Thanksgiving Traditions: Pear Pecan Salad

Pear Pecan Salad

-Jamie Cook

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce

Diced Pear

Craisins

Candied Pecans

Feta

Diced Red Onion

Dressing:

In blender combine:

4 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

4 Tbs Sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

Splash of Tabasco

Thanksgiving Traditions: Cranberry Salad & Squash

Cranberry Pomegranate Salad

-Heather Brown

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups sugar

1-2 pomegranates, depending on size, seeded

2 cups red grapes, halved

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped course

1 pint whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons sugar

*vanilla yogurt

Day Before: Process the cranberries in a food processor until chopped and small pieces remain. Do not process until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar and let stand for two hours at room temperature. Place mixture in a sieve/strainer over a bowl and let drain overnight.

Next Day: Combine cranberry mixture with grapes and pomegranate seeds. In a separate bowl whip cream, vanilla and 2 tablespoons sugar until cream is whipped. Fold cream mixture into fruit. Mix in chopped pecans just before serving to keep pecans crisp.

*The salad at recipe club had vanilla yogurt substituted for half of the whipped whipping cream. To help lighten the dish and make slightly less rich.

Mashed Butternut Squash

-Heather Brown

1-2 butternut squash

1/2-1 cube of butter

2-4 tablespoons of real maple syrup

salt, to taste

Roast or steam squash until tender. While warm peel skin off and add butter and maple syrup to warm butternut squash. Mash with a potato masher. For really creamy squash put all ingredients into a blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

*When I make this for my family I make the lesser amount and when we have company over I use the doubled ingredients.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Pie Crust

Perfect Pie Crust

-Jenn Iverson (Master Pie-Crust Maker)

1 cup butter flavored Crisco

2 cups flour (slightly heaping in MA)

1/3 cup water

1/3 teaspoon salt

Combine Crisco and flour with knife or pastry blender. Add water and salt and mix with hands. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest or 30 minutes before rolling out. Makes a double 9" crust. Bake a single crust at 400º for 10 minutes.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Oatmeal Pecan Pie

Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie

-Christina Sorensen

½ (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie dough (such as Pillsbury)

Cooking Spray

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

2/3 c. regular oats

¾ c. chopped pecans

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 large egg whites, beaten into peaks

½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 325

2. Roll dough into an 11-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under, flute.

3. Combine sugar and remaining 9 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Cranberry Relish & Brussels Sprouts

Cranberry Relish

-Christy Evans

I love this as a cranberry sauce with turkey, mashed potatoes, etc., but I also use this as jam with fresh rolls and it is delicious too! It keeps up to a week int he refrigerator or freezes up to a year in the freezer. This recipe makes a lot, so you can have a big supply in your freezer or gift it to friends for their holiday meals.

1 package fresh cranberries (about 1 1/2 cups)

8 apples - tart granny smith or golden delicious, peeled and cored

2 oranges

Put in a food processor an chop, then add one cup of sugar for each cup of fruit mix (i.e. 8 cups of fruit mix, you need 8 cups of sugar). Then put into jam jars or freezer safe Tupperware.

Chiffonade of Brussels Sprouts with diced bacon and hazelnuts

-Christy Evans

(Serves 8-10)

2 lbs. brussels sprouts

3 slices bacon, finely diced

1/2 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts *see note below

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Trim the stem end of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellow or spotted outer leaves. Cut the Brussels sprouts into 1/16 inch slices, and use your fingertips to separate the slices into shreds. (This can be a bit labor intense, if I had a food processor I would do the latter method: it definitely would be faster. This method can be fun though too. I let Eva help me with this part. She loves to wash the Brussels sprouts and peel off the outer layer. Also she then separates the shred for me.) Alternative Method, shred the Brussels sprouts using a food processor with the course shredding disk attached.

Place i a bowl and set aside until ready to saute.

Heat a 12 inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan.

Just before serving, reheat the bacon fat until hot and add the Brussels sprout to the pan. Saute until crisp-tender and bright green about 3-5 minutes. Add the bacon, hazelnuts, salt and pepper and stir to mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings and serve.

