Pie Crusteez and Fresh Peach Pie

I loved it when my mom would bake a pie when I was a kid.  With the leftover dough she'd cut it into odd little shapes, place it on a cookie sheet, sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar, and bake.  It turned into the tastiest little treat!  I loved Pie Crusteez!!!  I still love Pie Crusteez, and so do my children.  Sometimes I think they may even be the best part of pie making.  

Peaches are in season, and oh are they glorious!!  There is nothing like it.  I think they need to be eaten fresh when it's this time of year.  Now there is nothing wrong with a delicious double crusted peach pie, or even a peach crisp.  But when peaches are perfection, as they are now, they can only be made into FRESH Peach Pie.  My sister's friend, (and she's my friend too!) Makita is the domestic goddess that came up with this recipe.  It's perfection I think!  Light, tasty, and perfection!  So make a beautiful pie.  It's amazing how people want to be your friend when they see you walking down the street with two of these babies in hand:)  And of course you can weep the entire time you make these pies because they're your oldest sons favorite thing, and he just happens to be in ALBANIA now for the next 2 years.  But I'm so proud of him:)  Go make some pie!!


Makita's Fresh Peach Pie

1 9 inch pie crust baked

Glaze:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
3 T. cornstarch
1 T. butter
2 c. pureed peaches
Bring all these together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil till thickened, about 2 mins.
Cool completely.  Add:

a ton of fresh peaches sliced
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. almond extract (super secret ingredient that makes the entire pie.)

This much glaze actually made 4 pies for me.  I used it sparingly on the peaches.  You can use as much or as little as you want.  My peaches were pretty sweet on their own.  Pour the peach filling into the pie pan and serve immediately with fresh whipped cream.  (I like to put more almond extract into the cream too.)

My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe (For those beloved Pie Crusteez!)

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c shortening

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt 

1 egg

1/4-1/3 c. water

1 T. vinegar

3 T. cornstarch

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening.  I actually like to use Manteca Lard  a lot of the times.  My sisters friend Makita gave us this tip a few years ago and it make delicious pie crust!  Mix egg, cold water, and vinegar.  Blend into flour mixture until it forms a ball.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible.  Makes 4 single pie crusts.  I always make the whole recipe.  If I have dough left over I just plop the dough ball into a Ziploc and put it into the freezer or turn it into pie crusteez.  All you have to do is thaw and roll when needed.  

For the Fresh Peach Pie you need to blind bake the crust.  That's just prebaking.  I usually roll out the crust and crimp the edges and then put another pie pan on top of the crust to bake.  That keeps the dough from slipping down the pie pan.  Bake at 375 for about 15-20 mins. or until browned.

Pistachio Wedding Cookies

I've never done something like this before.  I sent cookies to three perfectly perfect strangers:)  One from Texas, one from Florida, and one from Alaska.  It was fun, and I was dang excited to participate.  It was the 2nd Annual Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  Who doesn't love getting things in the mail.  So thank you to the two lovely ladies who sent me and my family a treat.  Ashton @ Something Swanky and Christine @ Chew Nibble Nosh.  The family devoured the cookies!  Before the cookies even made it into the house they were gone.  (That's saying a lot since all of the Clawson children are up to their eyeballs in cookies at the bakery.  Our count is now up to 28,800 cookies to be baked and shipped by next week.)  Both cookies we received were lovely.  Ashton sent a glorious Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Truffle cookie, and Christine sent a scrumptious Pecan Raspberry Thumbprint cookie.  I love those girls guts!  Thanks again!!

So now on to what I sent.  I decided on a Pistachio Wedding Cookie.  The chocolate orange version graced the blog a few days ago, but these pistachio babies were the star.   (Here's a little story if you care about a Mexican Wedding cookie fiasco a few years ago.)  I have always loved pistachio stuff.  I loved Jello Pistachio pudding for Family Home Evenings, and I love the pistachio ice cream at Farr's as a kid.  The lovely pale green color was beautiful too.  Thanks to the lovely Mother Thyme blog.  That's where I got the recipe, and I will forever be in her debt.

Happy Christmas baking!!

Pistachio Wedding Cookies

Recipe from Mother Thyme

Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup confectioners sugar, divided

2 teaspoons pure almond extract (or vanilla)

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3.4oz package pistachio instant pudding mix

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl cream butter. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Add in almond extract.

In a medium bowl combine flour, pudding mix and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture into wet ingredients until combined.

Divide dough in half and form into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove dough from plastic wrap and make teaspoon size balls. Place on baking sheets and press down on the balls slightly spacing them about 1 inch part.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-11 minutes. Don't overbake. Remove from oven and let them sit on baking sheet for about 5 minutes. While cookies are still warm toss them in remaining confectioners sugar and set on wire rack until cooled completely.

Store in airight containers.

Chicken Chowder

I can't believe I have never posted this recipe here.  Honestly, this is probably my favorite meal my mom made when I was growing up.  She would make this chowder and a big pan of breadsticks and we children would be in heaven.  One really great thing about this soup is that it is always a big hit, no matter where you take it, or who you serve it to.  Not like Clam Chowder where some people aren't clam lovers.  Everyone will eat chicken, and this soup is perfect on a lovely cold-ish Nov. day.  I always loved it though that my mom didn't care what time of year it was.  We relished this soup in July!  Make some this week and make a pan of Focaccia or Breadsticks as well.  You're little family will love your guts for ever and ever:)

Momma Garner's Chicken Chowder

3-4 chicken breasts or a whole chicken (I think the chicken breasts with the bone and skin still attached makes the best broth, but do what's easiest.)

