GLUTEN FREE APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL BARS

This is another new recipe I tried that was a big hit during the birthday party weekend. I made these so my daughter with a wheat allergy could eat these while the rest of us had the Grands cinnamon rolls. Delicious! These are very handy to have in the freezer for a quick breakfast anytime, or for a snack, but I made double and there were none left to freeze.

I found this recipe on the blog 'Iowa Girl Eats' here . She also has other versions of this oatmeal bar on her blog.

This calls for oat flour or put some of the oatmeal in a blender or food processor and that is what I did and that worked out very well, so there is no need to buy the expensive oat flour, providing you can find it in the store. I did not. I also used quick oats rather than old fashioned and that worked well too. Again, no pictures due to the busy weekend so you can check those out on the Iowa Girl Eats blog.

Notice that there is no refined sugar in these bars.

APPLE CINNAMON OATMEAL BARS (gluten free)

2-1/2 cups certified gluten-free old fashioned oats, divided
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk, any kind
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons no-sugar-added applesauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (I used regular vegetable oil rather than buy coconut oil)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees then spray an 8x8" baking pan with
nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Add 1 cup oats to a food processor or blender then process until
oats have turned into flour (alternatively you could use a scant cup
oat flour.) Add flour to a large bowl with remaining 1-1/2 cups old
fashioned oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt then stir with a
fork to combine and set aside.
3. In another bowl, add milk, applesauce, maple syrup, coconut oil,
egg, and vanilla then whisk to combine. Pour into dry ingredients
then stir until just combined. Fold in grated apples then pour batter
into prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and
the center has set. Cool before slicing into bars then store in the
refrigerator, or individually wrap bars in saran wrap and freeze.

This is a keeper for me and I will certainly make them again. In fact, I think I better make some today.

Enjoy!

EASY CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE APPLE DIP

This caramel cream cheese apple dip was a huge success on the weekend of my birthday party. It is so easy and quick to make and I know you will love it, too. Be sure to have plenty of apples on hand! It looks pretty in a clear glass dish for serving. This is a nice dip to add to holiday events so you may want to keep this handy to make soon.

I found this recipe at Living Well, Spending Less here . With the busy weekend I did not get pictures, but you can see some pictures at the link above.


EASY CARAMEL CREAM CHEESE APPLE DIP

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 14 oz jar caramel sauce
• 2-3 Heath candy bars, crushed (or use Heath toffee chips)
• Serve With: Granny Smith apples, sliced
• 
  
• INSTRUCTIONS
• Combine cream cheese and 1/2 of the caramel sauce in mixing bowl; beat until well-blended. Then mix in 1/2 cup of toffee chips to mixture.
• Spoon cream cheese mixture into pretty serving dish.
• Cover cream cheese with remaining caramel.
• Sprinkle caramel with toffee chips.
• Serve immediately with sliced granny smith apples.
• Preparation time: 5-7 minutes
• Number of servings (yield): 12

YUMMMM

There is a very popular drive-in in this area and everyone loves their loose meat sandwiches. Some may call these Maid-Rites. They are not tomato based like Sloppy Joes.

My son got hold of a recipe that is very close to what the drive-in has, and his sister-in-law made a big crockpot full for supper here at home after the birthday open house.

Here is the recipe.

I am  not a fan of horseradish but I could not taste it. It does add to the final taste. This is a large amount that could be cut in half, but why not make the whole thing and freeze in manageable portions. Enjoy!

DO YOU LIKE NOW WHAT YOU USED TO NOT LIKE?

Have you found that you now like foods that you never liked growing up?

I could not stand cooked oatmeal for breakfast when I was a kid and early adulthood. For hot cereal I only liked Cream of Wheat. If Mom made oatmeal, the only way I could eat it was to put it on my toast. I have no idea why! Now it seems really weird.

I don't know when I started liking oatmeal for breakfast. It may be when the flavored instant oatmeal packets became popular several years ago. Lately, out of need because of not buying groceries for quite awhile, I made regular quick oatmeal in the microwave and adding my own dried fruits, nuts and sweeteners and like that even better than the packets. It doesn't take any longer to make in the microwave either. The instructions on regular oatmeal for a single serving is twice the amount in the packets also, so is really enough for 2 servings if you have more people to feed. Sometimes I am hungry enough to make the whole thing, and sometimes I will cut that in half.

