'Tis the Season for Baking: Chocolate Coconut Nut Clusters

I love baking sweets this time of year to hand out to people and I've tried a couple of new recipes this year. I found this recipe last year and I love how easy it is but they look fancy. I found the candy cups (waxed cups) at Gygi. The next batch I make I'm going to make some with just coconut and then try a batch with almonds and coconut. You can add whichever nut you like best.

Chocolate Coconut Nut Clusters

Candy Cups
2 2/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 6oz. jar macadamia nuts, chopped (or 2 c. pecans chopped)
2 2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
For the glaze: 1/3 c. white chocolate chips (melted with 1/2 T. vegetable shortening)

Line 4 miniature muffin pans with candy cups; set them aside. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut and nuts on separate cookie sheets. Bake each until golden brown, about 9 minutes for the nuts and 10 for the coconut, stirring every few minutes to keep them from burning. Let them cool.

Combine the toasted coconut and nuts in a medium-size bowl. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave according to the package directions. Add the melted chocolate to the coconut mixture; stir well. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoons into the candy cups. Chill until set, about 45 minutes.

Melt the white chocolate according the the package directions. Pour the contents into a ziplock bag. Snip off a corner of the bag, then drizzle the chocolate over the clusters. Chill until the glaze is set, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refridgerator.

Makes 4 dozen clusters (I had some leftover)

Creamy Cauliflower and Cheese Soup

A couple of weeks ago I tried a cauliflower soup at Zuppa's. I really liked the flavor of the cauliflower with the cheese and I was excited to try this recipe. Matt said this is one of the best soups I've ever made.

Creamy Cauliflower & Cheese Soup


Heat in a pot, on medium low, until butter melts:
1/4 cup broth
1 T. butter

Then add and simmer covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally:

1 roughly chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Next add the following, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender:
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 medium head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped

Turn off heat and allow to cool a bit. Then puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in:

1/4-1/2 cup cream, half-and-half, or milk (I used cream)
2 cups of cheddar cheese (I used a cheddar/monteray jack blend)
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer until cheese is melted. Don't let it boil! Enjoy!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This is a soup recipe I found last year. It's served at the Naborhood Bakery in Gardner Village. It's one of my favorite soup recipes.

• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (or grated)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 t. canola oil
• 3 cans chicken broth
• 1 c. water
• 2 sm. bunches trimmed broccoli, chopped
• 3 c. cooked rice
• 2 c. milk
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

Cook carrots, onion and celery in oil about 3 minutes in a large pot.
Add broth and water, stir and bring to boil.
Stir in broccoli and rice.
Reduce heat to low and simmer 10-15 minutes until all veggies are tender.
Puree if desired or leave chunky. (I leave it chunky)
Add milk, cream and cheese.
Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally.
Serve.

Ham Fried Rice & Ice Cream Dessert

I've been slacking so here are some new recipes I've tried and liked. Some recipes I've tried lately I haven't liked so much but these are a keeper. (Sorry, no pictures either)

HAM FRIED RICE (or CHICKEN)

(I combined 2 recipes to make this recipe)

1 1/2 C. DICED HAM OR 1 TO 2 CHICKEN BREASTS (cut into small pieces)

3 EGGS

2 CARROTS (Grated or Chopped)

2 GREEN ONIONS (white and green part)

3/4 CUP FROZEN PEAS

1/2 CUP BUTTER

2 t. SUGAR

1 TO 2 GARLIC CLOVES (crushed)

2 CUPS WHITE RICE (uncooked, not instant)

PREPARATION:

COOK RICE. IN A SEPARATE PAN ADD 2 T. OIL, CARROTS AND PEAS AND COOK FOR 2 MINUTES. ADD HAM, GREEN ONIONS, GARLIC AND COOK FOR 2-3 MINUTES ON HIGH HEAT. MIX IN BUTTER AND SUGAR AND THEN ADD THE EGGS AND SCRAMBLE THE MIXTURE TOGETHER.

(IF USING CHICKEN COOK CHICKEN FIRST, THEN ADD CARROTS, PEAS ETC.)

ADD RICE AND SOY SAUCE TO TASTE.

This was some of the best ham fried rice I've ever had and it was easy to make. Better than most restaurants I've tried.

Layered Ice Cream Dessert

My grandma and grandpa have made this many times and I finally made it for the first time this month. The vanilla wafers go perfect with the ice cream.

You'll need a deep 9X13 pan to make this in.

Ingredients:

1 rectangle carton vanilla ice cream

1 rectangle carton strawberry ice cream

1 container frozen strawberries, in juice (wal-mart brand comes in a big sour cream type container)

1 8oz. can crushed pineapple

1 c. sugar

1 box vanilla wafers

In a small bowl mix the pineapple and sugar together and set aside. Crush vanilla wafers into crumbs. I use my food processor but you can put them in a ziploc and smash away if you don't have one. Place 1/2 the crumbs in the bottom of the pan. Slice up the strawberry ice cream to make a layer on top of the wafer crumbs. Layer frozen strawberries on top of the ice cream. (I microwave them a little to loosen them up but you still want them frozen so that the ice cream doesn't melt) Next cut up the vanilla ice cream and layer on top of the strawberries. Layer pineapple mixture on top of the vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle remaining vanilla wafer crumbs on top of pineapple. Cover and freeze for a couple of hours.

Grilled Garlic Shrimp & Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Matt bought some shrimp the other day and I was excited to try them on the grill. They were really good and the best part is that Kaleb loved them. A friend gave me this recipe for Parmesan Smashed Potatoes a couple of years ago and this is one of my 2 favorite mashed potato recipes.

Grilled Garlic Shrimp

2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Combine the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and let them marinate for one hour. Thread the shrimp on skewers (if using bamboo skewers soak them in water first) and grill over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until done.

Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

3 lbs. red potatoes, unpeeled
1 T. plus 2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. half-and-half
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t. pepper

Place potatoes and 1 T. salt in 4 qt. saucepan with cold water to cover. Boil, lower heat, and simmer for 25-35 minutes until tender. Drain.

Heat half-and-half and butter together. Put potatoes in bowl and as you mash them slowly add hot half-and-half and butter. Fold in sour cream, parmesan cheese, pepper, and remaining salt.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

I had my first Monte Cristo Sandwich in Logan, Utah at the Bluebird restaurant this summer and loved it. Matt wished he had ordered the same thing. There are different variations but typically it's a ham, turkey, and swiss sandwhich on French bread that is dipped in batter like french toast. Then it's either pan fried or deep fried. After it's sprinkled in powdered sugar and served with jam. I didn't use the powdered sugar or jam this time. I also pan fried my sandwiches but I've included a second recipe for deep fried that I hope to try sometime.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

· 8 slices french bread
· butter
· 8 slices ham
· 8 slices turkey
· 8 slices Swiss cheese
· a little mustard and mayonnaise, if desired
· 3 eggs
· 1/3 cup milk
· 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
For each sandwich use 2 slices of bread. Butter one side of bread first, then cover with a slice of ham and a slice of turkey and top with 2 thin slices of cheese. Then place another slice of ham and another slice of turkey on top of the cheese. Butter the other slice of bread and spread mustard and mayonnaise if desired. Press sandwhich slightly and secure with toothpicks.

