"Goldfish" Cheese Crackers

Anyone have a kid that LOVES goldfish?? Anyone? How about EVERYONE??
This recipe for homemade ones is AWESOME!!!











1 cup all purpose flour(ultragrain if you can get it!)
1 cup whole wheat flour
8 oz cold butter, cut into small chunks
12-16 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded(12 gives a mild cheesy flavor, 16 is pretty cheesy)*
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp pepper
water

* change up your cheeses: Colby, Pepper Jack, Monterrey Jack, Swiss whatever you please! YUMMY!!


Place all ingredients except water in a food processor











process until butter and cheese is small and coarse.

Add Water 1 TB at a time until a dough forms  and holds together.
Place onto a floured surface and knead for a minute











Cut into 1/4's
place one 1/4 on a sheet of wax paper and top with another.










Roll out to about 1/4 inch. Remove top sheet of wax paper













cut into desired shapes
Place shapes onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheets.










Bake @ 350 for 15 -20 minutes until crisp












This made nearly 500 fish(and other animal shapes)!!

Copy Cat Ben and Jerry's Oreo Mint Ice Cream

Copy Cat Ben and Jerry's Oreo Mint Ice Cream

• 1 cup coarsely chopped oreos(I made mine a little finer because I have a soft serve ice cream machine....it really is not supposed to have "chunks" in it)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1.5 cup milk
• 1 TB peppermint extract
• a few drops of green food coloring if desired...I dont do colors but it would be pretty if you dont mind them

Place the cookies in a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Whisk the eggs in a mxing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.


Pour mixture into a pot and heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 145. Turn off heat and stir keeping the temp around 145 for 3-5 minutes. This will kill any thing bad from the raw eggs.

Place in a bowl and refrigerate over night or at least 3-4 hours.
This step can be omitted if you are confident in your raw eggs


Return to mixing bowl and whisk again until well combined, add the peppermint extract and blend again. Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer's instructions. After the ice cream stiffens, about 2 minutes before it is done, add the chopped cookies.

Coconut Ice Cream

Coconut Ice Cream:

2 large		eggs
¾ cup		sugar
2 cups		heavy or whipping cream
1 cup		milk

1 - 15oz can coconut cream (such as coco lopez)

Whisk the eggs in a mxing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Pour mixture into a pot and heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 145. Turn off heat and stir keeping the temp around 145 for 3-5 minutes. This will kill any thing bad from the raw eggs.
Place in a bowl and refrigerate over night or at least 3-4 hours.
This step can be omitted if you are confident in your raw eggs


Return to mixing bowl and whisk again until well combined, add Coconut Cream and blend well.
freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions.

Orange Dream Ice Cream

This Ice Cream is SO delicious.....add some orange chocolate chunks for a tasty switch up!!

3 large eggs 1.25 cup   sugar 3 cup heavy or whipping cream 1.5 cup milk 1/2 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed 1 tbls vanilla extract Instructions:

Whisk the eggs in a mxing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Pour mixture into a pot and heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 145. Turn off heat and stir keeping the temp around 145 for 3-5 minutes. This will kill any thing bad from the raw eggs.

Place in a bowl and refrigerate over night or at least 3-4 hours.
This step can be omitted if you are confident in your raw eggs


Return to mixing bowl and whisk again until well combined, add OJ concentrate and vanilla.

freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions

Cran-Raspberry Sauce

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Cranberry Raspberry sauce:

12 oz fresh cranberries

2 c raspberries

1 c merlot (orange or cranberry juice works good too)

3/4 c white sugar

Bring all ingredients to a boil, mash berries slightly, let simmer for 15 minutes, serve hot or cold

Best Mashed Potatoes

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Best Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

· 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

· 1/2 cup butter

· 1 cups Parmesan cheese

· 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

· 8 oz cream cheese

· 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

· salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Boil your potatoes until fork tender and drain

Add butter, Parmesan cheese, chives, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a masher to mash until smooth, and serve.

This can be made last minute OR you can make them up put them in a casserole dish and heat with everything else...cover with foil and allow an hour or so for them to heat(again bring it to room temp, about 30 minute before heating)

Cream Cheese Fruit Salad

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Cream Cheese Fruit Salad

The amounts really depend on how much you want!

