Chocolate and other food groups

Soda Cracker Candy 35-40 or 1/4 lb. soda crackers 1 c. brown sugar 1 c. butter 1 c. chopped nuts 12 oz. milk chocolate chips Line jelly roll pan with foil. Fill pan with one layer of soda crackers. Boil brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes, stirring all the time. Add chopped nuts. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with chocolate chips and bake 1 more minutes. Smooth melted chocolate over pan. Cool.

Honey Glazed Cashew Chicken Stirfry 1/4 c. orange juice or 1 orange, juiced 1 tsp. cornstarch 1 Tb. honey 1 Tb. oil 2 chicken breasts, cut into thin strips 1/2 medium onion, sliced thin 1 clove garlic, minced 1 c. carrots, sliced or julienned 1/3 c. cashews red pepper flakes 1 c. hot cooked rice In small bowl, combine orange juice, cornstarch, and honey, set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add chicken, onion and garlic. Stir fry 4-5 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Add carrots. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes. Add orange juice mixture, cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce thickens. Stir in cashews and red pepper. Serve over rice. Serves 2.

This is great to use up leftovers in the fridge. Feel free to substitute for what you have on hand. Leftover Pasta Salad Dressing: 3/4 c. mayonnaise or salad dressing  1 tsp. red wine vinegar 1/2 tsp. sugar salt Salad: 2 c. leftover pasta 1/2 c. veggies - leftover peas, sliced carrots, diced bell pepper, broccoli florets 1/2 c. mandarin orange segments 1/2 c. cubed ham or turkey In a large bowl, combine dressing ingredients; mix well. Add salad ingredients. Toss gently to combine. Serves 2.

Ready in less than 30 minutes Curried Chicken Strips 1 lb. chicken breasts 2 Tb. oil or butter 1 large bell pepper, cut into strips 1 medium onion, sliced 1 tsp. curry powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1 c. half and half or 5 oz. evaporated milk Cut chicken into long strips. In large skillet over hot oil, cook green pepper and onion until tender. Add curry powder and salt, cook 1 minute longer. Add chicken to skillet. Over high heat, cook until chicken is done, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in milk and cook until mixture thickens slightly. Makes 4 servings. Serve over rice. Banana Berry Compote 1/2 c. orange marmalade 1/4 c. orange juice 1/2 tsp. allspice 2 medium bananas, sliced 1 pint strawberries, cut in half 1 c. blueberries In large bowl, combine orange marmalade, orange juice, and allspice. Add fruit and toss gently. Serves 4. High in potassium and vitamin C.

Ready in less than 30 minutes Cranberry-Glazed Turkey 1 lb. turkey cutlets or 1 lb. turkey breast, sliced thin (freeze slightly before slicing) 3 Tb. butter 1 medium onion, sliced 1/2 c. cranberry orange sauce 1/2 tsp. sage 1/2 tsp. salt pepper Pound turkey cutlets until about 1/8" thickness. In large skillet over medium high heat, melt butter. Cook turkey cutlets, a few at a time, until tender and lightly browned on each side, about 3 minutes. Remove turkey to plate and reserve. In dripping, cook onion until tender. Add cranberry sauce, sage, salt and pepper to taste, plus 1/2 c. water. Cook until boiling, then scrape up pan. Serve sauce over turkey. Serves 4. Can substitute chicken for turkey.

I tried this recipe a long time ago. I've updated it a bit, and it tastes even better. Chicken Italian Style 1 Tb. olive oil 1 lb. chicken thighs, boneless and skinless 1/2 lb. mushrooms, quartered 1 clove garlic, minced 1 10 oz. pkg. frozen green beans 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 16 oz. can Italian tomatoes 1/2 tsp. Tabasco In medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Pat chicken dry then season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until browned on all sides, then remove to a plate. In the skillet, cook mushroom and garlic until tender. Return chicken to skillet, adding green beans, bell pepper, and undrained tomatoes. Add Tabasco sauce to taste. Cook until boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes over low heat, or until chicken and vegetables are tender. Serves 4. Great over rice or with pasta.

Another of Mom's delicious recipes. I think she got this one from Borden's Pet Milk. Milk Caramel 3/4 c. sugar 2 Tb. water 1 c. corn syrup, white vanilla 1/2 c. butter 3/4 c. evaporated milk 1/2 tsp. salt Put the sugar, water, and corn syrup into a heavy saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat. Wash sugar crystals down from the sides of the pan with a wet paintbrush or pastry brush. Stir in butter. When the batch starts boiling again, add the evaporated milk very slowly, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Then stir caramel vigorously, scraping the bottom of the pan and sides. This is to prevent the milk from scorching. Cook until soft ball stage, about 234. It should take about 5 minutes to add milk. After soft ball stage is reached, remove from heat and add salt and a few drops of vanilla.  Turtles 1 Batch of Milk Caramel Chopped Pecans Let caramel cool slightly. Spread as many nuts as possible on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan. With a...

