Charlotta's tasty toffee

My sweet sister-in-law makes the best candy, wow! YUM. Over Thanksgiving she taught me how and gave me the tools to keep doing it. Today I finally made a recipe sheet with the pictures I took, it was so yummy, oh and addictive, enjoy!

Great Grandma's Spiced Peach Preserves

Ever wonder if there was a quick and easy recipe that will make your house smell divine at the same time to use up all those extra peaches? Well... here is a family favorite! :)

Great-Grandma's Spiced Peach Preserves
Heather Dorius

10 cups of peaches
7 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground cloves

Blanche peaches, remove skins and pits and cut into quarters (I always blanche them a few minutes longer and then I can do all of the above almost in one quick movement! *grin*). In a large pot mash peaches with potato masher. (it's better chunky) Add sugar and spices. Cook on low heat until desired consistency (about 60-90 minutes). Fill into hot sterilized jars, wipe rim and place hot lid and secure with ring. Tip upside down on kitchen towel to cool and seal (I leave them overnight). According to extension guidelines it is good to process them in a water bath for 10 minutes - but that is to sterilize - so I just do it how Grandma said to and we have never had a problem! :)

Tastes great on sandwiches, sugar cookies and warmed up over vanilla icecream! YUM!

Pear Honey

One of Amy's and my many adventures included a new beloved favorite! Many of the neighbors in our neighborhood can't wait for Christmas to receive their new jar of pear honey!

PEAR HONEY
(adapted from an online recipe)

8 cups almost too ripe Pears, run through a food mill
1 cup 100% pineapple juice
8 cups sugar

Bring to a boil in large pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once reaching a full boil (still boils when stirred) reduced to medium (I do medium low) and cook until mixture is the color and texture of pure honey (almost like it needs melted just a little bit)

It takes 2 1/2-3 hours. Stir frequently!! The longer you cook it, the thicker it gets. ;)

Laddle into hot jars, filling to 1/4" of top. Wipe rims and seal with hot lids and rings. Process is water bath canner for 10 minutes (in Utah we should increase that to 15-20). Enjoy!!!

It is BY FAR my MOST favorite thing to can and to eat! :)

3 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

1 Large Can of Pumpkin (not pie mix)
2 Boxes Spice Cake Mix
1 bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix and Bake on parchment covered cookie sheet for 9-12 minutes @ 350. Let cool on pan for 3-5 minutes, then cool completely on wire rack. YUM! Happy Fall!

Chicken Cabonera

I know that this is not real italian cabonera sauce. I haven't found a recipe I think my family will eat, so here is what I have been playing with. This sauce is good doubled and made into a casserole with chicken, sundried tomatoes, penne, mushrooms,provolone and swiss cheeses, but that is a post for another day. I've tried to make the sauce with cream cheese and it was too thick and didn't coat well. This has been the best so far. Oh, pictures are forthcoming, I forgot and started eating, it was really good!

Chicken Cabonera
Sauce:
3 tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
3 cloves roasted garlic
½ C parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

6 slices bacon
2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces and cooked in a little bit of bacon fat (1/2 tbsp)
1 package mushrooms sliced or diced, we have mushroom texture issues at our house so the smaller the better
1 pound spaghetti
1 tomato diced

Instructions:
Cook bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel and cook diced chicken and mushrooms until done, set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter and add flour, stir and cook for a few minutes to reduce the floury taste. Add the garlic cloves and milk, stir on medium heat until thick and bubbly, remove from heat and add cheese and salt and pepper. Add chicken, bacon and mushrooms to sauce and then add to 1 pound of drained spaghetti.

Top with tomatoes and serve. Half my family dislikes tomatoes so I usually put them on the side.

Heather's Famous Bread Machine Rolls

I have finally come into good graces with my husband with these rolls. It has taken me awhile to find the perfect roll recipe and here it is. I have started making this in my Kitchenaid mixer starting with the water and yeast and then add the other ingredients and mixing for 2-5 minutes until it's really smooth. You can double this in the kitchenaid as well. Makes 12-15 rolls.

(Side note from Heather: I never dissolve my yeast first, I put it in last, on top of the dry ingredients. It does make little gritty spots of yeast in your dough... but when it is baked it makes delicious little pockets of fluff! *grin* I also only knead it for about 3-4 minutes. Bottom line... these are hard to mess up! They really ARE tasty!)

