Grandma Jane's Butterhorns {a recipe}

My Grandma Jane could cook.  One of my favorite things she used to cook was these delicious butterhorns.  We lost her last month, she's with our Savior now.  I will always love making these because they remind me of her.  

Hope you love them as much as I do. 

Grandma Jane's Butterhorns

• 1/2 C. butter-flavored Crisco
• 1 C. scolded milk
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 pkg yeast (dissolved in 1/4-1/2 C water)
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 C. flour

Heat shortening, milk, sugar till melted.  Do not boil.  Cool till just warm to the touch, add yeast.  Add beaten eggs.  Add salt, then add one cup flour at a time.  Knead and work in a little more flour till dough is sticky not heavy.  Cover and let rise to the top of bowl, about hour and a half, sometimes longer, depends on humidity.

Flour counter and divide dough into three or four equal parts, roll out in circle. 

Butter circle and cut in eight or ten pie shaped pieces.  Roll these pieces from large to small end.  Place on cookie sheet, cover and let rise again about an hour. 

Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Spread tops with butter when warm out of the oven. 

A tip: 

-my mom used to always let these rise in a warm, steamy bathroom.  This year I tried putting them in a warm oven, seemed to work fine.  I turned my oven on to lowest setting, let heat up, then turned oven off and place covered dough in oven to rise.  I covered my dough bowl with a moist tea towel. 

PS. Is the term "let rise" or "let raise" correct...I'm no English major.  Either way I figure you know what I mean :)
PSS. You know there is a little green "Print Friendly" button at the bottom of this post under the LinkWithin links. Click on that and it takes you to this nifty page where easily print this recipe, even remove the pics if you want for cleaner printing. Just an FYI. 

Chicken Taquitas {a recipe}

These are SO yummy.  But I might make a small suggestion to not make these when you're husband is gone and you're single-mommin' it with a nursling, a toddler and two rowdy kids.  You might almost lose your sanity.  Not that I know from experience. *ahem*
I mentioned it before when I shared my everyday spaghetti sauce recipe.  We have these for dinner lots, but they'd be great as little appetizers if you used six-inch tortillas.  Reheat in the oven any leftovers to keep tortilla nice and crispy. 

CHICKEN TAQUITAS

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 C. water

1/2 C. minced green onions

1 tsp. minced garlic

3-4 C. Crisco oil

1 C. finely chopped tomatoes 

6 T. chicken broth

2 T. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. chili powder

flour tortillas

Simmer chicken in water in 10-inch skillet, covered for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from water and cool.  Shred with fork.  Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil for 1-2 minutes.  Stir in chicken, tomato, broth, flour and spices; simmer 3-5 minutes. 

In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat about 1-inch of oil.  Dip tortillas quickly into oil to soften; drain on paper towels.  (Confession sometimes I skip this step and just roll tortillas up as normal, it works just fine that way.)  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture down center of each tortilla.  Roll up tortillas tightly.  Secure with wooden toothpicks.  Fry at 375 degrees until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Keep tortillas warm in 350 degree oven.  Remove toothpicks; serve with guacamole or sour cream.  Yield about eight 10" tortillas or a dozen 6" tortillas.

Everyday Spaghetti Sauce {a recipe}

I haven't bought spaghetti sauce in I don't know how long.  We just make our own.  Like most great recipes, this one isn't my own, I got it from my mother-in-law.  It's in the woman's ministry cookbook I got for Christmas MANY years ago.  Two thousand and four, to be exact.  The page is splattered with sauce.  Page sixty-three is another page that I frequent, there you'll find her Chicken Taquitas recipe.  I'll share that recipe another day.  Today I'm sharing the spaghetti sauce.  

