Microwave Caramels

Recipe from Make it and Love it. Click here to visit their website.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• coarse sea salt (I used regular salt)

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave for 7 minutes, stirring every two minutes. Pour mixture into a generously greased (I used butter) 8 inch square baking dish.  Sprinkle sea salt over the top while it’s still sticky.  Then let cool in the fridge for 45 minutes or until hardened.  Then peel out of the pan (I used a fork to loosen up the edges) and place on a sheet of wax paper (I used parchment paper).  Then slice into pieces with a buttered knife and place on a plate (keep them separate) or wrap in small pieces of wax paper.

Debra's Easy Fudge

2 12 oz bags chocolate chips (4 cups)
1 can sweet and condensed milk
3 tbsp margarine
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c nuts if you like them.

Put everything in a microwave safe dish- microwave 3 minutes. stir until smooth and spread in a 9 x 13 buttered pan and cool.

Easy Ice Cream

This is the quickest and easiest ice cream you will ever make. It only takes 2 ingredients!!

2 liter bottle of pop (Orange, Root Beer, Raspberry cream, any flavor works)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)

Mix ingredients and put in ice cream maker. Let maker run 30-40 minutes and enjoy :)

Sweet Corn Bread

We always eat this with our Jambalaya so since I posted that recipe I just had to post this one too. This is the best corn bread you will ever eat. I don't like corn bread but I love this! And a bonus-- no eggs!!

1 1/2 C flour
2/3 C sugar
1/2 C corn meal
1 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbl margarine
1 1/4 C soymilk*
1 1/2 Tbl water, 1 1/2 Tbl oil, 1 tsp baking powder; mixed together
1/2 C oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 in square baking pan.

Whisk together flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Melt margarine in large glass bowl. Add soymilk, water/oil/baking powder mixture, and oil; mix well.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.

*Regular milk can be used in place of the soymilk.

Jambalaya

Everyone want this recipe from me so here it is:

2 Tbl. margarine
1 medium onion, diced
1 C green or red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1 lb) Kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/4 in slices
1 C uncooked rice
2 C chicken broth
2 Tbl green pepper sauce (bottled, found by the hot sauces at the store)
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

Melt margarine in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, green/red pepper, garlic, and sausage slices and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until vegetable are tender, stirring often.

Stir in rice, chicken broth, green pepper sauce, and tomatoes; mix well and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally.


(We don't like "spicey" foods so we just use 1 tsp green pepper sauce or 2 Tbl green taco sauce instead. Also, a smoked sausage instead of a Kilebasa sausage will work too. We always get the turkey flavor as that's the Andrew safe one but any flavor will work. I always use a green pepper rather than red just to add more color. And, lastly, I never have chicken broth so I just use chicken bouillon and make my own.)

45 Minute Cinnamon Rolls

A new tradition at our house is to make cinnamon rolls for April General Conference. I like this recipie becasue it is easy, yummy, fast, and makes just the right amount.  Anyway I rolled the dough out in a pam-sprayed cookie sheet (to save on clean up time), then poured on melted butter and generously poured heaps of sugar and then cinnamon. Instead of rolling it at this point, I used  a knife to cut strips (going the long direction) I made 10, it should be 12, mine were huge. After the strips are cut, roll each strip. (this was faster and easier for me, the insides did not squish out and it is easy to judge size-- try it.) I sat all of mine on the same pan spaced out, but believe me they will grow together. Don't be worried when you put them in the oven and they are small, they do 99% of the growing in the oven. Too easy to be true. I did not even think they tasted yeasty...amazing. haha  I got it from one of my favorite blogs: 

http://realmomkitchen.com/20/30-minute-rolls/

1 1/8 cups warm water
1/3 cup oil
2 T yeast
1/4 cup sugar or honey
½ tsp. Salt
1 eggs
3 ½ cups flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter, softened
cinnamon
sugar

Icing:
2 1/4 C powdered sugar
3 T butter, melted
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
milk ( probably a couple tablespoons or so for desired consistency)
Mix 1st 4 ingredients and let rest for 15 minutes. Add salt and eggs – gradually add flour.Roll out into a 9 x 13 rectangle on a well floured surface. Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle dough generously with cinnamon. Follow with sprinkling sugar over the cinnamon. This is also a generous amount. Enough to completely cover the cinnamon so you can’t see it. Roll up from the long side to make a log. Then cut into 12 slices and place on a greased cookie sheet. After shaped, let rest for 10 minutes. Bake 10 – 15 minutes @400 degrees ‘till golden brown. Remove from oven and mix up icing. Let the rolls cool a little before you put the icing on. I like to make mine on the thicker side. I like to have it thick enough you have to spoon it on and use the back side of the spoon to help it spread on the roll.

