Carnitas

1 1/2 pound pork roast

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock

I got this recipe from one of the many cook books I check out of the library. This one was low cost slow cooker meals. It worked out great for a Sunday meal.

Carnitas is slowly roasted pork that is then cooked in dry heat until crisp. Serve with heated flour tortillas, chopped vegetables, and let everyone make their own.

1. Sprinkle roast with salt, pepper, and cumin, and place in a 3-quart slow cooker. Surround with onions and garlic and pour chicken stock over all. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours until pork is very tender.

2. Preheat oven to 400°. Remove pork from slow cooker and place in a large baking pan. Using 2 forks, shred meat. Take 1 cup of pan juices from the slow cooker and mix into pork.

3. Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until pork is crisp on top. Stir pork mixture and thoroughly and bake for 15-20 minutes longer or until the pork is crisp again on top. Serve with crisp tacos, flour or corn tortillas, and lots of salsa.

Cooking Mama

We made some yummy treats and meals for Mother's Day- light and healthy meals! The desserts however were not too light of healthy, but it was a special occasion. Saturday I made Cobb Salad. It has your classic components, but really I just did what I wanted that day. I used mixed salad greens including spinach and butter lettuce, carrots, cucumber, grape tomatoes, cheese cubes, boiled eggs, crispy bacon pieces, and turkey. I lined it all up and let everyone put on what they wanted. Easy!

The girls made some yummy blueberry muffins for breakfast Sunday morning. Then for dinner I did fish tacos. These were not the classic either, just what I could do at home to resemble those California style tacos. I used Swai, which I had never cooked before. I think it is my new favorite fish. It kind of reminded me of a sweet lighter catfish. I just cooked it in my electric skillet with a little olive oil and butter, for color. I dusted the filets with Montreal chicken seasoning, which has a nice flavor. I also grilled on filet on the George Foreman grill, just to see how it did. I flaked the fish into chunks, put them in warmed corn tortillas and all the other traditional taco toppings. I loved this meal, served with fresh fruit.

Over the weekend, the girls made two pies. One was a kind of a cobbler in a pie pan called "Died and Gone to Heaven Peach Pie" - it was good. Like having cobbler and ice cream all in one. The other was the three layer chocolate pie that I usually only make at Thanksgiving, but it came out this weekend for an encore performance. I am glad to be a "cooking mama" and am raising cooking girls. They did all the clean up- so that was the best. Thanks, girls!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

I found this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod. It really does taste like those famous girl scout cookies- only better. The cookies would be great on their own, but sandwiched together with a creamy peanut butter filling takes it to the next level. And then you have to eat two cookies, oh darn.
 

Yield: 18 sandwich cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Soft and chewy peanut butter cookies with a creamy peanut butter filling.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup quick-cooking oats
For the Filling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Finally, add the oats and mix until just combined.
3. Take about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a cookie ball. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are slightly golden and the edges are set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. While the cookies are cooling, make the filling. Combine the butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Add the heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Using a knife, spread peanut butter filling onto the flat side of a cookie. Find a cookie the same size and sandwich the cookies together, pressing the filling to the edges.

Recipe from Allrecipes

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Two Peas & Their Pod
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/peanut-butter-oatmeal-sandwich-cookies/

The Best Frosting I've Ever Had

I forgot to put this recipe up that I found a few weeks ago. I have to admit the title of the recipe really set the bar high. Probably too high. It was not the best frosting I've ever had, but it was different than I usually use. It is very weird how you put flour in it. This recipe has been circulating around the internet as something "new" but I think it is actually a very old recipe. Think "whipped" icing and you get a good idea of what it is like. It actually tasted a lot better to me when it had chilled- I put it on a chocolate sheet cake.

Ingredients

• 5 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar (not Powdered Sugar!)

Preparation Instructions

Bake your favorite chocolate cake and let it cool.
In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla.
While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.
Spread on cooled cake.

Deep Dish Fruit Pizza

I made this last week for a Relief Society meeting where the theme was "Remember Your Roots". Everyone brought a traditional family recipe. I always remember Grandma Engel having a copy of Southern Living magazine around and baking delicious things from that magazine. Elephant Ears was one of them. I don't know for sure, but fruit pizza may have been one of them too. I had never had fruit pizza before she made it and I loved it. It is so nice in the spring and summer with all of the colorful fruits. I had not made it in a while, so I thought I would for this event. This recipe is from Pioneer Woman. I chose it because it makes a large rectangular pizza in a sheet pan and serves a lot! I used strawberries, mandarin oranges, nectarines, kiwi, and blueberries. You could also certainly use your own favorite sugar cookie dough recipe.

