It's peach season, so don't forget about mom's awesome peach pie. Do yourself a favor and just by the pie crust frozen. --Makes it super quick to whip up! This is one of my all time favorite desserts!

Peach Pie

1 8oz Cream Cheese – room temperature

1/3 C Sugar

Mix Well, then add:

2 Eggs

1/8 tsp cinnamon

Pour into uncooked 9” pie crust and bake at 400 degrees for15-20 minutes until light brown. Cool.

1 Cup Sugar

3 T Cornstarch

Combine and add:

1 Cup Water

Cook in pan until thick.  Add 1 Qt or More sliced peaches. Pour on top of pie right before serving.

Pizza Crust

Again, Nanci's.

Pizza Crust 

3 TBS yeast
3 cups hot/warm water (95-100 degrees)
3 TBS oil
9 C flour
3 tsp salt
1 1/2 TBS oregano
1 TBS garlic salt

This makes enough for 3 pizzas. 

In a large bowl mix, yeast, water, and oil.  Wait 5 minutes for the yeast to activate (turn frothy on top) In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, oregano, and garlic salt.  Stir the wet and dry ingredients together and add small amouonts of water if dough feels dry.  Mix or knead for 8-10 minutes.  Dough should be elastic.  (You can freeze dough at this point.  Cut into 3 pieces and place in a large freezer tip-top bag. Label and freeze for up to 6 months. To use, defrost in the microwave on high 20 seconds then roll out for pizza, or calzones.) 

Lightly oil your countertop and roll out each pizza with a rolling pin.  Fold over edges and press down to form a crust.  Poke pizza dough all over with a fork to cut down on bubbles in the crust. Place pizza dough on pans by folding over half of the dough on your forearm and then lift dough onto pizza pan.  Bake 4 minutes at 500 degrees.  (At this point you could also cool and freeze if you don't want to freeze at the dough point.  Just wrap with plastic really well.) 

Pull out hot crust and top with 1/2 C cheese first. This will keep the pizza dough from getting soggy.

Prepare pizza sauce and pour on top of cheese.  Pile on toppings of your choice.  Top again with cheese.  Bake 10-15 minutes at 500 degrees or until cheese is melted and crust is golden.

This is the sauce recipe that came with the crust:

Pizza sauce:
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBSP oregano
1 tsp minced garlic
Open can and pour oregano and garlic right into the sauce. Stir carefully so it doesn't spill and pour onto pizza dough. (I think that only half a can is plenty of sauce but that is just me.)

Annie actually used a sauce she found on the internet because we hadn't seen this recipe at first. She also added some fresh basil from the garden and I am sure you could do that with this one as well. I think that the sauce should just barely cover and not be that thick but that is a personal thing. Maybe it doesn't matter if you bake the crust a little first. I had never done that and my pizza was always too soggy which is why I stopped making homemade pizza years ago. This recipe has made me re-think that decision. Or maybe I'll just hand it over to Annie. :)

Squash Bars

These are from Nanci; Lauren just put them on the blog. So the comments etc. are from Nanci.

Squash Bars

4 well beaten eggs

2 C sugar

2 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/3 C oil (scant)

2 C flour

1 1/2C cooked mashed zucchini (you can use pumpkin or butternut or any other squash you think would be good)   I usually put the cooked squash into my food processer and puree it that way.  It is much faster than mashing by hand.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 11 x 15 jelly roll pan. Mix well all ingredients except squash. Then add the squash into the mixture and beat to mix in well.  Bake in 11 x 15 pan for 20 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 TBSP butter or margarine

1 / 2 tsp vanilla

1 8 oz package cream cheese

2 C powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients well.

OK, I have to admit I have never actually made this frosting recipe. It came with the squash bars recipe and I usually just use frosting from the store, so I can’t verify the goodness of this recipe.But how different can it be?

Zucchini Bread

It is zucchini time and I love this classic recipe for zucchini bread from Betty Crocker!

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 2/3 cups sugar (can use Agave - half of the amount of sugar)
2/3 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
3 cups flour (can use whole wheat)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Move oven rack to low position so that the tops of pans will be in center of oven.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans.

Mix zucchini, sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Pour into pans.

Bake 8 inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 ten minutes in pans on wire rack.  Loosen side of leaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack.  Cool completely before slicing.  Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

This recipe has become our family's favorite go-to pancake recipe. It's healthy and I love that it makes a huge batch and will last us several meals. I make mine using all whole wheat (white) flour and adding in some ground flaxseed. I also put my oats in a blender or food processor to pulverize before adding them into the mix. I got this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, My Kitchen Cafe.

