Taco Braid

walk your fingers under the ends to transfer to pan(cookie sheet,

unless you divide it to 2 then you can do two 9X13 pans.

This Braid you can fill with pizza stuff, or use just the plain rolls and spread cream cheese frosting and add pie filling, then after baking frost with frosting.

The 1st week of my marriage, Janae' took me to a Rhodes Rolls demonstration in Ogden and we learned lots of fun stuff to do with their rolls.

This Braid has been fun to play with and do whatever with.

But the Taco Braid is our family's favorite!

I made 2 tonight, I was in a hurry taking these pictures (sorry) and I baked it in a throw away pan so I could take it to someone for dinner. (That's also why I used more rolls too)

12 Texas Rhodes Rolls

1 lb ground beef

1 chopped onion

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 can refried beans

8 0z shredded cheddar cheese

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

sour cream

guacamole

salsa

Spray pan & plastic wrap with Non-stick cooking spray & cover Rhodes Texas Rolls for 3 hours on counter. Or until thawed & raised

Brown 1 lb. ground beef & 1 chopped onion add 1 pkg taco seasoning

Spray counter with "Pam" and Roll Rhodes rolls into large rectangle.

Spread refried beans over dough, leaving 3 inches on sides for Braid.

Top beans with meat and onion

Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Fold ends of dough over cheese and Braid sides, starting on ends and ending in the middle.

Put on pan and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with "Pam"

(optional~brush beaten egg over dough, makes it shiny and crusty on top)

Allow to double in size, at least 1/2 hour, depending on how warm your home is.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 min. or until brown

Top with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream & Guacamole. (salsa too if you like)

Butter Cookies

1/2 cup Shortening

1/2 cup Butter

1 1/2 cup Sugar

2 tsp Soda

2 Eggs

1/4 tsp Salt

3 Cups Flour

~~~~~~

Cream shortening, butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs & beat well. Combine dry ingredients & add to creamed mixture. Roll into balls, roll in sugar. Bake on sheet at 400* for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Jelly and Syrup

Yesterday, I found that our grocery store has strawberries for $1 a pound. Great price, huh? Until you buy 8 lbs and learn that you only get that price on 4 of them, but don't notice til you get home that you paid 3.99 a pound for 4 lbs. Ha ha! Oh well. Overall it wasn't a bad price and it was cheaper than buying strawberry jelly in the store which is hard to find (I don't like jam). Today was a nice cool day. It is still only 83 degrees out. So I decided it was the best day for making some jelly.

Strawberry Jelly

What you need:
Steam Juicer or an 8 quart pot with a lid and a vegetable steamer (the kind that folds up on itself)
6-7 pint jars with lids and rings
mesh strainer
About 4 lbs strawberries (to make 3 3/4 cups juice)
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 pkg pectin (powdered, not liquid)

What you do:

Take the leaves off of and wash the strawberries.








Put them in the pot on top of the steamer. You will want to have a little water in bottom to start. (Probably enough that runs off from rising them.)
Cook the strawberries over low heat for about 1 hour.



Pour off the juice. (I got about 10 cups from 8 lbs of strawberries). It isn't as sweet as it smells.







Put the remaining strawberry mush in a strainer and let any remaining juice drain out. You can squish them some with a potato masher or fork to help.




Put 3 3/4 cups of juice in a saucepan and 4 1/2 cups of sugar in a bowl. Make sure the measurements are accurate. It won't set up right otherwise.






Boil some water in a small pan and take off heat, then add the lids and rings and keep them in the hot water until you are ready to use them.





Add the pectin to the juice and bring it to a full-rolling boil, stirring constantly. You can add 1/2 tsp butter to keep it from foaming so much. Add the sugar quickly and continue stirring, bring it back to a full-rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute. (Sorry, no pictures for this part, because you don't have time. You have to stay with it.)

Quickly pour or ladle it into six pint jars (I had enough for 6 1/2 pints). I used a soup ladle and a funnel. Wipe off the threads and rim of the jars and put a lid and ring on each. Screw them on tight and turn the jar upside down, to seal it. Be very careful, they are HOT! Leave them upside down until the lid has sealed. Probably about 30 minutes. As long as it takes to clean up the huge mess you probably just made. :)



Strawberry Syrup

What you need:
2 cups strawberry juice
2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

What you do:
basically the same as the jelly.
Bring juice to a full-rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the corn syrup and sugar quickly, continue stirring. Return to a full-rolling boil and boil for about 5 minutes. Pour in the jar and put on a lid and ring. Screw on tight and turn it upside down. I got one quart jar with this recipe.

Popcorn Balls

1 pot popped corn
2 Cups brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 cup Water
Blend together all but popcorn. Cook till soft ball stage. Pour over and eat.
After I make the one batch, I seperate it into two bowls so that it is easier to mix.

Here is what it looks like as it progresses into the soft ball stage about every 5 minutes from beginning to end (on my stove anyway :)

The hardest part is keeping the kids out of it when It is hot and I am trying to mix it up!!

This time we sprayed Muffin cups with non stick cooking spray for fun

And our hands so they wouldn't get sticky too :)

Then made little Popcorn balls in them

Then we put them on a tray for the party.

Cheese Manicotti Florentine

-16 manicotti noodles (uncooked) make sure there are 16 in the box, the Great Value ones only have 14
-1 lb ricotta cheese -- or cottage (I tried cream cheese and it SO SO yummy)
-1/2 lb mozzarella cheese
-1 cup parmesan cheese (I used half the crumbly can kind and half the "fresh" kind)
-2 eggs -- beaten
-1 tablespoon chopped parsley
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
-2 cup spaghetti sauce (I used twice as much)
-1 small onion
-1/2 lb mushrooms (I left these out because Ben hates them)
-1/2 lb spinach

Sautee chopped onions and mushrooms until tender. Steam chopped spinach until wilted (or use thawed frozen spinach). Combine ricotta (or other cheese), mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, eggs, parsley, spices. Add spinach and 3/4 of sautee to mixture.

Fill uncooked manicotti shells

(this is the best because you don't have to worry about

breaking or dropping the wiggly cooked ones)

Make sure it is all the way full!


Place filled shells in a single layer in a greased 13x9 baking pan. Add remaining sautee to spaghetti sauce. Cover manicotti with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes. This can be prepared before hand and frozen if you want. You would just have to cook it longer, like 60 minutes.

Quick & Easy Pear Salad

I was in a huge hurry to get our dinner on the table so we could all get out the door, so this is not the best picture, luckily Bryan said, Karin you should take a picture of this! I would carmelize my pecans like I always do, with only sugar... I think adding the water makes the pecans look sugary like in this picture. I would also maybe do less red wine vinegar, for the kids sake.
I tried this out for the first time last night and We loved it! I couldn't stop eating it.

Pear Salad
1 1/2 bags of your favorite Salad Greens (I just did Romaine)
2 pears peeled, cored and chopped (I put 4 in, cuz' I love pears!)
5 oz. feta cheese (crumbled by Brandon)
1 avocado (peeled, pitted and diced by Bryan)
1/3 c. thinly sliced green onions

for the pecans:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 c. pecans
1 TBSP water (next time I will not use the water)

Dressing:
1/2 tsp. salt (I used Kosher)
1/2 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons Red wine vinegar (if serving to little ones, I would lessen this amount)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar (or add more sugar if you keep the vinegar the same)
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1 clove minced garlic
pepper to taste

Directions:
In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 c. sugar adn 1 Tblsp water together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until the sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Transfer to wax paper(I always use foil) cool and break into pieces.
In large bowl. Layer lettuce, pears, feta, avacado, and green onions. pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans and serve.
(I tossed it all together with the dressing, minus the avacado, pears and pecans, so they wouldn't sink to the bottom, then layered.)
Enjoy!

zucchini with mozzarella & olives

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons diced pimiento (haven't used it yet myself)
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
4 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil

Turn oven on to broil. The oven rack should be at least 6 inches below the heat source. Line pan with foil. Blend cheese, pimiento & olives in bowl and set aside. Brush zucchini halves on both sides with oil. Broil 5 minutes then spoon 2 tablespoons cheese mixture onto each zucchini half. Put it back in the oven until the cheese melts.

It comes out so juicy and yummy. I've never had the pimiento in the house when I was in the mood to make it so I just mix the cheese and olives together.

Ladies It is Time to come back!!!

Ok.. It has been many long months since any one has posted!! I am guilty as well... so lets get back into it!! With the warmer weather lets find SOMETHING new and exciting we can post on here.. I for one can use some great new cheap and inexpensive, even healthy recipes... And we need Kristin to post too..Maybe she can post as David in disguise. LOL. Just teasing you Kristin since we know who the real cook is.. Love you guys and miss you all.