Apple Pear Cucumber Salad & Dressing

South Slope Relief Society Newsletter by Ivy Snow

Apple Pear Cucumber Salad

Dressing:  mix together and set aside.

2  T.  whole grain mustard  

2  T. fresh dill, chopped (or 2 t. dried)  

2  T. apple cider vinegar  

1/2 t. brown sugar  

4  T. extra virgin olive oil  

Salad:
2 tart apples, crunchy (Gala, Pink Lady, Braeburn)  

1 pear (Anjou, Bartlett, etc.)  

1 seedless cucumber (or seeded)  

1 small sweet onion

Core and slice apples and pears into thin slices, leaving skin on for color and flavor.

Slice cucumber into rounds (if using cucumber with seeds, cut in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds, and cut into half moon slices).  If cucumber is waxed, peel it; otherwise leave skin on.

Slice onion any way you like.  Add all to bowl with dressing and toss to coat.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

East Valley RS Activity, recipe shared by Autum & Analyn John 

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. 

Apple Upside Down Cake

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/apple-upside-down-cake-recipe

or step by step photos     

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2011/09/11/apple-upside-down-cake-decidedly-decadent/

Apple Upside Down Cake
topping
2 medium apples
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light corn syrup or maple syrup
cake
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons boiled cider or thawed apple juice concentrate
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 large apple, peeled and finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan at least 2" deep. Line the bottom with parchment, and grease the parchment.

2) Slice the top, including the stem, off one of the apples and set it aside before peeling and slicing the rest of the apples into 1/4" thick wedges.

3) Place the apple top, stem side down, in the middle of the pan, and overlap the rest of the apple wedges in a ring around it.

4) Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, boiled cider, cinnamon, and corn syrup together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

5) Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture into the prepared pan, and set the rest aside.

6) To make the cake: Beat the oil, brown sugar, boiled cider, eggs, spices, and salt together for 2 minutes at medium speed

7) Mix the flour with the baking soda, and stir it into the batter.

8) Add the chopped apple and nuts, and mix until just blended.

9) Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover.

10) Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.

Apple Raisin Muffins

Recipe from Paula Deen's Show: Paula's Home Cooking

Apple Raisin Muffins
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 cups grated apples
2 cups raisins
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking soda
31/2 cups all-purpose flour

Combine the water, sugar, apples, raisins, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.

In a large bowl, stir the nuts and baking soda into the flour. Add the cooled mixture to the bowl, and stir until blended. Fill greased miniature muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Note: Extra muffins can be stored in a re-sealable freezer bag

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Red Velvet Cheesecake
Cheesecake layer
16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 c. sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 t. vanilla

RED VELVET CAKE:
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cocoa r
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. oil
1 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. (two 1-ounce bottles) red food coloring
2 t. vanilla
2 t. white vinegar

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar, sifted lightly to remove any lumps
16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1 T. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Wrap a double layer of foil around the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Prepare the cheesecake layer:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese- blend until it is nice and smooth and creamy. Mix in sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared 9" spring form pan.  Set the spring form pan into a roasting pan in the pre-heated oven. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan, enough water so that there is about an inch of water coming up the foil along the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake the cheesecake at 325 for 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggle. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely, for several hours- or overnight.

Prepare the cake layers: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two sprayed 9-inch round metal baking pans. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar to the flour mixture. Using an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat for 1 minute, until blended. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans, then invert cakes onto a rack to cool completely.

Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until it is smooth and creamy (do not over beat).

Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the parchment to remove the cheesecake from the pan. Peel off the parchment. Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be a slightly larger round than your cake, move it to a cutting board and gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake to get it to the same size as your cake layers. Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer. Place the 2nd cake layer on top of the cheesecake.

Frost the cake: Apply a crumb coat layer to the cake- use a long, thin spatula to cover the cake completely with a thin and even layer of frosting. When your cake has a thin layer of frosting all over it, place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to “set” the frosting.

Once the first layer of frosting is set, apply the 2nd layer. Start by adding a large scoop of frosting onto the top of the cake. Use a long, thin spatula to spread the frosting evenly across the top and then spread it down the sides of the cake too. Because you applied a crumb-coat layer, you shouldn't have any red crumbs floating around in the final frosting layer. Decorate, with white chocolate shavings.

