Air buns

This is Colletta Yerka's submition to the Hutchinson Branch cookbook given to me by my grandmother in-law. When I told Colletta that I was making them she said they were addicitive. She was right! They are different than any yeast bread I have made and she is right they are addicitve.

2 c boiling water
1 c sugar
1/2 c shortening
1 tsp salt
Stir all the above to melt shortening, then cool until warm.

1 1/8 tsp yeast
2 tbsp warm water
Dissolve these and add to water mixture. Then add:
2 eggs
7 c flour

Start at 4-5 PM. Knead ever hour until 9 PM. Grease pans. Make egg size buns. Grease tops or spray with Pam and cover with plastic wrap over night Bake at 6 AM at 375 for 20 minutes

Snickers Salad

I posted about the Sickkers Salad so I guess I should post the recipe. This one came out of my Betty Houston recipe but the one my friend made did not have has many candy bars. There were actually 2 submissions to the same book the other had a can of crushed pineapple and 1/2 c. peanuts. I guess it is all a matter of taste.
5 apples cubed
6 regular size Snickers bars cut in small pieces
8 oz cool whip
Combine all ingredients and chill until serving time.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter (room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
Add powdered sugar to desired consistency mixing with electric mixer.

Cristine's Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs (room temp)
Cream together
Add:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c. buttermilk
3 c. flour
Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Roll and cut
**The dough for these is like a really thick cake batter. If it is cold it is easier to manage but it may be tempting to add more flour the warmer it gets. If I am making a lot I will take some dough and leave the bowl in the refrigerator. The more flour you add the tougher the final cookie.

Molten Chocolate Cake

I tore this recipe out of a magazine when I was waiting at the orthodontist because of the alluring picture. It is a individual cake that is cooked on the outside and gooey on the inside. The recipe was hung on the fridge for a month waiting for the holidays to justify buying the ceramic ramekins. We were not disappointed! I especially liked that I could make it a head of time and it was still hot out of the oven when it was time to serve dessert.
6 oz semi sweet chocolate (3/4 cup chips)
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (1/4 cup chips)
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
3 whole eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour

Directions:
Butter 8 six-ounce ceramic ramekins and dust with flour. In a bowl over a double-boiler (or in the microwave) melt butter and chocolate, set aside and let cool. In a mixing bowl, use electric mixer to combine eggs and sugar until pale yellow batter holds is throughly mixed. Blend flour into egg-sugar mixture with the mixer for 3 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, being careful to incorporate everything.: mix for 2 more minutes. Pour about 6 ounces of batter into each ramekin and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In preheated 475 oven, bake ramekins on a cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, or until they are puffed up and don't jiggle when moved. Remove from oven and serve immediately. We served with vanilla ice cream.

Tomato Basil Soup

I made this for Halloween dinner this year and Judy asked for the recipe to share with her daughters. Enjoy!
1 onion cooked in olive oil or butter
2 cans tomato soup
2 can diced tomatoes
6 oz cream cheese
lots of basil
lots of garlic

After you cook onions (until clear) add the remaining ingredients. Warm and when cheese is soft use a hand blender and zip in pan to puree all the ingredients and mix in cheese. Do not boil just keep warm.

Tastes Like Cafe Rio Salad

I stole this recipe from a blog that Sina told me about that some friends from Vegas put together (www.notrachelrayrecipes.blogspot.com). I looked it up and found this. It is really good. We have had it quite a few times now espeically when we have company because it make such a large amount. My friend Christy requested it so I am adding it to my blog.
On a side note, when I discovered this blog I found my solution to wanting to mindlessly blog surf but not wanting to pull up trash. This friend gets lot's of comments on her posts so it makes it really easy to link from one blog to another with out pulling up nasty sights that I would rather avoid. So, if she has a sight meter she is probably wondering who is stalking her in Washington well, it is me. Thanks for all the fun posts!

Dressing

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tabasco for the jalapeno.)

*use a food processor to blend all together well and refrigerate.


Chicken

1 small bottle Kraft Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
5 lbs. chicken breast

*cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

or Pork

Put pork roast in a crock pot with a little water and cook until very tender (about 8 hours on low). Shred pork and add:
1 can enchilada sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can Coke (not diet coke)
3/4 cup brown sugar
salt to taste
Cook for one more hour.

Rice

3 c. water
4 t chicken bouillon
4 t garlic-minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles-or fresh equivalent
3/4 t. salt
1 T butter
1/2 onion
3 c. rice

*blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes.

I also like to add tomatoes, lettuce, black beans and tortilla chips to my salad.