Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Butter Frosting

A fast recipe (for a sugar cookie) that is really soft and chewy!

3 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. sour cream

You all know about combining the liquids and the solids....
Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen so I usually double or triple the recipe.


Vanilla Butter Frosting

I think this is from my Betty Crocker cookbook. I always have it out of the binder and into my most commonly used recipes binder.

1/3 c. soft butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
About 2 Tbsp. milk (I always put in more until it's a good consistency)

Blend butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and milk; beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.

Graham Cracker Cookies

This is one of my families favorite holiday cookies and they are SUPER easy. They are best baked in a metal pan but glass works fine - just cook them a little longer.

16 graham crackers (about 2 cups) finely ground in food processor or blender
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix ingredients well in bowl. Press batter into a 9x9 reall well greased and floured pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. Cool in pan. Invert pan onto large cutting board sprinkled with powdered sugar. Cut into squares and roll in powdered sugar.

Blessing Mix

Even though this isn't really a recipe, I got it from a friend and thought I'd pass it on. Not only is it a tasty, colorful mix, it also is something fun for Thanksgiving!

*The seeds are shelled sunflower seeds

Blessing Mix

Bugles – Shaped like a cornucopia or Horn of Plenty, a symbol of our nation’s abundance.

Pretzels- Arms folded in prayer, a freedom sought by those who founded our country.

Candy Corn – The sacrifice of the Pilgrim’s first winter. Food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few grains of corn.

Seeds – The promise of a future harvest one will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence.

M&M’s – Memories of those who came before us to guide us to a blessed future.

Hershey Kiss – The love of family that sweetens our lives.

Caramel Apples

Every fall for FHE my family makes caramel apples and every fall when we're finished I think, "I'd like to know how to make these and have them turn out pretty." Well, this year our fellow supper club member, Melissa, made nearly 200 of these beautiful little confections and she was kind enough to show me how. I am posting this merely because I have seen her posting record (zero) and know that this is a project you will have a great time doing.

Supplies: The easiest way to do these is to stock up at a restaurant supply store like Orson Gygi in SLC or the new replacement for Shepherd's Candy. There are a few other little shops around here that sell some of the products as well.

Apples : Melissa suggested Jona Golds (we get them at Allred's fruit stand) and I love them. You could use any tart apple though.

Sticks : they sell wooden sticks with a sharpened end that work really well or a really thick sucker stick.

Caramel: Peter's caramel comes in a 5 lb block and works really well. You can get it at the above stores or a few other places in town. It's a bit expensive ($15 - $18 a brick) but easy to work with and fast. A five pound brick will do at least 24 nice sized apples. If you're dying to make your own, contact me and I can give you a recipe. (I have yet to have any of my 4 attempts turn out but I'm pretty sure I've figured out the solution.) If you have your own recipe CONTACT ME. I'd like to know it. Obviously making your own caramel is considerably less expensive.

White Chocolate: I love using VANILLA A'PEELS found at the above stores. They melt easily and set up really nicely and have a mild flavor. I have used white chocolate chips and do not recommend them.

Chocolate: depending on your taste you could use milk or dark chocolate. Again I like the MILK CHOCOLATE A'PEELS. Use don't have to worry about tempering the chocolate at all. I have used chocolate chips for this as well and they just didn't set up as nicely as the a'peels.

Candy: For your decorating you could really use anything you want. I've tried: oreos, cinnamon-sugar (a favorite), mini chocolate chips, heath toffee bits, butterfingers, snickers, any candy really or just swirl the two chocolates

Cellophane bags and ribbon for gift wrap.

1. Wash, stem and dry COLD apples. Insert stick and lay on parchment paper (waxed paper will melt to the apple) on a cookie sheet. One cookie sheet will hold about 12 apples.

2. Cut caramel in big chunks and melt in microwave at 1 minute intervals--stirring in between--until REALLY runny.

3. Dip COLD apples in caramel and set back on tray. I scrape all the caramel off the bottom of the apple so you don't get a huge puddle. I also reheat the caramel after about every 3rd apple to keep it runny. Place apples back in fridge until caramel is cold. About 15 minutes.

4. Melt chocolates in two different deep bowls. At about 30 second intervals--stirring in between. Dip caramels apples in chocolate of choice. Hold apple over paper plate and cover with desired candy. Using a fork drizzle alternate chocolate on top. Place back in fridge.

5. When set package in cellophane bags (will keep longer) and store in fridge. Before eating leave out on the counter for at least an hour so the caramel is not rock hard.

