New Year's Eve Sweet and Sour Meatballs!

Sweet and Sour... That's how our 2010 has been around our house.  So I think this recipe is comletely appropriate for the occasion. (sigh) 

So, if you are going to a New Years Eve Party and  you don't know what to bring?!  This recipe is always a hit, so if I were you, I would double or triple the recipe!  It's also low fat, and who doesn't need that after Chrsitmas?!  ENJOY!

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS

1 lb lean ground turkey or beef (I prefer the taste of the turkey)

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 egg or 2 egg whites

1 jar (10 oz) sweet-and-sour sauce (I got mine at a local restaurant)

Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, mix turkey, garlic, bread crumbs, milk, salt, pepper and egg. Shape mixture into thirty 1-inch meatballs. In ungreased 13x9-inch pan, place meatballs.

Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink in center.

In 2-quart saucepan, mix meatballs and sweet-and-sour sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce and meatballs are hot. Serve hot with toothpicks.

Ham and Swiss Stuffed Chicken

LEFTOVERS EVERYWHERE!!!!  Oh my goodness, there are leftovers, EVERYWHERE!  Don't heat it up in the microwave, use this great dinner recipe to for leftover ham!  ENJOY!

HAM AND SWISS STUFFED CHICKEN

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices cooked ham

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup honey mustard dressing

Flatten each chicken breast half to 1/4-inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper.

Place cheese slice and ham slice on center of each chicken breast; roll up. Secure by placing seam side down in a 13x9 lightly greased pan.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing for later.  Brush with 1/4 cup of the dressing and then cover and cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center of chicken is no longer pink.  Serve chicken rolls with warmed reserved dressing.

Got leftovers? Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

MERRY belated CHRISTMAS!  I don't know about anyone else, but I definately ate my fair share of really good food this Christmas! And although I throughly enjoyed every minute of it, my waist line did NOT! And like always, we had a TON of leftovers, so this is what I am doing with our left over sweet potatoes! 

SWEET POTATO AND CHIPOTLE SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 cup onion, diced

2 teaspoons of minced garlic, fresh or dried

4 medium sweet potatoe, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 small can chipotle chile in adobo sauce, found in the mexican section of grocery stores

7 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Sour cream, for serving

Toasted flour tortilla wedges, for serving (optional)

(This recipe serves 8, so feel free to cut in half for smaller meals)

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper, and cook until beginning to brown around edges, about 7 minutes. Add cumin and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chile, and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a spoon, 20 to 25 minutes.

Let soup cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return pureed soup to pot over low heat and season with salt and pepper. Top soup with sour cream and serve with tortilla wedges, if desired.

What's Christmas without a box of chocolates?!

I don't know about you, but Christmas isn't Christmas without a few chocolates sitting around waiting to be pounced on!  But don't buy that box!  Here is the simplest of recipes that will make your family and friends marvel at your MAD skills... even if you don't think you have them!  Merry Christmas EVE EVE!

EASY CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

16 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate or a combination, finely chopped

12/3 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream until it begins to simmer; pour over chocolate. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand 10 minutes. Uncover and whisk chocolate mixture until smooth. Mix in vanilla and salt. Pour into a 9-inch pie plate and let cool 15 minutes. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until completely set, about 3 hours. (HINT, NEVER use metal bowls or tools when working with candy. It will ruin the consistency.)

With a melon baller, a 1-inch scoop, or a teaspoon, scoop out chocolate mixture and place on parchment paper. Coat hands with cocoa and roll truffles into balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. (To store, cover with plastic and refrigerate, up to 2 weeks.) Roll in finely chopped nuts or more cocoa powder, or brush with luster dust just before serving or packing.

Sweet and Spicy Glazed Ham

In my mind, Christmas wouldn't be the same without a really good ham at the dinner table. Although I would LOVE to go and buy an official Honey Baked Ham, I really have a hard time justifying the price, but that's just me!  So, instead, this is what will be at our table this year.  Enjoy!

SWEET AND SPICY GLAZED HAM

6- to 8-lb fully cooked smoked bone-in ham

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup maple-flavored syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Dash of ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 325°F. Line shallow roasting pan with foil. Place ham, cut side down, on rack in pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is in thickest part of ham and does not touch bone.

Bake uncovered about 1 hour 30 minutes or until thermometer reads 135°F to 140°F. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Brush over ham during last 30 minutes of baking.

Cover ham loosely with foil and let stand 10 to 15 minutes for easier carving.

Scones from Emily at Impel Clothing!

This is a good friend of my mine who not only has a very cool clothing line, but this is one of the BEST scone recipes I have ever done!  ENJOY!

