Fried Ice Cream
from Garry Boyle

Can I just say AMAZING! ADDICTING!  We had this the other night and I about died! Its that good! Super easy to make! Enjoy! This recipe is made in a cookie sheet, not in balls as shown in picture.

Melt Together: 

• 1 cube of margarine
• 1 cup brown sugar

Add:

• 3 cups corn flakes (crushed a little) 
• 1 cup coconut or tsp of cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cook and stir mixture 2-3 minutes. Spread 1/2-2/3 of mixture into an 8x11 pan. Or use a cookie sheet for thinner squares. Spread 1/2 gallon ice-cream on top. Sprinkle remaining mixture on top. Freeze. 

When ready to serve, drizzle favorite toppings (e.g. honey,  whip cream, chocolate or caramel sauce) 

*I use closer to 2/3 of mixture on bottom and press down and put in freezer for a few minutes before adding the ice-cream. I let ice cream sit out to soften before spreading. 

                           

Cinnamon Burst Bread

My friend made this bread for a party we went to and everyone was asking for the recipe.  It was so, so good.  She makes it into 6 rounded loaves (kind of like Claire's peasant bread) instead of using the bread form.  The hardest part is finding the cinnamon bites but I just found them in Wal-Mart.  They are typically in stock during this season.  It is so, so good and makes for a delicious neighbor treat!

Cinnamon Burst Bread (like Great Harvest’s)-Makes 4 Loaves

Recipe from everydayfoodstorage.net

3 T. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten lightly (*Note from Crystal, 1/4 C. Dry Egg Powder +1/2 C. Water)
3 3/4 cup warm water
4 1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups cinnamon bites (available at health food stores, these are like compacted bits of cinnamon or here)
11-12 cups flour (*Note from Crystal, this is a great recipe to disguise wheat in! Try it at least half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose or get really gutsy and try it 100% whole wheat!)

Combine in mixing bowl 4 cups flour, yeast, and sugar. Add water, eggs, and oil. Beat well to “cake batter” stage. Stir in salt, cinnamon bites, and 7 more cups flour to make bread-dough consistency. Let mixer knead it to the right texture (add up to 1 more cup flour if needed). Place dough in greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour. Shape dough into 4 loaves. Let rise for another hour or until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Slice thick and serve warm with butter, or toast slices in the toaster (be careful, the cinnamon bites can burn your fingers), or make slices into French Toast. Yummy!

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Pic courtesy Mel's Kitchen Cafe

I saw this recipe a while ago on Mel's Kitchen Cafe and knew that I wanted to try it. Well, let me clarify. I knew I wanted to make it for Christian and the kids. I'm not a huge hot cocoa fan- something about drinking calories kinda makes me feel sick. So, I bought the ingredients and let them sit in my pantry for a while... until today. I decided to whip up a batch because it's been so cold here (think 50 degrees). I thought I would make a sample cup for myself before I served it to Christian. Oh wow. It was SO delicious. Like, I wanted to make another cup and drink it for dinner. Maybe I still will...

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 
*Makes about 20 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1½ cups cocoa powder, dutch-process or natural
1½ cups white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate
¼ teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Working in two (or more) batches, depending on the size of your food processor, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground. Store the dry mix in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To make hot cocoa, put 1/3 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk. Top with whipped cream or miniature marshmallows, if desired.

**I just threw everything in my Vitamix and it came together in about ten seconds:).

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Jason has been hard to please lately. And honestly, I have been utterly sick of cooking the same thing over and over again and can't say I really blame him. This recipe got me out of my rut! YAY! Compliments all around even from our dinner guests. And it looks gorgeous but is effortless. I made a few adjustments according to what I had in my cupboard.

recipe and picture from candcmarriagefactory.com

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

RUB:

-3 pound pork loin (I used sirloin roast but the recipe calls for pork loin)

-1.5 tsp sage (I used thyme because I was out of sage)

-3/4 t salt

-1/2 t pepper

-1 T garlic powder

Mix the dry ingredients and rub on raw pork with your hands. Place in crockpot with 1/2 c water for 6-8 hours.

