Aunt Kathy's Sweet Potato Souffle

Ok, this is slightly belated, since Thanksgiving was last week, but make it now anyways—it’s sooooo good! It’s my favorite dish at Thanksgiving, and in between times too!

Aunt Kathy’s Sweet Potato Soufflé (Casserole)

3 cups sweet potatoes
½ C sugar
¼ C butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C milk

Topping:
1/3 C melted butter
1 C brown sugar
½ C flour
1 C chopped pecans

Peel and chop sweet potatoes, boil till tender, mash (use an electric mixer). Add the rest of the soufflé ingredients and spread in a greased casserole dish. Mix topping ingredients together and put on top of casserole. Make 350F for 30 minutes.

If I remember correctly, Aunt Kathy uses the yellow sweet potatoes, not the orange “yams,” but I don’t really like those and you can’t find them where I’ve been living anyway, so I just use the sweet orange ones! Also, I substitute honey and maple syrup for the sugars, slightly reducing the amount, and it tastes even yummier!

Make it today while supplies are cheap--your husband and kids are going to love it!

Love you all! Mandy

Spinach Tortellini

I adapted this from a Cooking Light recipe I found. Seriously...try it...NOW. It's so good and a great change from traditional pasta dishes! Happy cooking!Spinach Tortellini – Emily Bohman
1 large package fresh cheese tortellini
¼ c pine nuts
1 tsp olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 packages fresh baby spinach
½ c shredded Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
crumbled bacon

Cook pasta according to the package, drain, and transfer to a large bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and toast pine nuts for about 2 minutes until toasted. Add nuts to bowl. Heat oil in the pan and sauté the garlic lightly. Add spinach and cook for about two minutes or until the spinach wilts. Stir constantly. Add spinach mixture, cheese, bacon, pepper, and toss well. Serve immediately. Serve with watermelon, cantaloupe, or honeydew melon wedges on the side.

Di's Donuts

As much as I would like to, I cannot claim these donuts as my own. I got the recipe in my Foods class in high school. I never went to class, in fact, I missed the day that they did these donuts. I got the recipe and through many years of trial and error, I think I finally have it right. Because they have potato in them, they are actually Spudnuts.

Spudnuts:
2 pkg yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. scalded milk, cooled
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. instant mashed potatoes ( I find the potato flakes rather than the pearls mix in better and taste better)
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1 t. lemon extract (DO NOT substitute lemon juice. The extract is a MUST!)
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. mace
6 c. flour, divided

Prep the yeast by adding it to the water and letting it sit for five minutes. During this time, I heat the milk for 2 minutes in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then I add the instant potatoes to the milk to let it cool faster. (I like to use a Bosch mixer with the kneading hook when I make these, but a Kitchen Aid would work. Up until last year I always made them by hand, so that would work too. )

Mix all ingredients together except for 3 cups of the flour. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour. Cover and rise until double. Fold the dough together (punching it down will keep the donuts from puffing up as much in the grease), and let it rise until doubled again. Roll dough until 1/2" thick. Cut into donut shapes either with a donut cutter or a round cookie cutter and a smaller, round cutter for the middle. Let them rise for at least another 30 minutes.

Prepare the fryer by adding oil and heating it to 375 degrees. Drop into the fryer turning until both sides are golden. Using the handle of a wooden spoon through the hole of the donut, dip the donut in the glaze while they are still hot. This is a two-person operation. One person to cook the donuts, the other to glaze them.

Glaze:*
1 2 lb. bag Powdered sugar
1 t.Vanilla
HOT water

*The glaze is a little bit tricky. The glaze will thicken as it cools, so you want to keep the glaze warm, and dip the donuts in it while they are still hot. It takes a LOT of sugar. I use about one 2 lb. bag of powdered sugar for every batch of donuts sometimes more. Poor the sugar into a microwave-safe bowl, add Vanilla, then very carefully and slowly add hot water while whisking being careful not to add too much. Whisk until all the lumps are gone and it has the consistancy of syrup. If you do add too much water, then add more sugar.
If the glaze starts to thicken too much while you are still cooking the donuts, stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Enjoy! Honestly, I think the donuts are even better on the second day, so don't get discouraged if they don't all get eaten right away... like they wouldn't!! ;)
Questions?

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Carmel Apples

Happy Fall! To get into the mood for fall, we made these deluxe goodies in mommy's group. I just melted a bunch of Kraft carmels in the crockpot but I put one of those crockpot covers in so there was no mess to clean up! We dipped the apples in the carmel and then rolled them in chopped pecans, peanuts, toffee bits, and coconut. We drizzled white and dark chocolate over the top. My absolute favorite is the carmel apple dipped in white chocolate and then rolled in cinnamon and sugar. It tastes like apple pie! This was so much fun and it would be a blast to do with the kiddos or for FHE or something. I tied a bunch up in celophane bags and gave them away. People were shocked at the 'gourmetness' which made me feel all proud (hey no one has to know how easy it is right?!). Have a happy delicious fall!

-Starving in Seattle
(Em)

Girls' night cuz party!

Cutie cousins! Thanks Sunnie for the super fun evening! You have such a cute house! It was so fun to see you girls!

Hommos Dip from Jerusalem

Sorry Mandy! It has taken me months to remember to finally post this recipe! The best hummus I have ever had was in Galilee. The chef told me it was just garbonzo beans, olive oil and garlic. This recipe is from our chef at the Jerusalem Center, Nassar. He was totally awesome! I am typing this recipe exactly how he did. You'll get a kick out of his grammer!

Hommos Dip
1 c chick peas
1/2 c tahenny
1/2 c lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
clean, wash, and soak one cup of hommos over night. Drain and cover with cold water and boil until soft. pass through vegi mincer. add the tahenny sauce as follows: measure tahenny in a seperate deep bowl, mix with a little of the water in which the hommos has been boiled. add lemon juice and crushed garlic. pour over hommos and add salt to taste. serve in a flat dish and garinsh with minced parsley and a little oil.

If you want any more recipes from Nassar he gave me quite a few. Let me know!

Girls' Night

I know this is really late notice, and probably none of you will get this in time, but just to be on the safe side, there is a girls' night at Sunnie's tonight. It's for all the FEMALE Goodrich cousins over 18. Bring your favorite treat and meet there at 7:30. Sorry for those of you who can't make it. We'll do another one really soon! Love you all! Watch for pics from the partay!

Outback Chicken

Happy Back to School! In honor of another first day of school for Logan (believe you me, I'm so looking forward to only having to make one more of these), I made this yummy dinner. It's the chicken from Outback Steakhouse. It's seriously so good! Oh and it's blackberry season here so we've been picking baskets of blackberries and baking various treats. This berry crumble is our favorite so far. It's just the Betty Crocker recipe if you want to try it!

