Halls Frosting

Halls "lick the bowl" Frosting

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

Blend

4 cup powdered sugar

Mix

2 TBsp milk

You can add more milk if you want a thinner consistency. 

Also, add flavor by using a packet of Duncan Hines frosting flavor

Griffin Christmas Crack

Griffin's Christmas Crack

30-40 Keebler Club Crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 bag Hershey's chocolate chips

1 bag Heath Toffee Chips

Line cookie tray with foil or parchment paper.

Melt butter and sugar in microwave

Place crackers on cookies sheet and pour butter/sugar mixture over the crackers

Bake *350 for 10-15 minutes until it's bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle Heresy's chocolate chips over and let it set and melt in. Spread evenly over the crack crust and then sprinkle Heath Toffee chips over. 

When cool, place in the freezer for 3-4 hours.

Once frozen remove and break into pieces. 

Lizzy's Banana Bread Bars

Lizzy's Banana Bread Bars

At a Power of Mom's Group night, Lizzy brought these bars and said that they have forever changed the way she sees banana bread. I have to agree! It's the frosting that sets this a 'bar' above!
We discussed some ways to make it..healthier, if there is such a thing. Those options are listed below in parentheses.

1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Sour Cream {or Greek yogurt}
1/2 cup Butter {or 1/4 c butter & 1/4 c applesauce}
2 Eggs
 3-4 Ripe Bananas, mashed
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 cups Flour, all purpose
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts {optional}
1 zucchini, shredded


Brown Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 TBsp. Milk


Directions for Bars:
Preheat oven to 375*. Greases & flour 15x10 jelly  roll pan. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts &OR zucchini if desired.
Spread batter evenly into a pan. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Directions for Frosting:
Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown & remove from heat immediately!
Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Whisk together until smooth {it should be thicker than glaze but thinner than frosting}. Using a spatula spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars, the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm.

Black Bean Coco Brownies

Black Bean Coco Brownies

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

 

3 eggs

 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

1/2 cup cocoa

 

pinch salt

 

2 teaspoons vanilla

 

3/4 cup white sugar

 

1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

 

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly grease 8x8 pan.

 

Puree beans in blender, then add the rest of ingredients and mix.

 

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

 

I left out the optional ingredients.  And I made mine in a 6x8, baked for 35 minutes and got  thicker brownies. 

Jessica's Southwest Chicken Salad

Jessica's Southwest Chicken Salad

Cooked chicken breast {this can be done with chicken spread out on foil in the oven sprinkled with salt & pepper, until internal temp reads 165*}

Romaine or salad mix 

Black beans 

Corn 

Grape tomatoes 

Purple onion

Avocado

Rinse all produce & slice up chicken breast to bite sized pieces, add ingredients to bowl. 

Dressing:

1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 c. light sour cream
1 1/2 + tsp. adobo sauce from canned chipotle chilies

Start with 1 tsp. of adobo sauce and then go from there, probably 1/4-1/2 tsp. at a time. 
1 tsp. chili powder
4 tsp. fresh lime juice
¼ tsp. salt

Mix dressing ingredients. Serve on side. 

Jessica's Sneaky Blueberry/Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

Jessica's Sneaky Blueberry/Raspberry Oatmeal Bars 

Nonstick cooking spray

2 C old-fashioned oats

1 ¼ C all-purpose flour

½ C sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ C soft tub margarine spread

1 C low-sugar blueberry/raspberry preserves (we just use the jam we can)

½ C spinach puree

1. Preheat oven to 375 coat 8x8 baking pan with spray
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, and stir to mix well.
3. Add margarine and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with 2 knives until resembles coarse meal and no longer powdery.  Don’t over mix-bits of margarine will still be visible
4. Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press rest of it firmly into the pan.  Bake until lightly browned at edges 13-15 min
5. Meanwhile mix preserves with spinach puree
6. Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.  Bake until topping is slightly browned 20-25 minutes.  Set pan on rack to cool completely.

(from Deceptively Delicious)

Peanut Butter S'more Bars

1

roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated peanut butter cookies

3

cups miniature marshmallows

1/2

cup milk chocolate chips

3/4

teaspoon oil

1

cup candy-coated chocolate candies

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In pan, break up cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly to form crust. Bake 16 to 19 minutes or until golden brown.
• 2Sprinkle crust with marshmallows. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffy.
• 3Meanwhile, in small saucepan, melt chocolate chips with oil over low heat, stirring until smooth.
• 4Sprinkle bars with candy pieces. Drizzle melted chocolate mixture over warm bars. Cool completely, about 45 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows.
• From Pillsbury

Pillow Pea Soup

Pillow Pea Soup

James Tolbert Pillow

a.k.a Uncle Jim

1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup onions, diced
2 cups celery, diced
2 cloves garlic

4 cups dried split peas {2-1lb bags}

18 cups veggie or meat stock {salt free chicken boullion preferred} 

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. thyme

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 pkg, pre-cubbed ham, optional

2 Tbspn flour, optional

Saute onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Then add broth/stock and rest of the ingredients. Simmer in large pot until peas are tender. Making sure to stir before dipping out a bowl of soup, because all the good stuff settles to the bottom!

Color Run Chicken Tortilla Soup

Color Run Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have made this several different times with all or very few of the ingredients on hand. If you don't have fresh onions or garlic skip straight to the second part and add powdered garlic and onions when you add the chili. Or if you don't have oregano add a little Italian Seasoning. I have used all chicken broth and no water, or all water with only a little chicken bullion.
Make it till you like it!
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon oil
Saute until soft
2tsp chili
1 tsp oregano
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 10.5 oz chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
Add & Simmer 5-10 minutes
1 can corn
1 can hominy
1 4oz green chiles
1 15oz black beans
2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast or 2 cans chicken
Stir in & simmer 10 minutes

Toppings:
Avocado
Cheese
Green Chilies
Green Onions
Cilantro
Sour Cream

Newburn Sweet Pulled Pork

Newburn Sweet Pulled Pork
{used for tacos, taquitos, sandwiches, flautas) 

3-5 lb tenderloin roast

18oz Dr. Pepper

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp Cumin

1 tsp garlic, minced

(can add black pepper & red pepper flakes for extra kick)

Put in crock pot on low for 8 hours 

OR In oven covered with foil 300* for 7-8 hours (draining some liquid 1/2 way thru)

Cilantro Lime Ranch

Ranch-start with 1/2 of the bottle
2 Tomatillos

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 tsp garlic

juice from 1 lime

1/2 jalapeno or 4oz small chopped can 

Blend in a blender.

Nay's Thanksgiving Rolls

 Nay's Thanksgiving Rolls

4 c. Flour, divided

5 Tbl Sugar

1 tsp. Salt 

2 pkgs yeast or 4 1/2 tsp

1 c milk

1/2 c water

1/4 c butter

Mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar & yeast in mixing bowl. 

Combine milk water & butter in pan & heat until very warm. 

Gradually add milk mixture to the dry ingredients & stir 2 minutes.

Add rest of flour to make soft dough (about 2 1/2 cups) 

Knead 5 minutes. Cover let rise 15 minutes.
Punch down. Shape, place on greased pan and let rise 15 minutes. 

Bake approximately 12 minutes 400*

Does great when you double it.

Can also swap 2 or 4 cups wheat flour for white.