Jambalaya

I shifted this a little from another Snow family favorite from Audrey Goodrich. She's Dave's cousin. Impressed I actually know that? Me too. You can add pepper/chili powder as much as you want to make this spicier, but what I have listed is pretty spicy to start with.

Seasoning:
2 whole bay leaves
1 tsp ground red pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp rubbed sage

Additional ingredients:
2 T butter
1/2 lb chopped ham (2 c)
3/4 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces (2 c)
1 c. onions, chopped
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped green peppers
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c. canned tomato sauce
1 c. peeled and chopped tomatoes (I usually use fresh ones, but diced tomatoes in a can work fine as long as you drain them)
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. uncooked rice (this recipe uses white rice. If you want to use brown, you will need to add more liquid and cook for longer.)

Combine seasoning in a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, melt butter over high heat. Add ham and chicken and cook until meat starts to brown. Stir in the seasoning mix and 1/2 c each of onions, celery, and bell peppers, and the garlic. Cook until vegetables start to get tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, stirring fairly constantly and scraping pan bottom as needed. Stir in the remaining 1/2 c. each of onions, celery, and bell peppers and the tomatoes. Remove from heat. Stir in the stock and rice, mixing well.

Transfer mixture into and ungreased 9 x 13 in pan. Bake uncovered until rice is tender, about 1 hour. Stir well and remove bay leaves. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Waffles with Buttermilk syrup

Can you tell what my favorite ingredient has been lately? This is another gem from the Snow family cookbook, courtesy of Jileen Ward. I have no idea who she is, but I thank her for this delicious contribution to the Snow family collection. This is a good one for special breakfast day too.;)

Batter:
2 c. flour
2 T baking powder
2 T cinnamon
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg yolks (save the whites)
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 T vanilla
1 1/2c. milk
3/4 c. melted butter

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and salt together. Then add egg yolks, pumpkin, vanilla, milk, and melted butter. Beat 4 egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter. Cook in waffle iron.

Buttermilk syrup:
1/2 cube butter (not margarine)
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 c. buttermilk (or sub 1 T lemon juice plus 1/2 c. milk)
1 tsp baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Bring butter, sugar, corn syrup, and buttermilk to a boil and remove from heat. Add baking soda and vanilla. It will bubble up quite a bit, so make sure your pan is large enough. Stir until it settles. Serve warm over pumpkin waffles.

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies

So I've always wanted to find a recipe that combined pumpkin and sugar cookies, as I love both quite dearly. It never occurred to me to figure it out on my own. So this recipe is an adaptation from my mother-in-law's super yummy sugar cookie recipe, which can also be found on this blog.

1 c. butter or margarine
4 to 6 c. flour (I usually end up using 5)
2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
1/4 c. sour cream
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. I like to line my baking sheets with parchment paper, but if you want to leave them plain, that's fine. You shouldn't need cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugar, then add vanilla and eggs. Slowly add pumpkin puree and sour cream, mixing until they combine well. You will probably need to scrape the sides at least once.

In a separate bowl, combine 4 cups flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Slowly add to butter mixture, scraping from the sides as needed. Add flour as needed to form a slightly sticky, mostly firm dough. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Roll and cut cookies as desired. This dough will behave exactly like regular sugar cookie dough. Bake 8-10 minutes. (If you pull them out of the oven just before their edges start to turn brown and leave them on the pan for a couple of minutes, they stay really soft and yummy. If you like crispy sugar cookies, this recipe is not for you.) Transfer to rack to cool completely. Frost and decorate at will!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese
1/4 c (1/2 cube) butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T milk (to thin as desired)

Combine cream cheese and butter and beat on high until fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well, scraping sides to assure everything mixes well. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk until desired consistency is reached.

*blogger was not uploading photos when I posted this. I actually have a picture that I will happily post at a later date.*

Breakfast Pizza

We love to have "fun breakfast" on Sunday mornings. Our usuals include egg mcmuffins, stuffed crepes, German pancakes, or coffee cake. Every once and a while, we do something really fun. What could be more fun than pizza for breakfast? This recipe is so far off from the original I found I don't remember where, so I don't feel bad claiming credit for it.;) I'm sure you could use a refrigerated pizza crust if you like, but I don't, so I included my favorite pizza crust recipe as well. Enjoy!

Crust:
2 1/2 c flour
2 3/4 tsp yeast (about 1 packet)
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
3 T olive oil
1 c. very warm water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil with wire whisk for about a minute. Add remaining flour until dough leaves sides of bowl. Knead for 5 minutes until nice and springy. Allow to sit for 30 minutes, then shape on pie plate or baking stone. If you like extra thick crust, let it rise for about 30 minutes before you bake it. I bake for 17 minutes before I add the toppings.

