Update- Number Cookie Tart Cake

 Origional: 

I made this "cake" for Jacki Sears 90th birthday. I used the recipe from this blog. I used lemon juice instead of orange juice. For the piping cream, I used whipped heavy cream and a cheesecake pudding box.

Marcy and Aaron Wedding: 

I have been practicing this for Marcy's wedding so far these are the changes I have to add: 

Sugar Cookie:

1/2 c. oil

1/4 c. orange juice

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

I have been mixing in this order: 

Eggs(mix a little to break up), oil, juice, sugar, and baking powder. Once well mixed, add half the flour. After mixing, add the rest, mixing until incorporated. This is a pretty wet dough. 

I have premade and frozen with success. I have also been doubling and depending on the letter/number doubled it makes about 3 big cookies. 

roll to be 1/8 inch thick cut out letter ( pizza roller and hot knife work well for cutting) on parchment paper so it can be easily transfered to the cookie sheet

bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Piping Cream:

2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 3.4 box of pudding - I have been using either white chocolate or cheese cake flavored- the white chocolate is the whitest color result. Vanilla makes it light yellow. 

1.5 c. whole milk

2 tsp. unflavored gelatin (one envelope if getting in the small boxes)

Cream Directions:

1- make pudding ahead box plus whole milk mixed and refrigerated.

2- "bloom" gelatin (5 minutes with 2 tbsp water in a bowl).

3-whip heavy cream until peaks (not so much it turns to butter

4- add p. sugar

5- after gelatin has bloomed microwave for about 6 seconds (until melted) add a little cream to the geletan (about 1 tbsp) and mix together. Add to whipped cream and mix until encorperated

6- add pudding to cream gently mix together

Now it's ready to go into piping bags.

top with what makes sense

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

There is a "good, better, best element to this recipe: 

Good- use chicken breasts or other boneless chicken. Chop the chicken into small pieces (the fattier chicken will have the most flavor but it's also fattier so.... you will also add some chicken bullion to this to give it some flavor. 

Better- use a rotisserie chicken carcass or left over turkey carcass with some meat left on the bone and pressure cook (15 min, high pressure) or boil for about 1 hour, taking the bones out and leaving the broth and meat. 

Best- use a raw whole chicken with the breasts removed (You can use the breasts for a different meal or include them if you want the soup to be on the meaty side or if you are making a large pot). Pressure cook or boil in a large pot, covering the bird with water. Remove the bones and return the meat to the broth.

Add to the broth/chicken:

1 small onion (or dry onion flakes)

1/2-1 cup celery

4-5 carrots

thyme to taste

Boil until the veggies are tender

Add some frozen veggies if desired (peas, corn, etc.)

Homemade noodles:

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Flour- enough to make stiff, about 1 c. 

Mix together (don't over mix) roll very thin on floured surface. Let it stand 20 minutes, cut with a pizza cutter into long strips and put in soup. Cook about 10 minutes longer. 

InstaPot Mac and Cheese

 Long before InstaPots were a craze I had a stovetop pressure cooker.  One evening I forgot to turn off the stove that had a pot of black beans cooking in my pressure cooker when I left home to pick up a kid from soccer practice. When I got home, I found the beans had exploded across the kitchen ceiling. I then banned myself from stovetop pressure cookers. Shortly after that, I saw an electric pressure cooker at a yard sale that had a timer. It had all the markings of a late-night home shopping network purchase- It even came complete with a cookbook. Not only has the Instant Pot become a staple in my kitchen, but  this mac and cheese recipe has become a winning dish: 

Add to InstaPot in this order: 

2 1/2 c. macaroni noodles

2 tsp chicken bullion

3 c. water

1 tbsp. parmesan cheese

Set InstaPot for 5 minutes. Quick release and then add:

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp yellow mustard

Mix together and serve. 

Eliza's Covid Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off Winning Recipe

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla, and blend in.
3. Mix in dry ingredients, adding flour last. 
4. Bake 8-10 minutes on parchment-lined cookie sheet. 

5 Minutes a Day Bread Recipes:

I heard about this bread-making technique from the designer who helped us with our remodel plans. It's all over the internet- for good reason- 

Master Recipe: makes 6 loaves (fits well in container, minus 1 loaf for cooking day of) 

Luke Warm Water: 2 lbs 4 oz 

Yeast: 1.5 Tbsp 

Salt: 1.75 Tbsp 

All Purpose Flour: 3 lbs 

Mix together in order listed directly in storage food container. It should be on the wet side. Once mixed, allow to rise at room temp in container with lid until dough begins to collapse (about 2 hours). Use or store in fridge until ready to use. Keep lids loose for the first couple of days. Use within 2 weeks. 