Another one of my mom's recipes. We had this at Christmas. Blond Fudge Supreme 3 c. sugar 3/4 c. milk 1 c. chopped nuts - pecans are best! 3 Tb. butter 2 tsp. vanilla 3 Tb. light corn syrup 1/8 tsp. salt Combine sugar, milk, corn syrup and salt in 3 quart heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. If sugar crystals form on the sides of the pan, wash down with a wet brush. Cook over low boil until soft balls form when dropped in water or candy thermometer measures 236. Add butter. DO NOT STIR. Cook until lukewarm or 110 degrees. Add vanilla and beat until candy looses its gloss or shine and starts to thicken. Stir in nuts. Pour into buttered 8" square pan. While still warm, score into pieces. Makes about 2 lbs. of fudge.

My mom used to make this candy and I loved it. She added "1/4 stick paraffin" to the melted chocolate, but I don't think that's necessary. It won't hurt you if you do it and it does make the chocolate glossier. But if you want your chocolate to melt more smoothly, add 1 tsp. heavy cream to the chocolate chips. Ohio Buckeyes 2 1/2 lbs. powdered sugar 1 lb. butter, softened 2 c. peanut butter 2 c. chocolate chips Cream butter until fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat thoroughly. Add powdered sugar. Chill for 1 hour, then roll into 1-2 inch balls. Chill again.  Melt 1 large pkg (2 c.) chocolate chips. Dip the candy into the melted chocolate so 1/2 of the ball is covered. Chill on wax paper until set.

These are high in fiber and calcium but still taste great. Crunchy Oat Cookies 1 c. whole wheat flour 1/3 c. nonfat dry milk 1/4 c. wheat germ 1/4 c. wheat bran 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/8 tsp. cloves 1 c. butter, softened 1 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 2 c. oats 1/2 c. chopped nuts 1/2 c. raisins or chocolate chips Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Gradually stir in dry ingredients. Add oats, nuts, and raisins until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes or until light brown. 

These are like brownies, but with a little health boost. Super yummy. Triple-Treat Walnut Bars 1/2 c, butter, slightly softened 3 oz. cream cheese, softened 1/2 c. brown sugar 1 c. whole wheat flour 1/3 c. wheat germ 2 c. chocolate chips Cream together butter and cream cheese, then add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add flour and wheat germ and beat until smooth. Turn into greased 13x9 pan. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes, until edges are light brown and top is firm. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand about 5 minutes, until chocolate softens, then spread evenly over the top.  Topping: 2 eggs 1/2 c, honey 1/3 c, whole wheat flour 1/3 c. nonfat dry milk 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. mace 1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts Combine eggs and honey until well blended. Add remaining flour, dry milk, salt, spices, and walnuts. Crumble over the chocolate and return to the oven. Bake another 18-20 minutes or unt...

This is one of my Grandma's recipes. She made a lot of pies - like, a lot. She'd make 5 or 6 at a time and freeze some of them for later. My favorite was her pecan pie, but really, they're all pretty darn good. This is one of my favorite pie crusts to make because it holds up well. Foolproof Pie Crust 4 c. flour 2 tsp. salt 1 Tb. sugar 1 3/4 c. shortening 1/2 c. water 1 egg 1 Tb. white vinegar Stir together flour, salt, sugar, and shortening in mixing bowl. Beat together water, egg, and vinegar. Then mix into dry ingredients and stir until mixed. Shape into 5 parts. Roll and shape into pie pans.  Makes 5 single crust pies or 2 double crust pies + 1 single crust. Freezes well.

I know, you already have a lot of recipes for chocolate cake. Why keep another one? Because it's good, that's why! And because sometime you have the ingredients for one, sometimes for another, and maybe you want a certain texture. I'd call this a basic chocolate cake, not especially dense, not especially light, and well suited for cupcakes, layer cakes, or sheet cakes. HERSHEY'S DISAPPEARING CAKE 1/4 c. butter 1/4 c. shortening 2 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs 3/4 c. cocoa 1 3/4 c. flour 3/4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. baking soda 1/8 tsp. salt 1 3/4 c. milk Cream butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until fluffy; blend in eggs. Combine dry ingredients and mix well. Add alternately with milk to batter. Blend well. Pour into two greased and floured 9" pans. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until done. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then remove from pan and cool completely before frosting. For cupcakes, cook about 25 minutes. Yum all around.

Hello again! I'm back at last with a couple of yummy recipes. Here's one for Tandoori-Style Chicken. Surprisingly, my kids ALL liked this one. It helped that it smells AMAZING while it's cooking. It's spicy, but not too hot. If you want it hotter, add more cayenne. No pictures, sadly, but maybe next time. Oh, and wear an apron. This stuff stains. TANDOORI STYLE CHICKEN with freezer meal options 1/2 c. plain yogurt 2 Tb. lemon juice 2 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. ginger 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced ( double these ingredients for a freezer meal ) 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 lb. In small bowl combine all  marinade ingredients. Cut each chicken breast into strips and add to marinade. I like to use a Ziploc bag - then you can throw the whole thing away when you're done. ( For freezer options, throw the whole thing in the freezer at this point along wi...