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cup Shortening (may Substitute Butter)
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 whole Eggs
• 8 teaspoons Whole Milk
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 jars (13 Ounces Each) Marshmallow Creme
• 2 packages (8 Ounces Each) Cream Cheese
• Peaches
• Kiwi Fruit
• Blueberries
• Pears
• Raspberries
• Other Fruit Optional

Preparation Instructions

Cream shortening (or butter), sugar, orange peel, and vanilla thoroughly. Add in eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the milk and mix.
Sift dry ingredients together, then blend into cream mixture. Slightly flatten between two sheets of waxed paper, then refrigerate for one hour (or freeze for 20 minutes).
Press dough into a sheet cake pan OR divide the dough in half and roll each half into a large round, then transfer to pizza pans.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until cookie dough is cooked and golden brown, but not overly crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip together marshmallow creme and cream cheese until light. Spread onto cooled "pizza" crust, then decorate the top generously with sliced fruit. Slice into squares or wedges and serve.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

I was really pleased to find this recipe for alfredo sauce on the blog Or Best Bites. It has only 100 calories for 1/4 cup sauce. They suggest many uses for this sauce - on plain on pasta, a dip for bread sticks, mix with pesto for a creamy basil sauce, or use as a white pizza sauce. It was easy to throw together while pasta was cooking. I also added 2 chicken breasts, cubed into bite sized pieces and sauteed on top of the stove. Don't buy a jar of alfredo sauce ever again!

Ingredients:
2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2-3 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

KFC Grilled Chicken

This is a copy-cat recipe of the popular grilled chicken they serve now at KFC. Jared really likes it and the brine makes a flavorful juicy chicken, just as it does turkey at Thanksgiving. We found it on the top secret recipes website. Their recipe bakes the chicken in the oven, but we just grill it outside. I also take off the skin for even lower calorie count.

Marinade 8 cups water 1/4 cup salt 2 teaspoons MSG (see Tidbits)   1 small whole chicken, cut up (8 pieces)   Brush with 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce   Seasoning 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (Knorr brand is best) 1/4 teaspoon beef bouillon powder (Knorr brand is best) 1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
	1. Dissolve the salt and MSG in the water to make the marinade (brine). Add the chicken, cover and chill for exactly 2 hours. 2. When the chicken has marinated, rinse each piece of chicken with water and blot dry. Whisk together the oil, liquid smoke, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Brush oil over one side of each piece of chicken. 3. Combine all of the ingredients for the seasoning in a small bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning over the oiled side of each piece of chicken, then flip each piece, brush with oil again and sprinkle on more seasoning. 4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, or 325 degrees F if you have a convection oven. Brush some of the leftover oil solution onto an oven-safe grill pan or grill plate. Set the pan over medium heat, and when the oil begins to smoke, place the chicken skin-side-down on the pan. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes or until the skin begins to brown and grill marks form on the chicken, then flip the chicken and cook it for another 1 to 2 minutes. Pop the grill pan into the oven for 20 minutes, then flip each piece of chicken and bake for another 20 minutes, or until the surface of the chicken is golden brown, and the chicken is cooked through. Serves 4. Tidbits: MSG is monosodium glutamate, a natural amino salt. It can usually be found where herbs and spices are stocked in your market. Accent Flavor Enhancer is one popular brand.       If you can't find the chicken and beef bouillon powder for this recipe, you can use bouillon cubes. Just crush the cubes into fine powder before measuring.

Fruit Tarts

I made these little tarts for Easter. I just adapted this recipe- I baked the puff pastry in the muffin cups and let them cool. Then I did 12 with sugar free fat free chocolate pudding and 12 with sugar free fat free white chocolate pudding. I topped them with fresh cut up strawberries, kiwi, and blue berries. It was a nice light treat that would be perfect for a shower or any party buffet. Here is the original recipe:

Ingredients

Serves: pieces

• 1 package (17.3 ounces) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets , thawed
• 1 egg , beaten
• 1 package (3 1/2 ounces) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cut-up fresh fruit
• drained canned fruit
• confectioners' sugar

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F.  Lightly grease 24 (2 1/2-inch) muffin-pan cups.

Unfold 1 pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Roll the pastry sheet into a 9x12-inch rectangle.  Cut into 12 (3-inch) squares.  Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet, making 24 in all.  Press the pastry squares into the muffin-pan cups. Brush with the egg.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.  Remove the pastry cups from the pan and let cool completely on wire racks.

