Aunt Elisabeth's Hot Fudge Sauce

This is the hot fudge that we grew up on. Its creamy, rich, and delicious- whenever you need a chocolate sauce for your ice cream that includes ingredients you have in your pantry, look no further.

picture courtesy google images

Aunt Elisabeth's Hot Fudge Sauce

1 stick butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (if you use milk chips, it will not thicken!)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter on low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add milk and sugar, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil on medium-low heat (still stirring constantly). Once boiling, allow to boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Sauce will thicken upon standing.

Rolls

Finally--a bread recipe I can do!  I have made these twice and they have turned out both times!  I know, it's amazing!  I finally feel like I am grasping the ability to bake!!

Molly's Rolls

From The Sisters Dish Blog

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 package yeast(2 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/2 T salt
• 1 egg
• flour

Directions: In mixer combine yeast, sugar, and warm water; let grow until bubbly(about 5 minutes). Add milk and mix. Mix in oil and egg. Slowly add 2 cups flour, mix and then add salt. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until it comes away from side of bowl. Let rise in mixing bowl for about 30 minutes. Form rolls as desired and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise and additional 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. (Rotate pans after 7 minutes.) Brush hot rolls with melted butter.

Basil and Currant Spread

I'm telling you, this is the PERFECT Christmas dip for not only it's deliciousness, but for it's color. I wish I had a picture, but I don't. My SIL, Macy made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and I could not stop eating it. It was soooooo amazingly good. I would never think to put these things together, but it was the perfect combo. If you don't already have a dip picked out for your Christmas festivities- make this, and I'm telling you, you will "wow" your guests for sure.

Basil and Currant Spread
from Macy Bell (who got it from a friend in D.C.)

1/3 cup olive oil
3 T. fresh basil, minced (must be fresh)
2 t. garlic, minced
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
3 T. fresh parsley, chopped
2/3 cup pecans, chopped
2/3 cup currants (dried)

Stir the olive oil, basil and garlic in a small bowl. Then whip the already softened cream cheese and parsley in a stand mixer, and then add the oil mixture and mix until combined. Then chill for a few hours, preferably. Serve with crackers.

Cinnamon Syrup

I loved having something new, rich, and delicious to douse my homemade waffles in.  This was a yummy and different syrup option.  It would also be good on ice cream.  Mmm!


Cinnamon Syrup
From Your Homebased Mom Blog

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup whipping cream
In medium saucepan, stir all ingredients together EXCEPT cream.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil 2 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cream.  Cool 30 minutes.  Syrup will thicken as it cools.  Serve warm.

Giant Eclair Dessert

Just look at it.  Do you need to ask?  For how fancy this looks it was actually quite easy and really big.  Perfect church dessert sign-up thingy.

Giant Eclair Dessert

From The Mother Huddle Blog

 Crust:

1 cup flour (don’t try and use wheat here)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup water

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 400°.  Bring water and butter to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in flour. Transfer to a plastic or glass bowl and using a hand mixer or a very strong arm, mix in eggs one at a time. Batter will be very glossy by the sixth egg. Spread evenly on a large greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Let cool completely before topping.

Filling:

1 large box instant vanilla pudding mix

1 8 oz cream cheese

3 cups milk

1 8 oz cool whip—or 12 oz if you want a thicker layer and an easier time

spreading it.

Chocolate Syrup

Soften cream cheese by leaving it out at room temperature for a few hours or microwave it for 30-45 seconds. Add the milk to the pudding mix and mix thoroughly. Let stand a few minutes until it thickens and then beat in the cream cheese. It is really hard to get the cream cheese all the way blended into the pudding. Don’t worry if there are tiny little dots of the cream cheese that have not been blended. If they are small you won’t notice them when you are eating the dessert. Spread pudding mixture on the completely cooled crust and then immediately top with cool whip. Using the chocolate syrup bottle, drizzle syrup over cool whip in a back and forth pattern from one end to the other. Take a Knife and drag it one direction and then the other every two inches until you have completed a nice zebra looking pattern on the entire eclair. Keep refrigerated.

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

This was so delicious...my kids and hubby loved it, and it makes a lot. You can use whichever veggies you have on hand for this dish...I happened to have broccoli and carrots. You can use brown rice, but it will take quite a bit longer to fluff up so make sure you account for that when you're making it.

picture courtesy Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Cheesy Skillet Chicken and Rice

Adapted slightly from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced (I used more)
4 medium garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 ½ cups long grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large broccoli head, cut up into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup shredded sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling and hot. Carefully lay each chicken breast in the skillet and cook until the chicken is well browned on the first side, about 3-4 minutes. Flip the chicken with a pair of tongs and let it brown on the second side, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons oil from the pan.

