Prime Rib

recipe and image from here

We decided to try cooking a prime rib for Christmas Eve. 

Having a guest made it even more festive. 

Scott was the chef, and it turned out divine!

Prime Rib
1 standing rib roast (about 1/2 pound per person)
1 c. kosher salt
1/2 c. Pepper
1 bunch fresh rosemary

Remove rib roast from packaging and place in a roasting pan. Allow to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Generously cover all sides of rib roast with salt and pepper. Place roast in a roasting pan fat-side up. Arrange half of the rosemary in the bottom of the pan around the roast.

Cook the roast for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue to cook for about 90 minutes (for medium rare). (Plan on about 15 minutes per pound.)

Remove roast from oven and cover with foil. Let rest 20 minutes.

To serve, slice along the ribs to remove them (Separate each rib and put them aside). Then, slice the roast crossways against the grain. Platter with the ribs and the remaining fresh rosemary.

TOTAL TIME: 3:10
PREP: 0:10
COOK: 3:00
LEVEL: MODERATE
YIELD: 12 SERVINGS



Scott's notes 2018:
Try next time less temp or time on the baking part. 
The outside was tasty!
You'll have to make separate au jus, 
as it didn't drip enough to make sauce.
Maybe try this chart we saw after cooking the rib roast.

Scott's notes 2019: 
5 lb roast—450 for 15 min., 325 for 70 min.
Cook longer–maybe 10-15 min.
use 1/4 of listed amounts of salt and pepper!

These are the notes from our 2018 try:
We had a smaller roast, so used the chart above.
We also halved the amount of salt and pepper, and it still seemed potent.
 I saw the recipe and thought maybe I'd incorporate the butter and garlic in next time.
Mmmm . . . will keep experimenting!

by Scott, Barbara's son

Autumn Squash Soup

recipe and image from here

I loved having this sweet soup at Panera, so found a copy cat recipe.

Panera Bread's Autumn Squash Soup
1 extra large butternut squash
2-3 T. extra virgin coconut oil
Salt and pepper to taste
15 oz. pumpkin
1-1/2 c. apple juice
1-1/2 c. vegetable broth
1-1/2 c. half-and-half
1-1/2 T. honey
1/4 t. curry powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1-1/2 t. sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 t. black pepper
roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Preheat oven to 450°.
Peel squash.
Remove seeds and cut in chunks.
Place in baking dish or on cookie sheet and drizzle with oil.
Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Bake at 450° for 25-30 minutes or until fork tender.
Mash squash with a potato masher and place in a large stock pot.
Add pumpkin, apple juice, half-and-half and vegetable broth.
Puree ingredients with an immersion blender until well mixed.
Add honey, curry, cinnamon, salt and pepper and heat through about 10-15 minutes at a low simmer.
To serve, garnish bowls of soup with roasted pumpkin seeds.

NOTE: Adjust the apple juice, vegetable broth and half-and-half according to how large your butternut squash is. If the squash is smaller, decrease liquids. If it’s a whopper you may have to increase this amount. I increased these amounts above the original recipe because I had a whopper butternut squash.

Dee's notes: I just half, clean and roast the squash instead of cutting. I only had apple/pomegranate juice so used that. I used chicken broth instead of veggie. I used a bit of left over sweetened condensed milk with 2% instead of half and half. AND, finally, it didn’t taste as sweet as Panera’s…so I added a little brown sugar. But other than that : ) I followed the recipe!!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries, Green Chili Pumpkin Soup

recipe and image from here

Today I'm posting a couple more recipes I want to try, but haven't yet.

Scott won't go for the Pumpkin Soup,

but said he is looking forward to the Cheesecake Strawberries!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
24 strawberries (medium to large)
8 oz. light cream cheese
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1. Remove the tops of all the strawberries and and cut out a cone shape from inside the middle of each strawberry with a paring knife - a little well to be filled with cream cheese mixture.

2. Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Fill a ziploc bag with the cream cheese mixture (filling it into one of the corners). 

