Shame on Me!

I know it! Thanksgiving came and went without so much as a recipe posted on my blog. So here it is, for all future generations, the must-haves, the tradition of traditions, our Thanksgiving Menu:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (some chunks and some skin)
Gravy (from the drippings)
Mary's Cranberry Relish (I love this so much, I make myself enough to last six months and freeze it. Husband tells the kids not to eat it alone, only on turkey, or ham, or chicken, or whatever is on your plate. Are you kidding? I spoon it up like applesauce.)
Cauliflower Piquant (Mmm, mouth is watering...)
Sweet Potatoes (WITH marshmallows)
Stuffing (Stovetop--hey, it's tradition!)
Rolls (usually purchased, these don't matter much until the next day when it's time for sandwiches)
Pumpkin Pie (not my favorite, but necessary)
Apple Pie (in the brown paper bag--MY favorite--makes me want to sing)
Lemon Meringue Pie (one of my assignments this year and I should have taken a picture, it was right purty!)
Barb's Raspberry Jello with Pretzel Crust dessert (actually a must have at every family get together, she struck gold on that one)

I know this probably sounds exactly like everyone else's, but certain parts of it are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for furthering the happiness of mankind (here at our house).

Hmmm, did I miss anything? Okay, now I'm wondering why we've never done a pecan pie, that is one of Husband's favorites...leave it to me. I will fix everything.

Your turn. Let's hear what it is you can't do without on Thanksgiving or Christmas or for that matter your birthday ( I love how traditions revolve around food in my head--they do in yours also, right?)

On a roll...

I've been missing for a few weeks. My children have come to think of Grandma's as their second home and wonder why we come to our own some days after kindergarten. We have been on a canning kick. No, I wasn't much of a canner before, but she wanted to try some things and so did I and we ended up doing much more than planned, but the good thing is, it all goes faster with more than one person.
Our first endeavors all had to do with the abundance of tomatoes in our garden. Here we have two different salsas, diced tomatoes, tomato juice, and spaghetti sauce (my pressure canner is AWESOME!). Our latest was enchilada sauce, which is better than anything storebought, makes 60 pints with one recipe and requires a pot taller than my son, which Mother-in-Law happened to come upon just days before we planned our excursion. Oh, and don't forget a two-and-a-half foot wooden spoon...


We did peaches and pears for the fun of it and pear sauce because the way Sara described it, I just had to have some...

Joni's family gave us a box of apples which I didn't can because I found myself alone and not able to embark on an all-day project without help, so I made dehydrated cinnamon apple chips (nice and crunchy like potato chips, the thinner the better) and cinnamon applesauce for the freezer in my crockpot, thank you, Joni...

Two different recipes for dill relish. I like the sweet stuff, I just prefer it sour...

And last, but not least, chicken. It ain't pretty, but it tastes just fine and I bought a forty pound box of boneless skinless for $1.19 a pound. Can you get it cheaper?

Next week: beef chunks.

Purely for the Punch Line

I know, I know, you all don't really read my blog because, let's face it, what can you say about a recipe? Well, this one's for you and I promise, there is no recipe to be had. Yes, I did it purely for the punch line.

Mmmm, see these? Don't they look yummy? This is the way to start your day, one big boost of sugar (not for children).

Rhodes' Sticky Buns, and they are easy as can be. Simply pull off the wrapping and place the whole pan in your oven, then turn it on. No preheating necessary! When your timer is up, enjoy them warm and smothered in yummy caramelly goo. If prefered, you may turn them onto a plate for a beautiful presentation. Isn't your mouth watering? Good. Here it comes...

Speaking of buns in my oven, I have one. (I think Dad got the joke this time.) :)

Cream of Broccoli Soup!

We officially had our first snow and as tradition has it in Husband's family, Cream of Broccoli soup was served. It's hard to get the full effect when your house isn't filled with the wonderful aroma of this creamy bowlful. Believe me, it's just what you need when the snow starts falling...

