Rolo Cookies

Rolo Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
12 oz bag of rolos

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix in dry ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover rolo in just enough dough, so you don't see it anymore. Then roll ball in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

"Hi Rae!  I miss you!

Here's my spaghetti sauce recipe that you asked me for ages ago.  I assume you still want it.  I got it from MY mom when I left home, and always made it the same way, and then when she tasted it one time after I'd made it for years, she didn't think it tasted like her sauce.  ?????  Anyway, try this:

brown a pound of hamburger with one or two large chopped onions (chop small)
          and add two 28-ounce cans of Hunt's tomato puree.  We like puree better than sauce and we like Hunt's.
   Add these spices, and note that the cinnamon is a secret offered by my mom's Italian friend.  A great improvement:
               1 t. salt
               1/2 t. chili powder (surprise)
               1/2 of a large bay leaf, or 1 skinny one
               1/4 t. basil
               1/4 t. oregano
               1/8 t. garlic powder
               cinnamon--without sugar, although the sugar could be tried--I guess I use 1/4 t. of cinnamon or less

Lots of times I use double the amount of basil, oregano, or garlic--depending on who's eating.  I let this sauce simmer an hour or so on very low heat if I have time to do that.  It tastes a lot better then.  But it's very good right after it's thrown together, too.  Oh!  If you want mushrooms put them with the onions when you're browning the onions in the ground beef.  Fresh mushrooms are always better than canned, but I've used canned ones before.  I've usually sliced the 'shrooms or used small button ones.  And I forgot to say you can drain the fat off the hamburger.  I forgot to say it because I don't usually do it any more.  I use 93% lean beef and there's hardly any fat and the fat is where the flavor is anyway.
                        One more tip--For the past several years we've liked our spaghetti to be angel hair.  Even the "thin" spaghetti doesn't please us as much as angel hair.  Your boys might like to think about eating angel hair.  And if you're really in a gourmet mood, I love this--cut a spaghetti squash in half (with a machete--that's about what it takes) and bake it 45 minutes face-down on a greased cookie sheet at 325 degrees; then scoop out the inside and it's very much like spaghetti with a nice delicate flavor besides.  And it's lower in carbs than pasta, if you care about that.  Dad and Maddie don't go for this as much as I do, so I don't serve it that way very often.

Bono appetito!  Amore---Tu Mama"

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie
Mom’s recipe from the old B H & G cookbook

1 1/2 C canned pumpkin (this will be one 15-oz can; be sure you don't buy "pumpkin pie filling," because that's already spiced and egged and milked and icky)
3/4 C sugar (I've used Splenda successfully too)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves (Qait's cookbook didn't even call for cloves!)

3 slightly beaten eggs
1 1/4 C milk (skim milk or reconstituted milk will work, but I usually use 2%)
2/3 C evaporated milk (this is a little more than a 6-oz can; I use the little bit of excess in scrambled eggs or something)
1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell (and the other reason people like my pies is that the crust is homemade, with coaching from the best cooks--my mother, who learned tips from my dad's mother; and Relief Society experts)
OVEN at 400 degrees

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices.
Blend in eggs, milk, and evaporated milk.
Pour into pastry shell (have edges crimped high because amount of filling is generous).  Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes, or till knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean.
Cool.  (I cool it and then chill it in the fridge for at least an hour.  If you put these pies into the fridge immediately after they're out of the oven, they'll get a lot of watery fluid on top.  That's okay, though.  You just blot it up with a paper towel.)

Another tip:  If you want to, you can pour the filling into the pie shells after the shells are placed on the oven rack.  I do this when I'm being very particular, because if I slosh the filling onto the edges of the crust before the pies bake, I usually get burned areas where the filling has splashed the crust.  It can be a hassle, but it's worth it sometimes.  You have to have a small enough pitcher (like a 2-cup glass measure or something) and you have to keep the pitcher wiped off to prevent drips.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken
from We Are Eating

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed and tenderized slightly (if they are overly thick, slice them in half)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons mustard (I used the basic yellow mustard since my husband is not a fan of Dijon mustard, but I bet it would be tasty with either)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pre-heat oven to 350. Place chicken in shallow baking pan. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, mustard and salt and whisk well. Pour over chicken. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, basting every 15 minutes.
We Are Eating serves this with garlic mashed potatoes, which would be delicious. I opted for rice because I had some leftover in the fridge and it was still really good.