3. Twist the top of the bag and snip the corner of the bag with the filling.

4. Squeeze filling into each strawberry and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN STRAWBERRIES

recipe and image from here

Green Chili Pumpkin Soup
4 oz. diced green chiles, divided
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. cilantro
1 small onion, diced
1 t. oil
1 can pumpkin puree
1 can vegetable broth
1/2 c. water
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. ground red pepper


1) In a food processor, combine 1/2 of the chiles, sour cream and cilantro. Process until smooth. Set aside.

2) Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion and remaining chiles. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onions are softened. Add cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and red pepper. Cook for 1 minutes or until fragrant.

3) Add remaining ingredients to the pot. Bring a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If soup is not smooth enough, use an immersion blender to make it smoother…this is totally optional!

4) Swirl sour cream mixture into soup just before serving.

The sour cream mixture adds a cooling component and a little tartness to the the soup. I think it is the perfect compliment. Plus, you can get this to the table in under 30 minutes which means it is the perfect weeknight meal for fall and winter too.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad, Better Than Thin Mints... Grasshopper Poke Cake

recipe and image from here

I saw this recipe and wanted to try it. 

The event was a friend's surprise birthday lunch for four. 

This salad, sparkling cider and the yummy cake another guest made 

(see recipe below) made it fun.

Teriyaki Chicken Salad

For the Salad
3-4 Chicken Breasts, cooked in Teriyaki sauce, sliced thin

(or use the pre-cooked Teriyaki Chicken by Tyson at Costco)
1 Large Bag of Spring Salad Mix
1 Can Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 c. Celery, sliced *optional
1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
1 Green Bell Pepper, sliced
1 Can Pineapple Chunks, drained
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 c. Raspberries
1 c. Cashews
Dressing (recipe follows)


Dressing
In a blender combine,
¾ c. White Sugar
1 t. Dry Mustard
2½ T. White Vinegar
2½ T. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T. Diced, Purple/red Onion
1 c. Canola Oil
1½ T.  Poppy Seeds


For the Salad
In a large platter, flat to spread out, arrange the lettuce with all of the other ingredients on top, leaving the cashews to be added right before serving, so as to not get soggy.
Sometimes it's also nice to just arrange the ingredients around the side, so everyone can take what they want if it is being served family style in a casual setting.
Drizzle the dressing and top with cashews, serve immediately.


For the Dressing
Blend the sugar, mustard and vinegars on high until thoroughly mixed, this should only need a few pulses. Turn off the blender.
Add the purple onion. Turn the blender back on and in a slow, steady stream drizzle in the canola oil.
Add in the poppy seeds and give the blender a few quick pulses to mix in the poppy seeds. Chill and serve over the salad.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: 6-8 servings

recipe and image from here

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Better Than Thin Mints... Grasshopper Poke Cake

1 chocolate cake mix + water, oil, eggs as listed on the box
1 - 14.5 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 - 12.8 oz jar Hershey's Special Hot Fudge Sauce
1 - 10 oz package Keebler Fudge Mint Cookies (or Thin Mints, when in season)
1 - 16 oz container cool whip (I like lite)
1 Duncan Hines Mint flavor packet
1 c. Andes Mint chips


Prepare and bake the cake mix in a 9x13 baking dish. Allow to cool completely.
Use the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke holes evenly across the entire cake (about 20 holes). Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
Heat the hot fudge sauce in a small bowl in the microwave. 30-40 seconds should do the trick, you jut want it to soften a little.
Crumble half of the fudge mint cookies into the hot fudge sauce and mix. Spread the cookie/fudge sauce over the cake.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mint packet and the cool whip. Spread the whipped topping over the fudge layer.
Crumble the remaining cookie crumbs over top of the cool whip. Sprinkle the Andes Mint chips over top.
Refrigerate and chill for at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
Cut and serve. Serves 12-15.