Place the chicken breasts or chicken in a large pot and cover with water.  Add a little salt and pepper, and if you want an onion and big chunks of celery and carrots to make a yummy broth.  You're going to strain it, and use the broth is the soup.   Bring the chicken to a boil, and then let simmer on the stove until the chicken is tender and cooked through.  I usually do it for 40-60 mins.  Take the chicken out and let cool and then shred it.  Reserve the chicken until the last step of the chowder.   Strain the broth and save it for the soup.

1 big onion chopped

3-4 ribs of celery chopped

2-4 big potatoes chopped (I've used red or russets.  Both work.)

3-4 carrots chopped

I'm never exact on my veggies.  I usually add a lot of them.  Place all the chopped veggies in a large soup pot.  Cover the veggies with the chicken broth from the chicken breasts.  I usually just barely cover the veggies with the water.  That seems to be the perfect amount of liquid for the chowder.  Bring the veggies to a boil, and let simmer away for 20-30 minutes until the veggies are tender.  While the veggies are cooking in a small saucepan add:

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

2 -12 oz cans of evaporated milk, or regular milk works too

1 1/2 t. salt

This is the roux step.  A roux is simply a mixture of fat and flour used to thicken sauces.  I usually make a roux mixture when making gravy.  It's not hard.  In the sauce pan place all of the ingredients together, and stir with a wire whisk.  You just want to keep the flour from turning lumpy so stir constantly.  Once the butter has melted  and the milk has started to bubble, you'll notice the sauce starting to thicken.  It will get REALLY thick.  Don't worry.  You're going to want to cook this mixture until it pulls away from the sides of the pan, and almost creates a dough.  It's perfect.  Once the veggies are tender you can drain a little of the stock and reserve it for later.  You may want to thin your chowder a little after adding the roux.  I just plop the roux right into the veggies and stock.  Use your whisk and stir until the roux is combined.  If you want a thinner chowder add more stock.  Finally just before serving add:

The shredded chicken 

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 T. vinegar

The vinegar is key to this soup.  Something magical happens after you add it.  Heat through and serve!

Jello Yum Frosting!

I learned this really great song when I was in 3rd grade.  It's called the Jello Song and you sing it in a round.  "Oh, the big red letters stand for the Jello family............"  I've taught it to every girl who I have ever been with, or taken to girls camp.  I've been a total of 14 years of my life to girls camp.  (That's amazing don't you think!)  And I also believe this is the one virtue that made James' mother like me.  She absolutely LOVES this Jello Song.  I taught James' fam the song the summer we were dating, and the rest is history:)

I'll sing it for you sometime if you come to visit me.  Remember.........I'm on the way to Bear Lake, or Jackson Hole and I love visitors.   But speaking of Jello, this is a fun recipe.  Again it's another great Pinterest find, and it worked perfectly for Jane Babe's birthday cupcakes.  Yup!  She's 1.  I can't believe it either.

Cupcakes for this beautiful little girls 1st birthday!   Jane!!

You can make the frosting in any color or flavor of Jello you wish, and it sure swirls up well on cupcakes.  My kids have bragged to their friends about my "twirling" talent.  I can twirl the biggest yogurt cone at the gas station that you've ever seen.  I was born to work at Dairy Queen, or just to make 3 billion cupcakes which it seems I do on a regular basis at the bakery.  So bake you up some cake, buy some cute little sprinkles, and make a cute treat.  They don't keep well, so make the frosting shortly before you need the cupcakes, and enjoy the Jello Yum Frosting!

*Disclaimer- this is not the tastiest frosting in the world.  If you like marshmallows, then you'll enjoy this frosting, BUT it is the cutest frosting on the planet.  So if you're serving a whole bunch of little kids..........this is the frosting for you.  Fun, light and fluffy.  If you're serving a bunch of food snobs (like what I have at my house.)  Make a delicious cream cheese frosting:)

Jello Yum Frosting

recipe courtesy of Coleen's Recipes

3 ounce pkg. of Jello (favorite flavor)

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the above ingredients in a large GLASS OR METAL mixing bowl (OF A STAND MIXER). Turn the mixer on high just as you add ½ cup of boiling water. Whip on high for five minutes and you will get a thick marshmallow-y mass of delicious frosting.  Actually it's not the most tasty frosting, but it is super cute and fun!  Eat the day it's made.  It will start to turn to sugar and weep after 5 or 6 hours.

Horseradish Herb Butter

Horseradish Herb Butter with a few mushrooms.  The best steak ever!

I have raised 3 large carnivores at my house.  When the typical question is asked, "What do you want for dinner?"  The largest of the 3 has answered, "Steak!" since he was 2 years old.  I think the kid could eat steak for every meal.  Throw in a big beautiful salad and my oldest is in heaven!  The youngest man child in our home has been known to go on hunting trips with Grandpa and Uncle Eric, and have steak at every meal.  Not a petite or child portioned steak, but the 12 oz.-er.   I do remember a certain trip though to Lake Tahoe as a kid, and eating prime rib for 3 meals in a row.  Even breakfast!  Can you believe the breakfast buffet had prime rib?  So I guess my boys come by their love of meat naturally.