Mama’s Mac & Cheese

Mama’s Mac & Cheese

1/2 stick butter
1/4 C flour
3 C milk
1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8  tsp garlic powder
1/8 C finely minced onion
3 C grated SHARP cheddar cheese
2 1/4 C uncooked noodles

Cook macaroni noodles. Melt butter and stir in flour. When this roux is bubbly, stir in milk. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion.

When thick, add cheese. Add noodles to cheese mixture and stir. Pour into a greased 9 x 13" pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Poppy Seed Chicken
1 lb. cooked (baked, fried, grilled, broiled, boiled...doesn't matter which. The only one I haven't tried is grilled. And when I say fried, I just mean cooking it in the skillet, not like fried chicken...) and cubed chicken – pour into casserole dish
Mix and pour over chicken:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Mix and sprinkle over casserole:
1 stick melted butter
1 tube crushed Ritz crackers
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
Bake at 350º for 30-40 minutes (basically bake until it bubbles). Serve over rice.
I discovered recently that you can substitute cream of mushroom soup if you add some chicken boullion granules too which disguise the taste almost completely (and I suppose if you love mushrooms you might not even want to do that). And if you're short on sour cream, you can fill in the rest with buttermilk. I'm not sure if that would work with the milk & vinegar substitute since I haven't tried that. But the other day I discovered mid-recipe that I did not have the cream of chicken I thought I did and also not as much sour cream as I needed. I used 3/4 of a can of cream of mushroom (I was worried about the taste being too strong...) and 1/3 C sour cream and 2/3 cup buttermilk.

Curried Coconut Chicken

Curried Coconut Chicken
Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
Directions
1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.

Easy French Bread

Easy French Bread 


This is from Michael's Aunt Lisa, and I've made it at least three times already. The title is honest! It really is easy! And delicious. Mmmm, my favorite french bread ever (and I've tried the genuine stuff, too).

Easy French Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS yeast

Put yeast in warm water in a LARGE bowl and let proof for about 5-10 minutes (it will probably only take 10 minutes if the yeast came straight from the freezer). The original recipe requests that you avoid stirring the yeast...but I can't resist! I always end up stirring it at the end of the ten minutes.

2 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt
2 TBS oil
6 cups flour

Add the sugar, salt and oil to the yeast water and mix. Add the flour cup by cup, mixing thoroughly. After 10 minutes, punch down the dough. Punch it down every ten minutes for an hour.

I like to make tally marks on a paper nearby and keep a kitchen timer handy. I don't have a kitchenaid or really anything comparable, so I do this perhaps a bit primitively... all I really need after mixing in the flour is a spatula, which I use both to scrape the sides of the bowl and punch down the dough throughout the hour.

Around the 4th or 5th punching, preheat the oven for 400* and grease a cookie sheet. I like using a stick of butter to grease it.
When the hour is up, spread just a little bit of oil on the countertop.

TIP: The reason I use oil instead of more flour is it keep the bread from becoming too dry. I also prefer its efficiency for keeping my hands from getting sticky.

Split the dough in two and shape into loaves.
NOTE: this recipe doesn't require any kneading. The punching took care of that. The punching also makes this a really dense bread, so it's very moist (dense is good).
Place on cookie sheet and brush with either milk or melted butter (I prefer butter). Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Slit tops.
Bake for 30 minutes.


Also makes amazing french toast for breakfast the next morning, delicious garlic bread as a side for spaghetti, and even pretty decent grilled cheese sandwiches.

For cheat garlic bread, butter slices and sprinkle with Garlic Salt. If the bread isn't fresh from the oven, place the prepared slices on a cookie sheet in an oven either set on Broil or about 350* for only a minute or two. Sometimes I even leave the oven door open so I can better monitor the bread--it doesn't take long to toast it!

*when doing sticky/messy recipes, I tie my wedding ring to my apron strings. I've even written notes on those recipes to remind myself to do this--and especially to put it back on once I'm finished!*

This dough doesn't have to rise the full hour to be successful.

Dad's Rolls

ROLLS RECIPE 
for Maddie’s Cookbook for Birthday #20!

From our Better Homes & Gardens (1968?) cookbook, with Dad’s changes and notes shown in boldface red font.  The triple-recipe portions are also shown in boldface red font.  Read the green paragraphs that follow the black ones, before proceeding with the BH & G recipe:

The roll dough recipe I use is a triple batch.  There are never enough to go around and the triple batch is the largest I like to handle.  It takes four hours without exception.  (In saying this, Dad means it takes a four-hour block of time, but that’s mostly rising time.)


