Funeral Potatoes

 Made these today...was in the mood. Everyone simply loved them! So gratifying. Such a wonderful comfort food. No wonder they are served a lot at Mormon funerals.

Funeral Potatoes  

1  30 or 32 ounce bag frozen shredded potatoes for hash browns
1     10  1/2 ounce can cream of chicken soup
3   cups light sour cream
2  cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
dash garlic powder
few dashes black pepper
1/3 cup melted butter
```````2 cups crushed cornflakes
        3 tablespoons melted butter
Directions: Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Put thawed shredded potatoes into the baking dish.Combine well (in large bowl) soup concentrate, sour cream, cheese, butter, onions, garlic powder and pepper. Gently blend into the potatoes.  Combine the crushed cornflakes and the 3 tablesp. melted butter. Sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 12 servings.

Whip Cream Tip

When you need only a small amount of whipped cream, but don’t want to pull out the mixer and make a big batch (and mess)…use your immersion blender! Pour your whipping cream (1 cup or less) into a 4 cup measuring cup, and use immersion blender to whip cream until thickened. Add sugar and vanilla extract if needed. Half the time, half the clean up and no wasted whipping cream!

—Alison, This Homemade Life

http://www.thefauxmartha.com/

Florentine Cookies

This is my favorite recipe so far. I like it because it does not require corn syrup like some recipes do. I do add grated orange rind to this (1-2 teaspoons)

Florentine Cookies from Food Network
10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, sugar, honey, and cream to a rolling boil. Stir in almonds and oats and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until batter thickens slightly and smells of toasted almonds. Take mixture off heat and drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets. I get 8 cookies per sheet...4 on each side. They need a lot of room to spread out. Bake until golden brown around the edges and a lighter brown in the middle. Watch these carefully..they burn fast.. % minutes to 8 minutes or so is the oven time. Take peeks often.

When done, I take cookie sheet out of oven, let it sit for a minute, and carefully grasp  the edge of the parchment and slide the whole thing off quickly onto a newspaper or another big cookie sheet...or whatever surface you think good. No need to use a spatula to carefully remove them from the pan. they cool quickly. Melt chocolate chips while allowing cookies to cool, and finish by spreading melted choc. on the bottom of one cookie and then attaching it to the bottom of another cookie, sandwich style. These are sometimes called lace cookies because there are small holes in the finished cookie.

I Need A Little Cheese Ball

Oh, I need a little cheese ball,
 right this very minute.
Better'n  fudge or cookies
I will savor every bit.

Here is the recipe I like to use:



C H E E S E   B A L L
Make ahead of time to allow flavors to blend.
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
8-oz. block Cheddar cheese, shredded (Shred your own)
1 T. onion, finely chopped
2 T. pimento, drained, finely chopped...or red bell pepper
2 T. green pepper, finely chopped
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. lemon juice
⅛ t. salt
⅛ t. cayenne pepper
½ c. chopped walnuts, toasted

Crackers

Directions:
Beat cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer; add Cheddar, beat just until blended. Mix
in remaining ingredients except the walnuts and crackers. Place mixture on plastic wrap and shape
into a ball; chill thoroughly. Roll in chopped walnuts and serve with crackers. Makes about 3 cups.
TIP: Shredding your own cheese instead of using preshredded cheese binds the cheese ball and creates a creamier texture.

My new Chocolate Syrup Recipe

I am proud to present:

Cocoa Honey Ice Cream Topping

1  1/2 cups water
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup honey (or more, to taste)

Combine in a small sauce pan and cook and stir over medium heat until
you have a fragrant chocolatey yummy liquid .If you stop stirring (spoon or whisk..but whisk is better), it may burn on the bottom. Then turn the heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until it comes to a more syrupy consistency. Then take off heat, cool it off for a few minutes and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir and pour into glass jar (A mason jar is best...these do not break if your pour really hot liquid into them. If you have a regular glass jar, then cool off the syrup until it is merely warm.)

Use as topping for ice cream or stir into milk for chocolate milk...or hot chocolate. 

Why I like this recipe: It is way more healthy than our traditional Decadent Fudge Sauce. It is much more economical to make, too!

Mousse Made with Coconut Milk

Mousse Made With Coconut Milk
Amy found this recipe and tried it this morning. Very yummy! She is avoiding dairy, so this creamy non dairy dessert is perfect!
 1. Obtain 13.6 oz can of Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk. It HAS to be Thai Kitchen. Open the can and discard the lid. Place in refrigerator over night. (Not freezer, just refrigerator.)

 2. In the morning, scoop out contents of can into bowl. Add 1/4 cup cocoa and 1 or 2 packets Truvia. Each packet has 1 teaspoon. Or use stevia product of your choice, to taste. Stir until well combined.

3. Serve.

I Just Love Frittatas

There are many different recipes for a frittata. This is how I made my most recent one (pictured)
1. Saute 1/4 onion, finely diced,  in iron skillet. Turn heat off after onions are transparent.
2. Have some chopped up cooked greens ready. I used kale this time...a big bunch was reduced, through cooking and fine chopping and squeezing the moisture out...into 1 cup packed chopped greens.
3. Have about 2 cups of brown rice, cooked (leftovers are great) ready to go...or more.
4. Have some grated cheese ready to go.
5. Break 7 or 8 eggs into a bowl and whisk until all blended and frothy.
6. Add the rice, chopped greens, cooked onion and about a handful of shredded cheese and stir until well combined.

The skillet should be refreshed with a teaspoon or 2 of oil, and heated for 30 seconds and then you add the egg mixture. The heat should be turned to low...very low..and you should sprinkle grated cheese on top. Then put a lid on and let cook nice and slow for about 20 minutes or until egg is set. Bring skillet to table and cut frittata into wedges and serve. We like Tapa Tio on it.