{Food by Tearsa Monet}

2088-02-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the recipe blog of Tearsa Monet!

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This is a compilation of Williams Family Recipes, each one regularly made in our kitchens, with instructions & ingredients, additional commentary (by my mother), and a beautiful photograph of the actual dish.

To navigate this site, click on the above tabs to choose a category, and
then scroll through the page to see the recipes in the chosen category.
Or, use the search box to find a specific recipe or ingredient.
(I'm working on making navigation more user-friendly.)

2088-01-02T17:10:00.001-07:00

The Book

If you would like a hard-copy of these recipes,
I have published a book with the prefered 56 recipes.

softcover
7x7-inch
120 pages
56 recipes+a photo of each

To see the recipes in it, go here. To see pictures of the book, go here.
To see the publishing company I use, click here.

If you live by me and would like a book, each copy will be $25.95. If you don't live by me, the
price will be about $6 more (unless you order more than one, then the shipping will be less).

If you would like a copy leave me a comment or send an email.

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Chicken Enchiladas

2008-01-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Tearsa received this recipe from a nutrition class she took as a sophomore. We get fresh tortillas from a local panaderia. This recipe is so good that one year Tearsa and I sold 60 pans as a fundraiser.

¼ c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. pepper
2 T. butter
1 c. sour cream
3 T. flour
2 c. chicken broth
1 (2 oz.) can diced green chili
peppers, drained
1 c. shredded cheese
1¼ c. chicken, cooked & well-
chopped
7 (8-inch) tortillas

Preheat oven to 350°. In a saucepan, cook onion, garlic, coriander, pepper, and butter, until onion is tender. Add sour cream and flour. Stir, and add broth and chili peppers. Cook and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat; stir in ½ c. cheese. In a separate bowl, mix chicken and ½ c. of sauce. Dip one side of a tortilla into the remaining sauce. Put about ¼ c. chicken mixture on the sauce-covered side of the tortilla. Roll up, and place, seam-side down, in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Repeat for remaining tortillas. Top enchiladas with remaining dipping sauce and remaining
½ c. cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Berry Pie

2008-01-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

We spend time in the summer picking and freezing berries for pies. Fresh berries make great pie; however, I quickly figured out that frozen berries make runny pie. My grandmother always used tapioca pudding in her cherry pies, so I decided to try the idea, and it works! This pie will set up beautifully.

Crust:

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
⅔ c. + 2 T. shortening
¼ c. water

Mix flour and salt in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pea-sized. Add water and mix. Don't over-mix. May need more flour. Divide dough in half. Roll each half between 2 pieces of wax paper to make two 9-inch circles.

Filling:

1 c. sugar
⅓ c. flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 (3.25 oz.) box cooked tapioca
pudding (frozen berries only)
4 c. berries, thawed with juice

Preheat oven to 400°. Mix dry ingredients (if you are using fresh berries, omit the pudding), then add berries. Press 1 crust into a pie pan. Pour filling into pan, then top with the other crust. Press crust edges together and lightly sprinkle sugar on top. Cook for 35-40 minutes.

French Mint Brownies

2008-01-03T16:01:00.001-07:00

A recipe from Jenny Nebeker. These brownies are extra tall and thick, with the rich taste of mint. I love this recipe so much that I've made it into a gift mix and sold it at bazaars and street fairs.

1½ c. butter, melted
3 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
5 eggs
1 c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
24 chocolate-covered mint
patties
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together butter, sugar, and vanilla; add eggs. Mix in, baking cocoa, baking powder, salt, and flour. Reserve 2 c. of batter. Pour the remaining batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Place the mints in rows of 8 and columns of 3. Spread the reserved batter on top of the mints. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until brownies just begin to pull away from the edge of pan. Cool, cut, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve.

Caramel Poke Cake

2008-01-03T16:01:00.000-07:00

This quick and easy dessert is always a hit. The whipped topping is a nice change from sweet frostings. I normally make a double batch to use up all the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce...and there are never any leftovers!

1 devil's food cake mix
½ (14 oz.) can sweetened
condensed milk
½-¾ (20 oz.) bottle caramel
sundae syrup/sauce
1 (8 oz.) tub whipped topping
⅓ c. chocolate chips or toffee bits

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Place in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake according to package directions. Poke holes in the cake with a fork. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk on top of cake, and then caramel sauce. Let the cake cool completely. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with chocolate chips or toffee bits. Store in refrigerator until served.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

2008-01-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

When Tearsa was in 5th or 6th grade, she won a lunch at JB's Restaurant. The two of us went together, and I ordered a Monte Cristo sandwich. I examined the sandwich and decided: I could make these myself!

For each sandwich:

2 slices French toast
1 slice Swiss cheese
3 slices deli turkey
3 slices deli ham
powder sugar

Prepare the French toast. Cook one side, flip, and, as the other side is cooking, place the cheese on 1 bread slice. Remove from heat, and add folded slices of turkey and ham. (The meat needs to be folded so the sandwich is thicker, instead of resembling two flat pieces of bread.) Sprinkle with powder sugar, and serve hot or cold.

Acini de Pepe Salad

2008-01-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that I received from my mother. I often make it for holidays and when guests come for meals. Please note: This recipe needs to be started a day in advance.

1 (12 oz.) box Acini de Pepe
noodles
2 c. juice from cans of pineapple
tidbits & mandarin oranges
2 T. flour
½ tsp. salt
3 egg yolks
½ c. sugar

2 (8 oz.) tubs whipped topping
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin
oranges
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple tidbits
2-3 c. fruit of your choice
(grapes, strawberries,
peaches, kiwis, etc.)

Cook noodles in 4 quarts of water for 10-11 minutes; rinse and drain. Put noodles aside. Open the cans of pineapple and mandarin oranges. Drain the juice into a saucepan. Refrigerate the fruit. Add the flour, salt, egg yolks, and sugar to the saucepan. Stir and cook until sauce has thickened. Add the sauce to the noodles; stir and refrigerate overnight. This is necessary to flavor the noodles. The next day, add the whipped topping to the sweetened noodles. Make sure all the fruit is drained and dry; mix in most of the fruit and use the rest to garnish.

Fried Rice

2008-01-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from a Chinese cooking class that my mother and I took years ago on Whidbey Island, Washington. Fried rice is a leftover dish, made with whatever kind of meat or vegetables that you have. Basic amounts have been given, but by all means, you don’t need to stick to those amount or varieties.

4 c. day-old cooked rice
4 green onions, chopped
2 celery stalks
1 small zucchini
3 carrots, sliced
¾ c. peas
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts
4 mushrooms
6 T. oil
3-4 eggs
½ c. diced ham (at least)
2 T. soy sauce
salt & pepper

Never use freshly made rice. Rinse the rice to remove starch. Chop vegetables. Heat 1 T. oil in pan; scramble eggs until done. Set aside. Heat 5 T. oil and stir-fry ham until cooked. Stir-fry vegetables for 1 minute (don't over-cook). Add rice, eggs, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir-fry until rice is hot, about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Lemon Bars

2008-01-02T16:21:00.001-07:00

This is a favorite recipe from my college days. I made them often when I was first married because Aaron loves them.

