Saturday, December 31, 2011

Top 10 Recipes of 2011

Here are your favorite Mormon Mavens recipes from 2011.

Baked French Toast

Eventually Chicken Soup
Niki's Beans and Dawgs
One-Ingredient Waffles
Boyd's Famous Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Budge
Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Coconut Cake
Beef Tips
Chicken Divan

All of us here at Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen hope that 2012 is just as tasty!

Sweet Potato Bread


Happy New Year, Everyone! Having a New Year's Eve party? Try serving this yummy quick bread; it's full of flavor. The taste reminds me more of Amish Friendship Bread than of sweet potato, but the yams make it healthier--or at least make you think it is so you don't feel as guilty when you eat half a loaf in one day...

Ingredients:
3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground cloves
3 C white sugar, plus topping
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
3/4 C orange juice
2 C mashed sweet potatoes aka yams (I used canned; see link below for instructions on how to use from fresh)

1. If you haven't already done so, mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl with a flat bottom using a potato masher. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix most of your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, eggs, and oil. Stir in orange juice and sweet potatoes. Stir flour mixture into egg/sweet potato mixture until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. (This recipe yields 2 9x5 loaves. If you're making mini loaves like I did, check them after 30 minutes.)

Source: lightly adapted from Sweet Potato Bread II as submitted to Allrecipes.com by Umm Asiyah

Friday, December 30, 2011

Puffy [German] Pancakes

I come from a German family. We make a lot of German food... SOMEHOW I never was introduced to this sweet little secret. Pancakes that you bake? Yum! I saw this recipe on a favorite blog and we had it for dinner the next night. It'll definitely be something I'll make over and over. (did I mention my husband and son LOVED these too??)


German Pancakes

Ingredients
5 large or extra-large eggs
1 cup of milk (more fat the better... I actually used some heavy cream mixed in with my milk)
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
4 tablespoons butter

Directions
-Preheat your oven to 375-degrees.
-Place butter in a 9x13 dish and put the dish with butter in the oven while it is heating. Make sure the butter does not burn. Pull out once it's melted.
-While your butter is melting place rest of ingredients in a blender. For easier mixing, put the liquids in first. Blend until all of the flour is incorporated. You may have to pull out a spatula to scrape down the sides.
- With the melted butter in the pan, pour the flour mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes. (17 or 18 minutes is usually the perfect time)
- When the pancake is done, it's sides will have risen high out of the dish and the middle will be slightly puffy. If it is completely flat in the middle you may want to give it another minute or two to be sure it is done.

*We served these pancakes with syrup and powdered sugar. I think nutella, fruit, or preserves would be tasty as well!

Source: MADE (aka... one of my favorite blogs to follow!)

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Butterfly Crescent Rolls



Nothing takes me back "home" more than the smell of freshly baked bread permeating the air. Grandma and Mom are the best bread bakers I know and, with Grandma's permission, I share this delicious recipe. Big holiday dinners just would not be the same without these rolls!

Ingredients:

1 Cup Boiling Water
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2  Cup (1 stick) BUTTER
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Yeast
4 Cups Flour (divided)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In your favorite mixer* (I own a Kitchen Aide, which I LOVE--but I'd prefer a Bosch for bread...here's to someday!), mix the water, sugar and butter until the butter is melted.
3. Add the eggs and the yeast. (Test the temperature before dumping in your yeast. If it's too hot, the water will kill it.) Mix well.
4. Add half of the flour, and all of the salt and baking powder. Mix until fully incorporated.
5. Add the remaining flour. The dough should be slightly stiff.
6. Let your machine knead the dough for 10 minutes.
7. Move your dough to a Large Bowl (optional) and cover with a towel. Let rise until doubled in size.
8. Punch the dough down.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/2 of the dough out in a circle (pizza shaped) until 1/2 an inch thick.
10. With a sharp knife (I use a pizza cutter), cut the dough like you would a pizza into several slices. The number of slices depends on what you're making the rolls for. The fewer the slices, the bigger the rolls--good for sandwiches. The more slices, the smaller the rolls--good for a dinner side!
11. Take a slice by the fat end and roll it up to the point.
12. Place on a slightly greased cookie sheet, point down so it doesn't come unrolled while baking and make bird shaped bread--NOT that I'm speaking from experience! *ahem*. Place them about 2 inches apart.
13. Continue until all the slices are shaped into rolls and on cookie sheets.
14. Cover with a towel and let rise until doubled.
15. Repeat steps 9 - 14 for the other 1/2 of the dough.
16. Bake rolls for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the rolls are a nice golden brown color.

