Pina Colada Pound Cakes

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist white cake mix
3 eggs
1 can 14 oz. coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 can 8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained, 3 tablespoons juice reserved
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, and coconut milk with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in coconut and pineapple. Pour into pans.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool 50 minutes.

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and reserved 3 tablespoons pineapple juice. Poke tops of cakes every inch with toothpick. Pour sugar mixture over cakes. Cut each cake into 8 thick slices, using serrated knife.

Peanut Butter Crunch

This is totally from Carol from the family cookbook, but I had it on my blog and wanted to link it to the recipe here, so here it is:

1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
8 cups corn flakes

Bring sugar and corn syrup just to boil on medium heat. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter well. Add to corn flakes and mix well then put in buttered 9x13 pan. Eat by the handful or cut into squares.

Teriyaki Kabobs

Marinade:

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup orange or pineapple juice
  
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

other ingredients:

• steak, cut into cubes
  
• Fresh bell peppers (red, green, yellow or orange), cut into bite size pieces
  
• Sweet onions, cut into bite size pieces
  
• Fresh mushrooms
• Skewers, if wooden, soaked in water for 20 to 30 minutes

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together for the marinate, then add the other ingredients and marinate the kabobs before grilling.

Meals-on-the-Go

I'm taking a meal to a gal in my ward who just had a baby. And I'm wondering what your favorite meal/s are to take that are simple, easy, and tasty for all. Do you do a casserole, crock pot dish, soup? It sometimes seems tricky to keep it warm (yet not mushy), fresh, and generally yummy.

Any ideas?

Homemade Yogurt

I hope this make sense. I tried to add in what I do. Good luck and enjoy. I am not an expert but If you have any questions let me know and I will try and answer them.

* 1/2 gallon whole milk (can use whole, 2%, 1% or skim milk- the higher fat the creamier and thicker the yogurt)
* 1/2 cup room temperature plain yogurt with "live cultures" (I recommend Dannon Plain Yogurt, because it is made with milk and cultures, other brands have other fillers in them and I don't want that.)

Directions

1. Bring milk to just a boil and then set aside to cool. While you are heating the milk remember to stir almost constantly so it doesn't burn on the bottom. (I have forgotten to stir frequently and it burned, but I still able to use it. If this happens just don't scrape the bottom or your yogurt will have cottage cheese like curds in it.)
2. Cool just enough not to bite the finger to touch, (about 120°F). (I don't have a thermometer so the trick is to let the milk cool until you can keep your finger in it to the count of ten. It takes about 45 minutes to get to this temperature.) Sometimes a skin will form while the milk is cooling. I like to remove it because it feels like plastic in your mouth when eaten. But it doesn't have to be removed.
3. Pour warm milk in a glass or Pyrex bowl and add the plain yogurt with"live culture".
4. Mix well by stirring the starter in, and cover.
5. Completely cover the bowl with towels top and bottom to maintain an even temperature. I put mine into a cooler and surround it with towels to keep the temperature warm.
6. Keep covered at room temperature until the cultures have set, about 6-8 hours. The longer it sits the tangier it gets.
7. Carefully pour off the whey (liquid) that forms on the top.
8. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.
9. To store, keep in refrigerator.
10. If you like, you can add a spoonful or two of fruit preserves/jam and a bit of vanilla before serving.

This will make a runnier yogurt. If you would like to make it thicker follow these instructions:

Follow instructions above until #7 then do this:

1. Line a medium-large bowl with a piece of cheesecloth or a clean white dish towel.
2. Dump a the yogurt into the center of the cloth.
3. Bring the four corners of the cloth together and lift the yogurt.
4. Place the cloth containing the yogurt in a strainer or colander, and place the strainer or colander in a bowl where it doesn't touch the bottom (so that the liquid can continue to drain).
5. Place the bowl containing the strainer/colander in the refrigerator and allow to drain for 2-3 hours. I dump the whey out of the bowl every hour. Strain until you get the consistency you like.
6. After straining using a spatula, put the yogurt in a bowl for use.
7. Return yogurt to the fridge another hour or two.

Chicken Enchilada Dip

This recipe is so easy to make and so good. I ended up heating it in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat until everything was heated through.

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can 5 oz. evaporated milk

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 can 4 oz. chopped green chilies

1 envelope taco seasoning

Tortilla chips

In a 2-qt. microwave-safe dish, combine the first eight ingredients. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 4-5 minutes; stir. Microwave, uncovered, 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 3 cups.

Frozen Yogurt

This frozen yogurt is so good. I make it with homemade yogurt, but store bought will work too. The recipe I use for homemade yogurt is coming. Enjoy!

3 cups strained plain yogurt* or Greek-style yogurt
2/3 -3/4 cup sugar (depends on how tangy you want it)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

*To make strained yogurt, line a strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 6 cups of yogurt.

Wheat and Oat Bread

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1-1/2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons bread flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 2-1/4 cups warm water
• 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 5 cups bread flour

1. In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir together 1/4 cup warm water, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, 2 TBSP bread flour, and yeast. Let grow for about 5 minutes. It will bubble almost immediately.
2. Measure oats, 2 1/4 cups warm water, whole wheat flour, salt, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/3 cup oil into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with a dough hook for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase speed slightly, and begin adding bread flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Humidity determines how much flour you need before the bread pulls away from the edge of the bowl. It is normal for the dough to be sticky.
3. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Divide dough into 3 pieces. Shape loaves, and place in greased 8 x 4 inch pans. Let rise until dough is 1 inch above rim of pans, usually 1 hour.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F ( 175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until tops are browned. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Easy Marinara

My brother-in-law shared this recipe with me, and I love it. It is easy and very good.

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon, olive oil

1 carrot, minced

2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce

(sea) salt and black pepper

2 Tablespoons minced fresh basil or 1 tea dried basil

1 Tablespoon minced fresh oregano or ½ tea dried oregano

3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1 ½ dried parsley

Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Stir in carrot. Sauté 2 or 3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 cups for about 1 pound of pasta

Sweet White Bread

This is one of our favorite bread recipes. I know it is not the healthiest because it isn't made with whole wheat and it has a lot of sugar, but it is so good. Ryan actually likes to add 1 cup of sugar instead of 2/3 cup. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

2 cups warm water

2/3 cup white sugar

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. About 10 minutes.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth ( or 5-7 minutes in a stand-up mixer). Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.