Meatloaf

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10-20 minutes (microwave) or 45-60 minutes (oven)

2 pounds ground beef or meatloaf mixture
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onions
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 to 1 1/2 cups Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1/4 cup cry parsley flakes (or 1/2 cup fresh)
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

Mix all ingredients together.  Shape into a loaf, ring, or round in a microwave-safe dish and microwave until juices run clear and internal temperature is 160F:
Loaf - 15 to 20 minutes
Ring - 10 to 15 minutes
Round - 14 to 20 minutes

Or bake in oven at 350F for 45 to 60 minutes until juices run clear and internal temperature is 160F.

Tips: sometimes I make meatloaf in a muffin tin - it speeds up the cooking and everyone gets their own mini-meatloaf.  They are also easy to freeze and reheat a few at a time.

Substitutions:
Lawry's seasoned salt for salt
Omit salt and spices and use an envelope of onion soup mix - if you like a lot of onions, add the fresh chopped onion.

Roasted Asparagus

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 4-6

1 bunch asparagus
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450F.  Wash asparagus and snap off and discard tough, woody ends.

Place asparagus on a sheet pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat.  Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 8 to 10 minutes, or until slightly browned and tender.

Garlic Spinach

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4-6

1 pound spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (pulse in blender to a powder, if necessary)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Wash spinach; drain.  While spinach is still wet, add to pan and cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until completely wilted.  If necessary, work in batches.  Transfer to a strainer.  Using a spoon, press down on the cooked spinach to release as much liquid as possible.  Finely chop the spinach.

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat in same pan.  Add garlic; cook stirring constantly for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until golden brown and fragrant.  Add the chopped spinach.  Cook, stirring frequently 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and heated through.  Turn off heat.  Stir in Parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 small package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.  Combine shortening, brown sugar, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until creamy; about 3 to 5 minutes.  Beat egg into creamed mixture.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in small bowl; mix into creamed mixture just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake one baking sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown for chewy cookies or a few minutes longer for crisp cookies.  Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool completely.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Ziti

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8

I like to make ziti layered, like lasagna.  This is roughly what I do:

1 pound ziti noodles

1 to 2 jars (24 oz) pasta sauce (Francesco Rinaldi is my favorite)

15 oz ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 egg, optional

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.  

Meanwhile mix together ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Grease a 9"x13" pan and spoon some sauce into pan; spread over the bottom.

When pasta is done, drain well and add half of the pasta to the baking pan.  Spread more sauce over the pasta.  Spoon all of the cheese mixture over the pasta and spread it as evenly as possible.  Add remaining pasta and spread more sauce over noodles.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 2 Tbsp Parmesan on top.  

Cover pan lightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove foil and cook 10 minutes more or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown around edges.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

Variations:

Brown 1 pound ground beef or bulk Italian sausage.  Drain liquid and mix meat into spaghetti sauce.

Cook frozen meatballs in sauce for at least 30 minutes. Leave meatballs whole, cut in half or quarters or  mash meatballs up.  It makes a tasty meat sauce!

French Mint Brownies (Killer Brownies)

Louise got this recipe from her friend in church, Nancy Lund.  Her children dubbed them "Killer Brownies" because they are so good.  I think it's one of our favorite desserts that Mom makes.

Prep Time: About 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours including cooling time

BROWNIES
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and bake in greased jelly roll pan at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes; cool.

MINT FROSTING
3 Tbsp butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp mint extract
4 Tbsp milk
A few drops of green food coloring

Mix ingredients until fluffy and spread over cooled brownies.  Refrigerate 20 minutes until crusty.

CHOCOLATE TOPPING
1 1/2 cups Hershey's(R) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
4 1/2 Tbsp butter

Melt chips and butter and spread over mint frosting; cool.

*Use Hershey's - don't substitute - Hershey's turns out best

Notes:
-I didn't have room in my fridge, so we let the brownies sit out after frosting until they got crusty
-Louise doubles the chocolate topping so that the chocolate is thicker and the frosting doesn't show through
-Sometimes we drizzle the chocolate over the frosting in a diagonal pattern.  Just put the chocolate in a sandwich bag and snip off one of the corners.


Substitutions - omit mint extract and green food coloring and add one of the following choices:
-Orange extract and orange food coloring
-Strawberry or chocolate confectioner's sugar instead of regular confectioner's sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-Raspberry extract and red food coloring (or blue!)

