SWEET PORK BURRITOS & CILANTRO RANCH DRESSING

For my Mom & Dad's 50th Jill's family made these for dinner after the reunion.  We also had homemade ice cream.  It was so yummy!

Put following in a burrito - can do beans as well and of course cheese.

Sweet pork burritos:
3 lbs. pork loin
cup of salsa
cup of brown sugar

Cook on low all night in crock pot. Shred an hour before eating and add a little more brown sugar (against Jimmie's wishes :) and sprinkle with garlic salt.


Cilantro ranch dressing for burritos:

UPDATE: My family didn't like this as much as I thought they would - 1/2 recipe

3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 package of ranch dressing
bunch of cilantro (don't add too much and chop up little)
lime

SAWDUST PIE WITH BANANAS AND WHIPPED CREAM

Sawdust Pie with Bananas & Whipped Cream
http://luluthebaker.com/2016/11/sawdust-pie-bananas-whipped-cream/
Melissa Bahen (Luluthebaker) is in our ward.

We had this Thanksgiving 2016.  Everyone really liked but they didn't put on the bananas.

1 unbaked 9" pie crust
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 egg whites
Bananas and lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set the unbaked pie crust aside. You can use a frozen store-bought crust or make your own from scratch. In a large bowl, combine granulated and brown sugars, coconut, pecans, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate chips, and salt. Stir until combined. Add the egg whites, and mix with a large spoon until the egg whites are evenly distributed and the mixture is uniformly coated. Spread the mixture in the prepared pie crust and bake for 30 minutes, until the top of the pie is golden and feels firm and set to the touch. Remove from the oven, allow to cool completely, and serve topped with fresh banana slices and whipped cream.

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES

CREAMY MASHED POTATOES
This is the only way I am going to make mashed potatoes from now on.  No longer am I going to use the Bosch. I can't believe I have been making them wrong for so many years.  I love, love doing it this way.  They are so creamy and yummy!  Thank you Pioneer Woman!  I don't always add as much butter/cream cheese and it calls for.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/delicious_creamy_mashed_potatoes/

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 3/4 cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through. 

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES & SLAW

BBQ CHICKEN SANDWICHES & SLAW
Abagail requested BBQ chicken sandwiches for dinner.  I went to Pioneer Woman to see how she would do it.  I was telling my co-workers about it and how you do it before I did it.  They were like wow that seems like a lot of work.  It was but so worth it.  Yum!  Everyone loved it!  I bought a whole chicken and cut it up because I wanted to try doing it.  Next time I will buy one already cut up.  The slaw was okay.  Liked it a lot better about three days later.  I had a small bottle of the BBQ sauce we like so I made a 1/2 batch of the best bbq sauce on this blog and mixed them together.  Thought it was just the right amount of sauce.  It took about 3.5 hours from start to finish.  Would be faster next time if I didn't need to cut up the chicken.  Used my red pan.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/barbecue-chicken-sandwiches/

• 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1 bottle (large) Barbecue Sauce
• 1 whole Onion, Sliced
• 8 whole Cloves Garlic (more To Taste)
• Slaw:
• 1/2 head Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1/2 head Purple Cabbage, Sliced Thin
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• 1 bunch Cilantro, Roughly Chopped

SLAW

Combine shredded cabbage and sliced jalapenos in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Pour over cabbage. Toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate two hours.

Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves. 

CHICKEN

Heat canola oil in a heavy pot over medium high heat. Season chicken, then sear on all sides until skin is golden brown and some fat is rendered. Remove chicken from pot and pour off excess grease. 

Add sliced onions and whole garlic cloves to pot and stir around to cook for 2 minutes. Pour in barbecue sauce, add chicken to the sauce, and place lid on the pot. 

Place in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or until chicken is falling off the bone. 

Remove the whole garlic cloves from the pot and set it aside. Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool enough to handle. Using hands or two forks, remove the meat from the bones. Finely shred the chicken using your hands or two forks. 

Carefully skim off the excess fat that has risen on top of the sauce. Return shredded chicken to the pot and stir into the sauce. Reheat so that it's warm.

Spread butter on kaiser rolls and toast on the griddle. 

