Chef Kate's Blonde Brownies

We had these brownies at a RS Birthday Dinner this year and they were just amazing!

They are sweet, moist and addicting!

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated cane sugar
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter chips
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Using an electric mixer (counter-top or hand-held), cream together the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three parts, combining well after each addition. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the coconut, peanut butter chips and marshmallows (it’s an arm workout).
Using a rubber spatula, spread the batter evenly in a nonstick or parchment-lined standard cookie sheet (12" x 18") with a 1" rim.  Bake for 15 minutes, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil and bake for an additional 12 minutes. Let cool completely and then cut into 60 squares; they will be soft and chewy on the inside.

Rainbow Cupcakes

These are just plain awesome. Not hard to make, just takes some extra time. You could change it up and do different colors, like red, white and blue for the 4th of July. These are so fun!

White cake mix.
White frosting.
Food coloring.

Mix the cake mix according to package directions. Divide into 6 bowls.
Follow chart below.

RAINBOW COLOR	DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
Purple	9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue	12 drops
Green	12 drops
Yellow	12 drops
Orange	12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red	18 drops

Bake, frost and be amazed!

Recipe from FamilyFun.

Peaches...and Quinoa?

For a tasty treat, try steaming ½ cup red quinoa; add a dash of sugar, some fresh peaches, and a little cream!

Super Quinoa Cookies

From www.westmountainwheat.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flour

1 ¼ cup fresh ground spelt flour

½ cup pure maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. Rumford baking powder

½ cup coconut oil

3 eggs

1 tsp. sea salt

Directions

Whip together the eggs, oil, syrup, and vanilla.  Add the flours, salt, and baking powder.  Mix well and drop on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake for about 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

 From Jenny:

Ingredients

• 7 3/4 cups boiling chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed italian tomatoes, cut up
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and/or one zuccini chopped, half of an onion chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + any additional spices you might enjoy.
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine the broth, tomatoes, spinach, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes; add the tortellini and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until tortellini is heated through.

Columbian Enchiladas

Chicken (boiled and shredded)

3 cans cream of chicken

1 onion, chopped

1 can green chiles

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can black beans

1 can corn

cheese

tortillas

 

Boil and shred chicken.  Add remaining ingredients and fill tortillas.  Sprinkle cheese inside each tortilla.  Save one can cream of chicken for bottom and top of enchiladas. Pour half of can in bottom of 9X13, place enchiladas, and cover with remaining half of cr. of chicken and cheese.  Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

 

Just as a side note, if you use the full can of beans and corn and the full onion, it will make ALOT of mix.  I used half a can of each and half an onion and had enough for about 8 enchiladas.  So, this recipe is very versatile as well.

Italian Chicken & Pasta

2-4 chicken breasts

8 oz. bottle Italian dressing

1 can cream of chicken

1 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Place chicken and Italian dressing in crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hours or until tender and able to shred.  Shred chicken and remove about half of the Italian dressing (you can actually leave all of it if you'd like a really strong Italian taste).  Add cream of chicken and cream cheese until melted.  Add Italian seasoning.  Serve over your choice of pasta.  Bow tie pasta or spiral pasta is fun.

This recipe is actually very adjustable.  If you'd like it to be a bit more saucy, you can add another can cream of chicken, or chicken broth, or a little milk.  Just experiment and see what you like.  Very easy meal prep though!

Sweet'n Sour Chicken with Veggies

Chicken (I usually use about 4-6 tenders, so probably 2-4 chicken breasts)

1 Tbsp. oil

2-3 carrots, sliced

1 clove garlic minced

1 onion, chopped

4 Tbsp. corn starch

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tbsp. oil

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup vinegar

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

small can pineapple chunks

1/2 red bell pepper

1/2 green bell pepper

Cut chicken into 1" cubes. Saute in oil with onion, garlic, & carrots. Remove from heat.  Combine sugar and corn starch in sauce pan, stir in water. Add oil, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat and stir and thickened (this takes about 5 minutes- and you need to be continually stirring it until the thickening happens).  Add sauce to chicken and carrots. Add peppers and pineapple and heat until softened.  Serve over rice.

Sweet and Sour Chicken (Baked)

This is really yummy. It looks like it's fried, but it's baked. It's quite sweet, I think it could use less sugar. I made too much sauce, but was able to freeze it and use it again and it turned out perfectly!

4 chicken breasts
1-2 eggs, beaten
Cornstarch
Oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1 c. white vinegar
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed (or minced from a jar)

Cut chicken into strips or pieces. Dip in egg, roll in cornstarch. Heat oil in skillet and brown chicken in hot oil. The more you brown it (don't burn it!) the crispier the chicken will be, after it's baked. Place in 9x13 dish. Combine other ingredients and pour over chicken.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 30 minutes, or until chicken looks crispy enough for your liking. Serve over rice.

Mexican Dish with Quinoa!

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup Quinoa

 Put in a pot and bring to soft boil, then cover and turn down to low for 15 minutes

take off the burner and let cool either in fridge or just out on counter.