French Toast Casserole

Tomorrow is our church Christmas breakfast with Santa.  I signed up to bring a casserole, but I am not much of a egg person, so this is what I am taking instead of the standard breakfast casserole!  SHHHHHH........It is sooooo yummy and you will not be able to get enough!  It's also a great Christams morning breakfast! 

FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

5 cups bread cubes

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup white sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon margarine, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.

Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Magic Wand Sticks

My kids are more than slightly obsessed with Harry Potter.  I even bought them their own wands and they now run around casting spells on one another.  So imagine their surprise when I told them I had wands they could eat!

MAGIC WAND STICKS

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped salami, turkey pepperoni or fully cooked ham

3/4 cup milk

Ketchup, mustard, pizza sauce or cheese dip, if desired

Heat oven to 450ºF. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cut in shortening, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives, until mixture is crumbly. Stir in cheese and salami. Stir in just enough milk until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 10 times. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Pat dough into 8-inch square; cut square in half. Cut each half crosswise into 1-inch strips. (For crisper sticks, arrange strips to have about 1-inch space between them.)

Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cool with ketchup, mustard, pizza sauce or cheese dip.

Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

We had a cookie decorating party last week. There was lots of fun to go around.  I do believe however, more was eaten than decorated, but that's what its for, RIGHT?!  I must say the decorations are top notch!  The recipe was great and we had a ton of fun!  Thanks Piercy's for joining us!

Pretty sure this one above weighed 5 pounds!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

Cheesecake cookies... full of yummy, festive goodness!

I made this yummy goodness yesterday and I have already had a bunch of people ask for the recipe! So here it is.... They are festive and oh so easy to make.  But warning...you won't be able to eat just one! 

CHEESECAKE COOKIES

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

3 oz white chocolate baking bar, coarsely grated

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, dry pudding mix, oil and egg until soft dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Using thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make indentation in center of each ball. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon jam into each indentation.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes; sprinkle with white chocolate.

Tom and Jerry!

This recipe is another family favoirte of mine.  We even had special mugs that were used ONLY for Tom and Jerry's.  Although my grandparents served it with Rum, I was very happy with they way this turned out without it!  I'm pretty sure that I LOVED the name too beacuse I thought it was named after the cartoon.  Hey, maybe it is!?!

TOM AND JERRY

12 egg(s)

1 cup sugar

Pinch of ground allspice

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of ground nutmeg

1 or 2% milk

Separate the eggs into 2 different bowls. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they become stiff.  Set aside. Add the sugar to the yolks and stir until they are water like.  Add a pinch each of ground allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to the yolk mixture. Fold the whites into the yolks. Put 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture in a coffee mug. Heat the milk to almost boiling or to your liking and fill to the top with the milk and stir until you get foam. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Serve immediately!

Grandpa's Fudge

There is only ONE person that was capable of making this sweet treat perfect every year and that was my Grandpa Meredith.  His fudge was famous, not just in our family but throughout his neighborhood during the holidays.  Many have tried to copy, but none prevailed.  Maybe because he NEVER wrote the recipe down, so there is really no way to duplicate it.  So this recipe is not exact, it is still so wonderful and brings back many many memories! 

Just like... GRANDPA'S FUDGE

5 cups sugar

1/2 pound butteror margarine (2 sticks)

1 large can evaporated milk

Boil for 15 minutes on medium low heat.

Then add..

1 bag of small marshmallows

18 ounces of semi sweet or milk chocolate chips. (Best if you use a mixture of both!)

2 cups of walnuts (optional)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Stir on low heat until set and all is melted about 8 minutes and no longer.  Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch pan (make sure that the pan is buttered all the way to the top) or 2 square pans.  Refrigerate.  Cut into pieces after the fudge has turned cold.

Christmas Morning Tradition.. Swedish Pancakes

Christmas when I was young was truly amazing.  We would pile EVERYTHING in the car and head south to my Grandma's house in Provo, UT.  Tradition permeated her home, and the spirit in her home was something that I will never forget.  The entire family was together and we did the same thing every year.  We would watch either It's a Wonderful Life or the Christmas Story with Ralphie like it was the first time we had ever seen them.  Then we would head to midnight mass at her church, where we would pass a lighted candle so that everyone was holding the new light and life of Christ.  Followed by a Christmas message and the congregation singing O Holy Night.  We wouldn't get home until 2 or 3 in the morning.  

My grandma would have been cooking for days to get ready for Christmas Eve, Christmas morning and Christmas night dinner.  Although, her tradition on Christmas Eve was serving Okra Stew of some sort, it was NEVER really popular, so I won't share the recipe, hee hee.  But I do remember Christmas morning!  It was filled with more Ebelskivers, Swedish Pancakes and bacon than you could ever imagine. 

So here it is... Something that reminds me of my Grandma Mary, who by the way, I miss her terribly, especially at this time of year.  Enjoy!

SWEDISH PANCAKES

Beat 2 eggs just to blend, add 1 cup of light cream.  Sift in 1/2 cup sifted flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Beat until smooth with rotary beater.  Let stand 1 hour so batter thickens.  Heat skillet to 375 degrees or until drop of water dances on the surface.  Butter lightly.

Beat batter again.  Use 1/4 cup batter for each cake.  Brown on both sides.  (It may be difficult to turn pancakes, so loosen edges with a spatula and lift pancake with fingers.)  Roll pancakes and serve with fruit filling, berry syrup or good old fashion maple syrup.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  If you are serving a large crowd, place finished pancakes on an over proof platter, cover and turn oven on to 250 degrees to keep pancakes warm.  You may need to double or even quadruple this recipe!  Wink Wink!!

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CHRSITMAS BREAKFAST OR DINNER TRADITIONS!  Comment and share!!

Simple and Satisfying!

I don't know about you, but my kids love noodles.  Anything noodles and I have grown tired of the same old stuff.  So, we mixed it up and this is what we came up with!  This recipe is extremely simple and my kids LOVE it!  Even the veggies!

SESAME NOODLES

1 pound angel hair pasta

1/2 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter 

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 zucchini, peeled and cut into thin slices

1 cup of broccoli, steamed and cut small 

1 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices 

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until soft or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, make peanut sauce by putting into a blender or food processor, blend peanut butter, pepper flakes, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil until smooth. Cut zucchini and carrot into very thin strips and steam with broccoli to your liking. Transfer pasta to a large bowl; toss with veggies and sauce. Enjoy!

Coconut Bread

Back when I was getting married, I was going through the daunting task of finding the ULTIMATE wedding cake. Fortunately, I worked at one of the hippest hotels in SLC that had the BEST restaurant within it's walls! VERY LONG story short, they had the answer. Ambroisa Cakes. When my mom and I went to taste the cakes, she told us that all of her cakes were made with coconut. I am NOT a huge coconut fan. As a matter of fact, most things that have coconut taste like tanning lotion to me. So, I was a little worried, but not to fear! Coconut in cakes actually keeps the cake moist and holds its shape. We tried it and I was HOOKED! So, now that I have told you all of that, let's move on to the recipe of the day! Coconut Bread! Be careful with this one! It's bound to be addicting and I promise, it does NOT taste like tanning lotion!

COCONUT BREAD

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons coconut extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs and coconut extract. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with buttermilk and coconut.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

COCONUT GLAZE

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. coconut extract

Combine above ingredients except coconut flavoring and bring to a boil.  Remove and add extract.  Pour over bread before serving.

There's nothing like a good French Dip Sandwich...

After trying several recipes for French Dip sandwiches, I decided to mix a bunch of them and make it my own.  I love these sandwiches, especially during the winter. Enjoy!

 FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

3-4 lb rump roast, trim fat prior to placing in crock pot

1 packet. au jus mix

1 10oz. can of condensed french onion soup

2(10.5 oz) can beef broth (or you can do 1 can of beer and 1 can of beef broth.)

1 1/2 cups water

Hogie buns, we prefer sourdough

Swiss or provolone Cheese

Place roast in crock-pot. Mix the au jus packet, soup, broth and water and pour over meat. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. Remove roast. Reserve juice for serving. Slice meat thinly or it may be soft enough to just pull apart. Stack meat on buns and cover with cheese. Wrap in foil. Heat in 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Serve and dip in left over juices from crock pot.

Try this sugar cookie!

I am a sucker for a good ,soft, yummy sugar cookie!  After all, if you are going to go to the trouble of making them, they BETTER be good, right?!  Well, leave it to Martha to make a really good cookie!  We made these last year and they were a hit!

Citrus Sugar Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for working

1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for decorating (optional)

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Royal Icing, and desired decorations, such as colored sugars

ROYAL ICING

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

5 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest and process until mixture resembles wet sand.

Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface; knead several times until dough comes together. Divide into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. (To store, wrap in plastic and freeze on sheet, up to 2 weeks. Thaw until pliable before using.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With lightly floured cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (reroll scraps, if desired). Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies are set but still pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Using a spoon, frost cookies with icing; decorate with sugar, if desired.