no-boil macaroni and cheese

Photo from plainchicken.com

I loved this recipe because I could cook it without boiling the noodles.  Super easy!

No-Boil Macaroni and Cheese  

Recipe from plainchicken.com
serves 8

1 (16 oz) pkg elbow macaroni
1 cup milk (I used 1%)
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups shredded cheese - I used a cheddar jack blend
8 oz softened cream cheese, cubed (I used light)
2 tsp onion salt
1 tsp dry mustard
fresh ground pepper
1/2 c flour

In a large bowl, stir together the macaroni, milk and chicken broth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix together using a large wooden spoon. Pour into a very large, deep casserole dish. *Make sure all the pasta is covered.  It won't cook if it isn't in the liquid mixture.  I just pressed the noodles down in the pan until they were all covered.*  

Bake uncovered in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Turn oven broiler on for the last two minutes of cooking time to brown up the top part of the mac and cheese. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Cinnamon and White Chocolate Caramel Apple

You guys...seriously. I just need to emphasize that this is one of the BEST desserts I have EVER had. Its amazing. I don't like green apples, don't love white chocolate and don't love cinnamon. Let me just say that the marriage of these flavors is intoxicating. Am I making myself clear? You may think you don't want these apples- YOU DO! I also wanna add that I did not take a pic of my apples b/c whenever I take pics of my food it never looks that good. So...I found this one which is....decent. Mine are prettier because I use demarara sugar (see pic above) and its very coarse and gorgeous!
             I keep on saying mine. I need to give credit where credit is due. I got this recipe from my amazing and talented cousin- Katie. And I have probably eaten 12 of these apples in the past couple weeks. I LOVE finding excuses to make them so I can eat them. I shouldn't admit that. Before I go any further though there is one thing that is absolutely imperative with making these: YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL OF THESE TIPS/INSTRUCTIONS for them to turn out. Trust me. Me being impatient, I tried to cut out a few and they were ugly and the caramel was crispy not soft, etc. etc. If you have had problems with caramel apples before (as I have) if you follow these tips you won't! They will be gorgeous. And you MUST MUST MUST buy the coarse sugar. The texture and flavor MAKES these. Ok, do I sound crazy yet? Good. Because I am crazy over these apples. Moving on....

CINNAMON AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL APPLES
INGREDIENTS
-One bag of Kraft caramels (Wal-mart sells the "chips" instead of the squares specifically for baking. They are awesome.
-5 medium granny smith green apples
-Popsicle sticks
-One package of white chocolate for candy making ("almond bark", "quick candy", whatever the store has)
-1 cup of demarara sugar (FLORIDA Crystals brand-- very important!...others brands taste different)
-1 t cinnamon
-1/4 t vegetable shortening

