Caramel Apple Bars II

Recipe From Cheri

3 c. all-purpose flour
3 c. quick cooking oats
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 3/4 c. butter, melted
3 c. granny smith apples-peeled, cored and sliced (need 3-4 apples, cut into smaller pieces but not as small as chopped)
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

1 1/2 c. caramel ice cream topping
1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 x 10 " Jelly Roll or a cake pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, quick cooking oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Stir in the melted butter. mix until crumbly. This is the crust. Press 1/2 of this mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven.
3. In a small pan, over medium heat combine the caramel topping and the remaining 1/2 c. of flour. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. This is the caramel filling.
4. Spread apple slices evenly over the baked crust. Sprinkle on the nuts. Then pour the caramel filling over the apple layer. Crumble the remaining crust over the top of everything. Bake again for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before cutting into bars.

BLT Dip

Recipe From Cheri

1 lb. bacon
1c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. sour cream
4 oz. cream cheese
3 tomatoes-peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 c. shredded cheese
1/2 c. chopped iceberg lettuce
Chopped green onions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels.
2. In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream. Crumble bacon into the sour cream and mayonnaise mixture. Mix in tomatoes, cheese, and lettuce just before serving. Garnish with green onions on top.



Serve with bread for dipping

Cherry Jubilee Cheesecake Bars

Recipe from Kelissa

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist® cherry chip cake mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cherry frosting
3eggs

1. Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat dry cake mix and butter with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly; reserve 1 cup. In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, press remaining crumbly mixture.
2. In same bowl, beat cream cheese and frosting with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs until blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumbly mixture.
3. Bake about 45 minutes (about 42 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until set; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until chilled. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Lemon Raspberry Mousse Squares

Recipe From Kelissa

48 Nilla wafers, divided

3/4 c. boiling water

1 pkg. (3 oz) Jello Lemon Flavor

1 C. ice cubes

1 pkg. cream cheese

1/4 c. sugar

2 t. lemon zest

1 tub cool whip, thawed

1/3 c. raspberry preserves (I used home made freezer jam, raspberry)

1 1/2 c. fresh fruit

Stand 16 wafers around the edge of plastic wrap lines 8 " square pan. Add boiling water to Jello, stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in ice until melted.

Beat in next three ingredients in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in Jello. Whisk in 2 c. Cool Whip.

Pour half of the jello mixture into prepared pan. Cover with 16 wafers. Microwave preserves on high 15 sec. brush onto wafers. Top with remaining Jello Mix and wafers.

Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto plate, top with remaining cool whip and fruit.

Peanut Butter Bars

Recipe From Cindy

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 c. confectioners sugar

1 c. (heaping) peanut butter

1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

4 T. peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners sugar, and 1 c. peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased

9 x 13 " pan.

In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

*Note: I use 1 1/2 sticks butter and melt the p.b. with th butter and it turns our perfect!

Caramel Apple Dip

Recipe From Alli

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 bottle caramel topping

Blend together. Serve with fruit.

Macaroni Grill Foccacia Bread

Recipe from Kari

1 T. dry yeast

1 T. Canola oil

1 T. sugar

Non stick cooking spray

1 c. warm water

2 T. margarine

2 1/2 c. white flour

1/4 c. fresh rosemary; chopped (or 2 T. dried)

1 T. Salt

Place yeast, sugar and water in a large bowl or food processor and allow the mixture to become bubbly. Mix in 2 c. of flour and salt. Knead for about 10 min. or process in food processor for 15 sec until smooth and elastic; add flour in necessary. Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel. Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled. Punch down dough and divide in half. Let the dough rest for a few minutes. Coat 2 9" square cake pans with nonstick spray. Press dough into pans. Melt margarine. Brush margarine over the tops of the loaves. Sprinkle rosemary over the loaves and lightly press into the surface. Let the loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly sprinkle salt over the loaves. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.

Halibut Artichoke Dip

Recipe From Kelissa

1-2 lbs. cooked halibut, shredded, seasoned to taste

2 c. mayo

1 c. shredded Monterey Jack

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

1 lrg. can artichoke hearts packed in water

1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped

Put all except halibut in saucepan, heat on low until cheeses are melted. Gently stir in Halibut. Serve with whatever!!!

