Category: MISC

CHEX PARTY MIX

CHEX PARTY MIX

3 cups corn CHEX cereal

3 cups wheat CHEX cereal

3 cups rice CHEX cereal

1 cup salted, roasted peanuts

1 cup pretzel sticks

1 stick butter

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl toss cereals and nuts together.
  • In a small saucepan melt butter.
  • Whisk in Worcestershire sauce and seasonings until well blended.
  • Pour over cereal and nuts and toss until evenly coated.
  • Spread on a large cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, stirring often until crisp.

ORANGE MAPLE PORK TENDERLOIN

Orange Maple Pork Tenderloin
1 1/2-2 pound pork tenderloin
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup Panda Express Orange Sauce
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • Put pork tenderloin in a ziploc bag. 
  • In a separate bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients until well blended and pour into the ziploc bag. 
  • Marinate for as long as you can – overnight, if possible.
  • Remove pork from the plastic bag, reserving the marinade. 
  • Place in baking dish.
  • Bake in a 400 degree oven until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 135 degrees.
  • While the pork is cooking, boil the remaining marinade from the bag for at least 10 minutes.
  • Remove pork from oven and cover with foil for 10 minutes.  The pork will continue to cook and reach 145 degrees.
  • When the pork is finished, slice and serve with the marinade as a sauce.

SPICY PINK LEMON CHICKEN

    4 to 6 chicken breasts
    1 (6 oz.) can frozen pink lemonade, thawed
    2 tablespoons brown sugar
    2 tablespoons ketchup
    1 tablespoon APPLE CIDER vinegar
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
    2 tablespoons cold water

    • Arrange chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker.

    • Combine the lemonade concentrate, brown sugar, ketchup and apple cider vinegar until well blended.

    • Pour over chicken breasts.

    • Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours depending on thickness of meat.  If in a hurry you can use tenders and cook for half the time.

    • Remove chicken pieces from crockpot and keep warm.

    • Transfer liquid to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat.

    • Whisk together the cornstarch and cold water until well blended.

    • Gradually add the cornstarch mixture to the lemonade mixture, stirring constantly.

    • When thickened, serve over chicken. 

    FRIDAY FILL-INS

    FFI
    Hope you had a very Merry Christmas if you celebrate that…and a happy Boxing day to those that celebrate that! And…here we go!

    1. They’ve started advertising Valentine’s Day already?
    2. Going going gone.
    3. What is up with commercials using louder audio than the shows they sponsor?
    4. Love old time tv shows.
    5. Eyes forward.
    6. OOPS, ut oh I gotta do it again.
    7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to vegging after cleaning the whole house, tomorrow my plans include lots of vacuuming and sorting through garage boxes and Sunday, I want to watch football and finish the last Christmas present!

    EGG NOG CUCAKES with RUM CAMAMEL FROSTING

    Egg Nog Cupcakes with Rum Caramel
    Yield: about 18-20 cupcakes
    
For the Cupcakes:
    
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
    
¼ tsp. baking soda
    
½ tsp. baking powder
    
½ tsp. salt
    
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
    
¼ cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)
    
1 cup eggnog
    
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
    
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

    1 tsp. vanilla extract

    1 cup sugar
    For Caramel:
    1 cup sugar
    1/4 cup water
    6 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
    3/8 cup heavy cream
    1/8 cup rum
    For Frosting:
    2 sticks of butter
    4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    4 tablespoons egg nog
    pinch of nutmeg
    pinch of salt

    Directions: 
To make the Cupcakes:
     preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Beat on medium-low speed until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

    Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full.  Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


    For Caramel:
    Whisk together the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and whisk over high heat until sugar is dissolved. Don’t stir the mixture but gently swirl the pan until it has reached a dark brown amber color. At that point whisk in the butter. (Careful- it will bubble up- don’t burn yourself.) Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream and bourbon. Allow caramel to cool in the fridge before filling/drizzling. 


    For Frosting:
    Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until it is creamy and pale. Gradually add the powdered sugar until thick and creamy. Add the egg nog one tablespoon at a time until the texture seems right. Add the nutmeg and salt and beat for another minute or so.


