HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE

HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKE
Scott saw this on facebook and brought it home.  It tasted a like the hot fudge cake at Izzy's that he likes.  He said he would like this for his birthday.  We did have with ice cream.  I also put on some salted caramel we had in the fridge.  Yum! Cooked in red 9x9 pan.
http://www.afamilyfeast.com/hot-fudge-pudding-cake/

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup Hershey’s Cocoa, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup milk
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• 1¼ cups hot water
• Vanilla ice cream, if desired for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a pot of water on the stove to very hot (just under a simmer).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, flour, ¼ cup of the cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla and mix until smooth.
3. Pour the batter into an lightly greased 2-quart ceramic dish (as shown in our photos) or a 9-inch square baking pan (if it's a non-stick pan, you don't have to grease it) and spread evenly.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, remaining ¼ cup cocoa and mix well. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter in your dish or pan. Pour the hot water over the top – but do not stir!
5. Bake 35-40 minutes if using a dish (or 30-35 minutes if using the 9x9 pan) – or until the center is almost set. Remove your dish from the oven and allow it to stand for 15 minutes.
6. After 15 minutes, spoon the cake into individual serving bowls – making sure to spoon the fudgy sauce from the bottom of the pan over the top of the cake. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired and serve immediately.

CHUNKY APPLESAUCE

CHUNKY APPLESAUCE
My family loved this!  Got recipe off allrecipes.com.  I used Granny Smith apples.

Put all in a pot (I put on a lid to make it cook quicker)
8 (about 8-10) cups chopped & peeled apples (I didn't completely peel them)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Once soft take off heat and add:

2 tsp vanilla

Then chop with a potato masher or pastry blender.

Saw this apple combination on a blog - would like to try:
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/slow-cooker-applesauce-no-sugar-added/

• 2 Honey Crisp apples
• 5 Golden Delicious apples
• 7 Gala apples
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Carmel Corn

Carmel Corn Recipe from Jessica (do not share)

24 cups popped popcorn (remove all leftover kernels)
1 cup butter (I use real butter)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp.butter flavoring (this is the secret ingredient, don't leave it out!)
Combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Boil for 5 minutes. Stir in baking soda, salt, and flavoring. Mix well. Pour over popped corn and mix well. Spread onto cookie sheets and bake in a 200 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
ENJOY!!!!

RUTH'S CABBAGE SOUP

RUTH'S CABBAGE SOUP
This is from the Cowboy Cookbook (pg 75).  The description says Stubbornly good!  We totally agree.  So good with fresh bread or biscuits.

32 oz tomato sauce
32 oz water
2 (16 oz) stewed tomatoes, blend in blender with 2 onions
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 tsp celery salt
2-3# short ribs or neck bones (can also use large picnic pack)
---
1 medium or 1/2 large cabbage
1 cup packed brown sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Combine tomato sauce, water, tomatoes and onions in large heavy pot.  Add bay leaf, seasoning salt, celery salt and ribs.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.  Shred cabbage and add to pot with brown sugar and lemon juice.  Continue to cook for 2 more hours. 

MOM'S (not mine) NO-BAKE CRAZY COOKIES

MOM'S (not mine) NO-BAKE CRAZY COOKIES
These were super yummy!  Nice change from the normal no-bake cookies.  Perfect for a summer FHE treat.

Mom’s No-Bake Crazy Cookies of Incomparable Delight

Makes about 2 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your scoops

1 cup natural peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal 
2 cups of sugar
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-pressed if you have it)
1 stick of butter
½ cup milk
1 cup nuts (optional – if using, try walnut or pecan pieces)
Whatever filler you like—coconut, M&Ms, chocolate chips, raisins. . .

Bring the sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk to a simmer in a large pan, stirring or whisking until the sugar is dissolved and the ingredients are combined. When combined, remove from heat and add in the rest of the ingredients, stirring until it all comes together. The “dough” will be sticky and smell like a dream come true. Scoop pieces of the dough big as you like onto waxed paper and let cool. When cool, they’ll be less sticky and quite easy to handle. Dangerously easy. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk while catching up with your loved ones.