Toppings:
10 eggs, scrambled the way you like them
1 lb. cooked breakfast sausage (I used Honeysuckle turkey breakfast sausage, it was delish)
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon too. My kids like it better.)
1 packet country gravy, prepared with a little less liquid to make it nice and thick
grated colby jack to taste

When crust is mostly cooked (starting to brown on top) remove from oven and sauce with the country gravy. Top with eggs, sausage, bacon, and grated cheese. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes until cheese is nice and melty. Then cut and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

This was a life changing recipe I took from my friend Natalie's blog, Perry's Plate. If you haven't checked it out at my behest yet, I strongly encourage you to do so. A wide variety of delicious recipes can be found there and she even has a search engine you can use to find whatever you never knew you were looking for.;) Enjoy!



Pumpkin Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
adapted from Cara's Cravings

Brownie Batter:
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter:
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 T flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" or an 11x7" baking pan.

For the Brownies:
Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients in small bowl, and then gradually stir into butter mixture by hand.

For the Cheesecake:
In another bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in remainder of ingredients until smooth.

Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan. Spread the pumpkin batter over top, distributing evenly. Drop the remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. To make the swirls, run a butter knife back and forth through the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center doesn't jiggle when you nudge the pan. Cool completely and chill before cutting and serving.

Taco Pasta Shells

This one was kind of a fun take on Tacos. I'm always trying to trick my kids into eating different things, especially meat. I swear they're vegetarians. Anyway, they love noodles and they tolerate tacos, so I made these the other night. It's an adaptation of a recipe I found in my sister's ward cookbook.

12 Jumbo pasta shells
1/2 med. onion, chopped
6 oz. cream cheese
1 c. grated cheese
1 lb ground beef (I used turkey burger)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 small jar taco sauce (about a cup) -- the recipe says you can also use red enchilada sauce
Fritos
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta shells. Cook hamburger in onion until brown. Add taco seasoning and prepare as on the packet. Add cream cheese and heat slowly until melty. Spread 1/4 c. taco sauce in bottom of pan. Fill shells with meat mixture. Top with the rest of the taco sauce and melted cheese. I think some sliced olives would have been nice too, but I was a little time crunched that night. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Serve with Fritos and sour cream.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is another yummy adaptation from a Snow family recipe. I make my own pie crust, so I included that recipe, but the recipe called for frozen pie crust which I'm sure is yummy as well. The problem with a frozen pie crust is twofold: 1) it costs money. I'm not paying $3 or $4 for something I can make myself pretty quickly with flour and shortening. 2) you have to buy it ahead of time. That requires forethought. Hee hee. Anyway, here it is!

Filling:
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. onion
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 can chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
Shredded chicken (She means the cannery stuff, but I cook and cube mine)
Peas and carrots (this means frozen ones. I used garden carrots and broccoli with frozen peas in mine. If you use fresh veggies, make sure you cook them a bit before you put them in or they will be just a little crunchy.)
2 frozen pie crusts (or use the recipe at the end of this post)

Melt butter. Add flour, onion, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat when it's a paste. Add chicken broth and milk. Return to heat and boil for 1 minute. Add chicken and veggies. Form pie crust. Pour mixture in crust. Put other crust on top. Pinch edges and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

*sidenote* you probably already know this, but if you'll put a little layer of tinfoil over the edges of the crust until the last 5 minutes of baking, the crust edges won't fry.

2-crust pie:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup plus 2 T shortening
4 to 6 T cold water

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or kitchen knives until particles are the size of small peas. (*sidenote* I finally bought a cheap little pastry blender at Wal-Mart for around $4. It changed my life.) Sprinkle with cold water, 1 T at a time until all the flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves the side of the bowl. Divide dough in half and shape into flattened rounds between wax paper. Refrigerate for 45 minutes until dough is firm but pliable. Then roll out and form your pie crusts. If it's too hard to roll, just let it sit on the counter until it softens up some.

*another sidenote* this one is good to make ahead of time and pop it in the fridge until you're ready to cook. We do it on Sundays sometimes so we can just stuff it in the oven when we get home from church.

Angel Chicken

I just realized I've had too long of a break in recipes. We've tried a lot of new ones and I should be sharing. This one's from the Snow family cook book. Sorry for the no-photo, but this one was good and we'll be doing it again, so never fear. I'll snap a shot next time.

3 to 4 chicken breasts, cut up, skinned, and deboned
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken. Dave has an unreasonable hatred for mushrooms)
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 can mushrooms (left these out too... sigh.)
1 c. chicken broth
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing (dry)
2 T butter
Cooked noodles (she recommends fettucini noodles. I used spaghetti ends. Kids loved them.)

Place all ingredients (other than cooked noodles) into crock pot and cook for 3 to 5 hours. Stir well before serving and serve over hot noodles. Yum.