ENJOY!!! These are SO fun. Let me know if you have any questions.

Jan's Chili

For some reason this chili is RAVED about every time my sister makes it. It is SO easy and tastes fantastic. When the weather gets cold and rainy, we have to find something to look forward to, for me, that is SOUP!

1lb hamburger
7oz stewed tomatoes
32 oz pork and beans (baked beans, Bushes original brand is great)
8 oz chili sauce
1/3 onion
1/3 green pepper
chili powder to taste

Brown hamburger, gr pepper, and onion. Drain grease. Add remaining ingredients and heat through.
*when we make this, we puree the stewed tomatoes because the chunks are a tad chunky, and depending on who makes it, we don't always use all the tomatoes. Do it to taste.
*we also cut the onion and pepper very small - I think that is why the boys love it so much, no chunky veggies.

Spinach Smoothie

I have been looking at this recipe on Mary's cooking blog for quite some time. I knew it would be yummy and I was so excited that it included 3 cups of healthy greens, but I just haven't gotten around to it. When I told Spence about it he said, "yuck!" and when I told my kids we were going to have "green smoothies" today they too were skeptical.

Well, we finally tried them today. After I blended it all up I actually got a little nervous. I thought the first few tastes might be good but I'd probably be choking it down by the end. Boy was I wrong! It was fabulous from the first sip to the last drop. My kids even asked for seconds! and Spencer thought it was yummy too! So, if you're looking for more ways to get in those veggies try this out. I love that you still have all the fiber from the veggies and fruit and are not just drinking juice. Here are a couple of links for the health benefits of kale and spinach. If you want to learn more, google has all kinds of resources.

The kids say they still prefer their "pink fruit smoothies" but I'm hoping to convince them to GO GREEN!

French Egg Bread

This is the bread recipe I brought to the September Supper Club. I cannot harp on any of you for not posting yours yet (except for Eliza--thank you) but really girls...this is so easy. This bread is one of my favorites because it's pretty fast. You only let it rise once and then you shape it and bake it right away and it makes two huge loaves.

I also brought pear jam but that recipe comes straight from the MCP packaging box so I won't post it here.

In a bread mixer (if you have one):
Dissolve
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp yeast

Stir in
1 1/2 cups luke warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup oil
6-7 cups bread flour

Knead until smooth and elastic (soft dough but not so soft you can't work with it) let double in bulk, split in two and shape into long loaves. Place on one greased jellyroll pan. Glaze with 1 egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cut diagonal slits across the top.

Bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

If you grow your own mint...or have a neighbor who has oodles...here is a yummy recipe for some homemade ice cream. I made this a couple of weeks ago in our favorite ice cream maker and we really liked the texture and flavor. Using real mint was really fun but, to be honest, to me it tasted a little "leafy" (although my mother could not detect it). I may have to try extract the next time.

(photo courtesy of simplyrecipes.com)

Oreo balls

I haven't tried these, but they sound pretty yummy. Not too healthy, but yummy! I got the recipe the same place as the raspberry bars

1 bag Oreo cookies, blended in food processor until fine.
Mix with 8 oz. cream cheese and refrigerate.

Roll into 1/2"-1" balls and freeze.

Dip in dipping chocolate.

Raspberry Bars

Set oven to 375.

Crust:
Mix together:
2 cups flour
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Press into 9x13 pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.

Immediately spread approximately 1 cup raspberry jam over crust and let cool.

Whip together:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. milk
Add 8 oz. white baking chocolate (or vanilla milk chips)
Mix until smooth

Spread over raspberry layer and refrigerate.

Top with 4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate (again, choc. chips okay) and 2 Tbsp. shortening. Melt together and spread on white chocolate layer. Chill.
*It's easiest to rotate the pan to spread the chocolate - if you try to spread it with a spatula it mixes with the white.

Thai Chicken Fettuccine

Here is the pasta dish from Needlebees.

1 cup salsa
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. soy sauce
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine
3/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. oil
1 med. red pepper, julienned
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

For sauce, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute. Set aside.

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Add red pepper; cook and stir until crisp tender.

