caramelized onion dip.

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Caramelized Onion Dip from Lauren:

1-2 large sweet onions - diced

2 T butter

1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 16 oz tub of sour cream (light is fine)

Sweat the diced onions over medium low heat in the butter until they are soft. Cool completely. Stir in the soup mix and sour cream. Serve with potato chips, of course!

peppermint bark.

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Peppermint Bark from Lauren:

1 package (7.5 oz.)  peppermint candies/candy canes

1 pound white chocolate (the better the quality, the better it tastes!)

2 cups rice krispies cereal

1/2 cup melted chocolate chips

Crush candies with a rolling pin after placing them in double zip-loc bags and wrapping in a dish towel.  Sift off the powder from the crushed candies saving out the crushed candy chunks.  Melt the white chocolate/bark in a double boiler (or in a metal bowl) over simmering water.  Stir in the rice krispies cereal.  Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and line with wax paper. Pour and spread the melted bark into baking sheet (with a rim) 1/4 inch.  Sprinkle crushed peppermint on top of the bark and press it into the soft bark using a sheet of wax paper . Cool slightly. Drizzle melted chocolate over the top.  Cool completely.  Break into pieces. 

wassail.

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Wassail from Lauren:

1 can frozen apple juice
1 can frozen orange juice
1 can frozen lemonade
2 cinnamon sticks
1 T ground cloves
1 cup sugar
4 quarts water

Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar; keep on low heat as long as you want or transfer to a crockpot to keep warm.

apple butter cinnamon rolls.

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Apple Butter Cinnamon Rolls from Lauren:
book: Small and Simple Things

Ingredients for a Half Recipe (about 15 rolls):

1 T yeast

3 T plus 1 tsp. sugar

½ cup butter, soft plus another 1/4 cup for frosting

1 egg

½ cup whole milk, plus another 1/4 cup for frosting

1/4 cup plus another ½ cup water

 1 tsp. salt

4 cups flour

2 cups apple butter, the best quality you can find!

cinnamon

brown sugar

3 cups powdered sugar

1-Stir 1 T yeast and 1 tsp. sugar into ¼ cup of very warm water. Set aside to rise (I try to set mine in the window sill where the sunshine can heat it a bit).

2-Mix together in your kitchen aid using the “whisk” appliance or you can mix by hand in a large bowl: 1 egg, ½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 3 T sugar, 1 tsp. salt, ½ cup soft butter. After mixing those ingredients a minute or two, add the yeast mixture.

3- Add 2 cups of flour and mix. Change the “whisk appliance” on your kitchen aid to the “hook” and add the other two cups of flour. Allow the kitchen aid to knead the dough until the bowl comes clean, about five minutes I think.

4- Test the dough with your finger, and if it feels really sticky, add another ¼ cup of flour.

5- Rub butter all over the outside of your dough ball until it has a nice sheen.

6- Lay a damp dish towel over top of your bowl so the dough doesn’t dry out, and set it in a warm place. I like the window sill or the stove top if the oven is on. Another option is to put the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds and then turn off the microwave but leave the dough inside (don’t open the door) so it stays warm. Allow dough to rise 1 ½-2 hours for maximum fluffiness!

7- Roll out dough onto counter into large rectangle about ¼ inch thick. Spread a thin layer of butter over dough and then spread apple butter over it, kind of like pizza sauce. I used about a cup in total. Then sprinkle generous amounts of both brown sugar and cinnamon over the apple butter. Roll the long side of the rectangle up and slice the dough into cinnamon rolls. Arrange in a buttered baking pan. 

8- Allow rolls to rise a second time and then preheat oven to 350 and bake rolls for about 20 minutes until golden. 

9- Mix 1/4 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup apple butter in mixer. Add more powdered sugar or apple butter, according to your taste. You can also add a 1/4 tsp allspice or ground cloves to taste.

pei wei's crab wontons {winner!}

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Pei Wei's Crab Wontons from Lauren:

1 can (6-7 oz) white crab meat

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

2-3 sliced green onions

1/2 T garlic powder

Splash of soy sauce

Wonton wrappers

Cooking oil

Mix the first five ingredients into a paste. Spoon mixture into wonton wrappers and fold corners into center. If they aren't sticking together, wet your finger tips and press seam together. (Too much water will mess it up, so you just want wet fingertips, not entire splashes of water). Fry the wontons in one inch of hot oil until browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce.

jam cookies.