*Try to by shelled hazelnuts (also know as 'filberts' - I got mine at Russos) with the skins removed. Toast for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned. If they have skins, when they are cool enough to handle, lay them on a clean kitchen towel, or between several sheets of paper towels. Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off). You can also substitute unsalted cashews, if necessary. Toast like hazelnuts, until lightly browned about 12-15 minutes.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Pea Dish

Pea Dish

-Lindsay Bullock

2 pkg. frozen petit peas

1/2 lb. bacon

1 onion, chopped

1 lb. mushrooms, sliced

Thaw peas in large bowl. Cook bacon in large frying pan. Crumble drained bacon over peas. In 2 tablespoons bacon grease, saute onion and mushroom until tender. Add to peas and mix together. Heat in microwave until hot throughout.

Thanksgiving Traditions: Grandma's Dressing & Rolls

Grandma's Holiday Stuffing

-Ashley Boyer

1 onion, chopped
4 celery sticks, chopped
1 stick of butter
1 can chicken stock
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp sage

Take above ingredients and cover with a little water. Boil until tender.

Crumble 6 corn muffins and 6 pieces of bread in your dish--allow them to "dry out". (May want to do a couple days beforehand) .

Pour the first mixture to coat the bread crumbs and then add two eggs (that have been beaten before hand with a little water). Stir in. The mixture should be "soupy." Add a little more sage, pepper and salt. Give a final mix and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes.

Thanksgiving Rolls

-Daija Heaton

In large 4 cup glass measurer:

3 C milk, scalded

Add:

1 cube butter &

¼ C shortening

Stir in:

1 C instant potato flakes

¾ C Sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

In mixer:

Mix 4 eggs

Add above ingredients

Put in 2 C flour & mix

Add 2 tablespoons yeast

Start adding flour – about 5-6 more cups. Let mix for 5-6 minutes. If it’s very sticky, add more flour.

Oil bowl and dough

Let raise for 1-1 ½ hours (until double)

Oil hands and counter, roll out or cut out

Raise again

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Autumn Harvest Recipes

Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

-Heather Brown

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Muffins:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each nutmeg, allspice and cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray top of a muffin tin with cooking spray and line the 12 cups with liners.

Prepare filling. Beat together cream cheese and sugar, then stir in egg and vanilla. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together flour, both sugars, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and spices.

In another mixing bowl, blend oil, egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until combined.

Fill muffin cups about 1/3 of the way full with pumpkin mixture. Spoon cream cheese mixture over pumpkin, dividing evenly between all 12 cups. Spoon a drop of pumpkin batter on top of cream cheese. Pumpkin batter will be thick and will not cover entire top, so the appearance will be similar to a bulls eye.

Bake for 23-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns

-Christina Sorenson

Makes: 9 Prep: 45 min Bake: 40 min

2 tart apples, such as granny smith-peeled, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1 ½ sticks (6 oz.) butter, softened

2 cups flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup chopped pecans

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Place the apples, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon butter on a parchment paper lined baking sheet; toss to coat. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and roast until tender, 15 min. Lower the oven temperature to 350.

2. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, blend the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt at low speed. Add 5 tablespoons butter and mix until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with ½ cup cream, then mix into the dry ingredients.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to form a 9-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon. Cut up 2 tablespoons butter and dot the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top and cover evenly with the roasted apples. Roll up the dough, jelly-roll style, and cut crosswise into 9 slices; place the slices cut side down in the prepared baking pan. Bake until golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 tablespoons butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon salt and the honey to a boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Drizzle the sauce over the warm buns.

Zucchini Bread (served as muffins at the gathering)

-Jenna Turley

3 Eggs

1 C. Oil

2 C. Sugar {I use Turbinado raw sugar cane, half white, half brown}

2 C. Zucchini { 2 Large}

1 T. Pure Vanilla

1 C. White Flour

1 1/2 C. Wheat Flour

1/4 C. Milled Flax Seed

1/4 C. Unprocessed Coarse Bran

1 t. Salt

1 t. Baking Soda

1/2 t. Baking Powder

1 T. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together. No need to over stir.

Optional: Chopped walnuts, shredded or puree carrots or apples.

Also, if your child is picky about seeing "green" in foods, then peel zucchini before shredding, and use brown sugar.