For Sunday dinner this last week we grilled some very lovely fillets.  The crowning glory for the meal though was the Horseradish Herb Butter we dotted on top of each steak.  Now friends, this would be the meal to serve for Father's Day!  Talk about man food.  It was easy and quick as well, and there were plenty of yummy sounds being made while it was being consumed.

I think I saw the recipe in the latest edition of Food Network Magazine, but I could be mistaken.   It could have been one of the others, but the recipe can be adapted to your specific tastes.  Next time I'm making a Blue Cheese Herb Butter.  Maybe Horseradish Blue Cheese Herb Butter.  Now that sounds delish!!  The butter would be great on corn on the cob, or even some lovely roasted veggies.  You get the idea.  It's not only steak that deserves to be doused with this butter.  You might as well slather everything in sight with this stuff.  It's that good!

Horseradish Herb Compound Butter

Recipe adapted from something I saw somewhere, but I can't remember:)

1 cube (1/2 c.) butter softened

2 big old T. horseradish (or to taste)

zest of 1/2 of a lemon

3 green onions chopped finely

salt 

pepper

In a bowl combine all the ingredients together into a smooth paste.  Plop the mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and roll up like a Tootsie Roll.  Just do your best.  It doesn't have to be perfect.  Place the butter mixture in the fridge for at least an hour, or until the butter is hard again.  Grill your steaks, or fish, or veggies, and while they are still hot as can be, cut off a big slab of butter and set it right on top.  Let the butter melt, and dip everything in it.  The steak will become your new favorite.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Do you have one of these?  A giant, enormous, leafy mass that makes me feel guilty every day for not using it.....Every Day?  If you don't you need to plant one.  I feel so old fashioned when I make this pie or this new favorite of mine, the Galette.  (Fancy name for a lazy pie.)  Rhubarb stuff just seems so pre chocolate chip.  You know, when there was a time that raisins were the cookie addition of choice.  Chocolate chips were so indulgent!  The pioneers used rhubarb.  BUT......so do I!  I love it!  My kids are warming up to the idea of eating "Celery Pie" as they call it, but you know every time I taste it I'm in heaven!

Strawberry Rhubarb pie is my mom's favorite dessert.  I served a rendition of that pie on Monday night to some neighbors, and I heard a lot of yummy sounds.  Monday nights dessert was by far my favorite incarnation of Rhubarb loveliness.  It included some blackberries, and blueberries, and was AMAZING!  I didn't put it in a pie pan, but I left it as a free form, rustic pie or Galette.  Served with some homemade ice cream and we were happy people.  I'm sharing my favorite new recipe here, and I'm hoping someone will try it out and be converted to my way of thinking.  Rhubarb is the best!

Berry Rhubarb Pie

pie dough for a double crust (Come on and make it homemade.  It is sooo much better!)

My Favorite Pie Crust (this makes enough for 4 single pies, 2 double crusted pies, or 2 Galettes.)

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c shortening

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt 

1 egg

1/4-1/3 c. water

1 T. vinegar

3 T. cornstarch

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening.  I actually like to use Manteca Lard  a lot of the times.  My sisters friend Makita gave us this tip a few years ago and it make delicious pie crust!  Mix egg, cold water, and vinegar.  Blend into flour mixture until it forms a ball.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible.  Makes 4 single pie crusts.  I always make the whole recipe.  If I have dough left over I just plop the dough ball into a Ziploc and put it into the freezer.  All you have to do is thaw and roll when needed.  

Berry Rhubarb Filling

4 c. rhubarb chopped

1-2 c. chopped strawberries, or blackberries or whatever berry you have.  Frozen would work too.

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 T. Clear Gel or cornstarch or flour  (Clear Gel is my fave!)

Stir the fruit together and let it sit until it starts to juice a bit.  Don't worry, the sugar doesn't have to be completely dissolved.

For the Gallette I rolled out half of the dough into a large circle.  Just do your best.  I then transfered it to a large silver cookie sheet.  I poured all the fruit mixture in the middle and folded the edges of the dough up around it.  It turned out soooo pretty I thought, and way easy.  Bake at 375'F for 60- 75 minutes.  Until the pie or gallette is browned and the juices are bubbling out.  Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice cream.  

Mormon Muffins

There's this great place I used to go to as a kid.  It's called Rainbow Gardens.  It's lovely, and wonderful.  As a kid we'd go bowling there for birthday parties.  They had the best penny candy selection as well as sticker collection.  And they had the best Christmas displays.  You could find all sorts of fun gifts there, or if you really liked someone, you'd get their wedding gift there.  The restaurant inside is famous.  It's where all the ladies would lunch.  My mom and her sisters would go there.  I'd go there with the work girls.  Turkey Enchiladas and a Mormon Muffin is what I always ordered.  The Mormon Muffin was the best part of the whole meal.