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pan, until the mushrooms begin to soften and start to brown, about 6-8 minutes. Add the rice and continue to cook until the edges of the rice turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken to the pan and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the rice is mostly cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the skillet again, brushing off any rice that sticks to the chicken back into the skillet. Stir the veggies into the skillet well, cover and continue to cook on low until the beans and rice are tender, about 10 minutes. Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces and stir in the chicken and cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Warm Vanilla Milk

I'm sure most of you already know about this, but its my favorite wintertime drink. I cannot even drink hot chocolate anymore! I love it and now that the Texas temps are dropping, this is exactly what I need. I love to drink it right before bed because I swear it makes me sleep better. And, if you don't have one already, you need to invest in a hot chocolate machine. Its worth it, especially for this. Enjoy!

picture courtesy google images

Warm Vanilla Milk

Rachel Crofts

1 1/2 cups milk (I use a fat free/1% combo)

2 Tbs. Vanilla Syrup *

Mix your milk and syrup in a hot chocolate machine or microwave until hot. You might need to adjust syrup proportions, based on your desire for flavor. I like a slight hint instead of being overpowered by the sweetness.

* Vanilla Syrup can be found in the coffee section of your grocery store. Brands are Torani or DaVinci and they are flavor syrups, not extracts used in baking!!

Breadtwists

This recipe is so easy and sooo good! They taste amazingly similar to the breadsticks at The Pizza Factory in Utah.  They even tasted good in the whole wheat version--you know you have a winner if whole wheat breadsticks taste good!

 Breadtwists (Our Version of The Pizza Factory Breadsticks)

From Favorite Family Recipes blog

1½ cups warm water

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:

3½ cups flour

1 tsp Salt

Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter mixed with garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese.

Serve with marinara, alfredo sauce, or ranch for dipping.

*Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Slow-Cooker Stuffing

For any of you that haven't yet picked a stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving, look no further. I grew up on Stove Top and though it was good (How can stuffing be bad?) I have recently been converted over to the homemade stuffing. I'm bringing the stuffing this year to Thanksgiving dinner and I was kind of stressed because I've never made stuffing before. So what did I do? Allrecipes.com of course! I searched for the highest-rated and most rated stuffing recipe and this was it! I wasn't going to make this for the big day, though, without trying it out first and I'm really glad I did, because I tweaked it a little bit and it turned out fabulous. Happy Thanksgiving in 2 days!

Slow-Cooker Stuffing
adapted from allrecipes.com

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups onion, diced very small
  
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped very small
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms, diced very small
  
• 12 cups dry bread cubes
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• up to 4 cups chicken broth, as needed
• 2 eggs, beaten

1. Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently.
2. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. Pour in enough broth to moisten, and mix in eggs. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and cover.
3. Cook on High for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to Low, and cook for 4 to 8 hours.

Note: The amount of broth you add totally depends on you. Add more if you like mushy stuffing and less if you like dry stuffing. If you've added too much, you can take the lid of the crock pot off for the last hour or so and if you've added too little, just slowly add a bit more. If you like a crispy top to your stuffing, throw it in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Easy Baked Risotto

When I made this last week, I served it as the main dish for our dinner. Alongside the risotto, we had a medley of steamed veggies and fresh fruit. It was so delicious and what made it even better was how easy it was to put together, thanks to this baked risotto. Next time, I'm going to saute some onions and throw it in the oven along with everything else.


Easy Baked Risotto
Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups Arborio Rice

4 1/2 cups chicken broth (or any broth you have on hand)

3Tbs. butter

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rice and broth in large oven-proof pot. Stir to combine, cover with lid or foil, and cook for 45 minutes, or until rice is al dente and most of the broth is absorbed. Stir in cheese, butter, salt and pepper until combined and serve immediately.

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

So delicious!  This creamy sauce is so rich and delicious.  And....it has asparagus so it has a vague feeling of healthy.  Very vague.  Very delicious.

