Peanut Butter Mousse

I'm so excited that it's March! Spring is on its way! I have some tullips that are pushing their way up through the cold ground. I'm so excited to see what flowers are going to pop up here at our new house. I have to tell my sister thank you for taking over and posting some wonderful recipes over the last few months. I am finally getting back into the swing of things after having my #4 baby. Babies are so wonderful. I have been enjoying every minute of it. Having 4 boys (not including Dad) in the house can get pretty crazy at times, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I love my boys and feel so LUCKY to have them. This recipe was a HUGE hit with them.

Monday was National Peanutbutter Lover's Day and on Studio 5 (www.studio5.ksl.com )they shared this recipe! I have several, including me, in my house that LOVE peanut butter. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and decided to make this for our FHE treat! It was AMAZING. Our hands and faces were covered with the mousse. We loved it! My sister will be making these for our get together on Sunday after blessing my new baby. She's going to make them mini. We did have a hard time eating them the regular size cupcakes. I think they'll be the perfect bite size dessert for Sunday.

Stephanie Younger's Peanut Butter Mousse

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups heavy cream (cold)

1 Tbsp. vanilla

With a mixer, mix cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Put in fridge. Cream together cream cheese, milk, & peanut butter. Fold in the whipped cream. Stir until it is smooth. Refrigerate before eating.

Cupcakes

I used a Triple Chocolate box cake mix for my cupcakes. Follow directions for cupcake. Cool completely. Cut in half. Place mousse in a ziplock bag and cut corner, squeeze mousse onto cup cake. Put top of cupcake on top of mousse & top it with another dollop of peanut butter mousse. To top the dessert off, you can chop up Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or use peanut butter & chocolate chips! ENJOY!

Caramel & Chocolate Dipped Pretzels for your Valentine!

My very favorite sweet is caramel and chocolate dipped pretzels. Years ago I had a friend who was a pro at making them. I have lost touch with her, and I have tried to make my own. I have been working on them for a few years now, and I almost have them perfect. This year the perfect thing that worked was using my mom's caramel recipe, which is actually my grandma's recipe. It is delicious! We have used it as caramel dip, caramel popcorn, it really can be used for caramel in any recipe. In my case, I used the caramel for the first layer on my yummy dipped pretzels. The recipe is really easy, soft, chewy and of course, sweet goodness. I love licking the spatula! Dipping pretzels for Valentine's Day has become a tradition for me. I would like to do them for Christmas, but I can't make all the best sweets for Christmas, so I save these little treasures for Valentine's day. I love the crunch from the pretzel, the chewy caramel, and heavenly milk chocolate topped with festive sprinkles. To top them off, I wrap them in a simple clear treat bag and dress it up with a cute ribbon. It is perfect for all the love's in your life. I like to use the Honey Wheat Pretzel Twists that are found at Wal-Mart. (They are Wal-Mart brand, and so tasty.) I used to be able to get them at Sam's Club in a big tub, but they stopped selling them, so when I found them at Wal-Mart, I had to buy several bags. My kids love to snack on them, and I get my fair share too. These are so much better than the standard bland pretzel's that our out there. I just used Guittard Milk Chocolate Chips for dipping, which worked out great, but next time I am going to get dipping chocolate. I also want to get pink and red dipping chocolate for drizzling next time. I'm not crazy about the crunch from the sprinkles. So, I'm still perfecting them, but I do know one thing, that I will always use my mom's caramel recipe, so here it is...

Mom's Caramel for Dipped Pretzels

2 cups Brown Sugar
1 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 cube Butter (has to be butter)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Dissolve brown sugar in corn syrup in large pan over medium-high heat. When dissolved, add butter and melt. When butter is melted, add sweetened condensed milk. Stir and scrape the bottom constantly as to not let caramel burn on the bottom. Attatch candy thermometer to the side of your pot and watch closely. When it gets to Soft Ball Stage, keep stirring vigorously and time for 2-3 more minutes. Remove your pan from heat and continue stirring to cool down quickly. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes stirring occassionally before dipping pretzels. Prepare cookie sheets lined with wax paper. You are ready to dip when the caramel stays on the pretzel and doesn't just melt right off. If it slides right off and pools, wait a bit longer. Dip your pretzels and twist with your finger to drain extra caramel off and place on parchment paper to set. Continue until caramel is gone. Any extra caramel can be stored in the fridge and reheated for caramel apple dipping, ice cream drizzling, or other caramel yummies.