For sweeteners I prefer brown sugar. I am a huge fan of brown sugar anything, even right out of the bag. I have also used pancake syrup, honey, white sugar and stevia.  I try to have a variety of dried fruits on hand, and a few kinds of unsalted nuts like walnuts and pecans. I think real maple syrup would be great but I never buy it since it is more expensive.

Recently I tried something different that I found very good. Sinfully good! I made the single serving of regular oatmeal and added a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast (for added protein and vitamins) in chocolate flavor, plus the one cup milk that is needed for both the oatmeal as well as the instant breakfast powder, some dried cherries and walnuts. Yum! It tasted like a chocolate-cherry oatmeal cake or brownie with nuts, and only takes 2 minutes in the microwave.

It doesn't take long to put it all together in the morning, but if you are always rushed in the morning, you can mix the dry ingredients the night before and just add the liquid the next morning.

I never used to buy the Instant Breakfast but that was one item suggested to eat after having my knee surgeries. It is also one way to get your chocolate. However, it is not sugar free and still has calories so not necessarily a diet food. But it is really good!

This is a good breakfast for someone living alone like I am, or if you still have a spouse.

MMM.. . . MMM. . . .GOOD!!

Do you need something quick, easy and delicious to serve with coffee to your friends or family? Have I got a treat for you! Only 6 ingredients and 5 minutes needed to make it, and 40-45 minutes to bake, for a piece of heaven. Quick, easy and delicious. . . . my kind of recipe.

I just tried this recipe today and it is a keeper for sure. For my Dutch friends who love almond patties, this tastes a lot like them, without the flaky pastry. You gotta give this a try.

5-MINUTE ALMOND CAKE

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (I use Watkins)
2 Tablespoons sliced almonds
Powdered sugar (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 325 F.

2. Melt butter in glass bowl in microwave. Using a fork, beat the eggs into butter. Add the flour, sugar and almond extract and mix well. Pour into a small (8-inch) pie plate or an 8-inch cake pan and sprinkle sliced almonds on top. Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar, if using. Serves 8.

No mistake, there is no leavening in this recipe. And when it says 'pour' into pie plate, I think it should read 'spread' as the batter is thick. I did not add the powdered sugar on top as it is sweet enough and I think is only used for appearance, plus I didn't feel like going back out to the pantry to find the powdered sugar. I thought I had put plenty of sliced almonds on top but after baking I wish I had added more because I love nuts (all kinds, even human ones).

Naturally I had to have a piece right away to see if it was any good, so it was still warm, and I love it that way!

Come have a cup of coffee with me as I go have another slice. I will share.

FAVORITE MEAT LOAF

I have tried many meat loaf recipes throughout the years. They were all good, some better than others. This is my all-time favorite. It comes from one of my church cookbooks, and most of those recipes are wonderful. I think meat loaf is a comfort food, especially for fall and winter. But it is also good to take to pot lucks any time of the year. It usually disappears really fast, and is good cold.

2 pounds ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 pkg. onion soup mix
          or   1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon each pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, and dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt (if using the soup mix, I don't add more salt)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Mix all thoroughly. Put in ungreased loaf pan. Mix equal amounts of catsup and mustard; spread on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

Sometimes I use this topping:

6 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup catsup

The last time I made this I did two batches, and used panko bread crumbs as that was what I had on hand, plus what was left of a can of regular seasoned bread crumbs, and finally had to add some quick oatmeal to the mix. It all worked well. Use whatever you have in your pantry.

I mixed these two batches up and then divided each batch in half to freeze. I wrapped in aluminum foil and then put in freezer bags, and froze unbaked. I will sometimes bake a meatloaf and slice it up, then freeze the individual slices for a quick meal option.

MORE APPLE CRISP

Did I mention apple crisp is my favorite apple dessert?

Here is another good recipe you may want to try a little later in the year, when the fresh cranberries are available. This one is really good, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CRANBERRY-APPLE CRISP

3 cups peeled, chopped, cooking apples
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup regular rolled oats, uncooked
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently. Place apple mixture in a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Combine oats, brown sugar and salt; stir well. Cut in butter. Sprinkle oat mixture over fruit mixture. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

NOTE:
May be doubled for a 9x13-inch dish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have always melted the butter or margarine before adding to the brown sugar/oatmeal mix. It just seems easier to me.

Again, this needs a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream will do as well. Use whichever you prefer.

SEPTEMBER - APPLE TIME!

It is apple picking time, and time for apple pies, applesauce, apple butter, apple crisp, apple cake . . . . . .