1 package active dry yeast          This means 3 Tablespoons (9 whole teaspoons), for Dad’s triple batch.
¼ cup warm water                         ¾ cup
1 cup milk, scalded                         3 cups
¼ cup sugar                                      ¾ cup
¼ cup shortening                             ¾ cup
1 teaspoon salt                                 1 Tablespoon (= 3 teaspoons)
3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour   10 ½ cups, but added in portions as Dad describes in these notes
1 egg                                                   3 eggs, and he always uses large eggs
Soften yeast in warm water (110 degrees).  Combine milk, sugar, shortening, and salt; cool to lukewarm.  Add 1 ½ cups of flour; beat well.  Beat in yeast and egg.  Gradually add remaining flour to form soft dough, beating well.  Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease surface.  Cover and let rise till double (1 ½ to 2 hours).

I mix the yeast and water first, then set it aside to activate (goes bubbly).  (A note about temperature control.  The water for the yeast must be about 80 degrees F.  Just like a formula bottle next to your wrist)While that's in motion I mix the dry stuff.  That is the powdered milk, sugar, salt and only 3 1/2 cups of the flour.  (The triple recipe is 10 and 1/2 cups flour)  Then I add really hot water from the tap (3 cups).  I mix the water and the dry stuff with a blender.  Then while it's still hot I add the shortening (I like crisco best).  The shortening then melts and mixes better.  Then the three eggs from the fridge.  The eggs cool the mixture just enough to be about 80 degrees farenheit.  Then I add the yeast/water mixture and blend it all up.

The rest of the flour (6 and 1/2 cups) is added to a large mixing bowl, I pour the liquid mixture in and stir with a long handle wooden spoon.  It will get stiff and hard to stir.   Set aside about 1/2 cup flour for keeping the roll dough from sticking to the table and for teasing the dough away from the mixing bowl.  Then it all goes on the table for kneeding.  Once kneeded you let it sit on the table while you clean the large mixing bowl.  Then grease the mixing bowl with crisco (not a lot, just enough to allow the dough to rise and not stick).  The dough goes back into the large mixing bowl.  Put a cotton dishtowel over the dough so it doesn't get too dry.  Let it rise two hours at 80 degrees F.  


Turn out on lightly floured surface and shape as desired (“see drawings”, says the cookbook, but see Dad’s notes instead).  Cover and let shaped rolls rise till double (30 to 45 minutes).  Bake on greased baking sheet or in greased muffin pans in hot oven (400 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes.  Makes 2 dozen Cloverleafs, Butter Fans, or Bowknots, or 3 dozen Parker House.

After it has about doubled in volume, then dump it out on the table and kneed it again.  Then flatten with  a rolling pin and cut large circles with a biscuit cutter.  Fold them in half and put on a pre-greased (or Pam spray) pan to rise 1 and 1/2 hours again.  They can even go longer if the room is not around 80 degrees.  107 degrees in the garage is too warm.  

Then bake for 10 or 11 minutes.  Do not over bake.  Test one pan, each oven is slightly different.  They may need to cook for 12 minutes.  When you take them out of the oven, get them immediately off the cookie pan and onto a rack where they can cool.  

Voila, eat with butter that melts and is soooo good.

Chicken Sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks

Chicken Sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks

*Makes about 4 cups chicken sauce (enough to serve 4-6 for Hawaiian Haystacks)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or leftover cooked chicken, cubed)
3 tablespoons butter
½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup chicken broth

In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion and raw chicken (if using leftover cooked chicken, don’t add it to the skillet now, you’ll add it later). Saute the onion and chicken, if using, until the onions are soft and translucent and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring, until fragrant.

Sprinkle the flour over the onions and chicken and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for one minute - this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. If you are using leftover cooked chicken, add it now. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice, such as olives, tomatoes, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, green onions, mandarin oranges and chow mein noodles.

Recipe Source: My Kitchen Cafe

Beccy and Beverly’s Beef Stew

Beccy and Beverly’s Beef Stew

"Okay Rae, here's the recipe. I don't measure anything when I make this one, this is how Mom did it: start with beef broth (enough to make it however "brothy" you like it and to boil the veggies). I like to use about 6 C, and I make it from that "Better than Bouillon" beef stock paste stuff from Costco. You store it in a little jar in the fridge and reconstitute it with water. Very handy, cheaper than canned broth.