Outback Chicken
Marinade:
½ c Dijon Mustard
½ c honey
1 ½ tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp lemon juice
Chicken:
4 chicken breasts
10-12 sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp butter
dash salt, pepper, paprika
8 slices cooked bacon
1 c shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Use an electric mixer to combine the marinade in a small bowl. Whip the mixture for about 30 seconds. Pour about two-thirds of the marinade over the chicken breasts and marinate them, covered, in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Chill the remaining marinade for later. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and sear the chicken in an oiled frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat, but keep the chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, in a small frying pan sauté the sliced mushrooms in butter or the bacon drippings. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade (not the portion that the chicken soaked in), being sure to save a little extra you can serve on the side later with the dish. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and dash of paprika. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet. Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise, on each chicken breast. Spoon the sautéed mushrooms onto the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Spread 1/4 cup of Monterey Jack cheese onto each breast followed by 1/4 cup of Cheddar. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each chicken breast with parsley before serving. Put extra honey mustard marinade into a small bowl to serve on the side.

I hope you all had a lovely summer and I look forward to seeing all your new recipes!

Happy Eating!

-Emily

Zucchini out your ears...

Hey all,
I've been hearing too many complaints about zucchini. I don't much care for zucchini unless it is sliced and sauteed. That is all. Plain and boring. My friend Natalie, however, has posted some zucchini recipes on her blog. So don't complain to me any more. Try these recipes because I probably won't.
Love ya!!!
Di

http://nataliespot.blogspot.com/2008/08/zucchini-out-your-ears.html

We tried your curry Di...

and this is what happened!
I made your curry and rice as an introduction into curries and spices for the boys...and they loved it! It's hard to please so many men and it worked! Thank you! There weren't any leftovers (sad) but I won major sister-in-law points! Thanks Di!

Alfredo Sauce

Thanks, Emily, for your Spaghetti Sauce recipe. My sister Cami Jo made it for us for lunch today and it was awesome! I really haven't been satisfied with mine lately, so thanks--and Di, I remember from our college days that you make a fabulous one too! I'd love for you to share your recipe!

To tempt you into sharing your Spaghetti Sauce recipes, here are my other favorite pasta sauces that I really think are to die for:

Thai Peanut Sauce (serve over pasta or rice, also great with chicken)

1/2 C milk
1/2 C chicken broth
4 T peanut butter
1 t soy sauce
1 clove pressed garlic or garlic powder if you're feeling lazy...like I often am
Heat in a saucepan until boiling. Continue to boil until thick and bubbling. It takes about ten minutes. Somewhere towards the end of the thickening process add some diced, fresh, sweet red pepper (frozen is fine too) for flavor and color. Sometimes I also throw in some ginger(powdered, pickled or fresh).

Alfredo Sauce

This recipe has all the bad and expensive stuff, but it goes a long way and the flavor is worth it, I promise! Matt requests this every week, so maybe it could qualify as a romantic meal--since it's his current favorite and mine.

melt in a saucepan on medium:
1 cube butter
Add:
2 cloves pressed or finely grated garlic (don't cheat with garlic powder this time)
1 C heavy whipping cream
till just heated, then add:
1/2-3/4 C freshly grated Parmesan
Heat until fully melted, about 6 minutes. Then add:
3/4-1 C shredded mozzarella
At that point I take it off the burner and put the lid on for the mozzarella to melt so it doesn't overcook. Keep the temperature as low as your patience will allow throughout this recipe.

Serve over fettuccine, garnished with fresh parsley, if you have it. It's great with shrimp or chicken or grilled-in-butter mushrooms and make sure you have a side of fresh green beans. We use our leftovers as sauce for a fantastic Alfredo Pizza!

And while I'm posting--Beth--if you run across that hummus recipe you got in Jerusalem, will you pass it along?

Thanks and love,
Mandy

Messy Meals Tag

So Jerica tagged me awhile back for a messy meal. I wanted to come up with something awesome, maybe like eating spaghetti off a tarp with no utensils, but I couldn't come up with anything good. So here's a few homemade goodies for the kiddos and one fabulous enchilada recipe that will leave your kitchen messy. Happy cooking!

-Starving in ALASKA
(Em)

Oh don't forget....Mandy still wants your favorite pasta/sauce recipe! Happy 4th!

Fingerpaint
2 c water
¼ c cornstarch
food coloring

Bring water to a boil. Add a small amount of water to the cornstarch to make a paste. Add paste to the boiled water and stir well. Bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and add food coloring for your choice. Cool before painting.

Edible Playdough
¾ c peanut butter
½ c powdered milk
½ c sugar

Mix ingredients together and knead well.

Beef Enchiladas - Emily Bohman
1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
1 tsp crushed garlic
chili powder
1 small can tomato sauce
1 large can red enchilada sauce
1 small can diced chilies
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can kidney beans
12 burrito size tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese
1 small can chopped olives

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat with onion and garlic. Season with chili pepper, salt, and pepper. Add tomato sauce, ½ can enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, chilies, and kidney beans. Simmer until all flavors combine. Fill tortillas and lay in a greased casserole pan. Cover enchiladas with the rest of the enchilada sauce, cheese, and olives. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with fresh avocado and sour cream.

Raspberry Cake (Jerica)

Okay I am a little embarrassed about this recipe because it is SO easy and I wouldn't even put it on here but its time for a new post. Anyways its an easy way to make a boring cake look a little more fun!

Take a bag of frozen raspberries and let completely thaw. Then drop them in a blender, add about 1/2 cup sugar and blend until smooth. Pour into a plastic bag and cut a tiny hole in the corner (that's my favorite trick). Set aside. Bake a cake using the directions on the back of the Betty Crocker box, and top with a cream cheese frosting. Drizzle that raspberry delight on top!

Okay so I stole the picture from google and my cake would never look like that but you get the idea right?

Calling you out!!!

I have decided to call a few of you out for your recipes, after tasting such deliciousness on Saturday at our CUZ party! So here is the line-up.......
Jordan-KC BBQ chicken(the best I have ever had!!) and your cute flag cake
Jaclyn-7 layer dip
Jerica-raspberry cake
Sunnie-fruit salad
Alex-peanut butter cookies
Mags already shared with us her fabulous salad recipe, it was full of goodness!

Here is a slideshow featuring our fun night at Jordan's. Thanks again to Mike and Jordan for hosting a great night! We hope to see you all at the next one in July hosted by Sunnie for GIRLS ONLY!!!

Most Romantic Meal (Jerica)

Okay, Emily, sorry it took me so long. I just had to wait for a reason to cook a romantic meal for Mitch. Since yesterday was the two-year anniversary, I made him shrimp because he loves it! I am not a big fan but you said to do something that would impress a guy so here is my best shot...

Brandied Shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced (I buy the kind already minced for you)
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
Salt and fresh black pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
2 tablespoons brandy (I used a substitute)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper and let the mixture simmer until the shrimp are partially cooked through and beginning to curl, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the ketchup and the oregano and simmer until the shrimp are opaque and just cooked through, 2 more minutes. Add the brandy and parsley, stir to combine, remove from the heat and serve.

Emerald Rice
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I would probably half this and the parsley because it was a little overwhelming)
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon lime zest (I left this out)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your broiler to high.
Heat the rice in your microwave until it's warmed through. Place the rice in a heatproof casserole or baking dish and toss with the melted butter, the chopped cilantro, parsley, lime zest and Parmesan. Place the dish under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until the cheese is browned. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
1/2 bag dove milk chocolates
1/2 carton of strawberries
6 squares Ghirardelli white vanilla chocolate

Melt milk chocolates in a pan until melted and roll/dip strawberries into the pan until they are covered. Set on chilled plate to cool. Put white chocolate in a Ziploc back and put into microwave for about one minute until completely melted. Cut a small hole into the corner of the bag and drizzle it over the chocolate covered strawberries. Now just go ahead and close your eyes, take a bite, and go to heaven.

