September Recipe Exchange: Back to School Snacks

Energy Wraps

Flour tortillas
Peanut butter
Honey bunches of oats cereal
Raisins or craisins (optional)

Spread peanut butter on tortilla. Sprinkle with honey bunches of oats (and raisins, if desired). Roll up and enjoy!

I had this treat when I went on my recent white water rafting trip.

Shannon Monson

September Exchange: Fall Comfort Food Favorites

Apple Crisp Cookies

2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup molasses
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick oats
1 large granny smith apple, peeled, sliced and diced
1 jar caramel syrup

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until smooth. In another bowl, combine flour and next 4 ingredients and stir well. Add to the sugar mixture. Stir in oats and apples. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degress for 10 minutes. Cool and press an indentation with the back of a spoon into the middle of each cookie. Carefully spoon caramel into the indentations. A little bite of apple crisp in each cookie!

Jenny Orchard


Chicken and Biscuit Casserole

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 T. flour
2 T. instant onion
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheese
10 oz. frozen peas (optional)
2 oz. jar chopped pimentos (optional)
1 can refrig. biscuits
2 c. diced cooked chicken

In a saucepan, combine soup, flour, onion and milk. Remove from heat. Belend in 1 c. cheese until melted. Stir in peas, (if using) pimento, (if using) chicken, salt and pepper...beat through. Pour into 8 or 9" baking dish. Put biscuits on top and sprinkle rest of cheese on biscuits. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes until biscuits are golden brown and cooked through.

Shannon Monson

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta (this is really super!)

3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (1 inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
Cooking spray
6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)
1 c. thinly sliced shallots
8 oz. uncooked mini penne (tube shaped pasta)
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 c. (3 oz) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/3 c. (1 1/2 oz) grated fresh parm. cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425F
2. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, rosemary and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425F for 45 minutes ur until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temp to 450F.
3. Cook the bacon inn a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 tsp. drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon and shallots; set aside.
4. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
5. Combine flour and 1/2 tsp. salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stiring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11x 7--inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes or utnil cheese melts and begins to brown. Yield: 5 servings....

Shannon Monson

August Recipe Exchange: Chocolate Favorites

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake

1/2 c butter
3 Tbsp cocoa
1/2 c oil
1 c water
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt

mix well. bake at 350 degrees fro 35-40 minutes in a 9x12 pan.

Icing:
cook, but do not boil
1/2 c butter
2 1/2 Tbsp cocoa
6 Tbsp milk

add and mix well
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Put on cake at once

My good friend Carrie sent me this one:)

Jenny Orchard

Mint Stick Brownies

Brownies:

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

4 eggs

1 lb can chocolate syrup

1 cup flour

Mint Frosting:

8 tbsp butter (soft)

4 cups powdered sugar

4 tbsp milk

½ tspn peppermint extract

Few drops of green food coloring

Mix brownie ingredients and bake in a greased jelly roll pan for 20-30 minutes. Let cool.

Mix butter and powdered sugar for frosting together until creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spread over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Glaze topping:

9 squares dark baking chocolate

8 tbsp butter

Melt in double boiler. Drizzle over icing. Tilt pan back and forth until icing is completely covered. Refrigerate and eat.

Another good one from my friend Carrie!
Jenny Orchard

August Recipe Exchange: Crockpot Favorites

Creamy Chicken Stew

2-3 chicken breasts

8 med. Red potatoes

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables

½ cup sour cream

1 can cream of Chicken soup

¼ cup Italian dressing

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and cook in skillet with 2 Tbsp. Oil until browned.

In crockpot add all other ingredients.

Mix these together good then add chicken and cook 5-6 hrs. This is a great recipe to put together the night before and turn it on before you go to work. It is good to come home to such a good smell and dinner is ready. I serve this with rolls so it is a complete meal in 1 pot.

My mom recently sent me this one. Looks tasty!

Jenny Orchard

July Recipe Exchange: Fruitilicious Fruit

Fresh Strawberry Cake

( 3 - 8 inch layers)
1 stick butter
1- 6 oz. pack strawberry gelatin
1/3 cup shortening
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sliced strawberries or drained chopped frozen strawberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add strawberries and gelatin beat well. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Beat well. Fold in egg whites. Turn into 3 lightly greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake @ 350 degrees F. for 30 -35 in.

Frosting
1 box or 3/12 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh or drained frozen strawberries chopped
1/4 stick butter

Beat ingredients thoroughly. Spread between layers and on top of cake.