Mix:

Quinoa

chicken (optional)

tomatoes

avocado

cilantro

black beans

corn 

a little bit of olive oil (just to softly coat the salad)

Mexican Seasoning (to taste, about 2 Tbl)

salt and pepper

salsa and chips (optional)

Quinoa Vegtable Stew

This is a very healthy and absolutely delicious recipe! We loved it! It is so tasty. I found it on my friend's recipe blog, Nutritious and Delicious. I made mine with red quinoa and whatever vegetables I had. It's super easy. We like it with whole wheat pita bread.

1 yellow onion, diced small

3 ribs celery, diced small

Olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 large carrots, diced

1 can corn, drained

1 can kidney beans (or any bean of your choice), drained

1 red pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1 cup dry quinoa (if it's not pre-rinsed, you need to rinse it 2 or 3 times)

6 cups water

4 chicken or vegetable bouillion cubes

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, saute onion and celery in olive oil until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and saute 1 minute. Add the carrots, corn, beans, pepper, zucchini, quinoa, water and bouillion cubes and stir well. Bring to a boil and then turn down to medium-low and cover to simmer for 30 minutes. Watch to make sure there is enough water and add water if it needs. Once the quinoa is cooked, add the spaghetti sauce and the salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite bread.

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup water
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

In small saucepan, bring butter and water to boil. Remove from heat. In large bowl, mix flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda. Add butter and water mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased 15x10 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 for 16-18 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, for frosting, combine butter and milk in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar and almond extract and mix well. Spread over warm cake.

Ranch Chicken

Chicken Breasts
Parmesan Cheese
Ranch Seasoning Packet
Corn Flakes
Butter, melted

Defrost chicken, if frozen. Mix corn flakes, seasoning and parmesan cheese in bowl. Dip chicken in melted butter and roll in seasoned mixture. Lay in glass, greased pan. Pour any remaining butter or mixture into pan. Cook at 350 for about 40 minutes. Serve with rice. Add chicken bullion or chicken base to rice for extra flavor.

Measurements just depend on how much chicken you are cooking.

So tasty and easy!

Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

1 1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayo
1 bunch of cilantro ( I used less, about 2/3 of a large bunch)
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
4 Tbs. salsa verde (green salsa)
2 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce
juice of one lime

Mix together in a blender or food processor.
Enjoy!

Cafe Rio Lime Rice

2 Tbsp. Butter
1 ¼ cup Rice (I use long grain rice)
2 ¼ Cup Chicken Broth
¾ tsp. Salt
Pepper
Juice and Zest of 1 large or 2 small limes
2 Tbsp. chopped Cilantro
¼ tsp. Cumin

In a skillet melt butter with rice, add liquid, and other ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce
heat, cover and cook for 20 min.

Cafe Rio Salad

Pork
4 lbs pork roast (I usually double this amount because the sauce makes so much)
5 cans tomato sauce (8 oz.)
3 tsp. pressed garlic cloves
1 ½ to 3 cups brown sugar (I use 3, I like it sweet)
4 tsp. cumin
4 cups Dr. Pepper
2-4 Tbsp. Molasses
½ tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste

Mix the above ingredients together and pour over the meat. Place in a crock-pot and let
simmer until meat is tender and pulls away with fork. I usually do this over night. Feeds
about 25 people.

Salsa

Tomatoes
Green bell peppers
Onions

Jalapeños

Cilantro
Garlic
Salt
Lime juice

Quarter or eighth your tomatoes, and cut off the white core.  Fill the food processor bowl once.  Pulse to a finely diced consistency.  Pour into another bowl.  Fill it up again almost to the top with tomatoes.  In the top of the second bowl (or first, it really doesn't matter), add salt to taste, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, and about 1/3 cup fresh cilantro.  Pulse again until the tomatoes and cilantro are well diced.  Pour out the bowl.  Fill half of your food processor bowl with bell pepper, then add your jalapeños.  I usually scrape the membranes and seed them first, but you can leave the seeds in for more heat.  Fill the rest of the bowl with onions, and pulse again to a similar consistency.  Check for larger chunks, but add the peppers and onions to the tomato bowl.  Mix it up, and add about a tablespoon of lime juice (fresh if you have it, but I've used it from a bottle).  Taste it, and add more salt or lime as needed.

Super Yummy Snacky Candy Stuff

Toss white chocolate over:

Rice Chex Cereal
Pretzels
M&M's
Cherrios
Peanuts


And anything you think would be good. This is addicting it's so good!

Breadsticks

24 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls, thawed but still cold
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic salt

Roll each roll into a 6-inch rope. Place butter and cheese in shallow bowls. Dip each rope into butter and then into Parmesan cheese. Place breadsticks on an 11x17-inch sprayed baking sheet in 2 rows of twelve each. Sprinkle with garlic salt, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap.

Pizza Dough

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

1 cup warm water

1 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Mix yeast mixture with half the flour. Add the salt and the rest of the flour. Add more flour if needed but keep dough until just manageable. Knead or mix with bread mixer until smooth. Cover (you can coat the dough with olive oil if you want so it won't stick to the bowl) and rest in warm place for 20 minutes. Roll out on pizza pan and add sauce and topping.

I cook my pizzas at 500 degrees on the lower rack to get the bottom crispy and then put it on the middle rack at the end of cooking. Bake until edges are golden brown and cheese is beginning to brown.

Steadman's Mint Logs

 From my m-in-law.

1-16 oz. bag small marshmallows
1 cube butter or margarine
1 bag milk chocolate chips
2 eggs beaten with a fork
¼ cup – ½ cup pecans or walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. mint flavoring
2 cups powdered sugar
Finely crushed graham crackers
(We use about a box and a half of graham crackers (large box)
for ten batches of candy).

Instructions:
Put crushed graham crackers in a cake pan (fill about ½ full at a time)

Put marshmallows in a large plastic bowl

Melt butter in a pan on low heat

Add chocolate chips. When they are melted (don’t let them get too hot or
it will melt the marshmallows) add the beaten eggs, vanilla, mint, and nuts.
Mix together and then add powdered sugar. Stir well and pour over
marshmallows and mix until chocolate covers all the marshmallows.

Spoon mixture on plastic wrap (1 ft. to 18 inches) and roll up. We divide
the candy into fourths or thirds, depending on how big the family is we are
giving the candy to.

Chunky Monkey Pancakes {Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup}

Recipe by Our Best Bites
I found this recipe the other day and have made it about 4 times in two days, these are DELICIOUS!!!

1 1/2 C flour
3 Tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk *
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs canola oil
1 large or extra large egg
2 small-med ripe bananas
1/4 C mini chocolate chips (or reg. chips roughly chopped) tossed with 2 tsp flour
Cooking Spray or butter for pan

1 C maple syrup
1/2 C peanut butter

*As a substitute for buttermilk, place 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar in a 1 1/2 C measuring cup and then fill the remainder with milk.

Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl combine buttermilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla and whisk well. Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix just until moistened and combined. Place bananas in a bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Fold into batter. Add the chocolate chips that have been tossed with flour and stir.


For syrup, heat peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds. Add maple syrup and gently whisk to combine. Heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds, whisk, and then set aside.

Heat a nonstick griddle or skillet to medium heat. Coat pan with little butter and then pour on pancake batter. Use1/4 C batter for large pancakes (4-6") and 2 T for kid-sized ones (2-3"). Wait until bubbles form and edges are set and then flip.

Reheat syrup if necessary and pour over warm pancakes.

Yield:
28-30 2-3" pancakes (using 1/8 C batter measure)
14-15 4-6" pancakes (using 1/4 C batter measure)

Freezer Instructions: Let cooked pancakes cool to room temperature. Place in a single layer in the freezer until frozen and then place pancakes in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Reheat in a microwave or toaster until heated through.

Dang Good Brownies

Dang Good Brownies

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
¾ cup cocoa
1 cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix first 4 ingredients. Add dry ingredients and then chocolate chips. Spread into a greased and floured 9x9 or 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or bake in 9x13 inch pan for 24-28 minutes. Makes 1-2 dozen.

Tasty variations:
Caramel Brownies:  Melt caramels in microwave, with ¼ cup of evaporated milk. Mix in with brownie mixture.
Mint Brownies: Add 1/8-1/4 tsp. of peppermint extract. OR just add andes mint bits. OR put the andes mint bits across the top, when hot and smooth like frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:  3/4 cup cocoa, 4 cup powdered sugar, ½ cup butter or margarine, 1 tsp. vanilla ½ cup evaporated milk.

Pudding-Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup  packed brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 tsp. vanilla

2   eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2-1/4 cups  flour

1 pkg. (12 oz.) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks 

HEAT oven to 375°F.
BEAT butter, sugars, dry pudding mix and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs and baking soda; mix well. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in chocolate.
DROP teaspoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.
BAKE 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown. Cool 3 min. on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Substitute:

Substitute 1-1/2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped, for the chocolate chunks.

Note:

When baking cookies in high-altitude areas, bake at 375°F for 9 to 11 min. or until golden brown.

Variation:

Prepare dough as directed; spread onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown. Cool before cutting into bars. Makes 24 servings.

Pumpkin Butter

Gina's Skinny Recipes
Servings: 14 • Serving Size: 1/4 cup • Points: 1.5 pts
Calories: 88.2 • Fat: 0.3 g • Protein: 1.0 g • Carb: 27.3 g • Fiber: 2.5 g  

• 3 1/2 cups pumpkin puree, or 1 (29 ounce) can (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup apple cider or juice
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks
• 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (to taste)

Combine pureed pumpkin, vanilla, apple juice, spices, cinnamon sticks and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently. Adjust spices to your taste.

My adjustments:
To start:
3 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

At the end:
pull out sticks, add more ground cinnamon
dash ground cloves
a little more pumpkin pie spice