Everyday Spaghetti Sauce 

PRINT HERE

2 lb. Hamburger, browned & drained

2 (16 oz) cans tomatoes, diced

2 (16 oz) cans tomato sauce

2 (12 oz) cans tomato paste

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

½ tsp. basil

1 C. sugar

¼ tsp. pepper

2 C. water

Simmer on low for 2 hours or longer. Yield: 1 gallon

I make a few changes to the recipe.  I leave out the meat and lower the sugar by half.  I lower the sugar just cause without the meat to cut that sweetness, it is way to sweet.  (And if you don't want it to be so chunky from diced tomatoes, swap those for crushed.)  Now I've got a GREAT spaghetti sauce to use as a starting place in lots of recipes.  Chicken parmesan, meatball subs, rigatoni, spaghetti and meatballs or Italian sausage and peppers (pictured above).  ETA: We divide this up in quart size bags and freeze.  We always have a stash in our freezer. 

And this sauce is kiddie approved. 

Is it me, or does having sauce all over his face make him all the more cute? 

Linking to:

Today's Creative Blog

Someday Crafts

Thirty Days Handmade

Tip Junkie

I'm Topsy Turvy

Best Playdough Ever {a recipe}

Let me start by saying that I got this AWESOME recipe from my buddy Erin.  Let me also say that I wish my buddy Erin had a blog where she chronicled her daily life and the things her kids say.  I'd say you should friend her on facebook just to read her status updates, but that'd be weird.  She is witty and sarcastic and wonderful.  That is all.  

Okay, so about this recipe, it is fantastic!!!

Not gritty.

Not sticky.  

Easy to make.

Stays soft.

It's perfect.

What you need: 

• 1 C. flour
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 C. water
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 C. salt
• food coloring

It doesn't hurt to have a helper too, preferably one that knows how to work her lower lip. 

Melt all together in a saucepan over medium/low heat.  Stir.  Stir some more.  Then stir some more.  You're getting close when you scrape the bottom of the pan and it doesn't immediately fall back into a soupy glob.  Pretty soon you'll see that the dough will begin to pull together.  Keep stirring.  Stir until a ball forms.  Store in an airtight container (not in the fridge like some recipes call for).

There you have it.  The best playdough ever.

Ideally this post would have a great picture of my helper playing with said playdough, but 8 seconds after I got done making it she said "I don't want to play playdough."

Story of my life.

Linking to:

Whipperberry

Tatertots and Jello

Seven Ingredient Granola {recipe}

Do you like super crunchy, highly addictive snacks?  Well then this granola is for YOU!  Do you also like EASY recipes that don't require an extra trip to the store just for random ingredients?  I've got you covered.  

This granola is seriously DELICIOUS and so, so easy!

You can eat it on yogurt, with milk as cereal (Ben's favorite), topped with chocolate bark drizzle (yep, I said it) or even on ice cream. 

But really it's best just eaten by the handful.

Seven Ingredient Granola

• 8 cups old fashioned oats
• 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 cups coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup oil (I use coconut)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Dump oats, cinnamon and coconut flakes in BIG bowl.  Give it a little stir.

Combine brown sugar and water over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves.  Turn up heat and bring to boil, lower heat and stir for 1 minute.  Remove from stove and oil and vanilla.  Stir to incorporate. 

Pour your simple syrup over your oat mixture.  Stir till completely coated. 

Pour out onto two large jelly roll pans that have been greased.  Spread out granola, but don't press down, you don't want to pack it. 

Bake at 275 degrees for 60-70 minutes until lightly brown and toasted.

Let cool in pans about 10 minutes then run a spatula under granola to break up into big chunks.  

After completely cool store in a handy cookie jar that is easily accessible to all who might need a snack.

Some pointers:

•  If using coconut oil you will have to stir the syrup just a bit more to make sure it is all melted. 
• If you don't like coconut just leave it out.  You really can't taste it much and often I just use what I have, my last batch I only had about a cup so I dumped that it and it still tasted great. 
• Melt chocolate bark and drizzle it on the granola after you take it of the oven. YUMMO!
• Seriously, this stuff goes quick!! I made our last batch on Friday, we have crumbs in the bottom of the jar this morning. 
• It's a great road trip snack!!
• Oatmeal increases milk supply, so eat up nursing mommas!

ENJOY!!

Linking to:
Today's Creative Blog
Someday Crafts
Tip Junkie
Blue Cricket Designs

Summertime Cake Balls

Our summer usually gets kicked off by going to the annual Memorial Day party at my husband's work.  This year we had just made it home from my sister-in-law's wedding on Sunday, so I needed to make something easy.  I decided to try my hand at cake balls again.  Don't remember if I ever shared my traumatic tale of me trying to make Lego cake pops for Mason's birthday party last year.  Here's a recap: woman 8.75 months prego has emotional break down when cake pops don't turn out.  You don't need to know the gory details, just that it was a major FAIL.  Months later, I was reading on Bakerella and realize I had left out one very important step.  You must put some candy coating on the stick before you insert it into the pop.  If you don't, you might end up crying or cursing under your breath because cake balls will not stay on said stick w/out that "glue".  Don't ask me how I know. 

Ok, so I was brave enough to give these another go.  And it worked.....for the one I did.  Then I realized that was just going to be more work and we were in a hurry so I just made them cake balls.  But I have mastered the cake pops and will be doing them again.  Sometime soon.

Here are my festive red, white and blue cake balls.  They turned out so yummy!  But beware, if you don't like sweet, you might steer clear of a cake ball, they are super rich!!  And here's a little secret, I used Almond Bark for the coating, cheaper I think than candy melts and easier to get my hands on. 

Pic taken w/ my EVO edited w/ Vignette App for Android

Linking to: Somewhat Simple ~ Tatertots and Jello

Reese's Lovers Cake {fancy-up a boxed cake}

We had company over last night and I made dessert.  A rarity apparently cause my kids asked if it was his birthday since I was making cake. Um, No.  

Any-who, I had bought a bag of mini Reese's pieces (the kind you find in the baking aisle) last week with the plans to put them in some granola bars, you know to make them healthy. ;)  It is widely know that I LOVE all things Reese's.  Flash forward a week, I had yet to make granola bars, but I HAD successfully succeeded in eating half the bag (don't judge me, Ben was gone all last week so I was single-mommin' it.  Enough said.)

So with the left-over Reese's, a boxed cake mix, a can of frosting, and a bit of peanut butter, I whipped up this
Reese's Lovers Cake.  

Super QUICK, super EASY, super DELICIOUS!!

Make your cake per directions (I used yellow).   Let cool completely.

Add peanut butter to frosting.  I did about 2 heaping tablespoons.  Stir well.  Taste, if you want more peanut butter goodness, throw in another spoonful. 

Frost cake.

Sprinkle with Reese's pieces.  (Smack you kids hand when they try to pick them off.  Just kidding.....only sort-of)

ENJOY!!!

This would be so, so yummy with chopped up Reese's cups on it too.  My mouth is watering!!

Linking to:

Made by You Monday

Get Your Craft On

Whatever Goes Wednesday

Somewhat Simple

Weekend Wrap Up

FEATURED

Oatmeal Rolls {recipe}

Thanks to my good friend Lisa for my new favorite roll recipe.  These just might take over our tradition of making Grandma Jane's Butterhorns on Thanksgiving.  They are so simple and easy to make and super delicious!! 

Oatmeal Rolls

1 C. Oatmeal

2 Tbsp soft margarine

2 C. boiling water

2 pkg. yeast, dissolved in 1/3 C. warm water + 1 tsp sugar

2/3 C. brown sugar

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

5 C. flour

Pour boiling water over oats and margarine. Stir & cool to lukewarm. Add sugars, salt and dissolved yeast to oatmeal mixture. Knead in the flour one C. at a time. Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hr. Punch down. Form into rolls and place in a greased 9x13 pan. Allow to rise again 20-30 minutes. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Additions: I stopped with about 4 1/4 C. of flour because the dough seemed right at that point.  When I made them once with whole wheat flour they were really dense.  Lisa said you can add some gluten to help with that.  Also as you can see mine made enough for a 9x13 and a pie pan.  And because you can never have too much butter, I brush warm butter over the tops when they come out of the oven. 

ENJOY!!

Poptarts

I'm over here sharing a recipe for homemade poptarts.