One Step Pound Cake

This is Louise's original pound cake recipe with a few variations listed at the bottom.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

2 1/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup butter, softened

1 (8 oz) container sour cream

3 eggs

Grease and flour a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Dust top with powdered sugar, icing, or leave plain.

Variations:
Substitute orange peel for lemon peel
Add a small package instant lemon with the rest of the ingredients
Glaze top with a lemon glaze
Omit lemon peel and add a small package instant vanilla pudding to recipe

Quadruple Chocolate Pound Cake

Another one of my mother-in-law's wonderful recipes.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 60-70 minutes

Cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz. sour cream
3 eggs
3 Tbsp chocolate syrup
Small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease and dust with cocoa powder a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt or Tube pan.  Preheat oven to 325F.  Blend all ingredients at low speed of electric mixer.  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until top of cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool cake upright in pan for 15 minutes; remove from pan.  Cool completely.  Glaze or drizzle chocolate glaze over cake.

Chocolate Glaze:
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp corn syrup
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 tsp vanilla

Melt butter, corn syrup, and chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds; stir.  Microwave at 15 second intervals stirring after each time until melted.  Stir in vanilla.  Scoop into a plastic bag and cut off the tip of one corner.  Squeeze chocolate to drizzle over cake.


Other options:
Dust top with powdered sugar and serve with cherry pie filling on top of slices
Dust top with a mixture of powdered sugar and cocoa powder
Instead of dusting pan with cocoa powder, dust pan with raw sugar

Homemade Moose Tracks Ice Cream

Fudge Ripple:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream

Ice Cream:
2 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mini peanut butter cups

For Fudge Ripple:
Add chocolate chips and butter to a small microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave 30 seconds more.  Add evaporated milk and stir gently with a wire whisk until smooth.  Microwave 1 minute more.  Refrigerate until cool.

For Ice Cream:
Mix milk and sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Add heavy cream and vanilla; stir.  Turn on ice cream maker and add ice cream mixture.  Process about 20 to 25 minutes.

Add mini peanut butter cups and turn ice cream maker off.  Layer ice cream and fudge ripple in a 2-quart container with a lid.  Make 3 or 4 layers of each.  Freeze for 2 to 4 hours or until firm.

Classic Onion Soup

Total Prep Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6 to 8

I got this recipe off of a bag of onions from Groupe Vegco, Inc.  The recipe is courtesy of the National Onion Association.  I adjusted it slightly.  All of us loved it!

4 large yellow onions, sliced

6 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp sugar

8 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 baguette French bread, sliced and toasted

Grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large saucepan that holds at least 4 quarts.  Add onions; cook over medium heat 12 minutes, or until tender and golden, stirring often.  Add sugar and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add stock; cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 12 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  To serve, ladle soup into bowl; float toast on soup.  Sprinkle with cheese.

Meatballs

This is also a recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law, Louise.  They are so delicious!

1 pound ground beef*
1 pound ground pork*
1 pound ground veal*
2 1/4 cups bread crumbs**
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup fresh chopped parsley or 1/2 cup dry parsley
3 eggs
4 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
4 1/2 tsp granulated onion
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together and shape into uniform balls.  Place on cookie sheet with sides (like a jelly roll pan or 9"x13" pan) and bake at 350F for 30 to 45 minutes, until cooked through (length of bake time will depend on size of meatballs).

*Optional:  Use 3 pounds meatloaf mixture or 3 pounds ground beef (the meatballs are more flavorful using all of the different meats or a meatloaf mixture).

**I make my own Italian-flavored bread crumbs, but you can use store-bought.

Italian Bread Crumbs

This is a recipe that my mother-in-law came up with.  It goes great in homemade meatballs!

2 cups plain bread slices and/or crumbs
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp granulated onion
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Dry bread in 200°F oven for about 20 minutes or till dry.  Allow to cool.  Place dried bread in food processor; pulse to fine crumbs.  Add remaining ingredients; pulse to blend.  Store in air-tight container in refrigerator.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 8

1/2 to 1 cup sugar
1/2 to 1 cup cocoa powder
8 cups milk (1 1/2 cup non-instant dry milk and 8 cups water)
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in 3-quart (or larger) saucepan.  Whisk in milk (or water if using dry milk) and heat over medium heat, stirring often.  Remove from heat when steamy and add heavy cream and vanilla.

