Maple Brown Sugar Cinnamon Roll Frosting

 I had this frosting on a cinnamon roll when I was teaching at Waverly HS.  I have cut the recipe into 1/4, to make it more to a family size tray of C rolls.

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 c. brown Sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 t. maple flavoring

3 3/4 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter and brown sugar and bring to a boil.  Cool slightly and add milk.  Mix with mixer, the remaining ingredients.   Frost rolls.

Smash Burgers

 MAKES 8 CHEESEBURGERS OR 14 SLIDERS

EQUIPMENT

• A seasoned cast-iron skillet or fl at top
  
• A stiff spatula
  
• A #12 salad scoop for full-size cheeseburgers, #16 salad scoop for sliders (see Note)
  

THE BURGER

• 8 potato buns (make sure to get the right-size buns for either cheeseburgers or sliders)
  
• Peanut oil, or other neutral oil
  
• 2 pounds (about 1 kg) fresh-ground 80/20 chuck
  
• Salt, for seasoning
  
• American cheese, thinly sliced (preferably fresh-sliced cheese from your deli counter, not prepackaged “singles”)

THE TOPPINGS
Not here, my friend. This classic American cheeseburger needs no condiments. So, before you add anything, taste it. There’s a good chance you’ll become a purist like me on the spot.

Note: If you’re making sliders, the patties will take slightly less time to cook than is listed here. Watch for red liquid to know when to flip.

1. Toast the buns in a preheated cast-iron skillet or on a preheated flat top and set them aside.

2. Preheat the cast-iron skillet over medium heat (or a flat top to medium) and add a drop or two of peanut oil. Use the spatula to spread the oil, coating the cooking surface.

3. Put the ground chuck in a mixing bowl. Using the salad scoop, form balls of beef (they should be heaping scoops), placing them on the heated skillet as you go. Each ball should have about 3 inches (7 cm) of space around it. (Depending on the size of your cooking surface, you may only be able to cook 2 or 3 burgers at a time.)

4. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt on each ball of beef and then, using a stiff spatula, press them down, hard. Don’t be afraid, press harder! Press each ball until it’s a wide patty, just a bit larger than the bun it’s about to meet. Here’s the trick, though: Once the patties are flat, step back and don’t touch them again. Let them cook for 2½ minutes or until reddish liquid begins to form on the surface of the patties.

5. Flip them once and resist the temptation to press the patties again.

6. Add a slice of cheese to each patty and let them cook for another 2 minutes.

7. Remove the burgers from the skillet and place them on toasted white buns.

Applesauce Cookies

 

Ingredients:

1/2 c. shortening

2 eggs

1 t. soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. salt

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1c. applesauce

1 pkg semi sweet chocolate chips (mini chips work great too)

1 c nuts (opt)

 Preheat oven to 400°.  Combine applesauce and soda.  Mix sugars, shortening and eggs.  Add applesauce mixture. Add flour spices and salt that have been sifted together.  Add chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-12 minutes.  These cookies are soft.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Jon's Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce.

 Ingredients:

2 1/2 c flour

2 t baking powder

3/4 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground ginger

1/4 t ground allspice

1 c oil

1 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 c unsweetened applesauce

4 large eggs

1 t vanilla

2 T orange juice

3 c chopped, and peeled apples( 1 tart and 2 sweet)

Preheat oven to 350,  grease 9X13 pan.  Whisk wet ingredients and stir into dry.  Fold in apples.

Bake 45-50 min. until toothpick comes out clean.  At 30 min mark tent ccake with foil.

Remove cake  from oven and cool on  cooling rack fro 30 min.

While cooling make caramel sauce.

Caramel sauce

1/4 c butter

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c heavy cream

1/2 c powdered sugar

In saucepan  on medium heat  mix butter, br sugar, and heavy cream. Stir constantly let mixture come to a rapid boil.  Boil for 1 minute. Give it a quick stir, Turn heat to low and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar.  Let sit  and thicken for 20 minutes. If sauce gets to thick heat in microwave.

Thackeray Reunion Granola

Preheat oven to 325

Ingredients:

Mix together in bowl

6 c rolled old fashioned oats

2 c. chopped pecans or sliced almonds

1 c shredded coconut

1/2 c brown sugar

Stir together with:

6 T coconut oil melted

1/2 c maple syrup or honey

1/2 t salt

1 t vanilla

Spread on 2 large cookie sheets.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn off oven and let it finish toasting. Cool.

Crumble/ break into pieces for cereal or toppings.

Sausage Egg Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

Spray a 9x13 with cooking spray.

Place 8 frozen hash brown patties (or a layer of tater tots) in the bottom of 9x13.

Brown 1 lb sausage (could use bacon or ham) and sprinkle on potatoes. 

-If you want to add veggies (peppers, onions etc) sprinkle them on at this point too.

Whisk 12 eggs, 1 cup milk and salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over potatoes and sausage.

Sprinkle 1c of cheese on top.

(You can cover this and keep in fridge until you are ready to bake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake COVERED foil for 25 minutes. 

Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes or so.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into portions and serve.

Hawaiian Haystacks

3-4 cooked and diced chicken breasts

2 cans cream of chicken soup

Milk add  enough to make a gravy consistency

Heat in saucepan until warm  add more milk if needed.

Toppings:  Use only the toppings your family likes

Pineapple tidbits(sweetened)

grated cheddar cheese

shredded coconut

sliced mushrooms

chopped green pepper

chopped green onions

Maraschino cherries (no stems)

sliced black olives

diced  fresh tomatoes

crunchy chow mein noodles

Serve over rice, top with chicken gravy(made above) and the toppings of your choice. 

Rice Krispy Treats  Microwave 

So nice to be able to make rice krispy treats in the microwave.    Extra marshmallows make these extra yummy.  You will need a larger microwaveable bowl.  Julie's recipe.

1    9X13 buttered dish

3- 10 oz. bags of marshmallows

1 stick of butter

1 12 oz box of Rice Krispies cereal

Put 1 stick of butter sliced in thick chunks and 2 bags of marshmallows in bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  STIR  repeat this step until marshmallows are melted.  Add extra bag of marshmallows and stir. 

Microwave 30 sec more stir.  A few marshmallow chunks make this even yummier.

Add  box of rice krispies stir until coated and press into  buttered 9X13 dish.

PEANUT BUTTER VERSION:  add 1 cup of peanut butter with the first 2 bags of marshmallows and the butter.  Continue recipe.

Crockpot Thai Chicken Curry

 Crockpot Thai  Chicken Curry

1-2 Cups Chicken broth

2-4 T Thai red curry paste

1 T soy sauce

1 T sugar

1 T Minced ginger

3 cloves minced garlic

1 lb chicken breast or thighs,  cut into bite size pieces

1 zucchini,  cut into 1 inch cubes

1 med onion chopped

14 oz can coconut milk

1 large bunch kale or spinach, cut into small pieces

Put all ingredients in crockpot( not kale or coconut milk)   Set crockpot on high for 4 hours.     After 4 hours, stir in coconut milk and kale.   Thicken with flour.

SERVE over rice

More spice?  Add chopped chili peppers.

Garnish   lime, cilantro  optional.