Oven Caramel Corn

15 cups popped popcorn (2/3 cup unpopped)

1 c brown sugar
1/3 c butter
1/4 maple syrup or molasses
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Heat oven to 200*  Divide popcorn between 2 ungreased rectangular pans, 13x9x2.  Heat brown sugar, buttery, syrup/molasses and salt in a 3-qt sauce pan (or larger if you tend to walk away from the stove) over medium heat, stirring occasionally until bubbly around edges.  Cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally; remove from heat.  Stir in baking soda.

Pour mixture over popcorn; stir until well coated.  Bake 1 hour stirring about every 15 minutes.

Gingerbread Muffins

Yumm!  A favorite in our house!

1/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c molasses
1/3 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Heat oven to 400*  Line muffin cups with foil liners.
Beat brown sugar, molasses, milk, oil, and egg in large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients until flour is just moistened.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  Immediately remove from to pan to wire rack.  So yummy when served warm!

Drizzle powdered sugar/water mixture glaze over top when serving!  (That the way the kids like them!)

Lobster Bisque

3 Tbs butter
1 small onion chopped
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 c milk
1 c chicken broth
1-1/4 cups chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) lobster (or more because  you really like lobster!)

Melt butter in 3qt sauce pan over low heat.  Cook onion in butter, stirring occasionally, until tender.  Stir in flour, parsley, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat.

Stir in milk and broth.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir about 1 minute.  Stir in lobster. Heat to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer about 3 minutes, stirring frequently until lobster is white


Serves 4.  (Easily doubled!)

Only the Best Strawberry Lemonade

It's summer here in Maine and that calls for Lemonade. I prefer mine with strawberries in it...oh so yummy.

1 cup of lemon juice
1 cup of sugar (sometimes I use only 3/4 c)
1 cup of water

Mix together until the sugar is dissolved well. This is the base for your lemonade ~ a syrup if you will. Add in 3-4 cups of cold water to dilute it.
Next you want to smash up some strawberries and just pour them in. I generally use the older strawberries that are a little sketchy in the fridge but aren't bad. (It's a good way to be frugal) Sometimes I'll use frozen berries but never frozen with sugar added. That's WAY to sweet!

Also in the hot summer you can plop in your glass a couple of frozen whole berries to act as an ice cube ~ prevents your beverage from being watered down and it looks pretty!
Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

This was served at a school function recently and I loved it. I have the recipe on a real piece of paper, but know that I will never remember where the paper is when I want to make it or look it up on-line. So I'm putting it here for my own reference!


18oz Refrigerated Cookie Dough (Sugar or choc chip)
8 oz pk of cream cheese softened
1/3 c of sugar
4 cups of Assorted Fruit


Preheat oven to 350*. Flatten cookie dough with your hand on a nonstick cookie sheet or baking stone. Finish rolling out the dough using a lightly floured rolling pin to almost cover the entire stone or sheet. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown being careful to not overbake. Cool for 10 minutes and then loosen with a long serrated knife. Cool completely.
Wash and slice fruit as necessary. Combine cream cheese and sugar in bowl until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture onto completely cooled cookie. Arrange fruit slices in a pattern on top! Cut and serve! YUMM!

Crusty Bread

So easy, and SOOO Yummy! I had forgotten about this recipe until last week and dug it back out. Good on those cold nights!

2 cups flour
3/4 c water
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt (I use just a pinch!)
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Vital Wheat Gluten


Mix together in mixing bowl and kneed for 10 min (15 by hand). Cover and let rise for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size. Dump out and cut into two pieces. Form each piece into a loaf and then let rise again for another hour.
Preheat oven to 450.
Bake on a heated baking stone or baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Try to let them cool for 30 minutes before slicing and eating...usually though in our house they get devoured pretty quickly!
Enjoy!

Mocha Brownies

We love hosting small group at our house ~ simply so we can try out new desserts on them and not have to eat it all. This recipe is no exception and they all seemed to LOVE it. So I made it again for Guys night.
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon hot water
4 teaspoons instant coffee
4 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt


Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
2-3 teaspoons instant coffee

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 13x9 inch pan. Melt shortening and butter over low heat or in the microwave. Remove from heat and add cocoa, blend well. Add sugar and mix well. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water and mix into creamed mixture. Add eggs one at a time, beat well, by hand, after each addition. Stir in vanilla, flour, and salt. DO NOT OVER BEAT! Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For frosting, cream butter and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and mix in well on medium speed. Dissolve instant coffee in milk and add to mixture. Beat on high until light and fluffy.

Nasty Nachos

YUMM, YUMM, YUMM. I found the recipe here. Cheryl has TONS of yummy recipes! Oh how I'd love to sit in her kitchen! Here's the recipe:
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 bag tortilla chips
1 can cream style corn
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 jar of salsa
Preheat oven to 400. Brown the ground beef; drain well. Mix with taco seasoning according to package directions.
In a greased casserole dish, layer in the order stated:
1/3 package of crushed chips (about 2 handfuls)
½ hamburger mixture
½ can cream style corn
1 cup cheddar cheese
½ jar of salsa (about 2/3 cup)
Repeat layers.
Sprinkle remaining crushed chips over the top. Bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Cover with foil if the chips start to brown too much.

The guys loved these on guys night. It really makes a TON so you could even split the recipe in half and freeze for later. Also I added in a can of black beans with ours (just to get in an extra veggie) and it was so good!
Enjoy!

Katie's Brownies

Be very afraid of these....VERY VERY afraid.

2 C white sugar
5 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 C chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X 13 pan. Stir together sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla. Blend well. Combine flour, cocoa and salt. Mix into egg mixture. Spread batter evenly and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the pan.

