The Sky's the Limit Popcorn

The photo above is from Super Bowl Sunday last year. Jamie made the Reeses version and the Oreo version of this popcorn. This recipe is fun because it's so versatile! Add the candy or cookies of your choice. I've had Reeses Peanutbutter Cups (my personal favorite) and Junior Mints and Hershey's kisses. You name it!

In a large bowl, mix:

2 bags of microwave popcorn (I use about 12 cups of homemade)

1 bag of mini-marshmallows

In a pan, add:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Karo Syrup

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Chop candybars or pour in you choice of candy. Some options:

• about 8 regular size Reeses Peanut butter cups


• about 40 Hershey's kisses (I used Mint Truffle last night and they were a hit!)


• 1 theater size box of Junior Mints


• about 30 Oreo cookies crushed


• a package of Chips Ahoy cookies, crushed


• get original, try something you love!

Add the candy or cookies to the popcorn. Pour the hot syrup over the popcorn. Put into a well-buttered 9x13" pan and cut like Rice Krispie treats or toss in a large bowl and serve with a scoop or spoon. Enjoy!

Norma's Doughnuts!

After hearing about her tradition, we began our own this year, by gathering together with friends and making donuts by the masses. It was too much fun! I got the recipe from my sweet friend, Norma, who is in her 90s! She's an amazing woman and I'm tickled to have a special recipe from her files!

1 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)

2 Tbsp. yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 cups mashed potatoes (she recommends making them from instant potatoes)

4 cups luke warm milk

5 pounds of flour (about 10 cups)

Scald milk with shortening, add salt, sugar and enough flour to the batter about the consistency of cake batter. Add the potatoes, beaten eggs and dissolved yeast, extract and enough flour to make a soft dough. Let raise twice and roll out flat. Cut into donut shapes. Let raise until light and fluffy (about fifteen more minutes.) Cook in hot oil (375°), turning as they become golden brown. Glaze or frost or dip in cinnamon sugar, plain sugar or powdered sugar. Enjoy!

A few tips:

• each batch makes about 60ish doughnuts


• we doubled the batch last night and used one gallon of Wesson Oil


• from the rolling out to eating point, it took one hour


• don't forget to cook the doughnut holes, toss them into a zip-lock bag of sugar and shake.


• Store them tightly once completely cooled


• Share some with a neighbor or friend!

Cranberry Delight Spread

Vikki brought this tasty dip over for our little appetizer night with the Bunco gals last week. It was surprisingly different! A sweet and fruity dip! Everyone loved it!

1 pkg (8oz.) cream cheese
2 T frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/8 t. cinnamon
1T. sugar
zest of one orange
1 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (Vikki said, "I used almonds, my pecans were awol")
1 1/4 cup finely chopped dry cranberries
garnish with small mint leaf

In electric mixer bowl combine the cream cheese, juice, cinnamon and sugar
mix on med speed until smooth. fold in orange zest, pecans, and cranberries.
Refrigerate and serve with town house crackers. Enjoy!

Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

My friend, Sandy, sent this recipe in an email and I raced straight to the kitchen to try it! It got mixed reviews, but how dangerous is that to know that you are only five minutes away from a hot piece of chocolate cake at any time!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Pour in the milk and oil and add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. (Personally, at this point, next time I make it, I'd swirl in a bit of Caramel Ice Cream topping to make it a bit moister. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. (It really could serve two because it's quite rich!) Enjoy!

German Pancakes

Here’s Quayd's most requested breakfast. This is another fun possibility for Christmas morning. It takes about five minute of prep time and while it's baking you can set the table and gather the toppings. Very simple!

12 eggs
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups milk
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 425°. Place 1/3 cup of butter in 9x13 pan and put pan in oven until butter is melted and sizzling. While it’s melting, mix the ingredients in the blender until frothy, adding flour slowly and last. Remove pan from oven and make sure that the entire pan is covered in butter. Pour the batter into the hot sizzling buttery pan. Place in oven and back for 15 - 20 minutes, until the batter is rising, golden and bubbly. It will poof up and be very pretty! Serve immediately with your choice of toppings. We use drained pineapple tidbits, fresh strawberries in sugar, sliced bananas, cantelope, cool whip, syrup, powdered sugar, jams or jellies. Whatever you’ve got will be a hit! QUICK, EASY AND WONDERFUL! Enjoy!

Brie Bites

My good friend, Marilyn, and I discovered these in a little restaurant in Salt Lake City and decided that they couldn't be very hard to make. We were so right! Two ingredients and you're in business.

Brie cheese

Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry

Thaw the pastry. Cut it into 3" squares. Place about 1 tsp of brie on the center of the square and fold the four corners of pastry to a point (sort of like a wonton). Bake at 400° until they are golden brown. You can brush them with eggwhite but there's no need. Serve warm with cranberry jalepeno or raspberry jelly. A fabulous appetizer! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Toast Strata

Here's a tasty breakfast that whips up in a matter of minutes the night before and can bake while you are busy doing other things in the morning. A new twist on the old strata recipe. Try it, you'll love it!

1 loaf french bread, cut into 1" cubes

8 eggs

4 tsp.sugar

3/4 tsp. Salt

3 cup milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Place bread in greased 9x13 pan. Mix remaining ingredients well. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (8 hours). Remove from fridge half hour before baking. Dot with butter. Melt 2 tbsp. Butter and pour over then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cinnamon sugar. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until knife comes out clean. Serve five minutes after removing from oven. Really good with maple syrup, like a pancake! or Serve with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Enjoy!

