Our new favorite fruit tray.....Steve built us a nifty stand to build our palm tree on....it turned out pretty cool!!
This recipe was featured in the South Slope Newsletter the week following Aunt Vera's funeral... submitted by Linda Blaylock. This was a favorite recipe of our sweet sister Vera Benge. Much more scrumptious than a box cake!
Stretch Cake
In a large sauce pan, bring to a boil and mix by hand:
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. water
1/2 c. oil
3 1/2 T. cocoa
Remove from heat and add:
2 c.sugar
2 eggs, stirring constantly
1 t. baking soda
Stir in:
1/2 c.buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
You may want to use a hand mixer to help mix the flour in. Pour into a 9x13 or 15x10 pan, depending on how thick you want the cake to be.
Bake at 350 °F for 20-25 minutes.
Frosting
Bring to boil:
1/2 c. Margarine or butter
3 1/2 T. cocoa
1/3 can of evaporated milk or 6 T. milk
Add all at once:
1 box powdered sugar (1 lb. or about 4 cups)
1 t. vanilla
Add nuts if desired. Keep warm until cake is out of oven and frost immediately. Basically, pour the frosting over the cake.
I found this one on facebook....You can't go wrong with chocolate and coconut!! I keep these formed in cookie dough balls in the freezer.....ready to bake anytime.....YuMmY!!!
Almond Joy Cookies
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c.sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
1 T. vanilla
4 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
5 c. chocolate chips
2 c. sweetened coconut
2 c. chopped almonds
Combine dry ingredients, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stir in the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until well mixed then stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly sprayed cookie sheets.
Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Jake brought me this recipe to make for his 16th birthday!! We have been making it ever since!! Thanks Jake!!
CHOCOLATE ECLAIR CAKE
Crust:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 large box (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding
3 c. milk
Topping:
8 oz. cool whip (just enough for a thin layer. I don't use the whole container) or one batch of homemade whipped cream
chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauce ( I used my Choice Chocolate Topping Recipe)
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9"X13" glass baking pan.
For the Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool, don't touch or push bubbles down.
For the Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate bowl make vanilla pudding by beating the pudding mix and the milk for 3 minutes and put in the fridge until set. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly add pudding to cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge.When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it and serve with a drizzle chocolate syrup.
This online recipe is especially delicious and is another way to use the Cruising Caramel Sauce recipe found below.
Holy Cow Cake
Chocolate Cake Mix, baked as directed
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. jar of caramel topping
4-5 Butterfingers candy bars, crushed
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. Cool Whip
Prepare and bake cake as directed on package.
Meanwhile, blend caramel and sweetened condensed milk.
After removing cake from oven, use a fork to poke holes into the top of the cake.
Pour caramel mixture over cake.
Crush candy bars and sprinkle half of them over the warm cake. Chill.
Stir cream cheese and Cool Whip together until blended well. Spread over cooled cake.
Sprinkle with remaining candy.
I got this recipe at the East Valley RS Activity, shared by Autum & Analyn John. These are very tasty!!
Honey Lime Enchiladas
1/3 c. honey
1 T. chili powder
1/3 c. lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
2 c. green enchilada sauce, divided
6 c. grated Monterey Jack Cheese, divided
10 8” flour tortillas
1 c. fat free half & half
Whisk together in large bowl: honey, chili powder, lime & garlic. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in large bowl. Save the marinade and set aside for later.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish and spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom.
Add to marinated chicken, 5 cups of grated cheese and stir together. Spoon about ¾ c. of the chicken/cheese mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish.
In the bowl with marinade, add remaining enchilada sauce, and half & half, whisk together. Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle with 1 cup of grated cheese .
Bake at 350 until cheese has melted and the top is lightly brown, about 30 minutes.
This recipe is my own creation. I also use this dough recipe for pizza crust. It makes enough dough for a cookie sheet and a half sized cookie sheet. I sprayed the pans. Patted out the dough and baked it at 375 for 10 minutes. Then I used 16 oz. tomato sauce, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, basil oregano, salt & pepper for my sauce. Sprinkled with cheese and canadian bacon and basil. Baked 15 more minutes. And the tomato lovers garnished it will fresh sliced tomatoes. I froze pureed tomatoes and minced herbs so I could make this all winter too.
TOMATO BASIL BREAD
1/2 c. warm milk - microwave 30 seconds
1-2 ripe tomatoes, pureed (1/2 c.) I use 3- 4th of July Tomatoes.....they are small and juicy
1 egg
2 T. oil
1/2 t. salt1 T. sugar
2 T. fresh basil, minced
1 T. fresh chives, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. fresh oregano, minced
3 rounded c. bread flour
1 scant T. yeast
GARLIC CHIVE SPREAD
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 T. fresh chives, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Place bread ingredients in bread machine pan in order listed. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing, add 1 to 2 T. water or flour if needed. Bake in bread machine or remove dough, form into 2 artisan loaves and bake in oven at 375 for 20 minutes. In bowl, combine spread ingredients. Serve with bread.