Serve with steamed veggies, a candle, champagne glasses and you have got yourself one romantic meal!

And now for the opposite effect, I am tagging Emily, Maggie, and Adrianne for the best messy meal! Show me what you got, girls!

Caramel Popcorn (Beth)

1 cup butter
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 1/2 cups light brown sugar

Bring to a boil over medium heat and let boil for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 cup miniature marshmellows and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.
Stir until marshmellows are melted, then pour over 4 bags of popped microwave popcorn (or pop 2 cups popcorn kernels).

This makes a lot!!! And it stays soft for days!!! Just be sure to follow the instructions exactly! And watch out when you add the baking soda, it foams up and may boil over.

If you don't have all of this stuff, my husbands family does a simpler version.

PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring to a boil and let simmer for a couple of minutes. Pour over 2 bags popped microwave popcorn.

You're going to be so jealous....

We had Colton and Misty over for dinner today!!!! I told you you'd be jealous! It was so fun to see Colty again and finally meet Misty. They are such a cute couple! I felt like a total dweeb for making such a boring meal. We're trying to get rid of everything in our cupboards before we move to Alaska next week. BUT it turned out fine and the company was divine! We had salad, rigatoni with marinara, and parmesan toast for dinner. The best part was dessert. Logan made Ghiradelli chocolate brownies with strawberries and cream. Yum! Mandy wants all your spaghetti sauce recipes so get posting! Here's mine (well, my mom's):

Pasta Sauce
1 lb hamburger
salt, pepper, italian seasoning, garlic salt
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 sm can tomato sauce
1 can italian stewed tomatoes
1 pkg dry spaghetti sauce

Brown meat with spices. Drain. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and simmer until pasta is ready.

Enjoy!

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

Caramel Fruit Dip

Brigitte is here visiting me in Des Moines, and we have been enjoying some fruit dip that I made for a Baby Shower.

8 0z softened cream cheese
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar
1 T vanilla
Toffee pieces (you have to eye-ball it, I used about 1/4 the bag which would be about 1/2 cup)

Whip it all together and serve with apples, bananas, strawberries, etc.
SO YUMMY!!
This will probably be my last post from Des Moines! I'm looking forward to seeing all you Utahns!
Loves
Di

Expensive, but Yummy!

Well, this is very very simple, but can get pretty pricey. An amazing cook in my homeward served it to me and I've been dreaming of more every since!

Just take a slice of fresh tomato, add a slice of fresh Mozzarella (the FRESH.. almost slimy kind!, then a wedge of fresh avocado, then spritz with the Salad Spritzer of your choice (I think she used some kind of vinigarette). You can play with sizes and cut them into fourths to stretch the quantity!

Enjoy! (and hopefully that makes sense)

--ADRIANNE

April Fool's Sushi, Smutz, and Fruit Dip

This is probably not the best thing to make for Enrichment but I think it would be super fun to do with your kiddies!
It's just green fruit roll-ups, gummy worms, and warm rice crispy treats! Cute huh?!

Anyways, I realized as I searched for a recipe for Beth that I too am lacking in the appetizer area so I hope some more of you post some lovelies to try! This is a recipe that my mom's sister made when we were kids. I always liked it.

Smutz
1 Cup Diced Celery
1 Cup Diced Onion
1 Cup Diced Green Peppers
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (Mild Cheddar)
1 Cup Frozen Peas
¾ Cup Bacon Bits
1 Cup Mayonnaise

Combine all the ingredients and let sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Serve with nacho cheese flavored Dorito brand tortilla chips.

I'm not sure what type of ladies are in your group...mine would go through 5 or 6 bags of Nachos! Yours might like this light fruit dip/crepe filling a little better!

Fruit Dip/Crepe Filling
Berry flavored cream cheese
Cool whip
Powdered sugar

Good Luck Beth!

-Starving in Seattle
(Emily)

Calling all HORS DE VORS!!!! (Beth)

I am looking for an interesting, but not too difficult appetizer recipe to make and bring to our Relief Society Enrichment night tomorrow. It is so fun to have something new and so yummy to share with people. It is also hard to keep up the reputation of "good cook", but I love it! And I know you all do too, otherwise we would not have this awesome website to simultaneously obsess over food.

So... send me your love and best dishes, from your kitchen to mine!

Who can name the person that says something very close to this?
If you can you are indeed a food network junkie!

Tagged!!!

I hereby tag Laura G., Adrianne, Jerica, and Bridgitte (and anyone else who wants to!) to post the recipe to the most romantic meal that you would make/have made to impress a man! Muhahahahah. Inspire me!!!!

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

P.S. Those of you tagged by Beth for the pasta recipes...we're still waiting!!!

Key Lime Pie

Ever since making those Key Lime Cupcakes (see older post), I have been craving treats of a tart tasting nature. I have never had Key Lime Pie before but since I have all this extra lime juice on hand...I decided to give Logan an incentive to study for finals and try to make one! It is now a new favorite treat and SO FAST and EASY to make!!!

Key Lime Pie
9 inch pastry or graham cracker pie crust
3 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk
½ c key lime juice
cool whip
lime zest

Whisk together 3 egg yolks. Don’t over beat! Whisk in sweetened condensed milk until very well incorporated. Slowly add lime juice a bit at a time and whisk vigorously until it thickens. This is a fab arm workout! Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool and set. Zest a little lime over the top. Top with cool whip or for an extra delicious and lovely treat, make the coconut meringue from the cupcake recipe! It was so amazing on the pie!

Enjoy!

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

A Meal To Write Home About...

Hey all, it's Di! We had the missionaries over for dinner, and we had a Mexican Feast! I thought I would post what we had in honor of Cinco de Mayo (sp?) tomorrow!
We had Chicken Enchiladas!
This is how I made them. You'll need:
Corn tortillas
1 Bag Frozen Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 small jar or 2 cups of salsa
Chicken taco seasoning (or just regular taco seasoning)
3 c. sour cream, divided
chopped onions (I prefer green)
3 cans cream of chicken soup
Shredded pepper jack cheese
Shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. milk
1 minced garlic clove

Follow the directions for Beth's crock pot chicken that she posted previously only with larger portions. The one where you add chicken, salsa, taco seasoning to a crock pot. So, when it's all done cooking and you add the sour cream, add one cup of sour cream instead of 1/4 cup, and also add a can of cream of chicken soup. If it's too dry, add some milk. This is the filling for the enchiladas.
Next, saute the onion and garlic with a little oil in a pot. When it's soft, add 2 cans cream of chicken soup and 2 cups of sour cream and 1/2 c milk. This is your sauce.
Assemble the enchiladas in a greased 9x13 baking dish by spooning the filling into the corn tortillas, sprinkle in some pepper jack cheese and roll them up (my tortillas always break apart, just smoosh them down or something). When you are finished rolling, pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I'm sorry I don't have measurements. I just throw it all together, and a lot of times there is leftover filling and sauce, so I make a smaller pan and freeze it.

