Big Crescent Rolls

BIG CRESCENT ROLLS 3 1/4 c. very warm water 1/2 c. oil 3 eggs 8-10 c. flour 2 tbs. yeast 3/4 c. sugar 1 tbs. salt melted butter In bread mixer sprinkle yeast ofver water and dissolve Add: 4 c. flour and mix Combine: oil, sugar, eggs and salt. Add to flour mixture and mix 2 min. Add remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides. Kneed 8 min. Pour 1 tbs. oil in bottom of large bowl and add dough turning in oil. Cover with plasitc and rise 1 1/2-2 hours. Divide into 3 pieces, butter and cut 12 wedges and roll. Rise 1 1/2 hr. Bake at 350 for 12 min. (takes about 4 hours). Haylee's Note: These rolls are so yummy! My mom is the best at making them, but I like to make them too! I've added these last few pictures to help show the process a little better: Roll out the dough: Cut into 12 wedges: Roll the wedges starting at the fat end: Put 12 rolls on each pan. Let rise one hour: Use pastry brush and spread with melted butter:

Frank's Southwestern Salad

FRANK'S SOUTHWESTERN SALAD

Iceberg Lettuce
Black Beans
Corn
Tomato
Avocado
Cilantro
Red Pepper
Grilled Chicken (I like to marinate it for a day in a citrus marinate)
Red Onion
Crushed doritos
Shredded cheddar cheese
Ranch Dressing
Frank's Dressing

Frank's Dressing:
1 c brown sugar
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c Frank's Hot Sauce
2-4 Tbps water

Haylee's Note:
This salad is really easy to make, but it is definitely one of our favorites!  The spicy Frank's dressing with the creamy ranch (which I like to water down a bit), is such a yummy flavor combination!

Donuts

DONUTS

1 c. mashed potatoes
2 tbsp. yeast
½ c. warm water
½ tbsp sugar
2 eggs
¼ c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp salt
2 c. scalded milk
6 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in water and add ½ tbsp sugar. Cream ½ c. sugar and shortening then salt and potatoes. Add scalded milk (cooled). Add salt and eggs then flour. Double 1-2 hours roll out and cut. Double again. Fry and glaze while hot. Makes 40

Glaze:

4 c. powdered sugar
½ c. water
½ tsp vanilla

Chocolate glaze:

2 tsp. butter
2 sq. chocolate
1 c. powdered sugar
¼ c. milk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate. Add remaining ingredients.

Haylee's Note:
These are really yummy and fun to make, even though they are time consuming. Our family always made these on the FHE before halloween and took them to the neighbors. It was a fun tradition.  To see some of our neighborhood donut parties, click HERE.

Katie's Meatballs with BBQ Sauce

KATIE’S MEATBALLS WITH BBQ SAUCE

MEATBALLS:

1 egg slightly beaten
1 15 oz can evaporated milk
1 C quick oats
½ Tbs onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic
¼ tsp pepper
Combine above ingredients and add
1 ½ lbs lean ground beef.

BBQ SAUCE:

1 C ketchup
¾ C brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp liquid smoke
¼ tsp garlic powder
Boil sauce ingredients in a pan, simmer 2 min. Form meat into 1” balls, line up and bake uncovered in a casserole dish at 350° for 18-20 min. Pour sauce over meatballs. Bake 10-12 min longer. Serve with oven fries or tater tots.

Haylee’s Note:

Wow!  This is the best meal I think I’ve made in a LONG time!  Meatballs with homemade BBQ sauce sounded time consuming, but I was amazing at how quickly this meal whipped up!  The kids, the spouse, and I all LOVED this meal!  On a scale of 1-10, it gets an 11!  Katie said this meal was “Yummo!”  I would have to agree!  Major YUMMO!!  Thanks Katie!! 

Pecan Chicken with Blackberry Sauce

PECAN CHICKEN WITH BLACKBERRY SAUCE

CHICKEN:

4 chicken breasts
1/2 c. pecans
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 Tbsp. olive oil

In a processor mix the pecans, salt, bread crumbs, and pepper.  Dredge the chicken in the buttermilk then in the breading.  Fry the chicken in the olive oil until lightly brown on each side (about 3 minutes per side.  Move to a baking dish and bake at 300 for 1 hour.

SAUCE:

1/4 c. onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp sumbol
10 oz. blackberry preserves
1 c. chopped cilantro
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. whipping cream
1/8 tsp. tabasco
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Dice onion and sauté in olive oil. Add remaining ingredients.  Simmer over medium heat.  Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with blackberries and cilantro.

