MAPLE TWISTS

Today I discovered a great recipe blog called, Mennonite Girls Can Cook. I love Amish and Mennonite cookbooks, so I thought I would take a look. They posted a sweet roll recipe that looked delicious; it was called Charlotte Rose's Maple Twists. Three hours later, this beauty was cooling on my kitchen counter. It may sound complicated, but it really isn't and the final product is a show stopper. CLICK ON THIS PHOTO TO GET A BETTER LOOK.

DOUGH
2 & 3/4 to 3 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
3/4 CUP MILK
1/4 CUP BUTTER
3 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 TABLESPOON DRY ACTIVE YEAST
1 TEASPOON MAPLE EXTRACT
1 EGG

Heat the milk and butter until very warm. Blend it (in stand mixer) with 1 cup of flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, yeast, egg and maple extract. Beat this on low for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time (you may not need all 3 cups). Knead into a soft dough. It will become smooth an elastic in about five minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 45 minutes (or till at least double in size).

While the dough is rising, make the streusel:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple extract
Mix everything together and set aside.

ASSEMBLY
After the dough rises, divide it into three pieces. Roll each piece into a 12" circle. Place the first circle on a buttered 14" pizza pan (I used parchment paper and sprayed it a little). Top the first circle with 1/3 of the streusel mixture and spread it around as thin as you can get it (repeat with 2nd & 3rd circles).

Find something that is 2" across (like a dixie cup) and center it on the circles (press down a little to make a mark). Using scissors, cut from the outer edge into the cup mark, making 16 wedges. Sounds confusing, but a picture is worth a thousand words, so here is what it will look like:

Gently life and twist each section 5 times. Tuck the end in just a little so that it stays twisted. It will look like this:

Lightly cover this with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 45 minutes to an hour. Bake in a 375 oven for 18-22 minutes (mine took the full 22 minutes). Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before you top with glaze.

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (my tweak)

Whisk until smooth and drizzle over warm rolls.

NOTE: I didn't have any maple extract, so I used a Crescent flavoring called Mapeline (worked great).

NOTE: Sorry about the photo quality, the maple twists were too big to fit into my light box, so I had to take the photo on the kitchen counter...like the old days, lol.

APPLE PIE JAM

Every year jelly & jam season starts with a race between me and the birds for the berries (in the woods) next to our house. It seems like one day they are green and the next day the birds have been feasting on them. I’ll be making jam over the next week or so.

Todays post is one I call apple pie jam; a recipe that is easy and inexpensive to make . It is also a great addition to those holiday gift baskets. It really does taste like apple pie and is wonderful on your breakfast toast or English muffins.

6 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
½ cup water
½ teaspoon of butter
3 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small box powdered fruit pectin

Cook apples, water and butter over low heat, stirring until apples are soft but not mushy. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add sugars and cinnamon and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam (if there is any). Pour into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes. makes (7) ½ pints.
NOTE: 6 cups of diced apples = 6 to 7 medium size apples.
NOTE: If anyone has any good jam recipes to share, I'd love to hear about them.

FROZEN STRAWBERRY FLUFF

This is a delightful dessert for any hot summer day. A crumb crust of brown sugar, flour, pecans and butter is topped with a fluffy mixture of whipped cream, chopped strawberries, sugar and the whole thing is frozen until you are ready to serve. I hope you give it a try, its very easy to make.

CRUMB CRUST
1 CUP ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR (packed)
1/2 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
1/2 CUP MELTED BUTTER

Mix the flour, brown sugar, pecans and melted butter. Toast this mixture in a 350 oven (on large cookie sheet that has a lip) for about 12 to 15 minutes or until you can smell the pecans (stir this mixture a couple of times while it is baking). Remove from oven and spread the mixture into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish and set aside to cool.

FILLING (TWEAKS ARE IN BLUE)
2 EGG WHITES
1 CUP WHITE SUGAR
2 CUPS SLICED STRAWBERRIES (see note)
2 TABLESPOONS LEMON JUICE
1 CUP HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites, chopped berries, sugar and lemon juice until it is light and fluffy (will looked like whipped cream).

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff. Fold into the strawberry mixture and spoon over the crust. Freeze overnight.

NOTE: Instead of 2 cups of sliced strawberries, I used 12 ounces of frozen strawberries and chopped them VERY fine in the food processor (while they were still frozen). It measured out to be 2 cups of finely chopped strawberry pulp.