Peach Raspberry Jam

This is my most favorite Jam and that's saying something because I love jam. I've been tweaking this recipe for years and finally feel it's ready, or close enough to share.

Peach Raspberry Jam

3 Cups pureed peaches

1 cup pureed raspberries

7 1/2 C sugar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 package pectin ( I prefer Certo liquid pectin)

Butter as needed

Combine the peaches, raspberries, sugar and lemon juice together, cook until it starts to boil, add butter a teaspoon at a time to reduce the foam. When it boils and doesn't stop bubbling when you stir it, it's ready for the pectin. Add the pectin and stir for one minute. Remove from the heat and ladle into hot jars. Seal with a hot lid and process according to package directions.

Enjoy!!!!

Orange Yogurt Muffins

We had these at our family reunion and I just got the recipe, I don't want to forget it so I'm posting it here, this is from Austin's Aunt Gail Hamilton. YUMMY!


Orange Yogurt Muffins
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons shredded orange peel
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
8 oz. carton orange yogurt
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla [less if it is pure vanilla]
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons orange juice

Directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well and then add egg mixture all at once. Stir just until moistened [will be lumpy]. Fill muffin tin cups 2/3 full

Bake in 400 degree oven for 18 - 20 minutes. Drizzle with powdered sugar/orange juice mixture while still warm.

Makes 12 muffins

Grilled Peaches

Here is a sweet treat that is healthy and yummy!

Grilled Peaches

5 peaches (not too soft, not too ripe works best)

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 hot grill

Make sure your grill is really clean, otherwise your peaches will taste like steak, or chicken or fish, you get my drift.

Melt the butter and add the brown sugar, stir till dissolved and drizzle over cut peaches.

Place the peaches cut side down on the grill and cook for about four minutes then turn and cook on the other side for four minutes. Enjoy! We had this with vanilla ice cream, it was almost like having cobbler, it was SO yummy

Italian Fried Rice?!?

So it was one of those nights. You know the type, when potatoes don't sound good and would take too long anyway and we had pasta last night and it's too hot to do anything but grill, but you need more than just meat at the table. Since we were having London Broil tonight and I had leftover rice, I decided to try this concoction, it was really good and very easy to make.

Italian Fried Rice

1/2 white onion diced

1 clove garlic minced

2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

4 + Cups rice (brown or white or mix, whatever you have)

Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese to taste

Saute the onions, garlic, tomatoes in the olive oil. Cook till the onions are translucent and soft, add the rice and cook until hot, season with salt and pepper and Parmesan cheese when you're ready to serve.

Cabbage Salsa or Slaw, you choose :)

OK, so this is a little weird but yummy. I first had it in Grand Junction, CO when we met Austin's boss for his internship. We were invited out to lunch and the waitress brought the usual salsa's and this green concoction. It was different but oh so yummy. Fast forward to our move to Ely. The local Mexican restaurant serves something similiar and it was just as yummy. So now I'm craving it and this is what I've come up with:

Amy's Cabbage Salsa or Slaw if you like:

1 bag cole slaw mix
1/4 red onion sliced thinly
1/4 white onion sliced thinly
1 can marinated jalapeno's and liquid
1 bunch cilantro
1/8 tsp oregano
juice of 3-5 limes
salt to taste

Add all the ingredients together, add the jalapeno's to taste, I like fewer, they are way hot, plus some liquid to the salsa. Ad cilantro to taste, lime juice and salt. Trust me on the oregano, it really makes it taste good.

Refrigerate for at least an hour and serve. Great with chips, fish tacos etc. Enjoy

Zucchini Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Zucchini cake with cream cheese frosting
Heather Dorius

3 eggs
2 ½ C sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 C oil
½ tsp salt
2 ½ C Flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 ½ C grated zucchini

Beat eggs, sugar vanilla and oil together. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread into 9x13 pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frost with cream cheese frosting while cool
¼ C butter
2 ¼ C powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
Mix until smooth and spread over cooled cake

Grandma Stoddard's Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake from Heather’s Grandma Stoddard

2 C Sugar
1 C oil
3 eggs
2 ½ C Flour
¼ C Cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ C milk
2 C shredded zucchini
1 Tbsp vanilla

In large bowl mix sugar and oil; add eggs 1 at a time beating well after each. Combine dry ingredients and gradually alternate with milk. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until done. While baking make frosting:

½ C butter
¼ powdered cocoa
6 T evaporated milk
4 C powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix until creamy – frost HOT cake. Serve when cooled.

Yummy!!!!!