Crust:

2 c. flour
½ c. powder sugar
1 c. butter

2 lemons (juice & rind)
2 c. sugar
4 T. flour
4 eggs
⅛ tsp. salt
additional powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix flour, powder sugar, and butter together. Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly brown. With a lemon zester, remove the yellow lemon rind, taking care not to dig to the bitter white rind. Juice the lemon. Mix sugar, lemon juice and rind, 4 T. flour, eggs, and salt. Pour over baked crust. Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Zucchini Bread

2008-01-02T15:27:00.001-07:00

I've been making this recipe since my high school days. When I grate zucchini, I normally cut off some of the green peel and shred the rest in a food processor.

3 eggs
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. raw zucchini, shredded
3 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. cinnamon
3 c. flour
½ c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°. Beat together eggs, oil, and sugar. Add zucchini and vanilla. Mix in salt, baking soda, baking powder,cinnamon, and flour. Add chopped nuts. Pour batter into 2 small, greased bread pans. (To help prevent bread from sticking, trace the bottom of bread pan on wax paper, cut out, and place in bottoms of pans.) Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.

Sugar Cookies

2008-01-02T15:25:00.001-07:00

This recipe came from my mother. She discovered it while working with preschool in the early 1960's. She thought they were the best sugar cookies she had ever eaten.

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
⅓ c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2¾ c. + 1 T. flour

Frosting:

½ cube soft butter
2½ c. powdered sugar
⅛ tsp. salt
¼ c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
7 T. milk

Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk. Add baking soda, cream of tartar, and flour. Mix together, cover bowl, and refrigerate dough for 1 hour. Roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters, and placed cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are very light gold. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

For the frosting, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in salt, flour, vanilla, and milk. Spread frosting on the tops of cooled cookies. Add sprinkles, if desired.

Rich White Rolls

2008-01-02T15:23:00.000-07:00

At one of our biannual Stake Presidency luncheons, Kaylin Montgomery brought about eight pans of these huge rolls. It was no problem to get the recipe, since she had it memorized!

2 c. warm water
½ c. sugar
2 T. yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 cube butter, melted
2 eggs
6 c. flour

Combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit until it begins to foam. Add salt, butter, and eggs. Mix in flour. Do not knead the dough or add extra flour. The dough will be incredibly sticky. Place dough in a greased bowl, and let it rise until it has doubled in size. Grease your hands, divide the dough into 15 balls, and put in a greased 9x13-inch pan. Preheat oven to 365°. Let dough rise for 30 minutes. Cook for 20-23 minutes or until rolls are golden.

Ribbon Jell-O

2008-01-02T15:22:00.001-07:00

This is a simple recipe, but it takes all day to make because each Jell-O layer has to set separately. I have a friend who uses six boxes of six different colors, dividing each box between yogurt and water to make tiny layers. This recipe is also fun to make in clear cups for a party!

6 pkgs. small Jell-O,
3 different colors
3 c. plain yogurt

Dissolve 1 box of the lightest color Jell-O in 1 c. boiling water. Then add ⅔ c. cold water. Put in a 9x13-inch pan. Refrigerate until Jell-O is set. Dissolve the other box of that same color Jell-O in 1 c. boiling water. Then whisk in 1 c. yogurt, blending out the clumps. Pour this Jell-O on the previous layer. Continue with the other 4 boxes, adding a new layer when the previous layer is set, and alternating between regular and yogurt Jell-O.

Color ideas:
Yellow, Blue, Red
Yellow, Green, Orange
Yellow, Green, Purple

Raspberry Cream Jell-O

2008-01-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe came from an old roommate at college. If you are lucky enough to have huckleberries, use them instead.

2 large boxes raspberry Jell-O
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese,
softened
1 (0.25 oz.) envelope unflavored
gelatin
1 c. half & half
¾ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. lemon juice
¼ c. sugar
2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

Dissolve 1 box raspberry Jell-O in 2 c. boiling water. Add 1¾ c. cold water. Put in a 9x13-inch pan, and place in refrigerator to set. Combine unflavored gelatin and ½ c. cold water. In a saucepan, boil half & half and ¾ c. sugar, stirring continuously to keep from burning. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, unflavored gelatin, and vanilla to half & half mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour over the set layer of raspberry Jell-O, and let this layer set. Dissolve the other box of raspberry Jell-O in 2 c. boiling water. Remove from heat, and add lemon juice and ¼ c. sugar. Add berries, and then pour on top of cream cheese layer. Chill and serve.

Pumpkin Bread

2008-01-02T15:19:00.001-07:00

This recipe first came from my sister-in-law, Janene. Since it came to the rest of the family, my mother-in-law makes it for every holiday meal, along with poppy seed bread. It freezes well, and the vanilla pudding makes the bread extra moist.

5 eggs
1¼ c. vegetable oil
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
2 c. sugar
2 (3 oz.) pkgs. cook & serve
vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
2 c. flour

Preheat oven to 325°. Beat eggs, oil, and pumpkin until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Pour batter into 2 greased 8x4x2-inch bread pans. (To help prevent bread from sticking, trace the bottom of bread pan on wax paper, cut out, and place in bottoms of pans.) Bake for 75-80 minutes.

Pot Stickers

2008-01-02T15:17:00.001-07:00

This is an authentic Taiwanese recipe from T.J. Probst (he served a mission in Taiwan). These are a perfect addition to a Chinese meal. Wonton skins can be found in the refrigerator section of most grocery stores, near the tofu.

1 c. finely shredded cabbage
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground lean pork
¼ c. minced green onion
1 clove minced garlic
½ tsp. salt
2 T. soy sauce
1 (12 oz.) pkg. wonton skins

Put cabbage in a bowl with 1 tsp. salt. Rub together until cabbage is limp; rinse well. Thoroughly combine cabbage, pork, onion, garlic, ½ tsp. salt, and soy sauce. Spoon 1 tsp. onto middle of wonton skin. Wet edges, press to seal, and fold corners together. Repeat with remaining filling. Cook in boiling water until the pot stickers float to the top, plus 1 additional minute. Serve tossed with soy sauce.

Poppy Seed Bread

2008-01-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

A family favorite, with or without the messy glaze. This moist bread freezes well. It is nice to be able to make ahead and freeze for an event.

3 eggs
1½ c. milk
1⅛ c. vegetable oil
2¼ c. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
1½ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. butter flavoring
1½ tsp. almond flavoring
1½ tsp. vanilla
3 T. poppy seeds
3 c. flour

Glaze:

¼ tsp. butter flavoring
¼ tsp. almond flavoring
¼ tsp. vanilla
2 T. concentrated orange juice,
thawed
6 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 325°. Beat together eggs, milk, and oil. Add sugar, salt, baking powder, butter flavoring, almond flavoring, vanilla, and poppy seeds. Mix in flour. Pour batter into 2 medium-small, greased bread pans. (To help prevent bread from sticking, trace the bottom of bread pan on wax paper, cut out, and place in bottoms of pans.) Bake for
60-70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Mix together glaze ingredients. Poke small holes in top of warm bread with a fork and pour glaze over.

