World's Most Amazingly Delicious Brownies EVER!

Oh yes, I am not bragging, I have concocted the most amazing brownie recipe the world has ever, or will ever know. It all started when I needed to take some snack for my visiting teachees. I decided on brownies, but I wanted to make a bigger batch, and I wanted them to be thicker and chewy and glorious. So here is my personally modified to perfection recipe, with frosting recipe included at no additional charge! Again, with all due humility, throw away all other brownie recipes. THIS is IT!

Best Brownies ever.

Grease a 9X13 pan and preheat the oven to 350.

In a big bowl, or mixer add:

1 cup BUTTER (the real stuff, baby)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Cream these together.

In a separate bowl, mix:

1 cup flour
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Gradually blend dry ingredients into moist ones. (add nuts if you'd like or not, whatever) Spread in 9X13 pan, bake for 35 minutes (or until a knife comes out clean). Cool, frost, cut into squares, die happy.

Super Amazing, Fool Proof, Creamy Brownie Frosting
6 TBS Butter
6TBS Hershey's cocoa
2 TBS honey or corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 Cups powdered sugar
1-2 TBS milk

Cream butter, cocoa, corn syrup, and vanilla. Add powder sugar and milk, beat to spreading consistency, spread on cool brownies (except you'll never be able to wait for them to cool all the way, so it will be a ll warm and gooey and beautiful bliss).

Chicken Fingers

This isn't exactly a healthy vegetarian snack, but it is a tasty "appetizer" (or y'know, the main course if you're eating at my house).

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

1 cup flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp each pepper and Season All

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil for frying

1. Mix flour, salt, pepper, Season All in a shallow bowl. Mix milk and egg in a separate bowl. Cut up chicken into ½ by 2 inch strips.

2. Dip chicken in egg and milk mixture, then roll in flour to coat well. Set aside on a sheet of wax paper.

3. Pour ¼ inch of oil into a large skillet. Heat over medium high. Place part of the chicken in an even layer in hot oil. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.

Honey Mustard

Mix ½ cup honey with ¼ cup Dijon mustard.

Serve chicken with ranch dressing, ketchup, honey mustard.

Bruschetta - the appetizing appetizer

Bruschetta

1 cup pitted ripe olives

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 tsp capers (i HATE capers, I never use them for anything! So leave these out if you know what's good for you!)

1 tsp olive oil

3 TBS mayonnaise

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 thinly sliced green onions

1 TBS fresh snipped basil or 1 Tsp dried basil or

Oregano

1 TBS olive oil

1/8 tsp pepper

1 baguette French bread (the long skinny ones)

2 TBS olive oil

½ grated parmesan (NOT the sawdust kind in the green

can, the nice stuff in the cheese section.

For olive paste, in blender or food processor combine olives, garlic, vinegar, capers, mayonnaise, and the 1 tsp olive oil. Cover and blend until smooth.

For tomato topping, in a small bowl stir together chopped tomatoes, green onions, basil or oregano, the 1 TBS olive oil, and pepper.

For the toast, cut bread into ½ inch thick slices. Use the 2 TBS olive oil to lightly brush both sides of each slice. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 for about 5 minutes or until crisp and light brown, turning once.

To assemble, spread each piece of toast with a thin layer of olive paste. Top with about 2 TBS tomatoes and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes until cheese starts to melt and toppings are heated through. Serve warm.

California Rolls (That No One Will Eat)

Oh yes, who doesn't want a recipe that no one likes (except me). Here is one I keep making for people and the people try to spit it out when I'm not looking. It's okay. Everyone has their own opinions.

California Rolls

4 cups cooked Calrose (sticky white) rice

6-8 Nori sheets (seaweed paper)

1 Avocado, sliced

6 oz (1 can/bag) tuna or crab meat

Sushi Rice: While it is hot move into a large bowl and sprinkle with sushi vinegar (I just use white or rice vinegar) and mix rice swiftly with a wooden spoon. Cover bowl with a damp towel and let rice cool to room temperature.

Sushi Rolls: Put some water in a small bowl and put aside. Cut a piece of aluminum foil just a bit larger than a sheet of Nori. The Nori has a shiny and a dull side, but it shiny side down on the foil. Spread an even layer of rice (between 1-2 cups) carefully over the Nori, leaving and 1 inch space at one edge. Place your filling in a row on the edge across from your 1“ space. Hold your fillings as you roll the Nori away from you, towards the 1” space edge. When you get to the end of the roll, dip your fingers in the water and moisten the edge to seal the sushi roll. Wrap it up in the foil and refrigerate for about an hour. When ready to eat, carefully open the foil and slice the sushi. Serve with wasabi and soy sauce.

