Long overdue! Grandma Bemiss Cobbler

This is a long-served dessert in our family bearing the name of Grandma Bemiss. Where she got it, I don't know. It has come down to us this way:

Batter:
1 C. Flour
1 C. Sugar
2T. Butter
3/4 C. Milk
2 t. Baking Powder

Topping:
2 C. Fruit (or more)
1/2 C. Sugar
1 C. Boiling water

Pour batter into greased pan, spread fruit on top, sprinkle with sugar, and pour boiling water over. Bake 350 for 30 minutes

Notes:

• The fruit can be fresh or canned. I know my grandma (Epps) used canned peaches a lot. She also liked to use fresh rhubarb.
• Usually, the pan is a 9" x 13", or so.
• It can take up to an hour for the batter to bake through, so allow a little extra time.
• Delicious with ice cream!
• Here is a bio on Grandma Bemiss I posted on my blog: https://yourpedigree.blogspot.com/2012/03/backward-glance-maud-may-morgan.html

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

This is a recipe I got from a mission-serving friend. I baked some up, today, and they are delish; especially if you like shortbread. They have the shortbread flavor, but are so light, they melt on your tongue. I did use candied cherries on mine, but I'm going to experiment with other things. Maybe I'll try a piece of a candy cane, a pecan, a chocolate kiss; I don't know, but this is a keeper recipe for me.

Christmas Candy: Westover Style

Every year we make Christmas candy to give to friends, neighbors and family. Over the years we've tried lots of recipes, but there are a few that we do every year. Here is our 2017 Christmas lineup. The "new" one this year are the Oreo truffles (super easy!), everything else we've made pretty much every year since 2009...seriously, that's the year on the bottom of some of my printed recipes.

snickers fudge • caramels • english toffee • peppermint bark • oreo truffles • chocolate covered pretzels

 

Snickers Fudge

For the first layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

For the second layer

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped salted peanuts

For the third layer

14 ounce package caramel cubes
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the fourth layer

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

To prepare the first layer

In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking pan lightly coated with nonstick spray. Using an off-set spatula, spread the mixture to an even layer and place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the second layer

In a medium heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Mix in sugar and evaporated milk. Once it comes to a boil, let cook 5 minutes while stirring. Remove from the heat and quickly stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in peanuts. Pour over the set chocolate layer and use an off-set spatula to gently spread mixture in an even layer. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the third layer

Place the unwrapped caramel cubes and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until the mixture has completely melted and is smooth. Pour in the pan and quickly spread to an even layer with an off-set spatula. Place in the refrigerator until set.

To prepare the fourth layer

In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter. Stir often until completely melted and smooth. Pour over the third layer and use an off-set spatula to spread to an even layer. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.

Homemade Caramels

Ingredients: 
1 cup of butter (2 sticks)
4 cups sugar
2 cups Karo syrup
2 cans evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Generously butter a jelly roll pan (or a 9x13'' pan if you prefer thicker caramels).
Add 2 sticks butter, sugar, and Karo syrup to a large heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat.

Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to boil, about 5-10 minutes.
Gradually add the evaporated milk, pouring it in slowly so that the mixture maintains a constant boil.
Stir the mixture regularly, scraping the sides until it reaches a firm ball stage - 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer(This doesn’t seem to be enough for me, I cook it til it reaches 250 degrees). This part takes patience-it could take about an hour to get to the

firm ball stage--but it's sooo worth it!
Once you reach 240 degrees F remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
Pour caramels into a buttered pan. Refrigerate until ready cooled and hardened.

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients

·         6 oz dark chocolate

·         12 oz white chocolate

·         3 tsp vegetable oil

·         10 to 12 crushed candy canes

Instructions

1.       Line the bottom and sides of an 9" x 9" square baking pan with non-stick aluminum foil.

2.       Stir half white chocolate and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a double boiler.

3.       If you don’t have a double boiler, you can make your own by placing a metal bowl into a pot of boiling water.

4.       Stir the chocolate as it melts with a heat-proof spatula.

5.       Remove from over water. Stir in 1/3 crushed candy cane pieces.

6.       Spread melted chocolate out on the parchment paper.

7.       Place baking pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.

8.       Melt the dark chocolate and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a metal bowl placed into a pot of boiling water.

