Chewy Granola Bars!

Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:
  * 1 stick butter
  * 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  * 1/2 cup honey
  * 4 cups oats
  * 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:
  * Line a 9x13 in baking pan with foil or parchment.  lightly spray if using foil. 
  * Combine butter, honey, and brown sugar in a large sauce pan over medium heat. stir until butter is melted.
  * Bring Mixture to a boil, then lower the heat medium-low and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat.
  * Add Oats and Rice Cereal to the saucepan and stir until evenly coated.
  * Spread mixture into a the prepared 9x13 pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill.
  * After they have cooled completely, cut into bars.

French Toasted Pancakes

So this is pretty much AMAZING!!! Thanks Sara Stamm for the idea :) It came about because her house was divided as to wether the meal would be panckes or french toast... so here is a delightful compromise! They look a little funky, but please don't let that stop you! These are truly magnificent!

Cassie's Pancakes:
1 qt buttermilk (or milk soured with lemon juice)
1/4 cup oil
4 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2-3 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well, batter will be thin. Pour onto hot skillet and cook both sides until golden brown.

To French Toast them:
6 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more if you like it)
dash or two of nutmeg

Whip well. Dip pancakes and fry on a hot skillet, lightly browning both sides. Then savor the DELICIOUSNESS!!!

Chewy, Gooey Chex Mix

*1 cup Butter
*1 cup Karo Syrup
*1 cup Sugar
*6 cups Rice Chex
*6 cups Honey Nut Chex, or any kind really
*1 cup Slivered Almonds -or-
*1 cup Cashew halves
*1 cup coconut

Stir butter, Karo syrup and sugar in a pan and bring it to a boil for 3 to 4 minutes.  Meanwhile mix together cereal, nuts and coconut in a large bowl.  Pour sugar/butter mixture over the cereal mix, and mix well.  Spread out on a sheet of wax paper and allow to cool.

* recipe is from my Mother-in-Law, Linda McLean

Perfect Pumpkin Waffles

1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 TBS cornstarch
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice2 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup canned pumpkin
4 TBS butter, melted and warm

Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, & egg yolks. Whisk in melted butter. Whisk to blend and set aside. In another bowl, whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined.Gently fold in egg whites. Mixture will be very thick. Cook in a waffle maker. ENJOY!!!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*
12 oz chocolate chips

Cream butter & sugar, beat in eggs, vanilla & pumpkin. Sift together dry ingredients and mix in. Dough will be thick & very sticky. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, substitute:

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Cake:

3/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice*

6 eggs, separated

1/3 cup white sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

Fillng:

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a greased 10x15 baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper, grease the paper. Beat egg yolks, white sugar, and brown sugar until very thick, about 3 minutes. Add pumpkin and mix on low speed until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour and pumpkin pie spice. Add to egg mixture, mixing on low until combined, set aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff, but not dry. Fold into the cake batter, mixing gently with a rubber spatula until most of the white streaks are gone.

Spread the batter into the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until cake springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for 3-5 minutes. Dust generously with powdered sugar. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel. Fold the towel over a short edge and roll up. Cool completely, seam side down.

For filling, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Gently fold in whipped cream. Unroll cake, spread filling evenly over cake. Roll up, place seam side down on aluminum foil, wrap tightly. Chill in freezer 2-4 hours. Remove from freezer 20-30 minutes before serving. Place seam side down on a platter and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, substitute:

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Coconut Crusted Halibut

1 pkg (14oz) flaked sweetened coconut

1 cup panko bread crumbs (plain bread crumbs will work)

1 1/2 cups flour (I use whole wheat)

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

6 eggs

2-3 lbs halibut, cut into small chunks

2 quarts cooking oil

In a medium bowl, combine coconut & bread crumbs. In a second medium bowl, beat eggs. In a third meduim bowl, combine flour & spices.

Heat oil in a large pot to 375 degrees (high-medium temp). Coat halibut pieces first in the flour mixture, then dip and coat in egg, and then toss in coconut. Fry in oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or newspaper. Skim oil occasionally to remove excess coconut as it will burn.



Luscious Lemon Cake Roll

Cake:

4 eggs, separated

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2/3 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup lemon curd
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
Dash salt
Yellow food coloring (optional)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Line a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed or parchment paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in oil and lemon extract; set aside.
In another large bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, this will take several minutes. Fold into egg yolk mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; fold into egg mixture.
Pour into to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with powdered sugar. Gently peel off paper. Roll up cake in towel, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
For filling, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon curd, salt, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon peel and food coloring. Fold in whipped cream. Unroll cake; spread filling over cake. Roll up again. Place seam side down on aluminum foil and wrap tightly. Chill in freezer 2-4 hours.  Remove from freezer 20-30 minutes before serving. Place seam side down on a platter and dust with powdered sugar. Slice and serve.

