Almond Roca

This has to me my favorite recipe of ALL TIME! I totally mean that. If Heaven doesn't have Almond Roca, then I don't want to be there.

(My tip, I like to use a thermometer and wait till it hits 300 degrees rather than listen for crackling and looking for color.) It has always worked for me though.) I got this recipe originally from Here but there are tons out there. I put chocolate chips on top and sprinkle it with almonds too. try it, you won't be disappointed.-Heather

Almond Roca Recipe

Use an inexpensive chocolate such as Hershey's. It has low cocoa butter content. If you use a premium chocolate with a high cocoa butter content, unless you temper the chocolate first (look up directions online), the cocoa butter may separate into white streaks as the melted chocolate cools.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 lb butter (2 sticks - NO substitutes!)
• 1/2 lb. slivered almonds (2 cups)
• 1/2 lb. bar of regular Hershey's dark chocolate (7 oz okay)

Method

Do not attempt to make this on a humid or rainy day. Do not double the recipe, make one batch at a time.

1 Melt butter with sugar, syrup and water in a pan (such as a large non-stick frying pan) on medium to medium-high temperature. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon. When butter is melted, add the almonds.

2 When mixture comes to a rolling boil, set your timer for a minimum of 10 minutes and keep stirring (no more than 15 minutes). The mixture will thicken and turn darker in color. The almonds will roast. Keep stirring and cooking until you hear it crackle. If you don't cook it long enough it will not harden, so keep stirring and listen for the crackling sound.

Elise's note: I have found it very hard to distinguish between the boiling sound and the crackling sound in this recipe. A better guideline for me is by color. When the mixture turns a warm amber color, at about 11 or 12 minutes into the boiling, that's the time to pour it out. Wait too long and it will burn.

If you try to make this, please read all the comments listed below. It's actually trickier than one would think.

3 When the mixture crackles, pour the mixture out onto a large cookie sheet and spread it as thin as possible with a fork. While it is still hot, break up the chocolate into chunks and distribute it over the almond mixture and let it melt. Spread it evenly on the top.

4 Let it cool to room temperature. When cool you can lift the whole thing off the pan and break into small pieces.

Decadent Triple Layer Mud Pie

3 Squares Bakers Baking Chocolate (Semi Sweet)
1/4 Cup Canned Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 Oreo Pie Crust (6 oz)
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
2 Cups Cold Milk
2 Small Packages Chocolate Jello Instant Pudding
1 8oz Tub Cool Whip (Thawed)

Melt chocolate in microwave or in double boiler and then mix with condensed milk until well blended. Pour into crust and sprinkle with pecans. Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire wisk for 2 minutes until blended. Mixture will be thick. Spoon 1 1/2 cups pudding over pecans in crust. Add 1/2 the Cool Whip to remaining pudding. Stir until blended and spread over pudding in crust. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refridgerate for 3 hours before serving.

I like it better without the nuts so I leave those out. It is really easy and oh so yummy!

Cake Balls

Red Velvet Cake Balls
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)
Wax paper

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)
I also only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It's easier to work with when it's hot.
I found this recipe on bakerella.blogspot.com so you can check out the step by step pictures there if you want to.

Spinach Pizza

I made up this recipe with the help of another recipe, so some things may have to be tweaked a little bit to your liking, but I think it tastes great. (This is not a low-fat pizza, but it does have spinach, so that's good.)

1/4 c. butter or margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/4 pkg. cooked spinach
1 pkg. mozzarella cheese (however much you like on top)

Melt butter in saucepan, add flour. Slowly mix in milk (will be thin). On medium/low heat, stir constantly until it thickens. Add salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and melt. You can either add the spinach in the sauce mixture or put it on top of the sauce on the pizza, whichever you prefer. I use mom's pizza dough recipe. So I roll out the dough, put the sauce on, spinach, and then mozzarella cheese. Cook 425 degrees for 15 min.