Beat eggs with milk and salt. Dip sandwich's into the egg mixture and fry on a hot skillet or griddle in butter or margarine. Brown on all sides, adding more butter when necessary. Remove toothpicks before serving. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Monte Cristo Sandwich
Disneylands Blue Bayou

Make Sauce cool [assemble sandwhich]

Currant Jelly Sauce

2/3 c. currant jelly

1 TB water

1 TB half and half

Combine jelly, water and half and half in blender and mix until smooth. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Batter

2/3 c. water

1 small egg

1/2 t. salt

1/8 t. white pepper

few drops yellow food coloring

2/3 c. all-purpose flour

1 3/4 t. baking powder

Place water, egg, salt, pepper and food coloring in a bowl and using an electric mixer, mix well at low speed. Add flour and baking powder and mix until batter is smooth. Chill. Makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

Sandwiches

8 slices white bread

4 slices turkey (1 oz. each)

4 slices swiss cheese

4 slices Pullman ham

Make 4 sandwiches, putting cheese between hand and turkey. Cut into fourths and put a toothpick through each quarter.

Final Preparation:

soybean or vegetable oil for frying

Confectioners' sugar

currant jelly sauce

Heat about 6-inches of oil to 340F in a fryer. Dip sandwiches in batter to cover all surfaces. Deep fry sandwiches until golden brown, turning as needed. Remove from oil, take out toothpicks, sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar. Serve with currant jelly sauce.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't have a garden but my relatives are always looking to get rid of zucchini and so I was excited to use the zucchini I had in this recipe. They were very moist and with the cinnamon and nutmeg they taste a lot like pumkin chocolate chip bread.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Sweets By Sarah

Makes 2 dozen cookies

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c honey

1 T vanilla extract

Combine in large bowl.

1 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

Combine in a separate, small bowl and blend into liquid mixture.

1 c finely shredded zucchini

12 oz chocolate chips

Stir these ingredients into other ingredients, mix well. Drop by spoonful onto greased baking sheet, and flatten with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350 degrees, 10 to 15 minutes.

Dutch Oven Recipes

I've been slacking on posting new recipes. I didn't take pictures but thought I would post the dutch oven recipes that we used at girls camp. I love dutch oven cooking especially when camping.

Dutch Oven Lasagna
This is my favorite meal to make in a dutch oven!

• 1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
• 23 oz. spaghetti sauce
• 9 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/4 c. cottage or ricotta cheese
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 13 lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 t. oregano
• 3/4 c. hot water

Preheat dutch oven (DO). Brown beef in DO. When done remove beef to a large mixing bowl. Add spaghetti sauce to beef and mix well. In another bowl mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan and mozzarella cheese (reserve some of the mozzarella cheese for on top), add eggs and oregano and mix well.

Place the layers in the oven in the following order: Cover the bottom of the DO with sauce to prevent from burning. Layer four lasagna noodles into the bottom of the oven (you may need to break some to fit). Spread about 1/3 of the meat and sauce mixture over the noodles. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over the meat mixture. Break up 5 noodles and place over the top of the mixture in DO. Spread 1/2 the remaining meat/sauce mixture over the noodles. Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the meat mixture. Break up remaining noodles and place over the cheese mixture. Spread the remaining meat/sauce mixture over the noodles. Pour hot water all around the edges of the DO. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Place lid on oven and bake for 1 hour or until done. Check frequently. (12 charcoal briquettes on the top and 12 on the bottom)

My Changes:

• I love cheese so I use a lot more mozzarella cheese than it calls for.
• I cook the ground beef at home and freeze it.
• I don't mix the sauce and meat, I just sprinkle the meat on top of the sauce as I'm layering. Less dishes to do.
• I don't think the water needs to be hot and I've even forgotten to add water before and it turns out great. Just be sure to add enough sauce.
• I usually use 2-3 lbs. ground beef, at least double the sauce (noodles are raw and soak up a lot of it and I don't want it to burn especially if you don't add water), and I use depending on the size of DO more noodles than 13.
• I wrap the underside of the DO lid with tinfoil to prevent the cheese on top from burning.
  
• It's a hard recipe to mess up so you can alter it to your liking. It's quick and easy to put together and this is the only way I make homemade lasagna.

Dutch Oven Enchilada Pie
This was a new recipe I tried. It tasted really good and was like a mexican lasagna.

