Fudge Cheesecake Bars

mmmm, don't these look scrumptious? and yes, they are. its a wonder i don't weigh 400lbs. but enough about me, lets talk about fudge with cheesecake topped with a hershey's hug! another gem from my hershey's cookbook.

4 bars (1 oz each) unsweetened chocolate, broken into pieces
1 cup butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (13 oz) Hershey's Hugs or Hugs with almonds

1.heat oven to 350. grease a 9x13 pan. in a bowl, microwave the butter and unsweetened chocolate pieces together, until butter and chocolate are both melted, approx 2 minutes, stirring after each minute.
2.beat in 2 cups sugar, 3 eggs and vanilla until well blended. stir in flour, spread batter into prepared pan.
3. in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and remaining 1 egg until blended. remove wrappers from 12 of the Hugs. coarsely chop Hugs and stir into cream cheese mixture. drop batter by spoonfuls over top of chocolate mixture in pan. swirl with knife for marbled effect.
4.bake 35-40 minutes or just until set. cool completely in pan on wire rack. cut into bars. remove wrappers from remaining Hugs, press onto tops of bars. cover and refrigerate leftover bars.
makes approx. 3 dozen

*a note. they can be eaten right after placing Hugs on the bars, but I think they taste far superior if they chill for a while before having any. just my opinion though.

Herbed New Potatoes

one thing i am always on the search for is quick, easy, versatile side dishes. i have found one that fits the bill. with the spices i add, i can make it more italian (add more oregano, basil, garlic) or more french country (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.) and if somebody loves basil, well, throw that on there too! see how adaptable this is? and i always have potatoes on hand so i can whip this up fast.

1-3 lbs baby red potatoes, thinly sliced. (i use my salad shooter with the slicer attachment, i check the baby red potatoes for any yucky parts, slice those off but i don't have to cut them smaller, i just push them whole through the chute)

i slice them right into my greased 9x13 pan. when i'm done with the potatoes, i PAM the potatoes before i add herbs.

herbs can include any and/or all of the following, let your taste buds guide you:

1tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp italian spice mix
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste

toss them once they have been sprayed and herbed and if desired, spray and herb an additional time if there are a lot of potatoes in the pan. this will ensure every potato slice is flavorful.

bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes. adjust the time as needed for the amount you making, less potatoes take less time to bake, larger potatoes more time. also, mine slice very thin so i have to stire them once or tin foil them so the top slices don't get too crispy. enjoy!

Jumbo Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

from the Everyday Food Magazine, april 2005 issue, pg. 114. great, jumbo, oatmeal goodness. I haven't tried freezing them, but apparently you can freeze unbaked cookies on a baking sheet until firm (30 min) and then transfer to a ziploc baggie and keep for up to 6 months in the freezer, no need to thaw before baking, bake 20-25 minutes. so now you know. ;)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (i used quick oats, i know some people like the chewiness that old fashion oats add to a cookie)
2 cups raisins (i hydrate my raisins first. take the 2 cups, add 2 cups water and heat in the microwave for 3 minutes. let stand 20 minutes while the raisins absorb the liquid and plump up into juicy little darlin's)
1 cup shredded coconut (i viewed this as optional and didn't add it this time)

1. preheat oven to 350. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, approx 2-3 minutes. beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. add flour mixture, beat until just combined. add oats, raisins and coconut, beat until just combined. do not over mix!
3. drop by level 1/4 cup measures of dough. 1 1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets. (we averaged 6 on a sheet)
4. bake until cookies have spread and are golden brown and soft to the touch, 18-20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. cool 5 minutes on sheets, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade Cafe Rio Pork Salad

one of my family's favorite meals. easy prep work and can be catered to meet everyone's specific tastes. thanks to Christy Miller for the tips about Dr.Pepper and the marinade with the pork. Its always a hit!