Mix the pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl according to the package directions.  Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon pudding mixture into each pastry cup.  Top with the fruit.  Sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar.

To make 12 larger pastries: Substitute 2 packages (10 ounces each) Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Shells for the pastry sheets. Prepare the pastry shells according to the package directions.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons pudding mixture into each pastry shell.  Top with the fruit. Sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar.

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/recipe/vanilla-fruit-tarts-78358/#ixzz1rZ8AlDq3

This recipe tastes like lasagna, but not anywhere near the work. Gabrielle even likes this and stirs it together to make "pink sauce"- It is from Better Homes & Gardens (iphone app, but also on their website). You can add as more ravioli if you want - I use frozen mini cheese ravioli.

Ravioli Skillet Lasagna

Makes: 4 servings

Start to Finish: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups purchased pasta sauce (or just use 1 jar)
• 1/3 cup water (I put the water in the sauce jar and shake it, then pour it out to get all the sauce)
• 1 9 ounce package refrigerated or frozen cheese- or meat-filled ravioli
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 115 ounce carton ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
• 1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• Grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a 10-inch skillet combine pasta sauce and the water. Bring to boiling; stir in ravioli. Reduce heat. Cook, covered, over medium heat about 5 minutes or until ravioli are nearly tender, stirring once to prevent sticking.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl stir together egg, ricotta cheese, and the 1/4 cup Romano cheese. I add in about a teaspoon of kosher salt to this mixture. Top ravioli with spinach. Spoon ricotta mixture on top of spinach. Cook, covered, over low heat about 10 minutes or until ricotta layer is set and ravioli are tender. Sprinkle each serving with additional Romano cheese. Makes 4 main-dish servings.

Philadelphia Oreo Cheesecake

I made this for a special treat for our Oscar watching party. It was yummy! We baked it in the 9x13 pan and cut it into squares.

1 pkg. (15.5 oz.) OREO Cookies, divided

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

4 eggs

Make It

HEAT oven to 325ºF.
LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Process 30 cookies in food processor until finely ground. Add butter; mix well. Press onto bottom of pan.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until blended. Chop remaining cookies; stir 1-1/2 cups into batter. Pour over crust; top with remaining chopped cookies.
BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute

Prepare using PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese.

How to Bake in Springform Pan

Substitute 9-inch springform pan for the 13x9-inch pan. Do not line pan with foil. Prepare cheesecake as directed, increasing the baking time to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run small knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely. Remove rim. Refrigerate as directed. (Note: If using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan, reduce oven temperature to 300°F.)

Best Brownies

The girls have been making these brownies for a while now. They are chewy and tasty. They don't wait for them to cool and just pour the frosting right on- I really don't think it matters! The recipe comes from the Hershey website.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
• CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING (recipe follows)

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.
   
2. 2 Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
   
3. 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.
   
   
   CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING
   
   3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
   3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
   1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
   1 cup powdered sugar
   1 to 2 tablespoons milk
   
   Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk;
   beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos (With leftovers for Tortilla Soup)

This is the easiest way that I know to do flavorful shredded chicken for tacos, enchiladas, nachos, and quesadillas. You can drain the liquid off for serving to picky children!
Ingredients:
1 envelope taco seasoning
6 boneless frozen chicken breasts
1 16oz jar of salsa (I like to use Pace Salsa Verde)


Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork.
For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream. This is very versatile and can be used for enchiladas, nachos, tostadas, etc. Any leftover chicken can then be used for tortilla soup (make it the next day or freeze the chicken to use at a later time). It is fun to put the ingredients for the soup in a basket and take it as a "soup kit" to give to a friend.

Tortilla Soup Ingredients:
approximately 1 cup of leftover chicken taco meat
1 32. oz box of chicken broth
1 can of Milder Ro-Tel (tomatoes with chilies)
1 can of corn
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
Dump everything in a pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Garnish with crumbled tortilla chips and shredded cheese (Mexican blend).

Ham-and-Bean Soup

Making this recipe was a real victory for me! Jared loved it and that was my main goal. I had a leftover ham bone from a Honeybake Ham from our dinner group the week before. For super bowl weekend I made 5 different kinds of soups ("souper bowl") and had a bunch of people for dinner. I made this one and it was a big hit. I ended up simmering it longer, because I needed it to- then put it in the crock pot on warm to serve. You can freeze a ham bone and leftover ham until you are ready to make the soup. It is great to serve this with corn bread of corn muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package dried great Northern beans
• 3 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ham bone
• 2 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Preparation

Sort and wash beans. Place beans in a 6-quart Dutch oven; add water 2 inches above beans, and soak 8 hours. Drain.
Sauté ham, onion, and garlic in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
Add beans, ham bone, chicken broth, and red pepper. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender and soup has thickened. 