1 16-24 oz can fruit cocktail in syrup, drain and reserve the syrup*

Bite sized pieces of

bananas

apples

oranges

grapes

walnut pieces

1 8oz of cream cheese

coconut(optional)

Mix all fruit and walnuts together and chill

in double boiler soften cream cheese slowly stir in heavy syrup until you get a thick cream, too thin? add more cheese, too thick? add more syrup.

Pour sauce over fruit and toss well top with coconut and chill for several hours. Great with a dollop of whipped cream!

* don't want to used canned fruit?? Add 100% fruit juice to thin the cream cheese and add a few chopped pears!

Apple Bread Stuffing

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner


Apple-Bread Stuffing



1 loaf of stale white bread
(Gluten Free if needed)
1 medium onion, diced
2 apples(i like tart granny smiths)
2 stalks celery, diced
1-2 tsp poultry herb seasoning
1 stick butter melted
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken broth

Grab the bread you set out on Tuesday(or a day or so before you plan to make it)
Once bread is nice and stale, cut it into 1 inch cubes and put in a large bowl.
Add onions and celery
Peel and core apples and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to bread mixture
Add the poultry seasoning and mix gently with your hands, don't over mix.
Drizzle half the butter over the mixture and mix with hands.
Now drizzle the rest of the butter over it and mix again.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
· Now drizzle chicken broth over the mixture and mix it with your hands as you go to evenly cover the mixture without making it mushy in one place.

Now you can stuff your bird loosely OR you can put it in a casserole dish 

Will need to heat approx 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of dish you use. (Larger dish means shorter time, less thickness to penetrate)

Southern Comfort Sweet Potatoes

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Southern Comfort Sweet Potatoes

2.5 lbs sweet potatoes, cooked soft, peeled and chopped(I peel and roast them)
(or 2-29oz cans, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Southern Comfort liqueur
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar

edit
I also like to sprinkle on about 1/2 cup mini marshmallows before the pecans and brown sugar!

DIRECTIONS

Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in the butter, cinnamon, orange juice, eggs, salt, and liqueur. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish. Mix the pecans and brown sugar in a small bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the sweet potato mixture

Heat at 350 for approx 30-45 mins..until bubbly

Cranberry Cheesecake

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Cranberry:

Topping:

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup cranberry juice

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 14 squares)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 cup  eggnog(homemade)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan; set aside.

In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat;

cook and stir over medium heat until all the berries have popped open. Remove from heat; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press into

the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add flour and

beat well. Add eggs, beating on low speed until just until blended. Add eggnog and vanilla; beat just until blended. (I do it all in a food processor)

Pour 2/3 of the filling over the crust. Top with half of the cranberry mixture (cover and refrigerate the remaining half of cranberry sauce). Spoon the remaining filling on top.

Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack

for 10 minutes. 

Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer at room temperature and then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove sides of pan. Spoon remaining cranberry mixture over cheesecake.

Makes 12 servings.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

Pumpkin Orange

1 1/2  cup ginger snap cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons butter , melted

2 (8-ounce) packages regular or light cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup regular, lowfat or nonfat ricotta cheese

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

3 tablespoons orange juice

2 tablespoons Evaporated  Milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice(homemade)

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

3 large eggs (or 3/4 cup frozen egg substitute, thawed)

Topping (recipe below)

PREHEAT oven to 350°F (175°C).

FOR CRUST COMBINE cookie crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press onto bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.

FOR CHEESECAKE BEAT cream cheese, ricotta cheese and sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin, orange juice, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice and orange peel; beat until well blended. Add eggs or egg substitute and beat just until blended. Pour into crust.

BAKE for 60 to 65 minutes or until edges are set but center still moves slightly. Cool in pan to room temperature on wire rack; spread with Topping. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Remove side of spring form pan.

FOR TOPPING COMBINE 1/2 cup regular or light sour cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon orange juice in small bowl.

Makes 12 servings.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Rolls

I use this in my Mostly Make Ahead Thanksgiving Dinner

· 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast(about 3 tsp)

· 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

· 1/3 cup brown sugar

· 2 teaspoons salt

· 2 eggs

· 1/2 cup melted butter

· 1 cup pureed pumpkin(canned is ok too)

· approx 7 cups all-purpose flour

· 1/4 cup butter, softened (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Dissolve yeast in warm water and stir in sugar, allow to sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.
Add salt, 1/2 cup butter, pumpkin and eggs. Add 3 cups of the flour and beat well.

Knead in enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle. (you may NOT need all 7 cups)

Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, covered, and allow to double in size.(about an hour or so)

Punch down, and divide into 4 parts, rolling each into a 12-inch circle. Spread with 1/4 cup butter if desired.