1 2-3lb boneless pork roast
1 20oz dr.pepper (not diet!)
1 McCormick Grill Mates Baja Citrus Marinade packet

place all 3 ingredients in a crock pot on low for approx 8 hours. after its been in for about 4 or 5 hours, i shred the pork (use 2 forks and pull it apart until its small strips), and then let it finish cooking. FYI, put a piece of aluminum foil in between the lid and the pot and it helps retain the heat much, much better.

when pork is done, have assembled the following ingredients:

black beans
mexican rice (sometimes when i am feeling lazy, i just use boring brown rice)
sour cream
salsa or pico de gallo
guacamole
fresh, chopped cilantro
shredded lettuce
lime wedges
shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas
creamy tomatillo dressing

(confession: i have tried a couple times to make the dressing at home, but can never achieve the consistency i like, so we cheat and buy the dressing in a pint for $5 from cafe rio. it really makes the homemade version of this salad taste like take-out!)

i place a small amount of the cheddar cheese on my tortilla, warm it up in the microwave for 20 seconds and then build my salad. if you make your own tortillas, just place the cheese on while still warm so it gets a little melty.

Chunky Chocolate and Coconut Cookies

from one of my tried and true cookbooks, "Just a Matter of Thyme." i was craving cookies today and these fit the bill and then some. Very yummy!

2 cups flour
1tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup margarine (i use butter flavored crisco)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg

mix flour, soda and salt together and set aside. cream together the margarine, butter, sugars and vanilla. blend in egg and sour cream until light and creamy. add dry ingredients to creamed mixture until just incorporated, fold in the following:

1 cup chopped nuts (i used pecans)
8 oz broken candy bar (i used a symphony bar)
1 cup shredded coconut

drop by heaping tablespoon on an ungreased baking sheet. bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. watch the edges!! makes about 2-3 dozen.

Apple Strudel Muffins

these babies bake up so deliciously moist and flavorful. loved LOVED them fresh out of the oven, but i think i loved them even more the next morning. keep in an airtight container! these are from allrecipes.com, almost a perfect 5 star rating from over 500 reviewers. i made the recipe exactly as stated below, no adjustments. i used braeburn apples and they were great!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Feather light overnight rolls

from my "essential mormon celebrations" cookbook. oh my goodness, these were AMAZING! i loved, loved, loved them. airy, tasty, light, everything a beautiful crescent roll should taste like.

1 cup water
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup cold water
1 (.25oz) pkgs yeast
1/2 warm water
4 beaten eggs
7 1/2 cups flour

in a 6qrt pan, bring the 1 cup water to a boil. add the one cup butter, sugar, and salt; remove from heat. add the 1 cup cold water. dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. when 1st mixture is luke-warm, add yeast mixture and beaten eggs. stir briefly. add flour and stir together. cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight.

when ready to roll out, divide dough into thirds. lightly flour the surface you are working on. roll out each third in a large circle about 1/2 inch thick. spread dough lightly with butter. cut dough into 12 wedges and roll each up, beginning with the wide end, to form a cresent shape. place on 3 greased sheets (i used baking sheets lined with parchment) 12 rolls per sheet. let rise 4 hours. bake at 400 for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. makes 3 dozen rolls.

*a note. i let mine rise about 3.5 hours and they were great. also, 12 minutes was too long for my oven, they were done in like 9 or 10 minutes. so check to make they aren't browning too fast.

Mini Meatballs

these little gems are fast, flavorful and oh so easy. i love meatballs, they make pasta a hardier meal. and they freeze so well, you'll find yourself having spaghetti more often. these are from the lovely martha stewart.

Makes 40

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 slices bacon (2 ounces), finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon plain dried breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine beef, bacon, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Shape mixture into 40 meatballs. (For equal-size meatballs, scoop out meat mixture with a teaspoon, using two scoops for each meatball. Then roll between your palms to shape into balls.)
2. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or on two large plates. Freeze 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer to an airtight container or resealable plastic bag; label and date.
3. To use the meatballs straight from the freezer, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.

White Velvet Sugar Cookies

these came from the talented melanie over at the kitchen cafe. thanks for sharing, these are my new all-time favorite sugar cookie! so buttery, so tasty!

2 cups butter, softened (that's right, one pound of butter)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ¾ cups flour

Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add flour. The dough will be VERY soft; don't worry, it gets firmer after chilling. Cover and chill two hours or until firm. Roll out on floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes; place on greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until set (but not browned). Cool 5 minutes. Place on wire racks to cool. Frost as desired.


Frosting: (also from kitchen cafe)
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
4-6 tablespoons milk
food coloring (if desired)

Combine butter, vanilla and salt and beat until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined. Add milk and food coloring gradually until you reach your desired spreading consistency. Frost away!