What is your favorite apple variety? Mine is Honeycrisp. If you haven't tried them yet, you don't know what you are missing! They are so juicy, crisp and sweet for eating fresh. I can't stand a mealy apple but they are great for cooking.

What is your favorite apple dessert?  My all-time favorite is apple crisp.

We were discussing apple crisp recipes in one of my groups recently and they asked for my favorite recipe. Here it is ~


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

APPLE CRISP

8 cups peeled apples, sliced
1/2 cup raisins (I prefer mine without)
1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup flour

TOPPING:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine

EXTRA:
1 jar Smucker's caramel topping

Mix all ingredients for dessert (apples, nuts, sugar, cinnamon, flour). Place in 9x13" pan. Mix all ingredients for topping. Sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve warm. Drizzle with caramel topping. Add scoop of ice cream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If your apples are sweet to begin with, you may want to cut back a little on the sugar that is mixed with the apples. Use 1 cup instead.

Apple crisp DEMANDS caramel topping and vanilla ice cream!!

It reheats really well in the microwave. Just put one serving in a dish, reheat until warm, add the caramel and ice cream and enjoy.

A funny story. My husband was going to get me a dish of apple crisp and I told him I wanted it warmed up in the microwave, so he puts the ice cream on top and THEN microwaves it. :o) So I ate apple crisp with warm cream. That was okay, but it is much better warm with cold, frozen ice cream.

Enjoy!

WHEATLESS BREAD - 1918

Here is a recipe found in the newspaper archives from 1918. Think WW1. It seems there was an acute white flour shortage at the time, so these recipes were suggested.  Barley flour is not gluten free so be aware of that.  These recipes do sound good and I will have to give them a try. How about you?

I wasn't even sure barley flour would be easy to find these days so I googled it, and there are suppliers, so you might be able to find it in your stores, or at least online if you are interested in trying it. I also found the following information about barley flour at this link:  http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/what-is-barley-flour/

Barley flour is just what it sounds like: a non-wheat flour made from grinding whole barley. It’s a popular alternative to wheat flour because, unlike many non-wheat flours, it contains some gluten. This obviously doesn’t make it a good choice for those with celiac’s, who cannot tolerate gluten, but it does mean that it is an excellent option for more conventional bakers looking to expand their skills by working with alternative flours.

Barley flour has a mild, but very slightly nutty, flavor the complements both regular and whole grain flours. You can substitute it into a regular recipe for up to 1/2 of the ordinary flour without compromising the texture of the baked good (with the exception of very delicate/sensitive baked goods, like angel food cake, that rely on the presence of a precise amount of flour to work well). In fact, because it has a low gluten content, it can actually help to tenderize baked goods while still lending enough gluten to the recipe to allow it to rise properly. When compared to regular all-purpose flour, there are some nutritional benefits to barley. It has slightly fewer calories and more than 4 times the fiber of all-purpose. It also has slightly more fiber than whole wheat flour.

It is a good flour to substitute into quick breads, muffins and cookies for a little whole grain twist and is an easy ingredient to play around with in the kitchen in general. You can find it at just about any natural foods store (Whole Foods, etc.) in the baking or cereal aisle.

SUM . . .SUM. . . SUMMERTIME

Summertime is here. . . FINALLY!

It seems like we waited a long, long time for warmer weather. I think this is a good time to do a re-run, since that is about all there is on television in the summer, right? This summertime pie is one of my absolute favorites, both to make and to eat, and it is always a big hit. Enjoy!

WHAT'S COOKING

(picture not mine but looks very much like my recipe)

BANANA SUMMERTIME PIE

Crust:

Combine 1 1/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts and 5 tablespoons butter, melted.

Press into bottom and sides of 9" pie plate and chill for 1 hour.

Filling:

Slice 2 medium bananas into shell. Blend 1 cup commercial sour cream, 1 cup milk and 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix according to direction on pudding box. Pour over bananas and chill.

When I take this to a picnic or pot luck people can't get enough of it. It tastes a little like cheesecake and that makes it so good, and the walnuts in the crust is a treat. I think it would also be good with pecans. Another quick and easy recipe and no baking involved. I found this in a newspaper back in the 1960's and has been a favorite ever since. I have made it many, many times.