In one of 24 cookies: 207 calories, 10 g fat, 10.6 mg cholesterol, 59 mg sodium, 23 mg potassium, 26 carbohydrates, 17.5 g cookies, 4 g protein.

MONKEY LOVER'S SHAKE

MONKEY LOVER'S SHAKE
Great FHE treat!

1 1/4 cup milk
2 medium ripe bananas, sliced 1/4" thick and frozen
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
2-3 T sugar
2-3 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Blend in blender.  Serves 4.

VEGGIE MACARONI

This came from The Friend.  It was yummy and easy to make.  I doubled the broccoli.

UPDATE: 11/2016 My family loves this recipe.  I doubled all the veggies and cooked them by themselves (expect onion) and poured them plus water in the 9x13.

Veggie Macaroni

1 1/2 cups macaroni

1/3 cup chopped broccoli florets

1/4 cup chopped carrots

2 teaspoons margarine

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1. 1. 
   Boil the macaroni, broccoli, and carrots until done. Drain. Spread the macaroni, broccoli, and carrots evenly in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2. 2. 
   Melt the margarine in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cook until the onions are soft. Mix in the flour, and then add the milk, stirring over medium heat until smooth. Add the salt, pepper, and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted.
3. 3. 
   Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta and vegetables in the baking dish, (I mixed together) and sprinkle the top with paprika. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 30 minutes. Makes 8–10 servings.

BREAKFAST PIZZA

TROY'S BREAKFAST PIZZA
This came from the Cowboy Cookbook pg 181.  We all really liked it.  The Crescent rolls didn't work right so I quickly made pie crust.  Turned out good.  Pizza dough would work too.

UPDATE: Tried making in 9x13 stoneware.  Dough was too thick.  Stick with cookie sheet or maybe try really big pyrex so eggs don't go off edge.

This is for one cookie sheet:
2 cans of Crescent dinner rolls or pie crust or pizza crust
1 # pork sausage, cooked 
slice of ham, cooked 
2-3 pieces bacon, cooked
2 cups frozen hash browns, thawed
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (any cheese will do)
7 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Put down crust on cookie sheet.  Put on meats.  Sprinkle on hash browns, then cheddar cheese.  Beat eggs with  milk and add salt & pepper.  Pour over top of pizza.  Top with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.

BREAKFAST PIZZA
We all really, really liked this.  Was very filling.  A meal by itself of with a veggie or fruit.  We broke off our crust and put honey on it.

Made a biscuit crust (used recipe Cowboy cookbook pg. 202) Was thick could 1/2 recipe for a thinner crust.  Could also use prepackaged biscuit dough.

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
8 tsp baking powder
2 T sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt (only did 1 tsp)
6 T butter, softened
6 T Crisco
1 1/2 cups milk (had 1/2 1/2 that needed to be used)

Preheat oven to 450.  Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a bowl.  Cut in butter and Crisco until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Stir in milk with a fork to form a soft dough.  Turn onto a floured board and knead for 30 seconds.  Rolled out onto round stoneware.  Bake for 10 minutes.

Topped crust with the following in this order:
*Italian seasoning, sprinkled
*cooked - Scrambled eggs (did 8 with chopped spinach - could easily do more eggs)
*Shredded parmesan cheese
*cooked italian sausage (could omit this - just had some on hand)
*fresh or canned diced tomatoes (I didn't realize I grabbed a stewed tomatoes.  So I drained on a paper towel and diced.  Worked well!
*precooked bacon (did 8 slices) tear and sprinkle
*sharp cheddar cheese (any cheese would do)

Broil until cheese melts. 

BREAKFAST PIZZA
This came from The Friend.  We really liked it.  I liked you made it in a 9x13.  Was easy!

