Coconutty Sweet Chex Mix

1 1/2 c butter
1 c white karo (Corn Syrup)
1 c sugar
3 c rice chex
3 c corn chex
6 c golden grahams
1/2 c coconut
slivered almonds

How to make it
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In large bowl combine cereals, coconut and almonds
In saucepan combine butter, sugar and karo
Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes
Pour over cereal mixture
Spread on wax paper till slightly dry to touch
Separate into bite-sized clusters

Beignets ( Pronounced-Benyays)

I heard about these tasty little treats while watching the Princess and the Frog with my kids. I thought it would be fun to make some!

1 pack dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 + cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of warm water
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
1/4 soft shortening
Oil for frying
Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)

In a large bowl sprinkle yeast over water and stir to dissolve. Let it sit for a few minutes so the yeast will get nice and warm and happy! (You want your yeast to be warm and happy so it doesn't die) Add the sugar, salt, eggs and milk. Blend with a rotary beater. Add four cups of flour.

Cover and chill overnight.

Roll out on floured board to 1/8 inch thickness (if you want to skip the floured part- get your board wet and then roll your dough out on it- the wetness will keep the dough from sticking- same goes for your hands- run them under the water before touching the dough and the dough won't stick to your hands) Cut in to 2 1/2 inch squares.

Deep fry at 360 degrees 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Sprinkle heavily wit confectioners sugar.

Makes about 5 dozen.
Dough keeps well in refrigerator for several days. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (to keep the dough from sticking to the plastic wrap I spray mine with cooking spray) and punch down occaisionally.

These are just like scones! Delicious!

Strawberry Cream Cupcake Desserts

This recipe came from The Pampered Chef!

Crust and Cake

1 1/2 cups mini pretzel twists (about 3/4 Cup crushed)
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
1 small pkg white cake mix (9 oz)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla

Filling and Garnish

2 1/2 cup thawed frozen whipped topping, divided
2/3 cup strawberry ice cream topping, divided
1 cup sliced strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in the wells of the muffin an. For crust place pretzels into a large resealable plastic bag and finely crush. Combine pretzel crubs, butter and sugar nd mix well. Put pretzel crumbs in the bottom of each liner and press in to the liners.

2. Combine cake mix, sour cream, egg, water and vanilla and mix until smooth. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and cool completely.

3. Meanwhile combine 1 up of the whipped topping and 3 tbsp of the strawberry ice cream topping; mix well. Gently toss strawberries with 1 1/2 tbsp. of the strawberry ice cream topping.

4. When ready to serve, remove paper liners from cupcakes. Slice off tops of cupcakes. For each serving place bottom of cupcake on serving plate- scoop filling over center of the cupcake. Spoon rounded tablespoon of strawberries and juice over filling: top with cupcake top. Pipe whipped topping over desserts and drizzle with about 1 tsp slightly warmed remaining ice cream topping. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Mexican Chicken

With three little kids- I am always on the lookout for recipes that are quick and easy but also something that the whole family will eat. This is a recipe that meets those criteria. You can start this in the morning and it will be ready to eat by dinner time!

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can diced tomatoes- drained
1 cup Salsa
2 cups of cheese
chopped onion- optional

4-6 chicken breasts (mine are usually frozen when I put them in the crockpot- that is why I cook them for so long.

Mix the Cream of Chicken Soup, diced tomatoes, and salsa together in a bowl. Place your chicken breasts in your crockpot and then pour the mixture over the top. Cook on high for 6 hours. Right before you are ready to serve them mix in the 2 cups of cheese.

Pour the extra sauce over rice. Delicious!

Homemade White Bread

The credit for this recipe goes to my Mother in Law Jana Bradshaw- she came to my house and made this bread for us- it is delicious!!! I think my favorite part is that it is easy and most of the ingredients you will have around your house. You can also use this dough to make scones- also delicious! Enjoy!


Mix the following until smooth:

5 cups of hot water
2 tbsp salt
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 cup oil
4 cups Bread Flour

Add to the top and knead together:

3 cups of Bread Flour
2 tbsp Quick Rise Yeast
Add more flour as needed. Total flour will be about 10 to 12 cups.

Cover and let rise (I covered mine with saran wrap that I sprayed with cooking spray so the dough wouldn't stick to it as it was rising.) it will double in size- punch it down and let it rise again. Knead again and divide into four sections and place in greased medium size loaf pans. Let rise until desired size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chicken Rolls

Ok I am sure that you have seen this recipe or even made this one before but I changed it completely because I have a husband who doesn't like sour cream- darn it!