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Jam Cookies from Lauren:

Celebrity: Meryl Streep

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks), softened

3/4 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup almonds, finely ground

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

Jam or preserves for filling (optional)

In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, cream butter, honey, and vanilla. Add almonds and flours, and mix until well blended. Divide dough into 4 pieces; wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On lightly floured waxed paper, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. With 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter, cut dough into hearts; transfer to cookie sheet. Wrap and refrigerate trimmings. If filling cookies with jam, make a shallow thumbprint in center of each cookie, then spoon a dab of jam into each thumbprint.

Bake cookies 12 to 14 minutes or until browned at edges. Let cookies remain on cookie sheet 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

*I added two teaspoons of water with the wet ingredients and an extra 1/4 cup flour for a high altitude adjustment

**I also added 1/4 tsp almond extract with the wet ingredients

apple poppyseed salad.

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Apple Poppyseed Salad from Lauren:

Romaine lettuce, washed and shredded

1 red apple, diced

6 slices of bacon, cook until crispy and crumble

grated mozzarella

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup toasted pecans

Girard's apple poppyseed dressing to taste

chocolate chip cookies.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies from Lauren:

1 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups flour

chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars for 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix for 5 more minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chips. Bake for 9-12 minutes at 350 until light brown spots appear on top of cookies. Remove pan from oven and allow cookies to rest for a few minutes on pan, where they will continue to absorb heat and cook a bit more. Remove cookies from pan after about 10 minutes.

french cocoa. {winner!}

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French Cocoa from Lauren:

5 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup water
4 cups heavy cream

Bring chocolate, sugar and water to a rolling boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring continually. Let chocolate mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, fold chocolate mixture into whipped cream (already whipped, no sugar added). If chocolate mixture is too sold to fold into cream, blend 1/4 cup of whipped cream into mixture, then fold chocolate into cream. Refrigerate until use.

To use:

Pour 1/2 cup milk into mug. Microwave for one minute. Add three heaping tablespoons of chilled cocoa mix. Stir. You may need to warm mug for 15 seconds more.

Bon Appetit!

Paula Deen's Chocolate Truffle Pie.

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Chocolate Truffle Pie from Lauren:

Truffle Filling:
2/3 cup heavy cream
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Whipped Chocolate Filling:
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whipped Cream Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Garnish:
1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate
1 1/2 ounces white chocolate
1 1/2 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate

For the truffle filling, in a saucepan, bring 2/3 cup cream to a simmer. Place the 6 ounces chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 minute, then gently whisk until smooth. Spread truffle filling over the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Freeze for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the whipped chocolate filling, in a double boiler or a microwave set on low power, heat the 6 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/2 cup of the cream until the chocolate is just melted, stirring often. Let cool to room temperature. In a chilled bowl, beat the chocolate mixture, remainint 1 cup of cream filling in the crust. Refrigerate overnight.

For the topping, just before serving, beat 1 cup of cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar and whip up until stiff peaks from. Spread the whipped topping over the pie. Using a grater or vegetable peeler, make pieces or shavings of milk chocolate, white chocolate and semisweet or dark chocolate. Garnish pie with chocolate pieces.

brown sugar and balsamic glazed pork loin {winner!}

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Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin from Lauren:

1 (2 lb) boneless pork loin

1 tsp ground sage

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 T corn starch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 T soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

herbed foccacia.

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Herbed Foccacia from Lauren:

1 1/2 cup plus 1 T warm water

1 1/2 tsp yeast and 1 1/2 tsp dough enhancer

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T chives

1 T marjoram

1 T thyme

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 c flour - enough to get dough to pull clean from sides of bowl. Rise until doubled. Form into two small balls and bake at 400 on a pizza stone or greased cookie sheet for 25 minutes until browned. Brush with olive oil. I double or triple for my family… The above recipe is for two people.

coconut fried chicken.