Drain fettuccine; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings

Jaques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm always on the lookout for a really good chocolate chip cookies (meaning soft and chewy) and I tried this one a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. The original is from Martha Stewart but I made a few tweeks for my tastes. I'll post the half recipe because that makes 4 dozen but I'm thinking next time I make them I'll do a whole recipe and freeze half of them...yes, I can be my own Otis Spunkmeyer.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp pastry flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 pound chocolate (I'm not sure that I used quite a pound of chocolate but pretty close. I cut up a blue Symphony Bar and then made up the difference with semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs. Sift dry ingredients together and add to sugar mixture. Add chocolate. Bake at 350 for 9 to 10 minutes. Until cookies look just almost done---if you like yours soft and chewy.

For leftover dough freeze in balls and bake later on for about the same cooking time or one to tow minutes longer.

(photo courtesy of marthastewart.com)

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together and drop onto greased pan (sometimes I'm able to roll the dough into a ball. It just depends on the consistency of my PB).
Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.


I know what you're thinking.....this recipe sounds crazy but they are actually pretty good. My sister got this recipe from a friend. It really came in handy for her when some neighbors came over. The wife was allergic to gluten so my sis was glad she could offer them gluten-free cookies!

Wheat/White Bread

This is the recipe for the bread I brought to supperclub last night.

Combine:
3 c. warm water
1/2 c sugar
1 T salt
1/4 c oil
1/2 c powdered milk

Add 6 c. whole wheat flour
Add 2 T. instant yeast
mix and let sit for about 20 min (so the yeast can do it's thing)

Add 2 c. white flour
(optional add 1 c oats for more hearty oaty bread, my mom always does this)
Set on knead, about 5-6 min
Let it raise to top of bowl or so

Turn out, make into 3 medium loaves (or 2 big, or 4 small....)
let raise until round over the top of pan
Bake at 350 for about 25 min.

*This recipe calls for 8 c flour total. It's your choice how much wheat or white you use. This recipe is just what I've figured to be the perfect ration for wheat bread, with a slight white flavor. Enjoy!

French Dip Sandwiches

There's really no big secret to this recipe, it's just really easy and yummy and my family has been loving it lately. I just slow cook a roast all day in the crockpot and then purchase our favorite baguettes and put it all together. Since our family is still small we'll have roast etc. one day and a couple of days later have the sandwhiches with the leftovers.

Roast
In crockpot put
1 roast
1 sliced onion
bag of baby carrots
a little salt
2 C beef broth

Slow cook all day.

The baguettes are from Classy Cuisine in Riverwoods. You buy them for $2 par-baked and stick them in the oven at 350 for 8 minutes and they come out crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

Slice open the baguette, put in meat and serve with leftover sauce. You can also add cheese and carmalized onions.

Zucchini Brownies

Since the bounties of the harvest are upon us I thought I would post one of my favorite zucchini recipes. Eden actually brought this to the August Supper Club. I've always attributed this recipe to our neighbor, Leslie E., since she is the only one I recall ever making them, but my great aunt recently informed me that it's actually my Grandma Jesperson's recipe (which makes sense because she and Leslie were next door neighbors for years). The original recipe says that the chocolate chips are optional but I personally think they are a must. Anyway, we LOVE it and I've been freezing my extra grated zucchini so I can make this in the coming months.

Cream:
1/3 C oil
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C sugar

Sift together:
2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 C cocoa powder

Add to creamed mixture and then add:
1 C nuts (optional - I don't add them)
2 1/2 C grated zucchini

Spread in 9x13 greased pan and sprinkle with 1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Bake 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Hershey's Creamy Frosting

It was requested that I post the chocolate frosting I use on the chocolate eclair cake. This is just the frosting in the hershey's cookbook and it tends to be what I go off of. This is a very small recipe though so I at least double it. Then, to top the chocolate eclair cake, I make me much thinner(so just add more milk) so it's easier to put on the cake and goes with the consistancy of the dessert better!

3T Butter
3 T Cocoa
1 T Corn Syrup
½ t Vanilla
1 c. Powered Sugar
1-2 T Milk

Peach Cobbler

My Mom found this recipe years ago in the Deseret News. We love it!

Filling
Combine:
7 c. peaches, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. water

Topping:
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. butter
2 eggs slightly beaten

Combine all and beat until smooth. Drop over peach filling.
This is really thick and so I microwave (45 sec. or so) it so it covers more of the peaches instead of just falling in big globs.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

Thanks for letting me join Supper Club! It's fun to be back!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

Here is the dessert I forgot to post from last month!

2 small boxes French Vanilla pudding
4 1/2 c milk
1 12 oz cool whip
Graham Crakers - around 3 packs

Mix pudding, milk; add cool whip. Line pan with crackers - alternating with pudding. Thin chocolate frosting on top!