Good to know Stuff.......

1. Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

2. Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

3. Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

4. Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

5. To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

6. For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

7. Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

8. Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!

9. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.

10. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.

11. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

12. Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

13. Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

14. Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

15. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

16. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

17. Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

18. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... guess what! ... static is gone.

19. Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. (Or spray the measuring cup or spoon with Pam before using)

20. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

21. Re-opening envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.

22. Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

23. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!

24. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

25. Dryer Filter
Even if you are very diligent about cleaning the lint filter in your dryer it still may be causing you a problem. If you use dryer sheets a waxy build up could be accumulating on the filter causing your dryer to over heat. The solution to this is to clean your filter with with a toothbrush and hot soapy water every 6 months.

Apple Crisp Pizza

A great dessert for Fall....and it is beginning to feel like FALL!!

Apple Crisp Pizza
Pastry for 9" single-crust pie
2/3 c. sugar
3 T. flour
1 t. Cinnamon
4 medium apples (like Gala, Fiji, Braeburn, Empire) peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
TOPPING:
1/2 c. flour
1/3 c, brown sugar
1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 cu. butter, softened
DRIZZLE:
1/2 c. caramel topping

Roll pastry to fit a 12 inch pizza pan; fold under edges to give the pizza a bit of a raised crust. Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add peeled, diced apples and toss. Arrange the apples in a single layer over the pie crust completely covering it.
For the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, and butter in a bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle over the apples.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle with caramel topping. Cut into pizza slices and serve warm with ice cream. Makes 12 servings.

Reeses Peanut Butter No Bake Bars

REESES PEANUT BUTTER NO BAKE BARS
1 c. butter, melted
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 t. vanilla
11 oz. bag milk chocolate chips
Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Pour peanut butter mixture into a 9 x 13 pan.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (at 50% power) for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Spread chocolate over the peanut butter mixture.  Refrigerate until set, about one hour. Cut  & serve. Enjoy!

Halloween Popcorn

Halloween Popcorn
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped  or 1/2 c. popcorn, popped in hot air popper
1 bag candy corn
16-ounce package white chocolate bark
Halloween sprinkles
wax paper

Place the popped popcorn and candy corn in a very large bowl (you need plenty of room to stir the popcorn). Melt the white chocolate bark in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until melted. Drizzle over the popcorn and candy corn and stir to coat each piece of popcorn. Pour the mixture over wax paper and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and allow to cool for at least 15-30 minutes. Break into pieces. Serves 6-8.

Magically Clean Windows......

HERE'S A MAGICAL WAY TO CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS!!!
No drying is needed, and you won't have any spots or streaks on your window! 
Mix together in a bucket or dish pan:
1/2 gallon warm water
1 Tablespoon of liquid "Jet Dry"
2-3 Tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent or dish washing soap

Spray your windows down with your hose to get them wet then wipe or brush on the solution onto your windows, then immediately hose it off. That’s all..... you are done. The remaining water just sheets off and you don't need to dry it off!

Laura Walker told me about this....I sure hope it works

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

A great casserole from Ellen Grunig....

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
1 (6 oz) pkg. chicken stuffing mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can  cream of chicken soup
1 T. prepared, Dijon mustard
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked or boiled and cut into bite-size pieces
3 c. fresh broccoli florets
2 c. cooked, chopped ham
6 slices of extra thin Swiss cheese
Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Mix soup and mustard in medium bowl; stir in chicken, broccoli and ham. Spoon into 2-qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese slices and stuffing. Bake at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes, until heated through.

Roasted Ranch Potatoes

Roasted Ranch Potatoes
2 pounds potatoes (unpeeled, washed and cut into chunks)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (bottled, not packet)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus 1/4 cup more for topping
1/4 cup crumbled, cooked bacon or real bacon pieces from jar
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
3 scallions, washed and chopped
Salt
Pepper
Sour Cream (optional)

Mix together in a large bowl; the ranch dressing, cheese, bacon. dill and scallions.  Stir in the potatoes. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Spoon into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. Stir gently halfway through baking.
Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees. Remove foil so potatoes brown nicely.  Stir and Bake for an additional 15 minutes, then sprinkle with additional cheese. Bake a few more minutes or until everything is gooey, browned and bubbly on top.

