Julie

Leftover Rice Pancakes

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When I make rice, I love to make a big batch and reuse it in other meals.  But after a while, rice can get boring.  And I hate boring leftovers because that means they don’t get eaten.  (Perhaps I am some sort of kitchen nerd but I have to tell you that eating up every last bite of leftover anything gives me a thrill!)  This recipe has come in handy numerous times when I’ve caught myself staring into the fridge at a container of rice and wondering, “What the heck am I gonna do with all this rice?”  Added bonus:  no added sugar!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups leftover cooked brown rice (white or brown)
2 cups buttermilk*
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour (white, whole wheat, or combo)

1.  In a blender, combine rice and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk.  Pulse several times, scrape down sides.  Repeat several times until rice is in tiny bits.
2.  Add remaining buttermilk, salt, baking soda, and eggs.  Blend until thoroughly combined.  Pour into mixing bowl.
3.  Add flour and whisk just until the flour is incorporated.  Pour by scant 1/4-cupfuls onto hot griddle.  Turn pancakes over when the top is covered in bubbles and the edges are no longer shiny.  Once flipped over, cook until the underside is golden brown.

*If you don’t have buttermilk:  pour 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar into a 2-cup measure and fill with milk to the 2-cup line.  Allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen scant 1/4-cupful pancakes

Source:  Hillbilly Housewife

Raspberry Cheese Dip

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When I first saw this dish and asked what was in it, I was expecting…well…gross.  It just sounded nasty to me.  And then I tasted it.  Heaven!   This recipe is one of the most-requested recipes among my own collection of favorites and I have gotten several people addicted to it!  My oldest son, who is pickier than anyone else I know, loves this dip.  It gets eaten up in no time whenever I make it.

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup mayo
2 green onions, chopped
12 ounces raspberry preserves
Ritz crackers

1.  Combine cheese, mayo, and onions in mixing bowl.  Fold together until well blended and spread in a shallow dish (pie plate works well).
2.  Spread raspberry preserves across the top of the cheese mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with Ritz crackers.

Source:  fellow Maven (and sister!) Amy

Strawberry Muffins

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Two recipes herald the onset of strawberry season at our house:  strawberry freezer jam and strawberry muffins.  The muffin recipe came from a recipe pamphlet I got years ago at a local you-pick berry farm.  It’s been a family favorite ever since.

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups sweetened strawberries, sliced*
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nuts.  In another bowl, combine strawberries (with their juice), oil, and eggs.
2.  Stir strawberry mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened; do NOT over mix because it will affect the texture of the muffins.
3.  Fill greased muffin pan or muffin liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until done.  Makes about 2 dozen.  These freeze well.

*To sweeten strawberries:  Clean, hull, and slice into a bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar (a couple of tablespoons for the amount in this recipe) and gently stir.  Set aside.  The sugar will bring out the juices in the berries.

Cookie Dough Brownies

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If you love brownies and sneaking bites of chocolate chip cookie dough….yadda, yadda, yadda…..

Brownie Layer
Ingredients:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups packed light brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.  In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth (if you use block chocolate you should chop it finely first….mine is in flat disk form so it doesn’t need chopping).  Set aside to cool while you prep the rest of the brownie mixture.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and whisk well.  Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then add in the melted chocolate and continue to whisk well to thoroughly combine.  Add the flour and stir together just until the flour is incorporated.  In fact, it’s better to leave a little flour “showing”.  Add in the chocolate chips and stir just until the chips are evenly distributed into the batter.
3.  Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 30-45 minutes (yeah, i know that’s quite a spread…but the original recipe said 25-35 and it took mine 45 to be done in the middle).  Test with a toothpick in the center and if it comes out with a couple of tiny crumbs it’s probably done enough.  Set aside to cool completely.

Cookie Dough Layer
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips
Drizzle:
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate + 1 tsp. shortening

1.  In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.  Stir in the milk, peanut butter, and vanilla until well combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
2.  Spread evenly over the cooled brownies.
3.  Melt the semisweet chocolate and shortening together in a microwaveable bowl and stir until smooth.  Drizzle over the cookie dough layer.  (I did this by pouring the mixture into a ziploc bag, sealing the bag, and then cutting off one corner to make a piping bag for drizzling.)
4.  Refrigerate until drizzle is set and dough layer is firm enough to cut.

I think next time I would cut the amounts on the cookie dough layer by 1/3 because it was just a bit too rich.  In a house full of brownie lovers, it’s pretty unusual for us to not be able to finish off a second brownie!