This is my remake of an online recipe.
Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup........for a crowd (about 1 1/2 gallon)
1 Gallon water or chicken broth
3 to 4 T. chicken bouillon
1 c. chopped onion or 1/2 c. dried
11/2 c. chopped carrots
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 t. granulated garlic
1 t. thyme flakes (I say cut this in half, or even eliminate it)
1 to 2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 c. chicken gravy mix
2 - 3 T. parsley flakes
3 - 4 c. shredded cooked chicken
16 oz. homestyle country egg noodles (can use homemade egg noodles)
Place all ingredients in a roaster oven or crockpot, depending on how much you need to make. Once the noodles are done turn the heat down to lowest setting. If you will be cooking it for a long time you might want to wait to add the noodles, so they don't go mushy.
Tonya Keene shared this recipe with me. These are so delicious!
Keebler Cracker Cookies
1 c. sliced toasted almonds
1 sleeve Keebler Club Crackers (original)
Place crackers in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet.
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
Melt the butter and add the sugar. Cook on medium heat until it boils, then cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over the crackers and smooth out so all crackers are covered. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until golden in color. Remove from oven and move to cooling racks to cool. YUMMY!!!
Pie Making 101 tips & recipe shared by Diane Beagley (The Pie Lady).....I've made more pies this year than the rest of my life....this recipe was life changing.
Diane says, there are 2 things people do wrong when making pie crust.
#1 they use TOO much flour
#2 they over mix the crust - the only mixer you need is your hands!!
Roll your dough directly on your counter. Pat your hand in flour and then spread that flour over your counter. Pat your hand in flour and rub it on your rolling pin. That is ALL the flour you need until you turn your dough and then you will flour your counter and rolling pin one more time.
Always roll your rolling pin forward and back. Never side ways, never at an angle as the pressure is different and then the dough will not be the same thickness.
Once dough is rolled out fold in half and then half again. Transfer dough to your pie tin.
For a single crust pie = turn pie tin upside down and form the dough over the outside of the pan. Trim any excess dough with the back of a butter knife. Prick the bottom with a fork all over. Bake. Cool and place another pie tin over the crust and turn over....now the crust is inside the pan. You can stack these in your freezer for later use.
To tell if your pie is done = pinch the pie pan between your thumb and index finger. Gently shake pan side to side. If the crust is done it will release from the pan and spin. It will only spin if it is done and only while it is hot from the oven. This even works on a double crust filled pie.
For a double crust pie you form the dough in the bottom of the pie tin.....DO NOT prick it as the filling will run out. Do not over fill the pie. The filling should be level with the top unless you are using fresh fruit that will cook down. Once you have rolled out the top crust you can use cookie cutters to cut out vent holes or fold the crust and clip it with scissors. Rub the edge of the bottom crust with water. Then place top crust on top of the filling. Trim excess dough with the back of a butter knife. To crimp the edges....hold left index finger against pan...with right thumb gently lift the crust while pinching dough between thumb and index finger and twisting the dough. OR simply press edges together with a fork to seal crust edges.
Double crust pies are best if brushed with milk and sprinkled with sugar prior to baking.
If your double crust filled pie is frozen when baking it will take 15 to 25 minutes more to bake.
Diane said to bake pies on the bottom shelf of your oven.....this way the tops don't get too brown.
BASIC PIE CRUST - enough for 1 (2 crust) Pie
1 rounded c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco (or butter or margarine or shortening or lard)
Mix together with fingers till fine and crumbly.
Add: 1/4 c. water
Mix with hands just until dough forms.
Roll out with very little flour directly on the counter. Fold and place in pie tin and unfold and pat dough into place. Fill with filling. Roll out top crust and place over filling. Cut slits in top crust. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.
*Can freeze them before baking for later use. Add 15 to 20 minutes more for baking a frozen pie.
Single crust pie = form over the outside of pie tin, poke with fork, bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.
I came home from our cruise in January and figured out how to adapt the 6 Minute Caramels recipe to duplicate the caramel sauce from our evening caramel sundaes. I've been making this all year!!
Cruising Caramel Sauce....
1/4 c. butter
1/2.c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2. c. light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk, divided
Place first 4 ingredients and 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk in a 2 qt. glass measure and stir well. **Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. Repeat from ** two more times (3 total or 6 minutes). Stir in remaining sweetened condensed milk. If sauce is too thick stir in water 1 T. at a time until desired consistency. Microwave for 20 to 30 seconds at serving time and pour over ice cream....top with nuts, whipped cream and more caramel sauce......YUMMY!
That's it....2013 is over......HaPpY 2014!!!
