Pear and Pecan Salad

This a really yummy salad especially for the holidays.  I got this recipe from our Relief Society Christmas dinner.  I have taken it to 2 parties since and it has been a HUGE hit!

Red Wine Dressing
1/2 c red wine vinegar
2 t poppy seeds
1 T minced red onion
3/4 c. salad oil
4 T sugar
1 t salt

Pour vinegar and oil in blender or shaker and then add all other ingredients then blend or shake.

Salad
I used romaine lettuce and spinach and added 2 red pears, crasins, candied pecans, red onion and Feta cheese.  Mix all together and add dressing right before serving.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2 kiwis, peeled and diced 2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced 8 ounces raspberries 1 pound strawberries 2 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon brown sugar 3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas butter flavored cooking spray 2 cups cinnamon sugar

1.	In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.  You can substitute different fruit depending on the season.
2.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.	Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Bruschetta

I got this really really YUMMY bruschetta recipe from one of friends Lisa.  She made it for a Relief Society Fair we had and it was a HUGE hit.  Lisa is also my secretary in Primary and has been told next presidency meeting that she HAS to bring this for our treat!!!!   I got the recipe from her and made it the very next day for our creative day. It is very addicting!!!!!

 12 roma tomatoes
4 T minced fresh basil
1 t garlic powder
8 t olive oil
1 t salt
4 t balsamic vinegar

Dice tomatoes and toss with remaining ingredients.

Bread

1 small loaf Italian bread or French baguette Sliced
1/4 c parmesan cheese
Dried parsley flakes

Heat oven to 450.  Spray no stick spray lightly over bread lined cookie sheet.   Sprinkle lightly with mixture of cheese and parsley.  Bake for 5 minutes.

ENJOY!!!   

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1.02.28

Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

  I found this great recipe on Real Mom Kitchen.   Our zucchini is coming on really fast at our house and I needed to find some way besides bread to use it.   This recipe was a HUGE hit only one of my boys did not like it.  It is very quick simple recipe too!

 
Baked Zucchini with Mozzarella

• 2 medium sized (or about 5 small) zucchini
• Johnny’s Garlic Spread & Seasoning (I found it at Costco)
• salt
• 2 C shredded mozzarella cheese (I actually used a bag of Italian cheese.....it tasted very yummy)

1. Slice your zucchini up into 1/2 inch rings.
2. Lay them out flat on a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Johnny’s Garlic Seasoning and a bit of salt.
3. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender.
4. Take the hot pan out of the oven and sprinkle the zucchini with cheese. Turn the oven to broil, throw that cookie sheet back into the oven and let the cheese get all bubbly and a bit browned. This should only take about 3-5 minutes. Be careful here. Broiling things in the oven can get out of control in a fast hurry. (my trick for broiling is to not move the rack up, I just keep it in the middle of the oven and things are less likely to burn.  It may take a minute longer, but no burnt food)

Ann's Pork Chops

This is another recipe of mine that is an old family stand by. My mom made these pork chops a lot of the years of my youth. This recipe comes from a dear neighbor who we lived next to for many years. I wonder if she still makes this recipe? Some of you might be thinking...oh...pork. Well, just remember pork is the "other white meat";) I love this recipe because it has few ingredients, which makes for quick and easy!

The hardest part of this recipe is the browning part. after that it is a breeze.

 Pork chops covered in yummy gravy, ready to hit the oven. Unfortunately, I was distracted and by the time I remembered to take an after picture, the pork chops were gone! They really are that good. 

Ann's Pork Chops

5-8 pork chops (loin chops if possible)

seasonings: I use season all, garlic salt and pepper.

one onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

small amount of milk

kitchen bouquet (or any browning sauce)

Directions 

-salt, pepper, season chops.  cook on stove top or broil until browned.

-Place in baking pan with sliced onion on top of each chop.

-in a small bowl make a gravy from soup, and kitchen bouquet and a small amount of milk.

-Pour gravy over chops. cover pan with foil and bake at 325 degrees for two or two and a half  hours.
*They should be fork tender. That is my favorite kind of pork chop. Enjoy! 

Better Than Sex Cake

• 
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
• 1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
• 3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1. Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.
2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)
3. Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

texas sheet cake

if there is such thing as JOY in food - and i believe there is, then this is it!
it's the perfect mix between cake and brownie, super moist and fabulous!
even better when someone else makes it for you!
thanks allie!

texas sheet cake

mix together:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt

bring to a boil in small sauce pan:
4 tbsp cocoa
2 cubes of butter
remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes
mix:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
combine with slightly cooled mixture in sauce pan
then combine with the flour mixture

bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes on greased cookie/jelly roll sheet (with a lip).

While cake is still warm, frost with:

1 cube of butter
3 tbsp cocoa
6 tbsp milk
bring to a boil, remove from heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups of powdered sugar

sprinkle with nuts if you like that sort of thing.

enjoy!

my brother in law's chicken

My brother in law makes the most delicious Hawaiian-ish style chicken. I asked my sister if I could share the recipe & she said- go for it! Tonight, I made it & Hailey told me it was one of her all time favorites--

so there you go!

You've gotta make it for sure now.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs

- I just used as many pieces as I could fit in a 9x13" pan- the chicken shrinks down so stuff it

(equal parts - sugar, pineapple juice & soy sauce)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup pineapple juice

3/4 cup soy sauce

Mix the sauce ingredients together & pour over chicken. Cover & bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Uncover, turn chicken pieces over then bake for 30 minutes more. Serve with rice-

This is the most tender juicy chicken!

You are gonna love it

Crazy good peanut butter cookies

* I have to give credit to my cute friend Marina for the base of this recipe. The peanut butter cookie recipe is hers and it is amazing on it's own. 

1 c. butter (softened)

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar  

1 c peanut butter

1 t. vanilla                      

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 bag peanut butter chips

~ cream, butter, sugars, peanut butter, vanilla, until well blended. Add eggs and blend more.

add dry ingredients and peanut butter chips. 

~ take a good heaping tablespoon of cookie dough and flatten into a disk. leave plenty of space between cookies on cookie sheet. bake in a 375 degree heated oven for about 8 min. *do not overcook or your cookies will not be soft. 

frosting

make one batch of vanilla frosting

about 4 cups powdered sugar

1 cube butter (softened)

1 t. vanilla

about 1/4 cup milk.

blend all together well and until light and fluffy. 

divide frosting into two bowls. add about 1-2 T. peanut butter to one bowl and blend.

In the other bowl add about 2-3 T. coco. 

~ frost the peanut butter layer of all cookies first and let frosting set up.

~ Make sure chocolate frosting is thin enough to spread easily and then add it to the top of the peanut butter frosting layer. Enjoy!

Spring Salad

I absolutely love this salad! It has become our new family favorite and I prepared it for Prom and it seemed to be a hit. It's just a fresh spring salad with a tangy dressing.




Salad:
Spring Lettuce Mix
2 mangos - diced
1 bunch strawberries - sliced long way
1/2 c dried cranberries (if wanted, I usually leave these out)
2 kiwi
1 c toasted slivered almonds candied in skillet with 1/2 c sugar

Dressing:
1/2 c Red Raspberry vinegar (can substitute Red Wine vinegar)
1/2 c olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar