Strawberry Pie Bars

Adapted from http://www.recipegirl.com/

CRUST:

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoon brown sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

FILLING: the recipe came from this webpage

2 cups fresh strawberries, mashed

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup sugar

2 cups strawberries, cut in to pieces

TOPPING:

3 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled*

1. Prepare the crust: Preheat the oven to 375°. Line a 15-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. At low speed, beat in the flour, spices and salt until a soft dough forms. Press the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and 1/2 inch up the side in an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add mashed strawberries and cook slowly for about 10 minutes until thickened. Let cool.

3. Prepare the topping: In a large bowl, mix the oats with the flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Using fingers (wash your hands and take off your rings first!), squeeze the butter into the oats & sugar and crumble together until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Press the mixture into clumps.

4. Assemble the bars: Spread the strawberry filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking, and keep an eye on it to make sure the top isn’t getting too browned. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting into 2-inch bars.

*It is important the butter is chilled otherwise the butter makes more of a paste than crumbs.

Makes 4 dozen bars

Autumn Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies taste and smell just like Autumn!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2-3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups chocolate-covered raisins (we tried it once with just chocolate chips and that was good too)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen. (I used my pampered chef scoop and it made more than three dozen.)

altered slightly from "Simple & Delicious" magazine

Cheesey Chicken Chowder

I got this recipe from Amy L and April H from church. It was a hit at my house!
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced peeled potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
In a large saucepan, bring chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat and add vegetables and seasoning. Cover and simmer until tender. In another saucepan over med. low heat melt:

1/4 c. butter
add 1/3 c. flour and mix well.
Gradually add in 2 c. milk and cook until thickened over low heat.
Gradually add 2 c. grated cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
Add this to mixture to broth/veggie mixture along with
1 can of cream of chicken soup and
2 c. of diced cooked chicken.

Tara's Sausage dip

I think that this is Tara's sausage dip. Well, this is how I made it for the BYU game party.

1 log of Jimmy Dean ground sausage
2 blocks cream cheese, softened
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained

Brown the sausage. Drain. Add the cream cheese and can of tomatoes and green chilies. Heat until cheese is melted. Keep warm and serve with Frito chips or cubes of diced bread. (I kept it in a crock pot to stay warm.)

Veggie Cheeseball

1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 small red pepper diced
1 small yellow pepper diced
3 stalks of green onions, chopped
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until blended well. Line a small bowl with plastic wrap and press cheese mixture into the lined bowl. Chill in fridge for 30 mins. Flip over onto a plate and remove plastic wrap. Eat with crackers. We like wheat thins!

Lemon Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

1 ½ C. sifted cake flour

1 ¾ C. sugar

14 egg whites

Pinch of salt

1 tea. Cream of tartar

Zest of one lemon

2 tea. Vanilla extract

¾ tea. Lemon oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift flour into mixing bowl. Sift sugar into separate bowl and set both aside. In a copper or stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks; add salt when whites are just foamy (add cream of tartar at this point if using a stainless steel bowl). Gently fold in sugar with a rubber spatula; fold in flour in two batched. Add lemon zest, vanilla, and lemon oil. When all is completely incorporated, transfer batter to angel food cake pan and smooth top. Bake until cake is pale brown in color and springs back when gently touched with finger, and when a skewer inserted in center comes out clean (approx. 1 hour). Cool upside down in pan. To serve, gently remove from pan, releasing sides with knife. Serves 10-12.

Frosting:

2 Cups. Whipping cream

½ pkg. lemon pudding

Serve with fresh fruit, especially nice with raspberries or strawberries. (FYI this is my official birthday cake, the one I asked for every year growing up...mmm)

Sticky Coconut Chicken

from My Kitchen Cafe

6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 TBSP mincd fresh ginger

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Marinade the chicken in coconut milk, ginger, pepper and red pepper flakes at least one hour. Grill on barbeque.

Glaze:

3/4 cup rice vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes

While the chicken is grilling, bring the above ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until mixture is reduced and thickened, about 8-10 mnutes. Be patient because it takes a little while. But once it starts getting really thick, immediately take it off the heat! Glaze both sides of chicken the last few minutes of grilling and serve chicken over rice.

Sidenote: I used the extra coconut milk left in the can as part of the liquid in my rice. It was pretty good.