32 oz. frozen chopped broccoli (florets are prettier, but expensiver too)

1/4 c. dried minced onion (1/2 cup fresh will work as well)

1/4 c. chicken bouillon

1 qt. half and half

1/4 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. flour

red wine vinegar (opt.)

Place broccoli in a pot and barely cover with water, add onion flakes and bouillon and bring to a boil. Turn down and cook 5-8 minutes until broccoli is almost tender. Stir in half and half. Mix melted butter and flour together into a roux and slowly stir into soup. Keep on low and do not boil. Stir until thickened and add more milk if you prefer it thinner. Salt and pepper to taste. MIL Mary adds a tablespoon of the vinegar for a final touch (I do two, I love it, but it can be overdone!) She has also been known to throw in a small bottle of Cheez Whiz, so if you like it Cheesy, there you go. Enjoy it hot.

Two Easy Recipes

...that look like nothing at all...

This one is curry popcorn. I know you can't see the curry, but believe me, it is there and it is awesome. I don't even eat plain buttered popcorn anymore. I was always the one who made popcorn in a pot with the oil and the shaking, until the lady who sold us our last house and left most of her unwanteds in it kindly "donated" a hot-air popper. Mmmm, this is yummy.
Okay, so for all you curry fans, here is the recipe: Popcorn, butter and a mix of curry powder and salt. Make sure you have at least two parts curry to one part salt or you will be sorry. Then do it nice and slow, sprinkle here, sprinkle there, tasting as you go. I like lots of curry.
If you'd like a recipe for real actual curry, you'll have to see my brother-in-law. He's a good Scottish boy who prefers not to "go for an Indian", but to make his own. (They talk funny over there.)

Next we have broiled grapefruit. Yes, broiled, and I must say, it is also tasteworthy. There is a bit of conflict within the families, some eat grapefruit with salt and some with sugar. I don't think I ever put anything on it, but once in a while you get those sourish ones that need some help, so this is what you do: Cut grapefruit in half and along all those little lines so it's ready to go. Sprinkle nicely with brown sugar and broil it close until the sugar is bubbly. This will improve even those old dried grapefruits you haven't eaten yet. Oh, but if they are my Grammie's grapefruit, don't you dare, they are perfect the way they are. (Why don't they sell those yellow ones in Utah?)

In the words of my Husband...

"French fries are just a means of getting the ketchup to your mouth."

In the words of my five year old (3 years ago): "More kappitch please."

In the words of my two year old: "Dip, dip, diiiiiippp!"

That's right folks, my family loves ketchup--except for me. Oh, it's not bad, it just isn't what I prefer. They eat it on chicken nuggets and in beef stew, on eggs and potatoes. It leaves red rashes on my little one's faces and still they dip on. I must say in high school, ranch dressing was my condiment of choice for fries and nuggets, but it is shunned in our current household (who doesn't like ranch??), also except for me, although I can't stand the stuff out of a bottle, but I could drink my homemade version. So I now go for plain fries--or even fry sauce is better than ketchup--and equal parts dijon mustard and apricot jam for my nuggets, honey mustard at McDonald's. I take a good amount of hot pepper sauce on my eggs and sour cream on my potatoes.

Now I want to know what you like. I don't mind if you are closed-minded ketchup freaks. Crazy or not, tell me your favorite dips, sauces and condiments and what you eat them on. Come on, people. I need a laugh.

Warning

You know those cute little light sticks you give your kids on Halloween? You bend them and they light up and they say NON-TOXIC on their packages. I would show you a picture of one only I immediately rid my house of the pests after this incident (which unfortunately has nothing to do with cooking only that it went in my kid's mouth and then ruined the kitchen table).


So, apparently the outer plastic coating is the non-toxic part they refer to, because if you bite one open and leave it on your table, it will melt your varnish. Yes, completely dissolved away and stained forever. If you do not want this to happen to your child's esophagus, I suggest you disregard the NON-TOXIC part and get yourself a flashlight.

No soup for you!

Sheesh, you'd think I was the soup Nazi! Are there no soup recipes to be had, you ask? Well, I'd better get a move on. SOUP RECIPE #1:

White Chicken Chili:

1 Tb. olive oil

2 lb. boneless skinless chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

4 oz. can diced green chiles

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried cilantro
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed

small can green enchilada sauce (opt.)

Cube chicken and cook with onion in oil 5 min. I skipped this step and used cooked, shredded from the freezer. Add broth, chiles & spices. Simmer 15 min. Add beans and enchilada sauce if you choose. Heat through. Top with Monterey Jack or crushed tortilla chips.

By the way, the enchilada sauce is my friend Georgia's "secret ingredient" and I only put the "optional" part for your benefit. At our house it is mandatory.

Wait for the first snow! I will post my mother-in-law's traditional Cream of Broccoli Soup, which is unbelievable.

My New Refrigerator Magnets

And you thought My Little Ponies were only good for one thing...(Can anyone tell me why these horsies have magnets on their hooves and how my daughters discovered it?)

Canning Season

There is something completely satisfying about putting bottled food on your shelves. It may be the "I just saved $2.50 a jar on that apricot jam!" or the "I only eat my mom's pickles, so you should learn how to make them," from my husband, but I absolutely adore looking at jars of food I have canned myself. So here they are: apricot jam from my tree--next year I will pick them underripe (before the birds get the lot of them) and ripen in brown bags; Heather's zucchini relish--my first batch, (zucchini from my garden, most else from the store) and rather tasty if I do say so; Husband's mom's pickles--they really are the best and her 4 cucumber plants have produced some 26? quarts so far; and beets from MIL's garden and mine--mine are the one inchers, though I planted a month earlier than she did click here for my excuse (if you haven't noticed, even I don't visit my garden blog anymore).

Aunt Laurel's "Uncle Ben's" Rice

I had a little trouble deciding where to put my quotes. This is my version of store-bought Uncle Ben's long & wild rice. I made His, smelled it and looked at the ingredients, then came up with my own cheaper-but-similar rice for a Relief Society Dinner (they cut our budget this year).
So here it is:

Long Grain & Wild Rice
12 oz. pkg. long grain & wild rice
2 c. beef broth
2 c. chicken broth
1 Tb. oil
1 Tb. parsley (dried)
1 ts. marjoram
1 ts. garlic powder
1/2 t. each paprika, salt
4 oz. can mushrooms (opt.)

Combine all in pot and follow directions on rice package OR press COOK on your rice cooker.
Add 1/2 c. almonds if you like, and 1/4 c. water/broth to unstick it. Stir and serve. Freezes well, makes mouths happy.

What can I say?

I love Chinese food. So do Husband and Kids. I don't like paying for it, or wondering what is really in it or the tons of sugar and cornstarch and MSG. So, I ask myself, "Can I possibly make Chinese as good as they do?" And I try. And miracles happen.




Beef and Broccoli:
1 lb. beef steak, sliced thin (I used chunks from the freezer)
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 T. vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 t. grated fresh ginger
1 T. cornstarch
2 T. oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
2 heads broccoli, cut up into florets

Combine beef, water, soy, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger and cornstarch in a bag or bowl and marinate 10 minutes or more. Drain well, reserving marinade. Place broccoli and a bit of water in a microwave bowl covered in plastic wrap and microwave it 4 minutes until tender-crisp (or, hey, you could steam it "the real way"). Heat oil in a wok or skillet and brown beef and onion together about 3 minutes. Add marinade and bring to a boil at least 5 minutes and until beef is done and sauce is bubbly. Stir in drained, hot broccoli and serve on rice. It's good. REALLY good.
Don't forget my Cashew Chicken when you set up your buffet. I have been promised an egg roll recipe to die for (Joni--that's your cue) or you can try this one. Have yourself an asian night.

Speaking of, Toni, do you remember eating cream cheese wontons on the floor with no shoes? That's a good memory.