Source:  Recipe Girl

Mustard Dip

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There’s a reason I don’t make this very often.  Once I start popping this stuff in my mouth, I can’t seem to stop!  It’s one of my favorite party-type foods to serve and I always get asked for the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayo
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish sauce

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-combined.  Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld (a few hours is better).
2.  Serve with sourdough pretzel nuggets.

Makes about 3 1/2  cups of dip, enough for 2 bags of pretzel nuggets (I use Snyder’s brand)

Source:  my sister, Amy….a fellow Maven

Emergency Brownie!

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Have you ever had an overwhelming craving for a brownie but didn’t want the temptation of a whole pan of them?  Yes?  Then you have to try this microwave mug brownie.  Recipes for these are popping up on blogs all over the place.  This particular recipe is one of my 14-year-old son’s stand-by recipes.  He tells me that it’s gooey-er than a regular baked brownie but that it still hits the spot.  I can always tell when he’s been in the kitchen from the tell-tale brownie dregs in the mug on the counter.

If this particular mug brownie recipe doesn’t tickle your fancy you are sure to find a plethora of them online.  It took some trial and error before we found the ones that appealed to us the most.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 Tbsp. canola oil
2 Tbsp. milk

1.  In a microwaveable mug (or glass canning jar), stir the dry ingredients together.  Try to get out all the lumps.  Add the milk and oil and stir until well-combined.
2.  Microwave on HIGH for one minute.  After that, microwave for 10-15 seconds at a time until it springs back a bit but still has some gooey-ness on top.  My son says it typically won’t look done when it really is, and it easily burns if you cook it too long.  It took him a while to get the right time in our microwave…this time it took one minute and thirty seconds.

We love our brownies drizzled with a little warmed up peanut butter and a little ice cream or whipped topping.

Source:  Babble’s Family Kitchen

Cloud Bread

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Though I found this recipe intriguing while browsing Pinterest, I never really felt a need to give it a try.  I mean, why should I try to make a nearly carb-less bread?  I’m perfectly happy with the carb-laden kind!  Well, it wasn’t long before I found out that I’m prediabetic and need to drop some weight and get my carb intake under control.  At present time, I’m still working on it.

I won’t say this recipe fulfilled any deep bread cravings, but it was nice to have SOMETHING to make a breakfast sandwich out of.  I’ve also toasted it and used it as a sort of tostada.  If you decide to give it a try, make sure to follow the directions very closely.

Ingredients:
3 eggs (separated)
3 Tbsp. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. stevia

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Separate the whites of the eggs into a mixer bowl and the yolks into a small mixing bowl.
2.  Into the YOLKS, whisk in the stevia until smooth and well-combined.  Into the WHITES, add the cream of tartar and mix until you get stiff peaks.
3.  Add a little of the whites mixture (maybe 1/4 c.) into the yolks mixture and stir together until combined.  This will lighten up the yolks mixture a bit before folding it into the whites.  Carefully fold in the yolks mixture into the egg whites.  Fold only!  Do not stir or whisk as this will make the whites “deflate”.  Fold gently until the whites and yolks are combined.
4.  Place a sheet of parchment or waxed paper onto each of two cookie sheets.  With a large spoon or large cookie scoop, dollop the mixture in four or five piles on the paper/cookie sheet.  Use the back of the spoon to make these dollops into nice even circles.  You want these to be at least 1/2-3/4″ thick.
5.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about 30 minutes (you really have to watch these, only bake until they are golden).  Since I had two large cookie sheets I switched their positions halfway through and just baked each sheet until the “bread” was a nice golden color.
6.  Allow to cool COMPLETELY on a wire rack (I just transferred the papers straight onto a wire rack).  Once cool, they will become soft but just out of the oven they are a bit crispy.  Store in a ziploc bag.

Makes 8 to 10 pieces

Notes:

  • Another recipe that I saw said you could use the same amount of cottage cheese in place of the cream cheese.  Haven’t tried that yet.
  • The recipe I used called for 1 packet of stevia, but I only had it in a large bag.  A web search informed me that 1 packet = 2 tsp.
  • The recipe I used did not suggest lightening up the yolks mixture with the whites, but I’ve watched enough cooking shows to know that this is a great tip and helps with the folding process (plus, it’s always worked better for me personally).
  • These are fairly fragile.  They stood up okay to an egg/sausage load for breakfast, but just barely and only because I sort of cradled the sandwich carefully.  Toasting them makes them crispy but may also make them taste more egg-y.
  • One piece is about 38 calories and about .25g of carbs, by my calculations.
  • I’ve learned that this recipe is also known as Oopsies.
Source:  all over the internet, but I used the recipe from Mom, What’s for Dinner?

