Cheese Fondue/Sauce

This is another recipe from my friend Janet Sawatzky. She says her mother-in-law created this recipe.

1 pkg. cream cheese

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 c. Velveeta cheese

1-2 jalapeno peppers (seeds too)

½ green pepper

½ small onion

Canned peppers & juice to taste

Put on low heat until melted.

To make a large recipe, double everything except cream cheese.

Jalapeno Cheddar Bread

I haven't had the privilege of tasting this or making it, but my good friend Janet Sawatzky gave me this recipe and everything that comes out of her kitchen is amazing! She says this is great for a cheese fondue!

Fry together:
10 Jalapeno peppers with seeds, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
½ tsp. garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves
Fry slowly until peppers and onions are soft. (Use butter for frying)

When soft, add:
1 c. milk
Bring to a boil. Cool to room temperature.

Mix together:
1 c. warm water
¼ c. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
Let sit and rise for 10 minutes

When yeast has risen, combine pepper mixture with yeast and add:
1 egg
1 Tbsp. salt

Mix, then add:
2 c. whole wheat flour
6-7 c. white flour

Mix well; then add:
1 ½ c. shredded cheese
1 ½ c. cubed cheese (approx ½ “cubes)
Mix only until evenly distributed

Knead, and then let rise approx. 1 hour in a warm environment. Shape into 4 loaves (approx 1 ½ lbs each)

Let rise in pans for approx. 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Take out of pans to cool. Freezes well.

Taste delicious with Cheese fondue!

The White Recipe Book

Important notice: The White Recipe Book, also known as The Recipe Book, has been reprinted this week. There are no changes other than a dedication page added, but if you want a copy, let me know. I believe they will go fast! They're $20. They're being sold as a fundraiser for a work team going to Nicaragua in January. It really is an awesome book.

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

I came across this recipe on allrecipes. I'll make it for supper tonight. If you go on allrecipes, be sure to read the reviews and comments. People post helpful suggestions. For example, the recipe says the meat should be pounded thin, filled, wrapped, tied with string. One reviewer suggested cutting deep slits into the side of the breast and filling it that way instead. Many people also suggested to coat them in bread crumbs before baking. There are also sometimes suggested side-dishes. I'll be making lemon rice to go with this, as well as a chopped salad with oil and balsamic. Mmm!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried dill weed
2 tablespoons melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

TO MAKE FILLING: In a large bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the feta cheese, dill weed and garlic powder. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Put a dollop of 1/4 of the filling on each breast, then roll and tie the breasts with cooking string to seal. Brush each breast with melted butter/margarine and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast with Peach, Corn and Bacon Ragout

There's bacon in this recipe twice! I saw this meal being made on Cityline. Fantastic! A nice change from the meals I generally make. www.citytv.com/cityline/food/recipes/article/91292--bacon-wrapped-chicken-breast-with-peach-corn-and-bacon-ragout

Chicken Breast:
4 whole chicken breast
12 very thin slices bacon
1 tbsp grape seed oil

Niagara Peach Ragout:
¼ cup diced smoked bacon
1 tbsp butter
½ cup diced Niagara peaches
½ cup corn nibblets
¼ cup sliced shallots
½ cup 35% cream
½ cup Triple cream Brie
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
Salt, pepper to taste

Lay a large square of plastic wrap flat on the counter. Place the sliced bacon down the center of the plastic wrap. Place the chicken breast on top of the bacon, using the plastic wrap roll the bacon around the chicken. Chill for 15 minutes. Un wrap the plastic wrap and using the grape seed oil sear the wrapped chicken breast. Once golden brown on all sides place in a 400-degree oven for approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Let rest for a least 3 minutes out of the oven before serving.

Melt the butter in a fry pan over medium to high heat. Add the bacon, shallots and sauté for about a minute to release the flavours. Then add the corn, rosemary and warm through. Now add the peaches and 35% cream and again warm through, once hot add the Brie and remove from the heat. Allow the Brie to soften, season with salt, pepper and serve.

Notes:
I didn't use grape seed oil. Just used butter.

The bacon renders a lot of fat... the recipe doesn't indicate draining any of it, but you may want to do that.

Apple Oatmeal Crisp

This recipe is from allrecipes.com

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Notes:
Equally as good with rhubarb.

I decided to include the cinnamon for the rhubarb recipe, and it was fantastic!

Healthy Granola Bars

This was shared with me by my friend Carol Menaar. I haven't tried them yet. She says her kids love them, so this may be a new lunch box regular.

2 c. rolled oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
1c. wheat germ or wheat bran
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. ground flax
1/2 c. canola oil or grapeseed oil
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. molasses
1 c. sugar-free applesauce

Optional add-ins:
choc. chips
coconut
nuts
dried fruit

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. In large bowl, combine dry ingredients until well combined.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.

4. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and blend gently until well moistened. Add any of the suggested add-ins. Mixture should be moist but not too wet. If it seems too dry and crumbly, add a little more applesauce (by the spoonful).

5. Pour batter into a 9 by 13 inch pan

6. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Cut into bars while warm, but let cool completely before removing from pan.

Brie - Pepper and Pecan

I got this recipe from my Pampered Chef lady. It's amazing! The one I made most recently was spicy because I intentionally left the seeds in the pepper. Mmm! Also great when served with Wheat Thins crackers.

Don't look at this as a complicated recipe because it's SO simple and people just can't get enough!

1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

¼ cup (50 mL) apricot preserves

1 4-in. (10-cm) round (8 oz/250 g) Brie or Camembert cheese with rind, room temperature

½ cup (125 mL) pecan halves, coarsely chopped

1 loaf (16 ounces/500 g) French baguette

Vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). In Small Batter Bowl, combine jalapeño and preserves; mix well.

Cut Brie in half horizontally. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of Large Round Stone. Spread half of the apricot mixture over bottom half of Brie. Top with half of the pecans and remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining apricot mixture over Brie; sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Using Bread Knife, cut baguette on a bias into twenty-four ¼-inch-thick (6-mm) slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Bake 8-10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve using Bamboo Spreader.

Yield: 12 servings

If you need anything from Pampered Chef, Kelly is awesome!

Kelly Evans
Independent Advanced Director
237-6948
Kel.evans@shaw.ca
www.pamperedchef.biz/kellyevans

Rhubarb Cake

This is allrecipes.com. I gave my mother-in-law this recipe a long time ago; so long in fact, that I don't even remember making this cake or giving the recipe to anyone. Oops! It sounds fantastic though! I'll have to try it again.

The woman who posted it on allrecipes.com also commented: Delicious served warm with ice cream. If you don't have buttermilk, you may substitute sour milk. Stir 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice together with 1 cup of milk and let stand for 10 minutes.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together 2 cups flour, soda, and salt. Add sifted ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture.

Toss rhubarb with 1 tablespoon flour, and stir into batter. Spoon batter into buttered 9 x 13 inch pan, and smooth the surface.

Blend together 1/4 cup butter or margarine, cinnamon, and brown sugar; sprinkle evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Notes:

Taco Soup

This is one of my submissions to the white recipe book. I haven't made this in ages!