Chicken and Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

This is an Emeril Lagasse recipe. I checked out his new book from the library "Sizzling Skillets," and this is from the casserole section. It seemed really basic, but turned out really nice. It would be a great to take to a potluck or to bring to someone. I used jarred pesto rather than making my own. I also used asiago cheese on the top-mmmm.

Ingredients:
1 lb. cavatappi pasta
Salt and black pepper
3/4 cup EVOO
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup diced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
9 oz. spinach, tough stems removed, roughly chopped
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 tbs unsalted butter
3 tbs all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
8 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions, but undercook it by about 2 minutes. Drain, drizzle with 1 tbs EVOO, toss to coat, and set aside.
Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.
Heat 1 tbs EVOO in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the chicken is opaque, about 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add another tbs of oil to the pan and add the onion. Cook until tender, about 4 minutes, then add 1 tsp garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Now add the spinach and season again with salt and pepper. Cook for a couple minutes, until the spinach begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and add the chicken back in. Set aside.
Make the pesto: combine the pine nuts, crushed red pepper, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, and remaining 1 tsp garlic in your food processor. Pulse until blended. Use a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the basil leaves, salt and pepper and turn the processor on. Stream in 1/2 cup EVOO through the feed tube until it’s well blended. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to broil.
In a medium stock pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the flour and whisk for a minute. Don’t burn it. Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the pesto, 3/4 of the Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, or in your saute pan, combine the pasta, chicken-spinach mixture, pesto cream sauce, and remaining 1 tsp lemon zest. Toss to mix well. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and broil until the top is bubbly and browning.

Oven-Roasted Chicken with Garlic Marjoram Butter

I have been watching (late at night) old episodes of Curtis Stone's "Take Home Chef," where Chef Curtis meets someone in a grocery store who is cooking for someone. He buys their groceries then goes home and cooks a delicious meal for them (really surprising their spouse/kids/dinner guests). It's a great little cooking show since he never knows what he's going to get himself into. The result is always an awesome meal. I tried this recipe for roast chicken- it was really easy to do and really flavorful. I served it with a salad and a new taste- steamed indigo blue potatoes.

Take Home Chef, Episode 3: Mary's Menu

INGREDIENTS

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 head garlic

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 bunch of fresh marjoram, leaves finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Two 4 1/2 to 5 pound whole organic frying chickens, giblet sacks from cavities removed and discarded

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/205°C.  Place the carrots, celery, onion and ½ head of garlic into a large roasting pan (these vegetables will be the bed for the chickens to roast on and discarded after).
2. Mix the butter, marjoram, and crushed garlic cloves in a small bowl to blend. Rinse the chickens with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken cavities with salt and pepper.
3. Using your thumb and index finger, separate the skin from the chicken breasts. Place the butter under the skin on the breast meat. Pat the top of the skin to spread the butter over the breast meat. Truss the chickens (tie the legs together with kitchen twine).  Place the chickens on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan. Sprinkle the chickens and vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours, basting occasionally. 
4. When the chickens are done, their skin will be crisp and golden and an instant-read meat thermometer will register 180°F/ 82°C when inserted into the thickest part of the thighs.  Remove the chickens from the roasting pan and place on your favorite platter.  Pour the pan drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. Spoon off the fat that accumulates atop the pan juices.  Serve the chicken with the pan juices.

Ultimate Cheese Fondue

For New Year's Eve we did the fondue meal- all three courses including this ultimate cheese fondue. We had some awesome pretzel bread to dip into the cheese, along with Italian bread, veggies and apples.

Cheese Fondue
submitted by Brittany

2 cups grated Swiss cheese (I used baby Swiss which was very mild)
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tb cornstarch
Dash of pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
French bread, cubed

Melt Swiss cheese and Monterey Jack cheese in 1 3/4 cups chicken broth with garlic added.  Keep broth barely under a boil, stirring until cheese is completely melted (it will be stringy).

Combine cornstarch, pepper, salt, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce in 1/4 cup chicken broth.  Add to cheese mixture, stirring until smooth.  Put fondue mixture into a preheated fondue pot and keep at temperature hot enough to maintain desired texture without scorching.

