Grandma (Doris) Jones' Chocolates

This is the recipe Grandpa Jones made every year for Christmas. 

It's a family classic, so I'm giving it a 5 star rating

Take a cookie sheet and put 15 or 16 Hershey's chocolate bars in the bottom of a tinfoil greased with butter only. Put in the oven on warm until melted. Take a knife and spread it around evenly. Take out of oven. (Great Grandpa has also used good quality milk chocolate made for melting.)

In a big pan, bring to a boil:

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups of white Karo Syrup

1/2 lb. of butter

After it boils, add

1 more cup of heavy cream

dash salt. 

Boil 1/2 way between soft and hard stage. Takes about 1 hour to make the caramel. Add nuts. The Joneses traditionally used Brazil nuts, but you can use whatever you like.

When it is finished, pour the caramel over the chocolate that has been melted in the pan.

Put 15-16 more Hershey's chocolate on top of caramel and return to oven to melt.

Submitted by Chris

Aunt Bonnie Kenison's Cranberry Butter

We love this butter on homemade rolls! 

It's a 5 star for us.

Submitted by Chris

Mix:
1 cup whole cranberries (from a can)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups butter, softened

Keep in the refrigerator

Death by Chocolate Mousse

This was really good and easy to make. I had to buy the springform pan, but I was glad I did. I found the recipe at allrecipes.
I'd give it 5 stars.
Submitted by Chris

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease a 9" springform pan with 2 3/4" sides.

Mix together:
21 Oreo cookies, crushed
1/4 cup butter, softened
Press into bottom of greased springform pan. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, allow to cool.

In top of double boiler combine:
1 cup whip cream
1 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

In another bowl, combine
2 cups chilled whip cream
1/4 cup sugar
Beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into cooled chocolate mixture, pour into cooled crust. Chill at least 6 hours and top with
1 cup whip cream
1/4 sugar 
Or use spray whip cream

Chris' Broccoli Salad

This is that salad that's too much work, but everyone loves. It's a 5.
(Picture to follow)

Combine:
4 cups broccoli florets which have been broken into smaller pieces (One Costco bag yields 16 cups.)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green grapes
1 cup sliced purple grapes
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
8 slices bacon, crumbled

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons vinegar
Mix and refrigerate for several hours. Just before serving, add dressing to salad and mix.

Nuts About Berries Salad

This is a recipe I (Chris) found on this blog. It's a Zupa's copy, and because I love everything Zupa makes, I love this knock-off salad. I especially like that I can make lots of almonds and dressing, and make up a couple of bowls for Dad and I to go with our meal several times a week. I give it a 5.

You need:
Spinach (Or other greens. I used a mix of spinach and romaine and it was good.)
Berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blue berries, or whatever you can find. It's good to have 2 or 3 varieties. Slice the berries to bite-sized if necessary.

Sugar/cinnamon almonds:
1/2 sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine the almonds and sugars in a small non-stick pan. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugars begin to melt.  Take care not to burn! You might need to turn down the heat a little. Once the sugar coats the nuts, add the cinnamon and remove from pan, allow to cool.

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1 1/8 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seed
Mix well, store in fridge.  Shake before using.  

3 ingredients oatmeal bars

This is so easy I can easily make a batch in 5 minutes or else. Plus it's really good, great for on the go and healthy! 
Submitted by Ash


Left batch is sunflower seed butter
Right is peanut butter

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups oat bran (can sub for rolled oats, quick oats or oat flour) I used quick oats cause I like the texture it gives.
1/2 cup sunflower seed butter (can sub for soy nut butter or nut butter of choice) I have tried sunflower seed butter, almond butter and peanut butter (I used Adams no stir peanut butter since it doesn't have added sugar). I like them all. I would say my favorite is almond butter than sunflower, but McKay and the kids would probably choose peanut butter as their favorite. 
1/2 cup brown rice syrup (can sub for any sticky sweetener) 
Chocolate chips/ fruits etc (optional) I have done dark chocolate chips and also semi sweet chocolate chips both were great! Just whatever is your preference.

Instructions:
1. Line a deep baking tray (like a jelly roll pan) or pan with grease paper and set aside. I tried wax paper and it ended up sticking to the bars, but parchment paper worked great. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the oats and set aside.
3. In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt the sunflower seed butter with the brown rice syrup until combined. (I microwaved it for 20 seconds then stirred it up, then for another 15 seconds and it was perfect, but our microwave is older so it may not take that long for some) 
4. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and mix well until fully incorporated.
5. Transfer the mixture into the lined pan and press into it firmly. If desired, top with chocolate chips or fruit etc and the refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
6. Remove and cut into bars size of your liking. 
 Note: depending on what type of grain base type you use and sweetener you may need to adjust the sweetener amount and/or grain amount- if too wet, add extra oats. If too dry, add extra sticky sweetener until a firm batter is formed. 
Mine turned out perfect with the the ingredients I used. 

Peach Salsa

Peach Salsa

Posted by chris         rated: 4.5

I love fresh salsa. I made this one using tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapenos from my garden. We ate it with chips, but I also like it on chicken or fish. I used the leftover salsa the next day on chicken and it was delish! It will keep for about a week in the fridge, although the peaches turn brown. You can treat them with fruit fresh when you dice them to keep them pretty.

1 lb tomatoes, diced (unpeeled)

1 bell pepper, seeded and finely dice (any color)

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 1/2 lbs peaches, diced (unpeeled)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper or to taste

Mix tomatoes, peppers, onion in a large bowl. Add peaches, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve or keep in fridge for up to a week. 

Four Cheese and Basil Pizza

This pizza is not a real saucy pizza but we love it! I should call it a three cheese pizza because it calls for goat cheese but I've never actually tried adding it. So if you know you love goat cheese, add it! We have also added sliced tomato before.
*Includes dough recipe for 2 pizzas.  You may use your own pizza dough recipe if you prefer.  Allow for 1.5-2 hours for the dough to rise.

4.5/5 stars
Servings: 1 pizza, approximately 6-8 slices
Submitted by: Megan

Ingredients

For the dough:***This recipe makes enough for two pizzas.

1/2 cup warm water

2 and 1/4 teaspoon (or one packet) of instant yeast

4 cups (22 ounces) bread flour, plus more for rolling out your dough

1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 and 1/4 cup water, at room temperature

2 tablespoons olive oil

For the pizza:

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing the pan

3 teaspoons garlic, chopped (about 3 cloves)

8 ounces (1/2 pound) fresh mozzarella, sliced and coarsely chopped

3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup part-skim ricotta

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions

1. For the dough:  In a 2-cup measuring cup, add your 1/2 cup of warm water.

2. Add the yeast to the warm water mixture and let sit at room temperature until the mixture is bubbly and creamy, about 5 minutes.

3. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour and salt.

4. Add the 1 and 1/4 cup of room temperature water to the water/yeast mixture.

5. With the mixer running at low speed, slowly pour the water/yeast mixture and olive oil into the bread/salt mixture, and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass.

6.  Switch to the dough hook and continue to knead the dough at low speed until elastic and soft, about 5 minutes.

7. Transfer to an oiled bowl (I used cooking spray), cover with a tea cloth or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

8. Once risen, punch down the dough to deflate it and transfer to a clean, lightly floured flat work surface.

9. Divide the dough into two equal portions. If you are freezing one portion of dough, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.  If using the dough immediately, let it rest for at least 10 minutes at room temperature (but no more than 30 minutes).

10. For the pizza: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

11. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.

12. In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic, set aside.

13.  On a clean and lightly floured flat work surface, roll out the dough to your desired shape.  **Due to the shape of my baking pan and my lack of a pizza stone, I opted for a rectangle.

14. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet and brush lightly with your prepared olive oil/garlic mixture. (Can save some to sprinkle over top after baking)

15. Layer the mozzarella and goat cheeses, making sure to leave at least a 1/2-inch border of exposed crust.

16. Spread the ricotta cheese over the pizza, followed by the Parmesan cheese.

17. Bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown, about 18 minutes or so.

18. Once out of the oven, lightly drizzle the pizza with the remaining olive oil/garlic mixture.

19.  Sprinkle the pizza with the fresh basil, and serve immediately.

Zucchini Lasagna

This is a healthy alternative to lasagna. David was a little skeptical of using zucchini slices as noodles, but he liked it and said I could make it again! I thought it was good, healthy, and pretty simple to put together! Careful when chopping the onion, this is how I cut the tip of my thumb off ;) I used gound turkey, I have not tried it with chicken. I though the cottage cheese and egg did not stretch far enough, so you could double the part if you want a good coverage.
4/5 stars
Submitted by: Megan

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded chicken breast or 1 lb ground turkey, cooked
• 1/2 chopped medium onion
• 3 Cups tomato sauce (or favorite spaghetti sauce)-may need more if you like your lasagna saucy!
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t oregeno
• 1/2 t basil
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 4 medium zucchini sliced lenth-wise
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 T coconut or almond flour (I didn't have either so I used regular flour)
• 1 Cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add zucchini slices (these are your "noodles") and boil for 3 minutes. Drain then lay zucchini on paper towels to cool and absorb extra moisture. 

3. Cook ground turkey/chicken and onions over medium heat until done. Drain grease. 

4. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer uncovered for about five minutes to allow the seasoning to flavor the sauce.

5. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and egg.

6. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, lay half of the zucchini, and sprinkle with half the flour. Top with half the cottage cheese mixture and half of the meat sauce. Repeat the layer of zucchini, flour, cottage cheese, and meat sauce. Top with mozzarella cheese. 

7. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is nice and bubbly

8. Let stand for 10 minutes before you slice and serve. 

Hawaiian Ham Roll Sliders

I made these ham sandwiches thinking they'd be just like any ham sandwich, but these were so much better! And best part is everyone, kids and adults, loved it.

Submitted by Jessica

5 stars

Ingredients:

• 2 pkg dinner rolls
• 1 pkg deli sandwich ham
• 12 slices swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 TBL poppy seeds
• 1-1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp brown or dijon mustard 
• 1 tsp onion power

Directions:

1. Slice top from rolls and place bottoms in baking pan. Layer ham and cheese on rolls. Replace tops.

2. Combine butter, poppy seeds, mustard, Worcestershire, and onion powder and mix well. Drizzle over rolls.

3. Refrigerate until butter is firm or overnight. Cover with foil and bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until cheese melts. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes. Serve warm or cold. 

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

I'm not a huge cake fan, but this cake is so dense and creamy that I just love it! Sorry for the bad picture, I thought of it last minute and just had my phone.

Submitted by Jessica

4 1/2 stars

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 TBL butter, softened
• 2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 2-1/4 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 2-1/4 cups cake flour

Frosting (I ended up doubling the frosting and used almost all of it).

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

2. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; mix well.

3. Pour into a greased 15-in x10-in x1-in baking pan. Bake at 325* for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean near the center. Cool completely.
Frosting
 For frosting, combine sugar and evaporated milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for 3 minutes (do not stir). Stir in butter and chocolate chips until melted. Cool slightly. Stir; spread over cake.

Yields: 24-30 servings

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

I made these for a neighborhood party and I was surprised at what a hit they were. Everyone was asking me for the recipe.

Submitted by Jessica 

4 stars

Ingredients:

• 4 sticks (1 lb) salted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 TBL vanilla
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• one 14-oz bag caramel candies. Unwrapped
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 TBL coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugars. Beat together until creamy. 

2. Add vanilla and beat until combined.

3. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth dough forms.

Preheat oven to 325* Spray a 9x13 baking dish

4. Press half of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Place remaining dough in the refrigerator.

Bake until firm and edges are pale golden brown-about 20 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.

5. While the bottom crust is cooling and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling.

Place the caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream and vanilla, and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If the caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

6. Pour the caramel filling over the crust. Sprinkle with the salt over top (I didn't add the full tablespoon and it was great, but it depends on how salty you like it). Remove remaining dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel. 

7. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool before cutting into squares.