Serve with sour cream if desired.

Crock pot Scalloped Potatoes

Steve loves scalloped potatoes....

Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes
6 large potatoes, sliced
1 small onion, diced
8 slices bacon, uncooked diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
Place half of the sliced potatoes in bottom of crock pot.
Top with half of the onions cheese and bacon.
Repeat layers in order.
Top with cream of chicken soup.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Baked Broccoli

I got this recipe from Ellen Grunig.

Baked Broccoli
Preheat oven to 375°
Chop a head of broccoli 
Mince 2-3 cloves of garlic
Put broccoli, garlic, 2 tbsp. olive oil, in a ziploc bag.  Shake it up.
Spread out on cookie sheet, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  
Place on top rack, and bake for about 30 minutes.
Broccoli will be crunchy and delicious!

Spaghetti Pie

Marcia sent me this recipe from her daughter, Laurie.  It is one of her favorites.
Spaghetti Pie
6 oz pkg noodles cook as directed, drain and add:
2 T. butter
1/3 c. parmesan cheese
2 eggs
mix together and form as crust into 10" pie plate
top with 
1 c. cottage cheese on top of noodles
Sauce
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion
1/4 c. green pepper
1 clove garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. tomato sauce
1 t. sugar
1 t. oregano
Mix together and pour over cottage cheese
Bake 350 for 20 mins.
Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and bake 5 mins more.

Layered Summer Fruits...with lime dressing

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
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.
2. 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.
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Snack Cake.....with Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

Chocolate Snack Cake       from:   Taste of Home
CAKE 
1 c. boiling water
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
3 T. baking cocoa
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
Confectioners' sugar
In a bowl, beat water and butter until butter is melted. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the egg mixture. Beat for 2 minutes.
Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 9 servings.
"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" FROSTING    from  Hershey Chocolate
1/2 c.butter or margarine
2/3 c. HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 c. powdered sugar
1/3 c. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

Caramel Oatmeal Bars
48 soft caramel-candy squares* ( I use my 6 minute caramels recipe and omit the heavy cream)
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 1/2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Spray a 9-by-13- inch pan with cooking spray.  *Put the caramels and cream in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels are well melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
Stir together the oats, flour,brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Blend in the butter with a fork or until the mixture is coarse; press half of the mixture onto the lined pan. Bake until just set and starting to color around edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the crust with the chocolate chips and drizzle it with the caramel mixture. Top with the remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350 until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Then cut into squares and serve.

Pumpkin Doodle Cookies

Pumpkin Doodle Cookies
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 1-1/2 cups sugar and pumpkin. Beat until combined.
Beat in vanilla, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Beat in egg. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover and chill 1 hour.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls into the sugar-cinnamon mixture, rolling to coat. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove and cool on wire racks.

Laundry Detergent

Make Your Own Laundry Detergent - 6 ingredients, cost you about $28 a year, this recipe makes a batch that will last a year! Works in HE washers and with cold water too!

Ingredients -

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)

2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)

1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- or use 3-4 bottles of Scentsy Washer Whiffs. Scentsy washer whiffs are my top choice, (they smell out-of-this-world amazing – my favorite is Quiver), but when in a hurry, I opt for the Purex, (which can be found in the detergent aisle).

The hardest most time consuming part is grating the cheese soap. It looks like pink cheese….has anyone ever seen pink cheese? If you do not have a food processor you will need to use a typical hand grater. We would recommend using a large mixing bowl to grate into and using the fine side of the grater. Another option is to microwave the soap before hand. First, cut the bar into chunks or slices. Pop it into the microwave for about a minute. It will expand… a lot…but then it is dry and just crumbles into tiny bits! The hardest part is now over and all that’s left is to mix everything together. Use a very large bucket and take a layering approach to mix it easier. Take a small amount of each ingredient and layer it on top of each other, then grab a large mixing spoon and mixed it together. Do this about 5 times. This is so much easier than dumping all the ingredients in at once and then trying to u it well. This batch makes A TON! Now for probably the best part…you only need 1-2 Tablespoons per load depending on the size. Now here comes the stroke of genius, if you opted to put the Purex Crystals in your batch, you can scoop the detergent right into your bottle and use the cap as your measuring spoon. There are 3 lines on the side and the middle one is approximately 2 Tablespoons…genius right?

feel free to FOLLOW ME! I am always posting awesome stuff! www.sfolds.sbcrotator.com

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Info

With Halloween coming up, you might want to know this.....