9.       Stir the chocolate as it melts with a heat-proof spatula.

10.   Pour dark chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate layer.

11.   Using icing spatula, spread dark chocolate in even layer.

12.   Place baking pan in the freezer for 20 minutes.

13.   Repeat with another layer of white chocolate with the remaining chocolate and tilt the pan for an even layer.

14.   Immediately sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes evenly over the white chocolate layer while it’s still warm and soft.

15.   Gently press down on them to help them stick into the layer.

16.   Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the chocolate has set.

17.   Remove the Peppermint Bark from the pan by lifting the edges of the aluminum foil.

18.   Break into suitable pieces, keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

19.   Peppermint bark is traditionally broken into chunks but if you want to cut into squares, dip your knife or cookie cutter in hot water.

Oreo Truffles

1 package of regular oreos (not double stuffed)

1 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened

1 pound white chocolate almond bark

In a food processor crush oreos, once they are all broken down add the softened cream cheese so it forms a dough. Chill at least one hour, roll into 1” balls, chill again. Once firm dip in melted almond bark, let cool.

*optional, drizzle food colored almond bark on top after they’re set, or festive sprinkles before they set.

English Toffee

1 LB margarine (or butter, this gives it a different flavor. Also delish)

1 C water

2 ½ C sugar

4 T corn syrup

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate won’t set up!)

Add all ingredients, except chocolate chips, to a large pot. Stir constantly as it thickens, and boil until it starts to smoke (weird, but it actually does stop steaming and will smoke!) also known as hard crack stage.

Remove from heat, pour into a jelly roll pan (ungreased) and spread to the edges by tipping the pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, wait until they melt then gently spread across the entire pan of toffee.

Let set until cooled, use a bread knife to break it apart into small chunks.

And last, but not least - chocolate covered pretzels. SO easy, just dip them in melted almond bark and sprinkle toppings on them before they set. They're super good plain, but we like crushed candy canes, and this year we did sweetened coconut - SO good. 

White Chicken Chili

We have been making this White Chicken Chili recipe for years, Andy and I love it. Our kids are picky so they don't eat it, but that just means more leftovers for us! 

I wanted to try it out in my Instant Pot, so I'll include the regular stove top recipe as well as pressure cooker directions. 

 

(This pic shows it a little more soupy than chili-like...I added an extra cup of water in the IP, don't! After I boiled it down a little it was the perfect chunky/creamy consistency. So just follow the original recipe amounts for stove top or pressure cooker!)

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes1 medium onion, chopped (or 1/4 cup dehydrated)
  1 taspoon minced garlic
  2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
  2 cups chicken broth
  1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 teaspoon ground cumin
  1 teaspoon dried oregano
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute the chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream.
If desired, top with tortilla chips, cheese and jalapenos or serve with corn bread which is our preferred side.

Pressure cooker version:

Place full (frozen) chicken breast and all ingredients except sour cream in the pot. Cook for 13 minutes on manual setting, I did a quick release of pressure. 

Remove the chicken and shred or rough chop then return to pot, stir in sour cream. 

Enjoy!

Mini Pepper Nachos!

Last night I decided to create a menu for the rest of January.

I like the idea of menus but creating one proved to be harder than I thought. Especially once I decided to start asking everyone what their favorite meals were!

I finally decided to split the month up between Chicken, Beef, Vegetarian and Other.

Our first meal from this menu was the following scrumptious hit!😋

Mini sweet peppers cut in half and the seeds taken out. Lay them out in your pan. I put foil on one pan before spreading the peppers on it to keep everything from sticking. The stoneware pan did great without anything underneath.

The toppings I used were taco seasoned beef (not shown), Olives, Corn, Green onions, cheese and lime juice. Sprinkle the meat on every pepper. Spread a thin layer of cheese over the meat and then add the other ingredients. Squeeze the fresh lime juice over the top. I used half a lime for each pan. I will use more next time. Put more cheese on again! I love cheese!💗

Put it in the oven at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes. Make sure the cheese is melted.

We all enjoyed this meal very much! I put fresh tomatoes and Avacado on mine with Sour cream. This is a great alternative to chips. We will definitely be making this again.

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Mac and Cheese - Kid approved!

So I got an Instant Pot for Christmas (just one brand of many pressure cookers out there), and have been loving it!

Last night for dinner I made Mac and Cheese in it, and including the time it took to pressurize to having the food on the table was about 15 minutes total. For made from scratch Mac & Cheese. Amazing!

Here's the "recipe" I combined from others and used.