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable or canola oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). If desired, grind the oats in a blender or food processor before adding to the other dry ingredients for a smoother mix. With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (I’ve never had to add additional oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (a combination of half plain yogurt and half milk will also work), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don’t break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side. As a sidenote, buttermilk can be frozen indefinitely for future batches of pancakes, so it’s worth keeping it around!

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Aunt Mary Ann’s Pasta, chicken, & broccoli pesto toss

Recipe sent to me from Jane.  Thought I'd share on here!

This is soooooooo good!  I used almonds instead of pine nuts.

Aunt Mary Ann’s Pasta, chicken, & broccoli pesto toss

4 ounces (about 2 cups) of uncooked vegetable spiral pasta

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken or turkey breast meat (2 breasts)

2 cups small broccoli florets, cooked crisp-tender, cooled

1-½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese

2/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1-cup mayonnaise

1 TBSP lemon juice

½  tsp salt

½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/s cup pine nuts or coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Cook pasta according to package, drain and cool.

Combine pasta, chicken, broccoli and mozzarella cheese in large bowl.  Process basil and garlic in covered blender or food processor until finely chopped.  Add mayo, lemon juice and salt.  Process to combine thoroughly.  Stir in Parmesan cheese.  Add to pasta mixture; toss to coat well.  Stir in pine nuts.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.  For maximum flavor, remove from fridge and toss gently 30 minutes before serving. 

Makes 8 servings

Easy way to make some delicious candied nuts. We love ours on steel cut oatmeal with fresh blueberries and strawberries. Would be great on salads too.

Candied Pecans

1 egg white

1 T Water

1 Lb Pecans

1 C white sugar

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven 250. Mix water and egg, Mix in pecans.

Mix sugar, salt and cinnamon in large ziplock bag.

Pour wet pecans into bag and shake well. Spread on

cookie sheet and Bake for 1 hour stirring every 15 min.

Thai Lentil Chili

 This soup is so good!  Jane made it and shared some with me.  She didn't use red lentils, so any lentils will do.

Olive oil (1 teaspoon to 2 tablespoons, however much you feel like using)
1 large yellow onion, diced medium
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes cut into ¾ inch chunks
1 cup red lentils
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups vegetable broth
2 15 oz cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 15 oz can lowfat coconut milk
28 oz can diced tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Limes for garnish (optional)
Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Saute onions and pepper in oil with a pinch of salt, for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and saute a minute more.
Add chili powder, sweet potatoes, lentils, salt and vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. When lentils are cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.
Taste for salt and seasoning, top with cilantro and lime and serve!

Canning Salsa

I've had a few requests for this recipe so here it is!

You can double this to make a really huge batch if you want.  I ended up getting 19 pints out of the below recipe.

24 C (6 Quarts) blended tomatoes
4 large onions
6 small bell peppers
3 small cans diced green chilies
1 large can tomato paste (12 oz)
2 small cans tomato paste (1 was a basil and oregano flavored but you don't have to use it if you don't want to or don't have it.)
4 cloves garlic
2 limes juiced
8 T garlic salt
4 T vinegar
1 bunch cilantro
2 jalepenos
3 serranos
some sugar (if you want)
1-2 T cumin

Mix all together, warm up and put in bottles, then water bath or pressure cook!

Red Velvet Cookies

I'll be making these for myself for my birthday this year!

Recipe from this blog.



Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

1 box of Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 cup of All-Purpose Flour
2 sticks of softened butter
1 egg
2 cups of White Chocolate Chunks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, add butter and mix until soft and fluffy. Slowly add cake mix and flour. Once combined, add egg and mix completely. Add white chocolate chunks, and mix for a minute or so until well combined. Form dough into one inch balls, and place into the oven for 8-10 minutes. {Yields about 24 small cookies.}

Baked Stuffed Jalapenos

I found this recipe at simplyrecipes.com.  It is a great way to use up a ton of peppers fast.
Super yummy.  I tried it with all different types of peppers ranging from mild anaheims to
spicer jalepenos--all good.  Your going to wish you grabbed more from Nanci at the Labor
Day get together.  I know I am regretting not getting more from her!

I combined the two different versions using cream cheese, bacon, and cilantro. I filled up a
baking sheet full and should have made more, they were gone quick.

Baked Stuffed Jalapeños Recipe

When working with jalapeños, it helps to wear disposable gloves. If you don't have gloves, coat your hands with some oil before working with the peppers, then once you are done, wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water. Do not touch your eyes for several hours after handling the peppers.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Filling Version

• 12 jalapeño peppers*
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
• 2 ounces jack cheese, cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons

Bacon and Jack Cheese Filling Version

• 12 jalapeño peppers*
• 1/4 cup chopped cooked bacon
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/2 cup shredded jack cheese, plus another 2 ounces of jack cheese cut into 2 1/2-inch long batons
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

* When buying jalapeños for this recipe, if you want mild peppers, look for peppers with smooth skins. Striations tend to indicate that the pepper has been stressed while growing, and that can mean a hotter pepper.