Cranberry Craisin Nut Bread

I've not made this recipe yet with my camera in hand. BUT. Picture or not, Oh, my! You're going to love this bread! That's all I can say!

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 small can pumpkin

1/c butter, melted

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1 cup craisins

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, egg, sugar. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Add pumpkin, butter, egg and water. Pour batter into greased, floured 9x5" loaf pan, reserving 2 cups. Pour cream cheese mixture over pumpkin batter. Sprinkle craisins and nuts over cream cheese. Top with remaining pumpkin batter. Swirl a knife through the batters mixing gently. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes. Enjoy!

Pull-apart Bread

This is an old tried and true recipe but it's worth rementioning especially at this time of the year because families are home for breakfast and we're looking for quick and simple things to prepare ahead of time. Some call it monkey bread or bubble bread. No matter what you call it, this is one tasty breakfast bread and has definitely been a hit at many a family gathering over the past twenty years.

24 oz. Rhodes frozen dinner roll dough (or use your own roll recipe)


1 cup packed brown sugar


1 3.4 oz package instant butterscotch pudding mix


1/4 cup sugar


2 t. cinnamon


1/2 cup melted butter


1/2 cup chopped pecans



The night or several hours before, grease and flour a 9 or 10 inch tube pan. Mix brown sugar, pudding mix, white sugar and cinnamon together. Place frozen dinner rolls in pan a layer at a time. Sprinkle brown sugar and pudding mixture over first layer of roll. Spread half the nuts and melted butter over first layer. Repeat with the next layer. Place on counter over night. Do not cover. The next morning, bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes.
Let stand a few minutes and turn pan over onto serving platter. Serve warm! Enjoy!

Jalepeno Pineapple Cheeseball

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago as Carol's always a hit cheeseball. But, out of neccessity, a few nights ago, I used a jalepeno pepper instead. So, I'm reposting it this way rather than going back and editing, just for simplicity of finding it again.

2 - 8 0z. cream cheese
1 large can drained crushed pineapple
1 finely chopped jalepeno pepper
2 green onions, use the entire onion except the tips of both ends
1 1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese and remaining ingredients well. Place in a bowl on platter and chill until served. Serve with crackers. (We used it as on sandwiches with sliced turkey and it was fab!) Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Balls

These are so quick and easy and unfortunately, I could eat the entire pan! Very very tasty. It's a quick and easy way to make your own "Reese's Peanut butter Cups". I've tried lots of recipes for these, but this one is my favorite!

1 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I use chunky Adams Natural)

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Melt the butter and peanut butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until mixed well. It will be a very thick consistency, almost a ball. Remove from heat. Roll the "dough" into teaspoon size balls. Cool for about fifteen minutes in the refrigerator. In your microwave, melt the chocolate chips. SLOWLY! Thirty seconds and remove from the microwave and stir, then thirty seconds more and again until they are creamy. Do not overcook the chips or they will crystallize and be of no use. Place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Using a fork or spoon, roll the balls into the melted chocolate chips until completely covered. Place them on the wax paper and chill. Enjoy!!

Turtle Cake

This cake tastes like a scratch cake and is one of those ooie-gooey-nummy treats that will be a hit wherever you serve it!

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix

Mix:

1 bag or about 2 cups of unwrapped caramels

6 Tbsp. butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix the cake according to the box directions. Put half of batter into 9x13" pan and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. While it's baking, heat the caramels, milk and butter in a saucepan on low heat. Pour the caramel mixture over the baked cake (it will still be gooey.) Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel mix. Pour remaining batter over the top and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Do not overbake! Cool and cut into squares. Drizzle caramel ice cream topping in a zig-zag shape on the plate before placing the brownie on the plate. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and top with more chopped nuts. Enjoy!

Denise's Gooey Brown Balls

This is Denise's special treat every season. I'm not that big of a heavy chocolate fan, but everyone that is, loves these!

3 Giant Hershey bars

12 oz. cool whip

Vanilla wafers (1/2 box) very finely crushed or graham crackers

Crust the cookies first. Melt the candybars in a bowl in the microwave, but do NOT make them too hot. Once the chocolate is warm enough to melt, stir it until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip gently. Using a large melonballer, scoop the mix forming a ball and dip into the crumbs and roll them, totally covering the chocolate with the crumbs. (They will be sticky.) Place in a Tupperware or other airtight container. This can also be rolled in coconut or finely crushed candy canes or Oreos. Store tightly closed. They firm up if stored in the refrigerator. Denise always says, "They don't always look that pretty, but, they are sooooooooooo goooooood!"

Glazed Cranberry Wreathe

I but tried it the last few years and we loved it! The photo above is not of this recipe but it is very similar. I think I'll make one today! Enjoy!

1 can jellied cranberries

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

1 cup finely chopped cashews

2 pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

1 tbsp. Butter

3 - 4 Tbsp. Milk

Separate the crescent rolls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet to form a circle with the wide part of the crescent in the center, the narrow part pointing away from the center. Press slightly overlapped edges together. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese and cranberries until well blended. Add cashews. Spread the mixture over the crescent roll circle until evenly distributed. Pull each narrow end of the crescent up and over the cranberry mixture, pressing down at the center of the "Wreathe". Bake at 350° for 25 - 30 minutes or until well browned. Mix powered sugar, butter and milk to make glaze. Drizzle over the top of the wreathe after cooling to room temp. Serve with vanilla ice-cream or alone.

Carol's Soda Cracker Toffee!