Adjust sugar and cocoa powder amounts to your liking, keeping sugar and cocoa powder measurements equal.

Variations:
*Italian: put a few small chunks of sharp provolone cheese in each mug with the hot chocolate (Michael's mom made it this way)
*Extra chocolatey: add a small handful of chocolate chips to your mug of hot chocolate and stir until melted
*Mint: substitute mint extract for vanilla
*Raspberry: add a couple tablespoons raspberry syrup to each mug

Drinkable Milk Made from Dry Milk

This is Crystal's Drinkable Milk "recipe" that I adapted a little.  I use non-instant dry milk from the LDS Family Storage Center. To find a Storage Center click here and to view an order form click here.

To make a gallon of milk, you need:
Water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla, optional
1 tablespoon sugar, optional
3 cups non-instant dry milk
About 4 cups crushed ice
1 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream (adds milk fat to help it taste more like store bought)


1. Fill a gallon-size pitcher about half full with lukewarm water.

2. Add vanilla, sugar, and dry milk.

3. Mix with a hand mixer (or wire whisk) until well blended.

4. Add 4 to 6 cups crushed ice and fill to the gallon mark with cold water (I usually pour it in with a measuring cup instead of using the tap to help decrease the bubbles.)

5. Stir in heavy cream carefully with a spoon so as not to spill.  It is ready to use almost immediately because the ice helps to cool it down quickly.


Editor's Note 1/4/2014:
At first, we always used the vanilla and sugar, but then we tried it without and liked it just as well (as long as we use the heavy cream) and it was a lot easier to use the milk in recipes that use milk (such as macaroni and cheese).

Chocolate Muffins

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Another recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law...

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
3/4 to 1 c sugar
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 c milk
1/2 c oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 3/4 c chocolate chips
1/2 c finely chopped nuts, optional

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix together just until blended.  Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Lemony Chicken Pasta Salad

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8 to 10

1 pound acini de pepe pasta, uncooked
2 cubes Knorr(R) chicken bouillon (or 4 regular cubes)
2 c cooked chicken, chopped*
1 c red onion, chopped
1 c green bell pepper, chopped
1 c red bell pepper, chopped
1 c mayonnaise
1/4 c fresh lemon juice

Cook acini di pepe in water with bouillon according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water when done cooking.

Add pasta and remaining ingredients to large bowl and mix well.

Note: It can get a little dry when refrigerated.  Instead of adding extra mayonnaise, I prefer to mix in a little bit of milk until it's the desired consistency.

*I use the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken.

Corn Chowder

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 8

Jonathon made this chowder for dinner yesterday.   It was delicious!  He used this recipe and changed it to this:

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 c. dried onion flakes
1 Tbsp. dried minced garlic
1 tsp. dried crushed thyme
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
6 c. water
3 cubes Knorr chicken bouillon (or 6 regular-size cubes)
2 cups heavy cream (or 2 c. evaporated milk)
1/4 c. dried diced potatoes
2 c. freeze-dried corn
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

Heat butter and olive oil in soup pot over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and thyme and cook for about 2 minutes.  Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well.  Add water, chicken bouillon, and potatoes; bring to a boil over high heat.  Add heavy cream and boil for 7 minutes; add corn, salt, pepper, and parsley; simmer until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.  Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Optional toppings:
2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
1/4 c. cooked, crumbled bacon
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

We ate this with homemade bread and cooked green peas.  Yum!

EZ Wheat Bread

Prep Time: About 2 1/2 - 3 hours

I got this recipe from Crystal's blog, everydayfoodstorage.net/blog and fell in love with it - she even has videos to help you along.  I recently bought this Make-a-Mix cookbook again since mine fell apart and I lost some of the pages.  I was excited about making the mixes in the cookbook again and was going to make bread too, so I decided to try making a mix using Crystal's bread recipe.

This is her original recipe (the first amount is for 1 loaf and the second amount is for 2 loaves):

EZ Wheat Bread
1 loaf - 2 loaves
1 1/4 c - 2 1/2 c warm water
1/4 c - 1/2 c honey OR 1/3 c - 2/3 c sugar
1/4 c - 1/2 c wheat gluten
1 tsp - 2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp - 1/4 c non-instant dry milk
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 c - 1/2 c potato flakes
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp active dry yeast

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ingredients in order listed in mixing bowl of mixer with dough hook attachment on low speed (level 2 on a Kitchen Aid) for 12 to 15 minutes.  Let rise until double, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Punch down, roll out, and shape into loaves or rolls.  Let rise again until double and bake at 375F for 20 to 30 minutes (covering with foil after 10 minutes), until golden brown and sounds hollow when lightly tapped.