DIRECTIONS (listen up folks...do NOT stray from these directions!)
1. Wash and DRY your COLD refrigerated green apples. Insert sticks and make sure they are firmly in, tugging slightly. Make sure apples are fully dried before moving on to step 2.
2. Prepare your "space". Get out cookie sheet or some flat surfaced item (tray for example) that will fit in your freezer. That's right, your freezer. Spray surface with pam.
2. Melt caramels as directed on package. (I used microwave method and its great. Just be sure to NOT to overcook and stir every thirty seconds after the initial 1 minute. The stirring will often times melt remaining small chunks of caramel and you might not even need to put it back in.)
3. You need to work somewhat fast here. That's why we already prepared the tray/cookie sheet. Dip apples into caramel making swirling motion with your wrists. Lift up and let excess caramel drip for a few seconds and then take rubber spatula and scrape caramel off the bottom of the apple. Put on tray and immediately place in freezer. Do not wait until all the apples are dipped to place in freezer. I did this and that ruined it. Those first initial seconds are crucial to the caramel setting evenly around apple. Con't with the other apples  and carry each one to freezer and place on tray one at a time after dipping. Katie's little tip here was to have a sliced green apple spread out on a plate in slivers and she drizzled remaining caramel over those. Don't waste ya'll!
4. Prepare your cinnamon sugar in a bowl. Mix 1 c demarara sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon sugar. Leave the spoon accessible b/c you will use this to sprinkle sugar on top. Set a paper plate beside the bowl with sugar in it.
5. Melt the package of white chocolate in microwave. Add 1/4 t of veggie shortening for workability (its too thick without it. you can also use veggie oil but I prefer shortening). Cook in microwave at 30 second intervals. Chocolate gets hot spots in the microwave so this is super important. Stir white chocolate every 30 seconds. A lot of times stirring will melt the remaining small chunks of chocolate making it unnecessary to put back into the microwave.  Again, work fast here. Get the first apple you dipped off the tray (do NOT take tray out of freezer). Dip in DO NOT OVERCOOK. It just needs to be smooth.
           Go to the freezer and remove the first apple that you dipped with caramel. Dip in white chocolate let it excess drip for a few second and then scrape bottom with rubber spatula then hold apple over paper plate and using a spoon, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over apple generously. Do not dip in sugar. It doesn't work. This a very messy step and some white chocolate will drip off. That's why we are holding the apple over the plate and NOT the bowl with the sugar in it. Then run the apple back to the freezer and return it to the tray. Get the next apple and con't these steps until apples are covered in chocolate and cinnamon sugar.
6. Take remaining white chocolate and drizzle over the slivered apples then top with cinnamon sugar. Again, this is just to use all the ingredients and not to waste.
7. Let apples set-up in freezer for about ten minutes. Then transfer to fridge. These apples need to be stored in a fridge. If they are left out at room temp for a long period (we're talking hours here, not minutes) of time the caramel will slip off. But before you cut them, let them drop in temp a little. I usually let them sit out for about 10-20 minutes before I cut them. If you cut them too cold, the chocolate chips off in big pieces.

Now....Enjoy the most delicious apples you have ever eaten. And just so ya know, I had to make these three times before I got all the steps right and actually followed the directions and made the apples correctly. The tips work but don't be discouraged there is a HUGE learning curve to this process.

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

Mom sent me this recipe- they made it for Thanksgiving dinner. It sounds delicious and looks amazing. You can't go wrong with pumpkin and cream cheese.

Pumpkin Cream Trifle

1st Layer:

1 pkg. spice cake

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. water

3 large eggs

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and blend with electric mixer on low for one minute. Scrape down bowl and blend at medium for two minutes. Spray 9X13 pan and pour batter into it. Bake for 32-39 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool completely. When ready to assemble trifle, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Second Layer:

1 large pkg. instant cheesecake flavored instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

2 cups freshly whipped cream (unsweetened)

1 bag Heath Toffee bits (by chocolate chips in grocery store)

Combine pudding with milk and blend with whisk until it starts to thicken. Fold in whipped cream.

To assemble the trifle: Place 1/3 of cake into large bowl, followed by 1/3 cream mixture and then 1/3 toffee bits. Repeat two more times. Refrigerate.

Five Star Berry Cobbler

I am frequently in the mood for cobbler. Over the years I have tried many recipes. All have been a little disappointing. On a funny note I remember I made one about two years and my dad teased me that it should have been called "essence of blackberry cobbler" b/c it hardly had any fruit in it. :) This one is called five star for a reason folks. Its from allrecipes.com and its rated five stars- literally. YUM! Everyone loved it. Oh, and one other thing is that cobbler looks gorgeous and looks like you spent a lot of time making it but we all know that cobbler is a cinch! I made a few changes. I doubled the crust on top, added coarse sugar, used frozen blackberries instead of fresh and the original recipe throws in a cast iron skillet with some complicated steps. Go ahead if you have one.