When caramel is set, melt chocolate in double broiler pan. If you don't have a double broiler, you can use a glass bowl that will fit inside a saucepan with about one inch of space between the glass bowl and saucepan. Fill saucepan with about 1/4 in of water and boil. Put chocolate chips or dipping chocolate in glass bowl and melt. Dip caramel covered pretzels into chocolate and place back on parchment lined cookie sheet to set up. If you want sprinkles, do it now before the chocolate dries. If you want to drizzle with colored chocolate, wait until chocolate sets up.

When pretzels are set up, assemble in cute bags with bow. There are lots of creative ways to pretty them up. I love tying them with big cute bows. It's simple, and really cute. So if you have some special people in your life that you love, surprise them with these delicious treats!

Happy Valentine's Day from My Sisters' Cucina!

Gingerbread Cheesecake Dessert

Here's a recipe to sort of kick off the holidays! At this time of year, I love gingerbread! I was so excited when I found a Betty Crocker Gingerbread Cookie Mix at the grocery store. I had every intention of using it to make gingerbread cookies with my kids, but I found this recipe on the back and just had to try it out. It was absolutely delicious. My six year old had 2 1/2 servings of it and still wanted more. It was easy to make and ended up being a big hit. You could use any recipe you have for gingerbread cookies or pick up one of these cookies mixes at your grocery store.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Dessert
1 pouch Betty Crocker gingerbread cookie mix
butter, water and egg called for on cookie mix pouch
1 can (14 oz) sweetened & condensed milk
8 oz package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

Make cookie dough as directed. Shape dough into 5 (1 inch) balls. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Press remaing dough into greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. Mix sweetened & condensed milk, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over cooled cookie base. Crumble 5 baked cookies and sprinkle on top. Cover & refrigerate about 1 hour. (I did have to bake my cookies and cookie base for longer than it called for).

Heavenly Peach Dessert

This peach dessert is to die for. It is so yummy! I found the recipe on the Cooking Divas site. I just moved into the neighborhood that does this blog. I'm not sure if I've met the person whose recipe this is, but I can't wait to thank her for it. I want to run out and get more peaches just so I can make it again. It is delicious. A definite must try. Here's the link to it: http://thecookingdivaideas.blogspot.com/2009/09/shannons-famous-fresh-peach-dessert.html

I did double the crust and saved some to sprinkle on top. Other than that, I followed the recipe. My family gobbled this up. I'm glad that I have just a little bit waiting for me in the refrigerator. Can't wait for my alone time tonight when the kids are in bed.

FYI

Me & a friend are selling these fun corn stalks! I will have more information to come, but if any of you live in the Layton, Bountiful or Salt Lake areas and are interested, leave me a comment and I will keep you posted as to when we will be selling them.

Triple-Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars

We have a favorite ice cream place that makes the best Banana Cream Pie Shakes. We love a good shake, and I love the Banana Cream Pie shake because it is light and honestly...I can eat it all and not feel so bad as opposed to the Hot Fudge shake, with extra hot fudge. Anyhow this post is not a Banana Cream Pie shake, but Banana Cream Pie Bars that taste so close to the yummy shake that I love. It is so tasty, light, and delicious for a summer dessert! It is definitely a favorite at our house. I found this recipe in another Kraft Food & Family Magazine.

***Sorry for the lack of posting. I am 3 weeks away from having a baby, and have this huge desire to clean, organize, remodel, and do the things that would have been a lot easier 1 year ago when I didn't have a basketball in my tummy and could move a lot quicker without so much pain. My sister on the other hand is now pregnant, and sicker than ever. She doesn't even want to think about food, let alone look at our blog. We will do our best to keep up on the posts... in the meantime hang in there with us...please!!!

Triple-Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars
Kraft Food & Family - Jeff DeLong

1 1/2 cups crushed Nilla Wafers (about 60 wafers)
1/2 cup Planters Chopped Pecans
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 bananas, sliced
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, pecans and butter in 13X9-inch baking dish; press firmly onto bottom of dish. Bake 8 min. Cool 10 min.

Top crust with banana slices. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Spoon 2 cups of the pudding over banana layer.

Gently stir 1 cup of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spoon over pie. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Refrigerate 3 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This cheesecake is amazing!!! It is so delicious, and different. It has a crispy, sweet and chewy crust on the top and bottom, and an amazing creamy, cream cheese filling. My husband and I absolutely loved this, and gobbled it up. I did share it with my friend, and she fell in love with it too. I think it is restaurant worthy! The fresh cut strawberries added a perfect spring taste. I found this recipe on Real Mom Kitchen. I love Laura's blog, and check it daily. I can always find a great recipe on her blog. Check out her blog at www.realmomkitchen.blogspot.com .