*note* I wanted my sauce a little thicker, so about 20 mins before dinner, I whisked in a little cornstarch dissolved in water and let the crockpot cook it a little more. Worked like a charm.

Cinnamon Rolls

This is the easiest recipe for cinnamon rolls in the world and they stay soft for days. Yum.

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 packets yeast
1 yellow cake mix
4 - 4 1/2 cups flour

Combine yeast and water and allow yeast to activate. Mix in yellow cake mix. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until sticky dough forms. Don't add too much flour or they will be dry. Allow dough to raise about 1 hour or until double in size. Grease your counter top (I just use cooking spray) and roll dough out into large rectangle. Sprinkle with the following:

1 pkg dry non-instant butterscotch pudding
Combined: 1/4 c butter, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 c brown sugar

Roll beginning from wide end and pinch seam shut. I usually cut my cinnamon rolls fat and use just a length of string to do it. Knives just squish them.;) Cover and allow to raise while oven is heating. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins. I take them out before they're brown, but the roll bounces back after you touch it. Here's my frosting recipe:

1 cube butter
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
2 T milk (depending on desired thickness)
2 tsp vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar

Beat butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and milk together until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar to desired consistency.

Delicious Brownies

My sister Sara gave me this recipe. The brownies are from a really old cookbook she has and the frosting is from the back of the Hershey's cocoa box. They are fantastic. I always think homemade brownies are either too cake-like or too greasy, but these are just as good as a mix if not better.

Melt two sticks of butter and stir in 10 Tbs of cocoa. Add 2 cups sugar and mix well. Add 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups flour, and a dash of salt and mix together. Spread in 9 x 13 pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. (I have a gas stove and had to do 30 mins.) Cool completely before cutting.

Frosting:
Melt 1 stick butter and add 2/3 cup cocoa. Alternately add 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup milk, and 2 tsp vanilla until spreading consistency. This turns out pretty fudge-like.

*tip* I'm sure I've posted this before, but line your pan with tinfoil and spray the foil. This way you can lift the brownies out after they're cool and it makes them infinitely easier to cut.

Jana's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I challenge anyone to find a better chocolate chip cookie recipe than this one. I've searched far and wide and this one is the clear favorite. It came from a student of Dave's and we thank her for it every time we use it. Not literally, just in our thoughts. I usually use the large milk chocolate chips, but the picture shows them with mini M&M's, which were fun as well.

2 cups + 2 Tbs flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2tsp vanilla
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and stir until mixed well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir. Add chocolate chips and drop onto cookie sheets (I line them with parchment paper -- worth the investment, if you ask me) and bake 15-18 minutes. Half way through the baking time, rotate your trays top to bottom, back to front for even baking. I take them out before they brown on the edges and let them sit on the pan for 2 or 3 minutes before putting them on the cooling rack because I like them soft and chewy.

Taco Soup

I love this recipe, especially on a cold day. We like to sprinkle with cheese and stir in a little sour cream. It's best when scooped with Fritos.;)

Use a big crock pot because it makes it easier to stir. You can also prepare 2 cups of dry beans yourself if you choose. This stuff freezes really excellently.

2 cloves garlic, minced
Onion to taste, minced
1-1 1/2 lb ground burger (I use turkey and it's delish)
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes (I use the ones with green chiles 'cuz I like a little pep)
4 15 oz cans beans, any combo, drained but not rinsed (I usually use black, light red kidney,
chick peas, and pinto)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
1 packet ranch dressing mix

Brown onion and garlic in skillet with a little olive oil. Then add burger and cook, smashing it into the size of pieces you want to eat.;) Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Easy peezy, rice and cheesy... or soup and cheesy.

S'mores Bars

This delicious recipe comes from my sister-in-law, who got it from allrecipes.com, I think. The recipe calls for 5 Hershey's bars, but I use a bag of milk chocolate chips because that's what I usually have on hand. Enjoy!

1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C flour
3/4 C crushed graham crackers (about 4 full-sized ones)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag milk chocolate chips
3 C mini marshmallows

Heat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x 8 pan. (They are easier to cut if you line your pan with foil and then spray it. You can pick them right out of the pan and set them on a cutting board so the corners and edges are easier to cut.) Beat butter and sugar together. Then add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this to the butter mixture until combined and crumbly. Press 1/2 of the dough into the pan. (I usually do about 2/3 of the dough in the pan, as I like more cookie underneath.;) Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips and marshmallows over the top. Crumble remaining dough over marshmallows and bake for 10-15 more minutes, or until the marshmallows are golden brown. So very very yummy.

Tiffani's Fabulous French Bread

It also makes fabulous bread bowls, as you can see. I've decided to start putting up pictures of these awesome recipes as I make them. This recipe comes to me from a dear friend named Maria, who, evidentally, got it from someone named Tiffani.;) All the "kneading" and "punching" can just be done by the Kitchen Aide. Just leave it in there through the whole process.