After you scoop out and carve your pumpkin, dip it in a large container of bleach and water (use a 1 tsp:1 gal mix). The bleach will kill bacteria and help your pumpkin stay fresh longer. Once completely dry, (drain upside down), add 2 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to a quart of water. Brush this solution onto your pumpkin to keep it looking fresh for weeks.”

♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿Happy Halloween♥✿´¯`*•.¸¸✿

Andes Mint Cookies

Super easy, only 4 ingredients
Andes Mint Cookies
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 package of Andes Mints

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes.
Take sheet out of oven and while the cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.

 http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/04/andes-mint-cookies-recipe.html?showComment=1323739192245

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies                       Makes 36 cookies
1 c. (2 sticks) Butter, softened
3/4 c. Brown Sugar
1/4 c. White Sugar
1 small pkg Instant Vanilla Pudding mix
2 eggs
1 t. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 t. Baking Soda
12 oz Milk Chocolate Chips
Beat the butter, both sugars, pudding mix, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat until creamy and fluffy. Then slowly mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoonfuls, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Pumpkin Cake

Pumpkin Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (fat free is ok)

 8 oz. tub cool whip (lite is ok)
½ bag Heath Bits
Caramel Sundae Sauce (as much as you want)
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and pumpkin puree until a smooth batter forms.
Pour batter into a greased 9×13 baking dish, and bake at 350º, according to the directions on the cake mix box (approx 23-28 mins).
Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes after baking.
Using the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake. This should fill in the holes and soak into the cake.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove cake from refrigerator and spread cool whip over top of cake. Sprinkle on the heath bits, and drizzle caramel over top.
Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight

Chocolate Zucchini Cake.....with Brown Sugar Streusel

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel
Cake:
• 1/2 c. butter (can substitute applesauce)
• 1/3 c. coconut oil (can substitute canola or vegetable oil)
• 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. buttermilk 
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 c. shredded zucchini
Topping:
• 1/2 c. sliced almonds
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl with an electric mixer (handheld or stand mixer), cream together the butter, oil and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk; mix. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Add the remaining buttermilk and mix followed by the last of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the almonds and chocolate chips. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of everything.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (don't overbake!).
5. Let cool completely before serving. This cake tastes best at room temperature (and is great the next day, too!).

Source:  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2013/09/chocolate-zucchini-cake-with-brown-sugar-streusel.html

Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle

Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle
1 package yellow cake mix (regular size)
6 cups cold milk
3 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 jar (12-1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted
2 cans (21 ounces each) apple pie filling
2 cartons (16 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
In a large bowl, whisk milk, pudding mixes and apple pie spice for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.
Cut one cake layer if necessary to fit evenly in an 8-qt. punch bowl. Poke holes in cake with a long wooden skewer; gradually pour a third of the caramel topping over cake. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and spread with half of the pudding mixture.
Spoon one can of pie filling over pudding; spread with one carton of whipped topping.
Top with remaining cake and repeat layers. Drizzle with remaining caramel topping and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 42 servings (3/4 cup each).
Recipe By tasteofhome.com

Cracker Barrel chicken n' dumplins

Cracker Barrel chicken n' dumplins

2 cups Flour
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup buttermilk, A Bit Less Than A Full Cup (you can use regular milk if needed)
2 quarts Chicken Broth
3 cups Cooked Chicken

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender. Stir in the milk, mixing with a fork until the dough forms a ball.

Heavily flour a work surface. You’ll need a rolling pin and something to cut the dumplings with. I like to use a pizza cutter. I also like to use a small spatula to lift the dumplings off the cutting surface.