Flank Steak Marinade

My little family was sick last week so I couldn't make it to Supper Club so here is my favorite grilling marinade.

1/2 c Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
1 tsp. Gound Ginger
1 Tbsp. chopped Onion
1 clove minced Garlic
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
Herbs to taste

Mix ingredients well; Grill as desired. This can be used for any meat. My favorite is with Salmon. It's SO good, even cold the next day!
*I often use sprite or fresca in place of the lemon juice, sometimes extra too, cause it can get a little salty.

Grilled Reuben Sandwich

These are so quick and yummy you’ll hardly notice you even had to cook dinner.

Yummy bread: sourdough, rye, cracked wheat, etc
Pastrami (I’ve been liking the Turkey Pastrami lately. Harvest Fresh has one that is a little pricey but oh-so-good.)
Provolone or Swiss Cheese
Sauerkraut
Lite House Thousand Island Dressing (I added a little ketchup because it wasn't quite sweet enough for my taste.)

Assemble sandwich, butter bread and grill on stove or panini grill.

Char-Grilled Honey-Braised Chicken

Okay, this is my first time posting, so let's see if this works! This is the grilled chicken recipe I brought to the August Supper Club...

Char-Grilled Honey-Braised Chicken
(Bun Ga Nuong)

1 lb. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
honey

Cut chicken into large chunks or strips. Combine brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and garlic. Pour over chicken and marinate in refrigerator about 30 minutes (or longer). Brush with honey and grill about 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped peanuts, cucumber, and lettuce. Drizzle with extra honey.

Raspberry Chicken

Someone brought this to us when we had our baby and it was so yummy! I already made it again. It is great served with rice pilaf and glazed broccoli.

Raspberry Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
4 T butter (or less)
¼ cup onion, chopped finely
6 T. raspberry jam
6 T. red wine vinegar
1 pint whipping cream
½ cup sugar

Optional: Marinate chicken in Italian dressing.

Salt and pepper chicken. In large skillet melt butter. Add chicken and onion, cook completely. Remove chicken from pan. Add jam and vinegar to butter onion mixture and bring to full boil- boil 1 min. stirring constantly. In a separate bowl whip cream and sugar. Stir into onion mixture. Return to a boil and pour sauce over chicken and serve.

*I substituted 1 cup fat free half and half (Land O Lakes brand) for 1 cup of the whipping cream and it worked fine.

Chex Caramel Corn

This is a fun and easy snack to make for whenever. But be careful it can be addicting!!!

4 1/2 cups of Corn or Rice Chex Cereal
4 cups of popped popcorn (one bag)
1/2 cup of honey roasted peanuts
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 Tablespoons of light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

1- In large bowl combine chex cereal, popcorn, and peanuts.
2- In a small microwavable bowl combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and vanilla. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until boiling. Pour over cereal and mix well.
3- Microwave for 1 minute intervals for about 4- 5 minutes, stirring after each minute. Be careful not to burn it, just check in between each minute and decide when it looks well coated then stop.
4- Spread out on wax paper to cool. Store in a gallon Ziploc bag.

Salsa Verde

We are part of a fruit and vegetable co-op that lets us get all sorts of good stuff every other week from the local farmers market. This week we got a ton of tomatillos for free so I tried out a new recipe from allrecipes.com. It was super easy to make and I served it over enchiladas and quesadillas. We also just dipped chips in it. We thought it was yummy so I thought I'd share!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 serrano chile pepper, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 cups water
DIRECTIONS
Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and chile pepper into a saucepan. Season with cilantro, oregano, cumin, and salt; pour in water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a blender, carefully puree the tomatillos and water in batches until smooth.
*I pureed everything in my food processor and it worked well. I also didn't mince the chile pepper and I used dried oregano.

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

My kids and I got a book the other day that mentioned making homemade butter. We decided to make it one night for dinner along with pancakes. Both were equally delicious. This pancake recipe comes from my sister-in-law Jenny.

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 C milk

1 egg

3 Tbsp butter

Sift dry, add wet, mix til smooth, cook on warm griddle.

Fruit Soup

This is my sister-in-law Tami's recipes. She grew up using it as a main dish but I come from a family with 5 brothers and fruit soup would never have passed as a main dish. I personally could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and, with all the leftovers from last night, I probably will. The base is a tangy, orange juice-tapioca mix that compliments the sweet fruit nicely. It's also really easy to make.