2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can kidney beans
17 oz can corn with juice
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 to 2 cups water

grated cheese
taco chips
salsa

Brown the ground beef and onions; drain fat. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, corn, taco seasonings, and water. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Put in a serving bowl. Serve with grated cheese, taco chips, and salsa.

Notes:
Leaving the juice in with the corn is so gross to me. Loaded with salt and preservatives. Ick. I say drain it or use frozen corn.

One pkg of taco seasoning: 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp cumin). Or if you have the Taco Seasoning recipe I've posted previously... I used 2 1/2 Tbsp of that.

I didn't have crushed tomatoes on hand, so I used three cans of tomato soup with equal amounts of water.

If we want to have cheese, taco chips, or salsa as a garnish, why not sour cream?

Garlic Breadsticks (Bread Machine)

I had my friend Tammie over yesterday, with two of her kids, and I got the kids to help make these breadsticks for our lunch. It went well with Taco Soup.

This recipe was submitted for our white recipe book by Audrey Friesen. She mentioned: this recipe can also be used for pizza crust. It makes 2 - 12" pizza crusts.

1 cup of warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp minced fresh basil or 1/4 tsp dried basil
3 cups flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

In your bread machine pan, place the first 9 ingredients in order suggested by your bread machine manual. Select dough setting. Check after 5 minutes to see if a tablespoon of water or flour needs to be added.

When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 20 portions. shape each into a ball and roll into a 9" rope. Place on greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Place on wire racks. Brush warm breadsticks with melted butter.

Notes:
I find this recipe needs more salt. I increased the salt in the dough to 2 tsp. I mixed extra garlic powder and a little salt in the melted butter that is brushed on top of the breadsticks.

Speaking of melted butter... I use way more than one tablespoon to cover all of the breadsticks. I'd say it's more like a quarter cup.

If you don't have a breadmaker: I believe it should work to mix all of the ingredients by hand, covering it and letting it rise in a warm place for an hour, then forming it into breadsticks, covering it and letting it rise again before baking.

Black Bean and Corn Salad II

Update: August 22, 2013 Made this today for a barbecue with our friends, the Bowmans. I grilled some chicken to go with it, and because it's so delicious and filling, I didn't even do a starch side-dish.

Once again, allrecipes.com. LOVE this salad!

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.

In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.

Mexican Grilled Chicken

I wanted a different flavor than the barbecue or teriyaki that I make so often. This one is easy and different, but very delicious! I found this on allrecipes.com

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, lime juice and taco seasoning until smooth. Place chicken on grill over medium coals. Sear one side; turn and brush with sauce. Grill, uncovered, for 6 minutes; turn and brush with sauce. Grill another 6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Notes:
I used two large packs of chicken drumsticks; maybe about 24 pieces.

I did 1 1/2 times the recipe, but I think 1 would have been enough.

I used 1 cup of sour cream with 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip.

I used 2 1/2 Tbsps taco seasoning.

I didn't have enough lime juice, so I zested the lime and used that too.

Johan grilled the chicken on one side, flipped it halfway through, covered the pieces with the topping, and continued to grill. He did it all on low heat. It took about an hour.

We sprinkled crushed red pepper flakes on a few of the pieces to spice it up a bit.

This was enjoyed by kids and adults alike!

Baked Mashed Potatoes

We had the privilege of hosting our pastor couple, Layton and Glenda and their kids for supper tonight. I wanted to do something simple but delicious. I made the Black Bean and Corn Salad II (allrecipes.com) and the Mexican Grilled Chicken (allrecipes.com). It all turned out great and the three dishes worked well together. And of course we enjoyed the time with our friends!

This dish is from the white recipe book and was submitted by Audrey Friesen.

4 large potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
5 green onions
1/2 cup crushed crackers

Cook potatoes and then drain. Add the milk, salt, 1 Tbsp butter and beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, and green onions. Put in a dish and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Mix the crackers and remaining 1 Tbsp butter and put them on the potatoes for the final 10 minutes of baking.

Notes:
I doubled the recipe, but I must have done 12 or 14 medium sized potatoes.

I didn't use the crackers on top because I don't generally prefer a crumb topping.

I mixed the egg into the cottage cheese/sour cream mixture to avoid chunks of cooked eggs in the potatoes.

I made two pie plates full of mashed potatoes and three loaf pans full for the freezer. Hopefully they freeze/thaw well.

Dill Vinaigrette

I haven't tried any spectacular new recipes lately... nothing exciting enough to blog about! But this is the exception! I've wanted an oil and vinegar dill recipe for a long time. I found this recipe on allrecipes dot com and it's a good idea to go there to see the comments and suggestions people have about their attempt at the recipe.

My friend Agnes Thiessen generously gave me a bag of red lettuce and dill AND a cucumber this afternoon (and some cilantro but not for this recipe) so it's serious salad time. I threw in some grated carrot and green onion and added two tablespoons of this dressing. Delicious!

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Notes:
I cringe at the smell of red wine vinegar and I wasn't about to spoil the beautiful lettuce I had, so I used Balsamic vinegar instead.

I used fresh dill and chopped up two teaspoons instead.

I only had an hour to let the flavors combine, so I'll be curious to see how much fuller the flavor will be tomorrow.

Perhaps a tiny bit on the sweet side, so maybe I'll go with 1 tsp of sugar next time.

Orange Breakfast Muffins

Another fabulous recipe from the white recipe book. This one was submitted by Jeff & Julia Enns.

1/3 cup unsalted butter
zest of 1 orange
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup sugar

100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
100 ml full-fat milk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups.

Melt butter and set aside.

Combine flour, ground almonds, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and orange zest.

Measure orange juice and milk into a 2 cup measuring cup or similar sized bowl. Whisk in the egg, then add the cooled, melted butter. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, mixing with a fork. Barely combine ingredients; batter should be lumpy. Mixture should not be overworked.

Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes.

Notes:
In the recipe book, Jeff & Julia noted that using skim milk instead of the full-fat milk worked just fine.

One large orange gave me the 100 ml orange juice when using a citrus press.

Carrot Cake Ice Cream

You know that fancy little Ciao! magazine you get in the mail every couple of months? The one with all the seemingly overpriced shops and restaurants? This recipe comes from one of those, back from August/September of '09.

Candied Carrots
2 cups diced carrots
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp corn syrup
2 cups water

Spiced Pecans
1 cup pecan halves
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Crown Royal Cranberries
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp Crown Royal

Base
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 8oz package light cream cheese, softened
zest of 1 lemon

Candied Carrots
In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until carrots are translucent and syrup reduces.

Spiced Pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and spread onto an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until toasted. Cool completely and chop roughly.

Crown Royal Cranberries
In a bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside.

Base
In a stand mixer, combine ice cream, cream cheese, and lemon zest. Whip until blended.

Drain cranberries and add to mixture.

Add pecans and carrots and beat gently.

Yield: 6 servings

Notes:
I've never had cranberries in carrot cake, so that needs to go. I don't use Crown Royal or the cranberries in this recipe.