I'm not sure why they're called Mormon Muffins.  Maybe we Mormons have the corner on fiber, or maybe it's the muffins wholesomeness.  Just like me.  (I'm sure my mom and James would beg to differ on this point.)  Just teasing, but I can say these muffins are very very tasty!!  This recipe came directly from the Rainbow Gardens website.  They're so kind!  I love a person who shares their deliciousness.  (I feel like a hypocrite saying that since I won't share my GH Bread recipes.  I might go to heck!  Don't judge me to harshly.)  But the recipe is easy and makes a ton of muffins.  I made about 3 dozen enormous muffins.  If you don't fill the muffin cups heaping you'll probably get 4 dozen.  But I like them big, and round, and puffing over the edges.  The muffins freeze well, or you can keep the batter in the fridge for 6 weeks.  It's that kind of recipe.  So trust me on this and make a big batch of goodness.  You're innards will thank you!

Rainbow Gardens

Mormon Muffins

Recipe courtesy of Rainbow Gardens

2 cups boiling water

5 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 quart buttermilk

4 cups all-bran cereal

2 cups bran flakes

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 c. chopped dates

Directions

Combine water and baking soda. Stir until dissolved. Cool.

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and shortening.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the soda water.

Combine flour and salt and add to cream mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Fold in both cereals and nuts.  At this point let your batter sit for an hour or even better overnight.  At first the batter is rather thin, but as soon as the cereal sogs up a bit it will thicken right up.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups full.  Mine are actually heaping full.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until they test done.

Muffin batter may be kept for 1 week in refrigerator and baked in smaller batches if desired.

Berry Watermelon Spinach Salad

Last week I spent a lovely couple of hours with my grandma.  She's always been one of my favorite people.  As a kid almost every Sunday of my life, a certain gentleman would tell me how I looked just like my grandma.  Every week.  He must have really liked her.  But who doesn't?  She's that kind of gal.   To tell you the truth though,  I just didn't get it.   She was old.  I was young.  To me we looked nothing alike, but in all reality I probably did.  My grandma has always been a great cook.  She could be Paula Dean's twin sister.  They both LOVE to use butter, cream, and all sorts of goodness in their cooking.  I only remember ever eating one thing that I hated of hers.  It was a French Onion Soup she made when I was about 5.  So I can't really judge her by that.  What 5 year old likes soggy bread and onions together?  I love it now, but I just didn't appreciate it then:)  Everything else...........I love.  She has a cookbook that she wrote with one of her sisters quite a few years ago, and it is still my go to cookbook.  There is always something good in it.

Last week when I was with her, I did a little gardening while she took Jane for a little walk and then we had the best lunch ever!!  She tossed a salad and threw in a few extra things, and then we sat down to a cute little place setting to eat our lunch.  It was a beautiful salad that we each ate in a refined manner, until I was ready for seconds.  It was good!  Finally after I finished my second serving I apologized and just pulled the salad over and finished off the rest of the salad right out of the bowl.  No more lady like manners.  I was a hungry girl!  The salad was an unlikely combination I thought.  I would have never added watermelon to it, but that's what made it so stinking good!  It would be great for a shower, or just on a Sat. afternoon when you've been doing yard work all morning, and need some sustenance.  Thanks Grams for the recipe, and I had a wonderful time with you:)  Love ya!

Berry Watermelon Spinach Salad

Courtesy of my Grandma Navine!

Spinach

 Fresh Strawberries

Fresh Blueberries

Fresh Raspberries

Fresh Blackberries

(Or any combination of fresh berries you have. Just use what you have or what's on sale.)

Watermelon chunks 

(I cut up a mini seedless watermelon and used a few cups.)

Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

A Sprinkle of Parmesan or Blue Cheese

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 T. Honey or Agave

Poppy seed Dressing

(I used the Lighthouse brand.  It was low fat too, and delicious!)

Just use your judgement on proportions.  If you're feeding many use a lot, but if your feeding a few just cut back a bit.  I probably used the equivalent of one raspberry container for all my berries.  It served 4.

Dump everything in a big bowl and toss with the dressing, honey and lemon juice.  You could eat this with some grilled chicken on top for a heartier meal, or just as is.  I think it's absolutely perfect.

Cereal Treats

I love cereal treats!  I have been known to walk around grocery stores in Mexico begging for someone to show me where the Malvavisco are located.  That was after I grabbed hold of a little Mexican girl eating a pink fluffy marshmallow and asking her what it was called.  It's difficult to make Rice Crispy Treats while on vacation in Mexico.  Malvaviscos aren't your everyday ingredient there.  I hate it when a craving hits and I just can't quench it!!  So take a box of Treats with you if your traveling, or at least know how to say marshmallow in the native tongue.  That is the most important travelling tip I will ever share.

If you grew up like me, which I hope you all did, we ate lots of different cereal treats.  There's the standard Rice Crispy Treat, my favorite Peanut Butter Cornflake Treats, my Granny's Special K Balls, and the most famous of all Family Home Evening Treats................The New Daddies!  My mom would whip up New Daddies all the time on Monday nights.  It was just a thinned chocolate frosting tossed over puffed wheat cereal in the giant Tupperware bowl and then we'd each grab a paper cup and fill it over and over and over.   My dad would always feign being heartbroken because we always wanted New Daddies, but he secretly loved them too.

Today's cereal treat never graced our kitchen as a kid.  It was my sis-in-law Katie who introduced us to this amazing treat.  Thanks Katie!  For loving Josh and bringing beautiful babies into our family, but most importantly for these treats:) and those ones at Bear Lake last year.  Delish!  (I'll share that recipe later.)   My niece Ashlee brought the biggest bowl of these treats to the annual 4th of July celebration, and I believe they were gone in a matter of minutes.  I'll bet you she used two boxes of both Golden Grahams, and Chex in the making.  I'm talking monster sized, heaping, enormous bowl of cereal treats.  It was any kids dream.  James was asking for these earlier in the week so since he decided to leave us for the week to play with his friends, we're eating these treats in his absence.  There won't be a single crumb left, and I won't make them again for a long time, because they make me fat!  Period!  Sorry Jimmy:)  Enjoy these folks, and doctor them up anyway you need to.  Try adding some candy, or chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips, or cinnamon as I do.  You can't hurt a cereal treat.  Happy Friday folks!

Katie's Graham Chex Treats

6 c. Golden Grahams

6 C. Chex (Corn or Rice)

1 1/2 c. coconut

2 c. slivered or sliced almonds (I like slivered)

1/2 t. cinnamon (Totally optional)

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. Karo Corn Syrup

Place the cereal, coconut, almonds, and anything else you'd like to add in a really big bowl.  Bring the butter sugar and corn syrup to a boil and let bubble for two minutes.  Pour the syrup over the cereal and toss.  I usually have the cereal box handy to pour in extra.  I usually do as well.  A lot extra.  I like the treat best the day after, but you can eat them immediately.  You can also pour them into a greased cookie sheet or 9x13 inch pan and press the cereal in.  Cut into squares when cooled.  Perfect at the lake or the pool, or on the boat.  Can you tell I'm thinking summer here:)

Chicken Coconut Ramen Soup

I love Top Ramen.  I have loved it my whole short legged life.  It is the perfect after school snack, and I have passed my love of these curly noodles onto my children.  I'm such a good mom:)  I remember as a kid one of my favorite cousins would babysit us every Sat. night.  I think there was just a standing arrangement.  Lynette would come over and we would do the same thing every week.  First we'd watch Solid Gold.  My mom was on a date so she never objected.  We had the whole backside shimmy down as good as our favorite dancer.  She was the beautiful black woman with hair to the ground almost, who usually had her dance leotard a little too low and a little too high in all the wrong places, but boy could she shake.  We'd sit acting a little shocked, but then Hollie and I would replicate that shimmy like no body's business!  After that, was Love Boat of course, and then we'd watch Fantasy Island and get ourselves scared to death.   Lynette would then have to lay on our bed and tell us stories of all her broken bones, and stitches and stuff.  They were the greatest nights.  We'd make Top Ramen a lot on these nights as well.  But of course we'd set the table nice, and divvy up the bowls real even, and enjoy every slurp.  Maybe that's why I love Top Ramen so much.  Very happy memories:)

So this is a glorified Ramen recipe.  I've seen the idea floating around Pinterest lately and last night I was in need of some dinner help.  I love the Thai soup Tom Ka Kai, which is a chicken and mushroom soup so I just played around with that idea as well.  What appeared was delicious!  The kids loved it, James loved it and so did I.  And it was super easy.   Give it a try, and see if you can impress your Ramen loving loved ones as well.

Chicken Coconut Ramen Soup

4-6 c. chicken broth

1 c. sliced mushrooms (just regular or shitake if you have them)

1 c. sliced carrots

1 large tomato chopped

(you can add just about any veggie.  Bok Choy, sliced red pepper, zucchini.  Whatever is on hand)

1 14 oz. can coconut milk

1/4-1/2 c. sugar

1 T. curry paste (You can find the paste in the Asian Food section in any grocery store.  Yellow, green, red or musaman work fine, or just the powdered kind.  If you go the regular powdered route add a little ground ginger as well.)

2-3 T. lime juice

1 c. snow peas

1/2 c. chopped cilantro or fresh basil if you have it

1-2 c. chopped or shredded chicken 

2 packages Top Ramen
a little fish sauce or soy sauce if it needs a little salt

In a large pot add the chicken broth, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, and any other veggies except for the snow peas.  Bring this all to a boil and let bubble away for 5- 10 minutes.  Once the veggies are tender add the curry, and coconut milk.  Slowly add the sugar.  Taste it to see if it needs more or less.  Start with just 1/4 c. and then go from there.  Once the broth is where you want it add the Top Ramen.  It only takes 3 minutes you know.  Before serving add the cilantro, basil or cilantro, and the shredded chicken.  