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Coconut Fried Chicken from Lauren:

1 lb. chicken tenders

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups Panko Japanese-styled bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups flour, divided

3/4 cup shredded coconut

3 eggs

Vegetable oil

pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven to 350 and heat oil in a fry daddy or over medium heat in a pot on the stove. Set a paper towel on top of a plate to set chicken on once it is fried.

In one bowl beat the three eggs with a fork. In a second bowl put ONE cup of flour. In a third, medium sized bowl combine 1/2 cup flour, panko bread crumbs, salt, coconut and pepper to taste.

Dip chicken tenders in flour, egg and panko mixture, in that order. Fry them until they are golden a few at a time and leave them to rest on a paper towel. When you have fried all the chicken transfer it to an oven-safe pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.

All-Purpose Crepes.

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All - Purpose Crepes from Lauren:

1 cup flour

2/3 cup cold milk

2/3 cup cold water

3 "large" eggs

1/4 tsp salt

3 T melted butter, plus more for brushing on the pan

Mix all the ingredients smoothly in blender or food processor, or with a whisk. Refrigerate 10 minutes if you used instant flour, 30 minutes with all purpose flour. (A rest allows the flour particles to absorb the liquid, making for a more tender crepe). Heat a non-stick pan with a bottom diameter of 5 to 8 inches; brush lightly with butter. I use a napkin to "wipe" the butter around all sides of the pan, ensuring there is a nice sheen, but no big pools. Depending on your pan, you may need to "wipe" it with butter again after every four to six crepes. Pour about 3 T of batter into the pan and tilt pan in all directions to cover bottom evenly. Cook about one minute, or until lightly browned; turn and cook briefly on the other side.

Savory Filling: you can put whatever you want inside crepes, but keep in mind that less is usually more. Crepes are not meant to be eaten as hoagie sandwiches! My French roommate used to make me ham, swiss (gruyere, emmental, or Jarlsburg) and thinly sliced tomato with salt and pepper. Yum!

Sweet Filling: I love nutella and banana, but you can also do applesauce and cinnamon, fresh lemon juice and sugar or jam filled crepes.

Spicy Hot Hot Chocolate.

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Spicy Hot Hot Chocolate from Lauren:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup good quality cocoa

Dash of salt

1/3 cup hot water

4 cups milk

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cayenne pepper to taste

Mix sugar, cocoa and seasonings (not vanilla) in saucepan; stir in water. Cook over medium heat until boiling, and stir for 2 minutes. Add milk and heat until warm. Do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

almost homemade chicken noodle soup.

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Almost Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup by Lauren:

1 whole chicken or 2 lbs chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken

3-5 whole cloves

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, sliced

5 chicken bullion cubes

1 or 2 12 oz. packages frozen homemade egg noodles (look in frozen food aisle by rolls).

We like extra noodles so we use 2 packages.

Simmer chicken in stock pot with cloves until cooked through. Remove chicken, set aside to cool. Add noodles, bullion, and veggies to stock pot and simmer until tender. Meanwhile, pull chicken from bone and cut into bite size pieces. When veggies and noodles are tender, add chicken and stir. Remove cloves with slotted spoon as you serve the soup.

chocolate chip cheeseball.

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Chocolate Chip Cheeseball from Lauren:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)

1/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 T packed brown sugar

3/4 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (you can toast them for 5 minutes at 350 if you want)

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars. Beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for one more hour. Roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

*You can roll the cheese ball in more mini chocolate chips if you don't like nuts.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce {winner!!}

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Homemade Cranberry Sauce from Lauren:

2 tsp corn starch

2 T fresh squeezed orange juice

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar (you can add an extra 1/2 cup if you like it really sweet)

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp orange zest (finely grated orange peel)

In a small bowl whisk corn starch and orange juice. Set aside. Simmer remaining ingredients for five minutes. Bring to a boil. Whisk. Add starch mixture. Simmer for 3-5 minutes longer, stirring infrequently. Pour into jars. Makes three 8 ounce jars.

Spiced Apple Cider.

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Spiced Apple Cider Served in a Pumpkin from Lauren:

1 gallon apple cider

1 can (6 0z) frozen orange juice concentrate (used half a can)

3 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until heated through and flavors are blended 15 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, hollow out a pumpkin and make sure to clean the interior walls are really, really well. Pour cider into pumpkin before serving.