must have for this holiday season...

this is a pantry must have, not only for the holidays, but year round!!!! my neighbor brought me over a can & i have been hooked ever since! with all the holiday baking this time of year you don't have to run to the store when you forgot the buttermilk. you'll be so glad you have it. not to mention the shelf life! comes in a box or tub.

** i even use it for my buttermilk syrup:)

kesley's pretzel jello salad...

i have had 3 people call me for this recipe this week & each time they ask if it's on the recipe blog & i have to answer no. but why isn't it??? i don't know why i haven't posted it yet. so here it is!

{kesley’s pretzel jello salad}

2 c. crushed pretzels

3/4 c. melted butter

2 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese

8 oz. Cool Whip

1 c. powdered sugar

1 lg. box raspberry,strawberry or blackberry Jello

2 cups frozen berries of any kind

Mix together pretzels, melted butter and the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Then press in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool. Mix cream cheese, Cool Whip and 1 cup of powdered sugar; pour over pretzel crust.

Dissolve large package of raspberry Jello in 2 cups boiling water. Add 2 packages of frozen raspberries not drained. Mix well and pour over cream cheese. Chill for a couple hours.

mary's brown bag apple pie...

just in time for Thanksgiving! kristin brought this recipe, from her mother-in-law mary, last month & it was oh, so delicious!!! i had heard of baking the pie in a paper bag but had never done it myself or tasted on that had been cooked that way. it was perfect! so if you haven't tried it & have wanted to, or not wanted to:) try it this week for Thanksgiving!

{picture courtesy of theelegantfarmer.com}

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 T cold milk

Pat all ingredients into a pie pan

Slice and put in crust:

• 4 cups sliced apples (7-8)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted
• 1/2 cup sugar

Sprinkle topping on and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Bake in a brown grocery bag (place on a cookie sheet to avoid spilling in oven!

market streets creamy clam chowder...

in staying with the theme of yesterday... here is another great take-out, made-in recipe from kristin. we went up to see thriller as friends this fall & had to go get soup & salad @ market street before the show. as we were bellied up to the bar, kristin says--"oh, i have the recipe for THIER clam chowder." to which i of course responded... "well why haven't you brought it to recipe club!?!" so, without fail, the next month she delivered! thanks kris!

{picture courtesy of foodtravelblog.com}

*market street grill clam chowder*

1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh)
¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon salt
¾ tablespoon whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Directions:
Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.

bahama mama chicken tortilla soup...

**sorry i didn't get this posted yesterday!!!! believe me i tried & tried & tried! my computer was on the fritz & kept freezing on me... arrgggghhhh! anyhoo, here it is.

this is another take-out, made-in. i love finding & making up copy cat recipes for some of my restaurant favorites. in this case, Rumbi's Island Grill. i love there chicken tortilla soup! creamy, with a hint of coconut milk & a squeeze of lime... simply delicious. a great twist on a cold weather classic. give it a try the next time you need some warm comfort!

{bahama mama chicken tortilla soup}

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

8 cups chicken stock

1 cup matchstick carrots

1/3 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1 TBSP fresh ginger, minced

1 TBSP minced fresh garlic

1 cup chopped roma tomato, juices drained off

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

tortilla strips**

limes, cut in wedges

salt & pepper to taste

lightly salt & pepper chicken breasts on each side. grill or broil until browned & cooked through. cut into bite size chunks.

in a large pot, combine chicken stock, carrots. all herbs, spices & seasonings. bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. add coconut milk, chopped, drained tomatoes, chicken & cilanto. heat through but DON'T BOIL. add salt & pepper as needed.

ladle into bowls & top with tortilla strips & a lime wedge.

Enjoy!!!!!

**for the tortilla strips, you can either slice up corn tortillas & bake or fry them... or just pick some up at your local tex-mex restaurant. bajio, cafe rio & costa vida are all really nice about selling strips & they aren't too expensive.

stacia's southwestern egg rolls...

these are from last months recipe club & they were so delicious! thanks to stacia for bringing them! nothing like blending cooking in cultures! i don't think they are making this egg roll in china town:)

{stacia's southwestern egg rolls}

1 can Corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1/2 bunch cilantro
Juice from 1 lime
1 1/2 cup of chopped spinach
1 tsp minced garlic
2 medium sized chicken breast...cooked, finely chopped
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded cheese, mexican mix

Spices : I don't have exact amount, but will guestimate. (I usually mix all the spices, garlic, lime and cilantro in a little olive oil (about 2-3 Tbs) first so that it brings their flavor out more.)

Cumin about 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp
Chili powder about 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Cracked red pepper or cayenne pepper to desired spiciness

1 packet of 20 egg roll wraps.

Mix it all together, put about a big spoonful inside the wrap. (It takes a few times to judge the size of the egg roll and you will think you have too much and think you need to make them bigger)...don't. Roll it up tight. Seal edge with a little water.

Deep fry in oil.

Serve with Ranch Dressing, spiced with a little hot sauce

so close to 100...

100 thousand that is:) i can't believe how amazing the response to our little recipe club blog has been! we are just a few hundred hits away from 100,000! CRAZY!!! thank you to everyone who looks & hopefully cooks what we make. recipe club is tomorrow night & it is sure to be another great night! in honor of 100,000 hits i will be posting a new recipe everyday for the rest of the week, so check back for some great new recipes...

& thanks again! we hope that our recipes have made a mark at your tables!

easy breezy baked sweet potato fries...

i had never been a big sweet potato fan, which is so bazaar, seeing that i like almost everything:) but in the past few years i have had my eyes opened to some recipes that i am completely in love with... sweet potato dishes! oh how i love you now & wish i could take back all those thanksgivings with not as tasty sweet potato dishes. anyhooo- i love sweet potato fries & even though they don't cook up as crisp when you bake them vs. frying them, they are about 1 trillion times healthier (ok, so that might be a slight exageration:)) & just as delicious! not to mention your house doesn't smell like the local fast food joint.

whip up a batch of these next time you want an easy after school snack! the kids will love them & you won't believe how easy & cheap they are!

{sweet potato fries}

fresh sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch fries
kosher or flake salt
fresh pepper
other dried herbs~thyme, rosemary, oregano, ect.
oil

Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees. Place peeled & cut potatoes in to a medium bowl. Toss with vegetable or extra virgin olive oil, I use 2 TBSP per 1 large potato. Spread onto a baking sheet, keeping in a single layer. Srinkle with a healthy dose of seasoning. Bake for 10-12 minutes, remove from oven & toss. Return to oven & continue to bake another 10 or so minutes. Watching carefully so as not to burn.
Serve with the dip of your choice. My family prefers a BBQ sauce & mayo mix.

get your jam...

so earlier in the summer i started making jam to sell at the local farmer's market. well it kind of took off faster than i anticipated, so needless to say, i have been making a lot of jam:) i never knew how much work went into going commercial with food. it is intense!!!! but now that i have done that i will be getting into shops... legally. they make great gifts & there are lots of different flavors, so you should be able to something for everyone.

i'll be at the bijou market this saturday from 10-4 in provo. come down & give them a try!