Cranberry Jello Jubilee

This recipe was given to me by my mother in law Beth who is a great cook. She served this at Thanksgiving and Christmas!  I love it!

Cranberry Jello Jubilee
1 large raspberry jello
1 cup hot water
1 cup cold water
2 cups whole cranberry sauce (canned, not raw)
1 (4 oz) can crushed pineapple
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
1 pint sour cream

In large bowl, dissolve jello in 1 cup hot water and 1 cup cold water.  Chill and set until thickened, then add cranberry sauce, pineapple, bananas, and chopped nuts.  Put half of mixture into pan (can be 9 x 13 pan or smaller) Put one pint sour cream on top, then add the other mixture on top and set till firm.
Yummy!

Thought for the day:
Sometimes we try too hard to solve our own problems, and we forget to ask for help from our Heavenly Father.  The gospel is so simple, as is found in 1 Nephi 15:8  where Nephi says to his brothers  "And I said unto them:   Have ye inquired of the Lord?"
May we always remember to ask Heavenly Father for answers to our problems, He loves to hear from us and help us and He wants us to be happy! (He wants us to learn patience and trust and many other things as well, so sometimes the answers take longer, but we must keep asking!)

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

It is Thanksgiving time and Jenna asked me for the recipe for our Strawberry Pretzel Salad and I said "it is on the blog" to which I just realized it is not on the blog.  This is a traditional jello salad we make every Thanksgiving, you can use strawberries or raspberries or any kind of berries!  
I got this one from Sherene Keith from my Sandridge Ward Cookbook!  Yay for Ward cookbooks!
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
2 cups coarsely crushed pretzels
3 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) Frozen whipped topping (cool whip)
1 6 oz Strawberry Jello
1 1/2 cup boiling water
2 (10 oz) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
Mix pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar.  Press into a 9 x 13 pan (not too hard)  Bake at 400 for 6 minutes only.  Cool
Beat cream cheese and sugar.  Add whipped topping  and mix all together well.  Spread this mixture onto the crust and refrigerate 
Dissolve Jello in 1 1/2 cup boiling water.  Stir in berries.  Mix until syrupy. 
Refrigerate Jello mixture until no longer runny   Pour over cream cheese layer.  Chill until set.
I usually make this the night before so it has time to set.

For my thought today:  There is always something to be sad about.  There is always something to be happy about.  Embrace the sadness, let it fill you and absorb it, then quickly think of the things that you are blessed to have right now, and chase out the sadness by choosing to focus on being happy.  Sing this song by Martina Mcbride, and hopefully you will feel better!  Do it anyway    

Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookie

My friend Dana gave me a cookbook and I tried her pumpkin cookies, I know I have already posted one, and this one is a bit different, the way it looks after it is baked, and I really liked them, so I am going to include this recipe as well!

Dana's Pumpkin Choc Chip Cookies

1 cup sugar
2 stick margarine or butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour (I added about 1/4 to 1/2 cup more)
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 pkg chocolate chips

Combine sugar, butter, pumpkin, vanilla, eggs, blend well.  Combine in another bowl:  flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt - add to creamed mixture.  Put on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes (I did 9 1/2 min)
Yields 2 to 2 1/2 dozen
These are really YUMMY!

Monster Cookies and Cookie Brookie

We have a wonderful RS teacher who bakes us treats when she teaches her lesson, she made these and I really liked them so she gave me the recipe, they are called Brookies, but there is a separate recipe for the Monster Cookies which you put the dough onto the brownie, so if you are in the mood for a chocolate brownie with a oatmeal based choc chip cookie (with M&M's) on top, then make these, I love them! It came from www.somethingswanky.com, a fun baking site!

Monster Cookie Brookies

Ingredients:

For the Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chunks

For the Monster Cookie Layer

1/2 of the dough from monster cookie recipe

Instructions:

For Brownie layer:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees  Line a 9 x 13 baking dish with Tin Foil and Spray with non cooking spray  (I just sprayed real good)

allow at least an extra inch of foil along the sides to fold over the edges towards the end of baking (the edges brown much more quickly than the center will bake)

Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time , mixing well between each addition.  Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix in the baking soda.

Mix in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula

Once the batter forms, scrape it into the prepared dish and spread evenly (it will be thin and don't stress if it doesn't spread all the way to the edges, the monster cookie dough will add extra thickness to the bars.