GLAZE:

- 1/2 c brown sugar

- 1 T cornstarch

- 1/4 c balsamic vinegar

-1/2 c water

- 2 T soy sauce

Combine glaze ingredients in a pan and heat and stir until it thickens. Brush onto pork several times within the last hour of it cooking. Remove pork and shred/cut. Serve glaze on the side.

Creamy Rice Pudding from allrecipes.com
Original recipe serves 4

Prep 25 min
Cook 20 min

Ingredients 

• 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
  2 cups milk, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins             1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup white sugar

Directions

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

Kara's Dressing

My friend Kara shared this dressing with me months ago and it is delicious! I am a bit lazy so if its good in the bottle, I don't make homemade dressing. I tried this though and its on the rotation at our house. Jason just reqeusted it for this week. Its delicious with whatever salad you make. Kara added low fat bacon bits, sliced almonds, fresh thinly grated swiss cheese and craisins. YUM!

KARA'S DRESSING
1/3 c sugar
2 t chopped onion ( I used dried minced onions)
1/2 t salt
1 T poppy seeds
1/3 c vinegar
1 t dijon
2/3 c vegatable oil

Andes Mint Cookies

I am going to a cookies exchange tonight and am making these from my mother-in-law and thought I would share. They are a little labor-intense but SO worth it. They are kinda like the Pepperidge Farm cookie but WAY better. Y'know the ones right?

Anyway....these are the real better-tasting homemade ones.

1 c butter (no subbing here)

1 c sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

3 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

65 Andes Mints

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs. Then vanilla. Combine dry ingredients separately then add gradually to wet ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours. Shape a tablespoon of dough around 42 mints, forming rectangular cookies. You want the dough to be thin around the cookie (even the dough is this pic is too thick). Please 2" apart. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Melt remaining mints and drizzle on top of cookies (not show in pic).

BYU Mint Brownies

If you make the 2000 mile sojourn out to BYU every year to indulge in these brownies stop now. Here is the secret recipe originally in the family cookbook by Jessica! It makes and entire cookie sheet full! They are great to cut then freeze. Also great as Christmas gifts to those who have never partaken (Yes, its a word. My word.) of the divinity that are BYU mint brownies. Get ready to be idolized. :)

BYU MINT BROWNIES

 2 1/4 sticks butter. melted

3/4 c cocoa

2 1/4 c sugar

6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 t vanilla

1 7/8 c flour

1/8 t salt

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together butter and cocoa. Mix in sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Pour into greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes. It may bubble, poke hole and pat down. Do not overcook! Cool completely then frost.

Mint Frosting:

4 c powdered sugar

8 T butter, melted

1 t peppermint extract

3 drops green food coloring

4 T milk (or until spreading consistency)

Spread in thin layer on top of brownies. Work fast because it dries quickly! Put in fridge to cool.

Chocolate layer:

16 oz. semi-sweet or milk ( I use ss) chocolate chips

1 1/2 T butter

Melt together. Pour evenly over cooled mint frosted brownies. Let stand at least for 15-20 minutes before cutting to serve but I think they are best cold! Keep in fridge.

No-Bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

 



   I made these a few months ago and loved them. I don't usually like no-bake cookies, but the picture looked so good, I couldn't resist! And, I'm glad I did b/c they were so yummy.

No-Bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. (You can use a 9x13-inch if you want thinner bars.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the peanut butter and vanilla extract; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and salt over medium heat. Bring to a full boil (there should be bubbles covering the entire surface) and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Immediately pour the hot mixture (carefully!) over the oatmeal mixture and quickly stir to combine, ensuring that all of the oatmeal mixture has been moistened. Turn the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and use the back of a spoon to press it evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips over top and gently press them into the top of the mixture.
5. Allow the bars to sit at room temperature to set up, which takes about 30 minutes. Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Note: Like any no-bake cookie, the final texture of these really depends on how long you boil the sugar mixture. If it doesn't boil long enough, the cookie mixture will be too soft; if you boil too long, they could turn out dry and crumbly. I like to set a timer just to be sure.