Samoa bars

If you like Samoa girl scout cookies, you'll love these! They take a little bit of time but I think its better than waiting a full year to get a box of the real thing! 




INGREDIENTS:
Base
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut( sweetened or unsweetened)
12 oz good quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz dark chocolate


First, make the crust.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13 inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 min, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding topping.


Topping:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet. Preferably one with sides. ( I didn't have any parchment so I just lightly sprayed the pan with cooking spray, worked just fine). Toast coconut for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. * watch carefully, edges brown quickly*. Cool on baking sheet. Stirring occasionally so it doesn't get stuck to the pan as it cools. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwavable bowl, with milk and salt. ( as you can see I chose to use the carmel bites found in the baking isle. They worked ok but I think next time I will use a better quality caramel.) Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Spread topping onto crust by putting dollops of topping over crust, using a spatula, spread the topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.

When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or pizza cutter. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip base of each bar into the chocolate and place on parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate(or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.

Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

 NOTE:  You can simply drizzle chocolate on top of the bars before slicing them up if your looking for an easier way to finish these.

HOMEMADE THIN PANCAKES (CREPES)

Thanks to my moms side of the family for sharing this recipe with me! In my household, we eat this type of pancake more than the traditional type. You can eat these with butter and syrup or fruit and whip cream or peanut butter and bananas or chocolate and strawberries with cream cheese. Possibilities are endless!!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

2 tbls sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or mix in a bowl with a wire whisk. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. 

Heat a skillet on medium high.

Spray skillet with cooking spray or add a little bit of oil or butter

Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter(depending on the size of your skillet) into the middle of the skillet. Distribute the batter evenly around the skillet by picking up the skillet and tipping it to the sides, going all the way around the skillet. Picture to the left shows what it should look like. Cook until edges start to brown( this doesn't take very long so watch carefully) Using a spatula flip pancake and brown the other side. Remove from heat and garnish with whatever you desire.

This recipe makes around 6 pancakes depending on the size of your skillet and how thick you make them. If you are making pancakes for a large group you can store them in the oven on a low temp, in a 13X9 dish and cover them with a damp towel. Or if they are eating at your house you can cook to order. :) Enjoy!

White sauce gravy

My mom has used this recipe for many years and shared it with me in a recipe book she made for me for my wedding. I absolutely love this recipe and it can be used for so many things! Add sausage for biscuits and gravy or just use the gravy on potatoes or chicken fried chicken. The possibilities are endless!! 

This recipe makes a pretty good amount. If your cooking for 2 people or only need a little bit you can cut the recipe in half and you get the perfect amount. Or you can make the full recipe and freeze half for later in a ziplock freezer bag.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 1 cube of butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
3 or 4 cups of milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat,  once melted add flour until smooth and lump free. ( if mixture gets to stiff, don't add anymore flour and add more butter until smooth. Mixture should look like a smooth paste. Pour a small amount in and stir with a wire whisk, until it's mixed well. Then add a little bit more milk and stir until blended. Keep repeating this step until it is all blended. ( I like to start with only using 3 cups of milk, then if it's to think I add the last cup. It is easier to thin the gravy then to try and thicken it). Turn up the heat to medium and continue stirring. Don't stop stirring or the flour sill stick to the bottom and make your gravy lumpy and it will burn. Stir until the milky mixture turns thick. Then remove from heat and stir occasionally to keep from sticking to the bottom. Gravy will thicken as it cools. At this point, if the gravy is to thick you can add the last cup of milk, a little at a time, until the desired constancy is met. Add salt and pepper until it taste like you like. ( I use a lot cause I really like the flavor it adds!!) Enjoy.