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent rolls
2-8oz Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 stick butter (1/2 cup real butter not margarine)

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll and press 1 can crescent rolls into the bottom of your baking dish press the seams together. In a separate bowl blend the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Spread over top of dough. Unroll the second can of crescent rolls and place on top of the cream cheese mixture pressing seams together again. Melt butter and pour over top layer of crescents. Mix the reaming 1/2 cup of sugar & cinnamon together. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture generously over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until bubbly and bottom crust is slightly brown. Cool, slice and enjoy!

The Ultimate Vanishing Breakfast Rolls

This recipe goes way back to the good old junior high days in Home Ec. I had forgotten about these little sticky pieces of heaven you can just pop in your mouth. I used to make them all the time when I lived at home. They were a real treat for breakfast, but I would make them for a dessert now. We had playgroup last week and we took these with us. We didn't leave with a single one. They were devoured! They are called vanishing breakfast rolls not only because they are gone in a snap, but because you bite into them and there is nothing inside! The yummy filling of marshmallow rolled in butter and cinnamon and sugar has vanished and melted all over the biscuit, making them sticky and delicious! These are so easy to make. I made them in 30 minutes and was out the door! So, if you are looking for a quick treat try these Vanishing Breakfast Rolls for breakfast or dessert and "wow" your family and friends!


Vanishing Breakfast Rolls

2 pkgs Refridgerated Biscuits (10 rolls per pack)
Marshmallows, Big or Mini
3 Tbsp Butter, melted
Cinnamon & Sugar mix (1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

Seperate biscuits and smash down with the palm of your hand. If you have big marshmallows you are ready to roll marshmallow in butter, then into cinnamon & sugar. If you have mini marshmallows take a handful and roll them into a ball with your hands, then roll in butter and cinnamon & sugar. Place one buttery, cinnamon & sugar marshmallow on each flattened biscuit and wrap biscuit around and pinch to seal. Place in sprayed cupcake pan seam side down and bake at the degrees according to biscuit package directions. Mine were 400 degrees. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and serve. Yumm!!!

***In Home Ec we were taught to bake them on a cookie sheet pan, but I have found that they work best in muffin pans. That way your marshmallow filling melts right around your biscuit instead of all over the cookie sheet making a big mess and losing all your filling.

We are having some lovely snowy spring weather here where I live, so if you are like me you are going to need a warm comfort food. Pop these into the oven and enjoy a warm treat!

Happy Spring!!!

Marbled Cheesecake Hearts

Last week we went to a ward activity and signed up to bring a dessert. I wanted to do something a little different than cookies or brownies. In my search for a new dessert, I found this in The Essential Mormon Cookbook. I loved it! My husband LOVES cheesecake, but I never make it. This recipe was pretty easy and oh so yummy! I started out using a small heart cookie cutter, but it took a little while to get it out without messing it up, so I cut them into small squares. There weren't any left on the plate at the end of the night.

Marbled Cheesecake Hearts
Chocolate Cookie Crust
2 cups finely crushed Oreo cookies
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine melted

Line a 9x13 baking pan with heavy foil. Grease foil. Combine crumbs and butter. Press firmly into pan (I love the crust so I used about 3 cups crushed cookies and 3 1/2 Tbsp butter).

Filling
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate melted

In a large bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Pour 3/4 of batter evenly over chocolate crust. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter. Place spoonfuls of chocolate batter over the vanilla batter. Take a butter knife and swirl chocolate batter through vanilla batter gently to give marbleized look. Bake at 300 for 45 - 50 minutes or until set (I cooked mine for 40 minutes). Cool. Chill for several hours until firm. Use foil to lift out of pan. Use a heart cookie cutter to make heart shapes or simply cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.


You can get The Essential Mormon Cookbook at many bookstores including Deseret Book and Seagul Book & Tape. It is filled with wonderful recipes for all seasons.

Wrapping Up The Holiday's with Symphony Pie!

I have had some major bloggers block. We have been so busy this holiday season, as have all of you, but I have really struggled posting lately. My sister has bailed me out. I am pregnant, and I have no desire to look at food, and struggle making it. My family has suffered, that's for sure. It has been nice having so many parties and get togethers so that I don't have to cook as much. Now with the holiday's coming to a close, I've got to get back in the groove of making and planning meals. The thought really makes me ill. I like to eat what sounds good to me, but the rest of the family has to like it too. It's definitely a problem, and I can't wait for it to be over. I shouldn't complain. I have very easy pregnancies, compared to my sisters'. The beginning is my hardest part. On to this creamy Symphony pie dessert!

This is my GO TO dessert when I need something speedy, and delicious! I always make this pie to go along with a meal for a neighbor. You put it together in the morning, pop it in the freezer, and don't have to worry about it until you are ready to eat it, or deliver it. I got this recipe from an awesome neighbor who brought it to me after I had my first child. My husband and I fell in love with the dessert and HAD to have the recipe. We were sure that it was complicated, and had some special ingredients in it. We couldn't believe how easy it was. We have tried it several ways, but this is our favorite.

