Peeling a Potato the Easy Way!

Thanks to Margaret for this link. Enjoy a super-peppy presentation on how to easily peel a potato!

Quick Zucchini Corn Chowder

1/4 c chopped green bell pepper
1/4 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 small zucchini (grate to make soup extra kid friendly*)
2 T butter or margarine
2 cans (10 oz. each) Cream of Potato soup, condensed
1 can (15 oz) cream-style corn
2 c milk
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 t pepper

In a large pan, saute bell pepper, onion, garlic and zucchini in butter until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a light boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until cream cheese is melted. 6-8 servings. Can easily be doubled.

*leave the skin on when grating zucchini. This was tested on several children and they never even noticed it was in there!

Apple Dump Cake - Jaimie Bryan

This is the fantastic cake that Jaimie brought to last week's Birthday Celebration!

Apple Dump Cake

101 Things to do with a cake Mix

1 yellow cake mix

1 can apple pie filling (I make and freeze my own so 1 bag worth)

1/2 cup butter melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9X13 pan. Dump half of cake mix evenly into bottom of pan. Spread pie filling evenly over the cake mix. Cover with remaining cake mix. Drizzle butter over top. DO NOT MIX. Bake 47-52 min or until light brown. Can serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whip topping.

Lemon Cake - Margaret Dyal

This delicious cake was served at the RS Birthday Party last week:

Cake:
1 Lemon Cake Mix ( I use Duncan Supreme)
Mix and bake cake mix as directed on the package. Cool and slice each layer in half making 4 layers.

Frosting:
3 Cups of Whipping Cream
1 large box of Lemon Jello
Stir together and let sit for 3-4 hours or over night. Then whip it like whipped cream and add the juice of 1 lemon.

Frost between each layer, the sides and top. Garnish with lemon slices or zest.
(Can also do the same with a sheet cake)

SUSHI - Michele Hoak

Ingredients:

5-10 cups dry Calrose or Pearl rice

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

1 pound crab meat

1 English Cucumber (julienned)

1 Avocado (thinly sliced)

4-8 oz. Smoked Salmon(1 package is enough)

1 package Cream Cheese

1 pack Sushi NORI (the seaweed wrappers)

Rice

Clean and rinse and drain, repeat. Rinse rice until the water runs clear. This could take up to 10 times. If you have a rice cooker use it! Follow directions for cooking the rice. However, let your rice rest 30 minutes before cooking. If you do not have a rice cooker, good luck. The water ratio is 1 1/2 water to 1 cup of rice.

When rice is done dump it into a bowl (non-metallic) to cool. Do not let it sit more than an hour. Rice will start to dry out. Using your rice right away is important. If you have a rice cooker you can leave it in there to cool longer just do not lift the lid( be sure to unplug it so it doesn't keep on warming.) Fanning is a good way to cool your rice quickly and not dry it out.

Pour Seasoned rice vinegar over rice, toss and fan all at the same time. 1/3 cup of Vinegar to 3 cups cooked rice is the recipe I have. I have now looked up 5 different recipes and they are all different on the amount of vinegar you should use.(and there are recipes that show you how to make your own sushi-zu, but why mess with an already perfected taste? Buy your seasoned rice vinegar already done.) So do it to taste. You should be able to taste it on the rice but it should not over power the rice.(your nose is not a good judge at this point. It WILL over power your nose even with a little bit.) Fanning and tossing the seasoned rice vinegar will give your rice a pretty shine. Rice is ready, that is the hard part.

Rolls
Cover your bamboo mat with plastic wrap. This helps the rice not stick to it. Place one Nori on the mat and fill with rice. leaving a 1/2 inch gap at the bottom closest to you and about a 1 inch gap at the top. 3/4 cup of rice to one cup is a good amount. Not too much or it makes your rolls to big to get in the mouth.

Filling
Salmon Rolls

About 1/3 the way up your roll, place a thin line of cream cheese and top with salmon. Roll away from you tightly. Done!

California Rolls

About 1/3 the way up your roll, place a line of thinly sliced avocado, two or three strips of julienne cucumber, and a line of crumbled crab. Roll tightly, away from you. The nice thing about sushi is it can all be done to taste. don't like something...leave it out. love something...put more in. Experiment a little. I have seen cooked shrimp in place of crab and steamed asparagus instead of salmon.

Have fun with it!

Chewy Chocolate Mint Brownies - Sister Stephenson

These are the delicious brownies that were served at the Stake Activity Day on Saturday. (Rumor has it Jacque has an equally yummy recipe as well!)

Heat oven to 350. Grease 11x17 cookie sheet.

Layer #1
1 pkg chocolate mint cake mix
(or substitute devil's food cake mix with 1/2 tsp peppermint extract)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 egg

In large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, peppermint flavor & egg. Blend until crumbly. Press lightly in cookie sheet. Bake 6 minutes. It won't look done, but remove anyway. Drop on counter top so brownie layer will go flat. Cool.

Layer #2
1 envelop knox gelatin.
1/4 cup cool water
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2-4 drops green food coloring

Dissolve gelatin in cool water until hydrated. In a bowl combine gelatin, powdered sugar, butter, shortening, peppermint and food coloring. Beat until smooth. Frost over the brownie layer. Chill until firm.

Layer #3
12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 T butter

Melt 30-45 seconds in microwave. Quickly frost over frosting layer. Cool until firm. Cut into bars.

Note: I prefer to use peppermint oil that you can buy at any specialty kitchen store. It has a better flavor, but use half as much extract.

Crock Pot Recipes

This is an index of LOTS of crock pot recipes. Thanks for the link Margaret!

http://www.50plusfriends.com/cookbook/crockpot/index-5b.html

Kelly Neilsen's Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

1 lg. can (46oz.) Tomato juice

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 tsp. soda

1 T. sugar

1/2 cube butter

1/2 c chopped onions

1 to 2 minced garlic cloves

1/2 t 1 tsp Italian seasoning or dry basil

1/3 c flour

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 c cream **

In a large plastic bowl mix together the juice, ketchup, soda and sugar. (Soda neutralizes the acid in the juice so the milk won't curdle.) Set aside.

In a stock pot fry the onion in the butter. When onion is almost transparent add the garlic and seasoning (to your taste). Cook together for a couple of minutes. Add the flour to make a roux and stir continually for a couple more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a couple minutes. Add the milk and cream to the roux and stir continually until it bubbles, making a rather thick sauce. Add the tomato juice mixture to the sauce and mix together well with a whisk. Heat together just until it's steaming. Serve.

*I would have used basil, but discovered I was out, so used the Italian seasoning.

**I used the cream because I had it. Try substituting with milk for less calories.

For a thinner, but simpler soup:

Heat together:

1 lg. can (46oz.) tomato juice

Season to taste with seasoning salt, sugar, garlic and onion powder

Then stir in:

1/2 tsp. soda (the juice will froth and expand some)

And add:

1 12oz. can evaporated milk.

Stir together and serve. We love it with grilled cheese sandwiches.