Anniversary Bowtie & Asparagus Pasta

From Favorite Family Recipes Blog 

1 pkg. bow tie pasta
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter (the real stuff)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pint heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
10-15 spears asparagus, blanched
1/2 c. bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
Parsley, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT over cook.
In wok or heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and saute a minute or so.
Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream and salt & pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

A fun Visiting Teaching Halloween surprise!
Candy Corn Cookie Bark

From Your Homebased Mom Blog

14 whole Oreos, broken up.  I used the Halloween ones with the orange filling but regular will work fine
1 1/2 C pretzels, broken into pieces.  I used the small stick pretzels
1 lb. white chocolate, almond bark or melts found in the bulk food section
1 C candy corn
brown and orange colored sprinkles
Cover a large cookie sheet with wax paper.  Spread broken cookes, pretzels and about 3/4 C of the candy corn onto the waxed paper.  Place white chocolate in a container and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  Stir and then microwave for another 30 seconds until melted and smooth.  White chocolate melts faster and burns easier than chocolate.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookie mixture, spreading with spatula if needed to coat evenly.  Sprinkle remaining candy corn and colored sprinkles over the chocolate while it is still wet.  Do not let it harden.  Place cookie tray into refrigerator until set and firm.  Remove and gently break bark into small pieces.  Store in air tight container.

{A Little Like Martha} Granola Bars

Yeah, I felt a little like Martha (Stewart, that is) the first time I made these. They are the prettiest little granola bars and the tastiest ones too. Granola bars are a huge staple in our house and I was sick of eating ones that tasted like a cardboard box. So, I went on a hunt to find the best. My search is over people...this is it.

Homemade Granola Bars

Adapted from 337 Greenwich

2 cups old-fashioned slow-cooking oats
1 cup sliced almonds (I got whole almonds and did a rough chop on them)
1 cup shredded coconut (don't get scared here- its not a huge flavor in the end)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2/3 cups honey
3 tablespoons butter, plus a bit for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate chips (or any items you prefer in your favorite granola bar)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9x9 baking dish and line it with parchment paper. I also spray the parchment with cooking spray because my granola bars stick to the paper after cooling.  Toss the oats, almonds, and coconut on a sheet pan and cook for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Toast your wheat germ in a skillet on medium heat on stovetop (watch carefully- this will burn if not tended) until golden brown- about 3 minutes. Transfer oat mix to a large bowl and add the wheat germ. In a saucepan, over medium heat bring the butter, honey, vanilla, and salt to a boil. Cook while stirring for another minute. Then add the liquid to to the bowl of dry ingredients. Pour the mixture into the parchment lined pan by layers, adding chocolate chips to each layer as desired. I have used both mini and regular size chips- my favorite is the regular size...and I used semi-sweet (yum). Sprinkle some on top too! Bake at 300F for 30 minutes until lightly browned. Allow it to cool for at least 3 hours (or overnight) and then cut into bars or squares. Serve at room temperature or store in an airtight container.

Avocado Chicken

This is not a legitimate picture, but this dish always disappears before we ever even get a chance to snap one. Yes, its just that tasty. I got this recipe from my friend, Sheree, who is a great cook. You can trust this one- its amazingly delicious and really impresses. When we had the missionaries over for dinner and made this, one of the elders said it was the best dish he's ever eaten on his entire mission. Score!

Avocado Chicken

Sheree Nixon

4 chicken breasts
Butter
½ c. chopped white onion
1 clove minced garlic
1 pkg. fresh sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. celery salt
white pepper
½ c. chicken broth
½ cup white grape juice
2 avocados
1 ½ c. grated Monterey jack cheese

Cut chicken in half or pound til its thin. Sprinkle both sides with salt, black pepper, and flour. Saute with butter in large skillet until browned, but not cooked all the way through. Put chicken in 9X13 pan and set aside. In the same skillet put ¼ cup butter (or less, if desired) and sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms until soft. Add 2 Tbs. flour and celery salt, white pepper, chicken broth, and juice. Thicken. Stir in mashed avocados and ½ cup cheese. Pour sauce over chicken in pan and sprinkle remaining (1 cup) cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown. I broiled mine for a few minutes at the end for crispy, brown cheese. Serve over noodles (I used spaghetti).

Chicken Chimichangas

Pros: easy, quick meal with all the ingredients on hand, can manipulate the ingredients, baked but almost taste fried.  A good, quick weeknight go-to meal.

Chicken Chimichangas 

From Our Family Treat Blog

3/4 cup salsa

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 cups shredded chicken

2 cups mexican style cheese

1/2 cup onion chopped

tortillas

1 tablespoon melted butter

Mix first six ingredients. Put about 1/2 cup of mix on tortilla, fold sides and then roll from bottom. Place seam side down on cookie sheet and brush with butter and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes.