2 1/2 C warm water

2 Tbs yeast

2 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs salt

1/4 C vegetable oil

6 C flour

Mix water, yeast and sugar and let stand for 10 mins. Add oil, salt, and flour to yeast mixture. Continue to mix and add more flour as needed. (This dough is slightly sticky but should not adhere to the side of the bowl. If it does, you need more flour.) Let rise for 10 mins. Punch down and repeat above process five times. Turn dough out onto a greased board (flouring the board will dry this stuff out, don't do it!) Divide into thirds. Roll each piece into a rectangle and finger roll the dough starting at the longest side until rolled up. Pinch seams shut and place seam side down in the center of a large cookie sheet. Slash diagonally three times and brush with beaten egg. Let rise 30 mins and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 min or until golden brown. Cool slightly.

*sidenote* I used this recipe for make-your-own french bread pizzas on superbowl Sunday and it was awesome. I baked it the night before and we just tossed it in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the toppings.

Chicken Soup

This one's all my own, peeps.;) My mother-in-law gave me some useful tips, but this recipe only vaguely resembles hers.

Broth and Chicken:
1 whole fryer chicken, about 4 lbs or so
8-10 chicken boullion cubes
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs crushed dried onion
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables:
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped carrots

Noodles:
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 c. water
1 Tbs olive oil

Put chicken in large stock pot and sprinkle with spices. Fill pot with water until chicken is covered by about an inch or so. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 45 mins to an hour. Remove chicken and pick meat. Return bones to pot and boil an additional hour. (This really makes a huge difference in the flavor. Don't bother tasting your broth until this is done.) Remove bones and strain broth. Return to pot.

Stir noodle ingredients together until ball of dough is formed. Cover and leave on counter while you chop carrots or about 15 mins. I usually double the noodle recipe because my hubby likes chicken stew, not so much chicken soup. Divide dough into small, manageable portions and roll out and cut noodles. Use a pizza slicer -- it simplifies life. Make sure they are heavily floured so the broth will thicken when you add the noodles.

Add veggies to pot and allow to simmer until they are tender, about 10-15 mins. Add chicken and noodles. These noodles are usually done when they float to the top, but not more than 10 mins. This is great served with rolls.

Super Delicious Banana Bread

This is another goodie from the Snow Family cookbook. I only changed one ingredient. Aunt Sarah likes to use maple in place of the almond extract.

1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs
3 mashed overripe bananas
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream shortening and sugar together, then add next ingredients in order. Put in loaf pan that has been sprayed. Bake 1 hour at 350. (I usually do about 45 mins at 325 and then another 20 or so at 350 so the top doesn't get super dark and yucky.)

*Sidenote* though not necessary for success, it's a lot easier to get the bread out of the pan and cut it if you'll line the pan with tinfoil and spray the tinfoil instead of putting the batter directly into the pan. This works really well with brownies and coffee cake as well.;)

Delicious French Dip Sandies

Sandies, as in Sandiches. Yummy yum. You can use the left over juice for au jus (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) but make sure you store the leftover meat in the juice when you put it in the fridge. It keeps the meat nice and moist. This is a great one for Sunday dinner.

1 Lean beef roast
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 beef boullion cube
1 bay leaf
1 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
3 whole peppercorns

Place beef in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, boullion, and spices. Pour over the roast and add enough water to almost cover the meat. Cook over low heat 10-12 hours or until the meat is really tender. Remove meat and reserve broth. Shred meat and serve with hard rolls.

*Note* we like to saute some onions and peppers and use a little provolone cheese with these as well... sort of a philly cheese steak thing.;)

Pozole

This is a delish Mexican wedding soup that we lurrve here at our house. It works the best if you'll cut the meat first. The pork gets super tender with all the cook time.

2-4 lb pork shoulder roast
3 cans (the smaller size) white hominy
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
3 chicken boullion cubes
1 medium onion, cut up really really small or 1 Tbs crushed dried onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
Chili powder to taste (I use about 1 tsp)
-- if you're feeling like an authentic flavor, omit the cumin and use 1 Tbs of the juice from a can of adobo
peppers
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
cut limes
tortilla chips

Cut the pork into cubes, trimming off the fat. Put it in a large pot and add water just until it covers the meat. Add the juice from the hominy, cumin, oregano, boullion cubes (I crush them), onion, garlic, and chili powder. Bring to a boil and skim the foam off. Simmer for about half an hour. Add the hominy and simmer another 45 mins or so until the liquid starts to thicken a little. Be sure to taste it about 30 mins in because if the flavor is a little strong, you'll need to add a bit of water to the broth. Remove from heat, add the cilantro and cover, letting stand for 5 minutes before serving. We squeeze a lime wedge into the soup and crunch up tortilla chips to eat. Yumm-o!