Haylee’s Note:

My mom gave me this recipe 10 years ago, and this is the FIRST time I’ve ever made it.  We have a large blackberry bush, and I decided to give this a whirl.  I now realize I have wasted the past 10 years not making the best recipe EVER!  Honestly, this is probably in my top 10 favorite things I have ever made!  Darin said he could have easily eaten 5 chicken breasts!  We all LOVED it!  Give it a try—guaranteed success!

Tart Shells

TART SHELLS

½ c butter
½ c Crisco
1 c sugar
1 beaten egg
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 c flour

Cream butter, Crisco, and sugar.  Add the egg, extract and flour and cream to a nice soft dough.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and then press into a tart shell.

Bake in a 375 oven for 8-10 minutes
Roll into walnut size 375 8-10 minutes

Haylee’s Note:

This is the ultimate “girl food.” It is dainty, it is beautiful, and it is DELICIOUS!  There are so many ways you can fill these tarts.  My favorite it to fill the shell with a little dark chocolate, then fill it with vanilla pudding with a little extra almond extract (but I think that grand marnier would be AMAZING in this…if you use cooked pudding for all the Mormons out there), then top with fresh berries and mint!  Oh man!  SOO YUMMY!!

Brown Bag Apple Pie (aka Best Apple Pie EVER)

 BROWN BAG APPLE PIE (AKA BEST APPLE PIE EVER)

 Crust:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil

Mix with a fork and put into a large pie tin.

Filling:
4 c. sliced apples
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Toss and mix the ingredients to distribute equally over the apples, then pour onto crust.

Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. margarine

Mix sugar and flour then cut in margarine, crumble, and top the pie.

Put the whole pie into a brown sack (like a grocery brown paper bag) and bake for 1 hour and 45 mines at 350.


Haylee's Note:
I know that there are a lot of recipes out there that claim to be the "Best Apple Pie."  But, they're not, THIS IS THE BEST APPLE PIE.  Be forewarned, it isn't your traditional apple pie, but it IS the best.  It is my Grandma Welling's recipe, and it is bound to be your favorite!  Try it!  It will not disappoint! 

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Beef Wellington

TYLER FLORENCE'S ULTIMATE BEEF WELLINGTON




For the Duxelles:
3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white button mushrooms
2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Beef:
1 (3-pound) center cut beef tenderloin (filet mignon), trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 thin slices prosciutto
6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
1 pound puff pastry, thawed if using frozen
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Minced chives, for garnish

To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic. Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices.

Haylee’s Note:
This recipe seems like a lot of work—which it was, but luckily for me, my husband made this for my birthday last year. It was AMAZING! If you feel like you’re up to the challenge, give this a try! SOOO yummy! For the original recipe click here.

Cranberry Apple Pork Chops

CRANBERRY APPLE PORK CHOPS

6-8 thick chops
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can whole cranberry sauce
lots of fresh rosemary
1 lg. bottle apple sauce
1/3 c. chicken broth

Brown the chops and season with salt. Grease large shallow baking dish. Spread apple/cranberry sauce in pan, sprinkle soup and rosemary over sauce. Lay chops on top and cover with broth. Season with salt and ground pepper. Bake at 325 for 90 min.

Haylee’s Note:
I am not a huge pork chop fan, but this was DELICIOUS!! I would definitely make this one again!! The sauce is really good with the rice. I might even try this one again but with chicken. Give it a try!! It is a winner! Thanks mom for the recipe!

Thai Shrimp Curry

THAI SHRIMP CURRY

1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
2 shallots
2 tsp green curry paste
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
2 Tbsp. fish oil
2 Tbsp. lime juice
20 med shrimp (raw)
fresh basil

Saute shallots in wok until translusent. Add red bell pepper, green curry paste, coconut milk, fish oil, lime juice. (Let come to a simmer. Add cornstarch and cold water to thicken if needed). Add shrimp and basil, and cook until shrimp is cooked. Serve immediately over rice with fresh basil on top.


Haylee’s note:
My dad made this for me this weekend and it was AMAZING!!! Best curry I’ve ever had!! I was amazed at how quickly it all came together! Yum!! I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!! Mmmmm…thanks so much dad!!

Jadi's Brown Sugar Meatloaf

JADI'S BROWN SUGAR MEATLOAF

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 5X9 inch loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Haylee's Note:
Ok, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give this meatloaf a try!! It is absolutely to die for!! Best meatloaf I have EVER had!! I should take my other recipe off because this one blows all other recipes out of the water! Give it a try you will LOVE it!! I got this recipe from my sister in law Jadi.

Caprese Salad

CAPRESE SALAD

3 vine-ripe tomatoes, 1/4-inch thick slices
1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4-inch thick slices
20 to 30 leaves (about 1 bunch) fresh basil
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and pepper

Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella, adding a basil leaf between each, on a large, shallow platter. Drizzle the salad with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste

Haylee’s Note:
This is such an easy salad, but it is soooo good!! This is really not a salad you need a recipe for, but I did take this recipe from Rachael Ray here. I love that you can present it is so many ways! I think it is such a pretty salad, and tastes as good as it looks. I also like mine with a little balsamic vinegar! Enjoy!

Sabayon

SABAYON

1 large cook vanilla pudding (not instant)
3 Tbsp Grand Mariner
8 oz cool whip or whip cream

Cook pudding according to directions then add grand mariner. Put plastic wrap over the bowl and let cool. When cool at the cream. Serve over vanilla bean ice-cream with fresh berries.

Haylee’s Note:
I REALLY love this dessert!! So much in fact that this is what we served at our wedding reception! If you want to make this recipe and exclude the grand mariner—don’t even bother making this recipe because the grand mariner makes the whole dessert!

Emeril Lagasse’s Apricot Glazed Cornish Game Hens with Italian Sausage-Rice Pilaf

EMERIL LAGASSE’S APRICOT GLAZED CORNISH GAME HENS WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE-RICE PILAF

4 Cornish game hens (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup diced celery
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons minced orange zest
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups apricot jam
1 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until the fat is rendered, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of the orange zest and sweat for about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Add the raisins, almonds, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the rice from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Place the rice on a sheet pan or a platter to cool.

Combine the apricot jam, orange juice and remaining zest in a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Place the glaze in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Allow glaze to cook until reduced by half. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes.

Season the hens with the remaining salt and pepper on the insides and out. Stuff each hen cavity with about 3/4 cup of the cooled rice and place in a roasting pan. Use a pastry brush to spread the glaze on the hens and place them in the oven.

Roast the game hens for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and spread another layer of glaze over the hens. Return the hens to the oven and roast for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the hens from the oven, spread the glaze over the hens, and return to the oven.

Continue to cook for 30 more minutes, or until an instant read-thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 160 degrees F, and inserted into the rice registers 140 degrees F.

Serve the hens with any extra rice pilaf

Haylee’s Note:
This recipe may seem a little overwhelming (it did to me) but it was REALLY easy and it was SOOO good!! Darin and I loved this! I thought about doing this without the pilaf, but that would have been a huge mistake! I could eat a big bowl of this pilaf alone!! SOOOO yummy!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give this recipe a try! You won’t be sad if you do!! For the original recipe click here.

Red, White, and Blue Flag Cake

RED, WHITE AND BLUE FLAG CAKE

To make this cake you will need three full layers of white cake, all the same height (make two recipes of cake or two cake mixes - you will end up with four layers so use one for another purpose). One layer will need to be white, one layer will need to be red and one layer will need to be blue. Use food coloring to get desired shade. Bake the layers in 9" round greased and floured rounds. Let cool. Freeze the layers to make them easier to work with during assembly.

Assembly:
Split the white layer and the red layer in half horizontally using a long serrated knife. (You can also use a cake leveler to help keep the cut even.) Do not split the blue layer. Start assembly by placing one split white layer on a cake plate. Frost the top of this layer using white icing. Place one of the red split layers on top of the frosted white layer and frost it with icing. Set aside.

Place the remaining red split layer and the remaining white split layer on top of the full blue layer. Place a round bowl (or paper pattern) approximately 5" diameter on the top of the cakes in the center and cut through all the layers using the bowl as a guide. You should now have a circle cut through the layers. Keep the center red circle, the center white circle and the outer (approximately 2" wide) blue cake ring. Set aside all other cake pieces for a different use.
Place the outer blue cake ring piece on the iced white and red cake layers. Carefully spread icing around the inside of the blue ring.

Insert the round white cake piece in the center of the blue ring and ice. Insert the red round cake piece making sure it is flush with the blue cake ring.

You should now have a complete cake ready to ice. Finish by icing the entire cake with white icing and decorating as desired.
To serve, cut into slices and be amazed at the cool flag each piece becomes!



Haylee’s Note:
I got this recipe from Studio 5, and they got the recipe from here This was a really fun cake to make! Hope you enjoy it! Oh, and here is a little video that my bro-in-law took when we sliced it open!