5 C water
4 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 - 12 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp sugar

Place tapioca and water in saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook until thick and tapioca is clear. Remove from heat, add sugar, dash of salt and orange juice. Blend, Cool. Stirring once after 15-20 minutes. Cover and chill. Add fruit with juices: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, peaches, pears, red or green grapes, strawberries, bananas, canned fruit, cocktail fruit.

Fresh Blueberry Cream Pie

My aunt posted this recipe a year ago on our family website and I've been dying to try it ever since. I love blueberries and I figured they'd have to be fabulous in a pie. It turned out well and was not super-sweet which I really liked. My dad insisted on trying a piece before I went to supper club and he recommends it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This will have to become one of my new favorite summer recipes.

p.s. Please excuse the photography. My camera is...well...challenged, but hopefully that situation will be rectified someday soon. In the mean time, I am determined to take photos of the recipes I post and you'll have to live with some less-than-lovely pictures.

Main Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream (fat-free or low fat works great)

2 TBL all-purpose flour

¾ cup sugar1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

1 egg beaten or egg beaters

2-2 ½ cups fresh blueberries

1 unbaked deep dish pie shell

Topping Ingredients (I doubled the topping) Combine and set aside

3 TBL all-purpose flour

1½ TBL butter3

TBL chopped pecans

Combine first 6 ingredients; beat about 5 minutes at medium speed until smooth. Fold in blueberries. Pour into pie shell and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with topping. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Chill 2 hours before serving.ENJOY!

July Supper Club

Supper Club last night was great! For all of you who couldn't make it we really missed you and thank you to all of you who could come. Our theme was salads and desserts and we definitely had plenty. I don't know about the rest of you, but it took me awhile to fall asleep thanks to that nice sugar buzz. Paige was an excellent host and it was so fun to see her home and talk with you all until late into the night! Please post your recipes as soon as you get a chance. And if you make anything yummy during the weeks to come post that too!! Also, add labels (at the bottom of the screen) to your posts so we can organize things easily and make sure you press publish post!

I hope you don't mind but there may be some periodic color/format changing of the website. If you have an oppinion, well...okay I'd love to hear it. Thanks for all your ideas and recipes!

Broccoli Quiche

This recipe is straight from The Joy of Cooking, but Megan and Cissy wanted me to write it down, so here it is.

Prepare and bake pate brisee (I use Martha Stewart's recipe for the food processor) in a two-piece tart pan and glaze with egg yolk.

Beat together:
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 C. creme fraiche, heavy cream or half cream and half milk
s & p
pinch of nutmeg

Saute 1/2 red onion, chopped, and 1 clove garlic, minced in olive oil until soft. Blanch and drain 2/3 cup broccoli florets.

Spread onions, broccoli and 3/4 C. grated gruyere on the bottom of the pie shell. Cover with custard. Bake 375 until the filling is browned and set, 25-35 minutes.

French Market Soup

This soup is unbelievable. (Probably not what you'd make on a sweltering day, but really, really good.)

2 qts. water
1 qt. chicken stock
salt and pepper
2 meaty country ham hocks
1 bag of 18 bean mix
1 bouquet garni
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
2 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large chicken breasts

Sort through and thoroughly wash beans. Soak beans 4 hours or overnight in enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. Drain and rinse the beans. In a stock pot, combine beans, 2 qts cold water, chicken stock, pepper, ham and bouquet garni. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt, tomotoes (chopped, including all the juice), onions, celery and garlic. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken. Cover and cook on medium low for and additional 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Soup should be thickening slightly. Locate and remove ham hocks, chicken and bouquet garni onto a plate to cool. Discard bouquet garni. Place all meats on a cutting board and carefully discard bones and fat. Dice meats finely and return to soup.

Freezes very well. Serves 10-12.

Smashed Peas

This is a family favorite -- delicious and very kid-friendly.

1 c. rice
2 T. butter
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
10 oz. package frozen peas
s & p
1/4 c. chicken stock
30 basil leaves (about 1 cup, loosely packed)
1/3 c. parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced

Prepare rice. Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add onion and stir frequently until quite soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add peas and salt & pepper, stir thoroughly with garlic and onion, then add broth. Cover pan and bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes, not longer or the peas will be overdone. Remove from heat and transfer to food processor. Add basil (you can just do dried basil to taste if you don't have fresh). Mix for about 15 seconds, until peas are mashed and basil is chopped, but there should still be many whole peas. It should be lumpy. Combine thoroughly with rice and parmesan and serve immediately.

