Make Your Tastebuds Dance

In a saucepan combine:

1 cup sugar
3 whisked egg yolks

Stir together well and add:

1 cup canned milk
1 cube of melted butter

Heat until it starts to bubble.  Cook for nine minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add:
1 1/2 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well and let cool.  Then spread over your favorite chocolate cake or brownies.  Here is my favorite brownie choice: Brownies

Here is another great zucchini bread recipe.  This one is from my friend, Khyra.

3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. raw, peeled, grated zucchini
3 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon
1/3 t. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla and mix well.

Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder together & add zucchini mixture, blending well.  Stir in chopped nuts.
Prepare a sugar cinnamon mixture.  Grease & sugar(using cinnamon sugar) two loaf pans.  Pour batter into pans.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top.  Bake at 350 for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't overbake.

I have two recipes I like for zucchini bread. When I pulled them together to prepare to post them here, I realized they are nearly the same. The major difference is one has a blend of delicious Fall spices and the other one has cinnamon chips. We use the food processor to grate our zucchini quickly. I like to grate up a bunch and measure 2 cups of zucchini into ziplock bags to keep in the freezer to quickly make zucchini bread all year long.


Zucchini Bread
Recipe by Paula Smith, slightly modified

3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c oil
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
3 t vanilla

Sugar 2 loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray and then shaking around a few tablespoons of sugar until coated. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Combine wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.



Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread (variation)
Recipe adapted from Kelly Meppen

Follow recipe above, but omit cloves and nutmeg. Add 1/2 c sour cream to the wet ingredients. Replace the brown sugar with a second cup of white sugar (so 2 cups total of white sugar). Follow the directions, but stir 1 1/2 c cinnamon chips into the batter before pouring into pans.

Butternut Squash

Cut squash in half length-wise.  Scoop out seeds and strings.  Place in glass baking dish, flesh-side down, add 1-2 T of water, and cover with plastic wrap.  Steam in the microwave for 10 minutes.  Check to see if squash is soft, cook additional 2 minutes if needed.  Scoop out squash and place in a food processor.  Add a small amount of water to reach desired consistency.

Sweet Potatoes

Scrub potatoes, prick with a fork all over, wrap in a damp paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap and twist ends and fold them under.  Place in the microwave and steam for 6-8 minutes.  If you are doing more than 1, cook for 8 minutes. If it is a big sweet potato, cook for 9 minutes and check to see if it is soft.  Allow to cool. Scoop out potatoes and place in a food processor.  Add water if needed.

Carrots

Wash 1 lb. baby carrots.  Place in microwave-safe bowl, add 1-2 T water, cover with plastic wrap.  Steam for 2 1/2 minutes, stir, cook an additional 2 1/2 minutes.  Allow to stand, covered for 5 minutes.  Mix in food processor and add water if needed.

Spoon into ice cube trays and freeze.  Place cubes into labeled freezer Ziploc bags.  Take out 1-2 cubes for a meal.  Thaw in fridge or defrost in the microwave.

Recipe Sources: spoonuniversity.com, Grimmway.com, sheaffertoldmeto.com

We love to make pizza at our house and this is a really great dough recipe.

Yield: two 12 inch pizzas

2 1/2 t. yeast
1 c. very warm water
1 t. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
2 T. olive oil
extra flour if needed

Dissolve yeast in water; let stand 10 minutes.
Add flour and salt and mix.  Add olive oil and mix.  Knead in mixer for 7 minutes, until soft and smooth.  Add a T or more of water, if needed.  Dough should not stick to side of bowl, add a little more flour if needed.  Spray with cooking spray and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Let rise for an hour.

Divide dough in half. I like to bake my pizza on a pizza stone.  I roll out dough onto parchment paper and prepare with toppings.  I preheat my pizza stone at 500 degrees for 25 minutes, then lower to 475 degrees and put the pizza on the pizza stone, in the oven.  Pizza peels are perfect for transferring the pizzas to and from the oven.

Recipe Source: Old Stone Oven

1 c. shortening (can use 1/2 butter)
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 qt. buttermilk
6 c. Kellogg's All Bran
5 c. flour
5 t. soda
1 t. salt
2 c. boiling water

Pour boiling water over bran and shortening.  Let cool and add the rest of the ingredients.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Nuts, dates, or raising may be added.  This makes a large batch.  Use what you need and then store in a covered container for up to two weeks.

Another great quiche recipe from my friend Angie!

1 pie crust, homemade or a frozen pie crust
1/2 c. chopped onion
6 slices bacon
8 beaten eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. half-and-half, cream, or milk
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
dash of nutmeg, optional
3 c. lightly packed, chopped spinach
2/3 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
tomatoes, chopped--optional

I have been making French dip sandwiches for years, but I recently tried this recipe my friend recommended and I am in love.  It's the best French dip I've ever had.


1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns, such as ciabatta
sliced Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese--optional
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.
When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You’re not cooking the meat, you’re just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices.
*Missy's note: I didn't sear my roast because it was frozen, and it was still very juicy.  I placed in the crockpot for an hour on high, then seasoned with s&p, and soup mix.  Then let cook another hour and poured water and broth on top.
Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It’s done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.
Place meat in crusty rolls and serve or if desired, top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty.
Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!
Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.

Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

My friend made me this yummy chicken chili and it was really good!

2 cans - rotel tomatoes
2 cans - great northern beans (drained)
2 cans - shoepeg corn
2 cans - chunk chicken breast or 2 c. cooked and shredded chicken
1 package - McCormick slow cookers fiesta chicken
Chicken broth - use to create the consistency you desire
Top with cheese

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high 2-3 hours.

I combined a couple recipes to make this amazing baked French toast.  It's nice to let the oven do the work and not have to stand around a griddle making breakfast.  I loved how crunchy this was and the flavor was awesome!

• 8 pieces Texas Toast bread
• 2 c. milk
• 4 eggs
• 2 T. vanilla
• 2 T. granulated sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 3 T. butter
• maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or aluminum foil and set aside.
Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon. Lay the slices of bread on another (rimmed) baking sheet, then pour the mixture over the bread. Allow it to stand for 10-15 minutes or until the bread soaks up the egg/milk mixture (you can carefully flip the bread over if you want to hurry the process along).
When the bread is almost done soaking up the egg mixture, place a 1 1/2 tablespoons butter on the lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the butter is melting. Remove the pan from the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the butter over the baking sheet. Carefully transfer the soaked bread from one pan to the other pan. Place in the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes.
When the time is almost up, melt the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter. Remove the pan from the oven and brush the top of the bread with the remaining butter, then use a spatula to flip the bread and return it to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bread is cooked through and the pieces are fluffy and golden. Take car to not overcook, you don't want the French toast to be too crunchy.  Remove from the oven. Serve with additional butter and plenty of maple syrup.

Recipe Source: adapted from Sweet Rose Studio & Our Best Bites

These grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing, but definitely a splurge.  We like to serve them with tomato-basil soup!

• 3ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1⁄2cup mayonnaise
• 2cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1⁄2teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1⁄4teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 12slices Texas toast thick bread
• 1⁄2cup butter, softened, more if needed
• Blend all ingredients except bread and butter in a medium bowl.
• Butter one side of each slice of bread.
• Put sandwiches together using about 1/2 cup of filling each.
• Place buttered side of bread on the outside of sandwich.
• Toast on griddle or in skillet until a deep golden brown. Make sure you cook this slowly over low to med-low heat, so that the inside has a chance to melt before the outside gets too done. Kick up the heat when it gets going.
• *Depending on the size of your bread, this makes 6-10 sandwiches.

Our entire extended family just loves this soup.  My friend made it recently for us when we went to her home for lunch.  I shared it with my family and it was a hit!  We like to serve this soup with these grilled cheese sandwiches.

• 2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 10-ounce can tomato sauce
• ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 cup heavy cream OR half & half
• 2 cups milk
• 
  

Sauce:
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth
• 5 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Beef and Broccoli:
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into 2-inch-wide strips with the grain, then sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch-thick slices (I like to use the pre-cut beef labeled "stir fry" 
• 6 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
• 1 1/4 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 medium scallions, sliced 1/2-inch thick on diagonal, optional

1. In a medium bowl, combine beef and soy sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together in a liquid measure or small bowl. In another small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, and 1 teaspoon peanut oil. Set aside.
2. Heat 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and rippling. Add half of beef to skillet and break up clumps; cook, without stirring, for 1 minute, then stir and cook until beef is browned around edges and cooked through, about 1-2 minutes. Don't overcook the meat - cook until just barely cooked through so the meat stays tender. Transfer beef to a medium bowl and cover with a lid and tin foil. Heat another 1-2 teaspoons peanut oil in the skillet and repeat with remaining beef.
3. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil to now-empty skillet; heat until rippling and hot. Add broccoli and cook 30 seconds; add water, cover pan, and lower heat to medium. Steam broccoli until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Push the broccoli to the sides of the skillet and add the garlic/ginger mixture. Cook, mashing the mixture with a spoon, until fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Stir the mixture into the broccoli. Add the beef back to skillet and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and evenly distributed, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions, and serve - or be like me and serve it straight out of the skillet!

This is such good ham.  I once made it for Thanksgiving and we all loved it. My friend and I both prefer this over spiral ham now.  We just had it for Easter dinner and it was delicious!

