Butterfinger Muddy Buddies

Oh they're muddy buddies all right...  

The Twins

Flashback...

Hose left on - garden turned mud bog - 2 year old twins - buck naked - WWF throw down - hysterical laughter - mud from hell to breakfast - mom profanes/laughs/cries/snaps pics...

And that's how it went down. 

No wonder these two Muddy Buddies LOVE Muddy Buddies. 

It's what they do.  

It's who they are.

  Let me introduce a stepped-up, embellished Muddy Buddy... 

BUTTERFINGER MUDDY BUDDIES

Not puppy chow - we're not at girls camp people.

Butterfinger Muddy Buddies

1 bag (12 oz) milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 15 oz. bag mini butterfingers , coarsely chopped - minus one (I'm no idiot)
8 cups Corn Chex cereal
3-4 cups powdered sugar

In the microwave, melt together the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter.  Stop and stir occasionally, and don't melt the chocolate chips all the way, just stir them until smooth.

Put cereal and butterfingers in a huge bowl, and mix gently until the cereal is fully coated. Put the powdered sugar in a ziploc bag, adding chocolate/cereal mixture in batches and shake to coat.  Let set up on waxed paper.

Addicting little morsels.

Make some.  Everybody's doing it.

Posted by: Rona

Pomegranate Pear Salad

I'm a disaster in the kitchen.

Ask my mom.

She used to come home from work and apparently (so she says) there'd be things like honey on the door knobs, unidentified ooze dripping from the cupboards or a flour-covered winter wonderland.

I thought she was exaggerating, but now my own kids, my own flesh and blood who I birthed through my loins are saying the same thing.

They should have been here to see the pomegranate meteor shower.

I finally found a successful seed extraction method, which involved 'tapping'  (not striking apparently) the pom with a wooden spoon, over a bowl.  Stand back and watch.

For right-brained people like me, creative messes are daily occurances. But hey, I clean them up like an OCD germaphobe so itr all balances out.

This household's been making this amazing salad for many moons. 

Years, in fact...  And although the salad ingredients are subbed out on a regular basis, it's really all about that dressing.  That, that perfect dressing - I never sub (except maybe just a little just because I'm not the best conformist).

  

When you can find them, pomegranate arils make the most lovely addition.  

The red glistening jewels add such a nice tart crunch, 

plus they're a potent form of antioxidants. 

How do you know if a pomegranate is ripe?  

Well, they pick them ripe and ready, unlike other fruits (so I guess only the pom pickers get to know when they are truly ripe).  Just look for one that's heavy and smooth, and firm.  And if you really don't want to deal with it, use Craisins - you can't go wrong.

 So, enjoy this lovely combination of sweet, tart, crisp and crunchy.  It will bring an enlivening freshness to your fall menu.

Pomegranate Pear Salad
1 large head Romaine (or about 1/2 lb. any kind of greens)
1 cup Swiss Cheese - julienne strips
Arils from one pomegranate OR 1 cups Craisins (you're going for tart, small, and red here)
1 pear, diced (peeling optional)
1 red apple, diced (leave peel on)
1 cups cashews

DRESSING
1/2 cup sugar
2 t. finely grated purple onion (I sub out 1/2 t. onion powder all the time)
1/2 t. salt
2/3 cup canola or olice oil
1/3 cup lemon juice, fresh
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 T. poppy seeds

Combine sugar, onion, salt, lemon juice and mustard in a bowl or blender.  Whisk until smooth, slowly adding the oil. When blended, add the poppy seeds.

NOTE:  This makes a LOT of dressing, sometimes I only make 1/2 that amount and it's still great.

What I do:  Make this is a quart sized mason jar, then add the diced pear and apple to the jar and shake up lightly to coat to prevent them from browning.  That way, I can make this a little bit ahead of time, which is always important in my book.

Combine salad ingredients and toss with dressing just before serving. As soon as you add the dressing, the fresh clock starts ticking.  

I subbed the cashews for some pecans that I toasted up in a little saute pan for about 5 minutes and used some Irish white cheddar instead of the Swiss, used spring greens instead of Romaine.

POM - it's what's for dinner.

Posted by Rona

Harvest Vegetable Soup

There are some things in life that give me a rush, 

like a Styx concert, 

a newborn babe, 

a fast Camaro, 

and a case lot sale.
Oh yeah.

You know what I'm talking about - you've lined up cans likes soldiers in a row and 
felt your heart rate soar off the charts.

There's a certain indescribable satisfaction (maybe it's just the Mormon girl in me) that comes from nesting/stashing/hoarding/prepping food storage.

  I fully acknowledge that 'pantry staples' sounds about as exciting as beige socks.  
Enter fresh vegetables.  
And now you have the best of both worlds.  