Artists Loaf: Pull off grapefruit-sized loaf. Shape and place on cast iron pan that has parchment on the bottom. Rest 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 with broiler pan full of water on the bottom of the oven. When temp is reached, place bread in oven. Bake 20-30 minutes. 

Make a sandwich loaf: Oil Pullman loaf pan. Pull off enough dough to fill pan ¾ full. Put on lightly floured surface. Rest for 45min-1 hour. Preheat oven to 450. Bake covered 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 10 minutes. 

Soft Rolls: Pull off enough dough to make the desired number of rolls—shape on a pan with parchment. Rest for 20 minutes. Bake about 25 minutes. Can clip an X on the roll before resting to get an open top design. Use butter to help soften rolls. 

Oil Dough for Pizza: 

Makes 8 1lb crusts 

Luke Warm Water: 2 lbs 8 oz 

Yeast: 2 Tbsp 

Salt: 2 Tbsp 

Sugar: 2 Tbsp 

Oil: ¼ cup 

All-purpose flour: 4 lbs 

Boiled Raisin Cookies

Years ago I was serving in a Relief Society presidency and the other counselor (Kathleen Francom) served these at one of our meetings.  I had never had anything like them and I LOVED them. I asked for the recipe and have made them a few times. Teich discovered the recipe and gave it a try. Our friend, Marcela asked for the recipe saying they remind her of cookies she had as a child in Chile.

2 c Sugar
2 c Raisins
1 1/2 c water
1 c oil
1 tsp soda

3 c flour
3 c rolled oats
1 c nuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Add the two combinations. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

Old Fashioned English Muffins

1 tbsp yeast

1 cup warm water

4 cups flour

½ cup toasted wheat germ

2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 ½ cups warm milk

2 tbsp butter, melted

½ cornmeal

1.In a small bowl stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Set for 10 minutes

2

        2. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, wheat germ, and salt. Make a well and add egg, milk, butter, and yeast mixture. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time to form a soft dough that just clears sides of the bowl.

          

          3. On lightly floured surface knead dough until smooth and springy, 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of flour at a time, as necessary to prevent sticking. The softer you can leave this dough, the lighter the muffin will be. Place dough in a deep, lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat. Cover and let rise until double about 1 ½ hours.

      4. Sprinkle work surface with corn meal. Turn dough out onto surface and roll into a rectangle about about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle top lightly with corn meal to prevent sticking. Cut in 3 inch circles. Re roll scraps using al the dough. Cover cut circle and rest 30 minutes.

      

       5. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Place several muffins on hot griddle. Cook for 10 minutes on eac side. Muffins will be quite brown. They take time to cook all the way through so don’t rush. If they are rising too fast, refrigerate while the others are baking.  

Notes: Can substitute wheat flour if wheat muffins are desired.  

Lemon Curd

I 10 times mine to can about 20 1/2 pints. I would not 20 times (learned from experience, 20 times is just too much :) I am assuming that you have canned other things before so you know how to prepare and process the jars. Let me know if you need any info about these steps. Good Luck and Happy New Year!

Recipe:

6 egg yolks

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. butter

In  a heavy bottom pot over medium heat whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Add lemon juice and switch to stirring with a wooden spoon, so as to not aerate the curd. Stir continually for 10-15 minutes(longer for larger batches), adjusting the heat as you go to ensure that is does not boil. Your curd is done when it has thickened and heavily coats the back of the spoon. Drop in the butter and stir until melted. 

Position a fine mes sieve over a glass or stainless steel bowl and pour the curd through it, to remove any bits of cooked egg. 

Pour the curd ( a single batch will make one pint of curd) into your prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. If you want to process them for shelf stability, process them in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes(start time when the water returns to a boil). It is best to process only in half-pint jars or smaller, as they allow better heat infiltration. I have also frozen in freezer ziplock bags with success. 

Whole Wheat Bread

Betty Houston Wheat Bread

Years ago a friend gave me a family cookbook that her family publishes to help fund their family reunions. I have fallen in love with most of the recipes from Betty Houston, her grandma. This is one I keep going back to. 

