OuR cHrIsTmAs CaRaMeLs!

1 cup butter (no subs!)

2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat butter on low.

Add everything except the vanilla, cook and stir over medium-high heat to boiling.

Carefully clip on candy thermometer, make sure it's not touching the bottom of the pan.

Cook and stir until thermometer hits firm-ball stage (248 degrees...about 15-20 minutes.)

Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Poor into prebuttered pan...you can line w/ foil.

When cooled cut and wrap.

***This year I found cellophane square wrappers at Orson Gygi! So worth it! But, normally

I have always wrapped them in wax paper.

***Here's the trick! The biggest thing is to calibrate your candy thermometer. To do this you boil your therm. in water for a few minutes. If the therm registers above or below 212 degrees you add or subtract the same difference in degrees from the recipe temperature. For example my therm. registered @ 200 D. So I subtracted 12 degrees from the caramel recipe and brought the temp to 236 degrees instead of 248. This makes the difference between soft and chewy caramels and hard as rock, chip your teeth caramels!

Baked Potato Soup

4 large baked potatoes

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup flour

6 cups milk, whole or 2% (I actually use 1% and it's fine.)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

4 green onions

12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream (8 0z.)

Cut potatoes in half. Scoop out pulp and put into small bowl.

Melt butter in large pot. Add flour. Gradually stir in milk. Continue to stir until smooth, thickened and bubbly.

Stir in potato pulp, salt, pepper, and three-quarters of the onions, bacon, and cheese. Cook until heated. Stir in sour cream.

Can transfer to slow cooker and set on Low. When serving top w/ remaining bacon, onions and cheese.

Yummy...I don't make it too often because it's a little artery-clogging! So good served in bread bowls because it is such a thick soup. Sometimes I just put all of the onions, bacon and cheese in the soup and we don't bother w/ the toppings.

GrEaT gReAt GrAnDmAs BISCUITS

Biscuits Supreme

2 Cups Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar

2 tsp. Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening

2/3 Cup Milk

Preheat oven to 450.

Sift dry ingredients and cut in shortening. Add milk all at once stir with fork ~ then knead swiftly but gently a few moments on a floured board.

Roll and cut.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden.

**I got this recipe from my fabulous Grandma Reid. I received a HUGE mound of her recipes to type up for a recipe book in her honor. This recipe like many other stood out to me because of the condition of it. It was well used and well loved, and scrolled in the top right corner it said Grandma Dastrup. It was from my Grandmas Grandma. I thought that was pretty amazing. It just so happens I tried it out last night for Biscuits and Gravy dinner. It was a hit. I have a bit to learn about being careful with biscuit dough so it will in fact pop up like it should. But after the first batch of it tasting good, but not looking very pretty I wised up and got better. I got all domestic and crap and made biscuits my great great Grandma might just have been proud of!

Cecilys Shrimp & Pasta

2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegarette

1 lb. Lg. Shrimp, uncooked

4 oz. Fettuccini, uncooked

1 Tomato, chopped

4 oz. Cream Cheese

2 Tbls. Fresh Basil, chopped

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Pour dressing over shrimp and set aside to marinate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat large skillet on med. heat, add shrimp to mixture.

Cook 3 min. or until pink.

Remove from skillet w/ slotted spoon. Cover to keep warm.

Add tomatoes, cream cheese and 1 Tbls. basil to same skillet.

Cook and stir for 3 min. or until well blended.

Add shrimp; cook until heated thru, stirring occasionally.

Add sauce to pasta, sprinkle with parmesan.

**I can promise you this is a great recipe! SO yummy!! Nice and fresh tasting too, perfect for those ripe tomatoes out of your garden!!

Pina Colada Cupcakes!

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1/4 c. water

1 tsp. rum extract

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained)

3 eggs

1 tsp. coconut extract

1 tsp. rum extract

1- 12 oz. container whipped vanilla frosting

3/4 c. coconut

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.

Mix cake mix, oil, water, 1 tsp. run ext., pineapple and eggs on low for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake for 14-19 minutes. Cool completely.

Pina Colada Frosting

Stir coconut extract and 1 tsp. rum extract into frosting. Top each cupcake with coconut. 

***I made my own frosting with:

3 cubes butter

powdered sugar...to taste

2 tbsp of half and half

3/4 c. coconut

1 t. rum extract

1 t. coconut extract

{I actually added a little extra of both extracts in the frosting! They were very moist cupcakes...yummy frosting! If you don't like coconut...I don't know what to say!!!}

**Thanks to Marilyn Williams...this recipe is from her blog!

Lettuce Wraps!

 

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 T roasted sesame seeds

1 tsp sesame oil

1-2 T red pepper paste, depending on how spicy you like things

1 tsp grated ginger

2 cubes or 1 tsp beef bullion

1/4 cup sherry

6 green onions

2 medium onions

2-4 lg carrots

1 can bamboo shoots

3 lbs. of ribeye or flank steak sliced very thin against the grain (easier to cut if slightly frozen)

1/2 - 1 cup of oil

Crisp Iceberg Lettuce- washed and chilled 

 

Thinly sllice ribeye or flank steak.  Place beef in large bowl.  Chop 2 med. onions, 6 green onions, and julienne 2 large carrots.  Add these and drained bamboo shoots to the meat.  In a seperate bowl combine soy sauce, sugar, pepper, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, red pepper paste, ginger, sherry, and  bouillion.  Mix well.  Pour this mixture over the meat and mix well.  Marinate in fridge for 4 to 24 hours.  In a very hot skillet add a few Tbsp. of cooking oil.  When hot add about a cup to 2 cups of the meat stirring regularly.

As the meat cooks the sugars will carmelize.  (Meat will have a shiny appearance when done.  When carmelized move this mixture to a warming dish and then add a few more Tbsp. of oil and repeat with another cup or 2 of meat mixture until all of the meat is cooked. 

 

Serve with steamed white rice and lettuce leaves.  serves 8-12

I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from friends in Florida! It is not for the faint of heart! Very flavorful! (Some would say spicy!) Go easy on the red pepper paste the first time (maybe half) if you're worried it might be too spicy!

ENJOY!  I used flank steak which is a cheaper cut.  I left the sherry out  because I didn't have any and just added a little water. I couldn't find the red pepper paste at the grocery store, so I ended up at the Asian food market...where I also purchased the sesame seeds. Believe it or not, my kids love this dish. One night I served it with fried rice and egg rolls, but usually just with plain rice...done in rice cooker. I will post a picture after I make it again!  

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 Small Eggplant (12 oz.)

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1 Tbls. water

1/2 Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs

2 Tbls. Cooking Oil

1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 Cup meatless Spaghetti Sauce

3/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

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1. Wash and peel eggplant; cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Combine egg and water; dip

eggplant slices into egg mixture, then into bread crumbs, turning to coat both sides.

In a large skillet cook eggplant, half at a time, in hot oil for 4 to 6 minutes or until golden, turning onece. (If necessary, add more oil.) Drain on paper towels.

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2. Place eggplant slices in a single layer in an ungreased 9x13 in pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top with spaghetti sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 to 12 minutes.
(getting nice and golden)

~this is a new favorite at our house. Eggplant was on sale, so I thought I'd try this out. It was nice and yummy! You can also just dip the eggplant in flour, but I thought the breadcrumbs would taste better.