We also had chips and Salsa. Here is my Pantry Salsa...
3 cans diced tomatoes (with or without chilies)
1/2 can jalapenos or one cut up jalapeno pepper
4 diced green onions or 1/2 a regular onion
1 cup of cilantro or parsley (cilantro is obviously better)
Juice of one lime
1 minced garlic clove
3 drops of hot sauce like Tabasco
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and mix until desired consistency. Play around with the spice. If you don't like spicy then add fewer drops of hot sauce. Remember, you can always add more heat, but you can't take it away!

We also had salad and corn and for dessert, we had Adrianne's Mexican Cheesecake with strawberries and whipped cream! MMMmmmmmmmmm!! The above are pictures of Adrianne's cheesecake, so you know we really tried it! Post more, girlfriend! And of our Elders enjoying dessert!

best salad ever!

Hey everyone!
I had a huge dinner earlier today with a bunch of friends and I made this salad that everyone LOVES! They wanted me to post it so I though maybe you guys would be interested too. On Easter Sunday I served a similar version to Jordan and Mike, to which Mike responded, "I think this is the best salad I've ever had!" That's probably not saying much for an Idaho boy :) but if he liked it maybe you guys will too. I'm sure you've all had it before but it's my favorite so here it is.


Ingredients:
spring mix lettuce
1 yellow pepper
1 granny smith apple
red onion
bacon pieces (real bacon)
craisins
shredded Parmesan cheese
sliced almonds

dressing:
olive oil
apple cider vinegar
sugar
lemon juice (opt.)
salt and pepper (opt.)

directions:
Thinly slice the pepper and red onion
chop into small pieces the green apple
mix in with greens (however much you want)
*I don't have any measurements of anything because I do it all by looks and taste so add however much of the other toppings that you want.
*for the almonds heat a small frying pan with just a few drops of olive oil. toast the almonds until they are golden brown and add a touch of salt (or sugar). Add the browned almonds to the salad.

For the dressing I blend in a separate cup a 1/4 cup olive oil and a little more than a 1/4 cup vinegar. Again I just go by taste. I like mine a little tangier. Then I add a pinch of sugar. Stir it very well and pour over salad. Toss thoroughly and serve immediately.

Enjoy my very favorite salad!
love maggie

Aaron's Stuffed Breakfast Biscuits (Beth)

Start your coals NOW!!!

2 cans refridgerated biscuits
6-8 fried eggs (we did this the night before, while we were cooking dinner)
12-14 pieces Canadian Bacon (or use a sausage patty, or regular bacon)
6-8 slices American cheese

Line the Dutch Oven with foil and butter the bottom. Flatten out the biscuits. Start with one biscuit, put an egg on it, then 2 slices bacon, then cheese and top it off with another biscuit. Squeeze the edges shut and place in Dutch. Fit as many in as you can without stacking. (We only got 6 in a 14" oven, they are big!) Put 8-10 coals on bottom and 10-14 on top. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until brown. Everything inside is all cooked, you just have to worry about warming it up and making sure the biscuits are done.
These were way good and you can just hold them in your hand to eat!
Aaron came up with this all by himself!!!!
(Note:Make sure you salt and pepper the eggs while you are cooking them!)

I'm sure you could do this in your oven for a fun weekend brunch!

Flank Steak Marinade - Laura

1 1/2 lb flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt) or 1 lb minced garlic clove
1 tsp ginger
2 tbls lemon juice
2 tbls oil
1 tbls minced onion
1/4 tsp pepper

Cut steak into thin strips
Marinate for 1-4 days
Broil or cook on outdoor grill

Mmmmmexican Cheesecake

Alright Family, it's Adrianne, and this is my very first post on here! So please, for my sake, READ and MAKE because it is soooooo easy and muy bien!

Ingredients:
2 cans of crescent rolls
1 cup sugar
2 packages of cream cheese
1 tbsp vanilla

For topping:
1 stick butter
½ cup sugar
Cinnamon

Cover bottom on a 9x12 Pyrex with one can of crescent roll dough. Pinch edges together so they become one uniform piece. Mix softened cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanilla together in a bowl. Cream out all lumps. Spread over dough with spatula. Cover mixture with remaining can of crescent dough. Again, pinch together to form one uniform piece. Melt one full stick of butter. Pour over top of dough, sprinkle ½ cup of sugar over butter, and sprinkle cinnamon over sugar; use as much as you’d like. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.

Before:


After:



This is so quick and easy! Enjoy!

Best Cupcake on Earth

To understand my obsession with cupcakes you can read 'C is for Cupcakes' on my blog.  In honor of my passion for cupcakes, we had a cupcake party in Mommy's Group yesterday.  Out of all the incredible cupcakes we made, this one was the best.  It may truly be the closest thing to heaven I have ever tasted!  Please PLEASE make these and swath your taste buds in divine pleasure.

Key Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Meringue – Emily Bohman

If you are in a hurry, frost them, unfilled, with a little whipped cream, or lighten up the filling mixture with a little whipped cream and use it as a frosting instead. Or just fill the cupcakes and dust them with confectioners' sugar instead of adding the meringue. But if you go all the way, serve them when they are still a little warm, and you will have one stupendous cupcake with a surprise inside.

Cupcakes
1 large lime, scrubbed (for 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice)

4 large eggs

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Filling
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup Key lime juice

Coconut Meringue
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Reserved 3 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. With a citrus zester, zest the lime and reserve 1 teaspoon. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over a strainer into a small bowl; you should have 2 tablespoons. Set aside. Separate 3 of the eggs, place the whites in a large clean mixing bowl and the yolks in another mixing bowl.

2. Add the remaining egg, cake mix, pudding mix, water, oil, coconut flavoring and lime zest and juice to the yolks. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. Place the pans in the oven. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 22 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before filling.

3. Place the sweetened condensed milk and Key lime juice in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a medium tip. Press the tip 1/4 inch into the top center of each cooked cupcake and squeeze the bag to release about 1 tablespoon filling into the cupcake. Scrape off any excess filling with a rubber spatula.

4. For the meringue add the cream of tartar to the reserved egg whites and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until frothy, about 45 seconds. Add the coconut flavoring and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue beating on high, adding 1 tablespoon sugar at a time, until the whites form stiff peaks. Spoon 2 tablespoons meringue onto the top of each cupcake and swirl to spread it just to the edges with a spoon. Bake until the meringue is light nutty brown in color, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve warm!

Orca Point Salmon

I really don't like fish all that much, but every couple of months I start craving salmon.  I guess it's my body's way of telling me that I need some omega-whatevers.  So...this is what we had for dinner tonight!

This little guy has been sitting in our freezer for awhile and I finally decided on the perfect recipe to use him in.  In Juneau, Alaska there's a GORGEOUS lodge called Orca Point.  You have to take a boat or a whale watching ship to get out there.  They serve an incredible Salmon lunch and this is the recipe for it.  Seriously guys...if you don't like fish, you will after eating this!  Enjoy!