Maddox Rolls

Living about 15 minutes away from Maddox growing up was always a good thing.  For those of you who don't have a clue what Maddox is...........I'm sorry.  Come visit and I'll take you there.  I will even buy your Turkey Steak for you if you will really come:)  We didn't go out to eat a whole lot as kids, but birthdays were always very special occasions.  The birthday person would pick their restaurant of choice and we'd be off.  I always picked the Utah Noodle, but someone else always seemed to pick Maddox.  We'd drive North, and have a contest who could see the Maddox red twirly thingy first.  Those 15 minutes always seemed like an eternity, but the drive was well worth it.  I'd always get turkey steak, or a turkey burger.  Always!  Another constant at Maddox was their rolls.  Over the years I'm sure I've eaten more than a few bakers dozen.  Who can resist when there is raspberry honey butter to put on each lovely morsel?   Those rolls are delicious!  I love them, and I have tried to recreate them tons of time.  They're made in muffin tins, but a regular roll recipe never made the cut.  Jimmy has a cute cousin that has been a waitress there for YEARS and I even tried to get her to tell me how they were made.  She claimed she didn't know, but deep down inside I'll bet she did.  It's probably one of those secret oaths and combinations that Maddox employees have to make when they are hired.  "NO TELLING HOW THE ROLLS ARE MADE OR YOU WILL DIE."  I'm sure of it.  I'm sure Jimmy's cousin was just fearful for her life:)

Well the other day on Pinterest guess what popped up?  A Maddox roll recipe, and gosh dang it, I think it's it!  I should have known though.  It was one of those recipes that I read and just went......Of Course!  I totally should have been able to figure that one out.  A batter dough, a lot like my muther's Dilly Roll recipe.   But truth be told, I've never seen a plain old roll recipe like this.  You don't even need to own a Kitchenaid.  True!  You only need to own a big bowl, and a big wooden spoon.  If you have a big silver spoon that will work just fine as well.  Oh and a couple muffin tin pans.  Enjoy these this Sunday.  I made them for Super Bowl Sunday in honor of my 49ers!  Aren't we glad they won!  (can you tell I had no clue or did I even care who was playing or who won.  Now if it would have been the Tour de France in July, we'd have been allllllllll over that!)  You're family will love you, and they will love you even more if you make the raspberry honey butter too.  Delish is all I have to say!

Maddox Rolls

recipe courtesy of cityhomecountryhome

I think she used to work at Maddox:)

Maddox Ranch House Rolls

2 Tablespoons of yeast (not rapid rise)

1/2 cup of warm water

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup (or 4 ounces) of  butter

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

3 large eggs

5 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the milk and salt.  Scald but do not boil.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

In a measuring cup, mix the yeast and warm water.  Add a pinch of sugar from the 1/2 cup measure and stir.  Let the yeast sit and proof for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the yeast mixture, eggs, sugar, milk mixture and flour just until blended and no lumps of flour remain.  Do not over mix.  The dough will be sticky and very loose.

Let the batter/dough raise until double (about 90 minutes).  Mine took only 50 minutes to double in size;  I live at high altitude so my dough raises quickly.  

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Spoon it into greased muffin tins and let it raise again until doubled in size. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown.  I'd go a little more on the underdone side.

Cool on a wire rack.  Serve with honey or raspberry butter.

This recipe makes about 24 dinner sized rolls.


Raspberry Honey Butter

1 cube butter (1/2 c.)
1/2 c. honey
1/4 c. raspberry jam
1 t. vanilla

Whip the living daylights out of this until it is super fluffy.  Don't start with melted butter.  Room temp is great.

Bananas Foster In Paradise

Bananas Foster in Paradise

As I write this post I am sitting out on the back lanai watching the palm trees sway gently in the Kohala Coast breeze.  It is beautiful.  We've already had our morning jog, Emma and I, and I only think we got a few funny looks.  Have you ever seen a 7 month pregnant woman jogging.  Just looking at my shadow I want to bust up laughing.  But I am slow and there is more walking in my morning routine, but at least I'm still going.  Chubby and slow, but moving.  I am actually spending the week here in Kona with my Grandma and her two cute as heck little 83 year old friends.  Technically I'm not a baby sitter, but in all reality I had to know where the hospital was and what to do in case of an emergency before Jimmy would let me come.  I brought Emma along for the ride so can you imagine this visual.  Three little 83 year old women, one 7 month pregnant mother to be, and a 14 year old girl.  Quite the motley crew!

Every day is spent at the pool for the little ladies, while Emma and I hit a different beach.  Lunch is out somewhere, but dinner is at home, usually with a lovely salad, and fresh pineapple and some crust bread and butter.  Last nights dessert was Emma's idea.  We make it every time we're in Hawaii, and I think it is one of my dad's favorite things to eat.  None of the ladies had ever had it before, but I think they liked it.  I liked it and so did my granny and Emma.  Who wouldn't love hot, wonderfully caramelly, sticky stuff over vanilla ice cream.  It is easy and quick, and only requires you to have to repent a little.  Actually you can make the whole dessert without the use of the booze required in the recipe and it will still be wonderful!

When I was younger my family would spend every Spring Break down in St. George.  For days Hollie and I would lay out at the pool, body to body with every other Spring Breaker, and bake our guts out.  We'd usually spend a day in Zion's National Park, and enjoy the gawking at the polygamist at we drove through Colorado City on the way.  The best part of the trip though was the yearly Easter tradition.  We'd wake up early Sunday morning and get all gussied up in our new Easter dresses and ties and head to the local chapel for Sacrament Meeting.  The place was always jam packed, and there were always a few young men who showed up in the swimming suits since they conveniently left their Sunday clothes home:)  Straight after the meeting was over we were off.  We'd all jump in the big old custom van and head down to Las Vegas.  We'd head right to Caesar's Palace for their Easter Brunch.  It always seemed so strange to be in our Sunday clothes, coming right from church and then standing in the midst of Babylon.  If the end of the world was coming we were for sure goners, but the brunch was always worth it.

