End of Summer???

Hey Ladies!!
I was talking with Karalee and we want to know who is interested in an end-of-summer recipe group!! I'm happy to host, or Karalee offered, too.

How does next week look? I was thinking Wednesday the 14th??

Let me know what you think!!

Jennie
801-628-3878

The Secret Ingredient

Thank you all for your delicious recipes!  I'm excited to try them myself.  Nothing like a good "secret ingredient" to keep things interesting and tasting great. 

When you get a chance, e-mail me your recipes and I'll finish this post.  And if you couldn't make it, send me your recipes anyway.

Thanks,
Miriam


Lemon Meringue Pie by Janna Mangum (Secret Ingredient: Crushed Pineapple)

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Amy Steele (Secret Ingredient: Cream Cheese)

Best Ever Banana Muffins by Sara Havey (Secret Ingredient: Vanilla-- real Mexican vanilla!)

• 3 large ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Mash bananas.  Cream sugar, melted butter, and vanilla.  Beat in egg and bananas.  Sift in dry ingredients and stir until moistened.  Bake in greased muffin cups at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.


Chocolate Cake by Karalee Monson (Secret Ingredients: Zucchini, Black Beans, Potato Flakes)

• 3/4 cup pureed black beans
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup potato flakes
• 1 cup sugar (or omit potato flakes and add in total 1 3/4 cups sugar)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup sour milk (or substitute 1/2 cup sour cream)

Mix together and bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Frosting:  Beat together the following ingredients until smooth:

• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 3 Tbsp. pureed black beans
• 5 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Cake by Miriam Deru (Secret Ingredient: Zucchini)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 cup sour milk (1/2 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice + enough milk to make 1/2 cup total liquid)
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix butter, oil and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  Add flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sour milk.  Beat well.  Blend in zucchini.

Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.


Macaroni and Cheese by Miriam Deru (Secret Ingredient: Butternut Squash Soup)

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 8-oz. cream cheese
• 1 tsp. basil (optional)
• Garlic salt, to taste
• Dash cayenne
• 1 lb. macaroni noodles

Rinse squash and boil in a large pot of water for several minutes, until the peel is softened.  Remove from pot, drain out water.  Peel squash with a potato peeler.  Dice it into 1-inch cubes, removing seeds. 

Add to pot the diced squash, onion, potato, and chicken broth.  Bring to boil, and reduce heat to simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, until everything is soft.  Remove from heat. 

Blend vegetable mixture to a puree, return to pot. 

Soften cream cheese by warming in microwave for a minute or two, stirring a few times until nice and creamy (and if possible, lump free).  Stir cream cheese into pureed vegetable mixture.  If there are lumps of cream cheese, you can melt them by whisking soup over medium-low heat.  Add spices  to taste (Note: kids may be turned off by basil flecks in their mac 'n cheese, so omit if necessary).

Now I think this soup is delicious as is (and by the way it freezes beautifully), but my kids aren't too thrilled by it.  Enter Macaroni Noodles.

Cook macaroni noodles according to package directions.  Add to a proportionate amount of soup, so the noodles are slathered in creaminess, but it looks more like macaroni and cheese than soup with pasta in it, know what I'm saying?  And enjoy!

May Recipe Group

Hi everyone, it's Miriam.  I'd like to host the next recipe group, but since we have preschool Thursdays at 12:30, I think we'd feel too rushed for time.  I was wondering if instead, we could meet Tuesday May 7th at 11:30.  Would that work for you?  And please, spread the word if there's anyone you think would like to come.

I've been thinking about my theme for quite some time now.  I call it, The Secret Ingredient.

I know a lot of us frequent the recipe blog, Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She introduced me to one of my now-favorite "secret ingredients".  It's simply a sprinkle of cheese on your waffle batter before you close the lid to cook.  It sounded so weird at first, but I was intrigued, so I tried it.  I actually love cheese on my waffles now-- it adds a certain crunch and salty balance to the sweet syrup.  (Thanks again, Mel!)

I feel like "secret ingredients" fall under two categories.  There are those that are, say, less healthy, but that make a regular recipe just so good.  For instance, recently when I made brownies from scratch, I added melted butter instead of vegetable oil.  Dang.  I know, I know, I'm not supposed to be adding more fat and whatever, but to me, melted butter was my new-found secret ingredient.  I suppose delicious things like butter and cream cheese and real whipped cream often deliver like that. 

But then there's the other camp of secret ingredients-- the healthy ones, which, I suppose, are more worth searching for.  You all know what I mean.  And there's plenty to poke fun at here, so I think I should share with you one of my favorite productions, considering the theme.  Have you seen the Kid History films yet?  Enjoy.