NOTE: If you get lumps, don't worry. Just stir your gravy with a wire whisk and that should smooth it out OR you can strain it through the a strainer and throw away your lumps. Best way to avoid lumps is to make sure you don't add the milk to quickly and make sure you have fully mixed in the milk until the mixture is smooth, before adding more. And DONT STOP STIRRING :)

NO BAKE COOKIES

Ingredients: 

1/4 Cup Butter                                      1/8 Tsp Salt                                          

3/4 Cup Sugar                                       1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar                          1 1/2 Cup quick oats

1/4 Cup Milk                                        1/4 Cup flour

1/4 Cup Cocoa                                     1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

Mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk, cocoa and salt in a glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir mixture. Microwave for 1 minute. Remove carefully from the microwave, use hot pads so you don't burn your hands!!! 

Add peanut butter ( I really like the peanut butter flavor so I usually add more that 1/4 cup), Vanilla, oats and flour. Stir until well combined. Batter should be fairly thick. If not add more oats or flour to thicken the batter. 

Drop on waxed paper by spoonfuls or by using a cookie scoop. Let cool in the refrigerator and enjoy. Store left overs in an air tight container. 

 I LOVE french toast, so when I saw this recipe for French toast casserole I had to try it! And I am happy to report, I wasn't disappointed!! One of the great things about this recipe is how easy it is and how many servings you get out of it. If you need to make breakfast for a group of about 10 people, this works perfect! Only downfall is you have to plan ahead in order to let the bread soak up all the liquid. But it is well worth it!!!

INGREDIENTS:

Firm white bread ( 12 slices)- * I use Texas toast or challah is another great option.
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts ( optional)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 Lg eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
maple syrup, for serving


Directions:
* Generously grease a 13 by 9 inch glass baking dish with softened butter
* Slice the bread into 12 ( 1 inch) slices- ( if the bread you choose isn't all ready sliced) Then cut each slice into 1 inch cubes
* Chop the nuts using a knife or food chopper
* In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped pecans or walnuts
* Arrange half the bread in a single layer in the prepared dish, then sprinkle half the sugar mixture evenly over the top. Add a second layer with the remaining bread and top with remaining sugar mixture
* In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the milk and vanilla extract, whisking until well blended.
* Starting from the sides of the dish and working towards the center, pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. With a spatula, gently press down on the bread to coat it with the egg mixture. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or at least 4 hours.

This is what the casserole looks like after adding the egg mixture.  At this point you will cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 4hours or overnight. If you wanted to add fruit to this recipe, I would add it when you are layering the bread and sugar. Just add the layer of fruit on top of the bread and then sprinkle with sugar mixture.  I haven't tried any fruits yet but think, raisins, cranberries, blueberries or strawberries would taste great!

* Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for 20 min. then remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole turns a light golden brown and looks slightly puffed, about 30 min more. Serve warm with maple syrup.

And Voila breakfast for 12 :). I like to spread butter over the top as soon as it comes out of the oven, helps the butter flavor soak into the french toast. Then smother in syrup!!! Delicious!!! 

I just tried this recipe for the first time tonight and let me tell you, I am so glad I did! Not only did it taste GREAT, but it was super easy! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!


COCONUT CHICKEN WITH APRICOT SAUCE


Yield: 4 servings


1 egg
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper ( I used foil)


Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip the chicken into the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture. Place on baking sheet. Once all chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 30-40 min, turning over once halfway through. 


To prepare the apricot sauce, mix the apricot preserves and dijon mustard in a small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 


Serve with rice or your favorite side :) Happy Cooking. 


** FREEZER FRIENDLY** After baking the chicken, let cool completely then freeze in a freezer bag for up to one month. To reheat, bake in a preheated oven @ 400 degrees for 20 min. 

Quinoa

We tried quinoa in our house the other day and we have mixed reviews. For those of you that have never heard of quinoa,it is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds, which some people use instead of rice. I personally didn't love the blah flavor or even worse, the texture. I think my mind couldn't get over that it looked like I was eating some type of fish egg or something, so that may have something to do with why didn't really like it. My husband thought it tastes a little bit like grits. And after adding sugar and milk he liked it a lot more. But as far as I'm concerned, I think we're going to stick to rice. All though quinoa is supposed to be really good for you. Maybe if I had a recipe for it that helped the taste and texture, we would try again. After all it wasn't horrible. Anyone have a recipe they could share, using quinoa???