Greek Chicken

This is a recipe that I tried on a whim one day. I had Greek Chicken at a the EE clinic over the summer and wanted to duplicate it, but not have the oven on. I found this in my "Fix It & Forget it Cookbook" and it was a HUGE hit with the kids!!!

4-6 potatoes, quartered
2-3 lbs chicken pieces (I used chicken thighs w/ the skin & bones b/c that's what I had!)
2 large onions, quartered
1 whole bulb garlic, minced
3 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt (I omitted the salt)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Place potatoes in bottom of slow cooker. Add chicken, onions & garlic. Sprinkle with seasonings & top with oil. Cover, cooking on high for 5-6 hours or low 9-10 hours. Makes 4-6 servings!
Enjoy!

Honey Glazed Carrots

I had copied down a recipe quite similar to this a while back and misplaced it. Well in my pantry were two cans of carrots that never made it into whatever I purchased them for. So I set out to find a way to use them. I whipped this up one evening and it got thumbs up from everyone (D & I didn't get to eat them as this was the night we went Christmas shopping).


3 cups sliced carrots
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions: Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add carrots and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook 8 to 12 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. (If using canned then you can skip the boiling to make them crisp-tender...just get 'em warm!) Drain carrots; return to saucepan. Stir in honey, butter. Cook and stir over low heat until carrots are glazed.

Some notes: I found this recipe at honey.com

English Muffin Loaf

5 ½-6 Cups Flour 2 Packages Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar 2 Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda 2 Cups Milk
½ Cup Water Cornmeal

Heat water and milk to 120-130 degrees, and then pour in mixing bowl mixing in sugar & salt. Let set for 5 minutes. Add baking soda and half of the flour turn mixer on slowly. When the flour is all mixed in add the remaining and let it mix for about 10 minutes. Divide dough and put into greased loaf pans that have been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes. Bake at above 375 for 25 minutes. You can wrap these in foil and then saran wrap and they freeze nicely.

Some notes; This is a recipe that my mom makes all the time and sells in the farm stand at the end of her road. It is a very popular item. It's a great breakfast item and easier than making a big batch of English Muffins!

Banana Bread

A new twist on an old favorite! Banana bread is a great snack, or an easy breakfast. In our house it doesn't last long.

2 c flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 c cooking oil
5 medium bananas ~ mashed.

Grease 2 9x5x3 loaf pans and preheat your oven to 350*. Beat eggs, sugar, oil & bananas. Mix remaining ingredients. Add egg mixture to dry mixture, stirring until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared pans. Bake 45-55 min or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 min, remove & cook completely on a wire rack.

Some notes ~ originally when I found this recipe it was to bake it in one pan. But then I always ended up with the edges to brown, or the middle not quite done. It drove me nuts. So splitting into 2 pans made it cook all the way thru ~ I just shortened the baking time (as noted in the directions!) And a bonus it made it easier for little hands to pick up a slice!

Stuffed Shells (with out the cheese!!!)

Well seeing that Buddy can't have cheese and the rest of us aren't HUGE fans all those recipes for stuffed shells stuffed with cheese have never been anything we've made. And then in a church cookbook I found this recipe for stuffed shells that calls for a min. amount of cheese that can easily be eliminated! YES! These are great to make in 2 8x8 pans and freeze one pan for later. (This recipe is on my list of things to make and freeze before the baby is born!)

1pk large pasta shells
1lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 sm onion, chopped
1 egg
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs (see note below)
1 4 oz pk of Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lg jar spaghetti sauce

Cook shells until just tender ~ otherwise they are miserable to work with. Drain & set aside. Cook burger & onion until done. Let cool for 20 min. Add egg, bread crumbs & cheese and 1/2 c of spaghetti sauce. Mix all together. Fill shells with burger mixture. Put into a 13x9 pan (or 2 8x8 pans). Cover shells with remaining sauce. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Some notes ~ I make my own bread crumbs with leftover bread in my mini-prep, and then sprinkle with Italian seasoning to taste. These also make great leftovers for hubby to take to work the next day!

The Easiest Cinnamon Rolls

These really are the easiest cinnamon rolls. I stumbled across this website one morning when I asked DH 'Whatcha want for breakfast?' and cinnamon rolls was his reply. I was thinking "yeah right, like I have time to make cinnamon rolls" No really I do!!!!!

Filling:
2/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c gran. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 T unsalted butter melted (I use marg and it works just fine)

Combine and set aside

Rolls:

2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt (I use just a pinch)
2 tsp baking powder
1 T granulated sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (again I use Marg)
3/4 c whole milk (rice milk and or soy work great!)

Combine in a large bowl until just smooth ~ do not over work the dough or it will become too sticky. Just trust me on this one.
Turn out onto a well-floured surface (think 1/2 c for the bottom 1/2 c for the top) and roll into an aprox 9x16 rectangle. Evenly distribute the filling mixture on top. Starting at one end roll up dough until you almost reach the end. At the end, press the seam in order to seal.
Using a sharp knife cut into 12 pieces (for some reason I never can manage to cut 12...I get 11 go figure)
Place in a greased 9" sqare (or round or whatever) baking pan.
Bake at 375 for 25 min or until firm and golden.

Optional icing:
I say optional because many times I make these without and they are just as good. I say leave the icing off and save your sugar. But if you are a fan of icing:
2 T of Water
1 C of Confectioners Sugar
Whisk together to form a creamy drizzle. Once rolls have cooled for 5 minutes evenly drizzle over rolls.

Some notes: I have to make a double batch of these, for my small family of four. Why? Well each of the children eat a minimum of 2 for breakfast. There goes 4 out of the 12 (11) leaving 8 (7) Hubby has 3, I may have 2 or 3...that leaves on a good day one or two left in the pan. Means no extra for a snack later on or breakfast the next morning. They are just as good (if not better) on day 2!
Recipe found on the Boston Globes website