Recipe Request

Ok, it's not actually something we're planning on eating for dinner and I'm sure no one else on here would want it for dinner either.... but.... I'm looking for new recipes for dog treats. Does anyone have some they'd like to share?

Gingerbread Waffles

Fall is in the air (if not in the actual temperature) and these spicy waffles are the perfect fall dessert (or breakfast). I like them served with fried apples and they would be terrifically decadent if you served them with fried apples and ice cream. This recipe was a wedding present from Genaura along with a very pretty waffle heart shaped waffle iron. We used to make waffles every Saturday morning... right up until that second baby came along!

2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp soda
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 egg white, stiffly beaten

Sift dry ingredients together. Combine molasses, milk, and beaten egg. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Fold in egg white. Pour on moderately hot waffle iron. Bake 3 minutes.

Broccoli Salad

This salad is one of the most requested potluck dishes I make.

2 bunches broccoli- broken
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 - 1 cup sunflower seeds
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Dressing:

1 cup mayonaise
2T white vinegar (I usually use apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup sugar

mix together and serve

Oatmeal Blackberry Scones (to eat with your cider)

3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)

Cut together until mixture resembles coars crumbs.

Add:

2 cups oats
zest of one orange

Mix well, then add all at once:

3/4 cup buttermilk (I just add a glug of vinegar to milk)

Mix until a ball forms and then add 7/2 package frozen blackberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes.

Tuscan Bean Soup

This was a really fast and good, light but filling soup!

1 package peeled baby carrots, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 Tblsp olive oil, divided
2 - 15oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 32oz box reduced sodium chicken broth
2 to 3 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 - 5oz pkg baby spinach
black pepper
* We have also added ground beef or Italian sausage for a little extra in the soup.

In a large sauce pan cook and stir carrots and onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add beans, broth and seasoning. Bring to boiling; slightly mash beans. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add Spinach; toss with tongs 1-2 minutes, just until wilted. Remove from heat. Ladle soup; top with spinach, sprinkle with pepper.

Serves 4

Cranberry Cider Mix

Hi with school starting again (and finally getting into the blog again) I was reminded of this recipe. Last year at Christmas I gave this to my daughter's teacher as a gift. The original recipe also comes with instructions on how to make easy apple looking gift bags to put the cider mix in. So for her teacher I gave her the cute apple bag in a basket with two oranges. Oh and the spices are easy to find and not very expensive at Cost Plus World Market.

Cranberry Cider Mix

12 cinnamon sticks broken (a hammer works well)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 T whole allspice
1 T nutmeg
1/2 t ground cloves (you can also use whole cloves)
*You will also need 2 oranges and a bottle of apple cider to make the spiced cider.

Mix all ingredients together, and store in an air tight container. Include instructions with the gift.

Instructions: In a large sauce pan or crockpot, combine 2 quarts apple cider, 1 quart water and the cranberry cider mix. Heat till warm. Add 2 sliced oranges. Makes 3 quarts.

Peppermint Pie

This is an incredible pie, light but rich and wonderful!

Bob's Peppermint Pie
This recipe came from Paula Deen's show

1 envelope plain gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
8 ounces peppermint candies, soft type (I found these in a tin a Cost Plus World Market around Christmas)
1 prepared chocolate cookie crust
Crushed hard peppermint candies, for garnish

Soften gelatin in water and set aside. Put 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan with candies and cook over low heat until candy melts. Add gelatin mixture and mix well. Let cool and fold in whipped cream. Pour into crust, sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies, and chill thoroughly.

Great Pumpkin Dessert

Here's a good dessert I found, however trust me, do not forget the sugar!

Great Pumpkin Dessert

1 small can of pumpkin
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk (12oz) - At the holidays I'm going to use eggnog!
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups walnuts
3/4 cup melted butter

In a bowl mix together the first five ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top of pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with walnuts and then drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 350 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle. To serve top with whipped cream or ice cream.

Freezer Pickles (that we always eat before they have a chance to freeze)

This is a recipe from Grandma Canfield's recipe box. We've enjoyed these pickles every summer of my life. They are so simple, so basic, so fresh, and so good that they are a staple in our refrigerator the entire summer growing season.

2 quarts cucumbers (I just fill the big green tupperware bowl)
1 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp salt

Mix until the salt is dissolved. Let stand 2 hours, drain.

Add:

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup vinegar (whatever type you fancy)

Pour over pickles. Put into containers and freeze or keep in the refrigerator.