Mac & Cheese (Pressure Cooker)

Ingredients:

4 cups elbow macaroni noodles
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

4 cups shredded cheese
      I used 1 cup Pepper Jack
                1 cup Cheddar
                2 cups Mozzarella

Directions:

Mix all but cheese in your pressure cooker, cook for 8 minutes on manual then do a quick release to release the pressure. (If there is excess liquid you may want to drain a little of it, otherwise it adds to the creamy-ness of the mac and cheese.)

Add the cheese and stir until melted.

The only thing that I noticed, and this was probably because of the cheese combo I used (fridge special :) ) is that my batch was really stringy, that didn't stop us from enjoying - and devouring - this though. Def making again!

Nutrition Facts: 390 cal per serving, makes 8 servings

Creamy Tomato Soup

This is my all time fave tomato soup recipe. So good. So creamy.
I've heard that not all care for the texture, but we LOVE it!

Creamy Tomato Soup (Crockpot, 6 hours)

Ingredients:

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with the juice
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions (I use dehydrated onions, I find them less repulsive)
1 cup finely diced celery (I also skip this, because I don't usually have celery on hand)
2 T tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T dry basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups half and half (I've also just used milk)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onion, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours until flavors blend and vegetables are soft.

About 30 minutes before the serving, prepare a roux.
In a skillet melt the butter over med-low heat and add the flour. Whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color.
Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the crock pot  to the roux, it will make a thick paste, slowly add 3 more cups of warm soup to the mix and stir until smooth.
Add the roux mixture to the crock pot.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half and salt and pepper. Stir well, let cook on low for another 30 minutes.
Pour soup into a blender (do this in batches), puree until smooth.

Serve with artisan bread, or fresh rolls. So yum!

Baked Chicken Toquitos

This is a favorite at our house! Everyone will eat them, they freeze and reheat well, and anything with cream cheese has to be good, right?!

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
5 oz cream cheese, softened
2 T lime juice
1/2 cup green salsa (or red, really whatever you have on hand)
1/4 tsp minced onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I usually use dried cilantro and that works well)
2 T green onions, chopped (again, dried works just as well)
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (I've used Pepper Jack and Mozzarella)
20 corn tortillas

Direction:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, chili and garlic powder and cumin.
Add the cilantro, green onion, and cheese. Add the shredded chicken last, mix well.

Heat the corn tortillas in the microwave between damp paper towels for 30 second at a time so they're easy to roll and won't crack (as much).

Spread about 2-3 TBS of the mixture in each tortilla, roll it up and place it seam side down on the greased foil.

Make sure the tortillas aren't touching or they will stick together while baking.
After they are all rolled and placed on the pan spray them with cooking spray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown, some tortillas may crack during baking time and that's okay - they will still be delish! Serve with salsa, sour cream, rice, beans, etc.

Nutrition Facts: 100 cal per serving, 20 servings per recipe.

Pizza Dough

This is an Italian recipe that came originally from my Aunt Margie who got it, as I understand it, from her Aunt. It required a lot of time, like bread dough; so, my mom adapted it to be able to make it quickly without waiting for it to rise.

• 6 c. flour
• 6 T. sugar
• 1 T. salt
• 1 T. yeast
• 1 c. milk*
• 1 c. water, warm
• 5 T. oil 
• parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano, etc. (optional)

Combine 3 c. flour, sugar, salt and yeast in large bowl. This is where you would add the parmesan cheese and possibly some garlic and/or oregano to flavor the dough. Then add the liquid ingredients and mix well. Add the remaining flour to make a kneadable dough. Divide into two clumps and spread in/on pans with your hands. You can also roll the dough out on a floured surface until it is about the right size for the pan. 

Bake at 425 degrees on the lowest rack for about 18-22 minutes.

* If you want to substitute water for the milk, that will work as well. You can also use 1/3 c. milk powder and 2 c. water. It's a very forgiving recipe!

Dee-lish!

Five-can Soup

I got this recipe from Selissa. It is easy and delicious. I don't have a picture, but maybe one can be added later.

1 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion
3 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. cumin
1 can chicken broth
1 can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 can evaporated milk
1 can chunk white chicken, undrained

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add flour, cumin and chili powder. Cook, stirring constantly.

Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan, add the onion mixture to the broth and whisk until liquid is smooth. Stir in the tomatoes and corn. Slowly stir in the milk and the liquid from the chicken. Bring to a simmer; do not boil. Break the chicken into bite size pieces and stir in the soup. Serve.