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 375°.
2 You can either slice the jalapeños in half lengthwise or you can slice off the top one-third (lengthwise) of each jalapeño to make a boat shape out of each pepper. The halved jalapeños will go further (twice as many stuffed peppers), but you can put more filling into the boat-shaped peppers. Your choice. If you choose to make the boats, you can mince the tops and add them to the filling if you want some extra heat, or save them for another recipe. Scrape out all the seeds and ribs from each jalapeño with a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works great).
3 Mix together all the filling ingredients except the jack cheese batons.
4 Pack the filling into the peppers and nestle a baton of jack cheese onto the filling of each one. Arrange the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, and the peppers are cooked.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: Makes 12-24 servings (depending on how you've cut the jalapeños).

Pesto!

I have a huge basil plant, and have only used a few leaves for spaghetti and such.  I'm ready to make some pesto!  I found these uses for pesto from my favorite gal--the pioneer woman, Ree Drummond (she has her own series coming on Food Network now too!).  And the recipe is here as well as below, but she uses it with a cream sauce.  You can just do the pesto without the cream sauce for other pesto dishes.  Do you think it'll freeze?  I'd love to make a big batch, then freeze bags of it to use later.  Thanks Ree!

Recipe: Pasta with Pesto Cream Sauce

Prep Time: 6 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 10 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 8

Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page

Ingredients

• 3/4 cups Fresh Basil Leaves
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan (additional)
• 12 ounces, weight Pasta (cavitappi, Fusili, Etc.)
• 2 whole Tomatoes, Diced

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta until al dente.
Add basil leaves, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Turn machine on, then drizzle in olive oil while it mixes. Continue blending until combined, adding additional olive oil if needed. Set aside.
Heat cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add pesto and stir.
Drain pasta and place in a serving bowl. Pour pesto cream over the top. Toss to combine. Add diced tomatoes and toss quickly. Serve immediately.

Frosted Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

You've probably seen/tried these at some recent missionary function; they are crazy good.

Frosted Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 t almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used 4 1/2 cups)
3-5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring or icing paste


In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and egg until nice and frothy. About 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for 1 minute more.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix them around so that all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. Press the dough into a large jelly roll (cookie sheet) pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let the pan cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a medium sized bowl (or your stand mixer) combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat for about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and food coloring. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Frost your pan of cookies. Cut the cookies into bars and serve.

Nanci's notes: I have only used store bought frosting because it is faster and easier and I am lazy, but I am sure the frosting is wonderful. 

Garlic Lime Chicken

My mom asked that I post a couple recipes to the family blog for her. So these are hers, not mine. :) And about the chicken, she said the "Garlic Lime Chicken I made for dinner last night and Dad raved and raved about it.  Everyone else liked it as well and it is super easy so I thought I would give you that."


*Note - this was updated after first posted, my mom saved the recipe under the wrong name, so the one I originally posted was not the one she meant. I changed it to the right one.


Garlic Lime Chicken

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken
breasts.
In a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Saute chicken until
golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat, remove the chicken
(keeping warm) and add the lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the
browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly.
Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 343 Calories; 11g Fat (31.1% calories from fat);
55g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 147mg Cholesterol; 612mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

Pear Oatmeal Cookies

I needed to use up some pears, and my coworker found this recipe online. I tried it and I think it's now my new favorite cookie ever. Seriously. Sweet, but not a kick of sugar in your mouth - SO so so moist.....and stays that way forever! (Okay, they only lasted like 5 days before they were gone, but they almost got better each day.) Enjoy!

Pear Oatmeal Cookies


1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped pears (fresh or canned)
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with brown sugar; add rest of wet ingredients including pears and beat. Mix dry ingredients together; beat into wet mixture.
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15 minutes.

I forgot to sprinkle with sugar, and honestly I don't think it needed it at all, they were perfectly delicious without! But by all means add it if you want.


Nutrition information - for one cookie:
Calories: 66.3
Calories from fat: 20
Total fat: 2.2 g
Saturated fat: 1.2 g
Cholesterol: 9.4 mg
Sugars: 5 g
Total Carbohydrates: 10.5 g
Protein: 1.1 g

Cajun Chicken & Pasta

This recipe comes from Jane.  I tried it out a few Sundays ago, and it was a hit!