They had everything your little heart could desire.  Prime Rib, shrimp, the best Almond Poppy Seed muffins in the world and every other imaginable dish.  But the most important part of the meal was the Bananas Foster that my dad would bring back to the table first thing.  This Bananas Foster was flaming too.  A sight to behold for this little girl from a small Utah town.  But my dad loved it.  He'd lick his bowl I'm sure, and we'd all go back for more and more.

So now every time we're in Hawaii we make this treat.  I'm going to make it at home from now on too.  It's really simple, and it tastes soooooo good.  Give it a try.  It's a good dessert for company, and it's good for breakfast:)  (Emma and I had to eat it this morning since the lighting was so bad last night, and I had to make a second batch for photos sake.  What we won't do for the sake of this blog!)  You'll impress your husband and your in laws, and probably your kids too.  You can totally substitute some rum extract in place of the real rum and you'll have the same thing.  Give it a try!  You'll love it!

Bananas Foster

Recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com

1/4 cup butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons rum (or 2 t. rum extract)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise and crosswise

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (totally optional and I never use them)

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Directions

(I usually double the whole recipe and it will serve 6)

In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

You have to be a quick mover.  An extra helper right at serving time is quite helpful.  Since the dessert is hot it will melt the ice cream quick so have all the ice cream dished and then pour the hot bananas on top and have someone run them to whoever is lucky enough to eat them with you fast.

Visions of IKEA Dancing Through My Head

Happy IKEA visitors!

We love IKEA at the Clawson household.  It's just one of those fun places that the whole fam damily likes to visit any chance we get.  We usually make it our yearly "Beginning of Summer!" tradition each June as soon as the kids get out of school.  My brother Josh first introduced us to IKEA years ago when they lived in the Seattle area.   Since then we've hit every one we come across.  Maybe it's the maze you walk through to visit the store, or the fun kitchen gadgets, or the exciting "kids" stuff, the giant chocolate bars, or just the picture frames that make IKEA such an adventure, but one thing we never miss is the cafeteria.  We love picking out exactly what you want to eat, trying the lovely Swedish desserts, or the tangy Lingonberry juice, but I personally never get anything except a big heaping plate of Swedish Meatballs with boiled red potatoes, and Lingonberry Sauce.  Delicious is all I have to say.  We've even been known to stop at the IKEA in Salt Lake and just make a b-line to the cafeteria.  We missed the maze all together and enjoyed some lovely meatballs.  That's my kind of stop!

James has an older brother who served a mission years ago in Sweden and befriended a large family in one of his areas.  Their father had recently passed away and there was a beautiful mother with 5 perfect kids.  Over the years all of these friends have visited and even lived in Utah to attend college.  Now it's moved onto the next generation, since most of the children are married, and we have now included some wonderful spouses into our circle of friends!  The Lindahl's have always been so much fun to be around, and just recently one of the sisters and her husband joined the Clawson siblings in Kona HI for a week of fun in the sun.  I can say I love their guts, and they are some of the funnest people I know.  I have never asked if the Lindahl's have Swedish Meatballs at their home regularly, but if so........I'll be right over friends.  I've decided everything in Sweden must be wonderful.  The friends, the meatballs and have you had the chocolate!  Or even the little Bilar marshmallow-y candy.  Lovely!

I found this recipe yesterday while trying to figure what to make for dinner.  The recipe was simple enough, and I had a jar of Lingonberries in my fridge so I figured I would go for it.  They turned out DELISH!!!!  Oh my heck!  Everyone slurped these up so fast.  I served the meatballs with steamed New Potatoes, and steamed cabbage.  I have a new favorite invention.  Ziploc Zip and Steam Bags.  They are heaven on wheels and make cooking veggies so fast and easy.  Place cut up potatoes in the bag, seal, and 6-7 mins later they are done.  Cabbage only took 4 minutes.  No water, oil or anything.  Just lovely naked veggies that you can dress however you want.

So It you have visions of IKEA every once in a while at your house too, this recipe is a keeper.

Swedish Meatballs  

Courtesy of www.thisweekfordinner.com and then Lisa-ized

- 1 lb ground beef

- 1/2 lb ground pork

- 1/4 t pepper

- 2 t nutmeg (a must!  It adds so much goodness!)

- 2 t paprika

- 2 C bread crumbs

- 1/2 C milk

- 1 onion (medium) I just added 3 T. dried minced onion to the meat

- 2 1/2 t salt

- 1 t dry mustard

- 2 beaten eggs

Sauce:

- Fat left in skillet

- 1/4 t garlic

- 5 T butter

- 2 t tomato paste

- 1 t beef concentrate (or bouillon cube)

- 2 C bouillon or beef stock

-1/2 c. flour

- 1 C sour cream

Have meat ground together twice or mix really well. Soak bread crumbs in milk. Add meat – mix well. Mix in pepper, nutmeg, paprika, and beaten eggs.

In a large frying pan, saute onions in 2 T butter until soft. Add salt and dry mustard and stir. Add onion mixture to meat mixture and mix well. Form 48 small balls. Brown meatballs or better yet just bake them in a  375'F oven for about 15 mins.   Remove balls – set aside in a 9×13 baking pan.

Sauce: Add garlic and 1 T butter to fat left in skillet. Blend in 4 more Tbsp. butter, tomato paste and the 1/2 c. flour.  Stir until the flour has been cooked through.  Add the  beef concentrate, and beef stock. Stir mixture over low heat until it thickens slightly. Stir in 1 cup sour cream. Pour sauce over meatballs. Heat in moderate oven (I think baked them at 375 degrees) until hot and bubbly.  About 15 mins.  Serve meatballs with boiled new potatoes (or just Zip'n Steam them) and steamed cabbage.  I love vinegar and salt and pepper on my cabbage.  Lingonberry Sauce is also wonderful with these.  I've been able to find them sometimes at the regular grocery store by the pie filling and canned fruit.  Sometimes by the jam.   IKEA sells jars of it or you can order it online.  If you don't want to go to all that trouble just use cranberry sauce, or raspberry jam.  It's close enough and it will give you the same idea.  Enjoy!!

This recipe improves if made one day ahead.

New Year Traditions

What would New Years Day be without the 1.2 mile sledding hill?  I tell you what.  It would be dull.  I don't know what the rest of the world does on New Years Day, but your welcome to come next year to our outing.  Just make sure you bring your own Radio Flyer because we don't share!  This year there were two other groups who were sledding as well.  They weren't kids though.  I've never seen grown men fly down a hill faster except on the luge at the Olympics.  Luckily there weren't any casualties.  Next time though I think we're going to wear our ski helmets.  Safety you know!

This year we had my brother and his family, and even grandpa took a turn on a sled.  The traditional New Years food was wonderful as well, and we all waddled back to our own homes when the day was over.  Can I just tell you that I love the snacks.  Katie made a great cheese ball, veggie tray and my mother's chestnuts were delish!!  For New Years Eve I even made my granny's homemade Chicken Noodle Soup!  What a way to start the year.  It doesn't get any better than this!

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

2-3 cans whole water chestnuts drained

1 1 lb. package of bacon

I usually place the bacon in the freezer for a few minutes to really get it firm. I then cut the slices into 3 pieces right through the plastic. You're going to need a lot of toothpicks. Wrap each little chestnut in a coat of bacon and secure it with a toothpick. Place the chestnuts in a

9 x 13 inch pan. Once all of your chestnuts are wrapped top with BBQ sauce or make your own like we do.

BBQ Sauce

1-2 c. ketchup

1/2 c. brown sugar

squirt of mustard

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

vinegar splash

Stir all ingredients together and pour over the chestnuts. Bake in a 375 ' F. oven for 30-45 mins. or until the bacon is done. The tops of the toothpicks will turn brown so watch out for that. Enjoy every New Years Eve or Day for the rest of your life.

Christmas Trifle

We love trifle at our house.  I've had it as my birthday cake for my entire life.  I do remember getting a banana bread birthday cake when I was 8.  It had whipped cream frosting and I thought it was delicious, but all the other 8 year old party goers didn't like it much.  I wonder if they would have liked trifle better:)  So other than that year, trifle has been my birthday "cake" of choice.  I have to admit the reason I have a raspberry patch isn't so I can have unlimited supplies of jam, but raspberries on hand at all times for trifle.

A few weeks ago we had our annual extended Garner family Christmas party.  It's always so much fun.  This year we had the best food (as always!), tons of cousin's, and even Santa made an appearance.  Poor guy had to have every kid sit on his lap..........including babies still being baked.  For the record there were 5 of us!  From the oldest cousin down to the youngest girl cousin and everything in between.  Talk about a fruitful group.  Dessert is what I wanted to talk about though.  The Olson girls were in charge of dessert and they never seem to leave anyone disappointed.  A trifle bar!!!  We had regular strawberry/raspberry trifle, gingerbread trifle, and chocolate Heath Bar trifle.  Delish is all I have to say about it.  Of course we had to try all three.  James went home miserably stuffed.

This last weekend I was asked to bring trifle to the Clawson Christmas party.  James' brother served an LDS mission to England years ago, and was in charge of the menu.   He likes trifle too.  A lot.  Therefore the Christmas English Trifle.  If you haven't had trifle in your life.......I'm sorry!  It's a treat, and it is so pretty.  Layers of cake, fruit, custard, and cream.  How can you go wrong?  All you need is a pretty glass bowl to show off the pretty colors, or a trifle bowl is pretty darn cheap at Wal-Mart.  Enjoy a Christmas Trifle at your house this year.  The good thing is you can experiment with all sorts of flavors, and then decide which is your favorite!

Christmas English Trifle

1 large Angel Food Cake

Mashed Raspberries mixed with 3/4 c. sugar

(I probably had about 4 c. of frozen berries, 3/4 c. sugar, and 1/4 c. water to thin)

Vanilla Pudding

(I usually make a homemade pudding, but Jell-o cooked pudding is fine.  Don't use the instant pudding.  I use Tapioca Pudding sometimes too.)

Fresh Whipped Cream

Nuts (optional)

In a large glass bowl or Trifle dish layer cake, raspberries, pudding and then repeat 2 more times.  Trifle is best made ahead of time so everything soaks in.  When you're ready to serve top with whipped cream! YUM!