Laura's Peach Salad

( this recipe comes from a friend, Laura Bird.  We were in a Bunco group together and she brought this, it's such a keeper!  Perfect end of summer salad!  When my brother-in-law was dying of cancer, he would request this salad.  My mother-in-law would also substitute the peaches for mandarin oranges)

2c. peaches soaked in 2 tsp. lemon juice (drain after a few minutes, this is to keep the peaches from browning)

3 c. spinach leaves

3 c. leaf lettuce

1/4 c. toasted slivered almonds

* Poppyseed dressing: 

2 tsp. finely chopped onion

1 c. olive oil or avocado oil

6  Tbsp. cider vinegar

1  tsp. salt

2/3 c.  sugar

1 tsp. dry mustard

2 tsp. Poppy seeds

blend in blender and serve over salad.  

Easy Chocolate Pudding (Cook's Country)

 

                ( This is a yummy recipe from Cook's Country, it's so creamy and chocolatey)

Serves 4

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2  3/4 c. whole milk

1/4 c. heavy cream

1 c. milk chocolate chips (or 6 oz. bar milk chocolate, chopped)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Combine brown sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in large saucepan.  Whisk milk and cream into sugar mixture until smooth.  Add chocolate chips and bring to simmer, whisking occasionally, over medium heat.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and large bubbles appear at surface, 2 to 3 min.  Take off heat, stir in vanilla.

2.  Transfer pudding to large bowl and place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding.  Refrigerate until completely cool, at least 4 hours.  (Pudding can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days) Serve.   

Cinnamon Rolls

 Cinnamon Rolls

In a pan:

• 1 Quart milk

• ¾ c. butter (or 1 ½ cubes of butter)

Heat until the butter is melted. (If you overheat the milk just set it aside until it cools down). Set aside.

In bowl:

• 4 heaping Tbsp. yeast

• 1 Tbsp. Sugar

• 2 c. warmer than warm not hot water.

Set aside.

In mixer:

• 6 eggs

• 3 Tbsp. Salt

• ¾ c. Sugar

Mix until blended. 

When the milk mixture is cool add to eggs

• 6-7 c. Flour

Pulsate 5-6 times then turn mixer to #1 to mix.

You want it to look like runny dough

Add the yeast mixture

Turn mixer on to #1

Add 2 c. flour

Change to the kneading beater

Turn mixer on to #1

Add flour, about ½ c. at a time by dumping it on the side of the mixer. Let it mix before adding more. Stop adding flour when the dough stops sticking to the side. (You don’t want to add too much flour or the bread/rolls will be tough).

After you have added all the flour, you need to dump about 1 Tbsp. Oil on the side of the mixer. That will help the dough dump out of the mixer. Dump the dough into a large bowl with about 2 Tbsp. Oil in it. The bowl can not be a glass bowl.

Cover with a dish cloth and let it rise about double its size.

After the dough is ready, roll it out and spread butter in it then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. You can also add nuts, raisins, or craisins. Starting with one side, roll the dough into a long tube shape, at the end pinch the dough together so it won’t unroll. Cut the roll into about 1” segments (dental floss works good). Put the cut side down on the pan. Let rise to twice their size. If you would like cherries or apples in them use pie filling (with cherry pie filling add the sugar and almond extract, and for the apple, chop up the apples some). You put the pie filling in after the rolls have risen. You use a spoon and press the center down and fill the center with pie filling. Then bake them at 375 for 12-15 min. or until they are golden brown. On the rack one down from center (placement of oven rack).

Frosting:

Mix:

• 2 lbs. Powdered sugar

• 3 Tbsp. butter

• 2 tsp. Vanilla

• 1 can evaporated milk. 

• You will not need all of the milk. Just add it until it is the consistency of frosting. 

Let the rolls cool before frosting. 

Taken from Ann Kirk

Notes: As soon as I get my friend, Kathy's recipe from her, I will put it here, it's pretty good too!

Joann's Potato Soup

 (I had been meaning to try this soup for a while and finally got around to it, and she did a great job of tweeking this recipe, as it is wonderful!)

1 1/2 lbs. potatoes, cut small or diced

3/4 c. shredded carrots

1/2 c. celery, diced (optional)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. chicken stock

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 -2 bay leaves

celery salt

garlic salt

2 Tbsp.  parsley 

4 slices bacon,  cook it up , crumble, take out of pan and save grease

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

 **Saute onion, garlic and carrots in bacon grease.

**Save grease

**cook potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, celery (if used), spices, in pot with chicken broth.  

**When cooked, take out 2c. of the broth and make a roux with 3 Tbsp. butter and the flour, when cooked,  stir into the soup and add the cream.  When ready to serve, add the cheese and the bacon on top.  