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• onions to taste
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1 20oz. can red enchilada sauce
• 1 can sliced olives (optional)
  
• 1 c. water
• 12 flour tortillas
• 2 c. shredded cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese

In DO brown beef, add salt and pepper. Add onions and drain off drippings. Add soup, enchilada sauce and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Spoon 3/4 of meat/soup mixture into a medium bowl. Place 4 ripped tortillas over mixture remaining in dutch oven. Alternate meat, cheese and tortillas in 3 layers. Top with foil. Place lid on DO and simmer (or use 10-12 coals on top and bottom) and check until done. Serves 8-10 people.

My Changes:

• I again brown the ground beef at home and I add some dried onions while it's cooking.
  
• I don't heat everything up in the DO. I just mix all the soup, sauce and water in a bowl cold.
• You could also use corn tortillas instead of flour or chicken instead of ground beef. I think I'll try a chicken version next time.

Dutch Oven Potatoes and Onions
I first had this at a bishopric dinner in our last ward and have made it several times. It's meant to be a side but I like having this as the main dish and people can add sour cream, etc. to make it like a baked potato.

• 1 lb. bacon cut up into pieces
• 14 potatoes
• 5 onions
• 1 c. water

Peel and slice potatoes in 1/4 inch slices. Set aside. Fry cut bacon in bottom of DO. Drain off all but about 1/4 c. bacon grease. Add potatoes and onions and stir to coat with the bacon grease. Pour in the water and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 1 hour at 350 or use about 14 coals on the bottom and 6-8 coals on the top. Check regularly and stir carefully if needed every 20 minutes.

The last 20 minutes of cooking add 2 c. mild cheddar cheese and 1/2 c. green onions. (optional)
My Changes:

• I add dry onions to the bacon and let it cook for a minute before adding the potatoes.
• Of course, I add more cheese.
  

Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake

Michelle introduced me to this dessert at Chili's about a month ago and when I found this recipe I knew I had to make it (and of course I had to invite Michelle over to learn with me seeing as it's her favorite dessert). The nice part is that you can have them ready in the freezer to pull out at anytime. It tasted so good but I will definitely add more fudge next time.

Dinosaur Cake

This cake was actually easy to make but very time consuming. With cakes like this you can start 2-3 days in advance and I should have done more in advance than I did. Just to make things easier the day of. I researched a lot of recipes for the cake, frosting, and fondant. I was very pleased with the results. The instructions (not the recipe) are on this website.

Most people hate making cake because they don't like how it turns out. The website said it would be best to not use a boxed cake mix or it's more likely to crumble so I made a white cake from scratch and it turned out perfect. It was easy to make and so I'll probably use this recipe more often. As far as the icing for decorating you need to use a butter cream icing. I didn't like a lot of the recipes I came across because they used Crisco and not butter. I also love cream cheese frosting but knew it was too thin to use on the cake (although I did use it on the cupcakes). So I found a Cream Cheese Butter Cream Icing and I altered it a little bit (which scared me since I didn't know if it would hold up). But it worked although the recipe made three times the amount of frosting I needed. As far as the fondant I would have spent more on the ingredients than it costs to buy it already made. You can buy it at Wal-mart (by the fabric) or at Michael's.

White Cake

• 12 T. butter (1 1/2 sticks softened)
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 6 large egg whites
• 3/4 c. milk
• 2 t. vanilla extract

Set rack at the middle level in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom of 2 9-inch round or one 13X9 inch pan. Line bottom with waxed paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl and beater often.

Pour the batter into prepared pans and smooth top with spatula. Bake cakes about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the enter emerges clean.

Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, remove paper and let it cool completely.