Some of you know that I work holidays at See's Candies. It's the perfect job. I'm around chocolate all day, I get to work with customers, and I get paid. If only books were involved somehow, I would never leave. That and my feet get tired. Anyway, this year See's has a new product that I am loving. It's the Christmas Mint Lollipop. It is super good. I think it's like buttercream frosting with a little mint added. One customer said it was like the mints you get at weddings. I took some samples home and my kids loved it. If you want to try it, you'd better hurry. This lollipop is only available during Christmas, and I'm sure it will sell out. One nice thing they're doing this year, you can buy this lolly and the cinnamon one singly now instead of having to buy them in a pack of eight. One lollipop is 70 cents. You can also get the cranberry orange truffle, the pecan pie truffle, and the eggnog truffle singly. But I don't like any of them! Still, if...

My mom picked up this mix at a kitchen store in Salt Lake recently for our family. We couldn't wait to try them. It comes in a box, with pouches for the mix and one for the chocolate chunks. Just add a stick of butter, an egg, and the optional walnuts. (We left those out.) Then all we had to do was bake and wait. Super yum! Worth every minute. I will add that they are pricey. Mom got them on sale, but they normally sell around $10 for a 9" pan of brownies. We wound up with 6. Cheaper than 6 bakery brownies, but by no means cheap. So for taste, 4.5 stars, but for value, more like 2 stars. But then, I'm pretty frugal with shopping. I'd say pick it up if they're on sale or save for a special treat.

Happy Thanksgiving! I made this pie for the holiday this year and it was a big hit. Easy to make and yummy. Diamond Cookie Pie 1/2 c. butter, softened 3/4 c. brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 c. flour 1 c. chocolate chips 1 c. nuts - the recipe called for walnuts, but we used pecans 1 9-inch uncooked pie shell In large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Blend in flour. Stir chocolate chips and nuts. Pour mixture into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 325 for 50 to 55 minutes or until top is golden brown or pick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

I generally put recipes I enjoyed in here, but I decided to share one I *didn't* like. After all, you readers (all 5 of you! JK, mostly) might like to know about my flops too. So here's one that failed to live up to my expectations and why. Roasted Garlic Soup This one comes from Mark Bittman's huge cookbook, How to Cook Everything . I'm on a mostly soft food diet right now, so soup is my mainstay. But not this one. 4 Tb. olive oil 8 cloves garlic, peeled 1 Tb. ground cumin or paprika or 1 tsp. chili powder (I used cumin) 4 thick slices French or Italian bread 4 c. chicken or beef broth Salt and pepper to taste Place olive oil in large, deep saucepan and turn heat to medium. Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring and turning occasionally, until they are golden brown. OK, here's my first mistake. I don't keep garlic handy all the time. I buy the prechopped stuff in a jar. The actual cloves tend to sit around too much and when I want them they are all shriveled....

My friend Jodi gave me a big bag of plums from her trees. I finally got around to trying something with them, and this is what I made. I wish I had a picture, but the plums were amazing. Not much to look at on the outside, but wow, deep red rich color inside. Just gorgeous. Plum Coffeecake Crumb Topping 8 medium sized plums, but I needed about 20 small ones 1 c. butter, softened 1 c. sugar 1 1/4 c. flour 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. lemon peel 1/4 tsp. salt 4 eggs heavy cream, optional Prepare Crumb Topping and set aside. Slice plums if large or halve them if small; set aside. Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour 13x9 pan. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, salt, lemon peel, and eggs. Beat until smooth. Spread batter evenly in pan; top with plumbs. Pinch small pieces of crumb topping and sprinkle on top of plums. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until top is golden and cake tests done. Serve warm with cream. Crumb Topping : In small saucepan, melt 1/2 c. butter. Re...

I made this for book club last night, and I thought it turned out really well. It's from an old ward cookbook and comes courtesy of Lacy and her mom Linda. Mandarin Orange Cake 1 vanilla or white cake mix 3/4 c. vegetable oil 4 eggs 11 oz. can mandarin oranges with juice Combine ingredients and mix according to cake mix directions. Pour into greased 9X13 pan and bake until done. Cool thoroughly and top with pineapple topping. Pineapple topping: 1 9oz. carton Cool Whip, thawed 1 3oz. box vanilla instant pudding (I substituted banana cream, and it was yummy) 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, slightly drained Combine pudding mix, pineapple, and just a little juice. Fold in thawed Cool Whip. Spread on top of cake and store in refrigerator over night.