Orca Point Salmon

1 fresh Alaska salmon filet

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c soy sauce

1 Tbls lemon juice 

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat.  Add brown sugar, soy sauce, and lemon juice.  Mix together and then set aside to cool.

Rinse the salmon filet with fresh water and pat dry.  Cut the filet into serving size pieces if desired.  Place fish (skin side down) in a shallow glass dish.  Pour the cooled marinade mixture over the filets and make sure they are well coated.  Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and uncover the pan.  Bake the fish for 30 minutes or until it just begins to flake.  Coat the fish with the marinade every 5 or 10 minutes.  For the last 10 minutes of baking, dump out the majority of the marinade so that it forms a nice crispy glaze over the fish.

Serve with rice pilaf, steamed veggies, or dinner rolls!  

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

Overnight Pull-Aparts (Beth)

I made these last Sunday for General Conference and Aaron's family went nuts!!! I'm not a huge fan of orange rolls, but I thoughts these were pretty good. And way easy to make!
This recipe is from ABC4 news viewer Laura Powell.

12-16 frozen white roll dough--STILL FROZEN (Rhodes)
1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 orange rind, grated
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
Frosting (recipe below)

Sprinkle cranberries in bottom of a greased bundt pan. Arrange rolls evenly in pan. Mix sugar and dry pudding together and sprinkle over rolls. Combine orange rind with melted butter/margarine and spoon over rolls. Cover pan with sprayed plastic wrap. Place pan in cold oven overnight (8-10 hours). Remove rolls from oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap from pan and bake for 25 minutes. Immediately invert pan onto serving platter. Cool slightly and drizzle with frosting.

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice (from grated peeled orange!)

FYI: When I make these pull-aparts I have to make sure the sides have not stuck to the pan after I they have cooked. Just run a knife around the edge and inside tube to make sure it will come out all together.

The following recipe is the Caramel Pull-Aparts version:

use 3/4 cups nuts instead of dried cranberries
4 oz. package butterscotch pudding instead of vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar instead of white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon instead of orange rind

Then you don't even need the frosting, but if you really want it use milk instead of the juice.

(I made this for Christmas morning breakfast and it was fabulous!!!!!!)

Million-Dollar Cookies (Beth)

Am I the only one that checks this?!?!?!?!?? Maybe you all just have a life, I should get one sometime! I guess I just get too excited about food and recipes.
Anyway, I got this recipe of off a local morning show. I haven't made it, but it looks really good and very vercitile. It is out of the Lion House Christmas cookbook.

2 cups shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter

(You can add chocolate chips, chopped nuts, rasins, chopped dried fruits, other chocolates, coconut, M&Ms, candies, etc. You can add whatever you want---this is why it is called a Million Dollar cookie!!)

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter. Add gradually to creamed mixture. Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mold dough into 1-inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in sugar to prevent sticking. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Store in a covered container. Makes 5 dozen

On the show they made these with pecans, chocolate chips, PLAIN (no mix-ins), pistacios and white chocolate chips, and as sandwich cookies. Apparently the dough freezes well.
So have fun mixin' it up!!!!

I am hosting a cookie swap this week and I'm thinking of making this dough and just putting out a bunch of mix-ins for my guests to use to make their own cookie dough to take home.

Coconut Bread (Jerica)

To me, this should be called coconut cake because it's honestly the sweetest bread you will ever taste. This is my fabulous mother's recipe and it brings back wonderful memories of high school, Christmas, and special occasions that I love so much. So please, enjoy!

Bread:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup crisco
2 tsp. coconut extract
3 cups flower
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts

Blend eggs sugar, crisco, and coconut extract. Add flower and dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Add nuts and coconut. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes.

Topping:
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. coconut flavoring

Boil on low for about 4- 5 min. Pour over bread.

Makes two delightful loaves.

TAG!!!! (Beth)

NOW IT'S MY TURN!!!!!
I tag Jordan, my mom-Val, Aunt Laurie, and Aunt Joan for their favorite pasta recipes! I know you have them and I want them!!!

Love you all!

Chicken Foil Dinners (Beth)

I got this recipe from a former co-worker, Jen Grimm McFarland. (I have to give name recognition!) I was tired of the old hamburger patty/potato foil dinners. And you can make this in the oven! But if you want the best Hamburger patty/potato foil dinner, call my mom-she makes the best!!!!

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 medium sliced zucchini
1 sliced red pepper, or green or orange or yellow (I going for color here!)
1 small chopped onion
1/4 cup BBQ sauce, plus 2 tablespoons
2 minced garlic cloves
Layer in the middle of a square piece of foil. Fold up and place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
OR throw it in the fire IF you are camping!!!! And roast a twinkie while you wait!

Creamy Pesto Chicken (Beth)

Thanks for the tag for a chicken recipe Di. I have been wracking my brain to choose just one, I even asked Mom! She said I should post Melanie's Pesto Chicken recipe so I am, in honor of her birthday. Maybe I'll post another one, if I can narrow my favorites down!

Thanks Mel!

(This has a 3 hour cook time, turn oven off after second hour, but leave in for the third hour.)

10 FROZEN boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 large (I think she means a family size) can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream (not the light or fat free)
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 package alfredo sauce mix
2 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup flour

Mix all together and then layer around the frozen breasts in a deep roaster/casserole pan.

(Something bigger than a 9x13 pan so it won't boil over.)

Mel says, "Yes, it's really thick and lumpy bit it thins way out with all the chicken juices!"

Cover with foil. Cook 2 hours at 375. TURN OVEN OFF, let it sit in oven for the next hour.

Mel says, "This is perfect for Sunday dinner if you can program your oven to cook 2 hours and then automatically turn off. Let it sit the final hour of church block and it's done right when you get home." She was telling me that when she makes this it's usually as the family is running out the door to church and honking for her to come! I can totally visualize her doing that!

Serve with pasta and veggies.

FYI: sauce thickens as it cools

Just to let you know, my mom has accomplished making this recipe gluten-free if any of you would like that give her a call!

Mel-Thanks for the great Sunday dinner idea! We all love this recipe!

Banana Bread (Beth)

Here is the recipe for the muffins I brought to Sharon's today to celebrate the gorgeous Aunt Melanie's birthday. And props to me for posting this the SAME day!

4 eggs
1/2 lb butter
5 large bananas
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt

Bake at 300 for 75 minutes.

This recipe was given to me by one of my college roommates, Melissa Kirkham. She would make this and freeze it. I think it tastes better frozen!
But today I made it into muffins because I didn't want to wait for an hour and half for it to cook! I was hungry! I think I let them cook about 30 minutes. I just kept checking them until they were browned on top and the toothpick came out clean. I also added about a 1/2 cup of flax seed and quite a few teaspoons of cinnamon. I was thinking later that I should have used whole wheat flour because I'm running low on white flour. It would probably taste the same, that's a quote from my mom so you can trust it.
I only make banana bread when the black bananas in my freezer start multiplying. Yes, I put my over-ripe bananas in my freezer. I think it helps with the moistness of the bread. Is moistness a word??? If not I just pulled a Rachel Ray and invented my own lingo!!!!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Hi everyone! Here's my favorite chicken dish! I'm seriously crazy over this salad. I know its nothing that fancy and you've all probably had it many times, but here it is anyway! The girls I served with in Kirtland were crazy about this salad too! I gained a lot of friends because of it! :)

Chinese Chicken Salad

3 Chicken breasts
1/2 cabbage
3 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. Chicken flavored Ramen noodles
3/4 c. toasted slivered almonds
1/4 c. toasted sesame seeds (optional)

* as always with me, you can add more or less of any of these ingredients to make it exactly how you want it. I usually add more cabbage than it says.