Dan Dan

DAN DAN

Marinate chicken in:
2 large limes
1/4 c soy
1 T grated ginger
2 t sugar
2 cloves minced garlic

Peanut Sauce
2 T lime
1 T soy
1/4 c honey
1 t chicken bullion
4 t rice vinegar
1/4 c. hot water
1/4 c peanut butter
1/8 t crushed red pepper
sumbol to taste

Toppings
Cilantro
Grated Carrots
Crushed Peanuts

Mix all peanut sauce ingredients on stove until thick. Cook chicken as desired. Can be cut up and put in sauce or served on top. Serve sauce over angel hair pasta or rice. Top with cilantro and grated carrots.



Haylee's Note:
If you like anything thai with peanut sauce, you'll love this!! The story behind this is I think my family went to a restaurant and my uncle Richard has "perfect taste"--(kind of like how people have perfect pitch) and he recreated the meal from the restaurant!! My family has always served this over angel hair pasta, but sometimes we do it over rice. They are both yummy! This is a family favorite!

Heather’s Quick, Amazing Bread Sticks

HEATHER’S QUICK AMAZING BREAD STICK’S

Mix:

2 ¼ c. water
1 ½ tbsp. yeast
3 tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. salt
4 ½ c. flour

Melt ¼ c. butter in a jelly roll pan. Dip both sides of dough into the better and spread out to the size of the pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt, onion powder, parmesan cheese, and parsley. Cut dough into desired size of breadsticks with a pizza cutter. Bake at 375 for 15-20 min.

Haylee’s Note:
My sister made up this recipe, and it is the BEST breadstick recipe I have EVER had!!! I love it especially because there is NO RISING required!! Any last minute meal can get 10x better just by making these quick and delicious bread sticks!! Thanks Heather for sharing!!

Rachel Ray’s Bucatini with Bacon, Cherry Tomato and Spring Onion Sauce

RACHEL RAY’S BUCATINI WITH BACON, CHERRY TOMATO AND SPRING ONION SAUCE
Salt
1 pound bucatini
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon
8 slices smoky bacon, chopped
3-4 spring Vidalia onions with a few inches of green tops intact, very thinly sliced or 2 leeks, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, then washed and dried
4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped or 1 jalapeño or red Fresno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup dry white wine
Black pepper
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley (a couple of handfuls), chopped
A handful of basil leaves, torn or shredded
A generous handful of grated Pecorino cheese, plus some to pass at table
PreparationHeat a large pot of water to a boil for bucatini, season water with salt then cook pasta to al dente.

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid, heat a drizzle of EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp; remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel-lined plate. Drain off some fat if the pan has more than a couple of tablespoons of drippings. Add the sliced spring Vidalia onions or leeks, garlic and hot pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the tomatoes and stir to combine; cover the pan. Shake the pan occasionally and cook until the tomatoes begin to burst, 6-8 minutes. Uncover the pot and mash up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, add the wine and stir for 1-2 minutes. Season the sauce with some salt and black pepper, to taste, then reduce the heat to low.

When the pasta is ready, add a ladle of the starchy cooking water to the sauce along with the parsley, bacon and bucatini and toss for 1-2 minutes with an extra tablespoon of EVOO. Turn off the heat and toss in the basil and cheese; serve immediately.

Haylee’s Note:
When I actually made this mine is quite a bit different to make it more “cooker friendly.” For example, I don’t keep cooking wine on hand so I just did without it. Instead of the bucatini I used spaghetti, and instead of the Vidalia onions I did use leeks. I am sure that the original recipe would be even better than what I did, but I must say that Darin and I LOVED this meal!! SOOOO good!!!

Sesame Street Cupcakes

SESAME STREET CUPCAKES

I just had to show my Sesame Street cupcakes (Big Bird, Oscar, Elmo, and Cookie Monster). I was really happy with the way they turned out. I just used a boxed cake mix, so there really isn't any recipe for this one. Thanks Heather for all your help!

Apricot Glazed Carrots

APRICOT GLAZED CARROTS

1 bag carrots
1/2 c. apricot jam
1/2 c. butter

Peel and cut carrots. Boil until tender. In a saucepan combine butter and jam. Pour over carrots

Haylee’s Note:
These are a family favorite!! It just gives a little variation off of your traditional side of carrots! Give it a try—I’m sure you will get tons of complements! We always do!! And people always want the recipe….then they are amazed at how easy it is! Enjoy!