Really good Bacon and Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

I found this recipe in my magazine that my mom got me for Christmas, and luckily it's up on their web-site right now. We made it for dinner tonight, and it was really, really good. It's pretty easy, and really tasty. (When you add your bacon, we just used the real bacon crumbles from Costco-lots easier and really good still.) It's also a good warm comfort food meal, for when the weather get a little colder. (As I hear it still does outside of Texas. This is when I miss Oregon...when it's supposed to be fall. :) )

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1918488

Fudge

I made some fudge a couple of weeks ago for FHE treats, and it was so good. It's one from Alton Brown, from the Food Network channel. So here's the link. Mmmm. Fudge.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html

Mississippi Mud Brownies

My mom got this recipe from a friend a long time ago...it is especially delicious. (I'm planning on making one this week for the missionaries; I'll take a picture and put it up if I do.)

2 c sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1 c pecans (optional-I normally don't put them in.)
1 pkg mini marshmallows

Cream your butter and sugar until light in color. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together (I never do) flour, cocoa and salt, and add to your butter mixture, beating well to combine. Pour into a 9"x13" pan. Bake at 300 deg for 30 min. Remove pan and add marshmallows to the top. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 min, then spread your "mud"* mixture.

*Mud-
1 1/2 sticks melted butter (So like 3/4 cup? I'm not sure why it uses diff. measurements in same recipe)
1/3 c cocoa
1 box sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 c pecans (optional-again, I omit them.)

Sift (again, I never sift. I don't know, maybe I should, but it turns out okay.) powdered sugar and cocoa together. Sprinkle over melted butter. Add milk, vanilla, and nuts. Spread on brownies. Mmmmm.

Anita, this is the recipe I used for the brownies. They're really easy...I want some right now. :)

Cameo Cake

Cake:

1 1/2c butter
3/4c water
4 oz white chocolate, crushed (I just use chips)
1 1/2c buttermilk
4 lg eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c flour (save 1/2c to flour pecans)
1 c chopped, toasted pecans

Bring to a boil butter and water in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add white chocolate, and remove from heat. Stir until melted.
Stir together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add 3 c flour, sugar, and baking soda, and mix until blended. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture. Toss pecans in remaining 1/2c flour. Gently fold into the rest of the cake mixture.
Pour into 3, 9" greased pans. Bake at 350 deg for 20-25min.

Frosting:

4 oz white chocolate
11 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c butter, softened
6 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate on low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Cool 10min.
Beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add white chocolate, beating constantly. Add powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla.


This is the cake that I made for Royce's mom for mother's day. (Cameo Cake) Her favorite color is purple, so I made two different shades of purple roses to put on top, but by the time we got there the flowers had turned blue. It was really weird. :)

Dinner Rolls (And slightly healthier cinnamon rolls)

Rolls (Dough)

4 c flour
2 TBSP dry milk
2 1/4 active dry yeast (one packet)
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 c warm water (80 deg, or just about a baby bottle temp :) )

Combine ingredients in bread machine, and set on dough program. Once the dough is done, cut into 12 even pieces, and form into roll shape on lightly floured surface. (Sometimes my dough is too moist, so I knead in extra flour.) Put in sprayed 9x13" pan, and let rise for 20min. Then bake at 350deg for 20-25min. (Since we've been at Brackenridge, I check them at around 18min, since the oven cooks so hot.)

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough recipe (see above)
2 TBSP butter, melted
2 TBSP olive oil (or whatever oil you use...I use olive.)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 to 1 sugar/cinnamon mixture

Roll dough into a rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface. (Again, if too moist, knead in more flour.) Mix your oil and butter, and spread completely over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar, and your cinnamon/sugar mixture. (As much as you like in your cinnamon rolls :) ) Roll into log shape. Slice into 12 pieces, and put in sprayed 9x13" pan. Let rise 20 min, then bake for 20-25 min at 350deg.

I also like frosting on my cinnamon rolls, so here's one that's not too bad.

4 oz neufchatel cheese, softened (the cream cheese with 1/3 less fat)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer on medium speed. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add milk and vanilla, then spread on warm gooey cinnamon rolls :)

Copy Cat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

3 c Heavy Cream
3/4 c Butter
3 TBSP cream cheese
1 1/2 c Parmesan*
2 tsp garlic powder

In saucepan, combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer until all is melted and mixed well. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 15-20min on low. Season with salt and pepper.

*I've found that if you're adding cheese that you've just grated, this is a good amount, but if you're using the pre-grated cheese in the bottle, you might want to use a little less.

Potato and Green Onion Soup

I found a good recipe for a creamy potato soup, but I changed it up, and I like it better this way.

4-5 med/large potatoes
2 bunches green onions
1 TBSP chicken base, or 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
4 c milk (I used half skim half 2%, because that's that's what I had)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt/pepper as needed

Dice up green onions, saving 2/3 of green onion tops. Peal potatoes and boil with green onion until potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.

In a medium size sauce pan, melt butter and cream cheese, mix in chicken base, then flour. Slowly add milk, then bring to a boil, stiring frequently. Then add the cream cheese and let it melt. (Thanks Michele!) Reduce heat and simmer until it thickens as thick as you like your soup :). Add the potatoes/onions, and cook a few more minutes. Garnish with green onion tops, and serve.

Caramel Popcorn...Mmm

1 cup Butter

2 cups Brown sugar

1/2 cup Corn syrup

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Popped Popcorn

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat. I also learned that you're going to want to grease you pan before you pour the caramel over the popcorn. The first time I made it I greased a 9x13 pan, and stirred it in there, but the next time I poured the caramel over the popcorn straight in the bowl, but it stuck to the bottom. So grease it. It will help :)

When I made it, boiling for 4min was a little too long, so it didn't pour very evenly. So I'd just watch it, and not let it get too thick. I'll do some research and try to get the exact degree it's supposed to be at. Also in this recipe, they baked the popcorn with the caramel, but I really liked it when it wasn't baked. And it was so so good. Mmm...I want some more :)

Yummy Asparagus

I know, it sounds like a contradiction. But Marissa has a really good recipe for asparagus, and it's easy. I don't know the exact measurements, but you can figure it out pretty easily.

Butter
1 Chicken Bouillon cube (I didn't have the cubes, but I have chicken paste, and it worked just as well)
Fresh asparagus

Melt your butter in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Add the bouillon cube, and mix until it's dissolved. Cut the asparagus into desired size, and cook in fry pan until tender and bright green. (I put a lid on the pan...I couldn't remember if I was supposed to or not.)

They also added a little soy sauce at the end, but I didn't have any, and it still tasted good without it.

Fondant Practice

Baking isn't a very good hobby when you're trying to lose weight.