Bake for 350º, for 1 hour in bread pan. For muffins 20-24 minutes. {my oven's kind of junky, so bake at least 20 minutes and then check!}

Fresh Salsa

- Jenn Iverson

½ bushel ripe garden tomatoes (4 gallons of whole tomatoes)

½ tsp. garlic salt

6 onions

3 green peppers

4 carrots

1 celery stalk

1 ½ tsp. cumin

1 ½ tsp. oregano

4 tsp. oil

5 tsp. cider vinegar

½ Tbsp. pepper

2 ½ Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. MSG (sold as Accent; I omitted this)

½ green chile pepper

3 ½ jalapeno, seeds removed

2 hot peppers (yellow or red), seeds removed

Put all vegetables through a food processor or blender. Make sure hot peppers are well-blended (for hotter salsa, don’t remove the seeds). Add remaining ingredients and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2+ hours. The longer you cook it, the thicker your salsa will be. Ladle into prepared mason jars and bottle according to canner directions for boiling water canning. Process time at sea level is 15 minutes. Yield: 12-16 pints.

Crunchy Caramel Apple Dip

- Jenn Iverson

1 cup brown sugar

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ bag Skor or Heath toffee bits (by the chocolate chips in the supermarket – Shaw’s)

Stir brown sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Add toffee bits. Slice apples and dip away!

Essence of Fall

- Ashley Boyer

In a small saucepan add the following:

• 1 orange peel
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 4 bay leaves
• 15 whole cloves

Cover with water and bring to boil for 15 minutes (watch the water level). Then simmer on low. You can reuse the same potpurri for a few times. Mmm, this smell makes me excited about fall!

Zucchini Bread

- Eliza Fajen

makes 2 loaves

bake time:1 hour oven temp: 325 degrees

* 1 cup oil
* 2 cups sugar
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups grated raw zucchini (takes about 2 nice sized ones)
* 3 cups flour
* 3 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1. blend oil and sugar well
2. add eggs - one at a time - and grated zucchini
3. sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder
4. add sifted ingredients to mixture
5. pour evenly into two greased and floured loaf pans
6. bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean
7. turn pans at half-way point

Pumpkin Squares

- Jenna Mullen

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9x13 pan.

1 package yellow cake mix (save 1 cup for topping)

1/2 cup butter

1 egg

Mix together and then press into the bottom of the pan. I like to soften the butter a little and mash it together with a fork. Then I use my clean fingers to press it in.

2 cups pumpkin

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the ingredients together and pour over the crust.

1 cup cake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

Crumble together and sprinkle on top of the filling. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.

Autumn Harvest Recipes

Acorn Squash Bisque

- Jan King

serves 8-10

4 acorn squash

1 large onion, sliced or thickly chopped

2-3 carrots, thickly sliced or a handful of baby carrots

1 cup half and half

2 cans ( or about 28 ounces) chicken stock

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

Cut squash in half. Remove seeds. PLace cut side-down on a large rimmed baking sheet with carrots and onion. Pour 1-2 cups of water in pan to cover about 1 inch of squash. Roast at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes until tender when knife is inserted into squash and carrots.

Allow squash to cool, then scoop out flesh and add to blender with carrots, onion and thyme. Add chicken stock 1 cup at a time and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. You may need to do this in batches.

Return to pan with any remaining chicken stock. Add half and half and slat and pepper to taste. Thin as needed with water or broth. Reheat in the pan (without boiling) or keep warm in a slow cooker.

My favorite spinach salad

I am trying to have a picture with each post to entice you to try the recipes but I don't have a picture of my favorite salad so I thought this image would show you how I feel about this salad!

My favorite spinach salad

-Heather Koelliker

1/2 bag of spinach
1/2 bag of romaine lettuce
(if you don't purchase bags of lettuce just use the same amounts of romaine and spinach)

1/2 cup swiss cheese
1/4 cup cottage cheese
Bacon (a couple handfuls of cooked, crispy bacon)
Red onion (I use 1/4 to 1/2 of an onion sliced up, depending on how much you like red onion)

Dressing:
1/3 cup oil (I like canola)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Toss right before serving

***Note: This dressing makes a lot and I usually only use about 1/3 of it for the salad and save the rest.

Picnic perfect pasta salad

Picnic perfect pasta salad

16-24 oz multicolored spiral noodles
2 bell peppers (yellow, orange or red)
1 tomato (remove the fleshy/seedy part of the tomato before chopping)
1 can artichoke hearts in water
1 can olives
pepperoni

Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Bottle of Italian Salad Dressing (we really like Newman's own brand- but don't use the light version)

Boil noodles according to package directions (Make sure you time this appropriately, because you don't want to over cook the noodles. I usually fun them under cold water in the strainer to stop the cooking)
Dice all the ingredients into small pieces.
Toss it all together with the Parmesan cheese and dressing to taste.