Honestly, I get mad at Carol whenever she makes this because it's one of those "can't stop eating it until it's gone" type recipes! I prefer this to real toffee because you don't need dental work after you eat it. It's quick and easy to make and honestly, it's to die for!

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place one sleeve of saltine crackers, plus a few more to cover the entire bottom of the pan. *Do not crumble the crackers, place them whole.

In a pan, melt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Once it's melted, stir for three minutes. Pour the sauce over the crackers. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Pour one package of chocolate chips (Carol uses half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate chips) over the baked layers. Wait 30 seconds. Spread the chocolate to cover the pan. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove and then break into bite-size pieces. Store in a sealed container, "If it lasts that long!", says Carol, when she gave me the recipe! Enjoy!

Note: Carol also uses Andes Mints Peppermint or Mint Chocolate Chips or Toffee Bits in place of the chocolate chips.

Creamy Caramel Apple Cider

This is a huge hit at Starbucks, but a bit pricey. You can actually buy the syrup at Starbucks, which would save you in the longrun if you get as hooked on this winter drink. But, the best way to go is to check your local restaurant supply store and get it for the cost of of one Starbucks original! Either way, you'll be hooked!

2 cups apple cider or juice
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or 1 - 2 tsp. cinnamon syrup

4 Tbsp. caramel syrup
Whipping cream

Heat apple cider and cinnamon. Mix in cinnamon. Pour into mug. Top with Whipping Cream and Drizzle 2 Tbsp. caramel over the top of each mug. Makes 2 cups. or Make this drink and serve it from a crock pot along with the toppings on the side! Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Floats

Another hot wintry drink that doesn't get much easier.

1 cup Hot Cocoa, ready to drink

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1 shot of whipping cream on top

Prepare Hot Cocoa. Add a scoop of ice cream and the whipping cream! If desired, drizzle Caramel or chocolate ice cream topping on the whipping cream. Enjoy!

Savory Bread Bites

After searching several cookbooks for something tasty for a baby shower, I decided to create my own! I used my own roll recipe and added the following ingredients.

10 ounces diced swiss cheese (about 3/8" cubes)

1 tbsp. dry mustard

1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/3 cup bacon bits

I mixed up my rolls as always and added these ingredients during the kneading. When the dough has risen, form tiny balls (between the size of a mini-marshmallow and a regular size marshmallow and place them on a buttered baking pan. Preheat the oven to 400°. Let them raise until doubled in size and bake 14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush them with generously with melted butter immediately. Sprinkle generously with salt. (The swiss cheese demands it.) Serve them right out of the oven as tiny appetizer bites. Very tasty! Enjoy!

Almond Bites

Mom discovered a freebie cookbook near the Hersheys display in a grocery store last week and brought it home to me. It was filled with some pretty fun treats but this one spoke to me immediately. I used almond Kisses instead of regular Hersheys Kisses but wow! These were great! They were simple to make, once I figured that I had to have my hands buttered while making them. I'll be honest here... the recipe only makes about 12-14 treats, so you may want to double or triple it to make it worth your time to make them. Did I mention "WOW!"?

About 14 Hershey Kisses

3/4 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3-4 tbsp. light corn syrup

1.2 tsp. almond extract

granulated sugar

Remove the wrappers from the kisses. Stir together in a small bowl the almonds and powdered sugar. In a cup, mix the Karo and almond extract. (The recipe actually called for 1 Tbsp. of Karo, but it took almost 4 before the mix held together.) Pour the syrup mixture over the almond mixture and stir until completely blended. With well-buttered hands, shape at least 1 tsp. of this mixture around each Kiss into a ball. Roll in sugar. Store in an airtight container. The recipe also suggested that you add red or green food coloring to your sugar but I thought that they looked better natural. Enjoy!

Dorothy's Pretzel Snacks

This is a favorite recipe in our neck of the woods and so simple. It's quick to put together with hardly any mess!

50 pretzels

50 bags of Rollo Candies

M&Ms (the holiday colored ones are fun when you make them in any season!)

Place pretzels on a cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan that is lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 250°. Place a rollo on each pretzel. Heat in oven for about 4 minutes, just long enough to get the Rollo soft. Remove from oven. Gently press an M&M on top. Let cool and they will harden quickly.

I'm going to make these with pecans or cashews instead of M&Ms for the next gathering that I have! Can't wait! If you've not had them, pick up the three ingredients today and try them! Enjoy!

Seafood Cheeseball

I happened into a party at my mom's hair salon years ago when one of her friends had made this tasty cheese ball. I'd never had anything like it at the time and loved it! Try it, you will too! It's most tasty and quite simple!

1 Pound Imitation Crab, chopped finely (use a food processor)

2 packages cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

You'll also need:

Ritz Crackers

"Homemade" brand Chili Sauce (You'll find it in the small 1 cup jar near the other chili sauces at your local grocers.) *There's a photo of it below on another recipe.

Mix well. Serve as appetizers by spreading on Ritz crackers and then topped with a healthy dollop "Homemade" brand Chili Sauce or as a cheese ball with the chili sauce on the rim of the plate so that everyone will know to "double dip". I'm thinking of trying this recipe, just before serving, and use the melon baller to make little bite size cheeseballs, then roll them in crushed Ritz Crackers to serve the balls with hors' deurve toothpicks along side to dip in the chili sauce. They wouldn't keep well served this way for long, but they disappear quickly, I don't think that would be a problem. Trust me, the Chili Sauce is what makes this recipe! Enjoy!

