Peanut Butter White Chocolate Pop Corn

A few weeks ago, Mandy and I made some of grandmas famous caramel popcorn.(posted here, thanks to Maegan) We devoured it and then talked about all the other yummy things we could coat popcorn with. Chocolate popcorn, ranch popcorn, candied popcorn, jello sprinkled pop corn, Chex mix flavored popcorn, etc.

I have had pop corn on my mind since then.

Yesterday, I concocted this version
I wanted to try something different than the carmel popcorn, since I knew everyone already liked that.

I busted out my organic pop corn
cooked in in organic unrefined coconut oil
heated up some all natural organic peanut butter
Then smothered all that healthy goodness with a bag of melted Hersheys white chocolate chips and some regular old semi sweet chocolate chips.
It was delicious! (notice every picture I took has my kids hands in it. I couldn't keep them out of it!) I am going to be trying different pop corn recipes and will be sure to post the good ones here.

2/3 cup unpopped pop corn (dont use the microwave stuff unless you absolutely HAVE TO)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 bag white chocolate chips
a few handfuls of semi sweet chocolate chips

Pop corn in air popper or on stove. Dump it into a bowl and shake it gently to separate the kernels that didnt pop. Remove the unpopped kernels. In a double broiler, melt the white chocolate chips and then add peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat evenly. Add chocolate chips and spread out onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden.

Toffe Bars

These are a recipe that has been passed down from Grandma Hymas. From what I hear, she used to make them quite often and was famous for them (and her yummy popcorn)

In my opinion, these are better than rice krispy treats for a few reasons. #1 - they are topped with chocolate!! #2 - I have not had good luck with Rice krispy treats in the past, it is a tricky process to get them soft and gooey.

I have made these a number of times and they are consistently soft and easy to make.

Toffee Bars
In a heavy sauce pan, combine:
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
cook until sugar dissolves
Remove from heat
Then add 1 cup peanut butter and stir well until it is all incorporated
Add 7 cups rice krispies and stir until everything is coated
spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan and let cool a few minutes.

Top with 1 cup milk chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips that have been melted together.

Let cool and cut into squares

Sugar Cookies

What would Valentine's Day be without heart shaped sugar cookies? It's been a long time since I have made any so I had to search for a new recipe, one that didn't include shortening. A personal preference. I decided to search out a recipe for Lofthouse cookies. You know, those super yummy, super soft cookies you buy in the bakery section? This recipe wasn't an exact replica, but they sure did hit the spot! They were so soft and so addicting! Beware!

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup sour cream
5 1/2 cups flour (until desired consistency for rolling)

*I cut this into thirds because I didn't need a zillion cookies. With my modified measurements I got two dozen cookies.

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2-2 cups flour

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and sour cream. Mix in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out dough to a 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness using a generous amount of flour. Cut out shapes and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Frost and decorate as desired.

Pineapple Glazed Baked Ham

I made this for dinner last night. When we were in California Maegan made us ham for dinner one night, best ham I've ever eaten! I tried to get the recipe from her yesterday but couldn't get ahold of her. Looking online I found most of the same ingredients used for most pineapple glazes, this is not at all healthy, and we don't eat ham very often, but it was oh so good! This is what I did:
4-5 lb bone in, pre-sliced ham
1 c brown sugar
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate
juice from 1 can of pineapple
Pineapple
I put the ham in a 9x13 baking dish, poured the pineapple over the top, them mixed the remaining ingredients together and poured over the ham. I baked it, covered at 350 for an hour and 45 minutes.

Fresh Mango Bread

I made this for my mom's 60th birthday party, it was a Hawaiian themed party. It is really good, similiar to banana bread or zucchini bread,a nice change, my kids had never eaten mangos before and this was a great way to introduce a new fruit! I found this recipe at www.recipezaar.com

Makes 2 loaves

2 c flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 c vegetable oil (I use olive)
2 1/2 c mangoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 c raisins (optional, I left them out)

Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Combine all of the dry ingredients. Beat eggs with oil and add to flour mixture. Add mangos, lemon juice and raisins. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased 8x4 loaf pans. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust: Or use your own favorite pie crust recipe
2 c flour
1 c shortening
1/2 c hot water
Makes one top and one bottom crust
Filling:
1 can cream of chicken (or make your own:))
1 bag frozen veggies of your choice or fresh chopped veggies of your choice
3/4 c cooked, cut up chicken
Mix together, fill up pie crusts, cover edges of crust until last 10 minutes of baking to prevent burning, bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Monti's Bread

Raygon, this one is for you! I saw your posting about Macaroni Grill Bread and thought you might want to give this one a shot. My Grandma loves their bread and while eating there once, asked if she could have the recipe. Surprisingly, they gladly shared!

1 Tbs. Yeast
1 1/2 Cup Water
4 Cups Flour
1 Tbs. Sugar
1/2 Cup Very Finely Chopped Onion

Kosher Salt
Dried Rosemary

Mix like regular bread dough, adding the onions at the end. Let it rise for one hour and then knead. Press onto a large greased cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled, or when it reaches the top of the cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Bake at 400 degrees 20-25 minutes.

Pan Fried Ravioli

This one is great when you are in a hurry to get dinner on the table.

1 package organic ravioli (okay, okay, you can use normal ravioli, too)
2 eggs
Splash of milk
1-2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 Jar organic spaghetti sauce (again, you can use whatever your family likes.)
Handful of fresh flat-leaf parlsley, chopped (If you don't have fresh on hand, dried works too.)
Handful grated parmesan cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a bowl, add eggs and beat. Add milk. In a second bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley and cheese. Dip ravioli in egg mixture, then bread mixture until coated. Drizzle a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet. Over med-hi heat, cook each ravioli a few minutes until lightly toasted. Serve with your favorite sauce.

General Tsao's Chicken

3/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs. Cornstarch
2 Tbs. Sugar
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. Vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Ginger (I hate ginger so I have never included it. It's still yummy without it.)
2 Tsp. Oil
2 Green Onion, Chopped
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
1 lb. Chicken Breast, chopped into about 2 inch pieces

In a bowl, whisk together broth, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger. Set aside.

Heat oil in wok or large skillet. Add scallions, garlic and pepper flakes and cook about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

Add sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and chicken in cooked through.

Serve over rice.

Baked Raised Doughnuts

My girls love doughnuts, but I hate fried food! They rarely get them so when I came across this recipe for baked doughnuts from a good family friend, I was so happy! It's a little more effort than just buying them at the store, but it's worth the extra work!

1 3/4 cup water
1/3 cup dry powdered milk
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon*
1 tsp. nutmeg*
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tbs. yeast

Mix and knead all ingredients together. Let rise until doubled. Roll out and cut into doughnuts. Place on cookie sheet and let rise again until double. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

*I don't like to add the flavor to my dough, I would rather add it to the top of the doughnuts after they are cooked. Feel free to change it up according to what your family likes.

French Dip Sandwiches

We made these last night, so quick and easy and yummy.

1-2lbs. roast beef thinly sliced from deli
1 package Au jus mix
Hogi buns (or homemade rolls would be yummy too)

Put meat in a 9x13 dish, mix Au jus mix as directed on package with water, pour over meat, bake in oven at 320 for 45 minutes or until hot, put on buns and enjoy!