No, I'm not talking about that mom's green smoothies (wait-- Karalee, green smoothies that actually taste good!  Bring that!), or mysteriously chunky pancakes, or whatever the heck was growing in her pantry...  I mean yummy, practical things that actually do taste good.

A few weeks ago I took my very favorite butternut squash soup and put macaroni noodles in it.  It looked like a lusciously creamy batch of homemade macaroni and cheese, so of course my kids were going to love it.  Johnny actually got feisty about who was taking too much, so there wouldn't be enough leftover for him...  That was funny.  So to me, that was a "secret ingredient" success worth trying again. 

Anyway, you get the point.  And please feel free to bring a recipe from either of the two camps-- healthy or not so much-- I'm totally up for both.  :)

Here is the first recipe from our citrus recipe group.  I look forward to getting all of yours.

Crepes (from BHG)

2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 TB oil
2 TB sugar
Combine all and whisk till well blended.  Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 c. batter in pan and swirl around till bottom of pan is covered. Cook through. (I don't flip it over, it cooks all the way through in about 1 minute.)  Invert on paper towels. (I keep mine in the microwave so they stay warm.)

Orange Sauce (Rachel Keyes)

1/3 c. butter
1 c. powder sugar
2/3 c. OJ concentrate (thawed)
1 tsp. orange zest

Melt and heat together in a saucepan till combined.

We love crepes filled with fruit (we use mandarin oranges, bananas, berries etc.) then top them with this orange sauce and whip topping.


Prizewinning Orange Scones with Berries and Cream (recipe from globalgourmet.com)

• Scones
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 5-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
• 1 extra large egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
• Filling
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• Garnish
• 6 to 8 cups fresh berries (such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and tayberries), washed and dried
• 1/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar, depending upon the sweetness of the berries
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream, whipped and lightly sweetened with 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheet and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal. In a small bowl, combine the egg and cream and add to the flour mixture. Mix until just blended together.
Turn out the batter onto a lightly floured board and knead for 1 minute. Roll dough into a rectangle approximately 4 inches by 8 inches.
For filling: melt butter. Stir sugar and orange zest into butter until incorporated.  Spread on dough.  Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, and seal the long seam by pinching it together lightly with your fingers.
Cut the roll into eight 1-inch-thick slices. Lay slices down sideways on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until scones are golden.
Slice the strawberries and place in a large pretty bowl with other whole berries, if available. Sprinkle with sugar and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. To serve, heap spoonfuls of berries over each scone and top with freshly whipped cream.
Makes 8 scones

Smoothies!

Thought I'd share some really good smoothie recipes we've tried this week.

                                                         Banana Granola Smoothie (slightly modified)
                                                            (from:dwellonjoy.com)

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana (I used a frozen one)

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup granola

2 scoops vanilla protein powder (optional- I didn't use this and it tasted great without!)

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or any milk you have)

 

dash of cinnamon

 

1-2 teaspoons honey

4 ice cubes

 

*I thinned this out with a little extra milk.  It was really thick but super yummy!!

 

 

 

Blueberry Mango Smoothie

(from: cookiemonstercooking.com)

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients

• ¾ cup plain greek yogurt
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ cup frozen blueberries
• ¾ cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 tablespoon honey
• splash vanilla extract

 

 

                                                           Hearty Fruit and Oat Smoothie   

                                                      Martha Stewart Living, March 2013 

                                                                    (slightly modified)            

                                              Ingredients

•                                                     1 cup quartered strawberries
•                                                     1 sliced banana
•                                                     1/4 cup raw almonds
•                                                     1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
•                                                     1/2-1 cup greek yogurt
•                                                     4-5 ounces of milk
•                                                     dash of vanilla extract
•                                                     honey to taste

 

                                                                Apple Pie Smoothie (this was a favorite)

 

                                                

From Harley Pasternak, celebrity trainer

Harley Pasternak Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

5 raw almonds
1 red apple
1 banana
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


Carrot Cake Smoothie
(from: rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com)Serves 1
1 cup chopped carrots
1 frozen banana
6oz Chobani Pineapple Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice - I love Almond Breeze by Blue Diamond!)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground ginger
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add almond milk as needed to acquire your desired thickness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPRING HAS SPRUNG...

We are going to start having recipe group again, April 4 at 11:30 am at Karalee's new home.  Call Karlie, or Janna if you don't get the email with her address.

Let's put some spring in our steps by going citrus this month. Bring any item(appetizer, main, side, salad, or dessert) and the recipe and let's have some fun!

Hope to see you all.

March 2012 Recipe Group

This months theme is fruit recipes of any kind.  With spring around the corner, don't you just want a little sunshine in your face and something fruity in your tummy?!!

We'll meet at Jennie's on Thursday, March 15th at 11:00 a.m.

See you there!!