Doubles easily.

*If you don't have a mixer, that's fine! I used to make these by hand. When you get the kneading part, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand, turning about 200 times or for 10 minutes.

Source: My wonderful grandma, KaraLyn Taylor

ENJOY!
~Kara

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

The Great Pumpkin Dessert

More Pumpkin, anyone? 

Ingredients:
1-15oz can pumpkin
1 can of evaporated milk (shake well)
3 eggs
1c sugar
4tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 package yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
3/4c butter, melted
1 1/2c chopped walnuts (or make it 2c if you really like nuts...I thought 1 1/2 was enough)
  1. Preheat oven to 350* and grease a 9x13 pan
  2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. 
  3. Transfer the pumpkin mixture into the 9x13 pan
  4. Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin, drizzle with butter, then top with walnuts!  
  5. Bake at 350* for an hour*  or until knife comes out clean.
*I think baking it for an hour was a little to long.  I like stuff a little more on the gooey side.  So, if you're like me...go with 45-50 min.  The fork/knife test should still hold true (for the most part).  =)

*This recipe was one that I copied down at a potluck in in DeKalb, IL.  I thought for SURE I wrote this lovely sister's name on the card, dag nab it!!  


Monday, December 26, 2011

Homemade Magic Shell

Not that I'm a huge fan of Magic Shell, but I have to admit the coolness of instant-hardening chocolate sauce is pretty hard to resist.  The kids think this is pretty awesome.  And truth be told, so do I.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Place coconut oil and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and cook on HI for 1 minute.  Allow the bowl to set for just a minute or two so the hot oil can melt the chips.  Stir well with a whisk.
2.  Pour sauce over ice cream servings!

Notes:

  • Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature so look for a jar of it, not a bottle.  The brand I bought is Spectrum.

  • Store your leftover sauce in something that you can microwave later.  It helps to have a bottle that is microwave safe so you can pour easily, but you don't have to.  We just spooned it on.
  • Store in the fridge.  To use, reheat in microwave at 30 second intervals until it's liquid again.

Source:  alphamom.com, who has way cooler photos than I do

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas




All of us here at Mormon Mavens
want to wish you a 
joyous and special Sabbath Christmas!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Almost Christmas!

Pinned Image

Is all your baking done?  Are you ready for Christmas Eve tomorrow? Can that be right? Wow, how the time flies.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

Microwave Fudge

Okay, it's 3 days before Christmas, you are in a wrapping, baking, last-minute-shopping frenzy!  Oh snap, the neighbors dropped off some goodies!  You were so not expecting that!  What do you do?  You pull out this recipe and whip up a batch (or 2 or 3...) of yummy, quick fudge!


Ingredients:
1 box (1 lb.) powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
chopped pecans ( opt.)


1.  Pour ingredients in microwavable bowl.  Cook 2 minutes 30 seconds on high.  Stir until smooth.  
2.  Pour into greased pan and cool.
3.  Cut into pieces and ENJOY!!

And for you, Mom, on January 2, when the kids are back in school...a glass of fudge and a good book.  Ahhhh.....

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Vanilla (Christmas) Caramels





These caramels always bring a bit of nostalgia with them. The very taste brings fun childhood Christmas memories with family and and friends; "Skating" on the road in our snow boots and memories with my own children. This is a must have item at Christmas at our house. However, they are yummy any time of year!

You can "half" the batch if this is too many (can that be possible?)for your family.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 cube) butter (real)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cups light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
wax paper

1. Butter 9 x 13 inch pan
2. Place butter in 5qt sauce/soup pan and begin melting on medium high heat
3. Add sugars and creams and stir with a wire whisk until well blended
4. Add corn syrup and stir with wire whisk until blended, continue stirring until mixture starts to boil
5. Stir with wooden spoon often until mixture reaches firm ball stage (240 F) approximately 35-40 minutes. Mixture will start to look like caramel.
6. Remove from heat and add vanilla stirring constantly until incorporated
7. Pour into prepared pan and let cool (about 4 hours)
8. While caramel cools, cut up sheets of wax paper about 3 x 4 inch
8. Cut into 1 inch squares and place on cut up sheets of wax paper - roll candy roll style - makes 70-90 pieces.
Enjoy!