Spread the Monster cookie dough over the Brownie batter layer

Bake for 35 to 45 min , until toothpick inserted comes out pretty clean, the edges are golden brown, and the middle seems pretty set

Also note, at about the 25 min mark, I folded over the edges of the tin foil around the crust of the bars to prevent burning

Let cool and cut into squares for serving

Serves 12

(Or just use a good quality brownie mix like duncan hines)

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened (Not melted)

1 1/2 cups peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp hot water

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 package M&M's (plain or peanut)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat together the peanut butter and butter until smooth and combined.  Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar.

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix in between each addition.

Mix in the corn syrup and vanilla

Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, then mix into the batter

Mix in the oats and salt.  Fold in the M&M's and choc chips

Scoop cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment or silicon lined baking sheet.

Bake for 9 min until the edges look set and golden, but the top sis not brown.

Notes:  there is no flour in this recipe. I promise, they'll still turn out just right!

Reeses Peanut Butter Miniature Cookies

Okay, I just made several dozen of these and these are my new favorite cookie!  I got the recipe from thesisterscafe.com and you can see a picture of them here  and get the recipe as well

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened to room temp
2/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2  2/3 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
48 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups, unwrapped

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth.  Combine flour, soda and salt and add to butter mixture.
form dough into 1 inch balls and place in mini muffin pan (leave in balls; do not press down)
Bake at 350 for 10 -11 min (I timed mine at 9 1/2 minutes and they came out PERFECT)
Just cook until they start to brown and then take them out.
Immediately press a miniature peanut butter cup into the cookie until the top is even with the top of the cookie.  Let cookies cool in pan for at least 10 min before transferring.

Sandee's tips for perfect cookies:  Spray the mini muffin pan with Pam.  Bake 9 1/2 min.  After putting the reeses peanut butter cups in the cookies, then I put them in the refrigerator for 10 min, then take them out and they will come out of pan perfectly!
They actually taste better after letting them set a couple of hours!
These are very easy to make, you make 24 at a time, and they taste so yummy and look so cute!
Perfect for showers and birthday parties and finger food!
LOVE IT!

Grandma Harrah's Green Beans

Dan's mom Beth is a wonderful cook.  One thing I have learned from her is how to cook good green beans.  Of course fresh beans are the best, but when you have to use canned green beans, she would Drain the green beans (let's say 3-4 cans green beans), pour into big pan for stove.  Then add water to cover them, sprinkle in like 2 -3 Tblsp dill weed and 1 to 2 Tblsp dried onions, bring to boil and boil for a bit.  She would also boil the little small red potatoes and then add them to the boiling green beans for the last bit, maybe cut the potatoes into halves or thirds.  
Drain the green beans and season with salt and some butter.

YUMMY!

Peanut Butter Popcorn

We just recently held homemaking where they asked everyone to bring their favorite popcorn recipe, and this one was my favorite to eat, LeeAnn Hein brought it, and it actually is the same stuff I make to put on my Peanut Butter Rice Krispies, but to put this on popcorn is different and wonderful and the best treat ever!  you just gotta try it, seriously, I had no idea it would be this good, I have made it five times since, the secret is to PICK OUT ALL THE UNPOPPED POPCORN SEEDS as I hate hate hate to bite down on a popcorn kernel.  

Peanut Butter Popcorn
1 cup sugar
1 cup karo syrup
Melt over medium high heat on stove top, as soon as it is mixed good and dissolved and just beginning to boil, bring off of heat and add:
1 cup peanut butter
you can add 1 tsp vanilla at this point as well and stir real well, pour over popcorn.
I buy the microwave popcorn, I just pop two of the envelopes of popcorn and this recipe covers that much popcorn pretty well!
I like to use my big tupperware Thatsabowl, it is my most favorite prized possession, if you ever wonder what to give someone for a gift, give that bowl, you can buy them on ebay for cheaper than tupperware store.  But I use that bowl whenever I make anything like rice krispy treats and this stuff and so forth as it doesnt stick to the sides!
So put your good popcorn in the thatsabowl, pour the sugar karo peanut butter mixture over it, stir real well, and give it a minute or two to cool and wa la, pure delight!