Hearty - Healthy - Homey
"How do I know if this is right for me?", you ask.  Well, if you're stepping on crunchy leaves and wearing a jacket and it's dark at 6:00, then it's the perfect thing for you.

It's kind of a 'stewp' - somewhere between a soup and a stew.

Harvest Vegetable Barley Soup (Slow Cooker)

1 onion diced (can sub 1/4 dried minced onion)

1/2 t. garlic powder

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes

2 t. dried thyme leaves

1/4 t. black pepper
3 T dried parsley

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup pearl barley

1 15 oz can any white beans (no need to drain)

1 15 oz can any dark beans (drain these, they have pasty juice)

 6 oz. can tomato paste

Combine all ingredients, onion through beans, in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours, add tomato paste and cook for another 1/2 hour. 

Note: In my immediate stash I had rice, brown rice, arborrio rice, wild rice, lentils, split peas, red lentils, quinoa, steel cut oats, chia seeds, whole wheat, bulgar, oat bran and flax seed.  Everything but BARLEY.  I wasn't about to walk a block and a half in this brisk 60 degree weather for another trip to the store, so I used bulgar.  You do what you can.

This soup would be great with a grilled cheese sandwich, or cornbread and honey butter, some warm crusty bread, or some fresh greens lightly dressed.  

Get on this, you only have until 2022 to use up that stash.

Posted by Rona

Chocolate Malt Pudding

Straight from the 50's

to you

with love.

Shoo bop shoo wadda wadda yeah.

YEAH!

If you ever get a chocolate malt somewhere 

and they think it's the same as a chocolate shake, 

they can no longer be your friends

because friends don't let friends have chocolate shakes.

Chocolate and Malt

They go together like

womp bop a looma a womp bam boom

So smooth and creamy, yet so easy!

Then top it with billowy 'real' whipped cream and garnish a Whopper.  

dip da dip da dip do whap de dobby do

You forgot how good this is, didn't you?

And just like that, 

you'll be in lo uh uh uh uh uh ve too.

Chang chang changity chang shoo bop
that's the way it should be...

Waoooh yeah!

Chocolate Malt Pudding

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup malt powder
2 T cocoa
1/8 t. salt
2 cans evaporated milk

3/4 cup chocolate chips
1 T butter
2 t. vanilla

Mix together the cornstarch, sugar, malt, salt, cocoa and evaporated milk.  Cook over medium heat while stirring with a whisk often.  Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and add chocolate chips, butter and vanilla.

Pour into serving dishes, cover with plastic wrap directly on pudding to prevent 'skin'.  Chill. Top with whipped cream.

Makes 4  1-cup servings.

Chocolate and Malt
They'll always be together.

yippity boom de boom

Posted by Rona

Turkey French Dip (Slow Cooker)

Oh my heavens to Betsy.  Move over beef... 
(well, not that far over, we still love you).

But Geez Louise - kind of falling for your best friend - TURKEY. 

Made in a slow cooker, tender slices of turkey on a crispy, grilled baguette, drenched in the most flavorful Au Jus you ever laid your lips on,  then topped with a spoonful of tart, fresh cranberry sauce, and you've got the perfect fall sandwich.

The turkey is so moist and tender, plus the amazing aroma just screams "You got in goin' on girl...".  But, the real hero is the au jus - you can't get this from a packet, or from a can of chicken broth.  This comes from slow cooking savory mouth-watering flavors together for hours.  

It's seriously sandwich foreplay.  

The homemade cranberry sauce is so vibrant and the perfect compliment.  I wouldn't put it right on the sandwich or you'll have a soggy mess that will closely resemble eating ribs at a 5-Star restaurant in your prom dress.  

Don't use loser baguettes.  Not those fake puffy ones that are too airy and light, but more of a chewy texture one, crispy outside that can hold up to enthusiastic sloshing in the Au Jus.

So here's how you eat it:  

1: Dip sandwich in Au Jus  

2: Dab on a spoonful of cranberry sauce. A little dab won't do ya here.  You'll need a bigger type dab. 

3: Eat it and moan like you mean it.

Turkey French Dip (Slow Cooker)

1 6 1/2  or 7 pound turkey breast

2 onions

 2 cups celery tops and root (more flavor than the stalks, but great way to use up the unusable)

1/4 cup butter (margarine is illegal in this house)

1 t. dried sage (I've used thyme and it equally amazing)

1 t. dried rosemary

1/2 t. salt

2 cups chicken broth
3 T Worcestershire 

Chunk up the onions and celery and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Mix together the softened butter, sage, salt and rosemary.  Gently lift up the skin, grab a small handful of the butter mixture and slide it underneath. Do both sides, and after patting the top with a paper towel, smear the rest on the top.  Add to slow cooker. 

