Pumpkin Doughnuts

We are trying these doughnuts tonight on the recommendation of Katie from No Big Dill.  I'll let you know how they turn out.

Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

I made this for dinner today and it was oober yummy and well received by the Mikey.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches

3 Pound beef boneless chuck roast

1 C. BBQ sauce

1/2 C. apricot preserves

1/3 C. green bell pepper

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp. packed brown sugar

1 small onion, sliced

12 kaiser or hamburger buns

1. Trim fat from beef. Cut beef into 4 pieces. Place beef in 4 to 5 quart slow cooker.

2. Mix remaining ingredients except buns; pour over beef. Cover and cook on low heat for 7 to 8 hours or until beef in tender.

3. Remove beef to cutting board; cut into thin slices; return to cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes longer or until beef is hot. Us slotted spoon to remove meat from drippings. Fill buns with beef mixture.

Note: apricot preserves can be substituted with peach or orange marmalade.

I used a vinegar based BBQ sauce so if you don't I recommend adding 1 or 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Also I diced the onions instead of slicing them and shredded the meat because it was so tender and moist it was falling apart.

Hedgehog's Yellow Cake

This is Olivia's new favorite recipe because it comes from her second grade reader and is attached to a story about a hedgehog whose friends help him bake a cake (very cute).  It's basic, but delicious, reminding me of good sugar cookies.  I can think of a lot of ways to dress this sucker up.  (Grandma Nielson's fudge frosting anyone?)

Hedgehog's Yellow Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1-1/4 cup self-rising flour (or 1-1/4 cup regular flour, plus 1/2 tsp. salt and 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder)
1 tsp vanilla (good vanilla--Watkin's is the best)
1. Ask an adult to set the oven to 350.
2.  Butter a 9-inch round pan.
3. Mix butter and sugar together in a bowl.
4.  Add eggs, one by one.
5.  Add vanilla.
6.  Mix in flour.
7.  Put batter into pan and bake for half an hour.
8.  Eat warm with a glass of milk.

To Detox from my vacation

You know after you've eaten at restaurants for a week, and you feel a little sluggish?  Well, this is the solution.  Yum!  It's a copycat version of a salad Mom and I shared at a restaurant (Pier in Petoskey--Petoskey?) last week in Michigan.  That was delicious.  This one isn't as perfect, but it still hit the spot.

Yummy Salad

1 box organic spring greens/spinach mix from Wal-Mart ($2.50--gotta love that)
1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, diced (white is prettier, but I just had orange)
1 handful dried cherries
1 handful dried cranberries
1 handful sliced almonds, toasted
1 cucumber
1/2 loaf french bread, made into croutons (like this recipe)
2 chicken breasts, sauteed or grilled, and sliced into strips
1 recipe apricot vinaigrette, below

Toss everything together except the chicken, croutons, and dressing.  Arrange the chicken and croutons artfully on top. (Or don't put any chicken on, if your kids decide one night that they'd rather die than eat chicken.)  Drizzle with vinaigrette.  (Unless vinaigrette is also poison.  Which it might just be, if you are 7 years old.)

Apricot Vinaigrette

1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
dash of salt
sprinkle of pepper

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whir away until thoroughly combined.  I think this would probably work with any preserves (raspberry?  strawberry?  Yum.)

Very Helpful

This recipe is one of my new essentials.  It has less sugar, salt, and fat than store-bought spaghetti or pizza sauce, and it tastes much fresher and more tomato-ey.  Which I love.  (I was attempting to recreate Giordano's sauce, and I didn't quite succeed, but it's much closer than Prego or Ragu.)  Plus, it's cheaper, since I stock up on the Great Value brand tomatoes.

Pasta (or Pizza) Sauce

1 can (14 oz?--regular size) Italian style diced tomatoes (the kind with basil, oregano, and garlic)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. minced garlic (which I get from a bottle for this recipe, but you could mince your own.  Maybe 1 clove?)

Toss everything in the blender and blend away.  I use it just like this, most of the time, but you can also cook it in a flat saucepan (heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the pan first) until it thickens a little.  That makes the tomato flavor more rich and less fresh.

This is the best sauce for a margherita-style pizza when it's winter and the fresh tomatoes are not-so-fresh and from somewhere like Chile.  :)

Susanne's Carmel Corn

I love the Fall!!!!! The leaves change, the temp. drops and it's time for Fall Treats:)

Carmel Corn

2 c. brown sugar

1 stick butter

1 c. Lt. karo syrup

1 can sweeten condensed milk

Dash or 2 of salt

4 bags microwave popcorn

Pop popcorn:)

Cook syrup and sugar on med. heat till sugar dissolves stirring constantly. Add butter and cook till melted then add milk. Cook on Med-high till sauce resembles soft ball then add salt. Adjust the amount if you used butter with salt or without salt.

Mix sauce with popcorn then lay flat on wax paper to cool. Yummers!!!

Next time we're going to sprinkle in some bacon:)

Frito Salad

I first had this at my Bridal shower and I loved it. Tomorrow is the ward social and I'm taking it:) I made it for a ward party last year and it was all gone. Which is what I like. There's nothing more embarrassing than taking home food from a social that was barely touched.

Frito Salad

2 can's Black beans, drained and rinsed

2 can's Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 can's Pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 or 3 green onions, sliced thinly

2 Tomatoes, diced, not to small though

1 Bottle Catalina salad dressing

1 bag Frito's

Set Frito's aside. Mix remaining ingredients. Mix in Frito's just before serving. I'm also adding a can of sliced olives this time.