NOTES: Obviously, there are lots of things that can be varied or substituted. I've done it this way:
Shred cooked chicken into a pan.
Stir in the flour and spices.
Pour in broth and bring to a boil. It will thicken slightly.
Add corn and tomatoes. Heat through.
Stir in the milk. Serve.

It is also good with a can of black beans added (I drain them).

Brownie Cookies

Cream:
½ cup shortening
2 tsp vanilla
1 ¾ cup sugar

Beat in:
2 eggs, one at a time

Add:
8 Tbsp cocoa
½ tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk

Roll balls of dough in powdered sugar and place on greased pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. (They may look gooey, but if you overcook them they will be as hard as a rock.)

Accidental Dessert

So, the other day, Grandma Aitchison told me she makes a lemon bar cookie by mixing an angel food cake mix and lemon pie filling together and baking it. I decided to try it. The 'cookie' was good, but not fabulous. It was more like a moist lemon pound cake. I started considering what else could be done with it. This is the result.

Strawberry Lemonade Compote

1 angel food cake mix

1 2-lb. tube of lemon pie filling, divided

1 lb. fresh strawberries, quartered

2 c. whipping cream

1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the cake mix and 1/2 of the lemon pie filling. Spread in greased cake pan (9x13). Bake for about 20 minutes. After cooled, cut or tear into cubes, about 1 inch square.

In a large bowl, combine baked squares, remaining pie filling and quartered strawberries. Whip the cream until stiff peaks are formed; fold in the sugar.

Spoon the cake mixture into serving dishes. Top with whipped cream. Makes 8-10 1-cup servings.

Cloud Bread

So I've been counting calories lately. Boring right? I know. Anyway, one of the things that I've been most...scared to eat much of is bread. It just has too many calories in it for me to want to waste my time with. Which is sad to me. I've probably had 4 slices of bread in the last month and a half. Maybe.

I saw a recipe for "cloud bread" on pinterest and thought I'd give it a whirl. At only 43 calories each piece how could I not?!

Cloud Bread
(link to recipe I used - http://www.food.com/recipe/carb-free-cloud-bread-411501)
I really didn't make many changes, but my notes are in red :)

• 3 eggs , separated
• 3 tablespoons whole milk cottage cheese or 3 tablespoons cream cheese (I used cream cheese)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (I didn't have any so I looked up substitutes and ended up using 1/2 tsp lemon juice.)
• 1 (1 g) packet artificial sweetener (I used 2 tsp splenda)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Separate the eggs very carefully, there must be no yolk in the white.
3. In one bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the 3 T. of Cottage Cheese OR Cream Cheese and the one packet of Sweetener until smooth. (I softened the cream cheese for about 30 seconds in the microwave)
4. In the other bowl add 1/4 teaspoon of Cream of Tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form nice peaks.
   
5. Very carefully fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites until mixed, but try and not break down the fluffiness of the egg whites too much.
   
   
   
6. Spray two cookie sheets with Pam or other fat-free cooking spray.
7. With a large spoon, "scoop" the mixture into 10 even rounds on the sheets (about the size of the top-half of the McDonalds hamburger bun; roughly 3/4 inch thick and 4 to 5 inches across).
8. Bake on the middle rack. Here is when you have to watch them, because the cooking time the same on any two batches. It is somewhere around 1/2 hour, but it could be less or more. (Mine only cooked for 21 minutes)You just need to watch them until them become nice and golden brown (again, the color of a McDonalds bun).
9. Remove from the pans and cool on a rack or cutting board.
10. While warm they are crumbly and similar to cooked meringue - but don't let this fool you! Once completely cool, seal them in a ziplock storage baggie or a tupperware over night. They will totally change their consistency, to something much more like bread - a softer texture that is nice and chewy. If you do not like softer chewy bread, then eat them as they are, nice and crisp
    
     **I let them cool for about 10 minutes and then spread butter on one and ate it with my breakfast. I was actually pleasantly surprised and how good it was. Maybe it's because I haven't eaten bread in a while? I'm interested to see how the texture changes after they've sat for a while longer. They were so easy to make though, I think I'll be making them again.  I'm also already thinking of things to add to them, seasonings, chopped dried fruit, chocolate???, cheese, mmmm.

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

I made this for dinner the other night and it's possibly the most delicious thing I have ever made. It was well worth the hour or so that it took to prepare and cook it.