I've made this once with diced carrots and today I made it with shredded. I didn't prefer the chunks from having them diced. I'm much happier with it today having used shredded because it becomes almost like a paste when it's cooked down.

When you cook it down, be sure to keep going right to the end when there's no liquid left at the bottom of the pot. When I made it the first time, I thought it would thicken as it cooled. It didn't.

Instead of chopping the pecans after they're baked, I like to chop them, then toss them in the coating, then bake them. More surface area for the coating to stick to.

I didn't double anything other than the amount of ice cream. I used two pints instead of one. I'll keep you posted how it turns out.

Onion Rings

I took this directly off the Rachael Ray website. She calls them "Todd Wilbur's Onion Rings".

6 to 10 cups vegetable shortening
1 medium white onion
2 cups milk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups plain Progresso bread crumbs
salt

In a fryer, heat shortening or oil to 350 degrees.

Cut the onion into 1/4 inch thick slices, then separate the slices into rings.

Pour the milk into a large shallow bowl, dump flour into another large shallow bowl and pour bread crumbs into a third large shallow bowl. The large shallow bowls will make breading easier.

While the shortening is heating up, bread all the onion rings first dip an onion ring into the milk, then into the flour. Dip it back into the milk then into the bread crumbs and once more into the milk and in to the bread crumbs. This will give each of the rings a nice thick breading.

When the oil is hot, fry the rings, a handful at a time, in the oil for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the rings from the oil to a rack or paper towels to drain. Lightly salt the rings and serve em up hot.

Notes:
I don't know what "Progresso" bread crumbs are, maybe it's an American brand, so I just used regular crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper.

By the way, good kitchen tip: I don't like to eat the last little end piece of the loaf of bread. So I put them on the counter to dry. When I have a bunch of pieces that are dry, I throw them in the blender and make crumbs. I keep them in the freezer in a Tupperware container. Always handy to have them available.

These really did get very crunchy so it makes me wonder what else I could dip and fry like an onion ring. Cheese sticks? Broccoli? Peppers? Mmm.

Pancake Mix

I found this at www.creativehomemaking.com. It seems like a huge recipe, but we go through a lot of pancakes. Believe it or not, this fits into a Tupperware Oval 4 Modular Mate. Makes about 13 cups of dry mix.

10 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup baking powder
2 Tbsp salt

To make pancakes:
2 cups mix
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk or water

Rice Krispies Squares (plain)

I need a simple snack for piano recital tomorrow, and what's easier than Rice Krispies Squares. (I'm talking about the plain ones, NOT the caramel ones.) I went to the Kellogg's website to get the original recipe.

3 Tbsp butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

So many people on the website commented that they don't like to use the microwave because the marshmallows end up tasting like burned plastic. How long do they leave it in there? If I had to do this on the stove, I might never make it again. What a pain. Here's what I've discovered.

Melt the butter in a large, microwave safe bowl. Add the marshmallows and toss them until thoroughly coated in butter. This is the key to not having a bowl completely gummed up and sticky. It's also easiest to use a silicone spatula for mixing. I microwaved the marshmallows for one minute, maybe a minute-and-a-half. Stir until it's smooth. Add a teaspoon of vanilla at this point, if you like the taste.

Stir in the cereal. When it's mixed, dump it into a 9x13 pan (I prefer glass) and press down with wet hands. People on the website were saying they used buttered wax paper and would re-butter if necessary. Again, what a pain!

I'd say even with washing the bowl, I must have done this whole process in about five minutes. That would never happen if I melted the marshmallows on the stove.

Taco Seasoning

Allrecipes.com under the heading of "Taco Seasoning I".

Recipe Yield 1 ounce

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

I'm not exactly sure how much I'd use per pound of meat... maybe start at a tablespoon and judge by taste after that.

Caramel Sauce

Once again, this is from the white recipe book, contributed by Daphne Thiessen. I love it for waffles. Here are her thoughts: I like this recipe because the creaminess comes from adding cornstarch instead of using lots of cream. Serve this with ice cream and bananas.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup half-and-half
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp corn syrup

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir sugar and cornstarch together. Add cream, water, and syrup. Stir until smooth.

Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

Notes:
I had to cook it for a little longer than 2 minutes, although I may have been a little hasty in deciding when it was boiling. I also wanted it to be quite thick for the layer in the Frozen Peanut Butter Turtle Pie I was making.

Frozen Peanut Butter Turtle Pie

Inspired by the Summer 2010 Kraft What's Cooking magazine. You can find this at www.kraftcanada.com

1 1/4 cups Oreo baking crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tub (250g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese spread
1/3 cup Kraft Extra Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup thawed Cool Whip

1/4 cup butterscotch flavored topping

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

2 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Mix baking crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Beat cream cheese spread, peanut butter, and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer until well blended. Add Cool Whip; mix well.

Spread butterscotch topping onto bottom of crust; cover with cream cheese mixture. Freeze for 4 hours.

Top with nuts just before serving. Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over pie.

Notes:
Just in case you don't know, pretty much every item can be bought as No Name or store brand. You don't have to buy the brand it says.

To make the crust, melt the butter in the pie plate, then add the crumbs and mix. Don't get extra bowls dirty. It's too much like work then.

I actually used Cool Whip this time, and didn't make real whipped cream. I know that when I taste it, I'll wish I had, but oh well. I was going for simple and fewer steps.

I did, however, make the caramel from scratch. Is there a difference between caramel and butterscotch? To get the caramel into the crust, load up a spoon and drizzle over the crust. I tried to dump a blob into the crust and spread it. DOES NOT WORK. Messy!

I haven't topped the pie yet, but I'll be doing peanuts instead of pecans.

Pizza Crust (thin)

*updated April 21, 2014: I've found I can get a great thin, crispy crust on a pizza pan with holes in it.

I'm a thin-crust kind of person, well, more accurately, a Niakwa Pizza kind of person. This is from www.recipezaar.com. It's #95048. If I really work this dough and stretch it, I can make it (almost) fit an 11x15 baking sheet. I just copied and pasted from the site:

makes 8 slices

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (14 ounce) jar pizza sauce

your choice of pizza toppings

* pepperoni
* precooked bacon
* tomato, sliced
* green pepper
* mozzarella cheese, shredded
* chopped garlic

Dissolve yeast and sugar in hot water.

Let sit for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile mix flour and salt.

Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.

Turn onto floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.

Spread into a 12-14" circle.

(I do this directly onto a pizza stone with a marble rolling pin).

If you roll it out on a counter top, transfer to a greased pizza pan, stretching to edges.

Cover with sauce and desired topping.

Bake at 500 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until edges are golden.

Pizza Crust (thick)

I'm glad the white recipe book isn't copyrighted because the entire thing might be typed out here over the next number of months! But, I can't say it enough, it's the best recipe book ever. This is one of my recipes and it probably has the most variations of anything I make (other than buns maybe). I found it on allrecipes.com (of course) and it's called "Jay's Signature Pizza Crust" and it's currently rated at four-and-a-half stars with 2000+ reviews. Check it out because I'm sure people have posted many interesting ideas and variations there as well.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water

1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water. Let sit for 10 minutes. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

Turn dough out onto a clean, well-floured surface, and knead more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form into a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. Use for your favorite pizza recipe.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza on a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 to 20 minutes before topping and baking it.

Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Notes:
I find the crust turns out best if I bake the crust for 15 minutes before topping it. This prevents a soggy crust.

This is enough dough for a thick-crusted pizza in an 11x15 baking sheet. (ha ha, that reminds me of my friend LaDawn, who never experienced a rectangular pizza before she saw my Mom make it that way!)

This is also enough for approximately 4 individual sized pizzas, made in foil or glass pie plates. Or you could put them on a baking sheet or stone a well, I guess.

A while back I was on a huge multi-grain flour kick, and I've noted in my book that it's good with multi-grain flour.

My favorite variation is to add (real) Parmesan cheese into the crust, as well as basil and garlic powder. I have no idea about quantities though, so let's say maybe 1/2 cup Parm, maybe 1 tsp (dried) basil, and 1 tsp garlic powder?? That's totally a guess. I incorporate them while I'm kneading the dough.

September 10, 2012: rolled out one batch of this dough till it was thin, spread it with pizza toppings (sauce, pepperoni, cheese), rolled it up and cut it like cinnamon buns. I put them into a greased baking dish, let them rise for another 30 minutes, baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. The plan is to freeze them individually and have them ready to reheat for weekday lunches when Tava and Ella come home from school!

Baby Cereal Cookies

I don't have a baby in my household anymore, but if I put this recipe here, I can toss my paper copy! This is from the Healthy Baby program I attended in the Fort Rouge neighbourhood when Tava was born. Here it is:

This recipe was originally produced by Heinz but has been modified.

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses (you can substitute 1/2 cup brown or white sugar for the molasses)
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 egg (after 12 months only -- before 12 months, substitute 1 ripe banana or 1 tsp baking powder)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups dry baby cereal (any flavor)
3 Tbsp breast milk, formula, or whole milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet. Lightly cream margarine (or butter) and molasses together. Mix in egg (or banana) and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cereal together. Blend into creamed mixture.

Mix in milk. Combine thoroughly. Drop onto greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. These cookies may spread flat during baking. If you would like a less flat cookie, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more flour or baby cereal.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Substitutions allow you to make the recipe according to ingredients you have at home and also according to the needs of your baby.

Iron content: 1.4 to 1.6 mg per cookie

Rice Krispie Caramel Squares

This recipe is from my step-sister, Trish Klippenstein.

8 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 cup butter
2 x 250g mini marshmallows

14 oz caramels (Kraft), about 50
1/4 cup butter
1 can condensed milk

Start caramel mixture first, melting the three ingredients together in the microwave.

Make Rice Krispie squares by melting butter and marshmallows together. Keep 100 g marshmallows aside to be added on top of caramel layer.

Press 3/4 of the Rice Krispie mixture into a 9x13 pan.

Spread melted caramel, add remaining marshmallows.

Top with remaining Rice Krispies, keeping hands quite damp to prevent it from sticking to hands.

Cool in the fridge to allow ingredients to set.

Notes:
I prefer the original brand Rice Krispies cereal and not store brand.

I melted the 3/4 cup of butter that is required for this recipe, which I don't think I've done before. I tossed the mini marshmallows in the 1/2 cup of melted butter before microwaving it. This really helped with preventing the marshmallows from sticking all over the inside of my bowl.

I only needed to microwave the marshmallows for 2 minutes before they were ready to mix with the cereal. You're going to want a huge bowl to mix this. I used my biggest Tupperware bowl. I don't know what it's called, but it's giant; one of the biggest bowls they sell.

Brunch Enchiladas

This is another allrecipes.com find. I've made it a number of times, but not recently. Reading the recipe I'm wondering why I haven't had it in a while! Sounds delicious.

1 pound cooked ham, chopped
3/4 cup sliced green onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
10 (7 inch) flour tortillas
5 eggs, beaten
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 dash hot pepper sauce

1. Place ham in food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Mix together ham, green onions, and green peppers. Spoon 1/3 cup of the ham mixture and 3 tablespoons shredded cheese onto each tortilla, then roll up. Carefully place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, cream, and milk, flour, garlic powder, and hot pepper sauce. Pour egg mixture over tortillas. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake about 3 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Let stand a least 10 minutes before serving.

Pork Satay for Barbecuing

This is again from The White Recipe Book and was submitted by Daphne Thiessen. She added the comment that this is also a great sauce for chicken.

4 - 6 pork loin chops or chicken breasts, visible fat trimmed
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tsp sweet chili sauce or a few dashes of hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut pork into cubes or thin slices. Thread onto skewers. Set aside. Mix all sauce ingredients. Set aside 1/3 of sauce to brush on meat during BBQing. Heat remaining 2/3 sauce in microwave for several minutes until thick and hot. Stir in additional water if needed until sauce is a good dripping consistency. BBQ meat skewers until done, basting with sauce during last several minutes. Serve skewers with remaining sauce on the side. Jasmine rice (sometimes called scented rice) makes a great, authentic Indonesian accompaniment to this.

Our Grandma Schmidt

I don't know how to capture the fullness in my heart from this incredible woman and put it into words. In my inadequate but sincere attempt, I'd have to first express my deepest gratitude to her generous and gracious family who shared her with us and as much as she was "adopted" as our Grandma, her family has been like family to us as well.

My earliest recollection of Mrs. Mary Schmidt is seeing her sitting at our kitchen table in our house in Rosenfeld. I probably had just turned seven years old. She was a tall woman with white, her signature coiffed hair with its waves and rolls, and her ever-present dress. (I'm not sure if I've ever seen her wear pants other than the snow pants she wore for walking in winter and clearing the snow from her driveway.) From what I understand, she had heard about our family situation (my Mom being hospitalized with a serious but undiagnosed illness) and she came to offer her assistance to our household. She had spent several years with another family in Altona who had been in a similar situation, where a mother with young children had battled cancer.

She wasn't "Grandma" at first. She spent a lot of time at our home, caring for us kids, taking care of household responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. She spent the most time with my sister Londa who was a toddler at the time. One day Londa accidentally called her "Grandma" and we all went with it. We had another "adopted Grandma" in Mrs. Susan Dyck (who then married Mr. Jake Penner) who we had known all our lives, so it wasn't too unusual for us.

Grandma Schmidt was only in our home for five years. Londa was old enough to go to school. Randy and I were old enough to take care of things while Dad was at work. But those five years were filled with her love, compassion, her sense of humor, her faith in God, and her dedication to our family. I can't call her our nanny or housekeeper because she was so much more than that. Yes, she was paid to be with us, but I'm sure there must have been many things she didn't get paid for. She would take us to Steinbach, Winkler, MacGregor, (and even Blumenfeld waaaay back in the early years) to visit her family there. We'd have sleepovers at her place with her grandkids. We would watch her undo her hair for night and put it into two long braids and put it up again in the morning. She'd read us story after story from the Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories books (okay, I had to Google the name but I can see the books in my head). She taught me some of the basics of cooking and that pizza is cut up with a scissor. I think of her when I see portzelky (Mennonite deep fried dumpling-type things with raisins that are traditionally only made for New Years). Every time I pick up my crochet hook I remember the summer we were in MacGregor and she sat me and her granddaughter Jenny down to teach us how to crochet. Many times after school she'd ask me to spend some time crocheting and she'd help me fix my mistakes.