Favorite Cheeseball

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I was given a Lion House Christmas cookbook as a wedding gift.  One of the very first recipes I tried from it was this cheese ball.  At the time, all cheese balls seemed to include canned pineapple and that just grossed me out!  I didn’t want any sweet in my savory!  It’s been my go-to recipe for cheese ball ever since.  My kids request it for when we do party food for different celebrations.  After 20+ years, it’s still a favorite!

Um, as for the spider….well, it was for a family reunion where we celebrated several holidays all in the same week (we called it Holiday Inn week) and I was in charge of Halloween.  I hope it doesn’t freak you out too much.  I hate spiders and it freaked me out a little to make it!

Ingredients:
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups finely grated sharp cheddar cheese 
2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1.  In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and cream together until well-combined.
2.  Line a bowl with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to fold back over the cheese ball mixture you’re going to put in it.  Firmly press the mixture into the bowl.  Flatten the top and fold the plastic wrap over to cover.  
3.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Let it sit out for at least half an hour before serving.
Notes:
  • Half a recipe makes about a 3-inch ball.
  • For a fancier looking cheese ball, you can form the ball inside wax paper or plastic wrap, then roll it in finely chopped pecans and finely chopped parsley, mixed together.  Then wrap it in plastic wrap to put in the fridge.  I don’t do this anymore as my kids prefer it without nuts.
  • You’ll have to eyeball what size bowl to use.  I usually use a wide soup bowl from my china, but I have also used other shaped bowls for a different look.
  • Serve with all types of crackers, pretzels, pita points, or bagel chips.  (Bagel chips are a favorite in my house!)

Sour Cream Banana Bread

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There’s a reason I don’t make this very often.  I can’t stop eating it!!!

 

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups sour cream

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour bundt pan.
2.  In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.  Add the eggs in, one at a time, beating each egg in well.  Add mashed banana and beat in.
3.  Combine the dry ingredients into a separate bowl.  Add dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Beat well after each addition.
4.  Pour into bundt pan and bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes.  Then invert onto a cooling rack and allow to cool further before slicing and serving.  If decorating, allow to cool completely.

Notes:

  • I didn’t mash my banana up beforehand this time.  I just threw the peeled suckers in whole and let the machine do the work for me.  Lazy?  No.  Efficient!
  • Of course, you can use other types of pans.  This time I used a decorative Hansel & Gretel pan from Nordicware, and had enough leftover to do a small loaf.  Just keep an eye on the bread and adjust your cooking times accordingly.
  • If you want to put a glaze on top of the bread, you can do that while it’s warm and/or cool.  While it’s warm the glaze will soak in to the top more.  While it’s cool it will just sit on the surface mostly.  If you do two “coats” (one while warm and one while cool) you’ll get the best of both worlds!  Or you can just do like I did and give it a powdered sugar snowfall.
Source:  Tasty Kitchen
 
 

source

Merry Christmas

Chocolate Peppermints

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I recently made these little gems for a family gathering and they were quite tasty.  A great recipe for the holidays or for special events….or just because you want ’em!

Ingredients:
1 pound powdered sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1.  In a mixer, slowly add the sugar to the cream cheese, working in a little at a time, until well blended.  Add the peppermint extract and mix well.  Cover mixer bowl with a damp cloth.
2.  Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.  Roll your peppermint “dough” into teaspoonful sized balls and place on wax paper.  Make an indentation in each ball, either with your finger or with the back of a 1/4-teaspoon.   Cover and refrigerate while you get the chocolate ready.
3.  Melt the chocolate chips in a disposable decorating bag in the microwave until fully melted.  Snip off the very end and fill each indentation.  (OR, if you don’t have these bags–but you should cuz they’re awesome– melt the chips in a microwave proof bowl and then pour the chocolate into a ziplock bag, seal, snip the end, and fill the indentations).  Refrigerate until set.

Notes:

  • Take them out of the fridge for a half hour to an hour before serving.
  • While making the balls, keep the unused “dough” covered so it won’t dry out. 
  • Make the indentations as you go.  If you wait until you’ve formed all the balls, the dough will crack.
Source:  from Amy at She Wears Many Hats