Steelhead Trout Baked with Honey or Maple Glaze

recipe from here

Scott, Doug, Jared and Brandon were able to catch their limit in the Columbia River this month. It was a great trip. All were Chinook salmon, but one. Scott caught a steelhead. We had one of the fillets today using this recipe. It was great.


Steelhead Trout Baked with Honey or Maple Glaze

1/4 c. butter
2 garlic cloves
2 T. honey or maple syrup
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. rice vinegar (feel free to experiment with other types like cider)
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. soy sauce

Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Whisk in the ingredients. Place the fish in the center of a rectangle of foil. Pour the glaze over the fish and fold the packet around the fish. Preheat the oven to 400°F. (This essentially allows the fish to marinate). If you're in a big hurry, start the oven before you make the glaze and just pop it in. Bake for 10 minutes + 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. So, a one inch thick fillet would bake for twenty minutes. 1.5″ would be 25 minutes. Got it? The recipe makes enough glaze for a little over two pounds of fish. It is easily halved or doubled. This recipe could be done on the grill, but remember to not cook the fish over direct heat, unless you enjoy rubbery, dried out fish. On the grill it can be done in a foil packet as described or you may skip it. If you choose to grill, place it skin side up, first. Once the fish has cooked, it falls apart, the skin sort of holds it together, making transfer a little bit easier.

YIELD 2 to 4 people

(Our notes: we use honey, apple cider vinegar and decreased mustard to 1 T. We thought it was funny that the recipe "Yields 2-4 people"!)


by Scott, Barbara's son

Buttermilk Pancakes, Buttermilk Syrup

syrup recipe and image from here

Jared, Doug and Brandon came to go fishing with Scott this month.

They had a great time, and were each able to get the 2 salmon limit.

While here Jared told us about these pancakes he loves to make.

I haven't tried them but plan to soon! 

Buttermilk Pancakes
2 c. flour

2 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

1/3 c. melted butter

Beat eggs, buttermilk and add butter.
Then add:

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1/t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

Jared said he likes his batter thick, so add a bit more flour or milk to get the right consistency. He likes his pancakes moist, even slightly doughy in the middle.

by Jared, Barbara's son, the happy fisherman

:::::

The buttermilk syrup recipe Dee tried before may not

have been exactly like the one below. But, like the one she tried before, 

it's caramel-tasting & good enough to drink straight from the pitcher.

Who needs pancakes?!

Buttermilk Syrup
3/4 c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and buttermilk and bring to a boil. Once it's at a complete boil, let it boil for 1 minute. Take off heat and whisk in baking soda and vanilla. It will foam up during the boiling, and especially when other ingredients are added. Serve with your favorite pancakes or waffles. Best served warm. 10 min. prep/cooking time.

Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn

image from here

Ian had peppermint mini-marshmallows and wanted to try this recipe. 

I think you could just use regular minis, as I couldn't really taste any mint. 

Also, I would love to make a batch of this 

and a batch of Caramel Popcorn* and mix the two—Yum!!

Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
1/2 t. salt, divided
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
12 cups warm air-popped popcorn
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
40 peppermint mini-marshmallows

Heat over to 275. Sprinkle 1/4 t. salt over popcorn; toss to coat. Set aside.

Melt chocolate and butter in large saucepan on low heat, stirring frequently. Add marshmallows; stir until completely melted. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 t. salt. Pour over popcorn; toss to coat. Spread onto greased baking sheet.

Make 20-25 minutes or until crisp, staring after 15 minutes. Cool on wax paper.



*This is our favorite Caramel Popcorn recipe from the Barbara Doney cookbook (see tab above)


Caramel Corn 
2 sticks margarine or 1 margarine & 1 butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white Karo syrup
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
7-1/2 qt. popcorn

Cook butter, brown sugar, syrup and salt for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda. Pour over popped corn, mix and put in flat pans. Bake at 200° for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Can be stored in sealed containers.

Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread

recipe and image from here

We made this while camping at Mt. Rainier National Park this summer.