Apple Crisp (an old Pampered Chef recipe)

This is the recipe that came with my Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer (10 years ago) and I love how quick I can whip this up because I can throw it in the microwave and not heat up the house during the summer. I have also included on how to cook it in the oven.

4-6 Granny Smith apples
8 graham crackers (2 1/2 x 5 inches), finely chopped
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

1. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer. Cut apples in half; place in Deep Dish Baker.
2. Finely chop graham crackers using Food Chopper; place in Classic Batter Bowl. Add brown sugar, flour,
oats, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well. Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker(R); microwave on HIGH 1 minute
or until melted. Add butter; mix well.
3. Sprinkle graham cracker mixture evenly over apples. Microwave on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until apples
are tender, rotating dish after 6 minutes. Cool slightly; serve warm topped with whipped cream or ice cream, if
desired.

Yield: 10 servings
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 2 fruit, 2 fat (3 carb)
Cook's Tips: You'll need about 3 pounds of apples to make this recipe. If using a microwave oven without a
built-in turntable, rotate the baker after 8 minutes of cooking.
To prepare this crisp in an oven, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare recipe as directed. Cover loosely with
aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until apples are tender.

"Green" Salad Dressing

This yummy Vinaigrette dressing is from Maylin's recipe box.

Directions:

1 cup	Olive oil
¾ cup	Rice vinegar
½ cup	Sugar
1 tsp	Pepper
1 tsp	Salt
8	Green onions

1. Mix together in blender (it will turn green).

2. We enjoy this served over a “bag of salad” with chopped up chicken, Mandarin oranges, and wonton pieces that have been fried and cut into strips.

Chicken, Ham and Swiss Wraps

The original recipe is a pampered chef recipe. But I have altered it for my family tastes and what we had on hand.

Makes 6 wraps

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp Parmesan-Garlic Oil Dipping Seasoning (If you don't have this use 2 T Parmesan cheese and 1/2 T Italian Seasoning)
1 or 2 medium dill pickles, chopped (optional)
6 slices of Swiss cheese
12 thin slices deli ham (or chopped up left over ham)
6 flour tortillas

Directions:
1. Mix mayo, mustard, garlic, Parmesan seasoning. Add Chicken (and chopped ham if using leftovers).
2. To assemble wraps, layer two slices of the ham down the center of one tortilla,
overlapping as necessary; top with a slice of swiss cheese and some of the chicken mixture, sprinkle with chopped pickles (if desired). Fold in sides of tortilla and roll up like a burrito. Repeat for a total of six wraps.
3. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until tortilla shells become browned. Serve warm
4. For leftovers, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds.

Black Bean and Avocado Salad

Made this tonight ended up being pretty yummy. Caleb Loved it.

1 (15 oz.) can black beans drained and rinsed, or 2 cups cooked black beans
2 medium carrots, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium red onion diced  ( I actually didn't have any so I put green onions in instead.)
1 avocado, diced
1 Tbsp olive oil ( I used garlic infused olive oil)
   Salt and pepper to taste.

Toss it all together. Serve chilled.   I also added juice of one lime! Delish!

Artisan Bread (no-knead)

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

¼ teaspoon instant yeast

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups tap water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 ½ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at room temperature.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Liberally flour a Pastry Mat using the Flour/Sugar Shaker, and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself 3 or 4 times. Fold the 2 sides of the Pastry Mat over the bread and let it stand on the counter for 2 hours to rise.

3. 1 ½ hours into the 2 hour rising time, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place the empty Covered Baker with lid on in oven for 30 minutes. You want the Covered Baker blazing hot. Dump the dough into the Covered Baker, put the lid on and put back in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes then take the lid off. Bake for another 8 to 15 minutes until the bread is golden brown on top. Cool on a rack. OK, go ahead and eat it. We don’t have the patience to let it cool in our house either.

If you buy the 50 lb bag of bread flour and the yeast in bulk at Costco

( Keep most of the yeast frozen until needed), this bread costs

about 30 cents a loaf and takes about 4 minutes of your actual time!