Carmel Popcorn

Ingredients:
6 qt popped corn
1 cup butter
2 Cups brown sugar
1/2 cup karo syrup
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

put butter, sugar, karo and salt in sauce pan. Cook on medium heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Mix with popcorn, cook in oven at 250 for 45 minutes. I put the popcorn in a big metal bowl. You will need to stir the popcorn every 15 minutes while baking.

Place on sprayed wax paper to cool

Recipe from Cindi McNiven

Christmas Salad

Ever since I was a little girl my Mom made this recipe for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, both if I was lucky :) I know, the picture isn't that appetizing, but BELIEVE me, it's yummy!


Ingredients:

6 oz package cherry jello
6 oz package raspberry jello
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple
1 pint sour cream
1 bag frozen raspberries

Dissolve cherry jello in 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Add cranberry sauce and crushed pineapple, pour into 13 x 9 inch pan (for thicker salad use 9x9) chill in fridge until firm. Once firm spread with sour cream (make sure it's even) then, dissolve Raspberry jello in 1 1/2 cups boiling water, stir in raspberries until thawed, spoon over sour cream, chill until firm, then ready to serve.

Recipe is from my Mom

Layered Nachos

Since finding foods for the family and Barb to eat can be a challenge, I thought I would make it easy for myself and do nachos.

Ingredients:

chips
meat
beans
cheese
lettuce
tomato
green onion
jalapenos

You can put all or one of the ingredients on, it doesn't matter. Here are what nachos look like in my house:
David:

we will just call these, the ULTIMATE nachos. He had EVERYTHING!


Barb:

I am not sure if you could call mine "Nachos" there were two, yes two chips at the bottom but, no cheese, lots of lettuce, black beans, tomatoes and green onions and some meat. Pretty lame!


Keagan:

Cheese, chips, meat and olives


Riley:

yes.. just cheese and chips

Garlic French Fries

I wanted to "dress" up plain old french fries, so I went to the Gillroy, CA website (where they grow garlic) and found this recipe. It was yummy. The garlic wasn't over powering, and it was perfect with BBQ wings.


Ingredients:
• Oil for frying (peanut or canola)
• 4 Russet potatoes or 12 oz bag of frozen pre cut fries (I bought a bag of shoe-string fries)
• 1/2 cup fresh minced garlic
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Cut the washed potatoes into 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch thick strips (if using a French mandolin set it to its thickest setting). Heat the oil in a cast iron pot or any heavy duty pot to 360 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the minced garlic for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and add to a mixing bowl with the salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix well.
The potatoes must be fried three times for best results. In batches, if necessary, place the raw fries into the oil for 90 seconds. Remove and let drain. Drop fries again for another 90 seconds. Remove and let drain. Drop fries in again this time for 60 seconds or until crisp and golden brown. ( I just cooked mine for 3 minutes in REALLY hot oil. They were yum!)
While the fries are still warm toss them with the garlic seasoning

Chicken Tacos

Growing up we never had fried tacos and I actually didn't know what they were until David made them for me when we were dating (ahhh... I know, what a cutie!) I have loved them ever since. Even the kids eat these. Sometimes we fry up extra tortillas to make HUGE chips. YUM!


Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 tsp chinese hot sauce (or any hot sauce will do)
garlic salt
salt and pepper
corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying

cook and shred chicken, add to hot pan and stir in hot sauce, s&p, and garlic salt, remove from heat and set aside. Heat oil until pops when you add water. heat up corn tortillas in microwave to make them more pliable. add filing and fry (tongs work best to hold both side of taco together). Remove from oil and place on paper towels (to absorb excess oil)

Top with:

guacamole (see appetizers for my recipe)
cheese
lettuce
tomato
Macayo's taco sauce (our favorite)

We made about 12 tacos with 2 chicken breasts

Recipe from David's family

Homemade Waffles

These are a family favorite in our house. My kids usually eat 2nds and 3rds! When I cook waffles we usually eat it with fresh fruit and sometimes sausage. I forgot to take a picture of my plate, and they were gone before I remembered. I love breakfast for dinner!



Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients into a large bowl. In separate bowl mix together:

2 egg yolks (save the egg whites, you will need them)
1 3/4 cup buttermilk
6 Tbsp melted butter

add to dry ingredients, and mix together

With electric mixer whip egg whites until stiff. fold into batter.

Heat Waffle iron to high and grease both sides.

YUM!

Recipe is from my Mom!

Indian Fry Bread Tacos

{It is shown with Cheesy Fiesta Rice, that recipe is below}

Ingredients:

5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups warm water

mix dry ingredients, add water. Let sit for 15 minutes. Separate and roll flat, deep fry in vegetable oil on high heat.

For Tacos you will need:

ground beef
refried beans
lettuce
cheese
tomato
green onions

Recipe is from Breanne Street

Herb Cheese Pizza

You will LOVE this recipe!!!


The finished product...yum!



The dough before the toppings



With the toppings...before baking


another little helper!

This was the YUMMIEST pizza we have ever made. The dough was perfect, soft on the inside with a nice crunchy crust. Because I am new at this, I don't know if I should type a recipe from an actual magazine, so... go HERE for the recipe. There. That makes it easier.

Hope you enjoy!

This recipe is from Cooking light (obviously)

Pigs

My kids (including my husband) LOVE these. me, not so much.. but hey the things Mom's do for the family.




Dough:

1 cup 2 Tbs milk
2 Tbs butter
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbs sugar

heat milk and butter until warm, combine with yeast, add sugar, salt and flour, let sit for 30 min. break off into balls and stretch around "pigs"



Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Homemade Mac and Cheese. I tell ya, I am not sure why I decided to make this, for those of you who know me, know that I am not a big fan of cheese. So I took a gamble and here it is:

{Baker's note: This recipe was AWFUL! Simply AWFUL! I think I cooked the noodles to long, blah, blah... anyhoo. I pretty much had to force feed the whole family so my efforts didn't go to waste. So why am I blogging about it you ask? I did put in all the work to make it, so maybe it will turn out better for you. Let me know!}

Before going into the oven


Fresh out of the oven

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

3 cups milk

1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 large egg 12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving. Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.

Recipe came from Alton Brown, "Good Eats" on the food network (Though I think he would cringe to know how badly my tasted)