Spudnut Donuts

I am actually going to be giving out a secret family recipe. Well...maybe not secret but this is one of our Christmas Traditions. We have made donuts every Christmas since I can remember...and they are amazing. We would try to give them out as neighbor gifts...but usually we ate most of them. Just thinking about them makes me hungry....yum!

Spudnut Donuts

Donuts:

2 Tbsp Shortening (no Wesson Oil)

1 Egg, beaten

1 Cup Warm Milk

3 tsp Yeast or 1 1/2 pkg Yeast

1/4 Cup Mashed Potatoes

1/4 Cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Vanilla

3 cups Flour

Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup warm water. Put the potatoes through a sieve. Scald the milk, add sugar and salt and cool to luke warm. Add the remaining ingredients. This makes a very dry, sticky-like dough. Let rise double in bulk, then roll out o to lightly floured board. Cut with a donut cutter and fry in deep fat until golden brown.

*You can refrigerate the dough, just make sure it had already risen twice before you do so.

Glaze:

2-3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1-2 Oranges, squeezed for juice

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 Cup Water

2 Tbsp Milk

1/2 Cup Margarine

Mix the ingredients. Should be thin. Dip the donuts in the glaze while hot and drain off the excess in a bowl.

Caramel and Chocolate Covered Pretzels (A great neighbor gift!)

My newest holiday treat addiction are these delectable little nuggets of sweet and salty deliciousness. The picture above is missing the chocolate and M&M...but still look yummy!

Caramel & Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 bag Kraft caramels, individually wrapped, about 50 count

(45 after you have snitched a few)

-or if you are ambitious-

your own homemade caramel, probably around two cups?

Around 45-50 mini pretzel twists or Snyder's pretzel squares

About a cup of melting chocolate

-or-

about half a bag of chocolate chips, unmelted

45-50 M&M's

Down to business:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, place pretzels about 1 inch apart on the pan. Top each pretzel with unwrapped caramel square. Bake 8-10 minutes at 300 degrees or until caramels are rounding and soft. OVERBAKING will cause caramel to harden! While still warm, using the flat of a butter knife, press down caramel to cover pretzel.

*If you are using homemade caramel, fill pretzel holes and coat surface.

To chocolate your caramel:

If using chocolate chips, drop 3-5 chips onto the warm caramel and pop back into the oven until they are soft. Using your trusty butter knife again, smush the melty chips and cover the top of the pretzel.

If using melted chocolate, drop a healthy dollop on top of the caramel.

Place one lovely little M&M on the top and allow the treats to cool.

YUMMO!

Happy entertaining!

-A.S.

Shorthand Sugar Cookies

Alright, who hasn't fallen victim to the demure yet enticing call of the sugar cookie this time of year?
That's right.
No one can resist.
I am no exception. The only issue I take with these sweet yet subtle cookies is the recipes I own. They are complicated and time consuming. (That possibly sounds like a seriously lame excuse for someone who writes on a cooking blog, I understand.)
Truth be told...baking and me; not such wonderful friends. I am a novice at best when it comes to baking. My sisters got that genome, not me.
My solution? This awesome recipe I ganked and modified from KraftFoods.com.
Seriously. Easy. Sugar cookies.

The Players:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda

The Directions:
beat softened cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add baking soda and flour slowly. Mix well.

If doing cookie-cutter cookies, chill dough until firm-ish. Take half the dough and roll on floured surface to desired thickness.
If doing rolled cookies, ball dough and flatten slightly before baking.

Bake 12-19 minutes depending on thickness or until slightly browned on edges. Cool 2-5 minutes before removing from pan.
Frost, decorate, sprinkle with powdered sugar, do what you want with these lovely, simple cookies!
Happy Holidays!

Tasty Cheese Ball

I made this as an appetizer for Thanksgiving this year...wow...it disappeared FAST!

This is such an awesome cheese ball and it tastes soooo good!

Cheese Ball

2 pkgs 8oz Cream Cheese
1-2 Cups Shredded Cheese
2 Tbsp Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Chopped Nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, shredded cheese, dressing mix and Worcestershire sauce. Form into balls. Roll in the nuts and refrigerate for 2 hours.

I usually don't roll mine in the nuts and just leave it wrapped in the plastic wrap until ready to serve. That way it is fresh and tasty! :)

*Easy way to form ball. Line a bowl with plastic wrap and place cheese mixture inside and take the ends and make into ball.

Cucumber Limeade Drink

This is the most refreshing drink. It is perfect for parties, showers or just to have in your fridge.

It really is ideal for summer, but I thought I would post it here in case anyone needs any ideas for a party drink for the holiday season.