NOTE: I also changed the pan size from the suggested 9" x 13" to a 9" spring form pan. It gave me a much thicker pie.

BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM BUNDT CAKE (and answers to your questions)

My daughter recommended this cake recipe and she was right, it is delicious (she found the recipe on allrecipes.com). Not only is it super moist (made with a cup of butter + a cup of sour cream + a cup of blueberries) but it has a brown sugar and pecan layer that swirls through the batter as well!! Thank you for sharing the recipe BreeAnn!!!

1 CUP BUTTER AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 CUPS WHITE SUGAR
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
2 EGGS
1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT
1 TEASPOON LEMON ZEST (my recipe tweak)
1 & 5/8 CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR (see note )
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1/4 TEASPOON SALT
1 CUP FRESH OR FROZEN BLUEBERRIES
1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON
1/2 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9" bundt pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time; stir in sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and stir it into the butter mixture until well blended; fold in blueberries.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the batter in the pan & top with the second half of the batter. Sprinkle the rest of the brown sugar mixture over the top of everything. Gently swirl a butter knife through the batter a couple of times to irregularly distribute the brown sugar pecan layer.

Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes in preheated oven. Cool cake (in the pan) on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate.

A couple of people have written to ask me about the glaze on this cake. I start with two or three tablespoons of melted butter, two cups of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I then whisk in just enough whipping cream to make a good consistency. Sorry I can't be more specific than that (I don't measure glaze ingredients). As for the question I received about the intensity of lemon...I used one teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest in this recipe and you can taste it, but it is very subtle. I think next time I will go for two teaspoons of zest.

NOTE: The recipe called for 1 & 5/8 cups all purpose flour. I'm assuming this must be a metric conversion? I measured 1 & 3/4 cups then removed a tablespoon of flour.

HOT SOFT PRETZELS

I love hot pretzels, especially nice big puffy ones. This recipe is not hard at all, but it does have a few pesky steps. The pretzels are deliciously chewy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and you can top them with just about any seed or seasoning you prefer. I made these with toasted sesame seeds and a light sprinkle of coarse ground salt. This recipe makes 8 large pretzels.


1 & 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 generous tablespoon of dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour (divided)
2 tablespoons canola oil


In your stand mixer, mix two cups of the flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt. Pour the warm water and oil over the top and mix with wooden spoon until all ingredients are wet. Let this stand for about 10 minutes.


Attach the dough hook to your mixer and gradually beat in the additional 2 cups of flour (1/2 cup at a time). If dough is still sticky after you get the 4 cups of flour mixed in, had a little more flour (tablespoon at a time) until the dough pulls cleanly away from the inside walls of your mixing bowl. Once it does that, knead on low for about five minutes (see note).


Remove the dough from your mixing bowl and spray the inside of the bowl with vegetable spray; return the dough to the bowl and spritz the top of the dough with vegetable spray; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough sit for an hour or until it doubles in size.


Preheat your oven to 450. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and spritz the paper with vegetable spray then rub a paper towel over the parchment paper to remove excess spray. Set aside.


Punch down the dough and cut it into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 24" rope and twist it into a pretzel shape (pinching ends together tightly). Place pretzels on the prepared parchment paper.


In a large (wide bottomed sauce pan), bring 10 cups of water + 2/3 cup baking soda to a rolling boil (it will really bubble). Gently place one of your pretzels onto a slotted FLAT spatula and gently lower the spatula (with pretzel) into the boiling water. Shake the spatula very gently and the pretzel will float off into the water. COOK ONLY ONE PRETZEL AT A TIME.


Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds then gently lift it back out of the water and (before you put it BACK on the parchment paper) rest the slotted spatula/pretzel gently on a kitchen towel (for a couple of seconds) so that it will absorb any water drips......THEN put it back on the parchment paper. Repeat this process for each pretzel.


When all pretzels have been through the water bath, gently brush the tops of them with egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with salt and/or seeds.


Bake in 450 oven for 12 minutes or until they are dark golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes before serving.

Not the best for you, I'm sure, but the cheese dip recipe that is on the back of the Velveeta box is still my favorite: 1 pound of Velveeta (cubed) + 8 ounce jar of your favorite salsa. Mix and microwave on high until cheese is really melted (about 4 or 5 minutes...stir once in a while). When it's completely melted, add 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Yum!

This evening, hubby had sweet chicken wings for dinner (not my favorite) so I sliced one of the big pretzels and made an egg salad sandwich with it. Oh man, what a sandwich!

