Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

 1 stick butter

2 10 ounce bags small marshmallows

1 12 ounce box Rice Krispies (12 cups)

Optional 1 t vanilla 

Melt butter in heavy bottom pan over medium low heat. Continue heating butter, stirring constantly, until browned - foamy with dark bits. It will start to smell caramely. Dont over cook it, it will burn and taste bitter. 

Add marshmallows and stir until mostly melted. If you want you can keep 1/2 c marshmallows to stir in with the Rice Krispies so it’s not all melted. 

Turn off heat and add vanilla, then Rice Krispies. Stir well. 

Layer a 9x13 pan with wax paper. Press Rice Krispies into the pan. Use clean, damp hands to press down gently. 

Chili Mac

 1 lb pasta, cooked

Fry one can of corn, drained, or 2 cups of frozen corn

Stir in 2 can chili, and pasta. 

Melt in 3 oz cream cheese, and a sprinkle of shredded cheese. 

Serve with Trader Joe’s elote corn chips

Chili

 1 diced onion, cooked

2 t garlic

1 lb cooked ground turkey or beef

1 can beef broth

1 can diced tomatoes

2 T chili powder

2 canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, diced

2 T adobo sauce from can

Add water if necessary  serve with blue corn tortilla chips, plain Greek yogurt, and shredded cheese  

Energy Balls

Energy Balls

2 c quick oats

1/2 c ground flax meal

1/2 c wheat germ

2 scoops protein powder (1/4 c) (chocolate or vanilla) 

2 T chia seeds

2 t vanilla

1 c peanut butter

1/3 c honey

1:3 c agave

1/2 - 2/3 c mini chocolate chips

Mix everything but the chocolate chips in the mixer until well mixed. Add chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour then scoop into balls. 

This is a double batch. You can mix and match the honey and agave, and mix and match the flax and wheat germ. Can also leave out the protein powder.

Tomato Basil Soup

 Tomato Basil Soup by Gretchen

4 tbsp salted butter

3 large carrots diced

½ sweet onion diced

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

5 large leaves of fresh basil

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1. Melt butter on stove top over medium heat in large dutch oven pot
2. Increase heat to medium high and saute carrots, onions and garlic. Stir occasionally for about 4 minutes, or until onions are translucent
3. Add the salt and pepper and stir
4. Add the canned crushed tomatoes and stock
5. Bring to a rolling boil
6. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 15 minutes stirring occasionally
7. Add the fresh basil
8. Remove from heat
9. Pour into your blender/Vitamix/Ninja
10. Puree slowly  at first and then increase speed until soup is velvety smooth
11. Stop blender and add heavy cream
12. Blend again
13. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches or croutons or good sourdough bread

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie version we all liked. 

1.5 lb ground meat

1 c diced onion

1 t garlic

1 c chicken broth

1 c chopped carrots, cooked

1 c green beans 

1 c corn

2 T tomato paste

Oregano

Dried parsley

Salt and pepper

2.5 lb potatoes (cooked and mashed with butter, salt, garlic powder etc)

Grated cheese

Cook meat and onion. Add garlic, broth and tomato paste, stir well and cook briefly. Add remaining vegetables and seasonings. Put into a 9x13 glass dish. Top with mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted. 

Crispy Rice Salad

 1 cup cooked jasmine rice 

1 T oil

1 cup diced cucumber

1/2 cup edamame

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 cup sliced green onion

1.5 T rice wine vinegar

1.5 T soy sauce

I/2 T sesame oil

1/2 t sesame seeds

Mix rice with oil and cook at 450 (or broil) until starting to brown (15 minutes) Mix everything else together and toss with rice. 

Oreo Poke Cake

 1 chocolate cake mix

Ingredients to make cake mix

Large package chocolate pudding

3 cups cow milk

1 tub Cool Whip

10 Oreos

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake

 

Dalton requested this Chocolate-covered strawberry cheesecake after we looked at some fancy cheesecake options on pinterest.  We wanted an actual cheesecake, so I had to invent the recipe.  Basically, I added a cup of pureed strawberries to my mom's LA Times cheesecake recipe and cooked it WAY longer.  It turned out amazing.

Cranberry Salsa

 1 12 Ounce bag cranberries

3/4 c sugar

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t salt

1/4 t garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

4 green onions

1 jalepeno

1/4 c lime juice

Mix all ingredients in food processor. Serve over 8 ounces cream cheese

Blended with 1/2 c sour cream. 

Crispy Fried Onions

Crispy Fried Onions 

THINLY slice onion 

Mix 1/4 c flour with salt and pepper 

Dredge onion in flour, separating rings 

Heat 1/4" oil in skillet. 

Cook dredged onion in batches hntil lightly browned.

Garlic Butter

3 T butter 

1 T fresh parsley 

1/2 c grated parmesan 

1 t minced garlic 

 Mash together, and toss woth roasted potato spears and broccoli after baking

Parmesan pasta

Parmesan Pasta

• 2 T butter
• 1 t. olive oil
• 1 t. garlic
• 3 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 lb pasta
• 1 c. Parmesan
• 2 t.  dried parsley or 2 T fresh, chopped
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (just enough to make it creamy)
• salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 min. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and cook until tender. Stir in Parmesan, then parsley and cream  and salt and pepper to taste. 

John’s Homemade Brownies

 John has been making brownies from scratch since this summer, always with different toppings and mix ins. 

1 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. flour

2/3 c. cocoa

1/2 c. powdered sugar 

3/4 t. salt 

1/2 c. chocolate chips or other mix ins 

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil

2 T. water

1/2 t. vanilla

Mix wet, mix dry, mix together. Bake in an 8x8 pan at 325 for 40 minutes. 

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a Cake

Arthur requested a humuhumunukunukuapua'a cake last minute (like, after I had baked it) and his mom delivered. 

Wally Cake by Maggie

Sienna requested a doggie cake, specially a Wally cake, for her birthday, and I assigned Maggie to it.

 

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 t. pumpkin pie spice (I just use cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg)

1 c. pumpkin puree (I use fresh, which is why my muffins are so light in color)

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2 eggs

Topping:

1 T. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

Strusel topping version 

1/2 c flour

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

1 t cinnamon

4 T melted butter

Mix pumpkin puree with sugar. Blend in oil and eggs. Mix remaining dry ingredients and fold into pumpkin mixture just until moistened.

Divide into muffin cups and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Shared at Melt in Your Mouth Monday.

Bowser Shell Cupcakes

Easy cupcakes with green and white frosting, and white chocolate chips, for Dalton's 11th birthday.

 

Star Wars Lightspeed Cake

Arthur wanted a birthday cake with "two spaceships" on top, by which he specifically meant a Star Tours vehicle (Starspeeder 1000) and the Millennium Falcon. Thank you Amazon (and $35) for making dreams come true.

It's yellow cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, and white gel frosting from a tube to make the lightspeed or hyperspace.

Princess Jasmine Cupcakes

Having had a Belle and Rapunzel cakes, Sienna decided Jasmine was next on her list.  We looked at Pinterest and decided on teal flower cupcakes, and purple cupcakes with gold swirls, but then found tiny edible gold stars instead. I used my trusty Stable Whipped Cream Frosting.