We also sometimes add pepper to taste. Bell peppers make an interesting addition. Chris is trying to get me to add carrots to this morning's batch. I have never yet frozen these pickles, but Grandma assures me they're delicious after freezing as well as fresh from the refigerator.

Strawberry Cream Cookies

Here's a new cookie recipe I've found. So so good!

Strawberry Cream Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
seedless strawberry jam (I used lemon and lime curd instead)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar,and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and blend. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer until dough is easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1in balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using a wooden spoon handle, press a hole in center of each cookie; fill with 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks.

Chai Tea

This is so good, and it makes a large batch so it's perfect for company. It's also a lot cheaper that buying chai tea lattes. Plus for me I can use decaf which is really hard to find at coffee places.

Chai Tea

2 quarts water (8 cups )
8 bags black tea (you could really use any plain tea)
3/4 cup sugar
16 whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks ( like it much better with 2)
8 slices fresh ginger (I used a couple dashes of ground ginger)

Combine ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on high 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

Strain mixture; discard spices. Can be served warm or refrigerated for up to 3 days. (I think it goes a little longer really)

To serve mix with milk. The recipe suggests 1 cup milk for all the tea, just before serving. We however drink it by the individual glass and do about 3/4 tea to 1/4 milk, but it's just a matter of taste. I also really like it cold in the summer.

Easy Meatloaf

My husband loves meat loaf but I really don't. So when I found an easy meatloaf to make for him I was thrilled. He says this is really good.

Stuffing Meatloaf

2 pounds ground beef
1 package stuffing mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup water

Mix together in a gallon freezer bag (that's what the instructions said) and when well mixed press into an ungreased loaf pan. Cook 1.25 - 1.5 hours at 350 degrees or till internal temp is 160 degrees.

Apple Cream Cake

This is a wonderful recipe from the cook book Fast Fixes with Mixes. It sounds a little odd, but it's great, and easy.

1 package yellow cake mix
3 cups sliced and peeled tart apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional

Prepare cake batter according to package, pour into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Combine apples, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; spoon over batter. Pour cream over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 - 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

Pecan Carmel Sticky Rolls

These are the caramel sticky rolls you drool over at the farmer's markets. They bake up golden and delicious and look very impressive.

Use 1/3 batch of Grandma Ethel's roll dough (we sometimes use all the baking dishes in the house and end up with about 4 dozen rolls to share when using the whole dough recipe).

1 Cup pecans, chopped (sprinkle in the bottom of bread pans (3) or 9x13" dish, or 1/4 sheetcake)

Heat slowly in large saucepan:

1 Cup brown sugar
1/2 Cup butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup (light)

Roll your dough out into a 15 x 20" rectangle (or something like that). Spread it with butter and sprinkle cinnamon and either white or brown sugar generously on the dough. Roll the dough from the long side. Slice 1 1/2" thick. Pour caramel mixture over the nuts in the bottom of pans. Place rolls on top of caramel. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Grandma Ethel's Rolls

Although I've never met Grandma Ethel, and am not in fact related to her, I have offered more than one prayer of Thanksgiving that she made these rolls and shared the recipe with her family. I am also very grateful to Amy and Andy for sharing the recipe with me. This is a very stiff dough and it can be a bear to knead, so let me reassure you... the rolls are worth every last aching muscle you may aquire... and you probably needed a good upper body workout anyway! :-) A final note.... yep, you probably will use most of a bag of flour. Don't start the recipe unless you have a full bag in your pantry. It is possible to cut the recipe in half (or less) but the kneading time remains the same and these are so good we like to have a ton of rolls that we can share or freeze.

6 Cups warm water
2 Tbsp (heaping) yeast
1/2 Cup butter, melted
2 Cups dry milk
14 Cups flour, divided (It takes more than this to finsih the rolls, probably 17 cups or more total)

1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 Tbsp salt

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add rest of ingredients and 7 cups of flour. Beat on low until well mixed (I just beat by hand). Add remaining flour until stiff (once it gets hard to stir I put a pile of flour on the counter and turn the dough out of the bowl, continue adding flour while kneading until the dough isn't sticky). Knead until the dough is smooth (about 20-25 minutes). Place the dough ball into a greased bowl and let rise until doubled in size (I use an antique dish pan). Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes. Form into rolls. Let rise until double. Brush with butter after baking.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes
Cinnamon rolls 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes
Bread loaf 375 degrees 20 minutes

Green Pork Enchiladas

I finally remembered my password to access the blog! Yea! Blond moments seem to come so much more frequently now than they did before children....