Chicken Enchiladas

Okay, I have this recipe and no measurements b/c I use to make it with my roommates all the time. So, I've gone online to fill them in....

Grilled Chicken (3-ish breasts, depending on the size--you want 2 C chopped)
1 C cheese (Mozzerella is yummy, cheddar totally works tho)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 Can Green Chiles
8 8in. Flour Tortillas (or you can use corn tortillas, you just need more of them:)

Mix ingredients (like I said, you can totally guess at the measurements, add until it looks yummy:). Then fill tortillas with mixture, reserving a bit to pour over the top. Roll up the tortillas in a 13x9 in casserole pan like enchiladas. Pour remaining mixture on top. I also like to grate a little extra cheese on top of that. Bake at 350 for about 25 min or until bubbily.

Pie Crust (for the pumpkin pie:) from the kitchen of Pat Anderson

2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 C. Shortening
1/2 C. Water

Combine the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening and mix until it looks like fine crumbs. Stir in water until it forms a ball (this is the part where you don't want to mix it too much or it will not be so flaky and light, I think;). Divide in half and shape, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hrs. Makes a top and bottom crust, or 2 bottom crusts for pumpkin pie!!!

Pumpkin Pie (from the kitchen of Pat Anderson)

Here it is! THE pumpkin pie recipe!

1 1/2 C Pumpkin
3/4 C Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1-1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2-3/4 tsp. Ginger
1/4-1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4-1/2 tsp Cloves
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 C milk
6 oz evaporated milk (or use 2 cans instead of adding the fresh milk, mmm....)

Mix pumpkin, sugar, spices. Then add eggs, milk. Pour into baked crust. Bake 400 degrees, 50 minutes. Check with a knife to make sure it's done. Also, watch the crust so it doesn't burn (you can put tin foil around the edge if it looks dark).

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

It's a little early, but I'm already dreaming about it. This is what my mom makes on Christmas morning. (You have to prepare it the night before, tho)

6 slices bread w/o crust and buttter one side (butter side down)
4 C cheese
1 (4 oz) can green chiles
Ham/Bacon, Sausage, whatever you want, cooked and chopped
6 eggs
2C milk
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp. Paperika
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard powder

Put bread butter side down in a casserole dish.
Layer Cheese, Green Chiles, Meat on bread.
Beat together the egg and the milk. Mix in seasonings.
Cover and chill casserole overnight.
Bake 325 for 50 min without a cover.
Let stand 10 min.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

We were sick last week and I saved the day by making soup. Without a recipe, here's how I did it.

Ingredients:
1 pound frozen boneless skinless chicken breast tenders
About 4 cups water (OR chicken stock OR water + a chicken bullion cube or 2)
About a tsp each of thyme, sage, celery salt, pepper, and Season All
About 1-2 TBS each salt, minced garlic, dried onion
A dash of crushed red pepper
2 Celery stalks, chopped
10-15 baby carrots, chopped
8 oz. pasta

Boil the chicken with the water, vegetables, and spices (I would highly recommend using chicken broth or bullion if you have it, I didn't, but it would have improved things a bit). In about 20-30 minutes the chicken will be cook, scoop it out and chop it into bite size bits. Simmer until carrots are tender. Add the pasta (egg noodles, penne, whatever, pasta's pasta, right? Maybe not lasagna noodles, but then again, may so.) and cook for another 8-15 minutes, until pasta is tender.

Now, here's the kicker, being sick, therefore, not in my right mind, I wanted not just soup, but also garlic mashed potatoes - so I prepared the soup and let it simmer on low whilst I made garlic mashed potatoes. Then I combined 1.5 TBS (or one big scoop) of cornstarch to 1/4 cup water, mixed it thoroughly and added it to the soup, allowing it to reach a boil for a few minutes, thus thickening the broth to a nice almost gravy consistency. We then served the soup (pasta, chicken, and all) over the mashed potatoes. AND it was really yummy.

So yeah, sure you could open a can of fancy pants chicken and noodle soup, but the noodles ALWAYS taste funny and the soup is too salty and there's not enough chicken. OR you can make it yourself and within an hour you can have a whole pot of yummy health.

Good Morning Coffee Cake

2 1/3 C flour
1 1/3 C sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 C shortening
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 (3 oz) cream cheese (soft)
14 oz sweet-condensed milk
1/3 C lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 C (29 oz) sliced peaches and chopped (well-drained) or 21 oz apple pie filling
1 C chopped nuts, divided
1/3 C brown sugar

Preheat oven 350.

