Salads: Chinese Salad

This Chinese Salad is one that my family makes a lot in the summer time and it is really good. My favorite part is crumbling the ramen noodles. I don't like to put them in until right before I eat it because I enjoy the crunch. This is also a salad that my mom likes to take to parties because it is different then normal salads.

Chinese Salad

1/2 Head Cabbage (shredded)

4 Green Onions, chopped

1-2 cups Cubed Chicken

1 pkg. Ramen Noodles

2 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Dressing

1/2 cup Oil

3 Tbsp. Sugar

3 Tbsp. Vinegar

1 pkg. Ramen Noodle Seasoning

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a big bowl. Mix the ingredients for the dressing together and add to the salad when you are ready to serve.

Soups: Chicken Noodle Soup

This is one of my favorite recipes. My mom has made this since I was a child, but we have never had a written recipe, so I have to make it up. This soup was my favorite to eat in the winter time with the French bread recipe. i loved sitting around the kitchen table with a warm bowl of soup while I enjoyed my amazing family!

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 qt. of homemade chicken broth

1 pint of bottled chicken

Homemade Egg Noodles (see recipe below)

You will place the chicken broth and chicken in a pan and bring it up to a boil. Taste it to see if you need to add water. The homemade broth is usually pretty strong. Add homemade egg noodles. (I usually use about three eggs for this size of batch, but you can add as many or little as you want.) Allow the egg noodles to cook for about 15-20 min. and serve with bread. ENJOY! I know I do!

Homemade Egg Noodles

You will mix 1 egg with 1 cup of flour together. So, for the above recipe I would mix 3 eggs with 3 cups of flour and add about 1 tsp. of salt (taste and add more if needed). When ingredients are combined, roll the mixture out and cut into small slices. Make sure to sprinkle all the noodles with flour so that they will not stick together. Add to the soup mixture. The flour on the noodles will also help to thicken the soup. 

Soups: Baked Chili

This is a recipe that I just started making. This chili has cornbread on top of it and my husband loves cornbread. Also, this is a chili that is easy for me to make vegetarian, which is perfect for me because I don't eat much meat and I love chili. I hope to be able to make this recipe and variations of this recipe for my children.

Baked Chili

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 large Onion, chopped

1 large Green Pepper, chopped

1 can (16 oz.) Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15-1/4 oz.) Whole Kernel Corn, drained

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Diced Tomatoes, undrained

1 can (4 oz.) Chopped Green Chilies

2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp. Sugar

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

Cornbread Biscuits

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 cup Cornmeal

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1/8 tsp. Salt

1 Egg

1/2 cup Milk

1/2 cup Sour Cream

In a pan over medium heat, cook beef (I just take it out), onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat egg, milk and sour cream until smooth; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Transfer chili to an ungreased 13x9x2 baking dish. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto hot chili. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

Salads: Ambrosia

This is a sweet salad that my family likes to make around the holidays. I didn't like it when I was a child because I don't really care for coconut. As I have gotten older, I have started to like the salad but it is still not my favorite. I posted this recipe because my family really enjoys it and it is a holiday tradition.

Ambrosia

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar                                                      2 Tbsp. Flour

1 ½ tsp. salt                                                     1 ¾ c. pineapple juice

2 eggs, beaten                                                 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

3 qts. Water                                                     1 pkg. Spigadoro Macaroni**

3 cans (11 oz) Mandarin Oranges                   2 cans (20 oz.) chunk pineapple

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple                      1 cup mini marshmallows

1 carton (9oz) Cool Whip or                           1 cup shredded coconut

12 oz. Dream Whip

**found in Italian markets; resembles pearl tapioca

Instructions:

One Day Ahead: Combine sugar, ½ tsp. salt, flour and stir into pineapple juice. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Add lemon juice. Cool mixture to room temperature.

Bring Water and remaining salt to boil. Add the entire package of macaroni and cook until macaroni is done. Drain and rinse the macaroni in cool water. Cool to room temperature.

Mix the macaroni and the egg mixture together and refrigerate overnight in an air tight container.

The Next Day: Drain the juices from all of the canned fruits Mix the fruits, coconut and marshmallows together with the egg/macaroni mixture. Add the cool whip and serve.

Breads: Banana Bread

I love making banana bread and my husband enjoys it as well. This is a recipe that my mom has made since I was young. It was the nice go to recipe when the bananas were really ripe. When I was a kid the bread was usually gone after being out of the oven for 10 minutes. It is the best when it is warm. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Banana Cake/Bread

Shift together into a large mixing bowl:

2 cups All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp. Baking Powder

¾ tsp. Soda

½ tsp. Salt

Add:

½ cup Shortening (We always use oil)

1 ½ cup Sugar

3 Eggs, unbeaten

1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat for 1 minute. Add 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 bananas). Beat for one minute scraping the bowl while beating. Add ¼ cup of buttermilk. Beat for 2 minutes, scraping bowl while beating. Pour into two deep 9 inch cake pans, greased and sprinkled with flour. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool. This is good filled with and topped with whipped cream.