Holiday Cranberry Salad

This salad has been a Thanksgiving tradition in our home since our first Thanksgiving. It's part of my "perfect bite" at the Thanksgiving meal. I always make it a day ahead, which is not the best idea because I want a bite every time I open the refrigerator all day long while cooking the big feast!

1 large box Raspberry Jello

2 cups hot water

1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. lemon juice

1 can whole cranberry sauce, mashed

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 cup chopped pecans

3-4 cups finely chopped apples (peels and all, if desired)

Dissolve the Jello and salt in the hot water. Add the lemon juice can of pineapple. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Pour into a very large mold or serve in a beautiful clear glass bowl. (It's very festive looking!) Cover and chill until served. Enjoy!

Fresh Cranberry Salsa!!!

OH MY GOSH! My friend, Liz called and shared this recipe tonight. Doug was stopping at the grocery store on the way home, so I asked him to pick me up a jalapeno and some fresh cranberries. THIS IS TO DIE FOR! It took me exactly five minutes start to finish to make it, using my food processor. WOW! Good stuff! The combination sounds very funky and I forgot to add the cumin first, which was good but with the cumin, it was fabulous! And it looks so festive!!

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 bunch of green onions, chopped (the entire thing all the way down to an inch from the end)

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded then chopped

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro (about 1/4 of a bunch is what I used)

Put in food processor and chop finely. Add:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 - 1 tsp. cumin

Spread 16 ounces of cream cheese, softened, into platter. Top with salsa. Serve with crackers or chips. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are, without a doubt, the favored muffins in our home! The batch is huge, which makes for a great treat to take to any gathering at any time of the day. My favorite thank you for these tasty baked treats came from my friend, April, who said, "My boys just looked at them like 'Pumpkin? No thanks! Then they promptly woofed down everyone of them!" They are especially good on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning... prepared a day in advance, just pop them in the microwave and they are perfect for a snack/breakfast before the big meal! We are planning on delivering them to a friends and neighbors this year while the turkey is cooking! Enjoy!

2 cups oil

2 cups brown sugar

4 cups sugar

Beat together and add:

8 beaten eggs

1 1/2 TBLS baking soda, dissolved in 1/3 cup warm water

4 cups pumpkin (I use one large can, even though it's about 1/3 cup short)

7 cups flour

2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps salt

1 1/2 tsps ginger

2 tsps cloves

2 tsps nutmeg

4 tsps cinnamon

Mix well, then add:

1 cup warm water

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1cup milk chocolate chips

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes as soon as they start to brown. Do not over cook.

UPSIDE DOWN TURKEY

on cooking turkeys... last year, after I shared this on my daily blog, I received so many emails saying that they'd tried cooking their turkey this way and what a huge hit it was. So, I share this little gem again. Years ago, we learned this great Thanksgiving tip. Cook your turkey upside down!! We use a Reynold's Browning Bag. Season the turkey as always, flour the bag, then place the turkey inside the bag breast side down. Place the browning bag in your roasting pan (I use the big foil ones because it is a great place to debone the meat and just toss the whole thing afterward. Mr. Granolaman, my husband, says that I "owe the earth an apology" every time I use a foil baking pan. but I can live with that once a year.) It makes the turkey heavenly moist because the drippings from the dark meat flow into the breast meat while it's cooking. Bake Mr. Gobble at about 285° all night long. Sllllooooooooow cooking is the key! Note: The little red thermometer will pop way early because it's in the juices, so you have to disregard it as your "it's done" gage. We usually put Mr. G. in the oven right before bedtime and by morning (around six to eight hours for our normal 22 pound turkey), the yummy smell will wake everyone up. You'll smell it and know that it's time to start checking. But, the best part is that when you pull Mr. Gobble out of the bag, the meat just falls off the bones. So far, it's never failed us! If you like to have the picture perfect golden delicious turkey on the platter to carve, this is not the method for you. The breast is buried in juices and does not brown. For us, eating a moist turkey sliced on a platter is more important than looking like the Waltons for the one moment before we eat. Enjoy!

Natalie's amazing fruity oatmeal bars!

Natalie brought these to the ranch for our girls' night out and they were to die for!! I can't wait to try them with other dried fruits. We talked about dried blueberries, apricots, craisins, cherries or dates. Natalie's had cherry. I'll be making them with blueberries very soon!

Crust:

3 cups flour
3 cups of oats (Natalie used quick-oats)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 cups brown sugar

Add: 2 cups melted butter (and you wonder why they are so good!)

Sift the dry ingredients and then mix in the butter. Press half of the dough into a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350°.

Prepare the filling:
Put 2 - 3 cups of dried fruit in a saucepan with 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil then add 1/2 cup white sugar mixed with 2 tbsp. cornstarch. Pour the filling over the hot crust. Crumble the remaining cookie crust over the top. Make for thirty more minutes.

OH MY!! ENJOY!!

Italian Chicken

This photo is not mine! I found it at whatwereeating.com because I was too busy serving the chicken to take pictures of the chicken. This recipe is a sure way to please your family or guests! Quick and simple main dishes that are this tasty are just too good to be true.

Chicken breasts or tenders (I made 16 breasts using the remaining ingredients)

1 large sour cream (You could use the low-fat or no-fat kind, I'm sure.)