Five Star Berry Cobbler from allrecipes.com adapted by Claire
• 2 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups white sugar, divided and coarse sugar to taste
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries (any berries will work...or fruit for that matter. THAW a little if using frozen berries)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl mix the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/2 cup boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.
3. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries. Transfer to frying pan and bring to a boil on stove top, stirring frequently. Transfer to 8x13 ungreased pan. Drop dough on the top of fruit mixture by spoonfuls. Sprinkle coarse sugar (demerara sugar is YUM) Place on the foil lined baking sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until dough is golden brown. (mine took slightly longer..maybe 30")

Serve with ice cream- DUH!

Pumpkin Spice Brake

                                                                     picture courtesy

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin bread (but its growing on me- no pun intended haha!). However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE spice cake. And the simplicity of this recipe caught my eye as well. This is a combination of a bread and a cake, thus the name "brake". Adapted from bloggingitswhatsfordinner.blogspot.com.

PUMPKIN SPICE BRAKE

1 box of spice cake (I used Duncan Hines)

1/2 cup oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
Demerara cinnamon sugar (see below!)

Combine demerara sugar  (see pic)and cinnamon to taste (about 1/4 c. sugar to 1/4 t. cinnamon). You can use regular sugar but this sugar is worth the investment- its amazing! I will be posting more recipes featuring this sugar later! You can find it next to the other sugars in the baking isle. The brand is florida crystals.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray two to three bread pans. I used three pans and the bread was about 2-3 inches thick. Combine all ingredients in a bowl using a hand mixer except for water and cinnamon sugar mixture. Then add water.
Pour 1/6 batter into one pan, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar, then add 1/6 more batter. Then cover with cinnamon sugar. Repeat two more times to make three loaves. Cook for 40 minutes. Eat hot and spread each piece with butter.

Chili Potato Burritos

Photo from tasteandtell blog

Before you mark these off--listen!  These are really good and practically vegan, if you leave the cheese off.  These were a HUGE surprise.  They sound weird, but they are really, really good.

Chili Potato Burritos

Recipe from tasteandtell blog

makes 8 burritos
4 baking potatoes, peeled and chopped
milk and butter
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup red enchilada sauce

Put the potatoes in a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.  Cook until tender but still firm.  Drain and mash, adding a bit of milk and butter.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup of the cheese, chili powder, cumin, and garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix in about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Spoon evenly into tortillas and roll up.  If you are going to freeze them, this is the point where you would wrap them for freezing.  If you are eating them right away, place them in a baking dish and spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top.  Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 350F oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Granola

Granola
Recipe from my MIL, Debbie Hutchings


8 c. oats (old-fashioned)
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. of any or all of the following:
       slivered or sliced almonds
       cashews
       sunflower seeds
       flaked coconut
       pumpkin seeds
       any other raw nut you desire
Mix well in large bowl.

In a saucepan heat:
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1 c peanut butter
1/2 c. maple syrup
3/4 c. honey

Heat until bubbly then turn off heat and add 2 tsp.vanilla.  Pour over granola mixture.

Spread onto 2 extra large baking sheets.  Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours.  Do not overcook.  It may seem moist, that's how it's supposed to be!  Let cool.  Put back into bowl and stir in:
2 c. craisins and/or your choice of any other dried fruit.

Store in airtight containers.

Artichoke Dip

One of my all-time favorite appetizers...

Artichoke Dip

Adapted from a friend

1 large can artichoke hearts, not marinated

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1- 8 oz. package cream cheese

small can of diced green chilies, drained (I used 3/4 of the can)

pinch of garlic salt

Dice artichoke hearts fine. Mix together with everything else. Bake, uncovered, in flat casserole dish for 20-30 minutes at 350, or until bubbly. Serve with chilled vegetables or crackers.

Thanksgiving Dressing

I'm not a big fan of stuffing a turkey. I like mine a little on the drier side rather than a big ball of mush. So I tried this recipe last week for our feast, and I loved it! I couldn't find Mrs. Cubbison's herb dressing in the store, so I used the entire box of seasoned dressing and added my own herbs--sage, thyme, and celery salt.