Dressing:

2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. vinegar
Chicken flavor packet from Ramen noodles

Cook chicken in salted water, cool, and cut in bite-size pieces. Thinly slice and chop like slaw the cabbage. Break Ramen noodles into bite-size pieces. Brown nuts by heating a frying pan coated with Pam spray and stir till lightly browned. Cool and add to salad. Repeat process for seeds. Add all ingredients, except dressing, together. Mix well. Mix together dressing ingredients and add to salad. Mix well. Serve soon after.

enjoy! love maggie

Italian Crockpot Chicken

Well, Di-Nanner tagged me with the chicken recipe, so I guess I'll stop trying to run and hide and just figure out how to post on the blog, finally!

You know those cute moms you see playing outside with their kids until just before dinner time, when you see them casually make their way inside?  I always thought, "I wonder how they do it, play and still have a nice dinner?"  I watch them from my kitchen window, where I am desperately trying to get dinner going with 25 pounds of loud love tugging on my leg and climbing up my torso....until, with my hair caught in a small fist, I decide that Mac & Cheese actually sounds GREAT!  Well....those fun moms?!  I finally figured out their secret!  Crockpot!  They do their work early and then get to have fun....clear up til dinner time!

So that's why this is one of my favorite recipes....and it's delicious!

Italian Crockpot Chicken

4 to 5 chicken breasts (I actually only use 2 with this same recipe)

1/8 cup butter, melted

1 pkg. Italian dressing mix (I use the Western Family that go on sale for 4/$1)

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 10oz. can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom (You can add 2 cans if you need a little extra sauce or have company over)

Take cream cheese out of fridge to soften.  Put chicken in crockpot.  Drizzle with butter and sprinkle with italian seasoning.  Cook on low 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Take chicken out and cut into cubes or strips.  Mix creamed soup and cream cheese together, then add it to the buttery broth in the crockpot.  Mix well, then add the chicken back in and let it cook for another 1/2 hour to warm up.  Serve with favorite pasta, rice or potatoes.  

Try cooking chicken with italian salad dressing mix (dry) as a seasoning for any meal.....it is SOOOO good!  Hope you love this recipe and that maybe one day this week you can play until dinnertime! 

Sweet n Sour Chicken-- Di

Brown up them tenders!
Pour the sauce over them tenders!
Eat them sticky, sweet n sour tenders!!

By the way, I tag Beth, Cami, and Maggie! Tell us your favorite chicken recipe!!
Here is my favorite chicken recipe to add to the collection. I got this recipe from my friend Karen and sort of made it my own. Enjoy!

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks (I just use a bag of the frozen boneless, skinless chicken tenders--thawed of course.)
one egg
a lot of cornstarch
Enough oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan.

Preheat the oven to 325. Heat the oil in the pan on medium high heat, then what you do is you crack the egg into a shallow bowl and beat it. Add a little salt and pepper to it. Dredge (meaning to gently dump) the chicken in the egg and then coat the chicken with corn starch. Throw the chicken into the frying pan. Brown both sides of the chicken. Put the chicken in a baking dish.

Then mix:
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c vinegar
4 T ketchup or catsup, whatever you prefer.
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
Whisk it together then pour it over the chicken.
Cook it for 45 min. stirring to coat the chicken with the sauce every 15 minutes. I'll be honest, your house will smell like vinegar for the first half hour, but then, like magic, it will turn into a sweet, pleasant aroma that will have the neighbors beating down your door. Don't let them in because you will not want to share!!

Tag, Di's IT!!!

Since Emily tagged me, I have to share my favorite recipe that my mom made. Well, the thing is, my mom rarely uses a recipe for dinner. She's like the Swedish Chef on Sesame Street. "A little of this, a little of that, and ner ner ner ner..." It's a masterpiece!! Therefore, I don't have any dinner recipes from her, but I have a lot of dessert ones. She has given me her recipe for her pumpkin cake, which I think is the most divine thing in all the world. Here goes:
1 1/2 c pumpkin
1 c oil
4 eggs
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into greased and floured 9x13" pan. Bake 25 min. Cool and then freeze it! You must freeze it in order to maintain moistness. Spread cream cheese frosting on top.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 c margarine (make sure it's 100% pure margarine without water!)
3-4 oz cream cheese softened
1 lb powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
Mix with mixer until fluffy.

French Chicken

Okay...I have a confession.  I could eat a whole carton of cool whip.  I absolutely loved whipped cream (about as much as this guy!).  I think it is one of the most fabulous inventions in all the world.  Cool whip is definitely my condiment of choice.  How excited do you think I was to find out that you could make a delicious chicken dinner with cool whip!?  Oh, SO thrilled!  Our friends had us over for Sunday dinner and this is what she made us.  She served it with Herb Roasted potatoes and a little salad.  It was heavenly.  I made it again the other day and it is seriously so easy and if you get the sugar free cool whip and reduced soup it's pretty healthy (yay for weight watchers and trying to lose stubborn baby weight)!

Happy Cooking!

French Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 pint cool whip

salt

pepper

paprika

Place chicken in a baking dish.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Mix soup and cool whip and pour over chicken.  Cover with foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.  Serve over rice or egg noodles or with roasted potatoes.

-Starving in Seattle 

(Emily)

Also...I have just discovered that our delicious blog is not just bringing joy and full stomachs to the few of us who post.  I have heard rantings and ravings about Di's Curry and Beth's Pork from friends in California, Florida, and Washington DC!  People are trying these recipes and loving them people!  Therefore...I am going to tag a few people to get few more posts going.  The rules are this: If you are tagged, you MUST post a new recipe in a timely manner (we'll be watching) and then you must tag someone else to post a new recipe of your choice.  Everyone should still be posting whatever recipes they want as well.

So here we go...I TAG JERICA, DI, and LAURA GOODRICH.  I would like you to post your favorite dish that your mom made when you were growing up!

Beth's Brownies

Okay, I hope you all feel loved because I am now giving to you my ultimate brownie recipe! This is the first recipe I ever came up with and my mom still makes it better than me! She reminded me the other day that the secret to these awesome brownies is that you MUST mix it by hand-NO MIXERS!!! I made these the other night for my Young Women and they wolfed down the whole pan! Apparently I've still got it! Here it is.........are you ready to be the most popular woman on the block?!?!?!?!??

Melt 2 squares butter or margarine with 1/2 cup cocoa and a tablespoon of oil. Let cool

Mix in 2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Is your arm tired yet?

1 1/3 cup flour

Stir until the flour is all incorporated. The batter should be very thick by now!

Pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

My mom only cooks them for 20 minutes and then lets them sit for a day. She then swirls melted white chocolate on top. Like I said, she still makes these better than I do.