2 packages italian dressing mix

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 box Ritz crackers

1 stick of butter, melted

Wash the chicken breasts. Mix sour cream and italian dressing mix. Dip each breast into the sour cream mix and then roll into crushed Ritz crackers. Pour or gently brush the melted butter over the chicken breasts. Bake in a buttered baking dish at 350° over for the first half hour. Then, uncover and continue to bake for another half hour. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Roll

This is something that I'd never tried making but it's probably my most favorite fall treat ever. In October, I thought that I'd get brave and give it a shot. Denise walked me through it over the phone and I was amazed at how quick and easy this dessert is to make! Try it! People will think that you've become the next Martha! Try it, I promise, it's not hard at all!!

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Prepare the jelly roll pan by laying a piece of parchment paper that covers it completely with an extra few inches on each end. Spray Pam or a cooking oil spray heavily onto the paper. Mix the ingredients well and then pour the mix into the jelly roll pan. Bake for fifteen minutes at 350°. Sprinkle or dust powdered sugar over the baked roll. Cool for a few minutes, but do not wait until the roll is cold. Cover the cake with another piece of sprayed parchment paper. While baking, mix the filling until smooth and creamy.

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

4 Tbsp. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Carefully, flip the cake out of the pan and onto the counter, so that it is sandwiched between the two pieces of parchment paper. If you place another jelly roll pan on top, sandwiching the cake between the two pans, then flip it, it lessons the chance of the cake falling apart. Remove the top piece piece of parchment paper. Spread the filling over the partially cooled cake. Then, lifting the parchment paper slowly, roll the pumpkin roll gently lengthwise. (If your pan is a 10x15" pan, roll it starting at the 10" end.) Wrap the pumpkin roll in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and chill for a few hours. Slice the pumpkin roll after it has completely cooled. Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar before serving. Enjoy!!

the battle of the Caramel Corns

Connie and I go the rounds on this one because until I tried hers, I always thought that I made the best caramel corn in the world! Doug loves mine because it's baked and not so sticky. I now love Connie's because it's ooey and gooey and very simple to make! So, here's both our recipes! The photo is of Connie's. Mine looks like Cracker Jacks when I bake it. Below is another version of mine and it's out of this world delish! It's alway a perfect little holiday neighbor or office gift! (I'll try to remember to photograph it when I make some in the upcoming weeks.)

Connie's Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

1/2 cup butter

Place in large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil five minutes. Stir in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour over 4 bags of microwave popcorn.

My Caramel Corn

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large saucepan. Stir in:

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add:

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Bake at 250° on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan for one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and it will cool crunchy.

OR ~ and oh, is this a great OR!!!

Do not bake. Mix the caramel corn and, while still warm, toss in a bag of milk chocolate chips and 1 small can of cashews or pecans or peanuts. Toss well. Once cool, dish into large cellophane bags and tie with raffia or ribbon, add a cute tag and you've got a very tasty, cute gift that will be talked about for a long time!

Note: This recipe is finger licking good! Prepare to gain five pounds before the batch has disappeared or put on your walking shoes and walk a few extra miles for the next few days! Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

If you know me, you know that anything is better with cream cheese in it! Here's one of the tastiest pumpkin pies I've ever had!

1 graham cracker crust

First layer:

4 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 cups whipped cream

Second Layer:

1 cup milk

1 large box vanilla instant pudding

1 16 oz. can pumpkin

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix cream cheese, milk and sugar. Fold in the whipped cream gently. Spread on the bottom of the graham cracker pie crust. In separate bowl, add milk to pudding mix. Beat 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and spices. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Top with more whipping cream and a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Barbie's Quick and Easy Rice Pilaf

I've neglected the cooking blog for the past few weeks because life has just been a bit too busy! Our adoption was final and we have been too busy celebrating to think about anything else! So, getting back to the business of cooking, here's a tried and true favorite that is so so simple! Great side dish for a busy night when you don't have time to hang out in the kitchen. Toss a roast in the crockpot in the morning and you've got a great start to a great dinner!

6 cups water

3 cups rice (not instant)

2 pkgs. onion soup mix

2 tsp. boullion

1/2 cup butter

Mix in a 9x13 baking pan. Cover. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350°. Enjoy!!

Carol's tasty Cheeseball

Of all of Carol's tasty recipes, this is my favorite appetizer!

2 - 8 0z. cream cheese

1 large can drained crushed pineapple

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

2 tbsp. green onion

1 tsp. lawrys seasoning

1 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese and remaining ingredients well, except the pecans. Roll into a ball and then roll the ball in the chopped pecans. (To simplify things, Carol just mixes the pecans right in!) Place on platter and chill until served. Serve with crackers. (We love it so much that we use it as a sandwich spread too.) Enjoy!

Party Meatballs

Got two minutes? Make these nummy party favorites! Literally, you can make them quicker than you can get the three ingredients out of the pantry! The secret ingredient is this wonderful brand of chili sauce (Googled the photo!) and the sweetness of the grape jelly blends perfectly with the kick of the chili sauce! They'll be a sure hit at any party and the leftovers freeze well and are also great served over rice for dinner! Enjoy!

1 small jar of grape jelly (10 oz.)

1 small container of chili sauce

about 40 frozen meatballs (I use the large bag sold at Sam's Club, but you do have to toss them more while cooking to coat them all.)

Place meatballs in your crockpot. Stir the jelly and sauce together. Pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook about 6-8 hours . Stir occasionally to coat the meatballs. Make sure to have some fun toothpicks for guests to pick them up with!

Chicken Divine

This quick and easy version of chicken divan is a most requested recipe in our home. It's a great way to put leftover chicken to use! The amounts for chicken and broccolli vary because I use whatever I have. This meal can be prepared in less than fifteen minutes, which makes it a favorite to cook as much as a favorite to eat! Enjoy!