Symphony Pie

1 King Size Symphony bar (milk chocolate or toffee chip)
1/4 cup water
1 8 oz. tub Cool Whip
Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Break up Symphony bar and add water in large microwave safe bowl. Heat in microwave for 45 seconds. Remove and mix with spoon so that all of the chocolate is melted. Add Cool Whip and mix very well. I do this for about five minutes making sure that all of the chocolate is incorporated. Pour chocolate mixture into Graham Cracker Pie Crust and spread evenly. Cover and freeze for 3 hours before served. It will stay good in the freezer for weeks, but I guarantee you that it won't last that long.

***We prefer the Milk Chocolate over the toffee, but they are both fantastic. We stock up on the Symphony bars when they go for 10 for $10. Then we always have them on hand when we need them. This is a great pie to experiment with. We have done a Reese's pie with about 8-10 cups, made the exact same way. It was delicious.

Enjoy!!! Happy New Year!

Candy Cane Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert & BIG HUNK

Well, Christmas is almost upon us. We've had my husband's family in town this weekend and it's been full of lots of good food. We're the only ones with a house, so we've been the headquarters for all of our activities and meals. We've had a lot of fun! This dessert is now one of my favorites. I made some changes in my normal recipe for this to make it more, "Christmasy". It was very good.

Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert
10 Fat Boy ice cream sandwiches
12 ounces cool whip
1/4 -1/2 cup crushed candy canes (I crush them in a food chopper or processor)
Chocolate Syrup

Unwrap ice cream sandwiches and place in a 9x13 baking dish. I can fit 2 1/2 sandwiches on each row. Take crushed candy canes and stir into cool whip. Once mixed, spread evenly over ice cream sandwiches. Drizzle chocolate syrup over cool whip. Top with pieces of candy cane. Place in freezer until ready to serve.

Here's another favorite treat. I will never buy a Big Hunk candy bar from the store again. This is soooo soft and yummy. I got this recipe from a friend in my ward. She brought it to a cookies exchange a couple years ago and was so kind to share the recipe with me.

Homemade BIG HUNK

1 larger bottle Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts (lightly salted)

3 smaller jars Kraft Marshmallow Cream

2 1/4 cups light corn syrup

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 tsp salt

Butter a large cookie sheet. Scatter peanuts equally on cookie sheet. Place marshmallow cream in a LARGE bowl, set aside. In a large saucepan, combine corn syrup and sugar. Place over high heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until mixture comes to a boil. Clip on candy thermometer. Cook to 280 degrees F, or to soft crack stage. Remover from heat and let stand 2 minutes undisturbed. Without scraping, pour entire batch into marshmallow cream and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add butter, vanilla, and salt and stir with wooden spoon until butter in incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly across peanuts. Allow to stand at room temperature until firm, about 3 hours. Cut and wrap in wax paper.

Holiday Fudge & Gift Ideas

The first week of December is done. I, along with many of you, am trying to get my neighbor gifts put together and delivered so that I can enjoy the rest of the month with my family. Here are a couple ideas for you. The first is a wonderful hot fudge recipe that comes from my aunt. She makes it every year for and puts them in a small ziploc or glad storage container and ties it with a bow. I decided to do it a couple years ago and it was a hit.

Hot Fudge
2 cubes butter
2 2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (do not substitute milk chocolate chips)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Place butter, evaporated milk and chocolate chips in pot. Cook over medium high heat until butter is melted. Add powdered sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes stirring constantly. Turn of heat and add vanilla. Let sit, stirring occasionally and enjoy on ice cream with your favorite toppins. ( It's very good on pepermint ice cream with a chocolate brownie on the side).

Holiday M & M's
This is what I am doing for my neighbors this year. I had a friend that did this a few years ago and I thought it was so cute. Whenever I eat M & M's, I always think of this little poem. I found the poem on one of my favorite webites, http://www.sugardoodle.net/ . I will put it here, but be sure to check out this website.

As you hold these candies in your hand

And turn them, you will see

The 'M' becomes a 'W',

An 'E', and then a '3'.

They tell the Christmas Story--

I'm sure it's one you know.

It took place in a stable

A long, long time ago.

The 'E' is for the East,

Where the star shone so bright.

The 'M' is for the Manger,

where the Baby Jesus slept at night.

The '3' is for the Wisemen,

Bearing gifts, with which they came.

'W' is for Worship, Hallelujah!

Praise His Name!