Thanksgiving Dressing

Jessica Sedgwick

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups chopped celery, include leaves

1 cup onion, chopped

1/2 box Mrs. Cubbison Herb Dressing

1/2 box Mrs. Cubbison Seasoned Dressing

3/4 cup cooked wild rice

3/4 cup dehydrated cranberries

3/4 cup chopped peeled apples

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

Melt butter in 8-12 quart pot. Saute the celery and onions until limp. Add the herbed and seasoned dressings, rice, cranberries, and apples. Toss to mix well. Pour the chicken stock over the dressing evenly and toss to stir. Spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick vegetable spray. Lightly fill pan level. Do not pack. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Serves 8-10.

IHOP Corn Cake Pancakes

Photo from tasteandtell blog

Weird, right?  I know these sound crazy but they are really good and tastes a lot like the IHOP pancakes.  I would add more flour next time to the batter--I thought it was a bit runny.  I served it with the delicious buttermilk syrup.  Hmm...yummy!


IHOP Corn Cake Pancakes
Recipe from tasteandtellblog
Makes 16 pancakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup butter, melted


Preheat a griddle to medium.


Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
In another medium bowl, mix eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the milk, buttermilk and melted butter; mix well.


Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with the mixer until smooth. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes.


Spray the hot griddle with nonstick spray. Spoon 1/4 cup portions of the batter onto the hot griddle and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until brown. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions

Pic courtesy of Pioneer Woman

I saw this recipe a couple weeks ago on Pioneer Woman and it just spoke to me. It looked so yummy and different and Fall-ish. I'm not a huge fan of pork and I really don't do roasts all that often any more, but I knew I just had to try this. I'll quote Pioneer Woman on this, "Oh, how I love life. For life includes dinners like this. " True, true, true. This was so different from any roast I have ever had. I loved the sweetness of the apples and the saltiness of the roast and onions. It's convinced me to start making roasts again (every once in a while isn't so bad, right?!).

Pork Roast with Apples and Onions
adapted from Pioneer Woman

• Pork Roast (shoulder, butt, or any roast you prefer)
  
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 4 cups Apple Juice
• 1 cup Beef Stock
• 3 whole Apples, Cored And Cut Into Wedges
• 3 whole Medium Onions, Sliced
• 1 whole Bay Leaf

OPTIONAL: Saute onions until brown. (Or you may just add them raw to the roast.)

To make the pork roast, heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Salt and pepper pork roast, then sear on all sides to give it some color. Reduce heat to low. Add apple juice, beef stock, apple slices, onions, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 3 hours. (Or you may place in a 300 degree oven if you prefer.)

When the roast is done, remove the roast, apples, and onions to a platter. Raise heat to medium-high (to high) and boil liquid, reducing it until thick and rich. For a little extra thickness, whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water with 2 Tbl flour and then whisk into gravy sauce.

Spoon thick sauce over the roast, then cut the roast into slices. Serve with apples, onions, and mashed potatoes.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Photo from tastykitchen.com

These seemed a little high maintenance, but they were easier than I thought they would be and they were really delicious.  The dough seemed to runny to roll in cinnamon but it actually worked well.  

Snickerdoodle Muffins

From tasty kitchen blog

Ingredients

• 1 cup Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2-¼ cups Flour
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ¼ cups Buttermilk
• _____
• FOR THE TOPPING:
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. (I learned the hard way that they are too fragile for just cooking spray.)
In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.
Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.
When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.
Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Baked Pull-Apart Pumpkin French Toast

I had my doubts about this recipe, but I made it this morning and loved it! It is really rich, so I didn't eat too much. My kids weren't big fans, but if you love pumpkin, this would be a fabulous Thanksgiving morning breakfast--tastes almost like pumpkin pie!