6 slices bread
8 eggs
2 T water
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 cup chopped olives
24 slices pepperoni
3 cups shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

Cover the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan with the bread slices.  If necessary, trim the bread to fit.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs,  water and seasoning together.  Pour evenly over the bread.

Arrange the pepperoni on the casserole.  Then cover with the chopped olives and shredded cheese.

Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked.

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE
This came from The Friend - we really liked.

1 cup frozen strawberries, blueberries or raspberries
2 cups orange juice
1 banana, cut into pieces
1/2 cup powdered milk
2 T sugar

Put in blender and blend.  Can add water if too thick.

SPINACH SALADS

MATT & MANDY'S FAMOUS SALAD
This is from The Friend magazine.  We really liked it.

4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 package (6 oz) baby spinach leaves
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 T canola oil

SPINACH SALAD
This came from Candace (Pacific Yurts).  We all really liked it.


10 oz fresh salad (baby works best)
1 quart sliced strawberries
1/4 c sliced almonds

Dressing - mix in a jar and shake - refrigerate 1 hour
(this makes enough for a really big salad or two salads)

1 1/2 T Sesame Seeds
1 T Poppy Seeds
1/2 c white sugar
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/4 tsp Worcestershire
1/2 c olive oil
1 T Paprika
1 1/2 T Minced Onions (I never add this much)

CLAFOUTIS

CLAFOUTIS
This was in The Friend magazine.  We really liked it.  Can be for dessert or breakfast.

4 eggs
2 cups milk or rice milk
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit

Place eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt and extract in a blender.  Blend on low speed for 30 seconds.  Pour into a quiche dish or ovenproof glass dish (used 8x8).  Put fruit on top.  Cook at 350 for 45 minutes or not jiggly.

CHIP DIP

BEAN CHIP DIP

I saw this recipe in either the diabetic or weight watchers.  We liked it.  Good with tortilla chips.

1 can beans, rinsed & drained (I did black but any would work)
1 small red onion (white would be okay too)
Avocado
lime juice
salt

Could also add tomatoes or cilantro. 

OVEN-FRIED DILL PICKLES

OVEN-FRIED DILL PICKLES
I found this in the Diabetic Living magazine.  We liked it.

• 2 tablespoons low-fat (1%) buttermilk
•  1 egg
•  30 crinkle-cut dill pickle slices (about 1 cup), rinsed, drained, and patted dry
•  1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
•  1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
•  1/2 teaspoon paprika
•  1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
•  1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.
2.  In a small bowl whisk together buttermilk and egg. Add drained pickles, stirring to coat evenly.
3.  In a food processor combine panko, cornmeal, paprika, pepper, and garlic powder; cover and process about 20 seconds or until evenly fine. Transfer mixture to a shallow dish.
4.  Working in batches, add a few buttermilk-coated pickles to the panko mixture, stirring with a fork to coat. Shake off excess crumbs. Arrange pickles in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pickles. Discard excess buttermilk and panko mixtures.
5.  Lightly coat tops of pickles with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes. Using a spatula, turn pickles over. Bake 8 to 10 minutes more or until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

EASY SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

EASY SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
This is to die for!   Good with apples, pretzels, apple or pear cake, ice cream, waffles or pancakes.

http://nancycreative.com/2014/09/15/easy-salted-caramel-sauce/

Use this caramel sauce as a topping over ice cream, as a fruit dip for apples or pears, or drizzle it over cakes or muffins…it adds a great flavor when you’re wanting something sweet, salty, and caramel-y! I like drizzling it over apples, and the apples I used here are called SweeTango® apples (I received a few complimentary apples to try out), which are crisp and sweet with a little tart punch. They tasted great with this caramel sauce!

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed dark or light brown sugar (dark brown sugar with give you a deeper-colored caramel sauce)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half (light cream)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, cut into slices
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or sea salt

Mix the sugars, heavy and light creams, and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently for 15 minutes while ingredients are melting and cooking–mixture will thicken slightly. Turn up heat to medium and cook for another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, as mixture comes to a full boil. Then let mixture continue boiling for an additional 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from heat and stir in salt. Cool caramel sauce for about 15 minutes and pour into a canning/mason jar.

Use caramel sauce warm or let cool in jar another 15 to 20 minutes before storing in the refrigerator, tightly covered, until ready to use. The caramel sauce can be stored up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

To reheat, place uncovered jar in microwave and heat for 30 seconds; remove and stir sauce, then heat for an additional 30 seconds (or longer, if needed) and stir again before using.

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES WITH VANILLA PEACHES

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES WITH VANILLA PEACHES
We thought the pancakes were okay.  We LOVED the peaches!  We had them on top of waffles and french toast.  We also just ate them plain.  It is so, so yummy!

3 large peaches, pitted and sliced
3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

• 1¼ tsp vanilla, divided
• ----
• ¼ tsp salt, plus more for seasoning
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup wheat germ
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp melted butter, plus more for pan
• 2 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine peaches, brown sugar, ¾ tsp vanilla and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 200°F and place a plate inside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 2 Tbsp melted butter, eggs, and ½ tsp vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into flour mixture until just combined.
4. In a skillet on medium heat, melt enough butter to coat bottom. In batches, add ¼-cup dollops of batter. Cook until batter bubbles, about 4 minutes; flip and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to plate in oven.
5. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with peaches.

SWIRLED PEANUT BUTTER & NUTELLA STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

SWIRLED PEANUT BUTTER & NUTELLA STUFFED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN LARGE COOKIES
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/stuffed-nutella-cookies/

These are so yummy!  Took them to YW they liked them as well.  They were hard to stay out of.  We used the homemade nutella we had made with the hazelnuts we harvested from Dorris Ranch.  I made 2 batches with nothing in the middle. They were yummy just as normal cookies.  Made the night before and kept in fridge.  Was nice already having the dough done.

I made really big cookies with this recipe (basically two regular size cookie dough balls pressed around the peanut butter/nutella swirl). If you'd like to exercise some self-control, you could definitely make smaller cookies, just adjust the size of the cookie dough and the scoop of peanut butter/nutella.

I liked the little melty nibble of peanut butter/nutella right in the center of the cookie, however, if you'd like that goodness to be spread out more, simply smooth the dollop into an even layer, but don't spread it all the way to the edge, before sandwiching with the top half of the cookie. The choice is yours.

INGREDIENTS

Cookie Dough:
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 21 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 sticks (24 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 cups packed light brown sugar (14 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces)
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups (18 ounces) semisweet or milk chocolate chips
Peanut Butter/Nutella Swirl:
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup Nutella

DIRECTIONS
For the cookie dough, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Either by hand or with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until well mixed. Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Mix well until the batter has lightened slightly in color, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips at the same time. Mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for 2-3 hours (this will make it easier to mold the dough around the peanut butter/nutella swirl and also help the cookies hold their shape).
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter and nutella and gently swirl a few times so that it starts to combine but you can still see ribbons of each. Cover and refrigerate while the cookie dough chills.
After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Take about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and form into a ball and then flatten slightly. Scoop a scant teaspoon of peanut butter/nutella and dollop it in the center of the flattened cookie dough. Take another 1 1/2 tablespoons or so of dough and form a ball and then flatten to the same diameter as the bottom round. Place it on top of the peanut butter/nutella and gently press all the edges to seal well. The cookie will be round but quite thick. Don't press to flatten.
Repeat with the remaining dough and peanut butter/nutella swirl. Place the cookies 1-2 inches apart on silpat- or parchment-lined baking sheets; they will spread quite a bit. I put about 8 cookies on each 12X18-rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate the filled, unbaked cookies that aren't ready to be baked (the longer they sit at room temperature, the more they will spread in the oven).
Bake for 14-16 minutes.