Add the chicken broth and Worcestershire, cover and cook on high for 6 -7 hours.  Before assembling, remove breast, let sit covered with foil for about 10 minutes.

To assemble, butter sliced baguettes and grill on medium heat until golden and crispy.  Strain the veggies out of the remaining juices.  Slice turkey (my Black Friday 5$ electric knife worked great), run through the juices and lay on grilled baguette.  Serve cranberry sauce on the side. 

Cranberry Sauce

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar 

1 cup water

Bring water and sugar to a boil over medium heat, add cranberries and simmer until most of the cranberries pop.  Cool to room temp.  Mixture thickens as it cools. 

Now count your blessings because that's what you do when you eat turkey - name them one by one.


Posted by: Rona 

Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

OOOOHHHH FUDGE!!!

 Salty oatmeal crust, ooey gooey fudgy middle.

Sinfully indulgent.

One of the VERY best things about this recipe, is the fudgy center stays gooey!  Whenever I make these I stick a dozen or so in the freezer for an, "I need something sweet right now or I might throat punch someone" kind of moment. The fudge is soft even while frozen!

Truth.



Crust

Cream together:

1 1/2 cups butter

3 eggs

3 c. brown sugar

2 t. vanilla (I use Rona's homemade) ;)

Sift together and add:

3 3/4 c. flour

5 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 t. baking soda

2 t. salt

Press 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of a large jelly role pan.

Fudgy middle

Put two cans of sweetened condensed milk and 3 T. butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for a minute, take out and stir. Put back in for another minute and stir. When the butter is melted and the s&c milk seems warm, add 2 c. milk chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Add 1t. vanilla and 1/2 t. salt.

Pour melted fudge and spread over the dough. At this point feel free to shove your face in the fudge bowl and have your way with it.

Crumble remaining dough evenly on top of fudge.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the top of the entire pan. Just because you can.

Bake at 350* for about 35 minutes or until crumbles are golden.

This is how it will look before it's baked.

And after:

FUDGE YEAH!!!!

Posted by Cambria

Browned Butter Alfredo

We don't eat that much beige... but when we do...

make it be

Browned Butter Alfredo

This is so good you're gonna freak the freak out. 

 

And it's all about the browned butter.  It most definitely takes this to a whole new level of excitement. 

Browned butter's better. 

Whenever I see a new pasta shape, 
I start to hyperventilate with excitement. 

Elbow macaroni?  Nevuh nevuh nevuh.

It's that same feeling  I got when I spotted that 5 gallon bucket of honey. 

My new favorite pasta shape - campanelle. 
And yes, I say it with my best Italian accent. It's kind of impressive.

These pics don't show the flecks of browned butter goodness, but trust me, they were there and those little flecks made this dish.

Like any pasta dish, you and add all the extras you want - like top with garden tomatoes if they're in season. 

But really, four ingredients, ten minutes.  Can you beat that?? 

Throw in a great green salad and you're good to go. 

As simple as this is, it actually tastes better than you think.  And once again, let me proclaim that it's all because of the browned butter.  And no, it doesn't need garlic since that's your next question. It has a rich creamy flavor all on it's own and needs nothing more. 

This kid loved it!

Joy overload.

Dinner and jokes.  

And my little cowboy, 

who eats like a big cowboy,

 chowed after an afternoon of pumpkin picking.

Browned Butter Alfredo

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated

or use half cheddar (I did because that's what I had)

1 lb. pasta

Begin cooking the pasta in boiling salted water.  Meantime, cook the butter in a skillet over medium heat until browned.  Add cream, stir with a whisk.  Slowly add the cheese, stir until melted. Drain cooked pasta, add sauce and you're done.

YUM!

Posted by: Rona

Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Multitasking.  

Gosh, I'm good at that.  Sort of. 

When my twins were little, I could hold one in each arm and open the door with my toes.  Today, on my lunch break I put in a piece of toast and hurried and painted my nails before it popped up.  Did they look like crap?  Yes, they did.  But hey, time is golden and sometimes there just isn't any.

And that is precisely why I love stir frying.  

You don't need a wok.  It takes 10 minutes start-to-finish, and the only multitasking you have to do is cook the pasta while you are stir frying the veggies.  

I love this recipe because it's still tastes fresh and tasty, yet doesn't have that overpowering flavor that sometimes Chinese food does.

(You know, eat  too much Panda, can't stomach it again for a year.) 

No Hoisin, no sesame oil, no  oyster sauce or rice noodles - it's a pretty simple version. 

You can even write your own fortune and embellish it as needed.