**After it cooled completely I wrapped it in plastic wrap and then in tinfoil and put the cake in the freezer. I made it the day before and wanted it to be fresh and since I was cutting the cake up it's easier to work with if it's frozen. It doesn't change the taste or texture and actually makes it more moist.**

Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing
(Makes a lot of frosting and you could cut in 1/2 or 1/3 for one cake)

• 6 lb. powdered sugar (3 bags)
• 1 c. water
• 2/3 lb cream cheese (10 1/2 oz., softened)
• 1 c. butter (2 sticks, softened)
• 1 1/2 c. Crisco

Place powdered sugar into mixer or large bowl. Make an opening in the middle of the powdered sugar with a scoop or large spatula. Pour the water in the center of the powdered sugar. Place the cream cheese in the microwave until just warm (about 30 seconds) and put in the middle with the water. Using beaters begin to mix. Add the butter and crisco into the sugar mixture and mix well until it's smooth and creamy.

**I also made this ahead of time. Be sure to store it in the fridge in an airtight container or bowl. Place plastic wrap on top of the frosting to keep from drying out. Rewhip before using.**


Cream Cheese Frosting
(for cupcakes)

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 5 T. softened butter
• 2 t. vanilla
• 2 c. powdered sugar

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until combined. Add powdered sugar. You can add more powdered sugar until it's the consistency you like.

**Also if storing place plastic wrap on top of frosting to keep from drying out.**

Jamba Juice

We love Jamba! One of Matt's coworkers use to work at Jamba and gave us some recipes awhile back. Tonight we made our favorite, Carribean Passion, along with a new flavor, Tropical Tease. I don't think they serve Tropical Tease at their stores anymore. It's nice that for the price of 2 Jamba Juices you can buy the ingredients to make it yourself and you have lots leftover so that you can make them whenever you want.

If our banana's start going brown before we eat them we peel them and put them in the freezer for smoothies. Over time they start to brown. It doesn't change the flavor but if you don't want them to brown just add some lemon or lime juice in the bag before freezing.

Carribean Passion Smoothie
1 cup mango passion fruit juice
(you can just use passion fruit juice so that you don't have to buy 2)
1 cup strawberries (frozen)
1/2 cup peaches (frozen)
1 cup orange sherbet
1/2 cup ice

Pour the mango juice in the blender. Add the strawberries, peaches, orange sherbet and ice. Blend until a smoothe, thick consistency. Makes about 3 cups. (*If the mixture is too thick you can add a little bit of water if needed)

Tropical Tease Smoothie

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup bananas

1 cup mangos

1 cup nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt

1/2 cup ice

Pour the pineapple juice in the blender. Add the bananas, mangos, frozen yogurt and ice. Blend until smooth, thick consistency. Makes 3 cups.

I love Matt but he never closes the kitchen cupboards or drawers. After cleaning out the smoothie maker to start his smoothie he left the spout open and poured the pineapple juice in. Not only did it go all over the counter and the floor but all over our utinsel drawer and I had just unloaded the dishwasher. My life just wouldn't be as excited without him!

Matt's masterpiece.

Thrift Town

I love going to Thrift Town but don't get around to going that often. Last week I went and found this Vintage Pyrex Flameware with a removable glass handle. It's from 1940 and I only paid $2 for it. I've already used it to fry some eggs in. And I've always wanted the old fashioned juicers even though I have an electric one because I love how they look. I'm not a huge fan of D.I. because everything usually costs more than Thrift Town and I haven't had very good luck at D.I.

Next door to Thrift Town is the dollar store and I had to pick up some stuff for girls camp next week and they had these children's aprons. I picked one up for Kaleb to try to minimize the mess on his clothes when he paints and helps me cook.

Peanut Butter Bars

I was in the mood for chocolate and peanut butter and I had all of the ingredients on hand so I had to make these. I use to make them all the time when I was growing up and so it was fun to make them again.

Peanut Butter Bars

• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
  
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9 x 13" baking pan.

I use the boxed graham cracker crumbs that you can buy.

In the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. (I melted this in the microwave in 30 second intervals) Spread on top of the mixture in the baking pan.

Refrigerate for about 1 hour before cutting into bars.

My Grandma's Famous Orange Rolls

This is the most requested birthday dessert and my grandma has been making them ever since I can remember. Most orange rolls have only a little bit of orange flavor/filling but my grandma has altered the recipe over the years to add more and more of the orange sauce and they taste so good. I've made them 3 times now and it may seem like a lot of work but I finally have everything figured out and I can make them pretty quick (minus the rising time). I've cut my grandma's recipe in half and it made 24 orange rolls.

Orange Rolls
Dough:

• 1 1/2 T. dry yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. flour

Put these ingredients in a mixer and mix slightly.

In a large pan heat:

• 2 1/4 c. milk
• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. shortening

Heat until very warm (120-130F.); shortening does not need to melt completely.

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat for 2 minutes at medium speed.

Add:

• 1/2 c. flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten with a fork

Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Then change to a dough hook and add 3 c. flour. If you don't have a mixer with a dough hook just mix the flour in by hand. Transfer the dough to a large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Put in a warm place. ( I put it on top of the stove and turn the oven on to warm) Let it rise until double in size (about 45min.-1hr.) and then punch it down. Let it rise once more until double in size.

Orange Sauce:

• 1 stick of butter (1/2 c.)
• 3 c. sugar
• 1/2 of a 12oz. can of frozen concentrate orange juice
• 1 1/2 T. orange zest (about 1 orange)
• 1/2 c. water

I start cooking the orange sauce when I start making the dough because it takes awhile to cool. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Once it is boiling turn to medium heat and don't stir anymore. Cook for about 30 minutes or until the soft ball stage. (235F. on a candy thermometer) Let the sauce cool in the pan.
On a floured surface, roll 1/2 the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 18inX12in.). Spread 1/2 of the orange sauce over the dough. (Depending how cool your sauce is it will either spread or I just kind of drizzle it all over. It all tastes the same. Just make sure it isn't too hot you want it to be thick.) Roll the dough starting on the long side. Cut into 12 slices (approx. 1 1/2 inch slices) and place in a buttered 9X13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap that you've sprayed with cooking spray and let them rise for about 1 hour.
I don't have any pictures of them once they've risen or cooked because I took these to Sunday dinner and forgot my camera. So once they've risen bake them at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until slightly brown and cooked through. As soon as you take them out of the oven flip them upside-down and serve. (All the sauce is at the bottom of the pan and if you flip them the sauce will cover the whole roll and you don't want the rolls sticking to the pan because once the sauce cools it hardens.)

You have to try this!

This was delicious! What's not to love pasta, chicken, bacon, cream sauce, cheese. (Typing that reminded me of the episode of Friends where Rachael makes a trifle with hamburger and Joey says what's not to like jam-good; meat-good; etc. I love that show, anyways, back to the recipe) I'm sure you could also just pan fry the chicken in the sauce if you didn't want to use a crock pot or don't have the time. And I actually might try it next time without the chicken to see how it tastes because I bet it would taste amazing even without the chicken.

Garlic Chicken Farfalle

• 1 lb (16oz) Farfalle pasta (bowtie)
• 1 c. heavy whipping cream
• 3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2-3 cloves garlic crushed or garlic salt
• 1/2 T. pepper
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 lb. bacon crumbled
• 1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 (12oz) Lawry's mesquite marinade with lime juice (by the bbq sauce)

I didn't have any precooked, crumbled bacon left from Costco so I cooked up a batch in the oven because my dad always does and it was so easy. (I also tried a couple of pieces in the microwave but they were more chewy than crunchy so I prefer the oven and it's not as messy) Cover a pan with foil and curl the edges to contain the grease. Place the bacon on the foil and cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Keep an eye on it because it depends on the thickness how long it will take to cook. You don't need to flip the bacon either. Put the cooked bacon on paper towels to cool and when the grease is cool you can just crumple up the foil and throw it away. I think from now on I'll always cook my bacon this way.
Place chicken and the bottle of marinade in a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. I only had 2 chicken breasts so I used a couple of chicken tenders also. After 5 hours I used 2 forks and shredded the chicken in the crockpot so that it would absorb more flavor. It makes the overall sauce a lot stronger. Or you can do like the recipe suggests and pull the chicken out and let it cool then shred it.
Next cook the pasta. Drain and set aside. (Next time because the sauce was pretty strong I'll probably make 1 1/2 lb. or a box and a half of pasta and make a bigger batch.)
Then start the sauce. Melt the butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and cumbled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
This is what the chicken looked like shredded in the crockpot.

Next add in the pasta and stir.
Then add the chicken (but not the extra marinade) and stir to combine. You can sprinkle more cheese on top.

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love the Nestle Tollhouse recipe but I thought I would give this a try and see how it compares. Overall I didn't notice much of a difference in taste but the look and texture was better with this recipe.

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 lb. butter (4 sticks)
• 1 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 c. brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 T. vanilla
• 1 t. salt
• 1 1/2 t. baking soda
• 6 c. flour
• 3-6 c. chocolate chips (I used 5 c.)
  
• 2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

First cream the butter and sugar together for 10 minutes. It's important that you cream these 3 ingredients for at least 10 minutes.
Add the eggs and cream for another 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
(This was a lot of cookie dough and so I had to transfer everything from my mixer bowl into a large bowl and mix the last little bit of flour and chocolate chips by hand.)

I love using this scoop for cookies. I got this at Wal-mart. I also use a silpat because nothing sticks to it and cleanup is really easy. I cook everything on them.
Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove them to a cooling rack.

I was able to make 9 1/2 dozen cookies with this recipe. I placed 4 1/2 dozen on another silpat and cookie sheet (below) and flash freezed them. Then I can put them in a ziploc in the freezer and pull out however many I want whenever I want. If you don't have a silpat just put them on wax paper so they don't stick.

Sweet Chex Mix

Albertson's has a great sale on breakfast cereal and so after seeing all the cereal at my parents on Saturday we were craving this sweet chex mix. We actually made 4 batches of this stuff it's that good. That's 48 cups of cereal!

Sweet Chex Mix

• 1 1/2 c butter
• 1 c white kayro syrup
• 1 c sugar
• 3 c rice chex
• 3 c corn chex
• 6 c golden grahams
• 1/2 c coconut (we doubled the coconut and I'll probably add even more next time)
• slivered almonds (we used about 1/2 c. for one batch but I'll double this next time to about 1 c. per batch)

1. In large bowl combine cereals, coconut and almonds
2. In saucepan combine butter, sugar and kayro
3. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes
4. Pour over cereal mixture
5. Spread on wax paper till slightly dry to touch
6. Separate into bite-sized clusters

Pumpkin Bread

I know it isn't fall but I love pumpkin bread and so does Kaleb and Matt. So Sunday Matt and Kaleb made some. Of all the pumpkin bread recipes I've tried this one I like the most.

Pumpkin Bread

• 3 c. white sugar
• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 c. vegetable oil
• 2/3 c. water
• 4 eggs
• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1 T. nutmeg
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1 c. miniature semisweet chocolate chips (I use 2 c. of regular choc. chips)
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease four regular sized loaf pans. (You could also do 8 mini loaves-30 min. cooking time; muffins-27 min. cooking time)
2. In a large bowl combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Mix in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Fill pans 1/2 to 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.

Vietnamese BBQ Pork with Rice Vermicelli

Carl and Stephanie introduced us to a small Vietnamese restaurant on 3500 South and Redwood Road a couple of years ago and we love their BBQ Pork. It has a grilled sweet flavor that's different from anything we've ever had. This is the dish Matt gets and I've tried to combine a bunch of different recipes that are a lot like this and it turned out pretty good. A couple things I'll try different next time but overall a success.

Here's a picture of some of the harder to find ingredients. I tried Wal-mart (wm) first and bought what I could and then went to an Asian Market (am). Next time I'll just get everything at the Asian Market. From Left to Right: Rice Cooking Wine (am); Oyster sauce (wm); fish sauce (am); peanuts (wm); rice vermicelli noodles (am); rice vinegar (you actually don't need this, wm); shallots (wm); dried chilies (wm, up by the produce); carrots (wm).