Baked Pull-Apart Pumpkin French Toast

adapted from SimpleBites.net

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 loaf hearty whole wheat bread, sliced
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup milk or cream
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

The night before…

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, molasses and 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend.
2. Dip each slice of bread into the mixture to coat well, then place, one layer thick, on a 13×17 baking sheet. Drizzle any remaining pumpkin mixture on top of the bread.
3. Place plastic wrap over the soaking bread slices and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

In the morning…

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter an 8 x 11 baking dish. Mix together brown sugar with remaining teaspoon of spice blend.
2. Remove plastic wrap from the soaked bread and brush tops lightly with remaining 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle French toast tops all over with cinnamon sugar mixture.
3. Starting with the smaller pieces, arrange the slices of bread in the buttered baking dish, propping them up on top of each other until the pan is full. Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops are crispy.
4. Serve at once with pure maple syrup and whipped cream.

EASY Chicken Lettuce Wraps

picture courtesy

EASY Chicken Lettuce Wraps

adapted from Katie Worthington

Cook two chicken breasts in 1 T sesame oil. in frying pan (you can use veg.oil- the sesame just adds a lot of flavor). Chop (I use my food chopper). Return to pan.

Add
1 c. fresh mushrooms - chopped small
1 can water chestnuts drained - chopped small (I use a food chopper for these things as well)
5 green onion stalks sliced 3/4 of the way up
1 T. minced garlic
salt and pepper

Sauce for Stir Fry
8 tbsp. soy sauce
8 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar (I substituted white wine vinegar and it was great!)
Pour on top of stir fry and saute for another couple of minutes.
Spoon mixture into washed and dried iceburg lettuce cups and top with rice noodles prepared as directed on package (optional).



24 Hour Italian Beef ( a.k.a.French dip)

picture courtesy



We are such a chicken family. I don't really like red meat for various reasons. But on occasion I like to throw a little variety into my kitchen. I went for this Italian beef recipe that Katie gave to me and I was SO glad I did. Definitely will become a family favorite and will be on our rotation. Don't let the 24 hour thing scare you- it was a beautiful thing! I put the roast in on Saturday night and then we ate on Sunday. It was great, easy and a big crowd pleaser (not to mention impressive!). Recipe adapted from Katie Worthington.

24 Hour Italian Beef
3-5 lb roast (bottom or butt)
2 c water
1pkg Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
1 pgk. Au Jux Gravy mix (McCormick makes it)
1 t. Italian seasoning
Buttered and toasted french bread or buns
Provolone cheese (optional)

Mix water, dressing, au jus mix, Italian seasoning in bowl. Put roast in crock pot and pour mix over roast. Cook on low overnight. In morning shred and discard any fat. Return shredded roast to crock pot and cook on low until served. Serve on toasted and buttered buns (optional) with a bowl of au jux (the juices from the crock pot) on the side. I also served this with provolone cheese. YUM!

Poppyseed Lemon Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo from indiansimmer.com

So, don't let the fanciness of this recipe scare you.  I never sift anything and it all turned out great.  I only used lemon juice from the little plastic yellow lemon and it turned out great.  The frosting on these is spectacular!  These were super good, please make them--but only when you're having friends over because you want to share these, I promise.

Poppyseed Lemon Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Indiansimmer.com
Yield: 12 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
zest and juice of one meyer lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup poppy seed

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake tins with paper or silicone liners.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.
3. In bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about five minutes.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring they are completely incorporated before continuing to the next one.
5. Mix in the zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
6. Add flour and buttermilk to batter in two separate additions, beating completely between additions.
7. Fold in poppyseeds.
8. Fill cupcake liners 7/8 of the way to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, rotating half way through baking time.
9. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2  cup butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or one vanilla bean + 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1  1/2-3 cups icing sugar

1. Beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
2. Slowly add in vanilla.
3. Slowly stir in icing sugar on low speed one cup at a time.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes and serve immediately.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

picture courtesy

My cousin Katie and I get together-if we are lucky- about once a year. Something that we have done over the past couple years is exchange recipes and cook and of course eat together! She is visiting me now in Augusta and I will be posting several recipes from her over the next couple days. This recipe I would definitely rate five stars. Does cinnamon bun popcorn sound weird? Yeah, kinda. Try it. I promise you will LOVE it. Its not something that would catch my eye and so I am so glad she made it for me. To die for. AND how perfect for a Christmas gift!