Source: My mom and the " A Taste of Oregon Cookbook"

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Real Banana Muffins

I guess its the "purist" in me that loves these Banana Muffins, because they taste like bananas! Don't get me wrong, I like the traditional banana bread. But, this,...its just so great! The muffins are moist, and the flavor of the banana is awesome! These would be great to serve for breakfast over the holiday vacation!
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, 2 mashed & one chunked
1-1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 mashed bananas and mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stirring enough to moisten. Stir in 1 chunked banana. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Start watching at 25 minute mark and check with toothpick to see if its done.


Recipe adapted from Stephanie Daniels

Monday, December 19, 2011

Butter Brickle Bars




Yet another I don't make very often because I can't leave them alone. My mom made some of these for my wedding reception and though not a true "freezer item" it froze pretty well. Maybe that's what I should do to "ration them out" for myself.

Butter Brickle Bars
1 box graham crackers
1 stick butter
1 stick margarine
1/2 c. sugar
Slivered or sliced almonds (I usually use slivered-almonds are not pictured above)
milk chocolate chips (can also use milk chocolate melting wafers)

1-Break graham crackers on lines to get 58 rectangles.
2-Lay rectangles on a greased pan.
3-Bring butter, margarine, and sugar to an easy boil.
4-Boil for 3 minutes.
5-Spoon the mixture over the rectangles.
6-Sprinkle sliced almonds on top
7-Bake at 350 for 10+ minutes.
8-Separate bars.
9-Put bars on aluminum foil.
10-Melt chocolate chips and drizzle over top of bars.

Source: Lollita Riley

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Muffins


Christmas is creeping ever nearer, and I am sure you are planning the menu. But what about all the leftovers? Here's a great recipe for all that cranberry sauce you will have left over. I have to give big credit to www.twopeasandtheirpod.com for this recipe. If you want to see the original post check out their site. When all the family went home after Thanksgiving all that was left in my fridge was homemade cranberry sauce. I had no idea what to do with it! It was a delicious sauce, but without turkey to pile it on, it wasn't going anywhere. Then I found this recipe and it was amazing! Save this one for a post-Christmas breakfast!

Yield: 6 large muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. sugar
1 T. orange zest
1/4 C. canola oil
1 large egg
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 C. fresh cranberry sauce (about 2 tablespoons per muffin)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease well. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Rub in sugar and orange zest together; whisk into dry ingredients.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk canola oil, egg, milk, and vanilla together.
4. Incorporate the wet ingredients into flour mixture. Add slowly and gently stir. The batter will be thick.
5. Place half the batter a the bottom of six muffin cups. Spoon about 2 T. of fresh cranberry sauce on top of the muffin batter. Top muffins evenly with remaining muffin batter.

6. Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan and let cool on a rack.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

And the winner is......


Congratulations, truckerlover, on winning the Pampered Chef giveaway! 

Please email us at mormonmavens@gmail.com before Monday, December 19th, with your shipping address.  If we don't hear from you by then, another winner will be chosen.

Merry Christmas!

Instant Christmas Wassail


Just in time for Christmas! If you've never had wassail before, I've been told it's similar in taste to Russian tea. I've never had Russian tea, but I know I like wassail!

Ingredients:
1 C Tang
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C lemonade mix
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves

1. Mix well.

Source: My mom


When serving I like to pour the water in first and then add the wassail mix and stir; I think it incorporates better that way as opposed to putting the mix in your mug and then adding the water.

Yields more than the quart pictured above (not more than a cup more--I didn't measure it).

Friday, December 16, 2011

Creamy Tomato Soup

As a child I was not a fan of tomato soup. Well, thank goodness I got over that... because this soup is just too yummy. I was "introduced" to it at a church function last year, I enjoyed one (or two) bowls, and had the recipe in hand within 24 hours.

This recipe is so easy. It's one of my go-to "I forgot about dinner" recipes. You just dump, simmer, and you're done. (You may never go back to condensed soup after this)


Creamy Tomato Soup

1 [28oz] + 1 [14.5oz]can of PETITE diced tomatoes (I usually get the Italian seasoned ones)
46 oz. can  tomato juice
14 leaves fresh basil, diced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup butter salt and pepper to taste

1. Place tomatoes, juice, and basil in a stock pot over medium heat. Simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Puree the tomato mixture along with the basil leaves, with an immersion blender. (I don't puree it because I like my soup a little chunky.)
3. Place the pot over medium heat, and stir in the heavy cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.

