Tres Leches Cake

From the Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1-½ teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ⅓ cups Milk
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 1 can Sweetened, Condensed Milk
• ¼ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 pint Heavy Cream, For Whipping
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla.
Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on, pour in 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into other mixture very gently until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small pitcher.
When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times.
Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
Whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

(Almost) Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk (I use 2%)
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup sliced celery (I omitted before and it still tastes good)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups diced, cooked chicken (about two breasts)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, & cauliflower combo)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 dried rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 (9 inch) refrigerated pastry crust

Preheat oven to 400'F.

Pour chicken broth, salt, and pepper into a glass measure bowl; add enough milk to equal 2 1/2 cups.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in flour until well blended. Gradually stir in broth mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and boils. Add chicken, vegetables, thyme, rosemary, and parsley. Pour into 1 1/2 quart deep round casserole dish.

Roll out pastry. Cut slits or make cutouts. Place pastry on top of casserole. Roll the edges. Bake about 30 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.

Dream Bars

Nat could you please post this recipe? I love these. I think I may have eaten the whole pan myself!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a 9 x 13 inch pan pour in melted margarine. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the margarine. Next place the chopped nuts over the crumbs, and spread the chocolate and butterscotch chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

these are fluffy and lovely!

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp each baking soda and powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup banana

1 cup chocolate chips

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix yogurt/sour cream, oil, vanilla, and egg just till combined. Stir in dry ingredients just till combined. Add banana and chocolate chips. Fill lined cupcake tin almost to the top, more than 2/3. These dome really nicely. Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes (when edges are slightly golden). Cool on rack (if you can wait that long!)

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Photo courtesy of All Recipes.com

• 3 or 4 tomatoes, chopped (I like the vine ripened tomatoes)
  
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  
• 1 clove of garlic minced
  
• 2 serrano chiles, remove seeds and finely chop
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lime juice

Add all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Then refrigerate for one hour before serving. This was seriously the best salsa. If you want to make it spicy keep the seeds in the chiles and you can always add more. We like it mild in our family.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 (18.25 oz) box yellow cake mix
5 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup low-fat or regular buttermilk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring (be careful, I have a red hand!)

In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix and the ingredients listed above. Do not add the ingredients listed on the cake box. Check the box directions to see how long you need to mix the batter and then bake according to the directions on the box for the size pans you are using.

Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1(8 oz.) package cream cheese, softned
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/2 box plus 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a mixer, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Frost your cake.

Enjoy.

PW's Mexican Lasagna

This is SO easy and tastes even better than you think it will! On Pioneer Woman's site the recipe is to serve about 20 billion people. I condensed it for a family of 6... and you'll still have leftovers.

1 jar Salsa Verde

2 sm or 1 large bag Mexican shredded cheese

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans

1 large onion chopped

5-6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cups rice (Basmati is great if you have it)

1 can chicken broth

1 pack flour tortillas (1o count is plenty)

1 8oz can or jar of enchilada sauce

1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used turkey and it's really good too)

Taco Seasoning or Chili powder, Paprika, and Cumin

Salt

Sour Cream

Cilantro (optional)

Prepare rice as directed with chicken broth instead of water. If you have a rice cooker, I just dumped the rice and broth and hit cook. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a skillet and sautee onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Add approx 1 1/2T chili powder, and 1T of each Paprika and Cumin (Or 2 1/2T of taco seasoning). Stir till nicely combined. Add black beans (no need to drain). Mix cooked rice into this. Brown the ground beef with 1 1/2T chili powder and 1T of each Paprika and Cumin (or taco seasoning). Salt to taste. You can add 1/2 cup of water if you want the beef more saucy. I just left it dry.

Let the layering begin!(Press each layer flat with a spatula or wooden spoon to ensure enough room in the pan).

Spread 1/2 container of salsa verde on the bottom of a casserole pan. Layer on tortillas covering the salsa. You will have some overlap. I cut one into 4 and used the corners to cover the edges of the pan. Divide rice mixture in half and spread into a flat layer on the tortillas. Divide cheese in half and create another layer on top of the rice. Add another layer of tortillas. Pour enchilada sauce over that tortilla layer and spread evenly. Add layer of ground beef. Add the drained can of corn on top of the beef. Then the remaining rice mixture on top of the corn layer. Then the remaining salsa verde and then the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with some taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.

Bake at 375 for 25-25 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown.

Serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro, if desired.

If you'd like to see the play by play tutorial, click here

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/cooking-with-pastor-ryan-delicious-mexican-lasagna/

Chicken Pasta Salad

5 cups cooked chicken (3 breasts)
2 cups green grapes (I use red--whichever you prefer)
2 cups torn spinach
2 1/2 cups sliced celery
7 oz. corkscrew pasta
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts--quartered (optional)
3 green onions chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted--or not, either way)

Dressing:

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. salt
1/2 t. dried minced onion
1 t. lemon juice
2 T. minced fresh parsley

Beef and Burgundy

*Be aware that this takes about 2 hours to make, 90 minutes of which is spent baking in the oven. It's well worth the wait for fork tender beef!* sorry for the crappy picture of a picture!

3 tbsp EV olive oil

4 slices bacon, chopped

2 1/2 pounds sirloin or sirloin tips cut into large, bite size pieces

salt and pepper

1 cup red wine

2 cups beef stock

1 pkg frozen pearl onions

2 tsp sugar

5 tbsp butter

1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered

1 lb wide egg noodles

handful of fresh chives

2 tbsp flour

2 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat 2T of olive oil in a dutch oven or oven safe heavy bottomed pot over med heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon to a towel lined plate.

While the bacon browns, season the chopped sirloin with salt and pepper. Working in 2 batches, brown the meat in the hot bacon fat, stirring occasionally until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the browned meat to the bacon plate as each batch is browned, add more olive oil if needed.

Add the wine to the pot and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a bubble and cook for a couple minutes to reduce it, then add beef stock. Return the meat and bacon to the pot, cover the pot, and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 90 minutes.

When the meat has cooked for 60 min, place the onions, sugar, and a splash of water in a small saute pan. Cook over med heat until the water has evaporated and the onions are tender and heated through, 4-5 min. Reserve and keep warm. 

While the onions are cooking, heat a med skillet with 1 tbsp butter and remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil over med heat. Add mushrooms and cook till golden and tender. Season with salt and pepper. Reserve and keep warm.

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the noodles. Add some salt to water and cook until al dente. Drain the noodles and return to pot. Add 2 tbsp butter and chives, toss to combine.

After 90 minutes, remove the beef from the oven and place the pot over med high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and bring stew up to a bubble. Place the pan the mushrooms were cooked in over med high heat and melt the remaining 2T of butter. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cook mixture for 1 minute. Ladle about 1 cup of the liquid from the pot into the skillet with the roux and whisk to combine. Cook for a min or two to thicken then stir the sauce back into the stew. Simmer till thickened, 5-6 minutes. Stir in the orange zest. Serve the stew over the buttered noodles. 

Ice Cream Lime Pie

One of my husband's favorite desserts. You have to start at least one day before you plan to serve it. I start mine 2 days before.

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tbsp grated lime peel
3 drops food coloring
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cream/top milk
1 pint or 2 cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

Beat eggs until they are thick. Gradually add sugar until light. Add food coloring, cream/milk, lime juice & lime peel. Pour into a freezer safe tray or pan and freeze.

Remove frozen lime mixture. Breaks into chunks and beat with a beater until firm, then put back in the freezer to partially freeze.

Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs. Line a tin or glass pie dish with the mixture.

Beat the ice cream until smooth. Then spread into the pan with crust and top with the lime mix.

Put the pie back in the freezer until you are ready to serve.

Cream Puffs

I can't believe I haven't posted this one already. Well here it is:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 cup flour
4 eggs

In medium pan heat butter and water until boiling. Take off heat and add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon quickly until mixture becomes a dough ball. Add the eggs, one at a time. Make sure you stir until the mixture is smooth and then add the next egg. Spoon out onto a buttered and floured cookie sheet or use parchment paper. Bake for 40 minutes at 400' then turn off the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove and set on cooling rack

Filling

1 cup whipping cream
1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 1/4 cup of milk
1 tsp almond extract

Whip cream until peaks form. Set aside. Mix pudding and milk until thick. Add extract. Then add cream, gently folding it in.

Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp milk

Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan. Stir over heat until the mixture melts and becomes smooth. Drizzle over the filled cream puffs.

Enjoy.

Warm Caramelized Potatoes

My sister Julie makes this and it's amazing. I love the balsamic and sweet combination. Goes great with pork or chicken dishes, but can totally be eaten on its own it's that good!

2 lbs small red potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 tsp salt

1 lb asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup butter

1 large onion chopped

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

Boil potatoes with 1/2 tsp salt until tender. Drain and set aside.

Boil asparagus until crisp-tender. Drain and set aside. Combine both in serving dish.

While vegetables are cooking, melt butter in skillet. Cook onion in butter till softened about 5 minutes and until golden brown. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Pour over asparagus and potatoes. Stir until coated. Sprinkle with pepper.

Parmesan Chicken Tenders

My kids loved this....they ALL asked for seconds the other night! A rare occasion in our home.

*coarse salt and ground pepper
*2 large eggs
*3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (I use grated)
*1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs (I use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
*1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
*1 3/4 cups tomato sauce, homemade or storebought
*4 oz. mozzarell, shredded (about 1 cup, or however much your heart desires)

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. In another bowl, combine 1/2 cup Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dip tenders in egg, then in Parmesan mixture; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until golden, 2 to 4 minutes per side.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Then top with chicken, remaining 3/4 cup sauce, and finally mozzarella. Bake 15-20 min. or until cheese is melted.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

SO GOOD. I made this tonight and I have to say this is the best I've ever had of this soup. I used garlic salt instead of regular salt. Serve it with crusty French bread for dipping.

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups chicken broth 2 cups water 2 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded 1 (4.5 ounce) package quick cooking long grain and wild rice with seasoning packet

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup butter 2 cups heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large pot over medium heat, combine broth, water and chicken. Bring just to boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat.
2.	In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons, to form a roux. Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened, 5 minutes.
3.	Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cutting Back

I came upon this blog a couple weeks ago. This woman feeds her family of six on $60 a week. She shares how she does it. Really inspiring. While I don't think I could cut back that much, I could definitely take a few tips from her.

I know this isn't a recipe, but she does list some recipes of the things she makes each week.

Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

image from myrecipes.com

(from Cooking Light via my mother-in-law)

Ingredients:

4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise (I used frozen peas)
1 package (5 3/4 ounce) pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup thinly slice shallots
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups light chicken broth (I used regular)
1 can (13.5 ounce) light coconut milk (I used regular)
2 1/2 cups shredded chicken breasts (about 1 lb.)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (I omitted, for a non-spicy version for kiddos)
7 lime wedges

Directions:

Bring water to boil in a large sauce pan. Add spinach and peas; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.

Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; saute 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl (I added the noodle mixute to my pan instead). Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 7 servings

Looks lengthy, but goes together quickly. And very yummy flavor.

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

I put this recipe together to force myself to eat vegetables.  Ed calls it Ratatouille even though it's not. Enjoy!

Zucchini and Yellow Squash Gratin

 2 Zucchini

2 Yellow Squash (or 2 more zucchini)

½ block of Gruyere cheese, grated

1 16 oz can of crushed tomatoes

about 1 1/2 cups of parmesan cheese, grated (NOT THE STUFF IN THE CAN!)

olive oil

crushed garlic to taste

 

Slice zucchini into 1/8 inch slices.  Sauté zucchini and squash in small batches in olive oil  until browned. Add a little crushed garlic toward end. Be careful that you sauté in small batches or they will steam not brown.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spoon enough tomato sauce into the bottom of an oval or round casserole dish to cover the bottom.  Layer sauteed zucchini slices into dish, overlapping the slices a bit.  Add another layer of tomatoes then sprinkle one third of each type of cheese before adding another layer of zucchini.  Finish with remaining tomatoes; sprinkle the remainder of the cheese until top is completely covered. 

Bake 40 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Then put under the broiler for about 3 minutes (watch carefully!) until the cheese gets brown and crusty.

Let casserole set for about 10 minutes before serving. (I know it’s hard to wait but not burning your tongue in the cheesy goodness is worth it!)

Ground Turkey Shepherd's Pie- Rachael Ray

4 large Idaho or russet potatoes (2 1/2 to 3 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks Salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) 2 slices bacon, chopped or snipped with kitchen scissors 2 pounds ground turkey or ground turkey breast Freshly ground pepper 2 onions, chopped 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (eyeball it) 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, such as Bell's 2/3 cup heavy cream or half-and-half 1 large egg, beaten 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons snipped or chopped chives 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 1 teaspoon paprika

1. Place the potatoes in a small, deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil, covered, over high heat. Salt the water and cook until tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes, then add the turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned, about 5 minutes; push it to the side and add the onions and carrots to the center of the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then mix everything together. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and poultry seasoning. Lower the heat to medium and cover the pan with a foil tent to keep in some of the moisture. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Preheat the broiler to high. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the warm pot. Using a pot holder to hold the pot, add 1/3 cup cream, salt and pepper, the egg, butter and chives and smash away with a masher until the potatoes are almost smooth but still a little lumpy.
4. Remove the foil from the pan and stir in the peas and the remaining 1/3 cup cream. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and turn off the heat. Scrape the turkey mixture into a casserole dish and top with the potatoes. Broil until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with the paprika.