CINNAMON ROLLS - bread machine style

I shared my mother's favorite cinnamon roll recipe some time ago. They were made the old fashioned way, and I know some of you still prefer to make bread and rolls that way. But all that mixing and kneading doesn't work so well with my wrists and the arthritis at the base of my thumb, so I have the bread machine do all that for me. It might take a little longer but it works really well. Some of you have the big stand mixers with the dough hooks and I have an old style one that has them too. I did use it to make bread dough when it was new, but now it is old and the speed is unreliable. I think it has something to do with a rheostat, and not worth fixing since I don't do a lot of baking these days.

I do like making cinnamon rolls the easy way with the bread machine and I found a recipe that I like quite well. Some time in the mid-to-late 1990's I ordered a small bread machine cookbook called "Fleischmann's Yeast Bread Machine Favorites" I don't know if it is still available. I just checked the Fleischmann's Breadworld website and did not see any mention of it, nor is this recipe among the ones they have on the site. But I did see several yummy sounding recipes that I might have to try, so you might like to check it out as well. http://www.breadworld.com

The recipes in this book have amounts for both 1 pound loaves and 1 1/2 pound loaves. My machine makes 1 1/2 pounds. I don't know if you can even buy bread machines that only make the 1 pound anymore. Many of them now make 2 pounds, so if that is what you have, you will have to figure out how to make adjustments, unless it will also make the 1 1/2 pound. If anyone wants the 1 pound recipe, just ask me for it.

Awhile back I got hungry for cinnamon rolls, so I made a pan full. My intention was to blog about it right away, and I remembered to take pictures, although I did not remember until 3 had been eaten. According to the date stamp on the pictures, that was back on April 12. My goodness, time does flit away. You might guess that I got involved again with genealogy research, and when that happens, nothing else matters.

I am rather proud of how uniform I managed to get the slices without measuring before I cut! I also do not roll out the dough with a rolling pin. I just push it out with my finger tips, pushing out any big air bubbles as I go. I start in the center of the dough and work toward the edges.

Later I decided I wanted them a little sweeter, and I was pretty sure I had a can of frosting in the pantry. Sure enough, after a little digging I came up with a can of cream cheese frosting. Perfect! As you can see, I wasn't aiming at making them look pretty, I just wanted them to taste good. And they did! So here is the 1 1/2 pound recipe for the rolls ~~

OLD-FASHIONED CINNAMON ROLLS

DOUGH:
3/4 cup milk
3 Tablespoons water
1 large egg
1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut up
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/3 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

FILLING AND TOPPING:
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
Glaze (see recipe below)

Add dough ingredients to the bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough/manual cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface. If necessary, knead in enough flour to make dough easy to handle. If dough is too elastic, cover and let rest for 10 minutes before shaping. Meanwhile, for filling, stir together almonds, the 1/4 cup sugar, and cinnamon.

Divide dough in half. Roll half of dough into a 9x8 inch rectangle. Spread with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut into 6 equal slices. Repeat with remaining dough, butter, and filling. Place all the rolls, cut sides up, into one greased 9x9x2 inch baking pan.

Cover dough and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until almost doubled in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Bake rolls at 350 F for 25-30 minutes or until done. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Drizzle Glaze over warm rolls. Serve warm Makes 12 rolls.

Cycle: Dough/manual cycle.

GLAZE:
Combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and enough milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) to make glaze of drizzling consistency.

_________________________________________________________________

Here are some of the changes I made. I often use part whole wheat flour, usually 1 1/2 cups of the total amount of flour, and the rest  is white bread flour. I measure out the 1 1/2 cups plus the additional 1/3 cup white flour. Or I will just use 1 cup whole wheat flour to 2 1/3 cups white. Either way is good and it isn't that noticeable to the eye.

I had planned to use what was left in a package of chopped pecans as that is what I had on hand, but I forgot them.

I do not bother to divide the dough in half and roll out 1/2 at a time. I leave it in one piece, then cut into 12 pieces. I have never tried to get all twelve into a 9x9 pan! As you can see, mine filled the 9x13 Pyrex dish. If any of you try the 12 in the 9x9x2 pan, tell us how it worked, please!

I always let bread do the last rise in a slightly warm oven with the light on and that always works well for me. I turn the oven on at the lowest temp for just a few minutes, and turn it off before putting the bread or rolls in. Leaving the oven light on also gives off a little heat.

As I said before, I used part of a can of cream cheese frosting instead of the glaze.

