny how they think they should take it because it is there and then they throw it away. This is not like school lunch where it has to go on your tray. It is not fun to watch the food you worked hard to cook go in the trash. Especially when some went without. Portion control is sometimes a problem, once again, they have to be reminded that a friend or leader will not be eating if you take their share. We have what we have and when it is gone it is gone. They is not a store nearby. No one is going hungry but please be respectful of others. She was never harsh but firm. If someone stopped by the kitchen and said they were hungry we always managed to find something they wanted to eat. We saved our leftovers until the last day and then they were thrown away. Don't put all the food out at once. Keep some back because the leaders are usually the last ones to eat. We never allowed seconds until everyone had eaten. Sometimes we would put out a sign by the item that said PLEASE TAKE ONLY ONE. After awhile they seem to figure it out. For some reason the morning that we served the McMuffins we ran out and we shouldn't have. Since they were individually wrapped in foil they were sneaking and putting an extra in their pocket. I think they were surprised that they were so filling. Leaders did not get any and then too many to count ended up in the garbage. We should not have put them all out at once. Then we had to come up with something for the leaders to eat.

Another thing that we would do. In the evening we would crack all the eggs for breakfast into gallon pitchers so we would be ready in the morning. It really takes along time to crack 200 eggs. But I also learned that if you do get an egg shell in there you do not have to worry about it. It will settle to the bottom and stay there unless you shake it up or dump them out really fast. So don't try to fish it out, because you can't fish an egg shell out of a gallon of eggs even when you try.

Our day usually started at 6:00 am and we usually closed the kitchen at about 10:30 or ll:00. Since I am in the Young Women's I had girls up there and I did sneak away and went on a couple of their activities. But Kim & Linda pretty much stayed in the kitchen all day long. There wasn't much down time. If we sat down we were stitching baby blocks for the humanitarian project that the girls were working on. We each made one block, so there wasn't much down time.

The Priesthood brethern and our camp hosts were good to stop in and ask what they could do to help at meal time. In the morning especially you will need help with heavy stuff, like the hot chocolate and juice. (last year it was cold and they did not drink much juice) We also had 6 to 8 girls that were assigned to help put the food out and fill the water jugs before each meal. It was nice that we would have girls stop by and ask if we needed anything on occasion. When they were all supposed to be doing service we had a leader that came in and washed dishes for us for over 2 hours. She even returned a couple of other times to do it again. There are a lot of dishes to wash!!! Just like at home the kitchen is the heart of camp!!! Enjoy your time in the kitchen, it is time well spent!!! That is all I can think of right now!!

Krista & Jordan's Wedding Salad

Krista Walker got married this weekend. This salad is her new husband, Jordan's favorite salad. His family calls it Aunt Jessie's Salad because his Aunt makes it. But I call it Krista & Jordan's Wedding Salad. It was really good!!!

KRISTA & JORDAN'S WEDDING SALAD
1 head of iceberg lettuce - torn into bite size pieces
Drizzle 1 - 2 capsful of oil over lettuce and toss.
Microwave a fresh lemon for 1-2 minutes, then juice the lemon. Drizzle the juice over the lettuce and sprinkle with garlic salt and toss again.

Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Here is what $1 Million Dollars tastes like.......
The 2008 Pillsbury Bake Off Winner by Carolyn Gurtz!!!
98% out of 154 people said they would make these cookies again.

When Connor and I made them I found I needed more filling for the center balls. Next time I would use 1 c. peanut butter and 1 c. powdered sugar instead of 1/2 c. of each. Connor and Great Grandpa Atkinson really liked them!!!

DOUBLE DELIGHT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1/4 cup Peanuts, finely chopped  (originally called for dry roasted, I don't like dry roasted)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup JIF® Creamy Peanut Butter (I use 1 c.)
1/2 cup powdered sugar  (I use 1 c.)
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated peanut butter cookies, well chilled  OR   make the Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe on pg. 175 of the Atkinson Cookbook and use 2 1/2 c. peanut butter & powdered sugar for the filling & drizzle with melted chocolate  (see details below)
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.  (1/2 a scoop with my smallest cookie scoop)
Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.
Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

Now when I make these I use Craig's recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies found in the Atkinson Cookbook on page 175.  This makes a big batch so when I make the filling for the middle I use about 2 1/2 c. peanut butter and 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar.  I roll them into balls using 1/2 a scoop of my smallest cookie scoop.  I don't usually add the peanuts.  They are good but don't seem to stay on the cookies real well.  These are a bit time consuming but they are very good.  Last time I melted a few chocolate chips, stirred in a little oil to thin it and then put it in my pastry bag, then I drizzled a little chocolate over the top of them.  It was a great finishing touch!!