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I do not see why the initial dough mixing and kneading couldn't be done with a bread machine.
NOTE: Be very gentle with the pretzels when you transfer them from the boiling water back to the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

CLASSIC BANANA CREAM PIE

This banana cream pie is the "real deal". It has a baked graham cracker crust, cooked vanilla custard, bananas and the most delicious whipped cream topping I've ever tasted...it has cream cheese in it (the cream cheese taste is extremely subtle but it helps stabilize the whipped cream).
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 & 1 /2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
Mix everything well and pat into a 10" pie plate. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

PIE FILLING
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 and 1/3 cups water
(1) 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (see note)
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 medium bananas cubed

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the cornstarch in the water; stir in the sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks. Cook until thickened and bubbly remove from heat; add butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly. Cube the bananas and fold into the slightly cooled pudding. Pour into cooled crust and lay some plastic wrap on the surface of the filling so that it doesn't form a skin. Chill in the fridge for about 3 hours. Frost with whipped cream topping.

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
I hope you do not skip this step because it really is delicious and "makes" the pie. This is my new "go to" whipped cream recipe.

(1) 8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups heavy cream
With your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar and extracts in a large bowl until smooth (scrape sides to make sure you don't have any cream cheese sticking to the interior of the bowl). While the beaters are still running, slowly add the whipping cream (stop a couple times and scrape the bowl). Beat until you get stiff peaks. This makes enough topping to cover a 10" pie generously.

NOTE: Vanilla wafer crumbs can be substituted for graham cracker crumbs.

BAKE SALE BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

I call this recipe "Bake Sale Butterscotch Cookies" because they are quick and inexpensive to make, they are something a little different and the recipe makes a whopping six dozen cookies! A great recipe for a bake sale, pot luck or family gathering.

5 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups of brown sugar (packed)
3 eggs + 2 cups butterscotch chips
1 and 1/2 cups butter flavored Crisco
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a large mixing bowl (stand mixer works best because its such a big batch), cream the Crisco and brown sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each egg. Beat in the vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients and butterscotch chips and add gradually to the Crisco mixture and beat well. Roll this dough into balls (about the size of a small walnut) and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet, at 350, for 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on parchment paper.

NOTE: This recipe can be made with butter instead of the Crisco, but it will act very different while it is baking. With the Crisco, the cookie will retain its nice shape that you see in these photos. If you use butter, you will get a much flatter cookie.
NOTE: Personally, I don't taste much difference between butter flavored Crisco and butter (in cookie recipes). However, I prefer the butter flavored Crisco because it gives you a much more professional looking cookie. My hubby is the cookie connoisseur in hour house and he prefers cookies made with Crisco.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies!

BROCCOLI and ORANGE SALAD

Whether it is the dead of winter, or the heat of summer, this great salad is a nutritious combination of crunch from the broccoli and sunflower seeds as well as sweetness from the oranges and raisins, brightness from the lemon juice, green onions and red bell pepper and finally the addition of the black beans give you that wonderful "full feeling" that you do not get with some light meals. This is a GREAT salad.
Measurements given here are approximate (except for the dressing). YOU decide how much of each ingredient you would like in your salad. The amounts given here are catered to MY taste buds:


3 heads of broccoli (broken into small pieces)
1 red bell pepper (diced finely)
1 cup raisins
2 oranges (peeled & sliced thick)
15 ounce can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup sliced green onion tops

Dressing:
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


Wash (and shake dry) the broccoli heads. Remove as much of the stalk and stems as you can so you can break the florets into bite size pieces. Add diced red bell pepper, raisins, oranges, black beans, sunflower seeds and green onions.

Mix dressing ingredients with a whisk and pour dressing over the salad. Toss gently and serve immediately. NOTE: You may not need or want all of the dressing.


NOTE: Peel the oranges, removing as much of the white as you can, then slice the orange into thick slices; cut the thick slices into four wedges.

NOTE: Let your imagination go wild with this salad, you can add just about anything that strikes your fancy.

SHRIMP and BACON FRIED RICE

This shrimp & bacon fried rice has a couple of extra steps, but they are well worth the effort. We love this light, flavorful and quick recipe; it can easily be extended with a few extra veggies and it reheats well.