This is our favorite use of our new favorite (and cheap) pork cut. I usually make 3 large pans of enchiladas because we can eat them for several days before we're tired of them. You can cut the recipe in half and get a good 1/4 sheetcake pan of enchildas or a 9x13 pan plus a few extras.

3-4 pounds of extra lean country style pork ribs (not really ribs, actually a shoulder cut)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 can (4oz) chopped green chiles
2 large (28oz...I think) cans green enchilada sauce
1/2 - 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese (or monteray jack, or whatever you like)
corn tortillas (I buy the package of 3 doz, but there are some left over)

Place roast, onion, green chiles, and 1 can of enchilada sauce in crockpot. Cook 6-8 hours on low or until meat pulls apart when pulled with 2 forks. Brush a layer of enchilada sauce over the bottom of your cooking dish (whichever dish you choose). Warm remaining enchilada sauce in a small skillet on the stove. One at a time place tortillas in warm sauce and remove them when they are pliable (otherwise they will split when you begin working with them). As you remove the tortillas fill them with a spoonful of meat mixture and top with a scant handful of cheese, then roll the tortillas and place in the baking dish with the seam side down. You could also choose to layer your enchiladas and place the tortillas flat in the baking dish and then layer the remaining ingredients (tortilla, meat, cheese, tortilla, meat, cheese, tortilla) and then brush sauce over the top layer of tortillas and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake them in a moderate oven (350 - 375 degrees) until the cheese in bubbly.

This meat filling also makes great tamales. I just follow the recipe on the bag of masa for directions on making the masa shell of the tamales. You can use a jar of green salsa instead of enchilada sauce when cooking the meat mixture if you prefer that flavor (we switch back forth depending on my mood and pantry contents).

Yummy Steak Topping

My friend was telling me about her absolute favorite food and I just had to try it last night with her!

First, you prepare a steak however you like it. We added a little garlic salt and pepper and my husband grilled it.

In a frying pan, we sauteed a container of sliced mushrooms in butter (maybe close to 1/4 cup), added two green onions sliced, and maybe three minced garlic cloves. Keep stirring until it's all tender and serve it over the steak.

Oh my gosh. How will I ever eat a plain steak again? I don't even like mushrooms very much, but this was so good and simple! :) I highly recommend it. It also makes your kitchen smell Heavenly.

More Greek Food

Ok, here are the recipes for tzatziki and greek salad.

Tzatziki

Greek yogurt
Grated cucumber (squeeze to get most of the juice out before mixing into the yogurt)
Crushed garlic cloves - two or three depending on how garlicky you want it
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt
Dash of vinegar and a dash of lemon juice

Add all this together to taste and leave in fridge to settle and get cold.

Rustic Greek Salad

Cucumber
Tomatoes
Red onion
Kalamata Olives
Extra Virgin olive oil
Feta Cheese

Cut cucumber and tomatoes into medium to large chunks and the red onion into rings. Mix with the Kalamata olives and virgin olive oil and salt and pepper so it's all covered and then place the whole feta cheese on top (could sprinkle with dried Oregano). Optional - add a little lemon juice to the olive oil.

Greek Lamb Marinade

I tried this out to make gyros and it turned out great! Of course, I don't have the nifty rotisserie greek restaurants do, so I cut some lamb steak into thin strips, soaked it in the marinade, and sauteed it. Then I put it on some pita bread with some tzatziki and sliced red onion. I'll dig up the tzatziki recipe - it was really good and authentic according to the friend who gave it to me.

3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 tsp. bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Stir it up, pour it over the meat. Soak it for a few hours or so. Enjoy! My kids even liked it.

Chicken Fingers With Lemon Sauce

I tried a new recipe out of a friend's magazine tonight and it was so good, even though I messed up the sauce a little. My boys were distracting me and I ended up adding too much chicken broth, but it still tasted good - it was just runnier than it should be.

My husband's first comment was, "Are you going to make this again?" "Do you want me to?" "Yeah ......" He really liked it. It's not too difficult either!

So here it is.

1 jar (10 ounces) lemon curd (I found it next to the jams and jellies)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
Vegetable oil for frying

In a small saucepan, combine the lemon curd, broth, soy sauce, and ginger. Cook and stir until combined and heated through; keep warm.

In a shallow bowl, combine buttermilk and lemon peel. In another bowl, combine flour and cornstarch. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, then coat with flour mixture.

In an electric skillet, heat oil to 375. Fry chicken a few strips at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with lemon sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (1 1/4 cups sauce).

Lucky for us, the kids didn't want any! :-D