Even though she "retired" after those five years with our family, we still kept in close contact with her. It was quite a number of years where I don't think I saw any of her family, and then, sadly, we were all together again when Grandma died in a car accident in July of 2001 and again when my Mom died in September of 2001. (And then our other "adopted" Grandma Penner died in March of 2002.) It was great to see them, but the circumstances were tragic. I remember feeling so blessed that she had been in our lives and so grateful to her family for allowing us to share in her life and their lives and to include us as part of their family even at such a personal and difficult time.

I often think of her and miss her. I'm so glad that I told her I loved her the last time I saw her. I'm not sure how often I had said it to her, but I felt compelled to do so that day. I treasure the picture I have of she and I together at the bridal shower my Dad threw for me at the hospital with my Mom. I had asked Grandma to sit beside me that evening. I know she nurtured a rich Christian heritage in her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. One of the biggest lessons I've learned from her is that people don't have to be related by genetics to be family.

Here's a YouTube link to the song, "Angels Among Us" by Alabama, which always reminds me of her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPgtSVXi63I

I believe there are angels among us
sent down to us from somewhere up above
they come to you and me in our darkest hours
to show us how to live, to teach us how to give
to guide us with the light of love

Popsicles

Okay, this is going to be a heap o' spaghetti (for those familiar with the Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti book). Last summer, my friend Christal (Giesbrecht) Barkman emailed me this recipe. It was one of those recipes that I've made many times (lots of years ago) but I don't have on file anywhere and I had completely forgotten about it. Christal and I were neighbours when we were kids and we made and ate these all the time! She says the recipe was from my Grandma Schmidt, someone who wasn't related to us but she was our nanny the first five years after my Mom got sick. Now she is someone I need to write a blog entry about! Anyway. Not an ounce of healthy in here, unless you count the water.

1 pkg kool-aid
1 pkg Jell-O
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water

Mix Kool-Aid, Jell-O and sugar in boiling water until dissolved. Add cold water. Pour into popsicle holders and freeze.

Notes:

The trick to getting the popsicles out of the mold is to run hot water over the outside of the container. You'll see when the popsicle releases from the container if you grab the popsicle handle and give it a gentle twist.

Made a batch of cherry popsicles this week with 3/4 cup of sugar and it's SO sweet! I'll try 1/2 cup next time.

Cinnamon Pull-Aparts

Having left my women's Bible study potluck contribution to the last minute, I only wanted to use ingredients I had in the house. I just halved my cinnamon/raisin bun dough recipe, so that's why some of the conversions are weird (like "1/4 Tbsp"). This is what it ended up as:

1 1/4 cups warm water
1/2 Tbsp yeast

1/6 cup oil
1/4 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

4 cups flour

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Glaze for topping:
1 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup milk (probably a bit less)
2 Tbsp butter

I didn't let the yeast rise when I initially added it to the water. I mixed everything together, kneaded it by hand, and added about another 1/2 cup of flour while kneading.

Mix together the second amount of sugar and cinnamon.

In a 9x13 pan, I added a few tablespoons of melted butter, a sprinkling of the chopped pecans, and a sprinkling of the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture. I used a clean scissor to snip little pieces of the dough and dropped them into the pan. The pieces were the size of a loonie. When there was an even layer of dough on the bottom of the pan, I sprinkled in a bit more of the butter, pecans, and cinnamon/sugar. I kept layering it until the dough was done; three layers.

I covered it with plastic wrap and left it on the counter over night.

In the morning I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked it for 20 minutes. My oven is very hot, so you may want to increase the temperature to 425 and bake for a few minutes longer.

While it was baking, I made the glaze by mixing the icing sugar and milk with a fork, then I mixed in the softened butter. I microwaved it for half a minute to melt it all together. It's quite runny. As soon I pulled it out of the oven, I poured the glaze over it.

Notes:

If I had enough raisins in the house, I would have added 3/4 cup raisins (rinsed, soaked in hot water, drained before adding to the dough).

September 23, 2011: Made these again tonight. Delicious! I stirred the brown sugar into the melted butter and then heated it again so the mixture is smooth, and the sugar is dissolved. It makes it more caramel-y. I dropped each piece of dough into the butter/sugar/cinnamon topping, so each was coated. Don't know if much is gained by doing it that way instead of pouring it over the dough pieces in the pan. I made it in a Bundt pan today, so I turned down the heat to about 300 or 350 degrees and baked it for about 40 minutes. It was thoroughly baked through the center. Yum!!!

Raspberry Summer Sensation (Frozen Dessert)

Update: August 21, 2013. I love when a recipe has a heart-warming story to go with it. Below is my original post. Of course, I love playing with recipes and making yummy things. We had our dear friends, the Bowmans over for dinner tonight before they move to BC. We've been friends for nine years and we'll miss them as they follow this amazing journry God has laid out before them.

I used this basic recipe but made one chocolate and one lemon. I'll post them below. 

This is from Kraft Cooking magazine (summer 2005).

2 cups (1/2 of 1-L container) raspberry sorbet or sherbet

1 cup cold skim milk

1 pkg (4-serving size) vanilla fat-free instant pudding

3 cups thawed Cool Whip light topping

1 cup raspberries

Line 9x5 inch loaf pan with foil. Spoon sorbet into pan; freeze 10 minutes.

Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread pudding mixture over sorbet in pan.

Freeze 3 hours or overnight. To unmould, invert pan onto plate; remove foil. Top with raspberries just before serving. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes to soften before cutting into 12 slices.

Notes:

I made this with mango sherbet and topped it with chopped mango.

I used real whipped cream (with sugar and vanilla) instead of Cool Whip.

I didn't go fat-free or light or anything. And it was good.

I think it would need more than 15 minutes to thaw and be soft enough to slice.

Endless possible variations on this one!

Chocolate:
Crushed Oreo cookies layered in loaf pan
Chocolate fudge thickly poured over them
1 box, 4 serving size, chocolate pudding mixed with
1 cup milk
3 cups Cool Whip ( I should have just used the full 1L of it)
Freeze as per instructions above

Lemon:
1 pkg lemon Jello mixed with
1 cup hot water until dissolved
Let chill until slightly thickened

Mix into 4 cups Cool Whip
Add zest of 3 lemons to get it really lemony
Dump the whole thing into a loaf pan
Top with graham crust

1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
6 Tbsp softened butter
Mix until crumbly, cover "top" of lemon dessert
Freeze as per instructions above 

Pancake Fruit Syrup

I can only handle pancakes once in a while, even though Johan and the kids eat them every single Saturday. Part of my dislike is because I can't stand the idea of pouring sugar sauce over something, much less a food that's already almost entirely unhealthy. Of course my kids could hardly stand it, but I think that's mostly because it's a change in routine, not because it tastes so bad. Besides, if they love fruit smoothies, they would also like this.

1 cup of frozen fruit (I used 4-Berry Blend by President's Choice)
1/2 cup of water

1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch

I cooked the fruit until it was thawed and softened. I used my hand blender to get rid of the chunks and to mix in the corn starch. Then I added the sugar. I let it cook a little longer until it started to thicken a bit.

Johan and I ate it on pancakes with banana. No syrup. So delicious!

The kids had a little bit on their pancakes, but with lots of syrup, and no bananas.

Pizza Bun Topping

This stuff is wonderful. I got the recipe from Gloria (my step-mother).

1 lb bacon, fried and chopped up
2 cans tomato soup
1 block of cheese (I think it's 900g), shredded

Fry the bacon.

You can do this in a cooking pot or in a large bowl in the microwave. Combine the soup and the shredded cheese and bacon. Stir and heat until melted together.

Notes:
There are so many variations possible here.

I use pizza sauce instead of tomato soup.

Instead of bacon, or in addition to bacon (because why would we want to NOT have bacon?), you can use any type of meat: pepperoni, Italian sausage, ground beef, chicken...

I also like to include veggies: onions, mushrooms, peppers, etc.

Get a bag of Kaiser buns from the Superstore when they have their bread clearance racks out, slice them in half, top them with pizza bun topping, put them on baking sheets and stick them in the freezer for an hour or couple. Then, put them into Tupperware or plastic bags and they're ready for a last-minute lunch or supper.

Put the topping into containers and put them into the freezer. When you need the topping, gently heat it in the microwave and use as needed.

I've used the topping in a "Chicken Parmigiana" type thing; putting it on top of breaded, deep fried chicken and then baking it. It was goooooood.

You can put it in a tortilla like a quesadilla.

You can use it in a grilled cheese, or it works well in a sandwich maker sandwich.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Obviously this will be unlike any pizza you've probably ever tried. Fantastic! It's a bit of work to pull it together, but so worth it! I don't remember where I got this recipe... but it's kinda Rachael Ray, isn't it?

1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese (2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (such as Montreal Steak Seasoning) (eyeball it)
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palmful cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces

Pre-heat oven to 425°F.

Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15-17 minutes.

Pre-heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2-3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.

Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

Corn Chowder with Black Beans

I've combined one of Johan's favorites (corn chowder) with one of my favorites (black bean and corn salad). It was delicious!

1 ham steak, cubed
8 cups water

1 small onion

3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups corn (I used frozen, home-grown corn)

1 x 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 red pepper, seeded and diced

1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 large cloves of garlic, minced

I tossed the meat into the pot with maybe a tablespoon of olive oil and I let it brown a bit. I added the water and let it simmer for an hour.

I took most of the meat out, and put the onion in, and let it simmer a while longer. Maybe half an hour?

I put the corn and potatoes in and cooked them till they were soft. I used my hand blender to mash it all up.

I put the meat back in, added the black beans and red pepper. I didn't blend these because I wanted the chunks of color in the soup and the texture. I added the seasonings and garlic, let it cook for another 15 minutes and it was ready to serve.

Notes:
The original recipe I use for corn chowder uses evaporated milk or cream, but I thought it didn't need the extra richness. I put cream on the table for the kids to cool their soup but I was fine without it.

I served the soup with toast. Biscuits would have been good, but I didn't have the time.

The black bean salad I make calls for cilantro. I'm not a huge fan, but if you'd want to take another step towards copying the salad, you could try adding it to the soup.

Ham Casserole

I don't know for sure, but I think this recipe is from my friend Melissa Cosens. I love a nice casserole for breakfast and this is what my family made for me for Mother's Day. It's also a good brunch potluck dish. It would be great with eggs on the side, and coffee of course.


4 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns
1 1/2 cups chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 sm. onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

Mix hashbrowns, ham, cheese & onion in 1 L. casserole or 9X9 cake pan. Mix sour cream, milk & pepper lightly & pour over hashbrown mixture. Combine crumbs & butter, sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Notes:
Melissa's comments: I often don't bother with the ham & sometimes I add a can of corn. I don't either usually do the bread crumbs. Sometimes I find you need a little more of the sour cream/milk sauce & I usually add more cheese than it calls for.

My comments: I'm not a bread crumb topping kinda person either. I also wondered how it would taste with bacon instead of ham.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

I'll be including two versions -- one that I just whipped up for supper and the one I normally use when I want to make the effort. The second one is from The White Recipe Book (my name for the compilation of recipes my friends and I made) and contributed by Jen Wolfe.

3 medium sized potatoes

1 slice of fried bacon, finely chopped
1 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp Miracle Whip
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

I cut long slits into the potatoes where I would be cutting them open when they're done. Easier than trying to stab a raw potato with a fork. I microwaved the potatoes on the "Baked Potato" setting, so I can't even tell you how long they were in there. I let them sit in the microwave for a while and when I could handle them, I cut them open.

In the meantime, I chopped and shredded the other ingredients and mixed everything together.

To scoop out the potatoes, I use a teaspoon and I try to leave a thin layer of potato in the skin to help it keep its shape. I was able to mash the potatoes into the other mixture with a spoon. Fill the skins with the mixture.

I put them on the grill to heat while the meat was barbecuing. They were nice and warm and had that grilled taste to them. I found them on the bland side, but it was nice because the store-bought skewers we had were super salty.

Here's Jen's version:
6 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 cup hot milk
1/4 cup powdered cheddar cheese product
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp pepper

For garnish:
chopped chives
chopped green onion
grated cheddar cheese

Pierce potatoes in several spots. Place on a rack in a 400 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until tender. To test for doneness, insert sharp paring knife into center. Cool until able to handle. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out pulp into medium bowl, leaving a thin coating on the skins to form a shell.

Add next 8 ingredients to potato pulp. Mash well. Stuff shells. Bake in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes to heat through.

Garnish with chives, green onion, and a light sprinkle of cheese just before serving.

Makes 12 stuffed potatoes.

Notes:
To make ahead: Prepare and stuff potatoes early in day or night before. Cover. Chill. To serve, bake as above.

To freeze: place stuffed potatoes on baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour. Wrap partially frozen potatoes individually in foil. (I'd suggest spraying the foil with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking.) Freeze for up to 4 months. To serve, thaw and heat wrapped potatoes in 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through.

Mother's Day 2010

I've been trying to swallow the emotions. I have been able to avoid most thoughts, feelings, plans, and sentiments. But it caught up to me this morning. I saw my little five-year-old daughter standing in the doorway of her Kindergarten class with a blue tissue-wrapped treasure in her hands, complete with an envelope covered with hearts and the word 'MOM', her eyes bright with the joy of giving and the pride of creating this special gift just for her Mommy. My heart filled with a dozen emotions and memories.

I was able to keep it together until we got into the house. As she was bouncing up and down, chanting, "Open it, Mommy! Open it!" I was getting the Kleenex. I sat her down and explained to her that I loved the gift and I was so happy she had made it for me, but that Mommy was a little sad. I missed my own Mommy.

