Hawaiian Haystacks

Hawaiian Haystacks ( no cream of chicken soup here)

I came up with this version due to the fact that I am not big on using cream of chicken soup as a gravy………. Hope you like it as much as we did.


Sauce:
3 cups of chicken cooked and chopped and seasoned with salt and pepper
1 small onion diced
6 TBS butter
1/3 C Flour (heaping)
4 Cups of Chicken Stock
1 Cup of Half and Half (I used fat free)
Directions:
Cook rice with rice cooker, amount for number of people to feed.
Meanwhile : In a large saucepan sauté onion in butter over medium heat. Once the onions become translucent ,add the flour.
Stir in chicken stock and wisk until well blended. Add the chicken and half and half. Heat until warm throughout (do not boil)
Use toppings to suit your tastes…… Some Choices to consider
• cooked rice, sliced mushrooms
• pineapple tidbits and mandarin oranges, maraschino cherries
• chopped green onion ,olives, green pepper
• grated cheddar cheese , coconut
• slivered almonds,chow mein noodles
• celery, peas and carrots ,tomatoes
AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT SOUNDS YUMMY TO YOU

Layer on plate: Rice, Chicken gravy and any topping that suits your taste…..
Chow mein noodles, Soup mixture, Pineapple, Cheese, Celery, Green onions, Coconut, Almonds, and Soy sauce etc. !!

Grilled Pizza Crust (like Flat bread Pizza)

We made this great pizza on the grill tonight. It can be topped with any toppings you wish. I thought it was very similar to the pizza at "Flat Bread Pizza ". My favorite is fresh tomato, garlic and basil. The kids like cheese and pepperoni.
Grilled Pizza Crust adapted from Craig Priebe
Up to 25 percent of the flour could be whole wheat. Any more than that, and the dough becomes too dense, heavy, and won’t rise enough. This recipe is easily doubled. Ingredients:
¾ cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
½ teaspoon sugar
1½ cups unbleached flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal, preferably white, plus additional for the pan
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus ¼ teaspoon for the bowl

Makes: two 12-inch (30 cm) pizzas
1. Pour the warm water into a small bowl or measuring cup. (If the water is too hot, the yeast will die. If too cold, it will not activate.) Add the yeast and sugar and stir until the yeast dissolves into a smooth beige color. Let it stand on your counter for about 5 minutes to prove that the yeasted water is active. A thin layer of foam will appear at the top, indicating that the batch is good.
2. Kneading with a stand mixer: Add the flours, salt, and cornmeal to a 4- or 5- quart (4 or 5 liter) standing mixing bowl. Use the dough hook attachment on the lowest speed to mix the dry ingredients. Add the yeasted water and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix on the slowest speed to allow the ingredients to come together. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Then move to medium-high speed and knead for 2 minutes. The batter should form a ball, unless it’s too wet or sticky. If so, add only enough flour to prevent it from sticking. The dough should come off the sides cleanly and form a ball.

Kneading by hand: Measure the flours, salt, and cornmeal into a large bowl. Add the yeasted water and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well, stirring with a strong spoon. Lightly flour a clean, dry countertop. Form a ball of dough, place it on the counter, and press down with the palm of your hand. Fold the dough over itself and press again. Continue to roll and press the dough for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth. (You will feel the dough change. It will soften and become more elastic.) Add only enough flour to prevent it from sticking.

3. Put the remaining ¼ teaspoon of olive oil in a medium bowl. The dough will be sticky, so flour your hands before picking it up, and place it in the bowl. Turn it over several times until it is coated in oil. This prevents a crust from forming on its surface as it rises.
4. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a draft-free, warm place, 70° to 80°F (20° to 25°C), for 1 hour, until it rises to almost double in appearance.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight, or for 1 hour to firm it up. Since this dough is slightly sticky, chilling the dough makes it easier to roll out. Chilling it overnight gives the dough more flavor and texture. Dough will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Note: This recipe makes two crusts. If you’re planning to prepare only one pizza, grill the second crust anyway, because it will keep better than dough. Crusts keep in the refrigerator for 3 days, or for up to 3 months in the freezer. Then you’ll be ready to grill pizza anytime. You can even cheat by cooking the pizza in the oven. Try 400° (200°C) for 12 minutes, and check toward the end to avoid burning. Put the frozen crust right onto the grill. It will only take a minute to thaw. Or defrost it in the refrigerator or at room temperature; it will thaw quickly, within a half hour.
Whether you grill indoors with a cast iron pan on the stove top, or fire up a charcoal or gas grill outside - you'll be amazed at the results if you follow these basic steps for grilling pizza.

Roll out the dough with smooth even strokes, using a rolling pin, until it is about 12 inches in diameter and about 1/8 of an inch thick. Place the dough on a flat surface, such as an inverted cookie sheet.
Heat the grill to medium high.
Hold the cookie sheet over the grill and slide the dough onto the grill’s surface. Make sure the crust falls flat onto the grill.
The dough should take about 3 minutes to brown. It bubbles as it cooks.
When the crust has browned, remove it from the grill. Turn the crust over to the browned side. Top it with your favorite pizza toppings.
Slide the pizza onto the grill and brown the bottom for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned and crispy.
Remove the pizza by carefully sliding it back onto the cookie sheet. Cut and serve.

Sauce:
1 8 Oz Can Tomato Sauce
1 tsp Dry Oregano
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Dry Basil
1/2 tsp Garlic salt
Combine and let sit for 1 hour while the dough rises.




This is what the bottom of my pizza looked like.........yummy!!

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

This is a great treat when you don't want to turn the oven on. My kids loved them, they fought over the last ones. Don't forget to chill them until they set up.

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites(adapted from Stephanies Kitchen)
makes about 45 sandwiches
1 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp softened butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pretzels (the waffle shaped ones like Snyders)
1 bag good quality chocolate chips
Using a mixer, combine peanut butter and softened butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugars and stir to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go. If not, add more sugar ( a little bit of each) until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll. Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball and set on a cookie sheet. I like to roll all the balls and then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled and successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.
Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl and heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer and quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time.

Cookie Carnival Lemon Ricotta Cookies

July's Cookie Carnival Recipe is Lemon Ricotta Cookies.
I absolutely love lemon desserts. This cookie did not dissapoint. It was very light and lemony. If you are looking for a light summer treat try this great recipe. Thanks Kate and the Cookie Carnival for challenging me to try new recipes.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Makes: 44 cookies

Ingredients
Cookies:
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
Glaze:
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.
Glaze:
Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.

Baby Back Ribs ......

I found this great recipe at Taste of Home The sauce was really yummy and not too smoky.The dry rub really enhanced the flavor of the ribs. My family thought these were great.

Best Baby-Back Ribs ( I doubled the recipe for my famiy and had leftovers)
(Printable Version)
SERVINGS: 4
METHOD: Baked and grilled
TIME: Prep: 10 min.
Bake: 3 hours
Ingredients:
• 4 pounds pork baby back ribs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup chili sauce
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke, optional
• 1 tablespoon molasses
Directions:
Place ribs bone side down in a large roasting pan. Combine garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper; sprinkle over ribs. Top with sliced onion. Cover tightly and bake at 350° for 2-1/2 hours.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and Liquid
Smoke if desired. Drain fat from pan; discard sliced onion. Brush ribs with half of barbecue sauce. Cover and bake 30 minutes longer or until ribs are tender. ( I threw them on the BBQ for a great grill flair) Serve with remaining sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Brownies for a Crowd

This is another great recipe from Sister's Cafe. I only had regular cocoa instead of the Dutch processed kind, it still turned out great. This recipe is a definite keeper.
Brownies for a Crowd (cookie sheet size)
submitted by Melanie
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp cocoa (I prefer Dutch-it is darker)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups melted butter
5 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
Mix together and spread on a buttered cookie sheet (standard stainless steel). Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes. Be sure to not overcook. Frost
Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 tsp cocoa (I used 6 TBLS of regular cocoa)
6 TBsp milk
1 tsp vanilla)
Powdered Sugar--I have never measured. I just add until I get the consistency I want. If it becomes too thick I just add a little more milk.
Mixl together butter and cocoa  ( I microwaved them for 1 minute and add powdered sugar,milk and vanilla. You can add nuts into the frosting or sprinkle on top if you would like.

Zucchini cake

Zucchini or Carrot Cake

This old standby from the 1960's freezes beautifully, frosting and all. Watching fat consumption? Replace up to half the oil with applesauce for a lighter dessert.
THis recipe makes 2 cakes and freezes well.
Ingredients
4 c flour
4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
2 c salad oil (or 1 cup oil, 1 cup applesauce)
8 eggs
1 c broken walnuts
6 c zucchini, finely shredded (about 2 pounds) (works great with carrots as well)
Instructions
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and lightly flour 2 13-by-9 inch sheet cake pans (or 4 9-by-9 inch square cake pans).

Using large stand mixer (like Kitchen-Aid brand), combine all dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Add zucchini, oil (or oil and applesauce) and eggs. Beat on low until mixed, then increase mixer speed to medium and beat for two minutes. Spread batter in pans.

Bake at 325 degrees until the cake centers spring back when touched lightly--about 45 minutes for large pans, 35 to 40 minutes for small pans. Allow cakes to cool in the pan on a cooling rack before frosting with Cream Cheese icing.

Notes
Cream Cheese Icing: Allow 2 3-ounce packages of cream cheese and one (1/2 cup) stick of butter to come to room temperature. Place in mixer bowl, and beat on high speed until combined. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and 4 cups powdered sugar. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy--2 to 4 minutes. Ice tops of cakes only. Sprinkle frosting with chopped walnuts.

Raspberry Butter

There is nothing better than fresh baked bread with Raspberry Butter...Enjoy
Raspberry Butter from One More Moore

1 stick (1/4 lb) salted butter, room temperature
1/4 C raspberry preserves
2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Place in mixer and beat until well combined. Store in refrigerator


A second version equally as yummy comes from Ina Garten:
Raspberry Butter
Copyright, 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All rights reserved

Ingredients
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup good raspberry preserves
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Combine the butter, raspberry preserves, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Serve at room temperature.

How we spent our 4th of July.....

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here you go........
We spent the weekend with my brother Race and his family and friends on the La Cense Ranch in Dillon Montana
Race treated us to a great BBQ with the famous La Cense Beef. I am excited to experiment with some recipes using this 100% grass fed beef. We shared our Sweet Pork Salad and Fruit Pizza
Here is a gluten free version to the salad dressing I used

CILANTRO-LIME VINAIGRETTE

6 tablespoons oil (half olive, half vegetable)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small hot pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in small jar. Shake well and set aside.