This morning a funny thing happened. I went to the barn to build up a fire so the water troughs wouldn't freeze and some how I ended up having a fire ball come back at me out of the wood burner when I tried to light the wood with a propane torch. I hate the smell of burned hair, especially when it is my own! I may be making a trip to Salt Lake soon to see if my hair lady can fix the front parts that were singed. On the positive side of things, I won't have to pluck my eye brows or nose hairs for a while and maybe Santa will bring me some false eye lashes until my real ones grow back.
WoW! The past three weeks have been an absolute whirlwind! I finally have a moment to sit down and think. It seems like we have had a party of some kind almost every night and I have tons of wonderful recipes to share!
Thanksgiving at the cabin was a lot of fun. There was plenty of snow to snowmobile and to go sledding. We had my mom, Darren's mom and his brothers family up for turkey dinner. My mom has always made this red pepper dip that I didn't think I liked, but I discovered I love it! I took this to our bunco party last week and everyone keeps asking me about it,so here is the recipe:
Red Pepper Dip
Cut up four large red peppers and put into a blender. Add 1/2t. salt and mix well then let sit for an hour. Pour this into a sauce pan and add 1C. sugar, 3/4C. apple cider vinegar and some red food coloring until it is a pretty red color. Simmer on low for one to two hours until it cooks down and gets thick. Cool then pour over a block of cream cheese and serve with crackers.
We brought my Mom out to Vernal with us so she could hear Brayden and I talk in Sacrament meeting about our Africa trip and so she could go to the Tree's for Charity Gala with us. She loved the party! Who knew Vernal could be so fun? Then she watched the kids while Darren and I went to California for a few days for business. My sister Pam and her family came out the following weekend to pick her up. They stayed for a few days and we rode horses, watched movies, played games and the boys went pheasant hunting. It was Brayden's first time and he had so much fun! It's always fun with Uncle Robby though!
Pam brought out some cookies with her - I thought they were her yummy chocolate chip cookies until I tasted them. Instead she had added chocolate covered pomegranates into the mix. I found a new favorite!
Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Cookies
Mix and set aside 2 1/4C. flour, 1t. salt and 1t. baking soda. In a separate bowl, cream together 1C. shortening, 3/4C. sugar, 3/4C. brown sugar, 2 eggs and 1t. hot water. Add the dry mix to this then add 2C. oatmeal, 1t. vanilla and 2C. chocolate pomegranates cut in half. Bake at 375* for 10 minutes.
Last week we had our monthly bunco party. The Dastrup's brought this homemade eggnog that was to die for! I'm sure there are a thousand calories in this, but it sure was good!
Egg Nog
Combine two eggs, well beaten, one can sweetened condensed milk, 1t. vanilla and
1/4t. salt. Gradually add one quart of milk, then gently fold in one cup heavy whipping cream - whipped. Sprinkle with nutmeg and chill two hours before serving.
On Friday night, we had our annual work Christmas party at our house. Our secretary, Tiff, brought this fruit salad that everyone was raving over.
Tiff's Fruit Salad
Combine one large tub of cool whip with the powder from a small package of your favorite instant pudding - (she used pina colada flavored pudding,) then drain the juice off of your favorite canned fruit - but save 1T. of the syrup and stir it into the coolwhip with the fruit,(she used Mandarin oranges). Chill covered before serving.
Last Sunday I pretty much got a whole new Young Women's board so we had our first board meeting this week and I gave everyone a bag of this carmel popcorn. It is one of my favorites recipes that I have found so far.
Carmel Popcorn
Pop two bags of popcorn. In a a pan, melt 1C. butter then add 2C. brown sugar, 1/2C. corn syrup and 1t. salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly then boil without stirring for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1t. vanilla and 1/2t. baking soda. Gradually pour this over the popcorn while stirring so it is well coated. For crunchier carmel popcorn, spread this on a baking sheet and cook at 250* for 30 minutes. Stirring every ten minutes.
Speaking of popcorn, Darren's Mom, Kay, sent out some chocolate covered popcorn after Thanksgiving that I had been addicted to all week.
Chocolate Covered Popcorn
Melt 6 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave. (Watch closely - stirring every 30 seconds if you melt it in the microwave.)
Pop two bags of popcorn in the microwave. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popped popcorn, gently stir. Then sprinkle red and green candy sprinkles and gently stir. Cool in the refrigerator then put into little cellophane bags to give as gifts.
Kay put added a little surprise in the middle of her popcorn bags. A medium sized pretzel stick with the end dipped in carmel and then dipped in white chocolate.
Her carmel recipe is the best - so I am sure this is what she used for this treat.
Kay's Carmels
Melt 1C. butter in a heavy sauce pan. Then add 1 pound of brown sugar and a dash of salt. Stir in 1C. light corn syrup. Gradually add one - 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk. Cook over medium heat for 12 - 15 minutes stirring occasionally until it reaches the firm ball stage or 245* on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1t. vanilla. Pour into a buttered 9 inch square pan. Cool and cut into squares.
Kay put a small square of carmel on the end of the pretzel stick then dipped it into the melted white chocolate.
On Sunday, I took some of my favorite Peanut Butter Blossom cookies to my Laurels. I know I have posted this recipe before, but Becky Dastrup asked for it again, so here it is:
Peanut Butter Blossoms
Combine 1/2C. peanut butter, 1/2C. butter, 1/2C. sugar and 1/2C. brown sugar. Then add 1 egg, 2T. milk, 1t. vanilla, 1 3/4C. flour, 1t. baking soda and 1/2t. salt.
Mix well then roll dough in small balls and then roll in a bowl of white sugar. Set on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350*.
As soon as you pull them out of the oven, top with an unwrapped chocolate kiss, half of an unwrapped peanut butter cup or several plain M&M's.
It seems like all I have done this week is eat and eat and eat some more. It looks like the next two weeks will be the same so I have just given up on my diet and decided not to fight it until the new year. It's impossible when all of my neighbors and friends keep bringing over yummy treats!