Stir fry chicken, onions, and bell peppers (mushrooms, broccoli are also good) in some oil - add cajun seasoning


Cook sausage in a separate pan and drain (sometimes I cook the mushrooms, bell peppers and onions in the sausage grease - it's way yummy but not too heart healthy)

add to the chicken

pour in the heavy whipping cream

cook noodles and combine

Chicken, Mushroom & Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

This recipe is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse....thanks Mr. L! It takes a bit of work, but such a yummy twist on lasagna that maybe even Garfield would approve....or not! :)

8 TBLS (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
3 TBLS minced garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly groung black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I just used dried)
1 lb. spinach, stemmed, washed, blanched & roughtly chopped
3 cups grated Parmesan
2 TBLS olive oil, plus more for coating casserole dish
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 TBLS Essence, recipe follows
1 lb. oven ready lasagna sheets
1 TBLS butter, cut into 8 pieces

I make this and put it in a container to season my chicken in almost any recipe! Yummy!

Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning

2-1/2 TBLS paprika

2 TBLS salt

2 TBLS garlic powder

1 TBLS black pepper

1 TBLS onion powder

1 TBLS cayenne pepper

1 TBLS dried oregano

1 TBLS dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yeild: 2/3 cup.

Directions for Lasagna:

Set a large, 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Season the chicken with the Essence and add a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and place in the hot pan. Sear the chicken, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked throughout, about 4-5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let chicken cool until ready to assemble lasagna.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often until the mushrooms are browned and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5-7 minutes. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute until soft and translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, to make a light roux, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, slowly add the milk and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, 5 minutes. Add 1-1/2 tsp of salt, pepper, nutmeg, spinach and 1-1/2 cups of the Parmesan and cook, stirring until thickened about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Coat a 9 by 13 by 3-inch casserole with olive oil, and spread about 1/2 cup of the beshemel sauce on the bottom of the dish. Lay sheets of pasta across the bottom of the dish, breaking into pieces if necessary to fill in the gaps, and spread 3/4 cup of the bechamel sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle 1/4 of the chicken over the bechamel sauce, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the remaining Parmesan. Lay more sheets of pasta over the chicken. Repeat 2 additional times with the remaining bechamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the becheamel sauce and scatter the butter pieces over the top. Place the casserole on a baking sheet and bake uncovered until bubbly and well browned, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Chicken & Roasted Veggie Rice

So this recipe I found browsing the Better Homes and Garden website. Some of their recipes are hit and miss, but this was a HIT in our family! Especially the sweet potatoes....don't skimp....they are the yummiest part! Enjoy!!

Makes: 4 servings Prep: 20 minutes Bake: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lbs.)

1-1/2 cups baby carrots, halved if large

1 cup cubed peeled sweet potato (medium-sized)

1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chicken broth (I used the chicken base)

2 TBLS snipped fresh sage

3 TBLS olive oil

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp groung black pepper

1 box (6 oz.) cooked Uncle Ben's originial recipe long grain and wild rice

3 TBLS snipped fresh italian (flat-leaf) parsley

Directions:

1. Arrange chicken in a shallow roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine carrots, sweet potato, onion, celery, 1/2 cup chicken broth, sage, olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange veggies around chicken in pan and pour juices over the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and veggies are tender, stirring veggies twice.

2. Cook the rice according to the box directions. About 25 minutes.

3. Add parsley to rice and then add the rice to the chicken and veggie mixture; stir to combine. Return to the oven and cook about 5 minutes or until rice is heated through.

Yummy Caramels!

Todd's sister gave this recipe to me and it's divine!  It is incredibly fast to make these little delights.

1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
1 C corn syrup
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt

Butter a pan.  Mix first 4 ingredients in a pot.  Then add sweetened condensed milk and the dash of salt.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for approximately 10 min depending on what heat your on, stirring constantly.  Drop some caramel into a cup of cold water and see if it forms a soft ball, if so, you're done!  Pour into buttered pan and spread.  (This doesn't cover all of a cookie sheet unless spread really thin.  So just do 3/4 or less of the pan for thicker caramels.)  Let cool, cut into pieces, and wrap in wax paper.

Artichoke Portabella Soup

½ Cup chopped green onion (I use reg. onion)
2 Carrots, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
½ Cup butter, divided
1 bay leaf
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
4 Cups chicken broth
2 portabella mushrooms chopped (I buy the mini portabellas from Costco and chop a bunch of those)
1 Can (14 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
3 T flour
1 Cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion, carrots, and celery in ¼ C butter until they start to caramelize. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté 3 to 4 more minutes, then add bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne, broth, and artichokes. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes. In small skillet, melt remaining butter over low heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Stir into artichoke mixture. Slowly add cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened and heated through.
4 to 6 servings