Boston Creme Pie

I made this for my mom's birthday because it is her favorite! It's not really a pie, more like a cake. I totally cheated and made it the very, very easy way!

Take a regular yellow cake mix, bake it in 2 rounds, follow the instructions on the box. Let them cool and then cut them both in half. Now you have 4 layers of cake! Mix up a package (the small package) of french vanilla instant pudding and spread that between the layers of cake. Then pour some ganauche over the top! Ganauche is made with equal parts heavy cream and chocolate. I used 8 oz. Hershey's special dark chocolate and 8 oz. heavy cream. You heat the cream until it is very hot, don't let it boil-maybe just until it has little bubbles on the sides. Then pour it over the chopped up chocolate and just stir to melt the chocolate in. I let it sit a little to thicken up and then just pour over the cake!

It would also be so yummy if you used some of the thicken ganauche between one of the layers-I think I might have done that!

Make it your own!

Beth

Rice Sausage Casserole

I got this recipe idea from my mom's sister and have played with it over the years.  This is my favorite version of it to date!  Enjoy!

Rice Sausage Casserole - Emily Bohman

1 medium onion - very finely diced

1 c celery - very finely diced

1 medium green pepper - diced

1 sm jar pimentos

1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix

2 1/2 c minute rice

1 lb Jimmy Dean regular ground pork sausage

(I like regular but HOT is good if you like a little kick in your head)

Bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil and add Lipton soup mix.  Stir in rice, remove from heat, and let sit.  Brown sausage on stove.  Add diced vegetables and pimentos and let simmer until the vegetables reduce down and it starts smelling fabulous!  (I accidentally left the onions and celery in my food chopper thingy a little too long.  They were almost liquified!  I put them in anyway and actually liked the way it all cooked up!  So dice to your own discretion!).  Mix sausage mixture and rice together in a casserole dish.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until heated through (about 20 minutes).  If you use regular rice, make some extra soup to add while it's baking in the oven so it doesn't dry out.

Happy cooking!

-Starving in Seattle (Emily)

We tried your curry, Di...

And this is what we did afterwards! It was really good!
love mags and adge

Chicken Curry-- Di

This is what you will do after you eat this meal.

Things you will need to buy:

4 pices of chicken, boneless, skinless, dead

2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped in perfect little pieces

4 potatoes, peeled and diced haphazardly because you spent too much time on the carrots

1 onion, cut quickly so you don't cry

Curry powder

one box of Golden Curry mix (found in the Asian foods section of every grocery store)

Cooked Rice

Things you can buy if you have enough money:

2 stalks of celery

some fresh mushrooms

1/2 a red and/or green bell pepper

In a big pot, place potatoes in 2 1/2 cups of water, bring to a boil and simmer. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a skillet, add the chicken, season with pepper and curry powder, and let it brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes (it won't be done), remove the chicken and cut into chunks. Add a little more oil to the skillet and saute the onions and carrots (and celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms) until soft. Add all the vegetables and the chicken to the pot of simmering potatoes. Bring to a simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Break up the Golden Curry mix into the pot and stir until it has dissolved. Cook another five minutes until it thickens. Let stand for five minutes. Serve over rice. Try not to die from pure pleasure.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce (Beth)

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in saucepan on medium low heat and stir until smooth. You will probably have to add more milk. It gets very thick!!!!
You can serve this with chicken, ham, shrimp, mushrooms, broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, bacon, shredded parmesan cheese, red and green peppers, spinich, whatever sounds good.
Jaclyn and I made this yesterday for my mom's birthday and it was awesome! We called it our "Alfredo Bar!" We had all the topping in a lazy susan and everyone just picked what they wanted.
This sauce is also good as a dipping sauce for bread.

Oh My Chicken

Oh My Chicken - Doug Goodrich
1 whole chicken (or several chicken breasts)
1 can of broccoli cheese soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of chicken broth
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Vegetables (include but are most certainly not limited to... carrots, potatoes, squash, onions etc..)

Directions...
Brown the chicken on your stove top on medium heat and flip the chicken every two minutes while applying a healthy dose of the seasonings mentioned above.
While the chicken is browning, mix the soup mixture together into a large bowl.
Have all of your vegetables previously chopped.
When the chicken is nearly browned on the stove, dump the onions in with it. Let the onions brown for a minute or two. Get a baking pan and put the vegetables and chicken in first. Then smother it with all of the soup mixture. Let it bake at 375 degrees. Trust yourself for how long, until it's not pink and the vegetables are tender I guess. This dish goes quite nicely with warm soft rolls.

I made this at one of the family reunions in a dutch oven. It's good.

Di's Taco Soup

Hi, I just made up a yummy taco soup inspired by my friend Karen's recipe. The V8 juice adds more nutrients and more flavor. Add more juice for a thinner soup.

1 lb lean ground beef seasoned with pepper and browned
1 onion chopped and sauteed with the beef
1 can corn drained
1 can black beans drained
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans of V8 juice (approx. 2 cups)
1 packet of Taco Seasoning
Cilantro

Simmer all the ingredients together. Serve with corn chips.
Optional toppings: cheese, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, olives, etc.

Indian Rice

Another recipe from my neighbor Fatma. You will eat the best rice you've ever had.

Ingredients:

2 c. Basmati rice
3 c. boiling water
1/4 c. oil
a chopped onion
minced garlic clove
3 cubes chicken boullion
garam masala (a combination of coriander, cumin, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, anistar, etc.) I would assume you could find it in any foreign food store. I don't know where to find it in Utah, so if anyone knows, please share! I want to know for when I move back! If you can't find it, then just some ground coriander and a little cinnamon works fine.

Preheat the oven to 350. Saute the onion in the oil, add the garlic and the rice. Fry for a minute then add the masala and the boullion and the boiling water. Place in the oven for about 15 minutes until soft.

Enjoy!!
--Di

Indian Bread

This is a recipe for Indian flat bread that is SO DANG GOOD! My neighbor Fatma taught me how to make it, and she doesn't have a recipe, so I'm guessing on the measurements. You can't really mess it up as long as you pay attention to the texture.

Ingredients

5-6 c flour
1/2 t. salt
2 t. yeast dissolved in 1/4 c warm water until it fizzes
1 can coconut milk (look in the Asian foods section of the store)
sesame seeds (optional)
melted butter or ghee

Mix the yeast mixture, flour, salt, and coconut milk along with one can full of warm water together in a big bowl. Using your hands, break up all the lumps. The mixture should be a little bit thicker than pancake batter, add more water if you need to. Let it rise covered for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven at 300, and preheat non-stick skillet on the stove and pour in the batter. With wet hands push the dough out to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. The batter will get a little brown around the edges and puff up as it cooks. Brush it with melted butter or ghee. Put it in the oven for about five minutes until the top looks hard. Slide it out of the pan onto a paper towel and cover with aluminum foil. The foil will make the bread soft. Repeat until the dough is gone.