-Ali

Yummy "Ranch Fingers"

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. :)
-heather

Pork Chops

Ok, this one is kind of funny because I was at work today and this repair guy came in to fix some cabinet locks and when he was done he came into my office and started gabbing about these great recipes he's come up with, ha ha. He wouldn't stop or leave until he wrote down this pork chop recipe for me. It sounds really good and is, aparently, quck and easy, so I thought I'd post it up quickly :)

2 pork chops seasoned lightly with Montreal Steak seasoning, browned, chopped, and set aside.
Combine 1 1/2 C milk, 1/4 C minced onion, 1 1/2 C blue cheese dressing in the pan that the chops were browned in and heat to a simmer. Add a couple dashes more of the steak seasoning.
Meanwhile, boil egg noodles (however many you want) and drain when cooked.
Combine all and enjoy!

Let me know how this one turns out if you try it.
Amber

Fudge Oatmeal Cookies (aka...no-bakes)

Ok, Jess, this one is especially for you since I know you are out there with no recipes....and you undoubtedly need something chocolatey. : )

Ingredients:
1 stick of margarine
2 c. Sugar
1/3 c. Cocoa
1/2 c. Milk
3 tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 c. Quick Oats

Melt 1 stick of margarine in pan. Add 2 cups of Sugar, 1/3 c. Cocoa, 1/2 c. Milk. Bring to boil and boil 1 minute exactly.
Remove from heat and add: 3 heaping tablespoons Peanut Butter, 1 tsp. Vanilla. Mix well, than stir in 3 c. oats.

Yummmmmmy!!

Jaimee

Spencer's bread

I know everyone loves mom's bread, including myself, but Spencer's bread is really good too. It's so easy that we make a batch (3 loaves) almost weekly. Note too that the four doesn't have to be split evenly between white and wheat. You can have any combination making it more white or more wheat as long as there is 1200 g total.

600 g white bread flour
600 g wheat bread flour
1 t kosher salt
1 t dry instant yeast
1/4 C melted butter
1/3 C honey
3 C warm water

Combine all ingredients except water in a mixer and turn the mixer on. Slowly pour water in while mixer is going. Mix for approximately 20 minutes until dough is stretchy. Let dough rise for 40 minutes and punch down. Let dough rise again for 40 minutes and separate into 3 equal loaves. Place loaves into lightly greased bread pans and let rise again until double in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Stuffing Casserole

I make this one all the time and it's delicious and easy :)

4 chicken breasts (or other cuts of chicken equalling that amount)
sliced swiss cheese (4 slices or more depending on how cheesy you like it)
1 can cream of chicken
1/3 C cooking sherry or white wine
1 package dried stuffing mix
1/4 C melted butter

place chicken on bottom of baking dish. Place swiss cheese on top of chicken. Combine cream of chicken with cooking sherry and pour over chicken. Evenly distribute stuffing on top and pour melted butter over the stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

-Amberly

Buttercream Icing

taken from Wilton's cake decorating book. It is very light and easy to decorate with.

1/2 C solid vegetable shortening
1/2 C butter or margarine
1 t. vanilla extract (if you want white frosting you should use clear vanilla extract)
4 C sifted confectioners sugar
2 T. milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Makes 3 cups.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. for best results, keep icing bowl in the refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored for 2 weeks. Re whip before using.

For CHOCOLATE buttercream icing:
add 3 oz melted unsweetened chocolate and 1 Tablespoon more milk to the buttercream recipe

-Heather

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

So this is one of our very very favorite chocolate cake recipes. It tastes like a dark chocolate brownie. (I think I just drooled a little). Anyway this is what Randy requests for his birthday w/out any frosting because to be honest it really doesn't need it. But if you look on the back of the Hershey's cocoa can, it has this recipe as well as the "perfectly chocolate" chocolate frosting recipe. Yum. give it a try it is soooooo good.