I think about a little girl who was six, with an older brother that had just turned eight, and their baby sister who was one. The kids who must have lit up when their Mom came in the door, who picked such beautiful dandelions for her, who felt so special when she spent time with them. And then my heart breaks for those three kids whose Mom didn't come home anymore, who wasn't able to participate in their lives, or even express her love for her three kids. Three kids with endless belief that Mommy would get better soon and come home. Three kids with enough faith to keep praying for all those years that she would be healed. Three kids who have spent so much time being so very, very sad. Three children who have tried to understand why God would take a Mom away from them and how to carry on with Him and without her.

It is often said that becoming a mom could fill that void or that perhaps my mother-in-law or step-mother could be a suitable substitute. I find those relationships are unique and individual and don't fit into the mom shaped hole I have in my heart. I also find they magnify the pain of loss I feel; not by anything they say or do, of course. I see my children loving their grandmas and I'm reminded they have never known their "Grandma in Heaven". I see my husband's siblings and my step-siblings loving their Mom, telling her how much they appreciate everything she's done for them and how she's stood by them all these years through every situation, and I'm reminded I haven't had that. I sit in church and hear mothers being honored, mothers who may already be grandmothers or even great-grandmothers, and I think of my Mom's life being nearly over at age 28, because what she did for the next 16 years can hardly be called living. She hardly had time to be a Mom, never mind watching the generations that would follow in her footsteps.

I haven't found a way to disengage my present from my past; I feel like it's still current, like it continues to define who I am, how I see the world, and how I participate in life. As for this weekend, I don't know if I should opt out of the Mother's Day activities (my first choice by far) or do what I do every year: grin and bear it and have people wonder why I'm so irritable.

Herb and Cheese Buns

I think this recipe is just a combination of my white bun dough recipe combined with an herb and cheese biscuit recipe. Hmm, I just used 'recipe' three times in one sentence...

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/3 cup oil
1/2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast
8 cups flour
3/4 tsp paprika
4 1/2 tsp oregano
2 1/4 tsp chili powder
3/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

I mixed it up with my Kitchen Aid, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and put into the oven to rise. I turn the light on to warm up the dough just a little, which makes it rise better.

After an hour and a half, I formed the buns, and placed them on baking sheets.

I covered the buns with plastic (not tightly) and put them back into the oven to rise for another hour and a half.

I took the buns out of the oven, preheated the oven to 400 degrees and baked them, one pan at a time for 20 minutes. My oven heats unevenly, so after 10 minutes, I turn the pan around.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I enjoy this latte at Starbucks at Christmas time, but who can afford to get it more than a couple of times each winter? This is a very close recipe, in my opinion.

Pumpkin Spice Latte II (from http://www.bakingandbooks.com/2006/10/10/pumpkin-spice-latte-ii/)

Ingredients: Makes 2 servings

1 level tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup milk (whole if you dare!)
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar (packed and leveled)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg (+ a pinch for dusting later)
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups strong coffee (brewed using 2 tbsp per 1 cup of water)
You can also use a shot or two of espresso instead of coffee.
4 tablespoons Coffeemate creamer
4 to 8 teaspoons of granulated sugar
Whipped cream

Begin brewing coffee.

In a blender puree the milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the milk is warm and begins to froth slightly. (About 4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat.

For each serving: Pour 1/2 cup of the pumpkin mixture into your coffee mug. Add 2 generous tablespoons of Coffeemate creamer. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add 1 cup of brewed coffee. Add 2 to 4 teaspoons of sugar (depending on how sweet you like your drink, I added 3 tsps.) Top off with a touch more ‘pumpkin milk’ then cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve immediately.

Notes:

I'm not a huge fan of cloves, so I only used half of the 1/8 tsp and it's still a bit strong for me. I used whole milk (and no whipped cream) and it's very rich. Tasty!

Cinnamon Loaf

1 1/2 loaves of frozen bread dough
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup red or green cherries, chopped
1 x 4 serving instant butterscotch pudding
1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Thaw loaf slightly until able to cut with a knife (at least half an hour). Cut loaf into at least 30 pieces. Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and pudding powder. Arrange half of the pecans and cherries in bundt pan. Add a few tablespoons of butter mixture. Layer pieces of dough in pan, adding butter mixture, pecans, and cherries throughout. Cover with tea towel and let rise in warm oven (100 degrees F) for about two hours or until dough reaches the top of the pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 22 minutes.

(Baking times will vary from oven to oven.)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cake

I've made this so many times! It's great to eat warm, maybe with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Possibly the unhealthiest recipe I've ever seen!

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips

Boil water in the microwave; stir in oatmeal and baking soda; let cool.

Mix 1 cup brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon; then add oatmeal mixture. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar and chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350* for 35 to 45 minutes.

Breakfast Trifle

This is a recipe I created for our Women of Worth Bible study group at Church of the Rock. I wanted to bring something breakfasty, but not anything that needed to be baked. It's pretty rich, but so very delicious! By adding the word "breakfast" to "trifle" I can justify eating this first thing in the morning.

6 - 8 toaster waffles

500mL whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp icing sugar

500mL vanilla yogurt

1 lemon

2 bags frozen fruit

2 bananas

1 cup slivered almonds

Toast waffles, chop, and allow to cool completely.

Whip the cream until it's nice and thick, then add vanilla and icing sugar. Stir in vanilla yogurt.

Zest the lemon and set aside to use as a garnish.

Toast the almonds if they're raw.

Slice the bananas, and mix with juice from the lemon.

Layer half of the waffles in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with half of the fruit, including the bananas. Next add half of the whipped cream and yogurt mixture. Sprinkle in a layer of almonds.

Repeat these layers and top with lemon zest.

Notes:
I wish I would have added more bananas.

Dill Dip III

Another keeper from Allrecipes.com. This is a HUGE batch!

2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons dried dill weed
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, onion, dill weed, and salt. Mix all together, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Notes:
If you go to allrecipes.com and look up this recipe, you'll find lots of suggestions from people who have tweaked the recipe. For example, one person said they sprinkled the top of the dip with chopped red onion and onion greens.

Green Eggs and Ham

Here's a Rachael Ray recipe. It sounds strange, but it's so delicious. My kids will eat it too!

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 box frozen chopped spinach (10-ounce), defrosted in microwave and liquids drained
1/3-1/2 cup heavy cream, (eyeball it)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
8 slices deli ham or prosciutto di Parma
8 eggs

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the EVOO and the butter and sweat the shallots a few minutes. Add the spinach and stir in the cream, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Cook the spinach, stirring occasionally, until the cream has thickened, 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to your taste.

Fold each slice of ham or prosciutto in half and line the nonstick cups with 1 slice of meat each. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cooked spinach into each of the cups, then crack an egg into each, making sure it stays whole (hint - if you're worried about breaking the egg yolk, crack the egg into a small bowl first, then pour it into the muffin cup). Season the tops of the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake in the oven until set, about 15 minutes. Allow the baked eggs to cool in the muffin cups for a couple of minutes before removing them from the pan. Serve immediately.

Grilled Chicken Burgers

This is a recipe I've only tried once, but it was memorable! I found it on allrecipes.com (of course). We had friends over the day I made this and they really enjoyed it too.