Mix together and set aside:

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 1/2 package yeast

1 tbsp. honey

Mix and cook the following until thick and smooth:

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. whole wheat flour

Stir constantly: put in large bowl.

Add to cooked flour in order (mixing well by hand):

1/3 c. oil

1/3 c. honey

1/3 c. powdered milk

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 c. whole wheat flour

Add yeast mixture Add gradually approximately 4 cups flour (any desired mix between whole wheat and white flour) mixing well. Rise one hour. Kneed 3 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes. Divide into 2 loaves and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Lemon Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe

From Southern Living

I made one small change to this soup before making for a birthday lunch I made for work. I deleted the lima beans for garbanzo beans because well, lima beans are kind of gross!

Active Time

20 Mins

Total Time

7 Hours 20 Mins

Yield

Serves 6 to 8

Directions: Start with a layer of onions in a 6-quart slow cooker, place the chicken over onions, and top that layer with garbanzo beans and the remaining ingredients through tomatoes. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7. 

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet onions, chopped
• 6 skinned and boned chicken thighs
• 2 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 1 (9-oz.) package frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 (14 1/2-oz.) can chicken broth
• 1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
• Garnishes: lemon slices and fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Graham Cracker/Peanut Butter Bars

From Sis. Palmer-she served these at a Relief Society Meeting. They are delicious and remind me of the peanut butter bars we used to get in our school lunch on Fridays.

1 c. butter melted
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. powdered sugar
1 c. peanut butter
Mix together until well blended then press into 9x13 pan. (I used a slightly smaller pans so bars were thicker)
Mix 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips with 1/4 c. peanut butter. Cook stirring frequently until smooth. Spread over cookie layer. chill at lease 1 hour then cut into squares.

Mexican Rice

One of the wrestling moms who's son who graduated last year offered this recipe to me when I commented how good her it was. She had made it every year that her son (Josh Criollos) wrestled for the annual wrestle lock in.
Ingredients
1/2 c. uncooked long grain white rice (4.5 c)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil (3 tbsp.)
2 tbsp. margarine (6 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. fresh garlic, chipped fine (3 tbsp.)
1/2 c. yellow onion, chopped 1/4" or less (1 c)
1/2 c. green bell pepper 1/4" or less (1 c.)
14.5 oz can whole tomatoes with juice (3 cans)
14.5 oz can water or chicken stock (3 cans)
1 tbsp. salt (3 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. coarse ground black pepper (3 tbsp.)
1 tbsp. cumin (3tbsp)
1 tbsp. chili power (3 tbsp.)
Directions:
Heat the oil and margarine in a large skillet. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is "browned" about 10 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, spices and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes that have been cut into 1/2" pieces, the tomato juice and the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes, stir the rice mixture, cover , and cook another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork.
If the cooked rice seems "dry" add 1/2 to 1 c of water , stir  and heat on low until hot. This rice is also great when mixed into a bowl of borracho beans.

Snoqualmie Loadge Oatmeal Cookies

I served these cookies for a Relief Society night. It was a "hack" night and I was asked to talk about kitchen hacks. One of the hacks I shared was substituting fruit for oil. In these cookies I used 1/2 c. butter and 1/2 c pureed prunes. I made the puree by putting 1/2c prunes and enough water that they will blend in the blender. I pulsed them until they were a thick liquid. You could use apple sauce as well but I like the prunes in this one because I think they add some flavor to this type of cookies.

Originally, I got this recipe from Rachel Schaffer a dear friend I met in our branch while living in Minnesota. I later when I lost the original paper she had given me I learned it is easily searched online.  

 

 

 

Number of Servings: 42

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (cal w/smart balance)
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour (used White Whole Wheat)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups Snoqualmie Falls Lodge® Oatmeal
1 cup raisins (optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla on low speed until smooth. Stir in flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder until blended. Add oatmeal and raisins (orange peel) and continue to stir until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Low-Maintenance Lasagna

A friend offered this to me when I was complaining about pasta dishes in the slow cooker. I tried it and was pleasantly surprised.