12 oz frozen Limeade

1 liter Lemon Lime soda

1/2 Cucumber, sliced

Mix the limeade and the lemon lime soda together in punch bowl, add cucumbers.

Yummy!

A Non-Edible Addition

Alright, time for a break from the lemmings, ladies and gents. It is time for some penny-pinching, miserly, money-saving, home-made, DIY goodness!!!
This week's adventure; LAUNDRY DETERGENT!
Anybody else get sticker shock looking at laundry soap? I do! I hate shelling out large amounts of hard-earned dinero to wash the grunge out of my clothes. The solution?
Borax.
Arm and Hammer Washing Soda.
Fels Naptha Soap Bar.
And that is it. I swear to you.
The clincher???
For less than twelve dollars, you can do 640 loads of laundry.
Yes. yes, I know. Please stop crying. There there...
Ten gallons of laundry detergent at about one cent a load. And it gets even cheaper the next time you need to make it because all you need is the Fels Naptha bar...there is enough Borax and Washing Soda to make roughly five or six batches of this ten-gallon wonder.
Alright. Really. Please stop sobbing. Its okay. I didn't know until recently, either.
I'll give you a moment to compose yourself.
....
....
....
Better? Alright. Hold on to your britches...it gets even better...
IT'S EASY!!!
Twenty minutes of stirring and mixing is IT.
Are you ready to save money?
Are you REALLY ready???
Then lets get to it!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent;

First of all, I recommend you get yourself five gallon bucket from walmart if you don't have one already. Make sure it is clean and has a lid. If you do not have your leftover expensive-brand laundry detergent bottles or gallon milk jugs then I suggest you buy a second five gallon bucket with lid. I have been hoarding my laundry detergent bottles for a few years for water storage. My husband shook his head at me thinking they would never come in handy but HA HA! Now I have another use for them.

Silly husband.

Anyway???

Get yourself a sturdy one quart pot and put four cups of water in it.

Take your Fels Naptha soap bar and grate it into the water. (Yes, use your cheese grater.) On medium-high heat, melt the soap shavings in the water until there are NO clumps or flakes. It will be a little foamy but you want it lump-free.

It takes around ten to fifteen minutes.

While you are watching the soap-water, fill your 5-gallon bucket half full with HOT water.

When the soap mixture is done, pour it into the bucket with the hot water.

Now add 1 cup of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1/2 cup Borax.

Stir well to distribute evenly.

Fill the rest of the bucket with water and stir again.

Snap on your lid and let it sit overnight.

It will gel and thicken. The next day, give it a good stir.

Using a funnel, fill your old detergent jugs or milk jugs HALF full of the detergent. Dilute with water to fill the rest.

If you are using another five gallon bucket, just use the 1:1 ratio and dilute with water.

Before using the detergent, give the jug a good shake. If taking directly from the bucket, stir before use. The contents will settle over time so this is necessary.

Good looking stuff, huh?

Still not convinced it is a worthy detergent? A test was done with white shirts and mustard. Against the most expensive Tide super-duper stain remover, this simple, CHEAP detergent cleaned the stain exactly the same!
Here's a little nugget about how soap works; it isn't the soap that does the cleaning. It is WATER that cleans your clothes. The detergents break the barrier on the fabric to allow water through so it can clean. Water is, after all, the world's best solvent. So next time you are at the laundry soap aisle, you have my permission to laugh at all those expensive brands. They all use the same ingredients, every brand, even cheap brands, and it is your water that does the cleaning anyhow.
Worried about an allergic reaction? Afraid these cheap ingredients will be harsh?
WRONG!
100% allergen, dye, fragrance free. You can add fragrance oil if you desire, but this recipe is extremely gentle on skin. My neighbor used it for her infants as well as for herself who has severe skin allergies.
If you aren't going to make this for yourself/family...then I have to say you are a SAP. You have money to throw away, obviously.
So anyway, happy laundry-soap making, my friends.
-A.S.
(Oh, and Borax and the washing soda have excellent household cleaning uses...lots of suggestions on the boxes. YAY!!!)

The Best Salsa Ever!

I have been on a quest to make the best salsa ever! My favorite salsa is the kind when you are eating in a restaurant and it is just the perfect blend of flavors. It has taken a while and I have tried many different recipes and most have been good. Not great, but edible. So while on my internet search I found this recipe from Pioneer Woman. And I have found it....the BEST salsa ever! It tastes as good or better than the stuff served in restaurants. :)

Restaurant Style Salsa
1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
1/4 cup Chopped Onion
1 clove Garlic, Minced
1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
1/2 whole Lime Juice

Note: this is a very large batch. I recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

So incredibly tasty...it will be gone very quickly!!!

-Kelli

Winner, Winner...PORK dinner?

So I am in a four-family cooking group with some ladies around town and have been enjoying the extra time three days out of the week NOT cooking. Honestly, there is no better feeling than watching the busy day wind down to around four o'clock and not running into that horrid thought, "Oh no, what am I going to cook for dinner tonight?"
Knock. Knock. Knock. "Here's your supper! Enjoy!"
Dinner a'la doorbell.
It. Is. So. Lovely.
BUT I like to cook, don't get me wrong. I enjoy a few hours dawdling in the kitchen, messing up recipes and swearing to myself and my hungry husband that I'll follow the recipe more closely next time.
My point?
The recipe exchanging is one of the biggest perks of this food-group business. I have come across some real nuggets of gold. (And some real nuggets of...well...not everything everyone cooks is going to agree with my family.) It is a risk worth taking, having others cook for you three days of the week. Remember that delectible little frozen Texas treat a few posts back? That'd be a nugget a' gold there. And this one, this be a niiiice little addition to my collection.

Candied Piggy *

*not actual recipe name. (I don't know the actual name. What is it with these ladies not naming their recipes?)

1 pork roast (2-4 lbs)

2 cups salsa of choice

2 cups brown sugar

1 slow cooker

Combine salsa and brown sugar. Place over pork in slow cooker. (Maybe put a bit of water to thin it out a bit.) Cook on low 8-10 hours. Shred with fork and let it simmer for another two hours.

Pair with warmed tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese for succulent pork burritos, or grab some local naan (indian bread) or make it yourself (recipe a few posts back) and pinch it off in fingerfuls with the soft bread.

Seriously delicious sweet pork.

Happy Eating!

-Amy



Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Yummy! So my step-daughter wanted a Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake for her birthday.

I knew where the perfect recipe was, it was at kevinandamanda.com.

I made my own adjustments, and the recipe I used will be posted at the bottom. But her blog was my inspiration. Since my step-daughter loves stars I decided to make her cake in a Wilton Star cake pan.

I made the chocolate cake, and I added Reese's Peanut Butter chips to it =)

Then I made the frosting...peanut butter buttercream frosting. Oh my goodness this was so sinful that I kept eating it. It tasted just like the Reese's peanut butter. =)

I then cut up some Reese's peanut butter Cups and put them on top. It was devilishly good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a very large bowl, mix together everything except peanut butter chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour batter into cake pan of choice. For cooking time, I use the cooking times on the back of the cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. Then I do the toothpick check, and if it’s not done, I check on it every 5 mins after that. It usually takes around 45 mins for two, 9-inch pie pans.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosing

1 Butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter

In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, and whipping cream and then peanut butter. Blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

Cocoa Toasted Almonds

I love almonds...in fact I love them so much that now I can hardly eat them. Plain old, whole natural almonds. They are good...but they just don't have that pizazz. Then I was in the store and say Cocoa Roasted Almonds. And it is a healthy snack...then I saw the price tag and backtracked.

So I found this recipe for Cocoa Roasted Almonds to make at home. Here it is...they are pretty good. I am going to post another recipe underneath that isn't as healthy but they are so good.

Enjoy!

Cocoa Roasted Almonds

Pour one pound of raw or pasteurized almonds in a large bowl. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Stir with a large spoon, spray again, and toss with a large spoon. Almonds should be lightly, but thoroughly, coated.

In a small bowl, mix:
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/4 cup good cocoa powder
8 little envelopes Stevia sweetenter
1/4 teaspoon plain popcorn salt

Pour onto a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Bake at 250 degrees for about 25 minutes, stirring every 7 or 8 minutes. Remove from oven and place roasted cocoa almonds on paper towels. Cool thoroughly, then place in little 100 calorie bags. Since each almond has about 7 calories, put 14 or 15 almonds in each bag.

Spicy Cocoa Roasted Almonds
by my kitchen addiction

3 cups whole almonds
1 egg white
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Few drops of water
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 – 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on your taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together the egg white, vanilla bean paste, and a few drops of water in a mixing bowl. Beat mixture until it is light and frothy. Add the almonds and toss to evenly coat with the egg white mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine the sugars, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne, and salt. Whisk together to remove any lumps. Add the almonds, and toss to coat. Spread the coated almonds out on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes. Keep a close watch on the almonds because they will burn quickly.
Once the almonds are done, spread them out on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper until they have cooled completely (it’s OK to snack on a few while they cool… That’s what I did!). Store in an airtight container.

-Kelli