Grandma's Rice Pudding

Growing up, my grandma would serve us rice pudding quite frequently. I always looked forward to it, though I always did wish it was just a little sweeter (my sweet-tooth). When she passed on, I checked with the family and no one really knew her recipe. I guess she just made it from her head, heart and habit. I was chatting with a friend, Debbi, and she gave me this recipe. I finally tried it today and it is so yummy. It does remind me a lot of my Gammi's (but I put a little more sugar than she would have I think). I hope my kids will like it too, and maybe someday my grandchildren.

ingredients:

1-2 cups cooked rice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

raisins

3 cups warm milk

directions:

1. Mix dry cooked rice with spices. Add sugar. Combine eggs vanilla and add to rice mixture. Add the desired amount of raisins.

2. Add 3 cups warm milk, microwave 1 minute per cup; mix again with fork. Put in double boiler.

3. Cook for 90 minutes. Remove from water. Let cool completely

*If you want more custard, add 1 more egg and 1 more cup of warm milk.

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Homemade White Bread

I recently had surgery, and a good friend of mind, Cindy, brought a delicious meal to my family. I wasn't able to eat much, but I did have some of her bread and immediately asked for the recipe. I just made it this morning and it was super quick and easy...and yes, yummy! I think the bread flour really makes a difference in the success of your homemade bread. I did the "bread machine option" just to make the mixing/kneading easier. I baked it in one of my Pampered Chef loaf stones. It is delightfully yummy!

ingredients:

1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)

1 1/4 cup warm water

3 1/4 cup bread flour

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water in a large bowl. Add the oil, sugar and salt and 2 cups of flour, and mix with a mixer. Slowly add the remaining flour by hand until it becomes a nice dough.

2. Cover and let rise about 30 minutes. Punch batter down, and make into a loaf, placing it in a greased 9x5" loaf pan.

3. Allow the dough to rise again for about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

bread machine option:

1. Dissolve the yeast and water in a bowl--pour into bread maker. Add the rest of the ingredients and let it mix on any cycle until it becomes a nice dough - usually about 6 or 7 minutes.

2. Unplug bread machine and just let the dough rise inside for the first 30 minutes. Take dough out, shape into a nice loaf, and put in a greased loaf pan. Let it rise 30 more minutes.

3. Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

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Crock Pot Candied Chicken

It's not really candied chicken, it is a sweet and delicious tasting chicken. I found this on a fun web-site/blog that has a TON of crock-pot recipes. We tried it and I thought I'd share it with all of you.

ingredients:

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs or 6 boneless skinless breast halves (or mix both)

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon-lime soda

2/3 cup vinegar (use your favorite)

3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. ground pepper

directions:

1. Place your chicken in the crock pot. Cover with brown sugar, pepper, garlic and soy sauce. Add the vinegar and soda.

2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked it for 6 hours and the chicken was a bit too done...I think I'll cook it for closer to 5 hours on low--tops. It cooked up really quick. It will differ slightly also if the chicken is frozen or thawed. It was VERY yummy though! Just watch your chicken--you know your crock pot best too.

Serve with Rice and your favorite veggies.

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Sloppy Joes

I've made this periodically for my family--it's one of our favorite dinner nights. We love these Sloppy Joes, and really, the ingredients are all pretty much right here at home.

ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

dry minced onion

1 1/2 cup ketchup

2 Tbsp. vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

directions:

1. Brown your beef with a few shakes of minced onion (optional). Drain beef.

2. In a small sauce pan, combine remaining ingredients. Add more vinegar or brown sugar to get the taste and tangy-ness you desire. If you like your Joes real sloppy, add more of each ingredient. Let ingredients stew for 5-10 minutes.

3. Combine sauce with the beef. Serve on your favorite bun or roll.

*We love our Sloppy Joes with steamed broccoli. You can do chips, or any of your favorite veggies.

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Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

We had this too at the camp out and it was quite tasty. My friend had all the ingredients in a bag and ready to go--the dry ingredients together, then butter and peaches each separately. It made it quite easy to throw together once at the camp site. I can imagine that I can make it in my Dutch oven, but place it in my oven at home at 350 degrees. This recipe is an adaptation from Byron's Dutch Oven Recipes.

