Tried and true. I made this for lunch today and it was so delicious! I had leftover chicken and leftover wildrice, and this made the yummiest soup. It is definitley worth trying. I really don't think exact measurements matter, just throw in what you got.
Abt 1-2 cups cubed chicken, cooked
Abt 2 cups cooked wild rice
3 stems celery, chopped
1/2 sweet yellow onion
1 cup sliced carrots
3 slices bacon chopped
2 tbsp butter
A few dashes of parsley flakes
2 cans cream of chicken
2 cups milk
About 2 cups water (or until you reach the desired consistency, it is super thick without the water)
Salt & Pepper to taste
In a large pot, dump in your butter, veggies and bacon and let simmer on medium heat until veggies are soft. Add the cream of chicken soup and milk. Stir until smooth consistency. Add parsley flakes. Add the cooked rice and chicken. Then add water until you reach your desired thickness/thinness. I let it simmer on low for about an hour while some cornbread cooked and then served, it was wonderful.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Gourmet Caramel Apples
MMMM! Found this online, and after someone brought me one last Sunday I am so pumped about making them for others. Seems like a good recipe.
How to Make Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples
Caramel apples are a special treat and a fabulous gift. They are not hard. All you need is some good quality apples, caramels, and some great chocolate. With just a little practice, you can make some gorgeous apples. The ones in the pictures were dipped in caramel, then chocolate, and drizzled with almond bark. But use your imagination. How about caramel apples rolled in cinnamon candy bits or chopped pecans?
What you’ll need
• Individually wrapped caramels• Apples• Chocolate for coating• Craft Sticks• Almond bark or white chocolate (optional)• Nuts, candies, or sprinkles (optional)
Directions
If you use store-bought caramels, the little square kind that come individually wrapped, it’s easy to make gorgeous caramel apples. Here’s how
1. Use about 14-16 ounces (or 1 lb) of individually wrapped square caramels for 5 large or 6 medium-sized apples. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the melting caramels.
2. Choose the best apples that you can find. They should be free from bruises and firm. Tart apples contrast with the candy coating well. We prefer smaller granny smith apples. It makes for a better serving size. Remove the stem of the apples by twisting and pulling or by cutting with a sharp scissors. Press craft sticks for handles into the stem end of the apples.
3. Dry the apples completely. If the apples are damp the caramel will not stick to the apples.
4. Place buttered or oiled waxed paper on a cookie sheet or several large plates. Set aside.
5. Melt the caramels over very low heat, stirring occasionally as they soften.
6. While holding the pan to its side to make the caramel deeper, twist the apples through the caramel. By grasping the sticks, you can roll the apples on an angle so that the caramel does not need to be deep enough to immerse the apples. Let the excess caramel drip off of the apple. Scrape the caramel off of the bottom of the apple. More caramel will drip down the apple as it sits. Set them vertically on the waxed paper to cool.
7. Melt enough chocolate to twist the caramel covered apples through the chocolate. Use the very best chocolate that you can buy. You can buy melting wafers specifically made for candy coatings. (Avoid those melting chocolates designed for thin, hard coatings.) When the chocolate is melted, dip the caramel coated apples. Again, set on waxed paper to cool or roll the coated apples through chopped nuts or crushed candies.
8. Once cool, consider melting white chocolate or almond bark and drizzling the white chocolate over the apples in an attractive manner.
Notes:
1. Don’t cook either the caramel or chocolate coating. Cooking will change the consistency; it only needs to melt.
2. If the coating seems too thin, it’s too hot. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
3. If the coating is not adhering properly to the apple, it is too cool. Heat the topping further.
4. The coatings will set up faster in the refrigerator.
5. Once cool, the apples can be placed in individual plastic bags and a ribbon tied around the stick.
6. They do not have to be refrigerated unless you would prefer to do so. If refrigerated the apple itself will be cold, but it may make the coatings harder than desired.
Caramel apples are a special treat and a fabulous gift. They are not hard. All you need is some good quality apples, caramels, and some great chocolate. With just a little practice, you can make some gorgeous apples. The ones in the pictures were dipped in caramel, then chocolate, and drizzled with almond bark. But use your imagination. How about caramel apples rolled in cinnamon candy bits or chopped pecans?
