Cookies

Grandpa's Favorite  Cookie - Snickerdoodles

3 1/2 coups flour
1/2 tea. baking soda
1/2 tea. cream of tarter
1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tea. vanilla

Topping
3 T. sugar
1 Tea. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375
1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar
2. In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, milk and vanilla. mix           well.
3.  Add the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients together.
4.  Form the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mix.  Place dough balls on a              greased baking sheet and flatten slightly.
5.  Sprinkle the tops with additional cinnamon/sugar mix and bake for 7-8 minutes.  DO NOT                   overbake these.

 

 Pasta Salad

Max's favorite Pasta Salad

(This is the dinner I made (along with rolls) the first time I met Steph.  Max brought his dinner group home and this is what he requested I make.  All three of his roomates called me before they came to tell me Max had kissed Steph the weekend before.  No wonder this is his favorite.

2 pkg. rainbow pasta
1/2 red onion, chopped very fine
1 Costco rotisserie chicken or 4 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
Celery, chopped fine
3-4 cans mandarin oranges
red grapes, cut in half

Cook pasta and mix all ingredients together.

Dressing
1 bottle ranch dressing, I use wishbone
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. Bon Appetite
pepper to taste

Mix together and pour over salad, toss gently

This makes the perfect amount of dressing to pasta ratio.

This recipe makes a lot.  it's great to serve at a shower or large gathering.  Can be made ahead.

Bacon Beef Butternut Squash 

I got this recipe from a guy on pinterest  who cooks Paleo.  This was whole 30 compliant but I added some cheese and now it’s not.  Russ said he really liked it.

1 butternut squash, cut in half

1 pound ground beef (I think I used a little more) you could use turkey to save calories 

6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 onions

mushrooms

celery

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

2 T. balsamic vinegar

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds

3. Place face down in a cake dish with 1/2 inch of hot water and cook for 30-45 min.

4. While its in the oven, cook bacon until crispy, set aside leaving the bacon fat in the pan

5. Add diced onions, celery and mushrooms with the fat

6.  Remove veggies and cook hamburger seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic powder

7.  Stir hamburger and veggies and bacon together and add some Parm cheese.

8.  Remove the squash from the oven and scrape out some of the guts, leaving 1/4 inch of 

     the squash, add squash you scraped out to the bowl.

9.  Mix well and then stuff your squashes with the beef mixture and place back in the oven 

     for 15 minutes or until heated through

10. While your squash are baking, add onion to your saute pan and cook them over low 

       heat with the balsamic to caramelize them.  *This step makes it really yummy*

11. Remove squash from the oven, top with caramelized onions and enjoy!

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Birthday Breakfast (and now apparently for General Conference)

Stuffed French Toast                                       4 large eggs

8 Croissants, sliced in half                               3/4 cup cream

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened                         1 T. sugar 

3 T. Sugar                                                         1 T. Orange zest

1 tsp. Almond extract

1 pint strawberries, sliced (any berry or marmalade will do)

Mix softened cream cheese until smooth, add sugar and almond extract.  Mix well.  Spread mixture inside sliced croissants.  Spoon in sliced berries or spread with marmalade.  In a very large, shallow bowl, combine eggs, cream, sugar and orange zest.  Dip stuffed croissants into egg mixture and cook until golden brown on both sides.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a little warm syrup and more sliced strawberries.

Everyones Favorite Buttermilk Syrup

1 cube butter                                  1 tea. Karo syrup

1/2 cup buttermilk                           1/2 - 1 tsp. Baking soda

1 cup sugar                                     1 tsp. Vanilla

Bring butter, buttermilk, sugar and Karo syrup to a boil.  Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla.  Serve with pancakes or waffles.

Note:  This will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks-however you will probably eat it so fast it will never make it to the fridge.

Homemade Maple Syrup

2 cups water                                  1 T. Maple flavoring

3 cups sugar                                  1 T. Vanilla extract

                                                       1 tea. Almond extract 

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan.  Gently boil for 5-10 minutes.  Stir in maple and vanilla

Scrambled Omelets

8 eggs                              Salt and Pepper to taste

3/4 cups half-n-half or milk

Optional to add:

1 cup grated cheese                 red pepper flakes

1 cup ham, chopped                 spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc.  OR

Fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.

Melt 2 T. Butter in a frying pan over med. Heat.  In small bowl beat eggs.  Add cream and beat well.  Add cheese, ham and tomatoes (or whatever you like) Add salt, pepper, parsley and red pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir with a rubber scraper as they cook.  Do not ovecook!

Chicken

 

Sticky chicken

   -   I put this in the ward cookbook and everyone loved it and keeps complimenting me on it but I hardly ever make this

2 1/2 lbs. chicken tenders

3 eggs, beaten

cornstarch

garlic salt

Sauce

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2/3 cup pineapple or orange juice

1 T. ketchup

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Wash chicken and pat dry.  Sprinkle with garlic salt.  Shake or dip in cornstarch.  Dip in beaten eggs.  Brown in skillet with oil.  At this point you have 2 options

1.  Place in clean pan and pour sauce over and bake 60-80 minutes at 350 degrees or until sauce becomes sticky.

2.  you can also clean out the frying pan and cook chicken with the sauce in the fry pan.  The sauce thickens faster this way.

Potato Quiche

5 Eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 cup half and half

3/4 cups milk

1 cup grated swiss cheese

1 cups cheddar cheese

1 cup diced ham

1 T. Minced onion

24 oz. Frozen hash brown potatoes

1/4 cups butter

Spray pam in 9X11 pan.  Line pan with potatoes.  Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top.  Add onion, ham and cheese over the top.  Beat eggs, milk, half and half, Salt and pour over potatoes

Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes

Lettuce Wraps   -   From Amy’s neighbor (she brought it to Richard and Amy’s temple sealing party)

1 pound ground beef

1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 large onion

2 T. bottled minced garlic

1 T. soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 T. Rice wine vinegar and red wine vinegar

2 tea. asian chili pepper sauce

Scallions or green onions sliced thin 

2 tea. sesame oil

Directions

Cook ground beef and onion, add garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar and chili pepper sauce and cook until the meat is crumbled and browned

Add water chestnuts and reduce heat to medium

Add scallions or green onions

Add sesame oil

Cook about 2 more minutes

Remove from heat

Spoon into lettuce leaves (Boston Bibb is good but expensive, you can also use romaine or regular lettuce)

*The real recipe also calls for ginger but I hate it so I leave it out but if you like it then add some ginger.

*I usually double this as its good as leftovers.  You can also put in in the  crock pot and take it to a party or potluck.

I serve it with Sweet Red Chili dipping sauce made by Thai Kitchen that I got at Costco.  It really makes this go from great to really great.  I’m sure you could get it other places than Costco.  

Caramel Popcorn

Pop 2 cups uncooked popcorn

2 Cups brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 cube butter

Cook above ingredients (sugar, syrup and butter) until boiling

Add:

1 can sweet and condensed milk

1 tea. Vanilla.

Pour over popcorn