J is for Jam {Strawberry}

Favorite Strawberry Freezer Jam Recipe

1 box Sure-Jell (pink box)

4 pt. strawberries

3 cups sugar

6 (8oz) jars

1) blend berries until just a few junks remain

2) measure 4 cups of blended strawberries in to bowl

3) mix together contents of sure-jell and 3 cups sugar in a small pan. Add 1 cup water. Stir constantly until boils. Boil 1 minute.

4) stir pectin & sugar mixture into fruit. stir well. pour into jars (leave room at top for freezer expansion)

5) let set for 24 hours before freezing.

S is for Salmon

TIP: {Before starting any salmon recipe, always rinse the fish very well after filleting. If your fish is sticking to your grill, raise the temp to 350 - 375 degrees}

Simple Salmon Recipe

Sprinkle lightly with Salt, Pepper, & Seasoned Salt.

Grill, skin side down, at 325 degrees for 5 minutes. Flip to other side and grill for 5 minutes. Flip back to skin side and finish grilling until light, and flakey all the way through {10-12 minutes or less of total grilling time}

~lovely with spinach salad, and fresh melons

Pacific Northwest Salmon Recipe

Soak in gallon zip bag for 30 minutes with:

1 cup Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbls. Mesquite Liquid Smoke

1 Tbls. Fresh minced garlic

Remove from bag and lightly sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place on 325 degree grill, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes. Flip to other side and cook for 5 minutes. Flip back over to skin side and while it finishes up the cooking process, place 1 Tbls. pats of butter on fish {3 on each fillet}. Grill until salmon is light, and flakey all the way through {10-12 minutes or less total grill time}.

~ lovely with grilled {sugar dot} corn-on-the-cob, fresh fruit salad, and summer salad

Baja Style Salmon Recipe

Soak in gallon zip bag for 30 minutes with:

2 cups Yoshida Sauce

1 cup soy sauce

2 Tbls. Garlic

1/4 cup freshly peeled and chopped ginger

1 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Remove from bag and place skin side down on a 325 degree grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip to other side and cook for 5 minutes. Flip back to skin side and grill until fish is light and flakey {10-12 minutes or less of total gill time}.

G if for Goulash

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey breast
1 onion chopped large
1 tbls. minced garlic
(paprika; optional)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato soup
3 cups macaroni noodles
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Brown meat with salt and pepper.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent (about medium to medium high heat, depending on your stove). Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato soup.  Cook until starts to boil.  Add macaroni and stir until macaroni is covered.  Place lid on and cook for about 10 minutes (until macaroni is soft).  Sprinkle cheese and replace lid for about 3 minutes.

S is for Stroganoff

2 lbs beef (cubed round steak, or ground beef are my favorite)
1 onion; diced
2 tbls. minced garlic

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 pint sour cream
2 tbls. parsley
beef broth

curly egg noodles

Cook in crock pot for 6 hours: beef, onion, and garlic. OR Saute' in a pan with butter and flour.  I like the crock pot because the meat is much more tender.  When finished in crock pot, place in a large fry pan and add soup, mushrooms, and paprika.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add sour cream and beef stock to thin out if desired.  Heat thoroughly but do not boil.  Sprinkle with parsley and serve over egg noodles prepared according to package directions.

B is for Brownies with Berries

Brownie
1 Brownie Mix
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/3 cup water

Bake per box instructions.  (I used this demarle pan for these)

Hot Fudge Topping
In a sauce pan, on medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter and 10 large handfuls of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Add 1 can sweetened condensed milk, stirring well.   Once everything is combined stir in about 1/4 cup of milk to thin out.  Do not boil or simmer.

On this brownie I used fresh strawberries and shredded white vanilla chocolate.  If you would like a berry sauce, I suggest using frozen raspberries.

Berry Sauce
2 bags frozen raspberries
1 cup sugar

In a sauce pan heat one bag of frozen raspberries and sugar.  Stir until begins to boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the other bag of berries. Stir until well combined and mostly melted.  Top on brownies (add a bit of cream also).

L is for Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 Betty Crocker Lemon Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

Bake according to box directions.  Let cool.

Filling
1 box cooked lemon meringue pudding/pie filling prepared per box instructions; cool.

Topping
6 egg whites
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

Mix egg whites until frothy and starts holding form.  Add sugar and beat until holds form well. Don't over beat.

Assembly
To fill:  place pudding into a decorating bag with a large filling tip.  Push tip through top of cupcake and fill with pudding.  Do not over fill. You will know it is too full if it starts pushing up through the cupcake.

To top:  place meringue in a decorating bag with desired tip.  Swirl around top of cupcakes.  Place into a 350 degree preheated oven.  Leave in until meringue starts to brown. Watch Carefully!!!

P is for Pork Roast (in gravy)

1 frozen pork roast (I get Costco's)
Salt
Pepper
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 can of French Fried Onions
2 cups water
2 chicken boullion cubes

Cook in crock pot on high for 6 - 8 hours.  I love this recipe because when its finished cooking this is what it looks like; shredded pork in its own gravy.  I serve it with skin in mashed red potatoes.  YUM!

H for Hearty, Healthy, Hot Granola

The perfect breakfast for these cold winter mornings.