So as you eat these candies

Or share them with a friend,

Remember the meaning of Christmas:

It's a love that never ends.

Here are a few ideas and I will post a few more in the next day or two! Happy Holidays!

Pumpkin Pie Squares & a Sweet Swap

I made these little pumpkin pie squares for a sweet swap that I hosted last night. They were heavenly. If you love pumpkin pie, you will love these! The coconut, graham cracker crumbs, & pecans just add so much to these bars. With a crunchy crust, a soft pumpkin center, and a chewy topping...what could be better!!! I love pumpkin and coconut. My husband doesn't care for either, so this was a perfect opportunity for me to make something that I love, and be able to swap mine for something that he would enjoy. We had some great treats. Some of the yummy sweets were Oh Henry Bars, Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies, Layered Cookies, & Fudge Jumbles. It was a lot of fun. If any of you are up for a sweet swap, this is the perfect time to do it with the holidays right around the corner. If you do a cookie swap, it is easy to freeze your cookies and pull them out when you have unexpected company. Just make sure that you freeze them in freezer ziplocs.

My mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe. It was on the Eagle Brand web site. They have got some great festive treats that will be perfect for the holidays. Check it out at www.eaglebrand.com .

Pumpkin Pie Squares
Eagle Brand

1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 1/3 cup coconut
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 can pumpkin (2 cups)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, or 350 degrees for glass dish. In medium bowl combine butter, coconut, graham cracker crumbs & nuts. Mix well. Reserving 1/3 of the crumb mixture press remainder on bottom of ungreased 13x9 pan. In large bowl, combine remaining except reserved mixture; mix well. Pour over prepared crust. Top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or til knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. Serve warm or chilled. Store leftovers in the fridge.

***I made extra topping, because it was delicious. I also used 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice instead of 1/2 tsp each of ginger and nutmeg. (I didn't have the ginger). My improvising worked out well. Enjoy!!!

Best Potato Soup Ever & Apple Crisp

I can't believe that November is half way over! It seems like time is moving so fast these days. The other day I went to my first Parent Teacher Conference for my kindergartener. I can't believe that I'm old enough to be going to those. This was the first of many in the years to come. It went well. My oldest is a ball full of energy and seems to struggle a little with holding still and focusing for long periods of time. His teacher brought this up but she also said that he is a great friend. I'm thankful for that. He's a good kid. On to the food. I made this AMAZING Baked Potato Soup on Sunday night. It was absolutely fabulous. I called my friend to thank her for the recipe even before we sat down to eat it. A big thanks to Heather from Cooking Divas for this awesome recipe. We also had some homemade french bread that I posted a couple weeks ago. (Thanks again to Laura at Real Mom Kitchen for that great recipe). They were perfect together. Thanks for the wonderful recipes! I know that you'll all love this one!

Best Baked Potato Soup Ever
1-2 lbs. Bacon
2/3 cups butter
2/3 cups flour
5 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
4-8 potatoes-baked, peeled and cubed (You could cube half and mash the other half)
4 green onions--chopped
1/4 regular onion-chopped
1 garlic clove-minced (optional--but very good)
1 1/4 cup shredded chedder cheese (grate some extra for the garnish)
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Cook bacon, melt butter, add onions and garlic, saute. Add flour. Stir milk and chicken broth together and add to mixture--wisk until thick and almost to boil. Put in potatoes--wisk until boiling. Reduce heat, add sour cream, salt, and pepper. Finally, add cheese and bacon.

I was asked to help prepare a dinner for the teachers at my son's school. I was in charge of the dessert. I made a very yummy apple crisp. While putting them together I decided to make one for my family to enjoy too. I did mine a little different from the recipe because I like to have more of the topping than I do the filling. I halved the recip of the filling for mine and did the whole this for the topping. It was perfect! The ice cream topped it off.

Apple Crisp (Lion House Desserts Cookbook)

Topping:

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/4 tsp baking powder

Filling:

6 cups apples (6-8 apples peeled & sliced. I used Jonathan & Granny Smith apples)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix topping ingredients using a pastry blender until crumbly. Place sliced apples in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine sugar, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apples. Place topping mixture over apples and bake at 350 for 45 minutes (mine was done in 40 minutes). Top with vanilla ice cream or whip cream.

More Fall Comfort Foods

Well, I hope that everyone had a fun halloween. I can't believe that it's already November! I really do enjoy this time of year. Last week the weather was amazing! We were at a park enjoying the sunshine almost everyday. This week it's going to be cold and rainy. I don't do very well when I have to be indoors all day. Anyway, we had a great halloween and my boys got enough candy to last us until next halloween. They had a great time trick-or-treating around the neigborhood. They also got to stay up late for a halloween party we had with our neighbors. It was a very busy day for all of us. I'm so glad that it's daylight savings and that we gain an extra hour. If my kids are up really early tomorrow, I'll probably change my mind.