Peanut Brittle

2008-01-02T15:14:00.001-07:00

I learned to make peanut brittle during my second year of college from the girls next door. I know it was a 'winter months' activity, because I remember putting the cookie sheets on the snow banks to cool faster.

1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. light corn syrup
3 T. butter
12 oz. raw Spanish peanuts

Butter two cookie sheets. Mix baking soda, 1 tsp. water, and vanilla; set aside. Mix sugar, 1 c. water, and corn syrup in a
3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches 240°. Stir in butter and peanuts. Stir constantly until mixture reaches 300°. Immediately remove from heat, stir in baking soda, water, and vanilla mixture. Working quickly, pour half of the candy mixture onto each cookie sheet and spread to ¼ inch thick. Cool and break into pieces.

Lemon Chicken

2008-01-02T15:13:00.001-07:00

I found this recipe in a Chinese cookbook years before I was married. It takes a few steps to make, so I don't make it often enough. But when I do, we all enjoy it!

8 small chicken breasts
½ c. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. pepper
¼ c. water
4 egg yolks
3 c. vegetable oil
4 green onions, sliced

Lemon sauce:

1½ c. water
½ c. lemon juice
3½ T. brown sugar, packed
3 T. cornstarch
3 T. honey
2 tsp. instant chicken bouillon
granules
⅛ tsp. ground ginger
3 drops yellow food coloring

Cut chicken in half. Pound lightly with a mallet or rolling pin to flatten. Combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Blend in water and egg yolks. Pour oil into a skillet. Heat over high heat until oil reaches 375°. One at a time, dip chicken into cornstarch-egg mixture. Fry chicken, 2-3 at a time, in hot oil until golden, about 5 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towels. Cut each breast into 3-4 strips. Sprinkle with onions. Combine all sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir until blended and cook over medium heat. Stir constantly until sauce boils and thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour over chicken and serve.

Gunpowder Chicken

2008-01-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

The name of this recipe comes from the poppy seeds that resemble gunpowder. This recipe freezes well and came from my friend Jenny Nebeker.

4-5 c. cooked rice
2-3 c. cooked chicken, cubed
2 (10.75 oz.) cans cream of
chicken soup
2 c. plain yogurt
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
1 T. poppy seeds
4 T. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Put cooked rice in a greased
9x13-inch pan. Mix together chicken, soup, and yogurt; place on rice. Top with crackers, poppy seeds, and butter. Cook for 45 minutes or until it bubbles and crackers darken.

English Toffee

2008-01-02T15:09:00.001-07:00

When I was growing up (at sea level), my mother always made English toffee for the holidays. When I married and moved to a higher altitude, her recipe didn’t work. My neighbor, Jane Payne, gave me her recipe. Years later, when Jane moved to sea level, I gave her my mom’s recipe.

High altitude:

4 Hershey's milk chocolate bars
5 oz. sliced almonds
1 lb. butter
2½ c. sugar
¼ c. corn syrup
1 c. water

Sea level:

4 Hershey's milk chocolate bars
5 oz. sliced almonds
1 lb. butter
1¼ c. sugar

Butter a 9x13-inch pan. With a paring knife, shave the chocolate bars; set aside. Sprinkle ⅓ of almonds in the pan. Boil butter and sugar (and corn syrup & water if at high altitude) on medium-high temperature, stirring continuously to prevent burning. When the mixture reaches approximately 200°, turn temperature down to medium. When it reaches 280°, quickly remove from heat and pour into buttered pan. Immediately sprinkle shaved chocolate pieces and remaining almonds over top of toffee. After toffee has cooled, break into small pieces with a knife. If you triple the recipe, use a very large pot, and place in 4 pans, instead of 3.

Chex-Almond Sticky Stuff

2008-01-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

This is a great change from the average party mix. I’ll often get requests for the recipe. You can adjust the amounts of almonds and coconut, depending on your taste.

1 (14 oz.) box Corn Chex cereal
(about 11 c.)
1 (14 oz.) box Rice Chex cereal
(about 11 c.)
1 (12 oz.) box Golden Grahams
cereal (about 8 c.)
3 c. slivered almonds
1 (14 oz.) pkg. shredded coconut
(about 4 c.)
3 cubes butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. corn syrup

Divide cereals, almonds, and coconut between 2 large bowls (for easier mixing). Put butter, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Turn heat down to medium and cook for 8 minutes. It is very important to turn the heat down to medium. When the syrup mixture has cooked, pour it over the cereal mixtures and mix until coated.

Caramels

2008-01-02T15:06:00.001-07:00

A box of caramels and this recipe came with a holiday visit from a pottery pal from college, Nancy Jones. I now make pans and pans of these perfect caramels for the holiday, with my children helping with the wrapping.

2 c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. light corn syrup
1 cube butter, cut into
small slices
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
wax or parchment paper

Butter a 9x13-inch pan. Dissolve sugar, salt, and corn syrup in a saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture boils. Increase to medium temperature. Add butter and evaporated milk to mixture in small amounts, alternating, and beginning and ending with butter. Be sure to stir the butter in completely before adding the milk, and vice versa. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches thread stage (242°). Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour into buttered pan. When cooled, cut caramels and wrap in wax or parchment paper.

Caramel Corn

2008-01-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve never been fond of homemade 'sticky' caramel corn. I used to make caramel corn that had to be baked in the oven for an hour. This recipe is easy and quick in the microwave…and it’s delicious!

3-4 quarts hot air popped pop
corn
1 brown paper grocery bag

1 c. brown sugar
¼ c. corn syrup
1 cube butter
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

Pop popcorn. Put popcorn in brown grocery bag by handfuls (to avoid adding seeds). Combine sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high temperature. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add baking soda. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn. Roll the top of the bag down, and vigorously shake the bag. Cook bag in microwave for 2 minutes*, removing bag from microwave every 30 seconds and shaking bag to prevent burnt areas. Cut the bag so it will lie flat. Spread the caramel corn out to cool.

*This cooking time is for a 1150 watt microwave. Cooking times will vary by power of microwave. If the caramel corn is still sticky after it has cooled, it needed to be cooked longer.

Candy Bar Brownies

2008-01-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

I came across this recipe years ago, and have made it hundreds of times for my family and as a gift mix. Any kind of chocolate candy bar works.

6 miniature chocolate candy bars
1 cube butter, melted
2 eggs
¾ tsp. vanilla
¼ c. baking cocoa
1½ c. sugar
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap chocolate bars and chop into coarse chunks. Mix together butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, including chocolate chunks. Gently stir until moistened. Spread into a greased 8x8-inch pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Bonbons

2008-01-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

My grandma, V. Mae Bruneau, made bonbons every Christmas. As her grandchildren got older and left home, she would give us a box of bonbons with a card that always said, “With all my love, Grandma.” For her funeral, I made boxes of bonbons with one of her cards for each family member.