CHICKEN
vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup onion, chopped or thinly sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 freshly grated ginger
1 satsuma, squeezed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander

Cook the chicken in 2-4 tbsp of oil, depending on the size of your pan. Let it brown on one side and then turn over. Stir in the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (25 - 35 min)

RICE
Chicken broth
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped

Cook the rice (stovetop or in a rice maker) with the chicken broth. Once it's done, stir in the honey, cinnamon, and nuts. I highly recommend serving the chicken atop the rice with the sauce poured over it.

Orange sherbet - without an ice cream maker!

7 satsumas/tangerines/mandarins/whatever you call them, squeezed
4 tbsp lemon juice
1 orange rind cut into small pieces
2 tsp vodka
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
dash of salt

(the recipe I found just called for fresh squeezed orange juice. I do not have a juicer so I hand squeezed them.)
Rub sugar and rind together until sandy and damp. Whisk in salt, juices, and vodka. Strain through a mesh sieve. Chill 2-3 hours in the fridge or 45 minutes in the freezer. Try not to let it ice over.

All I did then was blend the juice mixture and the cream for a minute or so to make it all frothy. For consistency, and I plan on doing this the next time I make it, I'd try whipping the cream into soft peaks before tossing it all in the blender.

I'm pretty sure it can be made without vodka but it won't be as smooth. In the end, you can't taste it but it makes the flavor richer and keeps it from freezing solid.

Sausage Rice Skillet (aka cheater jambalaya)

For a Relief Society activity a few years ago I organized a 5 ingredient recipe lesson, we gathered lots of yummy, easy recipes for the little cook book. This is one of our favorites here at our house. Super easy and it gives you the jambalaya experience in a lot less time!

Sausage Rice Skillet
1 (4 1/3 ounce) box Rice-A-Roni, Chicken Fajita flavor (we use a generic brand jambalaya flavored rice mix)
3 Polish sausages, cut lengthwise and sliced (I use one of those 12-14ish ounce sausages you can buy in the store by the lunch meat, I've also added chicken but don't every time)
1 medium onion, cut crosswise and sliced (we don't like onions, so I use about 2 Tablespoons dehydrated onion)
1 green pepper, sliced (in the above picture I used dehydrated peppers, I was out of fresh ones)
3 cups water

In skillet saute sausage, onion and green pepper until lightly browned. Add rice mix, seasoning packet and 2 1/2 cups of water, stir. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook 25 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add remaining water as needed.
Recipe makes 4 servings (though it usually feeds our family and then Andy and I have the leftovers for lunch, so I'd say it's about 6 servings)

Mrs. McQueen's Oatmeal Crispies

Grandpa Hoyle's favorite cookies - IF you add 1-1/2 cups of raisins! They have a soft center and a crispy outside. Very yummy!

 My mom thinks she got this recipe in around 1959 from Mrs. McQueen who was her friend's mother. We've been using it ever since. This is a picture of the original recipe card on which my mom wrote it.

Cream Tuna on Toast

This is something that my mom made all the time but I don't know where it's from. It's one of my favorite meals, and it is EASY!

Cream Tuna

2 T margarine
2 T flour
1 cup milk
1 can tuna, drained
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine. Add flour and stir until the butter and flour are well combined. Pour in milk, stirring constantly as it thickens, about 10 minutes. Add drained tuna. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve over toasted and buttered bread.

Serves 2. (We triple it.)

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

I love me some comfort food! We don't make this often because it's so fattening...but when we do make it we love love love it!! 

Chicken broccoli casserole
layer #1 - 2 10 oz packages frozen broccoli (cooked)

layer #2 - 2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 Cup Mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
2 lbs cooked.diced chicken

layer #3 - 3/4 Cup grated cheese

3/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 Melted butter

layer in 9x13" pan top with crumbs and drizzle butter
Bake at 350 for 1 hour (or less, as long as cheese is melted and it's warmed through)

Butter Beer!

I found this recipe on the internet but I don't remember the source. It's a good drink for chilly winter evenings, but SPOILER ALERT! you'll get fat.

2 tablespoons of butter (yeah, Julia Child would be proud)
2 tablespoons on brown sugar
A mugful of milk
Cinnamon and nutmeg

Melt the butter and the brown sugar over medium heat in a little saucepan. You want to stir continuously so it doesn't stick or burn and let it meld so close together that it's nearly caramelized.
Add in the milk and let it simmer.
Stir in a dash of cinnamon and a little nutmeg for flavor.
If you're feeling daring and heathenish, this is also really good with a half a shot of rum thrown in.

So you're literally drinking butter, sugar, and milk. It's like a cookie in a cup, so beware.