Toffee

I LOVE TOFFEE!

When I saw this recipe I thought I would share. It might help us all cope with the ward splittage! I haven't made it yet, but you know I will. Toffee is my FAVORITE treat.

Alice Belle’s World’s Best English Toffee Recipe

2 sticks of butter

1 1/3 cups white sugar

3 Tablespoons water

1/2 Cup nuts (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 - 1 1/2 Cups chocolate chips (milk chocolate is best but semi-sweet is good also)

First, prepare a pan lined with buttered aluminum foil. I use a jelly roll pan.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add 1 1/3 cups sugar and 3 Tablespoons water and stir well.

Over medium high heat cook, stirring frequently, until it reaches 300
degrees. If the candy appears to separate (with a layer of melted
butter on top) stir vigorously to make it come back together again.
Watch CLOSELY at 285 degrees, since it cooks quickly and will
scorch at high temperatures.

To show you how quickly it cooks, at 285 degrees I was going to take a picture of it at precisely 300 degrees, but it went too quickly. It can usually go to 310 but any hotter and it will scorch!

At 300 degrees remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Stir in nuts if using (or you can sprinkle on top of chocolate).

Carefully pour toffee into prepared pan smoothing to desired thickness and let set about a minute. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Wait about three minutes until chocolate chips are soft and melted from the heat of the toffee. Smooth chocolate across the top of the toffee.

Place in refrigerator until hard. Peel aluminum foil from back of toffee and break into pieces!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

I know technically I am not in the 16th ward anymore... but I have to share this recipe because my 3 1/2 year old is going through this crazy thing were she doesnt eat, I dont know how she is surviving, but she LOVED this.  I haven't seem her eat this much in weeks!  Whats even more impressive is that my husband liked it!  Its harder to get him to eat his vegetables than it is my kids.  

CHICKEN ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE

3 cups cooked cubed chicken (3-4 breast)

1 pkg. Stovetop stuffing prepared

1 pint sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 cups zucchini cubed

Cook zucchini with one cup grated carrots and one small chopped onion (onion optional).  

Cook veggies until tender.

Stir everything together.

Put in 9x13 pan and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Hopefully you like it to!

*Tag, your it Jamie :)

Peanut Butter Layer Bars

Melanie Partridge brought these to the ward Pot luck. They were AMAZING!! Thanks Mels!

Layers of rich peanut butter cookie, peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting beg to be indulged in. Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 2 hours 20 min Makes: 36 bars Sign In to Rate (216) Member Reviews (86)

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Cookie Base
1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
3	tablespoons vegetable oil
1	tablespoon water
1	egg
Filling
1/2	cup butter, softened
1/2	cup creamy peanut butter
2	cups powdered sugar
2	teaspoons milk
Frosting
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4	cup butter

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	About Concordance™

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
2.	In large bowl, stir all Cookie Base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3.	In small bowl, beat all Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over cookie base.
4.	In microwavable bowl, microwave all Frosting ingredients on High 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

Strawberry/ Blueberry Salad

Strawberry/Blueberry Salad

1 pkg spinach

1 large head red leaf lettuce or romaine (or both)

1/2 cup red bell peppers

1 purple onion sliced

1/2 cup bacon fried & cut up

small package strawberries (cut up)

pkg blueberries

wonton paper cut up into strips and fry in oil (add just before serving)

cashews (melt butter and sugar in pan and coat cashews. Lay out to cool)

Dressing

2 T red wine vinegar

3 T sugar

1/2 t dry mustard

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

1/2 cup oil

blend together and add oil last

Pour over salad and enjoy.

I think this is great with avocados too.

My MIL made this and everyone raved and now you all get the recipe too. Wahoo!

Fudge in a bag

Fun for kids!!

Individual Package

2 oz. Powder Sugar (1/2 cup)

1 Tbsp. Butter

2 Tsp. Cream Cheese

Dash of Vanilla

2 Tsp. Cocoa

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a sandwich sized zipper bag.  Squeeze out all air.  Squish and mush the bag until all ingredients are weel mixed and there is a creamy consistancy.  Add any flavors or treats if desired (raisens, m&m's, peanut butter, chopped nuts, etc).