2 C sugar
1-3/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 C Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C veg. oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C boiling water

1. heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 in. round baking pans. 2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med speed 2 min, stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans . 3. Bake 30-35 min or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool 10 min; remove from pans to wire racks. cool completely.

-Heather

Food Storage

I hope it's ok with Michelle that I am posting this. I need some food storage ideas. What have you guys done with food storage? Lately I have been spending $20 a month to build up my food storage. I have mostly bought red wheat, flour, etc. It is stuff to make homemade bread. I'm wondering what you guys buy, and some recipes you have to use up your food storage.
So I'm hoping you guys will post some recipes that can help me.

Thanks
-Ali

Lion House Chicken

This one is super easy and fast (and mine, not Heather's :)

Place as many chicken breasts as you need in a baking dish. Sprinkle each piece with garlic powder, paprika and seasoning salt. Mix 1 or 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup with 1/2 to 1 cup of milk with a whisk and pour mixture over the top of the chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.

I ususally make 2 chicken breasts and use 1 can of soup mixed with 1/2 cup of milk. When I do more than 2 chicken breasts I use 2 cans of soup and 1 cup of milk.
This is good served over rice or mashed potatos.
**Don't use too much seasoning salt or it will be too salty.

~Michelle

Malibu Chicken

OK, last one of Heather's, and by far my favorite of hers. Although it's the most difficult and time consuming one too.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
6 Chicken Breasts
3/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Butter
6 slices cooked ham
6 slices swiss cheese

Combine flour, salt and pepper in one bowl. Stir egg and water with a fork in another bowl. Put bread crumbs in a 3rd bowl. Coat chicken with flour, dip in egg and then coat with bread crumbs pressing down to coat completely. Heat oil and butter in a skillet on medium heat. Brown chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Place on baking sheet and top with one piece of ham and one slice of swiss cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes (until cheese melts). Serve with Malibu sauce.

Malibu sauce: 1 tsp mustard and 1/4 cup Mayonnaise

OK, so here are my tips for this one. I buy the chicken breasts at Costco and they are huge so I use 3 breasts and butterfly them (Cut them in half lengthwise so that they will be thinner and cook faster/better). I like to add a spoonful of milled flax seed to the bread crumbs. It is a great source of fiber and omega 3 fatty acids-good for brain development in kids and anti-cancer agents for everyone and you can't taste it anyway so why not? (You buy this by the baking stuff. It's usually by the flour, cornmeal that sort of thing) I also use two skillets at once so I can cook the chicken faster. This is really good served with rice pilaf.

~Michelle

Heather's Lemon Pepper Chicken

What can I say? Heather is a really good cook. This is another of my very favorites.

Cut 1 lb chicken into chunks. Put in a baking dish and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. DRAIN LIQUID. (Don't forget to drain it before putting the sauce on).

Sauce: 1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp parsley

Pour sauce over chicken and bake for an additional 30 mintues. Serve over rice.

~Michelle

Heather's Yummy Enchiladas

So, I realized that a lot of my favorite recipes are Heather's. I got her permission to share a few of them. OK, so you have my fast and super easy enchiladas and now you get the really yummy ones if you have a little more time (and want some meat).

2 lbs chicken, cooked
5-6 flour tortillas
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cans Rosarita mild enchilada sauce (I buy the big can and it is plenty)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can rotel
1/2 can green chilies
1/2 cup milk

Mix soup, chilies, rotel and milk. Spread soup mix and enchilada sauce in each tortilla. Add chicken and cheese to each one. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce and then the rest of the soup mixture over the top of the rolled up enchiladas in the pan. Top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

That is how Heather makes them, but my kids hate anything spicy so I make them without the chilies and rotel and they LOVE them. I made them last night and Isaac ate a whole one by himself. They are so yummy!

~Michelle

Easy Enchiladas

One of my easiest dinners (and about the only thing I made besides Pasta-roni for the first 5 years of my marriage) is Easy Bean and Cheese Enchiladas. I was kind of vegetarian then, so this a meatless enchilada.