Sausage Potato Stew

This is a recipe that Logan gave me to try and it was FABULOUS! We halved it and used summer sausage instead. Enjoy!
Sausage Potato Stew – Logan Bohman
8-10 med red potatoes
2 large onions
1 large green pepper
1 large red pepper (optional)
2 lbs. smoked Polish sausage
1/3 c olive oil
1 Tbsp dried basil
½ Tbsp pepper
1 c cream
3 tsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

Clean potatoes and cut into bite size pieces. Boil potatoes in water until almost done. Drain off water. Add onions, peppers, sausage, oil, basil, and pepper. Cook in large pan until vegetables are tender but still slightly crisp. Combine cream, cornstarch, and water and pour over potatoes and vegetables. Cook until thickened. Salt and pepper to taste. It is very thick; add more cream or milk to make more of a soup if desired.

-Starving AND Sleepless in Seattle
(Emily)

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

4-5 lb. pork roast
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon dry red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons salt

Mix brown sugar, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt together. Rub all over roast. Brown roast and place in crockpot. Bake on low from 6 pm to 9 am.
In the morning add to pot:
1 can Coke (not diet!)
1 cup chicken broth
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion
Continue to cook on low from 9 am to 5 pm. One hour before serving shred pork and add:
1 cup brown sugar
Mix together well and serve with:
rice, beans, shredded lettuce, cheese, and Chili Verde Sauce
This can be served as a salad (which I like to crumble tortilla chips on) or wrapped in tortillas.

Chili Verde Sauce

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
8 oz. jar Verde salsa (green salsa)
2 chopped garlic cloves
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1/8-1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Add juice of 1/2 lime and mix again. Make ahead and chill before serving.

This recipe has a lot of ingredients and it takes a lot of time to cook, but it is so good and it makes a TON!!!! I got this recipe from our stake president's wife. I gave it to Di and she said her hubbie Matt made an awesome chili with the left over meat. Last time I made this I made Lime Cilantro Rice and garlic Black beans to go with it. It was really good. I cooked the rice with chicken stock and a little lime juice and then just stirred in some cilantro at the end. The beans I just heated up with a couple of teaspoons of minced garlic.
I hope you all enjoy!!!!

Crockpot Chicken

4 Chicken breasts
1 pkg Taco seasoning
1 cup salsa

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Put in chicken. Sprinkle with Taco seasoning and top with salsa. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the pot. Place about 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a tad of water. Stir well and pour into pot. Then stir in 1/4 cup sour cream.

(This is Beth, by the way! And this website is awesome!!! Thanks Nanners and Em!)
I like to simplify, so I made this a little differently First of all 4 chicken breasts makes a lot!!! I just use 2 for my family and we always have leftovers! I don't take the chicken out of the pot when it's done, I just shred it in the pot. Then I serve it over tortillas with cheese, of course!, and some sour cream. It's really good and very easy!

I got this recipe from justcrockpotrecipes.com which is a great website. I also like kraftfoods.com and epicurious.com
Would anyone be interested in my Cafe Rio pork recipe that feeds a small army?

I hope all you Goodrich gals had a wonderful Singles Awareness Day! Love you all!

Help!

We're having the missionaries over on Sunday, and one of them is a diabetic. Anyone have any good recipes that would cater to his needs?

Banana Cookies

I made these cookies for my first new mommy's get together today. I found the recipe somewhere on the blogosphere between 2 and 5 AM when Sophie didn't feel like sleeping. So Sophie and I had cookies and milk for breakfast (well...I had cookies and she had milk). The word 'banana' in the title makes it count as breakfast, right? They were quite healthy tasting...until I piled on the frosting. Enjoy!

Banana Cookies
3/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 mashed bananas
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Soda
2 c. flour

Frosting
6 TBL. Brown sugar
4 TBL. Evaporated milk
4 TBL. Butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Powdered Sugar

Combine the wet ingredients in a mixer then combine dry ingredients in a second bowl and add to wet mixture. After all ingredients are mixed, drop heaping spoonfuls of dough on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. For the frosting, add ingredients to a small pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and wisk in 1 tsp of vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make a good frosting.

Happy Baking!

-Starving in Seattle
(Emily)

Mango Salsa Pork

Mango Salsa Pork

1 pork tenderloin

1 jar of Costco Mango Salsa

I started with a 4 pound peppered/marinated pork tenderloin roast from Costco. I like the peppered meat contrasted with the sweet salsa. You could go smaller or larger depending on how many you are cooking for. I've gotten a smaller one at Albertsons.

I added about 1/4 in. amount of water at the bottom of the crock pot, added the meat, then turned it on high for about an hour and a half.

The pork goes from pink to white as it cooks. After the first hour and a half, empty a little water...maybe about a 1/2 cup, then add about 3 cups of mango salsa (from costco) on top of the meat. Keep on high and let cook for about three more hours. (If you want to you could take a full day and cook it on low). I added more salsa before I served it.

Last time I made this it came out kind of watery ( I think it was from the marinade). But it still tasted great. So you might want to experiment on how to keep it less watery.

serve over rice or with mashed potatoes!

-Maggie (Jordan's recipe)

Elephant Pancake

In honor of National Pancake Day, Logan and I went out for free pancakes at IHOP last night - see how desperate we are for new food ideas!!! It got me thinking about pancake day in England. Shrove Tuesday is pancake day. Traditionally in Britain they eat pancakes, often served with sugar and lemon, on the last day before Lent. This is the craziest pancake recipe I heard while I was over there. This isn't something I would normally post, but it's fun and it's something to get us started!

Elephant Pancakes

Put a huge pancake on a large plate. Spread cherry pie filling on top. Put another pancake on top of the first and place canned pineapple chunks on that. Pour maple syrup over the pineapple. Put another pancake on top and place banana slices over it. Pour maple syrup over the bananas. Place a final pancake on top and microwave the whole lot for a couple of minutes. Pour hot chocolate fudge sauce over it all, sprinkle on some coconut. Serve with ice cream or cream and enjoy!

Now, if you have time to make all that and eat all that, you probably have enough time on your hands to make one of these fabulous and very fashionable evening gowns entirely out of balloons!
Happy cooking everyone!

-Starving in Seattle
(Emily)

Feeding Frenzy

Hello Everyone! Thanks to Emily for starting this blog. I hope you will all take advantage of this opportunity to share with us. Posting a message and/or photo is super easy, and I hope you will post some recipes as well. We had the missionaries over for dinner the other night, and halfway through, they told me I had already cooked this same meal for them before. Ooops. I am so ashamed. Help me. My repretoire is in need of expansion!
Doofus in Des Moines
(Di)

Calling All Goodrich Gals

I was talking to Di about how poor Logan is starving to death. I've got nothing. I'm spent. I never thought this would happen to me, but food has become boring. There's not a single recipe in my arsenal I ever want to make again. I'm out of relief society frozen casseroles and I never want to look at a pizza again. I need help! So, we decided to make a family recipe blog where all of you wise, wonderful chefs can share with those of us struggling padawan learners. Please join us! Post a recipe that's tried and true or one that you've recently discovered. If you don't have a clue how to post a recipe, email us, call us, or write us, and we'll post it for you! Leave a family update while you're at it or post some pictures. We want to know what everyone is up to as well! Here's a huge thank you in advance for helping me feed my family!

-Starving in Seattle
(Emily)