• 5-7 pound precooked bone-in ham (not a spiral ham, but an unsliced cut ham, preferably bone-in)
• White distilled vinegar (around 1-3 cups)
• Water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground dry mustard

1. Place the ham in a large pot and cover with 2 parts water to 1 part vinegar until the ham is covered by at least an inch or two of liquid. Bring to a boil and cook, boiling vigorously, for 2-3 hours, until the meat easily falls off the bone. Liquid will most likely splash out during cooking if your pot is as full as mine so take care that the hot liquid doesn't splash on anyone nearby. Once the water/vinegar came to a rolling boil, I lowered the heat to a bit above medium. It maintained the vigorous boil but didn't splash as much. Do not over-boil, you want the ham to be pulling apart from the bone and be tender.  Larger hams will require closer to 3 hours.
2. After the allotted time, carefully remove the ham from the pot, discarding the liquid, and let it cool until it is easier to remove the meat from the bones. Shred the ham, discarding the fat and bones, and place half in a 9X9-inch baking dish (or a similar size). In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and mustard. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the ham. Layer the rest of the ham on top and sprinkle with the remaining sugar/mustard mixture. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

I love this biscuit recipe.  I like to serve it with sausage gravy.  I have tried several biscuit recipes in the past and have never like them, but this one is yummy!  The key is to use a food processor and to not overwork the dough.  It is also important to fold the dough a few times before cutting them into circles (this makes all the yummy layers).

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons very cold butter cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, more or less (here is a guide for making your own buttermilk)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is in small, pellet-sized pieces (slightly smaller than a pea). 
2. Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together but you don't want to overmix the dough. If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together.
3. Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat (do not roll with a rolling pin!) the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Gently fold the dough in half or in thirds, repeating for a total of 4-5 times and pressing it gently to 1-inch thick after the last fold. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create flaky layers in the biscuits.
4. Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into circles. Do not turn the cutter while pressing into the dough, just press firmly enough to cut all the way through the dough.
5. Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper. Place the biscuits on the pan with the sides barely touching each other. This helps the biscuits rise up instead of out. If you like crustier sides to your biscuits, space them further apart. They won't rise as high but they'll have golden edges.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and bottom, do not overbake.

We love yogurt parfaits and this is my favorite granola recipe!

*makes 10 cups

1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
5 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cooking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Whisk together maple syrup, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and salt.  Fold in rolled oats and pecans.  Mix until the dry mixture is thoroughly coated.
Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet.  Spread evenly across baking sheet.  Get hands wet and press down on top to compact it.  

Bake for 30-45 minutes until mixture is firm and lightly golden brown in color.  Rotate baking sheet midway through baking.  Break room temperature granola into bite size pieces.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one month.

This is my best friend's recipe and she is a great cook.  We all love this lasagna!

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 ounces (about 1/4 cup ) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or Mini M&M's

Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined. Add the flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.  Add chocolate chips and mix until just combined.  Chill dough in fridge for a few hours or in the freezer for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray 9x13 pan.  Drop handfuls of dough all over cookie sheet.  Press with hands to fill the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until deep golden brown, don't overcook!

*It is also delicious to use white chocolate chips and 1 cup Macadamia nuts.

My friend brought us this meal when I had my baby recently and it was delicious!

Marinade
1 bottle of Jan Daniel's Original No. 7 Barbecue Sauce
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. lemon juice
pepper
1.5-2 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Marinate ribs in marinade overnight or for a few hours.  Cook in crockpot on low for 7 hours or on high for 4-5.  Remove pork from crockpot and shred and discard fat.  Place the pork back in the juices.  Pour off a little of the liquid if it is too juicy.  Serve alone or on rolls or buns.

This is such a yummy recipe and is a new family favorite!

Freeze Cookie Sheet For 1 hour

1⁄2 gallon vanilla ice cream, scooped into large balls, approx. 13 balls per 1⁄2 gallon and place on cold cookie sheet. Return to freezer for a day.

Crush in food processer or blender:

1 box vanilla wafers

3 cups corn flakes

1/3 cup brown sugar

Roll ice cream balls in crumb mixture, 4 beaten eggs, then roll in the crumbs again. Return to freezer for a day.
*If you don't have time to freeze for an entire day, each step can be done for 6 hours instead.

Deep fat fry at 350 for approx. 10 seconds, 5 seconds each side. Use a wire strainer (about 5” with a handle, utensil type strainer) to scoop the loose crumbs from the oil after frying every 2 balls if you need to.

Cover with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

1 cup sugar
4 T. butter
3⁄4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream pinch of salt

Ahead of time, heat cream in microwave for 40 seconds.

Heat a heavy saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes.

 Pour in sugar and stir until completely melted and amber in color, about 3

minutes. Reduce heat to low, add butter all at once. Stir to combine, mixture will bubble up.

Add the heated cream, 2 T at a time to the sugar and butter stirring constantly, keeping a steady boil.

Continue until caramel sauce is melted and smooth.  If chunks of sugar remain, pour in blender and blend until smooth.
This can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Tastes like Werther’s Caramels!