PINTEREST RECIPE TRIED - Egg Salad

I saw this recipe on Pinterest a couple months ago. It had been laying on my kitchen table for at least 2 weeks, waiting for me to try it. The first week I couldn't make it because I only had one egg left in the fridge. After buying eggs, I got busy with genealogy again and basically did not cook. Period. Meals were peanut butter toast, frozen dinners, frozen pizza, leftovers, cheesy popcorn, yogurt.

And then I was sick of those 'sort of' meals, and so it was time to boil those eggs and fry that bacon that needed to be used or would soon end up in the garbage can.

If you like egg salad sandwiches I encourage you to give this one a try. I have to admit that it would be better with a little bit of onion in it, but then, I love onion in just about everything. I haven't added any yet, but I still have some egg salad in the fridge and I think I will be doing that shortly. This would also be good adding some cooked potatoes and making it potato salad, in case you get tired of egg sandwiches before it is gone. Another thing I like in either egg salad or potato salad is a little bit of finely chopped celery for that added crunch.

This recipe is found at Karly's recipe blog, Buns in My Oven. She has some other good sounding recipes there, too.

CHEDDAR BACON EGG SALAD

Yield: 3 big sandwiches
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

6 eggs
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt (I would use a little less salt since the bacon and cheese are        already salty.)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Add the eggs to a medium sized pot and fill with water to 1 inch above the eggs. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes.

Run the eggs under cold water or place them in an ice bath until cold.

While the eggs are cooling, chop the bacon into bite sized pieces and fry until crisp over medium heat. Drain the fat and set aside the bacon.

Peel the eggs and mash them finely with a fork. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Stir in the bacon and cheddar.

Serve as a dip with crackers or between bread as a sandwich.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Using large eggs I found these instructions for boiling eggs worked very well. It seemed no matter what method I had used before I would get that ugly dark ring around the yolks. I think maybe part of the problem was I tried to hurry the boiling process and turned the electric burner on high first. I guess it takes the slower heating of the water to do the trick.

Now that I have this post completed, it is time to go add that onion and have myself an egg salad sandwich!

CREAM CAN SUPPER

Several years ago some Nebraska friends were camping near our area and they invited us to a cream can supper they were having with their camping friends. It was something we had never heard of before that, and had no idea what she was talking about. It was interesting and GOOD!

I found this recipe at Food.com and was really surprised at how many showed up when I googled for information on cream cans for the previous post. So I thought you would like to see what it is like. Here is the link  http://www.food.com/recipe/cream-can-supper-132663

This was made by putting the full cream can on a propane burner, but our friends used a charcoal fire with a heavy grate over the coals to set the can on. They also saved one whole potato and put it on top of all the other ingredients. They told us when that potato was done, it was ready to eat.


This has been a popular summer fare for parties and gatherings in our area. You will need a 10 gallon cream can.
Ingredients:

Servings:
12-15
Units: US | Metric
12 -15 potatoes, washed and cut in half
6 onions, left whole
12 carrots, cut into 3 to 4 inch chunks
2 heads cabbage, quartered
12 ears corn on the cob, cut in half
12 bratwursts (Italian sausages are good, as are spicier versions.) or 12 other sausages (Italian sausages are good, as are spicier versions.)
3 (12 ounce) cans beer
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:

1
Layer potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, corn and sausages in the cream can in the order listed.
2
Pour in the cans of beer and season with salt and pepper. (Can also add garlic, Montreal Steak seasoning, or whatever other seasonings you prefer.).
3
Cover and bring to a boil. Steam on propane burner for about one hour.
4
Serve with buns for the sausages and/or plain white bread and butter.

We did not put the sausages on buns, just ate with the rest. One of the men had made his own sausages that were added to the mix, along with other brats. They were delicious!

Here is another version that actually shows you how to build the fire pit. This version does the food a little differently, and they use an old cream can where the first recipe used a shiny new one. You must not seal the lid, but allow the steam to escape or you might have an explosion.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Cream-Can-Cooking/?ALLSTEPS


Some of the others at our supper brought salads and desserts. That is where I had the first taste of the "Better Than Sex" cake. I am sure it has 1,000 calories per piece, but it was sure good! When I looked for the recipe I found several different kinds, from yellow cake to chocolate. We had chocolate and I think that is my favorite, but they are all good. Here is the chocolate version.