3 cups of cold COOKED rice
5 slices of bacon (save 3 tablespoons of the grease )
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup sliced green onion tops
1 pound of RAW jumbo shrimp peeled & de-veined
2 eggs beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
dry crushed red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Sliced cherry tomatoes for decoration

Spray your largest frying pan with vegetable spray and heat to medium high.
Beat 2 eggs and pour them into a pan, tilting the pan so the eggs spread out nice and thin. When the eggs are starting to "set", sprinkle lightly with a few crushed red pepper flakes. Flip the eggs over and remove from heat. If the eggs don't flip over in one piece, that's ok, just keep the pieces as large and thin as you can. When they are cool enough to handle, roll them up and slice thinly (to get little strips of eggs). This sounds like a hassle, but it is an important part of the dish. Set aside.

Fry 5 slices of bacon until crispy, remove and drain on paper towels (reserve fat) set aside. To 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat, add 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion and saute until tender. Add 3 cups of COLD cooked rice, the crisp bacon, 1/2 cup sliced green onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and one pound of COOKED shrimp (see note). Toss until everything is well mixed. Gently fold in egg strips. Heat through.

NOTE: The rice for this recipe should be made the day ahead if possible. If not, just make sure the rice is on the dry side and cooled.

NOTE: I use my George Foreman grill machine to cook the shrimp before I stir them into the rice. I just coat them in melted butter and a lot of salt and pepper then grill them for about 2 minutes (depending on size of shrimp). It gives them a nice color. If you do not have a grilling machine, just fry them for a couple of minutes in the pan you cooked the bacon in, then set them aside.

NOTE: If you are using previously frozen raw shrimp, make sure they are completely thawed and drained before you try to fry them (or they will boil as they defrost and get rubbery).

TACO BURGERS

It has been hot for at least two weeks, so we have done a lot of grilling, crock potting and microwaving (anything that keeps the kitchen cooler). We cooked this taco burger on the "GF Grilling Machine " but it would be even better on an outdoor grill.

2 pounds of extra lean ground beef (I use 93%)
1/2 cup of crushed corn chips
1/4 cup favorite taco sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
sliced pepper Jack cheese
lettuce, tomato, avocado & onion
Mix the ground beef with the crushed corn chips, taco sauce and salt and pepper.
Shape into patties and grill over medium heat. Just before it is finished, top each burger with a slice of pepper Jack cheese and let it melt. Serve burgers on bun with fresh veggies.

APPLE DUMPLING BAKED IN CARAMEL SAUCE

This is the best dessert I have had in a long time.The photograph does not do it justice; a whole apple, seasoned with butter and cinnamon sugar, wrapped in some pie crust and baked in a caramel sauce...holy macaroni, it's good.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
1/3 cup cold water
8 medium tart apples (see note)
8 teaspoons butter
9 teaspoons cinnamon sugar (divided)

Sauce:
1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed

In a large bowl, cut the Crisco into the flour and salt until it is crumbly; add the water and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Press into a smooth disk and wrap it in plastic wrap for about 30 minutes.

Peel and core the apples and cut a slice off of the bottom so that the apple sits straight, set aside.

Divide your dough crust into 8 pieces. Lightly flour your counter and roll each piece out to a 7" x 7" square. Sit the cored apple on one of the squares and put one teaspoon of butter and one teaspoon of cinnamon sugar into the hollow of the apple. Gently pull up the corners of the dough (one at a time) to the top of the apple and pinch the edges together (pinch off extra dough). Wherever dough overlaps, wet the edges just a little (with a finger dipped in water) and the dough will stick together better. Don't worry about neatness at this point; just make sure the dough covers the entire apple and the "seams" are pinched together.

If you want to get fancy, freehand some leaves made out of dough scraps and place them at the top of the apple (dab a tiny bit of water to back of leaves).
Repeat with other seven apples. Place the completed apples in a greased 9" x 13" baking dish and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over the top; set aside.

In a saucepan, mix 1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar (packed tight), one cup of water and 1 /2 cup of butter (cubed). Bring this to a full rolling boil (stirring) and then remove from heat (it will be thin). Spoon this sauce over the completed apples (use all of the sauce).

Bake in preheated 350 oven for 45 minutes or until apples are tender. Baste the apples every 15 minutes or so with the sauce that is in the bottom of the pan.

NOTE: I made these with medium size apples (which made a huge serving). Next time I make these, I am going to use the small lunch box size apples and I'll adjust the baking time.

NOTE: The caramel sauce in the bottom of the pan, thickens and picks up some of the cinnamon flavor. It is outrageously delicious spooned over the ice cream that is mandatory in this recipe.