Your freezer is your friend

Did I ever mention that I freeze everything? Yes, that extra half a can of mushroom soup or coconut milk. Half & half and chopped jalapenos from my garden. So, I'll let you in on a few secrets so you'll stop crying over what you can't buy because the rest will go bad before you get to it.

1. Tomato Paste. You know you never use the whole can. It's okay to buy it now, it won't go to waste. Scoop it out in tablespoons and place between two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze and plop in a bag. Mine were lovely plump mounds until a two-year-old decided to poke them. Oh well, at least it made her laugh.

2. Cilantro. And other herbs. But mostly cilantro. Pull leaves off of stems. Soak stems in red wine vinegar and eat as a meal-preparatory snack. Place leaves in bowl.

Chop leaves with kitchen shears. Chop, chop, chop, chop, chop. Chop.

Pack 2 tablespoons of cilantro into one ice cubicle. Add 1 tsp. of lime juice and pat with finger (important). Freeze. Place cilantro cubes into a bag.

3. Limes. This one does not warrant a picture because the one I took looks like a dirty green freezer bag. Zest limes carefully into a bowl. Place zest in freezer bag. Juice lime and pour into ice cubicles. Lick your fingers.

4. Ginger root. I won't show mine. I put up three cilantro pictures to make up for what you won't be able to recognize, so let it go. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off all skin. Place in a freezer bag. It will last forever and take it from me, it grates much better when frozen. You may have to hold it with a rag or the bag. It is cold and let's not grate our knuckles.

S'mores

Who you callin' desperate?

One salad two ways

No, no. Two salads with one dressing. That's better.


Cilantro Lime Salad:
2 c. frozen soybeans (edamame)
15 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. lime zest
1/4 c. lime juice

Prepare soybeans according to package. Drain. In a large bowl combine beans, onion, and cilantro. Whisk together all other ingredients, adding up to 1/2 tsp. salt to taste. Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate covered. Serve cold.

Version two: Replace soybeans, kidney and garbanzo beans with a can each of drained kernel corn, black beans and a chopped tomato or avacado. Also very good. We choose the first recipe while on phase 1 (South Beach Diet) and the second after we have given up.

Standard Breakfast Procedure

Here is the story: I had a phase. A Cracklin' Oat Bran phase. I ate it every day for breakfast and then one day, it was not on sale anymore and I couldn't justify $4 a box. So, I wrote down the ingredient list from the back of the box and googled it on the internet. Like this: "Oats, oat bran, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, almonds, coconut, recipe". Yes, it was a shot in the dark. Something similar to this recipe popped up. I have improved it several times and my kids beg for it in the mornings, so I have no complaints.

Granola for Me!

7 c. rolled oats
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. wheat or oat bran
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1.2 c. honey
1/2 c. water
1 T. vanilla
1 t. each cinnamon, nutmeg, salt
1 c. each sliced almonds, coconut

Preheat oven to 275. Stir up oats, wheat germ and bran. Mix sugar, oil, honey, water, vanilla and spices and pour over. Mix well. Spread onto 2 cookie sheets and bake 45 min. stirring every 15 min. Add almonds and coconut and bake 15 min. more. Let cool. Makes about 13 c. (gallon ziploc)Tips: I forgot it once (after mixing, before baking) and let it "soak" for about 3 hours. It turned out much crunchier than usual and now I soak for a standard 1 hour before baking. You can food-process the rolled oats a little, and the almonds and coconut too. The texture turns out like grape nuts. Eat with milk or yogurt. If you want it more clumpy, before the last baking, with the nuts and coconut, add 2-3 T. honey mixed with the same amount of water. Gives it a nice shiny look. You could also add other things like dates, pecan, craisins, raisins, whatever you like.

Cashew Chicken

I was recently inspired to have a Chinese night for dinner. Okay, so Husband has been begging for a long time. Anyway, I got this recipe so long ago and never tried it because back then I thought I was too poor to afford cashews. Too bad, this one could have saved many a dinner from being Teriyaki again. It is super good and mostly easy/healthy. No MSG, plenty of flavor. So have yourself a night at the Golden Tree (our local chinese) and enjoy! This is also a freezer recipe.

Cashew Chicken:
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 T. worcestershire sauce
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. sesame oil
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. chicken broth

2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 whole chicken breasts (as in 6 halves) cut to bite size pieces
1/4 c. cooking oil (peanut works good)
2 T. grated or minced gingerroot
1 T. minced garlic
1 onion, chopped

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped a bit
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and sliced

1 1/2 c. cashews

Combine ketchup, soy sauce, salt, worcestershire, sugar, sesame oil, cayenne, and broth in a bowl. In another bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt and toss chicken pieces in this. Heat cooking oil in a wok or frying pan to a high heat and add chicken mixture, ginger, garlic and onion. When chicken is cooked through, add chestnuts and bamboo shoots, and ketchup mixture and cook until it comes to a boil. Cool, bag and freeze. Freeze cashews separately. Thaw in fridge overnight, heat on medium until boiling and add cashews. Serve on rice.

Dried Herbs

Maybe this deserves to be posted on my garden blog, being as I did grow these myself. But that is the one I'm keeping up with better at the moment, so enjoy a little herb know-how for your kitchen.

Snip a bunch or a couple of bunches of parsley--not too thick, maybe a half an inch each. Rinse well and shake dry. Wrap a thread around them and hang them in a window. They go limp for a few days and then they dry right up. If you are impatient like me, pull them down once they start to get crisp and finish the job up in your toaster oven. Then, strip the leaves off the stems and crush gently with a mortar and pestle (or fingers).

Basil is easier. After washing, lay out the leaves on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven as low as it will go (200 or less) and then turn it off. Place the cookie sheet inside and wait. Check on them once in a while. Then crush when crisp. There is probably a more perfected way to go about drying your own herbs, but I have not looked into it. This way works well for me and tastes ten times better than store-bought dried herbs, so I don't mind if I did burn or overcrisp them a bit. Also, the little bunches of parsley look so pretty dangling from the ceiling.

Three Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits

Yep, three. These are the best, too. I would have taken a picture if I hadn't eaten them all before I made it to the camera.

3 c. self-rising flour*
6 Tb. butter
1 c. buttermilk (8 oz. carton)

Cut butter into half the flour, add remaining flour and stir. Add milk, stir and knead until smooth. Roll to 1/2 inch and cut biscuits. Freeze if you like. Bake at 425* 12-15 min.

*can substitute 1 c. all purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt per cup of self-rising flour. I make up a container of it.

If you freeze them, thaw under wrap before baking. They don't rise as much if they're still frozen. Also, I stacked two on top of each other, so I'd have those nice biscuits that pull right apart. They didn't turn out that way. They turned out like two biscuits stacked on top of each other and I was sad because I'd missed out on half of the crusty bottoms I could have enjoyed.

Rainbow Bean Soup

This is a gift from my friend Georgia. I thought it was very pretty and very tasty, so it is getting posted because my kitchen has been boring lately. I made it for dinner last night and don't have a picture, because after the soaking everything took on a bit of a purple-gray tint from the black beans. This cleared up after rinsing and adding tomatoes, but still...it's so much nicer looking in the jar. Here is the recipe.

Beans!

So, my bean class was lots of fun...for me at least. I think I talked too fast and too quiet, but I sure learned a lot! This was one of my experiments: pressure canning dried beans. They turned out quite delicious and sodium free! I also enjoy making homemade refried beans that are fat-free. Have you taken a look at the back of your canned beans? Yikes! We learned about soaking, cooking, freezing, and eating; using bean flour and mashed beans--did you know mashed white beans can replace shortening in baked goods? We had a cake made with this substitution and it was delicious! (I also tried this with Snickerdoodles that called for one cup of shortening--they poofed up instead of getting crisp, but were still edible. No, you cannot use beans to butter your pans.) I made black bean fudge and there was a sandwich spread with garbanzo beans from another lady. I have an entire packet of information and recipes put together with the help of some ladies in the ward. It is too much to retype it, but I can scan-and-email, so if anyone is interested in how to use your bean storage, let me know and I'll send it to you.