Well, here are 3 recipes that I tried this week. They were all delicious and easy. The first, pictured above, is a white chicken chili that I got from www.thecookingdivaideas.blogspot.com/. It was thick and good.

White Chicken Chili
1 lb. chicken, cubed
1/2 tsp. pepper1 onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt1 TBSP. oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cans great northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp. cumin1 can chicken broth
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping cream (or evaporated milk)
1 can chopped green chilies

Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is done. Combine beans, broth, chilies and seasonings in large pot. Add chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream (or evaporated milk). This is very yummy and works great with breadsticks as a side.


This french bread was absolutely amazing! I don't think I will ever buy french bread from the store again. This recipe I got from Laura at Real Mom Kitchen(http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/. She made it to go with my Lasagna Rolls. It was a perfect combination! It was very easy to make and it turned out to be very light, not heavy like most homemade breads. Thanks, Laura for a great recipe, I love it!

French Bread
2 ¼ cup warm water
2 Tbsp sugar
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp soft shortening or vegetable oil
6 cups flour

In large mixer (I just do it in my kitchen aid with the dough hook), combine water and sugar then sprinkle with yeast. Allow to soften. Add salt, oil, and half flour; mix well. Add remaining flour. Leave mixer in dough. Allow to rest 10 min. Stir dough down and allow to rest 10 min. Repeat until dough has been stirred dough 5 times. Turn dough on floured surface. Knead 2 or 3 times. Divide dough in 2. Roll each dough into 9x13 inch rectangle. Roll from long side and pinch edges. Place on baking sheet with pam or cornmeal. Cover and allow to rise 30 min. With sharp knives cut 3 gashes at angle on top of dough. Bake 400 degrees for 30 min, check at 20 minutes (It only takes 20 minutes in my oven).



I had to put a dessert at the end of this post! This was the easiest cheesecake I've every made!(I think its the first cheesecake I've ever made). My husband said it was better than the pumpkin cheesecake we'd had a couple weeks ago at The Olive Garden. Anyway, it was good and super simple. This recipe also came from http://www.thecookingdivaideas.blogspot.com/.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 graham cracker crust

1 12 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 c. pure pumpkin

2 eggs

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on medium speed. Stir in pumpkin. Add eggs and mix until well blended. Pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

It's Fall Y'all

I can't believe that it's officially fall. I love this time of year! Not only am I ready for the cooler weather, but I love beautiful fall leaves and all the yummy fall foods. We kicked off the fall at our house with one of our favorite soups! Mac 'n Cheese Soup. Even my kids will eat this soup! This recipe comes from the Pampered Chef Main Dishes cookbook. It has become a favorite of mine because of the easy recipes inside.
Mac 'n Cheese Soup

1 package (14 ounces) deluxe-type macaroni & cheese dinner
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped (I used 1/4 cup dried onion)
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups milk
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cheddar cheese soup
1 cup cubed ham (I didn't use it this time and I think I liked it better without)

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside. Combine broccoli, onion and water in pot. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes (do not drain). Add cooked macaroni, cheese sauce from pouch, milk, cheese soup and ham. Return to boil, stirring occasionally. Yields 6 servings.

A few weeks ago I was experimenting and this is what I came up with. I had found a recipe from Picky Palate that got me wanting to experiment with this idea. She made Monkey bread and rolled hers in cinnamon and sugar. I decided to try making them into parmesan breadsticks and this is the result. My husband and kids loved them. I think it puts a little twist on the normal breadsticks we usually have with spaghetti or lasagna. Enjoy!

Pull Apart Parmesan Breadsticks
1 pkg Pillsbury refrigerated breadsticks
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning
dash garlic salt
Olive oil

Combine parm cheese, italian seasoning and garlic in a small bowl. Separate breadsticks into strips and put two strips together (one on top of the other). Cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll each in parmesan mixture and place in greased muffin tins (about 5 pieces in each one). Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle parmesan cheese mixture on top. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 7 or eight.