This was the recipe that my granny used and we loved it! Very rich!

Jenny Orchard

Strawberry Onion Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 pint strawberries, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced

Arrange on platter in layers then add:

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayo.
2 T. white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 t. poppy seeds

shake and pour over salad

This salad was brought to us when I had my third son. If became a family favorite instantly.

Pam Mueller

July Recipe Exchange: Pizzas with Pizzaz

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:
1 pkg pizza crust mix (or you can make your own or buy a pre-made crust)
½ cup BBQ sauce
1 can (13 oz) cooked chicken
1 tbspn Italian seasoning
1 small red onion, sliced in rings
1 ½ cups Colby Jack cheese

Directions:
Prepare crust and spread on BBQ sauce. In a bowl, combine chicken, seasoning and ½ cup of the cheese. Spread onto pizza crust. Lay onion rings around pizza evenly. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Jenny Orchard

Taffy Apple Pizza

Ingredients:
1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 medium Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of a round pizza stone; flatten slightly. Using lightly floured roller, roll out dough to a 14-inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone; cool completely on baking stone.
2. Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in a small bowl; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie.
3. Peel, core and slice apples. Cut apple slices in half and arrange evenly over cream cheese mixture.
4. Microwave ice cream topping on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until warm; drizzle evenly over apples. Chop peanuts; sprinkle over apples. Cut into 16 wedges.

This was one of my favorite Pampered Chef recipes.

Jenny Orchard

Hot Pocket Dough- makes six 6 inch pockets

1 C. Luke Warm Water
2 T. Olive Oil or Canola Oil

1 t. Sugar

1/2 t. Salt

3 C. Flour (I usually do Half all-purpose and half whole wheat or all whole wheat flour)

1 1/2 t. Yeast

Dough by Hand:

Dissolve Yeast in warm water. Add Oil, Sugar, and salt. Slowly mix in flour and knead. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

Dough in Bread Machine: (this is my favorite because you can throw all the ingredients in and set the dough cycle and get some other things done while it’s doing the work for you!)

Add ingredients in order your bread machine specifys (for example: for mine I need to add the liquid first, then dry ingredients, and then form a well and pour my yeast in). You don’t want your dough to raise for more than one hour. Most bread machine dough cycles will “beat” down the dough and you’ll want to take the dough out before it does that. Consult your users manual for timing and instructions on how to put the ingredients in.

1. Pre-heat oven to 375

2. When dough is ready, separate it in to 6 portions. If you want to be really exact, you can weigh the dough. I usually just eye ball it.

3. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick circles.

4. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

5. Put 1/4-1/2 cup worth of filling. If you’re making all the same kind of hot pockets mix all your filling items together and use a scoop to fill the pockets.

6. Fold dough in half over the filling and clamp edges with fork.

7. You can brush the tops with an egg white wash (1 egg white beaten with 1-2 T. water) if you want them to look really professional! (I usually don’t because I think they look delicious with out the hassle. Besides I can’t ever figure out anything to use that one egg yolk in and I hate to waste it!)

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375.

Pam Mueller

June Recipe Exchange: Awesome Appetizers

Texas Terds

Ingredients:

4 1/2 lb Hershey bars with almonds

1 16 ox container Cool Whip (they make the extra creamy)

1 box vanilla wafers

Directions:

Melt the Hershey bars and let cool slightly.  Stir in the cool whip and

refrigerate to help make slightly firm.  Crush vanilla wafers.  Roll

chocolate mixture into balls and then roll in the vanilla wafers to

coat.  Freeze.

I had these at a Stake Relief Society Conference in SC and when I asked the lady for the recipe, she was almost embarrassed to tell me the name! So yummy though!

Jenny Orchard

Oreo Truffle Balls

Ingredients:

Chocolate or Vanilla Baking Bark
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg. Oreo Cookies

Directions:

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Add solid vegetable shortening, ½ teaspoon at a time as needed to make the mixture smooth. (Do not add liquid oil or water to chocolate or it will clump.) Chop the entire package of Oreo cookies with the Food Chopper. Mix with cream cheese. Scoop out balls of mixture using the Small Scoop. Place in freezer until firm (30 minutes to 1 hour) .Dip in melted chocolate, one at a time, and place on parchment paper or wax paper until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
(freeze the balls till they are solid, dip them and get them out of the chocolate right away!!)

Other tips: I like the white chocolate ones best. Plus you can drizzle some dark chocolate over them to make creative designs. For the holidays, you can use food coloring in the white chocolate. Easy and fun!!

Jenny Orchard