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn
Ingredients:
2 regular size bags of popcorn, de-kerneled ( you can used air-popped or something NON buttery. I have used Orville Redenbacher's "Tender White")
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
3 squares of white almond bark
1/4 c. Karo syrup
1 stick of butter
1 t. vanilla

Combine the following in a large glass bowl:
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 t. cinnamon
Add:
1/4 c. light Karo syrup
1 stick butter
Melt in the microwave  for 30 seconds, then take out and stir. Microwave for 2 minutes then stir. Two minutes again. Bowl will be very hot! Stir well.

Now combine in a small bowl:
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. baking soda
Add this to the caramel mixture. It will foam and fizz. When fizz goes down, quickly pour over popcorn mixed with chopped pecans in a very large bowl (maybe even two bowls to have room to mix). Work quickly here. Mix well. Microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again.

Melt three squares of almond bark in a mocriowave safe bowl stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Spread popcorn out over a sprayed cookie sheet and then drizzle on melted almond bark.
*I like to toss it ALL in almond bark although the recipe calls for a drizzle. I use the same amt.- 3 squares.

Pumpkin Streusel Bars

Pic courtesy Google images

My SIL, Macy made these for dessert a few weeks ago and I fell in love with them. So much so, that I made them a week later for a dinner party we went to. I'm not usually a huge fan of pumpkin, but these were amazing. Seriously. I think I'm going to forgo the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving this year and go for these instead.

Pumpkin Streusel Bars

Macy Bell

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 egg

Stir together cake mix, melted butter, and egg until well combined. Reserve one cup for topping. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 egg

2/3 cup sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/4 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg

Whisk together pumpkin, egg, sugar, vanilla, salt and spices. Spread filling over pressed crust.

1 cup reserved cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. cinnamon

3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I used quick oats with great results)

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into pieces

whipped cream , for serving

Stir together reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon, and old fashioned oats. Cut in cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over filling and bake in a 325 oven for 35-40 min.* , or until topping is lightly browned (do not over bake). Serve with whipped cream.

*Mine took more closer 50 minutes to bake.

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits

Photo from melskitchencafe.com

Party in your mouth!  These things melt in your mouth and then you have to eat like 5 more.  Seriously, like 5 more.  These are amazing!  FYI, I also froze some of these and they tasted great the next time we ate them.


Cheddar and Herb Biscuits
Recipe from melskitchencafe.com


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok – the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine three tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixture over the biscuits evenly (alternately, you can dip the top of the biscuit into the butter mixture). Serve immediately.

Tillamook Baked Macaroni and Cheese

                                                            Recipe from macey's.com pic from allrecipes.com

Kinda bummed that we don't have Tillamook out here in Georgia. Would it have been tastier? Probably. Everything is with that stuff, right? I just made sure to use sharp cheddar and you HAVE to have freshly shredded. None of that waxy pre-shredded junk, mmkay?  Anywho...this was still pretty dang good. I served it with the BBQ pulled pork sandwiches (I used chicken though)and that recipe you can find on this blog.

Tillamook Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients
o 1 (12 ounce) packages macaroni
o 4 tablespoons Tillamook butter
o 4 tablespoons flour
o 1 cup milk
o 1 cup cream
o 1/2 teaspoon salt
o fresh ground black pepper, to taste
o 2 cups Tillamook cheddar cheese, shredded
o 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered (I added 2 T butter to crumbs)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan melt butter.
4. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
5. Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7. Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
8. Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
9. Turn off flame.
10. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
11. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
12. Sprinkle with buttered breadcrumbs.
13. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
14. (You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - I generally pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; I then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling. (I am sooooo doing this with the leftovers!)