 

Nonstick cooking spray 1 26-oz. jar pasta sauce 3/4 cup water 1 15-oz. carton light ricotta cheese 1/2 cup shredded carrot 6 lasagna noodles 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.) Directions Coat a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In a large microwave-safe bowl stir together pasta sauce and water. Cover bowl with waxed paper and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together ricotta cheese and carrot; set aside. Spoon 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture in the bottom of prepared slow cooker. Break half of the noodles to fit the bottom of the slow cooker and arrange over the sauce in the slow cooker. Spoon mounds of half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Top with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the layers. Top with remaining noodles, breaking to fit, remaining ricotta mixture, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon remaining sauce over and top with remaining mozzarella. Cover; cook on low heat setting for 3 hours (noodles should be tender). Remove crockpot from liner and let stand covered for 20 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

 

Tex-Mex Salad

I got this from Daphne years ago.
10 medium sized fresh tomato
10 tortillas or a bag of tortilla chips (if you choose tortillas bake in oven @ 350 until crisp)
20 c. fresh spinach (rinsed and spun or patted dry and then chopped)
10 green onions
2 1/2 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. cilantro (I use parsley)
10 oz crumbled feta cheese
5 jalapeno pepper
5 red bell pepper

Chop veggies. . Bake tortillas 2-3 minutes in 350 oven (I use tortilla chips but the recipe is from "healthy" cooking group so it called for baked tortillas) .  In bowl mix beans w/ cheeses, and all the veggies. Crumble chips or put tortilla on plate. Top with salad and enjoy.

Potluck Salad

I needed a recipe for a potluck and Daph sent me this one. It's delicious!

Toss ahead of time, or whenever:

1 bag spinach greens

1 bag or head Romaine lettuce

1 bag European blend salad mix

1/2-1 cup craisins

2 apples, chopped with skin on  (I cube them)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

2 cans Mandarin oranges (I use fresh Clementines)

 

Add just before serving and toss:

1 - 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

1 cup almonds, slivered, caramelized or plain

Dressing

 

Carmelized Almonds:

Combine 2 T brown sugar and 3 T white sugar in a non-stick frying pan.  Add almonds and cook on a rather high heat stirring constantly until nuts are coated and caramelized.  Do not add liquid.  It will caramelize given time.  Adjust heat as necessary not to burn.  Cool, break apart (do not leave in pan for very long. . . .think big rock o' nuts).

 

Dressing:

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. dry mustard

3/4 cup salad oil

1 T onion flakes or powder

1 T poppy seeds (add just before serving)

 

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Divine! From Betsy via another lady from church.

http://www.marthastewart.com/339353/chewy-chocolate-gingerbread-cookies

Pumpkin Muffins

My kids loved these pumpkin muffins recommended by my friend Betsy. Here is the link:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-wheat-honey-muffins/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=whole%20wheat%20pumpkin%20muffins&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Meatless Mexican Lasagna

I requested this from my friend Betsy. It works great for a freezer meal too:

2 c. frozen corn, thawed
2 cans (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic- undrained
1 can chopped green chilies
3 green onions, sliced
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
6 corn tortillas (6 inch or larger)
1 ½ cups colby jack cheese
sour cream for topping

Heat oven to 350.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl.
place three corn tortillas in a greased (with butter or spray) 13 x 9 pan. Place half of filling on top of tortillas and repeat the steps. Top with cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream.

Spinach Lasagna Freezer Meals (Makes 14)

Yield 14 (6-8 servings) lasagna dishes

3/4 c. vegetable oil

14 c. chopped onion

1 #10 cans tomato sauce

2 #10 cans crushed tomatoes

1/4 c. dried basil

1/4 c. dried oregano

2 Tbsp sugar

4 Tbsp salt

pepper

 

120 oz fresh spinach (3 Costco or Cash and Carry  bags)

15 lbs cottage cheese (Cash and Carry sells these in 5 lb tubs)

10 lbs mozzarella cheese (reserve 7 cups for topping at the end)

60 oz sour cream

14 boxes of oven ready lasagna noodles

 

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm oil. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add garlic, basil, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add all cans of tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

 

While the sauce is simmering, prepare spinach: In a large steamer steam the spinach until leaves are wilted (about 3 minutes). Squeeze as much water out of the spinach and then chop. Mix together the sour cream, cheeses, and spinach. Spread 1 ladle of the tomato sauce on the bottom of each 9x13 pan(about 1 cup). In layers, add 3 noodles (no boil noodles expand so don’t worry if they don't touch), 1 heaping, large serving spoon of cheese (it will not completely cover the noodles), 1 ladle of tomato sauce. Repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles ending with cheese/sauce on top (total of 9 noodles).  Top each lasagna with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Cover and freeze.

Cooking Directions: Bake, uncovered 45 minutes at 350. Let stand 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve.