Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Carmel Apple Cider

Caramel Apple Cider(from Jodi)
¼ c heavy cream
¼ c brown sugar
3 c cider
½ c water
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Caramel whipped cream
½ c heavy cream
1 Tbsp brown sugar
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First, bring the cream and brown sugar to a boil in a saucepan over med heat. Stir in the cider and water, and raise the heat to med/high, heating just until the cider begins to steam, about 4 minutes. Divide among 4 mugs, top each with 2 Tbsp of the caramel topping.
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Topping:In a small chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the brown sugar until soft peaks form

Pina Colada-Flavored Smoothies

PiƱa Colada-flavored Smoothies(from Renee)
32 oz. vanilla yogurt
1 small can cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
15 oz. pineapple chunks, drained
1-2 cups ice Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Combine all ingredients except cherries and blend until smooth. Serve topped with a cherry. Makes 6 smoothies.

Brazillian Limeade

Brazilian Limeade(from Summer)
* courtesy of my husband who lived in Brazil for two years
3 cups water
1/2 cup ice
2 medium limes, whole
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1.Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Taste and add more sugar if needed.
3. Drink immediately. Do not store in the fridge. If stored, the drink will become very bitter due to the lime peel within.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
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1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Steaming Hot Holiday Punch

Steaming Hot Hoilday Punch
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3 cups apple juice
3 cups orange juice
6 cups cranberry juice
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp nutmeg
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Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy pan. Bring to a boil and turn to simmer for a few minutes. Put punch in a crock pot on low to keep warm.

Note: This is one of my favorite holiday recipes and we make it every year. When I went on a trip to Rhode Island with work, we went to a cooking school held by Johnson and Wales and this was a recipe that I have used every since!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Taverns

Taverns(from MJ)
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1 pound ground beef, or equal amount of shredded beef or pork
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1 Tbs. prepared mustard
8 oz tomato sauce OR ketchup
1/4 cup orange juice
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Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic in skillet until cooked. Drain the grease from the skillet. Add remaining ingredients to meat mixture and simmer until heated through. If you use tomato sauce you will want to let it simmer for at least 30 minutes or it will taste"tomato-ey". If you're in a hurry, use ketchup. If this is too thick you can add a bit of water, or more juice, ketchup, or some honey. A dash of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce is good too. Ladle on hamburger buns.Although not traditional, you can also serve over bread, rice or noodles, depending on what you happen to have around. Serves 6 polite people or 2 teenage boys.
Crockpot: I browned the ground meat, onions and garlic and mixed the remaining items together in the pot. Combine and heat on low 4-6 hours.

Slow Cooker Pork Chops

Slow Cooker Pork Chops(from Grace)
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Pork Chops
1 can Chicken broth
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
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Combine all in Slow cooker.Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4

Monday, July 9, 2007

Taco Soup

TACO SOUP ( from Eden)
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2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans
1 can corn
46 oz tomato juice
2 T sugar
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Brown beef and onion. Add to crock pot along with remaining ingredients and cook all day. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and Fritos.

Chicken Hurry

Chicken Hurry (from Amy)
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1-2 lbs chicken pieces (I used around 1lb of tenders.)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 envelope onion soup mix
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Place chicken pieces in a 9x13 casserole dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour sauce over chicken. Cover tightly with foil and bake for one hour.

Easy Spaghetti Bake

Easy Spaghetti Bake(from Little Cooks in the Kitchen)
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Thin Spaghetti
8 oz sour cream
8 oz cream cheese
1 lb ground beef
1-2 jars spaghetti sauce
2-4 cups mozzarella cheese
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Cook spaghetti noodles (I never know how much - I just cook a lot and then use what I need!) Brown ground beef and mix in with favorite spaghetti sauce (I usually use about 1 ½ jars of sauce, but you can use however much you want.) Mix sour cream and cream cheese together. Put the noodles in the bottom of the 9X13 pan. Spread noodles with sour cream/cream cheese mixture and top with mozzarella cheese (however much you like). Top with meat sauce. Bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes - until warmed through and cheese is melted. This dish freezes great! I usually put it into 2 smaller pans and freeze one of them.