Okay, I had to post a sweet treat too! I'm finally to the end of my peaches and I'm getting pretty tired of them. I've canned them, made jame, frozen some and made lots of yummy treats with them. This was my final treat. After attempting to make a peach pie one day and not having the crust turn out right or the pie filling set, I decided to try something way easy. I made these simple peach pie turnovers and boy were they good! (and easy)

Peach Pie Turnovers
1 pkg Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust (each one cut in half)
3 large peaches
2 Tbsp instant tapioca
3 Tbsp sugar
Dash Cinnamon
Dash Nutmeg
1 egg white
White sparkling sugar (to sprinkle on the top)

Peel peaches and cut into small pieces. Add tapioca, sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg. Stir well and let sit for 10 minutes. Unroll pie crusts and cut in half (each one will make 2 turnovers). Place 1/4 of peach mixture on half of pie crust, make sure to leave enough room on the edges to seal it when you fold it over. Use your fingers to rub a little bit of water on the edge to help seal it. Fold over filling and seal, use a fork around the edge for decoration. Brush tops with egg white and sprinkle white sparkling sugar on the top. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Cut in half before serving and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you cut them in half after they are baked they will make 8.

Coming soon: Super easy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

Scrumptious Peach Cake

This Fresh Peach Cake is to die for. The recipe came from one of my best friends. You can find it on her blog http://www.thecookingdivaideas.blogspot.com/. (Visit her blog for this recipe and many other wonderful recipes). It is amazing! I could tell that it was going to be very good when I tasted the batter. I could have eaten just the batter! It was lucky to have made it to the oven! The sauce is delicious and added the perfect touch. I think that next time I will put it all over the cake before cutting it and then have some on the side to add to it. The fresh chopped peaches on the side are a must! This recipe is definetely going to be on my list of favorites! Enjoy!Thanks for sharing Heather!

Buttermilk Chocolate Brownies

Okay, so I've totally been a slacker at posting recipes. My life has been so crazy the last month. I ran a 1/2 marathon at the beginning of the month, my husband was out of town for a week, and we went on a week long family vacation to Southern California and got back just in time for my kindergartener to start school. We will be taking off again tomorrow to go up to Bear Lake for the Labor Day weekend. I'm excited to see my sister who has been awesome at posting recipes! Hopefully life will start to slow down a little, I doubt it, maybe I need to be a little more organized. Anyway, this brownie recipe is a huge family favorite. My grandma and mom have been making them for years. They are always a hit. I made them for the first time for my mom's birthday in July and they were oh so yummy!!!

Buttermilk Chocolate Brownies

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp sald

1 tsp soda

Mix in a bowl and set aside.

In a pan combine.

1 cup butter

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup water

Cook until cocoa is dissolved. When dissolved add to flour mixture, stir well. Add:

1/2 cup buttermilk (stir well to help cool mixture before adding eggs)

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for exactly 20 minutes.

Frosting

In a saucepan combine:

3 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup buttermilk

3 Tbsp cocoa

Until cocoa is dissolved. Then, add:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (approx)

2 tsp vanilla
You want the consistency of the frosting to be in between thick and thin. Spread on brownies right after you take them out of the oven. I love nuts on my brownies, however not all people do. My mom always puts nuts on half of it. I love walnuts or pecans. Put nuts on right after you put the frosting on and press gently into frosting. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Family Favorite Peach Cobbler & Super Simple Vanilla Ice Cream in a Bag

This is my all time favorite Peach Cobbler! It is juicy from the peaches and has a perfect sweet crunch around the edges. If you like peach cobbler, you are going to LOVE this! This favorite comes from Paula Deen who is a favorite southern cook of my husband's family. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Tammy, we have this family favorite! You can do this with any berries or apples, but my personal favorite is with peaches. I used my frozen peaches from last years extras when I couldn't can anymore. We love peaches and we buy bushels and bushels from a neighboring town this time of year. Last year I was 8 months pregnant at this time and I bought 2 bushels of peaches to can. Yes, I was crazy!!! I put up 25 quarts, and 10 pints of jam, dried some, and froze some. I was peached-out! I couldn't have done the 25 quarts without a good neighbor friend who called and found out I was canning and came so quick, because she wouldn't allow me to do it by myself. We tackled it together in 2 hours! That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. She knows who she is...if she reads this blog ;)! The 25 quarts lasted us the whole year. I opened our last jar last week. So...I've got 1 bushel of peaches coming this next week. It's time to can more! Yes, I lowered my order for this year only because I'm hoping our 2 peach trees will give us some good peaches this year! We'll see! So if you are like me and have an over abundance of peaches, please try this to-die-for Peach Cobbler! You will be hooked!

Peach Cobbler

2 cups fruit (frozen or fresh)

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine fruit, sugar and water in saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. When oven is pre-heated:

Place 1 stick of butter in large casserole dish, or 13X9 pan and melt in the oven. While butter is melting, mix together:

1 cup sugar

1 cup Self-Rising Flour

3/4 cup milk

When butter is melted, pour mixture in pan with the butter. DO NOT STIR! Use slotted spoon and layer fruit on top. Spoon syrup as desired over the top. Bake 30-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.