Breads: Hard Rolls or French Loaf

I love this French Loaf recipe which my mom has made since I was a child. I loved coming home to the wonderful smell of homemade bread. I now make this bread recipe for my husband and he absolutely loves it. It usually only lasts a few days before it is completely gone. I hope my children will carry on this recipe as well.

Hard Rolls or French Loaf

4 cups Flour                                                    1 ½ cups Hot Tap Water

1 tsp. Salt                                                        2 Tbsp. Oil

1 Tbsp. Sugar                                                  1 Tbsp. Yeast

Put flour in bowl. Make hole in the middle of flour, and put remaining ingredients in hole. Mix like heck. Let raise once. Make into hard rolls or roll out into circle and roll up to make French loaf. Put slits in top of French loaf. Let rise. Cook until golden brown. Rolls 450 degrees. French loaf 400 degrees.

Candy: Creamed Fudge

I love my grandma's fudge. It is so yummy. She would dip it is chocolate, but many times I just liked to eat the fudge. It was usually too rich for me after it was dipped in chocolate. Sometimes my mom or grandma would put nuts or mint extract in the fudge and that was really good as well. This recipe is also the recipe we would use to make many different kinds of fondant. You just remove the cocoa and add flavoring and color and you have amazing lemon, rum, mint, etc. chocolates.

Wonderful Chocolates of assorted flavors.

Creamed Fudge

2 lb. (4 rounded cups) Sugar                                                  

2 oz. (2 Tbls.) Glucose                                                           

1 cup Heavy Cream & ½ cup water or                                  

½ pt. (1 cup) Evaporated Milk & ¼ Water                            

2 oz. (½ cube) Butter

2 oz. (2 sq.) Baking Chocolate

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Salt

3 oz. (1 cup) Chopped Walnuts

Make the slab ready, cold and damp. The friction of pouring hot fudge on a dry slab might cause the batch to grain. Crème the sides of a 3 qt. kettle with part of the butter before putting the batch in it. This may be done with any candy where the formula calls for butterfat, and makes it easier to wash the sides of the kettle down.

Put sugar, cream, glucose, chocolate and butter in the kettle. Stir thoroughly before putting it on the fire. This will help to keep the cream or milk from curdling.

Bring to boil and wash the sides of kettle down with a small we pastry brush. Start at the top and wash all the sugar that sticks to the sides of the kettle down into the batch. The extra water thus put into the batch will not hurt anything, it will boil out again. Stir to keep from burning.

A batch of sugar, glucose and water may be cooked without stirring after it comes to a boil. It will not burn under 320 degrees. Candies containing milk, chocolate, etc. must be stirred while being cooked over an open flame or a hot fire.

We may stir a batch of candy in any manner we like as long as the original amount of water is in the batch. We may stir a batch at any time as long as the batch is boiling and we do not touch the sides of the kettle above the surface of the batch.

Cook to 236 degrees. Put in the vanilla and salt, turn off the burner and stir. Pour on the cold damp slab. Allow it to cool until it is neither warm nor cold. Work batch from side to side of slab until creamy brown/white color.

(This recipe can be used to make any flavor of fondant if you remove the cocoa and add the flavoring and color you want when the fondant begins to turn on the slab.)

Candy: Caramel

This caramel recipe is also something that my grandma made in her candy shop and I always remember her making it when I was a child. My grandma would sometimes just dip the caramel in chocolate or she would wrap the caramel around pecans or walnuts and dip them in chocolate. They were such cute little turtles and I loved eating them.

These are some caramels my mom and grandma made for my wedding!

Caramels

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup Corn Syrup

3 cups Cream (Half & Half may be used)

¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

Blend the sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1 cup of the cream well. Bring to boil and cook, stirring frequently, to a firm-ball stage (about 246 to 248 degrees). Add 1 cup of the remaining cream gradually and cook again to firm-ball stage. Add the last cup of cream slowly and cook, stirring constantly, to the firm-ball stage, or until some of it tested in cold water is of the firmness desired in the finished caramel. Pour into buttered pans to about ½ to ¾ inch thickness. When cool enough to retain the shape, cut into squares.

Note: Whole milk may be used instead of cream. Add ¼ cup butter just before end of final cook.

Caramel Variations:

1.      Line buttered pan with whole or chopped walnuts, pecans or other nuts. Pour caramel over them, or stir in chopped nuts or toasted coconut just before pouring and pour immediately. Cut into squares when cool and dip in milk chocolate.

2.      Chocolate Caramels: Add 2 oz. (2 sq.) of unsweetened (baking) chocolate shaved or cut fine, to above recipe at beginning of cooking process.

3.      Use molasses or honey in place of the corn syrup. You will have to cook to higher temperature to get a firm ball test (as high as 258 degrees).

Note: Use the thermometer test as an approximate guide for when to pour caramels, and the cold-water test as the final test, as it is more reliable.

Candy: Peanut Brittle

This is the best picture I have of my grandma! (She is the white haired one!)

My grandma used to own a candy shop and peanut brittle was one of the things that she made. As a young child I would watch my grandma make peanut brittle ever year at Christmas time. I love being able to eat it right after it was made. This recipe holds wonderful memories and I am grateful that I will be able to pass these recipes on to my children.

This is the amazing peanut brittle my mom made!

Peanut Brittle

1 ½ lb. (3 cups) Sugar                                                 ½ tsp. Salt

¾ lb. (1 cup) Glucose or (1 ¼ cup) Corn Syrup           1 tsp. Soda

1 cup Water                                                                1 tsp. Vanilla

1 oz. (¼ cube) Butter                                                 

1 lb. (2 ¾ cups) raw Spanish Peanuts or 6 oz. of Coconut

Before you start to cook the batch measure all ingredients and have them ready. The slab should be dry and at room temperature.

A wet spot on the slab resists the oil, makes contact with the hot candy and causes it to stick to the slab. Grease the slab—mineral oil is best. It has no flavor and does not turn rancid. Butter will do. Put sugar, glucose and water in a three quart, straight side kettle, stir until dissolved, bring to boil and wash the sides of the kettle down.

Put the thermometer in the batch, and while it is cooking mix the salt, soda and vanilla together in a small dish, set to one side ready to be used at the end of the cooking time. When the thermometer registers 240 (237) degrees, add the peanuts. Do not stir until the batch begins to boil again—to do so may start a grain. Stir to keep peanuts from burning. Do not touch the sides of the kettle above the surface of the batch. The friction of the spoon against the sides of the hot kettle will crystallize the syrup that is on the spoon and these crystals, falling into the batch, after it has boiled to a point where there is not enough water left in the batch to redissovle them, will inoculate the rest of the sugar and the whole batch may crystallize, forming a harsh grain. Cook to 320 (317) degrees, add the butter and remove from the fire. Add the salt and vanilla mixture, stir in well, spread as thin as possible on greased slab. As soon as possible, after the batch is on the slab run a spatula or knife under the brittle so as to let the air between the candy and the slab. This will prevent it from sticking to the slab. The peanuts in the batch are lighter than the syrup so they rise to the top, and the thin hot syrup runs down to the slab, where it chills. The uncovered peanuts give the candy and unattractive appearance. As soon as the batch is hard enough to handle turn the edges on the far side back a little, take hold of the bottom part thus turned up and raise it to see if it will hold together, if so turn the batch over. The thinner the brittle the better it is. 

Desserts: Sugar Cookies

My mom and dad!

Ever since I was a little girl we have made these sugar cookies and they are quite wonderful. It was always fun being able to decorate them when I was little. My mom made the cookies pictured for a Ward Christmas Party and used the buttercream recipe that is also included after the sugar cookie recipe. I use this same buttercream recipe for my cakes and I just love it.

My mom tried to make red and ended up making pink, so I told her she would have to start with chocolate and dye it red. Hopefully that will work. It usually works for me.

Sugar Cookies

Mix:

2 eggs

1 cup Margarine

2 cup Sugar

¾ tsp. Salt

Mix in:

1 cup Sour Cream

2 tsp. Soda

Add:

1 tsp. Vanilla

6 cups Flour

Roll out the dough to the desired thickness and cut out with whatever cookie cutters you would like. Bake at 375 degrees.

Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks Butter (room temperature)                                         ½ tsp. Almond

2 cups Shortening                                                                   2 lbs. Powdered Sugar

1 tsp. Butter                                                                            ½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla                                                                           Water (might need 2 Tbsp.)

In the mixer, mix butter, shortening, and salt together to incorporate, about 5 minutes on low. Add almond, butter and vanilla extracts. Mix together well. Add about 1 pound of powdered sugar and mix. Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until you get the consistency you want. Add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary to thin the frosting. Blend well on low for several minutes. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Buttercream Icing will last for weeks as long as it is well sealed.

Desserts: Crazy Cake

This is one of my favorite cake recipes. It is my aunt's recipe and my mom and I started using it a lot last year. I was practicing making cakes for my wedding and I wanted to find the best recipe. Crazy cake turned out to be perfect for a couple of reasons. First, it is chocolate which my husband loves. Second, it is a dense cake which is perfect for decorating. During the process of cake decorating my mom and I were able to spend a lot of time together and create wonderful memories.

This is my wedding cake that I made!

This is the groom's cake!

                                                        Crazy Cake

                   3 cups Flour                                                   ½ cup Cocoa

                   2 cups Sugar                                                  1 cup Oil

                   1 tsp. Salt                                                       2 Tbsp. Vinegar

                   2 tsp. Baking Soda                                        2 tsp. Vanilla

                   2 cups Cold Water                                         Walnuts (optional)

                   Small Pkg. Chocolate Chips

Mix all the ingredients together in the same bowl and put in the desired greased cake pan. I like to line my pans with parchment so they come out easily. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 min.