I put cooked the chili ingredients together at home,

so we just need to add it to a hot dutch oven and top with the cornbread.

It was pretty tasty!

Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread

3 lbs. of ground beef (I used less)
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 t. of dried oregano
1 (28-oz.) can of diced tomatoes
1 (6-oz.) tomato paste
1 (16-oz.) can of kidney beans or black beans
5 T. of chili powder
2 T. of ground chipotle powder
1 T. of ground cumin
1 can of water
2 (8.5-oz.) boxes of Jiffy cornbread (or any other corn bread mix you like)
(eggs and milk for the Jiffy cornbread mix)
Salt and black pepper

Make a layer of hot coals on the ground.
Place the dutch oven over the coals and allow the dutch oven to get hot.
Cook the ground beef until it starts to brown, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
Add the onions, garlic, and bell pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened
Add the chili powder, chipotle powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste.
Add the can of water and beans and cook for another 10-15 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Make the cornbread mix in a bowl and pour over the top of the chili.
Place the lid on top of the dutch oven and place about 20 hot coals over the top of the lid.
Cook for about 10 minutes and check to see if the cornbread is done cooking by lifting the lid and poking a skewer through the cornbread. If it comes out clean the chili is done.

Spiced Pear Muffins

image and recipe from here

We just got a box of Barlett pears. I love that fruit, but it has a short shelf life without a frigerator.

I tried these muffins to day and the recipe is a keeper. Since Scott isn't a big nutmeg fan, I halved that amount, didn't include candied ginger (again, he's not a fun), but did add walnuts (he's a fan!)

Spiced Pear Muffins

1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt.
1/2 c. milk [I used kefir mixed with ground flax]
2 to 2 1/2 c. pears, unpeeled and diced small (from 2 medium-sized pears, about 11 oz. whole)
1/4 c. chopped candied ginger, 1/2 c. chopped nuts, or 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (optional)
Cinnamon and sugar, for sprinkling on top

Heat your oven to 425°F. Spray the wells of a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray or place muffin liners in all the wells.

In a mixer on high speed, cream together the sugars and the softened butter until they resemble fluffy frosting, about 1 minute. Mix in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated, about 1 minute each. Mix in the vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, mix 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture followed by 1/3 of the milk. Continue alternating between the flour and the milk, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. It's OK if there is still some flour on the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and stir gently to incorporate the last of the flour. Add the diced pears and any optional ingredients all at once and fold them into the batter.

Divide the batter between the muffin cups. The batter will fill the cups and mound slightly on top. Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar.

Place the muffin tin in the oven and immediately turn down the heat to 400°F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan once in the middle of baking. The muffins are done when the tops looked cracked and toasted, and when a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool enough to handle, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Leftover muffins can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. (Reheat frozen muffins in an oven or toaster oven at 300°F or for a few minutes in the microwave.)

Makes 12 muffins. [I baked 4 dozen mini muffins for about 12 minutes, with this amount of batter.]

Chocolate Fudge

Grandma and Grandpa were here at the beginning of August for a visit. 

Since I bombed the last fudge recipe I made when Ian requested it, 

I asked mom to bring one. She said this is a quick one she likes to use.

I see I cooked mine for 4 minutes, and she has 6 minutes on this recipe.

The difference between 'spoon fudge' and nice fudge pieces. Give it a try!

Watermelon Mint Sorbetto, Mint Lemonade

While Sarah was visiting with all that came to her reception, and dancing with Jordan

I was drinking cup after cup of the delicious lemon

Mint Lemonade
ice
water
country time lemonade mix
fresh mint,  chopped (4-5 leaves, or to taste)

Fill a blender 2/3 full with ice and water. (NO MORE reports Cheryl...unless you want to clean up a mess!) Add a scoop of lemonade mix and mint.

image and recipe here
we didn't have pink, but it's an option.


_________________________________

I checked out a book on gelato and other frozen desserts. 

The first I tried was a Watermelon Mint Sorbet. 

The guys said they would like it without the mint. 

(I even cut the amount of mint the recipes called for in half!)

I loved it! And it reminded me of the lemonade with mint posted above.

I also tried cantaloupe and enjoyed it.

[you can click for a larger image of the recipe]

The source of future yumminess to experiment with!

Kiwi & Strawberry Chia Popsicles

recipe and image from here

As soon as we are out of rain, and have sunshine again,
 I'd like to try these! The link above includes a video.

Kiwi & Strawberry Chia Popsicles
1-3/4 c. canned coconut milk
1/2 c. soy milk (or any milk alternative)
1/4 c. chia seeds
1 tablespoon honey, or more to your liking
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
3 strawberries, sliced

Stir together coconut milk, soy milk, chia seeds, and honey.
Place sliced kiwis and strawberries in popsicle molds. Use knife or the back of a spoon to press kiwi and strawberry slices to the sides of the mold.

Gently pour liquid mixture into popsicle molds. Insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least 4 hours until popsicles are solid. Remove and enjoy!

 

Makes: 6 popsicles

Raspberry Freezer Jam, Raspberry Syrup

Our raspberries are amazing this year. I think this is our second year with raspberries in our yard. We've eaten a lot while picking, frozen and jammed so many so far. And there are more berries to go. YUM! I thought I'd post the jam recipe I used this year. Someday I'd love to go with less sugar and even natural apple pectin, but this is where we are now.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

6-2/3 cups raspberries (crush one layer at a time with potato masher, or similar)
4 c. sugar
3/4 c. instant pectin

Stir sugar and pectin together. add fruit. Stir 3  minutes. Ladle in jars. Let stand 30 minutes. Freeze.

yield: 6 'batches', each one is to make 2 (8 oz.) half-pints of jam

:::::

image and recipe from here

I have not tried this, but there are many berries left to pick!

It will be on the menu very soon. 

There were many recipes that had you strain out the seeds,

but I prefer to leave the fiber in. Small compensation for all the sugar?!

Homemade Raspberry Syrup
4 t . cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) package raspberries, fresh or frozen
1-1/2 t. water
1-1/2 t. lemon juice
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
dash salt

1. Grab a medium-sized sauce pan and add 4 t. cornstarch to it.
2. Add 1/2 c. s. and stir the ingredients together.
3. Add 1-1/2 t. water and 1-1/2 t. lemon juice. Stir it together to combine. It will look kind of pasty.
4. Find yourself 12 oz. of beautiful raspberries. Add them to the sauce pan and stir them gently, so the berries begin to be coated. The berries will begin to break down, which is just fine.
5. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Let it bubble and boil for 1 minute. It should thicken up into a nice syrup consistency for you.
6. Remove it from the heat and add 1 T. butter, 1/2 t. vanilla and a dash of salt.
Pour it, nice and warm over the top of some vanilla ice cream. Or drizzle it over a lovely stack of pancakes...any way you serve it, I do believe you will love it.
Yield: 1-1/2 cups

'Otai

image and alternate recipe here

We have a Tongan ward in our stake, and many are friends and/or relatives of the Tongan family we met in our ward a number of years ago. Suliana made a delicious traditional meal for us then, including having her brother roast a pig. The drink she made was mango and ice, and so wonderful. Ian was excited to try this version of the recipe from The Friend magazine. A couple years ago they were highlighting friends around the world and this month featured Tonga.This was so yummy! Ian liked it least of all though. This was so yummy! Ian liked it least of all though.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie

image and recipe from here

I have raspberries ripening and rhubarb ready,

and plan to try this for our book group next month.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Slab Pie

3-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 c. butter
3/4 c. plus 1 to 2 T. 2% milk
1 egg yolk
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
5 c. fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed and drained
3 c. sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed and drained

Vanilla icing:
1-1/4 c. confectioners' sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
5 to 6 t. 2% milk

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Whisk 3/4 cup milk and egg yolk; gradually add to flour mixture, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Add additional milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.