 *This recipe makes a lot of soup. I also think it would be a great dieter's recipe since the only fat in the whole recipe is from the cream and butter. I honestly think you could probably omit the butter and it would still taste fantastic. The soup also keeps well in the fridge and reheats nicely.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes



Mr. Blue Eyes (yes, my husband cooks!--Thankfully!) and I made these earlier this month for my birthday. They. were. DELISH! You must try them! The frosting was a little complicated for us, being our first time using a meringue-type, but it was worth it! I don't generally care for frosting. I'm the weirdo at all the parties who scrapes the frosting off the cake to eat it plain. But I'm telling you I REALLY liked this frosting. Very light. Truly worth every minute!

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
18 Paper Cupcake Liners (plus a few extra...we needed them)
1 1/2 Cups all-purpose Flour
1/2 Cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder (we used Hersey's Cocoa Powder)
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
1 1/3 Cups Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Milk, at room temp
*3/4 - 1 Cup Fresh Raspberries (or frozen, thawed and well drained)--OPTIONAL

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in all wells of Cupcake Tins (we used one 12 cup tin, and one 6 cup tin.)

2. In a small bowl, sift together Flour, Cocoa Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. Set aside.

3. In a Large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy--about 2 minutes. (We used our Kitchen Aide for this.) Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bowl once or twice. Beat in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time until they are each mixed in well.

4. Alternating about 4 times, mix in the flour mixture and the milk. Beat briefly between each add-in to make sure it's well incorporated and the batter is smooth.

5. If you're using Raspberries, this is where you fold them into the batter. We only did 3/4 Cup, but next time I think we'll do a full 1 cup.

6. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake wells. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center shows a few moist crumbs.

7. Cool on racks for 5 minutes, then remove cupcakes to cooling racks to cool completely.

Italian Meringue Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
Scant 2/3 Cup, plus 3 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 Cup water
4 Large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 Cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp, cut into small pieces
*3/4 Cup Raspberries (OPTIONAL)

1. Place 2/3 Cup Sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Stir to wet the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Dip pastry brush in cold water and wash down the sugar crystals from the sides of the pot once or twice. Turn down the heat to simmer gently.

2. Place the egg whites in a clean, grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy on low speed using balloon whip attachment to your standing mixer. Add cream of tartar and turn speed to medium-high. When soft peaks form add remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar gradually. (This is the meringue part of the butter-cream, and the frosting may be used at this point for low-fat, marshmallow-like frosting; it must be used immediately.)

3. Bring the sugar-water mixture to a rapid boil and cook until it reaches 248 - 250 degrees F. (We don't have a thermometer *GASP!* and so the following directions were vital.) As syrup cooks, look for visual clues to assess temperature. It starts out thin with many small bubbles over the surface. The water will begin to evaporate and the mixture will become thicker. The bubbles get larger and sticky and pop more slowly. At this point the syrup looks thickened, but it has not begun to color. If you drop a bit of the syrup into a glass of cold water it will form into a ball. This is the firm-ball stage, and the syrup is ready.

4. Pour a thin, steady stream over meringue, without pouring any on the rotating whip or the sides of the bowl. (Be quick! We didn't do it fast enough and had to make the syrup a 2nd time.) Whip meringue on high speed until cool. When the bowl is no longer warm, stop the machine and touch the surface of the meringue with your finger to check that it is cooled. With mixer on medium speed, add the butter, a couple Tablespoons at a time. Keep beating until the buttercream is completely smooth. It is now ready to use. Any flavorings or variations can be added at this time.

5. This is where you beat the raspberries into the frosting. Just keep the beater going and add the berries. The buttercream will turn pink and you will see bits of fruit (YUM!) suspended here and there. (Beautiful!)

6. Frost cupcakes smoothly using an icing spatula or a spoon. Top with garnish, candles, or whatever you prefer!

*You don't have to use Raspberries. Use the cupcake and frosting recipes as is, or with your own variation. That's what I love about these recipes! Make them your own.

Yield: The recipe says 18 cupcakes, but we got 18 big cupcakes + 10 small ones, and we weren't skimpy when filling either!