2-4 cups chopped, cooked chicken

4-6 cups fresh or frozen broccolli (A large bag of frozen broccolli is perfect!)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of milk

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. curry (to taste... for us the more the better!)

1 tsp. black pepper

2 cups shredded cheese (I use colby-jack)

3 slices of bread, toasted and shredded, if desired

Steam the broccolli to give it a head start in baking. In a large bowl, mix the soups, milk, mayo, curry and pepper. Stir in the cooked chicken, brocolli and cheese. Top with bread crumbs and more cheese, if desired. Cover and bake at 350° until bubbly (about 30 minutes).

White Grape Juice Slush

The most simple drink is our favorite party drink! This weekend for my 50th birthday bash, we are serving this from a giant black cauldron. The cauldron will be the only black thing at the party and that's because it goes along with the fall theme, not because I'm fifty!

Mix 2 cans frozen white grape juice concentrate as directed on can. Add a 2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale. Slice lemons and limes, strawberries as a garnish.

(For the party this weekend, we'll be slicing limes and oranges, just for the color.) Fill the punch bowl with Sonic crushed ice! Pretty, tasty! It's so simple you don't need the excuse of a party to serve it! Enjoy!

English Crumpets

Another great breakfast treat or a great party favor, this recipe sounds a bit tedious, but it's really no more difficult than making homemade pancakes. It just takes an extra half hour because the batter has to rise for a bit. Definitely worth the wait!

Dissolve:

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

3/4 cup lukewarm water

Mix together:

1 cup milk

3 lightly beaten eggs

3/4 cups melted butter

Mix together in large container:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 t. salt

Make a well in the flour. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Let double in size. Drop by teaspoons onto hot buttery griddle. Cook 3 minutes, turn and cook 3 more minutes. (they don't take much longer to cook than a pancake.)

Serve with preserves or this tasty spread:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup strawberry banana yogourt

1/2 cup strawberry jam

Serve them like hot pancakes or they can be served at a party at room temperature with the spread. Very tasty! Enjoy!

Dinner-time Roll-ups

This is a favorite quick and easy recipe in our home and it's great when you're feeding a crowd! It's got a gazillion variations, use your own imagination! You can use Rhodes roll dough, if you don't make your own rolls. Either way, it's a hit! (The photo is BBQ version.)

You'll need:

Roll dough

Your choice of meat browned with your favorite seasonings.

Grated Cheese

A few options that I use often:

Brown your ground beef, browned with garlic and chopped onions. Then season as desired.

• For Mexican style, add taco seasoning and a large can of tomato sauce and salsa until it suits your tastes.


• For Italian style, mix spaghetti sauce and italian seasonings in with your meat.


• For BBQ style, add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

OR

Finely chop your ham.

• Toss the ham with ranch dressing until it's coated and "wet", not soupy though.


• Mix ham and green onions.


• Toss ham with a bit of dijon mustard or mayonnaise.


• Toss ham and a mild coating of apple butter.

OR

Finely chop left-over turkey.

• Toss and coat in left-0ver gravy.


• Mix a bit of curry powder to taste with turkey and a light coating of mayonaise, salt and pepper.

OR create your own meat mixture. Roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/4 - 3/8" thickness on a greased kitchen counter or pastry board. Gently spread the meat evenly across the dough. Top the meat with a generous helping of shredded cheese. Roll like a jelly roll. Then slice the dough into 1" thick pieces and place each roll-up on a greased baking pan. Bake at 400° until golden-brown. The meat is already cooked, so you are, basically, baking the bread and reheating the rest.

Serve with dipping sauces....depending on your filling:

• For the ham: Ranch dressing, creamy Italian dressing, dijon mustard, applesauce or butter...


• For turkey: gravy, cream of chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can of milk, ranch dressing


• For the beef: Aujus, BBQ sauce, ketchup (ugh, but the babes love it), ranch, salsa mixed 1 part ranch and 1 part salsa, marinara sauce.

The sky's the limit! Enjoy!

Five Alarm Radio-active Salsa

This is the recipe that I found in a newspaper article with a gazillion salsa recipes the summer that Doug and I were married. I've made it almost every year since and we love it! It's hotter than hot, but, you can adjust the peppers to your taste. Last year, we used milder peppers and it was delish but not hot at all. Another few times, I used a few less peppers. Everyone still said that it was HOT! Just remember to wear rubber gloves when making salsa or your fingers and hands will burn for days! And, whatever you do... do not rub your eyes when making salsa! (I learned that one the hard way!)

30 tomatoes, skinned

6 large chopped onions or 2 cups dried onions

2 pounds or 30 mixed peppers, chopped (for less hot salsa, use only half the peppers)

3 heads of chopped fresh garlic

2 cups vinegar

1/4 - 1/3 cup salt

Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers in blender or food processor. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low heat for six hours, uncovered. If not thick enough, add a large can of tomato paste. Fill canning jars to one inch from the top, making sure not to leave any salsa on the top of the jar before placing lids and rings on jars. Process in the steam canner for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Mexican Tomato, Corn and Chicken Soup

Soup Day is coming!! Soup Day is the first day that we have cool weather and snow on the mountains here in Utah. I thought I'd share one of our favorite soups because it's what I'm craving these days! (I know that this photo isn't of the soup, but it is of Soup Day 2006, so it worked for me.) One winter night, I was dropping something off at my sister-in-law's home as she was preparing this soup. She said that it was a 20 minutes start-to-finish soup. I stuck around and watched her prepare it, then had a taste. It was so good that I stopped on the way home at the grocery store for the ingredients because it was delish! This is a must try recipe!! Seriously, you'll thank me for sharing it!