Courtesy of Lindsay Bullock

Tomato Cheese Fondue

Tomato Cheese Fondue

1 Lipton onion soup mix
2 cups tomato juice
4 Tablespoons lemon
1 lb. American cheese, shredded

Put first 3 ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer 10 mins. Slowly add cheese on low heat. (Can curdle easily if heat is too high) Heat until sauce is creamy throughout.

Courtesy of Karen Baxter

Classic Fondue Recipe

Classic Fondue Recipe

8 oz fontina or fontinella cheese
8 oz specialty provolone cheese
8-10 oz mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon shallot, minced
1 can vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Shred cheeses into medium bowl and add corn starch and blend well to coat cheese. Warm fondue pot to 300-350 and heat oil. Add garlic and shallots and cook 20 sec. Pour broth into pot and bring to a boil. Add cheese slowly into pot one handful at a time allowing cheese to melt before adding more. Use wooden spoon to stir.


Courtesy of Erin Orton

Onion Mushroom Fajitas

Onion Mushroom Fajitas

1-1 1/2 lbs chicken strips (I use chicken breasts and slice them into strips

2 cups sliced bell pepper or 8-10 oz frozen pepper blend

1 cup sliced onion (optional)

1 packet onion mushroom soup mix

3/4 cup water

Tortillas, sour cream, salsa, cheese, and guacamole

Cook chicken and add bell peppers and stir. Fry bell peppers until cooked but still crunchy. In a small bowl combine onion mushroom soup mix and water, pour over chicken and bell peppers and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve in tortillas with cheese and any other desired fix-ins. Enjoy!

Courtesy of Erin Orton

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Grilling the vegetables before you put them in the salad brings out a sweetness and flavor that you don't get from raw vegetables. You can grill them on the barbeque outside, but I prefer to use the "Coleman Lean, Mean, Fat Grilling Machine." I cover the vegetables with olive oil, kosher salt and fresh, coarsely ground pepper, and grill away. My favorite vegetables for this salad are asparagus, red onion, sweet peppers, zucchinni and yellow squash. Add these cooled, chopped vegetables to a bowl of salad greens and you have a hit salad.And don't forget a fresh, low-fat dressing:

Lemon Salad Dressing:

1/2 cup lemon juice (for best results, go freshly squozen)

2 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh oregano

1 cup olive oilkosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine all ingredients--emulsify or blend in blender.

This salad was the perfect accompaniment to fresh sweet corn on the cob, a medley of yellow, orange and red tomatoes and basil in olive oil and kosher salt, Roast Provencial Chicken, and for dessert, zucchini chocolate cake with powdered sugar glaze

Courtesy of Megan McQuivey

Tex Mex Salad

Tex Mex Salad
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Recipe By: Pam Elder (Heather Brown's mom)
Ingredients:
1 cup Newman's Own Olive Oil/Vinegar Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 ounces can green chiles, chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons salt
3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked rice, white or brown
2 cans whole corn, drained
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together, except the tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate up to one day. Add tomatoes and mix when serving. Serve on bed of lettuce.

Courtesy of Heather Brown

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sugar Cookies (Better Homes and Gardens)

½ c butter, softened
½ c shortening
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
⅛ tsp salt
3 egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla
1¾ c all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until combined scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 300° oven about 15 minutes or until sides are set (do not let edges brown). Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Courtesy of Desirae Young

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Mediterranean Couscous Salad
1½ c water
¼ tsp black pepper
1 c plain couscous (1 box)
¼ c lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into ¼” pieces
½ c loosely packed shredded basil leaves
⅓ c sliced green onions
¾ crumbled feta cheese

In medium saucepan, bring water and pepper just to a boil. Stir in couscous; cover. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork; cool, uncovered 10 minutes.
In large bowl, combine couscous, lemon juice and olive oil. Add tomatoes, zucchini, basil and green onions. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Stir in cheese before serving. Serve on lettuce leaves or as a filling for pita bread.
6 servings.

Courtesy of Desirae Young

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

baby spinach
red onion, thinly sliced
strawberries, halved
pecan halves, toasted for 6-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Dressing:
1 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil (canola or vegetable)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon grated red onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend.
Notes: The dressing makes a lot so don't use the whole amount unless you make a really BIG salad. The dressing will also keep in a container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
If you want to soften the red onion you can marinate it for a few hours in a small amount of dressing.