Add some worchestershire sauce, a little vinegar, dried mustard, allspice (go easy) salt and pepper, garlic, Italian seasoning and dried parsley. Add a bay leaf, and pearl barley if you have any. If you frequent the health food stores, quinoa and/or hemp seed add protein and flavor (and make awesome little broth floaties) :D

Then chop! Pretend you're on a cooking show and go for it!: 4-6 potatoes, carrots, onions, celery. Add a can of diced tomatoes, some frozen peas, frozen corn, green beans, and cooked beef cubes (I use canned roast beef, also from Costco). Bring it to a boil, then simmer it covered til your potatoes and carrots are tender (maybe 20 min.). I love it reheated for lunch. Mmmmm! We have it with hot bread/biscuits.

It's actually my winter go-to recipe when I don't know what to fix, because the fresh veggies are ones I usually have on hand, and the other stuff I have stored/canned/frozen. Plus, it feeds my hungry teenage boys (who slurped up 3 bowlfuls each that night). It's comfort food, but low calorie. Good stuff!!!

Love ya :D"

4 Packet Roast

4 Packet Roast
Submitted by Mindy at www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1 roast of choice
1/2-3/4 cup of water
assorted veggies if desired (I like carrots the best, but I often use cubed potatoes and onion wedges, as well)

Place roast in crockpot.  Arrange vegetables around the roast if being used.  Sprinkle the mix packets over the roast.  Pour water around the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells

2 beaten eggs
(2) 15-oz. containers cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 C mozzarella cheese
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
3 C spaghetti sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
parsley to taste
12 oz. jumbo pasta shells, cooked & drained

After putting shells in the pot to boil, combine in a bowl the eggs, cottage cheese (or ricotta, whatever), mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper.

Spoon a small portion of spaghetti sauce into bottom of the casserole dish, covering the bottom evenly.

Spoon about 2 Tbsp mixture into each shell. [2 Tbsp? Whatever—more like 1/8 of a cup!] Arrange in a 13" x 9" baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce. (I’ve discovered that the parts of the noodles left uncovered by the sauce get overbaked and crunchy. Be sure to cover each noodle with sauce, and try to fill the spaces in between, too.)

Sprinkle the top with the remaining parmesan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Baked Tempeh

Baked tempeh:

Tempeh
Miso
Honey


Mix equal parts miso and honey to make a sauce.

Cut tempeh (cultured soybeans) into strips, and spread sauce thinly on them.

Bake to 250-350 til dry and toasty.

Easy.

Homemade Mustard

Homemade Mustard:

Mix mustard powder with vinegar and a tiny bit of salt.  Water and honey or sugar can also be added.

Roasted Veggies

Roasted Veggies:

Place whole onions (red or yellow) and halved yams on a pan in the oven to bake at 400 or 450 for about thirty minutes.  You can also put some butternut squash in there too.  It's really easy to bake vegetables.

Some folks like to cut sweet potatoes and yams and squash and garlic and onions and then sprinle a bit of olive oil and salt on them and then bake it all in a pan.  You can make a dipping sauce for the baked veggies by mixing a bit of sour cream and yogurt with some herbs like dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, tarragon, basil, parsely, etc.  Herbs can be used fresh or dried, and nutritional yeast is good too!

Homemade Ketchup

Homemade Ketchup:

Tomato paste (sold in cans or glass jars)
Agave nectar, or Honey, or Xylitol, or Brown Sugar, etc.
Sea Salt

Mix a bit of sweetener with the tomato paste in a bowl.  Add a bit of sea salt.
If it is too thick, add some water...  That's it!

Salad and Dressing

Salad:

Kale
Romaine Lettuce
Green Onions, diced
Tomatoes, sliced
Cucumbers, sliced (use skins)
Shredded beets, parsnips, radishes, burdock, carrots, daikon, etc.
Mesclun Mix

Dressing:
A bit of Apple Cider Vingear
Braggs Liquid Aminos (or Nama Shoyu) -- similar to soy sauce but way less salty
Olive oil (or Macadamia, Walnut, Grapeseed or Hazelnut Oil)

Steam the kale, then mix everything together and toss it all into a salad.

Powerful Ginger Lemonade:

Powerful Ginger Lemonade:

Blender...

2 or 3 lemons
1/4 or 1/2 inch fresh ginger root
honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar to taste
water

Finely mince the ginger root.
Carefully shave off the outer peel of the lemons -- just the yellow part -- leaving
the white inner pith.  Cut the lemons into small chunks.

Blend everything together on high for a while until it's all liquified.

Enjoy!

Refreshing Beverages

Refreshing Beverages:

Mix club soda (carbonated water) with pre-thawed juice concentrate.

For example, a tablespoon or two of pomegranate-blueberry juice frozen concentrate
(thawed) and 10 ounces of clud soda.

Scrambled Eggs:

Scrambled Eggs:

Whisk a few eggs together in a bowl with a bit of butter and milk.
Thinly slice any of the following and add them in:
Mushrooms (chanterelles are especially nice)
Onions (green, red, yellow...)
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Hot Peppers
Okra
Asparagus
Kale
Chard
Thinly sliced or shredded  zucchini
Olives
Fresh Basil

Oil the pan (I like to use butter or sometimes coconut oil)
and cook to taste... easy!

Chocolate Drink

Chocolate Drink

Blender...  Coconut opening tools...

2 Young Coconuts (Asian stores often have them)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 tsp maca powder (optional)
1/4 vanilla bean, finely chopped up

Blend it all up and drink it down!  Fun to share with a date.  Energizing.

Healthy, Addicitve Toast

Healthy, Addicitve Toast

Toaster...

Toast a couple of slices of your favourite bread.

Now mix 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with two tablespoons of nutritional
yeast, and spread it on the toast.

Enjoy!

Quinoa

Quinoa

Quinoa is a yummy grain.  You can find it at health food stores, where it is usually
sold in bulk.  To cook it, you use one part of quinoa to two parts of water.

Bring the water to a boil, and then add the quinoa.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and
within about 15 to 20 minutes, the quinoa is fluffy and cooked.

Once it's cooked:

Melt in some butter or coconut oil if you like.

Add a bit of: pepper, salt, thyme, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, chili powder, or
seomthing else.

Try adding fresh, chopped up veggies: red bell peppers, shredded beets and carrots, 
red onions, green onions, tomatoes or tomato sauce, etc.

Another good thing to add is a bit of nutritional yeast, also available at health food
stores.  It's actually quite yummy.  It comes as yellow flakes, and is often sold in
bulk.

Breakfast smoothie

Breakfast smoothie

Blender...

Ingredients:

Milk (raw and organic if possible)
2 eggs
Honey (raw if possible)
1 banana
Lucuma powder, or Maca powder (optional but great!)
A little vanilla extract -- 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon
Cream (1/4 cup) or 1/2 and 1/2 (organic and raw if possible)
A dash of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg (optional)


Open the eggs and carefully separate the yolks from the whites.  Save the whites
for an omellette or something.  Toss the yolks, bananas, and everyting else into
your blender.  Use enough milk and cream or 1/2 & 1/2 to fill the blender about 
2/3 or even 3/4 full.  Blend!


This is basically ice cream -- you could put this in an ice cream maker and make
ice cream out of it, or you could just drink it!

This is good for your eyes (egg yolks have good stuff in them for vision).  It's
very filling and delicious.  A good breakfast on a cold morning.

Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie

You'll need a blender and a knife, and a cup...

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch kale, chopped thinly
2 bananas
1 apple, plum, pear, orange, or other sweet fruit
water

optional:
a pinch of sea salt (for flavour)

Toss everything into you blender.  Use enough water to fill the blender about 2/3 full.

Blend it all on high until the kale is very much blended into everything else.
I recommend giving the lender a good workout and letting it go on high for at least
an entire minute.

That's it!  Drink up...

Green smoothies are good for energy, mood, digestion, and weight loss.
I recommend them as a breakfast.  Although the green taste is strange to a lot of
people and takes a bit of getting used to, many folks quickly come to crave
green smoothies and to love the way they feel after drinking one!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

(Optional) Bake: 350* for 20 to 25 minutes

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (7 oz.)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce (can do without if necessary)

2 cups milk

2 cups shredded or cubed Cheddar cheese (8 oz.)

If baking, heat oven to 350*. Liz likes to leave the dish creamy and saves herself the baking time. It's good both ways; I prefer it baked just because it feels like proof that it's homemade (and it's how my mom always made it).

Cook macaroni as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Those first 4 ingredients are your basic white sauce. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted.

Drain macaroni. Gently stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into non-greased 2-quart casserole dish. Here's where you'd stop if you prefer it creamy.

Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes.

Easily doubled; pour drained noodles into serving dish, then pour cheese sauce over noodles and stir gently.

Deluxe version: add different varieties of cheese, such as velveeta, either as a blend with the original or in place of the original. Same with noodles! Try other kinds, either blended with or replacing original noodles.

Nice topped with sprinkling of pepper and sliced tomatoes.

Orange Julius

Orange Julius

1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate (6 of the 12 oz.)
12 ice cubes (about one tray)
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Dump ice cubes into blender first.
Thaw the can of orange juice a little under hot water to loosen the juice. Scoop half the juice into the blender.
Follow with remaining ingredients, blend until well mixed. Serve immediately (although...we've kept some in the fridge when we can't manage to finish it, and it's actually still very delicious--just kind of shake it to mix it up again).

Crumb Top Coffee Cake

Crumb Top Coffee Cake

Bake: 30 minutes @ 375*

TOPPING - I doubled the topping; there really wasn't enough for my taste otherwise, but if this is too much for you, cut it in half!

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (always sift before measuring)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature (not melted!!!)

2 tsp cinnamon

CAKE

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

~

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly (I like to use my pastry blender). Set aside.

Sift baking powder and salt with 1 1/2 cups sifted flour into a bowl. I skip the extra sifting and just blend the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt, but only because I'm perhaps a bit lazy. I don't always even sift the flour to start with. In other words, it works when you don't, but there's a reason it's part of the recipe!

In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8- or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Or a 2-quart square pan, don't worry if you don't have the "right" pan.

Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter.

Bake at 375* for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut cake while still warm.

French Toast

French Toast

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 TBS sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

about 4 slices of bread --try this with my french bread recipe, it's heavenly!

butter

In a shallow mixing bowl (I know this is very dorky and ghetto, but I use a bread pan because it is the perfect shape for my french bread slices), beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and if desired, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dip bread into egg mixture, letting it soak about 10 seconds on each side (this is important!). If using regular white bread, a little dip for each side will suffice.

In a skillet or on a griddle melt about 1 TBS butter over medium heat. Add bread slices and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve warm with syrup or powdered sugar...or fruit...or jam...etc. :)

I keep a little whisk handy to remix everything between bread dippings because the ingredients tend to part a little bit.

This made something like 6 to 8 slices for us. The recipe is easily doubled.

Crepes

Crepes

2 eggs, beaten

1.5 cups milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 TBS cooking oil

1/4 tsp salt

1. In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, flour, oil and salt; beat until combined.

2. Heat a lightly greased 6-inch skillet (medium heat works great); remove from heat. Spoon in 2 TBS batter; lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat; brown on one side only. (Or cook on a crepe maker.) Invert the crepe onto a paper towel. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above. Layer cooled crepes with sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; freeze up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hours before using.

Banana Sheet Cake

Banana Sheet Cake
(For the HALVED recipe, click here)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream OR plain yogurt
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup margarine)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375

°

. Grease 10x15 baking sheet.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and spread onto baking sheet.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden.

OPTIONAL ICING:
Melt 1/2 cup butter on stove top. Remove from heat and add:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBS milk
Stir until smooth and spread on warm cake.

Frappe

 Frappe

I also got this from the same baby shower I just mentioned. 

1 quart raspberry sherbet

1 quart pineapple sherbet

Soften the sherbet. Then add: 

Fruit, such as bananas, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries

Mix well (as in make sure those bananas are visibly unidentifiable) and freeze. Soften before serving. Can be mixed with Sprite for a drink. (We had it as a drink. It was really yummy!)

Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad

1/2 Cup Mayo

1/2 Cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup sour cream

Mix together, then add:

1 cup cooked, cubed chicken

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup green grapes

1 T poppy seeds

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cashews

This is my all-time favorite chicken salad EVER! I LOVE it. I had it at a baby shower years ago when I worked at FARMS, at BYU. I made it recently for dinner, the other night, and Pat ate it very heartily. He went back for more . . . and some more . . . I said, "You like the salad?" He said, "It's awesome!"

Boiled Eggs

Just in case you wondered! I learned a lot, myself, when I decided to find out the exact "recipe" to do this.