7 c. powder sugar (2 lb. pkg.)
1 cube melted butter
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened
condensed milk
2 c. walnuts, chopped
5⅓ c. coconut
½ c. chopped maraschino
cherries (10 oz. jar, drained)
1 tsp. vanilla
3½ c. chocolate chips
⅔ cake of paraffin wax (¼ lb. bar)

Combine sugar, butter, and milk. Add walnuts, coconut, cherries, and vanilla. Mix together and roll into 100 balls; freeze. (You may also chill dough slightly, scoop balls with a small melon baller, and then freeze.) Melt chocolate and wax in a double boiler. Using a toothpick, dip frozen balls in melted chocolate and place on wax paper to firm.

Bagels

2008-01-02T14:58:00.001-07:00

You can make the dough in a bread machine. I usually double or triple the batch, due to the 'quickly eaten' problem. I found this recipe in a Gold Medal Flour cookbook when I was first married.

1 c. + 1 T. water
1½ tsp. yeast
1½ T. honey
1¼ tsp. salt
3 c. bread flour
oats, sesame seeds, poppy
seeds, etc.

Combine water, yeast, and honey. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, until it begins to foam. Add salt and bread flour. In a mixer, knead dough for 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. Punch dough down and divide into 10 balls. Shape each ball into a 3-inch circle; poke a 1-inch hole in the middle, using thumbs. Smooth the dough into a bagel shape. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover bagels and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°. Boil 2 quarts of water. Carefully lower 3-4 bagels at a time into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, turning once after 15 seconds. Remove bagels with a slotted spoon, and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with oats, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, etc. Place bagels on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until light brown. Cool on wire rack.

For variety, add ½ c. dried blueberries, 1 tsp. cinnamon, or 1 tsp. garlic powder to bagel dough.

Tijuana Tidbits

2007-08-25T19:52:00.000-06:00

4 c. tortilla chips
3 c. Crispix cereal
1 bag microwave popcorn
1 12 oz. can mixed nuts
½ c. light corn syrup
½ c. butter
½ c. brown sugar, packed
1 T. chili powder
⅛ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 250°. Pop popcorn to 8-9 cups. Combine tortilla chips, cereal, popcorn, and nuts into a roast pan. In a sauce pan, combine corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, chili powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Heat until boiling, and then pour over cereal mixture in pan, stirring to coat. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from oven and turn onto sheets of wax paper to cool (sticky while hot). Makes 18 cups.

Chicken Chowder

2007-08-21T18:58:00.000-06:00

3 c. water
1 c. diced onions
1 c. sliced mini carrots
1 c. sliced celery
2 c. diced potatoes

½ c. butter
2½ T. chicken base
½ c. flour
2 qts. half & half
¼ tsp. pepper
1½ c. diced cooked chicken

Add water and vegetables to heavy soup pot and simmer until tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in saute pan and stir in chicken base. Whisk in flour and cook on low temperature for about two minutes to cook flour. Slowly stir in part of half & half, whisking smooth. Add remainder of half & half to cooked vegetables in pot. Whisk cooked butter, chicken base, and flour mixture into vegetables in soup pot Heat. Add pepper and diced cooked chicken. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Orange Monkey Bread

2007-08-21T16:00:00.000-06:00

This recipe can be made with a bread machine or by hand. If using a bread machine, put the first six ingredients in bread pan and set for white or sweet bread, dough stage, and press start. When the dough is done follow the rest of this recipe.

1 c. milk
2¼ tsp. yeast
3 T. sugar
3 T. soft butter
¾ tsp. salt
1 T. grated orange peel
3 c. bread flour

4½ melted butter
3 T. orange juice
1½ c. sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon

Heat milk to a warm temperature (not hot), and mix milk, yeast, and sugar together. Once yeast mixture is bubbly, put it into a mixer. Add butter, salt, and orange peel. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing between cups. (This dough should be very soft, so check the dough as you add the final cup of flour to make sure it isn't getting too tough.) Continue to mix the dough for about one minute, or until all the ingredients have combined and can be easily formed into a ball. Put dough in a large greased bowl, cover it, and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Just before dough is ready, mix together melted butter and orange juice. In a separate bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar. Put about half of the cinnamon-sugar mix in another bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, punch down. Roll dough into a thick log and cut it into 30 to 36 pieces. You can roll them into balls or leave them the way they are. Dip each ball in butter orange mixture, then in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Layer balls in a greased 2-2½ quart dish. Butter will drip in the sugar and make it hard to work with, so half way through dipping the balls, switch to the other bowl of cinnamon-sugar. Drizzle any remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar over the dough in the pan. Cover it loosely, and put it in a warm place to rise for about 30-40 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Uncover loaf and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is lightly brown and a skewer inserted in the bred comes out clean. Remove and invert bread on a serving plate. Let the bread cool a little, then serve.

Cinnamon-Raisin Swirl Bread

2007-08-21T15:58:00.000-06:00

1¼ c. milk
1½ T. softened butter
4½ T. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
3 c. bread flour
1 T. yeast

6 T. raisins
2 T. very soft butter
6 T. brown sugar
1½ tsp. cinnamon

Heat milk to a warm temperature (not hot), and mix milk, yeast, and sugar together. Once yeast mixture is bubbly, put it into a mixer. Add butter and salt. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing between cups. (This dough should be very soft, so check the dough as you add the final cup of flour to make sure it isn't getting too tough.) Continue to mix the dough for about one minute, or until all the ingredients have combined and can be easily formed into a ball. Put dough in a large greased bowl, cover it, and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes.

At this point, whether you used a bread machine or a mixer, the recipe is the same. Remove the dough from the bowl or bread pan, and punch down. Let it rest for five minutes. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface to from a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 16 inches long. Spread the butter and sprinkle the brown sugar and raisins on the surface of the dough. Roll the dough into a fat 8-inch-long cylinder. Put the dough into a greased 9½-inch bread pan, making sure the seam is on the bottom of the pan. Cover loosely and put in a warm place to rise for one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Uncover loaf and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. (If you don't cook the bread long enough the center will be slightly doughy. With this bread it isn't bad, but if you don't like it doughy, cook the bread for longer.) Remove the bread from the pan and put it on a wire rack to cool.

Blueberry Sour Cream Muffins

2007-08-21T14:32:00.000-06:00

¼ c. butter
2 eggs
¾ c. sugar
1¼ c. plus 2 T. flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. sour cream
1 c. blueberries
½ tsp. vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 375°. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture by alternating the dry ingredients with sour cream. Stir mixture after each addition. When batter is well-mixed, add blueberries and vanilla. Grease muffin pan, divide batter among twelve cups and bake in oven for 15 to 17 minutes.

Cream Puffs

2007-08-21T13:05:00.000-06:00

1 c. water
½ c. butter
1 c. flour
4 eggs
whipped cream, ice cream, or pudding
powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 325º. Heat water and butter to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Stir in flour, all at once. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms into a ball (about 1 minute). Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat mixture until smooth and velvety. With a spoon or small cookie scoop, drop balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Smooth the dough out a bit. Bake for 25 minutes or until dry. Allow puffs to cool slowly. Cut off tops with a sharp knife. Remove any filament of soft dough inside the puffs. Fill with whipped cream, ice cream, or pudding. Replace tops. Serve cold with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Chicken & Rice Dinner

2007-06-27T14:18:00.000-06:00

1 10.75 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 c. water
¾ c. uncooked rice
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. pepper
4 chicken breasts
additional paprika & pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375°. In a 9x13-inch pan, mix soup, water, rice, paprika, and pepper. Place chicken on rice mixture. Sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until chicken and rice are done. Serves 4.