Thai Pasta Salad

Heat 1 T. oil on medium heat. Add 1/3 t. red pepper flakes, and let them brown a bit. Add 2 lbs. broccoli florets and 3/4 c. water. Cover and cook 6-8 minutes. Uncover and cook 2-4 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. whole wheat pasta.

Whisk peanut sauce:
2 T. oil
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. peanut butter
3 T. soy sauce

Mix broccoli, noodles and sauce together. Top with 1 chopped scallion and 1/2 c. chopped peanuts.

Cranberry Salmon

1 full-length salmon
Cranberry sauce (jellied)
Salsa
Brown sugar
Lemon juice

(Sorry I don't have specific measures; I usually just mix until it tastes right. I'm sure any combination would be good.) Line a sided baking sheet with foil. Place salmon on sheet. Sprinkle with Wondra if preferred. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, then spread sauce on top and bake about 10 minutes more.

Pork and Squash foil dinner

This recipe is for one -- expand as necessary.

1 pork chop, 1" thick
salt & pepper
3 slices acorn squash, 1/2" thick
1 T. buter
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. honey

Cut an 8x12 piece of heavy foil, place pork chop in center. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Lay squash slices on top. Dot butter in center of each slice. Sprinkle with brown sugar and drizzle honey. Fold up foil securely. Place packet on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 25-30 minutes, or until chop and squash are tender.

White Chocolate Popcorn

I brought this for June supper club because I had just arrived back in town that day and this took all of maybe 10 minutes to make.

1 bag microwave popcorn (I like Act II Light Butter--if you can find it--or just butter.)
8 oz white vanilla a'peels (I get mine at Orson Gygi but I'm sure they sell them at Shepherds)

Pop popcorn in microwave, dump in extra bowl and carefully scoop out popped corn into another bowl so you leave out the hard kernels.

Melt vanilla a'peels until smooth, pour over chocolate and stir until coated. Lay on parchment paper on cookie sheet and refrigerate until hard.

I also like adding salted almonds or you could do any other kind of nut or candy.

Deviled Eggs---June Supper Club

I took two kinds of deviled eggs to the June Supper Club. The first one is my mother's classic deviled egg recipe that she swears by. The other recipe is from my favorite food blogger, Elise at Simply Recipes. I modified Elise's recipe a bit (I'm not a huge hot and spicy fan) but I like the basic recipe.

So here goes:

Classic Deviled Eggs
12 hard-boiled eggs
Miracle Whip (not mayonnaise) to taste
paprika to taste

Boil eggs in water with a little salt and vinegar. Boil eggs for 10-12 minutes then drain water and put in ice bath. Let sit for several minutes then peel eggs and cut in half in sharp knife. Put yolks in a bowl and place egg whites on serving platter. Mix egg yolks with Miracle Whip to taste. Then spoon into egg whites and sprinkle with paprika.

This recipe is sweet because of the Miracle Whip. They usually go like gangbusters at any party.

Deviled Eggs (Simply Recipes)
1 dozen eggs
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp minced onion or shallot
1/4 teaspoon tabasco (this is what I did NOT add)
Salt and pepper
Paprika

1 First hard boil the eggs. Fill up a large saucepan half-way with water and gently add the eggs. Cover the eggs with at least an inch of water. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water (this will help contain egg whites from leaking out if any of the shells crack while cooking). Bring the water to a boil. Cover, and remove from heat. Let sit covered for 15-17 minutes. Drain hot water from pan and run cold water over the eggs. (At this point if you crack the egg shells while the eggs are cooling, it will make it easier to peel the shells.) Let sit in the cool water a few minutes, changing the water if necessary to keep it cool.

2 Peel the eggs. Using a sharp knife, slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Gently remove the yolk halves and place in a small mixing bowl. Arrange the egg white halves on a serving platter.

3 Using a fork, mash up the yolks and add mustard, mayonnaise, onion, tabasco, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Spoon egg yolk mixture into the egg white halves. Sprinkle with paprika.

Enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas--May Supper Club

This was the recipe that I took to the May Supper Club at Holly's house. I like these enchiladas because they are a light recipe with a great flavor.

