Caramel Icing

Yummy Caramel Frosting

approx. 1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 c. powdered sugar

In a heavy saucepan, cook sugar and cream over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for two minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the temperature on the candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees.

Remove from heat and drop butter on top, but do not stir. Let sit for about an hour or until mixture is approximately 110 degrees. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. (If the frosting does not thicken, chill briefly and beat again. If you lost track of time–as I have many a time!–and the frosting has chilled too much, warm slightly and beat again.)

Store in a container until ready to use, placing plastic wrap directly against surface. Keep at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature and stir prior to frosting your cake.

This recipe will make about three cups, plenty to frost a two-layer cake.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 lb broccoli florets, cooked

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. swedish farmer's cheese

1 c. breadcrumbs ( i used day-old french bread cut up into bite-size pieces)

Cook the chicken breasts in the cream of chicken in a slow cooker. Add broccoli and cheese and bake in casserole for 20 min. Add breadcrumbs, or bite-size pieces of french bread.

Very simple, serves 6 easily. 

Balsamic-Cherry Braised Pork

This was sooo good!

1 lb sour cherries in light syrup
1 tbsp. ground ginger
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 crushed garlic cloves
dash of brown sugar
4 lb pork tenderloin
2 tsp. salt or soy sauce
ground or cracked pepper

1. Combine ALL ingredients EXCEPT cherries in light syrup.

2. Cook on High in a slow cooker for 3 1/2 hours.

3. Add cherries at the end, turn to low, cook 30 more minutes.

This was VERY tender and delicious!

Serve with polenta, or rice.  Sides: we had peas.

Adapted from a recipe I tore out of Ladies Home Journal.

Butternut Squash Casserole

Butternut Squash Casserole

adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook, "Arabian Squash Casserole" recipe.

I love Butternut Squash Soup. In fact I have a recipe, "Creamy Ginger Butternut Squash Soup."  Thusly, I wanted to try a yummy-looking squash casserole recipe from a tried and true cookbook.

I love the fact that the moosewood casseroles never call for Mayonaise. Why? Because my husband detests basically anything that has mayo in it! (I like it on a good sandwich, and usually in potato salad, but otherwise, not so much.)

So here is an excellent mayo-free squash casserole. I dare you to try it! It's yummy!

4 c. cooked squash or pumpkin, mashed or pureed
1 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 c. chopped onion
2 small bell peppers, minced
4 or 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 c. feta (i used parmesan) cheese
opt: sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, and/or cinnamon/allspice for the topping

1. Bake your butternut squash on 400 for 40-50 min. (Cut in half long-ways).
2. Scoop into bowl and mix with yogurt and cheese.
3. Meanwhile, cook bell peppers, onions and lastly the garlic in olive oil on hot skillet. Be careful not to burn.
4. Spread into small baking pan, bake for 25 min. on 375 ...or until bubbly.

Mama's Meatloaf

A simple weeknight dinner with leftovers! Serve with cooked carrots or steamed sweet potatoes, corn muffins, salad, and fruit.

ingredients:

1 1lb ground beef

1 small onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 c. breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk

garlic salt

salt and pepper

dash soy sauce

1 tbsp. spicy mustard

ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce

1. combine all ingredients except last 3.

2. Bake on 350 for 1-1 hr and 15 min.
3. Spread ketchup, mustard, and BBQ sauce on top and broil until it looks brown around the edges.

Excellent!

Adapted from the recipe on the Progresso Breadcrumbs canister.

Onion Soup Chicken

Onion soup chicken with rice, broccoli, and grapes

Recipe:

1. Put 5 breasts of chicken in slow cooker.

2. Add 1 packet onion soup mix and 2 c. boiling water.

3. Cook until chicken is tender, turning chicken once.

4. Remove chicken and strain soup mixture so that the onions are separated from the broth.

5. Cook rice. Use 1 c. of rice and 1 1/2 c. strained broth+water mixture.

6. Steam broccoli, at the end add lemon pepper. (my brother Eric's favorite - a must-have!)

Enjoy with some grapes or a salad!

Now I want to try this recipe.

There are a lot of ideas in the comments, including using different types of cheese. Yum!

New Recipe Wednesday

Well, in my June Goals post, I mentioned that I want to try a few new recipes this summer.

I decided to make Wednesdays my "New Recipe" day.

So for the remaining Wednesdays in June, I'm going to make a new recipe and blog about it here.

Wednesday, June 12--- Crispy Noodles with Scallop Stir Fry-- from Bon Appetit

Wednesday, June 19--Almond Biscotti

Wednesday, June 26-- Homemade Pizza with recipe from Cooks Illustrated

For Stephen's birthday--- Chocolate Peppermint Icecream Cake