Hip Builders

Ingredients:

2 C flour

2 1/2 C oatmeal

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/2 C butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

*************************************************************************

1 C chopped pecans

1 C Mrs. Richardson's Caramel fudge or Smuckers Dulce de leche milk caramel topping

2 C choc. chips

How to Make:

Melt butter and mix with first ingredients (the ones before the ********). Set 1/3 or the mix aside and pat the rest in the bottom of a 9x13 "pam sprayed" dish. Bake @ 350 for 10 min.

While that is cooking: Chop pecans into small pieces. Melt (until runny) 1 C of fudge or caramel topping.

When the first 10 min is done baking remove it from the oven and immediately sprinkle 2 C chocolate chips on top of hot mixture. Sprinkle pecans on top of choc chips then pour the runny topping over that. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 of the mixture over the top of that. Bake 10- 15 min more. Cool and cut in to small squares because they really do build up those hips!

I am moving

I am moving to a far off place for a short time.
I can not take all my lovely recipe books with me. And so I will be uploading many many recipes so that I don't have to leave my cooking behind. After all, I am not so sure I will love all the food where I am going. And so I must know how to cook!
Perhaps I will find something foreign to me that I will share with you when I get there!

refried bean burritos

Tonight for dinner we ate bean and cheese burritos. The thought of just refried beans slapped into a tortilla shell smothered in cheese didn't completely set well with me... so I spiced up the idea with veggies and hid them in the beans so the Mr. McKay wouldn't feel obligated to remind me that he doesn't love to eat such green foods... The beans turned out amazing... I had kids and a husband eating bowls full... And so I never want to forget how I made such goodness. Here you go... I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion

1/2 yellow bell pepper

1 small zucchini

2 small jalapenos

1/4 C chopped celantro

1- 2 C arugula

Celtic sea salt

pepper

olive oil

1 can great white northern beans

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

3 oz cream cheese

Begin your refried bean experience by:

chop all veggies small

in a fry pan, saute onions in 3 T olive oil until they become translucent. Add remaining ingredients and saute until soft! Pepper and salt to taste. (I have fallen in love with Celtic Sea Salt... I will never go back to regular salt... This stuff actually pulls flavor out of your food!)

Drain beans thoroughly! AS IN... NO LIQUID!!! (or you will have refried bean soup!)

In a separate pan, heat up beans with 3 oz cream cheese until cheese is melted.

in a blender pour veggie mix and puree. Pour hot beans on top and blend together. Not too long or the beans will turn into soupy mix. Though the flavor will be right, it is difficult to get the consistency right for burritos. However, if that happens, no biggy... just make cheese crisps and dip them into the bean dip!

pour refried beans back into the pan to keep warm while making burritos. I use whole wheat tortillas and sometimes put in a scoop of brown rice. YUMMY!

*Some reasonable garnishes would be celantro, Rosie's homemade salsa, a dobber of sour cream and fresh avacado. Is your mouth watering yet?

Yummiest pie crust EVER!

I've never been a lover of pie. It is simply because mum made wonderful cake... and since the pie crust always tastes like cardboard, I opted to pass over the pie and head straight for the cake. But, my service in the Young Women program pushed me to learn how to make pie one day... that was so I could teach the girls how to make them! I was determined to make a pie that was worth eating! If this was their beginning of good pies then by golly!... it better be worth the calories and also taste good to their future wee ones and manly husbands! So I made up this little recipe by joining a few cookie and pie crust recipes which landed in taste bud delight. If I do say so myself, it was the best pie crust I've ever eaten... Hope you'll enjoy every last flaky bite! This recipe is dedicated to all my lovely young women in the Lazona ward. Because I love them with all my heart I would do anything in the world for them. ANYTHING! Even learn to make pie.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Cornstarch

1 C powder sugar

2 3/4 C flour

1tsp salt

2/3 C oil

1 C butter (melted)

3Tbsp water

1tsp vanilla

To make pie dough:

mix all dry ingredients: cornstarch, powder sugar, flour, salt.

then add all wet ingredients and stir: butter, water, oil, vanilla.

Let pie crust sit for an hour. At this point if the dough isn't formed enough to roll out, then add another 1/4 C of flour.

Dough will make one closed pie and one open pie.

Split into 3 balls. Roll ball between wax paper. Bake according to pie directions.

Artichoke parmesan sourdough stuffing

Debbie gave me this recipe. 'nuf said! Honestly... don't put it in the bird! I believe this originated in Sunset magazine (Nov 2008). I made it last year for my fabulous husband's parents when they joined us for dinner. It was delish! serves 12 (makes 10 C) Time 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

1Lb mushrooms, rinsed, ends trimmed, and sliced
1 Tbsp butter
2 onions (3/4 lb. total), chopped
1 C chopped celery
2 Tbsp minced garlic (fresh)
About 2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 loaf (1lb) sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-in cubes
2 jars (6 oz each) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 1/2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary leaves or 3/4 tsp crumbled dried rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lg egg

Steps to Prepare:

1) In a 12-in frying pan over high heat, cook mushrooms, butter, onions, celery, and garlic, stirring often, until vegetables are lightly browned, about 15 min. Pour into a large bow. Add a bit of broth to pan and stir to scrape up browned bits. Add to bowl.

2) pour 2 C broth into bowl and add bread, artichoke hearts, and Parmesan, poultry seasoning, and rosemary; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make a well in stuffing. Add egg and beat with a fork to blend; mix egg with stuffing.

3) Preheat oven to 325 degrees to 350 degrees. Spoon stuffing into a shallow 3 qrt (0x13 dish) casserole. For moist stuffing, cover with foil; for crusty stuffing,k do not cover. Bake until hot or lightly browned, about 50 min.

Make ahead: up to 1 day ahead, make stuffing, put in casserole, cover, and chill. Allow about 1 hour to bake.

Don't forget the potatoes...

Don't forget garlic mashed potato delights. These beauties are HEAVENLY!

WARNING:

If you make these you will be invited to re-make them next year for your food assignment also.

Aunt Sherry's yams

As young children we couldn't even wash down candied yams with sparkiling apple cider... they just never tasted right. No offense to those of you who look forward to marshmallows on your yams... Needless to say, there was always a left over pan of yams on the Thanksgiving table. Every year mum talked us into trying "just one bite". How could she ask us to eat them when she didn't even eat them herself? Then one year Aunt Sherry had the assignment for yams. Ever since then, there are just not enough. They are a family favorite, even among the wee ones... The only other recipe that even rivals is Rosie's yams and quinoa... I'll try to coax her into posting them before the big feast! Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

5-7 yams (peeled and cut to boil)

chicken bullion

brown sugar

salt

1/2- 3/4 C walnuts

1 C butter (melted)

To Make:

boil peeled and cut yams in chicken bullion water until soft (about 10-15 min)

place in a 9X13 dish

sprinkle with brown sugar (more or less for sweet taste)

lightly salt over top

sprinkle chopped walnuts over entire top of yams (again, to taste)

drizzle butter over the top and watch them yams begin to soak in such delight!

* Preheat oven 325 degrees F

Bake @ 325 degrees F for 20 min