Courtesy of Becky Wilson and Heather Brown

Fresh Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes

Fresh Corn Salad with Black Beans and Tomatoes
Serves 8
Sweet summer corn is the star here, so don’t try using either frozen or canned corn. If you like your corn salad spicy, include some of the jalapeño seeds.
Dressing
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 jalapeno chile , stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 clove garlic , minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salad
8 ears fresh corn , husks and silks removed
1 pint grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans , rinsed
6 scallions , sliced thin
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Table salt and ground black pepper

1. For the dressing: Shake all of the dressing ingredients together in a jar with a tight fitting lid.
2. Cook the corn in 6 quarts boiling water until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut the kernels from each cob into a large mixing bowl using a paring knife. Add the tomatoes, beans, scallions, cilantro, and dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
To Make Ahead
This salad can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated a day in advance. Before serving, bring to room temperature and freshen with a squeeze of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Courtesy of Heather Brown

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Hello friends- Heather Brown introduced me to a super grain called Quinoa. I am trying to get more protein in Asher's diet and this sounded like a great idea. I mix it with some yogurt and berries for breakfast. Anyway at our June recipe club the theme was Salad and this is a yummy salad that uses Quinoa.


Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
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Recipe By: Raising the Salad Bar: Catherine Walthers
Serving Size: 6
Summary:
This is one of my personal favorites. Friends often request this quinoa salad and I happily oblige because it's a snap to make and goes well with everything. The quinoa cooks in 15 minutes, and just a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil seasons it perfectly.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped about 2 cups
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
5 radishes, cut into matchticks or grated
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Add quinoa, salt and 1 & 1/2 cups water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 13-15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, watercress, cucumber, carrot, radishes and red pepper.
3. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Add to the quinoa and vegetables and toss gently to combine. If there is any salad left over, refresh it with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil and serve at room temperature.

Courtesy of Heather Brown

Crockpot Tomato Chicken Fettuccine

Tomato Chicken Fettuccine

3 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 cloves minced garlic
(you could probably add artichokes hearts, sliced mushrooms, or whatever sounds good to you)

Put all the above ingredients in a crock pot on low for 3-6 hours (it depends on how hot your slow cooker cooks, as long as the chicken is done) . At this point I like to shred the chicken but you can leave it whole if you like.

Combine in a separate bowl:
1 pint whipping cream
3 eggs
1-2 cups Parmesan cheese

Pour in crock pot and cook one more hour.

Serve over cooked Fettuccine noodles.

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker's awesome sister in law Kelli

Summer smoothie

Summer smoothie

1 cup passion fruit juice
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen mangoes
1/2 cup ice cubes

1. Pour measured amount of liquid into blender
2. Add frozen ingredients, except ice
3. Add ice
4. Begin by blending it on low
5. After about 30 seconds blend on high until you see a whirl at the center of the blender cup.

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Fruit Salsa

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 apples, peeled, cored, and diced
1 pound strawberries, diced
8 oz raspberries (lightly chopped)
2 Tablespoons white sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
3 Tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

(you can chop the fruit in a food processor. Just don't blend them too long because they will turn to liquid. Just chop enough that they are in small pieces)

Cinnamon chips
10 flour tortillas
cooking spray
1 cup cinnamon sugar

1. In a large bowl thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white and brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again lightly with cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. (Cut wedges with a pizza cutter- it makes it much faster)
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8-10 minutes or until the chips get crisp. Repeat with remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit salsa.

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker's awesome Aunt Sandra

Black Bean Salsa

Ok-- I bet you are thinking uck....black beans! Seriously this salsa is delicious and you won't even know you are downing those healthy little beans. Try it and you might be stocking you food storage with more black beans :)

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
2 large avacados, diced
2 to 3 tomatoes, diced
1 green or red bell pepper
1 bunch cilantro, cut up
1 bunch green onions, cut up
1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad dressing mix (make as directed on package)
fresh lime juice (optional)

Mix altogether and serve with chips

Tips: I like to mix everything up the night before except for the avacados. I like to do this so the flavors can mariate together. I add the avacados right before serving.

I made this for young womens and I didn't have avacados or cilantro and it still tasted yummy.

*** Meal Idea: If you want to make this into a meal I like to grill some chicken and put it on a bed of salad and use this salsa as the dressing.