8 scallions or green onions, thinly sliced

7 cloves garlic
2 jalepenop peppers, seeded and chopped

1 quart coarsely chopped tomatoes

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 quart chicken broth

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips

2 cups frozen corn

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime (4. tbsp.)

2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips

Saute the scallions and peppers in 2 Tbsp. olive oil for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, sauce, broth, cumin and salt. Brint to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the flavors are blended, about five minutes. Add the chicken and corn. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked, about three minutes. Stirn in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve with a dollap of sour cream and/or shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Almond Blondies

My friend, Tami, made these for Bunco and they were a huge hit! Try 'em, you'll love 'em! And they are so simple!!

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

6 beaten eggs

3 sticks butter or margerine

3 tsp. almond extract

Stir with a fork as little as possible. Sprinkle slivered almonds on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes in a jelly roll size pan. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Tami gave me a great tip last night that I'd never heard of! She suggested that when cutting brownies or bar cookies, use a plastic knife instead of a metal one. They cut much sharper corners and don't drag the brownie!

Pumpkin Waffles and Creamy Syrup

More breakfast! This is our most favorite fall breakfast. For some reason, once the holidays are over, this recipe fades into oblivion until this time next year. What's wrong with me!? It's delicious and it's not like I can't buy a can of pumpkin anytime of the year?!

Pumpkin Waffles

3 cup flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, pumpkin and oil. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix gently until smooth. Do not over mix. Cook in a well-greased waffle iron. Serve with warm applesauce. (add 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar to the applesauce!) OR serve with creamy syrup!

Creamy or Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup real butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk OR 1 tsp. lemon juice and enough milk added to equal 1/2 cup

Bring to a hard boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in:

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Make sure that your saucepan is very large. The syrup will more than double in size and boil over into a huge mess when you add the soda and vanilla. Serve warm over pumpkin waffles, any waffles, pancakes or french toast! Enjoy!!!

*** Photo from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/1830550153_8646dad3e7.jpg?v=0.

Tortilla Strata

With LDS General Conference coming up in a couple of weeks, I've been thinking about breakfasts! Here's one of our most favorite breakfasts, a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, Barbie. It's been a huge success ever since our first taste! This is a keeper for Christmas morning! (Not my photo, I borrowed it from the net!)

10 flour tortillas

2 cups chopped ham, sausage or bacon

2 cups shredded cheese

1 bunch chopped green onions

6 beaten eggs

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. milk

Mix meat, cheese and onions. Fill and roll into the tortillas, enchilada or burrito style. Place in a heavily greased 9x13 baking pan. Mix eggs, milk and flour. Pour over the tortillas. Refrigerate overnight. Cover with foil tightly and bake at 325° for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle more shredded cheese over the top, if desired. Enjoy!!

Weanie Beanie Delight

This is one of those what I call "dump recipes", where you just dump everything in the crock pot and come back hours later for a delicious meals! It's my favorite thing to request from one of my brothers-in-law, who happens to be a fabulous cook!

1 package Li'l Smokies, chopped into pieces

2 large cans Pork and Beans

2 can Black Beans

2 Kidney Beans

2 can of Pinto Beans

2 can Black-eyed Peas

One bottle honey barbeque sauce

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 small bag of frozen corn

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. Basil

Simmer til serve. Serve with cheese and crackers or garlic toast or cornbread or fritos or doritos or any of the "o's chips" as my brother-in-law calls them. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Chili Chicken

It's time that I get this blog back in business. Life's been a bit insane lately, but I'm cooking, so there's no reason not to be sharing recipes! My son-in-law shared this tasty chicken dish with me last week. It was very simple and tasty! Different, for sure... not the combination that I'd have come up with but it was delish! He cooked it on the stove top. I'd do it in the crock pot until the chicken next time, but it's most nummy!

1/2 cup Heinz Chili sauce
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 T orange marmalade
1/4 tsp. allspice
4-6 skinless boneless, skinless chicken (about 1.5 pounds)

Buddy cooked it in the frypan, basting it in the sauce. I'm putting doubling the recipe and cooking it in the crock pot all day long, then serving over rice or pasta! Enjoy!

A most versatile and easy roll dough

These rolls are very simple to make but mostly because I have a Bosch Kitchen Machine. This is actually my third Bosch and we bought our first the week after our honeymoon 31 years ago. No kitchen should be without one. It's worth the almost $400 and will pay for itself over and over and over. That said, if you do not have a heavy duty kitchen mixer, the rolls may not turn out as well, but I wouldn't know because I've never done them without the Bosch. I searched and searched through 20,000 photos and can not believe that I don't have a photo of the rolls. But, here's the Cinnamon roll version of them, also listed below. As always, enjoy!

In a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl, heat 2 cups of milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Not even until it makes that little layer of skin. Just hot. (How's this for a real recipe?) Remove from the microwave and add 1/2 cup butter. You'll know if the milk is hot enough because it should melt the butter.

Place in mixing bowl:

3 Tbsp. yeast

1/2 cup warm, but not hot, water

1/2 cup sugar, sprinkled evenly around the yeast and water.

Let this sit for 20 minute until the yeast has risen.