It does take a little bit of prepping, but if you keep the veggies to just one or two, it's pretty slick.  And if you don't want to slice chicken, grab a bag of shrimp, just don't get hot dogs please.

My favorite way to julienne carrots is to first slice thinly on the diagonal.  Then stack up a few strips and slice into thin strips.  

The best way to slice the chicken thin is to do it when they are just slightly thawed.  If they are already thawed, stick them back in the freezer for 20 minutes.  

Be sure and get that gross ligament/tendon thingy out.  Finding that kind of surprise in your mouth is about as exciting as finding a spider on your pillow.

Slurry.  Should that even be a word? Not the same thing as pond sludge (although you know that's the first thing that came to your mind). Just all your flavors in one place, ready to cook together in an instant.   

And we're ready to throw it all together...


Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Healthy, bright and colorful and can be thrown together in no time!

8 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles

Sauce (or slurry)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 t. rice vinegar
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
2 t. cornstarch

5 chicken tenders, sliced into thin strips
2 T. canola oil
3 cloves minced garlic
2 t. minced fresh ginger

3 cups broccoli florets (usually about one head does it)
1 carrot, peeled and julienned

1. Cook noodles in boiling salted water.  While cooking, start stir fry.  Combine broth, soy, vinegar, red pepper and cornstarch in a bowl.  

2. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat.  When very hot, add 1 T  of the oil.  Add the chicken and stir fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  

3. Add remaining T. of oil, garlic and ginger, stir fry for about 15 seconds, being careful not to burn garlic.  Add broccoli and carrot; stir fry 2 minutes.  

4. Add slurry mixture and chicken, stir well, and cover.  Lower heat to medium and simmer until vegetables are a little more tender, about 3 minutes.  Toss with spaghetti noodles and serve.  

A full belly conquers all - Chinese Proverb

Posted by: Rona

Sausage tortellini soup

It's hot, satisfying and deeply flavorful.

No, I'm not talking about this guy.

This soup has been a favorite in our family for a while now. 

Perfect for this amazing fall weather. It's a beautiful change from your regular veggie beef.

1 LB Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 small zucchini chopped
5-6 large carrots sliced
10 cups beef stock
1 big can spaghetti sauce
1 bag frozen tortellini pasta (or in my case I did ravioli because that's what I had)
Dried basil
Garlic
Salt/pepper
Grated parmesan cheese

Brown Italian sausage in a hot pot. Once the meat is done, remove it from the pot.
Hit the pot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and let it sauté for about 5 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini. At this point season the veggies with salt, pepper and a little garlic.  Let the vegetables cook for another 5ish minutes. Return the sausage back to the pot. Add the stalk (either store bought or your own) and the spaghetti sauce. My favorite is Hunts four cheese. Add a tablespoon or two of dried basil.  Bring it to a boil then drop the heat and let it simmer until vegetables are tender.  Add frozen pasta at the very end. It only needs 5-10 minutes to cook. Top individual bowls with grated parmesan before serving.

*Another idea? Brown sausage and then throw it all in the crock pot, adding the tortellini 1/2 hour before. Easy peasy!

These pictures really don't look like much but trust me, the flavor is insane!

Posted by Cambria

Homemade Vanilla

Vanilla: the world's most popular flavor.  

It's the heartbeat of all things sweet and it's anything but average. 

This is, quite simply...

the best vanilla you will ever use.

And I'm not just blowing smoke.

Can I even begin to tell you how much I LOVE this stuff?? 

 I'm somewhat infatuated. 

Start with about 25 vanilla beans.  You can get these cheapest through Amazon I've found.I use the Madagascar ones because I really liked that movie (and they are the best).  

Slice each bean down the middle to expose the vanilla seeds, 

leaving the ends intact. 

Put them all in a bottle of cheap Vodka - 

the 7.5 cup size.  
Vodka is a great choice of alcohol because it has no flavor and can more fully absorb the vanilla goodness.

PS:  You don't ever have to remove the beans, they are the gift that keeps on giving.  The longer you leave them in, the stronger your vanilla will be. 

Give a little shake, put in a cool dry place.  Walk away...for two months.  Yes, this takes two months.  But good things come to those who wait.  

Every couple weeks, give the bottle a shake. 

And one day, you will get this amazingly rich, flavorful, creamy vanilla goodness that completely dominates anything you can buy. 

And no matter what it goes in, you will reign as the queen (or king) of your cookies, or hot chocolate, or butter syrup, or anything...

because the best ingredients make the best goods.

Makes a great gift too!

Homemade Vanilla

25 vanilla beans

7 1/2 cup bottle of vodka

Slice beans lengthwise, keeping ends intact. Place in vodka.  Let sit for two months.  Shake every couple of weeks.

The best.

Posted by Rona