    To assemble:
    Once the cupcakes have cooled, scoop a tablespoon-size amount out of each one with a small spoon or paring knife. Fill with caramel, pipe on frosting and drizzle with remaining caramel. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and enjoy!

    Cupcake Recipe adapted from: Annie’s Eats

    12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS & THE NORAD TRACKER

    From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly.  Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

    It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
    which the children could remember.

    • The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
    • Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
    • Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
    • The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
    • The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
    • The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
    • Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit–Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
    • The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
    • Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit–Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
    • The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
    • The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
    • The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.

    So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol…so pass it on if you wish.’

    Merry (Twelve Days of) Christmas Everyone – and, remember, the Twelve Days of Christmas are the 12 days following December 25th.  The Christmas Season runs until Epiphany, January 6.

    DON’T FORGET TO TRACK SANTA FOR THE KIDS!  

    BANANA RAISIN NUT BREAD

    BANANA RAISIN NUT BREAD OR CAKE
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1 cup butter, 1/2 soft & 1/2 melted
    2 jumbo eggs
    2 tablespoons cinnamon
    1/2 cup golden raisins, currants or craisins
    1/2 cup crushed walnuts
    2 large, RIPE bananas
    1/2 cup sugar
    2 cups flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    • Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
    • Cook until smooth and then add nuts and raisins.
    • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
    • Cream softened butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
    • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
    • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
    • Add cooled banana mixture.
    • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

    *This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake. If making bread, skip the frosting.

    FROSTING (optional)
    8 ounces cream cheese, softened
    1/4 cup butter, softened
    juice of 1 small lemon
    1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
    1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

    • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
    • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
    • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
    • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

    Roasted Garlic, the easy way!

    Once upon a time I had a cute terra cotta garlic roaster. It held one head of garlic. It was one of the many  kitchenware items that I owned, “needed” but did not use. Why? Well basically because it did only hold one head of garlic and you know the frugal side of me, was not going to heat up an oven to roast one head of garlic.

    Enter the muffin pan. You can load up your pan with 6 heads of garlic, plus they stay upright. Obviously if you need more than six heads of roasted garlic, grab a 12 cup pan. Roasted garlic is a delicious way to eat more garlic, which is very good for us.

    Roasted Garlic the easy way
    adapted from Pinterest
    350 degree oven

    1 muffin pan
    1 head of garlic for each “cup”
    olive oil

    Slice the point off to expose the tips of the garlic cloves. Place each each in a separate “cup”.

    Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil, roast for 45-55 minutes. Or until soft and lightly brown in your oven.

    Let cool and enjoy!

    To use the cloves, when cool enough to handle, carefully break the head apart to separate the  cloves. When ready to use squeeze the roasted garlic out from the papery skin.

    Warm roasted garlic is delicious “spread” on bread instead of butter.

    You can also coarsely chop the (removed from the papery skin) garlic and toss it with hot pasta, additional olive oil and dry bread crumbs. Pass Parmesan cheese at the table for each to use.

    Mash some cloves into soft butter, spread on cut bread, broil Heavenly!

    I think you get the idea, it is really easy to enjoy roasted garlic, so get roasting already!

    As always, thanks for taking a moment to stop and say hello. We appreciate your time and your wonderful comments!

    For more great recipes, come and visit us at Our Sunday Cafe!

    FRIDAY FILL -INS

    santa and sleigh

    This week, same as last year, I’m going to give you a choice of fill-ins OR a different kind of fill-in (or both). A friend emailed me a list where you have to identify Christmas songs by the initials of the first words of the first line of each song. If you’d like to play along, great! if you just want to do the regular Fill-Ins, that’s perfectly fine, too! And…here we go!

    1. Ahhhh family time.
    2. All the chiefs preparing Christmas dinner!
    3. Creating a special birthday for a pre-teen girl made my year.
    4. 2013 will contain at least 52 days of relaxation.
    5. Kick start the New Year with reasonable resolutions.
    6. 12-21-12 was NOT the end of the world so plan on living a good full life.
    7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to family time and a birthday party, tomorrow my plans include an early Christmas celebration with blended family and Sunday, I want to recuperate!