Serves: 12

ingredients:

1 1/2 stick butter

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 cups milk

4-5 cups sliced peaches

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

directions:

1. Melt butter in a 12" Dutch oven. (use 10-12 briquettes on bottom unless you are stacking your ovens--then use whatever is top heat for first oven, and put 16 to top of this cobbler)

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir to mix. Add milk and beat until batter is smooth. Pour batter over melted butter--do not stir. Carefully add peaches over top of the batter--do not stir. Sprinkle cinnamon over top.

3. Cover and bake using 10-12 briquettes on bottom and 18-20 on top for 45-60 minutes rotating oven and lid 1/4 turn in opposite directions every 10 minutes until crust is golden brown.

4. Serve topped with whipped cream or with vanilla ice cream.

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Dutch Oven Teriyaki Chicken & Potatoes

Our ward had a camp out recently, and it was so much fun. A friend of mine and I decided to "dutch oven"-it together. I made the main course and she made the desert. Some while back, for one of our Relief Society Enrichment nights, we had a demonstration on Dutch Oven cooking...it was a fabulous demonstration and I was so inspired that I went out and bought a great pre-seasoned Dutch oven the very next day. I hadn't gotten a chance to use it until our ward camp out.

Cooking in a Dutch oven isn't very complicated, but you do need to have some instructions. I will provide those at the end of this recipe. The teriyaki chicken and potatoes were fabulous and I got GREAT compliments on the dish. I must say myself, that it was a grand success--especially as it was my 1st time dutch-oven-ing.

I imagine (and I'm going to attempt it) that you can prepare this for the crock pot as well. This recipe below cooks enough for 2 large families, so you may want to half the recipe for you sole family...or invite other over--maybe the missionaries--they have great appetites!!

ingredients:
10 boneless chicken breasts (or 16 breast cutlets)
Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce (you can buy this at Costco--and check your store too)
or
your favorite thick Teriyaki Sauce

8-10 potatoes, thinly sliced (peeled or unpeeled)
2 lbs bacon
1 large onion

directions:
1. Brown the bacon in a hot Dutch oven, or prior in your own skillet. Add diced onion (we minced our onion so as to not have big chunks of onion).

2. Brown chicken in hot Dutch oven, or prior in your skillet. It does not need to be cooked through as it will finish cooking in the Dutch oven.

3. With a little of the left over bacon grease, drizzle it on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Place a layer of chicken, top with Yoshida sauce (as much as you desire), potatoes, bacon and onions. Continue this layering.

4. Place lid on the dutch oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour on hot coals. You need to rotated the dutch oven on the coals 1/4 turn every 15 minutes, and rotate the lid 1/4 turn every 15 minutes as well.

5. If you want, try making this in the crock-pot. I'm sure it will taste rather yummy as well.

*Heat your coals prior to placing the dutch oven on them. The best way to do this is to use a charcoal starter (see picture). We can Dutch-oven cook at home...we bought a large aluminum drip pan that you can buy at Wal-Mart or an Auto store. Place the coals right on it--area of course is hot, so use caution!!

*How many coals do I use so I don't burn the food, here's a great formula...and easy to figure out!

Plus Four – Minus Four Rule

Dutch Oven Size Minus four briquettes on bottom
Dutch Oven Size Plus four briquettes on top
12” oven – 8 (12-4) briquettes on bottom, 16 (12+4) briquettes on top

14” oven – 10 (14-4) briquettes on bottom, 18 (14+4) briquettes on top

*For more instructions on how to Dutch-oven cook, email me!

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Cheesy Chicken Manicotti

My sister recently passed this recipe along to me. We finally were able to try it and it was rather yummy! Thanks Marcie!

ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup (you can use 98% fat-free)

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 lb. (4 oz.) Velveeta Cheese (you can use Velveeta 2% for lower fat)

2 cups frozen broccoli florets (I used fresh)

12 manicotti pasta shells, uncooked

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut to 1/2-inch strips (cooked or uncooked)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Mix soup, water, and Velveeta in microwavable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 3 minutes or until Velveeta is melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 2 minutes.

2. Pour 1/3 of the soup mixture onto the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside. Add broccoli florets to the remaining soup mixture.

3. Stuff pasta shells with the chicken strips; placing in baking dish. Cover completely with remaining soup/broccoli mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil.

4. Bake 45-50 minutes or until pasta is tender and chicken is cooked through.

yield: 6 servings, 2 manicotti shells each.

prep time: 10 minutes

total time: 1 hour

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