Add to the mixing bowl:

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. salt

4 cups of flour

Pour the now warm milk over the flour, eggs, yeast mixture. Mix, adding more flour and kneading until the dough is light and moist. I add flour until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl as it is mixed. Honestly, depending on the weather, some days it's 7 cups total and some days it's 9. Mix until a light fluffy dough. (In my Bosch, I let it mix for ten to fifteen minutes on low.) Then let it sit for 30 minutes. (If you are in a hurry, you can rush the first rising by placing the dough into a well greased bowl and covering it with a damp cloth completely. Place it in the microwave on the lowest setting for ten minutes.) Then, form the rolls into balls or ropes or three little mini-balls placed together in well-buttered muffin tins. Make sure that the pan is lathered in butter. Let raise for 30 more minutes. Bake at 400° until the rolls are golden brown. (about 17 minutes.)

This is the dough that I use for almost everything.

• Add an extra half cup of sugar to the dough for cinnamon rolls. Roll out into a rectangle. Smother in melted butter. Cover in brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Add raisins or nuts if desired to the dough or sprinkle on at this point. Roll into a long roll. Then, the best trick I ever learned... take a 24" piece of dental floss. Wrap it around your fingers as though you were going to floss. Then, slide the floss under the dough roll, bring it up over the top and around the dough. Pull the floss through the dough, slicing it as thick as you desire. It's so much more simple than any knife or tool I've ever tried!


• Roll the dough out into breadsticks and cover with butter, garlic salt, basil and fresh Parmesan cheese for the best garlic rolls ever.


• Roll the dough into breadsticks and generously brush melted butter over them in the pan. Then sprinkle with brown sugar and/or cinnamon sugar. Bake then serve with cream cheese frosting on the side to dip them in. *the favorite*


• Roll the dough out very thin onto pizza pans that have been covered in butter for "Pan Pizza".


• Roll the dough out into 3/8" thickness and deep-fry them for scones. Serve with honey-butter or cinnamon sugar or peanut butter or jam or any topping that flips your trigger!


• Roll the dough out into a large rectangle on your baking pan (a jelly roll pan works best). Fill the center third length-wise with meat (bbq beef, sliced turkey, ham, roast beef, ground beef, you name it) and then top with shredded cheese and the dressing of your choice. Either braid the top of the bread or simply fold over the sides to the top and blanket the filling. Bake until the bread is golden brown. You can brush egg white on it before baking, if desired. This is dinner! NUM!


• Roll the dough into a rectangle and simply fill it with cheese on one half. Wrap the other half over the cheese and then seal the edges. Giant Calzone style. Dip the bread into ranch dressing, jelly, you name it! Great snack and great way to use left-over dough.

Garden Cucumber and Tomato Salad

This has been a favorite for years. The recipe came from one of the best cooks and most wonderful women that I've ever met, Joanne Hoth. She was the owner of Juniper Inn Restaurant and is one of my heroes! Every summer, I watch our cucumbers and tomatoes growing and ripening with great anticipation of the first bowl of this tasty treat! The most interesting thing about this recipe is that it doesn't taste nearly as delish when the cukes and tomatoes come from the store! This salad and a hearty homemade whole wheat bread make a meal on it's own! Try it! Enjoy!

cucumbers and tomatoes, chopped (I use at least 3 or 4 of each)

1 sliced and slightly chopped onion

1 cup sugar (I add an extra 1/4 cup)

1 cup cider vinegar

4 Tbsp. oil

1 Tbs. salt

pepper to taste (I use lots!)

Mix the dressing and pour over the chopped veggies. Chill and serve!

Pizzelles

My friend, Natalie, gave me a pizelle iron last year during the holidays. I've enjoyed keeping it busy! A pizelle iron, if you aren't familiar, is like a waffle iron, only it makes a very thin cookie. I've tried several recipes and this is the one that works best for me.

6 eggs

1 cup butter

2 Tbsp. vanilla or lemon extract or pure anise extract

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat eggs till smooth. Melt and then Add cooled butter. Add 2 Tbsp. Vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder. Add the sugar and blend vigorously all of these dry ingredients into the egg mixture until smooth. The mixture will be sticky and stiff. Make 60 pizzelles.

You can remove the pizelle from the iron and, very gently and immediately, roll it into a tube or into the shape of a cone and stuff it with a cream cheese and strawberry jam or any other filling you can think of! They've been a huge hit at showers and parties!

Summer Chicken & Pasta Salad

This is, literally, my most favorite dish in the world since I first tried it two years ago at Bunco. I know that I say that everything is the best but this is the best summer salad ever! Even the babes love it! Enjoy!

Combine in a large bowl:

6 cups cooked chicken (I shred mine with a fork)

24 oz. shell or bow-tie pasta (I prefer the shells because bowtie pasta never cooks evenly for me)

1 small bunch green onions (chopped)

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cups mayonnaise

1 16. oz. bottle Hidden Valley Coleslaw Dressing (I always buy two bottles and add another cup or so just before serving the salad)

Mix and chill. Then, add before serving:

1 20 oz. can of pineapple tidbits (with the juice)

1/2 pound of green and red grapes (I slice them in half)

2 large Fuji apples (chopped well)

1 cup slivered almonds (I've also used chopped cashews!!)

Fresh Fruit Salsa

This is an absolutely wonderful summer treat! The more fruit, the better!

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 kiwi, peeled and sliced

Juice from 1 orange

2 Fuji Apples, peeled and chopped

2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp. Any Berry Jam

(I add pineapple tidbits and banana slices, too!)

Blend together in food processor or salsa maker. Serve with cinnamon chips. Brush flour torillas with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon-sugar. Cut into wedges and bake at 475 for 4 - 6 minutes.