Flour Tortillas
1 Can Refried Beans
1 Can Rosarita Mild Enchilada Sauce
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Spread some beans and some cheese in a tortilla and roll up. Put them in a pan and pour sauce over them and sprinkle more cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes (depends on how many enchiladas you make).

~Michelle

30 Minute shepard's pie

(from Rachel Ray's website. Very yummy, make sure you drain the fat from the meat though. You can also use fake potatoes if you are in a pinch. if you want a little more flavor add more worch. sauce.)

2 lbs potatoes peeled and cubed
2 T. sour cream
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup cream
salt and pepper
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4 lbs ground beef or lamb
1 carrot peeled and chopped
1 onion chopped
2 T. Butter
2 T flour
1 C. beef stock or broth
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 C. frozen peas
1 t. paprika
2 T chopped fresh parsley leaves

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 min. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and cream. Add the cream mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are almost smooth.

While potatoes boil, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. add oil to hot pan with beef or lamb. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. If you are using lamb and the pan is fatty, spoon away some of the drippings . Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 min. stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook bitter and flour together 2 min. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 min. add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and veggies mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Top potatoes with paprika and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Top casserole dish with chopped parsley and serve.

*Heather

Yummy Soup!!

Chicken Tortelinni Soup
This is our latest favorite recipe....just a spin on the old chicken noodle classic. It does take a bit of preparation and planning, but it is worth it (at least once!).

Ingredients:
package frozen broccoli (I think the package I use is around 14 oz.)
6 1/2 cups water
3 cans chicken broth (10 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 c. chopped onions
1 c. sliced carrots
dash of garlic salt
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
7 (ish) oz. pkg. cheese tortelinni pasta
Parmesan cheese (calls for shredded, but i just use the grated kind you sprinkle on spaghetti)

In a large pot, combine water, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, chicken, onion, carrots, garlic, basil, and oregano. Simmer for 30 minutes, then add tortelinni and broccoli and cook until they are tender (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

**Jaimee

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

This is an easy crockpot dinner I do almost once a week. I thaw out some chicken (I do 2 breasts) and put it in the bottom of the crockpot. Then add a half a bottle of BBQ sauce. (I use honey BBQ wal-mart brand). Then add a little bit of water. (About a cup or less depending on how thick you want it). Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours or on low all day. A half an hour before serving break apart the chicken with a fork and let simmer. Serve on buns and enjoy.

2 chicken breasts
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
3/4 c. water
4 buns

Easy yummy Meatloaf

1lb lean ground beef
1/2 pkg stuffing mix
1/2 c. BBQ sauce

Mix beef, stuffing mix, a little bit of water (less than 1/4 cup), and 1/4 cup BBQ sauce. make into a loaf shape. put in loaf pan or Pyrex dish and spread the rest of the BBQ sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Very good for how easy it is. the stuffing keeps it moist and flavorful. I have added other ingredients such as onions and seasonings, but if you buy a good stuffing mix it doesn't really need anything else.



(Best picture I could find but I think mine looks tastier) -Heather

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grandma Airds)

So I will start with my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies.

1 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 2 Tbsp Water
1 tsp Salt
2 3/4 Cups Flour
6 oz Chocolate Chips

Mix Shortening (by itself) until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and mix well (about 3-4 minutes) Add eggs and mix well again. Add vanilla and baking soda mixture and mix just until mixed (about 20 seconds) Add salt and flour and mix until blended. Add chocolate chips and mix in. Spoon onto greased baking sheet in small balls and bake at 400 degrees for 5 1/2 minutes. Cool on pan until firm. Store in a tight container to preserve softness. (When doubling use 5 3/4 cups flour).

I Thought It Would Be Fun . . .

to have a place to share our favorite recipes. I got this idea from Spencer when he said he was thinking about doing a weekly or monthly email with his favorite recipes. I am always looking for easy recipes that the kids will eat. I thought it would be an easy way to share them here.