July at Angie's

Cucumber Punch

3-4 quarts of water
3 quarts ice
1 package of crystal light lemonade
1 12 ounce can frozen grape juice concentrate
1 lemon sliced
1/2-3/4 cucumber thinly sliced

In a punch bowl stir together water, ice, lemonade powder, and grape juice concentrate.
Float lemons and cucumbers on top of drink and allow drink to sit for about 20 minutes for flavors to blend.
For a fun twist you can replace limeade or raspberry lemonade for the grape juice.

Caramel Apple Salad

4-5 Granny Smith Apples (cored and cubed)
1 pint heavy wipping cream (with 1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar & 1 tsp vanilla if you like that)
1 package bite size snickers

Whip the cream until it is thick. Fold in sugar and vanilla to desired taste. Add cubed apples and bite size snickers.

cream cheese and chili sauce appetizer

1 pkg cream cheese
1 jar "homemade chili sauce" (on the ketchup isle)
shrimp or crab meat

Pour jar of chili sauce over cream cheese and top with shrimp or crab. Serve with crackers

Broccoli casserole

2 16 oz pkg chopped broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup mayo
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can waterchesnuts
2 cups shredded cheese

Mix all ingredients (except cheese) and then cover with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 cabbage (or 2 if they are small)
4 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
4-5 green onions (when i can i just use the chives out of my garden)
2 pkgs top ramen, crushed (or 3, my family likes a lot of crunch)
4 TBS sunflower seeds (or more)
4 TBS slivered or sliced almonds (or more)
3 TBS sesame seeds
4 TBS brown sugar
4 TBS soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
3 TBS white vinegar
1/2 C vegetable oil

Cook Chicken chunks in butter, garlic salt and basil (to taste). Put in strainer and let cool. Combine; top ramen noodles, sunflower seeds, almonds and sesame seeds on cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 5-7 minutes; stir after 3-4 minutes, when browned, set aside to cool. Chop up cabbage and green onions and put in large bowl. Mix well the brown sugar, soy sauce, pepper, white vinegar and oil for the dressing. I put the cooled chick in with the cabbage but keep the rest separate so that each person can add the amount they want plus it keeps the noodle stuff from getting soggy! YUM!

LaVon - June 2010 - Jessica's house

Carmel Apples

10 - 12 Granny Smith apples

Wash and dry apples, put stick into apples and set on cookie sheet with parchment paper or wax paper over cookie sheet. Set aside.

1 can condensed milk
2/3 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C butter
1 C Karo syrup
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix syrup and sugars together in pan. Put on high heat until mixture boils. Add butter; after butter is melted and is boiling hard, turn heat down to medium-high. Gradually add milk and cream, keeping the mixture boiling at all times. Stir constantly. Carmel should reach 244* F on thermometer. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Dip apples (twice) then set back on cookie sheet and put in fridge to set. You can also pour the Carmel into a pan but butter it first so it is easier to get out, or you can just put the rest in a bowl and spoon it out like my family does!

****NOTE: These temperatures are based on water boiling at 212* F. So for the first time you will want to boil a pan of water and see where your water boils at. If your thermometer shows water boiling 10* less than that, you should adjust the Carmel temperature by that much. For example mine does boil 10* less so I boil my Carmel to 234*.

And once again, this is one of Korrie's family's yummy recipes!

LaVon - May 2010 - Ariane's house

Apple Dumplings- June Jessica's house

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter (I KNOW - 2!!!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (about 8 ounces)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream (or whipped cream), and spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top. You can use sprite or squirt instead of Mountain Dew. I did and it turned out great. Enjoy!

Pizza Crust & Sauce

Dough--
1 1/4 cup warm water (not very warm at all)
1/2 T yeast
1 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp olive oil
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 c high-gluten flour (I get my flour from the Honeville company up in Brigham City).

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Dont go very warm at all because you don't want to activate the yeast too quickly. Add the salt and olive oil. Begin mixing and slowly adding flour. I use the flat beater attachment on the mixer until the dough starts to form a ball (after about 2 cups of flour) and then I switch to the dough hook and add the rest of the flour. Add flour until the dough is your desired consistency. If you take the ball out and rest it on the counter, it should slightly relax but not fall. Then I sprinkle with flour and place in a gallon zip lock bag and place in the fridge (overnight). If you add a little less yeast then keep it in for two nights (the dough ages a little longer and has more flavor).

When making the pizza, the less you use a rolling pin and more you use your hands to stretch the dough and even throw it, the more body the crust will have.


Sauce --

1 14.5 oz can of diced, peeled tomatoes (blend them up--juice and all)
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1-5 tsp brown sugar (I used 5 because Jess likes it sweet, but sweeten to your liking)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp fennel (depends on your taste/preference whether you add or how much)

Mix it all together and simmer for at least half an hour so the flavor blends well.

Spicy Garlic Green Beans - June at Jessica's

Ingredients

* 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 2 teaspoons canola oil

Directions

1. Arrange a steamer basket in a pot over boiling water, and steam the green beans 3 to 4 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, garlic, garlic chili sauce, and honey.
3. Heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the green beans, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Continue cooking and stirring 2 minutes, or until the liquid is nearly evaporated. Serve immediately.

NOTE: I was out of chili sauce, so I used tomato paste and red pepper flakes!

June 16, 2010 - Jessica's House

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 tsp vanilla

Grease a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet; set aside.  In a medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine butter cocoa powder, and 1 cup water.  Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.  Mix together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and add to mixture, stirring until combined.  Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
6 Tbsp cocoa powder
6 Tbsp buttermilk or cream
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar **
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan combine butter, cocoa, and buttermilk.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Spread warm frosting over warm cake.

**You may need more or less powdered sugar, depending on the consistency you want.  This frosting sets up pretty quickly so I usually like the frosting a little on the thinner side but not as thin as a glaze.  I don't usually measure the powdered sugar but add and mix until the frosting is the consistency I want.

Banana Cake

1½ c. sugar
¾ c. buttermilk*
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. mashed bananas (3 med. bananas)
½ c. butter, softened
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 c. sifted flour (put this in last, beat well)

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Mix all ingredients, beat well, pour into a greased 9x13” pan. Bake @ 350º for 30-35 minutes.

ICING:
¼ c. butter, softened ½ tsp. vanilla
½ lb. powdered sugar 2-3 T. milk

Cream together and spread on cooled cake.

**To make buttermilk substitute:
Put 2½ tsp. vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of the measuring cup, fill up to ¾ cup with regular milk. Let it stand 5 minutes.*

Southwest Chicken Burritos- Eilyn hosted 2010

4-6 frozen chicken breasts
2 c. salsa
1-2 cans black beans, rinsed/drained
1 can olives, drained (whole, diced, or sliced)
1 c. frozen corn OR 1 can of corn, drained
package of cream cheese


Place frozen chicken on bottom of crock-pot. Then add remaining ingredients, except the cream cheese , and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or on high for 4 hrs). 20 minutes before serving stir in the cream cheese and shred the chicken. Fill tortillas and top with cheddar cheese and any other favorite burrito toppings.


Eilyn did this when she hosted at Julie's house in April.

Peach Crunch Cake (Bakerella)- May 2010

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Ariane's house- May

Green Bean Cassaroles

For the topping:
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved (i just used the frozen organic beans from costco that I always have in my freezer)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (i didn't have freshly ground nutmeg, so I just used the ground nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring some water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an pot. Add the beans and blanch. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet (i just used a regular saute pan) set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Sherbet Punch

1 bottle of Simply Lemonade (any flavor-not concentrate)
1 2-liter of Diet Sprite
1 half gallon of sherbet (any flavor)

Mix lemonade & sprite in punch bowl, scoop sherbet in small scoops onto the top. Serve with a ladel.

May 2010 (Arian's house)

Baked Cheddar Bacon Spread

8oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
garlic powder to taste

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth.  Saute onion in butter until onion is translucent.  Stir onion, bacon, garlic powder, and half of shredded cheese into cream cheese mixture.  Spread into a small baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serve with your favorite cracker, bread, or chips.