To serve, place a good amount of chicken on the bottom half of the roll. Top with one or two garlic cloves, then a good helping of slaw. Top with the other half of the bun and dig in!

GRAPEFRUIT GREEK YOGURT LOAF

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/06/04/grapefruit-greek-yogurt-loaf/

GRAPEFRUIT GREEK YOGURT LOAF/CAKE
Yum! Yum!  Doesn't taste like grapefruit.  Read through comments and lots said it had a strong grapefruit flavor so maybe the ones I had weren't as ripe as they should have been?  Could add a citrus essential oil to this to make it taste more citrus.  You make in a bread pan.  This would be perfect for a brunch type meal.  You could also make into muffins/cupcakes or a cake.  

• 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (180g) Greek yogurt1
• 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable or canola oil (melted + slightly cooled coconut oil works too)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed Ruby Red Grapefruit juice, strained
• 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons grapefruit zest
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean

GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 T freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, strained

1/4 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Once combined, whisk in the yogurt, brown sugar, oil, grapefruit juice, zest, vanilla extract, and seeds. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until combined. Avoid overmixing.
3. Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
4. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool before drizzling with glaze.
5. For the glaze, simply whisk the ingredients together and drizzle over cake. Slice and serve. Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 5 days. I love it cold, so you can store it in the refrigerator too!

Muffins/cupcakes: prepare batter as instructed. Grease a 12-count muffin pan or use liners. Fill with batter all the way to the top. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving. Top with glaze. Makes about 12 muffins.

Square or round cake: This batter will fit into a 9x9 inch square baking pan or a 9-inch springform pan (it will be too tall for a regular 9-inch round cake pan). Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool and top with glaze.

NO CHURN ICE CREAM - REQUIRES NO MACHINE

http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/mint-chocolate-cookie-no-churn-ice-cream/

NO CHURN ICE CREAM
We did this for St. Patricks Day 2017.  Could use any toppings/flavorings.  We liked.  Not the same consistency as real ice cream but easy and good.

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ - 1 tsp mint extract
• 3-5 drops of green food coloring
• 20 chocolate mint cookies, broken into pieces
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

1. With a mixer, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
2. In another bowl combine condensed milk, extract and food coloring. Mix to combine
3. Fold milk mixture into whipped cream mixture until combined.
4. Gently fold in cookies and chocolate chips.
5. Put in a container and cover.
6. Place in freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight.

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN

VEGETABLE CHOW MEIN
We loved!  Easy!  Have everything ready before starting to prepare on stove.  Goes together fast once things prepped.  Sugar snap peas or broccoli would be a good addition.

http://www.dish-ditty.com/recipe/vegetable-chow-mein-recipe/

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 4 cups Napa Cabbage (shredded, more to taste) (Napa was so spendy used regular cabbage)
• 1 cup Carrots (shredded)
• 1/2 bunch Green Onions (sliced in long thin strips)
• 1lb Fresh Steamed Thin Chow Mein Noodles** 
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce (Light)
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup Pure Sesame Oil (To taste)
• 1/4 cup Panda Brand Lo Mein Sauce (oyster sauce, 1 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken base, and 1/2 tsp sugar.)
• 2 cups Bean Sprouts (cleaned and trimmed)
• 2 cups Baby Bok Choy (sliced thin)

**used 3 pkgs ramen - cooked 2 min in boiling water or Angel Hair pasta and cook the pasta for 2 minutes, then rinse with cold water

Step 1

In a large colander, run hot water through the steamed chow mein for about 30 seconds, separating the noodles and removing the excess flour. Set aside. Step 2 In large wok or pan, heat oil on medium-high and add green onions, cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry for about 2-4 minutes, or until the cabbage is wilted. Step 3 Increase the temperature to high and add the chow mein noodles and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Cook stirring and tossing constantly for about 45 seconds and then add the remaining chicken broth. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or so or until all the liquid is dissolved. Step 4 Add the remaining ingredients, soy sauce, sesame oil and lo mein sauce. Continue to cook for another 2-4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve. Step 5 Variation: You can also choose at this point to crisp the bottom by spreading the noodles on the pan and cooking on high for about 1-2 minutes without moving or stirring the noodles. Flip over onto a plate and serve.

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S DREAM CAKE

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S DREAM CAKE
Yum!  Had this for my birthday 2017.  Tasted great days later.  On the caramel-toffee topping we did less than it called for and that was still plenty.  We thought next time maybe do the genache topping then drizzle the caramel and other toppings on individual pieces.

Ingredients

1

box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ chocolate fudge cake mix

3/4

cup chocolate milk (hot chocolate would work too)

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 

3

eggs

1

container (8 oz) sour cream

1

box (4-serving size) chocolate fudge instant pudding and pie filling mix

1

bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Ganache Glaze

1

cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

2/3

cup whipping cream

Caramel-Toffee Topping

1 1/2

cups semisweet chocolate chips (9 oz) (we did 1/4 c mini chocolate chips)

1/2

cup caramel topping (used Trader Joe's)

1/2

cup toffee bits (wouldn't have to have and it will still be good)

1

bar (2.07 oz) Snickers™ candy bar, unwrapped, chopped (we did 6 mini chopped in 1/4)

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.
•  In large bowl, mix cake mix, chocolate milk, butter, eggs, sour cream and dry pudding mix with spoon until well blended (batter will be very thick). Stir in 2 cups chocolate chips. Spoon into pan.
•  Bake 56 to 64 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool 10 minutes. Turn pan upside down onto cooling rack or heatproof serving plate; remove pan. Cool completely, about 2 hours.
•  Place 1 cup chocolate chips in small heatproof bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream to simmering; pour over chips. Let stand 5 minutes; stir until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cake. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Drizzle caramel topping over cake. Sprinkle with toffee bits and chopped candy. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

BREAKFAST POCKETS

https://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/14617061/breakfast-pockets/

BREAKFAST POCKETS
These were really good.  Froze most of them for kids to have later.  Reheated well.  The only things the kids didn't like was the potatoes.

• 
  
• 1½
  tablespoons yeast
• ½
  cup warm water (110 degrees)
• ¾
  cup evaporated milk (110 degrees)
• ½
  cup vegetable oil
• ¼
  cup sugar
• 1
  egg
• 1
  teaspoon salt
• 3½
  cup flour
• 
  Filling:
• 1
  pound bulk sausage
• ½
  cup onion, chopped
• 1½
  cup frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 7
  large eggs
• 3
  tablespoons milk
• ½
  teaspoon salt
• ½
  teaspoon pepper
• ½
  teaspoon garlic salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2
  cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  
  Dough: In a bowl, dissolve yeast in the water. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  
  Filling: Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Add the hash browns, eggs, milk, and spices. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm. Assembling the pockets: Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Punch down the dough and cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
  
  To freeze: Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, place in the freezer until frozen. Store in a ziplocK bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

SEA SALT VANILLA CARAMELS

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2016/10/14/sea-salt-vanilla-caramels/

SEA SALT VANILLA CARAMELS
These tasted very good but were not a caramel consistency.  Could have been the weather?  See recipe in blog folder - there is attached tips.  Used red cast iron pan.  Took about 45 minutes.

• 1 and 1/2 cups (355ml) heavy cream
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (80ml) light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
• 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, softened (plus more for lightly buttering the pan)
• coarse sea salt for topping

1. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving enough overhang on the sides to easily remove the caramel once it has set. Lightly grease the foil with butter.
2. Combine the cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a 3-quart heavy duty saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir constantly as the sugars dissolve. The mixture will be thick and cloudy looking.
3. Once boiling, brush down the sides of the pan with a water-moistened pastry brush. Attach a candy thermometer to the pan, making sure not to let it touch the bottom.
4. Cook and stir gently every minute or so until the temperature reaches 245°F (118°C). Immediately remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt, the vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and butter. The mixture may burst and bubble, so be careful stirring.
5. Pour the hot caramel into the prepared baking pan and top with coarse sea salt. Allow to cool at room temperature, uncovered, for 4 hours or overnight (no need to cover).
6. Once set, remove the caramel from the pan by lifting out the aluminum foil. Peel the foil off and, using a very sharp knife, cut into rectangles or squares. Wrap with candy wrappers, if desired.