Cranberry Chicken

2007-06-26T14:30:00.000-06:00

6-7 chicken breasts
1 16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
½ 16 oz. bottle creamy French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
cooked rice

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Defrost chicken and cut each piece in half. In a greased or foil-lined 9x13-inch pan, layer chicken and cranberry sauce. Drizzle French dressing onto the chicken and cranberry sauce, and then sprinkle soup mix on top. Bake for 45 minutes to an 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over cooked rice.

Belgian Waffles

2007-06-25T14:31:00.000-06:00

1 T. yeast
2 c. lukewarm milk
4 eggs, separated
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 T. sugar
2½ c. flour
½ c. melted butter

Dissolve yeast in milk. Beat egg yolks and vanilla; add to yeast. Add flour, salt, sugar, and butter. Mix well with a hand mixer. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and then fold into flour batter. Let rise until doubled. Put a heaping ½ cup of batter into a lightly sprayed waffle iron and spread it out slightly. Bake for 3 minutes. Top with powder sugar, berries, jam, and/or whipped cream.

Cinnamon Rolls

2007-06-24T14:31:00.000-06:00

1 T. yeast
¼ c. water
½ T. sugar
2 c. milk, warmed & then cooled
4 T. butter
½ T. salt
1 egg
½ c. sugar
7 c. flour, approx.

Mix first three ingredients together and let proof. Add milk, butter, salt, egg, and sugar. Add flour one cup at a time. Be careful not to add too much flour; the dough should be very soft and still slightly sticky. It isn't necessary to knead the dough; just mix and work with it until it can be formed into a soft ball. Put the ball of dough in a large greased bowl; cover. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. When the dough is finished rising, punch it down. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle. Spread onto the dough:

6 T. butter
¾ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
¾ c. raisins

Roll the dough into a log, and cut 2 inch rolls with a piece of thread. Spray a 9x13-inch pan and a 8x8-inch pan. Place the cut rolls into the pans, leaving enough space in between to allow them to rise. Loosely cover pans and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until light brown.

Chocolate Chunk Brownies

2007-06-23T14:48:00.000-06:00

¾ c. cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
⅔ c. melted butter
½ c. hot water
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1⅓ c. flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. chocolate chunks
powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Combine cocoa, baking soda, and ⅓ c. butter. Add water and stir until well-blended. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and the other ⅓ c. of butter. Mix in flour and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks. Pour batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Sprinkle brownies with powdered sugar after they have cooled.

Mrs. Fields' Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-06-22T15:21:00.000-06:00

2 c. soft butter
2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
4 c. flour
4 c. regular oatmeal
1 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8 oz. milk chocolate Hershey bar, chopped (or chopped chocolate chips)

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, flour, and oatmeal. Mix in chocolate chips and chopped chocolate. Roll dough into golf ball-sized balls. Place them on a cookie sheet and press the tops down slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Beef & Vegetable Soup

2007-04-28T18:02:00.000-06:00

I rarely measure when I make soups. This is the basic recipe; you can add more or less to fit your needs. This is a favorite and it makes a big enough batch for leftovers.

4 c. stew beef
24 c. water
⅓ c. beef bouillon granules
3 c. celery
4 c. red potatoes, cut into wedges/chunks
5 c. carrots
2 large onions, sliced
6 c. uncooked noodles
1 c. frozen peas

Cut up stew meat and brown in a skillet. In a large pot, add water and bouillon. Add celery, potatoes, carrots, and onions. Bring to a boil, lower temperature, and cook for 1 hour. Then add noodles and cook for 30 minutes*. Add frozen peas; serve.

*Cooking times will vary depending on type of noodles used. I like to use Country Pasta homemade style egg noodles.

Chicken in Lemon-Dill Butter

2007-04-20T12:07:00.000-06:00

In our early years of marriage we had a garden in which I grew dill. Not that I used it for canning, but I often brought it in the house in a vase with flowers (it has a nice fragrance). When I made this recipe I normally used dill seeds, since they were more plentiful than dill weed.

1 cube butter
3 T. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, minced
dash of pepper
½ tsp. paprika
1 4 oz. jar mushrooms, drained
1 T. dill weed
6-7 chicken breast, cut in half
1 green onion, sliced
cooked rice or noodles

Melt butter in a skillet. Add all ingredients except chicken and rice or noodles; bring to a boil. Add chicken, heat to nearly boiling, cover, and lower heat. Simmer 45 minutes or longer, until chicken is tender. Serve with noodles or rice. Serves 4-6.

Six-Cup Salad

2007-04-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

This is a simple winter salad recipe, since it is using canned fruit. The original recipe called for sour cream instead of yogurt.

1 c. miniature marshmallows
1 c. pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained
1 c. mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. plain yogurt
1 c. coconut flakes
1 c. maraschino cherry halves

In a two-quart bowl, mix all ingredients gently together. Chill in refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Serves 6-8.

Banana Bread

2007-04-18T05:43:00.000-06:00

½ c. shortening
1½ c. sugar
2 large eggs (½ c.)
¼ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 c. flour
¼ c. buttermilk
1 c. smashed bananas (about 3)
½ c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream together shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add baking powder, soda, salt, and flour. Mix in buttermilk, bananas, nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a greased bread pan and cook for 1 hour and 10-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-04-17T21:36:00.000-06:00

This isn't my best recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but they are still pretty good. The recipe used shortening instead of butter, which can be handy, since butter is more expensive and not always on-hand. I made these all the time at college to help fatten up my roommates ☺.

2 c. shortening
1½ c. brown sugar
1½ c. white sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
4½ c. flour
chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350º. Cream together shortening and sugars. Add vanilla, eggs, soda, and salt; mix in flour, then add chocolate chips. Roll dough into balls, place on cookie sheet, and press down. Bake for 12 minutes.

Fruit Pizza

2007-04-16T06:02:00.000-06:00

My cousin Renee Colleran has a huge Easter celebration and brunch at her home every year. We aren't able to attend very often, due to traveling distance. The year that Drey (as a toddler) found the Golden Egg with his Grandpa Bruneau's help was the year that I received this 'Golden' recipe. As my cousin says, "It wouldn't be Easter without fruit pizza." It is bright, beautiful, and fun to artistically arrange fruit on. If you are looking to make this recipe simpler you could use packaged sugar cookie dough for the crust.

Crust:

1 c. butter
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
2⅔ c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream together butter and sugar. Add the remaining crust ingredients and mix (like you would sugar cookies). Divide the dough into three balls. Roll or flatten on a floured surface, about ⅔ the size of the well-greased glass pan. Transfer it to the pan, shape it more. Cook at 350º for 8-10 minutes; cool.