Flourless Chocolate Cake - April 2010

This is a Paula Deen recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks of butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
6 eggs, separated

DIRECTIONS:
Place some parchment paper on the bottom of a 9" springform pan so it hangs over. Close the latch to hold the paper in place and secure the sides. You'll also want to spray the paper with some non-stick cooking spray just to be safe. After your pan is ready, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Separate 6 large eggs. Yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Set aside.Combine chocolate chips and 2 sticks of butter. Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups sugar until combined. Then add the six egg yolks to the chocolate and sugar mixture, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Now, in a medium bowl, beat the six egg whites on high with an electric mixer. Beat it for several minutes until stiff peaks form. Then, gently fold your egg white mixture into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Pour it in your pan and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. It will rise pretty high in the oven, but when you take it out to cool, it will fall. And fall hard. Yay! Let it cool one hour on the counter and then for at least four hours in the refrigerator before you release it from the springform pan.

My dad's favorite "salad" - May at Ariane's house

1 can crushed pineapple, drain and reserve juice
Enough water added to the pineapple juice to equal 2 cups
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 c. sugar
2 3-oz. packages of lemon jello

Bring water/pineapple juice, pineapple, sugar, and lemon juice just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in jello mix until it dissolves. Pour into a 9x13 pan and let set.

After it has set, cut it into small squares (these do not have to be perfect), then fold in 1 c. shredded cheese and 1 c. whipping cream, whipped (unsweetened; NOT Cool Whip). I just mix it in the 9x13 pan and then transfer it to a pretty bowl.

Spinach Cheese Dip

(April at Julie's house)

Spinach Cheese Dip
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided.
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, spinach and 1 cup cheese blend. Spread into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cinnamon Rolls

(May at Ariane's house)

Cinnamon Rolls:
1/2 Cup warm water
2 pkgs dry yeast
2 Tbls. Sugar
3 1/2 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
1/2 Cup margarine; melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
6 Cups Flour

In a bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved, set aside.
In a large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture and blend.

Gradually add flour, knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let dough rise again.

Roll out on floured cupboard to 34 X 21 rectangle. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface of dough. In bowl mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tight. With a knife notch every 2 inches. Cut with thread or a knife (I used dental floss).

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Lightly press down each roll with your hand. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they turn golden brown. Don't over bake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 Tbls. milk

Mix all ingredients together until smooth

Symphony Brownies

(March at Jenna's house made by Marlana)
One box of brownie mix
2 large chocolate bars (I used Symphony with almonds and toffee!)

Mix brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter in an 8x8 pan. Place chocolate bars side by side in pan on top of batter. (I used Symphony bars this time but I have used other kinds of chocolate bars in the past.) Pour rest of batter on top of chocolate bars. Cook brownies according to package directions.

April 2010

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 16oz pkg macaroni
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 pound sharp cheddar, grated
Garlic powder and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni to a little under al dente. Combine cheese soup, milk, sour cream, and half of the grated cheese. Stir into cooked noodles. Spread into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake 30 minutes or cheese is brown and bubbly.

Corn Bake

2 eggs 16 oz. whole corn
½ c. margarine 1 c. cheese, shredded
1 c. sour cream 1 pkg. Marie Callendar's corn muffin mix
16 oz. cream corn

Beat eggs. Mix in corn, sour cream and butter. Fold in muffin mix. Pour in 9x13 greased pan. Bake @ 350º for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese on top and bake until cheese is melted.

Cherry Coffee Cake

Mix together:
1 cup butter
1 3/4 cup sugar

Add 4 eggs: then add
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix well then add 3 cups flour, mix well. Grease cookie sheet pan that has an inch edge on it. Spread the thick batter on the cookie sheet (all but 2 cups), next put spoonfuls of your favorite pie filling (cherry for this recipe) all over the batter. There should be little dabs of filling all over. Then add dabs of batter (what's left over) all over, next to the dabs of pie filling dabs.

Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 T milk
1/2 tsp almond extract

Mix together and then drizzle over cooled coffee cake. Add sliced almonds on top if desired!

LaVon - April 2010 - Eilyn's house

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Sugar Syrup:
grated zest of 2 lemons
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Combine ingredients for sugar syrup in medium saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Pour into 2 qt. pitcher and let cool.

Lemonade:
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
5-6 rinds, coursely chopped
3 cups cold water
Lemon slices for garnish, optional

Add lemon juice, chopped rinds and cold water to sugar syrup. Stir and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.


(Julies house- April- Eilyn hosting)