Notes:
     ~Like I said before, the frosting was a little more difficult than we expected and we had a few hiccoughs in the procedure. Mr. Blue Eyes was in charge of the syrup, while I did the meringue. Having four hands worked well for us first-timers.

Source: A Baker's Field Guide to Cupcakes: By Dede Wilson

~Kara

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:

Filling:
3 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped

1. In a large pot or bowl, beat together all of the filling ingredients except for cream.
2. Add cream and mix well.
3. Pour into a greased casserole dish.
4. In a seperate bowl, mix together topping ingredients.
5. Sprinkle topping over top of casserole.
6. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Source: Paula Deen, of course!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

This is one of my favorite fall flavors!  Pumpkin with all of the spices.  It's pretty much pumpkin pie that you can spread on toast or pancakes and stir into your oatmeal.  This is for a large batch that will fill about 15 freezer jam jars (which is the recommended jarring method). Check out THIS link for more info.  

Ingredients:  
2- 29oz cans pumpkin puree
4 c apple juice or cider
3 c white sugar
4tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground cloves
1tsp ground nutmeg
4tsp cinnamon
  1. Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan.  Stir well. 
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Keep stirring.  Constantly.  Or it will bubble and spit pumpkin at you!
  3. Lower heat and simmer (while stirring) for about 30 min or until it reaches the desired consistency. 
  4. Cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to freezer jam jars.  Then cool another 10-20 minutes before you put the lids on.  
  5. Refrigerate or freeze.  Tie a cute ribbon or something crafty to it and give it as a gift!  

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Monday, December 12, 2011

One-Ingredient Cinnamon Roll Waffles (and our FIRST GIVEAWAY!!)

Okay, I know this is a really easy recipe since you don't have to actually make anything.  But when I saw it on Pinterest I just had to try it.  You see, I love to have supplies on hand for emergency meals.  You know, when you don't have time to cook but don't want to get junky fast food or when someone comes over for a meal unexpectedly.....it's nice to have a few quick-fix meals on hand.  THIS is an amazing quick-fixer.  In fact, I think this would be a fantastic Christmas morning breakfast.  I love cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning, but who has time to make those amidst all the other goings-on?

Couldn't be easier!

Ingredient:
refrigerated, uncooked Cinnamon Rolls

1. Place one roll on each square or section of your waffle iron.  Close the lid and cook until the done (when they don't wiggle when you press on them).
2.  Drizzle with the icing that came with them (or make your own).

DONE!!  Seriously...is that not amazing?  They taste really good too.  I bought two packages (8 rolls in each can) and that wasn't enough for my family.  Next time I'd do 3-4 packages.  They cook up so quickly that they would be great for a family get-together.  They're not very big, so they look like baby waffles.  Great for a brunch!  Oh, and by the way, you can also use any other refrigerated sweet roll or biscuit.  I think I need to try Orange Roll Waffles next.......<drool>

One serving is 2-4 rolls, depending
Oh my.
Source:  A Hen's Nest




GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
And now, what you have been waiting for:  The giveaway!  

To celebrate Christmas, the Mormon Mavens are hosting a great giveaway from Pampered Chef consultant Heather Lima.  Heather has graciously agreed to offer some great Pampered Chef products that are sure to help you with your holiday baking!

Get on with it, you say? Okay, okay.....here's what Heather is giving away to ONE lucky Mormon Mavens reader:



  • one set of Bamboo Prep towels--soft, plush, and absorbent towels; 22" x 14"; machine washable and made from renewabale/sustainable bamboo; sells for $17.50
  • a set of Easy Read Measuring Cups--so great for measuring liquids (no more bending over and looking sideways);  standard and metric measures that you can read from above, flared rims prevent drips; set of 3 cups--1-cup, 2-cup, and 4-cup;  microwave- and dishwasher-safe; sells for $23

I don't know about you, but I am drooling over those measuring cups!

Interested?  Yeah.  We thought you would be.  

Here are the details:
  • You can have up to 5 entries.
  • Continental U.S. residents only (sorry!).
  • YOU MUST LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY.  Leaving one comment with all your stuff in it counts as one entry!!
  • Giveaway will run from Monday, December 12 through Friday, December 16.
  • Winner will be announced on Saturday, December 17. (If we can get your address before Monday, we can get these goodies shipped to you by Christmas Eve!)
  • You MUST include your email address in each entry you submit so that we have a way of contacting you if you win!
  • Entries that don't meet the above requirements will not be considered.
  • Winner will be chosen using random.org.