Lemon Zucchini Bread

4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, lemon juice and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the zucchini and lemon peel. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves.

Glaze:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons lime juice (to taste)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
3/4 cup sugar

Combine and brush over slightly cooled loaves, repeat until glaze is gone.

Pretzel Bites

Start with your favorite bread/roll dough. If you don't have one, you can use (thawed) Rhodes rolls or use my all purpose roll recipe, I use this for cinnamon rolls, herb rolls or whatever:

Basic roll dough:

* 1 1/2 cups warm water

* 1 TBS of a good yeast, or one envelope of the other stuff.

* 2 TBS sugar
* 2 TBS oil
* 2 TBS dough enhancer (kind of optional)
* 1 teaspoon salt

* 4-ish cups flour

* TBS baking soda

Stir together yeast, warm water and sugar. Let rise until foamy, about 5-8 minutes. Add salt, oil and dough enhancer. Slowly add flour until dough is no longer sticky. Kneed for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. turn into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch down dough and shape, let rise another 30-40 min and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Now, if making pretzel bites after you punch down the dough, roll it into 1inch balls. Boil water and add about 6 TBS of baking soda to the water...drop balls into boiling water for 45-60 seconds.

Then place on paper towels to drain. The balls will look spongy and shriveled, but will recover nicely in the oven. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Baste with butter then roll in cinnamon sugar or Grated Parmesan cheese & garlic salt.

Carbonara

Carbonara:
ingredients:
* 2 or 3 garlic cloves, crushed
* 3 eggs
* 1 LB bacon
* fresh parsley (optional)
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 package linguine noodles

Cut bacon into bite sized pieces, fry Bacon adding garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Boil noodles according to package directions. While noodles are boiling whisk together eggs and Parmesan cheese. Drain noodles and toss everything together, (don't worry about the eggs, the hot noodles will cook them.) Serve immediately.

Pull Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread

Pull apart Cinnamon pumpkin bread
(recipe adapted from "Willow Bird Baking" and the "sunny side up in San Diego".)

This only makes one loaf and uses half an can of pumpkin, so i would suggest doubling it if you have a crowd.

INGREDIENTS:

for the bread...

* 2 TBS butter

* 1/2 cup milk, at room temp

* 1 TBS of a good yeast (or 1 envelope)

* 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (1/2 of the smaller can)

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 2 1/2 cups flour

for the filling...

* 1 cup brown sugar

* 2 teaspoons cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

* 2 TBS melted butter

for the glaze...

* 2 TBS butter

* 1/8 cup brown sugar, i used dark brown

* 1 1/2 TBS milk

* 3/4 cup powdered sugar

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, brown butter being careful not to burn. Add milk and take off heat. pour into a large bowl and allow to cool so that it is no longer hot but not completely cool (100 to 110 degrees F). Add yeast and 1/4 cup sugar and allow to proof (this will take several minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy). Then add the pumpkin, salt and 1 cup of flour. stir until combined and add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Kneed for 6 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60 to 90 minutes, or until doubled.

When dough has doubled in size, flip it over onto a floured surface and kneed for another 1 to 2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20 x 12 inch rectangle. Mix together in a small bowl, the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Brush dough with the melted butter, sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top and press down into dough with the palms of your hands. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips, lay the strips on top of each other. Now cut in half and then cut each half into thirds to male 6 stacks. Stack strips vertically into loaf pan, cover and let rise another 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is deep golden brown.

To prepare glaze, heat the butter, milk and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and powered sugar, drizzle over slightly cooled bread.

Chocolate-Strawberry Celebration Cake

CAKE:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

FROSTING:
2 cups butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1/4-1/2 cup 2% milk

GARNISHES:
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled

GANACHE:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Combine the first seven ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans.

Bake at 350° for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Beat the butter, confectioner's sugar and cocoa until blended; add milk until desired consistency and beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake.

Pipe or spoon melted chocolate onto waxed paper in decorative designs; let stand until set. Arrange strawberries on top of cake. For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil; pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over top of cake, allowing ganache to drape down the sides. Top with chocolate garnishes. Yield: 12 servings.

Broccoli And Cheddar Soup

Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
( This recipe is from Taste of Home's community forum. Reviews said this was better than Jason's Deli. I don't go to Jason's deli too often, but this soup was definitely DELICIOUS!)