As requested...

For all you Winger's fans, here it is. Our version of the Freakin' Amazing sauce. Too good to taste the difference (unless you work there--apologies to my brothers-in-law if you experience decrease in tips). Now you can stay home and drizzle it all over your...everything! Hope you enjoy Fakin' Amazing sauce.

Fun with Eggs

This is late. Hey, I have three kids. Okay, so here are our Easter festivities. First, the eggs in a nest. One bag of butterscotch chips, melted. Maybe melt in the microwave. I did it on the stove and they smelled very peculiar. Tasted fine, though. Stir in half a bag or so of chow mein noodles (the crunchy kind) and press into a Texas-sized muffin tin. Cool until set. Fill with candy eggs. Next year.

This is Eggs A La Goldenrod. Right, Mom? I think that's what it's called. Anyway, when I first made it as a married woman, I didn't remember it tasting as yummy as it does, I only remembered how pretty the sieve-pressed yolks looked up on top--like goldenrods! So, here it is: make up a white sauce by melting 2 T. butter and stirring in 2 T. flour, then 2 c. milk, heat and stir until thick. Salt and pepper it and add in 5 chopped, hard-boiled egg whites. Press the hard-boiled egg yolks through a strainer on top and serve on toast. A lovely way to use up those blue and orange eggs your kids made yesterday (in this case, last week). That's it for now!

Some foods are more photogenic...

Ever notice how some foods are so beautiful that it's almost a shame to put them in your mouth? And how some are so mouth watering you'd eat them no matter what they looked like? On that note, I only have one picture to post. I'd never tried hominy before, but it was good. Like little corn tortilla pieces all boiled fluffy. So here is Pork Pozole.

I tried, but I just couldn't take a pretty picture of this Jambalaya. Not that it wasn't absolutely delicious, though. I have been trying jambalaya recipes for quite a while, searching for the perfect mix of tasty, easy, quick and cheap. Most of them were in fact cheap. Easy and tasty were harder to find. This one showed up in the newspaper two weeks ago and we've had it twice. It's super.

Put the lime in the coconut, shake it all up!

The name says it all, honey. I tore this one out of the newspaper a few years ago because the words made my mouth water. It may not be the prettiest bird in the flock, but dress it up with a little lime zest or fresh fruit and you're in for a sublime experience!

Lime in the Coconut Custard Pie

13.5 oz. can coconut milk (not lite)

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

4 eggs
1/2 c. frozen limeade concentrate

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. coconut extract

1/4 tsp. salt

9 inch deep-dish pic shell, frozen or homemade
Preheat oven to 400*, and set rack at lowest position. Combine all ingredients but pie shell in a blender and give it a good whirl. Pour into pie shell and bake 15 min. Reduce oven to 350* and bake 40 more min. Cool on rack for 30 min. Refrigerate until cold before slicing.

P.S. I use frozen pie shells and end up with an extra cup of batter. This cooks nicely in buttered ramekins for 10 min. less than the pie. It should be slightly jiggly when you pull it out, this is a custard, not a cheesecake! And whatever you do, don't taste it until it is cold.

Chicken Barley Stew

I know, it's been while, but I finally got my pictures from husband's computer. I guess if I expect to keep my visitors, I must entertain them, so I'll be posting a few times this week. First, here is dinner last night. This one is a quicky and but for the barley, you probably have all ingredients on hand. Oh, and if you think you don't like barley, you are probably wrong.