Roll the dough out thin with a heavily floured rolling pin. Dip your cutter in flour and cut the dumplings in squares about 2″x2″. It’s okay for them not to be exact. Just eye ball it. Some will be bigger, some smaller, some shaped funny.

Use the floured spatula to put them on a heavily floured plate. Just keep flouring between the layers of dumplings.

To cook them, bring the broth to a boil. Drop the dumplings in one at a time, stirring while you add them. The extra flour on them will help thicken the broth. Cook them for about 15-20 minutes or until they not doughy tasting. Add the cooked chicken to the pot and you’re done


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One Hour Yeast Rolls......with honey butter

ONE HOUR YEAST ROLLS

1 cup of warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tablespoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
3 1/3 cup flour

1.) In a large bowl, mix together warm water, sugar, oil and yeast. Let stand for 15 minutes until yeast mixture is bubbly.

2.) Stir in salt and beaten egg to yeast mixture.

3.) Gradually add flour. Dough will be kind of sticky, but add enough flour until it's manageable. Let dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. I cover mine with a towel. This allows the dough to rise more.

4.) Spray hands with non-stick cooking spray (such as Pam) and form dough into balls. Place balls so they don't touch on cookie sheet. Let rise for 20 more minutes.

5.) Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

6.) Mix 2-3 tablespoons of melted butter with honey (to taste) and brush the top of hot rolls with the honey butter.

7.) Enjoy!

Potato Muffins

NEW WAY TO SERVE POTATOES, 

Just mash potatoes plain with butter or you can add yummy ingredients like cooked bacon, cheese, parsley, green onion, garlic, etc. Stuff in to a greased muffin tin, run a fork along the top and brush with melted butter or olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees or until tops are crispy and golden.

Yes we still need carbs in our diet even when we are trying to lose weight so this is a great way to stick with portion control!!!

Also remember there are varying sizes in muffin pans so you can choose the serving size!! Using mini muffin tins you can turn this into a healthy alternative to chips or wedges too. You still get the soft potato centre with the crunch on the outside without all the fat!!!!

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Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge

Lemon Meringue Pie Fudge
For the Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (shortbread, lemon shortbread, or lemon cookies - I used 1 package of lemon shortbread cookies)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted*
For the Fudge:
• 4 cups (2 bags) white chocolate chips, divided
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 2-3 drops yellow food coloring, if desired
• 3/4 cup marshmallow fluff

1. Mix cookie crumbs and butter and press into an 8x8 or 9x9 pan that has been coved with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let cool while you prepare filling.
2. Place one cup of white chocolate chips in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Place remaining 3 cups of white chocolate chips in a medium saucepan. Add the sweetened condensed milk and heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until melted.
4. While you are cooking the chips and SCM in the pan, place the bowl of chips in the microwave and heat, on 50% power, for about 1-2 minutes, stirring each 30 seconds.
5. Once the chips and SCM in the pan have melted, remove from heat and stir in lemon extract and food coloring. Pour over crust.
6. Working quickly, stir fluff into the white chocolate chips you melted in the microwave. The chocolate will seize a little, but that’s okay. If needed, microwave an additional 15 seconds to help the mixture stir together. Drop chunks of the fluff mixture on top of the lemon fudge and use a knife or offset spatula to swirl into the top. Cool on counter for about 10-15 minutes and then chill until set. Slice and serve.

Notes

I used lemon shortbread cookies with a high butter content. Therefore, I didn’t need very much butter to get them to bind together. If you use a cookie that isn’t as buttery, you may need an extra tablespoon or two of butter. When you mix the crumbs and butter, the mixture should press together easily in your hands. If it falls apart, add a little more butter.

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Homemade Krispy Kremes

Not sure I'll ever use this.....but just in case I want to try a new donut recipe it will be here waiting for me.

Homemade Krispy Kremes — Yes, this is the actual recipe! 
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp dry active yeast
8 oz all purpose flour (a little under 2 cups - I recommend you measure and weigh. See my note above)
1 1/2 oz sugar (about 3 tablespoons)
1 egg
1 oz butter, cold to room temperature (just don't melt it, okay?)
dash of salt

Enough oil to cover the bottom few inches of a wok, or a deep fryer.

In a large measuring jug, combine the milk and boiling water. Add a teaspoon of the sugar and the yeast. Stir it gently, then leave it in a warm place for the yeast to activate (aka foam).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the rest of the sugar, and the salt. Cut in the butter using your fingers or a pastry blender, until it resembles crumbs.
Add the egg (give it a quick beat) and yeast mixture to the flour mix, and mix into a smooth dough. This usually takes about 5 minutes of mixing.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured counter and knead for about 5 to 10 minutes—it should feel springy and little bubbles should form under the surface. Place it back in the bowl, cover with a cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise for about an hour until double in size.
Once risen, place the dough onto the counter and cut it into 4 pieces. One piece at a time, stretch it into a long rope about an inch to an inch and a half wide. Cut strips about an inch long, ball em up with your hands, and place them on a baking tray or wire rack to wait.
Cover the doughnuts holes with a cloth to rise while you heat the oil to 375F.(190 c)
Place the doughnuts into the oil and fry until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes. Be sure to fry only a few at a time so they don’t overcrowd and stick together.
Drain on a paper towel or wire rack over a cloth, before glazing them. Be sure to glaze them warm, or else they won’t get that delicious coverage!

Glaze:
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

A brief note: I recommend a scale, as not all flours (and cup measurements) are made equal.
2 cups of my Canadian flour in my Canadian cups on my scale might be more or less than yours.
If you don't have a scale, start at 1 1/2 cups and work your way up from there.

Recipe via "Now You're Cook'in"

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Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup

It will soon be soup time.....
Chicken Tortilla Crockpot Soup
1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup. 

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Chocolate Lasagna.....no bake dessert

It's a NO BAKE dessert that the kids will LOVE! 

Chocolate Lasagna

1 package regular Oreo cookies (Not Double Stuff) – about 36 cookies
6 Tablespoon butter, melted
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
3 1/4 cups cold milk
1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1. Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my Manual food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.

2. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.

3. Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the oreo crust.

4. In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.

5. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.

recipe originally from centercutcook.com/chocolate-lasagna

Marilyn's Bruschetta Bites

Yes, I made up the name of this recipe.  Yesterday my cousin, Marilyn served these at our Whiteley get-together.  Very tasty!!

Marilyn's Bruschetta Bites
Slice up a couple of Bake and Serve Bruschetta Bread Sticks, toast in oven as directed on package for 6 minutes.
Make a spread of:
1 c. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
dried basil
salt & pepper
Stir well and spread generously onto bread slices.  Top with a slice of cucumber or tomato.  Sprinkle with more dried basil, salt & pepper.  Serve.

LeOni's Zucchini Brownies

I had these last night at a Relief Society Activity....they were yummy!!  The ladies at my table did not believe me when I told them there was zucchini in them.  This recipe came from LeOni Winegar.  

LeOni's Zucchini Brownies

Beat together first 4 ingredients

1/3 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 TBSP dehydrated egg

2 tsp vanilla

Then add remaining ingredients without over-mixing(just until moistened)

2/3 cup wheat flour and 2/3 cup white flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking powder

7 TBSP baking cocoa

1 medium sized zucchini peeled and grated(2-3 cups).  Squeeze out extra liquid.  Cook in greased 9x13 pan at 350* for 40 min.  Remove from oven and quickly arrange {large} marshmallows on top and return to oven for 5 more min.

Fudge topping:

Stir 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 TBSP cocoa

1/4 cup water in saucepan over med. heat to boiling stirring constantly.  Boil 2 min. Remove from heat.  Add 3 TBSP butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Beat until smooth.  While still hot drizzle on top of marshmallows.

Tomato Basil Bread & Spread

"Everything Tomato" is the theme for our Garden Club meeting tomorrow and since the meeting is at my home I wanted to make some bread.  This is what I came up with after remaking a favorite bread recipe and substituting fresh tomatoes and my favorite fresh garden herbs.   Sure hope it turns out!?

9-22-2013  This has been a hit!!!  I have been making this often while the tomatoes are plentiful!!!

Yesterday I used this dough for my pizza crust.  It made enough 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.  It turned out great!!  And the tomato lovers garnished it will fresh sliced tomatoes.

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. salt

1 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.