Cut French bread into chunks. Sourdough rolls are great too.  Cut so each bite size piece has a bit of crust on it. It is a good idea to cut the bread and leave it out in the open for awhile before dipping into the fondue.  The fresher the bread, the more difficult it is to successfully dunk in the cheese fondue.  All that is left to do is eat and enjoy!

Homemade Oreos

I have made these a few other times, but made them again just last night. Love these- and I just used vanilla butter cream frosting for the filling since I always have some in the fridge. They are super sweet and yummy. I also make them a little smaller than called for since they are so rich and delicious. This particular recipe is from mycupofcake.com, but I also just recently saw it in a Paula Deen Christmas cookbook, but her recipe is doubled for a large crowd.

Homemade Oreos

      Cookies:                                                Filling:
        1 Devils Food Cake mix                         4 oz cream cheese
        2 eggs                                                       ¼ cup butter
        1/3 cup oil                                                 1 ½ cups powder sugar*
                                                                          ½ teaspoon vanilla 
       Yield: 24 cookies, 12 sandwiches

        Directions:
            1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
            2.    Mix Devil’s food cake mix, eggs, and oil together.  The dough will be very thick.
            3.    On a greased cookie sheet or on parchment paper, place dough balls about the size of a golf ball.  You will 
            need to make sure they are round and then pat them down with your fingers.
            4.    Bake for 7-10 minutes.  Wait until just after they start to “crack” on the top. 
            5.    Let cool on sheet for 2-3 minutes and then remove.
            6.   Filling: Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth.  Add vanilla. Add as much powdered sugar as 
            desired. 
            7.    Refrigerate filling in Tupperware or in a piping bag until firm and cookies are cooled.
            8.   Frost cookies and make into sandwiches. 
            9.   Refrigerate cookies for at least 2 hours and serve chilled.  Trust me, this makes them much better. 

Crispy Butterfinger Cookies

These cookies from the blog "Two Peas and Their Pod" are packed full of good stuff including Rice Krispies, chopped Butterfinger candy bars, and oats and chocolate chips. They spread thin and bake up crispy- true to their name. If you like the flavor of Butterfingers, you will like these!

Crispy Butterfinger Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 ¼ cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped Butterfinger candy bars

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. On low, add in egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Stir in the oats, cereal, chocolate chips, and Butterfinger chunks. Don’t over mix. You don’t want to crush the cereal too much.
4. Scoop dough into balls, about a tablespoon each, and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are slightly brown, the centers should still be soft. Allow cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet. Move cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.

• Chocolate Fudge Butterfinger Cookies from Picky Palate
• Butterfinger Cookies from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen
• Homemade Butterfingers from In Katrina’s Kitchen

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Two Peas & Their Pod
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/crispy-butterfinger-cookies/

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This week's cookie is one of Gabrielle's favorite- with 1/2 pound of chocolate in the recipe. When it bakes it has a cracked top that I think is reminiscent of a snowflake in the powdered sugar. This recipe is from joy of baking.com

Chocolate Crinkles Recipe 4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter 8 ounces (230 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Topping: 1 cup (110 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

Chocolate Crinkles: In a heatproof bowl, placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes). (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) Then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (several hours or even overnight). Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the sifted confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. First, form the chilled dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls, and then roll each ball in the sugar. Make sure each ball is completely coated, with no chocolate showing through. Place the sugar-covered balls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Next up: Crispy Butterfinger Cookies

Betty Crocker Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Treats

More research- this is definitely Holiday worthy! Tastes like Puppy Chow or the Chex "Muddy Buddies" in the form of a cookie. Amazing! You could add rice krispies for the cereal crunch if you wanted to. And it was not as messy as I thought it was going to be. There is a good video on Betty Crocker website demonstrating the recipe as well. I love the Betty Crocker recipes that start with a mix- all of their little pouch cookie mixes are so good with very consistent results. Pick up the seasonal flavors while you can. There are excellent pumpkin and gingerbread ones! But for now - PB&C!

Ingredients

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg until soft dough forms.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
In small microwaveable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
Place 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag; set aside. Place 12 cooled cookies in large bowl. Pour 1/3 of chocolate mixture over cookies in bowl. Using rubber spatula, toss cookies gently to coat. Place cookies in bag with powdered sugar; seal bag. Gently turn bag to coat cookies. Remove cookies from bag to cooling rack to set. Repeat with 12 more cookies and 1/2 of remaining chocolate mixture; repeat again until all cookies are coated, adding additional powdered sugar to bag as needed.