Avocado, Tomato and Mango Salsa

Recipe From Kari

1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
4 medium tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, avocado, tomatoes, jalapeno, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in the salt, lime juice, red onion, and olive oil. To blend the flavors, refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.

Coconut Cream Bars

Recipe From Martha Stewart

2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
3 boxes (5.3 ounces each) shortbread cookies, coarsely broken
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Leave oven on.

2.Process cookies and 1/2 cup coconut in a food processor until finely ground and mixture begins to clump together, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet; press into an even layer on bottom. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack.

3.Whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large saucepan. Whisk in milk and egg yolks. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add butter, whisking until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups coconut.

4.Spoon the custard onto cooled crust; smooth top with an offset spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto custard surface, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.

5.Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a large chilled stainless-steel bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

6.Beat cream and confectioners' sugar in a large chilled stainless-steel bowl until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Lemon CheeseCake Fruit Dip

Original Recipe From Real Mom Kitchen

1 (6 oz) container Lemon Burst yogurt (Yoplait)
1 (7 oz) container marshmallow cream
1 (8 oz) container Whipped cream cheese
Zest of one lemon

Add your ingredients into a kitchen aid or mixer. Blend until smooth. Mix in the zest of 1 lemon. Serve with fresh fruit.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Recipe from Little Birdie Secrets

Vegetables & fruit:

Green pepper

Onion

Pineapple Chunks

Light Batter:

3/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup water

1 egg slightly beaten

Mix all together.


Sauce:
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. sugar
juice from one 20 oz can of pineapple (save pineapple for garnishing the dish later)
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup



Make your sauce first and keep it warm. Mix everything in a saucepan on low heat. Stir until thickened. You can add red food coloring if you want it to be more red.

Next, cut your chicken into pieces and dip in light batter. Fry until golden brown.

While frying your chicken you may want to saute cut pieces of bell pepper and onions. You don't want them to be too soft. Just a little softened, but still crispy. Mix the fried chicken, pepper, and onion and sweet and sour sauce until the chicken is evenly coated. Serve hot with rice.

This recipe is simply AMAZING! You have to try this. We also like to serve it with our Ham Fried Rice and Fried Egg Rolls.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

I'm personally not a big fan of the traditional Corned Beef and cabbage meal. So every year we have a tradition of making some type of green meal. This was the tradition in my family growing up, and we still enjoy this tradition today.

This year we made green bread bowls, (or a choice of giant green clover rolls) with green broccoli and cheese soup.

You can find my Pasta Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe HERE

&

The Bread Bowl Instructions HERE.

Giant Four Leaf Clover Rolls

Follow your favorite Roll Recipe. When it comes time to add the milk or water to the recipe, also add a few drops of green food coloring.

I made these rolls following the

Lion House Roll recipe which can be found HERE.

Shape the rolls into 4 round balls, and make the shape into a 4 leaf clover. Add a stem.

Bake according to roll recipe.

Chewy Toffee Almond Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sliced almonds, divided (I used Slivered Almonds)
3/4 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease sides of 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating until well blended. Press dough evenly into prepared pan.

3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Meanwhile, combine toffee bits and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until toffee is melted (about 10 to 12 minutes). Stir in 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup coconut. Spread toffee mixture to within 1/4-inch of edges of crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup almonds and remaining 1/4 cup coconut over top.

4. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

About 36 bars.

My sweet neighbor brought us these delights! I just had to get the recipe from her.

Where have they been all my life!

Pizza Buns

I found this recipe from Colleen's Recipes, and we LOVED it!

You can find her step by step picture tutorial HERE.

DOUGH

¾ cup very warm water

½ cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 large egg (room temperature)

3½ cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons dry active yeast

1 teaspoon salt

"Mix the warm water (hottest out of your tap) with the sweetened condensed milk, vegetable oil and sugar and salt. The hot tap water will cool down in temperature once it is mixed with the oil and milk (so it won't hurt the yeast). Next, whisk in the egg and the yeast. Let this sit for several minutes until the yeast looks well dissolved.

