Karla’s
Favorite Recipes of 2014
In January, shortly after our fire, my sister, Janet brought me a salad
with this yummy dressing on it. It was
so good, I just had to have the recipe. I
love this and have made it all year long!!
Strawberry Salad Dressing
1 c. olive or canola oil
1 c. sugar
6-8 lg. strawberries (fresh is best but frozen works)
1/2 t. black pepper
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. dried parsley
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
Place all ingredients in blend and blend. Refrigerate.
Serve over mixed salad greens, sliced strawberries, cucumbers, etc. Topped with sunflower seeds or sliced
almonds. There are tons of
possibilities!
In March for our Stake RS Birthday Event we had some awesome Birthday
Cakes for dessert!! This one shared by
Carla White was my favorite!!
Hawaiian Cake
Stir together: 2 c. sugar
2
c. flour
2
t. soda
Mix in: 2 eggs
20
oz. can of crushed pineapple
Stir in: 1 c.
coconut
chopped
walnuts
Pour batter into sprayed pans (a 9x13 or 2 8" rounds). Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Frost with the recipe below.
Cream Cheese Frosting
½ c. melted butter
1 t. vanilla
8 oz. cream cheese
1 lb. powdered sugar
Dinnertime after our fire was kinda haphazard.....one night Steve said,
" I think you need to buy some hamburger helper." I came up with this instead......Steve loved
it!
Homemade Cheesy Hamburger Helper
1 lb. hamburger
2 T. taco seasoning
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies OR petite diced tomatoes OR (I
used 10 oz. salsa)
2 c. beef broth or water OR (I used 1 1/2 c. water & 1 T. Kitchen
Bouquet)
1 ½ c. elbow macaroni, uncooked
Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef
broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14
minutes, until macaroni is tender.
Meanwhile, make the CHEESE
SAUCE...
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
3/4 c. milk (or cream)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking
for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and
bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in
the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese
sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to
combine.
I love soup in the fall and I combined a couple recipes to come up with
this soup.....it is a new favorite.
Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup
Place in Crock Pot:
30 oz. bag frozen diced hash browns or 8 c. diced, potatoes
1/3 c. onion, diced
1/2 c. celery, chopped
32 oz. chicken broth
10 oz. cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. bacon bits
1 c. freezer corn (sometimes I add it sometimes I don't)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. dried parsley
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. season salt
Cook on low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender. OR Cook it on the stove top. An hour before
serving, ADD:
8 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes (Not the fat free kind)
Stir a few times during that last hour to completely dissolve the cream
cheese. At serving time top with grated
cheese, chives and/or more bacon bits, if desired.
As the holidays came around I tried this fast and easy microwave
version of a holiday classic. It is
light, airy, and doesn't-get-stuck-in-your-teeth. Give it a try...you won’t want to make it any
other way again.
Microwave Peanut Brittle
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts (I use raw peanuts)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1) Mix together the sugar and corn syrup in a 2 qt. microwave-safe bowl
and stir until well combined; the mixture will be stiff and hard to stir. Be
sure to use a large enough bowl; the sugar/corn syrup should fill it no more
than 1/4 to 1/3 full.
2) Microwave the sugar mixture uncovered on high power for 5 minutes;
it will bubble vigorously.
3) Add the peanuts and butter, and stir well to combine. Speed is key!
The cooler the mixture becomes the harder it will be to stir.
4) Return to microwave and cook on high for 2 to 4 minutes, until the
mixture turns a nice medium-brown caramel color. Start watching carefully
around the 2-minute mark, and remove when the caramel color is achieved.
5) Add the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will bubble furiously
upon the addition of these ingredients — this is what gives the candy its airy texture. Stir quickly to
combine. The finished mixture will look creamy and caramelized.
6) Working quickly, pour the mixture onto a buttered baking sheet.
7) Once the brittle has cooled (30 to
60 minutes), break it into pieces.