NOTE: The actual cooking time will depend on the size and variety of apple. The recipe called for a tart apple, so I used a Granny Smith. I suggest that you start testing your dumpling after it has baked for 30 minutes (if you are using a small apple) and 40 minutes if you are using a regular size apple; a toothpick will tell you how soft the apple is inside the dumpling.

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

I made these strawberry cupcakes yesterday & they were a big hit. The recipe is a great "cheater recipe" that I've used for years. Basically it is a dry cake mix + a 20 ounce can of fruit filling + 3 eggs. That's it! It produces an extremely moist and flavorful cake! You can use ANY dry cake mix and ANY canned fruit pie filling so the combinations are endless. Our favorite is chocolate with cherry pie filling but we've also thoroughly enjoyed chocolate cake with raspberry pie filling, spice cake with peach pie filling, spice cake with apple pie filling and yellow cake mix with lemon pie filling.

For the cupcakes posted today, I combined a box of Betty Crocker strawberry cake mix (ignore any directions on the box) with a 20 ounce can of Wilderness strawberry pie filling and three eggs. Beat on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes (batter will be a little thicker than you expect). Fill paper lined cupcake pans about 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Oh so yummy!

NOTE: Don't worry about the "chunks" of fruit in the pie filling. When you mix it into the cake mix with your electric mixer, the fruit will break up (which is what you want).

NOTE: This recipe is not suited for white cake mixes for some reason. They taste good, but have a strange color after they are baked.

NOTE: The weight on most cans of pre-prepared pie filling is different...some cans are 18 ounces some are 20 ounces. This measurement doesn't seem to be crucial. Just get the size can closest to 20 ounces that you can find.

NOTE: This recipe works very well for sheet cakes as well as layer cakes. Just use the toothpick test for doneness instead of the baking times on the cake mix box. After you remove the cake from the pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and let it cool. Keep covered until you frost the cake.

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Buttercream Frosting
1 cup of UNSALTED butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
food coloring (optional)
Cream the butter with an electric mixer until it gets fluffy. Add everything else and beat on medium speed until everything is well mixed, then beat on high speed until it is smooth and fluffy.
NOTE: These cupcakes are topped with Wilton's sparkle sprinkles (clear).

MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE

This recipe makes a big pan of peanut brittle right in your microwave; no candy thermometer and almost no stirring. The hardest part of this recipe is figuring out what wattage your microwave is (so you can adjust the cooking time). Be careful though, this candy is highly addictive and best of all, it doesn't stick to your teeth like a lot of brittle's do!

I'll give you the ingredients first, and then talk about microwaves and cooking times:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup (like Karo)
1 cup salted peanuts
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 level teaspoons baking soda

Prepare everything you need before you start the microwave. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray (see note below), measure out the nuts, butter, vanilla and baking soda, set it all within arms reach.

Basic instructions are: In a 2 & 1/2 quart microwave safe bowl, mix the sugar and corn syrup until all of the sugar is moist. Microwave on high for xxx minutes, remove from microwave and quickly stir in the peanuts. Microwave on high for xxx minutes, remove and stir in butter and vanilla. Microwave on high for xxx minutes and remove for the last time. Stir in the baking soda. It will foam up; try and distribute the baking soda with as few strokes as possible since every stroke (after it foams up) will reduce the number of air bubbles (air bubbles = good candy). Pour the hot candy out onto a prepared cookie sheet and TILT the cookie sheet to help the hot candy to "move" (don't use a utensil here...just tilt the pan). Be careful, this candy (and the pan you tilt) are going to be hotter than blazes, so be careful. When candy is at room temperature (it's going to take a while), break into pieces.

The following directions were written for a 900 watt microwave:
Microwave on high 4 minutes, add peanuts, microwave on high for 3 & 1/2 minutes, stir in butter and vanilla microwave 1 & 1/2 minutes. Remove and add baking soda.

The following directions were written for a 1100 watt microwave"
Microwave on high for 3 minutes 45 seconds, add nuts and microwave for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, add vanilla and butter and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and add baking soda.

The following directions are for a 1500 watt microwave. This is the only one I can vouch for, since my microwave is 1500 watts. Three minutes on high, add peanuts, microwave on high 3 more minutes, add butter and vanilla and microwave on high 1 minute, remove and stir in baking soda.

NOTE: The original recipe said to grease a cookie sheet. I've done that with other brittle recipes, and it gives the back side of your candy a greasy feel. If you pour the hot candy onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet, it will pop right off of the paper when it cools.