Pepperoni and Cheese Bread

Pepperoni and Cheese bread
(Source: Amber)
Ingredients:
1 roll refrigerated french bread dough OR 1 loaf frozen bread dough (thawed)
Pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni for a healthier option).
Mozzarella cheeseParmesan cheeseEgg wash (1 egg white, water)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Roll out bread dough and sprinkle with mozzerella and parmesean cheeses, place pepperoni (as much as desired) on top of the cheese.
Carefully roll the bread dough into a cylinder shape. Pinch ends and top to seal. Brush top and sides of loaf with egg wash. If desired, top loaf with cheese, pepperoni, and/or Italian seasoning. Make a few diagonal slices in top of loaf for air to escape while cooking.
Bake at 350 for ~20 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Bacon Bit Burgers With Steak House Smothered Onions

Bacon Bit Burgers with Steak House Smothered Onions (from Becca)
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6 bacon slices chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
6 T EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
2 onions, 1/4 finely chopped, 1-3/4 thinly sliced
1.5 pounds ground sirloin
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
1 T grill seasoning (I used McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning)
1/4 c plus 1T steak sauce
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Add bacon and a drizzle of EOO to the hot skillet and cook until crisp (4-5 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and drain off all but 1 T of fat from the skillet. Return the pan to medium low heat and add the finely chopped onions to sweat out in the remaining fat (2-3 minutes).Preheat a second medium nonstick skillet with 2 T of the EVOO over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add all the thinly sliced onions and top them with a plate that can fit inside the skillet. Top the plate with a heavy can and smother the onions for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lift the plate with tongs; it will be hot!Place beef in a bowl and top with Worcestershire, hot sauce and grill seasoning.Remove the chopped onions to the plate with the bacon to cool. Turn off the heat and reserve the pan. Once the onions are cool, add them and the bacon to the ground sirloin and combine well. Score the meat into 4 even sections and form 4 large patties. Add 1 T of EVOO to the skillet and reheat it over medium high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, 6 minutes on each side for medium well.Stir steak sauce into the smothered onions and top burgers with onions.Serve on Kaiser rolls. Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Lemon-Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake (from Simply Anne's)
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8 tbsps butter, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese (not low fat)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups cake flour
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tbsp kalamansi (lime) juice
2 tsp lemon zest
60 grams dried mango, chopped
2 tbsp kalamansi (lime) juice
Glaze:
4 tsp kalamansi (lime juice)
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
Preheat oven to 350 F
1. In a bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder,sugar and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
2.In another bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until soft and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lime juice.
4. Gradually add flour and beat until just combined.
5. Fold in chopped dried mangoes.
6. Spoon the batter into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan or 9 cup bundt-style pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes for 9x5 loaf pan and 45-50 minutes for tube or bundt-style pan. A cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean.
7. Glaze the cake.
Glaze:
Combine sugar and juice. Mix until smooth. Drizzle or brush the glaze all over the cake.

4th of July Cupcake Flag

4th of July Cupcake Flag (From Baking Bites)

Lemon Velvet Cream Cake


Lemon Velvet Cream Cake (from Betty Crocker)
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1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® lemon cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 cups whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar
Lemon twist, if desired
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1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with shortening (do not use cooking spray). Make cake mix as directed on box, using water, oil and eggs. Pour into pans.
2. Bake and cool as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and 1 tablespoon lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Beat in whipping cream and powdered sugar. Beat on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until stiff peaks form.
4. Cut each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers. (To cut, mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long, thin knife.) Fill each layer with 1/2 cup whipped cream mixture. Frost side and top of cake with remaining whipped cream mixture. Garnish with additional lemon twist. Store in refrigerator.
*I made this and it was wonderful and easy! The hardest part is cutting the layers. I suggest using 8 inch pans. I ended up leaving mine as two layers because it did not seem big enough to make the 4 layers. It is fantastic!!!!