BETTER THAN SEX CAKE
Ingredients:

Servings:
24
Units: US | Metric
1 (18 1/4 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups water (or as directed in cake directions)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or as directed in cake directions)
3 eggs (or as directed in cake directions)
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 -12 ounce) jar Mrs Richardson's caramel topping or 1 (8 -12 ounce) jar butterscotch topping
8 ounces whipped topping (Extra Creamy Dream Whip is good)
2 Heath candy bars, crushed (Skor bars or Nestle's Heath bits will also work, if you can find them)
Directions:

1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
2
Grease and lightly flour 13" x 9" cake pan.
3
Mix cake as directed on package.
4
Bake the cake about 35 minutes or until it tests done.
5
As soon as it comes out of the oven, poke holes all over it with a fork (I actually use a small diameter chop stick) and pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, followed by caramel sauce (microwaved about one minute until warm and easily pourable - I use only about 10 oz of the jar).
6
Refrigerate overnight.
7
Shortly before serving, spread whipped topping over cake and sprinkle with crushed Heath bars (or bits).
8
Enjoy

CRACK ROLLS

This is a new recipe that I recently made. I found it on Facebook and it has really been making the rounds there. I am sure it can also be found on Pinterest. I forgot to take pictures of the ones I made, but they looked very much like the picture below, even though  those are labeled as Crack Sticks.




I think everyone that has tried them understands why they are called CRACK rolls. They are ADDICTIVE!! Plus they are simple to make. I highly recommend them, unless you are trying to lose weight.  Here is the recipe.

CRACK ROLLS

1 loaf (16 ounces) thinly sliced white bread, crusts removed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 cup  white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted.

DIRECTIONS:

Flatten bread with a rolling pin. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and confectioner's sugar. In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
Spread about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Roll up, jelly roll style. Dip in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

Yield: 16 roll-ups. Good warm or cold. ADDICTING! 


I suggest using the cheap sliced commercial bread. You know the kind - has no body to it, easy to flatten and have it stay that way. LOL I used Walmart label bread that sells for 88 cents a loaf.

Someone suggested serving them with a caramel dipping sauce. That sounds good! I only made half the recipe since I am the only one eating them, plus I only had 1/2 package of cream cheese on hand, left from a previous cooking session. Was wanting more once they were gone, but it was a good thing I didn't have more!

Another person said these are very much like something they were served at a bed and breakfast, and they do make a delicious pastry for something like that, and for a brunch, or when you have ladies over for coffee or tea. Oh, heck, they are good for any time! Did I mention they are addicting?

Instant Chai Tea Mix

We have finally gotten out of the frigid freezer! At least it has stayed above zero yesterday and today, even though it is still cold at a high of 18 degrees, no sun, but also no wind. No wind is such a treat here in the Midwest, especially after a day of sustained winds of 25 mph. I did wake up to an inch of new snow however.

One inch of snow here is nothing! I know it stops everything in the South, but we are well prepared for much more than this. In fact, I heard several plows and/or sanding trucks from Iowa went to the southern states to help with the ice and snow from latest storm. We are always willing to help those in need.

Now to the Chai Tea mix. Even thought it has warmed up, it is still not WARM! So a hot drink is always welcome. I gave you the recipe for instant vanilla cafe coffee mix, but sometimes I want a change, and I love chai tea. I used to be able to buy a large canister of some really good chai tea mix in Sam's but they didn't have it the last couple times I was there, and my daughter can't find it in Sam's in Omaha either. This recipe is very good and much more economical than what you can buy.

INSTANT CHAI TEA MIX

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup non-dairy creamer powder
1 cup vanilla flavored non-dairy creamer powder
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (use your favorite sugar-free substitute if watching                sugar intake)
2 cups unsweetened instant tea
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

NOTE: You can adjust spices to taste; this is a ballpark amount. Can also add a shake of black pepper, since this is often an authentic ingredient.

In a large bowl, mix together all powders except spices. Blend spices in a small bowl, then sprinkle into large bowl and mix well. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time until mixture is the consistency of fine powder. (NOTE: Be careful with this, because it won't pulverize if you try to do too much at once, and if you open at the wrong time, or spill it, the sticky powder goes everywhere.)

Store in airtight container. To serve, stir 2 heaping spoonfuls into a cup of hot water, or more to taste.

As I said with the instant coffee mix, I am lazy so usually don't pulverize, but be warned the the spices might not be as fine in your drink.

There is a huge spider in my tea!!

No, I think that is a star anise. I am not sure I would want to find this in my cup if someone were to hand it to me, but I found it in some other pictures too, so maybe it is a common garnish?

Instant Coffee Mix

As I was searching for a picture of coffee to add to this post, lo and behold, I found this! What could be more perfect that a red heart shaped cup for February? Notice the two handles on the cup. I am not quite sure how you would drink out of this cup. What do you think?

Since so much of the country is still having some extremely cold temperatures, I thought you might like to try this. I love the General Foods International Coffee mixes but they get expensive. Some time ago I found some mixes at hillbillyhousewife.com that are very good. Here is one of my favorites.

FRENCH VANILLA CAFE MIX

1/3 cup instant coffee

1 cup instant dry milk powder

1/2 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup store-bought instant vanilla pudding mix

Measure all of the ingredients into a clean, dry bowl. Use a fork to combine everything evenly. If you are ambitious, you can powder everything in a blender. I don'r always do this because I am lazy. You do get really impressive results from it though, and it is easier to do than one would expect. Transfer the mixture to a resealable container, or a pretty jar. This makes a good gift, especially in the winter time.

To Prepare: Place 1/4 cup of dry cafe mix into a coffee cup. Add hot water to fill up the cup (about 3/4 cut hot water). Stir and serve. You will have to adjust the amount if you use the large mugs like I do.

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The comment about being lazy is hers, not mine, but I am also lazy so have never put it in the blender, mainly because I don't like washing the blender afterward. If I had a dishwasher I might do it.

You can even make this almost sugar free by using the equivalent amount of a sugar substitute. I am not sure about using sugar free pudding mix since the measurement would not be the same. It could be worth experimenting with it. If anyone tries that, let us know in the comments how much sugar free pudding you used. This is even more frugal if you use store brand products.

Hearty Potato Soup

I tried this new recipe today. I clipped it from the latest Penzey's catalog. I only made half the recipe since I am alone, and not sure that it would freeze well. I just finished a bowl of this, and am about ready to have a second. It is very good! And a treat on a cold evening.

HEARTY POTATO SOUP

4 medium potatoes (about 2 lbs.), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 4 ribs celery (including leaves), chopped 5 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 large onion, chopped 3 Cups water 1-2 tsp. WHOLE CELERY SEED 1/4 tsp. CAYENNE PEPPER 1/2-1 tsp. salt, to taste 1/4-1/2 tsp. PENZEYS FRESHLY GROUND PEPPER, to taste 6 Cups milk, divided (the Marconnets use whole milk) 2 TB. cornstarch 11/2 Cups corn kernels 5 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and broken into pieces

In a medium soup pot (uncovered) over medium-high heat, cook the potatoes, celery, carrots and onions in water until tender and the water has mostly cooked off, about 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently. Add CELERY SEED, CAYENNE, salt and PEPPER and stir well. Add 53/4 cups milk and stir well, reserving 1/4 cup in a small bowl. To the reserved milk, add the cornstarch and mix until all lumps are gone; slowly pour into the soup while stirring. Heat the soup until near boiling, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until the soup starts to thicken, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add the corn and bacon. Let cook 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite crackers. Prep. time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes Serves: 10-12

February, the Month of Red, Pink and White

February is the month we lean toward desserts with a red and white theme. Here is one that I tried recently. It was posted by Pillsbury on their Facebook page, and if it sounds like cheese cake, plus cherry pie filling, I am there!! This is an easy recipe, and though rich because of the cream cheese, I found it not to be overly sweet, but good enough to eat. . . . and eat. . . . and eat.

CRESCENT CHERRY CHEESE COBBLER

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) tube crescent rolls (8 crescent rolls are in one tube)
12 oz. (1 1/2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided use)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (21 oz. ) can cherry pie filling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Unroll the crescent rolls. Line four (4) of the crescent rolls in the bottom of the baking dish.
Spread them out and cover the bottom of your baking dish. Seal the seams as best as possible.

Next, combine cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Then add in vanilla extract and mix again.
Spread cream cheese mixture over crescent rolls in the baking dish.

Then pour pie filling on top of cream cheese layer. Spread it around evenly.

Finally, top with remaining crescent roll dough.
Do your best to stretch it out on top and seal the seams of the crescent rolls.

Pour melted butter on the top of the crescent rolls. Then sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over the melted butter. Bake for about 35-45 minutes.
Top crust should look crusty and be golden brown in color.

Slice and serve. This must be kept refrigerated if not eaten the same day its made.