Supersized 

1 lb. Powder Sugar

1/4 cup Butter

1  3oz. pkg Cream Cheese

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla 

1/3 C. Cocoa

Fruit Salsa

Fruit Salsa

2 Kiwis peeled & diced

2 Golden delicious apples - peeled, cored & diced

8 ounces of raspberries

1 pound of strawberries

2 T of white sugar

1 T of brown sugar

3 T of fruit preserves, any flavor. (I like raspberry jam)

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar, and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in fridge at least 15 minutes before serving.

Use "crustos" from Taco Time for the chips. You can get a bucket at the Eastbay store for $10 or the AF store for $15 with your own bucket. enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

These are really easy and my family LOVES it!

Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 Chicken Breasts

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup Sour Cream

1/2 can Green Enchilada Sauce (I usually use 3/4 unless I double it, then I just use 1 can)

Boil chicken, shred and mix everything together- heat on medium until hot.  Roll in a tortilla, add a little more chicken mixture on top, sprinkle with cheese.  Microwave or put it in the oven  until cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Cooking Tips

Crock Pot Cooking Tips

* You can spray the inside with cooking spray for easier clean-up.

* Don't lift the lid, it will add 30 minutes to the cooking time. It doesn't need to be stirred. If you own a round crock pot you can spin the lid to get the condensation off and see inside.

* You can use frozen meat (except turkey). It takes 2 hours longer on high and 4-6 hours longer on low. I think it's juicier. This can also help you stretch the time if you're going to be for longer than the recipe calls for.

* 1 hour on high = 2 to 2 1/2 on low

* Carrots and potatoes take longer. Put them on the bottom next to the heat source.

* You can choose cheaper cuts of meat. The crock pot will make them nice and tender. I think a longer time on low works better than cooking on high for this. Especially if you cook from frozen.

* Ground beef needs to be precooked before adding it to a recipe.

* You'll need very little water since it doesn't cook off.

* You can make up your recipe the night before (not rice or pasta) and keep the removable crock in the refrigerator. Then start it in the morning.

Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas

Crock pot Chicken Fajitas

by: Renae Arnell

5 boneless chicken breasts

1 onion, sliced thin

1 red or green bell pepper, sliced

(when I double I use one of each)

Sauce:

1 clove garlic, pressed (or 1/8tsp. minced)

2 tbsp chopped green chiles (canned)

1-2 tsp. chili powder, to taste

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c or less vegetable oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

Place whole breasts in crock pot. Top with onion and peppers. Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for about 6-7 hours until meat is tender. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken (do not remove from crock). Cover, turn crock pot to warm or off and allow about 30 minutes for chicken to soak up most of the liquid. serve in warm tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Okay! I know it has been a long time since I have posted, but I will be better this summer.

I will start off with the delicious meal I made for dinner tonight. It was really easy and My family and I loved it! I took a recipe that looked good and added to it and you can do the same.
 

Chicken Pasta Salad

1-2 cups rotini pasta

1 cucumber cubed

1 tomato cubed

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 cup poppyseed dressing

1/4 cup caesar dressing

1/2 cup grapes halved

1/2 cup strawberries

2 chicken breasts cubed

I boiled my pasta and ran it under cold water until it was cold.  I then combined all the other ingredients.  Mixed well and enjoyed!  

Chips and Queso

Chips and Quesso (Simple!!)

In a saucepan, cook the following over medium heat until hot:

1 can of chili
1 can of Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
½ block of cream cheese (4 oz)

Remove from heat and stir in ½ cup to 1 cup of salsa (to taste).

Serve with tortilla chips.

Frito Casserole

I got this recipe from my friend Molly.  She said her family loved it and I thought I would give it a whirl.  

Frito Casserole

2 lbs ground beef (browned)

1 can cream of chicken ( I used cream of mushroom and it tasted great)

1 can creamed corn

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 cup mild salsa

Mix all together and simmer for about 30 minutes. (this is not necessary)

layer corn tortillas in a 9 X 13 pan

then half of beef mixture

then a layer of shredded cheese

Repeat and layer with Frito's.  

Bake for 20 minutes at 350.  

You can add rice to the beef mixture if you want.  Let me know what you think.  My family like it!

Chicken wrap

So i just made the tastiest lunch. It was super easy and I am not sure why I didn't think of this before.