Chicken Barley Stew

1 tsp. oil

1 c. chopped onion

2 c. (or 1 can) chicken broth

2 c. water

1/2 c. quick-cook barley

2 tsp. chili powder

2-3 c. frozen corn, green beans, peas

2 c. shredded chicken

1 can diced tomatoes

1 Tb. dried parsley or cilantro

Saute onion in oil 5 min. Add broth and water, bring to a boil. Stir in barley and chili powder. Simmer 5 min. and add veggies. Anything is really fine here. I use some frozen, some canned (never canned peas--they are icky). Cover and simmer 5 min. until barley is tender. Stir in chicken (or beef or turkey, cooked) and tomatoes (spicy ones are good). Add parsley now. Heat through and serve.

Calling All Bean Enthusiasts!

You heard me right. I'm preparing an Enrichment class on how to use the 75-100 lbs. of dry beans in your storage room. I readily welcome any and all suggestions and am awaiting your responses.
By the way, the picture has nothing to do with beans, it is Apple Pork & Sweet Potatoes in my crock pot and it looked so pretty I just had to take a picture.

Menu 3

The pictures of my Christmas treats were taken to work on husband's computer. When they make it back home, I'll post them. For now, I'll do another menu. Oh, and Santa was listening. I got my menu software and am learning to work it. Let's see if it's as helpful as I imagine...
I am leaving out the grocery list this time. If someone wants it, I'll email it. The chili and hamburgers throw things off...

Kahlua Pork & Sweet Potatoes- Yes, pork and sweet potatoes is a theme for me. This one is the yummiest. It tastes like a luau.

Chicken Divine- A casserole spiffed up with lemon and curry.

Hamburgers- You know the drill.

Chicken Teriyaki- I double the sauce recipe and keep it in a jar in the fridge. Homemade is best!

Chili- Pick your Fave!

Omelets in a Bag

For all you inept omelet flippers out there (I include myself), here are some easy and attractive little fellas to try. Get yourself some ziploc bags and away we go. Simply crack an egg or two (but not more) into a ziploc. Add your milk, cheese, S & P, green onions, tomatoes...whatever floats your boat. Squish it around for a minute--the kids love this one. Then drop into a pot of rolling, boiling water for 13 minutes. If you have a big pot, you can fit 5-6. This works well if you have breakfast company. Write names on the bags with a sharpie and everyone picks their own fillings. After boiling, they roll right out onto your plate. Top with salsa or sour cream and you're done. No one-at-a-time nonsense. You're welcome.

Enrichment Night Refreshments

First of all, may I say how thankful I am for this calling? I am thankful. I feel like a real life caterer and for reasons you may not understand, I love to serve food! Don't take that wrong--I would never want to work in fast food. Having been in primary for the last 9 years (since the day I graduated), I sometimes feel left out of Relief Society. In fact, I can count the times I've been to an RS lesson on my fingers and maybe a toe. But we all know how important food is for social events! If this is all in my head, don't tell me.
For my own sake, I am blogging the last few refreshments/meals we've had for RS. That way, I won't end up with more or less the same thing we had last time...

January 2007--Potato Bar, Pineapple Orange Cake

March 2007--Lasagna Rollups Dinner

October 2007--Hawaiian Haystacks

December 2007--Libby's Pumpkin Roll

January 2008--Navajo Tacos, Chocolate Cherry Cake

Chocolate Cherry Cake

So the RS dinner is done. I went with Navajo Tacos and Chocolate Cherry Cake. I bought the scones from a bakery (50 was too many for from-scratch) and the chili was canned...nothing exciting. But this cake--I should have taken a picture before there were no leftovers. It took 3 minutes to stir it up and 5 minutes for the frosting, which was very fudge-like. It was so moist and decadent. The lady across from me even called it "luscious"!

Chocolate Cherry Cake:
18 oz. box chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food)
21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract (I ran out of this last week and therefore left it out. I am sure it would enhance the maraschino-ness...)
2 eggs
Stir carefully by hand just until moist. I mixed wet first, then added the box mix. Spread evenly into a greased 9x13. Bake at 350* about 35 min.
frosting:
1 c. white sugar
6 T. butter (no subs)
1/3 c. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil for one minute. Stir in chips until smooth and pour immediately over hot cake. Cool and serve.