**If using a crock pot, Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.  When only 15 minutes left, remove 2 c. of the liquid and make a roux in a frying pan using the flour and 3 Tbsp. butter,  when cooked,  slowly add the 2 c. liquid and stir until thickened.  Add to crockpot, stirring until mixed in, then add cream.

** The thickness will depend on how much flour and liquid you use to make the roux.

Amish White Bread (from Allrecipes)

 (This bread is sweet but fun to make.  I usually make this one as a sacrament bread, you can cut down the sugar a bit, but it works well for sacrament bread - I usually make them into round loaves, but you can also make it into regular loaves, my daughter and I did this design for fun )  

 2 c. warm water (110 F)

2/3 c. white sugar ( can cut this down to 1/3 c. or 1/2 c)

1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. oil ( can use olive oil or avacado oil)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

6 c. bread flour ( I use all purpose flour)

 ** dissolve sugar in warm water in large bowl, and then stir in yeast.  Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam,  about 5 to 10 minutes.

** Mix oil and salt into the yeast.  Mix in flour 1 cup at a time.  Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth.  Place in a well-oiled  ( I use butter) bowl and turn dough to coat.  Cover with a damp cloth.  Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour

** Punch dough down.  Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half.  Shape into loaves, and place into 2 greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.  allow to rise until dough has topped the  pans by one inch, about 30 min.

** preheat oven to 350 F. 

** Bake until golden brown, about 30 min.

Ivo's Baked Beans

 (These Baked Beans are a main staple for our 4th of July!  Ivo is asked to bring them, they are his mother's recipe)

9 x 13 pan

Oven at 350 F 

8 Strips of bacon, diced

1 lrge. onion ( his mom used 2), diced

* Saute these two in frying pan until bacon is cooked, or crisp

stir in:

2 large cans pork and beans, or regular size cans

1 tsp. mustard or 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1 c. ketchup

1/2 c. brown sugar

* put in 9x13 pan and bake for 1 hour uncovered....

Cook's Country Mac and Cheese with a touch of Brough

 (I don't know if I have any kids that don't love this dish! It is creamy and a little bit of heaven- the bacon on top makes it even better!  Rick makes this, I don't since it's more work than I prefer - but he is the better cook I would say )

3 - 4 slices hearty white bread (he did use sourdough this last time), torn into large pieces

8 Tbsp. unsalted butter - melt 4 Tbsp. of this

1/4 c. (my husband used 1/2 c.)  grated Parmesan cheese

salt

1 lb. elbow macaroni

5 Tbsp. all purpose flour

3 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk

2 tsp. hot sauce (this last time he left this out and I actually liked it better)

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. dry mustard

2 c. shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 1/4 c. shredded American cheese (white) - about 5 oz. (make sure it's the block cheese from the deli counter, if you get pre-wrapped ones, it will result in a drier mac n cheese)

3/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese

 12 oz. bacon, fried and crumbled keep in the grease if still warm, don't let it dry out, it seems to give it more flavor - this is to put on top

** my husband cut the bacon into about 1/8' strips while all the slices are bundled, out of the package, then fry it up crispy, take it out of the pan and put into a bowl; do not put on paper towels to drain.  The extra fat you get on each little piece boosts the bacon-y flavor while your eating the cheesy mac.**

*Heat oven to 350F.  Adjust rack to middle of oven

*Pulse bread, melted butter and Parmesan in food processor until ground to coarse crumb.  Put in bowl.

*Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot.  Add 1 Tbsp. salt and macaroni, and cook until al dente, about 6 minutes.  Reserve 1/2 c. ( my husband did 1 c.) macaroni cooking water, then drain and rinse macaroni in colander under cold running water, set aside. 

*Melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in now-empty pot over medium-high heat until foaming.  Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns light brown, about 1 min.    Slowly whisk in evaporated milk, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard,  add 2 tsp salt and cook until mixture begins to simmer and is slightly thickened, about 4 min.  Off heat (this is very important or you will have curdling cheese sauce), whisk in cheeses and 1/2 c. reserved pasta water until cheese melts.  Stir in macaroni until completely coated.

*Transfer mixture to 13x9 " baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture.  Bake until cheese is bubbling around edges and top is golden brown, 20 - 25 min.  Let sit for 5 to 20 min.