What you’ll need
• Individually wrapped caramels• Apples• Chocolate for coating• Craft Sticks• Almond bark or white chocolate (optional)• Nuts, candies, or sprinkles (optional)
Directions
If you use store-bought caramels, the little square kind that come individually wrapped, it’s easy to make gorgeous caramel apples. Here’s how
1. Use about 14-16 ounces (or 1 lb) of individually wrapped square caramels for 5 large or 6 medium-sized apples. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the melting caramels.
2. Choose the best apples that you can find. They should be free from bruises and firm. Tart apples contrast with the candy coating well. We prefer smaller granny smith apples. It makes for a better serving size. Remove the stem of the apples by twisting and pulling or by cutting with a sharp scissors. Press craft sticks for handles into the stem end of the apples.
3. Dry the apples completely. If the apples are damp the caramel will not stick to the apples.
4. Place buttered or oiled waxed paper on a cookie sheet or several large plates. Set aside.
5. Melt the caramels over very low heat, stirring occasionally as they soften.
6. While holding the pan to its side to make the caramel deeper, twist the apples through the caramel. By grasping the sticks, you can roll the apples on an angle so that the caramel does not need to be deep enough to immerse the apples. Let the excess caramel drip off of the apple. Scrape the caramel off of the bottom of the apple. More caramel will drip down the apple as it sits. Set them vertically on the waxed paper to cool.
7. Melt enough chocolate to twist the caramel covered apples through the chocolate. Use the very best chocolate that you can buy. You can buy melting wafers specifically made for candy coatings. (Avoid those melting chocolates designed for thin, hard coatings.) When the chocolate is melted, dip the caramel coated apples. Again, set on waxed paper to cool or roll the coated apples through chopped nuts or crushed candies.
8. Once cool, consider melting white chocolate or almond bark and drizzling the white chocolate over the apples in an attractive manner.
Notes:
1. Don’t cook either the caramel or chocolate coating. Cooking will change the consistency; it only needs to melt.
2. If the coating seems too thin, it’s too hot. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.
3. If the coating is not adhering properly to the apple, it is too cool. Heat the topping further.
4. The coatings will set up faster in the refrigerator.
5. Once cool, the apples can be placed in individual plastic bags and a ribbon tied around the stick.
6. They do not have to be refrigerated unless you would prefer to do so. If refrigerated the apple itself will be cold, but it may make the coatings harder than desired.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Bannana Crumb Muffins
This is currently THE #1 recipe on All Recipes with something like 3K reviews of 5 stars. I have not yet tried it, but they look tasty and I guess I can take the word of all the other guinea pigs out there. Good way to use some ripe bannanas!
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cookie Bars
The story behind the recipe. Our Elder's Quorom President is apparently an amazing baker. Not long after he was called he brought these for all the Elders and Jared snatched one for me. I was wondering how he managed to sneak into Relief Society and was shocked to hear they were handed out in Elders Quorom! Very uncharacteristic. I was certain his wife spent hours baking and he took the credit, but she says he did it all on his own! Brother Ruiz also owns an Ultrasound Office and came over to tell us the sex of Porter when I was only 14 week along. I brought him some cookies to say "thank you" but now that I know what an amazing baker he is, it probably wasn't much of a thanks. It was the tastiest treat Jared and I had ever had, and he said "You HAVE to get that recipe!" His wife was kind enough to share. You will LOVE these, but as crazy as this sounds, they are not good warm out of the oven. You have to let them cool, as if you hadn't waited long enough to savor the yumminess. It is well worth the wait though, trust me.
COOKIE DOUGH
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups quickoats
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
FUDGE
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp butter
1 cup eagle brand milk
Melt the following ingredients slowly in a saucepan, and then add 2 tsp vanilla.
Grease and flour a 9X13 glass casserolle dish. Spread 1/2 cookie dough mixture on bottom, pressing down. Pour fudge over cookie dough layer, and then place remaining dough mixture on top. (You can't really spread the 2nd 1/2 well, so I take small pieces, flatten them out and spread over fudge until mostly covered - some fudge may be visible in between the blobs.)
BAKE in 350 preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Wait to cool, cut in squares and serve.
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