Recipes from the December Meeting of the Pioneers

Cei made Blueberry Scones Mix in a Jar from RazzledazzleRecipes.com


2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup dried blueberries

Stir together flour, sugar, milk, baking powder, lemon peel, and salt. Cut in shortening using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in berries. Layer into a 1-quart canning jar, tapping gently on the counter between layers to settle before adding the next. Add additional dried blueberries to fill in small gaps if necessary.

This stores at room temperature for up to 6 weeks, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Blueberry Scones

Place jar contents in a large mixing bowl. Add 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1 beaten egg and 1/4 cup water; stir just until moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead gently for 12 to 15 strokes or until nearly smooth. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shape and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with milk. Bake at 400 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool slightly, and serve warm.

Sybil made Creamy Almond Candy from EagleBrand.net

1 1/2 pounds vanilla-flavored candy coating*
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups (about 1 pound) whole almonds, toasted**

MELT candy coating, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract, then almonds.
SPREAD evenly into wax paper-lined 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
TURN onto cutting board. Peel off paper; cut into triangles or squares. Store leftovers tightly covered at room temperature.
MICROWAVE METHOD
COMBINE candy coating, sweetened condensed milk and salt in 2-quart glass measure. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) 3 to 5 minutes, stirring after each 1 1/2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Proceed as above.
*Also called confectioners’ coating.
** To toast almonds, spread in single layer in heavy-bottomed skillet. Cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until nuts are lightly browned. Remove from skillet immediately. Cool before using.

Attach the following instructions on a gift tag:

She also made Strawberry Angel Cookies freom Smuckers.com

Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
1 (16 oz.) package Pillsbury® Angel Food Cake
3/4 cup Smucker's® Strawberry Sugar Free Preserves
OR 1 cup Smucker's® Special Recipe Strawberry Preserves
3 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips


HEAT oven to 325°F. Coat baking sheet with no-stick cooking spray.
BEAT together cake mix and preserves (do not add water) at low speed of electric mixer 1 minute or until evenly moistened. Continue to beat an additional 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are just lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet. Place on cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies will be soft and chewy.
TIP Store between sheets of wax paper to keep from sticking together

Sherry made Chocolate Chex Caramel Crunch Mix from Chex.com

8 cups Chocolate Chex® cereal
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup white vanilla baking chips

1. Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter and corn syrup uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Spread on cookie sheet. Cool 10 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.
3. In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 1 minute 30 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle over snack. Refrigerate until set. Store in tightly covered container

DeeAnn made Egg Nog Cheesecake from ControllingMyChaos.blogspot.com

3 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs flour
3/4 cup dairy eggnog
2 eggs
2 tsp rum extract
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
19 mini graham cracker pie crusts OR 2 9-inch crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Blend softened cream cheese with sugar, flour, eggnog and eggs. Add rum extract, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Pour into pie crusts.
Bake at 425 degrees for 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch (longer for larger pies).
Remove from oven and cool.
Refrigerate.
Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

December's Meeting of the Pioneers

December's meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 9th at 6:30 p.m. at Cei Kratz' home. 44514 Loneoak Avenue

The Theme Is: Holiday Food Gifts

Hope to see you all there!

Super Sides Recipes

It was another wonderful night for the Recipe Pioneers. The dishes were ALL delicious and the company was even better. We are getting more and more sisters attending and that just adds to the fun.


Sharon brought Beets with Orange Vinaigrette from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

3 (15-ounce) cans baby beets, drained
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
2 large seedless oranges, zested
Segments 2 large seedless oranges

Drain the beets and dice into 1/2-inch cubes. Place the beets in a mixing bowl and add the raspberry vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and red onions. Zest the oranges and then segment over a bowl to catch the juices. Add the orange zest, orange segments, and any juices and mix well. Taste for seasoning and serve cold or at room temperature.

Sybil brought Cheesy Chile Rice from Food Network Magazine

Mix 2 cups cooked rice, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 cup chopped scallions, a 4-ounce can chopped green chiles (drained), 1 cup shredded cheddar, and salt and cayenne to taste. Butter a casserole dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Spread the rice mixture in the dish, sprinkle with more Parmesan and dot with butter. Bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees.

She also brought Best Banana Bread Ever (as muffins)

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup nuts (optional)
4 medium bananas

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and sugar the loaf pans.
In a large bowl combined melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Fold in sour cream and bananas. Spread into pans.

Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes for large loaves and 30 minutes for small loaves or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then take of our pans and cool completely.

Karen brought Grilled Scallions from Food Network Magazine

Prepare an outdoor grill to medium high heat. Brush the scallions with olive oil. Lay the scallions on the grill until you see distinct grill marks, about 2 minutes. Turn the scallions over and cook about 1 minute more. Transfer to 2 plates and serve warm.


Cei brought Pizza Potatoes from Great American Recipes

4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tsp salt
1 jar (2-1/2 oz) sliced mushrooms, divided
1 can (14-1/2 oz) chunky tomato sauce
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp sugar
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 oz. sliced pepperoni
2 Tbs chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt. Make for 10 minutes. remove from oven and set aside.

Drain the mushrooms. Combine the tomato sauce, half of the mushrooms, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and sugar in a large bowl; mix well. Spread on top of the potatoes.

Sprinkle the mozzarella and Cheddar on top of the potato mixture. Arrange the remaining mushrooms, pepperoni and onions on top. bake until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.

DeeAnn brought Sweet Potato Rolls from AllRecipes.com

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
4 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 cup canned sweet potato puree
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Dissolve yeast, warm water, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a mixing bowl. Let stand 5 minutes. Add remaining sugar, sweet potato, butter or margarine, salt, and slightly beaten eggs. Stir to mix well. Stir in 3 cups of flour. Turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead 2 to 3 minutes, adding just enough of remaining flour to prevent sticking. Do not knead too heavily; when smooth, shape into a ball. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let raise about 1 hour or longer. Punch down, and allow dough to rest for 2 minutes. Divide into 16 to 20 balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet or in a 9x13 inch pan. Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.

She also brought Artichoke and Chickpea Stew from AllRecipes.com

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 carrots, chopped
4 medium Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped (she used 1 can of diced tomatoes)
1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 (15.5 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained (she used cannelloni beans)
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion until translucent. Stir in the garlic and chili flakes; cook until the garlic has begun to soften, about 1 minute. Add the carrots, tomatoes, artichokes, garbanzo beans, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the carrots are tender.

Season with sage, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more to meld the flavors.

Mary brought Cheese-Topped Zucchini from Favorite Recipes from Utah Farm Bureau Women

3 medium zucchini
1 medium onion, diced
Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Oregano
1 cup tomato sauce
Mozzarella slices
Parmesan cheese

Slice zucchini in halves lengthwise. In large skillet, saute onion until tender in small amount of oil. Add zucchini halves, cut-side-up; sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little oregano. Pour tomato sauce over zucchini. Cover and cook on medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Top zucchini with sliced mozzarella cheese; sprinkle with additional oregano an cook, covered, until cheese melts. Cover with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Sherry brought

November's Meeting of the Pioneers

This month's meeting is going to be held on Wednesday, November 11th at 6:30 p.m. We will meet at DeeAnn's home: 3614 W Oldfield St. The theme this month is Super Side Dishes. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

We will be deciding on next year's monthly themes, so if you want a vote, be there!

Fun Halloween Food

Check out this website for some fun Halloween food ideas:

http://hoosierhomemade.com/meals-oct-26-nov-1-halloween-dinner/

Pumpkin Recipes G A L O R E ! ! !

If you are feeling the urge to cook something with pumpkin check this site out:

http://amysfinerthings.com/pumpkin-recipes

Enjoy!

October's Pasta Recipes

Cei brought Pasta Primavera with HOMEMADE PASTA

1 (14 ½ oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
¾ cup fresh broccoli florets
¾ cup thinly sliced carrots
¾ cup sliced onion
½ cup zucchini, cut into chunks
½ cup sliced green bell pepper
½ cup sliced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 TBS olive oil
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried rosemary
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
½ cup water

In a large pot, combine all the ingredients – yep, ALL of them together in one go.
Heat to just boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Stir occasionally. Cook until all vegetables are tender, approximately 45 minutes .
Serve with cooked past of your choice!

Sybil brought Artichoke Pasta Salad

1-lb. bow tie pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained, and cooled
6 oz. pitted sliced olives
8 oz. artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz. feta cheese, cubed
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
Mix all ingredients in large bowl and set aside.

1 clove garlic, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
½ tsp. dried thyme
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend well. Gently toss salad mixture with salad dressing and chill. Serves 8

Mary brought Tom Cruise's Spaghetti Carbonara from The Oprah Show
Makes 4 servings

1/2 inch olive oil (for frying pan)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion
8 to 12 thick slices Italian bacon
4 eggs
2 packages spaghetti
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
In a frying pan, combine 1/2 inch of olive oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, one chopped onion and the Italian bacon cut into small squares. Let simmer for about a half-hour, being careful not to let the oil get to a boiling point.

In a bowl, beat 4 eggs with lots of salt and fresh ground pepper.

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Cook both packages of spaghetti until al dente, drain and immediately add egg mixture to pasta. The eggs are actually cooked by the pasta. (Make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked before proceeding.) Stir the egg mixture until it is well mixed. Pour in the mixture from the frying pan and stir. Finish with the Parmesan cheese and serve!

Sherry brought Mac and Cheese

2 cups shell macaroni
1/4 each grated cheddar, monterey jack, and provolone cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 - 15 oz can diced stewed tomatoes, drained
1 Tbsp butter
2 tsp fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package instructions, drain and transfer to a 4- cup casserole dish. Stir in remaining ingredients and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Serves 6

DeeAnn brought Blueberry Lasagna from CDKitchen

***Lasagna Filling***
16 Lasagna noodles
2 pounds ricotta cheese
4 Eggs
2 pints fresh blueberries (I used frozen)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
***Crunchy Topping***
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup rolled quick oats
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts of choice (I used almonds)
***Hazelnut Cream Sauce***
1 cup sour cream
1 cup Hazelnut coffee creamer

Hazelnut Cream Sauce Mix 1 Cup of sour cream and 1 Cup of Hazelnut coffee creamer together until completely blended. Spoon over lasagna when ready.

In a large pan of boiling, salted water cook lasagna noodles until they are done. Drain and rinse under cold water. Return the noodles to the pot and cover with enough cold water to cover the noodles. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and drain berries. In a large bowl combine the ricotta cheese, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the berries. Set aside. Coat the bottom and sides of Two 9"X13" baking pans with cooking oil spray. Layer 4 noodles across the bottom of each pan overlapping slightly. Spread half of the filling over the noodles. Make another layer of noodles and filling. Prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix together all ingredients until coarse crumbs form. Spread evenly over the berries in each pan. Bake 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let lasagna set 15 to 20 minutes in the pan before cutting into squares. Place a lasagna square on the plate and spoon over some hazelnut sauce over the top. Serves 10.

DeeAnn also brought Creamy Pumpkin Pasta from MomAdvice.com

2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound package of Sweet Italian Sausage (removed from its casing)
2/3 cup to 2 cups pumpkin puree (depending on your personal taste)(I used 2 cups)
1 can chicken broth
¼ cup half & half
½ cup sour cream
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 tsp sage
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
¼ cup Romano Cheese, shredded
1 pound penne or rotini pasta

In a large skillet sauté the garlic in the olive oil on medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking the meat up with your spoon as you cook it. Remove sausage and garlic from the skillet. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and deglaze the pan using a wire whisk, to bring up all of the flavors stuck to the pan. Whisk in the half and half, sour cream, pumpkin, and seasonings. Simmer for ten minutes. Meanwhile, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and stir into the pumpkin mixture along with the turkey sausage, simmering for another three minutes or until the sauce thickens and hugs the pasta. Stir in parsley and garnish with Romano and more parsley.

Side Note- If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little addition of chicken broth until you get it to the right consistency.