Guacamole

Got this recipe from Tom and Marinda after her first choir concert at UWT.

3 avocados                          ½ medium onion, diced

1 lime, Juiced                     ½ jalapeno pepper, Minced

½ teaspoon salt                2 tomatoes, Diced

½ teaspoon cumin           1 tablespoon cilantro

½ teaspoon cayenne      1 clove garlic

 

                In a large bowl place the avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat.  Drain and reserve the lime juice, after all the avocados have been coated.  Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash.  Then fold in the onions, Jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro and garlic.  Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice.  Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.  (It is still good if you don’t wait the full hour, say after only 3 minutes….)

Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Dream Bars

1 cup melted butter 

1 cup brown sugar (I used Dark brown sugar)

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/4 cups Quick Cooking oatmeal (NOT instant)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2  cup peanut butter (I used creamy)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 King size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup candy bars, roughly chopped
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
 

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9×13 pan with tin foil and spray lightly with PAM. 

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar, soda, oatmeal, flour & salt until it’s crumbly.

Set aside about 1 cup or a little more.
Press the rest of the crust into prepared pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes.

While crust is cooking, in a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk.
Once crust has baked, evenly pour and spread peanut butter filling over the baked crust.Be gentle so you don’t pull up the warm crust while you spread the filling.  

Evenly sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top of the peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk mixture. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle the chopped candy bars and chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to oven to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until topping is light golden brown and candy bars/chips are melting.
Allow to cool to make cutting and serving easier.  

Shrimp Fried Rice

1 cup of cooked rice
1/2 pound large shrimp, cleaned and chopped to bite sized pieces
2 eggs
2 green onions (scallions) green part chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of carrots, diced small
1/2 cup of peas
1 red onion, chopped or sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons Olive Oil or peanut oil for frying

Beat eggs and set aside. Using a Wok or large Skillet, put heat up to high. When pan is very hot, Add peanut oil or olive oil and when it reaches a very hot temperature add your shrimp and cook and stir constantly until it just turns pink. Remove the shrimp to a plate and drain most of the oil, leaving just a small amount. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add petite mixed vegetables and keep stirring. Next add oyster sauce and stir again. Then add in beaten eggs and rice, stirring until eggs are cooked. Add soy sauce, and sesame oil and stir well while cooking. Finally, add the chopped green onion and stir for about a minute. Serve warm.

STARBUCKS LEMON LOAF

(This is a Top Secret recipe version of Starbucks Lemon loaf.)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup(s) FLOUR
1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
1/2 tsp SALT
3 EGGS
1 cup(s) SUGAR
2 TBS BUTTER; Softened.
1 tsp VANILLA
1 tsp LEMON EXTRACT
1/3 cup(s) LEMON JUICE
1/2 cup(s) OIL

Lemon Icing Ingredients:
1 cup POWDERED SUGAR; Plus 1 Tablespoon.
2 TBS WHOLE MILK; I Used 2%.
1/2 tsp LEMON EXTRACT

Instructions:
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
Use a mixer to blend together the eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice in a medium bowl.
Pour wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and blend until smooth.
Add oil and mix well.
Pour batter into a well greased 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into center of the cake comes out clean.
Make the lemon icing by combining all the icing ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer on low speed.
When the loaf is cool, remove it from pan and frost the top with the icing.
Let the icing set up before slicing.

Make-Ahead Snowman Cheese Ball

3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
2 tablespoons basil pesto
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/4 teaspoon yellow mustard
2 drops red pepper sauce
1 container (4 ounces) whipped cream cheese, softened
Decorations (see Success Hint), if desired
Assorted crackers, if desired

Mix 3 packages cream cheese and the Cheddar cheese; divide into 3 equal parts. Combine 2 parts to equal two-thirds of mixture; mix in pesto. Mix onion, mustard and pepper sauce into remaining one-third mixture.
Cover each cheese mixture and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Shape each cheese mixture into ball. Wrap each ball, label and freeze.
About 12 hours before serving, remove balls from freezer. Thaw in wrappers in refrigerator.
Arrange balls on serving plate with smaller ball on top for head of snowman. Frost snowman with whipped cream cheese before serving. Decorate as desired. Serve with crackers. Store covered in refrigerator.

Makes 7 cups spread

Success hint: Use your imagination to decorate this whimsical snowman! You can use fresh rosemary and dried cranberries (crown), chopped olive pieces or raisins (eyes and buttons), pimiento or red bell pepper (mouth), radicchio or carrot ribbon (scarf), and asparagus spears or celery sticks (arms).

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

2 sticks of butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 reg. bag of pretzels (you'll use about 3/4 of the bag)
12 ounce bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt - ( I use our coarse sea salt with our grinder)

Preheat the oven to 400.

Line a large bar pan with parchment paper, cover with pretzels
In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat. When it begins to bubble add the brown sugar. Stirring occasionally let the butter/sugar mixture meld together and brown. This should take about 3 minutes. Do NOT let it boil, you will have sticky goo that is no good. When you have a nice, brown caramel pour it over the pretzels, slowly and evenly. You can then use a spatula to spread it out, you have to work quickly and gently. It hardens fast so even pouring is the best method.

Bake the sheet for 5 minutes.

Remove the sheet from the oven and sprinkle the whole bag of chocolate chips evenly over the mixture.

Place back in the oven for about 45 seconds. If you let it sit there too long the chocolate will burn.

Remove from the oven and use a silicone spatula to evenly spread the chocolate over the top.

Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

rock candy

how to grow your very own rock candy (also works as a science experiment).

Cream Cheese Mints

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
exactly 1/2 teaspoon peppermint or spearmint extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, add the extract and some of the powdered sugar and mix until combined well. Then add the remaining sugar and mix until well combined.

Shape into 1/2" balls and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Press flat with a fork and then chill until ready to serve. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks or freeze for up to two months.

history: 

My Mom used to make these little candies for the holidays and it only took her a few minutes to whip up a batch to give as gifts. She would get a pretty red cookie tin and add some tissue paper and put these little creamy mints inside. Everyone loved them. Sometimes she would add food coloring to make them red and green or whatever color looked festive. Sometimes she would roll them in sugar or add little silver or red jimmies and other decorations. We loved them too!

PAULA DEEN'S 5 MINUTE FUDGE

Prep Time: 5 mins 
Total Time: 15 mins 
Servings: 20-30 
About This Recipe
"Paula Deen is a wonderful cook. She makes down home comfort food. Everything she makes is mouth watering. This fudge is very good and easy to make!"
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) packages milk chocolate chips
16 large marshmallows
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
Direction
1.Combine sugar, milk, butter and salt in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
2.Add in chocolate chips; cook until melted.
3.Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows, vanilla and nuts. Mix well.
4.Pour into a 8-inch pan.
Cool cut into squares.

TWO-MINUTE MICROWAVE FUDGE

delicious!

Ingredients
1 lb powdered sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions
Sift powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt into a 1 quart microwave safe bowl.
Stir in milk and vanilla.
Mix well.
Place butter on top.
Microwave on high, 2 minutes.
Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.
Stir in nuts (OPTIONAL).
Spread in 8 X 8 X 2 inch baking pan.
Chill about 1 hour or until firm.
Cut into pieces.