NOTE: When you first mix up this dough, it will seem stiff and dense. Don't let that freak you out...just follow the instructions and it will bake up beautifully.

Once it is well dissolved, mix in the flour (using a stand mixer is easiest) and mix with dough hook on medium speed until smooth (about 5 minutes or so). Place in a bowl sprayed with vegetable spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let this sit in a warm place for an hour or until it is double in size.

Remove from the bowl and cut into 8 pieces (makes 8 sandwiches). Roll each piece out into an 8 inch circle. For pizza filling, put about ¼ cup of cheese in center of circle; top with a little pizza sauce and some toppings.

I found that these were easier to shape if you sit the 8" circle in a cereal bowl before you add the fillings. Draw up the edges of the dough and pinch them together.

This dough is a dream to work with...it stretches without tearing and sticks together beautifully when it comes time to "pinch it shut".

Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 20 minutes. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, brush them with butter.

NOTE: The fully baked leftovers (full size) reheat, beautifully, in a preheated 350F oven in 20-23 minutes and taste exactly like they did the first time they came out of the oven."

-Colleen

My kids LOVED these. We've made something similar to this before. But what made these different, is the sweetness in the dough. I found a "combo" pizza with all the topping tasted the best. We also tried hot ham, cheese and broccoli, and BBQ chicken and cheese and loved them all! You have to try these!

We made the dough quick and easy by making in our bread machine on the dough cycle.

Chicken Fried Chicken

Recipe from Mommy's Kitchen

Chicken Fried Chicken With Cream Gravy
8 (6-ounce) skinned and boned chicken breasts
4 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
76 saltine crackers (2 sleeves), crushed
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
8 cups milk, divided
4 large eggs
oil

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper evenly over chicken. Set aside. Combine cracker crumbs, 2 cups flour, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ground red pepper. Whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk and eggs. Dredge chicken in cracker crumb mixture; dip in milk mixture, and dredge in cracker mixture again. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a 12-inch skillet (do not use a nonstick skillet). Heat to 360°. Fry chicken, in batches, 10 minutes, adding oil as needed. Turn and fry 4 to 5 more minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack in a jellyroll pan. Keep chicken warm in a 225° oven.


My whole family really enjoyed this recipe, however we weren't a big fan of the cream sauce so I didn't add it to the recipe. But if you'd like to follow the exact recipe, you can find it HERE.
Next time I think I'll make my own cream sauce.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Crust
Make your favorite pizza dough recipe.

Peanut Sauce
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 T. teriyaki sauce
2 T. hoisin sauce
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1 t. minced gingerroot

Toppings
1 boneless skinless chicken breast half
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1 1/4 c. grated mozzarella
2 green onions
1/2 c. bean sprouts
1/2 carrot julienned
2 t. minced cilantro
1 T. chopped peanuts

• Prepare your pizza crust according to crust directions.
  
• Mix together the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a small bowl. Pour this mixture into a food processor or blender and blend for about 15 seconds or until the garlic, onion, and ginger reduced to small particles. Pour this mixture into a small pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Don't cook too long or your sauce will become lumpy.
• Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces
• Pour 1/3 of the peanut sauce over the chicken in a sealed container in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 2 hours.
  
• Heat 1 t. of oil in a small pan over medium/high heat.
  
• Cook the marinated chicken 3 to 4 minutes in the pan.
• Roll out your pizza crust and place on the baking sheet or pizza pan. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
  
• Spread a thin coating of the remaining peanut sauce on the pizza crust. You may have leftover sauce.
• Sprinkle 1 c. of the grated mozzarella over the peanut sauce.
• Slice the green onions. Spread the onions over the cheese.
• Arrange the chicken of the pizza.
• Next, add the bean sprouts and julienned carrots.
  
• Sprinkle the leftover mozzarella just over the center of the pizza.
• Sprinkle the cilantro over the mozzarella, then the chopped nuts on top.
• Bake the pizza for 10-12 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown.
  
• Slice the pizza.
• Enjoy!

Mike and I made this pizza the other night for dinner. It was fabulous!! It was more work then I like to put into making pizza, but definitely worth it!