For the Bread Mix:

Mix all ingredients in the Bread Mix in a large bowl.  Label and store in a large air-tight container in the freezer and use within 6 months or store in the refrigerator and use within 3 months.

EZ Wheat Bread Mix
Makes 6 loaves - Makes 8 loaves
2 c - 2 2/3 c sugar
16 1/2 c  - 22 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c - 2 c wheat gluten
2 Tbsp  - 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
3/4 c - 1 c non-instant dry milk
1 1/2 c - 2 c potato flakes

Six loaves recipe makes about 23 cups of mix.  Eight loaves recipe makes about 30 cups of mix.

To make EZ Wheat Bread:
1 loaf - 2 loaves
1 1/4 c - 2 1/2 warm water (more if needed, adding 1 Tbsp at a time)
3 3/4 c  - 7 1/2 c EZ Wheat Bread Mix
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp butter or oil
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp - 2 Tbsp instant yeast (if using active dry, add after water)

Make bread according to directions above.


Variation:
EZ Honey Wheat Bread Mix
Don't add sugar to EZ Wheat Bread Mix.  When making 1 loaf of bread, add 1/4 c. honey and use 3 1/3 c Bread Mix.  For 2 loaves, add 1/2 c. honey and use 6 3/4 c. Bread Mix.


Tips:
*I made the mix for 6 loaves and noticed that a #10 can of white wheat ground into flour is pretty close to the amount of flour needed for the recipe.
*I ALWAYS scoop flour into a measuring cup and then level it off with a straight edge. I do the same thing when measuring the mix.  You may not think this makes much of a difference, but it does.  It doesn't take too much longer and you end up with a lighter, more moist product.

Notes:
*I made 2 loaves of bread using the EZ Bread Mix and used 7 1/2 cups of mix, but the dough was too dry.  It should be fairly soft and a little tacky.  I added about 1/2 c. of water a tablespoon at a time and it turned out perfect.  I will be experimenting some more to find the perfect recipe...

Candied Poppyseed Chicken

Prep time: 45 mins
Serves: 6-8

This is a fairly rich dish, buttery with a little sweetness, so it is difficult to eat a lot of it at once. But I find myself going to the fridge to have a bite quite often, just like I do with dessert! It's absolutely delicious!

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 roll of crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 Tbsp poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix soup, sour cream, and cooked chicken in a medium bowl. Place in a 13x9 baking pan. Combine crackers, butter, and poppyseeds. Spread cracker mixture over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

My sister-in-law, Whitney, made this back when we were doing a meal exchange and it was one of my favorite dishes. She got it from her sister-in-law, Ruth. Yummy!

Pernil

Prep Time: 4-5 hours
Serving: About 1/3 pound per person

I took this picture of my father-in-law seasoning the pork for me.  He is great at it!

1 picnic pork shoulder
Adobo:
1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven* to 300F.  Mix all ingredients for Adobo together and set aside.  Cut skin and fat from pork.  If the pork shoulder is extra fatty, cut as much fat as possible from the skin.  Set skin aside.  Using a steak knife or other narrow knife, stab the meat and move the knife to one side to make a hole and sprinkle some Adobo into the hole (see photo above).  Do this all over the meat.  Sprinkle Adobo all over meat.  Place meat on a rack in a large pan and cover with skin.  Cook for 4 hours or until a fork inserted in meat and twisted breaks meat apart easily.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, crisp up skin under broiler.

Serve with Arroz con Gandules, tostones, and salad.

*I always cook pernil in my 18-qt Nesco roaster.  The pernil comes out so moist and tender and it doesn't heat up my house either!

We usually make a gravy to go with the pernil.  I put 1-2 cups of water into a saucepan and add the drippings that has most of the fat skimmed off and heat it over high heat.  Then I take about 1/2 cup cold water and whisk in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour.  Then, I slowly drizzle the flour mixture into the saucepan while whisking the water and drippings mixture.  Cook while stirring constantly until it starts to boil.  I carefully taste it and if it needs more flavor or salt, I add a crushed chicken bouillon to it and taste it.  I just add more water or flour/water mixture or crushed chicken bouillon until it tastes right and is the right thickness.