2. Divide dough in two portions so that one is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 375°. Roll out larger portion of dough between two large sheets of lightly floured waxed paper into an 18x13-in. rectangle. Transfer to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Press onto the bottom and up sides of pan; trim pastry to edges of pan.

4. In a large bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch. Add raspberries and rhubarb; toss to coat. Spoon into pastry.

5. Roll out remaining dough; place over filling. Fold bottom pastry over edge of top pastry; seal with a fork. Prick top with a fork.

6. Bake 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

7. For icing, combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency; drizzle over pie. Cut pie into squares.

Editor's Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 45 min. + cooling

YIELD:24 servings

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

recipe and image from here

Here are the beans Erik & Carissa like to make and use.

Addy and Ethan

Crockpot "Refried" Beans

2 lbs. pinto beans (4 c.)

1 large onion, chopped

4 T. jarred minced garlic

* Up to 2-1/2 T. salt

1 t. black pepper

2 t. cumin

10 c. hot water

* You can use as little as 1 T. of salt. It all depends on how you like your beans.

Rinse the beans in a colander. Pick out any bad beans.

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot. Remove any floating beans. Cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours and on LOW for 2 hours.

Uncover, and remove extra liquid. Leave enough liquid to reach the desired consistency when the beans are mashed. (We like our beans somewhere between the very liquidy restaurant style beans, and the canned version of refried beans.)

Mash beans with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Serve warm. Store in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and use within 2 weeks, or freeze in ziplock bags for later use.

*Makes about 16 cups

Ethan and Addy visit the Houston Temple. by Carissa, wife of Barbara's grandson Erik

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

image and recipe from here

I saw this recipe online and thought I'd give it a try this weekend.

We have some leftover chicken to use, so I won't exactly follow it....

but Barbara doesn't usually follow a recipe : )

Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats

4 medium zucchini (about 1¾ pounds)
1 lb. ground chicken
¼ t. salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. pasta sauce
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese
½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional: sliced fresh basil for topping


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and break it apart with a spoon. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally and break down the chicken into small chunks.

Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic to the chicken. Cook 1 minute stirring often. Add the pasta sauce. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the chicken cooks, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and center out of each zucchini half, leaving a ¼ inch thick zucchini boat. Place the zucchini in the baking dish cut-side up. Spoon the chicken mixture into the zucchini boats. Press the mixture down into the zucchini using the back of the spoon.
Sprinkle the zucchini evenly with the parmesan, then the mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

Spinach Pasta Salad

image from here

Here's a fabulous recipe that was served
at our Stake RS Conference last week. 

Spinach Pasta Salad 

Sauce:
1 c. oil
3/4 c. red wine vinegar
3/4 c. Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
6 T. sugar

Mix together until sugar dissolves (can add a bit of salt and pepper).

Cook one pound bow-tie pasta al dente. Marinate the noodles in the sauce overnight. Put in gallon-sized ziplock bag and turn over numerous times.

When ready to serve, add the following ingredients to the marinated noodles, sirring thoroughly to coat all ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2-4 green onions, chopped
3/4 c. chopped yellow, red and orange peppers
1 c. craisins
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 c. slivered almonds
1 lb. baby spinach (I use organic pre-washed spinach)

serves 9-10 for main dish or 20 for a side.

by Karen, Barbara's daughter

Avocado Baked Eggs

I thought you might enjoy trying this delicious breakfast. Can I just say YUMMY! Christian got this recipe off the internet and it didn't get very good reviews but it was really tasty to me. He made some slight modifications (cheese & green onions) so I included those changes in the recipe. If your avocado pit hole is small, you will want to enlarge the pit cavity so the egg fits.

The picture I attached is from our breakfast.

