Best Lemonade I have EVER made!!!

Made this recipe this morning... but changed it up a little. I juiced 4 lemons. Added 1/2 cup truvia to the lemon juice and mixed this together with 2 qt of cold water. Pretty good... definitely better than Kool - aid and almost as good as chick-fil-a:)

5 Cup Fruit Salad

Since I was a little girl I remember my mom making this dish... and one of the things I loved about it was even though it is filled with dessert type things we could eat it as a side dish:) One little girl wouldn't like that!!! I now let our children enjoy it right along side their Thanksgiving turkey or Easter ham... it is a FAVORITE!!!

5 Cup Fruit Salad

2 pkg. Dream Whip (made according to box)
2 cans pineapple chunks
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 jar cherries
bag of marshmallows

Mix together. Refrigerate for a couple of hours and enjoy!!!

***You can also add walnuts if you want but we leave those out because of sensitivities to nuts:)

Oreo Cookie Dessert

 

 

 

 

This is a dessert that my sister in law, Tamara Greenwood, has been bringing to family functions for a while now. It is super yummy and creamy. It is a recipe that has been in her family for a long time. I like the how recipes get grafted into other family recipe collections; through marriage, friendship and great dinners together. :)

 

 

1 pkg. oreos (leave 1 out for crumbling on top) Use half of pkg. for first layer and other half for second layer

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened

1 stick margarine softened

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk

½ cup powdered sugar

12 oz. cool whip

 

(Best if made the day/night before)

Allow cream cheese and margarine to soften and then mix.  Mix pudding with cream cheese/margarine mix, milk and powdered sugar for 2 minutes with electric mixer.  Stir in cool whip.  Make 1 layer of cookies, pour half of mixture over 1^st cookie layer, put another layer of cookies and pour rest of mixture over, crumble 1 cookie crust (take out cream and eat it!) on top.

Braised Short Ribs

 

 

 

Ingredients

• 8 whole Beef Short Ribs
• Kosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
• 1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
• 6 pieces Pancetta, Diced (Bacon worked fine)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
• 2 cups Red Or White Wine
• 2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 2 sprigs Rosemary (For the Fresh stuff, I used a healthy sprinkling of Italian seasoning which contains both Thyme and Rosemary, 'cause that's what I had on hand)

Preparation Instructions

Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven(if you don't have a dutch oven, it is fine to just bake it in a 13x9 covered with foil. Just start in a large pan and transfer to your baking pan after you boil the liquid), cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Serve 2 ribs on bed of creamy polenta, spooning a little juice over the top.

We don't like polenta so we served them with mashed potatoes with butter, cream cheese and seasoning salt in them.

Soooooo good. This recipe is easily in the top 5 things I have ever made and comes from Pioneer Woman-Ree Drumond.

Chopped Chicken Salad

This is an awesome recipe that is THM (Trim Healthy Mama or, in Drew's case, Man;) approved... this is a diet that Drew and I have been doing off and on for the last little while but we are now ready to get back on it:) And this is delicious!!! A perfect meal for co-op days:)

Chopped Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
• 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I use a rotisserie chicken)
• 3/4 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped
• 1/4 Granny Smith apple, diced
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded or diced in small cubes
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 5 drops Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Dill weed and basil, fresh or dried to taste
• 1/4-1/3cup mayonnaise (or to taste)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, save mayo for last - use just enough to moisten. Can eat immediately or chill first, stays good in fridge about 2 days. Tastes great as is with a fork, no need for bread, wrap or crackers.

Brooklyn Blackout Cake

This is a super yummy chocolate cake recipe that came from Taste of Home. I think this might be a go to recipe when we want a chocolate cake. It is really rich, so cut it in small pieces! :)

 

Tip: Make your pudding and frosting first, so that those can be cooling in your fridge while your cake is baking and cooling. Also, you will not need all of this frosting for your cake. It is too much, so don't just start to put the whole thing on there. The frosting is kind of a runny ganache, but will firm up when you cool it. I put the whole thing out in the garage (It's winter time, right now) to set up.

 

Ingredients

PUDDING:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

FROSTING:

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a small heavy saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in

milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Reduce heat to low; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in

chocolate until melted. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vanilla. Cool

slightly, stirring occasionally. Press plastic wrap onto surface of

pudding. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours or until cold.

 

Preheat oven to 325°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round

baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper. In a small bowl,

whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large

saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cocoa; cook and stir

until blended. Stir in sugars. Remove from heat; stir in buttermilk,

coffee and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until blended.

Stir in flour mixture just until combined.

 

Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until

toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10

minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool

completely.

 

For frosting, in the top of a double boiler or a metal bowl over hot

water, melt chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Remove from

heat. Whisk in hot water, all at once. Whisk in corn syrup and

vanilla. Refrigerate 25-30 minutes or just until spreadable.

 

Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.

Place a cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half of the

pudding. Repeat layers. Top with a third cake layer. Spread frosting

over top and sides of cake.

 

Crumble remaining cake layer; sprinkle over top and sides of cake,

pressing lightly to adhere. Refrigerate leftovers.

Ham Poppyseed sliders

I have made these twice now with wonderful compliments. A great addition to a party. :)

This recipe makes 24 mini sandwiches.

1 24 pack of the King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1 lb of thinly sliced ham (or more or less, depending how much ham you like)
1 lb of thinly sliced Swiss cheese (again to preference)
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
mayonnaise
poppy seeds

First, slice your rolls through the middle into sandwiches. Spread mayo liberally on the inside of the bottom piece. Arrange your ham and Swiss on this. Spread mayo on the inside of your top piece and form the sandwich. Arrange in your 13x9.

After you have made your sandwiches, you will make your sauce. In a small saucepan, add the butter, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Heat over medium heat until melted and whisk together.   Pour this over your prepared sandwiches. Then, sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top of the sandwiches. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese has melted. Enjoy!!