Cut into 8 wedges. Roll up each wedge beginning at wide edge.

Place on greased sheet and allow to rise another 30-45 minutes. Brush with more butter for an extra buttery flavor

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15-20 minutes.

Remove to wire racks, Allow to cool to room temp and freeze them(I pile them loosely in a cake pan cover with plastic wrap then a layer of heavy duty foil)

Graham Crackers

Who doesn't love graham crackers!? Try them homemade fresh and you will never look at packaged ones the same again!!

2 Cups Whole Wheat Graham flour(regular whole wheat is fine too)
1 Cup all purpose flour(ultragain if you can get it!)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar(more or less to your taste)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk(WHOLE is best)
1/2 tsp vanilla


Combine dry ingredients in a food processor and process to combine.










Add in butter, vanilla and honey and process until you have fine crumbs.











SLOWLY add in milk and process until you have a dough











Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead a few times.
Divide dough into 1/4s










Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put on one dough ball and cover it with wax paper. Roll to an even thickness no more than 1/1/4 inch for a thick cracker....go thinner if you want a crisper cracker.










Slowly remove wax paper and cut into desired shapes

Add some cinnamon sugar before baking if you'd like!!









Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.(depending on thickness, watch the edges, dont let them get too brown.
Carefully remove to a wire rack. They will firm and crisp up while cooling.
<----One batch is a thinner cracker one is a thicker one!

Caramel Apple Pork Chops

Fall Weather foods!!! Gotta love them.....



6 1/2-3/4 inch boneless pork chops
1 TB olive oil
2 tart apples, cored and chopped
3 TB butter
3 TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper



Melt butter in a pan and add in brown sugar and nutmeg.










Place in chopped apples and simmer












Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and sear the pork chops on each side for about 1-2 minutes. Salt and pepper as needed.










 Transfer to a baking dish and pour apple mixture over the chops.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven until the chops reach a temp of 165( about 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of your chop)

Honey Nut Breakfast Cereal

I was on a quest to create a homemade Honey Nut Cheerios recipe...what I came up with is not quite cheerio consistency but EXTREMELY tasty none the less!









3 cups Old Fashioned Oats(NOT INSTANT)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup honey
1 TB canola oil
1 tsp baking powder
 1/4 cup brown sugar(more or less for sweetness preferences)

Place the oats and almonds in a food processor

 process until very fine.












Add in remaining ingredients and process into a dough...If it is too dry add TINY bits of water until it holds together.

Depending on your size preference take 1/4 tsp pinches(less for smaller O's Dont go too much bigger though) and roll them into little balls and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Take a toothpick and poke holes in the center to make them into little O's....(you can omit this step if you dont want O shapes...)






Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 10 minutes....the will crisp more as they cool.











Store in an airtight container, serve with ice cold milk!

Homemade HoneyNut Cheerio's 

Enchilasagna

This is another family favorite. My mom found the recipe years ago but I have since adapted it to suit my own family. It can be made with any kind of meat you choose, or meatless , just add an extra can of beans.
You can add to the basic recipe too, olives or green chilies are just a few of the possibilities!







1 recipe Enchilada Sauce(LINK) (or 2-10 oz cans)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 lb ground beef,  turkey or chicken(or cooked and shredded chicken or turkey breast)
1 TB cumin
1 TB garlic powder
16-6 inch  corn tortillas(homemade if you have the time!!) cut into quarters
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded cheese(you can be creative here. Straight up sharp cheddar is great, Monterrey Jack is wonderful, a mixture of them if you want, pepper jack gives it an extra kick)


In a medium pot simmer the enchilada sauce and tomato sauce
Meanwhile brown the meat of your choice over medium high heat, drain return to pan and add cumin and garlic. (If using pre cooked shredded chicken breast , just skip the cooking step and toss immediately with cumin and garlic)
Add about 1/2 of the enchilada sauce to the meat.







In a 8 x 11 pan place 3/4 cup of the enchilada sauce.

Layer tortillas to cover the bottom.

Add  1/2 the beans

approx1/3 the cheese.

And 1/2 the meat mixture

Repeat with remaining ingredients ending with a layer of tortillas and Top with remaining sauce and cheese.














Preheat oven to 350.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

This can be premade, just take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to put it in the oven.

It also freezes VERY WELL!!!! Just cool completely and wrap well!.