Hot Fudge Sauce

The title takes you to where I found the picture, but I got this recipe from Paula. It's originally from Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.

This is a quick and easy chocolate hot fudge sauce recipe that is delicious over ice cream, cheesecake, warm brownies, with fresh fruit or cubed pound cake. My mouth is watering.

Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (14oz) evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation:
Combine sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt in saucepan. Add milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Cook 5 minutes longer. Remove hot fudge sauce from heat, cool, then stir in vanilla.

Fruit Smoothies

 

These smoothies are thick, made with frozen fruit and milk, no sugar added. Trust me, they are sweet. During the school year, I make these as an after school snack, and now that it's summer, it's still a great treat.

Fruit Smoothies

Blueberry Smoothie
2 frozen bananas(frozen at least 3 hours or over night)
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
enough milk(fat free), to make it whir in your blender.

Add all ingredients and whir in a blender till smooth, you'll want it thick. I personally, don't measure the blueberries, I just pour them in till I think there are enough.


Chocolate Peanutbutter Banana Smoothie
2 frozen bananas(frozen at least 3 hours or overnight)
1 Tablespoon hot cocoa mix
1 Tablespoon peanut butter(I use Adam's Peanutbutter)
enough milk(fat free), to make it whir in your blender, you'll want it thick.

Add all ingredients and whir in a blender till smooth.


Idea:These are simple and can be made with any type of frozen fruit(cherries, peaches, raspberries, strawberries, apricots, blackberries, pears, whatever you have on hand. I like serving these to my kids because there are no added sugars, corn syrup, or ingredients I can't pronounce.

Raspberry Freezer Jam

The title takes you to the pic of the red raspberries, but I found the pic of the raspberry jam http://laurarebeccaskitchen.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html here.

I didn't realize how easy it was to make freezer jam! More fruit and less sugar. Taste is just perfect. My friend Nicole brought her two kids and I brought mine, and we picked some raspberries. It was great fun, and a good experience for the kids. I made a run to the grocery store so I could have some pectin and some freezer containers to put them in. It seriously took me no more than 15 minutes to make three batches. It's a simple recipe that comes on the packet of Instant Fruit Pectin-Ball brand. It looks like a seasoning packet. Costs about $1.40 each. No cooking needed!

Raspberry Freezer Jam(works for all fruit, except peaches)
4 cups crushed fruit(apricots, berries, cherries, grapes, pears, plums, or other tender fruit)
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 Ball 8oz Freezer Jars or Jelly Jars

1. STIR sugar and pectin in a bowl.
2. ADD crushed fruit. Stir 3 minutes.
3. LADLE jam into clean jars and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy.

Refrigerate up to 3 weeks, or Freeze up to a year.

Cherry Almond Fudge Pudding Pops

Again, the title takes you to the Bestbites site. I miss the old Jello-Pudding-Pops from when I was a kid. All these pops come in a close second as a replacement.

Cherry Almond Fudge Pudding Pops
1 small box instant Chocolate Fudge Pudding
1 3/4 cups half and half
about 20 cherries (1 1/4 cup) pitted and halved(I chopped mine in my food processor for tiny pieces)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips(or chopped chocolate chips)

Blend pudding mix, half and half, and almond extract in blender until smooth. Add in cherries and pulse 2-3 times. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Place in molds and freeze. (Again, I just stuck it all in the blender and whirred, then poured mine)

Mint Chocolate Cookie Pudding Pops

The title will take you to the Bestbites site where there are more of a selection to choose from, but I chose two for now since my freezer is usually pretty full. I'll be trying the others later. Got a blender? These just mix right in the blender, then pour it straight into the molds. Perfect! I used the regular instant pudding for ours, and non-fat milk. She says that half and half milk, 2% or 1% will turn out creamier, but I always have non-fat on hand, so that's what I used. Kaleb wanted to eat his as soon as it was poured and was bummed when he realized that he had to wait. It's been so hot here the past few days, that we have seriously been living on watermellon, burgers and ice cream. Too hot to cook, but not too hot for milkshakes and pudding pops!

Mint-Chocolate Cookie Pudding Pops
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 3/4 cups half and half
10 Oreo cookies, crushed (about 1 heaping cup)(I just use the cookie part, not the filling, but that's me)
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Blend pudding mix, extract, and half and half in a blender until smooth. Stir in crushed cookies by hand. Place in molds and freeze.(I stuck it all in the blender and whirred it all together, way easier)

Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

The title takes you to where I found the image, but the recipe I use is below. This sauce is super easy, and you can add or use spices you like. I like to keep it simple, and this is really cheap, yet very flavorful.

Sauce
1 can tomato sauce(15oz. can)
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients. Let stand at least half an hour for blending of flavors(I include the cooking time for this to speed it up). So, before making your dough, whip this up and then by the time you're done baking, it will be perfect. :)

Homemade Pizza Dough

This recipe is my FAVORITE pizza dough of all time. It's fast, easy and tastes great! Brandon's Aunt Katie and Uncle Paul gave us a great pizza stone when we got married, and inside it came with a Pizza Recipe. I've been using this one for almost 13 years now, and it's still my favorite. It came from Pfaltzgraff brand pizza stone. The sauce, also comes from here. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as we do here!

Pizza Recipe
The pleasure of pizza is as endless as the topping possibilities you can dream up. BUT first the crust, where all good pizzas begin.

CRUST
2 packages active dry yeast(I use 3 teaspoons because I buy bulk)
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
up to 6-7 cups all purpose flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar, salt, and 4 cups of flour.
Mix until smooth. Stir in enough flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (5 minutes). (Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Let dough rest for a couple minutes before rolling. It will make it easier to roll. Roll dough to whatever shape pan or stone you will be using(sprinkle your pan with corn meal, or spray with cooking spray)

Spread your sauce and add your toppings. Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes, or till done.
This is the same recipe as the breadsticks I posted, just doubled, but with less yeast.

Cafe Rio-Copy Cat

 

This Burrito is so delicious, and very filling. Perfect for a crowd or just your own family. I love the combinations of the flavors, it makes for a perfect bite every time. You can count on having leftovers.

Cafe Rio Chicken
5 lbs chicken
1 bottle italian dressing(I like Newman's Own)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablspoon cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
Cook in crock pot 4 hours to all day

Cafe Rio Rice
4 teaspoons garlic minced
2 cups uncooked rice
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chiles
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 onion
4 cups chicken broth
Put cilantro, chiles, and onion in food processor then add to the rice. Cook rice in rice cooker, or on stove top.

Cafe Rio Dressing
1 cup mayonaise(I don't use a substitute when it comes to mayo)
1 cup fat free sour cream(can use full fat for a thicker dressing, and same flavor)
5 sprigs cilantro
2 tomatillos
1 green onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno, with seeds
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon salt
Mix all together in food processor. Let sit in fridge at least an hour before serving, for the flavors to combine.

Layer the rice, chicken, cheese(I use Pepper Jack), dressing, lettuce, tomato and wrap in a large tortilla. Goes great with Guacamole too.