NOTE: It is good (but not necessary) to warm up the peanuts a little before you add them.

NOTE: Don't even TRY to wash the bowl and utensils by hand, just throw them in the dishwasher and they will come out clean.

NOTE: The first time you make this peanut brittle, keep an eye on the candy (as it cooks). You are going for a nice golden color, not a golden brown.

NOTE: Store finished candy in an air tight container (or it will get sticky).

RICE and NO BAKE COOKIES - Two week day classics

When I serve plain white rice, my husband slathers it with butter and white sugar (yuck). To avoid that, I've learned to jazz our rice up a little. This recipe is the result of years of tweaking, and we really enjoy it; I like it because it goes with almost anything. It also keeps my husband away from his sugar rice (lol).

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrot
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup of raw long grain rice (not instant)
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup of frozen veggies
sliced green onion tops for garnish
1 tablespoon butter

Saute the onion, celery and carrot in the canola oil until they start to lose their crispness; stir in rice and seasonings; stir to coat the rice with the oil and saute gently for a minute or two. Add the broth and frozen veggies and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, turn heat down to a low simmer and put a tight fitting lid on the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the burner and let it sit for five minutes. Add one tablespoon of butter & fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: You noticed I use 2 & 1/2 cups of broth, that is more than you would normally use for plain rice. I use this extra amount of broth to give me a slightly saucy rice.

NO BAKE COOKIES

I have used this no-bake cookie recipe since I was in 4-H Club as a kid. It is probably one of my all time favorite cookies. I tend to make them only occasionally these days since I have trouble leaving them alone.

3 cups of dry oats (it's OK to use quick oats - do not use instant)

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut

Mix sugar, cocoa, water and butter in heavy saucepan. Boil for one minute on med-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat (leave the burner on) and add remaining ingredients. Return to burner and cook on medium for two minutes.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and cool. You can speed set these by putting them in the fridge for a few minutes. Store covered.

FRESH HERB & VEGGIE DIP

I learned to cook with dried herbs because fresh herbs were not always available where I live. Fresh herbs not only measure differently, but they taste entirely differently, so learning to cook with them is an on-going process for me.

This summer, I have several pots of herbs growing fairly successfully. I am growing rosemary, thyme, basil, chives, sage, oregano and apple mint. I am on the search for recipes calling for fresh herbs, so if you have a favorite one to share, please let me know.

Many of us will be entertaining company over the 4th of July. This is a recipe for a very light tasting cream cheese dip, using fresh herbs. It is sure to please your company.

FRESH HERB & VEGGIE DIP

12 ounces of whipped cream cheese spread
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash of salt
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup green onions (sliced extremely thin)
3 radishes diced very small

Mix everything in a small bowl and let it sit (covered) in fridge overnight. Serve
with crackers, pretzels or raw veggies.

NOTE: If you have any advise on cooking with fresh herbs, please let me know. How do I convert my old recipes that used dry herbs? Any tips on drying and storing herbs?

NOTE: Next to my herb garden, I have a large planter of catnip growing; it is just starting to show a few small blue flowers. Our cat, as well as our neighbors cat, sit next to it and purr loudly while they rub up against the planter, lol. Does anyone have any tips on when, and how, to harvest catnip?

I think Tabitha's had enough catnip for today...don't you??

TURKEY and BLACK BEAN CHILI

This is my favorite way to eat chili...a bed of greens, a thin layer of Frito corn chips, a cup of slow simmered chili (nice and thick), a little cheddar, sliced grape tomatoes (they are the sweetest), cubed avocado, green onions and a little low fat sour cream...oh yum!

TURKEY & BLACK BEAN CHILI
1 & 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small sweet onion diced & 1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon salt
(2) 15 ounce cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)
12 ounce can of tomato paste
4 cups water
4 ounce can of Ortega mild green chilies
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon white sugar

In a pan, large enough to cook the chili, saute onions until transparent; add the turkey and cook (chop it up with your spatula) until you see little brown bits on the meat. Drain the meat well and return to the pan; add everything else, stir well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for two hours (it will get nice and thick).

NOTE: We do not like spicy food, so this chili is very mild. If you like heat, just add some diced jalapeno peppers to the meat.

NOTE: After you bring the chili to the initial boil, you can transfer it to a crock-pot and let it cook all afternoon (just leave the lid open a tiny bit so the chili will thicken up).