Here's how you can enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY:  Send an email to Heather at heather_lima@yahoo.com and request a subscription to her Pampered Chef newsletter, then come back here and leave a comment telling us that you did so.  (make sure and tell her your first name so she knows how to greet you in your newsletter)

OPTIONAL ENTRIES:  
  • Be a follower of the Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen (and leave a separate comment telling us that you are).
  • "Like" Heather's Pampered Chef page on Facebook (and then come back here and leave a separate comment here telling us that you did).
  • Leave a comment on Heather's Pampered Chef page on Facebook telling her what Pampered Chef product you wish was under the Christmas tree for you (and then come back here and leave a separate comment here telling us that you did)!
  • Leave your contact info for Heather on her "Contact Me" page (and then come back here leave a separate comment here telling us that you did).
Good luck, everyone!  And MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cookies and Cream Oreo Bark

This may be one of the easiest treats I've ever made!  Two ingredients = Perfect, stress-free Christmas treat!

Ingredients:
10 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate chips
15 regular size Oreos, chopped
3 regular size Oreos for topping, finely chopped

1.  Place chocolate in a double boiler and melt, stirring continuously, over low heat.  If you don't have a double boiler (like me) you can melt the chocolate in a small saucepan.  Just be very, VERY careful!  Once chocolate has melted completely, transfer to a heat proof bowl.  Cool for 5 minutes.

2.  While chocolate cools, line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper.  Leave at least a 1" overhang on each side.

3.  Add chopped Oreos to cooled chocolate and mix.  Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth out the top using a spatula.  Sprinkle the finely chopped Oreos on top.

4.  Chill the bark in the fridge until chocolate becomes solid.  When ready, hold the overhang pieces of parchment paper and carefully lift the bark out.  Split bark into pieces with a fork.  Enjoy!

Source: Bakers Royal

* To save on time you could easily melt the chocolate in the microwave!
* Next time I make these I won't chop up my Oreos so much...my bark looks a little too gray.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Grilled Steak with Herbs

I fell madly in love with Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food the moment I laid eyes on it. Even though it is sometimes a little pricey, I love to work in her wholesome, organic recipes where possible. A good friend of mine who lives in California was able to dine at her restaurant, Chez Panisse, last fall for her birthday and scored me an autographed copy of her 2nd cookbook, In the Green Kitchen, which I have spent equal time poring over.

One of my favorite recipes shows up in both of these books with very little variation. Try it the next time you're grilling steaks and you'll never go back to store-bought marinades or rubs again.




Mix together and rub into the steak:
3 Tbsp mixed chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, savory or marjoram (I like to use at least 3 different herbs - more if I have them)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled or finely chopped (or minced)
1 1/2 tsp coarse/ Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh-ground black-pepper

Drizzle with:
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil




Let the steak sit for 1 hour at room temperature before grilling. My husband is the grill-master and likes to sear each side (for the cute little grill marks), then turn off the middle burners on our gas grill (where the steaks are lying) leaving on only the side burners to keep it warm enough to just barely cook. He likes a lot of pink and I'm convinced that's the best way to enjoy steak.



Source(s): In The Green Kitchen and The Art of Simple Food (both by Alice Waters)

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Cookbook Nook: THRIVE Cookbook



How many of you are overly-whelmed when you think about purchasing/organizing/rotating/eating your food storage?  I am.  Believe me.  I have purchased several books, including Food Storage for the Clueless, in an attempt to get up-close and personal with my preparedness and really get my head around it.  Well...still working on that.  However, I have found a few ways to help ME.  One is, I got on the Q program with Shelf Reliance's THRIVE foods.  I get an automatic shipment each month and they figure out what I need and just ship it.  Anyway, you can find out more about that HERE.  I recently ordered their new cookbook which is fully titled "THRIVE Cookbook: Food That Fits Your Lifestyle."  I like the sound of that don't you?




  I have only used a couple of the recipes so far, but we like them!  They taste good.  They taste normal.  I am looking forward to preparing many more dishes from this book and using...yes USING..my food storage. 

STUFFED PEPPERS!!

(For Cooking Channel fans, Kelsey Nixon is very involved with THRIVE foods and has included several signature recipes in this book.)