1 cup steamed wheat berries (1 cup wheat berries and 2 cups boiling water; steam for 1 1/2 - 2 hours)
2 cups oatmeal; (old fashioned; cooked per box directions)

add to oatmeal:
1 diced apple
1/2 cup almonds; chopped
1/2 cup pecans; chopped (I roast both nuts in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes)
1/2 cup craisens
1/2 cup white raisens
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
add salt to taste if desired

stir in wheat berries

This can stay in the fridge for at least a week.  Just heat it up in the microwave when you want some, add milk if desired.

S is for Strawberry Smoothie!

It would be nice to be here right now, drinking this, but alas, we are not! But here's the recipe -

Strawberry Smoothie

1 1/2 cups ice

7 strawberries

1/2 cup pineapple

1 banana

1/4 cup of sugar free mango syrup

Blend well! and enjoy!

E is for Egg Crazy! - Again

We were cracking eggs for breakfast this morning from our little silky / frizzle mix and - voila - 3 sets of twinners!  Amazing!

C is for Cupcakes

Last week my kids had a fireside with the temple presidency and we were asked to make refreshments for it.  We made my favorite  mini french vanilla cupcakes, vanilla butter cream frosting, and topped with a non-peril silver bead and these cupcake toppers.  We weren't asked until about 3 hours before the meeting - so we worked fast.  It was fun, and they turned out pretty good!

French Vanilla Cupcakes

1 Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix

1/3 cup melted butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. real vanilla

Mix for 3 minutes and bake according to box directions. (If cake mix is more than 3 months old, add 1 tsp. baking powder).

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

3/4 cup butter (room temp.)

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp. salt

2 - 2 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar

1/4 - 1/3 cup milk (warmed)

2 tsp. real vanilla

food coloring

Mix butter, shortening and salt until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and milk in small amounts alternately until you reach desired consistency.  {If you are piping the frosting you will want it on the thick side.}  You may not use all of the milk.  Add vanilla and food coloring; mix well.  Frost on cooled cupcakes. 

M is for Marshmallows

I made these yesterday for my daughter's Valentine's Day Party at school - they were a BIG hit!  Here's what you need.

I pkg Strawberry Marshmallows
1 pkg white Sucker Sticks
1 pkg Vanilla Chips plus 1 tbls. Shortening
Valentine Sprinkles

Put sucker sticks in marshmallows, making sure that the marshmallows stand up right (some were squished and I couldn't get to stand up).

Melt the chips and the shortening together in the microwave for about 1 minute.  Stir and put back in for 30 seconds.  Continue stirring until smooth.

Dip bottom half of marshmallow into the melted vanilla chips, swirling along the side of the bowl to remove excess.  Dip directly into sprinkles.  Place on silpat or wax paper to set ( I left them for about 20 minutes, but 10 would probably do).

Enjoy!

E is for Eggs; Farm Fresh Style

I love having chickens! I love getting fresh eggs everyday! If you can, get chickens. They are an easy backyard farm animal to have. The eggs taste great, and you know where they came from and what the chickens have been fed. No recipe today, but some great egg recipes will come! I'm off. To gather eggs...

E is for Enchiladas

Sorry - I forgot to take a picture of these, so next time I make them I'll take one.

Sour Cream & Chicken Enchiladas

5 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 container sour cream
2 small cans of diced green chilies
5 green onions, diced
12 - 15 corn tortillas

To make this recipe really fast and easy, I try to have on hand Costco's package of rotisserie chicken.  4lbs of chicken for $9.99 - but its good, its fast and I think its worth it.  Also, I layer my enchiladas instead of rolling each one - its faster with the same end result.

Sooo - that being said.  In a bowl mix up with a wooden spoon the soup, sour cream, green chilies, green onion, and 1/2 cup of cheese.  Spray with non-stick spray a 9 x 13 glass pan.  Layer as follows

bottom up:  sauce (just enough to barely cover bottom)
                   1 layer of tortillas
                   sauce
                   chicken
                   1 layer of tortillas
                   sauce
                   chicken
                   1 layer of tortillas
                   sauce
                   shredded cheese

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove, and let sit 10 minutes.  Enjoy.                

F is for French Bread

This is a super easy french bread recipe from my Mom's cookbook - Phyllis' Favorites. And yummy!

5 1/2 - 6 1/2 c. flour

2 Tbls. Yeast

1 T. Sugar

1 T. Salt

2 T. Olive Oil (evoo)

2 1/2 c. hot water

Combine 2 c. flour, yeast sugar and salt in a bowl (I use my Bosche). Add evoo and water. Beat 2 min. Add 1 more cup flour. Beat for 1 more minute. Gradually add the rest of the flour to make soft dough. Turn on to a floured board. Roll into a ball and cover with loosely with plastic wrap and a towel for 20 min. or until doubled. Divide into two portions. Roll each into a French Bread shape (about 8" x 15) and place side by side on a jelly roll pan. Brush with some more evoo and let raise again for about 10 - 15 minutes. Bake @ 400 for about 20 minutes (ovens may vary). Take out of oven and place on a cooling rack.

For wrapping ~ When cooled some, wrap with white parchment paper and tape on underside. Then cut some kraft colored wrapping paper to be a bit longer (width wise) than the parchment. Fold the ends about 2" in to have a clean edge on both sides and so that some of the white parchment shows. Wrap around the bread and double stick tape on the under side. Tie your favorite ribbon around and add a cute tag.