I took some leftover chicken tenders from last night ( you can buy a bag of pre-breaded and pre-cooked tenders at Macey's for a good price.) I heated them up and added them to a warm tortilla with melted cheese. I added shredded lettuce and tomatoes. I topped it all off with tabasco sauce mixed with ranch dressing. It was Awesome! It isn't the healthiest, but you could use carb balance wraps instead of flour tortilla's and it would still be good.

Frosty Fruity Snowflakes

I got this one from Brooks school. Brooks loved them and keeps begging me to make them again so I thought I would do them in heart shapes for Valentines.

small flour tortillas
white sugar
butter
confectioner's sugar
Grapes, Raspberries, peeled orange sections

Fold tortillas in half, then fold in half again. Cut design in tortilla using kitchen scissors, similar to making a aper snowflake. Unfold and open tortilla shape. Place on baking sheet. Brush snowflake with a little butter. Sprinkle with white sugar. Place snowflake under oven broiler to brown and crisp, about 2-5 minutes. Put confectioner's sugar in a small bowl. wash fruit; dip wet fruit pieces in confectioner's sugar and arrange on snowflake or heart. Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Want something Easy Peasy?? I LOVE soup -- and the faster, the better, right?

TACO SOUP

1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can stewed or diced tomoates
1 can tomato sauce
1 can of chilli
1 pkt. taco seasoning

Dump it all in a pot, and warm it up. If you like chukier soup, drain the beans and corn before adding.

Top with sour cream, tortilla chips, and salsa if you want - sooo tastie!

Chili Dip

I got this recipe from my brother & sister-in-law. It is a quick dip that is awesome!
All you do is take 2 cans of chili and mix in a pot with 8 oz of cream cheese. Mix together well, heat, and serve with chips. It was so good. Try it and let me know what you think.

Slow Cooker BBQ pork sandwiches

Slow cooker BBQ pork Sandwiches
( I haven't tried this, but it looked good and I thought it would be something easy to do for sunday.)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup purchased sweet-and-sour sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lb. boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of fat, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 kaiser rolls, split


DIRECTIONS
1. In 3 1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients except pork and rolls; mix well. Add pork; stir to coat.
2. Cover; cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Remove pork from slow cooker. Shred pork by pulling apart with 2 forks. Add pork back to sauce in slow cooker; mix well. If desired, to toast rolls, place cut sides up on ungreased cookie sheet; broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon about 1/2 cup pork mixture into each roll.

Grilled Fish or chicken Tacos

Grilled Fish Tacos (Body for life recipe)

Servings: 4

Prep time: 35 min.

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 limes, halved, divided

5 cloves garlic, minced, divided

2 tsp ground cumin, divided

4 portions swordfish or tuna (about 1 1/2 lbs) -- I used chicken instead

1 ripe avocado , peeled, pitted, and diced

1/4 red onion, minced

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped

8 flour tortillas

8 lettuce leaves

1. preheat grill

2. combine olive oil, juice of 3 limes, 4 garlic cloves, and 1 tsp cumin (I didn't use this) in a shallow pie plate.  Then add meat and marinade for about 15 minutes.

3. In a separate small bowl, stir together the remaining lime juice, garlic and cumin, with diced avocado, onion, jalapenos and cilantro.  -- I didn't have all the ing. on hand so I left out the cumin, onion, jalapenos, and cilantro and it still tasted good. I added tomatoes to this too.  This is your avocado salsa!

4. Grill marinated meat and cut into small strips.

5. warm tortillas and add meat, avocado salsa, and lettuce (I used lettuce SHREDS and they were delicious!)  

I loved this recipe!  It was really easy to make and the flavor was awesome!  

Chewy Granola Bars

I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, www.makeandtakes.com. Check it out, it has so many great ideas.

Chewy Granola Bars Recipe:
2 1/2 c. Oats - quick rolled oats
1/2 c. Rice Krispies
1/4 c. coconut
1/2 c. M&M minis
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Add all of the ingredients and mix together until combined. Press into a square 8×8 pan. Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and score into bars. Let it set completely and then cut into bars. For thinner bars, press mix into a 9×13 pan. They seem to set a little better in the 9×13 pan.

Great Tip: Spray vegetable spray into the measuring cup before you add a sticky substance, like honey! It should slide right off. Thanks, Martha!