1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 pounds ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon Old Bay ™ Seasoning
kosher salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate.

Lightly spray a saute pan with cooking or oil spray over medium heat. Saute the onion with the garlic first, then the bell pepper, then the mushrooms, tomatoes and carrots, all to desired tenderness. Set aside and allow all vegetables to cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken and vegetables. Add the egg, bread crumbs and seasonings to taste. Mix all together well and form into 8 patties.

Grill over medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Ham Steak with Apricot Glaze

There are a number of things I automatically think of in Low German, and schinken fleisch is definitely one of them. Normally I throw it in the oven or in a frying pan and it's plain. This week I decided to try to make it a little more exciting.

Grilled Ham Steak
Allrecipes.com
Contributor: Taste of Home magazine

1/4 cup apricot or plum preserves
1 Tbsp prepared mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (2lb) 1 inch thick ham steak

In a small saucepan, combine the preserves, mustard, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Set glaze aside. Score edges of ham. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, brushing with glaze during the last few minutes of grilling.

Notes:
Tasted okay. Not wonderful. The kids loved it. I wish I would have left out the cinnamon, which I'll do the next time I try it.

I had my barbecue on really low heat hoping to prevent the meat from burning, drying out, and having the glaze burn. I should have had the heat at medium because it took a long time and the glaze didn't get sticky like I thought it would.

There was a little glaze left in the stainless frying pan I was using, so I tossed in a little butter and coated the cooked carrots with it. Thumbs down. I didn't think it tasted very good and both the girls didn't prefer it either.

What was interesting is I made Mennonite cream gravy in this same frying pan and there were some glaze remnants. Fabulous!

Broccoli Salad

This delightful gem of a recipe is from my sister-in-law Janine (Randy's wife). It's called "Louise Baerg's Famous Broccoli Salad". We don't know who Louise Baerg is, but once you've tried this salad, you'll understand why it's "famous"!

1 large head broccoli
1-2 green onions
1/2 cup sliced seedless red grapes
5-7 slices of bacon
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar
2-3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
2-3 Tbsp sugar

Cut broccoli into bite sized pieces. Combine with green onions, chopped in small pieces, and sliced red grapes. Fry or microwave bacon and set aside. Combine Miracle Whip, sugar, and vinegar for dressing. Add dressing to first mixture and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Break bacon into small pieces and toss with remainder of salad just before serving.

For garnish, add sugar to slivered almonds and heat over low heat until sugar melts and coats the almonds. Pour into cool glass plate until cool. Sprinkle over salad just before serving. This salad receives many compliments and is enjoyed by all.

Serves 8-10.

Notes:
I use cauliflower too.

When you make the candied almonds, make lots extra because it's nearly impossible not to nibble them while they're cooling and when you mix the salad.

The candied almonds are a great addition of flavor and texture to any salad. I've also used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

I had doubled the recipe (using 6 standard Superstore heads of broccoli (usually you can buy them in two's with an elastic around them). But in the end I didn't seem to need double the dressing, only 1 cup (of Miracle Whip - I used mayo instead which seemed to work fine).

Also, I think you need high heat (versus medium or low) for melting the sugar with the almonds but if you go that route, you'll probably need to keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.

Guacamole Salad

This is from the "Come To Our Table" recipe book a bunch of us friends at Fort Garry EMC put together a number of years ago. The contributor for this recipe is Marcia Fonseca and she notes, "No, this is not a dip! It is a Nicaraguan salad. Good served with barbecued meat."

2 avocados, cubed
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix the above ingredients, stirring gently. Serves 2-3 people.

Notes:
I'm not a fan of avocado, but I like it in this salad. I use one avocado instead of two.

Pasta e Fagioli

This is pretty close to the Olive Garden version. MMM! *update Feb. 25/12: try using only V8 instead of canned tomatoes to see if the metallic taste isn't there.*

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 x 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 x 15-ounce can red kidney beans
1 x 15-ounce can great northern beans
1 x 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 x 12-ounce can V8 juice
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 lb (1/2 pkg) ditali pasta

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and saute for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into the simmering, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes or just until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain.

Add the pasta to each individual bowl before serving.

Serves 8.

Notes:
The recipe I have says to include the liquid from the canned beans in the soup. How gross is that! I drain and rinse the beans before I use them and added some water and extra tomato based sauce instead.

Potato Salad

Red Skinned Potato Salad
www.allrecipes.com

I didn't like potato salad until I found this recipe.

2 lbs new red potatoes, clean and scrubbed
6 eggs
1 lb bacon
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the fridge to cool.

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel, and chop.

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain, crumble and set aside.

Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion, and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

Notes:
I'm wondering if there's any point in posting the original recipe if I basically do it my own way anyway.

Hard-boil the eggs first because they need the most time to cool off. I like to cool them by putting them back into the fridge for a number of hours before using them.

I don't use an entire onion, probably more like half of a medium sized onion. I also use three stalks of celery instead of the one suggested in the recipe. We like celery in stuff.

This recipe fits nicely into the Pampered Chef trifle bowl.

Creamy Chicken & Cranberry-Pecan Wild Rice

It's worth starting a blog just to share this recipe. I found it in the Kraft magazine from Fall 2007.

1 pkg. (180 g) long grain & wild rice side dish, prepared as directed on package

2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. each: dried thyme leaves and black pepper
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb./750 g)
2 Tbsp. oil

1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
6 green onions, sliced, divided

1 cup 25%-less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (3/4 of 250-g tub) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread

Prepare packaged rice.

Mix flour, thyme and pepper; coat chicken with flour mixture. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken; cook 5 to 6 min. on each side or until cooked through (170ºF).

Stir cranberries, pecans and 1/3 cup of the onions into cooked rice; spoon onto serving platter. Remove chicken from skillet, reserving drippings in skillet. Place chicken over rice mixture; cover to keep warm.

Add broth to skillet; stir to break up browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cream cheese spread; cook 2 to 3 min. or until cream cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken, stirring constantly with wire whisk. Spoon some of the sauce over chicken; sprinkle with remaining onions. Serve remaining sauce on the side.

Notes:
I used two packages of rice and sauce, both no name brand (yellow package): Wild Rice & Fine Herbs and Mushroom. They were great together. I cooked the rice in a combination of the chicken stock and water. If I need to open a box of stock, I may as well use it up in one meal!

I didn't coat the chicken with flour. I pounded it flat, coated it with egg and then bread crumbs that had been seasoned with black pepper and dried thyme. I baked it in a baking sheet. It ended up being dry. I should have been more careful.

I fried a couple of little pieces of the coated chicken in a frying pan to get the little brown bits for the gravy. I mixed the chicken stock with 1 Tbsp corn starch to thicken it, then added the cream cheese.

I'm not sold on a white sauce made from cream cheese, although it did taste good mixed into the rice and on the chicken. It's totally bland and adds unnecessary calories, in my opinion.

I just went to the fridge to check, and two tablespoons of cream cheese and whipping cream (which I use when I make Mennonite cream gravy) are tied as far as calories (100) and fat grams (10) are concerned. The cream has 5 mg of sodium and the cream cheese has 100.