In lg bowl comb. flour, sugar, salt; cut in shortening until crumbly.
RESERVE 1 C crumb mix!
To remaining crumbs, add paking pdr, then milk, eggs, vanilla. Beat on med. speed 2 min.
Spread into greased 13x9 in pan.
Bake 25 min. until set.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in condensed milk. Stir in lemon juice, then drained peaches, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.
In small bowl, comb. reserved crumbs, remaining 1/2 C nuts, 1 tsp cinnamon, and brown sugar. Spoon peach mix evenly on top of cake. Sprinkle with crumb mix. Bake 35 min longer until set. Cool. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Roll

I'm on a roll, lol! I can't beleive I haven't posted this one yet. Well, here we are in time for fall.

3 eggs
1 C sugar
2/3 C pumpkin puree
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 C flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
8 oz cream cheese
4 Tbsp butter
1 C powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 350. Grease and flour 10x15 in jelly roll pan (or I make do with whatever other pan I have:).

In large mixing bowl: beat eggs, sugar on high 5 min. Mix in pumpin (I'm usually generous on the pumpkin puree portion) and lemon.

In another bowl combine flour, baking pdr, salt, cinn, ginger (I am very generous with my spices I usually sprinkle in some pre-mixed pumpkin spice too). Stir into pumpkin mix.

Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle pecans (optional, I never have pecans:)

Bake 12-15 min. until springy. Turn out on powder sugar dusted towels (one for the top, one for the bottom). Roll warm bread up in the towels to keep it from sticking to itself and help it keep the rolled shape while you prepare the filling. Cool 20 min.

In a small mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla.
Unroll the bread and fill with cream cheese mixture. Roll again and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Eclair Cake

Oh, my goodness, this is one of my favorite desserts!!! Let's see if I can decipher my recipe.

1 C water
1 cube butter (1/2 c)

Boil water with butter. Take off of heat and add:

1 C flour
4 eggs

Grease cookie sheet and pour batter into it. Cook 425 for 20 min.

Mix 2 small instant puddings (of your choice, I think we usually did vanilla) with 8 oz. cream cheese and 4 cups of milk. Pour over the crust. Cover with cool whip.
Drizzle with chocolate syrup (optional)

Mozzarella Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (however many you want:)
Italian Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper to taste
Spagetti Sauce
Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper chicken, you can also add extra italian seasoning if you like. Roll in Bread Crumbs and pan sear chicken in hot frying pan. When golden brown, place on cookie sheet (I like to foil it so I don't have to wash it:) and put it in the oven on 350 until the juices run clear. Then top with warmed spagetti sauce and mozarella cheese. I always serve with a side of spagetti, cuz the sauce is already done. Easy meal, tastes gourmet! Also, if you don't want to splurge on mozzarella, cheddar works just fine too!

Sesame Chicken Marinade

I got this recipe in the spice isle of my friendly neighborhood grocery store. I bought a bottle of toasted sesame seeds over a year ago and haven't used them much. The original recipe called for boneless sirloin (who was Sir Loin anyway .. unfortunate name!), but I am cutting down on red meat and didn't have any steak anyway. The chicken turned out GLORIOUS. I grilled it ... I have never grilled by myself before. I recommend making twice as much of this as you need and then (mmmmm) using the leftover scrumptious chicken for one of those tasty chicken casseroles the next night; that's what I'm doing.

Ingredients:

1 TBS Sesame Seeds
1/4 CUP soy sauce
3 TBS oil
1 TBS brown sugar
1 TSP onion powder
1/4 TSP garlic salt
1/4 TSP ground ginger
1/4 TSP ground black pepper
1-1.5 lbs chicken (I used those handy dandy boneless skinless chicken breast tenders)

Directions:

TOAST (I had already toasted sesame seeds, but if you don't) just put the seeds in a dry skillet on medium heat, stirring frequently until seeds are golden brown and fragrant. Pour out of pan to avoid over toasting, i.e. burning.

MIX all ingredients, except meat, in zip top freezer bag (or a glass dish). Mix them up good and add meat. Turn to coat well.

REFRIGERATE at least 30 minutes (longer = more flavor). Remove meat and discard any remaining marinade.

Cook the suckers ... grilling them tastes great. The recipe also suggests broiling on high, either way, 4-5 minutes on each side. So good!!

HURRY, grilling season is almost over!!!