1st Layer:

2 8 oz. packages soft cream cheese
1 c. sugar
6 T. pineapple juice

Mix in mixer and spread on top of cooled crust.

2nd Layer:

fresh fruit, such as strawberries, kiwi, grapes cut in half, etc. (you can use drained, canned fruit--frozen blueberries and blackberries bleed)

Slice fruit and arrange on top of pizza. Make sure the fruit is well-drained and dry before you put it on the pizza to prevent a soggy mess.

Glaze:

¾ c. pineapple juice
1 T. cornstarch

Cook until it boils. After it cools a bit, dribble it over fruit. This needs to be eaten the same day it is made, otherwise the crust will get soggy.

Chicken and Mushroom Dijon

2007-04-15T16:55:00.000-06:00

I started making this dish early in my marriage. The dijon mustard is what makes the dish wonderful. The seeds are for appearance and flavor. My father always loved dijon mustard.

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
1½ c. broccoli florets
1½ c. sliced mushrooms
1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
¼ c. milk
2 T. Dijon style mustard
egg noodles or rice

Cut chicken into one-inch pieces. Cook in skillet for 10 minutes or until browned. Set chicken aside. Cook broccoli and mushrooms until tender. Add soup, milk, and mustard. heat to a boil. Return chicken to pan and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Snake Bite Beans

2007-04-14T04:50:00.000-06:00

For a dutch oven cooking contest a few years ago, our friends Todd and Melissa Miller made a pot of Snake Bite Beans. Aaron loved it and asked for the recipe. I decided that I could cook them up in a crock pot, and I made a few changed in the sauce and bean varieties. This makes a big crock full (or dutch oven), which makes my boys happy.

4 c. cubed pork (about 2 lbs.)
½ bell pepper, cut in long strips
4 ribs of celery
½ onion (sliced in rings)
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1 c. barbecue sauce
½ c. ketchup
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, undrained
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed & drained
1 15 oz. can spicy chili beans, rinsed & drained
1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, rinsed & drained
2 16 oz. cans pork and beans, rinsed & drained

Brown meat and remove excess fat. Place in a large greased crock pot. Then add other ingredients; stir and mix. Cook on high for 3-4 hours, until vegetables are tender.

Potato Topping

2007-04-13T07:05:00.000-06:00

As the wife of a past-potato farmer, I have learned to not wrap potatoes in foil. It looks nice, but it takes the fluff out of the potato. This is a favorite topping of my sons. If you don't have any sour cream, you can still make this topping. It doesn't taste as good, but it's not bad.

6 potatoes
1-1½ lbs. ground beef
½ onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¾ c. milk
½-1 c. sour cream

To cook the potatoes: wash off and dry, grease with shortening, and poke some holes in them with a fork. Most potatoes can be cooked for an hour at 400°. Brown the ground beef and onion together; drain off excess fat. Add mushroom soup and milk; heat up. Add the sour cream last; do not overheat it.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

2007-04-12T11:37:00.000-06:00

My grandmother (S. Alice Rassmusen) and mother (Joyce Bruneau) have made snickerdoodle cookies a favorite to bake. I started making them when I was around ten years old. The recipe came from Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook, printed in 1956. As I became more of an experience baker I improved upon it, adding real vanilla, and cooking for less time to make them chewier. I believe I make these cookies more often than any other cookies. They cost less (no butter or chocolate) and I always have the ingredients on hand (I buy cream of tartar in bulk). Besides, it's quick to mix up.

2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
5¼-5½ c. flour
6 T. sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Add just enough flour to be able to roll dough into a ball. Roll balls about 1½-inch thick (larger than a walnut, smaller that a golf ball). Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl, and roll the balls in the mixture. Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet (about nine to a sheet). Press down lightly. Bake for 12-13 minutes until very light brown. Do not over-bake. They are meant to be chewy and soft.

Ranch French Bread

2007-04-11T08:58:00.000-06:00

This has a nice twist from garlic bread. The ranch dressing has garlic seasoning in it, but this is more colorful and flavorful.

1 loaf French bread
1 cube (or less) butter, melted
4 tsp. (or less) powdered ranch dressing mix

Cut the loaf of bread, longways, in half. Spread half the butter on each piece; sprinkle powdered ranch dressing on top. Place in oven and broil for a couple minutes until lightly browned.

Danish Puff Pastry

2007-04-10T20:01:00.000-06:00

With a Danish heritage, this was a common recipe my mother made while I was growing up for her many home parties. It’s a favorite and you can never make too much of it. It puffs up and is beautiful and elegant-looking.

Crust:

1 c. flour
1 cube butter
¼ c. water

Middle Layer:

¾ c. water
1 cube butter
1 tsp. almond extract
1 c. flour
3 eggs

Frosting:

2 c. powdered sugar
½ c. butter
3 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

sliced almonds, optional

For the crust: Cut the butter into the flour until the butter is pea-sized (like making pie crust). Add water and mix. Grease two cookie sheets. Divide dough in two parts. Put one part on each cookie sheet; flatten to a long oval shape ¼-inch or smaller. It won’t be very visible, so imperfections are fine.

For the middle layer: Bring water and butter to a boil. Remove; add almond extract, flour, and eggs, one at a time. Spread batter, with a spatula, on top of the crusts. Bake for 40-50 minutes at 350º, until crisp and lightly browned and doesn’t appear eggy.

For the frosting: After the pastry has cooled, mix the frosting ingredients until smooth. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the pastries. Top with almonds, if desired.

Oregano Bread

2007-04-09T20:00:00.000-06:00

My husband, Aaron, bought be a bread machine for Christmas one year, but oddly enough for the first year or so, only he made the bread! (I wasn't mechanically-minded enough for all the settings.) I bought a bread machine cookbook (since he only made plain white bread) and come across this recipe. It smells heavenly when baking, and perfect with Italian foods instead of garlic bread. It will made a short 1½ lbs. loaf, but you can make a better loaf by mixing it in the mixer/kneading it by hand. Bake it on a pizza stone in a round ball form for 25-30 minutes at 350°.

1¼ c. water
¼ c. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
¼ c. parmesan cheese (dry, powdered)
1 T. oregano
3 c. bread flour
⅓ c. nonfat dry milk
2½ tsp. yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order given; press start.

Broccoli-Stuffed Chicken

2007-04-08T20:02:00.000-06:00

This is easy, delicious, and looks better than an average dish. You can substitute cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken.

1 6 oz. pkg. stuffing mix
1 c. water
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1½ c. fresh broccoli flower heads
1 c. boiling water
1 10.75 oz. can cream of chicken soup
½ c. milk
1 tsp. paprika
2 T. grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine stuffing mix and water in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pound chicken breasts to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Pour the boiling water over the broccoli, and let it sit for a few minutes; drain. Add broccoli to stuffing; mix lightly. Spread evenly onto chicken breasts to within ½ inch of outer edges. Roll up each chicken breast from one of the short ends, enclosing the stuffing mixture. Place chicken, seam-sides down, in a 9x13-inch pan. Mix soup and milk; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 minutes (or until chicken is 170°).

Polynesian Pork

2007-04-07T09:43:00.000-06:00

Before Aaron and I were engaged, we went on a picnic and I made this dish for our meal. I have no idea why, perhaps it was my 'most impressive dish,' but it certainly isn't picnic food! The sweet/sour base it still too strong for him--but I like it.

1½ lbs. pork—cut up in cubes (about 3 c.)
2½ T. cornstarch
1 c. red wine vinegar
½ c. water
1½-2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained
1 c. sliced carrots
3 c. other vegetables—green pepper, bok choy, carrots, celery, onion, & peas
Hot cooked rice

Cook meat in pan, if needed add some oil to prevent sticking. Remove meat. Blend cornstarch and vinegar in skillet. Add sugar, ketchup, soy sauce; cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Add meat, cover and simmer 30 minutes (put carrots in at this time). Add pineapple and other vegetables, continue cooking 10 minutes. Serve on rice.

Molasses Cookies

2007-04-06T21:38:00.000-06:00

I love molasses cookies but never grew up eating them, which means I had to hunt & find a good recipe. After trying a few I settled on this one--which came from Taste of Home. Molasses cookies look great on a platter with snickerdoodle cookies. They have the some crinkle texture with contrasting color.

½ c. butter, softened
½ c. shortening
1½ c. sugar
½ c. molasses
2 eggs
½ tsp. salt
2¼ tsp. baking soda
2¼ tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. ground cloves
1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
4 c. flour
extra sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Beat in molasses and eggs. Add salt, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon; mix in flour. Roll dough into 1½-inch balls; dip tops in sugar. Place on cookie sheet and lightly press down tops. Bake for 11 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes 3 dozen.

French Toast

2007-04-05T08:01:00.000-06:00

When Tearsa was 6 months old, my mother (Joyce Bruneau), Tearsa, and I took a train trip to Washington. We had a sleeper cab and ate in the dining car. We had French toast one morning that was soo good that I asked the porter what was in it. I found out about vanilla and nutmeg, and came home and made up this recipe. In our family, we make up a large batch and then freeze the extra slices in sandwich bags. If there is extra egg batter, I scramble it up, and it is also a treat.

12 eggs
¾ c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 loafs of Texas Toast bread
Extra nutmeg for sprinkling

Put eggs, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg in a shallow bowl; blend and break egg yolks with a hand whip. Dip both sides of the bread in the egg mixture, drain off excess. Place on a greased griddle or pan. Lightly sprinkle one side of the bread with the extra nutmeg. Cook until lightly brown, flip and do likewise. Make sure that they are cooked completely so there are no eggy spots. You may need to add more milk if the mixture gets too thick.

Nutmeg Refrigerator Cookies/Crackers

2007-04-04T20:02:00.000-06:00

In my early twenties I worked at a hardware store on Whidbey Island, WA. There must have been a promotion, because there was a cookbook for sale in the store called The Encyclopedia of Creative Cooking (1985). I thought it was glorious because there were so many color photos. I still have that book, and have made many of it's dishes...but I look at the photos now and think they are too dark with an orange cast to them. Since this cookie recipe had a photo, I knew it would be something unique. It doesn't taste like a cookie--it isn't sweet (so call them nutmeg crackers so people aren't disappointed).

½ c. butter
½ c. sugar
6 T. half & half cream
3 T. orange juice
Grated rind of 1 orange
3 c. flour minus 3 T.
1½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugar. Add cream, orange juice, and grated rind; blend well. Add nutmeg and salt. Mix in flour. Shape dough into a roll, then wrap in waxed paper. Chill in refrigerator overnight. Pre-heat oven to 375°. Slice dough ⅛ inch thick. Cut a small hole with a piping tube or thimble off-center in each cookie. Use a fork to make indents. Placed on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or when cookies are light brown. Bake the 'holes' for 5 minutes.

Company Lasagna

2007-04-03T19:59:00.000-06:00

This fancy lasagna recipe came out of the Taste of Home April 2000 issue. It won grand prize so of course I had to try the recipe. It takes more time and cost to put together than my standard recipe, but it's the best I've had. Perhaps with five different kinds of cheese it should be! Double the recipe and freeze a pan. It makes a very full 9x13 pan.

1 lb. ground beef
¾ lb. pork sausage (I normally use less)
3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 eggs
3 T. fresh parsley (or 3 tsp. dried)
3 c. small-curd cottage cheese
1 8 oz. carton ricotta cheese
½ c. grated parmesan cheese
9 lasagna noodles, cooked & drained
6 slices provolone cheese
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the next seven ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, combine the eggs, parsley, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce in an ungreased 13x9 pan. Layer with 3 noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce, and mozzarella. Cover and bake at 375° for 50 minutes. Uncover; bake for 20 minutes longer. Let stand for 50 minutes before cutting.

Chicken & Grape Salad

2007-04-02T19:57:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe that my mother, Joyce Bruneau, gained when she sold/demonstrated Pampered Chef products. It's had a few changes to make it more our own. We have a friend who refers to this as "The Grass Clipping Salad" (because of the dill weed).

1 lb. chicken breast (approx. 4)
2 ribs of celery
1-2 T. chopped onion
1 c. mayonnaise (approx.)
1 clove garlic
1 c. (or more) green/red grapes
1-2 firm apples
1 tsp. dill weed
1 oz. fresh parmesan cheese (not grated variety)
½ c. pecans (very optional)

Cut up chicken into bite sized pieces. Cook on stove with a clove or two of garlic until completely cooked. Chop celery and onion. Cut grapes in half. Peel apples and cut up chunk sized pieces. Place chicken, celery, grapes, and apples in a bowl. Then add mayonnaise and dill. Mix and then add parmesan cheese. This is also a fun filler for pita bread with some sprouts!

Gumdrop Cookies

2007-04-01T19:56:00.000-06:00

This is a recipe of my mother's that I have made since I was a young girl. Be sure to use gumdrops instead of spice drops. Normally when I make these cookies I reserve some of the gumdrops and put them on the tops of the dough balls--to help beautify the cookies.

2 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. shortening
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
5½ c. flour
1½ lb. gumdrops, cut small

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream sugars and shortening together, and then add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients, mix, and then stir in gumdrops. Roll into balls, place on cookie sheets, and press down cookie centers. Cook for 10-11 minutes, until light in color.

Chicken French Bread Casserole

2007-03-31T19:54:00.000-06:00

This was pictured on the cover of a Better Homes and Gardens Homestyle Casseroles booklet from 2003. We used bow tie noodles, but you can use whatever you would like.

3 qt. water
2 c. uncooked noodles
1 16 oz. package frozen stir-fry vegetables
2 10.75 oz. cream of chicken soup
1¾ c. milk
¼ c. Miracle Whip (optional)
1 T. fresh parsley
¼ tsp. pepper
2 c. diced cooked chicken breast
1½ c. cubed French bread
¼ tsp. garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 350°. In a large pan bring the water to boiling; add the noodles. Reduce heat; boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stir-fry vegetables. Return to boiling; continue boiling gently for 4 minutes until noodles are tender yet firm. Drain; rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside. In a large bowl stir together soup, milk, Miracle Whip, parsley, and pepper. Add chicken and pasta-vegetable mixture. Mix until combined. Transfer chicken-pasta mixture to a 3-quart baking dish; top with bread cubes. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pasta mixture is bubbly. Makes 6-7 servings.