I know this soup is kind of green, because of the broccoli. I put it in the Vitamix for a creamy and smooth texture, which turned out really good.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only, well rinsed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper (I didn't have that so I used regular pepper)
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned, low-sodium chicken broth (I recommend Better Than Bouillon)
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups shredded medium Cheddar (I  have added extra cheese)
• Croutons, for garnish, recipe follows

Directions

In a medium pot, melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held immersion blender. (Alternatively, in batches, puree in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.)
Add the cream and bring to bare simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.
Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle croutons over the top of the soup and serve immediately.

Wisonsin Cauliflower Soup

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup   (very similar to Zupa's) 
Yields: 9 cups or 8 first-course servings (or 4-5 hungry adults :) (this recipe is from justcookalready.com )

2 tablespoons butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

*note- i added the cheese when the soup was maybe too hot, it was slightly grainy- but it still was delicious. this is definitely a soup i will make again!

Triple Chocolate Peppermint Delights

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home website and it's REALLY good! It was really easy to make and definitely has the WOW factor in taste and presentation! Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips

Frosting:
1/2 cup white baking chips (I used white candy melts)
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/8 tsp peppermint extract (not in the original recipe, but its GOOD)
1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies
Red food coloring (optional)

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, peppermint extract, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in melted chips and food color. Frost cookies; sprinkle with peppermint candies. (I used a pastry bag with a large round tip to pipe the frosting on top- very pretty!)

Stuffed Mushrooms

12 large mushrooms

1 TBS oil

1 TBS garlic

1 8 oz package cream cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

crab meat (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Twist and remove steams from mushrooms and finely chop them.

Heat oil in a large skillet, add garlic and chopped stems. Cook until all moister is gone, careful not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool. When stems are cooled add the rest of the ingredients. Spoon into a Ziploc bag, cut off tip of the corner. "pipe" into the mushroom caps. Bake for 20 min.

Optional toppings: bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, cayenne pepper.

--Recipe from Kari--

Parmesan Baked Salmon

 I got this from Krafts website. Its really good, I have made it before. I made it last night and thought I would share.
 Parmesan Bakes Salmon
Prep time- 15 min    total time- 35 min      Makes 4 servings
1/4 c Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (i omitted this because i don't like spicey foods much)
4 salmon fillets (1 lb)
2 tsp lemon juice
10 ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 400*. Mix mayo, cheese and pepper until well blended. set aside.
Place salmon on foil lined shallow baking pan. Drizzle lemon juice evenly over fillets. Top with cheese  mixture; spread it evenly across fillets. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs.

Bake 12-15 min or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Pucker Up!

Layered lemon Pies

* Pastry for 2 single-crust pies

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 6 TBS cornstarch

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* 2 cups cold water

* 3 egg yolks, beaten

* 1/3 cup lemon Juice

* 1/4 cup butter, cubed

* 1 tsp. grated lemon peal

* 1 tsp. lemon extract

* 3 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Second Layer

* 8oz cream cheese, softened

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1 1/2 cups cold milk

* 2 small pkg. instant lemon pudding

Top Layer

* 8oz cream cheese, softened

* 1 cup powdered sugar

* 1 carton cool whip (16 oz)

1. Cook pie crust according to directions on package.

2. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, cornstarch & salt. Stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over med-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat, cook 2 min longer. Remove from heat.

3. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yokes; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 min longer.

4. Remove from heat, gently stir in lemon juice, butter, lemon peal, extract and food coloring. Cool to room temp without stirring. Spread lemon mixture into crusts. Refrigerate for 30 min or until firm.

5. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. gradually beat in milk. Add pudding mixes; beat 2 min longer. Let stand 2 min until soft set; spread onto pies. Refrigerate 30 min.

6. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and powered sugar until smooth, fold in cool whip. Spread over tops of pies. Refrigerate until set.

*Recipe from Taste of Home, Feb/March 2010

Herbed Onion Bread

This makes awesome bread (or rolls). Its great with soups, makes KILLER grilled cheese sandwiches, and is fantastic on its own with a little butter. This recipe works in a breadmaker, too (1.5lb loaf).

1 cup + 1 TBS warm water
1 TBS active dry yeast
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS butter, softened
2 TBS dry milk
1 TBS dough enhancer
1 TBS dried onion flakes
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried dill weed
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups bread flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, & yeast. Add dough enhancer, dry milk, salt, onion, garlic, dill, poppy seeds & butter. Gradually add flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, form rolls or a loaf. Place on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan and allow to rise for about 40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter.