Yummy Blondies

I have always loved Brownies.  Never really been a Blondies fan....until now. Karen shared this recipe with me. She makes this one with coconut sugar. So tasty. Thanks Karen...again.

Blondies
1/2 C. butter, melted
1 C. coconut sugar or brown sugar packed
1 egg
2 t. vanilla
1 C. flour
1/4 t. salt

Stir butter and sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Add flour and salt and stir just until combined. Stir in add in combination, reserving a small amount for topping. Scoop into 8"x8" pan. Cover pan with parchment or foil greased with butter. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 - 28 min. Brownies should be just slightly brown on the edges. Inserted toothpick should have moist crumbs.
If doubling recipe, cook in 9"x13" and bake for 40 - 45 min. This recipe can be made without the parchment or foil liner. It is just easier to slice outside of the pan.

Add ins -  1 cup
Chocolate chips
Coconut/Chocolate chips
Nuts

Zuppa Tomato Basil Soup

Larry loves Cafe Zuppa's Tomato Basil soup.  Becky made this for us years ago and we love it.  It is a keeper.  Easy and very yummy.
Saute:
2-3 stalks celery
2/3 C. Diced onion
1/4 C Butter
1 t. Oregano
Add:
1 1/4 C. Pesto
5 1/2 C. tomatoes
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. cream or 12 oz evap. milk

Cook in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or simmer in sauce pan for 2 hours. Remove from heat and blend to desired consistency.   Add  cream or milk.  Serve with additional parm. cheese. Yummy

Cherry Fudge Cake Bars

This is a fun recipe that Karen introduced me to.  It is so very yummy.  I have also enjoyed having a different kind of frosting recipe.  I just always used a Chocolate Buttercream so it is fun to have another one.  I love cooking with Karen, she is so creative and hardly needs to set a timer.  She can tell by the way something smells, looks or feels.  Yes, she is good.

Bars
One box Chocolate fudge cake mix
2 eggs
One can cherry pie filling
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
Stir together.  It will be very thick.  Spread in a sprayed, jelly roll pan and cook for about 28 min at 350. Check at 25 mins. with a toothpick to see where it is at.

Frosting
5 T. Butter
1/3 C. milk (approx)
1/2 C/ Sugar
Melt Butter, add milk and sugar, and while stirring, bring to small boil.  Take off heat and add 2 cups of Chocolate Chips and 1 t. vanilla.  Whisk until all melted together and mixture is shiny.  Pour over warm cake. Cool and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, I am sitting at a friends house, Wendy Hacking, one day visiting and Tonya Clawson comes by to say "Hi" and drop off some cookies. Good timing for me. Cookies fresh out of the oven. Wendy breaks open the cookies and a few Diet Cokes. Very yummy. I had to get this recipe from Tonya and add it to the collection. Very simple and good.

Cream:
2 Cubes Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
Add 2 eggs and beat
Add:
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Soda
1/2 t. Salt
1 t. Vanilla
Beat together and the add:
3 cups flour, one heaping cupful at a time
Add 1 - 2 cups Chocolate Chips

Bake at 375 for 7 minutes

Dinner in a Pumpkin

I was introduced to this recipe by Ronda Strong. I helped out at an adult activity in our Ward in Bountiful and this was the main dish served. I only make it about once a year, when I can buy a medium sized pumpkin. The pumpkin needs to be big enough to hold the ingredients, with a little room for expansion, but that is about all. I have had people love this recipe and others that would rather not have it again. It has a lightly sweet flavor, different but very good.

Dinner in a Pumpkin
Wash outside of pumpkin- Cut a god sized hole in the top and then clean out inside.

Saute 2 lbs. hamburger, 1 large chopped onion and 1 c. chopped celery. Drain fat.
Add:
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 can Cream of Chicken
3/4 c. instant rice
3/4 c. water
Simmer 10 mins., stirring occasionally. Spoon mixture into pumpkin and replace top. Place entire pumpkin on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours or until pumpkin is tender. Cook last 1/2 hour with lid off. Serve out of pumpkin and scoop out the pumpkin as a vegetable.

Chili Soup

This is a recipe I remember from my childhood. My Mom would make it in the fall and winter and we loved it. It is not like Chili from a can. I actually like it better. It became a tradition, in our house, for me to make this for Halloween. I had all but forgotten about it until Becky reminded me. It made the house smell good and was a healthy alternative to all the candy. It makes a very big pot, so plan on left overs. If you can make it early in the day, it is MUCH better. Make it and eat it, it is meat, beans and tomato. With time, it is Yummy. After a few years, I started serving it with some great bread sticks. Still looking for that recipe, it will come soon. Let me know if you like this one......hope you do.

Chili Soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 onion and 2-3 cloves garlic (optional...I added this)
1 envelope chili seasoning
1 large can tomato juice
2-3 large cans chili beans with juice for seasoning
Brown meat, onion and garlic. Add seasoning, mix well to coat. Add beans and juice. That's it. Simmer and enjoy. Try it and if you want it not soupy, you can play with it.

Chicken Roll Ups

I have had this recipe for years. I think I first got it from Aunt Kathy in Taylorsville, so sometime in the 80's I guess. I have made it with Cresent rolls, I have used roll dough (much more work, but big and yummy). I have used saltine, club or Ritz crackers for the crumbs you roll them in and I have used Pepperidge farms stuffing. Stuffing is very yummy but I seldom have it on hand. Seasoned bread crumbs are also good if you stock them. Have fun with the recipe and really...you can't go wrong. (Unless you don't make enough)

Chicken Roll Ups
1 can Cresent Rolls
1 1/4 c. shredded, cooked chicken
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 t. lemon pepper (I like more)
1/3 c. mushrooms (optional Brad)
Melted butter
Cracker crumbs
Combine Chicken, cheese, butter, lemon pepper and mushrooms. Using flour, rolls out all eight cresent rolls so they are flat and larger. Dividing chicken mixture equally, place mixture in rolls. Starting at larger end, roll up so mixture is sealed inside dough. Dip in melted butter and roll in cracker crumbs. Bake 15-20 min. at 375. Serve with gravy or Cream of Chicken soup.