Vietnamese BBQ Pork with Rice Vermicelli

Sauce you smother the bowl with:

• 1/2 c. fish sauce
  
• 1/2 c. sugar
  
• 1 garlic clove finely chopped (I use the bottled stuff)
• 1 c. hot water
  
• 1 chili diced very small (it will taste hot on its own but when added to your bowl it won't be too hot, although you can always add less and then add more later)
  
• 2 t. lime juice
• sprinkle of shredded carrots
  

Dissolve the sugar in the hot water and then add the other ingredients. Set aside. Usually served cold or at room temperature. **If you scroll to the bottom of the post you will see a picture with 2 sauces in it. If you don't want to make this sauce you can always buy it at the asian market. The ingredients are the same except instead of fish sauce they add vinegar. I bought some in case this didn't turn out. Yes it shows my lack of confidence but I didn't have a whole lot of it with all of these ingredients I've never used before.**

• 1 1/2 lb. pork loin thick chops, thinly sliced (freeze slightly and it will help you be able to slice it thin)

Marinade for the Pork:

• 1 shallot finely chopped
• pinch of salt and pepper
  
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped (I use the bottled stuff)
• 1/2 t. oyster sauce
• 1 T. fish sauce
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• Caramel sauce: mix 1/2 c. water and 1/4 c. sugar in small saucepan over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown, then while constantly stirring add in 1/4 c. hot water to thin the sauce and add it to the rest of the marinade ingredients. **Side note: it took me 3 tries (yes 3) to finally get this right. First time I looked away for about 30 seconds and it burned, second time I stirred it even though I know you're not suppose to when you're candying (is that a word?) something-so don't stir it (until it's brown)- and finally it worked the third time. So if you're not up for this you can just add 1/4 c. brown sugar and it will add the sweetness you need.**

Put the pork into the marinade for about 30 minutes before cooking.

I bought a small wok at the Asian market because I've always wanted one and they're pretty cheap there but I forgot to take a picture. I put 1/2 the pork in at a time so that it would cook fast and easy. Be sure to get some of the extra marinade in both batches so that it thickens and puts a glaze on the pork. It only takes about 5 minutes on high heat to cook. Even less time if you cut the meat really thin, we just didn't have time to freeze it first so ours is a little thick.

The second batch I added a tablespoon of brown sugar to my pork for extra sweetness and to see how it cooked and I liked it better than the first batch. So next time I will either forget the caramel sauce altogether and just do brown sugar or I might do both. Depends if I have a lot of patience that day or not.

You can always cook it in a frying pan on high heat or what I'm going to try next time is on skewers on the grill.

Ingredients for the "bun" as they call it:

• rice vermicelli noodle (instructions on how to cook them are on the package)
• shredded lettuce
• shredded carrots
• cilantro
• green onions
• cucumbers
• bean sprouts
  
• crushed peanuts

Put the noodles, lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts and cucumbers in the bowl. Then on top of the meat you sprinkle cilantro, green onions and a small amount of crushed peanuts. (Matt forgot to put cilantro on his and we didn't buy bean sprouts and he didn't want the peanuts. So just make it to your liking) Then you add as much sauce as you want and stir it all together and enjoy!

I would have taken a picture of my bowl but this is what mine consisted of: rice vermicelli noodles and BBQ pork. Not too exciting but it tasted really good because I got the sweeter second batch of pork. Mmmmm, I miss it already.

The following picture is the sauces you can buy that are probably a lot like the one you make in this recipe.

And this was dessert. I had a lot of fun at this Asian Market. It's a new market that opened in November and it's on 3825 South and Redwood Road. There were a lot of sweets I wanted to try. These butter coconut cookies are really good. I'll be buying these again. I've already gone through half the package and I just bought them last night.