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker's awesome Aunt Sandra

Bruschetta with or without grilled chicken

Bruschetta

2 cups Roma tomatoes, seeded, and finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil -- or 1 tsp dried basil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 Tablespoons olives, finely minced
2 Tablespoons red onion finely minced

2 Tablespoons Olive oil
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt

In a bowl mix tomatoes, basil, minced garlic, olives and red onion. In a second bowl, whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Pour over tomato mixture and mix well. (May be served chilled or warmed)

As an appetizer:
Spoon the mix over sliced and toasted pieces of french baguette bread and enjoy!

Turn it into a main dish:
We love to serve this over grilled chicken but in the winter I just marinated the chicken in Good Seasonings Italian salad dressing and bake it in the oven at 400* for 30 mins.

*Another fun thing is to put the brushetta on the cooked chicken and then sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and place it under the broiler until the cheese has melted.

(When I went to the store the Roma tomatoes were really nasty looking...so I actually used vine ripened tomatoes and I think it gave it a little sweeter taste)

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker

Marinated Chicken

Marinated Chicken

½ cup oil
½ cup soy sauce
1 cup 7-up
garlic powder

Mix marinade ingredients together. Place in a sealed container or large Ziploc bag with up to 8 chicken breasts. Marinade at least 30 minutes (overnight is best). Barbeque until meat turns opaque. For additional flavor, grill with lemon slices on top.

***Note - this is the chicken Jenn put on top of her pizza

Courtesy of Jenn Iverson

Chicken Pizza Primavera

Chicken Pizza Primavera
(adapted from a Pillsbury recipe)

1 can refrigerated pizza crust (or your favorite pizza dough – I use 5 minute artisan bread)
2 Tbsp. grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
¼ to ½ tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. light ranch dressing
1 (leftover) grilled chicken breast, thinly sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup torn baby spinach
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend)
1 tsp. pizza seasoning

Heat oven to 400º. Lightly grease pizza pan or stone with cooking spray. Roll out pizza dough, pressing to the edge of the pan. Lightly spray dough with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Asiago cheese and garlic salt. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread ranch dressing over crust. Top with chicken, pepper, onion, and spinach. Sprinkle cheese and pizza seasoning on top. Bake 10-15 minutes longer until cheese is melted and pizza is hot. Cut into wedges.

Note: the pizza seasoning can usually be found in the spice aisle of the grocery store. If you don’t want to buy it, you can make your own little batch by mixing 2 T. oregano, 1 T. basil, ½ T. onion flakes, ½ T. garlic powder, ½ T. thyme, ½ T. paprika, ½ T. pepper, ½ T. ginger (opt.), and ½ T. fennel (opt.). This is nice to have around – just sprinkle it on regular tomato sauce to make pizza sauce.

Courtesy of Jenn Iverson

Chicken á la King

Chicken à la King

Ingredients:
3 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp flour
1 c chicken broth (1 c water: 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 c milk
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 c diced, cooked chicken
Directions:Melt margarine. Whisk in flour. Let bubble. Add broth and milk. Cook and stir until sauce is thick and bubbly. Season to taste. Add chicken. Heat through. Serve over biscuits, rice, or toast.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Biscuits (Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)
Ingredients:
3 c flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp cream of tarter
¾ c butter or ½ c butter and ¼ c shortening
1¼ c buttermilk or 1 c milk
Directions:
In a larger bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add buttermilk all at once. Using a fork,stir just until moistened.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing dough for 4-6 strokes or just until dough hold together. Pat or lightly roll dough until ¾" think. Cut the dough with a floured 2½" biscuit cutter.
Place biscuits 1" apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450° oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet and serve immediately.
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Courtesy of Desirae Young

Chilled Strawberry Soup

Chilled Strawberry Soup

1 cup apple juice
1 cup water, divided
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 cups fresh strawberries
3 small cartons (6 ounces each) strawberry or vanilla yogurt
2 drops red food coloring (optional) *it just makes it more red
*Additional strawberry halves for a garnish

In a sauce pan combine apple juice, 3/4 cup of the water, sugar, cinnamon and cloves. Bring these to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and cool. Place strawberries, 1/4 cup water, and yogurt in blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add cooled apple juice mixture with stawberry/yogurt mixture and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish with additional strawberry halves or slices if desired. Enjoy :)

Courtesy of Heather Koelliker

Overnight Caramel French Toast

Overnight Caramel French Toast

Ingredients:

French Baguette:

better if it's one day old--you may use French Bread but it is not as effective because it absorbs more of the egg mixture

Egg Topping:

3 Eggs

1/2 Cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Caramel Sauce:

1 Cup brown sugar

6 Tbsp butter

1/3 Cup whipping or heavy cream

1 Tbsp corn syrup

Directions:

1. Slice bread into 1-1/4" pieces.

2. On medium heat, heat all caramel sauce ingredients just until the butter melts. Do not boil.

3. Pour heated sauce into 9x13" glass dish.

4. Combine all egg ingredients into a shallow dish. Dip bread slices and coat both sides.

5. Place coated bread slices in the caramel sauce in 9x13"dish.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

7. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes (probably self explanatory but don't forget to take off the plastic wrap before baking).

Enjoy...I have found it is best served right out of the oven....if you wait too long the syrup gets really gooey and sticky and is a little harder to eat.

Courtesty of Heather Koelliker's best friend Hannah Stoehr

Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins

Healthy Banana-Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food

1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup frozen blueberries

Topping:
½ cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have ¾ cup); stir in milk and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries. Divide batter among 12-14 muffin cups. In a small bowl, mix together ingredients for topping. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 23-28 minutes.

Optional: Replace 1 cup all-purpose flour with ¾ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup wheat germ.
Alternate crumb topping (for any muffins): Combine 4 tbsp. flour, 4 tbsp. white sugar, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cut in 2 tbsp. of soft butter or margarine with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Courtesy of Jenn Iverson

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

1 package frozen hash browns
1 cup milk
1 lb. fully cooked ham, diced
4 cups (16 oz) grated cheddar cheese
7 eggs
½ tsp. mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Thaw hash browns completely. Place in a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle cheese and ham over hash browns. Beat eggs, and while mixing add milk, salt, pepper, and mustard, making sure mustard is incorporated. Pour this mixture carefully over hash browns. Cover and bake at 375º for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes, or until eggs in center are completely cooked.

Courtesy of Jenn Iverson

French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Syrup

French Toast Casserole

Spray 9x13" pan with non stick spray.
Break a loaf of French (Italian) style bread apart and place in pan. (I actually cut mine in cubes.)

Mix together:
6 oz cream cheese- softened
8 eggs
6 tablespoons butter - melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup milk
Pour mixture over the French (Italian) bread. Refrigerate overnight. Remove in the morning and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Cinnamon Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients except for evaporated milk in a saucepan and boil for 2 minutes. After 2 minutes remove pan from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Then add evaporated milk and whisk until combined. Serve warm over french toast casserole or store in refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. (This makes a lot of syrup so if you don't want extra in your fridge just half the recipe)

Courtesy of Heather Brown

Pistachio Bread

PISTACHIO BREAD

1 Package Yellow Cake Mix
1 Package Small Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
4 Eggs
1 Cup Sour Cream
l/4 Cup Water
l/2 Cup Oil

Mix together and put into two loaf pans. (Spray with Pam)

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes

Courtesty of Daija Heaton

Crepes

CREPES

Ingredients :

2 c flour
3 c milk
4 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions
Mix the ingredients well with a beater - make sure there are not a lot of lumps. Put 3-5 drops of oil in a hot frying pan (I use non-stick cooking spray). Use 1/3 c batter for one crepe. Put the batter in the hot frying pan and move the pan around so the batter evenly covers the bottom of the pan. Around 1 minute, shake the pan to see if the crepe is cooked. Shake it and flip it in the air to cook the other side (if you're up to try to flip it in the air - if not, use a spatula). Eat with sugar, jelly, nutella, ice cream, etc. If you want it salty (to use for dinner), replace the sugar and vanilla for a pinch of salt.

STRAWBERRY FILLING
Put sugar (around 1/4 cup?) in a bowl with strawberries in it and let it sit for a few minutes (10-30 minutes?) to get the strawberry juices out and mixed with the sugar. I never really measure the sugar or strawberry amounts.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Mix cream cheese with enough sugar and vanilla to make it taste good. I probably use around 1-2 tsp vanilla.



Courtesy of Desirae Young

Fondue Recipes

Hello ladies! I am sad to say I still have only received fondue recipes from one of the guests at the fondue party...so I would like to ask all of you one more time to please send me your fondue recipe. If you just added a couple ingredients together and didn't really have a recipe I would still like to know what you did. I would love to recreate the delicious dips we had that night and I am sure the rest of the guests would too!