So here is my variation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


2 cans of crescent rolls (doesn't matter which brand you use- so I always go with what is on sale)

2 chicken breasts (boil these until fully cooked and then shred them up)
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 8 oz package of Cream Cheese- softened
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

After the chicken breasts are cooked and shredded- combine the cans of cream of chicken soup and cream cheese in a bowl- mix together

Roll out the crescent rolls and then get out your rolling pin and roll them even larger- this way you can get more of the filling in them. Drop the filling by scoopful in the middle of the crescent roll dough and then roll it up in a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet- just spray the cookie sheet with pam or something- it is just enough to keep the chicken roll from sticking to the pan after cooking.

Put the cookie sheet in the preheated oven (350 degrees) and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and top with your choice of gravy- we like to just take a can of cream of chicken soup and half a can of water and heat that on the stove until mixed together and then pour it all over the rolls and the rice or potatoes.

I have a family of four and really we can get by with 8 (one roll of crescent rolls) so I froze the other 8 for another dinner.

Turkey and Cheese Roll Ups

Thanks to my sister Jennifer who gave me this recipe- they are great on a night that you need dinner on the table fast!

You will need:

Turkey Lunch Meat or your choice
Croissant Dough ( the pillsbury kind that comes in a tube)
Cheese -you can use processed cheese slices or the real thing- it's your choice

Heat your oven to 350 degrees

Separate the croissants and then take your lunch meat (you can use what ever you like) and cut it to fit the flattened croissant. Place a piece of cheese on top of the meat and then roll it up like you would a croissant. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes- if you double the recipe and put them on the same baking sheet allow extra time. (Croissants come 8 to a package- at least the ones that I have purchased have)

Serve them with Soup

HAWAIIAN HAYSTACK OR CHICKEN SUNDAE

Toppings:

Pineapple tidbits
Chopped green onions
Chopped green pepper
Chopped celery
Diced tomatoes
Cooked chicken, cut into bite size pieces
Cooked rice
Sliced water chestnuts
Grated Cheddar cheese
Chow mein noodles
Coconut
Toasted almonds (slivered)

Pick the ones that your family likes or add different ones.
Put rice on your plate then some chicken, cover with chicken gravy and then top it with any or all of the above ingredients. You can put more gravy on.

CHICKEN GRAVY:

2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth (if you boil your chicken- you could use the broth for this to make your gravy)

Heat. Until Warmed through.

Cinnamon Crisp-Topped Cream Cheese Banana Bread

I got this recipe about a year or so ago off of Good Things Utah- a morning show on one of our television stations. (www.abc4.com) It is easy to make and so delicious!

3/4 Cup of Butter or Margerine Softened
1 (8oz) pkg Cream Cheese softened
2 cups of sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon each of baking powder, baking soda and salt
1 1/2 Cups mashed Bananas
1/2 Vanilla extract

Topping
1/2 Cup brown sugar packed firmly
1/2 chopped and toasted pecans
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8X4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle with the topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and sides pulls away from the pan, shielding with aluminum foil last 15 minutes to prevent browing if neccessary. Cool bread in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove pans and cool 30 minutes on wire racks before slicing.

Italian Bake

8 ounces pasta (I usually use the bow tie or the spiral ones, not sure what they're called.)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 lb. ground beef or chicken
2 cups grated mozzarella

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain. Cook the hamburger or chicken. (If you're using chicken, cut it up into bite sized pieces.) In a bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce and salad dressing mix; add pasta and mix together. Place the meat on the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread the sauce/pasta on top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

Tomato-Basil Chicken

Simple and delicious for anytime of year!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
5 ounces tomato-basil wheat thins, about half a box
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Parsley, flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk

Pour yogurt into a small dish. Crush crackers into fine crumbs. In a separate dish, blend cracker crumbs with parmesan cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken breast halves into yogurt, coating both sides. Roll in crumbs until well coated. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. For sauce, combine soup and milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over chicken.

Pork Chops and Rice

This is a recipe that we love in our family! Hope your family will love it too!

Pork Chops (as many as you need for your family- usually 6 average size pork chops can fit in a 13X9 cake pan depending on the size you like to use)
2 cups of rice (we use white rice)
4 cups of water
4 wylers beef boulion cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Brown your pork chops
pour the water in a pot along with the 4 beef boulion cubes- boil the water and boulion cubes

Measure the 2 cups of rice and pour them in a cake pan. After the water and boulion cubes have boiled- pour the water in with the rice in the cake pan.

When the pork chops are fryed and cooked all the way through- arrange them in the cake pan on top of the rice and cover the pan with tin foil.

Place the cake pan in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.