Avocado Baked Eggs
1 avocado, halved and pitted
2 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1⁄4 c. crumbled cooked bacon
1 T. chopped fresh chives or green onions
Shredded cheese

Prep 10 min. Cook 15 min.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place each avocado half in a ramekin. Crack 1 egg into each avocado half; season with 

salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven until egg is cooked to desired doneness, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle each avocado with shredded cheese, bacon, and chives/green onions.

ENJOY!

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

images and recipe from here

I recently needed  a ranch dressing mix for a recipe,
and didn't have one un hand.

The Internet came through with this recipe that worked well.

I'm posting for future reference.
You can mix this with kefir instead of buttermilk.

Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix

1/3 c. dry buttermilk (**see note below**)
2 T. dried parsley
1 1/2 t. dried dill weed
2 t. garlic powder
2 t. onion powder
2 t. dried onion flakes
1 t. ground black pepper
1 t. dried chives
1 t. salt

Whisk all ingredients together until blended. If you want a more finely-ground seasoning mix, you can pulse the mixture in a food processor until it reaches your desired consistency.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

*3 T. of this mix = 1 packet of the store-bought seasoning mix

**TO MAKE RANCH DRESSING:

Combine 1 T. seasoning mix with 1/3 c. mayo and 1/3 c. milk, and whisk to combine. You can also substitute Greek yogurt for the mayo.


**You can omit the buttermilk powder if you would like to use fresh buttermilk, or if you would just like the straight spices for the seasoning mix.**

Crispy Cauliflower Cheese Bites

image and recipe from here

We tried these tonight, and thought they were good!
They didn't get as crispy as I thought they would, though.
Maybe next time I'll try lightly oiling the pan as suggested,
instead of just using cooking spray. 
Also maybe try with the silicone mini-muffin pan we have.
Definitely another tasty way to have cauliflower!

Crispy Cauliflower Cheese Bites

Half a cauliflower head

125g (about 4.5 oz.) cheddar

1 t. freshly cracked black pepper

1 free range egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Roughly chop the cauliflower and add into a food processor to chop it into a finer crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, don’t worry – you can chop it by hand, it just takes a little longer.

Grate the cheese and add it to a large mixing bowl with the cauliflower, egg and black pepper. Mix everything well until it starts to feel a little more like a mixture.

Lightly grease a muffin tray with some vegetable oil and spoon in around 1 and a half T. of the mixture into each hole. Add the tray into the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

Makes 12

Rice-A-Roni

image from here

I've been using this homemade rice-a-roni recipe for a couple decades.

I got it from my long time friend Debbie Smith.

We met in a BYU married students ward.

Her husband's brother Steve was a previous missionary companion
and roommate of Scott's.

We seem to always have this recipe with salmon.

You can tell it's one of those recipes that get used
by the shape of the recipe card.

Pacific Coast Clam Chowder

recipe and image from here

A few years ago we weren't able to get to the beach for our Thanksgiving clam chowder, so I found this recipe to make at home. We just had it last week and really enjoyed it!

Grandma's Clam Chowder - Pacific Coast Clam Chowder

Normally, I just add the chowder ingredients, without measuring, to my soup pot. I just taste and add them to my liking. For you, I have attempted to write down my family's recipe. Add or delete to your family's taste. ENJOY! Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 30 min

5 bacon slices, cut into 1/4-inch pieces*

1/4 c. salted or unsalted butter (your choice)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Salt and pepper to taste

4 c. milk**

Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces (as many potatoes as your prefer)

2 (6 1/2-oz.) cans minced clams, undrained

Crackers or bread

* I like to cut off most of the fat from the bacon.

** I sometimes replace some of the milk with cream.

Add the cut-up potatoes and simmer approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add the cooked bacon, clams and clam liquid; simmer until thoroughly heated. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

Serve in large soup bowls. I sometimes like to add a dollop of butter on top of each bowl of clam chowder (your choice). Serve with crackers or bread. Our family likes to serve this clam chowder with Never-Fail Popovers.

Makes 8 servings.

All of the notes above are from the author. My only note is that I used only 3 cups of milk. We like our chowder thicker.