Carrot Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

courtesy of Everyday Food march 2009 issue, pg 25. i wanted something carrot-y for Easter and bang, here it is! the cake (or bread, really, lets call it what it is) is very dense and moist. The frosting is super, and I have to admit I would eat a cardboard box slathered in this stuff. Its rich and dreamy.

1/2 cup butter, plus more for pan
1 1/4 spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed, grated carrots

1. preheat oven to 350, butter and flour a 5 by 9 inch (6 cup) loaf pan. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, beat eggs and vanilla. Beat in carrots. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beat until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto wire rack, and let cool completely. serves 8.

Frosting:
1 bar (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

using mixer, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Frost top of cooled cake.

*a note. I don't have a loaf pan that size and my regular bread pan was fine. Don't expect this to be a big loaf though. And I don't like nutmeg, so I omitted it and bumped up the cinnamon to 3/4 tsp.

Mary Ann's Breadsticks

from my good friend Mary Ann Schoenfeld's kitchen. Thanks for sharing! These are fast, easy and a great accompaniment to many, many meals. Bread really classes dinner up!

1 tbsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water

mix together, let sit until foamy, (several minutes)

add 1 tsp salt and 3 cups flour, knead together.
let rise 30 or 45 minutes, roll out onto ungreased large cookie sheet
take pizza cutter and slice dough into approx 1 inch wide pieces, makes roughly 18 sticks
let rise 20 minutes
at this point, can rub melted butter and sprinkle herbs/and or cheese. or leave plain.
bake at 400 for 15 minutes
re-cut with pizza cutter and serve

Chicken Ceasar Salad Wraps

these are from my good friend Jen Leach, so easy, fast and yummy. My family scarfed them down and if there was any leftover, perfect for lunch the next day. Don't add the dressing to the salad, just drizzle tortilla. that way, the whole salad won't be soggy.

1 rotisserie chicken shredded, (or any kind of cooked chicken, any amount you prefer)
1 bunch green leaf lettuce, torn
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 bottle Ken's Steakhouse brand creamy ceasar dressing
warm tortillas

combine chicken, lettuce and parmesan cheese. place some on your tortilla and drizzle with the salad dressing. enjoy!

Grandma Doty's Rolls

a winner. every time. and i like to make my rolls more smallish-medium than large, because i've found when i make them large, the bottoms burn while the inside is gooey and not in a good way. thanks to staci for hooking me on this recipe. it is my go-to for delish, homemade rolls.

1 cup lukewarm water
1 tbsp yeast (or one packet)
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (divided) sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 melted butter
3 eggs
4 cups flour ( + or -)

combine water, yeast and 2 tbsp sugar. in another bowl, combine salt, 1/2 cup sugar and eggs. add water/yeast mixture, melted butter (that is now cooled slightly) and flour. you can use a standing mixture or mix by hand, dough will be very sticky. after it is kneaded, let rise until double in size, (approx 2 hours). work with buttery hands, shape dough as desired (ie crescents, etc) and place on baking sheet to rise again.
i roll them into balls, dip the top of the dough ball (the smooth part) into a little dish with melted butter. then i take that buttered top part and dot the place on the baking sheet where the roll will be resting. then place the dough ball bottom side sitting in the butter. clear as mud? let rolls rise approx 1 hour, bake in 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes. makes approx 30 rolls.

Strawberry Muffins

these little beauts come from allrecipes.com by katie mae. they were rated a 4 out 5 by 235 reviewers. taking some of their suggestions to heart, my notes are on the bottom. i used fresh strawberries and thought these tasted bakery worthy.

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped strawberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oil an 8 cup muffin tin, or use paper liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine oil, milk, and egg. Beat lightly. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Toss in chopped strawberries and stir to coat with flour. Pour in milk mixture and stir together.
3. Fill muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or until the tops bounce back from the touch. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

*a note. if you like less sweet muffins, make recipe as directed above. however, a lot of the reviewers made some recommendations to add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 brown sugar. so that is how i made them and i loved the flavor. sweet but not cupcake sweet.

Butterscotch Brownies

from my "Essential Mormon Celebrations" cookbook, found these gems. I've also heard them referred to before as "blondies" but whatever you call them, these were so incredibly yummy!
ps- i didn't have to break out my mixer, i mixed by hand

3/4 cup butter
3 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup flaked coconut

in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat and cool. blend in brown sugar and eggs. in a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to brown sugar mixture and blend well. stir in nuts, vanilla and coconut. spread into greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool before cutting into bars.