Cheesy Onion Bread

So good with pasta, salads and soups! A nice alternative to garlic bread. YUM!

French loaf, any size, cut into 1 inch slices

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (powder will NOT work)

3/4 cup mayonaise

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to broil on low. Mix all ingredients together and spread on cut sliced bread. Bake until top is brown and bubbly.

Deconstructed Lasagna

This is a fun way to have lasagna... without all the layers!

Salt and pepper

1 pound long pasta such as fusilli or mafalda

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lb ground beef sirloin

1 small carrot finely chopped

1 med onion finely chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

1 cup beef broth

1 20 oz can crushed tomatoes

a handful of torn fresh Basil leaves

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped parsley

2 tbsp butter

1 cup grated pecorino romano cheese and more to pass around the table

Cook pasta to instuctions, drain. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, crumbling into bits, cook until lightly brown- 3-4 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook till softened, 5 minutes. Stir in beef broth then the tomatoes and basil. Simmer. In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta and parsley. Toss the pasta with the butter, then stir in the romano and meat sauce. Scoop some ricotta mixture in to a bowl and then top with the meaty pasta. Pass more romano for on top!

Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake- Jill Lutz

Mix in a microwave safe bowl:

 

1 1/2 C. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 C. Butter

 

Melt, stirring every minute until smooth.

Then Mix in:

 

1 1/4 C. Sugar

1 C. Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)

6 Large Eggs

 

Beat with a spoon until thick and smooth.

Pour into a greased 10" round spring form pan

Bake 45 minutes or until raised in the middle.

 

Cool completely in pan. Remove and pour ganache over. Refrigerate for several hours or days. Can be frozen. It actually tastes better after a day or two in the fridge or freezer.

 

Ganache

 

In a small sauce pan heat 1 C. cream until bubbly around the edges. Remove from heat and add 1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir with a whisk until smooth and melted and completely incorporated. Allow to sit 2 hours or until cool and thickened.

Claim Jumper's California Citrus Salad

5 oz romaine-iceberg lettuce mix
2 oz citrus dressing
1 ½ oz Mandarin orange sections
1 ½ oz pecan brittle
1 ½ Pippin apples cut 1/4" dice
¾ oz raisins
¼ avocado cut 1/4" dice
¾ oz dried cranberries
1/8 oz green onions sliced 1/4"
¾ oz blue cheese crumbled

Toss ingredients together. Serve chilled.
This recipe yields 1 serving.

Citrus Dressing

3 cups soybean oil
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 cup honey
3 tbsps sugar
1/2 oz dehydrated onion
1 1/2 tsps dry tarragon
2 tsps dry thyme
2 tsps fresh garlic
2 tsps Kosher salt
2 tsps ground black pepper
1/4 tsps onion powder

Combine ingredients well and refrigerate to meld flavors.

Before serving, whisk well to combine again.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

1/2 c. butter
1 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 t. minced garlic
1 1/3 c. milk
6 oz. parmesan cheese
1/4 t. pepper
a couple dashes of nutmeg

Melt butter in medium saucepan and add fresh garlic, sautee over medium heat. Add cream cheese and stir with wire whisk until smoothe. Add milk a little at a time, whisking to smoothe out lumps. Stir in parmesan, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. This recipe makes quite a bit. Enjoy!

The Best Granola Ever!

Ingredients:

4 C old-fashioned rolled oats
2 ½ C sliced almonds (1/2 lb)
1 ½ C sweetened flaked coconut
¼ tsp salt
½ C vegetable oil
½ C honey
1 C dried cranberries (5 oz)
1 C golden raisins (5 ½ oz)

Instructions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and oil foil.

Toss together oats, almonds, coconut, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together oil and honey (takes awhile to mix together well), then stir into oat mixture until well coated. Spread mixture in baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 30 minutes. Stir in cranberries and raisins, then cool completely in pan on a rack.

Makes about 10 cups.

Apple Toffee Dip

1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg almond brickle chips (7 1/2) or English toffee bits (8 oz)

Beat first four ingredients together with a hand mixer. Fold in toffee chips. Serve with apples. Yummy!!