Wednesday, December 31, 2008

No Knead Dinner Rolls

No Knead Dinner Rolls
December 26th, 2008 by Heidi
2 1/2 t yeast
1 1/4 c hot water
1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c oil
1 t salt
4 c flour

Stir together, if you want to let it rise overnight then leave it sticky and cover with damp towel and let rise in fridge. If you want it today then add a bit more flour until it’s still very soft but not super sticky. Oil bowl, cover with damp towel and let rise to double. Punch down (do this after the overnight in fridge, if you are going that route) and divide into balls. I put them on a greased cookie sheet because I wanted them flat - could also do in muffin tins or greased 9×13 pan if you want them to rise higher. Let rise, bake at 350 degrees until golden.

SUPER soft, yummy, easy rolls. The dough is very sticky but smooths out after rising. Kit likes them so asked I save this recipe, we found it on-line when I was searching for a quick roll for dinner yesterday.

I’m sure you could use wheat flour instead of white and butter instead of oil, if you so chose.

Thanks again Heidi from Thaden Pierce!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 T flour 

4 T sugar 

2 T cocoa 

1 egg 

3 T milk 

3 T oil 

3 T chocolate chips (optional - or maybe some chopped nuts?)

A small splash of vanilla extract 
(or maybe almond? or mint?)
1 large mug.



Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. 
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. 
EAT! (This can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world ? 
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

You could mix up the three dry ingredients (and I would add a pinch of salt) and have it in a little container to just dump in a mug and throw in the liquid stuff. You know, if you needed your cake even faster.

I got this recipe off the Thaden Pierce blog. Sounds yummy!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Frozen Cranberry Margaritas


1 can (11 1/2 ounces) frozen cranberry juice cocktail concentrate, thawed
2 cans (12 ounces each) lemon-lime soda pop
5 cups water
1 cup tequila
1/4 cup lime juice


1. In 3-quart plastic container, beat all ingredients with wire whisk or spoon until well blended.
2. Cover and freeze at least 24 hours until slushy. Serve in margarita or cocktail glasses.



Cranberry-Apple Spritzer

2 cups chilled dry white wine, nonalcoholic wine or apple juice
1 cup chilled cranberry-apple juice
1 cup chilled sparkling water
Apple slices, if desired
Fresh mint sprig, if desired

1. Mix wine, juice and sparkling water.
2. Serve over ice. Garnish with apple and mint if desired.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Cranberry Salsa...

1 pkg cranberries

1 jalapeño, seeded

2 green onions,

½ bunch cilantro

¾ cup sugar

¼ teaspoonful cumin

1 brick of cream cheese

Put first 6 ingredients in food processor. Then Spread over cream cheese. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Taralee's no bake cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teas vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups rolled oats

Combine sugar, margarine, salt, milk, and cocoa powder in a large
saucepan; mix well. bring to a boil over medium heat stirring
continually. boil, stirring continually for 1 minute. Remove
saucepan from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter; mix until smooth.
Add rolled oats; mix well. Drop cookie dough by spponfuls onto a
surface lined with waxed paper. Let stand until cool.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Aunt Dot's Microwave Peanut Brittle

This is my mom's favorite. She made a batch up and before I even got to taste it...well, she and my dad had eaten it all gone! The recipe comes from my Great Aunt Dot in North Carolina and my mom swears its easy!

1 1/2 cups Raw shelled peanuts (with skins on)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbs baking soda

Combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt in a 2.5 quart microwave safe container. Microwave 4 minutes on high power. Stir. Microwave 4 more minutes. Stir in the butter and vanilla. Microwave for 2 more minutes.

Add baking soda and quickly stir until light and foamy. Immediately pour onto a lightly greased baking sheet and spread. Break apart and ejoy when cooled.

Kevin's Sweet Potato Casserole

A very good friend of mine, Kevin, sent me this recipe with some background info. It sounds wonderful and his recipes have always ROCKED. LOL I should add him as a contributor! Here's the scoop-

"So Dawnie’s work party this year was held at Ruth’s Chris. So it was good. And Fancy. One of their “signature” sides is a sweet potato casserole. You might remember that my late Grandpa Purcell was the national authority on sweet potatoes and yams. I have never once in my life eaten a forkful of yams and thought,” mmmm…..I would like some more of that!” That is, until Monday night. Ruth’s Chris has the best sweet potatoes ever. Of course I had to do some research yesterday, and I was able to find a recipe last night. I put it to the test, and it did not disappoint! Here it is, and you should put in on the Utah Mom’s blog!!"

So this is for Kev!

3 C Mashed Sweet Potato (5-6 medium sweet potatoes, baked and mashed)
1 C granulated sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
½C butter, cut into small chunks

1 C brown sugar
1/3 C Flour
1 C Chopped Pecans
¼ C Melted Butter


To Bake the potatoes:

Wash each potato and rub the entire skin with table salt. Pierce with a fork and place on a cookie sheet. Bake @ 400 degrees for 60-75 min

Peel and mash the potatoes (I threw them into my Kitchen Aid mixer) add the sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter chunks. Mix very well, until the mixture is combined and a little fluffy.
Pour mixture into a butter casserole dish.

Combine Brown sugar, flour, pecans and butter to form a crumble. Top potato mixture with crumble. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve Warm

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies

This recipe came to me from the family that had Antonio's work party at their house. They are yummy and pretty much dairy free (not sure if Egg counts as dairy or not?). Enjoy!

PREP: 50 MIN. BAKE: 7 MIN. PER BATCH

OVEN: 350° F
½ cup chunky peanut butter
½ cup shortening
1 cuup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
Granulated sugar

1 recipe Peanut Cream Filling

Preheat oven to 350° F. In bowl beat peanut butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in baking soda, salt, and as much flour as you can. Stir in any remaining flour.
Form dough into balls, using a level teaspoon each. (This seems small but I used ½ tablespoon and I think they were a little big.) Place 1½ inches apart on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten by making crisscross marks with tines of fork dipped in sugar.
Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack; cool.
Spread one teaspoon Peanut Cream Filling on flat side of half of cookies. Top with remaining cookies. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze unfilled cookies up to 1 month.
MAKES 4 DOZEN SANDWICH COOKIES.

Insulated cookie sheets slow down baking, preventing burning. Darker sheets produce darker cookies, lighter ones, lighter results.

PEANUT CREAM FILLING In medium bowl whisk together ¾ cup chunky peanut butter, ¾ cup marshmallow crème, 3 tablespoons milk, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground cumin. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons powdered sugar.

EACH COOKIE98 cal, 6 g fat ( g sat. fat), 4 mg chol, 69 mg sodium, 11 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 2 g pro. Daily Values: 1% calcium, 2% iron.