Sundays and No Bakes

Dear Sisters,

Today is Sunday. Sundays are hard for me. I'm alone. Sundays make me miss you. I miss your faces and having you close. I miss having people to share my no bake cookie cakes with.

Today is Sunday. Today I made an 1/8 of a batch of no bakes and ate them all by myself.

Love always,

Mick

No Bake Cookies

2 cups white sugar

1 pinch salt

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups quick cooking oats

½ cup margarine

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a saucepan bring sugar, cocoa, margarine, milk, and salt to a rapid boil for 1 minute.

Add quick cooking oats, peanut butter, and vanilla; mix well.

Working quickly, drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper, and let cool.

WARNING: Never no bake alone.

Caul-EEE-Flower

Last week, Jeff and I dined at Cafe Zupas and enjoyed their Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup. Oh, it was divine and I have now taken it upon myself to figure out how to make a pot of it for home consumption.

This recipe is on my menu for the coming week. Mmmmm.

Recipe from Just Cook Already/Pict from zupas.com

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
Yields: 9 cups or 8 first-course servings (or 4-5 hungry adults :)

2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pepper jack cheese

In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

A Valentine's Day Kiss

We made some of these little gems while I was in Boise. Just spread mini pretzels on a cookie sheet. Unwrap and place a Hershey's Kiss (or HUG) on top of each. Place in the oven on warm for just a couple minutes (we overheated ours). Pull them out of the oven and put a little m&m sunshine on top. An easy Valentine's Day treat. I think the Jenkins kids and I are going to give these another whirl this weekend--while I'm still excited about all things Valentine.

Fudgy Fiber?

Decided to try these little babies--so I baked a batch on Saturday and stuck them in the freezer. DELIGHTFUL. . .FILLING. . .FIBERPACKED. . .Life's Simple Pleasures
Fiber One® Crunchy Fudge Cookies

Eat a great-tasting fudgy cookie made with brownie mix and high-fiber cereal.
1 box Betty Crocker® fudge brownie mix
2 cups Fiber One® original bran cereal
2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, mix all ingredients with spoon. Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. Freeze up to 2 months if desired.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

1 Serving: Calories 70 (Calories from Fat 10); Total Fat 1g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 55mg; Total Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 7g); Protein 1g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 0%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable Carbohydrate Choices: 1
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

It's a Homemade Roll Day

Quick Rolls

1 T yeast 1 cup warm water

½ cup shortening 1 tsp salt

2 T sugar 1 egg

3 cups flour ½ tsp baking powder

Melt shortening in water, add sugar and salt. Cool. Dissolve yeast in additional ½ c. warm water, add 1 tsp sugar. When cool, add beaten egg and yeast to shortening, stir in flour and baking powder. Pour out onto floured board and let stand 10 minutes. Pat out, cut with cookie cutter like baking powder biscuits. Put close together in greased pan. Let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remember How. . .

Remember how I had a great run this morning?
Remember how it's raining?
Remember how I watched General Conference & felt good?
Remember how E.G. came over and her sensitive nose likes us?
Remember how we ate homemade chicken noodle soup?
Remember how we make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?
Remember how we had good Virtue Sister time?
Remember how I have a cool brother-in-law?
Remember how fall makes the transition from summer to winter bearable?
Remember how much I love this day?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ c. butter, softened
1 c. packed brown sugar
½ c. sugar1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1 egg
½ t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
½ t. each cloves, nutmeg, ginger
½ t. salt
2 ½ c. flour
1 c. mini semisweet morsels

Cream butter and sugars together, then beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin. Add spices and beat well, then beat in the flour and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are just set. Store in an airtight container.

Sur La Fantastic

Yesterday I was a few minutes early getting into Salt Lake--so I stopped at the Gateway for a simple pleasure--Sur La Table . I could spend hours in that store, dreaming of creating exquisite culinary delights. It's like Cabella's for the avid outdoorsman. Maybe I should work there. I wonder if they're looking for a moonlighting florist?

For your fall culinary pleasure:

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 loaf or 16 servings, one slice each

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.
SPOON half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter. BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

p.s. I think Poncho invited himself over for Sunday dinner/Conference. Maybe I'll make him some pumpkin bread.

Baked Crab Rangoon

Good News: Fall puts me in the mood to cook all sorts of wonderful things.

Bad News: Fall puts me in the mood to cook all sorts of wonderful things.

Last night's culinary creation: Baked Crab Rangoon

Michelle Rating 3 out of 5 stars.

1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained, flaked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup KRAFT Mayo Light Mayonnaise
12 won ton wrappers
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crabmeat, Neufchatel cheese, onions and mayo.
SPRAY 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.
BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.

M.T. & Chicken Pie

Tuesday evening I pulled out the old apron and we had a lovely LATE birthday dinner for our neighbor, M.T. A little of my famous chicken pot pie and some super-dee-dooper chocolate cake and you've gone entertaining magic.

Chicken Pie

Crust:
2 sticks butter or margarine 4 oz cream cheese
2 ¼ cup flour ½ tsp salt
Blend ingredients with pastry cutter and 4 T water.

Filling:
3 cups cooked and diced chicken. 14 oz frozen/fresh vegetables. 1 onion sauted. 2 cans cream of chicken soup. Brush top with beaten egg. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

Pumpkin Positive in Waffle Form

FYI--the pumpkin chocolate chip waffles were a HIT. Some Waffle Wednesday participants have hailed them "the best yet." Can't deny it, they were pretty stinkin' fine. Thanks for the recipe, Heidi!

For Chocolate Lovers (a.k.a. KRISTA)

A few people have asked for my Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Waffle recipe.

Mix together:
1 1/2 c flour
3 T sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

In a separate bowl, combine:
3 eggs
1/2 stick melted butter
16 oz buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine wet and dry ingredients. Do not over mix! Stir in 3/4 c chocolate chips. I used mini semi-sweet and they were perfect!