Also, let me acknowledge that most of my recipes come from my mom or my sister and have been time-tested and crowd-approved. I'm really just the happy beneficiary of my relationship to some great cooks. That's why I feel I have a responsibility to share them with the rest of you. :)

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

10 flour tortillas
1 lb. chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
3 cups shredded cheese (Monterey or Colby Jack or mozarella)
1/2 can green chiles, chopped
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 10 oz. can green chile enchilada sauce

Cook, season, and shred chicken. Mix in 2 cups of cheese, sour cream and chiles. Spoon 1/2 cup of mixture into tortilla and roll. Place seam side down in 9x13 pan. Top with enchilada sauce and 1 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

I hope you enjoy.

Hot Chili and Artichoke Dip

Hot Chili and Artichoke Dip



1 14oz Can artichoke hearts, chopped

2 7oz Cans chopped green chilis

6 oz Parmesean cheese, grated

1 cup Mayonnaise

Dash cayenne pepper or Tobasco if desired



Combine and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes.

Chicken with Rosemary Sauce

This is a recipe from Cooking Light that we tried tonight and it was really yummy! I used more chicken broth instead of white wine, and I thickened the sauce a little bit with corn starch.

1 tsp. olive oil
4 (4oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup white wine
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
½ cup fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
½ cup half-and-half

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Add green onions, wine, and rosemary; cook 30 seconds. Stir in broth; cook 2 minutes. Add half-and-half; cook 2 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Red, White and Blueberry Cookies

On Memorial Day, we had lunch with Matt at the community here in AZ since he had to work. For dessert, they had these Otis Spunkmeyer cookies called "Red, White, and Blueberry Cookies" and they were to die for. I went on a hunt to find something similar and didn't have much luck. I adapted another recipie I had and they didn't turn out that bad. Not as good as Otis Spunkmeyer, but we still gobbled them up. Anyway, here's the recipe for a fun patriotic cookie:

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup crasins
2/3 cup dried blueberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat Oven to 350

Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a seperate bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in crasins, blueberries, and white chocolate chips.

Drop on cookie sheet and flatten with a spoon. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack.

California Chicken

I made this the other night and it is a great summer dish! Especially if you have home grown tomatoes, YUM!!

6 Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
¼ tsp garlic salt (to taste)
pinch ground black pepper
1 avocado, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 slices of Monterey Jack cheese sliced really thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Warm oil in skillet and add garlic. Add chicken, garlic salt, and black pepper. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until almost done.

Place chicken on a cookie sheet and top each chicken breast with 2 slices of tomatoes and a slice of cheese. Place in oven for 10 –15 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove from oven, add sliced avocado and serve immediately.

Easy Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This recipe can be used for a main dish over rice or as an appetizer with toothpicks. I've gotten lots of compliments both ways.

1/3 pkg. Costco Meathballs
1 16 or 20 oz can pinapple chunks (depending on how much pineapple you want)
1/2 c brown sugar
3/4 c ketchup
1/4 c vinegar
2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic salt)
1 small onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, dice (opional)

Mix together all ingredients except meatballs. Place ons tove in big pot over mdium heat. Add meatbals and bring mixture to boil, stirring so meatballs are covered in sauce. Turn down heat and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring often to prevent scorching. Excellent sauce.

note: both times I have made this I haven't had any vinegar so I did it without, but it was still very good. I also don't always use the cornstarch because I don't like it to thicken too much.

Chicken Tetrazzini

This is a family favorite of ours.

2 T Butter
8oz Mushrooms (I use more cause my family loves them)
4 green onions (I've used yellow onions more than the green and it tastes the same to me)
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 c Flour
2 c chicken stock
1/2 c whipping cream
1/4 c cranberry juice (I think the normal recipe calls for wine, but we use juice and it's sweet and yummy)
2 c cubed chicken
2/3 c freashly grated parmesan
8 oz pasta (obviously, whatever pasta you prefer, i like bowtie)

In large skillet, melt butter. Add mushrooms, onions, and basil; cook for 4 minutes. In a bowl, blend flour with 1/3 cup chicken stockt o make smooth past. Stir in remaining stock. Pour into skillet, bring to boil, stirring until thicker. Add cream and juice. When you're ready to serve, add parmesan, then add chicken and noodles in large bowl. Yummy!

Brockton Villa’s Coast Toast

We had this today at our Young Women's breakfast for our graduating seniors. It was so yummy, especially topped with cream, raspberry sauce, and fresh raspberries. I thought I'd pass it along!

1 Loaf soft French bread (sliced diagonally, about 1 1/2 –inch thick)
1 quart whipping cream
10 eggs
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 tablespoons orange extract

Combine liquid ingredients. Pour over bread slices. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Remove bread and discard liquid. Spread butter on flat grill. Cook bread until golden brown, then bake at 450 degrees for 5 to 7 minutes on until bread is puffed up like a soufflé.

Dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings

Acorn Squash Lasagna

Again, this may sound like a weird recipe, but it's one of our favorites. Even 2 year-old Q loves it -- and it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients
2 (12 oz.) packages frozen squash puree (I usually find it at Harmon's)
1/2 t. dried sage
kosher salt and ground pepper to taste
1 (15 oz.) container part-skim ricotta
1 C. grated parmesan
8 no-boil lasagna noodles

Thaw squash in the microwave. Season with sage, salt and pepper (I never measure, and am sure I use a lot more than called for). In another bowl, mix ricotta with 1/2 cup parmesan and salt and pepper. Lay 2 lasagna noodles on the bottom of prepared 8-inch square baking dish. Spread with half the squash mixture. Layer with 2 more noodles (opposite direction), and spread with half the ricotta mixture. Repeat layering with remaining noodles and filling. Sprinkle top (ricotta mixture) with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Cover with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 400 until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden on top, 20-25 minutes more.

Cinnamon Chicken

This is a mainstay summer recipe for me. I use it a lot when we are entertaining or have a house full of people. It sounds like an odd combination but, trust me, I'm famous for it because it's delicious!

Ingredients
Chicken, any kind, with skin on (I like to use drumsticks)
Salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste (I really pour it on there)

Preheat broiler. Place chicken on a broiler pan (it's wise to line it with aluminum foil). Sprinkle all over with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Turn skin-side down and transfer to broiler. Broil about 6 inches from the heat for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken, sprinkle again, and broil until skin is crisp and brown, about 15 minutes more.

Check out Simply Recipes

I fell in love a while back with the food blog Simply Recipes. I don't even remember how I happened upon it. I just know that I love this blog and I think the author Elise knows how to blend health and good food. She has a section on wheat-free recipes as well as links to gluten-free blogs and she posts great pics of all of her recipes. She also explains carefully most of her cooking processes so even a beginner can do it. Also, she will periodically host specials on cookware that she has found on Amazon.com and they are such great deals they make my mouth water.

Anyway, check her out! I think you will like the site. http://simplyrecipes.com

Yummy Chicken Fingers

First, I just want to say that I'm thrilled that we started a blog to post our recipes on. Now there is one quick, easy way to find everything.

I sent this recipe around to many of you after our May Supper Club, but I thought it would be a great thing to post on our new blog (thanks Meg!). I read about the ingredients of fast food chicken nuggets in this article and it is also where I got the recipe. The article really opened my eyes. The next day was Sunday and I happened to have some chicken breasts in the fridge, so I took them over to my parents' house and made chicken fingers with the little kids that were there. They were a hit! The big kids (adults) liked them too and they were all gone in a second. I hope you like the recipe too.

Crunchy Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers

1 pound chicken tenders (I just cut up chicken breasts into strips)
1/4 cup honey, warmed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup corn flakes, crushed (I put the cornflakes in a Ziploc bag and crushed them--no mess)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, mix mustard and honey together. In another bowl, place the crushed corn flakes.
In assembly line fashion, dip the chicken tender in the mustard mixture, then roll in the corn flakes and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or when cooked through. Serves 4.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is from http://marthastewart.com and I've tried it a couple of times and really liked it. There's even a demo video on how to make it and with a food processor it's quite simple. The link to the original is http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=e4d943e303a0f010VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&autonomy_kw=Mexican%20Lasagna&rsc=ns2006_pic_r1
but I will also post it here.

1 C fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped (I use green onions and not quite as many)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 oz fresh baby spinach
cooking spray
8 corn tortillas
1 can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 c prepared salsa
8 oz pepper jack cheese (I use mozerella)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees;. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving

Orange/Lemon Water

This recipe came from Bekah by way of lemonade and then Kie mentioned she does the same thing with orange extract and I love both...

For one pitcher size
1 1/4 C sugar
1/2 Tbsp citric acid (found at any health food store)
1/2 Tbsp lemon or orange extract
2 quarts water
lemons or oranges for garnish

Put in pitcher and mix up. Very refreshing on a hot summer day!

It's time to start blogging!

Okay ladies, it's time to get technical and what's a better way to share recipes than a blog? I hope that here we can all share recipes, photos, thoughts and much much more. Thank you all for being a part of supper club!