***I usually spoon about half of the syrup over the top. Save the rest for your pancakes, waffles, french toast, whatever...I love a little peach sugar syrup for breakfast! Don't try to substitute the self-rising flour with regular flour...it won't work! I'm a cook in training...I tried!

Vanilla Ice Cream In a Bag

We made our peach cobbler on a Sunday and realized we didnt' have vanilla ice cream to go with it...which is a must with a hot cobbler! I had some cream, so we made Ice Cream in a bag. It was so tasty! Go here for the recipe: http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=40986 . I am excited to make these again adding my own mix-ins. It would be great for a kids party with a bunch of mix-ins so they can customize their own Ice Cream in a Bag. There is less mess too, because they eat right out of the bag and throw it away!

***I used heavy whipping cream for mine instead of half & half, and it turned out great! My sister has done it with whole milk, and it works too, but takes a lot more time and patience. Kids are a great help with these. Let them give it a shake, shake, shake!

Brigham's Buttermilk Doughnuts

This week, here in Utah, we celebrate the 24th of July, the day that the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. We've been doing various activities throughout the month to help them understand what it could have been like to be a pioneer. Last Saturday we had an activity with our little ones where they got to dress up as pioneer children and play games that the pioneers would have played. They were very simple games, but I'm convinced that my boys should have lived during that time (don't get me wrong, I'm so grateful they're mine ritght now). I couldn't believe how much fun they had with the most simple activities. Well, tonight for Family Home Evening we made these wonderful doughnuts that were a favorite of the prophet Brigham Young. He led the first group of Saints into the Salt Lake Valley. This recipe comes from one of his wives and is in the Christmas Recipes from the Lion House book. They are delicious, I couldn't stop after one. I rolled mine in cinnamon and sugar and they were great. Happy 24th!!

Brigham’s Buttermilk Doughnuts

2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup sugar
5 cups flour
2tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ cup melted butter

Combine buttermilk, eggs, and sugar and mix well. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together into a large mixing bowl. Stir in buttermilk mixture, then melted butter. Roll dough out about ¼ inch thick on floured board; cut with doughnut cutter. Fry in hot oil till golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle or roll in sugar. Makes 2 dozen doughnuts.

Cheese Souffle & Creme Brulee on Independence Day!

My family had a wonderful 4th of July at beautiful Bear Lake! The food I made was not your typical 4th of July BBQ food, and not very patriotic looking at all...except my cute red ramekin dishes that I made my Creme Brulee in. We had a Taste's of the World food contest on the 4th of July. My little family was assigned French food. I had never cooked french food before, except crepes. I am not an experienced French food cook to say the least! Fortunately we were successful with 2 out of 3 recipes we presented. Our Creme Brulee and Cheese Souffle both won 1st prize! (We were only competing against 3 other families, so it really wasn't a big deal.) Our third dish was Ratatouille, and it was "blahhhh"!!! I'm not a fan. I thought for sure it would taste good seeing that they named a movie after it. Boy was I wrong! I am now a huge fan of these two yummy french dishes. They are both a must try and they were super easy. See for yourself! The Cheese Souffle (pictured above) recipe can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_24531_PRINT-RECIPE-4X6-CARD,00.html. I was really nervous to be trying a souffle for the first time. It turned out nice and fluffy. It was gobbled up very quickly! I loved the taste of the swiss cheese and the chives make it so tasty! The Creme Brulee (pictured below) recipe can be found here: http://www.cremebrulee.com/creme.htm . I love creme brulee! This was the first time making it, and I think it turned out great! I thought it was going to be hard to make, but I was wrong. It is super easy and I love this recipe. Doesn't it just look beautiful!!! The one thing I did differently the second time making it, which was yesterday...yes, I am obsessed now, is I sprinkled more sugar on top to get more of a crisp top layer. We drizzled ours with caramel syrup, which was a great finishing touch to this elegant & creamy dessert. I did not use a hand held torch...my broiler worked great! I did have to flip them around to get them evenly crisp on top, but I think they turned out great!

We had a wonderful Independence day and I feel so blessed to live in this country. I love this land of the free, and I am grateful for those who have fought so hard and are still fighting for out freedom. God bless the USA! This last picture is our masterpiece we made on the beach. The recipe is... some good moist sand, sand castle buckets, shovels, american flags, sticks, sea shells, and patience with your 2 year old who wants to destroy everything! We had a great time constructing this amazing sand castle on the beach of Bear Lake. We even had a drawbridge. This was another contest with the family, however no one ever got a prize...hmmm...who was judging this contest? The castle directly behind us was a replica of the castle of Moridor (probably spelled that wrong) from The Lord of the Rings. We had a great time! Happy 4th!