In this picture it looks like I could have taken it out of the oven a little sooner, but it was still delicious. As you can see, I didn't quite get the crescent dough stretched out to the edges. It was a little hard to manipulate without pulling holes in it. But maybe that is because my hands don't work as well as they used to? I have seen ads for the crescent dough that comes in a solid sheet instead of perforated for individual rolls, so that might work better. I have not seen it in the store here so far, unless I missed it.

The recipe calls for unsalted butter but I rarely buy that. I don't remember  my mom ever using it either and she was a great cook and baker. I just used regular salted butter. I am not a purest or perfectionist when it comes to cooking and this was 'good enough'. I don't think anyone would push it away unless they just don't like desserts. Period.

Country Pork with Mushrooms

My goodness these days go by so fast! I always have lots to do but don't always feel like doing them, and at this point in my life, I can do what I want to most of the time.

This blog has been on my mind but I never quite get to it. Either I am busy trying to get my house in shape, I am too tired, or as on several days this week, my hands have been stiff and sore so didn't feel like typing. My oldest daughter and her significant other from Wisconsin came for a short visit on Saturday evening, so I did have an incentive to work on getting the house in shape last weekend.

But enough excuses for today. I thought I would just pop in here a minute and give you a quick recipe that I have made a couple of times in the last couple of months, and think is delicious and easy.

This recipe calls for country-style pork ribs but I think it would go well with any meat, not just pork.

COUNTRY PORK WITH MUSHROOMS

2 pounds country-style ribs, boneless
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 envelope mushroom gravy mix
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons cold water, blended with 1 heaping tablespoon all-purpose flour

Combine ribs, soup, mushrooms, salt, pepper, gravy, and paprika in crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 7 to 9 hours. Stir flour mixture into broth and cook on high HEAT setting an additional 15 minutes, or until thickened. Serve country-style ribs with mashed potatoes and corn.

Serves 6.

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In order for me to make this without making a trip to the store, I used what I had on hand. I did have the ribs in the freezer, but they were not boneless. I might have some canned sliced mushrooms, but I also have some dried mushrooms handy, so used those - didn't measure. I think the salt could be left out since there is plenty of salt in the gravy mix and soup. I discovered I didn't have any mushroom gravy mix in the house, but I did have a packet of brown gravy mix, and I added some dried onion flakes. I don't have any sweet paprika on hand so used the Spanish paprika I do have.

Since I used dried mushrooms I also added some water to the mix and I never did have to add any flour to thicken the broth. I can't tell you how much water I used, maybe 1/2 cup or more. If you add too much water, you can still put the flour in to thicken it.

As you can see, this recipe is quite adaptable to what you have on hand. The mushrooms could be a 4-oz can or fresh mushrooms if you happen to have them. When I have fresh it seems I never use all of them right away, so this would be a good way to use those up.

I think next time I will try this with chicken breasts.

Another easy Christmas goody - and it is gluten free

If you need some last minute treats for the holidays, give this one a try. I came across this recipe in a local newspaper's holiday recipe roundup section 3 years ago. I will warn you they are addictive! I made them when my daughter and family were coming last year as she has a wheat allergy.

The title of the recipe is simply --

FRITO SCOOPS SNACK

1 large bag Frito Scoops
1 cup white sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter (divided)
12 ounces chocolate chips

Lay Scoops in bottom of jellyroll pan.

Boil sugar and corn syrup for 1 minute. Take off stove and add 1 cup peanut butter. Mix well and spoon into scoops.

Melt chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Pour on top of scoops.

Refrigerate until chocolate sets.


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Here is an alternate way to make these snacks.

SCOOPS SNACK

1 family size bag Fritos corn chips
1 cup white syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter

Spread Fritos in cookie sheet.

Combine syrup, sugar and peanut butter in a heavy saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Drizzle over corn chips, then melt 6 ounces chocolate chips, 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips. Drizzle over all.

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I started out like the first recipe and tried filling the scoops, but got tired of it and drizzled the rest. It all tastes the same. Yum! Yum!


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Here is another quick recipe I have not tried yet but it sounds like something I would like. If you need wheat free - be aware that most soy sauces do contain some wheat so be sure to check labels.

HOT PEPPERED PECANS

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups toasted pecan halves

Preheat oven to 325 F. degrees.

In large glass bowl, microwave butter or margarine to melt. Stir in Tabasco sauce, soy sauce and salt. Stir in pecans. Toss to coat.

Pour onto large cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, turning occasionally. Allow to cool completely.

Store in airtight container.