1. Fresher eggs are harder to peel because the membranes are still very attached to the shell. I've read that it helps to use eggs that have been in the fridge about a week already.
2. Place eggs in saucepan large enough to hold them in single layer. Add cold water to cover eggs by 1 inch. Heat over high heat just to boiling. REMOVE from burner. Cover pan. (This prevents the eggs from overcooking and developing the green coloration around the yolk--which I've learned is caused by a reaction of sulfur in the egg white and iron in the yolk!).
3. Let eggs stand in hot water about 15 minutes for large eggs (12 minutes for medium eggs; 18 minutes for extra large).
4. Drain immediately and serve warm. OR, cool completely under cold running water or in bowl of ice water, then refrigerate.
5. TO PEEL: (easiest while eggs are cold or under cold water because the cold helps the egg to contract inside the shell) Either roll the egg on the countertop with your palm (or between both hands) until the shell is completely crackled. Then peel open the large end and slide the egg out. OR, whack the eggs with the convex side of a spoon until it's completely crackled. Then peel open the large end and coax the spoon inside. Slide the spoon around the egg until the egg is detached from the shell. Slip crackled shell off egg. 
6. Mom always wrote the date on the shells of hard boiled eggs if she planned to keep them in the fridge. Store the eggs in their carton up to a week if they're unpeeled. You should eat eggs the same day you peel them.

Grandma Hawkes' Potato Salad

Grandma Hawkes' Potato Salad 

1 C mayonnaise

1/3 C chopped onion or green onion

1 1/2 tsp vinegar*

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

5 C cubed, cooked potatoes (about 6 medium sized potatoes)

1 C sliced celery

1 1/2 tsp celery seed*

5 hard-boiled eggs (3 inside, 2 sliced on the top of the salad, spread out all pretty with paprika sprinkled on them. That's how Grandma did it.)

*means optional

Combine all the wet ingredients and form a sauce and chill it while you boil the peeled, chopped potatoes. It takes about 30 minutes to get them soft. Once they're cooked, they need to cool before being added to the sauce you made. Also, you can have the eggs boiling while the potatoes are boiling. They just need to reach boiling and stay there for 1 minute, and then sit removed from heat, with the lid on, for 10 minutes. Then they are good to go, although you need to let them cool also before throwing them in the mix. Once the eggs and potatoes are cool, (which process can be sped up with cold water, ice, the freezer, the fridge, whatever . . . ) add to the wet ingredients and you have a yummy potato salad. I love how much onion it calls for. In fact, I add a little extra. Some might like less. Grandpa Hawkes always liked a lot, and if I remember correctly, she would add more for him.

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken 

(from Mom, who got it from a cookbook made by Aunt Jody's & Aunt Beccy's ward when they were in the same ward)

1/2 C soy sauce (we think Kikkoman is best)

1/4 sugar

3 cloves of garlic, coursely chopped

2 t fresh ginger, peeled and coursely chopped

Marinate chicken (I like to use boneless, skinless breasts; thighs are really yummy but more fatty of course) all day or all night. To marinate: you can put the liquid and the chicken in a plastic bag and set the bag in a bowl in the fridge. (Or stick it in a tupperware in the fridge, but I like the bag because I can rub the marinade into the chicken and turn it over whenever I open the fridge to be sure the chicken is soaking it up all over). 

Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until done. Serve with rice. 

P.S. In the grocery store, when you buy the fresh ginger, the smallest piece you can buy is more than sufficient.

Whole Wheat Pancakes (from Mom)

Whole Wheat Pancakes (from Mom)

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

3 eggs, yolks separated (The way this read at first was 3 eggs, separated, so I had this mental image of each egg being placed far apart from the others on the counter. Amelia Bedelia would think that way!)

3 Tbsps oil

1 1/4 C milk (the thicker, the better)

3 Tbsp sugar (brown or white)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix oil, milk and egg yolks in separate bowl. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Beat egg whites til stiff, being careful not to overbeat them because that will just make them go all runny again. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter, and your batter is done. 

To fold: pour the egg whites into the batter, and rather than stirring them into the mixture, take your spoon or spatula and scoop (or "fold") the batter over the eggs. Do this gently a few times until the egg whites are combined with the batter. That's what makes Mom's pancakes so fluffy-textured. Just like overbeating the egg whites would make them runny, stirring instead of folding would do the same.

I trust you know what to do with it next. :)