Buttery Caramel Sauce

This is the super yummy recipe I used for Relief Society the other night, so many of you asked for it!    Is actually from a blog I follow called: How Does She.  Here is their link to the original posting.

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

*Makes 2 1/2 cups

In a medium saucepan combine sugars, syrup and butter. 

Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a full boil, about 6-8 minutes. from heat and cool 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into a jar and store in refrigerator.  It will thicken when cold.

YUMMY!  A  double batch makes 3 pint jars, great for gift giving!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

I made these last night and couldn't believe how the kids gobbled them up. I think they liked making their own wrap, and the veggies were easy to eat diced up with the other ingredients. I'll definitely add it into my standard dinner rotation! I don't know if this recipe is better than any other in particular, but we really liked them. They best thing is you can adapt and add a little more or less of what you prefer.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

2 pkg (3oz) chicken-flavor ramen noodles
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 each red and yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onions with tops
1 medium cucumber sliced into small pieces
2 medium carrots sliced into small pieces

2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 garlic, pressed
1 half inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot, pressed (use garlic press!)
2 tsp Asian seasoning (I just added ground ginger, a little red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, and a little pepper)

lettuce leaves (about 1 head, I just used iceberg)

optional: (but yummy)
peanuts, chopped
sweet and sour sauce

Boil about 3 cups of water, add ramen (broken up) and seasoning, cook 2 minutes, stir. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place noodles, chicken, bell peppers, green onions, cucumbers, and carrots in a big bowl, mix.

Combine soy sauce, oil, garlic, ginger, and seasonings. Toss to coat chicken noodle mixture. Cover and refrigerate.

Remove full lettuce leaves and rinse well, dry.

To eat, place lettuce leaf on your plate, spoon noodle mixture on top, top with peanuts and sweet and sour sauce, wrap up in lettuce leaf like a healthy burrito!

Crunchy Poppyseed Chicken Salad

Here's a link to a good summer salad we had the other day. I used cole slaw instead of broccoli slaw and it worked just as well.

LEMON-RASPBERRY MOUSSE SQUARES

In celebration of my 13th anniversary today, I made my sweetheart this delicious dessert!!! It is so fresh and flavorful.

48 Nilla Wafers, divided

3/4 cup boiling water

1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin

1 cup ice cubes

1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool whip, thawed

1/3 cup raspberry preserves

1 1/2 cups fresh fruit

Stand 16 wafers around edge of plastic wrap-lined 8-inch square pan. In small bowl, add boiling water to gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in ice until melted.

In another bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in gelatin. Whisk in 2 cups cool whip.

Pour half the gelatin mixture into prepared pan; cover with 16 wafers. Microwave preserves on HIGH 15 sec. or until melted; brush onto wafers. Top with remaining gelatin mixture and 16 wafers.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto plate; top with remaining cool whip and fruit. ENJOY!!

Cranberry Relish

2-3 c. cranberries

1 orange (including rind)

1 c. sugar

grind in a food processor

Yummy with turkey and we liked it with ham too.

Pumpkin Layer Dessert

This is the dessert I served at the baby shower. It is so easy and delicious...and it makes your whole house smell yummy!

Crust:

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

Filling:

1 can (30 oz) pumpkin pie filling

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly. Set aside 2/3 cup for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

2. For filling, in a large bowl, combine the pumpkin pie filling, milk and eggs; pour over crust.

3. For topping, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pumpkin layer.

4. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Cornbread and Honey Butter

Ok, whenever I have made cornbread, it's always been the Marie Callendar's mix...which I always thought was good, until now. I don't think I am ever going back to it. And the Honey Butter...wow! I got this recipe off of the mykitchencafe blog and it's super easy. So here it is...

Ingredients:
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. oil
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk. Stir until just mixed, batter will be runny. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and cook for 35-40 min.

Honey Butter
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. marshmallow fluff

Whip all ingredients together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature. Can also be refrigerated and softened. This does make a lot, so think about halving it if you don't need very much.

GRANOLA BREAKFAST BARS

My sister found this delicious recipe and shared it with me.  They are super healthy and hearty...perfect for a breakfast-on-the-go or mid-afternoon snack.

2 cups oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup milled flax seeds

3/4 teas. salt

1 cup chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or dried fruit

3/4 teas. cinnamon

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 teas. vanilla

1 egg

*Peanut butter bar : 1/2 cup oil = 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 baking pan.  In large bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, flax, salt, choc. chips, and cinnamon until combined.  Stir in oil and remaining ingredients until well blended.  With wet hand, press oat mixture into pan.  Bake for 24 minutes, until pale golden on edges.  Cool completely in pan.  When cool, cut with pizza cutter and wrap.  Makes 24 small bars.

Lemon Chicken

This is a totally easy recipe I actually got from the 3rd ward's cookbook! Then I looked on the side of the soy sauce, and it is basically the same recipe found there. Super Duper easy and surprisingly good, not the taste I expected. I even got to use my first lemons from my lemon tree! We'll definitely make it again. (You could serve it with pasta or rice, we just had good bread).

Lemon Chicken

4 chicken breast
2 T butter
1 clove garlic, crushed (I used 2)
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp flour
1/2 c. cream or millk, slightly whipped ( I didn't slightly whip)
salt & pepper to taste
juice of 1 lemon

Brown the chicken in the butter and garlic til white (about 5-6 minutes per side). Add the lemon juice, soy sauce, and seasonings. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook 25 minutes. When done, remove chicken pieces to a separate plate and add to the skillet the cream/milk, stirring constantly, then the flour, still stirring. Replace the chicken in the skillet and let simmer another few minutes.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

This is my children's favorite dinner!  I got the recipe from an old Lion House cook book.  Where it calls for cooked chicken, I sometimes substitute (cover your ears, Amanda) canned chicken from Costco.   It still tastes really yummy.  I also sprinkle fried onions on top before baking to give it some extra pizazz.  The recipe doesn't call for this, but we like to serve it over rice.

Ingredients

2-4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

2-3 10-oz. packages frozen broccoli, cooked or 2 lbs. fresh broccoli trimmed and cooked

1 can (10 1/2 oz.) cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

fried onions (opt. but we love it)

cooked rice (you don't need this, but we like it)

In a 9x9x2-inch dish, arrange broccoli with flowerettes pointed out toward edge of dish.  Lay chicken meat over broccoli.  Make a sauce by combining soup, milk, and mayonnaise and stir until smooth.  Add cheese and lemon juice.  Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli to cover chicken pieces completely.   Sprinkle with fried onions, if desired.  Cover pan with aluminun foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for about 30 minutes.  Serve over rice, if desired.  Makes 6 adult servings.

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