**  I added black beans and some mexican rice on the inside of mine.  Yum!

Swiss Chicken

This recipe was introduced to me by none other then my mother-in-law (and queen of the kitchen), Julie Allred. I love this recipe because it's so delicious first and foremost, it's super easy, and you can use frozen chicken. So this is SO one of those recipes that I go to when it's 5:00 and have set out nothing to eat for dinner. Therefore, I go to the freezer to get out chicken and hurriedly throw this in. And, I don't even have a written recipe for it. It's that simple. It's in my head.

photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

Swiss Chicken

2-3 lbs of boneless skinless chix breasts (frozen or thawed...just adjust cook time accordingly)

2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 soup cans full of water

1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

Swiss cheese slices to cover chicken breasts

Pepperidge farm "Herb Seasoned Stuffing" ***this is very important. It is in a blue and white bag not a box. Again, very important.

Lay chicken breasts in 9x13 inch casserole pan. I like to cut my chicken in half lengthwise so they are not thick. They cook faster and you get a lot more flavor per bite. Put a layer of deli sliced Swiss cheese over the chicken (I dare you to put two). Then in a bowl mix water, soup and S&P with whisk. Pour over chicken and cheese. Top with ample stuffing. This picture is SO not what mine looks like. I put about a 1/4 inch of stuffing on top. Cook at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes depending on the state of your chicken- frozen or thawed.

(Sorry about the wierd spacing. I don't get it. Blogger did it.)

Tortilla Soup

This is another soup we had at our Souper Saturday.  I loved it!  Plus--added bonus--very low on calories!

Tortilla Soup
From Melissa Pickard

Ingredients:
14 oz can tomatoes, undrained
1 med. onion diced
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 big bunch cilantro
1/4 t sugar
Tabasco to taste
5 c chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 c monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 medium avocados, cubed
tortilla chips

Directions:
In blender, combine undrained tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro, and sugar.  Blend until just chunky.  In large saucepan, add vegetable mixture and chicken broth and chicken pieces.  Simmer 20 minutes.

To serve:
Place cheese, avocado, and chips on bottom of bowl.  Pour hot soup over.  Serves 4-6.

*If wanted add 1 can drained black beans and/or 1 can drained white corn

Tomato Basil Soup

This is my favorite Tomato Basil Soup recipe, and I love Tomato Basil soup. If you've ever tried Nordstrom cafe's Tomato Basil, this one actually is comparable. Yes, it's that good. Try making your own garlic/parmesan toast to dip in it, and it is heaven!

Tomato Basil Soup

this recipe came from my sister-in-law, Debbie

1/4 cup butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. Dried thyme

1/2 tsp. Dried crushed red pepper

1 bay leaf

2 28 oz. Cans crushed tomatoes with added puree

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (I use water and chicken bouillon)

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1-2 cups cream

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients. Cover; cook until onion is tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, and basil. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Puree in blender and then add the cream (this step is optional). Serve. This is really yummy with small toasted parmesan/garlic toast slices to dip into it (try sourdough bread). Also yummy with meatballs in it. Freezes well.

Cheesy Tomato Bread

I am a sucker for all things tomatoes.  Therefore--this is perfect for me!  Quick, healthy meal with some added protein.  


Cheesy Tomato Bread
From Made Blog 

Here are the toppings:
* Mozzarella Cheese
* Fresh Tomatoes (sliced or diced)
* Parmesan Cheese (fancy or plain jane, like mine)
Lightly butter the front and back of your bread. If it's a "let's eat a light lunch since I had 3 cookies last night (and ice cream)" kind of day, I may use spray butter or none at all. But the butter really adds to the toast, so go for it!

Sprinkle the buttered top with tomatoes:
add a little salt and pepper:
Then comes my favorite part: cheese. Bread is really just a vehicle for consuming melty cheesy goodness, right?
Be as liberal as you'd like with cheese over the tomatoes.
Finish it off with Parmesan Cheese and you're ready to toast!
I prefer using the Toaster Oven because it's small and uses less energy for one little piece of bread. If you're making a large batch though use the conventional oven.

Now the KEY here is to first toast the bread and then broil the top (If you just toast, the cheese doesn't brown enough on top. And if you just broil, the bottom of the toast is soggy. So do both).

Toast the bread for the normal time you would toast a slice of bread. Then flip your Toaster Oven to Broil and let the top get bubbly and brown. No time frame here; just broil to your liking. And you're done!

Fruit Dip

Fruit Dip
From the Crafting Chicks Blog

1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip
1 (6 oz) container of flavored yogurt (Key Lime, Strawberry–whatever is in the fridge)
Mix together and serve with your favorite fruits.
I used to think lemon juice (or the fruit preserve stuff I never remembered to buy) was my only option to keep my apples from turning brown. And the lemon juice is pretty sour.
But you can just dip your bananas and apples in Sprite or 7-Up before arranging on the plate. The citric acid in the pop will take care of the browning, and the mild lemon lime flavor isn’t noticeable. No more puckering when eating an apple!