Sloppy Joes

2007-03-30T07:51:00.000-06:00

About a dozen years ago during a period of 'try a new recipe weekly' I came across this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine.

4½ lbs. ground beef
1½ c. chopped onion
2¼ c. ketchup
3 T. prepared mustard
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 T. salt
¾-1 tsp. pepper
12 hamburger buns

Cook beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Combine ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir into beef mixture and heat through. Serve on buns.

Wheaties Cookies

2007-03-29T19:53:00.000-06:00

In 1958, when my older brother, Jon, was born, a neighbor made these cookies for my mother (Joyce Bruneau) and gave her the recipe. I have been baking these since my childhood. Remember Wheaties are NOT corn flakes. It just doesn’t taste right with corn flakes… And don’t over-cook them; they need to be chewy.

2 c. shortening
2 c. brown sugar
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 c. flour
3 c. rolled oats – not quick
3 c. Wheaties cereal

Pre-heat oven to 325°. Cream together shortening and sugars, and then add eggs and vanilla. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and oats. Hand-stir the Wheaties into the mixture, carefully, to prevent breakage. Roll into walnut-sized balls, press down lightly, and cook for 13-14 minutes.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2007-03-28T19:57:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe while at college and found it fun to make itsy-bitsy cookies with chocolate chips - snack size! Make sure you put the kisses in the cookies when they are right out of the oven. If you wait, they will just pop out later. Also be sure to wait until the chocolate has re-hardened before you move the cookies around.

1 c. shortening
⅔ c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
3¼-½c. flour
additional sugar for rolling
1 bag of Hershey kisses or chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream together shortening, peanut butter, & sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla, and then add dry ingredients. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, and then roll balls in sugar. Bake for 8 minutes. You can also roll the dough marble-sized and then bake for 5 minutes. When they are ready, they will start to crack around the edges. Immediately after removing from the oven, push a kiss in the middle of each larger cookie and a chocolate chip in the smaller ones.

Blonde Brownies

2007-03-27T19:50:00.000-06:00

Right after Rex & Denise Hoyt moved to this area, our family paid them a visit, and this was what we were served. I wouldn’t leave until I had the recipe! For a 'fun' twist, I used swirl chocolate chips.

3 T. water
1 cube butter
2⅓ c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
almost 1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
¼ c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine water, butter, and sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Spread in a greased 9x13-inch pan; sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 34 minutes.

Raspberry Slush

2007-03-26T19:42:00.000-06:00

This recipe came from Vera Ward, who, years ago, had lots of bridal and baby showers at her home. She often served this punch. I have used this over the years in fancy events where it was served in a punch bowl, or at a dinner in a pitcher. When using a punch bowl, I normally slushed it with a potato masher. Make sure you only do this with a plastic punch bowl; I broke a glass one once. This is convenient to make ahead, making it easy to serve. Make sure you don’t add extra water to the lemonade concentrate.

3 pkg. Kool-aid (any red flavor)
4 c. sugar
1 48 oz. can pineapple juice
2 12 oz. cans lemonade frozen concentrate
6 c. water
4 c. raspberries
2 liters Sprite or ginger ale

Combine all ingredients except Sprite or ginger ale. Put into two Ziplock bags; freeze. When frozen, remove and let it sit for ½ hour. Smash it into slush and add Sprite or ginger ale. Serves 25.

Beef Chow Yuk

2007-03-25T19:41:00.000-06:00

I took a night class with my mother on Whidbey Island, Washington in 1984. The woman who taught the class was Chinese, and owned a restaurant in Coupeville, WA. The other recipes we learned that night were fried rice and egg flower soup. Tearsa LOVES beef chow yuk!

½-1 lb. tough beef (such as round steak)

Marinade:
1 c. water
1½ T. cornstarch
6 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
1 T. vanilla

1 lb. vegetables

{bok choy, celery, carrots, zuchinni,
water chestnuts, mushrooms, peas,
baby corn, etc.}

2 T. oil
1 clove crushed garlic
rice or noodles

Combine ingredients for marinade. Slice meat against grain into long, thin strips and add to marinade. It's easiest to slice meat when it is partially frozen. Marinade for 30 minutes or longer. Chop vegetables, if necessary. Heat 1 T. of oil in pan until hot. Stir-fry garlic until brown, discard. Add vegetables and stir-fry for 2 minutes and then remove from pan. Heat 1 T. oil in pan and stir-fry meat 2 minutes or more until not red in the middle. Add vegetables to meat and stir-fry for a couple more minutes. Serve hot over cooked rice or noodles.

Strawberry/Raspberry Cream Cake

2007-03-24T19:40:00.000-06:00

This recipe came from my mother-in-law, Elsie Williams. When I was first married, she made it a few times for occasions such as Easter. It makes two 9x13 pans, but she always made it one very large pan. She ended up giving up me one of those ‘very large’ pans, so I could make the cake that way, too. Making just one 9x13 pan is also very convenient with this recipe. It can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries or raspberries, or even mix in some blueberries. The Danish dessert is found in the Jell-O aisle.

1 white cake mix (1 box=3 c.)
ingredients for cake mix
2 tubs cool whip
2 4.75 oz. pkgs. strawberry Danish dessert (Junket brand)
1¾ c. water
1 3 oz. pkg. strawberry Jell-O
1 c. boiling water
2 10 oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries (6-8 c.)

Make cake batter according to instructions on box; divide and place in two 9x13-inch pans. Bake 15 minutes, or until done (toothpick comes out clean). Dissolve Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water. After cake is cooled poke holes in the top with a fork; pour the liquid Jell-O over the cake and let soak through. Spread cool whip on cake; refrigerate. In the meantime prepare the Danish dessert according to the recipe on the box, using 1¾ c. water (pie glaze method). Add semi-frozen berries to Danish dessert when it is warm (not hot). Spread on top of cool whip; refrigerate for ½ hours or more.

Each cake has: ½ cake mix, ½ box Jell-O, 1 tub cool whip, 1 pkg. Danish dessert, and 1 pkg. frozen strawberries.

Rolo Cookies

2007-03-23T19:39:00.000-06:00

When our older children were younger, they took swimming lessons at Nat Soo Pah. While spending the mornings there, I met people, and somehow these cookies came into the discussion. And now I have the recipe!

1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
⅔ c. unsweetened cocoa
2¾ c. flour
4 1.7 oz. pkgs. Rolo candies (aprox.)
4 oz. vanilla flavor chips (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Cream together sugars and butter and then blend in vanilla and eggs. Add baking soda, cocoa, and flour. Chill dough for ½ hour. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls. Push a Rolo candy into the center of each ball, and push the dough around it to completely cover the candy. Place on a ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies crack. Cool for 2 minutes and remove from sheet. Melt vanilla chips and drizzle over cookies. Makes 30-40 cookies.