Creamy Orange Ice Cream Pie


Creamy Orange Ice Cream Pie (from Betty Crocker)
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1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 pints (4 cups) orange sherbet
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream
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1. Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix and butter until well mixed (mixture will be crumbly).
2. Reserve 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture; set aside. In ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate, press remaining mixture over bottom and up side of plate; prick with fork. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, on ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle remaining crumb mixture. Bake 10 to 11 minutes or until edges of crumb mixture begin to brown. Cool on cookie sheet, about 30 minutes.
4. While crust and crumb mixture are cooling, place sherbet and ice cream in refrigerator to soften. Scoop half of softened sherbet over crust; spread to cover crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crumbs. Scoop all of softened ice cream over sherbet and crumbs; spread to cover. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup crumbs. Scoop remaining half of sherbet over ice cream and crumbs. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup crumbs. Freeze until firm, 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Let stand 15 minutes to soften before cutting.

Watermelon Cake


Watermelon Cake (from Betty Crocker)
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1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
1package (0.13 oz) cherry-flavored or other red-colored unsweetened soft drink mix
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped fluffy white frosting
Green and red food colors
2/3 cup green jelly beans
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1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease bottoms only of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, egg whites and drink mix with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. (Batter will be lumpy.) Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour into pans.
2. Bake as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch round pans. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. In small bowl, stir 1 cup of the frosting with 10 to 12 drops green food color. Stir 10 to 12 drops red food color into remaining frosting. Frost sides of cakes with green frosting; press green jelly beans into frosting. Frost tops of cakes with red frosting; press remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips into frosting for seeds. If desired, cut cakes crosswise in half and arrange "slices" randomly on tray. To serve, cut into wedges. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Mom's Jello Cake


Mom's JELLO Cake(from Trisha)
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1 box white cake mix
12 ounces
Diet 7up or Sprite Zero
2 boxes of 4 serving Jello - any flavor, I used strawberry
2 cups boiling water
1 container Cool Whip Fat Free
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Mix the cake mix with the Diet 7 up (or make according to the cake mix with the usual eggs, oil and water). I am not sure why this works but it does. It makes any cake SUPER moist and it's less fat! Pour into a lightly Pam sprayed Bundt pan (or 13x9) and bake according to the cake mix directions.When cake is done, allow to cool for about 10 min. Boil 2 cups water (I did it in the microwave) and add in the 2 boxes of JELLO. Be careful! The water really bubbles when the JELLO is added! :o) Mix until the JELLO is dissolved.Carefully and slowly, poke holes in the cake with a fork. Use your best judgement regarding how many pokes to give it. We like ours really JELLO-y so I made a lot of pokes. Carefully pour the JELLO over the cake, evenly disbruting it around the cake. I do not usually use all of the JELLO mixture, and as you can see from the pictures, it's very JELLO-y.Refrigerate for 3 or more hours. Spread Cool Whip on the cake, like frosting. Cover and store in refrigerator. Again, this is more of a method than a recipe. You could use any kind of cake mix (lemon with strawberry jello would be divine!), diet soda methods or the usual oil, eggs and water, any flavor JELLO (sugar free too), any type of Cool Whip (strawberry or chocolate - yummy!), or you could use frosting too! Enjoy!

Pretzel Sparklers

Pretzel Sparklers (from Renee)
16 squares (1 oz. each) white baking chocolate
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) pretzel rods (thick pretzel sticks)
red, white, and blue colored candy stars or sprinkles (usually found in the baking supplies section)
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Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; heat for about 30 seconds at a time, stirring occasionally, adding additional 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Dip each pretzel rod about halfway into chocolate so that chocolate is covering half of the pretzel stick with the other half “uncovered”. Sprinkle chocolate covered half of pretzel with stars, colored sugar, or whatever small candy pieces you have. Place on waxed paper to dry.

Miriam's Chuncky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Miriam's Chunky Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (from A Merry Heart)
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3/4 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 oz.) chocolate candy bar, chopped
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat margarine, sugars, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate pieces. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet.
Makes four dozen cookies.